seon augustine

Update: The Charts TED Doesn’t Want to Share

In response: ‘TED and inequality: The real story’

It’s almost noon. I’m thinking about what happened to me this morning on the freeway. It was strange and surreal. I was on my way to a job interview and had plenty of time, so I wasn’t in a rush. Traffic was moderate – not bad at all. Merging onto freeways can sometimes be a pain.

This morning’s freeway transition was something to remember. It wasn’t smooth but it wasn’t something to complain about. I’ve had worst times changing freeways. This time, as soon as I made my way onto a different freeway, I noticed that the lane was about to end and merge with the next. Your everyday, normal caravan of cars was preventing me from getting over and no one was giving me space to move over so I had to squeeze my way in as the lane ended. The car in front of me seemed to be driving very slow. It began to swerve a little and slow down to a complete stop. Luckily all the cars were driving slow to begin with or there could have been a fender-bender pile up.

The man who stopped in front of me gets out of the car and makes his way towards my car. I’m thinking he must need help so I roll down my window about half way. As the man gets to my window, he takes a swing at me while saying, “Fuck you!” Then he walks back to his car and drives away.

His hand barely grazed my cheek. I was confused. I remember saying, “What’s wrong,” but that’s it. I guess I was in shock because I just sat there for a few seconds before driving on. He didn’t say anything but those two words. I guess it was enough. I was thinking, “Did he confuse me with someone else?” “Did I scare him somehow?” I guess he was just a grouchy old man with anger management issues.

I just hope I get that job.

I’ve grown quite fond of these playlists by Justin Robinson (the following is the latest). I discovered Justin’s playlists by following Sean Bonner. Thank you, Justin. Keep them comin’.

The Kids Of The Black Hole

1. The Deadbeats- Kill The Hippies
2. Pagans- Dead End America
3. The Flesh Eaters- Radio Dies Screaming
4. The Controllers- Do The Uganda
5. The Weirdos- Destroy All Music
6. Crime- Piss On Your Dog
7. Randoms- Let’s Get Rid of New York
8. Suburban Lawns- My Boyfriend
9. The Lurkers- Love Story
10. The Skids- Charade
11. Crisis- White Youth
12. Killing Joke- Turn To Red
13. The Fall- Fiery Jack
14. Wire- A Question of Degree
15. Alternative TV- Love Lies Limp
16. Girls At Our Best- Warm Girls
17. The Sound- Heyday
18. Gang Of Four- Love Like Anthrax
19. Wipers- Up In Flames
20. Urinals- Go Away Girl
21. The Dils- Sound of the Rain
22. Testors- Together
23. Nervebreakers- My Girlfriend Is A Rock
24. The Zeros- They Say That (Everything’s Alright)
25. The Avengers- Open Your Eyes
26. The Simpletones- I Like Drugs
27. Angry Samoans- I’m A Pig
28. The Misfits- Rat Fink
29. T.S.O.L.- Die For Me
30. Adolescents- The Kids of the Black Hole

Here: http://www.divshare.com/download/17624791-193

I came across some great writing tips while going through posts in Google Reader. Both sets are from Brain Pickings – a site you should be following.

The first comes from Henry Miller. These are his commandments:

• Work on one thing at a time until finished.
• Start no more new books, add no more new material to ‘Black Spring.’
• Don’t be nervous. Work calmly, joyously, recklessly on whatever is in hand.
• Work according to Program and not according to mood. Stop at the appointed time!
• When you can’t create you can work.
• Cement a little every day, rather than add new fertilizers.
• Keep human! See people, go places, drink if you feel like it.
• Don’t be a draught-horse! Work with pleasure only.
• Discard the Program when you feel like it—but go back to it next day. Concentrate. Narrow down. Exclude.
• Forget the books you want to write. Think only of the book you are writing.
• Write first and always. Painting, music, friends, cinema, all these come afterwards.

These six tips are from John Steinbeck:

• Abandon the idea that you are ever going to finish. Lose track of the 400 pages and write just one page for each day, it helps. Then when it gets finished, you are always surprised.
• Write freely and as rapidly as possible and throw the whole thing on paper. Never correct or rewrite until the whole thing is down. Rewrite in process is usually found to be an excuse for not going on. It also interferes with flow and rhythm which can only come from a kind of unconscious association with the material.
• Forget your generalized audience. In the first place, the nameless, faceless audience will scare you to death and in the second place, unlike the theater, it doesn’t exist. In writing, your audience is one single reader. I have found that sometimes it helps to pick out one person—a real person you know, or an imagined person and write to that one.
• If a scene or a section gets the better of you and you still think you want it—bypass it and go on. When you have finished the whole you can come back to it and then you may find that the reason it gave trouble is because it didn’t belong there.
• Beware of a scene that becomes too dear to you, dearer than the rest. It will usually be found that it is out of drawing.
• If you are using dialogue—say it aloud as you write it. Only then will it have the sound of speech.

Writing can be a pain in the ass. You may know what I mean. If you’ve read ‘The War of Art,’ you definitely know what I mean. Writing ain’t easy.

English was my best subject in school. My papers would usually receive excellent marks. So I know I’m not the worst writer. I don’t plan on being the best, but I know I have something to say. It’s the reason I started this blog: so writing words (typing, but let’s not get technical) would be a daily thing. I know I need the exercise.

I recognize the moments where I want to express myself by writing. I am better at writing. I have being an introvert to thank for that. But I find ways to distract myself. Or I let something distract me. Or I convince myself that my ideas or thoughts are not worth sharing. “Someone has written it already, and better,” that’s what I tell myself. This post sounded much more inspiring and forth-right in my head. It doesn’t matter. The point is I forced myself to sit my ass down in front of the laptop and type these feeble words. I’m realizing writing something is better than nothing. And that’s what I need to do – write something, anything; everyday. I’m trying.

I want to write more. And doing this is what it takes. If you read this, I’m sorry. It should get better. Dammit, it will get better!

Only four hours of sleep and I’m awake at 3am. I failed at my attempt of going back asleep. So I decided to jump on the comp and get tedious with Google Documents. Because that’s what you do on a Sunday morning full of rain drops and gloom. But I also decided to throw in some WTF with Marc Maron. I’m trying to catch up with the podcasts. The episode with Jimmy Kimmel inspired me to share the following videos:

Jimmy Kimmel on Jay Leno’s 10 at 10
Marc Maron on Jimmy Kimmel Live PART 1
Marc Maron on Jimmy Kimmel Live PART 2

Well, the sun is finally out and it seems less gloomy. Think I’ll download some music. Maybe listening to a new mix will inspire me to finish the tediousness I’m currently avoiding.

I attended the first TEDxUCR. It was December 3, 2011. I’ve been meaning to post about it, but my attempt to write regularly hasn’t been as forthcoming as I had hope (I’ll write about that another day). TEDxUCR was my first TED related event. The experience was memorable and mentally conducive.

For those who don’t know, TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. “TED is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading.” Taking the time to watch TED or TEDx talks is highly recommended. The talks are limited to around 20 minutes, usually less (not so bad, right?).

When I discovered there was going to be a TEDx event at UCR, I purchased my ticket immediately. I’ve seen a few TED and TEDx talks online, but it’s definitely much better in person. It’s fascinating and inspirational. The presentations take your mind beyond your normal thinking. They exude a variety of concepts and feelings that resonate long after the talks end. It’s definitely educational, but also entertaining. I commend all the speakers and organizers. Their efforts are exemplary. We should all experience TED talks regularly, so make the effort. It’s good for your mind and humanity.

Some of the talks from TEDxUCR are available on YouTube (not sure why all are not): Dr. Robert V. Levine, Dr. Lawrence D. Rosenblum, Dr. Brian Keeley, Dr. Eric Schwitzgebel, Dr. Paul Eric Lyons, Julie Simon, Dr. Phillip Christopher, and Gene Sherman.

There are only choices and perception. You may argue otherwise, but it does not matter. This will be perceived the way you choose.

For me, it began without a kiss. My perception had deprived me at a young age. I often look back and think, “what if?”

It does not matter. I am who I am today, not yesterday nor tomorrow. I will continue to choose according to my perceptions.

It does not matter how it began.