When I was 15 my parents bought my sister and me an Apple
IIe. Remember this bad boy? At the time, I believe several other types of personal computers were out, however the only other one that I can recall right now is the Commodore 64.
My buddy Ben had one and I remember thinking how much cooler the Apple
IIe was. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Really, there is no comparison.
I went off to college, and left my computer at home for my sister. I took typewriter with me and used it for the first year and half of college. When I was almost 20 I got a box of a word processor. It was about the size of a notebook computer box. On one end was a small monitor, the type color on the monitor, orange. It had a keyboard that was attached to the box. It was all that I needed. I don't recall even thinking about spending the money to buy a new Apple product. When I started Law School, I needed an upgrade and at the time, the University was not equipped to handle the Apple operating system. So I bought a PC. I used a PC for the next 14 years. At some time therein, I started my Wall Street journey and realized that Apple had totally screwed the pooch. They had it all in their hand, and they let it all slip away.
When I got to the street, I had my real world experience running a business. One of the things I quickly realized was how many people run their businesses like shit, and more importantly, it annoyed the living shit out of me to be around these retards and to watch or listen to them talk about one bad business move after another.
Apple was the epitome of what really drove me crazy. Steve Jobs had been there, left, been back and was gone again.
He didn't do shit when he returned to turn the company around, much the same as Michael Dell has done shit to turn his company around since his second iteration began.
It really pissed me off. It pissed me off like the retards who started TIVO still pisses me off. (Think about it--these tivo guys had all the technology and somehow let it all slip away.
They were first, with a better product-and now any and all digital television and content providers just jam their own version into your home. What retards!!!
Anyhow, you see why I hated Apple....but being the man that I am, I can admit when I am wrong and I really try not to bite off my nose to spite my face. Apple and Steve Jobs re-invented themselves...and this time that momentum has carried them and transformed the world since the introduction of the fist ipod. In the past 3 years, we went from 0 Apple products to now having an older ipod, 3 ipod touches, One imac, one macbook pro and one ipad. Talk about a halo effect. Obviously it is not just me...I was late to this party, but as I said, I am willing to change...if I determine my prior stance was incorrect.
So what the fuck is the above dissertation for? Well It really is a condensed history of Apple from my eyes...
...and an example of how a company can be and should be run...and when you introduce a product as compelling as the
ipad--well in my mind it is worth writing a monster tribute to the job they have done at Apple for the past decade.
I will admit, I was one of those assholes who had to have his ipad on day one. I pre-ordered it the morning it was an option to order online. When I got my UPS email saying it had shipped from Asia, I blew a load in my jockey's. And as the Saturday delivery approached....I realized nobody would be home and it was signature required at delivery!!! So this is how bad I NEEDED to have my ipad. I paid my babysitter to sit in my house all afternoon--waiting for the delivery, to sign for it and to leave my house--which i what we did. All of it was worth it. This puppy is so fucking cool, works so fucking well and will do so many fucking things...it is THE GAME CHANGER.
And how does it allow me to reduce my carbon footprint? So fucking simple! I am doing away with virtually all of my paper content. I no longer have the newspaper(s) delivered. Online. Barron's? Nope, cancelled today, switched to online version. Oh, if you sign up for the online version of the Wall St. Journal (which I did when I cancelled my print version) and buy Barron's online version you save like $60/year. So that's 8 deliveries a week that no longer occur. That also is 8 less stops for the driver, consuming gasoline and polluting the air. It is 8 paper products that do n0t need t be produced a week. When you start doing the math, the shit starts to really add up!
There are applications being written every day to let people do more and more with technology to allow you to control the lights, the temperature etc remotely to your home. There are simply so many other examples of how this device--given all that it will do for any one person--will continue to move so many options to it's platform...the scope of carbon footprint reduction could...and I say could...grow well beyond any one's (save for mine) imagination at this juncture in time.
What do I do with my ipad? I read the papers; read the papers, read books, play games, check the weather, check sports updates and highlights, read/create/send my email, color, design and create art with free applications, play on facebook, watch movie on netflix, watch any other movie that is in my itunes account, check real estate in Marin, CA. and even search Ebay for whatever tickles my fancy. My point is, this little bastard is all things to all people. We all know how prolific the application creation has been for the Apple products. The ipad is only going to increase the rate of development and creative expression
I find myself touching other computer screens, wanting to scroll, or expand.....it certainly has changed me and how I do things. It has certainly reduced my carbon footprint, and the scope of same expands as every day passes. You should go get one. You should reduce your carbon footprint by buying an ipad.
--The Angry Trader(who is no longer angry with Apple or Steve Jobs)
This is what I was wondering today, after watching CNBC highlight that the oil disaster in the Gulf was being partially contained (I don't believe it) and that the majority of the oil was subsurface and beginning to be sucked into the loop current which will eventually move the flow of oil towards the southern tip of Florida and then upward along the gulf stream (remember when that symbolized something magical and special?) towards the east coast. Super.
decreasing at a rate of 0-4% per year, with only a 5% chance that the rate is as high as 4%. At this rate, the remaining oil will take decades and possibly centuries to disappear entirely." 
