September is only a few hours away, which means Summer is just about over too. Technically, I know that the season has a few more weeks until the Equinox, but I never consider that to be the true end of Summer. For me, that's always Labor Day. Growing up, school always started on the day after Labor Day, since in Minnesota schools cannot legally start before then because the tourism industry wants families to still take vacations in late August (that really is the reason). Plus, it is the last day of the State Fair, which is another psychological end point.
I can already see some signs of the changing season. A few trees are in the early stages of changing color from green to red and gold, and there are grasshoppers jumping around when I go hiking on the weekends. Plus, it gets dark much earlier at night then it seemed it did only a couple of weeks ago. Not much in the way of cooler weather yet -- it hit ninety outside today -- but hopefully that will be here soon as well. It is one reason of many why Fall is my favorite season.
Actually, that would make for a good post, so you can expect to see that in the near future.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Procrastination
Well, the concert was awesome, first of all. I may post about it later on, since it will be a longer one if I do. But I'm putting it off for the time being, just like I unfortunately put off way too many things.
Really, I was even putting off writing this post. I knew though that I should probably get it out while I could, though, especially since I was tired from a long hike in the Minnesota River Valley this morning and wasn't sure how much energy I would have tonight. And just now, between the last sentence and this one, I took a ten minute break to start dinner and get something to drink.
Procrastination obviously affects a lot of people, and it seems to be worse for people who -- like me -- are also prone to being distracted unless we're really, really into whatever it is that we are doing. Fortunately, I find that there are ways to compensate for this. Deadlines are one good way, of course, as I discussed about a week ago on my other blog, but I don't want to retread that ground here too much.
The best way for me is just to figure out the most important task at any given time, and work on that exclusively until it is done, then the next task, then the next one. Even big projects can be tackled in this way, since a project is nothing but a bunch of small tasks put together. You don't have to build the whole house at once. If focusing on putting up a shelf -- or even just pounding in one nail -- is what it takes to get it built, then that's what it takes.
Now if you'll excuse me, there is a really cool website I have to look at before I hit "publish"...
Really, I was even putting off writing this post. I knew though that I should probably get it out while I could, though, especially since I was tired from a long hike in the Minnesota River Valley this morning and wasn't sure how much energy I would have tonight. And just now, between the last sentence and this one, I took a ten minute break to start dinner and get something to drink.
Procrastination obviously affects a lot of people, and it seems to be worse for people who -- like me -- are also prone to being distracted unless we're really, really into whatever it is that we are doing. Fortunately, I find that there are ways to compensate for this. Deadlines are one good way, of course, as I discussed about a week ago on my other blog, but I don't want to retread that ground here too much.
The best way for me is just to figure out the most important task at any given time, and work on that exclusively until it is done, then the next task, then the next one. Even big projects can be tackled in this way, since a project is nothing but a bunch of small tasks put together. You don't have to build the whole house at once. If focusing on putting up a shelf -- or even just pounding in one nail -- is what it takes to get it built, then that's what it takes.
Now if you'll excuse me, there is a really cool website I have to look at before I hit "publish"...
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Rushing Into The Weekend
Today was the first day of the Minnesota State Fair, which runs through Labor Day. If you live in Minnesota, you are legally required to attend. No, not really; I'm joking. But sometimes it does seem that way, considering the enthusiasm so many people have for it.
Normally I probably wouldn't go this year, since I went last year and it's more of an every two to three year thing for me. But this year Rush is playing at the Grandstand, and I decided, oh, why not? I was really into them when I was younger and I still like their music despite not being as obsessive of a fan as I once was. Plus, I always wanted to see them back then, but never had the chance, so this is a way of paying back my teenage self for being patient.
So, that's where I will be tomorrow night. Hopefully by my Sunday entry, I'll have my hearing back.
Normally I probably wouldn't go this year, since I went last year and it's more of an every two to three year thing for me. But this year Rush is playing at the Grandstand, and I decided, oh, why not? I was really into them when I was younger and I still like their music despite not being as obsessive of a fan as I once was. Plus, I always wanted to see them back then, but never had the chance, so this is a way of paying back my teenage self for being patient.
So, that's where I will be tomorrow night. Hopefully by my Sunday entry, I'll have my hearing back.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Special Appearance
Got distracted last night, so unfortunately I missed posting. Regular posting will resume tomorrow, but until then here's a link to a discussion on Girl Meets Geek about transit in the Twin Cities suburbs in which she quotes a Twitter comment of mine from earlier today (I'm @moerketim, who she quotes in her first point). It's a great post and I may discuss my thoughts on the issue here sometime as well.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
What I'm Watching
Since I periodically do a post about stuff I'm reading, it seemed a given that I should talk about stuff I've watched recently once in a while too. So, here we go. Note that I didn't include links for these, because the Wikipedia entries would likely have spoilers and IMDB is just kind of a pain.
The Expendables: I saw this in the theater on opening night, so according to the hilarious fan-made trailer (NSFW, by the way, and that goes triple for the comments) I deserve to be a man. This movie is exactly what it says on the package, nothing more and nothing less. Whether or not that's a good thing is up to you, but as a fan of old-school action movies and much of the cast, for me it was a very good thing indeed.
Factotum: In a completely different direction, we have this movie, based on the life of author Charles Bukowski. For some reason, the movie was filmed in Minneapolis, because I guess filming the movie where the book it is based on took place (L.A.) was just too hard or something. I mean, I can't imagine filiming a movie in L.A., can you? Nevertheless, it was interesting to see places I recognized and have been to, even if the setting wasn't really used in the story. However, I ended up not really caring about pretty much anyone in the movie, as they just weren't likable and in some cases actually repellent. There really isn't any message or meaning to what happens, it just sort of occurs. I guess that's realistic, but it wasn't what I was looking for. However, a Bukowski fan (I knew who he was before this, but that's all) might see it differently.
Control: You would probably assume that a movie about Ian Curtis, the lead singer of Joy Division, would be rather bleak and grim. You would, in fact, be totally correct. However, I still enjoyed the movie, being a fan of the band and of others from that time and place. The actors all gave really convincing performances, especially the ones playing the members of Joy Division themselves, and the recreated concert and television footage is amazing due to the actors actually performing the songs (and doing a very convincing job doing it). I'd probably only recommend it to people with an interest in the subject matter, but if you have that, you'll like it.
Mad Men Season One: This is a strange one, since I've already seen seasons two and three when they first aired on AMC. Seeing as how I started watching the show partway through, though, it seemed like I should go back and see it from the beginning despite already knowing the season's main spoilers. Because the show is so well done, it's still rewarding to watch even though I'm aware of what happens. That said, the pace is definitely slower in the first season and it doesn't feel as lively, although it improves towards the end.
The Wire Season Five: I've finished the first disc of the last season of this show, and have three more to go. I can tell it's the last season since ongoing storylines are being wound up, it moves along more quickly, and characters from past seasons are being brought back to show what happens to them. It definitely has a different feel to it than previous seasons, but it's still an amazing show. Of all of the TV shows that were originally on pay networks but later brought to basic cable or broadcast channels (like The Sopranos or Sex and the City), I'm not sure why it was never done with The Wire. Not that much content would need to be removed, and it is a great show that more people need to see.
The Expendables: I saw this in the theater on opening night, so according to the hilarious fan-made trailer (NSFW, by the way, and that goes triple for the comments) I deserve to be a man. This movie is exactly what it says on the package, nothing more and nothing less. Whether or not that's a good thing is up to you, but as a fan of old-school action movies and much of the cast, for me it was a very good thing indeed.
Factotum: In a completely different direction, we have this movie, based on the life of author Charles Bukowski. For some reason, the movie was filmed in Minneapolis, because I guess filming the movie where the book it is based on took place (L.A.) was just too hard or something. I mean, I can't imagine filiming a movie in L.A., can you? Nevertheless, it was interesting to see places I recognized and have been to, even if the setting wasn't really used in the story. However, I ended up not really caring about pretty much anyone in the movie, as they just weren't likable and in some cases actually repellent. There really isn't any message or meaning to what happens, it just sort of occurs. I guess that's realistic, but it wasn't what I was looking for. However, a Bukowski fan (I knew who he was before this, but that's all) might see it differently.
Control: You would probably assume that a movie about Ian Curtis, the lead singer of Joy Division, would be rather bleak and grim. You would, in fact, be totally correct. However, I still enjoyed the movie, being a fan of the band and of others from that time and place. The actors all gave really convincing performances, especially the ones playing the members of Joy Division themselves, and the recreated concert and television footage is amazing due to the actors actually performing the songs (and doing a very convincing job doing it). I'd probably only recommend it to people with an interest in the subject matter, but if you have that, you'll like it.
Mad Men Season One: This is a strange one, since I've already seen seasons two and three when they first aired on AMC. Seeing as how I started watching the show partway through, though, it seemed like I should go back and see it from the beginning despite already knowing the season's main spoilers. Because the show is so well done, it's still rewarding to watch even though I'm aware of what happens. That said, the pace is definitely slower in the first season and it doesn't feel as lively, although it improves towards the end.
The Wire Season Five: I've finished the first disc of the last season of this show, and have three more to go. I can tell it's the last season since ongoing storylines are being wound up, it moves along more quickly, and characters from past seasons are being brought back to show what happens to them. It definitely has a different feel to it than previous seasons, but it's still an amazing show. Of all of the TV shows that were originally on pay networks but later brought to basic cable or broadcast channels (like The Sopranos or Sex and the City), I'm not sure why it was never done with The Wire. Not that much content would need to be removed, and it is a great show that more people need to see.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Interesting Statistic
Technically, I crossed this threshold several entries back, but I was pleased to see that I now have more posts for 2010 so far than all of 2008 and 2009 combined. Though admittedly, 2009 only had one entry, since last year I was focusing on my other blog to the detriment of this one.
If I can keep up my current posting rate, I should be able to double this in only a couple more months, even if I don't write when I'm gone on vacation next month (more on that in a later post). Go me!
If I can keep up my current posting rate, I should be able to double this in only a couple more months, even if I don't write when I'm gone on vacation next month (more on that in a later post). Go me!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
I Write Like Who, Again?
The answer to the question from my last post was The Expendables, by the way. Highly entertaining movie if it's the sort of thing you like (which I do), and whatever you thought of the trailer and ads is almost definitely what you'll think of the movie.
Anyway, there's a website people have been talking about lately called I Write Like, which supposedly analyzes a writing sample from you and tells you which well-known author your writing resembles. I don't know the technical details behind it, but just for fun I ran four of my posts from this blog through it.
Three of them came back as David Foster Wallace, while the outlier was Cory Doctorow. I've never read any of Wallace's works, and though I recognized the name, I only really knew that he was a writer and had committed suicide a couple of years ago. But reading about him in Wikipedia makes me definitely want to read his stuff for myself. As for Doctorow, I've read some of his essays online and articles in Wired, so I'm familiar with him. I guess I don't see the comparison, but I have a lot of respect for Doctorow, so I certainly don't mind.
Of course, you can't read too much into things like this. But they're fun to play around with, and the temporary ego boost is nice.
Anyway, there's a website people have been talking about lately called I Write Like, which supposedly analyzes a writing sample from you and tells you which well-known author your writing resembles. I don't know the technical details behind it, but just for fun I ran four of my posts from this blog through it.
Three of them came back as David Foster Wallace, while the outlier was Cory Doctorow. I've never read any of Wallace's works, and though I recognized the name, I only really knew that he was a writer and had committed suicide a couple of years ago. But reading about him in Wikipedia makes me definitely want to read his stuff for myself. As for Doctorow, I've read some of his essays online and articles in Wired, so I'm familiar with him. I guess I don't see the comparison, but I have a lot of respect for Doctorow, so I certainly don't mind.
Of course, you can't read too much into things like this. But they're fun to play around with, and the temporary ego boost is nice.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
The Question Of The Day Is...
...do I go see The Expendables or Scott Pilgrim vs. the World this weekend?
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Sew It Goes
On Sunday I did something I've never done before: I sewed a button on a shirt.
Yes, it's pretty mundane, but in a weird way it was a big deal for me: I successfully did something that was both practical and had intimidated me for a long time. For some reason, I never learned it back in Home Ec in junior high (or if I did, I had long since forgotten it). And it wasn't something I learned in Boy Scouts either -- you'd think we'd have learned at least basic sewing, considering it could potentially have useful application in both the outdoors and day-to-day life, but I guess obscure knots you'll never use are more important.
Anyway, I had a dress shirt that was missing a button on the front, and since I have to wear dress shirts most days for work, I wanted it to be back in the rotation, so to speak. I thought about taking it to a tailor and having it fixed, but then I thought "This isn't something major like having a suit taken in; I should be able to do this rather than pay someone to do it." Plus, I already had the necessary materials in a storage box in the closet. With a button, black thread, a needle, and a helpful tutorial from eHow, I was set to go. It took a little while, and it wasn't the most elegant sewing in the world, but it got the job done.
I think it's a good metaphor for a lot of things in life: it's something that seems hard at first, and maybe even impossible. But a little bit of preparation and research go a really long way, and before you know it, you'll wonder why something like this ever intimidated you. And the nice thing about confidence is that it builds on itself -- if you can manage to do one thing, you can do the next, and so on and so on (or is that sew on)?
Yes, it's pretty mundane, but in a weird way it was a big deal for me: I successfully did something that was both practical and had intimidated me for a long time. For some reason, I never learned it back in Home Ec in junior high (or if I did, I had long since forgotten it). And it wasn't something I learned in Boy Scouts either -- you'd think we'd have learned at least basic sewing, considering it could potentially have useful application in both the outdoors and day-to-day life, but I guess obscure knots you'll never use are more important.
Anyway, I had a dress shirt that was missing a button on the front, and since I have to wear dress shirts most days for work, I wanted it to be back in the rotation, so to speak. I thought about taking it to a tailor and having it fixed, but then I thought "This isn't something major like having a suit taken in; I should be able to do this rather than pay someone to do it." Plus, I already had the necessary materials in a storage box in the closet. With a button, black thread, a needle, and a helpful tutorial from eHow, I was set to go. It took a little while, and it wasn't the most elegant sewing in the world, but it got the job done.
I think it's a good metaphor for a lot of things in life: it's something that seems hard at first, and maybe even impossible. But a little bit of preparation and research go a really long way, and before you know it, you'll wonder why something like this ever intimidated you. And the nice thing about confidence is that it builds on itself -- if you can manage to do one thing, you can do the next, and so on and so on (or is that sew on)?
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Bonus Post: Scheduling
I've decided on a posting frequency schedule for my two blogs in order to establish some regularity and encourage myself to post consistently. As of today, this blog will be updated on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. Hired Minds, my other blog (there's a link over there on the right; this is a fast post and I'm being lazy) will get new content on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. There may be occasional "bonus posts" like this one where I post on a non-scheduled day or multiple times in one day for a special reason. But otherwise, I will do my very best to keep to that schedule, and to that end I've already written the next post for both this blog and HM. So now I just need to think of something for Wednesday and Thursday...
Con-templation
Today is the last day of GenCon in Indianapolis, which is the largest convention dedicated to gaming in the country ("gaming", in this case, referring to board games, card games, RPGs, miniatures, etc). I went each year from 2000 through 2005, went to Otakon instead in 2006, and then back to GenCon in 2007, but haven't returned since then.
There's a few reasons for why I haven't been back yet -- we didn't have the best experience in 2007, so we weren't much interested in returning in 2008, plus we had taken a two-week trip to Japan earlier in the year anyway so we weren't itching for a vacation. In 2009, we still weren't quite up for it, plus our employment situations around the time when we would have needed to decide if we were going pretty much precluded any possibility of attending anyway. This year, I actually considered going back in late April, but the need to make the logistical arrangements so far in advance (due to the massive attendance and limited number of hotel rooms) meant that I had waited too long to be able to do it.
But now I am very seriously considering going back in 2011, even if I end up deciding (again) that it's the last time I go. I have a lot of great memories of GenCon, as it's where I've not only discovered games that I love to play and have introduced to other people (such as Apples to Apples), but it's also where I've met a lot of cool people and made new friends. As such, I feel I need to see if it is something I want to keep doing, or something I want to leave behind, but on a good note.
There's a few reasons for why I haven't been back yet -- we didn't have the best experience in 2007, so we weren't much interested in returning in 2008, plus we had taken a two-week trip to Japan earlier in the year anyway so we weren't itching for a vacation. In 2009, we still weren't quite up for it, plus our employment situations around the time when we would have needed to decide if we were going pretty much precluded any possibility of attending anyway. This year, I actually considered going back in late April, but the need to make the logistical arrangements so far in advance (due to the massive attendance and limited number of hotel rooms) meant that I had waited too long to be able to do it.
But now I am very seriously considering going back in 2011, even if I end up deciding (again) that it's the last time I go. I have a lot of great memories of GenCon, as it's where I've not only discovered games that I love to play and have introduced to other people (such as Apples to Apples), but it's also where I've met a lot of cool people and made new friends. As such, I feel I need to see if it is something I want to keep doing, or something I want to leave behind, but on a good note.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
The Happiest Days of Our Lives
I just finished Wil Wheaton's book The Happiest Days of Our Lives, tonight after dinner. It's a quick read, considering I started on Sunday after my last post, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It consists of a selection of stories he's told on his blog, ranging from growing up in 70's and 80's California as a geek in the making, to anecdotes about his stepchildren as an adult. I think it's hard to do it justice in a short description, but if you're a fan of his blog, it's definitely worth a read. My only real criticism is that it doesn't work well as a stand-alone work in the same way that Just a Geek did (which I discuss here), so somebody who didn't know much about him already (or only knew him from his film and TV work) probably wouldn't get as much out of it. It works best as a follow-up to Just a Geek or a companion to the blog, and I think someone who reads it with that intent will find it very entertaining. Wheaton definitely has a gift for writing and mood, whether it be touching, introspective, humorous, or just plain crazy.
One of these days, I need to read his first book, Dancing Barefoot, which I haven't gotten to yet. If it as good as the two of his that I have read, though, I'm sure I'll love it.
It consists of a selection of stories he's told on his blog, ranging from growing up in 70's and 80's California as a geek in the making, to anecdotes about his stepchildren as an adult. I think it's hard to do it justice in a short description, but if you're a fan of his blog, it's definitely worth a read. My only real criticism is that it doesn't work well as a stand-alone work in the same way that Just a Geek did (which I discuss here), so somebody who didn't know much about him already (or only knew him from his film and TV work) probably wouldn't get as much out of it. It works best as a follow-up to Just a Geek or a companion to the blog, and I think someone who reads it with that intent will find it very entertaining. Wheaton definitely has a gift for writing and mood, whether it be touching, introspective, humorous, or just plain crazy.
One of these days, I need to read his first book, Dancing Barefoot, which I haven't gotten to yet. If it as good as the two of his that I have read, though, I'm sure I'll love it.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
What I'm Reading
I've had a lot going on recently that has distracted me from the blog, but I figured it was time to share what I've been reading over the past few weeks, since the first time I did that was a couple of years ago. So, here you go:
Get Capone, by Jonathan Eig. A nonfiction book about Al Capone's rise to power in 1920's and 30's Chicago, and the attempts by the government to take him down. I found the depictions of the Chicago of that era to be very interesting, and the next time I'm there, I'd like to visit more of the major landmarks and establishments from that time period. A little slow in parts, but quite thoroughly researched and documented, and a book I'd recommend to anyone with an interest in the subject matter.
Mysteries of the Middle Ages, by Thomas Cahill. I'm only partway through this, but I'm not sure where the "mysteries" in this book are, as it mostly discusses important personalities of the time period and how certain institutions and concepts (universities, courtly love, the emergence of reason, etc.) came to be. But even though I don't think the title is all that accurate, it is still a well-written and highly entertaining book. I haven't read anything by Cahill before and don't know much about him as a result, but if his other history works are as clever and engrossing as this one, I will certainly give them a try.
The Dogs of War, by Frederick Forsyth. I've been on a nonfiction kick lately, but I did get a chance to read this novel about mercenaries in Africa as well. Drawing heavily (very, very heavily) on his experiences in Nigeria during the Biafra conflict, Forsyth's novel is unique in how much detail he puts into it, separating it from novels with similar subject matter. The characterization isn't always very strong, and the major characters can be borderline cliched, but it was still a highly entertaining novel and made me want to check out some of his others, such as The Day of the Jackal.
I have other books "on deck" as well, the first of which is The Happiest Days of Our Lives, the most recent one from Wil Wheaton.
Get Capone, by Jonathan Eig. A nonfiction book about Al Capone's rise to power in 1920's and 30's Chicago, and the attempts by the government to take him down. I found the depictions of the Chicago of that era to be very interesting, and the next time I'm there, I'd like to visit more of the major landmarks and establishments from that time period. A little slow in parts, but quite thoroughly researched and documented, and a book I'd recommend to anyone with an interest in the subject matter.
Mysteries of the Middle Ages, by Thomas Cahill. I'm only partway through this, but I'm not sure where the "mysteries" in this book are, as it mostly discusses important personalities of the time period and how certain institutions and concepts (universities, courtly love, the emergence of reason, etc.) came to be. But even though I don't think the title is all that accurate, it is still a well-written and highly entertaining book. I haven't read anything by Cahill before and don't know much about him as a result, but if his other history works are as clever and engrossing as this one, I will certainly give them a try.
The Dogs of War, by Frederick Forsyth. I've been on a nonfiction kick lately, but I did get a chance to read this novel about mercenaries in Africa as well. Drawing heavily (very, very heavily) on his experiences in Nigeria during the Biafra conflict, Forsyth's novel is unique in how much detail he puts into it, separating it from novels with similar subject matter. The characterization isn't always very strong, and the major characters can be borderline cliched, but it was still a highly entertaining novel and made me want to check out some of his others, such as The Day of the Jackal.
I have other books "on deck" as well, the first of which is The Happiest Days of Our Lives, the most recent one from Wil Wheaton.
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