- metro_esc1.jpg:<br /><br /><img src="images/metro_esc1.jpg">100ImaginingdanielSun, January 05, 2003publish
- I love Miriam so much! Today has been one of those days where my heart could just burst. <br />
<br />
This is one of those things that no-one will get, but it made us laugh a lot, so I felt like documenting:<br /><br />"Would you prefer me to be a nice suburban wife? <i>Hun, what can <b>I</b> do for <b>you</b>?</i>"<br />
<br />
"Stop that."<br />
<br />
"<i>No, seriously, I want to do what <b>you</b> want to do.</i>"<br />
<br />
"No, be serious."<br />
<br />
"<i>What? You don't want me to be like a nice, sweet, subur-</i>"<br />
<br />
"Stop it! I'm going to squeeze your tits until you're mean again!"<br />
<br />
<img src="images/miriam_metro3.jpg">99MinutiadanielSun, January 05, 2003publish
- how to write like a wanker<i>4. Star Out Offensive Language: Because calling her a 'cunt' would be rude, but calling her a 'c*nt' is perfectly acceptable.</i> [<a href="http://www.infernus.net/rants/write_like_a_wanker.html">more</a>] (via <a href="http://diveintomark.org/archives/2003/01/04.html#in_brief">diveintomark</a>)<br /><br />98ElsewheredanielSat, January 04, 2003publish
- Donnie Darko(...etc...)<br />
<br />
<i>The dreams in which I'm dieing are the best I've ever had...</i><br />
<br />
Finally saw all of <a href="http://www.donniedarko.com/">Donnie Darko</a>, and what can I say? Brilliant. Miriam "figured it out" before I did, then we immediately watched it over, with director's commentary. Just checked out the website today; it's alright; nothing special; could've made it so they could add pieces of story later, and allow people to add to the story; but I guess that is our deal now isn't it? (Those who know of what I speak, know of what I speak.) The main thing is that the writer/director is my age exactly. Hmph. I stayed up for a couple more hours then working on Micha's story.<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.hope.falling-star.org/youaredonnie.gif"><br />
<br>Congratulations, you are Donnie Darko. You're not afraid to speak what's on your mind and tell people what you're really thinking. You think about sex a lot and sometimes you wake up with your hands down your pants. <a href="http://hope.falling-star.org/donnieq.html">Which Donnie Darko character are you?</a> by <a href="http://www.hope.falling-star.org">Shay</a><br />
<br />
And today I ran across <a href="http://www.sundanceonlinefilmfestival.org/">www.sundanceonlinefilmfestival.org</a>.<br />
<br />
Also, this is a good indie britpop band: <a href="http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/64/spacehopper.html">spacehopper</a><br /><br />97ElsewheredanielSat, January 04, 2003publish
- Guardian Survival Guide 2003...<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/online/story/0,3605,867294,00.html">a guide to the 25 things you need to know about for 2003</a>, includes microcontent, MyLifeBits, paying for content, social software, lots on blogs, TIA, and --the culest-- William Gibson coming back with a present-time novel. <br /><br />96ElsewheredanielFri, January 03, 2003publish
- bang your head, crybabyWhen I was 12, I crashed my bike, hard, on a Boy Scout bike hike (helmets,
what are those? this is the 80's sucka.). Starting three years later, I would go
on to race bicycles for 7 straight years. Go figure. Anyway, today the pictures
rose to the top of the historical swamp that is one's life. This is the best way,
I think, random, cluttered moments of total nostalgia. I am so proud of
myself--I seriously screwed up <i>me heed</i>! I don't post many pictures of myself on here, yet alone
ones from childhood, but this was a major event (if you measure those by number of stitches--26
I think it was), and I just felt like sharing:<br /><br />June 21, 1987, just home from the hospital, probably, the cleaning solution
is still stained on my skin. I can see now where my face smeared itself across
the huge rock in its way. Definately NOT a happy camper (ha ha no pun intended)
at this point:</p>
<p><img border="0" src="files/2002/12/crash1.jpg"></p>
<p>June 22nd, little bit recovered, only some of the gauze stuck completely to
the arm wounds. The hip is looking great there too:</p>
<p><img border="0" src="files/2002/12/crash2.jpg"></p>
<p>...the 23rd, enjoying the extra-sized knee action there. Thanks whoever got
me the <a href="http://www.garfield.com/">Garfield</a> balloon:</p>
<p><img border="0" src="files/2002/12/crash4.jpg"></p>
<hr>
<p>I also cried a lot as a kid. I wish I could cry more now. <a href="http://davenet.userland.com/1998/01/01/menStaySilent">Crying
is good</a>. At some point in my teens I stopped crying. That's too bad. But if
there was ever any doubt that I was a momma's boy, this should put it to rest.</p>
<p><img border="0" src="files/2002/12/cry1.jpg"><br />
<br />
Thanks Mom.93MinutiadanielThu, January 02, 2003publish
- Eggers quote and Florida
I am drinking proper English tea. If I'm not going to be able to visit The Island this spring, I will at least drink tea. It was a Christmas gift from Miriam's former Russian teacher in Florida. That and some damn good spicy Ukranian liquor.<br />
<br />
You know how you mean to read all kinds of stuff in a certain (short) amount of time, but then when you don't, you end up reading certain sections at the perfect time to relate to what is going on in your life? Or do you just always relate what you're reading to what's going on in your life?<br />
<br />
Anyway, I was reading Eggers (a book I don't really recommend) last night and this jumped out at me:<br /><br /><i>Half of us are talking about moving. Flagg has already left for New York, for grad school, and I'm vaguely thinking about moving, too. But what I really want is to just swim around in a warm baby pool of these friends, jump in their dry leaf pile--to rub them all over myself, without words and clothes.</i><br />
<br />
This is exactly what Florida was like this Christmas. For better or worse, we have moved geographically from the first community we experienced as a family, and the short return visit was a bittersweet reminder of the glorious troubles and terrible glories of that community's daily life. And after we said our hushed hellos and before we said our hurried goodbyes, I once again picked the same people, like a north magnet picking a south one, the people with whom I have a positive E feedback loop, and I couldn't quite find the words to describe how I felt to them...But what I really wanted was to just jump in their dry leaf pile.<br />
<br />
I had the most amazing sushi dinner of my life the night before we left...no sushi dinner will ever compare, I am afraid, and neither will the company. Not until our next time together, that is.92MinutiadanielThu, January 02, 2003publish
- Jan-May 2003 Goals<br /><br />+ Micha on Serialtext and submitted to So New Media<br />
- edit, add, edit, submit<br />
+ At least waiting for IR nonprofit status; i.e. all my work for that done and submitted<br />
- (ASAP)<br />
+ SWM desktop beta released<br />
- 1.0 released<br />
- (review 1.0 <a href="./index.php?archive=blog_2002_11_18_new.xml&id_pass=3">release schedule</a>)<br />
+ IWS self-sufficient<br />
- CMS completed and fully implemented - tools and docs to Demitri<br />
- ecom automation completed and AbleComm doc'd91MinutiadanielThu, January 02, 2003publish
- darren has been spit upon<i>...They are talking, often getting to a passionate point in what they are saying when they say a word like "peanuts' (not that I know why they'd be passionate about peanuts - but its usually a 'P' word for some reason) and then it happens. They've been talking to much, too passionately to have even time to swallow the saliva that is building up in their mouth - it all becomes too much for their chattering lips to contain - and out it comes...Life goes into slow motion as the droplet of frothy spital arches through the air towards you. You both see it, how could you not. They continue to talk (passionately) but the sound of their voices becomes a nonsensical warble as you watch the spit slowly fall towards you.</i> [<a href="http://www.living-room.blogspot.com/2003_01_01_living-room_archive.html#86778826">more</a>]<br /><br />90ElsewheredanielWed, January 01, 2003publish
- on ftrainProbably my favorite writer on the web, who had a quiet December, on the coming year:<br />
<br />
<i>So what comes next? Right now it's a sour feeling, but the year is still full of narrative and personal possibilities, despite an inauspicious beginning. This being New Year's, and I being here alone with <a href="http://www.ftrain.com">Ftrain</a> and a lot of ambition, I will, simply, continue to resolve, and improve my resolution - my dots per inch, my steadfastness, my declarations, my telescopic vision.</i><br /><br />89ElsewheredanielWed, January 01, 2003publish
- what a year for a new yearToday is supposed to be a day of reflection and planning for the new year. Well, one out of two isn't bad: <br /><br />today has been a crazy day of being completely overwhelmed with all the things that *have* to be done, most importantly have to be done before we leave country May 1. Has actually made for a pretty horrible day, internally at least. The problem is, I (and I think we humans) operate based on very tangible points-in-time. We just passed one of those points in the passing of the year 2002; but for our family, the next is our move to Sarajevo in May. Only thing is, there is too much to do in that time (unless we didn't need sleep *and* had a staff of one or two more people!). <br />
<br />
SO, no reflection on 2002; it is gone but for the archives of the blog (and isn't that the main point of a <i>log</i>?); no resolutions either (there were going to be a lot of them about getting back into shape and taking care of this sagging body, but seems like I will only have time to just say no to *all* dairy {those who know me know I haven't had milk or ice cream in years} or anything but water to drink in an attempt to stem the growth of this gut). Expect me to rescind on things promised (articles, etc.) on this blog, finish up those other things committed to in person, and say "no" to any other requests. The Daniel you are used to will return sometime mid 2003 (hopefully with the Sarajevo lifestyle, integration research and SWM in full effect). :)88MinutiadanielWed, January 01, 2003publish
- new chuck p siteThe brand new version 3.0 of the <a href="http://www.chuckpalahniuk.net/">Chuck Palahniuk dot net</a> site is awesome and overwhelmingly full of great info and culture.<br /><br />87ElsewheredanielWed, January 01, 2003publish
- random film shotsIn lieu of actually getting my imagining section of the site <i>done</i>, here are some random film shots from the last months:<br /><br /><img src="images/fence_web.jpg"><br />
<br />
boston, fence<br />
<br />
<img src="images/light_web.jpg"><br />
<br />
boston, light<br />
using my digital eye with the film camera<br />
<br />
<img src="images/circo_web.jpg"><br />
<br />
arlington, circo<br />
ditto, this time in our building's 'courtyard'86ImaginingdanielWed, January 01, 2003publish
- nntp_rss newsreaderMy friend Jason Brome has created an open source RSS newsreader that works through your favorite NNTP newsreader (i.e. Outlook Express for me). It is a really great way for me to now integrate my email and blog/news reading in one client app. Here's the <a href="http://methodize.org/">project's homepage</a> and it's <a href="http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=68044&release_id=130632">Sourceforge page for download</a>. He's already been mentioned on <a href="http://www.benhammersley.com/archives/003441.html#003441">Ben Hammersley.com</a> as well. Screenshot if you go more words:<br /><br /><br /><img alt="NNTP_RSS_2.jpg (76K)" src="images/NNTP_RSS_2.jpg">85DesignDanielTue, December 31, 2002publish
- M on FL"Elsewhere good, home the best." <a href="http://www.danielsjourney.com/miriam/2002_12_01_archives.html#86726705">Miriam waxes some on our trip</a>.<br /><br />84MinutiadanielTue, December 31, 2002publish
- ROCK n effin ROLLTonight I went to a concert by THE central Penn band, <a href="http://www.badlees.com/main.html">the Badlees</a>. I also caught some great ~opening~ acts. You must read the rest of this entry. :)<br /><br />I love living walking distance from one of the greatest Americana clubs ever, <a href="http://www.iotaclubandcafe.com/">IOTA</a>. Tonight was the Badless and I had been looking forward to seeing them for some time. Last time I saw them, I think, was 1993.<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.breesharp.com/images/photos/l_hotel1.jpg"><br /><br />
I also caught <a href="http://www.breesharp.com/">Bree Sharp</a>, whose only fault in this world is looking exactly like Britney fucking Spears. Except Bree here? She rocks. She has a song, <a href="http://www.christianpornmachine.com/media/BreeSharp-01-america.mp3">America</a>, check the <a href="http://www.breesharp.com/lyrics/america.asp">lyrics</a> (I'm also providing an mp3 in blatant copyright infringement but I know most of you reading will have no chance to hear this music...and you WILL buy these records...no pressure). But little did I know until I got home and dropped the CD in the player that this is the <a href="http://www.christianpornmachine.com/media/BreeSharp-02-davidD.mp3">David Duchovny song</a> chick! Awesome! Ha ha! I have no idea where, when, or how I've heard that song in the past but I have. The above pic is the only one here that isn't mine, just FYI in case you couldn't tell ha ha.<br />
<br />
So, the Badlees ended with a song I was going to request (in a loud voice) at some point, but fortunately even without said request they played <a href="http://www.christianpornmachine.com/media/Badlees-ILikedYouBetter.mp3">I Liked You Better When You Hated Yourself</a>, with a nice story told right in the middle of the song. Rock n effin Roll my friend. Rock n Roll.<br />
<br />
<img src="images/badlees1.jpg"><br /><br />
<img src="images/badlees2.jpg"><br /><br />
<img src="images/badlees3.jpg"><br />
<br />
Then I walked home.<br />
<br />
<img src="images/arlington011.jpg"><br /><br />
<img src="images/arlington012.jpg"><br /><br />And here we are writing this.83MinutiadanielTue, December 31, 2002publish
- update on the jeans sitch<b>Wrangers are no longer made in the USA</b>!! They very recently closed up shop in El Paso, laying off a bunch of workers and employing contractors in a whole mess of notorious sweatshop countries. <a href="http://www.danielsjourney.com/?archive=blog_2002_12_15.xml&id_pass=79">What I found at Cosco</a> was no doubt that last of the made in the USA stock, being unloaded for the new stock of sweatshop jeans to be stocked in regular retail outlets. Blech!<br />
<br />
More info <a href="http://www.rightoutthere.com/articles/wrangler.html">here</a> and <a href="http://www.newnation.org/Archives/NNN-Guest-Column-06.html">here</a>. (Thanks Jason!)<br />
<br />
Stay tuned for more updates on my quest for non-sweatshop clothing...<br /><br />82MinutiadanielMon, December 30, 2002publish
- on the plane homeI was a little harsh on FL this week...little culture shock, methinks; as soon as I got adjusted and things started to get a little brighter, we turned around and are now almost back in DC.<br />
<br />
Going to follow up with some observations and little stories from the trip in the next day or two.<br /><br />81MinutiadanielMon, December 30, 2002publish
- some pictures<p>Only 48 hours until we get back to our home, away from the madness.<br />
<br /><br />M and I
are both amazed that we only moved 6 months ago, away from this black hole. Have
I become less cynical since the move? Because I feel huge waves of cynism coming
on, in only a week. I feel no-one seeking stories beauty or meaning and I wonder
how I even ever thought of those four little powerless words while we lived down
here. It is all about the almighty Me down here. It's not
really just one thing, or specific people...the aura down here is just black. I know we managed to carve out a little space for ourselves, with a
handful of other seekers, mostly rock musicians, but I see now how that took
almost 5 years and once we had it we were too spent to maintain.<br />
<br />So enough of that..last night we had a little partial <a href="http://christianpornmachine.com">CPM</a>
reunion:</p>
<p><img border="0" src="images/CPM1ii.jpg" width="300" height="175"></p>
<p>l-r: scott, daniel, aaron</p>
<p><img border="0" src="images/daniel_scott1.jpg" width="300" height="206"></p>
<p>&quot;quit fucking with my tuning, dude!&quot;</p>
<p><img border="0" src="images/daniel1.jpg" width="300" height="225"></p>
<p>daniel plays new tunes</p>
<p><img border="0" src="images/aaron_sings1ii.jpg" width="200" height="164"></p>
<p>aaron plays really amazing new tunes</p>
<p><img border="0" src="images/nadia_sam_daniel1.jpg" width="200" height="150"></p>
<p>this one I took on Christmas day. that's nadia and samuel, who have been
subjects of my imaginings before.</p>
80MinutiadanielSat, December 28, 2002publish
- jeans made in the USoffreakinASo in ironies of ironies, I found made in the USA, non-sweatshop jeans in the mecca of all mass consumeristic gomorra, Costco. And for only 20 clams!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.wrangler.com">Wrangler</a> is definately the new cul. I'll be wearing my old-old school jeans with pride...<br /><br />79MinutiadanielFri, December 27, 2002publish
- chaos theory applied to familyI should have known better than to think I was going to get anything done this week in Florida.<br /><br />This has been a crazy week so far. Not just our (M and me) running around trying to see everyone, catch up in one hour-or-two visit, impossible, we've done so much, changed so much...in two years, after living in freaking Sarajevo of all places, our already Euro-centric ideas becoming more so, it is going to be impossible; we are going to have to move on, accept the fact that our lives have changed, irrevocably, that not only have we left this world of sprawl, but we have entered a different world (with a much smaller understanding population). It will be time to face that fact that I am an expat, have wanted to be one since I was 18 and first stepped foot in Europe, have sort-of acted like one during these ensuing 10 years, and that now it is happening, for better or worse, mostly better.<br />
<br />
But even better than the whirlwind visits is the family life. First of all, there is no blame in any of these observations, I hope that is clear. There are 8 people staying in this home right now. M's paternal grandmother is here, and she is essentially a stress bomb. Fortunately she only speaks Slovak, so I can't understand what she's going on about, but boy does she go on about whatever-it-is! And loudly! So, 8 people, one stress bomb, you figure it out. We're managing pretty good anyway, I would say...but programming, reading? ...uh, no, not for this needs-absolute-uninterrupted-blocks-of-time-to-think guy.78MinutiadanielFri, December 27, 2002publish
- I really really hate Fast CompanyI have ignored the magazine Fast Company since about halfway through the dotcom era because of their horrible ethics and completely inauthentic writing...<br /><br />...but surfed over to their site via <a href="http://www.russellbeattie.com/notebook/">Russell Beattie</a> because of <a href="http://images.fastcompany.com/images/cov66.jpg">the most recent cover</a> (the picture depicts how I feel sometimes). Here's the deal, I like what this person is saying, but there are two things: it is so fucking obvious I'm shocked people need to be reminded of this, that people don't automatically live their lives this way--but the fact is that they DON'T; and two: it's still couched under the mantra of more money--the incredible (ly unbelievable) Starbucks sales pitch, "We're authentic, if you come to our store you'll be authentic." Of course. This is Fast Company.<br />
<br />
<i>...business success in the future starts with the question, What should I do with my life? Yes, that's right. The most obvious and universal question on our plates as human beings is the most urgent and pragmatic approach to sustainable success in our organizations. People...thrive by focusing on the question of who they really are -- and connecting that to work that they truly love...Companies don't grow because they represent a particular sector or adopt the latest management approach. They win because they engage the hearts and minds of individuals who are dedicated to answering that life question. <br />
<br />
This is not a new idea. But it may be the most powerfully pressing one ever to be disrespected by the corporate world.</i> [<a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/online/66/mylife.html">the story</a>]77ElsewheredanielFri, December 27, 2002publish
- do not forget to check out the brick testaments this season<a href="http://www.thereverend.com/brick_testament/the_gospels/jesus_is_born/mt01_18_lk01_26.html">The Brick Testament--Jesus is Born</a><br /><br />76ElsewheredanielThu, December 26, 2002publish
- Anil Dash's christmas gift ideasit's a little after the fact, but this is a great fun look at christmas consumption by way of great gift ideas, i.e.:<br />
<i><br />
+ For her: a bathroom scale. <br />
+ For him: a ruler. <br />
+ Sure, the lump of coal is the traditional sucky fossil fuel present. But there's no reason you can't innovate with a peanut butter jar full of kerosene. <br />
+ For the gadget freak on your list: A printer cable. All plug, no play. <br />
</i><br />
[<a href="http://www.dashes.com/anil/index.php?archives/004508.php">more</a>]<br /><br />75ElsewheredanielThu, December 26, 2002publish
- finally a proper Jesus<img src="http://i.cnn.net/cnn/2002/TECH/science/12/25/face.jesus/story.jesushead.cnn.jpg"><br /><br />from Popular Mechanics via <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/science/12/25/face.jesus/index.html">CNN</a> via <a href="http://www.jordoncooper.sk.ca">Coop</a><br /><br />...funny how he looks so much like the people we are bombing, rounding up and jailing illegally, and accusing of being evil.<br /><br />74ElsewheredanielThu, December 26, 2002publish
- Powazek on xmas"We are Jewish. We celebrate Chanukah, a miniscule holiday that never had anything to do with presents except for its close proximity to the day when a certain Jew was born to a virgin mother. And now, as a result, we have a month-and-a-half of holiday ads and sales and Muzak. Jesus would be proud." [<a href="http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=14642">more</a>]<br /><br />73ElsewheredanielWed, December 25, 2002publish
- ChristmasIn Florida enjoying Christmas with Miriam's family. Lots of fun and interesting experiences. Florida is definately a totally different world...even as we flew over Weston and Sunrise and Plantation on our landing approach, we could sense that things have changed for us, that we are no longer aliens living in this world, but just visiting for a week, thank goodness.<br />
<br />
Anyway, not much else to say; if you have not yet checked out <a href="http://127.0.0.1/djdc/index.php?archive=blog_2002_12_15.xml&id_pass=70">my Christmas post</a>, you can now...
<br /><br />72MinutiadanielWed, December 25, 2002publish
- another option to SWM I am trying to build the best of all worlds into SWM...this guy is just trying to combine all the worlds to get the best...whatever works! <a href="http://www.rklau.com/tins/2002/12/23.html#a751">Using Movable Type on a Local PC and Publishing to the Web</a>.<br />
<br />
SWM will run on your local machine and you will publish to your webserver with a push of the button (this is what I do already, but I'm willing to put up with all the bugs and by-hand work arounds in this the 0.2 version!)...exactly what this person achieved with all that work and two different products...guess he really likes MT's interface better than Radio's...and I don't blame him--it is better!
<br /><br />
71DesignDanielMon, December 23, 2002publish
- on Joe Strummer and Christmas Joe Strummer has left us, gone up to join what can only be described as the most amazing rock band ever in the sky. Enough cannot be said about his place in our more recent cultural history.<br />
<br /><br /> One thing you might not know is that he had worked quite a bit with Michael Knott, one of my favorite "underground" guys. I was thinking during the <a href="http://www.danielsjourney.com/index.php?archive=blog_2002_12_15.xml&id_pass=63">Misfits show</a>, and this probably applied to Strummer, and most definately to Knott, that these guys really do not ~have it made~ in any sense of the phrase; they have worked their asses off for years for little to no financial rewards. They continue to ~live like artists~ in the truest sense of the word, day in, day out. No real brass ring. Hell, probly no health insurance. Living loan (aka recording contract) to loan, year to year.<br />
<br />
Not to mention the isolation of living on the road, moving town to town, day after day. ...Tonight I was walking these city streets, they were mostly empty, it being the 23rd of December and all. It felt like the day after summer camp...the spots that just yesterday were hopping with life, combined auras feeding your own...but now the difference makes for quite a void. That is what road life is. That is why the parties and the drugs for those that cannot handle the fact that the minute you get off that stage, things are pretty much the opposite...no throngs screaming, not even--the more common senario for most guys and girls on the road--a handful of clubgoers.<br />
<br />
Christmas is also just such a time for a lot of people. The normal up and downs of everyday become intensified. What were managable emotions before are now devastating. What was hunger before is now starvation, in light of all those inside gorging. What was cold before is now hyperthermia, in comparison to all those warming by their fires. And what was need before is now life-or-death, weighed against the mass consumption going on all over this nation Wednesday morning. <br />
<br />
Ok, sorry, enough. Just remember Christ our Lord was born this day (maybe some time in the late summer or fall, too, but humor the centuries of Western bastardization). Think of what that person of Jesus might think and do, were he to live now and walk among our cities, a man as real as any of us, born into this crap and destined to leave it in a dramatic and painful fashion. <br />
<br />
And think about what you do have, what does bring joy into your life, that it is always in the little things, that the moment on stage, with the adoring fans and the money and all the things TV has told you your whole life you really need and want, that moment ends, and you walk off that stage, and go sit by yourself on the bus or in the van, and you drive in the dark to the next city. And if you can't enjoy that amazing meal the chef cooks up for you every time your no-name band plays at his venue, or that warm embrace at the end of a jetway, or that moment of peace with yellow stripes dissapearing under your tires in the middle of nowhere, or that moment alone in your living room when something other takes your hands and guides them over new chords and takes your voice and makes it bounce onto new notes...then you've missed it, you've missed the greatest gift that is ever going to be given to you.<br />
<br />
Merry Christmas. May you give and receive the gifts of love, kindness, and authenticity this season, and every season. Take a moment this year away from your new gadget/media/toy/outfit and hug someone. Then ask them how they are doing. And mean it.<br />
<br />
Merry Christmas Joe Strummer. I'd love your input on some of my material then, later, when you get a chance. And I'd love to hear your stories too. Hopefully we'll get a sliver of eternity to chat sometime.<br />
<br />
Elsewhere: <a href="http://www.moby.com/cms/viewdiary.asp?Diary_ID=1131&ViewType=Next">Moby blogs about Strummer</a>.<br />
<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2602083.stm">Billy Bragg writes about him</a>: <i>...no-one struggled more manfully with the gap between the myth and the reality of being a spokesman for your generation than Joe Strummer...All musicians start out with ideals but hanging on to them in the face of media scrutiny takes real integrity.</i>
70CommentdanielMon, December 23, 2002publish
- Two Towers and God So we saw Two Towers last night. Just a few thoughts.<br />
<br /><br /> My main thought was that this is one of most blantently Christian stories (I mean--the Golem's repeated Romans 7 moments--hello!?). I really felt the truth of Good vs. Evil through this film, and wondered to myself why the Scriptures do not paint the picture so clearly...they are full of weirdness and contradiction. Tolkien so beautifully and clearly touches on so many aspects of Good and Evil's workings on this Earth, the story shows us how we all play into the hands of God, the unseen feeling that guides us for good, or the Devil, the evil eye that lives in some dark place down here. It inspires us to fight for Good in our lives. But then, this is what story does. Just wondering to myself why we don't adopt more of this literature into our religious canon, instead we have people trying to twist the nasty scriptures into the infallable, figured-out Word, and we have the Christian Porn Machine, I mean Publishing/Culture Industry, creating absolute crap.<br />
<br />
Check out this review of TT from an, um, far-right source: <a href="http://www.capalert.com/capreports/lotr-towers.htm">capalert.com - LOTR-Towers</a>. They reference "full side nudity, male, repeatedly." At first I was like, what the?? Then I read the review--they are talking about the Golem. I can't stop laughing...too funny. All the sisters out there who might be led to lust after seeing Smeagol. <br />
<br />
Also found off of that site...in other totally crazy old white people shit: <a href="http://www.presidentialprayerteam.org/index.htm">www.presidentialprayerteam.org</a>.
69CommentdanielMon, December 23, 2002publish
- another blogger pro fan ha ha just kidding of course only coop is <a href="http://ned.suckahs.org/archives/001324.php">Bye Bye Blogger</a>
<br /><br />
68ElsewheredanielMon, December 23, 2002publish
- Fairness, part I So I got an email yesterday that was flatly offensive to me. Instead of
replying to the email (and/or all of its recipients), I'm going to reply to its
content in a more appropriate place/manner - here on my blog.<br />
<br /><br /> <p>01. <i>the email:</i>
<div style="margin-left:30px;"><p>subject: This is Priceless - Explains A Lot</p>
<p>Some articles say it better than I can...<br>
<br>
<i>One time there was a young teenage girl that was about to finish her first year
of college. She considered herself to be a very liberal Democrat and her father
was a rather staunch Republican.<br>
<br>
One day she was challenging her father on his beliefs and his opposition to
programs like welfare. He stopped her and asked her how she was doing in school.
She answered that she had a 4.0 GPA but it was really tough. She had to study
all the time, never had time to go out and party and often went sleepless
because all of the studying. She didn't have time for a boyfriend and didn't
really have many college friends because of all her studying.<br>
<br>
He then asked how her friend Mary, that was attending the same college, was
doing. She replied that she was barely getting by. She had a 2.0 GPA. Never
studied. Was very popular on campus and was at parties all the time. She often
wouldn't show up for classes because she was hung over.<br>
<br>
He then asked his daughter why she didn't go to the Dean's office and ask why
she couldn't take 1.0 off her 4.0 and give it to her friend that only had a 2.0.
That way they would both have a 3.0 GPA.<br>
<br>
She fired back and said &quot;that wouldn't be fair, I worked really hard for
mine and my friend has done nothing&quot;. After a moment of silence, she
replied, &quot;I guess I will never vote Democrat again&quot;.</i></p></div>
<p>02. We need some definitions, because what is described in this
less-than-witty anecdote is communism, not a welfare system (these were
actually Miriam's first words in response to this, and she has lived under
communism and in the U.S. both--14 years each this May).</p>
<div style="margin-left:30px;"><p><b>communism</b></p>
<p>n. A scheme of equalizing the social
conditions of life; specifically, a scheme which contemplates the abolition of
inequalities in the possession of property, as by distributing all wealth
equally to all, or by holding all wealth in common for the equal use and
advantage of all (<a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=communism">source</a>)</p>
<p><b>socialism</b></p>
<p>n. A theory or system of social reform which
contemplates a complete reconstruction of society, with a more just and
equitable distribution of property and labor. In popular usage, the term is
often employed to indicate any lawless, revolutionary social scheme. (<a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=socialism">source</a>)</p>
<b>welfare</b>
<p>n. 1. Health, happiness, and good fortune; well-being. Prosperity. Welfare
work. 2. Financial or other aid provided, especially by the government, to
people in need. Corporate welfare. (<a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=welfare">source</a>)</p></div>
<p>It seems that the author of this story is confusing their definitions a tad,
in the name of propaganda. It is probably trying to argue that the government <i>is</i>
redistributing wealth, ala socialism or communism, through taxation and the
welfare system, however the &quot;grades&quot; analogy does not -cannot-
represent that. It is simply a poor analogy which must only resonate with those
unwilling to pursue the matter with a little more rigor. Our economic system,
and the government's involvement in that system by way of taxes, expenditures,
and allowances, and humanity's history, even our nation's recent history, is
much more complicated than that; but it certainly does not allow for the
redistribution of wealth for economic equality across its citizenship.</p>
<p>03. So
without belaboring the point too much, I submit my alternative version of the
above story:</p>
<div style="margin-left:30px;"><p>One time there was a young upper middle class white teenage girl that was
about to finish her first year of college. Because she went along with whatever
her peers thought, she considered herself to be a very liberal Democrat and her
father, because he also went along with whatever his peers thought, was a rather
staunch Republican.<br>
<br>
One day she was challenging her father on his beliefs and his opposition to
programs like welfare. He stopped her and asked her how she was doing in school.
She answered that she had a 4.0 GPA but it was really tough. First, she had to
study all the time. Fortunately she had the time to do this, since she was not
required to hold down a job, her generous parents providing for both her education
and living expenses throughout her college years. She also never had
time to go out and party. This was such a burden for her, because at her white
suburban middle-class high school, she was always at the center of any social
calendar. The lack of social interactions in the artificial manner of her way was
really hurting her self-esteem. Because everything had come easy to her before
college, she was an inefficient student and writer, and so often went sleepless
because all of the time consumed studying. She didn't have time for a boyfriend
and didn't really have many college friends because of all her studying. Again,
this was the first time she had been without a cadre of friends or a boyfriend
since the seventh grade; but she was determined to get good grades and so she
felt this terrible sacrifice still worth it.<br>
<br>
He then asked how her friend Mary, who was attending the same college, was
doing. She replied that she was barely getting by. Mary comes from the part of
town where the white people lock their doors when they drive through. She's not
white. She's lower class. She has a toddler at home (one time she even had the gall
to bring the child to class! ...something about daycare closing). Her
parents have both long since disappeared. She had a 2.0 GPA. Never studied--at
least not in the library with all the freshman and Greek pledges. Was very
popular--she had student loans! Loans from the government of all things! She was
apparently at parties all the time--she could never stay after class or meet for
group projects at night; something about &quot;her boy.&quot; She often wouldn't
show up for classes because she was hung over--or at least looked that way.<br>
<br>
He then asked his daughter why she didn't go to the Dean's office and ask why
she couldn't take 1.0 off her 4.0 and give it to her friend that only had a 2.0.
That way they would both have a 3.0 GPA.<br>
<br>
She fired back and said &quot;that wouldn't be fair, I worked really hard for
mine and my friend has done nothing&quot;. After a moment of silence, she
replied, &quot;I guess I will never vote Democrat again--I've earned my life of privilege,
damnit, and the only way they are going to get me to stop being self
serving and merciless is to rip this gun out of my cold dead hands!&quot;</p></div>
<p>Ok, so I might have gone a little overboard with the NRA thing right there at the end, but there
are a couple things--deep values (like fairness) and issues (like with
authority), interpreted in different ways--that I do want to explore more
deeply...that exploration will be soon to follow...</p>
67CommentdanielMon, December 23, 2002publish
- MS to acquire Macromediea, maybe As much as I don't like Macromedia the company, <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/28667.html">this would only make it worse</a>.
<br /><br />
66DesignDanielMon, December 23, 2002publish
- the entertainment industry well written piece on the entertainment industry with some good facts even I didn't know yet: <a href="http://www.lemurzone.com/edit/converse51.htm">the head lemur</a>.
<br /><br />
65ElsewheredanielSun, December 22, 2002publish
- quotable; also more xmas mp3s Miriam, after preparing potatoes and salad for dinner last night (it was yummy!): "Just poor people's food." Me: "Some of the poorest people I know have it the best!" (I was specifically thinking about her maternal grandparents.)<br />
<br /><br /> Miriam, today, while listening to Bob Marley (jokingly): "I always thought he said 'German' there." Me: "Cuz we're German we're German we're German we're German so I hope you like Germans too!"<br />
<br />
Current Christmas mp3: <a href="http://artists.mp3s.com/artist_song/2961/2961379.html">What a Year for a New Year</a> by Dan Wilson of Semisonic, off of the collection <a href="http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/503/maybe_this_christmas.html">maybe this christmas</a> which also has songs by Coldplay, Ron Sexsmith, Sense Field, and Ben Folds.<br>
<br>
<b>Update:</b> currently <a href="http://artists.mp3s.com/artist_song/2859/2859103.html">Grandma got run over by a reindeer</a>, due to popular demand by M. :)
64MinutiadanielSun, December 22, 2002publish
- Misfits show So I went to a Misfits show last night, a band that has been playing punk since 1977. 1977!!<br />
<br /><br /> <img src="http://www.bangor.ac.uk/cyf/myf99/hywel_files/misfits.jpeg"><br />
<br />
The night (for us, we showed up a tad late) started with <a href="http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/506/the_issue1.html">The Issue</a>. I know their bass player, but had never seen them live before. Very good stuff. Glad I caught them. They already have <a href="http://www.theissueband.com/photos.html">photos on their site</a>.<br />
<br />
The last opener was a crazy (even that word does this outfit no justice) southern metal band called, check this out people, <a href="http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/371/alabama_thunderpussy.html">Alabama Thunderpussy</a>. They were so loud, I had my earplugs in all night and with ATP, it felt like without the earplugs for the rest of the bands (even the Misfits). Not normally my kind of music but the musicians and the stage show was so authentically out of control and energized I couldn't help but like it. I mean, just check out the <a href="http://www.alabamathunderpussy.com/ATPphotoRELAPSE2.jpg">guy on the left</a>, one of the guitarists. Also, the lead singer kept throwing the mic around, and at one point that thing just flew into the crowd! Some kid picked it up and threw it back onto the stage. The dude just plugged it back in and kept going! I got the shirt...definately going to be sporting it in FL...no image of it on the web that I can find or I would share it with you...it is awesome...let's just say it has the word "brand" and "100% virginia raised" written on it (along with that classic band name, of course).<br />
<br />
Finally, the Misfits. What can you say? A bunch of old farts but how do they rock! ("THIS ONE'S CALLED PET CEMETARY 1-2-3 GO!") <img src="http://www.nt.se/Bilder/2002/04/05/0405marky2.JPG" align="right" vspace="5">Marky Ramone (right) is on drums for Mr. Only (the only original band member). To see such a legend and make Scott very jealous were my two biggest motivators for going to the show. :)
63MinutiadanielSun, December 22, 2002publish
- DC to video protests ahh this is going to be interesting...big brother is going to video all of us in Jan...[<a href="http://www.washtimes.com/metro/20021220-26599592.htm">more</a>]<br />
<br />
i am going to be careful to not stand in any public space when the cops decide to arrest everyone in the city limits...maybe if i wear a suit i can say i'm just an innocent fed employee...nah, probly just make the weekend illegal prison stay less comfortable...
<br /><br />
62ElsewheredanielSat, December 21, 2002publish
- the INS roundup hmmm doesn't sound anything like the WWII internment camps at <i>all</i>...<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.counterpunch.org/sohel1220.html">Is This Really Happening?</a><br />
<a href="http://www.counterpunch.org/moayedian1219.html">The INS Roundup</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://oblomovka.com/entries/2002/12/19#1040323800">This one</a> is really interesting. As is <a href="http://www.bpjtv.org/video/index.cfm?videodoc=intro&clipname=ktvu_ins">this video (realplayer)</a> linked to within.
Being the husband of an immigrant, and knowing many immigrants, these stories hit close to home.
Honestly, I feel like the people saying we have to sacrifice the ideals of this country in order to have a <i>sense</i>
of security, are really just the most selfish, fear-driven, media-brainwashed people around.
<br /><br />
61ElsewheredanielSat, December 21, 2002publish
- slovak in austria blogging in english <i>Then he tried to kiss me but luckily Mischa 7 was still sleeping. And as for the rest of us: Mischa 1 did not want to have sex because she just does not. Mischa 2 does not have sex, she only has wine. Mischa 3 could not breathe anymore. Mischa 4 did not want to have sex at 5 am. Mischa 5 did not want to have sex with a taxi driver. Mischa 6 did not want to risk any additional health problems - we go to almost all specialists already, dont need to go to all of them. Mischa 7 was sleeping, luckily, because that one would just love to do whatever Mischa 5 doesnt. Mischa 8 did not want to have sex with somebody we dont know. Mischa 9 only has sex with herself. Mischa 10 only has sex out of love - makes Mischa 10 best friends with Mischa 9. The other Mischas also had their reasons but luckily we could reach a consensus within a second and that was very important.<br />
<br />
...Thinking about all what could have happened if Mischa 7 was not sleeping is terrifying.</i><br />
[<a href="http://mischabar.tripod.com/weblog/id28.html">more</a>]
<br /><br />
60ElsewheredanielSat, December 21, 2002publish
- big test, ok, not so big but still a test I'm implementing little SWM features on the front end because I know how to do it and it's easy
(those go hand in hand :). So check out the 'cussin bastard' post about four posts ago, as well as this one, to see
the new SWM feature in action.
<br /><br /> Anyway, what I really should be doing is working on the back end stuff that makes this closer to a
deployable product! Oh well, that too; I just have to learn some stuff first...SO off to read some more (or not--it's Friday :).
59DesignDanielFri, December 20, 2002publish
- brilliant Anil Dash interview <i>(what new features would you like to see in weblogging tools like Blogger and Movabletype ?)<br />
<br />
I'd like to see them "just work". The amount of time and knowledge it takes to orchestrate the various pieces needed
to start weblogging is still just plain ridiculous. And every system seems to start out relatively simple and only
ever get more complex. Sharing my thoughts with the world should be as easy as emailing or IMing a friend, not a chore
involving using 4 different tools and 3 different services with a host of confusing terminology.<br />
<br />
To put it succinctly, we've got too many features already, today. The focus should be on making the ones we have now
either hidden or automatic, and limiting the exposure of the advanced functionality to that small percentage of people
who are interested in using or building such features.</i><br />
[<a href="http://www.kiruba.com/anil.html">more</a>]<br />
<br />
yes! SIMPLE! :) ...plus many other things i resonate with
<br /><br />58ElsewheredanielFri, December 20, 2002publish
- more on language - trademark battles <i>So I'll still do my xeroxing on a Savin machine, thank you very much. And eat generic jello. I may
not go rollerblading, but I will use kleenex (even if it's not made by Kimberly-Clark).<br />
<br />
Maybe it's that rebellious streak I have...</i><br />
[<a href="http://interact.uoregon.edu/MediaLit/mlr/readings/articles/Trademark_Battles.html">more</a>]
<br /><br />57ElsewheredanielFri, December 20, 2002publish
- the Morning News: the non-experts desk: santa claus
<i>Friends, we believe that Santa exists for those who believe in him. Now friends, we know what you're thinking.
'What about all those Chinese people who don't know about Santa? Don't they deserve gifts at Christmas?' True, and that's why we've
created outreach programs,
to enrich their souls with gentle lessons about eight tiny reindeer and the soft belly jiggle of a man they call St.
Nick. No one knows the holiday's true meaning until they have looked into the desperate, beady eyes of an atheist and
taught him how to string bubble lights or wrap a tricky spherical gift. You may wonder, 'What about the poor people in
America? They believe in Santa. How come they get shafted?' All right, that's a good point, we haven't gotten around to
that, but we figure the whole eight-tiny-reindeer lesson might do the trick. It is very heartwarming. ...Listen, if Santa
doesn't exist, then who guides the sleigh? Who brings the presents? Us?!? Do you think humans could pull off something so
hugely impressive as Christmas? No freaking way. If Santa doesn't exist, I'd like to know who inspired the outlandish Bill
Murray vehicle Scrooged or those claymation specials on TV. If Santa doesn't exist, why did I just teach a child, withered
by disease, to make the perfect wassail? Friends, Santa exists. And you can either believe in him, and get your iPod and your
cheese logs and your little happy consumer widgets, or you can spend the rest of your life in shivering, agonizing giftless-ness.
The choice is up to you.
</i><br />
[<a href="http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/editorial/the_non_experts_desk_santa_claus.shtml">more</a>] (possibly the best Morning News piece <i>and</i> the best Christmas piece ever. the above quote from <s>Paul Ford</s> Sarah Hepola (<b>Update:</b> Paul's was too sarcastic for some, plus I wanted to also put Sarah's up here because it was also so brilliant, but not make the entry so long; just go read the article ok?), but only one of many...definately check out <s>Sarah Hepola</s> Paul Ford's and Kevin Guilfoile's contribs as well...)
<br /><br />56ElsewheredanielFri, December 20, 2002publish
- cussin bastard
So, perhaps it is coinkidink, but <a href="http://monkhouse.blogspot.com/">David<a/> posted about cussing (permalink if they worked), one day after I <a href="http://www.danielsjourney.com/index.php?archive=blog_2002_12_15.xml&id_pass=53">said</a> (some sentences after using the f word) "And you have a site you can curse on all you want and, as of yet, no one is going to stop you from doing that." So, here we go.<br />
<br />
I curse sometimes. I curse more in my writing than in my actual speech, but still...I am unapologetic about cursing, but I do have reasons and ideas about the use of...um..."strong language."
<br /><br />
01. The reason I curse more in writing than speech is because it is more often inappropriate in speech. When I'm hanging out with the same exact people in person who would be the most appreciative audience of my writing--i.e. my friends, people alot like me in thinking, etc.--and if there are not "youngins" or "elderly" people about--I probably curse as much or more than in my writing. (more on this thread in 05)<br />
<br />
02. There are certainly, IMHO, Evil uses of curse words (by the way are they really curse words? a simple "fuck" as an adj. or adv. is nothing compared to some biblical curses i could dig out of the OT, something akin to "may you and all your kin die terribly painful deaths as soon as feasable" (and meaning it)). These Evil uses are usually in the presence of M, who is by far my biggest helper in the avoidance of Evil, and she is great at setting me straight. :) How was that for PC for "She rebukes me."<br />
<br />
03. These words are part of my peers' vernacular. I live in a world where people use themselves, and consume media which uses, those words. I am a contributer to this same culture and I curse sometimes. :P So what. <br />
<br />
04. Having said that, people who curse all the time--like "f(adj.)ing dude f(adv.)ing kicked me in the f(adj.)ing head--f(adj.)ing f(n.)er!"--well, that really bothers me. I guess I have a certain % of words maximum tolerance. At the same time, we all have different tolerances, and I'm not one to ask someone to tone it down just for my sensibilities. I'll just make a stressed out face.<img src="images/stressedoutface.jpg" alt="stressedoutface.jpg" align="right" vspace="5" border="1"> (Last night a waiter we really like used the word "dyke," which I, most of the time, find pretty offensive...this was the last time I made "the face," just thinking, sorry.)<br />
<br />
05. My audience--hmm, this is a tough one. David mentioned parents, and my parents pretty much stopped reading my site, I think, because of my occasional cuss. Perhaps they tried reading it during the <a href="http://www.danielsjourney.com/index.php?archive=2002_09_08_new_archive.xml&id_pass=81333572">Micha</a> daily serials, and <a href="http://www.danielsjourney.com/ir/micha/">Micha</a> and <a href="http://gs_citizen.blogspot.com">Johnny</a> are quite fond of the dirty words themselves. Perhaps they just don't like my writing. Who knows, but the point is, I'm not dishonoring them if they don't like my writing, or the f words contained therein. We differ on many, many things and I certainly do not feel I am dishonoring them with that difference, and --and this is a much more general statement-- "offense" more often grows out of a lack of understanding more than a specific emotive response to words; I'm always amazed with the people who can agree to disagree and those who cannot--it never has to do with the strength of opinions or convictions, it has to do with having emotive or identity-based links to those opinions. ...I do have two teenage cousins who on occasion I consider might be visiting before I bust out with the "adult" language, but I also think they are adult enough to make their own decisions about it and not be influenced by my uses of it from time to time. <br />
<br />
06. Which leads me to, the point of the language. Specifically, let's look at yesterday's little rant. The entire paragraph or two that the cuss words were used in was supposed to be dissonent. Even without The Words, the tone and the subject matter (ME ME ME) should have been giving you "the stressed out face." But the careful usage of two f words made sure you got The Face, before, oh, wait, I'm snapping out of it, that was a little dark side coming through, I'm actually ok, thanks for your concern.<br />
<br />
07. Words are important. All words. Any word can build, any word can tear down, any word can tear down with the intent of rebuilding. Words in our canon of "curse" words are no different. "F*** you you f***ing asshole!" - offensive, wrong, Evil. "I can't believe we're going to fucking war!" -not, going to war is what's offensive, not coloring that word with some dirt.<br />
<br />
Isn't dialogue fun?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.btinternet.com/~smallritual/smallfire/Dvauxpage6.html"><img src="http://www.btinternet.com/~smallritual/smallfire/vauximages/shit/shit1.jpg" alt="vaux" border="1"></a><br>
<br>
<i>mom and dad you made me so uptight <br>
i'm gonna cuss on the mic tonight <br>
i don't know how much i can take <br>
girl give me something i can break <br>
<br>
..ya'll don't know what it's like <br>
being male, middle class and white <br>
it gets me real pissed off and it makes me wanna say <br>
faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwck</i><br>
<br>
--Ben Folds, Rockin' the Suburbs
55CommentdanielFri, December 20, 2002publish
- re: Iraq, war - in case you needed convincing <a href="http://www.ccmep.org/usbombingwatch/2002.html">When was the last time the U.S. Bombed Iraq?</a><br />
<br />
I've kind of stopped talking about what seems to be sure future war with Iraq (although I'll be attending a rally downtown in January, perhaps more on that as it gets closer), but what really bugs me is the ignorance of people about the fact that we have practically been at war with Iraq for so long.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.digitaljournalist.org/issue0212/pt_intro.html"><img src="images/iraq_mourn.jpg" alt="iraqi women --believe it or not, real people too-- mourning their lost loved ones during the first gulf war" border="1"></a><br />
Also: <a href="http://www.digitaljournalist.org/issue0212/pt_intro.html">The Unseen Gulf War</a>, images from the last gulf war.
<br /><br />54ElsewheredanielFri, December 20, 2002publish
- <img src="http://physics.usask.ca/~hirose/ep225/animation/wave-general/sine2.gif"><br />
<br />
I have to write. This could be a bad thing; <a name="youdonotwanttoreadthis">you might not want to read this</a>; it is bound to travel sideways for long .s of time, only to suddenly jump back onto the last trail of words, or was that the trail before, or before? Like a lover returning from a time of absence, love and loins bursting with pent up joy and the last few moments of anticipation, on a boat, the peering out over the railing, down at the dock far below, trying to spot your love, the characteristic brown hair, the jumping and glowing aura of Her energy sustained against the rush of the Evil World.
<br /><br /> I've tried song; will try song again; will try song time and again, every day, searching for that elusive spot of feeling I felt long ago; or did I? I wonder.<br />
<br />
<i>Christ <br />
I'm out of my mind <br />
I need to be loved <br />
I need to be loved <br />
<br />
As I turn to you and I say <br />
Thank goodness for the good souls <br />
That make life better <br />
As I turn to you and I say <br />
If it wasn't for the good souls <br />
Life would not matter</i></p><p align="right"><i>I remember the night I first darkened your door<br />
And I swore that I loved you<br />
My heart was pure</i></p><p>I've been reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0375725784/qid=1040318934/sr=2-2/ref=sr_2_2/002-7399107-1844829">Eggers</a> to M at night these days, at first hating then getting lost in the self-absorbed ramble, the lies, the too-much-information, then realizing this--(this being the way he writes/thinks/talks in his book--that being sort of the way I'm writing/thinking now)--is the way I think when I think of Her.<br /><br /><a href="/miriam"><img src="images/m2copy.jpg" align="right" border="1"></a>She is the rapture of my every thought.<br /><br />One minute she's been lost, struck by a car, a bus maybe, something, something quick and dynamic and worthy of her life. To think what she was/would be like without <a href="http://www.danielsjourney.com/index.php?archive=blog_2002_11_14.xml&id_pass=01">The Illness</a> is impossible, because even with it she glows, positively glows. Her energy is unbelievable. People attract to it like your Boy Scout compass magnet to the North Pole. They want to be near, draw from that pool, that pool that continues to give even when all it should be doing is drying up and turning away all who try and come to its shores.<br />
<br />
Then she'll come through the door and my heart will jump. She's alive! She dodged every obstacle, every bullet shot from the big-assed gun of the Devil, who would try and take Her from me. He knows that would be my ruin (and so he even makes me think of it so often), the end of me, my life in the physical would continue but my mind would be far, far ahead, to the day when I could once again stand next to Her, She having long since had all her questions answered, She comfortable before the almighty God, chatting it up even, I can see it now, She throwing her head back in a great stomach laugh, Jesus there catching it, it's so contagious that even God himself cannot stop from catching it, his head also thrown back in an incredible heaving chuckle, they having a great laugh about this whole time, looking back on it, it being so small and short now, me walking in, confused, all these mixed emotions, jealous, joy, practically messing myself in various ways, wondering, "Do I get to be near Her again, now, after all this time?"<br />
<br />
But then she'll come through the door and my heart will jump. Then it is time for me to stop being the Selfish Bastard and start helping to deal with The Illness, treating, managing, trying to sooth, trying to calm, trying to listen even though this damn head of mine WON'T STOP THINKING...<br />
<br />
...of all this shit, all these ideas that are still only ideas, that are SO far away from becoming anything resembling reality, that are SO far beyond anything I could possibly accomplish on my own. I need money, yes, money, money, more money to accomplish this, so I can pay other people to do some of this shit to make some of these ideas actually happen and not just die in the vast pile of ideas laying in the back of my head, a vast cemetery, gravestones all sticking out of the gray gray-matter ground.<br />
<br />
But you can't get paid for ideas, only to write <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0786887176/qid=1040321693/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-7399107-1844829?v=glance&s=books">books about getting paid for ideas</a>, that's all really nice and all but has no basis in reality, not in our nice capitalistic society here, not unless it's a business plan you can sell to somebody who already has money because they already turned THEIR Big Idea into a business plan they sold; and now you have to sell to THEM, even though their specialty was a special compound for cleaning the inside of cigarette boat engines (not beautiful and elusive things like information and art), because now they HAVE 10 cigarette boats parked outside of their oceanfront mansion on A1A and YOU have JACK FUCKING SHIT besides all these fucking ideas bouncing around your head and no time or money to see them happen, no time because you're busy writing about it you STUPID SUCKER.<br />
<br />
Actually, you're stupid if you think you don't have anything. You have everything. The World. Not the Evil World. Just The World. And Her. And you are happy. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://pieceuniquegallery.com/stone/ds_gallery.html"><img src="http://pieceuniquegallery.com/stone/pix/DS_portrait.jpg" alt="Dana Stone: Dana Stone bought his own ticket to Vietnam in 1966 and started working as a stringer for the Associated Press (AP). Stone, who had to be taught how to use a Nikon when he arrived in Saigon, ended up with his combat photos on the cover of Time magazine a year later. In 1968 Stone and his wife left Saigon for Europe, then returned to Vietnam in 1970. Stone then worked for UPI and CBS, and some of his film was included in the award-winning documentary Charly Company directed by John Laurence. Dana Stone vanished on April 6, 1970, on Route 1 in Cambodia, while working as a cameraman for CBS." border="1" hspace="5" vspace="5" align="right"></a>
And you have a site you can curse on all you want and, as of yet, no one is going to stop you from doing that. And if the whole world goes to hell, that's ok, because you're already living in Your Own Little World, and you can stay in YOLW no matter where in the Real World you happen to reside at present, <a href="http://pieceuniquegallery.com/">some war zone maybe</a>, within a different kind of chaos, your fatalism honored, you staring death down for the count, that big-assed bus coming down the hill, you in the middle of the crosswalk, your Love having a great laugh with the Lord.<br />
<br />
But probly even then, not quite yet, probably not quite yet...still hang on, your work is down here not <a href="http://www.jeffbuckley.com/">up there like some people</a>, so hang on. Just keep hanging on.<br />
<br />
<a href="#youdonotwanttoreadthis">Told you</a>.<br />...<br />
Let the whole world sing along, Merry Christmas everyone. (and aside you really need to check out <a href="http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/187/calvin_cearley.html">all the songs</a>. so damn good.)
53MinutiadanielThu, December 19, 2002publish
- current christmas mp3 <a href="http://artists.mp3s.com/artist_song/2120/2120002.html">Mr. Christmas</a> by one Calvin Cearley
<br /><br />52ElsewheredanielWed, December 18, 2002publish
- 50 Most Loathsome People in America, 2002 <i>34. PAT ROBERTSON<br />
<br />
Misdeeds: Won't rest until we're all on our knees, praying to Jesus and dreaming of jobs at Wal-Mart.</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.buffalobeast.com/article.php?path=2002/09/&article=01_0">link</a><br />
<br /><br />51ElsewheredanielWed, December 18, 2002publish
- Jef Raskin site <a href="http://humane.sourceforge.net/home/">This is the guru of HCI (human-computer interface)</a>. If only his headshot wasn't so cheesy.
<br /><br />50DesignDanielTue, December 17, 2002publish
- more on CC <a href="http://www.junell.net/clients/cc/getcreative/">this</a> is a great flash animation explaining what creative commons is doing and why. this is also the best application of flash, imho...online presentations, EPK's (electronic press kits), etc.
<br /><br />49ElsewhereDanielTue, December 17, 2002publish
- dunno III I also thought this was odly cul<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mediawav.com/mw_demos/index.html"><img src="http://www.mediawav.com/mw_demos/images/floatingman-onwhite.gif" border="0"></a><br />
<br />
no reason
<br /><br />48ElsewhereDanielTue, December 17, 2002publish
- dunno II I don't have anything against Andrew Jones or anything, but I don't know why he continues to <a href="http://tallskinnykiwi.blogspot.com/">link</a> (and call me 'dan') to the really <a href="http://dealingwith.blogspot.com/">old</a> me, even in <a href="http://net.artax.cz/kingdom/blog.html">new sites he sets up</a>, when he obviously never visits; cuz if he did, he'd realize I'd moved the blog to here about 6 months ago. I even emailed him about it a month ago. goodgrief.
<br /><br />47MinutiadanielTue, December 17, 2002publish
- dunno <img src="http://www.islandwatersports.com/skate/images/box-talk02.gif"><br />
I just want to know who this is. ..and why I would want to 'talk' to him.<br />
<br />
<b>Ed</b>: Sometimes I put stuff on here that only one person will 'get' .. if the rest of you want to try and figure it out, more power to ya.
<br /><br />46MinutiadanielTue, December 17, 2002publish
- flash news reader <a href="http://www.nuwance.com/newsmonkey/">pretty cul</a>. i still haven't put up my new categorized newsreader. <s>i'm sooo lazy!</s> actually the news reader is really just for when i'm away from my desktop newsreader. if anyone uses it bookmark it, because i'm going to take it off the navigation, unless there are objections. i had big big plans for its customization etc. etc. but it just isn't worth it..it was a great learning device for me but now somewhat redundant.<br />
<br />
<b>Update</b>: Uploaded the 'new' <a href="syndicates.php">news reader</a>. Have more feeds still I could put in there, but that again will have to be later...
<br /><br />45ElsewhereDanielTue, December 17, 2002publish
- switch to Canada <a href="http://bantha.cjb.net/john/index.php">v cul switch ad</a>
<br /><br />43ElsewheredanielMon, December 16, 2002publish
- texism xmas list 05. very cul...so simple...<a href="http://www.textism.com/article/647/">texism</a>
<br /><br />42ElsewheredanielMon, December 16, 2002publish
- technical difficulties 04. you might have seen this one already...<a href="http://dubyadubyadubya.com/">http://dubyadubyadubya.com/</a>
<br /><br />41ElsewheredanielMon, December 16, 2002publish
- the cute ones 03. <i>The cross-racial pollination of their fused fantasy, and the complicated sexual sparks that it throws off,
speak to the myriad ways that pop culture - and the larger political and cultural vase that holds it - has changed since the days when Boone (and Elvis) reigned;
it speaks even more powerfully to the ways in which it hasn't. Rich, pretty, young and white is still the trump card.</i> <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/ink/03/04/music-hardy.php">more</a>
<br /><br />40ElsewheredanielMon, December 16, 2002publish
- 80 percent company 02. <a href="http://www.nickdenton.org/docs/80_percent_company.mht">the 80 percent company</a> by <a href="http://www.nickdenton.org/">Nick Denton</a>.<br />
<br />
Yeeeeah. We're going to need you to not come in Friday. :) That's gonna be my company too. :)
<br /><br />39ElsewheredanielMon, December 16, 2002publish
- advent calendar I've had a few things in my "to blog" fav folder for about 2 weeks, and I guess I'll blog them, even though I was considering just shutting up about it all.<br />
<br />
01. <a href="http://harpold.com/advent/">online Advent calendar</a> via <a href="http://harpold.com/nav.html">Hoopla</a>.
<br /><br />38ElsewheredanielMon, December 16, 2002publish
- Creative Commons Unveils Machine-Readable Copyright Licenses This one is already all over blogdom even this early in the morning, but <a href="http://www.creativecommons.org/press-releases/entry/3476">here it is</a> (here's a link straight to the <a href="http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/">licenses</a>). <a href="http://www.scripting.com/">Dave</a> is even burning the 5.30am oil because of it. I've had <a href="http://www.creativecommons.org/">Creative Commons</a> in my favorites for a very long time, this seems to be their big thing, purpose for being, you know, and all that.
<br /><br />37ElsewheredanielMon, December 16, 2002publish
- ahh yes another post about coffee <img src="http://www.wonderfullywacky.com/baristapic.jpg" align="left">
<br />
<a href="http://www.wonderfullywacky.com/barista-figure.htm">Barista Action Figure</a><br />
<br />
<i>Meet Nico. She's the barista who pulls your morning espresso. No other barista in town makes a latte like Nico. Her beans are always freshly ground, she never tamps the filter basket too tight and her foam is perfect: thick and decadent, like a pillow of edible clouds...</i><br>
<br>
Nice tat, too.<br>
<br /><br />36ElsewheredanielSun, December 15, 2002publish
- the Walter Potter collection <a href="http://www.acaseofcuriosities.com/potter.html">Just in case</a> you thought certain parts of <a href="http://www.danielsjourney.com/ir/micha/">Micha's story</a> were crazy.
<br /><br />35ElsewheredanielSun, December 15, 2002publish
- playing catch up <a href="./integration">Updated integration.danielsjourney just now</a>; would love any feedback of at least a 1:1 love:hate ratio.<br />
<br />
The name SWM has stuck on me, but the "widget" part has never really pegged it for me; widget normally refers to a piece of hard(ware), not soft(content), product. I was thinking about Simple Whut-whut Mover, making it a huge inside-joke around my favorite <a href="http://www.triggerhappytv.com">Trigger Happy TV</a> bit. Need that bit on mp3. (catch hint anyone :)
<br /><br />34ImaginingdanielSun, December 15, 2002publish
- more thoughts on SWM, etc. etc... I'm still unsure as to whether when I link to other photography/visual art if it belongs in "Elsewhere" or "Imagining." I just realized that I haven't even deployed my first version categorizing model (it is very close but still in development...I've been working with it for so long I kinda forgot that it's not "live" yet), yet alone the second interation of it which will create rank-order menus based on several categories. Ooo can't wait to get that going. I showed the category-based homepage to my father this weekend and saw the power behind it--really helps the user get to the content they are specifically interested it. Honestly...I was surprised how clear it made things...I'm so used to scanning gobs and gobs of unrelated content and sorting and categorizing them in the my head, creating relationships between all of the information. (For example, <a href="http://www.danielsjourney.com/index.php?archive=blog_2002_12_02.xml&id_pass=8">this post</a> is the result of a longish period of that activity, which got to the point where I had to document it.) THE Big Idea I've had for well over a year now is a piece of sotware that helps anyone categorize and display that information any way that works for them, creating relationships etc. I'm still waiting to see if <a href="http://www.dynamicobjects.com/spaces.html">Spaces</a> comes close. Finally checked out <a href="http://www.eastgate.com/Tinderbox/">Tinderbox</a> the other day, and didn't see how it possibly accomplished all that its site says it does. Oh well, if only programming was to the point where you could click and drag different prebuilt objects together to create a cul GUI app...my idea is a little bit Outlook, a little bit news aggregate, a little bit Visio, a little bit Tinderbox, a little bit.......oh wait! It's called THE PERSONAL COMPUTER! Ha ha ha ha ha............{sound of Daniel going insane}...<br /><br /><b>Update</b>: Sorry for this brain dump. I'm going to get SWM1.0 done and find I'm still 10-15 features behind MT and Radio. Ah, oh well, still thinking farther ahead than that is what keeps me going. I'm still completely baffled, though, why anyone would pay 35 clams a year for Blogger Pro when for 0 clams you can do way more with MT or for 30 clams ONCE you can do more with Radio.
<br /><br />33DesignDanielSun, December 15, 2002publish
- amazing 'scanner' photography This is an amazing technique not only have I never heard of before, but never even came close to thinking of before. These are AMAZING images!! <a href="http://www.katinkamatson.com/exhibits.html">Just go see for yourself</a>. These also make great desktop backgrounds!<br /><br /><b>Update</b>: I used the word 'amazing' three times in this post. Good grief.
<br /><br />32ElsewhereDanielSun, December 15, 2002publish
- yet another blog/cms tool, plus an article i do not have to write anymore Just stumbled across a peer of mine, who of course is a little further ahead of me, but hey, no worries, abundance mentality and all that pop-psych stuff. :)<br />
<br />
Anyway, check out <a href="http://www.webcrimson.com/ourstories/blogsdisruptivetech.htm">this article on how the blog paradigm is taking over the old-school/bubble CMS paradigm</a>...it is right on with my thinking of the last 6 months or so. Then you can check out his blogging software to see what you think...I'm about to do the same...still waiting for that one piece of software that makes me say "Ok, it's been done, let's just all use this..." but it hasn't happened yet...we'll see what this Crimson thing looks like. (Coop should like it anyway since it's got the maple leaf as a logo.)
<br /><br />31DesignDanielSun, December 15, 2002publish
- good geek story I first heard about this story just before the end, while the good guy was still chasing the bad guy and blogging about it day to day; today I came across the full and final story: <a href="http://www.remodern.com/caught.html">mac community helps nab bad guy</a>.
<br /><br />30ElsewheredanielSun, December 15, 2002publish
- Tom Petty record To whomever bought me the new Tom Petty record: THANK YOU! ...and please identify yourself so I can thank you a few more times personally... :)<br>
<br>
<b>Update</b>: It was my sister!! Awesome! That WAS my first guess. :)
<br /><br />29MinutiadanielSat, December 14, 2002publish
- Moby attacked <a href="http://www.moby.com/cms/viewdiary.asp?Diary_ID=1118&ViewType=Current">Moby's Journal</a><br />
<br />
<i>all of a sudden i was attacked by (i believe) 3 men with mace. they punched me from behind and i really had no idea what was going on. i assumed that a bar-fight had spilled out of the bar and that somehow i had gotten caught in the middle of it. but no. after being punched in the head from behind a few times i turned around to see what was going on and one of them punched me in the face a couple of times and then they all ran away.</i>
<br /><br />28ElsewheredanielSat, December 14, 2002publish