Ponderist - consider thoughtfully

The internet with Ads

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 29 Oct 2013 14:43:00 +0000

After a decade of using web browsers like avant, firefox, and chrome, I have forgot what the "real" internet actually looks like, thanks to ad blocking and no script extensions. But recently, my adblock chrome extension has been glitchy and only sometimes work.

The vail has been lifted and it is a horrid sight.

I forgot about all the text advertisements on the side of facebook and gmail. Pop-up ads are as annoying as I remember, when they were the dominate ad platform on the internet.

Even this webpage was a surprise. I forgot I put a few ads on here. They are annoying and its not like I have a lot of traffic or clicks on this site, so they are gone. Plus, they were either about guns/NRA, the GOP, or women. Imagine that.

Websites that I frequent were crazy, with ads everywhere. I really do not understand how people browse the internet without blocking ads. I would lose my mind. Especially with the shift to auto-play videos. What is the world coming to? But, things are changing.

I know, I know, to those of you who say advertisements are how the internet world works and operates. It is the main revenue generating source of huge companies like facebook and google.

According to a recent study, around 25% of web surfers use ad blocking software. That's it? Just a quarter? People need to see the light. The light that comes from all the whitespace on websites that were once filled with advertisements.

Expensive companies, but no profits

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 28 Oct 2013 18:39:00 +0000

This seems crazy, that these companies can get evaluated at worths this large without actually making any money.

Here is a link to the WSJ article discussing the possible bubble.

Big-government conservatives ruling from Raleigh

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:13:00 +0000

This is driving me nutty:

"For years we heard conservatives say that the government closest to the people governs best. But they were talking about Washington. When it comes to Raleigh, the new Republican majority has not hesitated to use state power to advance their own agenda – even if it means disregarding local sentiment."

I do not understand what is going on with the Legislature in Raleigh, North Carolina. The traditional norms of politics and parties are not holding true this year. The above article was even written before this bill came out this week, which would striking down local rules governing where smokers can light up.

They are also trying to do the same thing with environmental laws. Senate Bill 612 would require cities and counties to repeal any rules stricter than state or federal law. It would also require a list of environmental oversight boards and agencies to repeal or rewrite any state rule stricter than federal regulation on any given matter.

What is happening? Is it because Republicans were out of power for the last 100 years?

image via here.

Farm Time

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 06 May 2013 12:53:00 +0000

This past Saturday, we went up to the "farm" for the day to see some family. It was a good day spending time with them. We also went by the old Draper home-place Below are some photos of where the house used to be before it was demolished. It was a pretty, but very cool day for May in North Carolina.

Proposed North Carolina Bills

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:09:00 +0000

Edit: This site has a nice collection of proposed bills: studentpowernc.org

Information overload, so copying and pasting excerpts from the N&O here.

NC bill would ban co-ed apartments on UNC-CH campus

A state Senate bill filed Tuesday would prohibit UNC-Chapel Hill students sharing campus apartments with the opposite sex.

Last year, the UNC-CH Board of Trustees voted to allow students to live in suites or apartments with students of the opposite sex. Students said the move was necessary to give gay and transgender students comfortable living arrangements. Students of the opposite sex share common areas, but not bedrooms.

Senate Bill 658 says students of the opposite sex cannot be assigned the same suite, apartment or dorm room unless they are siblings or are legally married.

“UNC did not become a national leader in academics by wasting time and tax dollars on frivolous social experiments,” Sen. David Curtis, the bill’s primary sponsor, said in a statement. Curtis is a Lincoln County Republican.

Without election, limited power

Unelected local governmental entities such as special districts and authorities wouldn’t be able to impose taxes or condemn property without approval from the board of commissioners of the county they’re in, under a proposed constitutional amendment outlined in a bill filed Tuesday.

The bill is aimed at curtailing the power of local boards like the sewer district in Buncombe County and the proposed airport authority in Charlotte, which have generated controversy.

“They’re not scrutinized like they ought to be, and I think at the end of the day, if you’re going to condemn or tax you ought to have to go to somebody that’s elected by the people and get permission to do so,” Senate Minority Leader Martin Nesbitt of Asheville told reporters.

Nesbitt endorsed the bill by accompanying its sponsor, freshman Sen. Ben Clark, a Democrat from Fayetteville. Nesbitt said Clark came to him with the idea, and he liked it.

Nesbitt noted that some Republicans in the legislature have supported submitting to voters a constitutional amendment restricting condemnation, so he was hopeful there might be bipartisan agreement on this proposal, Senate Bill 705.

Bills would shorten early voting period, make absentee voting more flexible

New bills would change the way North Carolinians vote.

The state’s early voting period would be shortened and Sunday voting eliminated under one bill. House Bill 451 from House Majority Leader Edgar Starnes, R-Caldwell County, also would eliminate straight-ticket voting and same-day registration. And it would make nonpartisan judicial elections partisan.

The bill could help Republicans.

It would lop a week off the early-voting period, which Democrats have used more successfully than Republicans. It would also stop straight-ticket voting. Democrats cast 300,000 more straight tickets than Republicans in 2012. And by ending Sunday voting, it would stop the heavily Democratic “Souls to the Polls” efforts to get voters out after Sunday church services.

The bill also loosens the requirements for getting an absentee ballot. Under current law, the county of board elections can only issue an absentee ballot to the voter who has made a written request. That rule is gone under the new law which requires only a written request “signed by the requester.” In other words, anyone can come in with one or more written requests and gain absentee ballots.

Meanwhile, a bill introduced by Senate Rules Chairman Tom Apodaca of Hendersonville would eliminate public financing of judicial and other statewide races now eligible for it.

Blue Ridge Road District Study

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 16:21:00 +0000

I came across this again yesterday. The City of Raleigh has been working on a study for the Blue Ridge Road corridor which includes NC State's Carter Findley and BioMed Campus, the PNC Arena, the North Carolina Art Museum, the NC State Fairgrounds, and various private businesses and a few residential areas. They have drafted their final plan and will unveil it to council in the coming weeks.

One of the things I am most excited about is the planned changes NCDOT wants to do to the intersection of Blue Ridge Road and Hillsborough Street. I drive through that intersection at least 8 times a week and its a pain in the butt. Here is what they want to do:

How cool is that? They want to lower the road under the existing Hillsborough Street and railroad tracks. Too bad it probably won't be complete until 2020 or so, but I still think it is great. I think the whole plan is great actually. The area does need more hotels, restaurants, attractions, and residential development. It will definitely be more of a destination in the next 20 years.

Summer School Sucks

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 17:56:00 +0000

Summer school sucks. But, I have only taken one summer school class and it was research methods, so take my observation as you will. We really did try to cram a 10 week class in a 5 week time period and it did not work out so well.

The "unhelpful high school teacher" meme below summarizes the final exam last night.

GOP makes North Carolina better - Update x 2

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 20:35:00 +0000

When I first read about this last week, it gave me quite a chuckle. It must be nice to outlaw things we do not like or want to believe.

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To be fair (who does this anymore in politics?), they are doing this so the beach communities can continue to progress as usual, without have to start preparing (zoning laws and building codes) and paying for something that may or may not happen a 80 years from now. There are different studies by different scientists who forecast different measurements. It's just extremely funny we created a bill to ignore science. If you have beach front property in North Carolina, you should definitely sell it sometime this century though, or be prepared to spend a lot of money toward beachification efforts.

Thanks to the GOP for making North Carolina more interesting and news worthy. From education in Wake County, to making the poor not poor enough, to making civil unions unconstitutional, and now outlawing science, thanks!

6-7-12 Update:
Apparently the wording has changed in the new draft, but it still would exclude data considering the acceleration from climate change. Read more here. The WRAL article also contains information about where this push is coming from and who is behind it.

6-21-12 Update:
According to the N&O, the bill has been re-written: article It will be presented next week, so it will be interesting to see how they changed the wording.

Longest questionnaire e-mail forward thing ever, ca. 2002

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 25 May 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Since this is better than doing schoolwork and the internet does not know enough about me. Email chain questionnaire from 2002, minus a few stupid questions and answers I would rather not put out there for the world. 30 minutes of my life I will never get back. Great, great, grand kid, now you know me a little better <3

Name: James Draper
Nicknames: JD
AGE: 28
Birthplace: Raleigh, NC
Current Location: Raleigh, NC
Siblings: Sister
School: Appalachian State University and NC State University
Grade: ummm, 18th?
GPA: 3.75
Occupation: Business Manager
Car: Chevy
Pets: The nutty squirrels outside
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
LAST CD YOU BOUGHT: ummmm, its been like 5 years since I have purchased a real CD
LAST MOVIE YOU SAW IN THE THEATER: The Avengers
LAST MOVIE YOU RENTED: watched something on Netflix
FAVORITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL: Political Science
DO YOU ACTUALLY LIKE MATH?: A little
Fav. Car: Aston Martin
Dream House: Plenty of space
Fav Movie: Schindler's List
Fav. Food: Seafood
Fav. Sport: basketball
Fav. Hang-Out: I'm not 15 anymore....
Fav. Words or Phrases: wow
Do You Have A Sweetie?: yes
Do You Have Any Crushes?: ^^^
Have You Ever Kissed: thankfully
Who's The Last Person U Talked To: Ellen
Who was the last person you saw: Ellen
What're You Wearing: polo shirt, jeans, sperry's
What Is Your Pet-Peeve?: ignorance
What's Your Favorite Body Part On The Opposite Sex: PG-13
In 4 Words, Describe Yourself: whitty, intelligent, loving, super-awesome
FAVORITE ACTRESS: Natalie Portman
FAVORITE ACTOR: RDJ is the man
FAVORITE TV SHOW: LOST
FAVORITE SONG: <3 Taylor Swift
FAVORITE STORE: Best Buy?
DO YOU DO ANY DRUGS? Negative
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ON YOUR BUDDY LIST? omg, my buddy list. AIM no longer exists :p I have a lot of Facebook friends?
ARE YOU ON ANY SPORTS TEAM? Nope
HOW LONG ARE YOU IN THE SHOWER? 10 minutes. <3 showers
FAV. FOOD: pizza
WORST FEAR: losing people
FAVORITE COLOR: blue
BEST FEELING IN THE WORLD? Love and discovery
WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD? helplessness & misery
BILL CLINTON: good times
LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT: yeppers
ABORTION: curcumstancial
RAP: fine
MARILYN MANSON: was he relevant back then or something?
GUY BANDS: OMG, BSB 4 LIFE
SPICE GIRLS: fun
TITANIC: Its in 3D now....
JERRY SPRINGER: Is the show still on? Quick google search.... yes, since 1991
GOD: Love
DO YOU HAVE A JOB? thankfully
WHAT COLLEGE DO YOU GO TO OR WANT TO GO TO? This is my second one
DO YOU BELIEVE IN HEAVEN AND HELL?: yes
DO YOU BELIEVE IN ANGELS? yes
DO YOU BELIEVE IN ALIENS? yes
DO YOU BELIEVE IN YOURSELF? for sure
DO YOU WANT TO GET MARRIED? yes
WHAT DO YOU DO THAT MAKES YOUR FRIENDS MAD? act like an ass
DO U HAVE STUFFED ANIMALS? of course
DO YOU HAVE ANY BAD HABITS? probably
PEPSI OR COKE? Sprite
LETTERMAN OR LENO: either
MTV or VH1: MTV
SPICE GIRLS OR ALL SAINTS? Who?
BEVERLY HILLS 90210 OR DAWSONS CREEK: such a tough decision....
7TH HEAVEN OR PARTY OF FIVE: ^^^^
CHOCOLATES OR FLOWERS: Flowers
VANILLA OR CHOCOLATE: Vanilla
BLACK OR WHITE: White
SILVER OR GOLD: Silver
IF YOU COULD BE ANYWHERE RIGHT NOW, WHERE WOULD YOU BE? tropical island, taking a nap
WHAT ARE YOU THINKING AT THIS VERY MOMENT? <---- stupid question
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE SONG "PRETTY FLY FOR A WHITE GUY"? <3 offspring
ARE YOU A VEGETARIAN? no
FAVORITE KINDS OF CLOTHES: comfortable ones
THE LAST TV SHOW YOU WATCHED: Chopped!
HAVE YOU EVER....
BEEN ON A PLANE: yes
WENT SWIMMING IN THE OCEAN: yes
GONE SKINNY DIPPING: ish
CRIED IN PUBLIC: yes
LET A FRIEND CRY ON YOUR SHOULDER: yes
FELL ASLEEP IN THE SHOWER/BATH: no
FELL ASLEEP WHILE EATING: no
GONE TO CHURCH: yes
READ THE BIBLE: yes
CLIMBED A TREE: yes
WATCHED DAWSON'S CREEK: yes
GONE SKIING: nope
GONE SNOWBOARDING: yes
FELL ASLEEP DURING A SCARY MOVIE: nope
BEEN TO CAMP: yes
PLAYED SOCCER: yes
BEEN TO A MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL GAME? Boston Red Sox
SAW A PRO BASKETBALL GAME: in Charlotte, maybe?
SAT IN A RESTAURANT WITHOUT OUT ORDERING ANYTHING: yes
EATEN SUSHI: yes
EATEN FISH: yes
WANTED TO DIE: no
MET A CELEBRITY: maybe?
DRIVEN A CAR: yes
DIDN'T WASH YOUR HAIR FOR A WEEK: no
BROKEN SOMETHING VALUABLE: yes
BOUGHT ICE CREAM FROM AN ICE CREAM TRUCK: yes
USED YOUR PARENTS CREDIT CARD: yes
BEEN SCARED TO GET A SHOT: probably
GOTTEN A CAVITY: yes :(
SHOPPED AT ABERCROMBIE & FITCH: yes
SHOPPED AT OLD NAVY: yes
THOUGHT YOU WERE IN LOVE: knew
HAD AN ONLINE RELATIONSHIP: nope
WATCHED MTV AT 4 IN THE MORNING: probably
HAVE YOU EVER TIPPED OVER A PORTA POTTY: no comment....
MADE PRANK PHONE CALLS? ^^^^
CAUGHT A FISH: yes
SNUCK OUT OF YOUR HOUSE: nope
BEEN HURT BY A GUY/GIRL YOU LOVED: yes
GONE TO ANOTHER COUNTRY: yes
WET THE BED: probably
SEEN A SURVEY THIS LONG: for the love of all things holy

What are you listening to right now? nothing
What was the last thing you ate? or drank? water and chicken and cookies and bow-tie pasta
If you were a crayon, what color would you be? hue of blue
Where do you plan to go on your honeymoon? warm, tropical, secluded, oceanie
What is the weather like right now? warm and sunny
Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? my sweet mother
What's the first thing you notice about the opposite sex? the whole package (or whatever tends to stand out)
How are you today? glad its friday
Your favorite drink? Water
Your favorite alcoholic drink? Red Oak
How do you eat an Oreo? I don't
Favorite sport to watch on TV? Basketball and Football
What's the next CD you're going to get? Never again
Do you wear contacts? yes
Favorite month? January
Favorite day of the year? Christmas
Are you too shy to ask someone out? it depends
Do you like scary or happy movies better? happy
Summer or Winter? both
Hugs or Kisses? kisses
Relationship or one-night stands? both? :p
Weird facts about you? This is stupid

I forgot how to blog

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:02:00 +0000

Yes, I no longer know or remember how to blog. I am so used to shrinking my ideas and thoughts down to 140 characters or short posts on facebook. What do people blog about now-a-days anyway? My friend's already know 85% of what I do because of facebook and twitter. Am I supposed to give them more details?

I began blogging on Livejournal, way back when, before twitter and facebook existed. Back when MySpace was the bomb and everyone communicated through AIM. Thanks to the ever knowing internet, that journal is still live and public. I have to be careful if I ever run for office one day and be weary of what my grandchildren might ask me.

It looks like I used LJ from 2003-2007 and posted almost 800 times, mostly about my life, school, the news, and anything I found interesting. After that, I spent a little time on wordpress from 2008-2010, so it has been a while since I have actually had to think more than five seconds when I post something out to the world.

We'll see how this goes. :)

First Post

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 17:19:00 +0000

First post :) Just playing! Never used blogger before. To learn more about me: www.about.me/jamesdraper