Hey everyone,
I've written a few more articles that have not been reported on this blog.
One theory I advance on how to reduce gasoline prices. This theory has a lot of side benefits as well, but it is unlikely to be explored by our culture. People have this feeling that they are better than that here in the US. Plus it would change the places people would live (implied) because you wouldn't be able to live so far away from work. I think I have more to say on this subject. I did get two e-mail comments on this article - which is great. They both had criticisms - that I think are not necessarily deal-breakers - but certainly should be noted in any plan to implement my idea.
The Solution To High Gasoline Prices
I wrote an article on the cartoon that I enjoy watching - with my son as well - InuYasha. I don't know why - because I wasn't heavy in to romantic notions when I was younger - but I really like the romance theme in the InuYasha series. I've also seen a movie called Urusei Yastura "Beautiful Dreamer" - that had a heavy romance theme in it. There are lots of moral themes in both shows as well. InuYasha has a heavier candy coating of blood, guts and battles than Urusei Yatsura - but then again that is partially a result of the context of where the shows occur.
I will be renting as much of Urusei Yatsura and InuYasha as I can from Netflix in the coming months and hope to write more about both series - and perhaps television and movies in general and the answer to the question "Why are they important to us?" It would deal a lot with the idea that similarity of experience allows people to understand each other.
InuYasha
It seems that Useless-Knowledge news commentary website has been delisted as news from both yahoo and google news reporting aspects. This is unfortunate. It appears that some articels that people found offensive about Natalee Holloway irked people in to complaining to Yahoo and Google for listing it as news. Censorship works - even from commercial resources. So, now useless-knowledge will have a smaller readership. This is unfortunate.
If everything in society is removed because a small number of people complain about it - there will be very little left. These people have a right to say what they want no matter how offensive it might be to some people. If it really offends you - you have to take action in a just and moral way - not in an immoral way that limits the abilities of other people. The appropriate reaction to people offended by the Natalee Holloway articles is to write articles defending her and her mother and stating that these people are not like that.
But not, oh things are offensive - we need to take free expression from these folks the only way we can. By complaining and having them removed from a forum that allows free expression.
So, anyway, anyone reading this - if you have any news websites or commentary websites that allow people to write articles for them where you wouldn't mind seeing my articles and they might gain some readership - please tell me or put it in the comments here.
I have certainly decided that I like writing in public forums and having my voice heard - when I get good or bad reactions. The reactions in themselves provide with information and learning about our human society and exposure to people that I would not normally (in my working and social life)
Alexander Flynn
Sunday, September 25, 2005
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Talking to Meme
Meme is the name that my wife and her siblings applied to their grandmother many years ago. That name continues on for her in her role as great-grandmother to my son.
It is good talking with her on the days that she watches my son. It helps me to kick out ideas and she certainly has a different perspective on technology - having lived through the times when technology was such a smaller part of our lives.
There are many things that we have done to our society that reflects back onto us that if we had thought about it - we would have designed things different. Some things as simple as the housing development - need to be re-thought and re-designed for safety, efficiency and reduction of waste.
I'll be writing an article in the future about my design for a community - that would be a better place to live. Something that could be instituted in the hurricane ravaged New Orleans area - if people stop and think instead of run and just rebuild what was once there. Rebuilding what was once there is simply planning for the next event that will destroy the area again.
It is good talking with her on the days that she watches my son. It helps me to kick out ideas and she certainly has a different perspective on technology - having lived through the times when technology was such a smaller part of our lives.
There are many things that we have done to our society that reflects back onto us that if we had thought about it - we would have designed things different. Some things as simple as the housing development - need to be re-thought and re-designed for safety, efficiency and reduction of waste.
I'll be writing an article in the future about my design for a community - that would be a better place to live. Something that could be instituted in the hurricane ravaged New Orleans area - if people stop and think instead of run and just rebuild what was once there. Rebuilding what was once there is simply planning for the next event that will destroy the area again.
Article: iPODs disposable culture
Hi everyone I have written an article about iPODs and focused specifically on the non-user replaceable battery.
People send Apple accolades about design, but neglect the fact that the design could be better, and the focus of apple's design of the iPOD is style and not utilization.
http://www.useless-knowledge.com/1234/sept/article304.html
People send Apple accolades about design, but neglect the fact that the design could be better, and the focus of apple's design of the iPOD is style and not utilization.
http://www.useless-knowledge.com/1234/sept/article304.html
Friday, September 16, 2005
Easy as riding a bike
Or not.
I am concerned about my health again. It isn't a persistent thing - it is a mostly long term worry that I'll be one of those guys that goes outside and plays with his children and dies shortly afterward from a heart attack.
I can't run without getting horrible shin-splints. So, my thought is, why don't I buy a bicycle and take it out every day to get in to shape.
Only problem is it isn't as simple as go and buy a bike.
#1 at the moment - I do not want to have to assemble the bike. So, perhaps, I will buy one assembled - as many are at Target, Walmart, Toys R us, Dick sporting goods. The problem is that do I really trust any of these guys to put together a bike correctly? At Dick's there was a bike I was almost willing to purchase, but there were things that were not working on it - and that was the case for someone else that rode another bike in the store. That's not good. I do remember as a kid and on to my teens getting bikes from Toys R Us and they all worked appropriately, but I'm not a kid and they may not have a bike for my size (average human male 5' 9" and overweight 190 pounds).
So, I could go to a bike shop. But frankly they scare the crap out of me. I just want to ride something that isn't going to fall apart and will work correctly. I don't want something that weighs 6 ounces and costs 6K? I don't even want something that costs $500 for that matter.
Bleh, we, we'll see if I actually find something to ride. And then... We'll see if I actually ride it enough for it to have been a good purchase. The problem with these expensive bikes is that if I end up riding it only a few times - that could end up being $5 a ride - pretty pricey. If I get a cheap bike and don't ride it - then it will have cost me less per ride.
Of course, the whole point is that I ride the bikes and get in to better shape.
Abwägen
I am concerned about my health again. It isn't a persistent thing - it is a mostly long term worry that I'll be one of those guys that goes outside and plays with his children and dies shortly afterward from a heart attack.
I can't run without getting horrible shin-splints. So, my thought is, why don't I buy a bicycle and take it out every day to get in to shape.
Only problem is it isn't as simple as go and buy a bike.
#1 at the moment - I do not want to have to assemble the bike. So, perhaps, I will buy one assembled - as many are at Target, Walmart, Toys R us, Dick sporting goods. The problem is that do I really trust any of these guys to put together a bike correctly? At Dick's there was a bike I was almost willing to purchase, but there were things that were not working on it - and that was the case for someone else that rode another bike in the store. That's not good. I do remember as a kid and on to my teens getting bikes from Toys R Us and they all worked appropriately, but I'm not a kid and they may not have a bike for my size (average human male 5' 9" and overweight 190 pounds).
So, I could go to a bike shop. But frankly they scare the crap out of me. I just want to ride something that isn't going to fall apart and will work correctly. I don't want something that weighs 6 ounces and costs 6K? I don't even want something that costs $500 for that matter.
Bleh, we, we'll see if I actually find something to ride. And then... We'll see if I actually ride it enough for it to have been a good purchase. The problem with these expensive bikes is that if I end up riding it only a few times - that could end up being $5 a ride - pretty pricey. If I get a cheap bike and don't ride it - then it will have cost me less per ride.
Of course, the whole point is that I ride the bikes and get in to better shape.
Abwägen
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Article: Gay Marriage
I have created a new article that was posted on www.Useless-Knowledge.com .
It is about gay marriage - and references (indirectly) some of the articles that have been on Useless Knowledge on the subject.
Here it is:
Secular Marriage Revisited
Of course, I had my wife edit it and I made some changes - but did I ask my wife to check the edits? No, of course not, that would be the reasonable thing to do.
So, I changed a sentence in the beginning from referencing activities in one state to two states.... But I didn't change the word state to states in the article...
Bleh, first thing I read in the article is something that looks like a grammatical error. Oddly enough, when I read it with the word state it seems to flow ok. I probably would have changed it to states in that first paragraph if I had followed my age-old habit of reading the article out loud before posting it - or have my wife read it to herself and tell me I'm a putz.
It is also the first article I have written that refers directly back to this blog. Hey maybe it will bring in some visitors!
I like seeing that I have had visitors almost as much as I like it when visitors leave a comment behind.
Abwägen
It is about gay marriage - and references (indirectly) some of the articles that have been on Useless Knowledge on the subject.
Here it is:
Secular Marriage Revisited
Of course, I had my wife edit it and I made some changes - but did I ask my wife to check the edits? No, of course not, that would be the reasonable thing to do.
So, I changed a sentence in the beginning from referencing activities in one state to two states.... But I didn't change the word state to states in the article...
Bleh, first thing I read in the article is something that looks like a grammatical error. Oddly enough, when I read it with the word state it seems to flow ok. I probably would have changed it to states in that first paragraph if I had followed my age-old habit of reading the article out loud before posting it - or have my wife read it to herself and tell me I'm a putz.
It is also the first article I have written that refers directly back to this blog. Hey maybe it will bring in some visitors!
I like seeing that I have had visitors almost as much as I like it when visitors leave a comment behind.
Abwägen
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
New Article on Useless-Knowledge
Hey folks.
I have written an article which speaks of my incredible disappointment regarding the ROKR phone created by Motorola and Apple.
Clearly an incremental step (backward) instead of a generational step forward in phone MP3 playing technology.
Apple and Motorola ROKR
Abwägen
I have written an article which speaks of my incredible disappointment regarding the ROKR phone created by Motorola and Apple.
Clearly an incremental step (backward) instead of a generational step forward in phone MP3 playing technology.
Apple and Motorola ROKR
Abwägen
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Another Article Posted to Useless-Knowledge
Here it is:
Katrina's Lesson Responsibility
Hi everyone. I have written an article from a different perspective - about Katrina and responsibility. Responsibility is different than blame. Blame in reality comes from external forces (people and organizations) applied to other forces (other people and organizations). Responsibility is the self - looking at the end results of a situation and understanding that - hey - things wouldn't be this way - at least in part - without my own participation.
I didn't want to make the article partisan - so I left out another aspect of responsibility. The kind of responsibility that comes with being a leader. Just like the Star Trek Movie where Kirk and Bones go to jail because members of their crew assasinated a Klingon leader - our leaders are responsible even if their specific actions were not to blame for the unnecessary deaths, injuries and harm that has come to people.
In a sense though I do not completely accept the "captain is responsible for everyone on the ship". Because everyone on the ship is capable of thinking and taking action. We live in a time where large number of people make fun of George W Bush because of his relative intelligence - nobody anywhere in our government took the intiative to do the things that had to be done.
So, personally, I do not blame the President. This could have happened to any president. The problems in the New Orleans area are based in a tradition - a tradition of ignoring the relatively low-probability events that can cause large amount of damage - because guess what - it didn't happen this year!!!
So, I guess we are all idiots. The point is can we learn from this - or will we just jump back in to the mold afterwards and do the same blame game next time there is a major natural disaster.
Abwägen
Katrina's Lesson Responsibility
Hi everyone. I have written an article from a different perspective - about Katrina and responsibility. Responsibility is different than blame. Blame in reality comes from external forces (people and organizations) applied to other forces (other people and organizations). Responsibility is the self - looking at the end results of a situation and understanding that - hey - things wouldn't be this way - at least in part - without my own participation.
I didn't want to make the article partisan - so I left out another aspect of responsibility. The kind of responsibility that comes with being a leader. Just like the Star Trek Movie where Kirk and Bones go to jail because members of their crew assasinated a Klingon leader - our leaders are responsible even if their specific actions were not to blame for the unnecessary deaths, injuries and harm that has come to people.
In a sense though I do not completely accept the "captain is responsible for everyone on the ship". Because everyone on the ship is capable of thinking and taking action. We live in a time where large number of people make fun of George W Bush because of his relative intelligence - nobody anywhere in our government took the intiative to do the things that had to be done.
So, personally, I do not blame the President. This could have happened to any president. The problems in the New Orleans area are based in a tradition - a tradition of ignoring the relatively low-probability events that can cause large amount of damage - because guess what - it didn't happen this year!!!
So, I guess we are all idiots. The point is can we learn from this - or will we just jump back in to the mold afterwards and do the same blame game next time there is a major natural disaster.
Abwägen
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
The most recent articles on Useless-Knowledge.com
Hello everyone.
I have had a lot to say on the topic of Katrina and its impact on people, society and events. This is the second article I have written on the topic. I have written the third and already sent it in to Useless-Knowledge and eagerly await for user commentary. I have received comments from people and even professionals regarding my articles. Not all of it good, of course, but that is ok.
Anyway, here is the link to my most recent article. Perhaps I'll write more on the topic if there is more to be said, but for now I think I've written enough. :)
Abwägen / Alexander Flynn
A Lesson of Hurricane Katrina - A Hardened Communication Infrastructure Would Have Prevented Death, Suffering and Sorrow
I have had a lot to say on the topic of Katrina and its impact on people, society and events. This is the second article I have written on the topic. I have written the third and already sent it in to Useless-Knowledge and eagerly await for user commentary. I have received comments from people and even professionals regarding my articles. Not all of it good, of course, but that is ok.
Anyway, here is the link to my most recent article. Perhaps I'll write more on the topic if there is more to be said, but for now I think I've written enough. :)
Abwägen / Alexander Flynn
A Lesson of Hurricane Katrina - A Hardened Communication Infrastructure Would Have Prevented Death, Suffering and Sorrow
Time, writing and blogs
Hello everyone - including one day my son perhaps.
I have not written in this blog for some time, but that does not mean that I have been inactive. I have written many articles on a website called Useless-knowledge.
It is a great site and I encourage anyone that feels strongly about something to test their writing skills by writing an article on Useless-knowledge.
In showing my connection with Useless-knowledge I expose my real-world identity and connect it to this blog.
I have some concerns that this blog certainly talks about my philosophical beliefs - which are atheist - and that in some future I might be looking for a job and the potential employer might do a web search and find this blog and my articles and decide they do not want to hire an atheist.
Well, if that is the case with some future employer - so be it.
I will at times write some more on this blog - things that I will not write on Useless-knowledge. After all the topic of this blog is something eventually for my son to read and understand who his father was. Even if I am alive in the future it seems likely that the me of the future will not be the me of the present.
Alexander Flynn
List of Articles written on Useless-knowledge:
(20 articles and Over 20,000 words)
In Regard To Skip And Jack
We Live On A Planet Where There Are Many Religions
The List Of Right Questions
Atheists Are No Joking Matter [I Fear Them]
Faulty Airplane Defense
The Unparalleled Movie Experience
The Unparalleled Movie Experience Part 2
Science Education Controlled By Politics Is Worthless
The Future: Stem Cells
John Bolton: Job Applicant
The Good Man Noah
The Return of the Airship
Toy Review: Teen Titans
City in the Air/ Wherever I May Roam
Terrorism: Source and Solution
The Unparalleled Movie Experience: Coda
Tuberculosis in Africa - an evolutionary danger to us all
Toy Review: Toys You Build With Your Child
Wheelchairs: Inadequate for the Handicapped
Rebuilding New Orleans – The Legacy of Hurricane Katrina
End
I have not written in this blog for some time, but that does not mean that I have been inactive. I have written many articles on a website called Useless-knowledge.
It is a great site and I encourage anyone that feels strongly about something to test their writing skills by writing an article on Useless-knowledge.
In showing my connection with Useless-knowledge I expose my real-world identity and connect it to this blog.
I have some concerns that this blog certainly talks about my philosophical beliefs - which are atheist - and that in some future I might be looking for a job and the potential employer might do a web search and find this blog and my articles and decide they do not want to hire an atheist.
Well, if that is the case with some future employer - so be it.
I will at times write some more on this blog - things that I will not write on Useless-knowledge. After all the topic of this blog is something eventually for my son to read and understand who his father was. Even if I am alive in the future it seems likely that the me of the future will not be the me of the present.
Alexander Flynn
List of Articles written on Useless-knowledge:
(20 articles and Over 20,000 words)
In Regard To Skip And Jack
We Live On A Planet Where There Are Many Religions
The List Of Right Questions
Atheists Are No Joking Matter [I Fear Them]
Faulty Airplane Defense
The Unparalleled Movie Experience
The Unparalleled Movie Experience Part 2
Science Education Controlled By Politics Is Worthless
The Future: Stem Cells
John Bolton: Job Applicant
The Good Man Noah
The Return of the Airship
Toy Review: Teen Titans
City in the Air/ Wherever I May Roam
Terrorism: Source and Solution
The Unparalleled Movie Experience: Coda
Tuberculosis in Africa - an evolutionary danger to us all
Toy Review: Toys You Build With Your Child
Wheelchairs: Inadequate for the Handicapped
Rebuilding New Orleans – The Legacy of Hurricane Katrina
End
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