How's it goin' Frood-dude?
About a week ago, I was at Ace Bar, on Fifth St, between Aves A and B. A number of my friends happen to be visiting that weekend, independently of each other, and we planned this giant drinkup at Ace tonight, to celebrate. I was chatting with one of the visitors, Molly, and her friend. They asked me whether Keanu Reeves had played Bill or Ted. Neither of them could remember. I said, "I have no idea. But boy, I'm looking forward to the new Matrix movie." They both laughed and said, "Yeah, it looks great!" And they carried on with their argument. Then, one of Molly's friends got really excited. "I'm going to have him sign my chest! Ohmygod! I'm gonna have him sign my chest!" This puzzled me. "Who's going to sign her chest? Who's the lucky guy?" "Keanu." Incredulously, I said, "Keanu? He's here?!" "Yeah, he's playing pool in the back room." "You're fucking with me." "No, man. He's here." So, I grabbed my friend Kira and said, "I wanna see Keanu." Kira says, "What?! I don't want to see him. I don't care about that crap. Just go back there!" "Look, I'm sorry, but I can't go back there alone." So Kira reluctantly agreed to join me. I still don't know why I needed moral support to catch a glimpse of a goofball actor, but for some reason, maybe the massive quantities of alcohol I'd had, I did. Yep. Keanu was playing pool. Yep, it was pretty clearly Keanu. Molly's friend came back a bit later. He'd signed the back of her shirt. "Ohmygod! I totally walked up to him and I said, 'I'm really really sorry to ask you this. My boyfriend loves your movies and I'm a big fan too. Will you sign my shirt?'" I walked away and talked to other people around the table. I walked back, fifteen minutes later. The friend was still talking about Keanu. I went to the bar for another beer. I came back. Still Keanu. I walked away and chat and come back a few minutes later. Yep, Keanu. I love this city, but it still surprises me when shit like this happens.Berkeley PL Protects Patrons' Privacy
"Jackie told us that Travis Air Force Base phoned soon after 9/11, asking for records related to the possible use of a Berkeley Public computer to attempt to hack into their system. The call was refered to her, the director. When she told them a subpoena was needed they pointed out that their need for this information was critical. She said that she wanted to help them as much as she could and that a subpoena was required. She also told them how little information they have about their users. They did not come back with the subpoena.
At Berkely Public, they 'erase the servers' every night and shred the paper signup sheets. Circulation records are deleted as soon as material is checked in. (No time lag as we have)" [Retrofitted Librarian by way of The Shifted Librarian]
Intellectual freedom, privacy, etc. / Libraries and librarianship
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Love on the F train
This morning, I left the apartment a little before 7, as I usually do, on my way to work. My MetroCard had expired, so by the time I bought a new one and made my way downstairs to the platform at 7 Ave, I'd barely missed the train. So I waited for the next one. As I sat waiting, I overheard a man saying, "Excuse me, sir, can you spare some change?" From the subtle Doppler shift in his voice as he spoke, I could tell he was walking in my general direction and I'd probably be next. Sure enough: "Good morning, sir! Can you spare some change?" I ignored him and let him pass by. "That's all right, sir," he continued. "I still love you. Him, too. There's nothing wrong for to love another man." I processed this as he proceeded down the platform. I heard him approach someone else. "Excuse me, sir, can you spare some change." The answer was inaudible, but then I heard. "That's all right, sir. I still love you, and I don't care who knows it! I'm not queer, but there's nothing wrong with loving another man." I laughed, and as I did, I looked down the platform and saw a young man laughing, and passing the guy a dollar bill.Britney: Culturejammed
Another link cribbed from Matt Fraction, Britney Underground is a collection of defaced Britney ads that once littered the New York subways. Cool stuff.Some personal musings
Bear with me here. I never wanted to be one of those bloggers who seems preoccupied with minutiae from his own life. I've lived long enough to know that what's bugging me right now won't necessarily be bothering me tomorrow, so to sit and angst in public about the current agita just seems counter-productive to me. On the other hand... ...this blog has been almost entirely impersonal lately. I love information policy. I think that's obvious. And I love New York. That's pretty bloody obvious, too. Just skim down the page at the entries below this one. But just last week, I was talking to my uncle and he said, "Have you ever considered being a professional writer?" Today, a friend I've been out of touch with for over a decade wrote out of the blue. Among his comments: "Had no idea you were such a good writer." That's flattering. I've looked back over this site, tonight, and I've remembered how much fun it is to write about my own experiences. Check out the writing section of my site. None of it will win awards, but all of it was a complete kick to write. I need to do that again. Soon.Emergency preparation graphics, from Ready.gov
These are a little like the seatback graphics on airplanes, showing you what to do if the plane goes down.... But these are freakier.
I feel much better now. Don't you?
Google buys Blogger, redux
Google Buys Pyra: Blogging Goes Big-Time. Weblogs are going Googling. Google, which runs the Web's premier search site, has purchased Pyra Labs, a San Francisco company... [Dan Gillmor's eJournal]
If you're curious, however, about what the Web community is saying about this buyout, scroll to the bottom of Gillmor's blog entry, where he links to commentary from all over the Web.Google buys Blogger
Google Deal Ties Company to Weblogs. Google has bought Pyra Labs, the creator of software for publishing Weblogs, which is a form of hyperlinked online journal. By Amy Harmon. [New York Times: Technology]
Probably the biggest net-related story out there right now. I really have no meaningful observations to make about what this might mean.Antiwar rallies hinder Bush
Setbacks for US war timetable. Antiwar rallies and wariness at UN are hurdles for Bush. [Christian Science Monitor | Top Stories]
It's been a busy weekend, which is why I've been missing from this page for the last few days. In addition to enjoying visits from several out-of-town guests, I was among the 400,000 who rallied in New York against the Iraq war. Or, rather, attempted to rally. I met up with friends at Third Avenue and 42nd Street and we tried to move north and then east. North was easy. East? Not so much. Police had every side street blocked up to the low 70s. We were caught in a crush of people at intersection after intersection, surging the barricades and either falling back or getting pushed back by the police. Frustrating. But I was there. I added my body and my voice to the cause. Now let's hope it means something.Mr. Beller's Neighborhood
Okay, here's something cool. Pieces of short non-fiction, all set in NYC. Navigate by clicking neighborhoods on a map, or choose stories by theme. Swank...Intellectual Freedom in a Time of War
From the March 2003 newsletter of the American Studies Association.Intellectual Freedom in a Time of War
... Free and frank intellectual inquiry is under assault by overt legislative acts and by a chilling effect of secrecy and intimidation in the government, media and on college campuses. This atmosphere hinders our ability to fulfill our role as educators: to promote public debate, conduct scholarly research, and most importantly, teach our students to think freely and critically and to explore diverse perspectives. Democracy is predicated on the right to question our government and leaders openly and to express dissent without fear. We are told, in fact, that our nation is ready to go to war to protect this precious freedom. The threat of war should not restrict public debate, as it often has in our nation's past. Vigorous debate and the widest possible discussion are crucial to the health of our democracy....
The full document is at the link, but dig this: "Democracy is predicated on the right to question our government and leaders openly and to express dissent without fear."Sixth Circuit okays sucks domains
Highest Court Yet Says "Sucks.com" Domains OK [GrepLaw]The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Friday that using sucks domains (in this case, taubmansucks.com) does not violate trademark protections. Opponents of sucks.com domains claim that their use causes marketplace confusion. This of course seems ridiculous. No reasonable person would expect Pepsico to market its products at the Web site pepsisucks.com. The appeals court seems to agree.
This means, of course, you're free to open michaeldietschsucks.com, if you care enough to do so.More SantaCon footage
If you read my account of SantaCon, over on Nerdbait, you'll remember that we encounted Unsilent Night, a yearly performance/march from Washington Square Park to Tompkins Square Park. A videographer running with the Unsilent Night people filmed the meeting of our two groups. You can catch a quick still of me mugging for his camera. My only gripe is, that because he used Flash, you can't really rewind or fast-forward the footage.Manhattan User's Guide
This looks intriguing: a daily e-mail of what's new in Manhattan, from dining to services to entertainment to shopping. Link cribbed from Gawker.Ground Zero designs finalized
2 Teams of Architects to Compete for Ground Zero Design. One sees the foundations of democracy in the concrete walls surrounding Ground Zero and another that sees New York's rebirth in soaring towers of culture. By Edward Wyatt. [New York Times: NYT HomePage]
I'm not sure I like either design, although the latticework towers would certainly look unlike anything else in Manhattan.
Both are designed to become the world's tallest buildings, once complete, and that almost seems like painting a bull's-eye on Lower Manhattan.
Update Your Atlas
Bye-Bye Yugoslavia, Hello Serbia and Montenegro. Lawmakers in Belgrade consigned the name Yugoslavia to the history books today, endorsing the constitution of a new union. By Daniel Simpson. [New York Times: NYT HomePage]
A Fair Balance?
Digital Music Fans Get a Break in Europe. The European Commission has presented a draft directive that punishes copyright infringement for commercial purposes, but leaves the home music downloader untouched, infuriating the entertainment industry. [PC World]
I wish I had a TiVo. Le sigh....
TiVo: The Rise of 'God's Machine'. Personal video recorders like TiVo and Sonicblue's ReplayTV are here to stay. Media companies would do well to work with them -- and with consumers -- rather than against them. A commentary by Lauren Weinstein. [Wired News]
Some good commentary here.