Robots! Ready your breakfast and eat hearty… For tonight, we dine in Silicon Valley!, originally uploaded by atp_tyreseus., used under a Creative Commons license
can’t get here soon enough. They can’t possibly screw things up any worse than we have.
Jul 182009
DSCN1767, originally uploaded by Dr. Gianluigi “Zane” Zanettini, CEO [MegaLab.it]., used under a Creative Commons license
The photographer is apparently Italian. I don’t know Italian, so I have no explanation. But you have to admire his… something. Sense of color coordination? Maybe that’s it.
photo by Jason Tavares., used under a Creative Commons license
A successful blog has a few easily identifiable characteristics. To whit:
1. Regular posts, by which I mean like three or four new ones a day
2. An easily identifiable theme, like cute animals or food
3. Copious links to other people’s websites, often done with the understanding that the other folks will reciprocate
My formula, on the other hand:
1. Posting when I have the time and feel like it
2. Posting on any old random subject that comes to mind
3. You consarn kids and yer dad-blamed “hyperlinks”
I have tried the super-specific blog thing, but honestly it just gets too boring after a while. I’m interested in a really wide variety of topics: art, history, music, science, food, politics, humor – the list goes on and on. Confining myself to doing a blog about cute animals – even a really funny one – would just drive me nuts.
I think my friend Benchilada has it right. He writes about lots of different topics, but he does it all in an unmistakable, unique voice. Granted, he also has to deal with a lot of neurochemical issues that I don’t share, but it does give him something to talk about, and he does it really well.
So yeah, I’m probably not destined for internet superstardom here. But I’ll make you a deal, hypothetical reader: I’ll post something new and interesting every once in a while if you drop by and read this blog from time to time. If nothing else, I’ll try to have a fresh pot of linky goodness ready when you stop in.
Jul 142009
I love gadgets. Whether they’re nuts and bolts or made of code, litlle gizmos that do cool stuff are a constant source of delight.
But.
Pile one on top of the other, and another on top of that, and they stop being so cool. How many websites have you seen with so many little flashing boxes and buttons that you can’t tell what the point of the site is? And how many of us, and I definitely include myself in this, have a desk so covered in wires, connectors, power cords and carrying cases that we don’t even remember what they’re all for?
There’s always the temptation to add just one more cool thing to our collection. I do it less than many people I know, but way more than others. And it’s not just that these things take up space. They can also be huge time sinks. I mean, if you have the toy, you’re obligated to play with it, right?
Simplification seems like the answer, but I’m not even sure where to start. I can see giving away all my extraneous widgets, except I feel like I have play with them just one last time.
Or maybe two…
Jul 052009
Parrot – Jardim dos Louros, Funchal, Madeira, originally uploaded by Joao Maximo., used under a Creative Commons license
I dunno why. Maybe because it’s summer. Maybe it’s a tribute to all those parrotheads out there who are getting their margaritas on.
Or maybe because they are just so screamingly unlikely. I mean, a big tropical bird that comes in a variety of intense colors, might live a hundred years and can also talk? Yeah, right!
Whatever. Please just enjoy this delicious eye-candy. And if you’re tempted to keep a parrot as a pet, make sure it hasn’t been smuggled into the country in someone’s pants!