Fact or Myth: Are Mac Users Snobs?

As some of you recall, I got a MacBook Air recently, which from the side could be mistaken for a pen. Many alert readers pointed out to me that Drew and Justin are no longer an item. Whether their falling out was predicated on her operating system preferences, who's to say?

One of the first things one does when one gets a new computer is to start loading software onto one's desktop, which may prompt a visit to the nearest Apple store to pick up say, the equivalent of MS Office.

When the bespectacled, mousse-updo-ed, sales kid blew hot air about why Macs are superior to PCs and regaled us with stories about how he knows more about Comcast compatability than the Comcast guys and peppers his diatribe with "shit" at least three times, all to presumably demonstrate his genius, I have to say... well, I don't know what to say. The kid was a cocky arrogant punk, not to mention unprofessional, and I will now restrict my Mac-related purchases to the online arena. So I guess that would be what I have to say.

MrMudPuppy wanted to get me additional peripherals for my new laptop, but I want to keep it simple. No extra keyboards, no mice, no monitors, nothing. I want to be able to travel with this thing and not take a suitcase of extras with me. Besides I do still have a PC at home with all that stuff, should I feel the need to peripherate.


I've been obsessed with the whole notion of free wireless locations. I fantasize about taking my laptop around and writing in the park, or some other public locale. Never mind the fact that I have no children to "get away from". For me, it's like the 21st century romanticized version of going to the Parisian cafe to pen, like Ernest Hemingway in Immovable Feast.

I also get WiFi envy every time I go to a coffee shop and see other people writing, although they are probably just surfing the web and checking their email, but I don't know that. Being seen alone, staring into the glare of a MySpace page or perusing sites like Barefoot Foodie  or Unfinished Ramblings is the writer's version of Al Fresco dining on the Sunset Strip, only you're in a coffee shop, with convenient electrical outlets.

My laptop's wireless maiden voyage occurred at the Sacramento airport (excuse me, the Sacramento International Airport, because they fly to Guadalajara on alternate Wednesdays). FYI: For all you Where's-My-Free-Wifi-Hotspots people out there, LAX does NOT have it. Bastards.

By the way, there is a website that lists every free wifi hotspot it can think of, or allow users to contribute to the list. It's called The Wifi FreeSpot Directory. Not that it's entirely accurate as it doesn't list the Sacramento airport. Or the International one. But if you ever find yourself in Downtown Kuwait City and you simply must blog about the pineapples falling from the sky right that minute, isn't it comforting to know that free wireless internet access can be found at the Dasman-Sharq Holiday Inn?

Just don't visit the Apple Store while you're there, because if there's one thing snobbier than a Mac user, it's a Kuwaiti Mac user. He'll look down his nose at you while showing off hs 24 terabyte iPod, even with a pineapple lodged in his skull.


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NGiP would like to thank Mamasphere for adding Nanny Goats to her blog roll. If you've ever gone to work with a wardrobe malfunction, such as mismatched socks, Mamasphere can top that with a post entitled Another Embarrassing Day At The Office.

Hey, while you're here, could you do me a solid and click on this link which will bump me up a bit in the Sacto Top 25 rankings? That's it, just one click, nothing else. Thanks, man.

(photo courtesy of Clarita)

Succumbing to Drew Barrymore's Boyfriend

So anyway, I got this pen for my birthday last week:

OK, it's not a pen...it's a friggin' laptop!

I'm completely new to Mac, so there is a bit of a learning curve. Apparently, at some point I will become a religious zealot about it and refuse to understand how you ignorant PC users could POSSIBLY still be using your Draconian lead bricks. Luddites! (see? it's already starting.)

During this transition, I will be nothing short of a confused child, victimized by a bitter divorce, trying to sympathize with each of my parents as they battle it out for the blue teeth and thumb drives.  I will be shuttled between Seattle and Silicon Valley on the weekends and 2 weeks in the summer.

And the lies! 

"You mother drained my bank account. She always had to have the most expensive version of everything!"

"When your father and I made love, his operating system would crash halfway through. Did he ever tell you THAT?"


As I put away my new laptop at the airport last weekend, the lady standing next to me in line uttered, "So it really is that thin."

That's what she said.

Let the record show, that was my first "That's what she said" reference.


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NGIP would like to thank Zen Mom for adding Nanny Goats In Panties to her her blog roll. A former reporter, Zen Mom is an excellent and thoughtful writer. If you're a Joss Whedon fan you might enjoy her recent post entitled Strong Women Characters.

And another thing, MJ over at Note To Self is crazy. But crazy for a cause. She's doing a blogathon starting at 9am EST tomorrow (Saturday), where she will post a new blog entry every 30 minutes for 24 hours. Can you imagine either blogging every 30 minutes OR staying awake for 24 hours? ACK! It's madness! You can visit her blog and watch her all day tomorrow and give her some comment love. Any $donations$ go to benefit HUGS (Helping Uplift Grieving Survivors). She's got all the info on her blog. Also, there's a cool prize for the people who support her the bestest!

Add THAT to Your ToDo List and Smoke It

I hate ToDo lists. They may help you organize your life, but what's more depressing than looking at 147 chores that simply remind you of all the stuff you haven't accomplished yet? It's like getting bogged down in massive debt that you don't want to pay because it will take YEARS to climb out of that hole. So why bother?

That's why I've decided to just let the bank repossess my ToDo list.  HA! Let's see them try and unload THAT thing in today's ToDo list market. Plus, for the last six months, I've let the thing go because I just don't care any more. Rather than rewrite a fresh clean list after completing several items, I'll just scribble out "feed wombat" and add "blog about Olympic Gold Medal" and other ToDos until I have to staple pages together into an unwieldy mess.

And...I use a pen. A big fat leaky one.


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NGIP would like to thank Motherhood From the Edge of the Map for adding Nanny Goats In Panties to her blog roll. This gal seamlessly combines The Two Coreys and lobster sex into one post  which somehow manages to demonstrate how happily married she is. Well done!

Hey, while you're here, could you do me a solid and click on this link which will bump me up a bit in the Sacto Top 25 rankings? That's it, just one click, nothing else. Thanks, man.