Wasting time on a Saturday again

Not sure if I can retrace how I ended up with a "Sexy Dancer" on my task bar... but here goes:

I keep thinking that I would like to get a cell phone. I also am ready to update my PDA. (Yeah, I know, machines control my life, read below...) I was also checking for my name in a search engine, because I am vain, or I enjoy seeing my name in obituaries... Getting back to a PDA and/or cell phone, I checked out http://froogle.com, then decided that that was too silly. Then I checked out the Google Answers because Google amuses me as a word, and it appears that they are taking over. (Don't they own this blog?) One of the questions led me to a L_O_N_G debate over who recorded the haunting version of "Song to a Siren" that was used in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie trailor. Somehow that lead me to a site with a small Tim Buckley RAM file of this song...

On that website was a link to the MP3Dancer. I downloaded a demo version, and now "Allison" is dancing on my toolbar to some Village Stompers! She will dance to anything, and right now seems to like the rhythm of my typing.

The Village Stompers, my favorite dixieland octet/slash/folk revival group of the 1960s....

Next I picked up my guitar and played the chords to "Sweet Child of Mine," of course I was whistling the tune because I could not remember the words (stop Laughing at me!). I busted out laughing when she changed to a slow dance to match the rhythm. I must admit that she was confused by the biography of Tesla morse code mp3.

She rocked out to this tune, recorded during my sophomore year in college. (Name that tune.)


--gh
(Now I need to find those "MC Hawking" mp3s...)

Declare war on machinery

I have always said that I will give up my computer as long as everyone else does as well. I am not a ludd-ite, but I do fear that machines will take over. No, not in the way that science fiction authors loved to write about in the 1950s and 1960s. (They don't write books about that stuff anymore, do they?)

I can't stand the way people have conditioned themselves to leap to their phones whenever it rings. It bothers me that people think 8-year-olds can program a VCR better than adults. (I can kick ANY 8-year-old's butt in a VCR programming match!) I am annoyed that some days I "interface" more with a machine, than with real people. (And my job is education...)

When making a selection at the Pepsi machine, I learned how much machines mock us. You see, if you put your money in, and make your selection, sometimes the machine starts to churn, make noise, and even mimic the sound of the plastic bottle falling down. I used to bend over and wait as soon as I made my selection. That is until I saw someone else do it and became very conscious of this little area of control that this machine is trying to wrest away from my life.

Now, each time I visit the machine I make a selection and then act like I don't care. I will not even look at the machine while it is trying to get my attention with false starts, whirring noises, etc. I now refuse to feed a dollar to the machine more than a few times. If I have to put the same dollar into a drink machine 5 times to get it to do what I want, then I really don't need a Wild Cherry Pepsi. The loss of my autonomy is not worth it.

Man, now I'm thirsty.
--gh

Trinity Southern University

This rules! All you have to do is tell Trinity Southern University that you worked really hard all of your life and you deserve a Masters or PhD! Is it accredited? Kind of, if you think that the National Association of Prior Learning Assessment Colleges is a legitimate accredited agency. (This is what you call "privately accredited.")

My favorite part is that they will actually send a transcript of the classes that you would have taken, you know, if you were like real and stuff.

This could save some time for Matt and Mark who are busy at UDub and DubU working on their M.S. degrees. (You will probably have to earn Social Science M.A. degrees, though.) Although it seems to work for 95% of their students, this guy got caught. (The joke is on Harvard!)

The "About Us!" link almost seems to be a nod and a wink. Surely this is a joke, quoted exactly:

Trinity Southern University was founded as the US extension of Recoleta University, located in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Recoleta University was a private, non-secular, liberal arts college opened in 1896 which mostly caters to wealthy Argentines and English expatriates. The University was founded by the two Catholic priest, Father's Juan Sarmineto and Guido Suipaca to provide religious training for the Franciscan order. In January of 2003 the University of Recoleta ceased to offer degrees.


--gh

Games at work may be good for you

This was pointed out to me by the Fairly Crass blogster. However, since it pertains to a previous blog on wasting time, I want to share it with my audience of 5 people.

Finally! There is support that wasting time at work makes you more productive. Read THIS from the BBC News.

--gh

We are already 5 days late, skip school, dodge work, START------>NaNoWriMo

Apparently, it is National Novel Writing Month, and YOU are already at least 5 days late!

Yeah, I think these guys are writing a 50,000+ word novel this month. Sign up now!

--gh

Calvary Chapel of Louisa? Mineral? Bumpass?

I am SERIOUS about checking out this mp3. Looks like the Calvary Chapel has removed the file. I had the forsight to copy it first!

Still too lazy to check this out? Luckily I know "embed src"...



One of their mailing addresses says Bumpass, VA (P.O. Box). Nice, and this is about 30 miles from where I went to college...

--gh

Another political test thing

Proud to fit between Ghandi and Milton Friedman:
The Political Compass.

--gh

NYSE: TYC

Hey, TYCO rules!


(I should know because I am a shareholder.)
--gh

Mr. Ehrlich, "Take the Bullet Train to Heck!"

I was beginning to think that this guy was a genius. I read his 5-part series on the future of hand-held computing. He also seems to design blue jeans but I really don't see them for sale.

Then I read his list of quotes. Actually, his collection is quite fine. Then I scrolled to the bottom and saw that he had his own quotes. That is where he lost me.

Oh, by the way, the title is not to be taken as an imperative, or exhortation, it is merely based on a quote from my favorite cartoon.

--gh

technology (r-p-o-p-h-e-s-s-a-g-r)

My son pointed to an object in our department office and said "Dad, what's that called again?" I expected to see him pointing to the electronic air filter. But when I realized what he was pointing at, I had a flood of mixed feelings. I was somewhat melancholy because a technological art form is being forgotten. I was a bit amused, because of all the time that I had spent with this device over a decade ago. My response was "son, that is a typewriter." "Can I try using it?" he asked.

His third sheet of paper was reminiscent of E. E. Cummings or Edward Lear.





--gh

(I just had a "hot-pocket.")

Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi (Fortune, Empress of the world)

If you are in the mood, strike up this midi file for a Carl Orff Sing-a-long:

O Fortuna   			   (O Fortune)



O Fortuna,                          O Fortune,

velut luna                          like the moon

statu variabilis,                   you are changeable,

semper crescis                      ever waxing

aut decrescis;                      and waning;

vita detestabilis                   hateful life

nunc obdurat                        first oppresses

et tunc curat                       and then soothes

ludo mentis aciem,                  as fancy takes it;

egestatem,                          poverty

potestatem                          and power

dissolvit ut glaciem.               it melts them like ice.



Sors immanis                        Fate - monstrous

et inanis,                          and empty,

rota tu volubilis,                  you whirling wheel,

status malus,                       you are malevolent,

vana salus                          well-being is in vain

semper dissolubilis,                and always fades to nothing,

obumbrata                           shadowed

et velata                           and veiled

michi quoque niteris;               you plague me too;

nunc per ludum                      now through the game

dorsum nudum                        I bring my bare back

fero tui sceleris.                  to your villainy.



Sors salutis                        Fate is against me

et virtutis                         in health

michi nunc contraria,               and virtue,

est affectus                        driven on

et defectus                         and weighted down,

semper in angaria.                  always enslaved.

Hac in hora                         So at this hour

sine mora                           without delay

corde pulsum tangite;               pluck the vibrating strings;

quod per sortem                     since Fate

sternit fortem,                     strikes down the strong man,

mecum omnes plangite!               everybody weep with me!

This blog is dedicated to my brother. He can probably sing this without looking at the lyrics!
--gh

Blogging Terra's blog, is that normal?

Hey, Terra wants you to check out her blog, then rate her CD-eating pose.

--gh