Archive for June, 2009
iPhone 3GS to Have Short Lifespan?
Posted by Michael Livingston in Homelife on June 12th, 2009
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about getting a fancy-pants cellphone, perhaps even canceling my land-line in the process. In particular, I’ve been pondering the prospects of the new iPhone 3GS. It is unquestionably a terrific little smartphone, one that ought to do precisely what I think new technology should do: simplify life and lessen the clutter. Since I love my iPod Touch and have been thinking about finally getting a cellphone, this might be what pushes me over the edge. (There’s a mobile joke there.)
That said, there are lingering uncertainties. My biggest concern about the new iPhone (other than adding the monthly cost of the device) is that the “3GS” branding screams (to me at least) short shelf-life. It isn’t the sort of model-name you can really expand upon (I rather doubt they’ll call the next one the “3GS2″), which means Apple is already planning the release of the next rendition. The 3GS would thus be a stop-gap, interim device to tide us over while Apple transitions to the next version. More than that, since the next rendition will open up a new model path (“iPhone 4G”? “iPhone Pro”?), one might assume that its technological features and design will change significantly from the “3G” series. In other words, while the 3GS only tweaks the 3G version (and uses up old 3G-design stocks in the process), the one-to-come is likely to reinvent it — and the production plans for that future iPhone cannot be far down the line if Apple is backing itself into a naming corner with the impending release of the 3GS.
Cellphones and Me
Posted by Michael Livingston in Homelife on June 8th, 2009
It continually shocks my students (and some other folks, too) that I have no cellphone beyond an old pay-as-you-go thingamajig that I’ve used on long trips in case of an emergency. It’s not that I’m a luddite; I’ve just never seen the point of actually having a cell in any normal sense. And, to be honest, I’ve started to take a bit of odd pride now and then in the fact that I’m surviving perfectly well without one (again, much to the shock of some folks). This pride tends to kick in when I see how addicted folks are to the expensive devils.
We were at the outlet mall a few days ago, for instance, to purchase new sandals for the young master. At one point I was watching Samuel play on some of those coin-operated doesn’t-do-anything-but-shake cars. Mildly bored, I looked around to people-watch.
In my line of sight, which was fairly extensive, the number of folks who didn’t have cellphones at their ears could be counted on one hand. And Samuel and I were two of them. It was mildly disturbing. (How prescient was Bradbury’s seashells in Fahrenheit 451?)
Who the hell is everyone talking to? What’s so important?
Well, it may be that I’ll soon find out. The announcement of the iPhone 3GS might be enough to bring me into the cellular world.
Student Evaluations
Posted by Michael Livingston in Academics on June 6th, 2009
Just got my student evaluations for the spring term, which are always a delight to read (even if I go into them with some trepidation). This batch, I must say, was especially fun. Several of them were even illustrated. (I’m not kidding.)
Anyhow, I thought it was worth sharing some of my favorite responses. And while there were terrific ones in all the classes — one comment from 102 was “He was tupping great” (a running joke from our reading of Othello) — by far the most entertaining responses were from my Chaucer class.
Under the question What did you like most about this class?:
- “Chaucer is mind-blowing.” Yes, young padawan. He is.
Under the question What did you like most about this professor?:
- “He’s Dr. Livingston! Plus when the light reflects off his head just right, it is miraculous.” Score. Only a couple more miracles to go before sainthood.
- “He’s like a Bill Nye of Chaucer. He makes learning fun, easy, and available to the masses.” Wow. Bill Nye the Science Guy? I had been thinking I needed my own show on PBS… plus my face on a co-ed’s t-shirt.
- “He’s a badass. And he’s bald.” What’s with all the bald comments?
- “The Orlando Bloom life-sized poster in his bedroom.” Running joke here. I do not have such a thing. Honestly.
Under the question What did you like least about this professor? the spaces were mostly blank. A few were not:
- “–” This was followed by an arrow and a comment: “This is actually my answer. A dismissive line.”
- “I’m an atheist, but he’s like really an atheist… Okay we get it, boo! God.” I still haven’t figured out what this means. Is the “he” supposed to be me? Interesting if so since, well, I’m not an atheist. And what’s with that last bit? Was this comment signed by God?
- “His gleaming head is distracting — it is reminiscent of Kurtz in Apocalypse Now. I wonder if he leads a renegade army out of Cambodia… The horror!” As it happens, I do have a renegade army. Only I can’t disclose its location or the object of my invasion plans.
And, last but not least, under the question What constructive suggestions do you have?, I’d like to say that the answers were again mostly blank (or n/a, etc.). Alas, they weren’t. The majority made a fervent plea for me to teach Tolkien as a non-Honors class, a “let’s-all-agree-to-write-this” request that strikes me as something that might get me into trouble (I swear: I did not suggest this to them!). Anyway, among the few that said something else was this heart-warmer:
- “None. This was my favorite course from the semester and easily one of the best since I’ve been at [The] Citadel.”
Project XK Defined
Posted by Michael Livingston in Project XK (Jeep) on June 1st, 2009
I’ve been doing a lot of staring and measuring and poking around my new Jeep Commander, gearing up for Project XK — for which this post is the inaugural issue, I suppose. As with the build-up of my beloved LJ (sold and living in Texas), I’ll be documenting the process here as I pass the rig through stages en route to its glorious fulfillment. I’ll also be holding to the same general principles I did with the LJ; the build-up will be aimed at creating a vehicle that balances and maximizes:
1. Street-safe.
2. Trail-conquering.
3. Cheap.
First things first, though …
Why Sell the Wrangler Unlimited (LJ)?
As stated elsewhere on this blog, I loved that rig. Hell, I still love it, even if another fellow has the keys to it. The LJ Rubicon is an almost perfect foundation for building an off-road dream come true, and some of the upgrades I’d put on ours still make me drool (the Nightcrawler bumper on Stage 3 comes to mind).
But there were problems. Not mechanical or anything like that. More like philosophical. Or perhaps existential.
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