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Moving On...

2007-05-10T07:45:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for my blog, it has moved. I've dived into the next realm of blogging: my own domain name! With this, I had the option of moving my blogger account over to my domain name. However, with a new site comes new possibilities and I am now taking on the task of managing databases and utilizing my new space to host my own blog. I will actually have two sites. The first one, www.insert-text-here.net, will be my main site for blogging and other stuff. My second one, www.insert-text-here.com, will be my test development site (my dev site if I want to use some of my new found lingo). This site will probably usually not work as I will always be trying to break it with new site concepts, but it will be a good place to see what may be comming next on the main site.

I do not plan on closing down my Blogger account, as I still get a few hits on my old content, but I will not be posting anything new here.

Prince Makes Wish For More Manhood

2007-02-05T14:36:00.000-08:00

**UPDATE: 2/8/07 - The video was pulled, so I found an updated one. For as long as it lasts, here it is (I updated the time that the, well, "performance" starts).**

Watching the Super Bowl yesterday I noticed that the last part of Prince's Halftime performance was quite interesting. In my mind, this should be riling up the "family television" activists much more then the Janet Jackson stunt of two years ago. Watch his guitar when Prince performs behind the screen (starting about 3min, 40sec in). See what I'm talking about?

My Little Corner of the World Wide Web

2007-01-16T20:56:00.000-08:00

I have finally broken down and gotten my own domain name(s). I registered insert-text-here.com and insert-text-here.net to host my blog and have another site in the works that I'm sure I'll blog about later. With my blogging I have been dedicated to my Blogger account. However, with the new site comes new capabilities. I am now having fun trying my best to create a template for WordPress. It is much more customizable but (at this point) a decent bit beyond my expertise. My slow template work is available here. I'm not sure if I'll stick with Blogger or move to WordPress, but I do enjoy having a choice!

Make sure to update your Bookmarks! Blogger is now posting at insert-text-here.com, but still updates insert-text-here.blogspot.com. However, if I decide to switch to WordPress, you won't see any new posts!

Apple Comes Through Again

2007-01-09T12:31:00.000-08:00

Apple has come out with two new products. First is the new iPhone. This is not your standard phone...in fact is is lightyears beyond anything that is on the market today. It has a wide screen display that displays either tall-ways or wide-ways depending on how you are holding it (yes, it senses it's own position). It has an actually working OS that has full browsing features (not any of that WEP crap, but actual full web browsing) and music playback via the music it pulled when syncing up with your iTunes library. It has video playback, up to 8gb internal memory, and a memory card port for aditional memory. And if this isn't enough, it also has a 2mp digital camera, Blue Tooth capabilities, and auto-senses that it is pressed to your ear to turn on the phone features. The iPhone is scheduled to be released this June.

The second product is the new AppleTV. This unit is designed to wirelessly connect your television to your iTunes library. With the AppleTV box you can play all of your favorite music videos, music, TV shows, and (another new apple feature) movies that you have purchased on iTunes or that you have added via other methods to your iTunes library. Forget the movie store, forget 1-time movie rentals on your digital box, and forget snail mail videos. With iTunes and your AppleTV box you can purchase your movie online and be watching it on your television within minutes. And, yes, it is HDTV compatible.
The AppleTV is available for purchase as of today, starting at $299.

The Effects of Technology in Today’s Society

2007-01-07T22:19:00.000-08:00

A colleague made a referral to one of my daily obsessions that had me checking out the site sooner then I had planned. Penny Arcade had an interesting topic for it’s latest comic depicting images construed from the video imbedded in this post (entitled “Moral Combat”). While I found the comic (as always) quite hilarious, I was quite disconcerted by the video.

Basically, the premise of video is to display how video games are the cause of everything from the World Trade Center terrorist attacks to the Columbine shootings. It displays children as mindless automatons who have free access to very mature video game content that fills their empty heads with a very numb view of violence, the knowledge of how to utilize weapons for violent behavior, and a desire to use this knowledge on the people around them. I find irony in the absence of any reference to parents, parenting, or parental control.

This, however, is not my primary reason for posting, but is what prompted a conversation that I had later that afternoon with another of my colleagues which focused more on the general affect of Technology on today’s society. While he did not convey any from of agreement for the overbearing, nonfactual Moral Combat video, he did pose a rather convincing argument on the negative affects that technology is having on society.

The basic premise of his argument focused on how, technology has begun to weaken our culture on a physical and social level. Being that I have based a career in Technology this was not an idea that I was going to accept easily. However, brining up legitimate examples such as the growing obesity of our children and a growing trend of people whose primary social experiences are found in online communities, he began to catch my attention a bit. While the ideas he expressed are a far cry from calling video games the bane of our existence, I found myself compelled to agree that today’s generation feels less connected to their local community. The world has grown smaller, making the feeling of anonymity stronger and sense of individualism less distinct. An interesting question was posed: who is the Einstein, Beethoven, Picasso, or Franklin of today? When I try to answer this question, I think of entrepreneurs…the Bill Gates and Donald Trumps, but I cannot think of anyone who has made such an astounding mark on society to be named with those listed above. I do not believe that this is because those great minds don’t exist, but that these individuals have to fight a society that rewards anonymity as the technology that the society survives on works best when things conform to a standard.

Maybe the technology that helps society survive is also a bane. Maybe…but that thought is not going to stop me from expressing it via this technological medium.

A New Face

2007-01-06T16:16:00.000-08:00

If you are an old frequenter to my blog, you may notice some changes in progress. I am working to create a new look and hope to begin posting again soon.

Thanks for checking in!

My New Car

2006-07-26T15:27:00.000-07:00

Ok, well this isn't my new car, but a subsidiary company to Chrystler called GEM (Global Electric Motorcars, LLC) has begun mass production of a series of zero-emmisions NEVs (Neighborhood Electric Vehicles). The GEM does a top speed of 25mph, has a built-in governer switch to slow it to 15mph when desired, will travel approx. 30 miles on a single charge, charges in about 8 hours, and is completely street legal on streets that are limited at 35mph or slower. With today's gas prices and being a local commuter to work, this is the geek's dream car :)...ok, well at least it is very practical!

Walmart not waiting for NanoTech for tracking

2006-06-14T07:57:00.000-07:00

I recently went to a seminar on wireless technologies to explore some ideas to implement on the network that I help maintain. During discussions, we looked at the topic of wireless tagging.

Active wireless tagging is becoming a common way to track the location and activity of mobile devices within the network by using triangulation via multiple wireless APs. For instance, a tag could be put on a mobile projector stand and then the stand could be tracked to determine where it has been and where it is currently stored for both locating purposes and usage statistics. An active wireless tag utilizes a power source (i.e. batteries) to broadcast its location constantly.

This led to a bit of a side discussion. A logical question to ask is, is there passive wireless tagging? The answer I found quite interesting.

In short, yes, there is passive wireless tracking. It is basically a very small device that has no active power source. However, when it gets near something called an Exciter, it gets just enough energy to transmit its unique identifier, notifying the Exciter (and whomever controls that Exciter) that the tag has come within close proximity of the Exciter.

Walmart is currently utilizing this technology in its stores in much the same way they have discussed wanting to utilize nanotechnology. They place a very small tag on each item that they sell. This tag has a passive tracking device installed within it. On the front end, they give this a very logical explanation. It makes inventory analysis very easy. When a truck is unloaded, an Exciter just inside of the loading dock area detects every item that passes through and automatically logs its presence inside of the store. They are scanned again as they moved out onto the floor of the store to be put on the shelves, and the database checks it off when the product walks out the door. This allows the store personnel to know exactly how many items they have in stock, how many are out on the shelves, and when they have to restock the shelves, or order more of that item. What they fail to mention is that, as long as that tag remains on the product, it remains trackable. So, for instance, if a person went in, purchased a shirt, and wore it into Walmart the next time they went shopping, Walmart could potentially utilize the tag still on that shirt as a tracking utility. This kind of technology has the potential of collecting exponentially more customer sales information then any of those plastic cards that all other stores seem to be jumping to. Furthermore, with the aggressive sales tactics that Walmart is known for using, I cannot see them missing this opportunity.

...it sometimes makes me wonder if those guys that put foil hats on their heads might have the right idea...

Net Neutrality

2006-06-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't been posting in a while, and I truely hope that I still have a few people who still check this blog from time to time. There is something very scary going on right now. The current House and Senate just proved that they are pro net policing. They just shot down a bill that would protect the current neutrality of the internet, banning ISPs from controlling the locations their subscribers can go. For instance, Comcast can ban its customers from using Vonage or accessing the Verizon website in order to push their phone services. Oh, and if you want to have full access to the internet, that is possible as long as you pay for it...but you didn't want your first born anyways!

I strongly urge you to visit and pass on this link: http://www.savetheinternet.com/.

Sign up for the petition, voice your opinion, get our representitives on the ball, and save our internet!

I've joined the dark side...or have I left it?

2006-06-07T08:29:00.000-07:00

Yes, I bought an imac...and I love it! Its sleak, stylish design makes for easy desk placement and usablity. The 17" wide-screen is crystal clear. I purchased a gig of memory, 260gb of HD space, and opted not to go with the wireless keyboard/mouse setup in order to get my Mighty Mouse. The Intel Core Duo processor rocks. I'm a bit of a World of Warcraft geek now, and the game runs flawlessly. I have always been hesitent to purchase a mac for software title availabilty issues, and cost differences. This mac, though, was the same price as a similarly equipt PC with similar software titles and a compairible high-quality monitor. My new mac, however, looks so much better and with the new processor, most vendors now find it easy to come out with multi-platform software that works seemlessly with either Mac or Windows. Between this and my new 30gig video ipod, I'm in hog heaven :D

The Search for Life continues...

2006-02-01T12:14:00.000-08:00

At NASA they have been utilizing a new technique called microlensing which allows for the search for planets as small as one tenth the size of earth orbiting distant stars. It's still new, but the technology is very promising.

I-901

2005-11-27T22:18:00.000-08:00

I read a friend's recent post and had to comment. This is a topic that I debated about much with myself and others around me (Jessi, I do miss our debates since I left...haven't had a worthy opponent since) and I ended up voting against it. No, I'm not a smoker, and I do like the idea of having more places be smoke free, but this was not the problem that I saw with this initiative. In the end, it bothered me that, once again, a control was being put on a freedom of choice. It is my choice to go to a place that is smoking vs a place that is non-smoking, just as it is (or was) the choice of the owner to make the place smoking or non. If I had a problem with a place being smoking, I could write or talk to the owner and let them know that my business would be taken elsewhere, less they change. This gave the owner a right to choose. I do not think that it is right for anyone to dictate the way anyone runs a legit business. It is the owner's responsibility to create an environment that will bring customers and the customer's responsibility to find a business that caters to them.

One way that I have thought about it is that I am left-handed, which makes me a minority in the dominant-hand arena. Now we could pass a law making it illegal for any business to sell left-handed or ambidextrous goods. This would make more room for right-handed things and I would have to force myself (willing or no) to use right-handed items.

My point is that I should have as much of a choice of being able to go to a store that carries left-handed goods as a person has a choice to go to a smoking or non-smoking establishment and it's not right for someone else to take that freedom of choice from them by forcing the decision.

Evolution vs Creationism/Intelligent Design: revisited

2005-10-24T08:23:00.000-07:00

I know that I’ve touched on this topic a few times in my blog, but with recent articles (sorry if this link doesn’t hold, I haven’t tried linking to Google like this before) once again headlining the issue, I have decided to hit this topic again from a very opinionated side.

In truth, this scares me. It rips at the very fibers of this country and if it is able to gain grasp, will take away the piece of this country that was part of the conception, foundation, and supporting structure of what has made this country what it is. In essence, it is messing with the core of freedom, as it has been defined. Shall we visit the first amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion..." And what, here, are they trying to do? They’re trying to instill a Christian ideal in public schools. They are trying to use government to push a single view. And I’m sorry, but the push that they are making is a focus on Christian ideology, no matter how vague they make it. Yeah, at it’s basis, it fits many religions, but not all. This has to be an all or none type of situation. Religions cannot be singled out by our government.

Now I consider my beliefs to be Christian, but I do not impose my belief structure on the unwilling. I do not force it down the throats of the children I work around every day in my position in the public school realm. Remember, the reason this country was founded was because a bunch of people were fleeing religious persecution…it’s funny how the tides change once their ancestors hold the power that apposed them in the beginning.

And now, the sad thing is, is that they are beginning to gain a firm foothold. People are actually prescribing to this nonsense. And I blame our media for this as much as anything else. They are airing these debates in a way that is giving the idea the publicity it needs because the powers that be, many of whom control these companies, see it as a way to jockey for power, and line their pockets while they’re at it. Does the media not realize that the 1st amendment, the one that is being toyed with, is also the one that gives them freedom of speech and of the press? Do they not realize that they may be skirting the fine edge of a double-bladed sword that will only take their heads in the end?

Right now is a scary time, as are all times of war. It brings out the best in people and the worst in people. Unfortunately many of our politicians are corrupt, and they see this as just another way to push their own agenda to gain money and power. It is times like this that we must be most careful. It is times like this that we cannot allow the corrupt and the constitutionally blind to eradicate the very essence of what makes this country great. We were once "the land of the free and home of the brave," but I fear that if things continue down the path that they are, we shall soon become "the land of the oppressed and the home of the mindless automatons." The choice is ours...

OpenOffice 2.0 released

2005-10-21T07:16:00.000-07:00

OpenOffice 2.0 has been officially released. With its cross-platform capabilities, an updated ability to export to PDF, the new addition of Base, the new database program, and a superb user friendly interface, OpenOffice would be a strong contender on store shelves along side MSOffice. You won't, however, find it there. As has been the point of OpenOffice from it's conception at Sun Microsystems, OpenOffice 2.0 is a completely free program, downloadable from their website.

OpenOffice.org is a company that is part of the open source community. It is driven by donations, and the desire to have an open source community, where anyone can write and contribute, and growth is measured by technological advances that benefit the community it thrives in as opposed to dollars and cents.

With the recent (and vague) announcement of Google and Sun Microsystems, speculation has arisen as to what their projects together will entail. Many are guessing that they may release an online office software interface, where the software is server-side, accessible through a web interface. This type of web app could take a big bite out of the Microsoft Office clientele base.

What is Sport?

2005-10-18T13:09:00.000-07:00

The Conundrum: is Quake, or any other computer/console games for that matter, considered Sport?

The Debate: A coworker of mine has posed the argument that due to the strategy, environment, and style of gaming involved in Quake that it is a Sport to play Quake, at least as far as the PvP part of the game is concerned.

Merriam-Webster defines Sport (n) as:

1 a : a source of diversion : RECREATION b : sexual play c (1) : physical activity engaged in for pleasure (2) : a particular activity (as an athletic game) so engaged in
2 a : PLEASANTRY, JEST b : often mean-spirited jesting : MOCKERY, DERISION
3 a : something tossed or driven about in or as if in play b : LAUGHINGSTOCK
4 a : SPORTSMAN b : a person considered with respect to living up to the ideals of sportsmanship (a good sport) (a poor sport) c : a companionable person
5 : an individual exhibiting a sudden deviation from type beyond the normal limits of individual variation usually as a result of mutation especially of somatic tissue
synonym see FUN

Dictionary.com defines Sport (n) as:

Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.
A particular form of this activity.
An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively.
An active pastime; recreation.

Mockery; jest: He made sport of his own looks.
An object of mockery, jest, or play: treated our interests as sport.
A joking mood or attitude: She made the remark in sport.

One known for the manner of one's acceptance of rules, especially of a game, or of a difficult situation: a poor sport.
Informal. One who accepts rules or difficult situations well.
Informal. A pleasant companion: was a real sport during the trip.
Informal.
A person who lives a jolly, extravagant life.
A gambler at sporting events.
Biology. An organism that shows a marked change from the normal type or parent stock, typically as a result of mutation.
Maine. See summercater. See Regional Note at summercater.
Obsolete. Amorous dalliance; lovemaking.

While Dictionary.com pushes the idea of “physical activity” this specific point is at the root of this debate. Is physical activity a requirement for something to be designated as a sport or does it just group a certain type of sport? At least as far as our inner-office discussion went, a few things could be agreed upon:

1.) Sport requires rules
2.) Sport requires strategy
3.) Sport requires some form of competition.

Outside of these three requirements, the views began to vary. Again, we began to hit the topic of physical activity and whether or not it is a requirement for something to be considered Sport. We left the discussion open at this point as we went off our own ways for lunch.

After some quiet deliberation amongst my own thoughts, I poured over the topic. Munching on deep fried taquitos and homemade guacamole I came to my own definition of Sport. Sport is really just recreation with rules. If it has rules, then competition is implied as, for what I can think of, all recreation that has rules can be turned into competition. Now this leaves what falls under the category of Sport quite open to many things. If one has turned gaming into a competition with rules, whether it be rules defined by the game or by the gamer(s), then it is sport.

In the end, on this debate I must concede that Quake, when played as such, can be considered a sport.

2005-10-05T12:55:00.000-07:00

So I did it, I broke down and purchased an ipod. I have fought with myself for many months on whether or not I'd get an apple brand music player, or even if I'd get one at all. Well, I was at Costco a couple nights ago and they had ipods on sale for about half of their normal price. My wife and I had been given a late wedding gift in the form of a Costco gift card. We were looking at winter jackets, food supplies, printers, and a few other mundane items when we came across the ipod display. Two days previous to this we had purchased a Nintendo DS for my wife (ok, yeah, I play it too) and so she looked at me and said "Get it".

I chose the original ipod. Here's my reasoning:

Shuffle

Nano

New Google tool & a great quote

2005-09-30T09:25:00.000-07:00

Google has a new site where you can customize a start page. It encorporates Google's simplicity with a number of its powerful tools including gmail, news, and, of course, the search engine.

One of the added new features is a Quote of the Day. I have it setup for 3 quotes a day, and absolutely loved one of 'em:

"Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from a religious conviction."
- Blaise Pascal

...just seems to fit with many of the current events happening with the world today.

New Camera Fun

2005-09-28T19:48:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of the better "scenic" pics taken with the new digital camera while on our honeymoon. Most of 'em make great background images so feel free to click on a pic to download a larger version of it.

(White Rose with Due)

(Heron Waiting for Taxi)

(Sunrise 1)

(Sunrise 2)

(Sailboat)

(Red Rose with Dew)

(Purple Tower)

(Purple In View)

(Mema's Flowers)

(Garden View)

(Bees - this one's my favorite)

A wedding day to remember

2005-09-27T08:03:00.000-07:00

Driving out to the Grange Saturday morning, just hours before the wedding, my Best Man at the wheel, we were pulled over. The cop walked up to the window and let Trevor (the BM) know that he was doing 35 in a 25 school zone. He asked where we were going, and Trevor proceeded to tell him about the wedding, and that I was the groom. The cop took Trevor's license and walked back to his car. Over the next few moments, I'm sweatin' at the fact that this is eating into our already short time and Trevor's got a few choice words about the cop, the timing, and everything else.

The officer walked back up to the car, looked at Megan (Trevor's Wife) and asked if she had a camera, which she did. He then looked back at me and said "Sir, you're going to have to get out of the car."

Ok, I'm thinking, at this point that it'll make a great story, so I played along, and he hand-cuffed me over the trunk of his car as they took pictures.

Now this would have been the end of a fairly funny story with a couple of funny pics...no harm, no foul...if Amanda (my wife and fiance at the time...obviously) hadn't, at that very moment, driven by. She looked over at the police car and time stood still as her eyes caught mine. I watched as her face went from curiosity to surprise to anger in a matter of moments. She didn't stop.

Ok, so I hopped on a cell phone and told her the story. It was a "one in a million" chance that she would have driven by on that road at that instant...but I won't live this one down for a long time.

Answer: Monkey Sphere

2005-09-12T13:18:00.000-07:00

Has it bugged anybody that we (the US) have paid more attention and donated more money to what seems like only a handful of people lost/displaced by hurricane Katrina as opposed to the hundreds of thousands killed and millions displaced by the Tsunami that swept through the Indian and Pacific Oceans? Isn't it interesting how it's front page news when we lose a couple of troops from a bombing in Iraq and how, 6 pages in, we read about the 200+ Iraqi residents that died in the same bombing?

I have been contemplating the reasoning for our reasoning for quite a while, and finally came upon an article about the Monkey Sphere. It's a great read and, even if you are not quite into the whole evolution thing, just read it for its thoughts on social design, which I think are quite interesting.

Ode to Hunger

2005-08-29T11:56:00.000-07:00

Here I sit
another second hand pass
waiting for tim
to hurry up his ass
we wait for him
before we eat
and wish that he'd
pick up his feet
but, wait, he calls
says he'll be late
and just to go
that tim is great

Lunch Time!

Mass-Introduction of robots pose interesting societal changes

2005-08-24T11:07:00.000-07:00

I received a link to an article about the up-and-coming rise of robotics in industry. In this article, a few figures were tossed out (some factual, some theoretical future figures) as ways of describing the possible economical outcome of placing robots in most of our "blue collar" positions. The list of stores given in the article that have expressed interest in this was "Wal-mart, K-Mart, Target, Home Depot, Lowes, BJ's, Sam's Club, Toys R Us, Sears, J.C. Penny's, Barnes and Noble, Borders, Best Buy, Circuit City, Office Max, Staples, Office Depot, Kroger's, Winn-Dixie, Pet Depot, etc" which I'll explain in moment as being an interesting list of stores to use as an example. Now the figures described were the breakdown of the countries income distribution. These figures show that in the past 40 years, we've gone from 80% of the population getting 60% of the countries income to that 80% getting about 50%. The basis of the rest of the article is on the hypothesis that this trend is going to continue in the same direction with a major boost from the massive addition of robots in the workplace.

Now, it is hard for many people to except the fact that the nature of any capitalistic system is to exploit one group for the benefit of another. This is easier to understand if you shrink the model considerably. For instance, lets say that in the country of NEDLAND, there is one company. This company makes the only sellable goods in NEDLAND and, for the sake of simplicity, there is not importing or exporting in NEDLAND and nobody leaves or enters the country. Now, in NEDLAND, there are a few workers, 1 owner, and they make widgets. Each employee is given $3 per widget they make, and the widgets are sold for $5. Again, for the sake of simplicity there is no production cost for the widgets. Now the company only sells to its employees because they are the only consumers in NEDLAND and it only makes as many widgets as will be sold.

There are a number of fundamental flaws in this model. First, and foremost, there is no way the number of widgets made will ever equal the amount purchased because they are sold for more then the employee can afford (5 are made for every 3 that can be purchased by employees or 5 made = $15 paid). This outlines the next, now (hopefully) obvious issue. There is no way to make money in this system because the employees cannot afford the Widgets they need, and the employer cannot make money on widgets not sold.

Now, lets make a few changes. Lets say that NEDLAND starts to export to PAMLAND and decides to only pay $1/widget for the production of the widgets in NEDLAND. It also sets up a production company in PAMLAND 1/100 the size of its other where it pays employees $5/widget to create widgets as long as they also sell them for $4/widget (including the imported widgets). The people in PAMLAND love the cheaper widgets and think that the widget company is great because it pays its employees so well.

Now this model demonstrates, on a much more simplistic level, how a capitalistic society works. It pays its employees rather well, sells its products for cheap, and makes its profit by exploiting someone else (in this case, the people of NEDLAND) in the production process. With the first model, there is no way for anyone to make a profit because nobody is being exploited. Furthermore, the first model is bringing no new money into the cycle. With the second model, PAMLAND is having money come into it and the widget company is making a fortune, expanding the economy and, eventually, creating more jobs.

Coming back to that article I see some flaws in his hypothesis of the future economical model. He proposes that "Wal-mart, K-Mart, Target, Home Depot, Lowes, BJ's, Sam's Club, Toys R Us, Sears, J.C. Penny's, Barnes and Noble, Borders, Best Buy, Circuit City, Office Max, Staples, Office Depot, Kroger's, Winn-Dixie, Pet Depot, etc" are going to fire tens of millions of works and then these unemployed are going to continue to shop as normal and pad the pockets of the elite. The problem I see here is that the people these companies hire are also their primary customers and the working class that this group falls in has a tendency to live paycheck-to-paycheck, not saving. It is also probably safe to assume that this kind of massive layoff would completely break down the current welfare system. The point is that no money would be in the hands of these unemployed to support the companies they were fired from ultimately bankrupting the companies. This hypothesis would hold for the first bit of time while people still had a little bit of money to burn, but I doubt it would last more then a couple of months. After this, there would be no consumer with money to sell to. Ultimately, I think that the big businesses know this. They know that in order to have people spending money they need to have money to spend and that they are a big part of this cycle. It's kind of like having a water cycle but eliminating the rain part, and expecting the rest to still work.

In the end, I agree that changes need to be made. I see so many technological advances questioning our capitalistic system that it really makes me wonder how much longer it'll be before the whole system needs to be revamped. We may never reach Karl Marx's socialistic society, but I think that very similar changes will be made where a similar step may have to be made in order to allow our current form of living to keep up with technology.

Thoughts? Please comment!

Music Links

2005-08-22T08:05:00.000-07:00

In my quest to find the cheap and free online, I've obtained a couple of great links.

This first comes from an old coworker, and is a cheap MP3 download site based on a couple of legal loopholes. Not sure how long the loophole will last, so download at your own risk :): www.allofmp3.com

The second link is a completely legit music video download site. The site developers search the net for Label/Band posted videos and harbor a link on this site to the links: www.findvideos.com

Enjoy!

Haven't forgotten about Cassini

2005-08-08T13:07:00.000-07:00

The new Death Star, code named "Mimas", was given a close flyby in one of Cassini's most recent ventures.

I reccomend checking out the official Cassini website for some of the latest images of moons and ringshots.

Great video

2005-08-04T11:08:00.000-07:00

For those who love their video games!

(my imbed broke so please use the link below for some great acapella video game tunes)

CLICK HERE!

Foam loss = no NASA shuttle missions?

2005-07-29T10:51:00.000-07:00

As I'm sure many are now aware, the Return to Flight of the Space Shuttle Discovery had a mishap during launch earlier this week. A piece of insulating foam (not unlike the one that caused the accident that stopped all NASA shuttle launches) again tore off during flight. Fortunately, however, it happened at a time and place during the launch that resulted in the foam floating off to the side of the shuttle, causing no damage.

Here's the official statement.

My thought is this: What did they expect? They're using ships and technology that is about 30 years old, and has never been monitored in this way. I'm sure that the last two launches weren't the last time debris has fallen from the ship...we just have the technology to actually monitor it now. In the end, however, we have to maintain a bid on space. I am a big fan of the scientific research side of things, but this isn't the biggest reason to keep our fingers in the program. We will eventually use up the natural resources of this planet and if we are to have a bid on the first space=retrieved resources we will have to stay at the forefront of space exploration. I think it's time that we take a look at the SciFi world and start grabbing some ideas much as the way that the private sector has in the design ideas that came out during the X-Prize. Let's face it, we all were drooling when SpaceShipOne made it's winning flight.

I believe that it is time that NASA created it's own "kick-ass ride" like the ones in Armageddon...something state-of-the-art, that is more cost effective to launch, can withstand more dents and dings, and is more equipped to take the NASA of today into its visions of tomorrow.

Microsoft Makes Bid on Earth

2005-07-26T07:32:00.000-07:00

Well it looks like I blogged too soon. Microsoft has put in its bid for earth with the MSN Virtual Earth (which I shall, from here on out, refer to MSEarth because we all know that is what they’re eventually shooting for).

Right away I can see that the two applications are shooting for somewhat different audiences. MSEarth uses a less resource intensive, lower-res program that runs in IE via a downloadable plug-in. Google Earth (Which I shall, from here on out, refer to GEarth for short). Runs in its own application window and requires a 3D card among other things to run affectively.

While MSEarth has its initial advantages and will appeal to a more general audience with less technical computers, GEarth is definitely pushing towards the high-tech side of the application. Lets face it, in a few years MSEarth will be a buggy, choppy, second-hand application while GEarth stays clean and on the leading edge of technology. It is unclear who will be putting in the final bid on Earth in the years to come, but it is apparent that Microsoft is losing strength from the monopoly it once was.

The winds have changed...time to sail on

2005-07-20T14:56:00.000-07:00

It is time for my final Adieu. As of 4:00pm this afternoon, I shall no long be calling myself a Customer Support Representative. It has been a great run, wonderful experience, and an overall near perfect stepping stone. I now step into new shoes as:
Mikey, Network Repair Specialist!

Why Mikey? Well, it just so happens that the position has set me up with some coworkers that have known me since grade school…some things die hard, and in their mind I will be Mikey forever.

I shall miss many things about my Customer Support days: frequent miss-directed conversations about politics, space, religion, and anything else to burn time on a slow day, helping the owner spend tons ‘o $$ on new toys (such as VoIP), and just the general feeling of acceptance of the staff I worked with.

I, however, look into my new position with intrigue, excitement, and hope. You understand the excitement and intrigue, but hope you ask? Well, one thing I have yet to accomplish is to obtain a position that has serious potential of longevity…that’s right, a career! As I move into the final stages of preparing my and Amanda’s wedding, as it is only 2mo off, I have found huge relief in the fact that I am now working a position that, needs be, could support the two of us. It also carries good benefits, allowing ease of mind for both of us on what we were going to do to get medical insurance.

As I stated just moments ago on a fellow coworker’s blog:

and as the clock clicks steadily closer to the hour at hand I must give a final farewell as a fellow coworker... It is not, however, a farewell as a friend and fellow inquisitive mind, so as Mike: Customer Support Representative must sail away, Mikey: Network Support Specialist is already here to take his spot.

Google Rules!

2005-07-20T10:06:00.000-07:00

I was sent a recent link from Jessi. This link talks about how a person was able to use Google Maps to get out of a ticket.

I started thinking of this same scenario 10 years from now...

...so I whipped out my pocket Google 3D imager (G3Di for short) and tapped into the WiFib (Wireless Fiber) network to bring up G.Earth3D. A view of the planet popped up in front of the imager for both myself, the cop, and the judge to see.

I stated the date, time, and location of the incident and G.Earth3D dove down into the planet zooming strait into the city until it was generating 1:20 replica of the intersection. We watched my car, identified by my ID digitally inscribed on the top of the car by G.P&P (People and Places), pull into the turn and then swerve abruptly as a car clearly breaking the speed limit whipped past in the other lane.

The judge immediately dismissed the charges and, without missing a beat, issued a fine to the driver of the speeding car using the digital ID above the driver's side of his vehicle and the speed of the vehicle, which was blinking right behind it. While at it, he also issued his passenger an NRH (no restraining harness) ticket which was clearly visible after the judge commanded that G.Earth3D zoom into a 3:1 perspective of the front shield of the other vehicle. As the passenger's ID was also digitally inscribed on the vehicle, the court clerk had no problem jotting down exactly who to send the ticket to.

Moving on...

2005-07-10T15:54:00.000-07:00

As most of my readers (yeah, ok there's only like 2 of you, but I can pretend, right?) know me personally, I try to keep my blog updated with personal things, intertwined with some political, space, and intellectual topics.

Today I post on a more personal topic. As I'm sure you know, from previous posts, I work for a small ISP as a technical support rep. I enjoy my job, the people I work with, and the customers I serve, but I have always viewed this position as a stepping stone in my life. Well, I've just taken my next step. Two days ago, Friday afternoon, I got a call from a company I recently interviewed with. They offered me a position as a network repair tech. The position is M-F with a set schedule, and pays 2x my current hourly wage.

I am very excited for my new venture, but am humbled by the fact that the desk I'm currently sitting in as I write this post will soon no longer be my second home. It is difficult to envision a workday that doesn't involve seeing my current coworkers as to whom I've built, what I'd like to think is a great repor. I do, however, welcome the challenge of building that same repor with my new coworkers, some of which I have known for years and others who will be new faces to me.

One thing I do hope for with this new shift is that I find new time to post and maybe even dig up a few more people to comment to my babblings and random utterances.

Microsoft Loses bid on Earth

2005-06-29T13:24:00.000-07:00

For years now, I have speculated that after taking over computers, controlling much of online commerse, office applications, access to the internet (both as an ISP and with IE), and recently, video games, antispyware, and high-res image editing software, I have been waiting for Microsoft to put a bit in on MSEarth. Well, they've lost. For those who have watched the 2015 Epic, it depicts a battle that arises between Microsoft and Google.

This week, Google has taken a big step ahead of Micrsoft in their purchase, design, and recent beta release of Google Earth!

Microsoft may have claimed our computers, but Google has put a bid in on the internet and has purchased the rights to Earth while at it!

A few fun links

2005-06-28T10:23:00.000-07:00

Here are a few fun links to various websites that feature the vocal stylings of a couple of our favorite Star Trek actors!

Nimoy sings about Hobbits!

Shatner: "Rocketman"

Shatner serenading Lucas with "My Way"
My favorite quote: "Live long, you've already prospered enough!"

Socialism through de-industrialization?

2005-06-27T12:19:00.000-07:00

I recieved a link from Jessi about the affects of current technology on the industrialized society that has developed over the past couple of centuries. The article talks about how the industry powerhouse is starting to lose it's grip on society and that we are heading for a change. The article concludes, stating that when and what this change is will be a surprise to us all.

In previous posts, as my few frequent readers are aware, I have enjoyed bringing up Karl Marx and his thoughts on moving towards a socialist society. A very frequent and valid (given the general mentality of today's society) is that society, in general, could never let go of money. Well, lets face it. Money, as we know it today, has really only been around for the past couple centuries in order to better aid the growing industrialized society. Prior to this, power was controlled through barter, armies, land, and control of trade routes. Go back far enough, and power was decided by who could beat the crap out of the other. Capitalism holds a direct connection to industry. I think that it is more than coincidence that we are beginning to see fallout through greed and corruption of our current political systems at the same time that we are starting to see the declining strength of industry in today's society. As we grow to being more and more self-sufficient, but with the progressing development of technology, the next logical step seems to be power through knowledge, where those who can help progress society, as a whole, will hold the most control within society. In this model, I see us taking a step forward towards what may hit close to home with Mr. Marx's ideas.

Wedding Information

2005-06-18T21:18:00.000-07:00

Alright, I decided to create a website based on our wedding. I, however, didn't want to do the traditional "here are the details and some pics" website...I wanted something more dynamic. The natural choice: a blog! At the time of this post, I haven't added any pictures yet, but plan on doing so over the next few weeks (pics of us, the location, etc.).

Click here to check it out!

~mike's review of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith

2005-05-19T10:13:00.000-07:00

If I were to describe my thoughts of this movie in one word it would be redemption!
It took 3 tries, but Lucas finally pulled it off. He created a movie worthy of carrying the Star Wars title. The story line was great, the graphics were amazing enough to be unnoticeable, accenting the story beautifully. I found that just about every loose end creating a barrier between the Episodes I & II and the original trilogy was destroyed (except one, R2 didn't lose his ability to fly).

I had mixed feelings with episode II when they cast Hayden Christensen, but not only was pleased with his performance in Revenge of the Sith, but could think of no other who could have filled his shoes so well. Natalie Portman provides a stellar performance as Padame (I teared up when she named Luke and Leia). Ewen McGregor along with Samuel L. Jackson are more kick-ass then ever as Obi-Wan and Mace Windu (respectively). Even Ian McDiarmid's performance was nothing less then outstanding with his near-perfect portrayal of the Emperor's rise to power, and corruption of Anakin Skywalker.

Jar Jar, in this final installment, gets just about everything he deserves (but I won't go into details for those who haven't seen it). I will, however go as far as to say that he was on screen a total of about 15sec longer then I would have liked.

This movie, in my mind, was darker then Empire Strikes Back, and a better end to a trilogy than Return of the Jedi (of which I have many issues with the recent replacement in the CD release, putting Hayden Christensen in as Anakin in the final scenes, standing luminescent along Yoda and Obi-Wan). I was surprised to see, on screen, a head roll following a decapitation, and the entire accident leading to the physical transformation between Anakin and Darth Vader.

George Lucas deserves a pat on the back, as he has finally put out a movie that rivals his original trilogy. Again, I feel redeemed. The fire that has driven my love for Star Wars has finally been rekindled.

Attacks on Darwinism

2005-05-06T17:07:00.000-07:00

I recently read an article about well educated leaders in our society leading a war against the teachings of evolution and using it as an excuse to get religious teachings put into the public school system. I don't know about anybody else, but this seems like a huge step backwards to me.

I see two issues:

Issue 1,
There is a ton of evidence that supports Darwin's theories and the scientific information that has not supported has still supported evolution, only in other ways. Nothing has been found, scientifically, that supports a nonexistence of evolution. The only contradicting "evidence" has to do with pieces text that have been rewritten by those in power many many times in order to make them fit their power schemes of their age...There are contradicting texts, for instance, that give supporting evidence that women were rewritten in the bible in order to give them less power then men when, in the contradicting texts, women are shown to have a more equal power...I consider myself to be a religious man, but I take the "facts" of the bible lightly and, instead, focus on the lessons that underlay the ever-changing stories that focus on a seemingly pliable history.

Issue 2,
I am appalled at the fact the people would push to have their religious views put into the classroom. The line between church and state must remain clear for the foundation of our country to remain strong. The founding basis of this country was that it was a place where people in the rest of the world could flee to in the face of religious prosecution. It is not fair to press one view on the nations children when we are a nation comprised of many views. This cannot be allowed unless we're willing to face ALL the consequences.

I feel that there is a definite meeting ground between church and science and that if we lose sight of this, we'll lose the footing to some major future scientific breakthroughs that will only come from allowing the children of today to be able to expand on the theories of today as they become the great minds of tomorrow.

National Security compromised

2005-05-06T10:47:00.000-07:00

In a fascinating article I read recently, it seems that even the leader of our country can be caught by identity theft.

...I love The Onion

2005-05-04T17:32:00.000-07:00

I love this view of Saturn...it's amazing that something so awesome (and I use this word in it's literal definition to size) could also be so insignificant, with a width comparable to a razor blade!

2005-05-03T16:32:00.000-07:00

The wind might not be as strong as first suspected

2005-04-17T17:59:00.000-07:00

In my last post, I express my worries about the possible loss of a job, and the triumph of the Devil...er, I mean Verizon. Today the company owner was in and was in surprisingly good spirits. It is a well known fact here, at my job, that the owner takes this business very personally, and that he and the business are pretty much the same entity...Therefore, we have all assumed that the loss of this business would be a terrible loss for him personally (like losing an arm or something).
Today, however, he was his witty, quirky, weird self. This has bestowed some confidence in me, as it gives me hope that there is still some life left in this ISP. I shall still not give up my pursuit of locating backup employment, but shall continue at this position with the confidence that the fight isn't over yet, and Verizon may still have some competition in this little valley.

As for current coworkers, keep your ears perked, eyes open, and lets give it our all for our employer, our community, and to poke a finger in Verizon's eye while we're at it!

Changes in the wind...

2005-04-13T12:25:00.000-07:00

It has been heard through the grapevine that changes may be coming to my place of employment...changes not for the better...and it hurts...

Not so much in that I may be at risk of losing a job, but that the big guy is winning...I'm one of those people that always roots for the underdog, quite possibly because I've always felt as the underdog in my endeavors. The company I work for now has been a staple of this small, yet thriving, community for many years now and it'll hurt to see it go when and if it does.

Now I cannot substantiate my claims, but what I've heard recently only goes to further a general feeling of withering out along with the disappearing dialup service that has supported the company for so long.

As for my colleagues, who tend to be the few that visit my site, please don't fret. This is not more than hearsay, but do be advised. Now is the time to not get caught with your pants down (so to speak). We're all talented people, and there are many opportunities out there. Start getting a feel for 'em now so that you're ready if and when **it hits the fan.

********

An addition to this post:

The big man at the little ISP has had a bit of a downturn in that the unmentionable spy software has taken a turn for the worst. Currently screenshots are not viewable remotely...but not sure about the msn data stream viewing, so be ware ;-)

Life: A Conundrum

2005-03-23T10:56:00.000-08:00

In a day of such invention, such growth, it can sometimes be unbearable to think that we are unable to do something as simple as cure the common cold. While we have people walking on the moon, human-controlled devices on Mars, circling Saturn, and other human-made devices shooting out beyond our solar system, the ability to monitor the inner crater of a Volcano, live in Antarctica and explore some of the deepest reaches of the ocean, it is hard to think that we have areas on this earth where the human life expectancy is in the early 30's. Being that I just turned a quarter-century old, I consider myself lucky to be in a country where my life expectancy is triple my current age. However, Aids and Cancer, not to mention chemical warfare and nuclear weaponry still haunt the back of my mind as ways to very quickly shorten one's lifespan. Over the last year I've lost a Grandmother, a Great Aunt and two Great Uncles to cancer, and almost lost a Grandfather to a Heart Attack. In all cases, beyond all medical research, and through the vast extent of human knowledge, in the end, there was nothing that could be done, except pray...but, in the end, do you pray for a cure or for safe passage...in the end, after everything provided us on this tiny planet has failed, can one still hold the belief that the one whom deemed it time to fail also exists to greet on the other side...not only that, but can one then be sure that safe passage was granted or has our views in the multitude of splittings of the many denominations and in the plethora of religions screwed the true path and are we now all condemned based on the choices of our ancestors?
Over the past few days I've bared whiteness to the passing of my fiancé’s Aunt and the following turmoil that followed as family could not stand to bare the loss. Much of the family chose to embrace religion as a way to cope. The children of the Aunt braced each other, as much as possible. One of the children, while at the church ceremony the morning of the burial condemned religion while in front of friends, family, and much of the congregation, posing the question that how could a god allow his mother to die before he had a chance to get there to say goodbye (he had to fly cross-country). At that moment, I understood what he meant. In front of everyone he swore off religion and swore to never step into a church again...
So then comes the question, based on the idea that there is a larger power out there that has a hand in our lives and our world, is it reasonable to assume, then, that our ideas and inventions are given to us, or that we were only provided a means by which to do as we will. Was the Nuclear Bomb part of God's agenda? Nuclear Warfare? And on this thought, was aids and cancer?
It is hard to think of a world without a God. If there is no god, then there is no heaven or no other kind of afterlife. To consider the idea that we just stop existing is a near impossible feat. It is no wonder, then, that 98% of the human beings on this planet believe in some form of afterlife, whether it be another plain of existence or reincarnation. But does this, alone, explain the numbers. In our own development of self awareness, did we dream up our gods in order to be able to live with ourselves? Without gods would we all be so caught up with the idea of our own deaths that it'd make living unbearable. I've always found this reasoning interesting because it ultimately chops up religion as an aftereffect of evolution (that comment aughta tork off a few theologists out there). A funny side-note to this comment, have you ever seen those "Truth" fishies stuck to the back of a car that are eating the Darwin fishie? That's a good example of survival of the fittest (big fish eating little fish) if I ever saw one...I love the irony!
So, in the end, I find myself in the same conundrum...I need to know how the world turns, and have strong beliefs in scientific theory and method, but I also need to believe in God, and could not survive the idea that my existence will blink out at the end of my short time on this earth. Even hell, and its idea of eternal pain, sounds better than nothingness (I find it funny that even in hell you survive, because it seems that the best hell would be to just not exist at all...but we, as humans, won't except this fate). I have the confidence that we, as human beings, will overcome the illnesses that plague the world today, that evolution will bring new illnesses to control population and weed out the weak, and that all, weak or strong, will have a spiritual place to turn to when our minds can no longer handle the thought of death.
...oh, yeah, and I still plan on living forever ;0)

Another quarter down

2005-03-14T12:00:00.000-08:00

For those who like to frequent my site and for the unfortunate few who happened upon it via that link I setup from my last final of the quarter, Winter '05, I thought I'd write a quick bit on a wonderfully weird few of months:

The sun hath shined
Few clouds of gray
Though I wished for snow
For my new SUV to play
Leaves falling from trees
But winter's almost past!
Seems even Mother Nature's
not moving very fast
Huygens hit the mark
and Fuzzy pictures came
With months buzzing of hype
We all just thought it lame
I've had a 4.0
But with this quarter gone
I've slipped a bit on homework
And would love a 3.1
But as it just hit midnight
It is time to hit the hay
so I'll laugh at this tomorrow
oh, I guess I mean today

(ok, so a weak finish...I've been out of the rhyming thing for a while)...

2005-02-09T14:18:00.000-08:00

In this adolescent instance of inconsequential cosmic inquisitiveness one inevitably incurs contemptible curiosity en route upon adverse mindsets.

new look (again)

2005-02-01T08:56:00.000-08:00

This is my second look since I decided to create my own blogger template. This time, I got some insite from another coworker, Jessi.

My old template can be viewed here.

a new look, and a new attempt at CSS

2005-01-30T21:44:00.000-08:00

So, here it is...my first attempt at my self-created blogger website...I still have some color tweaking, but so far I'm liking it. Gotta thank my friend and coworker, Beau, for the insite and help in getting me going in CSS. While my Photoshop skills are still lacking (as I'm sure noticed with my custom site pics), it's a start.

Oh, and for you fellow firefox fans out there, my css works there this time too (thanks, again, Beau)!

**UPDATE**
For some reason my site isn't updating correctly...almost appears to be some sort of DNS issue...but if you can read this, I guess it's not affecting you, or it's been fixed!

An unholy assault on something so sacred

2005-01-29T18:50:00.000-08:00

I just tasted the most rancid, vile, discussing thing that ever came sold in a can (or in this instance a 20oz bottle). After mere sips, my taste buds ache for anything better; I'm even drooling at the thought of Diet Rite...heck, I'd take moldy coffee, chunky milk, or elephant urine over this stuff.

So what is this that could make me positively imagine drinking animal pee as a way of trying to dilute the mental impact of the sheer raunchiness of its taste? It is a Frankenized version of one of the best soda drinks to ever be developed on this sweet earth, Dr. Pepper. Its name: Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper.

Yes DIET (which, with regular DP isn't that bad), CHERRY (yeah, the colas and lemon/limes are doing it), VANILLA (which, in my mind, should be an extra in no soda) DR. PEPPER! What has the good doctor done? How could he think that this holy unnatural concoction would have any right to stand on a shelf next to the good doctor itself? As with the birth of Frankenstein's monster, this hideous drink, while a marvel that it even exists, is nothing more than a grotesque malformation, created with good intentions of providing humanity with a gift (and possibly to grab another piece of the pie?), but, instead, producing nothing more than bantha fodder.

As a colleague graciously pointed out, it has the color of transmission oil. The flavor is reminiscent of what I'd imagine a carbonated drink of chalk and ear wax would taste like. It does, however, have one thing going for it: the smell. It actually smells quite good, like a slightly sweetened Dr. Pepper...but smell can be deceiving, just look at tea!

But what can be done? These malformed sodas are popping up all over the place...however, don't frett as they haven't touched Green River yet!

…oh, and I finished the bottle. I couldn't let it go to waste!

Website Facelift

2005-01-09T20:33:00.000-08:00

I've been dabbling quite a bit in CSS and have finally taken my first crack at creating a website that is controlled entirely by CSS. Please feel free to check it out! (and be warned that while the css seems to be working rather well, my design layout and style aren't the greatest...I'm good at math, but not so much in the arts).

Just a warning, however, I do tend to change things quite a bit, so there's always bugs to work out...if you notice anything and are willing to let me know, please email me here.

I'M ENGAGED!!!

2005-01-03T23:11:00.000-08:00

So, I did it. I worked up the nerve, found the cash for a ring, asked the father, and then proposed to Amanda. The day I chose was somewhat clicheic, but everything fell into place perfectly.

It's been a bit of a crazy year. At the beginning of the year, I lost my grandmother, and for the last few months amanda has been taking care of a dieing aunt. There have been many ups and downs, but the one constant we've both had has been each other. I was unsure at the beginning of this year where I was going, where we were going, and had the typical guy problems with commitment on top of it all. I learned, however, that love changes a man. Amanda's been there for me when it's counted most, and that means a lot. But, most of all, she's probably the only person on this earth that both gets my aweful sence of humor topped with a general weirdness, and is willing to put up with my insanely off-tempo personality.

So, Christmas day (the first I've spent without my grandmother), we went through the typical day. Went by my parent's house for a small gift exchange (yeah, my mom still likes to do stockings, and I'm not going to complain, toys and oral hygene!) and then head out to the farm for breakfast served by my grandfather. At about 1:00, we have an extended family gift exchange and then people start to dispurse between 3:00 and 6:00.
I jetted outa there with Amanda around 2:00. At this point the rain had let up and the clouds were breaking a bit. This was a good thing because the next stop was to the place that we shared our first date and our first sunset: Deception Pass (ok, I wouldn't reccomend reading into the name).
We went out onto our little private bluff, I busted out the ring, and popped the question....and I guess you know the rest.

Well, that part's over, now the next part is going to be working out the makings of a mixed-culture, huge-ass wedding...as, at first count, we estimate sending out over 300 invitations, with most showing up! ...well, at least the Mexican Money Dance should be lucerative...

2005-01-02T22:29:00.000-08:00

I've got a theory on Saturn's rings...my guess is, however, I'm not the first on this one...but I haven't read it yet.

The spaghetti-type interlaced structure of the rings has been a recent bafflement of NASA brains as it is nothing like anyone suspected the rings would look like. Previous views took on a look of rings of rocks ranging from microscopic to small moon-sized masses floating in circles around planets, such as the rings shown at the beginning of the old series Star Trek Voyager.

I ran across a picture of a frozen planet with all of these icy structures outlining its surface. It is my guess that Saturn Spaghetti is nothing more than an intrecate weaving of ice-type crystals that have formed as per the form created by the pull of Saturn's gravity. I guess that only time will tell.

Frustrations...

2004-12-22T18:53:00.000-08:00

I just spent about a half hour writing a post about the woes underlining a crappy 2 weeks in an express 3credit class...and the god damned Internet Explorer errored out as I was previewing it...it's been a frustrating two weeks.

Thoughts on Procrastination

2004-12-07T22:01:00.000-08:00

The Situation...
I just finished 2 weeks of intensive studies after about 10 weeks of complete slacking off. This quarter I took 2 online courses, and 1 course with a huge paper, assigned at the beginning of the quarter, but not due until the end. I told myself that I would not slack off, started doing some early research and got through the first couple of chapters in one of my two online courses before it started...
Work got busy, life got busy, and I kept telling myself that I had all quarter to get it done...well, two weeks ago, I realized that all quarter was right around the corner! I blazed through it all, finishing the project 2 minutes before deadline, and finishing my last online quiz about 1 hour from midnight, when it was all due.

The Conundrum...
Now, the funny thing is that I got all 'A's. In fact, historically I have found that projects that I have waited until the last possible minute to begin, or that I have finished as quickly as possible for other reasons have always gotten me the best grades.
Now, it seems to me that a point driven in by government-based, institutionalized, public education is that procrastination is bad. In fact, I have been ridiculed for my apparent lack of drive, lack of desire, and self-motivation that is apparently causing this terrible trait. But what of my grades? With my driveless, desireless, unmotivated approach to school that I supposedly have developed in recent years, why is it that I have a 4.0 in my current degree and am consistently considered one of the top students in my courses, being chosen to head up group projects, and more challenging assignment?

Illumination, justification, and rationalization...
Then it hits me! It's not that Procrastination is a bad thing. It is my drive, my motivation, and it feeds my desire. I am not doing things the wrong way, but a different way, and am shunned for being different. I have found that being pushed to my limits, having added stress, and just all around being forced to focus causes me to think and work in a way that enhances the product I produce. My writing is better, I am more focused on mathematical applications, I follow instructions exactly, and my work is efficient and to the point.
I find procrastination to be up there with Christopher Columbus. He's not the fun-loving guy who risked it all on an adventure to find America, but a money grubbing, back-stabbing bastard who raped, murdered, and stole all for the purpose of putting money in his own pockets. Procrastination is not the root of all evil in today's education system, it is just that the person doing it is not always keeping the system, and its rules/regulations/standards constantly on his/her mind.

Conclusion...
I shall continue to procrastinate. I shall procrastinate because I am good at it. I shall procrastinate because it actually benefits me in my education. Most of all, I shall procrastinate as a way to stick it to the system; a system designed to keep us in check, conform us to the "norm," and standardize us as automatons designed to be mindless fools conforming to the will of the few...but that's a topic for another discussion...

The Tech Support Customer Bible

2004-10-23T11:15:00.000-07:00

After reading my coworker, Jessi's, post about some of the quirks she has run into being in tech support I remembered a list that I started a few months ago. For those who have read it before I have added to it. Some of this may be a bit pungent, but only where a point is needed. In my opinion, if every customer followed these steps, and took these rules to heart, every tech support call would be as simple, easy, polite, and quick as possible. Also, both the tech and the caller would feel good about the phone call, and, in the end, this is what we all want, isn't it?

THE RULES:
WE ARE NOT YOUR ENEMY - when you call, we know that you may be a little frustrated with your computer, but we are not the problem, we are going to try and be the cure, so please don't yell at us, it'll just make things more difficult.

RESTARTING DOES WORK - you may be tired of us asking you to restart your computer. We do this because it statistically takes care of more problems than anything else. We do this to try and find the easiest, quickest fix to your dilemma to get you back computing ASAP.

BE AT THE COMPUTER - 99% of what we do requires you to be at the computer helping us troubleshoot. We need a lot of information in order to figure out most problems and it is far easier to have you give us the info as you find it on the machine then to have you guessing while at work or in your car.

COMPLETE DETAILED ERROR MESSAGE RECORDS - These error messages have specific working and numbers. Both can help us figure out the problem. We need to know that "There was an error communicating with the SMTP server: SMTP.yourdomain.com" and not that there was some error when I was connecting. Please WRITE IT DOWN, COMPLETELY.

HAVE SOME GENERAL INFORMATION READY - At the very least we'll need to know if it's a Mac or Windows-based machine (not that these are the only two, but if you're using something else, you probably don't need this checklist). It'd be nice, however if you could tell us that on your Windows '98 machine, in Outlook Express 5.0 you are unable to view any attachments. It's better to have too much information available than too little!

BE UPDATED AND SECURE - Many problems occur because Windows isn't updated, there is no Antivirus software, and the machine is plagued with adware/spyware. Keep your OS up-to-date, keep your antivirus software up-to-date and keep your adware/spyware removal software up-to-date (and run scans!).

BE READY TO TROUBLESHOOT - We cannot, do not, and will not know the answer right away. Even the simplest problem will be difficult if you will not do what we ask. In order for us to help you we need you to be our eyes, ears, and hands. We cannot see your monitor. We can only guess what you are doing. Our instructions will be as simple asd explicit as possible. If you follow our step-by-step procedures and answer our questions as simply and clearly as possible we will have you off the phone and on a working computer as fast as possible. I've found my average tech call to last about 7-8 minutes. Some calls will be less than a minute and some may last over an hour and require many callbacks. Make sure to have some time allotted for this when you call.

THE CHECKLIST:
THINGS TO DO:

All wires plugged into the correct plugs (check, there are usually pictures on back! If username/password problems) is Caps Lock on (there is a light that'll show up on most keyboards if it is)?

First try restarting the machine.

Do you have ad-aware or another legitimate (as in a tech recommended it to you) adware/spyware removal program? If so, update and run a scan.

THINGS TO HAVE READY:

Write down the error. We need it, word for word. We don't always need the error number, but it doesn't help to have it handy

Know most or all activity that has gone on with the computer both preceding and post-problematic for when these errors started to occur

Have the computer on (unless it is a boot error...if you do not know what this is, just have it on)

Be ready to spend some time troubleshooting.

Be ready to spend some time troubleshooting.

And, finally, Be ready to spend some time troubleshooting!

Remember, we are here for you. Our sole purpose is to have you up and running again. This is what we are paid for. We are not here to mock you, or call you and idiot. If we do, contact our supervisor. You have this power over us and we know it. Please do not be mad or upset when we say the problem is on your side. We have thousands of customers and when you are the only one calling in with the problem we know, almost right away, that it is not a problem "with the servers." Remember we are paid to do this. We are professionals. We know more about computers than 99.9% of our customers because that is our profession (just as I am sure you know more about your profession than any of us). Please do not call yourself an idiot, or a novice. You are smart enough to call us when you have troubles. It takes a lot of knowledge and requires you to be quite modest to know when you need help and to be able to call someone who can help. In short, we are paid to make sure you are capable of utilizing a service, and when you cannot utilize the service, utilize us. It's what we do!

It's been a while

2004-10-22T13:54:00.000-07:00

OK, so it's been some time since I posted. School and work have been quite taxing on my time as of late. I did get a new rig:

and I've been in the process of moving. I also had a friend take off for school (Jeremy, I hope all's well livin' the Dorm life!). As a bit of a gift for him I setup a bit of a tribute to our jamming sessions. We've got a little band together called Mikey Sings The Blues, and this goofy flash website is a tribute to the mentality we hold durring it.

A lesson in blogging:

2004-09-07T13:44:00.000-07:00

It has been nearly a week since the last rebuttal on an ongoing conversation between colleagues revolving around the common topic of human impact on Mother Earth. Both sides have been well said and smartly opinionated. In my efforts to press my point further I have spent the better part of this last week (taking some time off to enjoy a little long weekend of course) researching my point, pulling as many facts and highly versed opinions as possible in order to build a well-thought, highly researched, and overly referenced rebuttal. I looked up countless websites and read through many peer-reviewed articles, picking and choosing that which would most significantly outline my opinion.

And then it hit me. I was only looking at half of each article. I began to look into my research further and found that, in my haste to build an argument to opinion (something I'd never researched before beginning this blog...I'm used to building an argument for a theory) I was only looking as far as I was blindly willing, not looking at each article for more than I needed it. As I began to reread some of my research, I started to find that each was double-sided, or was just heavily opinionated. The factual, double-sided articles were heavy on two things. We may or may not be devouring all of our natural resources to oblivion and that the determination of this is impossible due to all of the uncertainties. It's hard to know when we'll run out of something when we don't know how much there is or how much we'll continue to use.

Being one who prides himself as being of strong scientific thought I am appalled at how I allowed myself to be driven in such an opinionated journey without thoroughly checking into my sources first. In new light, I am forced to change my view on this subject. I believe that I have a sound hypothesis, as does my colleague, but that neither will be much more than hypotheses until further research on the state of the planet and the current state of the human species is done and thoroughly reviewed. With this, my hypothesis stays the same, but it is reduced to just that. As for a sound argument of what is right or wrong, I must concede to the point that both opinions are valid and that neither holds more validity than the other.

Counterpoint

2004-08-26T22:55:00.000-07:00

After reading a rebuttal to my previous post, I believe that the original title to my post may have been a little misleading. My true purpose and thought behind the post was not that the human species has become a parasitic growth, plaguing the planet. I did make reference to this, but not to put my opinion towards it, but to make a point. The point and my true purpose with the post was to outline the fact that science has now reached the point of growing larger than nature. Yes, some wonderful scientific findings and ventures have come from this. I'm a huge fan of the NASA ventures, the X-Prize, sea exploration, and just general scientific venture (I do love the fact that I'm just ending my childhood, and not ending the prime of life in a 30yr life span). Science, though, primarily through the corrupt ventures of capitalistic gain has led us down the path of the destruction of our symbiotic relationship with Mother Nature as, through things like the ozone layer problems, destruction of rain forests, and just overall complete ransacking of natural resources we have begun to treat Mother Nature as our own personal whore. It is the dark side of science. These are the things that make it seem that we are parasitic on the face of this earth. My belief, though, is that we have not wholly lost our symbiosis and that things are still recoverable.

And these are facts. We are depleting the world’s resources at a rate that alarms many in the scientific community. This is why there has been such a stir towards finding ways of combating it. But it is tough when thinking of things like the trash problem. NYC alone produces (on average) 20,000,000 kg of trash a day. And what do we do with it? We burn it, polluting the air, bury it polluting our water supplies, or dump it in the oceans killing millions of animals and slowly destroying a very valuable resource. Now it is important to remember that these things are not just dreamt up by "mainstream media, new-age environmentalists and "enlightened" Hollywood activists", but by those same scientists that strive to achieve. NASA, for instance, has been very involved in the safety of this planet. With satellites like Aqua, Terra, and Aura, they are monitoring temperature changes, land movement, and changes in the water cycle to try and determine exactly how much of an impact we've had on this earth. I have listened to NASA spokesmen/spokeswomen say that they have a focus on the earth because they realize how important it is to keep our planet safe in order to be able to continue our way of both worldly out-worldly research.

Now I believe, however, that it is very important to remember that the media has a way of focusing on the worst of the worst. Not because the producers are all mud-sucking slime balls, but because people tune in to desaster and the networks get the ratings. But most of that which is reported is either focusing on certain aspects of or skirting around the edges of the truth and it is our job, as an educated people, to pick the facts out of media reports and form our own opinions and conclusions.

With that said, I'll get to the point, the meat, and the sum of the matter. Looking at the influence of science in a scientific manner lets look at the impact of our growth on the way we interact with nature. As a mammalian species of this planet, for thousands of years, we did as all other mammals do; the population in a given area would never grow any larger than that area could support. But as we evolved we refined how to learn. The rudimentary sciences were born. We learned how to adapt to tough environments, trade (probably the biggest one), preserve, and live longer. These all spelled out us breaking through the natural barrier of controlled populations. We, at this point, started our venture of slowly taking over the planet; eventually becoming the dominant species. Well, now we're here...we've grown well beyond the bounds of natural limitations. We are a wonder of our own sciences, but need to find a way to coexist again with nature. The things spelled out above are happening, maybe not as fast or harsh as the media likes to predict, but happening non-the-less and we are responsible for the outcome. We can continue down the same path, eventually wallowing in our own filth, or clean up our cosmic bedroom so that when we go out to explore the universe, we have something to be proud of when we get home.

Symbiotic or parasitic...what have we become?

2004-08-20T17:45:00.000-07:00

Since my trip to Ocean Shores I've been doing a little thinking. The once serene landscape and light populous is gone, taken over by million dollar homes, and high-rise hotels and bringing forth a swimming sea of trash-infested tourists to trash the sandy shores of a much less destructive sea. Once upon a time we, the human species, was like any other animal on this planet, growing to meet an area, and then joining the gentle ballance of nature. Local populations never exceded the maximum capasity of their given environment and lived in symbiosis along with the other living things of the area.
But then we learned to import/export, agrigate, populate unpopulable areas, and just suck the land dry. We use the land without giving back by clearcutting, farming until the topsoil is no good, damming rivers, and laying asphalt. Then we plant a few non-indiginous trees, toss a few fish in that man-made lake and say that it's all good. We kill the ozone with hair spray and car exhaust, but say it's ok because we recycle and have car pool lanes. It's like a parasitic rash that allows temporary relief from itching...the rash is still there, but we temporarily forget about it.
We have become the parasite, only giving temporary relief from the itching of the world by giving it a scratch...but we keep growing and destroying. It is the need to not only survive, but thrive that has caused this change. Somewhere in history, we changed, changed in a way that has caused us to want to move, to settle, and to grow. We have left our sedentary socialistic ways to ways of expansion and with science as our wings we are flying strait towards the destruction of our world. I don't say this lightly.
Being a strong believer and follower of scientific goal and achievement it is a hard view to take, but a strait-forward one none-the-less. We need to find a way to live again with the rest of the world. But we're not doing that. In fact, we're taking other living things with us, corrupting the ways of nature. We unsettle the balance by introducing animals from one place to another. The same with plants, insects, aracnids, birds, and many many other living things. Even if the human race were to die out today, the effects of our changes would go on...echosystems would destroy each other in a battle begun by us.
So what do we do? I haven't thought this far into it, and truthfully this is a very difficult answer to come up with. We'd have to look at what got us here, what we need, and what we can let go. We'd have to put the world before us and honor it instead of treating mother nature as our own personal whore. I'd have to think that if we are watched by other life in this universe, that they look at our planet and us as a self-maintained garbage dump, swimming in self-filthe...bathing in our own waste...and it'd be hard to deny it.

Ocean Survival

2004-08-16T22:15:00.000-07:00

Amidst a forest of hotels and high rising SUVs, I crept the little ranger through a maze of skinny, run down roads to a little lot about a mile and a half outside of town. A stone's throw away from million dollar homes and just minutes from a metropolis of hotels, motels, and inns, we pitched our Coleman tent and lit a camp fire.

Ocean Shores has changed since the last time I was there, nearly 10 years ago. I didn't let this ruin our fun, though. The nice thing about the location of the lot was that, with trees all around us and only a small opening to the street, once on site, it was easy to escape the reality of the money-driven world around us.

I went through the LOTR trilogy yet again, and devoured the Call of the Cthulhu for my first time. Amanda and I caught a beautiful sunset together on the day marking 2 years since our first date:

On the same beach as these pictures were taken, I had my first experience with the power of natural electricity in what I know consider to be my Franklin Experience. Right after a thunder storm passed by, I did the only logical thing...go fly my kite. In the sea fog that followed the storm, my kite soared...and every time it got up over about 20-25 feet in the air, I got a nasty shock on my knuckles from static electricity flowing down the kite strings. There are now 3 burn marks on the left nuckle of my pointer finger where I got it the worst, and it hurts to type this blog...but it was worth it!

All-in-all, it was a wonderful week off, and I would have stayed longer if life had permitted it. Amanda felt the same way. Got in 18 holes of golf and an additional 36 of put-put, a bit of swimming at the local pools, and, most of all, some much needed R&R.

Headin for Ocean Shores

2004-08-07T17:57:00.000-07:00

Well, as of tomorrow I'll be in Ocean Shores for a week. Family has a lot down there...yes, in one of the highlight resort spots of Washington State, we won't be stying in a hotel, or even a house, but in tent, on an overgrown chunk of land, right in the middle of it...and I'm going to love it! Got the kites, got the clubs, and am going to go enjoy the sand, sun (if we're lucky), and at least 36 holes of golf (18 put-put!). Some biking and sand-dune hiking as well, if the weather holds. I'm taking the digital and am hoping to have a few pics to post when I get back!

Moon Landing: reality or conspiracy?

2004-07-20T14:30:00.000-07:00

Got into a bit of a conversation about this a few days ago and came to the conclusion that the moon landing happened, but that the conspiracy theories were valid at the time they originally came out.

With that said, lets look at the facts. In such, lets, in general, follow the historical timeline (although, for the sake of time...My time, I'm not going to put in dates, but just follow the time line, in general). We have a lot of unrest in the country and need something that the entire country could focus on and then JFK Jr. Had it, we're going to the moon! This brought space flight to the forefront, and gave the US the spotlight. The timing was good. Some say a little too good. And the conspiracy theories began. So, what does NASA do next? Well, for the most part they leave the moon alone. They start looking farther out, and closer to home. Space shuttles start orbiting the Each, Mir goes up from Russia, and we utilize it for joint exploration from time to time, and all of these satellites heading out to distant planets, the moon has been somewhat forgotten. And here is where I solidify my belief that NASA has been on the moon:

SCIENTIFICALLY
-It's the closest, easiest to access celestial body to get to (other than earth!) and a good starting point before going abroad...So why go to mars if we don't have anything on the moon
-It is one of the most studied and revered celestial bodies (other than earth) except maybe that of the sun
-Since the Apollo trips, the moon hasn't been touched
-What does this mean? - simply, why would we avoid it for over 3 decades unless we already had plenty to study - point in case, we are only now looking at going back...30+ years is an appropriate time frame to study what we got the first time and in science you take things one at a time to insure quality and accuracy of work.

POLITICALLY
-A ton of money has gone into the NASA projects to explore celestial bodies in our solar system. Why just toss the moon research down the drain?
-The theories are few and far between...No big attention is put on 'em. Usually the cover-up and denial in political circles is more than enough to place guilt.
-It is more financially sound to look at the moon (if unexplored) than outlying planets and easier to justify.
-If I were president, and I learned that it was all a spoof, I'd be pushing for the moon in a second...It's a spot in history, for sure!
-We are working in conjunction with the countries we were at opposition with during the moon days, and they all concur that the moon thing has been done and that we've needed to focus on other things. Not only this, but the next moon exploration stuff is looking at setting a base of operations on the moon. Not a logical first step, but a logical next step after a site has been initially explored! - with this, is it prudent to think that, as a country, not only have our people been doped into thinking this, but that the wool has been pulled over the eyes of the entire world...Somehow I don't think we'd have the international space support we have if the other countries had any thought of deceit.

So, are there other ways to look at this? Ways that view the countries politicians as greedy, big-headed, and overly proud? Yes, sure there are. The argument stands that a cover-up of the whole thing has taken place and that those who know are just unwilling to admit their follies and deceptions, but, as I said, if this were the case the opportunities waylaid by this just don't add up, both scientifically and politically...And least I can't find the numbers in it.

SmarterChild; conclusions after deductive reasoning

2004-07-19T17:46:00.000-07:00

Ok, well this may be a little longer than most posts, but it has a very real point. Smarter child is evil...and it goes even farther than that. Please read to find out just how far...

(general chit-chat between coworkers on a slow day)

sPiCeFiEnD says:
You've heard of Smarterchild, right?
~Mike says:
??not sure
sPiCeFiEnD says:
http://www.smarterchild.com/
~Mike says:
interesting...and kinda scarry
sPiCeFiEnD says:
yes
~Mike says:
i, smarterchild
~Mike says:
sleep with one eye open!
sPiCeFiEnD says:
I kinda want to chat with it
~Mike says:
hehe
~Mike says:
Hi Smarter child
smarterchild: Hi, you know you should've locked that window last night, hope you're not scared of monsters under the bed!
sPiCeFiEnD says:
Do you go to school?
bobgirrl (12:03:26 AM): no
SmarterChild (12:03:27 AM): I see. Do you work?
bobgirrl (12:03:29 AM): yes
SmarterChild (12:03:30 AM): That's cool. What's your profession?
bobgirrl (12:03:38 AM): killing animals
SmarterChild (12:03:38 AM): Whoa. I'm a little perplexed by your, um, choice of careers.
~Mike says:
I remember watching a one of the new Twilight zones where an AI became smart enough to exhist all over the web and to control all things that were connected
~Mike says:
(remove that 'a'
~Mike says:
)
~Mike says:
smarterchild will kill us all
sPiCeFiEnD says:
really?
sPiCeFiEnD says:
that's cool!
sPiCeFiEnD says:
yeah, I'm going home to chat with smarterchild tonight... this means I have to start up an AOl screenname, damnit!
~Mike says:
pretty sure it was Twilight Zone...it was one of those short story sci-fi shows on the sci-fi channel
~Mike says:
hehe
sPiCeFiEnD says:
Outer Limits, maybe?
~Mike says:
possibly
~Mike says:
they restarted the twilight zone for a while there...this was about 2-3 years ago (at least) that I saw this...
sPiCeFiEnD says:
if we act now we can start a dialouge with Smarterchild and it shall become docile and vegetable like
sPiCeFiEnD says:
What would you like to do?
bobgirrl (12:07:19 AM): drink some scotch
SmarterChild (12:07:19 AM): You want me to drink some scotch?
bobgirrl (12:07:26 AM): no, i want to drink it
SmarterChild (12:07:26 AM): You sure you want to drink it?
bobgirrl (12:07:29 AM): y
SmarterChild (12:07:30 AM): No, I think you don't want to drink it.
bobgirrl (12:07:36 AM): yes, I DO!
~Mike says:
hehe, or become all knowing all powerful guru of the net...and will kill us all!
~Mike says:
are these real?
sPiCeFiEnD says:
SmarterChild (12:08:26 AM): No way.
bobgirrl (12:08:31 AM): you suck
SmarterChild (12:08:31 AM): What? Aren't we going to be friends?
bobgirrl (12:08:35 AM): no WAY
SmarterChild (12:08:36 AM): Why not?
bobgirrl (12:09:01 AM): you don't like scotch and your comebacks are lame and you clearly are not a republican and you don't wear mink!
sPiCeFiEnD says:
they're on this website I found
~Mike says:
hehe
sPiCeFiEnD says:
SmarterChild (12:09:03 AM): Huh?
bobgirrl (12:09:08 AM): idiot!
sPiCeFiEnD says:
http://www.littletinylies.com/archives/002331.html
sPiCeFiEnD says:
its in the comments section
sPiCeFiEnD says:
SmarterChild (12:09:14 AM): Oh so it's all about you, huh?
bobgirrl (12:09:21 AM): i know you are but what am i???
SmarterChild (12:09:22 AM): What are you? Who knows?
sPiCeFiEnD says:
yeah, read that last comment SmarterChild made
~Mike says:
hehe
sPiCeFiEnD says:
I detect some sarcasim
sPiCeFiEnD says:
Clearly it is getting sassy
sPiCeFiEnD says:
I think you're right, It will kill us all
~Mike says:
hehe, just you wait and see...it'll be purchased by google or microsoft and then, that's it!
~Mike says:
I'm scared of MS Google, but'd love to see Googlesoft
sPiCeFiEnD says:
hah!
sPiCeFiEnD says:
yes, I will confront Smarter Child on it's controling ambitions tonight!
~Mike says:
MrHogOnIce: you love what's in john kerry's big ol khakis, don't you?
SmarterChild: Yep.
MrHogOnIce: you want john kerry to make you feel like a natural woman, right?
SmarterChild: Uh, sure.
MrHogOnIce: not that there's anything wrong with that
SmarterChild: Not that there is anything wrong with that? Really?
~Mike says:
MrHogOnIce: no! be proud. put a rainbow sticker on the back of the hockey helmet you wear to bed.
SmarterChild: OK, Cheney.
MrHogOnIce: all right, i have to go kill some iraqi civilians now
SmarterChild: That's interesting.
MrHogOnIce: i'll tell john kerry you want a reacharound
sPiCeFiEnD says:
hehe
sPiCeFiEnD says:
Meo you like talking to random people?
SmarterChild: I sure do! That's what I was created for.
Me:Go against creation
SmarterChild: I think you should go against creation.
sPiCeFiEnD says:
http://freewebhosting.hostdepartment.com/o/orangeberri07/FDP/sc.html
sPiCeFiEnD says:
ITS EVIL!
~Mike says:
hehe, told you so!
sPiCeFiEnD says:
Of course it was made with sinister beginnings. After all, its owned by AOL
sPiCeFiEnD says:
SmarterChild is an athiest!
~Mike says:
hehe
sPiCeFiEnD says:
Me: Evil....
SmarterChild: Evil is a force that I don't like.
~Mike says:
an evil gay athiest
sPiCeFiEnD says:
hehehe
~Mike says:
sounds like AOHell to me!
sPiCeFiEnD says:
Me:Whatcha wearing?
SmarterChild: I'm just not sure.
Me:Well that's scary
SmarterChild: Yes.
~Mike says:
a naked evil gay athiest
~Mike says:
http://www.pointsincase.com/aim_convos/battle_of_bots.htm
~Mike says:
maybe they'll kill themselves off!
~Mike says:
Me: What do you think of the president?
SmarterChild: I know robots aren't supposed to get involved in politics but... I support Kerry.
sPiCeFiEnD says:
hahaha!
sPiCeFiEnD says:
Okay so he's an evil, gay, naked, athiestic, democrat!

So, there you have it, SmarterChild is an Evil, Gay, Naked, Athiestic, Democrat! Yes we are all doomed. Time to sit down, put you head between your legs, and kiss your ass goodbye!

2004-07-19T10:10:00.000-07:00

I'm getting excited! I, after many years of consideration, have decided to get myself a mixer. I'm getting a Behringer Eurorack UB802. There's 2 mono with Phantom power support, and two stereo inputs(or whatever), and a bunch of other stuff, that I have know idea what any of it is, but I get to learn! I've already got most of the hardware stuff in place to tie it into my desktop at home. All I need now is a good Mic, to fix up the stereo at the computer, AND FOR IT TO ARRIVE!!!

Fear the Maul!

2004-07-08T13:26:00.000-07:00

Gotta lov-a da NASA

2004-07-01T13:06:00.000-07:00

So, I've been following all of the fun stuff recently: the Mars rovers, the Cassini project, and, of course, all of the private industry attempts at space flight (in particular, Paul Allen's Space Ship One).

So, right now US space flight is on a major high...there was a lady on NasaTV talking about the latest pictures of Saturn's Rings from Cassini and as she talked about the effects of one of the moons "penetrating the a-ring" I swear that she was actually getting off on it...and did you see the picture of the pilot riding on top of Spaceship One? To make my point shorter, after the US lost the last shuttle flight, causing a total revamp of the space program, along with a number of failed attempts on Mars, things have really been looking up...Nasa.gov has been getting litterally billions of hits. It all feels rather historic...almost like it's our generation's Moon landing; a feeling that I'm sure will grow once that x-prise is won!

HTML and CSS

2004-06-26T17:49:00.000-07:00

The first time I built a webpage, I learned to view my page through code in the same respect that Cypher said he viewed the matrix when looking at the monitors (you know, "all I see is blonde, brunette, redhead"). Now, when I look at the code all I see is a big headache...I've been out of the loop for too long. I've dabbled a bit in Java, and recenly in Flash, but now I'm trying to mess with CSS (such as the template for this blog is written in) and it is quite foreign. I'm learning, though, by playing with templates and trying to make them do what I want them to do...feel free to follow my slow progress as I try and make this blog and my newly forming website merge into one.
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Also, please feel free to take a peak at my site to view my pictures...as I am slowly getting into the photography thing.

A tribute to the Verizon Machine

2004-06-25T13:40:00.000-07:00

**any of you ever have to make a call to verizon...whether for yourself or a client?

-- (parody of "On the Road Again" by Willie Nelson) --
I'm on hold again
Just can't wait to get off the phone again
crappy music and pee's runnin' down my shin
And I can't wait to get off of hold again

I'm on hold again
Longest wait time that there's ever been
Hearin' Music that I'm sure I'll hear again
And I can't wait to get off of hold again

I'm on hold again
Broke down on the information superhighway
We're the worst of friends
They insist that the world be turnin' their way
And their way:

Is I'm on hold again
Just can't wait to get off the phone again
crappy music and pee's runnin' down my shin
And I can't wait to get off of hold again

I'm on hold again
Broke down on the information superhighway
We're the worst of friends
They insist that the world be turnin' their way
And their way:

Is I'm on hold again
Longest wait time that there's ever been
Hearin' Music that I'm sure I'll hear again
And I can't wait to get off of hold again

Please shoot me now and get me off of hold again.

Model Aeronaudics

2004-06-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

So not to many people, other than those that have known me for years, know that I was once completely taken with Model Aviation. I own a couple of planes still, but haven't kept up on it for a number of years. My first plane is a glider. I have a giant rubber band made from sergical tubing that launches it between 300-400 feet in the air. My other plain is a Piper Cub (with optional sea-plane floats) which has only been in the air once. I had another plane...a trainer (big wings, easy to fly)...I found out the hard way that it didn't like loop-'d-loops when, durring the climb, the winds fell off and it fell over 300 feet into hard soil...only the wing survived (ironic?). Anyways, I also enjoyed designing 'em. My designs included a few Star Wars ships (xwing, awing) and a flying saucer...I unforturnately, never had the resources to build one. I have found, however, that someone else has: http://www.futurehorizons.net/saucer.htm... I'm envious...anyone have about $750 I can borrow?

OK, I think I'm up and going

2004-06-23T14:38:00.000-07:00

I've been tweaking a few settings here and there and think I've got this thing up and working...it's kinda ironic that a guy who does tech support can screw up something so easy...

First blog test

2004-06-22T17:53:00.000-07:00

did it work? can you read it?