1998, the Materialization

1. January 4, 1998 - "Materialization"

   Each year's Soapboxes have a theme. This year, it's materialization and profit. I'm cashin' in. I've been honing my skills, and now it's time I got noticed.

   
   
2. January 11, 1998 - "Our Reward"

   Christmas is over. Another semester remains until I see Anna again. Happiness reigns over sadness, though. I'll get to spend plenty more Christmases with my woman in her native land of Sweden.

   
   
3. January 18, 1998 - "Ben Calls the Shots...and Calls Them Right"

   Ally McBeal won some Golden Globes. I knew this show would be big when I first caught glimpse of it. On a bigger scale, I try to encourage just enjoying life and not getting bogged down with all the bullshit.

   
   
4. January 25, 1998 - "Goodbye to the Already Dead, or, I am Leksa, WebGrrl"

   There are certain people I really disapprove of on the Web. This personality, Leksa, is typical of many -- I can't stand her.

   
   
5. February 1, 1998 - "Let 'Em Hang, er, Fry, er Lie Quietly on the Table and Wait..."

   I discuss my thoughts on the death penalty and why I support it, in the light of the execution of Carla Faye Tucker.

   
   
6. February 8, 1998 - "MSIEnformed and Naive(gator)"

   I had to rant about the incompatibilities of Navigator and Internet Explorer sometime. All the talk on the Web about using this or that browser is just talk -- Internet Explorer supports more of the technologies web designers SHOULD want to see.

   
   
7. February 15, 1998 - "The Music Industry Finally Takes It Seriously"

   Reaction against the music companies' attempts to crack down on the MP3 movement, a technology that allows people to put CD-quality tracks into 3MB-5MB files for listening freely.

   
   
8. February 22, 1998 - "Letting Them Play Instead of Letting Them Bitch"

   I didn't think the U.S. should give Iraq so much room to maneuver when Iraq refused to grant access to the U.S. We shouldn't screw around with other countries. Nor should we take up business against other countries when the rest of the world doesn't support us.

   
   
9. March 1, 1998 - "More on Microsoft"

   The suit against Microsoft is mainly whining against the success story. Granted, Microsoft HAS muscled other companies, but Netscape is a victim of its own success.

   
   
10. March 8, 1998 - "Small-Time Sites Meet Major Corporations"

    Big companies are pushing around small web sites if they don't agree with their content. Precedents are now showing that the small web sites are winning their right to speak.

    
    
11. March 15, 1998 - "The Next Generation"

    I don't see the next up-and-coming generation of personal sites. This is bad news, because the old guard is no longer putting content online for whatever reason.

    
    
12. March 22, 1998 - "In the News"

    A little attempt at comedic journalism: sorority girls receiving catcalls, students firing upon other students, and boys loving girls.

    
    
13. March 29, 1998 - "De Familiaritate Scientiaque"

    I'm majoring in Latin, but I also am quite skilled with computers. My future is set.

    
    
14. April 5, 1998 - "It's Inconsequential"

    The media has a lot of excuses for how horrible the world is today. But none of their excuses are the sole reasons, and often they are the incorrect reasons, or even the results.

    
    
15. April 12, 1998 - "It Begins"

    I just landed a big, BIG job. This is my big break in the future that is held in store for me. Watch out, I'm dangerous. ;)

    
    
16. April 19, 1998 - "The New Hierarchy"

    Okay, the committees have spend FAR too much time deciding on how to place the Internet domains into hierarchical levels like .edu and .net. Here's MY set of top-level domains.

    
    
17. April 26, 1998 - "Love for the Personal Site"

    Doing commercial work can be tough if you want full control over the site. You lose something in commercial design that you keep in a personal site, and that is honesty, imperfection, and reality.

    
    
18. May 3, 1998 - "Ignorance and Elitism"

    I had to put up with some nasty remarks made by that cult which is fellow Latin students. I've witnessed a lot of things, but never this sort of snobbish and insecure elitism.

    
    
19. May 10, 1998 - "Stuck Around St. Petersburg..."

    I want to travel. Lots. I've been to many places in the world, already, but I want to travel more, more, more.

    
    
20. May 17, 1998 - "The Hard Life of a Celebrity"

    Celebrities bitch about getting too much attention, even though that's what they've wanted all their lives. Go figure. And the media is like a vulture now. For God sakes, lay off! Celebs are boring, anyway.

    
    
21. May 24, 1998 - "Dreams"

    I wish I had dreams which inspired me to come up with revolutionary ideas and instill passion in the hearts of man. But I don't.

    
    
22. May 31, 1998 - "The Magic of Jobs"

    Apple is making a comeback under Steve Jobs, but it has to change its main focus in order to be appealing to the brawny PC market.

    
    
23. June 7, 1998 - "An American Gothic"

    Gotta say I have an infatuation with gothic literature, from blood to family to murder to incest to decay to aristocracy to everything that we humans are. An explanation of my loves for gothicism.

    
    
24. June 14, 1998 - "Blowing It All Out of Proportion"

    Students who complain about how hard life is when, in reality, their lives are quite easy. In today's Soapbox! Tales of UT football stadium seating conflicts and jerkoffs who hate rich kids.

    
    
25. June 21, 1998 - "Conversation with Kitty #1"

    I learned a lot from my cat, Mookie, through talking to him every once in awhile. He offered up some spicy perspectives of how clutzy the human race can be. Yes, this is fiction and I'm not hallucinating.

    
    
26. June 28, 1998 - "College Applications Revisited"

    I understand now that I could've done much better on my college application essays, and that may have gotten me into more colleges than I did. Flashback!

    
    
27. July 5, 1998 - "Opinions Elsewhere"

    I don't see the point of Web journals and diaries. I want opinions, not human relationship struggles.

    
    
28. July 12, 1998 - "Tennis: WTA vs. ATP"

    Tennis has evolved much since the days of Billie Jean King and Chris Evert. And it's the women making all the racket these days, not the men.

    
    
29. July 19, 1998 - "The Neo-Nazis"

    The revival of the Nazis? Yes, it's not just happening in Germany -- even our friendly, ignorant American neighbors are trying to cash in on the 1940's most popular political bandwa...oh, wait, it's 1998?

    
    
30. July 26, 1998 - "Access is Power"

    Information wants to be free. It already is, online. My thoughts on commercialism clashing with the philosophy of the Internet and those who use it.

    
    
31. August 2, 1998 - "Buying a Computer"

    It's not easy buying a computer these days. Especially if you want to make sure you get the best system for your needs. I've prepared a little guide which may help you find the right path.

    
    
32. August 9, 1998 - "TV and Radio Across the Pond"

    Television and music are much different in Europe than in the U.S. I wasn't expecting this, but it's true. TeleText, MTV, and more.

    
    
33. August 16, 1998 - "Intel's Celeron: The Blunder or Wonder Chip?"

    Intel's Celeron has long been dismissed as a major failure. But recent overclocking tests have proved it to be the best value on the market.

    
    
34. August 23, 1998 - "The .plan Project of 1997"

    I kept up a few months' worth of finger .plan files, detailing my daily impressions and opinions. Previously unseen by many, until now.

    
    
35. August 30, 1998 - "Anna"

    I finally speak up about the summer Anna and I spent together, and the perks of falling in love and maintaining that relationship.

    
    
36. September 6, 1998 - "Domain Name Theft"

    People are paying companies sometimes up to $25000 in order to get the domain name they want. This is wrong -- this is not how the 'Net should be.

    
    
37. September 13, 1998 - "Self-Less"

    Stop expecting things from me.

    
    
38. September 20, 1998 - "Apple Elitism"

    Drop the 'Elitism' from 'Mac Elitism' and you have a great product. Thoughts on Apple's comeback and why it may encounter serious problems.

    
    
39. September 27, 1998 - "Pre-Millennial Tension"

    Computers have betrayed us, and will it hurt us while our guard is down? Discussion of the Y2K bug and its coinciding with the new millennium.

    
    
40. October 4, 1998 - "Miss Intoinette, Tale of a Young Debutante (I)"

    Catherine Intoinette begins her mail correspondence with her friend, Angeline. She details what events led her to her ill health. This is fictional. (hey, it may not be so obvious to some)

    
    
41. October 11, 1998 - "This Semester"

    Are you like me? Do you feel that people do not put enough of themselves into their journals? Well, this Soapbox will give you a good idea of the material facts about me.

    
    
42. October 18, 1998 - "Finding Myself"

    I'm frustrated with the progress and development of my writing and design. Whatever you may think of me, you're only dealing with a man who in many ways needs to mature.

    
    
43. October 25, 1998 - "Trust Me"

    Why don't you trust me? What haven't I done to earn your trust?

    
    
44. November 1, 1998 - "Men and Women and 'The Joke' "

    Rhonda likes Dave. Dave likes Alexi. Alexi li...shut the fuck up! Insightful commentary on some of the problems sex causes for me and the whole human race.

    
    
45. November 8, 1998 - "Translating and the Meaning of Words"

    I think that it is now more important than ever, with global communication and international business, among other things, for us to be able to speak the language of other people. So why is the U.S. taking away foreign language requirements for students?

    
    
46. November 15, 1998 - "Nec Me Miserum Cibus Iuvaret Nec
    Somnus Tegeret Quiete Ocellos"

    A short story about a man who did not deserve the fate he was spun. Imagine only needing to sleep to reach Heaven. Under all that pressure, could you do it?

    
    
47. November 22, 1998 - "Nappy Hair"

    Some bland and shallow thoughts on the book _Nappy Hair_ and the students' parents who were offended by a teacher who read the book in her class.

    
    
48. November 29, 1998 - "Web '98: Prognostication"

    The naivete of the Web clashes with corporate culture web design. Who wins out? Is there any possibility expression can survive in the cutthroat world of commercial web site production?

    
    
49. December 6, 1998 - "Online Relationships"

    Online relationships DO work out, and I've got an Anna here to prove it. Plus, some actual research!

    
    
50. December 13, 1998 - "'Thief: The Dark Project', A Personal, Unabridged Review"

    Sure, Half-Life is a great game, but it came out at about the same time Thief did, and hence a classic game was perhaps overlooked. Check out my review of Thief. Anna and I gorged ourselves on everything Thief for about two weeks as we played through it.

    
    
51. December 20, 1998 - "The Unsettling Presence of Man"

    Man has left his mark on this world, and if you are the type who wants to escape the presence of man, you're in no fucking luck. Some thoughts on what information is doing to us.

    
    
52. December 27, 1998 - "A One-Car Accident"

    ...reliving the experience of an accident which involved no one else except me. Why did it happen? Was it a message? Or was it just stupidity? I wouldn't want to be a fool for making a miracle out of a mere coincidence.