Rain on the parade

Well, it seems Northwestern won't be able to pull it off after all - it's 43-38 UCLA with 0:00:23 left. With the onside kick as our only chance, it doesn't look good at all. I can't deny that it was painful to watch NU lose a 22-0 lead, but I take solace in that it was a much better showing than in any of our last two bowl games where we were completely blown out.

The best thing about Wildcat fans is that we all have hope. At the end of the 4th, with only 0:02:00 or so left, most of the UCLA stands were empty. The other side was packed with Purple. We'll keep hoping until we win our second bowl in 50 years. It will happen.

Sunny side of the street, part II

After a spectacular 1st quarter, Northwestern is down by 11 in the 4th. I believe we can still pull this off - and if we do, it'll be a huge coup by a scrappy NU team.

Waiting with bated breath...

Extra, extra

Today I wrapped my first day of a movie shoot. Ok, it wasn't really a movie... more like a small, independent film. Fine. It was a transit security training video. Still, it had a camera crew, lighting, sound, director, actors, other extras, the works! It had everything except stuntmen and special effects.

Not a bad gig, if you ask me. It's perfect for people who get a lot of time off and want to make a few extra bucks without committing to a longer term job, e.g. Alaska fishermen, students, housewives/husbands, retirees.

My new life goal is to be an extra in a zombie movie. Ughhhh.. Ahhhh!

Who cares, it's just a joke.

I used to hear it all the time when I was in college and active in publicizing social issues. The apathetic majority's response to activism was usually along the lines of "Get over it. It's just a joke." or "There's too much political correctness. Get a life!"

What's ironic is that I've said that myself about some issues, usually issues I care little about. I suspect the same is true of many other people. You don't care until you do, so to speak.

Five or six years ago, Abercrombie & Fitch came out with a line of T-shirts that had slogans that made fun of Asians. An example: "Wong Brothers Laundry-- Two Wongs can make it white." One company official even said that they thought that Asians would love the shirts. Well, many Asians didn't, and made some noise, demonstrating outside Bay Area stores. The response from White America, and White-washed Asians? The typical "It's just for fun" bullshit. We got the same response when a hateful email was posted to a fraternity listserv at my university around the same time. I think the problem is that if you let jokes based on stereotypes become socially acceptable outside of friends, then it becomes much more pernicious.

Anyway, recently, Abercrombie came out with yet another slew of offensive T-shirts. This time, the shirts were offensive to girls. Slogans included "Who needs brains when you've got these?" (across the chest), "Give me something to scream about" and "Blonds are adored, brunettes are ignored". So some high school girls have organized a "girlcott" and have even met with top Abercrombie executives.

Personally, I think they're kind of funny and don't really care one way or the other about the T-shirts. Maybe they should just get over it-- it's just a joke.

Writer's block

I have a running list of blog topics. Some, I think, are pretty good. They're variegated, sometimes controversial, and hopefully interesting to most people.

So why don't I post more? Well, there's actually a good chunk of the topics that I just haven't worked up the nerve to write yet, because I know they will likely be offensive. I know there are a few people who drop by now and then who don't know who I am but know me through other people, and they will very likely be offended. Close friends probably wouldn't be offended, and know that I'm pretty much incapable of evildoing.

Other topics are so complex that I haven't been able to work out a decent post (which I know hasn't stopped me from posting at times before), or are topics for which I probably couldn't contribute something original.

And lastly, sometimes I just don't feel like posting, even though I can have a lot of nothing to say.

On the Sunny Side of the Street

So Northwestern is going to the Sun Bowl against UCLA. I'm pulling for a good showing this year - maybe we'll even win?

Anyone planning on going?

The size epidemic

My dad felt the need to brave vicious shoppers today, all for a 15% off coupon at Macy's. So I tagged along since I needed some performance athletic clothing. I was immediately reminded of two things: everything that is on sale is something someone else wouldn't pay full price for (and thus, usually undesirable) and the smallest size available is L. If you are 2XL you are in luck - shopping sales is your Candyland.

I figure there must be some huge garbage dump out there that is composed solely of 2XL and 3XL+ size clothes. Everytime I go shopping, all I see are huge sizes. 40x36 pants. XXXL shirts. Why aren't there clothes for normal sized folk? I guess I should remember that America the beautiful is also America the obese. And full of gargantuan descendants of Nordics and Africans. It's possible that when your ancestors subsisted on low-nutrient content rice and handfuls of vegetables, with the occasional chicken that there isn't a strong selecting force for 6'4", 250 lb people. I think this might make a nice segue into my rant on the whole "theory of evolution" vs. "'intelligent' design" debate. Rant coming up soon.

Well slap a feather on and call me 'Polly'

I'll be damned. Somehow, the computers that generate the BCS rankings spit out Northwestern as No. 25. If that's not proof that there's something seriously wrong with how the BCS rankings are calculated, then I don't know what is.

I don't really get how we ended up ahead of teams that got more votes than we did in all the polls (maybe something to do with conference strength and who we've beaten?) but it's neat nonetheless.

They have one more chance for redemption

So the Cats won against Illinois. Not unexpected, but done so in the usual NU fashion: a mish-mash of a victory. NU would do well to continue to hone its offense and really beef up the defense, and they would be true contenders. Maybe they should even relax their admission standards for good defensive recruits?

In any case, we'll see how they do in their bowl, be it the Music City bowl or whatever. If they win, it will be big, big news.

Also, Cal won by more than three touchdowns over Stanford. Why couldn't they have put up a performance like that last week?

And it has come to an end

After a long and illustrious sports betting career, I am retiring. If nothing else, the games were much more interesting. I even got emotionally invested in some of them. A few games even made me cry.

DAMN YOU CAL.

Couldn't you even put up a measly 14 points? Ayoob needs to grow some balls.

Sigh.

I guess it's no surprise that Northwestern lost... but it was such a blowout it was a little embarrassing. It's always nice to lose by more than 40 points on ABC.

Now my hopes rest on Cal and Navy. Go Cal!

Purple, don't let me down

Just for the record, I thought of this before reading my friend's blog. I placed my first sports wager yesterday. Even though I really don't care for sports in general (watching - I rather like playing), I think that betting on sports could help me with that problem. I never realized how fascinating sports betting was until I read a few pages about "point spreads", "moneylines" and "parlays", my interest piqued after seeing Northwestern kick the crap out of then-ranked Michigan State. That's when I first thought maybe my unsubstantiated optimism could pay off, literally.

As my friend mentioned, the line is +19.5 or so, depending on which book you're looking at. Even as I'm certain that Ohio State is going to kick Northwestern all over Columbus, I am pretty sure that we won't lose by more than 19 points - and there's even a chance we could win. I've placed the following bets (I know these are not huge sums, but it's four pizzas worth!):

$15 on Cal (vs. USC) (+19.5)

$5 on Michigan State (vs. Minnesota) (+185)

$5 on Wisconsin (vs. Iowa) (-3)

$5 on Navy (vs. Notre Dame) (+24)

and of course...

$26.72 on Northwestern (vs. Ohio State) (+19.5)

I hope today is profitable. Yes, I'm talking to you, NU. Don't let me down.

Good news and bad news

The good news first, always, right? Well, the Wildcats managed to eek out a win over the Hawkeyes 28-27, after trailing by two touchdowns. They accomplished this with that onside kick thing they've been practicing - just like that deflection/interception thing they were doing a few years ago, which led to a big win over Michigan. Hooray for tricky plays! What else can we do when everyone else in the Big 10 - nay, the nation outweighs, outruns, and outblocks our team? Also, in the good news category is that we are now bowl-eligible, albeit a 2+ worder (I predict the "Morton Iodized Salt Bowl")

The bad news is we will probably be crushed by Ohio State next week. And this will be on national broadcast television. Great. It's always fun to be decimated on national TV after finally getting some respect. We've done this many times (can anyone say - any bowl we've gone to in the past 7 years?). The recent loss to Michigan is only the freshest reminder. The one good thing going for us is that the Cats seem to do better when they go into a game thinking they will lose because they suck rather than trying to live up to grand expectations. It won't be pretty. Except for the snazzy purple jerseys.

He's crying on the inside

For those of you who haven't been following Martha's Apprentice, Jim, the guy you love to hate, narrowly escaped being fired in the boardroom last week. Jim is the character that you either love or you hate, mostly because he's a jerk. Some people love jerks. They seem to think that it shows they are strong. Me? I think that it shows they are weak because they can't learn to get along with others and compromise. He's a little Machiavellian for my taste.

Still, viewers have been treated to another side of Jim in the last few weeks. It turns out that he's not as one-dimensional as he appeared to be. It turns out that Jim believes that what helps set him apart from everyone else on the show is how badly he wants to win. In fact, he believes he has to win to make a better life for his new family. That's right, Jim is married and his wife gave birth while he was on the show. He didn't even get to go be with his wife during the delivery because he was in the middle of a task.

You can tell that Jim loves his wife very much when you hear him talking on the phone with her. He has also shown tremendous excitement and joy at becoming a father. Despite that, he is bent on intimidating and belittling his fellow competitors. By all accounts, Jim's behavior is boorish. He threatens anyone who he believes might take him into the boardroom and attempts to throw people off their game, even if it means losing a task (of course, he doesn't realize that what he's doing endangers the task).

In the last boardroom, he was a 50/50 shot for being fired. Martha reprimanded him in the gentle way only Martha could do so, and Jim left the boardroom visibly shaken. For all his showboating, you could tell he knew his number was almost up and that he wasn't indestructible. That was the moment I knew for certain that Jim wasn't confident, as he had let on; Jim was arrogant. I think there's a huge difference between arrogance and confidence. Confidence is what wins; arrogance is what leads to downfall. The sad thing about arrogance is that it usually seems to function as a sort of faux confidence, and because of that, the arrogant person will do anything to avoid shedding it. I guess it makes sense - in the absence of true confidence, arrogance is all they have and who wants to consciously admit they are weak inside?

If the producers assembled the show to highlight this somewhat subtle story arc featuring Jim, I think they did quite a masterful job at it. We started with Jim the big jerk, and in recent weeks, he has evolved. We've now seen Jim the devoted husband, Jim the family man, Jim the caged animal, and Jim the procelain doll.

I don't think Jim will end up becoming Martha's Apprentice, but I know that when he is fired, he won't be able to keep his tears on the inside.

ARRGH.

And no, it's not a pirate "aargh".

To all my supporters...

... thank you. I have reached my monthly goal of $0.05 on Google's AdSense program! A few more months of this, and I will be able to get that peanut M&M I've had my eye on!

Today is the true test

7pm EST. That's when the true test shall begin. Will the Wildcats prove their mettle and vault themselves possibly higher in the BCS rankings? Can they best a tough (but perhaps struggling) team? I think they have it in them - well, at least the offense. But if the defense plays as well as they did last week, I think there's possibly a single-word bowl in the future!

OMG scam artists

I recently bought a Roomba Discovery as a mistaken gift. After posting to craigslist, I got a response within a day. Yay! Or so I thought.

--------

From: didemola oladipo Sun, Oct 16, 2005 at 3:20 PM
To: anon-104508036@craigslist.org

craigslist Advisory: Fraud and Scam Warning!
Please read our scam advisory page before replying to this message:
http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams.html

This warning is automatically attached to
ALL craigslist forwarded emails


Hello Seller,
How is Business? hope everthing is moving well.i am interested in purchasing your well posted item Ok? so please get back to me with the condition of the item and if the item is for sale Ok?Thanks

-------

The email was very cryptic, but I figured he just didn't have a great command of the English language. It happens now and again in New York City. I also thought how nice of him to ask about my "business"! (Also, craigslist's warning was welcomed. Who knew? Scams on the Internet?)

I replied and asked when he would come to pick it up. He got back to me promptly:

--------

From: didemola oladipo Sat, Oct 22, 2005 at 5:37 PM
To: lostpancake

Hello Seller,
I want to make immediate purchase of this item using USA POSTAL MONEY ORDER.
i will do the shipping arrangement by my self so dont border for shipping,and when you receive an email confirmation of the money order.... so i will do the pick up.
I need to know your full name and address to send the money order to and also your telephone #.
Please reply with this info so that i can go ahead to make the payment...
Thanks.

----------

Hmm. Ok, I guess that sounds alright. Oh, in case I didn't get it the first time, he sent me the same email again five minutes later.

I was a little confused - why would he need to send payment if he was going to pick it up from me locally? That's what most people do with stuff they buy on craigslist, at least in NYC. So I let him know:

--------

From: lostpancake Sat, Oct 22, 2005 at 8:51 PM
To: didemola oladipo

Hi Didemola,

I don't quite understand what you are asking. It's fine if you want to purchase using postal money order, but you would have to mail it to me first, and then I would ship it. I can ship it for $250+$20=$270.

If you live in New York City, then you can just come pick it up from me and we can exchange cash and the item.

thanks,

lostpancake

----------

He replied quickly:

----------

From: didemola oladipo Sat, Oct 22, 2005 at 9:01 PM
To: lostpancake

pls give me your detail so that i can make the payment
your full name and address also your phone number.
reply me..thanks

--------

So I "reply him". Why not? I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. It's been a week, and no sign of the "USA postal money order".

I was feeling discouraged, so I posted again, this time to the New Jersey board.

Wow! A response the next day!

---------

From: jamz jones Thu, Oct 27, 2005 at 10:36 PM
To: anon-107036202@craigslist.org

craigslist Advisory: Fraud and Scam Warning!
Please read our scam advisory page before replying to this message:
http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams.html

This warning is automatically attached to
ALL craigslist forwarded emails


Goodday,
I just want to let you know that i'm highly interested in the purchse of your (ITEM),but will like to know for how long you have been using this (ITEM) ,i will like to know the present condition of the (ITEM) ,how much you are going to sell it for me.I will also appreciate it if you can forward some recently taken pix of the (ITEM) ,thanks and hoping to hear from you soonest,bye.

----------

Hmm. It's different... but the same. Well, who knows. Since I wasn't sure if he knew what (ITEM) he was asking about, I asked him. His reply:

----------

From: jamz jones Fri, Oct 28, 2005 at 9:47 AM
To: lostpancake

Hello,
thanks for the mail,i am very glad to hear from you i want you to know that i am interested in buying your eletronic for sale ,also i want you to list out all the you have for sale so that i can take one of it,look forward to ready form you soonest.
thanks.

--------

I haven't quite decided how to reply yet, but I'm sure the response will be interesting.

ps. Anyone interested in a robot vacuum cleaner?

If it looks like a duck...

An astute commentor, one who is more knowledgable about the law than I am, pointed out that the act of leaking an operative's identity is not a crime unless it was done with knowledge that the operative was undercover - and that instead, what is probably going to bite someone in the butt is the coverup.

Technicalities aside, I am still hoping that someone answers for their backhanded actions. The leak was made in a spirit of pure retribution, if not also a warning to others. Very organized crime-ish.

You only cover something up if you think you've done something wrong. Regardless of whether the original act was illegal, it was still reprehensible.

Wishin' and hopin'

Cheney told top aide of CIA officer - report

I hope this doesn't come across the wrong way, but I actually kind of hope someone high up in the current administration goes down for this. The whole issue of the leak was highly illegal - and it's about time someone faced the consequences of their actions. I don't know about anyone else, but despite claiming to be upright and claiming to care about morals and values, I think this is one of the shadier administrations in recent history.

Everything is covered up, nobody is ever wrong about anything. It's just not possible, especially since there is quite a bit of evidence to suggest the opposite. Oh, don't forget, if you happen to bring any such evidence to light, you will suffer. Just a friendly "warning", mind you, not a "threat". Nobody is above the law. Especially not ranking members of a party that claims to take crime seriously.

"woohoo!"

My my. First time in recent memory that Northwestern is a BCS top 25. Nice. Maybe we'll actually make it to a bowl this year that's not called something like "Clorox Swiffer Bowl". The defense actually did a good job. If they keep it up, we'll definitely make it to the "Vaseline Lip Balm Bowl".

Some headlines:
Cats catch road knockout

Northwestern routs No. 22 Michigan State for third straight win

Body of evidence

I don't know about anyone else, but when I was little, I used to leave all sorts of evidence. You know, when I was expected to have done something. For example, when I got home from school, I was supposed to do my homework first. So I would get out all my books and spread them all over the table, get out my paper and pencil, and start my homework. After 10 minutes (or when it looked like I had done a significant portion of homework, say, half a page of math problems) I would promptly head over to the family room and switch on the television. Or, if I was feeling adventurous, I'd head to the basement and play some Nintendo.

If my parents came home, I could hear the garage doors opening, and I'd quickly put everything back exactly the way it was, down to the exact position of the remote control and run back to where my books were and it looked like I was studying. (Note to inventors: parents might be interested in whisper-silent garage doors) Alternatively, I could pretend like I was in the bathroom, and flush just as they stepped through the door. It was a flawless system. Well, so I thought. I didn't find out until recently that my parents always knew when I had been watching television because they could feel that it was warm. So much for outsmarting my parents.

To this day, I still have this habit of leaving evidence. If I've gone to the gym or gone running, I can't help but leave my running shoes out in a conspicuous place. I'll leave one turned on its side just to hammer home the point that they had been worn that day. If I've eaten an apple, to demonstrate that I've had a serving of fruit I might leave out a plate with the core on it, or I might make sure that the core is prominently displayed at the top of the trash can.

I'm not really sure why I have this need to leave such bits of evidence, but at least I know my kids will never be able to outsmart the master.

Ego doesn't pay.

The hole cards come. J clubs-8 spades. Four callers, you are in last position. The flop comes. 5 spades-2 spades-K hearts. Three-flush, not great. Maybe you'll try to semi-bluff this. Wait - someone bets. Let's see the next card. You call. Next card comes 10 spades. Four-flush.

Time to semi-bluff! Everyone checks, you bet, hoping everyone folds. No such luck, someone raises double. You re-raise. He calls. Last card comes... 5 diamonds. Shit. No flush, but you bet strong again, representing the flush. Opponent raises.

Does he have anything? 2-pair? Three-of-a-kind? The smart thing to do is fold - but they're gonna catch you bluffing! You raise all-in. There's no way he'll call you now. Unless he actually has the flush. Ego doesn't pay.

No, it's not a "nh". You just suck.

I was recently indoctrinated into the world of online poker. I'm not really sure what encouraged me to try it, although a friend did suggest online games reminiscent of the old days.

Many of my childhood friends probably know this already, but some of you may not realize that I spent a large majority of my high school years playing cards. Although it was great fun, and I have made some lifelong friends this way, in retrospect, I probably should have spent my time on studying or something.

Anyway, while playing online poker, there are some really good players, and a lot of really bad players. I'm an average player, so I can only win money when I am playing against the bad players. Fortunately, as long as I am playing as well as I can (and if I can stay patient and levelheaded) then I can usually win some money.

But there are a LOT of bad players that simply don't know when to fold. (segue into poker terminology. if you are not familiar, you should check out this wiki on texas hold'em poker) They will call a preflop raise with a 6-2 unsuited, then call it all the way to the river with only a pair of deuces, and with terrible odds. Then they congratulate the winner with "nh" in the chat area, "nh" meaning "nice hand". Every time that happens, I want to write back, "No you imbecile! It wasn't a "nh"!! You just suck at poker!!!"

But then, I wouldn't want that person to stop giving me their money.

Oh so afraid

It has rained for the last week and half. Straight. Rain didn't stop once for an entire 10 days.

I go running outside 2-3 a week, and I have become afraid.

See, after more than a week of rain, there is a lot of standing water. Standing water means mosquitoes. I'm not talking the little buzz-in-your-ear mosquitoes. I'm talking mosquitoes the size of your hand, just waiting for you to look it right in the eye so it can plunge its four-inch bloodsucking mouth into your juicy flesh.

They are everywhere. And it's a scary sight - since they are so large, they don't really fly. They just float in the breeze. From far away, they look like cute dandelion wisps floating on a cushion of air... until you notice it's black, has six long legs and wants to suck the life out of you.

It makes running a sort of game, but in a life-or-death kind of way. I can't wait for the water to evaporate.

Disappointing.

Some good news. The Wildcats were able to pull off a win over the Boilermakers in a 34-29 victory. The fact that I am saying "pull off" is disappointing to me. I haven't been able to watch any of the games this season because I don't get ESPN - but how is it that NU can be leading by more than two touchdowns in the 1st quarter and still be fighting for its life in each game? Were it not for a lucky run by T. Sutton, Purdue would have won.

NU has one of the nation's top offenses, but clearly a sucky defense. Now I believe it when they say offense wins games but defense wins championships. Given that NU is up against three really tough defenses with top notch offenses in its next four games, we're probably not looking at a bowl bid.

Dreaming once again

Lately, strange dreams all the time. Complete sentences not this post. Somebody tried to kill. Broke in and she saw. Sister yelled help! That somebody ran. Ran, ran, ran. Tranquilizer guns are fun. Also, a tiger. Used to be a kitty-kat. But after catching to tranq, was like tiger. Good thing brother was holding paws. Holding only back legs for me.

Another dream? Wildcats win today.

A great link to an IT/security professional who just switched to Mac's blog. High probability of his posts being more eloquent than mine.

Now is the time

Given yesterday's Apple media event, I think it's high time for me to talk about why anyone buying a new computer should buy a Mac. Yesterday, Apple announced brand new iMacs with built-in high quality webcams for videoconferencing and integrated media center software with a remote control, a new iPod that does video AND is 30% thinner with 50% more capacity and a larger screen, and a new version of iTunes that lets you buy music videos and TV shows (I wonder where this is going). While some people may yawn at this, I think the excitement should come from where all this might lead. It could lead to a whole new experience for home entertainment. I think that is plenty exciting.

Before getting started, I have to mention how strange the landscape becomes when discussing PC and Mac. The world morphs to become Dali-esque and rational thought leaves the room. It's quite fascinating to me because I've always thought that you could reason with smart people. But not so, when it comes to computers. Even my most knowledgable computer geek friends use irrational arguments when defending their choice to stick with PCs and Windows. I do realize at some point, there is the matter of personal preference. But how can you have a preference when you haven't tried the competition? It's like saying, "I prefer vanilla ice cream, and I will only eat vanilla ice cream." when you haven't tried any other flavors.

To be fair, I have to acknowledge that Mac users are often considered cultish and also defend their platform with emotion rather than reason. However, consider that I became a Mac user only 2 years ago. I hated Macs up until the current generation of hardware and software. I think Macs have finally made a turnaround since Steve Jobs returned to the helm.

So without further delay, reasons why a Mac makes sense®:

• NO VIRUSES. NO SPYWARE. NO ADWARE. That's right. Zippo. Is it impossible? Any scientist will tell you there is scant little that is impossible. But as of right now, 0.00000000 viruses, spyware, adware. It just simply doesn't exist. The bad guys for Windows won't work on Macs, so rest assured. In general, the Mac system is more secure. It's much harder for bad software to install itself. In fact, the Mac will ask you before anything tries to install itself if it's OK. Nothing can install itself without your go-ahead. Don't believe me? Here's a programmer's opinion.


• Not as expensive as you think. Everyone thinks Macs are too expensive. Sure, you can't get a Mac for $300 like you can get a PC sometimes at Wal-mart. But that PC is crap and you know it. Plus, no monitor. You can get a good Mac for $499 now, in the Mac mini. Not only do you get a decent computer, but it looks good and doesn't take up a ton of space. iMacs now come with more memory, more hard drive space, built-in DVD burners, the works. Starting at $1299. You take any Dell and match specs, I guarantee the Mac will not be more expensive, and if so, not by much. Macs last longer. It's true - with a PC, you usually feel the need to upgrade every 2-3 years. Macs? You could probably use it for 5+ years without feeling like you were behind the times. That, plus less effort it takes to keep your Mac going probably saves you money.


• Macs are just as powerful as PCs. Yes, they are. Gone are the days when you felt like you were working on a kid's computer. New Macs are fast. And they are getting faster - Apple is moving toward the next gen of Intel processors which should allow four and more processors per system and faster processors in notebooks.


• There are tons of software titles. There is nothing you can do on a PC that you can't do on a Mac. Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, Quark, Dreamweaver, it's all there. True, it will be harder to pirate stuff since Mac users pirate much less. And true, popular games take a little longer to make it to Mac. But they get there. I know the ones you want. Command & Conquer, World of Warcraft. No Problem.


• Best-in-class software Don't forget the software that is Mac-only and is best-in-class. How about iLife? Free with every Mac, it includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, GarageBand etc. All considered the best for what they do. You can make some pretty amazing movies with iMovie. And it's easy. More best-in-class software includes Final Cut (video editing), Motion (effects) among other pro applications.


• Most software you need is free. You might pay for a few of the software packages that you use, notable, Microsoft Office. But there are lots of free alternatives out there. Just a download away. If you have the gumption, you can write simple applications for yourself in AppleScript, or even code using included development tools. But I've rarely had to, everything that you can think of is available for download.


• New hardware and software is easy to install (and uninstall). Installing new hardware is as easy as plugging it in. Usually that's it. It just starts working. Almost all modern add-ons work with Macs. Installing software? Just as easy. Just click install, and it's done. Uninstall? Drag the application to the trash. No messy uninstallation. No hidden registry keys. No hidden directories.


• Secure out of the box. The Mac operating system is built on a variant of Unix, widely known to be the most difficult type of OS to hack into. That's because the code is open-source, which means over the last 30-40 years, millions of eyes have looked through the code, plugging holes (are there no holes? of course not. but there are very few bad ones like the ones Windows tries to patch each week). For this reason alone, I would expect my computer geek friends to flock to it. But somehow, the fact that it is built on the most secure and bug-free platform is not a consideration. Upon hearing how great Linux and Unix were I always thought that it would be great if there was a great graphical interface to go with them. You know, a good interface like Windows. Guess what? That's Mac.


• Cool features you can't live without Remember TiVo? Remember how you were like "what's that? I don't need it" but then you tried it - and now you can't live without it. That's how the Mac is. I can't even enumerate all the cool features, but you can look for yourself. Side note: the features that are available now on Mac are the ones that Microsoft is trying to copy and get into their new "Windows Vista" by 2008.

I could go on, but I think you are all tired of this by now (thanks, if you're still reading). In general, Macs = easier, cooler, smaller, just as compatible and powerful, last longer, just as affordable, and gives you some useful functionality that you will not have a chance of getting on PCs until 2008. I just don't get why people wouldn't give it a shot.

Some further reading:
In-depth comparison of Mac OS X and Windows XP

Another comparison by NYT's tech columnist

WSJ's tech columnist recommends Mac to people shopping for new computers

Poop de-oop

According to Freud's theory of psychosexual development, we move from the "anal stage", marked by fixation with bowel movements and the control of such movements, to the "phallic stage", at around age 3. I'm not sure that I ever completely gave up my anal stage. I am still very much fascinated by bowel movements and discussions thereof.

I don't see anything wrong with discussing, honestly and straightforwardly, of course, matters of poop, pee and all other things doodie. But I have met tons of people who have trouble vocalizing their feelings and views of such matters. Why is this the case? Has society beaten their anal stage out of them? Is there really such shame and distaste around feces?

I am especially confused when people say things like, "Please! I'm eating!" I have said such things before, but always in jest. Everyone else seems to make such proclamations in utter earnestness. Do I have a special gift of being able to separate gustatory enjoyment from intellectual discussion? I find no reason why one cannot discuss excrement at the dining table.

In fact, it should motivate one to eat when discussing doo-doo. After all, that is what eating is all about - making poopie. We should take a page from Chris Griffin's notebook, "I'm going to turn you into poo! Hee!"

American Pie

I'm trying out Google's AdSense. I figured that with my readership, I can earn almost $0.05/mo. If I save enough, I might be able to buy a jawbreaker by February. If the ads are annoying, let me know.

Window of opportunity

I saw the news about the earthquake in Pakistan Saturday, right after it happened. My first thought, after hoping the best for the survivors, was that this would be a great opportunity for the West, and in particular, the U.S. I was, and still am very afraid that as a nation, we will squander this opportunity to help change how we are perceived in the minds of the 95% of ordinary, good-hearted Muslims in Pakistan and the rest of the Middle East.

It is more of an opportunity in this year than it might have been in other years; we had a national (nay, global) outpouring of support and monetary donations for the Asian tsunami disaster and Hurricane Katrina. How would it compare if there was no similar outpouring for the victims of the Pakistan earthquake?

They are estimating 20,000 to 30,000 dead in this disaster, compared to 275,000 for the Asian tsunami and under 1,500 for Katrina. While the tsunami was an unparalleled disaster and Katrina hit close to home, I think we must respond in kind to the Pakistan earthquake. This is a region of the world that is poor, isolated, and for which our response will be judged critically by the people we need on our side to help end terrorism from Muslim exteremists. I believe that if Muslims as a whole in the Middle East didn't hate the U.S. (even if the ones that currently do don't participate directly in terror activities), then children would not grow up sanctioning the actions of Al-Qaeda and perhaps becoming active members of such terrorist organizations. We have to respond quickly and with overwhelming support, so we have a chance of showing ordinary people in the Middle East that we are not a nation of "evildoers" and "infidels".

Yes, I recognize that even if we do throw our hearts and money at earthquake relief, our actions could be twisted and used against us. They might say we are trying to buy them or that our money/support doesn't make up for all the wrongs previously committed. But what would be the effect of responding weakly, or not at all?

Yep. It's confirmed.

Did you ever wonder if crazy people know that they are crazy*? Well, the answer was on Martha Stewart's The Apprentice. And you thought you couldn't learn anything new from reality television.

Jim is crazy. He acts with complete self-interest to the point of detriment. There is nothing savvy or strategic about how he executes his well-publicized gameplan of doing everything and anything to win. I really believe there is something to be said for integrity and treating others as you want to be treated. You might win here and there in the short run by being ruthless, but in the long run, nobody will want to play with you anymore. Then, you lose and you can't even get back in the game.

What's disturbing is that Jim feels that his behavior is perfectly acceptable. He even has a wife and newborn child! (If a man like that can find a woman that wants to marry him - take solace all ye who are yet unmarried and need reassurance that it is possible) That he would act this way on national television flabbergasts me and only proves that he thinks there is nothing wrong with the way he has carried himself. Therefore, he is crazy. I hope he loses soon, because I hate when such deplorable behavior is rewarded.

* For the purposes of this post, I consider "crazy" to be defined as someone who acts outside of societal norms with a reasonable expectation of understanding that they are doing so - not persons with mental illness.

I ain't going nowhere so you can get to know me

It's a daily battle to escape the one thing that has persisted through the years - Judgment. No, I don't mean the biblical kind. We all know we can't escape that (whether or not we believe). But it's pretty clear that even though one should "judge not, lest ye be judged", it's pretty pervasive.

We are judged differently on the basis of gender, of our socioeconomic background, of our religious and cultural beliefs. There are so many ways to keep score it's a little mind numbing. For example, if you are a guy - somehow we have been socially conditioned to keep score by such things as number of girls we've dated/slept with, what sports we are good at and our level of proficiency at said sports, annual income and potential future earnings, and even things like academic degrees and the quality of the institution attended. If you are a girl, you might keep score by things such as how close you are to the stereotype of the "ideal woman" (I think generally considered to be blonde, buxom, slender, and obeisant - with intelligence and other factors a matter of taste).

Then we move onto things like jobs and careers, where you might keep score by where your office is, what floor your office is on, what your salary is, who you know, how many industry awards you've won, etc. Once you have kids, it's a whole new playing field, ripe with more ways to keep score. I think in the end, most people convince themselves that they are pretty happy with what they've got, or that it could be worse, etc etc. But with all these ways to quantitatively measure yourself against the grain of society, there's gotta be a point where you say, "Hey, my life sucks. And I'm not OK with that." I think that this point is different for everyone.

Even the most pious among us can't deny having judged or being judged, even by their peers. I mean, there are all manners of sin to scale against! I'll bet everyone has looked at another person at one point in their lives and made some sort of moral judgment about that person or that person's choices.

Well, nothing here is new to anyone, I'm sure. I thought I knew where I was going with this when I started, but I'm not sure anymore. I guess this is what a lot of people would call "the game". "You gotta play the game" and stuff. Even if you don't want to play the game, sometimes you have to. I suppose I'm a little annoyed by the game because it's definitely skewed toward people with certain superficial traits (e.g. the color of your skin). So we all find ways to be included and exclude others. Now I'm mostly rambling, so I'll stop. One day, I'll learn to properly write a post - I promise.

You're fired!

I'll admit - I was skeptical about Martha's "The Apprentice" spin-off. But I think she gives it a refreshing new take. I actually liked it quite a bit. There's just one thing I don't get... why don't people watch these shows before they get on them? Or, if they do, it doesn't seem that way sometimes. The egos and over-the-top behavior that you see from adults who are supposed to be among the best out there is incredible.

It happens on all the reality shows. I think people just don't know how they come across. I suppose that's a danger when you have a very high opinion of yourself that's not based on anything concrete. One example is Judge Judy. If the people that appear on that show would just watch one or two episodes before going on a TV show that is watched by millions of people, they would understand the following:

Never interrupt Judge Judy.

When she asks you a question, answer directly and succinctly.

She can tell when you are lying, so DON'T TRY IT.

She can also tell when you are exaggerating, so again, DON'T TRY IT.

If you piss her off, she is less likely to listen to you, so DON'T PISS HER OFF.

Answer, "Yes, ma'am." or "No, ma'am." NOT "yee-ah" or "uh-huh".

It's quite simple. If you have any sort of case at all, she'll listen and make a pretty fair judgment. If you don't have a case, I don't get why you don't take care of it before making an ass of yourself on national TV over $343.98.

Ignorance is bliss

I've been trying to sell some old stuff on craigslist recently, and I am amazed at how silly some of the posts are. First of all, most of the stuff for sale on craigslist, aside from furniture and knick-knacks are a scam. Especially computer software. I can almost guarantee that 99% of the software you see for sale is pirated.

Second, the kinds of posts you see in the "items wanted" section are beyond belief. There are posts left and right that say things like "Help me pay my student loans - $1" and "iPod mini 6gb needed ASAP!!". It's hard for me to believe that somebody could have a desperate need for an iPod, and then isn't willing to pay more than $100 for something worth $200. One post was asking people for food to help the poster make it to their next paycheck.

While I sympathize with people going through ard times - I think there are rare cases when someone is working as hard as they can, doesn't spend money on anything but the bare necessities, and can't make ends meet, especially if they are single. I think the greater likelihood is that this person smokes or eats out, has cable or satellite TV, goes clothes shopping at least once a week and rents/buys DVDs or watches movies in the theater every week. I've known people to tell me they can't make the rent when they just came back from a $2000 vacation. It's incredible.

I guess there's just something about an anonymous bulletin board that facilitates such nonsense.

A simple explanation

So a lot of media attention has focused on the fact that the folks left behind in New Orleans were mostly poor, mostly black. It must be racism! Bush and other persons of power were slow to act because they don't care about black people. If the people left behind were white, it'd be a totally different story!

But really, I think the main reason why Katrina turned out the way it did (all possibilities of prevention and better evacuation aside - I read somewhere that the Bush administration cut funding to upgrade/repair levees in the region that may have stood up better to the storm, and we all know that the real reason for the utter devastation was due to the flooding following the levee breaches), was due to incompetence. I think this is a much more likely explanation for the resultant distaster than racism or bias. Local, state, and federal agencies simply didn't execute well. They even trained for this type of event following 9/11, and still couldn't pull off a satisfactory outcome. All they really needed to do was get food and water in there quickly, then start evacuating methodically.

Ultimately, we paid the price. A few million dollars of savings on the levees a few years ago is now billions of dollars in losses. What's that they say about hindsight?

Unbroken cycle

At first, I didn't have the courage to write what I was thinking because I know that many of my friends who read my blog have no clue about what really goes on, of the undercurrent that constantly shades all that some people experience. This is ironic, because they should. They should have felt this, experienced this at some point in their lives. So why waste my time writing about it, just so people can think that I'm crazy? I think a lot of people refuse to believe it. But then again, we didn't grow up poor did we? We are all college graduates. The American dream works! You can get anywhere with hard work and perseverance!! If you're confused, I don't blame you. If after you read the rest of this post, you think I'm a nutcase, that I'm making mountains out of molehills, that what I'm talking about doesn't exist, well... that won't surprise me. Anyway, on with the show...

It surprised me to hear that in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina that the situation in New Orleans has deteriorated. I thought that it would turn out like the many other hurricanes the region has weathered over the years - yes, there would be widespread devastation, but most people would be fine and help would arrive quickly.

This hasn't happened yet - apparently due not only to the strength and fury of Katrina, but also to the unique environs of New Orleans, a city that lies below sea level and is surrounded by rivers, canals, and levees. Now, buildings and levees slow the recession of floodwaters, preventing help from arriving by truck. The airport is closed. Ships cannot reach the city. You can only bring so much by helicopter.

Now we are hearing reports of "lawlessness", an accurate term for rampant looting and indiscriminate gunfire. It seems much gunfire is being directed at hospitals and helicopters bringing in supplies. Granted, the looting has become more about subsistence lately, but initially, it was about personal gain.

The saddest part? The majority of the people you see left in New Orleans, the faces crying for help, the faces we are connecting to the utter despair and also to the lawlessness, are black. I suspect that the people left behind are primarily residents who are not only black, but low-income. I also suspect that these people are likely to have lost everything they have, some including family, but without much means to rebuild and restore. Thank goodness our ever wise leader is confident that the people of New Orleans will be able to rebuild. That will make it happen.

I don't think it's unbelievable to suggest that more affluent and white residents of New Orleans were able to escape the city before Katrina hit. They are more likely to have cars and thus a means to escape, they are more likely to have a place to go or be able to afford lodgings. I also think it's quite possible that the people who stayed behind to weather the storm were people who not only didn't have anywhere to go, but couldn't afford to lose their home. What would be left for them if they fled, and returned to rubble? So why not stay?

It's a shame that hundreds of years of oppression have led up to what we are seeing in the aftermath of Katrina. Black folks stay behind as a result of their lower income, which is very much the result of the overwhelming barrier of institutional racism, which is a legacy of Jim Crow, and so on (I think you know the rest). Black folks struggling to get by transformed into black folks struggling to survive, resulting in desperate attempts to stay alive. Let's put that on national TV and we have just reinforced the notion that black folks are the cause of lawlessness. And the cycle continues. Oh, while we're at it, let's eliminate welfare and social security. We're already getting rid of affirmative action, so why the hell not? Everything's equal, isn't it?

Which is worse?

... to have the fear that someday people will discover that you're really not that good, or to feel that you've never convinced other people that you're as good as you want them to think you are? I think the latter.

It's new! It's exciting!

Seriously. The one thing that has made me smile in the last two weeks? They are building a Bob Evans just minutes away from my house, near the AMC 24. Hot diggity.

On the brink

As I was running yesterday, I realized that I am always on the edge. I am always teetering, just a step away from disaster. Every day, I have an internal battle that I sometimes win and sometimes lose. I'm not sure if I win more, or lose more. Let's take running for example. I know I should do it, I know I need to do it, or at least some sort of physical exercise. Even on mornings that I win the initial battle and actually go running, while I'm running, I constantly negotiate with myself. "I can do X miles today. I can. I can. No. Nevermind, I want to stop. No, keep going! Keep going! But my heart hurts..."

This applies somewhat to every aspect of my life. I always feel like I am just about to go over the edge and end up in a downward spiral, and end up in some trailer park, watching satellite TV on a second-hand couch eating potato chips in a sweat-stained wife beater undershirt and briefs, and unable to pay the rent.

On the other extreme, I often have flashes of ambition, where I want to do something truly amazing, perhaps write a best-selling novel, or start a succesful business, or even write and direct an award-winning screenplay. I don't know - but the point is, I want it to be something above and beyond what I consider a "typical" existence, of a job, mortgage, wife, kids, dysfunction.

Then again, sometimes I settle into the resignation that I will probably end up somewhere in between the above scenarios, in the typical existence I am trying to avoid. And then my life will be over. Will it have mattered then?

Right now, I am trying to maintain an equilibrium that will bring me closer to my ideal of an atypical life rather than the other alternatives, but it's a daily struggle - some days I really just want to sleep until noon and then watch Judge Hatchett, while eating potato chips. Whatever the outcome, I know it will include sweet, succulent, tasty, dark russet potato chips.

Unalterable truths

Truth #44: If you've been sleeping, or sneaking a nap, it's impossible to pretend that you haven't been. You can wash your face, run around a little, clear your throat or practice your voice, but people can always tell that you just woke up.

Running

Ever dream of being chased, and you're running and running, and just when you are either about to get away or you are about to get caught you wake up - and find that you are exhausted?

No Imagination Part II

I lamented the loss of imagination in today's playthings in a previous post, and I feel compelled to voice my malcontent about the other area of imagination under seige.

By now, some of you will have seen movie trailers for an adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe. You may remember the magic that was this series by C.S. Lewis when you first read it, perhaps in fifth or sixth grade. It is one of a few great works of children's literature that has not been chewed up and regurgitated in the form of a movie.

One by one, the greats have fallen, including Matilda, by Roald Dahl, The Witches, also by the venerable Mr Dahl (as the Brits would punctuate), Holes, by Louis Sachar, the entire Harry Potter series and now The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe. It really makes me sad, not because it's not fun to watch a movie of a book that you've read, to see how someone else might interpret it, but because a lot of children these days' only experience with the literature is through the book - which not only removes their imagination from the equation but also, many times, removes any incentive to acutally read the work that inspired the film.

I truly hate this trend of moviemakers, to avoid coming up with original film ideas, steal from established and one-of-a-kind works of literature, especially children's literature. It's hard enough to convince kids to read, but if you take away the most persuasive of those reasons to be a lifelong reader, what else have we got? "The Baby Sitter's Club"? (I loved that series too, but it's no Narnia)

Well, at least for the time being, we still have The Hitchhiker's Gui... Oh, wait... nevermind.

Men are simple

In case women ever wondered what made men tick, in the sex department, I decided to generate a very scientific-looking chart to help break it down. (note: the intersection doesn't mean anything - but the implication of the average between the two trends means that at any given point, a man's maximum sexual enjoyment is only about 42%)

All in good time

I've been in New York City for almost two years now, and I'm just finally getting it. I'm finally getting how people could live in one place forever, and never get tired of it - in fact, how people could grow obstinately more attached to a place by the day.

There is simply no other place in the world like New York, the city. Anything and everything you could ever want is within walking distance (except Wal-mart). Everything runs the gamut from everyman to world-class. It's really hard to describe the feeling you get living here, unless you've done it. It's a sort of energy that pulses through you even on the most lazy of Sunday afternoons.

Yet, I am ready for something different. I don't know if I will come back, but I've never felt like I could stay rooted in one place too long, despite a yearning to do so. Stupid paradoxes.

We do what we gotta do

On any given day, you can stroll around my firm. What you will see is not the frantic activity of worker bees and the flurry of fingers at keyboards. Well, except for those who are IMing.

For the most part, with the exception of tyros or toadies, you will see people working as hard as they can to do as little work as possible. Peek at the screens of the secretaries. 90% of the time, they are all playing Zuma, the other 10% of the time they are IMing or on the phone.

Everyone else? Mindlessly browsing the internet, reading the New York Times online or ESPN.com for the tenth time or rabidly clicking the "refresh" button on their gmail. (nobody's sent you an email, so you can stop now)

I suspect that this behavior is being repeated ad infinitum across the globe (except, perhaps, in China, where you only have access to the state news website). No wonder Americans work longer hours than any other nation for a marginal increase in productivity. We spend those extra hours on the internet, wasting time, and our lives, away.

Deep down

On a daily basis, some attorneys, especially partners, I only see in the bathroom. I seem to have a similar bathroom schedule as quite a few of the partners.

Today, while at the urinal, a partner came in, settled into the urinal one away, and let out a big fart.

Personally, I've never gotten in the habit of farting while peeing. In any case, I couldn't help but smirk a little.

The cool gossamer breeze
an occasional streetlamp flickers
do you hear the faint hum?
it's quieter than silence.

multicolored facades mark where life begins
bastions of limpid alleys course between
thundering avenues

trees and fauna dot the landscape
walking through living

Soup of the day

Just a quick observation. Has anyone else noticed that in a subsidized company cafeteria, the item that is always most subsidized (and therefore affordable) is the soup? I have.

Friendship points

I have this strange notion that I have "friendship points", that I accrue when I either a) have left a friend alone for a while or b) I've helped them out in some significant way. Don't get me wrong - I don't keep score, and I don't help out my friends with the expectation of anything in return. BUT I do feel bad if I ask for help from my friends too often, or if it's something really big.

An example is moving help. I think you can ask any friend at maximum twice in five years to help, with the promise of free beer and pizza as minimum compensation. The ironic thing is that I only consider asking for help when it's a big deal and I've exhausted most other options (makes sense, right?) and since I really hate asking my friends to help with things, I end up feeling really bad about it.

One of my friends has suggested that my notion of "friendship points" is ludicrous, that it doesn't work that way among true friends. I think true friends (BFF!) are hard to come by, and that managing "friendship points" is crucial until they reach the upper echelons of friendship. And here is another post with an awkward ending.

Shortsighted

There is nothing that bothers me more than people who talk about how strapped for cash they are, but go out to eat three or more times a week and take two week vacations twice a year.

It also bothers me when people come into a large lump sum, be it through inheritance, selling something (like a car or jewelry), or a tax refund, (On an aside, I think for the most part, expensive jewelry is a waste of money, especially if you don't have enough of it to toss around)they spend it on a lavish vacation or pamper themselves with a 40" plasma screen TV or a new wardobe. I would stick most if not all of that money right into the bank or investments.

Maybe it's just my line of thinking - but some things you can just do without. I don't need a new wardrobe every season. I don't shop at K-Mart either (though, I think if you're in that position, there's nothing wrong with it). So I just own fewer items of better quality. My oldest items are more than five years old. For the most part, I don't buy things I don't need or use.

I'm really annoyed that we are a nation of spendthrifts who don't save enough, who value a cheap thrill over long term solvency.

Why mess with a good thing?

There is some solace to old standby recipes, like Heinz ketchup or Thomas' English Muffins. They still have the same great taste that I remember when I was a kid. It's also why the Colonel's secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices hasn't changed since the 1930s.

One of my favorite snacks growing up was Lipton's Cup-a-Soup, especially "Cream of Chicken". I didn't like "Cream of Chicken" because it had a delicious, smooth, chicken-y taste, or because it went down like spring on a cold winter's day, but because of the boogers.

Yes, the boogers. Anyone who has had "Cream of Chicken" knows exactly what I'm talking about. It's impossible to mix it perfectly with the water, so in the process of mixing the soup, boogers of semi-dissolved soup form. What makes them so good is that they really do have the consistency of boogers, and each booger has the salty goodness of creamy chicken soup. To quote Dave Chappelle, "MMMMmmm... mmmmmm... BITCH!"

Unfortunately, this has all changed recently. Their new recipe allows for quick dissolution of the tasty "Cream of Chicken" particles. Consequently, there is a much lower chance of booger formation. It takes all the joy out of drinking "Cream of Chicken" soup.

Another recent recipe change is with Pringles original flavor chips. For some reason, the newer chips taste like they've been fried and are less "Pringle-y". Such a shame.

Nobody's worse than you

You often hear people talking about how other people should be more considerate. This comes up in matters of relationships rather often - "What a jerk! He's such an asshole!" or "She's such a bitch, coldhearted and cruel."

We assail others for being rude, insensitive, or selfish, when really, we're the ones being selfish. Why should we expect anyone else to conform to our expectations? Presumably, most, if not all, behavior is for self-preservation. Being cold (as in dumping someone without warning, like the Sex and the City episode where the guy breaks up with Carrie by leaving a Post-it) is just a way to preserve our own feelings. Nobody wants to feel bad, or be made to feel guilty. So you avoid it, or just skip out.

In the episode, Carrie goes on and on about how the guy could have been more mature and how there's a "better" way to break up with someone. But why should anyone have to bend to what you or I think is the right way to do something, especially when it involves feelings? That's the most selfish thing I can think of.

Tasty

An interesting observation lately - my tastes have changed. This might not sound like a huge deal, or it may be obvious to others, but I always thought that my tastes would stay the same, more or less.

But I've found that now, for example, different things are fun to me. I used to looooove Six Flags and Disney World. Now, they are not so exciting. In fact, they can be a chore. I used to looooove candy. Now I rarely, eat candy. I used to looooove cartoons. Now most cartoons bore me. I also used to find certain girls attractive. Now I'm finding very different looking girls attractive - even ones I would have previously considered unattractive. It seems that either I'm maturing, or I'm simply changing. Hopefully it's the former.

So while I imagined myself listening to my "The Chronic" album and going to raves when I am 65, maybe, instead, I will be listening to oldies and classical music, and wearing a bowtie and brimmed hat.

What I really want...

is... Actually, I have no idea what I really want. I have a vague idea, some perception of what I want. But I have a feeling that this perception is based largely on societal expectations. In many ways, that's fine. It makes life a lot easier if you know what you're supposed to do. You don't have to be original.

I've been thinking about this more and more lately, as I don't want to conform to societal norms but there's a certain comfort in it. I'd feel like I belonged more if I liked the same things other guys like, if I ended up marrying in my own race, if I had two kids, a stable, well-paying job and a two car garage. I should also have a backyard barbecue pit, live in a tree-lined subdivision and have a dog.

Would I feel as OK if I didn't do all that? I think that this post is evidence that I might not be, even if it's all in my head. Just because it's something imposed on me by myself doesn't make it any less real.

Veggie tales

I like vegetables. Really, I do. I mean, I like meat more, but I also like my vegetables. Not to mention that they help to keep me just a "regular" guy.

However, since I've lived on my own, it's been hard to eat my vegetables. In fact, it's become a real chore. See, I can rarely eat my vegetables before they go bad.

I guess it's mostly because I can be lazy about things. I don't like shopping for groceries all the time; I like to shop once or twice a month and be done with it. Unfortunately, veggies seem to go bad after just a few days in the fridge - and it's been worse since I've moved to NYC. It seems like everything in NYC arrives in the city just before its expiration. So we get vegetables and fruit that look fresh, but are really just a day or two from starting to go bad.

Milk, though I've always been able to have it last at least a few days past the "Sell By" date, always goes sour ON the "Sell By" date. In NYC, the "Sell By" date is also the "Last possible day you can drink this milk" date.

So every time, I buy vegetables because I know I need to eat my vegetables. Then I spend the next week frantically eating them because they will go bad. It's takes what little enjoyment there is in eating vegetables out.

Circadian Rythm

I have just realized that I follow a particular cyclical pattern. Every few months, I'll get really, really lazy. I'll stop exercising and just lay there watching TV and eating potato chips. Then, as I get sick of myself, I'll snap out of it, and go crazy exercising and generally getting myself together.

Right now, I'm coming off of a lazy cycle and heading into a getting myself together cycle. I wonder if one day, I'll be able to sustain the got together version of me. I assume it will be useful if I ever want to grow up.

Vices and spices

Dave's post on making burnt rice for dinner made me realize something. I am incapable of eating at home without watching TV.

Let me repeat that. I am incapable of eating at home without watching TV. I have to, have to, have to have the tube on, or I feel like I'm wasting time, especially since I can't do anything else while I'm eating (too messy to eat and do paperwork, etc).

It's kind of a bad thing, because what is typically a 10-15 minute meal (when I'm eating alone), turns into at least a 30 minute "meal", or perhaps a 60 minute meal, depending on how long the show is. And sometimes, one show turns into two, turns into three...

Babytalk

I am not good at talking to children - for any extended period of time, anyway. I simply have nothing to say to them, usually.

This may seem counterintuitive, as I taught elementary school just a year and a half ago. But, thinking back, I don't think I did much conversational talking to my students or any of the kids in my school. When I did talk to them, it was about school related things.

Of course, I ended up learning a lot about my students lives: their likes, dislikes, interests, family, etc. But this was over weeks and months of teaching.

I discovered my inability, or, more accurately, my disinterest in shooting the breeze with children today while I was attending my Power Lunch session. Most of the time, I just nod and say, "That's a good idea..." or something similar. And the child keeps on talking, so I guess I'm not all that important to the conversation anyway.

This is possibly connected to my disinterest in talking to people I don't know in general, but I can't be certain.

Recent distractions

I haven't posted much lately because I've noticed that most of my posts are either close to or exactly repeating prior posts, or that they are all along the same themes (e.g. relationships and stupid human behavior), which, frankly, I am tiring of. Thus, I can't think of anything to write about except the banal "Today, I got up. Then I brushed my teeth. Then I got dressed..." posts.

Oh, and I'm also distracted by a few projects right now:

Organizing my finances
This one is the killer. I've decided I want to use Quicken to help me with taxes and managing/tracking my expenses. This means that I need to categorize everything. This means that I need to think of categories for everything I spend money on (how do you categorize batteries?). I actually decided I would do this last year, around this time. Only I didn't really do a good job. So now I have 1+ years of data to go through and fix.

I'm finding that I've not received several rebates also, now 6+ months after the fact. GRR. I hate rebates. They are evil.

Investing
I am determined to learn how to be an informed investor. Previously, most of my money was in "high performance" money market accounts, which made something like 1% interest. THAT'S PIDDLY. Then, I moved it into an Orange Savings account (ask me for an invite, and you will get $25 for signing up and I will get $10). A little better - 2.60%. But long term, the best returns will be in mutual/index funds and potentially stocks, especially when you start young. Seeing as I had no life in my first three years of working, I have quite a bit saved up.

So I finally set up a trading account with Freetrade. It's a subsidiary of Ameritrade and offers 20 free trades a month, then a small fee per trade after that, like $3. Much better than any other deal out there. Only catch is you have to wire money in the first time.

Anyway, now that I have some stocks, I can't help but watch the market every day - even though I know that I won't be selling since I am going for long term growth.

Oh well. Back to watching the Dow. TiVo just closed a deal with Comcast. They're up 50%. Awesome.

Receipts, what are they good for?

Seriously. What are receipts good for besides:

1) Letting you return stuff
2) Helping you track things for tax purposes
3) Expense reports
4) Reminding you how much money you waste

?

I'll admit it - I'm a receipt-addict. I have to keep all receipts that I get. Even when there are no receipts to give (like the guys on the corner carts in NYC selling bagels for $1.00), I ask for one, usually resulting in the guy in the cart cursing me under his breath as he scribbles something unintelligible on a scrap piece of paper. It makes me feel better, though, to have that scrap piece of paper. It's a receipt goddammit.

That being said, I'm trying to streamline my life. I want to eliminate clutter and excess. That means paring down my wardrobe, throwing away or donating items I don't use anymore. It means trying to keep my paper records to a minimum - only the important docs stay (usually meaning things related to taxes or anything else that can get you fined or thrown in jail).

So something has to be done with my receipt collection. I still have boxes of receipts from 1992, back when my big spending consisted of a bucket of popcorn on my once-monthly movie outing.

My current plans are to, moving forward:

1) Throw away all credit card receipts related to food or services received after matching to my credit card statement
2) Keep all receipts that may have tax implications (e.g. medical bills, moving expenses, unreimbursed job related expenses)

But I have a feeling that I might be missing something. There must be a reason why Roy Rogers gives you a receipt for a combo meal, other than the off chance you are on business, right? Or is that the sole reason why so many places have the "if you don't get a receipt with this order, your meal is free" policy?

Presidential duties

A New York Times/CBS poll shows that Americans are increasingly disagreeing with Bush's policy decisions, especially around Social Security.

It seems evident that Bush, in his second term, is following a path that he believes will secure his "legacy", one of Social Security reform.

The question is, should he continue down that path to the extent of his power even if the majority (and we're talking 70%-ish) of Americans don't agree?

I think that depends in part on how you view the role of an elected official. Do we elect them on the basis that we trust them to operate in our best interests? Or do we elect them to do what we specifically want him to do? Obviously there are pressures from all directions - the "average" American, special interest groups, members of the political establishment, and, hopefully, conscience.

So what should Bush do? Should he do what he feels is right in his "gut", as he did in his previous term? Arguably, that is what the American public who made up the 51% majority that narrowly won him a 2nd term likes about him and so he should use that "mandate" to do what his "gut" tells him to do. Or, should he do what Americans are now asking of him?

I've actually always fancied myself to be the former type of elected official, if I were ever to become one. I would never want to be a elected official that bends and sways to whatever whims the public currently presents - I would be someone that operates in the long term good of my constituency, even if they don't know what's good for them. Idealistic, I suppose.

Across the pond

Just got back from a trip to London. A few notes:

Hostels are fun - if you are there with a group of friends. Not so fun if you are staying with strangers who all have different schedules. (On the plus side, you have to opportunity to get a peek at cute girls in panties at sunrise)

Most British food seemed to center around fried meat and fried potatoes, with a side of peas.

Nighttime activities appear to close very early, unlike NYC.

Dave and I are now masters of the London public transportation system.

Poor exchange rate = spendthrifts (that's me and Dave)

The best place to exchange money is at these tiny no-commission shops in Bayswater, near Queensway station and Notting Hill.

You can make pigeons fly by tossing a red or orange colored object up in the air (according to a resident guru)

Virus infection

I've been a touch sick lately. It was one of those where you could feel it coming on, then you thought it was going away, then it gets tons worse before it feels like it's going away again.

I went to work yesterday even though I was feeling icky. I went to the cafeteria for lunch. For some reason, I touched way more surfaces than necessary to grab my fork and napkin. Maybe it was the virus that made me do it? After all, it wants to spread.

Oh, and I heard my neighbor this morning with the same cough I did. Poor guy.

Fine, fine line...

Edited: 2/22/05

I saw Avenue Q with Zelda a few weeks ago. I will admit that it was one of the better Broadway shows I've seen, with a very witty and memorable score. So much so, that I even bought the soundtrack on iTunes.

One of the musical numbers was called There's a Fine, Fine Line (audio clip). Even though the show was supposed to be funny, it hit on a lot of deep emotions and ideas.

Here's a snippet from the lyrics:

There's a fine, fine line between a lover and a friend;
There's a fine, fine line between reality and pretend;
And you never know 'til you reach the top if it was worth the uphill climb.

There's a fine, fine line between love
And a waste of time.

I guess this is just my thought when people were responding to my post about dating to "see where things go" - you run the risk of it all being for naught.

However, I think if you are enjoying your current time, then it should depend on your perspective whether it was a waste of time when you look back.

For example, if I had an awesome dinner, but later got food poisoning, true, the food poisoning sucked - but the dinner was still awesome. Am I the only one that thinks this way?

My missed connection & redux

My first posting to Craigslist's "Missed Connections" section:

You had me at "Buffet" - m4w - 25
Reply to: anon-59041523@craigslist.org
Date: 2005-02-09, 12:33PM EST


It was a serendipitous encounter to be certain. You sat there, alone, with the overhead light gently caressing your flaxen hair, as you dined in your dark sweater, red sneakers and green bag. There was a slight glint from your complementary spectacles. I could not believe my eyes at first. Could it be true?

I watched, as you slowly, yet methodically consumed piece after piece of all-you-can-eat sushi. I shivered, each time you stood up from your table, disappeared for what seemed like eons, and returned, always with another bulging plate of sushi. You dispatched at least five plates of sushi with ease, and finished with a heaping plate of dessert. It was at that moment that I knew I was falling for you.

I was the Asian man sitting adjacent, jaw agape, consuming less than half your fare. Thank you for the privilege of dining with you from afar. I will always remember how you showed me what it means to love.


this is in or around Herald Square
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

Redux: A chance encounter with two fetching maidens exploring each other's mouths with their tongues in a phone booth adjacent to a Circuit City. What a night.

Dead chocolate mouse

If you go to Boston, there's a place that called L.A. Burdick that serves excellent hot chocolate. They have these little chocolate mice. While there this past weekend (on a visit to see friends Sandra, Wayne, and Paul, and also Todd who was in town), on a whim, I decided to buy a chocolate mouse. Some may have thought to keep it to look at, since it's cute. My only thought was to devour said cute chocolate mouse.

Unfortunately, my cute chocolate mouse came to a gory demise before I could chew it to bits.


Before


After

Endgame

As Eddy once remarked to me, people in Chicago date to marry. Not so, it seems, in New York City. I have been giving the casual dating thing a try since I've moved here, but something about it seems not quite right.

My main question is, how is it possible to date someone and not have any thoughts about where it might lead? Everyone says to just go out, have fun, get to know them, etc. But to invest any time beyond the first or second date means there must be some payoff (hopefully beyond booty).

There must be some sort of goal. And the ultimate goal should be marriage (or a similar arrangement), shouldn't it? I suppose there is always the playboy lifestyle, but that doesn't involve as much feeling and time invested.

I think people delude themselves when they say they are in a relationship and aren't thinking about where it's going or "just seeing where things lead". There's no such thing. If you're just seeing where things lead, you already know where you want it to go.

So this begs the question: if your gut is already saying that the road probably won't lead anywhere, should you break it off? Or can you really just enjoy the present?

Oscar Pick'em

Thanks for calling me out, Andy. I didn't really feel like posting just yet, or perhaps ever. But here it is:

Join my Oscar Pick'em Team

The group is "Skittles" and the PW is the famous Skittles slogan. If you can't figure it out, you don't deserve to join.

I picked winners in every category even though I have seen like, a total of, like, one (1) of the movies that have been nominated. I have terrific (or terrible, depending on the situation) intuition. So I think I'll do ok.

The trouble with bubbles

Like many Asian households, soft drinks, cookies, and candy were expressly forbidden when I was a child. Well, forbidden, except for Halloween, when we could have up to ten pieces of the candy that we collected that night, while the remainder went into a very poor hiding spot in my mother's closet.

I don't know about you, but I have been punished for whining about drinking Coke in public. That promptly ended my public Coke "requests". I suspect that has something to do with my current general aversion to soft drinks, but I can't be certain.

Even to this day, I'm not a huge sweets person. And I certainly cannot drink soda every day, or even once a week. I mean, the flavors are good and all, but I just cannot stand the carbonation. The carbonation does something weird in my throat, and I end up feeling like I swallowed a bunch of air (surprise, surprise), I get the hiccups, or both. I HATE the hiccups. I HATE feeling bloated.

I don't quite understand why people prefer drinks that are carbonated - besides the novelty of bubbles in your drink, what's the point? It doesn't add flavor, although it does tickle your tongue. I find tongue tickling to be tiresome and annoying.

I say, "Down with carbonation!" Anyone else want to join my new 501(c)(3), People Against The Sipping, Ingesting or Eating of Sodas (PATSIES)?

Sez who?

I'm currently reading Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller. It's a so-called classic written in the early 1930's and was initially banned by all English speaking countries due to its subject matter and vulgar depiction of said subject matter.

This book is supposed to be critically acclaimed and touted as a fine example of literature by many a great author and critic. Although I'm only a few pages in, I am not impressed.

I wonder how many things in life we take others' word for because we are too lazy to form an opinion for ourselves. For that matter, I wonder how much of my experience has been biased by others' opinions or offhand remarks. Take movies, for example. Critics are saying now that "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" was a terrible movie. I rather enjoyed it. It was no "Forrest Gump", but it wasn't "Mars Attacks!" either. However, when I read that review, I began to doubt myself. 'Did I really like it that much? Yeah, it really wasn't that good I suppose...'

Other things are subject to our inexperience or lack of knowledge. I'll take a plumber's opinion on which brand of toilet flap is best, simply because I don't know any better. I just have to trust that plumber's expert opinion - but he could be dead wrong. Just like some of my computer-savvy friends still tout Windows and PCs, even though Apple, Macs, and Mac OS X are far superior to anything in the PC world. But so-called "experts" in IT will still promote Windows up the wazoo.

I have a feeling that we don't really want to know how many things in our lives are dictated by a body of questionable knowledge and expertise. Kind of like why people categorize and generalize/stereotype. It's easier on the ol' noggin that way.

A REAL shower

I installed a Waterpik Cascadia showerhead today. It's designed to let you shower like you're in the rain, since the spray comes straight down. And I have to say, it's simply marvelous. I've never been so excited to shower in my life.

Anyone who loves me must love my pet, Peeve.

Is it OK to let a seemingly innocuous and silly pet peeve derail a relationship? Some of my pet peeves are non-negotiables: I cannot live with someone who is filthy (not necessarily messy, but filthy; although I get frustrated easily with constant mess); I can't stand people who have protracted cell phone conversations when they are out with someone; I despise people who have long, personal cell phone conversations while sitting or standing right next to strangers (e.g. on a plane) who can't get away; and I look down on people who don't appreciate the genius that is Britney Spears.

But some of my pet peeves are less important to me. Even so, they really get on my nerves. The biggest of these is spelling. I can't stand people who can't spell. I'm not talking a typo here or there, or a word that is understandably difficult to spell. I'm talking about routinely mispelling words like "arduous", "mistaken" or "tonight". I also don't like it when people use abbreviations like "l8r" in IM when you could easily type it out, or "lol" in email, when you have the time to write that out too.

Another point: apostrophes. Use them ONLY when they are replacing a letter (e.g. "nothin'","o'er") or in a contraction (e.g. "I'd" = "I would", "she'll" = "she will").

Don't get me started on "quotation marks". I hate when they are overused or misused. GRRR.

Sometimes it gets to the point when I wonder if I could ever be in a relationship with a poor speller. Even worse is someone who uses worse grammar than I do.

Spelling isn't that hard people! Work on it!!