Books vs. Computers, Phones, and E-Readers

I love books. Not just the stories, but also the physical book in and of itself. The same goes for cds, art, etc. These are the reasons I've thought of for why people should buy books instead.

1. No electricity required to read.

•  Laptops and e-readers need to be charged before they can be used unless there's an outlet nearby. Desktop computers require an outlet and cannot be charged. You may argue that you need light with which to read, and yes, you do. However, if the light of a star (as in our Sun) isn't good enough for you, there is no hope for you.

2. No need for an internet connection.

• At the very least, you or someone else you know has to have access to the internet to get the "book" in the first place. With an actual book, you could read it in the middle of Antarctica.

3. No need to wait for the it to load.

• Depending on what you use and how it works, loading times may vary. Regardless, it is impossible to skim or browse through a digital "book" with the same alacrity as a book (this is especially pertinent to comics and graphic novels).

4. No digital screen.

• I personally HATE when things are pixellated as they are on any digital screen. The more important reason is eye strain. When you have eye strain, your optometrist is likely to tell you to ease off using the computer or watching television. If mild eye strain continues, it's more likely to affect your sight, in which case (if it's bad enough) you must purchase glasses, contacts, or eye surgery. How fun (and potentially expensive).

5. In the case of anything you don't already have, no need to purchase it.

• These things are NOT cheap and generally cost hundreds of dollars. Whoopee. Depending on how many electronic "books" you wish to purchase, it may pay for itself. Casual readers will have a harder time of recouping their loss.

6. Going to the bookstore.

• I realize many people don't care much about this, but it still must be considered for a couple reasons. Firstly, it's easy to browse. Step 1: Walk into store. Step 2: Walk to a section that interests you (i.e. Romance, Thriller, Literature, Health). Step 3: Look around. Step 4: Pick up any book that you think looks interesting, whether it be because of the cover, title, or author. Secondly, kind and helpful bookstore employees do, in fact, exist. These people can and may offer recommendations based on your obvious or implied preferences. They may also talk to you about them, perhaps starting an interesting conversation.

7. I'm not sure if this is true, but I think it's reasonable to include anyway. Because online "books" are cheaper, it may be depriving your favorite author of his or her well-deserved compensation.

• If I'm not mistaken, this has been (or was) one of the problems with iTunes. Even if selling electronic versions doesn't unduly affect the author's profit, pirating certainly can.

8. The feel of the paper in books is much better than whatever cheap material is used for the device (likely plastic).

• Though this is mainly subjective, I think it's important. And not just the feel, also the smell. Even if you don't like either, surely there are people that don't enjoy having nearly everything they touch being made of or coated in some unnatural material.

9. Purchasing books, in a way, helps the economy.

• Think about it. Your money spent purchasing a book goes to the store, which is used in part to pay its employees, who then spend it on what they want and need. Going further than that, it also goes towards all the people who worked on the writing of the book. It also goes towards the place that makes the book itself, which can then pay the people that operate and maintain the machines and can also pay for the materials purchased from a supplier (paper, ink, machine parts, etc).

Invalid Arguments Against Books

1. They're heavy.

• Unless you're stupid, crazy, or a student, the books you have are only heavy if you purchase and carry ridiculously huge volumes (like encyclopedias) or only buy hardcovers.

2. They take up a lot of space.

• Firstly, this doesn't apply to casual readers as they are unlikely to be buying as many books as an avid reader. Secondly, again, unless you only buy hardcovers, they really don't for various reasons. The story may be of short length, the font may be of a decent size (as opposed to all the Harry Potter books I've read. Idiots.), or the publisher may have been wise in the placement of the text. I've noticed in most things I've read that there are places where the  spacing   appears to  be   off  in the  middle of   a paragraph  or  sentence. That would make a book longer than necessary.

3. Going to a bookstore is a hassle.

• Big fucking deal. Suck it up and stop being lazy. Unless you live an hour away from the nearest bookstore or work exclusively at home, it's likely to be no farther away than your workplace. Would you decline a job offer just because you have to drive 5 minutes to get there? If not, I see no reason to complain.

Hanbok

"More than three decades ago, hanbok, a traditional form of Korean clothing, was very much a part of every Korean's wardrobe. Like all clothing, hanbok also changed over the years with fluctuating fashion trends. Hanbok designs underwent many changes throughout Korea's turbulent history. The hanbok we wear today are reminiscent of the late Joseon Dynasty (early 20th century).In traditional hanbok design, curved features are important. As they are not meant to be tight fitting, the inherent beauty of hanbok is apparent in its elegance and style created by the abundance of material. The curves and vibrant colours of hanbok have had a significant impact on the Korean fashion industry. By combining traditional dress with modern fashion, a series of fusion hanbok designs were introduced. Designs and patterns of hanbok have even been applied to architecture." -- visitkorea.or.kr

Different colors have different meanings: some in general, some in a more specific way. However, few now pay attention to the meanings and choose colors based on personal preference.

Basic:

• yellow: center and ground
• red: north and fire
• blue: east and tree
• black: north and water
• white: west and gold 
• gold: emperor (cannot be used by the general public) 

Examples of Specific Meanings (mostly for women, what usually occurs):

• young (under 12): very bright with stripes on sleeves and a hat
• teens: bright pastels, can still have stripes (uncommon)
• violet: young people use vivid violet, middle-aged deep, seniors dark
• unmarried women: bright red chima (skirt), bright jeogori (jacket)
• new bride: bright red chima, light green jeogori
• married woman very happy with husband: violet otgoreum (cloth strings on jeogori)
• married woman: deep blue chima, jade green jeogori 
• married woman with a son: deep blue ggetdong (bottom of sleeve)
• halmoni (mother of bride) on daughter's wedding day: pink
• mother of groom on wedding day: dark blue (navy)

Color information is mainly from mllora.com and soompi.com (AnonEMus and moonan) with help from andrenang.blogspot.com

If you're interested in purchasing hanbok or hanbok accessories, sonjjang.net is a good site (haven't bought anything yet, though), even if the English is a little rough in some spots. You can choose between modern and traditional styles as well.

Large Companies...

so far, from my experiences with Goodwill and Kroger, large companies fail at communication.

Goodwill:

the website is a nightmare if you want to find information about volunteering. why? because there is no information. searching for it is futile because it doesn't exist. I e-mailed them using their "contact us" link and was essentially told that I could indeed volunteer at the donation center a mile or so from my house. eventually, I walked in the place and spoke with an employee, who told me that I would have to go to a retail store; they don't allow volunteers in the donation centers. what? I sense a major failure in communication has occurred. thank the gods for the person who answered my call at the retail store. he gave me all the information necessary-- if he hadn't, I would have said, "screw Goodwill," like I'm saying to Kroger.

Kroger:

it seemed alright at first--wasn't difficult to find the application or store location. everything was hunky dory... until the part where one chooses which position one wants. I want to stock the store because I have no desire to deal with any shoppers anywhere for any reason. however, no such position seemed to exist, unless it's one of the 6 or so "clerks." utterly confused, I once again used the "contact us" link to ask which it might be. the reply was:

"Thank you for contacting us regarding this issue.  Unfortunately, the career section of the site and all applications are handled through Kronos, and they would need to be the ones to help you with anything to do with the online application.  To contact Kronos, either call them at 1-800-338-6321, or contact them by email at hiringhelpdesk@kronos.com. "

strange, but ok. so I contacted Kronos. the reply from them was:

"Thank you for your recent request.  Applicant and employee records are supported by, and are the property of, the company to which you applied. 

Please contact this company's hiring manager or human resource department to follow up on your application, just as you would if you submitted a paper application." 

 what. the. fuck.

moral of the stories: large companies aren't worth the time, unless, perhaps, you get lucky when you call them and are able to speak with a helpful or reasonable person.

edit: oh. my bad. there are 10 "clerks" listed along with 2 "stewards"

Things I've Learned from Watching Thumbelina Again

movie on YouTube

1. all animals wear clothes
2. being a native of France doesn't mean that you speak French
3. witches (and good ones at that) exist
4. planting barleycorn will create a flower from which a tiny, fully developed girl (16 years in age) will rise
5. animals can speak (and sing)
6. chicks hatch from eggs already wearing their own outfits
7. no one needs school
8. bumblebees are the cutest and fastest flying mounts. they also don't have stingers.
9. 16-year-old fairy guys look more like they're 20
10. saying, "I wonder if <insert creatures here> really do exist," will lead one to appear in the next 3 minutes or so
11. it's possible to know, trust, and love someone after flying with him/her and singing a song OR watching the person do that for 5 seconds
12. the seasons change after a day at the most
13. toads have Spanish accents and are good at singing
14. birds have French accents and are good at singing
15. a guy will tell you that you're beautiful, dress you up as a beetle, watch your beetle costume fly off because of a mild twirl, then call you ugly because you're not a beetle even though he already knew that
16. all bears wear sleeping caps and hold empty clay honey jars while hibernating
17. water completely freezes after 5 seconds in normal winter conditions
18. a person can survive being frozen like that after who knows how long
19. moles are blind, but can see
20. money>love
21. princes aren't as rich as moles
22. being engaged to a fairy will immediately give you wings and a new dress
23. it's perfectly acceptable to anyone and everyone to get engaged without your lover having met your parent(s) and it's equally fine to not notify them until the wedding
24. everything works out alright in the end