Apathetic Thursday

I wish I had a camera right now,
Because I would take your picture.
It’s not that I can’t,
I could use the camera on my phone,
But I know that that little lens
Just won’t capture the beauty of the moment
In the way that I know a 1.4 f stop with a 50 mm prime lens on a full size sensor could.

The lighting is just right,
Glimmering off your golden brown hair,
Which is falling gently on your shoulders,
Illumination reflecting off the floor to fill the shadows on your face.
Sparkling in your eyes,
Two beautiful blue eyes,
Which are complemented so well by your cozy sweater.
Yet, you’ve taken it a step further,
Coordinating not only clothing but even surroundings.
The weathered book you read,
The chair your recline on,
Even the location you sit in,
All predetermined by the clothes you chose to wear today,
To perfectly match and enhance your surroundings.
You sit there,
Seemingly oblivious to this, and
Seemingly oblivious to me.
It would take me a year to set up this shot,
But it just seems to come to you so naturally.

All my impulses scream at me to run out to my car,
Drive home,
Grab my camera,
And rush back here to get this picture.
But I know, by the time I got back,
You’d be gone.
The sun would have fallen from the sky,
And it just wouldn’t be the same.

It’s a shame,
To let such a great picture, go to waste…

But now I’ll be watching for you.
Next time, I’ll have my camera,
In fact, I’ll have the whole bag of tricks.
Like a soldier going into battle
I will have my arsenal strapped to my back
Just waiting for the next time I see you in a picture perfect opportunity.

Oh, and it’ll happen too.
I can feel it.

Although, perchance I am wrong,
And my groundless optimism has taken over…

But that doesn’t mean it couldn’t be done,
You and I, we could make it happen.
Set up a time,
Take a few photos,
Maybe go out for some coffee…
Just the two of us an my camera.

I have finally decided to start up a new web project called The Year Long Poem. I will be writing one line of a poem every day for a full year. We’ll see what turns out.

My Scroll article from November 13th, 2007

When talking about computers, most people recognize Windows and Mac as  being two different types of computers. In reality, Windows and MacOSX are not computers, but really operating systems. An operating system is really just a big program which runs on a computer and makes it possible for other programs to run. (This distinction has become more important now that Apple’s new Macs are able to run Windows.)

For the last six years Window users have been using Windows XP, or XP for short. This spring Microsoft released Windows Vista, the long awaited predecessor to XP. A bit less well known is that in the last six years the MacOS has gone through five major releases, 10.1-10.5, all named after large cats; Puma, Jaguar, Panther, Tiger and now Leopard.

Many people have been excited over the release of Microsoft and Apple’s newest operating systems, but both are also receiving a good share of criticism.

Both the Windows and Mac operating system have reached a level of maturity that is unprecedented. Many if not all of the major operating system flaws have been fixed, the interface has been established, and there isn’t a whole lot more to do.

As a result, many people are calling both Vista and Leopard ‘eye-candy;’ saying that Microsoft and Apple are simply slapping a new face on their product and selling it for an over-priced cost.

Some of this criticism is justly given, Apple claims that Leopard has 300+ new features, but many of the ‘features’ are simple tweaks in programs like iChat; Apple’s chat client, DVD Player and the addition of some new screen savers.

Vista and Leopard, though, have actually made some significant changes. The problem is that most of these changes lie in the base code of the system; something the end user never sees. It’s the changes that no one sees, however, that make the operating system more secure and stable. This is what is most important in the long run.

A few people have suggested that the computer industry is at a point now where Microsoft and Apple could stop creating ‘new’ operating systems and simply roll out new security patches and updates every few months. This scenario may seem unlikely at first, as both Microsoft and Apple need to sell their operating systems in order to make money. However, both these companies are starting to diversify.

Microsoft makes a lot of software beyond Windows. Microsoft Office is one of their best selling programs. Microsoft has entered the gaming industry with the X-Box and the 360, and is also trying to work it’s way into the advertising market.

Apple’s iPod has taken off and pushed the portable media market to new heights. This last year Apple dropped the word “Computer” from their name to become Apple Inc, (formerly Apple Computer Inc.) Apple has released a new media center device called the Apple TV, and this June entered the cell phone market with the iPhone.

As technology continues to mature the future of these companies is uncertain. Consumers are not always willing to spend a few hundred dollars every year for a new operating system, especially when the one they have now works perfectly fine. Whether that point has been reached yet or not it’s hard to say, but don’t be surprised if it happens sometime in the near future.

This is my article from “The Scroll” for the October 2nd, 2007.

Lithium-ion batteries power everything these days. Items include any cellphone, camera, laptop or mp3 player. Lithium-ion batteries are relatively maintenance free. However, unless they are shown proper care, they will deteriorate at a much higher rate.

Before talking about the proper care for Lithium-ion batteries, it is good to understand the advantages and disadvantages to using a Lithium-ion battery.

Lithium-ion batteries have three big advantages over other types of batteries. First, they are very light. Lithium is the third lightest element, and the light weight makes it a perfect choice for using in portable devices. Secondly, Lithium-ion batteries have a huge potential for storage capacity, which means that the battery will hold more charge than other chemistries of battery. The third big advantage is that Lithium batteries have an extremely low ’self-discharge’ rate. When some batteries are not in use, they still drain a small percentage of power, Lithium-ion batteries use significantly less power then other battery types.

Lithium batteries are far from perfect, though. The biggest drawback to a Lithium-ion battery is that it begins to degrade as soon as it is manufactured, regardless of whether it is charged or not. Typically, a Lithium-ion battery will last between 2-3 years from the date of manufacturing. Lithium-ion batteries are also very sensitive to heat, and prolonged exposure to high temperatures shortens battery life significantly. Lithium-ion batteries are also very expensive to make, because they have a special onboard computer chip to help monitor the status of the battery.

So what’s the best way to save a lithium-ion battery? Here are two big tips to help keep them in tip-top shape.

Lithium-ion batteries work best when they are ‘exercised.’ Charge lithium-ion batteries frequently, recharge the battery whenever it gets down to 70-80 percent. Lithium-ion batteries do not need to be drained before recharge. Doing so will actually shorten the battery’s life span. Most lithium-ion batteries will last for 300-500 full discharge cycles.

On the same note, devices (like laptops) that keep track of the current battery charge will slowly become less accurate over time if the battery is only partially drained. To fix this, allow the device to run until it shuts itself off, about once a month, then perform a full recharge.

The big reason that laptop batteries fail so often and so quickly is simply that the batteries are always too hot. To help keep laptops cool, only set them down on hard surfaces; beds, blankets, and soft locations don’t allow air to circulate properly. Don’t leave cellphones or mp3 players in hot cars.

Lithium-ion batteries are not cheap, so it is a good idea to keep them working as long as possible. Just give them proper care and they’ll be able to serve well for several years.

Recently, that is to say, within the last few months, I acquired, by means of a large library book sale, a volume entitled “The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes,” by A. Conan Doyle. I purchased this fine volume for a grand total of 50 cents, with the intention of reading it as I found time over the summer. To date, this has not yet expired. However, even more recently, I have, quite astonishingly, stumbled upon a free audio book in iTunes entitled “Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I quickly downloaded the audio files and placed them promptly on my iPod in the hopes that they will entertain my mind while I mindlessly package tape in a monotonous assembly line, as is my custom to do for several days on end, breaking only on Saturday and Sunday for a few hours. As it came to pass, I find myself completely thrilled and entirely absorbed with the good work. My only complaint is that the reader of the books has a habit of getting soft at times, which is perfectly fitting for the story, but hardly fitting for the noisy environment I labor in.

I believe, that as of current, only Sherlock Holmes book I have read would be that of “The Hound of the Baskervilles” which I read many years ago, and enjoyed quite thoroughly. Now having listened to most of the audio book, I look forward to getting time to read the work that I purchased.

I have come to the opinion, that writing helps understanding. This is accomplished in a few different ways. First, writing can prove one’s understanding and writing can improve one’s understanding.

For example, I love math. During the past few months in my upper level math courses, I have begun writing out all the steps to each and every problem. This makes the problems take 2-3 times longer then just writing out the steps, however, I understand the problems perfectly. If I go back to my notes or homework from earlier math courses (yes, I still keep those…) I look at a problem, and think “What in the world was I doing?” The thing is, I can’t tell. I don’t know what I did and I don’t know what I was thinking.  With my new notes, I can hand them off to a fellow colleague and he can understand the steps perfectly.

This example is actaually a good example for both situations. First off, from looking at my notes or my homework, anyone can see that I know what I am doing. This proves my understanding. Secondly, I am watching my steps my understanding of how it works is improved by my putting my steps down in words.

Many times I find that I have to write to understand what it is I want to say. Usually, this means that you write, and once you are done writing, you have to rewrite because you now know what it is you wanted to say in the begining.

I have recently decided that writing to understand is, and can be, a great exercise. If you feel so inclined, try something along these lines. Pick a subject, perhaps a person, maybe an object, process, or place. Then take 5 to 10 minutes to write about it. Explain it. Ask questions like, “Why does this person do that?” “Why does she act that way?” “What does the object do?” “What does it look like?” “How does it work?”

Ask hard questions, don’t make it too easy on yourself. And be sure to be complete in your answers. The goal here is to better understand the person/place/object/process you are writing about.

If you do go through with this, let me know what you think. If you disagree, let me know that as well! I’d be interested to see if anything at all comes from this. (I plan on starting up a “Writing to Understand Journal”, but we’ll see how far that gets.)