Sunday, May 24, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
I have also posted on Wordpress. Please check the alternative site here: alonothing.wordpress.com and let me know which format you like better. I'm leaning towards wordpress for now. Feedback is appreciated.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
Crazy Fireworks!
The opening of a new Mega-Hotel in Dubai complete with fireworks... not to be confused with the London Blitz
Friday, May 15, 2009
Good Idea
Posted: 04:00 PM ET
FROM CNN’s Jack Cafferty:
Health care reform won’t come cheap, and that’s why lawmakers are considering higher taxes on everything from alcohol and cigarettes to junk food and soda as a way to pay for it. The Senate Finance Committee is looking into how to pay for this massive overhaul, which could cost $1.5 trillion over 10 years.
So-called sin taxes may raise $600 billion over the next decade.
Several experts are suggesting taxes on bad behavior, including a $2 dollar tax on a pack of cigarettes and a higher excise tax on alcohol.
Politico reports that the ranking Republican on the committee, Senator Chuck Grassley is nixing the idea of taxing soda and sugary drinks. But it’s easy to see why so-called sin taxes are appealing — taxing cigarettes, junk foods and alcohol could raise $600 billion over 10 years.
A recent poll found support among Americans for imposing such taxes to help pay for health care reform. The Kaiser Family Foundation survey shows 61 percent of those polled say they would be in favor of raising taxes on items that are thought to be unhealthy — like cigarettes, alcohol, junk food and soda. 37 percent are opposed.
When asked about specific items, there’s more support for taxing cigarettes and alcohol than snack foods and soda.
But before you start hoarding your beer and chips, Congress is also looking at other ways to pay for reform — like eliminating the tax-free status of company health benefits along with non-health related options like capping the deduction on charitable donations.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Top 10 Cities for Design in America
L.A. is number 4?? What?
Can you guess the cities that beat Los Angeles?
GETTY IMAGES
Top 10 Cities for Design in America
By Oriana Schwindt
What makes a city great is a topic guaranteed to spark heated debate. Now architectural firm RMJM Hillier has ridden into the fray with a list of "America's Best Cities for Design," produced with the American Institute of Architecture and Zogby International. American cities with more than 500,000 inhabitants were judged according to criteria such as the quality of public transit, the number of LEED-registered buildings (indicating sustainable design) and how many of the city's employees work within creative industries such as performing arts or publishing. Interviews with residents were also used to rate a city's design factor, which takes in elements of a city's architecture as well as its appeal as a home for creative types. Large cities such as Los Angeles feature in the top 10, along with smaller ones such as Portland, Ore. But Chicago's greening efforts and architectural innovation saw it take top prize. Check out the winners here.
VIA Businessweek
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Floatopia Video
my video from youtube was recently put onto the local news channel. You can view the youtube original here.
The news segment is here.
Interesting Illusion
Firstly, answer this question: what do you see in the picture below???
Now read on.
What is above the woman’s head? When scientists showed a similar sketch to people from East Africa, nearly all the participants in the experiment said she was balancing a box or metal can on her head.
In a culture containing few angular visual cues, the family is seen sitting under a tree. Westerners, on the other hand, are accustomed to the corners and boxlike shapes of architecture. They are more likely to place the family indoors and to interpret the rectangle above the woman’s head as a window through which shrubbery can be seen.
after reading i looked again and yeah, i could see that thing at the back as a tree and not the corner of a room, and the window as a box on that womans head.
i like those kinds of things.. it clearly demonstrates that what we see is just our brain trying to make since out of things - based on what it knows already; makes you wonder what reality really looks like.
- Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.
via slash ninjaA similiar illusion . . . What do you see?
Children see 9 dolphins as oppose to a man and women because they have yet to develop a sense of eroticism.
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"Celebreality" Shows
Since when does being a myspace sensation make you a celebrity anyway?
I think most people watch these shows for couple of seconds, get a quick laugh, and then move on to another channel. In no way do they provide of any form of entertainment. In fact, I believe the FCC should impose sanctions upon shows of this nature because of their tendencies to dumb down their audience. There is no better way to waste 30 minutes of your life than to watch 20 low-lifes try to win a date with a poster-child for plastic surgery. So the next time you wander upon one of VH1's shows, ask yourself what else you could do for the next 30 minutes that would actually stimulate your mind and be beneficial to your life.
I hope I have not sounded too harsh on those people who watch these shows or make them, but this is really how I feel.
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Friday, May 1, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Bicycle Friendly Cities
THE UCSB bike path
Me biking on the UCSB campus
Bicycles are for short trips in Isla Vista: to go surfing, run to the store, to go study at the UCSB library or for getting to a friends house. Bicycles are everywhere in IV, in fact, stolen bicycles account for 90% of Isla Vista's crime rate. Nearly every street in IV has a bike line and a bike path runs through the UC campus.
I wish more cities could be bike friendly like IV. What is better than a fast, simple, human powered machine? I don't think L.A. will ever make this list but there is always hope.
Grab a helmet and check out these 15 pedal heavens, where drivers have actually been known to use all five fingers when they wave at you.
Check out the cities that made the list.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Tweet: What's the deal with Twitter?
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Real City/ Virtual Social Networking?
I discovered a new social networking site (just what I needed right) today called you city. It is still in the beta phase but it seems very promising and facebook has already shown interest in it. It basically is an interactive Sim City program. It is very much worth it to check it out.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Interesting
I was browsing through the CNN videos today and found this. If you find it interesting, you might want to watch one of my favorite t.v. shows, The Tudors on Showtime channel.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Socialism Video from Daily Show
A great parody by John Stewart and friends. Why are Swedish girls so hot?? I gotta get over there for my next trip.
Some Words on Advice
I recently discovered a song by the 70s rock band Faces called "Ooh La La" and I instantly took a liking to it. The melody and music are all very good, but the lyrics are something... and they got me thinking. The chorus of "Ohh La La" goes:
I Wish That I Knew What I Know Now, When I Was Younger
I Wish That I Knew What I Know Now, When I Was Stronger
Take a minute and listen to the song for yourself...
The song is especially appealing to me because I am still young and do not have many regrets. But I am 2o years old, and I therefore would like to offer some advice to the younger kids:
1)
Do well in school. Listen to your teachers, do your homework and study. I don't know why it took me until freshmen year of college to figure this out. It's so simple; do the hard work in highschool so you don't have to do it in community college. Even if it means staying in for a couple of hours on the weekend, it is well worth it, believe me. Even though you think it's funny and think it will score you chicks, don't be this guy.
2)
Get a job! It will keep you on top of things, you'll save up some money and you will be satisfied with yourself. Aim for a job that tips. Being a busboy is probably the easiest for first time job seekers. When you're older and looking for a job, they'll ask for your past experience... make sure you have some.
3)
Travel Travel Travel.
4)
Read. I know it sounds boring, but I really wish I would have read more when I was younger. You will learn a lot of new material and build your personal lexicon. The best part of reading is that it can be done virtually anywhere and with so little time/effort. I take the bus to school everyday and instead of listening to an Ipod, I read a book. The bus is about 45 minutes round trip, at this rate I finish a book about every 1 to 2 weeks. I just finished City of Thieves by David Benioff, a historical fiction about the Siege of Lenningrad. Check it out.
5)
Establish a healthy diet. I have always had a somewhat good diet, but when your older you really must always eat healthy. One of the easiest and most beneficial tweaks is to cut out soda, energy drinks and juices. All of these are essentially just sugar+water+high fructose corn syrup. Eat eggs for breakfast instead of cereal. Eat Chicken over red meat. etc. etc.
That's all I can think of off the top of my head. If anything else comes up I'll post it. Please excuse any grammatical errors, I wrote this rather quickly. In the comment section, I invite those older than me to submit their advice to me or others my age.
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