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Diagnosis: Bloggers Alzheimer’s aka Sullivan’s Syndrome

Posted: July 1, 2009 by datechguy in Blame Bush, opinion/news
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I started reading Andrew Sullivan back in the year 2000. It was one of the first blogs I ever read and it was the source of a lot of good opinion and observation.

I have watched his blog degenerate into the morass it is today, it shows flashes of it’s old self but mostly it is not worth a person’s time.

As I have observed Mr. (Dr?) Sullivan for considerably longer than he has observed Trig Palin I feel competent to diagnose the problem. After years of observation I have concluded that he suffers from an acute case of Bloggers Alzheimer’s hereafter known as Sullivan’s Syndrome.

The syndrome is characterized by a singular obsession with a particular issue that causes all other issues to be viewed from that prism. Once the trigger is activated the subject views and opinions on any and all subjects can only be judged from the view of the particular issue.

In Mr. Sullivan’s case the trigger was gay marriage. Once this because an issue anyone who dissented from said issues motives were not only not to be trusted but were to be attacked.

At the syndrome progresses the issue shapes one writing on everything until even friends on the base issue might be rejected due to acceptance or agreement with any previously rejected party. (Re: Glenn Reynolds) The subject himself will believe himself totally unchanged.

In its later stages a person who poses any external threat to the base issue becomes an obsession to truther conspiracy levels. (re: Trig)

Like regular Alzheimer patients some brief periods of lucidity may emerge (re Iran) but when exposed to the “external threat” again (re: Palin) the syndrome re-asserts itself. And the patient will often make an object of adoration of any opponent of the external threat.

No current treatment is known for Sullivan’s syndrome but readers are advised to avoid prolonged exposure to the subject as the syndrome can spread to the point where the infected person can become the trigger for the syndrome in others.

Update: Diagnosis confirmed!

XP XP XP…

Posted: July 1, 2009 by datechguy in tech
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Glenn point out that windows XP is still alive and Slashdot says it will remain so at least for another couple of years.

I’ve run Vista since week one, it has a lot of pain in the rear stuff but as a computer guy it wasn’t all that hard. I “upgraded” an xp system to vista for experience reasons and found it went from damn fast to ok.

The debate at slashdot ignores several things:

When I purchased my finally dead Inspiron 1150 my 512 ram and Pent 4 was more than fast enough, now even a cheep machine is at least dual core and 2 gig of ram. With that kind of firepower XP flies.

The systems that will be running windows 7 will be at least this strong or stronger, how fast do you think XP will run on those by comparision?

For business it is a capital expense to replace computers and a large expense to re-train people and software for their use.

As a person who once ran a business let me tell you this:

Computers are a TOOL, they are there to make their business run faster and better, if a computer or system doesn’t do that its not worth the expense. Business owners don’t give a DAMN what operating system they are running, they give a damn that they are able to use the applications that allow their business to make a profit at a minimum of expense.

And as for windows 95, they were the first computers really in a lot of homes, people accepted the problems because they didn’t know any better. XP is now the best known operating system among people that don’t know computers.

It will take a really big shock to force business off of this comfort zone, I don’t know that windows 7 is going to be big enough to do it but we will see.

Finally to most people a computer is an appliance. People may want to know how to use them in the abstract but they don’t want to put a lot of effort into doing so.

Darwin Award, natural selection, Michael Jackson

Posted: June 30, 2009 by datechguy in oddities
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One could argue the death of Michael Jackson is an example of natural selection in action, that would be a matter of debate, however I think there is no question that the people in this story illustrate Darwin award winners:

Gary Taylor, president and owner of MJJcommunity.com, said he understood the tragedies had mostly taken place outside of the UK but he believed one may have been British.

“I know there has been an increase, I now believe the figure is 12. I believe there may have been one Briton who has taken their life,” he said.

If this report is true than it is idiocy to the nth degree. It’s bad form to speak ill of the dead but I have a hard time feeling sorry for people whose lives are so empty that they can’t live without Michael Jackson.

This is one of the least Catholic posts I’ve written, I confess I’ve always had a bit of a prejudice against people who kill themselves I really should be more charitable but COME ON this is Nelson award territory.

Why the NYT et/al is dying

Posted: June 30, 2009 by datechguy in oddities
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The LA times article on “What if TMZ was wrong” is mostly forgettable but there is one line that says a lot about the MSN.

Jeffrey Seglin is quoted saying the following and it is treated as gospel:

“Few people expect TMZ or Drudge or the National Enquirer to get things right or to report on issues of substance.”

I must confess I’m not an expert on TMZ but DRUDGE? DRUDGE? Few people expect DRUDGE to report on issues of substance of get it right?

This stands in stark contrast to a decade of reporting by Drudge. In addition due to the rise of blogs Drudge is not as often the “first source” for many stories that it covers.

It’s almost a Pauline Kael moment but the MSN has a lot of them.

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