All posts by d dot b

Entertainment, Popular Culture, Technology

Defining an Era or Error: Nintendo

August 13, 2009 d dot b Leave a comment

Nintendo

Being an “80’s baby”, the original Nintendo system was a staple in every kid’s home; I still recall the day that I got it – it was christmas, and I was up for several hours playing Super Mario Bros & Duck Hunt. I recall learning the special cheat codes for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2, Super Mario 3 and other games. You have to give Nintendo some credit for popularizing the video game industry and by pushing change & innovation; not only in technology, but in popular culture. Way back in the 80’s, Atari was actually the first home video gaming system, but was vastly archaic, Nintendo introduced a system that was cheaper than the Atari, inexpensive, and had a bunch of fun & interactive games. From the 80’s to the current era, Nintendo has sustained the competition with the defunct Sega console, and even the Microsoft X-Box, and Sony Playstation. And now with the Wii, Nintendo has redefined the gaming experience and even though the X-Box and Playstation 3 has faster processors and better visual graphics, Nintendo is the leader because of the interactivity the Wii has as it immerses the video game player into the actual game. An interesting fact is that the actual company Nintendo has been around since 1889, dabling in various ‘playing game products’, such as the Nintendo Playing Card Company before launching into the video game industry in the mid 70’s with the release of Donkey Kong, and the first generation Nintendo system in the early 80’s.

Donkey Kong Arcade Video Game
Popular arcade video game introduced to North America in 1981, surprisingly to my knowledge, was also the first introduction of ‘Jumpman’ – now known as ‘Mario’

Super Mario Bros 3
Released in 1990, one of Nintendo’s most successful game ever … much better than that sh*t that was Super Mario 2, right???

Definitely Nintendo is not an error in our culture, they have become a household brand that has provided with fun & entertainment experiences that have shaped our personalities.

.:: LiBM ::.

Style, Swag

Back to School Fresh

August 11, 2009 d dot b 3 Comments

Back to School Fresh

I must be having a mental writing block, or trying to fill the space between posts, or I must be busy – either or, that shouldn’t diminish the fly gear that is available out there for consumption. Here are some fresh looks from the site www.karmaloop.com – living up north, there customer service and shipping policy is on point, so I am sure state side it is even better (hopefully).

The Asher Roth College Tee
$20.00

The Lights Out Tee by DGK
$20.00

The Fallen Soldiers Tee by DGK
$20.00

The Camp Pack On My Back Tee by LRG
$28.00

.:: LiBM ::.

Work

The Peter Principle

August 6, 2009 d dot b Leave a comment

Rewarding Incompetence

The Peter Principle – explains a lot

When I first heard about the Peter Principle I felt a couple of things; first, this explains a lot – that’s it. Sorry for saying a ‘couple of things’; as I guess the first explanation explains so much situations and scenarios that we all can relate to. The Peter Principle is a special case of a ubiquitous observation: anything that works will be used in progressively more challenging applications until it fails. This is “The Generalized Peter Principle.” It was observed by Dr. William R. Corcoran and he found that in an organizational structure, the Peter Principle’s practical application allows assessment of the potential of an employee for a promotion based on performance in the current job; i.e., members of a hierarchical organization eventually are promoted to their highest level of competence, after which further promotion raises them to incompetence. That level is the employee’s “level of incompetence” where the employee has no chance of further promotion, thus reaching his or her career’s ceiling in an organization.

The employee’s incompetence is not necessarily exposed as a result of the higher-ranking position being more difficult — simply, that job is different from the job in which the employee previously excelled, and thus requires different work skills, which the employee may not possess. For example, a factory worker’s excellence in his job can earn him promotion to manager, at which point the skills that earned him his promotion no longer apply to his job.

How to resolve the Peter Principle:
– employees who are dedicated to their current jobs should not be promoted for their efforts for which they might, instead, receive a pay increase.
– employees might be promoted only after being sufficiently trained to the new position. This places the burden of discovering individuals with poor managerial capabilities before (as opposed to after) they are promoted.

I don’t know about you, but this explains a lot and allows me to understand the chaos, dumb, asinine logic that exists in the corporate/government world.

Some Key Examples of the Peter Principle (Fiction & Non-Fiction):

Former FEMA Director Michael Brown

Former FEMA director Michael Brown was called to testify before Congress for the botched relief operation in New Orleans (Hurricane Katrina 2005).

George W. Bush

Self-explanatory for most

Michael Scott

– The Office star, and lovable incompetent boss that represents so many of our bosses

.:: LiBM ::.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Peter_Principle

Social, Technology

Defining an Era or Error: The Walkman

August 2, 2009 d dot b Leave a comment

Defining an Era or Error: The Walkman

A look at the first portable music device

The Walkman was an essential item to have growing up in the 80’s and 90’s; it was today’s equivalent to the iPod. The Walkman allowed one to bring their music with them in a handy portable device, as the popular format of the day was the tape cassette. The tape cassette was, and still stands as a unique format that allows for easy recording and playback. Think about it, to record music to a CD, you got to start your computer, load CD Burning program, wait for it to write – for a tape cassette, just put it into the tape player, connect to an input source, and hit record. Voila, you have an instant portable piece of music. I think that the tape cassette will be around for a few more decades as it is still useful, and since car manufacturers have only stopped building tape decks from around 2005, they will still be relevant.

A bit of history for the Father of the ‘iPod’:

Walkman is Sony’s portable audio cassette player brand, now used to market its portable audio and video players. The original Walkman introduced a change in music listening habits, allowing people to carry music with them. The device was built in 1978 by audio division engineer Nobutoshi Kihara for Sony co-chairman Morita, who wanted to be able to listen to operas during his frequent transpacific plane trips. The original Walkman was marketed in 1979 as the Walkman in Japan, the Soundabout in many other countries including the US, Freestyle in Sweden and the Stowaway in the UK.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walkman

Sony was the obvious pioneer for the portable digital music player, and I believe the brand name (Walkman) still lives on in Sony’s line of digital music players (competing with the iPod) and their partnership with Ericsson Mobility (bringing the Sony Ericsson Walkman phone). But Sony is far, far, far behind Apple’s iPod as they got on the digital music player bandwagon too late – if Sony had marketed their iconic Walkman brand as a digital music device a bit earlier, they could have maybe impacted the affect of the iPod, and garnered a greater share of the billion dollar digital music industry that Apple dominates.

I still have my Walkman, and it still works, but I mess with the iPod Touch … sorry Sony! Another fail – as Sony is currently losing a market that they CREATED.

.:: LiBM ::.

Logic, Social, Work

tan(011) – My Intuition parks bad on the streets, sickly

July 31, 2009 d dot b Leave a comment

tan(011) – Against your Intuition, Street Parking, Sick from Work

NOT to go off on a Tangent, but …

Preamble: Without the venting of frustrations, one is destined to be a very hot pressure cooker, so let the steam go!

Against Intuition
This is a rant against myself. Against my fault for having too much faith in other people and their abilities to fulfill an order. The ordeal happened when I was renting some audio equipment for a friend’s going away party, and to make a long story short, I rented speakers and speaker cables from a local audio rental store that will go unnamed; but the customer service rep gave me incorrect speaker cables – rendering the speakers useless. Now when placing the order, I suspected that the customer service guy was a bit new and somewhat inexperienced; and at this store, it is a requirement that you know your stuff, very well. Preamble, I have rented from this store numerous of times in the past though; with no bad experiences, they have always given me the right pieces of equipment and necessary cords (I never had to check before I left the store). However this time, because of the inexperienced and uncertainty vibe that I was picking from the CSR, I wanted to do a physical check of the equipment, but I was reluctant to do so. I think my rationale for NOT checking was that if I persisted to check, that action may have been insulting to the CSR; so I was kind of being sensitive to his feelings. But, after having to drive across town and back to pick up PROPER speaker cable from my house, I will be LESS sensitive in the future

Street Parking
Pretty simple concept: if you are going to park on the street, and clearly there is enough room for two cars to park, park APPROPRIATELY. That means, consider other cars that may want to park; so that means, don’t park in the middle of the space so that only your car can fit – instead move up a bit and park so that another car can park behind you. Simple concept, yet some people have no consideration for others and will park selfishly so that no others can use the parking space. Let’s be aware people, you mofo’s aren’t the only ones out there; let’s have some thought for others. And not to digress, but this is also a gross act of laziness – especially when your girlfriend is to friggin lazy to move the car up a bit so that you can park behind her. Instead, you have to go park across the street in a private lot that is subject to parking tickets and towing … and she has the nerve to call me ‘selfish’, hopefully she isn’t living in a glass house, lol.

Sick for a Day
I hate it when you are sick for a day, and one of your fellow employees goes to your workstation to ‘see what work needs to be done’, and they completely reorganize your stuff. It’s a simple concept dumb mofo’s; leave things the way you found it. Don’t change the position of the phone, don’t move papers around to different locations, put it back the way you found it. You are not doing anyone a favor by moving stuff around dummy. Lame dummy.

Logic, Love

The Naïve Woman

July 30, 2009 d dot b Leave a comment

Naïve or Manipulative?

Deflecting blame and responsibility

Naïve is a French loanword (adjective, form of naïf) indicating having or showing a lack of experience, understanding or sophistication. It can also be spelled naive. The noun form can be written naivety, naïvety, naïveté, naïvete, or naiveté.

Women can be one of two things; very naïve or very manipulative; I would go even further to suggest that sometimes they blur the line between manipulative behavior and naitivity; masking their manipulative states as being naïve. They do this so that when the sh*t hits the fan, they can deflect and redirect blame. Giving simplistic replies to their man like, “I didn’t know that he would do that”, “I am so shocked that he did that”, and “I had no idea that he was thinking like that” are sometimes humorous and disrespectful to our intellects. These examples are referring to those women whom always get into some sort of man trouble; either some guy gets aggressive with them, starts flirting with them, or starts stalking them – and then these women seem baffled as how this could have transpired. Of course you are going to have the odd creepy dirtbag, but I would suggest that a lot of the predicaments that women get into are a result of their direct chosen behavior.

So, if you are one of these lame’s, or know someone who is, here are some methods how you can change them:

Step 1: Confront their bullsh*t
– too often, we men are letting too much slide. Somewhere in the 70’s or 80’s or even 90’s, men were conditioned not to say what is on their minds, and to practice some sort of new age passive behavior where discussion about sensitive topics is taboo. Interesting correlation in the rise of feminism and the rise of pussification amongst men, lol. I’m digressing from the topic though, but you need to confront the issue when something doesn’t seem right, don’t let it go – cause it will probably happen again

Step 2: Common Sense is Common
– After the confrontation, they will try to retract, backtrack on statements, and will try to place the blame of the source of tension to situational factors – but never placing the blame on themselves. Screw that, no, screw that with a big Phillips Screwdriver. Women have a classic tendency in committing the Fundamental Attribution Error; attributing undesirable behavior/consequences to situational factors instead of dispositional factors (themselves). Part of the reason in doing this is simple; it is much easier to blame your problems on something else – and as a society, most of us may do it without much conscious awareness. But, that doesn’t make it right. Women need to own up to their behavior – that guy wouldn’t be making those sly innuendos if you hadn’t been flirting with him OR those guys wouldn’t be commenting on your appearance if you hadn’t been exposing so much cleavage. Get real ladies. Don’t come crying and complaining why certain things are happening to you when you know exactly why – stop playing the innocent game, ya guilty!

Step 3: Go at the stubbornness
– So if she still wants to play naïve, then there are some ways to get her to see the ‘light’ in her cloudy atmosphere. Essentially when one plays the naïve role, they are showing an undesirable trait; that trait is the lack of sophistication and critical judgment. So, point that out. Women always have a desire to be ‘sophisticated’ and an ‘expert authority’ on relationships and people – and by a certain age, at least near the end of high school, women have enough interactions to use as a reference point for the analysis and interpretation of future behavior … simply put, they have ‘experience’. That experience is learned by direct contact, and through TV., film, and the oral tradition (get ya mind out the gutter, wiki it). So when she acts shocked, surprised about why something has happened – and when you know the causal factors of why it happened, and she can’t accept that, then go at her intellect. She will hopefully see the error in her ways and stop her stubborn behavior.

Step 4: Acceptance
– Once you have said your peace, be at peace. Know that if they persist to act asinine and/or play foolish, undesirable results will materialize. Some women are completely naïve – and may have not learned from previous experiences; that is completely possible. However, I would suspect that most women know EXACTLY what they are doing and they use the naïve card as a ‘Get out of jail’ card. Sorry ladies, your card is expired, fellas stand up!

In summation ladies, you are very smart; much more than you lead on. You are very perceptive and aware of your environment and the people within it; simply take responsibility for your actions. And understand that most actions and behavior from others are intentional; and you as ladies have a good idea at the motivation behind it. Don’t play the fool, or you will end up the fool. Tired of y’all asking the obvious questions and standing there in bewilderment; kinda like standing with a mini-skirt, high heels, fishnet stockings, and low-cut tank top on the Las Vegas strip and asking why all these guys are asking if you are available for 30 minutes for a $100 … lol.

Peace!

.:: LiBM ::.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naive

Cre8ive Abstract, Visual Goodies

Funky Phresh Vinyl Toys 3

July 29, 2009 d dot b Leave a comment

Funky Phresh Vinyl Toys 3

Some flyer Vinyl Toys from KidRobot

Grateful Bear
– Loving the whole gangsta bear image as the bear takes it back to the 80’s with the Gold Chain and a watch … who wears a watch these days?

Big Monger Ramirez
– Well this piece is up for interpretation …

Knuckle Bear
– Tough Bear with weird arms and a mean grill

Miss November 1978
– This may get your real, tangilbe girl jealous

Until the next episode, go support good art!

.:: LiBM::.

Popular Culture, Social

Buy Yourself a Personality: Motorcycle

July 28, 2009 d dot b Leave a comment

Buy Yourself a Personality: Motorcycle

I never got what the excitement over motorcycles are; many people find thrills in ‘being one with the road’ and living dangerously as one pothole or rock can be a devastating life-ending accident. I like my life. And which is why I am not a subscriber to the motorbike craze, I am not against motorcycles completely – I recognize their value in fuel consumption, insurance, and their ability to weave through traffic. Many people are willing to fork over 10-40k for a Kawasaki, Honda, or Harley for a mode of transportation that can only be utilized certain times of the year – some people have a lot of disposable income OR are buying some personality for themselves, such as:

Rebel
– just having any kind of bike makes one look like a bad boy – someone who is a rebel against the system. This stereotype is sometimes the furthest thing from the truth as that Kawasaki rider is probably some computer analyst for a multinational corporation

Defiance
– bike riders always seem to have the perception that they defy authority; they don’t follow rules, they break them. The other defiant trait is that bikers weave through traffic and push the speed limit; if you don’t perform such a behavior then you either have gotten a very costly speeding ticket or you are just a ‘poser’ – something that a biker never wants to be seen as (even if it is true).

Gear Head
– it is assumed that any biker is a gear head/bike and car junkie; meaning, they know everything about bikes, cars, how to fix mechanical issues, and so on. Bikers will be seen almost as an authority figure on bikes, and will be asked about the new bikes on the market, questions about torque, horsepower, and other performance and maintenance issues.

Playboy
– it is automatic, one will instantly see a change in their love life. Girls that didn’t think you were hot before will suddenly have a change of heart (Mike Jones Syndrome). And of course, they will want to go for a ‘ride’, and I say give them a physical one, and a metaphorical one … you dig?

In all, one of the big things that you get from buying your personality (via the Kawasaki, Yamaha, or Honda) is the ‘cool’ factor. You will get the looks, the stares, the glares, the envy – just be careful, for some that is more lethal than heroine.

.:: LiBM ::.

Health

Heart Attack Lane

July 24, 2009 d dot b Leave a comment

Climbing Obesity

Controlling our hunger pangs may be one of the answers

I have heard of this ‘Heart Attack Grill’ which has several locations throughout the U.S. but I never visited their site, I was shocked that they are actively promoting an unhealthy lifestyle. The names of their foods are ‘triple bypass burger’, ‘pure lard fries’, and other nonsense. The restaurant is staffed by waitresses dressed as Nurses and the name of the establishment is called ‘Heart Attack Grill’ – that really says it all. No wonder the U.S. has the highest obesity rates in the world; and their healthcare system is in shambles and chaos. One of the reasons why the healthcare system is so battered and bruised like a Rihanna on a Grammy night, is because the population is not healthy – if even a good 40% of the population was not obese, then the healthcare system would not have to deal with as many cardiac arrests, myocardial infractions, strokes, and other debilitating diseases that come along with obesity. I understand that the Heart Attack Grill is a ‘novelty’ store and is just playing on a perception – the perception that American society has shifted to ‘healthy, green’ eating; as evident in the media – but that perception of the ‘healthy’ movement may be somewhat unrealistic. As the stats are still alarming, especially for minorities:

“According to the July 17 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, blacks have a 51 percent greater prevalence of obesity than whites. Hispanics also experience a greater percentage of obesity than whites with a 21 percent higher prevalence, according to the CDC publication.”

There are fast food joints everywhere; clogging up the street corners and stomachs of America – especially in lower income areas where the ‘alternative eating’ possibility (healthy foods) are out of their reach and budget. I acknowledge that this is a concern, but really what may be more significant is our timing and control of our hunger – if we listen to our hunger pangs, this can control and regulate our eating to more appropriate levels. What I mean is that most of our eating is triggered by external stimuli; environmental cues that we associate with eating events such as when we finish school/work, as soon as we get home, etc. Most times we are not necessarily responding to our internal cues (the hunger pangs, the growling belly); so we eat at times when we are not hungry and/or we at times when it is convenient to us or we eat when we want to relax – how many of you all have had a stressful day and when you come home, open up a salty bag of chips? You were not necessarily hungry, but the food was ‘comforting’ – these type of habits contribute a lot to the current obesity state of America as comfort foods are readily available and affordable. There is a whole science of research behind the motivations of hunger that really go deep into it, too long to discuss here, but I advise one to look it up if interested.
With all that said, here are some foods that are not only healthy, affordable, but will satisfy your hunger:

Salmon
Fish is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids that protect your heart by reducing both inflammation and the risk of blood clots. These fats also work to keep your cholesterol levels healthy. Eat salmon or other oily ocean fish like tuna, sardines or herring at least two times per week. For a heart-healthy meal, try grilled salmon steaks with a green vegetable and a side salad with a sprinkling of lemon juice instead of high-calorie salad dressing.

Olive Oil
Olive oil reduces your risk of heart disease by lowering your LDL cholesterol levels. Choose olive oil for cooking, or make a nice dip for whole grain bread by pouring a bit of olive oil in a small bowl and add a bit of balsamic vinegar and a sprinkle of oregano.

Oats
Oats contain a soluble fiber called beta glucan that helps reduce total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Soluble fiber also helps keep your digestive system healthy. Enjoy oatmeal with just a small amount of brown sugar and plenty of strawberries and walnuts for breakfast. Cold cereals made with oats are also great with low-fat milk or soy milk plus slices of fresh fruit.

Apples
Apples contain a phytochemical called quercetin which acts as an antiinflammatory and will help prevent blood clots as well. Apples contain vitamins and fiber, come in several delicious varieties and are portable. Eat an apple with a handful of walnuts or almonds as a healthy snack or add apple slices to your healthy salads.

Almonds
Almonds and other nuts contain healthy oils, vitamin E and other substances that will help keep cholesterol levels in check. Almonds are also a good source of protein and fiber. Almonds make a great snack on their own, or sprinkle slivered almonds on green beans or asparagus with lemon juice as a deliciously healthy side dish.

Red wine
Red wine contains a powerful antioxidant called resveratrol. Resveratrol has been shown to be good for your heart. Be sure to enjoy red wine in moderation. Studies show that only 4 to 8 ounces of red wine is needed each day.

Whole Grains
Whole grains provide vitamins and fiber that will help to keep your heart healthy. Make a deliciously healthy sandwich with two slices of 100-percent whole-grain bread, three ounces of lean turkey breast, lots of sliced tomatoes and avocado, plus lettuce and a bit of mustard. Switch from white pasta to whole grain pasta too.

Green leafy vegetables
Green leafy vegetables contain folate, which helps to keep homocysteine levels down, and vitamin E. Green leafy vegetables have also been associated with better retention of memory as age. Try using fresh spinach leaves or other greens for your favorite salad instead of iceberg lettuce.

Tomatoes
Tomatoes are packed with vitamins and lycopene, which has been shown to reduce heart disease risk. Add thick slices of tomatoes to sandwiches and salads or enjoy tomato sauce on whole wheat pasta. In fact, cooked tomato sauce and canned tomato sauce that you buy in the store both contain more lycopene than raw tomatoes.

Soy
Soy protein has been shown to prevent heart attacks and soy makes an excellent protein substitute for red meat, which will reduce your saturated fat intake. Add tofu to your favorite stir fry or pour soy milk on your morning cereal.

And of course, EXERCISE is a big factor – have we not noticed that the common remedy to most problems, diseases, and stress is exercise.

.:: LiBM ::.

—–
Sources:
http://nutrition.about.com/od/foodfun/a/healthy_heart.htm
http://www.mypyramid.gov/
Obesity Statistics Report from Milwaukee Health Examiner

Life in B Major

All posts by d dot b

Defining an Era or Error: Nintendo

Nintendo

Back to School Fresh

Back to School Fresh

The Peter Principle