Category: Uncategorized

Futurist Nut Bars

So why is Tod Maffin so smart? I was driving along on Saturday afternoon not really listening to DNTO and – WHAMMO – Sook Yin Lee says Tod’s going to tell us that blogs are dead already. Here is the promo for the piece:

And Tod Maffin dives into the world of blogging. Like everything on the web, what began as a grassroots movement it’s suddenly become corporate. Is this the end for web diaries as we know it?

Isn’t there a rule that anyone who calls himself a futurist isn’t? Or at least goes somewhat nuts. But then today there is Dave3, also a smartie pants, saying, to get the news, he is going to give up reading everything but blogs. [Maybe he’s on an all rice crispy diet.]

I am confused. In the days before the future, when I was a kid, the characteristics of the future where unlike today – food would be in tubes, we’d use personal jet packs and clothes would be all silvery. I sure as hell didn’t expect that I would have to rely on self-appointed wackos with bandwidth for the news any more than I thought 13 factories would supply all the meat for the vast majority of prople in the USA [a frightful fact I heard on talk radio last night] or that most food in the store would rely on killer transfats. It is starting to look like eating real food and relying on good new sources are the kinds of things that will make you an outcast in the new next future.

I tire of this. Why don’t futurists tell stories like

around 2012 people will get sick and tired of self-appointed gurus consulting to government on untendered contracts [supported by 25% finder fees] advising upon which leaders and stakeholders needed input…and will kick the bums out.

Though its unlikely as 98% of cheques to futurists are sign by the bums, that’s a future I’d like to see. Then, again, now that I think of it…maybe it’s happening now in Ottawa in 2004. The wheels may be coming off of one guy’s particular future as we watch right now.

Prepare Ye

I am hoping to get into weekend travelling this summer a fair bit and will look south as well as north for stuff to do nearby. So what is there to plan to do this summer across the border in the land of first prize hots?

The “I-Heart-N-Y” site is pretty good for this stuff.    Any suggestions out there?

Later: I understand I may find myself here on Cape Cod at some point, too, if Portland is to be believed.

Carnival #10

David’s got the
ninth tenth Carnival of Canucks up this
morning. [Ten…I remember when it was only seven…]

He links to an interesting thread over at Damian’s blog about the Toronto
Star sending an email seeking deletion of pasted text
from the paper. As I quote freely from the Star and have not read such an
email, I am greatly put out. I am becoming more interested in section 29.1 of
our Copyright Act and may have to revisit my thinking on Digital Management
Rights as we Canadians seem to have a little ruled upon exception to the
enforcability of copyright which could arise in any context.

Appleton Arena

So here are some images of the men’s hockey game at Appleton Arena at St. Lawrence University, Canton, New York. I can’t imagine a more respectful maintenance of a 1950’s arena. Seating is original pine varnished benches and the arcing roof is also unpainted wood. The effect is a little like watching a game in the woods. The throw-back feeling is enhanced by no ads on the board or the ice. There is also an organist and the whole family got in for twelve bucks.

white ice, white boards
White ice, white boards

honey patina-ed ceiling
The later addition matches the old, just lighter wood

waiting for Zamboni the visitor's side
Pine bench seating

The game was good and, down 2-1, the Saints pulled their goalie for the last minute and a half. Vermont scored an empty-netter with 6 seconds left to make it 3-1. The atmosphere was great and you imagine in this university town of 6,000 or so next to Adirondack State Park the crowd is pretty regular. One funny moment was when the the crowd heard the hated rival Clarkson [4 Mb movie] was losing eight miles east 0-3 to Dartmouth – the roar was louder than when the lone St. Lawrence goal was scored.

Sea to Sea Radio Nerdity

Some women wake to breakfast in bed, some to at least the words “Happy Valentine’s Day”. Herself hears “hey – I think I just heard California on am radio”. Try saying that with a bit of a nasally voice. Romance. Mr. Love.

So at 6 am this morning there I am, listening to 1070 am and Moncton CBC and Stan Carew is coming in fairly strong over the god awful “good time oldies” format of Sarnia when I hear in the background at time check for a little after three in the morning and the station letters K??. Three letter stations are cool to a radio nred because they are old, and for a Maritime kid “K” stations, generally west of the Mississippi, are especially cool. So I hear the lead item on sports that the Sabres scored seven times to beat the Kings, the temperature is 44 degrees and then there is an ad for placing ads on the station giving a 323 area code number to call. Bingo – KNX Los Angeles. Neato (and, again, use a bit of the nasal).

California is a difficult am radio pickup from eastern North America as the signal has to get over the Rockies. So another state for the life list and my east-west reception goes from the US pacific coast to that East German station I taped giving an ID on 1044 back in high school.

Three Day Weekend

Throught a fluke of collective bargaining, history and the need to find something good about February, the City has a holiday Monday this weekend. Not a bad thing at all. I will report Tuesday whether it is recommended for all the nation. There were a couple of Danes on the CBC Ottawa news last night saying how the minimum 6 weeks annual holiday made people more productive and more sane. Are Danes otherwise? Should we take the word of Danes? I have no idea.