January 2007

I don’t think I mentioned it, but several weeks ago I went to the Cathedral for Mass. I think it was around Thanksgiving.

Anyway, I took some time after Mass to explore a little and I visited the Mausoleum downstairs. I found myself really compelled by the place. It’s solitary and quiet, nestled under a Cathedral meant to stand for hundreds of years. It occurred to me that it was exactly where I’d want my remains interred.

I’m 36 years old, and not prone to such mortal thoughts. Nonetheless, there was the thought, and I liked it. I’ve no idea what it costs, but given that Gregory Peck is laid to rest there, it just might be pricey.

Still, that desire is there. Something in me – perhaps narcissistic, perhaps egotistical, that makes me want my remains left there. Perhaps some other urban pseudo-apostate, pseudo-devout Catholics to see my name—in 2107, or 2207, or even 2507—and wonder—“just who was that Joe Crawford?”

Perhaps I’d have my domain name engraved, so they could look me up!

So, what would I leave behind for them to find? Maybe just these documents.

Something to ponder as I move forward. It doesn’t feel morbid to talk about, but it’s a dark thought, to be sure. I feel hopeful though. I have much to contribute.

*Note the small optimism there, to live to 21XX I’d have to make it to 130 years old. To do that, I’d better lose some more weight! I wonder if they’ll still have “http” in 200 years?

• The WELL: Bruce Sterling: State of the World 2007
  awesome.
  (tags: future futurism interview viridian brucesterling)

It occurs to me that I graduated High School twenty years ago this year. 1987.

I wonder if there’s a reunion? I think I’ve dropped out of touch with them.

There’s a Wikipedia article about my school: University of San Diego High School. Wacky.

My High School no longer exists. It’s closed on the old site, and has been superseded by Cathedral Catholic High School.

If they had one, would I want to go?

David Byrne Journal: 12.26.06: Trees and tree shapes:

Do we purchase a car because the ad agency made a cute video? Is that how we make decisions? Maybe we do. Maybe the cleverness and technical virtuosity exhibited here imply to us that those same values carry over to the SUV. This would be a natural assumption to have about a person — if a person were clever, entertaining and executed something perfectly one would probably assume they had other good qualities. And the odds might be pretty high that you’d be right. In the case of ads the cleverness and the object being promoted are separate entities — rationally we should therefore love the ad agency and the director, not the car company that simply chose them to make the ad.

Would that we were rational beings. Whoops! We’re not.

• Open the Future: An Eschatological Taxonomy
  How will the world end? (((I don’t see “Fire” or Ice”)))
  (tags: via:rc3 futurism future scifi)
• Dreaming in Code
  (tags: programming books history opensource development)
• The 40 Essential Gamecube Games » Geek Idiot
  (tags: games gaming gamecube)
• leahpeah » meg hourihan
  of megnut fame, leah does it again snagging a great blogger for an interview
  (tags: interview leahpeah blogging food)
• Eyunta.com » AFN: A Place for Mating
  i convulsed with laughter.
  (tags: funny writing)
• libsyn // podcasting made easy
  very interesting. looks like dooce uses them for her videos.
  (tags: podcast technology services syndication)

It’s fascinating what you find reading threads on where to buy electronics parts in the Bay Area—here’s a sub-thread about the door checks conducted in places like Fry’s or Best Buy—you know the ones, where you show your bag and they run a pink highlighter over your receipt. I had never stopped to consider it before, but you and I are under no obligation to comply.

One comment outlines the issue rather clearly:

Once you have paid for your merchandise and passed through the checkout, they have no grounds to search you unless they have a reason to suspect you of theft.

Your bag at that point is your property.

The checking of receipts at the door done by many stores is actually in truth voluntary, though they hate it when people seem to realize this.

If you refuse, they can’t stop you.

I have a friend who makes a habit of doing this at Costco….

I personally prefer not to make a fuss – it just isn’t worth it to piss off some minimum wage drone.

It’s amazing the things I take for granted about how the world works.

Ouch.

The Long Tail: 2006: The worst year for hit albums since 1983:
What does it say about the music industry that the soundtrack to what was originally a Disney afterschool TV special was the bestselling album in the country last year?

Related with a vengeance: Tower Records declared bankruptcy last year.

• How to Think Like a Computer Scientist / Java
  (tags: books computer school programming)
• Digital Colony – Ideas in Web Development
  MAS’s tech site. I look forward to seeing new (and legacy) stuff that comes up.
  (tags: programming howto tutorial asp asp.net sqlserver)
• My New Year’s Resolutions (Ftrain.com)
  alternative take on resolutions.
  (tags: funny)

Of calf pain. And other things.

Bike is on order. Stay tuned for more lower extremity pain this year. It’s not a resolution, the funniest of which is here. But a promise. There are physical changes afoot.

The above photo was taken in Kanab after I did almost all of a hike the rest of the family did. I previously referred to it here a few days ago. This was taken with Leah’s killer camera by me. I look somewhat goofy.

For real, happy new year again.

All things are possible. And change is continuous, difficult and painful. And quite necessary.

Peace and love be with you all.

Word up!