Friday, December 17, 2010

Drink. Start a Facebook post. Then realize you have a blog entry.

About half an hour ago I started typing up a Facebook update. As I finished it, I realized, "Shit, this is really a blog entry. Why don't I just copy it, paste it into my blog, add a bit of a preamble, and then post the fucker?"

That being said, let me say this (and a little of that):

I don't remember when I started, but I've been listening to the audio books of Stephen King in chronological order. It's been about 6 months. I think. If you really want to know when I REALLY started, then think on this:

  • I have a 30 min subway ride, one-way, twice per day.
  • I listen to the books in the AM (the mikeomearashow.com rules my PMs!)
  • Occasionally, and by that I mean rarely (really, like once every blue moon), I skip a day, as I might have enjoyed too many liquids the night before.
  • I've been listening to them in order, King and Bachman titles alike, minus non-fiction, Dark Tower books and comic books/movie scripts.
  • Based on the above facts and where I currently am (see a couple lines below) you'll be able to figure out when I really started.
I'm currently enjoying "Christine." I'm less than 1/3 of the way and I'm in love. Actually, I was in love with it after maybe 4 chapters. I forgot how good this book is.

I had the same feeling while listening to "The Running Man," and with that one, I had almost forgotten 90% of the story, thanks to Ahnold and Richard Dawson. It's really fucking good. And I use that word with all sincerity.

"Rereading" the books I started reading as an early teen (and I was HOOKED then) is enlightening on so many levels.

Thanks, Pop, for handing me "Firestarter" when I was about 11. Or 12. 13? I really don't remember. All I know is that I've loved horror just about as long as I've loved reading.

Again,

Thanks, Pop.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

A Problem Solved: PC to MAC Angst...

I've always been a PC person but switched to Mac about 2.5 years ago when I started my current gig. It was surprisingly easy to make the switch and I really had no complaints.

Except one:
I missed the "Home" and "End" button functionality. When in Windows and editing a file with multiple lines of text, these buttons will take you to the start or end, respectively, of the line on which the cursor sits. On a Mac, these buttons take you to the start or the end of the file. Bart no like.

Since my switch, I've always hated this. I have a coworker who consistently tells me that the same result can be had by using the up/down arrows on the keyboard. "Works every time," he says. Well, it works every time there is only one line of text, otherwise it just moves the cursor up or down the lines. Not helpful and he still tries to tell me this when I bemoan my fate.

Last Friday, another coworker clued me in, and I'm really surprised that it's taken this long for the information to get to me. So, allow me to elucidate:

When your cursor is on a line of text and you want to jump to the start or end of that particular line, then click CMD+<- or CMD+-> (left arrow, right arrow), respectively. Simple, really, and I'm again surprised that no one told me sooner. Same functionality as the Home and End buttons on a PC.

Genius! Now, I'm back at 100% effectiveness. ;)