Second semester. Theoretically I have a lot more time on my hands. So here are a few of the things, let's call them projects, that I would like to accomplish before summer rolls around and college starts (AHHH).
1. Take a picture at every CTA "El" stop
2. Go up to people downtown who are wearing headphones and find out what they're listening to (record it on a video).
3. Build a giant Lego.
4. Draw an elaborate picture of my house
5. Learn how to draw.
6. Learn how to make coffee (I know the words "beans" and "grind" are important).
7. Get a driver's license.
8. Make a speech
9. Be featured in some sort of newspaper/online periodical (love the Paw Print doe).
10. Bike the Drive (again)
11. Balance my damn checking account.
12. Learn how to properly make a fire.
13. Learn how to use my camera the right way.
14. Study a martial art.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Monday, February 13, 2012
Politicians vs Scientists
Romney claims to be strongly against congressional "earmarks", provisions in Congressional legislation that allocates a specified amount of money for a specific project, program, or organization (Merriam Webster). Meanwhile it was recently announced that he in fact supported earmarks in his job as Governor of Massachusetts. President Obama laid out his Comprehensive Tax Plan earlier in his term, which included ending income tax for seniors making less than $50,000. This promise has been both broken and ignored (Politi Fact).
Some people might say, "Whatever. Politicians lie all the time". And they'd be partially right. Inherent in the job of a politician is using the emotions and morals of their constituents to either support a cause, or unite against a cause. Look at our recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. President Bush didn't go on TV and give the American people data about our military spending, the projected casualties, and number of Iraqi soldiers and weapons. He appealed to the American ideals of freedom, democracy, and being a moral leader in the world.
When President Obama was giving the State of the Union a few weeks ago, did he focus on giving us detailed analysis of the unemployment data and how it is either sustainable or unsustainable based on the market and past trends? Of course not. He spoke about uniting as a country, and regaining our stature globally. He used our emotions and values to motivate us and get us behind an issue.
People ask, why is it that so many politicians are caught lying, are caught in scandals, and are caught withholding information from the public? Why are politicians never honest, and why do honest people never run for political office? The reason is because scientists and politicians are in essence two radically different types of people.
Scientists base their entirely livelihood on making assumptions, arguments, and analysis off of data. Cold, hard, unbiased data. That's probably one of the reasons that there are very few, if any, physicists in political office today. If I spent several hours a day procuring data and making analyses of it, I'd be disgusted to see our politicians casually disregard the truth the way they do so adoringly. And so regularly.
Why do you think so many Senators, Representatives, and even Presidents were and are lawyers? Lawyers use facts given to them not for calm, emotionless argument, but for bending, reexamining, and reinterpreting. Sometimes they may even blatantly deny claims they know to be true. The same idea holds for actors. Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger come to mind.
I can't think of two disciplines whose core philosophies differ more than those of scientists and politicians. Scientists conduct experiments, observations, and surveys. Then (ideally) they draw conclusions from the data, regardless of their views. Politicians do the opposite. They have their views and they use data to strengthen those views, often in an effort to further a cause or legislation.
Are you a scientist? Or a politician?
Some interesting sites to check out about the topic are politifact.com, factcheck.org, politico.com, and livescience.com
Some people might say, "Whatever. Politicians lie all the time". And they'd be partially right. Inherent in the job of a politician is using the emotions and morals of their constituents to either support a cause, or unite against a cause. Look at our recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. President Bush didn't go on TV and give the American people data about our military spending, the projected casualties, and number of Iraqi soldiers and weapons. He appealed to the American ideals of freedom, democracy, and being a moral leader in the world.
When President Obama was giving the State of the Union a few weeks ago, did he focus on giving us detailed analysis of the unemployment data and how it is either sustainable or unsustainable based on the market and past trends? Of course not. He spoke about uniting as a country, and regaining our stature globally. He used our emotions and values to motivate us and get us behind an issue.
People ask, why is it that so many politicians are caught lying, are caught in scandals, and are caught withholding information from the public? Why are politicians never honest, and why do honest people never run for political office? The reason is because scientists and politicians are in essence two radically different types of people.
Scientists base their entirely livelihood on making assumptions, arguments, and analysis off of data. Cold, hard, unbiased data. That's probably one of the reasons that there are very few, if any, physicists in political office today. If I spent several hours a day procuring data and making analyses of it, I'd be disgusted to see our politicians casually disregard the truth the way they do so adoringly. And so regularly.
Why do you think so many Senators, Representatives, and even Presidents were and are lawyers? Lawyers use facts given to them not for calm, emotionless argument, but for bending, reexamining, and reinterpreting. Sometimes they may even blatantly deny claims they know to be true. The same idea holds for actors. Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger come to mind.
I can't think of two disciplines whose core philosophies differ more than those of scientists and politicians. Scientists conduct experiments, observations, and surveys. Then (ideally) they draw conclusions from the data, regardless of their views. Politicians do the opposite. They have their views and they use data to strengthen those views, often in an effort to further a cause or legislation.
Are you a scientist? Or a politician?
Some interesting sites to check out about the topic are politifact.com, factcheck.org, politico.com, and livescience.com
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
How to Personalize Your Room
The trick to being a unique individual is to pretend to be interesting at parties, and to fill your bedroom with stuff. Stuff that reflects who you are.
The first step is your posters. If you've ever been in my room, you know what I'm talkin' 'bout. I've wasted more money then I'd like to think about on crappy posters. James Bond, Einstein, Yao Ming, random forests, Einstein, the Beatles, MLK, a boat... How else are you going to show people that you have interests?!
Next step is the pictures. Hang those bad boys all over the frickin' place. Yes, they are different than posters. Pictures should be of you with at least one other person. They shouldn't be just of you. Don't be so cocky. It's your own room, you don't need to see yourself smiling.
BOOKS. I know a lot of people don't like to read, but sweet lordy, get yourself some literature. It can be the Magic School Bus for all I care (fantastic novel btw). Books show culture and if there's a zombie apocalypse (and no internet) you'll have something to do.
The first step is your posters. If you've ever been in my room, you know what I'm talkin' 'bout. I've wasted more money then I'd like to think about on crappy posters. James Bond, Einstein, Yao Ming, random forests, Einstein, the Beatles, MLK, a boat... How else are you going to show people that you have interests?!
Next step is the pictures. Hang those bad boys all over the frickin' place. Yes, they are different than posters. Pictures should be of you with at least one other person. They shouldn't be just of you. Don't be so cocky. It's your own room, you don't need to see yourself smiling.
BOOKS. I know a lot of people don't like to read, but sweet lordy, get yourself some literature. It can be the Magic School Bus for all I care (fantastic novel btw). Books show culture and if there's a zombie apocalypse (and no internet) you'll have something to do.
The clothes are important too. None of this matters if you're walking around naked. Unless you're a nudist. Which is totally fine with me, nothing against nudists. Get some shirts, pants, undergarments, even some socks. Whatever you need to protect your body from the weather and the one guy outside the 7-11 giving you the stink-eye.
Most importantly, the bed. And not just the mattress. You need to get some tricked out covers, a squishy but firm pillow, and a nightstand. Get yourself a nightstand. Also make sure you put the bed in the right place. It'll make the room seem much bigger than it would otherwise. Corners and edges of the room are advisable.
I hope this helps. In terms of things like clothes all over the damn place because you're too lazy to fold them (yeah me too) you just gotta do it. Make sure to get some sort of fragrance, like a scented spray or something for the room, because you smell awful. And in the name of all that is holy, don't do work on your bed. Your work needs to be done separately from the area that you rest in. Otherwise you'll be stressed whenever you get in bed. And then things will really suck.
I hope this helps. In terms of things like clothes all over the damn place because you're too lazy to fold them (yeah me too) you just gotta do it. Make sure to get some sort of fragrance, like a scented spray or something for the room, because you smell awful. And in the name of all that is holy, don't do work on your bed. Your work needs to be done separately from the area that you rest in. Otherwise you'll be stressed whenever you get in bed. And then things will really suck.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
When In Israel...
It's Hanukkah in Tel Aviv. It's also Christmas, but I mean, c'mon. We're in the "Jewish State". Who cares about that, right?
Anyway. Tel Aviv is a coastal city in Israel. It's unique because it blends beaches, clubs, fashion, shopping, and liberalism with well, Jews. Tell someone who's been to Israel that you're going to Tel Aviv and they'll say, "Oh, you just HAVE to check out this club!" or "You simply MUST stop by this jewelry store!" or "Stop telling me your travel plans."
Anyway. Tel Aviv is a coastal city in Israel. It's unique because it blends beaches, clubs, fashion, shopping, and liberalism with well, Jews. Tell someone who's been to Israel that you're going to Tel Aviv and they'll say, "Oh, you just HAVE to check out this club!" or "You simply MUST stop by this jewelry store!" or "Stop telling me your travel plans."
That goes for all of Israel. There are always those place you just HAVE to see or that you CAN'T miss. Well, I don't buy it. So here is my official list of Things to Do in Israel.
1. Buy a McDonald's Hamburger (and/or go to "Burger Ranch")
Good. Kosher. Two words never spoken inside of an American McDonald's. But in Israel, you might actually find that their McDonald's is both. Look, it's not frickin' Filet Mignon, but their meat is interestingly better than that of our Mickey D's. Also, their own version of McD's/Burger King is Burger Ranch, which features a bull(?) doing its thing.
Good. Kosher. Two words never spoken inside of an American McDonald's. But in Israel, you might actually find that their McDonald's is both. Look, it's not frickin' Filet Mignon, but their meat is interestingly better than that of our Mickey D's. Also, their own version of McD's/Burger King is Burger Ranch, which features a bull(?) doing its thing.
2. Celebrate Christmas in Bethlehem
Christmas in Israel is like a rich spoiled kid who is sent to a crappy boarding school. He's kind of put aside and isn't used to the lack of attention. But if you look in the right places, he has some major potential. The same goes for Christmas in Bethlehem. Or so I've heard, I've never actually been.
Christmas in Israel is like a rich spoiled kid who is sent to a crappy boarding school. He's kind of put aside and isn't used to the lack of attention. But if you look in the right places, he has some major potential. The same goes for Christmas in Bethlehem. Or so I've heard, I've never actually been.
3. Go to the abandoned Syrian bunker in the Golan Heights and play "War"
The bunker used to be a Syrian position in the Six-Day War of 1967. It's really cool, inside of a mountain, and surrounded by trenches, which are great for games of "War", "Spy", and of course, "Nerf Gun War". There's also a quaint cafe. AND you can see Lebanon and Syria. AND, if you're lucky, you'll get to talk to some people from the U.N. who are in charge of overseeing peace in the area.
4. Drive in Jerusalem
A holy city for Jews, Christians, and Muslims. It's also a city originally made for horse and buggies which is why the traffic is so God-awful (no pun intended). Plus Israeli drivers are kinda crazy.
A holy city for Jews, Christians, and Muslims. It's also a city originally made for horse and buggies which is why the traffic is so God-awful (no pun intended). Plus Israeli drivers are kinda crazy.
5. Eat your body weight in pita and hummus
Self-explanatory.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Facial Hair
Stop it. Just cut the crap. I know you like it. That beard. Dumbledore's white beard. That Stats teacher's goatee/mustache thing. You like facial hair. Curly mustaches make you happy. You'd kill to be able to see some solid mutton chops. But you're afraid to admit it.
It's okay. There is certainly a trend in society that says that facial hair shows that a person is unkempt or unclean. And I suppose that argument can work in some situations. Take our friend Jim from the Office here:
Clean-shaven Jim has a smoother, more sleek look to him. But look at beared, rugged Jim. He has the wisdom of centuries on his face. He could kill a tiger with his bare hands.
See, beards have existed since before we were born. In ancient times, shaving was much, much harder. I'm taking blood everywhere. On top of that, your beard was a mark of your age and maturity in society. Men would be ostracized and exiled for not having a beard (which is totally true and is what should happen to Zach Galifanakis in this picture).
Now, it is harder for people with beards to get jobs, unless they are hair dressers or generally otherwise charming. The truth is that beards lie. They don't show the amount of effort put into their creation. Their sculpted edges and mustache/chin beard synergy are routinely ignored. Thus, people shouldn't be shunning bearded men. They should be hiring them by the thousands!
As winter approaches and money remains tight, both men and women need to think of ways to keep themselves warm. Luckily, Mother Nature has your back. Men, grow that beard out proudly. Women, keep your face close to your man's face. Problem solved. Say goodbye to wasting money and electricity. How you like dem apples, CLIMATE CHANGE?!
Clean-shaven Jim has a smoother, more sleek look to him. But look at beared, rugged Jim. He has the wisdom of centuries on his face. He could kill a tiger with his bare hands.
Now, it is harder for people with beards to get jobs, unless they are hair dressers or generally otherwise charming. The truth is that beards lie. They don't show the amount of effort put into their creation. Their sculpted edges and mustache/chin beard synergy are routinely ignored. Thus, people shouldn't be shunning bearded men. They should be hiring them by the thousands!
As winter approaches and money remains tight, both men and women need to think of ways to keep themselves warm. Luckily, Mother Nature has your back. Men, grow that beard out proudly. Women, keep your face close to your man's face. Problem solved. Say goodbye to wasting money and electricity. How you like dem apples, CLIMATE CHANGE?!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
I Can't Feel My Feet
I've come into contact with a reoccurring theme of my life: uncomfortable shoes. For those who don't know, I have giant feet. And not in a good way, if there is a good way. I'm talking size 13. 13 wide. Do you know who makes easily available 13 wides? New Balance and sometimes Nike. That's it. Sure, New Balance is the most comfortable thing in the world, kinda like bathing your feet in warm water in heaven while an angel feeds you grapes. But they don't like so good and they get dirty quite easily.
So I did something a couple weekends ago I've been doing since I was 12 years old; buying a poorly-fitting pair of shoes. Here she is:
They're from "Eastland" and they look really cool. They work quite nicely all types of clothes. They're also one of the most painful pieces of various materials I've ever put on my large but delicate feet. Oh my mother-loving goose-stepping finger-licking God. They hurt a lot. But wait, they look really nice. And I've needed a pair of sharp looking casual shoes for, well, ever. Any shoes like these are going to hurt. Does that mean I shouldn't wear them? That's not a rhetorical question. I'm seriously asking. I'd like to stop wearing just Nikes, New Balance, and the occasional Converse that can stretch, but my poor little five-toed buddies just can't take it. It boils down to comfort vs fashion, a crucial battle in humanity, besides the Crusades, the World Wars, Israel-Palestine, Iron Chef, etc. Comment, share, or just think about it.
Monday, November 21, 2011
The Next Bill Shakespeare
Don't ever leave Cameron Alberg by himself on the interwebs. Here is the result: (it's actually quite an intriguing story)
heeellloooooo
and top o the mornin to ya
I SAID
BLERG
wait, thats not what i said
and a good day to you, ma'am
and then he was all alone
the last man standing
all the others were sitting
so he walked
alone
in the dusty corridors
until he came upon a small goat
which he named yarvin
and so on and so forth. he and yarvin went on to do grand things
climbed the mountain of yore
ate the tibetan tribal snacks
descended into the depths of ulrag's basement
it was all great and awe inspiring
until that fateful day
yarvin, sweating from his daily calorie burning marathon run, walked into the saloon, cold and alone
he who was not there didnt know what to say
because alas, he was not that
or there
so yarvin picked up his sad misshaped hooves and placed them on the counter
"baaaah" said he
the bartender looked up in confusion
suddenly, ulrag burst in through the swinging doors
he stood there, glistening in the pale moonlight
he was a heavy man, with legs that went all the way up to his knees
arms that connect deftly to his shoulders
eyes, placed right in the middle of his face
a smile that had teeth in it
he was not a happy man
he was an ecstatic one
he grabbed yarvin in an old fashioned goat hug
and they wrestled for fifty days and thirty nine nights
some may say, what happened to old yarvin
nothing, he was perfectly fine, as ulrag had bestowed upon him a great gift. the gift of scoobalicious
and so on they trod, in search of the fabled folk lore of the lore
the lore folk, as the locals called it
the folk folk, as the pigeons called it
and the bad sandwich, as johnny called it
and on they trod
searching for a morsel of cheese hair
but alas, there was nothing but a sad sack of bushels to their wayside
and it was there, on the 62nd day, that yarvin did save his grandpa
Yikes.
heeellloooooo
and top o the mornin to ya
I SAID
BLERG
wait, thats not what i said
and a good day to you, ma'am
and then he was all alone
the last man standing
all the others were sitting
so he walked
alone
in the dusty corridors
until he came upon a small goat
which he named yarvin
and so on and so forth. he and yarvin went on to do grand things
climbed the mountain of yore
ate the tibetan tribal snacks
descended into the depths of ulrag's basement
it was all great and awe inspiring
until that fateful day
yarvin, sweating from his daily calorie burning marathon run, walked into the saloon, cold and alone
he who was not there didnt know what to say
because alas, he was not that
or there
so yarvin picked up his sad misshaped hooves and placed them on the counter
"baaaah" said he
the bartender looked up in confusion
suddenly, ulrag burst in through the swinging doors
he stood there, glistening in the pale moonlight
he was a heavy man, with legs that went all the way up to his knees
arms that connect deftly to his shoulders
eyes, placed right in the middle of his face
a smile that had teeth in it
he was not a happy man
he was an ecstatic one
he grabbed yarvin in an old fashioned goat hug
and they wrestled for fifty days and thirty nine nights
some may say, what happened to old yarvin
nothing, he was perfectly fine, as ulrag had bestowed upon him a great gift. the gift of scoobalicious
and so on they trod, in search of the fabled folk lore of the lore
the lore folk, as the locals called it
the folk folk, as the pigeons called it
and the bad sandwich, as johnny called it
and on they trod
searching for a morsel of cheese hair
but alas, there was nothing but a sad sack of bushels to their wayside
and it was there, on the 62nd day, that yarvin did save his grandpa
Yikes.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Da 'Burbs
Today was an interesting day for me. After a late night, I had to wake up early (on a Sunday, mind you!) for a variety of activities. I was doing some volunteering over here, and I'm going to be doing some meetings over there. Not that I'm complaining. My day gave me a chance to explore a place that I go to half as much as I'd like to and not nearly as much as I should go to. The suburbs. The north suburbs. Today, Lincolnwood and Deerfield.
We'll start with Lincolnwood. I like it a lot here. I think of Lincolnwood as a crossroads of sorts. It's the gateway from the bustling city of Chicago to its more relaxed northern suburbs. There's some large malls, filled with gems like the Jewey restaurant, "What's Cooking?" and a bunch of shady motels. "River Park Motel" and such. My grandma lived in Lincolnwood for forty plus years, and her block was the source of my entertainment on the weekends, including but not limited to playing "Spy", Hide n Seek, and just straight up run in circles.
Unfortunately, Lincolnwood is getting older. This fancy graph that I totally made myself and didn't Google gives the population by age of the town and compares it to the state of Illinois and the United States:
Take a look at how Lincolnwood has more than double the percentage of people 75 and over than the United States, while only about half the percentage of 25 to 34 year olds, a key demographic in any region, city, town, village, or large tent encampment.
Lincolnwood definitely isn't a Jewish town, but there are a significant amount of Jews in it. Speaking from that perspective, a lot of families (like my grandma's) settled in Lincolnwood and other north suburbs in the '60's. Their kids (like my mom) went to suburban schools. However, a decent amount of those kids (like my mom!) either moved into Chicago or to a different city altogether.
Not to say that this a definite, universal trend. Plenty of people, Jews and non-Jews, are chilling in the suburbs. But the data from Lincolnwood illustrates this trend.
On the other hand, Deerfield seems to be doing just lovely. Here's another pretty graph:
There are definitely more 45 to 54 year olds in Deerfield than the national average, but then again, there are also more people aged 0 to 17. So it's possible that the 45 to 54 year olds are parents. Now I've been to Deerfield like 4 times in my life, but from what I understand, she's doing pretty well for herself. I"m heading up there in a few minutes, so I'll be making some important, pseudo-scientific observations. My reports will be available to the public, so keep your eyes opened.
Graphs source: clrsearch.com
We'll start with Lincolnwood. I like it a lot here. I think of Lincolnwood as a crossroads of sorts. It's the gateway from the bustling city of Chicago to its more relaxed northern suburbs. There's some large malls, filled with gems like the Jewey restaurant, "What's Cooking?" and a bunch of shady motels. "River Park Motel" and such. My grandma lived in Lincolnwood for forty plus years, and her block was the source of my entertainment on the weekends, including but not limited to playing "Spy", Hide n Seek, and just straight up run in circles.
Unfortunately, Lincolnwood is getting older. This fancy graph that I totally made myself and didn't Google gives the population by age of the town and compares it to the state of Illinois and the United States:
Take a look at how Lincolnwood has more than double the percentage of people 75 and over than the United States, while only about half the percentage of 25 to 34 year olds, a key demographic in any region, city, town, village, or large tent encampment.
Lincolnwood definitely isn't a Jewish town, but there are a significant amount of Jews in it. Speaking from that perspective, a lot of families (like my grandma's) settled in Lincolnwood and other north suburbs in the '60's. Their kids (like my mom) went to suburban schools. However, a decent amount of those kids (like my mom!) either moved into Chicago or to a different city altogether.
Not to say that this a definite, universal trend. Plenty of people, Jews and non-Jews, are chilling in the suburbs. But the data from Lincolnwood illustrates this trend.
There are definitely more 45 to 54 year olds in Deerfield than the national average, but then again, there are also more people aged 0 to 17. So it's possible that the 45 to 54 year olds are parents. Now I've been to Deerfield like 4 times in my life, but from what I understand, she's doing pretty well for herself. I"m heading up there in a few minutes, so I'll be making some important, pseudo-scientific observations. My reports will be available to the public, so keep your eyes opened.
Graphs source: clrsearch.com
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Notable
This is a song that makes me happy:
This song makes me sad:
This song makes me calm:
This song makes me angry:
This song makes me laugh:
This song is one of my favorites:
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