Nikkei Asian Review is reporting Apple is moving to a new 3-year design cycle for the iPhone:
The new version slated for this autumn will look almost identical to the current iPhone 6. Functions such as the camera, water resistance and battery capacity will likely be improved, and the headphone jack will be removed. Also, a high-end version of the model will give users better-quality photo capabilities via correction functions.
This makes sense considering the leaks this far.
Working the last 24 of my 48 hours today. This will have marked my 2nd 48-hour stint in 1 week. I will be most definitely looing forward to going home and relaxing. It’s really not too bad. But I wouldn’t want to make it a routine habit.
Yesterday, Lindsey and the little guys traveled up to North GA and eventually Tennessee to spend the weekend. I was worried initially that her driving late last night would be a bad idea. But she got there safe and all is well. Thank God.
Many of you have asked why I don’t include more details of my job as a Firefighter on the site. There are a couple reasons but most prevalent: my department has a very strict social media policy where they really don’t want you posting anything. I am still unsure if this qualifies as social media, so I just play it safe and type in broad strokes. So it’s not that I don’t want to, I just officially can’t.
Hopefully, today goes smooth and tomorrow restful. Miss the little guys, miss Lindsey, but they will be home soon enough.
There has been a lot talk about the new Star Wars and how many people consider it a remake of A New Hope. This video intellectually clears up some common misunderstandings. Enjoy..
Through the night, three cars carry a small group of men around in the rural surroundings of the Anatolian town Keskin, in search of a buried body. The group involves police officers, a doctor, a prosecutor, two grave diggers, army forces, and two brothers, both homicide suspects. The darkness and the seemingly visual indistinctness of the barren landscape do not help, each spot looks the same.
Once Upon a Time in Anatolia is an uncompromising film, seemingly possessed by some mysterious grandeur in its wintry, bleak and pitch black pessimism. We as an audience are brought along on this sleepless journey in what seems to be just as tiresome as the characters must have felt. We too feel the frustration of the expedition, with every search giving no results. This premise is a genius move from Ceylan, and he has said in interviews that he made the first half as tiresome as he could possibly manage, and if that resulted in people standing up and leaving the cinema, well, then was only a sign of artistic success.
“Never have I ever met someone as pessimistic as you, Doctor”, the Prosecutor says, hinting to the fact that the Doctor believes the young woman the Prosecutor mentioned earlier on may have committed suicide.
The whole film is drenched in this bleak, pessimistic nature, and we come to learn that the main characters – through their view on topics such as family, spouses, ex-wives, death, suicide, hierarchy, bureaucracy, ethics, and their jobs – are all rotten apples with their own set of secrets and demons, no matter their working title. We more or less come to learn that everything and everyone is a cover-up.
In one encapsulating scene of the film theme we see a police officer picking the fruits of an apple tree, and clumsy as he is, he drops a few of them on the ground. What makes this scene so great is what follows. The camera chooses to leave the Prosecutor and the Chief of police in the middle of a debate, and following an apple, rolling down the steps and into a river. From there it floats all the way down until it stops, resting along with three rotten apples, all having followed the same route before… No matter if you’re a cop or a suspected murderer. We’re all bad apples, and we tend to land far from the tree.
I don’t know if this is a good word to describe this film, but the word “literate” comes to mind. In many ways Ceylan’s film is like a good novel, with deep and carefully drawn out characters and setting, and with a complex story, where the truth seem to be buried under ground as well, hidden in the dark, indistinct landscapes. Ceylan effectively combines the literate quality of the script with some masterful cinematography, mostly done with natural lighting (the light from the cars). The visuals give the film something of an ethereal quality, which works extremely well for the journey aspect of the narrative. Basically, this is one of those films that’s so moody we tend to call them experiences rather than movies. I can’t recall having seen anything like this before.
In the end you come out of the film feeling fatigued, but also that your intelligence and sharp senses have been challenged. You know that a meaningful, mysterious slice of life just has been presented to you, but you’ll have to figure out what it all means on your own.
5/23/2016
Angels and Airwaves album “We Don’t Need to Whisper” turned 10 years old today. I can’t explain how influential that album and really, year (2006) shaped my life
Bible reading update time. Today was a big day. I started the book of Isaiah. There is definitely something peculiar about it. The tone is completely separated from any other book I’ve read thus far. I’m excited to still be going strong, though. By the end of this year I can proudly say I read my entire bible.
After 48 hours at the Fire Department, it feels great to be home. Liam and I did some drawing this morning and little Luca just started crawling forward.
We had a bonfire tonight with great friends. It’s funny how such simple acts could be so fulfilling. I think sometimes we assume events need to be extravagant to be worthwhile. I’ve learned the opposite is usually true.
Tomorrow is another day at home chilling with the little guys and a couple of haircuts to close out the day.
I’m going to insist you watch the video below, then I will humbly post my 2-year-old theory on the future of facebook and digital immortality.
I can’t tell you guys how much negative feedback I received after posting my facebook theory. The video below in no way validates my prediction. But makes me feel a little less crazy.
I would love to hear other people’s feedback on this subject. Digital Immortality and digital footprints. The truth is the subject of a digital footprint is new. No one really knows hot to handle such a thing. Thats why everyone’s opinion is unique and worth listening to.
5/22/2016
I was talking with my good buddy Jeremy today. He reminded me of something important. We all start somewhere. If you try a new diet, there must be a start day. If you want to begin a new habit or shoot for a goal, you need a “first” day.I lose track of this all time. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in things.
My department is starting rookie school again on Monday and I have been here the past two days. Because of my coincidental presence, I have seen some preparation for the new class, etc. Talking with Jeremy, combined with seeing all this has reminded me of the times I was trying desperately to get onto a Fire Department. It made me extremely thankful to have a job and actually enjoy it and also allowed some recollections of my first couple weeks here. Funny how we forget things so easily sometimes.
After a busy day 2, I am looking forward to tomorrow AM so I could go home and spend time with Liam and Luca. Maybe a bonfire tomorrow night? Unsure.
Liam and Lindsey are continuing to get better and the fast road to a full recovery. Thumbs up.
On a side note for those asking. I’m not sure if I will continue these daily updates. I just wanted to try something new and somehow this idea popped in my head. So if sometime soon 24 hours go by and you don’t see one, don’t be worried. Most likely I’m still alive! Had the time I feel I am rambling, the other half I’m not talking about anything of interest. At least that’s how it feels. But we will see.
Here’s to a quiet night!
If you are a facebook user, that’s fine. I’m not for many reasons. Personally, I have always felt their need for control and sense of creepiness a little too overpowering. I have also always felt that facebook is constantly trying to figure out ways to control the narrative and create a controlled environment. Anyways, news that broke yesterday continues to favor my theory:
Facebook’s Trending news section includes topics that aren’t actually trending on Facebook, according to a statement from the company today.
The admission came after The Guardian published a trove of documents, including a copy of Facebook’s “Trending Review Guidelines” used to train workers—known internally as “news curators”—who run the platform’s trending section. As Gizmodo previously reported, Facebook’s trending section is run largely like a newsroom and curators can “inject” and “blacklist” topics.
Why is this such a big deal to me? Simple. Facebook prides itself being an innocent in between of connecting people yet is personally curating what you see. Never a good thing. Especially when they are lying to you about actually doing it.
It’s this sort of constant creepiness that will forever keep me away from them.
5/21/2016
So day 1 at the FD in the books. Couple calls, nothing too serious. On the sick front, alas good news! Lindsey and Liam are feeling a bunch better. Luca still is A-OK. Happy times.
I got a good game of chess in today. I haven’t played in so long, so it was nice flexing those muscles again. I lost, but winning is everything right?
Something crazy did happen today, though. For whatever reason I was washing dishes and must have rubbed my eye at some point. I kid you not, I couldn’t fully open that eye for at least 2 hours. Towards the end there it was kind of scary but a paramedic assured me it would slowly get better and sure enough, he was right.
I was able to watch a little of the Libertarian Debate today. It was insightful and John McAfee really surprised me. I think Gary Johnson is the likely candidate, but all 3 were strong.
Also and probably of utmost importance to readers here, I started my next long-form opinion article. It’s a thought I have been pondering for a very long time and always knew I wanted to write about. But, now seems appropriate. Of course, it will most likely take months to be finished because well, you know me. But it was exciting to get started.
5/20/2016
Thankfully Lindsey was feeling better and she was able to go to work today. We made an appointment for Liam at 10:45 because he was still a little under the weather….. The Dr said Liam has an ear infection. This would explain his pain from the night before. Luca still is doing fine.
Since it was indeed an official sick day, being lazy and watching movies was top priority. (I say being lazy and all but I still achieved completion of the 7 minute workout). The movie list consisted of: Alvin and the chipmunks, how to train your dragon 2, and of course The Polar Express.
As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I am doing a bible project. Read the entire bible in 1 year. Today I read the book of Jonah. The ending shocked me. No spoilers here, but the more I read this book the more different it is compared to my expectations.
Lindsey came home on her lunch break and made some spaghetti. We ate it for dinner. Lindsey actually had squash spaghetti. She is doing really well in her diet. I could take a few lessons from her.
Well, tomorrow starts 48 hours at the fire department. Fun times.
ddileo 