The September Revision
I wrote this essay after watching The September Issue and contemplating similarities between the fashion and technology industries. My feeling is that vanity has more influence on purchasing consumer technology than we like to admit.
They still make Blurays?
The switch from CDs to MP3s took less than a decade. The next switch from Bluray to streaming video will happen even faster. This is a brief analysis of the contributing factors that will hasten the changeover.
Rewards of Credit and Cash
Credit card rewards are now worth less than using cash itself. The economic advantage has flipped in just a few short years. Holding the front lines on this war against credit fees are, of all places, gas stations.
Burned by a Format War
Have you ever been burned by a format war? If not then you’re just waiting your turn. I learned my lesson in the War of HD-DVD vs. Bluray. Even without a format war manufacturers are wrongly promising reliability is just one more firmware update away.
Dunbar Connection
I’ve formed a connection between homeowner associations, anthropology, and the number 148.
Lamenting Elitism
This is my response to William Deresiewicz’s essay “The Disadvantages of an Elite Education”. I form substance around the concept of elitism and try to figure out if elite education exists. Elitism, from my own experience, is broadly applicable, and possibly genetic.
Response Letter
Complaint letters to my homeowner’s association are infrequent, but when they’re received some vitriolic language is almost guaranteed. How do you write a response when someone clearly has another perspective? You state the facts. I’m no attorney but it always pays to think like one.
Letter to The Bent
The engineering honor society, Tau Beta Pi, publishes a quarterly magazine where engineers of various backgrounds contribute essays and opinions. The articles are frequently thought provoking. One of them in particular compelled me to write to the editor.
Java Data Base Connectivity (JDBC)
My undergraduate course on Communication Networks focused on the architecture of computer networks, their models, and protocols. The class required a brief research paper, so I coauthored this paper on JDBC.
Unsaturated Fat
This is a short explanation of saturated and unsaturated fats. I felt obligated to write this since my web site is, clearly, somewhat related.