08.11.98
Link for Tonight
Note for PWD’s meeting tonight:
<http://www.cio.com/archive/webbusiness/>
<->
08.08.98
Larch Mountain
Last night I went out with Owen and a friend of his by the name of Arial. Owen knew of a spot call Larch Mountain. On Larch Mt. there is is a spot called Sherard Point which is absolutely gorgeous.
It’s about an hour’s drive from downtown. Head East on I-84 until you hit the exit for Corbett. Then foloow the road till you drive through Corbett and just keep going on the main road and follow the signs. There’s a nice little parking area, and then it’s a short hike to the lookout point.
The Point is an outcrop of shale that’s had fencing and benches put in. There’s a spectacular view of Mt. Hood (from the North rather than the standard view from the West, from Portland), as well you can see Jefferson, Adams, St. Helens and Ranier, really well. At the time we went, the sun wasn’t quite set, so there was a strong glare from where it reflected off of the Columbia, otherwise, I’m sure we could have had a beautiful view of the river as well.
Oregon really is quite beautiful. Sometimes I’ve forgotten that.
/^\
08.05.98
Second Interview
Today I turned down a job.
Well, not a job really, but more like a second interview. I already had one, but this second one just didn’t seem right. The place didn’t seem right, and I didn’t think it would be a smart move. It _would_ have been a smart money move, but I just couldn’t do it. Yet. I know there will be a time to make a job change, but I’m attached to OMSI. I like OMSI, and the people here.
I think my boss may have caught wind of my situation. I had told the two people in the museum that she works closests with, both of which (upon reflection) would have been likely to not *tell* her, but certainly would have found it within reason to drop a few hints.
I didn’t mean it to work that way, but I guess I was being a bit dense, thinking that I’m immune to the telephone games and other people’s communication. Sometimes I forget that people actually talk about me. It’s strange to think about that.
!$
08.03.98
Y2K
I’m worried about the Millennium Bug. I’m not freaked out, but I am worried.
The most obvious things to worry about are food clothing a shelter. I’m pretty sure our appartment will be Y2K compliant, but the power and phone will likely be another matter. It’s pretty easy to put a month’s worth of dry, canned food together, milk and perishables will be a bit more difficult. Clothing should be okay.
After that are the liquid assets. I’ve got a three way plan for that. One third stays in a large national bank, one third goes in a small out-of-the-way credit union, and a third comes out as cash.
Considering that if everyone pulled all their money out of the banks, our economic system would collapse, I think this is the only conscionable thing to do.
Hold on tight, we’re in for a wild ride.
2 0 uh oh
07.28.98
Stress index: 9.5
Factors: Work, Heat, Work, Cats, Work, Vacation, Work, Relationship, Work.
It’s Monday, and I want it to be Thursday. I’ve got stuff to do, and no motivation to do it. I’m starting to sound like a Nine Inch Nails song for Yuppies.
Bleh.
I guess I’m apathetic, but I don’t feel like doing anything about it.
<->
07.21.98
Finished Puzzles
Really, it’s done this time.
I’m not kidding. Forest Puzzles, the bane of my exisitance is now available for all the world to see at: <http://www.omsi.edu/forestpuzzles/> or if you prefer: <http://www.omsi.edu/forest/> (boy do I know how to think ahead.) 🙂
Man, what a roller coaster ride. I’ve been working on this thing for exactly a year, down to the day. I was hired at OMSI on July 21st, 1997. That was the day I began working on this site. Finally, I can say “It is launched.”
But the sad thing is, I feel no joy.
This albatross around my neck finally rubbed me raw. I kind of detached from the site about two months ago, when the details of the site became so intensly scrutinized by the sponsor. I understand the drive for accuracy, but there comes a point of diminishing returns where the time it takes to correct a punctuation mistake or a spelling error is simply not worth the effort. The correction or tweak does not significantly enhance the user’s experience.
This was the biggest lesson I learned from this site. The second lesson was that if you are working on graphics on a 21″ monitor, you better have a 640×480 monitor that you can view it on. Third: a good outline at the start can make things much easier. Once the outline was established, it was easy to go through the site and just continually flesh out that initial outline down to the individual pages and graphics.
I know I learned a lot from this project. But it also took a lot out of me. If there was ever something that would take the enjoyment out of web design and development, that would have been it.
It was too big of a bite. Much bigger than I should have taken on alone.
0|0!0|01
07.13.98
Strange trends
In US culture, there seems to be a constant ‘retro’ thread that runs through the styles and fashions. It’s only one of a number of the distinct threads that make up this cloth of culture, but it’s a consistent one.
It’s also the one that just restarted itself.
From what I’ve seen in the late 80 and in the 90’s has been this thread, this stream moving decade by decade, slowly catching up with us. Parts of each decade’s fashions become popular for about 18 months, before the next decade’s fashions take over the heavy lifting of the retro thread.
Earlier in the 90s, a 60s chic had been very much the forefront of a new retro movement. As the current decade progreses, disco made a come back, and garage rock from the late 60s/early 70s worked it’s way along with the grunge movement.
The 70’s style continued until the approximately 1996 when the next decade’s fasion became more popular. Note the re-emergence of eletronic-based music, estabished in pop culture with the New Wave and New Romantic movements.
Certain elements of the retro portion of today’s culture: clothing, music, style, drugs, speech and art have kept in time to this sequence of fashions.
But where does the retro movement go from here? What comes after the 80s and early 90’s for a retro movement?
It’s already coming: swing/big band.
Witness the Cherry Poppin’ Daddys. Fastball. And even Squirrel Nut Zippers.
These are bands that have a line up of more than 4 instruments, often including some brass. The beats are up tempo, and the delivery leans hard on pin stripe suits. The retro movement has touched down – in the 30’s.
My suggestion for you: Start a band that draws from early rock and roll: Chuck Berry, Motown, perhaps even Elvis. Do this starting now, play for 2 years, and you will be picked up by a record label.
?? ??
07.09.98
One Caress
>”I have to believe that sin
can make a better man.
Well it’s the mood that I am in
that’s left us back where we began.”
– mlg
DM
07.07.98
Bjork Analyzes
From Bjork: (Yes, that Bjork)
Wired Interviewer: Why are Scandinavians so quick to embrace new technology?
It speaks to something inside us. I’ve got a theory that people who live in northern climates -– Canadians, Siberians, Scandinavians, even the North Japanese – have something in common. We can talk forever. We love documentation. We can analyze and analyze and analyze. We’ve developed sort of a delicious schizophrenia: chilly on the outside, but deeply passionate in our hearts.
B-yh-erk
07.01.98
Toni Holliday in Stone
So much to do. The Curve concert was fun last night. Toni Holliday could move around a bit more on stage though.
This morning on the radio I heard some use the phrase ‘I hope I’m not off on left base’ when they were trying to make sure they got the point.
This really struck me as odd. It’s interesting how the two phrases ‘off in left field’ and ‘off base’ got thrown together. The only thing they have in common is their baseball terminology. Language is strange.
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