how now brownpau
If you’re in the Philippines, don’t have access to a credit card, and are looking for cheap webhosting, check out DreamCodeDesign. I think those are pretty good prices for a locally hosted Filipino blog page.
(And sorry to the folks at DreamCode for my inadvertently leaving up some archived negativities even after the owner was so nice about it all. :)
Via blogs4God: “The Twinkies Project.” I haven’t had this much fun since the Exploding Coke Bottle.
Spaceweather.com: “Sunspot 87 has developed a twisted delta-class magnetic field that harbors energy for powerful solar flares.” Doesn’t that sound like something Mr. Spock would say after looking through the mysterious blue eyepiece on his science station? Astronomy rocks my socks, man.
“Shop 2000,” aka “Tik Tok Easy Shop” — that’s the name of the giant robot convenience store that sprouted up in DC on 18th Street near Adams Morgan. And guess what, surprise, surprise: it’s a McDonald’s project. The official website, and some commentary on MeFi.
Black guy, well dressed in slacks, polo, and necktie, comes running down Inner Harbor, asking passersby where the nearest Rite Aid or CVS Pharmacy is. As he reaches me, I tell him that there’s a CVS at Lombard and Light.
Closed, he replies.
Rite Aid on Broadway Street at Fells Point, then, I tell him, but he says it’s too far, and this is an emergency. He’s had a flat tire, needs a tire jack for his car, where his kids are waiting. He says a passing policeman took him to a gas station, but he had forgotten his wallet at home, and the gas station would not take a personal check from him for the amount needed — $5.88. He has $2, can I spare $3.88?
I don’t have the change for 88 cents, but I do have exactly $3 of loose bills in my pocket. I give them to him, frowning. This isn’t some sort of modus operandi, is it?
Spreads his arms, palms out, to show that he is decently dressed. Aw c’mon, look at me, he says, I’ve just had a bad day. Thanks, man, I’ll get the 88 cents somewhere. Look, he says, I work at <forgot the address> if you drop by, I’ll give you back three dollars. Thanks.
He walks off. I only then realize that he isn’t sweating or breathing heavily from his exertions. Well, it is a cold day. But… why would he leave his kids in a car with a flat tire? In Downtown Baltimore, of all places?
I walk towards home, in the opposite direction. If it’s a scam, I mutter to myself, I fell for it: hook, line, and sinker. Oh well, three dollars poorer, an experience richer.
Story of my life.
An hour earlier, I gave a quarter to a beggar asking for change among the tables at Harborplace Food Plaza, then sternly told him off when he asked for more. Minutes later, a couple at another table gave him an extra plate full of onion rings, for which he thanked them. And thanked them, and thanked them, and thanked them.
Perhaps God was telling me something.
Lovely weather! We’re down to 62°F in Baltimore, and the rain’s going to be continuing in bursts through the week. This is the first time I’ve had to turn on the electric heater by my bed. (And to think I was worrying about having to endure Manila-like heat all through September.)
Orientation and Enrollment Day for incoming grad students dawned cold and rainy, but there were pastries and hot coffee at the welcome. I was quite relieved to find that Digital Art students get a relatively loose schedule: three core subjects and an elective, taking up three days out of the week at most. The graduate computer labs are brimming with G4’s, iMacs, and sound-and-video editing stations — but sadly, no WiFi. Still, many prayers were answered today; I think it’s going to be a good year. More soon.
Today was my last day of full time work for Tobacco.org. Tomorrow, I’m going to MICA for orientation and enrollment. Next week, I start the long road to my MA. Hopefully my schedule will give me a couple of days out of the week to keep working. Otherwise I’ll have to go the year without any food.
Hmmm, I wonder who else is going to MICA…
Speaking of which, I hear a major name change has been in the works.
The blogs4God folk have been talking about this BlogMD Initiative for a couple of days now, and I thought it worth a Blogroots post. The “metadata standards” concept still eludes me, however; it sits just across the border of my experience between art and tech. I imagine it has something to do with integrating the data we transmit about our blogs and our blog posts, and how meta-content portals gather and interpret that data. Well, since this is a metadata initiative and not a “content watchers” proposal like the old JesusJournal fiasco, then it sounds pretty darn good, especially if it leads to more effective trackbacking apps and better meta-content portals. Check it out.
