I’ve always thought it quite a shame that although I spent years and years attending music school, I really don’t have much of a relationship with music now. I don’t listen to CDs much. I’m kind of challenged (as in a few years behind) when it comes to knowing about popular music. Although I spend most of my days plugged in, I only listen to mp3s of songs that came out years ago. What’s new in music isn’t really something that excites me, compared to, for example, movies. I also don’t really like attending concerts. My last one was Jay Jay Johanson in 2000, because I really really liked him when he was less of a freak.

But I’ve just discovered an artist I like, pretty much at the time that he’s popular too, so I’m kinda stoked about it. For the first time in about a year, I’m listening to a CD. It’s a big deal for me. I’ve even picked up my guitar again.

Give it a listen if you want to try something new.

I got a strange mail from someone I’ve never met, commenting about a few things about the site, like the fact that I’m not cool because Jean Chrétien has probably smoked pot and I still haven’t. But hey, I got called a Faschist at breakfast today, so I already knew it wasn’t my popular day.

Anyway, he finished by asking if I, on the off chance, had seen his kitty Fritz, whom he misses badly. Fritz went missing on the Plateau about a month ago.

So please, keep an eye out for Fritz, and if you see him please contact Alex. I’m told Fritz likes to hang around people smoking the wacky tabacky. He’s a cool cat.

But it’s funny.

…according to the Merriam-Webster: McJob

“a low-paying job that requires little skill and provides little opportunity for advancement.”

McDonald’s isn’t happy about it, but the term is very evocative and will stay. Other major dictionaries include it as well.

(Thanks Chuck)

I know this is not a popular opinion, but I was entertained by the Matrix Revolutions.

So much has been said (which I agree with) about the two sequels to the original:

They don’t deserve to be in the same series as The Matrix;
The original was groundbreaking, fascinating and the sequels are just milking all the money they can out of its success;
Nothing new was introduced, in terms of cool concepts or design aspects, in either sequel.

The thing is, see, after seeing Reloaded I realized and accepted all that. After seeing Reloaded, I grieved over the franchise, and was done with it. Then when I saw Revolutions, I could appreciate it for what it was: eye candy. Big-money action movie devoid of story, made to make even bigger money.

And as such, Revolutions delivered. There was some cool action, fantastic FX, and that’s what I expected. However, after Reloaded I also expected Revolutions to have asinine love scenes, neverending pseudo-philosophical speeches and repetitive kung-fu fights. But none of this showed up in Revolutions in the amount expected, to my happy surprise.

So, I have to admit: though Revolutions is a bad movie, though it has no story, though it’s an anal raping of the original, I was entertained.

Sitting in the living room last night, I’m feeling kinda restless. T’s feeling bad because I’m bored.

I mean to say something nice like “I’d rather be bored with you than with other people”.

I actually say “I wouldn’t be bored with anyone else”.

A few months ago, I went to the ladies room at work, and noticed a new sign right over the throne:

“It sometimes takes more than one flush. Out of respect for others, I check“.

Well duh. How condescending, I thought. Probably one person had a bad surprise and complained, and now we all have this reminder that the powers that be think we’re really stupid. What’s next, “Don’t forget your mittens, it’s cold outside”?

This week, a new one appeared above the microwave ovens:

“Not everyone shares your taste in smells. Please use discernment when choosing foods“.

Hey, I hate a tuna smell as much as the next person, but isn’t that just part of living in society? There’s a fine line, I know. I don’t think people should smoke in crowded bus shelters, for example. But this list of “bad foods to cook” included fish, broccoli, popcorn and cheese!

It’s an overly aseptic world we live in, in my opinion, when you can’t cook up a bag of popcorn to tide you over on a tough afternoon.

Anyway, some enlightened individual has since taken the “Not everyone shares your taste in smells. Please use discernment when choosing foods” sign and put in on the bathroom door.

Then again, who knows, it might have been the company.

Mega-ultra-über busy. Have a huge questionnaire to answer for a potential client. It took me 2.5 weeks to finish my 14 sections, 90 pages. The guy who was supposed to do the remaining 7 hasn’t, so now I have to run around to find the answers. In the next 24 hours, for they’re due tomorrow.

Last night I dreamt I was making photocopies the size of the Olympic pool, using a blarehorn to coordinate the efforts of dozens of people, who were holding the paper down. Think it’s related?

From: Dr. Wank
Subject: Dorkdom is safe after all

Chuck.

I tend to agree with the guy. At least in my line of work, it’s not exactly hip to be square. This summer, a client asked me what my five favorite movies of all time were. The fact that I enthusiastically responded without even taking time to think, indicating that this is something I had devoted some thought to, made everyone else at the table look at me funny. (plus the response was The Fellowship of the Ring, Chasing Amy, Blade Runner, The Matrix and The Empire Strikes Back). Jokes abounded about how my coolness was but a thin veneer, and I admit I did feel like kind of a loser for a moment. I mean, these were sys admins, MALE sys admins, marvelling (negatively) at how much of a dork I’d just revealed myself to be.

Of course geekdom is contextual. I love Sci-Fi and Tolkien, but consider myself less geeky than people who play RPG’s more than once a week. And I’m queen cool of the universe compared to LARP-ers (Live-Action Role-Playing). As the Brunching Shuttlecocks put it, Sci-Fi TV fans think they’re cooler than Trekkies, who think they’re cooler than Trekkies who speak Klingon, who think they’re cooler than Trekkies who get married in Klingon garb.

What do you think? In your experience, is it still generally chic to be geek? Was it ever? And bonus question: what the geekiest class of geek?

Halloween party was good, with an eclectic mix of guests and many wacky costumes. Here are Lou’s pictures. More forthcoming.