You know when you're doing an application online, or just about anywhere, they make you do a sort of personality test? I wonder if anyone ever tells the truth on those things. Of course the employer is going to be looking for a happy, go-lucky, leader-type and if you told the truth then you'd never get a job. I think it's a little discriminatory in a way for introverts like myself.
Introverts are naturally inclined to shy away from any social situation and remain alone. It's not that we hate people, but that we prefer to be by ourselves. This is greatly misunderstood by almost everyone that isn't introverted. They don't even seem to understand the concept of always wanting to be alone.
Anyways, this is hurtful in the world of business because in order to work in this environment you need to be able to attend meetings, speak publicly, work with many other people, and talk talk talk.
So, my point is...job application questions need to be fixed or at least recognition of the introvert vs. extrovert-society problem exists.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Capitalism: Side-effects may include greed, pollution, and crimes against humanity
Capitalism is a failure. There are plenty of disasters across the world that could have been prevented or their after effects could have been greatly relieved but thanks to greedy corporations and the capitalist ideology, these disasters occur and are never fixed.
Capitalism definition:
An economic system based on a free market, open competition, profit motive and private ownership of the means of production. Capitalism encourages private investment and business, compared to a government-controlled economy. Investors in these private companies (i.e. shareholders) also own the firms and are known as capitalists.
The main issue that I have with the Capitalist system is the 'profit motive' system of running things. If your main objective is profit, then ethics and humane actions are less important. Some examples would include global climate change, New Orleans & Katrina, West Virginia mining explosion, the BP oil spill, Bhopal chemical disaster, etc. To the corporation, there is no benefit or reward in fixing these disasters. In the capitalist system, when you spend money to fix something like this, your stock prices go down and you lose business and profit. In other words, you are either punished for helping people or rewarded for doing nothing. I have nothing against small businesses and the process of making profit, but it's when a business commits a terrible crime to humanity or the environment and does nothing for the sole purpose of keeping profit and income coming into the company. That peeves me off.
Capitalism definition:
An economic system based on a free market, open competition, profit motive and private ownership of the means of production. Capitalism encourages private investment and business, compared to a government-controlled economy. Investors in these private companies (i.e. shareholders) also own the firms and are known as capitalists.
The main issue that I have with the Capitalist system is the 'profit motive' system of running things. If your main objective is profit, then ethics and humane actions are less important. Some examples would include global climate change, New Orleans & Katrina, West Virginia mining explosion, the BP oil spill, Bhopal chemical disaster, etc. To the corporation, there is no benefit or reward in fixing these disasters. In the capitalist system, when you spend money to fix something like this, your stock prices go down and you lose business and profit. In other words, you are either punished for helping people or rewarded for doing nothing. I have nothing against small businesses and the process of making profit, but it's when a business commits a terrible crime to humanity or the environment and does nothing for the sole purpose of keeping profit and income coming into the company. That peeves me off.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Dear Hollywood
Stop pumping out the same generic action, romance, cartoon, horror flicks. I understand it is good business to pump out as many movies as possible so more people will want to come to the theaters, but at least learn a lesson from the countless, brilliant movies that have ever been made. Brilliant movies are long, epic, have many brain bending twists, fantastic visuals/actors/aesthetics.
You are in the business of story telling and I'm somewhat sick of seeing unoriginal stories. However, I must say, Inception was great work. That is the kind of movie I ask of you. I want to see more originality, thought, and brain power involved in the process. To help you out, I shall list a few story ideas that I have come up with over the past couple months.
1. In the future, advancing technology has allowed us to create a spaceship that should allow us to live for vast amounts of time in the void of space. Unfortunately, due to war, global warming, and whatever other issues, the world meets apocalypse and almost all life is wiped from the face of the Earth. Many more years into the future, a somewhat more primitive race of humans discover the spaceship buried under sand or ice or what have you. The Earth is slowly recovering but not quickly enough for what's left of the human race. So, a group of people prepare the ship for launch. I'd call it an Ark of sorts.
2. A man learns he has cancer and has only a few days left to live. Plans the most
elaborate and fantastic death or suicide so he will be remembered forever.
3. The internet gains consciousness and becomes a super powerful god-like entity.
4. A student researcher working for a very well respected physicist is responsible for doing some kind of project, but skips it to go to a party or some other nonsense. It turns out that the project he was supposed to work on would finally determine how the Big Bang of the early Universe was triggered. Due to the strict nature of the physicist, the student decides to lie and states "God" was the conclusion of his research (which never took place). In order to defend himself, the student takes his 'research' to the local news station. Point: it causes a domino affect and a whole ass load of trouble for the respected physicist. But it all works out in the end and leave the audience guessing as to how the Big Bang evidence turns out.
I'd write the scripts or books myself but I'm not necessarily a writer. Get to it Hollywood! I've already given you a good start.
You are in the business of story telling and I'm somewhat sick of seeing unoriginal stories. However, I must say, Inception was great work. That is the kind of movie I ask of you. I want to see more originality, thought, and brain power involved in the process. To help you out, I shall list a few story ideas that I have come up with over the past couple months.
1. In the future, advancing technology has allowed us to create a spaceship that should allow us to live for vast amounts of time in the void of space. Unfortunately, due to war, global warming, and whatever other issues, the world meets apocalypse and almost all life is wiped from the face of the Earth. Many more years into the future, a somewhat more primitive race of humans discover the spaceship buried under sand or ice or what have you. The Earth is slowly recovering but not quickly enough for what's left of the human race. So, a group of people prepare the ship for launch. I'd call it an Ark of sorts.
2. A man learns he has cancer and has only a few days left to live. Plans the most
elaborate and fantastic death or suicide so he will be remembered forever.
3. The internet gains consciousness and becomes a super powerful god-like entity.
4. A student researcher working for a very well respected physicist is responsible for doing some kind of project, but skips it to go to a party or some other nonsense. It turns out that the project he was supposed to work on would finally determine how the Big Bang of the early Universe was triggered. Due to the strict nature of the physicist, the student decides to lie and states "God" was the conclusion of his research (which never took place). In order to defend himself, the student takes his 'research' to the local news station. Point: it causes a domino affect and a whole ass load of trouble for the respected physicist. But it all works out in the end and leave the audience guessing as to how the Big Bang evidence turns out.
I'd write the scripts or books myself but I'm not necessarily a writer. Get to it Hollywood! I've already given you a good start.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Centrifuge Spaceship...not as great as I thought
So, lately I've been fascinated with the idea of a spaceship creating artificial gravity using centrifugal force.
If you don't know what a centrifuge is:
After thinking about the concept used in space as a sort of artificial gravity, I've concluded that it may only work completely if you are just sitting there. If you start to walk in a certain direction then you will get different results. I've drawn up some images to explain it:
There is also the issue with jumping. If you jump, it may appear to you that you are moving backwards but in reality the ground beneath you is moving forward without you. Also, if you were to jump then what exactly is keeping you from the zero gravity affects of space? Would you not just float there and perhaps never return to the ground?
So my conclusion is that my high expectations for centrifuge as a type of artificial gravity were wrong. It's a little depressing to think 'back to the drawing board' but that's how it works. My wonderful imagined spaceship is no longer valid :(
If you don't know what a centrifuge is:
After thinking about the concept used in space as a sort of artificial gravity, I've concluded that it may only work completely if you are just sitting there. If you start to walk in a certain direction then you will get different results. I've drawn up some images to explain it:
There is also the issue with jumping. If you jump, it may appear to you that you are moving backwards but in reality the ground beneath you is moving forward without you. Also, if you were to jump then what exactly is keeping you from the zero gravity affects of space? Would you not just float there and perhaps never return to the ground?
So my conclusion is that my high expectations for centrifuge as a type of artificial gravity were wrong. It's a little depressing to think 'back to the drawing board' but that's how it works. My wonderful imagined spaceship is no longer valid :(
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Formality
Whenever you go to a job interview or a business party, a wedding or a funeral, graduation, etc. it is usually required that you wear formal clothes (i.e. a suit and tie). Well, I think that's bull. I know it's supposed to mean "you mean business" and that you're "serious/respectful" about the event, but why do we need to dress a certain way to show this? Just being there, wherever it is, should show that you "mean business." Whatever you wear or don't wear and people don't approve of it, that just seems like discrimination in my eyes. Who gives a frack if you're white or black skinned? Who gives a frack if you wear a suit or blue jeans?
The reality of it is that formal wear is just a tradition and in my opinion conformity. And when I think of conformity, I think of bowing down to another person and getting raped because they supposedly have more power than you. Well F*@& that, nobody should have more 'power' over me or more reason to control me in any way...not even the president. Now, if I did something illegal like kill a person, then sure. I have forfeited my rights and others may have some 'control' over my life at this point. But I haven't killed anyone and I don't want to conform to formal wear and get a nice raping by a CEO, the president, or a priest.
The reality of it is that formal wear is just a tradition and in my opinion conformity. And when I think of conformity, I think of bowing down to another person and getting raped because they supposedly have more power than you. Well F*@& that, nobody should have more 'power' over me or more reason to control me in any way...not even the president. Now, if I did something illegal like kill a person, then sure. I have forfeited my rights and others may have some 'control' over my life at this point. But I haven't killed anyone and I don't want to conform to formal wear and get a nice raping by a CEO, the president, or a priest.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
'The World is Perfect' Argument
If it were not for very many many factors about Earth and the Solar System, we would not exist. I have heard time and time again that this is a valid argument as to why god is real (1st question). However, this logic is very much flawed.
The Earth is situated in the Solar System in what is called the "Goldilocks Zone." If we were very much closer or further from the sun, life could not exist due to the extreme temperatures. We would have either been burnt up like Mercury or frozen like Mars.
The Moon is also a very important aspect as to why life exists. Long ago during the formation of the planets, a planet sized object smashed into the Earth causing excessive debris to fall off the Earth and into orbit. The debris would eventually, because of the affects of gravity in space, clump together and form the moon. If we did not have the moon then we would not have such powerful tides to stir up the minerals and organic molecules in the oceans. Without the moon, life may not have thrived as well as it has.
Jupiter: if it did not exist, we would have been bombarded with thousands of asteroids from the outer rims of the solar system. Jupiter's gravity is so powerful that it acts as a sort of bodyguard for the small inner planets like Earth. Anything that gets in too close is eventually sucked up by Jupiter, thus saving our sorry asses from annihilation.
Anyways...the point is there are many things that contribute to us existing. However, the only thing this PROVES is that we exist and that's what it takes for us to exist. It in no way whatsoever implies the need for a creator. You may say it is coincidence, but I say it's probability. There are trillions of stars, many with a multitude of planets. The probability is actually fairly good that another planet will have all of the same benefits that the Earth does for life survival. If these people looked into astronomy a little better rather than jumping to conclusions, they would understand what they were talking about and maybe not further delude poor questioning minds.
The Earth is situated in the Solar System in what is called the "Goldilocks Zone." If we were very much closer or further from the sun, life could not exist due to the extreme temperatures. We would have either been burnt up like Mercury or frozen like Mars.
The Moon is also a very important aspect as to why life exists. Long ago during the formation of the planets, a planet sized object smashed into the Earth causing excessive debris to fall off the Earth and into orbit. The debris would eventually, because of the affects of gravity in space, clump together and form the moon. If we did not have the moon then we would not have such powerful tides to stir up the minerals and organic molecules in the oceans. Without the moon, life may not have thrived as well as it has.
Jupiter: if it did not exist, we would have been bombarded with thousands of asteroids from the outer rims of the solar system. Jupiter's gravity is so powerful that it acts as a sort of bodyguard for the small inner planets like Earth. Anything that gets in too close is eventually sucked up by Jupiter, thus saving our sorry asses from annihilation.
Anyways...the point is there are many things that contribute to us existing. However, the only thing this PROVES is that we exist and that's what it takes for us to exist. It in no way whatsoever implies the need for a creator. You may say it is coincidence, but I say it's probability. There are trillions of stars, many with a multitude of planets. The probability is actually fairly good that another planet will have all of the same benefits that the Earth does for life survival. If these people looked into astronomy a little better rather than jumping to conclusions, they would understand what they were talking about and maybe not further delude poor questioning minds.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
If I were to build a spaceship...
I like watching science tv shows as well as sci fi and both tend to discuss the problems and necessities of space travel. The main issues are creating a living condition similar to that of Earth (i.e. gravity, atmosphere, etc.) I'd like to take some time to explain the concepts behind solving these problems and exactly what is necessary in building a spaceship.
First of all, one of my favorites, the usage of artificial gravity through centrifugal force. When you put a spin on something it creates g-forces, such as those carnival rides that spin really fast and make you stick to the walls while also forcing your stomach contents upwards. If you put one of those spinning carnival rides in space, then you would be able to walk on the walls almost exactly as you would walk normally on Earth. The reason they don't work that way on Earth is because of the added gravity that already exists from Earth. However, in space, you don't have that gravity.
Honestly, when I watch or read something about NASA's difficulties with the 'space adaptation syndrome,' I always wonder why they don't immediately start experimenting with artificial gravity. It would certainly solve many health issues.
Second, there is no atmosphere in space to protect us from deadly radiation. The Earth protects us from this deadly radiation with its atmosphere and magnetic field. If you've ever seen the 'Northern Lights', they are a good example of proving this radiation's power. I believe in a spaceship, we would need to create our own artificial magnetic field. I'm certainly no scientist and I haven't heard much research being done into this issue, so I'll just use this paragraph to promote some people to START WORKING ON IT, please. I assume you would just need some pretty powerful magnets and some kind of electromagnet layout throughout the ship.
Third, there's the issue of thrust. The rocket boosters we're currently using to get off the planet are very inefficient for long distance traveling. Japan is currently working on a project called Ikaros which is essentially a giant solar wind sail boat powered by the sun's 'wind.' This method seems fairly cheap to build and simple in nature but I'm not so certain about it's maneuverability or speed. There's also ion engines but they are still being worked on in labs and I'm not certain they can be put to any practical uses anytime soon. I suspect that our future spaceships will most likely have several different forms of thrust. Perhaps we would use sails to build up speed and set sail for long voyages and then when we arrive at our destination we would use some combination of ion or rocket engines.
Fourth, there's the issue of resources such as food, water, and oxygen. If we were to build a spaceship and take it on very long voyages to far off planets, then we would need to restock every so often by mining and collecting water and other materials from planets/asteroids and we would need a very efficient method of recycling everything we use. I'm sure with our similar future issues right here on Earth related to this matter, that we will perfect our recycling habits and technologies so I'm not incredibly worried about this issue. This problem is not only important for future space flight, but for our own home world. There will most certainly be plenty of people working on it, I'm sure.
Fifth, there's the issue of shielding. The tiniest of rocks in space can cause enormous damage to a ship. Everything is usually going much faster in space, so a tiny pebble going several hundred miles per hour can be an issue. We're currently working on materials much stronger than steel that should do the trick. One of these materials that I know of is carbon nanotubes. They are essentially carbon molecules wrapped into a cylindrical shape, creating a very tight and tough structure. As the technology for developing these nanotubes develops, we should be able to mass produce the material and create the necessary amount to cover our ships.
And that's just about it. There's probably some other various minor problems that face the engineers working on these things, but these are the five biggest issues to overcome first and it seems, so far, we have solutions. It's only a matter of time until soon we will be going 'to infinity and beyond.'
First of all, one of my favorites, the usage of artificial gravity through centrifugal force. When you put a spin on something it creates g-forces, such as those carnival rides that spin really fast and make you stick to the walls while also forcing your stomach contents upwards. If you put one of those spinning carnival rides in space, then you would be able to walk on the walls almost exactly as you would walk normally on Earth. The reason they don't work that way on Earth is because of the added gravity that already exists from Earth. However, in space, you don't have that gravity.
Honestly, when I watch or read something about NASA's difficulties with the 'space adaptation syndrome,' I always wonder why they don't immediately start experimenting with artificial gravity. It would certainly solve many health issues.
Second, there is no atmosphere in space to protect us from deadly radiation. The Earth protects us from this deadly radiation with its atmosphere and magnetic field. If you've ever seen the 'Northern Lights', they are a good example of proving this radiation's power. I believe in a spaceship, we would need to create our own artificial magnetic field. I'm certainly no scientist and I haven't heard much research being done into this issue, so I'll just use this paragraph to promote some people to START WORKING ON IT, please. I assume you would just need some pretty powerful magnets and some kind of electromagnet layout throughout the ship.
Third, there's the issue of thrust. The rocket boosters we're currently using to get off the planet are very inefficient for long distance traveling. Japan is currently working on a project called Ikaros which is essentially a giant solar wind sail boat powered by the sun's 'wind.' This method seems fairly cheap to build and simple in nature but I'm not so certain about it's maneuverability or speed. There's also ion engines but they are still being worked on in labs and I'm not certain they can be put to any practical uses anytime soon. I suspect that our future spaceships will most likely have several different forms of thrust. Perhaps we would use sails to build up speed and set sail for long voyages and then when we arrive at our destination we would use some combination of ion or rocket engines.
Fourth, there's the issue of resources such as food, water, and oxygen. If we were to build a spaceship and take it on very long voyages to far off planets, then we would need to restock every so often by mining and collecting water and other materials from planets/asteroids and we would need a very efficient method of recycling everything we use. I'm sure with our similar future issues right here on Earth related to this matter, that we will perfect our recycling habits and technologies so I'm not incredibly worried about this issue. This problem is not only important for future space flight, but for our own home world. There will most certainly be plenty of people working on it, I'm sure.
Fifth, there's the issue of shielding. The tiniest of rocks in space can cause enormous damage to a ship. Everything is usually going much faster in space, so a tiny pebble going several hundred miles per hour can be an issue. We're currently working on materials much stronger than steel that should do the trick. One of these materials that I know of is carbon nanotubes. They are essentially carbon molecules wrapped into a cylindrical shape, creating a very tight and tough structure. As the technology for developing these nanotubes develops, we should be able to mass produce the material and create the necessary amount to cover our ships.
And that's just about it. There's probably some other various minor problems that face the engineers working on these things, but these are the five biggest issues to overcome first and it seems, so far, we have solutions. It's only a matter of time until soon we will be going 'to infinity and beyond.'
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