This Nearly Wired World

I just got off the phone with my nearly 17 year old daughter who is traveling in Italy. She's there with the Columbus Youth Jazz Orchestra (and they sound nothing like my high school jazz band). She's been there for 2 weeks now and that was the first we had heard from her. It was a pleasure and a relief.

We weren't worried, but we get so used to being able to contact anyone, virtually any time. I live on the net and receive and answer email all day long. I've carried a cell phone now for over 11 years.

But just how unwired we are has been made clear. In addition to 2 weeks in Italy, Kathleen also spent 2 weeks in China. In both places she didn't have easy access to computers to send email (although she did manage 2 email messages from China). And this brief phone call was at a pay phone.

It's sad to point out that Europe and Asia have far superior wireless phones than we do in the US. I am completely disgusted that the artificial barrier of "country" means that I'm separated from friends and family when they travel (or I do). I want my cell phone to be able to call anyone on the planet without distinguishing between where they might be. And I don't want any added charges. Minutes is minutes.

Redefining Christianity Is The Devil's Work

This stuff makes me tired.

Who Loves Creepy Megachurches? / Stadium crowds, thousands of rabid devotees, all chugging Jesus like Kool-Aid. Should you be afraid?

And it's exactly this type of thing that helped open my eyes, start me thinking, and to become an ex-Christian.

One of my earliest cogent thoughts as a child happened while sitting through another seemingly (and almost actually) endless sermon about "building the Kingdom of God." As a child, probably less than seven, I couldn't figure out why they hadn't done it yet. And why exactly did no one that I knew live anything remotely like the stuff that was continually taught?

It's clear to me now that these mega-churches have figured that out as well and have changed the message. God wants you to rich, fat, and lazy.

I am no longer a believer, but I'd have a hell of a lot more respect for those that did if someone finally stood up and said, "hey, none of this stuff is remotely like what Jesus taught or reportedly did. Let's leave all of our stuff behind and go off and help the poor and sick."

It's the leaving all the worldly goods behind that makes most Christians pause and say, "but God doesn't want me to disrupt my life. He want's me to have good things." Run that little thought experiment again, partner. Let's accept for a minute that the gospel story of Jesus is somewhat accurate. Who exactly was Jesus hanging out with and helping/healing? Why exactly did he piss off the authorities? Oh, and back off on the preaching and conversion stuff. Let your actions speak for you.

People that actually do this kind of thing are regarded as somewhat crazy and looked at with some concern by "mainstream" Christians.

Eh, you're all nuts as far as I'm concerned.

One's History As Told By One's Vehicles

Doc Searls (who I met briefly at this years Macworld) reviews the cars he has owned, while reflecting on his 58th birthday.
The Doc Searls Weblog : Friday, July 29, 2005

So, not my birthday, but here's my list, as complete as I can make it. This included not only automobiles that I have owned, but ones that were designated my vehicle.

My grandfather's, then my father's, dark olive green 1964 Ford pickup. This vehicle, which I drove for many years on and around the farm and even after I got my license at 16, is part of one of my earliest memories. I clearly remember my grandfather placing me behind the wheel, putting it in first gear, and letting me drive it around the pasture while he pitched hay out of the back for the cows. The truck was new and I was 4. My father traded that truck for a late model 70's Ford pickup, which he had painted powder blue. I drove it, too, while still in high school.

A 1974 Chevy Impala (pretty sure that was the year). This was one of the cars my father had and it was the car I drove most often, when I wasn't driving the truck. It was lime green and 4 doors and I drove it like it was a sports car, at one point loosing 2 hubcaps taking a corner way too fast.

1972 Karman Ghia Convertable. Canary yellow with black top. My dad picked this one up in late summer 1980 and I drove it back to Iowa for my senior year at college. I was 20 years old, had just spent my second summer working for the construction crew and as I drove it back to school I felt strong and confident - fully a man. I also found I had lost my fear of talking (and asking out!) girls and by October had met and started dating Diane. I drove the car home for Thanksgiving break, just ahead of a huge snow storm and the day after Thanksgiving the car threw a rod. The car was repaired and I bought it from my divorcing parents years later for what he had paid for it: $2,000. I drove it off and on for years, but it was unreliable and I didn't have time to fool with it. I sold it just a couple of years ago when i was starting my home theater project. I got $2,000 for it.

The "OWL". This was a bright orange VW "square back" my father also had. Its liscense plates had "OWL" on it. It was an ugly, uncomfortable car, but the back row seats folded down and there was a lot of room back there. Enough to stretch out in sleeping bags. Nothing more needs to be said about that.

The next summer, before Diane and I were married in August of 1981, my parents asked me to come back and work on the farm. I agreed, but shouldn't have. Children should never go home. As farm work always has been, it was hot, endless labor. My independence was a struggle for them, too. At the end of the summer and as part of our agreed compensation, my father bought a used late 70's Chevy Caprice Classic. 4-door and ugly as sin. Diane and I drove that through our first year of marriage and an icy Iowa winter.

When I went to grad school in Southern Illinois, I traded the Caprice for a Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme with a diesel engine. It was probably a 80 or 81 model. The car looked good - two door, red with a white top, but wasn't terribly reliable. This is also the car I got t-boned in and learned my lesson about always ALWAYS wearing my seatbelt. I got off with only a bump on the head and the car was repaired. At this time Diane drove a bright orange VW Rabbit diesel that her parents had given her. She put 10 years and many miles on the vehicle before we took it on its last legs to trade it for a Ford Escort. She also drove that vehicle for 10 years.

Next was my first new car and the biggest lemon I've ever owned. It was an Isuzu Trooper. I think it was a 1986 or 1987 model. Also diesel. It was underpowered and spent over 3 weeks in the repair shop in the first year. At that point I asked the dealer to make me an offer to trade for another vehicle because I'd lost confidence in that one. They passed and treated me like an idiot for having bought that particular model. I'm telling you, like I tell everyone: Never buy anything from Isuzu. The trooper eventually blew out its engine on east bound 270 and left a foot-wide oil stain on the road for a half mile as I coasted to the shoulder. The stain was still visible for months afterwards.

I had the trooper towed to the local mega-dealer who sold both Isuzu and Fords. I said they could repair it or sell me a new, non-Isuzu vehicle. This dealer was smarter and I bought a new 1989 Ford Areostar minivan. This was a reliable and flexible vehicle.

I'd had such good luck on the Areostar that when it was time to trade I bought a 1998 Ford Winstar minivan. Both vans were great for us and 2 small kids. They were perfect for long road trips and when necessary, we could take out all of the back seats and have a literal cavern of storage space. Kathleen is still driving the Winstar - it's perfect for hauling around her string bass.

Shortly after buying the Areostar, we retired Diane's Escort and bought her a 1999 Ford Taurus. She drives it still and it's reliable and comfortable. She can keep vehicles longer since she only drives the for work and puts few miles on them. She also doesn't want "too nice a car" to drive in downtown Columbus and parked in city lots and garages.

I'm now driving a totally wonderful 2004 Lexus RX 330. It's comfortable, flexible, and the service that comes with it is outstanding. It's a reward to myself for years of driving minivans, well earned, I think.

And This Is Why I Don't Shop At Wal-Mart

I saw this article referenced on Metafilter:

Here's why you can't buy the News Journal at Wal-Mart

Frankly I've never liked Wal-Mart, even without their heavy handed politics. I find their stores to be dirty, chaotic, poorly organized, and filled with sub-standard goods. For years I've had first hand evidence that they are completely draconian in their business dealings. They make completely unreasonable demands of their vendors, and when they don't get their way, they pull all their business. I lump them together with the fine folks that ran Enron.

I do shop at Sam's Club. I'd rather shop at Costco, but don't have one closer than 2 hours away. At least Sam's Club is clean, well lit, has well organized shelves and wide isles.

Farewell, Scotty

CNN.com - James Doohan, 'Star Trek's' Scotty, dead

As an unabashed Trekkie I bid a fond goodbye to this reliable character actor. How few people have created characters that live on beyond them and are known around the world?

I Spy With My Little Cell Phone

OK, this is pretty cool.

Amabuddy - Comparison shopping by mobile phone (888) 937 4462

The idea is this: you're out shopping in the real world. You see a book or CD you're interested in. Should you buy it where you're currently touching it? Call Amabuddy and punch in the ISBN or UPC code and it will read you back the Amazon.com price and used prices for it!

What would make it even better (and give me a reason to finally get a camera phone) would be to enable camera phone bar code reading. Imagine being able to simply point your camera phone at something, then check your screen to see if it's a fair price. Coolness.

Thurber On The Brain

I must admit, I've been reading and thinking about James Thurber a lot lately, but you've got to admit, this has got to be a Thurber dog.

If it's not Photoshop'd, it's an amazing captured moment.

You do see it, don't you?

For your convenience, here's what I'm talking about:

Too Many Notes

One of my favorite movie lines is from "Amadeus". When Emperor Joseph II is asked how he liked a new Mozart piece he responds, "Too many notes." and when asked how to fix it, he says, "take out a few."

It's good to see that royalty stays true to form.

Sony products are too much trouble - The Queen

A Skeptic Is A Man You Can Trust

"In line to get my badge for this year's skeptics conference in Pasadena, Calif., I recognized the little man standing behind me. He was bald, with a full, white beard, and he looked older than I would have imagined. 'Excuse me,' he said, 'is this the line for the skeptics meeting?' When I nodded, he looked me up and down and replied, 'Oh, I doubt that.'"

I love James Randi. And I'm glad for the change in strategy of CSICOP. Geller and his ilk are small fry compared to the really dangerous sort we're faced with today.

Wealth Management Company = Strip Club?

I've got to admit, these headlines catch my eye, but this statement left me saying, "Waaaah?"

Designer dresses vs. retailored breasts "'I like well-fitted clothing with straight lines, a real classic look,' says Pollert, who works for a wealth management company and tends to dress more conservatively than one might expect of a woman who has had breast implants that increased her cup size to 34F. 'I'm bigger around the top, but I'm small everywhere else,' she says. 'So I have to have everything tailored, especially jackets.'"

34F.

F?

Wow.

Ten Years In a Quandary

In my research into James Thurber I was struck that he wrote, “One of the greatest fears of the humorous writer is that he has spent three weeks writing something done faster and better by Benchley in 1919.”

or

”. . . plagued with the suspicion that a piece he has been working on for two days was done much better and probably more quickly by Robert Benchley in 1924.”

So, I thought I should look into Benchley. He falls into that rather large group of writers I’ve always heard about, but read very little of. So, I picked up his book My Ten Years In A Quandary and How They Grew. I can see exactly what Thurber was getting at.

In particular, find a small piece called “Spy Scare.” To me a moment to realize that he was writing about the US just after World War I, not today.

I seem to have known, but forgotten that Peter “Jaws” Benchley is his grandson.

See more progress on: write in my blog everyday

That natural cosmetically enhanced look you've always wanted.

At times like these I'm thankful that I'm a guy and don't have to think about these things.

"Built-in sculpted graduated cups are designed to create a natural cosmetically enhanced look. Provides lift and slight separation to offer a fuller and firmer appearance both in and out of clothing."

OK, how exactly does this bra help you "out of clothing"? And why exactly would a woman want to conspicuously appear as if she'd had bad cosmetic surgery? (By definition, if you can tell, it's bad, right?)

If you're gonna speculate, dream big

It's just crazy enough to be true.

PBS | I, Cringely . June 9, 2005 - Going for Broke

I wish it were true. Quick, buy more Apple stock!

Eh? Never mind. It's more fun to speculate about season 2 of Lost.

Not A General Diagnosis . . . oh look - shiny!

CNN.com - ADHD adults struggle to focus - Jun 9, 2005 "Hallmarks of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can include a lack of focus and impulsiveness. It's also known as attention deficit disorder (ADD), a term many adults use because they are not hyperactive. Adults with attention disorders describe having great stores of energy and creativity, but trouble focusing it."

ADD, ADHD, Asperger Syndrome are all new excuses and labels, but for very few they're accurate diagnosis. Yes, I know a lot of programmers with poor social skills, but very few I'd suspect of a specific disorder. It is easy to say, "hey, I have trouble concentrating and I never get anything done, I mush have ADD!" If you think that, go get a diagnosis from a professional.

On the other hand, I do know a few that may have bovine spongiform encephalopathy (go ahead, try it, it's fun to say!).

OK, people don't get BSE. They get Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease - not as fun to say.

Reading: One of the great joys of life

A recent question on ask.metafilter.com asked "how can I learn to read and comprehend faster?".

Lots of people had advice on how to skim and quickly polish off books, but I was dissatisfied with their responses. Here's mine:

First: ignore all the advice on speed reading. If you are reading for enjoyment and retention, it's useless. Go to the Cliff notes for the "gist" of the book.

Here's some tips that I think will help:

1. Remove distractions: don't try to read with the TV on, where there's lots of other people interrupting you, or even listening to vocal music. Do consider reading somewhere private and listen to instrumental music.

2. Let the writer tell you the story. Too many wrestle with trying to figure out what's going on from the very start, then fight with their misconceptions the rest of the way through. Let the story unfold before you.

3. Slow down! You're doing this for pleasure, remember? So, what's the rush? Enjoy what you're reading, savour it. No one has a timer on you. Yes, there are things we need to plow through, but when you read for pleasure, don't feel compelled to gobble it up.

4. Reread a favorite. You'll find that your comprehension a and perhaps your enjoyment will increase with a second or third reading. But don't overdo it. Don't become a freak that reads nothing but "The Lord of the Rings" or "The DaVinci Code" over and over again.

5. Read some plays. Get some scripts of modern plays (not Shakespeare to start with) and read them, but let them be staged in your mind, just as if you were sitting in the audience. This is great practice to transfer to novels.

6. Most important rule: always carry something with you to read. You'll find that if you never leave the house without a book you'll find many times during the day - lunch, long waits, breaks, that you can fill by reading for a bit. You'll be surprised at how quickly you can polish off a novel this way.

7. Become a voracious reader. Don't limit yourself to one type of books. Although you may love mysteries, you might find gold in historical novels, comic books, biographies, popular science, and science fiction. Read widely and deeply. You'll find that more experience with more types of books will increase your vocabulary and your understanding of writing and literature. That will also increase your reading speed.

8. Read aloud for someone. Reading to someone, a child, a significant other, is a surprisingly intimate experience. Yes, it will force you to slow down, but you'll find that it will dramatically and astonishingly increase your comprehension and enjoyment. And yes, it may also help increase your personal reading speed as well.

Reading is one of my great joys and pleasures in life. To read widely is a subversive act. Read everything and you can't help but to grow and change how you look at the world.

And here's another tip: writing is fun, too. Keep a journal, make your own blog. Readers who write have an opportunity to think more about the things they've read, which is also enjoyable.

What am I currently reading? Everything I can get my hands on by or about James Thurber and John McNulty. Do yourself a favor and look up these guys.

And there could be another reason . . .

CNN.com - Toyota boss fears policy backlash if GM, Ford crumble - Jun 8, 2005

I suspect he's right in fearing a backlash, but there is a fundamental reason GM and Ford are having trouble competing with Toyota. Toyota builds significantly better vehicles. Not just a little, A LOT better.

Last year I began shopping for a new vehicle for myself. The last four vehicles had been Fords and had been "good enough". But this time good enough wasn't good enough. I wanted something really comfortable and really reliable. I did my homework, talked to friends, and started test driving. There were no US manufacturers on my test drive list.

When I finally test drove the Lexus RX 330 I was done. It is incredibly well put together and a pleasure to drive. Then I started looking further and discovered how amazingly well they hold their value. Spend a few minutes looking online for one a couple of years old and you'll see what I mean.

GM is just too big. It makes cars we don't really want. It is not innovative. And yes, it has a big problem with it's workforce, which means we the taxpayers will end up taking over it's pension commitments. It's time for GM to get small, get competitive, and start producing vehicles that we the public want.

Downloading Beethoven

If you've not heard about this, take note: The BBC is broadcasting, then providing as downloads, all nine Beethoven symphonies.

BBC - Radio 3 - Beethoven Experience - downloads

I highly recommend them. Even if you're not a fan of classical music, these are excellent recordings and offer a terrific introduction to some incredibly interesting music. And this is your chance to download and keep them for free!

"She wasn’t really a blond."

HIGH FLYER "
On Western Airlines Flight 322, yesterday, a shapely blonde in 2nd class section suddenly stripped nude and paraded down the aisle. When she got to the 1st class section she grabbed several courtesy bottles of Scotch and then sat in row 10, singing and laughing.
She told the crowd of enthusiastically clapping passengers that she had just heard on the radio that she had won a million dollars in the state lottery. A stewardess tried to cover her, but the woman evaded her and raced up and down the aisles for 10 minutes with passengers cheering. Said the stewardess: 'She wasn't really a blond.'"

Of course, if this had happened on a US domestic carrier, the passengers would have quickly subdued and beaten the women to death.

Less Frequent Posting - Still Tastes Great!

Just because I'm not posting here as often doesn't mean I don't still love you. It's me, not you.

I'm using what little mental energy I have to research this play I'm writing. It's coming along very well, thank you.

At least the research is. Today I spent a considerable amount of time trying to find the lyrics to "Bye Bye Blackbird". The full lyrics, not just the chorus that virtually everyone knows. And listening to many different versions.

Why? Layers, man, layers. I'm looking for depth and dimensions to these men I'm writing about and the clues are fascinating. Once again, thank god I'm not writing a scholarly work, but I think I'm getting at something that the biographers and historians, and most especially the literary critics have completely missed. We'll see.

Pack up all my cares and woe . . .

Give in to distraction

My new office is positioned so that all of the voices from the customer service staff out in the cubicle farm is funneled right in. This afternoon the noise started building up, distracting me, so I turned on and turned up my stereo. I keep it turned to 87.9, WOSU, our local classical music station. Some nondescript piano music was playing and that did the trick.

But soon they announced they'd be playing the 'New World' Symphony by Dvorak. It is a piece of such beauty and wonder that I knew it would prove more distracting than the noise from outside my door. As the largo began, I found I could do nothing but close my eyes and feel the deep, heartbreaking music wash over me. Ah! Ah!

From outward appearances I'm a cool and unemotional fellow, but that's only the facade. Oh my, the sweet pain of this new world. What loss, what unimaginable loss?

This music isn't a distraction - it calls me to complete focus, complete attention.