They say write what you know. Failing that, write what you’re obsessed about. And I’ve been obsessed with webcomics for the better part of the last three years. It is a productivity killer. I follow a number of thirty different webcomics, all bookmarked into my browser. Hell, being able to import all these bookmarks was part of the reason I switched to Google Chrome recently.

I started following webcomics with a gaming periodical, whose name I can no longer remember, and am pretty sure no longer exists. After a while I began to collect them in large bookmark folders. And when I pick up a webcomic, it is not often I stop following.

One of the longest running and most enjoyed webcomics I follow is Least I Could Do . Initially hooked in by the boobies, this comic centres around the life of a sexually active and promiscuous protagonist (Rayne) and the shenanigans he and his friends get into.

If I had to say, LICD is probably the inspiration for How I Met Your Mother, and Barney Stinson is the spiritual successor of Rayne Summers. So needless to say, if you don’t enjoy HIMYM, you would probably do to give LICD a pass. However if that sort of thing does tickle your tummy a read is in order.

I would advise against reading from the beginning, as LICD has had a number of four(?) artists over the course of its life (in my opinion each one better than the last.) The current artist absolutely captures the characters perfectly, and in addition, the writer is always kind enough to remind us of things we should be aware of if it’s relevant. If it’s that important to you, the full wiki is here

LICD follows the lives of this group of people, who live extraordinarily in an ordinary world. That is not to say that they are realistic, or empathetic, but if you enjoy the endless awesome stories of Barney Stinson then Rayne Summers and crew is up your alley. The writer Ryan Sohmer delivers every time. And Sohmer’s writing is part of what makes LICD so great. It’s crass and silly, but at the same time LICD will hit you deep and emotional when it needs to, appropriately and genuinely. No canned tears here.

So if you have some time on your hands, or just want to put off that assignment even more, I’d say give Least I Could Do a chance. If nothing else, it’s free and it’s got chuckles.

Does it have extensions?

I saw this at Staples, and amidst a world of Firefox vs Chrome, extensions addons, and clean interfaces this cracked me up in the middle of the store.

The following is a fairly obvious example:

Adam: Smoking is bad, it causes lung cancer.

Bill: Ya, as if I’ll listen to you, I saw you smoke just yesterday.

This argument is fallacious because whether or not Adam smokes, has no bearing on whether or not smoking is bad.

However fallacies are fairly well documented online so I won’t bother with my amateur explanations Instead I’ll send you here

My reason for wanting to talk about fallacies goes way back. I was first exposed to fallacies upon trying to locate the original writer for an old webcomic I used to read. His site had a list of common fallacies, and these mistakes in logic certainly piqued my interest if nothing else.

Then earlier this year I found out that there was a practical counterpart to a course I was taking at the time, Phil 120 – Symbolic Logic, called Phil 125 – Practical Logic. The calendar promised the informal (only in the most technical sense of the word) study of logic, including arguments and fallacies. While not immediately hooked, my professor at the time convinced me of its merit, and lo and behold I was enrolled this term.

However, the tipping point for this minor detail in my life to become a full post came during the Google Buzz rollout disaster. With Google Buzz came a buttload of backlash. Privacy settings went went haywire and all of a sudden the internet was up in arms.

One particular incident made an impression. A blogger cried out that the Google Buzz escapade had compromised her security, declaring her Google Account activities (Picasa, Reader) to her other contacts, among which were radical antifeminist, endangering her life. This caught the attention of a tech blog I follow, and was reported, displaying the results of the privacy flaws Google Buzz unleashed. However, instead of actively trying to come up with solutions for this problem, or thinking lucidly about the reality of what was happening, the community disintegrated into name calling and Straw man fallacies.

The community I held dear disintegrated into a pack of mongrels. I had hoped for respectful and thoughtful conversation from this community, but they were far too distracted, and these simple illusions of arguments broke down what was meant to be a forum of intellectual progress.

That is why I link the other site with the list of fallacies. Because fallacies prevent lucid thought, prevent the rolling progress of thought.

And to see perfectly intelligent people make these mistakes is just tragic.

Hopefully this problem goes away…

Via Lifehacker.

What if the iPad steel unibody backside was coming to the fourth gen iPhone? Just thinking about it kind of made me aroused. Mmm… definitely looking forward to fourth gen iPhone and OS 4.0

Yes, it’s called and iPad. It’s funny. So was iMac, and iPod when they first came out. We’ll get used to it.

But furthermore, let me break it down for you:

At $629, the iPad comes with 16GB of memory, and $30 unlimited data contract.

The iPHONE first came at $599, with 8GB of memory, and a $70-90 contract depending on how much data you wanted.

Let’s see those numbers again side by side:

629–16–30

599–8-70

And that’s not accounting for inflation because god knows thing’s weren’t this cheap three years ago.

Oh but mmfok, the iPhone is a phone

Let me remind you that in the States, there’s a thing called Google Voice, which with any data plan essentially means free calls and free texts. For THIRTY FUCKING DOLLARS, NO CONTRACT.

Yes, I know it’s not a magical device that prints money, or cures cancer, but most of you are merely giving a knee-jerk reaction to the massive amount of hype that preceded this release (which was no fault of Apple’s, as they didn’t release any information until today.) But look at those numbers above, and tell me again the iPad sucks. Maybe it’s not marketed directly at you, or fulfills all your needs, but there’s no denying it’s a good product.

And I’m not finished.

Yes, lack of flash support is glaring, but guess what? HTML 5 is coming, and that means within a few years flash will be marginalized anyways.

Unfortunately, despite my support for the iPad, I’ll have to wait for the fourth generation iPhone I suppose due to the fact that we don’t have Google Voice support. June/July can’t come soon enough. I’m also looking forward to the impending second generation/price drop always a treat. That’s when Apple products take off anyways. Second/third gen.

Wallet

I’m currently sporting a single fold leather wallet, single plastic card-viewer on each side.

This set up allows me to have a One Card easily visible (with debit card tucked behind), and Driver’s License on the opposite side (with Visa card tucked behind). This way the two things that get checked the most are easily visibly.

I then keep SIN, H/C, and other essentials on a small slip of paper securely tucked between my Driver’s License and my Visa Card. It’s thick enough to never fall out and disguised with other banter so it can only be spotted if specifically looked for.

This small design means it’s small enough to slide into your back jean pocket without tearing a hole, or changing the shape of your ass.

Any additional cash is then tucked inside this single fold, and doesn’t fall out, because let’s face it: how often is there not pressure on your wallet if you’re tucking it in your back jean pocket.

iPhone

I cannot stress enough the wonders of an iPhone. Once connected to the internet, your iTouch seems to transcend itself, evolving into a wonder tool. I kid you not, I have four pages of quality apps that I use on a regular basis. However, rumors point towards a June/July release of the fourth generation iPhone… so I’d hold out if I were you.

Pen and Paper

Despite my reliance on my iPhone, a pen and paper tool still can’t be beat for extended planning, or note jotting. For that reason, I still keep a moleskine (sue me, they’re nice) and a pen on my person at all times.

Moleskine is generally disdained by those who resent popular culture, primarily for their fame. No denying it, moleskines are mainstream. However, be that as it may, if you want quality paper and perfect fitting size, they can’t be beat. They’re just big enough to write on, not too big that they’re a hassle and best of all they fold perfectly flat. Not much more can be asked for of a notepad. And if lined isn’t your thing, they also make moleskins in blank, gridded (you crazy engineers), or calendar format.

Pen is a toughy. So much depends on personal preference. I wouldn’t recommend anything that doesn’t come in packs of 12. If they’re fancy they’ll be thick and obtrusive no matter how well they say their tips glide. I personally have a preference for the classic grey and clear plastic Bic mechanical pencils. If you’re looking for something a bit fancier I’d also recommend the Sarasa, Japanese clip, 0.5s. They’re smooth as a baby’s bottom, and hardy to boot. I have several if you’d like to demo. In general though, asian pens tend to fair better for pocket use.

How do I carry it all?!

This used to be a huge problem. It’s too much stuff to put into my back pocket. If I leave it in my coat then I won’t always have it on me. I don’t want to put it into a back pack, or side bag, because I might leave it behind.

However, the problem seems to have resolved itself as I grew older. Turns out as one gets older, the higher number of coats he possesses will contain an inside pocket. This inside pocket is great for notebooks, pens, and smaller wallets. Make’s them nearly effortless to carry (no more weighing down your pockets, or digging into your waist). The phone can remain in the normal outside pocket for easy access.