Relevant History

And so it begins

For the last year I've been working, first during my day job and more recently in off hours, on an encyclopedia project, the Encyclopedia of the 21st Century.

It's approximately the craziest thing I've ever signed my name to: four volumes, several million words, every one of which will violate a rule of reference publishing so fundamental it's not written down anywhere, but is burned in the heart of every editor.

Encyclopedias are about things that exist, things that have happened, or things that have been believed. In general, encyclopedias aren't about things that haven't yet happened. But this one is.

In a way, while it's been a great project to think about, and it's served as terrific cover for writing to interesting people, it's also seemed a bit abstract. But now, commissioning letter have started going out. It's an exciting moment in a project: it's turning real, but we haven't yet had the big wave of rejections that's normal in this kind of commissioning, nor am I faced with the hard work of actually reading manuscripts and that kind of thing. I should enjoy it while I can.

[To the tune of Eddie Palmieri, "Verdict On Judge Street," from the album "Sueño".]

Technorati Tags: e21, encyclopedia

My work lives on, except where censors block it

I sometimes think back to my time at Britannica, and wonder if my most-read commission will turn out to be the Quaker Oats dino facts. This despite the fact that I was lucky enough to be involved in lots of stuff: the regular article commissioning process, of course, but also timelines, Britannica CD, Britannica Online, and numerous Web sites.

Turns out that in Saudi Arabia, the odds are pretty good that the dino facts will have a bigger audience than at least one of those sites. In an article on online censorship, the Guardian reports that

Saudi Arabia's theocratic royals and their Wahhabi allies block access to sites promoting Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and gay and women's rights. Such is their misogyny, they have also banned the "Women in American History" section of the online Encyclopaedia Britannica.

For some reason I'm strangely proud. And my wife-- who contributed some of the articles for that feature-- can now add "writings banned in Saudi Arabia" to her resume.

[To the tune of Eddie Palmieri, "Just A Little Dream," from the album "Sueño".]

Technorati Tags: Britannica, writing

Personal cell phone call blocks

We flew back from Disneyland to the Bay Area on Saturday. (Few places in the world are weird enough to make the Bay Area feel like "the real world," but Disneyland is one of them.) After checking out of the hotel, we tried to call a well-known cab company (one named after a color) for a ride to the airport; but after several unsuccessful exchanges with the dispatcher, which always resulted in our getting bumped over to voice mail, I borrowed a phone book from the hotel receptionist, chose another cab, and called. They were there in less than 10 minutes.

Naturally, I saved that second phone number in my address book, and if I go back to Anaheim, I'll call them. But this got me thinking: my saved numbers are a list of people or companies I've had good experiences with. But I'd also like a feature that reminded me, should I try to call that cab company again, that they didn't work out before. Here at home, I can generally remember what stores to avoid, and where I've had bad experiences; on the road, particularly for places I only visit for a day or two, I'm much less likely to remember the name of that Chinese restaurant that looks good but has terrible food, or the airport shuttle that never came. (Just as bad, I'm likely to get the number wrong, and confuse a good company with a bad one, thus accidentally rewarding bad behavior.) Being able to give a dialed number a red star (or whatever) would at least warn me that, whether I remembered it or not, something didn't work out the last time I called.

[To the tune of The Beatles, "Ticket To Ride," from the album "The Beatles 1".]

Technorati Tags: mobility, pervasive computing, travel

Going through Tomorrowland, John Woo style

Tonight after the fireworks, and after the kids were asleep, I went back to Disneyland for another hour, mainly to take pictures of Tomorrowland in the dark, but also to go on Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters one more time.

via flickr

Since I was flying solo, I had both guns to myself, so naturally I got a little Chow-Yun Fat with the game. Though earlier I went through with my son, and he decided he wanted to just steer.

via flickr

The other thing this picture reveals is how usefully bright my cycling jacket gets. A while ago I took to wearing it when we go to the aquarium and other exciting, crowded places, on the theory that the kids would have an easier time finding me should we get separated. It turns out that the thing doesn't just glow in headlights; put it under black lights, and its virtually radioactive. It's really something. And the kids to appreciate being able to pick Daddy out of a crowd (or out of the dark) very easily.

Technorati Tags: Anaheim, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Disneyland, games

Captain Kidd's

Last night, after taking the kids to the pool for a swim and a soak in the hot tub, we went to dinner at Captain Kidd's, a place two motels up. (Every city has its local architectural curiosities. Philadelphia has its row houses, Boston its three-story family houses, Chicago its apartment buildings organized around a central courtyard, and Anaheim has motels with convenience stores and restaurants.)

Captain Kidd's is a buffet place, and probably one of the cheapest options in the area. Yet, it says a lot about a place when you can pay $9 for all you can eat... and feel like you didn't get your money's worth.

Technorati Tags: Anaheim, Disneyland

Mobilito, ergo sum

We bought several multi-day park passes to cover our three days here in the Land of the Mouse. As soon as we got in the park, I collected them, so I could write everyone's name on them.

There were several families near us doing the same thing, and I noticed something: all of them were writing their cell phone numbers on their cards, and a couple were discussing whether it was even necessary-- or particularly useful-- to put their names. As one dad insisted, "No one who finds this pass needs to know my name. They just need to know how to reach me."

I though this was interesting. To some degree, in these contexts, your cell phone number is who you are: or at least, it's you, reduced to The Person Who Should Be Contacted If This Is Lost.

Another example of how cell phones-- and the social functionality they enable-- are slowly but surely changing our lives.

[To the tune of Sarah McLachlan, "Hold On," from the album "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy".]

Technorati Tags: Anaheim, Disneyland, mobility

Disneyland photoset up

My Disneyland photoset is up of flickr. Granted it's mainly pictures of buildings in Tomorrowland and fuzzy shots from inside the Buzz Lightyear game, but you've gotta start somewhere.

via flickr

[To the tune of Big Head Todd & The Monsters, "Bittersweet," from the album "05-29-2004, Penn's Landing Great Plaza, Philadelphia PA".]

Technorati Tags: Disneyland

Greetings from the world's slowest wifi connection

It's the wifi that you can pick up in the Tropicana Inn, one of the hotels directly across the street from the main Disneyland entrance. It's not very strong: if you sit near the door and window, no signal; if you sit near the bathroom, you get a couple bars.

The weird thing is, it seems to hate Flickr. I don't know if it's got some kind of block for photo uploading or what, but actually getting pictures of the trip online is proving very tough.

I wish I knew where a Starbucks was. A latte and a couple bucks for an hour of serious connectivity would feel worth it. And I've got a lot of pictures of Tomorrowland, which I've been thinking a lot about-- not just because the kids love Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, but because of what it tells us about how we think about the future.

[To the tune of Peter Gabriel, "San Jacinto," from the album "Shaking the Tree: 16 Golden Greats".]

Technorati Tags: Disneyland

I've always wanted to pretend to be an archaeologist

Yesterday, I was wearing my reading glasses around the children for the first time. My daughter saw them and said, "Daddy, you look like a very smart archaeologist!"

via flickr

Okay then.

[To the tune of Jessye Norman, "But Not For Me," from the album "Lucky To Be Me".]

Technorati Tags: children

Brush with virtual reality

At Disneyland, playing the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blaster game.

via flickr

Or rather, a combination of a picture taken while playing said game, framed by cartoons of the game-- which itself is an amusement park ride based on a cartoon.

[To the tune of Ella Fitzgerald, "Nice Work If You Can Get It," from the album "The Silver Collection: The Songbooks".]

Technorati Tags: Disneyland, games, visualization

Drink coffee, get stupid more slow

I may be getting older, but at least my caffeine consumption might help me keep from getting senile, if this new study is to be trusted:

Coffee consumption is inversely associated with cognitive decline in elderly European men

Six hundred and seventy six healthy men born between 1900 and 1920 from Finland, Italy and the Netherlands participated in a 10-year prospective cohort study. Cognitive functioning was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (0-30 points, with a higher score indicating better cognitive performance). Coffee consumption was estimated in cups per day. A mixed longitudinal model was used to investigate the association between baseline coffee consumption and 10-year cognitive decline. Multiple adjustments were made.Results:Men who consumed coffee had a 10-year cognitive decline of 1.2 points (4%). Non-consumers had an additional decline of 1.4 points.

[via FuturePundit]

[To the tune of Plush, "No Education," from the album "Fed".]

Technorati Tags: aging, coffee

An awkward age

I've done my best to avoid noticing the fact that I'm 42, and edging into middle age. For a long time, I was able to maintain the belief that I was still essentially 31, and hadn't aged since I left Berkeley. Maintaining this belief, in the evidence of more gray hair, children now in elementary school, and video games giving me carpal tunnel.

But it gets harder and harder. Now, added to my familiar accessories of cellphone, iPod, and digital camera, are... reading glasses. I don't always need them, just when the light's not so great or I'm reading something in small type (I've never gotten over the grad school habit of printing things on two pages); and even then, I can usually puzzle through without them. But a few weeks ago my optometrist suggested using them, and alas, they do make a difference.

Reading glasses and an iPod. If there's a more perfect representation of Baby Boomerhood, I don't know what is.

[To the tune of Grateful Dead, "All Along The Watchtower," from the album "Dozin' at the Knick (Disc 3)".]

Technorati Tags: aging, reading

Memorial Chapel

Last night my wife took me to see the King's Singers at the Stanford Memorial Chapel. I'm ashamed to say I'd never heard of the King's Singers; when she suggested it a few weeks ago, my first thought was, "Didn't Martin Mull talk about them in his great bit about the Great Folk Music Scare of the 1960s?" (As Mull says, "That shit almost caught on!") Rather than divorce me, however, she bought tickets.

Of course, as anyone who knows the King's Singers would expect, they were fabulous.

via flickr

I really like the Memorial Chapel. It's equal parts Romanesque cathedral and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea-- one of the most eccentric but marvelous pieces of architecture I've ever encountered.

via flickr

We sat in the balcony, which I'd never done before.

via flickr

Technorati Tags: architecture, Palo Alto, Stanford University

Freud asked, "What do women want?" Apparently the answer is, "Salad."

This morning, as I was catching up with one my son's teachers, she remarked that he has been playing very well with several of the other girls in his class.

A couple days ago, for example, they gathered several bowls of twigs, clover, leaves, etc., and "played Fresh Choice." It was very cute, she added. (Just in case I hadn't yet visualized the cuteness of the situation, I guess.)

Another parent, upon hearing this story, said "So that's why my daughter insisted we go to Fresh Choice last night!"

Aside from this story demonstrating that culture really is destiny, it also shows up a distinctive feature of Peninsula culture. Compared to many schools, there's an immense amount of contact between parents and teachers. In the nursery school and lower grades, parents normally take their kids right into the classroom; in both the lower and upper school, they're a regular presence on field trips and other activities; and a number of teachers and staff have children at the school.

As a result, I don't hear about a problem my kids have had during a parent-teacher conference a couple months later; I hear about it that afternoon, or the next morning at the latest.

The teachers at Peninsula are often described as having a lot of autonomy, and the fact that kids don't identify themselves by what grade they're in (i.e., "I'm in 3rd grade") but by their teacher (i.e., "I'm in Elizabeth's classroom") shows how much the school as a whole is shaped by teachers. But the flip side of that autonomy is that they're also a lot more exposed to parents than at other schools.

[To the tune of Van Morrison, "And It Stoned Me," from the album "Moondance".]

Technorati Tags: children, freshchoice, Peninsula School

I look forward to the day when real news sounds DIFFERENT from The Onion

I have a theory that the world is collapsing into self-parody. The latest data-point: a report that "a memo distributed" by the office of Georgia state Rep. Ben Bridges "says the teaching of evolution should be banned in public schools because it is a religious deception stemming from an ancient Jewish sect."

Bridges (R-Cleveland) denies having anything to do with the memo. But one of his constituents said he wrote the memo with Bridges’ approval before it was recently distributed to lawmakers in several states, including Texas, California, New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Ohio.

“Indisputable evidence — long hidden but now available to everyone — demonstrates conclusively that so-called ‘secular evolution science’ is the Big-Bang 15-billion-year alternate ‘creation scenario’ of the Pharisee Religion,” the memo says. “This scenario is derived concept-for-concept from Rabbinic writings in the mystic ‘holy book’ Kabbala dating back at least two millennia.”

The memo calls on lawmakers to introduce legislation that would end the teaching of evolution in public schools because it is “a deception that is causing incalculable harm to every student and every truth-loving citizen.”...

Bridges denied writing or authorizing the memo.

“I did not put it out nor did I know it was going out,” Bridges said. “I’m not defending it or taking up for it.”

But he added:

“I agree with it more than I would the Big Bang Theory or the Darwin Theory,” Bridges said. “I am convinced that rather than risk teaching a lie why teach anything?”

That's the spirit! Why teach anything?

Oh, the authors of the memo also contend that the earth is flat, and the whole heliocentric thing is another Jewish conspiracy.

[To the tune of The Rolling Stones, "Anybody Seen My Baby," from the album "Forty Licks (Disc 2)".]

Technorati Tags: education, science

New dollar coins

Wonkette reports on new dollar coins announced by the U.S. Mint:

There have been two flopped attempts to introduce said coins... which have failed not because dollar bills remained in circulation besides them but because they portrayed ladies on the front.

Well, no more! Today, the U.S. Mint, turning to a group that never gets to be on money, is beginning a series of dollar coins with presidential portraits. The coins go in chronological order, four presidents a year, which means that this year we get John Adams, who got some laws passed that made criticizing the president a crime! Thank goodness that will never happen again....

Sacagawea will continue to appear on a few dollar coins minted every year, just as the Native Americans were allowed to continue living on a few small parts of their continent.

Not to get too political, but I look forward to one day having an administration-- of whatever party-- whose actions are actually distinguishable from Daily Show and Onion parodies.

[To the tune of Pink Floyd, "High Hopes," from the album "The Division Bell".]

Hi, I'm in Rolling Stone

I'm quoted in an article by David Kushner-- who writes a regular column about Web stuff-- about futurists blogs in the latest issue of Rolling Stone.

There was a time when getting in Rolling Stone would have been the coolest thing in the Universe, unless I was the last living eyewitness from some horrible accident at a rock concert that killed everyone elise, but spared me.

Actually, even now, it's still pretty damn cool.

Though my wife pointed out that when I really wanted to be in Rolling Stone, they didn't cover blogs. (Ouch. Talk about not wanting to be in a club that would have you as a member.) But even that observation can't dampen my enthusiasm.

Fifteen gajillion more mentions, and I'll have been in as many times as Mick Jagger.

[To the tune of James Brown, "Papa Don't Take No Mess," from the album "James Brown - 20 All-Time Greatest Hits!".]

Technorati Tags: blogging, IFTF

Aretha

I bought Aretha Franklin's 30 Greatest Hits late last week, and have been listening to it nonstop since. (A sign of how good it is: my seven year-old daughter lingers around the computer whenever I had Aretha on, and even asked to borrow the CDs.) Of course, I've heard Aretha Franklin my whole life, and songs like "Respect" and "Natural Woman" are so familiar as to be almost banal (how many wedding DJs don't play those two songs?).

The remarkable thing about this collection, though, is that it manages to make even those familiar tunes into revelations, by juxtaposing them with great but less well-known songs. Listening to the spine-tingling "Ain't No Way" (this and following links go to iTunes), the exuberant "Wholly Holy," or the eye-opening reworkings of "The Weight" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water" puts you in a position to actually hear Franklin's marvelous vocals on "Think" and "I Never Loved a Man." Having a better sense of her work as soul and gospel singer even makes me hear "Who's Zoomin' Who?," which I always regarded as fun in a vampy sort of way, but not a terribly substantial song, as-- underneath the disco arrangement and Donna Summer-like polish-- a worthy successor to "Think."

[To the tune of Aretha Franklin, "Ain't No Way," from the album "30 Greatest Hits [Disc 1]".]

Happy birthday Charles Darwin

When I was in college, a student group printed t-shirts that read, "Celebrate Darwin: Eat a Weakling." One of my history of biology professors protested, countering that this was really Social Darwinism, not something that Darwin himself would have advocated.

Whether weaklings are on the menu or not, happy birthday, Charles.

[To the tune of Roger Daltrey, "Say It Ain't So Joe," from the album "Gold".]

The dangers of early adoption

From my main source of tech news:

Less than a month after the much-heralded announcement of the iPhone, Apple CEO Steve Jobs confirmed that his engineers were already working around-the-clock on the touchscreen smartphone's far-superior replacement....

"When the second-generation iPhone comes out this fall, we want iPhone users to feel not just jealous, but downright foolish for owning such laughably primitive technology."

Jobs also hinted that the second iPhone device would not be compatible with any existing Mac computers, third-party peripherals, or any future Apple products.

Problem with the last paragraph is, you can almost imagine it being true.

[To the tune of José Feliciano, "Light My Fire," from the album "Feliciano!".]

Technorati Tags: humor, technology

Rollerblading

Yesterday I took my son rollerblading, and I stopped at a sporting goods store and bought my own pair of blades. We then went over to Menlo School, and spent a couple hours skating around.

via flickr

My son always always like rollerblading, but he really liked being The One Who Knew How To Do It. And to be honest, he is better than me: that amazing neuroplasticity of 5 year-old brains, combined with a greater willingness to take risks and fall down, combine to make him pretty audacious. I don't fall down as much, but I also don't skate as close to the edge of my abilities as he does. Which means he's probably always going to be better than me.

At dinner later on, he talked about how normally Daddy is the one who teaches him stuff, but when we're rollerblading, he's the one who teaches Daddy. He got a kick out of that.

He actually started instructing me when I was trying out the rollerblades. We were in the store, beside a guy who was trying running shoes and his wife. When I got both blades on and stood up, he stood back and said, "Okay, now go Step Step Glide!"

Behind me I could hear the woman, trying not to laugh out loud.

[To the tune of Bob Dylan, "Señor (Tales Of Yankee Power)," from the album "Biograph (Disc 3)".]

Technorati Tags: children

English breakfast tattoo

As someone who blogs about breakfasts in England, I couldn't help but note this piece in the Guardian:

A 19-year-old today had a full English breakfast tattooed on his head.

Dayne Gilbey was inked with bacon, eggs, sausages, beans and cutlery during the six-hour session.

Mr Gilbey, from Coventry, answered a plea from the tattoo artist Blane Dickinson, who wanted a human canvas for the iconic dish.

The North Wales-based tattooist etched out the brightly-coloured design, which resembles a smiling face, at his local pub The Albion, in Conwy.

[To the tune of Marvin Gaye, "I Heard It Through The Grapevine," from the album "The Very Best Of 60's Gold, vol. 3".]

Technorati Tags: culture

So long and thanks for all the fish

I did an end-of-cyberspace-and-what-it-means-for-products talk tonight for the Silicon Valley chapter of the Product Management Institute. A good time, but I've definitely reached the stage where it's time to stop doing talks, and focus again on writing the book.

[To the tune of Radiohead, "Optimistic," from the album "Kid A".]

Technorati Tags: end of cyberspace, writing

It's funny because it's true

Cats really are like that.

[To the tune of Radiohead, "Creep," from the album "Pablo Honey".]

Technorati Tags: cat, work

Five things, in a bit

I see that Gene has tagged me with that "five things" meme thing. Okay, I'll do it shortly, after I take care of the very last revisions to this STS and futures article I've been working on forever but am now SO CLOSE TO FINISHING, and deal with this talk I'm giving tomorrow at PMI.

Tomorrow is a very busy day for talks: Josh Schacter is speaking at IDEO (I'm sorry I'll miss it), there's some great stuff happening at PARC, and a couple good things over at Stanford. Just one of those days.

[To the tune of Walter Wanderly, "Voce E Eu," from the album "Ultra-Lounge, Vol. 11: Organs in Orbit".]

Finally, a true defense of marriage!

I've long wondered by constitutional amendments to protect marriage haven't also outlawed divorce and denied the institution to couples who don't plan to have children. Now, the AP reports that in Washington

Proponents of same-sex marriage have introduced a ballot measure that would require heterosexual couples to have a child within three years or have their marriages annulled....

The measure would require couples to prove they can have children to get a marriage license. Couples who do not have children within three years could have their marriages annulled.

All other marriages would be defined as "unrecognized," making those couples ineligible for marriage benefits.

At long last! A full-throated defense of real marriage!

After this passes, we can get to work on tightening up dress codes.

[To the tune of The Allman Brothers Band, "Crazy Love," from the album "A Decade of Hits 1969-1979".]

I'm glad I made it out alive

Having just returned from Australia, this (in the Guardian's travel section*) caught my eye:

Australia is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world but its beaches, rainforests and deserts can take a deadly toll on tourists. According to official statistics, 2,433 overseas visitors, including 25 children, have died in the last seven years. Causes of death include drowning, heat stroke and even a jellyfish sting....

[L]ast weekend hundreds of swimmers on three of Perth's most popular beaches were warned to leave the water after a two-metre-long shark was spotted near the shore.

*Maybe Thomas Friedman is right after all!

[To the tune of The Blue Nile, "She Saw The World," from the album "High".]

Technorati Tags: Australia

Different worlds, same shirt

I have a couple 5.11 Tactical shirts that I always travel with. I discovered them three years ago, and I still think they're the perfect shirt.

Copenhagen, December 2004

Oxford, June 2005

Technorati Tags: travel

Get me some of that

Today's Mercury News has an article about company's attempts to influence bloggers with free merchandise, cash, etc.. In December, Microsoft gave away a bunch of PCs loaded with Vista to well-known tech bloggers, and "marketing firms like PayPerPost.com, ReviewMe.com and SponsoredReviews.com routinely dangle cash -- as much as $1,000 -- before bloggers willing to write about a particular product."

The practice is raising the usual ethical questions (should I disclose that I'm getting money to write about this thing?), blog-specific questions (does the participatory nature of blogging make such efforts to secretly buy good press impossible?), and among many bloggers, the biggest question of all: Why haven't they called me? Personally, I'd love to write about my all-expenses paid trip to... just about anywhere, actually.

Though maybe I'm looking in the wrong places. Last week at my kids' school, I had two different people recognize me from the blog. One of them had stumbled upon it while doing research about Peninsula, and appreciated having a view of a place that's hard to make sense of when you're on the outside. I'm not likely to get any new toys out of it, but I suppose one should be grateful for whatever influence one has in the world, expected or not.

[To the tune of Stevie Wonder, "Another Star," from the album "Songs in the Key of Life".]

Technorati Tags: blogging, menlo park, Peninsula School

Sydney Opera House

During my layover in Sydney, I had just enough time to stash my bags and make a pilgrimage to see the Sydney Opera House.

via flickr

I had studied the building in an architectural history class (and recently read a New Yorker article about current efforts to restore it)), but still I was completely unprepared for how amazing it is in real life. For one thing, it sits in one of the most incredible locations imaginable: the site is beside the Circular Quay and ferry building, across from the Harbour Bridge, and in front of the old Royal Botanic Garden, so it's very busy, very prominent, and very beautiful. I suspect only a handful of sites this cool become available to architects in a century.

via flickr

For another, the Opera House itself is much more interesting up close than I expected. I didn't realize how different the three buildings are, nor how their appearance changes as you walk around them.

via flickr

One of the cooler things I saw-- the guys doing the new tile have to rappel up and down the sides of the building, as it's too complicated to scaffold.

via flickr

The Opera House has also inspired some pretty innovative architecture nearby: in particular, a cluster of skyscrapers a few blocks away that I think are a terrific combination.

(Deutsche Bank Place (with the triangular scaffold), Chifley Tower, Aurora Place, and Governor Phillip Tower (the corporate headquarters in "Mission Impossible 2.") via flickr

[To the tune of Little River Band, "It's a Long Way There," from the album "Little River Band: Greatest Hits".]

Technorati Tags: Australia, Sydney, Sydney Opera House