Archive for February, 2008

February 24, 2008: 2:47 pm: Commentary, software

Today I turned on the Windows Media Center for the first time in a month. That’s o knock on the media center. We’ve been too busy to watch much TV, and what time we have had has been consumed by Lost, the new Apple TV software and the occasional Netflix movie.

So whatever. I wanted a little music on a rainy Sunday morning, and the Media Center has ever tune in our CD library. I fired it up and immediately got the Vista update notice. Right. I missed the last patch Tuesday.

I postponed that, but when I launched iTunes to listen to music, IT decided it needed to update mys usic library. I’d forgotten I’d updated iTunes the last time I used it and never restarted. Then of course there’s a NEW version of iTunes. Why not?! Go ahead iTunes, do your business. I’ll jump on over to Firefox and stream some music off Last.FM. Jus give me a second to postpone the Vista update. Again!

Launch Firefox and guess what? I’m immediately notified there’s an update of Firefox. I mark that for later and start streaming some music. During breakfast I have to get up a couple times because I forgot to turn off the Vista reminder. But no matter.

Once I’m done with my Canadian bacon (or just bacon, if you’re Canadian) and waffles, I give up and tell Firefox to go ahead and update, then reboot the machine.

This after only a month! It’s one thing to be annoyed occasionally in your daily life by software updates. They’re actually quite handy, fixing bugs, and adding features. But the system is all built around daily use. It seems it’s not possible to have smoothly running machine that you don’t use every day. At least if it’s a computer you leave powered off.

I suppose that’s the future. Better find some clean-bruning fuel soon Earth. I’m going to have to leave all my comuters on from now on.

February 20, 2008: 2:46 pm: Commentary

I was thinking today about a future event. You know how when you think about future events, things always go so much better in your mind than they do in reality? Even if they go well, they never quite match up with expectations. At least for me anyway.

I think I know why.

I imagine future events as a montage. Yes, montages are overworked and cliche, but if Team America World Police taught us anything, it’s that sometimes, you need a montage.

The factor that keeps the montage alive is the fact that all boring developments are left out. The movie of your life leaves out a lot of mundanity, but the montage of your life eliminates all of it.

The solution for this is to remember things as a montage. That way every experience you have is dynamic, entertaining, and set to music.

After all, in the end, all you have is your montages.