I feel like somehow humanity has failed Koko somewhere along the line.

If it was even close to the month of April, I would have never believed this.

[Courtesty of b^2]

imagination

Just try it, I can’t explain it. I don’t even know why it makes me smile, it just does. If you can’t smile, if you can’t understand the joy, then you probably can’t understand me.

Good news. My friend Larry at work found a super cheap flight to New York City. This means I am going to see The Gates at Central Park. Special thanks to Eric, who has agreed to let me sleep on his floor. While it was a cheap fare, it’s by far the most money I’ve ever spent to see a work of art. I can’t wait. Don’t worry, I’ll take my camera and blog about it.

The flickr slide show is awesome.

I think that there is a little too much breathless talk about how revolutionary blogs are. The hype feels too much like the late nineties. Pretty soon blogs will be said to cure the intractable ills of mankind like poverty, hunger, distribution of wealth, and providing justice for all.

That said, Peggy Noonan did write an interesting piece in the WSJ today, though that caught my attention. It’s pretty clear that she gets blogging, at least the political/journalistic sort of blogs.

I found the following quote compelling.

I identify with Christopher Reeve’s reaction. Some days, when I am reading some especially well written blog post, I am shocked that there was no charge for reading writing that good.

I had a similar reaction when I first came across the GNU manifesto and started using Free Software. I couldn’t believe something so good could be free.

I had never seen Bourne Identity until this last weekend. I had seen Bourne Supremacy last summer and enjoyed it, but everyone said the first movie was better.

Since I recently signed up for a trial membership at netflix, I thought that I should see Bourne Identity and make up my own mind.

I thought the first movie was not quite as good. I liked the love interest, and thoroughly enjoyed the European scenery, but in the end the story wasn’t all that satisfying to me. Perhaps it was because the unfolding plot of the first movie was essentially blown for me during the second movie. I did really enjoy the car chases and the cars driving the wrong way down the road sequence.

It was OK, but nothing that will change my life.

A few links to online tools for making graphics. I especially like the label maker.

• Label Maker
• Candy Heart Maker

A close friend of my wife’s is quite the chef and has put up a super nice food related web site, North Woods Kitchen.

I am especially fond of her
Crock Pot Steak Diane which I have eaten many times, it freezes really well if you like to make things ahead.

In the last few years I’ve grow very accustomed to using IM for both work and personal communication. I’m generally online a majority of my waking hours. I recently read a post, by Danah Boyd on the different kind of IM usage that neatly framed up the usage patterns I have experienced.

My stance is that IM is a valuable presence tool. I am “on” all day long. I not available to have a day long conversation, any more than you can stop by my office and stay for an entire day. Being present to my colleagues in India makes a huge difference in my effectiveness. I have tried to explain this to people who are entering into software development that spans geographic boundaries. Some people just don’t seem to get it; they can’t handle the idea that someone might message them and they don’t have time to respond at just that moment. The same person knows exactly how to send a caller away from the office door, or how to ignore a ringing phone.

The odd thing about me is that I have no desire to carry a cell phone. A cell phone is simply another tool for being always on, that isn’t terribly different from an IM client. Somehow the cell phone feels like more of a burden to me. I suppose the price of IM also plays into this decision. Would I use IM if I had to spend an extra $40 per month to use it?

So while Monica blogs about the riotous daffodils in London, I was greeted by the most beautiful snowfall of the year. The snow coated every branch of every tree like some artist had carefully applied fondant to a gingerbread scene. It was so warm most of the snow on the branches was gone by noon, but it was gorgeous while it lasted.

On many occasions I have sped through forests where every corner revealed a scene like the one in the photos above. In my mind, there is very little better than driving through snow covered woods, knowing you have a crackling fire, a soft bed, and someone you desire waiting for you at your destination.

It’s Matthew’s birthday today! Here are a few pictures from the weekend celebration.