Mosshead

map your run and share it

This is for you A -

Steve Cholwiak of SemiFluid has posted detailed instructions on a DIY GPS mapper that he built to map his runs.

After you’ve mapped your run, you can head over to mapmyrun.com and upload the gps files into it so others can get a preview of your running route before trying. No more exploratory runs on vegetation-free concrete trails.

Add comment January 28th, 2007

Burda Style - Open Source Sewing

I’ve aspired to sew things in the past, but my pj bottoms which I accidentally hemmed inside out are a pretty good testament to my sewing skill. Nonetheless, I’m almost motivated to try again just so I can play more with BurdaStyle

BurdaStyle seems to be taking an open source approach to sewing from patterns to techniques. I imagine this could become a great way for indie designers to grow a following. There aren’t very many patterns on the site yet, but there probably will be. Sewers are a dedicated bunch I hear.

Add comment January 26th, 2007

myspace experimentation

So, I recently rediscovered my login information to myspace and started playing around with it when a friend forced me to. It’s kind of fun. Unfortunately in a moment of pure geekiness, I chose a regrettable permanent url but oh well. If I ever decide I need to impress non-geekiness upon anyone, I’ll just set up a non-geeky glamor account.

I’ve had fun looking up old friends (the few on myspace anyway) and finding out what they’ve been up to. Years ago, I played around with classmates.com … it was less than satisfying when it became clear that perhaps I had lost contact with people because we didn’t have much to talk about (I mean, what does an atheist, childless lesbian have to say to missionaries, new parents and homophobic republicans?). I can go to a family reunion for all of that.

MySpace is a little different because you can spy on people to evaluate whether you want to reconnect; Aside from the skanks, it seems a lot of people on MySpace are probably actually doing stuff that makes it handy to maintain an online network.

In any case, I think my favorite thing about MySpace is discovering new music and movies.

Add comment January 25th, 2007

collaborative knowledge networks

This is an interesting project hosted by MIT to study how collaborative networks develop and function. Maybe I’ll order the book for myself after christmas
http://www.ickn.org/

Add comment December 19th, 2006

a sour taste

badmouth: “to speak unfavorably”

defamation:

• a false accusation of an offense or a malicious misrepresentation of someone’s words or actions
• aspersion: an abusive attack on a person’s character or good name

I once had a friend who was in the habit of badmouthing people. Maybe it was the irresistable entertainment value, maybe he really couldn’t think of any other way to carry on a conversation. But one day I called to invite him to dinner and his voice had that special quaver it would acquire when unexpectedly interacting with the subject of a badmouthing rant. I never called him again, he never called me and that was the end of that!

The problem with badmouthing is that it becomes a habit of communication. The shock value becomes a comfort zone, a lazy communicator’s easy route to finding common ground with people they’re not comfortable getting to know. It’s a lack of creativity, an amateur comic’s cheap joke, an interaction devoid of any real content or meaning. It’s a false common ground.

So, why am I thinking about this today? Well, because I was badmouthed by someone I hardly knew … with whom the few conversations I’d had consisted of me listening to her. She was angry because I had done free speculative work for her and her husband’s business and when the requirements of their project kept changing and we couldn’t agree upon a contract I took it as an opportunity to decline further commitment to their project.

I don’t know, maybe badmouthing is a boomer thing. Kind like suing people is kind of a boomer thing. Boy is she lucky I’m not a boomer.

Add comment December 4th, 2006