Line of cars Aug 11, 2006
To that guy who caused the line of cars to form behind him yesterday as I was driving home from work:  "Thanks a lot, jerk.  It's super cool to go 25 in a 35.  In the event that you learn you're not the only person on earth who drives on roads, I would recommend looking into your rearview mirror.  Yeah.  See those 11 cars behind you?  I'm the last one.  Get off the road.  Stop driving.  Sell your car.  Self-revoke your license.  Move to Florida.  Get a motorized wheelchair.  Use it on the sidewalk.  Anyone who lets a line of cars form behind them probably shouldn't be driving." #travel
Performance underwear (1) Aug 11, 2006
Last week, I learned of an important product called performance underwear.  Made out of material similar to that of Under Armour products, performance underwear is meant to dry quickly and ... well, that's really it.  They probably claim to "wick moisture away from the body", but I'm not sure I believe that.  I wore them while hiking some trails around Mount Saint Helens, but I can't really say I noticed a difference in "performance".  I still huffed and puffed while walking up steep hills, and I still sweat like a pig (do pigs even sweat?).  All in all, I wasn't too impressed with this idea of "performance" underwear, but I do like the idea that they're quick drying.  That way, when I'm hiking through the woods on a 90-degree day and I'm covered head-to-toe with sweat, at least my underwear will be dry. #sports
WordPress 2.0.4 Aug 10, 2006
I upgraded to WordPress 2.0.4, which I'm told is "highly recommended for all users" and a "mandatory upgrade". #technology
WordPress feed favicon (1) Aug 10, 2006
I'm great at finding obscure issues with WordPress.  One such issue is the absence of a favicon in RSS feeds.  I use Bloglines as my feed reader, and I like how almost every subscription has that site's favicon.  Well, except my site (yes, I subscribe to myself ... it's always nice to read what I've been up to).  I'm not really sure what the problem is, but I considered editing some core WordPress files to enable this functionality.  But this should always be a last resort.  Enter the Favicon Manager plugin.  It adds a few lines of code to the RSS 2.0 and Atom feeds (as well as the main site header, though I already had that) and lets you specify your favicon in one of the WordPress options panels.  Bloglines Publisher Tools said the favicon is updated weekly, so I'll see if it works in a few days. #technology
Cell phone cameras Aug 10, 2006
I wish I could broadcast the following message to cell phone makers:  "Stop putting cameras in cell phones."  Why? 
  1. Technology.  These low-resolution cameras are at least 5 years behind regular digital cameras in terms of technology.
  2. Cost.  They probably add a considerable amount of cost to the phone, not only in terms of parts but also in terms of hardware and software development.
  3. Weight.  They add some amount of weight, with the camera assembly itself and also with its interfacing components (cables, resistors, etc.).
  4. Security.  Any workplace that values security doesn't allow cameras.  So camera phones are illegal or at least highly discouraged.
Until a cell phone has a 3-5 megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom and external storage (or significant internal storage), I won't even think about getting a camera phone.  The only reason I currently have one is because the phone I wanted (a Treo 650) didn't have a "no camera" option.  Of course there's a way to remove it, but that misses half the point. #technology
Don't touch my screen Aug 10, 2006
One of my coworkers always touches computer screens.  The monitor at his desk is so covered with fingerprints, you can hardly see what's behind them.  And every computer he's near magically attracts his not-abnormally-greasy fingerprints.  To that, I say "Do what you want.  If you want to touch your computer screen and make it all gross, go ahead."  But what really gets to me is that he sometimes comes to my cubicle and invariably ends up touching my computer screen.  He just came by to show me something and I didn't even realize he touched my screen until after he left.  Some people might say that I'm unnaturally obsessive compulsive.  I don't think it's unnatural at all.  Just don't touch my computer screen. #technology
End of the day Aug 10, 2006
For some strange reason, things often go wrong at the end of my work day.  Not at the beginning or in the middle.  Only at the end of the day. 

A few weeks ago, I had to leave work by a certain time to make it to a dinner at someone's house.  I was running a little late as it was, so I was rushing to finish up a few small things and shut off my computer.  Just as I walked out of my cubicle and was about to leave, a guy stopped me and asked me to do some stupid security thing.  It wouldn't have been a problem on any other day, but I happened to be running late and I needed to be somewhere.  And of course everyone else had gone home already, so I was the only one who could complete this mindless task.  Needless to say, I did it and was only a little late for my dinner thing. 

Just last week, I was trying to leave at the end of the day on a Friday.  My computer started to act a little weird, so I tried shutting it down.  The clock struck 5pm.  In a rare moment of instability, Windows XP became stupid.  It wouldn't respond to anything I was trying to do, and I couldn't even CTRL-ALT-DEL or end any processes.  After about 10 minutes, I was finally able to restart.  But as the computer started back up, it began the process all over again and went stupid again.  By the time I finally fixed the problem and successfully shut down my computer, it was 5:20pm, a whole 20 minutes later than I wanted to leave on a Friday. 

If this stuff happened at any other time during the day, it wouldn't be a big deal at all.  But instead it happens when I'm trying to leave on a Friday or when I have to be somewhere at a certain time.  Why does this stuff happen at the end of the day?  Because there's some sort of cosmic force working against me that wants to waste my time and make me late for things. #business
Machismo Aug 9, 2006
Sometimes I have surprisingly macho ideas and desires.  I wouldn't call myself a "typical male", so these things don't seem to fit in with the rest of my life.  I don't have a subscription to Maxim magazine.  I don't like sports cars.  I don't pride myself on drinking dark beers. 

But I sometimes have a strong desire to get a motorcycle.  All my logic and conservatism says this is a bad idea, but I can't deny that the desire is there.  I wouldn't want to get a stupid little racing bike.  And I wouldn't want to get a loud Harley.  I would just want a simple motorcycle that would get me from point A to point B while making me feel like I'm a dog sticking my head out the window.  I think it's less about the object and more about the idea:  For years, motorcycles have been a symbol of rebellion and "badness" (can't think of a better word).  Despite wearing khaki pants and a collared shirt, I sometimes want to strap on some leather (ok, not really) and ride across the country with nothing but a knife and a change of underwear. 

I also have the occasional urge to get a tattoo.  I'm not sure why.  I've been opposed to them in the past, but I can't deny that a permanent marking on my pale flesh has a certain amount of appeal.  Again, I think it's more about the idea:  Tattoos traditionally signify independence, strength, devotion, or some other sort of cool thing.  (These days, most tattoos are the result of drinking or a fleeting interest.)  But to permanently let people know that I'm a fan of dragons that breathe fire out of their mouths and have spikes on their tails, just sounds awesome. 

And like I mentioned before, I like watching people beat each other unconscious.  I think it's because I'd sort of like to learn Brazilian JuJitsu and know how to hyper-extend a person's elbow and knee.  I would imagine that it's quite liberating to have that kind of knowledge.  And I think it's sort of like what Tyler Durden said in Fight Club:  "How much can you know about yourself, you've never been in a fight?"  Few things have existed since the beginning of time, but violence is one of them.  And it's not that I'm a violent person or have a desire to hurt or kill other people.  It's just that I'd sometimes like to test myself as a human being through "feats of strength" like hand-to-hand combat.  But then other times, I just want to sit around and write about it on my website.  Geeks 'R' Us!  #psychology
Not microwave safe (6) Aug 9, 2006
The biggest mistake of my life up to this point was getting dinner plates that aren't microwave safe.  What a stupid thing.  Why on earth would a company make plates that aren't microwave safe?  What's the benefit?  Was there a thought process behind that decision, and did someone make the call to go with a non-microwave safe material?  If so, that person is a jerk.  And an idiot.  A jerkiot. 

But when something isn't microwave safe, it doesn't mean it can't go in the microwave.  It just means the object will heat up faster than the food that's likely to be placed on it.  And if it's in the microwave for too long, it'll heat up past its "comfort level" and basically crack or burn.  So the "solution" (I haven't perfected it yet) is to use the power control settings.  Oddly enough, "power control" doesn't mean the microwave is producing any more or less power.  It means it's turning the magnetron (the thing that makes a microwave work) on and off in cycles.  Things with water molecules (and fats and sugars) in them are affected by a microwave's radiation, and this "effect" causes them to heat up.  So by cycling the power, the non-microwaveable plate is allowed to cool off (by not continually injecting it with radiation), while the food stores its heat until the next power cycle. #technology
Hour-long TV shows Aug 8, 2006
I don't watch much TV, but when I do watch, I tend to watch hour-long shows.  I like things like CSI and Numb3rs, but I'm also a fan of half-hour shows like the Simpsons and Seinfeld.  But I've noticed that watching TV after 9pm is kind of a problem.  If I start watching in the middle of an hour, chances are that I'll be missing half of an hour-long show because nighttime seems to be a great time to have hour-long shows.  If I miss a significant part of an hour-long show, it's not even worth watching the rest.  So I sometimes end up turning off the TV.  Why watch a part of a show I'll never see the beginning of?  By creating these hour-long shows, the TV gods are driving important people (namely, me) away.  That's my spiel. #entertainment