Seems I’ve been too lax on the update of my weblog.

From the “When Information Dies” Dept.

I’ve always sucked at keeping a journal. Unknownst to most, I actually kept a journal for my last year of High School and the first year of University. It’s a long text file that resides on the old 486 that my brother, Kai, now uses. Of course, it’s encrypted…and I’ve probably forgotten the password. It’s also a MS Word 2.0 document, so it’s probably suffered the same fate as the Domesday Book—an inventory of eleventh-century England compiled in 1086 by Norman monks that was transcribed digitally in 1986 by the BBC to showoff the latest and greatest in digital Archiving. The format used by the BBC? The Laser disc.

Fast forward to today, 16 years later: Nothing can read the data on the those discs.

Much like my journal, the information is “dead“. I don’t think that MS Office XP or MS Office v.X (mac) can read the MS Word 2.0 doc.

BTW, the original book, written in 1086, is alive and doing well thank you very much.

At the bitter end of the journal project v1, I was updating it on a year to year basis. Since I kept the journal on my computer for about 2 1/2 years, well, when you do the math, carrying over the 1 and such—you get the picture.

I guess we’re lucky that Shakespeare didn’t write on an old PC.

From the “ERGOnomical” Dept.

Another thing that I wanted to talk about, but slipped my mind. About two weeks ago Microsoft released the X-Box in Japan with much fanfare. Now I know it sounds geeky, but looks the MS finally listened to their customers and redesigned the controllers on the Xbox; they’ve been localised for the smaller hands of the Japanese and asian markets. Sounds stupid, but I could never figure out why MS designed a controller as large as the one in the North American Xbox. Especially since children are one of the major pushes for selling the damn thing. Perhaps they expect them to “grow into them”.

From the “What I Did Last Week” Dept.

Had a good time during Jen’s birthday celebration. Us and 16 others went to an Italian restaurant in Little Italy called “Giovanas”. Had to spend an extra $55 to cover some “social loafers” — it OKAY, social loafing naturally occurs, I do it myself all the time — which left me with $10 in my wallet and a $12 cover charge that still had to be paid.

Thanks Eric. Thanks for spotting me the 2 bucks.

Had an absolutely wicked time at the Revival. We saw a funk/melange band from Winnipeg (Jen’s old hometown) called Moses Mayes who opened for an absolutely amazing band from TO called the Pocket Dwellers.

Very cool. Great Vibe.

Eric has a much more detailed review of the performance with some pictures to boot too.

Cris and Dave also came out all the way from Milwalkee. Sorry for ruining the surprise, Cris.

I got Jen tickets to the Garth Fagan Dance Troupe on March 23rd. Hopefully, it’s as interesting as Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal.

Cheers,

Tai