...more recent posts
MB has been working on a project lately that involves a childrens television personality I grew up watching on the magic screen. I met her last week here at the apartment. We were introduced, and shook hands, and I pretended there was nothing strange with meeting someone in real life who comes from my TV fueled childhood imagination. "Oh hi, nice to meet you." Last night we all ate at the bar at Fresh Foods and I was trying to see if Dennis, the bartender, recognized her. I mean, she looks exactly the same. But he didn't know what I was talking about. I guess you have to be of a certain age.
007
At ocean eleven
an' now rudeboys 'ave a wail...
Saw Ocean's 11 last night. The Desmond Dekker song is not in it, but I ended up with it stuck in my head anyway. It was my first time at the Zigfeld which is a really old and very large theatre on 54th street just off 6th avenue. The biggest in NYC. It's interesting to watch a movie with so many other people. I grew up on those tiny 20 little narrow cinemas in one strip mall places out in the suburbs. A really big screen does make a difference.
I enjoyed the movie while I was watching, but then afterwards we went to dinner and by the end of the meal I already wasn't too sure. Today it's on the way to having been bad. Strange how that works.
Walking out after the show Tom was asking me about the digital projection. I hadn't even noticed it was digital. So I guess the technology is good enough for my eyes. The only thing weird I saw was some kind of upper lip distortion on Julia Roberts, but maybe that wasn't a projection issue.
Google zeitgeist. If I wasn't already used to the feeling I'd be surprised I hadn't seen that page before. Probably as close to a snapshot of the world computer using group mind as you can get. Dig the top 5 historical personalities:
1. picasso
2. van gogh
3. marilyn monroe
4. bruce lee
5. einstein
I'm pretty sure that says something about us. Not sure what though.
Bruce Sterling. Long. Very worth it.
"Hi" - Nasty Outlook virus going around. I'm getting hammered with this thing. Here's what to do if you are infected. Well, that plus stop using Outlook Express unless you really know that program well (I mean unless you know how to change all the massively insecure defaults - not showing file extensions of downloaded files!!! Automatically executing them!!! - that Microsoft ships this thing with.)
The stars must be lined up or something. I really got a lot done today. I was fortunate enough to have eight straight hours to spend in the code, and I now have the complete system in my head just like back when I wrote it. Except this time I'm rested enough to actually do battle with all the little inconsistencies I just let go the first time around following the "good enough" engineering principle (or is that the "can't see it from my house" building principle?) Anyway, there were some serious inconsistencies which I believe are now worked out. Phew. I love working on this thing.
I'll explain the changes tomorrow over here.
We've been talking about Segway over here if you're wondering why I haven't mentioned it.
A couple more photos from 76 Clinton.
Random time waster graphic novel type thing: shapeshifter. Starts out kind of slow and awkward but stick with it. That's a really really really really good cup of coffee.....
Nice time last night at J.'s party. Saw some old friends from school which is always interesting. I guess J is a friend from school too, but I don't think of her that way any more now that we've been hanging out for so long in NYC. Those Providence college days seem long ago, which I guess is a complete cliche, but not surprisingly it is also true. I had a great time back then, but I don't miss those years. Things are happening now. I was always young before. Now, suddenly, I'm not. And that doesn't have anything to do with chronological age. I think it has to do with engaging the task that will be the work of your life.
I talked to J.B. for a little bit amid all the wine. He always seems genuinely interested in what I am doing, and I really appreciate that. He's smart. I tried to argue something about cool software being produced (or at least completely thought out) by one person. That it has to bear the stamp of an individual if it is really going to catch the fancy of people. But I wasn't able to argue (explain) my point well. Of course most software will be produced by teams of people. Most of it is too complex to do any other way. This will be especially true of large projects. But I think that the really revolutionary software (where revolutionary doesn't necessarily mean 'world changing' but just something like 'suddenly popular out of left field') will be the result of one person thinking through a problem. Individuals have a better chance than teams at making breakthroughs (although probably highly isolated individuals are at a disadvantage - so the whole issue is sort of muddy.)
I hope I get the chance to continue that conversation with him.