Kooks have always fascinated me. There are so many varieties, and it’s interesting to see what they latch onto and why. They express their ideas in a way that must seem so clear to them but is completely opaque to others. It’s obvious that the Internet has a special way of bringing even more of these folks out of their dark corners of obscurity. Sites like Time Cube and Rixstep are fun to browse. (I insist Rixstep is a real up-and-comer in this category. He’s got a special Mac Developer slant to his work that brings him closer to home for me personally. His software has even inspired haikus in those who have used it.)

Today as Steph and I were leaving the Moscone Convention Center and heading back to our car, we ran across a minor San Francisco celebrity. As we passed him, I turned my head and said, “Hey, Frank.” Steph waited until we got a few steps away and said, “Who was that? Do you know that guy?” I don’t really know him, but it’s hard not to recognize Frank Chu once you’ve seen him. No one really understands his message, of course, but that doesn’t deter the forward-thinking companies who sponsor his sign. He’s apparently been getting sponsors since 2001 and I can confirm he had one this afternoon, though I didn’t have time to stop and see exactly who it was.

Rock on, Frank. Maybe some day we’ll all find out you were right and impeach Clinton for colluding with the 12 galaxies. Until then, get more of your stuff on YouTube! Even an idiot with a totally stupid video can get 270,000+ views up there.

By the way, Zegnotronic would make a great band name. zegnotronic.com is available!

So very, very thin. I had to cross my eyes just to see it, like some kind of Magic Eye picture.

It’s strange because in this photo, it doesn’t look that thin. In person it’s a different story. I can’t believe they fit a functioning computer into this package. The Apple Employee working the show floor who showed me the working model confided that she suspects secret alien technology is at play somehow in its design.

Worthwhile reading: Meh – the word that’s sweeping the internet. I know Neal, Steph, and Kevin use this one pretty frequently.

In the early days of Jim Henson’s work, many of his sketches (some say almost all) ended in one of the main characters being eaten, blown up, or at least lit on fire. The elements of the sketch were often so simple and pure that they didn’t require dialogue.

I recently discovered a bunch of clips from a series called “Purple and Brown” on YouTube, made by the guys at Aardman Animations (of Wallace & Gromit fame) that really harken back to that simpler form. I like them a lot. Seeing them makes me miss Jim.

So enjoy, and search YouTube for “Purple and Brown” to find more.

Steve Jobs wrote an article today (yes, this is rare) called Thoughts on Music, and it’s up on Apple’s site where you all can read it. It’s an excellent read, and it’s a rare treat, considering how tight-lipped Apple tends to be about things like this.

I understand it’s a little long, but if you care about the future of music, and especially if you care about DRM, it’s worth a read. DRM is a topic that affects all of us, and this article could end up being pretty significant in the history of DRM.

I don’t think I need to give many of you reasons to not go to Vista. But I’ll post one big one here: a new Apple commercial that points out the fact that Vista’s higher security may not be worth the tradeoff. Looking for a real-world example? Look no further than this series of screenshots outlining the steps to delete a shortcut from your desktop.

Let me restate that: your desktop. Not their desktop, your desktop.

Having said all that, if you still really want need to run Vista, just run it on a Mac. That way, you can escape to Mac OS X’s loving arms when Vista gets cranky, freezes up, or asks too many questions.

There are a lot of people would love to have a job at Apple. People even get excited about visiting the place. I see them almost every day, stopping outside the building where I work to take pictures of themselves standing next to the big green “1”. I see them from my window. I pass them on my way back from lunch. That’s pretty cool, no matter how you slice it.

Even so, sometimes I feel like my job is pretty normal. You know what I mean? I come in, I work hard, I contribute as much as I can, and I go home when I’m tired and I can’t concentrate anymore. The next day I pick up where I left off. It’s not always magical.

But then there’s today. Oh my goodness, today. Today is the kind of day that gives me the energy to get out of bed every morning. It gives me the drive to sit in front of a monitor for 12 hours a day. It lets me see what technology is all about, where we’re going, and what the future will hold if we keep pushing towards it, and keep thinking. It lights a fire under me, and my fingers move faster. My thoughts go further. My passion runs deeper.

It’s a great day to be here. Here’s to the crazy ones.