Castles made of sand…

I recently pondered what’s wrong with the world. Initially, I thought that there is no one to blame. It seems as though the entire world (society) is running against the wind, against decades of traditions and values. If you may, its gravitating towards chaos (in a sense of disorder), but that could be its own discussion.

After some thought, I came to the conclusion that driving force behind society’s downward plummet, is communication. There are two sides to communication: communication, and miscommunication (or lack of). All forms of communication contribute to the whole, inclusive of verbal, body language, written, visual.

Why can’t we get along? Well, lack of communication or miscommunication. The saying “A picture is worth a thousand words” may be too frequently heard, but is applicable to our demise. An even more applicable cliché would be the phase “Think before you speak.” Often we jump to conclusion and bungee jump to a response. In a given situation, we are not likely to know all the details that would be affecting the subject of attention. Ergo, we do not understand. Asking more questions and giving more thought results in more knowledge and more understanding. With a proper understanding, one may more accurately respond in a proper manner. The lesson here is best quoted from Stephen R. Covey, “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

Why is society degrading? The simple answer is communication. While we are failing to communicate, we are communicating the wrong message. For instance, who decided that the general public wants to see advertisements on buildings, buses, TV, the internet, etc.? I will never say I want to see advertisements, ad banners, or spam. In reality, the advertisement world is driven (mostly) by people being greedy. While we are giving up some of the better values, being greedy is still considered bad.

Now introduce the internet, or more specifically the World Wide Web (WWW). The inventor of the World Wide Web was Tim Berners-Lee (I might as well go ahead and acknowledge that Al Gore was not the inventor of the internet). Berners-Lee envisioned the web as a medium through which to share ideas and information freely through collaboration. At this point in time, the web is ever quickly approaching that dream.

The internet is by most means, the fastest way to communicate with someone. Various forms of communications exist through the internet: E-mail, IRC, Instant Messaging, Forums, Blogs. Anyone can say whatever they want (with exceptions) and have an unimaginable number of people see that message, with little effort. This has the same effect as giving the wrong response, as mentioned above. To instantly communicate is to instantly miscommunicate [sic] (Instant communication is instant miscommunication).

I’ve given the internet as an example. Other mediums through which communications take place are also a means of miscommunication. This includes, but is not limited to television, phone, newspaper, and books. It is also good to acknowledge that all of these mediums can convey factual information, while the person on the other end may misinterpret it. You can try to make everything crystal clear and it can still appear clear as mud on the other end. Nothing is foolproof (except mud?).

In perspective, our communications are evolving society into something it never was. The ideas expressed today were not expressed a decade ago. While some may consider these previously mentioned advances in communications as an improvement to society, I consider them as a main contributing factor to what’s wrong with the world.

This is my opinion. If you don’t like it, leave a comment and flame me.

Study Says There Is More Sex on TV

Ever wonder whats wrong with the world? Lets just blame it on TV. No, really. TV is the source/influence of three things that are polluting our young minds: violence, sex, and politics.

Okay, maybe it can’t be limited to just TV. But blaming it on the entertainment industry just about covers all the bases.

Anyhow, thats it from the news. I have Friday off as a federal holiday… I bet you know where I’ll be.

I got to sign up for spring classes on Tuesday; which was early sign up since I’m a co-op. I’m really not looking forward to returning to a full load of classes. Its not that I like Florida or the beach so much (okay just a little ) but its cause I like work so much more than classwork. You are probably thinking, “YOU LIKE WORK? ARE YOU INSANE?!?!?!”.

[begin rant]
While I will not defend the level of my insanity, I will say that enjoy working much more because I’m getting paid to do stuff that I enjoy doing and stuff that comes naturally for me. I feel that the majority of the material that I have to learn in the next two years to get my degree will be mostly useless with a job where I am currently. You see, computer engineering isn’t closely related to IT activities. My hobbies, computer maintenance and web-design, are about exactly what I do at work. At work I do it on a larger scale and on newer/better technology.

Regardless of how useless the next two years will be, if I need to know something for this job, they pay for my training. But college, I have to pay for and suffer through the homework, papers, exams, bad professors: the junk. I have to pay to bring suffering upon myself and that really isn’t cool. Here, I work on what I want for the most part. If its something I don’t want to work on, its something I can do. If its something I can’t do, I figure it out easily. If its something I can’t figure out easily, I google it. If I can’t google it, its wasn’t meant to ever happen. No suffering involved.
[/end rant]

Its nights like these that make me wonder why I am a computer engineering major…
However, the alternative (Computer Science) is not any more appealing. Computer Engineers have better pay and could be doing interesting things and hands on things. Computer Science majors do interesting things with their hands, in front of a monitor all day as a programmer. It appears that I have the skills needed to be a good programmer… but, is that really what I want to do?

This circuit analysis stuff (which more so applies to Electrical Engineers which is tightly knit with CpE) just isn’t for me. This is the boring stuff. Not really hands on either. Let the computer do the calculations. Lets build it.

The predicament here is that my studies towards Computer Engineering are the basis for my job at NASA, but I’m doing computer science work. I can do computer science work… but I’m studying for computer engineering.

Emmaus…

I have determined that a apartment complex is not a great place to raise a child. Or maybe just this apartment complex.

The sound of rain.

Today I realized that sometimes the best answer is yet to be discovered and usually an obvious solution.

I also realized that there are no “Bridge may freeze before road” signs in Florida.

And lastly, a phrase that has been on my mind for the last few days:

“We knew them once, they were as bright as the sun.
But they are gone now, lost in the sands of time.”

Even the most beautiful shell you can pick up off the beach has its imperfections.

I love mac and cheese.

It seems now that I’m interested in what I’m doing at work, but becoming bored when I’m in my apt. Isn’t there something wrong with that pictures? Maybe not, but sleep is definitely something I’m getting despite the fact that I’m waking up at 5:15 every morning. 5:15 is insane. Bonus though, I see the sun rise (unless its cloudy) every morning.