Acces denied!

Since this film, computers can do whatever the plot requires in a Hollywood movie, no matter how insane. Wait, scratch that, Weird Science had two guys make an entire human being with a 286. And I forgot war games. Sometimes, I just wish that some of the software I have to work with is as clever as those machines in the movies. I spent most of yesterday convincing some crappy graphics program to just let me figure out the CSS of a menu and just give me the pictures. I just ended up with lines and lines of ridiculously inefficient computer-generated code. According to Gödel, Escher, Bach that's one of the prime indicators of intelligence, finding another way to do a job that isn't an endless repetition of simple tasks. Computers aren't stupid, but they'll never let their mind wander.

Is your job your defining characteristic?

I had an absurd conversation like this not too long ago. A woman who expected an enormous amount of praise for her job as a social worker. I just don't get why she thought everyone would fall over her because of this. I guess it's tough, but if the job really brings you to the brink of despair several times a day, maybe it's just that you're not cut out for it. If you're going to spend 40 hours a week on it, it better be something you like. I had an another altercation with a professional marine, once. The general thrust of his story was that he didn't want to die, and that it was all the fault of politicians. I countered that if, for instance, the military were in charge of the government, he'd probably still be expected to die. I believe it's inherent to the job. If you want to live, you can increase your chances by not picking jobs were dying is part of the description.

computer problems...

This just to say I was offline today and there's nothing forthcoming.. Better days tomorrow..

In a Paralell Universe, Meryl Streep wins...

I ignored the blind side until after Sandra Bullock's oscar win last night. I genuinely thought that it would be one of those competently made, but annoying if you think for a minute, message-movies the academy loves so much, like crash, also with Bullock. But it's so much worse... The whole point of the movie is that being adopted by rich white people will turn black kids into a success via the arts of montage, trite metaphors and incredibly obvious life lessons. I'm usually not that sensitive to random race issues, but the whole atmosphere of the movie was slightly sickening. It's almost as if the main thing keeping black people from success in America is their lack of structure, homespun wisdom and connections to college football teams. What's next? A Barack Obama biopic where he gets taught to dream of the presidency by a kindly old Richard Nixon? A young Nelson Mandela travels back in time and learns about the injustice of slavery from Abe Lincoln? Snoop dogg dropping out of high school because the ghost of Billy the kid tells him so?