Raw Meat is a quoteblog by Aaron Swartz.

wow, the BOS->BWI flight I take has its own logo and ad campaign

The World Is Weird

HBO is now airing British podcasts by animating them.

That’s How You Test

Well this is dumb:

Google is a $170 billion company. It employs thousands of engineers and developers. It tests, tests, tests, and tests more. In fact, its “designers” once unable to pick a shade of blue tested 41 variations of it. It’s ludicrous to think that the Buzz fiasco was simply a result of under-testing.

Yes, Google tests lots of minor details with lots of user data. How do they get this data? From actual users. How do they get actual users? By releasing products. So it seems totally reasonable to imagine them releasing something without heavily testing it; their whole culture is based around testing things in the wild.

and first chapter is down. woo! that feels good. was worried about hitting my word count, but as usual that turned out not to be a problem.

Obvious Answers to Simple Questions

Chuck Klosterman:

Here’s an unasked question about The Office: In both the American and British versions, the program is shot as a documentary. The characters are directly interviewed and often acknowledge the camera crew with knowing glances. But why is this office being filmed? Why is someone making an around-the-clock documentary of these ordinary people, even when they leave the building. What is the purpose? And when, in theory, would the filming conclude?

Someone decided to make a TV show about an average office; this is no less plausible than any other random reality TV show. They kept filming (and followed the workers home) because it made for so much good material. The filming will conclude when the show gets canceled.

The real question is: Why don’t the people in the office seem to watch the resulting TV show? Possible answers: 1) It hasn’t aired yet; the episodes are being filmed and possibly even post-produced but won’t air until the show gets canceled. 2) They do but all allusions to this get cut by the producers. 3) It is being aired in some foreign country in a different language and word never gets back to Scranton.

1 and 2 seem implausible, but the problem must be faced by other documentary TV shows. I remember when they were filming American High outside my house; there was only so much people could talk about themselves being on TV before they went on to live their lives. 3 also seems very plausible, especially with the American version; other countries love mocking Americans.

While we’re on the topic, an obvious answer to another question you might have: Does The Office (US) take place in the same universe as The Office (UK)? No, because there is no way they could have the same first episode.

Harvard Sq: Police sirens, news vans, and girls in skimpy dresses carrying crates of beer.

Crowley and the Harvard girls kind of the ultimate culture clash betw angry white male and entitled eastern elite.

Sgt. Crowley at Pinocchio’s, complete with loud-mouthed arrogant entourage insisting his pizza should be free.

writing is so weird. I just wrote two sections of my book in one sitting: one is utter tripe, the other is brilliantly lyrical. how?