February 28 2001

Know what a 'fabber' is? You should, cuz they are pretty damn cool.

Nice report on the P2P conference. Sounds like it was interesting...

Finally, part 5 of the article series Cyberspace in the 21st Century has been published at Gamasutra! Read it.

I'm a TV star baby! Ya! Ok, so not really. But i will be on 'The Chatroom' tomorrow at around 8ish. Tune in and watch me make a fool of myself! Ya!

Blah blah blah, no updates, blah blah blah, sorry.

Ok had a very strange experience last night. So, i get home, have some dinner, relax, decide to just read my new Ian M. Banks book. So, crashed out early, reading. Wonderful, right? Well, it should have been, but i had a strange feeling crawling around in my head... It was something like "jos, you should be working on the computer", echoing around in my head! Some how, i've become so addicted to working on my projects at home, or just being on the 'puter, that even reading, something i love, has been lowered in value in my head! It was crazy! I mean, i'm glad that i spend more time working on projects on the computer then watching TV, which really is a pretty big waste of time, most of the time. But for me to somehow have lowered the value of reading sub-conciously, thats pretty weird. Have any of you other computer addicts experienced this?

February 22 2001

I know, i know, i've been very very bad about the upkeep of this site for the past little bit. I've actually been busy building 'things', rather then spending my time pointlessly surfing the web for tidbits of info for my 4 viewers! Ok, ok, i going to try to keep up with it... really.

One of the things that has kept me from keeping up here is the FlashCoders list. Some really smart people doing really cool stuff in Flash 5. I've started to 'summarize'[dict] some of thread's, to make a FAQ of sorts.

I've also been working on a Flash 5/XML sockets project which has been taking up lots of my time.

Another project that i've just invented for myself is a NNTP/Python XML-RPC/FLash 5 project. Oh my. A skinable news reader. In flash 5. Could be cool. If i ever actually make it!

Would like to say 'thanks' to Tony for his Exchange pages. I've managed to trade my A2000 for a Mac duo. Old technology for old technology! Yes!

New version of 'Cloud9ine', a replacement windows shell. its quite nice, if you are into alt-shells you should check it out.

Great page for things to do with Classic Macs. (link - Alastair)

February 20 2001

Great article about security at 'The Atlantic'. (link - slashdot)

I have been recovering, still, from my illness. I've also be busy at work, thus the low update count.

It's somebodys birthday tomorrow...

February 15 2001

And i thought i didn't like valentines day!

Gar! Still under the weather.

Way cool Mac site - Making the Macintosh: Technology and Culture in Silicon Valley. From the site - "Making the Macintosh" is an online project documenting the history of the Macintosh computer.

February 13 2001

An interesting article on how California's Power Utilities have made it difficult for green power projects to flourish.

Thinking of going to Ikea? Going with your partner? You may want to re-think it, according to this article in the Star. (link - Ciara)

February 12 2001

More on (Moron! Ahahahaha.. haha... ha. ok.) page design and small fonts.

Was looking at some really small fonts for Flash today, and somehow, via the strange interconnectedness of the 'net, it led to Susan Kare's site. Humphries was quick to point out that she did lots of work on the Mac's original iconography and fonts, including the ubiquitous (and over-used) 'Chicago' font. Very interesting...

Still not all the way back to health... but better then last week.

An update at the NeverWinter Nights 'What's New' section. I swear i'm going to go insane waiting for this game.

February 09 2001

Hey ya'll, i've been super sick for the past few days, thus the missing updates. sorry. Hopefully will be better soon!

February 06 2001

Some pic's by another group of freaks that were at Bristol on the same weekend that our group of freaks was there. I'm actually in one of these photos (conroy_branka_posers.jpg), and if you are an ex or current Extend employee, you might recognise some of these folks. (link - Alex Jones)

"Sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul". Edward Abbey.
In reading this quote, i was struck by the truth of it. For me, at least, i all to often get stuck in the complaining, depressed, cynical cycle of talking and worrying about things, but not actually doing anything. Usually cuz you/i cant see a way to make a difference, or you think the difference is too small to make a difference. No more of that for me. I like to think that this site is a bit of that 'do' thing, but i've been looking for more 'direct' action i guess. I hope that there is something brewing that will give me that outlet. I also have some idea's that would be excellent outlets, and kind of fun too. We shall see if i'm just talking out my ass again, trying to placate my feelings of self-disgust and guilt, and get back to my comfortable hypocrisy, or actual catalystic actions.

Ralph Nader coming to speak at U of T, March 1st. $5, reserve your ticks by emailing ralph@sac.utoronto.ca. This sounds great, i'd love to see him talk in person. (link - Jenn Star)

February 05 2001

Crazy Science News: "At Last! Light Brought to a Halt.. For the first time, physicists in two separate laboratories have effectively brought a light pulse to a stop". Wow, i don't even know what kind of crazy stuff this could mean, but its pretty darn interesting. (link -> RCFoC)

Quick quotes/thoughts for the day.

• "Club Med, a Cheap Holiday in Other People's Misery"
• "To Serve and Protect" - to serve who, and protect what?

Now, i'm sure that you will just quickly pigeon-hole this all as another one of jos' rants. That fine. I'm just becoming more and more disgusted by our consumer, corporate, take us to the brink (and, quite frankly, over) of ecological destruction world. Country. Times. Its the homogenization of experience, that's something that really scares me. Now, below i talk about going snowboarding, and actually getting out and doing something. Something you have to do for yourself, not something somebody else can package up and deliver to you. I also get scared when i can feel the urge to shop, and that i feel i need to actually buy something to make myself feel better! That is so fucked! I even know better, but you fall into it, or rather, i fall into. Feeling a bit down, a bit bored, a bit like i'm 'missing something'. I know, i've got to buy something to fill in that void! Like that is really going to work, you know? I just need to get outside, go for a walk, bike ride, go snowboarding, grab a book, jerk off, anything but using shopping to fill that need is sick and twisted and is not healthy. Now, i'm not saying that you can't go out and get nice stuff, hell, i still want to buy a Dreamcast (especially since they just dropped to $150!), but try to be a bit more critical not just about what you are buying, but why you are buying. And let me tell you, i go around and around in circles sometimes, trying to figure out why do i want 'whatever'? Is it cuz i really want it, or just think i need it, or cuz it will make me feel better? You know? Anyway, there you go. At the end of it all, i'd suggest ya'll read "Culture Jam" by Kalle Lasn. Its good. It makes you think, even if you don't agree with what the author has to say.

Ripped from Tony's site, and oh so appropriate in light of the previous bit:

"My pal Amanda attended a lecture by environmental watchdog Elizabeth Dowdeswell last week, and sent me a disheartening report. It's a good read nonetheless, so hop on over and check it out. "

Had a great weekend snowboarding in upper NY state. Managed to not injure myself, in fact i think there was only 1 real injury at all this trip. Was in the half pipe and did not blow out my back! Even Ciara 'droped in' for a few rides through, so that was great. I am getting a helmet tho, before i go snowboarding again...

January has been archived.

February 02 2001

To try to make up for my own lack of updates, i'll point you all over to Tony's site where he has some excellent links, including one to an article he wrote and i'm quoted it!

Strange fact of the day - every time a bat leaves its cave, its first turn is always to the left. Who knew.

Happy Ground Hog day. Ya, whatever.

Wicked audio programe, KoanPro. Generative Music. For both Mac and Windows. 30 day trial verison available. Its very very cool. Allows you to make really small audio files, that can play forever without repeating or looping.