my observations on everything right and wrong with the world - starting with myself.
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
the world is becoming a very crowded place.
The CIA's latest world population ranking has China topping 1.3 BILLION with India trailing not far behind. The EU is #4 at almost half a billion and the US of A is #5 at almost 300 million.
With the exception of Japan and Germany, the other countries topping the top 20 are "third-world" developing countries.
now, technically, the EU is just an economic treatise between countries, kinda like NATO, hence, the countries which are part of the EU are independent and are listed separately...so, the EU really isn't a country.
with this in mind, the majority of the world lives below the World Bank's "international poverty line", which, ironically, is based on consumption.
what does this mean?
-90% of the world is on the edge of survival and is subject to exploitation by the top 10%...
and
-the top 10% happens to consume 90% of the world's resources...
BUT, the "TOP OF THE WORLD" News on CNN is about the New Miss Universe 2005?
damn.
am I the only one whose priorities are skewed?
The CIA's latest world population ranking has China topping 1.3 BILLION with India trailing not far behind. The EU is #4 at almost half a billion and the US of A is #5 at almost 300 million.
With the exception of Japan and Germany, the other countries topping the top 20 are "third-world" developing countries.
now, technically, the EU is just an economic treatise between countries, kinda like NATO, hence, the countries which are part of the EU are independent and are listed separately...so, the EU really isn't a country.
with this in mind, the majority of the world lives below the World Bank's "international poverty line", which, ironically, is based on consumption.
what does this mean?
-90% of the world is on the edge of survival and is subject to exploitation by the top 10%...
and
-the top 10% happens to consume 90% of the world's resources...
BUT, the "TOP OF THE WORLD" News on CNN is about the New Miss Universe 2005?
damn.
am I the only one whose priorities are skewed?
Monday, May 23, 2005
what's the deal with today's video games?
I got rid of my xbox and traded it for a PS2 hoping to find more kid-friendly games, so my son and I can spend some quality time together playing video games in the future. anyway, the only kid-friendly games I can find have to do with Pokemon or some Disney character or some puzzle game that adults can't even have fun playing.
I did pick up Katamari Damacy which is great, and I've still got Bust-A-Move and driving games, but otherwise, all the games for sale are rated T (for teens) or M (for Mature).
whatever happened to simplicity? whatever happened to games like Super Mario Brothers or Metroid or MegaMan?
now, games like GTA San Andreas and Halo 2 and Mercenaries are not only violent, they're also becoming increasingly popular with kids, even though they all have M ratings. it's true that the gaming industry is becoming more of a commercially-profitable venture as well as a socially-acceptable form of entertainment, but seriously, pre-owned copies of "Playboy, the Mansion" shouldn't be next to "Dragonball Z".
I'm not saying that violent or uniquely-adult games are horrible...I think a lot of them are great and entertaining, however, I don't think they should be marketed to kids.
I love playing video games, but I also want my son to not be jaded by the time he's three years old.
I got rid of my xbox and traded it for a PS2 hoping to find more kid-friendly games, so my son and I can spend some quality time together playing video games in the future. anyway, the only kid-friendly games I can find have to do with Pokemon or some Disney character or some puzzle game that adults can't even have fun playing.
I did pick up Katamari Damacy which is great, and I've still got Bust-A-Move and driving games, but otherwise, all the games for sale are rated T (for teens) or M (for Mature).
whatever happened to simplicity? whatever happened to games like Super Mario Brothers or Metroid or MegaMan?
now, games like GTA San Andreas and Halo 2 and Mercenaries are not only violent, they're also becoming increasingly popular with kids, even though they all have M ratings. it's true that the gaming industry is becoming more of a commercially-profitable venture as well as a socially-acceptable form of entertainment, but seriously, pre-owned copies of "Playboy, the Mansion" shouldn't be next to "Dragonball Z".
I'm not saying that violent or uniquely-adult games are horrible...I think a lot of them are great and entertaining, however, I don't think they should be marketed to kids.
I love playing video games, but I also want my son to not be jaded by the time he's three years old.
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
even though things go wrong in life, I can at least rest assured that there will be good TV to look forward to.
:)
:)
Monday, May 09, 2005
trail mix sucks.
ok...well, it probably wouldn't suck if I were really out hiking on a trail and I needed something quick to provide me with a vast reserve of energy...but when you're sitting on the couch watching whatever's on Comedy Central and keeping an eye on your 8-month old son, trail mix isn't the best thing to snack on.
let me tell you why: trail mix + water + sitting-on-your-ass = EXPANSION
needless to say, my trail mix binge around noon (I went through half a bag of Trader Joe's Tropical Fruit trail mix) resulted in a tremendous feeling of discomfort around 6 PM. I thought I could blame it on the chili I had for lunch prior to the trail mix...but nope.
if I had listened to my gut instead of my brain, I wouldn't have eaten dinner.
but, two tilapia fillets and a heap of rice later, my bloat had gotten much much worse.
by 10 PM, I was in pain...maybe not visibly, but let's just say I warned my wife not to get too close to me.
:)
anyway, the idea of expanding food was always enticing for me...especially since I had a crush on Judy Jetson and I wanted a car that folded up into a briefcase.
the Jetsons were smarter than me though...they knew that expanding food expands. I didn't.
ok...well, it probably wouldn't suck if I were really out hiking on a trail and I needed something quick to provide me with a vast reserve of energy...but when you're sitting on the couch watching whatever's on Comedy Central and keeping an eye on your 8-month old son, trail mix isn't the best thing to snack on.
let me tell you why: trail mix + water + sitting-on-your-ass = EXPANSION
needless to say, my trail mix binge around noon (I went through half a bag of Trader Joe's Tropical Fruit trail mix) resulted in a tremendous feeling of discomfort around 6 PM. I thought I could blame it on the chili I had for lunch prior to the trail mix...but nope.
if I had listened to my gut instead of my brain, I wouldn't have eaten dinner.
but, two tilapia fillets and a heap of rice later, my bloat had gotten much much worse.
by 10 PM, I was in pain...maybe not visibly, but let's just say I warned my wife not to get too close to me.
:)
anyway, the idea of expanding food was always enticing for me...especially since I had a crush on Judy Jetson and I wanted a car that folded up into a briefcase.
the Jetsons were smarter than me though...they knew that expanding food expands. I didn't.
Friday, May 06, 2005
our dependence on computers and automation makes me sick.
it also makes me hungry. let me explain.
yesterday afternoon, I stopped by the brand new 24-hour Lee's Sandwiches next to UCI...and normally, it would have been a very quick stop, but yesterday, my visit lasted almost an hour.
why?
everything in Lee's Sandwiches is automated...they take your order, they give you your number, that number tells the sandwich maker what sandwich to make, and that number is called automatically by a computerized voice when the sandwich is finished.
it works well - when it works.
when it didn't work (like yesterday), every person behind that counter became a blubbering fool.
they didn't know how to take the order.
they didn't know how to add up the order or calculate tax.
they didn't have any paper to write the order on.
they didn't know what to do with the order once they wrote it down (on the backs of thrown-away receipts).
the sandwich makers didn't know how to make the sandwiches.
the guy who took the sandwiches from the counter and gave them to you didn't know which sandwiches were which.
anyway, it was stupid. I waited in line for ten minutes and watched the line grow super long. they manually took my order, and I thought all was well...until I saw that the computer miraculously started working again after they take my order, so all orders after mine were in the computer.
needless to say, I watched the very last guy in line (the dude was wearing a pink polo shirt and thought he looked badass) move up the line, get his order taken, and pick up his order...while my hungry ass stood there and looked at the back of a thrown-away receipt with my name on it and the two sandwiches I ordered.
this could have been completely avoided had they been trained to know what to do in case the system fails. I mean, damn, how difficult is it to multiply $2.00 with 7.75%??? Staples sells reams and reams of paper, but Lee's Sandwiches couldn't even afford one sheet?
they spent a lot of money on the automation, but they didn't invest in intelligent workers.
that's the price we're all paying now. think about it...I know very few people who don't have an email address...but I know even fewer people who would know how to use a slide rule.
simple tasks that we complicate through automation are making us, as a generation, completely stupid and utterly dependent.
however, in the end, I got my sandwiches, but let me tell you, every bite of that #1 Combination was filled with hate and contempt...especially when I bit into the jalapenos.
it also makes me hungry. let me explain.
yesterday afternoon, I stopped by the brand new 24-hour Lee's Sandwiches next to UCI...and normally, it would have been a very quick stop, but yesterday, my visit lasted almost an hour.
why?
everything in Lee's Sandwiches is automated...they take your order, they give you your number, that number tells the sandwich maker what sandwich to make, and that number is called automatically by a computerized voice when the sandwich is finished.
it works well - when it works.
when it didn't work (like yesterday), every person behind that counter became a blubbering fool.
they didn't know how to take the order.
they didn't know how to add up the order or calculate tax.
they didn't have any paper to write the order on.
they didn't know what to do with the order once they wrote it down (on the backs of thrown-away receipts).
the sandwich makers didn't know how to make the sandwiches.
the guy who took the sandwiches from the counter and gave them to you didn't know which sandwiches were which.
anyway, it was stupid. I waited in line for ten minutes and watched the line grow super long. they manually took my order, and I thought all was well...until I saw that the computer miraculously started working again after they take my order, so all orders after mine were in the computer.
needless to say, I watched the very last guy in line (the dude was wearing a pink polo shirt and thought he looked badass) move up the line, get his order taken, and pick up his order...while my hungry ass stood there and looked at the back of a thrown-away receipt with my name on it and the two sandwiches I ordered.
this could have been completely avoided had they been trained to know what to do in case the system fails. I mean, damn, how difficult is it to multiply $2.00 with 7.75%??? Staples sells reams and reams of paper, but Lee's Sandwiches couldn't even afford one sheet?
they spent a lot of money on the automation, but they didn't invest in intelligent workers.
that's the price we're all paying now. think about it...I know very few people who don't have an email address...but I know even fewer people who would know how to use a slide rule.
simple tasks that we complicate through automation are making us, as a generation, completely stupid and utterly dependent.
however, in the end, I got my sandwiches, but let me tell you, every bite of that #1 Combination was filled with hate and contempt...especially when I bit into the jalapenos.
Thursday, May 05, 2005
wtf?!?!
someone help me out here. how does it know?!?!?!
david blaine...is that you?
The Psychic Flash Mind Reader
someone help me out here. how does it know?!?!?!
david blaine...is that you?
The Psychic Flash Mind Reader
Monday, May 02, 2005
damn, time is passing way too quickly.
anyway, instead of ranting today, I thought I'd post something I found very interesting:
LA Through Postcards
yep. I live in Southern California, and I've been to many of the places on the postcards, but they sure look A LOT different now.
UCLA9.jpg (JPEG Image, 810x499 pixels)
the UCLA/Westwood postcards are especially funny...because I'm very familiar with the area, however, with new buildings sprouting up on campus faster than most freshmen reach senior year, it never looks the same for longer than a few years.
UCLA8.jpg (JPEG Image, 810x504 pixels)
ironically, the dorm I stayed in during my freshman year still looks the same, granted, the building hasn't been tainted by my roommate's and my legacy of taking a dump in every single building on campus, starting with our dorm.
scplaza1.jpg (JPEG Image, 810x514 pixels)
also interesting are the pictures of South Coast Plaza, a luxo-mega mall a few minutes away from my house. there's an overhead picture of South Coast Plaza that shows EMPTY SPACE surrounding the mall...that empty space, obviously, is nonexistent now.
pacificsands.jpg (JPEG Image, 810x521 pixels)
and finally, in the Huntington Beach section, there's a postcard listing new homes that are 'steps away' from the beach...priced between $12K-$15K. amazing. a home that's close to the beach in HB probably costs upwards of $1 MILLION nowadays...
However, I'm glad I live in Socal now and not then. For one thing, if I lived where I live now, but in the 1940's, I'd be living on a ranch and probably a patch of cow patties.
Now, I'm less than a mile away from the 405.
how times change...
anyway, instead of ranting today, I thought I'd post something I found very interesting:
LA Through Postcards
yep. I live in Southern California, and I've been to many of the places on the postcards, but they sure look A LOT different now.
UCLA9.jpg (JPEG Image, 810x499 pixels)
the UCLA/Westwood postcards are especially funny...because I'm very familiar with the area, however, with new buildings sprouting up on campus faster than most freshmen reach senior year, it never looks the same for longer than a few years.
UCLA8.jpg (JPEG Image, 810x504 pixels)
ironically, the dorm I stayed in during my freshman year still looks the same, granted, the building hasn't been tainted by my roommate's and my legacy of taking a dump in every single building on campus, starting with our dorm.
scplaza1.jpg (JPEG Image, 810x514 pixels)
also interesting are the pictures of South Coast Plaza, a luxo-mega mall a few minutes away from my house. there's an overhead picture of South Coast Plaza that shows EMPTY SPACE surrounding the mall...that empty space, obviously, is nonexistent now.
pacificsands.jpg (JPEG Image, 810x521 pixels)
and finally, in the Huntington Beach section, there's a postcard listing new homes that are 'steps away' from the beach...priced between $12K-$15K. amazing. a home that's close to the beach in HB probably costs upwards of $1 MILLION nowadays...
However, I'm glad I live in Socal now and not then. For one thing, if I lived where I live now, but in the 1940's, I'd be living on a ranch and probably a patch of cow patties.
Now, I'm less than a mile away from the 405.
how times change...
