Hello!

Sorry for the recent inactivity folks.  I've recently started interning at a tech startup called Jux.  Jux is a relatively new digital publishing platform.  It's stylish and modern.  Web design is changing and Jux lies at the end of the web design spectrum opposite dull 90s websites.  It fills the gap between pure sharing sites (Facebook and Twitter) and blogs (Wordpress and Blogger).  Jux's closest competitor is probably Tumblr.  However, Jux gives the individual an identity that gets lost in the atmosphere of reposting that exists in Tumblr.  Plus, it just looks stunning!  I wish I had a tablet jux to browse Juxes on it.

Now, I'm not here to promote Jux (well, I am. Use it).  I'm just trying to explain why I haven't updated this blog recently.

To be or not to be; that is the question.  And another question is: to keep blogger or not to keep blogger.  My Jux (www.jshiau.jux.com) is here to stay.  But should I keep my Blogger?  Blogger is great for text.  Jux is definitely more of a visual medium.  Of course, Jux has an article option but I only want to Jux if my content is high quality.  That means it's not suited for a quick and dirty dump of text or ideas so I'll need to give it more thought and effort (which is not a bad thing).  Anyways, I'll probably keep my Blogger for now (and try to post more frequently too! I know I keep saying that).

Check out Jux!

Over and out...

A Richer Life

The whole of all your experiences, when pieced together, make up the lens through which you view the world.  The richer and more diverse your life is, the easier it'll be to see the world in its numerous dimensions.  Every thing that happens to you expands your ability to relate to others (including non-humans).

There are things that you can't imagine, can't fathom, without experiencing it firsthand.  For example, love.  What is love?  I know what platonic love and unconditional love is.  But I've never been "in love."  I can watch as many movies and read as many books as I can but they are not sufficient substitutes for possessing the real feeling.  People say that "you will know" when you experience it.

Step 1: Experience. Step 2: Write in sand.

Recently, I went skydiving.  Jumping out of a plane is something I've always wanted to do in my lifetime.  It's also something that is hard to truly fathom.  I've seen movies where people skydive and can only imagine what it feels like.  You need to experience it to comprehend the feeling.

My Literary Endeavor

What is the year 1991?  It is a possible future of literature.  It is a project born from the notion that technology has the potential to enhance literary experience.

The Year 1991 is designed to provide a real-time experience for the reader.  Each episode will be released through a blog post as if the character is posting it himself.  I'm not even sure what I should call this endeavor.  It's not a novel.  It could be considered a collection of related short stories.  But there will be more to the experience.  I'm even thinking of incorporating Twitter into the real-time aspect of the series.  

Honestly, you'll get the best idea of what I'm talking about by reading it.  Take the dive here --> the year 1991

BTW, I would love any feedback you have!

Path to Good Writing

First of all, I need to post more.  I should promise a post a week.  Therefore, if I miss a post, I shall be branded a liar and sentenced to a week in the village stocks.  Oh, the ridicule I would have to endure!  Although, the experience could be something to write about.  People like to read about failure, no?

I'm a horrible writer.  I've known since I was a wee little boy in elementary school.  My stories were one-dimensional, featuring characters that woke up, brushed their teeth, ate breakfast, and did things that any average homo sapien sapien would do on a bright, sunny summer day.  Writing was never in the scope of my plans-for-the-future radar.  I scoffed when my parents suggested that I become an author when I was little.  Writing?  Hah!  I might as well be an astrophysicist (sadly, that never worked out)!

I didn't really look like that, in case you were wondering.

My writing continued to disappoint me throughout my primary schooling.  I was never taught proper grammar.  Of course, I was taught basic grammar in elementary school.  A period here and a comma there.  Semicolons?  Colons?  You'll learn how to use those in middle school, my teacher said.  Great!  Hello Ms. Middle School Teacher, I'm ready for my grammar lesson!  Oh, how I was shot down!  Dear, you should have learned your grammar in elementary school.  But, stay tuned, you might learn some advanced grammar in high school, cute little prepubescent boy.  I wish I knew how to roll my eyes back then.

(To my english teachers.  I may be exaggerating a little bit.  Y'all were awesome.  I merely critiquing the state and city curriculum.)

The Prototype of Future Man

"Prototype of Future Man"

I was built for this day and age.  The 21st Century.  The Information Age.  The Digital Age.  It doesn't matter what you want to call it, the fact is, I was born at the right time.  Don't get me wrong.  Like everyone else, I fantasize about living during other time periods.  I'm often loading my musket in the Revolutionary War, trudging down the Silk Road, loading an arrow while defending a medieval English castle, conversing with Socrates, or organizing an uprising against the totalitarian government of the dystopian future.  However, consciously, I would not change a single fact about my life.  Even if you gave me a googolplex number of chances to change the date I materialized in this world, I would choose Jan. 12, 1991 every time.

Why is this time in history so perfect for me?  Why have I always considered myself the "prototype of future man?"  The answer lies in who I am, what I believe in, and how I was raised.  I'm definitely not the first of "my kind."  But this "new kind of living" is something that has always been intuitive to my being.  And because it is natural to me, it's hard for me to express my mindset to other people.  Here is my attempt at it.  

Dawn of a New Day

Unwillingly, I've been, for most of my life since middle school, a night owl. Throughout the years, I've entertained the notion, the ideal, of waking up early everyday. It was my desire to start off the day with the sun on the horizon, a coffee in one hand, and a paper in another. Then I would have time to work out, meditate, read, write, or do whatever I wished in the wee hours of the morning. It was picture perfect, but this dream never became a reality.

There were times when I would attempt this feat.  However, the nature of a college student's life is one that is hard to overcome.  But there was always a glimmer of hope when all seemed dark. The odd days when I did manage to gain consciousness when the rooster cockle-doodle-doed, I felt good. I relished the crisp morning air. I knew that one day, I would have the strength to conquer my broken sleep cycle.

Today, the rooster called and I responded. At 7:15 AM, I dressed and marched off the gym, smiling. I was triumphant. The day has been spectacular. I had time after working out to do three loads of laundry, clean my room, clean the bathroom, and dress up for class. But this victory is just the first of many battles. Every day will be a struggle until I make it a habit, a part of my routine.

Hopefully, I can pull through this time. As Bob the Builder and Barack Obama said...


Update:  That plan has been interrupted.  I've actually slept at 10:00 AM and 7:00 AM the past two days. I was just working hard on a movie, my friend and I are submitting to Campus MovieFest.  Everything, including school, has been pushed to the wayside.  Actually, I really enjoy just focusing all my energy on one goal.  I should do this more often.  Sigh.  Stupid school is always in the way.

Update: Today is 3/7/12.  I've failed with this whole waking up thing the last few weeks :(  I must prevail!