Depressionario - Hits from the random

This is like a new Katy Perry song!

2011-07-29T09:54:00.001-07:00

Give it a listen, it's Katy Perry vs. the Cranberries, A Plus D mashup.

http://hypem.com/item/1bjz5/A+Plus+D+-+Alien+vs.+Zombie+(The+Cranberries+vs.+Katy+Perry)

Nike Dunks SB Flom

2011-07-25T00:22:00.000-07:00

Oh snap, I want those limited edition nike sb dunks FLOM.

I like the colorways, but I don't have $9,900.

Entourage Season 8

2011-07-25T00:21:00.000-07:00

Some part of me deep down wants to know where to download entourage season 7.

Hilarious Honey Badger Caption

2011-07-07T18:44:00.001-07:00

From honey badger

Honey Badger Don't Care

2011-07-07T00:43:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I think "The Honey Badger Does Care".

Facebook Skype Announcement

2011-07-07T00:35:00.000-07:00

I just read the announcement that Facebook has reached a deal with Skype.

I am a little bit concerned.

Facebook itself is a pretty solid application; however, the amount of security that goes into making sure that people have private communications with Skype is not exactly rock solid.

I'm worried that people will be able to monitor Skype conversations using Facebook. Now, I realize that the majority of Skype is ridiculous, meretricious behavior - like Twitter, it's mostly personal garbage. No one cares if you're posting pictures of your cat online.

However, the principle of online anonymity keeps shrinking as technology advances. I suppose that some people would say that this is the natural course of a technological society.

Great, more cats. More constant texting and updates.

One other issue about this is the HTML5. That's the new standard (should be for at least another year or so, IMHO). I think this is sort of like flying the Concorde for the first time. Skype is a bandwidth-intensive program, it needs a robust infrastructure to be able to function.

Christian and Not Self-conscious About it

2011-07-05T22:44:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I went to church camp when I was a kid. Had a blast.

I think there's a weird strain of Codependent Christians out there who find more fun in blaming other people for problems than actually living their lives.

I suppose today that I'm much more of a Unitarian, open to other religions and sharing and caring.

Fundamentalists might say that this is just a form of agnosticism; I suppose that's true.

However, belief in a Supernatural being that owns the universe is a huge idea. Monotheism itself is a strange concept.

What's stopping us from believing in Animism or any other aboriginal belief system? It's social pressure.

Social pressure, I contend, is behind both the new aggressive atheism, and the aggressive 21st-century Christian cults.

Honestly, who cares what other people think about your religion? Americans cannot discriminate against religion (or, sometimes, lack of) for jobs.

Although, I guess you wouldn't want an atheist or anti-theist as a camp counselor at church camp.

#goseeksomehelp

2011-07-05T22:32:00.000-07:00

I think that #goseeksomehelp is unfortunately very funny.

I suggest #poorbastard, or perhaps #unluckysob.

Although, #soytanforeveralone makes me think of people dousing themselves in soysauce and tanning themselves.

SOY TAN FOREVER! Alone...

Muska Skytops size 9.5 around $100?

2011-07-05T22:28:00.000-07:00

I saw those new Muska Skytops online on Activerideshop.com. They're also on Zumiez for around a hundred.

I'm not a big fan of Supras. I like hightops, and I like Muska.

Leapforce?

2011-07-05T22:22:00.000-07:00

I applied for Leapforce today. So far they sent me a confirmation email. I guess I'll wait for the application process to begin.

I believe there's an exam, then a vetting process.

From what I read online, they ask for a 6 month contract, and pay around $13 per hour. The tasks are simple, but the best thing about it is that I can work from home.

I like making money online, and I feel like it's a huge supplement to my income. Times is rough, as they say.

Palystation network down

2011-07-05T22:18:00.000-07:00

I am so glad that I didn't sign up for the playstation network right now.

After all the controversy and crap, I think that the entertainment value I would have received from being on the playstation network is overshadowed by the risk of id theft.

I shouldn't be playing video games anyway, I should be working on something or turking.

Nancy Grace is Annoying

2011-07-05T22:03:00.000-07:00

Personally, I think Nancy Grace is annoying. She always has annoying guests on. Yada yada legal opinions.

If you're not a law student learning something from the cases, then it's vicarious rubbernecking. I never understood why people get off on watching law porn.

I much prefer to watch something funny, such as the Daily Show or Colbert.

I really don't even like the CNN talk shows. I remember back in the day, they had a 24-7 news stream. I suppose that the internet has replaced CNN as a source of news media.

Furthermore, I suppose that Facebook/Twitter are easier sources of news information. Anything that is important will be distributed immediately on Twitter to your friends.

For example, a hashtag replaces the need for immediate coverage.

Although, the problem with crowdsourcing is that the quality of news coverage goes down dramatically. Secondly, the amount of psychological bias can be increased because there's no threat of legal action against an individual for slander.

How to make an Orbo Deck

2011-06-23T08:36:00.000-07:00

How to make an Orbo Deck? Don't!

If you're playing Kongregate.com's War Metal Tyrant, I suggest not including Orbo.

Reasons:

Orbo is expensive.

Orbo has a health of 1.

Instead of Orbo, I suggest playing (in any faction, or mixed faction):

Sulfuris Acid Pit.

Omega.

Trap setter.

What makes a Stradivarius sound good?

2011-06-21T19:42:00.000-07:00

Back in my violin days, I was graced with a lesson from a music PHD.

She had a Stradivarius on loan from a local university and I got to watch her play it.

Now, keep in mind that most high-quality violins have great sound. You get what you pay for.

In the hands of a master violinist (who could play Bach's Chaconne from memory) they all pretty much sound the same. It's difficult to tell the difference between a standard violin ($1,000 and up) and a strad in the hands of a master.

I'm sure they are wonderful instruments, but the average classical fan is not going to be armed with the aesthetic to understand the sound.

If you had audio equipment to measure the specific sonic profile of a Stradivarius, perhaps you could see the exact difference.

That's my entitled opinion. You expect a professional to have the highest-quality equipment.

So, what makes a Stradivarius sound so good? About 100,000 hours of practice.

Roomba 500 series

2011-06-18T13:08:00.000-07:00

I don't know about the Roomba 400 series.

I'm thinking that the Roombas are like Macs; you have to wait for the next upgrade before considering buying one.

600 series?

Diablotek PSEL400 problems? Here's what I did.

2011-06-16T00:39:00.000-07:00

Today I had power supply problems.

I've been an amateur computer techie for many years, and I have one solution if you have power supply problems such as:

Power Supply Won't power on
Power Supply doesnt work

My solution: BUY A NEW POWER SUPPLY. Most of the time there's something wrong with either the power supply, or the motherboard compatibility with the supply. If your motherboard does not like your power supply, then you need to find a power supply that is compatible.

Speaking of which, I really want a OCZ Seasonic, but I'll wait until the price goes down or if I can find a deal.

The Eagle 550w Power Supply failed in my old 939 system, so I tried to jump-start it.

Unfortunately for me, I'm just outside the warranty and I can't really bring it back to Microcenter.

So, I'm pricing out new power supplies. I think I'll check out New Egg for the Diablotek PHD, they seem to have better ratings than the EL or PSD series.

Duke Nuke Forever

2011-06-13T18:34:00.000-07:00

OH GOD Duke Nukem forever.

STOP the pain!

Nintendo's WiiU

2011-06-07T19:09:00.000-07:00

I am totally excited for the new WiiU.

I read a little bit about it on the Gizmodo/Kotaku website, and lemme tell ya, my inner fanboy got ready to shell out some cash.

I am worried that it might cause some neck strain, however. Holding the pad in front of my face and staring at the screen seems a little like torture.

Somewhere out there, someone is plannin a free WiiU promotion and I am going to sign up.

What is the Dash Diet

2011-06-07T19:00:00.000-07:00

I have tried all sorts of diets in my life; most diets don't work. Good carbs, bad carbs, worst carbs; everything that common sense told me about eating was correct: small portions, modest fat amounts, high-quality food, avoid processed foods, and get plenty of exercise and sleep.

I just heard about the Dash Diet and I was initially skeptical. DASH stands for (don't quote me on this one) Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.

Now, not to be a debbie downer, but I like food. I like starches and sugars and meats. I like spices. I do not like eating veggies. And I'm certainly not going to put vegimite in my mouth.

What strikes me about the DASH Diet is that the minerals involved in the food take precendence. Mainly, Potassium. Potassium is an important element that plays a part in ion transfer in your cells. Any cell with water and Sodium needs Potassium to regulate the osmotic pressure. Too much pressure and you have hypertension, theoretically.

I like the Dash Diet because it's a simple diet with grains and whole foods. There's no punishment. It's just eat what is healthy and nutritiously balanced.

Here's a link to the Syndey Morning Herald with more info if you're curious:
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/dash-diet-deemed-best-overall-20110608-1frw0.html

2011-06-01T01:15:00.001-07:00

Is there any specific reason that #leadstosex is the most popular twitter hashtag?

What Bitcoin Means to Me - How does Bitcoin Work?

2011-05-26T18:25:00.000-07:00

I just read the recent article on Bitcoin mining busts on Gizmodo. I think this is hilarious that people are spending the same amount of electricity as a marijuana-growing operation.

So, after reading the background on Bitcoin, I had the following insights:

Bitcoin itself is a complex code; like a gigantic password. I'm talking about something like a number with 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 combinations...or more.

So, each Bitcoin is a possible password of those combinations. Each coin mined is a like an accepted answer to a problem.

The "activity" that is going on when you're mining is finding a possible combination of that code.

The reason why the Bitcoins will only last a few years is because, with our current technological standards for someone with a consumer-grade GPU, is that is how long it would take for a brute-force (or similar cracking function) to find each Bitcoin.

Theoretically then (if my hypothesis is correct) Bitcoin could be taken down by supercomputing. If an array of GPUs (like the Playstation $40,000 supercomputing array) was to tackle the Bitcoin minin operation, I'm guessing that the amount of Bitcoins generated by such a system would be far greater than the average person could make.

If that happens, then one entity would control all (or a large amount) of the Bitcoins.

I suspect that the creators of Bitcoin have made provisions for this and put a cap on
the mining program.

Food for thought.

2011-05-23T01:15:00.001-07:00

I think Casterboarding is plain wrong.

Rise of the planet of the apes

2011-04-14T20:25:00.000-07:00

HOLY CRAP. I cannot wait to see Rise of the Planet of the Apes!

Although, I will be severely disappointed if the movie stinks.

Remembering Jose Canseco and the 1990's Oakland A's

2011-03-06T23:12:00.000-08:00

I was in Arizona in the early 1990's. As a child, I loved to see the spring training games.

I remember once we saw Jose Canseco and the Oakland A's play a game.

The game itself was lackluster, the baseball players were simply hanging out, not really pressing themselves.

A particular big baseball star (not naming any names) was signing autographs for the fans.

One fan was far too aggressive and Mr. Baseball Star tore up the baseball card and threw it in his face.

I was a child and shocked by this display of rudeness. I couldn't believe it; there was my hero, he was really a big angry brute.

Supposedly they never used steroids.

I HATE LOST

2010-05-25T00:59:00.000-07:00

I watched the season finale of Lost and I don't know why I got emotionally involved with all the characters.

I could go on and on for a few paragraphs about how angry I am, but that would be a waste of further time.

What I really wanted was for Jack to appear as a FRIENDLY SMOKE MONSTER.

How to remove a crank arm square spindle

2010-05-25T00:53:00.000-07:00

This is a little article on how to remove a stuck crank arm.

I agree with this if you have a square spindle, but the best thing to do is really give it an oil bath for a few hours with the bike on its side.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2425312/how_to_remove_a_stuck_crank_arm.html?cat=24

How to Buy a Fixed Gear Wheelset

2010-05-25T00:52:00.001-07:00

Aster wrote a great article on where to buy a fixed gear wheelset for cheap.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2969492/buying_a_fixed_gear_wheel_set.html?cat=11

bloggin

2010-04-11T22:41:00.001-07:00

I haven't blogged in a long time.

I must admit that I find it a refreshing exercise to sort out my thoughts on paper/screen.

It's a good thing to write, I suppose.

I don't really write much these days. I think I need to write more. Must make it a part of my daily life to type things out.

My thoughts are preoccupied with that one girl. Why do I love that one girl so much?

I guess some people would call it oneitis. An obsession with the "perfect girl".

Even superstar playboys get oneitis.

I suppose it's biology. My brain is wired to be monogamous 90% of the time. The other 10% is filled with multiple girlfriends.

Speaking of which, I met some great girls lately; I should really give them a chance.

If I have a bunch of girls around me, I'll have all sorts of options. They think I'm either too intense or a bit of a player. I think maybe if I was just committed to the scoundrel role a bit more, things might be better.

I haven't worked out much. I feel better when I exercise.

I stopped taking St. Johns Wort.

I drank too much this weekend. We went out all over.

There were some exciting girls out. None of them really attracted me.

Why do I keep playing these dumb little flash games? Or poker?

GOALS:

Film new videoblog.
Finish new song.
Workout.
Get shit done.

Sexy Jutsu

2010-02-08T01:22:00.000-08:00

I can't wait for Naruto 482 to come out! I am so obsessed with Naruto. (Why am I such a nerd?)

I think I'm going to resubscribe to Shonen Jump.

Although, as soon as there's a Naruto Shippuuden English Dub 27/28,
I'll be happy also.

Watch the latest videos on YouTube.com

It's strange to follow the story in the manga vs. the anime. There's a lot more plot to be covered in the anime. There are a lot of characters that just get thrown away with no explanation.

I suppose the main essence of Naruto is the teaching aspect - the relationships between Naruto and Jiraya, and Naruto and Kakashi are the best.

Second to the teaching element, the drama with Sasuke and Naruto is a pretty addictive one.

There's a Deviantart fan-pic of Naruto stabbing Sasuke and Sasuke stabbing Naruto with a smile. It sort of sums up where the series is headed.

I feel like there needs to be more romance in Naruto, but I don't know if the author can really handle that type of storytelling. Naruto isn't so nuanced with characters, like in Inuyasha, where Kagome has conflict with Kikyo over Inuyasha's affection.

And there are so many people who want Naruto to make out with Hinata, or Naruto to make out with Sakura, or Sasuke to make out with Sakura, or even a gay Naruto to make out with Sasuke. So, jangle your keys at that one, fans.

Speaking of which, I want to buy a Naruto keychain soon.

2010-02-08T01:14:00.000-08:00

The superbowl this year was a disappointment.

I was glad the colts lost, don't get me wrong, but I was ultimately not impressed with the saints.

The games before the playoffs were more exciting, especially the Brett Favre Vikings/Saints game.

And not to mention the Jets/Colts game.

You need to know about WiMAX

2009-03-31T00:19:00.001-07:00

I just accidentally erased what I wrote, so I'll sum it up in a list. You should worry about this later, possibly while trying to sleep.

FACTS: WiMAX is the new wireless standard. It's as fast as Wi-Fi, but applicable for mobile standards, too.

WiMAX will eventually replace cellular networks, wireless broadband, and most 'wired' forms of communication. Cellphones can be replaced by Voice Over IP with WiMAX for cheap. Broadband access to a large area will occur with WiMAX technology. RFID chips in your grocery bag could be attached to a WiMAX network. Your car could drive itself via a WiMAX receiver (See Darpa challenge). Your medical history on an RFID could be attached to a WiMAX network.

BAD THINGS
The company that is pioneering WiMAX is called "Clearwire". Clearwire is composed of Sprint, Intel, Google, Comcast and TimeWarner. The most trustworthy name in conglomerations.

As the media-sphere becomes more filled with commercials, bandwidth will have to be devoted to advertisements. Because every device will have internet connectivity, advertising will go 'beyond' penetrating.

The individual's right to privacy will be decreased - by consumer research. When connecting to a network with a wireless device, that device will be able to provide instant information to an analyst to target advertisements to that person.

Surveillance technology could theoretically be controlled via a WiMAX network - instant cameras installed in unmanned aircraft could monitor a large area.

In a non-democratic country, large sections of the population could be controlled and manipulated via WiMAX. If you wanted to spread propaganda, you could easily have it linked to any of the access points in the area.

Any technology with WiMAX would ultimately have to pass through two economic filters: 1. Intel technology, because the chipsets that handle WiMAX are going to be Intel, and 2. Qualcomm's patents on the technology.

GOOD THINGS

WiMAX is seen as a solution to the digital divide. People in developing areas would be able to have internet access on a large scale so that they could compete with areas that already have internet access.

Of course, the cynic in me points out that anytime there is a society at risk, the infrastructure of that society is what ultimately determines the success or failure of that philantropic effort.

But good news, one step closer to singularity.

Neo-luddites unite

2009-01-23T01:55:00.000-08:00

I'm sick of technology. It's so tiring to have to buy the newest, most exciting device on the market.

The last thing I bought myself was a KRZR. I know, I'm probably way-outdated. I must look like a neanderthal when I pick up chicks.

I'm waiting for the new iphone to come out. To be honest, I think it's way too expensive to own an iphone with the market the way it is. Unless you absolutely need web access, it's kind of pointless.

Although, I do think that the unlocked iphone 3G has a lot of promise. I was watching youtube the other day and there was a video with people using the emergency connect for web access. These were not college-educated people! They seemed to be from the inner-city. This, to me, was brilliant.

I'm all for technology being used for creative purposes. Giving access to people who have no access.

What the Hell is Coogi?

2009-01-07T03:41:00.000-08:00

So, I found this new brand lately, it's called "Coogi". "Coogi" is pretty much an urban-fashion style. The label itself is from Australia. They focus on bright colors and designs. Check out their website if you have a chance. It's pretty minimal.

The best places to buy Coogi? I think that high-end outlets, and boutiques are going to be your best bet. I found an amazing hat from Tony's Sports in Chicago. Otherwise, Filene's basement also has a good selection of gear, this can be hit or miss.

I'm sick of cellphones

2009-01-05T19:13:00.000-08:00

I'm tired of iphones; I'm tired of g1's. I hate those little cheap sliders that come with one-year contracts on the GSM carriers. I want something ubercool, something that will really turn heads and make people say "WOW NICE PHONE."

Well, for a while I used to browse Plemix looking for the newest unlocked phones from overseas. There are some amazing NEC phones out there. I think most of the phones from South Korea or Japan are light-years ahead of the game. In the US, most people have what works. I am not that cool, I'm not used to phones that have multi-functions. I want things that do ONE thing correctly, and then adapt our lives around it.

I used to not text very much. Now I have the biggest text plan I can afford, and it's alot easier to get me to reply to a text message than a phone call. Most of the time, I'm busy doing something. I don't have time to answer a call. Also, I live in Chicago, and when I'm on the train, there's a good chance I'm not going to have service.

Although, U.S. Cellular has reception on the trains...but CDMA just isn't my thing. I suppose that I'm complaining about nothing; I should just be fine with my Motorola KZR and upgrade to a multi-function phone when it's the standard, not the luxury.

I'm not a broker or someone who needs to be 'in the loop' all the time. Although, it would be nice to have something like a Sidekick.

How to add an RSS feed to your blog

2008-10-13T21:15:00.000-07:00

I'm still trying to figure this out. My livejournal blog really needs a way to add more content to it.

Cold Attacks on Encryption Keys

2008-07-21T21:34:00.000-07:00

So, this was recently posted on BoingBoing:

- (from the images on http://citp.princeton.edu/)

http://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/19/cold-boot-encryption.html

The complete article is called "Lest We Remember: Cold Boot Attacks on Encryption Keys": J. Alex Halderman, Seth D. Schoen, Nadia Heninger, William Clarkson, William Paul, Joseph A. Calandrino, Ariel J. Feldman, Jacob Appelbaum, and Edward W. Felten.

(Here's the link http://citp.princeton.edu/memory/)

Basically, the idea is to (literally) freeze the RAM of a computer, remove the data trapped in that state, and extract valuable information by looking for search strings in that data.

OK, color me impressed.

It seems like the only limits of such a hack are logistic - a thief would have to physically grab the computer and attack it; either with a cord plugged in or a removal of the frozen RAM.

This attack essentially makes encryption obsolete! There's no use for encryption when someone can download the 'state' of the computer as it exists.

Applebaum in the video makes note of some technology on RAM where the BIOS or hardware will clear the RAM's state prior to booting up again, or when temperature drops, making sure that a cold attack will not work. Still, I imagine there are ways around those prevention measures also.

Sigh, it seems to be another one of those Mad Magazine Spy vs. Spy problems - bigger encryption, more techniques to get rid of that encryption.

I wonder if there's a Moore's Law type of phenomenon in effect.

Thrift Stores = 21st Century Ebay Goldmine

2008-06-29T19:13:00.000-07:00

Watch the latest videos on YouTube.com

My favorite way to sell on Ebay is to visit the local thrift stores, find good antiques and vintage items, fix them up and sell them.

Now, I understand that for many people, Ebay has become too big for the small business-owner. I believe that Ebay can still be a good option to make a little money for a small operation. You just have to keep your overhead low and your profit margin high.

I enjoy my Ebay strategy because I make money selling something that I love on Ebay.

I also provide income for the thrift store (run by a charity).

Theoretically, the thrift store could sell their thrift items directly to consumers, but the volume of sales would be too much for staff. There are a few items that I typically chase after specifically, because they do fetch a higher-price on Ebay.

Here is what I look for when cruising the Thriftstore:
Interesting bags and backpacks – there is a high demand for purses and satchels that are interesting. What may seem like a garish-looking bag may in fact be a treasure. Some Valentino-brand satchels will fetch upwards of a hundred dollars on Ebay, even used.

Also, vintage LesportSac bags are generally good items.

Brand-name handbags – You can sometimes find brand-name handbags at the thriftstore, such as Valentino, Gucci, Prada, Louis Vitton, and even Marc Jacobs. These are rare finds, if you can get your hands on one in good condition, you can earn a tidy profit.

Pants – I usually skip the pants section; unless there is a high-end brand, there’s
not much demand for pants. It would be rare, but if you can find a pair of vintage early 1900’s Levis, they might fetch a good bid.

T-shirts – There are a few opportunities to make money with T-shirts. If you can find an interesting vintage t-shirt with a funny slogan, you may be able to earn a small profit. The reason why these items sell is because they are typically cheap (less than a dollar) and the price of a laugh is, well, priceless.
For example: “Welcome to the Gun show”, “Minnesota’s Last Hooker”, “5 cent moustache rides”.

Dress-shirts and blouses – These are often not worthwhile, seek the higher-end brands.

Shoes – Again, it is rare, but you may find a rare gem. Not much opportunity, but stay aware.

Books – This is probably the best area to check. Books are typically cheap and can be sold for a profit. Every once in a while, you may encounter a rare used book. I found a first-edition copy of Ozma of Oz at the thrift-store. I haven’t sold it yet, but I purchased it for less than a dollar, and it may fetch fifty dollars or more.

Antiques – You may find some rare items here; look for the vintage items that seem a bit older, or use an iphone to check the prices of the items.
You may want to learn your basics on Antiques before investing too much capital on these items; these items tend to be more accurately priced in the thrift-store, and it’s usually first-come first-served.

Some of the best sellers, and the cost vs. profit made:
1. Fisher-price Record Players (bought $2.50, sold $25.00)
2. Old 70's dishes (bought $1.00, sold $10.00)
3. Whacky SUPERDAD mugs (bought $0.50, sold $15.00)
4. Good-condition books (bought 50 books at $.25 cents each, sold for $160)
5. Brooks Brothers 3-piece suit (bought $10.00, drycleaned, sold $40.00)
6. 60" x 75" Classic Picture Frames (bought $5.00, sold $29.00)
7. Wooden Shoes (bought $1.00, sold $5.00)

It's possible to make a hefty profit with a little work! All it takes is some creative marketing, a good digital camera, and time.

The Ugly Truth

2008-04-24T17:52:00.001-07:00

I hate my job. It’s not rewarding. I get to page through millions of dollars every day, but the main complaint I have is that people just don’t care.

My faith in the goodness of humanity was shaken a bit today when I had to defend a claim from a client. He was not extremely aggressive, he was simply apathetic.

Well, here’s your apathy tax. There’s a charge for it. It means that you were too apathetic to do anything about your situation.

I see this apathy every day. People just do not care. They only care when something gets in their face. They only care when something threatens their well being.

Well, most threats out there are not detectable.

My job is to get someone to not step on a rake and have it slam them in the face.

“Hey, watch out, you’re about to step on a rake.”
“Whatever, man.”
WHAM!

“Hey, watch out for the rake.”
“I love rakes, so shut up.”
WHAM!

“Hey, you watch out for the rake.”
“You’re a scam!”
WHAM!

Every once in a while, I will have a client who really understands what I’m saying. It’s rare, and it makes the job slightly worthwhile. But the truth is, to really care about the job you perform, you have to get emotionally involved. You have to care, otherwise, it’s just a day job. It’s temporary.

I’d love to be a professional writer and make money from a blog, or article-writing, or anything that required creativity.

I have a couple of girls swimming around me at the moment. I tried to take stock of my female orbiters and got lost.

Here’s the harem at the moment. Names have been changed.

To make a list:

Redhead - called me back, she’s hot, just not sexy. I like showing her off in front of people. I’m shallow. Redhead has moments with me that are heartfelt; she’s usually drunk during those moments. When I first met her, I walked home with a smile on my face in below-zero weather.

Then things kind of fell apart. I wasn’t willing to really go for it. I think I deserve a girl like that – she’s definitely attractive, but we don’t really connect. I think I was imagined feelings that weren’t really there. She’s too simple for me, she laughs at people falling down. She’s doesn’t have strong feelings about things. If I had to drag her out professionally, she would be eye candy with nothing to say. (Her sister, however…foxy scientist!)

Reeboks - random hot girl, friends with friends of JD. She has this weird effect on guys. When I picked her up, my friends were like WHOA, THAT’S A CATCH. Hot brunette. Extremely dry. Looks like Tina Fey. I don’t like the music she likes. But she seems like she would be freaky nasty.

Christina 1 - friends of friends, likes djs…super buxom. Kinda flighty. She has this body that makes guys say weird things like “Hollah back girl!” When she walks down the street, she pulls your eye. She said something extremely hot to me: “No, Ted. Forever is forever.” Then she started talking to a skater dude and was into him. So…flighty. And likes DJ’s. I think I should have played harder to get. I don’t know how long that would last.

Christina 2 – met her at a music event. Spicy hot. She had all these guys on her and I sort of ignored her. In the end, I got her friend to give me a lap dance and she got jealous. I threw her a dumb line and she threw her number in my phone. I never called her back, she lives way too far away. She seemed like she has a father with a shotgun.

Mandy - going to Madison, weirdo model, looks like Helena Bonham Carter in Fight Club, not very social. Probably one of the most intelligent and strange girls I have ever met, she’s a real character. She’s hot but she doesn’t have high self-esteem and I feel like I’m too complex to deal with her.

Henrietta - bulimic, who doesn’t have a gag reflex. Hangs out with movie stars and rock stars. (Best BJ’s in the world…so says that one movie star. I can’t watch I Heart Huckabees again).

Lori – looks like Maggie Gyllenhaal, she’s from Naperville, does not make out in bars. Awesome boobs. She has this great Midwestern voice. And she gave me hugs in the cold. She said she was moving to Chicago, but I’m not sure.

Jamie - bartender girl at a bar I do not go frequent. (I have a rule about bartenders and waitresses) Foxy lady…but she works 60 hours a week. Really sexy, but difficult to find time with her. One of the bouncers was hitting on her, this giant Scottish guy. I made her a business card out of a gum wrapper and a sharpie.

Sarah - A girl who is a bartender and I do NOT want to date but she keeps giving me looks. Leo called her a “9”. I think she’s ok, she seems too nurturing. She sees me chilling with the owner, and the dj’s, and the bouncer, and she starts talking to me. Actually talking and making eye-contact and lingering too long. She’ll get bored with me in a minute…I don’t date bartenders or waitresses, the get hit on constantly. Wait…I think I would date her because I don’t care if she gets hit on. She is a great girl, and I have no reason to be insecure about her job. If she wants to date me or not date me, it has zero bearing on my self-esteem. So, next time I think I will take her out and we’ll get jazzy. (Mental note: Get more jazzy!)

Tattoo artiste - She has this weird vibe that I find irresistible. I had a strange time with her. One of my guy friends is in love with her. He said “Hey, my friend likes you.” So, we hooked up and he gave me this jaded look. He was so sad. I felt bad because I didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but…

Frenchie – I feel bad because I know her bf….but she’s so cute. She has a tough exterior. I wish I could get to know her a bit more, but she’s very business-like. I’m not sure she loves her bf; I think she needed an escape. She tastes like blueberries. She said “There are so many men in here, but none of them want to do anything with me. They are chicken shit.” I told her “I hate you, but I love you.”

Sami – tiny hot hippie blond. She looks like a future Lincoln Park soccer-mom. I run into her every once in a while and she shows me pillows that she’s sewing. She’s really popular with the guys. I started tracing letters on her palms with my fingers and Carolyn scared her off. Carolyn is a friend only, we have a sport of cock-blocking each other.

Hot marathon brunettes = a test of confidence to other girls.

The strange thing is I haven’t had sex in three months. I just haven’t felt like it. There were plenty of hook-ups, but I feel like I’ve been seeing the matrix too much lately. I tend to take a look at the structures of relationships and power-struggles and motivations more that I should. I don’t accept things at face value, despite the fact that events may be completely surface.

I’m entertained by my dolls. I am an evil player. I press buttons.

I thought about that one brunette girl I dated a while ago. I know she spies on me with little Myspace games.

I don’t know why I still care about her; maybe part of me is sentimental and wants to believe that she’ll eventually love me back. Maybe she did love me back. She was kind of a weirdo, emotionally.

Although, I’m guessing she gets hit on by hundreds of men every day. Men literally throw themselves at her constantly. Not joking. This girl is too hot for her own good. She needs to develop a fat girl’s personality.
So, I did my thing and she started to like me. I have no idea what happened. I can’t even remember the exact words. She was on me for some reason. I think, well, I know…somebody told her “Ted gets with lots of girls”. This is not true (within reason).

This same person told me “you’re being played, Ted”.

Yeah, not steady ground, exactly. So, I ditched her and hooked up with…well.

Ok, so maybe I do get with lots of girls, but most of the time, I don’t end up caring.

Even though she might be open-minded, intelligent, and loving, she simply was not a loyal person. Loyalty is sexy; even it’s just a verbal agreement, loyal girls are attractive.

I just wanted to bang her. I didn’t care about her feelings. I think I tried to create a fake relationship with her when really she just thought I was hot. If we got married and had kids, I would have had to take care of the kids while she went to the salon and got a haircut. Seriously, I would have been Mr. Mom. She was a weird girl. Good lord. She was absolutely not right for me. She was so insecure. What the hell was I thinking?

Why was I insecure? I knew she had a million dudes chasing after her. I felt like she was too flirty with other men. I didn’t want to get hurt, but I guess I did get hurt. And those wounds haven’t fully healed.

So, I’m left with clichés:

“If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life, never make a pretty woman your wife.”
“Can’t make a ho a housewife.”
“Women’s reproductive systems are calibrated towards men’s height and income potential.”

I should have said “I’m free Tuesday, let’s fuck and get breakfast burritos.”

Here's why I don't like the Chicago Cubs

2008-04-06T21:18:00.001-07:00

Now, I must admit before I begin my awesome diatribe that I have nothing against the Cubs. In fact, I think that seeing a Cubs game is one of the best baseball experiences that you can have today.

Wrigley field is a great place, although it will probably be changed to a more lucrative name when it is sold to a new prospective buyer. I wonder how many people realize that the name "Wrigley" itself, although steeped in history and value, is itself a corporation. Wrigley must have sold plenty of gum to purchase a baseball team, even one hundred odd years ago.

I think that my main beef with the Cubs is their fans. If you have ever lived in Lakeview, which is the official name of the neighborhood where Wrigley is located, you realize the impact of the Cubs franchise on the surroundings. It's both a boon and a curse. It's a wonderful thing to have commercial dollars brought in by the fans, and you can really see the way the businesses spring up almost overnight. Many of the ticket companies did not exist ten years ago. The businesses have a huge sense of pride in the Cubs; I think it goes beyond a mere Hobbesian lowest-denominator lifestyle, it pervades into the culture.

However, if you have ever tried to park your car in Lakeview during a Cubs game, you're in for one hell of a shock; from my experiences, I would rather be punched in the face than have to park a car in Wrigleyville during a Cubs game.

Second to parking, there is an underbelly of drunken behavior that you have to expect when you attend a Cubs game. It gets ugly, although probably not as ugly as some other teams, and certainly less ugly than soccer matches in foreign countries. However, you can almost expect to see beer being thrown in the stands during a bad game. Now, I'm all for rowdy support for your team, it's just tiring.

Being a Cubs fan means being used to losing. It's like a bad relationship - you keep coming back to that person despite the fact that they're a loser. I've dated some loser girls in the past, and they made me feel like a Cubs fan. I don't think that they mean to lose, either. The players are loved immensely by the fans.

However, there has always been a lack of pitching strength for the Cubs. They need to have a great pitching line-up. In the years when they went further in the playoffs, the Cubs always had a great pitching staff. In the meantime, they have Zambrano, Wood, and a lot of potential in Dempster, but they still seem like they're lacking real strength.

For the lineup, the Cubs just acquired Kosuke Fukudome, so the hitting is definitely improved. Derrek Lee has so far generated solid numbers, despite it being early in the season. And Soriano has managed to steal a base.

So, even though the lineup is solid, I don't know how well they'll do this year. It's hard to predict baseball, it's always random. However, the Cubs curse may strike again.

How can people really like a team that has an ostensible "curse"? There's no reason for this curse, since other teams have been able to get around their respective supernatural hurdles.

When a newly created team, such as the Arizona Diamondbacks, is able to win the World Series within a few years of joining the league, how can we say that the Cubs are cursed?

The real reason the curse exists, in my humble opinion, is that people like hanging onto their superstitions.

So that's why I hate the Cubs, and although it's not a fully explained opinion, it's an entitled opinion; I lived in Wrigleyville.

Winter is over! Sorta!

2008-03-30T21:15:00.000-07:00

Yeah! Winter is over! Chicago has finally warmed up a bit, which means mid-50's. Hurrah! Soon the leaves will sprout from the trees and life will be worth living again. I'm excited. It was opening day and all we got was rain. I even saw some drunken Cubs' fans out in the streets. Poor bastards.

Gadget Reviews: Using Readyboost in the SD Flash card reader on an Acer 3690

2007-09-11T18:29:00.000-07:00

I recently purchased a refurbished Acer 3690. This computer is a simple, low-end workstation, meant mainly as a budget laptop. It can perform very simple tasks: web-surfing, word-processing, and music.

The machine sports a 1.6 MHz Celeron M processor, a wimpy 512 Mb of RAM, the Intel 945 GM graphics chipset, and a 60 Gig hard drive. For media, it has a DVD/CD-RW drive, three USB 2.0 ports, and a 5-in-1 flash memory card reader.

The version I purchased came pre-installed with Windows Vista (I know, 512 Mb of RAM really makes Vista sluggish). Prior to purchasing additional RAM, I decided to opt to try the Readyboost feature of Windows Vista.

If you haven't already heard about the new features on Vista, essentially (this is a disposable definition of Readyboost, but here goes) Readyboost creates a something like a paging file on a USB flash drive. So, if you have a thumb drive at your disposal, you can simply plug it in, and you have a small performance increase.

Microsoft recommends between one and three times the amount of memory of your on-board RAM. If you have a 1 Gb of RAM, and you have a USB drive of 4 Gb capacity, and you should set the Readyboost between 1 Gb and 3 Gb.

Here's a handy rhyme: 1 Gig RAM for 3 Gig flash, Readyboost will make you fast!

Readyboost works because USB 2.0 can transfer information quickly to the motherboard, in a different way than the actual paging file located on the hard drive. Forgive me, I'm not a techie; that's the way I understand it.

How much extra speed does Readyboost provide? Well, from my own experience, the time that it takes for programs to load (iTunes, Firefox, and MS Office) has almost halved. I have not yet tried to press the issue with this small increase in performance, but I'm glad that it takes 5 seconds to load iTunes, rather than 12 seconds.

OK, it's not much of a benefit, but it is nice that my programs load just a tiny bit faster. Think of how much time this saves in the long-run.

Here's the setup: I utilized the 5-in-1 card reader included with the computer. For memory, I used a 1 Gig PNY Polaroid SD card (about $19 at your local computer store).

INSTRUCTIONS

1. FORMAT the SD card to NTFS instead of FAT.

2. De-select INDEXING.

Your flash drive might not work without these two steps. Readyboost (on my machine at least) can only use the flash card if it's formatted to NTFS. Secondly, the indexing feature (should be in the "general" list after left-clicking "properties") must be turned off.

Got it? NTFS and Indexing off.

(AUTHOR'S NOTE: People have told me that you don't necessarily need to format the drive to NTFS, however, for this particular smartcard, it only worked after formatting to NTFS.)

Next, I selected 870 Mb to be used for Readyboost (recommended by Windows), clicked OK, and the drive worked.

Summary

Now, I realize that an extra five or six seconds isn't going to change your life dramatically, and it certainly won't allow me to play the latest games - I'll avoid Bioshock after that DRM issue...can't play that on this budget laptop, anyway - but the system has considerably improved its stability. (Vista now only crashes twice a day! Excellent work, Readyboost!)

The main benefit is that I have more time to find a deal on some decent RAM for this laptop, saving me a few dollars. Also, it was a fun experiment on an otherwise boring Thursday evening.

I did notice that the start-up time has slightly decreased with the SD card in the slot. This may be my imagination, however, I'm making a colloquial observation, not an empirical one.

In the long run, wonder what benefit Readyboost will bring, or what would happen if I use a larger SD card. And, when I finally decide to upgrade the RAM, perhaps this meager laptop will have loftier goals.

Good luck with your own Readyboost experiment; don't be ashamed of your geekiness, live it and love it.

FREE mp3s of classical songs - Rimsky-Korsakov, Beethoven, Stravinsky, etc

2007-07-11T01:29:00.001-07:00

Peabody Institute provides many free mp3s of their recorded classical songs, including: Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherezade, Mozart's 34th, Beethoven's 5th, and a whole lot of others. Check it out if you like classical music.

read more | digg story

Three tips for raising assertive children

2007-07-10T18:28:00.001-07:00

Three simple ideas for raising assertive children.

read more | digg story

Golf tips: The importance of looking at the hole during golf putts

2007-07-06T03:13:00.001-07:00

An article regarding a simple golf exercise for better putting. Look at the hole when you putt, buddy!

read more | digg story

What happens if you give drugs to spiders

2007-06-28T01:40:00.000-07:00

Many people are familiar with the effects of LSD and psychotropic drugs on spiders. What many people are NOT familiar with is the effect of caffeine on spiders.

Caffeine theoretically was evolved for use as an insecticide.

Normal Spider, no caffeine

Spider exposed to LSD

Spider exposed to marijuana

Spider exposed to Caffeine

As you can see, the spiders reacted similarly to the drugs given. One of the most startling effect was caffeine. Given a completely colloquial assertion, I'd say that the spider looks incredibly tired and disoriented in the caffeine web.

(Please see Spider Communication: Mechanisms and Ecological Significance
Edited by Peter N.Witt & Jerome S. Rovner - Princeton University Press -1982)

From "The Cynic's Guide To Being A Teacher"

2007-06-06T22:16:00.001-07:00

When examining extra-curricular activities, we must ask one basic question: where do people FAIL?

As educators, we only exert a small influence over children. In fact, most kids would rather be watching television than attending a class.

Over the course of their academic lives, kids learn and unlearn many skills. Math, science, art - it all goes through one ear and out the other. When it comes to college, and a career, most academic study was preparation for the world of mind-numbing, 50 hour work weeks.

Those lucky few individuals who manage to earn a graduate degree or a Doctorate, usually take on the burden of many thousands of dollars in debt.

The rest of the populace ends up in a life of servitude in a cutthroat job market.

If we are truly preparing children for an adult life in the "real world", we may want to focus on a few areas that cause many people undue suffering.

What causes suffering in today's world?

1. Divorce
2. Bankruptcy
3. Debt
4. Job Stress
5. Alcoholism

Perhaps the most effect lesson we can teach children is the ability to be persistent, tenacious, and resilient.

New The Go Team! Album

2007-05-25T00:37:00.001-07:00

In music news, to make you happy, The Go Team! (Memphis Industries) has released a new single for an upcoming album, it's called "Grip Like A Vice" and features the catchy rapping of "Ninja".

Her name is Ninja! She's a pretty decent rapper.

You can listen to "Grip Like a Vice" at Pitchfork's Forkcast Media player the-go-team-grip-like-a-vice-stream or visit the official The Go Team! website: http://www.thegoteam.co.uk/flash/GoKids.html

Here is a video of the Go Team in action:

2007-05-20T23:59:00.000-07:00

The first post, ever.

Enclosed find Depressionario: Reasons To Be Happy. The purpose of this blog is to provide a reason why you shouldn't be depressed. Each post will contain a genuine and uplifting story or article to make you, the reader, feel a better about your life.

This page is a grim celebration of life: music, movies, technology, and existential inspiration.

For the first post, I thought I'd give you something that has uplifted my spirits recently:

This is my new current favorite band. They're called Lightning Bolt. It's Brian Gibson (guitar/bass), and Brian Chippendale (explosive drum attack!). They're signed to Load Records.

The official website: http://laserbeast.com/

Purchase their mp3's online at: AudioLunchbox

The part that makes me happiest is the guy jumping off the lights in an attempt to crowdsurf.

If you ever have a chance to see them live, grab a pair of earplugs and do it. They're notorious for playing in people's kitchens, outside movie theaters, and generally in random places.