Book Reading #7 - Opening Skinner's Box

Chapter 1

Reference Info:
Opening Skinner's Box

Summary:
This chapter focused much on the life and methodology of B.F. Skinner. The author writes of his methodologies in positive reinforcement and the background of his life. From his role in psychology, to his inventions that made breakthroughs in behavioral psychology, like that of the air crib. The author seems to defend Skinner and his methods. The author even speaks of the methods that lead to the supposed suicide of his daughter, which she later dismissed as false.

Discussion:
Skinners ideas seem very interesting. I can see how they may be viewed as controversial. I am looking forward to reading more of this book and learning more about behavior and reinforcement.

Paper Reading #4 - Blowtooth: Pervasive Gaming in Unique and Challenging Environments

Reference Info:
Blowtooth: Pervasive Gaming in Unique and Challenging Environments
Conor Linehan,  Ben Kirman, Shaun Lawson, Mark Doughty
CHI 2010, April 10-15 2010, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Comments:
Joe Cabrera

Steven Hennessy

Summary:

This article dealt with a pervasive mobile game that uses the real world environment to play games. Although games like this exists, this games chooses to use an environment in which the thrill and security change the feel of the game. The environment chosen was an airport. The game involves a mobile device with bluetooth capability where users have to smuggle virtual drugs past airport security. This is done by reading in near bluetooth devices. Players must give their drugs to unsuspecting passengers and retrieve them once they get past airport security. This is done by finding passengers who's bluetooth signal you picked up. Score is based on time and number of drugs a player retrieves. Subjects were chosen to play the game and then studies by answering questions afterward. Players seemed to enjoy the game with the environment they participated in and did not much signs of stress for the type of game they were playing, given their scenario. Subjects were asked about the awareness it gave them of their environment. None of them experienced anxiety but became a bit more aware of passengers.

Discussion:
This games seems like it would be a lot of fun. i would enjoy this. I dont think I would feel the anxiety either given the theme of the game. It is just a game and am not doing real harm, so if I were to get caught, there would be no repercussions. I will admit that when I first read the objective of the game, I was taken aback at how daring and inappropriate it sounded. Once they explained how it worked and how users interacted with it, it made a lot more sense and became enjoyable.

Book Reading #6 - Coming of Age in Samoa

Reference Info:
Coming of Age in Samoa
Margaret Mead
1928 Harper Perennial

Chapter 2: A Day in Samoa

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Summary:
This chapter summarizes the day in the life of a Samoan Village. Mead describes the average day from dawn until past midnight where it all repeats again the next morning. She describes how the village starts stirring at dawn while villagers head out to the sea to freshen up and begin their daily tasks. The younger children are drowsy and hungry while the mothers make breakfast. Later in the afternoon, when the sun is beating down on them, they retreat to their homes and rest. The more daring children go for a swim under the shade. Once the sun begins to slowly sets, life comes back to the village as the people continue with their chores. As night falls, the mood becomes lighter as families gather in their homes to eat dinner and the children and elderly are tucked away. The village slowly settles to a few whispers as the night grows.

Discussion: 
This chapter gave an interesting description of living in a Samoan village. I could imagine all the work that is done everyday and the rest they must take in the sun. The life seems simple but happy. I would not mind spending a day or two in the village to see what it is truly like.



Appendix II

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Summary:
The information provided by this appendix explains how the study of the Samoan girl went about. Mead starts off by explaining the need to dive into a culture to learn truthfully about their way of life opposed to some over gerneralization and describes where she did her reasearch. She explains her limitation of control groups and group of girls available to study as well as the type of qualitive data that could not be quantitative. She then explains that the data is all based on personal experiences by the person and is subject to change or faults. The methodology of cross sectional study opposed to linear study is introduced because of the dispersed groups of classification for the girls. Examples are female children, those about to reach puberty, and those a few years past puberty. Mead also explains the fashion in which data was gathered. She did not, by a means of a translator, get the data, but in the native Samoan language from reliable sources whose stories were checked. Another methodology was to only get details on cultural information directly related to the girls she was studying opposed to the overall culture with specific detail. Other factual information was gathered but is not enough to represent the Samoan life with quantitative data.
 

Discussion: 
The described methodology seems to give way for a giant margin of error. It is understandable that it is nearly impossible to get completely accurate information but generalized assumptions should not be given to replace facts. I do not know a better method to study a culture but the way Mead did it does not give it much reliability.


Appendix V

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Summary:
This reading details the girls of the experiment and how they were seperated into different groups by category. Information of the girls was also taken including nuclear family size as well as an evaluation by a series of questions and a test of intellect. Mead goes into further detail about the girls represented visually in the text.


Discussion: 
It was interesting to see some of the data of the girls in the test. There were many disparities between the girls, but it is reasonable given the group separations.

Book Reading #5 - Design of Everyday Things

Chapter 2: The Psychology of Everyday Actions

 Reference Info:
The Design of Everyday Things
Donald A. Norman

Summary:
This chapter talks about the way people thing when using an object and the thought processes that one goes through. One example is when people blame themselves for non obvious ways of working an object. people also make up models in their head. An example is Ariastotle's model of physics. Some items do not explain themselves and people make up models according to their way of thinking. They give an example of learned and taught helplessness to describe the psychology of people in using, or lack of ability to use objects. The chapeter also goes in depth the actions of people when trying to figure out an object. It explains why people may not understand how to use an object using their action steps. THis is the action cycle. Sometime people know their goals and what actions need to be taken, but struggle with the relationship of the device and the actions that must be taken, causing confusion, The cycle is a good way of possibly understanding how to work an item but designs should be made self evident to cause ease on the action and psychology of the user.

Discussion:
I enjoyed this chapter because of the psychological evaluation of the user trying to use the device. It explains the thought process, how we come to these mental models, and dictate our actions. I had never really ever thought of the thought process that goes behind trying to figure out a piece of technology

Paper Reading #3 - Hard-To-Use Interfaces Considered Beneficial (Some of the Time)

Comments:
Keith Farinella
Jorge Perez

Refrence Info:
Hard-To-Use Interfaces Considered Beneficial (Some of the Time)
Yann Riche, Nathalie H. Riche, Perta Isenberg, Anastasia Bezerianos
CHI 2010, April 10-15, 2010, Atlanta, Gerorgia, USA
 
Summary:
This article dealt with the mostly overlooked importance of hard-to-use interfaces. The article gave two examples in which the benefits stood out to make for an excellent and positive observations. The first was a series of task to be preformed bu users at the same time using different mice and pointers. There was also an issue with the computer where if more than one user moved the pointer, the mouse would deviate from its location, causing trouble when attempting to use it. This problem caused users to communicate effectively to work around the issue and be able to complete tasks. Methods such as waiting for others to finish or asking others to wait were effective communicated and increased the dynamic of the group. The second example given deals with a study done on the elderly to teach them how to use more up-to-date technologies, such as e-mail, for a way of communicating. After the course was over and the elderly were taught, they said that they still preferred the harder-to-use interface of manually writing a letter out because it is more personal than just an e-mail message. The group valued the emotional connotation behind the letter opposed to the impersonal e-mail.

Discussion:
This article illustrates the importance of research done and what we can get out of it. In this case, the research was being done in one area, and ended up getting results for another area. It also teaches us to learn not only from our positive data but the negative as well opposed to just discarding whatever caused the negative data. Although I do agree that communicating with team members is important, I feel that computer are a tool to aid in that, and not be the root problem to force individuals to communicate. In this scenario the solution as the problem. I also agree that when dealing with elderly, it is always going to be difficult to change their minds, especially with technologies. They might just use the excuse of impersonal communication to say "we don't like it!".

Book Reading #4 - HCI Remixed

Reference:
HCI Remixed: Reflections on Works that have Influenced the HCI Community
Thomas Erickson and David W. McDonald
MIT. 2008

Chapter 24

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Summary:
This paper focused on the research that was done in text to speech and voice recognitions. It also describes a way, called the Wizard of Oz method, in which subjects test the use of a technology that is being controlled by a human. The purpose of this is to gain data on how people would interact with the actual product if it existed and what people would prefer.

Discussion:
I thought it was a clever way to test a product using this method. It is a good way to test a product before spending time and money in creating it only to hear negative feedback.

Chapter 25

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Summary:
This chapter discusses a project entitled A Hole in Space. What it is, is a video being projected from one part of the country to another and vice versa. It was a shared virtual space where people separated by distance could communicate with each other as if it were just communicating with someone outside a store window.

Discussion:
I thought it would have been really exciting to be there at the time of the unveiling of the project. I could just imagine how many gathered too look through to the other side to find they were seeing into another part of the country. It must have been a jaw dropping experience.


Chapter 26

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Summary:

The argument of 1+1=3 is used to show that when creating 2 objects, a third is made in the white or negative space between them. This translates to the burden (3rd object) caused by the design of one functionality into two distinct objects (1+1). The example given is an elevator where the open and close buttons cause a load on the brain to quickly decipher the 2. That is the 3rd object and the solution is to get rid of it all together.

Discussion:
I do not agree with this chapter. I do not understand the theory of the 3rd object and see no way how cumbersome 2 buttons on an elevator can be.


Chapter 27

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Summary:
This chapter dealt with typography and the role technology had on graphic design. It illustrates different forms in which technology could be applied for visual representation of text and images given the constraints at the time.

Discussion:
I would have loved to introduce them the Photoshop back in those days and print the finished product in just seconds. Graphic design has come a long way in technology from the early days and I feel it will continue to grow.

Chapter 28

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Summary:
This chapter discusses the fact that users tend to store information and data in computers that are never used. reasons for this are the use of a folder system in which files are placed in folders within folders causing us to forget the existence of the document. There is also an argument of the unnecessary information being stored once the user has retained the information and no longer needs it. The author aims at researching when and why digital "memories" are useful or needed to understand the storage craze.

Discussion:
I do not agree with the fact that data storage is not useful. In fact, the categorization of folders help me remember where my files are and why they are there. I retrieve information a lot from my computer and need it there.

Chapter 34

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Summary:
The chapter analyzed the ethnography of Native Americans and the issues raised by it. The author then correlated the ethnographic data and research with that of HCI and recognized problems in both.

Discussion:
I liked how the author was able to tie in HCI into this and see the correlations. It does raise good interesting issues about research and ethnographic data.

Ethnography Ideas

1.) Social Networking and Their Role in Friendship
Does the use of social networks foster friendships or hinder them? This question would lead me to research the different types of interactions done with friends in real life and on the internet. In what ways are they similar and in what ways are they different? Do they bring people closer, or create a technological rift between them?

2.) XY/XX Engineers
Is there a large difference between female engineers and their male counterparts? This question would lead me to research the differences noticed and unnoticed between the sexes in predominantly male engineering professions. Do most males see women as equal and capable of such technical tasks? What about non-engineering males? Do these women in engineering feel they have something to prove or feel there is an sense of equality and need not prove themselves?

3.) What is Engineering?....No, Really!?
Which major within engineering is seen as lesser by the engineering community? Is there a specific major, or is it job specific/ This would lead me to research the different views of different engineering majors. Which majors are considered engineering and which majors are not understood? Is industrial distribution withing engineering? What about computer science? Why or why not are certain majors not recognized as engineering or viewed down on.

Paper Reading # 2 - Communicating Software Agreement Content Using Narrative Pictograms

Comments:
Joe Cabrera
Steven Hennessy



Reference Information:
Communicating Software Agreement Content Using Narrative Pictograms
Michael Terry, Matthew Kay
CHI 2010, April 10-15, 2010, Atlanta, GA, USA

Summary:
The article describes how End User License Agreements can be simplified for the user due to their length and lack of knowledge and concept level of the average user. Most EULAs are too long and reading requires postgraduate reading levels making it tedious for the user. The authors propose using a pictogram to aid the EULA (not replace them). For data collecting, 4 different sets of pictograms would be used for the functional overview of the software, and for environmental, interaction, and privacy data collecting. Examples are shows by showing a cartoon of a user interacting with a computer and a graph next to it, illustrating what data it is collecting. The data rangers from user keystrokes to the OS they are using. Each graph gives a clear representation of the type of data being collected. Environmental data would collect the machine's OS, the country where the machine is being used, the screen dimensions, etc. Interaction data collects, mouse clicks, zoom ins/outs, keyboard usage, etc. Only the fact that a keyboard or mouse click was used is recorded in this scenario, not the location of the pointer or the specific key pressed. Privacy sensitive data collection such as planned use of software, referred to as activity tags, and publicly accessible. The pictogram in this scenario shows data being collected and an arrow pointing directly to a website opposed to a graph. This indicates specific information opposed to general statistical data collection being graphed. The way these pictograms are set up is by rules and conventions to inform the user of what is going on. Breaking convention draws attention to details users must know about the software. The pictograms are culturally aware as they do not use text as a mean of communicating an idea and are planned out so as not to be misrepresented by users in different locations around the world. Using repetition will establish patterns for simple interpretation which can be broken to draw attention to specific details. Also, avoiding numbers will refer users from interpreting the pictogram as a sequential user manual with step-by-step instructions. Research was done to assure the easy representation of the illustrations. The paper goes on to describe the proccess of their research to come to the final designs.

Discussion:
I would really like to see these illustrations on software so that I can intuitively know what data is being collected and avoid reading the EULA. This is a clever idea to get the information across such a large audience from different backgrounds. This form of interaction will educate a lot of users on software use and the data collecting that goes on behind it. Users can no longer be blindsided when using products. I can just imagine the Facebook page being plagued by a plethora of Privacy Sensitive Data Collecting pictograms all over their sign-up page. It may differ a lot of users from using certain software products.

Book Reading # 3 - HCI Remixed

Chapter 1

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Summary:This chapter dealt with the author being obligated to conduct music experimentation using computer, which he did not like. The author showed no interest in computers and saw it pointless to deal with. After being convinced by his brother, by bargaining a motorcycle ride, the author goes to Canada to conduct the research in making digital music. The author explains the tools used and the interfaces in which he was introduced to, to interact with the computer. By the end of his project, he had fallen in love with the idea and the use of the computer. It is later revealed that the experimentation was to monitor human-computer interaction with people outside the field of computer science.

Discussion:
I was surprised how an individual so set on hating the computer and not seeing its purpose could dramatically change from the computer hating musician to the computer loving digital sound engineer. Through the UI and the passion of the project, the author seemed to have changed his mind. It is shocking how UI can have such a great impact on a person's way of thinking.


Chapter 4

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Summary:
This chapter discusses SketchPad and all the HCI topics that stem from it. A question is asked at the beginning of the chapter relating to how HCI and computer science relate to one another. The author then discusses all the algorithms and methodologies that came from SketchPad and where it exists today. The author also answers the question of how computer science and HCI relate by giving examples of how far the computer science community has gotten because of these HCI questions. He then urges computer scientist to stick with HCI because we need it as much as it needs us.

Discussion:
I enjoyed seeing how so much can stem out of one project. SketchPad seems to be a real driving force for many concepts in the computer science community. It makes me want to focus more on HCI so that i can be part of the future of computer science instead of just watch it go by.


Chapter 5

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Summary:
This chapter focused on the pursuit of HCI innovation and the troubles the community will have iunitially with idea. The author talks about the demo of the mouse and how it changed his way of thinking. The author speaks of the elegance of the demo and how the mouse is a computing phenomenon that just feels "natural". The author then goes on to explain that the idea of the mouse did not stand out much at first. It was just another hype for the time being but through more and more demonstrations and persistence, it has transformed into what we use today.

Discussion:
This chapter I feel gives hope to the inventor of the next big thing. I feel many times we just shrug off ideas and think they are nice at the time but really dont pay much attention to them. Next time I see a demo, I am going to pay much more attention to it and try to think of the implications it will
bring and how it can revolutionize computing rather than just shrug it off and say "that's cool". 

Chapter 18

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Summary:
This chapter discussed the research done for group work using a drawing tablet in which multiple users can draw and interact to get their ideas across. The authors explains how the research was done to get the best UI for the users and what it has evolved to.

Discussion:
I enjoyed the chapter because it shows how information about the way a user would interact with a product can be gathered in research and implemented into a product to get the best UI and make it simple to use. It shows how research is done.


Chapter 20

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Summary:
This chapter discusses the importance of CSCW and the evolution it has had. It calls for computer support to be assimilated into our everyday lives.

Discussion:
This article argues the importance of CSCW and its need to incorporate user friendliness while reducing the need of knowledge by the average user. This will increase support in the field. 


Chapter 23

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Summary:
The chapter explains the importance of technology that aids in communication. The author argues for a form of communicative technology that does not act as a crutch but as an accessory to the conversation and interaction. She also discusses the importance a technology such as this and how it can even bring people closer even when interacting face-to-face.

Discussion:
I enjoyed this chapter because of the way technology brought a grandmother and her granddaughter together and the importance technology had in their lives. From the granddaughter's birth of digital picture, her upbringing via video conference, to the end with the granddaughter's digital doll.

On Computers

Comments
Luke Roberts
Stephen Morrow

Reference Information 
The Complete Works of Aristotle: The Revised Oxford Translation
Aristotle

Summary

Aristotle

The paper discusses whether or not plants have souls. The argument of nutrition leads Aristotle to belive that plants have a soul. He believes that due to the desire for nutrients, they must also have motivation and feel happiness as well as sadness. The paper goes one by one through the different characteristics which it may or may not posses. Examples are whether or not a plant sleeps which Aristotle believes do not or whether plants have a sex or a combination of the two. After much comparison and contrast, Aristotle comes to the conclusion that plant have only partial soul opposed to the full soul as found in animals and humans according to their logic. This puts plants at the bottom of the soul hierarchy followed by animals and then by Humans how posses rationale and logic.




Discussion

Do Tamagotchies have souls?

I see this paper as a parallel to the potential question of "Do computers have souls?" or something similar. I am fairly confident that computers are not alive and therefore should not be treated as such. This brings to mind the movie A.I. Artificial Intelligence. Computers do not have souls, nor are they alive. They are merely tools to be used. Even if AI reached its peak and we were able to make agents that simulated emotions, motivation, desires, it is still a machine (a highly advanced one) and that is it. I don't remember PETA fighting for Tamagotchi rights.

Chinese Room

Comments
Aaron Kirkes
Joe Cabrera

Reference Information 
Minds, Brains, and Programs
John R. Searle
Wikipedia - Chinese Room

Summary

The Chinese Room is a problem proposed in the field of Artificial Intelligence in which a user communicates with a "room" using Chinese characters. The room represents the computer or agent as a whole.  Inside the room is a person that does not speak Chinese but using predefined instructions, draws Chinese symbols and communicates with the user although the one in the room has no idea what he wrote. The argument this scenarios raises is if an agent can truly have AI (strong AI) or only simulates intelligence but is not actually intelligent (weak AI). Searle uses this as an argument to state that no program can give an agent strong AI.


Discussion

By Searle's argument, planes don't fly

I do not agree with Searle. The Chinese room represents an expert system in which, for that purpose that it was designed to carry out, is intelligent. I feel this argument is pedantic and whose true focus is terminology. If we go by Searle's argument then mankind has still yet to reach flight. The Wright Brothers had it all wrong. By Searle's argument, our modern aircraft only simulate flight but do not actually achieve it. Because our aircraft don't flap their wings like a bird does in nature, we have not yet been able to make a flying machine. I'm sure many would argue that man IS able to fly so the same logic can be applied to this Chinese Room argument.

Reading #1: Sequential Art for Science and CHI

Comments
John Brock
Michael Atkinson

Reference Information 
Sequential Art for Science and CHI
Duncan Rowland
CHI 2010: Monsters Attack!   April 10-15, 2010   Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Summary
This paper attempts to show the effectiveness to convey an idea using visual stimuli by presenting the information in the form of a comic book. Rowland explains that sequential art, such as a comic strip, is able to convey effectively information by catching the readers attention opposed to throwing random scattered graphs or visual aids. He uses the example of a PowerPoint presentation. Two experimental ways of conveying scientific data are presented as school children and researchers in physiology present their data visually and sequentially. Both claim to properly inform reader of the results and process while keeping only the needed general information when presented in comic form. This method of getting information across is still experimental and has its skeptics.

Sample sequential art

Discussion
When reading the comic, I thought to myself that this would not work. I believed this a childish way to pass on information. Then I remembered the feelings I experienced when I first opened the PDF document. I remember feeling dismay when I saw it was a 10 page report. Then those same feelings shifted to happiness and excitement when I saw the report was a comic. I did feel I got the main points from this and was able to follow along easier than if reading a dragged on report on these findings given to me in paragraphs of black and white.

Microblog on Coming of Age in Samoa

Chapter 1

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Comments
Chris Kam
John Janosko

Reference Information
Coming of Age in Samoa
Margaret Mead

Summary

Margaret Mead

This first chapter sets up the rest of the ethnography. It presents to us the work done on the study of adolescence in society. The rebellion and the changes exhibited by teenagers. Margaret Mead challenges these findings stating that the studies conducted on the subjects are not controlled. Many factors go into determining the behavior of an adolescent. She continues to argue that the only issue is not the controlled variables but the variables themselves, in this case, the environment established by society. Mead presents the dilemma that all studies are on American teenagers raised in an American society with an American way of thinking. She proposes the question of what would happen if we take the American society out of the picture and instead, conduct studies on adolescence in a small, secluded, culturally different setting. The location: Samoa. In describing the cultural differences between both civilizations (America and Samoa), Mead starts on her journey in Samoa to uncover the truth behind the complexity of humans. It becomes a classic question of nature vs. nurture.

Discussion
Having read part of this book already in an anthropology class, I feel I have a good understanding of where this book is heading. It is an argument of nature vs. nurture in which anthropologist still argue about to this day. The question becomes: Is the development of the human genetically encoded and imprinted on the brain, or is it the outside environment surroundings, and culture impact heavily on the development of man. I see this book as helping us understand, not in an anthropological way, but in how to study humans to better suit their needs for human-computer interaction. How culture, religion, society play a role in developing systems meant to heavily interact with people. Examples of this that come to mind are website design. Though there are many ways and templates for website design, we have it ingrained in our heads how the basic navigation and menus should appear. But what about  cultures in which people read right-to-left or from up-down. Should sites be completely reversed or customized for them? It is in this example that I see how this relates to our feild of science of human-computer interaction.

Microblog on The Design of Everday Things

Chapter 1

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Comments


Evin Schuchardt
Zack Henkel

Reference Information
The Design of Everyday Things
Norman, Donald.
New York: Basic, 2002.

Summary
This first chapter of The Design of Everyday Things introduces the concept of bad design. Norman explains that there is a psychology to everyday items and how users interact with them. He does so by giving the reader examples in which simple to use tools and objects become overly complicated by the ill-design of the object. Norman explains the thought process of an end user in putting together how an item works (or is supposed to work) and how sometimes the object in question does not deliver. An example that was pervasive through this chapter was the simple telephone which we use everyday. The amount of functions that can be carried out by the modern telephone do not reflect properly in the design of most modern telephones. Norman explains how mapping and functions-to-buttons ratio greatly help the user understand the functionality of an object. He also introduces the paradox of technology. The growing amount of technological advancement and functions sometimes can not be confined to the space or dimensions provided to provide a one-to-one ratio for buttons and functions. This leads to the complexity of the object becoming unusable or unusable due to the lack of functions. There is a fine line between functionality and design, a line that if crossed one too many times, may doom to failure an idea forever.

Poor bathroom design

Discussion
I completely agree with Norman's view on design and design flaws. I too have suffered from poor designs which makes it frustrating to use. An example is the software developed in-house at the company I work for. All the information and data I need is available to me but the problem is the menus and sub menus I have to click and back out from to get to the information. The opening of many windows to get to a single piece of information and the constant going back and forth is frustrating. It is CLEAR to me why this article relates to CHI and why we have to be conscious of our design.

#0 Introduction Blog

Miguel Alex Cardenas

xmcardenas@gmail.com

Texas A&M Senior

I'm taking this class because A.) I need to graduate and B.) I want to know more about human-computer interactions and what the different levels of interaction are. Im coming into the class with no experience or knowledge in human-computer interaction other than knowing a nice GUI helps the user. I do however come with a passion of learning. That and programing experience.

Class aside, I would like to see myself in 10 years working with a well paying job. That is all I really know because I am still not sure (last semester of college) what I want to do. I know things change, people change, so wherever I foresee myself now will probably not be where I will actually be. And this may sound depressing but who knows; maybe I will love wherever I am in 10 years and hate where I am now.


While we are on the topic of the future, I wonder what the next technological advancement will be. Although it exists now to a degree, I can see augmented reality booming in the future. From entertainment to military, I can see many uses for it. Whether displayed on some interactive medium or projected directly onto your retina, this field of computer science has great potential.

Snuggie: Perfect way to make money

Lets not get too far ahead of ourselves. Lets reverse and think about the past. Assuming I had a DeLorean with a Flux Capacitor, I wouldn't mind traveling to the past. So many great minds, so many great thinkers, so many inspirational figures. If I had to choose to travel back in time, I would go back in time about 8 or 9 years to visit myself and give myself a touch screen mp3 player with all the hit songs from 2002 and on. Also, within that mp3 player, would be included all the important inventions and events from then on given the technology from 2002 permits (ex. Snuggies). Past me would then "write" all the biggest songs of the past decade as well as come up with inventions. Then when all my inventions have run dry, I will instruct past me to sell the mp3 to Apple so that they may reverse engineer it. I should be financially set for the rest of my life.

Back to the present (see that pun I made in reference to the DeLorean made above), I think my current mustache of choice would be the mustache combined with the goatee. It combines the perfect mustache with other facial hair while keeping it classy.

Wenn ich könnte in jeder beliebigen Sprache fließend, wäre es Deutsch. Vor allem, weil ich weiß schon, Englisch, Spanisch, Portugiesisch, und die Grundlagen der Französisch (die meisten lateinischen basierte Sprachen sind leicht zu erlernen für mich).

 
If you clicked on the link above (or if you speak German) you noticed that I speak 3.5 languages. The 1/2 language is for the basics of French I learned, never used, and forgot. But because it follows the same syntax of other Latin based languages, it is just a matter of learning words, not how to use them