If your cell phone is charged at 50%, doesn't that mean it's halfway charged or halfway empty?

I would say halfway empty because anything below an 80% battery gives me anxiety.

Sometimes, 5am can feel just the same as 11pm to me. I'm not sure what sort of weird internal clock I was born with, but I've come to somewhat fully accept my lifelong sleep issues as a part of who I truly I am. There's no sleeping pill, breathing exercise, diet or routine that has ever been a dependable solution to my insomnia, and so here I am typing.

When I was living abroad in Thailand for years, I often went long periods without the Internet. The connection at my apartment was so outrageously slow and undependable, that I couldn't bear myself to pay for it any longer. I would spend more time trying to get a connection rather than being connected, and so I learned to live without it.

Instead, I would go somewhere in the daytime that had wifi, and download as much stuff on my iPad as possible to use for that night. I never had a television during my 2 years in Bangkok either, so my studio apartment was nice and mellow. I normally just listened to music and read, or sat on my balcony smoking a joint and daydreamed. Then when I discovered the magic of downloadable podcasts, the voice of Terry Gross and so many others often soothed me late into the night. When I first learned about downloadable podcasts, it really did help me so much. I was living in a foreign country alone, had no Internet or TV, no one to talk to, no smartphone, and basically no form of leisurely distraction to help pass the time. Listening to podcasts changed all that, both at home or while I was out. I used to ride the bus everywhere all over the city to get to where I needed, and podcasts got me through countless hours of insane Bangkok traffic. Even to this day, when I listen to Snap Judgement, it totally brings me back to staring out the windows of air conditioner-less buses with so much hustle and bustle happening around me.

Now that I've been back in New York living with a smartphone, I definitely still enjoy listening to podcasts. However, with access to high-speed wifi at home (along with so many other choice distractions), it's hard to get around to it sometimes when I can read the news or re-download an old video purchase from iTunes.

But nevertheless, there's nothing better than listening to a good podcast to fall asleep to---no matter where I am in the world.

It feels good to be back in L.A., and with my friends Jenn and Daniel again.

Looking out the window into the nighttime lights of L.A. on the plane ride here definitely felt different than the first time a few months ago coming from Asia. Going back to New York and having been able to spend some quality time there really helped me feel like my old self again. The past month just flew by and it was good to be back in the pace and comforts of home. I feel like I learned so much more about a lot of my friends too, which I didn't think was possible even after more than a decade of friendship. Overall, returning home after three years and being able to celebrate my 30th birthday there was an absolute dream, and I feel excited about whatever it is that's to come next.

Most of my friends live in Brooklyn, so I basically couched surf between Prospect Heights, Fort Greene, and Downtown Brooklyn. Being able to walk from place to place was nice because I hadn't ever really explored that part of the borough much by foot, so I was able to get a better sense on how the neighborhoods are. I also got to go to Astoria again to crash at my friends Susy and Ricky's place, which was a good reason to go check out my old neighborhood.

Since I'm perpetually broke, I ended up meeting up with friends and eating in Chinatown a lot. I've never appreciated that area of town so much, and can't wait to go back and discover some new places. Eating chicken over rice a countless number of times was also great, because man I always can't help but salivate every time I pass by a halal food cart on the streets of NY. I also had a lot of $1 pizza, which always hits the spot as well.

Getting a cellphone again in NYC was also pretty helpful, and I also learned that so much has technologically changed within the past three years. Everyone I know seems to prefer texting over email now, which is odd because I never thought email would be on the road to becoming obsolete. I myself prefer writing emails on my computer any day, and find it difficult to correspond and communicate by phone because typing away on the small keyboard just doesn't seem practical. On my last day in NYC, I met up with my favorite college professor again and he mentioned that he always prefers to stay in touch by email as well, so it's nice to know that there are others out there like me.

But now I'm back in sunny L.A. and ready to keep moving forward with my life. My next step is to find a job here... anyone know of places that are hiring?

I still have yet to get a new cellphone since returning to the states, and a part of me doesn't plan on ever getting one.

Disconnect.

Sometimes, integrity and social networking just don't seem to go together.

i've got to stop drunk dialing.

i still haven't been able to purchase a new camera since it was STOLEN a few months ago.

but here are some un-uploaded photos i took here in bangkok with my former camera.

call me old-fashioned---considering our current times---but i'm an email and phone-call type of guy.

the ring time for cellphones in korea is way too long.

usually in the states, when you call someone on their cellphone, it rings maybe 5 or 6 times max and then goes straight to voicemail, correct? in korea, the phone rings for what feels like almost a full minute before it goes to voicemail, and then in general people in korea don't really do voicemail so i think it's pointless to let the phone keep ringing. if the person i'm calling doesn't pick up within the first 3-4 rings, i assume they're just not available and hang up. i also am not able to silence my phone when it rings on vibrate and hate it when i'm screening my calls and the person let's it ring the full minute and i can't do anything about it. i mean, sure, i guess i could pick up but sometimes i just don't feel like talking to anyone.

is there anything more downright pitiful than four people eating dinner together at a restaurant, but each one of them is glued to their electronic devices the entire time?

when i am the server for tables like these at work, it makes me dispirited.

i lost my phone yesterday. f-r-u-s-t-a-t-i-n-g. i wasn't drunk or fucked up, just good old stupidity i guess. i'm still not sure how the hell i lost it though. and finding a job without a phone is probably not going to be the easiest thing, and i can't afford a new one right now...

plus i keep getting these random nosebleeds that i'm thinking is from stress?

well for some good news: i'm alive.

i finally have a new, WORKING phone.

you know i feel like i used to be pretty attached to my blackberry before it broke. i was obsessed with being online and having the ability to check my email at all times. i'd be online at every moment, checking the news, blogs, and other mundane stuff. after my blackberry broke in aspen, i was using a very old phone that my friend gave me and after that stopped working a month ago, i think i've learn to let go of having a usable cellphone.

a friend once told me that she always puts her phone on silent and checks it sporadically. i immediately questioned her and asked why on earth would she do that? what if people are trying to reach her or she misses an important call? she responded with, "i don't know... i guess i just don't want to be attached to it." that really got me thinking and made me realize that i too do not want to feel attached to my phone. i guess my point is, it's been a month since my substitute phone broke, and i definitely can't afford to buy a new one. but i don't even care, isn't that crazy? my sister offered to buy me an iphone, and we even went to the at&t store on astor and broadway to purchase one. as we're talking with the sales girl on necessary paperwork and stuff, i had an epiphany and told my sister that i didn't want it. she asked why and i just said, "...i just don't care.." i know that i eventually will get a new phone, but i guess it's not a priority in my life. and when i do, i sure as hell am sure that it won't be anything fancy, probably just something i can make calls and receive texts with.

i'm hoping that coming home and watching tv while i surf the web will fill my technological needs for awhile.

finally got a new blackberry. whoo, it sure feels good to put dirty payphones and loose change behind me. since i left for asia last dec, i've been using payphones due to my lack of having a cell phone. don't get me wrong, not having a cell has tons of advantages. i had more freedom and wasn't tied down by anything or anyone. but, when i did need to use a phone, it was a pain in the ass. so yes, i finally got a new blackberry and i'm excited to be back in the techonological world.

also, since thailand, my BMs have been pretty bad but today i took a rock solid poop.

now all i have to do is find a job and my life will be perfect!