The Democratic Campaign

I think this cartoon depicts what is going on between Obama/Clinton currently and for the past few months.

I'm neither really a Democrat or Republican, but I consider myself more of a Centrist. But it is indeed painful to see two members of the same party duke it out at each other so harshly. Although, I would have to say that Hillary is the one that is being more aggressive and petty about it all. At least when the Republicans argued, it was about who was more conservative, and they didn't end up complimenting a democratic opponent.

I wish she would stop using Fear, stop Crying, and stop Badmouthing Senator Obama. They are on the same friggin side, they want the same friggin things, mainly: to put a democrat back in the oval office. Can they all not get along? I do not agree with her saying that only her and McCain have the experience needed to get the job done in the White House, while Obama only has speeches. I do not agree with her sentiment that it's her or nothing type attitude.

Yes, I agree that what's she argues isn't something that's secretive or unknown, but stop burning the Clinton campaign money on what the Republicans should be doing. I've been enjoying how Senator Obama continues to take the high road in his whole campaign, it truly shows how he is different and refreshing from the Old Washington.

Some Huffington Post Reads:

• Breaking the Final Rule by Gary Hart
• On the Red Phone by Larry David
• Obama Trauma by Steve Rosenbaum

My Man Bags

I went on an online shopping spree earlier this week and bought some Man bags for myself. I only bought 2, but from the set below, I'm showing 2 because I ordered the one on the left (the more green/olive color), but I received the one on the right (brownish/dark-green). At first I was going to send it back, but I grew attached to the color and didn't want to go through the hassle of sending it back. This one is for when I want to pack my laptop to go.

Now, for my remaining purchase I bought myself a "Jack Sack". It's basically the same man bag that Jack Bauer uses in 24. Can you believe someone actually has a blog (jacksack.blogspot.com) about it? Amazing. This one is for my general use, a book, magazines, some papers/folders, diffuse kits, and pens. You know, the regular stuff.

Overall, I'm happy with my purchases. These bags are nice and sturdy, and I'm ok with it getting a little dirty. I've been mostly using my Diesel bag, but it's a fake my sister bought me from Thailand and it's starting to wear down.

Code Monkey

Jonathan Coulton performs Code Monkey Unplugged. I love this song! It's just so amusing.


Code Monkey get up get coffee
Code Monkey go to job
have boring meeting with boring manager Rob
Rob say Code Monkey very diligent
but his output stink
his code not functional or elegant
what do Code Monkey think
Code Monkey think maybe manager oughta write goddamn login page himself
Code Monkey not say it out loud
Code Monkey not crazy just proud

Code Monkey like Fritos
Code Monkey like Tab and Mountain Dew
Code Monkey very simple man
with big warm fuzzy secret heart
Code Monkey like you
Code Monkey like you

Code Monkey hang around at front desk
tell you sweater look nice
Code Monkey offer buy you soda
bring you cup bring you ice
you say no thank you for the soda ’cause
soda make you fat
anyway you busy with the telephone
no time for chat

Code Monkey have long walk back to cubicle
he sit down pretend to work
Code Monkey not thinking so straight
Code Monkey not feeling so great

Code Monkey like Fritos
Code Monkey like Tab and Mountain Dew
Code Monkey very simple man
with big warm fuzzy secret heart
Code Monkey like you
Code Monkey like you a lot

Code Monkey have every reason
to get out this place
Code Monkey just keep on working
to see your soft pretty face
Much rather wake up eat a coffee cake
Take bath, take nap
This job fulfilling in creative way
such a load of crap
Code Monkey think someday he have everything even pretty girl like you
Code Monkey just waiting for now
Code Monkey say someday, somehow

Code Monkey like Fritos
Code Monkey like Tab and Mountain Dew
Code Monkey very simple man
with big warm fuzzy secret heart
Code Monkey like you
Code Monkey like you

by Jonathan Coulton

Other links:

• jonathancoulton.com
• Portal - "Still Alive" Credits Song
• Jonathan Coulton Sings "Still Alive"

NIN's Ghosts on Amazon MP3

Look what I'm downloading! Trent Reznor recently released his new album, NIN Ghosts online. You can either buy it or download some of it for free, or "free". I chose to buy it because I think he's a step in the right direction for artists to take and build a closer relationship with fans and would-be-fans; basically cutting out the middle-man. Now here's an artist worth supporting.

Some good reads:

• Nine Inch Nails Help Seal Record Industry’s Coffin
• The Inevitable March of Recorded Music Towards Free
• When Pigs Fly: The Death of Oink, the Birth of Dissent, and a Brief History of Record Industry Suicide.

Email Sucks for Collaboration

I can't stand using email for the purpose of collaboration. It just plain sucks. But yet it's so widely used everywhere. Email is well, electronic mail. And just like regular mail, I stack it in a few organized piles, and only truly care about the top 4 or 5 in each pile. Everything below it, is well, beyond my control to organize, categorize, and find. It's a mess.

The following articles captures the pros and cons of email:

• The Good In Email (or Why Email Is Still The Most Adopted Collaboration Tool)
• The Bad In Email (or Why We Need Collaboration Software)

In and out of work, I still have to use email for the following:

1. Sending Files- jpegs, zipped projects, etc
2. Forwarding discussions/conversations

And I can't stand it. Here's where I feel it is broken:

1. Cannot share information freely. Did you forget to CC/BCC someone? Too late! The discussion has been going on without them! Who knows how where they will try to jump in on the 18 various topics of discussion that's been forwarded 16 times with various people left out.
2. Senders/Receivers of email are left to organize the crap they send. This is basically where search is important. Basically everything winds up in a stack, a stack of stacks, or many little stacks, but a stack nonetheless.
3. All the fricking attachments. Oh, let me zip up my current project or set of images and send them to you. Then you can unzip them, place them in your project/folder and zip it send it all back to me when you are done! Oh wait, Nelson forgot to include his changes... we need to sort this out again.

I know that Gmail tries to address this by organizing email as conversations (they also include gtalk instant messages--IMs), labeling, and including a powerful search with it. Although that makes it better, it's not great.

But it's at least a good start. There are companies (of the web 2.0 kind of course) that are trying to tackle these issues. In particular, I like 37signals.com. They have a nice suite of various collaborative applications. Most notable is BaseCamp: Project Management software.

Goals and Dreams

This video is: Randy Pausch Lecture: Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.



I really enjoyed this video, very inspirational. Makes me think, why am I not chasing down every dream and wonderment I have?

So I wanted to share with you a list I made over at 43things.com about all the goals I have set aside to do. I challenge all of you to ask me how I'm doing in any of these things. I hope you will share with me your goals and dreams, and ask me to check up on you on them. Here is the link to see them:

http://www.43things.com/person/sunpech