my 43rd entry on this lovely blag

hello readers; let me update you on my day.

today my department had a picnic at the morningside campus, the one that is generally associated with the undergraduate college at columbia university (i work at the columbia medical campus, located on 168st/broadway). there was plenty of free food and alcohol, both of which my hedonist self gorged on. i think i had seven alcoholic beverages (some budweiser, some coors light, some mike's hard lemonade) and i was fairly tipsy. we played a pick up game of football, watched the girls hoola hooping, and just plain chilled. it was fun times, especially since i can't stand office work (such mindless, mindless shit) and this picnic was a good change of pace.

i forget how fun drinking was. i really enjoy hearing myself talk when i'm tipsy.

they also handed out free t-shirts. they are so hilariously lame that i'm going to wear it proudly next year at school. when people ask, i'll just reply 'this was my summer.' for those curious as to what the shirt looks like, the lame (and only important) part of the shirt is the back: 'you propose, we submit'. that pretty much sums up our department's purpose and my entire summer working here. i also copped myself an extra t-shirt for a friend. are you that friend? perhaps.

anyway, i decided to write today because i wanted to leave an imprint of my virtual fist on this random place in the internet that i have deemed my blag. i had so many random thoughts today, most of which i forgot as soon as a new one arose. but i will try my best to retrieve them now.

1) marc and dan (my bosses, dan is technically marc's boss, and the boss of the entire research department) were discussing data and how with the help of the internet with so many users, people are interpreting data much differently than several years ago. interesting shit. consider this--people understand data but in direct comparison with other data, say for example, data over time, or the gdp of america vs gdp of another country. but there are now so many new innovative ways to visualize and present data that now people can view metadata (the simplest definition of metadata is 'data about data'). for a good example of how data is viewed, check out this (debunking myths about third world countries). the future of the internet and technology, i believe, is about new ways of showing, manipulating, and presenting data. before marc and dan had that conversation, i had no idea the impact of data on everything. i'm now certain i will take a data mining class at stern.

2) just a completely random thought: the next time you brush your teeth, use the hand you don't normally use (sorry if i just offended anyone missing an arm or two, or maybe even three if your parents were in hiroshima when the a-bomb detonated; sorry again if i just offended anyone for the hiroshima remark). i've been brushing my teeth with my left hand for the past couple of days. before, my left hand felt so clumsy clutching the toothbrush insensitively poking the insides of my mouth, but now i feel pretty comfortable. balance and symmetry are important. my right side is so much more dominant than my left and i want to change that.

3) what do you think of the future of the internet? i've been reading articles about google bidding for open airwaves from the FCC, but only if certain conditions are met. verizon/at&t oppose this plan because if it goes through, google's value would increase immensely. can you imagine what it would be like if there was a third service wireless 'wholesaler' for the american public? then people who don't even own a computer can surf the net. interesting lead to follow up on in the near future.

4) speaking of which, access to the internet should be provided to people in third world countries. providing internet to third world countries should be as necessary as providing food, water, education, and vaccinations. with the new $100 laptop, it is definitely possible (large corporations are working together to implement a 'one laptop per child' plan). i wonder which broadband tycoon will take advantage of this new opportunity. likewise, we should invest in that company.

5) what do you think is the new way to interact with technology? before there was a joystick with a button (atari), then a keyboard, then a mouse. there are stylus/tablets so people can draw and write. microsoft surface is pretty intense. wii's motion sensor is intense shit, too (the wii is badass--if you haven't heard of wii-fit, i highly suggest a google search; i am convinced that the wii is going to pioneer a whole new world of video gamers and leave the ps3 in the dust). i never gave this any thought until today when marc was talking about the microsoft surface. the way we interact with computers and technology in general is way taken for granted. i couldn't do shit without a keyboard. microsoft surface is a step in the right direction. we should follow steve job's example: simplicity and intuitiveness. his creations have helped dumb ass retards operate computers (macbooks), listen to music (ipods), and make phone calls (iphone). job's next step is helping dumb ass retards with their lives with ilife.

6) there must be an easier way to move through the internet. lets forget about internet 'browsers' and think of something new. along the same lines, web 3.0 is almost here. how about a facebook application that allows users to choose how to interact with facebook? take your time to understand that last line, because i'm not sure i understand it completely, either ;). but not even a facebook application. how about just something that lets users define how they interact with the web?

7) wireless laptop chargers. lets make one and get rich.

8) the republican party is going down the drain. consider this--ever since the bush administration took office in 2000, they have been working hard to restore the machiavellian executive power of the president that was taken away during nixon's presidency. they allowed, no, engineered 9/11, lied to the american public (seriously, i feel like people just buy the media propaganda bullshit), waged a 'war on terror', created the patriot act (i think this may have been the first move on the public that lets bush do whatever the hell he wants), sent troops to iraq (think vietnam war) and the list goes on. the democrats haven't made any move on the gop, but there are plenty of people who want bush and cheney out of office. there are also rumors of a terrorist attack (could also be engineered by the bush administration) so then bush would pull the 'i told your ass so, america, you should've listened to me' bullshit. seriously, one more year...

9) with 8 being said, i feel like i am more distrusting of institutions. i don't know how people can be so misled about the government. like in harry potter, so many people trust the ministry of magic (of course, with voldemort breathing down their necks, it is understandable). but in america where speech and thought are supposed to be free, why do people bend to the government and are proud to stand behind their leaders? america is a shithole. the government needs to fix the real problems in the country instead of pursuing their own monetary interests, aka oil. people should stop being sheep and think for themselves (especially to those living in between new york city and los angeles).

10) i discovered today that i am an environmentalist. the thought of renewable sustainable energy really turns me on.

congratulations if you read through all 10. after re-reading those points, i realized that i am a major dork.

ASS PUSSY PUSSY SEX GUNS DRUGS ALCOHOL

goodnight, folks.

-andy