I’m ducking out of town for a few days, and will be otherwise preoccupied for a few more — not much time for blogging until Monday or Tuesday.

I do, however, have a lot of neat links sitting in my proverbial shopping cart, and I wanted to share them with you before I ran off.

Time to empty my cart.

Instant Photo Frame: A photo frame that’s cheap, easy to assemble, and looks like a Polaroid? I’m sold. Anyone want to get me one for Christmas?

The blogosphere is alive, well and kicking: Despite the fact that he uses the term “Blogging 2.0” and using almost anything “2.0” makes you lose a ton of credibility in my book these days, Duncan Riley has a point. Blogging isn’t dead, it’s just that the verb “to blog” is dead because the blurring of boundaries.

Um, don’t blog, or something: I’m not sure how this whole “blogging is dead” meme started, but Zeldman says it best when he asks, “when do we stop reducing the web to a vulgar and trivial competition between head boys, and start appreciating it as a maturing medium for real thought and expression?”

5 Additional Contacts Every Web Worker Should Have: From experience, I know for a fact that it is almost impossible to be a freelance web consultant without having someone around to take care of your legal paperwork and your finances. And if you’re working in web communications, you don’t want to worry about the technical stuff all the time — hire someone to manage your hosts, servers, development, etc.

What The F**K is Social Media? One of the best presentations on social media and its importance to companies and organizations I have ever seen. Humorous, and directly on point.

Flip Mino HD: Yeah, I’ve got a video camera. Yeah, I don’t need a Flip Mino. But hey, it’s a pretty camera, it’s small, and it’s HD. Guess what I’m buying myself for Christmas?

When Books Could Change Your Life: The two best books I ever read, I read before the age of twelve. Turns out, according to this article, some of the most important books we’ll ever read in our lives will be read before we hit the heart of adolescence.

Why Can’t Johnny Jump Tall Buildings? I’ve been thinking a lot about parenting these days (don’t ask) and one thing I remember growing up was my dad’s insistence that I can do better, no matter what I did. He was right, but it’s interesting to read articles about high parental expectations and compare them to my dad’s high expectations, which I think actually helped me in my development.

GOP should ask why U.S. is on the wrong track: I’m no Republican, but every time I hear Ron Paul speak or read something he’s written, I gain more and more respect for the man. I may not agree with everything he says, but I have to acknowledge his political acuity and deep interest in making the country a better place.

Should Every Outward Facing Employee Have a Web Presence: Chris Brogan gets it right again. “Not every employee needs a blog, and not every employee should be outward facing from a web perspective. But the folks who have jobs that put them in contact with people like me? I think you need a web presence, please.”

Oh, and before I go: KVETCH IS BACK! Now, it’s powered by Twitter. Awesome.

Alright, I’ve dumped out my shopping cart for now, time to check out. See you all in a few days.