SOPA/Protect-IP Scares the Pants Off Me

I have spent the past few days mulling over the implications of the so-called 'Internet Blacklist Bills' making thier way through Congress. I have read multiple articles regarding the possible implications of those bills, reviewed abbreviated versions of the major points, and even researched the arguments of various supporters in the American Government. After all that, I have come to one conclusion: These things outright scare me.

I know that you may not have heard of the bills I am talking about, so let me try to help you out. Now, I could spend some time trying to explain what it says and what it could do, but there is a great video I found for that. Watch it below, and then continue reading.

PROTECT IP Act Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

Okay, now that you have seen that, I hope you understand what I'm afraid of. While the idea behind these bills isn't too bad, the poor wording of the bill means that the powers it established could easily be abused. That could mean the effective shut down of any website the government chooses. We cannot allow that to happen.

What I want all of you to do is to write/call your Congressperson. Let them know that you are a voter, and that you do not want this bill to pass. The folks over at AmericanCensorship.org have made a web form for shooting them an email. However, many believe that calling them is the most effective way to get yourself heard. You can find the numbers you need here.

I have written my letters and called my Congressperson, and I hope you will. This is too important for us to sit idely by and allow to pass unnoticed. Tell the Government that it isn't okay for them to censor the Internet.

30 Days to (Maybe) Save My Life

I have come to a decision: I am causing most of my 'health issues.' It can't be that a 21 year-old college student is constantly fatigued, nauseated, congested, and full of aches and pains because he is just built that way. I feel like my diet of cheap, fast foods has to at least be contributing to my feelings of illness. I fear that if I don't do something, it may lead me down a road that I cannot allow myself to travel down.

I have been reading studies for my classes, as well as watching numerous documentaries surrounding diet, and I feel like I need to go as extreme as I can stand to go. While I can't afford to go on a pure juice diet, like some have done, I think I can afford to go on a slightly modified vegan diet.  For the uninitiated, vegan means that I would avoid all animal products. That means no meat, eggs, butter, milk, etc. However, due to my own reasons, I will continue to drink skim (fat-free) milk.

I also feel that this can only have real effects if I also change my physical life style. That means that I will need to start a true exercise program. That probably means going to a gym with other people, which makes me nervous. I'm not extremely self conscious, but I am a little. I hope i don't embarrass myself.

Given that the holiday season is coming on quick, I think that this project/experiment will have to wait until after the new year. Luckily, my incredibly loving wife has agreed to participate. We will iron out all of our details and I'll post more in the next couple months. Current target date is Jan. 1 through Jan. 30.

Work, Work, Work...

It seems like all I do sometimes is work. With money being tight right now, I am working long hours to try and keep Tori and I afloat. I know she is still trying to find a job, but that doesn't mean we can not pay the rent. Its okay tho, because I can honestly say that I love my job(s).

I am still working multiple, although a couple of them can be easily slumped together. News blogging is a never ending cycle, it seems. Just as one story gets finished, another is waiting to be written. That isn't a bad thing, tho. It means that I can continue to pass along the news to my readers, and that always makes me happy. Luckily, I am working a set of beats that is always full of things to write about.

Unfortunately, with blogging comes trolls. I know that every blogger has to deal with them, and thats unfortunate. Sometimes I deserve to be trolled, and I will be the first to admit that. I will write a post with a very one-sided opinion, and that's not always the most popular thing. However, I do think that my opinions are always valid and truthful, and that's all I can hope to be.

It just seems like working in the spheres I do, I attract a large number of trolls. I suppose I deserve it for being an odd use case for most technology. I work on a MacBook Pro that runs both OS X Lion and Windows 7, I use an iPad daily, and I carry an Android phone. I'm like the uber-geek of consumer grade electronics, and that makes me an easy target. I just wish more readers would understand that I can use and love many platforms all while defending each platform's position.

Overall, my work serves its purposes. Sometimes it can be a real grind to sit in front of a computer daily, but that comes with any job I think. On the whole, I can truly say I love getting to work the way I do. My hope is to get to a point where blogging pays well enough for me to leave my "day job". I'm not sure I am cut out to be an office drone. That being said, I will keep going there as long as I need to.

I also know that I am ready for a break from my classes. I have essentially gone non-stop since sometime in March, and its getting a little tiresome. There are only class sessions left for this summer, and then I get a short break. I think I will use that time to pursue some personal projects, and to just be with my wife.

We are eagerly awaiting the return of our roommate, Zac. almost all of our things are out of his room, and I can't wait to have him here. He gives me someone to bounce my ideas off of, someone to have conversations with, and someone to waste time with. Not that I can't do those things with Tori, it's just not the same.