Transparency & The Fear of Family

I wrote a comment on Rebecca's new blog Socialized Geek about how I think transparency and authentic branding are really important. It was smug and mildly libertarian. I returned home to find a birthday present in the mail from my mom with a card telling me how she reads my blog and how she is proud of me. I couldn't tell if it was a letter of concern or encouragement. I guess I'm limiting the self-deprecating posts. Mom, if you're reading this thanks for the present.

The Game

Neil Strauss, best-selling author of "The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists" is in town to discuss his new step-by-step pickup book, " Rules of the Game". I'm not sure whether this event will be sad (as only the host has confirmed) or whether it is appropriate to heckle. Who knows, maybe everyone will be irresistible.

Happy Feaster!

If you made it over yesterday, thanks for the foods. I've still got about 4 kilos of brisket, 2 kilos of ham and a bunny's butt. Call if you're coming over to make sandwiches.

Happy Easter!

As displayed by the 2 year reign of the Chicken Noodle Soup dance, making an ass of yourself and Spring go hand-in-hand. Happy Easter/Purim!

Desire Path

Kottke has a link to a Desire Paths Flickr pool this morning.

According to Wikipedians, the desire path/desire line is:
"A path developed by erosion caused by animal or human footfall. The path usually represents the shortest or most easily navigated route between an origin and destination. The width and amount of erosion of the line represents the amount of demand."

I love this. It makes me happy to think that strangers are forging useful paths together.(I guess that can be said for Wikipedia as well)

Making Arts: CellSpace

CellSpace, the urban art cooperative that taught me to silk screen is broke. I'm volunteering one day a week and will try to curate a show and get some artists to help fundraise.

CellSpace is awesome. They've got adult art programs, after school programs, a media lab and all sorts of cool events.

It breaks my heart that there are at least 20 dot com companies on the same block and none of them are donating money or volunteering. It's no wonder the old Mission hates the new Mission.

Woodworking: Harder than it Looks

On Sunday I went to Home Depot to make a simple bench. All I brought were measurements and a couple bucks for the wood. I left with a hotdog and 3 realizations:
1) Home Depot employees don't give woodworking advice;
2) My dad is a wicked good carpenter; and,
3) It's easier to build a website about benches then it is to build a bench.

Since then I've been admiring furniture designs including the walking table and the DB Fletcher capstan schwartz expanding table. I'm considering just changing an Ikea TV cabinet into a bench. Thanks goodness for Ikea Hacker.

Yes We Can Has Cheezburger....

I'm just as giddy for Obama as the next person, but honestly, the brand is getting a little lame. I liked when the Wachoski's bastardized Descartes and brought the Matrix to the masses. But in this instance the meme is evolving into something with far less kung fu street cred.

Exhibit A: The original "Yes We Can" video features Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas and the smoking hot Scarlett Johansen.

Exhibit B: The a cappella "Yes We Can" features nameless Caucasian high school students in various stages of tragic awkwardness. Good God. I keep thinking the hippie kid on the right is going to bust out into the Napoleon Dynamite dance routine.

Damn. There I go dashing hope again. It's so Canadian of me.

New Tool: Comiqs

D&D: E. Gary Gygax from danaoshiro on Comiqs

I'm trying out a new web-based comic making tool. Comiqs is a flash-based tool that allows you to create frames, text and bubbles over your own pics for free. Above is the widget they provide.

Genius

The morons at the Genius Bar are making me wait 3.5 hours to replace my defective power cord. Not one of these guys is wearing a lab coat and I suspect a few of them have IQ's in the 50-75 range. (Genius for a chimpanzee.)

I will not let this ruin my day. To combat my mood I've been laughing at douchey events.

START UP MATCH EVENT
Set against the backdrop of a tawdry happy hour, start-up companies will woo new talent with a fridge full of beer and an option package. In protest, I am considering tattooing the phrase, "Equity isn't Money" to my forehead.

* Note to self: Stop being such a morose bastard.