Sunshine: Now back in style!
From the front page of The Vancouver Sun’s Weekend Review:
Sunshine is making a comeback.
I know precisely when it went out of style, too—In fact, I believe it was somewhere between “snow”, “sunsets at 4pm” and “hell”. No joke. I’m more than ready for summer.
An open letter to the technologically dependant
Older generation, I have a bone to pick with you.
Look, I understand you didn’t grow up with “The Internet”. Or computers. Maybe they make you a little nervous. Maybe they make you feel completely stupid, because your five year old grandson can use your computer ten times better than you can. That’s okay. I too remember the day my second grade teacher announced that our next assignment was to research something on the internet – it was terrifying, believe me, I know.
But let me explain something to you. You see, the world is changing. The internet is a great place, really… You can shop online, talk to people all over the world, learn about anything (and everything)… and oh my god, you can even do all your banking in your UNDERWEAR. Preposterous, you say? I know.
I understand that the older you get, the harder it (typically) becomes for you to change—and that’s okay. If you don’t want to use computers, don’t. If you still want to send all written communication via fax (what’s that?) or mail, that’s fine. If you still want to do your payroll by hand, that’s dandy. If you still want to run down to the bank before 3pm to pay your bills, more power to you.
However.
If you find yourself desiring to do dirty little 21st century things like sending emails, shopping online, reading weblogs and the likes, don’t rely on “the younger generation” to do everything for you.
And he always had some mighty fine wine, singin’…
Joyyyyy to the world!
Allllll the boys and girls!
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue seaaaaa!
Joy to you and meeeee!
You’re on your way home from a fabulous evening. It’s late at night, the rain is coming down, and you’re walking down a deserted street with the one person you have the most fun with.
What are you singing?
The first month: Things I’ve learned about owning a Mac
It’s been just roughly a month since I bought my Mac and officially became part of The Dark Side—Or, as my father would call it, the lonely and caffeinated club.
So far, so good. I haven’t brought my Mac anywhere near a trendy coffee shop, and amazingly enough, my social life has remained as fabulous as ever—But I have picked up a couple things in the last thirty-some days, and I’m here to impart my newfound knowledge.
Behold, things I have learned about owning a mac, in no particular order:
Fixed Liquidity: A new layout
I decided it was about time for a change. Whether it sticks or not is debatable, but here it is!
On the design: Like usual, it features lots of greys, Verdana, Helvetica, and #333. Unlike all my other previous designs, it has no images—just pure CSS— (ETA: now has images) and my all-time favorite question in the footer.
Two things: An experience in geekery
I did two things today, two things I never expected to do anytime in the near future:
- Removed and installed RAM.
- Did a “live chat” with an online HP technician.
The RAM part was a bit tricky. There were bundles and bundles of wires in the way, preventing me from accessing the card – it took about 10 minutes to find it, and another 40 to replace it. I think I’m starting to get an idea why computer repair guys charge insane amounts of money to do seemingly nothing.
The live chat was interesting. “Patmon S.” was clinically polite and helpful, albeit a little too robot-like. I initiated the chat half expecting nothing to happen, like, wow? someone actually does this? It’s the little white guy who lives in my computer! He speaks! OH MY GOD, HE (she?) WILL HELP ME SAVE MY COMPUTER FROM THE REPETITIVE BEEPING NOISE!
And before you ask: I had nothing to do with the breaking of this computer. Honestly.
Like crack, only better
There are people who run, and people who don’t.
Many of the people who don’t run find it relatively difficult to understand why the people who run, run. For those who don’t run, the idea of willingly submitting one’s self to such perceived torture is unfathomable. Why do it? Why make the effort? Why running?
I remember a conversation I had with the leader of my running group about a year ago. We were talking about running, and the motivations we each had for it. As a seasoned walker just dipping my feet in the world of running, she said something that somehow surprised me a great deal: “I don’t like running, actually” she said, “but it’s the feeling you get from it that I’m addicted to.”
I didn’t understand what she meant at first. And maybe, as a person who doesn’t run, you don’t either. While I can’t explain the feeling, I can tell you one thing: There is simply nothing like the rush you get after a good run. It doesn’t matter if your dog just died, your boyfriend just broke up with you or if a car just sped by and sprayed dirty slush over every inch of your being—regardless of your circumstances, you will still feel ridiculously, unexplainably giddy after.
And for the days when it’s grey and stormy outside, and you can come up with a hundred and one reasons not to hit the pavement, you’ll think back to the moment when you first felt the rush; the feeling of pure, unadulterated happiness, and you’ll go outside. You’ll brave the wind, the snow, the rain, or the heat—you’ll brave it all—because when you’ve played on the beach, you don’t ever want to go back to the sandbox.
Why do I run?
Because it’s like crack, only better.