iPod because i care

Oh! Lovely technological wonder of the techworld, I am please to make your acquaintance.

I had the opportunity to get to the Apple Store (I know, I know...it took me THAT long?) and see the iPod touch in person. Let's just say that it was along the lines of seeing Coldplay in concert - a purely religious experience. I mean, simply looking at it I was salivating. Of course, this wanderlust lasted for all of about two seconds during which period I actually picked it up.

At first I was amused which quickly became severe disgruntlement when I realized that some miscreant with a hole in their head decided to change the language on the iPod...to Russian. The disgruntlement increased when the next one I attempted to pick up was even worse...Tagalog.

*LE SIGH*

Anywho, it is exactly like the iPhone without the added contract obligations with AT&T which means it's even cooler in my opinion. Oh the dreams I am having about it are magical.

But I was disappointed to discover that they remixed the colors and they are LAME. No more orange! It's highly disturbing to think that they changed the colors from ORANGE to a color that looks like someone puked up seaweed onto their shuffle.

All that iPod has to do now is to increase the capacity on this thing and I am IN. I mean considering that my current iPod video capacity is 30GB and I am about to fill it up entirely between movies, shows and any other free junk that I've gotten from iTunes, when I upgrade my iPod I want it to be as big as possible. But I digress.

SFGate had a pretty good review of it yesterday, or at least one that I could identify with.

The Governator Strikes Again!

This time with complete disregard of the wishes of the people...

In my infinite search for something to do that is relatively worthwhile on the web, I stumbled across this article on sfgate:

Schwarzenegger says he will keep vetoing gay marriage bill

Essentially, Governor Schwarzenegger believes that he is overruling the vast majority (i.e. 61% of people in 2000) who voted to outlaw same-sex marriages. What he fails to acknowledge and what is pointed out in the article later on is that:

Geoff Kors, executive director of the gay rights organization Equality California, said Proposition 22 only bars California from recognizing same-sex marriages performed outside California.

One would think that if the majority now, meaning 2007, did not wish for this kind of legislative act to be passed then the California Senate would not keep forcing this act to be presented to the Governor. Considering that the Senate operates (or at least is supposed to operate) to appease the people of their relative constituency. However, this is not how the governor has been in the past, especially with his legislation on education and welare reform. To put it mildly, he doesn't want to "risk upsetting the majority" by overruling their proposition.

While my stance on gay marriage is peppered with a mix of my own personal experience on the subject through numerous gay/lesbian/transgendered couples and that of my parent's 50's generation ideals, I think it's safe to say that it should be left up to the people's choice.

Think of it this way: North America (specifically the United States) has the highest rate of divorce in the United States. This figure is specifically in between heterosexual couples which more often than not include children. I say why not allow homosexual couples the opportunity to help improve the statistics of us heterosexuals that ruin our relationships because were are so emotionally stunted by our mother's brother's second sister's cousin's father who screwed us up when were were younger so that we could never coexist with another human being. (If you can understand who in the hell that is on the family tree then you need counseling).

I say repeal that proposition if it is creating so much of a road block and sign the act. If the constituents really do not want it there, then some right-wing conservative pansy the majority will vote it out. End of story.

In the meantime, we are freaking CALIFORNIANS that are in the stone age of passing revolutionary legislation meanwhile Massachusetts of all places has bypassed us and become an honorary left coast affiliate. FOR SHAME, people. FOR SHAME.

Portable Television

It all started with this article on BBCNews.com.

Technology has become advanced in recent years, what with the advent of blueberry/blackberry devices and bluetooth (I ask what is the significance with the naming of these objects as colors?). Especially with apple products. For instance, the new iPhone coming out as well as Apple TV (it should be noted that when connected to an unsecured appleshare network one can access the delights of apple TV and iTunes from an unsuspecting hosts – duly noted and implemented) allow users to access their favorite programs and internet locales. One would think that the television has become obsolete.

Instead, it has been reformed into a smaller, easily manipulated member of society. Users are now able to view their favorite programs away from their home LCD screen. It’s quite a phenomena.

And the possibilities are endless.

In connection with the previous article, I saw this one as well. This type of media can mean a new age to civil disobedience. Imagine being able to hack into these hand held television devices and show footage of rallies and sit ins.

Well, unfortunately, it has already been done before (at least with internet streaming) however broadcasting these ‘interventions’ would create pandemonium. It would be much like the rally we learned about in class that included cell phone users congregating on a national day of rest outside of the government buildings, protesting the regime in place and, the next day in national elections, unseating the figures in power.

This advancement in technology could only be beneficial for the sharing of information amongst friends to a cause, as well as informing others outside of this realm of things that are taking place.

The First Amendment in Media

To think that this movement has been completely under my nose and I did not even know about it or really realize that i had been a part of it since its relative inception...

The dust-up underscores both the power and the danger of what has come to be known as the Web 2.0 movement, a loosely defined group of Internet sites that foster online social networks and rely heavily on purely democratic principles to promote everything from news stories to music to photographs.

SFgate.com, May 3rd 2007: User revolt at Digg.com shows risks of Web 2.0"

It's amazing how much freedom is monitored and taken for granted. Thinking for one moment that you can get away with anything in our 'democracy-oriented' society can end you up in federal prison.

This article brings up the ethical use of free information (open source, I suppose, is the easiest thing to call it) sites such as livejournal, blogger, YouTube, Flickr and Wikipedia that allow users to essentially run their own web space. It creates a communal atmosphere on the one hand that is positive and constructive in promoting awareness and, in some respects, non-violent ends to means that would normally be rather histrionic in real life. Yet these websites are, in fact, almost worse that having your own website because now the government and organizations such as the movie and music industries are targeting them in an attempt to bring more money and power into their possession.

Think Napster, but the difference being that these open-source websites make it so that EVERYONE can participate. Spy and ad-ware free.

Personally, I think that perhaps the age of the music and movie industry are coming to close. Adobe and Apple (amongst other software providers) are making it easier and easier for people (including students!) to have access to professional software, whether it be iMovie HD or Final Cut Pro. iTunes and Myspace now make it easier for bands to post music and sell it (iTunes for a nominal fee, mind you) and garageband enables regular users to freely voice their opinions (gotta love the First Amendment, yeah?). There is no limit to the production of free media, except for the restrictions placed upon us by these industries that are losing their steam, especially with the decline in quality of films and music in the past few years.

I say let it burn.

The Government and Google.

Now I ask honestly, is anyone really truly surprised?

It should be noted that when you fire up Google Earth, several government bases do not show up. You can move your satellite image to zoom directly into where it is reported that The Black World is. Heck, up until a certain point in the early nineties you were able to walk up the hill that The Black World is ensconsed in. That is, until information became public, including satellite images and then things when grey – literally grey.

It’s America’s worse kept secret. And google, in its own way, is taking away this public knowledge to better benefit our government and homeland ‘security’. Of course, who in North Korea could possibly be curious about a dark grey blob in the middle of the Nevada foothills?

When reading this blog entry through SFGate.com, I find it laughable that google is going to be making more public sector information public – as in accessible to the masses. This information should have been public in the first place. So why is it being hidden from us, the ‘unworthy’ civilians?

An Intro to Me

Krystle Flower was born under a rather generous sized rock in the Bay Area of California. After two years at a Community College, she received her B.A. in Liberal Arts and transferred to UC San Diego where she continued her athletic career and eventually was admitted into her major, Visual Arts with an Emphasis in Media and Computing. Currently, Krystle is working on constructing her portfolio, harassing professors and longing to return to the foggy shores of the Bay Area. In the meantime tho, she is rather enjoying the feel of sand in her pants.

So now that you have a general idea of who I am (what, are you writing a book?), I will now attempt to convey some of my personal traits, political views and associations.

1. I am an avid Environmental advocate - since I was young, my parents always did recycling, and in the Girl Scouts I learned the values of conservation of our environment. Through field trips such as Fioli, GATE marine experience and various personal vacations, I have fallen in love with our environment and am everyday encouraging fellow students, friends and aware adults of the necessary obligations that we have towards preserving the environment.

2. Bush Sucks. Period - I honestly do not think that I have any need to elaborate on this. Suffice to say that it's pretty much self explanatory.

3. I do not support the war in Iraq. Or Afghanistan... - Our war is costing too much money - money that needs to be spent on domestic welfare and is instead being funneled into mangling a country that needs to be redeveloped on its own.

4. ...however I do support the troops. - Many think this is an oxymoron - why support the troops when you do not support what they are physically doing in these countries. My argument is that the majority of people in the military did not enlist because they wanted to "blow shit up". Many joined because they thought it was a cost effective ideal to having the pay for college or simply felt there was nothing else they could do. While they are still fighting over there, I know many service people who would rather not be doing so and in fact do not support the war.

More to come. Class will be beginning shortly...