1. Life Management
Moving away to college usually means that you're gonna have to make some changes in your life. Whether you move into a dorm or an apartment, time management is going to be more essential than ever. If you live on your own, you will be responsible for cooking all the meals throughout the day, studying, homework, cleaning, laundry, and paying the bills (most of the time).

All of a sudden, managing and taking care of things become a requirement that you're probably not used to after living with Mom and Dad. Having a job while away to college also makes things more difficult to keep up with. I know some people who got it pretty easy with all this stuff, but a lot of them said it took some getting used to. Continue reading for the rest...

In about 12 hours from now, I will be making my departure into the real world, once again. The fall semester at the university starts tomorrow, and the struggle to gain back a tight grip on a busy life makes its way onto the to-do list. Being jobless for 5 months while having minimal income has definitely taken a toll on me, but that will be changing soon enough. I've reworked my resume and they'll start flying out all over the place by the end of this week.

Throughout the summer break, I told myself that I was going to get a lot accomplished, but things didn't exactly turn out that way. Of course, I worked on a lot of personal developments, projects, and just having a real vacation for the first time in a few years. I spent a lot of time time with friends and family and now it's time to get back to what needs to be done.

Financially, you can imagine what not having a job can do to a person. Thankfully, the little savings I put together stood strong. It's unfortunate that I wasn't able to do all the things that I wished to do, but that's life, and sometimes things just need to happen at their own time....

So here it is. Another installment of my soon-to-be-famous Random Thoughts. What goes on through your head, I'd like to know. Are my thoughts so different from yours?

• I bought a 30-day Unlimited Ride metro card for $81. I better take advantage of it!
• Reading a book about the devil visiting the every day streets of Moscow can be quite interesting.
• Need to renew the passport. I couldn't get my driver's permit because of that! Hmmph!
• I started working on a new website design. Coming along quite well. Stay away from blue! I use too much blue!
• I should get some breakfast...morning fasts are not cool.
• How the heck did my friend's car's transmission blow out just out of nowhere? Now I have to go and help push the damn thing to a shop!

Continue reading for the rest of the thoughts...

What does it mean to be a fanboy? Is it a good thing, or a bad thing? And most of all, are you one? Lately, these are the questions I've been asking myself and others, young and old. Now, let's get into the juicy stuff.

I am a fanboy, and chances are, so are you. Whether you like it or not, it's natural for humans to prefer certain products from preferred companies. For example, my father is a hardcore Sony fan. No matter what you tell him, he will tell you that Sony makes the best TVs, camcorders, stereos, DVD players, and so forth. Why? Simple. In his lifetime, he clearly had great experiences with Sony products so getting everything with the Sony brand would lead him to believe that he's getting top-notch quality.

Is it wrong to be a fanboy? No, but it's certainly wrong to be an asshole - And this is something a lot of people confuse. In any given conversation, I've witnessed the expressions on people's faces change because one person preferred a product or service that wasn't the same as everyone else. Read on for more...

This will be a series of posts that I am going to be working on from now on, every so often. I keep a text document open with random things that come to mind, and they will be made into a list. Let's see what interesting thoughts get recorded here.

• So now people in the Olympics are faking their age in order to complete. Wonderful. What's next?
• I wonder what goes on through people's minds when they talk to themselves very loudly in public places.
• I wish rechargeable batteries weren't so expensive.
• I need to go out and shoot more often - my photography skills needs sharpening.
• On top of shooting more, maybe I should try to get a couple of gigs and make some quick cash!
• I need new speakers. These are crapping out.

Continue reading for the rest of today's list...

Humans are born to be mind readers. It's a trait of the species that is as helpful as a parachute attached to a freefaller jumping off a plane, but as damaging as a kick in the gut by an angry horse. By the slightest change in the tone of someone's voice, we are able to figure out that something is not right. The strange transition of one topic to another, you question. One may ask himself if it's a lie, expression of distrust, or an uncomfortable subject matter.

Everyone performs both of these tasks on a daily basis: You see others doing it around you all the time which often leads you to some type of suspicion. You change your speech and tone in a conversation for various reasons when you're either uncomfortable or nervous. How does this come in to play with real world (and serious) situations? More after the jump...

What is it about a luxurious lifestyle that makes it so desirable? We all want the latest technologies, the coolest and fastest cars, and the biggest houses. But why is it like that when living a mediocre life can provide us with all we need to be happy? I think it has a lot to do with our social environment; What we see on TV, magazines, movies, and the expectations set upon us by society.

Now, I'm not rich nor am I wealthy so you can choose to take my thoughts with a grain of salt. Before I go on, I think it's worth mentioning that this doesn't apply to everyone. I am expressing these ideas simply as food for thought. Would you achieve happiness* in life faster if you're trying to become rich, or if you're aiming for financial stability?

Continue on to read the rest...

I just upgraded to a Flickr Pro account since I couldn't have more than 3 sets of photos. My trip to the Bronx Zoo a few days ago resulted in some decent pictures. Click the image below to view the Bronx Zoo set.

Last month, I took a bunch of pictures when I went to China Town in New York City. Click here to view the China Town set on Flickr.

So, today is the last day of July and I have just under 4 weeks left until I go back to university. Things have certainly been slow this summer, being without a job and all. I thought I would be working on a bunch of freelance projects, but it didn't turn out that way. I did, on the other hand, work on personal developments.

I went to the DMV two days ago to get my Driver's Permit, but that spoiled after they didn't accept my passport because it was expired. I should've known better. Tisk tisk. I was supposed to renew my passport last year but I lazied out - plus, the picture I took was terrible! I went and got a new one taken today which is much better! I know I live in NY and all, but having a Driver's License is important nonetheless.

Speaking of school, I am going to drop one of my classes in order to keep a clean schedule while maintaining fulltime status. I got in touch with one of my professors and he recommended that I drop it as well, and that I shouldn't be in a hurry to finish all the classes for the degree. I also received a textbook catalog from SVA (School of Visual Arts) and their programs are very intriguing! I'm consider a transfer after this semester. More to come as this develops.

Continue reading to view the rest of the post...

I must give props to Dell for taking a big step towards greener computing with their new Studio Hybrid lineup. In terms of design, I'm very picky about what I like and Dell has been producing some pretty good looking hardware (although I prefer Mac OS X over Windows for software). I applaud Dell for making a machine with a tiny form factor that consumes 70% less energy than standard computers and ships in 95% recyclable materials.

The reason why I am promoting this is simply because I believe it is a step in the right direction for a major market holder in the industry. Not to worry, the Hybrid line comes with a variety of options to customize it to your needs. You will not only save energy but you'll also have a smaller carbon footprint.

Apple has already begun its process of making their machines as green as possible by using highly recyclable materials (aluminum), smaller packaging, mercury-free LCD backlights, and more. It makes feel that much better about companies doing the right thing, and it should be the same with you.