Cafe Bucky

I would like to do a cool sidebar of my ongoing media inputs. But since I don’t have that yet, I’ll toss off a few mentions while I am waiting for my boiling ravioli to achieve edible status…

Chasing Amy is a potty-mouthed romp, and a lot of fun. Ben Affleck is great in this one, and I was very charmed by Joey Lauren Adams. Of course now I gotta go back and check out Clerks, Mallrats, Dogma, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (I realize that maybe some of this stuff might suck, but that’s always the risk - that maybe you got exposed to someone’s best work, and that everything after that is a bit of a letdown)

“Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” by Philip K. Dick. The inspiration for Blade Runner. One thing I notice about SciFi is how outdated certain situations have become over time (like going to a payphone). On the other hand, it’s wonderfully futuristic for a book put out in 1968. I keep noticing the differences between book and movie (SF vs LA, for one). The desire for a live animal pet in the book is only hinted at by J.F. Sebastian’s creations in the movie. The best thing about reading the book at this point is that it’s part archeology, part SF, and a good entree into PKD’s works (now I want to read some more of his oeuvre.)

GT4. Best. Driving. Game. (of all time) I’m not much of a gamer, but I used to do many high performance driving schools. This is the closest I can get to being on the track without leaving my house. True story: While going for my Super License on the Seattle track, I misjudged the uphill transitions - my car spun a full 360 without hitting anything - I didn’t panic, and still got a bronze for the lap! I love that they included Suzuka, Sears Point, Circuit de la Sarthe (Le Mans), and, of course, the mighty Nurburgring Nordschleife (btw, back in the real world, the decal on the back of my M3 is the Nurburgring map, which I obtained from the trackside store in 1999 when I went to the European GP - among driving enthusiasts, just being able to go there and stand by the track is a sort of pilgrimage) The sheer variety of cars and tracks is overwhelming, the “feel” is accurate, and it’s truly an immersive experience. Ten Thumbs up.

Ok, that’s enough of that. I’m having a pretty geeky weekend. Random bits:

My contract took a turn for more interesting. I’m still at AOL, and can only say that I’ll be getting into a lot of XML + XSLT. … and other stuff. I’m under NDA, as per usual.

So.. anyyyyyyyyway. I’ve been:

* installing AOLServer on my PowerBook
* adding a dash of the tDOM package
* and I wrote a “workbench” in Tcl of 3 frames that lets me endlessly tweak .xsl and .xml files, and see the resulting html output, all from a browser.
* loading up slots of my Safari subscription with all manner of XML-related titles.

Music: I’m off to the Apple Store to see if they have an Airport Express in stock. I’m pining to stream my collection to the decent speakers in my apt (5.1 Acoustic Research - S-20’s)

And another geeky thing I’m pining for… I’ve been wanting an electric guitar (I’m so out of practice!). I’m not all code & command lines. The creative side wants to do more than photography. Hoping for a Strat copy (or Mexican Strat?) that I can route through GarageBand. (yes, I still have my Edirol PCR-50 keyboard, and it’s great, but it’s still not a guitar)

More random:

Movies:

* I really enjoyed the silliness of Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle
* and am glad that The Bourne Supremacy came out so well!

Paper:

* Sophie’s World: A Novel About the History of Philosophy is something I picked up, almost randomly. I’m glad I did. It’s putting a lot about philosophy into context (and sequence). Fun and informative.
* Is it my imagination, or is Wired Magazine turning into an ongoing ad for BioTech?

There’s a new O’Reilly book out entitled Hackers & Painters (Big Ideas from the Computer Age) by Paul Graham. The sample chapter focuses on the idea of hackers (in the classical sense of the word) and painters sharing many traits:

What hackers and painters have in common is that they’re both makers. Along with composers, architects, and writers, what hackers and painters are trying to do is make good things. They’re not doing research per se, though if in the course of trying to make good things they discover some new technique, so much the better.

He goes on to compare the different types of programmers (those obsessed with research and writing papers, those who take an artistic approach, etc.) The sample chapter (Paul’s site) is a great read, and hit many chords with me. (PDF version). I can’t explain every last rocket science algorithm to you, but I can sure delve into all sorts of design discussions, and get into the process of how software evolves (iteration is a good thing). I’ve always been more of one who programs via a sketch, and then continually refines. Back in the BSD 4.1 days, my college friends and I loved getting our programming assignments out of the way, so that we could spend time doing our own projects. Paul doesn’t outright state so (at least in the sample chapter), but a trait that ties together Hackers & Painters would be Passion. He points out how paintings evolve, giving the example: “Countless paintings, when you look at them in xrays, turn out to have limbs that have been moved or facial features that have been readjusted.” I’d call that hacking with a brush.

I’m looking forward to getting this in hardcover, if it doesn’t show up on Safari in the next week.

More recent input, following films…

I am slogging my way through Basic Writings of Nietzsche. Nietzsche’s the master of the serpentine
sentence. It’s become a personal challenge to get through, at which
point I think I’ll start again. Maybe it’s a lot better the second
time?

Just finished Henry
Rollins: The First Five. Man! Mr. 2-13-61 lays down a lot of
thoughts on shallow society, relationships, suicidal thoughts, being
burned, and so on. The book is great in parts, can be pretty intense,
but can get repetitive. It’s not “read it straight through” material. Hank’s a couple of months younger than me
(42), and I wonder if he’s come to terms with some of the stuff that
pissed him off so thoroughly in the 80s. Reading this and seeing L’Auberge
Espanol in the same week might make for a nice double whammy - 2 sides
of 20-whateverish.

I’ve read all of William Gibson’s books, so I had high hopes for Pattern
Recognition. I can’t say that I was let down, but this is no
Neuromancer, or any of the Bridge Trilogy. One thing I missed: multiple
threads, ping-pong chapters. PR is a straight follow of Cayce all the
way through. I never found myself caring about the Footage, and what
it meant. I did enjoy a lot of the atmosphere though - mention London
and I’m drawn in! I wanted to see Cayce wander into a small shop, and
meet The Finn just starting out. A good book if you are reading everything Gibson, or if you are into the “looking over the shoulders of the
main character, and where they travel” aspect. Perhaps I have too
much of a cyberpunk expectation when I think of Gibson: I want my
Ono-Sendai. I want Molly. I want reflected neon in oil puddles.
Braun coffee grinders. Mercenaries. Cheap origami trick.

I have started reading William Gibson’s “Pattern Recognition”, and have been transported back to London, to Portobello Road. It is a twin joy to be given a
new Gibson (I’ve read all of them), and to be reminded of some favorite parts of London, the focus of the first chapter. I found myself wondering if Cayce was going to breeze through Harrods, which is
a sure-fire way to achieve brand-name sensory overload.

We have some silverware and Irish linens from PR. Great deal. High Thread Count.
If you go to London, get your derriere out of bed very early Saturday morning, get to the Tube, and emerge at Knotting Hill Gate. Find some decent coffee,
and start your stroll. Hint: always leave space in your suitcase at the beginning of your trip!

Like his other books, this one is dense with references, which for me is
part of the fun. Consistent Gibsonian fetishes from one book to the
next: clothes and watches. Oh, and we mustn’t forget coffee! A reference to
Victorian medical instruments on Portobello Road brought back the
whole feel of that place (antiques, surprises, commerce)

Choppy, this. Time for my brewed elixer.