Social Venn

Last Christmas my wife gave me a t-shirt from ThinkGeek.com with a single word printed on the front, Geek. The next day, I saw her matching shirt, "I Love My Geek," and the psychology of her gift made perfect sense!

[Time Passes . . .]

While sipping my morning coffee and reviewing Facebook action, I discovered that my friend Jeff liked the Venn Diagram shown below. It illustrates the relationships between intelligence, social ineptitude, and obsession. I agree with Jeff that this diagram definitely makes it much easier to explain . . .

Then the true significance of the Christmas gift came full-circle. My Wife is a genius!

~SP

25 Crisp Simoleons

This post originated as a response to a Facebook request that is currently making the rounds entitled, "25 Random Things About Me" and the rules of engagement are stated in the next two paragraphs.

Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

(To do this, go to "notes" under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.)

So rather than be limited by the editing features of the Facebook environment, I'll just post this list here at my blog.

--- Let the 25 Random Ramblings begin! ---

01. I get a kick out of researching obscure slang or uncommon words like "Simoleon." Late 19th century macaronic blend of simon (dollar or sixpence coin) (17th-century British slang), and Napoleon (French gold coin worth 20 francs, bearing the image of Napoleon III). This definition will cost you 25 crisp simoleons!

02. My mind is highly distractible and I gain greater personal satisfaction from completing an endless string of small tasks (strength in numbers) compared to savoring closure of a large project that takes days, weeks, or months to complete. Long term projects are very difficult for me to get off the ground.

03. I'm easily swayed toward a point of view if it makes sense the instant I need to make a decision about it. As a result, I routinely change of my mind, adjusting past decisions. This is because I feel regret is just too heavy a bag of rocks to carry around. 'Tis better to just adapt, acknowledge your ignorance, and move on . . .

04. Number bases intrigue me. My current favorite is alphadecimal (base36) because I recently worked a problem to determine the combinations/permutations of six digit license plates (Missouri = 0-9/A-Z). I have no recollection of what prompted the question in the first place but it was a fun exercise and the resulting numbers are staggeringly large.

05. My taste in music has changed so much over the years that my preferences are nearly impossible to classify. My current music bent is ambient electronica with a spash of downtempo chill with a smattering of trance thrown in for good measure. And to think I was a Country fan in the early 80's following a Rock (now called Classic Rock) fan of the 70s, both preceeding a Smooth Jazz 90s. Thoughts of the twists and turns in preference just messes with my head. But all music is good in my opinion.

06. I've been tagged six times (so far) for the creation of this list. I thought it best to get started on it just so I can say I did it. And following true to form, I can't seem to stop messing with it. [Robot Voice] Must - Complete - Objective!

07. Current favorite song is "You Once Told Me" by Andain

08. I recently purchased an HDTV antenna that was supposed to support the "Red Zone" (what I need) and the part I received clearly shows its a "Green Zone" device. [Sigh] Back to the drawing board for integration of an off-air antenna to my recent HD satellite upgrade setup.

09. We moved away from an inner city hospital zone because the landing helicopters at the regional trauma center shook the walls and rattled the window panes twice per hour on average. Added to that, the constant ambulance sirens made it feel like were were living on base of a M.A.S.H. unit.? Now it seems we're in the flight path of our local airport. So in the immortal words of Sam Kinison, "Oh, it never ends! OH! OHHH!!!"

10. Flirting with thoughts of neighborhood dog murder are constantly on my mind. I've considered pellet guns and tranquilizer dart rifles with integral night scopes. All in an effort to stop the insane barking. Although I'm really an animal lover at heart, I despise pet owners that allow animals to run amok and disturb the neighborhood while they are away. Maybe I should just become a dealer for Shock Collars?

11. My future sororal nephew-in-law turned me on to the concept of changing the subject header of this list. Way to go - Weasel Stew! He's a really cool dude.

12. I almost crashed a Cessna 172 airplane while performing touch-and-goes (solo flight) at Air Park South in Ozark (now closed indefinitely ~ was it me?) while logging flight time in my quest for a personal pilot license. Its a very long and hair-raising story that boggles the mind and one I just managed to tell to my wife of eleven years. What took me so long? I ended-up running out of money (college does that to you) and never realized my piloting dreams.

13. I can't seem to end the onslaught of regular messages from the KFC Colonel's Club hawking the latest and greatest chicken meal specials. I like chicken but . . .

14. Four computers are currently running various tasks for me in my home office. I switch amongst them at will with a 4-port KVM switch that regularly and annoyingly loses it's sync with my Bose Companion 5 desktop loudspeaker system (which I adore)!

15. I lost my sweet Mother last year to a short (4 month) bout with a terminal brain tumor. I miss her so much! Not a single day goes by without seeing a photo of her and wishing I could just give her a hug. Love You Mum!!!

16. I publish a blog that is mostly repurposed tech news stories I find interesting. I rarely seem to find the time to write truly original content.

17. My boss hates it when I call him "Boss". But "Hey Dude!" just seems too disrespectful!

18. Making a nice recurring income from my web sites would be wonderful. Perhaps one day I'll find the right balance between generating interesting content, good advertising contracts, and enough site traffic to make that a reality.

19. My Herman-Miller Aeron office chair is fantastic but its not the 8-hour chair that numerous folks told me it would be. Oh my aching back!

20. I have four younger sisters and am the eldest (and only male) sibling of the bunch. They are such Sweet Ladies.

21. Stopping work on time-wasting distractions like this list is almost impossible for me. I simply must complete each task regardless of its level of inanity. [see item six in this list] And I just had to lookup "inanity" to be certain I was spelling it right. So you tell me . . . From which personality disorder do I suffer?

22. Creating and publishing a personal podcast is something that intrigues me. But I can never seem to find long enough periods of silence in my office (chirping birds, barking dogs, aircraft in-flight) to make an untainted audio recording. One day I'll have a more sound-proof recording environment.

23. My precious wife and adorable [active, wranglin', wrasslin'] two boys (8 & 5) are the one true joy (three actually) in my life. They make everything worthwhile.

24. Talking regularly to my third sister is something really I miss. I Love You, Lou!

25. The creation of this list took me an inordinate amount of time. Requests for information about me from e-mail or social networks are unceasing, relentless! I've participated in endless numbers of survey variants during my roughly 27 years of computer exposure. And it turns out that I actually published a similar list like this on my blog a while back. It is entitled "40 Secrets About Me" So if you follow that link, you'll know 65 Random Things About Me!

~SP

Hades Hath No Fury Like . . .

OK, what's the deal? I just don't get it. I've heard that bad things happen in threes for many years now. It's an urban legend, right? What if I were to tell you that bad things happen in dozens? Would you believe me?

Today was truly a day from hell. Not only for me but also for multiple members of my family and extended family. Nothing went right today; Murphy's Law was in full effect and with a vengeance! One of my boys likened it to?Friday the 13th on a Monday. How about a run-down of?semi-specifics to determine if I'm all wet or speaking the truth??Sound fair enough to you?

?Here is the sequence of events:

• Family member attempts suicide (3-timer) and doesn't succeed (thank God!) but gets closer than ever before.


• Extremely restless (previous) night results in difficulty making morning time-lines due to fatigue.


• Last?(tardy) bell rings just as door closes on the family truckster while parked in front of school.


• Discover error (by others) in business event invitation data sent (by me) to 3000 folks. Need to draft/send a retraction notice.


• Fedex implements new interface; can select?no states in shipping addresses?and cannot?get responses by pushing the "SEND" button.


• Inbility to send shipments (no paper forms in stock) results in missed deadline on critical financial documentation.


• Missing family member (point #1) results in Wife forced to take off work to assist matriarch in need.


• DSL Data connection to the outside world drops for thirty minutes with no verifyable reason.


• Teen Nephew gets into fight at school; loses a tooth and?gets a broken jaw. Cops are called on way to E.R.


• Long time "Best in the world" pooch (yellow lab) wanders on to farm road and gets creamed by hit-and-run motorist.


• Attempt to to "Run and Get" shipping waybills to manually complete shipping data results in traffic jam. Not just one wreck, but two up ahead and prohibiting all movement in that direction!


• Niece travels home and has a flat tire. It's raining . . . She cries.

So you tell me . . . does it get any worse than that??Well actually, ?it does get worse.?But the rest of that mess is either another topic posting or is a story that will never be told. After all, not everything is helpful to know.?Perhaps the best?experience we can?learn?about certain people is that they are all as busy as us, give them a break as often as possible!

~SP

40 Secrets About Me

 

This list was originally a MySpace bulletin; expanded into a Blog Post by my buddy, Stoic Sideman. Considering the fact I avoid MySpace like the plague, I opted to shamelessly copy the list, adapt it with my own information, and post it here instead. You may do the same provided you add your own unique introduction similar to this first paragraph. So let's get on with the list, shall we?

[One] Have you ever been asked out?

Certainly. Numerous times . . .

[Two] Where was your default picture taken?

In my office and in front of a green screen in order to create the "floating head" effect.

[Three] What is your last name?

The same as my Father, and his Father, and his Father's Father, and so on . . .

[Four] Your current relationship status?

Married with Children.

[Five] Does your crush like you back?

Crush? Wow, it's been a long time since I thought in those terms. My crush liked me back, so much, that she said "Yes!" when I asked her to marry me!

[Six] What is your current mood?

Annoyed by this insomnia.

[Seven] what color underwear are you wearing?

Who said I was wearing underwear?

[Eight] wat color is ur shirt?

Usage of net lingo ina ful txt sys lyk this S idiotic. n 4 yr info, my shirt isa 1/2 mast!

[Ten] If you could go back in time and change something, would you?

But of course. Far too many to mention, in fact!

[Eleven] If you must be an animal for one day, what would you be?

I would be an eagle. To soar above the earth riding the thermals for hours would be fantastic.

[Twelve] Ever had a near death experience?

You betcha. It is something I'll never forget. It's true ~ your entire life really does flash before your eyes.

[Thirteen] Whats something you do everyday?

Head to the coffee pot in search of wakefulness - its the first thing I do every single solitary morning.

[Fifteen] Who did you copy and paste this from?

John

[Sixteen] Name someone with the same birthday as you?

Jim Davis, Bill Bradley, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Rudy Vall?e

[Seventeen] When was the last time you cried?

At the conclusion of the movie "Evening," alone in the dark and while out of town on business.

[Nineteen] If you could have one super power what would it be?

That's an easy one . . . Invisibility.

[Twenty] What's the first thing you notice about the opposite sex?

That depends entirely on the angle of incidence.

[Twenty-one] What do you usually order from starbucks?

Venti Nonfat Mocha No-whip!

[Twenty-two] What's your biggest secret?

Such a thing will always remain a mystery, perhaps for all time!

[Twenty-three] Favorite color?

Just slightly to the right of center (of the spectrum) . . . Blue.

[Twenty-five] Do you still watch kiddy movies or tv shows?

Every single solitary day ~ such is a requirement of a parent with young children.

[Twenty-six] What are you eating or drinking at the moment?

Simply water. I'm fasting over night in preparation of my annual physical tomorrow. No wait, it's today. And in just a few hours too! Perhaps that's why I can't sleep?

[Twenty-eight] What's your favorite smell?

Freshly Baked Bread

[Twenty-nine] Describe your life in one word what would it be?

No single word could ever effectively describe my life. If such a word did exist it would be the average length of an epic poem.

[Thirty-one] Have you ever kissed in the rain?

Oh Yeah . . . and it was a good one too!

[Thirty-three] What should you be doing right now?

I should be sleeping. I've been awake since 3:30 a.m. and my daily alarm goes off in 15 minutes.

[Thirty-four] Who was the last person that made you upset/angry?

Myself ~ sometimes I really am my own worse enemy.

[Thirty-five] Why are you doing this?

I'm doing this because it seemed like a good idea at the time, insomnia, et. al. And although I've completed dozens of these inane lists over the years, once I get beyond the half-way point I simply must complete the dang thing.

[Thirty-six] Do you like working in the yard?

Yes, but only during cooler autumn lawn mowing experiences. I gives me time I wouldn't normally take to catch-up on some of my podcasts in the quiet comfort of my noise-canceling headphones.

[Thirty-seven] If you could have any last name in the world, what would it be?

Buffet, Branson, Gates, Getty . . . you see the progression, eh?

[Thirty-eight] Do you act differently around the person you like?

I'd like to think I act like myself around most everyone. But it's true, we all tailor our behavior according to the crowd or the individual.

[Thirty-nine] What is your natural hair color?

A sandy brown (is that a color?) but these days its more gray than any other color.

[Forty] What are you doing tomorrow?

Reporting for an annual physical, attempting to deliver some projects that are due, assisting with a cub scouts meeting while we visit a local television station. We're going to get to watch the 5:00 newscast!

After reading this fill it in and post it with the subject: 40 Secrets About Me.

Pass it on . . .

~SP

Jack Attack!

After reviewing last week's post about experiences in New Orleans, my Buddy Jack
mentioned he saw very few photos of himself in the images available for viewing. Therefore, to satiate his photo needs, ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce my Good Friend and Colleague, Jack Hudnut!


~SP