Brent Simmons says, "Sometimes I wish that everyone on the net was at least 40 years old-or 60, better yet-so they were past that age of earnest self-righteousness."
Unfortunately, with biology being what it is on average most of us won't live to be much more than that. Now, if only we could extend our lifespans, or mature more quickly.
Before the invention of adolescence, would Brent wish that everyone was atleast 20 years old? What has this widespread delay of maturation done to our culture?
lqd is counting down to the EURO with a bit of information about each of the country specific flip-sides of the coins. Today's featured coin is Austria.
Also from lqd, Google-translated from German, here are links to some photos and information about each coin: Austria, Belgium, Finnland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain.
Why does Internet Explorer not include easy functionality for printing an entire website?
The Slashdot of conspiracies, UFOs and ghosts, The Daily Grail is an amazing read. Most of it is completely insane, but still fun.
Post 9-11 conspiracy theories that implicate the American government in elaborate hoaxes, technology transfers from the ETs and assassinations seems more and more ridiculous every minute.
That the government, that had to practically beg for the help of Arabic speakers, is capable of maintaining an far-reaching conspiracy, is crazy.
Childhood-logs: What if from the day that we learned to read and type we were required, not by our teachers but by our parents to keep a weblog? What if we had to keep this daily activity up every day of our childhood, until our 18th birthday? What if the weblog was defined not as a diary bu a place to record ones creations, observations and explorations? What would you write about when you're six? Eight? Ten? Twelve? What observational talents would benefit from this daily record. In addition to critical thinking, reading and writing skills, what other skills would necessarily be enhanced? Would the daily record and forced verbalization of thoughts and ideas enhance any other talents? What types of relationships would we develop with the other people who would undoubtedly read and respond to this weblog? Like piano lessons, would the we despise the practice at the time, only later discovering what a beautiful skill we have developed?
I am wondering, though, what kinds of limits to place on the weblog, itself. Obviously, protection of privacy is of utmost importance but if the weblog is not publicly accessible, how will the child strike up friendships and a relationships with others who share the same interests?
What about training? How do you train a child to keep a weblog? To become a novelist, you must first read novels, but if you are a poet, no experience with other poetry is necessary. You either have it, or you don't. Is weblogging like writing a novel, or like being inspired by poetry? If its like noveling, does a weblogger have to read other weblogs before they begin weblogging in order to find a place to begin? I began weblogging after reading numerous logs (Scripting News, Robot Wisdom, David Chess's Log, Bird on a Wire.) For me, it was only after reading these weblogs, that I began to understand the concept. It took me still longer (some might argue that I still haven't) discovered my own blogging voice. How do you teach someone to weblog? Have you ever successfully explained the concept to someone just learning to read?
If one blogged their entire childhood, from the time one learned to read and type until the age of eighteen, how much content are we talking about really? In the span of twelve years between the sixth birthday and the eighteenth, there are roughly 4383 days (365.25 days x 12).
The previous paragraph contained 279 characters and spaces and 51 words. If we define that as the minimum amount of content that will be posted on the average day (I'm assuming that as child ages, the weblog entries will expand in size) then at the end of the childhood the weblog would consist of about 1.2 million characters and spaces and 223,000 words. This amount of content would easily fit onto one modern 3.5 inch disk or the memory of Palm Device. So, for all practical purposes, you could carry around your entire childhood weblog history in your pocket.
New from Google: Google Catalog Search uses Google technology to search thousands of scanned mail-order catalogs, from industrial adhesives to designer clothing and gourmet food." Finally a new Google "feature" that I will not be using everyday.
Every weblog has to have a first post, especially for testing purposes.
I've finally got my business opportunities website up and going. Check it out.
I received this today: "According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, while both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year, male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid-December. Female reindeer retain their antlers till after they give birth in the spring. Therefore, according to every historical rendition depicting Santa's reindeer, every single one of them, from Rudolph to Blitzen, had to be a girl. We should've known. Only women would be able to drag a fat-ass man in a red velvet suit all around the world in one night and not get lost." I resonse I say: 1. Well, it's not impossible that a male reindeer could retain his antlers as late as December 24, just rather unusual. 2. That's not nearly as unusual as a fellow who lives at the North Pole, spends the year making toys for millions of children all over the world, and manages to deliver all of them in a single evening. 3. If Santa could find a way to make reindeer fly, his coming up with a way for the bulls for keep their antlers until late December must have been a piece of cake. Snopes helps.