Ode to the Next Generation

They're young, they're talented, and The Band can't tell if it's awesome that they have this much insight, or just scary and, on some level, maybe sad. But they're using their lives and their experiences to create art, and -- while some of it is silly, and some immature, and some incomprehensible -- as much of it is very moving, and it's all very personal. The Band approves. Check 'em out, drop 'em a line, and tell 'em Rune sent you.

Take this excerpt from Leigh's frailty.org site, which she describes as "not a priority for me, merely an escape." The excerpt:

"selectively choose issues and then claim them as yr own private pilgrimage. then you can drop & ignore 'em. hey hey. we'll all find our way, man. it is ridiculous, yr naivete & yr way of being left winged. hypocrite. hypoCRITE.

we should accept everyone, but as we accept everyone, we must not accept those whose opinions differ from ours, let us pray.

let us hear now, of yr arrogance & yr disgust with the world & the people in it. let us hear of it now, let us pray to it now, the altar of discrepancy and ignorance that infects the earth. they don't understand you.

let us pray

Wow. If that's escapism, I wonder what reality looks like... Not content to dazzle with her own site, Leigh also serves as hostess for some equally impressive young people -- for instance, emily's Tori Amos-inspired tangled site. The toolbar indicates that we're experiencing a "near-life experience." And there's also polina's departure, dense with photos and observations. And don't miss trash.

Because it's wonderful. Really. trash is wonderful really.

Elsewhere

• A little bit of everything at Diana Wiener's Especially Vivisection. Subtitled "The living dissection of human life." Neat, clean design -- just like in real life, you click around on the brain to find things. And, like in real life, once you find 'em, you gotta figure 'em out.
  
  
• For angst ("i have a lot of issues about things. but maybe one day, it won't be so bad"), try shannon's symptom site. The Band read the killed post, and wonders if shannon is even aware of the amazing balance that she has struck, with such a sparcity of words and density of emotional content impact.
  
  
• More from Ennui, at lost now for the words.

When you're done, feel free to plan your very own European takeover. Courtesy of NBC and Microsoft, of course. Use this handy tool to spread your propaganda, a la our ever-nutty Lettriste friends. (Refer to the Situationist links of 1/17/01. -- Mr. Ed.)

Jamais travail!!

First they took the world, and then -- ? -- the worldwideweb, perhaps?!?!

"700 BC -- Homing pigeons carry messages in ancient Greece."

So begins the History of the Internet and Web. If you've ever wondered, as The Band has, how it has all come to this, you may find the following links to your liking:

• The Geography of Cyberspace -- more than you ever wanted to know about the www.
  

• The Internet Weather Report -- whose backbone is down this week?
  

• Around the World in 60 Hops -- with VisualRoute, you can trace the path of packets originating from your pc as they traverse the globe!
  

• whatis?com -- "the IT-specific encyclopedia"
  

• name.space -- anyone, anywhere, almost anytime.

Have fun -- and don't forget to stretch before any vigorous activity!!