I wanted to spend as little time at home as possible this summer, because as Mees says, "Cupertino will be waiting.... always."
June 6- June 20
Japan
June 22-August 10
Taipei, Taiwan
August 17
Move to SF
Posts
mini crock pot
3 years ago
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Probably a one-of-a-kind post
I was talking to someone today about the subject of democracy, the voting process and the general decline of both. It's probably the most in-depth I've thought about those things since US Government at Monta Vista, a class in which I literally laid down on the floor and slept through.
The question posed was, "Why do Californians complain so damn much?" referring to the ridiculous amount of separate referendum elections we hold. Most other states hold those only in conjunction with annual elections or federal matters, so what makes us so different/special in our own minds?
The answers I could think of - a spoiled/selfish and uninformed electorate, a disproportionate amount of people below the poverty line and those wallowing in their own wealth, an inept bureaucracy, a sense of entitlement at being "the liberal state," a sense of having to live up to being "the liberal state " - could all really apply to other states as well. Even the last two; every state creates something of a self-fulfilling prophecy by buying into it's own reputation.
So what's the difference between California and other states? My uneducated hypothesis settled on the fishbowl effect. It seems to be an unspoken fact that as California goes, so does the rest of the nation. Californian politicians seem to be acutely aware of this, and over-exaggerate matters to gain further prominence. And then the citizens follow suit, believing this activism to be the crux of a well-oiled democracy... oh by the way, elections are expensive as hell and they basically come straight out of our pockets.
This led me right back to a solution that I've been championing in hypotheticals since high school - the benevolent dictator. Replacing a democracy with such would be great for efficiency, corruption, speed, action, you name it. Democracy is like a recliner with a toilet within it, it's a great theory but in reality is seriously flawed. Yes, so is a benevolent dictator, but I guess I just like imagining being the dictator.
Also, I was doing the laundry today and a couple of thoughts occurred -
1. The vast majority of my huge load was workout clothes and socks.
2. I haven't washed my jeans in quite a while because I only wear real pants 1-2 times a week, tops.
The question posed was, "Why do Californians complain so damn much?" referring to the ridiculous amount of separate referendum elections we hold. Most other states hold those only in conjunction with annual elections or federal matters, so what makes us so different/special in our own minds?
The answers I could think of - a spoiled/selfish and uninformed electorate, a disproportionate amount of people below the poverty line and those wallowing in their own wealth, an inept bureaucracy, a sense of entitlement at being "the liberal state," a sense of having to live up to being "the liberal state " - could all really apply to other states as well. Even the last two; every state creates something of a self-fulfilling prophecy by buying into it's own reputation.
So what's the difference between California and other states? My uneducated hypothesis settled on the fishbowl effect. It seems to be an unspoken fact that as California goes, so does the rest of the nation. Californian politicians seem to be acutely aware of this, and over-exaggerate matters to gain further prominence. And then the citizens follow suit, believing this activism to be the crux of a well-oiled democracy... oh by the way, elections are expensive as hell and they basically come straight out of our pockets.
This led me right back to a solution that I've been championing in hypotheticals since high school - the benevolent dictator. Replacing a democracy with such would be great for efficiency, corruption, speed, action, you name it. Democracy is like a recliner with a toilet within it, it's a great theory but in reality is seriously flawed. Yes, so is a benevolent dictator, but I guess I just like imagining being the dictator.
Also, I was doing the laundry today and a couple of thoughts occurred -
1. The vast majority of my huge load was workout clothes and socks.
2. I haven't washed my jeans in quite a while because I only wear real pants 1-2 times a week, tops.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Things overheard today
A father talking about his son... "Hey, if he loses and tried his best, then he knows he tried his best and just moves on. I think that is going to make him succeed in life."
Talk about a setup for failure. Correct me if I'm wrong (I'm not), but isn't that a terrible message to be sending... ANYone? Whatever happened to bettering yourself or overcoming obstacles? Life isn't the Special Olympics, Discouraging Father.
Some possible slogans for that household:
"Settle for mediocrity!"
"We're #2!"
"A is for Average!"
"< Giveup 3"
And completely unrelated:
"No one thinks it'll work.." "You just described every great success story."
Kudos to whoever knows which movie that's from.
Talk about a setup for failure. Correct me if I'm wrong (I'm not), but isn't that a terrible message to be sending... ANYone? Whatever happened to bettering yourself or overcoming obstacles? Life isn't the Special Olympics, Discouraging Father.
Some possible slogans for that household:
"Settle for mediocrity!"
"We're #2!"
"A is for Average!"
"< Giveup 3"
And completely unrelated:
"No one thinks it'll work.." "You just described every great success story."
Kudos to whoever knows which movie that's from.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Closet Zen
It wasn't until I moved off campus from UCSD that I realized that I really like big closets. In fact, one of the notable things that I miss about being in San Diego is the closet at Via Andar. I realized that it wasn't because I was a clothes-horse (I'm not), or because I could stuff all my junk into it and have the illusion of a clean room; it was because I could see everything at once. All my options were laid out in front of me, and the rest I could take care of in my head.
With a little bit of closer thought, it turns out that that pretty much describes my approach towards life in general. I'm pretty much the opposite of rash, and like to weigh all my choices before making a decision. Because of that, I'm rarely as spontaneous as I'd like to be, and I plan and overanalyze things way too much.
Et tu, closet? Just like my mp3 player playlists... What about your personality manifests itself in your surroundings?
With a little bit of closer thought, it turns out that that pretty much describes my approach towards life in general. I'm pretty much the opposite of rash, and like to weigh all my choices before making a decision. Because of that, I'm rarely as spontaneous as I'd like to be, and I plan and overanalyze things way too much.
Et tu, closet? Just like my mp3 player playlists... What about your personality manifests itself in your surroundings?
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