Letter Never Sent

Software / Internet / Technology — 4 comments
11
Jan 05

Mac-elitists vs. Windows-philistines

Steve Jobs did his annual song and dance to announce new Apple products today. I’m not a zealous PC user since I don’t believe you have to have a near-religious devotion to any particular brand of computer or OS, so I was interested in the new products, while emotionally distanced enough not to get weak in the knees with consumerist longing.

I happen to prefer Windows for the simple reason that the machines are affordable and most games and software will work on them. I also like the fact that I can replace bad hardware easily. Macs are nice-looking, and simple to learn. That seems to be the essence of their appeal. I have no quarrel with that. Computers should not vex and frustrate the user, and clearly Macs are well-designed. Some people may like Macs in order to belong to a somewhat exclusive community, and I have no quarrel with that either. Jobs has made it clear in past interviews that he wants to position Apple as the BMW of personal computing, and who wouldn’t want to drive a BMW?

There was minute to minute coverage of the Jobs keynote speech on several websites I frequent, so I will weigh in briefly with my opinion since everyone else has.

iPod Shuffle = Meh. I’d still rather have a real iPod with real hard-drive capacity.
Mac mini = Good. Macs need to be cheaper. There’s really no reason why they should be so expensive. I’d like to know how difficult it is to get pirated stuff on a Mac. Does anyone have a lot of experience with this? I’ve wanted a Mac to toy with as a secondary computer for a long time and the Mac mini is the price range I would operate in.

I started this post because I saw a humorous exchange over at Gizmodo where a Mac-hater and a Mac-fanatic posted competing spoof advertisements. Here’s the anti-Mac ad and here’s the rebuttal.

General — 5 comments
11
Jan 05

Nation of Rebels

Another good article, Buying into the psychology of consumerism, a discussion of the book “Nation of Rebels: Why Counterculture Became Consumer Culture” about how counter-cultural movements reinforce materialism.

Next, the authors analyze the psychological underpinnings of the counterculture in their chapter “Freud Goes to California.” Freud, they say, believed in the importance of civilization even though it limited individual freedom. The counterculture, on the other hand, chose to elevate individual freedom over civilization. They condemn the widespread individualism of the counterculture for making it difficult to organize social movements. Engaging in guerrilla theater might be fun, they say, but it does not solve serious problems.

With biting wit, the authors expose what they see as the hypocrisy of anticonsumer critiques of capitalism. Arguments against consumerism, they say, are merely snobbish putdowns of what other people buy. Budweiser is bad, single-malt liquor is good; hamburger is bad; risotto good; Chryslers bad, Volvo good; and so on.

In actuality, they argue, the anticonsumer movement has found its most fertile ground in the United States. Antimaterialism has become a cash cow, they say, offering expensive handmade goods to those willing to afford them. But does buying “all-natural organic tea” make you more virtuous? No, they say, it just helps a new market grow.

The authors level their harshest criticisms on those who favor cultural rebellion over political action. Take the marketing of brand-name products to teens, for instance. Countercultural critics might see no solution to the problem of selling goods to vulnerable consumers short of overthrowing the capitalist system. The authors offer a simpler reform: Putting a tax on advertising.

Psychology — Comments Off
11
Jan 05

Secret Lives

Compelling article at the NYTimes, The Secret Lives of Just About Everybody:

But in a series of experiments over the past decade, psychologists have identified a larger group they call repressors, an estimated 10 to 15 percent of the population, who are adept at ignoring or suppressing information that is embarrassing to them and thus well equipped to keep secrets, some psychologists say.

Repressors score low on questionnaires that measure anxiety and defensiveness – reporting, for example, that they are rarely resentful, worried about money, or troubled by nightmares and headaches. They think well of themselves and don’t sweat the small stuff.

Although little is known about the mental development of such people, some psychologists believe they have learned to block distressing thoughts by distracting themselves with good memories. Over time – with practice, in effect – this may become habitual, blunting their access to potentially humiliating or threatening memories and secrets.

“This talent is likely to serve them well in the daily struggle to avoid unwanted thoughts of all kinds, including unwanted thoughts that arise from attempts to suppress secrets in the presence of others,” Dr. Wegner, of Harvard, said in an e-mail message.

Society — 6 comments
10
Jan 05

Youth is a paradox

I’m fascinated by the fashion trends of the younger generation. I think many young people actually lack a sense of irony, which makes it possible for them to wear tight blue jeans, converse hi-tops, and tight vintage t-shirts as a sincere fashion statement. Irony requires context and I don’t think you can have that context without experience. Yet fashion is so mutable because it develops best in a world without context or reference, where everything is novel. Everything old becomes new again.

I enjoy observing the way people dress and how they speak. You can judge a book by its cover. Clothing says a lot about your desired group identity and what you want other people to think about you. I don’t buy into the argument that how a person decides to dress has nothing to do with what other people think about them. If this were the case, people would wear really socially unacceptable costumes. Even if you dress to reflect your own purely unique personal taste or aesthetic you signal group affiliation, cultural attitudes, and personal politics. Anyway, one thing I’ve noticed is the prevalence among hipsters of keychains worn on the belt loop. This is, of course, the direct result of wearing skin-tight blue jeans.

General — 2 comments
10
Jan 05

Enchanted Rock

Jody, Sab, and I made a little trip out to Enchanted Rock yesterday near Fredericksburg, Texas. It was quite a workout and we got some good photos. I feel like I have Carpal Body Syndrome now since I’m sore all over.

Personal — Comments Off
08
Jan 05

Elvis 70th Birthday

Today I messed around downtown before my brother called and we met him at Zilker to play with his pitbull, Ajax. Here’s a panoramic photo I took with my camera at Zilker. Below I’m standing in front of the Paramount Theatre. We could have gone to see ‘Jailhouse Rock’, but we were late.

Religion/philosophy / Science / Society — Comments Off
07
Jan 05

Knowledge as taxidermy

I saw this at Kottke.org and it seemed a question worth answering. Edge: World Question Center asks What Do You Believe Is True Even Though You Cannot Prove It?

I read several of the answers from the panel and the pervasive self-importance annoyed me. These are some of our ‘greatest minds’? I kept thinking the same thing: that most people use knowledge to reduce reality to something they can grasp. Scientists amass knowledge and develop systematic theories of the universe. Religious-minded individuals submit their desire for truth to a heavenly authority rendering their reality comprehensible. It says a lot about humanity, this desire to know. Does it represent a fear of mystery or powerlessness, a need to control experience? Why is it always so important to know? What do animals think when they look at the sky, or when they die?

If I was to answer the question, “What Do You Believe Is True Even Though You Cannot Prove It?”, I would answer that I believe there is no way of knowing. That the ‘truth’ of wherever/whatever/whoever/whenever we are will always remain out of reach. Is that such a bad thing? Can knowledge blind your understanding?

Personal — Comments Off
05
Jan 05

I make my own beds, and then I lie in them

Today I had a lot to do when I got home, then I got overwhelmed and rebelled against the overwhelmed feeling by… not doing what I needed to do. Sound familiar?

When I muster the initiative to start a project I’m always surprised by how smooth everything goes, but it’s only a relief in retrospect.

Staring down the barrel of a big project can unnerve you, especially if you’re already worn down to a nub. The damnable aspect of it all is that you know that you’re forestalling what will come on its own anyway, so to kill the little worrying voice you occupy it with some other less pressing responsibility or another diversion like trying to draw with the mouse in Photoshop. The pile is going to try to bury me tomorrow.

General — Comments Off
05
Jan 05

Three minutes of silence

On BBC news this morning, they showed live footage across Europe of people commemorating the 150,000+ victims of the tsunami. In Stockholm and Brussels, they showed thousands of people who stood still and waited quietly for three minutes. It was impressive. An old man in the crowd wiped his eyes and another younger man was taking pictures with his camera phone. Can you see Americans staying quiet and still for three whole minutes? Where can you even find thousands of people standing in one place unless it’s a football game?

the old stuff