I recently heard a professor from MIT speak about the slot machine industry. She said it is a well documented fact that the industry views each person as “a potential addict.” And even scarier is the idea that casinos measure something called “pain points.” They study what makes someone unhappy while they are gambling and can pin point when you are going to leave the casino. When they see you walking away, they trigger what they call the “good luck algorithm.” Suddenly as you make your way out of the casino an employee “randomly” approaches you and offers you a coupon for ten free plays or a free steak dinner. You feel a little better about the day and decide to stay a little longer. That’s just creepy.
CopyWrite is a project manager for writers of all kinds. Rather than focus on formatting and layout, CopyWrite stands apart in its project-oriented approach. Word processors and page layout tools are good at what they do - formatting and layout - but they offer no help at all to a writer during the creative process. In fact, the ‘gee-whiz’ features crammed into these tools do more to hinder writers, getting in the way of their work flow.
It is at times like this that I love being a Mac user. /bragging
I’ll spare you the YouTube link but if you’re a LOST fan the video at “What?” pretty much sums it up. I quit watching cause I’m tired of waiting for answers. They never come.
I began the final semester of the year last night. Classes will end sometime in July. We have the month of August off and will begin again in September.
I found out yesterday that I’ve been accepted as an intern at Providence Hospice in Everett, Washington. The internship will extend through next school year.
I’m 100% committed to the scandal of grace. Grace makes religious people angry and it makes me, a recovering Pharisee, fairly uncomfortable at times too. But I’ve put all my eggs in the grace basket.
I Would Not Have Sinned, Except for the Law is a great example of this kind of grace and the tendency of the “mature” to impose law. I’m quite certain beer shirts don’t offend the Holy Spirit.
I would like to read Ron Paul’s new book: The Revolution: A Manifesto. Dr. Paul is the first compelling politician I’ve ever listened to and a rare statesman.
At the mid-point of every semester I get this sinking feeling: I’ll never finish. Graduate school stretches on before me like eternity. And then, somehow, the semester ends. Like this one. I’ve got a couple of weeks to get reacquainted with my family before the bleeding starts again.
