That's truly a title that says "What should I use for a title?"

How are you prefrosh? Long time no talk, although some of you got to enjoy our sweet dance party a couple of weeks ago (which included a friendly visit from the MIT police before our party's ultimate demise). I write to you for several reasons. The first (and, sadly, primary reason) is that I am poor. That's right, the money I earned over the summer is dwindling rapidly (for a variety of reasons) and blogging is one of the few ways I am able to support my spending habit. I have a theory that bloggers from juniors on up tend to blog more when they need money than when they feel like they should blog. This is just a theory though.

Anywho, I'm running out of money. Why am I running out of money? It all started over Christmas break, when I started spending lots of money because it made me feel good. I have a propensity to see something expensive, want it, and buy it. Now, if I worked for Amazon or Google or something, this would not be a big deal, but when I worked for my dad out on our acreage, there's only so much of this "I want I want I want" spending that can happen before destitution sets in.

My first big purchase was a new camera. Amazon had it on sale for $409.00 and I pulled the trigger. It's a Canon XS and my first DSLR. I've wanted a DSLR for quite some time, but the price was never right. I checked the reviews and the XS turned out to be a sweet camera for a sweet price, so I'm now the proud new owner of a "Real Camera." I know (knew?) absolutely nothing about cameras so I put in the effort of reading through the entire manual for the camera, learning what all the different functions and settings do, and then also read a bunch of photography blogs and websites (dpreview anyone?). I'm very happy with my purchase, but am poorer as a result.

My second big purchase was a pair of snowblades. Go ahead and judge me, all you snowboarders and skiers out there, but I love snowblades and have a great time. They're a nice transition from rollerblading (which is what I'm most comfortable with) and don't require me to lug around poles. That, and they're smaller less expensive. Lucky for me, my cousin had a pair of snowblades that he was no longer desirous of, as well as a pair of ski boots that, while too large for him, fit me perfectly. For $100 the price was right, and I bought both the snowblades and the boots from him. I bought a helmet from some sketchy website that had inexpensive helmets, some ebay brand goggles (I still can't find them on any other website), and some comfy gloves and am now all set for mountain escapades. Those of you who do any winter sport know that, the cost isn't just in the gear, it's also in the travel/lift tickets. I've been skiing three times since being back, each time at ~$75 (plus food at the mountain) which is wiping me out even further. MIT has a Snowriders group that makes it really easy (and affordable) to hit the mountain for a day, transportation included, but it's still not cheap.

Next is Toy Fair in NYC. Last weekend was my third time at Toy Fair and, as always, I had a blast! I met tons of CEOs, saw (and played with) lots of awesome toys, and even bought a 7x7x7 V-cube (better than a Rubik's Cube). Of course, the bus to NYC and back was expensive, as well as the food I ate there, but again, these are the prices to pay for entertainment.

So here I am, with a rapidly dwindling supply of cash. What is an MIT student to do? Work! This means blogging and UROP for me, in addition to some more work for Livescribe (three jobs!? what am i, crazy???). I work for SmartCities in the Media Lab now, helping to design the caster system for the CityCar (seen below)

My semester is crazy this time around, and I don't know how I'm going to pull it off, but I'll certainly try. I'm taking 60 units of classes (a chunk of which is TAing for Toy Design), doing Pistol (Nationals are coming up), am i3 chair (along with Jess Kim, be on the lookout for the Guide to Residences and the i3 DVD this Spring, Jess and I are working to make an awesome video), am doing NextACT (a play put on by Next House during CPW), am Social Chair for Burton-Conner, and have a UROP. I feel like this could backfire, but for now, we'll go with it.

One last thing before I go. This will sound creepy, but I don't want it to. Two friends and I are going skiing/snowboarding during Spring Break at Sugarloaf (which is in Maine). Due to a variety of reasons (none of which, I promise you, are ill intentioned), we are looking for one more female to join our trip. We'll be leaving MIT on March 21st and getting back March 26th. It costs just $300 for 5 nights lodging and 5 days skiing, which is an incredible deal. If you are interested in joining us and live in the greater Boston area or Maine, shoot me an e-mail at ask-snively@mit.edu and we can work out details. It should be an awesome trip and it's a deal you really can't beat. For more details, check out our trip on Snowriders:

http://snowriders.mit.edu/details_ride.php?id=325

Comments (Closed after 30 days to reduce spam)

Great post.

Posted by: Samir on February 23, 2010

Wow. Those cars look amazing! SmartCities has a lot of very interesting projects.

More info on these cars:
http://cities.media.mit.edu/projects/citycar.html

Posted by: jamesmgg on February 23, 2010

Snively, no offense man but you do sound majorly creepy right now.

Posted by: 0 on February 23, 2010

@Anonymous
That's not the intention! We just want an even number of guys and girls so that everybody feels comfortable.

Posted by: Snively on February 23, 2010

Its definitely less creepy and more understandable that there's a girl already going on the trip and its a group of people. There's no way of saying what you did without sounding a little awkward but I think we all understand what you meant.

Also, awesome car concepts. I wouldn't mind owning one of those someday.

Posted by: Anonymous on February 23, 2010

Ok, so is it too preemptive to decide that regardless of where I go to college, I REALLY want to do study/work at the Media Lab? Seriously, I am in love...

Posted by: Anonymous on February 23, 2010

If you took the first picture (posing with your new camera)by the same camera then it's wonderful. (I hope you know how to do that!)

Posted by: mrmish on February 24, 2010

I have a 7x7x7 v-cube too!

Posted by: Ryan '16? on February 24, 2010

@mrmish
I did and I do!

Posted by: Snively on February 24, 2010

I'm pretty sure under the current set up there's a couple in the three people that are going on the trip, that's why you're looking for another girl.

Posted by: 0 on February 24, 2010

@Snivley:
Well, for taking the photograph
1)If you used a mirror then it's O.K.
2)If you used Photoshop then it's elegant.
3)If you used a wormhole (to travel back five minutes) then you are the real MIT guy.
4)If you used any other method that I cannot think of then you deserve to be at MIT while I'm still waiting.

:D

Posted by: mrmish on February 24, 2010

Quick Unrelated Question : How do rollerblading and snowblading compare? I mean if you have mastered one(rollerblading, by the way), how difficult (or long) would it be to master the other?

Posted by: Anonymous on February 24, 2010

Am I wrong to infer that you get paid for blogging? Nice job, if so

Posted by: Anon on February 24, 2010

You are making me jealous. I had always wanted a DSLR since 9th grade(I love photography) but somehow can't seem to save up some money to buy it.

That photo is great!

If Chuck Lorre ever wanted a substitute for Jim Parsons, I am sure they would haunt you for all eternity.

Posted by: parav on February 24, 2010

It's obviously a mirror. There is two light source. One in upper right and the other in upper left which is bigger and white. You can found them from the shadows. You can see two spots in upper right an upper left part of the lens. The left one is bigger and white so there must be a mirror to reflect them into them into the lens.
Thank you, both your photo and those concept cars are really good.

Posted by: Morteza on February 24, 2010

lol. cut down ur expenses. don't eat, just buy stuff. :-p

Posted by: Dimitris on February 24, 2010

all of your posts are so irrelevant, i swear.

Posted by: 0 on February 24, 2010

@Anonymous
Fortunately, it doesn't matter, because you get to choose what to read.

Posted by: Snively on February 24, 2010

@snively
Do you think you can get the chance to read an email I sent you?

Posted by: 0 on February 24, 2010

HMMM...I have to agree with everyone else here: You may have tried to sound well intentioned, but since you didn't explain the whole situation first (Like the fact that it was co-ed), it came across as misrepresented...LOL. Anywho, all in all, great blog post Snively, and hold on to that douugh before it flies away!

Posted by: genius ('18) on February 24, 2010

OMG Snively, you looked so hot in that photo.

Posted by: 0 on February 26, 2010

Congratulations on the DSLR! I'm sure you'll have an awesome time shooting photos with it! If you're looking for good websites, you might want to check out dslrtips.com and digital-photography-school.com if you haven't already come across those two. I find the tips on both of them extremely helpful to get better at photography.

Posted by: 0 on February 26, 2010

@mrmish
You're so funny!

Posted by: 0 on February 26, 2010

@mrmish
You're so funny!

Posted by: 0 on February 26, 2010

Great post Snively.

@mrmish: How do you pronounce your name?
Captcha: Hall heartedly. lol.

Posted by: D on February 27, 2010

^ Just like you would write "D" on some college application and keep the admissions office in suspense of your origin until they send for your and your parents' pictures and know for sure that you are an earthling!

[Got me? — just tryin' to say that it's not my name]

:D

Posted by: mrmish on February 27, 2010

hi!

just one question; how do you get to be an mit blogger?

Posted by: anonymous22 on February 28, 2010

.....ok, I sort of knew it wasn't your real name. What I'm trying to ask is how do you pronounce it like as you type? I kind of tried but it sounds weird. Wonder how you came up with it. Anyway, don't mind me.

Posted by: D on March 1, 2010

Does anyone else think DSLR's are seriously overpriced??? I mean 400$ is a good deal in terms of DSLR's but if you think about it does it cost that much to make it?!

I guess you may have some kind of spending dilemma, but it's only because you realized that you are actually making a sum of money and feel independent(3 jobs should make money!). A little indulgence every now and then is okay, but if you're really under financial pressure you have to cut down, man. You'll have the chance to do all those things later!

Posted by: David A.C. ( '14... I REALLY hope) on March 1, 2010

Does anyone else think DSLR's are seriously overpriced??

No.

Posted by: Keri on March 1, 2010

@ snively

Dude...you are preying on the 14's for a ski trip?

Posted by: Cool Beans on March 2, 2010

Nice cars~
Anyways, I am interested in how fast can you finish a V-cube =D

Posted by: C2 on March 2, 2010

@D: Keep tying; assured success in three decades.

Regarding origins - it's a fragment of my surname superposed onto a very commonplace wafer essentially designed to deny individual existence to its ingredients.

P.S. - 1)I request you not to reply 'cos our discussion is relly getting Zany.
2)DO NOT yeild to any requests.

lol

Posted by: mrmish on March 3, 2010

@Snively: That's really creepy even you'd promised there's no ill intention. Why don't you invite guys as well. Sure you want to balance it out but you can still have an even number of girls and boys doing this way
That's first picture is cool. My guess is you used the mirror and did a little tricky thing with photoshop to tear us. ^^

Posted by: QA on March 3, 2010

"Salem" means "Hello" on kazakh language...))
PS I'm Kazakh...

Posted by: Ruslan on March 3, 2010

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