Human interaction seems to be nothing more than superficial banter these days, especially in big cities where the hustle and bustle supercede the notion of actually getting to know another person. One has to wonder what kind of relationship someone must maintain with friends and loved ones when ninety percent of his or her day consists of phrases like, “Hello” and “How are you?” It would appear as though key talking points are the weather, how one is doing (like the questioner really cares), and how one has been or what one has been up to. Once these useless pleasantries are out of the way, so is one to the other and life goes on. Can you think of the last time you actually sat and had a meaningful conversation with someone? When was the last time you discussed your passions with another person and had that joy reciprocated? Hit the link for more…
I’m a little late to the party with this entry, but the last two days were holidays so I give myself a pass. For those of you who read this blog or simply stumble upon it, I hope you all had a great holiday season! As for yours truly, I couldn’t have asked for more. It was mellow and easy going. I talked to friends that I haven’t spoken to in a while (isn’t it odd that you’ll get texts and calls from people you haven’t heard from in ages?) and spent Christmas day with someone new and special to me. All in all, it was really nice and satisfaction and contentment hardly touches the surface when trying to express how I feel. Of course, New Year’s Eve is still coming up and that is even more excitement to be anticipated! I’ve never been one for resolutions because I always felt that positive life changes don’t have to wait until year’s end, but they should be done as soon as your mind conjures them up. I’ll still be writing before the New Year, but here’s a somewhat late Merry Christmas and very early Happy New Year!
I was reading Loic Le Meur’s blog and I stumbled upon a video where he mentions Helen Fisher in a TED talks video. He was pretty excited about it, and I love TED and the talks they give so I decided to check it out. The video did turn out to be interesting and Helen Fisher brings up very good points. The talk was given over two years ago and I had learned about these things well before then, but it was nice to hear it all in one place. For once, someone was talking about the biology of love and how it translates into emotion and action. Being aware of these things doesn’t make life any easier, well, actually it does. I don’t go struggling to find answers in a book, therapist, love song, or poem, although they do have their place sometimes. Don’t take my word for it; watch the video to the end and I guarantee, if you have half an ounce of intelligence, you will enjoy it.
Alright, the damn video won’t embed onto this blog for who-knows-what reason, so here is a link to the video. Enjoy.
Someone needs to clip this and make an animated .gif! (Although as of this writing, or perhaps prior to it, someone is already hard at work making it happen.) I can’t say I like George W., but I don’t hate him, either. Hate is such a strong word and I reserve it for special people only. Still, you’ve gotta give it up for a man at that age who can dodge one shoe right after another in a surprise attack! This reminds me of Austin Powers, “Who throws a shoe? Honestly?” I’m not a mind reader, but I’m guessing that Iraqi reporter wasn’t too thrilled to see our President up on the podium. The guy obviously knows what the repercussions are and was completely willing to accept responsibility for his Nolan-Ryan-esque efforts. Personally, I think he wasn’t quick enough on the draw because the second shoe should have landed. Bush, one, Iraqi reporter, zero. Bush wins. While it was not a classy move, it’s hilarious as hell!
I hope this teaches a great lesson to future leaders and to Americans in general: Be on the lookout for flying footwear.
Looking at my WordPress stats, it’s still pretty clear to me that a certain psycho is still stalking me and monitoring my activities online. Since she won’t give it up, and lord knows what this crazy person would do (based on her history), I’d better not disappoint. So, I’m writing another blog entry to feed her outrageous need. Oh, and some advice to you, STALKER, subscribe to my feed so that you don’t have to look up my name and keywords to get you to this blog. That way, I won’t know when and how you’re looking me up via the WP Stats page.
And in other, more important news, the original pin-up girl has passed away at the age of 85. That’s right, none other than the late, great Betty Page – often imitated, and almost never duplicated. Let’s get real here, there was no one else like her and no one close. However, there have been many imitators. Some have claimed that Page was a great influence on them (how that’s possible, I don’t know) and others just tried to steal her look (her young look, not the golden years). If you’ve ever attended high school in Los Angeles, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. Heavy-set girls with pitch black hair and bangs cut straight across the forehead with Betty Page tattooed on their arms… yeah, that’s sexy. The only attention they ever get is from those greaser guys who didn’t get the memo on that long-forgotten fad and style.
After suffering from a heart attack on December 2, Page had been on life support at Kindred Hospital in Los Angeles. On the evening of December 11, she passed away. Rest in peace, Betty, you’ll forever remain a sex symbol and cult icon.
Access to the Internet is pretty much ubiquitous these days. You can go to any coffee shop, airport, bookstore, or school and it’s practically a guarantee that there will be WiFi there. So, my question is: Why don’t all new mobile devices have WiFi? More specifically, why don’t all new smartphones have it? Although it’s not as pervasive as network signals from mobile carriers, wireless internet access seems to available in places where the network just doesn’t suffice. The Boy Genius’ take on WiFi pretty much sums up my own thoughts on it. If you think you’re on the greatest network on earth and you don’t need WiFi, you’re pretty much a ‘tard. Why?
To start, conditions have to be optimal in order for you to get high speeds and great coverage for your device. As we all know, this happens maybe 20-30% of the time. Otherwise, coverage and speeds are usually mediocre, and sometimes worse depending on where you are. Secondly, and the reason I’m writing this particular entry, is because it typically allows you to access data while you are on a call. That’s right. I was on a conference call this morning and I attempted to access an email… fail. So, I thought I’d try the web on my phone… fail. For the record, I am using a Blackberry Bold which allows data and voice access at the same time either via the 3G network or WiFi. Why didn’t it work? I was in a woodsy area where I received only EDGE service (don’t ask why I was there and on a conference call). This made me think, “Other than this isolated case, I wouldn’t have had this problem. However, folks without 3G GSM or WiFi are pretty much fucked if they needed to access data while on a call.” Lastly, it’s rare that network data speeds will ever match WiFi speeds (there are exceptions, of course). So, say you are at a Starbucks waiting for a friend to arrive and you whip out your iPhone, Blackberry Bold, or HTC Fuze to kill time and surf the net… If your signal strength is low, very low, it may constantly switch between EDGE and 3G. Even if it isn’t switching, and you’re showing one or two bars on 3G, that is going to kill your battery! In my experience, having WiFi on will eat up less of that battery life than having a weak signal on 3G. WiFi wins.
Should you ever find yourself asking whether it’s worth it to have WiFi, um, remember what I said. Yes! It’s a deal-breaker, in my opinion. The next time you buy a smartphone, choose a WiFi-capable device. Without it, it’s really a not-so-smartphone, in my opinion.
Miscellanea 