In life you usually know what is coming next, what tomorrow will bring. As of now I have "butterflies" for the future. I find myself on the edge of a cliff... No, you know what, that is a horrible analogy. How about a game show where I have already chosen my door, but it hasn't opened yet and I dont know the grand prize. I love it. Staring the unknown in the face. Trying to conceive the inconceivable. These have always been my favorite experiences, the most enjoyable times in my life. These are going to be the times that go by too quickly. I have to remember to cherish each day of the next year and a half. It is a short time in my life that will change me. I know that I will look back fondly on my time in the Americorps where I will say "Those were the days" and "I remember when." Fortunately I know it, can go in loving every day and give and get the most out of this.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Thoughts 1/11/11
When I thought about writing this I was going to start it with "Misery unites." The more I thought about it the less I attribute todays events to misery. Today it was the new, unfamiliar and partly troublesome that united us all in Raleigh. Plainly put, this morning was wonderful.
Ice covered the streets so I walked to work. I tried to at least. The sidewalks and grass were also covered in ice. After falling a few times a kind woman stopped and offerend me a ride. Her 2 kids, jj and han, said good morning and han shook my hand as i hopped into the backseat. We turned the corner off of the main road where a PT Cruiser was in the middle of our side of the road. A little math, brakes + ice = nothing. Weglid into the PT and took out a brake light, our car was unscarred. No big deal, we got out and made sure everyone and the cars were okay.
Anyway etc, etc, the point is that some kind stranger stopped to pick me up and we crashed. The problem was that, well not problem, but everyone I met while walking the rest of the way was happy, excited, smiling. Things you dont expect to see on a miserable day where people are crashing into each other, 18 wheelers can't get up hills and put cat litter under their tires, pedestrians falling, chaos. But the whole time we all laughed and smiled at each other.
It wasn't the shared misery as I originally thought, though that is a small part of it. Something was shoved into our everyday dull routines. It was the new event/challenge that was put into all of our lives that we were forced to overcome together. And we loved it! I got 3 good mornings, 2 "this shit is crazy, huh?" looks, and 1 ride from a kind stranger. The point is... Well I guess there is no point. It was a just great day.
On an unrelated note, I started watching Battlestar Galactica on Netflix. Its awesome!
On an unrelated note, I started watching Battlestar Galactica on Netflix. Its awesome!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
It's just on my mind.
Do I want an Apple Ipad? The short answer is yes. But there is a splash of no in there which will prevent me from buying it. I am somewhat of a technophile, so in that respect i always want the new gadget/gizmo of the time. But the reason I can resist the IPad is because it is not as well thought out as i was hoping. True, its a cool step toward what i want to see but it falls short somehow. Think of how limited you are with no multitasking. That's not really a computer, that is literally a big ipod touch. Its also not a computer because you're limited with the OS. All laptops, phones, netbooks, even Apple's ipod nano, have cameras now. To quote Gob from Arrested D, "Come on!" lets get a camera on there. It would have barely increased the cost at all. I don't really care about the no flash. With all the apps i can still do everything i want. For me its no big deal, especially if widespread use of HTML5 is right around the corner. Thats really it for my problems. Fix those and I'm in. I might even be in now, but the technophile in me says get the best version. So I would be buying the 64gb 3g version, which is 900+ a 30$ 3g data plan, and my unbiased rational side says that there are too many problems with it to spend that much. Maybe I'll see how it evolves after 3 years and then pick one up.
I don't get, what im calling, "runway fashi
on." Not that I really get everyday fashion either, but the latter makes a little bit of sense. But runway fashion...? I'm not sure if the purpose is intention, influence, the concepts, to ignore functionality as a statement, all of the above. I just don't know what to take from these outfits. Are they supposed to be just for fun, not worn outside of the runway? Is it like a concept car where we are just supposed to say "Hey, super keen!" Which is how I interact with it. I'm not putting down fashion, I just realize that it may be artistically way over my head. Which is one of the reasons I sometimes enjoy looking at design shows. Especially industrial design, mixing super functionality with beauty. Like these bamboo serving platters. 
I think i get this type of design a lot more. I have read that the concept of the clothing line above was well defined geometric shapes and three dimensional elements. I kind of see that in the pictures. I also realize that this is just a small representation of the entire designers line where the concept may be more easily seen. I had to read this though, I definitely didn't pick it up on my own.
Also in the world of engineering design, take a look at N.C. State's newest invention thanks to Dr. Rabiei. Steele foam, how cool! Go Wolfpack!
on." Not that I really get everyday fashion either, but the latter makes a little bit of sense. But runway fashion...? I'm not sure if the purpose is intention, influence, the concepts, to ignore functionality as a statement, all of the above. I just don't know what to take from these outfits. Are they supposed to be just for fun, not worn outside of the runway? Is it like a concept car where we are just supposed to say "Hey, super keen!" Which is how I interact with it. I'm not putting down fashion, I just realize that it may be artistically way over my head. Which is one of the reasons I sometimes enjoy looking at design shows. Especially industrial design, mixing super functionality with beauty. Like these bamboo serving platters. 
I think i get this type of design a lot more. I have read that the concept of the clothing line above was well defined geometric shapes and three dimensional elements. I kind of see that in the pictures. I also realize that this is just a small representation of the entire designers line where the concept may be more easily seen. I had to read this though, I definitely didn't pick it up on my own.Also in the world of engineering design, take a look at N.C. State's newest invention thanks to Dr. Rabiei. Steele foam, how cool! Go Wolfpack!
Monday, January 25, 2010
music, and lost.
So as i blog myself, which im have done much of, I am beginning to follow other blogs, music blogs, alternative culture blogs, cooking, food, etc. This post is about music. Recently I have been starting to like, what itunes labels as, indie electronic. I never thought that I would find myself listening to anything grouped in the electronic category. But im not one to deny liking something. So fuck it, I guess i like some electronica. My music tastes had been a bit stagnant for a while. But now through blogs I am able to introduce myself to new music and now my tastes are evolving again. I'm starting to enjoy really intricate music. It all started with Of Montreal. The songs have high energy and lots of parts. I feel like the music gives me what i want. I find myself wanting more from a song and then BAM there it is.
mgmt
Next is LOST. Holy shit am I pumped. Im watching the last episode of last season now. I have so many questions, theories, and ideas. Polar Bears, Time travel, time space continuum, dharma, the incident, locke, jacob, man in black? Just so much i want answered and after watching the teaser on abc, only more questions arise. In the teaser we see events being undone. So did the bomb reset things, is julia dead, are they still in the past, what happens to the other ajira flight ppl. we see CHARLIE and CLAIRE!!! WHAT! so ppl are coming back to life? wtf? it seems like this ssn isnt gonna answer many questions but just wrap up the story line. I pray that i am wrong, but we will see. You would think that if the writers of lost needed more time to answer all the questions they could easily get it. And on a side note, the introduction of these new characters in the last season kinda pisses me off. but anyway.
Ok so there are a lot of questions, we know this but i wanna write about time space continuum theory. basically there are 2 things that the bomb could have done. prevent the incident or cause the incident. the easy answer is that it causes the incident and nothing changes and either the island send them back to their own time or they stay where they are. Here is what I think happens after watching the teaser. They do not prevent the incident and are not transported back to their own time. So they try to do the most good by preventing all the deaths that happened when they first crashed. Thats my best guess but even im not happy with it for so many reasons. I also think jacob wanted to be killed. I want to know how the egyptian mythology plays into all this. the statue of taweret, goddess of fertility. Is that jacob? Is the man in black Apep. Anyway, again i am fucking pumped for tuesday. I think it will go down as the best show on tv ever. once the season starts i need to go back and watch every episode again.
What do you think about electronic music? Are your music tastes evolving? Am I getting to into lost? Is it possible to get to into lost? Am I indulging to much in American culture luxuries before I'm to be cut off from it almost entirely?
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Getting used to this
Okay so this is my first blog. Mainly this is just to get to know all the in's and out's of this blogging stuff. So until I actually leave for the peace corp in September its just gonna be random shit. so first of all here is a short, poorly thought out paper that i wrote at Starbucks. nikki and I went to have some coffee and surf the interwebs. We got there and i remembered Starbucks' dumb At&t pay for wifi shit. So to take up some time if started writing this. It was more just to rant and let off some frustration. But have to pay for wifi at a cafe is stupid. Also I do not associate the word retarded with Special needs people. So all of you who think using the word is not PC its only because you use the word to refer to special needs kids, which is offensive, and I am ashamed of you.
Here is what i wrote, enjoy.
why cafe's charging for Internet is retarded, in particular $tar $$
business are often about through rate. the more people that go in and out the doors, ideally, the more money the company makes. But this is only true if the place is constantly full, i.e. restaurants and packed bars. A place like a starbucks, where there is one on every street corner, actually hurts business. because of the pay to play wifi it becomes an unfriendly place. The facade of starbucks is a comfortable cafe. dig only a bit below the surface and find the man behind the curtain looking out for A number1.
Because there is rarely a $tar$$ where every seat is taken, through rate is irrelevant. Though i doubt that the higher ups at the company don't know this, I'm not sure why they have chosen the current business plan. This blatant disregard for customers wants and needs is retarded. Whats even more retarded is the fact that they create this image of being comfortable only to contradict this image in plain sight. The chairs, fairly friendly ppl, warm colors, are all things that make you want to stay. But at the heart of the Starbucks monster we can see that they want us gone. Wi-fi is what i am referring to. Every "mom and pop" coffee shop i have visited gladly gives free internet. though it may not be the fastest, or most reliable because of the numerous ppl, a cafe gains tons of points by having free wifi. With fairly minimal costs the cafe benefits greatly from the "staying customer." While you can get $$ from someone who comes in and leaves, a person thats stays may purchase again, and again. Now the icing on top of this retard cake is that the money doesn't actually go to starbucks itself. It goes to at&t, the provider of this wifi. Now probably starbucks gets a cut, or maybe at&t just writes a check at the beginning of each year. Either way, knowing at&t's track record, i doubt its very much money. For a company that tries to create the image of a friendly local place this decision is, let me repeat myself, RETARDED! The fact is that if wifi was free, 1. $tar$$ would make a lot more money off "staying customers". therefore instantly seeing the return through increased profits. 2. the money hungry giant corporation would be more hidden which directly leads to number 3. i would hate this hell hole a lot less which has got to be a small step toward a more progressive company. Taking point 3 bit farther we look at companies like google and cisco who are being praised and growing by being progressive. google has just started giving employees gourmet food and has seen an increase in productivity and in-house loyalty. This all gained at a small cost for the billion dollar company.
thats it. I dont really finish, and I dont really feel like finishing. Also here is a picture of me in my new favorite shirt. just to try the picture thing.
thats it. This is the beginning of a blog nobody will read, but whatever.
Here is what i wrote, enjoy.
why cafe's charging for Internet is retarded, in particular $tar $$
business are often about through rate. the more people that go in and out the doors, ideally, the more money the company makes. But this is only true if the place is constantly full, i.e. restaurants and packed bars. A place like a starbucks, where there is one on every street corner, actually hurts business. because of the pay to play wifi it becomes an unfriendly place. The facade of starbucks is a comfortable cafe. dig only a bit below the surface and find the man behind the curtain looking out for A number1.
Because there is rarely a $tar$$ where every seat is taken, through rate is irrelevant. Though i doubt that the higher ups at the company don't know this, I'm not sure why they have chosen the current business plan. This blatant disregard for customers wants and needs is retarded. Whats even more retarded is the fact that they create this image of being comfortable only to contradict this image in plain sight. The chairs, fairly friendly ppl, warm colors, are all things that make you want to stay. But at the heart of the Starbucks monster we can see that they want us gone. Wi-fi is what i am referring to. Every "mom and pop" coffee shop i have visited gladly gives free internet. though it may not be the fastest, or most reliable because of the numerous ppl, a cafe gains tons of points by having free wifi. With fairly minimal costs the cafe benefits greatly from the "staying customer." While you can get $$ from someone who comes in and leaves, a person thats stays may purchase again, and again. Now the icing on top of this retard cake is that the money doesn't actually go to starbucks itself. It goes to at&t, the provider of this wifi. Now probably starbucks gets a cut, or maybe at&t just writes a check at the beginning of each year. Either way, knowing at&t's track record, i doubt its very much money. For a company that tries to create the image of a friendly local place this decision is, let me repeat myself, RETARDED! The fact is that if wifi was free, 1. $tar$$ would make a lot more money off "staying customers". therefore instantly seeing the return through increased profits. 2. the money hungry giant corporation would be more hidden which directly leads to number 3. i would hate this hell hole a lot less which has got to be a small step toward a more progressive company. Taking point 3 bit farther we look at companies like google and cisco who are being praised and growing by being progressive. google has just started giving employees gourmet food and has seen an increase in productivity and in-house loyalty. This all gained at a small cost for the billion dollar company.
thats it. I dont really finish, and I dont really feel like finishing. Also here is a picture of me in my new favorite shirt. just to try the picture thing.
thats it. This is the beginning of a blog nobody will read, but whatever.
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