Ted Miin's Blog

Things That Will Never Be the Same

2009-07-29T21:04:00.009-04:00

Well, I'm not going to talk about all the technological, cultural, political, environmental or other such matters that people have belabored in discussion of this sort of topic. But instead, the more simple and random silly little things:

A great song, after accidentally listening to it on repeat for hours during a specific mood or situation.

The excitement of sneaking fast food, junk food, and candy as a child.

Almost any movie nowadays after seeing its trailer.

Patience when waiting for deliveries. (Can you believe 6-8 weeks used to be the standard for many different products?)

Advertising, with the internet.

Information and time waste, with the internet. (Okay this is a little technological but the time waste part is especially interesting.. or tragic...)

Playing the game for the first time knowing that Aeris dies.

Realizing that your ear muscles exist and that you can move them.

Your opinion of that one guy once you find out he's secretly a professional ballroom dancer.

Your life after you find that awesome shortcut of any sort, keyboard or driving route or in getting to know someone, or to a major life goal or...

Important to Know Both

2009-06-24T21:39:00.003-04:00

People will frequently express things that they consider important, but won't place enough emphasis on the opposite or flip side of the matter. For example:

It's a valuable skill to be able to create conversation, but it's also crucial to know how to end it as well.

It's important to make and follow goals, but it's also critical to know when to drop them.

Be careful not to overcook pasta, but also know when overcooked pasta can fit the sauce perfectly.

You should properly respect family and friends, but also know when they are detrimental to your health or life and should be disconnected.

Work hard and play hard, but also know when it makes sense to work half-assed or not play at all.

And so on.

(Just a couple quick thoughts to wrap up the last post (it really was coincidental that I got around to this exactly a month later). Overall, it was pretty productive to have the realization and make the effort to cut the complaining even without full completion of the goal. Would certainly recommend turning on personal alerts for specific unnecessary behavioral expressions.)

No Complaining for a Month

2009-05-24T19:46:00.004-04:00

I've decided to stop complaining. For one month, about anything. Actually I decided this a week ago and have kept up with it, so I only have three more weeks to go. I mean complete elimination of all forms of complaints, about the job, about traffic, lines at the store, the economy, social culture, the condition of the world, everything. Just to see how it goes. And whether it has any productive effect, or is even a good thing overall.

Feel free to join me, at least for a week, or even a day. And we'll talk about it.

Making Time 2

2009-05-05T20:57:00.002-04:00

So a few weeks of random activity later, here were some of the big but not-so-obvious time wasters that I had noticed riddled throughout my daily schedules:

Not sleeping enough. Tiredness resulted in some 30-40 minutes of random dozing during the early morning hours, and some incalculable reduction in productivity throughout the rest of the day.
Spacing out while in transit. Given the insane amount of time many of us spend getting to and from work, school, practice, random excursions, etc., it would only make sense for some of that time to be applied to meditating or thinking.
Random routines, needless internet browsing, little unproductive habits and patterns that may not even be consciously initiated. Including excessive email/mobile device checks.
Entertaining pointless/useless/lame ideas, fantasies, conversations, etc. either with myself or others.
Excessive cynicism and conceit.
Standing in front of the mirror and re-styling my hair over and over again until the perfect look was achieved.
And most seriously, not having a plan or goal. For how to get somewhere, like a target profession or a desired travel vacation, or a bar across town.
And even more seriously than that, realizing and knowing of these such things, and not acting upon that realization.

Making Time

2009-04-12T23:34:00.002-04:00

How frequently does some form of "I don't have time..." come up in conversation or in your mind? If you're like me and probably billions of other people, all the time.

I'd like to invite you to join me in an experiment. For one day, let's carry around a pen and a small pad of paper or an electronic device and be mindful, jotting down every instance when we are wasting time, or even possibly wasting time, if it's not clear-cut. It may involve time-wasteful habits, actions, thoughts, or anything. Afterwards we can review the list and figure out how to develop or eliminate all the junk.

I hope we come up with something. I'll report back with my results in a bit.

Worrying about Difficult Things

2009-04-05T19:32:00.004-04:00

Think about all of the difficult times, ordeals, and tasks, life-altering and trivial alike, that have riddled your unique history. How did you feel during the period of time building up to the trials? While actively working through it? After it was over?

How do you feel when a new issue arises? Is the concern about failing to overcome the problem, or dealing with it poorly, or suffering through the process, or the effort required, or something else? Even though you've conquered millions of difficult things before, getting you to where you are now, why does each new thing still trigger a similar response?

Perhaps the worry encourages the best series of actions that have the greatest result. But maybe we need to be more confident that we will continue to be resolute and resourceful, and overcome, as always. Whatever happens, something will happen, you will make it so, and thus it will be satisfactory.

I'm Back, Part III

2009-03-28T14:47:00.003-04:00

With so much going on during this phase of life, it's been difficult for me to put together worthwhile blog posts that I'm willing to have eternally branded to my name. However, this is definitely something that I am interested in developing, and will be making a serious effort on the daily or weekly basis to write. I know a couple of my previous comeback attempts had failed for one reason or another (and I'm sure there were very good reasons..) But this time I will succeed. I promise.

Traveling

2008-09-09T04:49:00.002-04:00

After my recent trip to Japan, I've discovered that I actually like traveling a lot. I used to be indifferent to travel because of the complex logistical details, cost, and other unpredictable hassles involved. Now I realize that I learn and grow at an accelerated pace when in a totally new and different country, with interesting cultures, communities, and people. Observing how a city operates, how people relate to each other, how businesses are run, all of those details are incredibly interesting. And then meeting the people, trying to understand their attitudes, ideas, and opinions, it is all a pleasant surprise and exciting change of pace. And then finally trying to live in the new location, learning how to be proper, how to communicate, how to navigate, how to have fun, all involve aspects of living that are usually inactive when at home.

Traveling not only increases knowledge and experience with a new location and culture, but it instills an awareness of the nature of the world, how much activity is happening all over it, how the various parts are connected, and how one may fit into it as an individual. Many times one may feel insignificant, his problems trivial, his attitudes and opinions unfounded, his way of life needing adjustment. It's fascinating.

"You're worth it - if white."

2008-04-08T01:06:00.002-04:00

I read this article a while back: You're worth it - if white. L'Oréal guilty of racism.

To simplify, a division of the cosmetics company in France was selecting primarily white models for their shampoo promotions. When the discrimination issue was uncovered, they were fined 30k euros and one of the senior figures received a 3-month prison sentence.

This incident got me thinking about the concept of company reputation. Nowadays with the improved ease of spreading information, company reputation can and should be the primary and critical public relations device. How will hearing about a case like this affect consumer behavior? How much illegal and/or immoral activity is happening all over, but is going unnoticed? We need more undercover reporters and corporate journalists out there. To take corporate liability to a whole new and appropriate level. We'll also need some system in place that punishes reporting inaccurate information. Complex details aside, it is definitely a direction to strive towards.

Drama-seeking self-made martyrs

2008-03-28T14:48:00.003-04:00

I saw this funny comic a while back.

It was originally drawn in Korean, and someone translated it into English. While it applies the classic "oops!" joke, I found it interesting because we all probably know a few drama-seekers that find those types of special roles and purposes for themselves. Maybe we all slip into those positions every now and then. Or on a daily basis. I blame movies. Or maybe humans are just silly like that.

I'm Back, Part II

2008-03-11T15:32:00.003-04:00

My last return did not yield very many posts, and I'm going to make up for it this time. Upcoming post topics will include, but not be limited by:

Misplaced and poorly allocated money everywhere.
A social networking site where men can anonymously sponsor women seeking breast implants.
"You're worth it, if you're white."
Drama-seeking self-made martyrs.
Extraterrestrials?
Another social networking site.. this time, for babies.

Stay tuned. Metaphorically, of course. Who actually watches live tv anymore?

What is the deal with swearing, and around children?

2008-01-06T17:43:00.000-05:00

I witnessed a very ordinary public scene in Chicago a few months ago: I was sitting on the El train, when a street person began soliciting clothing to the train's riders. Someone spoke up, commenting, "You know, you can get in trouble for that." To which the street person responded, "Fuck trouble, I am trouble." An older woman then added, "Please watch your mouth, there are children here."

I had always assumed that it was impolite or inappropriate to swear in public, especially around children, but that scene led me to consider the reasons for my assumption and the nature of the social rule. And so my theorizing began. Perhaps parents would like their children to grow purely/innocently. Until they're older at least, and know right from wrong, good from bad language, etc. Such a classic and uselessly unrealistic ideal. Swearing is common enough that most children in the U.S. will witness plenty of it randomly throughout their daily lives. For parents that wish to raise their children "properly" (not really sure what that might mean), I would think that the best course of action would be teaching the children the meaning and uses of swear words, and to let their own experiences further support (or contradict) the transferred opinion.

I think that it's generally better to know and understand, rather to not know. Even for, especially for, the subjects that people may consider impure or unpopular.

Fun Areas

2007-12-01T14:32:00.000-05:00

This looks like a really fun area to me:

It really feeds into my interests in playing, exploring, climbing, and just running around and existing. What're some fun areas to you?

Gift Cards are for Chumps

2007-11-24T13:51:00.000-05:00

In 2006, Americans spent $80 billion on gift cards, and $8 billion of that was never used. Any ideas on how to stop the madness? How can we reverse the story that cash is rash and that giving a gift card shows regard?

Related articles:
Seth Godin's take on gift cards
Consumer Reports article (gift cards also give grief)

HD Radio?

2007-10-17T22:17:00.000-04:00

Have you heard about HD Radio? I only know about it because some of the random radio stations that I listen to play ads for HD radio. Apparently it's an advancement in radio technology, allowing stations to broadcast programs digitally. I don't know about you, but that doesn't seem very interesting to me. Radio seemed decent as it was. I'm not even sure how many people listen to the radio these days. Is it something to be excited about?

"You Comment on Everything."

2007-10-07T18:28:00.000-04:00

One day while I was at work, I was taking care of business as usual, and was making smalltalk with coworkers as they passed by. Suddenly one of my more friendly coworkers noted, "You know what? You comment on everything." Not with irritation or aggression, but a casual comment in passing. That kind of took me by surprise. Nobody had ever made that sort of direct statement to me. I immediately recognized it to be accurately descriptive of my workplace behavior.

To me it was an interesting observation, because much of the time I would consider myself an introvert. But when I arrive at the office, suddenly I become talkative, and find ways to create and enter conversations. Perhaps it is a work/personal dichotomy, where I switch different behaviors on and off based on my environment. Or perhaps it could be attributed to my desire to improve the mood and coworker connectedness at the office. Either way, I didn't consciously realize what I was doing.

I wonder whether there are other personal characteristics that I am expressing without realizing. What about you?

Upcoming Topics

2007-10-02T23:03:00.000-04:00

This time it's for real. I've brought this blog "back" a number of times that resulted in single posts that were unaccompanied for weeks or even months. To organize some of my recent random thoughts, here is a list of topics that I wish to address in the near future:

What is the deal with swearing, and around children?
What's makes a good speech? A good speaker?
That feeling of panic and desperation...
The way to escape it all...
Analysis of the office workplace.
Analysis of various social situations.
What makes something interesting?
How to become an all-purpose general optimizer, e.g., for restaurants and shops.
Converting learning into teaching, and teaching without learning.
HD Radio.
"Fixing" children.
"You comment on everything."
How does one decide who to sit next to on the bus? If it will be a 5-20 hour ride?

Stay tuned...

What is the deal with the news?

2007-08-26T17:53:00.000-04:00

This is a random rant, but I haven't made a blog post in so long that I feel like it might reignite my blogging motivation.

I was browsing Google News just a few minutes ago, and I saw this (automatically generated based on web popularity, or however they choose to generate the main page) article: Psycho tries to open jet door in air. Basically, some 20-year-old Asian guy was flipping out, messed with the jet door, and was restrained. The jet door requires "special training" to open, so there was no concern of any catastrophic result.

What? I don't get it. Why is this news-worthy? And for there to be 202 articles written on it? (For scale, popular news topics on Google News list anywhere from 500-2000 articles (e.g., that whole Vick thing)). Nothing happened at all. There must be millions of situations and events and actions that match that level of newsworthiness every day, in the U.S. alone.

Could someone please reply with a clever analysis of humans/the news/the world that might explain this madness?

Searching for an Apartment

2007-07-15T16:20:00.000-04:00

Over the last couple of weeks, I've been searching for a new apartment for when my current sublet ends on July 31st. I've been using primarily Craigslist, and it's been working out decently. Here are several lessons that I've learned about the apartment search process that may be helpful to others: Some are obvious and intuitive, but until now, I didn't think about them or realize how important they were. (Note that my search has been in the city of Chicago, in really popular neighborhoods like Lakeview and Lincoln Park, during the summertime)

Check the listings in the morning. And continually through the afternoon, if really searching. A lot of people, especially management agents, make new Craigslist posts in the morning. From the morning to the afternoon, folks will see the posts, and make appointments to see the apartments during the evening of the same day. If you wait until you get off of work (like I did for a while) to check the listings, you'll have to wait until the next day or later to see the apartment. By that time, it may (and for the locations/prices that I was searching for, definitely will) already be taken.
Always call when possible. It's really easy to spam a bunch of emails out to renters, but there could be delays in when they check their email and when they respond. A caller always takes priority over an emailer. Get that direct contact and set up an appointment immediately.
Don't get discouraged. If you like the location/price/description of an apartment, always go see it and apply for it. I saw a listing for a 2br place in a nice area of Lincoln Park going for $995, and thought it too good to be true. Some 30-40 people (we were all cc'ed in an email informing us of the competition) ended up inquiring for it, and the landlord set up an open house to accommodate the crowd. So many people inquired that the landlord actually updated the listing with more candid "cons" of the place. When I ended up going to see the apartment, only 5-6 people showed up, and only 2 of us ended up applying for it. I'm liking my chances.
Show up early to your appointment. Efficient agents will set up many appointments for the same time. Sometimes they tell you that you have competition, but sometimes they don't. Agents may arrive at the apartment early to open up the place or to make it look neat, and may be able to show it to you a little early. If you're ready, you'll have first dibs. Which leads to the next point-
Bring your checkbook. I arrived at an apartment at exactly the time of my appointment, but someone else showed up 5 minutes earlier. They saw the place and wrote a check immediately. If you really like the location/price/description of a place, definitely be ready to whip out your checkbook once you see it. (It varies from place to place, e.g. some require credit checks and other processes that take time, but I've already been beaten twice by folks who immediately wrote a check before I even arrived)
Make a good impression. If you're looking to rent directly from the landlord, know that every detail matters. Especially if you're competing for the place with many other folks that will all have qualifying incomes and credits. In the end, the landlord will have to make a decision based on how much he likes you, and how well he thinks that you'll take care of the place, etc. A little smooth talk goes a long way. (Not as relevant for renting from agents of larger management groups)
Research many places. This kind of conflicts with #4. In popular neighborhoods, you're on the losing end; the system is well-optimized for the management groups and landlords. You might be able to find a nicer place for the same price, or an equivalent place for cheaper. If you take the time to search. But if you hesitate, someone else may snatch up the apartment before you. Explore and research enough places to be aware of good value, and know when to explore further, or when to rent immediately. I saw two places within several houses of each other that were near identical units, priced $100 apart. Watch out for the greedy folks trying to take advantage of renter urgency and competition.

I hope these tips will prove to be useful.

Interesting Internet Episode

2007-06-21T23:24:00.000-04:00

A couple weeks ago, the internet access at my apartment was shut down. I was in shock. I've had consistent internet access for so long that I felt such an extreme sudden void. I even tried to load up a FireFox browser to do a Yelp.com search for nearby coffee shops with free wifi. Yes, I really tried to do that.

Of course it wasn't difficult to walk around a bit and find free wifi to leech, but it required just enough extra effort that I felt uncomfortably stranded from internet access. Sitting at my laptop, uselessly disconnected, I wrote up a list of my uses of the internet:

1. Email
2. Research for internet business ideas
3. Tech news, world news, and keeping informed on latest advancements
4. Blogs, forums, random web browsing
5. Online bank maintenance
6. Random research of locations, events, people, movies, music, words, etc.
7. Ordering stuff
8. Gamage

A lot of stuff. It was going to be rough. While at work, I searched for cafés close to my apartment with free wifi. (Sites falling under the categories of email, blogs, forums, games, etc. are blocked at work.) After getting home that day, I walked out a café, which ended up only being about 10 minutes away. I bought a smoothie, and whipped out my laptop for catching up on all of the web stuff that I had missed for days.

It all took about 15 minutes. Maybe 20. I read all of my email, news, blog stuff, made bank transfers, all of that stuff. All so fast. I suddenly began to wonder how I spent so many hours in the past wasting away on the internet. When finally faced with a situation where I only intended to use the internet productively for important things, I could accomplish everything in very little time.

Of course there are lots of random unpredictable uses of internet access, but still. How much time do you waste on the internet?

How Straight is Your Line?

2007-06-05T22:25:00.000-04:00

There are two kinds of imagination: fantasy imagination, and plausible imagination. Fantasy imagination includes anything that the mind could possibly stir up: anything, anywhere, at any time, of any significance, ever. Plausible imagination involves things that could be, but are not: life dreams, future goals, actions that could be taken, words that could be spoken. Some figments are closer to our grasps than others.

Our daily lives are lines in the plane of plausibility. (Some may recall the mathematical representation of real, imaginary, and complex numbers on a 2-dimensional plane). At any point in time, we are in one specific position, and we are headed in one direction, so we are always momentarily stranded in one line, one dimension; we can only look off to our surroundings, at our potential, and at the choices that we could make.

But over the course of time, we may assume a path that could only fit on a 2-dimensional plane, with plausible imaginations of one moment being actual realities of the next.

How straight is your line?

Marketing Fun

2007-05-26T09:50:00.000-04:00

I have a lot of fun thinking about great marketing ideas. Especially when I'm the target of them.

I went out to Timothy O'Toole's Pub the other day after work with some coworkers. Two of my coworkers ordered and shared a bucket of Bud Lights. A bucket, (this was the first time that I had seen it ordered) is an aluminum bucket with five (assumed standard number) bottles of beer, packed in ice. It's pretty showy, and takes up a lot of table space.

Some time into the evening, this guy walks up to our table, and interrupts, "Excuse me. I'm a representative of Anheuser Busch. I noticed you were enjoying a bucket of Bud Lights. Here's a sample of our new aluminum-bottled Bud Light, try it out." After spending a bit of time clearing some space on the table, he set down a new bucket of this new sample, and walked away.

This dude totally hit the jackpot with our group. We started analyzing the new bottles, trying it out, and discussing how it seemed to keep the beer cooler for longer. And how drinking from an aluminum bottle differs from the classic glass bottle. I don't know how frequently this kind of thing happens, but it was the first time that I had experienced it. And it was fun. I tried to track the guy to see how he decided who to approach, but I lost sight of him. I never found out whether he only targeted people that were already drinking Anheuser Busch beers, those having competitor beers, or anyone else. But what he tried with us worked, and I will undoubtedly seriously consider this new aluminum bottle the next time I see it available.

Companies and businesses should give out free stuff more often.

What do you do?

2007-05-21T21:37:00.000-04:00

I have a bachelor's degree in psychology. No engineering degree, business degree, degree in medicine, law, or any other advanced degree. Perhaps that is the problem with me. But I am so incompatible with education systems that I see little other choice than to try to go out and work.

I've tried doing independent consulting work, and I've thought about starting my own business (I haven't come up with any ideas good enough to get started). Neither of those self-starter ideas seem to be able to consistently pay the bills. Neither seem like realistic ways to make a living.

Just 2 weeks ago I started working at the entry level for a small consulting firm (that just got bought out by a larger 2nd-tier consulting firm, but the assimilation is a slow and unsure process). With about 30 total employees, I was excited at the opportunity to have a large direct impact on the company, its clients, and how things are operated. I've only been working for 2 weeks, but I can already feel my goals slowly fading out of sight.

It seems as if positions in companies that call for thinking and innovation require advanced degrees, or years and years of time with the company, learning its processes, specific operations, and other such details that may not be applicable anywhere else. Experience is still more highly valued than ability. That really annoys me.

I would like to ask everyone that reads this post to please respond. Please tell me that I am incorrect, and that I am devoting my energies improperly. That there is something practical and decent out there for those of us that have a measly undergraduate degree and like to think, solve, and innovate. Please tell any story that connects you to great work. I desperately need some ideas.

Getting By in a New City

2007-05-08T22:53:00.000-04:00

Well, maybe not just getting by; that's easy to do. But living comfortably, practically, and even fashionably in a new location can be difficult.

So I finally moved to Chicago 2 days ago. I came by train (which might I add, is a very dramatic way to leave home&family). I fit all of my belongings into 2 suitcases and a backpack, which seemed a little excessive to me. Others didn't agree. Luckily, I was moving into a house with a few roommates, and many household items were accounted for. I didn't have space to bring pans, utensils, a mattress, detergents, toilet paper, and those kinds of things. Some items are easy to buy, but from where? And how do I get to and from the store with that stuff? And how much will all of those little things cost? Lots of little details.

And then more questions and issues. Which bank should I join, and what should I do with my money? Where do I do laundry? Where do I go to get my hair cut? Where should I go to buy clothes and shoes for work? What can I do around here for fun? There are probably 100 bars within comfortable walking distance; which should I go to? So many questions. Asking roommates, coworkers, and other people yielded surprisingly inconclusive and little truly valuable information. The same with web searches. Maybe I'm just bad at extracting information and recommendations from people and the web. Or maybe it's just tough, and I should just adventure, experiment, and deal with it.

But wouldn't it be sweet if there were some reliable source of information for those kinds of things?

Work Attitudes and Age Differences

2007-05-02T14:38:00.000-04:00

This is written from the perspective of a 21-year-old recent college graduate with a lucky middle-class origin. I refer specifically to the office setting. Hopefully that's sufficient background information.

Explicit age ranges aren't crucial to the attitude issues that I'm interested in discussing, but I would like to distinguish between younger and older workers. The younger category is likely to include new college graduates, high school graduates, and people that return to school; people that are seeking a career, and something to do for a living. The older category is likely to include workers that have been in the same position for years, people that have settled for and stayed with last-resort jobs, and more jaded folks in general.

I've noticed differences between the attitudes of younger and older working people. It's kind of odd, and slightly disturbing. You might've also noticed it in some way or another. Younger working people are curious, ambitious, and seek potential. They want to find interesting work, and work that they value. They are quick to try new things, and are willing to implement ideas and innovations if there is potential to improve overall efficiency and benefit. They understand that work is work, but they make genuine efforts to align their careers with their life values. Older working people are apathetic, unenergetic, and stagnant. Regardless of how they got to where they are, they don't see themselves going anywhere. Work is something they just have to do, and they deal with it because it pays the bills. Changes in the workplace are bothersome, and new ideas that require adaptation and implementation are an unwanted hassle.

These are some thoughts that may arise:
1. Work is inherently bad, and will never be fun or stimulating.
2. People may start out as younger workers, but over time, working turns them into older workers.
3. Times are changing, and the potential for (and practicality of) finding work that aligns with personal values is much greater now than ever. People that grow up during this time have corresponding expectations. Also, this alignment reduces the effects of #2.

I'm really hoping for #3.

Word of Mouth

2007-04-30T14:12:00.000-04:00

I had a fun word of mouth experience earlier today. I met up with an acquaintance at Starbucks to discuss recent web application advancements, and new potential ideas to develop. After chatting for 15-20 minutes, a woman walked up to our table:

"Hey, sorry to interrupt, but I overheard you guys talking about web stuff. Do you do website design?"

"Yeah, we can do that."

"I'm looking for some website help, can I have your business card?"

Neither of us had business cards, so we just scribbled some info onto a sheet of paper and gave it to her. She thanked us and left. Pretty sweet.

Is it just a dream?

2007-04-28T17:08:00.000-04:00

When you dream, how real does it feel?

Do really incredible or outrageous things happen while you're awake, and for a brief, brief moment you think that it may not be real? That you must be dreaming?

My Experience with Dell Phone Customer Service (with Diagram)

2007-04-22T15:46:00.002-04:00

I've heard bad stories about phone customer service, but I never experienced it first-hand until two days ago.

Since I'm moving soon, I thought that I should get a laptop for portable use. I really only need a computer to check email and browse the web, so I decided to get a low-end laptop with only the bare minimum components. I did some research and read some reviews, and decided to just go with Dell. So I ordered a laptop from Dell's website, selecting the Windows Vista and 512MB RAM options. Some of you may be cringing and moaning. Sorry about that- I hadn't done much research on Vista, but the next day I discovered that I would need 1GB+ of RAM to be able to run the operating system anywhere near smoothly. Since the laptop hadn't been shipped yet, I looked for ways to upgrade my order to include more RAM. I expected to be able to punch in my order number somewhere on Dell's website, check some box, and be done with it. After browsing the Dell website for a while and emailing their support, I soon found that I would need to call their customer service line to make the desired upgrade. It can't be that bad right?

I was leaving for the airport soon, so I figured I'd just use my time waiting in the terminal to make the order upgrade. I was armed with a cell phone and a newly upgraded monthly plan, the 1-800 number provided to me in the email response I got from Dell support, and a 1-800 number I found on the Dell website for "order status" customer service. I couldn't find a number for anything related to order upgrades or modifications anywhere on the website. I also had a pad of paper with my order number and customer number, and the credit card that I used for the order. I arrived at the airport 2 hours early, and was in the terminal 1.5 hours before takeoff. I used the bathroom, found a seat at the terminal, and whipped out my phone.

First, I called the number that was provided in the online support email response, and got the automated recording. I listened to the series of options that specified the purpose of my call, and after slowly navigating several menus, I got put on hold, awaiting a phone representative. The wait wasn't long, lasting only a few minutes. A guy picked up and asked me about what I needed in near-unintelligible english. I picked up "order number" somewhere in there, so I gave that number. After being muttered something that resembled "thank you" and "please wait," I got put on hold again. A few minutes later a lady picked up the phone, and asked what I needed(this time I fully understood her). I told her that I just wanted to upgrade an online order, and she asked for my order number again. She also asked me for my name, address, and phone number. She put me on hold again, to be redirected to the "online sales department." After hearing music for a few minutes, the line went quiet. I wasn't sure whether I was still supposed to hold, but after several minutes I assumed that my call was dropped, and I hung up and called the first number again.

I navigated through all of the menus again, and a lady picked up, and redirected me to another department. After giving my order number and verifying my name, address, and phone, she informed me that I ordered my laptop under the "small business" category, and not the "home user" category(what?), and that she would need to transfer me to someone else. She also gave me a direct number to the small business department, "in case the line is dropped."

Several minutes later another guy picked up the phone, and I asked him how I could upgrade my order. He already had my order number, but asked me to verify my name, address, and phone number again for security reasons. He told me that he'd redirect my call to someone that could fix my order, and put me onto what I'll call the "mega-hold queue." The mega-hold queue included three cycling messages. This is what I remembered of them:

1. "The wait may be longer than 10 minutes... we apologize for the delay..."
2. "...Press 1 if you want to check on your order status, Press 2 if want to leave a voicemail and we'll call you back, or stay on the line to continue waiting..."
3. "Our normal business hours are..."

I heard those three messages repeated probably 10-20 times, with 30 or so seconds of generic hold music played in between each message. At that point I really wished that I had a second cell phone that I could use to try the other phone support lines just to see if there were some better way to get service. I felt like I was navigating a 3-dimensional maze in zero gravity with a blindfold on. And that there might possibly be some way to just get lucky (or have the secret experience and know-how) to stumble straight to the end of the maze. But me, I was just lost somewhere deep inside. While holding, I drew up a diagram for my best guess of how the phone customer service system works:

I added the last box once someone finally picked up from the mega-hold queue and completed my request. The flight had already begun boarding, and I got in line to get on the plane.

Re: What importance or significance do you place on family? Would you marry someone from a "bad" family?

2007-04-15T15:24:00.000-04:00

This is a very interesting question that I think is becoming more and more of an issue for today's American (and perhaps other cultures as well, but I haven't done enough research to know for sure); thanks for asking. My two cents:

Family is composed of many different combinations of relationships, including husband-wife, parent-child, and sibling-sibling. One may also include permutations of 3+ family members, or distinguish between father-son and father-daughter, and brother-brother and brother-sister, etc., but that involves detail that's not crucial to the original question. As the family operates today, all of the different relationships in the family are important for the learning, growing, and development of its constituent members; some have greater potential impact than others. For children, family is an unofficial school for ethics, belief, wisdom, values, and an unaccountable number of other details that shape individual character.

One may approach family from two different directions: as a conceptual ideal of connections that hold inherent value, or as an ambiguous connection between biologically related individuals. Those that follow the stronger ideal are more likely to perform altruistic acts for their family members without need for rationale. Those following the weaker ideal may use the familial relationships strategically, and leave the family if it becomes rational. The latter probably sounds very selfish and cold, but I think that is a mentality that is increasing in popularity as people become increasingly independent and focused on individual accomplishment and success.

I have not been a husband or father, so I can not relate personal experiences and thought as a person in those roles. As a child and sibling, I've come to many conclusions about my position in the family. Having and raising children is a huge investment in time and money. The act and process itself may be rewarding to the parents. Or the parents may be expecting a return in their investment. Or hope to continue their legacy. Or some combination of those reasons. Or it all simply happens, is a part of life, and holds no special significance or reason. Culture has a big effect on the reasons for having children, and it is interesting to think about how they have developed.

I think that some sort of family is important for the healthy development of any human being. That would include the traditional family, any individual and their rolemodels, life-coaches and life-teachers, and any individual with friends to learn and develop from/with. People are resilient, and families can be developed in a variety of settings.

The specific values of families vary a lot from person to person. Some have greater needs and desires for a family than others. Some find truly great substitutes. Some are lucky to have family members that are and become people with whom they match with well and connect with deeply. This is an interesting bit, because you do not choose your family members. It is not uncommon for you to like and connect more with your friends than you do with your family. It should be expected, because you had the option to choose your friends from (likely) a very large number of people.

Would I marry someone from a "bad" family? Certainly. When it comes to marriage or any serious long-term relationship, the most important thing is my partner, and my connection with her. If we are right for each other, then that is all I need. I know that many people have strong desires for great extended families, relationships with in-laws, and all that, but I don't value those relationships as highly as my relationship with my partner.

Re: Is there anything you regret?

2007-04-11T13:21:00.000-04:00

Short answer: Yes, but I'm working on it.

Longer answer:
Anyone with values, living as a normal, functioning human being will experience regret. People are emotional, make mistakes, act without knowing/considering consequences, have unmet expectations, and things don't always go their way; it's unavoidable. But regret is contextual, and what matters is how we deal with it.

When I was in the third grade, I was having fun out on the playground and I threw a snowball at a classmate. I was reported, and got into "big" trouble, which resulted in a scolding from my teacher, having to make a written apology, and having my parents called. That was a big deal, and it totally sucked. I regretted throwing that snowball after receiving punishment.

I've experienced regret after spreading rumors about friends, failing to get into my college of choice, intentionally aggravating my girlfriend, not maintaining my car and having it break beyond repair, and not getting a job after botching an interview. Some disappointments were more difficult to deal with than others.

But I'm working on it. As our lives progress (e.g. from child to teen to adult), the stakes rise; the scope of potential consequences for our actions increases. But also our understanding of ourselves, and our connection to the world. In the end, what's important is our hierarchy of values. And these values change as we grow, altering our reactions to regretful things.

My current primary values involve growing, learning, and evolving. Experiencing, exploring, and being passionate. Being happy. Then comes the job, the college, the car, etc. When I experience regret, I make earnest attempts at growing and learning from it. Becoming stronger and smarter. Acknowledging it, and then moving on. And that's the way that I think regret should be dealt with. Not ignored or repressed. Not by obsessing or being overly emotional. Those are convenient reactions, and we all may fall into them every now and then. But maintaining a strong hierarchy of values can prevent regret from eating us up on the inside.

How I Read Reddit

2007-04-10T01:02:00.000-04:00

For those of you that don't know, Reddit.com is a site where people link interesting stuff from the web. It has become a popular way for readers to get quick updates on what's new and interesting, based on what other users find worth looking at. Great links receive positive votes, and the top 25 most highly ranked links show up on the front page of the site. Reddit posts have unique styles and methods to sell themselves, and I felt like sharing how I use the site:

How do you read Reddit? Post a link!

The Funeral Exercise

2007-04-09T15:04:00.000-04:00

While in transit on board a Chicago subway train, I read the second chapter of "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey. It's titled, "Begin with the End in Mind." Covey presents a situation that he believes is useful in examining your true values: being at your own funeral, thinking about what you would like your friends, family, and associates to say about you. The various examples provided include you being a loving spouse, great parent, good friend, working associate, and that kind of thing.

That exercise didn't really resonate with me. I find it odd to think about values through secondary judgments. Covey places great emphasis on interpersonal relations, and thus understandably gauges values according to the people in our lives. However, I would prefer a more self-reflective exercise. How about closing your eyes, and trying to clear your mind. Then think about what you want and feel right now. And then what your goals are for different points in the future. I find that this is a simpler, more personal, and more direct exercise for determining our values. Easy enough, right?

I love finding exactly what I'm looking for.

2007-03-29T17:06:00.000-04:00

You know that feeling you get when you're searching for something specific, have trouble locating it for a while, and never end up finding what you're looking for? Or maybe, just by chance, random luck, or persistence and devotion, you manage to discover whatever it is that you're so earnestly seeking?

Maybe you only like one obscure flavor of energy drink, and you drive to multiple grocery stores and gas stations, getting ready to give up after seeing that the third gas station is sold out. But then you spot a single glowing can hidden within a row of other lesser energy drinks.

Maybe you're traveling to Europe for the first time, and are trying to meet up with your friends who've already been in Paris for a couple of days. You get lost in the wrong lines at airports, train and subway stations, try to use the wrong forms of currency, lose all of the phone numbers and addresses that you wrote down on a sheet of paper, get hassled by customs security, get randomly delayed, and wander around the city for hours. 12+ hours of travel, confusion, frustration, and anger later, you find yourself sitting hopelessly conquered on the steps outside of a hostel. But then you catch sight of your friends walking down the street towards you, waving and shouting.

You know that feeling?

I'm moving to Chicago soon, and I'm going on a trip to the city next week. I've planned meetings with employers and subletters to see if I can get established before I just get up and go. I am unfamiliar with the town, so I decided to do some extra research beforehand to make sure that I can get everywhere on time. I used Google maps to find addresses, and tried to use the Chicago Transit Authority's subway maps to figure out how I'm going to get everywhere. It was difficult to see how the subways related to the city streets, and I could not, for the longest time, find anything that could help compare the separate maps. But then I found this:

http://www.tastypopsicle.com/maps/cta.asp

Man, I love finding exactly what I'm looking for.

Good Reading Material?

2007-03-28T17:36:00.000-04:00

I've been looking for better ways to spend my random blocks of freetime lately, and I think reading might be a good place to start. I've never been much of a reader, and I could probably name every book that I've ever read in under a minute. With the exception of all of those childhood novels, comics, cartoons, and all of that stuff, of course.

Do you have any general suggestions? I'm interested in anything that's good reading, on any topic whatsoever. Philosophy, psychology, religion, drama, romance, action, mystery, fantasy, anything. Let's try to compile a good list here and the next time we're at the library or book store or browsing Amazon.com we might have some specific ideas.

Following each book with a short blip of what it's about would be nice.

How much have you changed?

2007-03-25T02:03:00.000-04:00

Little or big. Share an account of something that has changed in you, or that you changed in yourself.

Maybe when you were a child you hated asparagus and loved chocolate, and now the opposite is true. Maybe you used to be conservative and now you're liberal. Maybe you used to be shy and now you're outgoing. Maybe you used to believe that Jesus was your savior and now you don't. Maybe you used to feel that life was meaningless and now you find it very fulfilling. What changed? How did it happen?

You in a Nutshell

2007-03-19T19:16:00.000-04:00

Earlier today I wrote some emails to Craigslist posters for sublets in Chicago. Many subletters ask for brief bios, so I tried to write candid 2-paragraph descriptions of myself. While writing those emails, I started thinking, "how would this self-description be different if I wrote it in a different mood? Or if I weren't trying to tactfully sell myself? Or if I knew different details about the recipient?"

There are so many different ways to summarize yourself in just a couple hundred words. And nobody is always only one person, with one set of interests, and one explicit history. How would you describe yourself in a nutshell? What aspects of that description would be false? How might it change from day to day, second to second?

Why do some people in negative moods isolate themselves?

2007-03-17T19:25:00.000-04:00

(And please don't just say "it's human nature, it just happens, it's unanalyzable," and etc. I'm not a big fan of that whole irrationally untouchable inpenetrable mysterious sacred black box of secret human nature that governs everyone at all times but is inconceivable and unthinkable.)

This question arose at the end of a series of considerations that followed a brief conversation I had with someone that was just rejected from a medical program. He was in a depressed mood. The conversation went something like this:

Him: Man, now I know why medical students have such high suicide rates. It's just so stressful, and can be so depressing.

Me: It shouldn't be too big a deal, right? I mean, you can retry at a future time. And it's not like any time is lost, you can learn and intern and develop all the while.

Him: Yeah but it's such a hassle, and costs a lot, and there's so much pressure.

Me: I don't doubt it, but that's just life, ya know? That's what you wanna do, so you gotta go through the required processes.

Him: That's easy for you to say. You haven't gone through what I have.

Me: Maybe not exactly, but I've experienced many similar things in life. Like rejection from college, rejection from jobs after extensive interviews, rejection from women even. It's all a part of life, and your values determine how you deal with it.

Him: I dunno man, you just don't understand.

And that's where the conversation ended. It seemed like the guy's basic attitude was: I'm feeling bad. Why are you speaking about my hardships so lightly? Why do you pretend like you understand what I'm going through, and would be dealing with these problems more positively, when you aren't experiencing exactly what I am?

Why do people in negative moods rarely think that their situations are understandable by others? Are they so extremely affected that they feel their condition is beyond anything someone else has ever experienced? Or so uniquely different that no experience could ever compare? Or do they not want others to be able to understand? For if their suffering is unique to themselves, whatever they are feeling cannot be compared to anything else, and they can rationally continue to feel however they wish, regardless of what anyone could think or say. In the end, why is the automatic common response, "you just don't understand?"

Evolutionary non-human expressions of emotion have been observed to be largely for the purpose of seeking attention and care. But for humans, many people that feel strong negative emotions prefer to isolate themselves from human contact. For whatever reason, they do not wish to be in the company of others, or be seen by others in their condition, or be falsely misunderstood by others, or be judged by others. But self-coping mechanisms are rarely as effective as group-coping mechanisms. Human contact is key to many components of mental health and well-being.

Something is wrong there. It's as if fear of judgment (or misunderstanding or being seen, or something) overrides the desire to resolve issues, or to overcome hardships. Are the current ways that humans are treating each other, and thinking about each other, shaped in such a way that is promoting that kind of behavior? What can be done?

How much do you think nowadays?

2007-03-15T02:07:00.000-04:00

Remember the days when you had millions of questions, curiosities, and bewilderments, and only a handful of them were within your grasp? Has that level of wonder decreased for you over time? What do you think about nowadays? How much have you resolved and concluded? How much stuff is left to think about?

Analysis of Laughter

2007-03-13T15:50:00.000-04:00

What do you guys think about this:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/13/science/13tier.html

Basically:
"Occasionally we’re surprised into laughing at something funny, but most laughter has little to do with humor. It’s an instinctual survival tool for social animals, not an intellectual response to wit. It’s not about getting the joke. It’s about getting along."

Mindlessness and Communication

2007-03-11T17:43:00.000-04:00

I've noticed that this kind of thing happens frequently, even with people close to us:

Situational contexts vary greatly. We could be planning a joke on a friend with another friend. We could be sitting in a car with a family member. We could be asking a friend for a favor. The basic premise could involve the need for a task to be completed, explicitly or ambiguously. Or a random analysis of a seemingly complex object. Someone ends up making an assumption about the incompetency of another, and notably expresses their concern, or gives an unnecessary reminder. The issue is usually trivial, but I am curious as to its foundations.

For example, one time I was planning a small practical joke on the roommate of a friend. The idea was simple: this roommate is a mess with toothpaste tubes, and after a few weeks of use, the lid of the tube becomes encased with gobs of dried toothpaste. Even though the old messy tube wasn't even half-used, the roommate bought a new tube of toothpaste to forget about the mess. We were going to carefully recreate the dried toothpaste mess in the new tube, and reseal it back into the original package, awaiting the roommate's use.

Midway through the careful oozing and drying process of achieving the desired level of dried toothpaste mess, my friend told me, "don't forget to prop up the lid of the tube so that it doesn't stick to the carpet in my room." Trivial. Absolutely harmless and irrelevant. But so obvious. Why did he remind me to do something that I couldn't have possibly screwed up? I didn't think that he was concerned that I would be careless. I doubt it was something that he himself would've accidentally done, resulting in his decision to remind me. But then why?

People are just really mindless nowadays; they speak before they think. Without cause or reason. People complain and grumble and chatter mindlessly at length all of the time. In some cases it may correlate with genuine concerns, and lack of trust in competency or dependability of others. Anxieties, worries, and whatnot. But how much of the time is it just mindlessness, immediately forgettable material? I think that if people were more mindful when appropriate, they may have the potential of more advanced communication and greater relationships. And productivity, efficiency, happiness, and all of that other stuff.

The Greatness of Complete Mastery

2007-03-08T17:54:00.000-05:00

You know what I really want? To develop complete mastery, total proficiency, expert, and adept command of something valuable, something awesome and useful. I've touched that level of skill and understanding with a few useless things like games, but I would really like to develop those abilities in something more widely-applicable and more worthwhile in life. I just have to find something that I have enough passion for, to invest the time and effort.

What is the deal with illegal marijuana?

2007-03-07T17:52:00.000-05:00

Is this: http://www.tanyahoughton.com/kris/norml/ true? How many situations out there have comparable histories?

Free Online Learning Resource

2007-03-05T14:33:00.000-05:00

If you like learning and teaching yourself stuff, I hope you know about MIT OpenCourseWare.

Readings, assignments, exams- they even have some lecture videos up there. Yeah this spearheads a new educational era, the onset of the web making more things possible for more people in more places, and all that stuff. Check it out.

How's Your Lame Detector?

2007-03-05T13:59:00.000-05:00

We've all experienced this many times during the courses of our lives, and depending on our social circles, possibly on a daily basis:

You get caught into a random conversation with someone, like a friend's friend, an acquaintance, a clear-skies friend, or even a close friend, and he starts droning on about something neither you nor anyone else within earshot cares about in the least. The lameness of what he is saying is blatantly obvious to everyone in the group, except him. Sometimes you manage to change the subject, or divert the conversation in another direction, but sometimes you get stuck listening to him go on and on, uncomfortable with revealing to him how lame he's being.

It's easier to deal with that kind of situation when in a group, but this may happen when you're the only person listening. That's right, let the various memories of boring time wasted flow back to you. It sucks to get stuck in that situation.

How can this person not realize how uninteresting he's being? How could he have no ability to detect my level of boredom, if not his own lameness? Could he be you?

I'm Back!

2007-03-05T13:51:00.000-05:00

Over the last few months I've been busy with getting out of college, figuring post-college stuff out, and applying to jobs. During that time this blog slipped off the radar of priorities, but it has now returned. Look for new, random, and hopefully interesting thoughts and web scrapings that will resume population on this blog.

Medications, Depression, Exercise, and People

2006-11-19T20:48:00.000-05:00

Some statistics from The National Council on Patient Information and Education (2006):

Almost two-thirds of Americans currently use medicines: 49 percent use prescription drugs, and 30 percent use nonprescription medications.
32 million Americans are taking three or more medications daily. (Many medication combinations have not been researched at all, especially in the context of unique individuals)
10 percent of all hospital admissions are the result of patients failing to take prescription medications correctly. (These patients stay an average of 4.2 days in the hospital)
Adverse drug reactions may be the 4th-to-6th leading cause of death.

What a medicated age we live in. Misinformedly or improperly medicated at that. Many of these medications are incredibly valuable life-improving or even life-saving medicines. But it is important to realize that improvements to human health and lifespan have been due primarily to improvements in food, water, and air quality. Not medicines.

And then there are antidepressants. Antidepressants "work" for a large percentage of patients that take them in attempt to resolve depression. But it turns out that exercise works too, and without any adverse side effects (and with added benefits). Exercise activates dopamine and endorphine systems (neurotransmitters that are attributed to inducing sense of well-being).

We are then inclined to ask... why? The obvious answer is that people are just too lazy. Or depression destroys motivation for something like exercise but not taking medications. Let's talk about the cases where people are not so severely depressed that they are entirely dysfunctional (which is rare).

If the obvious answer is correct, then people are simply too lazy to improve their own health and lives. They lack the motivation to improve; to feel better. Where did things go wrong?

Sources:
American Heart Association statistics
LocateADoc Natural Depression Busters
Trans-Health Exercise and Depression

Re: What do you think is the purpose of life in general?

2006-11-03T00:41:00.000-05:00

Original question:

What do you think is the purpose of life in general? Of your life?
At what scale do you measure purpose in life?
What motivates you?

This seems to be the question, especially of our time. More and more people wonder about this kind of thing, and we have the luxury to be curious about it.

There obviously is no single or correct answer. But maybe there is a good answer. I would like to simplify it as just, to live how we should live. Any more detail may be trivial and not apply to life in general. Any less I feel would leave out an important aspect of life.

Nowhere in that statement is happiness explicitly mentioned, because I think that it is inappropriate and somewhat unuseful to recommend that someone simply "be happy." (I say somewhat unuseful because "be happy" may be profoundly meaningful to some, and not at all to others). I think that the items mentioned will consistently lead to happiness when applied with personally relevant details. In that way, happiness may be one of the primary goals, but not simply the endgame. The components mentioned may evoke emotions, benefits, and levels of being, beyond simple happiness.

To apply those things to myself, I would say that the purpose of my life would include a combination of passionately living and experiencing, understanding myself and others, and using that understanding to improve myself as well as to help others improve. This may change as I progress in life, but it is where I stand as of now.

It is difficult to specify scale for the concept of purpose in life. I think that it can incorporate any permutation of personal, social/communal, and universal components. I prefer to measure purpose in life on the personal and communal levels. Universal purpose is abstractly elusive.

My motivation for doing simple and small things is largely based on entertainment. My motivation for doing greater, longer-lasting, future-affecting things is based on my current perceived purpose of my life. That and survival, desired lifestyle, and all those other boring things.

Don't Make a Fuss

2006-10-30T09:46:00.000-05:00

The other day I was walking to the bus stop while it was raining briskly, and observed a series of people making a fuss over getting wet. Some were dressed nicely without umbrellas or rain wear, and as the weather is sometimes unpredictable, I sympathized for them.

But only for a moment.

They continued to complain as they got into their cars and sped away. At that point I got onto the bus, got off at my stop, hopped on my bike, and biked the rest of the way home.

I observed a similar situation this morning as the temperature here in Ann Arbor dropped to the 30s for the first time this season. People making a fuss over it being too cold. They appeared to be middle to upper class students and adults, who were outside momentarily while in transit between two well-heated facilities.

Again, sympathy was felt on the chance that the people were used to warmer climates and were suddenly shocked by Michigan weather. But that sympathy did not last long.

Why make a fuss? You're going to get home, take off the wet clothes, grab a towel, and forget about the whole thing within five minutes. Or you'll get into the warm building, be so warm that you have to take off your winter coat, and soon possibly even complain about how hot it is inside while taking off another layer of clothing.

Why make a fuss? Because you have the luxury to be irritated by such trivial matters?

Why not make a fuss? Because it is indeed trivial, it's not fun for people around you, and likely not fun for you either. This applies to "misery loves company" group fuss as well. And who likes being around people that enjoy making fusses?

Don't make a fuss.

Daylight Saving

2006-10-28T23:07:00.000-04:00

I find Daylight Saving time really amusing. In the spring it creates this odd discontinuous gap in time, and in the fall it creates a period of time that is repeated. There are two instances of every moment of time between October 29 1:00am and 1:59am. I hope nobody planned any important meetings during that period of time.

I once woke up and went to school an hour early from overlooking Daylight Saving. Not that I'm assuming that anyone else will forget this, but just in case: On October 29, after 1:59am, the clock should turn back to 1:00am.

Some interesting/funny reads:
Seth Godin's "This time, it's different"
-Discusses some history of Daylight Saving, like how in 1444 the walled city of Basel thwarted a planned attack by changing the town clock.

Webexhibit's Daylight Saving Time
-This one covers some interesting things like how the Energy Policy Act of 2005 is changing when Daylight Saving happens starting 2007, how bars deal with serving alcohol on Daylight Saving days, and how Arizona randomly does not partake in Daylight Saving.

Re: What do you think about taking drugs recreationally?

2006-10-27T14:53:00.000-04:00

Original Question:

What do you think about taking drugs recreationally? Do you think it makes sense the way the law distinguishes between legal drugs and illegal drugs or should it be different?

Shorter Answer:
It's up to the user to choose what they prefer to do for recreation. The law simply attempts to enforce rules according to its presumed position of elevated authority on promoting the greater good of the collective.

Longer Answer:
Of course, those rules are often circumventable. Sometimes quite easily, when considering the availability of some illegal drugs. In that case, people whose choices for recreation that involve illegal drugs are not hindered much.

Except of course, if they get caught. And punished. That's when things suddenly become problematic, with an explosion of anger and hate. Though usually it seems, not before such events, as people are simply riding the stories of others.

I do not know of a good way to determine the legality of drugs. Many people make claims about how drug use will increase or decrease upon changes in legality, but those claims tend to be mostly unfounded. The only big example that I think may be worth analyzing and learning from was the prohibition movement, but that was such a unique situation that it may be difficult to apply to present-day drug issues.

What I do know though, is that current laws are inconsistent. I looked up leading causes of death in the United States for the year 2000 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, and was pleasantly unsurprised. The leading causes:

Tobacco (435,000 deaths; 18.1% of total US deaths)
Poor diet and physical inactivity (400,000 deaths; 16.6%)
Alcohol consumption (85,000 deaths; 3.5%) - This includes alcohol-related vehicle deaths.

... 9. Illicit use of drugs (17,000 deaths; 0.7%)

Are those figures the good work of the law? Would they be worse or differently distributed if the present set of laws were not in place? Somehow, I am skeptical. I think everyone is. But that is the effect of historical establishment of a drug, and of course big money corporations.

I am very interested in any suggestions anyone might have for a system that will confidently work better than the one currently in place. Please think on this and discuss any worthwhile conclusions.

Source article:

http://www.stopaddiction.com/narconon_alcohol_deaths.html

On Volatility

2006-10-26T16:55:00.000-04:00

So many decisions are made on whims. Sometimes very big decisions. Whims that are the result of emotion, and temporary thoughts and beliefs. Mental preferences and investments are often infatuous. When decisions need to be made, how do we account for these things?

When Automated Advertisements Go Wrong

2006-10-24T01:26:00.000-04:00

I was browsing through some old screenshots that I saved and rediscovered this:

Re: Do you consider yourself "grown up"? For you, what does that term encompass?

2006-10-24T00:40:00.000-04:00

Shorter Answer:
Yes, with "grown up" meaning being mentally mature.

Longer Answer:
I haven't really thought about the term, "grown up" since high school where it was often used by teachers and parents, who considered themselves grown up, to encourage or patronize others that they did not place in that category. In that context, likely aligning with the general consensus definition, being grown up incorporates some level of responsibility, accountability, maturity, and possibly even the shedding of what might be considered childlike behavior.

At this point in time I would define the term as simply "mentally mature." This means having a level of understanding of oneself and the relevant environment around oneself to be able to think and make decisions competently. To be able to reason out for oneself what one feels is good, is right, and what qualifies for belief. I would not incorporate in the definition, change from an earlier age. In this way, I would consider myself grown up.

Where's the Passion Nowadays?

2006-10-21T14:27:00.000-04:00

I mean, when was the last time you looked like this:

Or this:

Or this:

Note: Images will be a bit grainy having been captured from VODs.

Re: Greatest lesson learned working at a homeless shelter?

2006-10-21T13:16:00.000-04:00

I was only a volunteer so I didn't get to do very interesting work during my time at the homeless shelter. While I made a lot of interesting observations, I wouldn't say that I learned many great lessons. Perhaps one of them regarded the nature of social justice. First, the term "homeless" connotes inaccuracies among general opinion. The clients at the sheltor are all literally homeless, but not much else could be fairly assumed about them. Many dressed in suits and appeared unlike images that might come to mind when discussing the homeless. Most clients were resourceful and diligent, and were only homeless as the result of difficult circumstances, some unpredictable, some out of their control.

People not in the homeless group often treated and related to the homeless, however ambiguously or unconsciously, without knowledge of these things. But rather unfounded assumptions of the opposite. I was among them when I first began volunteering. Sometimes the condescension or relative comparitive self-elevation was detected, and incited reactive open discomfort and irritation from the client. Sometimes it was detected but only drew resigned communication. But it was always detected, and always negatively affected the relationship and communication between outsider and client from the start.

As opinions of others affect the onset and development of relationships so drastically, there is a serious problem in a society that nourishes so many negative opinions between different groups of people.

Re: Why is acting first more important than thinking first?

2006-10-20T13:28:00.000-04:00

Shorter answer:
It usually isn't.

Longer answer:
Depending on what you mean exactly in the terms "acting" and "thinking," thinking should always come before acting. I am assuming that we are not interested in discussing actions resulting from instinct and emotions that bypass conscious thought. Thought always has the potential to increase efficiency and benefit of following actions. Proper thought eliminates negative mental consequences of actions, like regret.

The only situation that I can think of where actions may be more effective when taken before thought, is in being recognized and convincing to people that you wish to affect. Though even in these cases, communication of ideas could be just as powerful as display of action. All the "actions speak louder than words," and "you must see it to believe it," and "you need to experience it to really know" ways of thinking discredit and undervalue the power of thought and ideas. Ideas are as real as anything that can be detected with our primary senses. Communicating them effectively is where the difficulty lies. When successful, it should have the power to convert thoughts into beliefs.

Re: How should we live?

2006-10-20T12:49:00.000-04:00

Shorter answer:
Lightly, but passionately. Introspectively and thoughtfully, to grow, learn, and evolve. With openness to change, new ideas, and experiences. Seeking knowledge and wisdom. With eagerness and energy. Feeling and being.

Re: What's your take on relationships? Romantic or otherwise.

2006-10-20T02:40:00.000-04:00

This is a such a huge topic that I am unsure where to begin. I will start with what comes to mind first.

Shorter Answer:
It is complicated, and depends on the needs and desires of each person. (Lame/Boring). I think relationships are one of the few things that hold universal value and benefit to all people, at any point in time, ever. People are always better off with secure relationships, and care should be taken to maintain valuable relationships.

Longer Answer:
Relationships are the lubricant of daily life. Romantic relationships are the K-Y Jelly of lubricants. Happiness and quality of life depend more on relationships than any single other thing. Many like to say "humans are by nature, social beings." But I don't think that we need to make that sort of textual simplification here. Rather, feel it, using your memory and thoughts. Think about your life, greatest joys from the past, and sources of happiness and positive emotions for your present self. People and relationships likely inhabit areas very near many of those feelings. One should always be open to new relationships, and take care of existing relationships.

Problems that arise between people with relationships should be easily resolvable if all parties are honest enough to a point where everyone involved understands the stakes, each person's value of the relationship. I'm tempted to say that most relationship problems are trivial to a point that they can be easily prevented(or later resolved) with full communication and honesty. Any problem that that cannot be dealt with in this way either requires genuine forgiveness, or is too severe for the relationship to continue.

A few weeks ago I heard a Go master say, "You don't kill groups. You let them die." Deliberate actions should not be made to end a relationship. At worst the relationship should be ignored, and if left that way it can end on its own. But the option should be left for the relationship to be healed by time or other means.

Some interesting articles about how relationships increase productivity and bearability of work:
The Guardian - Friendly Advice
Bostonworks - Pals make work more tolerable

Re: Why the live-by-a-shoestring route?

2006-10-20T02:00:00.000-04:00

Original question:

Ted, word on the street says after school you're thinking about moving to a random country so you can live paycheck to paycheck in a job that doesn't align with your skillset.

Sounds like a fun idea, one that I've considered myself a few times - but I've never considered the benefits to outweigh the costs so I'm curious. Why the live-by-a-shoestring route?

Note: Word spreads with alterations. My initial expressed idea intended to involve someplace in the country, where language would not be an issue. Also, the hope would be that the job would align with my skillset, but I would be ready to take up any job that would help me get by.

Shorter Answer:
Because it will be exciting and fun.

Longer Answer:
Several things contributed to the idea: I have never lived outside of Ann Arbor. I have been a student my entire life. I enjoy adventure. Each of these items also imply additional relevant details. Because I have never lived outside of Ann Arbor, not only do I have no experience living in different locations, city sizes and accompanying cultures&societies, I also have no experience living away from family, familiar and comfortable friends, people, and places. Someplace new may prove to be interesting and exciting in ways that I cannot predict from my current set of experiences.

Having always been a student, my greatest responsibilities rarely extended beyond the academy. I've never worked to pay for rent, food, and all other bills. I would like to take up those responsibilities and be more independent, and thus have greater flexibility in taking my life wherever I would like to. I always like trying new things. Starting anew in an unfamiliar location will surely be adventurous and require resourcefulness, a skill that I love developing and applying. Also, given my educational focus and degree, finding a solid high-paying job that I can shape my life around is unlikely.

Making New Words

2006-10-19T20:07:00.000-04:00

I love making new words. Usually they're words that don't exist in the English language, but sound like they should. Sometimes they're some combination of letters or parts of words that already exist. For example, combining "girl" and "exploitation" yields a new compound word, "girlsploitation." A practical use of the new word: Asian girlsploitation:

Re: Why should I post questions here?

2006-10-19T01:41:00.000-04:00

Why not? You have nothing to lose, and (depending on your beliefs) some chance of something to gain. At least give it a shot. If you don't like my response, the discussion among the posters of this blog, or anything else, you can ignore it and never bother returning. It is my hope that valuable discussion will result among all posters for every question posed. It is my hope that interesting topics will arise and that people will have fun talking about them. Let's try to make this a place where that is not only possible, but frequent and enjoyable.

Re: Who are you?

2006-10-19T01:17:00.000-04:00

My name is Ted Miin, I am 20 years old, and I am currently a psychology major at the University of Michigan. I like to think about things. All of the time. I am almost always in a state of observation and awareness, contemplation and analysis. Many say that I "think too much" and that I "overanalyze things." They are probably correct, in the context of what they consider is valuable or practical. To me, I think and analyze just enough, or maybe still not quite enough. Either way a lot of thinking is done, and as a result I have a flood of ideas, questions, problems, and realizations. Some of these things may be useless, impractical, or stupid. But some may also be valuable and interesting. This is why I decided to start a blog- to discuss things that I think about, and to hopefully find out what other people are thinking about.

Questions Thread

2006-10-19T00:50:00.000-04:00

Please post any and all (but only) questions as comments to this post. I will then start a new post that will include the response to and discussion of the question. I think this method of organization will be efficient and convenient for viewing all questions ever posed in one simple post. Responses from me should be expected within 24 hours of the initial posting of the question in this thread.

I'll post a couple of questions myself, for starters.

Update (4-15-07): I will now be posting comments in this thread that link to my responses to each question. This will make it easier to access the specific threads for each question, while adding minimal clutter to the Questions Thread.

Welcome

2006-10-18T23:43:00.000-04:00

I have a lot of things to say about almost everything, and would like to express my thoughts and ideas in this weblog. It is my hope that anyone that has anything to say about my posts will respond and that we can discuss anything worth discussing.

I would also like to try to maintain an all-purpose advice column, where anyone can ask questions about anything. Give it a shot; maybe I can offer something of value.