Tech???? What Tech????

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 08:46:00 -0700

The first three years of my career's new phase are almost over. It's been an amazing ride, capped by an amazing denouement.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 13 Sep 2005 14:11:00 -0700

Holy cow.

I just had to record this somewhere. Today I saw my first example of del.icio.us spam.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 13 Sep 2005 10:35:00 -0700

Been a while, snickerdoodles.

So I'm minding my own business yesterday at lunch, heading to the driving range for some practice and listening to NPR. They're covering the John Roberts confirmation hearings in DC and they have a Republican senator from Kansas, Senator Sam Brownback, talking about the hearings. He proceeds to make a complete douchebag of himself.

The conversation got around to Roe v. Wade and the interviewer, Nina Totenberg, asks him if he sees the right to privacy as a constitutional right. He says he doesn't and he's always amazed that people find a right to privacy in the constitution and don't find a right to life in the constitution.

This is so asinine that I can hardly believe it. It's a straw man (my new fave term) that makes for such an idiotic argument when light is shined on it. The idea of someone not being able to find a right to life in the constitution is the dumbest thing I have heard in a long time. It's the classic so-called "pro-life" argument that if you're not so-called "pro-life" you believe in murder. Well, I call bullshit. It's a manipulative argument that relies on the listener to surrender all judgement and simply follow along a line of reasoning as it derails.

When I think about it, the so-called "pro-life" argument is essentially that life begins at conception. Can you find anything in the constitution that says life begins at conception? Not only does that line of reasoning derail, it dissipates in a puff of compassionate comprehension.

Senator Brownback went on to say that people are assuming there is a right to privacy and it doesn't really exist in the constitution. So his recommendation to people who think a right to privacy is important, pass a constitutional amendment to that affect. Hey, that's a great idea. We'll work on that and you start working on a constitutional amendment that says life begins at conception. (tongue bursting through cheek.)

Here's my take on the constitution. It has great meaning when it's seen as descriptive. It loses meaning when it's seen as prescriptive. It simply describes what our country is about, it's guiding principles. It does not prescribe specific behavior.

Look at me. I expect my nomination to the Supreme Court in the mail.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 16:21:00 -0700

I love my Lovely Wife. I'm currently listening to a CD she made for me and the song "Jack Ass" by Beck is playing.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 15:56:00 -0700

I'm pretty excited about sports coming up here! Football season is starting soon, with preseason games going on now. Lovely Wife and I watched a bit of a Vikings (vs. Chiefs) game last night and it was like a breath of fresh air! We are both very excited about the season starting. Also, hockey is coming up soon, which is welcome after the year off they took. Heck, if they wanted a vacation, they could have just asked!

Played golf with my awesome father-in-law yesterday. I shot a 108 and played pretty horribly. Not a horrible score, though. I hadn't practiced the entire previous week, so not so bad a score with that in mind. I'm going to do some practice this week, though!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 12 Aug 2005 08:53:00 -0700

Heard from a good friend when he was describing the way he used to live that never worked for him: "Ready! Fire! Aim!"

I've heard this idea in the past. This time it hit me and I've had it rolling through my brain ever since I heard it on Wednesday evening. There's a slogan that I like to use in my life that is the three A's: Awareness, Acceptance, Action. It relates to my friend's idea, where it would look like the following: Awareness, Action, Acceptance. How backward is that?

I work on practicing the principle of acceptance before action in many areas of my life: my work, my marriage, my kids, myself, and golf (!).

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 5 Aug 2005 09:35:00 -0700

http://www.flickr.com/photos/barnesquared/31313798/

Here's the quote:

"It is an odd thing, but everyone who disappears is said to be seen in San Francisco. It must be a delightful city, and possess all the attractiveness of the next world."
-Oscar Wilde

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 5 Aug 2005 09:33:00 -0700

Oh my mornings coming back
The whole world’s waking up
In the city buses are swimming past
I’m happy just because
I found out I’m really no one
-"At the Bottom of Everything", Bright Eyes

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 16:33:00 -0700

Here's my reactions to the 2001 analysis I posted about earlier today.

Who says it's Africa? It kind of looks like Africa. I'm not sure it must be Africa. I always liked that it's ambiguous.
It's kind of strange to show the monolith growing out of the earth, when it is described as "deliberately planted." Was it planted like a tree? In the movie, you can hear the tools being used to install it, although you never see it. It just appears in one moment and I would guess, from how it looks, that it's well anchored.
Here's another question for you: where did the monolith go? Why don't you hear about it in the next part of the movie? Did the aliens come back to get it? If so, when?

"Kubrick doesn't explain its [the monolith's] 'meaning'"? Its meaning is explained visually, not verbally. It is order within chaos. There are no straight lines in the apes' world. There is no perfect black. There is nothing unfamiliar. That is,until the monolith comes.
One of the apes' characteristics is "courage"? What about the first watering hole scene? The apes basically get all the water they need, get screamed at by the other tribe, scream back, and move away so the other tribe can drink. Not a courageous act. The apes are not courageous until they gain their tools. Then they are courageous. Heck, one of them (Starwatcher) kills another ape in the second watering hole scene. Come to think of it, is that really a courageous act? More like a violent act than a courageous one.
Who is this "sinister new character"?
These are some very interesting points about man being a child in space. I hadn't explicitly noticed it before. I saw it visually without identifying it verbally.
I also hadn't explicitly noticed the human form of some of the spaceships. That's interesting. I'm not sure it's consistent, though. the Pan Am shuttle isn't particularly human-looking, it looks more like a sleek 747. Neither is the space station.
At the Tycho site, there is one human who shows awe and wonder, Floyd. Although he also participates in the awe-less and wonder-free activities of the other humans.

Why did they make Discovery's exterior grey instead of white? I like it white!
Seeing humans through HAL's eyes is an interesting approach. It would have been very interesting if they contrasted it with HAL's statements in the interview, where he is asked about his relationships with humans and defines them as "stimulating." That's a loaded word. If I were interviewing HAL, I'd ask him to say more about how his relationships with humans are "stimulating." Maybe I'd cross-examine HAL on this point. "What exactly do they stimulate in you?"
"HAL makes a mistake"? This is a significant problem with this analysis of the movie. HAL doesn't make a mistake. (Of course, this Buddhist says there are no mistakes.) HAL deliberately says the AE-35 is bad when he knows it's not. He wants Bowman and Poole cut off from Earth so he can launch his plan to take over the mission. It doesn't matter what he has to do to accomplish this goal.
The breathing part is interesting and it misses one more thing that drives home its point. It misses the sound effect of the air pumps working inside the space suit. This is one of my favorite points in the movie.
The humans think HAL is in error (about the AE-35 being bad), but he really isn't and he knows it. This is the humans' error. This is why they underestimate HAL. They think he's benevolent and made a mistake, whereas he has his own motives they can't see or accept. Once Bowman sees HAL's motives clearly, then he accepts and believes what is really going on and what HAL really is. His eyes are opened and his heroic acts ensue.
What about the video that's uncovered when Bowman deactivates HAL? This is a crucial plot point that is completely missed in this analysis. This shows why HAL was confused. It also may be HAL's final peace offering to Bowman. Something like saying, "Sorry, but it wasn't my fault. Look at this and you'll see what I mean." Or maybe it just comes on automatically because they have reached Jupiter.

"The fourth dimension"? What the hell does that mean? Why get into this dimensional stuff? It's a real place, it's just been created by the aliens for Bowman.
I'm not sure about the wine/wine glass analogy. Seems a little flimsy.
I like the depiction of the Starchild. The music during this part is horrendous!

So there you go. 2001 fanboy signing off.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 09:20:00 -0700

I'm preparing an extensive commentary to be posted here on this explanation of 2001. I'm a huge fanatic, so expect some serious fanboy weirdness.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 08:26:00 -0700

Just got back from vacation with the family and had a wonderful time!

We did a bunch of fun things, like a water slide, boating on the lake, hanging out in the hot tub, making and eating yummy dinners, and talking with family. It was amazing.

Played nine holes of golf while I was there, with my brother-in-law, and we had a great time. I shot a 54, which wasn't so bad when you see that I hadn't practiced the whole week beforehand.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 19 Jul 2005 14:31:00 -0700

The episode of The Gillmor Gang that I'm currently listening to is one of the worst I've heard. I've been listening since last year and this one is dreadful. People talking about "users remixing content on the fly" ad nauseum. I've heard talk about this crap for years and years now and it's never gotten anywhere near the level of usefulness that anyone describes. And no one challenges these talking heads about why we've been talking about the same thing over and over and over and over again and it never happens like they say it does and will.

Leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Steve, you dropped the ball on this one.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 19 Jul 2005 10:06:00 -0700

Bloglines asplode this morning! I got on after my shower and Bloglines showed one tree item: "Feeds." Nothing else. So, what do you do in that case? Click on it, of course! Then, I waited and waited and waited while Bloglines tried to download every single feed that I have, all 281 of them. My Safari went bezerk.

So, just what the heck was going on with Bloglines this morning?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 15 Jul 2005 14:48:00 -0700

Lovely Wife and I are going to the Billy Corgan concert in the city tomorrow night. I'm really looking forward to it! It will sure be an interesting experience!

I really love the Smashing Pumpkins and Billy has been a very interesting person to follow. The new CD is good. I didn't like it too much initially, but I like it a lot more now. I never got to see the Smashing Pumpkins live, even though I was a huge fan. I know I'm not going to see Smashing Pumpkins tomorrow night, but it will be a thrill to see Billy in person.

The show is at the Fillmore, so it'll be pretty intimate.

It'll be a great date for me and Lovely Wife. I'm really looking forward to it!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 15 Jul 2005 14:39:00 -0700

Went and played 18 holes with some co-workers yesterday. We had a really great time. I shot two pars, the first two since I've been back at playing golf again! One was on a par 4 and one was on a par 5.

I noticed that when I played yesterday, my putting was much better than the last time I played. I've been practicing it a lot this week. Also, I wasn't keeping score that much while I was on the hole. When I was done, I would tally up my score and in both cases I was surprised that I shot a par. I wonder if that helped me to relax and shoot better since I wasn't worrying about screwing up my opportunity for par or the like. That's really gotten in my head and screwed up a lot of my scores in the past.

I also noticed that I hit the ball better than usual. Usually, I get up there and do my practice swings that go well, then when I hit the ball, I get very nervous and flub it up. I end up swinging my practice swings much better than my real swings. This time, I was able to treat my real swings a bit differently. I saw them as just another swing, like a practice swing is. I realized that in the past I have gotten nervous because I start thinking about things like, "what if the ball doesn't go where I want it to go? What if I'm aiming in the wrong direction? What if I didn't prepare correctly?" I was better able to let those things go and concentrate on the swing. An example of practice, practice, practice and things start to go better and better.

Oh, yeah, and I don't remember my score. I know I shot a 51 on the back nine. On the front nine, I had something like a 57 or a 59. I don't remember.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 15 Jul 2005 14:37:00 -0700

We have a summer vacation coming up next week. We're leaving on Wednesday and we'll be back the following Wednesday. It's going to be a long drive and we'll be hanging out with my sister's family and my mom. It's a celebration of my mom's 60th birthday as well as family time together. We're especially looking forward to having our little ones hanging out with my sister's little one. Should be fun!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 13 Jul 2005 11:34:00 -0700

I'm in the market for a sand wedge. I went and tried some out at the driving range yesterday and was very impressed. I can't remember all the kinds I tried out, but I'm pretty sure I tried out five. One was a Tour Edge, one was a Titleist, and one was a Cleveland CG10. I don't remember the models of the Tour Edge or Titleist wedges. I was very impressed by the Tour Edge and the Titleist, and there was one more that I really liked and I don't remember what it was. Maybe it was a Callaway, but I'm not sure. I'm going back there today to see them again.

I've been doing some research on used clubs on eBay and there are plenty of good deals, especially on the Titleist wedges.

I discovered something I didn't know before, that rust on a sand wedge is a good thing because it provides a surface that will make more backspin on the ball. Good to know!

So, I'm looking at buying a sand wedge with a raw finish, not chrome. I'm looking around on eBay and I can't tell the difference between a Titleist Vokey Raw and a Titleist Vokey Oil Can. Anyone out there know the difference? Post a comment, please. I have no idea how I will find out. Maybe the pro at the driving range will know.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 11 Jul 2005 11:59:00 -0700

Lovely Wife and I watched "Closer" on Friday night. I thought it was pretty good. I was a bit tired when we watched it, so I faded out here and there.

An image that I remember very clearly was the first scene, where Jude Law and Natalie Portman are walking in slow motion towards each other and there's a song with some lyrics like "I only see you". That was a magical moment for me and I just couldn't help smiling. Turns out their characters didn't even know each other at that point and the connection between them was even more interesting at that point.

It was really interesting to see the dynamic between the two couples and how it changed given the circumstances. I love watching stuff like that.

One thing I really liked about the movie was its use of music. I'm not sure what else to say about that.

I'd recommend it.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 11 Jul 2005 11:53:00 -0700

I've entered a new phase in the weight loss arena. I haven't done much exercise. I have been pretty successful in not eating after 7:30 at night and keeping portion size down. The hunger is an interesting thing.

A question that comes up for me: "Am I starving myself?" This is an interesting one. I don't feel unable to do my day-to-day activities. I don't feel weak. It would be interesting to note how many calories I'm taking in now as opposed to before. Add to that grams of carbs, grams of protein and grams of fat. Those would be very interesting to know.

I've been staying away from sweet treats as well. On Thursday evening, I had a scoop of Rocky Road ice cream at home at about 7:40. It was close enough to 7:30 that I went for it. It was very good and much less than the normal three scoops. Also, I tend to eat the ice cream right before bed. 7:40 was a huge improvement.

I am definitely hungry more often than I have ever been in my life. It's not really debilitating, though. When my feelings start to go a bit sideways on me, I come back to the sensations in my body and it's comforting. There's a definite sensation in my belly that's connected to hunger. It always seems my feelings and thoughts are more energetic and desperate than my body is. This is an interesting dynamic to keep my eyes on.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 11 Jul 2005 09:48:00 -0700

I got to play 18 holes yesterday with my father-in-law and one of his friends. I sure had a great time! I shot a 108. I really enjoyed it and I see a lot of potential in my playing. I see some areas that I really need to improve in, so many that it's hard to know where to start.

1) Remembering that a swing is just a shoulder turn!

This is a hard one and I'm a little disappointed that I always forget it. Once I remember it, I start hitting the ball straighter and farther and my body doesn't hurt so much. Both the last 18 I played and this one, I remembered around the 13th hole.

2) Putting

I had a couple of chances for par with makeable putts and one chance for birdie that wasn't very makeable. Then my putting failed me. I need to do a lot of work in this area. Practice, practice, practice!

3) Nerves on the course

Sometimes, my practice swings are ace and then I get up to the ball and the swing is nothing like my practice swing. I see my fear rise up as I get to the ball. I don't have this problem with my driver, probably because I've spent a lot of time on that one and it's always in a good lie! I have this problem really badly in the fairway and the rough.

4) Course management

On a couple of the holes yesterday, I spent the whole time in the rough. I get impatient and forget that getting the ball into the fairway is a noble goal and it makes everything easier. I try to hit a hard shot and I end up in the rough again. Realizing this could improve my game a lot. Maybe something like when I'm in the rough, the first goal is to get back to the fairway. The second goal is to make some progress toward the green.

I had a couple of great shots here and there that I'm really proud of. Some great drives, some great pitches, and a couple of putts that were really good (unfortunately, not good enough to get in the hole).

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 7 Jul 2005 21:33:00 -0700

Here's a question.

When exactly is it that hunger changes from a sensation to a feeling?

In other words, there is a hunger that is the body. That's a sensation. There is an emotional reaction and a mental reaction. It's easy to get confused and think the emotional reaction is hunger or the mental reaction is hunger. Then, the eating behavior is justified. If the emotional reaction and the mental reaction are seen for what they truly are, then hunger remains a sensation in the body. Then we never have to leave the body to know what the body needs.

Holy cow, we might be onto something!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 7 Jul 2005 20:49:00 -0700

I wanted to get my thoughts down on this topic before they're gone.

So, Lovely Wife and I decided to make some changes today. We're changing our eating habits, starting today. We're working on three things:

1. Exercise
2. No eating after 7:30 PM
3. Eating smaller portions

Now, Lovely Wife has a lead on me in the exercise department. She is committed to walking three times a week. I, on the other hand, have not made a specific commitment on that front.

The second and third items give me pause. We discussed it earlier this evening. For me, hunger has always been "I'm hungry, get some food." I mean, always. No, really, always. Any time I'm hungry, it's time to get food. Now, just looking at the second and third items makes me hungry. It's looking like this is going to be a very interesting journey. It's time to put some space between "I'm hungry" and "Eat." This is new behavior; untried territory for me.

We'll just have to see how it goes. I know that changing patterns like this is not just a walk in the park. I also know that it will not be as bad as it seems. And it seems pretty bad!

A friend of Lovely Wife had a few suggestions. If you're really hungry, chew some gum or brush your teeth. Those are pretty good suggestions! I might add drink a diet soda without caffeine, drink some water, play a game, kiss your wife, do some work around the house, and watch a good movie. Those are good alternatives that come to mind.

The thought that comes in next is that the list I just came up with is very, very interesting. It seems like one of the best ways I can think of to help with the second and third items in the list are distracting myself. That's interesting. We'll have to see how that goes. In my experience, distracting myself like that doesn't really work.

The next thought is that if the hunger actually goes away, is that distracting myself, or is that bringing myself back to reality? More and more interesting.

The next thought is I wonder if the eating that I do has something to do with keeping me from doing all the things like those I listed. I'm not sure that makes any sense to a reader. It sure makes sense in here. It's like in the evenings, I tend to eat and watch TV, pretty much numbed out from the rest of my life. I wonder if that's part of the plan. I wonder if I'll have more energy with less food. I think I'm getting further and further away from making sense with each sentence. I'll write more when more comes and hopefully it will be clearer!

Lovely Wife's friend said that eventually you're just not hungry anymore. I wonder how long it takes to get there. I get the shivers just thinking about it.

Golf Update

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 5 Jul 2005 11:13:00 -0700

So, I've been practicing quite a bit lately. Been hitting the range a lot. It's been very good, getting my swinging more and more relaxed and natural. I look forward to getting on a course sometime soon. My father-in-law was out of town over the weekend, so no golf on the course for me.

I was able to get to the range with a couple of my neighbors on Monday, which was very nice. I practiced swinging, chipping and putting and all went very well. It was a lot more fun with friends along!

The last time I played a full round of 18, I shot a 109. I'm really looking forward to topping that score. I've come a long way since then.

War of Words

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 1 Jul 2005 14:16:00 -0700

Oh, dear.

Brooke Shields gets in the New York Times with this drivel? I heard her on Fresh Air on NPR talking about her book and she says basically the exact same things, but now with yummy Tom Cruise goodness! I'm irked that she was only concerned with what Tom Cruise said about her and not his general wackiness. It's pretty apparent that he has no beef with her personally, but he's just severely off his rocker.

Here's what I would have loved to have heard from Brooke Shields on the matter:

"Hey, Blockhead. What the fuck gives you the right to speak for anyone when it comes to psychiatry? You use the good old standby excuse of 'I've done a lot of study on this topic and here is what I think' and expect us just to trust you? What a bunch of bullshit. Who would trust you with anything when you're willing to write off a huge portion of the population as just being misguided and putting themselves in danger? Produce the evidence. Show us what exactly it is that brings you to these conclusions. Let's have an honest debate about it. Not this Today Show bullshit. If something useful ever came from the Today Show or Tom Cruise, about half the world would die of shock. Yes, even those pygmies that live in the Amazon. Half of them. Dead. So take all your bullshit excuses and grandstanding and shove half of it up your ass and the other half up Matt Lauer's ass. And may all people dealing with psychiatric disorders see your comments for what they really are and move on to doing something useful to help themselves."

'Course that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

When it comes to medication for anything, psychiatric disorders included, I say go for it and remember to pay very close attention. Pay very close attention to what goes on before you take the medication, while you're taking the medication, and while you're at it, pay attention to everything. You're worth it.

In the interests of full disclosure, I've been in a therapist's care a few times in my life and I've pondered using medication to combat depression. I've never actually used it, though. It would be difficult to go on such a medication, but I could do it.

New iTunes, version 4.9, now with podcast aggregation! (part 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 30 Jun 2005 09:34:00 -0700

So, after looking at the interface for a while longer, it looks like Apple has made a pretty interesting interface for listening to podcasts. I'm entertaining a couple of ideas in light of the Great Wall of China between my iPodder-aggregated podcasts and my iTunes-aggregated podcasts. Can iTunes come to where iPodder is, or can iPodder come to where iTunes is?

To be specific, I'm so used to the way that my iPodder-aggregated podcasts appear in iTunes that I was initially thinking that my iTunes-aggregated podcasts should appear where my iPodder-aggregated podcasts currently appear. After playing with the place where the iTunes-aggregated podcasts currently appear, it's an interesting interface. I started to wonder if it's open enough so that iPodder could add the podcasts it aggregates to that location.

A little opening of the mind with a crowbar. We'll see where it goes.