March 29th, 2010
Lately I have been wanting to write. Like, a lot, more than usual.
Normally I take out this kind of inclination on a writing forum I am a (disturbingly) active member on, but recently I have been a little reluctant to post there, possibly because current ideas are going vastly beyond the scope of the boards and I really don’t want them to have to deal with me. Besides which, I have a certain level of power there and so I feel more responsible for peacekeeping than enjoying myself.
But that, my beloved audience, in neither here nor there. The problem is the usual one, I want to write and then I suffer author’s ADD and cannot write anything that makes sense.
I have always had a lot of trouble focusing my writing into that razor point that fiction demands. I write vignettes like a fiend, and have had many a haiku phase (despite the fact that I am incapable of writing poetry that doesn’t make me embarrassed to show my face after a few months) but writing anything longer than four or five pages and I lose steam and/or inspiration. It’s maddening, though I suppose the alternative is almost as bad. I mean, god, I do not want to be one of those twenty-somethings with a novel. Honestly, I’m a philosopher. But I’m also a writer and it’s weird that despite the volume of writing I do not of it ever amounts to anything.
I have, for the past year become a raving Bret Easton Ellis fan, and I feel like his writing style is where mine would go if I earned my Attention Span Girl Guide Merit Badge. Sort of incoherent and scary because its dishevelled. My mother (yes internet, she also thinks I’m cool) has often told me my best writing is blog-style writing. This from the hip informality I’m currently taking now, yes, right this very second. And she may be on to something, my so called “polished” writing gets this really plastic feel to it.
Or, not even, what’s a goth word for plastic? Uhm… vinyl? Whatever, its this fake macabre stuff that every half assed eye liner wearing bugger vomits out when she’s feeling her emo tears getting heavy. I lose my charm when I don’t just vomit this stuff out as I go. Charm of course being that rough, snarly sort of personality that draws everyone to me. It’s why maybe if I wasn’t so disdainful maybe journalism would accept me for who I am.
Still no layout on this place. Hurrrrr.
Tags: bret easton ellis, charm, haiku, i am so fucking goth, i am using the internet because i can, i loathe poetry, layout, merit badge, polished, serious diseases, twenty-somethings, vignettes, writin
Posted in LITERARY | No Comments »
March 4th, 2010
Of course what I’m talking about is the migration of cheap trendies from their Macbooks and lattes to their grande cappuccinos and Ubuntu. It’s not like this is something I have a problem with, or that prevents me sleeping at night, but I find it an interesting little social experiment, and really, I want to blog about weirdo Linux culture to mark my first real day on Linux.com.
Mac has really come a long way. From being the sorry company that created the Pippin in hopes that we would somehow be able to force fun out of that little box to this supergiant that markets cool in a terrifyingly effective manner many of us can only stand in awe of it in some ways. I wish myself and my bulky HP could sit in Starbucks and look as awesome. Alas, we are not sleek and streamlined, and so we look like what we are — huge nerds who want a cheap coffee and free Wifi. (Cheap coffee perhaps less at Starbucks).
And being a university student in a Philosophy/Computer Science double major I see more than my share of tight pant wearing, American Apparel stalking artsie hipsters to give me dramatic (traumatic) insight into their culture. And what they want is something edgy and ‘different’ and they have found a new god at Canonical. After all, what kind of self respecting student can afford a Macbook — I can hardly afford the noodle cups that keep me alive.
The interesting movement in this trend is that is a whole influx of un-computer-savvy people all suddenly migrating into the world of Linux. A land of command lines and thirty new and special ways to render your computer completely unusable. Thankfully the Ubuntu community is solid gold when it comes to the dreaded combo of ‘Linux’ and ‘people skills’. I find it truly awe inspiring.
Obviously, as far as the freedom community is concerned this is a blessing, we’ve stopped being completely hidden behind Mac and Windows and are starting to see the light, however, I am curious as to how this is going to affect the development of Linux software. Could it be with new people who ‘just want it to effing work’ that there will be more attention paid to desktop software running effectively? Things like syncing music collections, and playing DVDs becoming more streamlined?
Really, I only ask this because an acquaintance of mine who just decided to install Ubuntu on his laptop, and kiss Windows ‘good bye’ asked me what it’s going to take to get an office suite with a decent spell checker… uh oh.
Tags: canonical, hipsters, i am using the internet because i can, macbook, not all that cool, pippin, starbucks, trendies, ubuntu, yay windows
Posted in LINUX | 1 Comment »
February 23rd, 2010
My laptop has always been of the sexy Turion64 variety. But my Windows was shipped with a 32 bit operating system, and so, despite moving into Linux-Fedora territory I have never adventured into the land of 64 bit. (Mostly because it always seemed more buggy than did it’s 32 bit cousins). But now that Fedora 12 and its PAE have let me and my one gig of RAM down completely I feel as though it is time for Syd’s next great step. And I’m backing up.
Right now, for me, two important things that seem to be missing from my Linux experience are that my tablet seems to be no more useful for drawing than taking a sharpie to my monitor, and, for the love of all that is holy… I want my Nvidia drivers with 3D support back. I appreciate that nouveau does great work. And they are a free company and everything is squishy. But my laptop feels like it’s stuck in 2004 thanks to them.
So, let’s see if I can install a new OS without death befalling me. If this fails I’m dual booting with the Big W (And yes, Linus Torvalds, that is a threat).
Tags: linus torvalds, nvidia drivers, pae must die, sharpie, syd, wacom, when i'm 64, windows
Posted in LINUX | No Comments »
February 9th, 2010
I’m thinking of taking some of the “highlights” from Empty Cage and posting them here. It’ll make for weird arse continuity, since the blog was started last month, but hey, pay no attention to that woman behind the curtain. Plus, there are quite a few posts there that would fit in better here since they’re more about thoughts then ‘i am using the internet because I can’
Maybe with a referencing system.
Christ my web network is getting more and more intricate every stupid day.
Tags: bending laws of time and space, continuity, curtains, empty cage, highlights, i am using the internet because i can, sports reel, trip
Posted in WEBSITE | No Comments »
January 29th, 2010
Every single year on my birthday I take to the internet for some brief lonely reflection on the year that has passed me by. I usually do this one one of my thirty million blogs, and so, if I may, I’ll dub this Mad Hattery’s first blog of me being an old coot full of traditionality et cetera. It’s strange trying to look at a year as to how it treated you. Given my deep phobia of time in general it’s weird that I’d do something like this. But I’m digressing because I don’t want to do homework.
Twenty was a good year. Way more laid back than 19 which was like being shot out of a cannon in about a hundred different ways. Things got done at twenty, decisions were made, plans were laid and I finally got a bit of a glimpse at what I wanted to be when I grew up. I may not have been gallivanting across Europe like an heiress, but I worked my ass of and am starting to love the idea of learning again after breaking out of the deathly boring classes that made up my first year.
Twenty was the growth of maturity needed to get me through the rest of my life, and despite the mountains of neuroses I still nurse I think my twentieth year was one that chilled me out immensely. I stopped hiding out in the whole “I am miserable,” and gave myself a nice forward thinking “I probably hate you, but I’m sure you’ll get over it,” attitude towards others. It’s working, and though I’ve alienated a hell of a lot of people who I used to be close to with this attitude I feel way less exposed to the elements this way. Or at least weird. I’m happier fuck ‘em.
Tags: direction, fuck 'em, happier, happy birthday, maturity
Posted in PERSONAL | No Comments »
January 24th, 2010
I’m now a Philosophy/Computer Science double major, and I’m telling everyone. I am so happy with this combo!
Tags: computer science, double major, philosophy, skool
Posted in UNIVERSITY | No Comments »
January 8th, 2010
I think I’ve probably made it pretty obvious by now that I am a lazy web designer if not properly kicked into action either by guilt or exclusively due to complete indignation. I’ve been known to approach websites in waves, and get extremely hung up in the design phase. This probably explains why Hattery has been sporting the always svelte Kubrick layout for over a week now. I was sort of on to something at one point, but got crippled when I realized I left the navigation out.
So, I decided a post that involved an excuse was in order while I stall my way through getting something halfway to decent up on these fine internets. To be fair, the two other domains that moved onto my hosting onto the Christmas Break (that being Amber and Emma’s websites) have both also not yet emerged, so I’m not the only slow butterfly in the family.
As for another excuse, I also started classes this week and have been forced to run around the University of Ottawa’s campus like a maniac for a few days. I’m trying to think of more excuses but I’m at a loss. I also have to get a bus pass which reminds me of a rant that I feel bubbling in my stomach on those cold Ottawa mornings when I have to wait for the number five bus to trumdle along.
I am starting to suspect there is no 5.
Tags: design is for losers, excuses excuses, i should be kicked, kubrick, mad hattery, slow butterfly
Posted in WEBSITE | No Comments »