Twitter

This new craze amuses me. I'll admit, I bought into the social networking stuff for a while, though at this point I just use it occasionally to reconnect with people and respond to people that message me. This twitter thing makes two very bad assumptions for internet surfers such as myself.

1. That I want people to know what I'm doing.
2. That I care what anyone else is doing.

I much prefer a blog that someone writes that has some sort of historical update to a person's life (though most of my blogs are rants, which I also enjoy reading). The fact that so and so is getting ready to go to the gym, or so and so can't decide what to make for dinner is so incredibly irrelevant. If you update your status or whatever the site calls it multiple times a day, do you REALLY think that your "friends" care that you "are tired" then "ate too much fruit" then "are napping" and then "are wired from red bull?"

What's wrong with emails to your friends?

Wut 1S wif peeple

I keep looking at forums and youtube and I am just trying to understand why everyone is too good for proper grammar, spelling, or even to keep numbers out of words. Anyone that is able to provide some sort of reason will be my new best friend, or BFF 1F i wanna stik wif dis new slang. I think that the part that's the most confusing to me is it has to take longer to write a response with numbers and random caps than not, so it can't even be laziness that causes this.

Don't buy a dyson

Well, they look cool and they work very well, but it turns out they're made very poorly. From an Engineering perspective, it's like a Hyundai without the warranty. Functionally, it's very good, but it's likely to break, and it'll be from something that is the result of poor design, not misuse.
The main canister is held on by two points, and is how you pick the machine up to move it (assuming you can't roll it). The top point is a small plastic clip. It's weak plastic- not well reinforced. Really, it's OK to use plastic, but if it's going to be a piece that is stressed a lot, at least make it thick or out of a good plastic. When I received my vacuum, another plastic piece had already been broken (in shipping) but it wasn't as critical, so I just blew it off. It makes me wonder what's next...

It puts things in perspective

In recent weeks, I have lost my job (which I moved to ny for), gone to the ER for a significant injury, soaked my guest room due to a pipe freezing, and a multitude of things that I feel entitles me complain a little and not be a really happy camper. This morning I am at a doctors office to get my finger examined after some fighting with HR and insurance some (again something I could complain about) when I observed something in the waiting room. There was an old woman sitting in a wheelchair with oxygen who was having her (presumably) daughter help her to fill out forms. She was asking her about health history then got to a question asking "what are your hobbies and interests.". I recalled when I answered that question how I was upset and answered "piano" since I have an abundance of time no but can't physically play well. Her response was "well, nothing now. I can't knit or crochet". I couldn't help but feel a bit like an ungrateful jerk inside. Sometimes it takes only a few seconds of observation to humble a person and rind them how lucky they really are.

Knight Rider

So last night I had half an hour to kill while eating dinner and before the final Presidential debate aired. In searching through the guide, I found Knight rider and remembered that there was a new version of the TV show that I grew up with. Back in the day (days where I watched more than an hour of TV a week like now) I would come home from school and watch Knight Rider, Maguyver, and if there was time, quantum leap. A blast from the past, I know, but that was my after-school ritual about a decade and a half ago. Needless to say, a remake of Knight Rider had a lot to live up to and in short, it just sucked so hard I want to seek out the wrong-doers who are defacing something that I have loved dearly. There's some BS lame love story (although the gratuitous boob shots of the hottie are nice, but in no way make up for everything else that sucks). It's a MUSTANG, and Michael is just a douche. They should have left well enough alone. I'm scared for Ghostbusters 4 if it ever happens.

animosity

So I was thinking recently that there's only been one occasion in my life that I totally gave up on someone. It's not really like me to do that, I'm more of a "go down with the ship" type of guy because I'm undeservingly loyal. So this weekend I had an occasion to add an individual to the list, and here's the irony: As upset as you'd think i'd have to be in order to decide I'm going to totally sever communication with someone, it's actually very calming at the same time. Really, there isn't animosity, I just made a decision that this person has no value to add to my life in any way so I'm finished with them. Sort of like selling a car that you've had for years but has given you trouble from the moment you bought it. Actually, I've been fortunate enough to not have had that experience with cars (thanks Toyota) but not with people. So I can see where severing communication with people worthless (to me) could happen more and more. It's not something I ever see myself doing without good reason, but maybe it's wisdom in my old age realizing that people don't change. If they're the same after 2 years, after 5 years, after 14 years, then really it's my own fault if I deal with them (family excluded) and I can't complain. So I bet everyone has someone that they know they should sever communication with. I encourage you to do it! Don't hastily, but be deliberate and it'll be a load off of your mind.

where did summer go?