Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Tablet Wars




Ok so, I'm looking to purchase a tablet PC in the near future. Its hard to buy any electronics these days, especially PCs due to the growing rate of processor speed and new processing technology. See Moore's Law.

I was going to just go for an Ipad because of their sheer visual aesthetic, until I looked up its tech specs.. 2core 1GHz CPU Speed, 16GB Storage, 512MB RAM, 1024x768 resolution, 10 hour battery life, 550.00 (and that's the cheapest).

Then there is the Amazon's Kindle Fire; Firstly, about 300 bucks cheaper than the ipad. It's display is smaller, but in turn much lighter/ easily held by one hand. It's Half as much storage space as the Ipad giving it an 8GB HD and no sd card. Most importantly, it has a 2core 1GHz Processor and 512MB RAM, just like the Ipad.

Then there is the Nook Tablet, priced at $250. Virtually it's the same in all specs as the Kindle Fire, except for storage, it has a 16GB HD with an SD card slot making it upgradable to 48GB in total. The Ipad has no SD card slot, but you can buy one with a 64GB HD.. for $850. Essentially, you'd be paying $550 more for a 16GB upgrade with the Ipad.

Out of the three most popular tablets out there, I'd have to say I favor the Nook overall. The nook is reasonably priced, and I'd rather not pay 300 more dollars for another 2.7 inches of display from the Ipad. The nook also has about twice as much ram as the ipad.

There are other tablets/ tablet pc's out there under $600 so I'm still trudging on decision.

Here a tablet PC by a less reputable company: ASUS Eee PC. Its tech specs blow the other three out of the water and its priced at 450.00.

Comments and opinions welcome! (:



(http://www.apple.com/ipad/)
(http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/nook/379003208)
(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0051VVOB2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=httppaulmccbl-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B0051VVOB2)
(http://www.geek.com/articles/mobile/ipad-2-vs-kindle-fire-vs-nook-tablet-specs-showdown-20111114/)
(newegg.com)

Sunday, October 30, 2011

M83- Hurry Up, We're Dreaming... It's like a fine aged cheese.



If you are familiar M83 second album: Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts, You will be taken back to that one right out the box with the intro. The front man, Anthony Gonzalas, has a true talent in arranging the songs to cataclysmic build ups until they implode into glittery cosmic rays of phantasmal glory. He goes alot further in exploring new uses of his voice, shrieks, yelps, cries, you could here this beggining in the last album, Saturdays = Youth. The raw synth arpeggiated arrangements really have their appeal, they serve as a hard backbone to the wide and expansive reverberated layers over-top. At first glance, the album may be a little intimidating with its 22 tracks but don't let that stop you, each track is beautifully written and placed.
Enjoy the trip! :D

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Stoicism Quotes

Epictetus:

"Freedom is secured not by the fulfilling of men's desires, but by the removal of desire." (iv.1.175)
"Where is the good? In the will. Where is the evil? In the will. Where is neither of them? In those things that are independent of the will." (ii.16.1)
"Man is disturbed not by things, but by the views he takes of them." (Ench. 5)
"If, therefore, any be unhappy, let him remember that he is unhappy by reason of himself alone." (iii.24.2)
"I am formed by nature for my own good: I am not formed for my own evil." (iii.24.83)
"Permit nothing to cleave to you that is not your own; nothing to grow to you that may give you agony when it is torn away." (iv.1.112)

Marcus Aurelius:

"Get rid of the judgement, get rid of the 'I am hurt,' you are rid of the hurt itself." (viii.40)
"Everything is right for me, which is right for you, O Universe. Nothing for me is too early or too late, which comes in due time for you. Everything is fruit to me which your seasons bring, O Nature. From you are all things, in you are all things, to you all things return." (iv.23)
"If you work at that which is before you, following right reason seriously, vigorously, calmly, without allowing anything else to distract you, but keeping your divine part pure, as if you were bound to give it back immediately; if you hold to this, expecting nothing, but satisfied to live now according to nature, speaking heroic truth in every word which you utter, you will live happy. And there is no man able to prevent this." (iii.12)
"How ridiculous and how strange to be surprised at anything which happens in life!" (xii.13)
"Outward things cannot touch the soul, not in the least degree; nor have they admission to the soul, nor can they turn or move the soul; but the soul turns and moves itself alone." (iv.3)
"Because your own strength is unequal to the task, do not assume that it is beyond the powers of man; but if anything is within the powers and province of man, believe that it is within your own compass also" (vi.19)
"Or is it your reputation that's bothering you? But look at how soon we're all forgotten. The abyss of endless time that swallows it all. The emptiness of those applauding hands." (iv.3)

Seneca the Younger:

"The point is, not how long you live, but how nobly you live." (Ep. 101.15)
"That which Fortune has not given, she cannot take away." (Ep. 59.18)
"Let Nature deal with matter, which is her own, as she pleases; let us be cheerful and brave in the face of everything, reflecting that it is nothing of our own that perishes." (De Provid. v.8)
"Virtue is nothing else than right reason." (Ep. 66.32)

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Boards of Canada- Sunshine Recorder

Subconscious suggestions. I know that if I listen to Boards of Canada for a while I will be put in this sorta of awakened trance. A lot of their music has this layer of nostalgia lathered thickly on top that can sometimes help me recall some strange child hood memories long lost forgotten. Definitely one of my all time favorites when it comes to electronic music. Imagine old home videos that have been warped and distorted naturally over many years and sorta mental frequency wave that is neither happy or sad injected into it. A lot of their music is very dark because it sounds like a happy song that used to exist a long time ago and is no longer here. Not all of their music is dark though, some of it is very meditative and peaceful. I get a wide range of feelings derived from their music. Sure its kinda like the weather channel music, but who doesn't like that music when discovering the weather forecast for the week.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

so like, what is the purpose of life?

The purpose of life is *drum rolllll*..... LIFE! Life itself is the purpose of life. there is no set purpose of life, sure a lot of people share similar purposes.. but, to each his/her own. Life is what you make of it. Some people ask this question is as if there is someone or something outside of us that decides our purpose and life is the journey to find that. This may be a way to live but once you start taking charge of your life , this is when you can start making a change in the world. Change helps life remain fresh and not become stagnant.