fix you

If this post works, someone please explain why.

spring with lingering icing

It's the first day of Spring and I'm at the parents' place. I'm afraid to go back to Salt Lake just in case there's another snowstorm. It's the first day of Spring. Sheesh. The Vernal Equinox is a very positive day, since we know that there is a little more light with each passing day than darkness. Of course, I'll miss the darkness when sunbeams are relentlessly glaring up the screen during my early evening tv viewing.

Begun the spree war has.

On Saturday I spent half of my McDonald's gift card on a McGriddles meal. They forgot to put egg and cheese on the sandwich, but it was still mighty good.

On the same day, using my Virgin Megastore giftcard, I bought a real fun read called The Rough Guide to Sci-Fi Movies (that along with a new Blender magazine made me go 3 cents over my $20 card). Erin (she who gave me the giftcard) probably would have preferred I get music. With $75 still to spend at straight-up bookstores, that may have been a good idea, but this book's outstanding review of Star Trek II, Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back (as well as the omission of all other Star Trek and Star Wars films) made it an essential edition to my personal library. Most amazing of all I just discovered that the author, John Scalzi, is also a contributor to Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Plunges into Hollywood. That particular book was just given to me for my birthday by Stephanie and Kristi. I'm very pleased that I've got friends so in sync with me, even if they're ultrabizarro. Just kidding girls. You keep me young.

I'm putting up this picture of Erica since it's the only picture I personally have of her with blonde hair. She just dyed it wicked dark again so this picture will be valuable soon. Haven't quite decided which hair color I like better, so I'll just say that I don't care about deciding anymore. No doubt she doesn't want to be displayed, but... well I don't really have a reason. I'm doing it anyway. It's not actually my photo as I don't really own a camera at this stage in my life. Laura took this at dinner a couple of weeks ago at the Avenues Bakery I believe. This photo comes pretty close to capturing the captivating real-world smile of Erica Q. Lee.

Cracked open Atlas Shrugged. Page count: 22/1168.

just one fix

I have a huge problem at work that I can't solve. Maybe you can. Every time I use Adobe Audition to make a recording, the recording cuts out and skips every 15 to 20 seconds. It used to work fine, now it doesn't. I've rebooted, checked every progress, disconnected the network and gone through every scenario troubleshoot Adobe itself offered me. This contributes to my ongoing belief that machines aren't just predictable, programmable objects. They have souls. Their behavior can't be predicted because they act on whims just like you or I do. And just like just about every personal relationship in my life, I'm offended by the computer's disconnect from me.

What's the difference between something biological and something mechanical anyway? What's the difference between being built and being created? Biology is just softer. That will change. I read in Popular Mechanics that in order to build quicker, stronger robots; scientists are replacing hard motors with plastic artificial muscle modules. As a result, when these mechanizations get damaged, they won't dent... they'll bleed.

So we're all the same. Human, kitty, computer, vacuum cleaner -- it's all just life. That's why it's so hard to know what's going on with everything (not just the people).

Maybe, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe the computer doesn't have a soul. If that's the case there's something I can do to it to get it to do what I want. There must be some kind of command or function or something to force it to act accordingly. The weird (and horrifying) thing is, machines are less predictable than human beings now. I never see people change on their own. They're programmed based on what they experience. How many times do I find myself in variance with others because of our different programming? Answer: wicked lots.

I hate this situation. Some people have adjusted to others' programming just fine. Computers work for them when they don't work for me (my computer is still giving me a huge silent treatment) and people oblige them while I'm disconnected. Why do I suck so bad at interpersonal/intermechanical relations? Despite my efforts, I can't relate to or fix anything.

So tell me what you think is scarier: 1) Machines have souls and that mechanized revolution that happens in every science fiction movie is inevitable, or 2) Human beings are heartless and soulless, but programmable. I say both are possible.

Erica fixed her cat today. She just called.

comment hard now!

With the advent of my birthday, I realize that I have hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise waiting to be obtained. I spent yesterday collecting all my gift certificates. I hear gift certificates often expire, which would be a horrible shame, especially for my people who got them for me. Hopefully I meet some cool store clerks in the very near future.

This Saturday (maybe next Saturday) I'm planning on going on the mother of all shopping sprees. I need YOU to tell me how you would spend one, some or all of the following:

$5.00 at Cold Stone Creamery
$5.00 at Blockbuster Video
$10.00 at Hollywood Video
$10.00 at McDonald's
$10.00 at Training Table Restaurant
1 (one) entree at Ye Olde Spaghetti Factory
$20.00 at Virgin Megastore
$25.00 at Deseret Book
$25.00 at Borders/Waldenbooks
$25.00 at Barnes & Noble

I also have a 10 minute session at Fastkart Indoor Speedway and a free carwash at Chevron Extramart.

I need your advice! I may not take your advice, but I at least need to get the spending ideas going. If you can't think of anything you think I should buy, try to tell me what you'd buy and why.

pleasethanks.

i won the oscar pool at my academy awards party and all i got was this stupid blog entry

Actually, the real fun was watching my old friends and my new friends and my newer friends and my old friend's sister (as well as newest friend and sometime lover) argue about the noise level and Tivo etiquette.

I got to use my new license today. I got ticket from the Murray Police. They're new. Hopefully they're nicer than the stupid Spanish Fork Police. It's only fitting that I paid a delinquent fee for an old ticket in Utah County earlier in the day.

Stay tuned. I have a very very important announcement tomorrow.

dethroned and stoned pt. 2

I forgot to mention that I also got a keyboard for my birthday. I failed to mention it because I put all my other gifts from friends in the same place, but I put my keyboard next to my computer. I still have to hook it up and re-install all my old programs and get the dvd player working... and get the sound working.

I also forgot to mention that the reason my license picture looks so bad is because I was forced to hang out at the drivers' license bureau for nearly two hours. Two hours!

dethroned and stoned

Erica asked me what my sin would be if I wasn't so Mormony. It's always a fun conversation. I always say that I would probably steal things that I didn't think people needed. According to EVERYONE else I've had the conversation with, however, I would be the world's biggest pothead. Erica totally cackled in agreement to that concept. I disagree with the world's diagnosis. The only drugs I take are ho-hos and Krispy Kremes. Maybe my new driver's license photo sheds some light on why so many believe me to be a stoner. I don't mean to seem all weedy all the time. I seriously don't know what gives.

This new driver's license is at least a lot better than the other gift the state gave me.