Saturday, August 16, 2008
I love my cell phone
With a title like that I must have just gotten a new iPhone. Or maybe a Razr. Something sleek and hot, right?
Nope.
I have a Nokia 6015, and have had said phone for almost 3 years. For those of you who do not own this glorious phone, here it is:
Granted, my phone is not that shiny.
I replaced the buttons on my phone today, the first thing to go bad. I friend of mine gave me his old one because I was missing 3,4,5, and 6. Very nice of him. I realized while I was replacing the buttons (a 5 second exercise) that I love my phone. I threw my phone at a wall today, just because I can.
My phone cost about $30 new and sports advanced features, like a color screen. It has no camera, no mp3 player, or anything really. It's just a phone. I don't care. Camera phones take the worst pictures in the world. They are low quality digital cameras stuck in your phone, just in case you ever need a picture so grainy you can't tell what it is and need it now. I also can't listen to low-quality phone songs.
Whenever you ask someone who owns one of these about them, they will tell you they do not break. I searched for "broken Nokia 6015" and Google had no results.
You can go on snapping your razrs in half ($100) and I will keep my phone.
Nope.
I have a Nokia 6015, and have had said phone for almost 3 years. For those of you who do not own this glorious phone, here it is:
Granted, my phone is not that shiny.
I replaced the buttons on my phone today, the first thing to go bad. I friend of mine gave me his old one because I was missing 3,4,5, and 6. Very nice of him. I realized while I was replacing the buttons (a 5 second exercise) that I love my phone. I threw my phone at a wall today, just because I can.
My phone cost about $30 new and sports advanced features, like a color screen. It has no camera, no mp3 player, or anything really. It's just a phone. I don't care. Camera phones take the worst pictures in the world. They are low quality digital cameras stuck in your phone, just in case you ever need a picture so grainy you can't tell what it is and need it now. I also can't listen to low-quality phone songs.
Whenever you ask someone who owns one of these about them, they will tell you they do not break. I searched for "broken Nokia 6015" and Google had no results.
You can go on snapping your razrs in half ($100) and I will keep my phone.
Saturday, July 05, 2008
The Death of the Iron Race
According to Greek mythology we are the Iron Race: the fifth and worst race created by the Gods thus far. Every generation of the Iron Race is worse than its predecessor, and every son is less than is father. The Greeks believed that we would only last until the Gods grew tired of our wickedness and removed us from the Earth. The Greeks came up with this concept some 4,000 years ago. That's a lot of wickedness building up.
A lot of people still believe in this theory, even if they don't know it. Everyone has heard people older than themselves complained about the youth they see, and everyone has complained about people younger than themselves. When I think about it, though, it makes sense.
A handful of generations ago, when the people were mildly better than ourselves, they settled this land. They crossed oceans on wooden ships, only to arrive in a wilderness. Out of that wilderness they carved a home, often building their houses from the trees around them.
These days, we lay around in homes built by contractors, and complain about mowing the lawn.
Every generation strives to leave a legacy for its children. Oftentimes, that legacy is something meant to make it easier for the next generation. There is less and less work to be done. It is my firm belief that the harder you work, the better person you will be. That hard work that turns children into adults is getting easier. We expect less and less out of people.
I have heard that my generation is the first in American history that will have it harder than its forbearer. While I am not sure this is true, when I think about it, perhaps it is a good thing. I have already grown up; I am an adult member of the plague on Earth known as the Iron Race. But perhaps my children will not be. Maybe they will have to work harder than me, to become something better than me. Maybe, just maybe, the Iron Race will die with me.
A lot of people still believe in this theory, even if they don't know it. Everyone has heard people older than themselves complained about the youth they see, and everyone has complained about people younger than themselves. When I think about it, though, it makes sense.
A handful of generations ago, when the people were mildly better than ourselves, they settled this land. They crossed oceans on wooden ships, only to arrive in a wilderness. Out of that wilderness they carved a home, often building their houses from the trees around them.
These days, we lay around in homes built by contractors, and complain about mowing the lawn.
Every generation strives to leave a legacy for its children. Oftentimes, that legacy is something meant to make it easier for the next generation. There is less and less work to be done. It is my firm belief that the harder you work, the better person you will be. That hard work that turns children into adults is getting easier. We expect less and less out of people.
I have heard that my generation is the first in American history that will have it harder than its forbearer. While I am not sure this is true, when I think about it, perhaps it is a good thing. I have already grown up; I am an adult member of the plague on Earth known as the Iron Race. But perhaps my children will not be. Maybe they will have to work harder than me, to become something better than me. Maybe, just maybe, the Iron Race will die with me.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Mother Earth
It has occurred to me that we generally think of the planet as a delicate thing that we must coddle and protect. While the natural balance may be delicate, the planet itself is not. Treating the planet like a delicate plant that we must protect from climate change is a highly incorrect idea. Mother Earth is more like a sleeping bear we must be careful not to awaken. Rather, we should try and put her to sleep again, for we have already roused her, and taken away her cubs. Every day I hear on the news of people being killed in natural disasters. Whether it is in pairs or dozens in a tornado, or tens of thousands in a cyclone people are dying. When you hear of up to one hundred thousand people dying in Myanmar in one storm, it speaks, and it speaks of two things. The first is overpopulation. We have put far too many people on this earth, and it is only getting worse. The second is anger. We have angered the planet and it is trying very hard to kill us. When you try and save energy, it is not to prevent the planet's death, for it will outlast us all. It is trying to prevent your death, because, if we push her hard enough, mother nature will kill us all. Neither men nor mankind were made to live forever. We are not impervious to the forces of nature. Nay, the planet could erase us with the slightest effort.
Don't make her mad.
Don't make her mad.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Banter
A treat for my dedicated blog readers: A blog that is actually updated somewhat regularly.
The blog in question is called "The Banterist" and it is Brain Sack's domain. He spins satirical stories much to my entertainment. The Banterist
I accidentally found this blog while working on a history project. the post was "Photo(shop) Journalism Awards." I thought they were hilarious and continued to explore the page, instead of doing my homework. It was only history anyway. While the photoshop awards are high on my list of favorites, "Tips for traveling with Children" is also very good.
The 2006 Photo(shop) Journalism Awards
Traveling With Children
A blog about a blog. God bless the Internet. (Although I doubt He's inclined, given the amount of porn on the Internet.)
By the way, Mr. Sack has a book out call "In the Event of My Untimely Demise" that I now wish to own.
Fun thought for the day: Can Bureaucracy be described as a Staff Infection?
The blog in question is called "The Banterist" and it is Brain Sack's domain. He spins satirical stories much to my entertainment. The Banterist
I accidentally found this blog while working on a history project. the post was "Photo(shop) Journalism Awards." I thought they were hilarious and continued to explore the page, instead of doing my homework. It was only history anyway. While the photoshop awards are high on my list of favorites, "Tips for traveling with Children" is also very good.
The 2006 Photo(shop) Journalism Awards
Traveling With Children
A blog about a blog. God bless the Internet. (Although I doubt He's inclined, given the amount of porn on the Internet.)
By the way, Mr. Sack has a book out call "In the Event of My Untimely Demise" that I now wish to own.
Fun thought for the day: Can Bureaucracy be described as a Staff Infection?
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Telaldalin
Mourn ye the loss, citizens of Earth, for one has passed out of your company that the like of shall never be seen again.
Today is a sad day. Today they buried the first of my friends. At 20 years old, she was far too young to have to go. The only solace is to know that she is in a better place, no longer hurting. Still, it is painful to attend the funeral of one who should have lived sixty more years. I am struck by the profound irony that the better a person is, the more we love them, the more we say they deserve their place in the Kingdom of Heaven; the less we want them to get there. And it is obvious that Cheryl was well loved. A huge crowd turned out to pay their respects to one fallen so young.
And yet, we cannot be overcome with grief. The best way to truly respect one so full of life is to live. Live life and enjoy life. Dance your favorite dances, sing your favorite songs, and whenever you see an orchid, smile and remember.
Cheryl, Last Tree Song, here's to you.
And yet, we cannot be overcome with grief. The best way to truly respect one so full of life is to live. Live life and enjoy life. Dance your favorite dances, sing your favorite songs, and whenever you see an orchid, smile and remember.
Cheryl, Last Tree Song, here's to you.
Friday, January 25, 2008
"Don't Tell Me What I'm Doing; I Don't Want To Know."
I finished Fahrenheit 451 not twenty minutes ago, and I was moved to update my neglected blog. Read this book. If you do not own it, go out and buy it.
The first thing I did upon finishing it was to tell my sister to read it. It is that good. Even the notes and interview with the author were good.
The book sweats life from every pore. You could find more life in a single one of Bradbury's sentences than can be found in my entire blog. I am still in awe over the book. It is a fascinating story. It's fun and it keeps you involved.
I knew that Fahrenheit 451 was about burning books, but thats all I knew. It was my assumption that a government had banned books to keep people from thinking. That's just how gray-future books are supposed to be: Government takes over people's lives. Bradbury's plan is far more realistic and far more frightening.
It truly calls to task everyone who claims reading is boring. It shames them and shows them what life would be like without books. It assaults those who would rather stare at the TV than read. Along the way it also bashes censorship and appealing to minorities. Not that minorities our bad, it just points out that you can't please everyone, so why try. If you did come up with something to please everyone it would be vanilla. Worse than that, it would be air. Regular atmosphere that everyone is already used to.
Another thing about the book is how unintelligent it makes me feel. It never explains the '451' allusion, and I am sure there are hundreds, if not thousands, of other allusions I did not catch. It is just an excellent example of literature.
Author: Ray Bradbury
Title: Fahrenheit 451
Price: $6.99 US
You need this book far more than you need the seven bucks.
The first thing I did upon finishing it was to tell my sister to read it. It is that good. Even the notes and interview with the author were good.
The book sweats life from every pore. You could find more life in a single one of Bradbury's sentences than can be found in my entire blog. I am still in awe over the book. It is a fascinating story. It's fun and it keeps you involved.
I knew that Fahrenheit 451 was about burning books, but thats all I knew. It was my assumption that a government had banned books to keep people from thinking. That's just how gray-future books are supposed to be: Government takes over people's lives. Bradbury's plan is far more realistic and far more frightening.
It truly calls to task everyone who claims reading is boring. It shames them and shows them what life would be like without books. It assaults those who would rather stare at the TV than read. Along the way it also bashes censorship and appealing to minorities. Not that minorities our bad, it just points out that you can't please everyone, so why try. If you did come up with something to please everyone it would be vanilla. Worse than that, it would be air. Regular atmosphere that everyone is already used to.
Another thing about the book is how unintelligent it makes me feel. It never explains the '451' allusion, and I am sure there are hundreds, if not thousands, of other allusions I did not catch. It is just an excellent example of literature.
Author: Ray Bradbury
Title: Fahrenheit 451
Price: $6.99 US
You need this book far more than you need the seven bucks.
Labels: Fahrenheit 451
