Tag Archives: philosophy

Fearful of Productivity, Proud of Inaction

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There is nothing stopping me from writing but myself. Not one little thought exists that has such a persuasive pull as to jerk me from my keyboard (physical or otherwise). It’s only me. Little introverted me that continuously stops my creative flow.

It saddens me. I have so much I want to say yet nothing is written. In my head I see myself stall. I’ll look straight ahead, think “We’re going to write”, and then…nothing. I never get past the thought. I never start writing or brainstorming. I just stop.

Sometimes I’ll distract myself. Usually I just do nothing. I stare straight ahead and keep staring. I stare at points that don’t exist, willing them to apparate, waiting for anything to break my concentration.

The energy I use thinking about writing is inevitably diverted to non productive gestures. It’s funneled, pruned, puréed, and expunged. I just stare and stare till my eyes sting and my forehead creases.

Then I give up. I find something easy to do and forget my urge to write. I push it down and away. Disowned, abandoned, forgotten.

Better to remember a past without failed attempts. Better for my heart, not for my soul.

And so nothing is written, nothing is said, nothing is shared. My eyes burn, my mind churns.

Thankfully I’ve saved myself the shame of failure. The only cost was passivity. Inert and unproductive, yet wildly successful.

No Operating System Is Perfect

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Often I am asked what is better: Mac or PC? In my earlier years I would stubbornly argue for the PC, spouting off various facts, opinions disguised as facts, and general rhetoric to insure my point was proven.

In 2007 I made the switch to Mac. Now when the question was posed I would argue in favor of Mac, leverage Apple’s ad campaigns, rely on hardware aesthetics, and repeat ad nauseum the mantra ‘It just works!’

It has taken me a solid amount of time to arrive at an answer that makes me feel comfortable and confident: now when asked, “What’s better?” I reply with the wonderfully abstract and accurate answer of: “Depends on the user.”

Presently there is no OS that is objectively better than another. Each have their advantages and disadvantages, and those who believe that one’s subjective opinion of the quality of their preferred OS as a whole is better than another is naive. For when speaking of ‘better-ness’ one is dealing in opinion and judgement, a quality that is near impossible to objectively quantify. To assume that one’s preference leads to a marked objective improvement in quality is blinding themselves from flaws in the OS that may be reproachable to another.

I can understand the sport to argue who may wear the ‘crown’ of operating systems – yet a sport is what it must remain. Just as one may argue to another that apple’s are better than bananas, anything past sport and play is simple silliness. What must be retained throughout discourse is the shared property of ‘fruit’ that both an apple and banana share. Same for Mac OS X and Windows 7: they are both operating systems running on Intel CPUs.

In writing this post I do not wish to merely scold but to free as well.

For a long time I have been running a vanilla copy of Snow Leopard, content to use what Apple has provided. I was under the illusion that everything I could need or want has already been included, leaving me free to show concern to other interests.

It is only until late that I realized I should not suffer through the oddities I have found in Snow Leopard that clash with my workflow. The first huge source of friction I would continuously encounter is the behavior of the green ‘Zoom’ button found on every window. Rather than enlarge the window to use the entire foreground space it would reshape the window to odd sizes, sometimes reducing its size. With a simple search through Google I came upon a freeware utility titled ‘Right Zoom’ that replaces the behavior of the Zoom button to that which I desire. Now my green Zoom button maximizes the window, increasing my workflow and improving my OS experience.

There is no perfect operating system. One must strive for their own individual optimal operating system experience – be it Windows, Mac, Linux, or other. To blindly state that one is better than another reveals naivety and may lead to a mis-match of OS to user. The best way to answer such a question is to learn about the user and their needs. From there one may suggest an option, and never before.

The Human Condition (or I Hate Being Human)

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Attention: The views expressed below are not wholly descriptive of my own, they retain an expository style meant to impart the feelings contained.

I hate being human. I realized this suddenly and strongly the other day. I also realized it with a sigh of relief: it may well be the answer to my – if not everyone’s – problem that is the human condition.

What is the human condition? It’s that feeling which always seems to lie just on the periphery of one’s consciousness – drifting into and out of one’s comprehension. At times the dilemma is clear and daunting – at other times distant and vague. There are times when it evenly straddles both realms, leaving confusion and unease in its wake, forcing sleepless nights with thought upon thought stampeding throughout the mind.

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Music

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Music, the conscious arrangement of sound. It’s as old as us. Music is in our bones. It’s in our hearts. Be it rain hitting a gutter or a harp being strummed: music is universal.

Yet there are so many different types of music. No piece exactly like another, each as individual as the snowflake we usually use to describe a person. The myriad possible combinations of arranged sound afford us the luxury that originality will never be exhausted. What joy I take from such truth – from such assurance.

And what of those musical permutations? To each mood a melody can accent and make flush with color. The strike of a piano key when played on a sunny day can create an unnatural brightness that is unabashedly welcome. The repeated striking of piano keys can put a grin on your face so wide that it would hurt if not rested. And what a welcome pain that would be.

Yet these moods and tunes are perfect compliments. Just as peanut butter and jelly is an eternal marriage so too is music and emotion. And to those who object to the union I implore you to inspect the silence you hear and see how its silent harmony warms your blood.

For every human has a song that is played in their heart. Be it a symphony or rustling wind, music will always be with you. It will hold your hand as you longingly gaze into the infinite horizon. It will squeeze tight as you wonder thoughts without answers. And it will keep you warm as the wind chills your arms – the goosebumps remaining a reminder of your peace.

And how can one song fit one mood for one person? Can two share such an experience – despite distance? As one lies on a beach in California one dives into the Mediterranean Sea, each hears the relaxing crash of waves. Their breathing slows and their heartbeat eases, relaxing under the dry sky and listening to its chaotic rhythm.

Must the language of a song be the same as your native tongue? Can an opera created in Italy evoke a similar reaction to its performance in Peru? Without translation the audience gasps and jumps as if they were natural speakers. The eerie transcendence of an opera’s performance is conducted with ease and grace.

Yet from day to day you decide the soundtrack that accompanies you. Not only is it hand-selected and voluntarily observed, it is normal and acceptable for music to be with you on your mundane and extraordinary experiences. And later when you rest at home, you’ll hear the same song that was playing when you got gas for your car and you’ll smell the gasoline in your chair. How amazing are these visceral melodies to evoke such resolute memories.

And so I continue on my way, listening all the while. No day can pass devoid of music, no matter its type. The days the sun beats down I fill with tunes of yellow hue. The days the moon shines persistently I bathe in varieties of blue. And the days that my eyes remain closed I hum to myself, keeping myself warm and content in my head.