Fun with animation: This was my submission for ast week's assignment in the Photoshop course I'm taking through New School Online University. Now, I can do GIF animation with Phooshop/ImageReady or Fireworks. In some ways, I prefer the Fireworks workflow, but the sequential thumbnails in Imageready make it easier to visualize the sequence. My next target? Animations in Flash.

Technology has been challenging for the last few weeks. My DSL line was flaky for the last three or so days. The DNS stopped working, so I couldn't surf anywhere -- domain names don't mean anything when there's no DNS. My ISP wasn't giving out any estimated resolution time. At least I could get e-mail, because they gave me an IP address for the mail server. Every so often something like this happens, and reminds me that there was a time before this technology was so pervasive, and also reminds me how dependent I've become. A few years earlier, I used to have similar conversations with friends about FedEx, and for a moment, faxes.

Today's a big day, because THE NEW COMPUTER is coming today. I got a lot of use (and portability) out of my WallStreet powerbook, but the advent of OS X and my newfound obsession with graphics has led me to crave quicksilver power.

I shopped several stores looking for equipment, and I have to say that the service and support I got from PC/MacConnection is head and shoulders above what I got from others. CDW had been an early contender, but as soon as I had more than a couple of questions (after all, It's not like I was purchasing tootpaste) the rep got flaky, and didn't seem interested in getting back to me. Tant pis...

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I don't usually watch Martha Stewart (she's sooooo dry), but I haven't bothered to change the channel. I just looked up to see someone from my old neighborhood! John Barricelli is the "John" of Cousin John's Cafe and Bakery in Park Slope. He's on Martha's show cooking quiches. Since he's already had more than 15 minutes, I figure this is a move up. They didn't mention the cafe at all, so maybe he's out promoting himself as a chef.

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Spring is springing. After the first official day of Spring, we got cold snap here, and even a couple of flurries. That's whack, especially since we got almost no cold weather all Winter. But now, the buds are starting to pop on the trees up and down the street. I've started to notice the Magnolias already, and the little white flowers are appearing on the shade trees on my block. Time for another visit to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden...

Wow, what a special night. I really enjoy watching the Oscars, and I watch every year. Denise and I started the evening seeing "Monster's Ball", then came home to eventually see Halle get her award, along with Denzel and Sydney Poitier.

Just in case you don't have one, here's a list of the winners. Halle's acceptance speech was extra special. I'm glad I got to see it live. The arc of her emotions was spectacular. I guess having her emotions so accessible has something to do with why she won the award in the first place!

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There is something that's been rubbed a little raw for me since the Olympics-- Several times lately, I've heard the phrase "...the first African American to ____". I heard it used to refer to Halley again tonight. I'm a big fan of firsts, and I think the sentiment that gives rise to that kind of attention is probably a positive one, but that particular statistic seems to only reinforce a potentially unhealthy focus on skin color. I don't know if it really furthers the ambition of being "...judged by the content of our characters, rather than the color of our skin."

The issue of race figures prominently in the plot of "Monster's Ball", which hits you like a stiff drink, but doesn't leave you euphoric. It's a movie that dares to look into some of the dark corners of humanity, without offering a lot of hope, or any answers. I wonder if it will help forward the dialog about race in our country. Perhaps Halley's Oscar win will compel more people to see it. The movie "One False Move" comes to mind. I'll have to watch that again.

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Unbelievable. The warehouses that stood vacant for years beside the entrance to the Holland tunnel in Jersey City have caught fire and burned, forcing the Manhattan-bound lanes to be closed for the last three days. The entrance is likely to be closed for at least one more day. Several years ago, one of those warehouses was found to contain an incredible amount of dead fish, and had been infested with rats. Apparently, the fire was accidentally started by homeless people who were trying to stay warm.

That's all I can write for now. I'll write more soon... promise.