Procrastination

Procrastination is something that everyone has to deal with at some time or another. Unfortunately for me, I have had some cases where it ends up hurting me very badly. Everyone knows what it feels like. Sure I could start that paper today, but its nice out and I have another 3 weeks anyway. Then you find yourself sitting in front of your computer at 1 in the morning, pulling your hair out trying to get this thing finished. And because of this you don't write as well, make sloppy mistakes, and suffer on your grade. It is the same in the real world as well. Putting together presentations for work at the last possible moment, not having enough time to thoroughly practice, and looking like an idiot in front of your customers.




So why do we do it? The answer is I have no idea. Most people are too lazy, or they convince themselves they will be fine. And as I can attest to, it never works out that way. Sitting down to write the paper, we get distracted by Facebook, music, your phone. Anything to have an excuse to stop writing to do something more interesting. So how do you deal with procrastination. You need to get focused and start projects early, and keep up with them. Which is what we all strive to do, but in actuality it is easier said then done for people like myself.

SO will it ever change. I think everyone has a turning point at which they stop procrastinating and grow up. For me it is probably the last week as I find out the hard way the consequences for procrastination.

Skiing- An Addiction?

Ahh, skiing. It is my favorite thing to do in the whole world. The feeling of landing a new trick, or slashing through some waist deep powder is a high unmatched by any drug. Skiing is literally the most fun you can have with your clothes on- and a close second for the most fun thing without any clothes.

Teddy Berr massive 50 meter Front Flip at Nine Knights from headbud on Vimeo.

JOSS 2010 - TEAM NEW SCHOOLERS from Jon Olsson Video Blog on Vimeo.

So is it an addiction. The answer for numerous skiers is hell yes. I quite literally spend most of my free time and money during the winter around skiing. Take for instance the phrase ski bum. It is exactly what it sounds like. Every year thousands of these bums migrate to mountain towns, sleeping on couches, in cars, or even camping out in the woods next to the resort. They work all summer to feed their addiction, and blow all non-essential money in their quest for another great day on the slopes. While maybe not a physical dependency, and core skier will tell you that the urge to ski, is so great that most go crazy in the fall as winter approaches. Scouring weather reports, checking webcams, surfing the internet for updates on the season, watching ski movies over and over until the disc is burnt. And my personal favorite, waxing and tuning their skis over and over to ensure a perfect ski on opening day.



So in conclusion, skiing is an addiction. Much like surfing and snowboarding, the devout wait impatiently for the few months of bitter cold, sunny days, and deep powder that attracts so many to the slopes. After all, what other sport has so many spending all of their money, camping out, and dropping out of society to pursue it.

Skiing is an addiction-and I love being an addict

Voting- The lesser of two evils.

Here in America politics is dominated primarily by the big political parties, Democrats and Republicans. This is due to a few factors, but it makes choosing your candidate extremely hard. As you look between the two candidates, you find that while there are some positions you find yourself in agreement with, there are also some that you do not like.




Take for instance the issue of the environment. If you are a supporter of a cleaner and greener Earth, then the obvious choice would be the Green Party. And this would be fine, if not for the Democratic party taking a similar stance to gobble up the voters of the Green Party. The same goes for the Republicans. Started out as a party based on a free economy, they have become the religious right. Turning once Democrat voters of the south and converting them due to the appeal to their religion during the early 80's. And this has become one of the major issues for the party. When you see a Republican campaigning now, its less based on the founding principles of the party, but rather an appeal to the morals of the religious right.



Rather than having a party specifically for the the environmentalists and religious, the two major parties have incorporated their ideals into their political agenda, thus gaining voters. And this has limited independent parties to horrible outcomes with voting and political positions. UNlike in other countries where as many as 8 major political parties exist, America is limited to 2. And this is why you have to choose the lesser of two evils.

Mac vs. PC

Ahh, the age old debate of Mac vs PC. It has recently been invigorated y the lunch of Apples new Macbook Pro series. As a long time PC user, I had never owned a Mac. Being that I was going into college I was in need of a laptop. Being a hardcore environmental junkie like I am, I looked for one with a great battery life, eco-conscious build, as well as being an amazing machine to compute High-Def video of skiing. So my search began. Having worked for Best Buy for 3 years, I new what was good and what wasn't. Then the new Macbook Pro came out. Immediately I was impressed and I bought one. Now being a Mac owner all I can say is I will never, ever go back unless required to for work. The easiest way to describe the Mac is like a 7 series BMW. Yes, it costs more. But what you get is something that just works. It never freezes, can't get viruses, has features that are actually useful like auto-dimming screen, keys that light up according the amount of ambient light, as well as having the ability to move between pages with the flick of your fingers. Then you get to the hardware. The graphics on the LED screen are unlike anything I have ever seen in its price range, the battery lasts for 10 hours stock, the power to compute allows me to covert raw HD video in little time. Built in web and video cams allow for easy video-chatting. And the best part is the Operating System allows for it all to sync up and work in co junction. No software to download, settings to change. It just works. The last and final piece is the actual look and feel. When you buy a laptop this expensive, you expect it to look good. And it does with its single piece of aluminum for the body, rather than plastic and weird colors. So in the end I have become a Mac user in the last few months, and as stated earlier, will never go back.

Does Money Buy Happiness?

This is a question to which everyone always answers no. And this is true for the most part. Deep down we can all be happy without any material things or wealth. But here in America as well as around the rest of the planet, money does buy some happiness. Well how does money buy happiness? Its pretty simple. It pays for the things that we want, and the things that we need. There aren't many homeless people skipping down the street, at least not that I have seen. With money we can afford to eat, have good clothes, have AC and heat, and provide the general things that most people need to survive.Numerous studies have shown that the higher in the pay scale you go, generally the happier people are. Now this may sound callous, maybe even snobbish, but unfortunately, more times than not, your level of wealth has a correlation with your happiness in life. Now this is not to say that if your poor, you can never be happy. To achieve true happiness you need love, friends, and family. But it helps when your not stressed about paying bills, driving a nice car, and eating good healthy food.

In the past week, there has been a major oil leak in the gulf of Mexico. The leak, sparked by an explosion which killed 13 on the Deep Ocean Rig Horizon, has now grown and has dumped over 500,000 gallons of crude oil into the ocean. The oil, which is now reaching the shorelines of Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, and Texas, has grown into a 600 square mile track of black sludge. And it only plans to get worse. Unlike a massive oil tanker, the is a leak and not a spill. This means that until they either plug the hole, drill a relief well, or run out of oil, the crude will continue to escape into the Gulf at a dizzying rate. This is now what most people would consider a nightmare on the Gulf coast. Cities along the Gulf make their money from two things. Tourism and Fishing. This will completely desecrate the fish populations, rendering Gulf caught fish to be uneatable for years to come. And what tourist is going to want t go to an oil covered beach? It is also an absolute disaster for the ecosystem. Birds, fish and plants will be killed by the millions due to this spill. Louisiana will be hit the hardest, with most of its wetlands be killed by this disaster. The wetlands are home to billions of animals and plants, as well as a crucial part of the protection of cities like New Orleans when hurricanes hit. Even the areas that aren't destroyed will be rendered unusable for years to come. Whenever there is a strong tide or storm, the oil will seep out from crevasses and pollute the water for numerous more years. Was this a preventable accident? That is to find out. But what we do know is that somehow something screwed up and now it is going to effect the Gulf and its economy, ecology, and society for years.

Turbo-Diesel- Hybrid Killer?

We all know the cars. A Toyota Prius comes rolling down the road, silent as it is running on its battery, the owner happily getting 48 mpg. Hybrids represent a gigantic (overdue) leap forward in car technology. Highly efficient, great for city driving, and an all around good car. There are a few problems facing hybrid. they need a new battery every 125,000 miles, which costs around $4500 at present day prices. The harming of the Nickel-Hydraide is more harmful to the environment than the carbon emissions saved. But the main problem is with highway driving. When driving above 30 mph he electric motor turns off and it goes into normal petrol mode. While still efficient, it loses out on its overall mpg here.

Inset the clean diesel. Already a staple in Europe, where the fuel of choice is diesel, it is finally catching on here in America. Take the Volkwswagen Jetta TDI. Using a 1.6 litre turbo-diesel motor, the car get an astonishing 38 mpg city, and 50 highway. The average American commuter spends most of their time at highway speeds. Thus making it a more fuel efficient vehicle.




Then comes the prospect of driving. With 148hp and 250 ft lb. of torque, it is by no means a slouch. Whereas most hybrids accelerate at the speed of hair growth, the TDI accelerates as fast if not faster than the average car. And diesel in America is still in its infancy. The Audi A1 in Europe, when powered by the TDI motor, gets an astounding 68 mpg combined.


(The Audi R8 Concept-powered by a 600hp diesel- that gets 30 mpg)



There are however some problems with diesels. They still depend on oil, which is a limited resource, as well as having a higher cost here in America due to the lack of diversity in the diesel market. Besides that they are the same as a normal car, with no major motor work to be done for at least 200,000 miles.

In the future, expect to see diesel-electric hybrids, such as the new UP!. A company owned by Mercedes, it seats two, is powered by a deisel-hybrid, and gets 135 mpg!

The future is bright for Turbo Diesel Cars.

Technology-Friend or Foe?

When most people think of technology today, we think of the computer, cell phones, high-def TV's, and the likes. These are great examples of how far humans have come from the the wheel and arrowhead. However, numerous people have a hat for technology. Some of their points are valid. Time wasting, irrelevant, mind numbing, these are all arguments against technology. And generally they are directed at the entertainment aspect of these devices.

What people generally forget to think about is the main reason why that piece of technology is there. Sure, my laptop is great for surfing Facebook, watching stupid videos, and downloading music. But it serves a greater purpose than that. It is a toll first and foremost. Be it for school work, or editing film, its main purpose is to make my life easier. And thats what technology is all about. Making your life easier.



People may not think of it, but the pulley, wheel, and even spear are all tools designed to make your task at hand easier. Cell phones originally were intended just to talk without having a hardline. And that still is the main use. Sure you can surf the internet, take pictures, and play games. But when you look at it, it still is used the most as a communication device, be it e-mail, text, IM, or even an old fashioned phone call.




So I believe that technology is a friend. Sure it can distract you and consume, but only if you let it. After all, every piece of technology is a tool, its how you use the tool that determines how you perceive it.

Socialist College?

In society today, most of the higher paying jobs that are not vocational, usually require some type of higher level education. And to remain competitive, the more prestigious the university, the better. This also has an adverse affect, as the more prestigious, the more the cost of tuition. This is a problem effecting thousands of college bound students and their family daily. For instance, wile looking at schools to transfer to, the tuition ranges enormously. Take for instance George Washington University. They have an annual tuition of $40k a year. This is on top of trying to live in DC, where a normal lunch goes for triple the going rate in York. This is something that I have to consider seeing that my parents will only pay for so much with a sister in college and a little brother planning to attend in 2 years.




This is not how this scene plays out in countries such as Germany and Japan. As you continue on through your high school years, your grades, GPA, and interviews, determine which college you would go to if you plan on attending. Be it a traditional college, or a vocational school, all public universities are absolutely free for the student. And their Universities have consistently ranked academically with the best in the world(Stanford, Dartmouth, Oxford, etc.)

Now you don't have to go to a public school, there are private institutions in Germany, these however are for the students who didn't perform well enough to get into their desired state college. Opponents against a free education have some valid points. Ranging from the increase in taxes, to not having as high a level of education. The argument against lower academics is invalid, as we can see that free colleges worldwide perform at the level or above that of the best private institutions. There is no hiding that taxes would be higher, but with the amount spent on college loans and subsidies by the Federal and State governments, the amount wouldn't be astronomical. And the benefits would far outweigh the costs. I would allow the families and students to have more money, thus spending more and stimulating the economy. It would also ensure that everyone would have a chance to become educated, making the United States a key player in innovation, thus steering us away from the world view that we are a nation of idiots.

In conclusion, while I am adamant about this idea, I do realize that it is a long shot from ever happening. We are a country that values prestige and status, thus making the idea of everyone being equal and having an equal chance seem a little to socialist for most Americans. Maybe a compromise of more government subsidies for college students would help? But as stated earlier, most politicians claim education reform, and that usually turns into a false promise.

Mass Transit?

The topic of my blog today is going to be something that plagues cities across, the world, no its not overcrowding, the poor, or even crime. The problem I plan to address is transportation, with specific regard to mass transit. It is a scene we have come to expect when traveling to lager cities. Horns honking, traffic lined up for miles, road rage, and just general chaos. An its not even limited to major metropolitan areas. Even York is plagued by congestion on its major thoroughfares. When you take a look at what cities around the planet have low traffic, most are centered around Europe. European society values cities much more compared to America, so it would be expected that they have figured out some of the issues.
There are two main reasons for the less congestion. They drive much smaller cars, and they use alternative methods of travel. In countries like Germany, over 80% of the nation uses public transport on a daily basis. This is possible due to the extensive train, bus, and subway services available to the public, as well as the efficiency of their systems. It is often joked that you could set your watch to the German train system.



So what would we have to do to match the urban centers of Europe. Some cities in the United States already have efficient and well used mass transit systems. Portland, Oregon for example is leading the stride for better mass transit. The problem with the system right now is the lack of synchronization. You can get around fine in the city, but if your a commuter, or live in a different city, you usually have to take 3 different types of travel, with long overlaps in between. If we invested in a larger, more cohesive, faster, and better looking(lets not lie here, most old city buses and trains look horrendous), we would have less congestion. And we all know that when there is less congestion, people are happier.
So in conclusion I leave it up to you. Would you rather be sitting in traffic in the middle of summer with thousands of others, or be enjoying a smooth ride on a new, fast and efficient train?

First Test Run Post

Well this is the first in a series of posts for Logic at Hacc-

If not completly obvious- I love to ski.

Winching With Shredtown from Slingshot Sports Wake on Vimeo.