Damn Millenials!

As somebody born in the early ’80s, I was always too young to completely identify with the stereotypical Gen-X slacker (despite the name of this blog). I was also too old to completely identify with the Millenials. Because of that, it is nice to see them apologizing for the errors of their ways (via Upworthy):

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Is it secret, is it safe?

I recently saw a commercial for a product called “Password Minder” that allows people to keep track of their myriad computer passwords in a safe and effective way. What is this safe and effective way? It is writing your passwords in an alphabetized book that you keep next to your computer! I am not making this up! There is a website that features a version of the commercial I saw at getpasswordminder.com. A lot of the wording from the commercial is also available at this web page.

One of my favorite features is the leatherette cover that “makes sure that your passwords are doubly secret.” By virtue of being opaque, this cover protects your passwords from anybody who can’t see through things or figure out how to open a book! This point is driven home at 1:08 in the video on the website when a nameless woman states, “I don’t have to worry any more about security or identity theft. I now have all my passwords in one place. It’s great!” As any expert will tell you, there is nothing like keeping all of your passwords in one easily portable location to prevent you from identity theft!

Best of all, the Password Minder is only $10 and comes with a free digital reminder to let you know what you need at the store, where you parked your car, or where you stored your Password Minder! For a limited time you can double your order for free (just pay shipping and handling!). I only wish that Christmas hadn’t passed so that I could get Password Minders for all of my family members.

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Father’s Day cards for the rest of us

There are two types of Father’s Day cards: funny and sincere.  The sincere cards typically exclaim what an excellent father somebody was and how he was always there to listen/give advice/bail you out of jail.  The problem with the sincere cards is that they go too far in their claims of fatherly excellence.  While there are some people who’s fathers have been consistently excellent who can buy these cards and there are some who have no contact with their fathers and don’t need to worry about sending cards, there are many who fall somewhere in between.  As a result, I think that there is room for more realistic class of sincere Father’s Day cards.

In an attempt to rectify this situation, I created the following cards at someecards.com (where everybody is apparently white):

Until cards like these become reality I guess those of us in the middle will have to stick with the funny cards.

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Dying with dignity

While I am not particularly old, I have been doing some adult-like things lately and even planning for my own demise.  Despite my relative youth, the recent health of my grandparents has me considering the negative aspects of long life.  A few years ago my grandmother had a heart attack, since which she has been on medications that may have contributed to the stroke she had last year.  Most recently, it was determined that one of her medications is preventing her heart from working effectively.  While I am not anti-medicine (or anti-vaccination, for that matter), there has to be a point at which the medicalization of old age becomes counter productive.  (Maybe we all need to think a bit more about the old woman who swallowed a fly.)  I recognize that it is easy to make these sorts of proclamations while one is healthy and relatively youthful, but I hope that in my old age I am willing to convince others to let me put aside the drugs and, if necessary, die.

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