other thoughts via John McPhee
“If the profession of an engineer were not based upon exact science,” he said, “I might tremble for the result, in view of the immensely of the interests dependent on my success. But every atom that...
View ArticleMeaning of Information Technology
David invites me to take over for him while he is away to Europe for a media festival in Kracow. He’s teaching a course in the Atlas / TAM (Technology, Art, and Media) program called “Meaning of...
View Articlechilly morning words
Chilly morning words form. Brushing away the crust of ice formed by dreams of last night. And other morning words of resolution. Or just thoughts. Words. With cornbread heating in the oven. New warmth...
View ArticleLet them eat cake?
Framing (of) the Flow: re-distribution and the occupation of Wall Street. A closer look at protocol and flow: the guiding of energies that is applied by protocol, how protocol affects flow, and,...
View ArticleDivorce or Corrasable Bond
Your skin is translucent in the still air of this room. Clay is prerogative; eyes are derivative. We live in the shadows of immense hands like death that will take our sex away. Bridal days and wedding...
View ArticleThursday, 16 November, 1961
Overcast Went over to the Waltham Nature Food Store after some ground kelp. HS got 5 lbs. of buckwheat honey; he gave me a little to try on the children. I put it in the honey squeeze bottle. LCH...
View Articlethe force of taut stomachs
[F]orce is always experienced through interaction. We become aware of force as it affects us or some object in our perceptual field. When you enter an unfamiliar dark room and bump into the edge of the...
View ArticleUnhappy Meals
This article/essay by Michael Pollan is an extremely well-framed case-in-point about how a techno-social system (TSS) will — with science leading the way — reconfigure the energy flows (FOOD!) that we...
View ArticleWednesday, 03 January, 1962
Worked out distance but not TTR & FPS-16 at 15,280′. Some discussion with Mike Bavaro re: the UTM to Lat/Long conversion. He suggests a map with both kinds of coordinates on it. This would be fine...
View ArticleMonday, 29 January, 1962
Had lengthy discussion with Dr. T. who described the operation rather completely. The muscle on the outside is cut off the bone, so it is possible to have access to the bone & joint without...
View Articlemore cutting room floor
I’ll help you meet the unknown. I rather enjoy the unknown. At least some of it. Not all of it. Maybe later I’ll tell you about what specific unknowns I cannot deal with. Every life-form has a...
View ArticleModel assumptions: Dynamic Energy Budgets
There are two state variables: structural body volume and energy reserve density. There are six energy fluxes: assimilation; somatic maintenance; somatic growth; maturation; maintenance of the state of...
View Articlesource of power
For most of the time that humans have inhabited the earth, their prime source of power has been their own muscle power. . . . Early additional sources of power included human slaves and domesticated...
View ArticleHawk Moon Ridge
Marisa and Collin hit the road for Dallas, Madrid, Barcelona, Avignon, Paris and back. Bon voyage, bon chance, bon vacance! House/dog-sitting: Cinnamon for around the legs of the bee hive to keep the...
View ArticleThursday, 01 November, 1962
EAE in to inform me that L2 is to go ahead with the DP Center for STV; he is Nr. 2 man to Walter Wells and wants me to look after the building. He gave me WW notes on the subject, which noted a Mr....
View ArticleWednesday, 16 January, 1963
Went to the US Public Health Hospital at Brighton — for my Yellow Fever shot in the AM. Clear +9˚F Went over to the US Public Health Hospital at Brighton to get my Yellow Fever shot. Did a few errands...
View ArticleWednesday, 30 January, 1963
Gave Al Saiget about 5 hours of concentrated discussion during which he used a tape recorder and I did most of the talking! My throat began to get sore. The A crowd seemed somewhat naive about the...
View ArticleWednesday, 20 February, 1963
Went to Honolulu from LA, arriving at 1 PM, HST via AAA817. Checked in at The Hawaiian Village & went sight-seeing & shopping. Clear Left LA International at 0910 on AAA Nr. 817 for Honolulu....
View Articledie Mauer
gah, it was twenty-five years ago (today)… seems I was busy, very busy in 1989. in August, Stefan, Debra, Magga and I headed for Kassel from Köln and then on to Berlin. through the huge Charlottenburg...
View ArticleFull dissertation text: The Regime of Amplification
Well, I guess it’s about time to put the PhD dissertation text out there in .pdf form, so, here it is: The Regime of Amplification. Have at it, be polite, no grabbing, pushing, or shoving. Do not fold,...
View Articleanarchic food – Day 5 – eNZed
There’s quite some stress around the catering for the symposium as the person who was to do it had a terrible family trauma arise in England. There will be around 50-75 people coming from around New...
View ArticleTuesday, 03 January, 1961
BS terminated his connection with the ad hoc Eval Committee. In a discussion with JFN: 1) Made the point of frustration expressed on 12-29-60; suggested that he call a section mtg and outline what he...
View Articleinterview with Niina: art & technology
Niina has been researching art and technology for some years now. We met when I was teaching my old netculture class at the Media Lab in the University of Art and Design Helsinki back in 2000. I...
View ArticleTuesday, 09 May, 1961
Overcast – rain Am filling up on diluted baby food, which is all that will go through my teeth. My floating ribs still hurt a lot; perhaps I should go get them x-rayed and taped up. LCH phoned to say...
View ArticleFriday, 12 May, 1961
Worked some more on the 22L. I’ll send a copy back to JLV and Col. Bavaro. Overcast Went into town with CHH for a haircut and some more strained baby foods. Bought a set of Latin vocabulary cards, a...
View Articlegrim Shaw
THE DEVIL: And is Man any the less destroying himself for all this boasted brain of his? Have you walked up and down upon the earth lately? I have; and I have examined Man’s wonderful inventions. And I...
View Articleje suis: a performance
Simon mentions that this performance piece was discussed around the dinner table at the Abranowicz-Raisfeld ski house, in Upstate NY the other weekend. Didn’t recall that I had actually mentioned it to...
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