Column Under Construction (2003 10-30)

[EddieMcD]

I made an allusion to this to a few people at the summer competitions. What is this? It’s a column, akin to the Question of the Week. Well, except for the fact that I won’t be asking any questions. Actually, now that I think about it, I will ask a question each time. Might as well put the poll feature to good use. And how about you guys asking me questions? Anything at all, I’ll answer at the bottom of each of these. Personal, opinions, anything. Yay, PMs! Or you could use the old-fashioned e-mail.

God, I love the chit-chat forum. I can post things that are pointless, or just have nothing to do with FIRST. I suppose this is a little of both. A column under construction. I suppose this will evolve over time (and the construction part is semi-FIRST related ). Anybody have a better name for this? I was thinking about “The Weekly Rant”, but this isn’t weekly, and it’s not a rant. Well, I probably will have a few rants to get off my chest in the next few weeks, but this time, it’s going to be a little quiet. Maybe I’ll just stick with “Column Under Construction”. Now that I think about it, that has a nice ring to it.

Speaking of weekly, we need to set a timetable for each of these. I was thinking bi-weekly, but there’s the problem of me forgetting what’s on my mind when I write these after two weeks. You know what? It’s my column, I’ll put it out whenever I feel like. I may put out one a month, I my put out four. I guess however much is on my mind will determine this. What is this anyway? I could say it’s a column, akin to the Question of the Week, but that’s just being redundant. This is whatever I want it to be. I’ll make it about sports if I’m in a sporty mood, politics if I’m in a politic-y mood, personal stuff if I feel like it, maybe a few opinions here and there, and anything that may be going on in this small world. Let’s call this a conglomeration of sorts.

Who will agree with this? My theory is that half of you will agree with half of what I say, and the other half of you will agree with the other half of what I say. What’s sad is that the theory actually makes sense. Unless I’m the crazy one. But we’re all crazy in our own way. Hell, Dean Kamen himself is crazy… crazy enough to try to defy physics. But it’s interesting what crazyness can do. For Dean, it’s a successful invention that I predict in 10 years time will rule the land. Without crazyness, we wouldn’t have half the things we have. Crazyness gave us most of science (like relativity, and I’m crazy enough to actually know it). We also have crazyness to thank for the aforementioned Chit-Chat forum, and the Jeopardy game that came with it. The Jeopardy game adds plenty more crazyness to this world (yes Big Mike, I think you’re crazy). But enough about that. I’m getting crazy just thinking about it.

Crazyness also segues (pun intended) to the next topic. It’s Halloween tomorrow! Woo hoo! I’m crazy enough to dress up as a professional wrestler, who dresses up as a superhero. If you look at the Halloween thread I started, there are also people crazy enough to dress up as a robot, a New York Giant, The Amazing Tin Foil Man, the monolith from 2001 (yes, a big, black box), a 42 ð fairy (whatever that is), and Manson. Halloween is all about being crazy. At least until you start portraying your Halloween alter-ego on Chief Delphi. Then you’re just hopeless. Er, not that I know anyone like that. Maybe I should dress up as Woodie Flowers instead. I have the hair and the pin vests, after all.

Moving on, I realize that the Screen Savers are on in 10 minutes. Then there’s Survivor, then WWE Smackdown. How’s that for taste? Reality game shows and sports entertainment. I feel like I’m still discussing crazyness. Most people say that about my music too. My playlist ranges from Britney and Christina, to Bon Jovi and U2, to N’Sync and those $@#$@#$@#$@# Backstreet Boys (thank god they both broke up), to Santana and Jimi Hendrix, to Michelle Branch and Avril Lavigne, to Dan MacLean and the Allman Brothers. And all that doesn’t even scratch the surface.

But then again, we’re all crazy. I think I said that before. And I was hoping I got off that subject. Perhaps crazyness is just there, and can’t be avoided. Especially in this crazy organization we call FIRST. Who would’ve thought I could spend more that half a column talking about how crazy things are? Let’s take a look at the poll question before I totally go off on a tangent. Listening to The Screen Savers right now, I figure we’d keep it straightforward. Simple: which do you prefer? Mac, Windows, or Linux. Not necessarily what you use, but what you prefer.

Like I said before, I love the chit-chat forum. Nowhere else could I write something like this. But, feeling that I’m overstaying my welcome, I’ll end this, and save anything else significant until next time. This is a column under construction. These are my thoughts. I’m Eddie McDonnell, reminding you to have a fun and safe Halloween. Catch you on the flip side.