Machine in the corner.

Set up beside those huge machines,
the word processors of yore-
my fingers fly across the keys.
This "typing" is a bore.


Each day, early in the morn,
the bulking mass of metal
lurked forlorn
in the corner.
Passed by through the years of progress,
its worth nearly forgotten,
this Selectric called to me to suggest:
"Come see, how in past days it was done."


With a rattle and a bang resembling
the backfiring of a Model T,
This ancient behemoth, with paper rolled in,
ready to run-
to be frank,
the touch of each key
responded like a gun.


"Welcome to a world without backspace,
without the laziness of delete.
Here, mistakes and errors you do not erase
but thoughts you carefully complete."


My typing slowed for want of ease
but quality of my prose
substantially rose-addiction to instant correction appeased.


That fateful morning-a normal day in June,
a transformation-realization-what it really means
to slam the words onto paper, not merely a screen-
solid, tangible product from which the whole story-
past, present, future-can be gleaned.

Why Don't I Get It??!

It's been two long hours
And these faces laughing for that time and beyond.
Confusion reigns in this poor 
mind of mine-all common sense seemingly nearly gone.
And suddenly, a smash of realization
This joke understood, a product of my careful contemplation.

Another Day.

A loud alarm jolts me from my slumber, 

and as my head hits the floor, I realize

It's back to the daily grind-time to go

slave away at a computer screen, to the chagrin of my burning eyes.

Breakfast's not ready because the missus handed her ring

to another lucky man. Just one more chance!

One bite after the other, I'm living hand to mouth.

Eggs made like those lost years, sunny-side down.

The trek to work full of mystery-

Which train's stopped? Which highway's jammed?

None more restricted than my own tight mind.

Alas-the $50 for gas too high for

my meager paycheck to handle. 

Ten minutes added to my walk to work,

through the torrential Seattle downpour.

"You're late again! What do you think you are?"

The boss expresses his concern once again.
"A human worker, sir. This and nothing more."
"Well you can take that attitude and grin

and shove it."

Now worthless, the journey back home

adds to the bitterness in this brain

just an energy drain

on the whole world I've played.

Back in my apartment my bottle keeps me company

But at the end of it all, we are born and dead alone.

Cruel existence, the hole in my conscience like the

crack in the roof-

Soon shot through by both barrels of a shotgun. 

Back from Germany.

Hi all,
Just wanted to let you know that I am back from the Germany exchange trip that I was on for the last 2 weeks or so. Once I get over the proverbial Jet Lag, I'll post about the wonderful stuff I acquired there.
Vikram

Kodak playsport Zx5 camcorder.

I just got this camcorder for my birthday, and it's awesome. Compared to my [relatively] ancient Flip Video Ultra HD from two years ago, this one is simply amazing.
Capable of 1080p HD recording and 720p HD at 60 frames/sec, this one has got it all. Included is waterproofing, shockproofing, and dustproofing, meaning I can take this thing anywhere without worrying about it breaking. Considering that one of the first videos I took with my Flip (720p only) was during a rainy marching band competition, I think these features will come in handy sooner or later, especially since I'm bringing this one to Germany in a few days.

Here's a non-comprehensive list of the basic features of this camera.

-four effects: high saturation, 70s film, B&W, sepia
-waterproof 3m
-shockproof 1.5m
-dustproof
-compatible with class 10 SDHC cards up to 32 GB (I've got a 16 gig card)
-in-camera trimming feature
-glare shield automatically activated
-image stabilization
-takes 5.3mp stills

(NONE of these features are included with the Flip. Two years of improvements show.)

Enough talk.
PICTURES:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.238615009501885.78481.100000601637808&l=d6bf369d6d


VIDEOS:
Typewriter Day 2011
BoeBot line following

Graph Paper Notebooks.

Hi loyal readers, thank you for returning to my blog!

As a comeback post, I thought I'd write about something I've recently acquired-a nice new Rhodia reversebook from Blick. The paper's so smooth and perfect! Since it's a graph paper notebook, I figured that I might as well write a little about all my graph paper notebooks.

I saved the best for first.

RHODIA reversebook

What can I say that hasn't already been said? First off, this paper beats Moleskine up and shoves it into a trash can. Rhodia's 80g grid-lined paper is out of this world in smoothness and quality (and price, but that's beside the point, since this is the notebook equivalent of buying a blood red Ferrari 360 spider). The square design means that it can be used with the spiral at the top or on the side-whichever way you feel like at the moment. I've been waiting for a notebook worthy of my Staedtler Mars Lumograph pencils, and I think I found it!

Office Depot dual-sized graph notebook

I found this one laying around in my math classroom for about 5 months, and decided on the last day to take it...what a bizarre notebook! Firstly, it's a wireless notebook-(no internet though)-and it's got 2 different sized grids on each sheet-4 squares / inch on the front and 5 on the back! Interesting. You can see this in the pic.

Mead Quad/College Ruled Composition book

Got this one from school for use in engineering class, but I just saved it and used my old one, which I'll write about next. I thought this was an interesting idea-have a diagram or picture in the grid section and notes on said diagram on the lines below. Haven't found a practical use for it yet, so on my shelf it sits. Maybe I can use it for designing parts or stuff like that, or writing what's on the whiteboard on the top and lecture notes on the bottom. Opportunities abound.

Office Depot graph composition book

We received these notebooks on the first day of Intro to Engineering/Design, and it's got some of the designs I came up with then, for projects and the like. I've also written some notes about what we learned and included some programs we wrote in Computer Integrated Manufacturing, which I took last year. I've only used about 1/2 the pages, though...maybe I'll use it next year in Digital Electronics!

Moleskine cahiers and Piccadilly Small Notebook graph

I got both of these at different times from Border's, before the location near my house closed. They caught my eye not only because they have a yellow insert (**side note: that's my favorite color) but because they're so small and full of utility value. I can take them anywhere in my pocket, and write down notes and draw things.

(Duh, that's what notebooks are for, Vikram.) When I finish up the blank Piccadilly small notebook I'm currently using, one of these will see some action.

AWESOME CONCLUSION:

So, there's my superfab comeback post. Stay tuned, I've got a bunch of topics in mind for future posts!
(ideas for future posts:)

Hiatus.

Hi readers,
Things have been getting really busy around here, with junior year finally coming to an end. AP tests are, thankfully, over, but I still have a film research paper to write that's due in a week and another test also coming up on the 19th and 20th.
So, I am making it official:
No more posts can be expected here until about June 15, when school lets out.
Then, a barrage of posts will follow. I promise. :)