One week and many brash, uninformed speeches later...
The convention wasn't bad. I was really surprised at the amount of free time that I didn't have. (For those of you who are too lazy to look at the last post I was at an ELS synod convention.) Well, I had free time but it was spent organizing things to do during my other free time. What made the convention bearable was the down time filled with other people. I had a few people around just about every night. Applebee's has some really good smoothies. I don't remember the name, but I'd recommend the top one on the menu.
So now I'm actually quite dissapointed to be home. Funny how that works huh? I've got nobody to hang out with here. Something that really surprised me though was that the people who lived right there within a few minutes of each other didn't hang out that much? I don't get it. Living away from my friends for a good 4 years now during the summer I get used to it. But if you live that close I can't imagine not hanging out, at the least, weekly!
One step closer to getting my laptop. The loan was approved but they made the disbursement date August 29th for some reason. I'll have to call about that. It would be nice to have the laptop all setup the way I want it and everything before I'm already starting school.
I'm still kind of skeptical about going back though. (I talked about this before here.) I don't know hy, I haven't quite pinpointed it. I'll be sure to let you know though.
Song: Little Big Town - Bring It On Home
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Saturday, June 17, 2006
So am I still waiting?
A week of my first fun plans of the summer right down the shitter. So my parent's were going to be gone for a week (up at Bethany for the ELS Synod Convention.) So naturally I called some people up and had planned for a few of them to come over and have a good time.
Earlier this year my dad asked me to be an alternate for the Convention (see where this is going yet?). I accepted knowing that the same two guys have been going for the past 3 or 4 years and they've never had to use an alternate before. Well, now, all of the sudden one of them decides, 'hey. I'm not gonna go.' So now I have to throw out my *&$%in plans and go over to Minnesota to listen to some 'learned' pastors (who have forgotten that it says in the Bible itself to take it for what it says and not twist it to what you want it to say.) try to tear our synod a new one with their crap. Personally, my vote is just to kick them out. We're a small synod, honestly, screw the rules, you don't like what we believe? Leave.
So, to sum it up, I have to go to Minnesota. I don't want to go to Minnesota. I'm not happy. F!$k.
Song: Eminem - When I'm Gone
Earlier this year my dad asked me to be an alternate for the Convention (see where this is going yet?). I accepted knowing that the same two guys have been going for the past 3 or 4 years and they've never had to use an alternate before. Well, now, all of the sudden one of them decides, 'hey. I'm not gonna go.' So now I have to throw out my *&$%in plans and go over to Minnesota to listen to some 'learned' pastors (who have forgotten that it says in the Bible itself to take it for what it says and not twist it to what you want it to say.) try to tear our synod a new one with their crap. Personally, my vote is just to kick them out. We're a small synod, honestly, screw the rules, you don't like what we believe? Leave.
So, to sum it up, I have to go to Minnesota. I don't want to go to Minnesota. I'm not happy. F!$k.
Song: Eminem - When I'm Gone
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Until I feel the sun
A laptop for every child. This is a goal that is becoming closer and closer to reality. MIT Media Lab founder Nicholas Negroponte (I don't know how to pronounce it either) has been developing a laptop that will cost around $100. By 2010 he wants to have these laptops circulating to every child in the world.
The best part of it? It is powered by a handcrank. According to WIRED news one minute of hand cranking will give this 500MHz notebook 40 minutes of power. That's innovation.
The biggest breakthrough that made this project possible was the developement of a low cost LCD screen. All things considered LCD screens end up being the biggest chunk of the cost in a laptop computer. This screen was completed by CTO Mary Lou Jepsen.
While this may not seem like it would affect us at all it really does. Technological innovation in some of the worlds countries is nowhere near what it should be. This gives those countries a much better chance of catching up. The governments of Thailand and Brazil are ready to put down one million dollars each already for these computers.
These computers are not going to teach their new users to use them themselves however. This opens up an interesting opportunities for jobs possibly. The other thing that I think would work very well would be to have college students go over there to help. This would be a great experience for college aged kids to interact with other nationalities and cultures while providing a service as well.
Is this a dream or reality though? Well, WIRED.com already says that Negroponte is looking for manufacturers. "I even get checks in the mail from people who are ordering them, " he says.
Come 2010 look out world. Negroponte says, "It's every child in the world whether they want one or not. They may not know they want one."
Song: Nick Lachey - What's Left of Me
The best part of it? It is powered by a handcrank. According to WIRED news one minute of hand cranking will give this 500MHz notebook 40 minutes of power. That's innovation.
The biggest breakthrough that made this project possible was the developement of a low cost LCD screen. All things considered LCD screens end up being the biggest chunk of the cost in a laptop computer. This screen was completed by CTO Mary Lou Jepsen.
While this may not seem like it would affect us at all it really does. Technological innovation in some of the worlds countries is nowhere near what it should be. This gives those countries a much better chance of catching up. The governments of Thailand and Brazil are ready to put down one million dollars each already for these computers.
These computers are not going to teach their new users to use them themselves however. This opens up an interesting opportunities for jobs possibly. The other thing that I think would work very well would be to have college students go over there to help. This would be a great experience for college aged kids to interact with other nationalities and cultures while providing a service as well.
Is this a dream or reality though? Well, WIRED.com already says that Negroponte is looking for manufacturers. "I even get checks in the mail from people who are ordering them, " he says.
Come 2010 look out world. Negroponte says, "It's every child in the world whether they want one or not. They may not know they want one."
Song: Nick Lachey - What's Left of Me
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Ringin' in my Head
I guess I'm overdue for a post huh? It's not for the lack of desire to write that I don't write but the lack of ideas to write of that keep me away from clicking that new post button.
Should I just write random senseless crap like I did in my last post about absolutely nothing (aka the thoughts that go through my head throughout the day which are, fairly enough, very well summarized in the words 'absolutely nothing') I guess my onnly other choice is to randomly stumble on something that I just HAVE to write about. Odds of that happening according to Vegas 550000 to 1. Ladies and gentleman place your bets.
So today was graduation party day. Two parties today one on Saturday. As far as I know all three of these people are going to a community college next year and they are all planning on living at home throughout their year of college.
This leads me to wonder, don't they have a desire for independence? Going to a boarding high school i've lived in dorms for the majority of the past 5 years of my life. I wouldn't have traded it for anything. Now that I've experienced that independence I don't think I could stay at home for longer than a summer without going completely insane. I'm already about to lose it by the end of each summer. Is it one of those things where since you don't know what it's like you can't want it? Does it depend on your family life? I thought everyone, especially around 18, 19, 20 years old would crave this sort of independence.
I'm obviously wrong. I would be curious to know what kinds of things affect this and how. However I doubt too there are too many studies out there entitled 'Desires for independence in the young adult stage, what affects it and how?' If anyone knows one off of the top of their head feel free.
Another thing that those graduation parties made me think about. The difference between how my life was a year ago and now. Did I complicate my life? Did someone else complicate my life? Did life complicate my life? I'm not asking for sympathy. Far from it, I've learned a lot from the different things that have been thrown my way over the course of this last year. I just can't put my finger on exactly what aspect of life got so much harder.
Finally, my last questioning memory that nagged me today. Actually it nagged me quite a bit before today, but it came up again today. In the course of a year of living in high school dorms I made so many really close friends that I don't think I'll ever lose touch with. So when I came up to Bethany I naturally (I think it would be natural) expected the same thing. But I never got that feeling from anyone up there. Is it because it's college and everyone's too busy to make friends that close...no, that's definetly not it. I can't help but think It was actually very much my own fault for never really opening up to anyone. Then again, I never really felt like there was anybody I'd feel real comfortable opening up to either. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be. Maybe I will never make friends that are as close as the one's I had in high school.
Side Note: For the paragraph above and for other reasons I'm feeling very mixed feelings about going back to Bethany next year. (And for those of you who actually know me in person and not just from this blog the 'other reasons' probably aren't at all what you're thinking, although they're probably very closely related)
Song: The Lashes - Sometimes the Sun
Should I just write random senseless crap like I did in my last post about absolutely nothing (aka the thoughts that go through my head throughout the day which are, fairly enough, very well summarized in the words 'absolutely nothing') I guess my onnly other choice is to randomly stumble on something that I just HAVE to write about. Odds of that happening according to Vegas 550000 to 1. Ladies and gentleman place your bets.
So today was graduation party day. Two parties today one on Saturday. As far as I know all three of these people are going to a community college next year and they are all planning on living at home throughout their year of college.
This leads me to wonder, don't they have a desire for independence? Going to a boarding high school i've lived in dorms for the majority of the past 5 years of my life. I wouldn't have traded it for anything. Now that I've experienced that independence I don't think I could stay at home for longer than a summer without going completely insane. I'm already about to lose it by the end of each summer. Is it one of those things where since you don't know what it's like you can't want it? Does it depend on your family life? I thought everyone, especially around 18, 19, 20 years old would crave this sort of independence.
I'm obviously wrong. I would be curious to know what kinds of things affect this and how. However I doubt too there are too many studies out there entitled 'Desires for independence in the young adult stage, what affects it and how?' If anyone knows one off of the top of their head feel free.
Another thing that those graduation parties made me think about. The difference between how my life was a year ago and now. Did I complicate my life? Did someone else complicate my life? Did life complicate my life? I'm not asking for sympathy. Far from it, I've learned a lot from the different things that have been thrown my way over the course of this last year. I just can't put my finger on exactly what aspect of life got so much harder.
Finally, my last questioning memory that nagged me today. Actually it nagged me quite a bit before today, but it came up again today. In the course of a year of living in high school dorms I made so many really close friends that I don't think I'll ever lose touch with. So when I came up to Bethany I naturally (I think it would be natural) expected the same thing. But I never got that feeling from anyone up there. Is it because it's college and everyone's too busy to make friends that close...no, that's definetly not it. I can't help but think It was actually very much my own fault for never really opening up to anyone. Then again, I never really felt like there was anybody I'd feel real comfortable opening up to either. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be. Maybe I will never make friends that are as close as the one's I had in high school.
Side Note: For the paragraph above and for other reasons I'm feeling very mixed feelings about going back to Bethany next year. (And for those of you who actually know me in person and not just from this blog the 'other reasons' probably aren't at all what you're thinking, although they're probably very closely related)
Song: The Lashes - Sometimes the Sun
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