I'm sure everyone has seen those Library of Congress website commercials on TV lately. So I paid the site a little visit and found my first name in the Library. Apparently it was in a A Pronunciation Guide to Names of Public Figures. Of course I was already sure I knew the reference. Interestingly their pronunciation is much better than some spoken incarnations of my name. Of course it still isn't how my parents chose to pronounce it.

Sometimes in an argument when someone gets trapped in a corner, I often hear them say "Well at least I can admit it". I cannot begin to express my frustration with that comment. What does it mean exactly? Perhaps they are implying that they are taking the first step in the path to correcting their problem or issue. With the frequency of the statement, I seriously doubt that. Maybe they think they are somehow better than those who "cannot admit it". In what way? I can understand this as an act of self defense, but not as much more than that. Finding solutions to personal problems is a painfully difficult task. However this belief that a mere admission of guilt is enough seems like self delusion to me.

Posted in: Life, Philosophy,

The last 4 days were stressful on me and my family. Every now and then, an event comes along and it is no one's fault, but everyone must help out. And sometimes you know that no matter what you do, you really can't change anything. You can get frustrated or admit "cest la vie" and get over it. I would like to think I opt for the latter, but I've done my fair share of brooding too. I guess the question that always puzzles me is do I control my life, or does it control me?

No man is an island. Whether or not I like to admit it, outside factors play a significant role in my life. How do I live with that? I'm not exactly sure.

Posted in: Life,

Some of you may have already seen this link posted on Slashdot (please read it). The thing that caught my eye was that I read "Ann Arbor, Mich" in it. Basically the article states that the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) is serving subpoenas indiscriminantly to users who both download and share music files using P2P (peer-to-peer) file sharing programs. In terms of liability they may also target user's parents, grandparents and roommates all depending on account information from their ISP (internet service provider).

These subpoenas which may or may not become direct lawsuits are being issued rapidly (recently over 900) and without any regards for situation or circumstances. Previous incidents have proven that lawsuits have costed individuals (students) thousands of dollars and that the RIAA simply does not care about your situation in their allegations.

Distributing and obtaining copyrighted material (without paying for it) is illegal, however I cannot concede that this is the proper action that should be taken. So I'm putting out the warning to everyone. Remember that at least 3 people always know what you do online: you, your ISP and the location from which you download (i.e. the website, ftp, or P2P). The RIAA is directly targetting individual users. If you are using something like KaZaa and share files you are at risk (yes you!). In the least, I urge you to educate yourself regarding this issue, which undoubtedly will become worse in the near future.

Posted in: Music, Internet,

Lately I've had Christina Aguilera on my mind. No, her music. Particularily the songs Fighter and Beautiful. They echo in my mind, often annoyingly. So, as requested by Merrick, I am writing a blog entry on it. Her music isn't the worse out there (thank Britney for that), and I guess she has a good voice. While I'm on the topic of music let me run down the list. The Scientist by Coldplay is pretty good, the video isn't that bad either (one of those play in rewind gimmicks). Michelle Branch's Are You Happy Now? deserves a loud NO. Beyonce's Crazy in Love makes me think of some sort of freak accident crossing Tina Turner and Jennifer Lopez. Some of you out there might enjoy that, but I'll pass. I guess Jay-Z helps out a little. And for all of the American Idol worshippers out there, my advice to you: don't. Where Is The Love? by Black Eyed Peas has a catchy refrain. However recent arguments have proven to me that in fact Justin Timberlake sings it, hence I find the "peas" are very annoying indeed. Jewel! What happened to you? Her popular sell out single: Intuition can be fairly listed in the "Sell My Music While I Show Some Skin" category. Finally, let's not forget "50". His latest offerings are weak in comparison to the Club hit.

I could go on but I think that's enough negativity for now.

Posted in: Music,