Blue Skies - Part Two (Photos)

[Photos: polifemus, *sean, ishrona]

Blue Skies - Part One (Photos)

[Photos: SpiralZ, m o d e, lukasd2009]

The Fight over Censorship and for Freedom of Speech

The Supreme Court rules in favor of the school over the boy, in the highly publicized "Bong hits 4 Jesus" case. Essentially, the court is saying schools are allowed to restrict speech when it promotes illegal drug use.

Hello, people! Children have constitutional rights, too! Why does everyone believe it's ok to take rights away from people because of their age? If we give them the responsibility when they are young, maybe they'll be better apt at dealing with those responsibilities as adults, due to their prior exposure as children. In my opinion, it is a big shock going from 17 to 18 (in the sense of responsibility). In a matter of a year, you amass tremendous responsibilities. Actually, it changes in a day. There is a huge difference in what you can do when you are 17 years and 364 days old from when you are 18 years old. In the course of a day, you went from barely anything to almost everything (still have to wait to be 21 for alcohol). What justifies this one day difference? I highly doubt that a kid is going to gain any sense of responsibility in a day. Maybe if we started treating children like they were mature and responsible, then they would act like it. The problem starts with the adults and ends with kids. The change needs to start with the adults, too! Then, maybe it will end with the kids.

On another take, the government once again strips more constitutional rights from its citizens. I tend to be more conservative than liberal, but I definitely don't support the Bush administration. The Bush administration keeps getting more ridiculous by the day. Even disregarding the war in Iraq, I still disapprove of our President. His administration is far too secretive and, worse yet, they are continuously stripping us of our constitutional rights. The best example of that would be the Patriot Act. Are we allowed any privacy or freedom of speech anymore?

Link Mania - A compilation of interesting websites and articles

Web 2.0
Twitter is a new way for you and your friends to keep in touch. From the FAQs on Twitter's help page:

What is it?
Twitter is a community of friends and strangers from around the world sending updates about moments in their lives. Friends near or far can use Twitter to remain somewhat close while far away. Curious people can make friends. Bloggers can use it as a mini-blogging tool. Developers can use the API to make Twitter tools of their own. Possibilities are endless!

Self Improvement
Tips on how to not ruin your life.

How to sleep more effectively.

The Fight over Censorship and for Freedom of Speech
Court rules against F.C.C. in case over indecency fines.

Mac Tips
How to set up Gmail with Mac OS X Mail.

Permanently delete files on your Mac.

Quote for the Day

"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."

- John Wooden

Black and White

[Photo: cmndrfoggy]

A little busy lately...

I've been a little busy lately catching up on things (I got really behind at the end of the school year with loads of graduation stuff). Heck, today I was still going to graduation open houses and I even have one more next week. The main thing withholding me was the repainting of my room. When I was painting, I took my computer down for a majority of the time. But, now I'm done painting. So, everything should return back to normal tomorrow.

Quotes for the Day

"Bad is never good until worse happens."
-Danish Proverb

"I ask not for a lighter burden, but for broader shoulders."
-Jewish Proverb

Y Combinator...

Over at MSNBC there is a great write up on Y Combinator. Y Combinator is dubbed the boot camp for Silicon Valley. It is where all the geeks in America meet up and show off their start up ideas to potential investors. A lucky few are chosen for a chance of their dreams...

Check out the article.

Financial Relief In Sight for College Students

From the money section over at CNN:

House panel cuts student lender subsidies

...Finally, the bill would cap student loan repayments at 15 percent of a student's post-graduation income, with students eligible to have debt forgiven under some circumstances.

Savings realized from the proposed cuts and others would be channeled into boosting college financial aid for students by $18.25 billion over the next five years.

Under the bill, the maximum value of federal Pell grants given to students would go up by $500 per grant. Also, interest rates on federally guaranteed student loans would be reduced by half over five years, a measure already passed by the House.

Read the full article here.

Quote for the Day

"Too often we get distracted by what is outside our control. You can't do anything about yesterday. The door to the past has been shut and the key thrown away. You can do nothing about tomorrow. It is yet to come. However, tomorrow is in large part determined by what you do today. So make today a masterpiece. You have control over that."
-John Wooden

A Resolution for My Bad Sleeping Habit

I am really, really tired right now! I worked for five hours earlier today and, now, I am going to do some work around the house. I never sleep enough and, when I do get sleep, I never feel rested anyways. Lately, I feel as if I am always tired. What is going on? And how do I fix it?

I think the cause underlying all of this is my lacking ability to maintain a regular sleep schedule. I usually stay up until I get tired, which varies each night. I know this probably isn't good for me. (On a positive note, at least it is fun, but, anyways...) If I understand correctly, our bodies have internal "clocks" that regulate us. Well, that regulate many of us. I think I have most likely destroyed any internal clock I may have had (due to my crazy, random timing with sleep). I hear it is healthy to keep a somewhat regular sleeping schedule. So, I'm going to try and go to bed earlier than I do, which has been anytime from 4:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. during the last week. Last night, I went to bed at 1:00 a.m., but I still felt tired this morning, and I feel the most tired I have been all day, right now. My eyes are getting heavy as I write this. To stop all of this tiredness, I am going to try going to bed by 11:00 each night. This is a future goal and, surely, it will be a gradual process. Though, once in place, I should be feeling better and more productive in no time.

Personally, I function horribly without sleep. I would say that was the number one factor holding me back at school this past year. I felt like a zombie everyday because I would only get five to seven hours of sleep per night. The problem is I am usually the most awake and productive from 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. I really want to change this because it feels really unhealthy. And I will (change it). Anyone else in the same situation should, too. Enough of feeling like a zombie everyday!

To answer the first two questions I posed:

1. Nothing is wrong. Put bluntly, I am showing no self-discipline
2. A regular sleep schedule and going to bed by 11:00 at latest should be a good fix.

[Photos: waffler, dearoot]

The Most Powerful Tool on the Web

Almost anybody that uses a computer regularly knows about Wikipedia. For those of you that don't, read on. Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia. It is free and, along with English, is written in a multitude of languages, including German, Spanish, and French. The entries in Wikipedia are written collaboratively by volunteers, allowing virtually anyone with an internet connection and keyboard to add and/or edit entries.

Although it may sound like a haven for internet trolls, it really isn't that easy for trolls to ruin entries. Usually, within seconds of the vandalism, the entry is edited and fixed by any one of the millions of legitimate users. In many cases, administrators will restrict the offender's account, removing their ability to edit or add entries, and, in more severe cases, the offender's IP address may be banned. Also, articles may get locked, thus preventing anyone from further editing the article. Normally, this occurs with very controversial topics (abortion is a good example).

In the end, Wikipedia isn't the best source for a research paper, but it's a great way to find information quickly on over a million topics. (On a side note, Wikipedia is a good tool to use for finding sources to use in a research paper. For example, search your topic and then view the links at the bottom of page (they're in the See Also section) and the sources for the respective page.)

In short, Wikipedia is an online democracy of information. That is what I consider the most powerful tool on the web.


Wikipedia is a project of the Wikimedia Foundation. In addition to Wikipedia, they have founded many other notable projects. For a complete list of all the Wikimedia Foundation's projects, check out this page. Other popular projects include Wiktionary, an online free dictionary, and Wikiquote, a library of quotes, both of which are also written collaboratively by volunteers.

Information is powerful. Use it wisely.


"Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice."
-Anton Chekhov

[Photos: dcjohn, lui lui]

Quote for the Day

"Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go."
-William Faulkner

The Joy of Summer

[Photos: jessi, pmorgan, endbradely]

Audio/Video Suggestions, Travel Help, and some Apple news

Personal Audio/Video

• If you've ever wanted to view videos privately, while still in a public place, the Myvu Personal Media Viewer is meant for you.

• The Phillips DCP750 is very versatile portable DVD player. Not only does it play DVDs, but it plays video from Ipods, too. The screen exceeds modest, boasting a 7 inch, 180 degree swiveling screen. Also, it's extremly portable at a mere 2.4 pounds. Other nice features include the SD video card slot and the two headphone jacks. The cost is 150$ for the 7 inch version or, for an additional $50, totaling $200, you'll have yourself an 8.5 inch screen.

• Looking for a nice pair of headphones? Tired of loud noises interrupting you audio experience? Want some headphones that aren't too bulky? Then, the Harmon Kardon EP 730 Noise Isolating Earphones are for you. To me, they look like audiophile heaven for a modest $200. I say modest in the sense that "you get what you pay for" (the $200 being for sheer quality).

Travel

• If you're looking for a quality street navigator to put in your car, look no further. Garmin has a large array of solutions, one of which will surly fit your needs.

• BargainTravel.com seems to be a useful site for satisfying airfare, car rental, and hotel needs, all while visiting one website.

• Wikipedia never fails to amaze me. The variety of useul Wiki sites that have been produced is outstanding. Their "Free Worldwide Travel Guide" is exactly that, outstanding. I searched a variety of locations and couldn't have been more pleased. WikiTravel has a wealth of information on all of the popular vacation destinations (and more).

Apple News

• Apple announced an upgrade to their Macbook Pro line of laptops. For both the 15 inch and 17 inch, the upgrades involve the processor, graphics, and memory. For the 15 inch only, the upgrade includes a newer, environment friendly LED-backlit display, which helps the laptop achieve an extra hour of battery time. More on this exciting news here.

[Photos: Mayr, janusz l]

Western Digital in the 750GB HD market

Western Digital now joins the ranks of Seagate and Hitachi in the 750GB hard drive market. Western Digital claims superiority because of a trio of technologies they implemented to boost performance and reliability.

Get the whole story here.

Ron Paul for President 2008

If the presidential election were held today, I would vote for Ron Paul. He is a conservative in favor of limited government. He doesn't like taxes, the Iraq War, or too much foreign involvement. He believes in people's privacy and personal liberty. Most of all, he believes in freedom. " Congressman Ron Paul (R-Texas) is the leading advocate for freedom in our nation's capital."

Watch this video of him from Bill Maher's show.
Check out his schedule here.
He even has a Myspace page.

In the name of freedom, vote Ron Paul '08!

[Photo: ronpaul2008]

Quote for the Day

"A sound mind in a sound body is a short but full description of a happy state in this world."
-John Locke

Proud owner of a white Macbook

Because of graduation, I am now the proud owner of a white Macbook. It is the basic (lowest) version, but, awesome, nonetheless. This should be a fun adventure over the next week or two trying to figure this out. So far, the hardest thing is getting used to not having the ability to right click on things. I never realized how convenient that is. Honestly, that is my only complaint about Macs so far (the non-existent ability of right clicking).

The full stats on it are:
2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor
1GB (two 512 SO-DIMMs) of DDR2 SDRAM (supports up to 2GB)
80GB 5400-rpm hard drive
13.3-inch (diagonal) TFT widescreen display (1280 x 800 pixels)
Intel GMA 950 graphics processor with 64MB of DDR2 SDRAM shared with main memory
Built-in iSight video camera
Front Row and Apple Remote
Slot-loading Combo drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW)

Other less important specs:
One FireWire 400 port
Two USB 2.o ports
Optical digital audio input/audio line in
Optical digital audio output/headphone out
Built in stereo speakers
Mini-DVI port for DVI, VGA, composite, and S-Video
Built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet
Built-in AirPort Extreme
Built-in Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)
Preinstalled Mac OS X and other bundled software (iLife)

More information:
12.78 by 8.92 by 1.08 inches
5.2 pounds
Meets ENERGY STAR requirements

If anyone has any tips useful for beginners or any information I should know regarding Macbooks, feel free to leave me a comment. As to which I like better (Mac versus PC), I have an answer. And, that answer is, they both have their advantages and disadvantages. Depending on what you want out of your computer (like what you will use it for) will make all of the difference. I'll give my opinion on that at a later date, along with some pictures of the new beauty. (Macs really do look nice though. I will say that!)

The Digital Rights Managment Battle

The battle over digital rights becomes more exciting as each day passes. Personally, I try and keep a close eye on the whole ordeal. This is very hard to do because it is so large and complex. The battle is all over the country; it is in many states rather than confined to any one specific state. The RIAA is trying to hang on to their overbearing, intrusive copyright monopoly on music, which they should not be profiting from in the first place. Supposedly, the RIAA is protecting artists and the music industry as a whole, but, in reality, they are just out to make a few dollars. Hopefully, artists and consumers alike will prevail in the end. Here are two articles that I feel are important regarding this topic from within this past month:

Harvard Professor Charles Nesson takes a stance against the RIAA.

Professor Johan Pouwelse agrees to testify against the RIAA in court.

Both of these men are very experienced in their respective fields. They, along with millions of other people, are against the RIAA. I think it is saying something when experts like this are against the RIAA. Additionally, many artists have voiced their opinion as being against the RIAA, too. A recent example of this is with the band Nine Inch Nails (a little background on this here).

All I have to say on this is:

Down with the RIAA!

Technology Roundup Number Two

Check out these 15 tips for Firefox. Honestly, one of the most useful articles I have stumbled upon in a long time. A must read for Firefox users.

Great news from Apple. They upgraded the specs on their Macbook laptops and are going to upgrade the specs of the Macbook Pro, too. The catch? Their prices aren't changing. More technology for less money! Check out the full story here.

For predictions on how all the major technology companies will fare in 2007, read this article. Here is an excerpt from the article:

This will probably be the most interesting dynamic because, in the second half, if they can finish Leopard, Apple is expected to have the strongest line they have fielded in decades. But so are most of the PC vendors and HP, in particular, is chasing Apple (and using a lot of ex-Apple employees to do it).

MOG is a new, fast growing web 2.0 website that aims at creating a community focused on bringing people with similar musical interests together. Users can create profiles, recommend music to others, watch MOG TV, and much more. Notable users include Ben Gibbard, of Death Cab for Cutie, and Jon Fratelli, of The Fratellis.

Look at this cool concept redesign for the YouTube Player.

More Views of New York City

[Photos: LeonIngul, absolutwade, midweekpost]