I liked Wired better when it was a magazine. Like, a 1.0 magazine that I bought at the Stop-n-Go at the corner of Westheimer & Montrose because it was like nothing I had ever seen before. A magazine that talked about things I always knew but yet had never heard about. A magazine that, after subscribing I kept every issue of until it was time to move and I checked eBay and it wasn’t worth anything and I threw them all away except for the first year (when it was issued bi-monthly). But I kept the 2.01 issue because it was the Douglas Coupland Microserfs one.

There was a long debate on whether a magazine about being (un)wired should really be made of paper in the first place; shouldn’t this be on the world wide web (as it was called back then) instead of being tethered to the ancient art of printing? With the content it was delivering, shouldn’t it be presented in a medium of its own preaching?

This was 1993. I don’t think I had internet access then. Did you? If you did, it was probably through Prodigy or a very young America Online. Remember them? I know I had email in 1994 and maybe Wired had something to do with that pushing me into this realm.

In the late 90s Wired’s online offerings were an odd web-search portal and a bunch of other crappy linked sites. This was before they started offering the same content as the published magazine, because then nobody realized you could actually publish content online and still be profitable. This was before The Bubble.

Their ace in the hole, however, was suck.com. Using original content not found in the magazine, it represented a new approach to online offerings, very sharp, slight of hand and tongue in cheek. While the content was the hook, it featured illustrations by the brilliant Terry Colon.

All was good until the bubble burst right about when everybody knew it would. Wired was bought by Conde Nast who turned it into the U.S. News & World Report of the technology world. While I can’t compare today’s printed edition (do they still do that?) to the online site (suck.com was killed in 2001—pop!), it’s basically a here-is-today’s-news boring CNN format. Along with Conde Nast’s purchase came lots of reader demographics research so now they assume all wired.com’s readers are hipsters and dorks. What do articles about mountain biking or Seth Rogen’s latest movie have to do with Wired’s philosophy on technology, privacy, hacking and digerati? Not much, I’m afraid.

Rubitone = Rubik’s Cube + Pantone.

Concept by Ignacio Pilotto. Unfortunately, not intended to be a commercial product.

The forecast for yesterday was rain: showers in the morning, showers in the afternoon. I kept a watchful eye outside and it does look wet and windy. Drat. I was hoping to avoid taking an umbrella with me all day but it seems a necessity now. I had a six-block walk from my arrival bus stop to the Corcoran for Todges’ (Todd Hodges) gallery show and silent auction and didn’t want to arrive wet.

It hit me on the bus that I didn’t know the faces of the friends of Todges’ that I have been talking with on the phone and emailing to/from for the past month. Will there be nametags? Will we have to publicly introduce ourselves?

As I Twittered yesterday, I decided to listen to Madonna on the bus ride over, as Todges was just about the biggest Madonna fan I’ve ever met. And I’ve met some big fans. The Madonna music was to continue throughout the day, played at the ceramics studio and the restaurant.

I arrive at the Corcoran where I immediately run into Robert (Bob) Devers, Todd’s ceramics instructor. Todges and I went to a showing of Bob’s work in March 2007. Bob had a picture of of me and Todges together that he had hung up in the ceramics studio, above the chalkboard. So I guess we’ll always be looking down on the studio which is kind of nice.

After speaking with Bob briefly the introductions to other people starting flowing, even people I had never met. It was a warm and friendly reception which I was thankful for. Some people had landed here on futurejunkie during their google searches so they were a little familiar with who I was.

The main reason for this reception was the silent auction of Todges’ ceramic pieces. Todges had given me a piece of his work, one of his rattles, that is a devil on one end and the Virgin Mary on the other. I was thinking I would bid on a companion piece. I really wanted to get a piece titled “The Gunslinger” but I was afraid that it seemed so fragile and might end up being broken as I don’t really have a place to display it. So I didn’t bid on anything, I’m just going to keep the piece that Todges gave me and I think that means more.

During the auction I was able to meet Tip, Todges’ #1, and Steven, Todges #2. I had spoken with Steven on the phone and it was nice to put a face to his voice. He offered me a ride over to the memorial service and I was glad that I wouldn’t have to try and find a cab in the rain.

At Finn & Porter’s, where the actual service was to be held, I was introduced to more friendly folks, Myrna and Todges’ mom, Pat. Myrna is a warm soul and first met Todges like 16 years ago or something. She told me about how, after moving here from Panama, Todges opened up her eyes (and eventually her family’s) to people of all kinds without prejudice or discrimination. How’s that for a legacy? But most importantly, I was able to meet Todges’ mother and receive a little more information on T’s last days, his upbringing and lots of other pieces that filled in the puzzle.

I had originally felt guilt when I heard of Todd’s passing, that maybe I wasn’t being as good of an ex-boyfriend and current friend as I could have. But after speaking with all these people and hearing the same story from everybody, it comes down to Todd not wanting people to know how sick he was, including his own mother and his current roommate. I guess some people have the advantage of being able to take themselves out of the game on their own rules and this is what Todges did. So this eased my mind a little.

And this was something totally Todges: in the center of the buffet table was a four-foot Gucci ice sculpture, complete with vodka shot shoots for two. Practically everybody got in on those action eventually, to the point where instead of running back and forth from the bar for shotglass refills the bartender brought the bottle over and stuck it in the ice. We all thought that Todges would think that it was fabulous.

Presiding over the ceremony portion was the minister? chaplain? spiritual guidance advisor? who was with Todges at GW Hospital while he was in ICU. In addition to her comforting words, she ended with these words, quoting the “great philosopher”:

You must be my lucky star
Cause you shine on me wherever you are
I just think of you and I start to glow
And I need your light and baby you know

You must be my lucky star
Cause you make the darkness seem so far
And when I’m lost you’ll be my guide
I just turn around and you’re by my side

You may be my lucky star
But I’m the luckiest by far.

Here’s info on Todd Hodges’ memorial services happening today.

Celebration and Gallery Display
Saturday, October 25th at 1pm
Corcoran College of Art+Design
500 Seventeenth Street NW
Washington, DC 20006
202-639-1801

• Please use the ‘E’ Street Entrance—FYI—there is only ‘one’ entrance on E Street—look for the ramp and metal doors. Ring the buzzer and tell the guard that you are going to the Hodges reception in “ceramics”. This will be a very informal reception with a display of Todd’s work with a silent auction of his pieces. Wine/cheese will be served.
• Parking/Public Transportation: the Corcoran is just a few blocks away from metro stations: Farragut West: on the Orange/Blue lines (take the 17th street exit) and Farragut North: on the Red line (take the K Street exit). From either station walk south on 17th street to the Corcoran. Parking near the Corcoran: There is plenty of metered street parking available in the area from 9:30 am to 4 pm daily.

Memorial Service and Reception
2:30pm (approximate as we will be coming from Corcoran)
The Embassy Suites at the Convention Center
Finn and Porter Restaurant—Private Dining Room
900 10th Street NW, 
Washington, District of Columbia
202-739-2001

• Valet parking is available at the hotel for $5—mention you are going to event at Finn and Porter. 

Memorial Fund
Corcoran Gallery of Art/Corcoran College of Art + Design
Attention: Development Office/Janice Marks—enclose letter or add to memo line: “M. Todd Hodges Memorial Fund”
500 Seventeenth Street NW
Washington, DC 20006
Contributions can also be made online through the Corcoran’s website: http://www.corcoran.org/campaign/gift_tribute.htm

Everybody knows I’m an Apple fanboy, even if I do go off on rants about my problems with my iPhone.

My first experiences with Macintosh computers was, like many of us, in college (am I showing my age here?). I can remember writing papers in MacWrite and wanting to actually lay out the page, move things around, and was frustrated that I couldn’t. Of course, I didn’t know Pagemaker existed then, and we wouldn’t have had it at school anyway. I was using a word processing program instead of a page layout program. 

I also fooled around with MacDraw, filling in circles and squares with garrish colors and silly patterns, but wanting the ability to “punch” objects, manipulate their shapes, etc. Basically, I wanted to hand draw on the Mac. 

Upon entering the workforce after graduation, I discovered Pagemaker 4.0, FreeHand 2.0 and Photoshop 2.0. The angels sang. Now I could do what I wanted to do with this little box.

Meanwhile, other offices were getting something called Windows and I saw it and it was ugly and made no sense. I stayed with my Mac and have had them every since. 

Now stay with me here. Proposition 8 in California is a voter referendum on the ballot this fall that denies equal rights of marriage to everyone in the state. Many, many, many people have stated their opposition to this and are asking Californians to vote NO on Prop 8 on election day.

Today, Apple has stepped up to the plate. The statement from their Hot News page:

No on Prop 8
October 24, 2008

Apple is publicly opposing Proposition 8 and making a donation of $100,000 to the No on 8 campaign. Apple was among the first California companies to offer equal rights and benefits to our employees’ same-sex partners, and we strongly believe that a person’s fundamental rights — including the right to marry — should not be affected by their sexual orientation. Apple views this as a civil rights issue, rather than just a political issue, and is therefore speaking out publicly against Proposition 8.

Makes me wanna run out and buy a new iMac.

Lookey at what I found walking home from the gym last night. These posters are mounted to the hiding wall of an empty lot on Pennsylvania Ave, SE. After having dinner with Melba at La Lomita we went back and carefully pulled out staples to steal one each.

There’s only two weeks to go in this seemingly endless campaign that has been going on. Regardless of the outcome we will be able to wipe the slate clean, and start rebuilding our divisive animosity and disdain for one another anew.

If the Democrats win, the Republicans will continue to mask their bigotry and lies behind Fear Of A Black Planet, while Democrats, and probably the rest of global civilization, will go down in a fiery demise after McCain dies in office and Sarah Palin starts shooking nukes out of helicopters across her backyard toward Russia. Live out your own apocalypse.

It’s a lose/lose situation.

I wish my family shared the same political and social beliefs I have. I’m the one that defected from them though, so they aren’t really the ones to blame. I’m the traitor in this situation.

It would be easier, however, if we saw eye-to-eye on any one thing. The fact that we don’t puts up communication barriers to most things with the exception of light banter. I always know it’s time to end the phone conversation with the weather is brought up. In a familial gathering, I usually sit quietly, waiting for their bigotry talk to end or the departure time for my train, whichever comes first. I’ll let you speculate as to the outcome of who wins that grudge match.

We don’t discuss politics in my family, or at least we never used to. Maybe I wasn’t around during campaigns for those college + years while I lived in Texas and therefore didn’t hear them. But then Fox News didn’t exist then either, drilling it into their thinking during every waking moment.

Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve been burning my Netflix DVD movies and then watching them at a later date, just so I can make the turnaround time to get those DVDs back. I’ve racked up about 15 movies yet to watch so it may be time to slow things down a bit and get a television series. I’ve found these don’t cycle-thru as quickly, as there’s usually 4–5 hours of watching per disc. Previously I’ve churned through Six Feet Under, Space: 1999, Queer As Folk, Mary Tyler Moore, U.F.O., Ab Fab and Little Britain to name a few.

Which of the following shows in my queue should I watch with a vengeance next? I’ll leave this open for a week, and then whichever has the most votes I’ll push up to the top. Please vote only once.

For the past few weekends, my sleep patterns have not been normal. I don’t know if I should be concerned about this or not.

In my younger years I was always the one that slept until noon on weekends, but now regardless of what time I go to sleep the night before, it seems I’m awake at 7 or 8. It sucks. Sometimes I can fall back asleep and doze for a bit, sometimes not.

Last week, similar to yesterday, I could not stay awake after 6pm on Saturday. This entails falling asleep on the couch watching tv and then waking up around 11 or midnight, and then not able to fall asleep until 4 or 5 in the morning, on early Sunday. Yet again a short sleep and then I’m up again by 10. It’s wreaking havoc on my weekends; it doesn’t seem like I’m getting anything accomplished.

call the police there’s a madman around
uncertainty reduction theory
we are given angry hearts, but anger’s not enough
there is still time
double-cross the vacant and the bored
engine 987000
soviet satellites
inspector detector
artistic interpretation vs artistic representation
cough my filthy yogurt
231.0 mb 
shuffle with a shoeshine
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