Last week I drove down to Red Bank, NJ for the premiere of the movie Camp Woz, which was about the real life youth computer workshops organized by Apple Computer founder Steve Wozniak and Real World Miami participant and social worker Joe Patane. I knew Joe in high school. This is clearly where one person can make a difference in the lives of others. I was impressed.
I would have not known about this event had I not joined Facebook and hooked up with old friends. I’ve refused to hook up with MySpace and some of the other social networks like Twitter, but Facebook is different in two main ways: they allow the users to write or plug in their own applications, and that the installed base is dramatically larger than most of the other networks. While there are some claims that it is a waste of time, I find that it actually saves time by letting me see what all of my friends are doing in a glance.
Scrabulous is Facebook’s killer app. I’m sure Hasbro or Mattel can figure out a deal rather than annoying the hundreds of thousands of people that have been drawn back to Scrabble.
Eateries this week: microwave burrito from the Red Bank 7-11 (sprung for the extra 20 cents for the “hand made” spicy beef filling, exactly the same), Burger King at the curiously named Cheesequake Service Area (weird chicken sandwich). Beef stew at the Borough Hall Crossroads stand (not really that good), buffalo wings at Fraunces Tavern (yes, George Washington’s favorite watering hole is still an excellent fully functioning pub), the new Marriott Eastside for a banquet (crab cakes were soggy, filet mignon and sea bass reasonably ok, huge slices of cheesecake for dessert), Rachel’s Taqueria for Tex-Mex (awesome Chimichanga -recommended).