'The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald'
Saturday, January 29
Kristeen Young, 'Life's Not Short, It's Sooo Long'
Posted this a long time ago, but it was a video, not a live performance. Some of you will really like her, others will plug your ears or run out of the room. It matters not!
I saw her and met her and talked to her for quite a bit so I happen to like her and most of her music. And by most I mean probably half. She has some punkish stuff I don't like. But she had some slow, haunting stuff like this too that sounds totally original.
Oh, and she's a very nice person. Very polite, even to a total stranger like me. That goes a long way in my book when so many people in this world just blow you off unless you're someone they can use for their own ends, or you're oozing money and bling.
I saw her and met her and talked to her for quite a bit so I happen to like her and most of her music. And by most I mean probably half. She has some punkish stuff I don't like. But she had some slow, haunting stuff like this too that sounds totally original.
Oh, and she's a very nice person. Very polite, even to a total stranger like me. That goes a long way in my book when so many people in this world just blow you off unless you're someone they can use for their own ends, or you're oozing money and bling.
Jeff Buckley covering...
Morrissey, his idol. This is a Smiths song from 1985, the Buckley version is from 1995. He also left a number of Smiths covers on his own (presumably at home) which were not found until after his death in 1997.
Thursday, January 27
Which do you like better? Or do you say "Mu!"
The original, from the 1989... Except it's not the original, it's a version. Though it's still Robert Smith from The Cure, who wrote it... I'm guessing this is live or something. Original enough.
(There was a cover version by a musician called "Adele" here, previously.)
Lost the Adele version already, on account of copyright violation. Yet you can go to YouTube and watch it. Isn't streaming something to people you have an influence on just free publicity for an artist, so that those people may buy the album? I don't understand the strongarm tactics of the music industry a-holes. I just love music and want to share it with people; I'm not filling my site with ads and trying to make a nickel off anything. If the people I know like something enough that I put up, they are likely to buy it legally. Everyone I know well will, if they have money. If they don't, they wouldn't buy it anyway! Duh...
Well, so much for the comparison. By the way, about the Mu reference...
Simple version
http://csarven.ca/mu
More accurate version
http://int.kateigaho.com/jan04/zen-mu.html
Basically saying "mu!" to a question is to "unask" the question. Useful for paradoxes and being questioned by the FBI.
(There was a cover version by a musician called "Adele" here, previously.)
Lost the Adele version already, on account of copyright violation. Yet you can go to YouTube and watch it. Isn't streaming something to people you have an influence on just free publicity for an artist, so that those people may buy the album? I don't understand the strongarm tactics of the music industry a-holes. I just love music and want to share it with people; I'm not filling my site with ads and trying to make a nickel off anything. If the people I know like something enough that I put up, they are likely to buy it legally. Everyone I know well will, if they have money. If they don't, they wouldn't buy it anyway! Duh...
Well, so much for the comparison. By the way, about the Mu reference...
Simple version
http://csarven.ca/mu
More accurate version
http://int.kateigaho.com/jan04/zen-mu.html
Basically saying "mu!" to a question is to "unask" the question. Useful for paradoxes and being questioned by the FBI.
Saturday, January 22
My current Comcast connection.
After a few tries it seemed to keep coming out almost the same...
I know the reported upload speed is too slow. I observe traffic both ways pretty religiously, and it should be quite a bit higher. The test told me my ISP might be experiencing a heavy load or using "upload compression" whatever that is.
Also, I've got lots of apps open and haven't rebooted in ages, so that doesn't help. The download speed of 11 Mbps seems pretty accurate, though. On a good day on a good site, I can download things at between 5mb and 10mb per second. That's a music CD in about 10 seconds, a watchable-quality movie in about 5 minutes (less or more depending on the number of seeders), and a 720p Blu-ray rip encoded as an H.264/.mkv file in about 20 minutes.
Want to test your speed?
http://www.dslreports.com/speedtest
Caveat: I'm not sure this will work for non-North American users. Feel free to try, though.
I know the reported upload speed is too slow. I observe traffic both ways pretty religiously, and it should be quite a bit higher. The test told me my ISP might be experiencing a heavy load or using "upload compression" whatever that is.
Also, I've got lots of apps open and haven't rebooted in ages, so that doesn't help. The download speed of 11 Mbps seems pretty accurate, though. On a good day on a good site, I can download things at between 5mb and 10mb per second. That's a music CD in about 10 seconds, a watchable-quality movie in about 5 minutes (less or more depending on the number of seeders), and a 720p Blu-ray rip encoded as an H.264/.mkv file in about 20 minutes.
Want to test your speed?
http://www.dslreports.com/speedtest
Caveat: I'm not sure this will work for non-North American users. Feel free to try, though.
Friday, January 21
Just got this to watch.
Amazed I'd never seen it before with those three actors in it. Looks a bit creepy too. Based on a Tennessee Williams play, and by the director of On the Waterfront. Must be good! I know the title of course but really know nothing about the film. Anyone seen this? Don't spoil it if so, just interested if you have.
Just went through all 10 Star Trek flicks recently, so now I'm on an "old" movie kick to change gears, so to speak. Stuff with Monty Clift, Richard Burton, Liz Taylor, Cary Grant, Marlon Brando, Katherine Hepburn, Gregory Peck – all the interesting actors. And in good films too. If you've got some favorites from the past, whether well-known or barely-known (the latter would be better), please share them.
Always looking for quality films I haven't seen before.
Just went through all 10 Star Trek flicks recently, so now I'm on an "old" movie kick to change gears, so to speak. Stuff with Monty Clift, Richard Burton, Liz Taylor, Cary Grant, Marlon Brando, Katherine Hepburn, Gregory Peck – all the interesting actors. And in good films too. If you've got some favorites from the past, whether well-known or barely-known (the latter would be better), please share them.
Always looking for quality films I haven't seen before.
Wednesday, January 12
Enigma, "Sadeness"
Official video gets blocked in countries outside the US, usually. Still, this one contains a translation of the Latin and French parts - bonus!
Wednesday, January 5
being held down by darkness
Anyone trying to get hold of me, or wondering why I've not been around much on email, phone, facebook, or my blog... I'm just very depressed right now. I'm having a horrible time trying to sleep, horrible nightmares and insomnia and sleep paralysis and lucid dreaming and night terrors, and this lack of needed, healthy sleep has drained me completely during the day. I'm on my normal meds and not aware of any specific cause, it's just one of those things that happens sometimes. Usually I get myself out of it in a few days - it just lifts and I'm able to get motivated about something, and then it's back to the normal ups and downs of life, the normal feeling that things are real and I'm inside myself and there's not a 1000 lb weight on me and I can see or hear something or talk to someone without wanting to run away or burst into tears or be gone completely. But there's nothing I can do until it lifts...
I'll be fine again I'm sure, it always goes away (for awhile). I'm not panicking or desperate or suicidal right now - just flattened by apathy alternating with sadness, and almost unable to get out of bed. For those who are wondering about my sinus illness and other things, a quick update so that I can avoid talking to anyone in the meantime (sorry if that sounds rude, I don't mean it in that way - I just *can't* bear to do much right now)...
I went to the ENT doc but my appt was the last before their 2-hour lunch break, and they were running an hour behind by then, so I was going to have to be pushed to the afternoon. As I was already feeling anxious and depressed yesterday, I asked if I could reschedule. The doctor had no problem with it since my sinuses seem to be fine now, but said of course to call if they got worse suddenly. I'm scheduled to get my CT and see him both on the 13th now. Hopefully this time they won't overbook, and everything will turn out well. As of now I feel physically fine, I'm just in the doldrums for no reason that I know of, and can't get out of it in any way that I know of either.
This is common in major depression; despite medication, depression still breaks through now and then for most people, and the time around the holidays, around times of change or stress, are particularly likely times for it to happen. I'm trying to read, to meditate, to eat and to do little things like check my mail, but it's hard right now and to be honest I really have NO interest in anything.
I appreciate concern anyone has for me and just request (politely) that those who want to be supportive do so (again, not to sound rude - this is really what I need/want right now) by just leaving me alone to work things out for myself. Positive support is fine too, but I can't promise to respond and don't want to worry people if I don't. And any sort of confrontation about anything right now is just off the table; I can't and won't deal with it at all. I hope no one has any towering issues with me at the moment, but if they do they won't get anything out of me until I can get out of this funk. Again, it's not my will that this be the case but simply the way my disease works. I literally cannot deal with much right now, cannot "help myself" and run around getting things done and making phone calls and setting things up - if people suffering major depressive episodes could do all that, it would be quite nice, but they can't.
I'm not going to feel bad about it (being depressed), either, because I can't control when it happens and have learned that putting the blame on myself (feeling guilt, inadequacy, and so on) only makes things worse, and I refuse to fall into that cycle. I have done so far too many times in the past, causing myself to just spiral inward and get worse and worse, and I won't any more. I know it's an illness and not "me" and that anyone who thinks differently or thinks badly of me because I am the way that I am should correct their incorrect beliefs.
It's not that I don't care - it's because I do care (somewhere inside me) that I feel I must write this.
Resources for people who would like to understand depression better:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_depressive_disorder
http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/major-depression
http://www.webmd.com/depression/news/20110104/depresssion-gene-linked-to-response-to-stress
http://blogs.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/2010/07/dreams-nightmares-and-stress.html
http://algy.com/anxiety/
http://preview.tinyurl.com/27y4fu4
http://www.amazon.com/Unquiet-Mind-Memoir-Moods-Madness/dp/0679763309
http://www.amazon.com/Noonday-Demon-Atlas-Depression/dp/0684854678
http://www.amazon.com/Talking-Depression-Connect-Someone-Depressed/dp/0451209869
http://www.amazon.com/Center-Cannot-Hold-Journey-Through/dp/1401309445
http://www.amazon.com/Talking-Depression-Connect-Someone-Depressed/dp/0451209869
I won't apologize for being depressed either. I wish I weren't, of course. I will say thanks to those who are or have been supportive, and also that I know it is a very hard thing to deal with, not only for the sufferer but others in his family or in his life. I understand it can be extremely difficult and frustrating for those around me. Please understand it is all that to an even greater extent for me. Thank you.
Justin
I'll be fine again I'm sure, it always goes away (for awhile). I'm not panicking or desperate or suicidal right now - just flattened by apathy alternating with sadness, and almost unable to get out of bed. For those who are wondering about my sinus illness and other things, a quick update so that I can avoid talking to anyone in the meantime (sorry if that sounds rude, I don't mean it in that way - I just *can't* bear to do much right now)...
I went to the ENT doc but my appt was the last before their 2-hour lunch break, and they were running an hour behind by then, so I was going to have to be pushed to the afternoon. As I was already feeling anxious and depressed yesterday, I asked if I could reschedule. The doctor had no problem with it since my sinuses seem to be fine now, but said of course to call if they got worse suddenly. I'm scheduled to get my CT and see him both on the 13th now. Hopefully this time they won't overbook, and everything will turn out well. As of now I feel physically fine, I'm just in the doldrums for no reason that I know of, and can't get out of it in any way that I know of either.
This is common in major depression; despite medication, depression still breaks through now and then for most people, and the time around the holidays, around times of change or stress, are particularly likely times for it to happen. I'm trying to read, to meditate, to eat and to do little things like check my mail, but it's hard right now and to be honest I really have NO interest in anything.
I appreciate concern anyone has for me and just request (politely) that those who want to be supportive do so (again, not to sound rude - this is really what I need/want right now) by just leaving me alone to work things out for myself. Positive support is fine too, but I can't promise to respond and don't want to worry people if I don't. And any sort of confrontation about anything right now is just off the table; I can't and won't deal with it at all. I hope no one has any towering issues with me at the moment, but if they do they won't get anything out of me until I can get out of this funk. Again, it's not my will that this be the case but simply the way my disease works. I literally cannot deal with much right now, cannot "help myself" and run around getting things done and making phone calls and setting things up - if people suffering major depressive episodes could do all that, it would be quite nice, but they can't.
I'm not going to feel bad about it (being depressed), either, because I can't control when it happens and have learned that putting the blame on myself (feeling guilt, inadequacy, and so on) only makes things worse, and I refuse to fall into that cycle. I have done so far too many times in the past, causing myself to just spiral inward and get worse and worse, and I won't any more. I know it's an illness and not "me" and that anyone who thinks differently or thinks badly of me because I am the way that I am should correct their incorrect beliefs.
It's not that I don't care - it's because I do care (somewhere inside me) that I feel I must write this.
Resources for people who would like to understand depression better:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_depressive_disorder
http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/major-depression
http://www.webmd.com/depression/news/20110104/depresssion-gene-linked-to-response-to-stress
http://blogs.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/2010/07/dreams-nightmares-and-stress.html
http://algy.com/anxiety/
http://preview.tinyurl.com/27y4fu4
http://www.amazon.com/Unquiet-Mind-Memoir-Moods-Madness/dp/0679763309
http://www.amazon.com/Noonday-Demon-Atlas-Depression/dp/0684854678
http://www.amazon.com/Talking-Depression-Connect-Someone-Depressed/dp/0451209869
http://www.amazon.com/Center-Cannot-Hold-Journey-Through/dp/1401309445
http://www.amazon.com/Talking-Depression-Connect-Someone-Depressed/dp/0451209869
I won't apologize for being depressed either. I wish I weren't, of course. I will say thanks to those who are or have been supportive, and also that I know it is a very hard thing to deal with, not only for the sufferer but others in his family or in his life. I understand it can be extremely difficult and frustrating for those around me. Please understand it is all that to an even greater extent for me. Thank you.
Justin
Sunday, January 2
bowsers
Yes, that typo was on purpose and designed to make you "lol".
Let's see... browsers. Over the life of the web I've gone from using Netscape to IE to Firefox to Chrome. I've also dabbled with Opera, Safari, Seamonkey, and a few others, but they've never been my primary browser.
At the moment I am using Chrome 8, the latest stable release, as my primary browser, but I have - get this - Chrome 10 beta, Firefox 3 stable, Firefox 4 beta, Opera 11, IE 9, and Safari 5 all installed just to play with, or use when Chrome 8 seems incompatible with something, or to compare look, feel, and speed amongst all the major browsers on certain tasks like loading pages (text-rich or graphics-rich), videos, flash, and so on. I also like to see how extensible each one is, how minimal I can make it, how useful and thoughtfully laid-out its interface is, and so on. The reason for the betas is just to see what's in the pipeline - I never use them when I'm doing something I care about, mostly just get the latest builds periodically to see a glimpse of the future.
What is your favorite browser and version? And why? Just because it's the default for your OS and seems to work fine for what you do (a perfectly good answer), or have you compared a bunch as have a list of actual reasons why you like one better than the other? What is most important to you in a browser? Stability, compatibility with web standards, speed, user interface, tools and extensions, supporting a company you like, or something else?
By the way the fastest browser as of 1/1/11 (<—cool!) that I've used is by far Chrome 10 beta. Though I would NOT recommend you use it, as it's far from stable. The fastest "official" (non-beta) browser right now I think is Safari on the Mac (debatable, but it seems to be for most tasks), and Chrome 8 for Windows (IE 9 is faster for some limited tasks, but not overall). Chrome 8 seems slower than version 7, though, and 9 - which should be out very soon - doesn't promise any speed boosts. I blame it on more people bloating it with more extensions - one of the things that doomed Firefox when version 3 came out and which 4 is trying to address.
Chrome 10 will probably be the fastest still by the time it reaches "official" status, though I wouldn't put it past either Apple or Mozilla to surprise us with something just as fast by that time. I wouldn't bet on it though. Betting against Google is a sure way to lose your money. Also, I predict Opera will remain in the middle of the pack as far as speed, but be the most full-featured and in some ways most user-friendly browser out there. You should give it a try sometime. If you have a fast connection, it' plenty fast, and it has more options to customize and extend it, not to mention more built-in apps (it's really a suite, like the old Netscape was, rather than just a browser), than any of the other offerings. I quite like it, and version 5 seems like the best yet.
I'll keep testing it on sites that use lots of so-called Web 2.0 technologies like Ajax, Flex, Ruby, FBHTML (Facebook), HTML 5, and so on, and report back what I think of it when I am more comfortable in doing so. Probably this means I'll force myself to use it for all my normal daily tasks for about a month and then report back on my experiences, good and bad. Here are links for the various major browsers, btw (excluding beta builds - google those if you want them as I don't want to be responsible for crashing your computer)...
Google Chrome 8
Apple Safari 5
Mozilla Firefox 4 beta (I just broke my own 'no beta' rule, but 4 is almost out...)
Opera 11
Internet Exploder 9 (also technically still a beta, though they recommend it over version 8! Stupid Microsoft.)
Be aware that my primary experience is from within Windows 7 Home Edition 64-bit on a medium-performance rig. Your mileage may very if you use another version of Windows, or Mac OS X, Linux, or any of the new army of mobile device operating systems - or old hardware. I can't possibly test every version of every browser on every version of every operating system on every piece of hardware! (Unless someone paid me to do it, in which case I would undertake the task cheerfully.)
If you really want my recommendations (I usually tell people to do their own research, and you should), I'll say that in my opinion only, if you use Windows 7, then Chrome 8 is the best browser at the moment, followed closely by Opera 11. I'll be intrigued by the official release of Firefox 4 and use it heavily when it comes out to see if Mozilla has got their groove back. If you are on Mac OS X Snow Leopard, I'd either sit tight with Safari 5 or use Chrome 8. Firefox is not a bad choice but again until version 4 becomes official, I wouldn't bother even messing with 3.x - it's too buggy and slow. I have now idea how Safari 5 does on Windows or how Opera 11 does on OS X - probably not even worth trying to find out. I would also caution everyone to stay away from IE 8/9 on either platform. They're finally making strides toward complying with net standards that all the other browsers use, but they've got a ways to go. And they continue to have an unfair advantage by bundling their browser with their OS, and by not allowing you to truly uninstall it. Until they make it a standalone app that must sink or swim on its own without help from it's parent OS, I'll never use it nor recommend it just out of principle.
And if you want my recommendations for Linux or Ubuntu browsers, sorry, I haven't a clue.
Good luck whichever browser you use, and be sure to report any positive or negative experiences here so that we can all learn from them!
EDIT: I just found this benchmark of the "big 4" Windows browsers (unfortunately, this excludes Safari), and some of the betas I was talking about above, on the fairly reliable site Lifehacker. As my gut told me, and their numbers confirm, Chrome and Opera stomp Firefox and IE into the ground at everything. And Chrome 10 with its brand-new "Crankshaft" engine looks to be the most exciting browser on the horizon. One nice thing is that ALL browsers (yes, even IE) seem to have gotten better over the last handful of years, probably because of the increased competition. There are fewer and fewer proprietary functions and more and more compliance with web standards like HTML 5. This is a good thing. Compatibility and security trump sheer speed and fancy features every time in my book. Here's hoping that the future brings true open-standard web fonts, a browser-agnostic extension model, mandated HTML 5/XML 3 compliance, and default robust low-level security across the board as well. This would excite me more than any speed increase or GPU-assisted 3D Flash gimmicks, though the average Joe will always go for the glitzy stuff, of course.
Let's see... browsers. Over the life of the web I've gone from using Netscape to IE to Firefox to Chrome. I've also dabbled with Opera, Safari, Seamonkey, and a few others, but they've never been my primary browser.
At the moment I am using Chrome 8, the latest stable release, as my primary browser, but I have - get this - Chrome 10 beta, Firefox 3 stable, Firefox 4 beta, Opera 11, IE 9, and Safari 5 all installed just to play with, or use when Chrome 8 seems incompatible with something, or to compare look, feel, and speed amongst all the major browsers on certain tasks like loading pages (text-rich or graphics-rich), videos, flash, and so on. I also like to see how extensible each one is, how minimal I can make it, how useful and thoughtfully laid-out its interface is, and so on. The reason for the betas is just to see what's in the pipeline - I never use them when I'm doing something I care about, mostly just get the latest builds periodically to see a glimpse of the future.
What is your favorite browser and version? And why? Just because it's the default for your OS and seems to work fine for what you do (a perfectly good answer), or have you compared a bunch as have a list of actual reasons why you like one better than the other? What is most important to you in a browser? Stability, compatibility with web standards, speed, user interface, tools and extensions, supporting a company you like, or something else?
By the way the fastest browser as of 1/1/11 (<—cool!) that I've used is by far Chrome 10 beta. Though I would NOT recommend you use it, as it's far from stable. The fastest "official" (non-beta) browser right now I think is Safari on the Mac (debatable, but it seems to be for most tasks), and Chrome 8 for Windows (IE 9 is faster for some limited tasks, but not overall). Chrome 8 seems slower than version 7, though, and 9 - which should be out very soon - doesn't promise any speed boosts. I blame it on more people bloating it with more extensions - one of the things that doomed Firefox when version 3 came out and which 4 is trying to address.
Chrome 10 will probably be the fastest still by the time it reaches "official" status, though I wouldn't put it past either Apple or Mozilla to surprise us with something just as fast by that time. I wouldn't bet on it though. Betting against Google is a sure way to lose your money. Also, I predict Opera will remain in the middle of the pack as far as speed, but be the most full-featured and in some ways most user-friendly browser out there. You should give it a try sometime. If you have a fast connection, it' plenty fast, and it has more options to customize and extend it, not to mention more built-in apps (it's really a suite, like the old Netscape was, rather than just a browser), than any of the other offerings. I quite like it, and version 5 seems like the best yet.
I'll keep testing it on sites that use lots of so-called Web 2.0 technologies like Ajax, Flex, Ruby, FBHTML (Facebook), HTML 5, and so on, and report back what I think of it when I am more comfortable in doing so. Probably this means I'll force myself to use it for all my normal daily tasks for about a month and then report back on my experiences, good and bad. Here are links for the various major browsers, btw (excluding beta builds - google those if you want them as I don't want to be responsible for crashing your computer)...
Google Chrome 8
Apple Safari 5
Mozilla Firefox 4 beta (I just broke my own 'no beta' rule, but 4 is almost out...)
Opera 11
Internet Exploder 9 (also technically still a beta, though they recommend it over version 8! Stupid Microsoft.)
Be aware that my primary experience is from within Windows 7 Home Edition 64-bit on a medium-performance rig. Your mileage may very if you use another version of Windows, or Mac OS X, Linux, or any of the new army of mobile device operating systems - or old hardware. I can't possibly test every version of every browser on every version of every operating system on every piece of hardware! (Unless someone paid me to do it, in which case I would undertake the task cheerfully.)
If you really want my recommendations (I usually tell people to do their own research, and you should), I'll say that in my opinion only, if you use Windows 7, then Chrome 8 is the best browser at the moment, followed closely by Opera 11. I'll be intrigued by the official release of Firefox 4 and use it heavily when it comes out to see if Mozilla has got their groove back. If you are on Mac OS X Snow Leopard, I'd either sit tight with Safari 5 or use Chrome 8. Firefox is not a bad choice but again until version 4 becomes official, I wouldn't bother even messing with 3.x - it's too buggy and slow. I have now idea how Safari 5 does on Windows or how Opera 11 does on OS X - probably not even worth trying to find out. I would also caution everyone to stay away from IE 8/9 on either platform. They're finally making strides toward complying with net standards that all the other browsers use, but they've got a ways to go. And they continue to have an unfair advantage by bundling their browser with their OS, and by not allowing you to truly uninstall it. Until they make it a standalone app that must sink or swim on its own without help from it's parent OS, I'll never use it nor recommend it just out of principle.
And if you want my recommendations for Linux or Ubuntu browsers, sorry, I haven't a clue.
Good luck whichever browser you use, and be sure to report any positive or negative experiences here so that we can all learn from them!
EDIT: I just found this benchmark of the "big 4" Windows browsers (unfortunately, this excludes Safari), and some of the betas I was talking about above, on the fairly reliable site Lifehacker. As my gut told me, and their numbers confirm, Chrome and Opera stomp Firefox and IE into the ground at everything. And Chrome 10 with its brand-new "Crankshaft" engine looks to be the most exciting browser on the horizon. One nice thing is that ALL browsers (yes, even IE) seem to have gotten better over the last handful of years, probably because of the increased competition. There are fewer and fewer proprietary functions and more and more compliance with web standards like HTML 5. This is a good thing. Compatibility and security trump sheer speed and fancy features every time in my book. Here's hoping that the future brings true open-standard web fonts, a browser-agnostic extension model, mandated HTML 5/XML 3 compliance, and default robust low-level security across the board as well. This would excite me more than any speed increase or GPU-assisted 3D Flash gimmicks, though the average Joe will always go for the glitzy stuff, of course.
Saturday, January 1
Friday, December 31
Listen to Bob. Everything gonna be all right!
Happy New Year's, dear readers! Best wishes for 2011 and may wars wind down, people come together if only a little bit, and love and generosity make a comeback from years of greed, then economic meltdown. Take care of the earth, it's the only home we've got. Take care of your animal cousins - they are your cousins quite literally.
If you live in a free country, don't take it for granted - enjoy and celebrate your freedom. You may like or dislike your government, but you have the power to vote and to protest peacefully without getting jailed or killed. Remember that! And don't forget to give back in your own way, whatever that might be, to those less fortunate than you.
Most of all, peace be with you and have a kick ass 2011! Now boogie down to some Robert Nesta Marley, the one and only! Jah Rastafari, ever loving, ever faithful, ever true. King of kings and lord of lords, conquering lion of the tribe of Judah. Jah lives!
Sincerely,
Meta
If you live in a free country, don't take it for granted - enjoy and celebrate your freedom. You may like or dislike your government, but you have the power to vote and to protest peacefully without getting jailed or killed. Remember that! And don't forget to give back in your own way, whatever that might be, to those less fortunate than you.
Most of all, peace be with you and have a kick ass 2011! Now boogie down to some Robert Nesta Marley, the one and only! Jah Rastafari, ever loving, ever faithful, ever true. King of kings and lord of lords, conquering lion of the tribe of Judah. Jah lives!
Sincerely,
Meta
Tuesday, December 28
Thursday, December 23
Wednesday, December 22
redemption song
Quite appropriate for the holidays I think, Bob Marley's classic "Redemption Song" covered by Johnny Cash and Joe Strummer (late of The Clash)! What a song, what a duet to cover it. Bob's version will always be the best, but this is unique in it's own way...
RIP Bob Marley
RIP Joe Strummer
RIP Johnny Cash
:'(
But happy holidays - the message goes on even when the singers are not with us anymore.
One love.
RIP Bob Marley
RIP Joe Strummer
RIP Johnny Cash
:'(
But happy holidays - the message goes on even when the singers are not with us anymore.
One love.
Tuesday, December 21
cool
Not my photo - my Canon died, my Nikon battery didn't recharge in time, and plus I don't have a good zoom anyway. It would have looked lame, so I'll use a photo from the web. But I did see it in all its phases over the several hours it was partially full/totally full, and it rocked out with its socks out. Looked a lot like this, actually, just smaller. And it was directly over my house instead of on the internet. Other than that this guy got it right.
Thanks to Jimmy Westlake for this photo, which I'm using unauthorized.
Or maybe the moon's name is Jimmy Westlake, I'm not quite sure.
truth
oh, it's a strange day
in such a lonely way
I saw some children dance
I watched my life in a trance
and the people around me
seem so glad to be here
will my time pass so slowly
on the day that I fear?
and the noise that surrounds me
pulls so loud in my head
from the promise that healed us
to the lies that I said
oh, it's a strange day
in such a lonely way
some people look down on me,
I know they like what they see
strange day,
such a strange day
such a strange day
—bernard sumner
in such a lonely way
I saw some children dance
I watched my life in a trance
and the people around me
seem so glad to be here
will my time pass so slowly
on the day that I fear?
and the noise that surrounds me
pulls so loud in my head
from the promise that healed us
to the lies that I said
oh, it's a strange day
in such a lonely way
some people look down on me,
I know they like what they see
strange day,
such a strange day
such a strange day
—bernard sumner
Monday, December 20
in the wake of adversity
hey Patrice don't cry, they've no reason to harm you at all
they don't realise that the angels surround you with light
they don't understand, their narrow ways defeat them where they stand
they don't realise you hide your sadness beneath a painted smile
ignorance, that light of fools steers a wayward path
and sets the course upon which we sail into the night of uncertainty
following the stars that make their way across the sky
valuing the love that lends grace to our hearts,
we sail...
—brendan perry
they don't realise that the angels surround you with light
they don't understand, their narrow ways defeat them where they stand
they don't realise you hide your sadness beneath a painted smile
ignorance, that light of fools steers a wayward path
and sets the course upon which we sail into the night of uncertainty
following the stars that make their way across the sky
valuing the love that lends grace to our hearts,
we sail...
—brendan perry
michaels bones
michael's bones
lay where he fell
face down on sports ground
he was just somebody's luckless son
oh but now look what he's done
oh look what he's done.
your gentle hands are frozen
and your unkissed lips are blue
your thinning clothes
are hopeless and no one was mad about you.
michael's bones
were very young
but they were never to know
impetuous fun
mr policeman, i don't know
where you get such notions from.
his gentle hands are frozen
and his unkissed lips are blue
but his eyes still cry.
and now you've turned the last bend
can you see, are we all judged the same
in the end? tell me, tell me.
oh luckless thing
you were too brave
and i'm ashamed of myself, as usual.
—morrissey
lay where he fell
face down on sports ground
he was just somebody's luckless son
oh but now look what he's done
oh look what he's done.
your gentle hands are frozen
and your unkissed lips are blue
your thinning clothes
are hopeless and no one was mad about you.
michael's bones
were very young
but they were never to know
impetuous fun
mr policeman, i don't know
where you get such notions from.
his gentle hands are frozen
and his unkissed lips are blue
but his eyes still cry.
and now you've turned the last bend
can you see, are we all judged the same
in the end? tell me, tell me.
oh luckless thing
you were too brave
and i'm ashamed of myself, as usual.
—morrissey
Sunday, December 19
rainy christmas days
will we laugh?
cold textiles, creeper vines
spines of the murex purple boats lie
littered on ancient seas
lye pleas to tyrian merchants, these times
see to it we are lost to laughter;
and will we see? twice trismegistus
tried to crash wise with hexes
on thee.
but rainy christmas days now
float our paper boats away
down one gutter into the other
to stay. and will you tell me,
about your turn in the sand,
warm, rays of the sun drawn overhead
gargantua before the breaking tide, headless
pyramid, astral notes, glib mourning
celibacy imprimatur imprimacy celebrity.
when will we laugh,
o brother of night who has met my
every sally with phallanx, harbored
hatred hoary health, hanging collapsed
relapsed then free;
when will we laugh?
when will we laugh?
for I cry now, dreaming play.
for rainy christmas days now
float our paper boats away
down the gutter we clutch one another
anyway.
-jms
cold textiles, creeper vines
spines of the murex purple boats lie
littered on ancient seas
lye pleas to tyrian merchants, these times
see to it we are lost to laughter;
and will we see? twice trismegistus
tried to crash wise with hexes
on thee.
but rainy christmas days now
float our paper boats away
down one gutter into the other
to stay. and will you tell me,
about your turn in the sand,
warm, rays of the sun drawn overhead
gargantua before the breaking tide, headless
pyramid, astral notes, glib mourning
celibacy imprimatur imprimacy celebrity.
when will we laugh,
o brother of night who has met my
every sally with phallanx, harbored
hatred hoary health, hanging collapsed
relapsed then free;
when will we laugh?
when will we laugh?
for I cry now, dreaming play.
for rainy christmas days now
float our paper boats away
down the gutter we clutch one another
anyway.
-jms
Tuesday, December 14
Monday, December 13
Sunday, December 12
Back to school.
If you could go back to college, what would you study? There are a dozen ways we can go with this, so I'll set down two scenarios and let you run with it. You can answer both, either one, or make up your own criteria. Sound good? And for the sake of making it easy, in this hypothetical situation you are enrolled in the university of your dreams, with the best faculty and facilities and your disposal, and money is not a concern, nor is family life or anything else. This is more to see what you are interested in and what you might do differently (or not), than it is about pesky logistics.
And if you didn't go to college, or haven't yet, this is your chance to have fun anyway. International readers note: Americans use "college" synonymously with "university" and not as a lesser institution; we call our 2-year institutions "junior colleges" or "institutes" or various other names but "going off to college" for us could mean we were setting off for Harvard or Oxford just as well as it could mean we were going down the road to the 2-year city college. I'm going to use the word "college" because it's less cumbersome than "univeristy" by three syllables, but please take it to mean any institute of higher learning, public or private, junior college or major university, undergraduate or the Princeton Institute for Advanced Studies where people like Einstein, Feynman, and Dyson have been faculty members.
Scenario one - you went to college, took something you enjoyed, but it wasn't practical and you didn't use your degree nearly to the extent you wish you could now. You want to go back to take something more practical that perhaps won't interest you as much for 2, 4, or more years, but will net you a great career (one you now desire), and give you the means to more fully live out your dreams for the rest of your life.
Scenario two - the opposite, really. You took a boring, practical course of study and it may or may not have benefitted you in the real world. Life has gone on and this little genie has popped out of my blog bottle and given you the chance to go back and study something you'd really enjoy, and who gives a damn whether it's practical or not. You could end up teaching the subject, or taking a vocation that's entirely unrelated, but at least you'll have had the chance to learn something in depth that has always interested you.
Or, do you think college is a waste? Would you jump right into the entrepreneurial world and get started making your first million, or zoom off to Nairobi to save some wildlife, or would you use the hypothetical college funds to erect a first-class study edifice of your own and be completely self-taught, immersing yourself in books and the internet interspersed with bouts of real life? It's all up to you, there are no rules.
And since it's unstructured as always, you can list as many subjects as you like... just one is fine. Or if you want a double-major with a minor and then a different subject of study in graduate school or even multiple PhDs with pickles and onions on the side, go for it. Realize that each course of study will take more years to accomplish, but you can afford it, so it's really a matter of what you would like to learn where (academia or the streets), and for how long. Maybe you want to get rich and retire to a life of leisure. Maybe you want to stay in school all your life.
I'm just starting the conversation to see where it will lead. I'll participate too, but I won't go first.
Design.
Do you like to design things in general? housing floorplans, gardens, castles, dungeons?? Did you draw maps or maybe schematics as a kid? Do you still draw flow charts rather than to do lists? Maps rather than written instructions? Do you you think spatially or verbally? (Don't have to answer that, I was just getting swept up in the questions.) Do you enjoy designing logos, advertisements, magazine or web layouts (without having to know any code, say)? Are you the one who decides which pictures go on which wall and how the furniture is arranged in the room? Which types of shrubs, flowers, and trees will adorn the garden and how they will be laid out? Which veg to plant and how the rows should be ordered? The color scheme of the house and all the fabrics and everything else needed to put together something that fits a grand scheme you have in mind? Or is that just not you? It's important to note that just because I'm talking about design, it's not a bad thing not to care about it — many people don't, and would rather concentrate on the details, or maximize efficiency, or have other more pressing issues or interests and aren't much interested in design. Or who are interested but would prefer to delegate that task to someone more capable or at least more enthusiastic.
What about computer games... do you like "god" or "sim" games such as SimCity, Civilization, Zoo Tycoon, Pharaoh, The Sims, Farmville, City of Wonder, or the literally hundreds of other games that allow you a space in which to build, and do you enjoy them more when they give you more of a free hand - a blank canvass on which to decorate and arrange and build - rather than restricting what you can do into some sort of template where things must be placed in certain places? Is the design portion of these games (if you play them) the biggest attraction to you, or is it on par with other features such as managing an economy, waging war, growing an empire, and so on? Or is the element of design, in fact, a bothersome part of the game, something that needs to be done but which you'd rather the AI did for you? Do you just put your buildings (or crops, or zoo enclosures, or stadiums) down anywhere there's room, or line up all the same type together for most efficient management? Or do you like to be artistic even if it takes a bit more time, and put little paths that don't garner you any points running in between and to each little exhibit or shop or dormitory, plant lots of decorative foliage, change the topography from flat to something more interesting (if the game lets you), and generally separate similar types of buildings, or perhaps keep them together but within a "themed" area, like an "African safari" area at a zoo? If you can profit most from a single type of building, will you build that one over and over, and pack it in as tightly as possible, or will you build for variety and aesthetic value and leave lots of "white space" to filled in decoratively, even if it means you fall behind the "optimal" build as a computer might see it (unless the software if smart enough to place value on aesthetics and variety)? Do you usually find the best way to do things in a game and then wash, rinse, and repeat, or do you strive to be creative because that is more fun than getting further up some point ladder or accumulating more wealth, points, or awards?
When you read a book or write your own prose, poetry, or just letters or emails, do you value aesthetics both within the content (beautiful prose like Tolkiens versus plain, informational prose like Asimov's) and in the actual appearance of the layout, the typefaces used, the size and spacing of the lettering, whether it's broken up with illustrations, the weight and quality (and edge cut) of the paper, and these sorts of considerations? Or is it all pretty much the same to you as long as it's not a distracting design — that is, it's neutral enough that you can kept the information from it you need (or put in the information you wish to convey), and no more consideration of design in order to "fancy things up" is necessary. Or is perhaps the best design that which is transparent, but bolsters the content in subtle ways? (This last question is rhetorical). After all, no one would want to see a flowery surgical manual or a book of children's poetry written on a typewriter without any illustrations or color.
I'd just like to hear everyone's opinion on design and how important it is in what they do for fun, or that, in fact, it's not important. No answers are wrong of course. And there really ended up being two separate questions here: One about spacial design (layout, in real life and in games), and one about design in a printed environment. There are endless other forms of design: the design of industrial or functional objects that we use every day, like light bulbs, stereo systems, and computer operating systems. Or the placement of gauges and shifters and gadgets about you in the diver's seat of your car. Or the design of an academic course, or something else which unfolds temporally as well as spatially. What is good design? Is it to enhance or to keep out of its own way? Some design are the simplest. Some are elaborate and you wouldn't want to simplify them. Some are subtle but ingenious, some are extremely ambitious but fail under their own weight.
Well, I don't expect anyone to answer (or even pontificate upon) these more philosophical questions of design as concept, but the early questions about layouts in games and your home, etc — any elucidation you could provide on the importance of those to you would be appreciated!
Thursday, December 9
Speakers and headphones that sound great (and won't break the bank).
I was responding to Raelha's brief mention, in the previous post's comments, of having some nice speakers to make her music sound better... and then I just sort of ran with it and ended up with something too long to submit. So rather than break it into chunks there, I'll just make it its own post here.
This is my advice based on experience of the best 'bang for the buck' computer (or even room) speakers, full-sized headphones, and earbud headphones. Most products that most of us can afford out there are not any good, at least if you genuinely appreciate music. On the other hand, someone who's rich can throw enough money at a product in a fancy store that they're bound to end up with something that sounds quite good. So that's our dilemma, those who want great sound but don't have a lot of money.
Here's the full text of my response, and maybe it will help someone make a purchasing decision, or you can always ask me further questions about audio equipment, which I was quite into at one point and should be able to at least point you in the right direction. However, I've not addressed car audio or home theater setups or even multi-component quality stereo systems meant for large rooms here. Each of those subjects is very complicated, and would merit a post of its own. We'll keep it small for now.
---
...I'm big on quality speakers and headphones too, Raelha. I'm afraid my tastes are those of an audiophile and my means are those of someone begging for shekels, though.
However, when I did have a decent income I bought a pair of Klipsch Promedia 2.1 Speakers for my computer, and they are really outstanding (Byte knows this because he bought a set too). Hard if not impossible to beat for the price - they've dropped to about $150, if you can find them. They've been around about 9 years - I know because I've had mine about that long! In fact they're the oldest part of my computer system; but alas, they're finally starting to have problems.
Still, the quality is awesome. No speakers in that price range have nearly the clarity in the mids and highs (which are fully separate on the 2 satellites, with built-in crossovers), and a 200-watt amp housed in the sub (yes, you read that right, 200) - 35 true watts (RMS, not peak) to each of the satellites, and 130 whopping RMS watts to the subwoofer, which is refreshingly built of real wood, is ported, and which bumps low, hard, and tight. You won't believe it when you listen to music on them - they literally sound like a $500+ living room system with a separate amp/receiver. Byte actually used his to play music in the main large room in his house, controlled from iTunes on his computer back in his man-cave!
Put it this way, you'll never have a reason to turn the volume up more than halfway. And the sound doesn't distort at all as you climb that volume mountain, unlike so many other "multimedia" speakers... I will say Logitech makes some good 2.1 speakers now for a similar price, but I don't have as much personal experience with them. So basically if/when you get serious about speaker hunting, you can pay $50 or $100 and get crap that you'll regret right away; you can pay $350+ and get quality audio, some better than others and not always in alignment with the price tag (M-Audio and Marantz are good, so is Boston Acoustics), or you can just do the smart thing and pay $150 (well, the Euro equivalent) if you can still find a pair of these bad dogs out there being sold NEW (don't buy used speakers!), and you'll think it's the best $150 you ever spent. I guarantee it - look at the 497 reviews on the US Amazon page and you'll see why I feel comfortable saying that.
Like I said, one of my satellites is finally dying, and I'm also getting some distortion off the amp now (after 9 years of constant use)... and when I get the money to replace them, I'm gonna replace them hopefully with the same ones!
As far as headphones I would recommend Sennheiser HD 580s (not made anymore, but still sold here and there) or better. It all depends on your budget: I have the HD 650s and they're awesome, but the 580s sound 75% as good for a fraction of the price, and they're a bit lighter and more comfy to boot. Another good buy if you can find them. Stay away from Sony and all the other Japanese brands (Audio Technica being the exception): you need to spend a fortune to get into their professional models before they sound anything like Sennheisers or Grados. Sennheiser do make their own crummy headphones on the very low-end. This is something they started doing not along ago probably to boost sales and profit, since most people are cheap or have other priorities than good sound - or just don't know any better - but it's too bad because it's tarnished their name a bit. The mid- to high-end of the line is still great, though.
Lastly, for earbuds for an MP3 player or SmartPhone, there's a company called V-Moda which isn't well known, but I have a pair of their "Vibe" buds, which were $99 when I got them, and they turned my iPod into a work of art - I couldn't believe the rich bass and clear separation of all the instruments on the sound stage, as well as the dynamic range - especially compared with the junk earbuds that Apple gives you for free (or companies like Sony sell for $20). You might think $99 is steep for earbuds... well that was many moons ago. I just checked on the web and you can get the exact ones I have - Vibe in gunmetal black with a case and multiple-sized fittings for all ears - for $29!! If I had the money I'd go buy like 3 more pair and just store them in my closet in case my current ones die. Which they haven't, by the way, even after about 4 years.
This is my advice based on experience of the best 'bang for the buck' computer (or even room) speakers, full-sized headphones, and earbud headphones. Most products that most of us can afford out there are not any good, at least if you genuinely appreciate music. On the other hand, someone who's rich can throw enough money at a product in a fancy store that they're bound to end up with something that sounds quite good. So that's our dilemma, those who want great sound but don't have a lot of money.
Here's the full text of my response, and maybe it will help someone make a purchasing decision, or you can always ask me further questions about audio equipment, which I was quite into at one point and should be able to at least point you in the right direction. However, I've not addressed car audio or home theater setups or even multi-component quality stereo systems meant for large rooms here. Each of those subjects is very complicated, and would merit a post of its own. We'll keep it small for now.
---
...I'm big on quality speakers and headphones too, Raelha. I'm afraid my tastes are those of an audiophile and my means are those of someone begging for shekels, though.
However, when I did have a decent income I bought a pair of Klipsch Promedia 2.1 Speakers for my computer, and they are really outstanding (Byte knows this because he bought a set too). Hard if not impossible to beat for the price - they've dropped to about $150, if you can find them. They've been around about 9 years - I know because I've had mine about that long! In fact they're the oldest part of my computer system; but alas, they're finally starting to have problems.
Still, the quality is awesome. No speakers in that price range have nearly the clarity in the mids and highs (which are fully separate on the 2 satellites, with built-in crossovers), and a 200-watt amp housed in the sub (yes, you read that right, 200) - 35 true watts (RMS, not peak) to each of the satellites, and 130 whopping RMS watts to the subwoofer, which is refreshingly built of real wood, is ported, and which bumps low, hard, and tight. You won't believe it when you listen to music on them - they literally sound like a $500+ living room system with a separate amp/receiver. Byte actually used his to play music in the main large room in his house, controlled from iTunes on his computer back in his man-cave!
Put it this way, you'll never have a reason to turn the volume up more than halfway. And the sound doesn't distort at all as you climb that volume mountain, unlike so many other "multimedia" speakers... I will say Logitech makes some good 2.1 speakers now for a similar price, but I don't have as much personal experience with them. So basically if/when you get serious about speaker hunting, you can pay $50 or $100 and get crap that you'll regret right away; you can pay $350+ and get quality audio, some better than others and not always in alignment with the price tag (M-Audio and Marantz are good, so is Boston Acoustics), or you can just do the smart thing and pay $150 (well, the Euro equivalent) if you can still find a pair of these bad dogs out there being sold NEW (don't buy used speakers!), and you'll think it's the best $150 you ever spent. I guarantee it - look at the 497 reviews on the US Amazon page and you'll see why I feel comfortable saying that.
Like I said, one of my satellites is finally dying, and I'm also getting some distortion off the amp now (after 9 years of constant use)... and when I get the money to replace them, I'm gonna replace them hopefully with the same ones!
As far as headphones I would recommend Sennheiser HD 580s (not made anymore, but still sold here and there) or better. It all depends on your budget: I have the HD 650s and they're awesome, but the 580s sound 75% as good for a fraction of the price, and they're a bit lighter and more comfy to boot. Another good buy if you can find them. Stay away from Sony and all the other Japanese brands (Audio Technica being the exception): you need to spend a fortune to get into their professional models before they sound anything like Sennheisers or Grados. Sennheiser do make their own crummy headphones on the very low-end. This is something they started doing not along ago probably to boost sales and profit, since most people are cheap or have other priorities than good sound - or just don't know any better - but it's too bad because it's tarnished their name a bit. The mid- to high-end of the line is still great, though.
Lastly, for earbuds for an MP3 player or SmartPhone, there's a company called V-Moda which isn't well known, but I have a pair of their "Vibe" buds, which were $99 when I got them, and they turned my iPod into a work of art - I couldn't believe the rich bass and clear separation of all the instruments on the sound stage, as well as the dynamic range - especially compared with the junk earbuds that Apple gives you for free (or companies like Sony sell for $20). You might think $99 is steep for earbuds... well that was many moons ago. I just checked on the web and you can get the exact ones I have - Vibe in gunmetal black with a case and multiple-sized fittings for all ears - for $29!! If I had the money I'd go buy like 3 more pair and just store them in my closet in case my current ones die. Which they haven't, by the way, even after about 4 years.
So once again you can throw your money away on something $20 or less and never know what your music really sounds like, you can spend a fortune on Schure, Ultimate Ears, or Etymotic and get great but overpriced buds, or you can pay thirty bucks and get a pair of buds from V-Moda that will blow you away. iPods have good enough onboard amps (barely) to power them properly, too; with cheaper and lamer portable music players, your mileage may vary. Some may be too underpowered to drive a nice pair of earbuds, in which case you need a small headphone amp, or just get an iPod (even a low-end iPod). Apple uses decent amp components on all their models. Not all brands do - you generally get what you pay for when it comes to that. iPods are not the cheapest portable music players out there - but I think they're the best, and worth the money. And there's a model for almost everyone's particular needs and budget.
Well, there you have it - Meta's guide to speakers! (Partial guide, at least....)
Friday, December 3
What items would you pay a premium for, to get superior quality?
I imagine most of us would like to have the top quality of every type of device we own, home we live in, car we drive. I mean, why not? Set aside the unfairness of the real world, thoughts of affluence and poverty, and just put your mind in a fictional realm for a moment.
Now I want you to list a few (at most maybe a half-dozen) items you own or interact with in your life (non-living) which you particularly value and for which you would happily pay extra (and scrimp a bit on other things) to have a superior make and model, or something which makes an artistic impression, or just is a cut above the norm.
Some people want the latest touchscreen phones, which is perfectly fine. I on the other hand wouldn't turn one down (because they seem easier to use - my current phone is like trying to figure out a VCR), but I hate phones in general and so I'd never put that on my list. Some like fancy shoes, others a work of art to hang on their wall, some like well-built automobiles while others cherish fancy computer systems with powerful graphics and multiple large monitors. Some are into home theater, other into quality kitchen appliances or cutlery or superior furniture. You see what I mean.
Assume everything else in your life would be adequate and not cheapened, but just not special in the same way. Now, don't use this opportunity to say "a mansion, fully appointed with the best of everything" or "a Lear jet" or "a Bentley" or "a yacht". Let's keep this to the single-digit thousands of dollars or lower. Basically, think on the smaller side and be reasonable.
Personally, I value a really great, reliable car, but that's a bit over what we've decided the price range is to be, so I'm going to say: A leading edge computer loaded with hardware and software for under $10,000, but probably a Macintosh Pro with 3 large screens, upgraded graphics and memory, and Photoshop. I like jewelry (not much of it, but stuff made of platinum and other rare metals), so maybe a necklace and a couple of rings (like those two-toned Mokume-gane rings) in that range. Also, a wardrobe that isn't Armani but isn't Target... something casual but obviously high quality - the brand isn't the thing but just to name-check some I'd say The North Face, Eddie Bauer, Clarke's of London shoes, a cashmere sweater or two - practical, durable, comfortable things I'll definitely wear often, which will hold up because of their quality of construction and which just happen to look nice as well. I like the example of The North Face - it's pricey, but not when compared to "name designer clothing", and it's actually used by professional outdoorspeople the world round. Or Vasque boots. Or Levi's 501s. Clothing that works and happens to have a splash of taste and fits well, both literally and with my personality.
The last few things: High-quality oak bookcases, built-in, with a ladder attached I could slide around to get at my books. I already have a floor globe... and a powerful 'tactical' LED flashlight. Maybe some really good binoculars, from Nikon, Zeiss, or Swarovski? Maybe a solid but affordable geological binocular microscope for looking at fossils up close and with good depth perception? Maybe a home theater system - affordable, with a minimum of components, but each one being a good brand? It's hard to say.
Oh, and above all else: A high-quality bed/mattress and a superb COMFY CHAIR. Some nice lamps with soft lighting would be welcomed as well. Yeah, I think I'd choose the simpler things like a few select pieces of furniture and kitchen appliances rather than fancy electronics. Things built solidly that will last a lifetime.
And you? What matters most to you amongst the smaller conveniences in your life?
Now I want you to list a few (at most maybe a half-dozen) items you own or interact with in your life (non-living) which you particularly value and for which you would happily pay extra (and scrimp a bit on other things) to have a superior make and model, or something which makes an artistic impression, or just is a cut above the norm.
Some people want the latest touchscreen phones, which is perfectly fine. I on the other hand wouldn't turn one down (because they seem easier to use - my current phone is like trying to figure out a VCR), but I hate phones in general and so I'd never put that on my list. Some like fancy shoes, others a work of art to hang on their wall, some like well-built automobiles while others cherish fancy computer systems with powerful graphics and multiple large monitors. Some are into home theater, other into quality kitchen appliances or cutlery or superior furniture. You see what I mean.
Assume everything else in your life would be adequate and not cheapened, but just not special in the same way. Now, don't use this opportunity to say "a mansion, fully appointed with the best of everything" or "a Lear jet" or "a Bentley" or "a yacht". Let's keep this to the single-digit thousands of dollars or lower. Basically, think on the smaller side and be reasonable.
The last few things: High-quality oak bookcases, built-in, with a ladder attached I could slide around to get at my books. I already have a floor globe... and a powerful 'tactical' LED flashlight. Maybe some really good binoculars, from Nikon, Zeiss, or Swarovski? Maybe a solid but affordable geological binocular microscope for looking at fossils up close and with good depth perception? Maybe a home theater system - affordable, with a minimum of components, but each one being a good brand? It's hard to say.
Oh, and above all else: A high-quality bed/mattress and a superb COMFY CHAIR. Some nice lamps with soft lighting would be welcomed as well. Yeah, I think I'd choose the simpler things like a few select pieces of furniture and kitchen appliances rather than fancy electronics. Things built solidly that will last a lifetime.
And you? What matters most to you amongst the smaller conveniences in your life?
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