This and that....
In reference to my post called Cupcakes and Fruit Loops, there are some interesting numbers I can share with you:
242 - Number of emails I received about this post;
2 - number of comments about this post;
45 - number of men that got it right
92% - percentage of men that got it right
12 - number of women that got it right
You can do the math on the number of women that got it wrong!
I think this pretty well proves my point. Fruit Loops are sugar-coated but they still have a hole in the middle...so welcome to the inpending marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Fruit Loops.
Speaking in tongues...
Is it me or is the general use of langage declining into something vague and vulgar. I though the whole purpose of the "information superhighway" was that people would communicate better? So why has it gotten down to using computer-speak. All those letters on the keyboard and all people can type is LOL, BRB, SAT, WTG and BTW. Its gotten so bad that teachers are now complaining that its showing up in the classroom. One friend even lamented that he received a resume which was nearly all computerspeak. Damn~! Xcm Wifigo?Ijwrt! (Excuse me while I figure out what I just wrote).
PC's vs Macs Revisted...
I gave a large dinner party recently and as my guest roamed around my place and wandered into my office, they drolled over my Apple Dual G5 and my G5 iMac...and sitting in corner (quietly) was my Pentium 5 PC...unplugged. What was interesting was that half of my guest were Apple users and the other half PC users. This, of course, sparked a debate about which was better and a little object lesson to boot. I stayed out of the debate because I have a degree in Computer Science (What? And you though I was only a photographer). It seemed to be an unfair advantage to put my two-cents in. In general, average Apple users seem to know their machine a heck of a lot better then your average PC user. PC users complained mostly about the viruses, adware and spyware that abound on their machines. Actually none of the PC users had many good things to say about their computers except to say that there were more of them then Mac. Which begs the question...why are they still using them? As an object lesson, they plugged in my PC, turned on my G5 and surfed the web at the same sites (I have a T1 line, so it was 1 meg up and down on both machines). Inside of 5 minutes I had 1 virus and 22 spyware and adware programs on the PC!!! None on the Mac at all, plus it won hands down on speed and ease of use, not to mention the cool factor of design. When I asked why they (PC users) didn't change I got the usual Microsoft line about pricing and learning a new operating system. That was debunked when they went online together and compared prices...ended up with Macs costing less (by 20%) then their PC counterparts using the same software and the same hardware configurations. Interesting! And the winner is ...Microsoft for having a better BS campaign! I love my Mac...so put that in your iPod and smoke it!
Finns never smile...
Finns are nice people...once you get to know them. But its not an easy country to live in. Language troubles aside, it gets dark and cold in the winter and its tough to get to know people when they spend a ton of time hunkered down alone to ride it out. I ride the bus to work most days because its cheap, clean and you could set your watch by the schedules they keep. However, unlike their American brethren, you can hear a pin drop on a Finnish bus...it so damn quiet! No one talks and they hardly even notice you..eerie! If you say good morning or good evening, they seem embrassed that you spoke to them and turn bright red..men and women. Even on the street its like that and I really don't think they like their language very much. When I go to a shop and asked (in Finnish) what something cost or for direction, they immediately answer me in English!! I got so mad about this practice that once at a movie theatre I asked for popcorn in perfect Finnish and was answered in English. Turning to my Finnish friend that was attending the movie with me I asked, "was something wrong with my Finnish?" She said it was perfect and I asked the lady at the counter if what I said made any sense. She said it was great (in English of course). So I asked her why she replied in English and she said she wanted to "practice" her English. Hmmm...In perfect Finnish I told her it that was rude...and in the future it would be best to practice on her own time. And Finns never seem to smile. Oh, you might catch a hint of one every now and then, but smiling is not on the list of everyday things to do...sort of adds a cloud to those gloomy days of winter! But I love the country anyway...after all I could be living in (gasp) Kansas!
The Last of the Age of Reason...
Seems like they had a name for every decade or generation...The 60's Flower Child, The 80's Yuppie generation, the 90"s was the "Me" generation. I wonder what this one will be called? I'd like to put in my vote for the 2000's...the Whiners generation! Never had have I heard such a sounds as this whining that seems to spring up when you just want some peace and quiet. I hate this; I'm bored; I hate myself; its someone else's fault; why can't I be rich or famous; she/he has this or that, why can't I or the infamous "nobody loves me". Get over it people. Now whether you agree or not, I believe everyone and I mean everyone has gifts they were born with and some are under-utilized. So if you can stop whining long enough to hear yourself think, maybe, just maybe, you can figure out what they are and make yourself happy. Just don't whine to me...I'm tone -deaf!
ET Phone home....
I call the US nearly everyday and talk to family members and friends from my nice Nokia cell phone. At the end of the month when the bill comes it ususally adds up to around (in dollars) $34-$55...total! I can go anywhere in Europe and use my phone...no roaming charges, SMS messaging for one cent a pop and get emails too! I can even connect my laptop and surf the web using the same service where this is just part of the package...no extra charge! Amazing isn't it. When I'm in the States I have to buy a different phone for each provider, the hidden charges are so well hidden I could be giving away the house and my bill is in hundreds of dollars. And don't even get me started on the customer service! Whats wrong in America that one can't use this technology properly without taking out a mortgage on your house? A friend at one of the Tele companies here had a simple answer...arrogance! We invented the technology but because the Europeans came up with a better way to use it, we thumbed out noses at them and now we are stuck in America with crappy service and no standards, which in turn raises prices and blood pressure. 'If Americans didn't do it, it must be crap' seems to be our mantra! So we raise the banner of competition and are now fighting over the crumbs due to our own arrogant outlook. We need change that in so many ways or we will be phoning home soon using tin cans with string attached!
"I ride the bus to work most days because its cheap, clean and you could set your watch by the schedules they keep."
Oh, if only I could say the same about the bus schedules in Victoria. I can never quite predict whether I'll have to run frantically after the bus (waving my arms madly) or stand by the curb for 10 minutes...
Posted by: Sara | November 12, 2004 at 08:48 AM