12 frogs read think get curious

In the future we’ll live like the Jetsons

I learned this from the Spaceship Earth ride in Epcot, which has been refurbished and is a lot of fun. Geek thrill: man in garage creating the future computers for regular people.

Other things I realized/remembered on vacation:

• Disney employees (“cast members”) must go through the best customer experience training on earth. They are friendly, polite, helpful and they all seem to genuinely care that I’m having a great time.
• It is possible to do public transit well. As compared to Boston’s MBTA, Disney’s vehicles are clean, well-maintained, show up at regular intervals, and arrive where they are supposed to without delays or interference from “traffic up ahead”.
• I don’t need my computer or phone or the television (other than quick checks of the weather channel on mute) on vacation. For me, the whole point is to get away, relax, and disconnect from the daily routine. I’m not worried I’m going to miss something by not checking my email or twitter or facebook; I’d rather not miss the experience I got away to have.
• I’m never going to be too old to want to be told stories. Everything at Disney is a story, and you are surrounded by context that supports it. My favorite show at Disney (and it is hard to choose a favorite, with so many excellent ones, like the Festival of the Lion King) is Illuminations in Epcot. It begins with lit torches circling the lagoon in world showcase, and a booming voice tells us we are gathered “around the fire as people of all lands have gathered for thousands and thousands of years before us… to share the light… and to share a story” — then the torches are blown out, like so many birthday candles. It gets me every time.

musing on data trails

[delicious user tagging visualization by Kunal Anand]

Google is now offering remarketing, a service that means Google ads can follow you across the web.

Facebook plans to share general information with “pre-approved third party websites and applications” by default. Sharing (which includes friend lists) is going to be opt-out.

dataveillance
The systematic use of personal data systems in the monitoring or investigation of the actions or communications of one or more persons
- Roger Clarke

Reaction to these two giants on the web sharing/making obvious they know things about us is causing an uproar in some circles. Yet many of us offer up what is, if you stop and think about it, a staggering amount of information.

Tara Hunt recently surveyed why (and what) people share; turns out many things are available online (home addresses, travel plans) and most who posted private stuff online (tweets from a date, photos of kids, feelings) didn’t delete it afterward — though some thought about it.

Just because something is publicly accessible doesn’t mean people want to be publicized.
- danah boyd in her SXSW keynote

[We Feel Fine scans blogs for feelings]

How can we use all this information responsibly?
What will happen to our data trails when we’re gone?

open your mouth

What I thought about while drinking my coffee today

I’m resisting the urge to look up Sam Lipsyte’s books. I read the interview with him in Gigantic #2 on the train this morning, and it made me want to read his work. But I’m surrounded by unread books. I’ll start looking for his stuff when I go to used bookstores.

I want to use mindmaps more often. Yesterday I took regular notes in a meeting, then expanded on what I wrote down and turned it into a mindmap. Maybe I’ll mindmap something this afternoon.

Too bad class this morning didn’t fix my literal pain in the neck from sleeping on it wrong thing, but nothing’s perfect. One year ago this week, I started doing Bikram yoga. I detest heat, I wasn’t very strong, my sense of balance apparently wasn’t keen, and the distracting chatter in my head was LOUD, so it is surprising I’ve stuck with it. (All that, plus I’ve never been an exercise-oriented person. Couch potato makes it sound like I watch more tv than I really do; mouse potato would be more accurate if I had a mouse, touchpad potato just doesn’t have the same ring.) I’m stronger, more flexible, and it is the best thing for stress I’ve ever done. Added bonus: I lost weight without being miserable or feeling deprived. Go yoga.

I’ve decided to try and hate spring less this year.

I just got UPPERCASE suitcase series book of Camilla Engman’s work and I adore it. I am a bit jealous regarding her dog, whose picture I’m looking at.

I bet Camilla Engman’s dog does not vomit on the floor for sport or spite like my cat just did.

My next camera-related toy will be the Diana lens. Yes, I’m going to stick a cheapo (relatively) plastic lens on my DSLR. I will learn more about exposure and it will be fabulous.

I believe we are about to get extra karmic bonus points for going out to do errands in the rain.

I should write more.

I want more coffee, but I’m past my cutoff.

The rant I am not writing

I am not writing a rant because people I would rant about might find my rant on the web and get offended.

Or people I know will assume that I mean them, when in fact I do not mean them, and get offended. Also: some of the people I know would be offended if they figured out the rant was not about them.

This makes the ranting less fun.

The point of a rant is to be outrageous or funny or vicious and not fucking apologize afterwards. Now that we’re all socially networked, ranting is harder to do.

Help me, the internet is making me act like a grownup.