actual necessity: new macbook.

So, many of you know that my Macbook is old. Actually, it's the oldest model of the Macbook. I'm not sure you can even purchase this anymore. Many of you also know that my laptop gives me a lot of grief. What would normally take someone 2 hours to write a process recording or 6 hours to write a paper is actually doubled because my laptop just sucks that much. Don't even ask how long it takes to do something simple like making a blog post.

I've been saying for the last year or so that I need a new laptop because this one is dying on me.

Well, folks, today was the straw. In my great anger against my current laptop, I have vowed tonight (after a frustrating day) to get a new laptop. What was holding me back before was that I am broke. Yes, we're all broke, I know...but I am really broke. But like I said, I am irate at this point.

Therefore, I will angrily and stubbornly fast one meal a day, not for religious purposes, but for monetary accruement in order to purchase this very much needed computer. I normally hate spending unnecessarily, but I have definitely reached the point where a new laptop is not just a "want" anymore but an actual "need." I have wasted too many hours (probably added up to be days or weeks) staring at a rainbow spinner or restarting my computer.

Oh yeah, and I'm throwing alcohol into the mix. Not because I drink all that much but because I tend to pay for people/take people out a lot.


So hopefully in a few weeks I'll have saved up enough for a new, functioning laptop.

And yes, I will become a lot more frugal and stingy. Deal with it :)

The 3:18 Movement.

The 3:18 Project is finally starting.

http://the318movement.org

Check it out! :)

sign of the times.

Thursday night in my SIPA class, my professor was discussing technological development and how it has enabled globalization.

At one point, I looked over at the girl next to me, who was blogging:

Sign of the times.
Professor: "Does anyone here even know what a Telex is??"

...No, but I can Google it.

Haha, I thought it was funny. Even funnier because I had indeed Googled it as soon as he mentioned it (I'm a Google fiend during classes) since he ranted on about it for a few minutes.

Here is the Wiki page for the Telex. Enjoy.

avatar (aka pocahontas in space).

I just got back from watching Avatar in IMAX3D at Lincoln Center. Quick response:

• I heard from many people that it was amazing. I heard from a decent amount that it was "meh." My conclusion about the overall movie: I found it amazing only because I was in an IMAX3D theater; if I watched this movie in a regular theater, I too would find it to be very mediocre. Essentially, the beauty of the movie is in the CGI, the effects, and the creation of the planet and species. I can imagine it was harder to appreciate all of that in just a regular theater (and let's not even think about it on DVD, BluRay or not).
  
  (Technology never ceases to blow my mind...and make me feel like an old woman.)
  
  
• Besides the effects, I really admired that Cameron created this entire world with its own biology, culture, language, etc. Even though I am really, really not into fantasy stuff, I've always found it amazing and awe-inspiring to see people like J.R.R Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and even J.K Rowling create brand new worlds with intricate details. The creation of a new language amazes me too -- Elvish, Klingon, and now the Na'vi language.
  
  
• It is essentially the same storyline as the movies Pocahontas, Ace Ventura 2, and others...as well as the storyline of America's history. Nevertheless, I greatly appreciate the still-much-needed reminder of the morals behind Avatar...because clearly we as a human race have not learned enough.
  
  
• I can see how super right-winged people can be upset by this movie. I still think everyone needs to calm down a bit (on every end of the spectrum), but at least I can see what the hoopla was about now.
  
  
• I found the overall movie to be a bit ironic. I will find it even more so if they create some kind of DVD 3D kit for it.

That's all, really. I haven't slept much in the past days so I'm calling it an early night tonight seeing as this is going to be a full week. Signing off.

all i want for christmas/my birthday...

is a new Mac. Or at least for my Mac to not die.

I've had mine for almost 4+ years now and it is clearly dying. Unfortunately, between paying for rent & paying for tuition (I've cut out eating, essentially), I have no money to purchase a new laptop. I've been heavily debating if I would be able to survive without a computer if -- God forbid -- my Mac dies on me.

Here's a picture of it 4 years ago when Calvin first gave it to me:


Don't mind the idiot text -- I was going through a phase with my photos-in-blog.


This is all I want this year. More than my entire Urban Outfitters or Amazon wishlist; more than a new lens for my dSLR or even a Polaroid/Fuji Instax. I just need my Mac to not die. Please don't die.

MJ, Obama, Twitter: the advancement of technology...

...means that it's too easy to become obsolete. & I apologize now for the lengthy entry that is about to occur; I know that it out of character for my blog but I feel the need to write:

As most of us have heard already, Michael Jackson was confirmed dead at the age of 50 earlier today (on about 50,000,000 news sites and stations).

My dear friend Matt brought this up to me, as he read many Facebook statuses mourn over "MJ" (it took him a moment to realize that was NOT Michael Jordan). He then went on a Google news search, telling me that hundreds of articles were popping up about this -- within a 5 minute block, it jumped up another 100+ articles. Yet, only one news source claimed that he had died; all others confirmed that he was rushed to UCLA Medical due to cardiac arrest but couldn't confirm death. I mean, it makes sense...hospital regulation, patient privacy, etc.

I IMed A-Live, who told me that he was pretty sure MJ was gone. Via text/Twitter/Facebook/gchat/whatever means, he found out from a friend who is a nurse at UCLA Medical that the King of Pop had passed away this afternoon. I then ceased reading through Washington Post, CNN, New York Times, etc., though moments later, LA Times confirmed his death...but after everyone heard via a source such as Twitter. (Even now, as I am typing this, my friend is texting me in regards to a tweet she read about a deceased celebrity...I'm informing her that it is in fact Michael Jackson...)

I thought about this -- how in a way, news stations are going to have to compete against or at least keep up with this generation's technology.


My brother recently told me about a clip from Onion News (the spoof newspaper/station, which is fabulous) regarding an NYU dormitory fire. It was originally declared arson but soon was discovered as an accident, thanks to 40,000 iPhones, Blackberries, digital cameras, and Twitter updates.

Watch it here, because it's really awesome and speaks a great deal to the power (and ridiculousness, at times) of our modern technology. That, and it mocks our generation in general. Sadly. But funnily.

I recalled a video on BBC that I saw of President Barack Obama addressing the injustice going on in Iran.

At one point, he says this great quote that really does speak to the power our generation holds:

"No iron fist is strong enough to shut out the world from bearing witness to peaceful protests of justice. Despite the Iranian government's efforts to expel journalists & isolate itself, powerful images & poignant words have made their way to us through cellphones & computers, and so we've watched what the Iranian people are doing."

On Youtube, you can watch such footage of Iran taken by citizens over there.

Because of the internet, we have the ability to watch in real time via webcam exactly what is going on in other parts of the world. We have surpassed news reporters and even gossip columnists with our Smart Phones, picture texts, video chats, and such. We can find out before Anderson Cooper does whether or not a major celebrity is declared dead. That is mind-blowing.

Our generation is filled with non-professional journalists. Are you making yourself heard? How are you expressing yourself and what are you writing/typing/tweeting/texting/updating/uploading/IMing/talking about? Seriously.