December 2002

Three New Lab Items

» Miscellaneous Web Files

» Fun Detagger Script in PHP

» Undocumented Linklint JavaScript Feature

Books I Will Eventually Own
Tomorrow Now, the new nonfiction work by Bruce Sterling, comes out today in the USA.

Pattern Recogniton by William Gibson, comes out in February of 2003.

Meanwhile, Quicksilver (Baroque Cycle, volume 1) by Neal Stephenson will come out next September.

There Is A New Header
It’s my reply to those on the west coast who complain about the California “lack of seasons”—bah— snow is highly overrated. See also my post on being waylaid by weather.

Another Lovely Weekend
I went to two parties this weekend. One a barbecue with some old friends (and some new) and then a work party with Miss Leah. At the BBQ I got to see Steve and Natty, who are back from their USA travels and they look terrific!

At the Christmas (Holiday?) Party for Leah’s work I had a lovely time. She works with nice people I think, and the lunch (up in Temecula) was tasty as well. After that we hung out at her place, did some laundry, and came back home after a nice weekend.

Today I’m taking my Grandma to see the Doctor – a followup from earlier issues. I also think I have a job interview. I’ll know more about that later.

Money is tight, which is embarassing but predictable, given my idiocy in handling money—but unemployment came through now that work at the old gig is definitely not in the cards. My parents have helped so much in that arena—I am so lucky. I think about the stresses I could be having, that others I know are struggling with—illness, death, chronic pain—and I feel lucky.

This was the worst year of my life. But I feel lucky. I’ve gotten a reprieve, and a second chance. It’s so off that the worst year could in some ways turn out to be the thing that turned my whole life around.

Onward.

Something I Saw on a Marquee in Roanoke; Go Watch …Say Anything
I saw a note for a band with the name Lloyd Dobler Effect – a very cool name. Lloyd Dobler is the name of the John Cusack character in ...say anything. If you have not seen that movie, you should. Read the quotes, particularly this one:

The world is full of guys. Be a man. Don’t be a guy.

Essay on Privacy/Surveillance I’m Meaning to Read
A Watched Populace Never Boils

The Uncanny Valley
The Uncanny Valley is an intiguing essay/project exploring why certain things that are very human-like are so creepy, but things that are somewhat less human-like are not.

Tori Tori Tori
Last night my roomie (Erin) and I went to see Tori Amos at UCSD’s RIMAC. I first saw Tori Amos back in 1991 or 1992 in Charlottesville. She remains a compelling performer, and she did not disappoint. The sound was a bit muddy, but she was great. Simple instrumentation – just her and her piano (and some electric organs as well) and a bass player and a drummer. She did a nice mix of old and new, China was an emotional highlight for me—I found myself oddly emotional for the show. I think the span of time over which I have been listening to Amos’ music is a bit scary. There have been so many relationships and women in my life in that time. Tori is a very emotional and very much a woman performer, and I found myself very moved. I was also quite tired, but I was definitely moved.

Now, racquetball, and later a barbecue.

I hope all of you have a great day. (And I wish that for myself too!)

Bobby Fischer Really Is Nuts!
At one time I was really into chess. And I am interested in the cult of celebrity around Bobby Fischer—the article Bobby Fischer’s Pathetic Endgame shows him to be paranoid, deluded, and nuts. Reading it is the same feeling as looking at unpleasant photos of an accident. You want to look away, but you can’t.

Lura Redesigned!
Lura.net redesigned. Looks good!