Media Writing Blog

Think of Aldi as a Parody of Ourselves

2008-02-25T08:17:00.000-08:00

I find supermarkets absolutely fascinating. In a free market society we largely end up determining and reinforcing our own purchasing habits. When we step into a supermarket everything is custom-tailored to catch your eye, to make you want to buy it, to lay out in concise terms through clever packaging and branding just why you want it.

This is why Aldi is so interesting. Many supermarkets have a store brand, but it makes up such a small fraction of their sales that it doesn't really factor into the larger picture. While most supermarkets are filled with brand-name products, Aldi only has their own brand.

Now, if you are shopping at Aldi, you only have one reason to really be there... everything is dirt cheap. Why you're there and what you buy are pretty much predetermined by the time you walk in. So you won't be considering what particular brand or type of cheese you want, you get what they have: Happy Farms "Brand" Cheese. Everything sold in Aldi is distributed by Aldi, but nothing bears a giant Aldi logo like a Wegmans-brand food would. Instead, all the labels are poor mimicries of why somebody might purchase this item. For instance, their low-fat cream cheese has a "Fit & Active" brand. Anything that can be deemed even slightly Mexican food, it is under the brand "La Mas Rica!" The bread is labeled under the brand "L'oven Fresh."

To try and sum up what I'm saying, Aldi has these strange brand names not out of necessity but out of precedent. We expect to see so many varied brands at our supermarkets that if everything had a giant Aldi logo front and center on it people would be unnerved by it to the point where they would be uncomfortable buying it. So, all their food has to have fake branding and feign the desire to impress people into purchasing them. So their entire branding scheme is a parody of what we want to hear, but don't necessarily need to because we have to buy it anyway 'cause its so damn cheap.

Last entry, a shocking personal one!

2006-05-07T21:32:00.000-07:00

Freshman year is over. I didn't do well enough to transfer to U of R. I'm stuck at Ithaca for the duration.

This is my fault, I will be the first to admit that I am too young to possibly comprehend what I need to do and when. Unfortunately as time passes I feel like I should know that by now, and that this skill just missed me along the way. Right now I'm worried about even staying in Ithaca, THAT is how bad I did this semester.

I have been able to get work done in the past of course, at the beginning of the year I did it with flying colors. I was the new prize of the History department, and then I died so quickly. When I had my social structure at home I could get by. The excitement of college allowed me to jump into things but once I alienated all those around me (I'm not easy to get along with in the long-term and I have no intention of changing that) and I realized my social structure at home was no longer there to support me I collapsed. I kept falling very slowly, until I rolled off the precipice over finals week. I hope to recover next year, maybe I can still pull off U of R, with its massive history department and my best friend there.

My reform.

2006-05-07T21:23:00.000-07:00

I don't hate the blog anymore. Good work, Sterbenk.

I understand, through my own use, the importance of blogs in today's media environment. They provide a truly democratic news source that people can turn to, as well as offer a growing check on the mainstream media outlets. I watched the South Park Mohammed controversy get picked up by the bloggers, and transfer to the mainstream. That was proof enough for me.

What I still dislike is how democratic it can be. The vast size of the internet permits a wide array of opinions, some of which could be dead wrong all the time... like a KKK blog. With all of these varying opinions having no check on their integrity, anyone can simply interpret these blogs as fact and ignore the rest. By selective reading, you can form anopinion that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever and feel completely right about it.

So I am neutral on blogs. That is a big step.

I will not keep this blog over the summer, as I will be cutting meat for most of it and won't have time.

Two I forgot, so this entry counts as one and a half.

2006-05-07T21:03:00.000-07:00

I forgot to make two blog entries.

The Revolutionary Catechism - The Catechism is the instruction booklet of all who followed Russian anarchist Sergey Nechayev. He is responisble for the beginnings of the violent opposition to the tsar in the late 19th century. He wrote the chilling Catechism that removes the worth of a single human in the name of destruction. There is no end game, only the decimation of "the whole filthy order."

Sergey Nechayev died in prison after being convicted for attempts to murder the tsar. While in prison, someone did succeed in doing so, and it was suspected that he played a part in the planning from behind bars. This man stands alone in Russian history, known only for his desire to ruin, and this chilling document. Here are three of the points made:

1. The revolutionary is a doomed man. He has no personal interests, no business affairs, no emotions, no attachments, no property, and no name. Everything in him is wholly absorbed in the single thought and the single passion for revolution.

8. The revolutionary can have no friendship or attachment, except for those who have proved by their actions that they, like him, are dedicated to revolution. The degree of friendship, devotion and obligation toward such a comrade is determined solely by the degree of his usefulness to the cause of total revolutionary destruction.

13. The revolutionary enters the world of the State, of the privileged classes, of the so-called civilization, and he lives in this world only for the purpose of bringing about its speedy and total destruction. He is not a revolutionary if he has any sympathy for this world. He should not hesitate to destroy any position, any place, or any man in this world. He must hate everyone and everything in it with an equal hatred. All the worse for him if he has any relations with parents, friends, or lovers; he is no longer a revolutionary if he is swayed by these relationships.

Rebels of 1916 by Peter deRosa - Ireland had spent 700 years under English rule, and this attempt to break free of England has gone down as the most famous. They did not win, they did not come close, but it would be the blossoming of Ireland's long-dormant nationalist movement.

The Easter Rising of 1916 was led by a few poets who who knew more about stanzas than street-fighting. No more than one-thousand men, only half of which with guns, held Baile Átha Cliat (Dublin) for one week. The resulting execution of the rebel leaders caused Irish blood to boil, leading to the successfully fought Anglo-Irish war from 1919 to 1921. This book documents the affair from the very beginning, filling in conversations that nobody heard. The author makes note that this story is at times so incredible he has a hard time believing it happened. deRosa writes beautifully in prose so poignant that I wish I was serving under deValera, sniping British soldiers as they tried to cross the street.

The plan for next year's room.

2006-04-30T22:59:00.000-07:00

I have a double in Rowland right now. Next year I will have a single in Terrace 12. I am going to make my room a place for people to gather socially, despite it's compact size.

I will get a D-loft bed, which will allow me nearly 5 feet of space under my bed. Next to it I will build another loft, one five feet wide and 5 feet tall. On that loft I will keep my clothing, books, and storage items. Next to my bed will sit my desk, I will work on my laptop there.

Under my lofts is where the fun will be. Here is a floorplan:

I want to create a lounge atmosphere. A low ceiling with old Christmas lights will intensify the closeness. On the floor will be a futon mattress for people to lie down on. There will be a refrigerator stocked with fine drinks, including but limited to Saranac Root Beer, Champagne, and some high-end Bourbon (I'll only be drinking the Root Beer of course). My gorgeous speaker system will be present, and it will fill the cavern with a thick, rich sound. A television will have classic Nintendo games hooked up to it, as well as a DVD player for film screenings.

In this room I will throw "Gatsby Parties," lavish and intimate get-togethers in order to intensify the mystery surrounding myself (I say that with no delusion of pretentiousness). The gatherings will be every Friday night, I will wear my finest clothes, and all are welcomed to come.

My room will be awesome.

The Story of an Industrial Giant: The Devil in the Belfry

2006-04-30T21:28:00.000-07:00

Devil in the Belfry has a history before it's namesake. We will begin there.

At random, Comrade Eryk met Comrade Crosby one day over a summer in 2003. After discovering similar interests, a band was proposed. This made Crosby's girlfriend, from now on referred to as Beelzebub, upset that she would have to share his time with this newcomer. She would remain a persistant problem for a year of time, impeding the progress of the band and nearly destroying the tentative friendship between the Comrades several times.

They began in Eryk's basement, under the pseudoname "Brave New World." This was changed almost immediately to "Catharsis." Both these names remain slightly irrelevant, because this moniker never left Eryk's basement. Eryk and Crosby's first lineup was Keyboardist Eli, Bassist and Backup Vocals Jenna, Drummer Talia, Guitarist Crosby, and Guitarist and Lead Vocalist Eryk. When they took the stage, they were "Magnus," in honor of Eryk's old chord-organ that was never actually used by anyone.

Magnus played one show with this lineup at a school talent show. The setlist included the songs "Catharsis" and "An Eye Made Quiet." The performance was questionable, as the band did not practice as much as they desired to. Tensions were heavy in the band betwen Talia and Eryk, and Jenna and Eryk, and Crosby and Eryk. Well, basically, everyone agreed that Eryk was being egomaniacal and wanted to sound like Thom Yorke. After this show Magnus disappeared until about April, where they geared up to play a show at Eryk's high school. Eryk's ego still inflated, he expected to win and do very well. Keyboardist Eli had left the band, and a third guitarist was added, Brower. Magnus performed four Beatles covers (as was the requirement), and they did a notably poor job attributed to musical indeciciveness and lack of practice. Eli's new band ended up winning the competition.

With Eryk now humiliated, he was humbled and no longer had any perceptions of superiority. For some time he desired to quit playing altogether. At this time Magnus disbanded again, for the final time. The recording of "An Eye Made Quiet" is the only surviving piece of their work.

The summer of 2004 brought the birth of The Devil in the Belfry, and the birth of a brotherhood between Crosby and Eryk. Over that summer, music was rarely played, and many spudguns were built. They bonded through a common set of interests yet to be fully exploited. Crosby also shed Beelzebub from his side, giving him freedom of expression he had not known nearly all his teenage life. Eryk had rebounded from the show thanks to the eventful summer, and was ready to play once more. The band was conceived over four pints of homemade mead, and they would rock free-market economies everywhere.

They practiced for some time, before the two of them appeared at a talent show on January 20th, 2005. Mike played up the event heavily, but they had no drummer to play with yet. Three hours before the show they contacted one-time drummer Kyle, who provided a perfect backing. Devil in the Belfry took the stage wearing Budionovkas and matching uniforms with a sense of social purpose rather than artistic duty. Eryk's lyrics were no longer radiohead ripoffs but of his own vision. His voice no longer tried to croon, but instead howl and swing acorss the stage. Crosby's stage presence had increased tenfold, and his ability and arranging music had reached new heights. They played two songs, "The Dromadary" and "Merry Way to the Gallows." While the Gallows received a mixed review (mostly for lack of instrumentation), the Dromadary became legendary. It caused a full uproar, as Devil in the Belfry emitted gamma waves of energy from the stage. It remains a flagship song in their performances.

Devil in the Belfry rejoined with Drummer Talia and attempted to play a Battle of the Bands. Armed with five well-crafted songs, they took the stage. Unfortunately, Talia's lack of skill was a burden to the performance, and her stagefright made things even worse. Along with technical mishaps by both Crosby and Eryk, Devil in the Belfry came in third place. This is understandable, as the second place band was crowd-pleasing ska, and the winning band had heavy influence over the judges table (girlfriends, brothers, etc).

During that performace Eryk and Crosby did not "acknowledge Talia" enough. This led her to quit the band violently, leaving blood on Crosby's hands, who had handled the situation alone.

The summer of 2005 proved to be exceedingly difficult for the Devil in the Belfry, they had a new Drummer Ken and Bassist/Flutist Melissa. Unfortunately these two could not practice often at all, and their contribution remained limited. It left the band stagnant, trying to force two members to catch up on years of work between Eryk and Crosby in a few days. Worse, Crosby fell seriously ill and did not leave his home. After this and several failed recording attempts, Devil in the Belfry called a hiatus while Eryk and Crosby seperated at their respective colleges.

While Crosby was having trouble finding comrades at Ithaca College, Eryk stumbled upon Daniel, guitarist and extraordinary drummer. Daniel took immediate interest in the Devil in the Belfry, and soon became a member. Crosby and Eryk are particularly pleased with his work, as it complements their original pieces rather than compromising them like their former drummers did. While they still lack a bassist, after nearly three years the Eryk and Crosby have formed an unbelievable musical experience, with much potential to overthrow the capitalist corrupters.

2006-04-26T23:40:00.000-07:00

The Fools! The Fools! The Fools!

The last of these entries will be blatant self-promotion.

2006-04-26T14:17:00.000-07:00

In order to successfully self-promote myself, I must begin to feed the search engines with key terms.

hackz
serialz
crackz
Halo 2
warez
hookups in [your town]
l33t
N'Sync Reunion
free pornography
cute kittens
registration code
full download
wild college girls
Half-Life pirated!
John C Calhoun

Now that every search ever done on the internet will come back to my blog, it is time to exploit the curiosity of visitors. I'm the man. Like, seriously everyone. I'm the friggin' man. Now my grades might not be perfect or my looks or BMI up to good scale, but I'm the man. I used a careful scientific method that includes perfect scores on these highly scientific devices:

http://www.pinrepair.com/arcade/griptea1.jpg TOP STAR ACHIEVED!
http://members.aol.com/kuhfeld/psycgraf.htm THE HEAD OF EINSTEIN!
http://www.kidzworld.com/site/p3327.htm ULTRA BFFAE!

So according to the scientific "Man" graph, I fall here:
Meryl -----------------*--Eric
Streep -----------------*--Sterbenk

This puts me a little bit ahead of Chuck Norris, but a little behind John C Calhoun. (to all the doubters: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:JohnCCalhoun.jpeg) Unfortunately I'll never quite reach the caliber of men like Eric Sterbenk, but I can dream to better myself.

Since I'm the man, I can translate the results of these tests into several niche jargons:

I'm a level 12 fire-breather with fairydust shields and tungsten-based harpoons.

Uno, I'm like, uno. this guy.. who's uhh. y'know, just, uhh the guy. You know what I'm sayin.

1'm th3 m4n gµ¥$, $3r10µ$£¥. ¥0µ Ð0n't µnÐ3r$t4nÐ h0w 3£1t3 1 4m.

An addendum to my series: The Linux Scare

2006-04-23T17:43:00.000-07:00

This is an email I sent to my friend Ben that sums up the problem with Linux adoption perfectly.

Ben, Linux has just passed that threshold where it is useable for all. unfortunately, it is our generation (including people up to their late 20s) who keep linux outside the mainstream.

Our generation has been around computers enough to expect ease in fixing them. Windows? oh, you're missing a driver. OS X? oh, enable this. Linux? oh, run the bash and become root and modify the contents of this file. This is daunting to most, because 99% of us are computer-literate, not skilled in computers. The older generation, our parents and such, don't have these ideas of usability. No matter what the problem, they contact the Geek Squad or the younger kid in the family who has a knack for fixing machines. The elder generation just wants something to work fairly intuitively, which linux has done by now. I'll make a bet that if I met someone who never used a computer before and gave them a linux box with email, word processing, and internet clients, their complaints would be run-of-the-mill.

It is our burden to learn more and adopt linux, even if our generation believes in their ability to compute and doesn't want that compromised.

Catholics against the Catholic League!

2006-04-20T12:25:00.000-07:00

I was born and raised Catholic. Although I am not the greatest practitione, I do try to adhere to some of the rules of Catholicism. Unfortunately, some of the rules in our catechism distinctly do not sit easy with me. I permit homosexuality, women should be priests as well, and birth control is especially important in underdeveloped countries. These are some of the reasons I cannot fully grasp Catholicism.

My beliefs aside, I am adamantly opposed to the Catholic League. It is currently led by the outspoken William Donohue. I ask Donohue to resign, or at least become a part of the Catholic hierarchy.

If you ask me, the idea of a "lobbying" group that exists seperate to the church is completely protestant. What seperates Catholicism from Christianity is the structure it was founded on. Priests below Bishops below Cardinals below the Pope below God himself. Catholics are supposed to look to their church for spiritual guidance more so than their own Bible.

The Catholic League was originally founded by a Jesuit, which is just fine. Now that it has passed into the hands of a "nobody," their separation is complete and harmful. This League undermines the authority of the Catholic church by acting pseudo-autonomously. If the church wants to correct the ailing American-Catholic population, it is their burden to do so... not the League's.

Today's Catholicism is taking a disturbing trend of removing secularism and intermingling with politics in America. Of course, history saw this coming as that is what the church did in Europe in a very major way up to the Reformation. I think that the Catholic League is aiding this. For instance, Donohue got on President Bush's case when his holiday cards didn't mention Christmas in particular. I am with John Kerry when I say that you can practice your beliefs without imposing them on others via the state.

So I would form a group called Catholics against the Catholic League, but that would make me a hypocrite. I'd rather get married and have nine children.

A history of file sharing

2006-04-17T21:22:00.000-07:00

I am compiling a history of my own file-sharing in the past. I no longer do these things and do not condone them in any way. I do not know whether the school would find this appropriate writing material, but all of this is true

First there was FTP sites. This was well before my time and I cannot speak about these with any clarity. As with anything server-based, this was iffy at best... of course file-sharing didn't hit the national spotlight until Napster.

Napster was based on centralized servers, and was easy to shut down. Despite some clamouring for the glory days of Napster, they simply weren't that great. You could only download from one user at a time, one file at a time, and it had to be a music file of usually poor quality. There were hardware limitations involved, but still, they were not glory days.

Then I used KaZaA. KaZaA offered the ability to download from multiple users at once, as well as several different filetypes. KaZaA was decentralized, therefore it was hard to get caught despite the RIAA's publicity stunts. I loved it for what programs I could get, but that was also the reason I stopped using it. KaZaA had malware all over the network, and lots of it made it to my machine. Fortunately, most of the time I had the right software in place to stop it. Then came eDonkey.

eDonkey was a smoother version of KaZaA, with more options and no malware. The networks were hybrids, running on the users and servers. Most of the servers were based in Europe, making them harder to shut down by the RIAA. After I left for college I stopped using eDonkey and began to simply borrow CDs from friends who are music buffs.

What is the buzz now? Bit Torrent of course. Bit Torrent is completely decentralized and can be used to sent practically anything anywhere. Plus, some Bit Torrent hosts, called trackers, function in private communities and are nearly impossible to track.

Bit Torrent, and every evolution in file-sharing, remains one step ahead of those looking to shut it down. Bit Torrent will be their hardest case yet.

Root Beer is my nectar, and it surprises me when so few believe the same.

2006-04-17T19:54:00.000-07:00

Root Beer is a drink that is unique to America. It still is relatively unknown to the rest of the world. Root Beer is seperate from most other soft drinks for being a conceptual drink. Coke is Coke, and Pepsi is Pepsi, but not all Root Beers are created the same. Some are much better than others, some are absolutely awful. Most Root Beers are traditionally fermented in order to carbonate them, but that practice has died out in most commercial brews. Here are my comments on a few of them:

Barq's: Everyone who loves Root Beer hates Barq's. I appreciate it for what it is, a Root Beer that tastes way to much like Coca-Cola. So if you want that kind of taste, which is fairly bitter and not very frothy, go for Barq's.

Stewart's: My favorite Root Beer, but mostly for sentimental reasons. Stewart's Drive-ins are quite possibly the greatest place to get food on the Jersey Shore (tied with the Windmill). My best friend and I would go to Stewart's and get Root Beer in frosty mugs and cheese fries. So many cheese fries.

Jones: Overpriced crap. Sorry hipsters and Target shoppers.

Mug: Same thing that Barq's has going for it, only Pepsi-based instead. This actually works a little better, not as bitter. I find this odd because I never liked Pepsi.

Saranac: The champagne of Root Beers. Open it over a trash can and drink whatever froth you can. When kept cold, it is rich and sharp. At four dollars per six pack, it's a great value as well. Available at your local Wegman's.

Ithaca Root Beer: We're all very lucky. It's expensive, but enjoy it. Wonderful brew that I sorely missed over winter break.

My Judicial Affairs Letter

2006-04-12T17:31:00.000-07:00

I had to write a letter to Judicial Affairs about the rabbit in my room. Here it is.

I ask that when I am placed in the stalks in front of town, spare me my dignity and honor. My grievous wrongdoing was bad, I know, but I understand my punishment. Let the physical pain be all there is to give me.
It was a foul, rainy day when my letter arrived to me. It was the indictment that was inevitable, the eviction. I had been harboring a fugitive hare for quite some time. I assumed that eventually the rage of my neighbors boiled over. Some of the extremely discontent advocated a violent solution, reaching to the very heads of state. Luckily, cooler minds prevailed and the authorities were contacted.
Their rage was justified in what that hare did to interrupt their everyday lives. It would scream throughout the night, disrupting quiet hours. How would they catch up on their sleep? While my back was turned that filthy hare would open up my drawers and rub its disgusting, germ-infested hairs on my unworn clothing. When I stepped out of my room I was the allergenic equivalent of the hydrogen bomb.
A comrade of mine who was visiting decided to take the hare home with him. There she will have the company of other filthy hares in the University of Rochester. That institution is noted for the serious allergen problems had by students, since small animals run untamed in their hallways. It is a serious issue that causes the very academic spokes that run the show to stutter and fail.
My prayers have been with my friend, hopefully he can make the trek back without incident. Hares are known to be carnivorous when without food for long periods of time.
I have complied with the judge’s order for re-education. What a profound effect the presentation had upon me! The decisions that Holocaust survivor juxtaposed next to the teenager who was simply too loaded to do the right thing really spoke to me. I actually was so compelled by the comparison that I proceeded to apply all my maligned collegiate decisions to various pogroms.
As the day closes, and my punishment ends, I hope we can all put this ordeal behind us. The dark ages are no longer with us, and we can now resume prosperity in our community. I will never falter like this again, for the damage I have done was far too great.

I cannot hold out any longer.

2006-04-10T18:26:00.000-07:00

I succumb. You hear that AIM, I signed on today.

American youth is slowly falling into a world of interersonal relationships that mean nothing. A written language quickly deteriorating into nothing but "u goin 2 skool?" or the infamous "lol." The relationships we keep online are meant to barely cling on to some friends, or never let them go for that matter. I, a man of small social circles, see this world sickening. On top of that, I pride myself in exceptional conversation skills. Quick wit and pitch control make me sound less dull than the oversimplificated musings placed on a Buddy Profile.

I have to use AIM now, for unfortunately not even my dearest friends feel the same way I do. They have been assimilated, in one sense or another, to this false god. I cannot make new friends, because apparently AIM conversation is a necessary part of the friend-making process, before phone calls and hang-outs. SO not only is my existing social structure crumbling, any efforts to extend it are worthless.

So tonight, I sit "online." My away message is up, it reads: "Doing better things with my time."

The Linux Kernel

2006-04-09T18:42:00.000-07:00

Whenever you are buying a computer, salesman like to use the car analogy. I'm going to use it here.

OS X is like driving a BMW. It is precision engineered, fast, and if taken care of it will last you a lifetime.

Windows XP is a Ford Station Wagon. It was made to please, but it's underpowered and destined to rust out in a few years... requiring you to purchase a new one.

Linux is a tank with radar-cloaking armor and a laser guided cannon. The engine runs on nuclear waste so there is no need to refuel it. On top of all that, you get it for free if you want it.

Yet very few end-users (people who are not running servers, linux is king there), bother with linux. Instead most choose the Windows jalopy. It's easy to drive a station wagon with those annoying automatic seat-belts (a metaphor for the wizards used in setting up windows XP that never fully get the job done)... A tank requires training, sometimes years worth.

Mac OS X and Linux are cousins in a way. They both feature the same sense of security and stability (They are both based on Unix, and have developed into their own worlds). What is more important is the GPL, or General Public License for use.

All of the Linux distributions out there today are OPEN SOURCE and FREE. This means anyone can edit them (If they desire to do so) and use them without paying. It's not just the operating system, most linux software is similarly free. With every piece of software for other OS's, linux has it's own equivalent. Instead of Photoshop, theres GIMP. Instead of Microsoft Word, theres Open Office. Think of how much money you have spent on software, now picture getting all of it for free.

Open Source does have caveats. There is no tech support line, just a web forum of fellow users. Sometimes the software might be buggy or crash. There is a learning curve to Linux, because it is made by programmers, ease of use was never a concern for them. Slowly, it is becoming more end-user friendly, but until then Linux is not for the timid.

Either way, once you can pilot that tank, you will have nothing but power and glory in your computing days. I recommend linux to all my friends, many of them have adapted to the environment and embraced it. I use it all the time, it's so worth it. Wikipedia "Linux" for more information.

Mac OS X, or more appropriately: Apple Computer

2006-04-06T11:32:00.000-07:00

The world of Apple Computer changed dramatically yesterday, so I'll comment on that after I give a brief synopsis of OS X.

OS X has no viruses. At all. So far, nobody has been able to write a virus akin to the kind found upon Windows XP. The security is top notch, with a built in firewall and Unix-based kernel. With OS X, as well as Linux, you are required to enter your password for any type of software installation. Therefore, nothing can get onto your machine wihout your expressed permission.
Furthermore, OS X is intuitive and miles ahead of Windows in terms of functionality. It has a built-in indexed search feature, where you type in a file and it appears in front of you in seconds. The Finder is easy to navigate with sidebars for all of your most important folders. There is a dock which keeps all your frequent programs nearby. To op it off, you have features like Expose, Dashboard, and the gorgeous GUI that is Aqua. Once again, Wikipedia "OS X"

In all my life, I have only seen OS X crash once.

Now something entirely new has occurred. Apple computers now support booting Windows XP. This is a big deal for a great reason. I have always admired OS X, and I always believed that Apple makes quality computers that live much longer than one's made by other manufacturers. My problem was that for the longest time they were hopelessly tied to one another... You buy a Mac, and that's it... you can't do anything else with it. This was going to be my main caveat in OS X. Now, with the support for Windows XP, I say Apple has touched on something brilliant.
There seems to be an outcry among Macheads over this. Personally, I think they're all a bunch of whiners. They're either complaining that OS X will be compromised or their great hardware is disappearing or the software-hardware integration is slowly falling apart with each radical change Apple makes. Their sky is always falling.
Apple will be selling their machines alongside other PC's in retail stores, preloaded with Windows. Now people can experience the speed and beauty of a mac, with the possibility of running the superior OS X. They are confident that once they try, they'll buy. This system also ensures Apple's competitiveness in the marketplace. With an OS that runs on Intel, they can abandon making their computers and just license OS X. If OS X fails, their computers can support any x86 OS: Windows, Linux, MenuetOS, whatever!

Godspeed, Apple. Go forth and do something good.

Windows XP

2006-04-05T16:57:00.000-07:00

Software cannot be put on trial for crimes against humanity. I would shoot Windows on sight for damage to our psyche and our property.
Windows is what is responsible for your malware, not some h@ck3rs with nothing better to do but ruin your day. It is the flaws in Windows XP that allows your system to be compromised. Those who say your system is safe in Windows probably also advocate the use of anti-virus programs like Norton or MacAffee. Why can't your operating system protect itself? The idea that every OS is susceptable to virii is a myth which I will address in the next chapter.
After two or three years, why does your computer slow down? Windows cannot handle too many programs installed on it. It is the only operating system where this is a recurring problem. If you reformat a Windows Xp computer, then it will start running fine once more. The way it organizes programs when processing them is what causes the problem.
If you want better, more in-depth criticism of Windows XP that run a mile long, go to the Wikipedia article "Common criticisms of Windows XP."
Unfortunately, people now live with the substandard experience of Windows XP without knowing the alternatives. Everyone things that this is what computing means: flawed machines that get along with your desires if you are lucky. People are reluctant to try Linux or the more expensive Apple machines. Why would you when you don't think it will make a difference? Or you have simply spent too much time tweaking your machine to get it to work?
The next two articles will be much more positive, but will remain ciritical of their limits. I am firmly convinced that Windows XP is not good for anyone.

Rowland Weekly: Sectional Strife in the Empire

2006-04-02T20:23:00.000-07:00

On March 14th, Rowlanders were in disbelief as the basement of Rowland attempted to declare independence from the Empire.
The situation was quelled within a matter of hours, but Rowlanders no longer know what to make of their comrades below.
“All this time I thought we were at peace. I don’t know whether it is safe here anymore,” said Jennifer Parker. Ms. Parker is a 1st floor Rowland resident who live only a few yards away from the entrance to the basement. She could hear the rapid fire of the Rowland Defense Force Nerf guns suppressing the uprising.
The uprising is believed to revolve around the purpose Rowland basement serves in the empire. For years, they have been the labor backbone, providing food and manufactured goods to the rest of the empire.
“We want freedom of advancement and penicillin,” said an anonymous Basement Official. “We are human beings who have worked too hard for your material wealth! We have been abused for the final time.”
Grand Chancellor Michael Crosby calmly replied, “We have never abused the basement! We’ve just exploited their workforce to the breaking point, what’s so wrong about that?”
Indeed.

Rowland Weekly: Guardians of the Week

2006-04-02T20:19:00.000-07:00

I have a Dashboard Widget now to keep up with my blog. I wrote two stories today for a faux newspaper: The Rowland Weekly. I have fashioned my dorm room into an empire with an authoritarian media. Here is the first story...

After continuous threats from the imposing Tower dormitories, Rowland has defiantly proclaimed it’s right to control the destiny of the Lower Quads.
On March 27th, Rowland Grand Chancellor Michael Crosby signed the Monrowland Doctrine, asserting to the Towers that the Lower Quads will remain in Rowland’s Sphere of influence.
“We’re protecting our interests,” said Crosby. “We cannot let the wars that cover the Towers Concourse in blood to spill into our domain.”
This sentiment comes with repeated cheers from all who live under the empire, who have felt the repercussions of the war economically. Ever since the East Tower expelled its unwanted temp housing students into the West Tower, retribution and Nerf gunfire permeate the atmosphere. Customers of BJ’s Convenience Store require military escort. Rowland has stationed anti-aircraft and ground troops outside Holmes for protection.
With the acquisition of the Lower Quads come the spoils. These include the Landon basement intelligentsia. Rowland scientists are collaborating with these great minds to build faster, lighter, and more powerful nerf weaponry for our own self-defense.
Rowland’s actions in signing the Monrowland Doctrine have received the approval of the Terrace Confederation. Terrace 10 Ambassador to Rowland Kendra Sundal has told the Rowland Weekly that “Terrace Confederation supports the decision of the Rowland Grand Chancellor. If the Towers should disagree, we shall descend upon them and change their minds with force.”
When asked about a possible alliance with Terrace Confederation, the Grand Chancellor had no comment.

The best water fountains in Ithaca

2006-02-15T16:07:00.000-08:00

Now when browsing through this campus, sometimes you will find yourself riddled with thirst. What is to be done? Find a water fountain of course, but which one? Since I am a man who finds himself parched often, I have found the best three water fountains in Ithaca College.

#3 The water fountain in CNS between room 118 and 119. The water forms a perfect arc, and it is completely temperate. Slightly below room temperature, it won't shock you when it touches your lips.

#2 If you want that cold cold delight, look no further than third floor Park near the Janitor's closet. Mmmm... so cold. I'll run around campus for excercise and stop there when I'm finished. Tastes great.

#1 It doesn't taste great, it isn't cold, but this one is an experience. Outside Textor 102 lies a flawed design that if you are not familiar with will leave you soaked. The arc shoots two feet in the air with such force that most of the water doesn't even fall into the drain. The best method of tackling this monster is to position yourself two inches above the "gun." Pound the button and brace yourself. Your life will flash before your eyes, and when you're finished you will reach "the absolute."

I hope this helps my H2O loving readers.

Andrew Carnegie has Horatio Alger tied up in his basement. Occasionally he beats the crap out of him just for kicks.

2006-02-14T20:58:00.000-08:00

The Gilded Age was a time of massive industrialization. The American lifestyle became one of consumerism, fueled by a middle glass growing like a magical sponge dinosaur. The water was provided by the lower end of society, the workers whose plight made men like Marx wake up in cold sweats. Sheer exploitation is what it looks like today, but not then. It makes perfect sense when you put the puzzle pieces together.

Unions were not permitted in the United States at this time in history. The government believed that if a job was treating you poorly, you can quit and get a better one somewhere else. In theory, if enough people quit the factory to slow production, the company would have to raise worker benefits in order to fill those slots.

The only problem was that supply and demand played a queer role in this ideal system. This work in the factory required little to no special skill, so anyone could do it, even the newcomers.

Immigration into the United States was getting pretty serious, nine million people in the 1890s, that is about a seventh of the population at the time. With all this ample work, if anyone quit their post it would be filled by someone else without employers thinking twice. This supply of workers and their dependence on this system only allowed conditions to deteriorate. Companies could push the envelope very safely, as long as no union existed. If the working class was much much tinier, results could have been completely different.

They were not different, workers did suffer from this libertarian outlook. Until next time kids, ponder the glorious beginnings of the political career of Eugene V Debs.

My nice friend who does what I do.

2006-02-14T20:42:00.000-08:00

There is a wonderful girl who lives in my building on the first floor. She is a mathematics major, and her love for math is impressive. Today I received a Valentine's Day card reading "You are my ln(e) and only sin^20 +cos^20! Will you be my integrating factor?"

Pardon my language, but to me that's just plain badass. To meet people of passion, especially one of an academic kind, is so rare. I wear my knowledge on the arms of my jacket, I make jokes about the Pullman strike and the feeling I get when my friends laugh along is one of the warmest. Not only do these little humorous jokes showcase a sense of ability, they breed respect into the hearts of the audience, who understand that this ability is no parlor trick.

I've met gentlemen as well as ladies who take pride in burping the alphabet or a double jointed elbow. People who know me will see my pride and joy that is my bookshelf, stacked with dozens upon dozens of volumes that never end. I haven't read all of them yet, it will take me a long time, but what doesn't represent acquired knowledge showcases my lofty ambition.

Knowledge and ambition are two things that breed respect to me, and this girl wears that knowledge on the straps of her tank top... what a great thing.

Illness

2006-02-14T20:33:00.000-08:00

I spend my time tonight writing three entries in this blog in order to keep up with the workload that I am slacking on. I assume that mononucleosis is the culprit.

The particular problem with this illness is that it has left my mind cloudy, it stands like a locked repository with a forgotten combination. This makes studying very hard, it makes writing offhand blog entries even harder. All of my entries so far have had some academic merit to them, can I keep up this trend if I am indeed incapacitated? These are all things that will be revealed in the linear plot of time.

I don't like to miss classes, as I did today, both of them. Tomorrow I will go to work at 9 o'clock, so I should sleep soon. Until then, I will write two relatively well-informed blog entries.

Why history is so important!

2006-02-07T13:35:00.000-08:00

I ran into a sign from a place called ProtestWarrior.com that said "Communism has only killed 100 million people, Let's give it another try!" It was in reaction to a poster on socialism sitting to the left.

I felt compelled to staple this statement next to it:

Dear poster of “Protest Warrior” sign,

I am not quite affiliated with this Socialist poster that you seemed to be so upset with, but whether socialism is right or wrong your belief is terribly flawed.

First and foremost, the original poster seemed to confuse communism with socialism. There is actually a distinction between the two. Communism is a stateless, classless society in which ownership of all goods is common. Socialism itself is a fragmented doctrine, and there are many different interpretations of it. The gist of it is the state controls the economy in order to prevent unfair distribution of wealth. So there have been many killed, but not by communism, and you certainly cannot blame an ideology whose interpretations are so vast its hard to nail down.

To further piss on your “Protest Warrior” parade, the website makes the statement that “Except for ending Slavery, Fascism, Nazism, and Communism, War has never solved anything.” Let me take a deep breath, OK, here we are.

The African slave trade began in war, as most African slaves were war captives from rival tribes. I’m assuming that this comment refers to the American Civil War, but just because the end of the war was met with freed African Americans, does not mean war shook off their fetters. In the beginning of what was eventually known as the “Emancipation Proclamation,” Lincoln freed slaves in the territories they didn’t control, but allowed slavery in any lands with slaves held by the Union. Why? Lincoln was all about the preservation of the union, not necessarily the ending of slavery.

Fascism (including Nazism) was born in harsh economic toil. Germany’s currency in 1923 had reached 4.2 trillion marks to the dollar. Whew, if money is that worthless, poverty must be rampant. Furthermore, when poverty reigns supreme, “basic” needs are no longer fulfilled. Potential autocrats who desire power have the luxury of promising to fulfill these needs where the current state has failed, and in Hitler’s case, rest the blame in cultural antagonisms. Furthermore, Hitler’s platform including repealing the harshly felt restrictions placed on Germany in the Treaty of Versailles, you know, the peace treaty for World War I.

Communism was not destroyed by Reagan, it was well known at that time that the state economy of the USSR was stagnant, not failing. The USSR (which were socialist republics, by the way) fell apart due to Gorbachev’s misguided reform policies. His lack of direction and inability to garner support from other party members brought the end of the USSR, not war.

Now, I’m not saying that I hate war, I certainly don’t. What I do hate is misinformation, and the belief that someone can sum up complicated historical movements in a few short sentences. Hopefully this will clear it up for you and the people who saw that sign.

This fellow who put up the original poster is currently in written fisticuffs with me. Tonight I finish my third paper on the subject.

Chris Hedges isn't a bad guy, really.

2006-02-07T12:57:00.000-08:00

Anyone who may actually read this probably already heard my feelings about Chris Hedges and his bias towards "Americentrism," or as a friend calls it "living in the shadow of Vietnam."

Now I want to touch on a completely different subject, a subject he neglected to mention during his Ithaca speech: the war in Iraq.

In his famous Rockford College speech, the one where he was booed off the stage, he siad "We are trying to transplant a modern system of politics invented in Europe characterized, among other things, by the division of earth into independent secular states based on national citizenship in a land where the belief in a secular civil government is an alien creed."

Profound. The best point anyone can make about this war. It's the very reason as to why Turkey is such an unstable nation. Despite being almost entirely Islamic, Turkey stuggles with secularism. It's speculated that the very reason they hope to join the European Union is for the stability it could provide them.

Actions like the war in Iraq are reminiscent of the founding days of the American republic. Thomas Jefferson speculated the Native Americans who lived beyond the frontier were lacking "letters," a poor way of saying that they had no written language. To Jefferson, the written language meant the education of Western Civilization that evolved over centuries. If they understand "letters" soon they could be assimilated into our culture.

Well, that wasn't how it ended, the Native American tribal system was a rock solid institution. What incentive other than desperation did they have to join the Anglo world? Desperation eventually took hold, and I think we know how it went.

Saddam was able to hold a quasi-secular government only because of the iron girp in his hands. We cannot go into Iraq thinking that Western Civilization is more just than Islam, or a culture deeply rooted in the Iraqi mind can change during our short occupation.

This blog will run like horses, turning cogs and sprockets in the name of milling cane sugar.

2006-01-31T15:12:00.000-08:00

Making sugar was intense back in the good 'ol days. Back when human beings had a work expectancy of seven years, and you couldn't point to one piece of food in Campus Center Dining Hall that wasn't injected with sugar.

The first sugar plantations used African slaves, but this wasn't the original conception. As we all know, 90 to 95 percent of the Aztecs were killed by European cooties, not their several dozen men with guns. Now, Europeans are in no way immune to disease, some have argued that Syphilis was brought back to Europe from the "New World." Knowing this, you can understand that when Europeans mozy'd down to the Canary Islands, their deathbeds received them with an unheard of vigor. What would replace this European import labor? Simple, the African slave trade.

Slaves were routinely kept in Africa; war captives, pickers of the short straw, et cetera. When brought to work the plantations, they were treated as a commodity. Slaves were machines that held up for 7 years, give or take. Sugar was terribly labor-intensive, with steps that required heavy micromanagement. The reciprocal of the sugar practices was best displayed by Haiti in 1791.

So with these modest beginnings we have the African Slave Trade. Soon African slaves would supplant the Aztecs and Incas who died of European disease. Oh the cruel and unbelievable irony!

After I post in my blog, I must run to the church to confess this venial sin.

2006-01-23T12:05:00.000-08:00

The only person privy to this blog is Professor Eric Sterbenk, anyone else who attempts to read will see the optical illusion of their internet browser struggling to read simplified chinese characters. Rumor has it that if you kill him you become him, and this is the only solution science has arrived for reading this blog. I strongly advise everyone not to hurt Professor Sterbenk, for he seems to me like a very good professor, and therefore anyone's decision to harm him would only be met with disdain and hard time.
This blog accounts for 10% of my grade for my Media Writing class. Despite my personal distate for blogs it seems that Professor Sterbenk is right in assigning this. The "blogosphere" is certainly no child's toy, for the number of bloggers comfortably sits in the tens of millions. Many major scandals, such as the Trent Lott and "Rathergate" fiascos, were unearthed by this behemoth blogosphere.
So where should this blog be anchored? I certainly have no desire to tell any of you how exciting and absolutely kickass my everyday life is, and I certainly have no desire to dethrone the shrewd Andy Rooney. I guess this blog will research something, a topic of interest such as Ireland, or blogs themselves.

Blog entries on a blog? I don't know about that one. One time I typed "Google" into Google and the world wide web's backbone was broken for a good 4 hours.