Saturday, April 30, 2005

Something REALLY interesting.

Okay, this is just a random musing. It's not even funny. The other day Hazmatt and I were messaging and somehow the topic turned to whether he was high on mushrooms or not. So I told him the test was to look at the keyboard as he typed. I told him if it looked like he was tickling a penguin he might be having a problem. I guess you had to be there. But now I've been thinking of whether I could make money buy building specialized keyboards that were easy to type on, but actually look and maybe feel like you're tickling a kitten, or puppy or elf or something. Somehow the idea of a little elf giggling all day as I type amuses me. Maybe it could be one of those little kid computers. I just have this idea that if you could keep the surface really easy to type on, and could make it feel like you were tickling a puppy all day as you worked it would be really popular. Or at least popular enough during one christmas season that I would make tons of money before everyone got so fed up that they started hucking them out of windows (like those stupid singing fish). Because that's the thing, I think it would annoy the hell out of people in the end. Seriously, annoy the hell right out of them. There would be a distinct lack of hell in the general population. So I guess it's best that I'm a tubby slacker.

Friday, April 29, 2005

The burdens of being laid back

I enjoy this blog as an outlet, but I feel compelled to write to it all the time. Sometimes I force the magic, which leads to somewhat disappointing results. I guess this fits with the general theme here at Slacktopia, high aspirations with, eh, so-so follow through. So I guess I may not post as much as I have been, and post only when I something really interesting to say. I'd discuss it more, but I'm afraid I've lost interest in this paragraph already. Sigh. Brain the size of a planet and they asked me to write a blog.

(I am very excited about hitchhikers guide to the galaxy this weekend. I've always seen myself as Arthur Dent)

Thursday, April 28, 2005

Bonus "of the Day" entry

"It's true - 9/11 changed everything, even math and Jesus." -- Fafblog

I continue to enjoy Fafblog. The last 6 or so entries have been highly entertaining.

Cue Maudlin Violin

As some of you who know me know, I am a smidge clumsy. I am also fond of technology. Sensitive, delicate technology. These two things do not mix well. Case in point, I love my iPod but tend to drop it a lot. usually from only a foot or two in height and to nicely carpeted surfaces. I had been lulled into a false sense of confidence by a lack of permanent damage to the ipod after every "episode." What I learned this week, is that while 1 to 2 foot drops are okay, 15 feet from the top of a steep staircase to a very unsoft concrete surface is not as good as you might think. Oddly, my poor Beezle Pod lasted for another half an hour before it froze and crashed repeatedly. Now it just makes clicking sounds at me when I try to turn it on. I believe it's trying to tell me not to turn it on anymore, like Bishop the android head in Alien 3.

I am grief stricken. My only consolation has been to use the rest of my tax return to order a 30gig color ipod and a 512mb of ram for my powerbook. So I guess I will just try to make lemons out of lemonade. With the the new color iPod I mean. Feel free to leave your condolences in the comments.

Also, Did I mention I have a Tivo?

Wednesday, April 27, 2005

Regurgitation Station

"You love Mole Man!" -- Bart
"You're gay for Mole Man!" -- Lisa
"Nobody's gay for Mole Man . . . " -- Mole Man

Thursday, April 21, 2005

Kite-flying


Kite-flying
Originally uploaded by hbot3000.
Mostly a test of an image hosting service. But you might as well see photonic imprints and replication of my trip to the Beach with Eric.

Vaguely remembered quote of the day

"I've tried Low Carb, High Carb, high fat, Atkins, well everything really. And I just can't stop masturbating." -- The Hollow Men

For the Record

I've listened to it a zillion times, and I still think Fountain of Wayne's "Valley Winter Song" is probably the most perfect song I've ever heard. The hbot3000 has spoken.

All hail the hbot3000.

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

Tuesday, April 19, 2005

Pah-hoe-nix

I have landed in Phoenix. It looks nothing like I remember it. But then, I wasn't familiar with roadways and such when I was 11. It is good to be back though. I've missed it. I love a city where you're sweating before you leave the airport. It was like 50 degrees in Reno, and a smooth 82 in Phoenix when I landed. Supposed to be up to 90 by Friday. I will have to remember to drink water so as to avoid looking like a desiccated husk. I plan on roaming around town Friday, visiting my old stomping grounds.

Also, it strikes me now as obvious that I should have come back to Arizona for Grad school, maybe undergrad. I had forgotten how much I like it here. Yeah, definitely feeling like it's "The Thing I Should Have Done." Could just be the effect of nostalgia I suppose. Or maybe that bean I had for dinner. Blammo!

Also, the presentation I'm supposed to give tomorrow morning is only at 50% or so completion. This is not really a worry to me, having seen a few presentations already. This is definitely a low pressure atmosphere. It strikes me that this might be one of those conferences that agencies cook up as an excuse to party in different cities. Not that business isn't being done, I'm just not sure I see the need for a conference in order to share information on the business being conducted. A few cute girls though, so I'm not complaining.

As a side note, this will be posted once I check into my room later which supposedly has free wireless internet access. I'm not staying at the hotel where the conference is taking place and the wireless here costs like 10 bucks to use. Screw them and their information toll gate.

Quote for the day

"The saint killed our enemies, then went to hell to ask Jesus to increase the severity of your punishment and you reward him with vomit?" -- Lois's mom on the tart she made for Saint Crotus's day (Malcolm in the Middle).

Sunday, April 17, 2005

On growing up waiting for the apocalypse

I Tivo'd the new NBC mini-series "Revelations" the other day. As end of the world stories were one of the few forms of fiction I could read growing up, I have this fascination with the end of the world. As those of you raised in a church that refers to the end of the world in its name might understand. It was okay. Kind of typical. Bill Pullman was acceptable but not wonderful. It pretty much just set up satanists versus skeptical scientists versus catholics out to research all the signs of the end of the world. The brain-dead girl portion of the show was strangely prescient as it was filmed before the media circus of a few weeks ago. I'm not sure I recommend it, I just want to note something that occurred to me while I was watching it. I'll phrase it in the form of a question. Doesn't it really seem like the end of the world will not be brought on by atheists and their evil scientist allies, but crazy religious folk out to either start or stop the end of the world? In other words, the atheists and scientists I know hope for a sane, rational world that we all build together, not a utopian paradise build on the ashes of apocalyptic fire.

Well, of course you have your wacko environmental types that do seem to be jonesing for a some sort of environmental apocalypse (global warming or whatever) so maybe I'm just noticing the fringes too much. A comment on one of the blogs I read said it was interesting how extremists on both sides envision a horrible tragedy that would leave behind only those that prepared appropriately (i.e. those who think like them). Still, I think it's hard to work for a better future when your religious philosophy says the world will slide into ruin no matter what you do.

Quote of the Day

"What the hell is the point of view of young people? Blow jobs, that's what they're doing out there. They're out there getting oral sex all day long, that's what they're talking about." -- Rush Limbaugh

I still get his newsletter as a gift from my father. It's worse than you think it might be.

Friday, April 15, 2005

Quote of the Day

"And remember, Minmei loves each and every one of you!" -- Robotech, the Macross Saga

What Rick ever saw in her, I don't know.

The latest buzz

The hot topic in the blogs this week is healthcare. The general idea (at least among the liberal wacko blogs that I read) is that while competitive markets work well for other industries, our version seems to pale in comparison to other (of course not all) countries that use the evil power of socialism to heal people. I don't really want to rant about this for too long, but essentially we pay more per capita, a higher percentage of our GDP, have a slightly lower life expectancy and so forth than several other countries (numbers and post here). I guess I just find it interesting that we're so taken with the idea that our superpowerness makes us ultra-super-supreme in all matters, that we can't seem to stomach the idea that other, less purely capitalist societies manage to meet some basic needs better than we do. I guess all I'm saying is, clearly other countries manage to give their citizens decent healthcare at a reasonable price, why can't we? Our national superpowers have to be good for something. Fafblog says it much more oddly than I ever could.

Tuesday, April 12, 2005

More oil blogging

So, for those of you less likely to eat up the fire and brimstone of modern day prophets, I submit more cautious and perhaps reasonable response to the Long Emergency article I linked to below.

For the record, it's not so much that I desire the doom and gloom scenario, I do like the option to drive 700 miles and all of my gadgetry does run on precious, precious electricity. I am just fascinated with disasters is all. Which is why I once made Eric sit through the Core with me. I loved the disaster part, even if the rest was physically painful to watch. I am the only one I know who likes Armageddon, Godzilla and Independence Day. Although truthfully I can only stomach certain bits of ID because I think Bull Pullman is a fairly bad actor.

Also, I am simply fascinated by our amazing lack of long-term planning. The Bush administration should have evacuation routes for when the sun goes nova damn it! Okay, that may be a bit much. Seeing us through the next ice age will be sufficient.

Also, two new links, which will probably end up in the links section. The first is the unapologetic weekly column of the guy who wrote the Long Emergency. For those of you who like your oil news somewhat less pessimistic and/or sensationalistic, The Oil Drum is run by a couple of oil eggheads.

Also, price of unleaded gas in Reno today? $2.60.

Monday, April 11, 2005

Yin and Yang

So I must modify my previous declaration about flying into or out of Reno. While it is true that flying out of Reno Friday was the bumpiest I've experienced yet, flying back in was the smoothest. It was, in fact, smooth as a baby's bottom. That's what the captain even said. As we were landing the intercom sparked on and he just kept saying "smooth as a baby's bottom". Then I heard the copilot giggling so maybe they were talking about something else.

Okay, Truth Time. The part about the captain and the copilot didn't happen.

So I guess now my declaration is, flying into Reno is bumpy 90% of the time. Also, 56% of the statistics I use on this site are pulled out of my ass.

Friday, April 08, 2005

MMORPFU

Let me just say, that I have had a ton of fun playing World of Warcraft and City of Heroes. However, my lack of a social life has probably been the primary reason I've been able to play for as long as I have. The two largest cons have to be:

1) It eats time like you wouldn't believe.

2) You don't want to play any of your other games. At least I don't. I've been sitting on Chronicles of Riddick, Doom 3 and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City for months now.

Anyway, they are fun, but the drawbacks are as bad as everything you've been lead to believe. I may have more to say on this later, but for now, just some thoughts. Actually, I have a lot to talk about on this subject, but we'll keep some nerd topics in small doses. You're welcome.

It is also a plus that no virtual marriages occur in my two favorite virtual worlds. That's shit's just crazy.

I have arrived in Portland

It is lovely here. We were briefly in the pearl district to eat the best Sushi I've ever had. I'm still in some sort of endorphin driven state of contentment. We then went back to what Eric calls the clam (everything but the pearl) part of town. We are currently loading world of warcraft onto his computer so he can load up a 10-day guest pass and ruin his life. Tomorrow we may make a kite (or perhaps just buy one). His boss will also try and convince me to come to Portland and be a computer science M.S. or Ph.D. I will not drop everything and come racing up, but I admit it is quite tempting. I've always wanted to live on the coast. Anyway, that's what's going on. Before I move on though, a quick word on flying out of Reno.

OH MY GOD!

For those of you who have visited my new hovel on the hill, it can sometimes be quite windy there. So when I awakened to the whooooosh of the passing weather system trying to blow my apartment block down, I knew things would get interesting. Actually, the last few days have been about the windiest I've ever seen at my place. In the wind tunnel I have to pass through to get to my car, the wind feels like it's pushing you along. It feels like if I jump it'll carry me over the railing and into the parking lot. Anyway, I knew it would be bad. So on take off, about 30 seconds in it's just a roller coaster. Up, down, left sideways, I was so, so sick. The thing is, it's always bumpy going in and out of Reno, but this was so bad. Ugh. I was sick for half the flight. So consider it a warning. Flying into Reno is ALWAYS bumpy. Just so you know.

Thursday, April 07, 2005

Weekend Wandering

I will be visiting Eric in the wonderful City of Portland this weekend. It is but the beginning of my spring/summer traveling tour. Next on the list are Walla Walla and Eureka (in no particular order). Those of you in either city will be contacted about tour dates. Also, I will be in Phoenix for a conference April 19-21. It is the city of my early childhood. I am looking forward to it. All that remains is to somehow turn a 15 minute talk into a 45 minute talk. Ugh.

As an interesting factoid, the city of Portland has more strip clubs per capita than any other city in the country (this is unrelated to my weekend travel plans).

Woohoo! (this is unrelated to the previous sentence.)

Wednesday, April 06, 2005

Environmental fun!

As mentioned in my first post, this will be a place to vent for me. That will include the occasional political commentary. Possibly ranting. I make no apology, but just so you know.

This post isn't particularly political, but it is interesting to me, so I'm passing the savings on to you.

The two most interesting things I've read on the environment in the past few weeks are linked below.

An interesting blog article on something called global dimming, but link through to the original article.

An interesting, if overly alarmist excerpt from a book on oil production in the next 20 years. Most oil experts tend to agree on the coming oil problems, but are somewhat less alarmist than this guy in the implications. Still, it's an interesting read.

So if either of these happens to even be moderately true, we may indeed be living in Interesting Times in the next few decades.

Sleep tight!

Sin City

In reply to a post on a friend's blog (which I'm not sure I'm allowed to link to, so I won't), I'm not sure there is a point to the constant stream of ultra-violence seen in Sin City. I actually have read 3 or 4 of the graphic novels, and I'm still not sure what the point is of writing such violent and sex-filled stories. I think Mr. Miller had a point in mind, I just haven't figured it out yet. I do enjoy the stories though. Pulp is occasionally fun.

Having said that, the movie itself is beautiful visually. And if you read the graphic novels, you'll see that the movie is almost entirely faithful in both script and look. Almost every shot, down to the viewing angle, composition and so forth is nearly identical to the comic. It really is the most faithful comic book adaptation you'll ever see.

I feel compelled to point out in this, my second post, that I've been reading comic books as much or more than real books for the last 10 years or so. As a direct result, I believe my verbal and writing skills have deteriorated. Also, my spelling as I wish I had a spell check for the last word of the last sentence. Anyway, just don't expect interesting or astonishing prose. We'll both be happier that way.

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

The ball begins to roll

Hello. I greet you all. I've just gotten the site going and I'm going to get a few posts up here. For the record, this will most likely be a place for me to vent. As such, the people I direct to this page of pages will probably be finite in number. For instance, this probably isn't a site I'd tell my parents about. Not that it's going to be particularly foul, but there may from time to time be profanity. Otherwise, what I'm mostly going to be doing is informing you, my doting public, what's on my mind or perhaps, if you're good, what I'm doing and where I am. But for now. That's the skinny.

(Also, please don't use my real name anywhere in comments. I'm trying to stay uncomprimised by search engines. Violations will be prosecuted. I know a good lawyer.)

(Also, consider this site under construction until otherwise noted.)