Wednesday, May 21, 2003

Internet Addiction. How to curb your surfing habit: 1. Internet Explorer's Content advisor is your friend. Go to Tools > Internet Options > Content Tab > Enable Content Advisor > Click "settings" to put the sites you regularly waste time at on a list of blocked sites. Give the password to someone else. Your boss? Your spouse? 2. Delete your browser's history data so that you don't see temptation every time you use the browser. 3. Have a support person who is willing to sit in your cube and make sure you don't screw off. In my case, Chad the night security guard is sometimes willing to do this. Until the pistachios are gone, anyway. 4. Practice extreme programming (the practice of writing code with someone looking over your shoulder and pointing out mistakes and giving ideas). Very hard to sneak a peak at a browser while doing extreme programming. 5. If you really want to read something, print it out. 6. Develop a routine of things to do instead: visit co-workers take a walk outside get a drink of water read the newspaper do yoga update your Planner or calendar work on your timesheet, clean your work area or do other busy work write in a journal 7. Purge your favorites of non-work related sites 8. Use software to monitor your own internet use. This will allow you to get an idea of what you look like to the folks "upstairs" It will also allow you to track your progress. 9. Use a laptop that isn't connected to the internet and bring it to the cafeteria, the library, etc. 10. GO HOME SICK. * this won't help you get your work done, but it could let you avoid the shame spiral and also avoid tripping some alarms "upstairs" if you know what I mean. 11. Read your company's internet usage rules. Post them near your cube. 12. If you have a browser that does not have a way to block sites, uninstall it. 13. Join a support group. I haven't done this, so I don't know how effective it is. even if it is a little bit effective, it might be worth it. Sometimes hearing about how completely hopeless someone else is can make you feel better about yourself. Now, don't go joining an online support group, you asshole! 14. Decide before you touch the keyboard or mouse what you are going to use the computer for. 1:18:28 PM    comment []

Let me start this post off by saying I don't know the answer to anything. I used to know, mind you, but now I really don't and I will try to use my divine ignorance as a staging ground to explore the Patriot Act: 1. I know the name of the act inspires images of a totalitarian crackdown on civil liberties (why the hell did they name it that if they didn't want dissent? They built dissent into it with that name). So, from the get-go, I am unbalanced. 2. I know that the stories I have heard have chilled me and inspired survivalist fantasies where my family and I have to go in an underground railroad to try to make it to Canada because of some petition I signed in 1992. This is real. My imagination is a real result of the patriot act. I am the kind of person that becomes unbalanced by this stuff. 3. I don't have a way to counter the argument that the security folks had adequate collection powers before all of this to be alerted to the terror attacks. The information was missed. I am not pointing fingers at them! I am trying to make the point that the security state was not hamstrung by namby pamby liberals whining about rights. 4. I know that the exclusion of gun ownership from the kinds of information they want to collect absolutely pushed me over the edge and made my jaded laugh turn a bit hysterical. 5. I don't blame the Bush administration for spinning political gold out of the 9-11 attacks. I am kind of annoyed that I have to be awake for it. This is a movie that I would rather sleep through.. 6. I am astounded by the clown show that is the democratic party. My three year old daughter is more politically savvy. 7. With all due respect and condolences to the victims of Sept. 11th, 3000 lives would be a small price to pay if we had to fight for the right to not be held without trial. Hell, 3000 lives would be a pretty good year for highway deaths. 8. Did I even read the patriot act or can I name one provision of it? Uh... no. Isn't there something in there about them being able to hold people without trial? Aren't there people being held without trial right now under the act? Isn't that enough? http://www.stpaulbordc.org/ St. Paul Bill of Rights Defense Committee 1:47:09 AM    comment []