Are you ready for some football?

I went to the Monday Night Football game in Landover, MD last night and was among the disappointed fans who saw the Redskins get filleted by the Eagles. The game was so bad that the highlight of the evening happened in our section and was far more entertaining than the game. This is a sad state of affairs, especially when you find out what I am talking about. Read on.

In the 3rd quarter, 4 Redskins fans (I would have preferred that they were Eagles fans in this story, but alas they were not) caused a bit of a stir. Two fans, also Skins fans, departed their seats to go grab some frosty beverages. One of the aforementioned Gang of Four took this opportunity to relieve himself on the vacant seats. Yes, he peed in the stands. He managed to do this without any attention from the surrounding fans who were engaged in the game. Well, almost managed, because a young woman in front of them turned around and witnessed the exposed anatomy and stream of urine.

Soon after, the fans returned to their seats, where they were informed by the young woman of the events that had transpired in their absence. Needless to say, this was "discussed", and at length. I had a Philly fan next to me that was appalled by the events and I never thought I would see a Philly fan upset at anything that happened at a game. If you know Eagles fans, this might make more sense.

Regardless, this whole affair transpired less than 4 feet away, so I had a front row seat. Security was summoned and the 4 a-holes moved to another part of the section. Unfortunately for them, there was no lack of people willing to point them out to Security and all four were removed.

Yes, this was far more engaging than the game, which puts this season in a new light. I took young Trey McCormick to the game with me, but I never mentioned this to him and I don't know if he picked up on the events beyond the fact that 10 people were yelling at each other for an entire quarter of play.

The funniest line of the "discussion" came from one of the 2 victims when asked by his girlfriend why he didn't just kick their asses. He replied that he "wasn't going to get locked up in PG County". A wise man indeed.

Lumbees and Knives

Last Friday night, Tracy and I went to a local bar to hear some live music, enjoy some satisfying beverages and engage in a little adult conversation. While there, we were introduced to a couple we hadn't met before. After a round of introductions, the common ground of North Carolina was quickly established. After revealing that I had a brother who live in Lumberton, the female half of the new couple revealed that she was a member of the Lumberton police force for three years when she also lived in Lumberton. She didn't seem to exude any sort of law enforcement aura, but I paid that no mind and the evening continued.

Later that evening, I was twirling a butter knife in my hand when she piped up and asked someone to take it away from me. When asked why, she declared that there was nothing worse that a Lum with a knife. At this moment, I realized that she had lived in Robeson County because she knew. How else would she arrive at this venerable truth?

Operating System Venn Diagram

The following diagram is not my invention, but has stuck with me since I saw it. I think that this perfectly describes the the three major consumer operating systems in use today. Each of the choices touch two of the major characteristics of an operating system.


A quick look at the diagram will tell you what kind of user you are. Note that the very center portion of the diagram cannot be currently achieved. It's a genuine question whether or not the center portion is even a goal. For example, look at the Linux cross sections in the diagram above. I realize that it sounds counter-intuitive, but Linux users do not want an operating system that is easy to use. Power and control are disproportional to ease of use and these types of users are all about power at any cost. Another example; Mac users are deprived of a great deal of customization in the interest of a uniform interface. If you allow customization, then you complicate the user interface and it becomes less easy.

Ever get the feeling you don't fit in?

Lately I have. Computers, Networks, Communications; These topics are very near and dear to my heart and represent the one of the few areas in which I can confidently speak as an expert. The thing that makes me somewhat uneasy is that what I consider a quality product in these areas has proven to be exactly what Joe Public does not want.

It is a little disconcerting to use and interact with certain products or environments that you feel are clearly superior, only to watch them suffer horrible deaths in the marketplace.

Product	Public Perception	Denny
Windows	Most widely used operating system in the world.	The lowest quality operating system ever built.
Macintosh	Easiest to use operating system in the world.	Looks great, but suffers horribly from a designed lack of customization. Apple's way or the highway.
Linux	Never heard of it.	Greatest operating system ever built.
iPhone	Greatest telephone ever made.	Walled garden. Great so long as you don't mind the handcuffs.
Palm Pre	Taking in the Marketplace	The greatest communication device build by man.

The list goes on and on. Always living life on the sidelines.