Hard work vs. reality Oct 14, 2015
We like to tell young people that you can do anything if you put your mind to it.  You can be anything, accomplish anything, as long as you put your best effort and your hardest work into it. 

This is all obviously false.  It's good to encourage young people, because it sets their standards high and motivates them to succeed.  But in reality, you can't be anything.  You should still try hard, and dream big, and work for it.  But there's a really high chance you won't be an astronaut.  You almost certainly won't be a professional athlete, no matter how much you practice.  You probably can't be a professional musician, because you'll die of starvation before you get your first record deal. 

And that's just statistics, i.e. a very small proportion of people who try to become these things actually succeed.  There's also the idea of innate talent.  Some people are born with certain talents that enable them to do certain things.  Some people are born without those talents.  They might be able to work hard to get up to the level of a person born with that talent, but chances are, they'll still be behind the curve because they didn't win the genetic lottery. 

This idea occurred to me admittedly somewhat recently in life -- the idea that I might not be able to accomplish everything I set my mind to.  Two recent examples are embarrassingly trivial, but kay-suh-rah.  The first is bodybuilding.  I've always been a skinny person; it's genetic.  But I've also always been moderately athletic, both from genes and from practice.  I've always wanted to develop bigger muscles, and I've never had much success.  I was told it was my weightlifting style.  I improved it.  I was told it was my diet.  I changed it.  I was told it was calories, carbs, protein type, specific exercises, amount of weight, number of reps, etc.  I've done lots of different things to build strong muscles, and I've completely failed, aside from some slight increases in the amount of weight I can lift.  I've finally stumbled to the conclusion that I'm not genetically built to be a big, strong, muscular person like all the other people at the gym.  That sucks, but at least I've reached a conclusion and can stop being disappointed by my lack of progress. 

The other example is video games.  I've been playing a lot of player-vs-player (as opposed to player-vs-enemy) games, and I'm routinely worse than any of my teammates or opponents.  Even after a lot of hard work and practice, I still lagged behind most people.  Like weightlifting, I came to realize that certain people are just better than me.  In technical terms, they probably have faster reaction timing, better quick-twitch muscle control, and things like that.  It doesn't matter how much I play or how hard I work at it, I likely just won't be as good as other people.  Again, that's disheartening.  But at least I have an explanation for my mediocrity.  And that's better than failure. #psychology
Atomic clock sync Oct 13, 2015
I was in the market for a new watch recently, and I stumbled upon Casio's line of watches that automatically sync to the NIST radio signal.  A problem I was having with my previous watch was that I kept having to set the time because its mechanism was wound by motion, and I didn't wear it over the weekend.  Having a watch with the wrong time is worse than having no watch at all.  So I bought one of the Casios, and so far so good. 

I liked the idea so much, I bought a little bedside alarm clock with the same functionality.  Knowing my clocks are always synced to the right time is a good feeling. #products
Automobile usage Oct 6, 2015
Sometimes I like to remind myself that the vast majority of automobiles are only used for about 10% of the day and are only filled to about 25% capacity.  Put another way, cars and trucks sit unused in driveways and parking lots for 90% of their life, and waste about 75% of their passenger space.  That's a dumb system. #travel
Time and money variance Oct 5, 2015
I've noticed that equal amounts of time and money spent at different times in history are worth different amounts.  For instance:  I bought an Xbox One a few months ago.  In the ensuing time, I've seen it on sale for lower prices.  This happens with a lot of purchases.  But I've spent a sizable amount of time with my Xbox One.  And I've spent that time playing newly-released games with other people who are doing the same thing.  If I had waited and made my purchase a few months later, I would've missed out on those opportunities.  Even though I would've paid a lower price, it would've been worth less, if that makes any sense.  I always expect that I'll regret spending time or money on something, but I rarely do. #psychology
Colorado trip Sep 30, 2015
Recently the wife and I took a nice long trip to Colorado.  We
  1. flew into Denver and stopped in Boulder
  2. stayed in Estes Park before touring around Rocky Mountain National Park, where we camped
  3. drove through Grand Lake before heading to Steamboat Springs, where we swam in Strawberry Park Hot Springs
  4. stayed in Craig before heading to Dinosaur National Monument
  5. crossed over into Utah, stayed in Moab, and visited Canyonlands National Park
  6. headed south and camped at Goosenecks State Park
  7. crossed over into Arizona to see Monument Valley
  8. drove back to Colorado to tour around Mesa Verde National Park, where we camped
  9. stayed in Alamosa before heading to Manitou Springs
  10. walked around Garden of the Gods and drove to the top of Pike's Peak before heading back to Denver and flying home.
Overall we drove something like 1300 miles in 10 days.  We only camped 3 nights, but the night in Goosenecks State Park overlooking the winding San Juan River was completely worth the trouble of bringing camping supplies (plus Southwest Airlines allows two free checked bags per person!).  The drive up Pike's Peak was literally breathtaking, i.e. I could barely breath at the top because of the altitude.  Colorado has legal weed, so it was interesting smelling pot smoke at various locations throughout the state.  Unlike previous trips, we didn't have any hotel reservations or real solid plans, so we kind of flew by the seats of our pants, and it worked.  All in all, this was a cool trip, and it was easy to do at the end of summer before a bunch of roads are closed because of snow. #travel
Expensive watches Sep 28, 2015
Watch prices make no sense to me.  I get that there are cheap Timex watches and expensive Fossil watches and whatnot, but we're talking a single order of magnitude here -- $25 to maybe $250.  That's fine.  What isn't fine is when a different kind of watch is grouped into the same category -- of search results for example -- costing ten times that price.  That's an additional order of magnitude.  I understand that different products can be manufactured to different standards, and that some components or decorative parts can really increase the price.  But when there are no diamonds on the watch, and it's not made of solid gold, and it costs $6000?  How does that work economically?  And can we please acknowledge that these are very different products?  Yes, they're all watches.  Yes, they keep time and sit on your wrist and look good.  But if I'm in the market for a new watch, I'm either in the $25 to $250 range, or I'm in the over $5000 range.  I'm not in the $25 to $5000 range, because that's stupid.  There are watches; and then there are luxury watches.  They're entirely different. #products
Customer service humanity Aug 13, 2015
I've had a couple customer service experiences lately that I wished included more of a "human" feel to them.  One was when I ordered something online and was told when to be at my house to receive delivery.  I was notified and reminded several times of the timeframe, as well as the new timeframe due to a delay.  When that time window came and went, I called the company to see what was up.  They said essentially, "Whoops, how about tomorrow?"  Tomorrow's time window came and went, so I called the company again.  They said essentially, "The truck is on its way, albeit 28 hours later than originally intended." 

Twenty-eight fucking hours.  We live in a ridiculously technologically modern age.  Everyone can be contacted at all times in a variety of ways.  How did you not get around to delivering my stuff on the right day, and how did you not figure out how to contact me to tell me before it didn't happen?  How did you still miss the time window on the second day, not contact me to tell me about it, and then proceed to send me a survey asking about my purchasing experience?  "How satisfied were you with the timing of the delivery?"  Not very satisfied, asshole. 

A few days later, the electric got shut off at my new house.  It was probably a simple mix-up, or that's what I'd like to believe.  A simple call to the electric company should solve that.  But no, the electric company says we have to call back the following business day (since it was after hours), and service will be restored the day after that.  So that's two days without power, all because I didn't transfer utilities in the 4 days since I signed the fucking closing papers.  I talked to a customer service idiot on the service restoration day to ask what time the technician would be there.  Her answer:  Sometime between 8 am and 6 pm.  I asked her in the event that she lost power at her house, if that would be a good answer.  She said no. 

I just wish companies weren't so stupidly rigid.  I understand that nobody has time to address each and every circumstance like it's a beautiful unique experience to enrich a person's life, but how about some wiggle room?  Yes, the "policy" is a two-day turnaround, but how about a fucking favor for a new homeowner who can't take a fucking shower or flush his piss-filled toilet?  How about a phone call or a letter or a knock on my fucking door to tell me you're gonna take away my electricity?  How about an email or a text message to let me know my vacation day was essentially useless and you can't even come up with a reasonable explanation for why you couldn't deliver a $2000 tractor to a waiting customer.  I realize it's not "standard operating procedure", but could you maybe try to act like a human being? #business
Surprised by ignorance Jul 15, 2015
I'm surprised by people who are surprised by ignorance.  Ignorance, i.e. not knowing something, is pretty common.  Everybody's ignorant about something, and a lot of people are ignorant about a lot of things.  Not everybody knows physics, or philosophy, or philology.  Our society kind of expects everyone to have a certain level of basic knowledge, i.e. you live on planet Earth, which orbits the sun, which is a star, etc.  But most things other than that are simply specialization. 

My coworker is constantly surprised by my lack of knowledge about things that have nothing to do with our job.  Whenever it comes up, it follows the same pattern: 
Me:  I didn't know that.
Her:  How could you not know that?
Me:  I just don't know it.
Her:  But didn't you learn it at some point?
Me:  If I did, I forgot it, because I don't remember everything I've ever learned.
Her:  I AM A ROBOT FEED ME ELECTRONS
I posted a comment online earlier about some knowledge I had gained regarding a video game.  Some people responded with "Thanks" or "I didn't know that".  But one guy responded with, "Everybody knows that.  How could you not know that?"  Wasn't there ever a time in this guy's life when he didn't know something?  Or was he, like my coworker, simply born with perfect knowledge of everything?  Omniscience isn't a real thing, you know. 

I guess I find it incredibly self-centered that a person can't possibly imagine a scenario in which another human lifeform doesn't have the exact same level of knowledge in the exact same arrangement at the exact moment in time as them.  Come to think of it, what I'm talking about is theory of mind, which is something that usually develops in early childhood.  Maybe the people I'm dealing with are damaged. #psychology
How not to get killed by police Jul 13, 2015
It's a bad thing when a cop kills somebody.  Let's establish that up front.  Murder is bad, whether it's justified or not.  That said, I feel like there are a few simple rules people should follow to lessen their chances of accidentally or intentionally being killed by police: 
  1. Don't play with things that look like real guns.  Whether it's a toy gun or a cell phone case that looks like a gun, you probably shouldn't pretend to carry a weapon, and you shouldn't brandish that weapon near or at a cop.
  2. Don't act aggressive near or towards a cop.  Cops are like grizzly bears.  Strong and powerful, but generally harmless unless provoked.
  3. Don't resist arrest.  You won't win.  Yes you might be treated unfairly or racially profiled, and that's not cool.  But when you fight back, you get killed.  When you run away, you get killed.
  4. Stop doing illegal things.  I agree, laws are stupid.  Certain things shouldn't be illegal.  But when you make the decision to engage in a little civil disobedience, however righteous your intentions,  you're still breaking the written law of the land, and you'll likely face the consequences of your actions.  Death isn't necessarily a consequence, but your chances of getting killed are greatly reduced if you simply don't break the law.
#law
Unequal justice Apr 29, 2015
In recent legal news, the guy who shot up a Colorado movie theater pled not guilty by reason of insanity, and the guy who bombed the Boston Marathon was just convicted. 

I'd like to put forth a likely controversial and possibly offensive position:  I don't think all people deserve equal justice.  I think in certain legal cases, when the evidence is overwhelming and the verdict is clear, the offender shouldn't be sent to jail or to a psychiatric facility.  They shouldn't have an opportunity to better themselves or improve their mental health.  They shouldn't have the possibility of gaining parole or freedom. 

I think they should be publicly executed.  I realize this is a ridiculously violent and archaic means of punishment.  And I understand that there's the question of whether the death penalty is even effective at preventing crime.  And I know that killing one person doesn't bring any kind of justice or comfort to the families of the victims these people killed. 

For me, it's partly a practical concern.  Prisons are expensive, and they're crowded.  Why should I spend my tax money housing and nurturing a person who decided to break the law by killing a bunch of people? 

But it's also value-based.  I believe in psychology.  I understand that a mental disorder can make a person do terrible things.  But I think the scope of those terrible things, specifically multiple murders, should make a person ineligible for a second chance.  In other words, I literally don't think the life of a mass murderer is worth saving.  I'm intentionally placing a value on the life of mass murderers, and I'm saying that value is less than that of normal people.  This makes me a judgmental monster, I know, but hey at least I haven't killed anyone. #law