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The really, really interesting stuff starts at around 2:10. Holy. Crap.

I was discussing clock punchers last night with a friend. You know, the people who show up to work on a semi-regular basis and are shocked when someone drops some real action items in their lap.  The same people who spend 45 minutes of every hour complaining about the heroic effort it takes to simply sit down and answer all the emails from a boss.  I ran across this clever article (via The Black Table) Googling the topic, enjoy the last paragraph and my favorite part:

My job provides me with income, Web access, headphones, and constant access to pirated music. I just summed it up. Someday, I’ll have a job that provides me with more income. Maybe someday, I’ll get to a point where I won’t have to work at all. Until then, though, I’ll wake up, shower, take the train to work, go home at six, and shut up about it. It is amazing how earth-shattering a concept this is to many.

Further discussion this morning led to a money quote from @rcwpong:

It’s like they think most of these people are purposefully doing everything they do just to piss them off.  I’m like, “It’s just easier for them to be lazy, it’s not personal”.

Amen brother, amen.

Anything is possible. You are invincible with no limits. The music you listen to is incredibly meaningful. Every minute talking is a new discovery. Your life is vital.

The future is vast and unfathomable. Ideas are fresh. Relationships crush you with emotion.

There is energy in movement. Tomorrow will never arrive.

You are youth.

For awhile eating more bacon seemed to suffice. Now another year passes by and through a somewhat bizarre tradition it’s time to invent some resolutions.

A resolution which most certainly will be executed upon in 2009 is a commitment to no longer eat at chain restaurants. The idea was obtained from a friend who described the philosophy as such:

Adding to the guidelines of Emily Post, if someone invites us to a chain we will gladly go.  However, if we are doing the planning, the credit card shall not pass the doorpost of a chain.

As self-professed yuppies we try to follow an anti-suburban lifestyle. This is not a radical statement, rather it is merely practical. For example we prefer not to rely utterly on cars in order to get to food, entertainment and work. This includes purchasing groceries from local producers (ex: Soulard farmers market), taking public transportation as well as frequenting local businesses and restaurants. There are more than enough local eateries, pubs and fine dining establishments to answer the call for victuals.

We are exited about this resolution and are looking forward to a successful 2009. However there is one nagging doubt that seems to hang over our heads. When it’s past 2am and everything is closed except Jimmy Johns and Taco Bell is it OK to get fast food? We might need an impartial ruling on this matter!

It’s been a few weeks since Orchid & Company officially launched. I’m very pleased with the positive feedback and thankful for all the people getting the word out! This project has been a labor of love and was something that really brought us together in our first year of marriage.  When you need photo announcements for weddings, births or even holiday cards Orchid & Company has the sophisticated product that you want and need! You can also get 30% off with the friends and family discount code, enter orc030 at checkout.

Happy Holidays!

Delicious homemade eggnog. After finally realizing that in fact, you can create your own eggnog I gave it a shot. Granted its very easy as all you are doing is whipping then emulsifiying raw eggs with cream, milk and some sugar.

• 6 eggs (at room temperature!)
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/3 cup sugar
• optional alcohol

Whisk yolks until they about double in size and turn a paler yellow. Slowly stir in sugar while whisking. If you are adding alcohol, slowly pour in while whisking. Then add the cream and milk while stirring. Next whisk egg whites until they peak and carefully FOLD the whites into the nog mixture. Once the whites are evenly mixed in put the mixture in the fridge for 1-2 hours.

Pour a glass and add nutmeg!

After switching web hosts I was too lazy to immediately port my blog over.  Since then I have really missed the ability to blog, now the situation is remedied! Also upgraded my OpenID server to support version OpenID v2 which nobody cares about except me! Now I can start forgetting passwords and enjoy controlling my own digital keys again.

This should be everyone’s inspiration.

Liking the WordPress app for iPhone

This is new for me. I don’t think I have ever posted an official political or religious stance on my blog before. I suppose some quick political opinion and other notes are in order for some perspective:

• I am not a registered Republican nor am I a registered Democrat.
• I have voted in every major election since I turned 18, our country is too important not to care.
• I believe in a liberal social policy, mostly around states rights and less federal government interference (regarding your sexual preference, recreational drug use, etc. move to a state with supporting laws. Also the war on drugs == broken).
• I believe in conservative fiscal policy mostly around paying less taxes. I work hard, so did my parents.
• I subscribe to the founding father’s policy of isolationism to a point (see: Hitler 1933, radical Islam/caliphate 2001)
• I believe in the separation of church and state and the textual interpretation of the Constitution
• I am totally OK with my tax dollars paying for both green fuel development and badass boondoggle military weapons
• The education of American kids and the future of entrepreneurship is more important than most everything else so we can kick more ass in the next 100 years

So obviously I don’t fit into either party. Unless there was a Hunter S. Thompson party, I would totally register with them.

I was up in the air about who to vote for until recently when I hit a mental wall at 300mph. I realized that of all the things I care about technology is truly important to me. I mean this blog’s tag-line is “Waiting for a technological singularity.” I have deep discussions with friends about how do we do ethics in the era of nanotechnology and are we human if we upload?

Now the U.S.A. is a true democracy where whoever is president doesn’t matter in the sense that in some crappy 3rd world country the president could have a life or death impact on the population. Our system is robust enough to suffer the occasional fool (re: George W. who I voted for). In the end it really is a values decision for the voter. The country won’t implode but what is the right direction? What is the extra awesomesauce we can apply to our nation?

The correct answer is: Barack Obama. Now before you say anything else I am not an Obama cheerleader. He has a positive and inclusive message but perhaps a bit naive in some areas. I disagree with many of his views on expensive government programs (my tax dollars want to be elsewhere). Regardless, this is the mental wall I hit:

McCain: Town Hall Meeting 12/29/07

Holy crap, McCain hates bloggers? He was probably referring to the liberal bloggers right? Cuz nobody who is not a liberal blogs right? I’m still getting a weird feeling, holdon…

John Mccain Admits He Cant Use a Computer

Oh God, at 0:33 the old bastard says he doesn’t know how to use a computer, he actually says it. My grandmother is older than McCain and she checks her email every week. If a bill were to be introduced on his desk as president regarding technology he would have NO FUCKING CLUE what it said. Like a nanotechnology restriction bill. Or a 4th amendment (amendment) to privacy of electronic data. As much as I hate swing issues I think I finally understand how important they are. Thus there is no way I can consider voting for McCain unless I see him demonstrate intelligently under debate conditions that he can hack it in the post-1960 technology space.

edit: John Scalzi (brilliant author) has some interesting posts 1 2