Asymptomatic

There must be intelligent life down here

How to Succeed at Elementary School: Cheat
March 24, 2008

I’ve been offering some of my most valuable educational advice to Abby over the past year, and I think the number one thing that I tell her is also the number one thing that will help her be most successful. Cheat.

I think that many people miss this lesson in school, mostly because they don’t teach it. It’s one of my personal aims to make sure that Abby gets these important lessons early. For example, it’s always important to question everything; teachers are often right but can be wrong just like anyone. And one of the more important of the important lessons is that you should cheat.

What is Pastoid?
March 17, 2008

“Ah, Owen, you don’t work hard enough,” I keep hearing you all say. “You’re such the slacker! Why don’t you do something useful instead of writing all of that blog software?”

Well, between work and Habari, I do like to hang out with the family, and when I’m not doing that (usually after everyone had gone to bed, and long after I should have gone to bed myself) I’m frequently working on stupid little side projects that aren’t of any consequence to anyone. My most recent such “mini” pet project is Pastoid.

Osmotic Design
March 11, 2008

The more I think on it, the more my thoughts head to the inevitable conclusion that real design skills are something granted to you by either a higher power, genetic makeup, or sheer luck. More to the point, neither god nor my genes have granted me any worthwhile natural knack for design, and that the only way to obtain such is by having some epiphany involving hitting my head, doing psychadelics, or divine intervention.

I keep hoping that I’ll lay down one night, head full of inspiration that I can do naught with visually, and wake up with a profound understanding of layout, color, and aesthetics that I had lacked the night before. As if the information could sink into my brain by osmosis by laying on the Everest-like mound of design books I’ve purchased and not yet intuited.

Changes as a result of added kittens
February 28, 2008

The kittens have been with us for a couple of weeks now, and we’re all adjusting to the changes.

When they first moved in, they lived in the laundry room behind the dryer, where we assume it was warm and out of the way. Eventually, someone turned on the dryer and that was the end of that, but they still venture in there to their electronic litter box (yes, it cleans itself), which has been working quite well for everyone concerned.

Facebook Thinks I'm Bi
February 28, 2008

So here’s a curious thing pointed out to me by a co-worker. He says that Facebook says that I’m interested in men. More specifically, in men and women.

I admit that I was a bit confused because I don’t remember having come out of the closet on Facebook. But sure enough, there it is, plain as day. Apparently I like both men and women.