The Big Think

via applelinks: Make Music today announced that their popular music notation program, Finale 2004, would be shipping January 16, 2004 as an OS X-only program. Thousands of professional musicians like me have been waiting for this to happen since OS X.0. It’s great to see that it’s shipping. Unfortunately, OS X doesn’t recognize serial ports via my adapter so I can’t use X with my midi setup. I’d have to buy another $500 interface to get access to the $130 Finale update. And then I couldn’t use my OS 9-based sequencer. It’s a vicious Catch-22 that’s going to cost me a few grand down the road. Oy, technology.

The Washington Monthly has a fascinating article on how the “Creative Class” (i.e. filmmakers, writers, photographers, musicians, etc), can transform a city. From Peter Jackson directing the Rings trilogy to the South African music industry, this article is a must-read if you’re a Creative-type.

A great post today on Jason Van Steenwyk’s blog. The one titled “Some Good News”

Notfooinganybody. Failed conversions. Funny stuff.

Attention! If you use a Mac (and OS X), you can view images of Mars using the same software that NASA engineers are currently using.
It’s mind-boggling, really. For the first time, just about anyone in the world with a late-model computer can manipulate scientific data from another planet soon after its arrival on Earth.
*Update* Mac and PC versions of the software are both available here.

Apple today announced Logic 6 and Logic Express 6.

NASA’s Mars rover “Spirit” has successfully rolled off the lander and onto the surface of Mars! (Pictures). It’ll spend a day or so within a few feet of the lander and then roll off to explore the surface. Congratulations NASA!

Erin and I got tickets to the Austin Lyric Opera’s production of Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutte tonight. Unfortunately, we found out that the show starts at 7 and she teaches until then. There’s no late seating. We decided not to go. Bummer. I’m also feeling icky as a result of an injection of anesthetic at the doctor’s office. Rainy day, and feeling under the weather. Bleah.