-TachyonXero

FRINGE

 
It’s like revisiting the X-Files but with a much more sophisticated and, quite frankly interesting approach to the unexplained. Goodbye Syndicate hello Massive Dynamic. I am just 13 episodes in and am completely hooked. Now before I get comments I should explain, I am not a mindless J.J. Abrams fan. I really don’t care for Lost or am I really interested in the new Star Trek: 90210 movie to be coming out later. But if you like good Sci-Fi, try Fringe.

In conclusion I will leave you with this preview:

-TachyonXero

Top Gear

Now I know what your thinking, me and a motoring show? Yes, I know it’s strange, but I will give you four reasons to watch.

1) The Hosts – Not since Bond has being British looked so cool.

Jeremy Clarkson – Speed freak 

Frequently known for his unusual car reviews like outrunning baddies in a Corvette inside a shopping mall and mounting a beach assault with the Royal Marines in a Ford Fiesta. He is also known for his hatred of the electric or hybrid cars and his love of speed and power. If you think speed cameras are a good idea and you see Jeremy coming, run.

Richard Hammond- “Hamster”

Known for (at least in my opinion) for being the most level headed and practical of the trio. Recently he was referred to as a “Secret American” for his love of American muscle cars. It should also be mentioned that he recently almost died in a jet car crash, but returned to continue working on Top Gear. Now that is loving what you do.

James May – “Captain Slow”

James is the nerdiest of the bunch. He frequently thinks style, technology, innovation and luxury trump speed and horsepower. It is obvious he is an avid history buff as he seems to know many seemingly insignificant details about every car he tests, as well as the history of the brand. Just don’t get him started on the war. Or the Germans. How nerdy is James May? He calculated how many revelations his Porsche made in 20 years and keeps a brush in his Fiat Panda so he can brush the dust out of his dash. Naturally, I almost always agree with him.

The Stig – “Tame racing driver”/ International man of mystery

The identity of  “The Stig” is a mystery. Every week after doing a review of a car it is handed over to the Stig for a high speed lap on the Top Gear test track. He has raced everything from a Bugatti Veyron and formula 1 cars to small Fords and Fiats. 

2) The Races – Cars vs. Trains, Plains, Boats and Athletes.

Top Gear is known for it’s epic races such as racing a dog team to the north pole in a Toyota pickup and the Aston Martin DB9 vs the TGV 200 mph super train. To date, they are the only group in the world to drive to the north pole. They also raced the Nissan GT-R against the 188 mph Shinkansen bullet train in Japan. For a list of  Top Gear races click here.

3) The challenges – Can you cross the british channel in amphibious cars you made yourself?

It’s Motor Trend meets Mythbusters. Some of the challenges include, Helecopter gunship evasion in a Lotus Exige, Can you turn a Reliant Robin into a space shuttle? (not kidding), Can you build your own amphibious car? and Can you drive a £1,500 two-wheel drive car across Africa? Here is a list of the challenges.

4) The Appreciation – They truly love the automobile. 

I have always loved computers because I always loved how a single (sometimes incredibly simple) idea could change the world. It is obvious that they feel the same way about the car. The show has a real appreciation for science and engineering just below the surface. Sure, on the surface this show appears as a macho speed freaks only display of sheer testosterone. However I think this is Discovery Channel level stuff. Every so often this appreciation sneaks out. Don’t believe me? Watch this:

In conclusion, this is a fantastic show and you would be doing yourself a favor to at least give one episode a try. It’s available on BBC America in the states or you can go to FinalGear.com to find more ways to watch. 

-TachyonXero

The other day I read an article saying tattoo shops are opening in shopping malls because they have become so mainstream. Soon it will happen again, I will have one of the things I hold dear, one of the things that makes me who I am stripped from me. It will be replaced with a label that reads “My generation.” Let me explain. 

I love computers and science more than I can describe in words. However quite frequently when I get asked for advice or fix someone’s computer I usually hear the following. “Wow, your generation sure is fluent with the computer.” This is when my blood starts to boil in my veins. When other kids had toy cars and trains I was disassembling motherboards. When they were just starting what they called “Chapter Books” I was reading MSDOS manuals. When they were playing outside I was dialing BBS systems. While they watched after school cartoons, I read Michael Crichton. Don’t believe me? Ask my mom, she still has a pin from an EPROM chip in her foot. (She stepped on it in my room at about 3 am one night) It feels like all my love and passion, all my struggle and work vanishes under the vail of  the “your generation.” statement. When I was in school, I chose the clothes that I wore because I liked them, the music I listened to because I thought it sounded good and so on. I was so happy when those days were over because (among many other reasons) I was constantly told I was a “poser” and just did the things I did to fit in. Sometimes it feels like those days are back. 

One of my other passions in this world is tattoos. I can’t explain it, but I have always been fascinated by them. Until a few years ago I never really talked about it (or could afford to get any) but I have had a love of the art since I was very young. I currently have two and much to my parents dismay, I plan to get more when I can. Many more. I have been collecting tattoo pictures on my computer for many years and have several thousand now. Then I start to read how they have become mainstream. At first I thought “ Great! Now there is no need to hold back or hide them.” Then it happened again, someone upon seeing my ink responded “Well, you are definitely the tattoo generation”.  My heart sank. It was as if I was just a ghost, a shadow of a person. No individuality at all, just an empty shell. 

Everything that makes me who I am,  gets a big “my generation” sticker slapped on it and in essence stolen from me. Even the fact that I am an internet entrepreneur gets the label. It’s like we live in a society that wants to group everyone together and abolish personality. Why the hell can’t people just be who they are without having to be part of a larger group? We are all individuals, it is our differences that make us alike. I would like to thank the media and all the others who use the “my generation” label for turning the world into one large high school lunch room. So what group are you in? After all, it seems that uniqueness is a dinosaur. 

Go back to your shops in the shady parts of town tattooed people, or we won’t be who we are much longer.

-TachyonXero

Geek and Tattoo lover till death.

P.S.: When all the girls with the “tramp stamp” tats and the guys with the tribal armbands and koi fish start hating theirs later in life, I will still love mine. Because I got mine to be more of myself, not to be someone I am not. Some people don’t like that I have them, and I am sorry they feel that way but I made a decision. I would rather regret a choice I made, then regret a choice I could have made. That’s why I have the words “live now” tattooed on the inside of my left wrist. I am myself, I don’t have time to be someone else.

-TachyonXero