Sourcing Disgust(ing Behavior)

Wondering where disgusting behavior comes from (usually meaning a lack of civility and/or penchant for misdirected linguistic abuse, but also general grossness, like someone snorting snot at you during lap swim when they know you're there), I came up with this typology:

Sources of Disgusting Behavior

a) Nature - i.e., Some people are just disgusting and it's too unnatural for them to change.

b) Environmental Reflection - The world gives hell, and some people insist on reflecting it back without restraint for their own catharsis or lack of a 'filtery' or 'spongey' quality.

c) Psychological Warfare - This is pretty common. Get someone's head down for sadistic kicks or a dominant position.

Lest this list not appear exhaustive, art, for instance, or humor, can fit partially into multiple categories.


a resource for the next witnessing, like once I step outside.

Porn and a Workable Alternative

Nuclear proliferation is suicide. It's not just the weapons, but energy production, as they're not exclusive of one another. Alas, I tend to support nuclear energy because, here in the U.S. at least, the alternative isn't realizable in the sense that I could imagine it being that way, with the others involved. And I couldn't imagine wanting to put up with the alternative (supposing I had a choice).

So I'm with the peace-niks and environmentalists in spirit (and in some ways more), but their persistent lack of a plan grounded in what is realizable, their dogmatic ideas emphasizing both a rejection of the status quo and a baseless vision of the future makes me think, 'Yeah, let's expand capacity at a few of the existing plants and consider options for a few more standardized ones.' (like the French)

Alas, this isn't about nukes.

I'm reading an old letter from a woman I used to know. She categorically rejected porn. As I was and am ambivalent (like I am about nukes), I mostly listened. I'm not sure her argument had a core, because for some reason I think I would have remembered.

She's had a big influence on me. I paid (and pay) attention to her thoughts and feelings.

When I do feel like countering her, I come to this same place:

Porn is pretty damn honest

...more so than prostitution even. How many women know of their partners' visits to prostitutes?

But I wasn't even going that far. I was thinking about normal hetero- dating and marriage. The deceit and betrayal and covert histories and intentions and exchanges couldn't be overemphasized. But most of our (species') porn is pretty damn honest.

Like for the peaceniks and environmentalists, I would have liked to hear her alternative.

Death to the Ipod

woz says they'll die from oversupply:

http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/10/09/036212

i think they should go via their proprietary nature - the same way apple was beaten by microsoft in the pc world, even though their product was superior. ok, i'm sure this ipod rant isn't new, but it's new to me.

i've just started using one, maybe a few days ago. i've been using the el-cheapo 1gb no-frills flash memory variety for a while. all told, i like the cheapies better for these reasons:

1. no hard drive or video gadgetry = longer battery life
2. replaceable battery!
3. fewer features = simpler to operate
4. smaller, lighter, and you can drop one and they'll still work
5. no extra software required (read: itunes!)
6. you can actually transfer files back-and-forth with a computer

...so what's wrong with the ipod?
(other than the afore mentioned)

problem #1) if you copy files off your ipod (which it's not designed for), you cannot easily recognize each file. imagine 'heartbreak hotel.mp3' as 'XDYB.MP3'. that's what the ipod does! ergo, you also can't choose which files you back-up or copy without scanning through 20gb of randomly organized folders in list view. oy vey! maybe these funky files work with the windows search function, but i haven't tried it yet. i shouldn't have to.

problem #2) if you accidentally add the same file twice in itunes, itunes can't tell the difference and will happily (and needlessly) duplicate the file on your ipod. this is really bad when you add files to a folder, then add the folder to your library. itunes' library should be smart enough to know to just take the new files.

problem #3) if you move a file in your library (a library is just a list of where your mp3's and other media files are stored OFF your ipod, to which the ipod synchronizes), itunes can't find the file. among other banes, this means itunes CAN'T PLAY YOUR FILES, even though they're still present. you have to manually link to your moved file. there's an option to consolidate your library, but this means duplicating your archive, which is a waste of space and makes for messy housekeeping. of course, you can still play the files on your ipod, but woe is you to assume they're still on your computer, or that you can play them there.

problem #4) who wants to use software connected to a store? i won't even run itunes if i have an internet connection, and i'm skeptical as to whether background processes are running when i do. i hope not.

...there are other problems, but these are the biggies i've come across so far - troublesome enough to where i wouldn't buy an ipod.

if i've stated anything factually incorrect, or don't understand some functionality, please correct me!

in the meantime, as a long-time portable media user, ipods are a sad disappoint as an unrealized potential. they're solid, quality devices, despite how they work (if that makes any sense).