Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Wisdom and News

Yay, outlaw specific pain killers because some people choose to overdose on them, not for any clinical deficiency. Their alternatives cause actual harm in more patients.

http://www.rgj.com/article/20090630/NEWS12/90630042&OAS_sitepage=news.rgj.com%2Fbreakingnews


Also, how do you accidently drink yourself to a .122 BAC with a Gatorade? If you can’t taste 8 shots in a 20oz drink you have serious problems.

http://www.rgj.com/article/20090630/NEWS/90630038&OAS_sitepage=news.rgj.com%2Fbreakingnews

Friday, June 26, 2009

mouse

I use a trackball at home too. However, after I got my G5 a couple months ago I use it much less. The only good trackball these days is the Logitech one and it just doesn’t have the resolution or buttons you need for FPS gaming. Binding your knife to the thumb buttons in COD is the only way to go.

I used my trackball, since it is much less movement wrist needed, in raids back in the day. I have been considering a G5 for work.

Gunman opens fire in restaurant

Was that you James Bond? Also, I doubt he had automatic pistols. I bet they were only semi-automatic. Sensationalist reporting at its best.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8121989.stm

red meat

In other news, the British media keeps pushing the idea that they need to ban, or increase considerably in cost, the price of alcohol. Apparently now that cigarettes have been demonized they are spreading out to other commodities, like they have also been doing with red meat.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8118475.stm

I don’t want a society where prices are kept artificially high to discourage my usage or controlled “for my own good.” Especially on items that care ubiquitous in everyday life, and ones that can even be beneficial in moderation. That makes us a nanny state; I think that is a horrible idea. I saw demolition man.

Also, I don’t think cigarettes should be taxed as heavily as they are, but I do think it should be legal to shoot smokers who are standing next to a no smoking sign.

Did you hear that the local hospitals are removing the smoking zones and going smoke free? Some people are angry, but as a private entity I don’t see why people think they have a right to smoke on the property. I can’t go stand outside and drink why can you go outside and smoke?

Everyone dies. The only argument that can really be made is how many resources (i.e. hospital beds) they use to keep them alive. If you don’t have socialized medical that’s really the individuals problem.

My understanding is that hospitals can legally reject someone who’s dying. If you are bleeding to death they can’t refuse to treat you, but they can kick you out the door after they put the bandages on. I could be wrong and it varies by state, but that’s different than keeping a chronically ill person in a hospital bed.

And no, forcing coverage of high risk people will not cut costs. Although I do find the practice if rescinding coverage on costly people for minute or irrelevant medical disclosures worrisome.

Most people will never need a heart bypass, kidney remove… Sacrifice the few to save the many. Also, if we went public healthcare tomorrow we literally do not have the doctors to handle it. I have seen estimate of needing 100,000 or more additional doctors alone (not including staff). That and the generous average salaries in the 300-400k a year for most specialists and we are just throwing money at the problem. You need to rework healthcare, Medicare especially, not just throw up an insurance umbrella.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

camping

People these days are are pretty gear heavy campers. If you took more than a change of socks… Also, tents? It’s summer. Why are there chairs around the fire? You are supposed to find a fallen tree and drag it over. Etc. When I was a kid we used backs, you go whatever fit in it. Of course we always packed like we had to hike 10 miles even if we didn’t.

Once I was camping out at the Boardman bombing range. I was sleeping with a tarp wrapped around me; when I got woken up and was told we were leaving. It was 6am or so but the wind had kicked up and many of the kids were chasing their beach ball shaped tents down. Even the ones with packs left in them were sliding away in the wind.

Windows Vista

I got Vista Ultimate upgrade using the IGT discount. Except for UAC I don’t see why all the hate for it. It’s also the first version I ever bought myself. I’ll have to look into an upgrade to 7, I’m too lazy to spend my time at home administrating a pc I use to watch movies and browse the internet, no Linux for me.

Monday, June 22, 2009

fat - the new muscle

Overweight people may be killing themselves, but I can’t help wonder if it will lead to better lives in the future. Will people adapt to high sugar diets, maybe better utilize the energy to strengthen themselves? All the added weight would logically lead to strengthened support structures (bones and muscles). Of course this relies on things like natural selection such, which may not really apply to humans anymore.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Lisbon Treaty

This thing got voted down hard last time. They made a few token exceptions for Ireland (but none of the other signatories) so that it will be more appealing; without change to the treaty substance. Reprehensible. I hope it gets voted down again.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8106300.stm

Thursday, June 18, 2009

sleeping bags

Why get a bag at all? Because a blanket is so high tech. Get an air mattress and a thick blanket. Sleeping bags are really only handy when you are backpacking.

My air mattress and blanket fit in just as small space. Oh well, I just like being comfortable as an old man. When I was a kid and would spend 3-4 weeks out camping a year. At least 2 in the summer and then weekends through the year. You learn quick what you like best.

You could bring a foam pad instead, but I usually prefer and air mattress.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

high school gym class

Back in my high school track/football days we did a heavy workout 5 days a week with some great results and I woke up sore for months on end. Unless it’s actually inured you can usually warm up and be fine. Also, you shouldn’t be too concerned with target groups, that’s something for body builders who work out 2 hours a day. I don’t lift Porsche transmissions one handed because I target my biceps, I do it because I work my entire upper body together.

baseball players sexing up 14 year olds

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,526525,00.html

If Chris Rock told this joke nobody would care.

crossfit diet

I have actually read some of the links on the crossfit guide. I was looking into it before I tore my ACL.

http://crossfitreno.blogspot.com/2009/06/read-read-read-perfect-guide-for.html

My understanding is that humans were hunters and gathers for thousands of years. They ate many plants and included a large amounts of roots, tubers and even gains in their diet. Carbs are the bodies main fuel source and I would suggest it is for a reason. They are the most plentiful biomolecule on the planet. Fruits and vegetables are mostly carbohydrates, so why keep to fruits and vegetables above gains? It’s usually due to the density between the two. Fruit has more water to go with the calories so you feel more full and hence eat less.

Grind with a wheel of with your teeth? Most people live longer than 25 these days, you need something softer to keep your jaw from wearing down. The degree of processing could be argued well. The point is you don’t want to significantly change the components and nutrients in foods. Some processing, such as baking, increases the amount of usable sugars and nutrients available in grains.

In the last few thousand years many cultures have evolved to the point where they maintain their ability to process milk through life. We can evolve.

My conclusion? Those people who are trying to lose weight, gain muscle and are willing to change their diet to match are the ones who are serious and dedicated. They watch their calories and train hard. It’s true a certain amount of protein is needed to build muscle mass, but I have read it’s much less than the 1g per kg most suggest. Yes, protein is converted into carbs as needed, but the reverse is not true. My point there is that overeating protein isn’t bad for you, but not eating enough can make it hard to build muscle. However; I would think they could eat a balanced low calorie, sufficient protein diet and get similar results.

pets

Back in Mansion Land, I had a pet Chopper Dave. He was fairly low maintenance as long as I kept its vodka dish full. He used to love to go on car rides, so I’d take him to work, but I’m still to young/irresponsible to have a pet so I think I left him locked in the car on summer days with the windows up… X)

-Jason


One night Jason decided that the responsibility was too much and decided to release me into the wild. He dropped me off at a bar and picked up a girl to take home instead. I still managed to find my way back home that night.

I remember turning around when he tapped on my shoulder; he just stood there saying nothing. Also, my old phone sucked and tended to just go to voicemail all the time so I didn’t know he called till he was gone. It would have been logical for him to grab my attention by hitting me with the keys.

After I discovered I had been ditched, and while slightly inebriated by that time, running home seemed like the most logical option. It was only 3-4 miles or so? While doing so I was taking the shortest path and while running though a vacant lot managed to run into a piece of rebar sticking out of the tall grass. I saw it a moment too late and tried to jump since I was moving too fast to stop. It ended up catching my jeans and gashing the thigh open.

Still, considering I have been ditched in different cities before it’s not the worst that could have happened.

Tatoo

It’s full of stars…

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31400926/

Monday, June 15, 2009

Top 5 TV Shows Currently On TV

This is hard, I don't watch much tv anymore...

House, How I Met Your Mother, Heroes, Phych, Doctor Who

I would make a great politician

I used to make OSA meeting very lively.

Most of the board was pretty crazy. One time they had some tomatoes pickers union from Florida come to the meeting wanting our support for the strike because we were such a progressive organization. It was a big WTF does this have to do with Oregon students?

Americans should SPEAK ENGLISH

I wish we just had the one official language. It would make things easier in the long run. If I moved to Japan I would start to learn Japanese, if I moved to Canada, I would learn Canadian, eh.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31176525/ns/us_news-life/

Friday, June 12, 2009

internet explorer

http://www.infoworld.com/d/windows/ec-pursue-antitrust-case-despite-microsofts-ie-decision-299

So… what do they want to do? Have EU Microsoft default to Firefox?

Now in Surround

Hope you all have cable or digital boxes. They stopped the signal :(

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8096438.stm

Are there any good air channels in Reno? If there are I might get an antenna. I have cable, several local channels are on that. The only channel my TV picks up over the air is “static” so I was wondering if it was worth getting an antenna for better reception.

Farmers market

I will have to try that Farmers market next week.

Also, why is nicotine not already controlled by the FDA? It’s a drug and you would think it would be there already, expect for powerful lobbying to keep the government away.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31233307/

People who smoke always complain about rules telling them when and where they can smoke citing freedom. I see if from the other angle. I’m not cigarettes because they kill people; I’m against them because the people who smoke them run around and litter the air indiscriminately, damaging me directly. Same as running around with a big uranium rock in your pocket . You aren’t just killing yourself, you are inflicting injury to me as well.

The argument “nobody is forcing you” argument is bs when they are standing outside the door of buildings I need to enter.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

firewood

Back when I was a kid I had to cut firewood all the time. We only had a wood stove. Most of our wood was Black Locus, which is actually considered a good burning wood. However, it doesn’t really split cleanly so much as it tears and shreds when you take an axe to it. That and the pitch all over it.

Top 10 inventions?!

At least one of these is natural. Why specify something specific like electric telegraph when you could specify something much more broad like electric generator. I don’t think electricity qualified as an actual invention itself otherwise I would go for that. Also, Steam engine is on the list, along with the Rocket, a vehicle known for its revolutionary use of a steam engine.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/8091753.stm

The link from HYS mentioned the most significant scientific inventions so I was a little confused.

http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?sortBy=2&forumID=6574&edition=2&ttl=20090610173545&#paginator

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

iPhone = overrated

I own one. It’s a decent phone. The microphone pickup is pretty good. It’s pricy but it does come with some nice features like easy access to maps (it can find your position or destination easily) and simple email and internet access. I wish the volume could go a little higher, sometimes people are a little quiet on the other end. The camera could be better and longer battery life would help. I realize that, my previous crappy Samsung phone had a two days standby at most and you couldn’t find replacement batteries for it anywhere. We need mini nuclear reactors in these things.

Also, some reason mine will die overnight on occasions. I will take it home from work fully charged and it will be dead by the next morning. I still have not figured out why, happens once a month or so.

I also use it to listen to mp3’s and Pandora a lot of the time and it does well as a music player.The iPhone works for me.

If I find something that works better when my contract is over I will get it. The two things that I liked better than the Windows competitors were the big screen and the low weight. Phones will get better, in 5 years anything you are carrying now will be as functional as a paperweight, no sense in following technology religiously.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE CRUISE

http://www.tothepointnews.com/content/view/3617/85/

The only problem with this is that US citizens can still be charged for certain crimes committed in other countries or even international waters. Also, is there a licensed taxidermist onboard? I’d want to stuff one for my trophy room.

no compulsory vaccinations? are you a suicide bomber?

I think it is stupid that inoculations are not already mandatory. Refusing vaccination is the biological equivalent of walking around with a bomb strapped to your chest. It’s not just dangerous to you alone, but society as a whole. I may have a very libertarian viewpoint on most things but this would not be one of them.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/8080681.stm

Herd immunity. Even though you get the shots you can still be susceptible to the disease. Vaccination is not 100%. By others not getting their shots your possible exposure and infection rate rises.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herd_immunity

The article was BBC, but you can still get religious wavers (or go to a private school) and such in the US I believe. Then you have celebrities like Oprah and her guests talk about the dangers of vaccination (debunked). If you are that susceptible to a little shot you have much bigger concerns.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

my fast is broken

I drink 2 vials of Silver solution, shoot up 10cc of Mercury and use a Uranium suppository every morning (go electric atoms!) Look at how healthy and normal I am!

I get hungry at 10 or so too. I will buy a breakfast burrito sometimes if I am really hungry in the morning for some reason. I keep single serving cans of pears in my cube for breakfast otherwise. Days like today I just ate some lunch since I didn’t play Frisbee. I keep protein bars around for those days. Since I play Frisbee I don’t have time to get lunch. I just have a protein bar and maybe a can of pears or such. Snickers make some decent ones, Marathon Protein Bars. They make a few varieties and a couple of them are pretty good.

Visa Agreement

I went to RC Willey’s last night to order a TV stand. I had looked around the other day and they had one that looked decent and was rather functional with an optional (to use) built in swivel mount. It was also on sale for the same price as online. I go pay for it and they won’t take my Visa card without supplemental ID, “to cut down on fraud.” How can you cut down on fraud by requirement me to show personal details of my ID to a cahier I do not know or trust? My signature is the only identification Visa requires. It’s in their (Visa’s) Merchants agreement that they cannot require supplemental identification for a purchase, just the signature.

I tried to argue this with the salesgirl to no avail, and not wanting to stand around forever just showed it to her. It’s invalid on the front anyway, I have the update sticker with correct info on the back and no one ever bothers to look.

Remember, the next time you use your Visa card refuse supplemental identification. They can ask, but if they require it they are in violation of their merchants agreement with Visa. At least they aren’t as bad as Sports Authority, they want your phone number to make a transaction. They are very insistent, they won’t like it, but they have never refused to ring me up because of it.

I think I will start supplying the OIGT VERFIED picture when asked. It would look cooler if I had time or Photoshop. It shows me drinking which automatically makes me 10 internets cooler or something.

Monday, June 1, 2009

The speed, size and dependability of programming languages

Going from Turbo Pascal (what my High School taught) to Delphi was just like going from Basic to VB. Of course I have never actually made anything useful with it; the graphic libraries were fun to play with though.

http://gmarceau.qc.ca/blog/2009/05/speed-size-and-dependability-of.html


So they zipped up the code and took that as the size of the dataset? I’m not sure that is an accurate reflection of code size. Do they count libraries? This blogger obviously takes them into consideration, but I don’t see the same concern in the source material.

Also, they seem to take programs from a wide variety of programmers. I see issue with this. I recall not long ago one of our programmers tried to load a static 2MB array of 0’s into a boot prom when all he needed was one variable loaded with 32 bytes of 0. Such efforts can throw statistics all over the place.

The author seems to mix and match. GCC isn’t a language but it’s on the chart. CSHARP isn’t a compiler but it’s there too.

NULL

So much for jury nullification. If the judge doesn’t like your verdict he can throw it out.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30999530/

The Joker - comparing Heath Ledger’s performance with Jack Nicholson’s

Have you actually read any of the older Batman comics? I have and Nicolson was nothing like him. Nicolson was more like a crazy gangster. I don’t recall the joker ever really being like that. The old joker was just crazy and did stupid stuff. Ha ha batman, I’m going to steal the world’s largest pickle… try and stop me! That and when he teamed up with Lex Luthor, those were the good old days.