an idea

Blood for Oil
(June 2005)

Pull the blood from our veins

And pump it to the pipelines-

The transcontinental ones

So we can replace the blood in all of us

With that soiled and sullied gasoline

Only then will we see its value

And quit this useless spillage

Of blood for oil

Never again will we waste our fuel

Or let our blood be tainted with viruses and disease

If it becomes the true lifeblood of our mortality

Hello Mr. President

And other G8 figureheads

Your diluted words mean less and less

Still, however

Cutting like a knife

Just give it up, confess

We’ve got to stop this useless war

This haste made scar on the power nations of the world

You see the others there

The little guys, they’re laughing at us

And mocking us heavily

For we’ve too long shook the hands of political crooks

That we’ve forgotten to lend our palms for the less fortunate

So go trade this oil, no not on the open market

Go swap oil for blood

And see how quickly it recedes

This flood

This flood of utter displeasure and despondence

an idea

Blood for Oil
(June 2005)

Pull the blood from our veins
And pump it to the pipelines-
The transcontinental ones
So we can replace the blood in all of us
With that soiled and sullied gasoline

Only then will we see its value
And quit this useless spillage
Of blood for oil

Never again will we waste our fuel
Or let our blood be tainted with viruses and disease
If it becomes the true lifeblood of our mortality

Hello Mr. President
And other G8 figureheads
Your diluted words mean less and less
Still, however
Cutting like a knife
Just give it up, confess

We’ve got to stop this useless war
This haste made scar on the power nations of the world

You see the others there
The little guys, they’re laughing at us
And mocking us heavily
For we’ve too long shook the hands of political crooks
That we’ve forgotten to lend our palms for the less fortunate

So go trade this oil, no not on the open market
Go swap oil for blood
And see how quickly it recedes
This flood
This flood of utter displeasure and despondence

storage units

is there anything more american than the storage unit? honestly, i mean it! we americans, the people with the ever expanding wastelines and mcmansions overlooking everything; we are notoriously a "more is better, more is more" society. we like accumulating things, even if they have no use... even if someone else could use it better or more than we could.

near my house there is a new 4 row storage unit facility being constructed. yep, that will make about 5 storage facilities within 10 miles that i can think of off the top of my head. i know i know, this area is home to many college towns; and to that i say.... ok. i understand that many college students need places to store belongings, etc when they are home for the summer or away for a semester, etc. but come on, how many people actually need to store things for extended periods of time and in these types of quantities. i've always been lucky enough to be able to store my golf clubs or mini-fridge or seasonal belongings at a family members basement, spare room, or attic. i realize that not everyone is that lucky, and because of this i can at times understand the need for storage. yes, i can understand storage for short term necessity like when moving into a new house or if you have no home in terms of flood damage/ fire damage or those sorts of things. but the average scenario... come on.

however (because with me there is always a caveat) i can not understand why the average ordinary american has so much stuff they are not using that they need to place it in a storage room. to make matters worse, they are paying out more of their hard earned cash in order to leave their belongings in these facilities.
i guess i'm of the belief that if i'm not using something- get rid of it. i don't like clutter, i don't like hanging on to things "just in case two years from now i may need it", and i don't like paying some schmuck to watch/ store my personal property that i'm not using.
do we as americans need all this stuff? do we need to hold onto it if we're not utilizing it? can't we barter and trade more? can't we be more generous and offer our unused things to people that could use them? why not have a tag sale, garage sale or "yahd sale" (not to leave out all our fellow southeastern mass residents, haha)?

i don't know, i'm just ornery i guess... i see the whole storage explosion as a waste. i see it as people making money off our gluttonous ways. i see it as a needless expense and a needless "pack-ratness". less is more in my book.

again, as usual, i don't mean to sound preachy. my tone may sound as if i'm standing behind the facade of a pulpit... and i apologize for that if it comes off that way. i just think that there is so much waste and useless expenditure of time and energy in this world in our everyday lives- that if we were to "cut out the fat" just a little bit here and there, that we'd have more time to spend being happy and coming together as a society. just a thought...

so, "as american as apple pie..." hmmm, sounds so old-fashioned to me... i propose "as american as storage units..." haha

storage units

is there anything more american than the storage unit? honestly, i mean it! we americans, the people with the ever expanding wastelines and mcmansions overlooking everything; we are notoriously a "more is better, more is more" society. we like accumulating things, even if they have no use... even if someone else could use it better or more than we could.

near my house there is a new 4 row storage unit facility being constructed. yep, that will make about 5 storage facilities within 10 miles that i can think of off the top of my head. i know i know, this area is home to many college towns; and to that i say.... ok. i understand that many college students need places to store belongings, etc when they are home for the summer or away for a semester, etc. but come on, how many people actually need to store things for extended periods of time and in these types of quantities. i've always been lucky enough to be able to store my golf clubs or mini-fridge or seasonal belongings at a family members basement, spare room, or attic. i realize that not everyone is that lucky, and because of this i can at times understand the need for storage. yes, i can understand storage for short term necessity like when moving into a new house or if you have no home in terms of flood damage/ fire damage or those sorts of things. but the average scenario... come on.

however (because with me there is always a caveat) i can not understand why the average ordinary american has so much stuff they are not using that they need to place it in a storage room. to make matters worse, they are paying out more of their hard earned cash in order to leave their belongings in these facilities.
i guess i'm of the belief that if i'm not using something- get rid of it. i don't like clutter, i don't like hanging on to things "just in case two years from now i may need it", and i don't like paying some schmuck to watch/ store my personal property that i'm not using.
do we as americans need all this stuff? do we need to hold onto it if we're not utilizing it? can't we barter and trade more? can't we be more generous and offer our unused things to people that could use them? why not have a tag sale, garage sale or "yahd sale" (not to leave out all our fellow southeastern mass residents, haha)?

i don't know, i'm just ornery i guess... i see the whole storage explosion as a waste. i see it as people making money off our gluttonous ways. i see it as a needless expense and a needless "pack-ratness". less is more in my book.

again, as usual, i don't mean to sound preachy. my tone may sound as if i'm standing behind the facade of a pulpit... and i apologize for that if it comes off that way. i just think that there is so much waste and useless expenditure of time and energy in this world in our everyday lives- that if we were to "cut out the fat" just a little bit here and there, that we'd have more time to spend being happy and coming together as a society. just a thought...

so, "as american as apple pie..." hmmm, sounds so old-fashioned to me... i propose "as american as storage units..." haha

citizens arrest

ok, so maybe there'll be a little profanity in this post, as i'm a little amped at the moment (**there's the disclaimer**)

earlier today, on my way back from the golf course, i witnessed some of the worst driving of my life. i won't get too much into the specifics, but basically i saw multiple instances where one car passed another car in the most inappropriate situation or at the most inopportune time. it's just rediculous to me, and i saw maybe 3 instances this morning alone. as a general statement, people can't drive. i understand that, i recognize that when i'm on the road, and i generally just deal accordingly... but it still irritates me.

in no way however, am i stating that i'm a good driver or even a better driver than most, but i just can't believe some of the thickheaded things i see people pull of/ try to pull off sometimes...


so... in the spirit of this, i propose that we implement an iteration of citizens arrest for daily use. from what i understand, a citizens arrest (a.k.a "any persons arrest) is usually used when a citizen witnesses another person committing a felony or when an officer is in pursuit of a criminal. well, i say we just let us all report/ arrest/ contain/ subdue anyone we see doing anything stupid.
lets call this new law "any person, anything stupid arrest" huh?! what do ya think? and the sorts of things we could use the a.p.a.s.a law for are as follows:

-stupid driving: report the plates to the police if you see excessive speeding/cell phone drivers/newspaper reading drivers/ make-up putting on drivers/ uber illegal passing/ complete failure to stop/ or other general "dumbassness" while driving
-cell phone kiosk workers: you know the ones, they berate you with sales pitches as you walk by in the mall. they should be outlawed immediately- i mean, this ain't no freaking ballgame, i don't want no PEANUTS or PROGRAMS!!!
-RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) employees: you all know whom i'm writing of; those bastard lawyers that sue 13 year old girls and grandmas and grandpas for having pirated music on their computers (that they don't own or even know how to use) yeah, those infant and elderly pirates, they're a risk to humankind i say. we should be able to arrest all poseur riaa employees and their cronies.
-litterbugs: yes, littering sucks and all whom participate in it shall be scolded, but i'm talking abot those bastards that throw ovens and refrigerators into the woods or at dead end roads. those people that dump their lawn compost in the middle of cow pastures, or the idiots that leave full black plastic trash bags full of whatever on the sides of roads.... all of 'em should be hunted down.
-corrupt leaders: you know who i'm writing of- the troublemakers and phonys in "white houses", castles, parlimentary dwellings, and other "gold-roofed" buildings. we all know what they're up to, lets skip the facts and just "smoke 'em out of their caves" with some "shock and awe"!! maybe toby keith could put a boot up their ass!!
-patenters: i know i know, i've already voiced my opinion on this... but i'm still feelin' it. the u.s patent office is out of control and must be stopped. creative licenses and copyrights are infringing on other peoples livelihoods. for example, a nasty uber multinational corporation named monsanto who has their mitts on everything from biotech, herbicides, genetically engineered seeds, has recently filed suit against a farmer in canada for accidentally growing round-up ready seed on his land. i won't go into the details of the case, but check it out here! it's interesting and enraging.
we should be able to knock off all those idiotic patents and people/ companies that patent idiotic things... so the rest of us have some space to be creative or just live our lives.


ok, i've meandered off topic a little bit here... so why don't i let you all decide where and when we should use the new a.p.a.s.a law i've created and enstated! let me know, hit up the comments board, leave a voicemail, or send me some IM's... i'm interested where you think this stuff could be utilized.

obviously, this whole tirade is a bit tongue-in-cheek- i in no way want to "knock off" or kill any of these perpetrators, but i just wanted to rant in a less serious manner this time!

as always- live, love, learn, and ask questions....
peace

citizens arrest

ok, so maybe there'll be a little profanity in this post, as i'm a little amped at the moment (**there's the disclaimer**)

earlier today, on my way back from the golf course, i witnessed some of the worst driving of my life. i won't get too much into the specifics, but basically i saw multiple instances where one car passed another car in the most inappropriate situation or at the most inopportune time. it's just rediculous to me, and i saw maybe 3 instances this morning alone. as a general statement, people can't drive. i understand that, i recognize that when i'm on the road, and i generally just deal accordingly... but it still irritates me.

in no way however, am i stating that i'm a good driver or even a better driver than most, but i just can't believe some of the thickheaded things i see people pull of/ try to pull off sometimes...


so... in the spirit of this, i propose that we implement an iteration of citizens arrest for daily use. from what i understand, a citizens arrest (a.k.a "any persons arrest) is usually used when a citizen witnesses another person committing a felony or when an officer is in pursuit of a criminal. well, i say we just let us all report/ arrest/ contain/ subdue anyone we see doing anything stupid.
lets call this new law "any person, anything stupid arrest" huh?! what do ya think? and the sorts of things we could use the a.p.a.s.a law for are as follows:

-stupid driving: report the plates to the police if you see excessive speeding/cell phone drivers/newspaper reading drivers/ make-up putting on drivers/ uber illegal passing/ complete failure to stop/ or other general "dumbassness" while driving
-cell phone kiosk workers: you know the ones, they berate you with sales pitches as you walk by in the mall. they should be outlawed immediately- i mean, this ain't no freaking ballgame, i don't want no PEANUTS or PROGRAMS!!!
-RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) employees: you all know whom i'm writing of; those bastard lawyers that sue 13 year old girls and grandmas and grandpas for having pirated music on their computers (that they don't own or even know how to use) yeah, those infant and elderly pirates, they're a risk to humankind i say. we should be able to arrest all poseur riaa employees and their cronies.
-litterbugs: yes, littering sucks and all whom participate in it shall be scolded, but i'm talking abot those bastards that throw ovens and refrigerators into the woods or at dead end roads. those people that dump their lawn compost in the middle of cow pastures, or the idiots that leave full black plastic trash bags full of whatever on the sides of roads.... all of 'em should be hunted down.
-corrupt leaders: you know who i'm writing of- the troublemakers and phonys in "white houses", castles, parlimentary dwellings, and other "gold-roofed" buildings. we all know what they're up to, lets skip the facts and just "smoke 'em out of their caves" with some "shock and awe"!! maybe toby keith could put a boot up their ass!!
-patenters: i know i know, i've already voiced my opinion on this... but i'm still feelin' it. the u.s patent office is out of control and must be stopped. creative licenses and copyrights are infringing on other peoples livelihoods. for example, a nasty uber multinational corporation named monsanto who has their mitts on everything from biotech, herbicides, genetically engineered seeds, has recently filed suit against a farmer in canada for accidentally growing round-up ready seed on his land. i won't go into the details of the case, but check it out here! it's interesting and enraging.
we should be able to knock off all those idiotic patents and people/ companies that patent idiotic things... so the rest of us have some space to be creative or just live our lives.


ok, i've meandered off topic a little bit here... so why don't i let you all decide where and when we should use the new a.p.a.s.a law i've created and enstated! let me know, hit up the comments board, leave a voicemail, or send me some IM's... i'm interested where you think this stuff could be utilized.

obviously, this whole tirade is a bit tongue-in-cheek- i in no way want to "knock off" or kill any of these perpetrators, but i just wanted to rant in a less serious manner this time!

as always- live, love, learn, and ask questions....
peace

Thinking is not an option...

Think
(November 2004)

Think for yourself, always
And always think of yourself
When thinking for yourself
Because no one else can
And no one else will

Thinking is not an option...

Think
(November 2004)

Think for yourself, always
And always think of yourself
When thinking for yourself
Because no one else can
And no one else will

attempts upon attempts...

... to explain myself.

Runway Runaway

(March 2006)

Mannequin soldiers everywhere, display colors they deem to be true.

The fashion mob has their direct attention; gangsters of the new age.

Where 'look at me' personalities outweigh functional character and decency

And spirituality becomes confused with sexuality and a crass grip on privacy

They walk the streets as if on a Hollywood runway

Or a fox who's just picked the lock to the chicken coop.

Only care in the world is for what's coming squarely unto them.

And attention they'll get, and attention they crave.

But at the end of the day, at the end of their time

The attention accrued, ain't worth a nickel, never mind a dime.

A society moving at a breakneck speed

But there's still children here that can't read

Yet our models, our athletes, our icons

They're hooked on the high life, and our children, they're hooked on the greed

While occupants of the windowless tenement, they're flocking to the street

The Jones' are out in front, but I'm staying behind

We have no need for the white picket fence.

Throw it in the pot belly stove, let it burn us some warm love.

Take the tiny red sports cars, all lined up in a row

Push them off a cliff, and sell the scraps to the homeless

Now take a bow

attempts upon attempts...

... to explain myself.

Runway Runaway
(March 2006)

Mannequin soldiers everywhere, display colors they deem to be true.
The fashion mob has their direct attention; gangsters of the new age.
Where 'look at me' personalities outweigh functional character and decency
And spirituality becomes confused with sexuality and a crass grip on privacy

They walk the streets as if on a Hollywood runway
Or a fox who's just picked the lock to the chicken coop.
Only care in the world is for what's coming squarely unto them.
And attention they'll get, and attention they crave.
But at the end of the day, at the end of their time
The attention accrued, ain't worth a nickel, never mind a dime.

A society moving at a breakneck speed
But there's still children here that can't read
Yet our models, our athletes, our icons
They're hooked on the high life, and our children, they're hooked on the greed
While occupants of the windowless tenement, they're flocking to the street

The Jones' are out in front, but I'm staying behind
We have no need for the white picket fence.
Throw it in the pot belly stove, let it burn us some warm love.
Take the tiny red sports cars, all lined up in a row
Push them off a cliff, and sell the scraps to the homeless
Now take a bow

Is Al Gore back?

My job/ work consists of readying a large parcel of land on a daily basis so that the elite of our society can spend their leisure time. Leisure time. Leisure time... remember that phrase.

Two or more days a week I wear a respirator mask to accomplish my job. Yes, I risk my health, my future, my sanity, and my wellbeing so that the rich old men of our society can perpetuate their "good ol' boy" lifestyles. So... their leisure time depends heavily on my (or someone else) risking my own life. To me, something is wrong with that image. That picture is bleak- I need a change.

I don't know, maybe this ordeal is what I must endure in order to get to where my calling is. Maybe this is just part of my own personal "Piano Man" song. Shall I pursuse what it is I think I want, or shall it pursue me when I'm ready and the time is right?

Obviously those questions are left to be determined... in time I suppose.
Boiled down, what I'm saying is that I think I'm sort of at a crossroads of my life. As John Mayer would proclaim, I'm having a "quarter life crisis". Either way, it's tough... but as I alluded to Billy Joel above, it shall all work out in the end, we all need to flounder for a while in "career-life" before we find "it".

So where does Al Gore come in on this you ask? Ahh, well first let me apologize for temporarily leading you astray, but let me also explain.
Mr. Gore is making a comeback. He's always been a "people's politician" in my mind. Some would argue quite the opposite, and would attribute his loss in the 2000 presidential election to such things, but I chose to see him as a trailblazer and all around capable man (from the little I know). For the last 14 years he has been making speeches/ lectures having to do with global warming and climate change. Why he didn't make the issue a larger part of his presidential campaign is beyond the scope of my knowledge, and also irrelevant to this discussion.
On May 24, Gore is releasing a movie/ documentary called An Inconvenient Truth.
This movie takes on those exact issues and examines them in a way that relates (or should relate) to all American citizens. I know I'm amped about it, and I plan to go see it on release weekend.

Check these out:
Sundance Film Festival - An Inconvenient Truth
Google Video Trailer - An Inconvenient Truth
IMDb- An Inconvenient Truth
Open Source Radio - An Inconvenient Truth



So how does all this relate to my earlier thoughts on my job? Well, seeing as I do care about our planet, I do care about personal health and wellbeing of all, and I do enjoy outdoors/ environmental stuff, I just thought that I was leading a hypocryitcal life. My soapbox rants and utopian idealism are seemingly pushed aside for aspirations of "the great American dream" and the pursuit of health and wealth... well not exactly, but you know what I mean. Anyone who knows me will realize that my goals and dreams will not be discovered or lived out on a 12th hole fairway somewhere in South Hadley. Those dreams, I surmize, will be found within the political and emotional tensions of Mother Earth, The Conservation Movement, and Envoronmentalism... I think/ hope?

Or maybe i'll find my calling selling music behind the counter of a Newbury Comics somewhere...

Is Al Gore back?

My job/ work consists of readying a large parcel of land on a daily basis so that the elite of our society can spend their leisure time. Leisure time. Leisure time... remember that phrase.

Two or more days a week I wear a respirator mask to accomplish my job. Yes, I risk my health, my future, my sanity, and my wellbeing so that the rich old men of our society can perpetuate their "good ol' boy" lifestyles. So... their leisure time depends heavily on my (or someone else) risking my own life. To me, something is wrong with that image. That picture is bleak- I need a change.

I don't know, maybe this ordeal is what I must endure in order to get to where my calling is. Maybe this is just part of my own personal "Piano Man" song. Shall I pursuse what it is I think I want, or shall it pursue me when I'm ready and the time is right?

Obviously those questions are left to be determined... in time I suppose.
Boiled down, what I'm saying is that I think I'm sort of at a crossroads of my life. As John Mayer would proclaim, I'm having a "quarter life crisis". Either way, it's tough... but as I alluded to Billy Joel above, it shall all work out in the end, we all need to flounder for a while in "career-life" before we find "it".

So where does Al Gore come in on this you ask? Ahh, well first let me apologize for temporarily leading you astray, but let me also explain.
Mr. Gore is making a comeback. He's always been a "people's politician" in my mind. Some would argue quite the opposite, and would attribute his loss in the 2000 presidential election to such things, but I chose to see him as a trailblazer and all around capable man (from the little I know). For the last 14 years he has been making speeches/ lectures having to do with global warming and climate change. Why he didn't make the issue a larger part of his presidential campaign is beyond the scope of my knowledge, and also irrelevant to this discussion.
On May 24, Gore is releasing a movie/ documentary called An Inconvenient Truth.
This movie takes on those exact issues and examines them in a way that relates (or should relate) to all American citizens. I know I'm amped about it, and I plan to go see it on release weekend.

Check these out:
Sundance Film Festival - An Inconvenient Truth
Google Video Trailer - An Inconvenient Truth
IMDb- An Inconvenient Truth
Open Source Radio - An Inconvenient Truth



So how does all this relate to my earlier thoughts on my job? Well, seeing as I do care about our planet, I do care about personal health and wellbeing of all, and I do enjoy outdoors/ environmental stuff, I just thought that I was leading a hypocryitcal life. My soapbox rants and utopian idealism are seemingly pushed aside for aspirations of "the great American dream" and the pursuit of health and wealth... well not exactly, but you know what I mean. Anyone who knows me will realize that my goals and dreams will not be discovered or lived out on a 12th hole fairway somewhere in South Hadley. Those dreams, I surmize, will be found within the political and emotional tensions of Mother Earth, The Conservation Movement, and Envoronmentalism... I think/ hope?

Or maybe i'll find my calling selling music behind the counter of a Newbury Comics somewhere...

I'm Going To Patent the Patent!

Would that be possible? -to patent the process of patenting? I'm sure someone's tried it by now, or maybe it's written in patent law that the whole process of patenting cannot be patented. Hmmm...I wonder?
Anyway, the whole reason why I'm curious about all this is because it seems lately there has been an absurd amount of patent wars. Almost like the United States has been notorious in recent years of being overly litigious (ie. woman sues McDonalds after being burned by hot coffee); it seems we're now becoming (in the business world) overly patent hungry. Lately it seems every time I read a tech article or listen to a tech based news channel or podcast, that some corporation is battling with another company over who patented what, who owes whom how much, or who has the rights to the patent, etc, etc...
These are just a few of the more recent examples I can think of:
(ask yourself this: how rediculous do these sound?)

- Philips Electronics has recently filed for a patent that would allow them to restrict the skipping/ forwarding of commercials during playback of recorded programming. It seems they also would want to restrict persons from changing channels during playback of recorded commercials as well. Hmmm... seem sketchy? I think so!

- Burst.com has filed a suit against Apple Corporation, claming that they have infringed on Burst's patent on downloading media content "faster than real-time". For example, from what I understand, Burst claims they have the patent on the downloading of a 1 hour show in less time than one hour. So cable television delivers their shows to you in real-time, whereas Burst patented the "less than real-time" delivery of that same show. Make sense? Did I just get confusing?? Check it out for youself here!

- Here is a sort of uplifting/ sad story about a man named Geoff Goodfellow, who supposedly invented and patented the idea of wireless email long before it was possible or even dreamed up. He won't ever profit from the idea, and seems quite ok with that notion. Good for him, it seems he has a wider view of the world than most people, and doesn't feel the need to be patent crazy.

- this one really pisses me off: Netflix, the internet movie ordering company, has sued Blockbuster for creating its own online movie ordering system. They (Netflix) claims that they hold the patent of online queueing and mailing/ delivering of movies. WOW, I can't believe that a general idea like this can even be patented. Seems strange to me...

- TiVo, the makers/ developers of the popular set-top boxes that pause/ record/ fast forward/ save live television, is suing Dish Network, claiming they own the patent on pausing live television. Hmm, is there a familiar theme going on here??

This is all the examples I have for now, but let me just say this:
What gives? Why can no American corporation be happy with where it stands, or with the profits it is making? I know, I know... "The American Dream", "The Pursuit of Health, Wealth, and Happiness", "Manifest Destiny", "Socialism", "Communism", "Totalitarianism", etc, etc... you get my drift!
But come on, why must every company have their hand in every cookie jar in America (or the world for that matter)? Why can't we all get along? Is there a happy medium? What about the 'Greater Good' mentality of utilitarianism and community wellbeing? Is that too much to ask, or do we all have to thrust out our chests and say "that was me" whenever our own ideas are out in the public air?

...I'm tired...

I'm Going To Patent the Patent!

Would that be possible? -to patent the process of patenting? I'm sure someone's tried it by now, or maybe it's written in patent law that the whole process of patenting cannot be patented. Hmmm...I wonder?
Anyway, the whole reason why I'm curious about all this is because it seems lately there has been an absurd amount of patent wars. Almost like the United States has been notorious in recent years of being overly litigious (ie. woman sues McDonalds after being burned by hot coffee); it seems we're now becoming (in the business world) overly patent hungry. Lately it seems every time I read a tech article or listen to a tech based news channel or podcast, that some corporation is battling with another company over who patented what, who owes whom how much, or who has the rights to the patent, etc, etc...
These are just a few of the more recent examples I can think of:
(ask yourself this: how rediculous do these sound?)

- Philips Electronics has recently filed for a patent that would allow them to restrict the skipping/ forwarding of commercials during playback of recorded programming. It seems they also would want to restrict persons from changing channels during playback of recorded commercials as well. Hmmm... seem sketchy? I think so!

- Burst.com has filed a suit against Apple Corporation, claming that they have infringed on Burst's patent on downloading media content "faster than real-time". For example, from what I understand, Burst claims they have the patent on the downloading of a 1 hour show in less time than one hour. So cable television delivers their shows to you in real-time, whereas Burst patented the "less than real-time" delivery of that same show. Make sense? Did I just get confusing?? Check it out for youself here!

- Here is a sort of uplifting/ sad story about a man named Geoff Goodfellow, who supposedly invented and patented the idea of wireless email long before it was possible or even dreamed up. He won't ever profit from the idea, and seems quite ok with that notion. Good for him, it seems he has a wider view of the world than most people, and doesn't feel the need to be patent crazy.

- this one really pisses me off: Netflix, the internet movie ordering company, has sued Blockbuster for creating its own online movie ordering system. They (Netflix) claims that they hold the patent of online queueing and mailing/ delivering of movies. WOW, I can't believe that a general idea like this can even be patented. Seems strange to me...

- TiVo, the makers/ developers of the popular set-top boxes that pause/ record/ fast forward/ save live television, is suing Dish Network, claiming they own the patent on pausing live television. Hmm, is there a familiar theme going on here??

This is all the examples I have for now, but let me just say this:
What gives? Why can no American corporation be happy with where it stands, or with the profits it is making? I know, I know... "The American Dream", "The Pursuit of Health, Wealth, and Happiness", "Manifest Destiny", "Socialism", "Communism", "Totalitarianism", etc, etc... you get my drift!
But come on, why must every company have their hand in every cookie jar in America (or the world for that matter)? Why can't we all get along? Is there a happy medium? What about the 'Greater Good' mentality of utilitarianism and community wellbeing? Is that too much to ask, or do we all have to thrust out our chests and say "that was me" whenever our own ideas are out in the public air?

...I'm tired...

slow, slow, slow

not much to write about lately... i've been busy, i haven't had any huge topics i wanted to write about, and i just have kinda forgotten about my blogspace to be honest.

so whats new, lets see:

-back to summer work schedule, which means no time for life usually :-(
-em got a new job as a bank teller, which means smiley emily and more time for life :-)
-we got an hdtv and it rocks the world!
-the weather has been shitty- well shitty in terms of what spring should be
-my nephew is now 1 year old (yeah aidan, we love you)

other than that, not much has changed... stay tuned, as i'm bound to explode back on the scene with a scorching topic and out of this world commentary about some random thing!! haha
peace

slow, slow, slow

not much to write about lately... i've been busy, i haven't had any huge topics i wanted to write about, and i just have kinda forgotten about my blogspace to be honest.

so whats new, lets see:

-back to summer work schedule, which means no time for life usually :-(
-em got a new job as a bank teller, which means smiley emily and more time for life :-)
-we got an hdtv and it rocks the world!
-the weather has been shitty- well shitty in terms of what spring should be
-my nephew is now 1 year old (yeah aidan, we love you)

other than that, not much has changed... stay tuned, as i'm bound to explode back on the scene with a scorching topic and out of this world commentary about some random thing!! haha
peace

not cool, where's the love?

not to rehash and overuse a certain "black eyed" mantra, but where is the love??

in recent news, at&t has purchased bellsouth. to most, this news is just another day in the life of the american way- consolidation of business: the rich get richer, the poor get kicked harder... and "the haves have not a clue", as stated so eloquently by ed vedder.

of particular interest in the at&t/ bellsouth scenario is that by merging, 10,000 jobs will be cut! yes, you read that right. and you have my permission to excuse yourself and poke your head out your front door and scream bloody obscenities in the direction of the american telephone & telegraph headquarters in bedminster, nj.

to my knowledge, the reason for cooperation and teamwork (which in todays world only loosely defines why cooperations exist) is to get more done. productivity. efficiency. expediency. right?
that is why back in the caveman days there were groups of hunters and gatherers. they went out together so they'd hunt/ gather more and have more to bring back to family and townspeople. right?

so then why when two companies merge do they seem to always lay off/ cut thousands of jobs?? i know, i know, it's all about the benjamins... i get it, and this rant is basically as rhetorical as it gets, but i just wanted to voice my displeasure with this trend.

so again i ask, where is the love??

that's it, i'm out!

not cool, where's the love?

not to rehash and overuse a certain "black eyed" mantra, but where is the love??

in recent news, at&t has purchased bellsouth. to most, this news is just another day in the life of the american way- consolidation of business: the rich get richer, the poor get kicked harder... and "the haves have not a clue", as stated so eloquently by ed vedder.

of particular interest in the at&t/ bellsouth scenario is that by merging, 10,000 jobs will be cut! yes, you read that right. and you have my permission to excuse yourself and poke your head out your front door and scream bloody obscenities in the direction of the american telephone & telegraph headquarters in bedminster, nj.

to my knowledge, the reason for cooperation and teamwork (which in todays world only loosely defines why cooperations exist) is to get more done. productivity. efficiency. expediency. right?
that is why back in the caveman days there were groups of hunters and gatherers. they went out together so they'd hunt/ gather more and have more to bring back to family and townspeople. right?

so then why when two companies merge do they seem to always lay off/ cut thousands of jobs?? i know, i know, it's all about the benjamins... i get it, and this rant is basically as rhetorical as it gets, but i just wanted to voice my displeasure with this trend.

so again i ask, where is the love??

that's it, i'm out!

was undecided for a while...

yes, i've changed the name of this here blog once again... just wasn't feelin' the old one. sounded too pretentious or fakely meaningful or some such shit... so from now (and hopefully permanently) the new name is 'the form of function'. it encompasses me, plain and simple... i'm not going to elaborate this time due to the risk of confusion....

enjoy! i'm out for now--

was undecided for a while...

yes, i've changed the name of this here blog once again... just wasn't feelin' the old one. sounded too pretentious or fakely meaningful or some such shit... so from now (and hopefully permanently) the new name is 'the form of function'. it encompasses me, plain and simple... i'm not going to elaborate this time due to the risk of confusion....

enjoy! i'm out for now--