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Sunday, 18 January 2009

Tradition shouldn't be a mask

So, I'm watching America's Next Top Model Cycle 11, and they have a transgender, pre-op contestant.

A few of the girls are hiding behind the word "traditional." For example Casey said, "I'm not closed-minded, I'm just more traditional." She's your stereotypical blonde "mean girl" from high school. I accept that people have different viewpoints, but when they completely reject an alternative lifestyle I believe they are losing a lot. My journey in life wouldn't be as rich if I only accepted conventional, puritanical american views.

I've been accused of being closed-minded because I couldn't accept that someone couldn't be open-minded. My personal belief is if you share your opinion, then you should hear what someone else has to say as well. Not for the purpose of changing your mind, but to challenge what you believe in.

I'm a stubborn person, but my opinions and viewpoints are constantly changing and forming. I have a pretty good feeling about where I stand on moral and ethical issues; however, I'm still young enough that I can incorporate new ideas.

Friday, 09 January 2009

My macbook fans

They are going nuts! Stupid fans. My average temp in Celsius is 58-60, which isn't bad, but even when I'm not doing computationally intensive stuff (Preview + Firefox + Mail) it goes up to 76-80 Celsius, which is starting to approach the red zone. Originally, I thought my issue was hanging out on my bed with my macbook. I thought, well it's not getting good ventilation and the heat sinks can't work properly, so I moved it to a desk. I raised it up slightly to see if I could get better circulation, but I'm at a loss of what to do.

Sometimes, I hear my fan go up to 5000-6000 rpm (well...the program tells me)...yeah, that's not cool.

I thought about taking apart my computer to examine the fans, but even though I've been doing some pruning of programs and space on my computer I still find it running slower by the day. I ran some diagnostic programs to examine the elements of the computer to ensure they are intact. It seems that everything is working as it should; however, I recall the loading speed for websites and programs to be faster. I don't think it's a connection problem because it's universal no matter what connection I'm plugged into.

Ugh, oh well.

Tuesday, 06 January 2009

Opinionated

I find myself decidedly lacking in opinions these days. Staying at home all day watching television does not inspire great thought and I've been reverting to my former repertoire of high school books and a bit ashamed of my tastes. They are deliciously trashy.

Apparently, the world is ending...again. I mean, war has started off the new year...or rather bombing. Yellowstone is going to blow up according to the seismologists. The weather just in Houston is going nuts. I mean, 80 degrees in the afternoon to snow in the evening is just crazy. The economy is really the least of it...well okay, in consumerist America, it's "kind of a big deal."

The prospect of the world ending brings on questions of what happens after? What will happen if the world really does end? Will the four horsemen of the apocalypse actually descend or are they just figurative? Are we seeing it now? What does the reincarnation cycle have to say about the world ending? Will it get stopped up? Is our reincarnation cycle limited to this world or is it across the entire universe? What if we were reincarnated across worlds?

Hey...that sounds like a good idea for a book. Don't steal it. I wonder if there's already a book about reincarnation across worlds? I've read something with a similar idea called Schild's Child where people have multiple bodies across worlds and they're transported with their consciousness, but what if your soulmate was really somewhere across the universe? What if the souls are drawn to earth because of its growing problems and their willingness to help?

Somehow this has turned into a stream of consciousness post rather than a vent about my lack of opinions...oh well! Such is life.

Tuesday, 30 December 2008

comic books and the way they guide my life

I watched the Dark Knight again with my parents and my brother and had a startling revelation. I have a very strong sense of what is right and what is wrong, but my conclusions are always painted with shades of grey. I believe the early development of understanding that not all things boil down to what is "good" and what is "evil" came from watching many, many animated series as a child.

One of my favorite animated series was Batman. The cartoon was not meant for children. The cartoon seemed to be a way to draw a new audience into the comic book industry. The translation of the Dark Knight movie from the comic series of the same name made me realize why I love comic books. They allow the audience to have insight to the complications of human nature. The ugly side of each of us has turned into cartoonish characters that seem so far gone that it is difficult to relate to them.

Comics tell stories in incredibly intricate ways. Comics tie strings of events and weave them into a picture of a person to be. A few of my favorite Batman comics are The Long Halloween and Batman: Year One. It explores the fact that heroes are still very much like the Grecian days. They are harold for the feats they complete and following the guidelines of whatever social mores stand; however, there are old laws. Laws that resonate in human nature that can defy convention.

Some say that comics are just for people who are too lazy to read books. Comics offer a different style of storytelling. I am an avid reader of both types of literature. Comics lend visual representations that challenge the imagination. The illustrations guide the thought process; however, it is up to the reader to bring the story to life.

Comic books do not set my moral compass, but it has definitely shaped my view of the world into something more positive and given me a sense that when it's all over with...it will all be right in the end.

Tuesday, 25 November 2008

Financial bailouts and the consumer

Dear US Government,

This financial mess...it's your own damn fault. Yup, you're trying to clean up the mess, but it's too late. You've realized that we are now in a vortex of debt created by the way you've shaped your economy.

Financial giants that needed the bailouts...you guys are idiots too.

Honestly, the consumer culture of America has gotten completely out of hand, and it took a massive melt down of the economy for people to realize it. I forget where I read the statistic, but the average American has $10,000 in credit card debt. Then they decide that they need a car and a house and fulfill the American dream of having an AWESOME speaker system.

I'm definitely no financial/economic whiz. I can't tell people how to get out of their financial mess. Who knows, maybe there was a reason why those Jimmy Choos were absolute necessities. Everyone is still telling us to buy as much as we can, but no one is telling us to do it in moderation.

America, you've done this to yourself. You've cultivated a population that believes it is entitled to what it wants now with no consequences. The credit card industry is virtually unregulated, and people didn't realize it until it was too late. Yes, they're idiots because they're spending money they don't have, but if they didn't have $5000 credit limits, I'm pretty sure that would never have happened in the first place.

Now, you ask yourself, why is the rest of the world in a slow down? THEY don't have the same mentality as the product hungry consumers of America. Well, we caused that too. Yup, we f***ed everyone else over, so you can only thank globalization. I mean, I love globalization. I think it's pretty spiffy. It's also America's way of saying, if we're going down, the rest of the world can go down with us.