tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99972982024-02-20T17:41:17.289-08:00A Philosophers's LifeBlogging Boardgames, Politics, and Electronic Rights with a philosopher's view.Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12256958404067365959noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9997298.post-88924325771661619142013-06-17T16:00:00.001-07:002013-06-17T20:35:37.065-07:00Aneurysms and the echoI used to write more about my gigantic aneurysm. I just reread some of what I wrote years ago. What I am realizing is that it is just as much a part of my day as it was when I found out I needed to have heart surgery. The difference is that it has become normal. Yesterday, I was crossing the border back into the US when I was asked about my prescriptions. My travel companion joked with Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12256958404067365959noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9997298.post-39086714705608828992013-06-10T11:55:00.003-07:002013-06-10T11:57:37.574-07:00"Poor Impulse Control"I have been reading (okay, listening) to Snow Crash. For those who have not read it, simply you just need to know that there is a character who has tattooed on his head "Poor Impulse Control." Punishments usually include tattooing on people's forehead crimes they have committed as a warning to others around them. I laughed for a bit and thought of people in my life and what would they have Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12256958404067365959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9997298.post-31119317215453397622009-11-03T18:15:00.001-08:002009-11-03T18:15:03.703-08:00Street of Brains - Halloween 2009Our Zombie Containment Camp Halloween Party.Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12256958404067365959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9997298.post-89946982621281182322009-01-28T10:18:00.000-08:002009-01-28T10:38:13.396-08:00Dutch Study Finds Economic Benefit from File SharingFrom: File sharing per saldo positieve economische effectenTranslate with: Google TranslateFull Report: Currently the 142 page full report is only available in Dutch. I am hoping for an English version soon. Its available at the TNO site.File sharing net positive economic impactThe economic effects of file sharing on the Dutch welfare in the short and long term net positive. Consumers will Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12256958404067365959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9997298.post-13645252374562930082009-01-28T09:32:00.000-08:002009-01-28T09:37:00.592-08:00New Game by Days of Wonder Coming: Small WorldSmall WorldIt's a World of SlaughterA World of tears...It's a World of DopesAnd a World of fears...There's TOO much that we shareSo beware...It's a Small World after all...Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12256958404067365959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9997298.post-17003572629078812632009-01-17T08:25:00.000-08:002009-01-17T08:29:44.499-08:00Technology WarsI often am complaining about how technology is evaluated. I am not an Apple fan (except their iPod, which was well designed and a very well thought through device when it was released). A friend of mine sent this to me the other day and it nailed how ludicrous defining good technology has become..... the Apple Wheel.Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No KeyboardJustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12256958404067365959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9997298.post-44345251721720927932009-01-13T07:46:00.000-08:002009-01-13T08:09:39.623-08:00Foucault & Chomsky - Applicable to today?This is a famous debate and while obviously dated, I was watching and pondering whether it applies to modern times. Foucault's point of systems of power, specifically around knowledge, seems to define contemporary times. While western democracy has propagated freedom and rights, knowledge has been constructed as a market "good." Thus, knowledge can be owned in our society and another who Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12256958404067365959noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9997298.post-62785212097628479402009-01-04T17:09:00.000-08:002009-01-04T17:17:37.889-08:00FearI realize I haven't posted in a while and that is something I am going to try to be better at. I have been ruminating on many different current issues recently and feel that this is a good place to attempt to articulate my thoughts on where the world is going, specifically the USA (where I live).It was a relief to have Obama elected as the next President of the USA not because of political viewsJustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12256958404067365959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9997298.post-54404378049324066502008-09-10T08:25:00.000-07:002008-09-10T08:27:36.413-07:00I am grateful to have a politician call out how base American political election cycles have become. Although, ironically the video ends with "let's talk about something serious and something real....."Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12256958404067365959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9997298.post-31763009528771174942008-07-22T09:47:00.000-07:002008-07-22T09:59:52.716-07:00Democracy, Freedom and Liberty......... for the living only.I only wish to say that the stories shared here are the exact reason that I believe war is not a tool for a civilization or society to influence, change, or assist another civilization and/or society. War is to destroy, annihilate, and eradicate an enemy. Morality and ethics are a concern of the living.I am find it hard to express the deep disgust I have for leaders of Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12256958404067365959noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9997298.post-3799660650751989582008-03-17T13:17:00.000-07:002008-03-17T14:14:17.111-07:00The Ethics of Intellectual Property Rights - Part 1I have been pondering the issues of Intellectual Property Rights, copyrights, piracy, the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) as of late. I have come to some conclusions and have decided to share my views.Critique #1 - Creation in a VacuumThe concept of intellectual property rights is a continued assumption that the individual is the primary agent. That is to say the individual being is the Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12256958404067365959noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9997298.post-32885767803015434392008-03-15T12:40:00.000-07:002008-03-15T12:58:02.994-07:00Geek Mafia - Good book and Ethically DistributedIf you don't care for the reasons, you can just go to the book I am suggesting here: Geek Mafia by Rick DakanFor about a year now I have been struggling with a few concepts and while I am not done struggling I have come to a few conclusions along the way. I will post the thoughts, reasons, and insights later; but for now just the conclusions and what that means. The current conception of Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12256958404067365959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9997298.post-62533591945912370732008-02-10T19:51:00.000-08:002008-02-10T20:06:39.153-08:00RIAAs Next Great Idea - Filters for your PCI am wiped from doing homework all weekend and not really into writing up a long intellectual justification for why I find these types of things not only despicable but ethically and epistemically bankrupt. So, today, I will just link to the video of the RIAA explaining their new idea to put filters on your PC.Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12256958404067365959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9997298.post-48123112615253898742008-01-15T00:36:00.000-08:002008-01-15T00:37:33.395-08:00The Change by Tony HoaglandThe season turned like the page of a glossy fashion magazine.In the park the daffodils came upand in the parking lot, the new car models were on parade.Sometimes I think that nothing really changes -The young girls show the latest crop of tummies, and the new president proves that he's a dummy.but remember the tennis match we watched that year?Right before our eyessome tough little Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12256958404067365959noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9997298.post-79620303913272423302007-11-15T17:19:00.001-08:002007-11-15T17:25:34.490-08:00Pissed Off!If I have to hear from one more person: "I bet you are grateful to be alive." I am going to fucking punch them in the head (and not emotionally speaking to reference the 40 Year Old Virgin). My god people! I know you are trying to be understanding and caring and positive. But let me spell it out for everyone so they can get it.On May 25th, 2007 I died. I accepted my life had come to an end. Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12256958404067365959noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9997298.post-82597635485529465002007-10-02T09:43:00.002-07:002007-10-02T10:06:54.939-07:00BrokenI am broken, have healed.... still have not mended.Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12256958404067365959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9997298.post-39035455803315002282007-09-29T02:05:00.000-07:002007-10-02T10:07:09.983-07:00The Night Before.......The night before..... it is an experience in and of itself. The night before the first day of school. The night before Christmas. The night before the first day of a new job. All my fears, all my aspirations, all my concerns, all the possibilities swirl around keeping me from sleeping. I know I should be rested for tomorrow, but the anticipation and trepidation keep me from my Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12256958404067365959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9997298.post-38470966007160632602007-07-08T09:50:00.000-07:002007-07-08T09:51:10.147-07:00The TickTick…..tick…..tick…..tick…..”do not tax their lives with forethought of grief”…. Tick…. Tick…. Tick…… tick…… “Forethought of grief”. Tick…. Tick…. Tick…. Tick…. “free”….. tick… tick… tick…. Escape the forethought of grief? Why? I lay here, watching the sun dance through the leaves above me. The grass against my skin, the tick… tick… tick… tick… A bumble bee flies near me… tick… tick… tick… Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12256958404067365959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9997298.post-75638939414384647392007-06-15T10:23:00.001-07:002007-06-15T10:42:34.737-07:00Dust to Dust to Dumb and DumberI swear every day I believe that organizations, government, and marketing firms think I get more stupid. The new one is the "Dust to Dust Automotive Energy Report." You can read a little about this here:Hummer versus Prius:“Dust to Dust” Report Misleads the Media and Public with Bad ScienceThe anti-hybrid “dust-to-dust” cost study that just won’t dieWhile there are a million blogs debunking theJustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12256958404067365959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9997298.post-32283579177998702132007-06-11T19:25:00.000-07:002007-06-11T19:33:40.857-07:00When one faces death......Recently, I went to the ER because I didn't feel "right". Nothing more, nothing less. No extreme pain. No specific symptom. My expectation was that I had some infection or something and they would give me some medication. I ended up having an aneurysm and needed open heart surgery to replace my ascending aorta and my aortic valve. Reduced down, I accepted in a very brief amount of time (a Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12256958404067365959noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9997298.post-40040523329484330282007-05-18T11:15:00.001-07:002007-05-18T11:16:55.796-07:00The Journey of the Human"At each stage of human existence the adult man is off on his quest of his holy grail, the way of life he seeks by which to live. At his first level he is on a quest for automatic physiological satisfaction. At the second level he seeks a safe mode of living, and this is followed in turn, by a search for heroic status, for power and glory, by a search for ultimate peace; a search for material Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12256958404067365959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9997298.post-44331591584163000522007-05-03T11:52:00.000-07:002007-06-15T10:48:21.654-07:00Some Basic Principles of Warfare That Bush Doesn't GetSpate of Suicide Bombings Threaten "Surge" I would never over simplify the situation in the Middle East and the current situation in Iraq. To be fairly blunt, I have not studied the nuances of the situation and thus in determining what is the best course of action is not within my current capacity. I do, on the other hand, have read some history; which might offer some insight to war in IraqJustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12256958404067365959noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9997298.post-86968441469614238072007-03-22T08:15:00.001-07:002007-05-18T11:16:47.850-07:00Iraq and Apple = Great ParodyThis parody marries two of the most idiotic strategies currently in the world into a "synergy" of stupidity. Now if only it could gain "traction" in the market place.Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12256958404067365959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9997298.post-24551605371828450362007-03-13T13:01:00.000-07:002007-05-18T11:17:06.741-07:00Love It or Leave It!How many times have I heard the retort: "Love it or leave it!" I guess Halliburton has heard this and answered:Halliburton Moves to DubaiI don't understand debating whether Halliburton moved to avoid taxes, investigation, to put them closer to the action, or they just got tired of their surroundings. This debate is pointless and reduces to a he-said/she-said argument. Halliburton is moving Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12256958404067365959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9997298.post-62735044528492712772007-02-21T09:39:00.000-08:002007-02-21T09:44:15.899-08:00Soon to be SophiaAny day now I will become a father to a girl. It is probably one of the first times, in a long time, that I am out of control in the fullest sense. When she arrives is out of my hands, how she arrives is out of my hands. In a world of instant information and "knowledge" of everything; we can't schedule the birth of a child. It happens when it happens. The simplicity of this is both Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12256958404067365959noreply@blogger.com2