Month: December 2004

I ran across a wonderful article outlining Albert Einstein’s contributions to science. If you’ve ever wondered what a Bose-Einstein condensate is, or why light is a “wavicle”, but you don’t have the grounding in math to fully appreciate Einstein’s use of C (the speed of light) as a constant (rather than the use of Time) in calculations, this is the article for you. In addition, courtesy of Slashdot, I found this little tidbit: the 10 most important scientific advances of 2004.

Hello all,

Been awhile since I have posted. So much has happened, its hard to know where to begin. First of all we had a great Christmas, Angelina got some dolls and clothes and some leap frog learning stuff. I got a much needed pair of shoes and some shirts. Angelina is a full fledged walker now, walks everywhere, even take her on walks with daddy now, mind you they are slow walks, but none the less we go. She has gone outside and played, got really muddy, but it was cute. She has developed an attachment to one of her dolls, she holds it like a baby and pats its back, its really sweet. I have been on the holiday break from school, so nothing going on there, except to say that I have about 6 months left and I will hold a full fledged degree.

My brother and his wife had there first ultra sound today, and it looks like there is going to be another boy joining the clan, I was kinda hoping they would get a girl to, just so my daughter would not be lonely, but anyway, they are all excited about that.

Not much else going on. Curt

Last week Time Magazine awarded their Blog Of The Year. These are the three guys responsible for unveiling CBS News as frauds. Their coverage led to show how the Bush National Guard documents were fakes.

Anyway, what’s been interesting is that two of the three live here in Minneapolis. They’ve been keeping busy posting to their blog on a daily basis. The legacy, mainstream media has been hounding them because it’s sort of obvious that these guys don’t work hard for a living (lawyer in a big downtown firm, VP of a bank) but instead use their time to blog during the day, sort of demonstrating that their presence has become an online beacon for right-wing agenda advancement.

I actually read their blog. I think it’s neat because these guys don’t have to answer to journalistic standards. Instead, they have to write knowing that it’s their professional reputation on the line (pun intended). Interesting distinction.

But…what’s heated up is that the Star Tribune responded.

It’s sad that my notion of fun-juicy-gossip is now watching journalists and bloggers go back and forth in a saucy tiff.

EDIT by matthew: Tag ends, formatting adjusted.

That thing was awful. I feel so terrible for those people.

I subscribe to “Cruising World” magazine, which is part technical-sailing and part fantasy. A lot of stories from people who sail to exotic and remote locations around the world. Something, these stories involve excursions to the Indian Ocean.

Lots of small islands with small populations. People living in stilt houses. People eating what they catch during the day.

Remember the old Berenstein Bears Book, the Gimmies..

Boy oh boy do I feel like that tonight.. I just got a fairly nice haul of fairly nice stuff on Chrostmas morning, and I thought I’d share some of my favorite gifts I got, gave, and see what everyone else got or gave for Christmas or Hanukkah, or What not..

GAVE: Top 5. 1) A new car stereo for Kelly’s long commute. Plays MP3 CDs!! 2) A “Buffy pack” With the “Once More With Feeling” Musical episode cast album, “Tales of the Slayers” and “Fray”, 2 Slayer related graphic novels 3) A Keyboard for my little Sis. Just something small for her (shes 12). She take svoice lessons and is interested in learning piano basics. 4) Simpson Pants. I gave all 3 of my brothers unbelievably loud Homer Simpson pajama pants. 5) A silver Cross for Mom. Spent a LONG time looking for the right one… she really liked it.

GOT: Not top 4.. (cuz I don’t want to hurt feelings) 1) A Hat… with the words “TECH Entertainment” imprinted on it. That’s my company that I copyrighted back in middle school. 2) My Grandfather’s old surgical bag. It has a bunch of ancient medical supplies. I won’t ever use them, but its so cool to have them. Something I’ll show my kids one day. 3) DVDs!! I’m just gonna bunch them all together.. LOTR, Schindler’s list, Nosferatu, The Rock, Young Frankenstein.. fun fun fun!! 4) CDs – Just 2, but 2 good ones.. Elton’s Greatest hits and the score for “The Two Towers”.

So, did anyone else get anything good?

JT

The Google Zeitgeist for 2004 is out. This tracks the most popular people, places, trends, etc. according to search terms typed in by individuals throughout the year. Very interesting peek into popular culture and what people are most curious about.

I recently had an online discussion with some friends, and mentioned I’d been feeling a little blue lately. Thought I’d share.

On Fri, 24 Dec 2004 12:22:57 -0500, PGO <nnobrien@PROTECTED> wrote:
> Matthew Barnson said: > << … Yet I’m cheerless.>>
< Me (Pat): Did anyone yet think Matt might be still in a stage of grief
> over losing the realness of God, Jesus, and all the afterlife he had
> truly believed in before?

It's an interesting thought. Last night, I spent several hours playing a computer game. Around 11:30 PM, my wife pulled a chair up next to mine, grabbed a pillow, leaned back, put one foot up on the bookshelf next to the PC and said, "So, Matt, what's up?"

"Not much," I replied distractedly as I blasted more bad guys. "Guess I've played a bit long tonight, huh?"

"I'm not worried about that," she responded, "I want to know why you're depressed."

I quit the game and turned to face her. "I'm feeling pretty up today," I replied quietly.

"I'm not buying," she said. "You've spent the last week and a half cooped up with your computer when you come home. You're spending longer hours at work, and you're not spending the time you usually do with the kids. You've been like this before, and I recognize the symptoms. Why are you so down lately?"

I thought for a moment, and replied, "Well, it's the season, I guess. I find myself thinking of Christmasses past, and how joyful they are, and this year, I kind of feel... I don't know. Outside looking in. It just doesn't have the magic like it used to."

"Is it because you no longer believe?" she asked, chewing her bottom lip and gazing pointedly at the bookshelf so as not to appear confrontational.

"I don't think so," replied half-heartedly, "it's more other things than that."

But there was a kernel of truth to what she had to say. Everything I do, I do with gusto. I go all the way, or very little of the way. I used to throw myself into church callings with all the energy I could muster. I used to throw myself into the Holiday Season, being the loudest singer as we happily tossed tinsel and decorations onto the tree.

But this year, for the first time really in the two-and-a-half years I've been a nonbeliever, it hit me: I'm not celebrating the same thing as other people around me are. I'm going through the motions, but this year I finally ponder the meaning of what it is I'm doing, and find that my existing motivations are not enough.

This year, I choose to find my own meaning in the Holidays. It's a harder, but more rewarding, road than choosing to celebrate for the same reason everyone else is. I think the road less travelled by is where I need to focus my eyes and heart, and find my own cheer rather than imbibe of the ready-made, pre-packed cheeriness offered by religious celebration.

-- Matthew P. Barnson 

Merry Christmas.. or Hannukah, or Kwanza, or Winter Solstice, or Secular Winter Holiday, or whatever..

Peace on Earth to y’all and what not..

I was in the library this afternoon when I ran across a copy of Wil Wheaton’s “Just A Geek” sitting on the shelf. I wasn’t interested in reading at Star Trek memoir, but instead, I wanted to get a glimpse into the guy who brought semi-celebrity blogging to the forefront of online geek culture.

In keeping with typical Sammy G behavior, I flipped through the first couple of pages, to make sure that the book would make a worthwhile checkout. The “Forward” section of books is usually something to skip over. But Neil Gaman wrote the best “Forward” for any book I have read.

Ever.

I took the book home as a direct result of the power of Gaman’s writing. I think all editors and publishers across the country should herald this as the new standard for Forwards. Typically long, and off-topic, and self-serving, Forwards bore me and don’t pack a punch. But Gaman took it to the next level.

Just when I thought BitTorrent was a big secret…

www.cnn.com/2004/BUSINESS/12/15/film.piracy/index.html

CNN running a story is the equivalent of the UMBC’s Office of Residential Life showing up at Severn 112 and shutting down the Hard Mic Party.

EDIT by matthew: Linked.