the air

courtesy of ZDNET blogs

I find it amusing when media outlets and “gurus” suggest that Mac owners/fans are progressive liberals who:

• Mac users more likely to use teeth-whitening products
• Mac users bought on average five new pairs of sneakers in the last year
• More likely to buy organic food
• More likely to frequent Starbucks
• More likely to own a hybrid car
• Mac users are perfectionists
• More likely to use notebooks
• Prefer to drive station wagons
• More likely to pay more for green products
• More likely to pay for downloaded music

Allow me to address these points individually.

• I’ve only used teeth whitening products once. And that was four years before I even bought a Mac.
• I’ve only bought 2 pairs of sneakers in the last year. The most I’ve ever bought was four pairs and two of them were dress shoes
• Sorry, I’ve never bought organic food. I can’t justify the higher price tag
• Although I like Starbucks, I get my coffee anywhere that is close to my current location (e.g. McD’s, Caribou, etc.)
• I’m against hybrid cars
• Yes, I like to be a perfectionist. However, I do know when to quit and I often quit before things are perfect
• I prefer notebooks because of their increased mobility. I thought Windows-based notebooks were outselling Windows-based desktops
• Station wagons? You must mean crossovers. But, I drive a 1995 Toyota Camry.
• Green products? Not my thing!
• Pay for downloaded music

I have no idea where these people draw their conclusions from, but I assure you, Mac fans are not necessarily liberals. Just take a look at O’Reilly! The dude loves his Mac. The fact is this. Mac users are just like many PC users from around the world. The only difference is that we use cooler looking machines that are far more secure than your Windows.

via Insanely Great Mac

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I want to thank all of you for your thoughts and prayers. I want to assure all of you that I am fine and was no where near the shooting. When the shooting occurred, I was actually in my car on my way home to my apartment. My usual route does not go anywhere near Cole Hall, the sight of the shootings. My thoughts and prayers are with the affected students and their families. Regardless of what others might say, NIU and all the respective law enforcement agencies did respond in a very effective manner.

You may visit the NIU homepage for additional information. At the time of this writing, there is a live press release in progress. Again, thank you for your thoughts and prayers. Have a good day.

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Yesterday was the official start of my classes in my last undergraduate semester. I’m really looking forward to finally completing a very long and interesting journey. At the same time, I am also ready to open a whole new chapter of my academic career, grad school.

This semester, I only have twelve credit hours. I’m hoping that this gives me some more free time to simply sit back and relax. A couple of things I want to do in my spare time - assuming I have spare time - is to practice my photography skills (if you call them skills) and finalize a research topic. Who knows, maybe I’ll have absolutely no time to accomplish anything I want. Nevertheless, I plan on honing my time management skills to ensure that I can at least enjoy my last undergraduate semester. Good luck to all you students out there!

Photo courtesy of localandbitter.

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It seems to me that a significant number of people write down or declare resolutions that they hope to accomplish when a new year begins. What is surprising is the amount of people who fail in their pursuit and then restate those same resolutions year after year. So this year, do yourself a favor and dump the resolutions.

Some Time Required for Assembly

Ask yourself this, “why am I making this resolution?” Often, I bet your answer will be along the lines of improving your lifestyle. While your resolution is admirable, is it realistic? You cannot expect to go from being overweight and shy to sporting a six pack and the center of attention all within a year. Some people will disagree, but here’s the dirty secret: change takes time. No matter what your philosophy is, changing your habits and lifestyle is a drastic option for your body and mind. Change takes time and energy.

Common Sense is Required

First off, don’t set unrealistic resolutions. Think baby steps when you are changing your lifestyle. This will reduce the likelihood of failing. If you want immediate results, take some pills and start dreaming. However, if you want lasting results, take your time and use common sense. Second, be informed. Always be aware of why you are changing your lifestyle and how your steps will affect your lifestyle. Some steps that you think may help your lifestyle could in fact hurt you. For instance, you may think that by eating less, you will be healthier. However, that is not the case if you are used to eating numerous times a day. Don’t strain your body unnecessarily Rather, you should let your body adjust to change and the same goes for your mind.

Fun It Shall Be

No matter what type of resolution you make, please make sure it is fun for you. If you want to spend less money or blog for money, make sure those events are all fun. I’ve noticed myself getting bored of some resolutions because they are boring and take too much time. To combat such an atrocity, I simply turn around and make the resolution more fun. For example, my resolution for 2007 was to brush my teeth at least twice a day. Two months into it, I was finding that I was lazy and not i the mood to brush at day and night. To make things interesting, I changed my toothbrush often and made sure that I drew a calendar on the mirror and crossed off the days I brushed at least twice a day. Soon, my mind started seeing many empty squares and fewer X’s on the calendar. All of a sudden, I developed an urge to brush at least twice and felt really good whenever I crossed off a day. Simple things and simple tweaks can lead to great results.

My resolution

Now that I told you to dump your resolutions, here’s my resolution for 2008: Make no more resolutions!

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I just want to wish everyone a very happy new year. All the best to your goals and your endeavors and I truly hope that 2008 is a great year for you. Just remember, a new year marks a new beginning. If you wanted to try something new or you wanted things to change, now is the time to act. Don’t be shy and don’t be afraid of change. Embrace and enjoy!

If you are reading this at exactly midnight CST, then be aware, I’m at a party having a great time. Enjoy your night and be safe. Happy New Year once again!

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