My new(ish) MacBook Pro

About a week ago I decided that I was going to do something a little crazy. I posted on Craigslist that I was willing to trade my iPad 2 for a Macbook. I wasn’t expecting any responses to the listing so I didn’t get to excited over it. 

Apparently a LOT of people were willing to make the trade! Within a few hours I had four people who were willing to trade their Macbooks for my iPad. The one person who stood out of the bunch said he had a MacBook Pro in pristine condition that he was willing to trade. Of course I accepted and a few hours later BOOM! I had a beautiful early 08′ model MacBook pro with 8GB of memory, a 500GB 7,200rpm hard drive. 

“Early 2008,” you ask, “isn’t that a little old for a laptop?” 

Not in the world of Apple. The one manufacturer who produces laptops that re-sell for nearly full value used. These laptops are generally a couple of years ahead of PC’s when you buy them to begin with (I mean, this thing has 8GB of RAM, and it was built in 2008, you can’t get that in a PC laptop TODAY!)

Getting on with it, I downloaded some of my favorite apps. Final Cut X, so I could do some serious movie editing. iWork, so I could make beautiful spreadsheets, word documents and even Keynote presentations if I wanted to, and finally, I downloaded the Microsoft Office suite so I could keep up with the Joneses. (I really have no idea how the suite would help me to those ends, but whatever.)

A few days into it I discovered something absolutely amazing… my MacBook can teach me how to play the guitar!!!!!

This guy goes through about 30 beginner lessons, all on video.

 

You can select an artist to personally teach you one of their songs!

Here is STING teaching me how to play “Roxanne!!!”

 

Seriously though, this is pretty freaking cool!!!! 

I can’t believe how awesome this computer is and I never thought I’d enjoy using a laptop this much! The thing has multiple virtual desktops (wich is super convenient for working on a few different projects at the same time without cluttering up your desktop) and best of all it automagically inserts every single photo I take on my iPhone onto my laptop without me having to do a thing and no matter where I am in proximity to the laptop!

 

How awesome is the “command center??”

 

 

*Note, I had to go back over to my Mac to put the second photo into the post… it’s seriously that bad. 

**my last post hit a nerve and promoted a HUGE amount of discussion and while, unfortunately, many people seemed to simply read the title and comment without giving consideration to the text or even rebutting many of the points I made I feel like those who did, especially active service military members and veterans, have left my blog believing that I am promoting a hatred towards them. I assure you that I am not. I believe that there is little to no separation between who a person is and what they are supporting or actively doing. I apologize for any misunderstanding but I will forever stand by my assertion that I cannot support current members of the armed forces while they are actively involved in the mess they are involved in. I do not feel that you can be against our current military occupations and wars and yet still be supportive of the people who are engaged in those wars, it strikes me as a contradiction. I’m fine with you openly disagreeing with me and since I’ve said my piece here in the main post the comment section is all yours.

If you feel like you need more space to air your opposing views or even those who want to elaborate in agreement of what I have to say do it on your own blog and I will not only post a big fat link to it at the bottom of this post but recommend it(Make sure you post a link to it in the comment section). I appreciate all who read my posts wether they agree or not.***

 

The purpose of a government and it’s military

While I do not support what we are doing in other countries, and I do not support the people who are involved in it from the top down there is a HUGE misunderstanding that needs to be cleared up. 

I believe, as a Libertarian, that the sole purpose of Government is to protect the liberty of it’s own people from foreign and domestic hostility. I believe our military should exist, and it should continue to exist with the purpose of protecting us. 

It almost goes without saying that not a single one of our liberties is being protected in our ongoing wars across the world (a small exercise to prove this point, name a liberty being protected in the war in Iraq).  Our actions overseas have created a toxic atmosphere that has forced millions of foreigners to rise up against what they perceive as a nation trying to build and maintain a global empire. Our meddling in the affairs and governments of other sovereign countries has created, over the years, an incredible amount of hostility towards the U.S. 

From our government funding and support of Iraq and it’s former dictator Saddam Hussein and the CIA training and funding Osama Bin Laden received to our governments constant screwing with the government of Iran we have fostered a growing resentment and retaliation towards our policy of nation building in the name of “protecting our foreign intrests.”

 

 

What does all of this have to do with the Veterans?

I firmly believe that the overwhelming majority of Veterans in our nation have been left out to dry because of our current state of affairs and the way we spend our money. Our policies have put an unsustainable emphasis on building and growing an out of control military regime while focusing almost no attention to the people our government has relied on, over the years, to impose it’s corrupt ideals. 

If a country wants a man to risk bodily damage or even death for his country that same country should be prepared to reward that individual with the same level of commitment. 

We bribe our citizens into joining the military with benefit packages and bonuses, we convince them they are joining to protect our nation and preserve freedom. We emphasize their “defense of the constitution” and then we abandon them when we are through with them.

Ask any member of the Armed Forces, and if he or she is honest with you, they will tell you they were lied to when they joined on about a dozen or so levels. Ask any Vet how his pension is looking, or how great his healthcare is, or even if they are taking care of his permanent injuries and he will have you sit down and listen for HOURS to stories of abuse and neglect. 

While my views may appear to be contradicting each other on the surface, with a little more thought I believe anyone with a conscience will come to the same conclusion. 

 

So what do I propose we do? What is my brilliant idea to solve our problems? 

I’ve never been a fan of intelectual sloth and I really believe that spending an immeasurable amount of time focusing on the problem without a proportional amount of time spent creating a solution falls into the category of laziness. Here is what I propose: 

 

* Make securing our borders the top national security priority.

* Avoid long and expensive land wars that bankrupt our country by using constitutional means to capture or kill terrorist leaders who helped attack the U.S. and continue to plot further attacks.

* Guarantee our intelligence community’s efforts are directed toward legitimate threats and not spying on innocent Americans through unconstitutional power grabs like the Patriot Act.

* End the nation-building that is draining troop morale, increasing our debt, and sacrificing lives with no end in sight.

* Follow the Constitution by asking Congress to declare war before one is waged.

* Only send our military into conflict with a clear mission and all the tools they need to complete the job – and then bring them home.

* Ensure our veterans receive the care, benefits, and honors they have earned when they return.

* Revitalize the military for the 21^st century by eliminating waste in a trillion-dollar military budget.

* Prevent the TSA from forcing Americans to either be groped or ogled just to travel on an airplane and ultimately abolish the unconstitutional agency.

* Stop taking money from the middle class and the poor to give to rich dictators through foreign aid.

 

No country should ask for someones life and, in return, give them a lifetime of suffering. 

 

***As I stated at the top of this post: The comment section is All yours, I’ve said my piece here in the main article BUT; If you feel like you need more space to air your opposing views or even those who want to elaborate in agreement of what I have to say do it on your own blog and I will not only post a big fat link to it at the bottom of this post but recommend it (make sure you post a link to it in the comment section). I appreciate all who read my posts wether they agree or not.***

Apple is now worth $500,000,000,000.00.

Apple is now the single most valuable company on the planet earth, in fact, they have more money on hand than OUR NATIONAL TREASURY! 

How is that possible, I ask while typing on my MacBook Pro, listening to music on my iPhone 4s while my fiance watches her favorite TV show in the other room on our AppleTV while controlling it with her iPhone 4s? 

Maybe I can download an App onto my iPad to help me figure it out, .99 cents… sure, it’s just a buck. 

 

“It’s patriotic to support our troops!”

 

I can understand if you feel like that, but allow me to ask a single question, “why?” Why am I less of an American or less patriotic if I don’t support the people who are acting against my beliefs in almost every conceivable way? Why should I have to shut my mouth and “support our troops” even though I absolutely hate the fact that they are killing hundreds of thousands of innocent people? 

Patriotism is being proud of the country you live in, proud of what it is supposed to stand for. Patriotism is trying to return our country to it’s former glory, it’s non-interventionist roots, trying to restore the dignity we once had, the courage and honor our military and our people once stood for. Patriotism is hard working Americans providing for themselves and their families, earning, saving, building and creating a better world to live in for future generations. I will NOT support a group of people who are directly opposed to those ends. 

  

“But Jon, they just killed Bin Laden!!!”

 

Why should I care about that? Great, they guy is dead. But now they are going to use his death to incite fear in the public over blowback, you know, retaliation. They are going to fear-monger the hell out of us until we are begging them to put new restrictions on everything. “Freedom” is a word that is going to be used to describe a more totalitarian society of limited EVERYTHING. If you think TSA is bad, wait until we start putting checkpoints at the entrances of every major highway and on the boarders of every state. 

 

“What about those who joined the Army and are against the war, or those that joined before it started?”

 

They don’t exist. I don’t believe anyone in their right mind would willingly join the armed forces if they were against the war, and everyone who was in prior to this war has had many many many opportunities to de-enlist.

“But Jon, there is something called ‘stop-loss’ that is keeping a lot of servicemen in the armed forces”

For 10 years? Improbable. Yes, it exists, but it extends your service in the military by 10-15 months, I stand by the previous comments.  

“But Jon, They are fighting for our freedom! They are risking their very lives to protect us!!”

From what and from who? What freedoms were being preserved in Iraq? Which one of our freedoms is being threatened in Iran? Last I checked, the official reasoning behind our current occupations was to “protect our foreign interests” and NOT “to protect our freedom.”

“I just don’t agree, I think you have to support our troops even if you don’t support the fight we are engaging in”

 

Well, you are not alone. The government feels that way as well. They actually force me to give them money to support a war and a fight that I want nothing to do with. I have a choice, either hand this money over, or go to jail. Honestly though, most employers take your tax money before you get your check so you, literally, cannot chose the second option anyway. 

 

I do not support our current occupation of foreign countries. I also do not support the troops who have voluntarily joined the forces to participate in these wars. I see no reason why I should support them. I see no logical argument as to why my lack of support is un-patriotic. 

I also think the best way anyone can show their patriotism is by bringing our troops home and ending this mess we are in across the globe. 

I still do. 

I believe in huge, majestic and incredible Awesome. The kind of Awesome that strikes when you least expect it leaving you feeling like you are indestructible. The kind of amazing awesomeness that explodes in your face and mobilizes you with the energy of a thousand kung-fu ninjas leaping off the Empire State building with the grace a ballerina could only hope for. 

The sheer incredulity of a baby dropkicking a stack of overly aggressive midgets and the power of an Eagle shooting lightning bolts out of it’s eyes while riding in the wind of a tornado. 

 

Obama is launching a new campaign effort called “African Americans for Obama,” and it struck me as somewhat racist. I couldn’t imagine anyone else in the campaign for president would run such a seemingly politically incorrect campaign because, hell, if Ron Paul did it he’d be shot. Can you imagine the riots a “Caucasian Americans for Ron Paul” campaign would start? The cities would burn. 

So I took a second out of my day to take a look at the definition of Racism. 

The definition of Racism is; “Prejudice or discrimination directed against someone of a different race based on such a belief.”

Now, if you combine that with an understanding of what discrimination actually means (Prejudice: an opinion or judgment that disregards the facts.) then yes, African Americans for Obama is a racist campaign in that it promotes Obama solely for  being black. Period. 

This entire part of his campaign is based on a simple strategy: Get the black folks to vote for the black guy. It’s disturbing. 

Is Obama a Racist?  

Just a little food for thought. Enjoy your night!

Alright, after working on this website TIRELESSLY for three solid days I have finally come up with what is turning into a pretty good website. It is NOTHING like what you guys saw before. 

 

www.MemoirStudiosLimited.com

 

Please visit and tell me what you think!

If you do not see the website, or if the link is giving you an error use THIS LINK as I am not sure if the DNS server is fully functional across all devices yet. 

(please note that I do not have it up and running for mobile devices as of yet, it’s an issue I am working on!)

 

When I watched my first GoDaddy commercial during the superbowl several years ago I thought it was a porn site. It had hot models wearing next to nothing in provocative poses to emphasize their “sexiness.”

Not once did I think that they were the biggest stack of geeks you’ll ever meet. 

A couple (two) years ago I started thinking about opening up my own company. I wanted a particular name for the company so I decided that if I ever wanted to have a website I’d have to make sure I had that name reserved. I went about hunting for a way to purchase a domain name and immediately found out what GoDaddy was all about. 

I purchased 5 or 6 domain names and let it go for a while knowing that I might need them in the future. 

Well, the future came and I wanted to use them. I got myself a host, built a website and proceeded to attach my domain name to that website with absolutely no luck. I knew I’d have to call customer service. I hate calling customer service. I REALLY hate calling customer service. 

I called, went through a couple of menu items and BOOM there was a live person on the line, not just any live person, but a real live U.S. citizen ready to answer any questions I had in plain English without reading from a script. It was amazing. 

He helped me do what I needed to get my website up and running and that was that. 

Several months later I encountered a similar situation with another website. I couldn’t figure out how to assign a domain name. I reached for the phone, same exact thing happened. They answered it, figured out what was wrong and in no time I was happily on my way with one less problem in my life. 

I just got off the phone with them about 10 minutes ago. The first two calls were no random anomaly. 2:30PM on a Sunday afternoon I reached a real live person in less than a minute of wait time on the phone. This is seriously the absolute best customer service I’ve ever encountered in my entire life. I can’t rave enough about how good these guys are. 

I will, for the rest of my life, use GoDaddy.com for anything I need regarding the technical web stuff I can’t seem to wrap my own brain around. 

It seems like the Xanga interweb troll wars have reached a climax.

There seems to be two distinct sources for all of the pandemonium;
the Malaysians who game the ranking system with their photos and quotes and, oddly enough, a single man-hating woman with two accounts who seems to worship a drug addict former guru by the name of Osho.

The former isn’t that big of a deal, they always rank high in top blogs but they don’t seem to be attacking anyone. The latter, @DivaJyoti, seems to be having a grand old time pitting people against each other. 

 

I have no solutions to this awkward noise penetrating through the walls of my blog, just an appeal to sanity. 

 

All I ask is that anyone who is here to share their thoughts, engage in stimulating conversation and just plain blog, please: