Alex Krogh-Grabbe

I’ve noticed that one of the most pervasive computer habits that many people have with computer use is an over-use of the double-click. For your convenience, here is a small and non-comprehensive list of the basic tasks to use each kind of click for:

Double-clicking

• Opening a program on your desktop
• Opening a file in most places
• Selecting the entire word when you’re editing text

Single-clicking

• Selecting/highlighting an icon
• Pressing a button
• Clicking a link
• Most other things you want to do

Interestingly, I’ve noticed that this problem isn’t just one exhibited by older computer users, but also apparent in low-confidence computer users my age and younger (yes, they do exist, in force). Also interesting, is this assertion on Wikipedia that “Macintosh Operating Systems only require one mouse click for most executions.” It seems like Apple tends to be at the forefront of desktop culture, so it’s not surprising that we use single clicks for more and more. Of course, what with the rise of tablets and touchscreens, soon we may not be using mice at all!

I was just thinking of books that I want to read to my (eventual) children. Mostly they’re books I was read as a kid, but some are books I wished I’d read or that I’ve read more recently.

1. Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien – I’m reading this to Nicole right now, and it’s really fun, especially because she’s never read it before.
2. Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card – I once aspired to re-read this every year, but that didn’t happen. I’m long overdue.
3. Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis – I never read this, and while I’m cautious of the Christian overtones, it’s one that I feel I missed out on.
4. The Dark is Rising, by Susan Cooper
5. Redwall, by Brian Jacques
6. The Prydain Chronicles, by Lloyd Alexander
7. The Enchanted Forest series, by Patricia Wrede – Feminist and irreverent, while I didn’t see these as most favorite, I think they’re important.
8. The Pit Dragon Trilogy, by Jane Yolen
9. Stardust, by Neil Gaiman – I actually read this in college, but I like the idea of exposing children to Neil Gaiman’s writing early.
10. Harry Potter, by J.K. Rowling – So that the kids will have read the books before seeing the movies.
11. Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman

Big March

I went with my roommate Emma today to participate in the anti-war march to Occupy Boston. There were hundreds of people in the march. We stood by the headhouse and watched everyone go by, then walked straight to Dewey Square, while the march went off down Tremont. I have no idea where the march got to, because while I expected them to be there in fifteen minutes or so, they didn’t arrive for about an hour. In that time, we wandered around the site, which had changed a little since I was there a week ago, mostly expanded by more tents on the edges.

'Thumper

While we were waiting for the march to get there (they took forever!) we were captivated by an interaction happening on the plaza between protesters and a rotating slate of 4-5 bible-thumpers who had a milk crate and a megaphone and weren’t afraid to use them. The protesters were initially standing in a line in front of the active ‘thumper, with signs that said “this man does not speak for us” and chanting “equality”for everyone!” Then drums were added to the mix, and more chanting, which became an encirclement. My stomach was slightly turned by the tactic of drowning out those whose views you don’t like, but I imagine it would’ve been turned further hearing the ‘thumper’s words. Emma told me that this is a common tactic when Fred Phelps comes to town to tell gay people they can’t go to heaven. I continued to feel weird about it all until someone started playing a trumpet. We started dancing. I think it’s better to combat hate by displacing it with a dance party than by simply saying “no!”

Arrival of March

Crowd on the Plaza

Then, finally, we saw the march approaching from the same side street that we had. They must’ve doubled back and come at Dewey Square from Downtown Crossing. We positioned ourselves on the north edge of the plaza, right next to the tunnel exit. There were lots of police directing traffic, and suddenly the other side of the street was filled with protesters waiting to cross. Then they crossed, led by some anarchist folks who seemed to cross before the police were completely ready. But it’s hard (without riot gear and great numbers) to stop the crest of a hundreds-strong march when they want to cross a street. Then the entire march was crossing the street, and it was fun to watch the reactions of the people stopped in cars coming up from the tunnel. The energy was great. Then the plaza was filled, and we were standing near the police at the periphery. It was somewhat awkward standing near them while people were speaking to the crowd with lots of anti-cop language. But there weren’t any real problems. We then walked around for a bit, then got in the subway and went home.

Today I went grocery shopping and it felt great. Here’s why.

• I used my roommate’s bike, which has panniers, and it feels great carrying things in panniers.
• First I went to Shaw’s and got cereal, eggs, olive oil, and red peppers. All organic.
• Then I went to the Davis Square farmers’ market, and got apples, garlic, kale, and one giant sweet potato. By this point the panniers were very full.
• Then, as there was one more thing on my list, I went across the Square to Dave’s Fresh Pasta, and got two jars of honey, one with a honeycomb inside.
• I biked home, and had plenty of time to put everything away and grab a bite before heading off to my next commitment.

It feels great buying healthy food, buying food from farmers, and using a bike to transport it. Here’s to many similar expeditions.

I have been following and vigorously posting to Facebook all information about the Occupy Wall Street protests. I’m doing this because the protests are exciting. Change happens in a democracy when people are energized enough by issues to get up and demand more of politicians. Those demands need to be loud (read: great passion and lots of people), otherwise politicians will just buzz along, doing what they do best: wheeling and dealing. It is our civic duty to make it politically necessary for them to behave.

Occupy Wall Street has been criticized a lot by pundits for a couple things in particular. First, that they don’t really have specific and cohesive demands, and instead are full of people protesting for everything. Second, that they’re uninformed, and don’t know the first thing about the financial industry.

But the organizers are a step ahead here. By embracing a multiplicity of concerns, they focus the energy of the protest on the “Other 99%” or just the “99%”. That’s fantastically strategic, because it allows anyone with vaguely anti-establishment grievances to participate, thus lots of passionate people.

The second criticism falls flat too. What’s important is the symbolism of Wall Street. And it doesn’t really matter if protesters can’t tell you what a derivative is, they’re justifiably angry, and poking fun at them comes off as elitist and feeds the revolutionary zeal.

So, while clarification of specific goals will be important at some point, this Occupy Wall Street beast should get much bigger before it narrows its focus in that way. If you like pundits, though, here are some who are taking a tempered look at the story:

• Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times on Saturday 10/1
• Ezra Klein of the Washington Post on Monday 10/3
• Mike Konczal of the Roosevelt Institute on Wednesday 9/28
• Phil Aroneanu of 350.org on Tuesday 10/4, about why environmentalists should join in just as much as they did for the Tar Sands Action.