Esoteric Drifter

Money: the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender. [Advanced English Dictionary]

A friend of mine posted on facebook that he hated money. He obviously doesn’t actually hate money, that would be about as useful as hating a door, or a hammer.

Like that hammer, money is just a tool.

I described it as imaginary. In today’s digital information driven world, most money does not actually exist, except as a number on a cloud.

So it shouldn’t be the money we hate, but how we use the money, or let it use us. Wait: can a tool use a person? Does the puppet move the puppet masters hands?

I think it would seem strange to all of us if people started hording hammers in their closets. Kids started taking pictures of someone holding as many hammers in their hand as possible. Rappers started dancing on floors covered in hammers, while wearing tool belts jammed to the brim with hammers. Of course if you substitute the word ‘hammers’ with ‘money’ it’s a little closer to the – reality – we live in.

Our lives are not dictated by money, it is only a tool we use. You don’t ‘need’ money, but because it is so widely used to determine the current worth of services, and goods, people tend to think it is more important than what it represents, or even use it to determine success.

So what happened? When did the pursuit of a tool replace the pursuit of happiness? Maybe it hasn’t happened yet, those famous American words may still be true: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness’ [The Declaration of Independence]

I think it’s important to remember life, liberty, and happiness, have nothing to do with money. They can, and do, exist independently from money.

Visiting my grandparents is like making a Tech Call… I spend an hour fixing their email or computers.

The next hour Im stuffed with various foods while enduring the never ending barage of “you don’t eat enough” and “why don’t you eat more?” of course my behavior towards a free meal doesn’t help my case either.

Shortly after eating everything in front of me, and begining to regret it, I sit back and soak in some good old fashined advice. Everything from finances, to my love life is put on the table for disimination and discourse.

They are the “Greatest Generation”

It goes along the principles of Murphy’s Law that my laptop would die as I start classes. My studies have come to a crawl, and havn’t been able to complete rudimentary tasks.
I just purchased a new netbook from newegg.com at an incredible price of $170, but Im a little concerned.

The model: Asus Eee PC 900A

• Linux ‘Xandros’ OS
• 1.6GHz Intel Atom
• 8.9″ screen
• 1GB RAM

The Problem: Newegg had it posted with a 4GB SSD only. All of the reviews, even the Asus website specs showed this model with 8GB onboard (motherboard) SSD and 12GB installed SSD drive.

I can see Asus removing the extra drive to bring down the price, but how do they remove 4GB from the mobo without reducing the overall hardware?

The worst case scenario: I recieve an Asus 700 in the mail
The best case scenario: Asus doesnt want people to see the profit loss margin of their 900A model (purple color only) and is trying to sneak it by as a down graded model, I still get the best deal.

4GB: Im already planning for the worst case scenario with an arsenal of 2GB SD cards ($5 a piece) to supplement the memory

Purple: The color is what gave me the confidance to buy the system, knowing the 900A was the first model introduced with this color option. Of course I dont want to tote arround a purple PC. Even a man with my self (and sexual) assurance knows what society would consider… unconventional.
Still the color is not to an issue for me, I plan to repaint the netbook’s shell anyway, and add my own logo.

Linux: Yes! It’s about time I step onto the Penguin Train! Let’s face it software has developed to the point where it’s almost useless. Mainstream companies are scaling back significantly on their OS’ Hardware seems to have reached a limitation, or at least stagnated enough for the software companies to take a step back. Both major OS distributors are introducing their newest updates as ‘streamlined’ and ‘efficiant’ this give the Little guys a chance to say: ‘hey we’re already as basic as you can get!’
So Xandros has actually succeded in adding their (Linux) OS to a distribution model PC. Honestly, I don’t plan to use their software, but I sure as hell am not going to pay for a Microsoft liscense! As it is, Im looking at replacing Xandros with either Eeebuntu, which comes in three flavors(standard, Pro, and NetBookRemix) or Umbuntu’s NetbookRemix (UNR).

I guess Im most excited about ussing the underdog software, Linux, and being a part of an elite technocratic community.

I recieved a call today from a blocked number, of course this was interupting my afternoon nap and I was only a little less than annoyed. Of course the ringtone set on my iPhone sounds like a the alarm you would hear inside a nuclear powerplant durring a catastrophic meltdown, there was no way to avoid it.

I rolled over on the couch and grabbed the phone:
Tap.
“David Brown” This is my default answer for unknown calls (or if Im busy)

There is a guy at the other end of the phone who responds “This is Bob from the department of veterans affairs, is Mr. David Brown available?” now Im really annoyed.

There is something warming about the VA, they seem to really care that I sign up for the free medical treatment, and tell them about how my five years in the Navy really messed up my body.

Almost every week there is another representative calling me, presumably to make sure I still have a phone and am not standing on the side of the road with a cardboard sign. Last week they were pushing the five years of free medical care Im entitled to as a VFW. Its always a pleasant conversation, and at the end of it I was promissed another packet of information, as well as a copy of the 1010EZ form that will begin my coverage.

Something always gets lost in translation, and I ended up with the package complete with a 1010EZR form, which does nothing for me. I mentioned this mixup to Bob who offered to send the correct form out to me. I assured him I would be able to find it online, and that there was nothing he could do to further asist me.

Heres the thing, the not so warming, bitter aftertaste: Do I really want free medical care from a government agency that cant send me the correct form in the mail? Im sure sticking the wrong piece of paper in an envelope is an honest mistake, or mabey they were out of the form and just wanted to get out of the office that day, believe me I understand. But do I really want these guys to be messing arround with my health? In a doctors office a misplaced paper could result in me getting my leg amputated, undergoing openheart surgery, or recieving an enema intended for someone else.

Government Healthcare, its a scary thing.

I have recently moved into a new place, a two bedroom, 2.5 bathroom townhouse. The best part is a walk away from the small North Georgia Campus.

I am rooming with two girls, both studing for their masters degrees.