New Post!

hmm.. my title is rather misleading.  I'm posting to tell you that i've posted elsewhere... does that count?
Awhile back I started a Jerry's Questions http://jerrysquestions.blogspot.com for all the random questions that i've asked Google about and haven't received answers in a timely fashion.  Some of the solutions took me weeks, even months to stumble upon.  Now the majority of the topics are of little interested to most people, but the most recent entry regards the proper use of words 'that' and 'which'.  I thought you might be interested.

My eye!

Its all fun and games until someone looses an eye. Couple weeks back
I was driving a drunken friend home, and during an especially animated
story, I got punched in the eye (by an engagement ring nonetheless).
Too crazy to be true? Believe it. I have 5 lacerations on my eye,
and of course they didn't heal properly so now I have to have Lasik
surgery to fix it. Which may or may not make things worse the doctor
tells me. :( I go under the knife Turkey Eve. Prayers for me and
inappropriate remarks towards her are appreciated. (actually she
feels horrible about the whole thing). I'll be in Romeo for turkey
week, so give me a call if you're in town.

Lying & Dating

'The best policy is always honesty' - Bullshit. Not when it comes
to dating. The trick to dating is to NEVER tell the truth. Now once
you are in a steady relationship the rules change, but as for
dating.. telling the truth will only send the other person packing.
I also don't mean to imply that it is a good idea to tell your date
that you've climbed Mt. Everest twice, or that you are an ex Navy
SEAL. These are factual lies. Validate-able, capable of being
referenced and proven in a court of law.. or a court of your peers.
These are NOT the lies to tell.

The lies I am suggesting are those of emotion. It is of the utmost
importance to NOT seem overly interested in the person you are dating
(even if you are). The truth of life is simple: People want what
they can't have. People desire challenges and whether it is notches
in a belt or on a bedpost, mentally everyone feels accomplished when
they get a date with someone of equal or higher rank on the invisible yet
ever present 'ladder'. What is this ladder i speak of? Well it is
the ladder of social hierarchy of course. It exists whether you like
to admit it or not, and everyone as a general sense as to where they,
and others, are standing on it. The way in which we act, more than
anything, defines where we stand on that ladder. The key to flirting
and dating is to, ever so humbly and kindly, yet distinctly act as
though you reside on a higher rung then then your opponent (your
date). This keeps the game going and the coveting elevated. If
any one side makes themselves TOO available or interested, the game is
no longer any fun.  Furthermore, such openness and vulnerability
silently affirms that the other person is of higher standing and
subsequently that you are at a lower standing which equals less
desirable.   

There are other lies that are necessary too, including any and all
questions about ex-girlfriends/boyfriends. A topic for another
discussion. However, a veteran of game will be smart enough NOT to
ask about ex's. Nothing good can ever come from this, and anything
pertinent will be offered up by the other party.

It's a strange game (dating), one as complicated and strategic as chess.  And like chess, it is something you get better at the more you play.  It fascinates me because it is more of an intuitive game than a purely logical one.  

The Recipe

The 'How to be Trendy in Music' Recipe:

Find an artist that is up and coming. Not too big yet, such that It
has become popular NOT to like them. You want someone that most of
your friends would recognize the name and maybe half could name one
song. THEN (extra trendy recipe secret) make sure you have a list of
3 or 4 of your favorite songs by the artist that are NOT the ones
getting publicity. In fact, if you can find ones that are not on CD
or live only thats perfect. Now you are cool!

Bibdesk or Bookends

I may or may not continue to blog.. but while I have something on my
mind:

I am a large proponent for Latex as a typesetting alternative to MS
word. In fact, with the exception of MS Excel, I have removed all
Microsoft programs from my system. I am currently using Bookends to
sort my PDF's (journal articles, conference papers, etc.) and to
create bibliographies for my publications. Bookends is NOT a free
program after 50 citations have been loaded. It will not be long
until I reach this point. Bibdesk, however, is free and appears to
have the same functionality. Does anyone out there have a preference??