1. Looking up new music and discussing it with people on places like rateyourmusic.com and musicbanter.com
2. Searching for new information on things I never knew about before. I love to learn!!
3. Watching videos related to things that are cool, funny, awesome, intriguing, etc.
4. Blogging, writing, etc.
5. Keeping track of my friends and what they're up to!!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Neutral net? Aye!
I would have to say I'm in favor of net neutrality to a large extent, if for nothing else than that I prefer equality across all websites when it comes to connection speed than tiered services which favor sites that bring in large income. Amazon.com, for example, is a useful place, but what if I prefer the price of a book from some other site than them, but because the other site doesn't pay extra I end up having trouble connecting to their server?
Overall, I think the whole thing is rather silly and that we don't have a whole lot of control whether or not the net neutrality rules go into effect, but I think I'll be in favor of them for the most part from now on also.
Overall, I think the whole thing is rather silly and that we don't have a whole lot of control whether or not the net neutrality rules go into effect, but I think I'll be in favor of them for the most part from now on also.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
The Internet, Society and the Need To Be Free
There are many reasons why I am taking 'The Internet & Society', as well as many answers one could give if asked why they are taking such a course in the first place. However, first and foremost, I am taking it because I love to write online, and hence this sort of class is preparatory. Secondly, a class like this is also important because it makes very clear the relevancy of online networking here in the present world and just how much moreso it will become in the future. I do feel that we should be incorporating more emphasis on how online communities interact with eachother though, as they have begun to become more prevalent and powerful in today's environment.
Also, of the eight net generation norms mentioned in "Grown Up Digital", I feel that freedom, which is norm #1, is the one I agree with most. The reason I think of it highly is because I feel it is a more productive and flexible way of seeing the world than past generations are accustomed to. Thriving in and encouraging creativity in one's life is far better than not having any at all after all!
Also, of the eight net generation norms mentioned in "Grown Up Digital", I feel that freedom, which is norm #1, is the one I agree with most. The reason I think of it highly is because I feel it is a more productive and flexible way of seeing the world than past generations are accustomed to. Thriving in and encouraging creativity in one's life is far better than not having any at all after all!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
The Meaning Behind 2.0
According to http://blogs.zdnet.com/web2explorer/?p=5, Web 2.0 is something which means different things depending on the context in which the term is being used, but primarily refers to a user oriented digital medium that is connected to all facets of society and the individuals which inhabit it though information exchange. Another common meaning would be losing control over one's data and letting it interact online naturally and change over time.
I would say that Web 2.0 affects me in my future career, as well as the way that I, my friends, my future children, etc. will socially navigate. Maybe my books when I'm a bestselling author will be selling online rather than in physical form? Either way, its very relevant.
I would say that Web 2.0 affects me in my future career, as well as the way that I, my friends, my future children, etc. will socially navigate. Maybe my books when I'm a bestselling author will be selling online rather than in physical form? Either way, its very relevant.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
The Internetz
When the Internet was first developed over 40 years ago for the mere purpose of communicating, I don’t think there was anyone who could have begun to imagine the possibilities of it besides a few science fiction authors here and there. If humanity have learned anything at all in the last century, it’s that the future always spirals out in ways beyond their ability to predict and imagine, and the development and subsequent expansion of the World Wide Web is no exception to that rule.
However, if I had to choose Between Licklider, Tomlinson, and and Tim Berners-Lee, I would say that only J. C. R. Licklider had any inkling of what was to come in the future. Although he did not program, it was his ideas and foretelling of digital-click interface, online banking, and various e-commerce hypotheses that turned him into a visionary among those who were short sighted, and hence it is certainly no wonder that he was called the Johnny Appleseed of the computer world during his lifetime. Ray Tomlinson gave us e-mail and Berners-Lee gave us websites, but where would any of that be without the prophecies of Licklider? No where I say, and that is the fact of the matter!
Despite such vision though, today’s Internet is still quite different from anything Licklider could have imagined. Much like Congress, he was one who thought the Internet would be exclusively and ultimately a medium of exchanging information in some way or another, when in today’s world the Internet has literally wormed its way into everything from entertainment to business deals and singlehandedly has changed how people interact with the world as we have come to know it. Already the baby boomer generation, those who lead corporations and the government and are nestled in all sorts of institutions, have become nearly irrelevant…and the oldest of the Net Generation aren’t even 32 yet!
Ultimately the Internet has far surpassed the expectations of those who originally beget it. Countless people use the Internet not to gather information, but to merely listen to a song they like or customize a web journal or to buy the latest New York Times bestseller without having to get up and drive to the bookstore, and countless more make use of their network knowledge to obtain everything from films to music without paying a cent to the industries of their origin.
We are, and have been for a long time now, on the brink of something that is redefining everything, and I am glad to be part of it for better…or for worse.
However, if I had to choose Between Licklider, Tomlinson, and and Tim Berners-Lee, I would say that only J. C. R. Licklider had any inkling of what was to come in the future. Although he did not program, it was his ideas and foretelling of digital-click interface, online banking, and various e-commerce hypotheses that turned him into a visionary among those who were short sighted, and hence it is certainly no wonder that he was called the Johnny Appleseed of the computer world during his lifetime. Ray Tomlinson gave us e-mail and Berners-Lee gave us websites, but where would any of that be without the prophecies of Licklider? No where I say, and that is the fact of the matter!
Despite such vision though, today’s Internet is still quite different from anything Licklider could have imagined. Much like Congress, he was one who thought the Internet would be exclusively and ultimately a medium of exchanging information in some way or another, when in today’s world the Internet has literally wormed its way into everything from entertainment to business deals and singlehandedly has changed how people interact with the world as we have come to know it. Already the baby boomer generation, those who lead corporations and the government and are nestled in all sorts of institutions, have become nearly irrelevant…and the oldest of the Net Generation aren’t even 32 yet!
Ultimately the Internet has far surpassed the expectations of those who originally beget it. Countless people use the Internet not to gather information, but to merely listen to a song they like or customize a web journal or to buy the latest New York Times bestseller without having to get up and drive to the bookstore, and countless more make use of their network knowledge to obtain everything from films to music without paying a cent to the industries of their origin.
We are, and have been for a long time now, on the brink of something that is redefining everything, and I am glad to be part of it for better…or for worse.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Mr. Sirius - Barren Dream (1987)
Track Listing:
1. All The Fallen People (11:57)
2. Sweet Revenge (1:44)
3. Step Into Easter (7:47)
4. Intermezzo (5:18)
5. Eternal Jealousy (8:14)
6. Lagrima (4:11)
7. Barren Dream (13:28)
Although many people are not aware of it, Japan's progressive rock scene, especially in the 80's and 90's, is quite vibrant and interesting to explore. This one such gem is from the era's peak, a debut work and the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Kazuhiro Miyatake, who plays everything from accordion to bass guitar while a very talented bilingual young lady named Hiroka Nagai takes care of vocals.
To be frank, this is among the most drop-dead gorgeous symphonic progressive rock albums ever put together, even when compared to all the greats from the progressive heyday over in the U.K., and hence I have a lot of praise for what's here. So many moods are brought to life to a near effortless degree, from the acoustics to the riverside Italian-feel accordion (Step Into Easter), to godlike flutework (Lagrima), along with some brilliant piano that ferments to an insanely catchy bombast (Eternal Jealousy). To put it one way, Barren Dream is amazing, if for nothing else, because if captures that mind-transporting fantastical mood at a level that only the best albums of progressive rock can realize. It reaches me where so many fail and burn, and no matter how much I play it the love does not lessen. It's one of a kind, and the only thing that prevented it from being acknowledged as the masterpiece it was back in 1987 was because it's from Japan! Grrrrrrrr!! :bringit:
If there are any complaints that come to mind, its that the guitar playing has a slight late 80's feel to it, but such doesn't really detract in the slightest from arrangements that are so damn wonderful that I don't even have the words to express the words for how I feel as I listen to them.
Despite the fact that Japanese progressive rock is something most of you are unfamiliar with, I recommend Mr. Sirius's Barren Dream as the first and foremost stepping stone to get you started. It's damn near impeccable as a representative of what makes the scene good, being more memorable and beautiful in seven tracks than entire neo-prog bands can be in two or three decades of work.
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