something that happened

2008-03-18T20:57:00.000-07:00

One of my personal hero-authors has passed away, Sir Arthur C. Clarke. If you happen upon news of this event, you'll read that he was one of the great science fiction writers, was a visionary, was a futurist, was inspirational to a great number of people, and collaborated with film director Stanley Kubrick (on the 1968 cinematic tour de force, 2001: A Space Odyssey). All of these are certainly true, but is it also true that he was a pedophile? Is that why he moved to Sri Lanka?

A quote from Arthur Charles Clarke:

Every revolutionary idea evokes three stages of reactions: At first people say, “It's completely impossible.” Then they say, “Maybe it's possible to do it, but it would cost too much.” Finally they say, “I always thought it was a good idea.”

Technorati Tags: something that happened, Arthur C. Clarke, pedophile, science fiction, Sri Lanka, sex with children, rumours, famous obituaries

2008-03-12T22:20:00.000-07:00

I just received an email from the US Copyright Registry. At first I thought it was spam, but closer examination seems to indicate that’s it’s real. Apparently, I own a domain (Internet address) that is now available for copyright registration. In other words, I can register my website with the US Patent and Trademark Office and be protected from anyone else infringing upon my works. If someone produces a work that is derivative of my website, I can sue them for damages.

Here’s the funny thing: The domain itself was once a copyright infringement. I purchased the name because it was one letter of difference from another, much more popular, domain. Kind of like what MacDonalds.com is to McDonalds.com. In fact, in my case it was another popular McSite (but not related to McDonald’s).

I have to take a side trip here, because something unusual just happened while I was considering the name of America’s most famous restaurant chain. I was looking at the name, “McDonald’s”, and I had the sudden realization that it’s such a mundane, normal name. McDonald’s. A last name. A family’s name. It could have been Smith’s or Swift’s or Johnson’s or Swanson’s. It could have been Cho’s or Pho’s or Hung’s or Kim’s. It could have been Morales’ or Garcia’s or Sanchez’ or Gomez’. It could have been Washington’s or Jefferson’s or Black’s or White’s. That name, which today represents French Fries, Coke, kids -- that name, “McDonald’s”, is curiously mundane and could easily have been any other family’s name. “McDonald’s” could easily have been “Obama’s”.

You think I’m way off, don’t you? Obama’s? No way, you say, not in America. Well, maybe you’re closed-minded, or you have the notion that most Americans would be uncomfortable with a name that recalls the Middle East. Yet back in the fifties, before all of this 9/11 madness and fear of all things Middle Eastern, when McDonald’s came into existence it easily could have been named after Barack’s family. After all, they represented the American Dream, to some extent. Immigrating to the United States to make a better life and all that. Had they opened the fast-food chain we all can’t help visiting from time to time, we would now be conjuring up images of golden arches and a fire engine red-haired clown whenever the name “Obama’s” was uttered.

To be perfectly honest, however, I have to admit that the Obama family’s half-blackness could have been a problem for their business back in that pre-enlightened era. They still had a few years before the Civil Rights Movement would differentiate between the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. So maybe “Obama’s” is a bad example. Point is, McDonald’s could have had plenty of other names, and it’s quite likely those other names would have represented the same things McDonald’s does today. McDonald’s conjures up images quite different than Callendar’s, doesn’t it? Yet Callendar’s could have been the name that brought up cheap ass microwaved apple “pies” rather than homestyled pie-tinned holidays.

Do you ever have those moments? When you look at a word -- when you stare at a word -- and see it for what it truly is? Or at least, see it as something different from what you always thought it was? If you think you haven’t, maybe I haven’t properly articulated my realization. We’ll leave this side-trip now, in any case, and get on with the domain issue.

So I received an invitation from the copyright office to register a domain that I had used to mimic another website, and all just to gain a few more visitors to my own website. Thankfully, the owner of the original domain hadn’t sued me; they were hip enough to realize that my little game was more of a tribute than an actual attempt at infringement. Besides, I linked back to the original name: I told visitors that they’d arrived at the wrong site if they’d been searching for “Mc____”, as my site was “Mac____”.

All this is kind of difficult to explain, or at least I’m thinking it might be difficult to understand if you don’t know a thing or two about domains. Still, it gave me something to write about, and I appreciate the time you took to read it. Perhaps it even gave you a little something to think about. Now go get a word or a name and think about it for a long time, and let me know how odd it seems when you really think about that word.

2008-03-11T21:49:00.000-07:00

I hadn’t realized television had decayed to the point of recycling the Battle of the Network Stars concept. The updated version, of course, is Battle of the Network Reality Stars. I discovered this while doing some research -- you know, your typical Google/Wikipedia search on some topic of passing interest. It probably began with reading a news article about an alleged criminal act performed by a former Reality series “star”...feeling like I recognized the name of said “star”...being irked that I’m not certain...bored and procrastinating...digging around online for more information in the attempt at satisfying that nagging feeling of recognition...I’m sure I know this guy, it’s on the tip of my tongue...my girlfriend exclaiming (“That’s him!”) her boss has a working relationship with the very same criminal person...sidetracking into other Wiki-information. Somewhere along the way, there it is: Battle of the Network Reality Stars.

Are you kidding me? Is television getting this desperate? I mean, I know this show wasn’t broadcast on the Networks, as it was in the old days -- this time around it was a Bravo production, which explains why I hadn’t known about it before (since I haven’t had cable or satellite service in years). But still...Is Bravo so desperate as to resort to this type of recycled programming? Apparently so.

It’s not simply that the concept is recycled. That’s not what bothers me; television has delivered plenty of recycled concepts I’ve enjoyed a-plenty. In fact, I recall really enjoying Battle of the Network Stars when I was a kid. Nothing like watching Tattoo and Mr. Rourke team up with the crew of The Love Boat in a tug-o-war against Eight is Enough. It’s a postmodern delight, genre-busting mischief that could only be enjoyed by true television aficionados.

I’m also not a Reality Hater. Really. I’m not one to duck Reality. (Well, for the most part.) So maybe it’s just a knee-jerk reaction, this nausea over Bravo’s attempt at entertainment. I suppose I might have really enjoyed watching Battle if I’d actually invested more television time to Big Brother and Apprentice and Average Joe and Amazing Race and America’s Next Top Model and American Idol and Real World. But I didn’t, so this Reality show and Reality stars just seems plain silly to me.

2008-03-05T18:53:00.001-08:00

This sounds about as legitimate as "Make Money Stuffing Envelopes". That's what we call a pyramid scam, isn't it? Regardless, it's got to be incredibly difficult to get 20 others to follow through with those offers. A couple of years ago, I really wanted a Mac mini and so signed up for one of those "Get a Mac mini for free" ~~schemes~~ offers. I had to register for a bunch of "free" trial offers from a variety of companies, one of which I used to work for and already knew were, in a sense, scam artists. (Kind of like Earthlink and AOL making it impossible to unsubscribe from their dial up 'Net access.) After I'd completed a number of these, I simply had to get 10 other people (or was it 20?) to follow this same exact procedure: Join this program, register for a bunch of "free" trials...at that point I would, apparently, get my "free" Mac mini.

I bought my mini, but not through this process. I'll admit, I didn't try very hard to get the 10 or 20 others to join the program. Yes, I posted a few self-made banners on my website, but when I really considered all the work I'd have to do, all the folks I'd have to convince to participate in this ~~scam~~ offer, I figured it wasn't worth it. So many things have to fall into place to make this work: After your family and friends have politely rejected you, you have to convince strangers by posting banners in the most possible places you can on the web or by spamming forums to all Hell. Or by spending ridiculous amounts of time trying to hack into some database to steal some email addresses (or alternatively, spending some money on Bulk lists) in order to spam them with the same offer I was sucked into.

It all reminded me too much of those "Make Money Stuffing Envelopes" scams I'd first encountered as a child. I remember the slight feeling of disappointment I'd had after first sending in my S.A.S.E. and a dollar only to receive some vague flyer in my return envelope. Even more, I remember "investing" another $10 or $20 I'd scrounged only to receive some lame book describing the process of placing ads in various newspapers with the same message I'd received and then asking them to invest more of their money for some lame book and who knows what else.

In some sick and twisted way it could be argued that this was making money stuffing envelopes. It seemed ingenious in a way, getting potentially thousands of others to send their dollars and stamped envelopes my way so that I could return some ridiculous information they probably had already figured out themselves but had long before decided was an illegitimate way to make money. It seemed wrong; it was taking advantage of people's ignorance and weakness for easy money. I felt burned, and I knew that I'd been suckered.

Burned as I felt, I wasn't ready to let go. I'd already invested a considerable sum of money in this scheme, young and unemployed as I was. I wasn't ready to let go until I'd made an attempt to recover some of my lost funds. So I executed the first part of the process, placing a free ad in the local Pennysaver magazine advertising the same ad I'd been victimized by, "Make Money Stuffing Envelopes", along with a request for "one dollar and a self-addressed stamped envelope". The first part of the scheme. I intended to get my twenty dollars back. I wasn't going to go any further than that, I did't think.

But I'd only placed the one ad, and so only received two or three envelopes. I placed my flyers in the envelopes and then mailed them out. I didn't really feel bad about this until I received an angry letter in the mail a week or so later from one of the folks I'd mailed the flyer to. He wanted his dollar back. He wanted his stamps back. He wanted his money bad enough to threaten me in his letter. That's when I begin to feel bad, and so I never placed another ad.

Technorati Tags: scams, Make Money Stuffing Envelopes, free Mac mini, something that happened, spamming, pyramid schemes, Rebate Processing

2008-02-28T21:56:00.000-08:00

The next iteration of this blog may actually look pretty since I'm taking an online course to learn Adobe Photoshop. I took an Adobe Fireworks course in the Winter, and in the Fall an Intro to (Web) Programming course. Last Spring, an Adobe Dreamweaver course. The Fall before that I attempted some Database classes at UCLA Extension but failed miserably. Simply didn't continue attending the classes. I wasn't enjoying drawing maps of database workflows; just not my bag, baby (though I'll probably have to learn how to do that someday if I ever work with databases). Next up: Probably plunging into a real programming course, something to enhance my self-education in that area, and perhaps some more design courses.

All this began as a way to develop my skills in a more disciplined manner. I'm fairly good at learning skills on my own, but I seem to learn more thoroughly when I pay to learn. Then, I have this persistent and nagging voice telling me that I've got a schedule to attend to, "Do you really want to lose more money you don't have?" Granted, I'm not paying hundreds dollars, as I did for each of those UCLA courses I took that aforementioned Fall, but I'm still in for at least a hundred ones each online class I'm taking now. $20 a unit may not seem like much to some of the more fortunate of you, but it's enough to keep bankless me hitting the books (which are, by the way, usually more expensive than the classes).

Technorati Tags: learning, continuing education, skillsbuilding, cost of education, back to school, web design, something that happened

2008-02-23T21:36:00.000-08:00

I have a fair idea about what Charles is talking about (though I still don't know what "tokenizing" is), but that's not why I stopped reading his article. The following phrase caught my attention so I ended up copying and pasting it into Google:

"Zend Avesta" "english translation"

I wanted to see what the translation would reveal. I have no idea what Zend Avesta means, though the term Zend sounds vaguely familiar to me (and I think it has to do with software). It sometimes bothers me when I don't know what something means and I feel like I should. I still don't entirely know what it means: I simply glanced at the search results. Perhaps I should be more concerned with not knowing the meaning of "tokenizing", since it's clearly a scripting term, as I've often found it within the context of articles regarding computer programming. (For those of you not following that last sentence: scripting = programming, more or less.) If I'm serious about learning how to program/script, I should know all about tokenization by now.

Anyway, after that quick detour I returned to Charles' blog and read the rest of his story. I even used his copy 'n' paste code to link back to his article. (See the link above.) Now I await his response. This is how blogging works sometimes: Call and Response. Like making music, except it's nothing like that. Anyway, there's not always a response. In fact, in my case there's rarely ever a response, but that's okay because I never know how to respond to a response anyway.

Side note: Day before last I hinted that I was somewhat inspired by Nick Sagan's story, and I was, but now I'm inspired by Ron McLarty's The Memory of Running. Oh, wow, what a voice this man has. What a story and what a voice. This one has me laughing and (nearly) crying all the way through, and I want to share it with my dad. I think he'll really enjoy it. I want him to hear the audio version, but I don't know if he can put up with listening to a story for long. He has to listen to Mr. McLarty tell the story (which, by the way, is Mr. McLarty's own). He's hilarious -- what terrific characterizations! So real. His own creations, of course, which probably explains why they're so good. Reading the book simply won't be as pleasurable. So if I can recommend one audio book this year, I'd say get this one, it's that good. If only I could tell a story like this one, and in the way this fellow tells it...

Technorati Tags: something that happened, Charles Iliya Krempeaux, tokenizing, scripting, Zend Avesta, Ron McLarty, The Memory of Running

2008-02-21T23:00:00.000-08:00

Reaquainted with audio books lately. Actually, audio lover that I am, this is the first time I've been so consistently listening to mainstream audio. First, found my years-old collection of Audible books, listened to those, then began paying more attention to the audio book torrents, downloaded some of those, then I discovered a hearty selection of audio books at my local library. I love it because listening allows me to "read" in the dark, while my girlfriend is sleeping. Also allows me to read while walking for exercise. Why didn't this occur to me before? I guess I hadn't realized how much I would enjoy listening to mainstream audio narrative. So I've been listening to sci-fi by Arthur C. Clarke, Orson Scott Card, Richard Bachman (A.K.A. Stephen King) and now Nick Sagan. (Scientifiction and Fantasy are mainstream now, aren't they? I suppose they'll always be somewhat outside the norm. Aside from the Harry Potters and Star Treks, of course.)

Tonight I finished: Idlewild, by Nick Sagan (Carl's son). Fantastic. Virtual-reality type of stuff. Characters and plot compelling. Page-turner. Read wonderfully by Clayton Barclay Jones.

When I find myself reading or listening to such a compelling story, I can't help but hope that I have at least one this good in me...

Technorati Tags: something that happened, audio books, science fiction, Nick Sagan, Idlewild, stories, novels, books

2008-02-20T21:43:00.000-08:00

According to today's Wall Street Journal:

Stagflation, a term coined in the United Kingdom in 1965, defined the years from 1970 to 1981 in the U.S. Inflation rose to almost 15%. The economy went through three recessions. Unemployment reached 9%. Fed Chairman Paul Volcker finally conquered inflation, but only by dramatically boosting interest rates, causing a severe recession in 1981-82.

That's where we may be headed again. Maybe that's why we had lots of hair then? To cut expenses? That doesn't explain those short shorts, though. Maybe we should all move into Second Life. Even if you're poor and wearing jeans and a white t-shirt when you start out there, at least you can still get things (like clothes) for free. Plus, you don't need to eat...

Technorati Tags: something that happened, stagflation, Second Life

2008-02-12T21:16:00.000-08:00

Been awhile since I've posted. (Sorry for posting that phrase, as I know at least 30,000 others have done so. I'll try to be more original from here on out.) ~~So where have I been, why haven't I posted?~~ Let's skip the excuses for now (or forever) and get to the fun. You don't need to know everything I've been up to. Frankly, I haven't been doing anything particularly interesting or worthy of mention. Sure, I could argue that everything is interesting, depending on how you look at it blah blah blah. And sure, that's how I see things, truly. But I'm not going to do that. Not now. Not today. Today I'm going to go with the common thought, mundane is boring. So let's skip the mundane.

Okay, I'm done. That's all I had in me. I just want to get this thing going again. For a great story, please listen to Tim Coyne's short tale of love and heartbreak, The Jester Card. If I could cry, I would have, it moved me so. And Tom Simpson, you are missed. I've been off-IM, off-chat, off-SL, off-Skype, and off just about everything these past couple of months (except for email and the few odd comments posted here and there). I hope you and your wife have a great fucking time this Thursday.

As the kids say these days, "Peace out." For now.

Technorati Tags: something that happened, checking in, Tim Coyne, Tom Simpson,

2007-11-10T23:10:00.000-08:00

I consider myself a sceptic (or skeptic), though I seriously disagree with the American Heritage Dictionary's first definition of the term (which you can find on Dictionary.com):

1. One who instinctively or habitually doubts, questions, or disagrees with assertions or generally accepted conclusions.

Habitually? Come on, dictionary, that's just rude -- and simply not true. Sceptics don't habitually disagree; sceptics disagree when the occasion calls for it, such as when the conclusion is bullshit. Particularly when it's harmful bullshit.

Seems to me that scepticism isn't much appreciated by the Heritage.

But fuck the dictionary. I've been watching this television program, Phenomenon, which is more or less an American Idol for magicians (or more specifically, mentalists). Now, I believe most magicians are sceptics, at least in the sense that they know magic isn't truly paranormal or anything ridiculous like that. Magicians know better than anyone that they're practicing the art of illusion, not sorcery. Houdini himself was a debunker of the paranormal, and artists like Penn & Teller continue the tradition with shows like Bullshit!

Most stage magicians aren't harming anyone; they're simply entertaining. (Unless you consider a "healer" a magician, in which case they could be causing direct financial and emotional harm.) And I enjoy a good magic performance from time to time. I especially admire when a magician really gets me scratching my head wondering How did she do that? Magic is great entertainment, and there's no need to debunk it during its performance. (Though I appreciate disproving a performance that is truly harming people, such as when "psychics" or "healers" put the squeeze on people). It's simply not necessary to spoil magic performances, even the psychic ones; it's harmless fun for someone who goes to a psychic for the kick of it. (Unless they begin relying on the psychic to foretell they're future every week.)

With stage performances of magic clearly designed for entertainment, most folks know it's all illusion but still find it fun to be duped. People appreciate a good trick, and some find it equally enjoyable to find out how the stunt was pulled off. The show Phenomenon is entertaining when you keep in mind its premise: discovering and critiquing new talent. In that sense, it somewhat satisfies both those who appreciate magic shows as entertainment and those who enjoy disproving the paranormal. This is because Phenomenon is a combination of American Idol-like auditions and guest judge Criss Angel's Houdini-like debunking of some of the magician's paranormal claims. It's a rare show in that it may be equally enjoyable to both believers and sceptics.

Still, something bothers, leaves me feeling unsatisfied. Maybe it's just that I'm not used to seeing sceptics and believers finding common ground. There's something disconcerting about this. It's somewhat like watching a Penn & Teller magic show, and after each trick the guys explain how the illusion worked. Kind of spoils the fun, doesn't it? Then again, maybe I'm just not used to it yet, and maybe it just depends on the mood you're in. Sometimes you're in the mood to believe in magic, other times you're in the mood for more critically-minded entertainment. Is there room for both at the same party? I guess we'll find out.

Technorati Tags: something that happened, Phenomenon, magic, sceptics, entertainment, Criss Angel, believers, television

2007-09-03T09:25:00.000-07:00

This morning I awoke from a dream in which Joy and I had both realized that we shared an admiration for Queensryche's song "Silent Lucidity". We were listening to the song, or it was playing in the background of the dream we were both inhabiting, or perhaps Joy and I were merely thinking of the song at the same time: she told me that she wanted the album, too, somehow knowing that I'd been wanting the record. So I made certain to locate the album at a record store which, as far as I know, only exists in my mind.

For some reason I often dream of the house on Fair Park, Joy's house: it's (to my child-memory) vast yards, the shaded front porch, the cool interior and hardwood floors. In my dreams, I recall a record player inhabiting a large wooden encasement; this marvelous appliance was located near the entrance to the house. I recall L.A. Dodgers paraphernalia decorating the area near the unit, a memory which may stem from a Big Blue Wrecking Crew record Joy kept somewhere near the record player. I recall an adventurous kitchen in which assorted delights were prepared and lovely conversations shared over a pull-down ironing board. (Did the latter item really exist or is it a figment of my imagination?) I remember the sound of the kitchen sink, the bathtub, the porch door, the hardwood floors, the backyard hose, the glorious television. I recall the sound of the clothes dryer providing the soundtrack to playing on the cool grass of the back yard, all the while avoiding running into a bird pond fixture which always seemed to be gathering more and more colorful residue. The smell (and taste) of popcorn: cuddling up on a couch to watch a movie.

Joy there, possessing this house, bestowing her love on its living room, its sleeping rooms, its hallway, its cool corners, its hot pockets. Embracing the sunlight's slivery rays through the shadowy spaces. Covering a blank fridge with her personality: it's a magnet for her love. Ornamenting an empty windowsill with trinkets reflecting her sense of style: an artful treatment toward this cherished house. Joy there now, sweet voice emanating, welcoming friends, neighbors (soon-to-be-friends), friend's friends. This woman, an energy lifting spirits, imbibing spirits, cultivating love through honest participation with others. Joy there again, following her heart, which is always pure.

My friend, my other mother. We were once engaged: Joy and I were to marry one day, but then she found the real man of her dreams. Ah, so it goes...but I can still find my joy: in my own dreams, and by putting myself to sleep, silently lucid.

Technorati Tags: friendship, love, nostalgia, lucid dreaming, Silent Lucidity, something that happened

2007-09-01T17:54:00.000-07:00

The FlashMeeting is over, for today, and there's a recording of it available here. A fellow named Dave checked in during the session, as well as some guys in Germany, where they're currently attending VlogEurope. John Leeke also stopped by and we chatted briefly about his video project as well as his own participation in FlashMeeting videoconferencing.

I'd promised to take over the moderation responsibilities for the videobloggers' FlashMeetings ever since attending Pixelodeon earlier this year, so if you're interested in videoblogging and want to attend a future session, stay tuned. I'll post a schedule (or a link to one) sometime soon.

Technorati Tags: FlashMeeting, videoconference, video, Flash, videoblogging, research

2007-09-01T11:55:00.000-07:00

Throughout the day, I am monitoring/moderating a FlashMeeting on videoblogging. FlashMeeting is a videoconferencing application based on the Adobe Flash "plug in" and Flash Media Server. Maintained by the Open University, the application is made available to a number of organizations for use in research settings. FlashMeeting is recorded, so please keep that in mind if you decide to join the session. Also, since FlashMeetings are intended for research (rather than purely commercial or purely casual) purposes, please stay on topic if you decide to join the videoconference:

VIDEOBLOGGING FlashMeeting

Today's FlashMeeting is being utilized as a live virtual space for videobloggers worldwide to engage with eachother; VlogEurope and PodCamp UK attendees and other videobloggers are heartily welcomed to check in at anytime to keep us informed about their goings-on!

Technorati Tags: videoblogging, FlashMeeting, VlogEurope, PodCamp UK, PodCamp, videoconference, vlogging, video podcasting, VlogEurope 07, VlogEurope07, Open University

2007-08-29T20:46:00.000-07:00

For a couple of months now, I've been voluntarily participating in a 'Net radio venture. It's been an interesting project, to say the least; it's a talk radio station run by two fellows, one who comes across as a rather egocentric and cynical fellow (who I'll refer to throughout this post as "The Engineer"), the other gentleman exhibiting a mild-mannered and positive aspect. (I won't be mentioning the latter fellow again in this post, since he's not the subject of this particular rant/venting session.) The Engineer (or cynical fellow) comes across, while "on the air", as a likeably rash though often inconsiderate -- as one listener recently put it -- "asshole". Though the latter moniker may seem rather harsh, I tend to agree with the sentiment. His on-air personality, though often entertaining (and therefore, "likeable"), comes across as assuming, scornful, and intolerant of others. He makes rash assumptions about his guests, his co-hosts (that is, the hosts of other shows on the station, myself included), and -- most surpringly -- about some of his listeners, and then proceeds to deride these folks with sarcastic pronouncements about them. Somewhat like a conservative Howard Stern, but with a less sophisticated comedic manner.

There are many radio personalities who adopt this manner. Rush Limbaugh himself has mastered the persona of the sarcastic neo-conservative broadcaster, and he's built quite a career out of it. The problem with this fellow I'm "working" with -- besides his sarcasm being more transparently hateful than funny at times -- is that he carries his manner everywhere, inserting it into all aspects of the station he's engineered. In other words, he makes rash assumptions about how the station should be run, without seeming to take into account some of the most fundamental details. His presumptuousness directly affects his relationships with the station's show hosts. When something goes wrong, The Engineer is quick to scorn, blaming others rather than taking time to consider the shortcomings of the technology he's working with (or the way he's engineered the station). While professing on-air that the station is actively being developed by the station's community of show hosts, and that we are all "building this station together", off-air he rarely takes into account his associate's suggestions. While his style may be entertaining on-air, his intolerance of other's opinions introduces a level of instability to the operation of the station.

I'll give you an example. The Engineer's attitude toward others seems predicated upon their absolute agreement with his views. So if you disagree about a particular way things are handled at the station, or if you make a suggestion about how technology can being used to benefit the station in some manner, or if you state your concern about the station's system for scheduling shows, or if you make just about any attempt to provide some valuable and constructive criticism regarding just about any aspect of the station's engineering, your views will undoubtedly be hastily discarded and scorned. A fellow who is no longer "employed" by the station was unhappy with the lack of appropriate training The Engineer provided him with (a fact I can attest to). The Engineer seemed unwilling to take the time to properly demonstrate how to use the broadcast technology. To most station managers, it would seem fundamental, the need to provide new show hosts with an adequate amount of information about the technologies required to broadcast their programs. It's true that the technologies being used are not all that difficult to employ once you've learned how to repurpose them for broadcast purposes -- yet there are a variety of mishaps that can occur, especially when a technology is not used for its designed purpose. Yet The Engineer seems to assume that all his new show hosts have been using the very same technology for broadcast purposes prior to their stint at the station. This lack of foresight is demonstrative of The Engineer's inability to manage some of the more crucial aspects of running a 'Net radio station.

As for the former show host mentioned in my example above: he was thoroughly derided after his trial run at the station. (Regrettably, I was involved in much of this contemptuous mirth, which I've detailed in a prior post.) Based on my own personal experience with The Engineer, I would guess that the fellow was also jeered at during his tenure at the station, the lack of support probably exacerbating his frustration with the station. It is difficult for me to know for certain, since I was far-removed from the situation, and not yet a show host on the network. Yet, though I don't know exactly how he was treated during the short time he was broadcasting on the station, I do know that the attitude The Engineer has adopted in regards to the situation is one of "some have what it takes; others don't" -- an attitude he prefers to uphold rather than to realize his own shortcomings in providing adequate information to new show hosts.

Perhaps, in the related example, The Engineer exhibited more laziness than scorn. It's possible he doesn't understand that being more demonstrative in certain aspects of the station's operation would be helpful to his associates. What's important to note is that our engineer, who would be quick to point out that "we all wear many hats here at the station", fails to recognize his own shortcomings in some of those areas. It's much easier for him to drop a show host or two (or three, or four...) and to insert replays of his own shows in their time slots than it is to accept his own role in failing to provide all the necessary details to assist them. Failing to provide them with adequate preparation in the first place, he adopts an attitude of disappointment in their presentations, shortly followed by scorn which he then uses as material in his own broadcasts. Sadly, the station's hosts (and listeners) suffer, because while The Engineer is able to continue broadcasting his own program, the station's schedule becomes increasingly saturated with either repeats of The Engineer's own daily show or stale podcasts scraped from around the 'Net.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post: it's been an interesting project, to say the least.

Technorati Tags: attitudes, behavior, personalities, relationships, work, running+a+business, working+together, something that happened

2007-08-28T14:37:00.000-07:00

Remember FuckedCompany.com, the site documenting company layoffs and such? Many "downsized" workers found the site therapeutic and entertaining, especially during the dot-com implosion. Others -- particularly company PR reps and CEOs -- found the site annoying, mean-spirited, and even horrifying in its examinations of company's internal memos.

Though they've surely deserved the moniker for past transgressions, Earthlink is now officially and undeniably a Fucked Company, having today announced a corporate restructuring. From their own press release for August 28, 2007:

EarthLink, Inc. (NASDAQ: ELNK) today announced a corporate restructuring plan. This plan will reduce operating costs across the company. The restructuring will begin immediately and be completed by the end of the year.

The beginning of their "restructuring" translates into the layoff of 900 employees, a move which will generate the remainder of the company "$25 - $35 million in cost savings through the remainder of 2007".

A Really Fucked Company.

Technorati Tags: something that happened

2007-08-24T15:09:00.000-07:00

Astronomers have made a startling discovery: a huge hole has been found in space, and it's neither a black hole nor dark matter. It is nearly a billion light-years across, and it is entirely starless: a dark and empty spot in space, just like in that episode of Battlestar Galactica. (You know the one: Galactica and the fleet encounter a starless area of space, and Apollo plunges into it only to find himself utterly lost in a void; the distant stars, as well as the fleet, have disappeared. This episode is from the original 1978 series, and is fresh in my memory because I'm currently watching it again. As much as I've been enjoying the new series, I've felt the need to reacquaint myself with the "toaster" Cylons and the dog-robot.)

A huge hole, with nothing in it. Reminds me of that empty space in my mind, that place I return to whenever I feel ready to begin seriously writing again. The moment I find myself with the time and inclination to get artistically productive, my thoughts inevitably return to that dark space where matter neither exists nor is created. Not quite a black hole: even a black hole permits the possibility of renewal, of life (or something) beyond the event horizon. No, the hole in my mind permits no such recompense; it is devoid of inspiration. I would suspect it is a tumor, except that it is matterless; neither dark nor grey matter resides in that space. Perhaps God extracted a piece of my brain so as to render me forever blocked from recklessly pursuing my creative impulses.

Technorati Tags: astronomy, space, discoveries, huge+hole, Battlestar+Galactica, writing, inspiration, something that happened

2007-08-23T20:12:00.000-07:00

Technorati Tags: funnies, bLaugh, comics, geek humour, blogging

2007-08-23T19:28:00.000-07:00

Somebody should come up with a device which tells you when a local electrical outlet is made available. You know: for when you're wandering a public place, such as your local wifi hotspot, trying to locate a power source. It would work somewhat like a wifi sniffer, one of those keychain gadgets that indicate your proximity to wireless 'Net access points: the AC sniffer would tell you when someone unplugged their laptop or mobile phone from an outlet. Wouldn't that be nice? T-Mobile should market it; that way they'd have happier customers paying for their premium HotSpot services.

Technorati Tags: something that happened, ideas, inventions, computers, devices, technology

2007-08-08T04:13:00.001-07:00

E62, Part Seven: I find myself walking home at 4am, but I'm not drunk, not even tipsy. Nearly 100 days sober, in fact. The only chemicals coursing through these veins are caffeine and nicotine: I'm high from some late-night/early-morning blogging.

There's a fellow walking just in front of me, swaying down the sidewalk. Clearly intoxicated, he careens left and right, a bag of grub in hand, barely able to keep himself moving progressively forward. It looks like it will take him quite some time to get to his destination.

I say to myself, "That was me."

2007-07-27T16:39:00.000-07:00

I didn't know what to write, so I began to simply type as much as I could. I typed and typed. I wrote what I could in the speed that I comfortably could -- that is, I wrote swiftly, though not as swiftly as I possibly could -- and I composed nothing of particular value, and nothing that required any measure of consideration. I just typed, in the hopes of getting something accomplished. What that was, I did not know.

Did it work? Perhaps. Perhaps not. It certainly provided me with something to do as I sat there, too caffeinated and too self-conscious. I didn't produce any major works of art. I didn't write anything terribly inspiring. My short story, the first chapter of my novel, the central thesis of my prize-winning essay -- all that would have to come another day. I didn't write anything I could take home to my mother -- or at least, to mom's nursing home -- certainly nothing worthy of reading aloud, "Here ma, look at what I wrote! Listen to this..."

Still, I felt I'd accomplished something, if only an insignificant item that wouldn't warrant even an entry on a weblog. I had erased myself for a few minutes, forgotten that I was sitting there, jittering from an overload of coffee and in full view of everyone walking through the doors of the cafe. I think that's all I really wanted, to forget myself for a few minutes. There were other ways of doing this, sure, but I wasn't any good at them. Some folks meditate, but I couldn't forget myself while meditating. I was always aware of my body -- its minor aches and itches, the sense of its mechanisms, the smell of my armpits. I've been told that some people, in order to induce the meditative state, focus exclusively on their breathing -- or simply the sound of their breathing -- in order to lose self-absorption. Yet I always grew anxious when attempting to do so. Whenever I performed any breathing exercises, I would become too aware of my lungs, my heart pumping, my breath exhaling. Rather than losing awareness of myself, I would become irritatingly aware of every mechanism involved in my act of breathing. Some might think this would be evidence that I was achieving my goal -- but I assure you, dear reader, that I was never able to lose myself when concentrating on anything bodily, as it would inevitably lead my mind to unsettling matters. In the case of my breathing, my mind would begin to grow anxious contemplating the effects of my renewed smoking habit, the genetic possibility of pulmonary disease, the potential ulcer being induced by these very concerns, et cetera...

So meditation, or any form of Inactivity, wasn't for me. Then there were folks who could forget themselves in the act of performing the opposite: Extreme Activity. These folks ran. They hiked, or they mountain-climbed. They swam, they surfed. They sky-dived, they bungie-jumped. They raced cars, they chased cars. They crashed cars. They lost themselves completely in the extreme activities in which they were engaged. So absorbed in these acts, they were no longer "in their heads", their minds concentrated on accomplishing the outstanding feats in which they were engaged. All of these activities required either physical endurance or some amount of money, neither of which I was in possession of. I wasn't fit, physically or financially, for Extreme Activity. Besides, had I the ability to engage in these acts, it is more likely that my neuroticism would have compelled me to worry myself to a heart attack -- that is, through worrying about worrying myself into a heart attack. That's simply how my mind works.

Technorati Tags: something that happened, meditation, writing, writer's block, Self, Harold

2007-07-26T17:54:00.000-07:00

By the way, that rally I mentioned yesterday will be attended by Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Gospel Choir, who just happened to be a guest on the Live Test Show (on TalkRadioX) yesterday! Can you believe it?!? How amazing and coincidental is that?!?!?!?!! How absolutely unlikely can that possibly be???!!!? OMIGOD I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, so I went a bit overboard there. It was simply one of those serendipitous events or something -- not that big a deal unless you're superstitious or a little bit spooky. If you're into that kind of thing, though, here's another spooky (or serendipitous, or whatever) moment: Right now as I'm typing this post I'm listening to an archived episode of the Live Test Show, which I just discovered in podcast format, and my show The Audio Herald is being talked about by the show's hosts.

OMIGOD!!! THIS IS AMAZING!!!!!! I CANNOT BELIEVE IT'S HAPPENING IT MUST BE THE WORLD ENDING AND CHRIST IS ON HIS WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Technorati Tags: something that happened, serendipity, Reverend Billy, Stop Shopping Gospel, Live Test Show, TalkRadioX, Audio Herald, Internet radio, podcast

2007-07-25T23:15:00.000-07:00

I have been informed that Friday there will be a rally in New York City, in Union Square, in defense of First Amendment rights:

Please join the Filmmaker/Photographer contingent at this Friday’s First Amendment rally at Union Square. Recently proposed regulations seriously threaten the rights of photographers and filmmakers to operate in NYC, and they could go into effect as soon as this August. Other laws already restrict our rights to parade, dance, meet, bike, shout, and assemble.

The Press Conference and Creative Rally will begin at 6:30pm, taking place in the north end of Union Square. More details are available on the website Picture New York.

Technorati Tags: rally, press conference, First Amendment, Picture New York, photography, filmmaking, something that happened

2007-07-23T16:30:00.002-07:00

Quick break for an historical fact that you are sure to be unaware of (and unlikely to care about). Today I received an email newsletter from the Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corporation, and in it was stated the following:

July 23, 1924- The La Monica Ballroom first opened its doors. The first night's attendees included many of the area's most wealthy and famous people. A crowd of 25,000 people lined the Pier to watch the celebration.

Happy Birthday, La Monica Ballroom! As I was posting this, I had no idea what the La Monica Ballroom is/was; a quick Google search turned up that it was "the site of some of the earliest national radio and television broadcasts". Cool.

Technorati Tags: something that happened, Santa Monica Pier, La Monica Ballroom, broadcast history

2007-07-22T23:15:00.000-07:00

Remorse. What it for? Why do we feel remorse? I suspect the feeling is some sort of adaptation humans have developed -- but for what purpose? Why must we feel bad, or remorseful, for our behavior? The answer may seem obvious: We feel remorse so that we won't repeat those behaviors.We sense that our behavior is wrong, unhealthy, unhelpful -- or in a strictly Darwinian sense, harmful to our survival. We're remorseful so that we won't repeat the errors of our ways.

So let's hope the remorse I'm feeling right now is enough to prevent me from becoming a Gossip.

You see, this evening I had a lengthy conversation with someone -- a conversation I was somewhat reluctant to engage in, at first, but proceeded with anyway. A conversation with a person I hardly know, having encountered him exclusively through the Internet, and only through a forum thread, a couple of Skype conversations, and perhaps one email. The phone rang this evening, and I answered it to find this person's voice on the other end. My gut instinct told me to tell this person I was busy, that I couldn't take the call right then, that I had some pressing business to attend to. I ignored my gut, though -- I suppose I had felt that I'd been avoiding this person long enough, and I didn't want to seem rude or off-putting. So I took the call. It's also possible I was somewhat intrigued with what the person might have to say. Then again, perhaps I was just practicing at overcoming my Phonecall Anxiety, or simply trying to use up those extra minutes my mobile phone provider grants me on the weekends. Perhaps this evening I was playing the part of The Nice Guy, anticipating that my inner Snape would turn out to be good.

Turns out, Snape was bad. (My Snape, anyway -- I haven't read the book yet, so don't think this is a spoiler or anything.) This evening I became the gossip I often pride myself on not being. This evening, after the Skype call ended, I proceeded to Skypecall some fellows who "know" this fellow a little better than I do and I gossiped with them about this person. I repeated some of the nonsense I believe the fellow had related to me; I questioned his sanity. I chuckled about his ideas, his perceptions, his ambitions. I may have even called him a name or two.

On the one hand, I have to admit that I enjoyed engaging in the gossip, to some extent. At the time, I felt I was forging a bond with the fellows I was gossiping with; I was One Of The Guys for once. I was Proving My Loyalty to my boys; I was Helping Out The Cause. I was The Man Of The Hour, the

Whatever. I was simply gossiping, and it felt kind of good. Until it didn't.

Before you think I'm being too hard on myself, let me assure you that I'll be over it by sunrise. Unless, of course, I'm not. Still, to better assure you that I will be -- or to distract you, anyway -- here's a link to a Talkchat recording -- that is, a TalkShoe conversation that I engaged in earlier today with a fellow AMP member and recording artist, Samantha Murphy. Sam is tentatively scheduled to host a Talkchat every Saturday at 5pm EDT; here's her TalkShoe page.

I must go; there's a rat in my room. Literally.

Technorati Tags: something that happened, gossip, behavior, remorse, Darwin, TalkShoe, Talkchat, Samantha Murphy, Harold

2007-07-21T17:35:00.000-07:00

Returning to the astronomy topic, a project called GalaxyZoo "harnesses the power of the internet - and your brain - to classify a million galaxies." I've just now signed up for the service and run through its tutorial, and am already "analyzing" potential galaxies! It's kind of fun, actually...

Technorati Tags: something that happened, GalaxyZoo, astronomy, science, research