Here’s something new and interesting. Swurl aggregates all of your social networking Web 2.0 goodness into one place. You can add your blog(s) , Flickr, Twitter, Facebook status updates, etc. into one big RSS feed so that people can keep the hell up with what you’re doing. It’s very easy to sign up and set up. I like!

As a side note,  I signed up for Twitter. I can’t stand the word “twitter.” It sounds so… mindless. But, the concept is cool. I will probably use it for things that don’t justify the massive effort required to create a blog post.

Bill Gates left Microsoft today, to pursue his philanthropic causes. I have to say that I really admire Bill Gates. I say this with all seriousness: it’s not easy to be on top. When you are number one at anything, you are the target of all the haters everywhere. Just ask McDonald’s and Walmart. They know what it’s all about.

Bill Gates changed the world with a computer program. Not once, but several times. As a geek, I have to respect that, even though more than once, his products have caused me to curse.

A couple of days ago, I read a story about the release of one of Bill’s internal email memos, blasting his team for shortcomings in Windows usability. The email was a fascinating read, and an insight into Bill’s continuing vision for his company.

As he leaves to pursue other, more charitable ventures, I can’t help but notice the void left in his absence. He was an icon, a legend, and even a geeky personality. He personally represented a giant behemoth of a corporation, and a worldwide technology movement. Now we have… Steve Ballmer.

I owe my livelihood to Bill Gates and the personal computer revolution that he spawned. My IT business depended on people who owned and struggled with Microsoft-powered hardware. My photography practice depends on that same technology. Who knows where I’d be today if not for Bill Gates. Maybe in some newspaper newsroom somewhere, hacking away at a Selectric typewriter, a Brother word processor, or worse yet, a Mac!

Happy trails, Bill!

For those who have given up on having a girlfriend, ever.

Pants with a built in keyboard.

I decided to undertake the task of moving my computer today. Anyone who’s been here before knows that my computer desk arrangement was stupid. It is probably the smallest computer desk in existence, and not exactly practical. I’m surprised I don’t have some kind of spinal disorder because of working in this cramped space. Anyway, there’s still time for the spinal disorder to show up, so I’d better knock on wood… which I can, because my new desk is made of wood.

Old and busted

The New Hotness

The Unfortunate Side Effect

So, yeah. I’m pretty proud of this new setup. Most of the wires are hidden, which is no small feat. There are a lot of wires involved. The desk has lots of potential too. It’s unfinished wood, so that means I can finish it later if I want. I was thinking of doing a collage of photos on the desktop, and then varnishing the whole deal with clear lacquer to protect it.

There’s a side effect of disaster in my old living room as a result of the move. But, the good news is all the stuff that’s cluttering that livingroom is mostly studio-related. I’ll have to set that up this week, because I’m shooting towards the end of the week, and I need a functional studio again. Motivation.

Here’s some more motivation:

I said to myself that I’d get this Wacom Bamboo tablet when I got a desk big enough for it. Being that it’s only the size of a mouse pad, that’s not saying much, but my new work area qualifies anyway. I’m looking forward to doing touchups with this new toy. Haven’t figured it out entirely yet, but I’m sure it’s not that hard.

It’s been an exciting day. More excitement tomorrow, I’m sure.

This is cool. I looked up my address on Virtual Earth, and found that they had rendered my building in 3D! Actually, it’s the only building in my neighborhood that shows up in 3D.  And who’s that in the parking lot? Emeril Legacy!