I've been building some web apps that rely on integrated WYSIWYG text editors for user input, which is something that is typically very dangerous to do in a secure application. Fortunately, I discovered an amazing PHP library, written by Edward Z. Yang, called HTML Purifier , which will take html input, parse its node structure and break it into tokens, validate and correct any nodes according to the relevant RFC definitions, then spits out safe, standards-compliant XHTML which can be used anywhere without fear that some 13-year-old Russian kid found a way to sneak some malicious javascript through your filters. Of course, if you want your users to be able to add specific bits of javascript code to a page, HTML Purifier can be easily extended with plugins to allow your custom code to pass through unaffected. In just a few minutes I was able to use their example YouTube video plugin to write my own filter that will let FlashObject code pass safely through the filters. Unfortunately the developer doesn't have a donation page so I couldn't send him money, but he said that just spreading the word would suffice for now, so consider the word officially spread.
Get Your War On: The Definitive Account of the War On Terror 2001-2008
My favorite comic is getting ready to be relased as a single volume. You can preorder now. If you hate the war and love to laugh, do yourself a favor and order this. You can also read all the GYWO comics online for free here.
BBS The Documentary
This is by far the most comprehensive and entertaining documentary I have ever seen regarding the early BBS system. If you're serious about knowing your internet history, or you just want some extra geek-cred, this is your new favorite documentary.
The Nada Chair "BackUp"
The best alternative I have found to overpriced ergonomic office chairs, especially for very low pain around the sacral joint. Works better than my Aeron chair ever did. Also, it comes in navy blue and black, in case you're not into the whole pregnant woman aesthetic (pictured).It's really not meant for sitting on the floor, it's really better for seats that offer poor back support, and works great at sporting events to make sitting in bleachers much more comfortable.
Antec Quiet PC Case
At just under $120 including a 500 Watt power supply, this "quiet pc" case has worked great for me for over 2 years. In fact I now own two great Antec cases/PSUs. For the money, it's hard to beat this combination.
