09/24/09 09:30 - 62ºF - ID#49849
I Take Back What I Said RE: Smartphones
I'm throwing this out there because I distinctly remember (e:matt) being a little defensive when I really laid into smartphones and smartphone users on this journal.
Don't get me wrong - I still feel justified in lampooning people who are WAY too attached to the technology on their person and will continue to do so in this space, but recently some circumstances have lead me to... ok forced me to reconsider this hardline position I've been taking a bit.
My phone recently broke. I've been plotting purchasing a new iPod for a while. The two needs/desires converged and so both (e:jason) and I decided to get iPhones. This summer I negotiated a significant salary increase, which is sort of a magic trick these days, and I've worked my ass off. I haven't taken time off in three years. I needed a reward really badly, and after looking into the new iPhone I totally fell in love with the unit.
I wish I had one of these when I was traveling full time and I CAN'T WAIT until I can get a chance to travel for the company again, at least for part of the time (I have to accept that my role will keep me anchored to the office). You're going to get pictures/video of me, wherever the hell they send me. You're going to get Joshy singing an autotuned break on a T-Pain track posted on Facebook.
I am a little embarrassed to admit this, but I'm way behind on what's possible with phones these days. You have to realize - I've never owned a phone that could take a picture. A lot of this is new to me and finding ways to use my new phone is going to be a learning experience. I am probably going to have a lot of dumb questions but I look forward to it - I can't wait to master this thing. More than anything I just want to get the most I can out of it.
Permalink: I_Take_Back_What_I_Said_RE_Smartphones.html
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09/15/09 02:19 - 73ºF - ID#49778
Good Economic News in Buffalo
Awesome. We need more of this. Little by little, brick by brick, this is how you rebuild a dying microeconomy. This is how you employ people. This is how you lure businesses. Operating in Buffalo isn't a privilege - without incentives people would be crazy to (re)locate here. That is, unless you have the wherewithal and resources to locate anywhere you like, flying the altruistic flag high and all. Renovating existing space makes this deal even sweeter.
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09/02/09 09:23 - 58ºF - ID#49677
Grr
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Words: 70
08/26/09 08:50 - 70ºF - ID#49630
Edward Moore Kennedy 1932 - 2009
Permalink: Edward_Moore_Kennedy_1932_2009.html
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08/19/09 11:51 - 73ºF - ID#49575
Carmen's Kitchen, Pt. 2
I really don't mind, and in fact I think they should ask people to submit pictures of their food... or even of themselves with the food. But jeez, can't you guys at Carmen's at least say "thanks for promoting us on your blog, we'd love to use your pictures on FB to promote our restaurant?" C'mon y'all! Que tal unos pastelitos? Ustedes necessitan hook a gringo up! :) (solomente una chiste, see you soon).
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08/06/09 12:21 - 69ºF - ID#49471
"BJ" Bill Clinton - Patriot and Hero
I've never really thought much of Bill, although over the years I've always enjoyed his shenanigans and the public's seemingly endless ability to forgive him. Really, let's think of this - Bill Clinton, Rhodes Scholar and brilliant man, arguing about what the meaning of "is" is? Surely we can agree that arguing about the meaning of "is" is preposterous regardless of context.
Which brings us to the present day. Man you've got to love Bill Clinton, riding in like a knight in shining armor, carrying the damsels in distress on his white
The public is being bamboozled into believing the imagery, that Bill Clinton was the driving force behind the release of the two extraordinarily foolhardy journalists who broke the law in the most despotic country on earth. The real truth? The Administration was much more involved than they want to let on - to suggest that this was a "private humanitarian mission" was a flat out lie. Washington Post, and pretty much every other outlet, made it clear that negotiations went along on the side, involving senior WH and State Dept. personnel, and others.
So again, I'm really, really loving how Bill Clinton is getting all of the credit and soaking up the love on the backs of other people. I miss Slick Willy in action. He's not even paying for the jet! One would think that Al "$100 million fraudulent dollars in mah con man pockets" Gore might have fronted that cost, as he is the founder of Current TV.
My real question is this - what's up with this wholly dishonest and easily debunked assertion that Bill Clinton was on a "private humanitarian mission" and what did we give up? The press has reported that our government, including WH level personnel, were directly involved with negotiations (the piece refers to this as "conversations" but you know better).
There isn't a rational person on earth that believes the North Korean government released these two ladies out of the goodness of their hearts, or for a mere photo op with The Artist Formerly Known As The First Black President. So, what did the North Koreans get in return? We may not know for years, although the underlying irony was not lost on me during Clinton's visit.
Remember?
I wonder how many North Koreans starved to death that week!
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08/04/09 12:55 - 80ºF - ID#49455
Is Vlad Putin Telling Us Something?
Permalink: Is_Vlad_Putin_Telling_Us_Something_.html
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07/30/09 11:07 - 70ºF - ID#49414
Outlet (not a place where you shop)
I'm trying to figure out how to cope with this - I'm usually the listener, the source of optimism and enthusiasm for the people around me. What happens if I don't have it in me anymore? Lately I've been feeling a little worn down and I've been at a loss... I've been begging God to provide me with some clarity and to remove this spectre over me.
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07/21/09 11:01 - 69ºF - ID#49344
40th Anniversary of Apollo 11
Last night the BBC replayed the audio from the famous event in "real" time, as if it were occurring live. It. Was. Awesome. If you read my previous entry regarding my dreams then you know I can have a wild imagination; I enjoyed it last night.
Did you know that the average age of the engineers working on the Apollo program was 26 years of age? I heard that on NPR, for what it's worth. Not to wax too rhetorically, but I think it's fair to say that the moon landing cemented our nation's greatness for all time in human history; it was an accomplishment that people will be reading about and discussing 2,000 years from now. The 21st Century was very consequential in human history and our nation was at the center of it all.
This was done at a time where really we had the absolute bare minimum technical expertise to achieve the goal. It was more a matter of will and national pride than anything else, but the national investment in the Apollo program has an amazing legacy - decades of technological innovations that have advanced our nation, if not the world.
This was done during a turbulent time in our history - within 10 years we saw two Kennedy brothers and Dr. King get assassinated, the Vietnam War was in full swing, etc. The moon landing reminded us of what we're made of - we got to see the very personification of it on TV, watching three men in white spacesuits look back at us from another heavenly body. We needed heroes and Apollo delivered.
Some of the most fascinating conversation I've ever heard was listening to the Apollo astronauts talk about their feelings and what went through their minds during the mission, in particular how they felt looking back at the earth from afar.
Apollo 11 Wiki -
10 Reasons Why The Apollo 11 Moon Landing Was Awesome -
NASA Apollo 11 Image Gallery -
SFGate Blog - Alan Black - The First Laugh on the Moon -
What is breaking my heart, though, is that these men feel NASA is currently a shambles. Read here -
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I'm looking forward to it though, and I'm sure I'm going to have fun! Ultimately for me these sorts of decisions are about usefulness and if I didn't think it would be a very useful device then I wouldn't have bothered. I don't really care about the cool factor or being part of a club. My favorite thing about the iPhone is the seemingly limitless creativity that the technology allows its developers to exploit.
Have fun!