A random assortment of things.

[temporus]

So I got a spam mail today in one of my inboxes, the subject was:  Microsoft Dating.  (Purportedly through the MSN)

Now, I don't about ya'll.  But I do not barely trust Microsoft to handle my computing needs.*   Who on earth would trust Microsoft with their love-life?  I mean seriously???   Talk about your science fiction.  I could just see it now, people who are linux users kept out of the dating pool.  Soon, there would be no one left to support that dangerous open source movement that almost (read negligibly) put the great corporation at risk.   My god, they could slowly take over the world.  People would be so indebted to them, there would be millions of boys named Bill Gates ___ throughout the country.   Ahhh!!!!  (Forget science fiction, I think I just crossed over into horror.)

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I got to put together some new hardware at work today again.  One of the younger guys came in and gave a hand.  I mentioned that we could have things put together by the vendor, and show up all ready to rack and install, though it costs more.   He was all like: Why don't we do that?  I said, because it's nice to get out of the cubicle and build something with your own two hands.  I don't think I had him convinced.  I know I should want as much automation as possible, and to reduce workload and all that.  But, sometimes it's good to not be stuck sitting in the same grey box.  No matter how many pictures of family I put up, and knick-knacks, it's still just a dreary grey box.  And time outside of it, especially time building something with your own two hands, well, to me that will always be infinitely more satisfying.  Sure, it may be a touch less efficient.  But really, does spending money to save me 20-40 minutes the dozen or so times a year (or less) that I buy new hardware, while at the same time reducing my personal satisfaction make sense?  Probably to someone else, it might seem so.  But I can't imagine never getting to put one of these machines together ever again.  That would be sad.

I've got an idea for a short story buzzing around my head.  It's still just an idea though, a title, the hint of a character, and some concept associated.  But it's going to need a decent conflict to make it real, and that's what I've been balking about all week.  Maybe I can nail it down and get a first draft out.  That would be nice. 


*Hey I can't harsh the Redmond team too much, it is how I make my livelihood.

Comments

[l-clausewitz.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Could the conflict in the story be connected in some way to Microsoft? Just wondering...