The Island Journal

I was listening to the book A Briefer History of Time, a paired down audio version of A Brief History of Time by Steven Hawking the other day and I started to think about how life and energy collide to make reality. It's been proven that when we observe a situation, we alter it simply by observing. The book The Secret says basically the same thing; that in a nut shell, thought alters the universe. There are many examples of people altering perception to attain a goal. Look at athletes who push past the human physical “limits” and become greater than they should be able to become. Look at tiny housewives lifting cars off infants. Look at people who overcome physical or mental malady on a daily basis and you'll understand what I mean.

Now, what does this have to do with anything? Well, part of the theory I was listing to was basically the antithesis of Decarte's statement, “I think, therefore I am.”. In Physics, it's the other way round... think to much and you'll cease to be. Consider this application of this theory and this application of this other theory and how they contradict each other. If we came to a conclusion that was self sustaining and explained the entire universe, what's the point of continuing? It's not that the universe would be any less fun, it's just that we'd know all the ins and outs of existence and we'd be altering it to an infinite point... crunch. My thought is that we should stop trying to figure out the macrocosmic and focus on the microcosmic. Look at the people around you and ask three simple questions. “What effect am I having on this person? What effect are they having on me? How can we improve?” Then just experience the universe as it happens.

I put this thought to a friend who then said, “That's a very Buddhist way of looking at things... very zen...”. That got me thinking further. It seems to me that the majority of philosophies are trying to unravel not the meaning of existence, but existence as a whole. It's like a kid pulling at a loose string on a sweater. Now I'm not saying people should give up trying to analyze existence. It's my favorite pass time. I'm just getting an image in my head of a stoic philosopher standing on a hill beneath a tree with half a dozen or more students sitting in a haphazard semicircle at his feet. A student raises his hand and utters a calm, simple and perfect view of the point the philosopher is trying to make. He then stands and, wildly flailing his arms, eyes wide asks, “Did I get it right!?” Isn't that kind of missing the point?

It has been some time since I posted and I will post more again soon when I make my DC trip, but for the time being, I just wanted to let my faithful readers... um, reader... know that I'm still alive and I LOVE my new computer!

I built a Dual Core 3.5 Ghz system with 4 gigs of ram, 150 Gb hard driver, and installed Windows XP x64. Why did I not go with 64 bit Ubuntu? As much as I love that OS, Linux does not have the support I need for Photoshop (just got CS 4) and various audio editing programs I want to use and I don't feel I should really need to learn new programs when the one's I've put extensive time into learning are doing exactly what I want them to do.

I considered installing the beta for Windows 7 (AKA Blackcomb or Vienna) x 64 on the system, but it will go inactive before the full release date around Christmas so I figured, I'll grab it when it's released. From the reviews I've been reading, Windows 7 is a vast improvement over Vista. The shell is more similar, but closer to Windows than OS X and the system is a bit more configurable. I also understand, like many of their 64 bit operating systems, they'll be basing it on Windows Server which increases the stability. I've read rumors that they will only be offering Windows 7 in 64 bit and dropping 32 all together. If that's the case, many older systems are going to be hard pressed for support. Looks like I need to start building my parents a new one.

I have been considering installing the dreaded Vista. Why? Well, I have been reading tech blogs and reviews doing the back and forth between XP and Vista almost since Vista came out. Recently, more people have been saying that Vista is more stable in image editing programs and has more driver support... we'll see.

In a nut shell, I'm happy with the hardware, now I need to find a happy medium with the software.

I recently found a wen site I thought I'd share with my readers... well, reader. I was looking for something crafty to do in my hotel and doodling wasn't cutting it. I found a website for making paper robots, but they seemed like a ton of work and a little more involved than I was willing to attempt at that particular moment. I did a search for paper creatures and found Macula and his squealers. I was particularly interested in the “Krampus” as I have a somewhat twisted since of humor and one of his props is a “bad kid” in a basket slung on his back.

Now, having made the Krampus, I thought I'd do a little research and find out exactly what a Krampus is... well, it turns out it's not an it, but a who. Apparently he's a Germanic demon / imp who whips bad kids and carries them off. More interesting is who his running buddy is. SANTA CLAUS! That's right. In the misty beginnings of the legend of Saint Nick, he had several nasty spirits that roamed around with him referred to as his “companions”. Who'd have though a jolly old fat guy who gives joy to millions would associate with evil spirits? The Krampus is often depicted as an incubus sporting horns, dressed in black rags or sheep skins with a bundle of sticks, a pitch fork and a basket on his back. Sometimes he's seen wearing a darker and more sinister version of the fat man's costume or he appears to be mostly human with tiny red horns and a black suit.

This is not a part of the holiday season entirely lost to the ravages of time. In some regions of the US, there's still something sinister incorporated into the holiday season. Another incarnation of the Krampus, or possibly another of Santa's little helpers, the Belsnickel, is the center of Pennsylvania Dutch festivals and celebrations. We're all familiar with All Saint's Day and it's darker sibling Halloween aka All Soul's day. Well, each saint actually has a feast day of his own. Saint Nicholas (Who at one point snuck into a guys house and left three small sacks of gold to provide doweries for his three daughters so they could get married and thus saved them from lives of prostitution which is part of where we get the present thing in the first place) has a feast day on December 6th and the day prior is kept clear for Belsnickel. During his day, many young men dress like Belsnickel in masks and fur and carry switches with which they spank people, especially young women. Alright, I see how you're looking at me, but it's true. Other versions of the celebration throughout the world at one point in time had people dressed at either Belsnickle or the Krampus throwing chains at passing sledders or hikers. Now, I would prefer the switch to the chain, but that's just me.

Next Christmas, when you're snug in your bed and dreaming of the presents you're going to have under the tree, think of all the evil little children who are getting switches and coal and think of the creepy, horned creature, the Krampus, who delivers said coal and switches and carts off a few of those little miscreants each Christmas eve. Instead of leaving cookie for Father Christmas, I'm leaving his partner a four course meal just to be on the safe side.

So, here’s the thing. I am sick and tired of the whims of AT&T. I got rid of them in the home, but thought I’d be saddled with them when I got the iPhone… this is not to be. The story is long and drawn out so I’ll give you the cliff notes version. Back in July (no seriously, this is the abbreviated story, I promise) I started having issues with my phone. Almost immediately after getting the thing the front screen cracked, but I dealt with it. When I started dropping calls unless I was on the Bluetooth ear piece, I got annoyed. I contacted AT&T and complained. They put an “upgrade notation” on my account, effectively letting me upgrade early. I asked if it applied to the iPhone and they said yes. Now as much as I travel, I never have much time at home to deal with going to the store and placing an order or picking it up for that matter. I called the store a couple of times and again, yes, the iPhone is included in my upgrade meaning I’d pay the $299.99 for the phone and not the $499.99 others pay to buy one without the contract. I was going to place my order tomorrow and guess what… the iPhone is not included in my upgrade. I’d have to pony up with near 500 bucks to get one. This, my friends, is not going to happen.

I started doing the research and found that Verizon Wireless ranks second in both customer satisfaction and call quality nation wide according to J.D Power and Associates. They offer something comparable to the iPhone, the Blackberry Storm. After doing my research, it seems the storm has almost everything I want and none of the extra crap I don’t. There are some drawbacks, but according to all the research I’ve done, I should be happy with it over all. The memory is expandable, the media formats it will play are diverse, the business applications far outweigh the competition, and if the battery looses the ability to charge, I get another battery. The iPhone has set memory, a limited number of media formats loadable only with proprietary software (and being a Linux guy now, free non-proprietary is gooooood), and if it stops charging, you have to send it in for service and be without a phone for up to a week. I’m all about convenience. From what I understand, the GPS is not as good as the iPhone, but I have a kick ass Tom Tom. There’s no wifi support on the Storm, but you don’t really need it on Verizon’s network. I think they’re pretty evenly matched so I’ll let you know if I’m happy in a few weeks.

So I met my long lost cousin... well, she wasn't so much lost as much as I'd never met her before. And come to think of it not just a cousin but a second or third cousin. And Not just her, but her fantastic family. I am currently in Las Vegas, or "lost wages" as some out here refer to it, and Jennifer Decker, the afore mentioned cousin you may know from her family blog, Deckerific, lives out here. She's one of the most righteous chicks I have ever met and her family kicks much ass. Her Husband is a skater from way back, her son is following in Dad's foot steps and he and his buds are making skate films and he's an artist to boot, her daughter is like miniature adult who works with polymer clay... yet another artist and Jennifer herself is an artist whether she'll admit it or not. She says she's crafty.

I met up with Jen at her work place. We ate and talked for a bit and she told me about Red Rock, seen in these pictures here. (there will be more) She said she'd go out there with me and we had a blast just hanging out, seeing the rock formations, listening to strange dudes explain how lightening strikes the rocks at the highest point on the trail and leaves these little rusty indentations, all the while knowing he's a goober. It was great fun. We even saw some wild donkeys, though they were about ten miles away and climbing a rock. Then we went back to her house where she and her husband cooked a great meal and I got to talk to her kids. They're such a cool bunch.

Thanks Jennifer for the great day. You rock.