i went for a short run today w/ evan. about 10 minutes into the run, we experienced some of that unpredictable weather. it started hailing pea-sized hail. it lasted only a few minutes. we just kept running. it only really hurt if it hit you on the hands or tips of your ears.

so the plot thickens over the digital music and file sharing. the record companies have to figure out how to adapt to technology that is drastically changing their traditional distribution and revenue models. i hope that all this letigation is only a stall tactic while they are trying to figure out how to change.

interestingly enough, there is a similar, though much less troublesome, issue in the publishing industry. there are questions of first publication, electronic publication, as well as reprint rights if 'publish on demand' becomes widely available for all texts (esp for those out of print). these issues tend to be more between writers, agents, and publishers and are not as public as a result. however, technology is certainly changing how a lot of industries operate.

more pictures from grantown (thanks andy & kristina)
set 1
set 2
set 3

it's much easier to destroy than create. but no lasting satisfaction comes from destruction.

and you thought my blog was coming from far away.

this morning the sky was a mix of blue, white, and gray. it is often cloudy, overcast, and/or foggy in edinburgh in the morning. lately it has cleared up into pleasantly mild afternoons.

today, the gray grew darker, and wind began blowing a light horizontal rain. twenty minutes later, it's back to blue and white skies, only the few raindrops on my window as a reminder of the quickly changing weather of scotland.

last night there was a short talk given by an ex-warden of Mylnes Court. he wrote a book on the history of the buildings after serving his post. there were a couple interesting facts, like this was the first courtyard for 'commoners'. also other things about the architecture and how social standing was reflected by where one lived in the building.

there's a potential opportunity to bridge the gap between my technical skills and my writing interests. i've just got to figure out how much time i can put into it since it'd all be 'volunteer' work. i've got thinking to do and decisions to make.

this is where i'll be tonight

rumor has it (thanks jen) that 10-10-987 is 3 cents a minute from the US to the UK, with a 39 cent connection fee. hint hint.

ok, i know it sounds lame, but i just spent some time working on my resumes. yes, plural. now that my 'career' (or perhaps just my life) is branching out in more directions, i have to keep multiple resumes that are targeted for different audiences: 'high' technical, 'low' technical, volunteering, and writing.

Happy Easter everyone

erin and i were all set to dye eggs today. but, alas, we couldn't find any food coloring.

here's a funny one.

i'd like to see more follow-up reports like this.

there's not too much exciting to talk about lately. i've been reading, soaking up as much of the sun while it's around (in fact, i just got back from a little picnic in the meadows), and working on my writing. people are starting to come back from break, so things should get more interesting soon. maybe.

new pictures

how could i complain about today: i woke up, went to the national gallery of scotland, came home, finished reading yeats memoirs, took a nap, worked on my poetry for a few hours, went for a walk (got a couple beers for tonight). now i'm going to make some dinner, and after, watch the celtic v boavista game with steve.

wow, what a weekend. i'm back, and exhausted, and have pictures which i'll try to get up in a reasonable time.

i'll be up in the highlands for the next 2 days. stay tuned.

Kenneth White writes:

     Travelling this way, where am I going?--nowhere. I pass through many places of the mind--to get nowhere. Nowhere is difficult, but I'll get there someday... Nowhere is anywhere, is mywhere.
     Who am I?--just a sign for the infinite; maybe just a zero.
(Travels in the Drifting Dawn)

i'm looking for my own 'mywhere', while i travel in my own way. it is those moments of clarity, when time, place, people, purpose all come together and you understand. internally there is no conflict, even if you see the failures that border the moment on every side. the key is to learn how to stay in that moment for as long as possible. that is what i'm trying to learn; by reading, by traveling, by living.

if you thought that people in the states drove fast, look at this article. and i can tell you from experience, scotland highways are not designed for speeds faster than in the US.

because i'm just that well connected, i got to hear preview of the new radiohead album. good stuff. too bad i didn't know they were playing edinburgh earlier...