Evanston: the future; Shanghaied
Evanston: the future; Shanghaied
I saw the future twice in one day.
The first was a sleeping face about the size of a baseball surrounded by fleece in a baby carriage.
I am the oldest resident of this eight unit building. Most of the others are about Carol’s age. But one couple is young enough to have had two children in the past year--they will soon be moving to larger quarters--and the face was of their younger son, only six days old. This will be his century. He should see most of it, and it is not impossible that he will see it all. Odd to think of someone living until 2090 or 2100.
The other was a process. Netflix has been pushing their free instant viewing of movies on your computer. Currently it only works with Windows, but a Mac version is promised for later this year. I have Windows installed twice on my MacBook: once in Parallels and once in Boot Camp--and if none of that means anything to you, don’t worry. Simply I can run Windows programs as well as Mac programs on this computer.
So while Carol was playing tennis, I decided to see how it works.
On the opening page of the service I picked a movie I had been resisting watching called BORN IN BROTHELS. I’d seen several highly complimentary reviews, but thought it might be too depressing.
I clicked on the movie, which began instantly and ran as clearly and smoothly as if I had inserted a DVD. That’s the future. Netflix knows it, and now so do I.
The movie, by the way, was every bit as good as its reviews. A young woman making a film about prostitutes in Calcutta, India, became interested in their children. She gave them cameras, which some had never even seen, and taught them photography. Many of the resulting photographs are outstanding. Eventually she also tried to get them out of the brothels and into good schools. Against great obstacles, she succeeded in changing the lives of a few. A great film that I almost missed.
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I ordered a MacBook Air the day they were introduced, then a few hours later, after learning more details of their limitations, cancelled the order. Two days later, after readjusting my thinking, I placed the order again.
On the boat I have back-ups for most essential equipment and alternate ways to do most essential tasks. Computers are essential to me: writing, storing and adjusting photographs, keeping track of finances, chart plotting, watching movies, reading downloaded books, even watching television via Slingbox, talking to Carol via Skype. So although I’m very happy with this MacBook, I’ve been planning to get a second computer. Despite it’s smaller and slower hard drive, lack of internal optical drive, non-user replaceable battery, I think that the slim and light Air will be a perfect second computer for me.
I got the email yesterday that mine has shipped. At this moment it is in Shanghai.
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We had about a foot of snow over night. I bundled up and walked down to the lake. Compare the above photo with the similar shot taken in Hilton Head last Sunday.
The lake is frozen at least a half mile out from shore. Maybe farther. I thought I could see a sliver of open water on the horizon, but am not certain.
Some of the sidewalks had been cleared, but not all. Walking through the snow was like walking in loose sand. In some places the drifts were up to my knees.
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I do things sequentially. Yesterday several came to a successful conclusion: I was able online to obtain an electronic visa I need for Australia; I emailed scans of documents to the Bali Marina required for an Indonesian cruising permit; I arranged to have a VISA card that was due to be renewed next month sent now; I repacked the new sail that arrived just before we went to Hilton Head into a smaller bag that will met airline requirements. And suddenly I’m at the end of my list. Everything is done except watch the Super Bowl, receive the new computer, and make my airline reservation, probably for early March
Friday, February 1, 2008