Penny Arcade Humor

Ok- so its not exactly new news but this site is really funny. I stumbled across it last week and it did this kind of mind-meld thing that sucked 3 hours from my afternoon and made my face hurt. The comics are largely video-game related but they're all super funny.

The Internet Archive Resource

They have over a petabyte of data here, that translates into really, really a lot. The Wayback Machine is a catalogue of the history of websites, updated since 1996 [e.g. the first JaSonya site, circa June, 2001]. The Movie Archive has a whole bunch of public domain movies from feature-length old films to experimental shorts [e.g. the bender movie]. Also, public domain books and audio, like live band recordings. A very, very cool realization of the power of the internet/media/open source intersection.

The Ig Nobel Awards, 2004 Science

Life!!! 06/07/2005

So part of the reason that I haven't updated this site in so long is because of a wonderful new addition to the JaSonya family. Our beautiful baby girl is just 6 months old now and is a real delight. I think that both of us faced the approaching life change with some trepidation last year. Its amazing how quickly the apprehension fades away and is replaced by joy and awe.


Its also true that most parents will read this and understand immediately and how non-parents can be told over and over, carefully described the feelings and experiences in detail, shown examples of how life is 'better' on the other side and it won't sink in. I've been in that place- its like any other thing in life, experience is really the only thing that matters.


Having a child makes the world both flatter and deeper at the same time. All of the sudden there is one thing that is most important in your life and other things seem not so important. This feeling however transcends family narcissism [sp?] and makes you realize that every other parent in the world feels the same way.

What use is wisdom if it can't be transferred? I mean if someone wiser/more experienced than you can give you some bit of advice in the most palatable terms and you still need to experience it yourself, what good is that. This is especially pertinent as my wife and I contemplate the rest of our lives with our daughter. My thinking is this: when advice is given it only serves as a guide- not as a replacement for experience. There were definitely times while I was growing up that I remember being in the middle of some 'experience' and thinking, "my parents had something to say about just this situation", which makes the advice much more difficult to ignore. It also points out the importance of being truthful in your advice as a parent. If you concoct some lie or partial truth about something I believe that the advice can actually backfire when the child thinks, "boy, were my parents wrong about this".

My current pet-peeves, a non-exaustive list

Cell phone talkers. I dislike them in cars. I dislike them in bars. I do not like them at the fair, I do not like them anywhere. But mainly in front of me on the road staring blankly at a green light.

Pixelated Glossy JPEGs. Why, oh why, with multi-million dollar budgets do magazines and newspapers have to publish photos with obvious compression problems? Aside from the obvious reasons, of course.

Global radio conspiracies. Demographic audience targeting to deliver pablum. And when their cold marketing eye turns my way it makes me shiver. Other forms of media too- but I'm especially sensitive to music. The antidote? Listener funded radio that broadcasts world-wide.

All these construction guys taking up the free parking spots so that I have to drive around the block even when get in at 6:30 AM in the @%#!* morning!!! Ahem.

I'm tapped. for now- but I do hate those cell phone talkers, did I mention that?