I am plotting birthday celebrations for 3/1. I’m not sure what, yet… But let me know if you want to join in the festivities. Hope to see you there!

Some time ago, I lucked into tickets to see Benjamin Bagby perform Beowulf live at the Cloisters. It was super-awesome, but he had to abridge himself a bit due to a throat infection. So I bought a DVD of another of his performances, and promised to hold a showing for all those interested.

Fast-forward however long it has been. In 10 days, I am participating in the NYC Skate Marathon, and will be attempting to break the two-hour mark that has eluded me by a few short minutes the last several times I’ve skated this event. I’m told it’s a lot of fun to watch and cheer on your favorite skaters.

The point: I invite you all to come watch me skate the marathon (Saturday 9/27, starts at 8:30 AM — early, but worth it. Info available at http://www.skatemarathon.com). And in the afternoon, I will be holding a showing of Beowulf starting at 3pm. Get in touch if you’re interested in one or both events.

It’s kind of like a cross between Torchwood and Stargate, except instead of aliens, it has dinosaurs! I wholly enjoyed the first episode, and am looking forward to the remaining 12 (which apparently covers the first two 6 and 7 episode UK seasons).

Thank you BBC America for bringing fun sci-fi shows back into my mix.

I certainly don’t have the followers that *some* people do… But I feel that my flists are perfectly respectable (at least in terms of their counts, if not the individuals who I choose to call friends or the people/spambots who follow me for the hell of it).

My request to you all is this. As you may or may not know, I am planning to get officially hitched in two weeks (after 7 years of living with said ladyfriend), and we are in search of some geeky romantic readings.

Romantic Perl code is acceptable, Java is not. However, the general preference would be something that is grokkable by the familial populous who merely wants something sweet to be spoken (no matter the source).

Thanks!

And here’s proof. This is an invite to add my photo to an italian basettoni group. Go figure.

Observation: Silk boxers are not comfortable because they ride up.

Pattern: Skinny people wear silk boxers anyway.

Hypothesis: Silk boxers do not ride up on skinny people.

Theory: People who think silk boxers are a good idea have never had a butt.

If I was, this blog would probably see a lot more use. That said, I appreciate good writing, and try hard to write what I do, well. I came across a Kurt Vonnegut essay entitled “How to Write With Style” today and fully enjoyed the short read it offers.

The talking points (and summation) that he offers outlines–I feel–a guide to better blog posts. I know I tend to ramble and ignore cuts and pity, but this inspires me to write better. And I like that.

1. Find a subject you care about

2. Do not ramble, though

3. Keep it simple

4. Have guts to cut

5. Sound like yourself

6. Say what you mean

7. Pity the readers

Read the essay for yourself.

I just received the first Nigerian Spam I’ve seen in a LONG time. The reply-to email address appears to be some poor sucker at wfu.edu.

Oh bot-nets. You could take over the world if you weren’t already making so much money selling viagra and suckering idiots suckers out of their bank account informati

I’ve been reading The Cult of the Amateur by Andrew Keen recently, and I have found it extraordinarily thought-provoking. I admit, that the grumpy british viewpoint appealed to me at first in book blurbs and cursory in-store reads. Many of the viewpoints he espouses are ones I hold as well. However, his research and arguments point to scopes as narrow as a freshman’s english paper.

As argued elsewhere, Keen’s reliance on media giants, professionals, and other such “experts” proves inimical to the process of validating his points. For instance, the day I rely on any media company for wholly true, unbiased information is the day I hang up my brain and lobotomize myself. I don’t know how long education has placed a premium on critical thought, but I believe that this is one of the underlying movements that makes the user-generated information age not possible, but plausible. Credentials are no longer taken for granted. An advanced degree in journalism means nothing if your body of work sucks, or reeks of external influence; while a well-written amateur who does solid research can provide an insightful article that rises to the top when other amateurs believe them credible and form a network of support. Who hasn’t linked to an article they enjoyed, found interesting, or valuable?

Keen’s most interesting misunderstanding is the role that Google and other such gateway companies play. There have always been middlemen in business throughout time and space. Always. And they have always been the ones who make the most money. Selling something that other people make for a profit is pure capitalism, and the business model for many of the most successful companies in the world. Getting to be the go-to company is a difficult task — Wal-Mart succeeded in many small towns throughout the nation; the biggest difference is that Google differentiates itself by a commitment of sustainability to both its consumers and its employees. I believe that there is a major shift on the horizon in how business is run, and the critical thought that we’ve been taught is a core element. Business can’t just make money anymore; that’s the old guard. Business has to take responsibility for it’s customers, it’s employees, and it’s environment (I mean the business world at large, not Nature). Many businesses in existence today are short-sighted in that they see massive profits in the short-term but no real long-term plan (*cough*facebook*cough*).

Part of my long-standing resistance to Web 2.0 ilk is the widespread tendency to simply jump on the next big thing rather than really innovate. Flickr’s recent move to add video is evidence that that’s not dead. Innovation is a process, not just the next thing. And the success of so many new startups proves that it’s not only in the hands of the “Professionals.”

Now, I’d like to actually recommend some other things:

• Innovation and Entrepreneurship, by Peter Drucker.
  While it’s best relevance predates the era of the internet, the ideas and information are as close to eternal as I’d think you can get. It’s an excellent read, and I highly recommend it.
• Creative Commons and Larry Lessig’s TED talk on how Creativity is being Strangled by the Law
  This 20 minute video expounds on the ideas of authorship and creativity as related to the legal ramifications of piracy, parody, and using others’ intellectual property in the modern remix.
• The Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art Festival
  Probably most of my friends already know about this, but I feel it is relevant. The festival promotes independent comic artists and writers who are often not syndicated, and IMO often are more interesting than most (Professional) syndicated newspaper strips. I’ll definitely be going and I recommend you do too.

I’d love to hear opinion back on other underlying trends that contribute to the success and quality of user-generated content sites. Much appreciated.

It occurs to me that entering into a duel (I was the challenger) over Helen Mirren might be slightly ridiculous. This is made doubly ridiculous by the fact that it was over Twitter (ogreteeth vs. foodinmouth). That said, I am all for this actually occuring. Prospect Park, snowballs, date/time TBA. Photographic evidence to come.

Winner takes^* Helen Mirren.

* i.e. Winner gets dibs over the other combatant. This does not disqualify other future challenges that may be made by other people, nor Dame Mirren’s preferences in the matter.