Occam's Razor

Well, I crossed another Rubicon this week.
I started a new position here at FoMoCo. I'm working in the ETO Group. That means I'm technical support for (most of) the big shots.
I think it's going to be a pretty cooly job. I get to do some hardware troubleshooting and will be part of setting up new processes to make the company safer and more secure.

While moving, I came across a Word doc that I had printed out and posted in my cube. The printout didn't make the move, so I just printed it again and reposted:

Use Occam's Razor
PLURALITA NON EST PONENDA SINE NECESSITATE

Translated:
Entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily.

Usefulness:
When you have two competing theories which make exactly the same predictions, the one that is simpler is the better.

Boilded Down:
Keep it simple, stupid.

Cool Waste of Time

One of the best/worst features of the internet is the ability to get Lost In Cyberspace. This particularly exists in the blog-o-sphere, where you can get started reading an exceptionally well written, or compelling (or both) blog, and the next thing you know, hours have been blown.
I've been known to spend a few hours just hyperlinking thru Wikipedia. It's fun. You should give it a try.

The other day, a buddy of mine told me about a site he'd read through a few years back and he had recently re-discovered it. He sent me the link. 4 hours later, I had finished the site.
So, as a free service I provide, here is the same link: http://www.brendancahill.com/index.html

The 'Outside The Box' webcomic is one of the coolest, best directed and best set of stories I have read on the 'net yet. I highly recommend it. However, be warned. If you're anything like me, (may the Lord help you) you will need a little time to get through all the stories.

Glittering Jewels of Colossal Ignorance part 3: (Don't Go Breakin' My Heart!)

I'm a big fan of Elton John's music. For as long as I can remember I've liked and listened to him. Crocodile Rock is still one of my favoirite songs.
However, for some silly, silly reason, he decided to talk about the internet and how bad it is for music.
Now usually when someone, especially a musician, talks about the intertubes now-a-days, they are running down illegal downloads and such. That's not the case with Sir Elton however.
He's talking about how music today sucks COMPARED TO THE 70'S!!! Wow...that's huge right there. Apparently, because people are online and using technology and, apparently, not communicating, music is suffering.
Here are some of his quotes:

"We're talking about things that are going to change the world and change the way people listen to music and that's not going to happen with people blogging on the internet."
"I mean, get out there -- communicate."
"Hopefully the next movement in music will tear down the internet."
"Let's get out in the streets and march and protest instead of sitting at home and blogging."
"I do think it would be an incredible experiment to shut down the whole internet for five years and see what sort of art is produced over that span."
"There's too much technology available."

Um...huh?
Maybe someone should send Elton an Internet or two so that he can figure out that more people are communicating more than ever, because of Technology and specifically because of the internets.
He is also quoted as saying: “I am such a Luddite when it comes to making music. All I can do is write at the piano.” So, Elton...if all you can do is write music, maybe, just maybe, you should stop talking about things that you don't know about. Maybe.

5 Questions Feared by (most*) Men

1. What are you thinking about?
2. Do you love me?
3. Do I look fat in this?
4. Do you think she is prettier than me?
5. What would you do if I died?

What makes these questions so difficult is that each one is guaranteed to explode into a major argument if the man answers incorrectly (i.e. tells the truth). Therefore, as a public service, each question is analyzed below, along with possible responses.

Question #1: What are you thinking about? The proper answer to this, of course, is: "I'm sorry if I've been pensive, dear. I was just reflecting on what a warm, wonderful, thoughtful, caring, intelligent woman you are, and how lucky I am to have met you."

This response obviously bears no resemblance to the true answer, which most likely is one of the following: a. "Baseball." b. "Golf." c. "How fat you are." d. "How I would spend the insurance money if you died."

Perhaps the best response to this question was offered by Al Bundy, who once told Peg, "If I wanted you to know what I was thinking, I would be talking to you!"

Question #2: Do you love me? The proper response is: "Yes!" or, if you feel a more detailed answer is in order, "Yes, dear."

Inappropriate responses include: a. "Oh yeah, bunches." b. "Would it make you feel better if I said yes?" c. "That depends on what you mean by love." d. "Does it matter?" e. "Who, me?"

Question #3: Do I look fat? The correct answer is an emphatic: "Of course not!"

Incorrect answers are: a. "Compared to what?" b. "I wouldn't call you fat, but you're not exactly thin." c. "A little extra weight looks good on you." d. "I've seen fatter." e. "Sorry, what did you say? I was just thinking about how I would spend the insurance money if you died."

Question #4: Do you think she's prettier than me? Once again, the proper response is an emphatic: "Of course not!"

Incorrect responses include: a. "Yes, but you have a better personality." b. "Not prettier, but definitely thinner." c. "Not as pretty as you when you were her age." d. "Define pretty." e. "Sorry what did you say? I was just thinking about how I would spend the insurance money if you died."

Question #5: What would you do if I died? A definite no-win question. (The real answer, of course, is "Buy a Mustang GT500 and a boat.")

No matter how you answer this, be prepared for at least an hour of follow-up questions, usually along these lines:

Woman: Would you get married again?
Man: Definitely not!
Woman: Why not -- don't you like being married?
Man: Of course I do.
Woman: Then why wouldn't you remarry?
Man: Okay, I'd get married again.
Woman: You would? (With a hurtful look on her face)
Man: (audible groan)
Woman: Would you sleep with her in our bed?
Man: Where else would we sleep?
Woman: Would you put away my pictures, and replace them with pictures of her?
Man: That would seem like the proper thing to do.
Woman: And would you let her use my golf clubs?
Man: She can't use them -- she's left-handed.
Woman: (silence)
Man: Crap.


*This applies to most men...not I however. I don't fear these questions!

On Notice

**Update:
Since posting this I've: Finished the plumbing in the basement, played three error free softball games (two of them as 2nd base), and fixed the problem with my plumbing!

I'm it

Ok Billie, here goes. Eight(8) random facts/habits about me:
1. I believe that recreational drugs, prostitution, consuming alcohol and gambling should be legal for everyone over the age of 18 (if you can kill and die for your country, you should be able to drink!). Not that I would partake in any of them (eh hem!) or even believe they are appropriate things that people SHOULD do. I just think they should be legal. Not that these can't be sin and all either...but there should be a difference between what is a sin and what is against the law, and that differnce should be how it impacts others and not oneself.
2. Not counting family, I've kissed a total of 2 girls on the lips in my entire life. I'm married to one of them, and wouldn't have it any other way. Of course, my wife won't let me live down the other one (we were on a BREAK honey!)
3. I have a giant man crush on Wil Wheaton. It's rather pathetic actually.
4. Most people confuse me being frustrated with me being mad. It's frustrating.
5. I like to be called Donnie, even though it makes me sound like I'm five. My dad's Don, and I only get called Donald by my mom, MIL and wife (and occasionlly by my 12 year old son when he wants to get my attention), and only when I'm in trouble with any one (or all) of those three.
6. All things being equal and the opportunity arises, I'd move to Oakland, California tomorrow.
7. I make friends hard and aquaintances easily. I keep to myself and like who I like. But, once your in, your in for life. The big problem with this is that I so miss my last Pastor and his wife, now that we go to a new church. Thinking about that makes me want to cry, right now.
8. I could have lived a long and happy life not ever having read about my lil' SIL having something call a Mirena IUD.

There...the rules state that I have to pass this on to 8(eight) people. Um, if you've read closely, (number seven(7)) you'd realize that I'd be hard pressed to know 8(eight) bloggers. I know two(2)......

I Love Ludington!!!

Kim and I just celebrated our 16th anniversary last week. Now, 16 years may not seem like a lot, but when you consider that we got engaged 17 years ago, started going steady 21 years ago and start to 'like' each other some 25 years ago, and that I'm 38 years old, well, then you can see we got something goin' on!

Kim's family introduced me to Ludington years ago. My FiL's Aunt and Uncle lived there, so he got to go there as a kid (I think he heard Abraham Lincoln give a speech there when he was a boy, but I could be making that up), and he's still is going.

Any way, I thought it would be cool to go there for our anniversary this year, so I made the plans to ditch the kids, reserved a room at the Lakeside Inn of Ludington, rent a Ford Fusion for kicks and spend our anniversary there.

It was as pretty as it ever has been. Since the last time we were there, they've added a new park down by the Marina and have opened the North Shore Light House to the public to go up into!

The weather was beautiful, if not a tad bit windy and cool on the lake. In any case, it was wonderful.
In those 'I wish' moments, I wish that we could live over there, or at the very least, have a cottage in Hamlin.
If you ever get a chance, I'd highly advise going!



I know, I know. You so dig the t-shirt!

What'd he say? What'd he say?

I know that you believe that you understood what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.
- Robert McCloskey

A Raisin In The Sun

When I was in college, I had to take a multi-cultural literature class. I, like many of my classmates (and I suspect boatloads of others) felt like this was a total waste of time and money.

Anyway, one semester, the only class that I could take that remotely fit into the set of classes that I had to take was an African-American Lit Class.

Even though I didn't WANT to take the class, even though there were many weeks of arguments, disagreements and discussions this turned out to be one of the best classes I took in college.

I suspect that's the reason why students have to take classes like this and I am glad for the experience....drat!

I said all that to say, the last several days the poem Harlem, by Langston Hughes has been going through my pea brain, so I figured I'd share it:

What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

DON'T PANIC!

Happy Towel Day everyone. I hope you all know where your towels are at!

Thanks to my wife, I do. To paraphrase Eccentrica Gallumbits: she's "the best bang since the Big One!"

A Highway, East of Omaha...

What do you think of music? Is it important? Do you need it?
I look back on my life and I realize how important it has always been, but at the same time, how much I've taken it for granted.
I know some people who LIVE in their music, who are vv passionate about the music they listen to and the bands that they like. I've always kind of envied them, but have never been them.

I think of being a kid and listening to my eight track tape player I got for Christmas. I was 9 or 10 and we were visiting my Grandparents Up North for Christmas. I got this single speaker AM/FM 8-Track player that had a strap on the side so you can carry it like a purse. I VIVIDLY remember borrowing my brothers copy of a Grass Roots 8-Track and walking around Lincoln with this thing blasting 'Temptation Eyes' and 'Sooner Or Later' and thinking I owned the world (I was probably wearing corduroy bell bottoms too!!!)
That album was awesome and I listened to it until it broke.

I remember when I got my first album. It was Bob Segers' Live Bullet album, and thinking that 'Turn the Page' was (and still is for my money) the coolest song ever. Fast forward 10 years or so and I've got twin infants that won't stop crying and mamma's gone to work. What do I do? I pull out my 'Live Bullet' CD, put Turn the Page on repeat and they quite down, and pass out. Coincidence? I think not. They knew cool too!

I remember buying a Run DMC cassette tape, trying to figure out if I really liked rap music. I can still recite a big chunk of Hard Times (spreadin' just like the flu!)

I remember HAVING to change the stereo in my first car (1980 Mustang Coupe) because it was all about the music and the factory stereo was bad. Real, real bad.

I remember paying WAY more than we can afford for a Bose Sound System when we first got married (still have it 15 years later) because the music coming out of those speakers sounded so good you couldn't believe it. We lived on the fourth floor of an apartment building. We could turn up the stereo loud enough to hear it on the first floor.

I remember playing a game with this guy I used to work with, Rick. We'd listen to WCSX while we worked at my mom and dad's ceramic shop. We'd see who could guess the name of the band that came on the radio first. It took a while, but I got good.
My brother-in-law started working there and got involved in the game too. Still to this day, he can name songs that come over the airwaves. I bet it impresses the crud out of his wife, like it does mine!!!

One of my favorite music memories is fairly recent. I've been an Eric Clapton fan for as long as I can remember. We had the opportunity to go see him in concert a few years back with some great friends of ours. I remember thinking before the concert "I wonder why someone would go see a guitar player? I mean, sure he shreds the guitar and all, but why is that different live then over the air?" (I'm a moron, I know)
Well, I got my answer when Slow Hand was RIPPING UP 'I Shot The Sheriff' and I'm on my feet yelling my head off. Seven ways AWESOME!

The reason for the question is that there is a lot of controversy going on now about online music and I realized I don't listen to music nearly as much as I used to. Now it's more about talk radio and sports. But music still matters. It still helps me get work done when I need to be intense about something. It still helps pass the time when I'm waiting for something big. I still stirs something inside when I need it most.

I signed up for Last.FM recently and am going to try and listen to a bit more music. Not only that, but I've tended to listen only to stuff I know and know I like. It think I'm gonna expand that a bit. I hear Last is good for that. I've heard someone say that the sight is psychic. It plays the song you need to hear when you need to hear it. I'll be the judge of that.

BTW, as I'm typing this...Turn the Pages plays thru my headphones....yeah!.

I love the 80's

I ran across this spoof video from the TV Show 'How I Met Your Mother'. I've never watched it, but have heard it can be funny.
This clip is about a Canadian Teen Pop Star in the Nineties going to the mall. Since this is what life looked like in my High School and at the local mall, I'd say they were ten years behind US.

For those of you in your thirties, you'll understand.


I can't decide if she reminds me more of Debbie Gibson or Tiffany :)

Pun Intended!

Ok, so if you like fish related puns, you need to watch this:


For that matter, even if you don't like fish related puns, you ought to watch this...it may change your mind.

Here's a little more fishy work that I loved growing up (without the Naruto video!)


Dr. Demento Rocked!

It's the little things

Kim started a job a few weeks ago. She works for a lady who cleans houses. It's a good job and she enjoys the work, and I enjoy the fact that we have extra income.

However, since she's been doing this, she goes into work much earlier. She used to be able to take our youngest son to school around the block.
Now, that job falls to me.
I realized this morning how much I'm enjoying this little thing.

The thing about it that I enjoy so much is, when I drop him off, he runs to the front door. Even if he's not late, he runs. I love that. I don't know why, but something about it strikes me as wonderful.
Now, you've got to understand that he's my son. That means that he's, um, less than graceful when he runs. That doesn't matter. I love to watch him as he's running to get to the school.

It reminds me of a time several years ago when Kim had a job working at the school and I was unemployed, finishing my degree. The twins were just 5 or 6 years old and I think still in pre-school. I would get them going in the morning and to this day some of my fondest memories in life is eating breakfast with them back then.

Some things sound stupid when you are young but as you age they become much more meaningful. "It's the little things that mean a lot" is one of them.

More school girl giggling

Happy Easter

BTW, Lagomorph is a geeky word for Rabbit.

It just makes me giggle like a school girl!

So, a week or so ago, my wife started the torture. It was simple enough:
"I bought you something. It should arrive in the mail in a few days."

Ok, so, now I NEED to know what it is. "Um, that's nice honey...what is it?"

Then came those words I've hated since I was old enough to want: "You'll have to wait and see!"

"wait and see?" "WAIT AND SEE!!!"
Seriously? Seriously.

So, yesterday, in the mail box, was a bubbly belemblelope with my cool whatever hidden inside.
She tossed to me as I quickly approached the door. I snatched out of mid-air, hurried in the house and ripped open the envelope like I was 10 and it was Christmas.

Inside was the coooooooolest T-Shirt you've ever seen! I actually asked for it for my birthday, but it was out of stock. My GREAT wife, waited till it came back around and got if for me. (collective AWWWEEE please)

(note to bloggers...this embedded picture is done using a new website called imgred.com. If you've ever wanted to embed pictures into your website/blog/myspace but were too polite to rip off thier bandwidth, you should check it out.)

They Might Be Giants

I'm not really into Geek Rock, but there are a couple of songs by the Geek Rock Band, They Might Be Giants that I like.

This one, like sunshine, always makes me smile.

Talkin' Baseball

For, lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone;
The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of the singing of birds is come,
And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.

WooooHoooo!!! Today's the day. BASEBALL BASEBALL BASEBALL!!!
Opening Day. The biggest sports day in Detroit (followed closely by the NFL draft)!


Baseball is here again. It's spring, and summer is around the corner.
That means: golf, softball, golf, walks around the court, golf, bike rides and golf.

If you can't tell, I'm excited about Opening Day! The bible says "This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."
." Well, he made 365 1/4 of these a year, but only a few did he spend extra time on: Opening Day, June 29th and November 10th.

Last year, the Tigs did awesome. They won the American League Pennant, and made it to the World Series only to lose to a good Cardnial team (blech, yuck, eesh...excuse me while I go wash out my mouth).
I was so very sad to see that the Cards lost on thier opening day. Boo hoo. [insert evil laugh here]

Anyway, I'm not so sure the rain is over and gone, but flowers are appearing, birds are a singing and the words "PLAY BALL" are heard throughout the land today.
Go TIGERS

Scruffy Looking, Nerf Herding Playa' Hata

The family watched Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back tonight, and it sent me, as usual, down memory lane.

When I first started working at FoMoCo, I worked with a bunch of Star Wars fans. It was here that I was introduced to websites like Newgrounds, FlashRing and AtomFilms.
This was just after FLASH programming started to really catch on and tons of programmers spent countless hours coming up with unbelievably useless games and videos.
A lot of these videos were used by coders to sharpen their skills, and I'd bet many of these guys used their Flash Animations to help them get jobs.
Some of them were lame. Some were filthy. Some were just wrong.

However, some of them ended up being classics.

I don't remember which one of us found this video first*, but we watched it every chance we got. I've since passed it on to my kids, (not the website!!! It's been years since if surfed the site. It's SFW for the most part, but not really appropriate for kids**) who know the entire rap.

Enjoy:


Not only did budding coders create these to sharpen their Flash coding skills, but Photoshop skills too. Probably the biggest of the early COMBO vids was called All Ur Base R Belong 2 Us. This is an example of one of things that just caught on in the Nerd community. Both of these would probably be considered Viral Videos of their day.


*Young Chadwick probably found it first. A cool thing about Chad is that he's the ONLY person I've ever seen with a Tattoo of The New Republic Insignia. How cool is that!?!

**Whether or not it's appropriate for adults can be debated too!!!