Ooooh.. Raffi just posted a bitty note on using the packets that go across the ‘net to do interesting visualization/audiozation, creating the awareness for the general population. It reminds me of the silly things that i want to do… Take Social Network Fragments and start mapping out the entire population’s social network (since email headers are read by gov’t) and make people aware of what they know… I love the idea of packet-sniffing to create awareness/empowerment.
Author Archives: zephoria
animation
I just went to a fun talk by Bob Sabiston (Media Lab alum who is a software designer for A Waking Life) – what great fun to see how the movie was made, to see the ease in which the animators can create that look & feel. I have to admit i’m such a sucker for seeing how animation techniques work; oh, how i crave to go to SIGGRAPH this year…
In my mail this morning, i also got a fun rendering from Karrie, using a basic edge detection technique. I think that i look better sketchy:
appreciating corporate updates
I have to admit, i’m psyched that Vanilla Coke is coming out… I’m a sucker for MNC soda – all that sugar and carbonation… now that they are adding Vanilla, i don’t have to restrict my Vanilla Cokes to homemade or TGIFriday’s versions… (Yes, i’m quite a sucker for modern culture, complete with its stripmalls.)
On a related note and since we are in sequel movie mode, i’m quite psyched to see the next Matrix preview. I remember when the first one came out… I was in Amsterdam and when i came back, one of my friends (who has horrible taste) told me that i must see The Matrix, so i ignored him. Well, for once, he was 100% right and when i finally got around to seeing the movie, i was utterly stunned, because i was expecting so little. Unfortunately, this time around, i’m expecting a bit more.
overboard adverts
Although i grew up embedded in advertising culture, i am sooo not thrilled with the various advertising tactics these days – on school buses, in the movies, everywhere…. I am a big fan of Pop-up Stopper but the silly advertisers are developing so many new mechanisms for forcing me to think about their product. Aside from being irritating, it’s offensive – constant interupts and crap. I really liked what George Ellenburg posted to politech (more inside)
seeking 1 stable emotion
Ok.. i need a stable emotion and mood. I am tired of living on the ultimate rollercoaster. It’s not doing me any good, or the people around me. I feel like an unchartered, unpredictable tornado, full of surprises, constantly shifting direction, grappling everything around me. Highs & lows, passive aggressive interactions, murderous desires, not healthy. I feel like i’m driving myself insane.
Luckily, tonite, there was temporary relief in the form of limited Jar-Jar for opening night – Yoda kicking ass (and hobbling off), atrociously acted love scenes, pretty CG (although terrible lighting and poorly done blue screening)… the works. And damnit, i want a purple light saber, like Monsieur Jackson had, although i’d prefer a few bible quotes… “And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my light saber upon thee.”
Jeopardy
Wow – Brad Rutter, one of my high school classmates just won $1,000,000 on the special 4000th tournament of Jeopardy. What an odd flash from the past…
Real Doll gone wrong
Thought that the was entertaining? Me too. But apparently, she didn’t satisfy everyone so someone had to go out and make a porn star version. And i can’t help but look at this version and think that this is the nastiest version of a sex doll i’ve ever seen; what’s with the pubic wigs?? The Erotic Computation Group has a lot of work to do!
clean vaginas
what every grrrl needs: a shower vibrator… ahem.. i mean a vagina washing anti-bacterial rod
random Ani fans
I definitely have a love/hate relationship with the random Ani fans who visit my site every day. They are the primary cause of my Klez.E irritation, but they also send me wonderful emails, like this one:
From: Carlos Munoz
…. anyway, came across this quote today and thought you’d like it: “in an age where mass media provide the basis of common experience, ‘Star Wars’ and a handful of other cultural icons may have become a kind of shorthand form of communication”
i’m sure you’ve thought about this, but maybe this quote has some un-congruent edges to your prev thoughts
I can’t help but think back to late nights when Jon and Danny and their friends had entire conversations in Monty Python quotes. Or how many ridiculous conversations emerged out of discussions over terrible 1980s fashion statements – Do you remember jelly shoes and all style Madonna or garbage pail kids or … And yes, the 80s come complete with a survey.
Mass media does wonders for a common language of communication…
ah, sprint..
My 3.5 year commitment to Sprint PCS shows nothing other than my need to have some type of contactable consistency in my life, yet they make it really hard for me to want to stay. For the umpteenth time this month, i called their automated system with my business account (thanks to my “husband” at Trilogy years ago). Of course, this means that i get Claire. I despise Claire. Adamently. With a passion. So, i try to bypass her screaming “Agent” louder and louder and she keeps calmly telling me that i don’t need the agent, that she can help. Grrr. Finally, i start into the queue.
The problem with the queue is that i know, after way too many conversations with media lab sponsors that my position in said queue is dependent on my reputation in their system. So, i spend my n minutes contemplating how they are calculating my position. I’ve been a customer for a long time… but i choose a cheap plan… and i have problems every month… and i always complain when something’s wrong… but i always pay my bill on time…. Finally, a real person answers.
“Umm.. i got my bill today and i received a $50 charge for cancellation. I did not cancel my service and i’m not sure what’s going on…”
Of course, this is met with confusion and the agent goes scampering off to try to figure out what is happening. As she does this, i start considering all of the reasons why this might have occurred and i remember that i spent over half of last month on the phone with SprintPCS because they stopped giving me access to the website services. Apparently, my archaic account didn’t transition well so when they updated the site, my account was broken and i couldn’t log in. Sure enough, this was the root of all problems. To fix it, they cancelled my account and gave me a new account. Since my old account was to expire in September, they charged me for 5 months of recinding on my contract. Ok, the agent fixed that. To top it off, they created a new service for me, to expire next April. This means that my contract is not up in September, but continues. And if i cancel in September, i’m out a bunch of money. No no no no. No thank you, i’m not interested. Well, she can’t fix that.. she can only make a note and hope that in September, the agent takes note of this. Grrrr… Very silly phone service.