pownce me!

Late last night/early this morning (midnight), Pownce finally opened to the public. "Great, another social networking application," you might say, and I would happen to agree with you. I've a Facebook account, MySpace account (most hated of all!), AIM, google talk, Twitter, goodreads, Vox (remember that one?), etc.  But hey, they're free, so what's the harm I say. Giveittome.

So I signed up this morning, downloaded the desktop application (Adobe AIR-based, very cool!), and signed in. So far, I have to say I'm somewhat impressed. The GUI is nice and simple (though I wish it offered a compact or otherwise compressed view), and the memory footprint is pretty modest (34MB). So far so good on that front.

For those who don't know (which is probably most of you, as the beta program for Pownce was very small), the best way to describe Pownce is if AOL had invented AIM just a few months ago, armed with their current knowledge of how people use IM these days, they would have created Pownce. It's basically IM on steroids, but in a good way: you basically post things (IM-length messages, links, files or events), and choose between either the public or an individual to send it to. I think of it as AIM, FaceBook Wall/MySpace comments, and Twitter all rolled into one nifty little desktop app. It's also a bit Digg-ish.

I'm giving it a shot, and I'll probably pressure a few friends to sign up, so I can get the full effect. Add me if you feel so inclined!

call me a pessimist...

On this 21st of January, Martin Luther King Day, I feel myself choking up a bit while watching the live broadcast of the top 3 democratic nominees on CNN this evening (clarification: Clinton, Edwards, Obama). Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I just watched King Jr.'s famous speech in Washington a few minutes ago.

[UPDATE: Let me clarify... I was enjoying the second part of the debate. You know... when they were sitting in those stylish red chairs, right next to each other, actually acting civil].

America has such a chance for change with this election that I can't help but believe that this is going to be one of the most important elections in my life... and I'm only 31.

But I'm trying not to get too emotionally invested in this election, as my confidence in America's election process is a confidence that transcends my own interests. In reality, I don't think it's going to end exactly as I wish it would*. If my candidate wins, hey... I'll be tickled pink. But while I get choked up hearing of promise and dreams, I'm really trying to temper my elation.

Pardon the shortpost™.

* i'm going for the longshot.

aaaaaaaah the mormons...

So I was reading this earlier tonight, and, while busting out laughing, I was getting more and more mad at myself for not doing exactly what Bob did when a few salespeople appeared on my very own porch this weekend, hocking the very thing that you would be oh-so-foolish not to buy: God.

I say that I was getting mad at myself because it's always appalled me that these people of faith actually walk from door to door–my door, on my property–trying to convince me, sometimes employing fear in the process, to buy into their beliefs, and I've always wanted to sit them down and have a real conversation with them.

Honestly, I really don't fully understand why I'm so fervent about this, yet my compassion overrides... and I think that's why they get away so cleanly. Here's how it usually goes down:

It's Saturday, 9:39am.

Jenny (barely clothed): "Psssst, Mark! Um, I think there's someone at the door, and I uh..."

Me (still asleep, but waking): "Ergh.. eh... wha?"

Jenny: "There's uh, somebody at the door... were you expecting somebody this morning?"

Me (groggy): "Not that I..."

::click!::

The Mormons.

Adrenaline blur: Pants. Shirt. Stumbling. Living room. Door.

Me: "Hi!"

Champ: "Hello! How are you this fine morning!"

Me: "Great! How about yourself?"

Champ: "Ger-ate aaaas well."

Me: "Excellent. What can I do for you guys?"

Champ: "Well, actually we've come by this morning to share something with you. Do you have a few minutes?"

Me: "Ummm, suuure I do... is... is it a religion, by any chance?"   (yes, I actually said the word "religion" in italics).

Sport: "Oh, you've heard of the Book of Mormon?"

Me: "Book of Mormon, sure, sure. But I, well... (eyes narrow) I think I'm set."

Champ: "Oh... kay, do you perhaps have any friends who are going through a rough time in their lives?"

Me (just trying to be nice): "Oh don't we all."

Champ: "Sure, sure... well, we have some pamphlets that we can leave with you if you'd..."

Me: "Actually, I'll pass on those. Thanks for your time this morning, fellas. And good luck in your travels. Hope you catch a few this morning."

Sport: "Heh, thank you sir. Have a good day yourself..."

Me: "I love you."

Nah, I didn't really say that but I was getting bored just typing that little exchange so I had to do something. Anyhow, here's  what I take away from that little exchange:

• I'm about as socially adept as one of those paver bricks you see arranged in a circular pattern surrounding the base of a fake tree in the middle of a mall in Texlahoma.
  
• When these people come to the door, for some reason the nice part of me overrides the oh-my-god-i-want-to-rip-into-these-people-and-find-out-what-makes-their-little-minds-tick part. I want to ask them real questions, but all of a sudden I try to make them feel comfortable and, strangely, look out for them, even though they knocked on my door.
• Mormons/religion salespeople pray on those who are getting their asses handed to them by life?
• When they show up, I'm giddy. It's like someone said "Mark, the UPS guy just left a package labeled 'apple leopard messagepad prototype ULTRA SECRET' on the front porch with a return address reading 's.jobs from cupertino' on it. I immediately toss manslap in my shorts, dash for the front door, looking ecstatically for my new toy, but am immediately demoralized when I realize that when somebody says "package labeled 'leopard messagepad prototype,'" they mean "steaming hot pile of corn-laden jet-black sulfer-spewing horse excrement on fire." Drag.
• When I open the door, all of a sudden, I turn nice. Damnit!

So help me understand this. Please. (I think) I'm a nice person, but the next time someone shows up on my front porch trying to sell me a religion, well... I don't think it's necessarily unkind to give it right back. They have to be expecting it, right? I mean, not from everybody, but from some... not everybody is going to just lay back and say "well, wow, yeah... ya know, I really haven't thought much about it before..." Some of us already have thought about it, and have very strong views. In fact, I think it's somewhat offensive to assume that I haven't given it thought and have come to my own views already. Don't most people think of these things before they buy a house? Don't they?! I would certainly hope so.

"There's something in the air"

... reads the banners recently spied at the MacWorld Expo currently being setup in the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Rumors abound about what this could mean, of course, with rumor mills predicting WiMax in all MacBook and MacBook Pros, MacBook "nano" (the ultra-slim subcompact with no ports, thus everything is 'in the air'), an über-AppleTV that does everything (read: home media server), Time Machine over wifi (yawn.), etc. Here's my take:

• iPhone wireless syncing of everything but music,
• .Mac updates, including compatibility with iPhone, possibly including Back to My Mac (remote browsing and viewing of docs on your home Mac),
• or I'd love to see a partnership with Google for the 700MHz spectrum, but due to the 5 year exclusive with AT&T, it ain't gonna happen.

But who knows... Steve has a tendency to bust our most well-founded predictions out of the water.

Thoughts?