Post Hoc Emo Procter Hoc

I had to go into the office today for the first time in forever. On the 405 north going past Long Beach airport, I was punching buttons on the stereo and U2’s “New Year’s Day” came on. It’s a song I half-like; overplayed, but nice noises. I was thinking how overblown and crummy Bono’s lyrics were. Just as he sang the line “this is the Golden Age, and gold is the reason for the wars we wage”, one of the Air Force’s gigantic new C-17 Globemaster III transport planes loomed out of the haze over me as it left the Boeing facility at the airport, headed out to sea. Soon it will be lugging tanks and guns and scared 19-year-olds to Iraq. Nice MTV moment there, O Demiurge.

My ID card didn’t work at the office and we all made Logan’s Run jokes. Then after some meeting stuff we had a lunch meeting at the Buggy Whip. This is an ancient steakhouse near the L.A. airport that is stuck in 1962. It’s cave dark inside, red leather booths, old waitresses with whisky ‘n’ cigarettes voices. I ate Florida Stone Crab Claws, salad with Green Goddess dressing, and a 22 oz. porterhouse steak with mashed potatoes and spinach. The waitress made gravelly small talk with us. My coworker H. paid since he was taking us out to celebrate his new master’s degree and thank us for covering for him during school times over the last couple years.

I also had to learn the network architecture of our New Big Thing. Fortunately my coworker J., who set all this up, is not only an excellent Internet Roadie who does the networking shit right, but he documented it all meticulously. Thank you J., even more than thank you H. for the pile of meat.

I should have stayed in L.A. and messed around at a record store or something but I came back down through two hours of Hell’s own traffic. Spent $45 on gasoline and a carwash. Went to D’s. I was miserably uncomfortable and upset, and didn’t want to be around my friends at all. I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to kill everyone or have everyone kill me. Social interaction lately is a cigarette. I need it; I light it up; and then it makes me sick and I can’t stand myself for doing it again, and I remind myself it’s bad for me and I should stop. Then I need it…

overdrawn

Watching the iDisk sync on my Mac, i’m alarmed to see it syncing “item 27 of 26”.

Later on, I’m still more alarmed to see it syncing “item 1 of 0”.

This is about the dark matter that makes up the unseen universe, isn’t it?

You’re a three decker sauerkraut and toadstool sandwich with arsenic sauce.

I’ve been kind of a dick lately. Not sure why but I’ve been grouchy, touchy, waspish, more sharp-tongued and critical than I am usually even.

A couple of times in the last week I’ve had very minor confrontations that put me into full fight-or-flight mode. I was able to maintain mostly. Didn’t want to, though! I suppose all this monkeying around with the dopamine mechanism can’t be helping with stuff like that.

I’ve made some pretty rude replies to email too, and my “talking shit on people in an entertaining way” thing just needs to stop; wish I knew how.

It’s a measure of how nice my family and friends are that I very rarely get into any kind of confrontation. Also that I don’t drive 100 miles a day any more. Tomorrow I get to drive into L.A.; that should be good fodder for road rage. Hope I don’t get shot.

On the whole I’d prefer to be saintly. I mean, I’m already celibate. Can’t I be really sweet too?

I set the serif, but I did not kern the Futura

I started futzing with my browser fonts. God help me. Once this begins I go into an OCD frenzy in which everything looks too big, too small, too bold, too faint. I blame Torgo. Anyway, while I’m raging at machines and rubbing my eyes and trying to figure out what hurts the least to look at all day, I thought I’d ask you all what you use. POLL TIME.

Edit: If you answered “Microsoft Comic Sans”, the “see below” means “please kill yourself now”.

I think I’d buy a Hummer if I could have one of these too.

bang

The Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) is mounted on top of a HMMWV and controlled from a command center within the vehicle. This system can mount the M2 50-cal machine gun, the M240 medium machine gun, the MK19 automatic grenade launcher, and the M249 squad automatic weapon in addition to a powerful color day camera, an infrared camera, and a range finder. This system allows the gunner to sit within the armored vehicle and, using a computer screen, control the weapon with the use of a joystick. Prior experience with Xbox desired but not required.

via Defense Tech blog