A Shakespearean Sonnet to Facebook

Farewell my dearest friend and crutch Facebook,
I spent too much time browsing your web page.
No longer at your news feeds will I look.
So long tags of me not acting my age.

The way I stalked girls I don’t know was sly.
Every tagged photo album I would scan,
I come across her picture with some guy,
How could she betray me with that lame man?

We had some good times and some bad times too.
From the beginning a long way you came
but with updates apart we simply grew,
we’re at a crossroads and we’re not the same

On your news feed you may post this my friend,
that our relationship is at an end.



So I'm no longer on Facebook. The initial idea was to stop wasting time stalking and start being more productive, but it turns out now I have much more time to write sonnets and to follow Twitter.
http://twitter.com/kevinsroberts

THANKS

A Move Foward

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090403/NEWS/90403010/1001

"As Iowa goes, so goes the Nation!"

A Test of Grit

Kid Rock wrote a song and made a music video for the Army National Guard, "Warrior." It reminds me a lot of something from "Team American World Police." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0OQXI8lvqY If you can make it through the full Kid Rock video without saying "what the F!?" then you win. There are plenty of WTF moments, for instance any one of the NASCAR racing scenes, any time Kid Rock goes into the chorus, or when you hear lyrics like "freedom ain't so free when you breath red white and blue, I'm giving all of myself how about you?"
Though in then end I must say it is pretty inspiring. I'll be shipping out in June.
THANKS
Here's the link to Kid Rock, "Warrior"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57Njivd_emQ

A Thing to Follow

In 2008 the Supreme Court ruled that alien detainees being held in Guantanamo Bay had the right to challenge their detention.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/washington/13scotus.html?scp=1&sq=Boumediene%20v%20bush&st=cse
In the dissenting opinion, Justice Scalia wrote that "The Nation will live to regret what the Court has done today," and that the decision would "almost certainly cause more Americans to be killed." He backed his hysteria by referencing news paper articles, a move which is quite rare in the Supreme Court.
Well, today a Federal Court held that detainees in an Afghanistan air base have the same right.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/02/AR2009040201796.html?hpid=topnews

The 2008 decision focused on, among other things, the United State's "jurisdictional sovereignty" over Guantanamo Bay. Today the Federal Court stated that the situation in Afghanistan is analogous to that in Gitmo. I suspect an interesting Supreme Court decision. Hopefully we're not all dead by then.
THANKS

A Scam

Something is foul in the state of Iowa. Specifically the city of Cedar Falls. I love the town. I was raised there, but let me tell you, City Hall is pulling the wool over us all. Current Mayor John Crews announced that he intends to run for his 13th term this fall. Here's my problem: no body votes and that's the way the system likes it. We all know that voter turn out is low in this country. It gets even lower during a mid term election. It reaches its all time low at a mid-mid term election. In 2010 some of you may go out and vote for a Representitive but no one is going to vote in 2009. You're still all thinking, "didn't we just have an election?" So Crews will walk away with another election by getting a dozen or two senior citizens to vote for him while rest of us stay at home and watch re-runs of "Chuck."
In 2007, Crews won the election, uncontested, with 93% of the total vote (7% going to write-ins). He recieved 2,651 votes, roughly 13% of the total populatoin of Cedar Falls. Apparently "Chuck" was so good that season, not only did no one vote, no one cared to run agasint the guy.
Fight the power.
THANKS

A List of Bests

The Best Show on WFMU:
http://www.friendsoftom.com/
You can download the podcasts on Thursdays on iTunes or listen to live streaming audio on Tuesdays from 7-10 at http://wfmu.org/. It really is a great radio show but I know what you're thinking, "I don't have 3 hours to spend listening to the radio!" Come here, listen to me, once you start you will not want to stop. It takes a while to get into it and to catch on to the inside jokes and recurring guests but once you do it will knock your socks off. You will start to make time to listen to the show and when it's done you'll want more. Personally, I download the podcasts to my iPod and go on bike rides just so I can listen and when I get home I have to plug it in to my stereo and finish. Check it out.
If you want a shortened version you can download the Best Show Gems Podcast. It's a 10 minute recap of the show and might give you a taste of what it's like.

Best Accidental Quote of the Day:
"JAG Off...icers were involved... JAG of...ten get a bad rap..."
- Prof. Schantz
When discussing Judge Advocate Generals, Professor Shantz's may not have put that dramatic of a pause between the "off's" and the rest of the word but to me it seemed like an eternity. This Beavis and Butthead clip helps shed some light on the situation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtIT0DwIIHs

Best Week of the Semester:
Towards the end of February I became horribly ill. I went to bed each night at 7 p.m. and got more than 12 hours of sleep a night. That was my best week this semester.

Best Movie Clip that I have not Seen:
Apparently there is a scene in John Travolta/Christian Slater movie where Howie Long rips the doors off of a Hummer. He does this, of course, to make the Hummer go faster. I have never seen this clip but I can only imagine how awesome it is. If anyone can find a link to that specific clip be kind and share.

Best Album I have not Fully Listened to:
"Ram" by Sir Paul McCartney. So far I've only listened to a couple tracks but I am ready to crown this a great album.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlpREBxy1s4&feature=PlayList&p=0BC99BBDBFDEB8FE&index=1

Best Opening Credits Scene:
"The Graduate." Simon and Garfunkel bring it home.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxWkCHt8owc

Best Flavor:
The white shark from the "Shark Bites" fruit snacks. I don't know what it is supposed to be, but I would be completely satisfied if that were the only flavor I could experience for the rest of my life.

Best Profession:
Artsy Photographer. I have a confession to make. I'm jealous of anyone who can call themselves a photographer and make money from it. The other day I was listening to guest lecturer on campus. There were a lot of people taking pictures of the speaker but I noticed one guy pointing his camera at the ceiling. I'm not exactly sure, but it looked as if he was aiming his lens at a heating duct. I can guarantee this picture was cool. How do they do it? How do they take pictures of absolutely normal things and make them look so awesome?


Black and white photos.
Twenty-two college credits,
You are an artist.

That's a Haiku.

Best Form of Communication:
Haiku.

THANKS

UPDATE!

Best Album Cover:
So sick... So much hair... Kris Kristofferson Barbra Streisand, "A Star is Born". When I meet that special someone we will remake this photo for our wedding announcement. Any takers?

A Creepy Similarity

My father pointed out this strange similarity between my cat, Mo, and an owl. Like Sam Neill from Jurassic Park, I too have a theory of animal evolution. Cats evolved from owls. Or the other way around, it doesn't really matter. Think about it. They both meander around at night and they both eat mice. According to this theory snakes may too be a distant relative. More to come. Keep your eyes on the skies.
THANKS

Over millions of years some animals loose their feathers and wings and replace them with fur and, let's say, whiskers. BAM! SCIENCE!

March 28th, 2009

"Dylan grew up in Hibbing, MN, we’re told here, and while this wasn’t the kind of place that would likely breed major cultural figures, it was still no doubt the sort of locale that might force a restless soul to venture off for someplace better. In Dylan’s case, that “someplace better” was New York City. Dylan describes Hibbing as an unbearably cold and dull region. It was so chilly, in fact, that Dylan believed its weather helped keep the crime rate down. He humorously comments that it was just too cold to commit crime. Instead, this place’s hard existence revolved around just surviving its harsh elements. Survivor minds, not criminal minds, prevailed."
Dan Macintosh on Bob Dylan

A Drake Equation for Lovers

The Drake Equation is used to estimate the possible number of planets in the Milky Way Galaxy with civilized life forms on them. Here is a cool video of Carl Sagan doing a great job explaining it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ztl8CG3Sys
Basically, the equation starts with the total number of stars in the Galaxy. From there you determine which ones have planets, and narrow down which planets are capable of sustaining life. You eliminate prospective planets by multiplying the total number of remaining planets by the fraction of planets that meet specific requirements for sustaining life.
For example, say there are 100 stars in a galaxy. 1/2 of the stars have planets (50 stars left). 1/2 of those planets are the proper distance from their sun in order to sustain life (25 stars). About 1/2 of those planets have the right mixture of elements in their atmosphere (about 12 stars). Only 1/2 of those planets have developed life capable of communication (6 planets). And so on and so on. I by no means understand what it takes to develop life on a planet but I think I have a basic grip on the equation. You start with a large number, apply specific criteria, narrowing the number down over and over again.
The other night I applied the Drake Equation to a more pertinent question: How many possible "loves" are there out there for one person?
You can substitute a variety of words for "loves": "soul mates," "suitors," "partners," etc...
What I did was start with the population of Iowa - Roughly 3,000,000
About 1/2 of those people are women - 1,500,000
I estimate that about 7% (about 1/14) of those women are in the age range of 20-27 - 105,000
About 1/2 have or will have a college degree - 52,500
I'll estimate that 1/4 of those women are single - 13,125
I'm attracted to 1/3 of those women - 4,375
I find 1/3 of those women's personalities pleasant- 1,458
I share common interests with 1/2 of those women - 729
Without going into any other factors yet we've estimated that about .02% of the population is suitable as a possible girlfriend. (more than 7 girls per county)
Now...
Let's say that 1/3 of our remaining population doesn’t mind looking at me too much - 243
1/3 find my personality interesting - 81
We now have estimated that I am compatible with about .002% of the population.
If you believe that we each have just one soul mate then the odds are even more daunting.
We're looking at 1/6,700,000,000 - Not quite bailout numbers but still pretty high.
It's amazing that people beat these odds everyday and fall in love.
THANKS

An Open Letter

Dear Car Full of Dudes who yell out "Faggot" while driving by on Riverside,
I'm not sure what compels you to yell at a complete stranger. As I innocently walk back from the library I simply let my mind wander. I harbor no feelings of hostility towards anyone. In fact, I consider myself a peaceful person. When you drive by and yell at me, I am not personally offended, but I am troubled for the rest of the walk home. It bothers me that there are people like you, Car Full of Dudes, in the world. It bothers me that you get some kind of entertainment from shouting insults at random strangers on the sidewalks. My friends, there is a time and place for that: sporting events.
I don't have much else to say, Car Full of Dudes, but I would like to you think about this: While you yell out "Faggot", consider which activity is more latently homosexual, a lonely man walking down the sidewalk reflecting on his past decisions, or a compact car full of dudes piercingly shouting out cat calls to a moderately attractive male passerby?
THANKS