notes.unsay

3 New Things I Learned From Wikipedia

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 22:55:10 -0600

"I mean… the reason I don’t blog is that it’s inherently self-promotional and I want to maintain the..."

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 23:34:11 -0500

“I mean… the reason I don’t blog is that it’s inherently self-promotional and I want to maintain the fiction of humility.”

- Nicholson Baker (who was great last night at NYPL Live) (via christmasgorilla)

Lovely.

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:48:26 -0500

Lovely.

Dick Masterson

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 11:03:00 -0500

I spent time reading Dick Masterson’s website Men Are Better than Women tonight after seeing a video link to Dick on Dr. Phil from November 2007. I couldn’t help but think, “Is this guy a cross between Tyler Durden and the pathetic narrator”?

Fight Club has a primal manifesto. Dick does too; he’s raking in the poker chips. His book is available in hours, he had a segment on Dr. Phil and he doesn’t have a Wikipedia page? Come on. Maddox and Tucker Max do.

People think Dax Herrera is a genius for creating Dick (akin to Maddox and Tucker). Yeah, Dax has the patience to pull the prank — especially since he’s known in the search engine field — to all but disappear and reappear as someone else. Because other peoples’ excitement over Dax’s joke and the web’s long tooth, it seems to expose Dax as as Dick Masterson.

The humor is found in people who can’t see through the joke. In a similar vein, Sacha Baron Cohen does brilliant work as Borat. The joke requires the audience to suspend disbelief — a foreigner from a relatively unknown country could have any set of social norms or mores. This device makes Borat excusable. Dick Masterson is not. It is a subtle and significant difference.

Satirists and humorists like Tom Lehrer and T.D. Mischke talk about subjects that make them uncomfortable. These are the misfits; the geniuses. People who make fun of what other people find uncomfortable succumb to an easy cliche. Maybe that’s Dax’s savvy; knowing his market. Unfortunately, it is not a stretch for a search engine marketer — I doubt Dick made him uncomfortable.

Yet another strange and manic wonder, sans Merlin.

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 21:32:00 -0500

Yet another strange and manic wonder, sans Merlin.

Merlin is on, but so very off.

Sun, 06 Apr 2008 00:18:01 -0500

Merlin is on, but so very off.

"As you may already know, the cows in Argentina are grass fed, and their flesh is rich with the..."

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 23:50:10 -0500

“As you may already know, the cows in Argentina are grass fed, and their flesh is rich with the happiness of grazing on open hillsides. The steak here is so savory that it connects with the base of your brain, releasing a hormone that makes you instantly indifferent to the plight of cows. Argentine steak is the very best reason to have teeth.”

- http://mightygirl.com/2008/04/04/8-things-to-taste-in-argentina/

I used to be funny, quotable and honest.

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 23:38:00 -0500

I used to be funny, quotable and honest.

A Happy Moment

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 23:25:00 -0500

When I watched American Chopper on TV, I never understood where all the tricked-out motorcycles went. After one week in Arizona, they are within a two mile radius of me, give or take a block. Then there are the “normal” bikes — the Harley’s — and only one crotch rocket. His cool factor must increase somewhere north of dirt bike central, Mohab.

This afternoon, I pulled up alongside a biker at a stoplight in my car, which is cool somewhere north of Lincoln, Nebraska. His beard was very ZZ Top, less the drivel.

Even though I don’t like ZZ Top, I liked how when he took off, his beard flew back like dual straights on either side of his cheeks while hearing the sound of a Harley and thinking, “potato, potato, potato.”

Tonight, I read a blog post by a guy who is a known for his contributions to web technology. A...

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 23:39:39 -0600

Tonight, I read a blog post by a guy who is a known for his contributions to web technology. A couple years ago, I quit reading his blog because what seemed to be regular self-righteousness.

After having a reprieve, I can’t help but feel disgust. He seems more concerned with his current status…that he knows other people know what he’s done for the web.

It’s the artists and creators who do things because they need to create that have more respect for. His legacy would live on wonderfully if he didn’t tarnish it. It’s become pallid silver and one I don’t care to apply Barkeep’s Friend to.

Three Sheets

Sun, 27 Jan 2008 18:21:54 -0600

When celebrities answer the telephone and it happens to be the wrong number, do they carry on a conversation just to feel normal?

The Sugar Complex

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 21:05:00 -0600

I had yet another married woman say I’m cute, funny and wonder why I’m not taken. It isn’t a science. To be all three, you need to be a triple threat — cute, funny and taken. It’s my understanding men are infinitely more attractive when they are taken. It’s the whole, “they’re spoken for, so they must be something.”

Or, they want to be nice by giving me an acidic compliment. It oozes sweetness, but as it burns, they actually mean “What is wrong with you?”

Then one wonders, can one fake being taken and host your skeletons on the porch and hand them lemonade? I guarantee it would remove doubts about my triple-threat potential.

So I logged into my Flickr account, where I post on a regular basis. Yes, annual is regular by all...

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 19:18:00 -0600

So I logged into my Flickr account, where I post on a regular basis. Yes, annual is regular by all intents and purposes.

There were a bunch of contacts I made prior to Flickr being Flickr — when it was Game Neverending. I haven’t talked to any of them, nor looked at their photos in oh, 3 years?. It was time to revoke friend and contact status.

From this point forward, I’m not longer friending anyone because. I’m cleaning out my inbox as the GTD folk say.

There is one criterion:

you are a friend in real life

I think it should help keep my social networks on the up-an-up.

It is done. I retired my use of the word w00t.

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 18:55:00 -0600

It is done. I retired my use of the word w00t.

Looking at the fresh snowfall, I can’t help but wonder about the person who suggested each...

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 11:50:18 -0600

Looking at the fresh snowfall, I can’t help but wonder about the person who suggested each snowflake is unique. Don’t they realize it all turns to dirty slush in a few hours?

Not Sure What Prompted This

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 23:20:00 -0600

I did a search for unsavory words in my email history. In over 4,500 emails I’ve kept for various reasons, this is how it breaks with me compared to everyone else:

B word

Me: 3
Them: 2

S word

Me: 9
Them: 3

F word

Me: 11
Them: 0

Jeff: Hi.

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 18:42:00 -0600

Jeff: Hi.
Me: Hello.
Me: You know, when you instant message me, it's always a pleasant surprise.
Me: Nobody ever says "Hi." in IMs.
Jeff: You should be online more then you could lead a happier life.

Right, Right

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 18:31:00 -0600

Movie critics have two jars. On their right, “BUBBLES” is etched in Univers on leaded crystal. To their left, “FINGER” is carved in Futura Extra Fucking Bold on pure obsidian. They spend hours effervescing and grouching on notecards. Then, when they see a movie and write the review, they reach in the appropriate jar and pull out something which is all sorts of clever.

Sometimes, I wish I had an accent. When I try, people ask, “Why does it sound like everything...

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 13:47:00 -0600

Sometimes, I wish I had an accent. When I try, people ask, “Why does it sound like everything you say is a question?” It’s because I don’t know what I’m doing.

Once again, there comes a time in a man’s life where he has to make a decision. On one hand,...

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 22:27:00 -0600

Once again, there comes a time in a man’s life where he has to make a decision. On one hand, I’m sleepy. On the other hand, I’m sleepy. Do I write? Do I read?

Reading will put me to sleep, even though it is Killing Pablo, the story of Pablo Escobar and his Colombian drug cartel. It is fascinating and very good at helping you wake up in the morning.

Writing on the other hand, will produce tangental thoughts I wonder about in the morning. Right now, it’s a desire to sing Billy Joel as spoken word.

And now, I need a lullabye. I think William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy singing Put a Little Love in Your Heart will do the trick.