by: Mark Thomas [sorabji@paranoia.com]

12:32:22 PM

People who come over here sometimes make fun of me for the way I sit at my desk and for the hunched-down position in which I sit and type. Thing is, I never "learned" to type in any organized way, and I don't know a thing about posture or the Alexander Technique or ergonomically informed workplaces. I just sit however which way, right now I'm hunched down and sitting very low, and I guess it might look pretty strange to someone who could see me right now. If something feels awkward or even slightly painful I find another way to be, in typing as in life, so I don't think tendonitis is such the threat that the Posture Police would like me to believe. Somehow, for all the thousands of hours I've practiced piano and typed, I've never experienced anything but general tiredness in my arms, and it always passes.

Once on CU-SeeMe I was yakking with Evany, and I was able to demonstrate my skill at typing with my hands reversed. Having not done it for a while, I was pretty choppy and uncoördinated, and my speed may have peaked at about 15 words per minute. As I made this kind of stupid effort to impress Evany, two people stood silently in the doorway to my office and saw the way I was typing, and I was very surprised to turn around and see their looks of confusion and discomfort.

It's not often one's typing skills draw gasps from spectators.

Someone is coming over here in a few minutes. We have no plans for anything specific, although I could really go for a huge cup of coffee and a pinball match right now. I will suggest this, and prepare to be told that we are going to do something else, because that is always how it turns out.

My hand is really tired from writing Christmas cards and paying bills last night.

 
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