Like, um, you know...

"I beg young people to travel. If you don’t have a passport, get one. Take a summer, get a backpack..."

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:33:20 -0700

“I beg young people to travel. If you don’t have a passport, get one. Take a summer, get a backpack and go to Delhi, go to Saigon, go to Bangkok, go to Kenya. Have your mind blown. Eat interesting food. Dig some interesting people. Have an adventure. Be careful. Come back and you’re going to see your country differently, you’re going to see your president differently, no matter who it is. Music, culture, food, water. Your showers will become shorter. You’re going to get a sense of what globalization looks like. It’s not what Tom Friedman writes about; I’m sorry. You’re going to see that global climate change is very real. And that for some people, their day consists of walking 12 miles for four buckets of water. And so there are lessons that you can’t get out of a book that are waiting for you at the other end of that flight. A lot of people—Americans and Europeans—come back and go, Ohhhhh. And the light bulb goes on.”

- Henry Rollins (via rebeccabone)

Among the many reasons why I’m so excited to travel to China this summer.

MURK AVENUE: I FOUND ICE CUBES 'GOOD DAY'

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 12:10:06 -0800

MURK AVENUE: I FOUND ICE CUBES 'GOOD DAY':

murkavenue:

CLUE 1:
“went to short dogs house,
they was watching Yo MTV
RAPS”
Yo MTV RAPS first aired:
Aug 6th 1988
CLUE 2:
Ice Cubes single “today was a good day” released on:
Feb 23 1993
CLUE 3:
”The Lakers beat the Super
Sonics”
Dates between Yo MTV Raps air date AUGUST 6 1988 and the release…

Amazing. saylevy: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 22:55:02 -0800

Amazing.

saylevy:

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had to, this poster is just too good.

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 22:32:24 -0800

I had to, this poster is just too good.

Let there be light!

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:22:20 -0800

shitmystudentswrite:

The Enlightenment started when Einstein invented the light bulb. Until then people could not work long enough to figure things out because it got dark too early.

gq: Louis CK: Funny Man, Entrepreneurial Genius If you...

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 02:37:40 -0800

gq:

Louis CK: Funny Man, Entrepreneurial Genius

If you downloaded Louis CK’s latest comedy special—available for $5 exclusively at his personal website—then you received this fascinating email yesterday from the man himself (who also just so happens to be one of GQ’s 2011 Men of the Year). We’re passing along a portion of Louis’s email not just because it’s funny but also because it’s a rare, revealingly candid insight into the business of being funny. Basically, it’s Louis explaining why he’s selling this concert film in such a unique way. And it’s working—in fact, the film is such a hit that at this very moment the website appears to be overloaded. Anyway, here’s Louis:

The show went on sale at noon on Saturday, December 10th. 12 hours later, we had over 50,000 purchases and had earned $250,000, breaking even on the cost of production and website. As of Today, we’ve sold over 110,000 copies for a total of over $500,000. Minus some money for PayPal charges etc, I have a profit around $200,000 (after taxes $75.58). This is less than I would have been paid by a large company to simply perform the show and let them sell it to you, but they would have charged you about $20 for the video. They would have given you an encrypted and regionally restricted video of limited value, and they would have owned your private information for their own use. They would have withheld international availability indefinitely. This way, you only paid $5, you can use the video any way you want, and you can watch it in Dublin, whatever the city is in Belgium, or Dubai. I got paid nice, and I still own the video (as do you). You never have to join anything, and you never have to hear from us again.

I really hope people keep buying it a lot, so I can have shitloads of money, but at this point I think we can safely say that the experiment really worked. If anybody stole it, it wasn’t many of you. Pretty much everybody bought it. And so now we all get to know that about people and stuff. I’m really glad I put this out here this way and I’ll certainly do it again. If the trend continues with sales on this video, my goal is that i can reach the point where when I sell anything, be it videos, CDs or tickets to my tours, I’ll do it here and I’ll continue to follow the model of keeping my price as far down as possible, not overmarketing to you, keeping as few people between you and me as possible in the transaction. (Of course i reserve the right to go back on all of this and sign a massive deal with a company that pays me fat coin and charges you straight up the ass.). (This is you: yes Louie. And we’ll all enjoy torrenting that content. You fat sweaty dolt).

[…]

I learned that money can be a lot of things. It can be something that is hoarded, fought over, protected, stolen and withheld. Or it can be like an energy, fueled by the desire, will, creative interest, need to laugh, of large groups of people. And it can be shuffled and pushed around and pooled together to fuel a common interest, jokes about garbage, penises and parenthood.

RT @HP: Look good, work all day without recharging – it’s the #HP Folio 13 #ultrabook....

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 04:36:42 -0800

RT @HP: Look good, work all day without recharging – it’s the #HP Folio 13 #ultrabook. http://t.co/U9xXYztu

Occupy UW Library (OUWL)

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 22:52:02 -0800

As finals approach, Operation OUWL is in full effect. I have never seen more under fed, sleep deprived, and stressed out individuals under one roof for an extended period of time.

Good luck to everyone on their final projects and exams, and looking forward to coming out on the other end with a few weeks of rest to prepare for the next round: OUWWQ (Occupy UW Winter Quarter).

(A student at U of Texas settles in for a long occupation)

We have it so good.

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 19:50:39 -0800

We have it so good.:

Sometimes, the simplest things in life are the most important. We should appreciate what we have more than we do.

70 years

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 10:00:00 -0800

Remember 12/7/41

"People who don’t take risks generally make about two big mistakes per year. People who do take..."

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:15:57 -0800

“People who don’t take risks generally make about two big mistakes per year. People who do take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year.”

- Peter F Drucker

This is why Americans can’t have nice things. Coca-Cola changes their can to white for the...

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 06:11:00 -0800

This is why Americans can’t have nice things. Coca-Cola changes their can to white for the holiday to create awareness for the endangering of the Polar Bear, and we freak out to the point where they are forced to change the can back? What the hell is wrong with us?. http://t.co/7uxc7JFH

The little internet streaming device that could: Roku.

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 01:23:00 -0800

Who remembers the good ‘ol days of cable TV, pre-HD, and pre-DVR? Me either. It seems like to tell a story of an era like this you would be looked upon as a geezer, or like you were crazy to think that something like this ever existed. Well, the truth is, cable television in our homes is only about thirty years old. High-definition was introduced about ten years ago but only became standard viewing a few years ago. Tivo entered the market about the same time, enabling us for the first time to view live television in ways we never knew possible. Well, that is except for the VCR, but the picture quality sucked and you could never figure out how to program the damn thing… but you get the point: television viewing has come a long way.

(Look Ma! Our TV remote has 4 buttons!)

And now we have The Internet. The Internet gives us a world of information and content at our fingertips, from movies, TV shows, photographs, music, and social media, and from sites such as YouTube, Flickr, Pandora, and Facebook. The Internet is eating away at TV’s share of your attention, and fewer people are subscribing to traditional cable. People are now consuming much of their media via the internet on desktop and laptop computers, and today people spend more time online than on television.

(The “New” couch potato)

But what about the good old, trusty television you ask? Today’s sets are packed with HD goodness. Sure laptops offer convenience, and internet streaming gives us the instant gratification we all crave. However, it’s safe to say that most people prefer to watch their explosions and gun battles on the big screen and with outstanding surround sound audio. This is where a new market was realized: Why not bring the explosive growth and availability of streaming media to the television? And this is where devices, like the Roku come into the equation.

The Roku is an internet streaming device that brings many of the popular online services that are available today to your television. To use it, first you simply plug the device to a power source, connect the device to your TV via HDMI cable, connect the device to an internet connection via Ethernet or wirelessly, and finally, use the included remote to begin consuming a vast number of media options. It really is as simple as it sounds.

So what does a Roku device offer? Well, as I mentioned earlier, people are now consuming tons of media online. Roku streaming players bring much of that content to your television with a simple interface that even grandma can understand. Put it this way: Your grandma can figure out how to use a DirectTV remote, therefore she can understand how to stream a movie via Netflix on the Roku. Got it? It’s that easy. And with a little help, you and grandma will be comparing Pandora channels, talking about last weeks’ episode of Modern Family via Hulu Plus, and laughing at Nyan Cat on YouTube together as if she was actually born in this generation.

There are four different versions available, all under $100. Each version offers flavors that suit just about every media consumers’ needs. The entry-level Roku LT streams 350+ channels of content, is Wi-Fi equipped, and plays HD content up to 720p. Roku 2 HD adds a memory slot of added capacity, and Bluetooth for adding additional remotes. If you wish to step up to 1080p, the Roku 2 XD has you covered. And for those who have to have it all, the Roku 2 XS adds an Ethernet port, a USB port, and an enhanced remote with motion control (hello Wii!) for use with, what else, games! Oh, and don’t forget Angry Birds. What internet device is complete without Angry Birds these days? Yep, it’s included free, so you can seek your revenge on the pesky pigs on 60” of HDTV goodness. Oh, and did I mention how easy all of this is to use? You better watch out, grandma is about to threaten your high score.

(Operation Angry Birds: “No device left behind” is complete)

Roku sent me their fully featured version to demo, the Roku 2 XS. When I first saw the box, I expected the device to be larger than it actually was. It measures 3” by 3” in size, and it’s even smaller than the included gaming remote! In fact, setting it up in my entertainment center, it instantly became lost in a sea of oversized stereo and video components. I instantly realized that we’ve entered an era of micro devices that renders old entertainment centers obsolete. I am now dreaming of a minimalistic day when my entertainment center consists of nothing more than a TV, a Roku, and a sound bar delivering me the kind of sound quality that only a few years ago required at least six speakers positioned around me like a fortress.

(Roku 2 XS fits in the palm of your hand)

Sorry, I got lost in dreamland for a second, where were we? Oh yes, home theatre internet media streaming. Devices like Roku, Apple TV, Boxee, and even internet enabled Blu-Ray players and televisions are threatening the TV cable industry by offering a low cost, personalized, and in many cases, ad-free viewing of shows, movies, music, and other types of media. Companies like Comcast are losing subscribers and are racing to try to catch up to services like Netflix, one of the highlights of Roku’s offerings, by creating their own streaming service with Xfinity. Comcast is a cost that many people are now realizing they can do without, as high speed internet has become common in most homes and more and more content is available online.

Television will be a medium for consuming media for a long time to come. Devices like Roku will only aid in the continued dominance of the TV as the centerpiece to our media consumption. Cable is not going to die anytime soon, but it will be required to compete more heavily and likely at the expense of higher costs for its services. It’s easy to see, at $99 for the Roku’s best offering, $7.99 per month for Netflix, $3 per month for Pandora, and tons of free channels to satisfy just about every users’ interests, the future of television is going to be about choice: in how much we pay, in what type of content we want, and when we want it delivered. Comcast could do one thing today that would help position itself among the fleeing masses, and that is to offer a per channel pricing structure. But will it? Time will tell. March forward, little Roku.

I suppose I should actually start using this thing

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 23:06:28 -0800

Let’s see. I create a Tumblr account, I think in 2008, so I can more easily follow a few blogs of new friends I had made. I think, “I can start a blog too!” Yeah, that didn’t happen.

Now it’s almost 2012, and only now am I writing on this blog. It’s as if my grade depends on it. Because it does. Shaosong “Young Pine Tree” Ou, the next post is for you.

RT @Sonicsgate: Squatch lives!! http://twitpic.com/33z491 On TNT Blazers vs Thunderp

Fri, 05 Nov 2010 05:04:35 -0700

RT @Sonicsgate: Squatch lives!! http://twitpic.com/33z491 On TNT Blazers vs Thunderp

RT @TechCrunch: What Your Phone Says About You [Graphic] http://tcrn.ch/a6Nij3 by @alexia

Fri, 05 Nov 2010 05:04:35 -0700

RT @TechCrunch: What Your Phone Says About You [Graphic] http://tcrn.ch/a6Nij3 by @alexia

Is this the seaticket friendly? RT @sounderatheart: Seattle will reportedly host a U.S.-Argentina...

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 12:58:57 -0700

Is this the seaticket friendly? RT @sounderatheart: Seattle will reportedly host a U.S.-Argentina friendly on March 26. http://sbn.to/cAwCI5

“I know just what you mean. I used to be exactly like you yesterday.” Kenny Powers -...

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 02:14:06 -0700

“I know just what you mean. I used to be exactly like you yesterday.” Kenny Powers - East Bound and Down.

And I’m done. Hey kids, voting is easy.

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 17:16:20 -0700

And I’m done. Hey kids, voting is easy.

My guess is that early election results are 100% wrong, 0% correct. #waelex

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 17:16:20 -0700

My guess is that early election results are 100% wrong, 0% correct. #waelex