What a cliche title..
Though to my credit, I sit here writing 11 minutes until 2009.
On one hand, it is encouraging to me that Dick Clark is still trying even after his stroke. There isn't much that is more inspirational than fighting through a stroke. But on the other hand, it is downright depressing, as I remember what Dick Clark used to sound like.
Hence, I've put Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry, Be Happy" on as a way of bringing in the new year on a positive note.
Because, if you start to think about this past year too much.. it was pretty darn bad. The economy took a nose dive off the deep end, thousands of American men and women are spending this new year in deserts around the world, the idiots in Washington have decided to bail out flailing poorly managed companies (BTW.. this is what Chapter 11 was designed for, not a Government bailout), and "our savior" is Barack Obama.
To me this sounds like recipe for disaster. And on a personal note, this past year wasn't fantastic on many different levels. But there are just three minutes left in this year, and it is time to start anew..
As I watch the Jonas Brothers, Lionel Richie and Ryan Seacrest count down my way to the new year, I can't help but think that I am so glad I'm not out in the cold with them tonight.. lol.. It looks freezing and Bill and Hillary Clinton have started the ball on its drop, how horrible..
Nonetheless, Dick Clark has an intoxicating smile... And his countdown.. how classic.
3..2..1..
Happy New Year!!!
And like a miracle from on high Auld Lang Syne comes pouring in. I just can't help but smile.
But I have accomplished my goal in staying up till 2009. So for tonight I think it is time to get some sleep, so that I can watch the parade of Roses and eat lots of Hoppin John tomorrow.
Best of luck to you all in 2009. May all your wishes come true.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Why text messages are a crime?
This year in America, 3.2 Trillion Text (SMS) Messages were sent. That is not that surprising I guess, this past month I sent about a hundred myself.
Maybe you didn't notice, but about 3 years ago, the cost of a single pay per use text message rose from 10 cents to 20 cents. At the same time the number of major U.S. wireless carriers shrank from 6 to 4.
To most of us, it probably doesn't even matter; we have text plans built into our wireless plans.
Irregardless, it is important to know that the sheer volume increase over the last five years has meant that the amount of money the companies are receiving has dramatically increased.
Now you'll probably say, "well, they should receive more money, they have to carry more messages."
Doesn't that mean they have to pay for more cell phone bandwidth (very expensive) and for all that data storage?
NO...
In a very interesting article in the NY Times, the author revealed that Text messages are so small in file size (the 160 word rule), that they can be sent over a special wave. The same wave that is used for your cell phone to find and connect to the tower signal. Therefore, the companies are paying for no extra width and the small file size is nothing when you consider that a terabyte of storage is now down to around 100 dollars.
We are being fleeced by the cell phone companies. In reality, it costs them about the same to send 1 million text messages as it would to send 1 billion. Yet all the while they are charging more and more for the service.
The question is, where is all that money going.
In a shocking move, Congress is actually taking action, and are doing an inquiry into the telephone companies which will require them to publish the revenue of those units.
Wow.. Congress.. Being effective.
Well, we will hold our breath for the moment and see what happens.
For tonight, I am at the beach. And would like to wake up at a decent hour tomorrow, unlike last night.. lol.
Maybe you didn't notice, but about 3 years ago, the cost of a single pay per use text message rose from 10 cents to 20 cents. At the same time the number of major U.S. wireless carriers shrank from 6 to 4.
To most of us, it probably doesn't even matter; we have text plans built into our wireless plans.
Irregardless, it is important to know that the sheer volume increase over the last five years has meant that the amount of money the companies are receiving has dramatically increased.
Now you'll probably say, "well, they should receive more money, they have to carry more messages."
Doesn't that mean they have to pay for more cell phone bandwidth (very expensive) and for all that data storage?
NO...
In a very interesting article in the NY Times, the author revealed that Text messages are so small in file size (the 160 word rule), that they can be sent over a special wave. The same wave that is used for your cell phone to find and connect to the tower signal. Therefore, the companies are paying for no extra width and the small file size is nothing when you consider that a terabyte of storage is now down to around 100 dollars.
We are being fleeced by the cell phone companies. In reality, it costs them about the same to send 1 million text messages as it would to send 1 billion. Yet all the while they are charging more and more for the service.
The question is, where is all that money going.
In a shocking move, Congress is actually taking action, and are doing an inquiry into the telephone companies which will require them to publish the revenue of those units.
Wow.. Congress.. Being effective.
Well, we will hold our breath for the moment and see what happens.
For tonight, I am at the beach. And would like to wake up at a decent hour tomorrow, unlike last night.. lol.
The Urge
It is 3:23 AM and I have just put The Bravery on. This means one of two things. I either have zero plans on sleeping tonight, or I am really tired and am trying to pump some rock through my waning body in order to stay awake a few more minutes.
The main catalyst tonight, seems to be the desire to upload photos onto Facebook. While on the exterior, this would seem to be fairly harmless. In reality, it is incredibly draining on my time. I have a lot of packing and prepping to do tomorrow morning before I leave for the beach; tagging and commenting on photos is probably not the proper way to prepare myself for that.. hmmm...
At the same time I feel a real 'urge' to post some photographs. Maybe it was the personal realization that I haven't posted a Facebook album in a very long time.
Which of course is very discouraging, me being the social butterfly that I am... or not..
[Tag break]..
I'm back, thank the Lord.. tagging is exhausting..
But I felt like I had some pretty good pictures.. So I would have felt bad not too..
Music Now: Broken Social Scene
Random thoughts:
- I adore the Russian, she is the cutest thing ever
- Who came up with the idea of art auctions? And why is it always pompous pricks who attend them? (Not meant to offend those who go to art auctions)
- How is McDonald's everywhere? I mean everywhere..
- The more I understand about the way globalization works, the more I wish I could be oblivious
- French people wear very tight small bathing suits
- Nude beaches = not fun, I almost lost my rum.. but on the other hand, the rum made it bearable
- How is it that so many things become old, yet old simple pleasures like the smell of vanilla or cinnamon are always refreshing and invigorating
- Just where is Carmon San Diego?
- How is it that the TTA and CAT use such old shitty buses, yet the Wolfline buses are new?
- Why does Facebook take so long to upload my photos?
- I know the answer to the last one, but it feels good to complain..
- A child's curiosity is so enviable
- Christmas should last all year.. well at least the spirit maybe
- Celtic or Rangers?
- Celtic of course..
- Why do all my beds seem to have 4 pillows when all I really want is 1 good one?
But for tonight I am exhausted, and as the music changes to The Swell Season, I need to finish commenting on these photos and head to bed..
Perhaps a more coherent post shall be in store tomorrow night..
Maybe..
The main catalyst tonight, seems to be the desire to upload photos onto Facebook. While on the exterior, this would seem to be fairly harmless. In reality, it is incredibly draining on my time. I have a lot of packing and prepping to do tomorrow morning before I leave for the beach; tagging and commenting on photos is probably not the proper way to prepare myself for that.. hmmm...
At the same time I feel a real 'urge' to post some photographs. Maybe it was the personal realization that I haven't posted a Facebook album in a very long time.
Which of course is very discouraging, me being the social butterfly that I am... or not..
[Tag break]..
I'm back, thank the Lord.. tagging is exhausting..
But I felt like I had some pretty good pictures.. So I would have felt bad not too..
Music Now: Broken Social Scene
Random thoughts:
- I adore the Russian, she is the cutest thing ever
- Who came up with the idea of art auctions? And why is it always pompous pricks who attend them? (Not meant to offend those who go to art auctions)
- How is McDonald's everywhere? I mean everywhere..
- The more I understand about the way globalization works, the more I wish I could be oblivious
- French people wear very tight small bathing suits
- Nude beaches = not fun, I almost lost my rum.. but on the other hand, the rum made it bearable
- How is it that so many things become old, yet old simple pleasures like the smell of vanilla or cinnamon are always refreshing and invigorating
- Just where is Carmon San Diego?
- How is it that the TTA and CAT use such old shitty buses, yet the Wolfline buses are new?
- Why does Facebook take so long to upload my photos?
- I know the answer to the last one, but it feels good to complain..
- A child's curiosity is so enviable
- Christmas should last all year.. well at least the spirit maybe
- Celtic or Rangers?
- Celtic of course..
- Why do all my beds seem to have 4 pillows when all I really want is 1 good one?
But for tonight I am exhausted, and as the music changes to The Swell Season, I need to finish commenting on these photos and head to bed..
Perhaps a more coherent post shall be in store tomorrow night..
Maybe..
Sunday, December 28, 2008
How I've Missed You
Oh Blog, Oh Blog.. I have not forsaken thee. And I have missed you so over these last two weeks. Often I've felt the urge, but the unfortunate lack of cheap internet access in the middle of the ocean has prevented us from meeting.
Alas, we shall become good friends again, I swear. And I promise to release my prose upon your beautiful white story board as much as possible this week.
That being said, I've had a bug itching me the last two weeks. I believe it is the lovely itch of my first Viewpoint article the week we get back.
Time to draft. Obviously this will be lacking in quotes as I haven't interviewed anyone yet, but I just want to try out the source material and see how it rolls.
In How Soccer Explains the World, the famous American journalist Franklin Foer crafts a strikingly cognizant argument about how soccer explains globalization and many of the worlds developing issues.
O.K., maybe he was stretching a bit at times. But in honesty, there was a lot of truth in what Foer had to say -- notably on the subject of athletic rivalry. One of the most polarized of these rivalries he presents is the one between the two major athletic clubs in Glasgow, Scotland -- and the two most dominant clubs in Scottish soccer -- Celtic and Rangers.
The history of these clubs dates back centuries, and like many good rivalries it all began with religion -- Celtic is the Catholic side and Rangers are Protestant.
But the unwavering and remarkable passion of their supporters is so much more than most Americans could imagine. Even to the point of killing supporters of the other club in the name of their own.
Many would say, "this is madness". I would say, this is passion, this is sport. At least the way it should be.
For all that people make of the rivalry between State and Carolina, it still is fairly tame. I can name very few people who do not have at least a handful of friends at both Duke and Chapel Hill.
And that is the problem. This basketball season, do not shake a Tarheel's hand. Grab it and throw him to the ground. Sound like you mean when you tell Hansborough and Carolina to go to hell. Be a fan and physically intimidate anyone who would dare insult the name of North Carolina State Univerity.
Do not view it as unwarranted harrassment. After all, they were the ones who chose to support a bastard of a University. Give them hell for it. And in the name of Jimmy Valvano and all that is good, make those unworthy State students who wear Carolina attire feel like they themselves have sold their souls to the devil.
Show some passion for your school, go harass a Carolina fan.
-----
O.K., maybe a little overdramatic I think. It may have to be a work in progress as it definitely is not solid enough yet to pass for Technician gold.
Now though I think I will go finish my set list on guitar hero (Wii for Christmas).. yea..
No worries though my dear blog, I shall return soon.
Alas, we shall become good friends again, I swear. And I promise to release my prose upon your beautiful white story board as much as possible this week.
That being said, I've had a bug itching me the last two weeks. I believe it is the lovely itch of my first Viewpoint article the week we get back.
Time to draft. Obviously this will be lacking in quotes as I haven't interviewed anyone yet, but I just want to try out the source material and see how it rolls.
In How Soccer Explains the World, the famous American journalist Franklin Foer crafts a strikingly cognizant argument about how soccer explains globalization and many of the worlds developing issues.
O.K., maybe he was stretching a bit at times. But in honesty, there was a lot of truth in what Foer had to say -- notably on the subject of athletic rivalry. One of the most polarized of these rivalries he presents is the one between the two major athletic clubs in Glasgow, Scotland -- and the two most dominant clubs in Scottish soccer -- Celtic and Rangers.
The history of these clubs dates back centuries, and like many good rivalries it all began with religion -- Celtic is the Catholic side and Rangers are Protestant.
But the unwavering and remarkable passion of their supporters is so much more than most Americans could imagine. Even to the point of killing supporters of the other club in the name of their own.
Many would say, "this is madness". I would say, this is passion, this is sport. At least the way it should be.
For all that people make of the rivalry between State and Carolina, it still is fairly tame. I can name very few people who do not have at least a handful of friends at both Duke and Chapel Hill.
And that is the problem. This basketball season, do not shake a Tarheel's hand. Grab it and throw him to the ground. Sound like you mean when you tell Hansborough and Carolina to go to hell. Be a fan and physically intimidate anyone who would dare insult the name of North Carolina State Univerity.
Do not view it as unwarranted harrassment. After all, they were the ones who chose to support a bastard of a University. Give them hell for it. And in the name of Jimmy Valvano and all that is good, make those unworthy State students who wear Carolina attire feel like they themselves have sold their souls to the devil.
Show some passion for your school, go harass a Carolina fan.
-----
O.K., maybe a little overdramatic I think. It may have to be a work in progress as it definitely is not solid enough yet to pass for Technician gold.
Now though I think I will go finish my set list on guitar hero (Wii for Christmas).. yea..
No worries though my dear blog, I shall return soon.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
European History
As I sit here, having just studied European History since the interwar years, a few things strike me as incredibly odd.
-The United States is the second most mentioned nation in this section
-The USSR was the most dominant European superpower of the post war era, yet they imploded due to their own internal mismanaging
-The devastation of WWII actually stimulated the European economy vis-à-vis the Marshall plan and the resulting improvements in infrastructure (notably transportation and manufacturing)
-Hitler gets the bad rap, yet Stalin outright killed 10 million via starvation and put another 20 million into gulags during the 1930s (the irony of course, he was our "ally")
-Charles de Gaulle is the only Frenchman who has gotten anything done politically in the last hundred years (I don't count Clemenceau)
-Europe always seems to go through cycles of conglomeration and separation, its like clock work
-There is a myth that American children are fed, it says we saved "millions of lives" by dropping "the bombs," the truth is that we were sending a message to the Russians
-The Cold War wasn't about Truman and Stalin, it was about Wilson and Lenin
-A "Radical" French party is a more moderate one
-Socialism isn't a naughty word in Europe..
-I have a plant on my desk that is refusing to die
-I've had a pumpkin since mid-october, it shows no signs of aging
-"The Squid and the Whale" may be my new favorite movie, honestly, stunning
-My IKEA candle seems to regenerate without me noticing
-GRAVITY, seriously.. why, how does it work so well (why doesn't it just have an off day every once in awhile... like... hmm... today, I think gravity will be 9.6 m/s^2)
-There is a guy on my bus who acts really standoffish toward everyone except me, he always waves at me.. and I always seem to catch him staring at my shirts
-The mail gets delivered everyday (I don't even want to imagine how complex that infrastructure is)
-French Intellectual History (my Euro teacher's field of study), I read part of Vincent's book and was like.. WTF is going on here, this makes no sense
-How they will give you a dry erase marker for free at the library, but there never seems to be any next to the boards, where do they all go?
-My wallet never seems to have money in it (I know, this is a personal issue, but it still amazes me)
-That the Tribune went bankrupt because "it was about time"... what is that supposed to mean? (I mean come on, I can understand why, but how bitchy)
-Its been a bad week for Illinois (karma for an Obama victory I think).. your Governor is an underhanded criminal and your newspaper went bankrupt.. ouch..
-IKEA is so far away from here.. But on the bright side, I could almost take a day trip with the cost of gas right now
-The United States is the second most mentioned nation in this section
-The USSR was the most dominant European superpower of the post war era, yet they imploded due to their own internal mismanaging
-The devastation of WWII actually stimulated the European economy vis-à-vis the Marshall plan and the resulting improvements in infrastructure (notably transportation and manufacturing)
-Hitler gets the bad rap, yet Stalin outright killed 10 million via starvation and put another 20 million into gulags during the 1930s (the irony of course, he was our "ally")
-Charles de Gaulle is the only Frenchman who has gotten anything done politically in the last hundred years (I don't count Clemenceau)
-Europe always seems to go through cycles of conglomeration and separation, its like clock work
-There is a myth that American children are fed, it says we saved "millions of lives" by dropping "the bombs," the truth is that we were sending a message to the Russians
-The Cold War wasn't about Truman and Stalin, it was about Wilson and Lenin
-A "Radical" French party is a more moderate one
-Socialism isn't a naughty word in Europe..
-I have a plant on my desk that is refusing to die
-I've had a pumpkin since mid-october, it shows no signs of aging
-"The Squid and the Whale" may be my new favorite movie, honestly, stunning
-My IKEA candle seems to regenerate without me noticing
-GRAVITY, seriously.. why, how does it work so well (why doesn't it just have an off day every once in awhile... like... hmm... today, I think gravity will be 9.6 m/s^2)
-There is a guy on my bus who acts really standoffish toward everyone except me, he always waves at me.. and I always seem to catch him staring at my shirts
-The mail gets delivered everyday (I don't even want to imagine how complex that infrastructure is)
-French Intellectual History (my Euro teacher's field of study), I read part of Vincent's book and was like.. WTF is going on here, this makes no sense
-How they will give you a dry erase marker for free at the library, but there never seems to be any next to the boards, where do they all go?
-My wallet never seems to have money in it (I know, this is a personal issue, but it still amazes me)
-That the Tribune went bankrupt because "it was about time"... what is that supposed to mean? (I mean come on, I can understand why, but how bitchy)
-Its been a bad week for Illinois (karma for an Obama victory I think).. your Governor is an underhanded criminal and your newspaper went bankrupt.. ouch..
-IKEA is so far away from here.. But on the bright side, I could almost take a day trip with the cost of gas right now
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Day 3 and Counting
Tomorrow will be the third consecutive day I will have a Viewpoint column in Technician. Everyone on the editorial staff is amazed (they have said so), how do I have so much to write about it.
Quite frankly, it is because I am always reading. I could write more than one column a day. Between my NY Times on Weekends, bbc.com and the post and times websites, I am always reading news and current events. Not surprisingly, a lot of these issues are campus issues, as they effect everyone. In addition, my article on Wed and my one tomorrow are nothing more than response articles. In the prior case, to a George Will column and tomorrow in response to a fellow Viewpoint staff writers column which I disagreed with.
This productivity has after just one week caused my editor to say he wants to make me a Senior Staff Writer. Although I don't know whether to take this as a remarkable endorcemnt or just a reward for producing dubious amounts of content. In any case, being a senior staff writer next semester should have its perks, notably that I get to choose the day / days (if I feel really motivated) that I want for my column. Also, it just sounds cool.. : )
Hope you enjoy Friday's article.. LINKED HERE.
P.S. I also just want to mention that I find it highly entertaining that I have been promoted before I have even received the chance to take my "mug shot" for my columns (See another viewpoint columnists article if you need clarification on what I mean).
Quite frankly, it is because I am always reading. I could write more than one column a day. Between my NY Times on Weekends, bbc.com and the post and times websites, I am always reading news and current events. Not surprisingly, a lot of these issues are campus issues, as they effect everyone. In addition, my article on Wed and my one tomorrow are nothing more than response articles. In the prior case, to a George Will column and tomorrow in response to a fellow Viewpoint staff writers column which I disagreed with.
This productivity has after just one week caused my editor to say he wants to make me a Senior Staff Writer. Although I don't know whether to take this as a remarkable endorcemnt or just a reward for producing dubious amounts of content. In any case, being a senior staff writer next semester should have its perks, notably that I get to choose the day / days (if I feel really motivated) that I want for my column. Also, it just sounds cool.. : )
Hope you enjoy Friday's article.. LINKED HERE.
P.S. I also just want to mention that I find it highly entertaining that I have been promoted before I have even received the chance to take my "mug shot" for my columns (See another viewpoint columnists article if you need clarification on what I mean).
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
George Will.. Conservative God?
I think not. lol..
But it is related to my first Viewpoint column in Technician (this corresponds to me receiving the title staff columnist).
I generally copy and paste the whole article. But today I'll just copy the URL, knowing that if you care to read my article, you'll click the LINK.
Enjoy.. : )
But it is related to my first Viewpoint column in Technician (this corresponds to me receiving the title staff columnist).
I generally copy and paste the whole article. But today I'll just copy the URL, knowing that if you care to read my article, you'll click the LINK.
Enjoy.. : )
Monday, December 1, 2008
Who is paying for my education?
In the wake of Lehman Brothers, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Government bailout package, everyone seems to be an expert on the economy nowadays. Most of my friends can converse extensively on financial derivatives and predatory lending; perhaps this is just another sign of the times. But for all the national headlines, what do we know about how our own education is funded?
Most of us think we already know the answer.
Some of us take out loans, others have scholarships, many of us receive help from our families. We pay our tuition, and the university operates. We own this place. Right?
No, you actually pay for almost none of “your education”.
Last week I conducted a small survey on campus to see how much of the university budget our faculty and students believe is covered by student tuition and fees.
In my survey, 21 out of 25 randomly selected faculty members and students asked believe that student tuition and fees covers over 30 percent of the university budget. 12 of those respondents thought that tuition and fees covered over 50 percent of the budget. Only one student came within 10 percent of the actual value.
The shocking truth is that only 15 percent of the University budget is covered by student tuition and fees. No, your eyes are not deceiving you, 85 percent of your education is funded by someone else.
The state of North Carolina funds approximately 45 percent of our education, an extremely high amount for a state college. For comparison, the University of Virginia receives less than 10 percent of its funding from the state.
The other large wedge in the pie is covered by endowments. Such as research grants from the National Science Foundation, Department of Agriculture and other bodies who we conduct research on the behalf of.
Tom Levy, senior in history, was just as surprised as I was by the figure. “You’re kidding,” he quipped.
Not surprisingly, this sentiment was shared by almost all of the respondents. I cannot count the number of students who said, “Really!” in response to the figure of 15 percent.
Many of us here really do have to sacrifice to come up with tuition money each semester. It is nothing more than human nature to want to think that our share funds most of our education.
To me at least, this seems like pretty important information. It has totally changed my perception of the University. No longer do I feel as though I own this place, I now realize I am nothing more than a squatter on Government land.
Who is to blame for us not knowing? Naturally, I choose to ridicule the source of all evil, the administration. Instead of fruitless race sensitivity training, how about we give the entire incoming freshman class a Budget 101 seminar? Or would N.C. State prefer to have 96 percent of us walk around oblivious to who funds our education?
Most of us think we already know the answer.
Some of us take out loans, others have scholarships, many of us receive help from our families. We pay our tuition, and the university operates. We own this place. Right?
No, you actually pay for almost none of “your education”.
Last week I conducted a small survey on campus to see how much of the university budget our faculty and students believe is covered by student tuition and fees.
In my survey, 21 out of 25 randomly selected faculty members and students asked believe that student tuition and fees covers over 30 percent of the university budget. 12 of those respondents thought that tuition and fees covered over 50 percent of the budget. Only one student came within 10 percent of the actual value.
The shocking truth is that only 15 percent of the University budget is covered by student tuition and fees. No, your eyes are not deceiving you, 85 percent of your education is funded by someone else.
The state of North Carolina funds approximately 45 percent of our education, an extremely high amount for a state college. For comparison, the University of Virginia receives less than 10 percent of its funding from the state.
The other large wedge in the pie is covered by endowments. Such as research grants from the National Science Foundation, Department of Agriculture and other bodies who we conduct research on the behalf of.
Tom Levy, senior in history, was just as surprised as I was by the figure. “You’re kidding,” he quipped.
Not surprisingly, this sentiment was shared by almost all of the respondents. I cannot count the number of students who said, “Really!” in response to the figure of 15 percent.
Many of us here really do have to sacrifice to come up with tuition money each semester. It is nothing more than human nature to want to think that our share funds most of our education.
To me at least, this seems like pretty important information. It has totally changed my perception of the University. No longer do I feel as though I own this place, I now realize I am nothing more than a squatter on Government land.
Who is to blame for us not knowing? Naturally, I choose to ridicule the source of all evil, the administration. Instead of fruitless race sensitivity training, how about we give the entire incoming freshman class a Budget 101 seminar? Or would N.C. State prefer to have 96 percent of us walk around oblivious to who funds our education?
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