Finally

So finally...
We get the news on Apple's new "iPad". I'm just grateful that we finally have an official name for it.
I was getting tired of hearing rumors about "iSlate", "iBook", and "i'MOverPriced."

This thing is a giant iPod Touch. It has no hard keyboard, no video calling options, no cellphone abilities, and no chance. Steve Jobs says it has //up to// a 10-hr battery life, but that is always considering what you use it for. The processor is a Mac-made 1 ghz thing that no one will be able to get any kind of Intel programs on.

I guess I just have to face the facts...
This is only for media.

It can't be compared to a tablet PC. The two are in completely different categories.

As an Apple product, it's the next evolutionary step in the iPod line. A dummy-proof gadget that begs the user to think less and play more.

"Flicking stuff is fun!"
- Apple Users Everywhere

Why don't we all just flick stuff until we feel better about how little we know about our own computers?

Dear Mac,
Just keep flicking. It will all be over soon.
Sincerely,
PC

Now that this product is released I am sure that Apple will forever be doomed to be a one-hit-wonder. I think Apple knows this... They didn't build their iPad like a MacBook. They built it like an iPhone. Why? Because that is the only chance it can have at success.

One-hit-wonders are just fine. "Slow Ride" is a great song which makes Foghat a good band. Are they any less good because that's the only thing people know of them? I don't know. I haven't heard anything else by them. Anyways... I haven't really said anything and now I have to go back to work without getting to make my final rousing point.

Whoops

stuck in a loop

For some years now I have held many different jobs.
Computer repair/Networking
Retail
Call Center work
Fast Food
And now my current desk job.
In all of my previous positions I haven't had what you would call a "normal" schedule. 8-5 has never really been available. Unfortunately, the rest of our life has to be scheduled around a work schedule. Work is a necessary interruption of the things you would rather be doing. I enjoy the results of work ($$$), but I think that most people would rather have the results without the work. None of us are that naive, but we can all dream.
Now, for the first time in a very long time, I have an 8-5 job. It pays well, has benefits, and is very comfortable.

I do the same thing every day.

I am in a routine as I have never been before. Even in high school and college I had more variables than I do today. I'm still trying to decide whether this is good or bad. It has elements of both.

It's good because anytime I'm not at work can be spent with Rachel and Oliver. That's the biggest benefit. Since they both know when I work and when I come home, they can be sure that I will able to be with them.
On the other hand,
It also means that all my time is accounted for. A solid schedule leaves no flex time. You have to plan to not have anything going on. True, sometimes it just happens that there's nothing to do, but it is a lot rarer.

It's good because I can get the most out of everyday. I can squeeze every little bit of potential out of the time I have.
On the other hand,
It can be boring and exhausting.

I just need to enjoy things has they happen. If I am spending time alone playing video games, I need to enjoy it while it lasts. If I'm with Rachel and Oliver I need to do the same. While I'm with them, I don't need to think about all the other stuff there is to do, and likewise with being at work, or being alone.

I have a beard now.

I saw myself in the mirror this morning and it's really a good beard. It's very red. I've grown little beard-like things before, but this sucker is going all the way. Rachel is trying hard not to tell me exacly what she thinks about it.. I suppose I should enjoy it while it lasts.

I'm considering cleaning up my facebook friends list. There are people on there with whom I've never communicated in any fashion. I accepted them as friends because I thought I knew who they were, only to be mistaken.

I'm really trying hard to properly use 'who' and 'whom'. I think it has to be with whether or not the people or person in question are a direct or indirect subject. Instead of 'who are you going with?' it should be 'with whom are you going?'... still kind of vague on the rule. I'm just going based on how to phrase feels after I've said it. Any suggestions?

current events

I really do wish I had time to sit down and write this as a news commentary blog. I read and listen to the news every day. I am especially up to date on what is happening in global affairs and in sci/tech. There is so much to be said about these things that I could write all day everyday on them.

Now..
Would anyone read it?

What a career! If I were to ever undertake such an undertaking, I expect I would have to advertise myself. How would that advert read?

"Man attempts to beat others in the head with his opinions"

That would work.

As it is, I can't even begin to comment on the news I read. Firstly because I don't have the time. Secondly because I don't think it would do anyone but myself a bit of good.

Anytime I actually do launch into a rant on this or that, I find that I am talking to no one but myself.

I just choked on some of my pepsi. I had to resist coughing it up all over my desk.

Imagine that!

*type type type* *drink drink drink* *type ty-- ackkkgrlphhh*
*Nathan!? What have you done?!?!* *someone get some paper towls!!*

The price of a ruined keyboard, mouse, and possibly monitor would be removed from my pay and any hope of making rent spoiled.

I'm currently reading the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and all the sequels. I'm also listening to the audiobook of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. The result has stuck me with the humor of Douglas Adams and the Jane-Austin-esque dialogue of Susanna Clarke.

bad day

I'm usually connected to so much bad news in one day.

My brother was flagged by customs at London on his way to mission work in Scotland. They are sending him back to the U.S. tomorrow because the church he's going to work at isn't officially recognized by the country. He hasn't slept for over 24 hours and has been kept in a little room for 7 hours.

Rachel's dad is having shoulder surgery and surgery is never good.

I just got the word that my car needs a completely new transmission. That's $2600 that we don't have. I may be looking at buying a very cheap used car or something... I just don't know.

At work, I'm just trying to get through the day without messing up due to negligence.

Aaron needs to fly to Scotland right now.
Rachel's dad needs to be better right now.
I need more money right now.

I am having difficulty being content and at peace with things. I know that things lke this happen, but I really just wish they all didn't happen on the same day. Although I can't be 'OK' with it, I should at least know that it's going to be resolved.

birthday

I am 25 as of 1/11/10. Even though I had to work it was a great day. Rachel made it special and my parents and brothers hosted a fantastic pork-chop meal at their house. I also got a little walkin-around money from my parents. Rachel got me a digital photo frame that is battery or USB powered. It's got a 3.5" screen that is perfect for my desk or my pocket. She keeps hinting that she's getting me something else, but that is going to be a total surprise.

I haven't had any deep-thought pondering sessions lately so I don't have any particular subject to rant about. haha.. 'deep thought' makes me think of HitchHiker's Guide.

42

Great... now I have to read that entire series for the 10th time. I'm thinking about starting 'discworld.' I hear that Pratchett is satirical like Douglas Adams is. I find it odd that many of my favorite writers identify themselves as believing things that I don't believe.

Orson Scott Card is very much Church of LDS, and Douglas Adams is famously atheistic. I probably enjoy reading their work for the same reason I, a non-democrat enjoy listening to NPR. I don't want to listen to someone saying stuff that I will always agree with. Here's a question:

Should we only listen to ideas we agree with?

I say no. That kind of lifestyle only encourages you to become entrenched in your own opinion because you feel like you're part of a social order that is united in agreement with you. I am occasionally offended by some of the left-wing media that I listen to. I often hear things that I disagree with vehemently, but I don't feel the need to frown and let everyone hear about my disagreement. I believe what I believe regardless of how often I state my disapproval of the things I don't agree with.

However,

There ARE things I believe in that, in my opinion will end up eventually affecting everyone. In case of disagreement in these areas I will attempt to (tactfully) express my disagreement and make my own beliefs known. I do this, not to further solidify my own opinions or beliefs, but to introduce them to an idea that I would like them to reconsider for their own benefit.

If it's not obvious yet, I'm talking about the existence of God, His Son, His Spirit, and our own future where They are concerned (which is to say, in every part of our lives.)

In a case where someone doesn't think any of that is true I will try, given the right circumstances, to tactfully present my own belief as Truth. I'm not an oppressive person, but I think that everyone should be seriously challenged by this idea.

So, I will continue to listen to people with whom (or who?) I disagree. I will do so while trying not to express my own disagreements....

Unless I really care alot..

Or unless I'm just feeling a little smarmy...

Or unless I just want to be a jerk :-)

p.s. why do i never take myself very seriously?

GRRRR

I think that everyone who works in an office must have some piece of office equipment that gives them consistent trouble.

For some reason we keep the paperwork for 5 years, as well as maintain digital storage that is probably backed up everyday in 5 different places. Redundancy can go too far. In order to make digital copies we have a document scanner. It takes stacks of papers and runs them through at what is supposed to be a high rate of speed while capturing the page image.

This thing sucks.

It jams all the time. I make sure the papers are all lined up in a nice and neat little pile with no wrinkles or any incosistencies of any kind. Then I start the scanner. It will go through a fourth of the stack when suddenly it makes an awful crunching noise. The paper jams and everything goes wrong.

Instead of taking it out to a field and murdering it 'office space' style, I try to laugh it off by making farting noises everytime it happens.

oh.. and blogging about it

grrr...

Today has been great. VERY busy, but good. Rachel got me an awesome early birthday present. It's a "3.5 portable digital picture frame. I've got it powered through my USB port now, but it runs great on its Li-ion battery, too. It's the perfect size for my desk or pocket and it's really brightened my day.

I want to write more, but I only have as much time to write as I've already taken.

Maybe I'll actually blog at home while I'm NOT at work.

There's an interesting thought...

I am addicted to reading. I read anything I can find, though I usually just stick with what I know I like. For the past 10 years there has been a list of books that I have read through at least once a year. It started small, but so many new books and series of books have been added to it that I now find myself reading the list through from year to year in a giant literary loop.

Orson Scott Card (favorite author)
Ender's Game series (including Shadow books)
Alvin Maker series
Homecoming series
Short story collection
Tolkien
LoTR trilogy
Hobbit
Simarillion
Lost tales
Asimov
Foundation series (even the extras)
Robot series (all of them, extras too)
Rowling
Harry Potters
Mercedes Lackey
Bard books
Serrated edge stuff
Susanna Clarke
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell
C.S. Lewis
Narnia series
Space trilogy
Various non-fiction

All those books can take awhile to get through. While I'm reading through them I will occasionally pick up a new book. If it's good enough, I add it to my list. We live about 50 yards from a very nice library, so this is always an option.

So today I'm writing about reading. I already read through the google news like I do every day at lunch. Some interesting stuff... It's great because I always have some current event I can talk about. I can usually share cool little news details with people, as well as give my own educated opinion on this or that issue. I just hope it doesn't make me appear any more arrogant than I already seem. Oh well! It makes me happy to stay connected to the world. I want to feel like I understand the status quo. Being aware of the current state of things helps bring me out of my own little isolation.

OK... Time to get to work now.

work work work

I haven't blogged since last Thursday because New Year's weekend was crazy, and work is busy now, too. One of my coworkers is gone on vacation all week. I'm stuck doing all of her work plus mine because for some reason no one else knows how to do it. So this week will be rough.. Especially since builders are picking up the pace on getting new homes up after the Christmas lull.

Now I'm on lunch break. If anyone asks me to do anything I will point to the remnants of my meal and say 'Lunch.' Too rude? Too forward? I don't think so. I'll be perfectly sociable after my hour is up.

I'm getting sick again. I've been sick on and off for about over a month now. I took some amoxycillin and it got better, but then I was stupid and stopped taking it after I felt better. It came back. Not fun... So I'm going to take the rest of it until the whole bottle is gone. I hope I'll have enough.

I think my wife and I are going to join the church we've been visiting. We've been in Houston for like... 6 or 7 months (?) now and we've tried several different churches. We like the one we're at now. It's your classic mega church; complete with a Starbucks and Chic-fila in the foyer. In fact, the foyer is bigger than most churches I've seen. What matters most is our small group. The bigger a church is, the better the variety of people will be. There are a lot of people there in our exact same situation and age group. So, it's great!

So, why am I spending a good bit of my lunch hour writing a blog? I don't really know... I think it's just to tell a story, share a thought, and hope someone will read it. I suppose I'm practicing my writing style, because deep down I dream of being a professional writer. For most of my life, I have spent more than an hour a day reading. That much reading must get me thinking about writing. Like when you're appreciating a good meal and think to yourself "I could cook this" or hear a good song and think "I could perform this."

The truth is, I CAN cook and I CAN make good music, and I can do a lot of things with a good bit of skill, but I have never been brave enough to test my writing ability. I always start something and find that it's just not good enough for me. If it's not up to my standards, why would someone else like it?

So.. I blog as an experiment... I blog to get used to writing. Now, if only opinionated critics would read it and rip me a new one.