Into the Void

“MindManager: Linear Thinking takes you straight to the expected.”

Email about using mapping software to create linear procedures for engineering processes.

—– Original Message —–
From: Leslie
Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2008 7:21 PM
Subject: mindthingy

This application is for hierarchies. The design process is linear-sequential. What you need is a simple checklist.

1. Draw preti pixchrs
2. add part nubmers
3. etc

Mind Manager: Linear Thinking takes you straight to the expected.

“Say hello to free-form thinking. Your brain doesn’t process in a linear fashion. Neither does Mindjet. Now you can think visually with dynamic layers of information displayed in a limitless arrangement that lends clarity to any project.”

Ontology software maps interrelationships between objects and concepts in a given domain in ways that aren’t intuitive to a linear-sequential mind. I’m not sure how Mind Manager will help write a procedure because procedures are by definition linear and sequential.

If you want to bring in resources like test equipment or people then a scheduling program like Microsoft Project Standard 2007 is more in order.

I was evaluating different mind mapping software at home. I set it up so that as I ran through my Saturday morning web work it would remind me of related tasks in case I wanted to work by tool or by priority instead of running through them in sequence. As the weeks went on I found I was adding children and siblings and dropping files and links onto it, but the license ran out and I was too cheap to buy it.

Mind mapping software is easier to use from the start of a project. If you input an existing data set and impose a well-thought-out rational structure on it, you’re totally missing the point. The creative process doesn’t have a rational structure. If it did, it would be called engineering. Oh *snap!*

There is a Mind Manager viewer so that users can only view the mind map. Mind Manager also can export to pdf, html, word, ppt, etc.

There are lots of available Mind Manager maps. No matter what you need to do with a mind map, you can probalby adapt an existing map to do what you want.

Don’t forget Microsoft Office templates. I think this one, “To do list for projects,” will work just fine for a test procedure.

I am having serious trouble keeping my debit card in my pocket on this one. I suspect that sometime between now and tomorrow morning I will yield to temptation.

The Chip PC Jack is a computer that fits in a standard electrical outlet. WANT!

A “Thin-Client” computer is one that runs a pared down operating system, in this case Windows CE. That’s the same OS that runs on many PDAs. However, the Chip PC Jack supports a standard keyboard, mouse and monitor. Two monitors, if you want, either VGA or DVI with separate adapter. Many of Microsoft’s productivity apps, i.e. Office, are available for Windows CE.

If you want much Geek Mojo, this is it.

Hey, Girl Scout friends! Now THIS is a knife.

Get one of these bad boys and you can throw away your tool chest, cutlery, fishing tackle box, and corkscrew. Oh, and fire your auto mechanic. It’s all there.

I can’t help it, I love to window shop at amazon.com. I have NO idea what I was looking for when I found this. I was thinking about getting one for hubby for Christmas as a joke.

What’s really strange is that as I was typing this in, hubby came in with the Hammacher catalog. They’re selling one that has every tool Victrinox ever made. It’s about 5 times the width of this (and 5 times the price) and is simply bristling with screwdrivers for hardware that most people will never even see, much less need to tighten.

I recently joined a Facebook group called “I Don’t care How Comfortable Crocs Are, You Look Like A Dumbass” and quickly sent out invitations to like-minded friends.

From: Facebook
Sent: Saturday, August 16, 2008 5:37 AM
To: Jxxxxxx
Subject: Leslie Ellis invited you to join the group “I Dont care How Comfortable Crocs Are, You Look Like A D…

Leslie invited you to join the Facebook group “I Dont care How Comfortable Crocs Are, You Look Like A Dumbass.”.

Leslie says, “These things are a new trend, and preferably worn with a not-quite contrasting outfit. I would rather walk on sticker-balls barefoot than wear a pair of these monstrosities.

My buddy immediately replied:

I have forwarded this message to my friend Rxxx who bought 6 crocs.

I sure hope he wasn’t trying to get into her pants, because the little poseur immediately fired off a Feminist Manifesto based on the concept that feminism isn’t about political or moral values, it’s about shoes. Six pairs of ugly shoes that don’t quite match any of her outfits.

From: Rxxxxxxxx
To: Jxxxxx ; Leslie
Cc: Rxxxxxx
Sent: Monday, August 18, 2008 5:13 PM
Subject: Re: FW: Leslie Ellis invited you to join the group “I Dont care How Comfortable Crocs Are, You Look Like A Dumbass

I don’t know how old you are, Leslie Ellis, but you obviously do not yet not have to worry about whether shoes are comfortable or not. These shoes weigh almost nothing, wash in soap and water, and because they are seamless, have no edges to poke and are totally foot shaped, as opposed to 98% of women’s shoes that are about 1/2″ (at least) narrower than one’s foot. As you age, Leslie, your feet will spread and you may be more amenable to a shoe that leaves your foot feeling better - due to its little ergonomic bumps in the sole - at the end of the day than at the beginning! I am diabetic and am in love with these shoes.  (and so are a couple of other diabetic friends, in particular).  As to the looks, Crocs do make some more streamlined looking shoes that, although still plastic, have the ‘cute’ factor you obviously crave. The Mary Jane style is a nice compromise, since it is still roomy but is not quite so wide at the front as the original style. And comes in some really interesting colors. They remind me of childhood shoes, which is kind of fun. And great at the beach.
Feminism is not just about bra burning and being pro-choice; it is about being ok in a shoe that some might see as “dumbass”…Beauty, in all things, is in the eye of the beholder, and an eye that sees beauty in functionality and comfort has an evolved kind of vision.
So much for the obnoxious lecture!
Be well. Rxxxxx

My reply.

If you think I was too harsh, I didn’t even hint to her that infantilism is a paraphilia. She’s proud of being an aging Lolita!

51. Men’s 8-1/2 2D sneakers. Very cute and oh so the rage!

So you’ve bought 6 pairs of crocs. That means you can match them to your outfits. A fashionista, are we?

Oh, and mine were made by child slaves in some sweatshop in Asia. Bonus!

I sure hope John wasn’t trying to get into your pants.

Update 8/27:
She seems to be ignoring my answer. BTW, I don’t know whether my New Balance 608’s were made in sweatshops or not. It’s about the feet. Maybe Oprah can find out for me.

Photo credit: BrittneyBush

Microsoft DreamSpark

Dreamspark is Microsoft’s program for getting free development tools into the hands of students, in hopes that when they get out in the business world they’ll ask for the tools they’re familiar with. Or in Microsoft’s own words:

It is our hope that the DreamSpark program will spark your creativity and help you harness software’s transformative magic to turn your good ideas into reality, by equipping you with the tools you need to succeed and excel during your academic experience and skills you will need after graduation.

Are you a student? Here’s what you can get:

• Visual Studio 2008 Professional
• Microsoft Virtual PC
• XNA Game Studio

… and more.

That’s right, these are the same goodies that old women like me have to pay hundreds of dollars for.

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East Coast Lawnmower Dark T-Shirt > East Coast Lawnmower > The Bipolar Planet Manic Mall | CafePress

Wow, it’s the perfect t-shirt for Father’s Day. Don’t tell Mr. X I made him one for his birthday instead of buying him that riding mower he thinks he’s getting.

I think I’m finally getting the hang of this Adobe Photoshop thing. I am tragically untalented.

Under the Hood: Inside the Apple iPhone | Video Imaging DesignLine

Since I have little interest in spending a week’s pay on a telephone, I rather enjoyed seeing one disemboweled.

VODKA - p.i.n.k. Spirits - Vodka Infused With Caffeine and Guarana - Mixed Drinks - P.I.N.K.

My shrink recommended I try a new beverage called “P.I.N.K.” Well, I think he was recommending it. I didn’t exactly get stern warning out of the conversation. I picked up a bottle today and brought a sip or two to enjoy while polishing up a couple blog entries for publication.

Errrrr, well, it was actually more like a mug of the stuff. The mug shown in the picture is the Pendulum Resources mug available at the The Bipolar Planet® Manic Mall.

So what the heck is P.I.N.K.? Well, it’s 80 proof vodka from the Nederlands pumped up with guarana and caffeine, the equivalent of 1/2 can of Red Bull per 1-1/2 oz. shot, but without the awful sweet vitamin-y taste. It is very expensive at $45 per bottle, very trendy, trés chic, and utterly unremarkable tastewise. The liquid isn’t colored pink, only the bottle.

This stuff must have been created with the manic in mind.

Count me in.

P.I.N.K pink vodka guarana energy drink vodka caffeinated vodka Red Bull manic Red Bull Bipolar Planet

New use for those robotic vacuum cleaners.

What sort of add-ons could you have for the Roomba?
Angle: For the Roomba, there is a group that’s working very seriously and looking at the idea of using the Roomba as a physical avatar. I might log into a Web page and see what the robot sees, hear what the robot hears and be able to drive the robot from my Web page.

If I read this right, I can now become one with my vacuum cleaner.