20 Dec 2006, Posted by Matthew Reinbold in Software Humor,Tools, 1 Comments
Programming without the Sauce
Today is a sad day in the Intergalactic Headquarters of Vox Pop Design. We’ve long suspected that there has been a harmful influence in our midst. But how do you say goodbye to someone you’ve relied on for years? How do you part ways with a friendship that dates back to childhood? I’m just not sure. The thing I do know, however, is that it’s time to stop doing the Dew.
Like many programmers the sugary/caffeine drink is a staple (I can count three empties huddled around my monitor at this moment). In college cases of the stuff were practically handed out with the computer science finals assignments (unless, of course, you took to chewing raw coffee beans during that period; a process that produced the refined facial ticks of your favorite Arkum Asylum inmate). It was so ubiquitous that it became known as 'Engineering Green' on campus. While at Microsoft Game Studios, even with free coolers stocked with every conceivable carbonated confection, I would grab that lovely green can with red highlights. It was like a little cylindrical piece of Christmas. It was a present that could be opened when nothing else – the bugs, the management, the late nights – seemed to reward.
Sure, I’m not stupid (at least not as much as many suppose). Subconsciously I knew that what I was doing was about as healthy as snorting presweetened cereal. But given that I’m a man with very few vices it seemed like it was the one thing the cosmos owed me: “Hey world, time for a Mountain Dew – after all, I’m still not a puppy killer.” There were moments I even thought seeking sponsorship for this blog would be prudent. After all there’s Xtreme Programming, right? And XML, and
Then came a blog post talking about what happens when a can of Coke is drunk. I know Moutain Dew has more of both caffeine and sugar (that inferior drink is what humanities folks would drink during finals. Bah!). There is something about seeing a soda’s biological effects in black and white to scare a person straight:
"· In The First
"· 20 minutes: Your blood sugar spikes, causing an insulin burst. Your liver responds to this by turning any sugar it can get it’s hands on into fat. (There’s plenty of that at this particular moment)"