Code As Poetry

2005-12-14T16:54:00.000-08:00

On the subject of my past life generator:

So I took some quality time and played around with my name generator. I think it's pretty cool, but could be a lot cooler with more data. After about 15 or so tries i started to get some repeats.

I thought that the bug in the generator was actually kind of a happy accident. It's pretty cool, and it adds more diversity to the results that the generator spits out. For instance, i got the same person more than once, but the "bug" description next to that person was never the same. So for one person, walt disney was "evil one" but for another it could have been "mime" or "peg-legged pirate." The possibilities are endless.

I also found that a lot of the time, the bugged words were strangley applicable to the descriptions of the people they followed. It was almost eerie. For example, some of my favorites were (the ironic bug words in bold):

Chris Farley - Funnyman, died depressed from a drug overdose. virgin

Johnny Cash - He walked the line. But not really, because he had lots of sex with his good friend June Carter. lover

Lizzie Borden - Took an axe, gave her father 40 whacks. When she'd seen what she had done, she gaver her mother 41. warrior

Bette Davis - Incredible eyes. Also very creepy in the movie what ever happened to baby jane. She fed her crippled sister a rat for dinner. ha ha. lunatic

Walt Disney - Founder of the Disney empire, which creates childrens movies with hidden sexual messages secretly imedded. evil one

John Wilks Booth - Shot Lincoln. Also, a relatively charismatic actor. criminal

The ways of the random computer generator are vast and mysterious. I think that creating a generator like this was fun. I think it would be really cool (tips for future classes, wink wink) if along with our own personal generators, the class had created one giant generator. That way, everybody in the class could have come up with data, so all together we would have had a whole bunch of data, and it would have been intersting to combine data from different sources since everybody adds a different coloring to their own personal data.

so... it was fun. end of semester. yey.

2005-12-14T01:53:00.000-08:00

2005-12-14T00:37:00.000-08:00

Alright, here is the data for my past life generator. Also... the chatterbot that i was considered doing didn't end up happening. sad but true. Oh Time... you elusive fox.

Past Life Generator Data:

Queen Catherine DeMedici--creator of the first high heel, mean italian queen, had a philandering husband, poisoned someone with a glove and instigated the St. Bartholemew Day massacre.

Jim Henson--Muppeteer, voice of the first Kermit the Frog. Also creator of movies such as the Laberynth and the Dark Crystal. Anyone who constumes David Bowie in pants like that and a mullet deserves recognition.

Mr. Rogers--Tortured POW's in Viet Nam, wore sweater vests to cover up tattoos, and cordially asked, "wont you be my neighbor?"

Marolynn Monroe--Pill popping bombshell. Flirty and charismatic, killed herself due to depression.

Judy Garlin--Pill popping songstress. An icon for many gay men.

TS elliot--A poet. Wrote the book that would later become the musical "Cats". Little did he know. (even now he turns in his grave.

Elliot Smith--A minstrel of the 21st century, wrote, no, composed such masterpieces as, "2:45am" and "Waltz #2".

Licoln--Had sex with his slaves, but treated them relatively well. An ugly, ugly man.

John Wilks Booth--Shot Lincoln. Also, a relatively charismatic actor.

Walt Disney--Founder of the Disney empire, which creates childrens movies with hidden sexual messages secretly imedded.

Harriet Tubman--

Marquis de Sade--Creator of Sadism. Enjoyed such activities as flogging, beating, raping, inserting syphilus into ladies vaginas and sewing them up afterward. In other words, your a sick, sick fuck.

The Earl of Sandwich--Made a killer sandwich.

Kermit the Frog--One sexy frog. A lean, green, piggy-loving machine.

Methuselah--Level 60 undead fire mage, happily lived out his later days killings dwarves and elves in Alterac Valley. A proud blood guard of the Horde.

Rex Harrison--A very distinguished actor. Talked to the animals as the very first Doctor Doolittle.

Louis Armstrong--What a wonderful man. Played the trumpet so much he had a callus on his lower lip.

Helen Keller--Deaf and dumb.

Lizzie Borden--Took an axe, gave her father 40 whacks. When she'd seen what she had done, she gaver her mother 41.

Rosa Parks--No back of the bus for her. One small step for Rosa, one giant leap for racial equality.

Charles Manson--Killer.

Chris Farley--Funnyman, died depressed from a drug overdose.

John Belushi--Funnyman, died. One more SNL man down the drain.

Johnny Cash--He walked the line. But not really, because he had lots of sex with his good friend June Carter.

John Lennon--In a weird photo, naked and fetal, with Yoko Ono.

The Duke on Anjou--A very flamboyantly gay duke. Once destined to marry queen elizabeth.

Joseph Smith--An epileptic who Wrote the book of mormon out of a hat. A hat!

Danny Mayo--The inspiration to the song "Danny Mayo" died at a young age from heart failure, he was the size of a bus. He felt strongly about city folk staying in the city, as well as hunting and other "rural" activities. He wore camo pants to school, it wasnt cool. Danny Mayo Danny Mayo Danny Mayo Danny Mayo. Oh Danny Mayo, Mayo, Mayo, Mayo. The irony.

Rosie the Riveter-- The "We Can Do It!" lady - Many women first found economic strength in World War II-era manufacturing jobs. Found on a stamp.

Pocahontas--Just around the river bend.

Queen Elizabeth--Never married, and supposedly never had sex. She was a mynx.

Janet Reno--Ugly, ugly woman. Also known as will ferrel.

Condoleezza Rice--Satan.

Karla Homolka-- killer, kidnapper, and rapist (also a woman)

Cleopatra VII of Egypt--A beautiful but petulant tease.

Medusa--Suffered from chronic bad hairday.

Bonnie Parker--Friends with Clyde.

Eve--Wore a leaf. started a wave of woman hating. (it's all her damn fault. [bitch])

Mata Hari--Crazy Spy

Bette Davis--Incredible eyes. Also very creepy in the movie "what ever happened to baby jane." She fed her crippled sister a rat for dinner. ha ha.

2005-11-30T00:20:00.000-08:00

On the subject of computer games

computer games eat away literally HOURS of peoples lives. if you were to take the average gamer and calculate the number of hours he (or she) spends playing games on an average day... (lets say this gamer has a really "uber" level 60 undead fire mage and needs to rack up enough realm points to become a stone guard by Tuesday) ... that gamer might put in a total of at least 3 hours in a given day playing. if you take that (very low) estimate of 3 hours and multiply that by the days in a week, that's 21 hours a week. that's almost a DAY out of the week! Then multiply that by the months and you get about 80 hours a week.... so in a year the average gamer might spend almost 1000 hours playing. THAT'S MORE THAN 40 DAYS!

so, if a gamer started playing at around age 10, and played daily until death at age 70, he would have spent a total of 7 YEARS of his life trapped in a virtual world of... oh, lets say... Warcraft.

not a wise use of time. at least i don't think so.

2005-11-30T00:11:00.000-08:00

When does a word become more than just a word? When it is put into a sentence? And once it’s put into a sentence does the writer of that sentence then own it? What if the sentence has been written before? Would the re-writing of a very commonly used sentence such as “I sat down” be plagerism because it has been written before? Or, is it ok to copy some sentences and not others? When is plagerism not plagerism anymore?
Florian Cramer has a lot to say a out these questions is his book Words Made Flesh. Cramer discusses the issues of language ownership, and the question of whether or not computer generated art is a valid form. Cramer talks about the Dadaist movement and it’s relationship to the question of ownership. According to Tristan Tzara, all one has to do to create a poem is to cut out words from somebody elses article, put them into a hat, and write dowm every word in order as they are drawn out of the hat. Once this is done, according to Tzara, “there you are—an infinitely original author of charming sensibility, even though unappreciated by the vulgar herd.”
Italo Calvino began the movement toward machine generated literature. He determined that literature is simply “a combination game,” Poetry can be derived from combining and rearranging words.
Oulipo came along and moved the boundries of poetry even further. Oulipo is a group that creates poetry and literature by using rules and restraints. For example, an entire novel must be written without the use of the letter “E.”
Overall, I thought the reading was very interesting and brought up some very good questions. I really liked the idea that “software controls its users yet it sells the illusion that the user is fully in charge.” I think that’s very true, but an easy thing to forget. Computers seem like these magical tools that conform to our needs, but we’re conforming to the needs of the program we’re using. I was also very interested in McLuhan’s discussion on machine generated art: “the technology itself bears the meaning instead of being its neutral purveyor.” It’s an interesting statement, and brings up many question on what exactly the limits of art are.

2005-11-30T00:10:00.000-08:00

My proposed name generator.

I think it would be really cool to have a "Past Lives" name generator. You would enter in your name, just like a regular name generator, but instead of giving you a nickname, the generator would give you a list of all of the famous people you were in your past lives, and along with the names of those people, descriptions of who they were and what they did.

so... for example, i enter in Bridget Fenner

the generator then spits out my results:

Queen Catherine DeMedici--creator of the first high heel, mean italian queen, had a philandering husband, poisoned someone with a glove and instigated the St. Bartholemew Day massacre.

etc. etc. etc.

2005-11-07T23:18:00.000-08:00

so i find myself randomly tossing 3 quarters around consulting the i ching quite often. every time i have an unanswered question... and it's weird because the answers given are usually pretty accurate. so i was wondering... hmm... can there really be a source of ultimate wisdom that humans can tap into to answer all of lifes little mysteries? that'd be cool. but if there were such a source, and that source were as mystical and unfathomable as the i ching... would it be possible to then encapsulate that into the simple tossing of 3 quarters and looking at a website?

but if the accurate answers given to me from the internet based i ching are not the result of a great mystical source of wisdom, then why are the answers so creepily relevent to the questions i ask? is the i ching all in my mind? and when i read a randomly selected fortune telling paragraph does my mind then solve my problem for me? would any randomly selected fortune make perfect sense to me?

i don't know.

2005-11-02T10:30:00.000-08:00

nouns:
"man","1","dog","1","breast","1","time","1","fool","1","artist","2","bicycle","3","nun","1","whore","1","priest","1","boy","1","girl","1","sex","1","blanket","2","freak","1","mormon","2","republican","4","spoon","1","pencil","2","waste of time","3"

verbs:
"kick","1","lick","1","punch","1","stroke","1","beat","1","dance","1","cry","1","float","1","dread","1","procrastinate","4","revive","2","mesmerize","3","titilate","3","twitch","1","poke at","2","smile","1","run","1","crawl","1","break","1","take","1","live,"1"

Adjectives:
"silly","2","sickly","2","miserly","3","cruel","1","mean","1","happy","2","surly","2","revolting","3","magical","3","foolish","2","dogmatic","3"," fundamentalist","5","bastardly","3","slutty","2","pornographic","4","pale","1","malcontent","3","sad looking","2","pathetic","3","passive","2"

Adverbs:
"happily","3","sadly","2","cruelly","2","giddily","3","peacefully","3","meagerly","3","manicly","3","deviously","4","perniciously","4","lasciviously","5","redundantly","4","quietly","3","honestly","3","morbidly","3","woefully","3","scarily","3","tyrannically","4","nerdily","3","unresponsibly","5","sorrowfully","3","lazily","3"

2005-10-25T21:16:00.000-07:00

Another journal post. And what will I write about... hmmmm

well... an interesting topic: "Chinese Gold Farmers." An un-PC word i know... are they really from China? i doubt it... at least not all of them, but that, nonetheless is what they're called. And what are they, you ask? Well, chinese gold farmers are essentially people who farm gold, but not real gold. Digital gold, in a digital world known as World of Warcraft. World of Warcraft is an mmorpg. (basically a computer game where a bunch of people online play together in a massive mystical world.) In World of Warcraft you use gold in order to purchase a variety of items that will enhance your character's game play. You gain gold in the game by killing monsters and taking their money or by completing quests. However... sometimes gold can be hard to come by. It takes a lot of blood and sweat and tears and boredom. SO--Chinese gold farmers came along to eliminate that problem and make a little real money themselves.
Basically, they are people being paid very little to play world of warcraft all day long and gain as much "game" gold as possible. They then sell the gold via the internet for real, actual cash. But why would a gamer pay real money for pretend gold do you ask? well... some people are lazy. But really though... this is a serious issue to some people. Chinese Gold Farmers are hated within world of warcraft because they mess up the game's economy. You see, everything has a price in the game, there is a supply and there is a demand for all items: A two handed axe of the owl, for instance. But if there is inflation in the game, then all of the hard working players who don't actually purchase their gold often don't have enough to buy items that they could have normally, because you can sell it for a higher price to people who do have chinese gold.

So as you can see... a serious issue for mankind.
Bridget Fenner-- signing out.

2005-10-11T08:47:00.000-07:00

Two lists of 75 words for the name generator script:

frazzled
conservative
manic
lewd
slimy
whimsical
creative
confused
stale
filthy
vile
common
unrivaled
incredible
sensational
holy
fornicating
reptilian
enchanting
mesmerizing
titillating
crafty
witty
spiteful
feisty
arrogant
foolish
rapisty
repressed
erotic
neurotic
dirty
bashful
guilty
smarmy
smirking
bastardly
repulsive
adorable
ignorant
devious
lurking
sneaky
perjured
scornful
lover of the
one who licks the
lonely
passive
existentialist
spastic
angry
belligerent
sensible
sex-crazed
rude
peaceful
tricky
savage
decrepit
erect
seductive
bawdy
judgmental
uberlite
odd
cynical
sardonic
clever
lazy
wild
reckless
romantic
superficial
homeless

sheep
air-head
tree-hugger
yuppie
sorceress
swindler
rapist
molester
alcoholic
drunk
criminal
potato
puppet
virgin
nun
drag queen
executioner
warrior
burnout
hack
mime
pervert
wind-bag
hedonist
pagan
politician
evil one
cowboy
bible-thumper
robot
mime
reproductive organ
tart
wench
courtesan
peg-legged pirate
pariah
mime
fetishist
spinster
salesman
masochist
sadist
gansta
playa
druid
demon
simpleton
spoon
mime
speck of dirt
adulterer
Swede
leper
child
wise one
fool
mime
nipple
lover
lunatic
servant
liar
psychic
pole-dancer
whore
philosopher
poet
cynic
idealist
opportunist
mime
clown
enchanter
demigod

2005-10-03T20:07:00.000-07:00

CASTING THE I CHING.....(with quarters)

I pondered an issue in my life and cast three quarters six times to find my hexagram. What i got was:

=======
=== ===
=== ===
=== ===
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=======

Number 41, or... the sun, decrease hexagram.
According to dreamhawk.com the fortune is as follows:

Hexagram Forty One

Sun (Pro: Soon; but with a short vowel, as in ‘Book’) - Decrease

Circumstances have led to a major dwindling in your fortune.

The hexagram shows this as having arisen out of the relationship between something or someone stubborn and unyielding, and a someone or something passionate and giving. The unyielding takes unrestrainedly, and the passionate is self sacrificing to the point of deprivation.

If these points are understood they can be righted in some measure. Or one can draw from them reward other than a material one. This is because such decreases present the opportunity to discover resources not previously called into action. For instance fears and worries must be met lest they overwhelm one, and changes must be navigated. These are skills useful when increase reasserts itself.

For a while at least there may be a need to live with greater simplicity through having less resources, whether emotional or material. Continue to care for others, even if this means some sacrifice. Being able to live simply is a great boon.

This period of decrease follows one of gain or increase. It is a natural flow in the rhythm of life. If there can be an accordance with this by letting go of what is ready to drop away, less difficulty will arise. Do not let thoughts of failure or bitterness enter at this period, as it will pass.

If this enquiry is about relationship, the decrease is in the amount of passion or togetherness. But love itself has not disappeared. The season of intimacy has passed for a while.

Key words: Decrease calls us to live with greater simplicity. Inner resources are called upon. With restraint the winter passes without mishap.

SO-- overall, a pretty good fortune i think. Things are going to suck for a little while but after that things will be even better.
It was interesting because the question i used while i cast the 3 quarters was really really applicable to the result i got with my hexagram. Interesting. Although i find it hard to believe that any kind of fortune that comes from throwing 3 quarters is all that valid. You never know though.

2005-09-26T21:20:00.000-07:00

The reading for this week was a little bit verbose for me. It was interesting to read more about Ramon Llull and his ironic death by stoning-- especially after the class discussion about his life, but when Cramer got into more detail about how Lull's alphabet for his ars is similiar to programming language, I got a bit lost (myself being quite ignorant in the ways of programming).

I also found Comenius's Orbis Pictus to be an interesting idea. The concept of pictures being a universal language and using that to bridge the gap between different written and spoken languages is a really cool idea.

Overall what I gained most out of the reading was the knowledge that many computer systems and programs date back to and are the result of bizarre, early, religious tools and artifacts. It's interesting to think that the systems people came up with, that later led to the developement of the computer, were first created in an attempt to better understand God.

2005-09-19T21:59:00.000-07:00

I'm taking the class Code as Poetry for a couple of reasons. Mainly, i need to fulfill my quantitative requirement. However, a class that explores writing and language along with computer-y stuff sounds interesting to me.
i think i might pick up a lot of useful knowledge as well... for instance i will finally be able to decipher what the "N3Rd5" are writing to each other. Perhaps one day i too will be uberlite. (doubt it.. )

So, yes, i am taking this class because i have to, but i think that i will find it interesting and amusing also. i'm also excited that the book is free.

i'm a little unclear as to what we'll actually be doing with computers... or whether computers will be involved at all except for when we're writing blogs. ah blogs. Are we just learning things "in theory" and then writing about them, or are we going to be taking a hands on approach to the things we're learning and reading about? i just don't know. i guess all will become clear as the course progresses.

Anyway. This is my first blog... i'm not really sure if you'll hold us to the "two solid paragraphs" rule as this is the first blog, and is only supposed to be about why we're taking the class. Hopefully not. : )