Personal on Godlike Nerd

Perspective

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:12:30 +0000

The three or four of you that have forgotten that you have me saved to your RSS reader of choice will likely suddenly realize that I’ve not written in a long time. I didn’t fall off the face of the earth or even end up in a ditch. The fact is I saturated myself in what I loved.

I love Macs and technology in general. Combine that with my work ethic-like approach to new things, and you can see how I could burn out. It became a job. An endless job of trying to turn a few grains of actual information into an expansive network of information. At one point, the site was effective enough to give you a way to track what I did minute to minute.

For the record

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 21:01:25 +0000

To my towel, you’re awesome and I love you.

PS You’re still a towel.

It's Official: I've Made It as a Writer

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 00:52:03 +0000

Thanks to my article about a bullshit Steve Jobs interview, I’ve gotten my first threat.

12:11:04 AM mmskmmskmmsk: dlong

12:11:08 AM mmskmmskmmsk: get the fuck outta here

12:11:16 AM mmskmmskmmsk: posting garbage on digg

12:11:24 AM mmskmmskmmsk: trying to promote your own shitty site

12:11:44 AM mmskmmskmmsk: like you broke a story or something

12:11:48 AM mmskmmskmmsk: you didnt break shit

12:12:00 AM mmskmmskmmsk: the article on that site was not proven fake

Interview with the MetroWest Daily News

Sun, 23 Jul 2006 13:10:53 +0000

Despite my sporadic blogging here lately, I got chosen to be interviewed with a local newspaper, the MetroWest Daily News, for an article in their Sunday edition today. I haven’t seen the finished product, but we talked about blogging, professional blogging, journalistic integrity, and a blog’s effect upon your job and career in general.

Hopefully I’ll come across as insightful. I’ll try to post the link once it appears on the website.

Greatly exaggerated

Sat, 01 Jul 2006 18:04:35 +0000

Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. I’d figure out who said it first, but that would mean I have time to. Here’s a quick rundown of everything that’s been keeping me busy.

The Day Job

I’ve been involved in a task that’s rather new to me, high pressure, and interesting. Overall I’m enjoying it, but it’s still soaking up my free time.

Softball to the Face

I managed to take a softball to the face 2.5 weeks ago. I was wearing my glasses and as a result, I managed to shift my nose over. I didn’t feel any pain and the initial swelling hid the fact that my nose became crooked. I had a nose bleed, but it went away quickly, so I didn’t get it looked at immediately.

I'm Sorry Erica

Fri, 03 Mar 2006 19:22:54 +0000

I’m sorry I said what I did. You’re amazing and didn’t deserve that. I love you.

Good Public Relations

Mon, 13 Feb 2006 23:05:50 +0000

I can’t help but feel like I’ve abused the good ranking I get with this blog on Google, but when I complained about the stress ball I had that squirted over my shirt (the Morf ball), I didn’t expect to get a response from the company. I certainly didn’t expect this kind of response.

Jade Hansen wrote:

We came across your web log regarding our Morf Ball. We are sorry to hear of the trouble you encountered with it leaking. As a result, we’d love to send you a complimentary Cyber Gel Squeeze Ball, our other popular stress reliever. Rest assured, this item will not explode or leak. Please provide us with your shipping address, and I will have them sent out to you ASAP.

The Big News

Mon, 09 Jan 2006 22:26:49 +0000

After recently hinting that I had something big to share, the time has come to let everyone know what it is. Macworld has taken me on as one of two regular contributers to their new MacUser blog. This is an incredible opportunity and I couldn’t be happier to be involved with this project.

I’ll be writing extremely regularly over there, though the pieces will be much, much shorter compared with my pieces here. I will be writing the occasional extended rant on MacUser, but nothing compared to here.

Happy New Year!

Sat, 31 Dec 2005 16:31:34 +0000

I haven’t thought of any resolutions, other than to stop being prematurely mysterious when hinting about announcements.

What are yours? Have any suggestions for me?

Tags: newyears, resolutions

Derik the Camel

Sat, 31 Dec 2005 01:06:05 +0000

Being the vain man that I am, I google myself every once in a while. I feel the compulsion, if for no other reason because I’m afraid of Derik Farnsworth overtaking me, then coming to my house to call me a girly man.

Imagine my surprise when I found out that there was a story about me as a camel. I know everyone thinks of me as a camel because I have foul breath and spit a lot. Ha ha. Seriously though, the story is priceless as is the following repeated phrase.

Merry Christmas

Sat, 24 Dec 2005 18:36:11 +0000

Merry Christmas to all the Christians in the audience. I hope you find your hopes and dreams under the tree.

Hopefully I’ll have a big announcement to share with y’all soon.

burp Senseo on the Way

Fri, 02 Dec 2005 08:31:10 +0000

I was checking activity on my credit cards today only to find a $15 charge I couldn’t remember. Then it came to me. The free Senseo carried a $15 shipping and handling charge. It was placed on my card on Monday which means it could arrive any day now. Then I can be all jacked on coffee at home too.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thu, 24 Nov 2005 00:15:02 +0000

I have a lot to be thankful for this year and I’m glad that I’ll be able to celebrate that with my family today.

I hope all of you are in good health and have much to celebrate. Don’t forget to save room for some pie!

Free Senseo on the Way

Sat, 05 Nov 2005 19:20:42 +0000

In case you didn’t read the link in the supplemental, for a picture of your coffee pot doing something unusual (I opted to fill it with Halloween candy) you get a Senseo machine (currently valued at $49.99). Ok, so you need to pay $15 for shipping and handling, but that’s still huge savings.

Anyway, I submitted my photo and it was accepted this morning. It won’t ship for 4-6 weeks due to high demand (geez, free $50 device, who thought that’d be popular?). I can’t wait so my lazy ass can have coffee every morning.

Orkut Begging

Fri, 07 Oct 2005 15:37:45 +0000

I noticed Orkut was listed in part of Google’s services once you’ve logged in with a username. A new Google service? I must try it out!

Unfortunately, it’s invitation only. If you’ve got an account, please invite me.

Please?

Red

Tue, 20 Sep 2005 07:20:34 +0000

I’m both throroughly embarressed and relieved. The Mac Genius was able to fix my Powerbook.

The steps he took were:

Re-sat the Airport card. I didn’t know that could be a common cause.
Reset the power manager. I did that.
Reset the open firmware. At this point, the screen was working. When I did it, I had to use my external display.

All is well again and seeing as a little bit of my pride saved me several hundred dollars, I think I can suck it up. I’ll have to hold off a little on applying for a part-time Genius position though.

Big Weekend

Sun, 18 Sep 2005 20:14:18 +0000

Rather than post separate entries, I thought I’d explain why I haven’t been around with one.

Visiting Hours

My friend Scott finally freed up some time to see the new place, which he now calls a sweet setup. I’m inclined to agree.

He came out Friday night and got the full tour. Naturally, the four floors of my place were a high point. So far, no one has really had a bad word, but then again maybe they’re all being polite and saving the criticism for later.

Hurricane Katrina

Mon, 05 Sep 2005 20:15:16 +0000

Like pretty much everyone else, the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina saddened me. I have written anything about because I personally wasn’t affected (unless you count gas prices, which I don’t) and because I wouldn’t be saying anything that others had already said in a much more elegant way.

I’m glad that Henry is well.

I suggest donations be made to the Salvation Army.

Macworld Article Deux

Wed, 24 Aug 2005 15:59:42 +0000

I got the opportunity to write another article for Macworld Online (I don’t know if it’ll get used in Macworld Magazine or not). Check it out.

I got to review one of my favorite pieces of Mac software, Growl. In short, it manages all kinds of alerts. It’s still not 1.0, so the review is a “Promising Prospect” piece. I hope that by the time it reaches 1.0, it’s part of every good Mac user’s arsenal; it’s part of mine.

Woburn Cop Powertrip

Wed, 24 Aug 2005 04:19:45 +0000

Lately my car has been making some unusual noise. It got worse yesterday, so I dropped it off at the mechanic and rode into work with my father. We took 128 North, then cut onto Commerce Way.

Somehow we ended up behind a police cruiser. Normally, that’s not an issue because they speed. This morning, we ended up behind that rare police officer that doesn’t. In fact, according to our speedometer, he was below the speed limit (by an MPH or two). We normally end up in the left lane because one has to turn left into Raytheon anyway.

Apparently, I'm Stressed

Wed, 27 Jul 2005 18:56:28 +0000

My coworkers haven’t seen me without my Morf stress ball since I got it at Staples. I constantly have to do something with my hands and it occupied them. squish squish

I was sitting at my desk, listening to a podcast, and looking at my computer screen. All of a sudden, I heard a squirting sound and something touching my shoulder. I froze. What was that? I looked over at my shoulder and all over my shirt was a bunch of yellow goo. A tiny hole opened itself as I squeezed and the contents were now decorating my shirt.

I'm Still Alive, Just Busy

Tue, 19 Jul 2005 08:15:40 +0000

I realized today that between a real lack of Apple/Mac news and having lots to do (relating to the mysterious piece of news I referred to in our last exciting episode) that I likely wouldn’t be posting much, though the supplemental is going to get regular updates.

The good news is that once I get back into the groove, I’ll be adding a lot of content that is in a vein that this site hasn’t explored before. Stay tuned.

Cable Modem Ordered

Fri, 15 Jul 2005 08:10:37 +0000

Those of you that I talk to daily already know why I’m ordering a new D-Link DCM-202. Please don’t mention it in the comments. I’m going to be all superstitious about it and write a big post about it later.

{.float-right}Anyway, at about $40 with mail-in rebate at Amazon with DOCSIS 2.0, this was the modem to get. I won’t be posting a review for a while, but I’ll do all kinds of testing when I do. I’ll use Skype, Gizmo, Vonage (as I’ll likely be getting that too), Bittorrent, and so on. There won’t be anything too formal (as switching between a couple cable modems isn’t really an option, nor something I want to do), but I will be able to definitively say whether I think it sucks.

Monk Season Premiere Tonight

Fri, 08 Jul 2005 12:27:03 +0000

Fire up your TiVo (or EyeTV in my case). Monk is back. I love the show, but not the way in which they’ve been jerking me around. First it was just on USA. Then it was on ABC. Then back to USA. They changed the time around a couple times.

They had finally settled on 10 PM on Fridays. Then of course that had to be upset by putting Kojak on at that time instead (I wanted to like that show too, but I just couldn’t bring myself to). I was afraid that the replacement of Monk’s nurse had been the death knell for the show. It wasn’t.

London Tragedy

Thu, 07 Jul 2005 11:02:04 +0000

London has been attacked. Four bombs have been set off in their public transportation systems.

My thoughts go out to them.

Grant G has Passed Away

Fri, 24 Jun 2005 18:53:01 +0000

Twice this week someone I’ve met through the Macworld forums has passed away. I got the email a few days ago from a friend of his. It was by far the saddest piece of news to ever enter my inbox. Chris Breen, who knew him longer than I, has written an excellent forum post about it. Please read it. Chris has far more experience writing and his piece is really touching. One snippet hit me pretty hard.

Goodbye Passenger, You'll Be Missed

Thu, 23 Jun 2005 08:13:47 +0000

Anyone that’s been a member of Macworld’s forums for a significant amount of time may remember the “Gabbery” forums. They were a haven of off-topic conversation with its own unique flavor. It ultimately had to come to an end. That story is for another time though.

One of the leading contributors was a member named Passenger. He was passionate and believed in what he said. That’s a rare trait now. When the “Gabbery” forums were disbanded, one of the members, Kahloz, started a new forum at his own website. Passenger made the migration with a few others. For months (or a year, I can’t remember), we talked about all topics, routinely getting on one another’s nerves.

Get Those Scissors

Wed, 08 Jun 2005 20:33:06 +0000

You’re going to want to head down to your local newsstand if you’re not a subscriber to Macworld magazine. The July 2005 issue features an article written by yours truly (it’s the sidebar on page 46). It’s already been published online, but there’s nothing like a physical copy right in your hands.

I plan on buying a couple copies so I can frame it as it’s my first published work. It’s quite an exciting day for me. Hopefully I can make this a more regular thing.

Hit and Run

Tue, 31 May 2005 10:09:43 +0000

So my good friend Allison invited me to her house in Worcester for a cookout. Good times. I went home in a good mood.

The next morning, mother woke me up. Did you get in an accident last night? she asked. Now, I didn’t remember an accident. I wasn’t that out of it. It made me wake with a start though.

It turns out that while I was parked on that side street in Worcester, someone managed to hit my car. This is the 4th time it’s been hit while it was stationary. Line right up ladies and gentlemen. See the car that only gets dented when not in motion.

Changing Tires

Wed, 25 May 2005 07:37:36 +0000

I got home really late last night. It wasn’t because of anything even mildly exciting. Rather, my left front tire decided to die. I noticed a slow leak lately (like a couple PSI over a couple weeks) but it decided to shit the bed yesterday.

I stopped at a gas station near work. Guess what. It was broken. I put 75 cents into a broken air pump. That flipped my Hulk rage switch. I had to put the donut on the car and drive home.

No One Will Believe This

Thu, 19 May 2005 09:52:29 +0000

I had to take this quiz because Henry took it. I expected to be classified as KING NERD (the highest rating), but I failed miserably. How can I possibly continue using this domain? It’s no longer appropriate.

Tiger… Monday?

Mon, 02 May 2005 10:21:27 +0000

Okay, so the title for this entry would have been much cooler if Tiger were arriving tomorrow. Tiger Tuesday! I could have had fame and fortune. Instead, I’ll have Tiger one day earlier and be a nobody.

Anyway, posting won’t be on the agenda tonight. I hope to cover one Tiger feature a day. The order I cover those features is still up in there air though. Any of you out there interested in seeing my take on a particular feature first, please leave a comment. I plan on taking a lot of screenshots because no one can get enough.

Goodbye My Sweet Brick

Sat, 30 Apr 2005 23:06:15 +0000

After 4+ years of using the same awful phone, I’ve finally moved into the 21st century. I no longer have the classic Saved by the Bell cell phone, pictured below.

Everyone in my family got their phone upgraded to the LG VX3200. It’s pretty basic (no camera or bluetooth), but it’s a lot lighter and smaller than the old phone. It’s also flip style, which is much better than the older style.

Tiger Frustration Alleviation

Sat, 30 Apr 2005 13:36:41 +0000

My sadness quickly turned into rage last night because I wouldn’t have my toy this weekend. I read at several places, including Macworld’s forums that if you didn’t get your copy of Tiger on time, you could call Apple to get one of three things for free.

iLife ‘05
iWork
$30 Apple Store coupon

Finding this out, I called up and they promptly offered me iLife ‘05. I didn’t hear him offer the other two options, but personally, I didn’t care as that was what I wanted anyway.

I'm Officially Depressed

Fri, 29 Apr 2005 16:20:47 +0000

I was riding on cloud 9 last night. Today was supposed to be a great day. My day was supposed to be wake up at 9, see some houses at 11, then come home and relax before Tiger arrived late afternoon or in the evening.

Everything went according to plan… except for the last part. My copy of Mac OS X Tiger got delayed for delivery by Apple. I could have driven to an Apple Store to get it, but nooooo, I had to tell Apple ahead of time that I wanted a copy. Rookie mistake apparently.

I've Gone (Flickr) Pro

Tue, 19 Apr 2005 20:32:12 +0000

I read a few blogs talking about the recent Flickr bonuses for their early Pro users. Current subscribers get two free years, their upload limit raised to 2 GB a month, and two free one year Pro subscriptions to give to friends.

Well, thanks to the fast friendship I’ve developed to Stuart over at Blethers.com and the fact that I saw his post offering a membership first, I’ll soon have a Pro membership over at Flickr.

A Famous Blogger Twin

Thu, 14 Apr 2005 08:39:54 +0000

Shamelessly copied from Heather, below is apparently my famous blogger twin.

Your Famous Blogger Twin is Adam Curry

  <font color="#000000"> A little bit rock and roll, a whole lot of geek! There's no other blogger quite like you </font>
</td>

Who's Your Famous Blogger Twin?

Oddly enough, I just recently discovered Adam Curry’s podcast and I’ve become very addicted (which is hard to admit because he did work for MTV). Now it’s Katie and Dana’s turn to do this.

Me a la South Park

Wed, 06 Apr 2005 20:56:05 +0000

Pretty much all the pictures of me on this site will be the South Park version I made using the South Park character generator. Tada!

I am #1

Wed, 06 Apr 2005 20:37:22 +0000

It finally happened. I surpassed Derik Farnsworth (nsfw) in Google as the #1 Derik link. Oh, how I’ve been waiting for this day.

Now I can put my plan for world domination into motion.

Maybe I can sign all my email: I’m #1!!

Writing 10,000 Posts

Fri, 25 Mar 2005 21:20:39 +0000

I’ve hit a major milestone in my involvement in Macworld’s Forums. I’ve written 10,000 entries there. I’ve learned many, many things. I’ve taught and told people many things. I was even afforded the opportunity to have the prestigious title of moderator.

To celebrate this moment, I’d like to share what I’ve learned.

The way to learn to love writing is the act itself. Would you believe that I wasn’t a big fan of writing prior to my involvement in the forums? The only reason I didn’t despise it was the encouragement I got in my college writing class. The problem was that the class ended and I didn’t really get to explore the subject matter that excites me. I found myself an outlet. I started sharing the bits and pieces of knowledge I had accrued from troubleshooting my own machines and obsessively reading Mac news and software sites. Sharing this information was my passion. All that reading I did wasn’t satisfying, it’s fuel for my writing.
Patience takes time. As curt as I am now, I once had a lot more contempt for some people. Whether I perceived ignorance was caused by stupidity or laziness, it didn’t matter. Now I realize that some people really lack the knowledge to even research answers, even if it is as simple as running a Google search. I’m still impatient with some people, but that usually because of an attitude.
Don’t participate to get moderator status. Becoming a moderator was incidental to me. If you go into it trying to get something, you’re not going to get anything. It’ll feel like a job and you’ll ultimately resent every other member.
Don’t post just post count. You’re going to sound like an idiot if you post every thought you have. It’s annoying. Here’s a good rule of thumb. If your entire post is I wholeheartedly support X, then it’s probably not worth saying. Give a fresh perspective or an interesting view point.
Know when you’ve said all that you can say. This will get you out of a lot of pissing contests. I still haven’t mastered this. It’s easy to get caught up in an argument and want to get the last word in. When you start repeating your arguments, it’s time to move on. Some people think that developing a reputation is about winning every argument (and starting them if they don’t already exist).
Some people don’t want to be your friend, but most do. It’s hard to tell when someone is being a troll or is just really frustrated. The best way to figure this out is offer solutions to what they’re bitching about. If they don’t find value in any of the suggestions and thank you, they’re a troll. Either ignore them or tell them you’re sorry you couldn’t help and get out of the conversation. They’re not interested in discourse.

That’s all I’ve got for now.

It's Official

Fri, 25 Mar 2005 13:09:19 +0000

I’ve finally written something officially for Macworld. It’s a fairly proud moment in my life. It’s almost like seeing my name in lights.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Thu, 17 Mar 2005 11:14:34 +0000

I have to extend the obligatory St. Patrick’s Day greeting. So, Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

I’d try a Guinness tonight, but considering my recent surgery, I may hold off until this weekend. At any rate, tip one back for me!

Goodbye Appendix, We Hardly Knew Ye

Wed, 16 Mar 2005 18:10:23 +0000

Well, it was confirmed. I had appendicitis and they removed my appendix. I’m appendix-less. Is that a turn-on or -off for women?

Ouch, My Appendix

Mon, 14 Mar 2005 06:58:48 +0000

I might now be able to write for the next few days. After dinner last night, I started having some abdominal pains. It all shifted to my right side shortly before bed and it’s still there. I’m feeling pretty woozy right now, so I’m going to have to deal with it.

Yikes.

My Formac, My New Radeon, and a Whole Lot of Cuss Words

Fri, 11 Mar 2005 09:19:22 +0000

Yesterday evening started out wonderfully. The video card had arrived and dinner was pastrami sandwiches. Delicious. I probably wolfed it down too quickly to actually enjoy it, but that’s what happens when I get a new toy. Ask Dana how much attention I paid her after I used her student status to get my Powerbook.

So I ran upstairs to my room and carefully installed the new card. I plugged everything back into my computer, removed the ADC to DVI adapter on my Formac display and plugged that in, and let her rip. The computer seemed to start up as normal. Good.

Rejoice!

Thu, 10 Mar 2005 16:15:49 +0000

My video card was delayed yesterday, as the UPS site described. It was nowhere to be found. I cried and cried. Very sad.

I’ve been watching the tracking status intently today (with an updated delivery estimate of today). Just a few short minutes ago, I noticed that the status had been changed to delivered.

I finally get to play with my new toy. Seriously, I’m like a kid at Christmas with this stuff. To quote myself: “Weeee!”

Damn Snow

Wed, 09 Mar 2005 09:41:24 +0000

I live in Massachusetts. Snow is not a weather phenomenon here; it’s a way of life. Due to that fact, I’ve learned to accept snow and snowstorms. They can’t be avoided, only dealt with. Every time the white stuff hits the ground, I know I’m going to have to shovel it off the driveway and the deck. I know I’ll have to clean off my car. I know there’s going to be so much salt on the road that I’m going to go through a gallon of windshield wiper fluid (because, unlike peanuts, windshields are best when unsalted). I know traffic is going to be terrible going in to work.

Radeon 9800 Pro Ordered

Fri, 04 Mar 2005 22:36:38 +0000

After spending a lot time surfing the net looking for the best upgrade for my Powermac, I decided on an ATi Radeon 9800 Pro Mac Edition video card. It’s the best video that will ever work in my Dual 1 GHz G4 Powermac. I know you’re all very excited for me.

What’s even better about it, is that it will likely correct the KotOR problems I was having. There was an update that was supposed to correct it, but I was too disheartened to try it again. Besides, I barely have time for anything lately. I haven’t even been playing Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

My New Favorite Show

Sun, 20 Feb 2005 01:35:09 +0000

Yes, it’s geeky and there isn’t really much defending it, but my new favorite show is anime. It airs Thursday and Saturday nights on Adult Swim. Check their website for current showtimes.

The show of course is Fullmetal Alchemist. It’s about a pair of brothers extremely interested in alchemy, the science of making anything as long as you have the correct ingredients. They try revive their mother using this science/art, which is forbidden. They find out why. The older brother loses two limbs while the younger loses his entire body, being bonded to some empty armor.

Ordering the Pickaxe II

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 14:41:06 +0000

For my first step in learning Ruby, I'm ordering Programming Ruby: The Pragmatic Programmers' Guide, Second Edition from Amazon.com. With free shipping, that'll only be $31.40. Not bad for a 862 page book.

<p>If I can find the time to read all those pages, I should do well.</p></div><div class="goalprogresslink">See more progress on: <a href="http://43things.com/people/progress/d00d?on=94649">Learn Ruby</a></div>

Happy Valentine's Day

Mon, 14 Feb 2005 09:25:17 +0000

Today, I’m going to be myself and reduce a day that’s based solely on feelings and break it down mathematically in Mastercard commercial style. It’s completely unoriginal, but hey, it works.

Fuzzy box of chocolate truffles: $13

Driving yourself into work so you can go straight to your sweetie’s place: $6

Getting dumped the morning of Valentine’s Day: Priceless

It’s not often that I’m going to post anything in depth about my lovelife. The reason for this is several-fold. First, I’d like to keep this site fairly professional. Let’s face it, my post teen year angst just isn’t something that’s going to get CNET to ask your opinion on something. Second, it’s not interesting to the Internet at large. Very personal blogs are only interesting to friends. Finally, the subject of your post may actually read the post. I’d rather not broadcast this to her.

My Frickin' Eyes

Fri, 11 Feb 2005 09:00:31 +0000

I have a habit of getting very little sleep during the week and sleeping excessively on the weekends. It was a system that worked great from the beginning of high school on. At some point though, this changed. If I really cut my sleep short, like less than five hours a night for several nights, my eyes start getting really irritated.

I honestly can’t figure it out. First, my right eye starts to feel really itchy. I rub my eye to try to get rid of what seems to be an eyelash, only nothings really there. Naturally, it gets all red and bloodshot. Super. Naturally everyone notices and feels some kind of irrepressible urge to tell me. Hey, Derik, your eyes are really bloodshot. Gee, thanks, I had no idea. I’ve just been rubbing it all day because it feels so damn good. The next question is Is that pinkeye? Well, I don’t know, but considering I don’t have any of the symptoms other than redness and an itch and that it goes away after a good night’s sleep (or two), I don’t think so.

Gmail Invites Out My Ears

Thu, 10 Feb 2005 09:00:34 +0000

A few days ago, Dana told me she had 50 Gmail invites. I naturally got a little irked as I was the one that invited her to begin with. That’s the way it goes I guess. Well, I checked today because I read that one Gmail invite spooler had over a million and a half invites to hand out. I had 50! I sent one to Bob who didn’t want to be left out and added 9 to the spooler.

Getting a Fancy New Mouse

Tue, 25 Jan 2005 14:12:28 +0000

I’ve been thinking about replacing my Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer for some time now. It’s a great mouse and has always served me well. However, considering it was a gift from my ex, it carries some emotional discomfort with it. Besides, it only has five buttons and is wired. Wired peripherals are soo 2003.

I’ve done so well with Microsoft mice thus I thought I’d continue to throw business their way. I looked at the Wireless Intellimouse Explorer 2.0 in the “Night Vision” color. I found it listed at Buy.com for less than $20. Kick in a mail-in rebate and a store coupon and the price was $12. I couldn’t afford to not get this mouse. Sadly, it seems that the mouse has been discontinued by Microsoft, catching nearly every retailer carrying the mouse off guard. Nearly every retailer I visited showed the mouse as in stock, but in the several days following my order, all of them marked the mouse as discontinued.

Heart of the Blizzard

Sun, 23 Jan 2005 17:21:53 +0000

I’m sure you’ve all been waiting for an update from yours truly to make sure I survived the blizzard. I have.

I spent a good portion of the day cleaning several feet of snow off our deck. Sounds easy enough, but it’s far more involved than it seems. First, I had to use the regular scoop shovel to make a little path and level the snow down enough to use the wide push shovel. Then as mother was using that, I had to try to level down the rest of the deck. After a couple hours of that, the deck is almost finished.

There's No Business like Snow Business

Thu, 06 Jan 2005 20:18:07 +0000

A large part of living in New England is learning to either love (or at least tolerate) snow. Normally, I’m thrilled by it. I’m not a skier; I just like the way it looks. Sometimes it’s fun to wad up and throw at your friend as he stammers out a greeting to a pretty girl. That or stick it in the tailpipe of the car that he’s brushing off. Best of all, going out in your friends Ford Taurus as he does donuts and makes his car smell like an old boat.

Happy New Year

Fri, 31 Dec 2004 14:41:27 +0000

All the best to you and yours in 2005. Special thoughts go to those affected by the tsunamis.

Late Fees are Dead; Long Live Late Fees

Wed, 15 Dec 2004 09:45:33 +0000

Following my post about Netflix, a new story about Blockbuster came to my attention. Blockbuster has announced that it will no longer charge late fees, or at least that’s how everyone is reporting the policy change. Putting it this way is a little misleading.

They are using this necessary change to their business model as a way to promote their own business. The growing popularity of Netflix (and even their own similar service) has demonstrated a strong consumer interest in being able to retain videos for an extended amount of time. Getting burnt by late fees once or twice is enough to drive any consumer to another system. Additionally, the way in which late fees were assessed made little sense. My roommate in college rented a movie and didn’t return it for three weeks. When he finally went to return it, they charged him in excess of $20. This is obviously more than the video cost to begin with and he didn’t even get to keep it. The fees weren’t based upon what it would cost to replace the copy of that movie, but instead based upon the amount of profit lost due to being unable to rent it to another member. Obviously, this was a broken system.

My Condolences to Mike at Accelerate Your Macintosh!

Mon, 13 Dec 2004 18:14:24 +0000

I was sorry to read about his loss. What happens following a tragedy can make things even worse. My best wishes to him and his family. I (and his other readers I trust) can wait while he takes the time he needs.

You Should Join Netflix

Sun, 12 Dec 2004 17:17:20 +0000

I’m sure you’ve all heard of Netflix, the online movie rental service. In case you haven’t, I’ll explain how it works. You pick a number of movies that you’d like to see. Netflix sends you 3 of those movies at a time (this is the default plan). They mail them to you along with return envelopes (with prepaid postage). You send those movies back whenever you feel like it (no late fees) and when they receive one of your movies back, they send another from your list (queue). To top it off, it costs only $17.99 per month regardless how many movies you get.

I'll Do It; I Swear!

Tue, 30 Nov 2004 11:02:10 +0000

Seeing as I haven’t written anything meaningful since I started my pseudo vacation last week, I thought I might get right back into the swing of things with something near and dear to my heart: a rant.

It’s no secret that I spend a lot of time posting in and reading forums. Like any public forum, it attracts idiots who feel the need to unload things that are either totally uninteresting or useless. One of the more obnoxious types is the “leaper” as I am going to refer to this type of individual. Much like people who climb to the highest stories of the tallest buildings to stand on the edge and threaten to jump, these morons explain how they’ve come to stand on their very own ledge.

Happy Birthday to Me

Sun, 28 Nov 2004 02:21:10 +0000

I turned 23 as of midnight (EST). I’m a year older, a year wiser, and a year closer to being able to rent a car (the last major milestone in a person’s life as far as I can figure).

I had a few drinks at a local watering hole, so I’ll be cutting this entry short.

AOL Mobile Devices

Sat, 27 Nov 2004 19:17:21 +0000

I’ve had it with AOL’s mobile device feature. I come online and I don’t inspect all my buddies to see if they are regular AOL or mobile. Certain users are always forwarding their IMs. I send a message expecting to get back a meaningful message and instead I’m greeted with the standard forwarding response.

Now, that wouldn’t be so bad if I then got back an IM from them while they were on their phone, but most often I get nothing. What’s the point? Is having a phone number not enough? Maybe I’m just getting old.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thu, 25 Nov 2004 13:09:21 +0000

Enjoy your turkey, stuffing, football and pumpkin pie!

My Favorite Subject

Thu, 18 Nov 2004 17:40:32 +0000

I love when I get mentioned in other people’s blogs. In particular, when it’s a sexy context as at Dana’s blog.

Shame on you WCVB

Thu, 11 Nov 2004 18:15:17 +0000

WCVB, here in Massachusetts, has decided not to show Saving Private Ryan, the award winning film. I’d list the awards, but honestly, they would make this post huge. That is how many awards we are talking about.

What is there reasoning and excuse? There’s too much violence and profanity in the film. Too many kids might watch it in the 8PM time slot originally allotted. What kind of society do we live in when children watching an award winning film with genuine social value is a problem? It’s absurd!

Can Every Day be Veteran's Day?

Thu, 11 Nov 2004 09:23:24 +0000

Because nearly every business gives Veteran’s Day off (save for Raytheon obviously), my entire commute took only 40 minutes, as compared with the normal hour and ten minutes to two hours. People left space, one could change lanes to pass someone if they wished, and I didn’t have the urge to jump out of my car and clobber anyone.

Amazing.

I know my ride home will be nice and I’m just glad that I’m not working tomorrow because I couldn’t take dealing with the normal traffic again so soon after my best ride in to Woburn ever.

GTA: San Andreas Comes Wednesday

Sun, 31 Oct 2004 20:57:11 +0000

I tried calling on Thursday about my order of GTA: San Andreas. The customer service representative had just talked to another person that ordered it from them.

From the way he talked about it, a lot of people had. They had almost 700 outstanding orders and only 290 copies coming in that they knew of. He was so frustrated with people calling and checking that he almost had a speech for me and it was extremely impatiently said. It’s not that I was getting belligerent (as I have been known to do).

Call Me Your Latin Lover

Wed, 27 Oct 2004 14:56:54 +0000

Just for fun, I decided that I would check Bloglines related feeds feature on my weblog. The results were rather surprising. Every single “related” feed was “en espanol.”

For the life of me, I can not figure this out. What exactly about my site makes it similar to these sites? I certainly don’t use any spanish.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Released Today

Tue, 26 Oct 2004 10:10:07 +0000

Rockstar Games released Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas today. I’ve been waiting for this game since I pre-ordered at eCost on July 25th earlier this year. They were offering the game for $38.95 at the time (with a $3.95 handling charge) which has since gone up to $41.49 (shopping cart special).

Yes, I’ve been waiting a long time. If you count the time since I completed GTA: Vice City, it’s been even longer. Now I must wait for eCost to deliver it (which will feel like an eternity especially because they’re still estimating 10/28).

U-Mass Makes Me Proud

Wed, 20 Oct 2004 15:12:53 +0000

In response to the Red Sox victory in game six, thousands of University of Massachusetts gathered in Southwest, only to have 35 arrested.

Who says we don’t still got it? Tonight will be incredible. I’d expect thousands more to gather at the conclusion of the game. I hope my brother and the rest of the U-Mass police are ready.

“i dont expect u to understand”

Sat, 16 Oct 2004 02:16:13 +0000

I was recently told this lately by someone I knew in high school. Let’s for a moment, ignore the fact they couldn’t be bothered to capitalize “i”, spell out “u”, or use an apostrophe. The complete and utter arrogance in this statement infuriated me to levels that I should have let it. It’s not worth getting my blood pressure up over. Still, I feel the need to vent on why I got so angry.

My Theme Will Be Bundled with NetNewsWire

Wed, 13 Oct 2004 21:38:28 +0000

I can’t quite explain how excited I am, but Brent Simmons likes my NetNewsWire theme and will be including it with NetNewsWire. I’m quite thrilled and didn’t expect it to be worthy of that honor. At any rate, I’ll be referring to it as Autumn from now on.

Give Me Wings

Thu, 07 Oct 2004 11:21:10 +0000

As I have only been to U-Mass once this school year, I haven’t had a good chance to get all the fabulous local delicacies. Yesterday, Sheila, my coworker, had wings.

That was enough to spark an intense craving for a big tray of honey barbeque wings from Wings in Amherst. I’m going out there Friday to get a huge tray of wings dripping in sauce that I can gorge myself on.

Boston Traffic

Tue, 05 Oct 2004 10:58:48 +0000

For some time now, I’ve been dealing with Boston commuter traffic, relying on TV and radio traffic reports. For the life of me, I couldn’t find a website that gave up to the minute status information. Well, I found one. Sweet.

I'm a Jerk

Sat, 02 Oct 2004 22:44:55 +0000

I can’t really elaborate on this any more. Hopefully the person this is meant for will see it.

Jury Duty, Done for Three Years

Fri, 01 Oct 2004 20:37:33 +0000

I haven’t been posting too much lately because I’ve been spending nearly all my time for the past two weeks serving as a juror in Worcester. It’s over (finally).

I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, but let me make this clear, after two weeks of it, I can safely say I’m ready for the guaranteed three years off. I’d be a little more verbose about the experience, but I feel like it’s not entirely appropriate to post all the details onto the web.

Who Wants Gmail?

Sat, 25 Sep 2004 17:05:56 +0000

Lately Google has been really generous with invitations to their free email service. I keep getting back up to maximum six invites, almost as fast as I can give them out. If you are interested, leave a comment.

Please make some kind of case for it if I don’t already know you. Saying “Please stranger, I really want one” is not a way to endear yourself to me.

Stupid Quiz

Sat, 25 Sep 2004 14:18:14 +0000

This is probably going to invalidate my site as far as xhtml goes, but oh well. At least I got my favorite color.

            <td valign="center" align="center" width="30">
              <table border="0" bgcolor="#000000" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0">
                <tr>
                  <td valign="center" align="center">
                    <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" bgcolor="#339900" width="15" height="15">
                      <tr>
                        <td nowrap="nowrap">
                          &nbsp;
                        </td>
                      </tr>
                    </table>
                  </td>
                </tr>
              </table>
            </td>
            
            <td valign="center" align="center" width="30">
              <table border="0" bgcolor="#000000" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0">
                <tr>
                  <td valign="center" align="center">
                    <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" bgcolor="#66CC33" width="15" height="15">
                      <tr>
                        <td nowrap="nowrap">
                          &nbsp;
                        </td>
                      </tr>
                    </table>
                  </td>
                </tr>
              </table>
            </td>
            
            <td valign="center" align="center" width="30">
              <table border="0" bgcolor="#000000" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0">
                <tr>
                  <td valign="center" align="center">
                    <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" bgcolor="#33FF00" width="15" height="15">
                      <tr>
                        <td nowrap="nowrap">
                          &nbsp;
                        </td>
                      </tr>
                    </table>
                  </td>
                </tr>
              </table>
            </td>
            
            <td valign="center" align="center">
              <font face="arial,helvetica" size="4" color="#66CC33"><b>Green</b></font>
            </td>
          </tr>
        </table>
        
        <br /> <font face="arial,helvetica" size="2" color="#000000">You are a very calm and contemplative person. Others are drawn to your peaceful, nurturing nature.</font> 
        
        <center>
          <a href="http://quizme.stvlive.com/color/quiz.php" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none; color:#66CC33;"><font face="verdana,arial,helvetica" size="1"><b>Find out your color at Quiz Me!</b></font></a>
        </center>
      </td>
    </tr>
  </table>
  
  <p>
    </td> </tr> </table>
  </p>

Boo to WFXT!

Fri, 24 Sep 2004 17:46:57 +0000

WFXT (aka Channel 25, the local Fox channel) has cut back on the number of times it shows the Simpsons. It formerly aired reruns at both 6:30 and 7:30 (about which no one complained). In fact, nearly all my friends watched both airings, because, let’s face it, you just can’t get enough Simpsons (and with more than 13 seasons, it’s likely you haven’t seen them all either).

Like they did with Sunday nights (canceling my beloved Futurama), they decided to fix something that wasn’t broken. They’ve shoved Malcolm in the Middle into the 6:30 slot. Don’t get me wrong, I like Malcolm. Only in small doses though. Every Sunday is almost too much already.

Going on a Trip

Fri, 17 Sep 2004 00:54:17 +0000

I’ll be visiting Ithaca this weekend so I may not post until Sunday (unless I have something super important to post). I’ll see you all then.

12 Beers and Some PHP Later

Sun, 12 Sep 2004 18:32:58 +0000

I visited Amherst to spend some time with Scott and to see bob’s new apartment. Friday night’s plan was to do a little drinking in the dorms and reminisce. Well, one beer begot two, two begot three, and so on until I finally finished all twelve beers I had. I was feeling great at that point, but that didn’t last.

I woke up in the middle of the night feeling sick, but I was barely awake and still quite intoxicated. Because of my recent troubles with my blog here and the fact that my host suggested it was the PHP code, I was having a dream about dealing with some troublesome PHP code.

Move-in Day for the Old Roommie

Fri, 03 Sep 2004 22:41:15 +0000

My friend Scott (yes, I know his blog is empty, I’m trying to get him to change that) moved into his new room at U-Mass today. He’s staying in the same building, Field, but he’s moved down to the second floor.

That, first of all, made moving him in ten times easier than normal. In fact, we spent most of the day wandering around Amherst. We even had time for a stop at Amherst Brewing Company (ABC), which is a great place to stop if you’re ever in the area. They even have sampler packs so you can try a variety of their beers. I’m going to stop now because I could go on all day about beer.

September Arrives

Wed, 01 Sep 2004 11:23:45 +0000

For the first time in my life, I will not be going back to school at the end of the summer. My parents asked me if it felt weird. As of yet, no, it feels perfectly natural going to work every morning and come home every evening. Perhaps it’s too early to judge how I will feel, but I’ll say this: I’m feeling fine.

I won’t have to return to the world of academia, with its self-imposed sense of importance, lack of real world relevance, and absurd idealism. I can finally interact with other people in a real way. I’m not saying I hate school. I’ll probably start on a graduate degree sometime soon. It’s just that after 16+ years of education, every little bugaboo about its culture has turned into frustration. They become all you focus on. I’m sure the “real world” will be the same way after some time, but I’m hopeful that its downfalls will cause less friction with my personality.

Finding an Apartment

Fri, 27 Aug 2004 00:01:35 +0000

The week after next I’ll be working in Woburn instead of Bedford. This makes for a longer commute from my home. My parents will also be selling this house and moving up to Maine.

This adds up to me needing a new apartment of my very own. I’ve never gotten an apartment before so this will be a new experience. My friends that have gotten an apartment have done so through people they knew at school.

Busy Day

Tue, 24 Aug 2004 22:14:23 +0000

Building up hours to prepare for some mandatory vacation time next week is sucking up my time this week. Working 10 hours a day sucks up most of my free time and drains any energy I have to post anything. Making matters worse, today was a slow news day in the Mac world. We probably won’t see anything too major until September when the new iMac is introduced.

Rant: How do I do this? X does it.

Thu, 19 Aug 2004 10:51:59 +0000

A large part of my time is spent reading and responding to posts at Macworld’s Forums. I enjoy learning new things, helping others, and generally raising the level of knowledge. It’s all very fulfilling.

All except a few select kinds of posts. Some of my personal pet peeves are fairly evident, cross-posting, repeatedly posting “It’s not working” and nothing else, calling a (forward) slash a backslash, etc.

Much less evident and I don’t mention because most people would interpret it incorrectly. That is the fabled “Windows does this” line. To give a little perspective, let me give an example:

Aliens vs. Predator Tonight!

Sat, 14 Aug 2004 16:26:11 +0000

I’m going to show my inner geek tonight and see AvP tonight. I’ll probably post a review later on tonight if I’m feeling up to it.

Sleeping until 2 PM is a Wonderful Thing

Fri, 13 Aug 2004 14:51:36 +0000

After another week of work and 5 hour nights, I got to sleep in this morning. I woke up at the early hour of 11 AM, but went back to sleep another 3 hours.

I can’t articulate how wonderful this is (well, except essentially losing the entire day). I had dreams I could remember for the first time this week.

Maybe it’s because I still have the collegiate habit of staying up too late, but weekends are better than peanut butter and fluff.

Entitlement and the Lack of Responsibility

Thu, 29 Jul 2004 11:29:19 +0000

It is my firm belief that our society’s high quality of life level has resulted in two things: an entitlement complex and a lack of responsibility complex. This is particularly easy to observe in teenage kids. You don’t even have to leave your home. Log onto the net and see their poorly spelled, grammatically incorrect, incoherent ramblings about everything!

This is evident in every aspect of life. “I bought a harmburger, so I’m entitled to fries. It’s my right.” It’s spread to software as well. Users are content to commit software piracy, downloading and using software with a clear conscience. To them, Microsoft Office and its thousands of features is a right. They need that software and as a human being, they deserve it. Some outright steal it, while others simply buy the academic version of Office (when neither a student or a teacher) and attempt to justify it with the fact that Microsoft Office is expensive. That is not justification, only a rationalization. Further, they have the audacity to claim that Microsoft actually wants users to abuse the fact retailers do not verify academic status when selling this software. Office is a product, a ubiquitous product yes, but a product nonetheless. Its common usage does not make it a right.

New: Motorola V710

Thu, 22 Jul 2004 23:17:42 +0000

Verizon Wireless is now selling the Motorola V710 cell phone, for August availability, featuring Bluetooth and a megapixel camera. [MacInTouch]

That’s right boys and girls! Verizon is finally going to offer a Bluetooth phone. It looks like it will cost $250 (subtract $70 with a two year agreement).

I can’t wait until it’s released so that I can pump all that money into a new phone. My only problem is that due to its picture phone capability, I may not be able to bring it into work when I make the move to Woburn.

Who doesn't love a futon?

Tue, 13 Jul 2004 20:34:46 +0000

Last night, I picked up my futon. This isn’t a cheap dorm room adornment. This is high quality baby (like $440 high quality).

I bought it Saturday, so I had to wait a couple days for it. I was so anxious that even though we weren’t back and done with dinner until 10 PM, I still wanted to assemble it. My father and I had it assembled in less than an hour.

Now all that’s left is to christen my self-proclaimed flip & fuck. Unfortunately, work absorbs nearly all of my time during the week. It’s pretty unbelievable until you actually start doing it for real.

I’ll take some pictures and post them up, along with the other things I promised to photograph.

Movie Review: King Arthur

Mon, 12 Jul 2004 08:55:41 +0000

I went to see King Arthur late last night (10:15 PM, which is way too late when you get up at 6 AM). Was it worth the $9 and lost hours of sleep?

Yes and no. Keira Knightley is a complete babe, that is for sure. She is hot, with a capital *SIZZLE*. I think seeing her was alone with the price of admission.

The movie itself isn’t the typical King Arthur mythology. The movie claims the story is based upon recently unearthed evidence. I didn’t bother to check whether this claim is substantiated, but honestly, I think they simply wanted to capitalize on the popularity of the original myth because this movie had nothing to do with Arthur other than using the names we already know and love. That doesn’t detract from the movie I think, but instead was a cheap marketing technique. Maybe next they’ll do a real life Jesus Christ movie, about this black guy who had some whacked out ideas from smoking too much weed with his 12 buddies.

Missing a Day

Sun, 11 Jul 2004 12:22:20 +0000

All right, I don’t have a good excuse. I didn’t write yesterday. To make up for it, I’ll post twice today.

Last night, I finished Call of Duty. Ok, ok, I practically played through the entire game. My summary, which has already been mirrored by others like Peter Cohen of Macworld and Maccentral fame. Excellent game, great play, good levels, but too short. I want more! Essentially all the levels were interesting and fun. I’m glad there was no sniper level, a la Medal of Honor. Was it worth the $50? Yes, I believe so. I now have a lot of replay value through playing at greater difficulties and multi-player play.

Busy Weekend

Thu, 08 Jul 2004 08:39:03 +0000

I’ve successfully given myself too much to do this weekend.

I have to in no certain order: rotate my tires, change my oil, change the windshield wipers, go to Chestnut Hill to pick up some pants, and find a gym I like (as well as work out).

That may not sound like much, but getting father to do anything car related quickly is like wishing for the ability to fly, so I know I’m going to have to surrender the better part of 4 or 5 hours to the tire rotation alone. Add in the other couple tasks and there goes a whole day.

4th of July Fireworks

Mon, 05 Jul 2004 14:45:13 +0000

Last night I went into Boston to see the fireworks on the Charles River. I’d never gone before, so the best fireworks I’d seen up until that point were sparklers (and on the TV). Originally, I was thinking about going to see the Pops, sit in the esplanade, and watch the fireworks overhead. When I found out that I’d have to be there at 10 AM at the latest, I decided it wasn’t worth that much to me, at least for now.

My Kingdom for a Bluetooth Phone

Sun, 04 Jul 2004 14:39:14 +0000

I use Verizon as my wireless provider. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great. The service is consistent. My phone never cuts out on me (while half the people I know have such intermittent service that I end up calling their landline once they get home). It’s fairly cheap for me because I’m on a family plan (though that may change soon, but then I’ll have all those minutes to myself *muahahahahaha*).

Odd and Ends

Sat, 03 Jul 2004 22:55:47 +0000

I’m a little late with this entry because, well, it is the weekend. I have a couple things to talk about tonight though.

First off, Friday I saw Spider-man 2. Overall, I enjoyed it. I have three problems with it.

First, as Dana said to me, there was entirely too much story. Every other scene was the dopey Tobey Maguire crying about something. Honestly, the more of him covered up, the happier I am. He just isn’t Peter Parker. He’s a decent actor, but wrong for the role. This does relate to both movies, but there was far less of him I felt.

Four Times the Speed, At Zero Cost

Wed, 30 Jun 2004 08:50:42 +0000

Broadband Internet service has become commonplace across the United States. Whether it is a cable modem, dsl, satellite of some sort, or another kind of wireless high speed Internet access, increasing numbers of users are getting on the information superhighway with a Porsche instead of a moped.

A couple years back (but following my departure for school), I finally convinced my father to get a cable modem. My argument for it wasn’t just speed or the services that become accessible when one migrates (such as streaming media). It was in a large part based upon a monetary argument. It was cheaper to get a cable modem.

Sliders DVD

Wed, 23 Jun 2004 10:04:27 +0000

I’ve always been a big fan of the TV show Sliders. It was immediate, starting with the debut on Friday night on Fox a long time ago. I tuned in as often as I could to watch their adventures (this was at a time in my life when I was still working until 9 every Friday and starting to develop a social life). Sure, it was geeky, but then again, if you look up at your location bar, there isn’t much denying.

The Big Move to Woburn

Thu, 17 Jun 2004 23:02:48 +0000

Labor Day weekend, the project that I’m working on at Raytheon will be migrated to Raytheon’s new facility in Woburn from the old one at Bedford. Now, it’s not that I dislike Bedford or anything about it, but the new building (which was originally Genuity’s) is simply amazing.

Nearly every surface is either glass or mirrors, which is actually a little disorienting. Every time I was waiting at the elevator, I’d think it was open because the reflection off the mirrored doors was so clean and clear, I swore I was seeing the inside of the compartment.

Exercise Sucks

Sun, 13 Jun 2004 17:17:22 +0000

Bob dragged me to the gym in my junior year (as I had no excuse not to go). In the months that followed, my body finally got into shape and made me worthy of the title “Greek God.” Unfortunately, in the summer that followed, instead of the usual manual labor I did for a job, I got an internship at Raytheon, giving me a taste of office life.

I got lazy. I stopped going to the gym because work took up so much of my time during the day. My girlfriend at the time didn’t care and neither did I. When I got back to school, I thought I could get back into working out. I did for a while, until senior year pressure got to me. Most of my time was focused on schoolwork and the little time I had left over I spent on the ‘puter.