Asymptomatic

There must be intelligent life down here

The Impenetrable Schedule
July 03, 2007

I’ve got a bunch of really good topics to cover for blog posts, and it seems that I’ve not got enough time to sit down at the PC and do them justice. Instead, you get this. Sorry in advance.

Last week, Pat (my brother) flew home from working in Ireland to visit for a friend’s wedding. We spent some time together, and played some Guitar Hero II on the 360. This was fun. I have since played more Guitar Hero (which I specifically bought so that we could play) and am actually getting reasonably good at it. At least, I am much better at Guitar Hero than playing the actual guitar, which I should probably get out and practice some more.

Zealotry Switch
July 03, 2007

I’ve lately noticed a specific quality that some people have to adhere to things they believe more strictly than reason dictates. And to be clear about this, it’s a quality of the person as a whole in many of their beliefs, not just about one thing in which they believe.

There really is only one good, universal example, and I dislike making it, but to explain further I have little choice. I do not begrudge anyone their religion. There is a place for me, too, in trying to figure out the bigger mysteries of life. Still, I don’t believe that these beliefs necessarily extend into every facet of life that some folks do. And that’s where you can find friction between what I think and what most everyone else on the planet thinks. But what makes me most different, I think, is that I’m still open to ideas and willing to lend them thought, whereas most religious people I’ve encountered are not.

I think there’s a switch somewhere deep in these people that is flipped to the setting that disallows them any further input. It prevents them from seeing reason in deference to their faith. I’m sure that it’s not just me who has tried to argue one thing or another (abortion, capital punishment, gay marriage, etc.) to a person like this and come up against the unassailable illogic of religion. But whatever this quality is about a person, I’ve noticed that it sometimes doesn’t only apply to their religious beliefs, but also to other thinking that they have.

32 Things I Hate About 32 Things EW Hates
June 24, 2007
tv
--- title: "32 Things I Hate About 32 Things EW Hates" date: "2007-06-24" categories: ["tv"] authors: ["owen"] slug: 32-things-i-hate-about-32-things-ew-hates html: true ---

In the recent 941/942 double-issue of Entertainment Weekly, they've listed 32 things (page 110) that they hate about Entertainment these days.  They've not gone far enough.  I've revised their list to make more sense.  Observe:

1. EW: "Paris Hilton on CNN"

Me: "Paris Hilton"

You may be able to tell how this is going to go...

2. EW: "The overuse of that damn KT Tunstall song 'Suddenly I see'"

Me: The overuse of any song that might otherwise be a catchy pop tune that one could easily put into their MP3 rotation.  Additionally, the changing of words to "good" (read: recognizable) songs to be used as advertising jingles.  Also, the word "damn" as an adjective.  (Editor dude, it's a verb.)

3. EW: "TV shows that end at 10:02pm.  Our DVRs don't know to wait up."

Me: TV networks that haven't figured out how to cater to DVR users.  Tivo for patenting the process and TV Networks for scaring other DVR makers into not providing the handy time-shifting features that would record those extra two minutes.  (Hey, mine does it.  EW, does your equipment suck?)

Oh yes, there are 32 of these...

They Gave Me the Chair
June 13, 2007

I spend a lot of time in front of the computer. I like to attribute this to my job, but I expect that even if I wasn’t being paid for it, I’d still spend a lot of time there.

Something to consider when you spend as much time as I do using a computer is comfort. To enable myself to continue using the computer without pain, I’ve taken some steps to be as comfortable as I can.

An ergonomic keyboard and mouse are standard equipment on my desk. Likewise, I use a mouse wrist rest to relieve some of the stress from the frequent use of the mouse. Most people keep their monitors directly on their desks any more, but I make a point to keep my monitors low to avoid neck strain. One area that I have not spent as much time considering as I should is my chair.

I’ve been sitting on this old chair from Staples for a few years now. It’s not a bad chair on the whole, and as a home chair for the desk it’s fine. The trouble is, since I’ve started working at home, I’ve been sitting in it day-in and day-out for months, and it has taken its toll on my back. So I started a hunt for a good office chair.