If you’ve recovered from Thursday night’s Halloween celebrations (we’ll be at the West Hollywood block party), check out Friday evening’s Memefest at the C-Level media space in L.A.’s Chinatown district.

The conference/screening is focused on Internet fads and how/why they propagate, one of my favorite subjects. My close personal friend, freelance writer Dave Cassel of Destinyland and Gettingit, will be presenting along with several other net/art geeks. (I was originally scheduled to speak, but had to back out at the last minute because of prior obligations.) The C-Level guys are very entertaining, so you have my personal guarantee that it won’t suck.

For those that don’t live in Los Angeles, it’s Ambiguously Gay Satan!

Record label EMI is hiring a vice president for their Anti-Piracy division. (“P-P sharing”? Is that anything like watersports?) Via the Pho discussion list. Update: Anil points to a CTO job listing for Warner Music in New York, that “challenges current technology selection and rational” and evaluates “P2P warfare.” This means war!

We recently launched a new website at work, and an accompanying research library. It doesn’t validate yet, but I’m proud of it. Not just because of the clean design and improved usability, but because of the extremely powerful software that powers it: a practically-unknown content-management system called Bricolage. Update: eWeek published a glowing review of Bricolage.

Continue reading “Content-Management with Bricolage” →

The most compelling functionality of Linux over Windows, by far, is virtual desktop support. (For those unfamilar on the concept, it’s the ability to create multiple desktops with different windows on each.) When in Linux, I can keep separate desktops dedicated to e-mail, web surfing, and programming, and switch between them immediately.

Window managers for the Linux-based Gnome and KDE display thumbnails of the desktops, let you drag windows across desktops, and allow you to switch between desktops using either hotkeys or by moving the mouse across screen borders. As it turns out, only one of the 20+ third-party Windows utilities supports all of these features: Enable Virtual Desktop. Try to ignore the awful web design, and just download it. It costs $19.95 to register, but it’s worth it if you’re a Linux expatriate.

Or you could wait until Microsoft implements virtual desktops in Windows natively, which is right around the corner if these Windows Longhorn beta screenshots are to be believed (1, 2).

From this unusual page about the Simpsons in Thailand, check out the three censored screen grabs of Patty and Selma. In addition to banning smoking in most public places, the Thailand government mandated a ban on depictions of smoking on television. Still, California is stricter on one count: you can smoke in bars and nightclubs in Thailand. (Found while searching for this Simpsons sound clip.)

Some time in 1995, a year or so after I had embraced the Web, I slowly lost interest in local BBSes completely. This January 1995 file list (518 KB text) comes from the Cajun’s Corner BBS in Ventura, California; probably the last warez board in the 805 area code. I used to save the file lists for offline browsing. This was the last I ever downloaded.

Among the “Elite” files are Ecstatica, System Shock, and the September 1994 build of the Chicago beta 1 (later dubbed Windows 95).

Funny… Every file uploaded to the BBS, including those that stayed offline on tape backups, would have fit on a measly three gig drive. (If you’re interesting in playing any of the games on that list, try the Underdogs.)

This is the best optical illusion ever. The squares marked A and B are the same shade of gray. I had to open it in Photoshop to prove it to myself, but it’s true. (Update: For those non-believers without Photoshop, try these animated or static proofs.)

These photo galleries (1, 2) of balloon-animal enthusiasts (or “twisters”) and their creations are freakishly cool. I never would have guessed that a global balloon-animal community existed, but popular balloonicature events like the Belgian Millennium Jam, German EuroJam and Texan TJam prove otherwise.

Plus, balloon porn and a balloon toilet.

I just noticed that former G.E. CEO Jack Welch and Springfield Nuclear Power Plant CEO Montgomery Burns are currently neighbors on Yahoo’s Most Popular News, both in the classic evil-CEO pose. Here’s the screenshot, archived for posterity. Excellent!

If you live in San Francisco, do yourself a favor and drop by 826 Valencia, between 18th and 19th in the Mission. Founded by Dave Eggers, the project is part tutoring workshop and part pirate-themed store. Like David Byrne says, “Definitely one of the top five pirate stores I’ve been to recently.”

They’re currently displaying an exhibit by the Mekons, a mural by Chris Ware, and original proofs by some of today’s best writers.

Plus, they have almost every issue of Might Magazine for sale in pristine condition, for only $10 each! I now own a full print run of the magazine, including extra copies of their debut issue. If you’re a McSweeney’s fan, they have back issues, t-shirts, and various McSweeney’s books signed by their authors. Plus, my friend Mat volunteers there. It’s a neat place.