Runester

‘Dilbert’ creator Scott Adams on cubicles and comics: Question: Scott, did you ever think ‘Dilbert’ would grow so much when you drew your first cartoon? And when did you finally realize that you had created something so successful?

Scott Adams: I always expected ‘Dilbert’ to be much, much bigger than it is. Every morning I wake up in shame. I bang my head on the side of my desk, shouting, ‘Why, why, why couldn’t I have worked harder??’ But maybe I’m being hard on myself.

First impression: it sucked. None of the drama or pagentry of the old version, and no charismatic actors to carry the show. Also, what’s with the whiny, self doubting, self loathing, Moses? That sucks. I’m also not so sure we really needed to see all of the blood shed and violance.

So, it’s better then a hot poker in the eye - but not by much.

Villanelle For Our Time by Leonard Cohen - Find Music You’ll Love - Pandora: “Can you help me discover more music that I’ll like?”

I discovered Pandora.com from a discussion thread on Digg.com and have loved using it ever since. It creates a custom station of streaming music based on my own preferences. It’s like a radio station that matches my mood. It’s EXTREMELY easy to use, needs no special download, and (with banner ads) is available for free.

I also like the idea that I’ll discover a new artist or track I’d never have stumbled across on my own. Finding something new and interesting is always a huge plus!

Well, it turns out my ‘alergies’ was actually a strep infection in my tonsils. So, now I’m taking Amoxycyllian and I’m contagious.

Also, when I told my doctor that my alergies started with 12 hours of low grade fever … he pointed out that is not a symptom of allergies. Well, this is why I’m not a doctor! I should have gone in last week and gotten on antibiotics three or four days ago, instead of persisting in my self-delusion of ‘alergies’.

BTW: this is the first time I’ve ever been to this doctor (having chosen his name out of an insurance supplied catalog). When his admin found out I work in IT, she made a point of noting they have no computers in the office and don’t use them! Her system is quaint but effective. Instead of me being appalled or trying to evangelize … I just admired her efforts. Her system is very flexible, adaptive, and immune to power failures, etc. On the other hand, nothing is backed-up (offsite), and the index is the mechanical ordering of file folders (which can be misplaced, misordered or lost).

What ever she is doing must be working, because the practice has been successfull for the last twenty-three years - no computers needed.

I’ve had terrible alergies. I don’t usually like to complain about my health, except it is VERY hard to sleep when I am waking up every 30 to 60 minutes with trouble breathing … all night long. So, I’ve broken down and agreed to go see my doctor.

I hope he confirms that this is just allergies and maybe he’s got some prescription streangth antihistimene or something. But, if he tells me that I’ve got strep or something … well, that is significantly more serious.

Let’s see how this goes.

An Open Epistle on the birth of the AA: “Aleister Crowley … took the motto Vi Veri Vniversum Vivus Vici (By the power of Truth, I, in my lifetime, have conquered the Universe).”

I have NOT been able to find any reference to this as a quote from Faust by Goethe, even though that is the attribution made in the movie “V for Vendetta.” Though, interestingly enough, Aleister Crowley is a very Faust like character.

I had an epiphany on the way to work today. I was listening to DJ Irene (techno-dance stuff) and driving through the winding New England roads towards Moving Day at the office (we should be in our new office space before the end of day).

I remembered an episode of CSI where there was this cool Las Vegas dance club that would have “The Blitz” every night at midnight, in which they’d try to simulate the chaos and fear of the German bombing runs on London, while revelers danced beneath the light show.

So, I’d like to open a club named “Club Armagedon” - preferably in Detroit. I’d have the place decked out in post-apocalyptic kitsch. I’d make sure that the staff worked hard to get everyone as involved as possible - No Wall Flowers or Poseurs! I envision giant video screens on all of the walls, with small computer monitors inbetween. The video screens would show a constant video mantage of end-of-the-world scenes from movies, documentaries, etc. War, famine, pestilance, crime, earthquakes, floods, tsunami, and on and on. On the small computer screens would be the scrolling text of the worlds end-times prophecies. I’d have Revelations, Nostradamus, Egyptian Book of Dead, tales of the Nordic Ragnarok, Mayan & Aztec prophecies, etc.

The idea is for the feeling of impending doom, of the absolute futility of the human condition to build and build through out the night. Then, at midnight, the screens would show nuclear explosions and mushroom clouds as the floor shakes. Finally, absolute dark and quiet for at least ten minutes (which should feel like eternity after that audio-visual barrage). Then, the silence is broken by the cries of a newborn baby, and the image comes up on the video screen of a baby being handed to it’s mother. The atmosphere should then change to one of triumph as images of spring time, life, growth, and hope are displayed and the party get’s cranked up several notches and instead of dancing and revelling in the death of a world, everyone is celebrating their survival and the continuance of hope.

I’m thinking the entire atmosphere can be enhanced with smoke machines and certain lighting effects, but also something that generates the appropriate odors. If I could get the dance floor to have the slight aroma of cordite during the gunfire and explosions, or of rotten eggs during scenes of disease and decay … and then, of course, of spring time and fresh air and salt seas and fresh rain … I think it would have a prfound psychological effect on the revelers.

In my fantasies, anyway, this whole experience would be cathartic. To face all of the worst life and humanity has to offer, especially in an age of terrorism and constant dread, only to come out on the other side alive and joyful for being so … well, that’s powerful stuff. In fact, it might be powerful enough to influance people into being more positive, more hopefull, and much more energetic in their efforts to affect positive change.

Let’s call it, “A party with a mission!”

So, everyone in the office is excited - we move to our new office space tomorrow. My cube is already boxed up and wheeled over, everyone else is slowly boxing up their own as they have time. The hard part will not be the cubes, but all of the servers and switches and equipment which has accreted like corral.

We have a couple of movers coming in tomorrow to help us with the heavy stuff and I’m sure everyone will pitch in and help. The better question will be whether or not all of the services are working when we get there.

I already know the first thing I’ll miss is the closeness that the current cubes engender. While it’s slightly annoying to hear people talk or make phone calls it is also fun to be ‘plugged-in’ to the rest of the company and to have someone to chat with on those long, slow, boring afternoons. Now, we’ll all be spread out and while it will be VERY quiet where I sit - it will also be a little lonely.

There is a lot of excitement, and at least part of it is the sense that the company is going some place. We’re moving into a space three times our present size. Maybe this is the sign that we’re really taking off! Or, maybe people just want to try out their new seats and look out their new windows and expand into their new places.

Of course, without some more sales all of this is for naught. All of the positive morale and work inducing environment can’t make up for a lack of sales. I’m going to keep my fingers crossed.

This was a pretty low-key birthday. My mother and father called to say “Happy, Birthday!” And my brother sent me an email. My girlfriend gave me a very nice card, and she and her mother and aunt tricked me into walking upstairs (thinking I had to adjust this contankerous florescent light) when they surprised me with a cake! Candles and everything! [Obvsiously not 36 candles, the poor woman had to hold it and between her frail arms and setting the curtains on fire - a few candles were more then enough.]

I’m sure I’ll go out and have a drink with the Dunning’s and with my Brother when I get to Michigan next week. Over all, it was a good - low key - way to mark another year earned.

Interestingly enough, several big events are conspriring to sync up this week. Not only have I just turned 36, but I’ve initiated another home ReFi, the office is being moved into a new (larger, nicer) space, and I have my trip to Michigan. I love how weeks and weeks can go by without anything new or interesting happening … then they all decide to happen at once!

It keeps me on my toes.

Hey, this is my Birthday-Eve! I turn 36 years old, tomorrow. Cool, huh?

I look into the mirror and see grey hair in my beard. It bothered me a (very) little bit at first. Then it occurred to me … I earned those! Every grey hair and every wrinkle and every day I’m still here is earned. I deserve a little credit for that.

I always get (even more) introspective around my birthdays. Am I where I thought I’d be at this age? No. Am I doing as well as I would have hoped? No. Am I doing as poorly as I feared I might? No. Am I still pluggin away, doing pretty good, and certainly better then last year? Yes. So, there has been forward progress - and that’s not bad.

Thirty-Six. Weird. I still feel eight (8) when dealing with other people and maybe twelve (12) when playing around online or watching cartoons. The body ages, but the little boy inside wanders around forever.