http://search.deviantart.com/?q=by:tempestryder&section=today deviantART RSS for by:tempestryder en-us Copyright 2009, deviantART.com Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:40:06 PST deviantART.com http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://s.deviantart.com/minish/widgets/apple-touch-icon-precomposed.png http://tempestryder.deviantart.com/journal/12583065/ http://tempestryder.deviantart.com/journal/12583065/ Fri, 13 Apr 2007 16:28:44 PDT [link]

Much Mayhem to be found.
Update Schedual is every Saturday. (and maybe occasionally wednesday)

And if you're wondering, yes this is why I haven't been uploading as much work here lately.

]]> ~tempestryder http://tempestryder.deviantart.com/journal/11822503/ http://tempestryder.deviantart.com/journal/11822503/ Wed, 14 Feb 2007 21:18:05 PST
Twenty two valentine's days in a row without anyone. Twenty two valentine's days in a row that I've spent in tears.

Another Valentine's day has come and gone and again and left me in the wake of crippling loneliness that it leaves behind. I hate Valentine's Day, I really don't need anything else to remind me that there has been and never will be anybody who loves me.

Every year I get even uglier than I was the year before. Every year my issues manifest further. And Every year it becomes less and less likely that I will ever find somebody who will put up with everything that is wrong with me.

I have never been on a date. I have never had a kiss. I have never had someone physically attracted to me. I have never, in my entire life, had someone who cared for me romantically. And after twenty two years... it's fairly obvious that this is all my fault. I am not strong enough, not strong enough to be brave... not strong enough to give myself confidence... not strong enough to overcome my stupid STUPID paranoia... and not strong enough to hope that any of this will ever change.

I suppose this is Darwinian Theory in action... and I should take comfort in the fact that my ugly, disfigured, paranoid genes will never make it to another generation. They'll die with me the way they should.

So to anybody out there who has ever had someone who cared for them... just try to remember how lucky you are.

]]> ~tempestryder http://tempestryder.deviantart.com/journal/10654268/ http://tempestryder.deviantart.com/journal/10654268/ Wed, 08 Nov 2006 01:34:08 PST
What would you call a system of government that is controlled by a group of individuals, individuals who have the task of creating laws for their country and through deliberation and reasoning, determine morals that guide how a country will progress in its foreign and domestic affairs?

Aristocracy.

While those of you in a Democratic nation may feel that this description is an accurate summary of your system of government, there is a key factor missing that makes all the difference in the world. In a conventional Democracy, the group of individuals that make the laws are selected by the people of the country. And in choosing these individuals, every citizen is heard and represented.

There are so many people I speak to on a day to day basis who could not care less about politics. They go day to day without paying attention to the news, to the papers or to the respected journalism websites, because they are not concerned with the nitty gritty details of laws and funding and how they change. And most importantly, they do not vote. They seem to think that the government is taking care of them and acting in their best interest, which one would think is difficult to do if they never let the government know how they feel. They do not inform themselves, and they do not speak up. And so the rules and regulations of the various levels of government grow and change, and international decisions are made without their voices ever being heard.

Hurricane Katrina. The mere mention of this recent weather disaster conjures up hundreds of ghastly images that were seen in papers and on television. And for those less fortunate, it reminds them of the terror and the pain that came from experiencing it first hand, and for some others, it reminds them of lost love ones. While no human being caused the storm, or directed it at the city of New Orleans, blame for the deaths of the people is thrown around like so much mud. Governments and politicians are blamed for cutting funding to rebuilding the levees, making them more likely to break, all in spite of warnings given that the city was in serious danger should a storm strike. Governments and politicians are again blamed for failing to orchestrate a proper evacuation in time, in spite of the warning of the impending hurricane. Governments and politicians are once again blamed for the botched rescue efforts after the hurricane, during which news helicopters managed to find and film stranded people, but rescue helicopters were days later. Governments of every level have received blame for this calamity... and while the validity of each accusation is debated, there is little doubt that these deaths could have been prevented. However, the governments that people blame for the loss of life were Democratic. The people in office currently under scrutiny for their poor performance were elected by the people. And if the United States is truly a democratic country, then the deaths from Hurricane Katrina are the responsibility of every eligible voter in the United States for putting these people in office in the first place.

The citizens of Louisiana were given an opportunity to elect their governor, just as the citizens of the United States were given the opportunity to elect their president. The voters were given the opportunity to inform themselves about their country and their state, to consider how they would like their country and state changed (or not changed), then to inform themselves about all aspects of the candidates and their political agendas, and then determine who would make the best leader. Votes were cast and their representatives chosen. Then Disaster.

It may well be that the Deaths of Katrina were completely unavoidable, but ultimately you get the leader you vote for. And if your leader you voted for does not act in your interests, then either through your fault, or the fault of your information sources, you were not properly informed prior to casting your vote.

I am certain there were people in New Orleans who never voted. People who did not care enough about politics to go to the trouble of informing themselves and casting their vote. Some of them are dead now.

Politicians do not make small decisions, they hold your welfare and your very lives in their hands. But unlike the ancient Monarchies of Europe... it is your decision who holds you. Choose carefully, and never fool yourself into thinking that anything less than your life is at stake.

Inform yourself, inform others, and then Vote.
Your country is your responsibility.

(Just a reminder to people that voting for anything is important, and informing yourself prior to voting is even MORE important. You are only one person, but one person is all it takes to change the world. Inform others, inform others that they can inform others. And most imp... ]]> ~tempestryder http://tempestryder.deviantart.com/journal/9829727/ http://tempestryder.deviantart.com/journal/9829727/ Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:32:34 PDT
What if the passage of time isn't a linear constant? What if we only perceive it as so? Is it possible that time could cease to exist at any moment as it grinds to some inevitable halt?

Recently, evidence has been uncovered that the speed of light is actually slowing down. One of the fundamental constants of the universe is actually changing, which makes me wonder just how many other aspects of reality are in a constant state of decay. There are aspects of Sub-atomic physics we are only barely beginning to grasp. Is it possible, with the constants of the universe changing, that reality is inching towards some sort of cataclysm, in an apocalyptic countdown, when some constant of the universe drops below a threshold and all the matter of the universe simply loses cohesion? The "Big bang" created what we know as reality, and seemingly spawned from nothing... how before another event creates another reality?

Of course... while I fear instantaneous death of my physical body at the hands of the inconceivable mathematical foundations of the universe... not unlike many would perceive a high-school physics exam... there is another far more pressing question that weighs on my mind at the moment:

What is the soul?

People often make use of this word in day to day conversation, but the more I question the word, the fewer answers I get. Nobody seems to agree on what the word really means.

Dictionary definitions are numerous, and all equally vague in their description, referring to anything from spirituality to essential essence to disembodied ghosts. And while the this information is ultimately useless directly, it does serve as evidence that nobody agrees on the word "soul", and it really means whatever the person saying it wants it to mean.

There are common threads though, between the definitions that can be found, so it may be possible to create a working, simple definition based on those.

The first common thread: Every living human being has a soul. Second; the soul is immortal, and survives death of the human body. Third; the soul is the truest identity of the living being that possesses it.

With these guidelines in place, a working definition for the soul can be established:

"The soul is the immortal aspect of a living creature, the part of a being which is independent of the body."

It seems simple at first glance. The soul cannot be killed, (at leas through conventional physical means such as a large knife or errant falling piano) and since the soul survives the death of the body, it must also be separate from any physical component of the body.

However... this is where the difficult question arises... Just what IS independent of the human body?

When asked what part of them is their soul, people will say a number of things. Their consciousness, personality, their memories, their knowledge and skills, their intelligence... some would even say their species and gender are a part of their soul. (That there is such a thing as a "cat soul" or a "male soul", which would inherently differ from a "dog soul" or a "female soul")

However, species and gender are clearly an aspect of your body, and remain with your body even after death. If a soul is to be independent of the body, then these aspects of a living creature are clearly a matter of the physical entity, and not the soul.

Personality, knowledge, memory and intelligence... all things pertaining to what we would know as "the mind" at first appear to be solid grounds for the basis of a soul, they are clearly aspects of a person that seem to vanish upon death... but are they really things determined by one's soul?

Brain damage, that is, physical damage to the physical aspects of the brain, can cause loss of memory, skills, and even loss of intelligence. Chemicals and drugs given to a person can greatly alter personality, on both a temporary and permanent basis. One's mind is greatly dependant on the physical health of the brain, and can be greatly altered depending on what physical alterations are done to it. If the aspects of the mind were really a part of the soul, then a mundane accident such as striking one's head could never alter the aspects of the mind, as the soul is immune to physical damage. Thus, the mind is not the soul either.

What does this leave us with? Of all the proposed ideas there is only one left. Consciousness, the very fact that we are aware of something, anything, at any given moment. We are aware of our thoughts, our perceptions, our memories, and while all these things can be changed, our awareness of them canno... ]]> ~tempestryder http://tempestryder.deviantart.com/journal/7702794/ http://tempestryder.deviantart.com/journal/7702794/ Wed, 25 Jan 2006 09:24:27 PST
I'm going to keep enforcing the FAX2 deadline with iron accuracy and hope that I don't have this kind of a cutoff every round. So far I've been enjoying my role as a moderator up to this point, and I don't plan to back down just because I'm a bit squeemish about the blacklist...

Hopefully I am not making a mistake by enforcing the deadline so hard... I suppose we'll just have to wait and see. ]]> ~tempestryder http://tempestryder.deviantart.com/journal/7271350/ http://tempestryder.deviantart.com/journal/7271350/ Sat, 10 Dec 2005 06:26:46 PST
I'm looking at the "Hot" items today, and I can't help but feel like the planet is on some sort of horrible collision course with a black hole of stupidity.

The evidence? Portable Gadgets.

First up on our list, the iPod. The iPod has got to be the most overrated piece of technology I have ever seen. It plays music! Woopee!!! But that's not why people want it, no... it's because it's an iPod. You can't have an MP3 palyer that isn't an iPod. God forbid somebody ever catches you without those white earbuds that make you feel like somebody is trying to cram a spikey sea-urchin into your ear... And why do people want them? Because they're Cool!! Why settle for the 256MB iPod with no screen for only 129 dollars US when you can get the 512 MB one for only FIFTY dollars more? Sure they don't get along with Windows Computers, but Hey, who uses Windows? Hey, while you're at it, why not pay THREE HUNDRED for the one with the clicky wheely thing and 20 gigabytes of space? It holds up to a thousand songs!!

Why would a product be designed to hold more music than it has BATTERY LIFE? Can anybody even NAME 1000 songs they like? And why are people willing to pay double the price for brand name? My sister, who shall remain nameless, got an iPod last year for christmas, because she asked for one and begged and pleaded and oh so very much wanted one. And she got one.

Problems with this plan? She has no computer. She has no Mp3s.
The day after she got it, she asked me how to get the music from her CDs onto the iPod. CDs for which she had a perfectly good portable CD player, and of course, no computer to do this with.

Finally I asked her why she wanted an iPod in the first place. The answer? All her friends had one.

If you're going to get an Mp3 Player, get a good value for your dollar. Don't pay for a brand name, and only get one with enough memory to HOLD however much music you want to listen to.



Next on the list of really stupid devices: Cell Phones.

I don't even know where to begin ripping these apart. It's a phone. You dial numbers and talk to people. This is what it's supposed to do. However, people are apparently far more interested in their phone's ability to play games, take pictures, check email and Yes... even watch TV. If there is one thing the Nokia N-gage has taught us, it's that technology features are best left to INDIVIDUAL units designed solely to maximize their effectiveness.

And yet these things sell. People sign up for complicated phone plans with weird-looking phones with colour screens and all the bells and whistles. And you know what? I'm going to go through each one of these features right now.

1. Text Messaging. To me, this has got to be the ULTIMATE show of technology futility. The idea of the phone was allow instantanious contact to other people so that we could talk in real time. Text Messaging is actually a step backward. Every cell phone on the planet has voice mail. All of them. Seriously. Suppose you wanted to call your friend Frank and ask him if he was interested in seeing a movie. Now, you have two options when you pick up your phone. You can CALL Frank, possibly get him in person, and exchange a two-phrase conversation. (or just leave him a voice-mail for when he finds his phone) OR you can try typing out the same message on in telephone code and wait, not knowing whether frank is even writing you back or not. The marvel of technology, using a number pad to write messages that you can simply say instead... wow.

2. Games. Sure there are times when you're maybe waiting for the bus and you're bored and you want a game to play. However, cell-phone games suck. And you have to pay to download them. If you frequently find yourself with nothing to do, I suggest investing in a real handheld gaming device, or possibly taking up a hobby like reading. If you really want to pay five dollars for a 10 year old version of "Snake" which you have to try to navigate with a number pad... be my guest. After-all, when your cellphone inevitably becomes obsolete and you have to trade it in, you're going to have to pay for those games all over again.

3. Cameras. It's a phone! It's a Camera! It's simaltaniously two inferior versions of already portable technological units! Once again, it's another example of something better suited to a solitary device. If you really want to take poor quality pictures, I'd suggest you get something that interfaces a little better with your computer.

4. TV. Arguably the "best" feature of new cell phones is the ability to watch live TV on them. I am not familiar with exactly how much money this costs you, but I imagine that even if you had WON the jeopardy show you were just watching, you wouldn't have made a profit.<... ]]> ~tempestryder http://tempestryder.deviantart.com/journal/7074331/ http://tempestryder.deviantart.com/journal/7074331/ Thu, 17 Nov 2005 18:00:25 PST
And what do I do when I get bored? Well normally... umm... > > nevermind... But today I'm going to do something different! I'm going to entertain you by simply typing away until I get completely sick of looking at my computer. Ready? Go!

I think I'll start by regailing you with a conversation I overheard while waiting for the bus the other day. It was later at night, and the sun had set, and I was waiting for a bus in suburbia. Meanwhile, I could hear the voices of some "mature and responsible individuals" from some yard.

Male Voice 1: "F***! How many of those things do you have??"
Male Voice 2: "I dunno, like... 20?"
Male Voice 1: "Where'd you get them?"
Male Voice 2: "This guy I know stole them from this store and some other s***."
Male Voice 1: "Dude! Let's light them!"
Female Voice: "You guys aren't going to light those, are you?"
*shuffling noises*
Male Voice 1: "Here, give me one of those."
*more shuffling noises*
*laughing noises from Male Voice 2 and Female Voice*
Female Voice: "What the F*** are you doing??"
Male Voice 1: "Sticking them under the F***ing gnome... Give me your lighter."
*hissing noise, more giggling from Female Voice*
*POP!*
Male Voice 1: "Dude!"
Male Voice 2: "F***!"
*more laughing from Female Voice*
Male Voice 2: "You're mom's going to be pissed!"
Male Voice 1: "That was awesome! Give me another one."
Female Voice: "You should like... plant one in the garden."
Male Voice 1: *laughing* "F***ing right!"
*pause, shuffling noises*
Male Voice 1: "Okay, give me the lighter."
*pause, hissing noise*
*...Silence*
Male Voice 2: "I think it's a F***ing dud"
Male Voice 1: "Dig it up."
Male Voice 2: "You dig it up, **** ***"
*Female Voice laughs*
Male Voice 1: "Then YOU dig it up!"
Female Voice: "No F***ing way!"
Male Voice 2: "Fine, I'll do it."
*pause*
Male Voice 2: "Aw, the F***ing wick is gone"
Male Voice 1: "Give it here."
Male Voice 2: "Why?"
Male Voice 1: "I think I can make it go."
Female Voice: "You're going to try to light it?"
Male Voice 1: "F*** yeah!"
Male Voice 2: *laughing* "You're a F***ing idiot!"
Male Voice 1: "Look, it's fine see?"
Female Voice: "You shouldn't-"
*BANG!*
Male Voice 1: *breif shout of pain* "S***!!"
*Female Voice and Male Voice 2 laugh*
Male Voice 2: "You're a fucking idiot!"
Male Voice 1: "Shut the F*** up! It F***ing hurts!"
Male Voice 2: "What the F*** did you think was going to happen?"
Male Voice 1: "You guys F***ing suck..."

At that point the conversation seemed to end, there was the sound of a sliding door and they seemed to have gone inside. I never saw anything that was going on. Only the shout-level conversation between the three intelligent individuals. It's good to see that Darwinism really works.




Let's see... what else can I randomly talk about...

Oh! I know!

STARTREK!

Did you know that in the entire five series of Startrek and all 2 dozen or so movies, Nobody has ever broken wind?

Come to think of it, I don't believe I've ever even seen a toilet on the Enterprise, Voyager, or DS9. I've seen them eat... obviously food is going in. Doesn't it neccesarily follow that stuff is coming out? Or in the future is there some sort of alternative to voiding your bowels? The uniforms they wear don't seem to be well designed for relieving yourself...

So I'll pose a question to every trekkie out there... Do Vulcans Get Gas?



Hmm... still not quite bored yet. How about...

Umm...

Christmas!

Do you remember when you were a kid? Maybe six or seven? And all you wanted for Christmas was toys? I remember it well. However, there were always those bent on NOT getting you toys. Remember your aunt? Every year she got you a sweater? A really itchy sweater made out of a material that you'd SWEAR was just red-tinted steel wool? And so you sit there... looking at this painful piece of fabric... and you realise that you not only didn't get a toy, you are now condemned to wear a painful sweater you didn't like any time your aunt came over. And of course, you would hate your aunt forever.

Now we're a little older, and we begin to realise that this aunt, or grandmother or uncle... (but probably aunt) was a kid at some point to. This means one of two things. Your Aunt really is a horrible awful person who is just spiting you with shirts that she knows you don't want... or she has somehow forgotten that kids do NOT like clothes.

And so I have made myself a promise. I will never let myself forget how awful it is for a seven-year-old... ]]> ~tempestryder http://tempestryder.deviantart.com/journal/6762824/ http://tempestryder.deviantart.com/journal/6762824/ Fri, 14 Oct 2005 01:27:27 PDT
Anyhoooo.... I think it's time I went through a couple of the more annoying statements I hear on a regular basis and just... make tiny rants about them.

1. "Coke has alot of caffiene, it's not good for you."
While I suppose this is technically true... and people say out of concern for my well being... it still ticks me off. First of all, as far as caffiene levels go, there is as much caffiene in a 7-Eleven Super Big Gulp as there is in a single cup of coffee. That's right... hitting a two litre bottle of Pepsi translates to only 2 cups of coffee. Also, anybody who has met me when I haven't had at least some caffiene in me quickly comes to the conclusion that I am a lathargic, sleepy and irritable person. You keep your cigarettes and your coffee... I'm going to keep my caffienated sugar water and we'll all live happy hyper lives.

2. "Men/Women are *insert insulting term or generalization*"
Very few things bother me more than these incredibly generalized statements. It happens both ways, but more frequently it happens that a woman makes generalizations about men. When somebody makes a statement like this, it has the implied word hiding at the beginning... "All"
If you say "All men are pigs" Or "All women are selfish" you are applying that statement to every single person in that category. However, the statement has the SAME meaning if you say "Men are Pigs" or "Women are Selfish" By not using a qualifier like "Most" or "Some" or "A Few", you apply it to everyone, which ticks me right off. Just because some people of the opposite gender have offended or caused you to think negatively about them, do not presume to judge that all people of that gender are the same way. I would like to believe that I try to keep on good terms with the opposite sex and are as respectful to them as I am to members of the same sex, and generalized negative statements that imply they include me greatly bother me. Some men are pigs, Some women are selfish. NOT ALL.

3. "You're good at math/physics, why didn't you major in it?"
First a little background... this statement doesn't bother me too much but I do hear it quite a bit. In First year University I took Physics, it was a year long course. In all, I attened four classes, and fell asleep during one. (and snuck out early during another) I never opened my textbook to study. I came to my midterm thinking it was a quiz, and had to write it in 10 minutes because I had made a doctor's appointment. I showed up an hour late for my exam, and without a calcuator. I never attended any labs. I never did the homework.
My final grade was 95%
People hit me with things when I tell them this, and every year I get the same thing. "Your Physics marks are so much better, why aren't you majoring in physics?!?"
Simple! It bores me to tears. Every single class more monotonous than the last, every time reviewing basic algebra and explaining simple mathematical concepts... The only fun I had was during the exam because I just sat down and figured out a year's worth of physics in 20 minutes just by reading the questions and the provided formula sheet.
Why didn't I major in it? Because I'd rather strangle myself than sleep through another class reviewing stuff I already know.

4. "Dogs are better pets than cats"
Trying to compare the relationship one gets with a dog and the relationship one gets with a cat is futile. It can't be done. That is not to say that one is simply better than the other, it's just that people often do not understand the kind of relationship you have with a cat.
A dog is a simple creature, at least socially. To a good dog, you are the master. You are the undisputed leader of the household, the food and the territory, and the dog loves and respects you no matter what. A dog is a loyal, trusting, protective follower who will never think of himself before you. To all dog owners, this is the perfect dog.
However, this is not something you can expect from a cat. Cats are not obligated to like you. Cats are not obligated to defend you, or do anything for you. A cat will not love you unconditionally, nor will he respect you if you do not deserve it. To own a cat is to have a friend, an equal. A cat's love must be earned, and its loyalty gradually given. If you do something a cat disapproves of, the cat will be sure to let you know. The cat never has any trouble telling you how he really feels.
This is where most dog owners fail to see the appeal of the cat. "Why would you have an animal that doesn't respect you?" Simple, cats will respect you, if you deserve it. If you want a follower, somebody who will always see you through rose-coloured glasses, get a dog. If you want a friend to whom you can f... ]]> ~tempestryder