Friday :
Got my car tuned up. Oil change, New tires, brake pads, etc
Drove to Wautoma, WI
Saturday:
Read by a pool all day until I was burnt and exhausted.
Read: Vagabonding: The Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long Term Travel by Rolf Potts. It really was more of a research guide but it had some great quotes and stories and has made me itchy to once again uproot my life and plant it somewhere else. There is just something about going out into the world on your own time and design that is so life affirming that I can't believe I have been stationary as long as I have..
Drinks: Doggers, Grims
Napped
Sunday:
Watched: Premonition It was just ok. The dad was not believable, parts were way to cheesy for this type of movie, there were about a 100 plot and scene discrepancies, I really wanted to like it but you can only try so hard.
Sunday Dinner: Lemon Salad, Ribs
Monday, June 30, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Dear Obama, (Windfall Tax is Bad)
Dear Obama,
You are killing me. I want to vote for you. I do. I want to see change in this country. I want to believe you do too. I want to believe you are capable of leading of moving us forward in a new direction, but every time you open your mouth I cringe and realize you have no clue and are going to pander for votes just like everybody else and not change a damn thing.
I was watching your energy policy speech last night and the fact that you think a windfall tax is the solution to our energy problem makes me sick. It sounds good...place a double tax on the oil companies who are making profits. (Everybody hates the rich right that has to be worth some votes) Except in reality all you do when you tax business is pass the expense of your tax along to consumers in the form of higher prices. Suppliers cut supply (Why work so hard if it is just going to get it taken in taxes?) They push the tax burden into the price and you have a compounding effect of higher gas prices...the exact opposite of what you are saying will happen.
I hope sometime in the next few months you can find the courage to be the leader we need. To produce the solutions that will move us forward. To will the vision of America that you hock in your books.
Because right not I am not impressed. By either of you...
And thought of stockpiling food, foreign bonds and ammunition is starting to seem like a better alternative then getting out of bed on November 4th.
Brian
You are killing me. I want to vote for you. I do. I want to see change in this country. I want to believe you do too. I want to believe you are capable of leading of moving us forward in a new direction, but every time you open your mouth I cringe and realize you have no clue and are going to pander for votes just like everybody else and not change a damn thing.
I was watching your energy policy speech last night and the fact that you think a windfall tax is the solution to our energy problem makes me sick. It sounds good...place a double tax on the oil companies who are making profits. (Everybody hates the rich right that has to be worth some votes) Except in reality all you do when you tax business is pass the expense of your tax along to consumers in the form of higher prices. Suppliers cut supply (Why work so hard if it is just going to get it taken in taxes?) They push the tax burden into the price and you have a compounding effect of higher gas prices...the exact opposite of what you are saying will happen.
I hope sometime in the next few months you can find the courage to be the leader we need. To produce the solutions that will move us forward. To will the vision of America that you hock in your books.
Because right not I am not impressed. By either of you...
And thought of stockpiling food, foreign bonds and ammunition is starting to seem like a better alternative then getting out of bed on November 4th.
Brian
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Moral Question #2364125 - The Reason I Don't Steal
Situation: Someone you care about is on life support. The hospital is going to unplug them unless you make a financial contribution immediately. If you leave the hospital they will unplug them and they will die. You have no money. No one in the hospital has any money to give you.
You look down and in a stoke of luck there is 4 ATM Cards with Receipts and PIN Numbers there. You could use a card and get the money to save your friend.
Couple of things
1.)These are special cards and you can only take out all of the money that is in the balance and the hospital will get it.
2.) You can't deposit it back into the account.
3.) You have no money to payback the person you are stealing it from and you cant get it any. What you take from them they will never get back.
4.) If you explain to any of them why you took their money your loved one will die.
5.) The hospital will take any amount.
The receipts
1.) $20 - Dollars
2.) $200.00 Dollars
3.) $2000.00 Dollars
4.) $2,000,000.00 dollars
Which ATM Card do you use? (Pick one before you read on)
Would it make a difference if you knew something about the people you were stealing from?
1.) Mother of 3 children, recovering drug addict, that $20 is all she has for an entire month to feed her children. One of them is terminally ill.
2.) Family of five the father has been displaced at work the mom works two jobs. Children are all under 8 years in age. If they don't send that two hundred dollars into the mortgage company the will be evicted and turned out on the street.
3.) A single man has just saved up the necessary money for a life saving organ transplant. If he doesn't have the money for the surgery he will die.
4.) A struggling small business owner whose wife has terminal breast cancer. The money is the entire payroll for his thirty employees and all business expenses. If he doesn't have the money his business will go under and this 30 employees will not get paid. Some of them are in dire situations similar to the families above.
Do you take the money?
Who do you take it from?
Why?
You look down and in a stoke of luck there is 4 ATM Cards with Receipts and PIN Numbers there. You could use a card and get the money to save your friend.
Couple of things
1.)These are special cards and you can only take out all of the money that is in the balance and the hospital will get it.
2.) You can't deposit it back into the account.
3.) You have no money to payback the person you are stealing it from and you cant get it any. What you take from them they will never get back.
4.) If you explain to any of them why you took their money your loved one will die.
5.) The hospital will take any amount.
The receipts
1.) $20 - Dollars
2.) $200.00 Dollars
3.) $2000.00 Dollars
4.) $2,000,000.00 dollars
Which ATM Card do you use? (Pick one before you read on)
Would it make a difference if you knew something about the people you were stealing from?
1.) Mother of 3 children, recovering drug addict, that $20 is all she has for an entire month to feed her children. One of them is terminally ill.
2.) Family of five the father has been displaced at work the mom works two jobs. Children are all under 8 years in age. If they don't send that two hundred dollars into the mortgage company the will be evicted and turned out on the street.
3.) A single man has just saved up the necessary money for a life saving organ transplant. If he doesn't have the money for the surgery he will die.
4.) A struggling small business owner whose wife has terminal breast cancer. The money is the entire payroll for his thirty employees and all business expenses. If he doesn't have the money his business will go under and this 30 employees will not get paid. Some of them are in dire situations similar to the families above.
Do you take the money?
Who do you take it from?
Why?
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Failed Invention #2541235 - Magnetic Car Bumpers
Cleaning my attic this weekend I came across a box of old matchbox cars. I proceeded to immediately sit down and play with them.
I was in proximity a few magnets I also uncovered and I was suddenly seized by an incredible idea.
Idea: Why don't we magnetize front and rear bumpers with opposite charges so that it would be impossible to rear end each other. Since the magnetic forces would repel each other before they could have contact.
I proceeded to build a model highway with my new invention and it soon proved problematic since now cars passing in the opposite direction tended to attract each other and cause head on collisions.
I am guessing they would also tend to be pulled off the road into objects like traffic lights and guard rails.
Oh well back to the drawing board.
I was in proximity a few magnets I also uncovered and I was suddenly seized by an incredible idea.
Idea: Why don't we magnetize front and rear bumpers with opposite charges so that it would be impossible to rear end each other. Since the magnetic forces would repel each other before they could have contact.
I proceeded to build a model highway with my new invention and it soon proved problematic since now cars passing in the opposite direction tended to attract each other and cause head on collisions.
I am guessing they would also tend to be pulled off the road into objects like traffic lights and guard rails.
Oh well back to the drawing board.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Braking is an Energy Estimation Problem
As I was driving the other day it occur ed to me that braking is an energy estimation problem.
Every time I touch the brakes I am wasting energy in the form of gas and combustion because I over estimated the amount of energy it would take to move my car from one point to the next.
So I tried an experiment today: Drive from my house to work and count how many times I had to touch my brakes driving my regular speed and route. Then drive the reverse of the route on the way home without touching my brakes, using only the accelerator or lack of the accelerator to control my speed.
Way to work: Touched the brakes 18 times.
Way Home: 7 times.
Things I learned.
1.) Never try this during rush hour on side streets apparently me going 15 miles an hour is reason to lay on the horn. Although I think I had an old guy smile at me.
2.) There is no way that you can go the posted speed limit and not use your brakes.
3.) I get nervous and want to keep up with the crowd when I am going slower.
4.) I bet I could up my realized gas MPG by 20% just by using better speed control. i.e not racing to red lights and not racing off on the turning of a green light.
5.) I am not a very good driver and I have a hard time admitting that.
6.) I have become a very conservative driver, I also have a hard time admitting that.
Every time I touch the brakes I am wasting energy in the form of gas and combustion because I over estimated the amount of energy it would take to move my car from one point to the next.
So I tried an experiment today: Drive from my house to work and count how many times I had to touch my brakes driving my regular speed and route. Then drive the reverse of the route on the way home without touching my brakes, using only the accelerator or lack of the accelerator to control my speed.
Way to work: Touched the brakes 18 times.
Way Home: 7 times.
Things I learned.
1.) Never try this during rush hour on side streets apparently me going 15 miles an hour is reason to lay on the horn. Although I think I had an old guy smile at me.
2.) There is no way that you can go the posted speed limit and not use your brakes.
3.) I get nervous and want to keep up with the crowd when I am going slower.
4.) I bet I could up my realized gas MPG by 20% just by using better speed control. i.e not racing to red lights and not racing off on the turning of a green light.
5.) I am not a very good driver and I have a hard time admitting that.
6.) I have become a very conservative driver, I also have a hard time admitting that.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Weekend ReCap
Friday
Drinks @ IKES
Drinks @ Tailgate
Saturday
Read: The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution and Future of the Human Animal, by Jarod Diamond. Rocket, this replaces The Red Queen at the top of my list. I absolutely ate this book up. While there was not a whole lot of new material that I learned, however, their is something about Jarods style that fires my brain. Out of this book I have 22 notes to follow-up on and 12 pages of thoughts and theories that I had never thought about and a different angle to explore. There are a few things in here that I am still jacked up about two days later. I love it. There will probably be quite a few posts that will come out of this research. For those who have read his book Guns, Germs and Steel the last for chapters will be repeats and for those who haven't start with this one.
Cleaned out my Garage.
Went to the Richfield Farmers Market
Watched: Fools Gold...Save your money this one sucked.
Was in a minor fender bender with a bitch neighbor.
Chopped part of my thumb off.
Sunday
Napped...
Cooked Sunday Dinner, Fillet, Asparagus, Potatoes, Salad.
Drank a piture of homemade sangria:)
Drinks @ IKES
Drinks @ Tailgate
Saturday
Read: The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution and Future of the Human Animal, by Jarod Diamond. Rocket, this replaces The Red Queen at the top of my list. I absolutely ate this book up. While there was not a whole lot of new material that I learned, however, their is something about Jarods style that fires my brain. Out of this book I have 22 notes to follow-up on and 12 pages of thoughts and theories that I had never thought about and a different angle to explore. There are a few things in here that I am still jacked up about two days later. I love it. There will probably be quite a few posts that will come out of this research. For those who have read his book Guns, Germs and Steel the last for chapters will be repeats and for those who haven't start with this one.
Cleaned out my Garage.
Went to the Richfield Farmers Market
Watched: Fools Gold...Save your money this one sucked.
Was in a minor fender bender with a bitch neighbor.
Chopped part of my thumb off.
Sunday
Napped...
Cooked Sunday Dinner, Fillet, Asparagus, Potatoes, Salad.
Drank a piture of homemade sangria:)
Friday, June 20, 2008
Prediction #2541582 - Celebrity Reality Radio and 100 Channels
Actually Two Predictions
#1)We will see very shortly a celebrity wired for sound whose entire life will be broad casted and distributed on XM radio without commercial interruption or editing.
#2) Soon your TV guide will have over 100 "E" Like Channels bringing you celebrity story's and updates on their pooping schedules.
#1)We will see very shortly a celebrity wired for sound whose entire life will be broad casted and distributed on XM radio without commercial interruption or editing.
#2) Soon your TV guide will have over 100 "E" Like Channels bringing you celebrity story's and updates on their pooping schedules.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
What Does Welfare Have In Common with Iraq?
I find it interesting that the war in Iraq is the political opposite of the war on welfare we went through in this country just a few years ago.
Welfare
Republicans calling across the isle to cut those mother fuckers off cold.
Democrats yelling they are not ready think of the children and the future. The inner cities will explode in violence.
Iraq
Democrats calling across the isle to cut those mother fuckers off cold.
Republicans yelling they are not ready think of the children and the future. The country will explode in violence.
What can we learn from the welfare crisis that will help us with the situation in Iraq?
1.) You need to offer social support.
2.) You need a time frame to remove support, without a time frame and follow through there is no incentive of the recipient to change.
3.) If you do not set a time table you are basically telling the recipient hat they are a baby and not capable of taking care of themselves...if you treat someone like a child they will behave like a child. Stop undermining the ability for them to lead themselves.
3.) Five years is a good time frame. We sent a man to the moon in five years I think we can get the electricity up and running for a small country in the same amount of time.
4.) We have pissed enough people off over there that there is a strong dictator in waiting that will get the country under control as soon as we leave.
Welfare
Republicans calling across the isle to cut those mother fuckers off cold.
Democrats yelling they are not ready think of the children and the future. The inner cities will explode in violence.
Iraq
Democrats calling across the isle to cut those mother fuckers off cold.
Republicans yelling they are not ready think of the children and the future. The country will explode in violence.
What can we learn from the welfare crisis that will help us with the situation in Iraq?
1.) You need to offer social support.
2.) You need a time frame to remove support, without a time frame and follow through there is no incentive of the recipient to change.
3.) If you do not set a time table you are basically telling the recipient hat they are a baby and not capable of taking care of themselves...if you treat someone like a child they will behave like a child. Stop undermining the ability for them to lead themselves.
3.) Five years is a good time frame. We sent a man to the moon in five years I think we can get the electricity up and running for a small country in the same amount of time.
4.) We have pissed enough people off over there that there is a strong dictator in waiting that will get the country under control as soon as we leave.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Rescue Me vs. Save Yourself
It seems like everyone I know including myself is waiting to be rescued.
From loneliness
From this dead end job
From this debt
These high payments
From Poverty
From self-destruction
From these pounds of flesh
From this addiction
From this abuse
From this apathy
From this boredom
From myself
The whole world a washed in a sea victims. Waiting for a life jacket. Waiting for the person who is treading next to you to summon the strength to pull you out.
Watching them bob and finally disappear into despair. Disillusioned.
What if you woke up tomorrow and realized no one is going to save you.
What you you do different?
Would you swim?
Woud you save yourself?
From loneliness
From this dead end job
From this debt
These high payments
From Poverty
From self-destruction
From these pounds of flesh
From this addiction
From this abuse
From this apathy
From this boredom
From myself
The whole world a washed in a sea victims. Waiting for a life jacket. Waiting for the person who is treading next to you to summon the strength to pull you out.
Watching them bob and finally disappear into despair. Disillusioned.
What if you woke up tomorrow and realized no one is going to save you.
What you you do different?
Would you swim?
Woud you save yourself?
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Artificial Intelligence Is Human
I am always fascinated by people who are opposed to artificial intelligence. I wonder if they realize that they are as much of a machine as this robot that sits on my desk. They are a mechanical entity. A system that uses chemical reactions instead of wires to create electrical impulses to control its actions.
When you look at realistically there is really no difference between a child I make in a lab and a machine I code in my room.
After all, your intelligence is not organic. You had to go to school, listen to your parent, observe your surroundings, learn etc. You were coded by others with their knowledge. In a similar way to how I code this program.
I wonder if we are afraid of AI because the devices use logic and we could not lie or con the machines.
Haven't we always created stuff in our perfect image without our flaws and failings. Statues, paintings, myths, legends and memories, Why are we afraid to create something better then us? Because it makes us useless? Forces us to see how flawed we are? Couldn't it also teach us to be more perfect?
Maybe the only thing that makes us human is our insecurity and our ability to try to hide it.
Maybe we are not as intelligent and as evolved as we would like to believe.
When you look at realistically there is really no difference between a child I make in a lab and a machine I code in my room.
After all, your intelligence is not organic. You had to go to school, listen to your parent, observe your surroundings, learn etc. You were coded by others with their knowledge. In a similar way to how I code this program.
I wonder if we are afraid of AI because the devices use logic and we could not lie or con the machines.
Haven't we always created stuff in our perfect image without our flaws and failings. Statues, paintings, myths, legends and memories, Why are we afraid to create something better then us? Because it makes us useless? Forces us to see how flawed we are? Couldn't it also teach us to be more perfect?
Maybe the only thing that makes us human is our insecurity and our ability to try to hide it.
Maybe we are not as intelligent and as evolved as we would like to believe.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)