GUIs of 1990

Work today took me in search of information about graphical user interfaces circa 1990.  I came across this time capsule:



Search YouTube for "Computer Chronicles" if you want to shake your head some more at how things have changed.

My lack of posting

While I can, and will, use being in Milwaukee over the holidays as my excuse, there is another reason. As I mentioned here back in October, I was dealing with some medical issues....well, they have reared their ugly head again. I've had 5 more episodes since mid December - 2 of them rather memorable. Since the onset back in July, I've been worried about what would happen if I were driving. Unfortunately, I got to experience that the night before C and I left for Milwaukee. I was able to make it to the shoulder safely, but as C and I switched positions, I had to hold on to the side of the vehicle to keep from stumbling into the closest lane of traffic.

The other memorable episode happened on Monday, sitting on the airplane about to take off. We had just pulled away from the gate when it started. I was very close to having to say something to a flight attendant about getting me back to the terminal or letting me get on the floor - something, anything. I made it through take-off and being able to move about the cabin so I could get to the lavatory. After about 20 minutes, all was well (relatively speaking).

I'm seeking 2nd medical opinions, in fact I started that process today. I'm going to a vestibular disorder specialist and will start a new round of testing. Had the hearing ones today - next up, another MRI.

My dreams of motorcycle ownership are slowly fading....

Could not have been more wrong

I didn't think Favre would be effective: "He's old and he hasn't practiced," I said .  I was wrong; he's been plenty good.  Regardless of what happens during the playoffs, he deserves props for getting the Vikings there.

I remain ambivalent about this season.  The success seems merely purchased or borrowed.  That's probably ridiculous; all the teams' successes are purchased.  But winning with Green Bay's quarterback is just still very awkward to me.

Breaking in Mpls: Lindbergh terminal evacuated -- Updated: NEVERMIND

Can't get to the article on the Strib site due, no doubt, to too much traffic.  Bomb-sniffing dog detected explosive device in luggage.  Screencap for you of main page in the meantime:

Updated at 3:44 pm:  All safe.  No dangerous materials were found, and the airport has been reopened.

Update 1/6/10:  Strib's follow-up story here.  The bomb-sniffing dog alerted on an empty pink bag used by baggage handlers to signal the end of a batch of luggage from a flight.

Speaking of fan videos

Fans have set several of Adam's songs to videos.  Some make more sense than others:

• Pick U Up:  basejumpers and their ilk (Actually, I'm not sure the lyrics of this song make any sense unless you're watching this video)
  
• Broken Open:  firefighters saving cats
  
• Down the Rabbit Hole:  Alice in Wonderland plus cool "fractal " graphic thingees, that are like a digital kaleidoscope
  
• Sleepwalker:  anime
  
• Strut:  Oh dear.  Cats, again.

Update:  A few more:

• Fever:  The Singapore dance school (not yet ordered to take it down)
  
• If I Had You:  Clydesdales and Dreamer Donkey.  Huh.
• Music Again:  Sims.  
• Soaked:  Montage of wet kitties.

Nine Inch Nails community video project

LJ has previously mentioned Trent Reznor's blog and Reznor's thoughts about band marketing.  Today, there's an announcement about the release of a fan video project (Part 1 of 32 starts on YouTube here):

dozens of fans and a network of thousands spanning the entire globe pooled their efforts to create this professional quality ... concert film, and have released it in every format from Blu-ray and DVD to iPod and YouTube.  It combines footage from all three shows and includes DVD menus, bonus footage, a PDF booklet and more.  That something of this scale was produced entirely by fans, on their own time, purely for the sake of giving something back to the community, is absolutely unprecedented.

The result is a full-length concert edit of their Lights in the Sky tour.

(H/t to Adam's bass player (and AMA kiss-ee) Tommy Joe Ratliff who re-tweeted Trent 's tweet about this.)

This is the wave of the future, letting fans create derivative works freely.  (As I opined before, Sony was way off the mark when they made the Singapore dancing group remove their youtube video of the choreographed dance to one of Adam's songs.)  NIN gets it right:  support it, promote it.