30 Days w/o Googling it: Day 18

The world is very small and technology has made it even smaller. Innovation has never stopped us from making new discoveries atop the many accomplishments we've made thus far. but over the past couple of days, I've been to libraries, meet-up discussions, and presentations, all leading up to one thing... There is no guardrail to protect us and guide us to effectively use all this new technology.

We all have the same amount of hours in the day as the great Leonardo Da Vinci, Shakespeare and even Oprah. Why havent we accomplished as great of an accolade as those who didnt have the technological pathways we have now when they 1st started? All these things were suppose to make our lives easier and free up all the mental space that could be used on other things like more studying, self-awareness/improvement, or building better personal relationships. Instead we have just given out all our needed data for computers to process. The sad part is, its not like its an overwhelming amount of data. Dont believe me? Turn off your smartphone; now tell me how many numbers you know by heart. Myself included, its a little embarrassing. We're all not CEO's, Doctors, Lawyers, or even College Professors, so what are we using our brains for?

"When's the last time you went to the library or bookstore? Internet scholarship can only take you so far." a friend

We've forgotten how to multi-task, time management is a struggle and even dating has become digital due the lack of face-to-face, in comparison to face-to-screen. I'd hate to have to video chat for the rest of my life but by the looks of it may come to that. (So every comestically challenged person is screwed) no one wants to look at a ugly phone, more so a ugly person. (so dont raise the nose at me) I believe that instead of breaking down walls, we've built them up. Increasing our xenophobia and superficial characteristics to the point where we have all become very predictable statistics.

The problem isnt websites like Google and Facebook, its how we use them and who uses them and their collected data/statistics of us to interact or avoid us. (If you know what SEO and BCC is then you understand) but there may be a light at the end of this tunnel vision... Allow me to introduce WATSON

Watson, the IBM super computer that was on Jeopardy this past week, is the...well... idk. To IBM and other intellectuals see Watson as the future for processing multiple megatons of data in matter of seconds for the medicine and other thing. I saw Watson on jeopardy and was impressed, then horrified, then questioned "what if learns how to NOT shut down?". It was a great achievement to see Watson beat Jeopardy's record breaking champions Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter. In short, Watson Won a 3day battle effortlessly, IBM gave the money to charity and now you Can Play Watson in online game to see how he Plays Jeopardy--> HERE . (Mind you, Watson has gotten some answers incorrect)

I cant get into the specifics of how Waston works but IBM has made some great videos to explain.

After the recent win of Watson, here comes GOOGLE... some ask

Could Google Play Jeopardy Like IBM’s Watson? well...it's in the works. Watson already knows how to play jeopardy, speak common english, understands slang/context clues and reasons with confidence (percentage) of his answers. Now if Google figures out a way to out play Watson... say hello Sky-Net, Matrix, i-Robot...sheeeeit even Wall-E!! *side eye*

yeah I said it, think about it...better yet Google it

30 Days w/o Googling it: Half way There!

Valentines Day just passed and I spent it like no other V-day of my past. So while others were celebrating the commercialized hallmark holiday of Ego-boosting Females and financial manipulative men, I was reading the news on how Google wants help you further your love life.

Allow me to introduce "GOOGLE WEDDINGS" (seriously!)

Google weddings makes it easy to customize and edit your wedding website to fit your event and share the information you want. Tell people your engagement story and wedding details using one of the custom designs. Once you find the style that works best for you, jump in, start creating and share with your fiance(e) so you can work on it together.

Now you can share and plan your love story with google. Its almost as if they are saying "if it didnt get posted online, it never happened". So with that being said, What other memories must we digitize to make sure it is never forgotten? Allow me to also introduce to you "Google Holocaust".

According to a NYT article, Israeli Archive and Google Team Up to Put Holocaust Stories at Fingertips. .... (check it out)

Well, I know what youre thinking... "how does someone who is trying to avoid Googling finding out all this Google info?" ... Well, lets just say that it takes alot of attention to ignore someone or something. It all sticks out like a thumb and I'm not pointing any fingers but *points to self* Some people need the reality check to get in touch with the "offline world". We cant just sit around and wait to be acknowledged in order to feel the need to be proactive and learn from the everyday. I've even impressed myself and beat a long time fear of mine. I went to the Library and got a Library card.

When I was in 3rd grade, I use to LOVE the library until I moved one day before returning a poetry book. I always read that little sign in the back that said "10 cent a day late fee" and you know the rest, I plea the fifth. Do you want to know the best part of when I went to the New York Public Library? While staring at an array of books, people and computers with index logs to business journals, there was this fellow at the PC and what was on his Screen... the Damned Google Homepage. Seriously, who googles in a library ( and the business and fashion library at that)

I highly doubt that he asked the librarian: Where are books on Restaurants? LIBRARIAN: Google it!

14 more days to Go. (Sidenote, I havent asked jeeves, yahoo, bing, or any search engine...its just that google is the Official "I-Dont-Know-Dot-Com".

30 Days w/o Googling it: Day 11

"11 Days have passed and I dont think Imma make it"

Those words will be the last thing that I'll say because I didn't begin this journey blindly. I made sure I got all the News apps and E-Subscriptions to blogs and News sites. I even have been turning this into my own independent study but I've often found my self saying "Crap I cant google it?!". Its almost as if apart of my brain is reserved just for Googling questions. So I've made a list of all the things in the past couple of days that I would have googled.

Things I stopped myself from Googling

• Is there a medical condition that makes your face look like Botox Gone wrong?
• J Walter Thomas?
• Super Bowl Ads
• Google Goggles
• Applied entropy
• How much rubber do you accidentally ingest at Chipotle?
• Who's black lady on Saturday night live? and...
• Pictures of Luxury

Then it hit me. Where is the Priority of my need for this information? Everything has become so on demand; the only importance is that I want what I want NOW.

Companies know this, but they wont make you none the wiser if they can Capitalize off of your internet dependence. In the recent my research I found that (according to Quantcast) The TOP 3 internet Websites are

1st		google.com
2nd		facebook.com
3rd		youtube.com

Did you Know :

YouTube: 91.5 Million Visitors Per Month
Largest demographic is 18 - 34 (35%)
Next largest: 35 - 49 (24%)
Third largest: 13 - 17 (19%)

Flickr: A top photo-sharing site: 2 Million Visitors
Largest demographic:

Wikipedia: 76 Million Vistors

GOOGLE:

146 Million (Per Quantcast)

Most visited site in America

And Im not even getting in to the money that's being made. But if you really want to know how big this REALLY is, Nokia and Microsoft have teamed up (made an actual pact) to take on Google and Apple. You see, they've projected that 3/4th of America in the next 3 yrs will have a mobile device, that means more money and more information they have to collect to stay relevant and connected to YOU. So...They stress the importance of Social Media (to connect and collect data).

Now, I've been using twitter to Network with all sorts of people and its NOT powered by Google...BUT according to the article I read "Are Google and Facebook trying to buy Twitter?" it might happen.

Maybe the folks from my last post were right, I cant run. But I will HIDE in the Library.

Maybe, this is all for nothing, or maybe I need to get laid? IDK Google it.

30 Days w/o Googling it: Week 1 down

So...what happened to me in my 1st week without googling my answers? I can honestly say, my awareness has come up a little more.

Along the way I've been having very interesting conversations ie; Google powers over 60% of all search engines on websites, Google is suing bing for copying their search results, and the mixed feelings Walmart is giving New Yorkers. All random info that sprung from conversations with people. Since I am not searching online for the answers, I was more intrigued.

The US and NY local news media doesnt give you all the up-to-date news until it is already a problem. Google would be a great place to find more breaking news but I forgot how many activist friends I had; while I was online, they were in the streets handing out pamphlets. I learned about the certain details about the problems in Cairo. For a few days they shut down the internet (no fb or twitter access) and shut down blackberry service. I asked myself what if they shut down internet in the US and how would they do that?

So far all the problems that I've run into are not as a result of not using Google. Half of the anwsers that i wanted to search for were of pure laziness. I caught myself asking: what the website for UPS? and Whats the number for Dominoes?... shameful. But if we could pull up half the things people google, my walk of shame wouldn't be so lonely. however, a lot of people have told me that they cannot live without Google, they admit they wish that they didnt rely on. A few even think that Google is "inescapable" and "slowly taking over the world".

With rockmail, google goggles, etc... they just might buy Disney soon. ( 2012??)

Whatever.

The Rules still apply. I'll still use my twitter feed, news feed apps and peer-to-peer conversations but just wont google anything or use any web generated answers.

Final thoughts: Am I taking myself out of the Digital box or putting myself into a primitive one? Google it.

30 Day Challenge: DO NOT GOOGLE IT!

Have you ever had a question and asked a friend that didnt know; only to hear the answer "Google it?"

Well, I think that Technology has made us more out of touch with each other. Everyone has become so specialized in what they do that they no longer know any information outside of their fields of interest or hobbies. Do you mean that NO ONE in your circle of contacts know the answer? Why do you feel so comfortable to refer me to google as the "answer to answers"? What were we all doing before search engines gave us perfect selections of 1-liners to enlighten us for 5 seconds? So I've come to a conclusion.

I Will No Longer Google it

(Where did I get the Balls to do that..well)

While speaking with a new friend/blogger that I met on twitter, she told me about various interests and disciplines that she holds herself to. Admirable! I figure this will be the best time to see if I can resist getting answers the easy way. This may be stupid because the semester starts TODAY but hey, Real Research might just get done. And no this isn't a radical attempt for black history month Spirit but it will give me more of an appreciation for those before me who did great things before the digital advancement of ask.com.

What do I do hope to gain? More Human interactions, More Networking, More Self reliability and the comfort of knowing that if the electricity goes--I wont be completely hopeless, gripping on to dear life, like those BBM'ers who haven't found a case to put their damn phone (no Shots)

So I will continue to Post these Adventures... but feel free to drop any questions or Comments/suggestions that cant help me De-google My life.... and That means that if I have ANY Questions... I will ask a Person, read a Book and avoid any websites that spew info with citing.

Do you think I'll survive?? Google it, sucka

Did you MISS ME!!!?!?

How have you all been? My year of 2009 was WILD. Then 2010, was just insult to the Deep injury. NOW, Im back and it's been a long time coming. 2011 is much more than just a year to me, it the step to really put my face out there after a LONG hiatus.

So to Bring you up to speed, this blog was originally about me sharing my mind, explain the back story to the poetry that is "InFo" and making myself a better person. Thus, a journey of "Finding a Defining Definition". Alas, the world got crazy and demanded me to get off the internet. Now, thanks to twitter, I am back sharing my thoughts about the world, life and the Pursuit of happiness via being the Honestly reckless Fireball of Awesomeness that I am. I hope to use all my SAT words more and pimp this page out to be "ab-fab"(was that too gay... *Shrug*) as others have done. I also think I suck at writing about myself, so if you wanna do a interview with me, so I can update the one i already have, let me know. My Resume is so fly, it even surprises me at times. I've just been a selfless person and in hopes of really enjoying myself as I should, hopefully you'll enjoy me and my words too.

So allow me to REALLY reIntroduce Myself!!! (sidenote: I like to use Caps in the middle of words, at time, Im anti-upTight like that) So in order to keep this "out with the old and in with the new" attitude, this is the last poem that I wrote in 2010. Enjoy

Parallel Mirrors

She told Me

"You don't know how to make love"

This was not a question

But a statement, that lied dormant waiting to cum

Shocked at the fact that 3 minutes ago was climax

3 hours ago, I kissed eyelash and

6 Months ago, we were sprung

Where even the little things mattered

Hidden behind laughter

Was the shattered parts of us.

Mirroring fragments of former selves that we've unplugged

With dissapointments from the powerhouse of love

Attracted by the spark of you that I was

Plus, you also felt the glow from me that you used to be

Thus, We chased ourselves in the scars of anothers heart

As if to trace treasure maps to the start

Before we lost what we had

Like first drafts,

We thought we found our other half

I now know why we were contemplating

Because disaster's waiting

Emotionally Masturbating

With our lovers words, lips and

Hands

Wrote lust letters

As love letters

Sent them through kisses

To each other that we've forgotten

Them complain that we never got them

I Short changed myself this week

"i love u" is an "i owe u" receipt

I say to give my head peace

But only on my bed sheets

Standing naked in front of you

Hoping to see myself in full view

Looking for my own approval

But now, I'm surprised to see my reflection in her at all

Vicariously acting like mirror

Mirror, on the wall

Have I fixed this portrait?

Am I really this distorted?

Questions go on for days

Like 2 paralled mirrors in a hallway

And I heard her say

"you don't know how to make love"

While we mentally talked to ourselves as she looked at me, I agreed.

...No. ....We don't.

Copyright © 2011, DK-InFo Da Poet

All rights and privileges reserved by author

This poem (like many of my others) was a freewrite that I did because I couldn't sleep one night. A piece of me just wanted to highlight the fact that people use relationships to love themselves. I often ask myself "Why do I LOVE making Love?". Is it shameful to love yourself as you would a real person? I once had a convo go like

ME: I take myself out on dates, I'm awesome, I deserve to love Me

HER: You take yourself out on dates?? *make a :-/ face

ME: Well, yeah, did you expect me to practice on you? haha, but seriously, why shouldnt I?

*She's become silent*

Well, I was just being witty to the fact that I dont mind rolling to the movies alone. But Obviously as a dude, its expected for me to chase a skirt to spend my money. By who? idk, but what I do know is that when I bring things like this up, no one says otherwise but wouldnt stop me if I did think like that. Self Love as a black Man for himself, is hardly encouraged or seen in a positive light ( if so please drop some InFo on me). But one thing i do notice is that when i put these thoughts into a poem...people responded honestly with/to me. I'm not Trying to be perfect, i just wanna love myself, through me...and find my own Defining Definition of self love

More to Come.

Modeling More Than Clothes

This Picture is of a NUDE Pregnant Model.... I love this pic.... Now you probably seen this Pic b4 @ my New Profile at GS poetry as my Eye.n.F.o (InFo) Logo... This pic Speaks to me on a Certain Level of Wisdom that I believe was captured perfectly by the Paint Artist, Photographers, and the Model.

It has even crossed my mind to do modeling after a couple of poetry realted Photo shoots I had to do.

But I have a couple of friends who are models and photograpers that currently give me hook up / incite on this new world. Even this one miss , had asked me

"Do you think i should be a Model?"

"Nah, dont you have a resume out for this other job?"

Now this honestly wasn't the anwser that she wanted, but after we had a Fall out she went and did a shoot... they dont look bad* ( Thanks photoshop) but they dont classy either. Then I saw a couple other people that well, looked like Video Hoes.. srry not Vixens but , Hip-Hop Honeys dont appear in Elle, Marie Claire or even Essense Mag. I was even shocked to find that one of my friends did a Nude shoot with my male friend for her Portfolio... and I knew her since i was 11... ( disturbing b/c it just funny seeing som1 you know til this day ) and after all this I ask....

What exactly are we modeling? I knew these ppl for a while. What are your Motives and Thoughts when you are doing this Ladies.... and Gentlemen... Its A shame to even see the dudes somtimes.... Yes You!!, not the shake drinking, eye-candy, flex'ers ... but the Photographers who jump at the chance to get the craziest shots of hungry, eager, wanna-be's... and then Post um on the the internet.... Seriously? Dont you know Its the WORLD WIDE WEB...

Recently while on the Radio with Writer's Block, I was told BECAREFUL with the Net b/c even if you delete a poem/vid/interview/picture you can never really take it back... Perfect Example----> KANyE<----- He gets his ass handed to him half the time for being real ( YES- Keeping it Real can go Wrong) "after you try to attempt a removal of the Content you can never remove the effect it had on the people who were already exposed to it..." ( response to " the territory of role models")

If you got it flaunt!! Intellect, Wisdom and Being Real

yes we tend to slip up now and then but- a porn looking a shot, eww- "Please Get me a Tissue" ( well some1 sumwhere is is going to say that.. )

Seriously, We have to becareful not to taint our Public image b/c you never know who or how they will stumble across it. Thats why i will become a Model and Run the Race to model more than clothes and a Pretty Face...Imma be a Role Model

Its hard but Someone has to do it. Just remember that if its easy, most of the time it ....probably isnt right... you know the rest...

Im just Surprised by some of the choices ppl my age have made along the way.... Im not judging...okay maybe i am , but still, Class before Pride should always be kept in mind when defining a definition of your life to others... b/c a lil can go a long way

For Example http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXFgFYmT9qQ

Enjoy