Author Archives: Filemon

Sep 02 2010
Blog

Bit by bit, piece by piece

I have a hoarding problem. I’ve got too much stuff. I know this.

But I think I’m finally getting better. It’s moving slowly, but it’s definitely getting better.

One of my biggest issues is media. I have bookcases that are filled with DVDs and games. Not all of them are great. I’ve managed to stop the influx of mediocre titles. With Netflix and Gamefly. These two services take care of the entertainment needs, and honestly, lots of titles that go through my mailbox aren’t worth owning.

Worth experiencing once, sure. But not good enough to own. There are exceptions, for instance the time I rented Borderlands and then ended up pouring 40 hours into it. I bought it then. I figured I owed them that much if I enjoyed myself with it.

I’ve learned a couple of techniques from the always useful LifeHacker. The first is getting over the psychological aspect of stuff. You are not your stuff. Another thing I learned is that touching anything is likely to bring up memories of the item in question. By then, you start to develop an emotion for it, and then are unlikely to give it away.

Just being aware of the touch response has been liberating. I can then really evaluate the item by thinking about how much I’ve used it within the last month or so.

Aug 21 2010
Uncategorized

Music

Honestly, I don’t know why I have the crazy iPod with the whopping 16GB of space if all I play is Lady Gaga and music from Glee.

Jul 01 2010
Uncategorized

St. Blaise

I’m sitting in the fifth pew on the left side of Sacred Heart Church in Coronado. I’m in the third grade, and in front of me is the younger classes, all neatly seated boy girl boy girl. To my left is Adrianna Serrano. To my right is Alexis Hartweil, and I have a crush on her.

My navy blue uniform cords matching my polyester sweater, which is slightly too big, but I’ll grow into it. It’s St. Blaise day, one of the more obscure holidays that we’re celebrating.

And this time, it’s important to me, mainly because St. Blaise is the patron saint of throat maladies. As we get up to get our throats blessed, I think about all the times that I’ve had issues.

I remember my babysitter, shocked at the kitchen counter as I cough up a large pool of rice and sinigang. In my memory, it takes up the entire length of the counter. I remember pain in my throat and then coughing much more soup and rice than I had actually put into my mouth and I wondered if she was going to be mad at me.

I think of every time my mother made roast chicken covered with Campbell’s Mushroom Soup, the tightness in my throat. The inability to eat.

The fear of taking pills.

So this day is important to me. It’s another mass in the middle of the week. Midway through, similar to the communion celebration, we form lines pew by pew. I stand up, hands folded in front of me and we slowly move single file towards Father Gregory.

He holds two long white candles in his left hand, in the shape of an, “X.” Each congregation member approaches and lifts their head. Father Gregory touches the candles to both sides of their throat while making the sign of the cross.

The candles are cool, and I return to my pew.

That night, a piece of chicken gets stuck in my throat and I push my plate away.

I’m done.

Jun 27 2010
Technology

On portable computing

I’ve entertained the thought of a netbook or some sort of tablet device for a while now. Mainly, it would be something that I could use while at another computer, or in front of the television.

I’ve not spent a lot of time with a netbook, but I do like the small size and portability. Weight and form factors are my primary considerations. What I would like to do is browse the social sites from the safety and comfort of my chair and a half, or while cooking, look up recipes for bulgogi marinade instead of running back and forth between the kitchen and the 15″ MacBook on the dining table.

I’ve used Microsoft OneNote with a tablet and Windows 7, and while it was great for capturing my handwritten notes, I felt that purchasing the hardware and software would be cost prohibitive. This is a device that is meant to complement my traditional browsing and set it free from the traditional, “sitting at a desk” model, not be a primary content production device.

If I sit down to write, I prefer to be in front of a full size monitor and keyboard. Or on my Alphasmart NEO.

The iPad is right out, even though I am an OS X fan. An Android tablet, however, if priced right, could sway me that direction. The longer I wait, the better my options get, so choosing to do nothing may be the correct course of action. Or the correct course of inaction.

Whichever.

Of course, if I ever get a tablet device, I’m going to have to get a PADD (Personal Access Display Device) skin for it immediately so I can live in the Star Trek Future.

Jun 26 2010
Blog

Today I. . .

  • Got up early, but not quite early enough and I missed the lunar eclipse as it dipped below the treeline. Ah well. Not like it wasn’t well documented.
  • Played the ukulele for a while and had a meal replacement drink.
  • Did laundry.
  • Drank some “not tea” with a lot of honey.
  • Watched a jail break movie with Tom Hanks and Tim Allen. (Toy Story 3) Was one of three people to started laughing immediately when they heard, “That’s a night in the box.”
  • Had lunch at the new Friendship Heights Whole Foods.
  • Took a two hour nap.
  • Rode the bus to Mandu and had jap-chae.
  • Took pictures of the sidewalk map of the solar system in Dupont Circle.
  • Found out that Larry’s Ice Cream doesn’t make malts. Was both surprised and disappointed.
  • Thought I wanted a banana smoothie, but ended up giving it away.
  • Had a cupcake.
  • Received a voice mail with singing.
  • Stuck the dollar bill that the smart trip machine wouldn’t take in the coin slot of a parking meter.
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