Friday, June 16, 2006
Just a few hours till I fly…
…I hope my arms are up to it.
I thought I’d just take the last few minutes before I’m computerless again to make some points of interest. It’s of no mystery to anyone that I like the internet, and that me and the internet have enjoyed a torrid love affair ever since getting dial-up all the way back in 98 (high speed followed very soon, but that’s besides the point). Now, the internet is a vast array of information and communities spanning the globe although we’re probably censored in China.
The point that I’m dancing around ever so delicately, not because it’s a touchy point but that I just like to dance delicately, is that it’s a very small world after all. It’s true! For example, I have posted to a message board that is pretty well going the way of becoming defunct because of the administrator’s lack of participation, but I have enjoyed some verbal jousting with a few of the participants involved there. It turns out that one my adversaries there lives in Edmonton. Isn’t that weird? Isn’t like the amount of internet users spanning the globe something like a billion? And here he is living in Edmonton just a stones throw away from me. Of course that stone would have to be thrown by superman, but none the less he is still rather more close to me that, say, someone who lives in Nice.
With odd like that, it just reinforces my faith in the lottery. If you pick six different numbers out of a possible 49, the odds of your six number combination being picked is one out of a possible 13983816 combinations. A professor of mine put it this way: it would be like if you lined up 13983910 red Skittles and six green ones randomly placed in that line, blind folded yourself and then walked up and down that line choosing six Skittles without looking and getting only green ones. Of course, seeing as the average skittle is approximately one centimeter across that line would actually be almost 14 kilometers long, but you get the point. I’m pretty sure the odds that one person that I’ve spoken to on the internet lives practically on my doorstep is worse than me winning the lottery, isn’t it? I could be wrong, but let me live in my dream world.
Another piece of interesting news is that I’ve re-discovered an author that I used to read constantly when I was a child and early teen. My grandma actually introduced me to him with a series of books that she gave me for one of my birthdays. His name is Craig Shaw Gardner, and like most of the prominent authors out there, he has his own website. Actually, even not so prominent authors have websites. Actually, any hack with an index finger has a website. Heck, I have one. But that’s beside the point. Craig has a website and he keeps a blog as well which allows for people to comment (just like mine, hint hint). The cool thing is that I’ve posted comments, as ludicrous as they are, on his blog, and he’s answered back. Just like normal folk. Not like that Neil Gaiman http://www.neilgaiman.com/ guy whose also a fantastic author but too good to answer how much money he’s got in his wallet at this very second and would he like to take a pony ride with me. Hmph! Anyway, Craig’s cool. Yeah!
Also learned a bit of sad news in my internet perusal. I went over to Phil Vischer’s website and was saddened by what I read. Phil was the founder of Veggietales, and although the franchise is still around, his company, Big Idea Productions is long since bankrupt and gone. It’s a long read, but if you’re interested, click on Phil’s name above to go to his website to find out how some big ideas can turn on you. It saddens me because Veggietales was such a big part of the kid’s, and my own, entertainment when they were younger. Oh well, things happen for a reason I guess.
Well, I’m cheering up by the second because I’ll be leaving on a jet plane really, really soon. And yes, yes. I have been humming and singing THAT song…Ciao for now!
I thought I’d just take the last few minutes before I’m computerless again to make some points of interest. It’s of no mystery to anyone that I like the internet, and that me and the internet have enjoyed a torrid love affair ever since getting dial-up all the way back in 98 (high speed followed very soon, but that’s besides the point). Now, the internet is a vast array of information and communities spanning the globe although we’re probably censored in China.
The point that I’m dancing around ever so delicately, not because it’s a touchy point but that I just like to dance delicately, is that it’s a very small world after all. It’s true! For example, I have posted to a message board that is pretty well going the way of becoming defunct because of the administrator’s lack of participation, but I have enjoyed some verbal jousting with a few of the participants involved there. It turns out that one my adversaries there lives in Edmonton. Isn’t that weird? Isn’t like the amount of internet users spanning the globe something like a billion? And here he is living in Edmonton just a stones throw away from me. Of course that stone would have to be thrown by superman, but none the less he is still rather more close to me that, say, someone who lives in Nice.
With odd like that, it just reinforces my faith in the lottery. If you pick six different numbers out of a possible 49, the odds of your six number combination being picked is one out of a possible 13983816 combinations. A professor of mine put it this way: it would be like if you lined up 13983910 red Skittles and six green ones randomly placed in that line, blind folded yourself and then walked up and down that line choosing six Skittles without looking and getting only green ones. Of course, seeing as the average skittle is approximately one centimeter across that line would actually be almost 14 kilometers long, but you get the point. I’m pretty sure the odds that one person that I’ve spoken to on the internet lives practically on my doorstep is worse than me winning the lottery, isn’t it? I could be wrong, but let me live in my dream world.
Another piece of interesting news is that I’ve re-discovered an author that I used to read constantly when I was a child and early teen. My grandma actually introduced me to him with a series of books that she gave me for one of my birthdays. His name is Craig Shaw Gardner, and like most of the prominent authors out there, he has his own website. Actually, even not so prominent authors have websites. Actually, any hack with an index finger has a website. Heck, I have one. But that’s beside the point. Craig has a website and he keeps a blog as well which allows for people to comment (just like mine, hint hint). The cool thing is that I’ve posted comments, as ludicrous as they are, on his blog, and he’s answered back. Just like normal folk. Not like that Neil Gaiman http://www.neilgaiman.com/ guy whose also a fantastic author but too good to answer how much money he’s got in his wallet at this very second and would he like to take a pony ride with me. Hmph! Anyway, Craig’s cool. Yeah!
Also learned a bit of sad news in my internet perusal. I went over to Phil Vischer’s website and was saddened by what I read. Phil was the founder of Veggietales, and although the franchise is still around, his company, Big Idea Productions is long since bankrupt and gone. It’s a long read, but if you’re interested, click on Phil’s name above to go to his website to find out how some big ideas can turn on you. It saddens me because Veggietales was such a big part of the kid’s, and my own, entertainment when they were younger. Oh well, things happen for a reason I guess.Well, I’m cheering up by the second because I’ll be leaving on a jet plane really, really soon. And yes, yes. I have been humming and singing THAT song…Ciao for now!
