Dream a little dream..
A common trait among software engineers (really, most engineers) is our logical thinking. It takes a logical mind to enjoy writing software and become proficient at it, half the battle of problem solving is just that.. logic.. Given this trait, my dreams forever amuse me.
I tend to dream very vividly and also tend to remember most of my dreams. It's really a great feature of being me, I know most people don't share this. What is also great is the dreams right before waking up.. You know.. after you've hit the snooze button 20 times already and incorporated the alarm sounds into the plot? Those dreams. I had one of those today.. and it amused me to no end remembering it in the shower..
It went something like this...
I went to a toy store don't remember why, probably Halloween-related given it's the candy-grabbing time of year again. As it turned out, the clerk taking care of me at the store was an author of one of the weblogs I read on regular basis.. someone I've never actually met before or remembered seeing a picture of. I'm sure I must have though, since after checking the person's website this morning it turned out I dreamt the facial features and general look quite correctly. Obviously, there was a conversation involved.. went something very close to this:
Dreaming Kasia: "Why are you working at a toy store, aren't you a programmer?
Dream-blogger: "I had legal problems due to some hacking and I'm not allowed to use a computer anymore".
DK: "Oh, I see, how do you write your weblog then?"
DB: "On my mac, that's okay to use".
This made perfect sense to the dreaming, subconscious mind... but the conscious, close to waking mind was screaming "NO, wait a minute! This makes zero sense!".
Even when sleeping, my logical mind emerges and mocks up a perfectly nice dream. You can see how this can be amusing when remembering later. Okay, maybe just to me, but I thought I'd share regardless.
Comments
He works in a toy store, and uses a Mac? Hmm, I think your subconscious is trying to overcome the many years of lame accusations against the OS that came from Apple. Fear not! The Knight of Unix is beneath it all now! But you knew that. But does your subconscious...?
Posted by: Erik J. Barzeski | October 31, 2003 12:19 AM
Maybe, because the guy that was banned from using computers was ok to use a mac subconciously you think that a mac doesn't count as a computer?
I don't know that I should have pointed this out. I use and have used macs alot.
Posted by: blm | October 31, 2003 12:46 AM
Oh, no, no way.. I have a powerbook (typing this on it right now, actually) and just love it...
Posted by: kasia | October 31, 2003 12:50 AM
Thank you. Thank you very much. Great laugh...*sigh* =)
Posted by: Jason Lotito | October 31, 2003 09:04 AM
"a great feature"
Aye, it is great. I've this too and find it quite fulfilling--real life screenwriters have nothing on my subcon (at least for my own consumption :-). Except, they have time to write it down, which I've done occasionally, but more often don't as after hitting snooze 7 times, I've got to take a quick shower and hightail it to work.
Posted by: Travis | October 31, 2003 09:38 AM
And people wonder why I applied to deal black jack at Mohegan Sun... they thought I was kidding.
Posted by: Randy | October 31, 2003 10:20 AM
LOL :)))
Your subconscious has got a great sense of humour ;)
But on a serious note, why would a mac be ok for a convicted criminal? Perhaps your mind doesn't associate macs with malicious people?
Imagine the headlines: Scientists prove that using Macs removes the evil in you ;)
Posted by: Daniel | October 31, 2003 02:13 PM
I usually find that the days that I do some hardcore programming leave me with the weirdest dreams. I think the logical side of the brain gets exhausted during the day, leaving the artistic to play at night.
Sounds like your logical side is just a big ole bully :)
Posted by: Christian | October 31, 2003 02:39 PM
Its friday finally. Thought the day would never come somehow.
Then again, that gives you more time to dream. Then the cycle starts again and again.
Posted by: David | October 31, 2003 03:02 PM
I generally don't remember my dreams. When I was younger I used to have all sorts of dreams. Now, I don't really remember them anymore.
Posted by: Techie2000 | October 31, 2003 06:01 PM
Think that's bizarre? I could sell movie rights to some of my dreams:
http://www.vancleve.com/blog/Clevariant?entry=2003.05.23.18.10.36
Might be worth something to David Lynch. . . .
Posted by: Clevariant | November 14, 2003 03:53 PM