Tim Potter's Homepage :: Chapter Two

.

The Future of the Book

The art of bookmaking will probably be as relevant in 2020 as blacksmithing is today, according to Wired columnist Nicholas Negroponte. He predicts there'll remain a few bestseller titles, some specialty titles, and some designed for gifts for grandparents from their grandchildren.

Negroponte claims the Internet world wide web is doubling in size every 50 days, and at the moment one new homepage is being added every 4 seconds.

He suggests it's partly a question of economics. Stored in cyberspace, information contained in the average book weighs less than one millionth of a gram, consumes less than a millionth of a cubic centimeter of space, holds 4 million bits, and costs $A2.50. The hardcover book version weighs more than half a kilo, contains less than 4 million bits, and costs at least $A30.

He concedes books still have the upper hand on the level of "human interface" - the comfort zone where bits and people meet. "They look and feel great, they are usually lighter than most laptops, easy to use, handsomely random access, and widely available to everyone."

Nicholas Negroponte is a great thinker and writer on the new technologies, and he has, naturally enough, a page on the web.

How far is it?

Did you know that the distance from Adelaide to Paris is 10,029 miles (16,140 kilometres)? That's Adelaide, South Australia and Paris, France, as opposed to Adelaide, Nevada and Paris, Texas which are 1,304 miles (2,098 kilometres) apart. How did I know that? By visiting How far is it? There are also maps which show you your two chosen locations. It's really a solution looking for the question. But a most elegant solution!

Pyromania!

You and I might get the barbecue going with a bit of metho, but George Goble uses liquid oxygen. Pictures, movies and sound clips. (The movies can take a -l-o-n-g- time to download.) There's also a picture of George which explains a lot. He has a worrying and serious fascination with fire. This is a site visited a lot! (probably out of incredulity as much as anything else.)

Juggling

I have never been able to juggle. It is a great hole in my psychological makeup. But this page could make all the difference.

Universal Life Church

Become an ordained minister of religion in the Universal Life Church. It's easy -- it's just a couple of mouse clicks away. Why? Why not!

Corpses For Sale

"Each corpse is Hand Crafted and is very durable in construction. Total attention to detail is seen in certain features such as fillings in the teeth, nostril cavities and fingernails that are imbedded into the decaying skin. The corpse is fully articulated so the head turns from side to side, the mouth opens and will snap shut, all the limbs move and the fingers can be bent into different positions.

"Each corpse is Hand-Made to your specifications. The Corpses For Sale page contains the variations that you can choose to make your corpse unique from all others. You can choose the Hair Color, Skin Color and the approximate Degree Of Decay. If you have any special request please E-mail me or note them on the order form and I will see that they are incorporated in the construction or notify you if it is not possible.

Zippy the Pinhead

Asynchronous irrelevance.

Fridgehenge

Imagine Stonehenge, but instead of of huge monoliths of stone there are old refrigerators. It's Fridgehenge! In New Zealand of course.

And is this another fridgehenge in the making?

And Carhenge. In the States but where I don't know. I liked this image so much I made it into a T-shirt.

Stark's Vacuum Cleaner Museum

At least you'll be able to say that you've seen it. There's also The Toaster Museum Foundation & The Museum of Dirt in Chapter Three, and a couple of collections of barfbags and soft-drink cans in Chapter Four.

Chuck & Rich's Antique Typewriter website and museum

Ditto.

More jokes.

I keep a few jokes on file which I regularly send to people, mostly unsolicited. I thought I'd share them with you:

Are you a guy? Take this scientific quiz!

Are you a Geek? Find out if you are spending too much time before the screen.

Where do characters on your screen go when you delete them?

If computer operating systems were airlines (You need a bit of Geek in you to appreciate this.)

An application to get into NYU Never under-sell yourself!

Lester & Louise in the nursing home

The fisherman & the frog

The psychiatric hotline

The engineers and the mathematicians on a train

9 types of girlfriends, 9 types of boyfriends

Customer Service, otherwise known as the Bars of Soap. It was sent to me by Mick Davis in Strasbourg, who was sent it from (I think) someone in the UK who got it from the Sunday Times.

How to sing the Blues (complete with an exclusive picture of Blind Mango Chutney & Maria the dog).

And even more jokes!!!

HOW TO BE FUNNY

E-mail me and tell me what a wonderful experience visiting this page is!

Now, are you ready for this?

Slowly I turned . . .

Step by step . . .

Click here for Chapter Three