Nothing Really

Almost finished with Solitaire. Just gotta make the GUI.

I read in Wired magazine the other day a strange definition: narcipost - "a shamelessy egocentric blog post that's of little interest to anyone besides the person who posted it".

When I read that, I immediately knew that they were talking about me. So perhaps I should start writing more relevant material to the world. Like Terri Schiavo, the political stepstool. Or the tsunami from last December which...was in last December.

Or should I talk about government corruption, how church isn't really separated from state, the ever-ridiculable G.W. Bush, or how reality shows are all rigged? Like American Idol, how last week they took a revote because the results didn't match well enough with the one they wanted.
To me, though, all these topics are dead. They're not really relevant to my life, because they don't affect me as much as they affect the people who love to argue their larynx out over it. I suppose the only things in this vein I could take an interest in are television show depicting smart people. To name a few: The Pretender, John Doe, and NUMB3RS.

The Pretender used to be on NBC, as a living show (as in they made new episodes). A few years ago it moved to HBO and since I didn't have cable then, I couldn't watch it anymore. Then it got canceled. John Doe was on FOX two years ago. It ran one whole season, and the last episode (dubbed the "season finale") was a major cliffhanger. But it didn't come back for another season. (NUMB3RS is still running, but probably because it's primarily a crime investigation show, and adds the mathematical genius as a side order.)

These canceled smart people shows and the fresh crop of dumb reality shows and half-baked, short-lived attempts at sitcoms (FOX has a few new ones which sound really stupid) just go to show that syndicates believe that "smart" shows don't attract viewers, but "stupid" shows are quite popular. I say that's prejudice! If stupid people want to watch other stupid people, then so be it! But smart people want to see other smart people! We don't want to feel alone, like everyone else on the planet is stupid beyond reason (although most people are). Why must you segregate intelligence as if it implies inferiority? (although the opposite is more true)

The problem, as I see it, is that kids are taught from a young age that each person is different. Then we say to them: "Treat everybody equally." (There really is a lot of hypocrisy in the education system.) It's self-perpetuating, because if one person does it, then he/she would probably teach his/her kids to do it, too (whether intentionally or subconsciously). There doesn't seem to be a way to eliminate prejudice completely.

As a society, we need to advance greatly. The problem is that people don't like change. (That's why everybody pays using bills. Ka-ching!) Take Bush for example. He's against stem-cell research, which could very well provide great advances in medicine and science. This kind of research is a harbinger of change. If we ever find what we're looking for in stem-cell research, you can bet your ass that there'll be some changes. (Donate a kidney without having surgery.)

Then there's me. Yes, in some way, I, too, oppose change. Procrastination is a great sign of resistance to change. But that's not all. I'm not good at starting conversations. I can end them rather quickly, since I don't elaborate on my responses. I find myself unable to ask girls out, afraid of what that would entail. I can't even say anything regarding relationships to them. I'm afraid of the future, unsure that I'm heading in the right direction with my life, afraid to try new things. Many times I decide to change my character, my outlook, and yet I find myself regressing into the same patterns, the same routine. But change is necessary, and so I know I must press on, or I shall remain nothing. Perhaps one day I will be able to garner the courage to change something, but for now, I can do nothing.

---TDM

Thought for the Day

I've been thinking about 4-dimensional volume recently, mostly: What units would we use? My best guess is m⁴, like Volume is m³ and Area is m².

But I can't keep referring to it as 4-d volume, so I'll call it Occupation (on the basis that the four dimensions are length, depth, height, and duration), with a symbol of j (those truly keen will understand why). So:

j = l * d * h * t

But duration is measured in seconds, normally, so the equation above would get me units of m³-s (meter cubed-seconds). I certainly can't leave it like that! If I wanted to know the surface area of a table that was 20 inches long and .5 meters wide, I certainly wouldn't say that the area was 10 meter-inches. I would convert either the 20 in to meters, or the .5 m to inches. So I should change the units of j so that it is simply m⁴, and that leads to this question:

How many meters are in a second?

If the answer to this question was known, then one could find the Occupation of an object, when one knows its volume and duration.

Some people might say that the velocity of the object answers the question. But velocity is variable; the answer to the question should be a constant, like how many meters are in a mile (approx. 1619 meters in a mile).

Until next time, remember: Think on tangents--you'll go farther than those who stay with the curve.

---TDM

Mr Fascinating

I haven't actually been programming my maze stuff yet, sorry to disappoint you. I have been working on the Cards API, though, but I think eventually I should try to start the maze thing.

Only problem is...in order to fully convey my vision of these mazes, I would need the java 3-d API, which isn't finished yet (plus I would need to understand it). I think I would need to take more classes...maybe an animation course sometime in the future would help.

If I could use Flash...but I don't know how...

Well...I've been writing, too, but I have very little to show for that.

...yeah...

Nothing further.

Until next time, remember: The future may be promising, but if you don't keep your promises, neither will the future.

---TDM

Yes, again

I'm so proud of myself. Today I was inspired. I came up with a new joke. All on my own.

And it's funny, too. (sorta) (at least it's better than the other ones I've tried to pass off as funny.)

Here goes:

The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) is just one of many groups of people that oppose capital punishment. (You know, the death penalty.) They organize protests at various places, like the White House or maybe even actual judicial courts, saying things like "No More Capital Punishment".

Anyway, one day the central organization of the ACLU fires the chairperson of a local chapter. Of course, the people in that chapter are upset, because they really liked the guy. They decide to peacefully protest his dismission, and argue to reinstate him. They even go to the headquarters of the ACLU and protest waving signs about. What do the signs say?

"Bring Back The Chair"!

Well, that's all I have for today. Join me next week, when I do something I haven't done since...I last posted...(here's a hint: nah I don't feel like giving you a hint)

Until next time, remember: Never say "always"--Always say "never".

---TDM

More of the Same

So I've been working on the Cards API for awhile now, but it's kinda difficult to see what I really should do...I feel like abandoning this project and working on a game for my mazes. (They're really strange mazes.)

That brings my total of Java projects to 4: 4 total, and 0 finished.

Wow, I'm lazy. But that's life. Maybe later.

Until next time, remember: Humanity naturally resists change, but not just us; Sir Isaac Newton discovered that all particles in the universe have inertia (the noun meaning "resists change").

---TDM