Note to self

Low Population Realms in World of Warcraft

2011-11-28T14:45:00.008-07:00

People are complaining lately about low population servers in World of Warcraft. Once the number of players gets below a certain level, people start transfering away, and fewer people decide to join that realm. These realms should be shut down and replaced.

For years, players have been opining about the good old days of classic vanilla World of Warcraft, Burning Crusade, now Wrath of the Lich King, and eventually they will remember Cataclysm fondly. And there are a number of players who artificially limit their character level (called twinking), often just so they can play thru that classic content at the level it was designed for.

So, we have two problems. I say we can solve both! Lets take the seven worst realms in population and transfer all the characters out. Then we rename them, and open them back up with whole new identities and purposes:

Pandaria PvE Realm. Open it the first day Mists of Pandaria comes out. Everyone starts out at the same level, flood of new people coming on to level the content together, would instantly be a first-rate realm.

Cataclysm PvP Realm. Permanent level cap of 85. Pandaren playable, but transport to Pandaria disabled. Not available unless players own everything up to and including Cataclysm.

Northrend RP-PvP Realm. Permanent level cap of 80. Mage portals reinstalled in Dalaran. Revoke Flight Master License (for Kalimdor and Eastering Kingdoms). Not sure what to do about level 80 Cataclysm zones. Realm not available unless players have purchased Wrath of the Lich King.

Sunwell PvE Realm. Permanent level cap of 70. Mage portals reinstalled in Shattrath. Boats to Northrend Disabled. No Death Knights allowed, but I see nothing wrong with Goblins, Worgen, or Pandaren. Open to all paid players, since BC now comes with vanilla game.

Azeroth PvP Realm. Permanent level cap of 60. The Dark Portal is deactivated. Flight Master License @ 60, no need to worry about Cataclysm zones. Absolutely no Death Knights allowed.

Valley of Trials RP Realm. Permanent level cap of 20. All Free Trial players would be directed here. This realm should be open to Goblins, Worgen, and Pandaren, regardless of whether Cata, MoP, or even regular WoW are owned or not.

Scholomance PvP Realm. Permanent level cap of 40. Okay, so this realm is the least likely to happen. I propose that this realm be free-to-play for any player who has already purchased WoW, but has allowed their subscription to lapse. This would prevent free-to-play twinkers from being tossed in the same pool as genuine trial players. I'm fine with limitations: no Blood Elves, Draenei, Goblins, Worgen, or Pandaren; only classic WoW race/class combos; no realm transfer, ever... as long as we can have guilds, mail, and/or an Auction House. One permanently available realm would be a very good enticement to lure millions of former players back into the game again.

There we go. Seven low population realms transformed into active realms with their own distinct identities. Plus people would stop bugging blue posters about vanilla or BC realms. Play the game however you like it!

Lurker

More National Elections

2011-11-26T22:13:00.003-07:00

For all the power the Federal Government has, there really is only one national office elected nation-wide, and that is only once every four years. That office is the President (with the VP as a package deal). Not nearly enough input from the voters, in my opinion.

Therefore I suggest that the office of the Vice-President be voted for separately, and every TWO years. So, instead of just voting for your congressmen (or not) on off years, a national vote for VP can be a national referendum on the party in power. Plus, it would add power to the office as a real heir-apparent, next-in-line, president-in-training. And it would be hilarious to split tickets.

The third national office (after POTUS and VP) would occur every four years, but staggered two years off from the POTUS. That office should be the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Yes, really. But, like the VP, he/she would only be allowed to vote in the case of a tie. Now at the moment there are 8 normal Justices plus the Chief, but 5/4 votes happen all the time. I also propose bumping up that number to 12 Justices plus the Chief Justice, making him the tie-breaker less likely. Could still work either way. Anyway, there are just so many issue voters (Abortion, 2nd amendment, gay marriage, etc) and all that weight is thrown behind Presidential selection, for good or ill, and his potential appointments to the court. Voters should be more directly involved in the process.

So, we have the President as the head of the Executive Branch, the VP as the head of the Senate and ostensibly the Legislative Branch, and the Chief Justice as the head of the Judicial Branch. And 2/3 elected every election year. These tweaks would make the national government much more representative and subject to the will of the American people. We are supposed to be a democratic republic, after all.

World of Warcraft Free-To-Play Twink Tiers

2011-07-04T16:13:00.003-07:00

This week Blizzard did something profound, and almost no one noticed:
They went Free-To-Play.

Well, kinda. People could sign up for free-trials to level up to a max of 20, but now those trials no longer expire. What does this mean? For starters, that I'm going to be playing again (mostly for Achievements). But also there will be a number of new twinks at level 20 (and possibly 19). Unfortunately there are a number of limitations that discourage twinking (profession caps, no trading or mail, etc) the main impediment for brackets under level 20 is the 10gold cap, the exact amount required to turn-off experience. I'm sure it can and will be done though

But, they should expand their free-to-play level-capped tiers beyond 20 to people who have actually bought the game:

Level 40 for Vanilla and Burning Crusade owners (since they combined the two anyway). Let them log in and play any character Level 40 and below. They would still have fast land mounts, BC enchants, and many armor sets from Scholomance to collect.

Level 60 for Wrath of the Lich King owners. There are still a few awesome level 60 raids and actual Tiers of armor sets. High incentive for BC owners to upgrade. And Death Knights for all!

Level 70 for Cataclysm owners who let their subscriptions lapse. This is the lowest level for Arena and to get to the bottom of talent trees. Tons of raids and armor sets at this level. Will whet the appetite of most WoW players and get them to pay for current end game content if they so choose.

The only difference between twinking and normal playing is that players choose the level cap instead of the developers.

No TV series should last longer than 2 prez terms

2011-06-12T11:40:00.004-07:00

Television shows continuing past their prime is a sad thing to see, almost like watching a beloved family member slowly succumb to Alzheimers or some other degenerative neurological disease.

So, I have a new rule: no fictional TV series should see more than two presidential elections. That way, no show would last more than 8 years, and some would last as little as 5, depending on when they started. After I list some examples, you will definitely agree with me.

Simpsons: 1989-1996(ongoing). Last season starting with "Who shot Mr. Burns". Peak!
E.R.: 1994-2000(2009). Season 6 was the last for most of the original cast.
South Park: 1997-2004(Ongoing). End with "Woodland Critter Christmas". Peak?
M*A*S*H: 1972-1980(1983). Last season with Radar. Peak.
Frasier: 1993-2000(2004). Season 7 ends with Niels and Daphne running off together. Peak!
Happy Daze: 1974-1978(1984). Season 5 coined the term "Jumping the Shark". Peak.
Smallville: 2001-2008(ongoing). Season 7 ends in the Arctic. Peak?
Stargate SG-1: 1997-2004(2007). Season 7 ends with battle in the arctic. Peak!
Friends: 1994-2000(2004). Season 6 finale- Chandler and Monica get engaged. Peak.
X-Files: 1993-2000(2002). Had it ended here would've been the best US Sci-Fi. Post peak.

Look at the above list of overlong series and I dare you to disagree with me on the majority! Possible exceptions not included above MIGHT be Cheers and Spongebob, and maybe not even then.

Lurker

Nebula, granddaughter of Thanos

2011-06-05T10:18:00.002-07:00

(Comic book lore discussion ahead, not for the faint of heart)

Alright, so Nebula (Space Pirate and would be galactic conqueror) was introduced decades back as the supposed granddaughter of the mad titan Thanos, lover of Death incarnate. This was immediately dismissed by Eros, Thanos' brother, as it was unthinkable that Thanos would create life since he was so obsessed with death.

Many years later, we learned that Nebula's father was (according to her) the Luphomoid villian Zorr that killed the predecessor of Nova and disappeared immediately after, presumed dead. Zorr also had a brother named Kraa that fought Nova, and should still be alive. And apparently a sister named Xira aka Spirit, according to http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/spiritdm.htm

Alright, so if we no that Nebula's father (and aunt and uncle) are all Luphomoids. Since Thanos is even less likely to have three kids than one, lets assume that Nebula is related to him thru her mother...

Who is the only character in the Marvel Universe that could possibly be described as the 'daughter' of Thanos?

Gamora.

Yes, that Gamora. Member of the Infinity Watch, sometime lover of Nova. Taken from the future and raised by Thanos to be the ultimate assassin way back in the 70's Adam Warlock series when Zorr was last seen alive. Assume a little accelerated aging due to alien physiology, and suddenly it all makes sense.

Nebula is the daughter of Gamora, adopted daughter of Thanos.

Mystery solved.

DH the Lurker

2011-05-22T10:47:00.001-07:00

Last time around, we fundamentaly changed elections with new tactics:

Money Bombs
The Blimp
Viral Youtube videos
Our own convention
Birth of the Tea Party
Virtual Marches (in World of Warcraft)
and so on and so on.

We need to reproduce this zany and creative grassroots tactics if we want to overthrow the Neocons and save our country!

Ideas:
November 5th (Guy Fawkes day) V for Vendetta event
Sky writing
Formal alliance with Log cabin republicans. San Fransisco march?
Declaration of Independence II
Ron Paul democrats in primaries (challenge Obama?)
Infiltration of sporting events and tv show audiences
crop circles and mazes
coast to coast march
underground comic book
Bar-hopping mobile debate groups
Fleet of Ron Paul vehicals: cars, semi-trucks, airplanes, train cars
Tap into the Arab Spring revolutions
Ron Paul Submarine to sail from Texas to New Hampshire

See, those are just off the top of my head. We can make this election feel like an actual revolution if we put our minds to it.

Ron Paul is no ordinary politician, why should he have an ordinary campaign?

Courting OBAMA voters by hook or by crook

2011-04-14T20:04:00.000-07:00

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?287761-Courting-OBAMA-voters-by-hook-or-by-crook

If we [I]honestly[/I] want Ron Paul to [I]win[/I] the Republican nomination, we need Independants... and Democrats.

This means we need to go after former (and current) Obama supporters, and convince them to vote for Ron Paul in the Republican primaries.

There are two methods to do this. The first is to convince them Ron Paul REALLY WILL bring the troops home from Iraq and Afganistan, legalize drugs, close Gitmo, restore civil liberties, and all the other things Obamaniacs hoped to change.

The second (and more controversial) method is recruit democrats to sabotage the Republicans by nominating the "worst" canditate that Obama could "easily" defeat. Want to assure a second term for Obama? Register as a Republican and vote for Paul! He has no chance at all!

These primaries hinge on such a small percentage of the population. We need every possible vote we can, and we have an extra half of the electorate up for grabs. This one-two-punch strategy can shift the balance further in our direction.

THE REVOLUTION CONTINUES!

Move US Capitol to Three Forks, Montana

2011-03-31T07:23:00.004-07:00

Washington D.C. is a monument to governmental waste, fraud, and abuse. If we really want revolutionary change, we need to abandon the Washington culture altogether and start over in a new location. We've already moved the Capitol from Philidelphia, to New York City, to it's current location.

I propose we move the new capitol out west, close to Three Forks, Montana. It is named after the three rivers named the Jefferson, Madison, and Gallatain that converge to form the headwaters of the Missouri (Mississippi) River. Already well named. Plus high in the mountains (already full of tunnels and secret bases) and far from the coasts, it is very defensible very hard for potential foreign armies to march upon. Unlike DC, which the Brits burned once already.

There are already three important freeways that converge on this area: I-90, I-15, and US Route 287. I-90 connects the northwest coast at Seattle to Spokane (Washington), Billings (Montana), Sioux Falls (South Dakota), Madison (Wisconsin), Chicago (Illinois), Cleveland (Ohio), Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany (New York), Worcester, Springfield, and finally Boston (Massachusetts). Already a very important trade corridor.

I-15 connects the southwest coast at San Diego to Riverside and Los Angeles (California), Los Vegas (Nevada), Provo and Salt Lake City (Utah), and eventually up north into Canada. This a newer corridor with lots of growth in recent years.

US Route 287 connects the the southeast coast at Port Arthur to Fort Worth, Dallas, and Amarillo (Texas), Denver (Colorado), and Yellowstone (Wyoming). It would require the most upgrading to serve as a national corridor.

The New US Capitol's proximity to the Yellowstone super volcano is quite intentional. Some terrible day in the next thousand years or so, the caldera is doomed to erupt once again, leveling everything within hundreds of miles. Our new capitol would share the same fate as Atlantis, instead of succumbing to corruption and decay, it would transform into a mythical ideal. Then we can create an even better capitol.

Lurker

Carving out New States from old ones

2011-02-08T17:19:00.006-07:00

We haven't added any new states for more than sixty years. While most of our states are 4 million or less, a few are monsterous in size (California is 37 million!). Most of these bloated giants have vast expanses of lightly populated territories governed by distant urban centers with completely different populations and lifestyles. And subject to the tyranny of the majority. We need to prune some of these giants down to a more reasonable size, more easily governable and representable by Governers, Senators, and other statewide offices.

So, proposed new states:

Southern California (Capitol: Los Angeles)
22.4 million

Northern California (Capitol: Sacramento)
13 million

Jefferson (Capitol: Redding)
1.75 million
Counties north of Sacramento: Del norte, Siskiyou, Modoc, Humboldt, Trinity, Shasta, Lassen, Mendocino, Tehama, Glenn, Butte, Plumas, Lake, Colusa, Sutter, Yuba, Sierra, Nevada, Placer, and El Dorado.

Long island (Capitol: Brooklyn)
7.5 Million

New York (Capitol: Albany)
from 19.4 to 11.9 million

Everglades (Capitol: Miami)
7.9 million
Counties south of Tampa: Manatee, Highlands, Okeechobee, Saint Lucie, Martin, Sarasota, Desoto, Charlotte, Glades, Lee, Hendry, Palm Beach, Collier, Broward, Monroe, and Miami-Dade.

Florida
formerly 18.8 million, now 10.9

Chigago
8.2 million
Counties: Cook, Dupage, Lake, Will, Kane, Kendall, Grundy, and McHenry.

Illinois (Capitol: Springfield)
formerly 12.8, now 4.6 million

Philadelphia
3.85 million
Counties: Philadelphia, Montgomery, Bucks, Deleware, and Chester.

Pennsylvania (Capitol: Harrisburg)
formerly 12.7 million, now 8.9

Cleveland
3.2 million
Counties: Ashtabula, Trumbull, Mahoning, Lake, Geauga, Portage, Cuyahoga, Summit, and Lorain.

Ohio (Capitol: Columbus)
formerly 11.5 million, now 8.3

There we go, this splits most of the states over 10 million in population, carving out 7 new states with distinct identities already present in one form or another.

Of course, the glaring omission is Texas, the second largest in population and area. Unfortunately, not only is there a rather strong identity in the state, but there are also over 200+ counties, making partitions frustratingly difficult.

Proposed Congressional Yearly Schedule

2010-12-19T15:47:00.004-07:00

One of the major problems with Congress is that it's members spends too little time with their constituents and too much time in Washington DC creating more and more laws they don't even have time to read.

So, I think we should revise the yearly congressional schedule that keeps each house in session for a week (5 workdays) at a time every other week, encouraging it's members to return home on a regular basis. Here's what it might look like:

Month, Week, (Holiday), Session.

Jan wk1 (3rd or later) Joint Session.
Jan wk2 Congressional Recess.
Jan wk3 (MLK Jr. Monday, Jan 20 inauguration) Joint Session.
Jan wk4 US House.

Feb wk1 US Senate.
Feb wk2 US House.
Feb wk3 (Monday: President's day) Recess.
Feb wk4 US Senate.

Mar wk1 US House.
Mar wk2 US Senate
Mar wk3 US House.
Mar wk4 US Senate.

Apr wk1-2 (Spring District work Period) Recess.
Apr wk3 Us House.
Apr wk4 (Arbor Day) US Senate.

May wk1 Us House.
May wk2 US Senate.
May wk3 Us House.
May wk4 US Senate.
May wk5 (Memorial day) Recess.

Jun wk1 Us House.
Jun wk2 US Senate.
Jun wk3 Us House.
Jun wk4 US Senate.

July wk1 (Independence Day Work Period) Recess.
July wk2 Us House.
July wk3 US Senate.
July wk4 Us House.
July wk5 US Senate.

Aug wk1 Joint Session.
Aug wk2+ (Summer District Work Period) Recess.

Sept wk1 (Labor Day) Recess.
Sept wk2 Joint Session.
Sept wk3 Us House.
Sept wk4 US Senate.

Oct wk1 (Target Adjournment) Joint Session.
Oct wk2 (Columbus Day) Recess.
Oct wk3 Joint Session.
Oct wk4 (Campaigning) Recess.

Nov wk1 (Elections) Recess.
Nov wk2 (Veterans Day) Recess.
Nov wk3 Joint Session.
Nov wk4 (Thanksgiving) Recess.

Dec wk1 Us House.
Dec wk2 Joint Session.
Dec wk3 US Senate.
Dec wk4+ (Holidays) Recess.

US House of Representatives and Senate in session 21 weeks max each, usually on alternating weeks. Any week with a Federal Holiday was given off for both Houses, or attempted anyway. This should maximize input from citizens, and minimize influence from Washington DC culture, since Congressmen would rarely stay for the weekend.

Lurker

Next Star Trek Series Crew

2010-12-03T15:12:00.005-07:00

By rank, gender and species:

Captain- Female Human: Must be better than Janeway
First Officer- Male Andorian: Founding member of Federation
Chief Operations Officer(s)- Androgynous Bynar twins: Ultimate Techies!
Chief Engineer- Male Human (Mirror Universe): Divergent timeline nobody uses?!?
Chief of Security- Male Romulan: Long history against Fedaration and Vulcans.
Chief Medical Officer- Male Human (Former Q): God complex built in!
Chief Science Officer- Female Cardassian: Major race w/o starring role.
Ship's Counsellor- Female Orion: Green woman with pheremone powers!
Helmsman- Female Human (Augment): Descendant of Khan!

Push it another hundred years past Voyager, and start exploring the Beta Quadrant. Federation civil war (rebellion by the descendants of the Maqui) would also be nice.

Lurker
(the show was entirely about sociology)

1583BCE: Year of the Santorini Eruption

2010-11-16T08:33:00.005-07:00

There is this ominous theory that tidal forces from the sun and moon can trigger earthquakes and volcanic eruptions:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Wikinaut/Moon-Earthquake-Theory

As some of you know, I have been working on a fantasy/mythology book titled Bastard Heroes. Anyway, I've been doing quite a bit of research on the Minoan Eruption of Santorini/Thera, one of the worst volcanic eruptions since the end of the last ice age. The volcanic island is just north of Crete in the middle of the Aegean Sea, and has some extraordinarily well-preserved ash-covered ruins that seem eerily Atlantean (they had running water and everything).

The date of the eruption is one of intense scientific debate, somewhere around 1600 BCE +/- 50/100 years. Quite a wide window, especially considering the effects it may have had on Greek, Egyptian, and Middle-Eastern histories. However, using the Tidal-Earthquake theory, I have found that the eclipse that occur ed on July 31st 1583BCE to be extraordinarily promising, since it goes right over Thera and Crete (zoom in on the Mediterranean):

http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/xSE_GoogleMapFull.php?Ecl=-15830731&Acc=1&Umb=1&Lmt=1&Mag=0

A total solar eclipse right over the supervolcano, within 17 years of the rough estimate of the date of the eruption? Good enough for me.

Lurker

Wheel of Time Arc Reading Guide (WoTARG!)

2010-11-13T09:20:00.010-07:00

Alright, so if you're like me you've read Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series many times over. It's insanely long (book 13 just came out), has waaay too many plotlines (6 major, 20 minor, and hundreds of sub-plots), and there are just 'some' sections you would rather skim over at times.

Well, I have a solution! During my last re-read, I broke down each book into 50,000 word segments, focusing only on 1 or 2 character/plotlines at a time. WoT made simple, as it were.

And this guide not only makes the reread a completely different experience, but it also functions as a timeline. Very handy for a quick reference.

Lastly, if the powers that be ever decided to put this massive story on screen as a long-form television fantasy drama series (the only possible way to make it work), each segment would be one episode, with a beginning, middle, and end. Total of four seasons, composed of about 4 books each. Much faster than Legend of the Seeker went. Anyway, here's the guide:

Episode(season/book/#) Title chapters
Lead- Plot
co-star- subplot(s)

s1b01e1 Emond's Field Prologue, ch01-ch09
Rand- intro, trollocs, history lesson

s1b01e2 Baerlon Ravens, ch10-17
Rand- on the run, Min, Nynaeve catches up, dreams, escape at gate
Egwene- becoming aes sedai

s1b01e3 Shadar Logoth ch18-20, 24, 26, 31-32
Rand- dagger, river, Whitebridge, Four Kings, exploding wall

s1b01e4 Wolfbrother ch21-23, 25, 27-30, 37-38
Perrin, Egwene- Elyas, Tinkers, Aram, Whitecloaks, captured
Nynaeve- tracking Rand, rescue Perrin

s1b01e5 Camelyn ch33-36, 39-41
Rand- Darkfriends, Loial, Logain, royal family, reunion

s1b01e6 The Eye of the World ch42-53
Rand- Ways, Fal Dara, Fain, Blight, Forsaken
Lan- Nynaeve, Malkier

s1b02e1 Fal Dara Prologue - ch06
Rand, Moiraine- Amyrlin arrives, horn stolen
Jaichim Carridin- Whitecloak plots

s1b02e2 The Great Hunt ch07-11, 13-17
Rand, Perrin- Quest, goodbyes, hunting, portal stones, Selene
Bayle Domon- flight from Illian

s1b02e3 Flight from the White Tower ch12, 18, 22-24, 29, 38-40
Egwene, Nynaeve- joining Aes Sedai, testing, ways, damane
Moirane; Bayle Domon- research; Seanchan

s1b02e4 Cairhien ch19-21, 25-28, 30-34
Rand, Perrin, Thom- got horn, get to safety, Illuminators, reunion, party
Padan Fain- Gives horn to Seanchan

s1b02e5 Falme ch35-37, 41-50
Rand- Stedding, realities, strategy, Mat blows horn, fight in sky
Egwene, Nynave, Min, Bayle- free Egwene, escape

s1b03e1 The Dragon Reborn Prologue - ch09
Perrin, Rand- Rand leaves, chaos wake
Nial, Carridin- Whitecloak fallout

s1b03e2 The Black Ajah ch10-23
Egwene, Siuan, Verin- consequences, healing, test
Mat- awakening, Lanfear

s1b03e3 The First Ship ch24-32, 37-39
Egwene, Nynaeve- dreaming, off to Tear, Aiel, captured
Mat- escape Tar Valon, Thom, gray men

s1b03e4 Illian ch33-36, 40-47
Perrin- Remen, Faile, frees Gaul, forsaken in Illian
Mat- Fireworks, letter, rescue mission

s1b03e5 Tear ch48-56
Mat, Nynaeve- captured, storming the Stone of Tear
Perrin, Rand- Faile trapped; Callandor and Belal

s1b04e1 Playing With Fire ch02-08
Perrin, Mat, Rand- Lord Dragon, bubbles of evil, Berelain, researching, romance
Elayne, Egwene- questioning Black Ajah

s1b04e2 Into the Doorway ch01, 09-15
Mat, Rand, Egwene- Lanfear, Trollocs, dead girl, dreamwalkers, news from home, Ogiers Oath, 3 questions
Min; whitecloaks; Seanchan- Elmindreda; Taren Ferry; The Return

s1b04e3 The Shadow Rising ch16-20, 27, 47
Perrin, Elayne, Thom- goodbyes to Lan and Moiraine, Sea Folk ship, attacked in the Ways
Min, Siuan- Breaking of the White Tower

s1b04e4 Rhuidean ch21-26
Rand, Mat- 3 wishes, history of the Aiel
Moirane, Egwene- manipulations; wise ones

s1b04e5 Homecoming ch28-35
Perrin- family dead, trollocs, whitecloaks
Egwene, Rand- Car'a'carn, dream meetings

s1b04e6 Revelations in Tanchico ch38-39, 46, 51-52, 54-55
Egeanin, Elayne, Nynaeve- a'dam, Seeker, new friendships, Compulsion, storming the palace
Jaichim, Liandrin- sieze Panarch's Palace, Black Ajah

s1b04e7 Goldeneyes ch40-45, 53, 56
Perrin- general, defending Emond's Field
Aram- Tinker's sword

s1b04e8 A Breaking in the Three-fold Land ch36-37, 48-50, 57-58
Rand- Imre Stand --> Cold Rocks Hold --> Alcair Dal; vs. Asmodean
Mat- The Hat, battle leader

s2b05e1 The First Sparks Fall Prologue, ch02-07
Rand, Egwene- Rhuidean, darkhounds, leaving
Elaida, Fain, Rahvin- Fain in the Tower, Forsaken meeting

s2b05e2 A Small Room in Sienda ch08-10, 13-18
Nynaeve, Elayne, Egwene- Forkroot, Sienda, dreamworld, circus
Liandrin- Mogedien

s2b05e3 Sallie Daera ch01, 11-12, 20-22, 26-28
Min, Bryne, Siuan- Persuit, Lugard, Nine Horse Hitch, Salidar
Rand, Mat- Jangai Pass

s2b05e4 The Far Snows ch23-25, 29-35
Rand- Shaido's trail, Avienda in Seanchan
Egwene- dreamwalker training

s2b05e5 Band of the Red Hand ch19, 41-46
Mat, Rand- The Second Battle of Cairhien
Morgase, Padan Fain- Escaping Rahvin, dagger in tower

s2b05e6 Encounters in Samara ch37-40, 47-49
Elayne, Nynave- Birgitte, Uno, Prophet, Galad, riot, boat

s2b05e7 The Fires of Heaven ch50-56
Rand, Mat, Egwene Lanfear vs Moirane, Caemlyn raid
Nynaeve, Elayne- Salidar, Mogedien captured, used

s2b06e1 The First Message Prologue, ch07-08
Elayne, Nynaeve- stilled allies, embassy, new weaves, dream lessons
Faile; Gawyn; Morgase; Forsaken- Two Rivers; Younglings; Amadicia; Shayol Ghul, Tel’aran’rhiod

s2b06e2 Lord of Chaos ch01-04, 06, 10-11, 16
Rand, Verin- Taim, seal, farm, Two Rivers girls, bonded
Sammael, Graendal, Semirhage- politics, truce w/Sammael

s2b06e3 Fire and Spirit ch05, 12-15, 29-30
Elayne, Nynaeve- bubble of evil, stilling study, restoration
Mat- dead tinkers

s2b06e4 An Embassy ch17-21, 23-28
Egwene, Rand- school, Ogier, waygates, embassy, Gawyn, Sea Folk

s2b06e5 Journey to Salidar ch22, 32-40, 44
Egwene- summoned, toh, journey, raised, consequences
Mat- Olver, Salidar

s2b06e6 The Crown of Roses ch09, 31, 41-43, 45-46, 49
Rand, Perrin- Min, Perrin, Loial, confrontation, fled
Morgase- Whitecloaks, plots

s2b06e7 Dumai's Wells ch47-48, 50-55, Epilogue
Perrin- Faile vs. Berelain, hunting Rand, gathering army
Rand- captured, boxed, breakout, AS bow

s2b07e1 The Butcher's Yard Prologue, ch01-06
Sevanna, Perrin- aftermath, return to Cairhien, worried for Faile
Elaida- reports, Black Tower, Fortelling

s2b07e2 The Figurehead ch08-12, 25-26
Egwene, Moghedien- Moggy' escapes, Lan sent to Nynaeve
Morgase- renounciation

s2b07e3 Swovan Night ch07, 13-19, 21
Avienda, Elayne, Mat- sea folk, sharing info; racing, ring, Bors, Tylin, Birgitte
Rand- expecting Elayne in Camelyn

s2b07e4 Promises to Keep ch22-24, 28-31, 37-39
Mat- apology, used, finding, golam, deal, Olver, Seanchan
Elayne, Nynaeve- apology, Kin, leading, Lan, golam, leaving

s2b07e5 A Crown of Swords ch20, 27, 33-36, 40-41
Rand, Min- Cadsuane, w/Min, seclusion, Sea Folk, rebels, fog, cut, bed, Illian
Sevanna- dispersal of the Shaido

s2b08e1 Unweaving Prologue, Ch01-06
Elayne, Avienda- Travel, conflicts, farm, bowl, seanchan, nuke
Ethenielle; Verin- Borderlanders; mind alteration

s2b08e2 The Path of Daggers ch12-14, 22-24, 27
Rand- versus Seanchan, Calandor, Casdsuane
Grendael; Cadsuane- New Alliances

s2b08e3 An Unwelcome Return ch15-20, 25-26, 28
Egwene; Seaine- camp, war declared, prep for siege, new Accepted; hunting Black Ajah
Elayne- murders, Camelyn

s2b08e4 Beginnings ch07-11, 29-31
Perrin, Faile- banner, Morgase joins, queen swears, Prophet, gai'shain
Rand- renegade ashaman

s3 (The World of Rober Jordan's) The Wheel of Time
Loial- the story thus far....
notes- before the breaking

s3b09e1 Winter's Heart Prologue, Ch01-06
Perrin, Faile- captured, robes, Aiel, Prophet
Siane; Elayne; Toveine; Rand- BA hunters; first sisters; Black Tower factions; false trails

s3b09e2 The Streets of Caemlyn ch07-12, 26-27
Elayne- damane, Black Ajah, assassin, dreamwalk, bonding, windfinders, Borderlanders

s3b09e3 Daughter of the Nine Moons ch14-21, 28-31
Mat- Looking for Inn, Golam, Tuon, escape plans
Tuon, Bethamin, Egeanin- Veiled; Seeker; escape

s3b09e4 With the Choedan Kal ch13, 22-25, 32-35
Rand, Cadsuane- Far Madding, trap, prison, negotiation, cleansing

s3b10e1 Time to Be Gone Prologue, ch01-04
Mat, Furyk- circus leaving, courting Tuon
Rodel; Valda; Gabrelle; Yukiri; Gawyn; Davram; Sumitsu Domani; whitecloaks; white tower mysteries; assasination attempts

s3b10e2 A Cluster of Rosebuds ch10-15, 28-29
Elayne- recruiting, bath, sea folk leaving, young lord and ladies, spies
Mat- Egeanin attacked

s3b10e3 Crossroads of Twilight ch06-09, 23-27
Perrin- chasing shaido, darkhounds, Aiel in Malden, So Harbor, ax in tree
Rand, Cadsuane- Resting, Loial, Logain, treaty w/Seanchan

s3b10e4 The Subject of Negotiations ch16-22, 30, Epilogue
Egwene- negotiations, cuendilar, investigations, black tower, dreams, captured

s3b11e1 Embers Falling on Dry Grass Prologue, Ch01-03
all White Tower- hunting BA; forkroot and novice; dissent; egwene's commands;
Galad; Rodel; Suroth; Galina- kills Valda; uprising; meets Perrin

s3b11e2 A Hell in Maderin ch06-11
Mat- Tuon, Zebra, Dead walking, the letter, gambling, attacked in street

s3b11e3 Siege ch13-20
Elayne, Arymilla- siege of camelyn, new forces, wet, avienda leaves, borderlanders
Rand, Loial, Nynaeve- marriage, 100K trollocs, Lan's long ride

s3b11e4 Knife of Dreams ch21-25
Romanda, Egwene, Tarna- bonding ashaman; seeds of dissent
Rand, Harine; Mat- Illian, logain vs windfinders; kissing Tuon, found by Band

s3b11e5 In Malden ch04-05, 12, 26, 28-30
Faile, Perrin, Galina- Seanchan alliance, escape plans, weak tea, betrayal & rescue
Tuon- Band of the Red Hand

s3b11e6 Prince of the Ravens ch27, 31-37, Epilogue
Mat, Tuon, Suroth, Furyk- seanchan after Tuon, marriage, battles;
Rand; Elayne, Birgitte- captured by BA, rescue, besiegers captured, becomes queen

s3b12e1 The Gathering Storm Prologue, ch01-06, 09
Rand, Avienda, Cadsuane- hard lessons
Egwene, Perrin- tactics in the tower; leaving Malden

s3b12e2 The Plan for Arad Doman ch07, 10-11, 14-15, 17, 21-23, 26
Rand, Avienda, Cadsuane- preparations, Semirage freed, true source, wise one
Perrin, Faile- remembering Brotherless

s3b12e3 Unexpected Encounters ch08, 12-13, 16, 18-19, 24-25
Siuan, Egwene- embracing pain, Egwene vs. Elaida
Gawyn; Tuon- desertion of Younglings; consolidation of power

s3b12e4 Night in Hinderstap ch20, 27-29, 31-33
Mat- zombie attacks
Nynaeve, Rand- trail to Grendeal

s3b12e5 The Tower Shakes ch30, 34-36, 38-41
Egwene, Gawyn, Siuan- Verin's legacy, raid by the seanchan
Mat, Tuon- help from Verin; meeting with Rand, raid launched

s3b12e6 Dragonmount ch37, 42-50, Epilogue
Rand, Min, Nynaeve- balefire, Tam, revalations
Egwene- aftermath, raised

s4NSe1 It Begins ch01-11
Moiraine- Fortelling, Elaida, searching, pranks, testing
Lan- Aiel war ends

s4NSe2 New Spring ch12-26, Epilogue
Moiraine, Siuan- Ajahs, flight, Cadsuane, warder
Lan- Kandor, pond, first love, Bukama, warder

Towers of Midnight and A Memory of Lighty to follow, about 7 arcs/episodes each, for a grand total of about 84 or so, depending on if more prequals are written.

And we're done! I plan on using this guide myself for my next read through. Also quite handy for determining what happened where. Feel free to steal and modify for your own use!

Lurker

Cosmic Avengers Line-Up

2010-11-09T18:58:00.003-07:00

Fans have been asking for Cosmic Avengers for years and years now. Unfortunately the closest we've come was Avengers Infinity. But there are tons of once and future Avengers that would fit perfectly on a cosmic themed team.

So here's my proposed line-up that feels the most Avengery (is that a word?) and connections to the Blue Area of the Moon (ideal base)

Ms. Marvel (Leader, Kree DNA)
Beta Ray Bill (Cosmic Thor)
Machine Man (Cosmic Iron Man, Monolith origin)
Major Victory (Justice becomes Cosmic Cap)
Moondragon (raised by Titans, Priestess of Pama)
Crystal (Inhuman Princess)
Captain Marvel (aka Hulking, the only Skrull Avenger)
Quasar (THE cosmic Avenger)

Too great many options. Potential members:
Hank Pym, Jocasta, Photon, Darkhawk, Starfox, Rick Jones, Sersi, Mantis, Swordsman (Cotati), Nova (dead), Jack of Hearts (dead), Deathcry (dead), Sentry (dead) and obvious new members like Skaar and Silver Surfer.

DH the Lurker

WoW Achievements: Vanity Sets

2010-11-08T17:53:00.007-07:00

Proposed Achievements for World of Warcraft:

Gear sets! Already many of these are collected for RP purposes, why not provide achivements as well! Since bonuses are gien for at most 4 pieces of the set, that should be the threshold for most of these:

Dungeon Set 1 (8 pieces) [10 points]
Dungeon Set 2 (8 pieces) [10 points] Quest upgrade of #1
Dungeon Set 3 (5 pieces) [10 points] BC dungeons

Zandalar Tribe set (5 pieces) [Feat of Strength] Zul'Gurub to be removed
Cenarion Circle set (3 pieces) [10 points] Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj
Brood of Nozdormu set (5 pieces) [10 points] Temple of Ahn'Qiraj

Tier 1 (8 pieces) [10 points] Molten Core
Tier 2 (8 pieces) [10 points] Blackwing Lair
Tier 3 (9 pieces) [Feat of Strength?] Formerly available from Naxxramas I
Tier 4 (5 pieces) [10 points] Karazhan, Gruul's Lair and Magtheridon's Lair
Tier 5 (5 pieces) [10 points] Serpentshrine Cavern, the Eye
Tier 6 (8 pieces) [25 points] Hyjal Summit, Black Temple, Sunwell Plateau
Tier 7 (5 pieces) [25 points] Naxxramas, the Obsidian Sanctum
Tier 8 (5 pieces) [25 points] Ulduar
Tier 9 (5 pieces) [25 points] Crusaders' Coliseum
Tier 10 (5 Pieces) [25 points] Icecrown Citadel

Arathai Basin Set [10 points]
PvP-Rare (6 pieces) [10 points] Honor Points
PvP-Epic (6 pieces) [10 points]
Battlegear (PvP) (5 pieces) [10 points]
Gladiator aka S1 PvP armor (5 pieces) [10 points] purchasable with Tier 4 tokens
Merciless Gladiator aka S2 PvP armor (5 pieces) [10 points] purchasable with Tier 5 tokens

There we go, over 20 new achievements! Thats not including all the potential vanity sets either.

Brewfest set (3 pieces) [10 points]
Winter Garb (3 pieces) [10 points] Feast of Winter Veil
Hallowed set (Hallowed Helm, Horseman's Ring, more?) [10 points]
Lovely set (Dress/Suit, Charm Bracelet, Bouquet) [10 points]
Festive Finery (red Dress/Suit) [10 points] Lunar Festival
Midsummer Reveler (3 pieces + Cloak of Ahune?) [10 points] Midsumer Festival
Noble Garb (Tux Jacket?, Tux shirt, Tux Pants, Spring Circlet, Egg Basket) [25 points]
Piligrim's Finery (Dress/Robe/Attire, Hat)

Lurker

2012 shortlist

2010-10-17T07:33:00.003-07:00

Presidential (& VP) candidates I would vote for in 2012:

Ron Paul (Texas Congressman)
Gary Johnson (Former Governer of NM)
Jesse Ventura (Former Governer of MN)
Judge Andrew Napolitano
Lew Rockwell
Pat Buchanan

There are more, but they are even more obscure, sadly.

How I would fix the economy

2010-09-12T08:10:00.004-07:00

Believe it or not, there are some things the government can do to grow the economy: mostly they boiled down to getting out of the way.

1. Decrease the minimum wage. Yep, make it lower. To about the level illegals and waitresses are paid, lets say $4/hr. This would mean that workers are cheaper, and therefore you can hire more of them! Having a sucky job with poor pay is better than no job with no pay, especially these days.

2. Decouple health care from jobs. No other country on earth has health care determined by their employer, its a stupid holdover from 1950's union policies. Scrap it, and suddenly competition skyrockets, because everyone is in the same 'pool'. Also means employers have one less hassle and should make it cheaper to hire more people.

3. Deregulate small businesses. We need jobs desperately, and we need them now. Regulations are stifling job growth, so we nix most of them. Notice a pattern here?

4. Scrap income tax, and replace with a Value Added (think Sales) Tax. Income taxes are insane, arbitrary, and demeaning. Punishing people who earn (i.e. work) more is blatant classism, and subject to political whims and strategy (like now, for instance). Eliminate the system and replace with two 10% sales taxes, one for 'normal' government, and the other for Medicare/Medicaid/social security (and this time put the funds in SEPARATE accounts). This way, everyone puts in their fair share by definition, and saving is actually encouraged! And, by separating out the social programs (and labeling them as such) we have a real reminder of how atrociously large a percentage it is of federal spending on ever receipt. Of course, that brings us to....

5. Slash federal spending to 2000 levels, at least. Remember when we had balanced budgets, you know, under our last democratic president? Would it really be so cruel to do now what we did then?

Well, that's the gist of it. You know the rest, bring home the troops from everywhere overseas, end subsidies, that sort of thing. Boils down to shrink the public sector, grow the private sector.

Lurker

The 14th Amendment

2010-08-05T11:35:00.005-07:00

Okay, so there have been some calls lately to 'adjust' the 14th amendment, which starts:

All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.
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.

For decades, this has been interpreted to mean that children born to 'unprocessed' immigrants (i.e. illegals) within the borders of the USA have been considered citizens. This has complicated the whole issue and led to the term 'Anchor Babies' because we wouldn't force a parent to part with thier child or send a minor citizen off to some terrible third world country, would we? And there are some pregnant mothers who come here for this very reason.

Now Republicans, in an effort to out-do one another, have come up with this bold idea to amend the Constitution to stop this practice and win points from the Tea Party movement in the process.

Firstly, I'm glad to finally hear mainstream politicians talk about the Constitution. That might encourage them to actually read it. I'm overjoyed to hear people talk about ammending the
Constitution, a tacit admission that government recognizes some kind of rules and limitations, and that there is an actual process to changing those.

Secondly, are they out of their minds?!? Illegal aliens are already an underclass with few rights and ripe for exploitation. And they want to make that class permanent? Whatever your position on the whole mess, at least the situation is limited to one generation. Children who are born here are fully citizens, the same as the rest of us. (I would change it so that anyone who survived and graduated thru high school should be granted the same status, but thats just me.)

But if children born here were not citizens of the United States of America, what would they be? Citizens of a country they had never seen? Nationless migrants consigned forever to the edges of society? Defacto endentured servants or slaves?

No, no, no. This idea is just so very bad. It would turn a temporary problem into a permanent one. Absolutely the wrong direction to go. I apprecieate the sentiment and the attempts at problem-solving, but no. Try again.

Lurker
(Why does no one talk about expanding LEGAL immigration?!?)

What the Tea Party is getting wrong: Immigration

2010-07-04T05:40:00.007-07:00

The Tea Party was flawed almost from it's very inception.

I should know, I was there. The backbone of the movement is the Ron Paul supporters who were sadly ahead of their time. After the election of Obama and his massive expansion of the already atrociously huge big government fostered by Bush, our opposition went mainstream, and the Tea Party was born.

Thus the problems began. The only rallying cry everyone could agree on was OPPOSITION. They were unhappy about the bank bailouts (started by Bush), became obsessed with taxes, and coalesced against the insane Obamacare, all the while somehow missing the underlying principal:

Cut spending, cut spending, CUT $PENDING!

Then Arizona just had to pass their anti-illegal immigration bill. Believe me, I understand the reasons, the frustrations, and justifications for the bill. I was even glad when it passed.

But immigration should have NOTHING to do with the Tea Party movement. Why? Because it is an inherent contradiction to the already confused Tea Party platform: it complains the government isn't doing enough.

Yes, it is a huge issue. But all of the solutions presented (Amnesty, guest workers, national ID, border security) are an expansion of government, whereas government has been the problem all along.

A sad truth is that one of human beings principal motivations is convenience. Lets say you have a goal that you wish to accomplish; with one path being legal but inconvenient (time/$$$/consequence/etc) and the other path illegal but much less of a hassle overall. Guess which path gets chosen more? The vast majority of people only follow the law when it is, at most, as inconvenient as breaking said law.

The solution to this crime (like most!) is to LEGALIZE it. Make it AS convenient to immigrate into this country as it is to trek across the 130 degree Arizona deserts (that should tell you something right there). Ten year waiting periods? Employment requirements ahead of time? No wonder people are so frustrated by the current system that they are willing to risk death and deportation to get here rather than absurd bureaucratic ineffectual nonsense. That which is illegal is unregulated.

Additional solutions: Lower the minimum wage (illegals already work for less, brings down unemployment). Decouple health care from employment (legal employees cheaper to higher). Combine slimmed-down immigration offices with border posts (make the maze of bureaucracy a physical one, lasting minutes not years). The real solutions are LESS government.

Sadly, the Tea Party as it is today is incapable of this or any nuance. Therefore, they should just drop the issue altogether, or have a congruent organization rallying around this issue. Combining the messages of 'down with big gov' and 'gov screwing up' are just too confusing and alienate the movement even more.

Drop it, not helping.

Open letter to JD Hayworth running for Senate against McCain

2010-04-16T07:27:00.002-07:00

Dear J.D. Hayworth,

You have declared war on big government "conservatives" by challenging McCain.

Start acting like it.

You need the following endorsements to get traction with the Tea Party movement:

Tucker Carlson

Pat Buchanan

Lew Rockwell (of LewRockwell.com)

Judge Andrew Nepolitano

Gov. Jesse Ventura

Gov. Gary Johnson (of New Mexico)

Barry Goldwater Jr.

Ron Paul and the rest of the Liberty Caucus

Main issues where you and Tea Party are in sync:

Anti-Tax

Anti-Bailouts

Anti-Cap & Trade

Anti-Obamacare (must apologize for 2003 Prescription Drug vote)

Pro-Constitution (must apologize for expansions of executive power)

You were swept into office in the '94 revolution, lost your way, and kicked out of office in 2006 for turning away from the principals of limited government along with the rest of the Republicans.

You are the poster boy for what the Republican party had become.

You have to show us that you "get it".

Stop trying to out-republican McCain, he has no principals and will say anything. You must take on the big government Washington beltway "conservatives" he represents, expose them for what they are.

Make this fight about the heart and soul of the Republican party. Start talking about the 9th and 10th amendments, not just the 2nd. Start talking about actual spending cuts and not just tax cuts. Put your Social Conservatism in a box because it's not going to win you any new voters.

I can help you become the national Tea Party spokesman that Palin is not. All you have to do is stop addressing issues and start addressing principals. If you want McCain's seat you have to rise to his stature.

The Tea Party is another American Revolution. Become our Patrick Henry.

"Give me liberty, or give me death!"

DH the Lurker

Battlestar Galacta: Who should've been the Final Five

2010-04-06T10:19:00.003-07:00

Battlestar Galactica (the modern Sci-Fi channel version) was a masterpiece of characterization and complex multi-year storytelling. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend watching it, and not reading the rest of this entry until you do.

*Spoilers*

Okay, so at the end of season 3 they revealed Saul Tigh, Chief Galen Tyrol, Samuel T. Anders, Tory Foster, and half-way thru season 4 Ellen Tigh. Now half of these were interesting choices character-wise, but I think they could've done alot better. So here are who I thought shoul've been revealed as the Final Five:

1. Admiral Helena Cain: An amazing character, considering she was in all of 3 episodes and 1 tv movie. Would've had repercussions with the entire main cast. Imagine her running the cylon armada.... terrifying.

2. Lt. Daniel "Bulldog" Novacek: Okay, very minor character. But a great actor from an amazing episode that was never followed up on.

3. Tom Zarek: The super-villain waiting in the wings. Never really had his moment to shine.

4. Dr. Sherman Cottle: Loved this supporting character. Held the power of life and death over almost the entire cast at one point or another. Oddly kept several peoples' secrets over the course of the show (cancer, parentage, etc).

5. Zak Adama: Revealed as the final cylon, Adama's dead son would have brought the series full circle. Apollo's brother, Starbuck's fiance... and it would basically have been a brand new character in a show that had been killing off mains left and right.

All right. Just thought I'd share my thoughts.

Good things about the Health Care Bill

2010-03-29T06:33:00.003-07:00

Attention fellow Tea Partiers, Revolutionaries, and members of the Rebel Alliance. There are a few (a very few) good things to come out of the egregious Health Care Insurance legislation recently signed into law (grumble). Namely:

1. Insurance carriers can no longer drop you after you get sick. Say what you will, but one of the few proper roles of government is the enforcer of contracts. Your contract with insurance companies of any stripe is that you pay into the system with the understanding that if the unforeseeable happens, then one is financially covered, so to speak, and able to return to the status quo. It was and is outrageous that they only looked for and exploited loopholes after their services were required; other insurance companies don't get away with that... very often.

2. The end of big government republican Mitt Romney's political career. He signed the abysmal health care legislation that is tanking Massachusetts. The current Republican platform is totally anti and repeal, leaving no room for anyone remotely for it. Thank goodness. He would have guaranteed Obama another 4 years.

3. The Republican platform has almost become the Tea Party platform. Lower the deficit, limit and repeal big government programs, respect the Constitution, and the dropping of social conservatism (we'll see how long that lasts). We must join party leadership positions to crystallize and make permanent these planks in the platform.

4. The electorate is energized. Both sides have been rallying the troops for what seems like a year, getting everyone informed*, involved, and gearing up for the midterm election (where turnout is usually much lower than average). A healthy republic, depends on citizen participation, and their veto power.

So you see, it is not all bad. Demoncrats have been exposed for what they are, and all pretense of civil liberties have gone out the window.

Time for a revolution!

Lurker

Crazy Wheel of Time theories

2010-03-06T08:05:00.002-07:00

1. Egwene's obsession with Gawyn is a distraction, and will eventually end up with Galad instead. There have been too many jokes about the Amyrlin marrying the top Whitecloak (mentioned at least twice). The two organizations ally (perhaps they all become warders).

2. The man in white that Berelain ends up with is Rhuarc (there was something between them after all.) Rhuarc will be wearing white because he'll become permanent Gai'shain like many of the others (returning to the Way of the Leaf and all that). Mayene is on the edge of the Wetlands. The waterless sands are likely to become home to surviving Aiel when the world breaks anew.

3. Last but not least: Davram Bashere killed Asmodean. The OBVIOUS hint that RJ was referring too was the wine. The last chapter of book 5 was out of order. Asmo dies in the wine cellar. Bashere first appears to Rand carrying a bottle of wine, which he had to get himself since there were no servants. Every book Bashere is drinking wine just to make it more blatant. He's a Darkfriend (possibly Demandred), and expect complications with Faile and Perrin.

4. Last battle begins the instant Rand, Mat, and Perrin are in the same place. This hasn't happened since Bk4 in Tear! That's the reasoning behind the color swirls and the tug towards eachother.

5. Sammael did not die in Shadar Logoth. No body, no proof. Moridin saved him?

6. Morgase will be turned by the 13x13 Darkfriend recruiting circle. Poor Elayne, Gawyn, and Galad.

7. Cadsuane retires and joins the Kin after the last battle (only one old enough to get any rank).

8. Rand dies and takes over Moridin's body. I wonder who he was before Ishy took that body over...

Lurker

End the Wars, Pay Down the Deficit

2010-02-05T21:06:00.006-07:00

We the people are spending trillions of dollars on undeclared wars and policing the world.

Who thinks this is a good idea? Constitutional? Moral? Sustainable?

The Democrats were elected on an anti-war platform and are looking for something to cut that isn't a sacred entitlement. The Ron Paul Revolutionaries (the backbone of the Tea Party movement) are vehemently anti-deficit and in favor of a drastic reduction in military spending.

The time is now for the next stage in the Revolution.

The Federal Budget under Obama is way over a trillion dollars in the red this year and for many to come. Something has to give. Actually, many, many things have to give. But bringing the troops home from Iraq (125,000+), Afghanistan (~50,000), Germany (~57,000), Japan (~33,000) , Korea (~27,000), Italy (~10,000), UK (~10,000), and thousands more in dozens of other countries is a good start. Iraq and Afghanistan, say what you will, are not in any way the slightest overt military threat to us or their neighbors. And what's with all the leftover troops in the former Axis powers? Really? Not really a threat anymore, right? Now Korea is a whole 'nother issue, but even there I'd say our leaving would do more good than harm, leading to reunification sooner and ending that whole 60 year standoff behind us.

The purpose of the military (well, ours at least) should be very straight forward: a rapidly deployable destructive force pointed towards things you want to blow up and die. They aren't supposed to be nice, they are the exact opposite of politically correct, and anytime you have them trying to win over 'hearts and minds' instead of engaging the enemy... objectives become insubstantial and moral suffers.

Support our troops: bring them home. Stop bailing out the world.

Lurker

Bystander to a Crime Against Humanity

2010-01-28T09:03:00.009-07:00

You'll have to forgive me. This is an issue that is extraordinarily personal, explosively controversial, and something I am both embarrassed and passionate about.

I am a victim of a crime akin to rape.

There, I thought that might get your attention. Even worse, this crime was child abuse, of a type that happens to billions of boys and girls across the planet. Worst of all, and this is something I may never forgive myself for, I was unable to prevent it from happening to my little brother and even my own nephew, because I was too ashamed to speak out. What is this horrendous crime, you might ask?

Circumcision.

There, I said it. And your reaction was to probably close this page, blush, laugh, *eyeroll*, dismiss, or something involving your eyebrows.

I am not kidding, not even a little bit. Amputation of the most sensitive erogenous zones on the human body, without consent, is almost worse than rape.

You'll notice I seem to be unfairly lumping male circumcision in with the recognizable atrocity that is FGM (female genital mutilation). They have the same means (removal of tissues with equal or greater sensitivity than our lips and fingertips) and, originally, the same goal (enforced sexual repression by elders). Both are monstrous atrocities perpetuated across countless generations.

Circumcision rates in the USA are dropping since their height in the eighties (when I was born, unfortunately). Instead of being taken for granted, now we give mothers and fathers a terrible choice: harm your newborn baby or have him be different from everybody else.

I find this question to be offensive by its very nature. I know all of the so-called reasons for and against. Completely Irrelevant. Routine Infant Circumcision (RIC) is evil not because it amputates healthy tissue and scars someone for life, as bad as those are. No, the heart of the issue is consent, or rather, the lack of it.

Their body, their choice. There is nothing so personal as ones sex life, and parents are making irrevocable anatomy decisions so the kid can look like his Dad? Really? I guarantee no adult getting this operation has placed that particular metric high on their decision list.

Circumcision of minors (who cannot give consent) should be made illegal. You heard me, illegal. There is no justification whatsoever for imposing this life-altering operation on a child legally unable to give consent and oblivious to the consequences. No, not even religious (I'm talking to you, Jews and Muslims). If an individual chooses to get circumcised after they turn eighteen, that is their business, and their right. Afraid they might choose otherwise? Why, that is exactly the point.

Individual choice, to live ones life as they see fit. You know, one of the cornerstones of our society.

I, myself, would have chosen otherwise.

Lurker

Wheel of Time chapter arc reading guide

2010-01-04T15:29:00.023-07:00

Okay, so you want to start reading the massive Wheel of Time series consisting of 14+ books, a dozen primary characters, thousands of minor characters, 3 dozen plotlines, and by the end about 5 million words.

A bit daunting, to say the least.

So, on my last read-thru of the series, I set about to create a way of keeping everything straight. Originally, I constructed a timeline that would enable a network to produce TV episodes at the same rate events were happening in the books. Yes, squish 14 novels into the span of 3 and a half seasons of television (and that's still not compressed enough).

Long story short, I chopped up the series into little digestible bites, or arcs, if you will. Each arc has one obvious protagonist, one or two sub-plots (or thereabouts), and a beginning, middle, and resolution.

I made it easy. And if anyone ever dares to do a Wheel of Time television series, I can assure you this would be the episode guide they would follow.

And a completely different experience for WoT fans who've read it forwards and backwards already. Or if they want to skip those... less satisfying characters/plots.

Well, seeing is believing:

*Cut!* For the new guide, see:
http://astralspirit.blogspot.com/2010/11/wheel-of-time-arc-reading-guide-wotarg.html

Lurker

The Republican Party needs only one tentpole

2009-11-17T05:40:00.011-07:00

The way our electoral system is set up in America, there will always be two major parties, each trying to reach just over 50% of the populace. As such, strange bedfellows are all but a given (union workers & environmentalists, big business & religious conservatives, etc). This alliance on the Republican side is fracturing, and if things are not changed they will become the next Whig Party, and lost to history.

The Republican Party needs to stand for something, and they haven't in a looong time. Right now, the only thing keeping them together (and the Tea Parties as well) is standing against something: Barack Obama's agenda. Every so-called principal was abandoned during the Bush era, with the final nail in the coffin was the selection of presidential candidate John McCain, whose platform was reduced to "Lookit me, I'm a Veteran" and "Earmarks ur bad" and then 'suspending his campaign' to vote for the bailouts. If he'd stood up to Bush and voted against that egregious pork-filled government intervention in the marketplace, he might've won.

So, now the GOP is doing some soul searching. Well, better late than never. There is one thing, and only one thing that can save this party. One principal that can garner support from the unease and opposition to Barrack Obama, recruit young people, and do an end run around Rush Limbaugh fans without alienating them. What is this radical new idea, you say?

Fiscal Conservatism. Remember that?

Yeah, I know. Crazy idea. But wait, aren't Republicans for "tax cuts"? Ostensibly. But do you know what's even better than "tax cuts"? Spending cuts! Because cutting government revenue and increasing spending ('cause who's against that?) leads to... huuuge deficits. Which now threaten to destroy the country.

Actual fiscal conservatism means reducing the size and scope and spending of the federal government. No new spending, no more bailouts, no more entitlements, no more endless undeclared wars. We need to start rolling everything back, and certainly stop adding to the problem.

Nobody in my generation expects to have Social Security. It's a pyramid scheme. Phase it out. Anyone born in the 1960's gets 50% benefits, 70's get 25%. Boom. Done. Next.

Bring the troops home from Iraq, Afghanistan, North Korea, Germany, Japan, and the rest of the freaking planet that can support itself yet we defend on our own dime. And stop all that foreign aid, real allies don't need bribes.

For goodness sakes, return issues like health care and education and illegal drugs to the states. See, they have to have balanced budgets. Many states will be able to figure something out, and other states will follow suit or people will move there themselves.

Stop all the fascist market regulations. Yes you read that right. The federal government requiring you to buy goods and services is horrendous. Shouldn't we have a freer marketplace than, say, China?

Do tax reform last. You read that right, LAST. We have tens of trillions of dollars in debt, and hundreds more in unfunded mandates. Take care of those first. For too long Republicans have done a targeted 1% tax cut and allowed 5% more in spending, and called themselves fiscal conservatives. This ends now.

Whatever your position (pro/anti) for the War on Terror/Drugs/Poverty/What-have-you, or abortion, school prayer, and so-called family values (insert definition here)... if we don't stop this monstrous federal growth and spending those other issues won't really matter because we won't have a country left.

Lurker
(Gary Johnson 2012)

Tea Party Health Care Reform Platform

2009-08-22T11:44:00.009-07:00

As a long time proponent of limited government, a supporter of Ron Paul during his 2008 presidential campaign, and now an active participant in the Tea Party protests, I figured it is about time I lay out my health care positions. Even better, I'm going to simplify the counter-arguments against the Democrat/Obamacare proposals to only five basic precepts.

1. We can't afford it.
The federal government is spiraling towards bankruptcy. With all the bailouts, the falling revenues, overseas adventures, and countless social services, we literally can't afford to spend any more money. We're spending more than 100 billion dollars a month than we're taking in (or printing). We can't afford what we have now, and we want to spend more?!? If anything, we need to CUT SPENDING dramatically.

2. Tort Reform.
Doctors perform unnecessary (and expensive) tests so they don't get sued. They charge more to pay for malpractice insurance. We need an overhaul of the legal system so doctors can do what they think is best for the patients instead of covering their rears. If a doctor screws up he should lose his certification.

3. Lower costs by tossing regulations.
You can't buy health insurance across state lines, which reduces competition and keeps prices up. You can't go to unlicensed practitioners (who would be less expensive). Natural foods with legitimate health benefits are prohibited from advertising them at all by the FDA. Importing drugs from outside the country is illegal, and prescription drug companies have lobbied Congress for decades for "regulations" that keep competitors out and prices high. Countless mandates and regulations are stifling and overpowering free-market forces, creating burgeoning bureaucracies and inflating prices. Legalize drugs while your at it!

4. End subsidies that increase costs/rationing.
Medicare, Medicaid, Prescription Drug Benefits, even the VA are all making health care more expensive for the rest of us. This is because they pay up the maximum amount for services, patients get as much care as they can because they aren't paying for it (directly at least), and payments are immune to market forces so potential competitors cannot compete and prices stay high. So naturally the Democrats want to throw more government money into the pool, increasing the demand (but not the supply), which will inevitably lead to lines and rationing. Instead we need to prevent new people from going on these expensive programs, fulfill our obligations to people already on them, and eventually dismantle them entirely, and let the free market fulfill this obviously high demand for services.

5. Maximize choice and personal freedoms.
I cannot conceive of anything more small scale and local than my own body. Abandon all Federal oversight and turn the whole mess over to the states/counties/cities where people can vote for whatever crazy regulations they think they want, see what works, and flee the region when it all comes crashing down in flames. Will Democrats really want Conservatives making health determinations for them when they're back in power? Its my body, and 90% of the time I'm going to know whats best for me, not some distant bureaucracy.

Lurker

http://www.campaignforliberty.com/article.php?view=172
http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul339.html

Warcraft Level Brackets

2009-07-24T07:01:00.007-07:00

In the last patch, WoW is enabling experience in Battlegrounds, and also allowing experience to be turned off. The second change in particular can have extraordinary repercussions. Leveling since WotLK has been very easy, and tons of content is being bypassed so people can get to 80 ASAP. But with experience turned off, all the old content can come back into play as people try to be the best level 60 or 70 (or whatever) they can, and see the extensive but until now irrelevant (gearwise) old content once more.

BLIZZARD needs to take this idea and run with it, and not just with Battlegrounds. Arena brackets, instances, tournaments, quests, item level and quality... If people are not leveling, they are gearing out up and exploring the content. So here's what I think the revamped level brackets should be:

1st. [01-10] One Talent.
Journeyman skill level
1 Battleground. New: Warsong Gulch
8 new Zones: Durotar, Tirisfal Glades, Mulgore, Eversong Woods, Elwynn Forest, Azuremyst Isle, Teldrassil, Dun Morogh
Instance: Ragefire Chasm
No sets?

2nd. [11-20] 3 talent tiers. Mounts!
Expert Skill level
2 Battlegrounds. New: Arathi Basin
9 new zones: Loch Modan, Westfall, Bloodmyst Isle, Darkshore, Ghostlands, Silverpine Forest, The Barrens (split in Cataclysm). Redridge Mountains, Stonetalon Mountains.
3 new instance: Wailing Caverns, The Deadmines, Shadowfang Keep,
Sets: Defias Leather (Deadmines), Embrace of the Viper (Wailing Caverns)

3rd. [21-35] 6 talent tiers.
Artisan Skill level
2 Battlegrounds.
6 new Zones: Ashenvale Forest, Duskwood, Wetlands, Hillsbrad Foothills. Thousand Needles, Arathi Highlands, Desolace, Alterac Mountains, Stranglethorn Vale
9 new instances: Blackfathom Deeps, Stormwind Stockade Razorfen Kraul, Gnomeregan, The Scarlet Monastery (4 wings: Graveyard, Library, Armory, Cathedral), Razorfen Downs
Sets: Chain of the Scarlet Crusade (Scarlet Monastery).

4th. [36-45] 8 talent tiers. Fast Mounts!
Master skill level
2 Battlegrounds.
7 new Zones: Dustwallow Marsh, Badlands, Swamp of Sorrows, Hinterlands, Feralas, Tanaris, Searing Gorge
5 new instances: Uldaman, Zul'Farrak, Maraudon, Sunken Temple of Atal'Hakkar, Blackrock Depths
Sets: The Gladiator (Blackrock Depths)

5th [46-50] 9 talent tiers
6 new Zones: Blasted Lands, Azshara (reduced in cataclysm), Felwood, Un'goro Crater, Burning Steppes, Western Plaguelands
6 new instances: Dire Maul (3 wings: East, West, North), Lower Blackrock Spire {10-man}, Scholomance, Upper Blackrock Spire {15?-man},
Sets: 4 Scholomance sets, Ironweave Battlesuit (Blackrock Spire), Dungeon Set 1 & 2

6th [51-55] 10 talent tiers.
3 Battlegrounds. New: Alterac Valley.
5 new zones: Eastern Plaguelands, Winterspring, Moonglade, Silithus, Deadwind Pass
6 new instances: Stratholme, Zul'Gurub {20-man}, Molten Core {40-man}, Blackwing Lair {40-man}, Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj {20-man}, Temple of Ahn'Qiraj {40-man}
Sets: Tier 1 (Molten Core). Tier 2 (Blackwing Lair). Tier 3? The Postmaster (Stratholme), PvP-Rare set. Arathi Basin sets. Zandalar Tribe set (Zul'Gurub). Cenarion Circle set and Brood of Nozdormu set (Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj). Tons of Leatherworking sets.

7th [56-60] 11 talent tiers. Burning Crusade! Death Knights!
Grand Master skill level
3 Battlegrounds.
3 new zones: Hellfire Peninsula, Zangarmarsh, Terokkar Forest
6 new instances: Hellfire Citadel (2 wings: Hellfire Ramparts, The Blood Furnace), Coilfang Reservoir (2 wings: Slave Pens, The Underbog), Auchindoun (2 wings: Mana-Tombs, Auchenai Crypts)

8th. [61-65] 12 Talent tiers. Flight.
4 Battlegrounds. New: Eye of the Storm
3 new zones: Nagrand, Blade's Edge Mountains, Caverns of Time
9 new instances: Caverns of Time (2 wings: Escape from Durnholde Keep, Opening the Dark Portal), Auchindoun (2 wings: Sethekk Halls, Shadow Labyrinth,), Coilfang Reservoir: The Steamvault, Hellfire Citadel (2 wings: Shattered Halls, Magtheridon's Lair {25-man}), Karazhan {10-man}, Gruul's Lair {25-man},
Sets: Tier 4 (Karazhan, Gruul's Lair and Magtheridon's Lair). PvP-Epic set. Zandalar crafted sets. BC Uncommon crafted sets?

9th. [66-70] 13 talent tiers! WotLK! Fast flying mounts!
4 Battlegrounds.
5 new zones: Netherstorm, Shadowmoon Valley, Howling Fjord, Borean Tundra, Isle of Quel'Danas
12 new instances: Tempest Keep (4 wings: The Mechanar, The Botanica, The Arcatraz, The Eye {25-man}), Magisters' Terrace, Zul'Aman {10-man}, Coilfang Reservoir: Serpentshrine Cavern {25-man}, Caverns of Time: Battle for Mount Hyjal {25-man}, Black Temple {25-man}, Sunwell Plateau {25-man}. Utgarde Keep, The Nexus.
Sets: Tier 5 (Serpentshrine Cavern and The Eye). Tier 6 (Hyjal Summit, Black Temple and Sunwell Plateau). Dungeon Set 3. Gladiator aka S1 PvP armor. Rare crafted sets? Battlegear (PvP) set. Merciless Gladiator aka S2 PvP armor. Vengeful Gladiator aka S3 PvP armor. Brutal Gladiator aka S4 PvP armor. Epic crafted sets, Resistance sets.

10th. [71-75] 14 talent tiers! Legacy cold weather flying?
6 battlegrounds. New: Strand of the Ancients, Isle of Conquest
6 new zones: Dragonblight, Grizzly Hills, Zul'Drak, Sholazar Basin, Crystalsong Forest, Storm Peaks
13 new instances: Azjol-Nerub, Ahn'kahet: The Old Kingdom, Drak'Tharon Keep, The Violet Hold, Gundrak, The Oculus, Caverns of Time: Culling of Stratholme, Utgarde Pinnacle, Naxxramas {10/25-man}, Obsidian Sanctum {10/25-man}, Ulduar (3 wings: Halls of Stone, Halls of Lightning, Ulduar {10/25-man})
Sets: Tier 7 (Naxx, Obsidian Sanctum), Tier 8 (Ulduar)

11th. [76-80] 15 talent tiers. Cold weather flying. Cataclysm?
6 battlegrounds.
3 new zones: Hrothgar's Landing, Icecrown, Wintergrasp
12 new instances: Trial of the Champion, Icecrown Citidel (4 Wings: Forge of Souls, Pit of Saron, Halls of Reflection, Icecrown Citadel {10/25-man}), The Eye of Eternity {10/25-man}, Vault of Archavon {10/25-man} (3 wings: Archavon, Emalon, Koralon), Onyxia's Lair {10/25-man}, Crusader's Coliseum (2 wings: Trial of the Crusader {10/25-man}, Trial of the Grand Crusader {10/25-man}).
Sets: Tier 9 (Crusaders' Coliseum), Tier 10 (Icecrown)

All of the brackets above should have their own exclusive battlegrounds, arenas, and instances. And if I were Blizzard, I would create Dedicated/Hardcore characters at levels 10, 20, 35, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, and 80 that started out with all of the abilities learned for that level but could not gain any experience. Or, more likely, I would create a new type of Server/Realm (like a RP or PVP server) and let anybody with a level 80 warlock (for example) create a hardcore warlock at any prescribed level up to 75. Very liberating, I would think.

Lurker

LotR fanedit proposal

2009-07-14T06:59:00.004-07:00

Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings Trilogy should have been six movies. Tolkien wrote one massive story divided into six books that was artificially formed into 3 novels by publishers. Unfortunately, PJ tried to preserve this format, and the whole Frodo/Sam/Gollum arc that was and is the heart of the story got subsumed and overwhelmed timewise by the sidequests of the fellowship.

Fortunately there are a number of movie fanatics out there that like to re-edit movies to save directors from themselves. You should see how many Star Wars fanedits there are out there. Anyway, I propose that the Lord of the Rings be overhauled into 6 movies, taking out unnecessary PJ additions wherever possible, and ideally reflect the original intentions of Tolkien. Parts I and II are rather straightforward considering the linear nature of Fellowship. Part III is more problematic, but I would redact quite a bit, adding back the reunion at Isenguard, leave some of the later Gollum stuff, stopping right after the Gates of Mordor. I have a very detailed outline, but I'll get to that later.

Anyway, for this post, I'll be focusing on Part IV. Based on the Extended Edition unless stated otherwise.

IV
Prologue from RotK: Deagul finds the Ring, Gollum takes it.
Smeagul/Gollum argument from TTT. Until "Murderer" accusation
2nd half of prologue. Gollum narrates his changes after murdering Deagul.
Smeagul makes Gollum go away. Sam stews rabbits. Capture by Faramir.

More RotK. Edoras. Legolas "eye of the enemy is moving"
Pipin can't sleep, swipes Palantir.

Elven 'prologue' from TTT about Sauron, cutting in right after Sarmuan stuff.
Mapscene with Faramir, Frodo and Sam 'prisoners', Boromir family reunion flashback.
After the Forbidden Pool, truncated scenes from theatrical version. Off to Gondor.

Discus palantir info. Pipin leaves with Gandalf. Merry laments. Same as movie.

Theatrical version: Arrival at Osgiliath, Faramir shoots Nazgul, no Sam speech.
Escape thru sewers from EE.

Pipin/Gandalf arrive at Minas Tirith. Unchanged until asked about death of Boromir.
Extended death of Boromir from FotR
Continuing with Denethor. Background on city. "Help must come to us"

Tea time, Crossroads scene, now back to RotK.
Aragorn/Eowin great wave dream?
Gollum Reflection scene, stopping right before fight with Sam (though he heard it)

Minas Morgul sequences. Very nicely ties together Gandalf and Frodo storylines.
Osgiliath river attack sequence.
Stairs: "he wants it"
Faramir "fall back to Minas Tirith", saved by Gandalf

Theatrical "go home" scene, reduced however possible.
Denethor/Faramir confrontation.
Shelob's cave sequence, theatrical version.
Gandalf's task for Pipin, theatrical
Sam vs. Shelob, Frodo captured by orcs
Lighting of beacons, ending with silhouette of Aragorn

Massive changes, I know. Almost the entire Gollum arc, Faramir is a main character and a good guy (*gasp!*), two plotlines heavily intertwined and almost aware of each other (unlike the arbitrariness of the film versions), and much faster moving since there isn't half an hour between appearances. Heck, even Boromir gets a heck of alot of screentime, as well he should since the movie is about the consequences of his death.

Anyway, just wanted to put these ideas down somewhere before they were lost. I've got Parts V & VI done as well, I'll post those eventually. And hey, hopefully I'll inspire some aspiring faneditor out there as well...

Lurker

Perfect Warlock Rotation

2009-06-07T15:28:00.000-07:00

I've been working on a super Shadow Bolt spec for my level 80 Warlock for World of Warcraft. At the moment, it looks like this:

http://talent.mmo-champion.com/?warlock=235021200002351005000000000000000000000000000000000000055200015200331051025000000&glyph=031714030204&version=9947

Yes, I know, really weird looking Destruction/Affliction hybrid spec. But its designed to majorly beef up all of the Shadow spells: Curse of Agony, Corruption, Shadowburn, and of course Shadow Bolt. Plus I get Conflagrate, which rocks. Now whats the rotation for this weird setup you might ask? It goes something like this:

Always start with Life Tap, then

Immolate
Shadow Bolt
Corruption
Shadow Bolt
Curse of Agony
Conflagrate
Shadow Bolt
Corruption
Shadow Bolt

Repeat until dead. Looks a little funny, but over the course of 24 seconds, Shadow Embrace is always up (stacked twice), Conflag goes off right at the end of Immolate, and Curse of Agony and Corruption are always up, tho Corruption does get clipped on a regular basis.

Of course, with Nightfall, Backlash, and the Glyph of Corruption, there will be a whole bunch of instant cast Shadow Bolts. Might that mess up this awesome rotation? No! In fact, those open up holes in the rotation for supplementary spells:

Immolate
Shadow Bolt {then} Searing Pain (Chance for Pyroclasm proc)
Corruption
Shadow Bolt {then} Shadowflame (In case Conflag misses Immolate)
Curse of Agony {if near death} Shadowburn (Finishing move, great w/Conflag)
Conflagrate
Shadow Bolt {then} Death Coil (Daze prevents Horror?)
Corruption
Shadow Bolt {then} Life Tap (Useful anytime)

And still keeps that 24 second cycle going! Nice, eh?

Lurker
(Not my usual blogpost, I know...)

Musings on the upcoming Hobbit Movie

2009-06-04T21:50:00.000-07:00

I'm a huge Middle-Earth fan, I've been giving quite a bit of thought on the upcoming Hobbit movies. Now, for quite a while there, it looked like the second movie was going to 'bridge' the timeframe between the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings... certainly there was a great deal of potential there. Fortunately, they've just decided to split the book in two instead. Now the chapters for The Hobbit look like this:

[1] An Unexpected Party
[2] Roast Mutton
[3] A Short Rest
[4] Over Hill And Under Hill
[5] Riddles in the Dark
[6] Out of the Frying Pan into the Fire
[7] Queer Lodgings
[8] Flies and Spiders
[9] Barrels Out of Bond

[10] A Warm Welcome
[11] On the Doorstep
[12] Inside Information
[13] Not At Home
[14] Fire and Water
[15] The Gathering of the Clouds
[16] A Thief in the Night
[17] The Clouds Burst
[18] The Return Journey
[19] The Last Stage

Now there are several potential 'climaxes' for the first movie: escaping Gollum, death of Smaug, etc. It was my father who first suggested what now seems obvious to me... What chapter is half-way thru the book? Why Barrels Out of Bond, of course. Bilbo saves the company from imprisonment by the elves by use of his wits. Here the book also transitions from getting to Smaug to dealing with Smaug. Arriving at Laketown is a great place to begin the 2nd movie. And if an Elvish prisonbreak isn't exciting enough, at the exact same time Gandalf and the White Council are driving the Necromancer (aka Sauron) from Dol Gulder in Mirkwood!

Which brings me to my other source of glee: del Toro is going into all the backstory! And what a backstory. The fall of Moria, the war of Orcs and Dwarves, the fates of Thorin's father and grandfather, Aragorn as a kid, Prince Legolas and his father, Saruman leading the White Council, Gloin the father of Gimli, and how the Quest is ultimately about preventing an alliance between Sauron and Smaug. Tons of material to draw from, especially from the appendices from LotR.

Something to think about.

Lurker

ESSENTIALS MAPPING THREAD II

2009-05-16T10:36:00.001-07:00

*removed for length*

See:

http://marvelmasterworksfansite.yuku.com/topic/458?page=1

http://marvelmasterworksfansite.yuku.com/topic/12554/t/ESSENTIALS-MAPPING-THREAD-III.html

Supreme Court Amendment(s?)

2009-05-03T21:00:00.004-07:00

There is almost nothing in the Constitution about the Supreme Court, or about the judicial branch in general. So we might as well establish their power to overturn unconstitutional laws within the constitution itself, but with a few tweaks.

For instance, the US Supreme Court should only be allowed to throw out federal laws, not state laws, they have their own supreme courts. However, they should be able to nullify international treaties, since those are federal. Lower courts should have the same powers.

While we're at it, we need way more circuit courts... How about starting at 50 (one per state) and adding as needed. Right now there's too much power in too few hands.

Lastly, there needs to be a fixed number of Justices in the Constitution. Right now the number of 9 is only by law and tradition, it needs to be more foundational. I propose that we should have 12, which would mean both higher turnover and less impact from a single nominee. Yes, that is an even number, which is where the Chief Justice comes in. He should vote only for tie votes (which would be less frequent with a larger court).

Now for the most controversial idea: the Chief Justice should be an elected position. I know the reasons for appointments... impartiality and all that. But think about it, the people of the USA only vote for one, ONE national office, that of the President (paired with the VP). They need more say. And there's little public influence or accountability in the Judicial branch. Making the head of that branch open to public scrutiny and approval would be good for our democratic republic, and with the actual voting power weakened, the Chief Justice would be more of a symbolic figurehead, a spokesman for the judicial system, for good or ill.

Optimally, the Chief would be elected ever four years, 2 years out of phase from the presidential elections. This would prevent it from being overshadowed by that election, and raise the profile of congressional elections.

Lurker
(yes, I do think about these things)

An Engineered Market

2009-04-25T20:49:00.002-07:00

This is an email I received that is is quite enlightening:

All economies are engineered since the beginning of social organization. Once a group of hunter gatherers got to a critical mass of people the became a tribe and found consensus on a chief. part of the chief's responsibility was to control trade. If he did well then the tribe grew and prospered if not then they ceased to exist as a tribe or they got a new chief. Knowledge is not power and neither is action from knowledge. True power comes from the control of the action of others.

So how does this relate to our current economic situation? We have had 26 downturns in the economy with the worst being the "Great Depression" of 1929 to 1941. This was one was different because of its worldwide effect and its severity. The Depression has been raging since August of 1929. Unemployment is up to 25% of the population. Deflation has dropped prices of goods and commodities; farms and houses are going into foreclosure at an alarming rate. Almost 10,000 banks have closed and people are scared. Then suddenly in March 1933 everything gets better overnight. Coincidentally Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) takes over as President that very month. He starts his first 100 days passing New Deal programs at a record pace. But I thought everything got better in March 1933? Why did he enact all these programs if had already gotten better? I will look at that and more in this missive. I will some of the programs, agencies, and significant persons involved. I will discuss the success and failures of each of these and then decide whether the New Deal was a good deal or a bad deal.

The National Recovery Administration (NRA) was one of FDR’s first programs enacted. Its mandate was simple fix prices. It was run by Hugh Johnson appointed by FDR himself. Once prices were stabilized the workers would get higher wages through collective bargaining; sounds like a great idea doesn’t it. There were parades with thousands of citizens marching and showing their support. Now if prices stay the same and wages go up what happens to profits? The only way to make more money was to do more with less people, not a good way to reduce unemployment. Business started using the NRA codes to stifle competition and pushed to raise prices. In 1935 the Supreme Court declared the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) unconstitutional making the NRA defunct. Apparently Congress had delegated legislative power to the executive branch to approve codes with the force of law; sounds familiar doesn’t it.

FDR created the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) finding work projects for young men, the Federal Relief Administration giving half a billion to states to cover unemployment, and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to build dams for hydro-electric power. He created the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) as a watchdog for Wall Street, The Home Owner’s Loan Corporation to prevent foreclosures, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Civil Works Administration (CWA), and the Works Progress Administration (WPA). What does he get for all this enacting? The share our wealth society founded by Huey Long wanting to redistribute income and wealth, labor riots, strikes, a 3 percent decline in unemployment and a marginal rise in the Gross National Product (GNP).

The second new deal starts with the National Labor Relations Act by Senator Robert Wagoner. Now FDR gets a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) protecting their right to organize and collectively bargain. The Social Security Act creates a federal pension through a new payroll tax. The Wealth Tax Act hits the rich, inheritors, and corporate profits. The public utilities are reorganized under the Public Utility Holding Act. The Banking Act gives FDR the Federal Reserve Board where members are positions are presidential appointments. What does he get for all this? By 1938 the GNP is down, unemployment at 19% and the stock market plunges by 25 percent.

I believe the New Deal accomplished quite a few of its goals of social and political reform. I didn’t agree with Theodore Roosevelt’s grab for centralized executive power at the expense of congress and I agree with the Supreme Court finding the AAA and the NRA unconstitutional. This was definitely the time social reengineering or the American culture and psyche. In my opinion the New Deal did not get America out of the Great Depression. That was caused by World War II. It did prove that massive government spending can have an effect on the economy albeit a short term effect in my opinion. I am concerned that we are doomed to repeat this process with the current administration and economy. I learned a lot researching this and the similarity between now and then frankly scares the hell out of me.

My response:

Wow, that was quite an email. Tons of details I quite frankly wasn't familiar with. And filled with an alphabet soup of government acronyms. But really, you need to project all the way to the end of WWII, because the government grew and grew and life got even harder with shortages and rationing. The Great Depression didn't end until the massive government takeover of the economy was massively scaled back in the months and years after VJ day. That coupled with the ruinous destruction of the economies of the rest of the Western world, and the US economy grew at an unprecedented rate.

You also leave out the role of the Federal Reserve, astonishingly. Created in 1912, it created the credit bubble that fostered the 'roaring twenties' which popped in 1929. Then for the duration of the 30's it UNDERprinted the currency. There literally was almost no $$$ to be had. Plus all of the programs under FDR were funded with public debt, not to mention WWII.

Thoughts anyone?

Does this sound shady to you?

2009-03-20T10:37:00.002-07:00

Got this email recently while looking for work. Check it out:

from Resource Manager

TEST OF TRUST (TOT)

Hello Candidate ,

We are glad to hear from you with your interview answer.Very have gone through it thoroughly and we are glad to let you know you passed the interview and you have given the oppourtunity to work and earn pay with the company. Your Salary is going to be $400 per week, you will be recieving your pay every weekend. You have been required to take a proffessional assignment that serves as a Test of trust (TOT) which would involve you handling your mini-office purchases and transactions such as your new laptop and printer through the company shipper .The company will pay for all the expenses inquired in purchasing the equipments and software but you will proceed with this test under strict instruction which will be explained to you in a bit.

Note : The company will be resposible for funds needed to purchase this softwares and equipments.You will be working for the company and you will be paid every week either via check,paypal,credit card,bank transfer...whichever you prefer is fine.

Now to your Test (TOT) : You will be required to go through the proffessional assignment with the company to test your skills,your ability to follow instruction ,level of trust and honesty before you being approved as a worker and at the completion of this,we will get your appiontment letter sent to you via courier along with your mini office equipments.This assignment is called the * TOT OF TRUST*.You are required to recieve payment onbehalf of the company,process it and document it.The payment will come in form of check .

The payment will be delivered to you via courier service(ups),Once you recieve it,you will have it cashed at the bank,you will also deduct $200 for yourself as sign up bouns fee.After deducting the total of $200,You will be required to send the balance of the money via money gram money transfer to the company*s shipping agent who will ship to you all your data entry softwares and your mini office equipment that would have the company name on it and also your personal Initails branded on it.These items will include a brand new laptop computer,coloured printer and other equipments to set up your mini office at home and start work asap.This payment that will be sent to you is meant to test your skills,your ability to follow instruction ,level of trust and honesty,Ability to work in a fast paced environment while maintaining accuracy and confidentiality and most importantly your experince with handling and disbursing cash.i wil provide to you the tracking # to the package containing the payment so you can keep me eye on it to know when you're getting it and i will email you the shipper*s details to foward balance for your mini office equipments.

To proceed E-mail me the following details now so it can be fowarded to the account dept of the company and it can also be entered into the data base of the company and sent out to who will be making out the payment..

Title email as: TOT INFORMATION .
***************************

Fullname.........:

Contact address.......(physical home address):

City.......:

State........:

zipcode.........:

Home and cell phone #..... :

email address:

Will be expecting your detail asap so you can recieve you mini office equipments and start work .
Regards,

Dr Jay Pron .

Full of spelling errors and reeks of money laundering. My friends think its a scam. What do you think?

Lurker

Better representation: Increase Congress to 1000

2009-01-07T09:04:00.003-07:00

The number of Representatives in Congress has been fixed at 435 since 1913, not long after the creation of the Federal Reserve and the income tax. Now originally, there were 30,000 people for every House Rep. When the number 435 was reached, there were about 212,000 people for every official in the House.

Today, there are over 700,000 people represented by only 1 congressman.

Does that sound right to you? Certainly not the original intent of the Founding Fathers. Now, I'm not advocating that we go back to the original ratio of 1/30000. That would be unwieldy, since we have at least 300 million Americans, resulting in a House with 10,000 members! Yikes!

Now why the heck am I bringing this apportionment issue up? Well many of you know that I want turnover in my political systems. Fewer voters means fewer voters to change their minds. Not only that, if you really want fresh blood and to minimize the effect of tenure, just make the pool larger.

The arbitrary number 435 is not written into the Constitution. Its merely an Act of Congress, so all it would take to change it is another Act. With the Democrats back in power (and feeling overconfident), and another census on the way, now is the time to build a bigger House. We can sell it as a way to cement their power, as well as being more democratic.

1500. That is how many house of Representative I want. Yes, this is a huge increase, but hey, so is the change from our population back then to now. The U.K. has 650 Members of Parliament, and we vastly outnumber them. Shouldn't we be more representative than merry ol England? With 1500 members of the house, we would be back to the ratio from the 1910's, about 1 to 200000. Less than the ideal beginnings, but not so large that it becomes impossible to work with.

Running some numbers: Wyoming would get at least 2 or 3, South Dakota gets 4, Montana 4 or 5. Previously all states under a million residents only got 1 representative! If we added Guam, US Virgin Islands, Northern Marianas Islands, and/or American Samoa (all with under 200,000) they would still only get one Rep, and not be in the same boat as the current 7 smallest states. Other potential states like Puerto Rico or New Zealand would get about 20 and 21 respectively. But I would probably fix the # at 1500 even if we added new states, but only by Act, not by changing the constitution.

California and Texas would have about 184 and 122 respectively, but they have gigantic populations. Of course, I would encourage large states to separate and add additional senators, but that's a separate argument. But larger state should have more of a voice in national politics. Plus more voices = more dissention.

So that's the thrust of my argument. More information in the websites listed below. All I want to do is make the government reflect the will of the people, and that's much easier when Representative actually represent small, specific populations. Of course, I still want them to run at large...

Lurker

http://www.thirty-thousand.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_congressional_apportionment
http://fruitsandvotes.com/?p=328

Go back to basics: Less Government, More Freedom

2008-11-10T06:49:00.000-07:00

The reason Reagan was so popular is not what he did, but what he said:

Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves.

Man is not free unless government is limited.

Protecting the rights of even the least individual among us is basically the only excuse the government has for even existing.

The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

They say the world has become too complex for simple answers. They are wrong.

We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.

If you analyze it I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism. I think conservatism is really a misnomer just as liberalism is a misnomer for the liberals–if we were back in the days of the Revolution, so-called conservatives today would be the Liberals and the liberals would be the Tories. The basis of conservatism is a desire for less government interference or less centralized authority or more individual freedom and this is a pretty general description also of what libertarianism is.

Unfortunately, most conservatives think Ronald Reagan was a great president for what he did: increasing the budget and the deficit, undeclared wars, raising taxes, amnesty, and inane compromises. And because Reagan is considered to be the best we can do, we keep drifting MORE to the left!

It must be our goal to surpass the legacy of Ronald Reagan, by actually doing what we say we stand for: limited government, balanced budgets, paying off the deficit, no entitlements, individual responsibility, no big brother, and getting the heck out of the U.N.

New State Project

2008-09-23T10:56:00.000-07:00

I like the idea behind the free state project. Have a bunch of libertarian-minded individuals move into an area, and turn it into a liberty stronghold and start the revolution at a local level.

Absolutely great idea. But its not working fast enough. Plus New Hampshire is way too cold (I'm from Arizona) and with over a million people, there's huge amounts of political inertia to fight.

Why don't we just make a new state from the ground up?

Think about it, we could write our own constitution based upon the principals of liberty!

I propose that we focus on one of the territories. Specifically the Northern Marianas Islands. They have less than 90,000 people, meaning that far fewer of us need to move compared to NH. And they reportedly have the most equable temperature in the world and a large immigrant population already.

But any of the territories, aside from Puerto Rico, would work exceptionally well. If several thousand of us move into one of these regions, we can take over in no time, with less sacrifice and far more gain.

Just think of all the fun we can have with 2 Senators and a couple of Representatives!

Thoughts?

Non-winner-take-all electoral college

2008-09-09T07:44:00.004-07:00

As some of you may know, I can't stand the winner-take-all system for the electoral college. Whoever wins the most votes (be it 87% or a mere 34% in a three way race) wins ALL votes for the state during the presidential race. Not only is this horrendously unfair (particularly in mega-states like California and Florida) but it all but eliminates any chance of having third-parties gain any support, because you have to 'win' first place.

Now don't get me wrong, I LIKE the main aspect of the electoral college: it gives smaller states more of a voice in who becomes president. However, what I can't stand is the fact that a few 'swing states' are the only ones who really determine the outcome of the election. The presidency is the only national elected office we have (well, that and the VP, more on that later). EVERY state should be a swing state.

Okay, here's my plan. Bear in mind, the president is not (and shouldn't be) elected directly by public. He/she is elected by electors from the electoral college. All I want to do is tweak how the electors are chosen.

First off, this idea builds off my proposed congressional reforms from way back in September 2006 (go check it out). Very basically, congressional representatives are chosen statewide (i.e. no districts). If the state has 6 seats, then the top 6 win. My tweak would be that for each person who gets (re)elected to congress, then their party gets one elector.

Since the electoral college is based purely on the number of seats in Congress, we have to look at the Senate as well. In order to do the same thing as above, senators would have to be elected every 2 years. To do this we could add a third senator to every state, ensuring an election every cycle and increasing the power of smaller states (Yay!).

In any case, we should still have the Presidential candidates name on the ballot. But whoever gets the most direct votes for President would only get 2 electors, not the whole shebang. The rest would be determined by the # of incoming congressmen.

Many more states would be in play this way, as people would be voting more for parties than people. Presidents are much more likely to have their party in power in congress, and there would be more new people voted into (and out of) congress on a regular basis. Not only that, but third parties can actually start picking up votes in the electoral college. Every state comes into play, congressional elections soar in importance, and become harder to hold on to.

The main effect of this is that party branding and party loyalty become paramount. Coattails become insanely important, in both directions. To maximize your vote for the president, you have to vote for their party in congress, even if that means voting against your popular and powerful representative from the other party in favor of a new guy.

Best of all, this kind of reform can be started at the state level. State legislators can abolish congressional districts, and make congressional seats state-wide elections. They can change how their electoral college votes are distributed. This sort of change can be spread slowly, reforming the system from the bottom up. And it is designed to force new blood into Congress, which can facilitate other revolutionary ideas along the way...

Lurker

Ron Paul wins the electoral college?

2008-09-07T11:16:00.001-07:00

Okay, Ron Paul didn't get the Republican Presidential Nomination. His name isn't going to be on the ballots this fall.

But there is one, final, hail mary tactic we can use to our advantage, something created by the founding fathers for just this very situation:

The Electoral College.

The President of the United States is NOT voted into office by the people. He (and the vice-president) are elected by delegates in the Electoral College. And they can vote for whoever the heck they want!

This is our last chance. If Barr and Baldwin are on board, any delegates they win can vote for Ron Paul instead! With Texas out of play for the main parties, we can get 34 delegates uncontested.

Not only that, we can expand the DVDs4DELEGATES program to convert the electors for McCain AND Obama!

Think about it. Republicans want to hold onto the White House at almost any cost: McCain proves that. But if we can reach those electors, we can make them understand that the founders empowered them to make the best choice for the country, and that they have the last voice in the process. Disgruntled Hillary supporters are probably very well represented in the electoral college. We can get them on board too.

"Winning" on election night does not mean you win the presidential vote. To quote Wikipedia:

"Electors chosen on Election Day meet in their respective state capitals (or in the case of Washington, D.C., within the District) on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December, at which time they cast their electoral votes on separate ballots for President and Vice President."

WE CAN STILL WIN! Even better, we can win using the very mechanisms designed by the founding fathers!

I'm going to Comicon!

2008-07-23T17:38:00.002-07:00

The March on Washington was awesome. There were tens of thousands of people there. I got to protest at the Federal Reserve, boo at the IRS building, and finally see Ron Paul in person! Tons of speakers talking about the NAU, imminent marshal law, the Fed, and even some allies from the progressive movement.

Anyway, this weekend I'm going to be in San Diego for the Comicon! I've never been before, but some of my friends are going so thought that it'd be the perfect ending for my month long tour of the US. I'll be the only guy there wearing a blue cap with the presidential seal. My friends have no idea the levels of geekdom I will subject them to. MWHAHAHAHA!

Next post should be about the impending EXODUS...

Lurker

2008-06-07T08:05:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to do this for a while: updating everybody on where I'm going for the Peace Corps. Sorry for the delay, I myself have waited for what seems like forever to find out what country I'm going to and exactly when I leave.

So here's the scoop: I'm not going.

Why? What happened, you say? Well, the truth is, I really wanted to go last summer, fresh out of college, and see the world before kids and mortgages and get paid doing it. But that didn't happen, due to lack of communication and missing the window of opportunity.

*sigh*

Basically the same thing happened this time around. I'm just so frustrated by the endless hoops and impenetrable nature of the agency I'm calling the whole thing off.

So have I given up on my dreams of "Saving The World" and making it a better place? No, in fact, I have been refining them. During the last year I have been working as a teacher's aide for a charter school, tutoring at-risk junior high students in math, science, and social studies and hopefully making a difference. I have also been heavily involved in the Ron Paul presidential campaign, at long last finding like minded libertarians conspiring to take over the Republican party and save this country from the excesses of neo-conservatives and big government and the coming North American Union. I even went to the New Hampshire primaries last January to volunteer. It was cold.

So my current plans are thus: I will be going to Washington DC for a Ron Paul freedom march culminating on the 12th of July. I hereby invite any freedom-loving (or anti-bush or whatever) people to come along. I've never been to DC before, and I plan to make the most of it.
The very next day (the 13th) I will be flying to Washington state for the week-long family reunion.

Then, from September 1st thru the 4th in will be in St. Paul, Minnesota protesting the Republican National Convention. It should be quite an event, and hopefully the last straw for McCain.

Other than that... my future is pretty flexible and uncertain. I am exploring job opportunities across the world. My friend Matt is studying Judo in Japan, and I'm considering joining him there as well. I have some wildly ambitious political ideas I'd like to try out in a few different countries... however with the current direction the country is heading in (massive inflation and two big spending senators running for prez) I think I'll probibly stay in the states and do whatever I can to save my country from a looming financial meltdown.

Thats pretty much everything. If you have any advice, job offerings, or even a couch I can sleep on for a few days... drop me a line!

I'm going to New Hampshire

2007-12-28T11:14:00.000-07:00

Okay, its official, I am a Ron Paul fanatic. I donated alot of money again on the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, helping to raise over 6 million dollars in one day. I'm on youtube most every day increasing the stats of RP videos. I've even registered as a Republican! And now, I've decided to go all the way by joining Operation Live Free Or Die ( www.operationlivefreeordie.com ) and am going to New Hampshire! I'll be there basically the first week of January, and will be helping the campaign by going door-to-door and convincing people personally to vote for Ron Paul for their primary on the 8th. I expect to be very cold, but hey, its all part of the adventure!

Remember, remember...

2007-11-10T13:15:00.000-07:00

Last Monday Ron Paul raised over 4 million dollars in his effort to become the republican presidential candidate. I, personally, donated hundreds of dollars on that day. For those who know me, being the cheapskate that I am, this should emphasize just how important this rEVOLution is to me (of course, all my political posts over the years should be a big hint). I even had a hand in forming the idea of doing something that day.

So, the next "money bomb" day is looking like December 16th, the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party that started the American Revolution. A much more appropriate anniversary. So for those of you sitting on the fence, do a little research, and donate $100 (or $10, or whatever you can afford) and help start the second American Revolution!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG_OwTthS-E

Lurker

next star trek series

2007-08-27T20:14:00.000-07:00

Star Trek: Defiant

First episode has something no other Trek series ever had: mutiny!

'Evil' captain overthrown by crew and tossed into brig. Of course, that would make the crew outlaws, on the run from the Federation. Now that sets up potential for conflict! And of course they would find a large conspiracy taking over the government, and eventually spearhead a revolution and civil war! Yes, its a little Star Warsish, and very Babylon 5, but mostly new territory for a Trek series. The trick is keeping the evil Cap'n a major character and predominant antagonist and indeterminate loyalties.

Should take place post TNG, DS9, Voyager, and so forth, but soon enough that it could conceivably reuse several characters from those series. Definitely has to use a ship called USS DEFIANT with cloak technology (DS9).

New Characters:
A former Q; Has very different perspective on things, needs memory blocks to prevent quick fix tech solutions. Doctor?
A Romulan; Least explored major species. Engineer?
Blended Male/Female human (ala Tuvix); Two people combined into one in a transporter accident. Explores concepts of identity, gender, and makes Star Trek socially relevant again. Security?
Tholian; First Non-Humanoid crew member?
Breen/Gorn?

Well thats enough geeking out for me. Still trying to work in my earlier idea of the Saurians from the Voyager series deciding to take back their ancient homeland of Earth. Hmm....

Lurker

I got a job!

2007-08-25T13:44:00.000-07:00

Yes, this is the first post in quite a while updating details in my personal life. Sorry, my life is usually less interesting (IMHO) than the random insights I have to share. Anyway, on to the details!

Oddly enough, it started with Ron Paul. Well, more accurately the local meet-up group, to which I decided to go. On the spur of the moment decision, I called a long-time friend of mine, actually he lived next door when I lived in the dorms during my first year in college. Anyway, we usually clash on politics (in an amusing, respectful way) and I was right in my guess that he'd get a kick out of a room full of libertarianish conspiracy nuts like me.

Anyway, before the meeting started, he mentioned that the school he was working for was looking for people to help out disadvantaged junior high kids. We asked each other questions about how well I worked with youngins, and he said he'd talk with the principal about getting me an interview.

So the next morning he gives me a call, and tells me to be there by noon. I show up, and the principal is impressed by my mathmatics background (I can tutor Calculus) and my previous instructional experience (being a black belt). So I pretty much get the job on the spot.

So now I'm a teacher's aide for Junior High students at a charter school. I help with Math, Science, Social Studies, and eventually English too. I really feel like I'm making a difference, and they were totally okay with my leaving for the Peace Corps in May, in fact thats when the school year ends.

So I've got this cool job now, helping the disadvantaged and earning somewhat decent money, with no regrets leaving for the Peace Corps. I am quite pleased.

Now transportation is an issue, since the bus lines don't connect my new job to my current location, so my new friend and I are considering getting an appartment....

Ron Paul beats out Guliani, Tompson, and McCain in Iowa straw poll!

2007-08-11T21:48:00.000-07:00

Mitt Romney, spending millions of dollars, bought first place in the Iowa Straw poll today. However, more interesting is that Dr. Ron Paul got more votes than Rudy Guliani, John McCain, and Fred Thompson combined! This straw poll illustrates just how inane the status of "front runner" is this early in this wide open campaign.

Is that murder or suicide...?

2007-08-04T20:21:00.000-07:00

Its a weird question I like to ask when the rare opportunity presents itself. Which isn't very often. But it is an intriguing question to ask, and one that rarely has an answer. Examples:

Traveling thru time and killing your self
Vizzini in The Princess Bride drinking the poisoned goblet
Anything involving clones
The ending of Fight Club
Rozencranz and Gildenstern in Hamlet
Trying to think of when this has happened, but swapping minds with someone and then trying to kill them/yourself

Just one of my unique quirks.

Youtube question(s) for republican debate

2007-07-27T19:30:00.000-07:00

I watched the last Democratic debate and enjoyed the fact that individuals posted questions to youtube.com and the candidates were forced to answer. It was still filtered thru CNN, but the randomness and straightforwardness was refreshing. Too bad most of the responses were rehearsed.

Anyway, I'm trying to thing of the perfect question to ask. I'm a Ron Paul supporter, so I'm tempted to address him directly to speak in favor of his more obscure views that would be in favor with the general public (drugs, taxes, anti-draft, war, UN, etc). However, if you've read any of my previous posts, you know I've got some strong views on some out of the mainstream issues: secession, new US states, space, anti-RIC, UFOs, citizenship, and countless others. This may be my chance to springboard one of my causes into the national arena... if it isn't too crazy and rejected.

In an attempt to have my cake and eat it too, I think I'll ask my family members to put forth some questions themselves. Using an Iraq war vet or a cute younger sibling might be more appealing. I also advocate that you, yes YOU submit your own question(s) to the candidates:

http://www.youtube.com/contest/RepublicanDebate

I'll mull my options over this weekend. Hopefully a few more Republican Candidates will sign on for the debate. So far its only Ron Paul and McCain....

Lurker
(N.A.S.A question or states rights to secede? Hmm...)

And now for something completely different

2007-07-02T20:52:00.001-07:00

In a completely unrelated theme, I'm posting my crazy movie ideas!

Slasher movie in an old folks home! Exactly the same script as normal teen slasher film, love scenes and all. Only the chase scenes would be a little slower.

Romantic comedy set in 2121! Mom complained that all sci-fi movies are apocalyptic and end-of-the-world disaster scenarios. So a romantic comedy dealing with robots, shape changing aliens, time-travel, and other cool stuff would actually be the ultimate date movie. Something for everyone.

Well thats all the original stuff I got. Personally I want to see movie versions of Childhood's End, Xanth, Shannara, Riftwar, Wheel of Time (though TV series may be more appropriate) , not to mention all the potential comic book movies... but thats a post for another day

Lurker
r*evol*ution!

Proposed constitutional amendments

2007-06-25T09:08:00.000-07:00

I've been promising to do this for a while, but here are some of the proposed amendments I'd make to the constitution:

Repeal of the 16th amendment. Government never should have been given the power to tax the income of individuals. It punishes productivity, aggravates millions, and is completely unnecessary to finance federal government.

Rights of non-citizens. Are illegal aliens granted constitutional rights? Prisoners in Gitmo? Astronauts in space? Ambiguity on whom the constitution applies (and where) really need to be defined, and the ability for government suspend rights guaranteed by the constitution nullified.

Abortion. Currently the federal government has no authority over abortion, either to make it legally available for women or to prohibit it. Despite what the courts say, there is nothing in the constitution that addresses this. If there is going to be a federal policy, lets amend the constitution to establish it as a right or make it illegal; otherwise the federal government should stay the heck out of it.

Secession. This issue is so huge, I'm surprised it hasn't been addressed before. Heck, we fought a civil war over this! The constitution sets out criteria for joining the United States; it makes no mention of leaving the union. This really needs to be addressed: people should be free to have the choice to leave the union without violence, preferably by popular vote of the state (Hawaii would be the first to go). Also covered should be the splitting up of states (like Texas or California), merging (Dakotas), and eviction or kicking out of a state by the rest of the country (which may happen to California eventually).

Highest law of the land. This one shouldn't be necessary, but there should be an amendment that says the US Constitution is the highest law of the land, above organizations like the UN, NATO, NAFTA, the proposed North American Union, and any other international organization. Also there should be *no* circumstances under which the constitution should be suspended, be it martial law or what have you.

Thats all for now!

Lurker

Ron Paul coming to Arizona TOMARROW!

2007-06-15T08:42:00.000-07:00

When:

Saturday, June 16, 2007, 9:00 AM

Where:

Phoenix Sky Harbor Air Port
3400 E Sky Harbor Blvd
Phoenix , AZ 85034

Description:

*** Arriving Flight info: ***

Airline: USAir
Arrival: 09:11 AM Saturday June 16
Terminal 4 at sky harbor
(either the "A" or "B" gates which will not be determined until just before arrival)

It is suggested everyone park in short term terminal 4 parking, parking is level 4 to level 9, arrivals/gates are level 3. A gates are on the west end. B gates are on the east end of the terminal.

Fox News Network will be there to interview Ron Paul at 10am (the more people there the better).

RP talks to the ARA at 12:00. Talk with Q&A is 1 hr. So finish at 1:00 PM. Figure it will take another 30 to get out the door (handshakes photos etc) and to the car. 20, 25 drive to Sky Harbor. So? Supporters to Terminal #2 by 2:00 for another chance to meet Ron Paul.

Departure is Continental at 14:55 actual flight time out of terminal 2. There is only
security checkpoint in 2. So we should have no problems finding him. :) only question is
what time do we tell/ask everyone to be there for departure.

Endorcement for 2008

2007-05-22T18:56:00.000-07:00

I wasn't terribly excited about 2008. Hillary scares me. Obama seems interesting but inexperienced. My enthusiasm for McCain wore off years ago. Guliani seemed worth more attention, as he seemed fiscally conservative (yay!) and socially liberal (also yay!). But then I woke up to a new possibility. Listening to Rush Limbaugh the morning after the Republican debate, everyone was talking about the comments of Ron Paul.

Who?

I checked him out on YouTube. A libertarian out conservativing other republicans! I was smitten. Took a look at his platforms. Wow. He's a man after my own heart. Even though I don't quite agree on his Iraq position, I understand his point of view, and I'm slowly coming around. I signed up to volunteer at his website, and spoke well of him to friends.

Then this weekend, I caught the whole Republican Debate. Wow, he was the only one up there with personality! And he sounded even more like the kind of president I could actually endorse, instead of voting against the other guy! I looked up everything I could on youtube, and decided he was 'the one'. Yes, I'm in love! This guy is awesome!

He could even get the nomination, since its like a year away. But if he doesn't, he really could be a viable third party nomination. He ran on the Libertarian ticket once before in 88. He might even work in my 'Coalition Party' proposition, where a candidate gets the nomination of several minor parties, so as to get on all the ballots at least once. Even if he doesn't get a nomination, I think I'll put him down as a write-in ballot!

Anyway, I've gushed long enough. Go check him out at:
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/html/Issues_fx.html
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=RonPaul2008dotcom

Lurker
(Wonders if he can be paid for working on his campaign somehow)

Essential Speedball

2007-05-20T19:16:00.000-07:00

Alrighty, one more comicbook post. These are the very obscure solo stories of the hero formerly known as Speedball (now known as Penance). These are all very short, usually around 8 pages long. And they span almost 20 years. But hey, theres more than 500 pages worth, so lets put these stories from all over into an ESSENTIAL!

Essential Speedball volume 1

Speedball #1
Marvel Age Annual #4 “The Mystery Of Crooked Face”
Amazing Spider-Man Annual #22
Speedball #2
Speedball #3
Speedball #4
Speedball #5
Speedball #6
Marvel Comics Presents #14 “The Feathered Felon”
Speedball #7
Speedball #8
Speedball #9
Speedball #10
Marvel Comics Presents #56 “Any Number Can Play”
Marvel Super-Heroes v2 #2 [Summer 1990] “The Price Of Their Toys”
Marvel Super-Heroes v2 #5 [Spring 1991] “Jolly Roger”
Marvel Super-Heroes v2 #6 [Summer 1991] “The Bouncer”
Marvel Super-Heroes v2 #1 [Spring 1990] “Pulitzer Patty”
Marvel Super-Heroes v2 #14 [Summer 1993] “Downtown Demolition”
Marvel Super-Heroes v2 #4 [Winter 1990] “This Is Our Story
Marvel Comics Presents #127 “The Big Time”
Marvel Comics Presents #85 “…The Dude In The Really Rad Armor!”
Marvel Comics Presents #96 “The Class Clown”
Marvel Super-Heroes v2 #3 [Fall 1990] “How Speedball’s Powers Work!”
New Warriors Annual #1 “To Bounce Or Not To Bounce”
New Warriors Annual #2 “Speedball The Masked Marvel” Days And Knights Part 4
New Warriors #27 “Dark Sides”
Marvel Comics Presents #122 “Taped Confessions”
New Warriors Annual #3 “Tough Choices” (Speedball)
New Warriors Annual #4 “Two Sides (Speedball)
New Warriors #66 “Return To Springdale”
I (Heart) Marvel: Masked Intentions #1 “First Kiss”
Civil War: Front Line #1 “The Accused Part One” Civil War
Civil War: Front Line #2 “The Accused Part Two” Civil War
Civil War: Front Line #3 “The Accused Part Three” Civil War
Civil War: Front Line #4 “The Accused Part Four” Civil War
Civil War: Front Line #5 “The Accused Part Five” Civil War
Civil War: Front Line #6 “The Accused Part Six” Civil War
Civil War: Front Line #7 “The Accused Part Seven” Civil War
Civil War: Front Line #8 “The Accused Part Eight” Civil War
Civil War: Front Line #9 “The Accused Part Nine” Civil War
Civil War: Front Line #10 “The Accused Part Ten” Civil War
Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #11 “With Babysitting Comes Great Responsibility!!”

Lurker

One year

2007-05-09T13:19:00.000-07:00

Hey all. As several of you know, I've been trying to get into the Peace Corps ever since my graduation from college. Well today my recruiter-guy calls me up and offers me several different destinations! Yay! One caveat though, all of them are in 2008!

Gah! Months, MONTHS I've been trying and waiting to get into this program. I've basically been reducing commitments: moving back into parents so I wouldn't have an apartment lease, avoiding buying a car to avoid payments, seeing old friends that I might never see again... but most of the time sitting in my parents house and waiting to go overseas and make a positive difference in the world.

So now I'm out of school, unemployed, no transportation, no room to call my own, broke with student loans about to spring on me...

So, I'm faced with a several options as to what to do with myself for an entire year:

Get a job- all but a given
Go back to school - Could try to do that Illinois program, or locally
Move- I really am going stir crazy here. Perhaps some friends can put me up for free short term.
Volunteer- Might as well, right?
Travel- Been doing alot of that so far. Requires $$$ I don't have

I need time to process this new piece of data. However, any insight/advice/encouragement would be welcome however.

Lurker
(Now what?)

Covering all the bases

2007-05-08T06:45:00.000-07:00

For my Manifest Destiny project, and using my powers of political correctness to an absurd extreme, I'm trying to represent the largest nationalities and religious populations in a mere 12 people. Fortunately the project is in the future so I can fudge things a little bit, and tweak conventional religious/nationality combinations to what they very well could be in the future. Anyway, on to the list (I seem to be doing alot of these):

Chinese Taoist/Confucianism
Indian Hindu (haven't decided on denomination)
American Jew
Indonesian Baha'i
Brazilian Catholic
Russian Orthodox
Nigerian Agnostic/Indigenous
Japanese Buddhist/Shinto
Mexican Mormon
German Neopagan
Iranian Shi'a
and lastly a Sunni EU representative from Cyprus

There we go, that covers most every corner of the globe geographically. And that covers all of the major religions... except the Sikhs, I couldn't fit them in.

Lurker
(Political correctness run amok...)

Okay, last comicbook post for a while

2007-04-26T09:04:00.000-07:00

Gosh it was annoying to sign up for gmail account just to post here. Grr. Anyway...

I'm a big fan of the New Warriors (see below) and of Marvel's black and white Essential line, so I thought I'd try to figure out what I'd like to see in volumes of Essential New Warriors. So I compiled a list of NW comics that I'd like to see, everything by the original author Fabian Nicieza (guest appearances and limited series and such) and all the crossover issues with the main book. Also, essentials are normally 500-650 pages, but I'm trying to average around just over 600.

Oh, and the first number is total pages, -1 for cover page, and keeping track of 2-page splash pages (which sometimes need filler pages to keep together). So without further ado:

The Essential New Warriors Vol.1 (cover to #1)

New Warriors #1 (24-1)
Thor #411 (18-1)
Thor #412 (18-1, 2pager)
New Warriors #2 (24-1)
New Warriors #3 (23-1)
New Warriors #4 (23-1)
New Warriors #5 (23-1)
New Warriors #6 (23-1) ---176
New Warriors #7 (24-1)
New Warriors #8 (23-1)
New Warriors #9 (24-1)
New Warriors #10 (23-1, 2pager) ---94
New Mutants Annual #7 1991 (30-1, 2pager)
New Warriors Annual #1 1991 (30-1, 2pager)
Uncanny X-Men Annual #15 1991 (36-1, 2pager)
X-Factor Annual #6 1991 (36-1, 2pager)
New Warriors Annual #1 part 2 (25) ---157

Guardians Of The Galaxy Annual #1 “Vance Astro Versus Marvel Boy”
Marvel Super-Heroes v2 #3 [Fall 1990] “How Speedball’s Powers Work!”
Marvel Super-Heroes v2 #7 [Fall 1991] “Gator Show”

New Warriors #11 (24-1)
New Warriors #12 (24-1)
New Warriors #13 (23-1, 2pager) ---71
New Warriors #14 (23-1) ---23
New Warriors #15 (23-1)
New Warriors #16 (22-1, 2-2pagers in-sync)
New Warriors #17 (23-1, 2pager) ---69

The Essential New Warriors volume 1.... 590 pages plus those uncounted specials. ~600

The Essential New Warriors volume 2 (edited cover to 19)

Avengers #341 (24-1)
Avengers #342 (24-1, 2pager) ---48
New Warriors #18 (24-1)
New Warriors #19 (23-1, 2pager)
New Warriors #20 (23-1) ---70
New Warriors #21 (23-1, 2pager)
New Warriors #22 (23-1)
New Warriors #23 (24-1, 2pager)
New Warriors #24 (23-1, 2pager)
New Warriors #25 (39-1, 2pager) ---132
Amazing Spider-Man Annual #26 1992 (31-1, 2pager)
Spectacular Spider-Man #12 1992 (31-1, 2pager)
Web of Spider-Man #8 1992 (29-1, 2pager)
New Warriors Annual #2 1992 (54-1, 2pager) ---145
New Warriors #26 (24-1) ---24
New Warriors #27 (23-1, 2pager) ---23
New Warriors #28 (23-1) ---23

Night Thrasher: Four Control #1
Night Thrasher: Four Control #2
Night Thrasher: Four Control #3
Night Thrasher: Four Control #4

New Warriors #29 (23-1)
New Warriors #30 (23-1, 2pager) ---46

The Essential New Warriors volume 2... 511 + NT:LS (~100?)

The Essential New Warriors volume 3 (cover to 39?)

New Warriors #31 (25-1) ---25
New Warriors #32 (23-1)
New Warriors #33 (24-1, 2pager)
New Warriors #34 (24-1, 2pager)
New Warriors Annual #3 1993 (52-1, 2pager) ---124
Marvel Holiday Special 1993 (13-2, 2pager cover) ---13
New Warriors #35 (23-1, 2pager)
New Warriors #36 (23-1) ---56
New Warriors #37 (23-1)
Night Thrasher #1 (39-1, 2pager 30nw
New Warriors #38 (23-1)
New Warriors #39 (23-1) ---99nw
New Warriors #40 (23-1)
New Warriors #41 (23-1, 2pager)
New Warriors #42 (24-1, 2pager) ---70
New Warriors #43 (23-1, 2pager)
New Warriors #44 (20-1)
X-Force #32 (23-1, 2-2pagers in-sync)
New Warriors #45 (23-1, 2pager)
X-Force #33 (24-1)
New Warriors #46 (24-1, 2pager) ---137
New Warriors Annual #4 1994 (55-1) ---55
Marvel Comics Presents #155 (8, 2pager)
Marvel Comics Presents #156 (9-1)
Marvel Comics Presents #157 (8)
Marvel Comics Presents #158 (8) ---33

The Essential New Warriors volume 3... 612 pages

The Essential New Warriors volume 4 (cover from ashcan)

New Warriors #47 (23-1, 2pager)
Night Thrasher #11 (23-1)
Nova #6 (23-1)
New Warriors #48 (23-1, 2pager)
Night Thrasher #12 (23-1)
Nova #7 (23-1)
New Warriors #49 (23-1, 2pager)
New Warriors #50 (38-1, 2pager) ---199
New Warriors Ashcan ~3?
New Warriors #51 (23-1, 2pager) ---23
Justice: Four Balance #1 (24-1)
Justice: Four Balance #2 (23-1)
Justice: Four Balance #3 (23-1)
Justice: Four Balance #4 (23-1) ---93
New Warriors #52 (21-1, 2-2pagers in-sync)
New Warriors #53 (23-1, 2pager) ---44
Marvel Comics Presents #159 (8)
Marvel Comics Presents #160 (8)
Marvel Comics Presents #161 (9-1)
Marvel Comics Presents #162 (8)
Marvel Comics Presents #163 (8?) ---41
New Warriors #54 (23-1, 3-2pagers outta sync by 1)
New Warriors #55 (23-1)
New Warriors #56 (23-1)
New Warriors #57 (23-1, 2-2pagers in-sync) ---93
New Warriors #58 (23-1, 2pager)
New Warriors #59 (23-1) ---46
Nova #18 (23-1, 2pager)
New Warriors #60 (39-1, 2-2pagers in-sync) ---62

The Essential New Warriors volume 4... 601 pages plus ashcan

The Essential New Warriors volume 5 (cover to 75? or 62)

Marvel Comics Presents #166 (8)
Marvel Comics Presents #167 (8, 2pager) ---16
New Warriors #61 (24-1, 2-2pagers outta sync +1)
Maximum Clonage Alpha?
Spectacular Spider-Man #227?
New Warriors #62 (24-1, 2-2pagers in-sync) ---51+
New Warriors #63 (23-1, 2pager)
New Warriors #64 (23-1)
New Warriors #65 (23-1, 2pager)
New Warriors #66 (24-1, 2pager) ---93
Web of Scarlet Spider (23-1)
New Warriors #67 (23-1, 2pager)
Web of Scarlet Spider (23-1) ---69

Venom: Along Came A Spider #1 (Hybrid parts)
Venom: Along Came A Spider #2
Venom: Along Came A Spider #3
Venom: Along Came A Spider #4

New Warriors #68 (24-1)
New Warriors #69 (23-1)
New Warriors #70 (24-1)
New Warriors #71 (24-1) ---95

Venom: The Hunted #1 (Hybrid parts)
Venom: The Hunted #2
Venom: The Hunted #3

New Warriors #72 (24-1)
New Warriors #73 (23-1)
New Warriors #74 (23-1, too many 2pagers)
New Warriors #75 (40-1, ditto) ---110+

Ultragirl #1
Ultragirl #2
Ultragirl #3

The Essential New Warriors volume 5... at least 434

The Essential New Warriors volume 6

Avengers Vol.3 #13 (24-1) ---24
New Warriors Vol.2 #0 (10-1)
New Warriors Vol.2 #1 (39-1)
New Warriors Vol.2 #2 (23-1)
New Warriors Vol.2 #3 (23-1)
New Warriors Vol.2 #4 (23-1) ---118
Generation X #59 (23-1) ---23
New Warriors Vol.2 #5 (23-1)
New Warriors Vol.2 #6 (23-1)
New Warriors Vol.2 #7 (23-1)
New Warriors Vol.2 #8 (23-1)
New Warriors Vol.2 #9 (23-1)
New Warriors Vol.2 #10 (24-1) ---139

New Warriors vol.3 #1
New Warriors vol.3 #2
New Warriors vol.3 #3
New Warriors vol.3 #4
New Warriors vol.3 #5
New Warriors vol.3 #6

I (Heart) Marvel: Masked Intentions #1

The Essential New Warriors volume 6 at least 304 counted

Thats everything so far. A little light on details towards the end there, due to me not having some of the issues or just not getting around to counting pages just yet.

Just another one of my side projects...

Lurker

Go Buy These Comics!

2007-04-14T10:42:00.000-07:00

Those of you who read my archives know that I used to review comics. Rather than subject you to those on a regular basis, I discontinued the practice.

However, just this once I will highlight several new comic book series, because they relate to series near and dear to my heart back in the 90's, the New Warriors. This team called the New Warriors were responsible for getting the government to require superhero licenses by getting themselves blown up in a populated area.

Thunderbolts- This series is about a team of mostly supervillains who are employed by the government to hunt down unlicensed superheroes; in essence turning the usual hero/villain dynamic on its head. Roster: Green Goblin, Bullseye, Moonstone, Songbird, Radioactive Man, Swordsman (formerly Fenris), Venom (formerly Scorpion), and... Penance. Now Penance used to be Speedball, a member of the New Warriors, and blames and horrifically punishes himself for the death of his teammates and hundreds of civilians. Of course the entire team is screwed up one way or another (since most have disturbing backgrounds as villains) and Penance fits right in.

Avengers: The Initiative- Now that heroes are required to be licensed, a training camp has been erected at the site of the tragedy, run by veteran heroes... one of which is Justice, a former leader of the New Warriors. Young heroes are shipped here for training, including several surviving Warriors including Rage, Slapstick and others. Writing and characterization are awesome, including a shocking ending....

The Loners (LS)- This series is about a support group dedicated to help young adults get over their destructive superhero lifestyles and become 'normal'. Of course, they keep getting pulled back in. Members used to be the heroes Green Goblin V, Lightspeed, Ricochet, Spider-Woman III, and former Warriors Turbo and Darkhawk. Naturally, a drug that gives people superpowers is on the streets, and a few Loners suit up to prevent others from becoming just like them....

Nova- This former New Warrior has spent the last year in space fighting the Annihilation Wave, an invading force from another universe that destroys everything in its path. Nova was a member of an intergalactic peacekeeping force which was destroyed during the war. He now has the combined power of the entire corps, plus their combined knowledge in the form of the Worldmind, and patrols the galaxy trying to patrol the universe on his own. Of course when he returns home, he'll find his friends are dead, and will have to register or face consequences....

All four series are in stores now! And in June a little title called the New Warriors comes out... a team of mysterious rebellious youths who have no intention of getting licenses and are out to redeem the name of their fallen forbears....

Lurker
(If any of these sound even remotely interesting, go out and buy em!)

To Do:

2007-04-02T17:04:00.000-07:00

List of goals:

Libertarian political reform- legalize drugs, minimize gov
Promoting space travel- moon, mars, asteroids
Expanding USA- democratic united states of earth
Promoting scientific research
Ending war?
Raising universal awareness- empathy, consequences
Promoting alternative media like comic books
Ending RIC
Universal language/communication
Push public and science into exploring the paranormal
Passing on my knowledge of Judo

How to do the above:

youtube videos,
blog,
writing to newspaper, congress,
calling radio,
running for office,
ballot initiative,
talking with friends, family,
organizing political party, demonstrations,
brining together like minded people,
writing a book,
church organizations,
going to foreign countries,
missionary like activities,
joining compatible organizations, recruiting organizations,
writing to professional journals,
creating video games,
getting job in related field,
moving near people with related interests,
finding a partner to help me,
television,
mods,
metaphysical guidance,
creating non-profit foundations,
etc.

I certainly have my work cut out for me.

Lurker

Free will

2007-03-29T11:41:00.000-07:00

I've got this great analogy for choice and free will that I'd like to share.

My conception of free will is akin to driving a car. You have a great deal of control over the vehicle and where you want to go. However you have little to no influence over other drivers, the roads, the weather, etc.

And you have many tools to help get where you are going: memory, traffic updates over the radio, maps, cell phones, signposts, etc. But in the end you yourself make your own choices based on the information you have in the conditions you find yourself in, following the highways or going off-roading, whether you get to your destination or just go cruising.

Not a bad analogy. Eventually the car breaks down and you find yourself a new one...

Lurker

The enemy of my enemy

2007-03-10T15:37:00.000-07:00

The USA should make an alliance with Iran.

No really. We had a close relationship with them before the Islamic Revolution. Most of the population is quite young, and fascinated with American culture and actually quite friendly. Plus they are similar to us in that they have a rather diverse coalition of ethnicities and sub-populations. Oh, and they have a long association with India, our largest ally.

But the main reason is implied in the title: Al-Qaeda is made up of Sunnis, and are sworn enemies of Shiite Iran. Yes, this would mean taking sides in a thousand year religious conflict, but that seems almost unavoidable when messing with the middle east.

Iran has a great deal of influence in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and the rest of the middle east. They might even be able to solve the Israeli/Palestinian situation, although hopefully without violence. My Dad suggested that at the outset of the Iraq war, we could've made a trade with Iran: we give them most of Iraq, and they give up part of their northern territories to create a viable Kurdish state. Perhaps a similar deal can still be made.

Now this proposed Persian alliance has one very difficult question: do we try this team-up with the current radical Iranian administration? The current president (who isn't actually the highest authority) has created his reputation by sticking it to the Americans. Would he, could he be capable of spinning such a 180 in foreign policy? Even if he does, do we try to encourage reforms with carrots, and discourage their sponsorship of terrorist groups like Hezbollah?

Or do we overthrow their government (we've done it before) and put the youth in power, and hope they'll go along with an alliance?

Anyway, the whole point of this is scaring the heck out of the middle east, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Yemen, and other Sunni states that sponsor terror in one form or another, and thwart their ideas for world subjugation.

Lurker
(I seem to be doing a lot of political posts)

Seniority Rules?

2007-02-22T17:41:00.000-07:00

I've had this debate with a few friends, but haven't spelled it out here yet so here it goes. Since I'm pro political accountability and rather anti-incumbent there's a few changes I wish to make to the political establishment, specifically in the area of congressional seniority.

Congress has this great scheme going: the longer you stay in office, the more powerful and influential you are, so the more likely you are to be reelected. This is because important congressional chairmanships are meted out based on seniority (well, that and whichever party is in power). The longer you are reelected, the more power you wield, and the less likely you are to be voted out of power. Great for politicians, terrible for political accountability because if replaced by the voters the freshman congressman wields far less power in the name of the state or congressional district.

So lets come at this problem sideways, and change the definition of seniority. I propose changing seniority to how many non-consecutive terms you've served. So instead of measuring years, you measure how many times the candidate has come into power. Specifically, if they've only been elected once, their number is 1. If they've been elected, lost, and been elected again, their seniority is 2. The more times they've been in and out, the higher the seniority they have accrued.

This would mean that politicians don't want a constant grip on power, because they would lose seniority to fellow congressmen who are repeatedly in and out of power. Tag-teams may even form as pairs of same party candidates trade off to gain seniority in tandem. The whole political system would become more dynamic and responsive because of the constant influx of people, willing relinquishing of power, and those who become the most senior and powerful either decide against stepping down and eventually fall behind competitors, or choose to 'rule' for only brief periods. Win-win.

Now this being Congress, rule changes will be really hard to execute. It might be best to begin on the state level. What is needed is to get some low ranking representatives who would have seniority under the new system (being in-and-out a few times) to realize their potential gain in power, and begin to organize a sort of 'coup'. This will slowly snowball as more people come in and out of power naturally, and eventually there will be enough votes to change the system, and the formerly less powerful gain a little more power, and the public gains a heck of a lot more political accountability.

Lurker
(I really need to find a way to get paid for being a political strategist)

Manifest Destiny

2007-02-18T17:50:00.000-07:00

I've got this idea for a space epic i've been thinking about for years now. At the moment its called 'Manifest Destiny' and its about the colonization of Earth's Moon and the rest of the solar system, set decades in the future. I want this to be 'hard' science fiction, so I'm unsure about what format to tell the story in.

Idealy it would be a television series, but the problems of reduced gravity present a real film-making difficulty. Not to mention the timescale issues, since live-action series are usually presented in real time (i.e. episodes shown a week apart occur a week apart).

I could do it in book form, or a series of books, but this would be so cool visually and series of short stories with interlocking arcs format never quite works for books.

I present this in comicbook form, but i have no idea how to break into the industry. My rusty skills as an artist make doing this even as a webcomic dificult, especally with the huge scope of this project.

So... thoughts? Suggestions?

Lurker
(wondering how much of Star Trek / Babylon 5 / Seaquest future history I can squeeze in without worrying about trademark infringement. Is the future copyrighted?)

The next step?

2007-01-29T17:35:00.000-07:00

I have several reasons for wanting to do the Peace Corps. Firstly, as a recent college graduate, this is an excellent means of going to see the world in real life. I have this goal of seeing every country on Earth, and volunteering is a means to this end.

I’ve also got this idealistic streak in me that wants to try to make the world a better place. The goals of the this organization align closely with my own, and as a patriot and a human being I want to do my part to improve the human condition. Due to financial pressures or struggling to finish my degree, I’ve had little time to volunteer. Now that I am free from commitments I feel that I must.

I also have a practical reason for joining: future employment. As I recently acquired my degrees in sociology and political science, volunteering should exposing me to various government agencies and international organizations that I could potentially work for.

Old Paper from 2002

2007-01-24T05:51:00.000-07:00

Student Number 999 04 4487

Friday November 1^st, 2002

Political Science 100 9:00am

Alex L. Avila, Instructor

World War Four

On September 11^th, 2001 four planes were hijacked and flown into a field in Pennsylvania, the Pentagon in Washington D.C., and both towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. In Samuel P. Huntington’s “The Clash of Civilizations,” in Perspectives on American Foreign Policy: Readings and Cases, he would argue that that act of war resulted in the clash of civilizations between the Western and the Islamic worlds. “The fault lines of civilizations will be the battle lines of the future” (Huntington, 2000, 297). Future history will doubtless prove him correct as today’s conflicts are quickly turning into holy wars. When the ‘end of history’ looms near, we will find that it will come down to the Western Powers (US, EU, Australia, and Israel), India, and Japan verses virtually everyone else: the Arab nations, China, Southeast Asia, and probably Africa). It has already begun.

Back in the good old days of the Cold War, things were really easy. There were only three main groups: the capitalists, the communists, and the rest of the world who were being manipulated by the previous two groups or ignored. You could be born in a democratic society and become a communist and back again without too much difficulty. The reverse was also true, though a bit more perilous. The society you were born in had little to do with the world in which you lived in. “In class and ideological conflicts, the key question was ‘Which side are you on?’ and people could and did changes sides” (299). Heck, during this time in the Baltic states, the Bosnians, Croats, and Serbs were slowly forgetting their ethnic hatreds of the past thousand years and were gaining a sense of nationalism. That is, until the USSR fell and the dual system with it. Suddenly, the West was the dominant super-power, and its culture wormed its way across the globe, unopposed.

That is, until some parts of the world became disgusted at the effects of Westernization was having upon them. They began to reject it. Sometimes it happens because of foreign policy, as in the case of the Palestinians. Or because we had become rich and powerful and refused to help those in need, as some parts of Africa think. Lastly, it may be because they find our values totally alien to their way of thinking. ”Western ideas of individualism, liberalism, constitutionalism, human rights, equality, liberty, the rule of law, democracy, free markets, the separation of church and state, often have little resonance in Islamic, Confucian, Japanese, Hindu, Buddhist or Orthodox cultures” (301). They then reject the notion of joining the Western world in favor of returning to their basic, non-western values. They then decide to put up the borders to keep themselves isolated from the West (Saudi Arabia), try to work with the West (Japan), or build up their armies to one day overthrow the West (Iraq, and possibly China). Regardless, “Those countries that for a reason of culture and power do not wish to, or cannot, join the West compete with the West by developing their own economic, military, and political power” (302).

Now the world is divided not by ideology but by civilization. By civilization, Huntington means “…the broadest level of cultural identity people have short of that which distinguishes humans from other species” (298). You are born into a civilization, and it is much, much harder to integrate into another one. There have been thousands of civilizations across the ages, but as of right now about seven or eight major civilizations are taking center stage. “These include Western, Confucian, Japanese, Islamic, Hindu, Slavic-Orthodox, Latin American, and possibly African civilization “ (298). Huntington is ambiguous on Africa because several parts of the continent have degenerated into tribal conflicts, oblivious to the rest of the world. Now these several civilizations are mostly multiple nation-states, feeling similar to each other generally if not linguistically and culturally. A notable exception to this is Japan, an economic superpower, the shining star of the non-Western world. Alone of all other Asian countries, Japan was able to modernize without becoming Westernized.

Of course, at some point these civilizations will come into conflict. The potential for future conflict is already here. Over a million troops are stationed on the border of nuclear equipped India and Pakistan in the region of Kashmir. North Korea has recently admitted to having a nuclear weapons program, giving Japan and South Korea many problems. And the little island of Taiwan may trigger a war between the United States and China. The Islamic world is already at war with the West on some level. Radical Islamic fundamentalists have performed terrorist acts on the United States, Israel, France, and Australia to date. A jihad, or holy war, has been declared against the West by Osama bin Laden. Finally, after September 11^th, the West fought back. Some semblance of order has been restored to Afghanistan. The next step of ousting Saddam from Iraq is soon to happen. Iran and Pakistan won’t be far behind. Eventually Saudi Arabia will be overthrown and opened to the West and the Islamic civilization will be absorbed or destroyed by the West.

However, there is a problem. The Islamic world has allied itself to the Confucian civilization. That means China, North Korea, and much of southeast Asia will rise up and cooperate with the Islamic nation-states if World War Four ever breaks out. “[T]he Confucian-Islamic connection… has emerged to challenge Western interest, values, and power” (302). The quickest ways to bring about this clash of civilizations are the China-Pakistan and Israel-India alliances. China owns part of Kashmir, and has long had a close relationship with its neighbor Pakistan. Despite the current strategic alliance with the U.S.-lead coalition, Pakistan has old cultural ties to now communist China, and would side with them over the U.S without hesitation. Both have nuclear weapons. Israel and India, being the only democracies and non-Islamic nation-states in the Middle East region, have some sort of strategic defense pact. India is a nuclear power and Israel’s status is all but official. If and when Pakistan (Islam) and Indian (Hindu) have their first and last nuclear war, they will drag the Confucian (China) and Western (Israel) civilizations into it and begin the end of history. Mutually assured destruction at its finest.

The Federation like that on Star Trek that many dream and hope for is a distant hope. “The very notion that their could be a ‘universal civilization’ is a Western idea, directly at odds with the particularism of most Asian societies and their emphasis on what distinguishes one people from another” (301). The world may be shrinking, but it is not that small. Yet. There the hope that if we survive the impending clash of civilizations, we will outgrow our petty differences and learn to work together. But that day has not come. If the West does not fall in war, it may be overrun from within. As we speak, dozens of Latin Americans are streaming across the US-Mexican border, infiltrating our civilization. If we are not careful, we may be overrun by the masses as Romans were, their civilization falling not to superior armies but superior numbers. Yet to ultimately survive civilizations that seek our annihilation, the West is faced with terrible choice: utterly obliterate civilizations thru total destruction or absorption; ether way those ways of life are lost.

Huntington is right. The next great conflicts are going to be on the borders of civilizations, not nation-states. Where is the most war-torn region in the World? Most would think of the Middle East, especially now. And it makes sense, since the region not only connects the continents of Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Indian sub-continent; it is the interaction point of the West, Islam, Confucian, Slavic-Orthodox, and Hindu civilizations. Peace in the Middle East would truly be a world peace, as all of these civilizations would have to get along with each other simultaneously. It is a worthy, albeit extremely difficult goal. But as we are all stuck on this small planet together, it is definitely worth a try.

Bibliography

Huntington, Samuel P. “The Clash of Civilizations?”. In Perspectives on

American Foreign Policy: Readings and Cases. Edited by Bruce W.

Jentleson. W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. New York 2000, pp. 297-304

Ready or not, here I come?

2007-01-09T20:23:00.000-07:00

Hi there. Well, I've finally graduated from ASU (for real this time) with my two degrees in Sociology and Political Science. Yay!

Since my Dad made it safely back from Iraq, and my lease for my apartment expired last month, I'm pretty much free from commitments in Phoenix.

So, I've decided to do a little traveling. I already did a bit of it for last Thanksgiving, and was glad to see many people I hadn't seen in way too long. Right after Christmas I also went out to L.A. to spend time with a couple friends, although I came back to Mesa before New Years.

At present, I'm in Salt Lake City (Utah) visiting some old friends, and contemplating my next move (so to speak).

I'm contemplating using my 6-month grace period to visit friends and relatives, which brings me to the point of this email. I'm fishing for invitations. Since I'm currently rootless, I'd love to catch up with loved ones I haven't seen much lately. And of course, I'd also like to have a place to crash and do my laundry too.

So, email me back if you don't mind some company. Or at the very least send me your address so I can send post cards or something.

Oh, and feel free to pass this along to mutual friends whose email I didn't track down.

Thanks!

Integrating citizenship into other school subjects

2006-12-16T08:38:00.000-07:00

Besides classes in citizenship itself, to fully incorporate citizenship as the fourth pillar of education it needs to be woven into many other classes as well. There are three overall methods of doing this. The first is by learning subjects and skills that make better and more informed citizens. The second is by actually injecting necessary citizenship ideas directly into other classes so that students learn two subjects simultaneously. The third is by having classes where citizenship skills are practically required and used to facilitate activities.

Subjects and skills that indirectly help citizenship involving slightly changing the emphasis and curriculum of several classes. English Literature classes in high school can include relevant classics that discuss citizenship values, such as the Faerie Queen. Other skills in English classes, like communications and journalism, also indirectly help citizens.

Computer courses will also be increasingly important in the lives of future citizens. Introducing students to newer forms of social interactions, such as the blogsphere or MySpace, are important new aspect of social networking. Advanced computer programming courses can do world building games like Civilization or Sim City, where large scale planning and organization of communities is vitally important.

Health classes also improve the lives of citizens in many ways. Preventative health care and nutrition can save individuals, insurance companies, and the government countless dollars. First Aid can be a lifesaving skill for fellow citizens. Birth control is a contentious issue, but a very important one for inter-human relationships.

The Mesa Public Schools social studies program has different classes for junior high grades that also can be reemphasized to advocate citizenship. Seventh grade Geography can also teach how to become a state, other countries conceptions of citizenship and government styles. Eighth grade American History can address the Founding fathers principal’s as well as historical works on citizenship like Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America.

This should spark some controversy...

2006-12-16T08:28:00.000-07:00

Here's what my assignment was:
Exam question #1:
Analyze the ideology of your least favorite in regard to the issue of gay and lesbian families

Because of my neutrality on this issue, I decided to explore and pick apart the conservative argument, because I know less about that one. So here it is:

Conservative Arguments Against Gay Families

Gay and lesbian families are a growing phenomenon in the United States. This alternative lifestyle to traditional heterosexual family units is a problem for a multitude of reasons. These difficult problems include legal concerns, cultural issues, and biological consequences that society must thoroughly consider before radically altering the primacy of traditional family structures.

The first arguments against promoting gay families are purely legalistic. Gay marriages are not legal in the vast majority of the United States. This simple fact creates inordinate problems for gay families. Adoption is more difficult than it is for married heterosexual couples. Rarely are both parents recognized as such on birth certificates when one conceives a child. When the biological parent dies the partner has no legal claim on the children, multiplying the trauma for everyone. This lack of legal recognition is a major argument against gay families.

The next arguments involve how gay families go against the culture and traditions of America. Gay parenting is not the usual type of family structure in the culture, with less than a million known households. Most denominations and religions in the US don’t recognize gay marriages or the families, and many strenuously object to this lifestyle on doctrinal grounds. Children of gay parents often experience shame as a result of their parents’ alternative lifestyle. Society also has a long tradition of gender based roles which become confused with same-sex parents and leads to unconventional understandings of gender roles by the kids. Also, there is statistical evidence that gay males are more likely than straights to seek sexual relations outside of their relationships, a cultural phenomenon that has verifiably negative affects for heterosexual couples. Obviously, there is a great deal of cultural resistance to gay families.

And then there are the biological arguments against gay families. Sex between gay males can have serious medical complications. Gay couples by themselves cannot conceive naturally, and need another adult of the opposite sex to create biological offspring. Because of these hurdles to reproduction, fewer children are likely to be born to gay families, decreasing the potential population. Some studies show that children suffer physically without the presence of both male and female parents, but whether this applies to gay parents needs to be explored. There are also statistics that show that homosexuals are more likely to be mentally stable than heterosexuals, and are more likely to be unfit for parenthood. These biological impediments work against the creation of gay families.

Lastly, gay parenting has some significant negative impacts on children. There are some significant concerns regarding pedophilia and gay parents, especially male couples. As they grow older, many feel the need to assert their heterosexuality by becoming more promiscuous. Adolescents are also more likely to explore their sexualities and become gay themselves. Children also face growing up without one of their biological parents (or both in the case of adoptions) and all the complications and feelings of abandonment that situation creates. More specifically, since most gay couples with children are lesbians, gay parenting contributes to the already growing problem of children growing up without their fathers.

The conservative arguments boil down to the fact that gay parenting goes against traditions. Homosexuals have many legal hurdles because of the long standing tradition of straight parenting. Cultural resistance originates from the tradition of having everyone live very similar lifestyles to minimize conflicts, which our current society is much more able to handle. The conservatives do have a point when it comes to the biological impossibility of same-sex couples conceiving on their own, but does not necessarily preclude most adults who prefer their own kind from raising children.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_parenting
http://www.religiouscoalitionformarriage.org/html/top_ten.php

Week Need

2006-12-05T12:03:00.000-07:00

This paper sets out to examine and advocate change one of the most influential social structures in our society, so universal and fundamental hardly anyone even thinks about it anymore: the Calendar. More specifically, the number of days in a week. Currently, the number of days in a week is seven, a prime number difficult to divide. The concept of a seven day week is a hold over from the lunar calendar days, with about seven days between new and quarter and full moons. The modern form of the seven day week is split between five week-days and the two days of the weekends, and is easily the most important social structure in regards to scheduling the activities of life, from economics to socializing to education. The week has become a fixture of modern life, a bureaucratic monopoly unexamined by society that many historical sociologists would advocate the reform of.

Marx
The concept of time touches heavily on many themes in sociology. Marx would focus on how the owners of the means of production demand workers be at their job for a huge majority of the time, exploiting their labor during the weekday and distracting them with religion during the weekend. The idea of a five day work week where owners expect laborers to work a minimum of eight hours per day plus overtime is clearly surplus labor for which the owners are making a profit and the laborers didn’t actually need to do to earn their keep. The five day work week is an oppressive structure designed for maximum extraction of work so that laborers not only give more than they receive but also have no time to work for themselves. Or that the overworked and underpaid laborers are forced to take second jobs to make ends meet, and all the time out of the social structure of the week is squeezed out with barely enough time for sleep.
And then there are the weekends. Sunday, Saturday and Friday nights out of the seven day cycle are reserved for recreational activities and religion. Religion is the primary source for the idea of the week, so that every seven days people have a day of rest that they use to fulfill their religious duties. The owners of the means of production are more than willing to let workers have some time off for religion for several reasons. Having a repeated religious day every week is a constant distraction for the worker, focusing them on the rewards of the afterlife instead of the here and now. They are further distracted from forming class consciousness by the rampant consumerism of the economy, focusing on sports and video games and entertainment when they should really be organizing to overthrow the ownership society and the exploitive concept of the ‘week’.
Marx would challenge the very idea of having a structure like the weekday; instead he would advocate individuals working their own hours for their own benefits. He would want self-employed laborers to work as much or as little as they themselves needed, improving only their own lots in life. Weekends, with the distractions of religion and consumerism, would be also cast out, totally eliminating any need for the concept of a special seven day block of time between the patterns days and months. With the weekday/weekend dichotomy nullified and the 7 day period made arbitrary, true reform of the week structure can begin.

Weber
Weber would focus on the social reality of the weekday, how this arbitrary abstraction has become totally ingrained in modern civilization as a traditional source of power and ultimate bureaucratization, as well as promoting the Protestant work ethic by having most of the time devoted to work with religious days for rest. The concept of the week has a great deal of power. This power is legitimized by traditions going back centuries, but also by rational-legal means, expressed in countless legal documents and recognized by law. The week has become entrenched in bureaucracy, organized by formal rules and influencing nearly every aspect of the culture. This bureaucratic form of control is going to be nearly impossible to get rid of because of all these entanglements in all corners of life, despite being a completely man-made creation.
The concept of a week is the ultimate form of formal rationality because it is not based on any cycles in nature. The concept of years and days mirror the revolutions and rotations of the Earth, respectively, and are thus easily rationalized. The concept of a month is derived from the lunar cycles, although no longer accurately reflects them. But the week is an abstraction totally separate from these patterns, and its constant misalignment with these cycles in addition to the occasional presence of the leap-day leads to fourteen different calendar configurations and constant headaches. This is a clear indication of Weber’s iron cage, where a meaningless social structure has become totally engrained within a culture and is impossible to ignore or work around, and becomes nearly hardwired in human beings conceptions of time.
The protestant work ethic also has a great deal of influence on the idea of the week. Instead of working just enough to accomplish tasks and get by, work itself was idealized as a nearly pious duty, driving people to work far more than necessary. Success was a sign that people were predestined to be saved (especially if they went to church on Sundays) and the idea that people should be working a majority of the time supports the idea of having a short weekend, and probably encourages shortening it even more so people can get even more work done.
Weber would point out the difficulties in trying to reform the concept of the week, with the heavily entrenched bureaucracy reified in countless legal documents and every organization in the culture. But he would be in favor of reforming it because of the negative effects of having an unexamined and arbitrary structure having so dominating an influence on human life, and examination and reform are a way to escape the iron cage of bureaucratization.

Durkheim
Durkheim would focus on the idea of the week as a remnant of mechanical solidarity and also the societal sacredness of the weekend because of the complex abstract rituals based around it. The concept of the week is an old, sacred idea where each day is named after a deity. The idea of the week arose so that people could all perform rituals to their gods in a common pattern; in the modern context those rituals are performed on Sundays (for Christians) and Saturday (Sabbath). The sacredness of the weekend is also reinforced by the collective recreational activities western cultures perform on these days. Of course, having sacred weekends makes weekdays almost profane, and creates near indignation in the collective conscious when work intrudes on this special time.
The week as a pattern is obviously a throwback to the mechanical solidarity days, when people lived in low density environs and everyone needed to think and act along the same lines. And work as well; the fact that people generally wake up and go to work at about the same time five days a week is not a sign of organic solidarity. Advanced divisions of labor would definitely advocate an even numbered week, so that half the time one half of the laborers would be working, and the other half resting. Or more likely a 2 to 1 rotating schedule with six day weeks where people work 2/3rds of the time with constant overlap between shifts. Or any other arrangement of patterns besides the arbitrary 7 day week would be more organic and adaptable than the status quo.

Veblen
Veblen would focus on the leisure class mentality that has become built up around the weekdays (to earn $) and weekends (to show off $). The concept of people working more days than necessary for surplus income rather than necessity is indicative of the long work week. Self-esteem, class, and social status is driven as much by how much you can earn as how much you can spend. The weekends become a sign of status, because they are designated periods of non-working, scheduled leisure time that feeds into the idea of a conspicuously consuming leisure class. So not only is the week contributing to people working and earning more than they need, it is also contributing to people spending more than they earn. So this setup contributes in a very real manner to the idea of the consumer economy, with all the entanglements that implies.
The cultural lag of the concept of a day itself, with technology allowing round the clock work and worldwide communication, is in some serious need of reexamination. Markets are poised to buy, sell, and trade twenty four hours a day, because there is a world-wide demand for trade across every time zone. Technological advances like satellites and the internet have almost made local time obsolete, more so than even the concept of the week. To continue to uses this cultural belief when technology has made it obsolete is a prime example of cultural lag.
Cultural borrowing of the concept of the week goes back thousands of years in western civilization. With colonialism, the idea of the week has been borrowed and used by nearly every culture on earth, for the most part replacing previous short term patterns of days in favor of the Gregorian calendar. Most interestingly are the parallels between many, many cultures conceptions of the days of the week, hinting that this sort of borrowing has been going on for a long time.
Veblen would advise researching other cultures conception of the week, and borrowing one of those and adapting it to suit modern needs. He would probably advocate a shorter week, reducing time for both extraneous working and for leisurely weekends. This adaptation would face head-on the cultural lag behind modern economic and technological realities. The weekday/weekend split would also be closely reexamined because of its relation to overzealous consumerism, and steps taken to reduce harmful patterns.

Mannheim
Mannheim would acknowledge the week as a social constructed idea and that it is an ideology originating in the past and the capacity for intellectuals in a planned society to construct a more rational approach. He would be focused on the societal context of the week and how the Weltanschauung of the week is incredibly complicated, tied to most aspects of society. The ideology of the week is set in the distant past, with few justifications for keeping other than tradition and the difficulty in changing.
However, the reinterpretation of the week for modern and future needs can be classified under his terminology as utopian in nature. Week reform can be seen as part of his intellectually planed society, where concepts are meant to transcend present realities to bring about a better future.

Gramsci
Lastly, the universality of the concept of a seven day week is a striking example of hegemony in Gramsci’s terminology, not only because of the lack of challengers to this power structure, but every culture on earth as to deal with this dominant timeframe in one form or another.
This system of control, is propagated by the state primarily due to the education system, but also all the other government infrastructure, including the postal system. The dominance of the week in language is extremely important, as scheduling is often referred to by the name of the weekday so many weeks from now, instead of using exact numbers of days.
The ideology of the week goes unchallenged at every level of society, including the intellectual elites, who even while beginning to organize calendar reform ideology still cling to the idea of having a seven day week. The consciousness of the working class and the working class all follow this ideology of the week because they have been presented with no alternatives and the constant support by the media and civil society as a whole makes change virtually unthinkable.

Berger
Peter Berger contributions to sociology deal directly with the concept of the week. Most habits, when not daily, are performed on a weekly basis and dominate the behavior patterns of billions of people. These habits have come to give significant meaning to many days of the week, with Mondays being unpopular, Fridays as the gateway to the weekend, and so on. The structure of the week has come to dominate the consciousness of everyone with repeatable habits. Society has settled into an embedded routine of working on weekdays, and seeking entertainment on weekends. The weekend has become institutionalized into our culture, written into law and come to be expected as a natural course of events, absolutely reified. So much of our language has become embedded in the institution of the week that the pattern seems more natural than it is.
However, Berger shows how these institutionalized ideas can fade away as they become obsolete. Previous conceptions of the week have already dissolved into the background or been added to the already extensive framework of the week, as seen in the names of the days of the week. With the changing nature of time due to interconnected worldwide civilizations and the meaninglessness of earth timescales in space, the language of the week may eventually become archaic and the structure will diminish by itself.

Solutions
For the numerous reasons listed above, I propose changing the number of days in the week to six, by dropping Tuesday. We now have a week easily evenly divided in halves and thirds. With a six day week, we can have five weeks a month for a total of thirty days, a very normal length of time for a month, with minimal alterations to the current calendar required, and every day of the new week is uniformly the same with every other month, so that it may be ignored all together if so desired. However, we still have those pesky five and a quarter days in the year. Let’s have those days be extra floating holidays, outside the week formula and no body works on them or have that be the current nonproductive week between Christmas and New Years, or sprinkle them across the calendar year.
Now the whole point of this is efficiency and relaxation. Currently there are 52 weeks and 104 weekend days in the year. My idea would make 60 weeks and 120 weekends in the year, reducing the excess work of the population. Or to improve organic solidarity, we can also have jobs where people work 3 days on and 3 off, enabling the widened economic possibilities of regular three-day weekends and enabling someone else to work your exact position while you are gone, simultaneously increasing job output and quality of live. Even better, peoples weekends in whatever form can be staggered, enabling people on their time off to have access to the goods and services of those still working. The economic potentials are enormous!
No matter what solution is chosen, the power structure known as the week needs to be challenged and minimized as mindless bureaucratic structure. Its dominance in our lives affects in every aspect, from work to religion to medications. Fortunately, as the structure is tied into the concept of the day, as the importance of the day decreases due to the shift towards organic solidarity in the economic structure and the expansion of the human race exposes us to extraterrestrial rotational cycles, the concept of the week may fade away entirely, leaving humans with something akin to the Star Trek notion of the Stardate.

Works Cited

Lemert, Charles. Social Theory : The Multicultural and Classical Readings, 3rd
Edition. Westview Press, 2004
Ritzter, George and Goodman, Douglas J. Classical Sociological Theory, 4th
Edition. McGraw-Hill, 2004

Why Islam Needs Science Fiction

2006-12-05T09:40:00.000-07:00

Science fiction is one of the most amazing genres in literature, mostly because all the rules of normal realty are open to manipulation and examination. This is the perfect setting for exploring a post-colonial Islamic identity, because of the very nature of the deep questions Muslims can ask themselves while presenting their unique viewpoints to the rest of the world. Nearly every aspect of SF poses deep questions about the modern Muslim identity, from time-travel to catastrophes, colonization of worlds to extraterrestrial aliens; this literary genre is required to chart the course for the next centuries.

Alternate Timelines
The first trope of science fiction that comes to mind is time-travel, with exploring the past, creating alternate versions of the present, and speculating about the future. The ethics of time travel are interesting enough in western fiction, but the implications of an Islamic authored story about visiting the time of Mohamed is so contentious and interesting that it begs to be told. This is also one of the means of achieving the post-colonialist goal of reclaiming ones history from the Europeans, by using time-traveling stories to the past to touch on some of the most important parts of western history (Old Testament, Jesus, etc) in a genre that may be read worldwide.
Alternate histories are some of the oldest sources of fiction, showing how history may have turned out differently with the slightest changes. Time-travel interventionist stories can explore what might have been if the Ottoman Empire had not lost WWI, and how the world would be different if the borders of the Middle East hadn’t been rewritten. Likewise the Mongol disaster would have been prevented if Genghis Kahn was slain as a boy, or the split between Shiite and Sunni might have been prevented if Ali had survived assassination. Alien invasions and other hypothetical science fiction elements in historical contexts are also enlightening, and reveal as much about the authors as they do about the subject matter. The possibilities are endless, and definitely worth exploring.
The greatest possibilities for Islamic authored science fiction involve the future, and the myriad of possibilities that civilization has not yet begun to consider. The easiest to envision are the extrapolations of the present into the future. If one of the goals of Islamic civilization is worldwide conversion, what happens when they achieve it? Then what? Or if technological trends continue, how does Islam keep up with contentious issues such as cloning, cross-breeding humans, virtual reality, interstellar travel, telepathy, and artificial life? What insight can they provide to the western world? There are several prophesies about the future, and exploring what might actually happen is one of the greatest strengths of science fiction.

Loss of Homelands
One of the most terrible and creative exercises in fiction is projecting what happens when homelands are lost. Could Islam survive the loss of Mecca and/or other important historical locations? How would the religion and identity change with the natural (through sea level rise) or artificial (thermonuclear) destruction of their great holy places?
More common to sci-fi and history is the loss of homeland to exile, as is Star Trek: Voyager and Battlestar Galactica. It would be very interesting to see how Islamic authors would handle a Lost in Space scenario or some other method of removing access to the homeworld. Destroying the Earth is also a common trope, and it would be very interesting to see how authors would tackle this radical idea, and how to survive with the consequences. For peace activists, this is the perfect means of mirroring the destruction of the temple and Diaspora of the Israelites.
Most extreme is exile to another dimension, an idea more commonly explored in fantasy novels. But removal to an environment where absolutely nothing is recognizable would be a fascinating read to explore the principals behind this great religion, and still be analogous to the changes of modern realities.

Off-World Colonies
Space colonization is a major theme of science fiction, and the one most analogous to post-colonial thought just by its very structure. Potential Muslim authors can recreate all sorts of contentious modern post-colonial issues using just such a method, including the occupation of Palestine using veiled analogies that Westerners, Israelites, and the international community as a whole would understand. A great example of how this might be done is in Dune by Frank Herbert, where nomadic tribes on a resource rich dessert world seek to rid their world of exploitive overseers.
Off-world colonization is also the ultimate form of self-determination and independence, where landless refugees claim their own homelands without interference from earth governments. Peoples like the Kurds can leave Earth and escape persecution, as African Americans did in Bradbury’s Martian Chronicles. Any nationalist author can use this technique to envision their own future nation with minimal controversy.
Leaving Earth also presents new problems for hypothetical future Muslims. It is somewhat humorous to surmise how one can kneel and pray in a zero-gravity environment. Also, direction of prayer is defiantly an issue in space, as the direction Mecca becomes indistinguishable from Earth, which itself gets lost on the sun’s glare, which eventually becomes lost in the galactic spiral, becoming little more than a vector. Issues of time are also important, because other worlds have different length days and years, challenges few western authors have attempted to address. Another issue is that of the Hajj or the pilgrimage to Mecca: would light-years of separation make this Pillar of Islam inconsequential, make those who still manage it much higher in status, or effectively prohibit off-world colonization? To say nothing of new Meccas…

Consciousness
Sci-fi also allows the most flexibility when tampering with the concept of the mind and consciousness. Of course, the exploration of the implications of artificial intelligence is paramount in regards to a post-colonial exploration of identity. The idea of combining theocratic guidelines for life with computer programming is rarely touched upon in sci-fi literature, but would be a tantalizing subject for Muslim authors to tackle. Also the idea for mind transference from one body to another is an old one, as is the idea of digital reincarnation, but both could present interesting takes if authors tackle these issues.

Gender Modification
Muslim feminists have a great opportunity to advance their cause using science fiction. The easiest means of doing this are to play with proportions, and have stories that wipe out most of the men or women. Fictionalized gender imbalances can play havoc in science fiction worlds, just as understudied imbalances do in the real world. Other methods of playing with sex and sexuality are featured in Samuel R. Delaney’s Trouble on Triton, where not only sexual orientations are reprogrammable, but sex changes are easily performed. Such a book would have scandalous repercussions if released in the Islamic world, where they are just starting to reexamine the traditional views of gender and sexuality.
And of course the use of sapient non-humans is the best opening for feminists to lay out their case for reexamining the current gender arrangement. The most intriguing means to do this is via stories like Octavia Butler’s Lilith’s Brood, where aliens with very different notions of sexuality not only disturb the surviving humans on a post-apocalyptic world, but also force changes to the very nature of interactions between the human sexes.

Aliens
It is the subject of aliens that are the most important reason Islam needs science fiction. For with aliens the most important and disturbing aspect of post-colonialism can be addressed: hybridity. Again, Lilith’s Brood addresses this issue head on half-human/half-alien hybrids that struggle to find their place in xenophobic human societies. Half-human aliens are excellent allegories for many middle-easterners, with identities split between something old and something new.
Hybridity can also be showcased when exploring the idea of aliens converting to Islam. This idea has very serious ramifications, especially if the religion is modified in the translation. The most disturbing idea, however, is the potential mixture of Islam with alien religions, especially when it begins to pull away humans. The analogy of course is the Baha’i and other faiths which combine Islamic and other elements in a new form, which are not tolerated very well in modern Islamic society.
Domination by aliens is also a great way for potential authors to write their own experiences in forms westerners will understand. Stories like H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds are prime examples of the colonization experience, and will do a great deal to spread understanding of the Middle Eastern experiences with Europeans. One prime example may be drawn form the experience of Iraqi’s long violent history with the U.K., highlighted especially well in Young’s Postcolonialism- A Very Short Introduction. However, more passive colonization like the overlords from Arthur C. Clark’s Childhood’s End might be a much more enlightening read, as the justifications of the resistance are very analogous to the modern world and much less understood by western audiences.

In summary, modern Muslims need science fiction to not only enlighten the world with their own points of view about postcolonial realties, but also to pave the way for the ethics and modalities of the future of Islamic civilizations. Science fiction will enable Islam to change from looking back and idealizing the past to looking ahead and working towards a brighter future and hopefully enable the breaking down the conceptions of the ‘other’ that they and the west have mutually built around the other, and unite as human beings against our galactic overlords and set out to conquer the universe together.

Future American Citizenship

2006-11-07T13:32:00.000-07:00

Social Citizenship as a concept is almost totally absent in America today. Many Western democracies have accepted the premise that public welfare is a central component to citizenship, but something about American political realities have prevented a similar understanding. However, there may be a way to incorporate the important concepts of social citizenship in such a way that will not offend American sensibilities.

Section 1.
First off, Desmond S. King & Jeremy Waldron endorse nationwide welfare as a component of citizenship for a multitude of reasons in their article “Citizenship, Social Citizenship and Welfare Provision”. They define social citizenship as “more than a simple safety-net; it refers to the universal provision of education, health, social security and welfare benefits (financed through a system of redistributive taxation) available as attributes of citizenship” (418) available to everybody. Social citizenship’s significance is reducing economic influence and social status while enhancing other aspects of citizenship: “securing basic social standards does in fact promote the existence and exercise of other citizen rights” (420) by giving citizens an informed voice, indirectly providing them with time to participate, promoting community identity and a sense of belonging, and fulfilling already established social contracts as in the U.K.
By “providing minimum standards in these areas the state offsets the vagaries of market processes and corrects the gross inequalities of distribution arising from the market” (419) and reduces the punishment of economic failure, something the American public is less than enthusiastic about. This economic inequality has understandably undesirable political entanglements, because ideally “no one must be rich enough to be able to purchase the dependence of another, and none poor enough to be bought in that way…. a citizen should be the one who is in a position to bring his or her own judgment to public issues” (427) and be independent. Economic inequality is also destabilizing in a society, especially in a democracy, because “hungry people must not be let loose in the political forum, for their needs will impel them to make demands that subvert and short-circuit the leisurely course of citizens’ deliberations” (429) and upset the balance of the entire political structure.
Originally, citizens under the Hellenistic republican model “could not act as citizens at all, or could not expect to act well in the political sphere and to make adequate decisions, unless some attention was paid to matters of their wealth, their well-being and their social and economic status” (426). The original Greek citizens had all the petty details taken care for them by their numerous family members and servants, allowing them to dedicate their waking hours to being active participants in the governance of the city-states. This freedom of time was essential to the very concept of citizenship, indeed it was a prerequisite. Obviously, this ideal cannot be justifiably replicated in modern times, but the principal still holds. Citizenship requires a certain amount of freedom from immediate and demanding commitments; be they economic, familial, or otherwise… so that civic duties may be carried out without influence or distraction by trifle economic realities. To further emphasize the importance of equality, the authors quote Marshall who says that social services provide “a general enrichment of the concrete substance of civilized life, a general reduction of risk and insecurity, an equalization between the more and the less fortunate at all levels” (423) and elevate lifestyles across the board without implementing the restrictive social systems of the ancients.
Social services are catalyst for the other essential components of citizenship, maximizing the potential implementation of rights and duties. King and Waldron use education as an example, not only because it contributes “to a person’s own well-being, free education is a social good; in its contribution to her or his political status and capabilities, it is a political right and, indeed, a political duty” (420). Social services prepare and enable citizens to exercise their political rights with informed choices, speak and with minimal influence by others, and lead fully active and healthy lives in their communities.
King and Waldron, when speaking of Britain, argue that “welfare guarantees have been established in this society (for whatever reason) to the claim that they are now part of what we understand by citizenship” (432). Oddly, this is a conservative argument, that the status quo should not be changed abruptly because of tradition. This expectation of welfare provisions is now taken for granted, and “people are willing to take much greater risks when they know that there is a safety net” (434), and adjusted their behaviors accordingly. Because large amount of planning and expectations have hinged upon these public institutions, to drastically change them overnight would be a violation against British citizens and a breaking of a social contract with the government. Any drastic changes would have to be slowly phased in to minimize disruptions and make citizens feel that government is upholding its end of the bargain.

Section 2.
Nancy Fraser and Linda Gordon examine the American political climate in their article “Contract versus Charity: Why Is There No Social Citizenship in the United States?”. In the contemporary United States “the word public is often pejorative” (114) and the conceptions of “welfare are so negative weak and degraded that ‘social citizenship’ here sounds almost oxymoronic” because of the association with people of low civic status.
The American emphasis on civil citizenship overshadows social citizenship entirely, as citizens “pride themselves on a commitment to civil liberties and civil rights” (114) and the attempts to make all citizens equal in the eyes of the law. In fact, “U.S. thinking about social provision has been shaped largely by images drawn from civil citizenship, especially images of contract” (114-115) with the reciprocal exchange and absence of entitlement that contractual agreements bring to mind. In a world of “discrete contractual exchanges of equivalents” (115), the conception of charity arose as freely giving goods or services with no-strings-attached, completely non-contractual. Fraser and Gordon maintain that conception of social citizenship is obscured by the ideas that financial interactions between people are either in the form of contractual exchanges or in the form of charitable gift-giving, and this mindset and language has prevented the idea of welfare rights from taking hold.
The problem is the destruction of the idea of entitlement: “No descent welfare policy can emerge without a vision of honorable entitlement for those who require help” (115). The United States does not recognize this concept, in large part because of its historical lack of aristocracy, considerable work ethic, and the enshrinement of only civic and political rights in the founding documents like the Constitution, especially in regards to property rights. The closest conception to entitlement in the American psyche is the former slave system in the south, where slaves were entitled by their masters to food and shelter. The only other analogue seems to be family life, where ‘dependents’ are entitled to a considerable amount until they are set loose upon the world. All other forms of material gain have fallen into the contract-or-charity dichotomy.
The conception of welfare in the presence of this dichotomy results in the conceptions that either people invest in a system and later get it back (ala Social Security) or “public assistance, where they have no such right, since they are thought to ‘get something for nothing’” (115). So, hostility exists towards the idea of social citizenship because of “the idea that welfare recipients are getting something for nothing while others must work, hence that they are violating standards of equal exchange” (117) and welfare becomes in essence forced charity, or as King & Waldron put it “compulsory charity” (417) The modern conception of charity is as “a pure, unilateral gift, on which the recipient had no clam and for which the donor had no obligation” (123); in fact the recipient was stigmatized for giving nothing back and the donor exalted for requiring nothing in return. Forced charity legitimizes inadequacy and takes away all of the esteem and credit of voluntarily sacrificing, hence the unwillingness to adopt the idea in American society.

Section 3.
Now for the tricky part: how to incorporate welfare provisions into the American citizen identity? The answer is easy: don’t… at least not in commonly understood manner. Social citizenship as currently understood will not be adopted by the American public anytime soon, due to the reasons above. There is too much of a perception of government ineptitude and inefficiency (not unjustified) for welfare to be entitled to all citizens. Not only that, but there is a proud culture and tradition of private charitable organizations in the United States that would be profoundly undermined if social citizenship were enacted, and these charities are far more flexible, reactive, and innovative than public programs can ever hope to be.
Mainly, the problem is taxes. Most Americans don’t like paying taxes, and recoil in horror at the proportionately higher rates that European countries are contributing. Americans see poor quality public services and see them as a waste of money, which leads to under-funding and becomes a self-reinforcing cycle. American emphasis on freedom includes freedom from excessive taxation, and the freedom to choose politicians who promise to lower said taxes. Any proposed solution will have to take this into account.
Then there is the problem of passivity that some argue social citizenship encourages. The argument of recipients being dependant spawning welfare queens is an old one, but in all likelihood many people would be satisfied with the minimum standard of living, becoming less likely to try and improve themselves. This perception, no matter its basis in reality, is too well ingrained for Americans to rapidly accept permanent, unlimited social citizenship entitlements. Passivity is also a risk on the other end of the scale, as paying taxes may be seen completing one’s civic duty and totally fulfilling social obligations. This passivity, the idea that everything else can be taken care of by somebody who is paid to do it, encourages bureaucratic specialization and diminishes all other aspects of citizenship.
So, what welfare provisions are attainable and compatible with American ideals as well as social citizenship? Refer to the old adage: think of the children. They are both future citizens as well as dependants, surely the most deserving of the ideals of social citizenship, indeed usually the targets. Programs demanding ever-increasing high minimum standards of education are hard to disagree with. Creating the civic duty of educating the next generation either publicly, privately, or whatever, would enhance all other aspects of citizenship by giving future citizens intelligent contributions to public policy, future means of supporting themselves, and a community based responsibility that spans the private lives of all procreating adults. This aspect of social citizenship is already well established in America, without stigma, and needs to become a prime focus involving the majority of citizens.
Next to implement would be the right to health, entitling the future adult citizen the healthiest intact body attainable. This would prevent a lifetime of difficulties later on, and is therefore economically justifiable as well as the smart thing to do. Vaccines and other public health requirements have already been institutionalized with minimal outcry, but need to be expanded to ensure the maximized survival, health, and development of the youth into adulthood and citizenship. Also in this component is the food and nutritional needs of the young, slightly dangerous due to fears of overpopulation, but absolutely essential to health. Making eating vegetables part of one’s civic duty seems somewhat ironic, but very practical.
This next welfare provision will easily be the most controversial: that of providing a large, one-time entitlement of tens of thousands of dollars to young adults upon attaining citizenship. Instead of guaranteeing a lifetime minimal standard of living, which Americans would oppose, providing the money upfront allows the new citizens to apply their education for anything they see fit. The one-time entitlement can be used to drive the consumer economy, saved and used slowly over a lifetime, invested in creative and hopefully profitable ways, used for further education, or given away by the wealthy or pious. This is the perfect union of American ingenuity and the idea of social citizenship: maximizing the choice and freedom of the individual while equalizing the distribution of wealth without creating lifetime dependants.
Now that all the needs of the upcoming citizens have been taken care of, what of the worse off of the adult citizens? The American intolerance towards entitlement already established, some public help along these lines should be maintained and expanded. Minimum wages should be connected to inflation and otherwise left alone. Free vaccines and other preventive health measures should be provided to minimize costs further on. The right to cheap public transportation should be written into law so people can explore opportunities everywhere. Service in the military, in whatever form, should be open to everybody as a means of employment. And of course private assistance from family and charities should also be encouraged as a duty not enforced by law but by public sentiment.
Also, don’t forget the impact that having the educational, nutritional, and health care needs of the young provided for takes a great deal of pressure off of the public. Adoption as a practice is certainly much less of a burden, as is the strain of losing ones job or spouse. In fact the whole focus of social citizenship lands squarely on where it belongs: preparing a temporary class of dependants for the duties and responsibilities of citizenship. This touches the lives of everyone while they’re young and anyone involved in raising a child. The number people contributing financially to the system will always be larger than the recipients (barring unprecedented population growth or disaster). And everyone will have a decent chance at success, which is the whole point of social citizenship.

Conclusion
Social citizenship is an important component missing in American politics. The need for education, healthcare, and financial assistance is paramount to the practice of the rights and duties of citizenship. The American obsession with contractual and charity-based economy transactions needs to be adjusted to reemphasize the entitlements of children by adults, perhaps along the lines of nation-wide greater familial responsibilities. Social citizenship can best be adopted by the American public when it focuses on the one universally accepted dependant population of minors, and gives them the best tools available to become healthy, informed, and entrepreneurial adults committed to raising the next generation.

Works Cited

King, Desmond S. Waldron, Jeremy. “Citizenship, Social Citizenship and the
Defence of Welfare Provision” British Journal of Political Science, Vol.18, No.4

Fraser, Nancy. Gordon, Linda. “Contract versus Charity: Why Is There
No Social Citizenship in the United States?” The Citizenship Debate: a reader

Crazy Scheme #47

2006-10-23T09:46:00.000-07:00

I have this crazy idea that the Unided States should keep expanding its number of state, because our system is one of the least terrible in the world, and because the more states we have the fewer potential enemies we have. Ultimately I'd like to see the UN replaced by the United States of the World.

So, I've come upon this idea that the next state (the 51st) should be our strongest ally in the world: England!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/actionnetwork/G1772

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/51st_state#United_Kingdom

Oh, the ultimate irony of absorbing our former colonial masters into our union. Notice how I said England, not Brittain or the United Kingdom. First off, swallowing the whole population as one state would drastically rewrite the House of Reps. And by first taking England as the 51st state, the option is then given to Scotland to also join or gain its independence. Same to Wales, Northern Ireland, et cetera.

Think about it. Brittain doesn't really want to be part of the European Union, and already fights beside the US in practically every fight we pick. I'm sure they'd love the chance to actually vote and help determine the politics and direction the US takes. Depending on how it works out, the monarchy may end up being officially desolved.

With the absorbtion of the head of the Commonwealth, all of the current and former colonies would also be invited. All of them speak english to one degree or another, and are culturally very similar to America already. Obviously, Canada is the next most obvious, with no real distinctions anymore without the UK affiliation. And Quebec can gain its independence if the rest goes with US. One less border to worry about.

Australia is also a close millitary ally, and probibly would also like more say in American politics as well. Probiby to be split into half a dozen states, but we could absorb it all as its only the size of Texas or NY in population.

New Zealand is also the next natural choice as part of the Commonwealth and close ally of Australia.

Bahamas, Belize, and so on. Countries on the world island of Afro-Eurasia proper should come last, with the most military and political difficulties. Absorbing India would have immense consequences. Probibly best to tackle spanish speaking South America first.

So there you have it, a plan for world domination with minimal bloodshed, and maximum cultural compatability. Actually sounds plausible, don't it?

Lurker
(Moving, moving)

Congressional district reforms

2006-09-30T17:13:00.000-07:00

I can't stand congressional districts. They're completely arbitrary, subject to gerryandering and biased rearrangements every 10 years, require plurality vote for reelection, and are accountable only a small fraction of the state.

So, I propose the following reforms:

Have all the districts merge so every congressman is voted statewide.
Voters are given as many votes as there are congressional seats.
Voters distribute all their votes between the various candidates as they see fit, up to the total.

Top candidates get the seats (7 seats, top seven win). This puts all the congressmen in competition with one another, and allows third party candidates to scrape up enough votes statewide to have a decent chance.

Trying to think of a way to incorporate political party voting, but the percentages and cuttoff points seem arbitrary and open to corruption. More to think on.

Lurker

Self-Determination

2006-09-04T14:20:00.000-07:00

One of my fundamental beliefs that drives my poltical ideology is that of self-determination. This is a very dangerous and very American ideal because it makes the assertion that people should be able to pursue their own destinies with the least amount of interference from governments, parents, other people, and maybe even economics.

This applies on both an individual level as well as internationally. I have no problem with independence movements as long as they are democratic. If Quebec, Scottland, Palestine, Kurdistan, Taiwan, or Texas were able to get a majority of its population to vote for independance, I'd be all for supporting them, even millitarily.

The American Civil War would still be a tough case using this ideal, because while the Confederate states chose to leave, slavery goes completely against the idea of self-determination. I'd probibly still have invaded and emancipated the slaves, but I don't think I would've forced the confederacy to rejoin the union. But I digress.

On a less grand scale, I'm all for issues like school vouchers, legal immigration, and things like that. Oddly the environmental issue kindof fits in this catagory, with people having a right to clean air and the like.

I'm also against religeous indoctrination (though not moral) of children, because they aren't old enough to fully grasp the concepts. I would probibly push the the confirmation dates up to the age of adulthood, but since religions are unregulated I'm not sure how to enforce that.

On the individual level, I'm all for people getting the full rights of citizenship earlier, like 17 or whenever they graduate from school, when enthusiasm is still pretty high and the mind is mature enough nowadays to make rational decions (not that they always will). So lower all the drinking and gambling ages and legalize everything for adults . But since tatoos and piercings are permanent and the effects of drugs on youths are very damaging, I would heavily enforce these prohibitions until the age of consent, because future adults deserves to have their naturally developed bodies to do with as they see fit. I still remember my sister screaming when she got her ears pierced when she was way too young. This would end contraversial practices such as circumcision and drugging kids with ritalin and other actions with long-term consequences that only the future adult should make.

I'm still working out the abortion angle, but right now it would be free and universal availability of the "morning-after pill" to prevent implantation and give women full short-term control. Successfull implantation implies consent and the woman should carry the baby to term and give it up to adoption if she doesn't want to keep it.

Lurker
(must create Revolutionary Party)

A planet by any other name....

2006-08-24T18:30:00.000-07:00

Those of you who know me are expecting me to comment on the Pluto planet "demotion" fiasco. I actually commented on this whole issue of planethood way back in last September (check out the archives!).

I liked the original idea of calling a planet anything massive enough to make itself round and reinstating Ceres into the planet pantheon. However, I'm a minority of one when I say I think JUPITER, SATURN, URANUS, and NEPTUNE should be stripped of their planetary status. They're gas giants. If you can't land on it it's not a planet in my book.

I also didn't really like the idea that the object has to be dominant in it's region (which is what demoted Pluto and quashed Ceres' chances again) or the fact that it has to be orbiting a star (which screws up the status of exoplanets and massive objects like Titan and Earth's moon Luna).

I DO like the fact that astronomers are trying to sub-catagorized the idea of planets. Personally, I think they should use and expand on the Star Trek classifications, since a majority of them are Trekkies anyway, but thats just me.

So, here are what I consider to be the 'planets' of the Sol system:
Earth / Luna
Venus
Mars
Mercury
'Xena' 2003 UB₃₁₃
Pluto / * Charon
'Santa' 2003 EL₆₁
90377 Sedna
50000 Quaoar
1 Ceres

Planets of the Jupiter (Jovian) system:
* Ganymede
* Callisto
* Io
* Europa

Planets of the Saturn (Saturnian?) system:
* Titan
* Rhea
* Iapetus
* Dione

Planets of the Uranus styem:
* Titania
* Oberon
* Ariel
* Umbriel

Planet of the Neptune system:
* Triton

There we go. The Solar system has 8 planets plus 2 double-planets, and 4 sub-systems with four planets each (except Neptune, it only has one) giving us a grand total of 25 at the moment.

Sounds way more complex and terribly unlikely at the moment, but it gives the solar system a grand scope of uncharted mystery, don't it?

Lurker
(Must take over space program)

Zee Plan

2006-08-12T08:46:00.000-07:00

During my party last week I made an anouncement: I will be taking one last semester of school as an undergraduate. I'll be taking at least 6 credit hours, and probibly doing 12 just for the heck of it.

Now my appartment contract runs out on Halloween, six weeks prior to the end of said semester. So I'm going to have to find some sort of alternate housing plan or perhaps get an extention on the lease.

Also, I think I'm going to get a job. This may be shocking to hear, as I've been a full time student for about a year now. The reasons are mostly financial, but if I'm graduating I want to have the jump into the formal job market a little less jolting. I don't know where I'll be working yet, but I'm thinking of going back to my prior place of employment or working on campus.

So, by the end of the year, I'll have graduaduated with both my degrees, be homeless, have some $ saved up (if I don't use too much to go see girlfriend), my Dad'll be back from Iraq, and maybe I'll have advanced another degree in Judo. Busy year.

After that, I'm moving. Out of state. To parts unknown. I'm going to try to con my way into graduate school to get my masters degree. If that doesn't work (or get's vetoed by GF), I'll still be moving to start my career someplace. Maybe Washington DC or LA or wherever I can find a job that helps me 'save the world' and still gives me $.

So, thats the plan. I should probibly get a more permanent means of trasportation too.

Lurker

Why we're in Iraq

2006-07-19T02:20:00.000-07:00

The Middle East sucks. It's hot, arid, and quite inhospitable in parts. Its full of corrupt governmental leadership with no real democratic proces to remove those governments from power. Not only that, but the region is experiencing a population boom (due to uneducated women) and consequently high unemployment for youths. The religeon and culture focuses agression away from internal stresses and instead on external infidels. Combined with a Middle-ages mindset where the afterlife more important than life and charity economics fostering competition between extremist islamist groups, and you've got a very nasty situation.

So, you need a paradigm shift, where peoples ideas about government and religion are radically adjusted to reflect a new reality. You need tolerance and hope.

Iraq was our big shot at pulling this off. It was ruled by a non-theocracic dictatorship with no real allies, no country would really stand in the way of overthrowing the government. Iraq was fairly technologically advanced, with an educated population, and the highest profile females in the middle east. It also had sizable populations of both branches of Islam, sunni and shiia, as well as a sizable ethnic minority, the Kurds. If there was any place in the middle east to quickly foster a democratic movement Iraq was it.

Buuuut.... It's not working very well. Saddam wasn't oppressive enough to quell all the tribal, ethnic, and religeous rivalries... so the country seems to be sliding in the direction of Yugoslavia. Even worse for the Iraqi's: all the muslim extremists are heading there in hopes of getting Americans, which is good for us in that they're fighting there rather than here but it sucks for them.

So the US is kind of stuck: do we stick it out and help the Iraqi's thru this or do we pull out and hope the violence decreases in our absence? Oddly, in a civil war our presence or absense is almost irrelevant. Bottom line: the US should not leave until exiting makes the situation better than our presence. Since this won't be the case for quite some time, we should remain until that qualification is met, reguardless of the circumstances.

Lurker

Language code in progress

2006-06-29T15:26:00.000-07:00

Here is my work-in-progress language/alphabet I call Zeroplus (because the last symbol looks like a zero with a plus sign).

Two hundred and fifty-six symbols in total, encompasing the sixtyish phonetic sounds, numbers, punctuation, mathematical/logic symbols, and most common words and concepts. Not everything is asigned though, still working on that part.

The whole purpose of this is trying to make a universal written language. The current alphabet has ambigous pronounciation, so Zeroplus is going to be very precise. By covering the most common words and concepts in language using a few symbols (or combination of symbols, still working on that too), people can put down their ideas in symbols and be understood, reguardless of what spoken language they use.

Also its purpose is to speed up communication. Typing is never quite as fast as speaking, but by making a messege more compact with fewer symbols and less ambiguity, communication will be much better.

So here it is, one of my many, many side projects....

Lurker
(of course, system excellent for encoding too...)

New Post!

2006-06-25T23:19:00.000-07:00

Wow, sorry for the lapse there. I've been busy with finals, traveling out of state, seeing my Dad during his two week break from Iraq, and summer school. Yeesh.

Lets see, there've been several potential topics percalating in my mind in the ensuing time. I wrote a paper on why India should invade North Korea (earn international respect and scare the heck out of Pakistan). I'm a month a way from being done with my two degrees (holding a graduation party the first weekend of August!). I'm contmeplating about whether to continue school, work, or volunteer and if I should move to do so (suggestions and contacts welcome!).

So, yeah... lots of things to talk about...

Lurker
(misses girlfriend)

New Voting System

2006-04-26T10:54:00.000-07:00

I wrote a 15 page paper on political voting systems and accountability this last weekend. I didn't find one that really held incumbants to maximum level of accountability, so I'm designing my own system here.

Alright, the first step is a strait up reelect or remove vote for incumbants. If an incumbant fails to get at least 50% then they are removed from office.

Now for the interesting part. Voters choose wether or not to keep their guy in office. Then, no matter which they chose, they vote for which political party/parties they want to get the seat if the guy is kicked out. They just pick the party, not the individual candidate, they want to get the seat.

And they may pick more or one. I'm proposing giving each voter to get a small number of votes, like ten, to distribute however they wish between the parties. If they want to give them all to one party, fine. Distribute between a few, fine. Give 'em to all but one to act as a spoiler, fine. Whichever party has the highest # of votes, then their candidate gets the office.

I also wants to run the primaries at exactly the same time! Voters fill out the main ballot with all their choices, and they also get one party ballot to pick their guy.

This would have the effect of having all the candidates of a party running against the incumbant
while promiting themselves. They would'nt want to attack others running in for their party nominantion for fear of getting fewer votes.

The party of the incumbant also holds its primary, but the incumbant is excluded from running. The party will promote thier guy "just in case" the incumbant is booted.

So thats the system. I think this will make elections much more accountable against incumbants, so if they screw up everyone will point it out and run against them!

Lurker
(Politics is fun!)

Re-editing Lord of the Rings

2006-04-09T12:42:00.000-07:00

Finally! I've found a way to remake the Lord of the Rings trilogy more like the book version! I won't be able to put in Tom Bombadil, but i can take out alot of the fluff Peter Jackson put in!

Let me start by saying I own all three extended editions. But with me knowing little about how to capture video, I downloaded copies of the movies (which I already own) in AVI form.

But, Windows Movie Maker wouldn't recognize the codecs, and wouldn't let me down load them.

So, I searched the internet and downloaded many, many codecs. I think the key one was DivX. I'm not sure, I don't want to uninstall anything to find out.

Anyway, I'm currently working my way up the movie timeline. I'm not yet to Rivendell. I've dramatically shortened the party scene, and took out the prologue (i'm moving it to a better place, trust me). And I've already stolen a scene from TTT and used it so far. This is going to be so cool!

So all you LOTR fans and potential movie editors out there, it is possible! My goal is to trim down the whole trilogy to under 8 hours. I think it can be done and be much closer to the book version than Peter Jackson. We'll see!

HAHAHAHA!

Lurker

Ice Age Map

2006-03-21T18:36:00.000-07:00

I want to own a globe of the world as it looked during the last ice age: significant glaciers, lower sea levels, radically different coastlines. The world of the previous age of mankind, where most of our history occured and little save cave paintings record it.

Just think for a minute what the world would look like. Would the Gulf of Mexico be an inland sea? How far south would the glaciers reach for the North American interior? What drowned lands would then be above sea level? Would the Black Sea (or even the Mediteranian for that matter) connect to the oceans? Would the deserts of our day be the forrests of previous era?

And would this global map look at all familiar?

Would we find lands now reduced to fiction and legend?

Any help, insight, research, or opinions would be apreciated....

Lurker

Atlantis in The Odyssey

2006-03-11T08:09:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know what the heck I'm talking about go read the Odyssey:
http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/homer/ody/index.htm

And the part of the Dialogues of Plato about Atlantis:
http://www.sacred-texts.com/atl/critias.txt

With those bits of info out of the way, here's my 'grade A' paper for my classical literature class. Sorry about the �'s.

Homer�s Odyssey told of the godlike, sea-fairing Phaeacians who lived on the remote isle of Scher�a. As the setting for seven books of the Odyssey, Homer devoted almost as many scenes to this lost idyllic paradise as he did to Ithaca. Given their advanced seafaring technology, their physical remoteness, and their close relationship with the Greek god Poseidon, one cannot help but compare the Phaeacians to another lost advanced island-nation� Atlantis.
Odysseus�s first glimpse of Scher�a from afar, which looked �like a shield on the misty sea,� (Book V, line 281) was comparable to the plain Plato described as �smooth and even, and of an oblong shape� (Plato). He had great trouble making landfall due to the �jutting cliffs,� very similar to Atlantis where �the banks were raised considerably above the water�. He eventually made landfall at the broad mouth of a river, of which Atlantis had several, unlike most Aegean islands.
Odysseus�s first encounter with the culture of the Phaeacians was with Nausicaa, daughter to the king Alcinous. Her description of the lifestyle of the island gave a picture of �security, ease, and elegance of Phaeacian life� (Dimock, 1989). Indeed Homer depicted various scenes featuring locals involve feasting, giving gifts, dancing, singing, and playing sports. Citizens of Atlantis were said to have had more restraint, and �thinking lightly of the possession of gold and other property� and that �they possessed true and in every way great spirits, uniting gentleness with wisdom�. Regardless, both societies were presented as the epitome of culture and as virtual utopias.
The origin of the people on Scher�a was very similar to that of Atlantis, where �Poseidon, receiving for his lot the island of Atlantis, begat children by a mortal woman, and settled them in a part of the island� (Plato). In the Odyssey it was revealed that �Nausithoos, the king who brought the Phaeacians to this remote island� was a �child of Poseidon and Periboia� a mortal (Dimock, 1989). There were differences between the stories, Plato named the girl Cleito, but the similarities were uncanny. Phaeacians were constantly referred to �distant relatives� to the Greek gods and called �kin� just as the Atlanteans are themselves described to have been of �divine nature� due to their ancestor Poseidon.
The Isle of Scher�a was very remote. It took Odysseus eighteen days to reach from Calypso�s Isle by raft. Being so far removed from Greece, their concept of geography was understandably very different. �No place can have seemed more central than the island of Euboia� to the Greeks, which the Phaeacian sailors claimed was the most distant land known (Dimock, 1989). The only hint of location in the Atlantis text is the mention of the island being �outside the Pillars of Heracles� thought to refer to the Atlantic instead of the Mediterranean, certainly far enough removed to justify this altered outlook.
But the speed at which the Phaeacians traversed this distance was unprecedented in its day. The ships described by the Odyssey are practically magical in their abilities: �Phaeacian ships do not have pilots, nor steering oars, as other ships have. They know on their own their passengers� thoughts� (VIII, 603). �Their ships are very fast, fast as a flying bird, or even a thought� (VII, 37-38). Few details are given about Atlantis� ships save that they have twelve hundred in their navy and many goods were transported domestically and from the �foreign cities over which they held sway�.
Some of the most impressive features of Scher�a were her developed harbors. Odysseus �marveled at the harbors and the shapely ships, at the meeting grounds and the long walls capped with palisades� (VII, 47). Massive harbors and extensive waterworks were also hallmarks of the Atlantean infrastructure, albeit with far more allusions to channels and bridges.
The palace of Alcinous surpasses all other mortal structures of the time. Every surface was coated in bronze, silver, or gold. It was filled with priceless godly artwork, glorious furniture, and fifty highly skilled slaves. The courtyard orchard has multiple varieties of fruit that �Never Perishes nor fail, summer or winter� (VII, 125). Two springs run in this courtyard, one to water the crops and the other for public drinking, whereas the Critias has �two springs of water from beneath the earth, one of warm water and the other of cold, and making every variety of food to spring up abundantly from the soil�. Both the Odyssey and the Critias both went to great lengths to describe the bounty and fertility of their respective islands, contrasting greatly to most of Greece. Both describe endless groves, incredible varieties of fruits and game, and cultivation aided by two divinely created springs which only further enhanced the fertility of the land.
The Phaeacians, while peaceful, are no strangers to war. The servant �Eurymedusa had come from Apeire in the curved ships, long ago, and had been chosen from the spoils of war for Alcinous� (VII, 7). This is a reference to a land lost to time, but along with hinted conflicts with the Cyclops and the ferocious speed of their navy, they could have been a truly powerful offensive country. Of course, the military forces described by Critias are far more menacing, with thousands of chariots and an entire warrior class.
The Phaeacians have a prophecy foretelling that Poseidon would �encircle our city within a mountain� (VIII, 615) for giving safe transport to passengers. This is eerily similar to the geography of Atlantis formed when Poseidon �inclosed [sic] the hill in which she [Cleito] dwelt all round, making alternate zones of sea and land larger and smaller, encircling one another�. Or perhaps their prophesy referred to the sinking of the island by an earthquake, the ultimate end of Atlantis that buried her forever.
The Phaeacians prepared to sacrifice bulls to placate the ocean god, just as the Kings of Atlantis sacrificed bulls to at their temple of Poseidon. In fact, both islands describe their temples to Poseidon being centermost in their respective cities, and the most highly decorated. Even their ceremonial equipment was similar when Plato tells of how �they drew from the bowl in golden cups and [of] pouring a libation on the fire� for Poseidon, while the king Alcinous gave Odysseus a similarly described �beautiful cup, pure gold, to remember me by all of his days as he pours wine to Zeus and the other gods� (VIII, 468).
There were other details that wouldn�t quite fit. �Twelve honored kings are lord in Phaeacia� with Alcinous being the 13th (VIII, 422), while Atlantis had ten kings, whose lines started from 5 pairs of male twins. The few names and genealogies given don�t work out either. Neither do the timelines for both stories, with Atlantis being at least nine thousand years ago and Homer�s works less than half that.
But both islands have the same otherworldly feel to them, of some high civilization that was lost to the mists of time and only barely recorded, reduced to the status of a myth. �Neither Homer no the oldest member of his audience can have met in real life a race of people for whom reality was suspended to the degree that it was for the Phaeacians. Therefore, if they ever existed, they must have disappeared long ago� (Dimock, 1989). Both were fertile Utopian societies with advanced seafaring capabilities, descended from Poseidon and ultimately destroyed for displeasing him, reduced to mere echoes across time.

Works Cited

Dimock, George E. The Unity of the Odyssey The University of Massachusetts Press, 1989

Homer. Odyssey. Translation by Stanly Lombardo, Hackett Publishing Co, 2000

Plato, Critias. translated by Benjamin Jowett
http://www.sacred-texts.com/atl/critias.txt

United Nations replacement

2006-03-05T18:10:00.000-07:00

First off, it should be democracies only. If a government is not voted in by frequent and fair elections, then it shouldn't be alowed to join.

That said, I would have it grow organically like the EU or the United States, voting to uphold some universal values and not to war with member states.

Primary concerns would be trade, environment, conflict resolution, space exploration, and other concerns of a global nature. And thats it. At every turn power must be minimized, capped, and otherwise stunted, for there is no escape from a runaway world government. No place to run.

The New United Nations (NUN) would function like a super-congress, with representatives elected at large from the regions they hail from. There should be no presidential position, for this would be way too dangerous.

I would also put it near the middle east, close conection between Africa and Europe and Asia, because that is where most of the action is.

Lurker
(eh, I'll finish this later)

Tuesdays no more.

2006-02-24T10:38:00.000-07:00

I want to change one of the most influential social structures in our society, so fundamental hardly anyone even thinks about it anymore.

The Calender.

More specifically, the number of days in a week.

Curently, the number of days in a week is seven, a prime number difficult to divide. The concept of a 7 day week is a hold over from the lunar calender days, with about 7 days between new and quarter and full moons. Heck, our current weekday names are an amalgam of Norse (Thor's Day, Woden's Day) and other european cultures! Very archaic.

I propose changing the number of days in the week to 6, by dropping Tuesday. I have nothing against that day in particular, but it is statistically the least likely to be somebody's favorite day of the week (and why would it?).

And ta-da! We have a week easily evenly divided in halves and thirds. I did toy with the idea of making a twelve day week, but I think thats messing with peoples concepts of time a little too much.

With a 6 day week, we have 5 weeks a month (6*5=30). And twelve times 30 is 360! A very neat and useful figure. However, we still have those pesky 5 and a quarter days in the year. Lets steal a page from Tolkien and have those days be extra floating holidays, outside the week formula and no body works on them. Now I'm torn whether to have that be the current nonproductive week between Christmas and New Years, or sprinkle them across the calender year.

Now the whole point of this is efficiency. and relaxation. Currently there are 52 weeks and 104 weekend days in the year. My idea would make 60 weeks and 120 weekends in the year! Or, even morefun, we can have jobs where people work 3 days on and 3 off, enabling the widened economic possibilites of regular threeday weekends and enabling someone else to work your exact position while you are gone, simultaneously increasing job output and quality of live. Even better, peoples weekends in whatever form can be staggered, enabling people on their time off to have access to the goods and services of those still working. The economic potentials are enormous!

A couple of problems might be legal documents like the constitution which refer to tuesdays. I'm fine with removing a day with less impact, the concept still holds. Another problem is inertia and practical problems with changing the week, like calenders and watches and computer programs and the like. No prob, we make a date set in stone like 2020, and give people plenty of notice.

So much to do and so little time...

Lurker

Legalize drugs

2006-02-08T11:01:00.000-07:00

Yep, some of you have definately heard this rant before. Legalize drugs used for recreational purposes. Way, way too many fairly harmless people are being tossed in jail for this victimless crime.

First off, legalizing drugs would kick a major leg out from under organized crime. Once legalized, reputable people can sell it for a lot less, prices go way down and it no longer becomes as absurdly profitable as it is now.

Many, many crimes are commited by drug addicts to support their habits. With drugs dramatically cheaper and easier to come by, their incentive to steal to support their habit also decreases. Also a good thing. People are more likely to hold down regular jobs since they don't a have a hugely expensive habit they can only indulge in sporatically. Plus, those with uncontrollable habits can get enough to overdose themselves out of existance and end their long term negative contributions to society.

Black market goods are completely unregulated. Making drugs legitimate makes overdosing much less likely and creates a huge source of potential tax revenue.

Narco states loose their major source of funding and druglords fall right and left. Heh heh. This is especially true if the USA starts manufacturing its own drugs. Rebel groups in south american and terrorist organizations like the Taliban lose another source of funding. The world becomes better off.

I'm torn on the issue of making drugs free. That seems a bit excessive, plus it removes potential revinue. I'm envisioning a clinic where people can anonymously check themselves in and self administer drugs to their hearts content while under supervision, and this clinic being the only legitimate drug dispenser. I think that would still create a black market for those afraid of stigma and want to do drugs in their own home. I dunno, something to debate.

So here it is, my reasonings for legalizing drugs (well, leaving out my whole "goverment wasn't given this power in the constitution. Darn overuse of interstate commerce clause" arguement).

Lurker

Full citizenship == High School diploma

2006-01-24T14:27:00.000-07:00

Here's one of my more often verbalized rants, but I thought I'd post it here for posterity.

So, I think that a whole bunch of benifits should be attatched to the graduation of High School, so that kids are really, really motivated to graduate. As would immagrants, former dropouts, et cetera.

Basically, with the graduation of High School (or equivalent) people would then recieve the benifits of full citizenship:

driving, marriage privledges (usually gotten at age 16)
right to vote (usually at 18)
rights to drink, smoke, gamble (21)
Plus all the other benifits of legal adulthood (credit cards, running for office, independence, etc.)

And maybe $10,000 or so in new currency, as a means of injecting new money into the economy. They could use this towards furthering their education, or investing, or wasting on drinking, smoking, and gambling. The nice thing about using newly minted money rather than regular money is I don't like monetary redistributions, so this seems like useful ideological loophole for me.

I think would be excellent motivation to learn, perhaps enough to have truly inteligent kids try and progress as fast as they want to get out into the real world.

Of course, I would also seriously try to make the education requirements much higher than they are now, at least as high as citizenship tests on history, law, and whatnot. Definately laying the foundations in personal financing, computer skills, history, legal system, geography, sciences, literacy, mathematics, and all the other crucial skills for life.

I'm also toying with the idea of a year of service in the government, whether in a military, beurocratic, or administrative capacity. Something to both get an insiders look, and far enough from home to get some perspective.

My only concern would be for those who cannot pass the standard for graduation. Would this create an underclass of powerless people?

Lurker
(25!)

solution to prescription drug costs

2006-01-17T11:54:00.000-07:00

The largest percent of money for prescritption drugs goes not into production, but into research. Most drug research is fruitless, moneywasting adventures that don't produce products the industry is interested in providing for consumers. Second largest percentage is in advertising, expanding public awareness of their products so people will be more likely to order them.

My solution addresses both these issues, and a couple more.

How do we make prescription drugs much cheaper? By nationalising the research. Yes, have the government toss money into the air for drug research. Its very good at oft fruitless research. Second part? All chemical compostions are public domain. It never made sense to me to patent that sort of intelectual right. So, if everything is public domain, the main concern of drug producers would be to find the cheapest production costs because of the competition with all the other drug producers that would spring up overnight. Gov would be responsable for researching new drugs, testing new drugs, etc. Industry focuses on what it does best, actually manufacturing nessisary drugs as efficiently as possible.

I think it just might work!

Lurker

Where was I?

2006-01-16T23:11:00.000-07:00

So I start classes tomarrow. I'm actually excited. I'm graduating this year. Sometime. I'll get back to you.

Anyway, I'm taking an English lit class on old Greek and Roman classics. Stuff I'd like to read anyway. Cool. Plus a political science course on war and peace in the middle east. Fun stuff.

Oh! And my birthday is on the 24th. Of what, I'm not saying.

Anyway, the question of the day is as follows:

If you could only choose one basis for a society, would you base it on-
1. Equality
2. Making the minimum quality of life as high as possible
3. Maximising the total quality of life (highest average)

Now, by quality of life I mean lifespan, comfort level, purchasing power, happiness, etc.

My significant other was torn between the first two. I rejected equality out of hand, because it could be at any level. I'm most attracted to the third option, because it seems the most uninhibited: it can reach the highest heights.

So, I'm curious to hear your thoughts.

Lurker
(Peekaboo)

Crazyness

2005-12-06T21:33:00.000-07:00

Too many classes. Ugh.

Between writing papers and girlfriend maintenence, i've been incomunicado with the world.

But with a break coming in after finals, I'll be able to post more often. Really.

Things to post:

Dating strategy
Zeroplus language
National referendum (needs researching)
National Coalition Party platform

And whatever the heck I feel like.

Lurker
(needs an underground city. Best of both worlds)

At War

2005-11-20T09:51:00.000-07:00

My father is now in the Middle East, about to begin his year long tour in Iraq.

The war has suddenly become very personal.

This is hard for me. Conceptually, I understand the why we are there and pretty much agree with the whole policy. But I want my father back. Now.

Part of me wanted to injure him so he wouldn't have to go. Part of me wanted to sign up and go with him. If I thought that taking up arms and hunting down terrorists was the most expedient use of my time, I'd be over there in a heartbeat.

I already know I'll end up there sooner or later. After I graduate, I'm going to work to make the world a better place, and G-d knows that Iraq needs all the help it can get.

Ugh, this is frustrating. My Dad, father of 5 and in his 40's is over there and me, I'm still stuck in school.

It shoulda been me.

Actually, it still might....

Lurker

Solution to illegal imigration...?

2005-11-06T13:07:00.000-07:00

Zany way to 'solve' illegal imigration problem, combining many of my ideas.

Step 1: find the most defensable line possible way down south in mexico, likely past the edge of the baja.

2: Buy land from Mexico. Billions of dollars. But try to do it in such a way as the money is not wasted on corruption. Enriching the population decreases the economic pressures to go north. And people further south may be satisfied with the alternative of a spanish speaking moderately wealthy nation as opposed to english speaking US.

3. Start building a massive, state of the art wall from coast to coast. Nothing gets thru here without permision. Totally sealable.

4. Carve out new states. Here's the deal: anyone inside the boundry becomes a US citizen, just like in the olden days. Subtext: all illegals should head south into new state areas to recieve benifits of citizenship. Additional insentitve would be to eliminate insentives to remain non-citizens.

5. Massive immigration reform, making it immensly easier to enter country/and or become a citizen. People given id when entering country so they are easily found if they become a problem. We want more people to join our culture and spread our ideals. let them come.

6. With new states, we get more senators, and political power moves further south in the house of reps. Illegals are reduced to a non-issue, because of the massive amnisty, ease of legal entry, impracticality of illegal entry, and so forth. With no illegal human traficing, trafficing of other bad things (drugs, WMD's, etc) is much harder to hide. And the tax base is hugely grown as there are many more people and basically no untaxed labor.

7. Precident set for further expansion of the US. Potential regions for statehood have modern day examples of how to join the USA if they are so inclined.

Now, to spread this idea to others...

Lurker
(Worried for Paris)

Where were we...?

2005-11-04T12:07:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the month long absence. Too much school, new girlfriend, moving.... life got in the way...

Now, where were we? Eh, I guess I'll just do some comic reviews. I'll wait for the proposed constitutional amendments next time.

She-Hulk #1 Fun issue, definately stay with it till they hit #100 (in about three issues, long story).

HoM #8 Aftermath issue. By itself, good. Profound changes. Way too long storyline though. Whole thing coulda been done in four issues. Grr.

BP #9 Entertaintin, I guess. Still sort of eh. Not pulling my hair out anymore.

MTU #14 Spider-Man and Invincible. This issue blew me away. Excellent insight, characterization, dialogue. Drat, no way I can drop this series now, especially with Darkhawk, Speedball, and Gravity showing up for the next arc...

Young Avengers #8 Cool. Mention of Josiah X (thought he was forgotten). New Vision has imprints of Iron Lad? Add another personality to the heap. The more I read about Vision, the more he looks like a spy for Immortus all along. It would explain some things...

I guess thats everything for now.

Lurker
(Procrastinating)

Comic book reviews!

2005-09-30T23:52:00.000-07:00

Lousy subscriptions. I give up. The $ saved isn't worth the hassle.

So, I gave in and swooped up issues I should've already gotten (plus new stuff):

New Avengers 9, 10: Sentry! Yay! Quite good, if a bit decompressed. Not sure how it jives the the LS though....

New Avengers 11: Ronin! A new, mystery avenger. Is it Daredevil? I'm guessing its Wolverine...

Young Avengers 6: Gosh, its been too long since I read 5. Ends about like I expected. Not sure if I like the name Stature though...

Young Avengers 7: Well, here it is folks, the comics industry first teenage gay couple. Wait till the press hears about this!

Sentry #1 of 8: Yes! This is what I've waited years for! God-like superhero thats just barely sane.

New Warriors #4 of 6: Good characterization. The newwest Warrior has a fun attitude.

Black Pather #8: This has got to be the worst editted book I've ever read. I have no idea how this book fits into the Marvel Universe. There's no conistancy. With Priest there were always more layers and subtext woven into the story than any comic I've seen since. But Hudlin references things that can't possibly have happened, or the timeline is totaly out of whack! Grr...

Defenders #3 of 5: Dripping with sarcasm and pithy remarks. Still not quite what I want from a Defenders comic though...

Lurker
(Poker Night is every Sunday after 6:30!)

Strange lights over Arizona

2005-09-22T20:28:00.000-07:00

My sibling called me this evening and asked if there was supposed to be a comet out tonight.

She and many other dezinens of Phoenix saw some sort of lit up clouds over the western horizon for a good ten minutes at least. Looks like an odd shape.

Acording to the news it was a sattelite launch, to study atmospheric phenomenon. Huh.

I'll post more when I learn more.

Lurker
(Charcoal should join the Runaways!)

Water, water everywhere

2005-09-07T21:55:00.000-07:00

Ceres, a minor planet in the asteroid belt, may have more freshwater than Earth...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9247925/
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/050907_ceres_planet.html

This is so cool. If true, this would definately be a MAJOR destination for future space exploration. Large amounts of water in a low gravity-well is a great pit stop.

Also, Ceres is the only planetoid I know of that was given full planet status only to lose it later.

For those of you keeping track, here what I consider to be the planets of the Sol system:

Object

System

Radius km

Sid. Period

Sem-Maj. Axis

Eccentricity

Ang. Diam. arcsecs

Gas Giants (not shown)

EARTH	Sun	6371.00 ±0.01	365.256363	1.00000102	0.01670863	-	-
VENUS	Sun	6051.84 ±0.01	224.700800	0.72332982	0.00677192	9.56	65.43
MARS	Sun	3389.92 ±0.04	686.979853	1.52367934	0.09340065	3.48	25.64
GANYMEDE	Jupiter	2631.2 ±1.7	7.154553	1070400	0.0011	1.12	1.85
TITAN	Saturn	2575 ±2	15.945446	1221803	0.0291	0.64	0.89
MERCURY	Sun	2439.7 ±1.0	87.969256	0.38709831	0.20563175	4.53	13.03
CALLISTO	Jupiter	2410.3 ±1.5	16.689018	1882700	0.0074	1.02	1.70
IO	Jupiter	1821.3 ±0.2	1.769138	421800	0.0041	0.78	1.28
LUNA	Earth	1737.5 ±0.1	27.321662	384404.377	0.05554553	1766.39	1974.39
EUROPA	Jupiter	1560.8 ±0.5	3.551181	671100	0.0094	0.66	1.10
2003UB313	Sun	~ 1430 ?	556.5	67.659	0.442	0.04	0.11
TRITON	Neptune	1353.4 ±0.9	5.87685	354759	0.00002	0.12	0.13
PLUTO	Sun	1164 ±22.9	247.92065	39.48168677	0.24880766	0.06	0.11
2005FY9	Sun	~ 900 ?	309.4	45.740	0.155	0.05	0.07
2003VB12	Sun	~ 875	11274.8	502.807	0.849	0.00	0.03
TITANIA	Uranus	788.9 ±1.8	8.705867	436298	0.0014	0.10	0.13
RHEA	Saturn	764 ±4	4.517503	527367	0.0003	0.19	0.26
OBERON	Uranus	761.4 ±2.6	13.463234	583519	0.0016	0.10	0.12
2004DW	Sun	~ 759	247.8	39.453	0.218	0.04	0.07
2003EL61	Sun	~ 750 ?	285.4	43.344	0.189	0.04	0.06
IAPETUS	Saturn	718 ±8	79.330954	3561850	0.0283	0.18	0.25
2002LM60	Sun	630 ±95	286.9	43.502	0.035	0.04	0.04
CHARON	Pluto	621 ±20.6	6.38725	19636	0.0002	0.03	0.06
2002TC302	Sun	~ 602	409.4	55.139	0.293	0.02	0.04
UMBRIEL	Uranus	584.7 ±2.8	4.144176	265998	0.0039	0.08	0.09
ARIEL	Uranus	578.9 ±0.6	2.520379	190945	0.0012	0.08	0.09
DIONE	Saturn	559 ±5	2.736916	377654	0.0022	0.14	0.19
TETHYS	Saturn	529.8 ±1.5	1.887803	294992	0.0001	0.13	0.18
1996TL66	Sun	~ 479	757.3	83.085	0.578	0.01	0.04
CERES	Sun	475.5 ±3.9	1680.71	2.766412164	0.07911582	0.32	0.86

http://www.tenspheres.com/tools/largestlist.htm

Huh, 2003UB313 is the so-called tenth planet. I don't remember there being so many big sun-orbiting bodies though...

Lurker
(Listening to Coast to Coast AM)

Katrina

2005-09-03T09:16:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how I feel about the fallout from Hurricane Katrina. I think either that it hasn't sunk in yet, or maybe I'm numb to it. I dunno. I haven't really seen much news about it since I've been busy all week with school.

The US has lost cities before, but its been about a hundred years since the last I think. And those were from earthquakes and/or fires. It'll be interesting how people will rebuild, assuming they do.

The lawlessnes in the city shouldn't really surprise people. I'm just surprised it isn't worse. And it'll stay this bad until things get back to normal, whatever that new normal may be.

Hopefully this'll wake people up as to how powerful and undpredictable mother nature can be. Levies are dangerous. When they go the floods are fast and deep, and the remnants of the levies slow the drainage. Maybe now Louisiana will cut their losses and allow the Mississippi to change channels away from the city.

See, isn't this more fun? Well, not the hurricane, but the shift in format away from my boring life to relevant subject matters? Comment away!

Lurker
(Way too much reading this semester)

Now, the real fun begins....

2005-08-23T12:09:00.000-07:00

...I should be able to post more regularly to this website (hopefully daily) now that school has begun. That is, of course, if I finish scheduling my classes. One of the classes I was supposed to take just happens to be on a different campus. Wish I'd noticed that when I signed up for it. So, I've got to replace it with something quick, because I need to take 18 credit-hours this and next semester or I don't graduate in May.

But other than that, my life has been relatively stress free. I worked my last day at the shipping company friday the week before last. Work was way too far from my new place, required me to get up at 3 in the morning, and probibly wasn't the healthiest for me either. Now I can sleep in. Yay!

That weekend I took a trip south to see most of my old friends. They seemed to have split up into many circles in my absense. All seemed to be doing quite well. Didn't get to see everybody though. Ah well, its probibly for the best.

Next I took a trip to Vegas to see even more friends. That was fun too. I ordered a borg sphere at quarks bar (10 oz of who knows what) and saw the Borg 4D experience. And I astounded my friends one morning when I had 5 plates of food at a breakfast buffet. Didn't make it very far afterwards tho.

So that's my life thus far. Boy this blogging thing is harder than I thought. I haven't even posted my insights on world politics yet, not to mention my reform agenda. And of course, there's that language I'm working on, my magical studies, progress playing Morrowind, plus all the astrophysics and other neat things I'm interested in. Ah, well... I've got all the time in the world...

Lurker
(Pondering an Avengers book with Babylon 5 style politics)