Saturday, January 30, 2010

You know I'm only in it for the weird stuff.





I think he's trying to steal your soul. He is. I'm telling you.

If you like lolcats - you'll love poodlecats.

Why do guys think they can pick their noses in cars? I see it all the time.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Biggest tool - ever.

The one thing you can love about President Money Bags is that he manages to piss just about everyone off. His base. His enemies. Whomever. What does he care? He's got a great smile!

It really is the most fascinating thing to watch.

Look, I don't want to get into a circle jirk about who is the biggest prick. There are a ton of candidates. But, when Wall Street is unhappy - everyone is unhappy. Even people who don't have anything invested in the market. I still believe the only thing that has kept everything together, was them pumping Wall Street full of money so the market went up.

So who would be surprised if when PMB's stabs them full of holes they might send a full market correction to make sure who knows which one is the bitch. I can see the whole thing playing out a little like "hey - you are my bitch. No! You are my bitch".

I'm guessing though, he is about to get his ass handed to him. A savage market correction will do that. Not to mention - didn't he hold a jobs summit almost exactly two months ago? Where he basically made it seem like jobs came from the tooth fairy? I'm guessing the jobs data for next week is going to be a bloodbath.

And, what is he going to do with all those "funemployment" people who are falling off beni's within the next month or so. You know - those people who thought they'd take a little time off to relax for a while, and wound up finding out they couldn't get a job for like ..... two years.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Random thoughts.

Remember a long time back, that French woman who had her face mauled by her pet dog, and later had a transplant? Story here.

All the time it played out in the news I always wondered what clicked in the dogs head to make it do that. I've owned lots of dogs would have never thought such a thing could happen. Sure, they might bite. But chewing a face off. Not in the world.

Then a couple of days ago this video came out where a guy was capping on a drunk chick by having her dog french kiss her. Which obviously is weird in itself, but I swear to you - by the end of the video I could totally see how a dog might become so obsessive to chew a person's face off.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Yeah, that's right.



It isn't so much I'm not trying to get you interesting stuff. It's just stuff isn't that interesting.

I went to a laser thing today, and apparently if you've seen one laser - you've seen them all. I know! What is this world coming to if I can't get excited about lasers?

There was one thing I found interesting. It had to do with holographic displays. Which is simultaneously hard to describe and capture. And, these guys were crowded around it like the shroud of turon.

I got the impression they weren't going to let me take pictures of their super secret projection of images onto glass.

So there you go. Bubkis.

At least when I got out I realised that the media is so bored - they were still all over at the cult of Steve. 5 hours later. I didn't even leave my house until two hours after Apple announced. So, it isn't just me.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Crazies.

Today Mr. S and I rode the Bart train up to San Fransisco. Which is usually a non event.

Today I was sure there was going to be a youtube moment. There is this new trend lately where people post the videos of people fighting on public transportation. It apparently happens all the time.

Soon after we got on, there was this commotion in the front and this woman was yelling "I'm going to fuck that bitch up"! There was a small scuffle and the two women disengaged and walked past us. The one still screaming "I'm going to fuck that bitch up" a bunch of times. Nothing became of it.

The other funny thing was - I was eavesdropping on the people in the seat behind me. They caught my attention because one guy was telling an older lady something about when you have AT&T service that one line goes to you, and another line goes to the FBI. The lady and the guy were convinced that the FBI was spying on them. But, didn't seem to care that I was.

For like 20 minutes they were talking about it. The older woman was super paranoid and was convinced she was being spied on. Which made me wonder what she was up to. Drugs. Racketeering? What?

Friday, January 22, 2010

You have to be impressed. Don't you?

This has got to be one of the most creative ways to try to kill yourself......ever.

I mean, this guy must have really put some serious thought into this. I've seen some crazy shit in my days, but thinking you could kill yourself by jamming a pen into your brain - is possibly way up there on crazy. The nose, sure. But the eyes?

Justin Helzer attempts death row suicide by jamming pens in his eyes
Sacramento Bee

"San Quentin death-row inmate Justin Helzer, convicted in 2004 of murdering five people, including the daughter of blues guitarist Elvin Bishop, tried to kill himself and is hospitalized in critical condition, sources confirmed Friday.

The sources said Helzer apparently tried to kill himself by jamming pens in each of his eyes. Although he didn't kill himself, the sources said Helzer did succeed in paralyzing himself on the right side and causing a level of brain damage that has yet to be determined."

Stunning.

You know that old saying "we are from the government and we are here to help"?

I think they should change it to "we are from the government, and we didn't see this coming".

How an administration had such a blind spot to unemployment - I will never understand. I mean, it's a huge - block out the sun kind of blind spot.

Yet, somewhere from when I wrote this post in September, and December - I started to feel out of sync with the nation.

I was sure if people weren't rioting in the streets after Christmas, we were just going to take it. I started to marvel at the tolerance of people, and couldn't understand why they weren't pissed off. I started adjusting my expectations and settled in for max pain.

As jaw gaping as this whole year has been, many times I just had to resolve myself to saying "the world just needs to continue to burn for them to figure it out. It has to happen this way for them to learn". After all, the nation seemed to be in this corporations are evil mode. I thought.. maybe they didn't want jobs. Knowing full well I might be caught in the rubble.

The recession has taught me that Americans are a complacent bunch, and the only thing that wakes us from our slumber is huge painful life altering events.

In the last month, I started telling Mr S. "I think people might finally be getting mad". But, by this point we'd both become skeptical. So we just shrugged it off.

Then the Brown thing happened, and it was like the whole world stopped. Like the administration hit a brick wall going a hundred miles an hour. Honestly today I feel like I woke up in a completely different world. Bernanke is getting shit, people are reversing themselves on the global warming crap. The health care bill is in jeopardy, and the President Money Bags all of a sudden thinks jobs are important.

I mean... what the hell happened? I think I might have whiplash. I mean, I'm happy. But, I'm fascinated at how quickly that whole thing turned.

I only wish this wasn't Schwarzenegger's last year in office. I want to vote him out just for spite. That guy - I wouldn't be surprised if in a few years he turned up with Alzheimer's like Reagan. He has just turned into some sort of a crazy guy. Constantly spouting movie cliches. To reinforce this thought, just this week he mixed up Feinstien and Boxer. Here.

After all, I can't really hope California would toss any of the libs out. Can I? One thing at a time I guess.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Wooo hoo. Better than Carter.



It was back in the summer that Mr S. made this prophetic prediction. I blogged about it here. He said "we'll be lucky if we get out of this being as bad as the Carter era"

Which, I will say again - I thought was preposterous. 18% interest! Ridiculous. I still doubt we will get to 18%, but it does make you bust out laughing when the California media polls for the first time start reporting that people aren't happy and points to how close President Money Bags is to Carters approval ratings at this time in his office. In California! Did I already say that? Oh yeah.

That is a very troubling sign.

Imagine what happens if, or depending on your view, when interest rates and inflation start kicking in! Most say that inflation is tame. That may be so. But, the latest look at the misery index seems to indicate inflation is picking up. Here (at the bottom). The red area indicates inflation.

The index is close to 13% now. A far cry from Carters 21% misery index, but we have a couple of years to go yet. The economists assure us that inflation won't hit any time soon. Right?

I just thought it was interesting. Your mileage may vary.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Hippies.

Was driving by local hippie coffeee house (well not me - I'm sleep deprived) and this chick was dancing all alone. It looked like she was being stung by bees.

That is all.

It's Miley's fault.

I love the middle of the night. The calm cool darkness.

But, productive people don't operate in those hours. At least - not many. I often think I'd be a great writer, if I could just write in the middle of the night. Yet I don't for fear I will engage my brain so much, I would never sleep. So, I can't take advantage of it.

Even the power lights on all the electronic devices threaten to stimulate my brain into non sleep. So I try to not even get up out of bed.

They say you can catch up on sleep. Those people are complete liars. I'm sure of it. Or they don't understand real prolonged sleep loss.

I'm in a huge deficit this week. Sucks. Also not helping? That damn Miley Cyrus song. Which I don't even like! Just sayin.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Borderline.



I can't bring myself to put this into my Bad Ass car tag. These Plymouth Prowlers are interesting because you don't see them very often. But, bad ass. Mmmmm. Still, I like them.

Plus for some reason transferring it to jpg wedged it all up. Which is a shame. It has a bunch of extra artifacts. Maybe I should get off my ass and install Lightroom.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Now this is a fine mess.

Update: Exiled former Haitian President Aristide, speaking in South Africa, says he's ready to return to Haiti, but it's unclear when or how – AP about 1 hour ago from BreakingNews Headquarters 1:20am

I hope the power vacuum doesn't happen that way.

---

It was late last year, when Bill Clinton was appointed as the Haitian ambassador that I thought to myself - why is he all of a sudden taking an interest in Haiti? It bugged me for a while, but not enough to really find out the reason. It wasn't important then.

A few weeks ago something pointed me to the reason why. I don't remember now how I found it. It was guilt - the story said. You see, Clinton has a long history with Haiti. Oh. You missed it over endless coverage of cum stained dresses? Me too really. Haiti has always been a spot of the world America forgets about.

Truth be told, I do vaguely have some memories of the time. Yet, so vague I'd just be making shit up if I recounted it from memory.

So when the earthquake hit I felt motivated enough to find the reason. The 1994 US invasion of Haiti. I'm not going to go into the story. You can read about it here. And I would, because the very recent news seems to scrub Clinton and sanitise his involvement. Instead I see reports of how 4 hurricanes are the reason Haiti is so poor. However, in this article from last year Clinton seems to reveal his feelings of guilt.

From CBSnews.

"Bill Clinton grimaced Friday as he recalled the severe embargo he oversaw as president against Haiti's then-brutal regime, a move that destroyed the very economy he is now fighting to revive.

Clinton said the action was necessary to end a junta's brutal and illegal rule. A decade and a half later, the now-U.N. Special Envoy to Haiti believes the country has its best chance yet to recover from a decision whose effects are still felt today.

"I hated it," Clinton told reporters at a private pier he hopes will be used by a revived garment export industry. "But when you have people being burned to death with tires around their neck, that's important too. We had to bring an end to that."

Then-President Clinton inherited limited sanctions aimed at weakening the regime that overthrew democratically elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide in 1991. In the spring of 1994, they became an embargo that prevented all goods from entering Haiti except humanitarian supplies, crippling the economy.

An assembly sector that had employed 100,000 workers fell to just 17,000 jobs, according to the U.S. State Department. It has barely recovered since."

So, when I see reports of President Money Bags exclaiming loudly "We are not taking over Haiti". You only have to draw a small line as to why the US is taking (by most reports now) - hardly a leadership role.

I mean, people act as if Haiti is on the other side of the world. Hell, Wolf Blitzer of CNN didn't even know what time zone it was in. I'll try to dredge back up the video. (Here. 5 minutes30 seconds or so in) People float here on rafts it so freakin' close.

So, as Haitians grow more desperate - one wonders what kind of a power vacuum this is going to turn into. It's been a couple of days now, and their own government doesn't seem to have power. Technically I suppose yes, but I've seen tons of video out of that place. I don't see any UN or Haitian officials. So - who is going to take control? I don't think the Haitians have the luxury of someone not taking control.

You know, when I was growing up - the UN helicoptered food into places. So did we. Now everything is bottle-necked at the airport? They know helicopters can land anywhere.

Anyway. This whole thing is just going to be really, really messed up. When I see guys who go into the trenches to report on war start to break down and cry. You know this is going to be messed up.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Wow. Gas has jumped 8 cents a gallon since I filled up at noon. At the same station.

Monday, January 11, 2010

CES 2010 rundown - final.



I wasn't actually going to post anything else about CES - I personally thought the whole thing was a dismal failure. I mean, I heard there were a hundred e-book reader companies there. Which, I can believe. E-book readers aren't exactly this years technology. So, I just can't get all excited about them. Yet, they were everywhere.

However, I've read many reviews out of CES which has resulted in a great deal of shock from me. It's like I was at a totally different show than these people. Sure, I've gone four years in a row - so I have a different perspective. I've gone on day 1 twice, day three and day four.

These reviews seem to indicate the show was wildly successful. While your appetite for technology can be suggestive, I will tell you what I am using as my barometer for success. Cab lines.

When we arrived at the airport we walked to the cab line, and got straight into a cab without waiting. That has never happened. Las Vegas has mad skills in moving people out of the airport. Still, that was a very unusual sign.

Similarly, when we got in the cab line to go back to the airport... we got through it in 30 minutes. We have never been able to wait that line out before. In previous years, people would get so frantic about missing their flights - they'd walk the line asking people to chip in on any transportation.

Last year we shared a cab with a guy. One year we chipped in on a limo. I'm telling you. People would become so frantic, that limos were lined up in the cab area. And, people would pay, just to get to the airport.

This year, no one was doing that. As a matter of a fact, there was a guy behind us in line who was going cataleptic on having to wait the line. Finally I said to him, why don't you just share a cab with someone and get out of here sooner? He finally shut up, and just stayed in line.

I was loving the line. I'd never seen anything like it. Also, the cabbies were obviously agitated. A marked difference even over last year.

The only reason I decided to post this anyway is - the marketing hype did a really good job on CES. If I wouldn't have gone, I might have thought "things were much better than I expected". I already knew attendance was estimated to be down 25%. They'd closed two exhibition halls.

With the news cycle on "everything is getting better" I often have a hard time telling if things are in fact getting better. I mean.. I don't think they are. But, everyone saying it is - just gets to you. Maybe things are getting better you think.

You have to wonder what is up when they were demo'ing rabbitears. Old timey, 1960's rabbit ears. And blow dryers. I'm not even kidding.

Friday, January 08, 2010

CES 2010 rundown - Part3.



Not really a rundown. Just one of the better displays. Which had me wishing I'd brought a super wide angle lens. I'd ditched it this year because I didn't want to carry it all day. The displays are usually too busy to make a wide angle lens very useful.

If you get the shot without the people for perspective, the image starts to become super disorienting. The room was mirrored, so you get the reflection of the people on the roof. Here's the alternate image with less perspective.

CES 2010 rundown - Part2.



Man. I can't believe it's gonna go down this way. Next up on the evisceration list?

Robotics.

I could have gotten a better picture of this product called the I-Fairy, but some part of me marveled at the sadness of a guy interviewing what was basically an animatronic puppet. They are using the term "robot" so loosely - it's laughable. It didn't respond to conversation. It had canned audio. It didn't respond to movement. It had canned movement. You know the product can't be that good when I can't even find a youtube video for it. If you want to check out their site be my guest. Here.

And, when you consider the millions of dollars of research that has been placed into the this sector - they should never have spent the money to fly to the US. Especially when robots like the Roboware E3 from previous shows were starting to come so close to what I can see consumers buying. Video here. I blogged about the machine here in 2008. The problem has always been price, market penetration, and functionality.

None of the guys from any of the robotics conferences I've ever been at, were at CES this year. None of them. People who have been working on this stuff for at least 7 years. Probably longer. But I've been tracking them that long. Not even the Microsoft Robotics Studio was there.

Although Mr S. told me they were still hawking that ridiculous robotic seal from 2004. I blogged about it here.

The whole thing was horribly depressing. The field actually seems to be regressing rather than just stopping and taking a break. Really, really childish amateurish types of products. These are things I would have expected to see at RoboDevelopment 1.

Sure you say - they must be for kids. Right? These items wouldn't have held a three year olds interest for more than a few minutes. I didn't even take pictures. Maybe if I become motivated I'll hunt down what other people covered from the show.

I talked to one vendor - whom I'm not going to even name. They really seemed like the nicest people in the world, and I really liked them. They were demo'ing an elder robot that carried things around. Basically a rolling box. I'm telling you right now, I'm not even here to mock them. I just felt bad about their product. I wanted to tell them they were wasting their money doing on what they were doing. They were out of their league.

They were trying to recreate the wheel. But, who am I to tell them anything, anyway? No one.

I just can't even tell you how many products have come and gone. Some with promise, but didn't catch for whatever reason.

These people. So nice. But, really, really out of their league. It was depressing.

I think that is all I have on this subject. Yet, it's one subject that stings the most. For years I've believed we are right on the cusp of something great. Now I wonder if we aren't in the death rattle. For a while at least. Mostly due to the insane complexities of consumer adoption and functionality. But, also due to the recession. Robotics is just something which is a vast money pit. That doesn't exist right now.

But again. Who am I? Maybe I'm wrong.

CES 2010 rundown - Part 1.

Wow.

What to say about this years consumer electronics show. I've been trying to formulate my words every since I got on the plane. I want to be bitchy and say this is my last year. I doubt that will be true. I've been orbiting CES for half my life. I've only gotten to go the last 4, but I've spent the rest of my career wishing I could go.

As much as this year sucked - I know there must have been periods of equal suckage and things will eventually get better. I just got lucky enough to go in some exceptional years.

This years CES is more notable for what wasn't there - than what was.

Less techy.
Less slutty. Normally the AVN (adult video nominees) are interspersed with all the techies. Think what you want about them - they make the place more interesting. It is Vegas after all.
Less smokey.
Less people.
Less booth babes.

And, most disappointingly. No bad ass cars.

Some may think it weird to go to a consumer electronics show to see cars. But these are the kinds of cars you would never see anywhere else. Take for example this Scythe Concept Car from last year.

Replaced instead by team Greenpeace and friends. I don't know how on earth these people got in. But then, the show this year was less about the actual concept of consumer electronics, and more about..."as seen on TV". As I will show you later.

You didn't think I was going to gush about the electronics when it wasn't deserved. Did you? Well, there are a million people covering 3D. Go look at their blogs. I covered that last year.





The thing that is so supremely frustrating about this whole thing is - it feels like and exact repeat from last years Maker Faire. You can read about it here.

I haven't even completely figured out how to completely articulate it yet. But it's so maddening. The green movement hijacks something that is so amazingly innovative and special and creative and says "you can't have that. You are evil and bad for wanting it." And because they are complete assholes, they smother it completely to death.

So honestly. There were probably 20 cars there total. Some were plug ins. I guess there was a Lambo and a Ferrari. But that isn't what you go to CES to see.

Why would I pay to go to Vegas to see that shit anyway? This is what greeted me in the San Fransisco airport parking lot when I got home. Two Tesla roadsters. One I didn't even take a picture of because I didn't know there was going to be a theme. And a Ferrari.





I took this shot so you could see the one Tesla and the Ferrari were parked in direct sight two rows apart.



Having said all that - I'm still glad I went. No one could have convinced me how bad the product cycle was going to be for the year. Really, really bleak. But, if you want a cell phone cover. You are going to be all set!

Thursday, January 07, 2010

What is greenpeace doing at CES? Srsly. All hope is lost.
Holy crap. Toshiba Cell TVS are amazing. Rez 3840X2160p.
We turn exactly one corner and what do we find? An ereader in a fish tank. Pictures to follow later.
Mr S. says - all Im seeing is the same ereaders with different button configs. All they need to do is make them waterproof.
To Mr. S. I say - what I see is the worls telling me _I got nuthin.
This about the saddest show ever. And what is the fascination with submerging things?
If anyone is counting on tech to save the world. It isnt happening.
Robot maid. Roomba competitor. No photos allowed_ no documentation. Non working prototype. Are they kidding?
Stuck on a bus with another group who talks every second. Not that I cant get my fill of coke fill condom conversations. I think thy are AVN.

Oh noes Yo.

Vegas is hurting. I think I just had a shiver run down my spine.

Our cab drivery was super surly. He kept asking how busy the terminal was. He said that New Years was the slowest they ever had, and that only 5 hotels were booked solid this year. He also said that US air is cutting about half their flights and are pulling out of Vegas. People were protesting this morning.

Yikes.

Not starting out well.

So, I'm om a plane with 95% men. Where do I get stuck? In front of a clutch of women who talk incessantly the whole time. They don't shut up for one second the whole way.

They didn't even have anything interesting to say. Yet they talked and talked like schoolgirls on a sleepover.

Wednesday, January 06, 2010

Soon, Kiddies.

So, I guess that whole 3D thing is going to take.

People weren't really paying attention to the trend that much last year at 2009 CES when I got all these pictures. (scroll down) Look. Not even that many people were crowded around the 3D displays!

I probably won't cover it too much. Since that is what everyone else is covering. Plus, the shots aren't going to get that much more interesting. I have my sights set on something else anyway.

Even though 3D is just becoming mainstream - it feels a little 2009. Oh yes. I did just say that.

I imagine there will be a flood of posts here for the next couple of days. Just sayin.

Tuesday, January 05, 2010

I swear - I want to punch the guy in the neck who dreamed up "the swipe" phone gesture. So.. over.. the ...swipe.
I can't even describe how jittery of a flyer I am. Yet every time I fly - the air world goes crazy. Hate it.

P.S. All the posts with no titles are from my phone.

Sunday, January 03, 2010

People are weird.



I'm going to re-use this photo from this blog post. Because I can - and you will be happy about it.

I hope to have some interesting content for you this month. I know this blog has been sucking. You just go through dry periods. It's just the way it is. I do my best to find interesting stuff. Sometimes life isn't all that interesting.

On Thursday I'm at the consumer electronics show. And I'll be obsessing on how to get 3d images. Which I won't be able to do. Even though the show is much smaller this year - I'm still going.

Today was sunny and I thought I'd be able to come from behind and catch up with the stuff I wanted to get done this week. That was not the way of the universe.

On the way to breakfast the car started making alert sounds and we had to take it to have it seen. I've sucked on my maintenance because both of the cars makers have gone bankrupt and that just really sucks. The oil was low. We could have just added some, but it needed to be changed desperately. Which I could have done earlier. But hey - quit hassling me. I have issues right now.

Anyway.

While Mr S. was filling out the paperwork - the guy who would presumably be changing the oil commented on Mr S. being left handed. Oh, I'd love to be left handed - he said. Which resulted in Mr S. and I both doing this hesitation thing we do when we aren't sure how to resolve something someone has said to us.

It was just such an odd thing to say. He went on though. Oh, you... know... he did.

When I was young I was left handed - he said. Then the teachers forced me to stop. They said I wasn't normal and I had to write like all the other kids. He was apparently super bitter about it. Almost hostile you'd say, because he talked about it the whole time.

We were minimally responsive. Because it was 11:30, and remember the whole breakfast thing? The day wasn't starting out well. I finally asked him why he didn't just try to become ambidextrous.

You see - when I was a kid I'd tried to become ambidextrous many times. We had a family friend who had passed out for a couple of days with his arm wedged between the bed frame and the wall. Don't' ask. Anyway. He lost the arm. He spent a lot of time in therapy with other people. One of whom has been mauled by a bear. It left a big impact on me. So trying to use both hands didn't seem like a big deal.

Yet this guy seemed so affected and it was slightly interesting. He was an adult after all. Yet not that old of a guy. Maybe 25.

Finally after we were allowed to escape - Mr S. and I commented about how odd the whole thing was. Neither of us thought they still forced kids to be right handed when they weren't. In his moms generation that happened all the time. But not now.

And, he must see left handed people all the time. Does he have that conversation with all of them?

The rest of the day hasn't gotten much better. We did get stuff done, but they were all unplanned breakages.

You can go back to your business now.

Saturday, January 02, 2010

Coming to a generation near you.

Sometimes with depression - the harder you fight it, the longer it takes to get rid of it. Yet if you give up completely, you're in a whole other ball of shit. The trick is to find that fine line. So, this week I've given into all of my destructive vices. Eating breakfast all week. Out.

Sleeping into 11. Or close to it, on many days. All those things I'd planned to do the Christmas week? Out.

By Wednesday I'd declared I hadn't gotten shit done. And, I was okay with it.

Friday gave me a really productive day. And I was really thinking I'd gotten this thing licked. But then it was sunny. My mood has pretty much risen and fallen with the weather. Today I'm back sideways. But I'm playing catch up to get something done. So we decided to catch some of the sales. By force really. I didn't want to be there.

I thought I was home free. I could just get my stuff done without affect. Then it came. When I was checking out.

The checker - I'm planning to get healthy this year.

Me - I make a nervous pause, I've spent the whole week making sure my heart would explode.

The person in front of me - Oh I plan to get healthy too!

Me - Well, here's to hoping it will last more than a couple of months.

I am not big on resolutions. I'm one of those "I'm going to try the best I can" types of people. If I did better than yesterday. Awesome. If not - I'll try again tomorrow. As a matter of a fact - I resolve to be no better than I am today. I am a fallible person, and I'm okay with that.

There. See.

If I am in fact better. It's all gravy. Anyway.

The checker again - I have to be healthy. I'm poor now. I can't afford to go to Nations or Starbucks.

This of course left me speechless. I was just about getting ready to tell her I thought resolutions were bullshit. Clearly, I misjudged were the conversation was going. I hadn't really felt like talking anyway, so I just let her go on and on.

Still - it's a weird testament to the next year. People you don't even know feel comfortable telling just about anyone they are now poor. Knowing that just about everyone will be accepting. They resolve the deprivation by taking up an acceptable form of deprivation. "Getting healthy".

Me. I'll get back on track soon. When I'm ready. Honestly, I think that would take less time if more people felt more uncomfortable telling me about their subtle suffering.

Sure. All of us have had to alter their worlds in ways. Though the depth is truly hard to adjust to sometimes.