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by Jack Campisi
This morning I went to Starbucks to grab a cup of coffee. I forgot just how annoying those places can be. I haven't been to Starbucks in a while, so it took me a minute to remember their stupid Da Vinci Code of coffee sizes. I was spacing on what the hell a "large" was in Latin, Italian or whatever dialect that is.
Then, like Tom Hanks in the shadow of Sir Isaac Newton's tomb, I deduced that "Venti" was the word for large. Triumphantly, I spoke the password and expected to gain access to this secret society of caffeine. Unfortunately, the cranky woman at the counter... I mean "Barista", did not understand what I said so I had to repeat myself. It's bad enough to have to say it once, but there was something about saying Venti a second time that really ticks me off. Now they are just messing with me. Ordering coffee should not be like playing Simon Sez.
I don't know why we have to speak another language to order coffee at Starbucks. Maybe it's more like The Da Vinci Code than we know. Perhaps Baristas are descendants of the Knights Templar, and they are protecting the secret of the Holy Grail. Except the Holy Grail wasn't Mary Magdalene, it actually was a cup... of strong, over-priced coffee. It was a Venti with three squirts of vanilla syrup; one for each member of the Holy Trinity. Who knows? Maybe the Holy Grail had a cardboard sleeve around it to keep Christ's hand insulated from the hot coffee. I wonder if Jesus had to use a sticker to cover the hole in the lid to keep the coffee from spitting out all over his hand on the way home.
This kind of thing doesn't happen at Dunkin Donuts or Donut Delight. You don't need to decipher clues hidden in the Mona Lisa or The Last Supper paintings. It's much simpler; Large, Medium and Small. They'll even add the cream and sugar for you. No need to contemplate if Sugar in the Raw is somehow healthier than the regular stuff. And I never have deal with moral dilemmas, like whether pouring a small portion of my coffee into the garbage to make room for milk is a sin or not.
Okay, maybe I am over reacting. I didn't mean to get as angry as that crazy albino in the movie. Cut me some slack, I haven't had my coffee yet.
4:07:55 PM 
by Mike Rogers
I recently gave into my curiosity and registered for a Second Life account. Second Life is a virtual world similar to World of Warcraft or any other MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game), except in Second Life the point of the game is to just do things you would in life. You can explore different areas, purchase clothing, go clubbing, play games, or just chat with some people.
In my first few days, I have only explored just a small portion of the game, and my first impression is that it is still in its infancy. If you have ever read Neuromancer or Snow Crash, you understand the possibilities of such a virtual world. If not, let me explore some scenarios for you.
First, data storage and access. People remember things visually and spatially. Remembering where something is on a web page within a web site is similar to the task of remembering which page your favorite War and Peace quote is on. In a book there are no visual cues other than the "address" or the page and line number. In the real world as in the virtual world, data can be organized in a familiar environment. For example, instead of memorizing the web address of your bank, you could simply remember that your virtual check book is in your virtual desk.
Second, virtual office space. Brainloaf has a small office for the convenience for working together in the same space, discussion questions, sharing ideas and interacting. There is no reason why we need to be in the same physical space if we can interact, see, discuss, and do all the same things physical proximity provides. Imaging sitting down in a cushy massage chair, strapping on a Virtual Reality headset, headphones and gloves, then "logging into" the office. No commute, no traffic, no gas bills. Just a virtual office, which can be as big as you want with a virtual view of the ocean, park, whatever. Coworkers can gather in the virtual conference room to talk, have client meetings and just hang around the virtual water cooler for a break. Virtual worlds like Second life are going to make this possible.
How to pay for all this? Well that brings me to my third point: Marketing and Advertising in Second Life. The beauty of a virtual world is that the promotional possibilities are limitless and much more cost effective. Virtual bill boards, car wraps, virtual launch parties and product events. All new things to add to the marketing mix. It will take SL sometime to get to this level, including wide adoption of virtual reality equipment and high end graphics hardware, but the SL (or an application like it) as a killer app replacement for the web is highly likely in my mind.
3:53:55 PM
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