Posts From March 2003
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Monday, March 31, 2003
{09:51 PM} Saturated with Sun
There's nothing quite like San Francisco in the spring. On a day like Sunday, I could walk forever. ...And did. There's so much to see. Flowers blooming.... Neighborhood sidewalks filling up with folks out for a little break from the ho hum of not enough warm sun..... And the city too.
More walking has moved up on my priority list.
^^^
There's nothing quite like San Francisco in the spring. On a day like Sunday, I could walk forever. ...And did. There's so much to see. Flowers blooming.... Neighborhood sidewalks filling up with folks out for a little break from the ho hum of not enough warm sun..... And the city too.
More walking has moved up on my priority list.
^^^
Sunday, March 30, 2003
{09:25 AM} So much past, for so much future
dear mr gibson's blog,
first let me say your great. you say wonderful things in interesting ways. ...but it bothers me that you're treating those things as daily essays rather than individual posts. they deserve better than that.
for example, the most recent entry really should be two. they should get to live happily on the front page with all your other recent posts. context coming from visiable train of thought is one of the many things that makes blogs different than a collection of essays. for the same reason, it's nice to see off the cuff type bits of things interspersed with longer more thought out essays.
another one of those more interesting things, is the ease at which a piece of that train of thought can be linked and further discussed (via permalinks and posting on other blogs). While you do have archives of all your posts, I have to go to the archive page to pick out the link to the most current. It's hardly a lot of work, but it's more than I've grown acustom too.
don't get me wrong. i still love you. it's just that i know there's a blog in your blog somewhere. ...i'd love it even more if you let it out.
your's always,
me.
^^^
dear mr gibson's blog,
first let me say your great. you say wonderful things in interesting ways. ...but it bothers me that you're treating those things as daily essays rather than individual posts. they deserve better than that.
for example, the most recent entry really should be two. they should get to live happily on the front page with all your other recent posts. context coming from visiable train of thought is one of the many things that makes blogs different than a collection of essays. for the same reason, it's nice to see off the cuff type bits of things interspersed with longer more thought out essays.
another one of those more interesting things, is the ease at which a piece of that train of thought can be linked and further discussed (via permalinks and posting on other blogs). While you do have archives of all your posts, I have to go to the archive page to pick out the link to the most current. It's hardly a lot of work, but it's more than I've grown acustom too.
don't get me wrong. i still love you. it's just that i know there's a blog in your blog somewhere. ...i'd love it even more if you let it out.
your's always,
me.
^^^
Saturday, March 29, 2003
{12:10 AM} Post Party Post
It's a little weird... I don't really know the Blogger crowd, but I find myself in the Blogger crowd. They're good people. Tonight we celebrated Ev's birthday. ...During which I met Tantek for the first time. He was kind enough to match faces with names for me. I met some other folks too. I probably remember your names, but maybe might mix them all up. It was nice to meet <yourname> too. We should do it again sometime.
PS: Ignore the experiment below. It's a matter of science and does not concern you.
^^^
It's a little weird... I don't really know the Blogger crowd, but I find myself in the Blogger crowd. They're good people. Tonight we celebrated Ev's birthday. ...During which I met Tantek for the first time. He was kind enough to match faces with names for me. I met some other folks too. I probably remember your names, but maybe might mix them all up. It was nice to meet <yourname> too. We should do it again sometime.
PS: Ignore the experiment below. It's a matter of science and does not concern you.
^^^
Friday, March 28, 2003
{09:11 PM} You would have found out sooner or later
Jason Goldman is a big fat pig. You heard it here first. (and maybe here?)
^^^
Jason Goldman is a big fat pig. You heard it here first. (and maybe here?)
^^^
Thursday, March 27, 2003
Wednesday, March 26, 2003
{09:59 AM} Portable
I want a GP32.
^^^
I want a GP32.
Its quite hard to know how to start a review of such an amazing handheld console. Its also tragic that the GP32 is so often compared to the GBA when in all honestly its light years BEYOND the GBA (it can actually emulate the GBA). In fact maybe referring to this as a 'console' is also wrong when its more of a portable computer disguised as a console.Only $150 and I could be playing Day of the Tentacle on the train.
^^^
Tuesday, March 25, 2003
{10:29 PM} "the law applies to us, only when we feel like it"
AlterNet: Prisoners of Hypocrisy. So it goes.
^^^
AlterNet: Prisoners of Hypocrisy. So it goes.
^^^
{07:53 PM} Racing Rats on Public Transit
Wake up, 6:30am... out the door no later than 7:20... on the train by 8:00am... work. Off the train and on the shuttle by 9:20am. At work around 9:40am. Leave at 4:40. Get back on the shuttle, then the train, work, then the bus. Walk in my front door around 7:00pm. Go to bed at 10:30.
Leaving all of 3 1/2 hours at home everyday. It sucks. I feel like I'm should be doing something. I don't have much time to get anything done, but I just wanna lay on my nearly long lost couch.
One solution would be to buy a car... but folks are still trying to figure out why I'm a contractor (at least I hope they're trying to figure it out). Buying a car for a contract job is silly at best. Really stupid at worse.
I could get a job in the city... but I love my job.
...Or I could just come home and complain.
^^^
Wake up, 6:30am... out the door no later than 7:20... on the train by 8:00am... work. Off the train and on the shuttle by 9:20am. At work around 9:40am. Leave at 4:40. Get back on the shuttle, then the train, work, then the bus. Walk in my front door around 7:00pm. Go to bed at 10:30.
Leaving all of 3 1/2 hours at home everyday. It sucks. I feel like I'm should be doing something. I don't have much time to get anything done, but I just wanna lay on my nearly long lost couch.
One solution would be to buy a car... but folks are still trying to figure out why I'm a contractor (at least I hope they're trying to figure it out). Buying a car for a contract job is silly at best. Really stupid at worse.
I could get a job in the city... but I love my job.
...Or I could just come home and complain.
^^^
Monday, March 24, 2003
{10:40 PM} This and those places in my time
Recently, I received the following email from an unnamed gurl:
Blaxplotation, discarded toys, futuristic philosophies, baggy pants with pockets full of forgotten thinkers, ice cube, synth sweeps, more myth than religion, and an 808 hand clap is what that little boy was made of.
I was not my immediate environment. ...Or so the story shouted.
Would I make the same things now? Probably not. That time came and went.
Am I still made of the same things? Only somewhat. There were rights and wrongs. Things let go and things held on. Just like there's new things to come... and old things to go.
From the surface, the present job may seem better - When in actuality, they're covered in similarity. It's all just a different perspective on the same path, clouded by change and conviction. ...Seen clearer in detail-less retrospect.
^^^
Recently, I received the following email from an unnamed gurl:
I just came form you site after following the link from blogger and wanted to say hello and to say that you have a great website..much better that the past one like http://www.pimpz.org/ what were you think?..much better job now :DI put up the links and pieces of all those old web things, not as a portfolio, but as a collection of my past expression. A past that included being bored, disaffected, and disillusioned in the world of mid western suburbs. A land where nothing exists that isn't first advertised on television. A land where anything in opposition was quickly kept and cuddled closely. Entertainment often took the form of spitting (albeit playfully) in the face of all the things that kept growth stunted. An absurdist rebellion of anything counter to empty-cultural. The further from my home, or the greater it's expression of outside oppression, the higher I held it up.
Blaxplotation, discarded toys, futuristic philosophies, baggy pants with pockets full of forgotten thinkers, ice cube, synth sweeps, more myth than religion, and an 808 hand clap is what that little boy was made of.
I was not my immediate environment. ...Or so the story shouted.
Would I make the same things now? Probably not. That time came and went.
Am I still made of the same things? Only somewhat. There were rights and wrongs. Things let go and things held on. Just like there's new things to come... and old things to go.
From the surface, the present job may seem better - When in actuality, they're covered in similarity. It's all just a different perspective on the same path, clouded by change and conviction. ...Seen clearer in detail-less retrospect.
^^^
{07:16 PM} Absurdity of War
....Unless war is just a game to you.
Okay. I'm going to stop reading war coverage now.
^^^
"They are sending forces out carrying white surrender flags or dressing them as liberated civilians to draw coalition forces into ambushes," said Victoria Clarke, spokeswoman for Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld. "Both of these actions are among the most serious violations of the laws of war," she said.Laws of war? Come on now.... war isn't a spirited competition. War, by it's very nature, has no respect for human life. How can you possibly expect respect for everything less than that?
....Unless war is just a game to you.
"Unintended casualties like this are regrettable."But when they aren't mistakes, there isn't regret? That sounds a little, well, murderous. Not to mention the fact that all the wars in the world have shown us that civilian casualities are impossible to avoid. They only way they can be "unintended" is via ignorance or a little well written spin.
Okay. I'm going to stop reading war coverage now.
^^^
Sunday, March 23, 2003
{04:34 PM} Music for...
On the way out of Amoeba Saturday, I spotted Nufonia Must Fall, by Kid Kola. It's a black and white, wordless, graphic novel about a robot and an overworked office girl falling in love. ...With accompanying sound track. Knowing nothing more, I bought it.
I was pleasently surprised. Neither the book, nor the soundtrack, are masterpieces. The book would benifit from more time spent on less frames - The soundtrack on more variety between pieces. But as a package, it works really well. The whole thing comes across as very sweet and innocent. The last page made me "awwwwwh" out loud.
I'm already looking forward to reading it again.
^^^
On the way out of Amoeba Saturday, I spotted Nufonia Must Fall, by Kid Kola. It's a black and white, wordless, graphic novel about a robot and an overworked office girl falling in love. ...With accompanying sound track. Knowing nothing more, I bought it.
I was pleasently surprised. Neither the book, nor the soundtrack, are masterpieces. The book would benifit from more time spent on less frames - The soundtrack on more variety between pieces. But as a package, it works really well. The whole thing comes across as very sweet and innocent. The last page made me "awwwwwh" out loud.
I'm already looking forward to reading it again.
^^^
{03:41 PM} White girls... You know they're the baddest poets.
Lane left this morning.
Things are quieter. There's more room in my room.
I don't quite know what to do with myself.
There's plenty to be done. She was here for so short that things were pushed aside to make more room for togetherness time.
Some of those things I looked forward too.
But now something's missing... and not coming back right away later. Leaving this time alone tainted. Not much more motivated than laying on a pillow that smells of her. And making plans for additional things to do - when distraction becomes a better option.
^^^
Lane left this morning.
Things are quieter. There's more room in my room.
I don't quite know what to do with myself.
There's plenty to be done. She was here for so short that things were pushed aside to make more room for togetherness time.
Some of those things I looked forward too.
But now something's missing... and not coming back right away later. Leaving this time alone tainted. Not much more motivated than laying on a pillow that smells of her. And making plans for additional things to do - when distraction becomes a better option.
^^^
Saturday, March 22, 2003
{10:12 AM} Thanks Anyway Mr. Sites
Every time I mentioned that a CNN reporter was blogging from Iraq, the emediate responce was a somewhat shocked "What does CNN think?". I assumed they weren't aware enough of it to care. Either I was wrong, or they quickly found out. Yesterday they shut downKevin Sites' Blog.
It would seem the only war they like is the kind safely behind info graphics.
^^^
Every time I mentioned that a CNN reporter was blogging from Iraq, the emediate responce was a somewhat shocked "What does CNN think?". I assumed they weren't aware enough of it to care. Either I was wrong, or they quickly found out. Yesterday they shut downKevin Sites' Blog.
It would seem the only war they like is the kind safely behind info graphics.
^^^
Friday, March 21, 2003
{06:24 PM} Just Do Somethin You Love
The ongoing conversation between Greg Costikyan and Warren Specter is fascinating. What started as an impassioned diatribe against the direction of the game industry. Has turned into a wonderful statement on why "making do" is not enough.
A Specter is Haunting Gaming the orginal
A Specter is Haunting Gaming (Warren, that is) the reply
Specter vs. Spector the rebuttal
I couldn't agree with Costikyan more. I left my last job due to making do (among a variety of other reasons). When I first got there, they were excellent designers with good web sites. What they lacked was the proper understanding of the technology to push their sites up into the same category as the design work. ...They were moving in that direction, though. I got there and the work went faster. Soon every site we did the users liked, clients could update painlessly, and we could upgrade/expand upon easily. We had optimized the system and the tools for creating those sites realtively quickly and easily. But it wasn't perfect. The things we created were grounded firmly in that era of the web - what browsers supported (not much. these were the days of netscape 4 and ie5)... and what people expected (even less than the limited browser capability, due to the speed at which things were being done). There was plenty of room to grow. Instead we held on tightly to the few things we had that most folks hadn't taken the time to develop themselves (and are now common place). Maybe sneaking a small something in here and there. Trading something new for something easy.
That's all well and good. But I was bored. I love what I do. Not because I think I do it well or because it comes easy. I love it because there's so much room to do it better. The potential has no forceable limit, as long as people keep pushing. With out the pushing there's little creativity. Just duplication. With out creativity your not so much living life as watching one lived for you. It's all much too short to be content with purely spectating.
^^^
The ongoing conversation between Greg Costikyan and Warren Specter is fascinating. What started as an impassioned diatribe against the direction of the game industry. Has turned into a wonderful statement on why "making do" is not enough.
A Specter is Haunting Gaming the orginal
A Specter is Haunting Gaming (Warren, that is) the reply
Specter vs. Spector the rebuttal
I couldn't agree with Costikyan more. I left my last job due to making do (among a variety of other reasons). When I first got there, they were excellent designers with good web sites. What they lacked was the proper understanding of the technology to push their sites up into the same category as the design work. ...They were moving in that direction, though. I got there and the work went faster. Soon every site we did the users liked, clients could update painlessly, and we could upgrade/expand upon easily. We had optimized the system and the tools for creating those sites realtively quickly and easily. But it wasn't perfect. The things we created were grounded firmly in that era of the web - what browsers supported (not much. these were the days of netscape 4 and ie5)... and what people expected (even less than the limited browser capability, due to the speed at which things were being done). There was plenty of room to grow. Instead we held on tightly to the few things we had that most folks hadn't taken the time to develop themselves (and are now common place). Maybe sneaking a small something in here and there. Trading something new for something easy.
That's all well and good. But I was bored. I love what I do. Not because I think I do it well or because it comes easy. I love it because there's so much room to do it better. The potential has no forceable limit, as long as people keep pushing. With out the pushing there's little creativity. Just duplication. With out creativity your not so much living life as watching one lived for you. It's all much too short to be content with purely spectating.
^^^
Thursday, March 20, 2003
Wednesday, March 19, 2003
{12:36 PM} Love & Hate
I like a girl who can play barrel of monkeys with a cute baby Haley and cold cock an innocent by-standing bear - simultaneously. One fluid motion. She never even takes her eyes away from the monkeys.
^^^
I like a girl who can play barrel of monkeys with a cute baby Haley and cold cock an innocent by-standing bear - simultaneously. One fluid motion. She never even takes her eyes away from the monkeys.
^^^
Tuesday, March 18, 2003
{09:52 PM} The illusion of confusion brings me to another day
Lane is still here. We've been busy. Sometimes doing nothing. Alwaystimes enjoying every minute of it. As usual, her blog is the place to be for timely updates (and photos) of all our adventures.
With this exception.
Recently we went to the big Blogger/Google party. It was full of friendly folks... a good mix at that. Workers, thinkers, users, party people, and dorky technology types. I had nice conversations with old friends and new coworkers. We got drunk. Lane for the first freshly 21 time (outside a half a glass of not so tasty birthday wine). Me for the first time in years.
It was fun.... except for the repeated reminders of how much alcohol impedes presence. The evening was spotted with momentary bouts of "Where have I been?". The next day's headache free, but none the less numb, hangover routinely repeated the question. By the time I got home (following breakfast with the Blogger boys and a long hours of work), I knew the answer. And was fed up with the asking.
I don't always like the right now given to me. A little distraction soothes and reminds. A little distraction goes a long way. A lot of escape inspires loneliness. A lot of escape lingers for days. Longing not to feel it all a portion of the way.
No matter how much this stings and how much fun the other side of the fence seems. I don't think I'll be drinking till I'm drunk again any time soon.
^^^
Lane is still here. We've been busy. Sometimes doing nothing. Alwaystimes enjoying every minute of it. As usual, her blog is the place to be for timely updates (and photos) of all our adventures.
With this exception.
Recently we went to the big Blogger/Google party. It was full of friendly folks... a good mix at that. Workers, thinkers, users, party people, and dorky technology types. I had nice conversations with old friends and new coworkers. We got drunk. Lane for the first freshly 21 time (outside a half a glass of not so tasty birthday wine). Me for the first time in years.
It was fun.... except for the repeated reminders of how much alcohol impedes presence. The evening was spotted with momentary bouts of "Where have I been?". The next day's headache free, but none the less numb, hangover routinely repeated the question. By the time I got home (following breakfast with the Blogger boys and a long hours of work), I knew the answer. And was fed up with the asking.
I don't always like the right now given to me. A little distraction soothes and reminds. A little distraction goes a long way. A lot of escape inspires loneliness. A lot of escape lingers for days. Longing not to feel it all a portion of the way.
No matter how much this stings and how much fun the other side of the fence seems. I don't think I'll be drinking till I'm drunk again any time soon.
^^^
Saturday, March 15, 2003
{10:46 AM} War and Peace
Today there's a big anti-war rally at the Civic Center.... That I'm not going to. After the last one, I've decided I'm not so much anti-war, as pro peace. The difference is large. I'm not interested in standing around listening to people endlessly repeating the same old rhetoric ("His little brother in Florida helped STEAL THE ELECTION!"), interspersed with juvenile name calling. Literally pointing out that Bush is an idiot has far more to do with ego than people dying. Not to mention railroading you down a one way street to marginalization.
Instead, tomorrow night I'm going to give the Candle Light Vigil for Peace a shot. Hopefully it will be a gathering of nice compassionate people, with peace on their minds. ...And no Mumia flyers.
^^^
Today there's a big anti-war rally at the Civic Center.... That I'm not going to. After the last one, I've decided I'm not so much anti-war, as pro peace. The difference is large. I'm not interested in standing around listening to people endlessly repeating the same old rhetoric ("His little brother in Florida helped STEAL THE ELECTION!"), interspersed with juvenile name calling. Literally pointing out that Bush is an idiot has far more to do with ego than people dying. Not to mention railroading you down a one way street to marginalization.
Instead, tomorrow night I'm going to give the Candle Light Vigil for Peace a shot. Hopefully it will be a gathering of nice compassionate people, with peace on their minds. ...And no Mumia flyers.
^^^
Monday, March 10, 2003
Sunday, March 09, 2003
Happy Birthday Lane!
Saturday, March 08, 2003
{08:37 AM} Immune Systems
Lane will be here in a very few hours.
...I might be getting sick. I woke up this morning with a very drippy nose. The same sort of drippy nose my housemate had - right before getting the stomach flu. I hope I don't get the same thing.
I need more vitamin C.
^^^
Lane will be here in a very few hours.
...I might be getting sick. I woke up this morning with a very drippy nose. The same sort of drippy nose my housemate had - right before getting the stomach flu. I hope I don't get the same thing.
I need more vitamin C.
^^^
Thursday, March 06, 2003
Wednesday, March 05, 2003
Tuesday, March 04, 2003
{11:32 PM} If and when I start again, You'll be the first to know.
If I was going to write about anything... It would be about being tired. I'm working too much for a job without vacation. But those details bother me. Lamenting the misplacement of "my" job gets me no where. It's best to let time sort out the technicality trials. Meanwhile I'll keep meeting nice folks (who knew creative maximizers were neat?), stealing moments on the train to meditate, and most importantly - working less.
If I was going to write about anything else... It would be about why I work at Blogger and use MovableType. The short answer is "import is a few weeks away". The long answer is "inertia". I installed the first public release, out of curiosity. It's really good software. Ben and Mena seem like really good folks. I gave them money. I kept up with updates - for awhile. Going from installing and implementing new features... too installing... too neither. I'm still curious, but I don't have the time. Nor do I need most of what MT offers. The interface is cluttered with things I never click. So much so, I'm writing this in Kung-Log.... even though my MT install isn't new enough for it to post. Copy & paste has considerably more comfort (It should be noted, I'm particular when it comes to software). So soon I'll be back to Blogger. And happier for it.
If I was going to write about anything more... It would be without a pen and a paper. Just a couch and a warm blanket... and her.
^^^
If I was going to write about anything... It would be about being tired. I'm working too much for a job without vacation. But those details bother me. Lamenting the misplacement of "my" job gets me no where. It's best to let time sort out the technicality trials. Meanwhile I'll keep meeting nice folks (who knew creative maximizers were neat?), stealing moments on the train to meditate, and most importantly - working less.
If I was going to write about anything else... It would be about why I work at Blogger and use MovableType. The short answer is "import is a few weeks away". The long answer is "inertia". I installed the first public release, out of curiosity. It's really good software. Ben and Mena seem like really good folks. I gave them money. I kept up with updates - for awhile. Going from installing and implementing new features... too installing... too neither. I'm still curious, but I don't have the time. Nor do I need most of what MT offers. The interface is cluttered with things I never click. So much so, I'm writing this in Kung-Log.... even though my MT install isn't new enough for it to post. Copy & paste has considerably more comfort (It should be noted, I'm particular when it comes to software). So soon I'll be back to Blogger. And happier for it.
If I was going to write about anything more... It would be without a pen and a paper. Just a couch and a warm blanket... and her.
^^^
Monday, March 03, 2003
{10:31 PM} Kind of Exhausted
It's hard to beat a cab driver with a stack of Miles Davis tapes.... it's all the better after walking out the door at 8:00am. Back in at 10:30pm. With nothing but work in-between.
^^^
It's hard to beat a cab driver with a stack of Miles Davis tapes.... it's all the better after walking out the door at 8:00am. Back in at 10:30pm. With nothing but work in-between.
^^^
Sunday, March 02, 2003
