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- July 25, 2005
Oblique Searching Strategies
July 25, 2005Read moreI’m surfing instead of working, so to win back some productivity, I’ll describe my basic searching strategy!
When Google doesn’t find what you want, it’s because you are probably using an overly-general search query, or one that has been polluted by e-commerce junk information. Argh!
To get to the real opinions on the Internet, you need to search for words that people use, as opposed to the lifeless copywriting you see in a lot of “professional business communication.”
- July 24, 2005
Things I Want But Don’t Really Need
July 24, 2005Read moreA High Speed Camcorder Just about every camcorder out there records 60 fields per second. But, when you want to slow down the action, you need to overcrank. I’d like 120 progressive frames every second (as opposed to fields) at a minimum, so I could slow down action for motion analysis AND dramatic effects. Oh, and I don’t want to pay $25,000 for it. Apparently some cameras available only in Japan that can do this with a “high-speed recording” option: the JVC GR-DVL9000 series, from what I can tell.
A High BTU Wok Burner I’m continually disappointed with both the anemic cooking power and sluggish response of my electric range. Despite claims to the contrary, it is possible to stir-fry on these things: you just need to scale the portion to the available heat, and be ready to move the pan when you need to turn off the heat completely. In my dream kitchen, I’d have a stand-alone 60K BTU Wok Burner with a giant convection hood. I wouldn’t mind having some of the commercial gear either, like the griddle top. But do I need it? NO.
A Wide Format Inkjet Printer Every once in a while I want to make a giant printout of a diagram, poster or sign, and I want it right now. It would be nice to have a 24″ wide Ink Jet printer like an Epson Stylus Pro 7800. But hoo, the expense of the media, the maintenance, and the problem of where to put it? It’s the size of a gas grill!
A Projection Screen Workstation Remember that scene in The Incredibles when Mr. Incredible sneaks into the database? There’s this huge screen that must be the size of a football field. Wouldn’t it be nice to prep a computer room with a 16 foot wide, 9 foot tall treated wall and a high-resolution projector. The JVC DLA-QX1G, which NASA uses, is $225,000 MSRP, but has a native resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels. Most mortal projectors crap out at 1280 x 1024, which just isn’t cutting it compared to big LCD panels. Maybe two projectors side-by-side would be OK, but I imagine the noise would suck. Why have a projector when you can buy a big LCD? I’m thinking of it in terms of eyestrain…moving your focus back and forth between your computer and something 10-20 feet away must be better for your eyes.
- July 21, 2005
Dating Observations
July 21, 2005Read moreI was catching up with some of my single women friends today, and one of them got on the subject of the quality of this summer’s dating harvest. She’s a bit fed up, and let slip that there’s only two things she wants from a date. Sensing that this might benefit my fellow Men of Earth, I took notes:
- As an intelligent, independent woman, she wants men that “get it”. On further questioning, that appears to mean that she expects a combination of genuine respect and courtesy. I’ve read that cognitively, women are more astute at reading non-verbal cues than men, so this isn’t the kind of thing you can fake.
She wants to feel “a spark”. This could be physical, but it might also be situational or mental.
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p>If you get it (1) you probably already have compassion, emotional intelligence, and confidence. The trick, I’m thinking, is holding all that together under all conditions, socially or otherwise, without being a jerk. That’s the foundation of being truly considerate, as is constancy of character.
I’m not sure what you can do about (2)…there’s either a spark, or there isn’t. Though my sister tells me women will be delighted if you just aren’t a total slob. As most of us are. When you make sure those little hairs aren’t poking out of your nostrils, you’re saying, “yes, I care enough to not embarass you”. That’s love, baby! Of course, some women will expect more than that.
On a personal note, I’m actually starting a new program of healthy living for the next six weeks…weddings to go to, gotta look sharp!
- July 21, 2005
J.K. Rowling’s Web Site Rocks
July 21, 2005Read more
The J.K. Rowling Web Site is a really beautifully illustrated Flash-based Interactive. Good old-fashioned butt-kicking digital media illustration! Note the crisp compositing and the subtle shading work on the borders. Revel in the subtle moments of animation. Sure, it’s the old hunt-and-click interface underneath it all, but the production values are top notch and the implementation is spot-on. Bravo!
- July 20, 2005
Storytelling Memes
July 20, 2005Read moreThe mysterious S. and I are both interested in storytelling and narrative. I’ve been coming to the realization that this figures in strongly in the way I want to express myself professionally. And now that I’ve had this realization, I’m seeing the storytelling meme everywhere I look!
