My Brain – Page 23 – We Don't Walk Slow

Living in the Digital World

“I can’t live in this digital world.” – JC

This is my favorite picture of my dad and goes perfectly with this post.

Yesterday my dad, JC, wanted to change his voicemail recording. He was struggling with where to find it (personal greeting in the voicemail settings) and I stood by him going through about 3 prompts to get to the exact part where they say “record your personal greeting.” I left the room assuming nothing could go wrong but I probably wouldn’t be sharing if it ended there. After he left the message he didn’t know what to hit (#) and mistakenly disconnected the call. In frustration he decided not to go through it again.

I have no idea what it’s like living without technology so I came up with opinions on how tech should work properly. Below is a list of situations that arise are not always the easiest to manage but I can shed some light on.

The Last Text in a Group Chat

What happens when I want to send a funny text.

You don’t ever want to be the person who has the last text. It means that your last text sucked and no one knows how to respond to it. Stoppers basically consist of bad jokes, insults, and stupidity. I was part of a 6 person chain that had about 20 straight messages within 5 minutes, I made a corny jab at an individual and the entire chain stopped. It sucked.

The Planning Group

A bachelor party or trip is being planned and an email has been sent out to 25 different people to see who is interested. Popular procedure is to respond to ONLY the person who sent the email whether you are interested. Group responding to let people know you’d go is weak. However, a group response about a funny story or humorous joke is encouraged AS LONG AS IT’S ACTUALLY FUNNY. Some people are naturally funny and good at this or you can be like me where you put too much damn pressure on yourself that it feels forced and dumb.

The Voicemail

Don’t leave a voicemail. Why leave a voicemail when you can text a person the same exact info? It’s honestly the dumbest part of technology that still exists on personal phones. Businesses still should use voicemail. Friends should not.

Get Off Your Phone!

We played the phone game on Saturday night where you stack your phone and the first person who touches it loses. I was pretty drunk but we lasted for a solid 30 minutes (complete guess). In the meantime a chugging contest ensued and was far more entertainment than a phone could provide. I don’t get annoyed at people who check their phones as long as their cognizant of their surroundings. You don’t check your phone at a meal unless you are showing someone info derived from a conversation. Checking your phone at of pure boredom is also a trait people need to work on.

By Tom Stortz|2015-08-27T14:13:36-04:00August 27th, 2015|My Brain|0 Comments

Why Go To College?

Pitt, my alma mater

My parents paid for my college so if you’re reading this and still paying loans, you have every right to get mad at me for this post.

Today I was driving through a section of town where the individuals would be classified as “lower income”. My brain started thinking that most of these people probably never went to college and then I thought about my college experience. Is my 4 year college experience what actually separates me from these people with regards to job status and intelligence? If I spent my 4 years developing a skill instead of college, would I be further ahead or behind? How important was college?

I first asked, “what did I actually learn in college?”

Teamwork – I learned how to work in groups for class projects and reach a common goal that was bigger than what could be obtained by one person
Social Skills – I made dozens of friends from all over. My Freshman roommate was Indian.
Independence – I lived on my own 5 hours away with little interaction with my parents. It was me being me.
Education – I learned how to think. What I actually learned was irrelevant to my life.

A few College Experiences

Two chipped teeth

The first time I hit a bowl I blew the wrong way and the weed went all over the floor.
I got an underage the first week of school by beer bonging 5 beers in a 15 minute window. I went down some steps, the cops came, they said everyone leave, I walked up the steps holding my beer and stumbled right into a cop. I was the only one to get an underage.
I got frostbite on my foot after traversing North Oakland for hours in -10 degree weather.
I blacked out and made out with a swamp donkey who I couldn’t even fit my arms around.
I puked in the corner of a dance floor at a CMU frat house the very first time I drank at school. I made out with some girl shortly after thinking nothing was wrong.

A Real Opinion on College From Someone Who Didn’t Need It

I was a finance major. I was a B student and enjoyed the investing courses but wasn’t nearly as intelligent or hardworking as my peers. This could have been because I had a family business that I planned to move into after college no matter what. Most people in my situation would have spent as along as they could in school and given as little effort as possible. I went to every class and studied as hard as I felt I should to get by. I was just like any other student preparing for their future. The fact that I had a job lined up didn’t change my work ethic (although as I write this post it probably could have). So what did I take out of it?

Those 4 years were well spent. It was an in-state school and tuition was probably 15k a year which is about as much as school should cost. As I wrote before, I learned to think and how to work. Sitting in a library for hours straight finishing assignments is a testament to one’s work ethic. I carried that with me to what I’m doing now. It was a stepping stone to entering the real world.

Once I entered the real world, I really grew as a person. I took one week off after school and entered the workforce the Spring of ’05. I was green as can be as college didn’t teach me how to answer a phone and sell a product to the person on the other end. College never explained to me what credit card processor has the lowest rates. Or how to negotiate a deal for 20 Soldering irons. I learned that through 10 years of WORK experience which college could never teach.

I certainly don’t downplay the necessity for college but if a person has a work ethic and a desire to be what they want to be, college is really just a degree.

By Tom Stortz|2015-08-20T13:09:48-04:00August 20th, 2015|My Brain, My Life|0 Comments

This is Why I Don’t Post Often

Yesterday I cranked out 5 posts. Probably an all time high. When you post that often people start expecting posts spreading like wildfire but much to your dismay, that is not the case. I’ve got nothing.

I was going to post about the migrants from the Middle East infesting Europe but than I realized I know absolutely nothing about why it’s happening (aside from the Middle East being a shit place to live which is probably all there is to know) but my stance would mean nothing.

Then I read some article with 2 females passing the Elite Rangers military training for the first time in history which was pretty neat but once again my stance is about one sentence. Cool, now we can send women into battle to get shot and blown up. EQUALITY IS GREAT!

So that leaves me making a post about making a post which I’ve done plenty of times before. Better than nothing.

By Tom Stortz|2015-08-19T15:55:19-04:00August 19th, 2015|My Brain|0 Comments

The Difficulty of Sharing Thoughts

Sam and I both had posts today which I’d consider poor. Mine was a cut and paste from Reddit and his was a part 2 to a post which probably didn’t need a part 1. Why does this happen?

Simply put, living a life and blogging are two separate activities. How long do you think it takes to create a post with original content that people want to read? My feeling is that a minimum 1 hour needs to be spent on a post that generates any interest. Better posts can run 2-3.

When I arrive on Monday morning and haven’t posted since Friday, I scramble to post any content whatsoever. The only other possible post I could write would be a write up of my weekend which I pretty much hate doing because I’ve done it so many times. This is what I could have posted instead of the Reddit / Trump post.

I left work at 2pm on Friday to go golfing. I shot a 96. Adam and Bud shot 80, 97 respectively.
Friday night I lost $250 playing poker after starting with $400, dropping to $150, up to $750, then played a $1,200 pot when my 88 lost to 55 on a 55K 8 ( I didn’t even see the river) board.
After 4 hours of sleep I played kickball from 9am until 5pm on Saturday. We played 5 games and lost in the semi finals.
My entire body hurt (and still does) on Sunday and I decided to play golf. I shot a wretched 97 while the rest of my group made me look like a tard.
I watched True Detective and a bunch of other shows before I fell asleep.

There is no time for blogging. What I did wasn’t that exciting. A cut and paste from Reddit is all I could muster up or else I probably wouldn’t have posted until Tuesday night.

By Tom Stortz|2015-08-10T12:03:40-04:00August 10th, 2015|My Brain|0 Comments

Subtleties of Speech

Found this on a Reddit Board. Like always, the gold is found in the comments.

Life Pro Tips

Replace “but” with “however”, “although”, or even just a pause so your listener avoids negating the first part of your sentence.

When people hear “but” they automatically negate the first part of your sentence. This is why many people say “I’m sorry,but…” Isn’t a real apology — because whatever the second part of the sentence is trumps the sorry.

I’ve found its especially useful when you’re trying to avoid being accusatory or when you’re trying to bring up an issue without putting the other person on the defense because the pause required to replace the “but” will also make you consider how to phrase the rest of your thought better.

Person: You handled that customer well, but you can’t be so blunt.

Other person: you handled that customer well. However, next time you can try telling them in a kinder way.

Comments

[–]blargh12312312312312 [score hidden] 3 hours ago

Wrong! Those still negate the sentence. Use “and” instead.

By Tom Stortz|2016-10-29T12:27:14-04:00August 6th, 2015|My Brain|0 Comments

America, Fuck Yeah!

American flag flying in the wind

I’ve gotten over the initial attraction of Periscope (mainly because good feeds are hard to find) but one immediate point of interest is the look into other countries. I’ve now seen what people from Dubai (UAE), New Delhi (India), and Grottaferrata (Italy) look like. This appreciation of different cultures allows me to understand my own.

One comment in a feed of 3 American girls acting moronic in a dorm room smoking pot was “this is why ISIS hates you”. With that thought, I’ve decided to share my opinion of the country I live in.

How Did America Become So Strong, So Fast?
What boggles my mind about America is the fact that it’s only 239 years old. I suppose you could say it’s closer to 400 years old with the settlement of Jamestown but it’s still a baby when compared to Europe and Asia. So how did America rise the power rankings so fast?

The simple answer (and only answer I’m going to give for my lack of knowledge) is that it’s a democracy. The idea that the people rule is ground breaking compared to kings, rulers, and dictators. The United States mentality is that the people are free to think as they want and this is what separates us from the rest of the world. It’s the sole reason why we are “the best country” in the world.

America – The Best Country
I do not necessarily believe we are the best country for what it’s worth. There are so many factors to take into consideration and the US fails in many. They also have many strengths though which outweigh the negatives. A few examples:

The Olympics
The first “modern day” Olympics started in 1896. This medal table gives a look at the top 10 countries medal counts for both the summer and winter Olympics. Stay with me on this point because leading with the Olympics of why we are a good country is a stretch.

Ridiculous. It’s sheer domination. America loves sport and excels for the reason that the country doesn’t discriminate. Some countries dominate certain events and have nothing else. China has diving, table tennis, and badminton. Do you see the Chinese win track and field (minus Liu Xiang)? No. Asian’s aren’t traditionally tall and fast. However, the US pulls from every nationality. They are the most balanced. This idea far surpasses sports but is symbolism for how powerful it is.

Defense
The United States spends more money on defense than any other country and it isn’t even close. We aren’t to be fucked with. This is one year (2013) of spending.

The US has adopted the position of policing the world which I frankly don’t understand but I don’t think anyone can argue that strength doesn’t lead to power. It allow us to work on ideas without worrying about another nation blowing us up. You think that you could create a drone that delivers packages in Turkey right now? No. You’re worried about surviving the day. Defense leads to security which leads to the ability to think freely.

Unity
We are one. Europe is made up for 50 countries. We all speak one language. Europe has 23. Asia is still ruled by dictators. The middle east is too worried about religious beliefs to make any progress. Africa is, well, a place I know virtually 0 about.

The fact that we are completely separated from the rest of the world is a huge advantage because there is no fighting within. India fights its next door neighbor Pakistan repeatedly. Germany invaded the rest of Europe. We just chill on our own little Island advancing technology and taking from our lower class citizens so the smartest people can run the country. What a formula.

I’m actually curious to know what people think about this post. You live in this country. How do you feel about it? Do you even think about it?

By Tom Stortz|2015-07-31T11:39:48-04:00July 31st, 2015|My Brain|4 Comments

Revolutionizing the Restaurant Industry

As Evan and I were walking past the new Misconduct yesterday it was apparent that they were not open. Tables, chairs, and barstools were strewn all over. After witnessing this scene, a light bulb went off in my head which you’ll see from the picture below. (I have to comment that I shopped this like an idiot. Instead of making 1 finished table and chairs and copying it 4 times, I copied each component 8 times. You live, you learn)

Now you’ve seen Silcon Valley and the Optimal Tip to Tip (please watch if you haven’t) and this is utilizing similar principals. The physics haven’t been figured out yet but I’m telling you right now that this is the future.

Just imagine not only talking to the person across from you, but also the person underneath you. The dining atmosphere is electric.

Now of course the naysayers are saying that this can’t be done but stay with me for a moment. Restaurants are always trying to utilize as much space as possible and they completely forget about the ceiling. But what about “gravity”, duh? You’ve heard people use the terminology “but what if it were in a vacuum” and no one ever understands what this means but they just nod their heads accordingly. It’s that.

By Tom Stortz|2015-07-30T12:42:25-04:00July 30th, 2015|My Brain|4 Comments

Periscope Produces Riveting Content

I’ve been getting better at seeing which feeds are worth watching (look for the amount of people in them and well written descriptions) and have been finding better content. Here are a few highlights from my investigation.

Periscope Screenshots

Here were firemen rescuing a human from a car that went head on into another.

Here was live footage from a bball game played in “the cage” which is in New York. This game was intense. Full court press, refs calling fouls every play, and the crowd screaming profanities non-stop.

This kid was going to get hit with a stick if the Periscope group got to 60. I left before it did because he was hiding under a pillow which sort of ruined the challenge.

This was the sunset in Brooklyn, NY.

I don’t think I’ve ever been in a Hispanic house but this is kind of how I pictured it. Fat kid running around with no clothes. Big screen TV from 1990 that must weight 2,000 pounds. Organized but tons of trinkets.

This was an actual play being shown. I didn’t stay long.

This was a lightning storm in Arizona. I couldn’t capture the actual lightning with a screenshot but it was still pretty cool.

By Tom Stortz|2015-07-28T20:39:01-04:00July 28th, 2015|My Brain|2 Comments

Are You Addicted to Periscope?

Just a few minutes ago I watched a couple making out on a bench while their friends sang a song behind them. The guy went for 2nd base and an ass grab and the camera turned. I felt dirty. This is just the beginning because live footage is the best footage.

What is Periscope?

A month ago I was introduced to Periscope and learned that it is a live feed that is shown to your followers who are tuned in (think a television channel). Periscope is owned by Twitter which makes for simple integration if you have a twitter account. It was released on March 26th for IOS and May 26th for Android. It is “the future of the internet”. Feeds are broadcasted from all over the world and you give “hearts” by tapping the screen. The most popular feeds make the front page.

How is it used?

Random strangers let you into their life while they idiotically answer questions that are posed to them through chat. I’m of course being a bit whimsical in this description because it is far more powerful for people who know what they are doing. A great feature of Periscope is you never know what is coming next. Here are some examples of people I witnessed today.

This is Bree Olson. I’ve never seen a video of her without a penis in her mouth. Today she was at Cedar Point riding a roller coaster. There were over 2,000 people watching her stand in line. I repeat, watching her stand in line.

This was a guy from England who would take requests for songs and play them as they came reeling in. Once the feed got to have hundreds of people, the comments kept on flying in and he was getting exhausted going from one song to the next.

This is a surfer in Austraila. I have no idea how he is getting a connection out in the ocean but still cool to witness.

This is a girl who I assumed was just being hot but was actually a pornstar. She is easily the smartest person using Periscope that I saw. Her title was “getting ready for a night out” and this was her preview. Let’s just say that she had thousands of people interested in her every move.

My Thoughts After Use

It’s hard to find interesting feeds. Only 15% are from the US and people speaking other languages is pretty lame.
Most people suck. This is extremely sad but unless you are good looking, people are not going to pay attention to you unless you are doing a worthwhile activity.
Foreigners seem to think that the word “open” is the same as “show”. For example, open boobs.
The Live nature of the feed is incredible. It is bringing in an element that is so powerful that I don’t even think words can describe it. I bought more TWTR shares yesterday.
You NEED a Wi-Fi connection to run this and it will murder your battery.

Found this in 2 seconds.

In this last line I want to explain how incredible this app is. This app is going to shut down the news because civilians are going to be there first. Sports games (not just professional) will be shared by all your friends LIVE. Girlfriends are going to break up with their boyfriends using Periscope (I watched this happen today). This app is a game changer until it gets regulated because there will be too many perverts creeping and amateur porn being shown. Lord only knows when a murder will happen on a live feed. Scary shit.

By Tom Stortz|2015-07-28T07:50:58-04:00July 27th, 2015|My Brain|4 Comments

Sandra Bland’s Story is Not So Bland

I rarely read Buzzfeed but this investigating on Sandra Bland is pretty damn good.

Sandra Bland, a 28 year old black female, was arrested for an improper lane change which is bizarre in the first place. This video shows footage of the arrest. It starts at around 8 minutes and she is being difficult the whole time. It’s actually not as interesting as this next part.

3 days after this arrest, Sandra ended up dying in her cell. Police say it was suicide by hanging but skeptics are aplenty. If you read through the investigation, there are plenty of inconsistencies but this is the craziest. This tweet suggests that the cops had already killed her and then took the mug shot while she was dead lying on her jail cell floor. The photo is of a corpse.

her background is the same color as her cell floor… #WhatHappenedToSandraBland pic.twitter.com/s6n39dWtrp

— Nubia ❤ (@LaScorpio41) July 23, 2015

Then there’s this, where did she hang herself from?

This was apparently #SandraBland's cell. Do trashcans come in all cells? Where did she supposedly hang herself from? pic.twitter.com/wWdngqJJfp

— deray mckesson (@deray) July 22, 2015

1) Why was she pulled over for a lane change? I run red lights on the reg. Lord knows how many times I change lanes improperly.
2) Why wasn’t she cooperative at all? This bothers me because she makes a comment that she hit her head when the officer was being too rough with her and what if she died from that and they covered it up? Why the fuck are you giving the officer a hard time?!?!?
3) How did she die? She was already dead.

What a world we live in.

By Tom Stortz|2015-07-23T16:33:32-04:00July 23rd, 2015|My Brain|0 Comments

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