1.11.2006

ergonomics and such

First off, all updates on the Spencer Gifts campaign will now be posted to http://wearingracism.blogspot.com going forward. So if you want to sign in anonymously and call me an overdramatic cunt as someone already has, please do so on that web site instead. :-)

So we're on day 24 (I think) of rain, just 5 more til we break the record. I'm almost excited about it because I'll forever remember this as my one month visit where it rained every fucking day.

I watched About Schmidt yesterday. I thought it was a funny movie, not the antagonizing bore that one critic described it as. My favorite line, "when I die and everyone who knows me dies, no one will even know I ever existed." So that has inpired me to leave some sort of a mark on the world before I leave. If I can't come up with anything good, I'll have to tackle one of those stupid stunts in the Guinness Book of World Records.

I've been working from my laptop here this whole visit home and it's starting to cause me some pain. Back when I worked for a start-up, we had monthly visits from an ergonomics expert. What I learned from him was that the monitor should be centered at eye level and your keyboard positioned so that your forearm and wrists slope down. If you have your hands bent back to form a V with your hand and forearm, you're going to get carpal tunnel in a big way. Now if you use a laptop, there's no way to have the monitor centered at eye level and your arms sloping down, unless you have really strange proportions. I'm very fearful of carpal tunnel so I've got my seat adjusted high but now my neck hurts from looking down and my shoulders hurt from having my arms hoisted up on my desk a bit. I sure wish I had a docking station and 2nd monitor and keyboard.

13 comments:

GT said...

Wow, I went back to read the comments and someone did call you the "C" word. Even I never resort to that word. That's like "point of no return" territory. Anyway, as to the laptop thing, it's best to take breaks here and there. I also move the LCD back further than 90 degrees. Being a guy, I'm more worried about the heat issue.

Syndromes said...

It's no fun if you haven't pissed off someone enough to have them call you a cunt ;) Nicely done! Haha

Hope you're doing well and I can't wait until I get regular internet access back again... Grr!

Ben said...

I work on laptops at work all day, and at home too -- no external monitors, no add-on keyboards, none of that. But I found that it helps considerably just to move the laptop away from me -- kind of forces a straightening of my arms, and the wrist angle feels more comfortable for me as well.

Fumbling said...

hehe you guys crack me up big time and you're right sitting back and straightening my arms once in a while feels good. Though not as good as my monitor and wireless keyboard/mouse on a keyboard tray setup.

Anonymous said...

anyone who hides behind anon and throws epithets is a dog and a coward, aside from being a dullard and an ass.

S said...

When there are issues of race, there's ALWAYS going to be dumbshits who don't think that there's anything wrong and that the (inflicted upon) demographic is being too sensitive. You know what we call them? RACIST.

People would love for us to be passive and to 'laugh' with them as they buck their teeth and narrow their eyes, but what the fuck? Who's to say that the discrimination will stop there? For the longest time, all Asians were simply Chinese. There was a damning stereotype represented by entertainment media and even now majority of white America clings to dated notions of what being Asian represents. This line of apparel is not something 'new' and 'funny' that we should feel obliged to laugh off. It's an ongoing issue that we've had to fight.

Incidentally, taking potshots at Jesus in caricatures is most decidedly NOT the same thing as inflaming images of Buddha with racist intent. I've seen lots of funny imagery associated with Buddhism. It's ignorant observations like that which pass judgment on the people making them.

Rose said...

There really is no need for offensive language here, the C word should not have been used guys! There is nothing wrong with expressing your opinion, but let's keep the obscenities down hey?

Anonymous said...

Wow, you've been dating a Pinay for three years and now you're got a practical Doctorate that qualifies you to speak on Asian-AMERICAN issues?!?, congrats. First things first, you confound Asians, with Asian Americans/Canadians, and what makes you think that APIAs aren't working on other problems that you, in your infinite wisdom, deem more "legitimate". Please. Once you're done pontificating, feel free to close your mouth, open your ears, and maybe learn something from the Asian-AMERICAN/Canadian community. Another noted personage once thought that he could speak for us, ever read Rudyard Kipling's 'White Man's Burden'? You obviously don't 'get it'. It takes a dazzling amount of gall to lecture the individuals who have chosen to participate in an issue that obviously more people than you find important. And btw, tell your girlfriend, "Yung kasama mo, walang ka alam alam. Parang akala nya na mas marunung siya sa mga Asian, hindi naman siya Asian. Parang mediyo mahina ang isip nya, baka bobo siya. Nakaka hiya naman."

Anonymous said...

wow....there are issues that need to be fought for the good of society & asian americans....& americans in general.....THIS, just is not one....

Anonymous said...


i'm an Italian/Chinese/Nigerian/Equadorian mix so i believe i have a right to call every last one of you douchebags for whining on and on and on about some damn tshirts sold by the same people that sell chocolate nipple tassel caps and smiling poo magnets. the end.

Anonymous said...

i don't want a doggy biscuit for dating a pinay or think i know everything about asians...i'm talking about racism...i am pointing out that i am not a racist which i have been called a number of times along with a dullard just because we don't see eye to eye...And thats exactly my point its easy to call me a racist when in fact i'm not, i'm just imploring you all to be able to laugh at yourselves...and comparing this to a ministrel show just shows how out of touch your arguements are...i consider myself open minded and if you'd stop being so accusatory and make a vaild arguement..you may sway my opinion...
"you can joke about anything"- george carlin

EMOB said...

A HA HA HA HA HA. THIS is even funnier than the last string of comments. I love it, it's like watching reality TV!!!

TWUNT, I almost spat my tea all over the computer screen - you're my hero!...and I noticed, you didn't REALLY call anyone a douchebag. You just said you had the right to. ;)

S said...

The worst racism I’ve ever had to endure was during the 18 years I lived in Jamaica. There’s no comparison, to what I have to put up with here in Canada, where multiculturalism reigns supreme. In North America on a whole, however, the difference is that you can see evidence of discrimination at a much higher level, evident in corporate culture and consumerism.
In my opinion, the loudest, most vocal minority group to bang on the racist drum and trumpet discrimination all the way up to the ivory towers for any slight, real or perceived, is the African American group. Of course, more power to them. Given what’s happened historically, they *should* be taking people to task in order to restore reputation so that respect and understanding becomes the norm.
Why is it so different for Asian people? Is it because we’re considered – nerdy, quiet, non-confrontational? We’re supposed to sit back and shut up, and let people portray us in any fashion that they want? Passivity and a sense of humour is all well and fine, but how much of a sense of humour would you be able to keep if you didn’t have proactive people keeping things from spiraling out of control? Racism is a hot button topic, at any moment, in any period, in any country. You’d think that large clothing corporations would be a little smarter about the things that they decide to spoof.