(rant)
Dear Adobe:
I hate you. I hate your face. I hate your retarded patching system. Why oh why can you not be less of a PITA? Because people pay for your products, does this mean you're supposed to be a d-bag and make it even harder to patch your software? People are getting slammed by Adobe exploits not because of the hackerz but because your patching from an admin perspective is as retarded as your face.
(example)
Administrative deployment
Administration Installation Point (AIP) deployments must not apply a quarterly update AIP in which a security update was the most recently applied update. Because a quarterly update includes the changes implemented in all recent security updates, the quarterly update forcibly bypasses those updates entirely. To deploy a quarterly update from an AIP, create a AIP which includes only quarterly updates as follows:
Acceptable: Acrobat 9.0.0 -> 9.1.0 (Quarterly) -> 9.1.2
(Quarterly) -> 9.2.0 (Quarterly) -> 9.3.0 (Quarterly) -> 9.3.2
(Quarterly) -> 9.3.3 (Quarterly) -> 9.4.0 (Quarterly) -> 9.4.2
(Quarterly) -> 9.4.5 (Quarterly)
Acceptable: Acrobat 9.0.0 -> 9.1.0 (Quarterly) -> 9.1.2
(Quarterly) -> 9.2.0 (Quarterly) -> 9.3.0 (Quarterly) -> 9.3.2
(Quarterly) -> 9.3.3 (Quarterly) -> 9.4.0 (Quarterly) -> 9.4.2
(Quarterly) -> 9.4.3 (Security) -> 9.4.4 (Security)
Unacceptable: Acrobat 9.0.0 -> 9.1.0 (Quarterly) -> 9.1.2
(Quarterly) -> 9.2.0 (Quarterly) -> 9.3.0 (Quarterly) -> 9.3.2
(Quarterly) -> 9.3.3 (Quarterly) -> 9.4.0 (Quarterly) -> 9.4.1
(Security) -> 9.4.2 (Quarterly) -> 9.4.3 (Security) -> 9.4.4
(Security) -> 9.4.5 (Quarterly)
----
So what this is saying is that to go from 9.4.3 to the latest which is 9.4.5, I have to go back to 9.4.2 and apply the update to 9.4.5 thus bypassing 3 & 4 because i assume they're all built into 5. Wish i'd known this before i put a dent in my wall on fri last week trying to figure out why 9.4.5 wasn't applying to 9.4.4.
In closing, I hate you. You're dumb. No one likes you for anything but your money. You uniqueness is not quirky but annoying. You have products like Photoshop which are meant to make things look better by cheating reality but the fact is that you need to Photoshop your face because it's still dumb and i still hate it.
Sincerely,
Someone Too Sober.
-----EDIT-----
Patching Adobe with Administrative Install Points (AIP's) is starting to make more sense. What bothers me is that you need to apply patches to the quarterly releases and not just the previous version number. Theoretically you would work with a much lower version number in order to install the latest patch. It makes sense somewhat now that I've had time to think about it. Security patches are applied to fix something and then they tend to cause another hole which in turn needs to be patched. We've seen Microsoft do this for years and so it shouldn't be much of a surprise. There's very much a learning curve in all of this and trying to get used to how they do things. My advice is to note what is in italics above and that will help you start understanding it.
Here are a few links that I have been using as a guide as I've worked on these Adobe updates:
http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/888/cpsid_88814.html
http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/498/cpsid_49880.html
http://www.adobe.com/downloads/updates/
http://community.spiceworks.com/how_to/show/479
The last link has actually been a huge help for me! I'd also like to note that the Adobe customization wizard is actually pretty nice too. I had to use it the other day when I had to rebuild the install.msi file and got a chance to see first hand how powerful it can be. Want to suppress the customary reboot at the end of install? No problem. Hide the EULA so this can be an unattended install? Done. Pesky icons on the desktop that no one uses? Not a problem.
In closing, I'm still mad at Adobe. Perhaps if it will buy me dinner while it tries to make up for the stress it gave me I'll forgive it but i seriously doubt that it will. For better or worse, I'm stuck with it as long as I'm in my current position.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Wisconsin Senate passes concealed-carry bill
Original story
Pardon me for being just a bit more nervous. Despite all of the training that these users are supposed to go through, I'm skeptical.
This isn't the Old West. Why in gods name would you carry your gun to the store, to a restaurant, or to church? You may not but this has already happened locally as people pro-gun have built up to challenge the laws which lead to this.
I'm not going to go hide away scared but i genuinely don't see how this can help any. Perhaps my opinion is biased by those that i have met and know. Perhaps I don't have enough faith in my fellow citizens but this truly feels like a step back for us as Americans.
We as Americans tend to have a false sense of superiority. This comes from the country being both an economic and military power for over a generation. Everything we as a nation do we try to spin as being 'justified' in an epic battle of good vs evil. We would never invade a sovereign nation based off of flimsy intelligence. We only act on the behalf of good. We're a civilized nation and trying to spread our goodness and ideas of freedom and self determination to others (assuming that your not in the geographic regions currently known as: Israel, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Vietnam, Libya, Cuba, Mexico, and Texas).
I'm sorry but if we're so 'civilized' then why is it that we have a disproportionate faction of the population currently incarcerated? Why is it that we're the only 'western' and 'first world' nation (implied = civilized) to allow JUVENILES on death row?
Sorry Tex but you I think you should check yer six shooter at the border where it belongs.
It hasn't happened yet but what scares me the most is citizens being armed. I'm not saying that I trust the government and its troops to act in my best interest. I'm saying I am genuinely waiting for the day that someone tries to be a vigilante with their weapon and try to prevent a crime happening. We entrust the police to carry potential deadly weapons because they go through extensive training in both handling those weapons and the circumstances as to when they should rely on them. I have little to no confidence in an individual who has gone through a training course in hunters safety to control themselves in a heated situation.
I frankly believe there will be a time that somewhere someone will pull their gun to try to 'do good'. The police will arrive on the scene and focus on the person screaming "i have a permit for this and it's my right." A tense situation will be escalated. Something bad is bound to happen. I'm not saying that i believe that this will be the norm. I believe that this will be a very rare occurrence but one that needs not happen in the first place.
What I'm saying is that this is now the law of the land. Fine. Now, much like smoking, please go away from me because i don't wish to be near people like you.
Pardon me for being just a bit more nervous. Despite all of the training that these users are supposed to go through, I'm skeptical.
This isn't the Old West. Why in gods name would you carry your gun to the store, to a restaurant, or to church? You may not but this has already happened locally as people pro-gun have built up to challenge the laws which lead to this.
I'm not going to go hide away scared but i genuinely don't see how this can help any. Perhaps my opinion is biased by those that i have met and know. Perhaps I don't have enough faith in my fellow citizens but this truly feels like a step back for us as Americans.
We as Americans tend to have a false sense of superiority. This comes from the country being both an economic and military power for over a generation. Everything we as a nation do we try to spin as being 'justified' in an epic battle of good vs evil. We would never invade a sovereign nation based off of flimsy intelligence. We only act on the behalf of good. We're a civilized nation and trying to spread our goodness and ideas of freedom and self determination to others (assuming that your not in the geographic regions currently known as: Israel, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Vietnam, Libya, Cuba, Mexico, and Texas).
I'm sorry but if we're so 'civilized' then why is it that we have a disproportionate faction of the population currently incarcerated? Why is it that we're the only 'western' and 'first world' nation (implied = civilized) to allow JUVENILES on death row?
Sorry Tex but you I think you should check yer six shooter at the border where it belongs.
It hasn't happened yet but what scares me the most is citizens being armed. I'm not saying that I trust the government and its troops to act in my best interest. I'm saying I am genuinely waiting for the day that someone tries to be a vigilante with their weapon and try to prevent a crime happening. We entrust the police to carry potential deadly weapons because they go through extensive training in both handling those weapons and the circumstances as to when they should rely on them. I have little to no confidence in an individual who has gone through a training course in hunters safety to control themselves in a heated situation.
I frankly believe there will be a time that somewhere someone will pull their gun to try to 'do good'. The police will arrive on the scene and focus on the person screaming "i have a permit for this and it's my right." A tense situation will be escalated. Something bad is bound to happen. I'm not saying that i believe that this will be the norm. I believe that this will be a very rare occurrence but one that needs not happen in the first place.
What I'm saying is that this is now the law of the land. Fine. Now, much like smoking, please go away from me because i don't wish to be near people like you.
Response to Teen Sentenced to Year in Jail For Friends Death
Original Article
This bothers me. The issue is that a teenager (Madeline Kudlata) flipped her car while being reckless and her friend (Sydney Tabakin) died as a result. The driver is sentenced to one year in jail and on probation for 5 years. The year that she is in jail, she'll be allowed out to go to class while she starts her first year of college.
I'm normally for less harsh sentences but this just doesn't make sense. I understand that the driver lost one of her best friends and has to live with the survivors guilt for the rest of her life. I understand that her first year of college will be drastically different when compared to her fellow students. Where I have issue is that she's not doing prison time and instead is doing jail time.
Where I have issue is that she's only getting a year for her irresponsibility which in turn cost her friends life. Where I have issue is that this story normally ends differently. If the driver had been from a different area I believe the outcome would have been much harsher.
Going to college next year? Too bad. It has to wait. I don't believe the law should work around someone's long term plans when they're being punished. College can wait a year while she serves her sentence. She did the crime and now she must do the time even if it is such a limited amount. She is starting college. Her friend is not because of her.
Assistant District Attorney Mark Williams told Martens that the case could have been charged as homicide by drug-impaired driving, a 25-year felony, but that his office negotiated the lesser charge, and plea, in the interest of justice and the facts.
One year in jail instead of a 25 year life altering sentence is the punishment for taking her friends life. I'm sorry but i don't believe that one year is enough to compensate for another life. Especially when it's a life that she knew very well. This wasn't a complete stranger. This was much more personal than the typical accidental death.
It's the fact that she killed her best friend that actually comforts me in this whole scenario. I can't imagine what it's like to take a life. I can't imagine the level of guilt knowing that someone is gone because of my actions. I can only imagine that the loss of your best friend is some form of cosmic justice.
This bothers me. The issue is that a teenager (Madeline Kudlata) flipped her car while being reckless and her friend (Sydney Tabakin) died as a result. The driver is sentenced to one year in jail and on probation for 5 years. The year that she is in jail, she'll be allowed out to go to class while she starts her first year of college.
I'm normally for less harsh sentences but this just doesn't make sense. I understand that the driver lost one of her best friends and has to live with the survivors guilt for the rest of her life. I understand that her first year of college will be drastically different when compared to her fellow students. Where I have issue is that she's not doing prison time and instead is doing jail time.
Where I have issue is that she's only getting a year for her irresponsibility which in turn cost her friends life. Where I have issue is that this story normally ends differently. If the driver had been from a different area I believe the outcome would have been much harsher.
Going to college next year? Too bad. It has to wait. I don't believe the law should work around someone's long term plans when they're being punished. College can wait a year while she serves her sentence. She did the crime and now she must do the time even if it is such a limited amount. She is starting college. Her friend is not because of her.
Assistant District Attorney Mark Williams told Martens that the case could have been charged as homicide by drug-impaired driving, a 25-year felony, but that his office negotiated the lesser charge, and plea, in the interest of justice and the facts.
One year in jail instead of a 25 year life altering sentence is the punishment for taking her friends life. I'm sorry but i don't believe that one year is enough to compensate for another life. Especially when it's a life that she knew very well. This wasn't a complete stranger. This was much more personal than the typical accidental death.
It's the fact that she killed her best friend that actually comforts me in this whole scenario. I can't imagine what it's like to take a life. I can't imagine the level of guilt knowing that someone is gone because of my actions. I can only imagine that the loss of your best friend is some form of cosmic justice.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Culture Shock
It's amazing how much a change of scenery can change your perspective on work. I left my last job voluntarily in order to get my life under control and to find something that is a different pace. I have found it.
This is an example of an average day in my previous life:
"Here's a link to something and get back to me in 15 min as to what your thoughts are... Why haven't you responded??? Why aren't you at your desk looking at what i just sent you? We have a meeting about this in 10 min and i need feedback!!!"
This week I'm researching SCCM and Identity Finder Enterprise . Both products will be going live in the near future and we have to set them up. I've never set up any Microsoft Server project of this size but I'm not worried. I've been given time to research this and find solid documentation. I've got a partner who knows the infrastructure better than myself to tag team this with. I'm not worried in the least bit.
Instead of feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of setting up an SQL server among other things, I'm more concerned with trying to prove my worth that i was the right choice to bring on board. I'm not worried about how I'm going to even find time to look at this while I have a hundred other problems, an obscure problem within Citrix that no one else is working on, and still need to orchestrate phone moves for people in the cube farm.
Last week I fumbled my way through an install of Server 2003 and then a very ugly install of SQL. This week I'm hoping to start from scratch and learn from my mistakes so that this guinea pig can be much much less ugly. Learning on the fly... with enough time to make notes!
So far I'm impressed with what I've read of Identity Finder. It looks very straight forward and has good reviews. I can't help but wonder if Microsoft has said anything about them creating a product that looks like it's copying the default Office 2007 theme. On the back end this looks like it'll take a bit of work to do but shouldn't be too bad. Right now we're in the middle of figuring out if we've got the green light for a license. If so we'll scan user shares first and then roll it to desktops. This could be done sometime in the next month or next year.
SCCM seems to be quite a beast to set up even with the step by step instructions . Everyone is saying that it'll be worth it. I'll be making notes of my mistakes with the hopes that I can learn from those too.
Scotty... Please don't beam me back up to the ship yet!
This is an example of an average day in my previous life:
"Here's a link to something and get back to me in 15 min as to what your thoughts are... Why haven't you responded??? Why aren't you at your desk looking at what i just sent you? We have a meeting about this in 10 min and i need feedback!!!"
This week I'm researching SCCM and Identity Finder Enterprise . Both products will be going live in the near future and we have to set them up. I've never set up any Microsoft Server project of this size but I'm not worried. I've been given time to research this and find solid documentation. I've got a partner who knows the infrastructure better than myself to tag team this with. I'm not worried in the least bit.
Instead of feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of setting up an SQL server among other things, I'm more concerned with trying to prove my worth that i was the right choice to bring on board. I'm not worried about how I'm going to even find time to look at this while I have a hundred other problems, an obscure problem within Citrix that no one else is working on, and still need to orchestrate phone moves for people in the cube farm.
Last week I fumbled my way through an install of Server 2003 and then a very ugly install of SQL. This week I'm hoping to start from scratch and learn from my mistakes so that this guinea pig can be much much less ugly. Learning on the fly... with enough time to make notes!
So far I'm impressed with what I've read of Identity Finder. It looks very straight forward and has good reviews. I can't help but wonder if Microsoft has said anything about them creating a product that looks like it's copying the default Office 2007 theme. On the back end this looks like it'll take a bit of work to do but shouldn't be too bad. Right now we're in the middle of figuring out if we've got the green light for a license. If so we'll scan user shares first and then roll it to desktops. This could be done sometime in the next month or next year.
SCCM seems to be quite a beast to set up even with the step by step instructions . Everyone is saying that it'll be worth it. I'll be making notes of my mistakes with the hopes that I can learn from those too.
Scotty... Please don't beam me back up to the ship yet!
Friday, June 10, 2011
Change of scenery
Today I made the first major aesthetic changes to this blog. Although i liked the simplistic look of it from before, I felt it was time to tweak things a bit. I'd like to generate a little more traffic here which is why i'm trying to post more often.
I must say that blogger was being a major pain in the ass as i tried to make changes. After making changes and trying to save them, I would repeatedly get a 503 error. This isn't cool when you're trying to make changes on the fly and hoping to see them quickly while you still have an idea in your head.
The other thing that I've run into is the adsense widget seems to be very much not working right now. I've tried to re-add it and it doesn't appear anywhere. My reason for caring about this is because i would honestly like to see if i can make a little bit of money from my rants. I've not dealt that much with adsense or much of any of the aspects of this blog in years so I need to spend some time going through things more closely. I'd had a couple of ads here in the past and they were small and non-offensive so i kept them there. Because of that, I'd like to see if i can get them back. I'm more annoyed by the fact that they are gone and don't seem to be coming back than i am by the fact that they're ads in the first place.
Perhaps some day I'll be able to move from this site to somewhere else where i can grow more. In order to do so I need to have more justification though since this is in fact free and I like free things. :)
I must say that blogger was being a major pain in the ass as i tried to make changes. After making changes and trying to save them, I would repeatedly get a 503 error. This isn't cool when you're trying to make changes on the fly and hoping to see them quickly while you still have an idea in your head.
The other thing that I've run into is the adsense widget seems to be very much not working right now. I've tried to re-add it and it doesn't appear anywhere. My reason for caring about this is because i would honestly like to see if i can make a little bit of money from my rants. I've not dealt that much with adsense or much of any of the aspects of this blog in years so I need to spend some time going through things more closely. I'd had a couple of ads here in the past and they were small and non-offensive so i kept them there. Because of that, I'd like to see if i can get them back. I'm more annoyed by the fact that they are gone and don't seem to be coming back than i am by the fact that they're ads in the first place.
Perhaps some day I'll be able to move from this site to somewhere else where i can grow more. In order to do so I need to have more justification though since this is in fact free and I like free things. :)
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Food - Turkey Burgers
I have been told that when I eat I analyze my meal. The gears are turning before the first bite and I'm always trying to come up with ways to either reproduce something from a restaurant in the kitchen or ways to improve upon what I've already made. I was not aware of this habit that I have. I'm by no means a gourmet chef but i like to cook and come up with different ideas. Because of this hobby of mine, I am going to dedicate some of my time to documenting new zany ideas that I've experienced. The primary tag used will be FOOD and then i will break it down further from there while trying to differentiate between what I've tried while going out vs coming up with in the kitchen.
To kick this thread off, I will describe what I made for dinner recently...
Turkey burgers.
Take one package of fresh pre-made turkey burgers and cook them on either a George Foreman or in a pan on the stove. High heat is the key to give it a little bit of searing and flavor. Season burgers with choice of seasoning (Mrs Dash has an awesome chipotle or fiesta seasoning) since Turkey is very bland. After removing burgers from heat, place a small piece of cheese on them (I love co-jack).
In another non-stick pan, turn heat up high. Take a chunk of red and green pepper (maybe 1/4 of the whole pepper) and cut into thin strips (1/4-1/2" thin). Also have sliced mushrooms ready (used pre-sliced white mushrooms because they were cheap and easy). Didn't need any kind of oil/butter for veggies because of non-stick pan. After pan is heated up, toss peppers and mushrooms in while gradually turning the heat down. Ideally you want to have the peppers be seared a bit to give it a semi-grilled look. Keep pan uncovered for a few minutes as veggies get more seared. Cover for a minute or two which will bring out the moisture in the veggies and then uncover again. Turn heat off. Veggies should be nice and hot.
Cheap white buns were used. Put burger on bun and scoop some of the veggies on top of the burger so they're on top of the cheese. No condiments are needed for this to be completed but a little dab of ranch will be needed if the turkey burgers are over cooked.
Cost: Burgers cost $3.50 on sale. Buns are cheap. Veggies can cost a bit but if you have them in the house regularly, then this is yet another use for them.
Health: Excluding the cheese and the dash of seasoning, i can't see how this is a 'bad' meal.
Racing Through Life
When did life become a race? It seems as though I missed the memo that I am supposed to be like my peers and running around under a self imposed deadline to accomplish 'goals'. Mainstream media tries to tell us that 40 is the new 30. At the same time I look around and see people treating 30 as the new 50. Some are striving to be older than advertised in the hopes of using their false maturity as leverage to advance their agenda of being perceived as 'older and more stable' for both personal and professional purposes.
I am viewed as a 'failure' by a lot of people (both friends and family). They won't come right out and say it but this is how I am viewed. I'm viewed as such because I didn't buy into their notion that I'm supposed to have a two car garage by now with a matching family and a Weber grill that will make me the envy of the neighborhood. I have next to nothing set aside for retirement because i opted to quit a shitty job 10 years ago and go back to school in order to better myself. I did not pursue a field of study that would have easily enabled this mythical dream world to happen. I chose to study what interested me which lead to my growing mentally and emotionally as a human being as opposed to a more acceptable worker drone.
Now I'm looked down upon because I'm 'behind the curve' in terms of accumulation of the 'goals' that my peers are racing towards. My maturity is quietly questioned by those that know me socially. My stability is questioned by both prospective employers and casual acquaintances. I'm chasing a different dream than what others are chasing and for that I am an oddity. You're more than welcome to look down upon me now but please don't call me when you're suffering from a midlife crisis after you realize you have attained all of these milestones that you raced towards and realized that you're stressed about keeping up the charade.
There must be something wrong with this individual who dared to quit their job when buying a new car was within his grasp. There's clearly something wrong with someone who walked away from a job with benefits all to risk being penniless.
Them: What would your ideal job be right now if you could do anything?
Me: A gardener.
Them: Ahh… Agriculture.
Me: No. Just a gardener.
Them: That's it?
Me: Yes.
Clearly there's something wrong with this one. We should be sure to distance ourselves from him for fear of the unknown that he brings.
I think the reason why I'm refusing to run this race that I see others caught up in is because the finish line should not be the ultimate goal. The journey is more important to me than the destination. It's the experiences in this journey that make us who we are and give us the knowledge to pass on to the next generation with the hopes of not repeating our mistakes. Age comes in time. I'll get there when I get there. In the meantime there's absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying where you are chronologically. I accept my branding as a 'failure' by those that don't understand this because i sleep soundly every night perfectly content with who i am.
See ya at the finish line...
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Slowing Down
I have no job. I quit my job a month ago because i was burnt out, strung out, wiped out, and mentally drained. I have no regrets. The end.
Life has slowed down for me these days. There is some pretty annoying construction that i have to deal with whenever i want to go anywhere on the freeway. I see people swerving in and out of lanes while jockeying for a better spot only to come to a halt again. I am the asshole who goes slower when there's a growing gap between myself and the cars ahead of me. No point in rushing when we're going to slam on our brakes after this bend and cause even more panic breaking. I coast at a leisure pace through it all and pull up alongside of those that passed me earlier and keep on coasting through. Barely tapping the brakes. The traffic doesn't bother me because i know it's there, there's no way to avoid it, and I'm in no rush.
Approximately 10 minutes north of me and through a couple of suburbs is where a friend of mine lives. Gas is hovering around $4/gallon and i have only my savings. I walk there. It takes approximately 50 minutes one way to walk there at a steady pace. The walk is calming. Never realized some of the little things I see on stretches of road I've gone down all of my life. Never realized that some boring looking apartment complex with dark red bricks and very bright white trim has an indoor pool. I forgot that my feet can actually be tender and my legs can be slightly sore from walking that much.
According to the calendar the season is supposed to be spring. On occasion the weather actually resembles that.
I've found myself being more polite than usual when out in public. Letting people cut in line at the grocery store. Holding the door for someone who is more than 2 steps behind me and more like 10 steps behind. I've got time and I'm in no rush.
As i reflect more and more i feel as though i recently woke up from a long sleep. I feel as though i dreamt the past couple of years of my life while not knowing when exactly it was that i slipped off into this dream world. The fog is lifting day by day. I don't know who i am anymore but I'm liking where this is going. Income is a looming concern of mine but I'm fighting constantly with it to keep it very much a secondary concern.
I have no job. I quit my job a month ago because i was burnt out, strung out, wiped out, and emotionally drained. I refuse to allow myself to have any regrets. This is the beginning.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
The "unplugging" experiment
In response to Mom unplugs teens for 6 months from Internet, iPod, TV ...
If not for the fact this was influenced by her plan to write a book, I would applaud this "experiment". Stories like this genuinely interest me and I may look to find a copy of this book at the library one of these days (assuming they still exist). If not for the fact that she had to bribe her kids with a piece of the action from the book sales, this would be even better. Despite the lack of genuine sincerity behind this experiment, it both fascinates and disturbs me that this is a topic worthy of discussion.
In the past I've written about the desire to unplug from society if even briefly and I feel the need to reiterate that this has been a strong desire of mine for years. Even though i only talked about turning my phone off, I'd like to believe that "unplugging" from most technology would be the implied much like what Susan Maushart did with her family. It's almost as though I need to document that I felt this way before others "jumped on the bandwagon" and beat me to the punch. This is my way of making peace with myself on this topic i suppose.
The results of this on her family are fascinating and impossible to ignore. Her son was branded a video game addict and dedicated his free time to playing sax. Once the cloud lifted, he became interested in something that is not only potentially social but also what is arguably one of the foundations of culture. If not for the experiment, it's debatable whether or not he would have gone back to music or not. One daughter actually had her grades improve during this experiment.
More importantly than the results for me is how disturbing this is that it's worthy of writing a book about a family doing something like this. Apparently families are truly this out of control that they can't suppress their technology fetish. The removal of the "evil crickets" from their day to day lives should not be this big of an issue and yet it is.
Most importantly, this article/topic has flooded my head with more and more questions to which i don't necessarily want the answers to. Is technology truly that integral to not only people but families to the point that the act of "unplugging" can only be done so through bribery of kids? Are parents really that powerless (whether accidentally or by choice) to keep their families from self medicating by way of their immediate gratification gadgets? Why is it that more people aren't concerned with this? Are we losing the ability to physically interact with one another in favor of the perceived security of our virtual interactions? Could the son be considered a poster boy for what talent can lie underneath the shroud of electronic addiction that needs only be unplugged in order to shine through?
Although i'm fascinated by this "experiment" and the questions that it has raised within me, i don't foresee answers coming to light anytime soon. It's my opinion that "experiments" like this will become increasingly popular in the coming years and they'll be more and the outcomes will become more and more drastic as we progress further.
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