The Thought Escapes Me

This is an unconventional entry in which I record thoughts that I would otherwise lose throughout the week. May a few less thoughts escape into the aether.

• Computer troubleshooting systems always want you to reseat the RAM and video card as one of the first steps (in many scenarios). Reseating the RAM has helped me a grand total of once, and if memory serves reseating a video card helped at most twice.

• In order for bureaucracy to work effectively there have to be systems in place that supersede the bureaucratic process. Essentially bureaucracy is only truly effective when you break the rules. That's essentially what executive positions do: break rules and skip steps. If find it mildly disturbing that this is a system for running countries.

• The fastest way to lose ideas is to be consciously aware that you are trying to come up with ideas.

• There is an issue some TV/animated series run into that I like to call: Soul Eater Syndrome. Soul Eater, an anime, was the first series I encountered with this issue so it has the dubious honor of having an affliction of the same name. Soul Eater Syndrome is when an otherwise good or great series decides to conclude by introducing, out-of-context, a giant robot. So far Soul Eater and Legend of Korra are the only literal examples, but there are some other shows that get figurative marks of shame.

• I hate you writing. I hate you so much. Why can't you be more like art? If I wanted to draw something I at least know exactly what I want to end up on paper even if my clumsy fingers and lack of technique won't allow me to do so. Or why not be like music? With music once you get the melody down you can just add everything else in one instrument at a time. No, instead I have to translate mental images into text and it never turns out as exciting. Instead I have a story, my figurative 'melody' that if put to paper would only fill a page. Writing is a long drawn-out tortuous process that rarely evokes the same level of emotional response as music, art, or animation. Why do I like writing so much again?

• My head tells me I should stay in my boring job and stay in this boring place because it will look good on paper if I stick it out for a few more months to a year. My head tells me that it's okay to put off the things I love for now because it is better to focus on providing a stable base for yourself than to chase impractical interests and long-shot careers. My heart tells me that I am killing my personality and stifling the passions that could drive me to succeed by staying in a place and a job I don't like. My heart tells me that I only have one life so I should focus my time on doing things I love even if it might make my life more chaotic. Someone should conduct a study on the results of following your head or your heart; I want to know which one is right more often.

•  When faced with the conundrum of whether or not to rinse out a pot (if you are pressed for time for instance), I've decided that the general rule-of-thumb should be to wash. On the other hand I think I am now one of the first people to eat beef ramen with undertones of cinnamon and apple oatmeal.

• I feel there is often a disconnect between what people appear to like the most and what they actually like the most. There are a lot of reasons for the disconnect but I still find it strange that some of the things we enjoy the most aren't always the most noticeable. For example, for a long time I avoided writing about series that I really enjoyed for fear of botching the piece and simply not doing my favorites justice.

• Most of my random thoughts don't seem to relate to creative stuff these days. When I was younger I tended to come up with skits and scenarios and conversations, unfortunately I think losing that is mostly just a consequence of growing up. You are shaped by your thoughts and your environment. Thought processes are self-reinforcing. Think creatively more often and you will be creative even when you aren't trying. If you are forced to think in a practical manner by your job every day then your thoughts will naturally tend toward the realistic and practical.

• People have been saying for years that robots will replace human workers, to which I've always said: "Good!" The types of jobs that will be replaced by robots are repetitive and uncreative. Until robots can perform nuanced and adaptive hand work, solve unusual (atypical) issues and problems, and self-repair it won't be an issue. Maybe replacing what the job market unceremoniously calls "unskilled workers" with robots could trigger a policy shift towards more education and create more challenging and rewarding jobs.

• A dark shadow fell across his face; "You can't have my burrito!"

• Writing is a lot like laying a mosaic tile floor with 1-inch tiles. The process is painstakingly slow, it's easy to lose track of where you are at, and you continually have to step back to make sure you've got the pattern right. Going back to make changes often means chiseling out a sizeable chunk of your work and you're always worried that the changes will be noticeable.