The History of Computer Data Storage
The history of computer data storage, in pictures. I’ve used punched tape at work on a daily basis. I’m not kidding.
Goodbye, goodbye again
Perhaps solely to prove me wrong, my subconscious decided to have a dream last night, although it was work-related, and therefore mundane. Right now I’m at Logan International — so far their musical selection has been underwhelming (Don Henley, Journey) — on my way back to adventure on the high seas. I promise I won’t miss your wedding, Chris.
Abandon all logic ye who enter here
Detailed descriptions of one’s dreams ought to join politics and religion on the comprehensive list of taboo topics for polite conversation, let alone topics for cocktail parties, which must be designed ostensibly to inform (but actually to impress). Nevertheless I feel it important to mention that I have come across a rather compelling reason to explain why I will never be a Person of Note.
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O brave new world, that has such people in’t!
Is the refusal to accept progress a sudden decision, or a gradual one? Will you wake up one day, and over a bowl of soggy corn flakes (or, later in life, bran flakes) say to yourself, “no longer will I learn new things about the world, no further will I expand my mind, no more improvement?” What in the human mind prevents us from remaining as flexible as our successors? Baby boomers and older throw up their hands in bewilderment as we kids deftly navigate the ever-expanding and ever-interconnecting web of technologies — obviously these advances came after their tolerance for gadgetry disappeared. But for those of us at the leading edge of Generation Y, the ubiquity of the Internet was not always a facet of our existence. Will our adaptability thus far prepare us for future change? Or will we too succumb to nostalgia and complacency?
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I caught you a del.icio.us bass
Recipe for the perfect day after weeks of confinement:
- 12 hours sleep
- 3 new shirts
- 1 award-winning African film at the Naro
- 2 additional hours of food and fun with Chris, Katie and friends
Work tomorrow, but the rest of the weekend is all mine.
Company by Max Barry
In college a friend introduced me to the strangely addictive NationStates, an online game loosely related to Barry’s previous novel, Jennifer Government. I had enjoyed Barry’s humorous capitalist dystopia, so when I saw Company, emblazoned with a partially-consumed doughnut, upon the new fiction shelves at B&N, I had to read it.
The author takes his predilection for corporate intrigue to new heights, limiting the novel’s scope to a single company, and aside from a few anecdotes, to a single employee. Although the office humor doesn’t stand up to genre leaders Office Space or The Office, Company is a fun (and quick) read; Barry’s writing is concise and clever, and his characters are enjoyably quirky. The novel is best, however, when it leaves the mundanity of normal office life for the conspiracy and scheming of Zephyr Holdings. Unfortunately, just when things are getting thoroughly bizarre, Company abruptly ends without a satisfying denouement to bring closure to the protagonist-antagonist relationship.
Though a sketch of a novel, Company, along with Barry’s other work, is a welcome addition to the underrepresented genre of business fiction.
Easily bemused
- I watched Annie Hall yesterday. It was brilliant.
- I wish there were commonly-understood gender-neutral pronouns, titles and honorifics. Sometimes you can’t tell from the name.
- Among other things, I want to record some songs this weekend. Unfortunately I haven’t written any songs, so I’ll probably cover something.
- Being clever is a full-time occupation with bad pay and minimal benefits. The only thing keeping me from quitting is the dismal job market.
I swear that wasn’t a publicity stunt
I’m having trouble relating my current experiences to reality. It’s not that life on the ship is surreal, it’s merely that life on the ship is so completely separate and different from the activities to which I am accustomed. My job doesn’t really present insurmountable challenges (what I do is really quite mundane), but I find it difficult to apply great effort towards achieving success, if that is at all possible or desirable.
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Escape
I’ve had to reject invites for three super bowl parties, thanks to the navy.
I’m going to go rent some movies or something, since I haven’t gotten around to Netflix yet.
