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
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
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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