OVEN
A good site to look at and think through.

Microsoft
Okay, I just got a laptop. I think I already posted this. It’s a very nice Compaq, small, lite, with a great 14.1″ screen and a good keyboard and Windows XP.
I’m now going to say the impossible: I actually like Microsoft. No, I’m not going to rave about how cool the Paxil-like clouds and green grass are on my desktop (though I do find them strangely comforting). Nor am I going to rant about how Microsoft has done just such a bad PR job in the past with regard to its software and browsers development.
Rather, I have a few (very real, but not serious) MS hardware and software issues — with the USB Intellipoint mouse and Word 2000 running on XP — and in both cases, after much hemming and hawing about whether to call their customer support, I did, AND, they were excellent, helpful, and not overly prying. They didn’t ask for social security number, didn’t want my cat’s left ear, didn’t ask to prove that I was an owner of the software. Impressive. And all this time I thought they were evil. Who knew?
Here’s a link to a cooler part of Microsoft — the TerraServer, which provides an interactive map of, like, the whole world. Let’s call it a reward.

2001 Searches
The old Chinese saying “May you live in interesting times,” wished on people you do not like, has certainly come true this past year. Of course it could have been worse — much worse in fact. I learned today that there are approximately the same number dead in Afghanistan (civilians) as there were due to the September 11 events.
Here are links to the most searched terms in 2001. Note: all references to porn and other derring-do are not indexed by these companies.
Yahoo! Buzz Index – Overall Leaders
Lycos’ Web’s Most Wanted 2001
Most interesting of all:
Year-End Google Zeitgeist

I am in the process of completely incorporating. For anyone out there looking to do the same, this was a helpful article with very good, solid links to very good, solid incorporation companies: Business Filings In The Press
This is a perfect example of the Web being a very beautiful thing — no lines, no lawyers, no layaways.
No “have a nice day” rubber stamp clerks wishing you to have a nice day.

PsyOps
I have always been very interested in how images and text have been used to inform individuals about the world. From stained glass windows to the Web, the combination of text and images is extremely powerful. PsyOps (the US military’s term for our propaganda) is extremely fascinating, in part because of its convenience and ease of use and legibility, but also because of its strange playfulness, its slight evility, its characterizations, and its illegitimacy.
I will continue to post links to interesting PsyOps related to Afghanistan. Here is the first link:
Psywar.org

Emigre Emigrates
I got my final publication about a week ago from Emigre, an excellent font shop based in California which occasionally transcends all. Unfortunately, Emigre cannot afford (how did they ever?) to send out free magazines filled with great graphics and design to us font lovers. Oh well. They included in this, last package a new CD by Honey Barbara, which I hated at first and now like very much. Who knew?
I haven’t decided whether or not to “renew” — maybe it should be called “new” — my subscription with them for cash money but it may be worth it. Or maybe I’ll just buy some of their new fonts. I particularly like Filosofia.

Interesting article. Something for everyone here: Salon.com Life | The impossible calculus of loss

Happy New Year all. To all of you Deckchairs on the Titanic fans (how many of you are there? six? one hundred?), I’d like to wish you a very joyful year full of health and personal successes.
What more is there?
I apologize to one and all for not having had a chance to post the January 2002 Featured Artist, Maddalena Polletta. Trust me, it’s worth waiting for.
In the meantime, I have a slot open and waiting for Feburary 2002. Please let <a href="”>me know if you know of artists that could fit the bill. March through July seem taken care of right now.
In other news, I broke down the other day and bought a new laptop. I expect to completely enjoy it. I also got a new version of Quark Xpress. If you don’t hear from me for a few days, you’ll know why. (That, or my wife will have delivered our baby!)
Again, hope for peace.

A note to all Bloggers: Blogger was unfortunately hacked. Your password should be changed as soon as possible. Phreaks.

A very, very happy New Year. Wishing you a thoughtful and healthful year of good memories and dreams.