2020 Hindsight

Merry Isthmus!

Panama weather forecast:

Canopy Tower- A Nature Observatory in the Panamanian Rainforest. Sleep in the Canopy! Lucious!

While emailing to make reservations to stay there, I got into a conversation with the person who runs the place. He'd like to be able to update his website faster than he's able to do so at the moment. I'll be giving him a demo of Manila, that's for sure!

Some Other Panama links.

• Panama Canal Web Cam

• Panama Map

• Lonely Planet's Facts About Panama
  

  The currency is the US Dollar, which is called the "Balboa"

• Traveller's Reports on Panama

• Panama's beaches

• EscapeArtist:Travel & Tourism in Panama-lotsa interactive maps

It's back, hooray!

The network is back. Goodie. Yesterday's outage was good for me to get lots of stuff done. I handed in the last huge chapter (on Deep Texture Editor, for those of you who know more about Bryce than the average bear), and am doing the unthinkable today--trying to turn around a chapter in 24 hours' time. Believe it or not, it's gonna work, too. 3 pm-ish UPDATE I believe in miracles! The text is done. A few images to finish up and then that's behind me. Whew! Whew! and double-triple-quadruple Whew!...

Fortunately, a book on digital landscapes takes up the question of nature, and what happens out there in the world and how to reproduce it in Bryce. Natural and geological phenomena aren't dependent on software revisions. No matter what the version of Bryce, mountains are formed the same old way: volcanos, compression, expansion, sedimentary layers and erosion... Otherwise, with each new version of the software, I'd have to be covering Geology 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0 .. and, of course, the dot-rev bug fix, Geology 4.01

Today's also a get-everything-done-and-stay-up-all-night mode. I leave for Panama tomorrow.

I'm taking my computer with me. I'm taking my digital camera with me, too. I've checked out digital cafe sites in Panama City. But I reserve the right to live in the moment and abandon this site altogether for the time I'm gone!

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Interview with a Search Engine. Presumably the responses are real ones

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Fortune Cookies Fortunes From a couple of days ago: "Love what you do and money will follow." Today's: "You have a deep interest in all that is artistic." Pretty right on! Though isn't the saying "do what you love" rather than "love what you do"? Ironic for someone who's in the throes of finishing a book for which, well, "love" is not the right word. grrr!

Oh the luxury! Guilt-free reading! Fiction. Yummy. None of that damn non-fiction. I've been writing it; I sure as hell don't want to read any of it. Give me a story, a page turner! If there's enough time, I'm gonna slip out this evening and go to a bookstore and buy a book. The bookstore book is in addition to Focault's Pendulum, Garret. Hmmm.. Salon's been recommending books. I wonder if any of those titles are in paperback?

Trashing da place Gee, all this whirlwind work-- my house is a mess. My brother's going to be staying here to attend a conference in the LA area (alas, he can't make it down to the wedding in Panama). I was thinking about apologizing for the mess, but he works for a dot-com startup and has become well-acquainted with push-go-push-go lifestyle, so I guess no apology is necessary. ; ) (okay, okay, I will apologize anyway!)

Alleluia, Alleluia!

Happy Easter!

I got back a little while ago from a 6am Easter Vigil. After yesterday's reflections on traditions and ceremonies, this morning I took part in what is the most ancient tradition of the Christian Church--The Great Vigil of Easter.

The vigil begins in darkness; make your way inside and find a place to sit. Then fire is kindled at the door of the church. It is the light of the resurrection, of the conquest of death, and the flame will burn continuously in the church from this moment until it is extinguished at the end of Maundy Thursday a year from now.

(Fun note: at the episcopal church that I went to in the next town over, the Rector --main priest-- is a part of that little town's volunteer fire department. So, peering back down the aisle and watching him kindle the flame, I smiled at the fact that it was a *fireman* who was doing so.)

That light comes into the church, and from it, we all light our candles. Then, in candlelight, we hear readings about God's workings in human history, starting at the creation of heaven and earth and all living things, to Moses leading the children of Israel through the Red Sea, to Ezekiel's vision of the valley of dry bones that were made whole again with flesh and skin and finally the breath of life. (oh, and one or two more, but even when you're there and paying attention, are you ever *fully* paying attention?)

After hearing of the creation of life and travelling on dry land through a sea, and a resurrected valley of bones-made-back-into-living-people, there was a baptism. It wasn't limited to the person being baptized, afterwards, the whole congregation got sprinkled with water from the baptismal font.

...and then the loud proclamation--the Rector shouted it: Alleluia! The Lord Is Risen. We all responded: The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia! That was followed by a song during which we all rang bells--little hand bell jingle bells that people brought, and the tower bell on the church ringing and pealing--a joyous cacophany.

There were more readings, a homily, prayers, and Holy Eucharist (communion, the Christian adaptation of the Passover meal). Then there was one final triumphal song with bells a-ringing once again.

I love the sensory richness of the great vigil. It is literally a feast for the senses: sight (candlelight, easter lilies, festive white-and-gold garments for the priests, everyone in Easter finery), sound (silence, chanting and singing, readings, bells, prayers), smell (incense!), touch (holding candles, wishing one another God's peace), taste (bread and wine). The elements are there: fire and water and air (smoke) and earth (stone and wood walls of church).

...then a decadent breakfast, fit for breaking a lenten fast, and then home....

I see from other logs that it's a nice sunny day elsewhere... it's gray here, but getting brighter. I hope the sun does break through.

In the meantime, back to work for me; got things to finish up before I leave for Panama.

Happy Easter -- however you celebrate it, may it be a feast for the senses!

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The Paschal Homily of St. John Chrysostom -- an ancient (4th Century) Easter sermon that is read every Easter in Orthodox churches.

I've been reading about various Passover observances in these weblogs. I've never attended a Jewish seder. Maybe next year? Next year in Jerusalem!

Easter Fires Heh... Scott Hanson recounts an Easter fire run by a volunteer fire department.

African Juxtaposition

This week I've read two different magazine articles, from two different perspectives, that address a common region in the world-- Africa. Scientific American has an article, Care for a Dying Continent . Salon is carrying a story about the publishing of a sumptuous two-book set of photographs of African traditional ceremonies, along with an interview with the two authors, Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher.

The SA article focuses the AIDS situation on Zimbabwe, centering most of its story at a clinic where both AIDS research and treatment occur. HIV is widespread; at the clinic, there's about a 40 percent HIV-positive rate among the women being tested. With an infection rate that high, Zimbabwe is facing the premature demise of a generation of adults.

One of the research partners at the clinic, Chipato, "also fears for the future of his country. 'Fifteen years from now it is going to be a very young population' in Zimbabwe, predicts the quiet 42-year-old with the disarming gaze. 'Most of my contemporaries are dying out.'"

On the opening spread, there's a picture of an orphaned family-- six children without parents. If a generation of adults dies, what is lost? What doesn't get transmitted to the next generation?

This is the thought I had in the back of my mind while I read the Salon interview with Beckwith and Fisher, the two photographers. They spent 10 years visiting among several different groups of people, photographing their ceremonies. They spent lots of time with the people, gained trust, and connected deeply with the people they photographed. Here's a story of what happened at the conclusion of a ceremony:

When we came to leave, the chief came running behind us, scooping up sand from our footsteps, and he took this sand and he put it into a little leather talisman pouch over his heart, and said to us, "If I wear your footsteps over my heart, I know that in this way you'll return to me again." We've been back about 15 times since then to visit those Wodaabe nomads.

Their greatest lessons -- there are vital things that a culture contributes to the life of its people -- are presented as a contrast between Africa and the Western world. They have valuable things that we lack. But their discussion poignantly highlights what is the deeper tragedy of the demise of the adult population in Zimbabwe.

Fisher: We've realized that the ancient cultures of Africa, the still-whole belief systems, are very important in life. We've realized that one of the most important things is the passing on of knowledge from one generation to another, the benefit of elders in a community, where you can really learn from people who have lived and experienced and who can guide you through life.

When a part of the world so keenly values the communication of tradition and wisdom from one generation to the next, it makes the decimation of the population through AIDS all the more horrific.

Of course, having spent so much time in Africa, they've experienced things that are not communicated to the west. We always get the bad news in the press.

Africa has had some amazingly bad and horrific situations, but behind that, it is an enormous continent, and you're really hearing only about the small pockets of disaster areas. There are hundreds and hundreds of cultures that aren't suffering from these at all, and are leading probably more prosperous, in one sense of the word, lifestyles than we are in the Western world. In Africa, the sun is always shining. And on top of that, people really enjoy laughing -- I mean, people really laugh every day.

Each article is definitely worth the read, but taken together, the whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts.

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Sprezzatura has some good fotos, links and observations about Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

Good Friday

BryceTalk Lives

The Rumors of BryceTalk's death have been greatly exaggerated Since I was the one responsible for widely circulating rumors of its demise, I'd better correct my lies and mis-statements! :D I'm not up early enough in the morning (or late enough at night) to get ahold of anyone at Corel when they're at their desks and answering their phones. (they're 3 hours ahead of me)...So getting in contact with anyone's been slow going, thus far. I've gotten through by email, though, and this was the answer to my question about BryceTalk:

"You can all relax because nothing will be dropped (including BryceTalk)."

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Snail Mail report The latest Red Herring has a nice photo essay of all the equipment that bits travel through on its way from a wireless fone to a web-based transaction on the stock market

There once was a lady from Brewster Scientific American's May backpage article is the contest results--the Limerick that best illuminates the paradox of Schrodinger's cat. Here's the honorable mention:

I'm asking you, please try to delve this,

I'm asking you, please, do not shelve this,

Re Schrodinger's cat

Don't you recognize that

It's quite like the status of Elvis???

--Crosby Lewy

Also in that issue 2D liquid turbulence.. build your own soap bubble liquid turbulence-generating experiment. A soap bubble stretched taut! aHA! It's also online!

The first time I heard this story it was around the 4th of July, 1996. Car - Rocket - Burnt out brakes - Crash - Darwin Award. Truth is stranger than fiction and this looong story tells the tale that begat the myth. The event in question took place around 18 years ago. I laughed till I cried! (really!) [via The Other Side, a blog by a person named Kitchen, of no known relation]

A rose by any other name Kitchens seem to be topical these days... The Kitchen mentioned above, Scott Kitchen (oooh! Initials SK... S. Kitchen! weird! so familiar and yet...and yet....). The Curmudgeon mentions a person named Kitchener and wonders if he and I are related (no). And today's story about online journalists feeling slighted by their second class treatment on the Presidential Digital Divide tour mentions a person named Mark Kitchens, head of Internet news for the White House. [via OJR] So, am I related to the head of Internet News for the White House? No.. Tho people named Kitchens seem to be from the south (my Grandpa Kitchens grew up in Alabama), and one person named Kitchens whom I met was, in fact, from Arkansas. Maybe this Internet News guy is related to that Arkansas Kitchens I met one time.

Walter's Wiggles I remember those switchbacks. I also remember some really interesting rock formations there to look at while you catch your breath. Andrea and André's trip to the top of Angel's Landing was on a fairer-weather day than when I went. What a view!!

Pondering Poultry John Van Dyk is thinking about chickens. A list of chickenish items is there. After walking under a freeway bridge while talking with a friend, I've got another answer for the question, "Why did the chicken cross the road?" "Better cell fone reception."

Lorum Ipsum Bullshit Bingo New Greeking: Hyperwords for Hypertext. [Via Zeldman]

Five Years Ago Today. . .

Five Years Ago Today in Oklahoma City, that bomb went off. Here's a recollection of one, small, quiet heroic deed from that morning.

Einstein Last night, a friend gave me this quote:

"The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of

thinking we were at when we created them."

-Albert Einstein

Wants Pawn Term Waldo wondered how the Ladle Rat Rotten Hut story I posted yesterday was recited/typed from memory. Here's some background behind it.

Ladle Rat Rotten Hut

(what is she saying? Read along below!)

Wants pawn term dare worsted ladle gull hoe lift wetter murder inner

ladle cordage honor itch offer lodge, dock florist. Disc ladle gull orphan

worry ladle rat cluck wetter ladle rat hut, en fur disc raisin, pimple

cauldron "Ladle Rat Rotten Hut."

Wan moaning, Ladle Rat Rotten Hut's murder colder inset, "Ladle Rat Rotten

Hut, heresay ladle basking winsome burden barter an shirker cockles. Tick

disc ladle basking tudor cordage offer groin murder, hoe lifts honor other

itch offer florist. Shaker lake! Done stopper laundry wrote! Done daily-doily

inner florist! Done stopper pick floors! An yonder nore sorghum stenches,

done stopper torque wet strainers!"

"Hoe cake, murder!" respendent ladle gull. Den sea tucker basking an

sea stuttered oft.

Honor wrote tudor cordage offer groin murder, Ladle Rot Rotten mitten

anomalous woof. "Wail! Wail! Wail!" set disk wicket woof. "Effervescent

Ladle Rat Rotten Hut! Wares or putty ladle gull goring wetter ladle basking?"

"Aroma goring tumor grammar's" reprisal ladle gull. "Grammar's seeking

bet. Armor ticking arson burden barter an shirker cockles"

"O hoe!" setter wicket woof "heifer gnats woke!" Butter taught tomb shelf,

"Oil tickle shirt court tudor cordage offer groin murder! Oil ketchup

wetter letter an den or bore!"

Soda wicket woof tucker shirt court tudor cordage offer groin murder.

Whinny raft adder cordage, E picket inner windrow an sore dat pore oil

worming worse lion inner bet. Inner flesh disk bloat-Thurdsay omminal

paunched honor pore oil worming and garbled erupt. Denny put honor gnat-cup

and gnat-gun an curdle dope inner bet.

Inner ladle wile, Ladle Rat Rotten Hut araft adder cordage offer groin

murder an rancor dough ball. Ping Pong! "Comb ink, sweat hard!" setter

wicket woof, disgracing is verse.

Ladle Rat Rotten Hut entity bet rum an stud buyer groin murder's bet.

"Ah grammar!" crater ladle gull. "Wart bag icer gut! A nervous sausage

bag ice!"

"Batter lucky chew whiff doll ink!" setter wicket woof, wither wicket

small honors phase.

"Ah grammar!" crater ladle gull. "Wart bag noser gut! A nervous

saw suture anomalous prognosis!"

"Batter day small ewe whiff!" setter wicket woof, ants mouse worse waddling.

"Ah grammar!" crater ladle gull. "Wart bag mouser gut! A nervous saw

suture bag mouse!"

Daze worry un forger nut gull's lest warts. Oil offer sodden, trolling

offer carvers an sprinkling otter bet, disk curl an bloat thursday woof

ceased pore Ladle Rat Rotten Hut an garbled erupt!

Mural: Yonder nor sorghum stenches shut ladle gulls stopper torque wet

strainers.

Anomalous.

From Anguish Languish, by Howard Chase.

Cloudwatching Kinda Day

Today's a Cloudwatching kinda day. Big, billowing cumulous clouds, whiter than those that expended their energy pounding us with rain yesterday, last night (nice electrical storm!) and this morning.

I'm working with printed-out manuscript that I'm judicously scribbling on with red pen. It's portable; perhaps I'll go someplace with a nice view and work.

A Gem! A Gem! A Furry Tell, as they say in Anguish Languish. QuickTime required. Don't say you weren't warned. This is me, telling a story... from memory, into the trusty built-in microfone of my powerbook. If you don't understand what I'm saying, you can read the typed words, which may help--or not. Those, too, were typed from memory. Some have said that they don't exactly coincide. I hope, if you discover the spots where they diverge, that it will be a further source of amusement. Because I'm not gonna change it!

Oh what a beautiful day Take a simple corner outdoor mall. Focus only on the beautiful snapdragons, green trees, clouds and Mt. Wilson in the distance (yes! There's a bit of snow up there!). Ignore the parking lot and cars.

Today I give thanks for landscapers that put such nice color in the little flower beds in public spaces. When that brilliant white spring sun shines from behind the flowers, they glow.

Gray Monday

First it was gray. Now it's raining. I took a walk before it all started coming down. The jasmine's putting forth buds...not too long before they bloom. :D

Conversations taking place in 5-7-5 form I got a haiku from Firda at Weblog Wannabe (thanks!):

Haiku from the duck

For 20/20 Hindsight

Here I deliver

And Yeah, but! (like, totally) A Follow up to another conversation... If you caught the conversation that Kate and I have been having over the weekend (thanks for the compliment, Kate; I wasn't fishing for it. Really!), you may appreciate this one by Julia Hayden: Language: The Ultimate User Interface. [via ngfl] Word.

André and Andrea do Bryce! Of the canyon, Bryce (the Mormon settler for whom the place was named) said, "It's a hell of a place to lose a cow."

More Southwest Trippin' The site of a book on The Grand Canyon, explored by raft: The Hidden Canyon. There's a small online photo gallery. Sweet.

The MMADL may not like this (What is the MMADL? The Mickey Mouse Anti-Defamation League.) Say it in unison: pooooor Mickey. Awwwwww.

Now they may understand better my reluctance to contribute to the MIB database (MIB is the medical information bureau). San Jose Mercury News: Doctors shaken to find personal data on the Web. "The blunder -- the second time home addresses of doctors were posted on the Web -- occurred after a public records database of the more than 100,000 physicians licensed in the state was sold by the medical board to the Pacific Business Group on Health, which in turn sold it to New York-based Health Pages."