Slightly Off KIlter

Normal is overrated

  • iTunes 12 violates Principle of Least Surprise

    Someone at Apple apparently thinks it's great fun to change the UI every time an updated version of the software ships. For even more "fun", they have a habit of setting defaults that either change (or remove) features a long-time user has come to expect. Some of those features are changed forever. Sometimes, the user… Continue reading

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  • Temperament is Clear Early in Life

    I met a young NT today. [Continued in commentary…] Continue reading

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  • Guns don’t Kill People?

    A commenter on a friend's post claims "[Guns] are nothing more than tools to complete tasks. The problem is irresponsible people who feel as though utilizing a gun to solve their problems is the ONLY solution. If you don't want a gun, don't buy one but, don't eliminate my right to obtain and maintain one… Continue reading

  • Temperament is Clear Early in Life

    I met a young NT today. A man and two boys came in to the diner and sat at the table closest to us. The boys were about 8 and 12. They ordered and then they were started playing 20 questions. The older boy had picked the thing. (Is it bigger than this table? No.)… Continue reading

  • MBTI: Debunking the Debunkers (again)

    I have been having a "discussion" in The Science Enthusiasts group in Facebook. Someone posted another "debunking the MBTI" article (from 2014). Surprisingly, this one doesn't cite "Wharton Scholar, Adam Grant". The article includes this statement: "Several analyses have shown the test is totally ineffective at predicting people's success in various jobs, and that about… Continue reading

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  • MBTI: Debunking the Debunkers (again)

    I have been having a “discussion” in The Science Enthusiasts group in Facebook. Someone posted another “debunking the MBTI” article (from 2014). Surprisingly, this one doesn’t cite “Wharton Scholar, Adam Grant”. The article includes this statement: “Several analyses have shown the test is totally ineffective at predicting people’s success in various jobs, and that about… Continue reading

  • Don’t Call Us and We Won’t Call You

    I have been looking for work. Specifically, I have been applying for various technical writing or editing positions, primarily contract or long-term remote. The process tends to go like this: I see a job posting that looks interesting (or, alternatively), I get email from a recruiter / sourcing agency. I respond with a cover letter… Continue reading

  • rm -rf *

    Man accidentally 'deletes his entire company' with one line of bad code article in The Independent, 15 April 2016, /via Gene Spafford in Twitter. "The problem command was "rm -rf": a basic piece of code that will delete everything it is told to." I love this stuff. It proves we're human. (And also, EVERYTHING needs… Continue reading

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  • Discounting Calories

    I have decided that I no longer believe in calories. I believe in the definition, of course, thats indisputable. But what does it have to do with food? A calorie, scientifically speaking, is a unit that is used to measure energy. One calorie is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1… Continue reading

  • Walking in Dreams

    "Have you ever woken up from one of your dreams and thought “WTF was that?” Well, yeah. Most mornings… I read an article a couple of days ago: What You Should Know About Your Dreams. There were several points about it that I took issue with, starting with the first item: "You don’t walk in… Continue reading