Unhelpful

New photographs are on display in the photo sections, normally available in the ‘destinations’ box at the left, and now also available up top via a new button, appropriately labelled ‘photos’.

Due to privacy concerns that have to do with getting over the (outdated?) social norms of the pre-public-internet 8-bit BBS scene and personal modesty issues, it’s only been recently that I’ve felt comfortable having my picture available on the internet, and today’s photo updates include the first time I’ve ever put them on my site for general public viewing. They’re a little out there, but everything’s work-safe.

In other news, I need to update my obscenely out-of-date links section and fill it with current goodness, such as Scott’s (Lum’s) site, brokentoys.org. Thanks for the diaspora links the other day, by the way.

Ogg Vorbis is evil. The fact that it’s evil by accident doesn’t make it less evil. The fact that it was actually designed not to be evil also does not make it less evil. The path to SDMI is paved with good intentions and good formats.

Ogg Vorbis is a solution desperately in search of a problem. Read more »

Click to enlarge, you know the drill.

I love advertising that has to leave important details out. Feminine hygeine products are the classic example. I was going to wait until I had four of these done, but I can’t get motivated without a little encouragement, so without further delay:

jpeg 576×756 138KB / pdf 6.6MB

jpeg 576×756 161KB / pdf 8.8MB

Acrobat pdf files are included for printing purposes. If you’re not printing them, just view the jpegs instead. To view them both at once, just click Read more »

When I was growing up, a process which some have convincingly argued has never fully reached its logical conclusion, I was an Older Brother. Read more »

For many years, I’ve had the idea in the back of my head that I need to experience Burning Man. As it turns out, I never made the time when I had the money, and never had the money when I could make the time.

The whole energy of the experience was, from my third-hand information, was very non-commercial, authentic, extreme.

This year, Burning Man came and went before I realized it, even though last year I swore to myself I’d investigate the option of going in 2004. While talking to a friend about my irritation at having let another one slip by under the radar, he said a word that had never been part of the Burning Man experience I’d read about many years ago, or since, though admittedly, I hadn’t researched the matter thoroughly: “tickets”.

Tickets? Read more »

Generally, I don’t submit a story when I’m totally lit, but at this moment, I’m making an exception: Jagermeister is my buddy. Pyrotechnics are a great idea when you’re alreadly stumble-fuck drunk. I will delete this post tomorrow. End of log. Ciao!

Point of reference: I’m the idiot.

I just came back from going through a KFC drive-through, after thinking I had an amazing experience.

“I’d like a number seven with a Pepsi.”

I’m told my total and such. Then, “umm, a seven is the honey barbecue sandwich meal”.

“Oh, you’re right, I meant a number six. Thanks!”

As I drove off, I realized how uncanny–no, downright eerie–she knew that I had mis-ordered when I hadn’t used the name of the product. Wow!

Now, sitting down, feeling like the ‘tard that I am, I realized I actually said “I’d like a number seven, no tomato, with a Pepsi” and that, obviously, the honey barbecue sandwich doesn’t have tomato anyway.

This story was a lot cooler before I figured out the punchline. I now wonder why I even decided to write about it anyway.

In (mostly) utterly (somewhat) unrelated comments, I’m interested in maybe seeing “Supersize Me”, but I’m a little annoyed by what I assume to be the premise: that eating an exclusively fast food diet will make you fat and unhealthy. This is wrong, and I hope I’m not right about that assumption. Eating too much food at a fast food restaurant will make you fat and unhealthy. I admit it, that’s about 90% of my diet, but I do tend toward one meal a day, and generally take fish or chicken over beef. I recall the last time I accidentally said “super size” at McDonalds instead of “large” or just keeping a medium. It had been years since I’d made that mistake, and in the meantime, apparently “super size” was code for “a not insignificant portion of Idaho’s net daily potato output and a beverage fit for total long-term kidney irrigation”. This was, I believe, just a few months before “Supersize Me” topped off the events which led to the discontinuation of the Super Size Meal at McDonalds.

No tomato.

Just doing my part. Click to enlarge.

I mailed off a letter today to my primary financial institution. You might enjoy it. Read more »

Hell. Goddamn hell.

Why is it that words always seem to get in the way? Why do I put myself through this? For the first time, I think I really understand.

I can’t sleep, so to hell with trying, for now.

It’s been an exhausting couple of weeks. And now, for the first time in a week, I could, in theory, turn off the lights, turn off all four alarms and leave them unset.

Right.

Would it be easier if I could just stop feeling what I feel and instead wake up an emotional blank slate later today–or maybe every day? It almost certainly would be. I’m sure it would be. And if I could make it so, I would prefer not to…

…because after feeling nothing for so long, I’d rather feel miserable than to feel nothing again. At least this way, I know something matters to me. That’s a relief beyond words, the words that always seem to get in the way. That’s why I put myself through this.

In this short arrangement, I’ve told you, Dear Reader, everything that matters, but left out everything that’s important. I admit this small entry is more shadow play than narrative. I write this because the only three people I can really talk about this to are almost certainly sleeping: all three would worry too much, and I love them for it. One of them is keeping a dizzying school schedule in New York and can be so protective of me as to lose her objectivity (which I love her for - and she’d be advised to call sometime soon, as I’d rather avoid ending up calling right as she finally made time for some sleep); one of them I fear burdening with so much more of me than I already do, even though she wouldn’t think of complaining to me about it (which I love her for - I don’t tell her enough, but she knows). The third? She’s the matter at hand; I won’t spell it out for you, lest words get in the way. I already broke my bargain with myself to limit myself to one brief emotional moment as it is.

I imagine I’ll probably delete this entry sometime after I finally get some sleep, clear my head, and get back to trying like hell to do the right thing for everyone involved. We’ll see.

Having the desire to communicate can be more important than doing so, because it’s in the doing where the words always seem to get in the way.

I think I can get to sleep now.