Rebrain

Just finished reading Cory Doctorow's Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom and it's certainly the most enjoyable long read I've ever had on a computer (I found the html version much more comfortable than the pdf ... or, you know, you could buy it).



More than that, it's a great sci-fi story that reminds me a lot of Philip K. Dick - a mystery where the identity of the victim is more important than the identity of the criminal. As in Do Androids Dream, you learn about the future through the accumulation of small, fascinating details rather than the expositional dump. This is good. As is repainting Disney World as ubergeek utopia. To wit:

The Haunted Mansion was experiencing a major empty spell: the Snow Crash Spectacular parade had just swept through Liberty Square en route to Fantasyland, dragging hordes of guests along with it, dancing to the JapRap sounds of the comical Sushi-K and aping the movements of the brave Hiro Protagonist.

Everything that goes into the future of Magic Kingdom is a little more interesting than the mystery to be solved, so the resolution doesn't come off as super-satisfying. Still, it's a great read.

Tragicomic

The other day, I saw a minivan with a vanity license plate that read "CAMUS". This is:

1. Funny, if not ironic, since Camus died in a car crash


2. Ironic, if not funny, given the minivan as symbol of normative, suburban living


3. Intentionally absurd

But I wasn't in Footloose

Some network maps I have known and loved:

• The puerile and geeky


• The tribal


• The partisan


• The beautiful and conspiratorial

In the case of the first two maps on this list, the network is created explicity; it only exists because of the opt-in of its members. With the Ryze map, the members signed up and provided their own list of links which were then translated by hand into the network map. And you'd like to think that some amount of free choice was invovled in gaining membership to the sexchart network. In other words, these maps serve as mirrors for the members of the network. You look a the map to see who's connected to you; to find your place in the overall network. And, of course, to find out if you accidentally kissed your sister by virtue of the transitive property.



With the second two cases, the creator of the map is trying to uncover the implicit connections of the underlying network. This network isn't created because of the opt-in of its members, but because of the question the creator wanted to answer. So, instead of a mirror, you have a window into the system. And a somewhat hackneyed metaphor.



What if you could automate the creation of these maps such that they didn't rely on explicit opt-in, but also shielded the results from the influence of the creator. For example, maps based on the collaborative filters of Amazon or the All Music Guide. Instead of just seeing lists of "People who liked this also liked" you'd generate a map showing the web of inter-related items. More interestingly, what if DayPop used a similar tool; showing connection between blogs based on the similarity in links that they post.



Well, you'd have a pretty cool map, that's for sure.

Whole Again

Back online after being lost in the wilds on the other side of the digital divide. At one point, I was trying to hook up Speakeasy dial-up ... when I realized I didn't have a long enough phone cord. But thanks to the UPS guy who was still delivering past 8pm, I'm back together again.

Rumormill

Sutter informs me that the hype about the iMac being discontinued was untrue. Now the news is that Apple will unveil a computer that can change color. And maybe one that hovers.

Goals

All the hard work and determination have paid off ... as of right now LemonNut is #1 of 168,000 Google results returned for "great big fat pig."

How lovely are thy branches

Lessons learned by a pyromaniacal jew this post-holiday season:

• Christmas trees do, in fact, burn well


• But only briefly ... the needles burn off like they're covered in hairspray, the rest of the tree stays behind


• Trees with a little tinsel left on them are preferable. The tinsel goes off like a string of firecrackers


• Trees with ornaments should be avoided. They will probably blind you with exploding shrapnel


• Trees with the angel still on top ... man, even jews find that too angsty


• If you want to toast marshmellows over a burning christmas tree, be quick. Also be ready for turpentine flavored smores


• Lighter fluid ... really just overkill


• If you run out of christmas trees, trying to substitute various leafy trees will not work. Walk away gracefully


• People who water their christmas trees are no fun

And cursed be he that moves my bones

Christopher Marlowe is the 16th century dramatist best remembered for being played by Rupert Everett in Shakespeare in Love. But more than that, he was also an Elizabethan secret agent who worked to uncover Catholic plots against the crown. This is apparently true.


What's less certain is whether he ran afoul of the notorious Star Chamber for being an atheist and decided to fake his own death to escape torture. Assuming that he did, there are those who further believe that he fled for Italy where he continued writing. These pseudoposthumous plays, some set in Italian towns, others about exiles, were sent back to England and published by the man we know as William Shakespeare.

Now, I heard about this by watching Michael Rubbo's documentary on Frontline. When this documentary first came out last year, Rubbo himself posted about it to Metafilter ... but only identified himself as the filmmaker in comments.

So, this is the guy we're meant to believe in an authenticity of authorship debate?

Big Head

I didn't realize that the 15 inch iMac had been taken out of production until I saw the news that the same thing had happened to its bigger brother. It would seem highly unlikely at this point that Apple would introduce a 19 inch version as was rumored to happen at SF MacWorld.


Certainly glad I got while the getting was good. This is unquestionably the best computer I've ever owned.

Astride a grave and a difficult birth

The closest thing I've seen to a production of Waiting for Godot is kd lang's Constant Craving video ... which is to say, not very close. So too bad I missed the beginning of the PBS version which aired tonight in honor of the 50th anniversary of the play's debut. It's certainly strange to see all those stage directions acted out, and to feel the effect of all of those pauses.



As nice as it was, I don't think I'll be spending $150 on the 4 DVD box set containing filmed versions of all 19 of Beckett's plays. How big is the market for that deal?