As we stroll along together
Holding hands, walking all alone
So in love are we two
That we don’t know what to do
So in love
In a world of our own
—So Much In Love by Timothy B. Schmit
24 August 2005, late at night
Last time I was at HMV, I picked up the 80’s classic Fast Times at Ridgemont High. At first glance, the film looks to be some generic 80’s teen flick, but once you start watching it you realize it is much more. The film has a stellar cast. The film is probably most famous for the scene in which Phoebe Cates steps out of the pool wearing a red bikini. Jennifer Jason Leigh gives an amazing performance in the film, playing a 15 year old growing up a bit to fast. The film captures the idiocy of high school perfectly. Cameron Crowe, who wrote the screenplay, apparently went undercover in a high school to do research for a book that would become this movie. This is one of those films everyone should see.
Reviews of Fast Times at Ridgemont High at Rotten Tomatoes.
[1] Movies
24 August 2005, lunch time
Nerd Alert: A little bit lot more on this topic of the future of the web, and then I’ll shut up and start posting about movies I’ve watched again. I read over what I wrote yesterday, and for the most part it sounds like my objection to the WebOS is simply because it is a stupid name—not so, I think it’s a stupid idea too.
Read the rest of this post. (725 words)
[3] Computer Science | Technology
24 August 2005, the wee hours
I liked March of the Penguins. I’m a fan of documentaries, and this was a very cool documentary. The film basically follows the mating ritual of the Emperor Penguin. After watching the film, I have a new found respect for penguins. The film is very picturesque. The cameramen did a great job on the film, and some of the shots are absolutely gorgeous. Morgan Freeman narrates the film, which adds a serious amount of melodrama to the movie. The film is funny, and at times surprising touching. This is an interesting movie for sure, one I’d recommend people see.
The March of the Penguins web site.
[4] Movies
23 August 2005, early evening
There are several things I find thoroughly suspect or outright stupid in Jason Kottke’s post on the WebOS. I’ll write a longer post later. I had to say something now, as I feel dirty reading all this quasi-computer-science. Briefly: Kottke describes at great length his vision of the “WebOS”, which requires another OS to run. Awesome.
Perhaps I am being unfair. Maybe he hasn’t posted about how his vision of a WebOS will run the file system, perform memory management, schedule tasks, handle network communication and perform a slew of other tasks that operating systems perform. Or, perhaps I am being totally fair, and Kottke doesn’t know much at all about what he is talking about.
The Web browser (along with other browser-ish applications like Konfabulator) becomes the primary application interface through which the user views content, performs services, and manages data on their local machine and on the Web, often without even knowing the difference. Something like Firefox, Safari, or IE…ideally browser agnostic.
Kottke talks at length about the WebOS, when what he is really describing is the top most layer we as users typically deal with when working with computers: shells or window managers.
You don’t need to be on a specific machine with a specific OS…you just need a browser + local Web server to access your favorite data and apps.
If you think what Kottke describes is revolutionary, than you will definitely want to read all about XUL. What Kottke calls the WebOS is already here. Or, if you want to be a little bit boring, Sun already invented the WebOS, only they called in Java.
I wonder how Kottke expects his web server and browser to run. Magic? If you still need an OS, what is the point? This doesn’t shake things up for anyone—least of all Microsoft.
update: I was going to write more about this, but the comments are already full of interesting stuff. I may write about this topic another day, only next time i’ll be a little bit less snarky. Just a bit.
update: I’ve written a bit more about this topic: Open Standards are the Future.
[14] Computer Science | Technology
21 August 2005, evening time
Joint Security Area is a Korean film set in the demilitarized zone that separates North and South Korea. I had expected the movie to be an action film, but it is infact a bit of a mystery. A South Korean soldier escapes from the North Korean side of the demilitarized zone, killing two soldiers and wounding a third in the process. At the start we don’t know why he was there, or what the true circumstances of the situation are. The film is quite good; I liked it a lot. The very last shot is excellent. Overall the film is a bit melancholy. I think it is well worth watching.
Reviews of Joint Security Area at Rotten Tomatoes.
Movies
21 August 2005, evening time
Yesterday evening, I went to Centro with Carvill and Mezan. We went because we wanted something to eat. That’s usually why people go eat, but I would imagine most people have better reasons to go eat at a place like Centro than simple hunger. It was the sort of restaurant you would take a date to if you wanted to impress her; the sort of place you might go with a group for a friend’s birthday. It didn’t strike me as the sort of place you go just because. I suspect one of the biggest reasons I am so broke-ass is because I spend a lot of money eating out, way more than a normal person should. Mezan and I discussed our poor spending habits while paying the bill. I think the new plan henceforth is to eat Pho whenever we want to eat out.
All of that said, Centro was amazing. Everything about the place was excellent. The lobster spaghetti which I had was top-notch. Mezan really liked his venison. I think Carvill was fairly indifferent about her gnocchi, though she did enjoy her smoked salmon tartar appetizer quite a bit. The deserts came in sets of 3 for $12, and the three we picked were particularly yummy. The ambience of the place was great. We were seated downstairs in the lounge, which was a nice venue in its own right The upstairs looked great, but were told we would have had to make reservations earlier than we did—15 minutes before we showed up. Finally the service was amazing. I don’t recall going to a place where they pamper you as much as they do at Centro.
Centro is probably one of the nicest restaurants I’ve been to in the city.
[3] Restaurants and Bars
20 August 2005, the wee hours
Chun-Yi: Legend of Kung-Fu opened in Toronto tonight, and I thought it was amazing. The show is part Kung-Fu, part dance, part acrobatics, all mixed together quite seamlessly. Shima and I showed up a few minutes late, so when we were escorted in to the theatre the show and just started, and we had to watch the first portion from the back. The aisles and stage were lined with Chinese dudes doing Kung-Fu. It was awesome. The show basically didn’t let up from the start till the end. The transitions between scenes were just as impressive as the scenes themselves, usually involving 20 odd people performing some crazy martial arts sequence. I am not sure how long the show is running for, but I think it is well worth checking out before its run is up.
Life
17 August 2005, lunch time
Broken Flowers is the latest film to star Bill Murray as a confused older man. I love Bill Murray; I hope he keeps doing these subdue sorts of roles. The film follows a man, Don Johnston, as he attempts to track down the women who sent him an anonymous letter saying he had a long lost son. Being a Don Juan of sorts, there are several women that could have sent the letter. Jeffrey Wright plays Winston, Don Johnston’s next door neighbor who is also a wannabe detective, and he is hilarious. Each of the actresses gives a good performance, each playing a women confronting a past flame. They all react differently to his return, some more welcoming than others. The movie ends somewhat abruptly, which some people may not like. Personally, I think the whole movie works well. This is something you should go see.
An article on Broken Flowers in Salon.
Movies
16 August 2005, lunch time
Will you join in the battle to build the Great Society, to prove that our material progress is only the foundation on which we will build a richer life of mind and spirit?
There are those timid souls that say this battle cannot be won; that we are condemned to a soulless wealth. I do not agree. We have the power to shape the civilization that we want. But we need your will and your labor and your hearts, if we are to build that kind of society.
Those who came to this land sought to build more than just a new country. They sought a new world. So I have come here today to your campus to say that you can make their vision our reality. So let us from this moment begin our work so that in the future men will look back and say: It was then, after a long and weary way, that man turned the exploits of his genius to the full enrichment of his life.
—Lyndon B. Johnson, Great Society Speech
I wonder if America can recapture the ideals it once had, or if it has become so arrogant and confident in itself and its stature that it can’t see any of its flaws. (Actually, I don’t wonder these things at all, I have an opinion I’m sure those who read this site are well aware of.)
I’ve been reading The World is Flat, which I am enjoying immensely. The book’s premise is that technology has made the world flat—that is to say people from any part of the globe can collaborate with one another easily and cheaply. We can see this today with the growth of labour markets in the developing world. Anything that can be turned in to a stream of digital data can be worked on from anywhere in the world. And the reality is that this work is going to be sent to those places that can do it the best, and for the best price.
This is good for those of us in countries currently outsourcing work because it should free up our labour pools to do exciting new things. Well, that’s the idea anyway, things are never that simple. A society must provide a way for its citizens to improve their training and education. More than that though, citizens have to be willing to adapt and improve themselves. It isn’t enough to be average anymore, because there is a world full of above average people ready and willing to do your job. There was a time when we in the west were insulated from the East, but that time is coming to an end.
So, back to my original point. I think the end of the American empire is near. Friedman, author of The World is Flat, is fearful of the fate of America and tries to suggest ways in which America can turn itself around. His ideas are all interesting and valid, but I don’t see them being implemented. America doesn’t have a Lyndon B. Johnson or a John F. Kennedy who is willing to marshal the collective energy of the country and put that energy towards improving the society as a whole. And, as far as I can tell, many American’s themselves do not want to do such work.
Of course, America has all the guns, so we’ll have to see what happens.
[7] Comics and Books | Current Events
15 August 2005, the wee hours
There are a few bands whose passing I really do lament. One such band is Portishead. Everytime I listen to their albums I hope that they will get back together and make a new album. It probably won’t happen. Apparently both Beth Gibbons and Geoff Barrows don’t get along all too well. Least they made two really good albums before parting company.
Did I see a moment with you
In a half lit world
I’m frightened to believe
But I must try
If I stumble if I fall
I’m reaching out in this mourning air
Music | Lyrics
11 August 2005, early afternoon
Richard Stevens was the author of several classic textbooks on computer networks and programming; he wrote the TCP/IP Illustrated series, in addition to Unix Network Programming Book and Advanced Programming in the UNIX Environment. Steven’s passed away in 1999, but his web site is still online today. I’ve been reading it the past few days while trying to find information on dealing with UDP packet loss. His conversational, friendly, style of writing obscures the fact that he has been dead for 6 years now; it’s a little strange. There is a lot of interesting stuff on the site. He has links to obscure Usenet posts, interesting because they provide context to papers I have read or subjects I have seen in textbooks. For example, the paper Congestion Avoidance and Control by Van Jacobson is mentioned as a work in progress in the following two email messages: Re: interpacket arrival variance and mean and Re: Your congestion scheme. Interested in implementing software timers in C? You may want to check out Implementing Software Timers by Don Libes. Steven’s site is definitely worth reading through if you are in a particularly geeky mood.
[6] Computer Science | Comics and Books
So much on my mind that I can’t recline
Blastin holes in the night till she bled sunshine
Breathe in, inhale vapors from bright stars that shine
Breathe out, weed smoke retrace the skyline
Heard the bass ride out like an ancient mating call
I can’t take it y’all, I can feel the city breathin’
Chest heavin’, against the flesh of the evening
Sigh before we die like the last train leaving
—Respirations by Blackstar
11 August 2005, late morning
The Globe and Mail published an article today on Canadians’ desires for a more ‘secure’ society: Canadians want strict security, poll finds. I need to look in to this more, since the poll results seem so contrary to what I would expect.
Even after this Arar mess, “62 per cent of respondents believe Canada should give the U.S. ‘any information they request about Canadian citizens whom they suspect of being terrorists.’” What? Who were they polling?
81% of the respondents support “Deporting or jailing anyone who publicly supports terrorists or suicide bombers.” Well, that probably describes the vast majority of the Tamil community in Canada — assuming the LTTE are still on Canada’s terrorism list. From what I can tell, many Iranian immigrants in Canada support the MEK. Canadians polled seem to think is is reasonable to ship these people back home? Also, with respect to the wording of the question, when would a suicide bomber not be considered a terrorist?
72% of people want video cameras filming public spaces? What demographic wants to live in a police state? Apparently some demographic I didn’t know existed in Canada.
I don’t know why I’m getting worked up over a poll. Can you feel my righteous indignation? I need a coke.
ed. I made this a proper post, not just a quick link.
[3] Current Events
10 August 2005, lunch time
Shima and I are now the proud owners of The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs. Jacob’s now lives in Toronto—respect. I don’t know much about planning, so reading the introduction to the book was enlightening. It sounds like Jacobs really dug in to the established planning academia. I wonder if her ideas are in use some 30 years later.
So far I have learned that one of the earliest modern planning movements was the Garden City movement, fronted by Sir Ebenezer Howard in his book Garden Cities of To-Morrow. The idea was to basically move people out of the cities into sparsely populated baby cities with big green belts. Two cities were built using this model: Letchworth and Welwyn. I spent my childhood in Welwyn Garden City, whose name now has much more meaning for me.
So far the book has struck me as well written and well thought out.
There is a quality even meaner than outright ugliness or disorder, and this meaner quality is the dishonest mask of pretended order, achieved by ignoring or suppressing the real order that is struggling to exist and to be served.
[2] Comics and Books
7 August 2005, early afternoon
“Sorry we can’t let you in, it’s past two.”
“But our friends are in side.” I replied to the first bouncer.
“Sorry those are the rules,” he replied right back. The Drake is quite tight ass on the weekends.
“Dude, you’re skinny,” a second bouncer interjected. He had an afro. I’ve met him before. We both have the same zip-up FCUK top.
“What?”
“Want a cookie?” he asked.
“Uh—sure,” I replied. I like chocolate chip cookies as much as the next guy. “This is a pretty good cookie. So, can you let us in?”
“Hell no. It’s two o’clock.”
And so Yathavan and I sat outside of the Drake hotel for 10 minutes or so, waiting for Rishi, Constantine, and James to come out. I chatted with the bouncer who gave me the cookie for a few minutes. It turns out he is dating a friend of a friend. It was a long day for me; I had been to: the Danforth for the Taste of the Danforth festival, Little Italy for Drinks, Harbourfront in a vain attempt to see Born into Brothels at the South Asian Festival, Carvill’s house to eat, Laura’s house for some drinks and to see Heather off, Neutral to listen to some British music in a somewhat dank bar—all before finally end up at the Drake Hotel. The day was long but fun.
For the record: you can’t do much in Toronto after two, but trying to go out is still fun.
[10] Life | Restaurants and Bars
As soon as we lose the moral basis, we cease to be religious. There is no such thing as religion over-riding morality. Man, for instance, cannot be untruthful, cruel or incontinent and claim to have God on his side.
—Gandhi
4 August 2005, lunch time
Cyranet has greeting cards I can see a lot of my friends enjoying. For example, I could see Tyler mailing this out to someone: I am sorry for making fun of your music. I am a closed-minded snob who happens to have good taste in music. A lot of the half apology cards are quite good. I’m sure these would come in handy: Fashion Collateral Damage, Huff-breaker, Jocular to a Point, Shot in the Dark.
Interesting Links
3 August 2005, the wee hours
Dave lent my V for Vendetta, a graphic novel that will soon be turned in to a major motion picture. Alan Moore has had some bad luck with adaptations of his books, and has disavowed himself from all further adaptations of his work, but this new film looks like it will be quite good. The comic is amazing. The story is set in a totalitarian British state. V is the protagonist, a man dressed up like Guy Fawkes, who is attempting to bring down the government. I would say the comic is an excellent introduction to fascism. This is definitely a graphic novel worth reading, probably considered a classic by people who read more comics than myself.
Comics and Books
1 August 2005, late evening
Dave lent me Bottle Rocket, the only Wes Anderson film I had yet to see. Bottle Rocket was Anderson’s first film, and was also the acting debut of both the Wilson brothers. The movie is very good. The film basically is about a bunch of incompetent thieves. I particularly enjoyed the side story between Luke Wilson and the cleaning lady Inez. Bottle Rocket has all the style of a Wes Anderson film, albeit unpolished. The movie is quite good, and I recommend you watch it.
Probably the official Bottle Rocket web site.
[1] Movies
1 August 2005, late evening
Suspect Zero was a pretty unremarkable film. Not particularly good, but at the same time not particularly bad. It was a very bland film. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it for the most part. Ben Kingsly plays a man who was trained by the FBI as a ‘remote viewer’, someone who can see what is happening somewhere far away. He witnesses one too many serial killers killing people and goes crazy. The film follows two FBI agents trying to track him down. The film is kind of spooky. If you are stuck for something to rent, this might be worth checking out.
The official Suspect Zero web site.
Movies
But most of all, above everything else, who in the Bible besides Jesus knew—knew—that we’re carrying the Kingdom of Heaven around with us, inside, where we’re all too goddam stupid and sentimental and unimaginative to look? You have to be a son of God to know that kind of stuff.
—J.D. Salinger from Zooey
29 July 2005, mid-afternoon
A forum was held to discuss the voting ‘irregularities’ in Ohio during the last election. This months Harper’s has a great article on the subject written by Mark Crispin Miller. A summary and discussion of the article is taking place at Democratic Underground. It’s almost embarrassing how corrupt the Republican party is.
update: The article is online now: None Dare Call it Stolen.
[1] Politics | Interesting Links
29 July 2005, the wee hours
How could this great-grandfather be so horrible, I asked my mother, as to cruelly make maman bozorg a co-wife? Why was it allowed at all?
Maman explained that in the Koran, it says that a man can take more than one wife on the condition that he treats all of them exactly equal. Their quarters must be furnished with equal elegance or simplicity; he must spend an equal number of nights with each. But what about love? I asked. How can he love them equally in his heart. He can’t, she said. The heart doesn’t work that way. And that’s why men should never, ever, have more than one wife. Because the heart is not docile, can’t follow literal instructions, can’t be cordoned off like a garden—this grove for the first wife, this for the second. Sooner or later, emotions blossom or wither in places they shouldn’t, and the pretense of heart boundaries collapses.
I’m pretty sure Azadeh Moaveni is actually talking about the conflict between her American and Iranian identities in this passage, and the difficultly she has reconciling her love/hate relationship with both. Lipstick Jihad was much better than I ever thought it would be. Though Moaveni is writing about her experience as a member of the Iranian diaspora, the book should appeal to anyone interested in the immigrant experience in general. I can’t recommend the book enough.
[2] Comics and Books
28 July 2005, lunch time
I have to change the password I use to log in to the mail server at work every X number of days. I have only been using Thunderbird for a short period of time, so I haven’t had to change the password in Thunderbird till today. Thunderbird is a nice enough mail application, but it is still marred by some pretty obtuse design issues. How do I change the password I use to log in to the mail server? Well, the short answer is:
In the menu, select Tools > Options…, click on Advanced, expand the Passwords section and click Manage Stored Passwords. Select the site/username line you want to delete and click Remove. When done, click Close and restart Mozilla Thunderbird.
The next time you try to check your mail you will get prompted for a password.
The password you use to log in to a mail server isn’t one of the settings in the server settings dialog box. There isn’t even a hint that the passwords are stored in the advanced tab of the options dialog box. I suppose most people won’t need to change their mail server passwords often, but this seems like particularly a poor way to go about doing so.
[5] Technology
