thom space

HERE is my vote in 2004.

What is the deal with people who run media companies? Mike Robertson, the founder of MP3.com wrote this essay in an attempt to save his music archive from being erased. I think he makes a compelling case. It raises an interesting question about the importance of digital content. He argues that his site should not be erased because the content is in many cases one of a kind, and should therefore be paid the same respect as other pieces of rare art, that is to say, he thinks they should be saved for the purpose of posterity. The media company that currently owns the rights to the content, however, thinks of the digital content simply as something that does not fit into their current business strategy, and that it should be deleted. I do not know what to think. At some point 1’s and 0’s are going to have to be treated more like stone and mortar, otherwise nearly every creative thing our society produces is going to be subject to the whims of CEOs whose only priorities are their bottom lines.

So I was reading here about nano tube powder. It seems like it may transform the way we live our lives. Humm. Evidently the current cost of productions is something like 550 bucks a gram, that seems like why it hasn’t changed our live so far.

Another powder making the news today is purported to be able to change the weather. So now people are going to have the ability to stop hurricanes, or cut a rainstorm short if it interferes with a round of golf. What a wondrous world we live in. I suppose it could also have unintended consequences if applied on a global scale like the US government is suggesting, but hey I have faith in the Bush administration to only do the right thing.

On a little bit different note I think that .gov would love it if there was a powder to deal with the problem of the mass ignorance of it soldiers and intelligence agents. This is an article that explores the reasons why Americans don’t have a useful command of any language other than English. AS far as Iraq goes in relation to this subject I think the soldiers over there right now trying to “bring democracy to Iraq” without any real understanding of the culture and language is very analogous to the way the US .gov went about bringing democracy to Native Americans in the the 19th century, unfortunately I don’t think the world will grant .gov the liberty to do now what they did then. Whereby they wipe the slate clean of the Iraqis and put red blooded Americans in their place. Whoa, I feel like I just stumbled onto the ticket for the successful reconstruction and democratization of Iraq… they need more Iowans.

I got a call today from Martha Crocker that was to offer me a position at the Yellowstone Club as a ski guide and instructor. I could not be more pleased. So now I am on the road to becoming a certified PSIA professional. Any who. As I figure, a strong motivation for me to make a lot of money would be to afford the ability to going skiing, so it seems logical that if it is possible for me to ski with out having to have had made a lot of money, I would be coming out way ahead. I like to come out ahead. I am so happy with the prospect of doing something I love.

Today was my 5th day of skiing in the past ten days and tomorrow will be my 6th, I feel good. Good is an understatement. I feel great. I never knew that professional development could be so satisfying for the soul.

So it just so happens that yesterday the entire german women’s world cup team was at Arapahoe Basin, for some early season training before a race in Park City, and I just happened to ride the lift up, and have a very nice little conversation with Martina Ertl, who just happens to be Germany’s biggest racing star. Whoa, I have a crush.

I resent having a voice that I never use. Every time I have a thought, I resent that I think that what I think has already been thought by a person much more capable than myself. That is not true. Not at all. Richard Powers is my new project. I want to read and learn as much about him as I can. I read one of his books a couple of years ago when I was in a philosophy of literature class and that was all there was to it, but now I want to know what makes him tick. So to start I read this interveiw. Wow. What a life. What a fricken intellect. What a cool guy.

I got a Job at the Yellowstone Club I just don’t know which job at the present time. Not knowing is Sort of bumming me out, but not really. The options are either Ski Guide or Ski Tec. If I am not hired as a guide, then as a default, I have been assured a position in the their ski shop. I am keeping my fingers crossed so that I may still be a professional skier, but in the worst case scenario I am going to be in an unbelievable ski town for the winter, things could be worse.