Found Dead... Don's Brain

So, where is my creativity? Where has it gone? I guess I am going into a mild state of depression. Nothing seems to interest me right now. I haven't been to a film in weeks, I do not watch TV to any extent, and I sit at work with very little to do, for now.

The other thing is that my 'Big Birthday' is quickly approaching and I am starting to wonder about life and my future.

I am writing this simply to try. I appreciate those few readers who visit, and also those who take the time to comment. Any attention is welcome.

So, I will take a deep breath and trudge forward.

My top 5

I was visiting one of my favorite blogs today and the question came up about the five people you get a 'wavier' or 'freebee'.

What surprised me was how long it took me to come up with five. Yes, there are many very pretty people out there who I could easily fantasize about, but when I really put some thought into it I became very discriminating about it.

I think this is my age showing. It is not that I am NOT a hound (as all men tend to be), but many of the women I see on TV or on the movie screen seem a little shallow and certainly too skinny (for my taste). But I did finally come up with five choices:

The list du jour ('cause I am a fickle guy).

1. Allison Janney (Smart, pretty, charming and tall)
2. Lisa (BoredHousewife). Do women get any sexier?
3. Scarlett Johansson (probably too young, but just gorgeous and great eyes)
4. Charlize Theron (Somehow I would want to talk to her more than get physical)
5. Alyson Hannigan (Me-likey redheads).

Now these appear in the order in which I thought of them. The first three popped right out, and the next two did take some consideration.

Do you have a list (just in case)?

A Choice of Infinities

Is there a God? That question alone can (and has) sparked arguments, discussions, and probably wars. Most religious wars were not from questioning God’s existence as much as whom to believe about how God wants us to act.

Up front, I am an agnostic. I was raised and confirmed in the Lutheran church by my aunt. My father was Catholic and my mother is Baptist. Neither of them, or my immediate family, are church-goers. Although I no longer agree with all of the teachings of the church, I do appreciate my aunt for exposing me to the Christian way of life.

But this post is about the roots of God. We are told that He is infinite in both time and space. For many, this flies in the face of modern science. As we learn more about our universe, we discover that there are mathematical concepts that can explain how God works.

This is my feeling: I think the idea that God is above, or on a separate plane that our universe, seems to make him unattainable. The more we learn about the mechanics and physics of the world we live in, the less likely that it is that “God made man in his own image.” Or is it?

If God did make man in his own image then is it not available and possible that man can move closer to God by understanding how God makes things work? Why would a divine being grant us free will only to be P.O.’d when we use that free will to understand the universe that he put us in?

What irritates me about most of the ‘commercial’ religions is that they have the temerity to say they know what God is thinking. That they understand the ‘real’ intent of the Bible, which is God’s word spoken to man. In my mind, the more we learn about the universe and how it works, the more powerful God gets.

Acronyms

Definition: " A word formed from the initial letters of a name, such as WAC for Women's Army Corps, or by combining initial letters or parts of a series of words, such as radar for radio detecting and ranging."

This is not to be confused with an abbreviation (or initials), such as USMC.

I know this is a nit-picking thing to complain about, but I have take grief for lesser issues, so...

Acronym examples:

NASA ( not "en ayh ess ayh")
NOW, for National Organization of Women (not "en oh double-ewe")

Abbreviations examples:

IT (pronounced "eye tea", not "it")
DMV (pronounced "dee em vee", not "Deemov")

NASA was the real promoter of acronyms in the 60's. They had so many new words and names for things, like a Lunar Evactuation Module (a LEM), that they used acronyms constantly. It helps to give a thing an easy name. It is like a nick-name for a child.

Anyway, it iritates me when people get that wrong.

CSQE

So, in my efforts to constantly improve myself, I have enrolled in a certification course. This results in me taking an exam for 4 hours to obtain a certification from ASQ (American Society of Quality) stating that I have the knowledge and credentials to be a Software Quality Engineer.

It is similar to taking the SAT, but the knowledge is obviously very specialized.

For a few weeks, on Wednesday nights, I will go to a 3-hour session and learn what I need to know in order to get that knowledge. It seemed like a good idea when I first thought about it, and the man who organized the sessions sits right across from me here at work. My current supervisor, Gina, who sits in another cube next to me, is also enrolled. We plan on forming a study group.

This has, however, severed my X-box on-line playing time down to nothing, as Wednesdays was the groups night for shooting each other. Cest' la vie.

Was this a good idea? Is improving myself, especially for a certification that I will minimally use, such a good idea? My logical self tells me yes, but my lazy self has a different opinion. I am now looking at this opportunity as a social event as much as a learning event. Hey, it is a little lonely here, by myself.

I know that I need to start exercising, but I can't find the motivation for that right now either. At least the certification training is something. I'll start there and go forward. Yeah, start slow.