Whose Faulty Vision

Quote of the Whenever

Quote of the Whenever:

“The Port-A-Brain computer system was designed to be the ultimate in pocket computers. Its main strength was that it enabled the user to tap into nearly any data base or library in the settled worlds, or place an order with most businesses above a one-store retail level, or communicate directly with or leave messages for anyone or any business which utilized any form of computerized telecommunications, all without so much as plugging into a wall outlet or tapping into a phone line. What’s more, the unit, complute with folding screen, was no larger than a paperback book. In short, it was a triumph of high-tech microcircuitry…but there was a small problem. Each unit cost as much as a small corporation, placing it well out of the financial reach of the individual and all but the most extravagant conglomerate executive officers.”

-Robert Asprin, Phule’s Company, published in 1990

What amuses me about this quote is that, except for the “settled worlds” part, my Treo can do everything his “Port-A-Brain” can do, and it’s even smaller. But even in 1990, a science-fiction writer thought such a device would cost “as much as a small corporation”. Really drives home how quickly modern telecommunications have changed.

Testing from the Dashboard

Test post from a new Blogger Dashboard widget…

Hey, it works, although it does put an unnecessary amount of space before the post.

Connector

I keep meaning to blog about this. I was at a gathering last weekend–a bunch of us had gotten together to play Cranium–and the hostess described me as “the kind of person who makes connections between people.”

Nobody had ever described me that way before. It’s not true, of course–she just happened to meet me in the course of one of my few successful attempts to bring people together–but it was incredibly flattering. I’m trying to become more social, trying to become more like one of those connector people, and maybe I’m succeeding a little.

Links: Stone-Age Tribes and Eating Gross Things

Dumping out a few links that I keep meaning to blog:

An interesting article on what’s possibly the last stone-age-level human tribe still around.

A restaurant in Beijing that serves only recipes including penises or testicles (seriously!).

A guy talks about tasting really unappetizing food.

A Great NYC Saturday

For those of you who wonder why I love living in NYC, let me describe my Saturday to you. I got up, had an authentic NY-style bagel, and then caught a train down to Union Square to take part in

the world’s largest pillow fight. Someone had organized it online, and I read about it on Gothamist and couldn’t resist. It was just what you’d expect: hundreds of people flailing around at each other with pillows. Feathers everywhere. Lots of laughing and bumping around. At the heart of the fight, you couldn’t even move really: all you could do was smack people with your pillow. Very weird and cool.

After that, I walked down to TriBeCa to go to a Tim Burton retrospective at a theater down there. I saw “Mars Attacks!” and an exhibit of original art and models from Corpse Bride.

Now, I’m not going to claim that was a typical Saturday here in the city, but it could be, you know? There’s so much cool stuff going on that I can do as many wierd, fun things like this as I want to.

Solitude

When was the last time you went an entire day without talking to
anyone? I mean not so much as an “Excuse me” or a “Pork lo mein to
go, please”. I’m less social than many people I know, but even I
can’t think of the last time. I bet it puts you in a weird place in
your head, for better or for worse.

Brain scan

I’m at focus groups today, asking tweens about toys, games and tween life in general.

One of the kids just asked the moderator, “My mom read the form you gave us, and it said you’re going to take our smarts and use them to make toys. Are you gonna scan my brain?”

That last in a very nervous tone, as though she was afraid we’d steal her intelligence or something. I thought it was hilarious.