Category: words mean things (Page 127 of 223)

I hate to say it, but computers really aren’t all that fun any more.

Not to be too much of a curmudgeon, but there was a time when getting a new computer was exciting. Moving from a Commodore 64 to a Macintosh SE was like entering a new world. And then the internet came along, and everything seemed even more exciting.

Now, you get a new computer, and it’s a slightly faster, slightly bigger hard drive version of the same damn box you had before. No new or innovative applications have emerged to use all this speed we love so much. Everything has a drab, Soviet-era feel to it. All cases were beige, until someone decided black was it – now everything’s black. Where’s the innovation? Where’s the fun?

I suppose a lot of it has to do with computers becoming commonplace commodities in American society, like TVs and toasters. When you can sell a million units at Best Buy like so much cordwood, creativity and innovation become unimportant.

Which is too bad.

Is anybody else as scared as I am by the thought of a permanent “Department of Homeland Security”? A $37-billion national police force accountable to no one but our semi-literate President? This stuff scares the crap out of me. (I’ll admit that the phrase “a grand army of the Republic” occurred to me more than once, but it was probably a defense mechanism.)

I’ve already written an e-mail to Rep. Tammy Baldwin, using the template provided by Stacy’s husband Daniel. I would encourage anyone concerned about the long-term health of their personal freedoms to do the same.

According to Bush (who seems more and more unable to understand the words he reads from the teleprompter), “thousands of trained killers are plotting to attack us.” And he wasn’t even talking about Congress.

There is no spoon

As usual, my friend Wendy (who would undoubtedly write a fascinating weblog should she ever pick up the habit) has provided me with a fresh perspective on a pop culture experience. While watching Star Wars Episode II, we saw the trailer for the Matrix sequels coming out next year. She said she had never seen the original movie. So I invited her over to watch it on my modest DVD rig.

After the movie was over last night, she said something to the effect of, “Well, it’s cool, because I sort of believe it, you know?”

But rather than meaning that we are actually trapped in a virtual reality made by enslaving computers, she meant that we are all shoehorned into the narrow confines of what our society deems acceptable behavior. We go to work, we come home, and we busy ourselves with a limited range of “leisure activities” designed to numb us to the realities we face every day.

“I mean, you could come home and go skipping down the street. Or you could paint yourself red from head to toe. But you don’t do that, because it wouldn’t be accepted,” she said.

Not that there aren’t other reasons I don’t paint myself red. But I thought her basic point was well-taken. Her reaction reminded me of mine to “The Truman Show,” which to me is all about society’s setting of limits and constantly reminding us not to overstep those artificial boundaries.

I guess it’s also human nature to want to be accepted by others, both our friends and family and the society as a whole. But now and again, a little red paint wouldn’t hurt.

Tessa at the pool

My mother has a new six-week-old German shorthair puppy. I went out to her house today to take some pictures of Tessa Pearl Stoltz Blust. Not very many of them turned out well, since although it was a beautiful day, the sunlight was a little harsh. This one, though, I love – I think it has a sort of David Hockney feel to it. I also made one with a paint filter in Photoshop, just to emphasize that painted feel.

It’s been months and months since my last tirade about movie focus. Maybe Melissa, as a former movie theater employee, can shed some light on this. But lately when I patronize my local Mega-Google-Plex, the movie is more often than not slightly out of focus. It’s just enough to annoy the hell out of you for the entire film – am I alone in this? Even when it’s more than slightly out of focus, people will gladly sit there, sluping their 96-ounce soft drinks, and apparently not care. And when I go and ask the 10-year-old usher to have someone check the focus, they either do nothing, or peek their head in from the back of the theater and think to themselves, “He’s crazy – it’s fine.”

Once, when I complained that the “UltraScreen” (that’s the actual name) was badly out of focus, the gum-snapping, bow-tie-wearing girl’s advice was “Sit further back.”

They’re charging $7.50 for me to see a movie that will end up sounding and looking better on DVD at home. They want $3.50 for a breadstick masquerading as a pretzel. Many of the floors could use a periodic hosing down with Lysol. So I don’t think checking the focus on every showing of every film is too much to ask.

Thanks for your attention.

Interesting news: on the basis of my recently completed job-hunting guide, my friend Amanda asked me to speak on job-hunting strategies at Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce’s upcoming Business World event. High school students from around the state attend to hear speakers from all areas of business. I haven’t written a book on it, and I don’t have any advanced degrees or other marquee value for the event, but Amanda says that’s OK. It should be fun and a great new experience for me. It’s a good thing.

I wonder if this is how Tom Peters got his start.

Mixed Feelings Spam of the Week

FROM: Would YOU
SUBJECT: want to JUMBO size your PENIS ADAM?

Here in Wisconsin, we have common sense. Case in point: even Republican James Sensenbrenner gets “very, very queasy” with Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft’s plan to expand domestic spying powers.

In effect, what Ashcroft’s saying is, “Well, since you didn’t think we did such a great job with that 9/11 deal, how about allowing us to spy on people in any situation? That should help matters.”

Sometimes I just don’t know what the hell I’m doing.

This story reminds me of when I was a reporter, and sources had all kinds of ways of not answering your questions. It was maddening. Of course, none of them had the skill and audacity of Ari Fleischer, Bush’s press secretary. But I guess that’s why he’s the press secretary, right?