patrickbeja.com

Rants are supposed to be semi-rational angry spiels, and I don’t expect everyone will agree. I’m just having a bit of fun (and maybe trying to make a point?) but if I offend anyone I apologize in advance if I do.

First, let me make a couple of things clear:

• I think obsessing over the looks of photoshoped models is ridiculous and unwarranted.
• I really bare no ill will to anyone, I love all people of all shapes and sizes.

That being said, I’m tired of people who think being overweight is an uncontrollable curse. I’m not talking about people who have a few extra pounds. Or even three dozens. I’m talking about obese people who think it just happened to them. No, it didn’t. Listen to me: the reason why you are fat is… wait for it… because you EAT TOO MUCH!

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So I was at the new media expo last week, and Veronica mentioned the fact that she had too much bacon on her computer. At first I thought this was another one of those American things like, you know, when you need to deep fry your cheese and wrap it in solid high fructose syrup to enjoy it. I figured she had left some of the bacon dip from her “BBQ style cereals” on the desk or something. But it turns out it wasn’t quite that.

She was actually talking about “bacn”. And if you don’t know what bacn is, let me fill you in. Bacn is kind of like spam, except it’s the kind you sign up for. Twitter saying you have more imaginary friends, forums telling you that DeathStar34b replied to your thread about the practicality of Klingon motorcycle helmets, or Facebook letting you know that people need you to be a zombie-pirate or want to buy you for thirteen bucks or so.

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Well I finally succumbed to the temptation, I have a blog. Let’s start in pure blogging fashion: a top 10 list overloaded with links. So here are my 10 random thoughts from the New Media Expo in Las Vegas:

1. At an event like this, the iPhone to person ratio approaches unhealthy levels.
2. I really don’t care too much for their show (I don’t own tools), but the spags are awesome.
3. The New Media Expo wasn’t “new media” at all. It made me think of something called “Podcast Expo”.
4. When you are Jonathan Coulton or Felicia Day, you cannot walk 10 feet without someone stopping you to say that Ilovewhatyoudoandyouarereallyawesome- canItakeapicturepleaseIloveyou. I’m guessing it would get pretty annoying pretty fast, but they stay friendly. A mystery.
5. I already knew it, but I got confirmation that Veronica Belmont is a real real geek: she knows Joco’s songs by heart and sings along when he’s on stage.
6. Being on Twit Live can get you a hundred+ Twitter followers in two minutes.
7. Tom Merritt might very well be the nicest person on the planet.
8. Randy Jordan is a real cowboy. Also, he secretly swore a few weeks ago that he would get more Twitter followers than me. And he did.
9. Even with geeks like us, the real fun happens after hours… Jim Kirks and Molly Lynn are party animals.
10. I’m really not a Trekkie (or trekker or whatever), but going to the Star Trek Experience with Len Peralta, Brent and almost all the people I talked about here was definitely worth the 38 hours I spent in airplains and airports in those five days. Also, Randy screamed like a girl during the 3D ride.

All in all I had a really great time, and I consider myself incredibly fortunate to be part of such an amazing community. A thousand thanks to all of those who were there, a million thanks to the people who chose to listen to what I have to say, and I hope we get to do it again as soon as possible.