Mark Rants

Lately, I’ve been staring at my monitor being non-productive at all. As a business owner, that’s abad thing. Also, I know for a fact that my posture is not the greatest when I’m sitting.

At first I was looking into a new desk chair (like a nice Aaron chair), but I got the feeling that would make me just more lazy. I started researching alternative ways of working, and I saw a few tweets about people standing up while working. This seemed compelling to me. I’ve had experience with work standing up. I used to work in a telecommunications store, where we had work stations at standing level, but with my height (close to 6’5”), the workstations were always too low.
I came across Geekdesk.com, but I wasn’t willing to spend $1000+ on a desk that I might not even like, so, I came up with a solution: Search the house for items that are the right height to make a standup desk.

My current “sitting” desk is a nice wooden kitchen table with metal legs. I thought of making my own legs for it to make it the right height, but that would turn out too wobbly. I looked around on the innerwebz (I’m cool like that) and found quite a bit of genius ideas to temporarily raise your desk. From Pringles cans to phone books and concrete blocks. I’ve seen them.

Initial setup: My current test-setup is a Rubbermaid storage tub on my desk, with a work top from a fairly heavy side table. The work surface if 32” x 24”. My Macbook is on a Mattias iFold riser with my keyboard and tablet in front. I haven’t mounted my monitor yet.
Here’s a picture of the setup now:  http://campl.us/jkUB (Ignore the mess. I just pushed everything aside).

Next step: The tub is empty, which makes it easier to tip over (although stil pretty sturdy), so I’ll need to weigh that down to add my 22” monitor.

I’ll keep you posted.

You know, those annoying bars across your screen at the top or bottom in free apps. They don’t work because you think they’re interesting and make you want to tap on them, they work because they’re annoying.

They only work if there’s also a paid version of the app available. Here’s what happens:

You play your game, you use your app. All free. Awesome!
They have ads at the bottom. They suck.
You don’t want to click them to support the douche-wad that dared designing an ugly banner like that, but they’re still annoying.
What do you do? Upgrade to the paid version.

Developer gets paid, you lose the ads.

They’re like the shareware nag screens we had in the 90’s in Windows 95 programs..

It’s all shits and giggles til someone giggles and shits.

Magazines 20 years ago:

Article, article, interesting article, photo’s, ad, article, ad, article, article, article, centerfold (in some magazines), ad, article, article… Price: $ 5

Magazines nowadays:

Ad, ad, ad, ad, crap article, ad, article with ad, article, ad, ad, article, picture, ad that looks like an article, ad, article, ads, ad, bullshit tips, ad… Price $ 10.75

And they wonder why people stop buying magazines..

Some people deserve to get eggs thrown at them. Brick shaped eggs….made of brick.

So, you may have heard the news that Michael Jackson is officially murdered, but I have a problem with the verdict..

This doctor signed an oath. One that says something about helping patients to the best of his abilities. Assuming he did, why would it be manslaughter, if all he was trying to do is help Michael.

Now the other side.. If he _did_ kill Michael on purpose, why the hell did he only get a 4 year sentence?

Justice is served? I highly doubt it…