[Mar-19-2004]: OK, so Neal Stephenson's blog annotating Quicksilver is just totally awesome∞. Not only is the book a work of art, but the site is a living thing. Here's an exerpt from his site that puts it all in a short description:
"Superficially, this site looks like a set of FAQs about a novel that I wrote entitled QUICKSILVER. As time goes on, we hope that it will develop into something a little more than that. We don't know how it will come out. It's an experiment.
Why put the information on such a complicated system, when a simple FAQ is easier? Because we are hoping that the annotations of the book on this site will seed a body of knowledge called the Metaweb, which will eventually be something more generally useful than a list of FAQs about one and only one novel. The idea of the Metaweb was originated by Danny Hillis.
My own view of the Metaweb is pretty straightforward: I don't think that the Internet, as it currently exists, does a very good job of explaining things to people. It is great for selling stuff, distributing news and dirty pictures, and a few other things. But when you need to get a good explanation of something, whether it is a scientific principle, a bit of gardening advice, or how to change a tire, you have to sift through a vast number of pages to find the one that gives you the explanation that is right for you. Generally this is not a problem with the explanations themselves. On the contrary, it seems as though a lot of people like to explain things on the Internet, and some of them are quite good at it. The problem lies in how these explanations are organized.
We have been looking for a way to get an explanation system seeded for a long time, and it occurred to us that a set of annotations to my book might be one way to get it started. At first, the explanations here will be strongly tied to characters and situations in QUICKSILVER and so may be of only limited interest to those who have not read the book. However, with a few clicks we might move on to more general explanations. For example, Robert Hooke and Robert Boyle appear as characters in QUICKSILVER, and so early on we might see annotations concerning specific things that they are shown doing in the book. But later these might link to explanations of Boyle's Law. Such an explanation need not refer to QUICKSILVER in any way, and so it could be useful to, say, a high school student who has never heard of me or my book but who needs to understand Boyle's Law and why it is important.
What it boils down to is this: if you have come here hoping to get an explanation of something that puzzles you about QUICKSILVER, then this site should serve that purpose. If you don't find an existing annotation that answers your question, you can request that I or someone else write one and post it."
[Mar-19-2004]: Working on my French lately∞.
"For dessert, what would you suggest to get the taste of the main course out of my mouth?"
"Comme dessert, que me suggereriez-vous pour effacer le go?t du plat de resistance de ma bouche?"
(com de - zert com - en ke me su - zhair - er - i - ay voo poor eff - ah - say le goo du pla de re - zi - stans de ma boosh)
[Mar-19-2004]: Wow - this is a really nice interface for making snowflakes∞.
[Mar-19-2004]: Wish I could add a poll! I am actually awake tonight, and was teasingly presented with exactly what I wanted - a dumb 2 hours in front of the tube. But there was a conundrum! Fast Times at Ridgemont High on one channel......Dirty Harry on the other. Crap! It can't ever be easy - even when I want to just veg out. And no, I cannot watch one & tape the other - we have satellite. I could flip, but it's too much work. So. Which one will it be?
I'm picking Dirty Harry, even though I've seen it 20 times. And I'm hoping to time the Phoebe Cates swimming scene for a flip over to the other channel. Knowing the channel, they'll just bleep that one out, though. Never easy.
[Mar-19-2004]: Ieatbrainz∞ is an iTunes plugin that fills in all the metadata that you're missing on your tracks. Fro mthe Readme:
What does it do (effectively)?
This program takes songs that you've chosen in your iTunes Library, that have incorrect or missing information for Title, Artist or Album , and then uses the sound of each song to match it with the correct information maintained in the MusicBrainz Database (musicbrainz.org). This processing takes about 20 seconds per song (on my really fast machine ;-) ), and then it allows you to verify before updating your iTunes Library.
[Mar-18-2004]: Haha - check Rick Mercer's∞ take on the "stealing movies" ads in theatres.
[Mar-18-2004]: I wonder if the Kitt replica∞ comes with a crappy German singing career and a nice mini-fro?
[Mar-18-2004]: Anybody know the Dead Milkmen? Dave Blood∞ offed himself. Sad.
[Mar-18-2004]: Heather lied to me. She told me her cat would last 12, maybe 14 years, tops. I've been counting the years, but now, I think I may need to take a different approach∞.
[Mar-18-2004]: As much as I dug Jo I really always & unfortunately had a cruch on Blair.∞ Well, not really a crush - more of a "let's see how far the prissy girl will go" thing. Shudder.
[Mar-18-2004]: Oh my - someone please do not let Cormack click on this link or he will get no work done - the ladies of Star Trek.∞ A very complete listing, indeed.
∞[Mar-18-2004]: Some pretty funky looking 3D graphics!∞
[Mar-18-2004]: So what does "immediate threat"∞ sound like to you, Donnie?
[Mar-18-2004]: For some reason, this great retro site∞ does not show up on Trevor's haunted computer. I'm sitting here, because Trevor is not.
[Mar-18-2004]: Still with the Irish thing, I was in Indigo t'other day, because they have 20% off kids books and II was overdue to stock up my son's library. I stumbled on a really funny book by none other than Roddy Doyle, called The Giggler Treatment∞. We're about 1/4 of the way through and it's extremely perfect for 5-8 year olds.
∞[Mar-18-2004]: I was wondering about Strongbad - hadn't updated in a while. But the 100th email∞ is totally worth the wait! Check out the congrats part...all props to Greg who lovingly introduced me to the Homestar.
∞[Mar-18-2004]: Some fairly funny treatments on the hitting of penguins∞.
∞[Mar-18-2004]: Don't you hate it when people seem to have the same idea as you? Johnny Lightning the Advice Puppet.∞
[Mar-17-2004]:
∞[Mar-17-2004]: Blarney Gets Mono∞.
[Mar-17-2004]: Microsoft∞ is showing the next Office for Mac. I dunno if anyone is going to use the project stuff, but I sure like the recording part for meetings. Especially.....lately.
[Mar-17-2004]: I've been using NetNewsWire to keep up on various blogs. Here's what ours looks like for dem's dat are interested. My son says "dem" instead of "them", and I keep thinking I may have allowed him to watch too much Strongbad. I wish the blog summaries had more details tho.
∞[Mar-17-2004]: I've always found Anglicans to be rather interesting, and may now give them more due thanks to their virtual pastor∞ idea. I hope I would get virtual penance.
[Mar-17-2004]: Uh-oh. According to this scientist∞, there is a 67% chance that God does indeed exist. I was kind of hoping not, and may now have to reconsider certain approaches. Like faking blog entries.
[Mar-17-2004]: That Retrocrush site is really great. They did a bit on Krazy Kids food gallery∞ that will make you laugh. Graphics like this should be honoured.
∞[Mar-17-2004]: 20 Worst Movie Titles∞, including perhaps my fave of all time,
∞[Mar-16-2004]: Henchfig's codeblurbs∞. Saucy. Then try Penguin Blood Ninja Fiasco!∞
[Mar-16-2004]: So I've finished Quicksilver, and am in a hankering for the next book in the cycle. Mark Askwith∞ says he has a copy, but I'm not sure if it's promotional or the real released thing. So I head over to neal Stephenson's site, only to discover he's hard @ work wikkiying∞ as well. You've sold me, Jeremy. If you've read anything by Neal, you will understand why I needed somethign like thsi in order to go over the characters, places and dates. Yow.
[Mar-16-2004]: You think you got flash skillz? You ain't fat!∞ Play Sonic∞ online.
[Mar-16-2004]: I'm still trying to figure out how Blaine∞ did this. If you know, email me∞.
[Mar-16-2004]: And I thought my son has a giant Irish head∞.
[Mar-16-2004]: Note to moi - Neil Gaiman says Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell∞ is one of the greatest works of fiction in over 70 years. The man knows his stuff.
[Mar-15-2004]: Leafs were down 5-2, and win 6-5 in overtime! Wheeee. Joe Bowen needs a new larynx∞.
[Mar-15-2004]: Today NASA∞ announced a new planet.....or a second Pluto. Or a flying car with a bespectacled moppet named Harry driving....
[Mar-15-2004]: I've been thinking that Radiohead's Karma Police may in fact be the most perfect song ever created. It's stuck in my head, and will not go away. And there's a wicked cool Radiohead TV site∞, too.
[Mar-15-2004]: I love death∞.
[Mar-15-2004]: I'm already starting to think of my kid's first birthday party.
∞[Mar-15-2004]: Bearskin Rug∞ is an awesome site - and this is a quicktime on How To Make a Snowman.
[Mar-15-2004]: Show us yer tackle∞!. Really funny spoken lines after each rugby tackle.
[Mar-14-2004]: You've probably all seen it - beat :50!∞
Update - just did :21. You care!
[Mar-14-2004]:
∞Yeah, I did the Pink Floyd/Wizard thing. It's creepy. And really, really stupid. Which makes it fun in my book.
[Mar-14-2004]: Look, you can even buy Glamdring∞, or at least maybe a repro?
∞[Mar-14-2004]: Looting∞ will get you in trouble. Or maybe out of work. Hard to understand why the Iraquis would want the US out of their country - where are the flowers?
[Mar-14-2004]: Wow Am I ever dreaming a lot lately. I swear, one was like this∞.
[Mar-14-2004]: Dimme was too lazy to put this up, so he sent this∞.....keep the children away from the speakers...
[Mar-14-2004]: Wow - ignore the crappy opening, but seriously, check this guy out∞! It's one of the most amazing things I've seen. He must have have like zero cartilege left. I used to be able to run up walls, but this is nuts!
[Mar-14-2004]:
∞[Mar-14-2004]: Hungry?∞ I've been looking for some inspiration lately, as we're getting sick of the same old crap. Apparently Toronto has lots of weird foods - like cow udder eclairs.
[Mar-13-2004]: Finally I can converse properly∞ with Dimme, the Vingerwijf.
[Mar-13-2004]: The Online Orgasmitron!∞
[Mar-13-2004]: Cia. Cats. Electronics. Sounds like Trevor's been at it again. Check document #27∞:
In a project known as ?Acoustic Kitty? the Directorate of Science and Technology sought to train a surgically altered cat, wired with transmitting and control devices, to become a mobile, eavesdropping platform. In its first test, the cat was run over by a taxi. According to Victor Marchetti:
they slit the cat open, put batteries in him, wired him up. The tail was used as an antenna. They made a monstrosity. They tested him and tested him. They found he would walk off the job when he got hungry, so they put another wire in to override that. Finally, they?re ready. They took it out to a park bench and said ?Listen to those two guys. Don?t listen to anything else ? not the birds, no cat or dog ? just those two guys!? ... They put him out of the van, and a taxi comes and runs him over. There they were, sitting in the van with all those dials, and the cat was dead!3
[Mar-13-2004]: Check out this research paper∞ - it's hysterical. Anything that's titled: Electron Band Structure In Germanium, My Ass is my kinda thang! Found it on boingboing
[Mar-13-2004]: Accidental pr0n∞ from old video games. Hysterical, and good quality image caps!
∞[Mar-12-2004]: Yippee Skippee! Ren 'n Stimpy∞! I already have Connor watching PeeWee's Playhouse, so this'll screw him up gooooood.
[Mar-12-2004]: So here's an example of a marketing wonk having too much say in a product design. So - exactly where is it the child is supposed to speak∞?
[Mar-12-2004]: Easily the most fun I've had in a bit. SkiveSuite∞ is hysterical - I used the SickNotePro to create this:
Dear Ted's Manager,
Please be advised that, due to an emergency at home, Ted has had to leave work early. He was alerted to a problem with the PS2 'eject' button sticking and felt immediate action had to be taken.
Hopefully this situation will be resolved soon, and Ted will be able to return to his duties. In the meantime, please do not disturb Ted, as he will undoubtedly be busy dealing with this emergency.
Many thanks
[Mar-12-2004]: Me? I mostly hated the 80's∞.