And here's what we got:
I’m not an Apple fanboy. Truly I’m not. Now that said, I have a macbook, an iPad, and an iPhone that I have through my current workplace. By all accounts, one would think that I am a total fanboy. I mean, I own pretty much one of their everything. I’ll even go on to say that I really, really enjoy their products; I like the iPhone/iPad interactions, I enjoy the iterations of their OS, and I appreciate the aesthetic of their products.
I have never been a total fan though. At the end of the day, they are tools that I use to get things done throughout my day. I don’t hold them in any higher regard than the PCs that I use at my workplace (or grew up with). I’ve had my issues with their products as well and I’ll be the first to point them out. I will also be the first in line to point out that Apple has ‘screwing their clientele’ down to a high art. I mean, they have a release schedule and setup that makes sure that everyone that purchases their wares will be jealous of those who purchase the next iteration. They can really be dicks like that. They engineer demand so well that there should be a degree in it available to higher education locales.
But as of Thursday, July 7th, 2011, I can say that I am now a loyal customer of Apple. Still not a fanboy, but they’ve secured my loyalty. And all it took was an email.
I try and avoid political issues for the most part. That is to say, I try and avoid writing about them. I try to do so because there are better venues to have these discussions,which thanks to the Internet, generally degrade into tinfoil hat-wearing crap-slingers raging at each other. It’s hard to have an intelligent conversation about it 90% of the time, so it’s best to avoid it on small blogs.
That said, I’m going to break my rule a bit here and make a point to say that Canada, as a ‘great example’ of a democracy has some of the worst voting numbers I have ever seen. I’ll admit that I’m not that old, but there is imperial data to back me up, and the percentages have been slipping like my grades did throughout highschool.
To be honest, it’s a fucking disgrace, and we as a country should be utterly fucking ashamed.
So while I doubt many people come to my actual website anymore, anyone who has done so in the last week or so will have noticed a… minor change to the site. That is to say that I’ve utterly changed everything. Basically I was getting bored of my old one, and to be honest I wasn’t happy with any part of the design of the old layout from the get go.
I made the last one basically because I have an impulse to change my layout roughly once every year (or two). I was suckered into the whole pop-out style that was going around at the time, and I wanted my piece of the action. As a side-effect, The site sort of fell on its ass when certain browsers hit it. I had already given up on the layout before I had even really finished it.
That’s always a good sign.
Back in the day, I worked at a place that, while educational, was terrible to work at in a first world sort of way. I wasn’t getting paid my due, the atmosphere wasn’t what one would call supportive, and the management was… well that’s where this story comes in. I won’t name the company, though [...]
That is, of course, because after roughly 6 months, I am actually writing something! I hope you’ve found religion, because I’m going to start doing this more often. What does this mean? This means that Corey is finally getting off his lazy god-damned-ass and is going to start writing words in sequence again. Now if [...]
Yup. So yeah I’ll admit that it’s been a while since I’ve updated (roughly two months for those sharpening their pitchforks) and I could say that I was super busy what with my end of year projects totally consumed my life, or that I was a tad busy moving countries, or that I haven’t had [...]
I’m a huge fan of stories. I really am. I read my first book before I was in school. I read my first novel by grade 2. I was reading Tolkien by grade 4. I have a book shelf that I bought because my original one was two books deep on every shelf. I’ve become a huge fan of Podcasts like The Moth and The Wayward Irregular due to the magic that comes from them. I will listen to any and everyone that has a story to tell. All the more when they’ve got a flair for “the telling.”
I think it’s save to say that I love stories.
Hell I’ve even tried my own hand at writing a couple of my own. I admit that they’re not Pulitzer-level or anything, but I like to think that someone out there will enjoy them. Regardless, I’ve recently decided that I’d like to be told more stories. Lots more stories. What’s more, I’d like others to have the same opportunity. There are other sites out there that do what I’ve decided to do, but I’ve opted to do something a little different…
You know, every time I have one of these impromptu hiatuses – hiatusi? hiatusae? – I always try and recall just what caused me to stop posting. It’s not like I was posting every other day and got burnt out, no no, I was posting once a week. But of course the cycle dies off and you end up with what, a five month break in posts?
That’s not kosher.
The irony is that if I had just managed to keep up with my weekly posting, I would probably have a more complete list of things that I have actually done. It’s a self-defeating cycle of suck, and I seem to really enjoy the ride. Never mind that I ride it in a busted up canoe, or that the ride takes me through a course that would make most white-water rafting professionals crap themselves just a little. I do it for the thrill.
Alright that may have sounded a tad insane, but I was on a roll and went with it.
So as stated it’s been a good 5 months since my last post, and I’ve got no good explanation for the break in content. I did just get back into school and I did start applying myself more for freelance stuff, but that’s hardly an excuse. Regardless, I’m back on the horse for now, and I’m feeling if not inspired, than at least motivated. To kick things off, I’ll give a quick rundown of everything that’s been going on with me recently.
I swear I’m not that self-involved. No, really I’m not. I am not a self-centered arrogant prat! Good god, you kiss your mother with that mouth? That’s sick man. Sick.
Flecks of dirt hit the casket.
Her father grabs some dirt from the pile, while her mother sobs; screaming and rocking; her body wracking. The priest finishes his piece. Her mother drops to her knees. The priest is speaking his part, his tone never wavering. The casket is lowered down, to where it will rest. The pallbearers carry the casket towards the grave site. A collection of her friends and family stand around the hole in the ground, silent and still. The Priest is already there, waiting. The hearse pulls up, and the doors swing open. Cars start pulling up, first the family car, then friends and extended family.
The Pallbearers load the casket into the hearse.
The ceremony has ended, and the crowd parts for her family to pass through. The Priest reminds everyone to celebrate the passing, not mourn the loss; his words fall on deaf ears. Her friends step down from the microphone, voices fading. Her friends talk about the good times, and how fantastic a friend she was. They start to cry as they talk, unashamed and unaware of just how strong their tears flow. Her friends talk about when they first met, when they had their first fight, all their silly promises, and when they went to the cottage that one time. Two girls are asked to the microphone, to talk about her.
Her fathers heart breaks a little more.
This post is coming to you at least two three months late, but hey, for at least one of those months I was rather busy with school. I don’t really have an excuse for the latter, but that’s just how it is.
Anyways, back in March, I was given a fantastic opportunity to visit Japan via a friend of mine. Given that it was a trip to frikkin’ Japan, I couldn’t possibly have said no. Had I known how long the flight was actually going to feel, I might have reconsidered. Going there took somewhere around 18 hours and coming back took almost 24. There’s nothing quite like an 8 hour layover to make you consider killing yourself and/or those around you.
Thankfully the Detroit International Airport has a fantastic massage parlor. Best 30 dollars I have ever spent.
I will also apologize in advance for the load of this page. I’ve got a bunch of photos in this one, so if it takes a while to load… well you’ll have to wait i guess! I’m going to note the numbers of the photos from my flickr just so you can sort of follow along.
In case you are too lazy to visit my flickr set, you can jump to the end of the post, where I have a lovely flash dohickey that will rotate through all of my photos.