Ramblings of a Gamer

Obama Wins The Nobel Peace Prize

2009-10-09T08:53:00.002-04:00

Wait. What?

You heard right folks. President Obama won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, official as of this morning.

And all I have to say is... What the hell ass?

All Winners
Look at the list. Really look at it. Look me in the eye and tell me that he has done ANYTHING that compares in the slightest to the works of Red Cross, or Physicists Against Nuclear War. Seriously? He hasn't -done- anything yet. He may have some lofty goals, and some interesting ideas, but he hasn't DONE _ANY_ of it yet. I mean hell, if you are giving out awards for people with grand ambitions now, why wasn't I considered? I have some amazing plans that could really turn this planet around!

Ugh! Political pandering. Attempting to get attention from people who have largely ignored the Nobel Committee. That is ALL that this is.

Let's see.
He has:
- planned for troop removal from Iraq (no action taken)
- closed Guantanamo bay (good move In My Opinion)
- attempted to start legislation to curb greenhouse emissions (stalled in Senate and House)
- attempted to undo damage done to Chinese/America and Russia/America relations (awaiting results)
- Middle East Outreach (largely rejected by countries such as Iran; accepted by places like Egypt)
- Health Care Reform (largely stalled in House and Senate).

Honestly folks. You shouldn't be getting a Nobel Peace Prize for best effort or grand ambitions.

If your works and efforts have been successful, have changed the world for the better, or made a huge impact, then congratulations.

Obama did not deserve this. He has not done anything (yet) to deserve it.

-M, punching out

Random Link

2009-10-06T14:58:00.001-04:00

http://survivingtheworld.net/Lesson451.html

Feeling Guilty

2009-10-02T23:46:00.002-04:00

Did a programming project for work, and gave them exactly what they asked for. Gave them a month to test it and request new features before getting it put up live.

Now it's live and they want new, different features. It is the semester and I have almost no time to do any coding except the weekends, my precious little time off.

What should I do? :|

My initial inclination is to say "eff you, I do not have the time right now to add features that you want when you had a month to do testing and did none.".

However, the part of me that strives to be a good employee says "goddamnit fine, I wasn't planning on doing anything this weekend anyways."

Suggestions? =\

What A Day, Hope The Week Is Better!

2009-09-28T19:45:00.004-04:00

So. Marvelous stuff abounds.

I went to work this morning, walked back to my car at 2:00pm and found, glory be, a wonderful dent in my wheel well. It's about 3/4 of the length of a dollar, and about the height of a dollar, and about 4 or 5 nickels width's thick. ... Sigh. No note again. No nothing. I really hate people sometimes. =(

Then, on the way back to my apartment afterward, a guy on a crotch-rocket motorcycle tried to take the right turn onto Huntington St. from Easton Ave. too fast (trying to beat the red light) and ended up sliding around the turn, fell off his bike and sliding towards my car. His bike missed my car, thank god, and he slid into my door. No damage nor dents from that thankfully. He got right up, I helped him move his bike to the side of the road, he said he was OK. His bike wouldn't start though. Sucks for him.

Photos to follow:

Thought For Today

2009-09-23T15:26:00.000-04:00

Don't you realize, I won't compromise. We never hesitate. Pushing beyond the limits of ourselves. This body is just a cage. We're loosing our minds. And that's just fine.

547:202: Blog 03 (9/21/2009)

2009-09-17T22:30:00.000-04:00

Week 3 was a pretty good week in comparison to the first two weeks. I found that the number of examples given on Monday was a little on the lighter side, especially when compared to the number given on Wednesday. To be honest, I would prefer more specific examples and explore-the-code type of things. That is truly how I have learned how to program in the few programming languages that I understand. I will openly admit that the Java Debugger in Eclipse is an amazing tool that I wish they had told us about in 198:111. However, the mentality in 198:111 is that you should never use anything beyond a text editor and a Java compiler to program. I am glad to see that this is not the case in this class. I do not know how much work we are going to be doing with the switch function, but I think I would like to see a real example completed in class (preferably alongside use of the debugger, so we can watch what actually happens). The practice slides at the end of each Power Point are extremely useful. They are simple enough to understand what they are doing and yet still useful because they are concrete examples.

As for things which I did not enjoy for week 3, I do not particularly see a need for “Heroes Of The Day”. I am more than willing to accept the importance of the figures presented, but I do not think dedicating more than a passing 5-10 minutes a class on them is a good idea, given the narrow constraints of time that we have. While I found Wednesday to be the more engaging of the two classes last week (particularly due to the actual programming involved), I wish we had actually had some time to break into our groups and discuss our projects. I have little time outside of class which is available to me to assist on projects, and need the time in class to know where we are heading and what we plan on doing. I am also still waiting to hear back on when the date of the first assignment (the flashcards) will be due. I was glad to get confirmation on the information about space and enter being used to advance the program as opposed to just hitting space.

There are still a few things I am looking forward to hearing about. In particular more information about string manipulation (concatenation, substrings, etc) would be appreciated. Mentioning the .equals() function for strings was very important and I am glad that you touched base about it early on in the class.

I also think that having people who have the program or example up and running is an excellent way to get the class up and moving, while simultaneously allowing students to get to know each other better and freeing yourself up to continue talking or giving out additional information.

My only real question for right now is simply: What will happen with the blog postings? Do they get graded? Or do they merely count towards some sort of participation count? I ask because I have been posting them as asked, but there is really no way to tell if you have noticed that it is up, or commented on it in any way. I just want to make sure that my posts are not getting missed!

On Paperless Billing

2009-09-16T14:27:00.002-04:00

I don't know about you, but I am really getting tired of my banks and credit card companies requesting that I switch to paperless billing. I get, on average, 4 emails a month from five separate entities, each saying I should switch to the marvels of paperless billing. I also get a notice in each of their mailings that I could switch to paperless billing and help the environment.

Fess up companies. You do NOT give a shit about the environment. You don't care about the trees you'll save from being cut down. You don't care about the chemicals being saved from the production of ink. You don't even care about the glue used on the stamps. What you do care about, is the money you save.

My average bill contains, at most, $1.50 in consumables, including the cost of postage. I get 12 of those a year, per company. That's a whopping $6 a year they save by not having to send me a paper statement. Conservatively say each company has 10-20 million customers who receive these bills. That is anywhere from $60-$120 million a year they save. That, my friends, is a not insignificant number.

However, and this is important here, what is the benefit to the consumer? They push pro-environmentalism. I say, give me incentive. You are saving $1.50. Split the difference. Give me $.75 off whatever bill I'm paying. You still make $30-$60 million a year and I get a little something-something too.

This is the way to induce change. T-Mobile (Story Here: http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/09/09/16/181231/T-Mobile-Backs-Off-Plan-To-Charge-150-For-Paper-Bills ) had it completely backwards. Charging people MORE money (when it is already in the cost of their bill) is going to piss people off.

Time for common sense people. If you want to save your company money, try and find ways to do it that do not annoy the consumer. The last thing you want is a pissed off consumer.

-M, out

2009 MTV VMAs

2009-09-14T07:30:00.004-04:00

Ok. I really hate to go into this, and I in fact sat on it for most of the night debating if I wanted to post anything about it. I hate mindlessly reporting on crap that is mostly irrelevant, and let's be realistic here people, the 2009 MTV VMA's are just about as irrelevant to my day-to-day existence as can be. That being said however, who the fuck do you think you are Kanye?

Oh wait, I know exactly who you are. It's all in the name of his website: Kanye Universcity. From last night we can tell this: Kanye lives in his own little world. A world where he is king of the castle and we are all his subjects. And let's be honest now folks. I enjoyed some of his music (specifically Stronger, which made me smile a geek smile). However, most, if not all of it, is auto-tunned crap. Utter, complete, total, crap. But he's got money. And he's a dick. So MTV loves him. Kanye is the poster child for what is wrong with the music industry. No interest in creating any GOOD, NEW material. Instead focused on the cheapest, fastest, easiest way to make money: remixing and dubbing over famous previous tasks. These are new tracks of his own design of course. But he is not doing anything ground breaking here. He is selfish, full of himself, and out for nothing but money. That is in fact what is wrong with Kanye and most of the music industry as it stands.

Last night was a pure example of it. Walking up on stage, and proclaiming that Beyonce's video was the best video of all time may not have been the worst thing to do in another situation. But Taylor Swift is 19 years old. Nineteen. This is her first award ever. She is sitting there, all excited to be around all these people applauding her (even the people she won against) and Kanye comes up and steals the light. To quote Taylor Swift, "I was standing onstage and I was really excited because I had just won an award and then I was really excited because Kanye West was on the stage. And then, um, I wasn't so excited anymore after that." ... Of course not. It was blatant disrespect. But, in a dignified fashion, Taylor Swift held on through the night, and even played a song soon after. Class act.

Speaking of class acts, let's talk about 3 other people. First, I mention of course, Beyonce. Beyonce is a class act to start with. I love her music. She is a truly an amazing artist. But then to offer Taylor Swift a chance to complete her original acceptance speech? It makes me smile. Beyonce is an example of what is good from the music industry. She gets nothing but the best regards.

Next I speak of Pink, whom, sorry folks, I won't be calling classy any time soon. However, Pink was noted as saying "Kanye West is the biggest piece of sh-- on earth. Quote me." on Twitter. Truth. I also hear rumors that she was seen needing to be held away from Kanye later that night. I cannot vouch for the truth of this, as it is just a rumor as far as I know. But even still, power to Pink. Bad ass and awesome at the same time.

Next of course, was Katy Perry. I think she summed it up the best: "F--- u Kanye. It's like you stepped on a kitten." Yeah. I think that about sums it up.

And the response to this, as to why Kanye did it? Apparently he was drinking. Like that makes it all better. Seriously folks. He does this ALL the time. His first year at the VMA's he flipped out, screaming that he was the best new artist of the year and should have won, and this and that. Furthermore, 2 years later he screamed about losing because his video cost a million and had Pamela Anderson in it. Seriously. Get over yourself.

Congratulations to Taylor Swift and everyone else who won a VMA. Kanye, please go disappear and never come back. If I hear your songs on the radio, I will change the station. I deleted your music from my PC. You are a miserable, sad, strange little man.

You have my pity.

547:202 Blog 02 (9/13/2009)

2009-09-11T19:41:00.003-04:00

After another week, we’re finally starting to get into some Java programming. We learned about the basics of almost all Java applications, specifically the naming conventions for the class files and the main function, public static void main(String[] args). We also learned about the basics of variables and which ones we would be using primarily throughout the course.

On my own I rediscovered one of the banes of my original Java programming endeavors, the dreaded String class and the ways to make comparisons. I spent a good 30 minutes trying to get a simple application to work, basically a loop until certain input is received. Basically it was a do-while loop that kept asking for (and repeating back) input until it receives /x. Basically, I set a BOOL variable, exit to false. While exit is false, keep getting input, checking if the input is /x, and then outputting the input if it was not /x. When it becomes /x, exit gets set to true, and the program exits out. The difficulty came from forgetting that if you have a string a (that you defined), and a string b (which is input), and want to check if they are equivalent, you cannot simply do a == b. This will always return false, since a and b are not the same object nor do they reference the same location in memory. You must reference the String class function equals, by either doing a.equals(b) or b.equals(a). This will return true if a and b are equivalent. This was very frustrating because in every other language I program in (Python and PHP primarily) you can simply do a == b to check equivalence for everything.

As for next week, I am hoping to see some slightly more complex Java applications and learn how they work and how to write them. I know we won’t be getting into things as complex as arrays, pointers, and things of that nature just yet, but I am kind of excited to get there sooner rather than later.

I also had a brief thought about the assignment we’re doing in our groups. Does the professor want us to make it wait for space as input and then proceed to the next group of text for the flash card program? I do not know how (or even if Java is capable of doing this) to make a Java program wait for a keypress, unless the keypress is specifically enter. The Scanner class always waits for enter before continuing forward, so I will have to ask about this on Monday.

Thought of the moment

2009-09-07T23:30:00.002-04:00

"The greatest challenge to any thinker is stating the problem in a way that will allow a solution." -Bertrand Russell

Simplicity. The first step is knowing where you are going.

547:202 Blog 01 (9/6/2009)

2009-09-03T18:36:00.001-04:00

Required Blog Posting for 547:202:

Before coming to the first lecture on Wednesday I was definitely nervous about taking this course on the sole basis of the fact that I have not worked with Java in any extent since my 198:111 class in Fall of 2002. However, after speaking with Professor Marshall about it, he seemed to indicate that I would be ahead of the game due to having some exposure to Java and having done some Python and PHP programming. This was a great relief as not taking this class this semester would cause my entire class schedule to get severely discombobulated. This is my 2nd degree at Rutgers and I am following a very guided and planned out class schedule and 547:202 is a major pre-requisite for several classes in the ITI department. The professor and teaching assistant (aid? I don’t think we ever finally pinned down her exact designation come to think of it) both seem very laid-back and easy to work with. However, even though they seem laid-back I think that the class will be very thorough and in-depth on the basis of the scope of the material. Even though Professor Marshall indicated that we wouldn’t be doing many (if any) particularly lengthy code projects or assignments I still expect a level of complexity - that is just how computer programming can get.

The exercise to create directions to get from the X in the center of the room to one of the doorways was very eye-opening in light of the fact that one of my recent code projects for Rutgers University Campus Computing Facilities was released on the very same day and people were finding very random ways to break it that I had never thought about. Needless to say, that brief lesson has already proven to be very useful.

I am looking forward to learning more about Object Oriented Programming because Python (the language which I am currently using and trying to get very familiar with because it is becoming more widespread) seems to be very customizable and very modifiable. I am sure using Objects instead of repeating segments of code would be a far more efficient and less cycle-heavy.

As for the books, if I had to sum them up in one word it would be this: expensive. If I had to sum them up in a quick phrase it would be this: expensive but probably useful. I have read books similar to these for ASP, Python, and PHP and they have proven invaluable to the point of earning a permanent place on my bookshelf at home. While the up-front cost was tremendously high, I can see using these books for a long time so I will consider it an investment for now.

As for what I would like to see in the coming weeks, it is very simple. I would like to (and in fact need to) see a refresher on Java programming. I have downloaded and installed Eclipse on my laptop and gotten it up and running – I have written a few programs and it is slow going because I keep forgetting that types need to be assigned to variables in Java (they do not in PHP or Python). I am also trying to force myself to remember some of the standard commands from Java (System.out.println(variable) for example - which is difficult again coming from Python [where it is print(variable)] and PHP [where it is echo(variable)]).

-M, out

My Week So Far

2009-07-27T13:05:00.001-04:00

Hurrah! Mondays are the best!

I went to work at 9:30am, and parked in my usual spot. I went back out at 9:45am (I forgot my lunch in the car) and noticed the front end was all scratched up, paint missing, etc. I think the person who parked next to me hit me as they were pulling out.

I think the most upsetting thing is, they didn't even leave an apology note! The one time I backed into another person's car was at 12:00am a few months back... I so could have just pulled away and no one would have ever been the wiser. But no, I left a note, and ended up paying close to 1400$ in repairs. But nooooooo, of course when it happens to me, nobody is decent about it.

bleh. Fuck this week.

-M, out.

My Day So Far

2009-07-23T14:39:00.002-04:00

So, here's been my day so far:

Wake up at 10:00am to try and fill my low tire (my car says TIRE PRESSURE LOW!!!111one!!). It's at 22 PSI, other tires are at 32 PSI. My pump won't pressurize above 28 PSI. GG. I go to STS and they take my tire down. It has three gigantic nails in it, and a gash about 3 inches long in it as well. STS people say I'm lucky the tire didnt rupture while being driven. Yippee. $150 down the tubes for replacement tire, installation, and work. HURRAY FOR ME

So I get to work on time (miraculously, after getting my tire changed and returning the crappy pump to Kmart) and I proceed to call Rutgers Financial Aid office to figure out why I haven't received any financial aid this year.

Why? Anyone care to guess?

No...?

Ok, well apparently 12 credits of A's (4.0 GPA) isn't "Acceptable Academic Progress" according to Rutgers. In short? I get no money this year. They're sending me a letter to challenge the award being declined, but the vibe I got from the Financial Aid office was "tough luck".

Also, it's raining. Hu-fucking-rray.

So... What a great day this has been.

Fuck this shit.

The Dutch

2009-06-23T17:34:00.004-04:00

Link

So. The Dutch wanted to make it a law that requires any ISP subscriber to pay (via a tax) for newspapers in order to keep them in business. Even though I am not Dutch, I am a very large internet user, and let me say, my god I am glad the Dutch Minister knew to say NO to that kind of stupidity. I mean seriously, I appreciate the printed word as much as the next chap (probably more so, the next chap just reads everything online now probably.

Seriously though, why should everyone have to pay for something that not everyone uses. It's not like air people. Everyone uses air, and thus everyone pays for air (if you think you don't, check into your taxes and see how much goes to environmental protection and what not).

Newspapers, magazines, and the printed word in general are in trouble. Why? They didn't keep up with the times. Some are catching up, I don't remember the one in particular, but they are offering free access to the premium access of their website when you subscribe to the hard copy of the paper. That's how it SHOULD be. And the online viewer shouldn't be punished for the lack of hard copy viewers. If anything, you should be thankful for their business.

It's like the news companies complaining about how Google isn't helping them out enough or not paying the newspaper for the content they supposedly steal.

I hate to break it to you old-world style journalists, but the Internet can only help you - if you know how to use it. If you don't know how to use it (and don't bother learning) or don't want to use it, don't expect the world to change for you. That's not the way it works.

Just as the music/movie industry must adapt their industry to face changes in the market, so must the news industry. They still have time to do so. Or maybe they'll just give up and start suing people like the RIAA/MPAA have decided to do.

I don't get it really, why do industry exec's expect the world's progress to STOP in favor of their narrow (and misguided!) views of the how we should view content.

ARG.

-M, punching out.

The State of the USA

2009-06-20T20:17:00.004-04:00

We as a whole *really* need to get caught up. Recently a bill was entered into Congress regarding healthcare. PDF full text

Let's analyze this just a little bit.

If the Congress and the PolitBureau really wanted to pay for hospital services, they would pay the "going rate" of hospitals. Instead, they pay $36 for a $500 procedure, causing hospitals to charge $8 for aspirin. Congress is WHY the system is broken, not the cure.

The plan is to crush as many industries as possible with legislation, then arrive as if uninvolved and claim "Capitalism did this!" and "We need more regulation! This is exactly what is happening with the car companies right now. The government is taking them over, but honestly, what does the government know about running a car company?

Then, the Fed, despite the strict outlines in the Constitution, controls everything in exactly the same way as Communist governments. (Where life universally SUCKS.) Truly. The Government should not be having control over the general populace or industries in the country.

But the way we are heading, it is just a means to secure control. Banking, Mortgages, Car manufacturing, everything but Hollywood is getting a "bailout" and then finding themselves so bound to do the WRONG thing, they don't want it. It's instead a "BUY OUT". They don't have a choice. Except for going out of business

These are the end-times for the America of freedom. And in the next world war, there will be no one to save France, Belgium, Luxemburg, and all the other countries we've saved twice in the last two. The end of choice being: required to have health care. Not being able to purchase a vehicle we want and can afford because it might be dangerous in some way. Anything. ANY restriction is a restriction on my freedom to choose. And as such, that is completely unacceptable.

The problem with Republicans is that they're not Conservative; McCain and Obama had nothing on which to disagree- both loved the idea of central control, sweeping the Constition under the rug, and consolidating power.

Sorry, but this is where we stand. Thank the media, on our way to hell.

End of Semester Report

2009-05-13T13:33:00.005-04:00

Grades confirmed as of 5/15. Woot!

189:101 - 89.5/100 - Final Grade: Rounded up to A
-- Exam 1: 83% (25 points)
-- Exam 2: 83% (25 points)
-- Exam 3: 95% (28.5 points)
-- Participation: 10/10 (10 points)
-- Extra Credit: 1/1 (1 points)

189:103 - 92.15/100 - Final Grade: Rounded up to A
--Analysis Paper: 9.25/10
--Bibliography: 5/5
--Briefing Paper: 13/15
--Midterm: 92/100
--Online Discussion 1: 5/5
--Online Discussion 2: 5/5
--Participation: 10/10
--Quiz 1: 5/5
--Quiz 2: 3.5/5
--Final: 72/80

547:111 - 94.5/100 - Final Graded: Rounded up to A
--Exam 1: 210/190 (A)
--Exam 2: 480/520 (A)
--Exam 3: 210/240 (A)
--Term Paper: 100% (A)
--Homework: 84% (B)
--Participation: 100% (A)

547:200 - 99/100 - Final Grade: Rounded up to A
--Presentation: 25/25
--Debate: 29/30
--Story Final Project: 35/35
--Participation: 10/10

So... About that... My first A at Rutgers and it's 4 of them. I think I might just make Dean's list. :o

-M, punching out!

Star Trek

2009-05-08T21:40:00.002-04:00

...
...
...
I don't even know where to begin. I don't want to spoil details of the plot so I won't reveal any details until next Friday (I am giving you a WEEK to go see it. Next week, all bets are off.

Suffice it to say... Star Trek is back. And I think it's better than ever.

Seeing the Enterprise in epic glory... With music that is an homage to the original series and movies...

I just... can't begin to describe it.

Go see it.
Now.
Buy the DVD. Buy the Blue Ray. Tell them... No, show them that THIS is what Star Trek is about.

Good luck, and Live Long and Prosper.

-M, punching out.

Windows 7...

2009-05-02T00:56:00.001-04:00

Will be Microsoft's saving grace.

I don't know if you have had the opportunity to work with it yet, but if you have the opportunity (and time) to get it (it will be publicly available on the first Tuesday of May) I wholly recommend it.

It is incredibly simple to use and very friendly.

It even works on my ancient laptop (not even mediocre working, it is fully working).

I will post pictures and further updates once I have more time to tinker around with it...

Suffice it to say, this is what Vista SHOULD have been.

I'm glad they woke up finally.

Grades So Far

2009-05-01T10:42:00.002-04:00

ITI200 (Major Req):
- Presentation: 25/25
- Debate: 29/30
- Story: 35/35
- Participation: ?/?
-- Overall: Expected A.

ITI111 (Major Req):
- Exam 1: 200/190
- Exam 2: 520/540
- Paper: 240/240
- Exam 3: ?/? (That's today!)
-- Overall: Expected A.

ITI103 (Major Req):
- Exam 1: 92/100
- Quiz 1: 5/5
- Quiz 2: 3.5/5
- Briefing Paper: 13/15
- Analysis Paper: 9.25/10
- Bibliography: 5/5
- Online Discussion 1: 5/5
- Online Discussion 2: 5/5
- Final Exam: ?/?
-- Overall: Expected B+/A

189:101 (Major Pre-Req):
Exam 1: 25/30 (83%)
Exam 2: 25/30 (83%)
Exam 3: ?/?
Extra Credit: 1/1
iClicker: 22/22
-- Overall: Expected B/B+

Well shit. That's a damn good semester imho.

Master of One (Or Maybe Two)

2009-04-30T09:19:00.002-04:00

Maybe I'm just confused. Rutgers recently decided that incoming freshman in the Honors program would be required to take 4 semesters (2 years) of a foreign language, and that incoming normal freshman would be required to take 2 semesters (1 year) of a foreign language.

Now this just seems plain silly. Yes, yes I know, American's are woefully inadequate when it comes to understanding other cultures, and this and that and the other thing... But my major problem with that revolves around three major points: first, when people go to College they generally have an idea of what they want to pursue; forcing them to 'spread their wings' so to speak is a contrived notion that only results in one thing: more money for the college itself. Most people don't really pay attention to their non-major/minor classes, and why should they? They aren't important to their future! Second, half the time College students are not even proficient in English. Go into a freshman level Expos class and you'll see what I mean. I have proofread papers that had internet shorthand (lol, tbqh, and the like) strewn about it. It's ridiculous! Third and finally, yes, I concede the fact that Americans are largely ignorant of other cultures, but, and I hate to break it to you, we live in America. 90% (why isn't this 100%? --- we don't require that all people coming into the country speak decent English? Wait... what?) of Americans speak English. And a good percentage of Americans will never go to another country and need to speak their language. So, why should we have to learn it?

I don't expect other countries to learn my language (unless they plan on coming here) and I do expect to be left to learn what I consider important to my further life plans. Knowing how to speak Spanish is irrelevant to me - and no, I do not see it coming up in my future life plans (performing technical work in an IT organization) because, guess what? They're going to be speaking English too!

So honestly. Why is it a REQUIREMENT?

Shouldn't we require people to become proficient in things which they WILL use in every day life (such as Math?)? Hell, if you want to use the argument that we should study other cultures, I make the counter argument that many Americans do not even know our own culture anymore. Let's focus on these problems before we attempt to broaden our own horizons.

I didn't go to college to become a well-rounded scholar. I went to college to get a grip on the skills which I will need to become successful in my future career. I do not buy into the crap about being well rounded. I do not want to be a jack of all trades.

I want to be the master of one (or maybe two).

-M, punching out.

Song of the Moment (April Version)

2009-04-19T23:05:00.002-04:00

Artist: Fort Minor
Song: Remember the Name

You ready?! Let's go!
Yeah, for those of you that want to know what we're all about
It's like this y'all. C'mon!

This is ten percent luck, twenty percent skill
Fifteen percent concentrated power of will
Five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain
And a hundred percent reason to remember the name!

Mike! - He doesn't need his name up in lights
He just wants to be heard whether it's the beat or the mic
He feels so unlike everybody else, alone
In spite of the fact that some people still think that they know him
But fuck em, he knows the code
It's not about the salary
It's all about reality and making some noise
Making the story - making sure his clique stays up
That means when he puts it down Tak's picking it up! Let's go!

Who the hell is he anyway?
He never really talks much
Never concerned with status but still leaving them star struck
Humbled through opportunities given despite the fact
That many misjudge him because he makes a living from writing raps
Put it together himself, now the picture connects
Never asking for someone's help, or to get some respect
He's only focused on what he wrote, his will is beyond reach
And now it all unfolds, the skill of an artist

This is twenty percent skill
Eighty percent fear
Be a hundred percent clear cause Ryu is ill
Who would've thought that he'd be the one to set the west in flames
And I heard him wreck it with The Crystal Method, "Name Of The Game"
Came back dropped Megadef, took em to church
I like bleach man, why you had the stupidest verse?
This dude is the truth, now everybody's giving him guest spots
His stock's through the roof I heard he's fuckin' with S. Dot!

This is ten percent luck, twenty percent skill
Fifteen percent concentrated power of will
Five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain
And a hundred percent reason to remember the name!

They call him Ryu, he's sick
And he's spitting fire
And mike got him out the dryer he's hot
Found him in Fort Minor with Tak
What a fuckin' nihilist porcupine
He's a prick, he's a cock
The type woman want to be with, and rappers hope he get shot
Eight years in the making, patiently waiting to blow
Now the record with Shinoda's taking over the globe
He's got a partner in crime, his shit is equally dope
You wont believe the kind of shit that comes out of this kid's throat

Tak! - He's not your everyday on the block
He knows how to work with what he's got
Making his way to the top
He often gets a comment on his name
People keep asking him was it given at birth
Or does it stand for an acronym?
No he's living proof, got him rocking the booth
He'll get you buzzing quicker than a shot of vodka with juice
Him and his crew are known around as one of the best
Dedicated to what they do and give a hundred percent

Forget Mike - Nobody really knows how or why he works so hard
It seems like he's never got time
Because he writes every note and he writes every line
And I've seen him at work when that light goes on in his mind
It's like a design is written in his head every time
Before he even touches a key or speaks in a rhyme
And those motherfuckers he runs with,
The kids that he signed?
Ridiculous, without even trying,
How do they do it?!

This is ten percent luck, twenty percent skill
Fifteen percent concentrated power of will
Five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain
And a hundred percent reason to remember the name!

This is ten percent luck, twenty percent skill
Fifteen percent concentrated power of will
Five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain
And a hundred percent reason to remember the name!

Yeah! Fort Minor
M. Shinoda - Styles of Beyond
Ryu! Takbir! Machine Shop!

Clothes

2009-03-15T17:26:00.003-04:00

So I went looking for a sports jacket type dealie (after going to Jean's friend Leah's Swwet-16 (picture on facebook if you so desire) and seeing a bunch of highschoolers wearing them and finally realizing it's time to buy one.

I went to Burlington Coat Factory and saw a nice one from Adolfo (I kid you not, that is the name) for 175$. I told the tailor that I would probably come back in a few weeks with enough cash to purchase one. We promptly left. We then went to Men's Wearhouse and found a few more for, again, 175$. I told the tailor there (who was very nice I may add) that I would probably return there as well.

Then we came across a store called Casual Male XL. We went in, thinking it would be jeans and what not. Imagine my surprise when I find some nice sports coats there as well. They had a nice black one (with admittedly gaudy golden buttons - which I will probably end up replacing) for 175$ and 50% off. I say, why not, I can afford 90$ for a nice coat.

I bring it up to the front, and they ring it up as, get this, 43.75$. I was like woah. So yeah. I will take some pictures of it later. You'll probably see me wearing it at some point too. haha

-M, punching out.

Testing and Updates

2009-03-11T20:07:00.003-04:00

Made some minor site changes (bet you won't even notice haha), so I'm just testing to find out if it's working.

As some updates, first with classes.
Social Informatics: First project returned, 25/25
Internet & Info Environments: First exam returned, 200/190 (I owned that exam)
Intro to Communication: First exam returned, 25/30 (wewt)
Intro to Information Tech: First exam done, not yet returned. First essay done, not yet returned. 5/5 on first quiz and biblio.

So, long story short, I'm having a very good semester!

Things are looking up for a nice change. Spring break is coming up very quickly and I can't wait to see what else can happen.

My new computer is elite. It's absolutely amazing, running Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 Beta, and Ubuntu. They all play along rather nicely actually.

I've gotten the parts for my helicopter but it still doesn't work 100%. :( For those that do not know, I'm very info models (rockets, planes, helicopters, boats, etc) but have all of a sudden broken into the RC scene. It's very fun and awesome to see the things take off and (hopefully!) land in one piece.

That's all for now.

Ta!
-M

These are photos of my new desktop!

2009-02-21T18:28:00.002-05:00

These are photos of my new desktop!

Visit MASantangelo's (my) ImageShack profile

Quickpost these images to Myspace, Digg, Facebook, and others!

Status Updates

2009-02-16T23:01:00.003-05:00

Ok people, we have a lot of ground to cover. So let's get started, shall we?

I have deleted my facebook account. Why you may ask? "Facebook's terms of service (TOS) used to say that when you closed an account on their network, any rights they claimed to the original content you uploaded would expire. Not anymore. Now, anything you upload to Facebook can be used by Facebook in any way they deem fit, forever, no matter what you do later. Want to close your account? Good for you, but Facebook still has the right to do whatever it wants with your old content. They can even sublicense it if they want." (Chris Walters, Linky). The best part is the current Terms of Service include a provision stating that facebook does NOT need to notify you or have you agree whenever they update their Terms of Service. Guess what, you've sold your soul to Facebook. Congratulations! Sorry facebook, but that's not cool in my book, and the only way I can think of to deal with it and show an appropriate response is to nuke my account completely. Goodbye! If anyone needs to get in touch with me, you can hit me up on AIM: MASantangelo8.

Also, for those who may have missed the facebook notification, I'm officially in a relationship with an awesome girl named Jean. If you haven't met her yet, let me know and maybe we can grab a bite together and I can introduce you.

In addition, to that good news, classes are going very well. The material is fun, interesting, and as a whole not too bad to do. Midterms are starting soon, but I feel pretty confident that I will do well with them. I have lots of papers to write, but I've already finished writing one, so things are going pretty well overall!

On another note, I have finally gotten around to ordering parts for a new computer. I will be posting specs and pictures of it soon, so keep an eye out!

Finally, work is going pretty well even though hiring is about to start and that makes things hectic. So, here's hoping that they go well.

More updates to follow, I promise. But for now I need to go finish another load of laundry and tidy up. My first afternoon class tomorrow (4:30-5:50pm) got canceled so I will be sitting around and reading for most of the afternoon.

:)

2009-01-25T22:56:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to thank all my friends and family who sent me birthday wishes this week and weekend. It really made my week, and after the depression of realizing I'm back in classes I really needed a pick me up.

Thanks everyone! I really appreciate it. :D

-M, punching out

-
Suppose you were to die tonight...
What would you say...?

In the chill of the night
I can feel my heart racing
As I run towards the light
That seems so far away
Wandering forever
In the darkest of shadows
Wondering if I will ever see you again

Wondering if I will ever see you again

I'll take your love
I'll take your love
I'll take your hate
Take your hate
I'll take you're desire

I'll take the world
When it turns on you
When it turns on you
I'll set it on fire...

W-the-w-th-th-the walking dead
The walking dead
Walking dead

Digging in the dirt
I can feel you getting closer
Steadying my hands through the blistering pain
Anxiously awaiting for the earth to reveal you
Wondering if I will ever see you again
See you again

Wondering if I will ever see you again

I'll take your love
I'll take your love
I'll take your hate
Take your hate
I'll take you're desire

I'll take your heart
I'll take your pain
I'll take your pain
I'll bring you to life

I'll bring you to life

W-the-w-th-th-the walking dead
The walking dead
Walking dead

I'll bring you to life

I'll take your love
I'll take your love
I'll take your hate
Take your hate
I'll take you're desire

I'll take the world
when it turns on you
It turns on you

W-the-w-th-th-the walking dead

I'll take your love
I'll take your love
I'll take your hate
Take your hate
I'll take you're desire

I'll take your heart
I'll take your pain
I'll take your pain

I'll bring you to life

I'm glad someone else noticed...

2009-01-25T10:32:00.002-05:00

Changefest! Link

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Changefest '09 - Obama's Inaugural Speech

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Hilarious.

-M

Inauguration Day

2009-01-18T20:23:00.002-05:00

Inauguration day is the 20th, which is coincidentally the first day of classes.

One of my classes has been canceled.

One of my classes has said that we will be watching the inauguration in class.

For some reason, this really bothers me.

I mean... Seriously people. This isn't all that special a day. Certainly not worth canceling classes over.

Definitely not worth $160 million dollars. Certainly not worth nearly $50 million dollars.

I hate to break it to you people.

Obama is not the patron saint, a savior, or the solution to all our problems.

He is not all that and a bag of chips.

He is a man. A politician.

And if you haven't learned by now that all politicians are liars, crooks, and thieves, then I feel very sorry for you.

First black president. Whatever. I thought we as a society were supposed to be beyond stupid issues such as race. Good fucking grief.

I will give the man a chance he deserves.

But I'm sick of people going yippy-yappy hippity-hop over this.

To quote The Matrix, "You see: He's just a man."

-M, punching out.

Song of the Moment

2009-01-12T00:51:00.003-05:00

Sometimes you listen to your music, and a song just strikes you as... Being able to convey your mode and sentiment far better than you could ever hope to.

This is one of those nights.

Artist: Stratovarius
Song: Hunting High and Low
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-4Gm6VG4O0

Lyrics:

I feel the wind in my hair
And it's whispering, telling me things
Of the storm that is gathering near
Full of power I'm spreading my wings

Now I'm leaving my worries behind
Feel the freedom of body and mind
I am starting my journey
I'm drifting away with the wind
I go!

I am Hunting High and Low
Diving from the sky above
Looking for, more and more, once again
I'm Hunting High and Low
Sometimes I may win sometimes I'll lose
It's just a game that I play

After the storm there's a calm
Through the clouds shines a ray of the sun
I am carried from all of my harm
There is no one that I can't outrun

Now I'm leaving my worries behind
Feel the freedom of body and mind
I am starting my journey
I'm drifting away with the wind
I go!

I am Hunting High and Low
Diving from the sky above
Looking for, more and more, once again
I'm Hunting High and Low
Sometimes I may win, sometimes I'll lose
It's just a game that I play

I am hunting High and Low!
Diving from the sky above
Looking for, more and more, once again
I'm Hunting High and Low!
Sometimes I may win, sometimes I'll lose
It's just a game that I play
Hunting High and Low!
Diving from the sky above
Looking for, more and more, once again
Hunting High and Low!
Sometimes I may win, sometimes I'll lose
It's just a game that I play !
Hunting High and Low!

---

<3.

People who break the law

2009-01-07T19:59:00.002-05:00

I was reading a post on DSLReports, someone was ranting about the police again.

Original Post Starts:
While working tonight as a delivery driver, I was pulled over for speeding. I was speeding because I had taken one delivery, picked up my significant other, then was heading to the last delivery with my so when I was stopped

The cop approached on the passenger side, and seemed friendly enough... I gathered up the paperwork/license and he went off for about 20min to his crownvic to (presumably at this point) call a k-9 to the area..

Im not new to this... a speeding ticket is a simple matter and has never taken more than 5-10 min for a cop to write out and give to the offender. Instead I notice a k9 tahoe coming towards us, and it makes a u turn and parks with it's lights off next to the cop.

I knew what was going down. This cop saw my posession charge from 2 years ago and thought it was ok to search my car.

I never consented to a search nor acted suspiciously, another cop brought the dog around and told me he was doing an "open air search" yeah, ok whatever cop, I flat out stated that I do not consent to a search of my persons or my car (which isn't even in my name) directly into the dash cam.. I then proceeded to ask the cop what his probable cause for the search was... he told me he didn't need it for an "open air search" outside the vehicle... and then `voila without even hearing so much as a scratch this trained dog was inside my car (yes apparently he licked his nuts twice which means theres dope in the air) walking all over my seats sniffing and drooling like some rabid wilderbeast in need of being put down...

I repeatedly informed him of his blatant disregard for my constitutional rights and he informed me that is was "standard procedure" and "perfectly normal"

I went on to joke about how standardized their "procedure" for circumventing the us constitution seemed to be, but that regardless anything found could be excluded based on my non-consent

this was my first time with this cop, but not my first rodeo either... a complete feeling of helplessness... a blatant disregard for the law on their part, and a half hour of my life wasted by some idiot cop with an agenda

his reasoning for the search was my prior record.. and I let him know quite plainly that that wouldn't fly in court, it's just rediculous that it's happening in the first place..

the ends really justify the means for these people...
so concenered with locking two kids up who have been working all day, and were pulled over for speeding; nothing less; nothing more

so naturally I whipped out the things they couldn't find to calm down and enjoy my night instead of dwell on how savage this nation has become

never heard of a k-9 not finding it... but OH WOW!

Original Post Ends

OK, so let's analyze the facts that he presented.
1) He was speeding (breaking the law)
2) He has been convicted of prior drug possession.
3) The cop performed an open air search. This is common law in most states (the only one that comes to mind where this isn't legal is Washington). In most states, police are allowed to examine all openly visible areas and use them as probable cause. If you have a joint on the dash, expect to get questioned. If you smell of booze or pot, expect to get questioned.
4) The cop called in a K-9 unit. The K-9 unit performed an open air search and got a hit.
5) The K-9 unit was then allowed into the vehicle for further examination.
6) The K-9 unit did not find anything, so he gets off with the original speeding ticket.

Now, he claims that the cops violated his rights. How? ... By doing a search? Legal. By allowing the dog into the vehicle? Legal, the dog had a hit.

Now, let's examine his actions. By his own admission he did in fact have joints on himself again. ..Wait, what? You're breaking the law, but complaining about other people supposedly breaking the law?... My head hurts.

Look people.

It's a law. Pot is an illegal substance in the United States.

Yes, I understand, it's less harmful than tobacco, and helps people relax, and all this awesome shit. But it's still illegal.

You're not the next freaking Gandhi man. Your supposed civil disobedience isn't against tyranny. It's against something for your own selfish benefit.

The culture of self entitlement in this country sickens me.

(Side note: I am for the legalization of pot. However, it is not yet legal. Deal with it.)

Risks

2009-01-03T02:25:00.002-05:00

There's an inherent risk in anything that everyone can do.

The original title for this blog was, of course, Audaces Fortuna Juvat.

For those that do not know much latin, this translates very simply to: Fortune Favors The Bold.

I took a risk tonight. hehe

Let us see where it takes me.

Until I see where I end up, I leave my dear readers with the following sentiment.

May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
The sun shine warm upon your face.
The rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again...
May God hold you in the hollow of his hand.

1ne.

Banned From The Language?

2008-12-31T12:03:00.002-05:00

Banned Words List

Lake Superior State University's annual List of Words to Be Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness, Rev. 34.

They have banned words and phrases such as maverick, <3 (yes, I'm serious), carbon footprint, green corporation, and get a life.

So I guess my question is this... Why do I give a flying fuck what you say about my language? Also, last time I heard, we don't use the Queen's English here in the good ol' US of A.

Seriously, I don't understand the purpose, need, or acceptance of this. Trying to dictate how I speak? Good fucking grief.

I understand the need to make sure people have good vocabulary, spelling skills, and general grammar skills... But trying to decrease the number of words available? Did you know they declared 'monkey' as not usable because of the internet trend of appending the word 'monkey' to the end of a word to make it more funny?

Oh, now I see, it's a way for you to let off steam. Hmm. Okay.

Here it is for all eyes to see.

Mike's List of Schools to Avoid For Being Pretentious Dickwads:
- Lake Superior State University

-M, out

4 Years

2008-12-23T00:30:00.003-05:00

Four years.

Has it really been four years? It's unbelievable.

I speak of course of the time I lost someone very important to me. Oh, she's still around sort of, and still important, just in a very different way.

When things ended I thought there was no way I would be able to handle it. They were very dark, sad times. I think I flat out ignored her for almost half a year. Maybe longer. I was hurt, brash, and headstrong. What do you expect?

Now that I look back on it, I see she has moved on, and I have too (kind of) but you know what, and it'll sound very stupid....

But if she called me up today and said she would want to try again... I wouldn't hesitate for half a second. I don't know if I approve of this yet or not. But it's the truth. Not only would I not hesitate, but I would go visit her immediately, regardless of anything else going on in my life.

I've had other relationships since, but for some reason, they just ... I don't know. They don't feel the same. Not that they should feel exactly the same since everyone is different, but I mean I guess I want them to be comparable. That's really not fair to the people in my life though.

That's really kinda pathetic isn't it?

And I think the worst part is, like the song...

"The memory now is like the picture was then
When the papers crumpled up
It can't be perfect again"

So it's a two-fold whammy... I can't remember all the fun times anymore, and I'm still holding people to this impossible ideal.

Heh. Increasingly I'm finding myself to be a horrible person.

And truly. I am tired of it.

In closing:

I want to be a hunter again
I want to see the world alone again
To take a chance on life again
So let me go
Let me leave
Let me be.

-M, punching out

Christmas Shopping

2008-12-12T17:53:00.003-05:00

It is December 12th.

I think I have 1 (maybe 2) more Christmas presents to buy and then I have done all my Christmas shopping.

I love Christmas. I really do. Especially if it's snowing. It should be a law, or something, that it always snows on Christmas. I would climb the hill in the back of my parents house, sit at the top, and just watch. I love watching snow. I love the coordinated randomness of it. Does that make any sense? haha. More importantly, I love the things that snow brings. Homemade soup, fresh cookies, the fireplace. All sorts of corny stuff like that. Stupid ol' sentimental Mike, all I can think about when I think of fireplaces is the time my now-ex-girlfriend came to my parents house and we sat in front of the roaring fire. I miss those times, but at the same time, whatever happens, happens.

In other news, Dan got me a Dell GX280 because he's the fucking man. It's an amazing system - and I can't wait until I can afford the $25 PCI-Express Riser Card ( http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&sku=310-6623&~tab=SpecsTab ) and corresponding PCI-Express x16 video card to make the system complete. It has an Intel GMA900 on-board video which is proving surprisingly sufficient and may even handle most tasks I throw at it. It's currently setup in a tri-boot configuration: XP, Vista, and Ubuntu 8.10 (full Compiz effects are amazing).

Also, I finally got around to trying Mana Potion ( http://www.thinkgeek.com/caffeine/drinks/a273/ ) and let me say that it knocks my socks off. Each drink is a mere 1.7 ounces but yet provides FOUR cups of coffee worth of energy. I have replaced my daily coffee with it. If they weren't $20.00 / 6 units I would SO buy more of them. It provides an AWESOME wakeup jolt. It is NOT a jittery kind of awake that I usually get from energy drinks, but instead I am provided with a sudden, intense burst of focus. It's really quite astounding and I really recommend you try them.

I'm getting ready to go back to college. I'm pursuing a second under-graduate degree, in Information Technology and Informatics. It's kind of annoying because I thought I was done with college. I guess not. The worst part is it kind of holds me back from what I wanted to do, but the job market is not pleasant right now so if I can defer my entrance to the real world scene for a year or two, so be it.

The last note for tonight before I run off to my work outing is actually about work.

Work is going fairly well, and I think I finally have an argument which will abolish End of Shift Reports from the face of the planet once and for all. If he discounts this entire argument then I know for sure there is no chance to change his mind and will subsequently give up. The labs are facing further budget cuts and it's not looking pretty. I honestly think we should just close a random week during the semester so people realize how important the labs are. That'd show 'em. On the same note, I am getting very annoyed with consultants. In case any of you read this, READ YOUR GODDAMN WORK EMAIL. We send all sorts of notices, and if you come to the Supervisor office and ask me a question that is directly answered in an email I sent 2 days ago you WILL get ripped to shreds by my furious rage.

I think that's about it for tonight.

Thanks for stopping by.

Quote of the day: "The man who says he is willing to meet you halfway is usually a poor judge of distance." -Laurence Peter

Automtoive Bailout

2008-12-05T07:05:00.002-05:00

Question.

...

The stock market failures, economic failures, and banking failures request $700 billion dollars. They get it with no oversight or question (from Congress at least, the people get pretty PO'd).

The automotive manufacturers ask for $25 billion dollars either separate from the $700 billion dollar package or as a part of that $700 billion that is being handed out. But they're being rejected? ... Wth.

...

...

Boreddddd at work...

2008-12-03T20:30:00.002-05:00

MUSIC
1. Name five of your favorite bands:
-Linkin Park
-Santana
-Incubus
-Alice in Chains
-Saliva

2. Name five of your favorite singers:
-Chris Cornell
-Cristina Scabbia
-Ray Charles
-Mike Shinoda
-Amy Lee

3. Name three songs you are currently playing nonstop:
-Garbage - I Think I'm Paranoid
-The Outlaws - Green Grass and High Tides
-The Killers - When You Were Young

4. Name one song (give lyrics) that best describes your life right now:

-Evanescence - Lose Control

You don't remember my name
I don't really care
can we play the game your way?
can I really lose control?

just once in my life
I think it'd be nice
just to lose control- just once
with all the pretty flowers in the dust

Mary had a lamb
his eyes black as coals
if we play very quiet, my lamb
Mary never has to know

just once in my life
I think it'd be nice
just to lose control- just once

if I cut you down to a thing I can use
I fear there will be nothing good left of you

5. Name one song (give lyrics) that best describes your life one year ago:
-Alice in Chains - Down In A Hole

Bury me softly in this womb
I give this part of me for you
Sand rains down and here I sit
Holding rare flowers
In a tomb...in bloom

Down in a hole and I dont know if I can be saved
See my heart I decorate it like a grave
You dont understand who they
Thought I was supposed to be
Look at me now a man
Who wont let himself be

Down in a hole, feelin so small
Down in a hole, losin my soul
Id like to fly,
But my wings have been so denied

Down in a hole and theyve put all
The stones in their place
Ive eaten the sun so my tongue
Has been burned of the taste
I have been guilty
Of kicking myself in the teeth
I will speak no more
Of my feelings beneath

Down in a hole, feelin so small
Down in a hole, losin my soul
Id like to fly but my
Wings have been so denied

Bury me softly in this womb
Oh I want to be inside of you
I give this part of me for you
Oh I want to be inside of you
Sand rains down and here I sit
Holding rare flowers (oh I want to be inside of you)
In a tomb...in bloom
Oh I want to be inside...

Down in a hole, feelin so small
Down in a hole, losin my soul
Down in a hole, feelin so small
Down in a hole, outta control
Id like to fly but my
Wings have been so denied

6. When you're driving, what are the preset stations on your radio:
-Sirius Lithium Rock
-NJ 101.5 (lewl.)
-Sirius Hair Metal

7. What's the last CD you bought:
-Oh gods... um... Evanescence's first album I think...

8. Was the last CD you burned an actual CD or a mix:
-A mix. The Best of Garbage

9. Name one song/band/singer you're embarrassed to like but do:
-I dunno.. it's not really embarrassing to like Avril Lavigne right?

10. If you could only attend one concert ever again, it would be:
-Chris Cornell or Disturbed.

11. Name one band/singer you absolutely can't stand:
-Conway Twitty. Especially cuz of the stupid family guy cuts. -_-

12. Name a group you use to like but feel you've grown out of:
-Metallica

MOVIES & TV
1. Name your favorite actor:
-Tcheky Karyo: "You must forget your artificial intelligence or we're all dead!" haha.

2. Name your favorite actress:
-I dunno. Uma Thurman?

3. Name your favorite television show right now:
-Dirty Jobs
-Myth Busters

4 Name your favorite movie:
- Interview with the Vampire
- Wing Commander (guilty pleasure, it's a shitty sci-fi haha)
- Star Trek! >_>

5. Name five really cool movies you've recently seen:
- Dark Knight
- Indiana Jones (I loved it, but hated it)
- Quantum of Solace
- I Am Legend
- Pursuit of Happiness

6. Your favorite canceled television show:
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
- That 70's Show
- FUTURAMA

7. Name one movie you wish you hadn't wasted time/money on recently:
- Indiana Jones. I loved it but hated it.

8. You would never watch a movie with:
- Paris Hilton. Bitch.

9. Favorite candy/food to watch movies with:
-Popcorn with butter and salt
-Large Soda

10. Three favorite tv channels:
-SpikeTV
-Cartoon Network
-Discovery

11. Favorite reality show:
- I don't watch reality TV

12. Favorite character on a reality show:
- I don't watch reality TV

Happy Thanksgiving! :D

2008-11-27T17:49:00.002-05:00

My favoritest holiday. I won't say it's non-commercial, but it's the least commercialized holiday - and I love it.

I love the food, I love the friends, I love the family, and I love watching football.

For me, beyond cleaning the house for my mum there is not much to do. I offer to clean the dishes but always get beat to the punch haha.

So happy Thanksgiving to all of you who read this, and especially to all my friends. I wish more of you were around to share this day with me. :)

I love making plays on the Lord's Prayer.

Our turkey, thou art in ovens
Hallowed be thy stuffing
Thy gravy come
You will be done
On earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our spills
As we forgive those who drop the food
And lead us not to fake turkeys
But deliver us from tryptophan
For thine is the cranberry,
And the pumpkin pie, and the eggnog
For ever and ever
Amen

<3.

Folding @ Home

2008-11-20T12:37:00.003-05:00

For all those who are interested in donating spare CPU cycles to a good cause, I recommend you try out Folding @ Home (http://folding.stanford.edu/English/Main).

I used to do this pretty heavily (think on the order 10,15 machines) but I stopped a while ago. I'm starting back up now!

If you're interested, I invite you to join team 154187 when you install the client.

On my dinky laptop it takes about 100 hours (a little more than 4 days) of computing time to figure out how the proteins will 'fold'. Long story short this program does calculations on your computer to help try and find new cures for cancer by understanding how proteins react (how and why).

I encourage all to check it out. It's for a good cause, I promise. :)

Election

2008-11-05T22:35:00.002-05:00

So, I kind of promised myself I wouldn't post politics beyond the initial "this is my candidate and reasons why" stuff, but I'm tired but not sleepy so I'm going to write out the ideas I have in my head now because if I don't I'll never get to sleep.

Let me preface this by saying Thank Sweet Merciful Gods that the election is finally over. The amount of crap that gets dredged from the bottoms of society is absolutely sickening.

I will also preface this by saying I did not vote for Obama. I also did not want Obama to win, for reasons which I have talked about in the past.

I will make an addendum to that statement by saying that I feel sorry for him.

As I do every election year, I wrote down a list of the 'issues' and 'promises' that each candidate made, as I heard them.

And now that the election is over I get to watch as he attempts (or does not attempt) to pass legislation.

And the reason why I feel bad for Obama is this.

He will not accomplish the change he campaigned for.

At least not directly.

He will get the chains moving.

He will get the ball rolling, to be sure.

But the last decade or so has left America battered, bruised, and broken.

And it will take more time than he has, I fear.

It will take some unpopular motions and such to effect things.

And I doubt he will get re-elected in 4 years.

And that's why I feel sorry for him.

No one ever remembers the person who starts making change.

People remember those around when change happens.

So President Obama, good luck to you. Best of luck.

You will need it.

Passion

2008-10-23T18:03:00.002-04:00

Death is inevitable.
Our fear of it makes us play safe.
Blocks out emotion.
It's a losing game.
Without passion you are already dead.

The Past

2008-10-19T02:30:00.000-04:00

The past is a puzzle.
Like a broken mirror.
As you piece it together;
You cut yourself;
Your image keeps shifting.
And you change with it.
It could destroy you.
It could drive you mad.
It could set you free.

More Late Night Ish

2008-10-12T01:50:00.004-04:00

It's the weirdest things that keep me up at night, ya know?

Sometimes I don't even know what they are. Things have settled down after a bumpy week, I'm makin' money, I'm hangin' out with friends, I'm interviewin' all over the place.

And yet, I still can't fall asleep at night. It's really weird.

Someone told me it's cuz I'm stressed, but I don't know what I'd be stressed about at this particular point in time.

As a complete aside, I'm starting to think I see the world in very different ways than most people. I talked about this a while ago, and for those who missed it, i'll reiterate it here for ya.

There is an innate... beauty in science and knowledge.
And if you look around, look anywhere, even at the stupid dust bunnies on your floor, you could see the beauty in it. If you knew where and how to look.

Maybe you haven't realized it, but our existence as a whole is ... for lack of a better way of saying it, largely a fluke, really.
Out of all the planets in this solar system, in this galaxy, and for all we know, this universe, this one was formed perfectly conducive to life.
It is:
-the perfect distance from the sun, making it warm but not deathly hot.
-the perfect composition of metals. Without the molten iron core of the earth, the magnetic fields which help contain our ozone would not exist.
-the perfect composition of gases. I suppose you could make the argument that whatever life formed on this planet evolved to use this mixture of gases the way it does, but I mean... There's just too much evidence saying that Oxygen, Nitrogen, etc are essential to life to just discount it.
- shielded from meteors, asteroids, and other space debris by a planetoid (we call it the moon).

When you factor in the probabilities, you see that the chances for our existence are basically... Nil.

All these cards fell into place, and here we are.

And what do we do to show for it?

We kill each other.
We destroy the planet.
We bicker over pointless squabbles.
We try to adapt the world to fit our desires, instead of adapting our desires to fit our world.

Some say it's human nature. Well if that's the case, then humanity is doomed to failure, and I daresay deserves to fail. Any entity that does not adapt itself to work around issues like that cannot be long for this world.

I am... If anything... A scientist. An explorer. My search is for knowledge. The micro, the macro, the all.

And I wish people could see things the way I do. Or if they do see it the way I do, then tell me that they do.

Not because I feel superior for seeing things this way.
Not because I want to brag about it.
But because I wish you could see it like I do.
A never ending puzzle.
Infinite in breadth.
Unimaginable in scope.
Deceptively complex.
Breathtakingly simple.

--- Break! New Topic ---

There are a great many people that I talk to on any given day but yet I don't get to see. Since I don't get to see them every day (or nearly as often as I'd like to) I'm just gonna take a minute to say thanks for stickin' around and makin' things easier to deal with.

In no particular order:
My parents of course
My kid brother
Brian
Danny-kid
D
Shell
Flipsta!
Jon
Justine
Hannah
Cortney
Marcies
Matt
Nate
Renz
Tacoooooooo
Will
Alissa
Sumantha
Andrew
Chris
Era
Gwen (I misses teh Gwen and I wish she was around more often to even talk to. I haven't heard from you in almost 2 years!)
Jeff
Joe
Josh
Tashies
Nicole
Adam
Susan
Tim
Rough Tough Clough
Maria

I know there's more, so if I forgot you, I'm sorry. It's been a long day.

--- Break! New Topic ---

People in New Brunswick are really annoying sometimes.

It's 2:30 in the morning and the bars just let out. This is the worst time to be awake. Drunk idiots all over the place! And they won't shaddup. I can hear people down the street cuz they insist on yelling. Bastids.

---

That's all for now, I've run outta things to write. Back to watchin' Jurassic Park.

The Last Post From MavericksEdge

2008-10-10T20:50:00.002-04:00

MavericksEdge is my desktop machine.

MavericksEdge has been sold.

In 5 minutes the machine drives will be completely wiped and everything will be ... gone.

Au Revior.

-MavericksEdge, offline.

Late Night Confessions

2008-10-08T03:00:00.002-04:00

I love chocolate chip cookies.

I hate when people drive at night with their high-beams on.

I'm infatuated with someone but don't know how to go about approaching them about it.

I'm terrified of the future.

I'm sick of the way the world operates.

I think I'm depressed.

I know I'm frustrated with job searching.

I'm worried that I'm not good enough.

I spend my nights wondering where some of my oldest friends are.

I cuss like a sailor because I like to.

I drink myself into a stupor each night because it makes it easier to look myself in the mirror at night.

I don't care what you think about me. I really don't. It's not because I don't value your opinion, it's just I live by my own values.

I'm not the life of the party.

I'm not the center of attention.

I can't sleep at night and I don't know why.

It feels like I'm not good enough.

Sometimes I think I'm an utter failure as a student, a person, and a tech.

I like video games.

I like football.

I love Mojitos.

I dream of a day when I can go to work not for money but for the joy of doing the job.

I love working with my hands.

I hate being shut in all day.

I am.

That's all.

Personality

2008-10-06T20:17:00.001-04:00

Your result for The Chess Mess Test...

The Rook's Hawk

Congrats! Only 12-16% of the population score this!

The Rook’s Hawk is like a judge. They have a great sense of right and wrong especially in their area of interest or responsibility. They are devoted to duty. They are punctual. People who set their clocks on others are typically measuring their time with the Hawk. It is common to perceive that the Hawk is cold or aloof. They frequently protect their emotions via practicality.

They work systematically to get the job done. When a new procedure is proven, they can be depended upon to carry it out. The Rook’s Hawk is deeply frustrated by the inconsistencies of others, especially when it comes to commitments. They will keep their feelings to themselves – but when asked expect truth over tact. They are quite able to make the tough call and carry it out. You will find the Rook’s Hawk at home in government, schools, military or any other organization which maintains strict hierarchy. They are the traditionalist and are perfect for balancing out the idealists of other types.

The Rook’s Hawk thrives on organization. They keep their lives and environments well-regulated. They bring painstaking attention to detail in their work and will not rest until satisfied with a job well done. They are obviously hard workers. They will sort through ideas and find the most practical ones, again revealing how common sense prevails in this type. This ‘Pawn’ is the cornerstone of an ethical working society. They are centered on dealing with the present and most practical affair. They observe life and promote consistency in society. They value loyalty and others are best to acquaint themselves with this type if they wish to gain a fruitful insight to what makes the world tick.

Check out my other tests!

Changeling Type | Mage Sorter

Take The Chess Mess Test at HelloQuizzy

Apartment Listing

2008-10-06T17:31:00.002-04:00

If you (or anyone you know) wants a place in New Brunswick on the cheap:
Linky

Help me out, I need to move out.

The US Government Makes Me Sick.

2008-09-27T11:51:00.002-04:00

Here's yet another reason why.

The government is further getting involved in the policing of it's people - not for breaking laws - but instead for insuring that a dying industry can continue to use a failing business model instead of trying to keep up with the times.

In short, with the passing of the PRO-IP Act the government has:
1) Increased penalties for copyright infringement ( and before you say all copyright infringement is bad, keep in mind that the following things are considered copyright infringement: ripping your CD collection to mp3 to put it on your digital music player, ripping a DVD to AVI so you can watch it on your device of choice, posting your favorite song lyrics was debated [the courts ruled that the producers own the lyrics, how fucked up is that?]... ) have been increased by a not-insignificant amount.

2) Added civil forfeiture provisions which allows them to rule that you are no longer the owner of said things - they are thus taken away completely. Not just the songs, but possibly the equipment used to infringe.

3) Creation of an IP Czar to watch and integrate these things into all aspects of government and possibly try and force ISPs to monitor your online activities to ensure you aren't violating these tenants.

The problem is that the RIAA/MPAA/Bill Sponsors seem to think that the government should be involved in making sure that these people can make money. The government already provides provisions for enabling these people to make money and bring people to court when they feel that they have been shafted. So why, oh why, is the government deciding that now the government will have to do the footwork for these people? It doesn't make any sense.

You know what, the whole government doesn't make sense at all anymore.

Sure, we can afford a $700 billion dollar bailout of companies that have poor business plans.
But we can't afford to make health care more affordable in the count.
But we can't afford to make sure that everyone gets three square meals a day.
But we can't afford to make higher education more accessible to everyone.
But we can't afford to make school in general better.
But we can't afford to make things easier for the average 9-5 worker.

Nooooooooo, but when someone with deep pockets is in trouble, Government to the rescue.

I'm sick to my goddamn stomach.

And every single Senator in Washington should be sick to their stomachs as well. Because this act passed unanimously. Not a single person has a lick of common sense.

Once again readers, I leave you with my favorite sentiment.

There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of Liberty and Freedom.
Soap
Jury
Ballot
Ammo

Use them in that order.

Recinarnation Placement Exam

2008-09-22T20:26:00.001-04:00

I don't do a lot of these, and even fewer get posted, but hey when you get a result like this, you share. :P

Your result for Reincarnation Placement Exam...

Starfleet Crewperson

58% Intrigue, 54% Civilization, 66% Humanity, 55% Urbanization.

As Mister Spock would say: Fascinating. It seems you've managed to hit the edge of the curve on all metrics. An extraordinary life is almost certain.

According to your answers, you want it all, you want a lot of it, and you're willing to do what it takes to get it! Adventure! Romance! Technology! Challenge! You love civilization. You like people. You love the complications and joys of a big, weird crowd of humans plus lots of other beings wandering into dangerous and complicated corners of the galaxy.

There is an ideal place for you, and you are ideal for it: Welcome to the crew of the starship Enterprise. Captain Kirk would have welcomed you aboard himself, but his head was too big to fit in the landing bay.

Take Reincarnation Placement Exam at HelloQuizzy

I've said it before

2008-09-21T13:29:00.002-04:00

And I'll say it again.

This goes out to recruiters, hiring managers, and basically anyone in charge of making hiring decisions.

I am hired because I know what I am doing, not because I will do whatever I am told is a good idea. This might cost me bonuses, raises, promotions, and may even label me as "undesirable" by places I don't want to work at anyway, but I don't care.

I will not compromise my own principles and judgment without putting up a fight. Of course, I won't always win, and I will sometimes be forced to do things I don't agree with, but if I am my objections will be known, and if I am shown to be right and problems later develop, I will shout "I told you so!" repeatedly, laugh hysterically, and do a small dance or jig as appropriate to my heritage.

This goes double for things that I do on MY time.

What I do on MY time is irrelevant to you (in as much that I should not be coming into work trashed, stoned, or otherwise miserable from the previous night).

The infinite possibilities each day holds should stagger the mind. The sheer number of experiences I could have is uncountable, breathtaking, and I'm sitting here refreshing my inbox. We live in trapped loops... Reliving a few days over and over. And we envision only a handful of paths laid out ahead of us. We see the same things each day, we respond the same way, we think the same thoughts, each day is nothing more than a slight variation on the last. Ever moment smoothly following the gentle curves of societal norms. We act like if we just get through today, tomorrow our dreams will come back to us. And no, I don't have all the answers. I don't know how to jolt myself into seeing what each moment could become. But I do know one thing: The solution DOESN'T involve watering down my every little idea and creative impulse for the sake of some day easing my fit into a mold. It doesn't involve tempering my life to better fit someone's expectations. It doesn't involve constantly holding back for fear of shaking things up... This is VERY important so I want to say it as clearly as I can: FUCK THAT SHIT.

So can you explain to me WHY I should change MY life to fit into YOUR expectations at a job?

Seriously.

I wake up, I take my shower, I get dressed, I go to work, I work hard until my shift is over, I get home, and what, you expect me to sit around and do nothing until I go to sleep and do it over again? Fuck. That.

And I say again.

If this costs me a position at your company... Oh well, I probably wouldn't have fit in there anyways.

Halloween This Year

2008-09-20T20:58:00.001-04:00

I seriously wonder if there's time to develop an Ironman outfit...

Song Of The Moment

2008-09-15T00:14:00.002-04:00

i.e. What I'm listening to right now has inspired me enough to make a post about it.

Artist: Chris Cornell
Album: Euphoria Morning
Track: 03
Title: Preaching The End of the World

Video:

--Lyrics Begin--
Hello, I know there's someone out there
Who can understand
And who's feeling the same way as me
I'm twenty-four and I've got everything to live for
But I know now that it wasn't meant to be
Cause all has been lost and all has been won
And there's nothing left for us to save
But now I know that I don't want to be alone today
So if you find that you've been feeling just the same

Call me now it's alright
It's just the end of the world
You need a friend in the world
Cause you can't hide
So call and I'll get right back
If your intentions are pure
I'm seeking a friend for the end of the world

I've got a photograph, I'll send it off today
And you will see that I am perfectly sane
Not for a lifetime or forever and a day
Cause we know now that just won't be the case

Call me now it's alright
It's just the end of the world
You need a friend in the world
Cause you can't hide
So call and I'll get right back
If your intentions are pure
I'm seeking a friend for the end of the world

There will be no commitment and no confessions
And no little secrets to keep
No little children or houses with roses
Just the end of the world and me
Cause all has been gone and all has been done
And there's nothing left for us to say
But we could be together as they blow it all away
And we can share in every moment as it breaks

Call me now it's alright
It's just the end of the world
You need a friend in the world
Cause you can't hide
So call and I'll get right back
If your intentions are pure
I'm seeking a friend for the end of the world

So call me now it's alright
It's just the end of the world
You need a friend in the world
Cause you can't hide
So call and I'll get right back
If your intentions are pure
I'm seeking a friend for the end of the world

Interview On Tuesday

2008-09-12T15:15:00.000-04:00

woohoo. :D

This week sucks.

2008-09-11T16:40:00.002-04:00

Well...

Let's start from the top.

My car had a broken tail light and dented rear panels and bumper.

My computer has died: video cards are shot, power supply is not working. :|

I still don't have a full time job, and all the ones I'm hearing about are in places I'm not able nor ready to commute to (Manhattan, Conneticut, etc).

Since my computer died I lost access to the page that I was working on - if I don't get my computer back soon the project dies here. :\

So, why doesn't someone just come and shoot me already? Just put me outta my goddamn misery already.

Blargh.

I Am A Warrior

2008-09-04T22:47:00.003-04:00

I am the Warrior.

When you see me, I will, most likely, not be attired formally. I will be encased in my steel. It will be dirty, bloody, and battered. I do not have a quick tongue or eloquent speech. I know nothing of the manners of the King's court, or the ettiquette of the formal ball.

I am known by many names. Tank. Meatshield. Fighter. Brawler. Corpse.

I am the Warrior.

I have not the capability, nor the inclination, to hide. I cannot strike from stealth with devastating blows, then fade into the darkness. I cannot incinerate a foe from twenty paces away. I cannot deal death from a distance, safe from the return attacks of my enemy. In order to kill, I must close with the enemy. I see his eyes. I smell his breath. I taste his fear. And he tastes mine.

I cannot bend Nature to do my bidding. I cannot tap into the Nether and force it to do what I command. I cannot study the arcane and master it to my control. I command nought but my mind, my body, and my will. It is by those, and those alone, that I stand or fall.

I have no friends on my journey. No walkers of the void, summoned from the Nether as servants and bodyguards. No loyal beasts of the plains or woods, to defend me and comfort me in my pain. My sole companion is my weapon. I must care for it better than any hunter has ever cared for his beast. I must master it more than any warlock has ever mastered his demon. Without me, it is useless. Without it, I am nothing.

I cannot heal. I cannot shield. I cannot call upon the gods and see my prayers answered. I call to the spirits of my ancestors in the heat of battle, and they are silent. My only ability to protect is to offer myself, my blood and bone and sinew, as a sacrifice. To draw the attacks of our foes. To take the blows that would kill a lesser being, and continue to fight on.

I cannot kill with the speed and grace of the rogue, the suddenness and shock of the hunter, or the flamboyance and power of the mage. When I kill, it is a slow business. Slow and bloody for all concerned, myself included. I fight on, pummeled and battered so that my companions may receive the glory of the kill and the wreaths of victory. If I die and they yet live, it is an expected sacrifice.

I come in all races, all sizes. I fight under a thousand flags, on a million battlefields. I am dismissed by the highborn, scorned by the noble, lectured by the priest, and forgotten by the peasant. Until the time when the trumpets of battle sound, and those who would destroy them come forth. And then the cry goes up..."Where, oh where, is the Warrior?"

Pray to your gods that I continue to answer that call.

Few do answer the call. Fewer still survive. It is a long and hard road, this way of the Warrior. Along it lie pain, and fear, and death. Scant rewards and scanter gratitude. At the end, for most, is an anonymous grave on some windblown battlefield. If they are lucky.

And yet, I fight on. I do not even know why. Perhaps for glory, perhaps for fame, perhaps for money, perhaps for my country, perhaps for my family. Perhaps it is simply all I know how to do. But fight I will. Whether you appreciate it or not. Whether you even notice it or not. I will be out there, on the battle lines. Fighting. Killing. Dying.

I am the Warrior.

Death is my business.

Be it yours...or mine.

---

Shake the heavens, brothers and sisters.
And know that we are warriors.
And we will kill all that stand in our way.

What's Your Game?

Barr/Root '08

2008-08-28T22:39:00.002-04:00

Personal Liberty:
Individuals should be free to make choices for themselves and to accept responsibility for the consequences of the choices they make. No individual, group, or government may initiate force against any other individual, group, or government. Our support of an individual's right to make choices in life does not mean that we necessarily approve or disapprove of those choices.
---
I am free to do as I want as long as I do not impede your right to do as you want. You do not have the right to force upon me and I do not have the right to force upon you. Whether I approve or disapprove of you or your style, we just need to accept it. Make sense, dun it?

Expression and Communication
We support full freedom of expression and oppose government censorship, regulation or control of communications media and technology. We favor the freedom to engage in or abstain from any religious activities that do not violate the rights of others. We oppose government actions which either aid or attack any religion.
---
Freedom of expression. I think that's enough said. If it isn't, then please have yer head checked out. :)

Personal Privacy
We support the protections provided by the Fourth Amendment to be secure in our persons, homes, and property. Only actions that infringe on the rights of others can properly be termed crimes. We favor the repeal of all laws creating "crimes" without victims, such as the use of drugs for medicinal or recreational purposes.
---
The only 'victim' of the 'crime' of drug use is the person using the crime. If a person on drugs drives their car into a wall and hurts themselves (or others) then an entirely different crime has occured.

Personal Relationships
Sexual orientation, preference, gender, or gender identity should have no impact on the rights of individuals by government, such as in current marriage, child custody, adoption, immigration or military service laws. Consenting adults should be free to choose their own sexual practices and personal relationships. Government does not have the authority to define, license or restrict personal relationships.
---
This makes me smile. We are all people, created equally. Just because you do something different than me doesn't mean you're wrong. It doesn't mean you're right either. It just means you are you.

Abortion
Recognizing that abortion is a sensitive issue and that people can hold good-faith views on all sides, we believe that government should be kept out of the matter, leaving the question to each person for their conscientious consideration.
---
This is beautiful in it's simplicity. So beautiful and so simple in fact that I'm sure the American populous won't like it. In short: It's your choice whether or not you do it, we don't care either way.

Crime and Justice
Government exists to protect the rights of every individual including life, liberty and property. Criminal laws should be limited to violation of the rights of others through force or fraud, or deliberate actions that place others involuntarily at significant risk of harm. Individuals retain the right to voluntarily assume risk of harm to themselves. We support restitution of the victim to the fullest degree possible at the expense of the criminal or the negligent wrongdoer. We oppose reduction of constitutional safeguards of the rights of the criminally accused. The rights of due process, a speedy trial, legal counsel, trial by jury, and the legal presumption of innocence until proven guilty, must not be denied. We assert the common-law right of juries to judge not only the facts but also the justice of the law.
---
Enough said on that subject.

Self-Defense
The only legitimate use of force is in defense of individual rights — life, liberty, and justly acquired property — against aggression. This right inheres in the individual, who may agree to be aided by any other individual or group. We affirm the right to keep and bear arms, and oppose the prosecution of individuals for exercising their rights of self-defense. We oppose all laws at any level of government requiring registration of, or restricting, the ownership, manufacture, or transfer or sale of firearms or ammunition.
---
The right to bear arms is a fundamental tenet of American society. It is necessary, but if you don't want one it doesn't mean that I shouldn't be able to get one.

Monopolies and Corporations
We defend the right of individuals to form corporations, cooperatives and other types of companies based on voluntary association. We seek to divest government of all functions that can be provided by non-governmental organizations or private individuals. We oppose government subsidies to business, labor, or any other special interest. Industries should be governed by free markets.
---
No corporation will be above the law, and no corporation shall call on the government to do things which it should be able to do by itself.

National Defense
We support the maintenance of a sufficient military to defend the United States against aggression. The United States should both abandon its attempts to act as policeman for the world and avoid entangling alliances. We oppose any form of compulsory national service.
---
If the world wants to blow itself up, then fine. Mess with us and we'll mess you up. We don't care what you do otherwise.

Internal Security and Individual Rights
The defense of the country requires that we have adequate intelligence to detect and to counter threats to domestic security. This requirement must not take priority over maintaining the civil liberties of our citizens. The Bill of Rights provides no exceptions for a time of war. Intelligence agencies that legitimately seek to preserve the security of the nation must be subject to oversight and transparency. We oppose the government's use of secret classifications to keep from the public information that it should have, especially that which shows that the government has violated the law.
---
The defense of liberty must not come at the cost of our privacy.

The Libertarian Party is the wave of the future.

McCormick's Yearly Speech

2008-08-26T13:46:00.002-04:00

Members of the Rutgers Community:

On Tuesday, news of a record-breaking year for private giving to Rutgers will be released to the media. Before this information reaches the general public, I would like to share some highlights with you.

During the 2007–2008 fiscal year, Rutgers received more than $121 million in new gifts and pledges—the university’s highest annual total to date. This represents an increase of nearly 9 percent over the previous year, in which $111.5 million was raised.

The vast majority of this new giving total is committed to students, faculty, and academic programs. More than $34 million has been designated for student support, including scholarships; $32 million for faculty development; and more than $36 million for program support.

This upward trend in private giving owes much to the university’s rising national profile and the deep commitment of donors to Rutgers’ educational missions. Every gain made by one department helps build the reputation of the entire university. I congratulate each of you, and thank you, for your contributions to this unprecedented support.

Richard L. McCormick
President
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

---

Let's rip this apart, shall we.

"During the 2007–2008 fiscal year, Rutgers received more than $121 million in new gifts and pledges—the university’s highest annual total to date. This represents an increase of nearly 9 percent over the previous year, in which $111.5 million was raised."

State funding was cut by 12% this year and you can bet that the $121 million [9% increase] is nothing compared to the 12% [I do not have exact budget figures] that was cut.

"The vast majority of this new giving total is committed to students, faculty, and academic programs. More than $34 million has been designated for student support, including scholarships; $32 million for faculty development; and more than $36 million for program support."

$102 million stadium expansion. More than all of that combined. Go figure.

"This upward trend in private giving owes much to the university’s rising national profile and the deep commitment of donors to Rutgers’ educational missions."

A deep commitment to educational missions. That's why we continue to cut registration, essential jobs (teachers, maintenance staff), and services.

Did you know that the Livingston post office will be permanently unstaffed from now on. If you have a package shipped to you, you'll have to go to Busch to pick it up. How convenient!

Did you know that Schiano still gets $2 million a year plus $250,000 in side deals and endorsements, plus a house local to the team, plus a helicopter for scouting purposes.

Did you know that expensive greening projects are occurring on college ave while campuses like Busch, Cook/Douglass, and Livingston are getting torn up walkways which will be replaced with pavement and less lighting.

Did you know that the University is in the biggest budget shortfall in years, and yet we continue to increase spending for non-essentials while cutting spending for essentials.

...What.
.....The.
........Fuck.

late night ramblings

2008-08-25T00:32:00.003-04:00

I am still single.

I have no prospects at the moment.

I am tired of it!

But I honestly don't know what to do anymore.

After her, there hasn't been ANYONE.

It's kinda sad. It's been what, almost 4 years now. Gods damned.

And further, due to this, I am increasingly sickened by myself.

I should be happy for the people around me who are in relationships.

But I'm not.

And I'm horrible because I think "Well if they weren't in a relationship maybe I'd have a shot."

What the fuck.

Worst mentality ever.

And whats worse about it, the mood that these thoughts puts me in results in me losing my temper and flipping out on people I care about.

I am a horrible person.

Absolutely horrible, without question.

And then it came to me.

That's why.

That's why I can't find anyone anymore. When I was in highschool and early college years, I didn't WANT relationships. They sort of just... Happened.

Now I want relationships. I do silly things to try and get them.

And trying to force the issue pushes people away.

But really. All I want is someone to talk to. Someone who's genuinely interested in me, my day, etc; and someone I can be interested in and want to talk to too!

Is that so much to ask?

...Is it?

It is? Damn...

Well. I dunno then.

But if I talk to you and my conversation ever seems too... pointed. Be sure to just kindly *smack* me, and tell me to chill out.

Cuz I'm really tired of being a horrible person.

I just want some friendship, and not a day goes by when I don't think about and count my lucky stars for you.

-M, punching out.

The TSA IS Helpful gasp

2008-08-20T20:54:00.002-04:00

I know, I know, inconceivable right?

Here's the story.

August 9th, 7:00am:
- My dad leaves his Blackberry Pearl at the TSA Checkpoint (I guess he forgot it? o_O? Maybe he was in a rush.)

August 9th, 12:00pm:
- TSA Official (whose name I did not get x_x) calls numbers on the phone trying to identify who the phone belongs to. He calls my cell phone first (being the last number dialed). He informs me that they have my dad's phone and that they will take it to the Lost and Found office that evening and that I should call them Monday morning. Sweet!

August 9th, 8:00pm:
- Dad calls on his other phone (go figure :P) and says he lost his phone. Mike to the rescue! "No you didn't Dad, it's at the TSA Office in Newark and I'm arranging for it to be returned." ... "Great! That's great! Good job Mike!" wewt.

August 10th, 11:00am:
- I call the first TSA Office number that I was provided. No answer. :( I leave a message according to the instructions and await a call back.

August 11th, 11:00am:
- I call the second TSA OFfice number that I was provided. No answer. :( :( I leave a 2nd message according to the instructions and await a call back.

August 12th, 11:00am:
- I call the first TSA Office number that I was provided. No answer. :( I leave a message according to the instructions and await a call back.
- I call the second TSA OFfice number that I was provided. No answer. :( :( I leave a 2nd message according to the instructions and await a call back.

August 15th, 2:00pm:
- TSA Office calls me, apologizes for the delay, and asks for further information about the phone (all of which I provided but hey verification is good!). I provide all the information but they say they don't have it there. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. They tell me that the original agent may not have logged it in yet. She says she'll call me back.

August 15th, 2:30p:
- TSA Office calls me, says they've found it! Woot! We begin making arrangements. I have it shipped via DHL next day (I figure it says if it's shipped before 4:00pm it'll be in on Saturday).

August 15th:
- No phone arrives. :(

August 18th:
- Phone arrives! :D

Mike is win.

-M

Comcast Support is horrible.

2008-08-14T13:19:00.003-04:00

Is... ugh.

I am so completely infuriated right now.

I called up Comcast around 12:50 to try and get a tech to come out to our house to look at our network status. Well, it took a total of 4 phone transfers just to get to someone who could help me.

I got a hold of a tech early on, and he seemed pretty able to help me, if a bit confused because the Comcast system was reporting that we had a different modem than we actually had. I think the tech wanted to transfer me to someone who could update our billing records for that purpose.

I ended up being trasnfered to a Wireless Network Support Representative, who realized that he couldn't help once he noticed that I was talking about a regular old modem.

He then transfered me to someone else, this time to someone who is a North-East Corridor Dispatcher/CSR. Apparently he only had access to accounts in Maryland, so I got transfered again.

Finally I'm speaking to someone who can actually help me, and within 5 minutes we have a scheduled appointment for a Technician to come out and examine what's going on. I wonder if they can figure out why our channels are fuzzy too, two birds with one stone >_>. hmm.

For those who don't know, cable modem upstream power should be in a 35 to 52 dBmV range. Ours is in the 17 to 24 dBmV range, so... We have no connection for long strings of time, 2 to 3 times a day. It's quite annoying.

Let's not talk about the fact that I had to drive 30 minutes to a Comcast Office to drop off a damnded modem (why can't we mail them in???????).

Really, I'm quite furious about the fact that it took almost 30 minutes to get a tech to come out. Why Comcast Support is so fragmented and seperated makes no sense. Any CSR should be able to pull up my account info, not just ones in my area.

Blargh. Why can't things just work? This is ridiculous.

[And btw, the CSRs all had the nerve to tell me that 17-24 dBmV is an acceptable range for modem upstream signal, even though the SNR is ridiculously low].

Advice? If your options are Comcast or *, go with *. Even if * is dialup or satelite.

-M, punching out

No Handlebars

2008-08-14T11:36:00.004-04:00

Song: No Handlebars
Artst: The Flobots

Lyrics:
I can ride my bike with no handlebars
No handlebars
No handlebars

I can ride my bike with no handlebars
No handlebars
No handlebars

Look at me, look at me
hands in the air like it's good to be
ALIVE
and I'm a famous rapper
even when the paths're all crookedy
I can show you how to do-si-do
I can show you how to scratch a record
I can take apart the remote control
And I can almost put it back together
I can tie a knot in a cherry stem
I can tell you about Leif Ericson
I know all the words to "De Colores"
And "I'm Proud to be an American"
Me and my friend saw a platypus
Me and my friend made a comic book
And guess how long it took
I can do anything that I want cuz, look:

I can keep rhythm with no metronome
No metronome
No metronome

I can see your face on the telephone
On the telephone
On the telephone

Look at me
Look at me
Just called to say that it's good to be
ALIVE
In such a small world
All curled up with a book to read
I can make money open up a thrift store
I can make a living off a magazine
I can design an engine sixty four
Miles to a gallon of gasoline
I can make new antibiotics
I can make computers survive aquatic conditions
I know how to run a business
And I can make you wanna buy a product
Movers shakers and producers
Me and my friends understand the future
I see the strings that control the systems
I can do anything with no assistance
I can lead a nation with a microphone
With a microphone
With a microphone
I can split the atoms of a molecule
Of a molecule
Of a molecule

Look at me
Look at me
Driving and I won't stop
And it feels so good to be
Alive and on top
My reach is global
My tower secure
My cause is noble
My power is pure
I can hand out a million vaccinations
Or let'em all die in exasperation
Have'em all healed of their lacerations
Have'em all killed by assassination
I can make anybody go to prison
Just because I don't like'em and
I can do anything with no permission
I have it all under my command
I can guide a missile by satellite
By satellite
By satellite
and I can hit a target through a telescope
Through a telescope
Through a telescope
and I can end the planet in a holocaust
In a holocaust
In a holocaust
In a holocaust
In a holocaust
In a holocaust

I can ride my bike with no handlebars
No handle bars
No handlebars

I can ride my bike with no handlebars
No handlebars
No handlebars

Mission Objectives Accomplished

2008-08-08T18:14:00.001-04:00

My 2nd round interview went pretty well...

The transfer student session went smoothly.

And as of 2.25 hours ago, I am officially on vacation until the 17th.

Furthermore...

Life is swell, because I know awesome people.

<3.

BlizzCon 2008

2008-08-06T22:48:00.000-04:00

I have always wanted to go to a gaming convention.

With the death of E3 nigh it seems only fitting that I go to the next best thing.

I speak of course of BlizzCon, a 2 day event in Anaheim, CA that I may just be able to afford to do...

The flight looks to be around 350$.
The ticket itself is 100$.
The hotel appears to be about 45$ a night.

Could it really be that simple...?

-M, contemplating

New Pictures

2008-08-06T13:49:00.003-04:00

Writing Again

2008-08-06T01:37:00.000-04:00

So I decided to do more story-writing.

Right now, I'm trying to keep it to a short-story set in the fiction of the Wing Commander universe. I have the opening chapter written and an epic-esque story to tell with it, but I'm very cautious about being public about my writing.

I won't be posting it here.

But if you want a copy, drop me an email or a comment and I'll be sure you get a copy when I feel it's in a suitable form.

This shout goes out to everyone who helped me get through yesterday: Thanks so much, you guys are awesome.

My favoritest sayings

2008-08-06T00:13:00.002-04:00

This post (and any followup replies) are basically places for me to stow things that I come across or say that strike me as poetic, beautiful, or otherwise interesting.

Quote 1:
Chaos is not there to disrupt the norm for the sake of disruption. That is referred to as anarchy.

Chaos is there to give rhythmic variations, highs and lows, to a landscape that was previously flat and devoid of interest.

Chaos is meaning. Chaos is effect. It is the score upon which reality is written.
Attributed to: Me

Quote 2:
There are individuals out there who are so intent on violent disagreement with me that they will go to great lengths to engineer one.
Including the distortion of those close to me, and everything that I've come to believe about myself and about my life.
Complete disregard!
They just don't GET IT.
They're fighting against an inevitable future, but they just don't realize that I'm already there.
I AM the future.
I thought that I was finished with things like this.
I thought I was beyond them.
Do I really have to waste my time in conflict with these people?
This is the point. Change for change's sake.
But we HAVE to evolve.
All of us.
It's the only way forward.
And you really don't know me anymore, do you?
I told you. I'm different.
Attributed to: Iron Man - Inevitable [Modified by me]

Quote 3:
Existence offers us nothing if not the opportunity for an endless series of betrayals.

There's a world behind the world.

Lie once, cheat twice, and everything becomes clear.

Do not mistake my deception for a character flaw.

It is a philosophical choice.

A profound understanding of the universe.

It is ... a way of life.
Attibuted to: Lost In Space, Dr Smith.

That's all for now.

I Almost Killed Someone Today...

2008-08-04T20:26:00.003-04:00

Well. Possibly. I mean... Ok it's better if I just explain it.

I was driving to the ballgame after work today, and I'm on Richardson I think, or whatever the road is. I'm about to cross College Avenue and then BAM... This bicyclist comes out of NOWHERE (in reality, from behind a van that was parked illegally on College ave - it was half sticking into the street).

This kid didn't even bother to look before bolting in the street. It's kind of hard to miss my Escape. It's not tiny, and is blazing white. So... I slam on the breaks, harder than I've ever slammed my brakes before - and the kid keeps pedaling until I'm about 3 inches away from hitting him. Luckily my car stopped as quickly as it did. My brakes are excellent. I didn't hit him, but he had the nerve to curse at me... He couldn't have been in the road before I was half through the intersection... I have right of way.

But all that matters is that I didn't hit him.

But I'm still fucking shook up. Even now, almost 3 hours later, my hands are still shaking, and I can't help but think ... what if I hadn't been paying attention?

What if I was a half second late with the brakes?

What if, any number of things.

I could have killed this kid (a college student). I could have permanently injured him.

I'm not going to get any sleep tonight...

Song of the Moment [ Alice in Chains - Them Bones ]

Lyrics:
I
I
I
I
I.... Believe.... Them bones... Are me...
Some... Say... We're born... Into the grave...
I feel so alone...
Gunna end up a big ol' pile a them bones
I
I
I......
Dust... Rises... Right on... Over my time...
Empty... Fossil of the new scene...
I feel so alone...
Gonna end up a big ol' pile a them bones
Yeah...
Toll... Due... Bad dream... Come true...
I... Lie... Dead gone... Under red sky...
I feel so alone... gonna end up a big ol pile a them...
I feel so alone... gonna end up a big ol pile a them...
I feel so alone... gonna end up a big ol pile a them bones...

Change

2008-07-27T23:10:00.002-04:00

There are individuals out there who are so intent on violent disagreement with me that they will go to great lengths to engineer one.

Including the distortion of those close to me, and everything that I've come to believe about myself and about my life.

Complete disregard!

They just don't GET IT.

They're fighting against an inevitable future, but they just don't realize that I'm already there.

I AM the future.

I thought that I was finished with things like this.

I thought I was beyond them.

Do I really have to waste my time in conflict with these people?

This is the point. Change for change's sake.

But we HAVE to evolve.

All of us.

It's the only way forward.

And you really don't know me anymore, do you?

I told you. I'm different.

PSE&G Sucks.

2008-07-25T11:42:00.002-04:00

OK.

So I wake up this morning and go through my routine. Shower, Shave, Orange Juice, Cereal, newspaper, Email.

I open my email and see my new PSE&G bill is here. Awesome.

I open it up and it's $631. I practically had a heart attack.

So I get to work and call them up and the representative politely notifies me that the account has had a deposit fee accessed on it. The conversation went as follows:

Me: "Why is my bill this high? Last month's was only like $200."
Rep: "We added a 260$ deposit charge to your account."
Me: "What? Why?"
Rep: "It's a charge based on your prior accounts or if your account is new then based on your first two months payments."
Me: "You still haven't explained to me why this is on my bill. I have been a customer with you for two years now!"
Rep: "You need to call billing / collections. *gives number*"
Me: "Fine. *click*"

I proceed to call up Billing and Collections. After waiting on hold for almost 30 minutes I get in touch with a representative, I think the name was Paul. [Aside: I really need to remember to get the names of the people who tell me things >_>]

That conversation goes as follows:
Rep: "Can I have your account number?"
Me: "I'm at work and don't have the account numbers with me."
Rep: "Address?"
Me: "*reads off address and name*"
Rep: "Ok... What can I help you with?"
Me: "I was looking at my bill this morning and saw that it was $631. I called up Customer Service and they said there was a $260 deposit charge on my account and I was told that I needed to contact you folks to figure out why it's there and what I can do about it."
Rep: "Ok, please give me a moment to check."
*3 minutes on hold passes*
Rep: "Ok Mr. Santangelo, I see a $260 deposit fee on your account for this period, but since you transfered your old account here you shouldn't have been charged that. I'll be adding a credit to your account right now. Please hold."
*5 minutes on hold passes*
Rep: "Ok, you're all set!"
Me: "Thanks. *click*"

So in short it seems like they were basically trying to bilk me out of an additional $260. My bill was still $371 which I'm gonna need to figure out (last months was ~$200). But at least I saved $260. Ugh what a nightmare.

Now I just need to wait and see if the credit is actually applied to my account. I'll call back Monday if it isn't.

What a morning...

Science is beauty.

2008-07-16T18:49:00.002-04:00

Art is science made clear.
- Jean Cocteau (French Scholar, Poet, etc), taken from Quote Of The Day

I'm sorry Mr. Cocteau, but I disagree.

Science is art.
And there is beauty in that science and knowledge.
There are nuances in scientific method that make it the most beautiful object in the world.
Even the simplest logical statements are considered beautiful and artful.

It is because of this that I am proud to say...
Of all things that I am, I am foremost a scientist.
An explorer.
My quest is for knowledge.
And the rewards are limitless.

For those that cannot see the clarity in science, I apologize.

Not because I feel superior for knowing this.
Not because I want to brag.
But because I wish that you could see the world as I see it.
A never ending puzzle.
Infinite in breadth.
Unimiganible in scope.

Or my favorite logical argument, Russell's Paradox.

Russell's Paradox goes as such: Let R = { x | p(x) } where p(x) is the condition for x to be contained in R. In this case chose p(x) to mean that x is not in R.

The question posed is simple: Does R contain itself as an element or not?

Well, suppose R is an element of R.
Then R does not satisfy p, and thus p(R) is false.
Therefore, R is not an element of R. Contradiction!

Well, suppose R is not an element of R.
Then R does satisfy p, and thus p(R) is true.
Therefore, R is an element of R. Contradiction!

PARADOX! Oh nose.

But the beautiful thing is: the rules of logic allow this to happen (well... naive logic).

I can't think of how else to explain it.

Just remember, there is beauty in all things.

Mission Objectives Unable to be Accomplished

2008-07-14T12:39:00.002-04:00

ugh. What a day.

I had an interview this morning. It went. That is to say, it didn't go great, but it didn't go so poorly that I wanted to shoot myself. I just don't do well on interviews, I can never seem to articulate myself clearly enough and I always leave wondering if I have made a good impression of my skills and personality.

After my interview, I went home to get changed out of my (apparently underdressed) interview clothes and put on my normal work clothes. I also made a sandwich for lunch (bologna, salami, and cheese). The total amount of time spent in my house was no more than 10 minutes, and probably closer to 5. I go outside to get into my car which I parked in the street since my driveway was full. Lo and behold, there was a ticket on my car set for about 1 minute after the time I left my car. $22 down the fucking toilet. Ugh.

I proceeded to go to work, where a traffic light at the intersection of Easton Ave and Hamilton St was much faster than usual. I was pulling up to the intersection as the light turned yellow - normally this is enough time for me to get through at the 25mph I go on Hamilton St. However this time just as I rolled past the line the light turned red. So here I am rolling through the middle of the two busiest streets in my area with the light turned red. Thank god there were no cops.

I successfully navigated my way to Dunkin Donuts, bought my coffee and bagel, and proceeded back to work.

I get to work and have the machine that we just got back from NICR reinstalled and reimaged. I then start work on my new project for the summer: mapping out designs for the PC-IML.

Today has not been fun, and I'd really like to just bury my head in a pillow and pretend it didn't happen.

Sigh.
-M, punching out.

Survey Time

2008-07-12T00:34:00.001-04:00

Found this on a buddy's site.

*TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF - The Survey*
Name:	Michael Santangelo
Birthday:	January 24th, 1984
Birthplace:	Brooklyn, NY
Current Location:	New Brunswick, NJ
Eye Color:	Brown
Hair Color:	Black/Brown
Height:	6'1"
Right Handed or Left Handed:	Left Handed
Your Heritage:	Italian American
The Shoes You Wore Today:	White New Balance Sneakers
Your Weakness:	Fast cars, good food, and women. :P
Your Fears:	Failing myself (principles, etc), Failing my friends or family
Your Perfect Pizza:	Meatball, Onions, Extra Cheese, and Cheddar
Goal You Would Like To Achieve This Year:	Getting a -good- full-time job
Your Most Overused Phrase On an instant messenger:	*yawns*
Thoughts First Waking Up:	What's on the ol' agenda for today?
Your Best Physical Feature:	Face. The glasses make it work, trust me. haha
Your Bedtime:	Depends on when everything is done. 12:30am-2:30am
Your Most Missed Memory:	On the Beaches in Florida
Pepsi or Coke:	Coke, unless it's Cherry Pepsi.
MacDonalds or Burger King:	Neither. Wendys.
Single or Group Dates:	Either or.
Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea:	What the hell, no Arizona? Ugh. Lipton I guess.
Chocolate or Vanilla:	Vanilla
Cappuccino or Coffee:	Coffee. With a shot of Caramel flavoring if possible.
Do you Smoke:	On special occasions.
Do you Swear:	Frequently.
Do you Sing:	Only when no one is around.
Do you Shower Daily:	Only if I'm dirty and know i'll get equally dirty the next day.
Have you Been in Love:	Several times.
Do you want to go to College:	I've graduated from College, B.S. in Mathematics.
Do you want to get Married:	Maybe. If I find the right person for it, it might be possible.
Do you belive in yourself:	Of Course.
Do you get Motion Sickness:	Not often, but occasionally.
Do you think you are Attractive:	I love myself, because it's who I am.
Are you a Health Freak:	Not in the least.
Do you get along with your Parents:	Yep! :D
Do you like Thunderstorms:	I love 'em.
Do you play an Instrument:	I used to play guitar.
In the past month have you Drank Alcohol:	Yep.
In the past month have you Smoked:	Nope.
In the past month have you been on Drugs:	Nope.
In the past month have you gone on a Date:	Nope.
In the past month have you gone to a Mall:	Yep.
In the past month have you eaten a box of Oreos:	Not a WHOLE box...
In the past month have you eaten Sushi:	Yep.
In the past month have you been on Stage:	Nope.
In the past month have you been Dumped:	Nope.
In the past month have you gone Skinny Dipping:	Nope.
In the past month have you Stolen Anything:	Does a pen from work count?
Ever been Drunk:	haha early and often.
Ever been called a Tease:	Yep. I deserved it too.
Ever been Beaten up:	Yep. He got what was comin' to him.
Ever Shoplifted:	Yessir.
How do you want to Die:	Speak for yourself. I plan to live forever.
What do you want to be when you Grow Up:	An astronaught.
What country would you most like to Visit:	Italy. Maybe Belgium.
*In a Boy/Girl..*
Favourite Eye Color:	Green. Teal. Blue works too.
Favourite Hair Color:	Brownish-red.
Short or Long Hair:	Long. I want something to run my hand through.
Height:	Doesn't matter really.
Weight:	Doesn't matter really.
Best Clothing Style:	Comfortable. Wear what makes you feel good.
Number of Drugs I have taken:	Eh.
Number of CDs I own:	Not many. Digital downloads and all that.
Number of Piercings:	I have none. Some places are sexy though.
Number of Tattoos:	I have none. A good tattoo can be hot.
Number of things in my Past I Regret:	I have no life long regrets, only well feathered steps.
CREATE YOUR OWN! - or - GET PAID TO TAKE SURVEYS!

Interview on Monday!

2008-07-10T15:38:00.003-04:00

Hurray!

I have an interview with the Division of Life Sciences for a Unit Computing Specialist (read: a computer technician) job. ^_^

Duties include imaging using Ghost, recovering hard drives, troubleshooting Windows and Mac startup issues, diagnosing network issues, dealing with viruses and spyware, installing applications, installing new Mac/PC/peripherals.

This is a job maintaining over 400 machines across the University.

I can't wait for the interview... :)

-M, punching out.

Obama, The Candidate for 'Change'

2008-07-09T17:12:00.001-04:00

To all you 'enlightened' voters who think Obama is the candidate of change, I encourage you fully to look at how he, McCain, and madame Clinton voted on the recent Telecom Amnesty/Immunity Bill.

In fact, since 60% of Americans won't bother to vote in the upcoming election [and thus I believe wouldn't even bother looking] I will tell you right now.

Obama: Yea
Clinton: Nay
McCain: Abstain

For those of us in New Jersey I am glad to say that both Lautenberg and Menendez took a stand and voted Nay.

So. Where does your hero stand now?

I am sick of this shit. I've had enough of these games. The time for polite indifference is over.

Time for a little whining

2008-07-03T10:07:00.003-04:00

Time for me to whine.

I promise, it'll be very, very brief. I don't like to whine, it's really just counter-productive.

I want a good space-combat sim game. A _recent_ space combat sim game. I still play Wing Commander, but that's getting dated [even with the enhanced 3rd-party graphics].

The problem is, I want it to be single-player. Mutlti-player should be an option of course, but I want a good single-player experience for practicing and general messing around.

Jumpgate Evolution, EVE-Online... All great games. MMORPGs that you need to dedicate basically your life to if you want to get anywhere... I just want to be able to come home from work, hop into my seat, and blow up some random computer enemies. I don't care if they're real or not, and I'm not really interested in fully-persistent universes.

X3 Reunion may be my only choice at this point, but if I recall correctly it was highly inaccessible [I mean, it practically required a joystick to play, had uber system requirements, and a learning curve steeper than the walls of the Grand Canyon].

Is it too much to ask for ... for a nice single-player gaming experience anymore? Not everyone fell into that Online is everything phase. Sure I like to play a game online with buddies every now and then, but what if no one's around? I don't care to play with people I don't know.

So please, game developers... Make games single-player again. Do like the Gods of gaming, Blizzard do [with the exception of World of Warcrack]... An awesome single-player game with an immersive story... And the ability to play multi-player through some sort of network service. Blizzard got it right. They know what they're doing. Just follow in their footsteps.

-M, punching out.

Boom De Yada!

2008-06-28T23:54:00.002-04:00

I love the mountains
I love the clear blue skies
I love big bridges
I love when great whites fly
I love the whole world
And all it's sights and sounds
Boom de yada
Boom de yada
Boom de yada
Boom de yada!

I love the oceans
I love real dirty things
I love to go fast
I love egyptian kings
I love the whole world
And all it's crazyness
Boom de yada
Boom de yada
Boom de yada
Boom de yada

I love tornados
I love arachanids
I love hot magma
I love the giant squids
I love the whole world
It's such a brilliant place
Boom de yada
Boom de yada
Boom de yada
Boom de yada

In case you hadn't noticed, I like the commercial. :)

My Friends, Songs Will Be Sung Of This Day

2008-06-25T22:13:00.001-04:00

o/ folks.

Songs will be sung of this day.

I have *drum roll* passed my road test and have received my NJ state drivers license. woot!

And to boot, in case I haven't told you... My parents, being as crazy as they are, bought me this...
...

So... Yeah. I'm a college graduate, with a car.

Now all I need is a job.

:)

-M

I Miss Home.

2008-06-23T22:56:00.002-04:00

I miss home.

I mean, I'm at home right now, home at the moment being my apartment in New Brunswick... But I miss HOME home. My parents house, oddly enough, up in Pittstown/Clinton.

It's a completely different environment ya know...

In New Brunswick, people are up 'til all hours of the night. In Pittstown people are generally out by 11:30, 12:00.

In New Brunswick, you can't get peace and quiet no matter what you try. In Pittstown you can't get noise and activity no matter what you try. I mean I know I live off 78, but the trees deaden the sound of the big rigs.

The thing I miss the most? The night sky. In New Brunswick... I can't find a place to sky-watch. There's too much light pollution. I know I could probably go to Rutgers Gardens or some place off on Cook Douglass, but remember I don't have a car yet. At my parents house... I can go sit on the back porch or climb the hill in the back yard and just stare at the sky.

I miss it because it's a very serene place, ya know? You can't help but feel at peace. Don't get me wrong, I -like- the hustle and bustle of New Brunswick... But sometimes I want... tranquility.

The wind blowing, the smell of the crops from the farms, the moon shining bright, the stars overhead, the cool grass. What more could you ask for...?

M, Punching out.

Song Of The Moment

2008-06-17T20:39:00.003-04:00

Artist: Disturbed
Album: Indestructible
Track #: 11
Track: Divide

Lyrics:
Go!

I want to tear a big
Hole in what is to be
To end all this infatuation with
Unity
I'm seeking my salvation
Alone again
I never needed to be one of you
Anyway
Don't wanna be another player
Losing in this game
I'm trying to impress upon you
We're not the same
My own individuality is so unique
I'm one impressive motherfucker now
Wouldn't you say?

Break apart and...

Divide
Divide
Divide
Divide
You might say that
I'm the last man standing now
Though you'll try
You'll never find a way to
BREAK ME
You might say that I'm
Sick of being lost in the crowd
I hear the sirens
But they're never gonna
TAKE ME

I'm a little more provocative
Than you might be
And it's your shock
And then your horror
On which I feed
So can you tell me
What exactly does freedom mean?
If I'm not free to be as twisted
As I want to be?
Don't wanna be another player
Losing in this game
I'm trying to impress upon you
We're NOT the same
My psychotic mentality
Is so unique
I'm one aggressive motherfucker now
Wouldn't you say?

Break apart and...

Divide
Divide
Divide
Divide
You might say that
I'm the last man standing now
Though you'll try
You'll never find a way to
BREAK ME
You might say that I'm
Sick of being lost in the crowd
I hear the sirens
But they're never gonna
TAKE ME

They won't take me

Lyrics End

Click the static link (post title) to go to the song. :)
-M

The Fisherman's Prayer

2008-06-10T08:28:00.002-04:00

The Fisherman's Prayer [A Play on The Lord's Prayer]
- By Me! :D

Our tackle, thou art in boxes
Hallowed be thy lure
Thy hook come
The fishies be done
In the bay
As it is in the ocean
Give us this day
Our daily catch
And forgive us our bait
As we shall forgive the broken line
And lead us not into swells
But deliver us from sand banks
For thine is the Shimano
The Abu Garcia
And the Penn, forever
Amen

Thanks!

2008-05-27T10:02:00.002-04:00

Thanks to everyone who came to my graduation this weekend - and those who wished they could come but could not.

I'll post some pictures later, but for now, I leave you with this:

Flogging Molly
If I Ever Leave This World Alive

If I ever leave this world alive
I'll thank for all the things you did in my life
If I ever leave this world alive
I'll come back down and sit beside your
feet tonight
Wherever I am you'll always be
More than just a memory
If I ever leave this world alive

If I ever leave this world alive
I'll take on all the sadness
That I left behind
If I ever leave this world alive
The madness that you feel will soon subside
So in a word don't shed a tear
I'll be here when it all gets weird
If I ever leave this world alive

So when in doubt just call my name
Just before you go insane
If I ever leave this world
Hey I may never leave this world
But if I ever leave this world alive

She says I'm okay; I'm alright,
Though you have gone from my life
You said that it would,
Now everything should be all right

She says I'm okay! I'm alright!
Though you have gone from my life
You said that it would
Now everything should be all right!
Yeah should be alright!

2008-05-18T13:41:00.003-04:00

The China earthquake has been widely reported so I won't reiterate the details. At 20,000 dead and 80,000 missing, there are a lot of trapped people that need help and even more families that have been affected. Myanmar's cyclone seems even worse, and even more unfortunately, most of foreign aid to Myanmar is blocked. There are indeed many tragedies happening, many of which are just another newsflash for us in the United States. But I hope you do take the time and read the reports and images from around the Web of these events to appreciate the devastation and magnitude of how many people are affected.

For a little perspective in death tolls, both are about 10 times worse than either 9/11 or Katrina.

For relief aid in China, ways to you can donate and help:
1. Mercycorps (http://www.mercycorps.org/chinaearthquake/)
2. American Red Cross (http://www.redcross.org/news/in/profiles/Intl_profile_ChinaEarthquake.html)
3. International Federation of Red Cross (http://www.ifrc.org/what/disasters/response/sichuan-earthquake/index.asp)
4. Canadian Red Cross: please make sure donate to China-earthquake. (https://www.paypaq.com/redcross/new/index.php)
5. Americares (http://www.americares.org/)
6. Salvation Army (http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_usn_2.nsf/vw-dynamic-index/E55A96AA0EFEA3EF8525744A006AF141 )

Post details used from isohunt. I think it gets the point across better than I could.

A Kind Word, A Simple Request

2008-05-13T15:34:00.002-04:00

I wish I could go back to a simpler time.

A time when all I had to worry about was getting homework done and being home in time for dinner.

By and by those days are long gone.

The world is a terrifying, awful place. Filled with the worst possible horrors imaginable.

I'm not talking about wars, or anything so trivially common.

I'm talking about these people... The ones who molest small children for financial gain. The ones who laughed and joked about natural disasters like Katrina and the recent Earthquake in China (I hear crys of "They deserve it for their questionable human rights practices!"... It makes me sick.).

These people ruin the world.

So to each and every one of you who reads this. Feel thankful today for all the good in your life.

As I thank you today for the good you have brought to mine.

1ne.

Graduated

2008-05-11T20:00:00.002-04:00

In case anyone didn't believe me when I said I graduated...

Visit MASantangelo's (my) ImageShack profile

Quickpost this image to Myspace, Digg, Facebook, and others!

Mission Accomplished!

2008-05-08T23:43:00.005-04:00

Today I helped remove a damaged radiator and install a replacement. :)

My hands are covered in grease, coolant, steering fluid, oil, and dirt.
My back and knee are killing me.

But the radiator was replaced with only two slight hitches (a pipe that didn't want to cooperate after we installed the new radiator and the coolant sensor was inverted [reporting low when full, full when low, etc]).]) and all appears to be working.

This has been the most satisfying day in a long, long time...

Once my roommate gets out of the shower I'm going in to take a nice long shower, then go to bed.

Pictures Below:

Visit MASantangelo's (my) ImageShack profile

Quickpost these images to Myspace, Digg, Facebook, and others!

1ne.

Sins of a Solar Empire

2008-04-30T23:26:00.001-04:00

Visit MASantangelo's (my) ImageShack profile

Quickpost these images to Myspace, Digg, Facebook, and others!

United States to Employ Overhead Spying System Domestically

2008-04-14T08:55:00.004-04:00

I'll start off with a off-color comment: "Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told lawmakers that a new spying office won't violate rights." Have you SEEN Michael Chertoff? I'm sorry, but I don't trust someone who looks like that to be in the best interests of my rights. (end rant)

Let's start off with obvious issues with constant surveillance:

1) Such evidence would be inadmissible in any just court if a warrant was not obtained PRIOR to the imagery catching someone doing something. And in that case you would be able to track the person anyways, so why bother? There's a reason why illegal wiretaps are well.. illegal. This is the 4th amendment people. Gods damn. QUOTED DIRECTLY FOR THE LAZY: "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized." ...Unless you're DHS... Oh... ... -_-

2) On a technical aspect, how are they going to maintain and analyze all this data? Constant coverage of this nation is a massive undertaking. ... More budget for DHS and NAO (the newly formed National Applications Office) I guess. Yet schools around the country are having their budgets cut by as high as $275,000 a year. I just... There is so much wrong with this that I do not even know where to begin.

3) She (Lauren Keehner, spokeswoman for DHS) said its operations will be subject to "robust," structured legal scrutiny by multiple agencies. ... Which agencies? Will such scrutiny be public? Will the public get input? What the hell people? Of course we won't get input. We're far beyond the ability to fight back against the stripping of our rights. Fight back and you're a terrorist, pedophile, and communist, of course.

4) The Fourteenth Amendment. Quoted For Truth! "No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. " Isn't that self explanatory...?

Let's move onto the heart of the matter here... "DOMESTIC MILITARY OPERATIONS". Does that scare you as much as it scares me? Heaven forbid I quote a war movie, but I think Bruce Willis, playing Major General William Deveraux (The Siege) said it best. "The Army is a broad sword, not a scalpel. Trust me, senator - you do not want the Army in an American city. "

The final issue returns me to a quote from The Siege, again from Major General Deveraux. "I am here serving my president, and quite possibly not in the best interests of our nation. My profession does not allow me to make that kind of distinction.".

This is what's wrong with the world.

Don't you understand people?

They invade our personal space, and we accept it. They ignore entire amendments, and we accept it. They arrest and detain our fellow citizens for exercising their rights, and we accept it. They wage wars, murder, cheat, and lie to us and try to make us believe it's for our own good, yet we're the criminals, and again WE ACCEPT IT. Not again. The line must be drawn here! This far and no further! And we must MAKE THEM PAY for what they've done.

Yes, I am a criminal. My crime is that of curiosity. My crime is that of judging people by what they say and think, not what they look like. My crime is that of thinking for myself, something that you will never forgive me for.

{Thanks to: The Siege, First Contact, and the Manifesto for use of quotes or modified quotes)

Neutral Good

2008-03-06T12:59:00.000-05:00

Neutral Good Human Fighter Ranger
Follower Of Lathander

Alignment:
Neutral Good characters believe in the power of good above all else. They will work to make the world a better place, and will do whatever is necessary to bring that about, whether it goes for or against whatever is considered 'normal'.

Race:
Humans are the 'average' race. They have the shortest life spans, and because of this, they tend to avoid the racial prejudices that other races are known for. They are also very curious and tend to live 'for the moment'.

Primary Class:
Fighters are the warriors. They use weapons to accomplish their goals. This isn't to say that they aren't intelligent, but that they do, in fact, believe that violence is frequently the answer.

Secondary Class:
Rangers are the defenders of nature and the elements. They are in tune with the Earth, and work to keep it safe and healthy.

Deity:
Lathander is the Neutral Good god of spring, dawn, birth, and renewal. His followers believe in new beginnings, and work for the betterment of all. They have no preferred weapon, but they typically wear plate mail and a shield, with red and yellow tinting. Lathander's symbol is rosy pink disk, typically cut from rose quartz.

Social Networking

2008-02-27T00:12:00.003-05:00

So I received an email from Rutgers Career Services today, titled "The Two Sides of Facebook". The email is pasted below for your reference:

Attention Students:

Do you use Facebook? Are you looking for a job or internship?
If you answered yes to both of these questions, you are
cordially invited to attend a special seminar:

"About Face: The Two Sides to Facebook"
Date Omitted
Time Omitted
Loc. Omitted

Attend this interactive seminar to learn how information you
post on social networking sites may impact your employment
and graduate school chances. Learn effective ways to develop
your profile to attract employers...not run them off!

Space is limited. Please call xxx-yyy-zzzz to register.

Career Services...Your Link to the Future

---

It reminds me of a post from XKCD - one of my favorite comics. I'm going to write it out now, because I want people to understand something...

Person A/Career Services: You should be more careful what you write. You never know when a future employer might read it.
Person B/Me: When did we forget our dreams?
Person A: What...?
Person B: (And this is the important part folks!) The infinite possibilities each day holds should stagger the mind. The sheer number of experiences I could have is uncountable, breathtaking, and I'm sitting here refreshing my inbox. We live in trapped loops... Reliving a few days over and over. And we envision only a handful of paths laid out ahead of us. We see the same things each day, we respond the same way, we think the same thoughts, each day is nothing more than a slight variation on the last. Ever moment smoothly following the gentle curves of societal norms. We act like if we just get through today, tomorrow our dreams will come back to us. And no, I don't have all the answers. I don't know how to jolt myself into seeing what each moment could become. But I do know one thing: The solution DOESN'T involve watering down my every little idea and creative impulse for the sake of some day easing my fit into a mold. It doesn't involve tempering my life to better fit somone's expectations. It doesn't involve constantly holding back for fear of shaking things up... This is VERY important so I want to say it as clearly as I can: FUCK THAT SHIT.

---

In short... What I write here is for me, my friends, my family, and anyone else who stumbles upon it. You can hold it against me if you really want. That's your loss in the end. It boils down to this, something that I have printed out in my wallet, that my grandpa and dad told me a long time ago:

"I am hired because I know what I am doing, not because I will do whatever I am told is a good idea. This might cost me bonuses, raises, promotions, and may even label me as "undesirable" by places I don't want to work at anyway, but I don't care.

I will not compromise my own principles and judgment without putting up a fight. Of course, I won't always win, and I will sometimes be forced to do things I don't agree with, but if I am my objections will be known, and if I am shown to be right and problems later develop, I will shout "I told you so!" repeatedly, laugh hysterically, and do a small dance or jig as appropriate to my heritage."

I have lived my life following societal norms, being what people want me to be, always holding back. I will continue to do it when I'm at work, when I'm out with friends, etc. But when I'm here, I am myself. I am at peace - and I will not hold back because I'm worried that some recruiter will reject me for being myself. I put my blog URL in my email signature - read the posts if you want. Don't if you don't. But don't ask me to change for you.

10 Things Your IT Person Wants You To Know

2008-02-21T14:29:00.000-05:00

1. If you ask me technical questions please don’t argue with me because you don’t like my answer. If you think you know more about the topic, why ask? And if I’m arguing with you…it’s because I am positive that I am correct, otherwise I’d just say “I don’t know” or give you some tips on where to look it up, I don’t have the time to just argue for the sake of it.

2. Starting a conversation by insulting yourself (i.e. “I’m such an idiot”) will not make me laugh, or feel sorry for you; all it will do is remind me that yes, you are an idiot and that I am going to hate having to talk to you. Trust me; you don’t want to start a call that way.

3. I am ok with you making mistakes, fixing them is my job. I am not ok with you lying to me about a mistake you made. It makes it much harder to resolve and thus makes my job more difficult. Be honest and we can get the problem resolved and continue on with our business.

4. There is no magic “Fix it” button. Everything takes some amount of work to fix, and not everything is worth fixing or even possible to fix. If I say that you just need to re-do a document that you accidentally deleted 2 months ago, please don’t get mad at me. I’m not ignoring your problem, and it’s not that I don’t like you, I just cant always fix everything.

5. Not everything you ask me to do is “urgent”. In fact, by marking things as “urgent” every time, you almost ensure that I treat none of it as a priority.

6. You are not the only one who needs help, and you usually don’t have the most urgent issue. Give me some time to get to your problem, it will get fixed.

7. Emailing me several times about the same issue in the same day is not only unnecessary, it’s highly annoying. Emails will stay until I delete them, I won’t delete them until I’m done with them. I will typically respond as soon as I have a useful update. If it is an urgent issue, let me know (see number 5).

8. Yes, I prefer email over telephone calls. It has nothing to do with being friendly, it’s about efficiency. It is much faster and easier for me to list out a set of questions that I need you to answer than it is for me to call and ask you them one by one. You can find the answers at your leisure and while I’m waiting I can work on other problems.

9. Yes, I seem blunt and rude. It’s not that I mean to, I just don’t have the time to sugar coat things for you. I assume we are both adults and can handle the reality of a problem. If you did something wrong, I will tell you. I don’t care that it was a mistake, because it really makes no difference to me. Don’t take it personal, I just don’t want it to happen again.

10. And finally, yes, I can read your email, I can see what web pages you look at while you are at work, yes, I can access every file on your work computer, and I can tell if you are chatting with people on an instant messenger or chat room (and can also read what you are typing). But no, I don’t do it. It’s unethical, I’m busy, and in all reality you aren’t all that interesting. So unless I am instructed to specifically monitor or investigate your actions, I don’t. There really are much more interesting things on the internet than you.

Citizen's Job

2008-02-19T11:42:00.001-05:00

I leave you with very simple words, good readers.

Every citizen has a job. This job is two-fold, yet very simple.

Obey just laws.
Disobey unjust laws.

That is all.

Wikileaks Gone?

2008-02-19T09:54:00.003-05:00

A California Judge (whose name I cannot find at the moment) has ordered the a host, Dynadot, to remove the DNS entries for Wikileaks because they posted information about tax evasion, money laundering, and other news (things that happened at Guantanamo bay for example).

How can this be seen as anything but un-Constitutional? Freedom Of Speech. They have every right to say whatever they want - especially if they have some proof (which if they site was taken down so quickly, you can only imagine must be true).

Best of luck to attorney Julie Turner (who is -supposedly- I have not confirmed this) working Pro-Bono for Wikileaks. We need you to win this case. For all of our sakes.

Edit: As an afterthought, anyone who uses DynaDot should move their sites elsewhere, in protest and because if they can do it to someone like Wikileaks, why would you think they can't do it to you?

The Caldari Prayer

2008-02-16T02:27:00.001-05:00

Our missiles, thou art in launchers
Hallowed by thy payload
Thy warhead come
Thine enemies be done
In low sec
As it is in Empire
Give us this day
Our daily gank
And forgive us our WCS's
For we won't forgive those that use them
And lead us not into bubbles
But deliver us from scramblers
For thine is the thermal
The explosive
And the kinetic, forever
EM

- The Caldari Prayer
- Unknown

Boiling A Frog

2008-02-07T13:14:00.000-05:00

I wonder if any of you will catch the meaning of the post before I explain it.

Citizens of the USA, we are being boiled like a frog.

Let's say you want to boil a frog.
You can try boiling the water and throwing the frog in. Frogs are amphibians though. And excellent jumpers, I might add. So what's likely to happen? The frog is going to hit the pot of boiling water, jump the fuck out, and hit you with its now boiling-water-covered-body and possibly cause the pot to come flying at you. Either way, not too an appealing outcome.

Lets try it a different way.
Put the frog in the pot of lukewarm water. They like lukewarm water. He'll prolly try to swim around. It's what they do. Then you start to heat the water up... The frog will continue to swim... Being an amphibian (and thus cold blooded) his body temperature will just keep rising with the water. Meaning he won't notice, nor care. Eventually, he'll be dead from the heat.

So, understand now?

We are being boiled like a frog.

Our rights as people in this country are being slowly eroded. They can't do it all at once, because we'd all notice and call foul. They can however do it slowly... So it appears they actually care. It all started with increased security at airports. They need to ruffle through your stuff and you can't bring certain things on board... The outcry? What outcry. They're doing it to keep us safe. Then they started to say that people could be held without bail for no reason. Again, minimal outcry, they're doing it to keep us safe. Then they said if you're called a terrorist you can be locked away indefinetely for no other reason. Then they say that the government can spy on your phone calls. Then they say they have the right to examine all your mail. Then they say if you're flying they're allowed to make bit-wise copies of your laptop hard-drives. Now they say that online community hosts (think Blizzard and World of Warcraft) need to provide ways for the government to watch communications because terrorists might be harboring there.

If they did this all at once, there's no way it woulda been let through. But they did it gradually. Slowly... And as a result?

We're in a nanny-state. They're watching our every move.

I say once again...

There are four boxes to use in the defense of liberty. Soap, Jury, Ballot, Ammo... Use them in that order...

Graduated

2008-02-07T13:12:00.000-05:00

I graduated.

Isn't that enough information? :P

If not...

Rutgers University, Class of 2008
B.A. in Mathematics
Overall GPA: 2.8
Mathematics GPA: 3.1

...Victory is assured!

Twilight Realizations Courtesy Boozes

2007-12-14T06:21:00.001-05:00

When you grow up, you realize that there isn't any Santa, but the monsters are still around. If only they were still big and hairy; now, they're dark and amorphous, and they're no longer afraid of the light. Sometimes they're the guy who climbs in the window and steals your television. Sometimes they're the guy who walks out the front door with your heart in his hand and never comes back. Sometimes they're the job or the bank or the wife or the husband or the boss or that dark, heavy feeling that sits between your shoulder blades like a backpack.

You learn that there are always terrible things waiting to grab you by the ankle, to pull you under, to get you with their long, horrible arms. And you lie in bed and look at the shadows on the ceiling and feel, under the covers, just for a moment, that you're safe. One more day alive.

-M

Resolve To Keep Our Freedom

2007-10-25T11:44:00.000-04:00

As the Glasgow "terrorists" so brilliantly displayed, anybody can be a terrorist. All it takes is a car, a bunch of primitive explosive, flammable material and the motivation to endanger human life.

In my view, after September 11th the United States should have responded by doing one thing: Passing regulations that ensure that the cockpits of passenger aircraft are unable to be accessed from the passenger carrying part of the plane.

That's a proportionate response to the threat.

In reality, the terrorist threat is a several orders of a magnitude less than being killed by heart-disease. It's my view that in any problem solving situation, you should seek to solve the worst problem first and the smallest problem last.

The problem from where I'm sitting is that billions are being spent on a tiny fraction of deaths that occur in our countries. Where are the billions of dollars of funding to research heart-disease treatment, improving car safety, cancer treatments or the plethora of other much more likely ways you'll meet your sticky end?

What makes this irrational reaction so much worse is that we're selling our rights down the river for a false sense of security. If somebody passes me in the street and decides they want to kill me, there is nothing the long-arm of the state can do to stop them. I will likely die and the fact the person who killed me will spend a considerable time in prison is of little solace.

There are enough nut cases in the world to ensure that the chances of being killed in such a fashion are always going to be none zero. We all choose to walk about the street with our heads held high because we're not going to let that threat intimidate us. So why are we being intimidated by nutters who want to kill not just one person but quite a few of us?

It reminds me of the story of an elderly women in Warrington interviewed just after the IRA bomb detonated there, killing a young boy. The reporter asked why she was still shopping despite a bomb going off and she defiantly replied: "The Germans didn't stop me shopping so the Irish certainly won't."

Defiance is not giving away your freedom. Defiance is refusing to give away your freedom even if you life is at risk. We only need to look at those brave monks in Burma a few weeks ago to see what real defiance looks like. We've lost our back-bone and passed all sorts of onerous laws because we're afraid. We're pathetic and afraid.

When are we going to stand up and say - "To hell with stupid incompetent security. I want my freedom and I want it now."

-M

One Senator Takes a Stand

2007-10-19T08:34:00.000-04:00

Chris Dodd, a senator and 2008 Presedential Candidate Hopeful took a stand against one of the articles I posted last night, the Telecomm. Immunity Act.

It is a little known fact that any act that enters the Senate gets voted on TWICE.

The first vote MUST be unanimous, it is a vote to do the real vote. If even one Senator says no, then the bill cannot move forward.
The second vote must be 50%+1 (if Veto'd by the president, then it must be a greater percentage).

Dodd has taken a moral and constitutional stand against the Telecomm. Immunity Act by saying he will NOT vote for it to be voted through. As such, the act will not be able to be voted on by the Senate, and will never make it through.

I commend Senator Dodd on his committment to the constitution and to American Liberties and Rights.

Articles for you all to read:
Dodd Places Hold
Daily Kos: State Of The Nation
Senator Chris Dodd Will Put A Hold On Telecom Immunity Bill

I urge all people to thank Senator Dodd through either a monetary donation to his Presidential Campaign, or through a phone call or letter. Failing this, at least leave feedback on his website.

In The News Today

2007-10-18T16:33:00.000-04:00

In the news today...
Telecommunications Companies Granted Immunity For Illegal Wiretapping ... In what can only be called a non-stunning turn of events, the Senate has agreed to give Telecommunications Companies immunity from constitutional clauses that prevent you from being spied on without cause. I am not talking about wire taps with Warrants (I am all for those). I instead speak of the following: FBI comes to phone company, says we want to hear what you're saying, phone company gives them access (for no reason, other than they wanted it). I do not understand how this is not a clear violation of our constitutional rights. Oh wait, I get it now. The Bill of Rights is no longer law. It is a "guideline" to be "interpreted" just like the Constitution. *rubs his temples* And don't give me this "If you have nothing to hide" bullshit. I am a legal citizen of the United States of America, the Constitution and Bill of Rights is there to defend my rights to freedom and privacy. Period. This is clearly a case of corruption and it angers me to no end.

The Daily Targum printed an article today surrounding the NJ Treasury Department scandal - 6 treasury members were caught taking gifts and kickbacks from un-named individuals, totaling over 65,000$. I will post a link as soon as I get it. The one quote that really struck me was this: "That's because the judge found that while there was evidence that the Treasury officials violated the department's code of ethics, such a violation alone is not a basis for a charge of official misconduct." So in short, they violated the code of ethics (read: they violated the law) but not enough to warrant any action from being taken. So in short, breaking the law is not breaking the law in the eyes of this judge. I wonder how much of that 65,000$ they had to give him to get him to back off.

Sigh.

I leave you, my dear readers, with this one thought.

There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty. Soap, Ballot, Jury, Ammo. Use them in that order.

-M, out.

Rutgers Pisses Me Off.

2007-10-18T09:53:00.001-04:00

Rutgers plays Florida State today. I don't know when exactly, but I they've already closed off a bunch of roads, parking lots, etc in preparation. In short, there are still classes today, but you'll have a bitch of a time getting to them. Also, your class may be cancelled by your professor. Mine wasn't. I'm just curious, what kind of image does this send to prospective students? "We don't care about Academics - cuz all people really are here for is sports". I just want to get to class god damnit. I don't care what people say. The money we're spending on a stadium could be much better appropriated towards classes that have been cut. What the hell kind of message is the state saying about education? Again, it's obvious they just don't care about academics. Sports is not the appropriate way to attract people to the school. All we'll end up with is more jock idiots, dragging the university down further. We need to show support for academics - that's the only way to make things work properly again.

Fucking Rutgers.

Bastard Professors

2007-09-30T17:46:00.001-04:00

Attention: Math department professors.

Do NOT assign homework on Friday that is due on Monday. Especially if more than 25% of the problems are "prove" or "show" instead of calculation. They're just NOT going to get done. Besides the fact that most people check on Wednesday before class and see that there is no homework posted and therefore there wouldn't be any homework posted after that day.

We do have other things to do with our time - and we will not chane our plans last minute to accomodate your ridiculous lesson plans.

That is all.
-M

Ramblings of a Gamer

Obama Wins The Nobel Peace Prize

Random Link

Feeling Guilty

What A Day, Hope The Week Is Better!

Thought For Today

547:202: Blog 03 (9/21/2009)

On Paperless Billing

2009 MTV VMAs

547:202 Blog 02 (9/13/2009)

Thought of the moment

547:202 Blog 01 (9/6/2009)

My Week So Far

My Day So Far

The Dutch

The State of the USA

End of Semester Report

Star Trek

Windows 7...

Grades So Far

Master of One (Or Maybe Two)

Song of the Moment (April Version)

Clothes

Testing and Updates

These are photos of my new desktop!

Status Updates

:)

I'm glad someone else noticed...

Inauguration Day

Song of the Moment

People who break the law

Risks

Banned From The Language?

4 Years

Christmas Shopping

Automtoive Bailout

Boreddddd at work...

Happy Thanksgiving! :D

Folding @ Home

Election

Passion

The Past

More Late Night Ish

The Last Post From MavericksEdge

Late Night Confessions

Personality

The Rook's Hawk

Apartment Listing

The US Government Makes Me Sick.

Recinarnation Placement Exam

Starfleet Crewperson

I've said it before

Halloween This Year

Song Of The Moment

Interview On Tuesday

This week sucks.

I Am A Warrior

Barr/Root '08

McCormick's Yearly Speech

late night ramblings

The TSA IS Helpful *gasp*

Comcast Support is horrible.

No Handlebars

Mission Objectives Accomplished

BlizzCon 2008

New Pictures

Writing Again

My favoritest sayings

I Almost Killed Someone Today...

Change

PSE&G Sucks.

Science is beauty.

Mission Objectives Unable to be Accomplished

Survey Time

Interview on Monday!

Obama, The Candidate for 'Change'

Time for a little whining

Boom De Yada!

My Friends, Songs Will Be Sung Of This Day

I Miss Home.

The TSA IS Helpful gasp