Wednesday, October 22, 2003
I'm in the library but all I have on my iPod is a bunch of 60's music
Edge 102 to the rescue.
Edge 102 is a Toronto based radio station that I used to listen to all the time while attending college at SUNY Buffalo. They were calling "Alternative" music "New Music" before just about everyone else and that's the type of stuff they play. More than the music I like(d) the station for the DJs and the approach. The station seems to be genuinely insightful when it comes to the music they play. They walk the line between excitement and idiotic screaming pretty well. This should all be past tense. I honestly have no idea what the station is like now. I was in Buffalo 7 years ago... something like that. A quick listen and things sound about the same. Maybe a little more over the top now.
You can have a listen. They stream. I don't agree with their technology choices. They do support PCs and Macs. For PCs you'll have to deal with a "ChainCast" Active X client and Macs use Windows Media Player. It can be difficult to get the stream going. Also, watch out for the hideous popups.
It can't be this hard to stream 1 stations worth of content. QuickTime Streaming Server is free and works like a champ.
1:12:21 PM
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Apple annnounces updated pricing on eMacs. These aren't the radical changes you'll find in the new iBooks but these very capable entry level systems keep getting better and better.
The low end and mid range models are gone in favor of faster processors and more functional optical drives at the same price, $799.00. Check out pricing and specs for the eMacs at the Apple Store online.
12:24:33 PM
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Apple announces new G4 based iBooks which are radical improvements over previous models. These aren't powerbooks but when Apple lists larger L2 cache, DVI and dual display support as the primary differences between the two lines then things are getting pretty close and you can get an entry level 12" iBook for $1099.00 (cheaper for students - $949.00) including Panther.
800MHz PowerPC G4
256K L2 cache @ 800MHz
12-inch TFT Display
1024x768 resolution
256MB DDR266 SDRAM
30GB Ultra ATA drive
Combo Drive
ATI Mobility Radeon 9200
32MB DDR video memory
Make note of the much improved graphics card.
This is a great laptop.
12:19:12 PM
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I complain a lot here but I also strive to give credit where credit is due...
The Boston Public Library is fantastic! [The website isn't all that it should be but that's another matter altogether.] It's taken me almost a full year of being out of work to get here. I've spent many of my days in bouncing around Starbucks and Borders (T-Mobile HotSpots).
I came to the library with Jenn on Saturday just to scope it out. I know I should have come long before now. It was always something on my list of things to do. What actually got me here was the cafe and the restaurant. It's not that I desperately needed another cafe to hang out in (though it doesn't hurt) it's simply a good idea, a simple, creative, little, good idea and I like good ideas. I always knew that the BPL was a pretty good library but there's something about it that is a little better than that... or maybe it's that there are a lot of little somethings:
Free and easy wireless !and wired! Internet access directly at study tables and power outlets at every table, the courtyard (this seems to be a thing with public buildings in Boston... the Museum of Fine Arts has one too and of course the Gardner Museum. I'm sure there are dozens of others), the marble, murals, old elevators, the generally relaxed atmosphere, despite the omnipresence of security and staff, etc.
There's just something about grand public spaces. They restore faith a little that the total sum our fucked up society works. In a city like Boston everything sucks from housing the the economy and politics, where the "Haves" divide up every inch of the city among themselves and the "Have Nots" (my definition of a Have Not in Boston is anyone who can't get excited about yet another block of million+ $$ luxury condos) work harder for a greater share of nothing, places like the Boston Public Library seem all the more impressive.
Oh yeah, good bathrooms too :O)
By the way... the Museum of Science is a shit-pit and I wouldn't be surprised if Harvard was killing babies to pad its endowment.
12:05:02 PM
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Here's another important life lession:
Don't let old habits and patterns eclipse new experiences. Familiar ways of doing things may serve you well in familiar environments but probably won't plug into new situations without a little (or a lot) of alteration.
Travel may be the best easy example of this but it's equally applicable to changing jobs or career, moving, meeting new people, adjusting to new technology etc. etc.
I'll talk about travel...
People will travel 1/2 way across the globe to experience different cultures, see the sights, enrich their lives and then miss most of the experience because they insist on excercising familiar routines. Speaking of excercise... I know a healthy lifestyle, including proper diet and excercise, if very important but the human body has an amazing ability to repair itself and recover quickly from disease, injury and neglect. I don't think skipping a week in the gym on your vacation to Venice is going to phase it. Oh yeah, skip the diet too stupid indulging for 3 to 4 non-consecutive weeks a year isn't going to harm you, it's the other 48 weeks cramming processed food down your throat in the middle of the night (a full stomach is no substutute for an empty life).
When I hear about people who run or bike or anything everyday of their life, without missing a single day, ever, over a period of decades, I don't think, "This is a strong and dedicated person"... I think, "Who stole this person's brain and replaced it with a damaged microprocessor from a damaged toy car." This kind of mindlessly repetitive and blatently psychotic behavior is a desperate attempt to inject order into what must be a chaotic life.
Other big time vacation no-nos:
Any general unwillingness to adjust your schedule to make the most of your experience.
This doesn't mean oversleeping. I'm not suggesting that you spend your vacation 'beating yourself up' over not executing perfectly an arbitrary schedule. I am saying that if you're unwilling to even attempt to enjoy the place you're traveling to on its terms then you should just stay home. You can be with yourself anywhere.
11:23:53 AM
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