Sigh

It's days like this, where I'm an hour and a half into the workday and all I have to show for it are hung programs, computer glitches, and delayed files, that I really wish I could just stay home. Or use a mac at work. Or something.

The worst part is that my file is pretty long today, and I'd really just like to be able to start it, thank-you-very-much, and not go through the headache of computer problems right now. Especially not on my almost-brand-new computer.

Gah!

Sometimes, people are dumb

Why is it that in all the shows and movies I've watched lately that have mind-readers (okay, one movie and one TV show), the phrase, "I guess we fooled him" comes up? I mean, the guy's a mind-reader. The whole point is that you can't fool him, because he reads minds! And you know that! You foolish, foolish people!

When dealing with a mind reader, always, always assume that they know everything you do, and now it's time to play to their own self-interest. You can't fool them, you can't trick them, you can only make them want the same thing you do!

October in books

It's the end of the month, and you know what that means: it's time for Julie's book review!

( 39. Up for Renewal: What Magazines Taught Me About Love, Sex, and Starting Over, Cathy Alter )

( 40. Napoleon's Privates: 2,500 Years of History Unzipped, Tony Perrottet )

( 41. Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It: No schedules, no meetings, no joke -- the simple change that can make your job terrific, Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson )

( 42. The Power of Giving: How Giving Back Enriches Us All, Azim Jamal and Harvey McKinnon )

( 43. Shutter Island, Dennis Lehane )

Grab bag of links

We're coming fast and furious this week, apparently.

1. Hacking Google: Turning a search engine into an MP3 downloader -- a little bit of code that lets you search for downloadable MP3s with Google. Not that I condone piracy or anything. (@ Haywire Hacking)

2. Time discounting -- Quick: would you rather have $100 (inflation-adjusted) in exactly one year or $80 today? If you're like most people, you picked the $80. The reason (and a few other effects) behind the link. (@ Productivity 501)

3. Me and Goji -- a commercial site where you can design your own muesli or granola mix. Nifty idea, though I haven't personally tried it out.

4. Creative photo manipulations by LSD s.r.l. (pictures) -- some really cool pictures here. Some seem to be intended for ads, but all of them are just high quality pictures that make you pause and go, "Hmm." (@ Toxel.com)

5. The great American detour (48-minute video) -- the premise is simple: 20 days, 10 buses to locations that generally fly under the radar of American consciousness. Along they way, they meet interesting characters, visit cities with a story (everything from the most toxic city in America to a college offering free tuition), and manage to throw in high production quality to boot.

6. The simple joy of a beating heart -- when you're 12 weeks pregnant and have already had one miscarriage, the beating heart of your unborn baby is the greatest joy in the world. (@ Zenhabits)

7. Want a free education? -- a guide to some online video lecture sites, from TED (a personal favourite) to fora.tv and edge.org. I haven't checked out anything but TED, but they're now on my list. (@ The Boston Globe)