awesome !!1

Simpsons Evolution intro

"My Humps" by Alanis

Incredibly dumb creationists

This is the dumbest argument by creationists, what is amazing that anyone would take this as a useful point. Honestly, using opened cans of peanut butter as evidence, PLEASE! These people just need to say what theyre concerned about, namely that they see America having a moral quandary. These creationists live in a fairy tale world where history and evidence means little or nothing. I consider myself a follower of Intelligent design, but that means that I believe in the big bang and evolution. One can have faith while accepting physics, chemistry, biology, evolution, and mathematics. These creationists need to understand that even the ancients knew not to take the holy texts as absolute truth, only the most deluded or dumb took it for the absolute truth. The religions of the middle east were developed by people living largely nomadically, in patriarchal societies, were involved in frequent warfare. The texts of the middle east should be appreciated for the lessons and advice given, but we cannot allow ourselves to take them for the true history, especially when we have science to tell us how things work.

The End of College

So Im a senior on the edge of graduation. Im ready to move on to graduate school. Ive had my fun but I want to get my financial independence and do my own thing totally. Ive got lots of things to start saving for, house, cars, tuition for my own kids. My college years have left me very different than I was when I started as a freshman. I am much more technically adept, Im not afraid to repair appliances or furniture myself, and Ive stopped worrying about a lot of things that made me depressed on occasion. Ive learned a lot about my own body, what supplements will improve my skin, my moods, and overall health. Im a better cook through much trial and error. I think I understand women just a little better, but Im still lost. I have to say that Im a bit more pessimistic about the world than I used to be, probably because I know more about human history now. I know that the next three years in law school will fly by and Ill be an attorney before I know it, but I look forward to the life experiences that will come, I just hope that I know what to do somewhat when these things happen.

Linux video

If you are wondering about the current state of possibilities with Linux here is a cool video of video capabilities.

Drug Advertising & death in the US

Prescription drug deaths skyrocket 68 percent over five years as Americans swallow more pills

Geek humor

Awesome GUI

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid271543545/bctid422563006

The Boston Guerilla Advertisers for ATHF

Angry Vista Customer

This is what happens when someone has been pushed over the edge by a company...

Net Neutrality

"man constructs according to an archetype"

When Mireca Eliade said, “Man constructs according to an archetype” he was commenting on the underlying themes that all of our stories share. There are certain ideas and images that pervade the human consciousness and that manifest themselves when we tell stories. These archetypes are easily recognizable and depending on how they are used can instill fear, love, anger, or allegiance to a character or a real live leader.
I believe that archetypes are very much alive in our world today and that we cannot escape them. From history I see that every leader who has been able to grasp the power of the archetypal figures and ideas has been able to rally his respective people and do great or terrible things, but most importantly, that leader is remembered and becomes part of the collection of archetypes themselves. Man does not just construct his reality through archetypes, we live archetypes whether we know it or not. We create groups for ourselves with certain characteristics that we must meet in order to belong to said group. The characteristics make each individual adhere or identify to much older archetypes which evolve with men, but we can always find our way back to the original.
The Original figure of each archetype is immortalized and to varying degrees others come along and copy the actions of the original and make new the original, the power of that individual is strengthened even more by the underlying history of the archetype they fit into. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has several strong references to much older archetypes and it also creates a new category based on older ideas. The scientist Viktor Frankenstein fits into archetype of Prometheus, Viktor attempts to harness a power reserved for God and only regrets his actions when his fruits of labor destroys his life from the outside in. Viktor also becomes the original mad scientist who acts without considering the possible consequences or the morality of the action. In Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park, geneticists recreate dinosaurs from DNA sealed in frozen mosquitos, one character remarks that the scientists were so preoccupied with the idea of whether they could they didn’t stop to think whether they should. Ultimately humans have to deal with the most powerful archetype of God, we fear the power but we yearn for the power to create and to yield that power to control what is uncontrollable. We construct according to an archetype because we long to be gods ourselves, when we create a powerful idea we share some small part of that dream of being a god.

Existence and Power

How scary can it be to really realize that you exist? For so many of us we take it for granted and accept the distractions of modern life without really thinking about the mystery of our own individual existence, and what it means to ignore our senses and turn inward to ask, do I really exist, and furthermore for what purpose and why continue if I actually do exist? There is something to the question in that in asking whether I exist I do not cease to exist at least as far as I know.

A bit off subject but relevant is the question of why others feel power over others by controlling them in some fashion? Control through means of brainwashing, distraction, lies, leverage, training, etc... What need does control over others satisfy if satisfying at all? What effect would ensue if people who long for power stopped and thought about their need for power and control of others?
It is important that I make a difference between leaders and manipulators. There are leaders who lead because they care about the progress of their people/followers, then there are those who manipulate their followers to do their bidding and accumulate property or services.

What would happen to the world if tomorrow all of civilization had access to unlimited energy and food (through replication) eliminating the need to farm or ranch? Energy independence would bring down the number of jobs that employ energy workers in oil/gas/electricy. Farmers and ranchers would be nearly extinct except for people who wanted to grow gardens or live like their ancestors. It would remove a whole section of the worlds economy and perhaps stabilize some conflict areas.
With so many people in need of a job to serve as their purpose in life, we would need a new industry, something easily learned. Of course there will be people opposed to the change, even if it is for the greater good of mankind and the planet.

A headline in the Guardian

"Lawyers poised as US vote hit by technical glitches"
This disgusts me. I have no problem with ethical lawyers or trying to iron out voting issues, but throwing a rabid pack of party biased lawyers at each other trying to claim vote fraud on the other side is not going to solve anything and is an absolute waste of time and money from both parties and the population of the United States. These damn voting machines seem to be causing nothing but problems and the alleged tampering with computer code is unacceptable. Hijacking voting machines is absolutely unacceptable and the penalties are not harsh enough. It is a threat against our republic and threatens this nation ruled by the people. When a political party sees voter fraud as a means of holding onto power instead of working to satisfy the voters and keep their confidence we have lost our democracy and we have lost our way.  When this vote is over congress needs to harshen the penalties on vote fraud and have the same company that writes software for the Space Shuttle and life support systems in hospitals write the damn voting machine software. No glitches! Double check votes so that people can fix mistakes before submitting their ballot.  We need to remind more of our politicians and bureaucrats that they serve us and not we them.  There is little room for big egos in politics. I hope that more voters come to realize the difference between true leaders and egotistical opportunists.

The future of 3D video

A thought from the Movie Donnie Darko...

So I got to thinking about the thing Roberta Sparrow tells Donnie "Everything on this earth dies alone." I wonder if I will feel alone when I come to the end of my life.  I dont believe that I will, I believe that I will feel connected to the universe at the time I leave my body many years from now.  The beauty and the complexity of the universe tells me that the Universe was no mistake.  Perhaps we were created in order to give God an idea of what it is like to be an imperfect being, I wonder that since God is and ever shall be that the one thing he doesnt understand is what it is like to be mortal. It seems stupid even still cause I would imagine that He would know the feeling through Jesus or any other being He inhabited on earth.  The one thing that I truly dont understand about all life is why we were created.  I feel that it is a gift, but why create life in the first place?  Was God lonely? Did the Angels not serve as good as men and women might? I know that this is an answer that I am not meant to know until I have passed on.  And I may not care about the answer once I do, I may find solace in the life that I lived, the people I met, the children I will raise, the love that I will share.  The next time you want to appreciate your life, just drive out to the country and sit out under a clear sky and look into the sky and try to imagine all the 782 billion light years it takes to get from one edge of the universe to the other.  Think about all those stars and galaxies, the eternal race with time that all matter and light will encounter as it moves through the Universe serving its mysterious purpose to exist.  I find peace when I think about all that, when I see pictures of stars and other galaxies, when I feel the suns rays on my skin in the late afternoon or the wind touching my skin.  My oh my the repercussions of butterfly wings...

This is just too cool not to post...

Heres a little something that might blow your mind...

Frank Zappa on Crossfire