Scream of Conciousness
Ack... ack... i've got the worst cold ever. somehow i'll survive... ack.
i realize that it's been a little while since i've done the
Unconcious Mutterings... so here goes.
- Shelter:: Old dance club in Chicago
- Karate Kid:: Nickname some of my former coworkers gave to another former coworker
- Andrew:: Jackson. $20.
- Rib:: McRib sammich. They frighten me so.
- Push it:: Push it real good!
- Creep:: I don't belong here. Radiohead.
- Chainlink:: uhm, fence?
- Squash:: butternut
- No mercy:: no hope.
- Superhero:: G-Force
the wurst gallery
Well, I suppose I've toyed with the idea of adding some splashes of color to a painting i have that an old friend did in an art class and gave me, but I never had the heart to augment.
Out of the lot, I have to say I'm particularly fond of Driscoll Reid and Romantic Walrus' pieces. Really, anytime you have giant monsters pounding about a prosaic piece of scenery you've got a fan in me.
On a separate note...
I've come to the realization that January just isn't a month for me to write... or blog at least. Looking back at 2004, I was pretty quiet in January too. I think it's really me recovering from the psychic trauma of the month of Novembuary - which stretches from thanksgiving until my birthday in January. So much to do, so many people to see, so much talking. My brain typically just needs a break.
So you can expect more frequent updates from your resident grammarian; and i've been threatening fora while to do a design upgrade on the page... So maybe that will happen as well. In any case, here's to a fantabangulous 2005.
Or: This is not for you. This is for me.
Mac Mini: The Emperor's New Computer
It's kinda funny. I've seen a lot of buzz on the net lately about the new Mac Mini computer that was released last month at the Macworld convention. About 90% of the buzz, has been overwhelmingly positive. the Mac Mini is an inexpensive machine for people who just want to get on the internet, store some tunes for their ipods, manage their photos, and be a computer equivalent to a little buddy. It has the bonus of not having Microsoft Windows XP as an operating system (the security of which is so full of holes i hear it's being marketed as a new swiss cheese) so viruses, spyware, and general suckitude aren't inherent in the general user experience.
The author of the link above wrote a review that Tech Blog
Gizmodo called "hating on the Mac Mini", which is right on the mark.
Part of the review was just flat out inaccurate; for instance regarding the comparison of the Mac Mini to the weight of a few quarters and the size of a pack of gum. Apparently the reviewer has the Mac Mini and iPod Shuffle (which is the size of a pack of gum) mixed up.
The reviewer is under the apprehension that someone is going to buy the machine thinking they're going to have a Windows XP box. Maybe he's right that there are people out there that would expect that, but I think that the bulk of people that buy a Mac are either already Mac devotees, just don't give a whuff about the Operating System they use, or just want to get away from the virus/spyware/crapware of the Microsoft universe.
Oddly, some of the things that the reviewer laments not being able to do on the Mac Mini, is work with Norton AntiVirus, Weather Bug, a password tracker and MS Outlook. Uhm, yeah. The reviewer also didn't understand that while document formats of Office XP and Office for the Mac are compatible, the install discs are not interchangeable. This guy is an MCSE? For what it's worth, Microsoft's Mac Business Unit has been doing very good things with Office for the Mac, that typically forerun features that go into the PC version of office; what do you think about that? Beyond that, I am sorry that there's not a plethora of first-person shooters available for the Mac platform. There's less rage involved in supporting the Mac platform, so I guess I've never needed to shoot at people on my computer. Besides, that's why I have a gamecube.
For whatever reason, the review just made me a little incensed with the reviewers assumptions about using a Mac, considering the reviewer works in IT.
Also, general PC Magazine's resident Apple Grouch
John Dvorak had a pretty
uninspired column about the Mac Mini where he demonstrates that he also just doesn't get it. I really shouldn't link to it, since it's widely believed that he just writes wild treatises about the demise of Apple to gain more page views from the Cult of Mac vociferously discounting his claims. sigh. i've bought into it.
