MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2002 - The Corner of Charles and Commercial
The 5:30 sun put a bead on the sweet spot between my sun visor and the view over the steering wheel as I waited to turn left. I inflated both cheeks and exhaled, drumming my thumbs on the wheel, half listening to the radio. My feet were hot in my shoes.
The light turned yellow but I had to stop short as a kid on his motorized Razor scooter cut between an oncoming car and me; the beginning of a smile crossed his face. But before safely across, he hit the sidewalk's lip which sent him chest first into a telephone pole, and then smacked the concrete with a hollow thud. He jumped to his feet to assess the situation.
Too late, friend, all coolness points awarded for the dick move were promptly revoked.
I laughed really hard before taking the left turn on green. Christ, it's good to be alive!
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, 2002 - Music Preferences: 1980 - Present
Music can jar the most vivid memories capturing events and thoughts like a time capsule. I remember emotions, visual imagery, and even smells-- all associated with the music that I was listening to at one time. Here's a jaunt through my musical past.
1980 -- Kenny Rogers, ABBA, Blondie
Since I did not yet have front seat priveleges, my choices remained relegated to the confines of the Adult Contemporary spectrum of the dial. My parents loved Solid Gold.1984 -- Rush, Led Zepplin, Ozzy Osbourne, Def Leppard
My friends' older brothers heavily influenced my tape collection. I struggled between old and new schools of rock music, luring me with wailing guitars and rock star showmanship. I wrote all over my book covers and Trapper Keepers in that blasted Def Leppard font. You know what I'm talking about.1987 -- Erasure, Depeche Mode, House Music
In my impressionable teens, I danced to the pulsing beats of electronica with Korean-only friends. They introduced me to this thing called alternative music, and we made every excuse to dance to it. That notion is so painfully absurd now, I wince while writing this sentence.1990 -- REM, Pixies, The Cure, Industrial Music
My friends took me to live club venues and showed me how to hold the smoke in without coughing. At Sound Warehouse, I made $3.50 an hour honing my more-alternative-than-thou attitude as Jane's Addiction briefly hit the mainstream.1992 -- Smashing Pumpkins, Ministry, Public Enemy
I exploded with suburban angst-ridden rage where anything "hard and mosh-ible" would do. I actually wasn't angry at all. I had a car, attended a private college, and my parents gave me a $500 a month allowance. But hey, I was entitled to that.1994 -- Lush, My Bloody Valentine, Oasis, Belly, Liz Phair
Brit Pop holds a special place in my heart, especially the ethereal sounds of chick fronted bands and shoegazers. I started a band called Butterfly Soup, but later quit citing creative differences. We sucked.2000 -- American indie bands, the old jazz masters
Though loads of fun, all the time and energy spent following music was essentially wasted. I go back to the basics.2002 -- Chemical Brothers, Zero 7, Dirty Vegas, Trance
Electronica comes full circle as I find myself wandering the aisles of Boston's new Virgin Megastore, thumbing through the Chill Out category. I'm tempted to bust a move, but clarity grabs hold. Mercifully, my dignity and the patrons are saved.
TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2002 - The Invisible Web
Apparently the majority of the Internet remains hidden behind a door called the Invisible Web. As much as 9/10 of the actual information lies dormant, tucked safely out of the spider's reach.
Two reasons explain this. The first is that much of the data is locked up in databases that generate dynamic pages, i.e. you input data and the page spits out the results. Spiders are not smart enough to extract this kind of data; not to speak of the infinite combinations of data query possibilities.
Secondly, dynamic pages written with scripts are all but ignored by spiders, though it's technologically possible to crawl them. Spiders avoid pages which may contain poorly written script, or those intentionally designed to trap them.
As if the data pollution wasn't bad enough; it's suddenly 900% worse than previously imagined.
* * *
Increase the effectiveness of your search queries by adding the word "database".
ex. plane crash database
MONDAY, JUNE 17, 2002 - Conflicted
Given that I was really conflicted during the USA vs. Korea match, the outcome could not have been more perfect (1:1 draw). Not so with Italy vs. Korea. May you kick the hell out of those pretty boys. Go Red Devils!
My mother couldn't be bothered. She just wants her country back. Sports-mania drives her bonkers.
* * *
Game: June 18, 7:45 am EST
MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2002 - Swingin' bachelor
When Jen goes away, I look forward to having the house to myself. I do bachelor things, using all available media simultaneously: watching TV, playing CDs, and surfing the Internet. I eat every meal out of a take-out box and drink straight from the soda bottle like I'm ten.
Before her return, I'll comb the house with the sweeper team, eliminating all evidence of what transpired here only days before. By tomorrow, it'll all be out of my system, and eventually, free-time gluttony will wear thin.
She's going to be gone for eight more days. Fuck!
MONDAY, JUNE 3, 2002 - Three moments today
During the fog of first wake, I shuffle past my wife towards the coffee maker-- she already warming her hands around a mug. Both of us sip quietly.
I wipe my palms on my thighs when the dentist comes in. Tom Petty's American Girl plays in the background, and I think of Silence of the Lambs-- what's playing moments before the Senator's daughter is obducted by Buffalo Bill.
I find forty bucks in my pocket
