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29 July 2004

Conclusions

First, I feel I have reached an apex of inibriation. Found it thru a combination of sleep deprivation, cigar smoke, bloodshot eyes, gin, and reading William Gibson. This cocktail has set my imagination afire, and while this is not uncommon late at night, this combination of stimulation must be the equivalent of lighting a hooka with a C-note.

I need to get some linguistic skills over the next year, as I feel a European sojourn is on the horizon for summer05. While I have recently learned that this may conflict with the release of the next Batman movie, it must be done. The south of France seems to be high on my hit list as of late, as well as the obvious visits to Florence, Milan, Amsterdam, Paris, and London will probably round out the trip. I'd love to see a Grand Prix while out that way, but that all depends on who drives for what team, which should be shaken out by the winter. In the geek realm, a G5 PowerBook will mosdef be a part of my travel requirement, as well as a FOMA handset, assuming DoCoMo won't shrink their presence after the Olypmics kick off. While this second piece is far less likely, I'll keep a Razr as the fallback device.

I've also come to realize how pressing my need for exercise has become. August might just be the month of running, which is a kinesthetically damaging activity I swore my father raised me to be better than. Nonetheless it is the indispensible form of self-improvement, as well as ahandy aparatus for avoiding a variety of life's hangups; both legal and extra-legal. So jogging and jump-rope will most likely follow me to North Carolina, Washington DC, and back again.

The flip side of the look-good-enough-to-deserve-sex coin is obviously diet, and thus I anticipate drawing up a static meal plan. Something similar to Chipotle but on a lesser caloric scale, which can be prepared on Sunday evenings in 7-day prescriptions.

After reading a Ray Ozzie interview at the pool this afternoon, I am fully committed to the 'darknet' concept. Groove Networks have built tools for chat, filesharing, and group task work into a highly encrypted application set. It is now in use by both our government and many NGO's working in Iraq. Unfortunately for me, the software has been very tightly integrated with Windows. While I know that Mac users are notoriosuly cult-like, and therefore less prone to needing security, why isn't there an OS X version of this software suite? At the very least, someone needs to be replicating this sort of thing in a different app for us Mac-heads.

This question has led me to another conclusion I have been flirting with since the G5 processor was released: I need to learn to develop software. Monzel and I have enough wild ideas at every f2f we have, I must put myself in a position to begin to realize some of our projections. I believe that if I can build working versions, or even simple proof-of-concepts, then rallying others around our ideas should become a more real possibility.

24 July 2004

Informed Commentary

Richard Clarke's Op-Ed column is, in my progressive opinion, a brilliant critique of the 9/11 commission.

It is simultaneously exciting and disheartening to read such a radical set of ideas from someone of Clarke's background. He has a vision of success that illustrates some harsh realities, insofar as the neccessity of spies and commandos has returned to our world.

The unfortunate reality is that the current administration has shown no patience for people with ideas like these and no hesitation at removing them from any position of affect.

12 July 2004

Quotes from the weekend

"That's right, we're closer to Mexico." -Me "...weapons of the angels." -Non's sister "...commie pinko fag..." -Mom "Nestle's killing babies...and they WON'T stop." -Wyatt "...if I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own back yard. Because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with!" -Dorothy Gale

05 July 2004

Back in the Saddle

It's been a while, but I've returned to the superphone.

After an extended vacation in smallphone land courtesy of my little brother, it feels good to be back. Sure having a device the size of a Matchbox car that can keep me in touch with the world is a convenient thing, however the supremacy of a qwerty keyboard cannot be ignored.

I would rather have a Hiptop in my pocket, and all the connectivity that comes with it, than any old 'phone.' If only the second Hiptop would find it's way into my hands soon ;)