Oh...so happy

So I just installed DS Linux on my brother's incredibly old free laptop...not extremely difficult, but tough enough that I needed some help. If this were windows, I would still be waiting to talk to someone that would either not be able to help me, or tell me to reboot. The beauty of the *nix community is that they know their stuff, and they are willing to help n00bs like myself. Granted, Linux boxes usually aren't gaming PCs or anything like that...but right now there is an operating system comprising all of <50MB on a decrepit old Thinkpad running a tiny bit of ram and stinky little processor that is quick and productive. Glory hallelujah!!

P.S. Thank you jhsu for your forum post(you are t3h r341 r0xx0r)!

Economics

Lately, with the economy the way it is, and the nature of our situation, I've been questioning the validity of professional sports. How can a man that throws a baseball get a deal for millions of dollars simply to entertain. Maybe not everyone can do what he does, but that does not rationalize paying someone $160 million to play a game. As a society, we have our priorities completely out of line. Maybe we could put more emphasis on getting food to those that have none. Since when is it ok to finance entertainment with billions, instead of providing our fellow human beings with enough food to live on. Even worse, there's an industry that comments on our professional sporting entertainment. How messed up is that? I'm not knocking capitalism (just the way we entertain ourselves), but maybe we could focus less on our excess and more on providing basic needs.

Pain

Alex and Jarrod did this, so I clearly have to...

411:
1. Put Your iTunes/Windows Media Player/ETC on Shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.
4. Put any comments in brackets after the song name.

1) If someone says, "Is this okay?" you say:
Just Go (Wow, I'm usually not so frank and condescending)

2) How would you describe yourself?
Feels Like Tonight

3) What do you like in a girl/guy?
Jingle of a Dog's Collar (Not my fault :P)

4) How do you feel today?
Desperation Song (Some days)

5) What is your life's purpose?
Last Cigarette

6) What is your motto?
The Video Store

7) What do you friends think of you?
You Never Let Go (this would have been far better as #8)

8) What do you think of your parents?
Divine Invitation

9) What do you think about very often?
Rich Niggaz (I don't even know what to say, I'll just wallow in how unbelievable it is that I actually have this song in my library)

10) What is 2+2?
Victims of Love

11) What do you think of your best friend?
Berlin

12) What do you think of the person you like?
Creativity

13) What is your life story?
Someday You Will Be Loved (Why not now?)

14) What do you want to be when you grow up?
Revolution (Watch out MAN!)

15) What do you think of when you see the person you like?
Flashing Lights [Explicit] (True enough)

16) What will you dance to at your wedding?
Mudfootball (Incredibly difficult to dance to Jack Johnson, fun to watch maybe?)

17) What will they play at your funeral?
Feels Like Home (Rather fitting I suppose)

18) What is your hobby/interest?
Everything but Life (My playlist has a sardonic wit)

19) What is your biggest fear?
Faith for a Sedative (Wow, that's amazingly insightful!)

20) What is your biggest secret?
The Setting Sun

21) What do you think of your friends?
Sheer Heart Attack (Compliment...maybe?)

22) What will you post this as?
Pain

An Ode to my Tooth

Playing soccer was all fine and good, 'til you spotted a knee and had to get a closer look. When you bit the flesh, was it satisfying?...until you met the bone, and got a closer look at my molars. Tooth, I love you, but you're an idiot and might even get yourself killed. Just take care next time you silly little buffoon.

Dredg+La Dispute=Head Explosion!

I'm not sure I can handle myself right now! Dredg is coming to Detroit in mid-November (14), right after the La Dispute CD release show (8)! Two amazing bands just days apart...OH YEAH!!! AAAAAAUUUGGGGHHHH!!! The awesomeness is too much!

Oh I just don't know

Socially conservative, economically liberal, which view will win out. Dad's had no job, I'm sick about that, but not as much as he is. Yet what of the children given no chance to live, don't they deserve a chance? Would a conservative candidate even be able to overturn that famous case? My right is to vote, but is it foolish to say that it's also my right not to vote? Maybe I just need to buck up and choose.

Famine, Affluence and Morality

Image via Wikipedia

My philosophy professor had the class read Peter Singer's famous "Famine, Affluence and Morality" essay written in 1971. He begins with two premises that no one could dispute: suffering and death from lack of food, shelter and medical care are bad, and that if it is in our power to prevent something bad from happening, without sacrificing anything of comparable moral importance, we should do it.
These seem like pretty innocuous assumptions, but based on them, Singer argues that we ought to give until we reach the limit of marginal utility, or until we approach the poverty of those we are aiding. He writes this of the starvation of the Bangladesh Liberation War refugees, and his argument is valid based on the premises (read it if you're skeptical). Now, he doesn't mean that we should give up everything so that the Bengali people all have big-screen TV's, but if we all did our part, we could remove the suffering and pain they feel, which is Singer's point.
I came away with several things the least of which is that if one wants to successfully persuade, they should use premises that the other party agrees with. That's why ham-fisted political idealogues have such little success. The bigger thing is though that poverty is real and wretched, and something we must act on if we subscribe to Singer's assumptions.

Reminiscence

Now playing: George Frideric Handel - No. 1: Overture/The Messiah [Explicit]
via FoxyTunes
----------------
Strange as it may sound, I'm currently listening to Handel's Messiah. I guess I just needed a classical fix or something. The thing that struck me though, was the opening overture, because the instant I heard those notes it brought me back to riding in my dad's old Plymouth Acclaim, with the windows cracked yet too hot because it had no air-conditioning. It may have been uncomfortable and annoying then, but today it serves as a huge comfort to know that times indeed were simpler and less chaotic. There were no employment worries, concerns about future endeavors, all I had to worry about was readying myself for piano lessons...ha. Of course times weren't perfect, and certainly there was turmoil, but I guess the comfort in looking back, is that the unimportant things can be forgotten. Maybe I'll look back on today and think comforting thoughts about my simple college life. I hope so.

As an aside, I think it's hilarious that the overture was tagged explicit by whatever software processed it.

Speech Recognition + perl = FAIL!

This is a video of a guy trying to use Vista's voice recognition software to write a script in perl. One of my favorite videos evar! It had me tearing up at some points.

Dear Don,

Don, you were one of those people that I got, and that I think got me back. Sarcastic, spouting comic genius, always good for a laugh. We knew what was ok to joke about and what wasn't, where the line was. You flirted with the line, coached our team well as we were developing and gave us confidence. From trivia to friendly derision, lunges to the T.C.U. and M.S.U. drills, you encouraged us to be our best. Your smile was contagious, your laugh even more so and your wit inspired. As a tennis coach, friend, owner of sting-rays, psychology enthusiast, tennis player and much much more, you will be missed. The angels are rejoicing, and you're at peace, but I just can't believe that you're gone...

The Shrew: A midnight adventure

Chase begins a few moments before the witching hour when small furry creature falls out of rumpled up shirt. Both are confused...creature by light, human by creature. They freeze, wondering where light, animal came from. Vermin makes first move and scurries from view, human traps vermin in shirt, still confused. The rodent decides that it has spent enough time on the bathroom floor and scurries into the room of the aforementioned, utterly confused biped. The little ball of fur floors it into the carpeted bedroom and dives into a stack of linens. Human begins taking apart pile intent on capture...but he cannot find the stealthy varmint. This is when, quarry lost, all good hunters do the same thing, they find the master tracker...father. Upon waking and learning of the sorex araneus problem, the veteran grabs his weaponry: dinner plate and coolwhip containers. After an arduous night time search under furniture and other floorbound items, the hunt is nearly called off, until the rookie notices the quarry innocently pondering its existence in the corner of the room where it first entered. Suddenly the furrball is backed into another corner, bolts left, bolts right, dodges the artistry of the skilled, and finds itself back into the well lit water closet. This is his final hour, as the dutch tupperware is tossed through the air, received and promptly slammed down on the crafty vermin. Success, plate slides under trap, guaranteeing the capture of the silly little beast. Minutes later, shrew meets pavement at 25 miles per hour. Goodbye cruel world.

Excerpts from my boss this summer (Timisms)

1. Literally

The word literally is ok to use literally whenever and wherever possible. It's best if there are no elements of the statement that can be taken figuratively...literally. (e.g. "my dad literally played with my two dogs")

2. Cannibalize

This term can be responsibly used to reference taking apart anything...you don't even have to be consuming the corpse of a member of your own species. (e.g. "we'll just cannibalize ground timmer")( bonus example..."i'll just cannibalize that vacuum)

3. Misnomer

It's just another word for misconception, mistake or problem. Heck he'd probably even use it for misname if he got the chance. (e.g. "we've got a big misnomer on our hands gentlemen")

4. Sergio, did you get with Mercy on those mattresses?

Self-explanatory...and of course out of context, but still merits mention.

5. Worked for 100+ years

The man has worked 3 factory jobs for eight years each, JCPenney security, the military (instructor, soldier, musician various branches), construction worker, Catholic school janitor, security consultant and of course Calvin College building services supervisor...there are more, I just can't remember them all. (this just in...following Calvin, he could be doing some cattle ranching down in Texas)

6. Repelling

He always repelled out of helicopters for his sniper jaunts with his 70 lb rifle, never once did he rapel like normal people.

7. Beaner, bitch

It's ok for supervisors or anyone to refer to people from Mexico as 'beaners' and female workers as bitches.

8. Cattle prods

He gives them to his babysitters...for protection.

9. Lisa, Shay-Wen, Leia

There were never people named Lisa, Shay-Wen or Leia on the crew this summer...way to be good sports Alisa, Chia-Wen and Leah.

10. Jeez o' Pete
The misnomer here is that he combined two common exclamatory phrases. Literally.

Whoa!

This is probably one of the coolest videos that I've evar seen...what a great idea. Anyone want to do this with me?

Nothing less than angels

Begin quietly with a gum-speckled hardwood floor, breeze catching black curtain lightly while the gods of the evening prepare. Come the early evening, patrons shuffle in excited, verbose, eccentric, emo, spritely, matter-rich, tight, pants...rockers all. The first offering of the evening is well...expected, received thankfully yet everyone is perhaps glad it's over. Brothers astounds, delights, impresses and will have a hard time explaining what the ink used to mean to their grandchildren. Then in the lull...bodies shuffle forward, jockey for position, awaiting, knowing. Green, chains, in the dead march, ready to mosh with the living...and they do in the wars of the future! The speakers flare their nostrils and proclaim the sounds of the most magnificent screaming rock to grace the basement stage...CROWS!! Madness ensues as girls, boys, men and women join in a frenzy that throws off the chains of society to the primal excitement of simply letting oneself become uninhibited. Finally the throng pays homage to the movement of time and change of scene. They are energetic, yet know that their allegiance lies mostly elsewhere. What a bunch of fools we lovers are.

A.H.

Sometimes I find myself languishing in mediocrity and normalcy. These lulls are hardly unique to me, but vary in severity and style from person to person. I have a friend though, who never seems to have this. When I hang out with him, or go to concerts with him, he always seems to be into something new...I love this about him. Not having been to many concerts, I think that I've gone with him to almost half of the concerts I've ever been to. The thing is though, he finds these obscure local bands that just have the tendency to blow my socks off, such as Lights at Sea. He's introduced me to bands such as Porcupine Tree and Dredg. The music they play is just amazing (especially when you're watching a codeine pill spin for the duration of a 17 minute song *cough* Anesthetize *cough*) and I feel alive. Anyway, this post is a shout out to him.

Planning

The mind is beautiful, terrible and confusing. During the course of my day today I planned out circumstances for years ahead of me, which will probably never happen. I think we do this because we revert from normal thought back to our most basic of instincts. I was musing about what will/would/won't happen solely based on my own experiences and desires, not at all taking into account what others might think or do. It can be a very egocentric experience to delve within one's desires...scary sometimes, bittersweet others. We/I/You fight this every day as we live among eachother.

Desperate, Futility

Look down on a swathe so large as to include both poles and no one is seen. Look past the clouds, see the cities; they are behemoths that stretch to consume all green things, built by a species that is conquer-centric. Can you see the breadth of human emotion from such places? Angst, terror, despair, love...love? The inhabitants care only for themselves (this summer, this school year). No one will remember you, no one will care. You have only this time, make of it what you want. There is no time for empathy...only self. Our minds wither as though the life giving springs of compassion have been dammed up. The only salvation I've found, at the cost of everything, is grasped by precious few, misrepresented by many. The saviour gives strength, but you, I must take hold of it for ourselves.

Hope Exists

I forgot in my previous post, about a bit of the story from Cincy. During the course of our visit, Marquis and Marquisha's grandma showed me pictures and trophies that her son had won. He was their inspiration as a football player, son and relative that made it past the poverty. They had hope in him, that he could make it past the wretchedness of their situation and fulfill his potential. I just pray that someday they'll hope/trust in the God that loves them and can provide their every need.

Cincinnati

This week, my high school youth group went down to Cincinnati, Ohio for a mission trip. I went down this year for the first time as a sort-of leader because I'm out of high school. Although it was hardly my first time (fifth?), God found a way to break my heart. One day during the week, I helped bring two of the kids, Marquis and Marquisha, home after day camp. When we arrived at the place where they lived and began walking up the trash filled, broken down, splintered stairs up to the apartment they inhabited with their mother and grandparents, I tried to prepare myself for what we would find. Nothing could...in their home there was a wall of overflowing trash bags against one wall of their kitchen area. Their grandparents welcomed us in and talked with us while their mother filled out forms allowing them to attend the day camp. As I talked politics with the grandfather it just filled me with sadness at how these children lived, taken care of by adults who filled their lives with addiction to drugs and alcohol, little time with adults that show they care. The children live in absolute squalor, relying on electricity from an extension cord on the first floor because they can't afford the monthly bill. I go back to my home to electricity, water, food, parents that aren't taking hits, and am able to write about it on my computer to essentially myself. It's so hard to write this, knowing that I'm reaching an audience of zero, and that while I'm writing, they're probably hungry and feeling unloved. Marquis, Marquisha...you are loved. I'm sorry.

Next Semester

Difficult, torturous, what am I getting myself into? O-Chem, Honors Philosophy, Physics E&M, Engineering Thermodynamics, tutoring...will I survive? The three labs and philosophy will no doubt degrade and tarnish my soul, leaving me the wreck of what once could function. I don't know how, I don't know why, but I know that I must survive. After all, I don't have it this bad.

Save what?

Has it occurred to anyone that instead of trying to "save" the planet, we should be trying to save ourselves from certain death instead. Seriously, the only thing that the earth has to worry about is not becoming dust after colliding with another astronomical body, we have to worry about conditions that support life as we know it. I was watching Stargate SG-1 the other day and there was a Gadmeer craft converting a planet from being carbon based to sulfur. Notwithstanding the possibility of this, the planet could have cared less whether the Enkarans or Gadmeer inhabit the place, heck the planet can't even care at all. It's the same here; our planet can withstand global-warming, ice ages and American politics. The real question is: "Can humans?" Like the earth said, "Save Your Sorry Arse."