I don't even eat there anymore, but...

But I saw this, and couldn't help but laugh at how true it is. And at how OCD I am to have noticed it, too.

(He gets points from me for using the word "tessellate." Extra points for spelling it correctly. And super-extra bonus points for using it as a verb.)

I don't think it's ever bothered me as much as the cartoonist, but it's nice to know that somebody thinks like I do. So, even if I am crazy, at least I'm not crazy and alone.

Yet, even more interesting is this image someone sent to the cartoonist from an actual Subway location.

Now, I know Subway is franchised, so I doubt this is an official Subway policy. (Otherwise, I'd call it a global conspiracy to offend OCD sufferers.) Still, it seems pretty rotten. And really, have you ever seen a sandwich artist place the cheese slices so that they cover the sandwich without overlapping? Maybe the sandwich "artists" prefer to place them the other way just so they can buck the system. I hear artists get a kick out of that. But rest assured, a sandwich "engineer" would never let that slide. It seems we engineers alone understand that good design is beautiful in and of itself. It doesn't need to make a statement. Why can't we appreciate the elegance inherent in a thing (e.g., a sandwich) that functions just as it should (e.g., cheese in every bite), without any superfluous parts (e.g., "unnecessary dairy overlap")?

In closing, 40 cents for a "life worth living" might seem a paltry ransom. But it's the principle of the thing. You hear me, Jared?

(crazybull4life, I fully expect to hear from you.)

Sleep vs. the Internet

The title of this post may lead you to believe this is about my nocturnal activities. But, in fact, my problem is the mornings. But again, it's not what you expect. I don't have an issue with consistently sleeping in. I have problem getting up early, every day. (By early, I mean early for somebody without a job or class. Just so those of you with early jobs and long commutes don't misunderstand. It's relative.)

My ability to wake up "early" reared its ugly head this morning. I'd stayed up until 1:30 last night (no, not on the internet -- out doing things with people), and stirred to life at 7 this morning. Despite being fresh and awake at the time, I knew the day would hit me hard later for getting so less than my usual 7-8 hours of sleep. So, I had to force myself to stay in bed until nearly 9.

Then, after getting up again, I began my usual morning routine reading certain websites. Of course, my usual routine also involves getting sidetracked onto reading and watching things on the internet that I hadn't planned on viewing, and before I know it, hours have passed. ("My name is Hot Cup, and I'm an internet addict.")

Well, today I read something interesting, stating that the bodies of young people operate on a daily clock a little (around an hour) longer than 24 hours. What this means is that, in the absence of any indication of the time (such as clocks or the sun), they would tend to go to sleep and wake up later and later with each passing day. Well, that explains a few things. But then I read the next line: as people age, this trend reverses.

And I was faced with the cold, hard, scientific fact that I am, in fact, a geezer. What a dismal realization! Then another one came; I noticed that it was nearly noon, and I had yet to do anything productive.