This article, "The Best of Racists" is actually pretty funny in an ironic way.
I'll start with a paraphrase version of the article. Some remarks in parenthesis.
01) Don Imus said some racist things and got fired.
02) We all know that some forms of communication help people and some communicate hurt people. It appears that we support hurtful communication and suppress hurtful communication.
03) People who are religious have kids that do well in school. Oh, wait, let's quote the actual study where it says that people who belong to religion AND have an intact and stable family do well in school.
04) Highly religious minorities can outperform white students.
05) Therefore atheism is racist. (somehow #4 indicates #5)
06) Atheists are eugenicists because one atheist author, Margaret Sanger supported eugenics. Eugenics is racism.
07) Slavery was started by Christians
08) Slavery was ended by Christians
09) Atheists are cold people who write off large segments of humanity as having insufficiently endowed genetics
10) For a logically consistent atheist, altruism enables mediocrity.
11) Christians love everybody. God loved us in to existence. The widow's mite is worth more than the whole treasury of the Temple. The best that is worst in use produce more than the intellectual elite can manufacture. (Please note, he is attaching intellectual elite to atheism here)
12) The intellectual elite knows this, but is stubborn and won't realize their own weakness.
13) People who cannot see beyond the skin (atheists are who we are talking about) represent a danger to those who believe and can see beyond the skin.
14) Atheists are going to destroy the world.
So, let's take it point by point.
01) Don Imus said something that was racist and got fired for it. Well, according to a writer on CNN.com, what Imus said wasn't so much racist as sexist. What Imus said wasn't illegal. It was; however, something that corporate entities tied to his show don't want to be associated with and that is why he got fired. What the author is attempting to do in this piece is attack free speech. The very free speech that allows him to write the referenced article.
The article Steve Kellmeyer wrote; however, isn't free speech. It is hate speech. What he wrote as much as he derides Imus, is far worse. I will prove that it is hate speech and that his article is a little bit confused.
02) He suggests that we all 'know' what is right and wrong in terms of speech. But this simply isn't true. We are all very different people that share certain commonalities. What would be terribly insulting to one person is humorous and a learning episode to another person who enjoys frank discussion. This idea is simply the idea that there is a universal right and wrong and that people flaunt it actively. Haven't we all had that incident where we have said something to another person that we thought would be funny and they got insulted? Now, I'm not considering what Imus said to be in this category, I'm just challenging this idea that Steve Kellmeyer is presenting as a premise and saying that he is wrong.
03) People who are religious have kids that do well in school. The first way Mr. Kellmeyer presents this is to appear that religion is the only component in this equation. Later quotes in his article and statements he himself make water this down. A stable and intact family play a huge role in this matter. Anyone who has a friend or has endured parents getting divorced I am sure can attest to the fact that divorce has an effect as well as single parent families.
04) Highly religious minorities can outperform white students. Now this is a paraphrase, but you have to understand that inherent in this statement is a bit of racial superiority. Maybe we should re-state this a bit and say that highly religious white students can do as well as Asian students. It is an implicit statement of superiority.
05) Therefore atheism is racist. Somehow - our author seems to think that #4 indicates that atheists are racist. If we look at #4 it basically states: The greater the religion in a person the better they will do in school. The appropriate corollary to this is not that atheists are racists. It should be that atheists don't do well in school or in fact that atheists do the worst in school.
06) Atheists are eugenicists because one atheist author, Margaret Sanger supported eugenics. Eugenics is racism. I'm not exactly sure where Mr. Kellmeyer is getting his information. I think this is his attempt to tie atheism to Hitler. Who knows? I am an atheist as are many people that I know online and in the real world. None are eugenicists. I know one online that is incredibly racist. Here is the problem with Mr. Kellmeyer's assertion: You can't classify an entire group of people on the basis of a single individual Perhaps if he would like to associate atheism with eugenics and racism he'd like anyone with historical knowledge to trot out the hundreds of notable Christians that were in favor of slavery, racism and characterize all Christians as just like those individuals. Perhaps we should think that all Christians will take a person and tie them to the back of a pick-up truck and drive around since Chrisitians did that relatively recently to someone that they didn't like. We can go on further about this. When you get statistics about churches what do you find? That churches are racist. You have your black churches, your white churches and your Korean churches, but guess what, finding a church that is multi-racial is very hard to find. I don't know what Christians do to maintain this - sit and watch in the churches parking lot before deciding to go in and look at the race of the people going in the church? Oh, dog, its a black church, honey drive to the next church!!!
07) Slavery was started by Christians. This is true.
08) Slavery was ended by Christians. This is only partially true. Certainly Christian motivations for getting rid of slavery weren't based in the bible which appears to approve of slavery and make recommendations on how it should be performed and how people who are slaves should behave. There is a really good book by Susan Jacoby: Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism. It goes over in detail the abolition movement and women's suffrage. The origin of these ideas comes from the enlightenment, not the bible or Christianity. Later, these ideas would take hold in Christians that it is wrong to enslave people and wrong to not allow them to vote because of their sex and wrong to treat people differently on the basis of race.
09) Atheists are cold people who write off large segments of humanity as having insufficiently endowed genetics - this is really the author trying to set up moral superiority over atheists. He continues to use the racism card with regard to atheism, but where is he really going with calling atheists racists. We'll see...
10) For a logically consistent atheist, altruism enables mediocrity. Well, he's staying on the atheists must be racists kick here. He probably thinks that all atheists that aren't racists aren't really atheists. Most atheists can be called secular humanists in terms of morality. Secular Humanism is best described as the philosophy of utilitarianism. This philosophy resides in the idea of doing what is best for humanity. Is it best for humanity to pursue an elitist eugenic movement creating a race of super humans? Not really. Such a path would really only produce more strife within humanity. Now to improve humanity in general? Yes, that is a good thing. Genetically? Maybe, but certainly not now when our knowledge of genetics is in its infancy. In utilitarianism, the mediocre plays a vital role in creating a stable society. In that way, we should all hope to be mediocre. Those who have more talents, should use those talents toward improving the world after reaching a certain point in personal stability.
11) Christians love everybody. God loved us in to existence. The widow's mite is worth more than the whole treasury of the Temple. The best that is worst in use produce more than the intellectual elite can manufacture. (Please note, he is attaching intellectual elite to atheism here)
It should be noted that our writer isn't very consistent. He goes from attacking atheists (invalidly and illogically) to attacking the intellectual elite. His implication is that the 'intellectual elite' are atheists. Perhaps this intellectual elite is running the country right now? Oh, wait, you can't possibly be elected to office if you are an open atheist. So, who is running the country (which is apparently headed for destruction)? Well, its Christians. Just like George W Bush. So, somehow with none of the power atheists and the so-called intellectual elite receive the blame for the purported downward spiral of our country. Another problem with his statement is that it is all too clearly a lie. If it wasn't a lie then there wouldn't be any homeless people on the streets because the 85% Christian country would raid all the church coffers in a second to ensure that everyone had shelter and food. This isn't the case. The case is that the vast majority of churches are social clubs with a nice non-profit tax umbrella.
12) The intellectual elite knows this (that it is inadequate and doesn't care for the average person), but is stubborn and won't realize their own weakness. This is just plain an insulting passage designed to bully people to his side of the argument, because after all who wants to be a bad person and these intellectual elitists are the worst there are... This is a simple nudge at dehumanizing the opponent.
13) People who cannot see beyond the skin (atheists are who we are talking about) represent a danger to those who believe and can see beyond the skin.
This is funny, please see my remarks above about the racial components of churches. Go ahead, watch television and these churches on TV, black preacher, black people in the audience, white preacher, white people in the audience and a couple of token black people. I'm not exactly sure when this happened, but it seems like it is ok for a few clean-cut black people to be in a white church, but not for white people to be in a white church.
14) Atheists are going to destroy the world. This isn't exactly what he says in the last paragraph. But the article is all about laying a case against atheists and the 'intellectual elite' whoever they may be. Here he makes a claim that 'society as we know it will be destroyed'. Now if you are a tried and true follower, what exactly do you do if you believe something is going to destroy society? You destroy it first. What is it? Atheists and the intellectual elite. He even spells it out 'these people are the greatest danger.'
So, this article is a hate article. Hate the atheists because they are racists and they are going to destroy the world.
What do you expect someone who reads this article and is a believer of everything this guy has to say and meets an atheist? You know, if the person is a go-getter, a person that does things about the wrongs in society, I know what they would do. Let's hope 'they' don't meet me.
Personally, I've got two kids, wife, two dogs, three cats and a snake that need me to be their sole provider. I don't want to be killed because some jackass that reads this article and is a tried and true believer thinks he's saving the world from the evil atheists.
What's more, Steve Kellmeyer's article is hate speech, and hate speech is not protected speech, it is illegal. Perhaps he'd like to post known atheist names on his website and cross them out when people kill them.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Popular Science - Nuclear Power
There is an article in the current Popular Science magazine - May 2007, that indicates that a "new toxic-waste recycling process." will be tested in the United States of America.
Imagine my surprise when I continue to read the article and it is simply something the French have been doing for decades. This is basically using the nuclear waste produced in using nuclear power as a power source over and over again until at such point the fuel is completely spent and can be used no more.
During the process the amount of toxic radiation laden material is reduced and this reduces nuclear waste.
But this isn't a new process at least not on Earth. It might be new to the United States of America, but you know that is hardly surprising. We've been falling back on technology for the past 20 years or so, about the amount of time the French have been using this "new" process.
Imagine my surprise when I continue to read the article and it is simply something the French have been doing for decades. This is basically using the nuclear waste produced in using nuclear power as a power source over and over again until at such point the fuel is completely spent and can be used no more.
During the process the amount of toxic radiation laden material is reduced and this reduces nuclear waste.
But this isn't a new process at least not on Earth. It might be new to the United States of America, but you know that is hardly surprising. We've been falling back on technology for the past 20 years or so, about the amount of time the French have been using this "new" process.
Popular Science - The Future of the Car
Popular Science magazine in their current issue May 2007, is concentrated on the future of the car. This is only a logical topic as there was a Science Channel/Discovery Channel series recently about the future of the car "FutureCar".
Both the series and Popular Science go in to all the high technology that will go in to cars and Dr. Michio Kaku participates whom I have a deep respect. I've read his book Visions a few years back and enjoyed it thoroughly.
However, the problem with the Popular Science article, the FutureCar TV series and Dr. Michio Kaku's contributions to the FutureCar series is that they ignore simple physics. The point being that by not using a mechanical device to move a person you will always consume more energy for the weight of the mechanical device. This energy, unlike the energy that humans runs on is not always reusable or replaceable.
A large change may be required of society if it intends to keep the majority of its capabilities. We can either concentrate on keeping cars on the road and consuming less (but never zero) energy or we can concentrate on changing our infrastructure and our environment so that human power is what is necessary for most movements.
The way to accomplish this is by making vast cities called an arcology. An arcology is like a city, but most likely it would not have streets, businesses would be located close to residences and work wouldn't be far from home. This can be accomplished with buildings of many different formats, connected together by different types of rail and tubes where people can walk, run or cycle protected from the elements.
It would be a path to a healthier United States population as well, as those of us that can walk to work, will walk to work. It would remove a massive cause of pollution, the automobile from use (at least within the confines of an arcology.
Arcologies are also high on the use of alternative energies, as they can use whatever power source is available. It could start out using coal or whatever, but an alternative power source could be use and replace the current coal burning power plant.
The demise of the car would increase disposable income of the average person, as they would not have to pay for car insurance, car payments, car maintenance and they would gain the time that is typically lost by driving in a car every day.
The demise of the car would also be a huge safety win for humans. They would not die in car accidents, no one would be hit by cars walking across the street and the pollution created by cars would disappear. As a parent in northern NJ, I am always concerned about my child being hit by a car. It is so densely populated up here with so many cars that it is a grave concern to me. No one should ever have to live through losing their child through being hit by a car. An arcology is the path to the removal of this being possible.
Of course, there are technical and social barriers that we would have to overcome in order to create arcologies. Most of us don't want to live in apartments because you can hear all the people around you. However, I suspect that this can easily be solved by using appropriate materials to block the sounds of other people.
Everyone in the world doesn't have to live in an arcology. However, the greater a percentage that do live in arcologies would greatly alleviate many problems that confront humanity now and in the near future.
I suspect all this talk about future cars and all these great technologies is simply delaying the executioner of the car.
Both the series and Popular Science go in to all the high technology that will go in to cars and Dr. Michio Kaku participates whom I have a deep respect. I've read his book Visions a few years back and enjoyed it thoroughly.
However, the problem with the Popular Science article, the FutureCar TV series and Dr. Michio Kaku's contributions to the FutureCar series is that they ignore simple physics. The point being that by not using a mechanical device to move a person you will always consume more energy for the weight of the mechanical device. This energy, unlike the energy that humans runs on is not always reusable or replaceable.
A large change may be required of society if it intends to keep the majority of its capabilities. We can either concentrate on keeping cars on the road and consuming less (but never zero) energy or we can concentrate on changing our infrastructure and our environment so that human power is what is necessary for most movements.
The way to accomplish this is by making vast cities called an arcology. An arcology is like a city, but most likely it would not have streets, businesses would be located close to residences and work wouldn't be far from home. This can be accomplished with buildings of many different formats, connected together by different types of rail and tubes where people can walk, run or cycle protected from the elements.
It would be a path to a healthier United States population as well, as those of us that can walk to work, will walk to work. It would remove a massive cause of pollution, the automobile from use (at least within the confines of an arcology.
Arcologies are also high on the use of alternative energies, as they can use whatever power source is available. It could start out using coal or whatever, but an alternative power source could be use and replace the current coal burning power plant.
The demise of the car would increase disposable income of the average person, as they would not have to pay for car insurance, car payments, car maintenance and they would gain the time that is typically lost by driving in a car every day.
The demise of the car would also be a huge safety win for humans. They would not die in car accidents, no one would be hit by cars walking across the street and the pollution created by cars would disappear. As a parent in northern NJ, I am always concerned about my child being hit by a car. It is so densely populated up here with so many cars that it is a grave concern to me. No one should ever have to live through losing their child through being hit by a car. An arcology is the path to the removal of this being possible.
Of course, there are technical and social barriers that we would have to overcome in order to create arcologies. Most of us don't want to live in apartments because you can hear all the people around you. However, I suspect that this can easily be solved by using appropriate materials to block the sounds of other people.
Everyone in the world doesn't have to live in an arcology. However, the greater a percentage that do live in arcologies would greatly alleviate many problems that confront humanity now and in the near future.
I suspect all this talk about future cars and all these great technologies is simply delaying the executioner of the car.
Mac Mini Problem
Well, as I previously mentioned in this blog, we purchased a Mac Mini for my father-in-law. It works great as a computer except for one major problem. The 17" LCD display I decided he should use over his old 15" CRT, doesn't work with it. After the initial Mac startup gray screen the monitor goes to "No Signal".
So, rather fortunately, we had his 15" monitor available and we connected it to that monitor and it works perfectly. There are a number of blogs and articles out there on this subject, which seems to indicate that there is no solution. A German Company in some articles is referenced as indicating that the signal strength output from the Mac Mini is out of specification and too low to be interpreted by some monitor. Expensive monitors can apparently adjust to the lower signal output.
But, if I was interested in expensive, I'd have bought either the iMac or a more expensive PC and not the Mac Mini.
So, we have been recommended to take both monitor and Mac Mini to an Apple store to have it checked out. I'll keep everyone posted when we actually accomplish this pain in the butt. I suspect though, that there simply isn't a fix for this problem.
So, rather fortunately, we had his 15" monitor available and we connected it to that monitor and it works perfectly. There are a number of blogs and articles out there on this subject, which seems to indicate that there is no solution. A German Company in some articles is referenced as indicating that the signal strength output from the Mac Mini is out of specification and too low to be interpreted by some monitor. Expensive monitors can apparently adjust to the lower signal output.
But, if I was interested in expensive, I'd have bought either the iMac or a more expensive PC and not the Mac Mini.
So, we have been recommended to take both monitor and Mac Mini to an Apple store to have it checked out. I'll keep everyone posted when we actually accomplish this pain in the butt. I suspect though, that there simply isn't a fix for this problem.
Viginia Tech Shooting
I feel sorrow as a parent for all those killed at Virginia Tech. Each and every one of them took years to be made in to college students, people with futures and people that in this country we need to live long fruitful lives. All those hopes are embedded in these students by their parents and the hopes for better futures.
Today, for 32 people most who were college students there will be no future. The absence of a future is a void the exact opposite of having a better future.
The head of the English department at Virginia Tech has revealed that some of Cho Seung-Hui's writings were sufficiently disturbing that they sent him out for counseling. Then in the same paragraph in this article she indicates that she won't tell anyone his grades or reveal the paper that referred him to counseling out of respect for privacy laws.
I have the highest respect for privacy laws, but she already broke those privacy laws by revealing anything about his education that was not already public knowledge. At this point in time to be consistent she needs to reveal this paper that she has now made everyone slavering over knowing the contents public.
I think, that in certain cases privacy laws need to be amended. It should be written that if a person commits a crime that all privacy concerns are no longer in scope. If you run around and kill a bunch of people you lose your right to privacy. Also, in this case it is uncertain whose privacy she is protecting as the individual in question is quite dead. If you are dead, you don't own anything, you can't do anything, you can't feel embarrassed about anything and guess what you don't have a right to privacy anymore since there isn't a 'you' anymore.
Today, for 32 people most who were college students there will be no future. The absence of a future is a void the exact opposite of having a better future.
The head of the English department at Virginia Tech has revealed that some of Cho Seung-Hui's writings were sufficiently disturbing that they sent him out for counseling. Then in the same paragraph in this article she indicates that she won't tell anyone his grades or reveal the paper that referred him to counseling out of respect for privacy laws.
I have the highest respect for privacy laws, but she already broke those privacy laws by revealing anything about his education that was not already public knowledge. At this point in time to be consistent she needs to reveal this paper that she has now made everyone slavering over knowing the contents public.
I think, that in certain cases privacy laws need to be amended. It should be written that if a person commits a crime that all privacy concerns are no longer in scope. If you run around and kill a bunch of people you lose your right to privacy. Also, in this case it is uncertain whose privacy she is protecting as the individual in question is quite dead. If you are dead, you don't own anything, you can't do anything, you can't feel embarrassed about anything and guess what you don't have a right to privacy anymore since there isn't a 'you' anymore.
Monday, April 09, 2007
Credit Card Woes II
You know, sometimes I wonder about credit card companies and how they can survive. They practice such unethical business processes that it is a wonder they aren't sued out of existence.
For example, my wife and I had a Chase MasterCard through Amazon. It wasn't originally Chase, as we've had issue with Chase before, but Amazon changed who they were working with so now it is a Chase MasterCard.
We made a transfer from Chase to another credit card with a better rate for 5K. Three months later, Chase tells us that the payment never posted. In the meantime, unfortunately, we had to use the card so when they replaced the 3K on to the card, we went over the credit limit. The funny thing about it is that neither the issuing bank (my wife's credit union) nor Chase notified us that anything was wrong until things were fundamentally screwed up.
So, retroactively, they put us overlimit for 3 months, charged us a bunch of penalties and temporarily closed our account. They indicated if we made the account whole again they would open the account up again.
So, instead of paying the card to make it whole, we paid them a few thousand, and then moved the rest of the balance to other cards and called and said you know what, we don't want to deal with you.
You know why we'll never go back to Chase? Because the bitch on the phone started talking down to me when I was trying to straighten things out. "Didn't you notice 5K of your debt disappeared?" WTF lady, am I supposed to keep after credit card companies to make sure they do their business with money straight? Exactly which one of us is in the business of money? I know what I'm in the business of right now, taking care of 1 then 3 year old and one 4 month old. If you can't catch a problem with a payment for 3 months, I fail to see how I should be penalized at all. If I bounce a regular check, guess what, I know about it instantly. Exactly, why couldn't that happen with a balance transfer check.
End result is that they put 30 to 60 days late on my credit report and I paid their account off and I won't be using Chase ever again.
And you know, its funny, I really like Amazon as a company and I was more than happy to move over to an Amazon Mastercard for purchases with them. Whatever side business they did for having their name on the card, gone. I'll still use Amazon for a lot of purchases, but screw trying to do business with any of their financial products.
For example, my wife and I had a Chase MasterCard through Amazon. It wasn't originally Chase, as we've had issue with Chase before, but Amazon changed who they were working with so now it is a Chase MasterCard.
We made a transfer from Chase to another credit card with a better rate for 5K. Three months later, Chase tells us that the payment never posted. In the meantime, unfortunately, we had to use the card so when they replaced the 3K on to the card, we went over the credit limit. The funny thing about it is that neither the issuing bank (my wife's credit union) nor Chase notified us that anything was wrong until things were fundamentally screwed up.
So, retroactively, they put us overlimit for 3 months, charged us a bunch of penalties and temporarily closed our account. They indicated if we made the account whole again they would open the account up again.
So, instead of paying the card to make it whole, we paid them a few thousand, and then moved the rest of the balance to other cards and called and said you know what, we don't want to deal with you.
You know why we'll never go back to Chase? Because the bitch on the phone started talking down to me when I was trying to straighten things out. "Didn't you notice 5K of your debt disappeared?" WTF lady, am I supposed to keep after credit card companies to make sure they do their business with money straight? Exactly which one of us is in the business of money? I know what I'm in the business of right now, taking care of 1 then 3 year old and one 4 month old. If you can't catch a problem with a payment for 3 months, I fail to see how I should be penalized at all. If I bounce a regular check, guess what, I know about it instantly. Exactly, why couldn't that happen with a balance transfer check.
End result is that they put 30 to 60 days late on my credit report and I paid their account off and I won't be using Chase ever again.
And you know, its funny, I really like Amazon as a company and I was more than happy to move over to an Amazon Mastercard for purchases with them. Whatever side business they did for having their name on the card, gone. I'll still use Amazon for a lot of purchases, but screw trying to do business with any of their financial products.
Credit Card Woes
You know, over time you get used to how credit cards work and what happens when you drop the ball or when someone drops the ball for you.
Well, Exxon/Mobile changed who their credit card company is or something and they changed how things behave. Over the years I have been late with the occasional payment. Or missed it completely. Then I'd get the next bill, say 'oh, crap, I missed a payment. ' Send the payment with enough for both payments and all would be well.
But it seems the standards have changed. We get registered mail at my house and we get one every year. Well, out of the 5 years we have been at this house we have never had it delivered by our mail man. In fact, sometimes we'd get 3rd notice with our mail, and never have gotten 1st or second notice or anything with a threat to send the registered mail back.
This year, we got registered mail, from an old employer of mine that stopped paying us just before they passed from existence. It was a check and it was sent mid-December. We got final notice almost mid-January and had to complain for the post office to hold it so we could pick it up.
Then our annual registered mail came in or rather didn't and we complained.
That month, our Exxon bill didn't come and we missed a payment. I suspect it was a gentle hint from our mail man not to fuck with him. (sorry about the expletive, but sometimes it is necessary.)
So, we missed a payment. We get a bill with a past due from Exxon. We pay it. A few days later we get a notice that we're late and that they will be withdrawing our credit. What?
So, I pay that (not realizing my wife already paid it a few days earlier). Then some time passes and we get another notice that we are late. WTF?
You know, something fishy is going on here. What happened to the courtesy of waiting until the end of the payment of the next month to kill me with stuff like this? Is there no room for error?
So, now you should understand, I've been a Exxon Card owner and purchasing only Exxon gas for the past 10 years or more. Can you imagine the thousands of dollars I have spent with them? Picture a minimum of $200 a month and you'll get a glimmer of an idea.
And now they treat me like trash. What next, are they going to send me to collections?
So, I call them immediately after I get this second letter and they tell me, oh yeah, you are flush, you've got $140 credit on the card (both payments hit, but this amount of credit should be low, maybe purchases have already been applied against it).
Top all of this off with the fact that my sister-in-law is having problems with the credit portion of Exxon as well. And Exxon is in jeopardy of losing not $200 a month, but $400 to $600 a month. Maybe it isn't much in the big picture, but I wonder how many people who use Exxon Credit are also having issues with these folks.
Way to chase the customers off that are beating your door down. Hey, there are still other gas stations, and while my wife's grandfather and great-grandfather worked at Exxon, I don't feel any particular loyalty to them. Not when they treat me like dirt.
Well, Exxon/Mobile changed who their credit card company is or something and they changed how things behave. Over the years I have been late with the occasional payment. Or missed it completely. Then I'd get the next bill, say 'oh, crap, I missed a payment. ' Send the payment with enough for both payments and all would be well.
But it seems the standards have changed. We get registered mail at my house and we get one every year. Well, out of the 5 years we have been at this house we have never had it delivered by our mail man. In fact, sometimes we'd get 3rd notice with our mail, and never have gotten 1st or second notice or anything with a threat to send the registered mail back.
This year, we got registered mail, from an old employer of mine that stopped paying us just before they passed from existence. It was a check and it was sent mid-December. We got final notice almost mid-January and had to complain for the post office to hold it so we could pick it up.
Then our annual registered mail came in or rather didn't and we complained.
That month, our Exxon bill didn't come and we missed a payment. I suspect it was a gentle hint from our mail man not to fuck with him. (sorry about the expletive, but sometimes it is necessary.)
So, we missed a payment. We get a bill with a past due from Exxon. We pay it. A few days later we get a notice that we're late and that they will be withdrawing our credit. What?
So, I pay that (not realizing my wife already paid it a few days earlier). Then some time passes and we get another notice that we are late. WTF?
You know, something fishy is going on here. What happened to the courtesy of waiting until the end of the payment of the next month to kill me with stuff like this? Is there no room for error?
So, now you should understand, I've been a Exxon Card owner and purchasing only Exxon gas for the past 10 years or more. Can you imagine the thousands of dollars I have spent with them? Picture a minimum of $200 a month and you'll get a glimmer of an idea.
And now they treat me like trash. What next, are they going to send me to collections?
So, I call them immediately after I get this second letter and they tell me, oh yeah, you are flush, you've got $140 credit on the card (both payments hit, but this amount of credit should be low, maybe purchases have already been applied against it).
Top all of this off with the fact that my sister-in-law is having problems with the credit portion of Exxon as well. And Exxon is in jeopardy of losing not $200 a month, but $400 to $600 a month. Maybe it isn't much in the big picture, but I wonder how many people who use Exxon Credit are also having issues with these folks.
Way to chase the customers off that are beating your door down. Hey, there are still other gas stations, and while my wife's grandfather and great-grandfather worked at Exxon, I don't feel any particular loyalty to them. Not when they treat me like dirt.
A New Mac for the Extended Family
My nuclear family has 1 Mac - a Macbook 13". My wife enjoys everything about it - except that there is limited MMORPG support on the platform.
So, my father-in-laws is suffering from chronic slow computer disease. We ordered a Mac for him, considering that he doesn't have MMORPG needs at all and he needs his computer for e-mail, internet, spreadsheet and ancestry/family tree/ genome project needs and that is it - it is a logical choice for him.
We ordered a Mac Mini, as that certainly far outstrips his needs - at 1.66 Ghz and Intel Core Duo it is a reasonably nice machine, even if it is a bit slower than the Mac book we purchased for my wife while she was pregnant.
It bothers me, though. What bothers me, you ask?
Well, there is an Apple store in Menlo Park Mall here in NJ. We went there in the hopes of purchasing the machine and taking it home and transferring my father-in-laws files. His old e-machines computer was working at that time.
But, I would never purchase any machine at this time with only 512MB or RAM. And that is exactly what the Mac Mini comes with (even if you go up and buy the faster machine!).
And there is the hitch in my plot. If you buy 1GB of memory online they charge like $79. If you want the 1 GB in the store, they are going to charge you $150.
No, friggin way.
The excuse they gave at the store was that RAM costs more for them and that they actually do something something something and you end up with an extra chip.
Well, the extra chip is a waste and RAM costs aside, you should be able to offer in a standardized store the same thing you offer on a standardized web page. It isn't like CompUSA and they have a million things and charge on a FIFO basis for inventory.
In the Mac store they could charge it back to the web site and send the unused memory back to Apple. Or something similar that involved not charging the customer more for the option of necessary memory and pushing the customer to purchase through the web site for anything other than the default configuration.
So, we had to wait for the computer and just as luck would have it my father-in-laws e-machine died (horribly) and now things will be much harder to transfer.
It isn't like I don't have a drive enclosure for his old hard drive. It just makes things more difficult.
So, my father-in-laws is suffering from chronic slow computer disease. We ordered a Mac for him, considering that he doesn't have MMORPG needs at all and he needs his computer for e-mail, internet, spreadsheet and ancestry/family tree/ genome project needs and that is it - it is a logical choice for him.
We ordered a Mac Mini, as that certainly far outstrips his needs - at 1.66 Ghz and Intel Core Duo it is a reasonably nice machine, even if it is a bit slower than the Mac book we purchased for my wife while she was pregnant.
It bothers me, though. What bothers me, you ask?
Well, there is an Apple store in Menlo Park Mall here in NJ. We went there in the hopes of purchasing the machine and taking it home and transferring my father-in-laws files. His old e-machines computer was working at that time.
But, I would never purchase any machine at this time with only 512MB or RAM. And that is exactly what the Mac Mini comes with (even if you go up and buy the faster machine!).
And there is the hitch in my plot. If you buy 1GB of memory online they charge like $79. If you want the 1 GB in the store, they are going to charge you $150.
No, friggin way.
The excuse they gave at the store was that RAM costs more for them and that they actually do something something something and you end up with an extra chip.
Well, the extra chip is a waste and RAM costs aside, you should be able to offer in a standardized store the same thing you offer on a standardized web page. It isn't like CompUSA and they have a million things and charge on a FIFO basis for inventory.
In the Mac store they could charge it back to the web site and send the unused memory back to Apple. Or something similar that involved not charging the customer more for the option of necessary memory and pushing the customer to purchase through the web site for anything other than the default configuration.
So, we had to wait for the computer and just as luck would have it my father-in-laws e-machine died (horribly) and now things will be much harder to transfer.
It isn't like I don't have a drive enclosure for his old hard drive. It just makes things more difficult.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
General Speaks and Claims 'Personal Views'
I was a member of the military for 10 years including 2 years inactive duty.
CNN Article
I know exactly what it means to make a public statement in uniform. This is something that is taught when you start out in the military in Basic military training.
1) When you are in uniform you are not to make any public statements unless specifically authorized to do so.
2) Any public statemens made while in uniform are to be official communications of the military.
3) You do not have freedom of speech while you are performing your military duty in a public forum.
So General Pace as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff would certainly have authorization to make public statements at any time even as high up as he is in the military he is still restricted by the second two 'rules'.
He should have the self-control to not make public statements while in uniform or performing his duty that might be considered military policy when in fact they are not.
He cannot claim that any statements made while serving and making statements publically are his personal views or by implication protecting his 'first amendment' rights to free speech, when in fact free speech does not exist for a military person serving and making public statements.
I'm sure he can appreciate that he wouldn't want his soldiers under him to discover free speech and first amendment protections any time they have a personal opinion about his orders. Nor can he make first amendment statements while in uniform serving his duty and making public statements.
Calls for him to apologize are foolish. You should never apologize for a statement that is a true representation for who you are and he shouldn't apologize for his statement. General Pace; however, should apologize to the military and himself for losing his battle of self-control and making personal statements as a public representative of the military. He knows he did something wrong (even if it isn't what people think he did wrong) and should make amends.
He has revealed his true beliefs that a fairly large percentage of his comrades in arms are people that he dispises and feels are immoral.
If, as one of the major leaders of the military, he believes as he does that gay activities are immoral and criminal then he should be true to himself. He should pursue gay activities just as much as he would pursue any other known criminals in the military. After all, what kind of moral integrity does he have if he'll allow the known immoral and criminal to fight for his country? He has revealed himself as a bigot and hypocrite.
A bigot - One who is strongly partial to one's own group, religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ - so much so that he believes these people who perform sexual practices that are unlike his own are criminal.
He is a hypocrite - a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, esp. a person whose actions belie stated beliefs - in that he calls the actions of gay people crimes but does nothing to pursue them.
Those that are strong in to military virtues, regardless of their moral beliefs, should no longer want to be lead by a General who lack so much self-control.
CNN Article
I know exactly what it means to make a public statement in uniform. This is something that is taught when you start out in the military in Basic military training.
1) When you are in uniform you are not to make any public statements unless specifically authorized to do so.
2) Any public statemens made while in uniform are to be official communications of the military.
3) You do not have freedom of speech while you are performing your military duty in a public forum.
So General Pace as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff would certainly have authorization to make public statements at any time even as high up as he is in the military he is still restricted by the second two 'rules'.
He should have the self-control to not make public statements while in uniform or performing his duty that might be considered military policy when in fact they are not.
He cannot claim that any statements made while serving and making statements publically are his personal views or by implication protecting his 'first amendment' rights to free speech, when in fact free speech does not exist for a military person serving and making public statements.
I'm sure he can appreciate that he wouldn't want his soldiers under him to discover free speech and first amendment protections any time they have a personal opinion about his orders. Nor can he make first amendment statements while in uniform serving his duty and making public statements.
Calls for him to apologize are foolish. You should never apologize for a statement that is a true representation for who you are and he shouldn't apologize for his statement. General Pace; however, should apologize to the military and himself for losing his battle of self-control and making personal statements as a public representative of the military. He knows he did something wrong (even if it isn't what people think he did wrong) and should make amends.
He has revealed his true beliefs that a fairly large percentage of his comrades in arms are people that he dispises and feels are immoral.
If, as one of the major leaders of the military, he believes as he does that gay activities are immoral and criminal then he should be true to himself. He should pursue gay activities just as much as he would pursue any other known criminals in the military. After all, what kind of moral integrity does he have if he'll allow the known immoral and criminal to fight for his country? He has revealed himself as a bigot and hypocrite.
A bigot - One who is strongly partial to one's own group, religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ - so much so that he believes these people who perform sexual practices that are unlike his own are criminal.
He is a hypocrite - a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, esp. a person whose actions belie stated beliefs - in that he calls the actions of gay people crimes but does nothing to pursue them.
Those that are strong in to military virtues, regardless of their moral beliefs, should no longer want to be lead by a General who lack so much self-control.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Google News Searches
If you like to read then here are my four favorite searches on google news:
1) Anti-Science
2) Science
3) Technology
4) Atheism
Almost always there is something interesting that pops up in these searches. In the future I'll be running these searchs and writing some about the more interesting articles out there.
1) Anti-Science
2) Science
3) Technology
4) Atheism
Almost always there is something interesting that pops up in these searches. In the future I'll be running these searchs and writing some about the more interesting articles out there.
Death Segment 2
This is just going to be a brief post. I know often people will remark that a specific dead person that was close to them helped them through this or that or guided them through something.
I know one thing for sure dead people don't do anything at all. My mother-in-law used to watch my first son anytime we needed her. No spirit can do that if spirits exist.
If spirits cannot be responsible for something simple like watching my 3 year old, how can they be responsible for anything else?
And so... days before my mother-in-laws death my wife became pregnant. My mother-in-law will never know her second grandchild. And who knows, perhaps there will be a third in the future? I can't say. Right now it seems hard enough to deal with two kids and it seems unlikely that any of her siblings will have any children.
I know there are a lot of people that claim that dead people do things. But you don't see dead people doing anything important. You don't see these people that believe in dead people going around doing things depending on these spirits or whatever to go to work for them today because they are sick?
You can believe in spirits or whatever all you want. In the end, what you do is on a daily basis is no different than what a person does that doesn't believe in spirits. The belief in spirits does only one thing for you - gives you a nice fuzzy feeling that the ones you loved in life that have died are somewhere around doing useful things.
I know one thing for sure dead people don't do anything at all. My mother-in-law used to watch my first son anytime we needed her. No spirit can do that if spirits exist.
If spirits cannot be responsible for something simple like watching my 3 year old, how can they be responsible for anything else?
And so... days before my mother-in-laws death my wife became pregnant. My mother-in-law will never know her second grandchild. And who knows, perhaps there will be a third in the future? I can't say. Right now it seems hard enough to deal with two kids and it seems unlikely that any of her siblings will have any children.
I know there are a lot of people that claim that dead people do things. But you don't see dead people doing anything important. You don't see these people that believe in dead people going around doing things depending on these spirits or whatever to go to work for them today because they are sick?
You can believe in spirits or whatever all you want. In the end, what you do is on a daily basis is no different than what a person does that doesn't believe in spirits. The belief in spirits does only one thing for you - gives you a nice fuzzy feeling that the ones you loved in life that have died are somewhere around doing useful things.
Ann Coulter Calls John Edwards a Faggot
Ann Coulter is a very intelligent woman. I think that point needs to be brought out immediately.
So, when she was accused of using the term faggot (which she did) and she claims it was just a school yard insult and not derogatory of John Edwards sexual orientation and to gays in the United States of America, we know she is lying. An intelligent person in front of a conservative convention that is a paid speaker knows exactly what she is saying.
I don't have a problem with her calling John Edwards a faggot in a personal setting. I don't even care if she says it in a public setting, either. She is a publicity hound and will say or do anything that keeps the coin of her speeches valuable.
No, that isn't the problem.
If you watch the clip you'll hear something very important happen and it has nothing to do with Ann Coulter. Listen to the audience of this major political action committee. A PAC that represents around 50% of the nation.
There is an ooooooing sound from the audience. It is like a fight starting up in the cafeteria in elementary school! And then there is a brief Ah!!! As if to say, I can't believe she said that and its exactly what I'd say if I was up there, followed by loud applause.
Then she closes her speech only seconds later - to thunderous applause.
There was a conservative blog out there that was pissed off at Ann Coulter for associating bigotry and anti-gay sentiment with the conservative movement. I don't know who this person is, but they have a sadly misunderstood idea of their own conservative movement. Listen to the audience. That was not the sound of an audience upset by the speaker saying something they did not want to hear. This was an audience that agreed wholeheartedly with what she said, if not exactly how she said it.
Watch the video again and this time concentrate on her facial movements. She isn't sure at first how well the remark was taken, then the audience takes off with it. She smiles, tilts her head coyly and understands that she has hit her mark. The audience was cheering, there were sure to be press discussion about her which would driving up the value of her speaking engagements (and the demand for those engagements).
She is very proud of what she has done and in her remarks later she is not recalcitrant about saying it - instead she lies and states it is just a school-age insult.
She says that you have to go in to rehab if you use the term 'faggot'. Why would you have to go to an rehab for saying something that is just a school-age insult? No, you might need to go to rehab (at least rehab from the public) if you said the word Nigger. If she was taunting at Political Correctness, it seems that her comment itself is proof that it isn't true - that PC would send you to rehab for saying the word 'faggot'. In her own speech just before she says faggot she determines its meaning. It is clear. She means it as a double-insult - one against John Edwards (who among Democratic presidential hopefuls is the most forgettable) and one against the gay community.
So, Ann Coulter makes a statement, some people get upset, some people are very happy. It should be clear that Ann Coulter has done our society a great service. She has shown that one of the largest PACs and motivators behind republicans and conservatives - are hateful and bigoted. That making such statements does not bring global denouncement by the 'good' people in attendence is a treatise to the fact that they are not the good people they want people to think they are.
So, when she was accused of using the term faggot (which she did) and she claims it was just a school yard insult and not derogatory of John Edwards sexual orientation and to gays in the United States of America, we know she is lying. An intelligent person in front of a conservative convention that is a paid speaker knows exactly what she is saying.
I don't have a problem with her calling John Edwards a faggot in a personal setting. I don't even care if she says it in a public setting, either. She is a publicity hound and will say or do anything that keeps the coin of her speeches valuable.
No, that isn't the problem.
If you watch the clip you'll hear something very important happen and it has nothing to do with Ann Coulter. Listen to the audience of this major political action committee. A PAC that represents around 50% of the nation.
There is an ooooooing sound from the audience. It is like a fight starting up in the cafeteria in elementary school! And then there is a brief Ah!!! As if to say, I can't believe she said that and its exactly what I'd say if I was up there, followed by loud applause.
Then she closes her speech only seconds later - to thunderous applause.
There was a conservative blog out there that was pissed off at Ann Coulter for associating bigotry and anti-gay sentiment with the conservative movement. I don't know who this person is, but they have a sadly misunderstood idea of their own conservative movement. Listen to the audience. That was not the sound of an audience upset by the speaker saying something they did not want to hear. This was an audience that agreed wholeheartedly with what she said, if not exactly how she said it.
Watch the video again and this time concentrate on her facial movements. She isn't sure at first how well the remark was taken, then the audience takes off with it. She smiles, tilts her head coyly and understands that she has hit her mark. The audience was cheering, there were sure to be press discussion about her which would driving up the value of her speaking engagements (and the demand for those engagements).
She is very proud of what she has done and in her remarks later she is not recalcitrant about saying it - instead she lies and states it is just a school-age insult.
She says that you have to go in to rehab if you use the term 'faggot'. Why would you have to go to an rehab for saying something that is just a school-age insult? No, you might need to go to rehab (at least rehab from the public) if you said the word Nigger. If she was taunting at Political Correctness, it seems that her comment itself is proof that it isn't true - that PC would send you to rehab for saying the word 'faggot'. In her own speech just before she says faggot she determines its meaning. It is clear. She means it as a double-insult - one against John Edwards (who among Democratic presidential hopefuls is the most forgettable) and one against the gay community.
So, Ann Coulter makes a statement, some people get upset, some people are very happy. It should be clear that Ann Coulter has done our society a great service. She has shown that one of the largest PACs and motivators behind republicans and conservatives - are hateful and bigoted. That making such statements does not bring global denouncement by the 'good' people in attendence is a treatise to the fact that they are not the good people they want people to think they are.
Friday, March 02, 2007
The Conspiracy to dismantle NASA
It seems like years ago that Bush made a statement that we should return to the moon and then go onward to Mars with manned missions.
He did this before the 2004 elections. I thought it was obvious that he wanted to get the votes of the science oriented. NASA is a constant thorn in the side of politicians.
I am a member of an amateur astronomy group - and I said it shortly after his statement - and I'll say it again - it was not only a ploy to get votes but it is a magnificent plan to destroy and dismantle NASA.
NASA then and NASA now does not appear to have the capability to go to the Moon and even less Mars. It was clear that the funds would never be made available for an surge of capabilities necessary to make it to the Moon and Mars again.
Recent articles have stated that there will be a delay in our return to space after the Space shuttle is retired - due to a flat budget for NASA from 2007 to 2008 - which actually amounts to a decrease in funds when you account for inflation.
NASA - will be absorbed by the military in the near future. All it will take now is the public acknowledging NASA as a failure - and it will fail to go to the Moon and Mars, almost certainly... And NASA's budget, capabilities and manpower will all be military.
NASA has already reduced the science it will do in order to make it to the Moon and Mars, soon, it will not be able to do either (and it will be obvious long before the dates come that they planned to get to the Moon and Mars) and NASA will implode like a Black Hole - never to be seen again.
He did this before the 2004 elections. I thought it was obvious that he wanted to get the votes of the science oriented. NASA is a constant thorn in the side of politicians.
I am a member of an amateur astronomy group - and I said it shortly after his statement - and I'll say it again - it was not only a ploy to get votes but it is a magnificent plan to destroy and dismantle NASA.
NASA then and NASA now does not appear to have the capability to go to the Moon and even less Mars. It was clear that the funds would never be made available for an surge of capabilities necessary to make it to the Moon and Mars again.
Recent articles have stated that there will be a delay in our return to space after the Space shuttle is retired - due to a flat budget for NASA from 2007 to 2008 - which actually amounts to a decrease in funds when you account for inflation.
NASA - will be absorbed by the military in the near future. All it will take now is the public acknowledging NASA as a failure - and it will fail to go to the Moon and Mars, almost certainly... And NASA's budget, capabilities and manpower will all be military.
NASA has already reduced the science it will do in order to make it to the Moon and Mars, soon, it will not be able to do either (and it will be obvious long before the dates come that they planned to get to the Moon and Mars) and NASA will implode like a Black Hole - never to be seen again.
Dvorak's opinion on CES
In John C. Dvorak's recent articel "Dear CES: Kick Out the PCs" he appeals that the computer technology should be removed from the CES show - to make a new Computer/technology oriented show and have more room for the Consume electronics that are supposed to be featured at CES.
Well, respectfully, I disagree with my favorite computer topic writer.
I think that he is on the right track though. I think that in a monstrous sized convention as the CES, you need clear segmentation of the different businesses. Even to the point that companies such as Sony should have separate stands in different areas - for TV, Computer, etc segments.
Then, you still have the SAP, IBM, Oracle stands that are there - and not for the typical Electronics Consumer - and you still attract the sheer number of people that CES is known.
Hell, I'd even be up for combining Tech Ed for Microsoft and Tech Ed for SAP in to CES... Then it would be great to bring the family.
Well, respectfully, I disagree with my favorite computer topic writer.
I think that he is on the right track though. I think that in a monstrous sized convention as the CES, you need clear segmentation of the different businesses. Even to the point that companies such as Sony should have separate stands in different areas - for TV, Computer, etc segments.
Then, you still have the SAP, IBM, Oracle stands that are there - and not for the typical Electronics Consumer - and you still attract the sheer number of people that CES is known.
Hell, I'd even be up for combining Tech Ed for Microsoft and Tech Ed for SAP in to CES... Then it would be great to bring the family.
Guacamole
I love guacamole. But it is just painful to buy avocados and wait until they are ripe and make it. But I don't have to deal with that anymore.
Sam's club sells frozen avocados with premixed guacamole mix that you thaw, mix up and eat whenever you want it.
Ahhhh, this is happiness. Too bad everything I really like at Sam's club eventually disappears. So, I went and bought some more.
Sam's club sells frozen avocados with premixed guacamole mix that you thaw, mix up and eat whenever you want it.
Ahhhh, this is happiness. Too bad everything I really like at Sam's club eventually disappears. So, I went and bought some more.
FutureCar series on Discovery Channel
I like this series a lot, but it seems to me that they lack the negative side of the technologies they talk about.
I don't know how major it is, but I remember reading about the Tweel some time ago.
Noise Problems
As indicated in the above Wikipedia article need to be solved to a better than current tires noise level - before these tires could be adopted by regular people. At first these tires are going to be more expensive than regular tires and if they are more expensive people won't buy them unless they outperform their current tires in almost every way.
But I still love the show. I can't wait for the future to arrive. Personally, though, I hope for arcologies without roads (and no cars) more than I hope for really cool cars. Like any American, though, I love cars.
I don't know how major it is, but I remember reading about the Tweel some time ago.
Noise Problems
As indicated in the above Wikipedia article need to be solved to a better than current tires noise level - before these tires could be adopted by regular people. At first these tires are going to be more expensive than regular tires and if they are more expensive people won't buy them unless they outperform their current tires in almost every way.
But I still love the show. I can't wait for the future to arrive. Personally, though, I hope for arcologies without roads (and no cars) more than I hope for really cool cars. Like any American, though, I love cars.
Monday, February 26, 2007
A Great Discussion Web Site for Religious topics
If you are a person that is interested in discussions with people of varying levels of belief and non-belief the best site in the world to hold discussions is iidb.org -> The Internet Infidels Discussion Board.
I'm on this site frequently as Old Ygg. Sometimes I'll pose rediculous questions, sometimes I'll ask serious questions and on this site where there are so many questions it is often hard to tell the difference.
Most of the people there are curteous, but not all. Expect that you should be able to back up any statements you make on this discussion board.
There is also another good reason for people to go to this site - if they are atheists, agnostics, secular humanists or any other variety of philosophical thinker - it is a place where you can speak your mind and be the free thinker you are - and be in the company of friends.
I'm on this site frequently as Old Ygg. Sometimes I'll pose rediculous questions, sometimes I'll ask serious questions and on this site where there are so many questions it is often hard to tell the difference.
Most of the people there are curteous, but not all. Expect that you should be able to back up any statements you make on this discussion board.
There is also another good reason for people to go to this site - if they are atheists, agnostics, secular humanists or any other variety of philosophical thinker - it is a place where you can speak your mind and be the free thinker you are - and be in the company of friends.
Monthly Gas Bill
So, this month my gas bill was $235 . This is incredible to me - the only thing I use gas for is heating the house and heating household water.
Just last night I was watching Dirty Jobs - where a new senior citizens home was being built - with a large number geothermal wells.
These wells were all 90 or so feet in the ground and helped to alleviate the power consumption of the final structure.
60 million barrels of oil a year could be saved if all the schools in the USA employed similar technology.
Now, this isn't that much when you consider that some numbers indicate we consume 19 million barrels a day, but saving 60 million barrels of oil is still significant - it purchases us three days more oil on the year than if we continue with our current usage profile.
So, when I move in to my next house, I'd certainly love to put in such a system. A combination of a wind turbine, geothermal heat source and some solar panels might reduce my oil profile significantly.
But the value isn't there just for a single household to do it. The value is to convert large numbers of homes to it, so that maybe we set up all the schools with geothermal power, then a significant percentage of homes and save another 60 million barrels of oil and we end up with 6 days less of oil consumption next year than this year.
All this construction certianly comes with a cost - and uses oil to be implemented. So, maybe the first year this is a wash. Then in the following years we could start saving more barrels of oil.
Of course, our population (and the world's population) continue to increase and demand will still increase even with implementing these kinds of measures. Without implementing these kinds of measures; however, we will have less energy for everyone (and higher prices).
So, there is little choice. We need to work to start saving energy resources. My gas bill this month is $235 - what will it be next year?
Just last night I was watching Dirty Jobs - where a new senior citizens home was being built - with a large number geothermal wells.
These wells were all 90 or so feet in the ground and helped to alleviate the power consumption of the final structure.
60 million barrels of oil a year could be saved if all the schools in the USA employed similar technology.
Now, this isn't that much when you consider that some numbers indicate we consume 19 million barrels a day, but saving 60 million barrels of oil is still significant - it purchases us three days more oil on the year than if we continue with our current usage profile.
So, when I move in to my next house, I'd certainly love to put in such a system. A combination of a wind turbine, geothermal heat source and some solar panels might reduce my oil profile significantly.
But the value isn't there just for a single household to do it. The value is to convert large numbers of homes to it, so that maybe we set up all the schools with geothermal power, then a significant percentage of homes and save another 60 million barrels of oil and we end up with 6 days less of oil consumption next year than this year.
All this construction certianly comes with a cost - and uses oil to be implemented. So, maybe the first year this is a wash. Then in the following years we could start saving more barrels of oil.
Of course, our population (and the world's population) continue to increase and demand will still increase even with implementing these kinds of measures. Without implementing these kinds of measures; however, we will have less energy for everyone (and higher prices).
So, there is little choice. We need to work to start saving energy resources. My gas bill this month is $235 - what will it be next year?
Second Introduction
So, it has been a very long time since I have posted on this blog and a great many thing have happened since my last posting.
My wife and I had two miscarriages during the time I was blogging. Then my mother-in-law died - and unknown to everyone my wife was pregnant a few days before her death.
You can imagine that the hope engendered by being pregnant was tempered both by the past spontaneous abortions and by my mother-in-laws death.
Fortunately, the third pregnancy went full term and our second child (out of 4 pregnancies) was born. His name is Corwin and our first child is Random, both boys. It would be nice to have a third child, but the emotional wringer of the spontaneous abortions as well as age and higher risk of disease and economics all factor in the decision. Corwin is only 5 months old now and certainly we wouldn't want to have the next one too soon - as that also increases the chances of a spontaneous abortion.
Well, I certainly have hopes for the future. I hope my boys will have better lives than I've had, even if what I've had so far isn't so bad. It is in the core of my mind that the future should be better than the past.
So, now, this blog is for both of my boys. Hopefully, in reading these blogs when they get older they will get some idea of who I am as well as ideas about the world around them.
My wife and I had two miscarriages during the time I was blogging. Then my mother-in-law died - and unknown to everyone my wife was pregnant a few days before her death.
You can imagine that the hope engendered by being pregnant was tempered both by the past spontaneous abortions and by my mother-in-laws death.
Fortunately, the third pregnancy went full term and our second child (out of 4 pregnancies) was born. His name is Corwin and our first child is Random, both boys. It would be nice to have a third child, but the emotional wringer of the spontaneous abortions as well as age and higher risk of disease and economics all factor in the decision. Corwin is only 5 months old now and certainly we wouldn't want to have the next one too soon - as that also increases the chances of a spontaneous abortion.
Well, I certainly have hopes for the future. I hope my boys will have better lives than I've had, even if what I've had so far isn't so bad. It is in the core of my mind that the future should be better than the past.
So, now, this blog is for both of my boys. Hopefully, in reading these blogs when they get older they will get some idea of who I am as well as ideas about the world around them.
New Species Threaten the Earth
This CNN article should be cause for alarm for everyone.
Antarctic ice melt reveals exotic creatures
Quote From CNN article: "Looking down 2,800 feet into the icy water -- a comparatively shallow depth -- they found fauna usually associated with seabeds about three times that deep, in places where the creatures must adapt to scarcity to survive.
Antarctic ice melt reveals exotic creatures
Quote From CNN article: "Looking down 2,800 feet into the icy water -- a comparatively shallow depth -- they found fauna usually associated with seabeds about three times that deep, in places where the creatures must adapt to scarcity to survive.
There were blue ice fish, with dorsal fins like ribbed fans and blood that lacks red cells, an adaptation that makes the blood more fluid and easier to pump through the animal's body, conserving energy at low temperatures....
Among the hundreds of specimens collected, the scientists identified 15 possible new species of shrimp-like amphipods, and four possible new species of cnidarians, organisms related to coral, jellyfish and sea anemones, the scientists said in a statement."
Does the above quote scare you? Perhaps not. Perhaps you have put together what I have from that article.
Damage is done to environments by foreign species introduction. With the melting of these ice shelves we have a massive introduction of foreign species - species from another time. Most of these species have probably died off due to circumstances of their times. That does not mean that those circumstances continue to exist in the present. Perhaps the starfish in this article may survive better than existing starfish and cause damage to the environment at the same time.
We have a massive task ahead of us and no one is even discussing it. These foreign species from another time need to be isolated from our current environment. They could be carrying diseases that current species have no protection from.
Since it is apparent that no one is being pro-active in this aspect we may run in to new species replacing old ones in a reverse form of evolution, we may find new diseases in existing species some of which definitely do not need the help over the edge and we may luck out and the biodiversity being delivered in to our ecosystem will replace species that are being lost presently due to our direct actions.
Hey, anyone want to comment? Am I insane or some misled prophet of doom? Of course, one should realize that I do not mean that horrible things will happen. What I mean is that horrible things could happen and that we increase those chances by not dealing with the invasion of past species in to our current ecosystem.
Then again, maybe the new starfish will be edible by humans and replace the dwindling species of sea life.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Kiln or Furnace
Well, who knows if anyone still reads this blog, it has been a long time since I posted anything here. My mother-in-laws death and my wife's pregnancy which happened as near simultaneously as these things can has vastly reduced time available for the expansion of thought.
Anyway, I was reading an article in a magazine - nature or something like that where they discussed finding a huge impact crater in Africa, by high-altitude imaging and locating pieces of quartz.
In that article it discussed that at 1600 degrees silicon turns in to quartz (not the point of the article, I know - the point of the article was that it was the largest impact crater ever found, once it was realized what it was).
So, now I am curious - if anyone can answer the question - how can I make something to produce 1600 degrees and melt silicon in to quartz?
The other question I have is interesting. If the quartz created in Africa was from a vast impact, why is there (or was there) so much quartz in cape may (sometimes known as cape may diamond)?
Anyway, I was reading an article in a magazine - nature or something like that where they discussed finding a huge impact crater in Africa, by high-altitude imaging and locating pieces of quartz.
In that article it discussed that at 1600 degrees silicon turns in to quartz (not the point of the article, I know - the point of the article was that it was the largest impact crater ever found, once it was realized what it was).
So, now I am curious - if anyone can answer the question - how can I make something to produce 1600 degrees and melt silicon in to quartz?
The other question I have is interesting. If the quartz created in Africa was from a vast impact, why is there (or was there) so much quartz in cape may (sometimes known as cape may diamond)?
Monday, January 16, 2006
Death
I'm going to be writing an article on Death - but I never seem to be able to finish it.
My mother-in-law died on Christmas day - very suddenly - and this leads my thoughts to travel to thoughts about death.
So, I haven't written much on my blog or on the Useless-knowledge website. In fact, I've written nothing.
Hopefully, I'll be able to come up with some content sometime. The reality is that either in work, after work hobbies or other activities - I've been having trouble concentrating and completing my tasks. I have lots of things to write articles about - but I keep returning to my article on death, which I can't seem to finish.
In the beginning, this blog was written so my son would have resources about me - other than the spoken word by others, about who I am and things like that.
Well, I can say somethings to tell him about himself of the past when he reads this in the future.
Of the grandparents, your Grandmother on your mother's side was the one you were closest to - and she played with you and seemed ready to watch you at a moments notice whenever we needed her help. Seemingly swollowed up in to a black hole at our house and foregoing making dinner for your grandfather and other things to watch you or sometimes just to help us with you.
More about this I suspect will show up in my article - which - who knows - perhaps no one will read. It seemed though that she was happiest when she spent time with you, my son.
Alex
Monday, December 12, 2005
UK - Article Loading to Database
Well, I've improved my performance greatly in loading the article into my database in the hopes that I'll be able to use this data to help them update their interface.
So, up from the last number of articles I have loaded in to my database, I now have 7770 articles of over 10,000 articles uploaded.
That's pretty good. Less than 3,000 to go and then I'll need to be able to grab the most recent articles as well.
There are lots of options with the Useless-Knowledge website update. one hopes for the least work for the most increased abilities, looks and performance, but it seems to me that it is likely that they'll need something completely custom.
I just don't know. And considering the efforts necessary for completely custom - it is difficult to discern if it is worth it. Perhaps they should look at the update in phases. Start with looks and an improved posting logic. Then later add article counters and comments sections to the articles.
It might be better, who knows.
Alex
So, up from the last number of articles I have loaded in to my database, I now have 7770 articles of over 10,000 articles uploaded.
That's pretty good. Less than 3,000 to go and then I'll need to be able to grab the most recent articles as well.
There are lots of options with the Useless-Knowledge website update. one hopes for the least work for the most increased abilities, looks and performance, but it seems to me that it is likely that they'll need something completely custom.
I just don't know. And considering the efforts necessary for completely custom - it is difficult to discern if it is worth it. Perhaps they should look at the update in phases. Start with looks and an improved posting logic. Then later add article counters and comments sections to the articles.
It might be better, who knows.
Alex
New Greyhound
This is mostly a personal entry. It has been the better part of two years since one of our two greyhounds had to be put to sleep.
I should say that there is a moral obligation when humans take on pets - that you must be able to say to yourself about the animal at least 'I am going to kill you' - when you take on a pet.
Because it is unfair for an animal to live its existence primarily for your pleasure and companionship to suffer a horrible painful prolonged death because you don't have the guts to know when the time is - to put that animal to sleep. To kill it. Or you don't have the courage to do what needs to be done.
And in most cases - unless you are near the end of your own life you will outlive your family pet(s). One of the dogs we almost adopted - the owners - a couple - the husband died. The dog was mostly the husbands dog and the wife I suspect may no longer have been up to handling a dog - at least for a time. Fortunately, the dog is healthy and can be re-adopted to another family. Boy it was a really friendly dog. I have cats in the house, though - and this particular greyhound failed the cat test and wanted to eat the test cat. Since I don't want to have another dog at the expense of losing all my cats - he was out of the running.
It is a stark reality that any pet owner should acknowledge when you begin your custodianship of an animal. It is responsiblity for life and death.
Determination of when that time is - to put down a pet - is much harder. But if you don't recognize the fact that this will probably come to pass on inception of taking care of an animal - it is much harder.
No matter what it is hard to put an animal down - when the balance has shifted significantly on the issue of quantity or quality of life. It is largely a judgement call - but good veterninarians won't let you put an otherwise healthy animal down - if in their judgement you are overreacting.
Ok, so we've been looking for a new dog. It is always a journey to find a good fit. Fortunately, I think we found one in a timid greyhound who is just off the track called Willy.
Unfortunately, our current greyhound is called Philly, and Willy doesn't know his name. So you call one and you get both. So we are going to change Willy's name. Usually we keep the name, with Jet and Philly - we kept their original names. They both also seemed to know their original names - so that makes it a whole lot harder to justify changing the dogs name.
I've been watching a lot of anime lately - and am a fan of the sounds that Japanese language makes. So, my wife and I came up with a first and last name for our new Greyhound formerly known as Willy.
Oku Gengetsu. Oku - meaning Timid. Gengetsu - meaning crescent moon.
Greyhounds in general are somewhere between labrador retrievers and well, I can't come up with a completely sedate breed of dog. Anyway, Greyhounds are usually fairly well-rounded in being jumpy happy dogs and lying on the couch or floor sleeping.
Oku, though - and probably because he doesn't know anything about anything - is very very timid. So, Oku means timid in Japanese - and timid he is.
Crescent moon - is because he has a large two or three inch tall crescent moon scar on his side. We actually didn't notice it when we picked him up (him being very timid and another dog that we couldn't have because of his cat-eating obsession being very pushy and wanting to be with me). It wouldn't have mattered, of course. Philly was abused before she came to us and had many scars, but nothing nearly as large as this.
Timid Crescent Moon. Doesn't sound nice or anything in English. It is transformed - even in simple words - in Japanese to Oku Gengetsu.
So, hopefully, some day - a very long time from now - will come the time of decisions for Oku. And one hopes it will be a long time for Philly as well. But Philly is getting older and a large amount of the reason we got Oku - was because she was getting lonely and stopping eating.
She is of course ecstatic to have a companion again.
Now, if only we could get Random to be disciplined enough not to scare Oku so Oku can get acclamated to our house. :)
He's doing well, though - with all so many new things around him. And he isn't allowed to come up on the couch yet.... Which has got to bug him because Philly is allowed to... But them's the rules passed down from the adoption/rescue people and that's that.
Alex
I should say that there is a moral obligation when humans take on pets - that you must be able to say to yourself about the animal at least 'I am going to kill you' - when you take on a pet.
Because it is unfair for an animal to live its existence primarily for your pleasure and companionship to suffer a horrible painful prolonged death because you don't have the guts to know when the time is - to put that animal to sleep. To kill it. Or you don't have the courage to do what needs to be done.
And in most cases - unless you are near the end of your own life you will outlive your family pet(s). One of the dogs we almost adopted - the owners - a couple - the husband died. The dog was mostly the husbands dog and the wife I suspect may no longer have been up to handling a dog - at least for a time. Fortunately, the dog is healthy and can be re-adopted to another family. Boy it was a really friendly dog. I have cats in the house, though - and this particular greyhound failed the cat test and wanted to eat the test cat. Since I don't want to have another dog at the expense of losing all my cats - he was out of the running.
It is a stark reality that any pet owner should acknowledge when you begin your custodianship of an animal. It is responsiblity for life and death.
Determination of when that time is - to put down a pet - is much harder. But if you don't recognize the fact that this will probably come to pass on inception of taking care of an animal - it is much harder.
No matter what it is hard to put an animal down - when the balance has shifted significantly on the issue of quantity or quality of life. It is largely a judgement call - but good veterninarians won't let you put an otherwise healthy animal down - if in their judgement you are overreacting.
Ok, so we've been looking for a new dog. It is always a journey to find a good fit. Fortunately, I think we found one in a timid greyhound who is just off the track called Willy.
Unfortunately, our current greyhound is called Philly, and Willy doesn't know his name. So you call one and you get both. So we are going to change Willy's name. Usually we keep the name, with Jet and Philly - we kept their original names. They both also seemed to know their original names - so that makes it a whole lot harder to justify changing the dogs name.
I've been watching a lot of anime lately - and am a fan of the sounds that Japanese language makes. So, my wife and I came up with a first and last name for our new Greyhound formerly known as Willy.
Oku Gengetsu. Oku - meaning Timid. Gengetsu - meaning crescent moon.
Greyhounds in general are somewhere between labrador retrievers and well, I can't come up with a completely sedate breed of dog. Anyway, Greyhounds are usually fairly well-rounded in being jumpy happy dogs and lying on the couch or floor sleeping.
Oku, though - and probably because he doesn't know anything about anything - is very very timid. So, Oku means timid in Japanese - and timid he is.
Crescent moon - is because he has a large two or three inch tall crescent moon scar on his side. We actually didn't notice it when we picked him up (him being very timid and another dog that we couldn't have because of his cat-eating obsession being very pushy and wanting to be with me). It wouldn't have mattered, of course. Philly was abused before she came to us and had many scars, but nothing nearly as large as this.
Timid Crescent Moon. Doesn't sound nice or anything in English. It is transformed - even in simple words - in Japanese to Oku Gengetsu.
So, hopefully, some day - a very long time from now - will come the time of decisions for Oku. And one hopes it will be a long time for Philly as well. But Philly is getting older and a large amount of the reason we got Oku - was because she was getting lonely and stopping eating.
She is of course ecstatic to have a companion again.
Now, if only we could get Random to be disciplined enough not to scare Oku so Oku can get acclamated to our house. :)
He's doing well, though - with all so many new things around him. And he isn't allowed to come up on the couch yet.... Which has got to bug him because Philly is allowed to... But them's the rules passed down from the adoption/rescue people and that's that.
Alex
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Useless-Knowledge
I am currently involved in a project to update the useless-knowledge website. Who knows what will really happen to the site, but one thing is crystal clear - in a major update many people might say leave the old articles behind.
This is very disturbing to me - these articles represent a lot of work on the part of a lot of people. Over 10,000 articles and who knows how many people.
So, I have begun first by getting a list of all the articles in to my database - and now the slow process of grabbing that content and putting it in a database. This way, if and when a conversion happens, the data will be in a database and can be applied to the newer format.
I am currently on the 143rd article - going in to my database. This is going to take some time, because I have ascertained no completely automated way to place the articles in the database. I could grab the entire page, but this isn't particularly useful.
I am just grabbing the article content and whatever HTML is associated with the article.
We'll see how long I stick with this and how much time is involved.
Alex
This is very disturbing to me - these articles represent a lot of work on the part of a lot of people. Over 10,000 articles and who knows how many people.
So, I have begun first by getting a list of all the articles in to my database - and now the slow process of grabbing that content and putting it in a database. This way, if and when a conversion happens, the data will be in a database and can be applied to the newer format.
I am currently on the 143rd article - going in to my database. This is going to take some time, because I have ascertained no completely automated way to place the articles in the database. I could grab the entire page, but this isn't particularly useful.
I am just grabbing the article content and whatever HTML is associated with the article.
We'll see how long I stick with this and how much time is involved.
Alex
Colored Bubbles
In a previous posting I showed a link to a Popular Science of Popular Mechanics article - which talked about the difficulties of creating bubbles that have color instead of clear bubbles.
Well, one of the uses this process could be applied to is medical coloring. Since the color disappears - when one applies an ointment to your face (for example) it could be colored temporarily - showing the user exactly what parts of the face have been covered.
I suffer from acne - even at age 34 - or however old I am now.
I use a couple of topical medications as well as a medical soap - but nothing works 100% or even 95%.
I do wonder if such medical coloring - could help - and show what parts of the face I miss with medicine (if that is what is the current problem).
The applications of this material are immense - even without considering the cosmetic fun that could be had if the coloration lasted hours instead of seconds.
Alex
Well, one of the uses this process could be applied to is medical coloring. Since the color disappears - when one applies an ointment to your face (for example) it could be colored temporarily - showing the user exactly what parts of the face have been covered.
I suffer from acne - even at age 34 - or however old I am now.
I use a couple of topical medications as well as a medical soap - but nothing works 100% or even 95%.
I do wonder if such medical coloring - could help - and show what parts of the face I miss with medicine (if that is what is the current problem).
The applications of this material are immense - even without considering the cosmetic fun that could be had if the coloration lasted hours instead of seconds.
Alex
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Writing Music
I was involved with music ages ago. Or at least it seems like ages ago. Right now I have some music instruments around and I play them sometimes for my son so that hopefully he will have some interest in music.
So, it has always been of interest to me to write music - but writing music on paper and performing it with a trumpet was never really my interest. I always wanted to do it in some automated manner.
There is software out there - mentioned by Him Louderback - that allows you to write music (using music notes and Midi synthesizer sounds) on the computer and have the computer perform the music.
Two pieces of software he mentions specifically - Cakewalk Sonar 5 and Notion. He had some complaints about Notion, but he also had some good points with it in that it had excellent sounds to go with the music notes. Rather unfortunately, the software is relatively expensive and at the moment I am pursuing other non-work goals.
Can't do everything at once. Right now I am concentrating on writing my Manga Style comic book - starting with an outline of the story and a cell by cell description of what needs to be drawn.
And at the same time, I am gradually getting the opportunity to learn how to draw in the Manga style.
I suspect that this will be a long-term project, but I definitely feel that the medium of Manga comic book will be an excellent form for the stories I have to tell.
Alex
So, it has always been of interest to me to write music - but writing music on paper and performing it with a trumpet was never really my interest. I always wanted to do it in some automated manner.
There is software out there - mentioned by Him Louderback - that allows you to write music (using music notes and Midi synthesizer sounds) on the computer and have the computer perform the music.
Two pieces of software he mentions specifically - Cakewalk Sonar 5 and Notion. He had some complaints about Notion, but he also had some good points with it in that it had excellent sounds to go with the music notes. Rather unfortunately, the software is relatively expensive and at the moment I am pursuing other non-work goals.
Can't do everything at once. Right now I am concentrating on writing my Manga Style comic book - starting with an outline of the story and a cell by cell description of what needs to be drawn.
And at the same time, I am gradually getting the opportunity to learn how to draw in the Manga style.
I suspect that this will be a long-term project, but I definitely feel that the medium of Manga comic book will be an excellent form for the stories I have to tell.
Alex
Monday, December 05, 2005
The Bright Colors of Future
In a post I made some time ago - I indicated that one of the things I would want would be to change the color of my skin, eyes and hair at any time and be able to change them again - as often as I would want to.
http://www.popsci.com/popsci/science/0a03b5108e097010vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html
There is now technology that might make some of that possible. I can almost see me with blue hair and green skin with bright red eyes. A few hours later - I'd be back to my natural color.
Who knows if these guys will be able to realize it?
I can see it now, if my son has children and I'm old he'll be yelling at them about using natural colors instead of flourescent yellow for hair color...
Alex
http://www.popsci.com/popsci/science/0a03b5108e097010vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html
There is now technology that might make some of that possible. I can almost see me with blue hair and green skin with bright red eyes. A few hours later - I'd be back to my natural color.
Who knows if these guys will be able to realize it?
I can see it now, if my son has children and I'm old he'll be yelling at them about using natural colors instead of flourescent yellow for hair color...
Alex
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Vacation
Well, I have returned from vacation - lots of things that I want to write reviews of from the course of my vacation. Our Plan with Tan vacation plan, the rental car (Lincoln Town Car), Parks that we went to and overall how things turned out. Some of these will be articles and I suspect that some of them are more blog entries for here and of more personal interest.
Oh, if you go with your child to play with sting rays at Sea World, please don't scream out when it sucks on your fingers when you feed it while your toddler is next to you. My wife scared the crap out of my son doing that.
Anyway, it turned out ok. :) Hopefully my son won't be deathly afraid of sting rays for life.
But if he's going to be afraid of something - deathly afraid of something - sting rays are a pretty good object.
And I didn't feed the sting rays after that :)
Alex
Oh, if you go with your child to play with sting rays at Sea World, please don't scream out when it sucks on your fingers when you feed it while your toddler is next to you. My wife scared the crap out of my son doing that.
Anyway, it turned out ok. :) Hopefully my son won't be deathly afraid of sting rays for life.
But if he's going to be afraid of something - deathly afraid of something - sting rays are a pretty good object.
And I didn't feed the sting rays after that :)
Alex
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Notes on current News #1
Science continues its decline in the Western world.
Consider that once - science was core to the Muslim world. Today and for a couple of centuries this has not been the case.
It should be noted that an increase in religosity is what killed of science and philosophical thought in Muslim society.
This is what is happening here in the Western World.
There aren't enough physics teachers in the UK.
Entropy in UK
Top biologists abandon the best colleges in the United States because they are not free here to do the research necessary.
Stem Cell Scientists
Genetically modified food is feared in Europe and in the United States it is prevalent but society in general is blithely unaware that it is happening. It is uncontrolled. Either policy is dangerous.
And now we have problems getting corporate America to supply funding for a Darwin exhibition at a major museum.
We are turning our backs on science - science which is literally the hand the feeds us, earns our great incomes and makes our countries flourish.
Seems there is no way to stop history from repeating itself. I suspect though - that this time through the cycle there will not be so much time in the Interregnum, and the state of science will overall be higher throughout this Interregnum.
Alex
Consider that once - science was core to the Muslim world. Today and for a couple of centuries this has not been the case.
It should be noted that an increase in religosity is what killed of science and philosophical thought in Muslim society.
This is what is happening here in the Western World.
There aren't enough physics teachers in the UK.
Entropy in UK
Top biologists abandon the best colleges in the United States because they are not free here to do the research necessary.
Stem Cell Scientists
Genetically modified food is feared in Europe and in the United States it is prevalent but society in general is blithely unaware that it is happening. It is uncontrolled. Either policy is dangerous.
And now we have problems getting corporate America to supply funding for a Darwin exhibition at a major museum.
We are turning our backs on science - science which is literally the hand the feeds us, earns our great incomes and makes our countries flourish.
Seems there is no way to stop history from repeating itself. I suspect though - that this time through the cycle there will not be so much time in the Interregnum, and the state of science will overall be higher throughout this Interregnum.
Alex
Monday, November 21, 2005
Today Monday 20051121 in the News
GM reports that they will be cutting 30,000 jobs over the next 3 years. This will result in a 1,000,000 car drop in production capacity.
Does it matter that GM is going to lose 1,000,000 car capacity? Not really. They fell in love with the American ideal of bigger is better and made lots of profit. Now they laughably have commercials about the great mileage they get in their cars. Talking about the remade Cavalier/Cobalt getting 34 mpg.
I have two very important points on this...No, three
1) When my wife owned a Chevy Corsice (1989) hatchback - she loved the power in the car. It had a nice six cylinder engine. But the brakes were constantly not quite right, I changed the battery in the car - and we had to take it to the dealer so they could reset the computer (apparently you can't do something as simple as change the battery yourself) and the electrical system was beginning to act - well weird.
2) Every American car has left me stranded on the road and helpless. It is not a good feeling - and living in New Jersey not every area is a place where you can walk to a house and ask for help.
3) My Honda Civic - 1992 - which I have since donated had 222,222 miles over 9 years. Its sticker (stick shift/manual trans) had 36/40 MPG. Sometimes you get better and sometimes you get worse mileage than the sticker. That car for the life of the car when I owned it - got 40MPG. The car broke down once - because the distributer finally crapped out at 160,000 miles. And Chevy wants to laud the Cobalt (similar car) getting 34 MPG! What a bunch of idiots - is the kindest way I can put it. And you know what - my parents had a 1986 Cavalier - and it was a piece of crap. In fact, it was the car that turned my family from American Manufacturers to - well Honda.
I could really go on a lot about this stuff. Really this is a case of macroeconomics and microeconomics.
On the Microeconomic side you have comfort, reliability and fuel-efficiency. This are all factors in favor of Honda vs GM.
On the Macroeconomics side you have jobs, GNP and global perception of Americans. These are things that if you lose the Microeconomics side - guess what you lose the Macroeconomic side.
Guess what, people in general are what you might call selfish. We don't want to be victims of being left on the side of the road. We don't want to be victimized by garages that charge lots of money to do repairs or dealers that charge even more to do repairs. We like it even if there is just a perception that by the things we do on a daily basis we are saving money.
So, people buy what is best for them - meaning foreign cars in general and my family - Honda in specific. My wife's Honda CR-V has 202,000 miles on it. Never broke down. Although once it wouldn't start because the 6-year old battery finally died. My newer Honda Accord Coupe that I replaced my Honda Civic with has 37,000 miles on it (my driving habits have changed a lot) and it needed the transmission replaced. It was on warranty and the new warranty on the new transmission is 10 years. So, I am relatively unconcerned about that.
So, nearly 500,000 miles in cars my wife have owned and one break-down. And I'm not even including the hundreds of thousands of miles my parents have put on their three Hondas that they have owned over time. A Honda Wagovan (great car, but butt ugly), their newer Honda CR-V and their 1996 Honda Accord which has 137,000 miles on it.
Sp, anyway, read this article for more information - including a little note from an analyst saying 'Clearly, they eventually need to make better products that are more competitive with their foreign competitors, but that's a long-term proposition'. The main problem is that GM does not have a long term proposition anymore. They need to make better cars, more fuel efficient cars - now, not next year and certainly not three years from now.
http://www.thestreet.com/_googlen/markets/natworden/10253826.html?cm_ven=GOOGLEN&cm_cat=FREE&cm_ite=NA
Sorry folks. I went on a rand there. Nothing upsets me more than blatant stupidity. Yeah yeah - buy American and get stranded on the road. You know what - I'm in to limiting my risks. When you break down you could get in to a car accident, you could have a bad element come and rob or worse you and your car, and you could be trying to fix it on the side of the road and get hit by a drunk driver.
No thanks. I prefer to not break down in the first place.
RIAA Backs Rootkits
People are auctioning your privacy all the time. Apparently this guy thinks that anything on your computer is something that he has the right to take a look and see if everything is working just the way he wants it.
Everyone needs to send letters to these people and tell them they are allowed to make fair profit - but charging $15 an Audio CD, when everyone knows they can go to a store and buy CDs for less than 30 cents a pop, 50 cents a pop if you want a case just isn't going to float.
We just don't care enough about their profit margin. They should replace all these record stores with little machines that let you preview music and say 'burn it' and burns a quality CD. There would be no over supply or under supply of disks. People could conceivably know every track that they are purchasing and the entire disk should cost no more than $2.
Apparently stupidity is not exclusively an American trait:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/11/21/australia.tourist.ap/index.html
From the 'I want to torture people and my government won't let me. Waaaa' group:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/11/21/cia.prisoners.ap/index.html
Something nice to see - but maybe not so nice to smell.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/science/11/21/stinky.plant.ap/index.html
I have to say - if there was one that was 11 feet tall (or so) it would be neat to see in person. Hard to imagine a 11 foot tall dandelion...
So, if you have been up on the headlines lately - you may understand that there is a Darwin exhibit in a New York area museum. Due to the recent ID/Evolution debate - it attacted - $0 in businesses to fund the exhibit. Incredible. Stupidity spreads from individuals to large identities. It will be remarkable indeed if the United States will be able to keep up with other countries in science when we are apparently averse to what the science actually means and impacts life.
You know... Mazda went for a few years without the RX7 - its hot car. They noticed something - their sales slumped. Part of the reason they brought the car back as the RX8 - is that they needed something to attract people to the showroom.
Well, the United States of America's business is much like a car manufacturer. We have in the past had a lot to offer other countries. Our technical abilities attract people to do business here.
But, in this rapidly changing world - the United States of America in general is rejecting science. And our rate of scientific progress is slowing while places like South Korea are outstripping us in biology - once one of our main points of scientific progress. Science is no longer respected in the United States and we will not be attracting employers. Large companies like Intel are actually shipping high-technology jobs out of the country. Will India be the next powerhouse economy, South Korea or maybe perhaps China? It could well be.
Anyway, more than enough typing for now.
Alex
Does it matter that GM is going to lose 1,000,000 car capacity? Not really. They fell in love with the American ideal of bigger is better and made lots of profit. Now they laughably have commercials about the great mileage they get in their cars. Talking about the remade Cavalier/Cobalt getting 34 mpg.
I have two very important points on this...No, three
1) When my wife owned a Chevy Corsice (1989) hatchback - she loved the power in the car. It had a nice six cylinder engine. But the brakes were constantly not quite right, I changed the battery in the car - and we had to take it to the dealer so they could reset the computer (apparently you can't do something as simple as change the battery yourself) and the electrical system was beginning to act - well weird.
2) Every American car has left me stranded on the road and helpless. It is not a good feeling - and living in New Jersey not every area is a place where you can walk to a house and ask for help.
3) My Honda Civic - 1992 - which I have since donated had 222,222 miles over 9 years. Its sticker (stick shift/manual trans) had 36/40 MPG. Sometimes you get better and sometimes you get worse mileage than the sticker. That car for the life of the car when I owned it - got 40MPG. The car broke down once - because the distributer finally crapped out at 160,000 miles. And Chevy wants to laud the Cobalt (similar car) getting 34 MPG! What a bunch of idiots - is the kindest way I can put it. And you know what - my parents had a 1986 Cavalier - and it was a piece of crap. In fact, it was the car that turned my family from American Manufacturers to - well Honda.
I could really go on a lot about this stuff. Really this is a case of macroeconomics and microeconomics.
On the Microeconomic side you have comfort, reliability and fuel-efficiency. This are all factors in favor of Honda vs GM.
On the Macroeconomics side you have jobs, GNP and global perception of Americans. These are things that if you lose the Microeconomics side - guess what you lose the Macroeconomic side.
Guess what, people in general are what you might call selfish. We don't want to be victims of being left on the side of the road. We don't want to be victimized by garages that charge lots of money to do repairs or dealers that charge even more to do repairs. We like it even if there is just a perception that by the things we do on a daily basis we are saving money.
So, people buy what is best for them - meaning foreign cars in general and my family - Honda in specific. My wife's Honda CR-V has 202,000 miles on it. Never broke down. Although once it wouldn't start because the 6-year old battery finally died. My newer Honda Accord Coupe that I replaced my Honda Civic with has 37,000 miles on it (my driving habits have changed a lot) and it needed the transmission replaced. It was on warranty and the new warranty on the new transmission is 10 years. So, I am relatively unconcerned about that.
So, nearly 500,000 miles in cars my wife have owned and one break-down. And I'm not even including the hundreds of thousands of miles my parents have put on their three Hondas that they have owned over time. A Honda Wagovan (great car, but butt ugly), their newer Honda CR-V and their 1996 Honda Accord which has 137,000 miles on it.
Sp, anyway, read this article for more information - including a little note from an analyst saying 'Clearly, they eventually need to make better products that are more competitive with their foreign competitors, but that's a long-term proposition'. The main problem is that GM does not have a long term proposition anymore. They need to make better cars, more fuel efficient cars - now, not next year and certainly not three years from now.
http://www.thestreet.com/_googlen/markets/natworden/10253826.html?cm_ven=GOOGLEN&cm_cat=FREE&cm_ite=NA
Sorry folks. I went on a rand there. Nothing upsets me more than blatant stupidity. Yeah yeah - buy American and get stranded on the road. You know what - I'm in to limiting my risks. When you break down you could get in to a car accident, you could have a bad element come and rob or worse you and your car, and you could be trying to fix it on the side of the road and get hit by a drunk driver.
No thanks. I prefer to not break down in the first place.
RIAA Backs Rootkits
People are auctioning your privacy all the time. Apparently this guy thinks that anything on your computer is something that he has the right to take a look and see if everything is working just the way he wants it.
Everyone needs to send letters to these people and tell them they are allowed to make fair profit - but charging $15 an Audio CD, when everyone knows they can go to a store and buy CDs for less than 30 cents a pop, 50 cents a pop if you want a case just isn't going to float.
We just don't care enough about their profit margin. They should replace all these record stores with little machines that let you preview music and say 'burn it' and burns a quality CD. There would be no over supply or under supply of disks. People could conceivably know every track that they are purchasing and the entire disk should cost no more than $2.
Apparently stupidity is not exclusively an American trait:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/11/21/australia.tourist.ap/index.html
From the 'I want to torture people and my government won't let me. Waaaa' group:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/11/21/cia.prisoners.ap/index.html
Something nice to see - but maybe not so nice to smell.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/science/11/21/stinky.plant.ap/index.html
I have to say - if there was one that was 11 feet tall (or so) it would be neat to see in person. Hard to imagine a 11 foot tall dandelion...
So, if you have been up on the headlines lately - you may understand that there is a Darwin exhibit in a New York area museum. Due to the recent ID/Evolution debate - it attacted - $0 in businesses to fund the exhibit. Incredible. Stupidity spreads from individuals to large identities. It will be remarkable indeed if the United States will be able to keep up with other countries in science when we are apparently averse to what the science actually means and impacts life.
You know... Mazda went for a few years without the RX7 - its hot car. They noticed something - their sales slumped. Part of the reason they brought the car back as the RX8 - is that they needed something to attract people to the showroom.
Well, the United States of America's business is much like a car manufacturer. We have in the past had a lot to offer other countries. Our technical abilities attract people to do business here.
But, in this rapidly changing world - the United States of America in general is rejecting science. And our rate of scientific progress is slowing while places like South Korea are outstripping us in biology - once one of our main points of scientific progress. Science is no longer respected in the United States and we will not be attracting employers. Large companies like Intel are actually shipping high-technology jobs out of the country. Will India be the next powerhouse economy, South Korea or maybe perhaps China? It could well be.
Anyway, more than enough typing for now.
Alex
Friday, November 18, 2005
Torture
Torture - is not allowable under any circumstance. It is a violation of the rights of man.
It is not a violation of anything in the bible or Christian religious documentation.
This is expressed by the actions of our currently very Christian government.
Ex-CIA chief: Cheney 'VP for torture'
Even the appearance of impropriety is damaging to the person who claims to be the good guy. I would advocate total video observation of any prisoners recorded to hard drives and not alterable except by Congress and the Supreme Court. It should not be viewed except for the time periods any prisoner or person brings up that improprietary conduct happened.
Who watches the watcher?
All I can really say is that I cannot believe much of anything a person says once they say they are in favor of torture - except that person is capable of anything.
Alex
It is not a violation of anything in the bible or Christian religious documentation.
This is expressed by the actions of our currently very Christian government.
Ex-CIA chief: Cheney 'VP for torture'
Even the appearance of impropriety is damaging to the person who claims to be the good guy. I would advocate total video observation of any prisoners recorded to hard drives and not alterable except by Congress and the Supreme Court. It should not be viewed except for the time periods any prisoner or person brings up that improprietary conduct happened.
Who watches the watcher?
All I can really say is that I cannot believe much of anything a person says once they say they are in favor of torture - except that person is capable of anything.
Alex
Today in the News So Far
Well, I'm going to start writing a little free form about the news I see on a daily basis. I might mine this later for article topics for the things that really cause me concern.
CNN:
Suicide bombers kill dozens in 2 Iraqi cities
People appear to die every day in Iraq. The decision is made at some point that killing will acheive your goals or if your goals can be acheived through peaceful initiative. There is little excitement in solving issues through politics... The HERO wants the war - so they can be proclaimed a HERO by all and remembered. In the end, all wars end with politicians and agreements - the Hero's actions a turn in to just a political necessity.
This CNN article is ok - until there is a non sequitur in the middle of the article when they start talking about a democratic Hawk that is now requesting our withdrawal from Iraq. The placement of this paragraph makes the implication that somehow this democrats actions resulted in the attacks and deaths in Iraq.
The next paragraph repeats a White House official calling the democrat - a coward.
A former Vietname Vet - being called a coward - by people that never served.
It is not cowardice to want to back out of an unjust war. Cheney was noted in an article yesterday: Cheney: War critics are opportunists He says senators of both parties saw Hussein as a threat that he considered Democrats opportunists and that they were attempting to revise history.
This is patently untrue. Let's break it down shall we.
Truth - Everyone backed the war at the time we started it. At least in terms of congress and in terms of having enough votes to say - let's go kill some people for the just cause.
Implication that is False - that Democrats are changing their mind on the basis of no new information.
Listen folks, I don't know how to say this any clearer. If we entered the war under false pretenses, we need to apologize to the Iraqi people, today and not 150 years after the fact like we did to the native americans.
No, leaving Iraq immediately is not probably on the list of the top 10 best things to do. Neither, apparently was starting the war in the first place. Suddenly, people are soooo concerned about the USA doing the absolute best possible action when they weren't all that concerned when they started the war in the first place.
Personally, I don't think we should pull out. But, I don't think we should stay there either.
We should pull out because we look a lot like a invader at present.
We should not pull out because Iraq may well fall in to total civil war if we just leave.
There is a solution to this problem, I think. But we need to find a neutral party that is trusted by everyone willing to send their troops in to replace ours.
Problem is, the only neutral parties I can think of don't really maintain much of a military and at this point in time must view sending troops to Iraq like we should have when we started sending troops to Vietnam after the French were getting the snot kicked out of them there. Basically 'no way are we sending our folks there to die'.
Anyway, enough about the war. Just consider that we have a whole appeals process before we can execute a person, but to start a war we just need a bunch of a$$hole politicians who may or may not have military experience to say 'hey that sounds like a great idea'.
Technology saves the day - again - no supernatural beings necessary:
Sons save mom overseas with webcam.
Cheap laptops for everyone?
Windup laptops aim to bridge digital divide
Well, I suppose it isn't quite for everyone. Personally, they should charge $150 per laptop in the United States and make it a big seller this year. Take the extra $50 (assuming these folks are smart enough to be flush with money from $100) and give out free laptops instead of $100 laptops.
The wind-up laptop looks pretty neat to me - and if it is basically an internet only type of machine with basic functionality - I think it would be great as a second or third machine. It would also be a great advertising opportunity for Linux - the operating system I think will be on these laptops.
But you know, they'll probably only make them available in 3rd world countries and ignore the possibilities. Hell people in the US pay four times as much for a cell phone sometimes, people.
News in General
Sony's DRM woes expand to include copyright infringement
Now, Sony is a big company and they have a really big screw-up on their hands with their RootKit using DRM software.
I'm a programmer, and I've got to believe that Sony can at least afford to pay top-notch programmers. But apparently, they have a buch of coders that steal open-source code for commercial purposes! I mean, these guys didn't even bother to write their own software for playing MP3s.
This is nuts. I'm tempted to never by Sony stuff again after noting the things they are willing to try to protect themselves and the well poor quality in their ethics practices in using GPU license code and hiring people that can't code for crap when obviously they have money for coding.
Well, maybe after all the lawsuits settle they won't have so much money and they'll have to hire good people for more money instead of morons for $1.50 an hour.
Standard war for next DVD discs.
Blu-Ray snubs HP
Well, I hate to say this, but this whole argument about the next DVD standard is really moot. Yeah yeah yeah - higher quality DVD content for HDTV. You know - that's just not that important to me. New DRM built-in to the disks - either by Blu-Ray or HD-DVD - well, folks its hard for me to get exciting about something that is a benefit to the producers of content and not to me.
Its like getting excited about PMI on my house. Ooooh exciting I'm paying insurance so that when I go under financially the banks will have my mortgage fully paid off - but does this help me in any way - no - mortgage gets paid off and I'm still out of a house and probably a job.
Real nice. I can't wait for the cracks to come out for the new DRM these guys dream up. I think people copy DVD's now just because they can and because they are thumbing their nose at the 'man' than for any other reason. Commercial pirates - you know those folks should fry. But if I want to make a laugh/funny group of cuts from movies - how come its friggin impossible? If I want to do anything just for fun using these folks content - I'd have to spend thousands of dollars - probably more.
If I was selling that stuff, it'd be different, but you know these people are morons. They have no marketing sense. If I did make a funny movie composed of the actual funny bits of so-called funny movies and people saw it and laughed - that would generate interest and possible sales of those movies.
Review: New 'Potter' tries to do too much
I'll be going to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire today. I'll report what I can about the movie. I'm a big fan of the series, but the last movie was a bit too short given the actual content of the book. I do wish people had the attention spans they used to have during President Lincoln's time. They would go to a debate that lasted 8 hours long. Now its a struggle to get people to sit down for 2.5 hours to watch a movie. Hell, I'd love to see Sci-Fi channel pull off their magic and do a paragraph by paragraph Harry Potter... Oh, it'd be ages long (not the first movie so much, they didn't cut as much from that as the others), but it would be very enjoyable.
Probably have to wait 20 years for them to do something like that - because the people who have the current license for Harry Potter wouldn't let anyone else edge in for that long.
And to point - its probably a few years before the series wraps up in the movies.
By then, who knows - home movie makers may have enough technology to do it justice by themselves.
ok, well I guess that's enough headlines for today. Time to do some real work.
One more thing - anyone that has advice on how to draw anime/manga - feel free to drop me a comment or e-mail message. RhagamYgg@hotmail.com . I have a few story lines I want to write - and I was going to do them as books, but I suspect that the proper medium for them is Manga/Anime.
Alex
CNN:
Suicide bombers kill dozens in 2 Iraqi cities
People appear to die every day in Iraq. The decision is made at some point that killing will acheive your goals or if your goals can be acheived through peaceful initiative. There is little excitement in solving issues through politics... The HERO wants the war - so they can be proclaimed a HERO by all and remembered. In the end, all wars end with politicians and agreements - the Hero's actions a turn in to just a political necessity.
This CNN article is ok - until there is a non sequitur in the middle of the article when they start talking about a democratic Hawk that is now requesting our withdrawal from Iraq. The placement of this paragraph makes the implication that somehow this democrats actions resulted in the attacks and deaths in Iraq.
The next paragraph repeats a White House official calling the democrat - a coward.
A former Vietname Vet - being called a coward - by people that never served.
It is not cowardice to want to back out of an unjust war. Cheney was noted in an article yesterday: Cheney: War critics are opportunists He says senators of both parties saw Hussein as a threat that he considered Democrats opportunists and that they were attempting to revise history.
This is patently untrue. Let's break it down shall we.
Truth - Everyone backed the war at the time we started it. At least in terms of congress and in terms of having enough votes to say - let's go kill some people for the just cause.
Implication that is False - that Democrats are changing their mind on the basis of no new information.
Listen folks, I don't know how to say this any clearer. If we entered the war under false pretenses, we need to apologize to the Iraqi people, today and not 150 years after the fact like we did to the native americans.
No, leaving Iraq immediately is not probably on the list of the top 10 best things to do. Neither, apparently was starting the war in the first place. Suddenly, people are soooo concerned about the USA doing the absolute best possible action when they weren't all that concerned when they started the war in the first place.
Personally, I don't think we should pull out. But, I don't think we should stay there either.
We should pull out because we look a lot like a invader at present.
We should not pull out because Iraq may well fall in to total civil war if we just leave.
There is a solution to this problem, I think. But we need to find a neutral party that is trusted by everyone willing to send their troops in to replace ours.
Problem is, the only neutral parties I can think of don't really maintain much of a military and at this point in time must view sending troops to Iraq like we should have when we started sending troops to Vietnam after the French were getting the snot kicked out of them there. Basically 'no way are we sending our folks there to die'.
Anyway, enough about the war. Just consider that we have a whole appeals process before we can execute a person, but to start a war we just need a bunch of a$$hole politicians who may or may not have military experience to say 'hey that sounds like a great idea'.
Technology saves the day - again - no supernatural beings necessary:
Sons save mom overseas with webcam.
Cheap laptops for everyone?
Windup laptops aim to bridge digital divide
Well, I suppose it isn't quite for everyone. Personally, they should charge $150 per laptop in the United States and make it a big seller this year. Take the extra $50 (assuming these folks are smart enough to be flush with money from $100) and give out free laptops instead of $100 laptops.
The wind-up laptop looks pretty neat to me - and if it is basically an internet only type of machine with basic functionality - I think it would be great as a second or third machine. It would also be a great advertising opportunity for Linux - the operating system I think will be on these laptops.
But you know, they'll probably only make them available in 3rd world countries and ignore the possibilities. Hell people in the US pay four times as much for a cell phone sometimes, people.
News in General
Sony's DRM woes expand to include copyright infringement
Now, Sony is a big company and they have a really big screw-up on their hands with their RootKit using DRM software.
I'm a programmer, and I've got to believe that Sony can at least afford to pay top-notch programmers. But apparently, they have a buch of coders that steal open-source code for commercial purposes! I mean, these guys didn't even bother to write their own software for playing MP3s.
This is nuts. I'm tempted to never by Sony stuff again after noting the things they are willing to try to protect themselves and the well poor quality in their ethics practices in using GPU license code and hiring people that can't code for crap when obviously they have money for coding.
Well, maybe after all the lawsuits settle they won't have so much money and they'll have to hire good people for more money instead of morons for $1.50 an hour.
Standard war for next DVD discs.
Blu-Ray snubs HP
Well, I hate to say this, but this whole argument about the next DVD standard is really moot. Yeah yeah yeah - higher quality DVD content for HDTV. You know - that's just not that important to me. New DRM built-in to the disks - either by Blu-Ray or HD-DVD - well, folks its hard for me to get exciting about something that is a benefit to the producers of content and not to me.
Its like getting excited about PMI on my house. Ooooh exciting I'm paying insurance so that when I go under financially the banks will have my mortgage fully paid off - but does this help me in any way - no - mortgage gets paid off and I'm still out of a house and probably a job.
Real nice. I can't wait for the cracks to come out for the new DRM these guys dream up. I think people copy DVD's now just because they can and because they are thumbing their nose at the 'man' than for any other reason. Commercial pirates - you know those folks should fry. But if I want to make a laugh/funny group of cuts from movies - how come its friggin impossible? If I want to do anything just for fun using these folks content - I'd have to spend thousands of dollars - probably more.
If I was selling that stuff, it'd be different, but you know these people are morons. They have no marketing sense. If I did make a funny movie composed of the actual funny bits of so-called funny movies and people saw it and laughed - that would generate interest and possible sales of those movies.
Review: New 'Potter' tries to do too much
I'll be going to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire today. I'll report what I can about the movie. I'm a big fan of the series, but the last movie was a bit too short given the actual content of the book. I do wish people had the attention spans they used to have during President Lincoln's time. They would go to a debate that lasted 8 hours long. Now its a struggle to get people to sit down for 2.5 hours to watch a movie. Hell, I'd love to see Sci-Fi channel pull off their magic and do a paragraph by paragraph Harry Potter... Oh, it'd be ages long (not the first movie so much, they didn't cut as much from that as the others), but it would be very enjoyable.
Probably have to wait 20 years for them to do something like that - because the people who have the current license for Harry Potter wouldn't let anyone else edge in for that long.
And to point - its probably a few years before the series wraps up in the movies.
By then, who knows - home movie makers may have enough technology to do it justice by themselves.
ok, well I guess that's enough headlines for today. Time to do some real work.
One more thing - anyone that has advice on how to draw anime/manga - feel free to drop me a comment or e-mail message. RhagamYgg@hotmail.com . I have a few story lines I want to write - and I was going to do them as books, but I suspect that the proper medium for them is Manga/Anime.
Alex
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Google Adsense and this Blog
Well, I decided to add Google's Adsense to this Blog. It was not all that hard to do, and it wasn't even something I really did intentionally.
I just logged in to the blog and saw the ad for adsense. Followed it down the path.
Supposedly, adsense searches the blog and only puts ads on it that are related to the content. If it does a good job, please visit the linked ads at the top of this blog.
It could mean money for me - but you know, I'm not going to get my hopes up.
Anyway, the click of the ad on a page does not trigger any monetary gain. It is what you do when you get to the destination web page. If you click a few links on the destination web page it generates some numbers which in turn will generate a few pennies on my side.
So, if the links at the top of the screen look like they are something worth it for you, please by all means click on through and look around on those web sites.
The links there presently are of interest to the programmer in me - the IT business and things like that.
But as I have said in many articles - you need to be as aware as you can of how computers work so that you will not be a victim in a computer run society, but someone that understands what is going on around them.
Alex
I just logged in to the blog and saw the ad for adsense. Followed it down the path.
Supposedly, adsense searches the blog and only puts ads on it that are related to the content. If it does a good job, please visit the linked ads at the top of this blog.
It could mean money for me - but you know, I'm not going to get my hopes up.
Anyway, the click of the ad on a page does not trigger any monetary gain. It is what you do when you get to the destination web page. If you click a few links on the destination web page it generates some numbers which in turn will generate a few pennies on my side.
So, if the links at the top of the screen look like they are something worth it for you, please by all means click on through and look around on those web sites.
The links there presently are of interest to the programmer in me - the IT business and things like that.
But as I have said in many articles - you need to be as aware as you can of how computers work so that you will not be a victim in a computer run society, but someone that understands what is going on around them.
Alex
Recent Articles
Well, two of my most recent articles have been posted on Useless-Knowledge.
Here they are:
This article is about how the idea of Conception being the beginning of life and the rights associated with life would have severe consequences to a great many people.
Considering Life to Begin at Conception
This article was written at the request of another writer - it details the various things people need to do to protect their computer (and themselves) on the web - and the things that can threaten you on the web.
Things You Should Understand About Your Computer and People
Alex
Here they are:
This article is about how the idea of Conception being the beginning of life and the rights associated with life would have severe consequences to a great many people.
Considering Life to Begin at Conception
This article was written at the request of another writer - it details the various things people need to do to protect their computer (and themselves) on the web - and the things that can threaten you on the web.
Things You Should Understand About Your Computer and People
Alex
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Urusei Yatsura - Those Obnoxious Aliens
I have a new favorite show - and it is Urusei Yatsura.
I first discovered it on OnDemand on HBO - the movie "Beautiful Dreamer".
Excellent movie in the Urusei Yatsura universe - but the wrong place to start watching the show - as it appears to be after the TV series.
So, now I am renting through NetFlix - the TV Show DVDs.
Urusei Yatsura is written/drawn by the same person that wrote Inuyasha - another of my favorite shows. Rumiko Takahashi .
Inuyasha a dark and has its own flavor - one so completely different that Urusei Yatsura that it is astonishing that kind of breadth is contained in a single person.
Urusei Yatsura - of all things is a comedy. I suppose it would be considered an 'R' rated comedy by the sad state of United States of America standards. I believe it was originally designed for Japanese Teens and pre-teens.
It is excellent in the incredible amount of humor in the show - and the humor works so well it works even though I've got to read the subtitles.
So, if you are afraid of a little nudity - or teenagers behaving well like teenagers - specifically boys, but a little bit of the girls as well... I'd stay away from this one.
If you have a tolerance for nudity and don't believe it will burn your eyes out and that seeing what people really are like when they are teenages isn't going to degrade your moral values or the future moral values of your current teenager - I highly recommend this series.
And for everyone that is against this sort of thing because it degrades women etc (with the nudity) I remind you very strongly - this story is written by a woman.
Alex
I first discovered it on OnDemand on HBO - the movie "Beautiful Dreamer".
Excellent movie in the Urusei Yatsura universe - but the wrong place to start watching the show - as it appears to be after the TV series.
So, now I am renting through NetFlix - the TV Show DVDs.
Urusei Yatsura is written/drawn by the same person that wrote Inuyasha - another of my favorite shows. Rumiko Takahashi .
Inuyasha a dark and has its own flavor - one so completely different that Urusei Yatsura that it is astonishing that kind of breadth is contained in a single person.
Urusei Yatsura - of all things is a comedy. I suppose it would be considered an 'R' rated comedy by the sad state of United States of America standards. I believe it was originally designed for Japanese Teens and pre-teens.
It is excellent in the incredible amount of humor in the show - and the humor works so well it works even though I've got to read the subtitles.
So, if you are afraid of a little nudity - or teenagers behaving well like teenagers - specifically boys, but a little bit of the girls as well... I'd stay away from this one.
If you have a tolerance for nudity and don't believe it will burn your eyes out and that seeing what people really are like when they are teenages isn't going to degrade your moral values or the future moral values of your current teenager - I highly recommend this series.
And for everyone that is against this sort of thing because it degrades women etc (with the nudity) I remind you very strongly - this story is written by a woman.
Alex
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Recent Articles and Thoughts of More Topics to Write Aboue
Hi Everyone,
It has been a little while since I have written. When life - or work anyway - become more active it is hard to keep up writing on the blog.
Anyway, I have written a few more articles on Useless-Knowledge.
I wrote an article about the need for everyone to have a basic understanding of computer programming.
http://www.useless-knowledge.com/1234/oct/article387.html
This is the first article that I have written showing people how to write a simple article:
http://www.useless-knowledge.com/1234/nov/article090.html
I wrote an article opposing the idea that these are the 'end-times'. I could probably write more on this topic.
http://www.useless-knowledge.com/1234/oct/article317.html
Here is an article about George Bush - regarding the idea that he is basically a paradox... How can he believe that all life began in the basic form that it is now - if he also believes that a bird flu can mutate in to a human variant and kill people? There is of course a lot more detail in the article.
http://www.useless-knowledge.com/1234/nov/article074.html
This is an article about the foolishness of authors and publishers in thinking that somehow Googles efforts to make all books searchable will harm them. It will by far make the money and increase the ability for people at home to start the research using books - legitimate resources - instead of just the web - where there are a lot of unverified resources out there behaving like factual resources.
http://www.useless-knowledge.com/1234/nov/article051.html
This is an article discussing the inability for there to be a common ground in terms of ideas in the discussion of Evolution and Intelligent Design. It is similar to comparing a drawing of a car on paper and a car that has been through the design process and completely built and is functioning.
http://www.useless-knowledge.com/1234/nov/article042.html
I want to write a series of articles on actions that would result in a better election process. Anyone that has thoughts on this - please make a response to this blog entry.
Also, I want to write about the legality of statements made by a certain Fundamentalist Christian Leader - threatening a Pennsylvanian town.
Abwägen
It has been a little while since I have written. When life - or work anyway - become more active it is hard to keep up writing on the blog.
Anyway, I have written a few more articles on Useless-Knowledge.
I wrote an article about the need for everyone to have a basic understanding of computer programming.
http://www.useless-knowledge.com/1234/oct/article387.html
This is the first article that I have written showing people how to write a simple article:
http://www.useless-knowledge.com/1234/nov/article090.html
I wrote an article opposing the idea that these are the 'end-times'. I could probably write more on this topic.
http://www.useless-knowledge.com/1234/oct/article317.html
Here is an article about George Bush - regarding the idea that he is basically a paradox... How can he believe that all life began in the basic form that it is now - if he also believes that a bird flu can mutate in to a human variant and kill people? There is of course a lot more detail in the article.
http://www.useless-knowledge.com/1234/nov/article074.html
This is an article about the foolishness of authors and publishers in thinking that somehow Googles efforts to make all books searchable will harm them. It will by far make the money and increase the ability for people at home to start the research using books - legitimate resources - instead of just the web - where there are a lot of unverified resources out there behaving like factual resources.
http://www.useless-knowledge.com/1234/nov/article051.html
This is an article discussing the inability for there to be a common ground in terms of ideas in the discussion of Evolution and Intelligent Design. It is similar to comparing a drawing of a car on paper and a car that has been through the design process and completely built and is functioning.
http://www.useless-knowledge.com/1234/nov/article042.html
I want to write a series of articles on actions that would result in a better election process. Anyone that has thoughts on this - please make a response to this blog entry.
Also, I want to write about the legality of statements made by a certain Fundamentalist Christian Leader - threatening a Pennsylvanian town.
Abwägen
Sunday, September 25, 2005
More recent articles and looking for a new venue
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
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
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
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Playful destruction of electronic products
This is just purely informational for my son - if he ever gets the chance to read these blogs when he gets older.
I have always loved to tinker with electronic gadgets. Owning a gadget is just not enough. I want to see what's inside - change what is inside and all sorts of things like that.
I have spent time with RC Cars - and while I couldn't say I'm a cheif engineer or anything like that - I have fun with it.
It seems you like doing stuff like that too. You have tried helping me work on momma's computer on a few occasions and are always quick to grab the screwdriver - even if you don't quite know what to do with it yet.
In the future - who knows what things you'll be able to tinker with. One hopes that you'll have more time to do the things you want than I do.
Abwägen
I have always loved to tinker with electronic gadgets. Owning a gadget is just not enough. I want to see what's inside - change what is inside and all sorts of things like that.
I have spent time with RC Cars - and while I couldn't say I'm a cheif engineer or anything like that - I have fun with it.
It seems you like doing stuff like that too. You have tried helping me work on momma's computer on a few occasions and are always quick to grab the screwdriver - even if you don't quite know what to do with it yet.
In the future - who knows what things you'll be able to tinker with. One hopes that you'll have more time to do the things you want than I do.
Abwägen
PC Case Mod
I have found a new hobby that I enjoy doing. Who knows maybe I'll eve become good at it someday. It is PC case modding. I might even try my hand at overclocking CPU chips if I can get the cooling to work well enough through case mods.
The ultimate mod right now that I want to do - would be to add water cooling to my wife's shuttle computer. There certainly isn't enough room on the inside of the case for the extra equipment, but that doesn't mean that I couldn't mount the radiator, pump and reservoir outside of the case and just send the tubing in to the computer.
There are also complete external units that I might be able to purchase - and just sit it on top of my wife's computer and send the tubing in to do the cooling job. :)
Let's just hope I don't blow anything up.
Abwägen
The ultimate mod right now that I want to do - would be to add water cooling to my wife's shuttle computer. There certainly isn't enough room on the inside of the case for the extra equipment, but that doesn't mean that I couldn't mount the radiator, pump and reservoir outside of the case and just send the tubing in to the computer.
There are also complete external units that I might be able to purchase - and just sit it on top of my wife's computer and send the tubing in to do the cooling job. :)
Let's just hope I don't blow anything up.
Abwägen
Living Will - Living Dead
In recent events a woman who has been brain-dead for 15 years has been part of a vicious struggle between her husband and her parents on pulling the life-support equipment and allowing her to die.
Some people know who I am as I write these blogs. There is little doubt in my mind – that should I become PVS (Persistently Vegetative State) that I should not be kept alive with extreme measures. I would never want the resources of my family to be dedicated to me if there is little chance that I would return to beneficial life.
There have been cases where people have been misdiagnosed with PVS. So, I would hope that people should be certain with multiple doctors’ opinions and backed up with medical proof that certain parts of my brain are no longer functioning and are in fact reduced in capabilities. Even with the possibility of return – I am not sure that after 15 years I would want to return – with probable diminished capacity and likely a family who is in debt for thousands to millions of dollars just keeping me alive.
So, a bunch of laws were made in the hopes of keeping Terri Schiavo alive beyond her body’s ability to keep her alive. Her mind has long since been gone. An opportunity for laws that make sense has been lost.
If enough people think this is an issue – then a law should be made requiring people to indicate their wishes in terms of a living will. Then there would be clarity – at least in regards to the person who is in a coma – of what they would want in those kinds of circumstances. And if you do not fill out a living will there should be defaults in place – in favor of life.
Abwägen
Some people know who I am as I write these blogs. There is little doubt in my mind – that should I become PVS (Persistently Vegetative State) that I should not be kept alive with extreme measures. I would never want the resources of my family to be dedicated to me if there is little chance that I would return to beneficial life.
There have been cases where people have been misdiagnosed with PVS. So, I would hope that people should be certain with multiple doctors’ opinions and backed up with medical proof that certain parts of my brain are no longer functioning and are in fact reduced in capabilities. Even with the possibility of return – I am not sure that after 15 years I would want to return – with probable diminished capacity and likely a family who is in debt for thousands to millions of dollars just keeping me alive.
So, a bunch of laws were made in the hopes of keeping Terri Schiavo alive beyond her body’s ability to keep her alive. Her mind has long since been gone. An opportunity for laws that make sense has been lost.
If enough people think this is an issue – then a law should be made requiring people to indicate their wishes in terms of a living will. Then there would be clarity – at least in regards to the person who is in a coma – of what they would want in those kinds of circumstances. And if you do not fill out a living will there should be defaults in place – in favor of life.
Abwägen
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