Why keeping a diary is important.

I've kept a diary for quite a long time. I usually write in it once or twice a month. I find the most important part of keeping a diary is to record the changes in myself over time. It's comforting to see my worries expressed and have them not come true. I often feel rushes of pleasant nostalgia when I read what I wrote in different years. I try not to put to much detail on what happened, just little sign posts that allow me to better remember what happened. Instead I focus on my thoughts and feelings about a particular event. I figure that way I can understand myself better and my natural responses the next time the same situation comes around. I can also evaluate what worked well and what didn't. This helps me understand how to approach problems and explore lifes choices.

Annoying Questions and Being direct

I have been reading a book about communication.
I really like this book. One part that I found very interesting was regarding asking stupid questions. Usually we want to say something and we phrase it in the form of a question, such as : "Wouldn't it be a good idea if we went to the movies?" What you should really say is "I'd like to go to the movies tonight". The former way is very common but somewhat annoying. I find that my style of communication "feels" better when I get rid of those annoying questions and use the latter style.

Picking up and moving to another state?

I talked with a friend today who was moving to Arizona. The company she worked for had moved there. She said she picks up and moves to a new location every couple of years. She says she even likes it. Besides, she says, it's much easier if the place you're going will have a job waiting for you when you get there. I've moved, only for a few months though. Then I moved back to where I've always lived. There's something about home that's so nice.

Why don't you just snap out of it?

One thing that I find is difficult with the human condition is that we often have little empathy for others. It's not that people should be altruistic toward others it just menas that people fail to understand others mindsets. Have you ever said to somebody "Snap out of it!", because they were complaining or stressing out about something that happened that you didn't think was very significant? Have you ever walked by two people having an angry discussion and thought, why are they so angry it's such a nice day out? Have you ever looked in annoyance at people having a nice day out at a restaurant and laughing when you were feeling miserable?

These are all examples of the contrast of mindsets and moods. The same thing can be seen in people even from day to day. One day they are sad and the next they couldn't understand how they could have felt that way. The truth is is that a lot of people can think they can sway other's moods or change their personality just through words. Prozac might work but words don't do much. Mental states are set in stone only subject to the whims of neurochemistry.

Blog Types

The vast majority of popular blogs are blogs that comment on current events. To name a few: Gizmodo, Slashdot, News Sites, Political Punditry Sites. I call these "news blogs".

There are also many thousands of blogs that comment on self-absorbed trivialities. These blogs are lost in the shuffle and mostly ignored , except by ones friends. I call these "own blogs" (from 'ownlife' from 1984's newspeak).

There are blogs that focus on topics that do well. They do well mainly because they achieve high search engine relavency for that particular topic. I call these "focus blogs".

There are also blogs, like this one that are trying to be in the middle. Gathering our own personal insights from things that happen to us day by day. I call them "thought blogs". Another good example of a "thought blog" would be www.fredoneverything.net.

Finally there are "meta blogs" which link to other blogs, usually with a one liner attached such as fark.com or boingboing.net. These are popular, however, "meta blogs" create a bizarre Internet phenomenon where there is such a dearth of content to link to that certain memes can explode into worldwide phenomenons in a few days. From the "Star Wars Kid" to "All Your Base Are Belong To Us".

Please leave a comment if you think of another kind?

The three dimensions of politics: Entertainment, Obsession, Practicality

What was the last thing politically that really really affected your life?

Chances are it wasn't 9/11, the Tsunami in South East Asia or the Iraq War. You still get up in the morning and go to work everyday right? Sure you have to wait in line at the airport longer but has anything else changed for most people? No. Just in case you were wondering, yes I vote. I used to be ridiculously politically active but now I concentrate on things that are more real to me. It's not that politics isn't important it's just kind of a waste of time to spend a lot of time on it. The one redeeming factor is it is a half-way decent outlet for those that need a hobby. At least it's somewhat educational, though one tends to bore one's friends with repetitive banter and offend new aquaintances if one's involvment tends toward obsession.

The practical nature of politics is to make sure you vote and make sure you trust the person you're voting for. Ignore all the political rhetoric and look at their simple voting record on issues, giving the most weight to those that directly affect you. This should take you a day or two during the week before the election.

Meet all the random people you ever wanted to meet in your entire life...

I like meeting random people, just finding out what they're about. It's entertainment. I have realized that 95% of people are pretty much the same. As they get older they get more different. There's much more conformity in youth. I've found a way to meet random people without leaving the house and that's via Live Journal's Latest Posts. The big problem is that live journal users are mostly teenagers, as you can see from their stats. You can search by other attributes here but you have to be logged in.

Ipod's back

Ok the iPod is back. I have an iLife again. Good Resource for fixing ipod problems

My IPod Broke today...

My Ipod broke today. The thing wouldn't turn on even when I plugged it in and did the reset thingy described over here. I never realized how important it was to me till it broke.

First hand experiences are better

I find that often I'll avoid taking risks or working to experience things in real life. It's too easy to sit back and read the news, watch tv, or read the internet. Going out and actually experiencing things or working to build things from one's own hands and thoughts creates a different kind of experience.

The thing about the experience that is novel is ambiguity. News is not ambigouous, entertainment is not ambiguous for the most part. It's fed to us in 320x240 NTSC via the boob tube and our perception is limited to what's in focus severely reducing ambiguity. Some people like that. It's like Mc'ds where you can choose meals by the numbers. Religous faiths and creeds, like TV, remove ambiguity in daily life. Some of us can live with ambiguity and even enjoy it like the characters in a Camus story.

I bought a GPS today

I bought a GPS today. I figure I got an Ipod and a Sidekick II I better get the trifecta of gadgets so I am totally converged. I bought a Magellan Explorist 100 but I probably should have got a 200 cause that has the map. Ahh well it was only $100. Now I can go Geocaching..Weeeee! Update: I upgraded to a 200 before they shipped!

People who work too hard

Lately I've run into way too many people who work 12 hour days. Why? Because their bosses tell them to? This makes me feel really lucky as I only work 8 hour days. The question I always wonder is why do they put up with this? I worked longer when I felt my business was struggling or I felt I wasn't very productive. Now I try to work smarter not harder. I also have a significant other which helps me put my foot down a little harder on these kinds of things.

Why take risks?

It's often difficult to take risks. Especially for people like me who are prone to worrying. Besides, why not just live a boring life, grow old, have a few laughs and die without too much stress? On the other hand I often think about the tens of millions who have perished in natural disasters or wars and the countless billions who have died of natural causes, and slipped into the unknown in obscurity. I think to myself about their obscurity, how they're all "nobodies". They might have mattered to somebody at some point but only a few had obituaries written about them, only a few had long ones, fewer still got an encyclopedia entry, fewer still are remembered by anyone if they died more than 50 years ago. I think about this often and about these endless oceans of "nobodies". I don't want to be part of that. I don't want to be too famous but I want to "make my mark".

Blogs.. You too can learn from business geniuses

I am a frequent reader of Blog Maverick. This is the blog of Mark Cuban, billionaire and Dallas Mavericks owner. It's great to see what such a talented business guy thinks about on a day to day basis. Really worth the read.

First hand reports from nobodyville!

Here's what I read everyday:

Slashdot
Free Republic
Drudge Report

and I check stats on the work servers. Pretty boring existence.
I think the most exciting thing in my life must be getting 3 Slashdot
posts moderated up to 5 in a row.

I haven't had a lot of energy lately. I finally finished cleaning my
house. I have no more significant goals in my life.

I got back from a pleasant but dull vacation a few days ago so don't tell
me I need a vacation.

I have been reading Bruce Sterling's Schismatrix Plus. That has actually put a little bit of interest in my life. It's a great escape.

I read a message on Usenet today... All I can say is that at least I'm less ennui filled than some.