An interesting discussion of paper and its merits from Malcom Gladwell, the author of The Tipping Point. My friend Greg pointed me to this article, which appeared in the New Yorker, because he knows that I favor scanning of documents and keeping information in digital form. But don't get me wrong. I like paper and I'm not saying that every piece of paper should be digitized. Still, I maintain that the transactional cost of dealing with paper (especially in the legal profession) is unecessarily high. But it's hard to wean ourselves from that which is familiar even if, rationally, we know that it is holding us back. Maybe the Web will accelerate the process of getting us to accept information in digital form. [Ernie the Attorney]

The Joy of Survival: Poetry to the People. Poets House, a 15-year-old library of poetry in New York's SoHo neighborhood, is a bright, cheerful sanctuary for contemplation and creativity. By Mel Gussow. [New York Times: Arts]