Sweet sweetness - using networks to create something extraordinary

This via slate.com.

The demo seemed magical, conjuring a whole new way of collecting the thousands of photos that each of us now produce during our lifetimes: Imagine being able to review your Grand Canyon vacation not as a static slide show but as a tour of the 3-D environment produced by your and everyone else's pictures. "This takes data from the entire collective memory of what the earth looks like," Aguera y Arcas told the crowd. "All of those photos become linked together, and they make something emergent—greater than the sum of their parts."

I'd make a nerd boner joke here but I don't want anyone to get in trouble at work. Just know that I'm a nerd. And my boner is set to "emergent".

Also - TED talks is bitchin way to kill a few minutes if you want to learn something new. I think I've mentioned it here before, but here are some of my favorites again:

Malcolm Gladwell
William J. Clinton
Richard Dawkins

Thanks for reading.

xbox returns: loneliness temporarily assuaged

The xbox made a triumphant return earlier this week. It's nice to have a the time waster back in the crib. In related news: I'm a dork.

Oddly, the xbox didn't distract me as much as it used to. I felt like I needed to do something more useful with my time (read, play guitar, study). Weird.

The meta nerd-within-nerd reference etch a sketch is courtesy the etch-a-sketchist. Because I know someone that used to work with him. (really)

work of genius - the BeatBearing project

I rarely do the video on GJAW b/c it slows the site down. but this is one of my favorite videos in recent memory. it's not as funny as the gay guy that climbed everest, though.

people have invented all kinds of high-tech musical instruments (see the creator of this instruments blog for some good examples). most are silly or near impossible to play. this, not so much. it is a sequencer (a device that makes sounds in sequence, in this case, demo'd as a drum machine) crafted of ball bearings. simple, but effective. this and garageband and you can make all kinds of sweet, sweet beatz. re-purpose the sequence sounds to musical notes and you can make music. that would take forever and you're probably better off learning guitar instead, but still.

writing contests are good for you

I entered a writing contest sponsored by Coudal Partners.

You were supposed to write a 'missed connection' email to some inanimate object (they refer to the contest on their site, but it's for 'infrequent mailings' subscribers only - sign up!). you can review your local clist to get a feel for the format. If you're too lazy to check there, all you need to know is that they are lame and ridiculous. Who thinks they can track a person down on craigslist?

[aside: i know a guy that posts a vague "you: attractive blonde driving in the jetta on 405 fwy @ 815 this morning - m4w" ad once a week or so, just to see what he can fish up. seriously. I can't decide if he's a genius or a jackass. both?]

I chose a pair of Nike Air Max 95 running shoes for my missed connection.

Here's my entry:

-------------------------
You - 1995 Air Max running shoes in orange/grey (m4s)

You: A pair of reissued Air Max '95 running shoes in the rare orange/grey colorway, size 10. You were at my local trendy shoe shop the week of August 5th. I knew your original issue back in '95. It's been 12 years, but you haven't lost a step. You look better than ever.

me: blue 7 jeans, fitted light grey t-shirt, six feet tall, close cropped brown hair, athletic build,

You were sitting there with your big air bubble in the heel, small, perky bubble at the toe. You were cocked at a 45 degree angle (right shoe only). I recognized your sexy orange lace-loops, your grey stripes, orange accents in the sole, your unique round (not flat) laces. I could tell by the way you were looking at me that we had something special. You stood out because you were sleek enough for exercise or dressy enough to wear with jeans. I held you, caressed your supple shape. You spoke to me of both business and pleasure, like the shoe version of a mullet, only cooler. And more expensive.

And that's the rub: the expense. I was scared off by your $150 price tag. Too much, I said. I need to think about it. But when I went back the next week, to bring you into my life, I had missed out.

I asked the shoe guy what happened, and he said, "we got some, but they sold out the next day."
I've been back to the shoe store over and over again to find you, and the shoe guy has tried to get me to cheat on you with other colors, but I can't do it. It's you or nothing. Walk back into my life; the next time I see you, I won't hesitate.

where can i get me one of these?

i don't care what it takes, i need one of these things. immediately if not sooner.

it's gonna be great. i can make it play dress-up and then take sweet pictures. when it gets old enough to talk I can teach it swear words. with any luck it'll be a boy and as long he doesn't commit any felonies before he's 18 and gets into college it'll be fine.

if I have a girl it'll be the same thing but as soon as she hits puberty she'll have to go to a convent. no one touches the daughter. no one.

what, i have to provide for it? enh, i heard the expense was worth it. I'll give it some thought when i'm on the beach in bali this fall. i'm unconcerned about the whole diaper/poopie issue. that's what the wife is for. (duh!) that's my whole parenting strategy. If it's messy, dirty, or difficult, "ask your mother". That's what they're there for, right? I'm old school.

ahh, I kid. (pun intended! honk!) sweet image courtesy uncov2.0.

Animals need love, too

If you hadn't heard, I volunteer at the local animal shelter. Something to do, gets me out of the house, etc, etc.

That handsome devil at left is named Foster, and he is the current champion of reaching through the bars and scratching your nose if you are not paying attention when you read his chart. He's a big, athletic cat, and he's got exceptional reach.

I don't know much about animal care. Just the basics. I know a lot about sweeping, mopping, and doing laundry, which, as it happens, is a big part of volunteering at the local shelter. One drawback to doing the laundry is the unpleasant smell. There's really no way around it. The cats make some mess, but the smelliest animals of all (aside from the baby ducks- who knew?) are the puppies. They weedle everywhere. And weedle stinks like I can't even tell you. Puppies are cute but overrated. Even kittens use the litterbox. Score one for the the cats.

Some other shelter points of interest:
- you get to play with cats, dogs and kittens but they don't wreck shop in your house. puppies, not so much. they're fun for a few seconds but they lose interest. kittens and dogs are a lot more fun. cats are hit or miss. it's their nature.

- unlimited pussy jokes when you're working with the cats. not my taste in humor, but some of my friends think it's hilarious. they also loooooove dick jokes.

- you can go to the shelter when it's closed to the general public and feed the goat (they let him out of his pen and give him the run of the grassy areas on closed days)

- random animals come in for care, like tortoises, a pigeon (why?), guinea pigs, turtles, 3 potbellied pigs (friends w/ the goat), cockatiels, and rabbits. i'm waiting for when they bring a wounded hawk in and they feed him the rabbits. (this is not a popular view around the shelter, but I'm pumped for it)

- I'm a huge hit with the girls at the shelter, and by "girls" i mean "grandmothers". and there are many. if they were only 3 or 4 decades younger...

that's it for now. please have all your pets spayed or neutered. i mean it. and adopt from a shelter. ;)