1 commentsFrom now on, not only will my writing be available for everyone's enjoyment on the greatest website on the internet (andyposner.org) it will also be available on the 15th most popular website on technorati (http://www.treehugger.com). Yes, that's right, I'm now a Cars and Transportation writer for treehugger! I get paid between $16 and $20 per post, plus I get bonuses depending on how popular my post is. I will be posting on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. My first post can be read athttp://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/11/honda_unveils_fuelcellcar.phpBe sure to "digg" my posts: that's how I make more money! The cool thing about the job is that it forces me to become more economical in terms of my use of words. The posts aren't long (generally 200-500 words) and they obviously have to get people's attention. Beyond that, I have to learn more about the latest trends in transportation.Of course, the only downside, aside from the fact that I will have to be spending about an hour to an hour and a half per post, is that I have to personally approve all the comments, and so far I have gotten about 5 in the first hour since my post was posted! Oh well, I'm pretty excited about the job. If nothing else, it seems like a great way to network, get my name out there, and add something to my CV.So, check out my writing on treehugger, but don't let that interfere with your obsession with my website. After all, mine is the greatest website on the internet!
0 commentsAt first glance, my body seems to be a paradox: I have a very strong immune system, yet I get sick all the time. What can explain this most intractable of problems? Well, it turns out that my frequent bouts of illness are not related to germs, viruses or infections and, therefore, have nothing to do with the strength or weakness of my immune system. I get sick because I get overly excited. It's that simple. Nearly every time a cascade of ideas, plans and projects washes over me, my body shuts down and starts to ache; my head begins to throb; my eyes get dry and scratchy; and my throat gets sore. It's gotten to the point that I can predict when it will happen-and still be powerless to stop it. The onset of these symptoms wouldn't be so bad-and they aren't that bad, since, as they aren't symptoms of a real cold, they go away much more quickly-if it weren't for the fact that they are part of a larger cycle that goes from idea to excitement to sickness to exhaustion to disappointment. But let me back up for a moment. I should mention that the underlying cause of this cycle is that I demand greatness of myself and, if i feel I am not achieving it, I push myself beyond my limits. I do so for the simple reason that ever since I "discovered" the idealism of the Romantics when I was 16, I have heard people tell me that idealism is but a phase of my life that I would grow out of. I understood even then that it's not that the ideals are bad, but rather that most people choose not to live up to them.
0 commentsI cannot sleep. Or rather I choose not to because I prefer to pursue the course of thoughts pulsing through my mind. Today is thanksgiving, a holiday, and one would suppose that I would "take the day off." But I no longer know what that means. Being in a position where I am able to let my mind roam freely, yet know that that roaming will lead to a thesis, a job, a career path, means that I can dream audacious dreams made all the more powerful by the realization that I can truly make them come true. Every time I come up with a new idea more audacious than the last my first reaction is "hold it there. Let's not get ahead ourselves." But then something amazing happens: I read an article or a book, or a meet with a professor, and I come to understand that rather than holding myself back, I should be thinking even bigger.
0 commentsThe First Snow
They told me the first snow is the purest,
its pristine whiteness but a precursor of slush and muck;
They told me the first snow brings with it
A fierce flurry of joy that dissolves in a puddle of discomfort;
They told me the first snow is the snow
That satiates the senses, and sends sunshine scurrying to other climes.
I did not listen. I merely watched water fall
While steam rose from my mouth to meet it.
The landscape, transformed by a cold shower of color,
Appeared every instant content, every instant eager for change.
My cheeks and eyes alike glowed with the indifference of an indigent flame,
And my body gave up its warmth so as to retain its bliss.
11/20/07
0 commentsWednesday, November 14th, 2007 Sometime today, 23 years ago, I was born. 23. There is something about that number that is so much more mature sounding than 22. Maybe it's the loss of that second hard "T" in "twenty-two:" alliteration smacks of youthful insouciance, does it not? Until now I have always been able to claim that I was young for what I was doing; I started college when I was 17, and I started grad school at 22. Now that I'm 23 people pretty much expect me to be where I am. In other words, my age has lost its luster.
Click here to download a PDF of my complete thesis. Questions and comments are much appreciated!
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It is late and my mind should be drifting through the colorful abyss of deep sleep, yet instead i find that tonight sleep will not come. I am like a hungry flower who dreams of bees so ardently that all…