I have recently expanded my paranoia about the Revolution to include the possibility that it will come in the form of software (less Terminator, more Matrix).
And while some think that this is an event that can be predicted, I’ve always been of the opinion that we won’t see it coming– the change will already be upon us when the cultural epiphany strikes. Check out this article about using a “position-tracking system” to control your Second Life avatar.
It’s a short jump to brainwaves, folks.
I found this to be hilarious:
US Seeks Mideast Deal Next Year
Yeah, y’know, that problem they’ve been having over there for the last, oh, I dunno, 12 hundred years or so? Oh it’s longer? Well, whatever, we’re just gonna let it go until ’08. Cuz we figure, y’know, could take care of it now, but then we’ll just be bored from like February until April next year.
But then it’s baseball season, and we DEFINITELY wanna get it cleared up by then…
Ya-ay.
After a typically vaguely-worded meeting that I had with my fellow fin aid advising staff last week, I had the distinct impression that I would NOT be getting the three days off that I requested between Christmas and New Year’s.
The uni is a graveyard during that time. Sure, you can get a lot done, but if there is nothing to do, you just get angry that you had to go in.
Turns out my expectations were unnecessarily low. I will be leaving work on 12/21 at 4:30, and I won’t have to be back until 1/2. Pretty nice.
I guess this means I can continue to blow off cleaning my wretchedly disgusting apartment, since I’m not anticipating a lot of visitors until 12/31.
And on THAT– more to come soon…
It always amazes me that there’s a large sector of students who believe the campus is only operational when classes are in session. A common exchange this time of year:
TRANSFER STUDENT: I’m really concerned that I haven’t heard anything about my spring aid yet.
ME: Well, there’s still plenty of time. It’s pretty common to be at this stage right now…
STDT: But aren’t you like, off all through January?
ME: (laughing) No, we’ll be here.
STDT: Oh, I thought the whole place was closed…
I think this perception just speaks to the general ignorance of the administrative side of the university for the students. I think it’s more common for them to think of “college” as their classes and homework, maybe with a little res hall sprinkled in. It wouldn’t surprise me if a student thought that their professors were more involved in the actual operation of the university. But I do not care to digress today.
If anyone out there is concerned about the WGA’s strike throwing a wrench in the consumption of your stories, please see the following:
1. Cable
2. You-Tube
3. already-available DVDs
4. (going out on a limb here) READ A BOOK!
I (and I think most sensible people agree with me) am vastly more concerned about the potential screeching halt of the entire economy of southern California. It will be interesting to see how this plays out– for the time being, my best regards to everyone I know who works in The Industry.
Speaking of writers on strike, you may be wondering where the hell I’ve been. Had some psyche-shaking events transpire in recent weeks that lent themselves to extended periods of introspection (that and the 4-day hiatus to the web-challenged Northwoods). I think things are better now, so maybe I’ll get off my dead ass and be more productive.
Maybe I could start writing for TV.
Jen stopped by last night to pick up a CD while Michelle was making dinner and I was working on laundry. One of the things she mentioned is that the place is still not completely put together, and she speculated that my general ambivalence about living there is the problem.
That is true, in part.
The other part, to be completely honest, is the level of “computer-hobbying” that I’ve been doing at home ever since I moved to Milwaukee. Honestly, it is partly just a coincidence of timing– right about the time I got hired at UWM, I switched my daily use OS on the laptop over to Ubuntu. Linux is so flexible, and so many people are working on writing software and doing tweaks of this or that, it tends to make a geek want to experiment and try new things. Sometimes that means you break something and have to start over. Other times, it spurs you on to think of other things to try or to mess with.
In that sense, then, Windows is GREAT. Windows, as an operating system, is so boring and rigid and unchangeable, there’s really not much reason or influence to entertain yourself tweaking the system and messing around with it. Sure, you can (and I have) dick around with the way it looks, or you can hunt for free software, but eventually the computer is just a tool and there’s not much else to do with it. You turn it off and go do something else.
I have to get myself to do that more often, even though I’ve always got some new project I want to try. If I don’t, not only will my apartment never get completely set up, my thesis will never get completely written.
Did you know you can listen to Herb Morrison’s live coverage of the Hindenburg explosion on the Internet?
Apparently, you can see some footage from the first human Moon landing, too.
You may also be interested to see the lesser-known NASSA Moon landing.
What sort of facts have you learned from the Internet?
… In other news, I’ve been a little lax on the posting in recent days. Sometimes a slower work week will make your brain de-functionize.
More to come sooner than later.
So I tried to figure out how to log in to the website for WorldPerks, the Northwest Airlines frequent flyer club. I haven’t bothered doing that in years, since I haven’t actually flown on a Northwest flight for almost five years.
Why would I be trying to do this again, in that case? Well, I had a mailing reach me here on Wright St somehow that said I have about 12,000 miles saved up, but they expire at the end of this year. The mailing suggested that I could immediately redeem these miles for a bunch of shitty magazine subscriptions that no one has time to read. I thought to myself, “well hell– if I’ve got miles saved up, I might as well see if I can redeem them for anything, flight-wise, and then seriously contemplate booking something before the end of the year…”
So I get on to this website and I can’t remember my silly PIN for their site. I don’t even know what the hell my email address might have been back when I registered with these people. I tried a couple things I thought it might be, and soon I was locked out, but the page suggested that I try a “live chat” with a CSR.
So I put in my info (which, as I said, was on the mailing that I received) and say, “look, I don’t remember hardly anything about my account, much less what the PIN would be for their online service, but– well, y’know, here is a transcript that they emailed to me. Peruse for your enjoyment:
Q: Re: WorldPerks PIN Reminder
From:
Jason Bock
6524 W Wright St
Wauwatosa, WI 53213
WorldPerks Number: some number
Haven’t logged in on the web in a very long time. Can’t remember PIN or even what email address was at the time I registered.
A: Hello, you have reached Blanche with nwa.com Customer Service.
I am unable to verify the address you provided with the information on file in your WorldPerks account. Please respond with any other mailing addresses and ZIP codes that may be associated with your account, including past residential, business, or post office addresses.
I trust that once we have all the necessary information we will be able to assist you. Please click “Reply” to provide the requested information.
Sincerely,
Blanche
nwa.com Customer Service
Q: 470 N Main St apt E
Oshkosh, WI 54901
A:
I am unable to verify the address you provided with the information on file in your WorldPerks account. Please respond with any other mailing addresses and ZIP codes that may be associated with your account, including past residential, business, or post office addresses.
I trust that once we have all the necessary information we will be able to assist you. Please click “Reply” to provide the requested information.
Q: I’ve moved several times since I opened my WorldPerks account. Not sure what address you might have. Somehow, though, a mailing reached me at my current address.
A: I would be happy to assist you with your PIN. For security
purposes, please reply back with any full postal address, including ZIP code, that may be associated with your WorldPerks account. Once I have verified this information, I will delete the PIN and you will be able to create a new one online. I trust that once we have all the necessary information we will be able to assist you. Please click “Reply” to provide the requested information.
Q: 2080 Dickinson Ave
Oshkosh, WI 54904
A: I am still unable to verify the address you provided with the information on file in your WorldPerks account. Please respond with any other mailing addresses and ZIP codes that may be associated with your account, including past residential, business, or post office addresses. I trust that once we have all the necessary information we will be able to assist you. Please click “Reply” to provide the requested
information.
Q: 2716 Woodridge Ln
Waukesha WI 53188
606 Nelson Story
Bozeman MT 59715
Johnstone Hall, Rm 4415
Bozeman MT 59715
A: I am unable to verify the address you provided with the information on file in your WorldPerks account. Please respond with any other mailing addresses and ZIP codes that may be associated with your account, including past residential, business, or post office addresses. I trust that once we have all the necessary information we will be able to assist you. Please click “Reply” to provide the requested
information.
Q: You have to be kidding me. Is this a real person or a machine?
A: We are indeed real people.
I am unable to validate the address or zip code you provided with the information on file in your WorldPerks account. For security reasons, this verification is necessary before I am able to reset your PIN. If you are unable to provide the correct address and ZIP, please answer the
following questions:
– Last flight activity on the account
– Last redemption activity
– Last non-flight mileage posted to the account
– Birth date
– Telephone number
– E-mail address
I trust that once we have all the necessary information we will be able to assist you. Please click “Reply” to provide the requested information.
So anyway, I’m gonna get Sports Illustrated, Time, Esquire for 2 years, Cigar Aficionado, and US News & World Report. I predict that I will read barely any of these, but I might get some ideas for haircuts or wardrobe in Esquire.
What a waste of 90 minutes.
It may not be the smartest machine out there, but it is an omen, none the less.
On Wednesday night, Mundschau and I made our way up to Ma & Dad’s house in Eagle River. We were planning to try to get some wireless internetting rocking and to help Dad with his project du jour. In this case, it was putting in the OSB on the ceiling of the garage. That needed to go in so the insulation could be finished.
Dad had off from work on Friday, so we wrapped that up that day. Today (Saturday), Joe and I slept until about 8:30, then by about 10 or 10:30, we took a ride to town to get on the webs. The coffee joint in ER that we’ve used in the past went from charging 2 bucks to completely free internet access, so I guess we don’t even need to be inside, technically speaking. Nice to have the power outlet, though.
The drag is the handful of screaming children that a parent just brought in a couple minutes ago. It really does make it hard to concentrate. Note to self: upon procreation, make sure there is a room in the house that kids don’t enter, as a refuge from the madness.
It’s nice to have a few days off from work. I don’t know why, but I’ve been a little paranoid lately that I’m going to do something to get fired. I don’t think I’ve been doing anything that would actually be grounds for termination, but I guess I just have this streak of paranoia in general. It’s not that much fun.
Reminds me– I should really go to a doctor. And a dentist. And an eye doc. I need to make a whole bunch of appointments.
Jesus Christ these kids are loud. I mean, holy shit.
59 and sunny here in ER. We should try to wrap up the Interwebbing and get back outdoors. I need to pick up some booze.
