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Somewhere in Africa, there is a child without a domain name July 31, 2006

Posted by Niels in : Life, the universe, and everything , 2 comments

A company I work for is in the process of changing its name.  There was a fair amount of debate over what to change it to, but everyone was in agreement that we had to pick a name whose domain was still available.  So metamorphosis.com and becooler.com are out, but say, IHeartSteak.com is all good. 

Which made me think - it’s pretty fortunate for me that nielshoven.com was still available as recently as a few months ago.  I’m not the only Niels Hoven in the world.  There’s this guy, for example. (I talked to him a while ago.  It turns out he’s younger than me - his dad made the page as a joke when he was six.)  There was actually a time when Niels Hoven #2 was competing with me for the top Google spot.  I think that door’s just about closed now.  Ha!

And we’re not the only Niels Hovens either.  Someone else snapped up nielshoven at hotmail, the bastard.  I was so bummed when I discovered that.  I asked Niels Hoven #2 about it, and it wasn’t him, so there are at least three Niels Hovens in the world.

Anyway, my point is just that it won’t be too much longer before people start checking domain name registrations before naming their kids.  In fact, you might want to start now.  Get ralphsmith.com or louiejones.com before you get stuck naming your poor kid R4lph or L0u13.  Your poor, poor kids.

Your thoughts?

Getting nailed July 28, 2006

Posted by Niels in : Personal , 2 comments

I got a manicure today.  It was only $10, and they come highly recommended by Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, so I figured it was worth a shot.

I can’t say I’m that impressed.  My nails are unusually shiny, and the hand massage at the end was very nice, but I think I’d rather have a milkshake.

Your thoughts?

Why thin is in July 26, 2006

Posted by Niels in : Life, the universe, and everything , 5 comments

It has become quite popular to blame the media for foisting unrealistic ideals of thinness on today’s girls. But the blame may not lie with the media (at least, not entirely) but rather in our genes. Judith Anderson examined the ideal female body type across fifty-four cultures and found an interesting correlation. The more stable a culture’s food supply is, the thinner the ideal of feminine beauty becomes.

Let’s hold off on hypothesizing about why this occurs and see if we can bolster the findings with some anecdotal evidence. There has never been a society with such unfettered access to food as the United States today. And there has never been a society where the quest for thinness has become so grotesquely distorted. Anorexia and bulemia receive constant media attention, while “pro-ana” and “pro-mia” sites are just a google search away. The kings and queens of old Europe, on the other hand, were… fat. The Rubenesque subjects of Ruben’s paintings were beautiful in their time, though pudgy by today’s standards.

We’re wired to search for the best mate we can find. Most people spend a few decades looking for a partner who meets their standards. And one important qualification in a mate is their ability to provide for your offspring. It’s not that money is the most important quality in a partner, but in general, people would rather have a million dollars than not have it.

When most people in your country don’t know where their next meal is coming from, the wherewithall to make yourself fat is a lavish display of opulence. Having some meat on your bones is a status symbol. But in the U.S., the tables have turned. The caloric needs of a family of four can be met for just a few dollars a day. Some wing dings, some porkrinds, a twinkie or two, and you’re there. Health has become the luxury item that only the wealthy can afford.

Staying fit and healthy comes from healthy eating and exercise, neither of which are cheap. Buying fresh fruit and vegetables instead of junk food increases your grocery bill by an order of magnitude. Every hour spent exercising is an hour that could have been spent earning money to put food on the table. In our society, it’s expensive to be skinny.

Your thoughts?

I’m going to be in hot water July 24, 2006

Posted by Niels in : Personal , 1 comment so far

2006-07-24

When I moved into my current apartment two weeks ago, New York was in the midst of a massive heat wave.  So the fact that I didn’t have any hot water really wasn’t a big deal.  The cold showers were refreshing.  Now that the heat wave’s over, however, I’m missing my hot water.

My landlord is out of the country for the month, so I called his sister.  She came over while I was at work, confirmed that the water heater was broken, and confirmed that she was not able to repair it.  Helpfully, she left me a large pot and a bucket to help me along until I have hot water again.

I miss my luxurious Bay Area hovel.  Anyone for a sponge bath?

Your thoughts?

Early withdrawal July 22, 2006

Posted by Niels in : Personal , 3 comments

I just withdrew from Ironman Wisconsin.  I hate giving up, but I saw this coming.  Injuries were a large part of the problem.  Whenever I tried to push the mileage up, my knees would give out and I’d have to take time off.  Even biking, which is supposed to be low impact, tweaked my knee out.  Ah, Berkeley hills, I will conquer you yet!

But more than anything else, it came down to time and priorities.  I’ve been physically fit all my life, but my social fitness has only recently become a priority.  I got hardcore into improving my social skills last November and all the free time I’ve had since has gone into that.  I won’t hit my endurance race peak until I’m 35, but improving my social skills benefits me right now.

My final hope for the Ironman was a last-minute push for physical fitness this summer, but my expected free time didn’t materialize.  When I registered for the race last fall, I knew I’d be doing a summer internship now.  Back then, I equated being in a strange city to spending a lot of time alone.  After all, when I spent a summer working in San Diego four years ago I had nothing but free time to exercise, play poker, learn brazilian jiu jitsu, and surf.  I didn’t know how to meet people then.  Now I’m starting to get pretty good at it.  But improvement only comes with practice, and I’ve committed myself to being in the city every weekend, practicing my social skills.

I’m happy with where my life is going, but damn - I hate giving up.  I’m still having my bike shipped out here, and I’ll still be exploring the roads around Ossining, but I’ll be taking it a bit easier.  Those eight-hour brick workouts do make it tough to bar hop until 4 am.  It’s probably for the best.  Now I’ll have some time to build up a base level of fitness and develop my stabilizer muscles.  The Ironman dream isn’t over - just a little delayed.

Your thoughts?