Just to get it done Dec 2, 2006
I have a theory:  If the reason for doing something is "just to get it done", it's probably not worth doing.  As a small example, I've been noticing that my reading list in Bloglines is ridiculously long.  There are something like 300 new items every day.  And if I go away for the weekend, forget it.  There were 800 new items after the Thanksgiving weekend.  It's just too much, and seeing that it has nothing to do with my job, my finances, or my well-being, I often wonder why I spend so much time reading things I don't really want to read.  I'm really anal, so my goal is to read every new item that shows up, even if I just skim it or check the title.  But I often find myself just clicking through and not reading anything, just so the number of unread items will go down.  Bloglines is to me what email is for most other people.  The time I spend on it and the little bit of stress I let develop (yes, seeing 12 unread items suddenly jump up to 55 [usually from Digg] causes me stress) probably isn't worth it. #psychology
Degrees Dec 1, 2006
I've heard it said that a master's degree is the new standard degree.  In other words, while it used to be the norm to go to college and get a degree, now it's the norm to get a master's degree.  I see it at my job all the time.  My boss encourages everyone to take graduate classes and to eventually get a higher degree.  There must be some sort of deal where the more master's degrees his people have, the more bananas he gets (I think that's an insult.  I'm not really sure.  If it was, I didn't mean it.  I like my boss.).  So my question is this:  What's the next step?  What's gonna become the new standard?  A doctorate?  A patent?  A successful invention that's currently making boatloads of money?  The problem with all this is that it's cheapening the workforce.  Several years ago (I'm guessing here), there used to be 1 master's degree for every 10 people.  These days, it's more like 9 out of 10.  And that tenth guy is a big loser.  Actually, that tenth guy can't get a normal college degree job, so he had to settle for being a monkey cage cleaner.  My point is that there are so many overqualified people in the workforce that normal everyday people can't get good jobs.  Plus, if everybody's overqualified, the big dumb bosses (again, I like my boss) have to use some other metric to separate the sheep from the goats.  Eventually, job applicants will be lined up in height or age order and the last few on either end will get the boot.  Or, prospective employees will need to complete a series of arbitrary challenges (kinda like my idea for elections) to weed out the physically weak, untalented, and ugly. 

I say we go back to the way it used to be:  You go to college, you get a single degree, and you compete for jobs with other people who went to college and got a single degree.  Then everything will be based on a real metric:  GPA.  What better way to choose between job candidates than with a single-digit number proving how good each person is at taking tests?  None that I can think of. #education
Brownie edges (2) Dec 1, 2006
BakersEdge is a company that sells a brownie cooking tray specifically designed to maximize the number of edges.  Everybody knows the edges of brownies are the best part, so this is an obvious yet genius idea.  It's like the Seinfeld episode about muffin tops.  As long as people like the person who invented this continue to exist, everything will be ok.  (via Neatorama)
#food
Best times of the day Dec 1, 2006
I've noticed that there are a few short moments during the day that make me happy enough that, if I was a dog, I'd wag my tail.  They're not momentous occasions and probably can't be understood by anyone other than me.  The first is at exactly 8:00am, when 770AM does 2-3 minutes of actual news.  If I'm in the car and listening to something else, I'll stop what I'm doing and turn to 770 because the most useful, informative 3 minutes of my day.  Before and after, that radio station is filled with two big-headed idiots who purposely disagree about everything.  But those few short moments of actual news bring me a strange amount of simple joy.  The second time is at around 5:18pm, when Q104.3 does a little report on the stock market.  I'm not a stock market kind of guy.  I'd say my portfolio is "strong to medium strong", which means "I ain't got no portfolio".  But for whatever reason, those 2 minutes of money information is incredibly enjoyable.  Just like the morning news, I'll often stop listening to whatever else is on, and tune to 104.3. 

I realize that both of my "best times of the day" are things that happen on the radio.  I'm not sure why that is.  But I think the reason I like those particular events is that (1) they're reliable, and (2) they're short.  I always know these two things will happen at 8:00am and 5:18pm.  I've never been let down.  And getting some useful information in such a short amount of time is just awesome.  It doesn't fill the standard 30-minute time slot like a TV show, and it's not an overdone segment on African jungle rhythms played on trash cans with glass bottles like an NPR thing. #lifestyle
Biblical infallibility (2) Dec 1, 2006
Most Christians believe the Bible is the infallible, inspired word of God.  If that's true, it gives credibility to the beliefs of millions of people and essentially proves Christianity to be true.  If it's false, it pretty much destroys the claims of Christianity and the faith of its believers.  So it's no wonder why it's a big issue in Christendom. 

Here's my one little example that doesn't necessarily prove anything but merely illustrates a point:  Let's say I ask a New York Giants fan to repeat the following statement:  "The Philadelphia Eagles will win the Super Bowl this year."  It's quite possible to successfully repeat this phrase verbatim, without hesitation and without a second thought.  However, there are at least 3 factors that could introduce error: 
  1. For a football fan, any talk of the Super Bowl is a touchy subject, especially at this point in the season, and especially if your team hasn't been doing well lately.
  2. Giants fans hate the Eagles, so any statement in favor of the Eagles will have a tendency to be skewed.
  3. It's almost certainly an untrue statement.  Based on the Eagles' current record (and recent performance), they have almost no chance in the world of getting to the Super Bowl, much less winning it.
So right there we have the fact that it's a sensitive issue, it's a positive statement about an enemy, and it's a lie.  Yet, I'm absolutely certain that a person could repeat these words exactly as I say them, without introducing any error. #religion
Rollertoaster Nov 30, 2006
The Rollertoaster is the best thing since sliced bread.  Well, the best thing since the toasting of sliced bread anyway.  It's the first major innovation for the toaster in something like 80 years.  (via Neatorama)
#products
Deserved misfortune Nov 30, 2006
This may sound a bit mean or sadistic, but here it goes:  I take pleasure in observing other people's deserved misfortunes.  The key word there is deserved.  I'm not talking about natural disasters, health issues, accidents, or anything like that.  I'm talking about bad stuff that happens to people who at least somewhat deserve what they get. 

For example, the introduction of several new gaming consoles and then the recent Black Friday sales caused a few people some injuries.  These injuries happened because people are freaks and they camp outside stores overnight and then stampede through the store as soon as it opens.  I'm not saying that all those people deserve to get trampled to death in a mass trampling spree, but I have to admit I find it quite amusing watching videos of people getting knocked over and starting fights.  I'll justify my position by saying that these types of events are caused solely by greed.  So I feel totally fine saying I take pleasure in watching these people getting hurt.  It's such a comforting dose of irony and karma wrapped up in a pretty little 10 o'clock news package. 

Another example involves people and animals.  Some people think it's ok to taunt and tease wildlife, but then get offended when the animals attack.  I'm not talking about walking through bear country and stumbling upon a bear.  I'm talking about people who get too close to animals to take pictures or to feed them human food even though there are tons of signs that say not to.  When these people get antlered or nibbled, all I can think is, "Hey, you had it coming to you." 

I had the same feeling when that big NBA fight happened last year (not the players fighting players part, but the players fighting fans part).  If little tiny fans want to throw their food and drinks at 6 foot 6 in-shape athletes, they deserve to get their faces pounded.  [Somewhat] unfortunately, the fights turned unfair almost before they started as 5 to 10 fans were fighting a single player.  But if those fans got beat up, I would only have this to say:  "Hey, you had it coming to you." #psychology
Bring it to work Nov 29, 2006
Based on my time budget and a few other logical factors, I've been abiding by a new motto for the past few weeks:  Bring it to work.  Since I spend about one-quarter of my time at work, I might as well make it more like home.  Most people already do this:  They bring in pictures, plants, mementos, and other friendly reminders of home and other happy places.  But I've taken it a step further:  I keep all my food at work.  I don't bring new stuff in everyday.  I just keep it all at my desk or in the community refrigerator.  My frozen meals, my abundance of candy, my "healthy" snacks, and even my fresh fruit.  I used to buy food at the food store and keep it at home.  Then every morning, I'd put a few things in my bag and bring everything to work.  Why make things complicated?  I've eliminated the middle man (my home).  Now all I need is a stove or a grill, and then the next step would be a bed.  That would cut at least an hour of driving out of my day.  But then I wouldn't see Wendy or the cats.  That's no good. #food
Baby mop (1) Nov 28, 2006
Make your children work for their keep!  Dress them in clothes that serve more than one purpose.  The baby mop outfit keeps a kid warm and non-naked, while at the same time utilizing the child's natural desire and ability to crawl.  (via Mental Floss)
#products
NFL TV coverage Nov 28, 2006
Here's a map of NFL TV coverage around the country for CBS and FOX, the two networks that simultaneously broadcast different games depending on the area of the country the viewer is in.  Notice last week on CBS that my area of the country opted not to broadcast any game at all, even though there was a perfectly good Eagles game being watched in other areas of the country.  What sadistic freak is in charge of this stuff?  (via Kottke) #entertainment