Real World VS. Cyber world
In our history, tribes have always formed. The simple fact, that people with common ideals, and goals, tend to form groups, tribes, organizations. The power of the many. It's as old as our beginnings.
Today, it's hardly different, merely a altered form. By which I'm referring to the ever growing cyber communities. From newsgroups that began in the late 80's, to the massive web that exists today. Some argue that these is causing more isolation, other counter that the web allows combining of forces for causes much easier. So which is better, real world or Cyber world?
From my experience it is SO easy, to find others with your tastes, beliefs, goals on the net than going out into the world alone. I can proudly say most of my friends, that I now meet in person, etc... where found on the web. I love Toyota MR2s...from that I found MR2.com, IMOC, and a dozen other sites with the same interest. There insued car meets, race teams, the list goes on and on. We joined each others plight from the web and took it to the real world.
I even had a college roomate who met a girl on a bbs (before www), went up to see her. A year later they were married. Following year, a baby girl. All back in '94!
I guarantee you, anything you can have an interest, exists an intercourse on the web. Don't be afraid, go forth, and seek new relationships. Don't seperate the cyber world from the real world, combine them. Enjoy spending time and thoughts with those who share your views.
Life is too short to go through it alone. Find a buddy on the web today, and pull them through the silicon glass that seperates you.
When Your Best Isn't Good Enough
It's been a struggling two years, in effort to produce my first professional indie album. The album was to be called "Carribean Blue". Of late I've felt much more proficient in the craft. I was writting better tunes, and recording them well to boot. Playing all the instruments and handling the production is no easy task, and I've been getting darn good at it.
I've always received good feedback from friends, and concert goers. This gave me the confidence to enter into the NCSC Songwriters Contest. It was incredibly tough to choose two songs, that I would only be allowed to perform with one other. My music is more complex, and the whole makes the song, not just a guitar & vocals. Nevertheless I choose the two that sounded good solo and entered the contest. "Just A Man" & "Memories Fall". Those along with "I Need You" and "Carribean Blue (I Fall)" are some of the best work I've ever done. I thought I had a good chance of being a finalist, and thought I'd be a shoe-in for honorable mention.
Well It looks like that confidence was seriously misplaced. I neither placed or received honorable mention. Simply a thanks for trying, oh and here's a link for a free songwriting course. Good grief... since when did songwriting stop being an artform, and begin being a curriculum item. I would have appreciated, at least, some feedback on what I can improve on. At least I'll get a 100$ gift certificate to OASIS, whom was going to produce my CD.
Now my mind, swirling with doubt, is seriously debating spending the 1300$ it would take to realize the debut LP. It seems my best isn't good enough for a simple contest. How can I hope to be successfull in the real world, if I can't produce what they consider a good song. I've been playing for 16 years, and have made improvements. Maybe one day I'll posses the skills, licks, vocal hooks they're looking for. Meanwhile it's back to the drawing board... or scrap the idea entirely.
Ode to the entertainment industry
We find ways, as often as possible, to break up our stale existence. The biggest realm used is entertainment. We displace our life, and emmerse ourselves into the world & the characters in movies. We take on hero personnas in video games. We consume our minds with drivel TV, happily zombified until the earth cycle repeats.
Why do we do this? Are we not happy with our world, our lives? I think so. The success of the entertainment industry proves this. The industry gives what the public wants, so it is a MIRROR of our desires. Thus several things could be surmised by looking at this.
We don't want a perfect world without good & evil. Why else do we immerse ourselves into Harry Potter's world? Or when we watch some action flick, we get a surge of adrenline ourselves, another drug. Notice most these worlds we immerse ourselves in do contain both good & evil, or some major CONFLICT stating that that is basic to our psychi. So we don't really want a world without both, we merely desire the excitment of the core conflict. Good & evil are always fighting to take domination, but this shows the world will always try to balance and have both.
So it seems we enjoy types of fundamental conflict, excitement. Most of us don't get that in their daily lives. Our lives are off balance, and sometimes movies & games give us that balanced world to emmerse ourselves in.
Gas today, no need tommorow..
As petrol execs laugh whilst dipping in their money pool, some of us are fighting back. No we don't bother picketing, using just certain gas stations (that doesn't work trust me). Even the hybrids use gasoline still. That simply won't do.
I'm going where few dare, or bother, to go.
The mission: Remove the need for petrol entirely.
How: Throw away the combustion engine, and go all electric.
The American public has been thrown technobabble up to it's eye balls, indicating that electric vehicles are non-reliable, expensive, and extremely complex. This is simply NOT TRUE. Not only are the electronic motor drives getting cheaper everyday, they are also SUPER reliable. Electric Vehicle Systems (EVS), have been around longer than you think, and you've seen them for more than you know. You cannot go into a single Home Improvement store, and not see them busy about their work. Hauling massive loads, complex movements, fly by wire steer, etc. Forklift trucks of today are just one example. They are very reliable, and their systems are not as expensive as they'd like you to believe. Let's face it, oil companies have allot to loose, and have their share of reps in their pocket.
Thus I begin my simple journey, of converting a typical, everyday commuter car, into an ALL ELECTRIC VEHICLE. Using current technology, and a budget of 4000$. Starting with a Honda CRX, junking the motor and supporting systems, and replacing it with an EVS system. A central BRAIN to control everything and provide a GUI(Graphical User Interface). An AC motor controller, and a high power AC Motor. Let's not forget the high current/power battery too.
We'll have a website soon to help document our journey...you'll find updates here as well!!
Brian's Brain unleashed!
So, within the flash of silicon sparkle, my mind is unleashed. The borders no longer reject mingling & cross polination of thoughts. Nothing secret, nothing witheld. My insights are in front of you, but will they change your paradigms? We shall see....
