Wednesday, September 10, 2003
You can thank Jerome for this one; I'm posting it about 16 hours ahead of schedule, but I've got another one in the queue behind it so I have to rush things along — check out his website some time tomorrow afternoon or evening for even more if you like what you see below:
Other than that, I'm pounding through getting this new computer all set up. I figure it's about twenty hours of work. Probably not a bad thing as I'm feeling a bit sick right now. One of the things that I think is hard for people to understand (as in empathize with, not “get”) is just what it's like to live without a real memory; but try and imagine what it would be like if your entire world was defined by what had happened in the last 72 hours (if you're lucky; most days I only really know what I did in the morning because I've written “triggers” to my IAM page).
It's weird. I can tell stories about what happened long ago, but they're really just stories. I mean, I know the stories, but I could also tell you the story of what happened in Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan and have about as much emotional attachment to it as my own life. There are a few exceptions, moments that shatter through the veil, but some days it's wonderful, and some days it's really hard to be so living in the moment. I really enjoyed Memento, and it was funny to see, “hey, I do that”, but really it feels more like being a replicant desperately clutching his little stack of photos that aren't even of his own life.
You remember the spider that lived in a bush outside your window: orange body, green legs. Watched her build a web all summer. Then one day there was a big egg in it. The egg hatched...
The egg hatched, and a hundred baby spiders came out.
And they ate her.
Implants! Those aren't your memories. They're somebody else's.
I think if I could change anything about the way I am, maybe I'd like to have my memory back.
Wednesday, September 10, 2003
I've posted a second update for today; this time an experience update. Not quite as giant though, but still more than enough to keep you busy (I'm guessing people are wrapped up in back to school issues). Thank you as always to the review team and the authors.
I've also added a new column — it's not really a column so much as a short letter, an open letter to employers letting them know why they should hire the modified. You can click here to see it if you'd like.
To whom it may concern,
There's been a lot of attention paid lately to people with piercings and tattoos. You may even be getting pressure not to hire (or even to fire) these people from a small percentage of your customers or even higher management, or to enact dress codes that ban these artforms. Both as an expert in these fields and as a successful business owner, I'd like to briefly tell you why this may not be a good decision purely from an objective business point of view.
Employees generate income for a business both by the work that they do, and by the interaction they have with your customers — and yes, this does of course include their appearance. In order to achieve this, it boils down to having employees that feel good about working for you, and make others feel good about doing business with you.
(more)
Well, now I'm off to start working on tomorrow's update as well as Friday's. I wish I was kidding, but I'm not… There's a lot of good stuff in the queue though.
Wednesday, September 10, 2003
| Do we not deserve more than this?
It seems that good old fashioned common sense has gone on holiday. Perhaps to join honesty, cleanliness, decency, courtesy and politeness, all unknown qualities to our young and some of those not so young.
Is it because we have a Government that uses more tricks than a music hall magician to impress us when none of us believe them anyway? Or is it our judicial system that is so detached from reality, it is a farce?
Perhaps it's because our local government seems hall bent on spending vast amounts of our money on things of no account (sic) while ignoring the things important to our well being? You might compare it all to 'if the car looks a scrap heap… buy a shiny light for it.'
Or do we deserve little else? A huge number of our citizens are foul mouthes and discard litter like confetti. They hold world records for the number of 'F' words in one sentence and believe that agression is the best defence against honesty and politeness. Then they believe themselves badly done to and teach their little ones to be even worse than they are.
A look about town reveals a sad lot – if only they could see themselves as they truly are. Sloppy sports clothes, dirty trainers, bare and wobbly midriffs with rings through their goodness knows what and tattoos to advertise their own lack of respect for their own bodies.
As I say, 'a bright shiny light'…
HA Rotheram |
The letter on the right was written to Bear's local paper, the Wirral Globe, and awarded “Letter of the Week”, published today. The email address for their editorial department is globe.editorial@wirral-globe.co.uk; below is the letter I sent them verbatim:
Sir,
Would you please remind Mr. HA Rotheram that Sir Winston Churhill's mother was tattooed with a dragon around her wrist. Surely he does not have the shortsightedness to confuse manners and decency with fashion.
With all due respect, the problem in this world is not HOW people express themselves but WHAT they choose to express. Myself, I would rather be a productive and happy member of society — with a tattoo — than some whiney old biotch like HA Rotheram.
Sincerely,
Lord Shannon of Larratt
Wednesday, September 10, 2003
Just got added a few minutes ago:
…and back in stock for now (they go fast):
Wednesday, September 10, 2003
Razoreater's latest has been sent on over to Ryan (comments go here regarding color choices and so on). I should also mention that the Madame BME shirts made it in for those that were waiting for it. Oh, and before you have some Swastika freakout, please consider reading this first.
