The Next Rotation - The Universe of Fenris Fox
31 January 2007
The Silver Lining: Boston police and commerce pwned by Aqua Teen Hunger Force marketing campaign. Later: Cartoon Network [likely] to soon be uber-pwned by the legal system. Whoops!
Given the whole situation happening in Boston, Massachusetts today (i.e., some jokers placing several suspicious packages as a hoax, making them look like bombs - and indeed, at least one contained electronics that could be used in an IED [Improvised Explosive Device - military parlance for a crackpot's homemade bomb]), I can find at least a couple of ironic things (using my crystal ball, tainted with my usual brand of stark, dry humour):
I tend to disagree.. the world's a much brighter place, if you can laugh at human stupidity. =:oD
[And, yes, that includes my own:
¶ 1/31/2007 01:43:00 PM 0 comments
Given the whole situation happening in Boston, Massachusetts today (i.e., some jokers placing several suspicious packages as a hoax, making them look like bombs - and indeed, at least one contained electronics that could be used in an IED [Improvised Explosive Device - military parlance for a crackpot's homemade bomb]), I can find at least a couple of ironic things (using my crystal ball, tainted with my usual brand of stark, dry humour):
- Somebody - and that somebody now appears to be Cartoon Network (this is a dark day for anyone related to comics or cartoons - furries included) - thought it would be funny to stage a hoax of this scale.
Now, I don't know whether they thought it would end up bringing Boston's commerce to a virtual halt - but that's exactly what it did. A real terrorist might have been quite happy with the result of this - they don't need to actually cause death; just fear, disruption, and chaos.
Well, one thing's for sure - someone's going to answer for this. Shepard Smith (an anchor on Fox News Channel) read off a list of numbers, which were the possible sentences for a conviction on several hoax-related charges; not a single one was less than two figures.
This may turn out to be the most expensive ad campaign of all time - paid for with hard time. Well over 100 years of it.
Nice one. =xoD - Now, this could be wrong - since I heard it "out of the corner of my ear," so to say - but this phrase, [I believe was] said by a Boston city official of some kind, takes the cake:
"Earlier today... [someone] found... a suspicious bomb."
Is there any bomb that's not suspicious? If so, my guess is, Al-Qaeda/Hezbollah/Ooga-Booga-Bocca-Rocca-Rry already is securing a contract with them. The supplier is likely some poor unemployed scientist-soul in Russia. =;o)
I tend to disagree.. the world's a much brighter place, if you can laugh at human stupidity. =:oD
[And, yes, that includes my own:
"Everybody plays the fool,
No exception to the rule;
It may be factual
It may be cruel,
Everybody plays the fool."
--from Aaron Neville's 1991 remake of "Everybody Plays the Fool;" the 1972 original was by The Main Ingredient.]
¶ 1/31/2007 01:43:00 PM 0 comments
30 January 2007
Quote: I'm guilty! Hehe.
From an anonymous submission to Merriam Webster's Open Dictionary:
Want evidence? In my earlier post on digital shorthand, I used the word "acronymize."
Though it turns out "acronymize" is not an original idea (indeed, it has an entry on Urban Dictionary), at the time, I did not know a verb form of "acronym" existed.
I'm not surprised it does, though - geeks have a way of finding an acronym for everything. There are so many, that a (now classic) parody even exists:
From an anonymous submission to Merriam Webster's Open Dictionary:
Wordulous (adjective): Given to inventing creative new words because one's large vocabulary needs sustenance.Guilty! =xoD
You are so wordulous, it's scary!
Want evidence? In my earlier post on digital shorthand, I used the word "acronymize."
Though it turns out "acronymize" is not an original idea (indeed, it has an entry on Urban Dictionary), at the time, I did not know a verb form of "acronym" existed.
I'm not surprised it does, though - geeks have a way of finding an acronym for everything. There are so many, that a (now classic) parody even exists:
"PCMCIA: People Can't Memorize Computer Industry Acronyms."¶ 1/30/2007 12:21:00 PM 0 comments
29 January 2007
Follow-Up: (In)justice Watch: More sad facts and opinions crop up, as the scapegoat goes to the altar of sacrifice.
It turns out that more horse manure is popping up in the case of the woman facing 40 years in jail for accidental porn pop-ups.
Blame the teacher, why don't you, when the school administrators let the license lapse on the school's Web content filtering system.
Want to know how I feel? Here's the subject line from a post from a commenter on the first link above, "qwerty75:"
For what? Exposing the "kids" (they're teens. They may not all be little devils, but they're all too old to be little angels, either.) to something they probably look at in the privacy of their own home - laws be damned.
The more I think about this, the more I pray this whole case is an anomaly.. because if such ridiculous witch hunts are to become the norm in this country, I will leave the United States.
This kind of crud is little better than the Nazis in World War II - and I would gladly welcome death, over rotting in jail for 40 years (especially since weak guys like me tend to wish they were dead anyway, if they go to prison).
Yes, this is rough, mean, possibly even extremist writing - but this bullcrap needs to be nipped in the bud. NOW!
Read that accented quote on the right sidebar of this blog. I mean it. ¶ 1/29/2007 07:01:00 PM 0 comments
It turns out that more horse manure is popping up in the case of the woman facing 40 years in jail for accidental porn pop-ups.
Blame the teacher, why don't you, when the school administrators let the license lapse on the school's Web content filtering system.
Want to know how I feel? Here's the subject line from a post from a commenter on the first link above, "qwerty75:"
"It would have been better if the teacher just killed one of those kids"From a strictly numerical standpoint, he's right. Second-degree murder carries a minimum penalty of 25 years imprisonment in many states - this woman is facing 40.
For what? Exposing the "kids" (they're teens. They may not all be little devils, but they're all too old to be little angels, either.) to something they probably look at in the privacy of their own home - laws be damned.
The more I think about this, the more I pray this whole case is an anomaly.. because if such ridiculous witch hunts are to become the norm in this country, I will leave the United States.
This kind of crud is little better than the Nazis in World War II - and I would gladly welcome death, over rotting in jail for 40 years (especially since weak guys like me tend to wish they were dead anyway, if they go to prison).
Yes, this is rough, mean, possibly even extremist writing - but this bullcrap needs to be nipped in the bud. NOW!
Read that accented quote on the right sidebar of this blog. I mean it. ¶ 1/29/2007 07:01:00 PM 0 comments
28 January 2007
Cyberspace: History Tends to Repeat: Digital Shorthand
Surfing links through one of the C|Net newsletters I get, I happened to stumble upon this little story, about the "code of teens' IM slang."
While - for a good typist, with good language skills - much of the jargon is superfluous, it does have its uses.
In IM or chat, I've been known to use them occasionally for often-used lengthy phrases - particularly where I'd rather spend my effort getting to the "meat of the issue."
Two I particularly like:
AFAIK: As Far As I Know. I like to throw this in, because while I tend to have a good memory on a wide variety of subjects, I am not infallible. Forget not this Chinese proverb:
Of course, the use of heavier abbreviation and acronymization can be much more appropriate - and even smart - in some contexts.
Cellular text messaging - something I particularly like when traveling on the bus, because it can be done without disturbing anyone, and with relative privacy - is a wise place to use this, no matter your age.
This is because the more meaning that you can pack into a small amount of actual letters, the more money you'll save. For me, text messages are charged a la carte - anything up to a certain length (which isn't too big - but is larger than the 160 characters of many older phones) is 10 cents (that may seem stiff - but I don't get charged for incoming messages, so it makes up for it). If I want to send something longer, I can - but it requires writing the second part into a second message - and paying another 10 cents.
Now, I don't abbreviate - and therefore save as much money - as I possibly could; I like to use T9 (a predictive, adaptive text entry algorithm), and so many of my words are full-length, or only missing the final letter (like the "g" in an "-ing" ending). Many others, however, are abbreviated, or spelled phonetically.
To make a long story short: Stenographers have used shorthand for ages; telegraph operators used to use Morse code (and amateur radio operators still do) - and now, adopters of popular digital communication services have also adopted shorthand.
As someone [identity unknown] once said, "There's nothing new under the sun." ¶ 1/28/2007 01:09:00 PM 0 comments
Surfing links through one of the C|Net newsletters I get, I happened to stumble upon this little story, about the "code of teens' IM slang."
While - for a good typist, with good language skills - much of the jargon is superfluous, it does have its uses.
In IM or chat, I've been known to use them occasionally for often-used lengthy phrases - particularly where I'd rather spend my effort getting to the "meat of the issue."
Two I particularly like:
AFAIK: As Far As I Know. I like to throw this in, because while I tend to have a good memory on a wide variety of subjects, I am not infallible. Forget not this Chinese proverb:
"The palest ink is better than the best memory."AFAIC: As Far As I'm Concerned - because sometimes, I don't care whether I'm accurate or not. =;o) :: giggle ::
Of course, the use of heavier abbreviation and acronymization can be much more appropriate - and even smart - in some contexts.
Cellular text messaging - something I particularly like when traveling on the bus, because it can be done without disturbing anyone, and with relative privacy - is a wise place to use this, no matter your age.
This is because the more meaning that you can pack into a small amount of actual letters, the more money you'll save. For me, text messages are charged a la carte - anything up to a certain length (which isn't too big - but is larger than the 160 characters of many older phones) is 10 cents (that may seem stiff - but I don't get charged for incoming messages, so it makes up for it). If I want to send something longer, I can - but it requires writing the second part into a second message - and paying another 10 cents.
Now, I don't abbreviate - and therefore save as much money - as I possibly could; I like to use T9 (a predictive, adaptive text entry algorithm), and so many of my words are full-length, or only missing the final letter (like the "g" in an "-ing" ending). Many others, however, are abbreviated, or spelled phonetically.
To make a long story short: Stenographers have used shorthand for ages; telegraph operators used to use Morse code (and amateur radio operators still do) - and now, adopters of popular digital communication services have also adopted shorthand.
As someone [identity unknown] once said, "There's nothing new under the sun." ¶ 1/28/2007 01:09:00 PM 0 comments
27 January 2007
Urgent: (In)justice Watch: Woman Facing 40 Years in Prison for Accidental Porn Pop-Ups In the Classroom!
I just about mussed up my tailfur when I saw this! It's so hard to keep from cussing.. but some stupid court may soon send a teacher to jail for 40 years, all because of some porn pop-ups!
These... heck, I've controlled myself long enough - bastards - are all set to put a woman affected by random Net trash in jail for what might as well be the rest of her life, but let real sex offenders - you know, the actual ones that snatch, rape, and sometimes kill kids - back out on the street after sentences shorter than the term of a President.
Listen to one of the charges here:
Want some mitigating circumstances? Look at this:
You know what this looks like to me? A commenter on the above article, "chuckiesback," seemed to lay it out pretty effectively:
Please, politicians, judges, Officers of the Peace.. don't make me lose faith in the rest of that writing.
All in all, I say that:
1.) All charges should be dismissed against the defendant, with the apologies of The People;
2.) Whoever is ultimately responsible for this epitome of moronic garbage should be impeached, fired, or otherwise removed;
3.) Said person(s) should be forced to attend a class on basic Internet usage - with a focus on computer security for beginners. Namely, show them that this crap can come up on its own!
Oh, and one last thing: Fox News Channel, please don't mess up my species'-sake! As far as I can find, this had nothing to do with child pornography. It was about the very accidental and unintentional exposing of teenagers (quit with the "child" crap - they aren't little angels!) to hardcore pornography. That's a far cry from child pornography, which (and I agree fully with this) is very much illegal in itself. ¶ 1/27/2007 02:51:00 PM 1 comments
I just about mussed up my tailfur when I saw this! It's so hard to keep from cussing.. but some stupid court may soon send a teacher to jail for 40 years, all because of some porn pop-ups!
These... heck, I've controlled myself long enough - bastards - are all set to put a woman affected by random Net trash in jail for what might as well be the rest of her life, but let real sex offenders - you know, the actual ones that snatch, rape, and sometimes kill kids - back out on the street after sentences shorter than the term of a President.
Listen to one of the charges here:
"Julie Amero, a substitute teacher in Norwich, Connecticut, has been convicted of... risking injury to a minor..."Show me the guns, the knives, the re-bars, the anvils.. I don't see injury here. Seeing a little bit of porn doesn't break bones - and in the long run, probably wouldn't do much of anything - even mentally - to the most prudish of those students.
Want some mitigating circumstances? Look at this:
"A few students were crowded around a PC; some were giggling."I'd have to say that the potential for even emotional injury just went down quite a bit.
You know what this looks like to me? A commenter on the above article, "chuckiesback," seemed to lay it out pretty effectively:
"This is nothing but a return to the witch trials in New England..."Years of FUBAR news have already caused me to lose faith in this portion of a famous Patriotic writing:
"...and Justice for all."Last time I checked, Justice is not the malicious prosecution of persons who had no intent to do wrong.
Please, politicians, judges, Officers of the Peace.. don't make me lose faith in the rest of that writing.
All in all, I say that:
1.) All charges should be dismissed against the defendant, with the apologies of The People;
2.) Whoever is ultimately responsible for this epitome of moronic garbage should be impeached, fired, or otherwise removed;
3.) Said person(s) should be forced to attend a class on basic Internet usage - with a focus on computer security for beginners. Namely, show them that this crap can come up on its own!
Oh, and one last thing: Fox News Channel, please don't mess up my species'-sake! As far as I can find, this had nothing to do with child pornography. It was about the very accidental and unintentional exposing of teenagers (quit with the "child" crap - they aren't little angels!) to hardcore pornography. That's a far cry from child pornography, which (and I agree fully with this) is very much illegal in itself. ¶ 1/27/2007 02:51:00 PM 1 comments
26 January 2007
Ink Drawings: Chibi Signature Sketches
I made some cute little quick-and-dirty chibi sketches as part of my signature on larger pieces. Since the first, it's almost become a "personal tradition" to include such a "quickie" with my sig - though some are definitely better than others. Nevertheless - none of these is going to make it into a museum! =xoD
Oh, and if you're wondering which of the two I like better.. #2 takes the gold. =;o)
Chibi Sketch #1.
[Work shown full-sized.]
Gratis image hosting by Photobucket.
Chibi Sketch #2.
[Work shown full-sized.]
Gratis image hosting provided by Photobucket. ¶ 1/26/2007 11:41:00 PM 0 comments
I made some cute little quick-and-dirty chibi sketches as part of my signature on larger pieces. Since the first, it's almost become a "personal tradition" to include such a "quickie" with my sig - though some are definitely better than others. Nevertheless - none of these is going to make it into a museum! =xoD
Oh, and if you're wondering which of the two I like better.. #2 takes the gold. =;o)
Chibi Sketch #1.
[Work shown full-sized.]
Gratis image hosting by Photobucket.
Chibi Sketch #2.
[Work shown full-sized.]
Gratis image hosting provided by Photobucket. ¶ 1/26/2007 11:41:00 PM 0 comments
Ink Drawing: "Quantity v. Quality"
I can't stand people that look only at the quantity of projects done - or the time saved - and not at the quality of the work done.
While being completely "Type B" in your personality - meaning (more or less) laid back and artistic - isn't a good thing, I wonder if being completely "Type A" ("businessman-type" - rush and do things super-efficiently, and be very organized and logic-oriented) is even worse.
The more I think about it, the more I feel being overly "Type A" is a fast road to a myocardial infarction.
Click the preview above for the full-sized image (1639x1208, 703KB PNG).
Gratis image hosting provided by Photobucket. ¶ 1/26/2007 06:01:00 PM 0 comments
I can't stand people that look only at the quantity of projects done - or the time saved - and not at the quality of the work done.
While being completely "Type B" in your personality - meaning (more or less) laid back and artistic - isn't a good thing, I wonder if being completely "Type A" ("businessman-type" - rush and do things super-efficiently, and be very organized and logic-oriented) is even worse.
The more I think about it, the more I feel being overly "Type A" is a fast road to a myocardial infarction.
Click the preview above for the full-sized image (1639x1208, 703KB PNG).
Gratis image hosting provided by Photobucket. ¶ 1/26/2007 06:01:00 PM 0 comments
Ink Drawing: "Pen, Sword, or Nuke?"
I broke in my new sketchbook with this piece.
It was inspired by:
1.) Rock, paper, scissors;
2.) Kitsune, hunter, headsman (a Japanese variation of the above);
3.) Our darkening planet.
Moral of the story?
We're the humor in the center of the Bomb!
Click the preview above for the full-sized work (1143x1290, 514KB PNG)
Gratis image hosting provided by Photobucket. ¶ 1/26/2007 04:37:00 PM 0 comments
I broke in my new sketchbook with this piece.
It was inspired by:
1.) Rock, paper, scissors;
2.) Kitsune, hunter, headsman (a Japanese variation of the above);
3.) Our darkening planet.
Moral of the story?
We're the humor in the center of the Bomb!
Click the preview above for the full-sized work (1143x1290, 514KB PNG)
Gratis image hosting provided by Photobucket. ¶ 1/26/2007 04:37:00 PM 0 comments
Psuedo-Random Thought Generator!
You're not supposed to pet your date.
Unless you're a furry; then, it might not even be naughty. =;o) ¶ 1/26/2007 12:50:00 PM 0 comments
You're not supposed to pet your date.
Unless you're a furry; then, it might not even be naughty. =;o) ¶ 1/26/2007 12:50:00 PM 0 comments
Just Simple:
Inspiration knows no hour.
(Especially valid, since this was penned during the wee hours of the morning.) ¶ 1/26/2007 02:23:00 AM 0 comments
Inspiration knows no hour.
(Especially valid, since this was penned during the wee hours of the morning.) ¶ 1/26/2007 02:23:00 AM 0 comments
Philosophy Without the Lecture: The Scholar & The Fool
Like the scholar, I have learned - and am learning - many things.
However, like the fool, I do not always apply that which I have learned. ¶ 1/26/2007 02:23:00 AM 0 comments
Like the scholar, I have learned - and am learning - many things.
However, like the fool, I do not always apply that which I have learned. ¶ 1/26/2007 02:23:00 AM 0 comments
24 January 2007
World War II: The chemist who hid (Nobel Prize) gold from the Nazis.
I happened to do a bit of extra reading related to nitric acid - mainly because of the looney quote I mentioned earlier - and looked up aqua regia, which is made partly from nitric acid.
I then found this little bit of history, mixed into the otherwise mainly technical article on aqua regia on Wikipedia:
I think he (the chemist who saved the gold) should've gotten a medal, too. ¶ 1/24/2007 10:30:00 AM 0 comments
I happened to do a bit of extra reading related to nitric acid - mainly because of the looney quote I mentioned earlier - and looked up aqua regia, which is made partly from nitric acid.
I then found this little bit of history, mixed into the otherwise mainly technical article on aqua regia on Wikipedia:
"When Germany invaded Denmark in World War II, the Hungarian chemist George de Hevesy dissolved the gold Nobel Prizes of Max von Laue and James Franck into aqua regia to prevent the Nazis from stealing them. He placed the resulting solution on a shelf in his laboratory at the Niels Bohr Institute. After the war, he returned to find the solution undisturbed and precipitated the gold out of the acid. The gold was returned to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the Nobel Foundation presented new medals to Laue and Franck. This is currently on display in the London museum."I've heard of eccentric, ingenius plans.. but this one's off the Richter scale!
I think he (the chemist who saved the gold) should've gotten a medal, too. ¶ 1/24/2007 10:30:00 AM 0 comments
Random/Quote: "The Proverbial Salt."
SECOND EDITION: Article has been retouched to clarify some subjects. Anything you see here with square brackets [ ] is from me, not from the show. =;o)
I don't know why I thought of this - I just did:
[Accuracy may not be 100%; I'm taking this from memory. If you need an accurate reference, consult an authoritative source of quotations, not a random blogger... please! =;o) ]
In a Star Trek: Voyager episode, Lt. Paris and Lt. Cmdr. Tuvok were stuck in a malicious holodeck program - where the mortality failsafe had been sabotaged. [The mortality failsafe normally prevents simulations of injury in the holodeck from becoming real ones. With them off, for example, a simulated bullet could actually kill someone.] They come to The Doctor - but it's a fake Doctor. When he looks at Paris' arm:
"You have second degree phaser burns.. Nothing I can't handle." [For anyone who doesn't know, a phaser is an energy weapon which can cause burns to organic tissue.]
He then grabs this ridiculously humongous hypospray from a tray. [A hypospray is Star Trek's version of a hypodermic needle.]
"20cc's nitric acid," he says, injecting the lieutenant with the corrosive; he yelps in pain.
Doc finishes, "A little proverbial salt in the wound." ¶ 1/24/2007 02:25:00 AM 0 comments
SECOND EDITION: Article has been retouched to clarify some subjects. Anything you see here with square brackets [ ] is from me, not from the show. =;o)
I don't know why I thought of this - I just did:
[Accuracy may not be 100%; I'm taking this from memory. If you need an accurate reference, consult an authoritative source of quotations, not a random blogger... please! =;o) ]
In a Star Trek: Voyager episode, Lt. Paris and Lt. Cmdr. Tuvok were stuck in a malicious holodeck program - where the mortality failsafe had been sabotaged. [The mortality failsafe normally prevents simulations of injury in the holodeck from becoming real ones. With them off, for example, a simulated bullet could actually kill someone.] They come to The Doctor - but it's a fake Doctor. When he looks at Paris' arm:
"You have second degree phaser burns.. Nothing I can't handle." [For anyone who doesn't know, a phaser is an energy weapon which can cause burns to organic tissue.]
He then grabs this ridiculously humongous hypospray from a tray. [A hypospray is Star Trek's version of a hypodermic needle.]
"20cc's nitric acid," he says, injecting the lieutenant with the corrosive; he yelps in pain.
Doc finishes, "A little proverbial salt in the wound." ¶ 1/24/2007 02:25:00 AM 0 comments
Real World: When others don't like you getting the tutelage your tuition paid for.
ANGST WARNING: This article is angsting; furthermore, it is a personal attack upon another - although anonymous - person. I firmly believe that getting one's feelings out of their body in some way, shape, or form is a key to long life and happiness; however, since many a furson has expressed a dislike for "stereotypical emo-blogger" writings, I've slapped this semi-satirical disclaimer here. Proceed at your own risk. Do not bend, crush, or fold. Hot coffee may burn your "breeding goodies." Abandon all hope, ye who enter here. Not to be read by the Postmaster General unless eating ramen while watching anime with girls in sailor outfits, spinning in a circle, and yelling "kitsune-bi!" three times.
Someone in a class of mine thought it would be cute to come up to me, and blame me for having a long class - she said my "interruptions" were going to keep us there all night.
These "interruptions" were my questions to the teacher, and contributions to the class - a class that was starting to interest me.
God help me for trying to break up the monotony of logic - and most of all, for taking advantage of the tutelage that my tuition is supposed to pay for!
What really bugs me though, is that - in my humble opinion - she has no right to be griping:
She has a car. She drives - enjoying the comfort of her car's heater, no less - in peace, quiet, and (relative) safety, to and from school.
I ride the bus across town for over two hours each way. At night, it's as cold as Dante's Ninth Circle of Hell; I need coats and hats that few people in this valley ever need to pull out. I have to deal with drunks, methheads/crackheads/potheads/[insert-name-of-controlled-substance-here]heads, bums, whining kids, psychos, gangsters, a complete rainbow of uncategorized imbeciles (and I mean from red to violet, folks!), and even an occasional baseball-bat wielding thug.
So... lady, if you ever happen to find my little Web-den and read this.. please - with all due respect - grapple your complaint and shove it in that place your tail(s) cover.
[And before anyone asks me if I feel better... yes. Yes I do.] ¶ 1/24/2007 12:26:00 AM 1 comments
ANGST WARNING: This article is angsting; furthermore, it is a personal attack upon another - although anonymous - person. I firmly believe that getting one's feelings out of their body in some way, shape, or form is a key to long life and happiness; however, since many a furson has expressed a dislike for "stereotypical emo-blogger" writings, I've slapped this semi-satirical disclaimer here. Proceed at your own risk. Do not bend, crush, or fold. Hot coffee may burn your "breeding goodies." Abandon all hope, ye who enter here. Not to be read by the Postmaster General unless eating ramen while watching anime with girls in sailor outfits, spinning in a circle, and yelling "kitsune-bi!" three times.
Someone in a class of mine thought it would be cute to come up to me, and blame me for having a long class - she said my "interruptions" were going to keep us there all night.
These "interruptions" were my questions to the teacher, and contributions to the class - a class that was starting to interest me.
God help me for trying to break up the monotony of logic - and most of all, for taking advantage of the tutelage that my tuition is supposed to pay for!
What really bugs me though, is that - in my humble opinion - she has no right to be griping:
She has a car. She drives - enjoying the comfort of her car's heater, no less - in peace, quiet, and (relative) safety, to and from school.
I ride the bus across town for over two hours each way. At night, it's as cold as Dante's Ninth Circle of Hell; I need coats and hats that few people in this valley ever need to pull out. I have to deal with drunks, methheads/crackheads/potheads/[insert-name-of-controlled-substance-here]heads, bums, whining kids, psychos, gangsters, a complete rainbow of uncategorized imbeciles (and I mean from red to violet, folks!), and even an occasional baseball-bat wielding thug.
So... lady, if you ever happen to find my little Web-den and read this.. please - with all due respect - grapple your complaint and shove it in that place your tail(s) cover.
[And before anyone asks me if I feel better... yes. Yes I do.] ¶ 1/24/2007 12:26:00 AM 1 comments
23 January 2007
Everyday Life: The Cheshire Smile?
Yesterday, when I walked into the living room of my house, my grandmother must have noticed something I didn't:
Knowing me, I was probably thinking of story ideas - when I do, my mind is somewhere between Mars and Alpha Centauri! =xoD ¶ 1/23/2007 11:40:00 PM 0 comments
Yesterday, when I walked into the living room of my house, my grandmother must have noticed something I didn't:
Grandma: "Why are you grinning like a Cheshire Cat?"That's probably as good an answer as any - I haven't the foggiest idea as to what provoked the feline smile in question.
Me: "You mean I look that good?"
Knowing me, I was probably thinking of story ideas - when I do, my mind is somewhere between Mars and Alpha Centauri! =xoD ¶ 1/23/2007 11:40:00 PM 0 comments
Encyclopaedia Absurdia: Since so many other fursons I know have taken this...
Want to know what's funny to me?
That most of the time, I'm too tired to read and comprehend all of this stuff. =;o)
If this test is right about one thing, it's the spontaneity. Though I can be shy with some, I'm loud when it comes to my friends.. and say things before I think them through.
You know those tests where you're asked to say the first word that comes to mind? That concept is the basis for many of the things I actually say in real life.
All being said, however, the general consensus from those I know:
I write much better than I speak.
ADDENDUM: Apparently, no one ever told the author of this test that Blogger auto-converts carriage returns (what the computer sees a press of the Enter key as) in code into actual new lines... so I just spent 10 minutes editing his HTML, removing the stupid carriage returns; they had white space eating half my page! =:o\
¶ 1/23/2007 11:17:00 PM 0 comments
Want to know what's funny to me?
That most of the time, I'm too tired to read and comprehend all of this stuff. =;o)
If this test is right about one thing, it's the spontaneity. Though I can be shy with some, I'm loud when it comes to my friends.. and say things before I think them through.
You know those tests where you're asked to say the first word that comes to mind? That concept is the basis for many of the things I actually say in real life.
All being said, however, the general consensus from those I know:
I write much better than I speak.
ADDENDUM: Apparently, no one ever told the author of this test that Blogger auto-converts carriage returns (what the computer sees a press of the Enter key as) in code into actual new lines... so I just spent 10 minutes editing his HTML, removing the stupid carriage returns; they had white space eating half my page! =:o\
| the Idiot Savant |
VULGAR | SPONTANEOUS | LIGHT You like things silly, immediate, and, above all, outrageous. Ixne on the subtle word play, more testicles on fire, please. People like you are the most likely to RECEIVE internet forwards--and also the most likely to save them in a special folder entitled 'HOLY SHIT'. Because it's so easily appreciated, and often wacky and physical, your sense of humor never ceases to amuse your friends. Most realize that there's a sly intelligence and a knowing wink to your tastes. Your sense of humor could be called 'anti-pretentious'--but paradoxically enough, that indicates you're smarter than most. PEOPLE LIKE YOU: Johnny Knoxville - Jimmy Kimmel  The 3-Variable Funny Test! - it rules - If you're interested, try my best friend's best test:The Genghis Khan Genetic Fitness Masterpiece |
My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:
|
| Link: The 3 Variable Funny Test written by jason_bateman on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test |
Real World: How Jaded We've Become...
How do you know when you've become desensitized to the insanity pervading our planet? When you write something like this in a mobile IM conversation [punctuation and spelling are approximated, as if it were being put into a phone]:
Is this an example of where our modern world - or perhaps the "24 hour news" - is leading us?
In any case.. this guy had two baseball bats - one wooden (like a Louisville Slugger - regulation-size), and one aluminum (like a softball bat). He charged the bus through the front door, ran to the back (past me, with one of his bats in the air!), and confronted two men in the back. They - like I - thought he was nuts; however, they said it to his face. Luckily - though he smacked his aluminum bat on the floor a couple of times - he left without actually battering someone.
My thoughts? From a tactical standpoint, the guy was an idiot. My guess is, untold numbers of bus riders are packing heat; even more probably have knives. Any one of these guys could have sent this guy to a six-palmbearer jury - possibly justifiably.
In addition, wielding two bats is - in my opinion - incredibly stupid. Using one, it can be used either as a club (which is how most people think of a baseball bat, when it's employed as a weapon), or as a quarterstaff. Staffs are very versatile - both ends can be used, as well as the center to parry.
Wielding two bats, he not only looks like a psycho, but an imbecile as well - it means each one can only be used as a club. When used in such a manner, they are far less effective with one hand - which is how he would have had to use them.
Then there's another blunder - he dropped the aluminum bat. It was actually within my grasp range - I could have grabbed it, if I wanted to.
However, this another situation where the advice of Maj. Kira Nerys (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) saved my butt:
How do you know when you've become desensitized to the insanity pervading our planet? When you write something like this in a mobile IM conversation [punctuation and spelling are approximated, as if it were being put into a phone]:
Sorry for the delay- some nutjob came on the bus with two baseball bats. He wanted to beat someone up- I had to drop things, thought it might be a robbery. Its ok thou, hes gone now.I realized exactly how odd that sounded about 10 minutes after saying it; I had dismissed a potentially dangerous situation, as if it were just another traffic jam on the Interstate!
Is this an example of where our modern world - or perhaps the "24 hour news" - is leading us?
In any case.. this guy had two baseball bats - one wooden (like a Louisville Slugger - regulation-size), and one aluminum (like a softball bat). He charged the bus through the front door, ran to the back (past me, with one of his bats in the air!), and confronted two men in the back. They - like I - thought he was nuts; however, they said it to his face. Luckily - though he smacked his aluminum bat on the floor a couple of times - he left without actually battering someone.
My thoughts? From a tactical standpoint, the guy was an idiot. My guess is, untold numbers of bus riders are packing heat; even more probably have knives. Any one of these guys could have sent this guy to a six-palmbearer jury - possibly justifiably.
In addition, wielding two bats is - in my opinion - incredibly stupid. Using one, it can be used either as a club (which is how most people think of a baseball bat, when it's employed as a weapon), or as a quarterstaff. Staffs are very versatile - both ends can be used, as well as the center to parry.
Wielding two bats, he not only looks like a psycho, but an imbecile as well - it means each one can only be used as a club. When used in such a manner, they are far less effective with one hand - which is how he would have had to use them.
Then there's another blunder - he dropped the aluminum bat. It was actually within my grasp range - I could have grabbed it, if I wanted to.
However, this another situation where the advice of Maj. Kira Nerys (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) saved my butt:
"The best way to survive a knife fight, is to never get into one in the first place."On a larger scope, as far as I'm concerned, this is a mantra for modern life. ¶ 1/23/2007 04:56:00 PM 0 comments
22 January 2007
URGENT: Shadows of Cyberspace.. That Could Lead to Murder: The Internet Rifle
Yes, you read it right, folks: some microbrain set up a rifle - a real rifle, with live ammunition - to be remote-controlled on the Internet.
What bothers me even more, is that the discussion of the issue on the Fox News Channel (between 10:50 and 11:00AM PST) missed a very important - and sobering - point:
As screwed up as it is - and even with myself being a furry - a much more dangerous possibility exists than shooting wild animals from the comfort of one's couch...
...someone could shoot any human who came into range of the rifle.
Given what I've learned about some of the high-end anonymity systems online (e.g., Tor), this means the following:
Some "thrill killing" freak could commit a random act of cold-blooded murder from their own bedroom...
...and be very, very difficult, if not all but impossible, for law enforcement to trace.
Anyone who puts up such a thing - whether the law sees it as this or not, I do ethically - should consider that they could easily end up an accessory to murder.
ADDENDUM: It was mentioned by someone, that they couldn't think of a way the killer's victim could be induced to get within the rifle's range. This is likely - and is why I've removed the words "first-degree" from the headline.
However, that's not my point; it doesn't matter at all whether the murder would be premeditated or not. In this era of completely random and almost-impossible-to-understand criminals, it wouldn't surprise me one bit if someone would pull the trigger if someone walked into the right place, at the right time.
They might not even think it was real... they might think it was a video game.
Regardless, someone is either wounded or dead.
¶ 1/22/2007 10:58:00 AM 0 comments
Yes, you read it right, folks: some microbrain set up a rifle - a real rifle, with live ammunition - to be remote-controlled on the Internet.
What bothers me even more, is that the discussion of the issue on the Fox News Channel (between 10:50 and 11:00AM PST) missed a very important - and sobering - point:
As screwed up as it is - and even with myself being a furry - a much more dangerous possibility exists than shooting wild animals from the comfort of one's couch...
...someone could shoot any human who came into range of the rifle.
Given what I've learned about some of the high-end anonymity systems online (e.g., Tor), this means the following:
Some "thrill killing" freak could commit a random act of cold-blooded murder from their own bedroom...
...and be very, very difficult, if not all but impossible, for law enforcement to trace.
Anyone who puts up such a thing - whether the law sees it as this or not, I do ethically - should consider that they could easily end up an accessory to murder.
ADDENDUM: It was mentioned by someone, that they couldn't think of a way the killer's victim could be induced to get within the rifle's range. This is likely - and is why I've removed the words "first-degree" from the headline.
However, that's not my point; it doesn't matter at all whether the murder would be premeditated or not. In this era of completely random and almost-impossible-to-understand criminals, it wouldn't surprise me one bit if someone would pull the trigger if someone walked into the right place, at the right time.
They might not even think it was real... they might think it was a video game.
Regardless, someone is either wounded or dead.
¶ 1/22/2007 10:58:00 AM 0 comments
21 January 2007
Philosophy meets the Shadows of Cyberspace: Three Tenets of Wisdom & The [Alleged] Digital Crime Scene
These are 3 guidelines I've come up with in my life so far - I call them my "Three Tenets of Wisdom:"
1.) "The more you learn, the less you know." --My grandfather's saying. [Originality not investigated - this may be a quote of a quote.] In his storyline, Fenny, at over 10,000 years old, does not claim to - nor does he (try to - he's not perfect) act like - he knows everything. Similarly, in real life, no human being has a prayer of ever learning everything there is to know. Eventually, one realizes that many things one learns, leads to an entire new field to learn about - it's a never-ending chain.
2.) If you want to know, don't be afraid to ask - or in this day and age, look it up. If you're curious about something, and you don't ask, you'll never know. Also, since there are so many resources available online, it's easy to find info on stuff you might not want to ask someone about personally.
(One caveat about using the Internet as a library, though - much of the information on it has had no authoritative review (after all, anyone can put something up - for example, this blog post'll "go live" as soon as I click "Publish Post!"); it is likely that a lot of it will have factual errors. A lot of these will be honest mistakes; some of them may very well be outright lies, omissions, or bias. Be sure to cross-reference several sites - and follow your instincts about the reputation of a source - if you want to be sure.)
3.) Know the limitations of your own knowledge and experience; bring in someone who knows more about something, if need be. A person may know a little bit about many of things, but no one can know a lot about everything. If a matter would be best handled by an specialist in a particular field - or even a subfield - don't make an ass out of yourself by thinking you're infallible on it. This is especially true when it comes to sensitive issues, or issues which could have serious consequences in the event of a SNAFU.
I ran into a situation recently where I applied this third tenet. A friend of mine [name withheld, since this may yet evolve into a legal issue] asked for my help cleaning out a computer of his (presumably meaning the removal of malware). Before I even got to it, though, he told me about two alleged (I hate these bowlderizations. Pfft!) identity theft/bank fraud incidents involving the machine: Supposedly, one family member had some fraudulent events happen to her; in addition, an in-law of his had about $10,000 drained from his bank account after he used a debit card to make a purchase via the computer in question (and this was the only account on which the in-law noticed suspicious activity).
These events - and also the fact that his mother shreds the household's sensitive [paper] documents before disposing of them (thereby greatly reducing the likelihood of what is often thought of to be the most prevalent identity theft method today - dumpster diving) - led me to believe that malware in that machine was a highly probable cause.
Given that the computer was basically - if my deduction was correct - a digital crime scene, I didn't want to touch it with a ten-mile-pole. One thing I learned while studying for my Security+ certification is that when crime is suspected, persons without special training should not try to intervene. I have neither the training nor the tools (software or hardware-based) to do this sort of thing in a manner which could stand up in a court of law; furthermore, simply by meddling around with it, I would likely destroy the chain of custody required for evidence.
Therefore, I recommended to him:
1.) Stop using the computer immediately; don't even touch it.
2.) Contact the police, and inquire as to what to do next.
(Losing use of the computer [i.e., if the police took it to a crime lab] would not be an undue hardship for him - he has several functional machines in his household.)
I don't know if he ever did - I got the impression (from his facial expressions and tone of voice) that the idea bothered him.
However, given that this could involve multiple felonies, I believed - and still do believe - this to be the best course of action. ¶ 1/21/2007 06:54:00 PM 0 comments
These are 3 guidelines I've come up with in my life so far - I call them my "Three Tenets of Wisdom:"
1.) "The more you learn, the less you know." --My grandfather's saying. [Originality not investigated - this may be a quote of a quote.] In his storyline, Fenny, at over 10,000 years old, does not claim to - nor does he (try to - he's not perfect) act like - he knows everything. Similarly, in real life, no human being has a prayer of ever learning everything there is to know. Eventually, one realizes that many things one learns, leads to an entire new field to learn about - it's a never-ending chain.
2.) If you want to know, don't be afraid to ask - or in this day and age, look it up. If you're curious about something, and you don't ask, you'll never know. Also, since there are so many resources available online, it's easy to find info on stuff you might not want to ask someone about personally.
(One caveat about using the Internet as a library, though - much of the information on it has had no authoritative review (after all, anyone can put something up - for example, this blog post'll "go live" as soon as I click "Publish Post!"); it is likely that a lot of it will have factual errors. A lot of these will be honest mistakes; some of them may very well be outright lies, omissions, or bias. Be sure to cross-reference several sites - and follow your instincts about the reputation of a source - if you want to be sure.)
3.) Know the limitations of your own knowledge and experience; bring in someone who knows more about something, if need be. A person may know a little bit about many of things, but no one can know a lot about everything. If a matter would be best handled by an specialist in a particular field - or even a subfield - don't make an ass out of yourself by thinking you're infallible on it. This is especially true when it comes to sensitive issues, or issues which could have serious consequences in the event of a SNAFU.
I ran into a situation recently where I applied this third tenet. A friend of mine [name withheld, since this may yet evolve into a legal issue] asked for my help cleaning out a computer of his (presumably meaning the removal of malware). Before I even got to it, though, he told me about two alleged (I hate these bowlderizations. Pfft!) identity theft/bank fraud incidents involving the machine: Supposedly, one family member had some fraudulent events happen to her; in addition, an in-law of his had about $10,000 drained from his bank account after he used a debit card to make a purchase via the computer in question (and this was the only account on which the in-law noticed suspicious activity).
These events - and also the fact that his mother shreds the household's sensitive [paper] documents before disposing of them (thereby greatly reducing the likelihood of what is often thought of to be the most prevalent identity theft method today - dumpster diving) - led me to believe that malware in that machine was a highly probable cause.
Given that the computer was basically - if my deduction was correct - a digital crime scene, I didn't want to touch it with a ten-mile-pole. One thing I learned while studying for my Security+ certification is that when crime is suspected, persons without special training should not try to intervene. I have neither the training nor the tools (software or hardware-based) to do this sort of thing in a manner which could stand up in a court of law; furthermore, simply by meddling around with it, I would likely destroy the chain of custody required for evidence.
Therefore, I recommended to him:
1.) Stop using the computer immediately; don't even touch it.
2.) Contact the police, and inquire as to what to do next.
(Losing use of the computer [i.e., if the police took it to a crime lab] would not be an undue hardship for him - he has several functional machines in his household.)
I don't know if he ever did - I got the impression (from his facial expressions and tone of voice) that the idea bothered him.
However, given that this could involve multiple felonies, I believed - and still do believe - this to be the best course of action. ¶ 1/21/2007 06:54:00 PM 0 comments
20 January 2007
Encyclopaedia Absurdia: A new phobia!
This tag is a parody of a parody; Encylopedia Dramatica parodied [Warning: Both links have seriously mature content!] the furry fandom, so I feel it's only fair that I do the same.
In all fairness, however, if one is brave enough to look past the crude parts, some of the stuff on AE (as they call it) is funny. Even their parody on us has funny parts - if for no other reason, because it has the same kind of exaggeration as hentai [link is (reasonably) clean].
In particular, I couldn't help but laugh at this (taken from their page on furries, linked above):
"Some people are afraid of ketchup!" --A little kid at a local Wendy's restaurant.Sometimes, the cutest and most funny things in life make no sense, and are connected to little else - hence, that's why I'm starting the major category tag Encyclopaedia Absurdia.
This tag is a parody of a parody; Encylopedia Dramatica parodied [Warning: Both links have seriously mature content!] the furry fandom, so I feel it's only fair that I do the same.
In all fairness, however, if one is brave enough to look past the crude parts, some of the stuff on AE (as they call it) is funny. Even their parody on us has funny parts - if for no other reason, because it has the same kind of exaggeration as hentai [link is (reasonably) clean].
In particular, I couldn't help but laugh at this (taken from their page on furries, linked above):
"What Non-Furries hear=xoD ¶ 1/20/2007 03:23:00 PM 0 comments
YIFF YIFF SCRITCH SCRITCH SCRITCH YIFF YIFF FURSONA YIFF YIFF CHANGE MY DIAPER SCRITCH SCRITCH YIFF YIFF OMG FURSECUTION!"
Shadows of Cyberspace: "Dynamite Phishing:" Is it spyware or phishing? You be the judge.
One of my folks got an email today purporting to be a notification about Windows file errors. Now, he didn't follow any links in it - since I taught him to watch out for that sort of thing - but I ran into a small dilemma while examining it.
The email linked to a randomly-generated subdomain on a domain close to sick-online-games.orgy (for obvious ethical reasons, I won't put a working link to a possibly dangerous domain here).
I'm pretty sure that this email used a technique which I don't have a proper name for - deceiving users into downloading a program that claims to do something beneficial, but likely does something malicious.
While "Trojan horse" might apply to this program, it seems to be a poor fit. When I think of a Trojan horse, I think of something at least somewhat targeted; this thing seems to be spewed out at random. What it really is, is a combination of spyware and phishing.
Expounding on the analogy of "spear phishing" - which is a phishing email specially crafted and targeted to a single person or company - I propose the term "dynamite phishing."
In real life, some (unscrupulous) fishermen have used dynamite (or other suitable explosives) to stun or kill large numbers of fish, which then float to the surface.
Similarly, a computer program (malware) distributed through a phishing email would have much more potential impact - power - than simply scamming the user out of a single set of information. That malware could continue to spy on the user and steal information indefinitely; it's the "dynamite" in dynamite phishing. ¶ 1/20/2007 05:22:00 AM 0 comments
One of my folks got an email today purporting to be a notification about Windows file errors. Now, he didn't follow any links in it - since I taught him to watch out for that sort of thing - but I ran into a small dilemma while examining it.
The email linked to a randomly-generated subdomain on a domain close to sick-online-games.orgy (for obvious ethical reasons, I won't put a working link to a possibly dangerous domain here).
I'm pretty sure that this email used a technique which I don't have a proper name for - deceiving users into downloading a program that claims to do something beneficial, but likely does something malicious.
While "Trojan horse" might apply to this program, it seems to be a poor fit. When I think of a Trojan horse, I think of something at least somewhat targeted; this thing seems to be spewed out at random. What it really is, is a combination of spyware and phishing.
Expounding on the analogy of "spear phishing" - which is a phishing email specially crafted and targeted to a single person or company - I propose the term "dynamite phishing."
In real life, some (unscrupulous) fishermen have used dynamite (or other suitable explosives) to stun or kill large numbers of fish, which then float to the surface.
Similarly, a computer program (malware) distributed through a phishing email would have much more potential impact - power - than simply scamming the user out of a single set of information. That malware could continue to spy on the user and steal information indefinitely; it's the "dynamite" in dynamite phishing. ¶ 1/20/2007 05:22:00 AM 0 comments
Satire & Fatigue: How to Keep the NSA Occupied
1.) Modify an open-source implementation of the AES cipher, so that it only does 4 rounds instead of the much more secure 14 rounds*.
2.) Use the Tor anonymizing proxy network** to access an Al-Qaeda message board.
3.) Post this after encrypting with the Frankencipher we created in Step 1:
For the less security-savvy:
* Many modern block ciphers - including AES - run a (relatively!) simple portion of the program a number of times, increasing the security of the final output; each such run is called a round. AES - in the version using its longest key - runs 14 such rounds. As of the present, it has resisted all known cryptanalysis (codebreaking) against all 14 rounds; however, some cryptanalysis has been successful against reduced numbers of rounds.
** The Tor anonymizing proxy network is a specially-designed, encrypting system of routers, which attempt to hide the identity of a person using the system. It is free and open-source, and while it has some vulnerabilities (mainly against attackers with massive resources - like a major government), it is currently one of the best systems of its kind available. ¶ 1/20/2007 03:52:00 AM 0 comments
1.) Modify an open-source implementation of the AES cipher, so that it only does 4 rounds instead of the much more secure 14 rounds*.
2.) Use the Tor anonymizing proxy network** to access an Al-Qaeda message board.
3.) Post this after encrypting with the Frankencipher we created in Step 1:
"Pete and Repeat were on a boat. Pete jumped out; who's left?"4.) Enjoy your newfound privacy - the constant pressing of the Repeat button by the poor red-eyed spook tending the server cluster at midnight will leave no resources to analyze warrantless wiretap goodies. =:o)
For the less security-savvy:
* Many modern block ciphers - including AES - run a (relatively!) simple portion of the program a number of times, increasing the security of the final output; each such run is called a round. AES - in the version using its longest key - runs 14 such rounds. As of the present, it has resisted all known cryptanalysis (codebreaking) against all 14 rounds; however, some cryptanalysis has been successful against reduced numbers of rounds.
** The Tor anonymizing proxy network is a specially-designed, encrypting system of routers, which attempt to hide the identity of a person using the system. It is free and open-source, and while it has some vulnerabilities (mainly against attackers with massive resources - like a major government), it is currently one of the best systems of its kind available. ¶ 1/20/2007 03:52:00 AM 0 comments
Typing While Tired: Discount Online Brokers
My Investments professor said something in class that made me think of this:
Customer calls phone support.
"Thank you for calling Tech-Trade. Your call may be monitored by the NSA for quality assurance. If you want to talk to a human, press 1."
Customer does.
"I'm afraid that won't be possible. We crushed all the ugly humans in the building, and are busy yiffing all the cute ones. We have a gynoid handy.. or an android, if that's how you swing."
$8.95/trade: Next of kin to chaos. =xoD ¶ 1/20/2007 01:39:00 AM 0 comments
My Investments professor said something in class that made me think of this:
Customer calls phone support.
"Thank you for calling Tech-Trade. Your call may be monitored by the NSA for quality assurance. If you want to talk to a human, press 1."
Customer does.
"I'm afraid that won't be possible. We crushed all the ugly humans in the building, and are busy yiffing all the cute ones. We have a gynoid handy.. or an android, if that's how you swing."
$8.95/trade: Next of kin to chaos. =xoD ¶ 1/20/2007 01:39:00 AM 0 comments
19 January 2007
Philosophy Without the Lecture: Elders
Our Elders are the vessels of our species' knowledge - and more importantly, experience. This priceless, subjective asset cannot be stored in any book or computer memory; this is why they deserve the respect of their juniors - our respect.You can apply this either to the real-life Human species, or to any of the species of the Kitarian Universe. In fact, it's probably panuniversal. ¶ 1/19/2007 02:33:00 PM 0 comments
Quote: A Simple Beginning to a Seminal Invention
"The first words I spoke in the original phonograph:Even in the age of MP3s, iPods, and file-swapping, the principle this brilliant man first put into action at the close of the 19th century (?), still hasn't changed as we ride the first wave of the Third Millennium. ¶ 1/19/2007 02:21:00 PM 0 comments
Mary had a little lamb, his fleece was white as snow
And everywhere that Mary went the lamb was sure to go."--Thomas Alva Edison, retelling the results of the first test of an invention which would change forever how we communicate and entertain.
16 January 2007
Shadows of Cyberspace: And Some Think Furries Are The Gray Goo?
I saw a post on a C|Net forum a while back talking about the "gray goo" worm which struck Second Life a while back.. while I don't have a link to the post anymore, it said something like this:
They couldn't dream crazier @#$! up on LSD! ¶ 1/16/2007 05:35:00 PM 0 comments
I saw a post on a C|Net forum a while back talking about the "gray goo" worm which struck Second Life a while back.. while I don't have a link to the post anymore, it said something like this:
"Maybe they can get rid of the furries while they're scraping out the gray goo."Now, think about the following quote from this article:
"As has been widely reported, that interview, which took place in front of a packed house in CNET Networks' Second Life theater, was sabotaged by a group of "griefers" who attacked Anshe Chung with a 15-minute digital barrage of flying penises and doctored pornographic images..."Continuing:
"[C|Net:] How are they defaming? Isn't it just parody? Bad taste, but parody nonetheless?Does anyone still think we're the ones that most need to be scraped out of Second Life?! LMAO!
Graef: ...But even according to American standards, I think imagery that shows penises forced onto a woman is a gross sexual assault and by far not a parody."
They couldn't dream crazier @#$! up on LSD! ¶ 1/16/2007 05:35:00 PM 0 comments
Real World: The Network+ Exam's Smouldering Remains
My [Fenny's] player - the lump of flesh and gray matter behind the keyboard that dreamed me into existence after a Night of the Red Eyes on the computer - passed the CompTIA Network+ certification exam a few days ago. This is the third such exam he's passed, making him A+, Security+, and Network+ certified.
So why the powerful headline? Well.. the passing score for the test is 550 (if I remember right); a perfect score is 900. My player got 863.
Hence, it's not just a kill - it's overkill. It prevents reanimation/respawning of the exam.
So.. I hope no one out there was hoping to get Network+ certified! =;oD Hehe.. just kidding. =:o)
¶ 1/16/2007 11:27:00 AM 0 comments
My [Fenny's] player - the lump of flesh and gray matter behind the keyboard that dreamed me into existence after a Night of the Red Eyes on the computer - passed the CompTIA Network+ certification exam a few days ago. This is the third such exam he's passed, making him A+, Security+, and Network+ certified.
So why the powerful headline? Well.. the passing score for the test is 550 (if I remember right); a perfect score is 900. My player got 863.
Hence, it's not just a kill - it's overkill. It prevents reanimation/respawning of the exam.
So.. I hope no one out there was hoping to get Network+ certified! =;oD Hehe.. just kidding. =:o)
¶ 1/16/2007 11:27:00 AM 0 comments
13 January 2007
Quote: Doesn't judging sanity require a verifiable frame of reference?
This quote - from a scene in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, where Dr. Scota (a psychiatrist) is examining a suspect in a murder investigation - made me think about the whole "genius is on the border of insanity," "am I man dreaming of being a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming of a man," and related philosophies:
Or, perhaps, I'm already starting to suffer from the "mental disorder" I named myself:
Media-induced psychosis: A state of nervous irrationality brought on by despair, which itself is brought on by prolonged exposure to the mainstream broadcast media of the modern age - and the negative slant of portrayal contained therein. The afflicted may slowly descend into a fantasy world of their own making - to varying depths - as a defense mechanism of their own psyche.
So, when do I get my Ph.D.? =;o) ¶ 1/13/2007 04:47:00 PM 0 comments
This quote - from a scene in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, where Dr. Scota (a psychiatrist) is examining a suspect in a murder investigation - made me think about the whole "genius is on the border of insanity," "am I man dreaming of being a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming of a man," and related philosophies:
Scota: "Do you prefer the world you live in, over reality?"He might have been ruled insane by the standards of [fictional] psychiatry.. but the schizoid man's words carry the weight of a sad piece of wisdom. I'd have to agree with him - who wouldn't prefer a world of fantasy, over the growing darkness in our shared world of reality?
Schizoid suspect: "I'd be crazy if I didn't, wouldn't I?"
Or, perhaps, I'm already starting to suffer from the "mental disorder" I named myself:
Media-induced psychosis: A state of nervous irrationality brought on by despair, which itself is brought on by prolonged exposure to the mainstream broadcast media of the modern age - and the negative slant of portrayal contained therein. The afflicted may slowly descend into a fantasy world of their own making - to varying depths - as a defense mechanism of their own psyche.
So, when do I get my Ph.D.? =;o) ¶ 1/13/2007 04:47:00 PM 0 comments
10 January 2007
Yet Another Poem: "The Miracle of Tears"
"Ash Raised From the Dead." from Pokemon: The First Movie. Copyright 1999 Nintendo of America. It is believed by the author that the use of this single frame from a full-length copyrighted work, to further a non-commercial artistic idea, constitutes fair use under the United States doctrine. Please contact the webmaster if there are any concerns.
(And by the way - if anyone hasn't seen this, they should. The emotional impact on me during the scene this screenshot was taken from was amazing. And no, I didn't get the idea for this poem from the movie - it was pure coincidence. I didn't even watch the movie until today.)
Alright.. I know I've done, like, three posts today - but this one is the best of all, which is why I've saved it 'till last. It'll sit at the top for a while.. =;o)
This is really my first stab of a short poem of the epic type. I've wanted to try it for some time - inspired by such things as Dante's Inferno - but never even sat down and gave it a go until now.
***
(And by the way - if anyone hasn't seen this, they should. The emotional impact on me during the scene this screenshot was taken from was amazing. And no, I didn't get the idea for this poem from the movie - it was pure coincidence. I didn't even watch the movie until today.)
Alright.. I know I've done, like, three posts today - but this one is the best of all, which is why I've saved it 'till last. It'll sit at the top for a while.. =;o)
This is really my first stab of a short poem of the epic type. I've wanted to try it for some time - inspired by such things as Dante's Inferno - but never even sat down and gave it a go until now.
***
The Miracle of Tears
By Fenny F. (Jeff R.)
Written 1/9/07; Original Web Release, Second Edition, 1/10/07 (late PM)
¶ 1/10/2007 03:11:00 PM 0 comments
By Fenny F. (Jeff R.)
Written 1/9/07; Original Web Release, Second Edition, 1/10/07 (late PM)
As the last arrow of the great evil flew,
The last act of a loving Paladin ensued;
Piercing fur and flesh
He did not relent;
To save her from death,
His last strength, he drew.
Plummeting to earth as his body turned to dust,
He took one last look at one he knew was just;
Only Salvadore lay
Upon his wispy remains -
But Misty,
Misty felt his pain.
Crying over this wasted place
That would serve as a youkai's grave,
The Cat remembered a demon's grace,
His warm embrace -
The love he gave his life to save.
It seems her will to hold him once more
Did not come too late,
Before his lifeforce was no more -
For in that instant,
A Miracle came -
To the cursed earth,
To this place of pain.
A pressure pulsed through empty air -
Fresh new grass became youkai hair;
And tears of despair -
Care.. care formed a youkai's heart.
Another chance,
Another start.
In her arms
A weak fox now lay,
Unable to transform
'Till another day.
From this Blessed spot
She took that fox ,
Fed him lots and combed his locks;
Until one day he stood erect,
And thanked her for the time she spent.
***
The last act of a loving Paladin ensued;
Piercing fur and flesh
He did not relent;
To save her from death,
His last strength, he drew.
Plummeting to earth as his body turned to dust,
He took one last look at one he knew was just;
Only Salvadore lay
Upon his wispy remains -
But Misty,
Misty felt his pain.
Crying over this wasted place
That would serve as a youkai's grave,
The Cat remembered a demon's grace,
His warm embrace -
The love he gave his life to save.
It seems her will to hold him once more
Did not come too late,
Before his lifeforce was no more -
For in that instant,
A Miracle came -
To the cursed earth,
To this place of pain.
A pressure pulsed through empty air -
Fresh new grass became youkai hair;
And tears of despair -
Care.. care formed a youkai's heart.
Another chance,
Another start.
In her arms
A weak fox now lay,
Unable to transform
'Till another day.
From this Blessed spot
She took that fox ,
Fed him lots and combed his locks;
Until one day he stood erect,
And thanked her for the time she spent.
***
Poem: "Bishonen-Empathica"
PRUDE/"INNOCENT EYES" WARNING: Although it's far more tame than one would find in a trashy romance novel, I will put this little disclaimer up to cover my tails. The work mentions - somewhat vaguely - adult situations. Those who can decode the title, may realize that it implies something that some people may find to be deviant. If you can't put up with this, I suggest you turn off your computer right now, unplug it, and throw it out a second-story window somewhere (where no one's walking underneath!). =xoD The Internet's full of filth 5,000,000,000+ times worse than anything I'd ever post here! =:oD
***
PRUDE/"INNOCENT EYES" WARNING: Although it's far more tame than one would find in a trashy romance novel, I will put this little disclaimer up to cover my tails. The work mentions - somewhat vaguely - adult situations. Those who can decode the title, may realize that it implies something that some people may find to be deviant. If you can't put up with this, I suggest you turn off your computer right now, unplug it, and throw it out a second-story window somewhere (where no one's walking underneath!). =xoD The Internet's full of filth 5,000,000,000+ times worse than anything I'd ever post here! =:oD
***
Bishonen-Empathica
By Fenny F. (Jeff R.)
Written 1/6/07; Original Web Release, First Edition, 1/10/07
By Fenny F. (Jeff R.)
Written 1/6/07; Original Web Release, First Edition, 1/10/07
Adapt and love,
Love to be used;
It feels good to me,
It feels good to you;
Pleasure for me
Is invoking it in you;
Whether just carnal yiff
Or banishing feelings of blue -
Pleasure for me
Is invoking it in you.
***
¶ 1/10/2007 02:54:00 PM 0 comments
Love to be used;
It feels good to me,
It feels good to you;
Pleasure for me
Is invoking it in you;
Whether just carnal yiff
Or banishing feelings of blue -
Pleasure for me
Is invoking it in you.
***
The Promised Poems: "Close Horizon," "The Indefinables"
***
***
Close Horizon
By Fenny F. (Jeff R.)
Written 1/5/07; Original Web Release, First Edition, 1/10/07
¶ 1/10/2007 02:35:00 PM 0 comments
By Fenny F. (Jeff R.)
Written 1/5/07; Original Web Release, First Edition, 1/10/07
The future rides a gossamer web;
With one touch it can be built,
With one touch it can be fell.
Delicate but strong,
Many may die
But it will go on...
The horizon is too close -
Drop the cards and the ball;
You cannot predict,
Nor can I.
We are among but trillions of gears
In the Master-Built Machine -
Too huge to see,
Too complex to steer.
The horizon is close,
But not upon us;
Place your influence on those around you;
Waste it not on concerns beyond our shores...
Or you will rot in despair forever.. forevermore.
***
With one touch it can be built,
With one touch it can be fell.
Delicate but strong,
Many may die
But it will go on...
The horizon is too close -
Drop the cards and the ball;
You cannot predict,
Nor can I.
We are among but trillions of gears
In the Master-Built Machine -
Too huge to see,
Too complex to steer.
The horizon is close,
But not upon us;
Place your influence on those around you;
Waste it not on concerns beyond our shores...
Or you will rot in despair forever.. forevermore.
***
The Indefinables
By Fenny F. (Jeff R.)
Written 1/5/07; Original Web Release, First Edition, 1/10/07
By Fenny F. (Jeff R.)
Written 1/5/07; Original Web Release, First Edition, 1/10/07
There are things we think we know,
But for all the years we have walked the Earth
They defy consensus or definition.
We know how they relate to us -
Some better than others -
But each is a word with billions upon billions of meanings:
Love:
Comfort,
Or torture?
Carnal,
Or transcendental?
Eternal,
Or perishable?
Time:
A line,
Or a circle?
Finite,
Or without limit?
What is it for?
Faith:
In Whom?
Is it strong or weak?
How is it that it can be taught,
But can never be forced?
Will it save us,
Or destroy us?
Life:
What exactly constitutes it?
How did it begin?
What really happens when it ends?
None of these ever shall be answered -
At least with one answer for all peoples.
***
But for all the years we have walked the Earth
They defy consensus or definition.
We know how they relate to us -
Some better than others -
But each is a word with billions upon billions of meanings:
Love:
Comfort,
Or torture?
Carnal,
Or transcendental?
Eternal,
Or perishable?
Time:
A line,
Or a circle?
Finite,
Or without limit?
What is it for?
Faith:
In Whom?
Is it strong or weak?
How is it that it can be taught,
But can never be forced?
Will it save us,
Or destroy us?
Life:
What exactly constitutes it?
How did it begin?
What really happens when it ends?
None of these ever shall be answered -
At least with one answer for all peoples.
***
05 January 2007
Upcoming Poetry
I wrote a couple of poems while I was on the bus earlier today; a long-arse, cross-town bus trip and an MP3 player full of different stuff on "Shuffle" tends to do that. =;o)
I'm too tired to type and properly format them tonight, though - and one of them, in particular, needs to be formatted carefully to produce the full intended effect. I'll probably end up putting them up tomorrow.
Why post something now? Because it's a way of "putting a quantum disruptor* on myself" - now that I've mentioned it, I can't be as much of a lazy-todd as I normally would be. =xoD
*You 21st century Earth-folk [hyoomans! =xoD ] would probably think of this as a type of gun. =;o) ¶ 1/05/2007 11:18:00 PM 0 comments
I wrote a couple of poems while I was on the bus earlier today; a long-arse, cross-town bus trip and an MP3 player full of different stuff on "Shuffle" tends to do that. =;o)
I'm too tired to type and properly format them tonight, though - and one of them, in particular, needs to be formatted carefully to produce the full intended effect. I'll probably end up putting them up tomorrow.
Why post something now? Because it's a way of "putting a quantum disruptor* on myself" - now that I've mentioned it, I can't be as much of a lazy-todd as I normally would be. =xoD
*You 21st century Earth-folk [hyoomans! =xoD ] would probably think of this as a type of gun. =;o) ¶ 1/05/2007 11:18:00 PM 0 comments
03 January 2007
Typing While Tired: "The Flame of Noodles"
[Second Edition: The Morning After]
After watching The Lord of the Rings again - using my new speakers - I was thinking of the showdown between Gandalf and the Balrog of Morgoth. I imagined something like that, with Fenny in a living room.. and the Balrog a bit smaller. =:oD
(The Second Edition is just a sprinkling of a few informative, clarifying links. I really didn't change any of the content. [All links in this post spawn new windows.])
***
"Go back to the shadow... but before you do that, pop me some popcorn, will ya? My stove's broken," Fenny said to the mini-Balrog.
"Um," the Balrog began to reply, shaking the room with his deeply bassic voice, "you're a fire-demon yourself, O Pious One." He stuck his tongue out, then continued, "Besides.. you don't have the Flame of Anor. You have the Flame of Kitsune-Udon."
Fenny slapped his forehead, then facepawed. "Doy... I'm not a bag of noodles!"
"But you do get limp in water..."
"Only if you hold me there long enough. And.. how the hell did you learn about that?"
"We share the same element, genius."
At this moment, Justin the wolf-pup drops by, expecting to say hi to Fenny on his way home from school.
"Yikes! How the heck did he get in here? Fenny?" Justin yipped in distress. He raised his paws, closed his eyes, and sent a very localized tsunami crashing onto the Balrog, courtesy of Water-elemental magic.
Justin was shocked when he heard not one, but two, cries, accompanied by the sound of water being boiled. Both demons washed out the back door.
"Watch where you're pointing that thing!" Fenny yelled at Justin, getting up, slowly recharging the energy zapped from him by his opposing element.
"But.. I thought he.."
"..was there for a less-than-noble purpose?" Fenny asked, reading the pup's thoughts. "He was there to pop my popcorn." As usual, after finding the humor in the weirdest things, he started to giggle; he was joined by Justin.
After they came to their senses, Justin asked, "Isn't it time you sent him back to his Universe? He doesn't belong here, ya know."
"I know.. But I wanted to toy with him a bit, before he ends up as a Wizard's Shish-Kabob."
"How is it that I could wash him up like that, but Gandalf has so much trouble with him?"
"Because he used Lightning against him.. It doesn't take an Eizenstein to see that Water works much better."
"Well, it sure washed you up."
"Nonsense," Fenny yerfed, trying to hold back a giggle. "I was just catching a wave!"
"You get a 10.0 wipeout, then," Justin said, laughing.
***
Yes, it's random, and it's stupid. But such things happen when committing TWT.
¶ 1/03/2007 12:37:00 AM 0 comments
[Second Edition: The Morning After]
After watching The Lord of the Rings again - using my new speakers - I was thinking of the showdown between Gandalf and the Balrog of Morgoth. I imagined something like that, with Fenny in a living room.. and the Balrog a bit smaller. =:oD
(The Second Edition is just a sprinkling of a few informative, clarifying links. I really didn't change any of the content. [All links in this post spawn new windows.])
***
"Go back to the shadow... but before you do that, pop me some popcorn, will ya? My stove's broken," Fenny said to the mini-Balrog.
"Um," the Balrog began to reply, shaking the room with his deeply bassic voice, "you're a fire-demon yourself, O Pious One." He stuck his tongue out, then continued, "Besides.. you don't have the Flame of Anor. You have the Flame of Kitsune-Udon."
Fenny slapped his forehead, then facepawed. "Doy... I'm not a bag of noodles!"
"But you do get limp in water..."
"Only if you hold me there long enough. And.. how the hell did you learn about that?"
"We share the same element, genius."
At this moment, Justin the wolf-pup drops by, expecting to say hi to Fenny on his way home from school.
"Yikes! How the heck did he get in here? Fenny?" Justin yipped in distress. He raised his paws, closed his eyes, and sent a very localized tsunami crashing onto the Balrog, courtesy of Water-elemental magic.
Justin was shocked when he heard not one, but two, cries, accompanied by the sound of water being boiled. Both demons washed out the back door.
"Watch where you're pointing that thing!" Fenny yelled at Justin, getting up, slowly recharging the energy zapped from him by his opposing element.
"But.. I thought he.."
"..was there for a less-than-noble purpose?" Fenny asked, reading the pup's thoughts. "He was there to pop my popcorn." As usual, after finding the humor in the weirdest things, he started to giggle; he was joined by Justin.
After they came to their senses, Justin asked, "Isn't it time you sent him back to his Universe? He doesn't belong here, ya know."
"I know.. But I wanted to toy with him a bit, before he ends up as a Wizard's Shish-Kabob."
"How is it that I could wash him up like that, but Gandalf has so much trouble with him?"
"Because he used Lightning against him.. It doesn't take an Eizenstein to see that Water works much better."
"Well, it sure washed you up."
"Nonsense," Fenny yerfed, trying to hold back a giggle. "I was just catching a wave!"
"You get a 10.0 wipeout, then," Justin said, laughing.
***
Yes, it's random, and it's stupid. But such things happen when committing TWT.
¶ 1/03/2007 12:37:00 AM 0 comments
01 January 2007
HAPPY NEW YEAR...
+~~~BEGIN VLA/ALLIED SUBSPACE COMMUNIQUE~~~+
Subject: Art's New Year Almanac, 101st Edition
From: Lt. Cmdr. Art Fortuna, VLA
Date: 1 January 3310 10:41:35 GSRT
3310 A.E. - a year of the Kitarian Standard Calendar.
Events predicted for 3310:
*The usual yearly new models of starships, timeships, weapons, and all that other jazz;
*The Kitarian and Felician systems will both be in alignment with the center of their galaxy. This event is not expected to occur again for approximately 10,000 years.
*A total eclipse of the Technician sun will cross a band of the Northern - and most heavily populated - continent of Technicia Prime. Such an event happens no more than once every 20 years.
*One of the central stars of the V25-Alpha system, approximately 1,200 light years from Kitaria, is expected to supernova this year. Warning beacons have been placed; any vessel unfortunate enough to still drift within the blast radius will meet a brilliant doom.
-The light from this event will naturally reach the varying allied destinations in the following years:
Technicia Prime: 4490 A.E.;
Kitaria Prime: 4510 A.E.;
Felicia Prime: 4515 A.E.
---GENERAL PROTECTION FART - PLEASE REBOOT ME.---
[MACROFUR(R) PORTALS(R) 3298]
+~~~TRANSMISSION ENDS ABNORMALLY. PLEASE CONTACT SENDER.~~~+
[Some things never change. =xoD ]
¶ 1/01/2007 10:18:00 AM 0 comments
+~~~BEGIN VLA/ALLIED SUBSPACE COMMUNIQUE~~~+
Subject: Art's New Year Almanac, 101st Edition
From: Lt. Cmdr. Art Fortuna, VLA
Date: 1 January 3310 10:41:35 GSRT
3310 A.E. - a year of the Kitarian Standard Calendar.
Events predicted for 3310:
*The usual yearly new models of starships, timeships, weapons, and all that other jazz;
*The Kitarian and Felician systems will both be in alignment with the center of their galaxy. This event is not expected to occur again for approximately 10,000 years.
*A total eclipse of the Technician sun will cross a band of the Northern - and most heavily populated - continent of Technicia Prime. Such an event happens no more than once every 20 years.
*One of the central stars of the V25-Alpha system, approximately 1,200 light years from Kitaria, is expected to supernova this year. Warning beacons have been placed; any vessel unfortunate enough to still drift within the blast radius will meet a brilliant doom.
-The light from this event will naturally reach the varying allied destinations in the following years:
Technicia Prime: 4490 A.E.;
Kitaria Prime: 4510 A.E.;
Felicia Prime: 4515 A.E.
---GENERAL PROTECTION FART - PLEASE REBOOT ME.---
[MACROFUR(R) PORTALS(R) 3298]
+~~~TRANSMISSION ENDS ABNORMALLY. PLEASE CONTACT SENDER.~~~+
[Some things never change. =xoD ]
¶ 1/01/2007 10:18:00 AM 0 comments
