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Category: work

09/02/05 11:35 - 73ºF - ID#32203

Am I a citizen, I get a phone

Well, the phone is finally arriving although the guy I bought it from wrote to say he forgot the stylus. That would be okay for any other phone but this one only uses a stylus as input. He is sending me the other one right away. Luckily it will work with the wacom stylus until then, although that is quite bulky. Maybe I will stop and pick up a treo stylus while I am waiting. The only thing I am really disappointed about is that the really amazing nokia SDK for the symbian phones only runs in windows! I haven't used windows in weeks, argh.

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On another note, I am supposed to be filling out my tax paperwork for the job at UB but I lost my freakin' social security card and passport. Someone out there is probably trying to assume my debt right now. So I am basically nobody and moreover, I can't leave the country very easily. I am going to go sign up for a new social security card today and to report my passport is missing. It was time for a new one anyways because mine looked so different than a normal one. I got it in Berlin at the Consulate after my bag was stolen from a discotheque in Flensburg.

It had numbers stamped right through all the pages and the picture was glued on. Basically it looked very non-official and it expired this year anyways.

In the mean time, I can't really start my job. I find this to be quite annoying because it is for the same school I have been paying in state tuition at for four years and everything they do is filed under my social security number. Can't they just let this one slide and verify it another way.

Last night we watched part of a documentary about homeless gay street prostitutes in Hollywood. The ones in the worst situation had no papers. You never really think about how important your "papers" are until you don't have them fo a moment and you are suddenly nobody.
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Permalink: Am_I_a_citizen_I_get_a_phone.html
Words: 348
Location: Buffalo, NY


Category: media

09/02/05 12:36 - 71ºF - ID#32202

Stop Media Bias

(e:joshua) [inlink]joshua,50[/inlink] and (e:jason) [inlink]jason,231[/inlink] read this one. I think you will be surprised by my take.

(e:uncutsaniflush) is right, there is no such thing as unbiased media. I have removed myself from the main stream media for about ten years now. Our television does PBS on antenae at about the same quality that this website would be at 28k.

With the internet offering so many thousands of alternatives, and the fact that the majority of you have broadband net connections, I don't understand why anyone subjecting themselves to the biased, commericial, corporate media from either side. We are not propagnda prey in a world controlled by one government media source. It's not like we live in China.

If you don't like the messages that the media you watch are giving you than change the media source. You can tune into what you want to hear via the net and tune out the other crap instead of watching it all the time. Maybe even try mixing news from various countries to get a better overall view of the situation. Why stress yourself out over it?

I used to get so mad listening to Rush "the hypocrite, pill popper" Limbaugh in the car on the way to or from work. I would actually find myself arguing with the radio. Then one day I realized I just didn't have to take it anymore and tuned him out permanently. I realized that he doesn't even matter and when I am not tuning in, he is essentially gone. Try podcasts! Better yet, make your own media alterntives.

No matter what side you are on, corporate level main stream media is essentially all about advertising and even if you are watching and critcizing you are still watching, paying and subconsciously absorbing the advertisements that make the whole system profitable. We live in a time when you can afford the luxury of just saying no. Biased corporate media can only die if we kill it.

Simply turn off the freakin' television. Don't buy "their" newspapers. Refuse to watch "their" movies and play "their" propaganda laden video games. Vote with your conscience and your money and if enough people agree with you the biased media source will simply go the way of dinosaur. If it doesn't then it means that the people want it, and that the bias in fact reflects the majority of the population. If that is the case then you are fighting a losing battle because Amerika is the home of majority wins.

Ok, I am off to go dream about high speed cell phone networks.
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Permalink: Stop_Media_Bias.html
Words: 435
Location: Buffalo, NY


Category: web

09/01/05 02:46 - 74ºF - ID#32201

Don't host at Globat

For the first year of the site we had two horrible web hosting companies in a row (whn and globat) till we found mosnterhosting.ca, which has been pretty reliable. Today I got an email fromt he old host globat saying for a $29.00 upgrade fee I could get 10GB space/and 300GB/transfer which sounds like a good deal but I remember they had the worst customer service and tons of problems.

I decided to look up a current review on the web and found this I guess they haven't changed at all.
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Permalink: Don_t_host_at_Globat.html
Words: 99
Location: Buffalo, NY


Category: events

09/01/05 12:38 - 73ºF - ID#32200

Diesel Boy

Buffalo Rising reported that Diesel Boy will be playing at Opium Lounge on 9th. The last time I saw him spin was in Phoenix in 2000. It's amazing that he is still going. Does anyone want to go? It costs $10.

Friday, Sept 9th, at the Opium Lounge: Dieselboy.

North America's biggest drum-n-bass dj/producer/label chief, and is also one of the biggest dj's in the world, period! He hasn't played Buffalo in several years, and this appearance is much anticipated by people from all over Upstate NY and Southern Ontario.Quoted from: Buffalo Rising Journal



This not having a mobile phone situation is killing m, I keep seeing so many things I want to take pictures of but I can't!
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Permalink: Diesel_Boy.html
Words: 126
Location: Buffalo, NY


Category: mobile

08/31/05 10:01 - 70ºF - ID#32199

Teaching and Phones

I had my first day back teaching again and I love it. I forgot how much fun it was. Maybe I really need to move away so I can get a good teaching job. First the thesis needs to be completed and my jobs dealt with. Next year could be the big year. Or maybe I will just stay in Buffalo and adjunct and work on the side. It is nice doing two things in a way.

Today I taught them how to make an interactive DHTML game. The homework is to add to it. I wonder what the results will be, the students seemed pretty into it.

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I finally ordered and am receiving the Nokia 7710. Unfortunately, I had them switch my service today for Friday when the phone comes and they shut off my sidekick, which is essentially my lifeline to my journal. I guess I will make up for it in the long run because the new phone can record voice and video in addition to being able to store up to 800 pictures on it. It even has a 1.3 megapixel camera. Unfortunately, it is in fact the one with no keyboard so my journal is going to lack in text what it gains in media. I suppose they do say a picture is worth 1000 words.

I think the best part will be being able to draw journal entries on the go. It lets you draw on the large screen with the stylus and save the images. That seems very much like the esketch program to go, however, the phone does flash too, so maybe my very own sketch program can be developed into a mobile thing. Sadly, enough the man who sold me the phone said he forgot to send the stylus, argh - so he is overnight monday when he can get it. I hope that a wacom or treo stylus will work on it.

We went to cingular today to get an edge plan for the phone but it was $79/month. Even with (e:terry)'s government discount that is too much money. Someday I will have high speed mobile service, even if it means I have to move to Sweden or japan. For now I am stuck with 40k, but 40k is better than no k.

Whoa, the spellcheck insisted I capitalize Sweden but didn't care about japan. I need to work on that.
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Permalink: Teaching_and_Phones.html
Words: 400
Location: Buffalo, NY


08/30/05 01:58 - ID#32198 pmobl

school and a house

Everything is starting again. It reminds me of unhappy long days.

Today I officially own a house in Buffalo. I had to go buy insurance this morning. To get landlord insurance, I needed to get renters insurance. However, when they all combined in the computer I qualified for the trifecta car, home and rental insurance so I got a 10% discount of the car insurance for it. The discount paid for the rental insurance, so why did I need it again? At least I know know that the vaio will never leave me, at least in spirit.

While out I overheard some insurance gossip that some secretary who files claims with Celino and Barnes said it was so corrupt that she knew which doctor, physical therapist, etc each person went to without opening their files because they were all the same,implying that they are all getting kickbacks along the chain.

What's up with these signs on the train?
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Permalink: school_and_a_house.html
Words: 159
Location: Buffalo, NY


08/29/05 11:32 - ID#32197 pmobl

happy birthday mikey

I hope that you have a great year and finally move into your own apartment.
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Permalink: happy_birthday_mikey.html
Words: 16
Location: Buffalo, NY


Category: school

08/29/05 03:58 - ID#32196 pmobl

student credit card deals

So I headed out to UB North Campus today to take care of some business. While we were there, we decided to eat the Korean place at The Commons. Outside of Subway there was a "credit dealer" giving away a free subway sub if you signed up for a credit card.

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There was a non-stop flock of students signing up for these cards to get the free sub. While I ate my Kim Bob about 20 students sign up for a crad. Afterwards, I asked the guy what the APR was and he said it was "22% but that there is no annual fee!!!" He said the annual fee part with the biggest smile and acted like it made it such an amazing deal, I wouldn't be able to refuse. I think that is what happend to so many of the young students who didn't know better. They probably just didn't understand the concept of APR and thought not having an annual fee was some amazing perk.

All those poor kids that are getting their first credit card for free stuff at school have no idea how badly they are being ripped off. Maybe campuses should prevent such extortion but in reality I bet they gets plenty of kick backs for letting it happen. 22% is outrageous!
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Permalink: student_credit_card_deals.html
Words: 217
Location: Buffalo, NY


Category: drugs

08/28/05 04:37 - ID#32195 pmobl

needles in the streets

This is the first time I ever saw a hypodermic needle in the streets of Buffalo.
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Permalink: needles_in_the_streets.html
Words: 17
Location: Buffalo, NY


Category: events

08/28/05 03:59 - ID#32194 pmobl

at the festival

We saw so many people at the festival. I am strung out on ice chai from spot coffee. This is the only time of year that I really miss living right on elmwood. It used to be so nice to watch the main stage from the window. (e:terry) is having a happy birthday.

I captured about 3 hours of sound. Here is a sample from the singers on (e:matthew) journal [inlink]matthew,610[/inlink]

::DOWNLOAD SOUND::



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Permalink: at_the_festival.html
Words: 82
Location: Buffalo, NY


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