I’d be lying if I claimed I had any more personal connection to the man than through the multiple consumer products stemming of his genius that have filled my life. The first computer I “hacked” was one of my junior high Apple IIe machines, where we would re-write the typing tutor software with rude phrases (rather than original keyboarding exercises.) I can recall countless hours poking out Hypercard “games” in my high school computer lab. I’ve owned more iPods than I can currently recall. We’ve run a MacBook Pro virtually to the ground with the everyday use we make of it. Half the sockets in my home are filled with little white power adapters to charge iPhones, iPods, or the iPad. And this naive but [...]
There was a spoof car advertisement floating around the web recently. I don’t know if you saw it. It looked like a typical car spread from a glossy magazine, a stylish coupe pouring over a winding scenic road. The text implied that the car was called “The Bailout. Coming this January” and the sub-text read: “You wouldn’t buy our shitty cars. So we’ll be taking your money anyways.” Apparently General Motors is on the brink of bankruptcy. And when I say “brink” I really mean that sometime today they will be officially filing for bankruptcy, marking what will likely be the long, slow death of the monumental corporation. After all, even if it survives the near-death experience will have changed it in ways that can [...]
Woohoo! We finished shovelling this morning and I pulled out the camera and took some more photos for the house gallery. Before you rip your way over to the comments and tell me how many faults there are, just remember this is pre-winter grade, and we’ll be refining and adding things like stone and flower beds come spring. So there. Oh. And the car saga is nearly over. The verdict: Mazda3 Sport GT. We put a deposit down this afternoon. Nothing written in stone, yet, but there is definitely some paper kicking around.
Posted on Monday, January 12, 02004 under
writing.
I was standing at the bus-stop, reading (it’s what I do, and how you can tell when the book is pretty good — if I’m still reading while I’m waiting for the bus) and this line crossed my path: “Then why are you talking about exhibitionism? It’s a ridiculous term. Someone wants to celebrate their existence and you call it exhibitionism. If you don’t want anyone to know about your existence, you might as well kill yourself. You’re taking up space, air.” – Dave Eggers, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius I thought it was an apt reflection on blogging. I hear a lot of comments, off-hand, careless remarks mostly, questioning the wisdom of putting one’s innermost thoughts online for all to see. Two part [...]
back.from.alberta So, it wasn’t like I was short of internet connectivity or anything over the holiday lapse, but I just figured that while I was in the province, I would actually visit with the folks who live there, rather than perch myself — as per.normal — in front of a CRT and write silly thoughts in here. So if you were wondering where I was and why I wasn’t writing — an unlikely thought, I know — I was talking to actual real people. But now I’m back. I’m here. At the office. Waiting for the last part of an hour to trickle away so that I can reflect back on this 2002 year as a whole and wonder why I didn’t do something more [...]
At least I’m not a pigeon! I was just starting to think how easy it might be to fly around, laze in the sun, and flock with the others out on the patio, when Wild Kingdom began and an eagle found it entertaining to rip one of the feathery pests to pieces in front of my window. An audience of a dozen crows gathers around to see what’s left of the buffet: but the eagle will need to finish his share first.
