NEURO-ROMANCER-NECROMANCER

Television

2009-10-28T04:27:04Z

Stargate Universe is unbearably bad. Not one of the characters is in the least bit charming, interesting, funny or realistic. They took Stargate, took out all the good parts, added a copious amount of melodrama and hired horrendous actors. GOOD JOB!!
(ok, they did just fly through a star, which is pretty cool)

Dollhouse has had two very good episodes in a row. Topher? Ethics? What?

In the last week, I've finished Babylon 5 Season 1 (started 2 years ago) Season 2 and Season 3.
I'm just hoping that I'm not in for an anticlimax now that I've gotten a few episodes into Season 4.
So far, awesome show, and very well-written for a sci-fi show.
I wish there was more Alfred Bester (Take me to your nucwear wessels!)
and less Delenn (that "accent" is killing me)

Also, the Babylon 5 / Star Trek DS9 comparisons are striking
White Star = Defiant
Babylon 5 = Deep Space 9
Sinclair = Sisko
Ivanova = Nerys (sorta)
Garibaldi = Odo

Ok, not totally the same, but one of these shows OBVIOUSLY had some influence one the other.

Protest: UR DOIN IT WRONG

2009-09-17T01:10:56Z

Can we hire better protesters please? I like my political dissenters to at least know what they disagree with. I guess you can't expect much out of a crowd inspired by the likes of Glenn Beck.

9.12 DC TEA PARTY - MARCH FOOTAGE WITH INTERVIEWS

Stuff I did/stuff I bought

2009-09-16T04:10:12Z

Ok, I've got a little "entertainment center" here at my house that I'm trying to bend to my will. The components are:
48" LG HDTV
Sony Playstation 3
Comcast HD Cable Box
Nintendo Wii
Laptop with PS3MediaServer
Computer tower (soon to be connected to TV via HDMI)
1TB HD (ntfs formatted, so it won't work with PS3)

I want to turn my tower into a kickass media server, but I hate running windows, but I can't erase everything to install Linux... AARRRRRRGGGG
I can play video files over the LAN from my lappy to the PS3 in pretty much any format... so that's good. I just wish PS3MediaServer was a tad more stable.

I got a polarizer filter for my SLR, so I need to take that for a spin.
I am so glad that I have my work's macbook at home. I don't know how I'd survive without it.

Livejournal, lol

2009-09-16T02:24:03Z

I'm starting to realize that the crazy politicians (Bachmann, Palin, Wilson, Huckabee, etc) are from the exact same religious culture that I came from. Yikes.

In other news, it's been a really really really long time since I posted here last.

Really really long time.

In other news, I miss True Blood already. It's cheesy and silly, but the characters are amazing to watch.

I hope Stargate Universe isn't horrible.

Technological Philosophy

2009-05-08T03:13:27Z

I've always been a futurist, and among my many obsessions is the future of the human mind. The idea of teleportation has always been a problem with me, since during the process of transportation, the body is destroyed and reconstituted. In this case, is the body merely a copy of the original? Does the original cease to exist? For that reason, I will never partake in teleportation.

More recently, the show Dollhouse has raised a similar question. If the contents of a human brain can be saved and stored, what are the implications? If the contents of your mind are separated from your body, which part is really you? Are you the container or the contents?

An a-religious manifesto

2009-04-18T14:54:06Z

To me, it seems that humankind fights to affirm the cynic's point of view that a good human being is an exception to the rule. Every time I try to find a person or group with which I can agree, I am always disappointed by details and/or certain individuals. Therefore, here is my a-religious screed.

I do not choose to believe in the human notion of god. If a "higher" being is revealed by science, then I will "believe in" that being.
I will make no effort to "convert" anyone to atheism.
I will take no offense at religious belief. That said, I do take offense at efforts to "convert" non-believers through dishonest tactics.

If I was to have a "supernatural" experience (which I have had on several occasions), it will not affect my decision to un-believe, due to my knowledge of mind-altering substances such as fear, guilt, (il)legal drugs, and being alone in the woods surrounded by ~~bears~~ raptors.
But most importantly, if my experience is unprovable or intangible in nature, then it should not be accepted as fact or granted with belief.

I hold that the right to education is the greatest and most unalienable of human rights. Education is the most powerful tool in the human arsenal. At the same time, blind ideology is the worst of all human motivations.

Finally, my respect for others religious beliefs does not extend to instances when beliefs are presented as facts. In those cases, I will use the full power of logic to defend the realm of facts against the realm of beliefs and superstitions.

Why twitter is awesome

2009-02-24T18:49:47Z

There was an empty space between emailing and chatting. It was desolate; not important enough for email, and not urgent enough for an instant message. Then came twitter, which allows us to post inane comments and start pointless conversations to our heart's content. No requirement to respond, no requirement to do anything. It is freedom.

Ok, yeah, I just discovered that I actually like twitter...

Ron Moore = Neo-Virgil?

2009-02-24T14:50:50Z

Galactica as a contemporary version of Virgil's Aeneid?
Awesome.

to our dear beloved Republicans

2009-02-19T04:40:17Z

Where do I start? From the lackluster GOP presidential candidates, to the disaster that was Sarah Palin, to the retardation hitting the fan from Utah to Washington, the past year has seen nothing but fail from Republicans everywhere. To be honest, I like our little two party system. I like having a choice between different ideas. Unfortunately, the current choices are: Liberal Socialism (not too bad in my opinion, and actually still very capitalist), Social Fascists (I'm looking at you Michele Bachmann), and Socially-Liberal Laissez-Faire types (Libertarians, I know you exist somewhere besides the internet). I would mention that Republicans are supposed to be fiscally conservative, but then I remember this guy named Bush.

I will admit that the economy is pure voodoo; no-one has a clue how to fix it once it's broken. Putting aside economic issues, we are left with ideology and social issues. Here's my advice for the future of the Republican party: STOP TELLING PEOPLE HOW TO LIVE THEIR LIVES. So simple. The gays aren't going to destroy the country. There is no militant homosexual agenda. There is only the militant ignorant, homophobic, hate-filled agenda. Just stop. Religious people, turn your bible toward the gospels and don't look back. Also, science is your friend, stop trying to pollute our educational system with fairy tale crap.

As for economics, laissez faire has had its way for more than 20 years (Clinton was no socialist). A little bit of socialism got us out of the great depression (Yes it did, look it up) and gave us a good many social programs that we would rather not live without. Give (a little bit of) socialism a try. Obama's not perfect, but give him a chance to impress. Just make sure to give credit where it's due next time an election rolls around, k?

more flickr pics!

2009-02-09T04:10:49Z

My own private hell (if one existed)

2009-01-31T04:29:05Z

Rednecks, General asshats
Circle I Limbo

The Pope
Circle II Whirling in a Dark & Stormy Wind

Republicans
Circle III Mud, Rain, Cold, Hail & Snow

George Bush
Circle IV Rolling Weights

Scientologists
Circle V Stuck in Mud, Mangled

River Styx

Neocons
Circle VI Buried for Eternity

River Phlegyas

Creationists
Circle VII Burning Sands

Osama bin Laden
Circle IIX Immersed in Excrement

Saddam Hussein
Circle IX Frozen in Ice

Design your own hell

Why convert to Apatheism?

2009-01-31T04:17:42Z

1. It's easy! Apatheists don't need to worry about various daily issues such as whether this or that is a sin, what will happen when I die, can I ask God for a Mercedes-Benz, etc. Apatheists enjoy life and find time to come up with their own personal values.
2. It's natural! Apatheism is so basic, even non-human animals and plants practice it. "Observe how the lilies of the field grow, they do not toil nor do they spin." That's because they do not care, either.
3. It's honest! Think about it -- if most people really believed in the god(s) they pretend to worship, they wouldn't act the ways they do. That's because they aren't really that interested. They're lying to themselves about their beliefs, or hedging their bets in the nearest, most popular religion "just in case." Apatheists, on the other hand, are completely aware that their religion won't do a damn thing for them.

source: http://www.wunderland.com/WTS/Ginohn/cetera/apatheism.html

el oh el

The Tables Turned...

2009-01-26T01:38:59Z

Now that someone with my ideals now occupies the White House, it is interesting to see people react to the new balance of power. Namely, I speak of the religious conservatives for whom I keep a special place in an area I won't mention. Contrasting with the Bush-era "pray for the president" call for unity, the same people are using the bible (what? no! how?) to justify praying AGAINST the new administration. It's not like I put much stock in prayer (and it's not like I expected any less), but the hypocrisy is so blatant that I cannot help but laugh.

In this case though, calling Barack Obama "evil" or "godless" smacks of rascism. Yes, good, old-fashioned rascism. Calling Bill Clinton, Al Gore, or John Kerry "godless" doesn't offend as much, because none of them ever put much emphasis on religion. Obama, on the other hand, has made numerous and substantial efforts to underline his (christian) faith. The gall it takes to reject Obama's devotion to his god (supposedly the same as other christians) because he doesn't hold the exact same political views in only two areas (guess!) astounds me. The only explanation is that his church doesn't do "it" right. Whoever cares to define "it" gets a gold star.

I could continue, but it will suffice to say:

Gay marriage is coming to a town near you! If you don't like it, don't get gay married.

Also, if you think that god is on your side, he's not. (if he/she/it exists at all, of course)

Pics!

2009-01-25T22:36:07Z

Here's some pics from around my new house:

(at the end of the street, looking left)

(my house, we will live on the second floor. yes, our balcony :)

(end of the street, looking right-ish)

Logic: use it please?

2009-01-23T15:48:34Z

Not so long ago, I subscribed to the pro-life position on the abortion issue. There are many reasons why I have changed my mind, this is one of them:

They say that humans are smarter than computers, but apparently both can get stuck in an infinite logic loops. I guess some people are more prone to stack overflow than others...
Some people have a built-in logic loop breaker, it's called NOTBEINGANUTJOB.

Apartment

2009-01-18T01:03:58Z

Kerrin and I found an awesome apartment in Salem, MA. 3 bedrooms, full bathroom, huge living room, with a view of Salem Harbor. It's a four family house, and we have the 2nd floor front apartment. The rent is $1000, which may sound high to you Washington people, but that's pretty low for being in New England. Hopefully, weather willing, we will sign the lease on Monday and move in on or before February 1st. Pics to come.

STARGATEMADNESS

2009-01-10T03:56:02Z

Sadly, tonight was the last (slightly disappointing) episode of Stargate Atlantis. I say slightly disappointing because it was only 1 hour long, and the story took 40 minutes to set up. This left 20 minutes for the rushed, cliche conclusion... Haven't they ever heard of a two-part finale? They certainly don't have a problem with doing 3-part season premieres.

Anyway

Sci-fi is going to start filming the third entry in my favorite cheesy franchise. It's called Stargate Universe, and it will premiere this Summer (probably). The premise is something like ST Voyager, where they are stranded on the other side of the universe (they can get around much faster in Stargate), and they have to take the slow way home. So we'll see how bad/good it turns out.

blackwave @ 2008-12-27T22:21:00

2008-12-28T03:22:54Z

I just got a 1 Terabyte hard drive for backup purposes. I'm in the process of transferring all my valuable information before I do a major re-install of windows. w00t!

Site Design

2008-12-26T16:18:45Z

Ok people, I need your help, let me know what you think!

click to visite le site.

some stuff I saw today

2008-12-23T18:06:06Z

Thank you bassplayer1231/benpop for the reminder that the pope is a bastard: http://is.gd/d3di

Also, here is an interesting article about research that discovered that women are becoming just as common on the MMORPG scene as men. And they maybe be even more hard-core than their male counterparts.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7796482.stm
Way to go! Now male gamers can feel less pathetic.

Priorities...

2008-12-22T18:43:51Z

Yikes

New Journal Name

2008-12-22T14:39:26Z

Hey everyone, I'm no stranger. I changed my username to blackwave.
http://blackwave.livejournal.com
The old link should still work, but it will redirect.

I'm in the paper (sortofnotreally)

2008-11-10T18:30:02Z

The Boston Globe did an article about the train that I take every day:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/11/08/aboard_the_camaraderie_express/?page=full

I know a couple of the people interviewed

I agree with the "It's like a bar, if jails had bars" comment :D

!!!

2008-11-05T02:57:10Z

Barack Obama is the next President of the United States!

WE WON OHIO!!!

The question is now, how much power will he get in the Senate and House?

SQUEEEE!!!

Stay tuned for more jubilations

Don't send me chain letters unless you want a response.

2008-10-31T13:10:49Z

Last night, I got this in my inbox from a family friend. Below is my response.

Dear Friends and Family,
I feel it is of the uttermost importance that we realize the severity of the stakes of this election. Accordingly I have passed on a short
informative video which highlights Obama and McCain's views on Life!
Please take 3 minutes to watch this and vote for LIFE :)

Sincerly,

xxxx xxxx

Video link: http://americaschoicenow.com/

Dear xxxxx,

I am quite familiar with both Barack Obama's and John McCain's views on abortion rights. Putting aside my own views on this issue, I still think that it is unwise to pick a leader solely on the promise that they will install pro-life judges on the supreme court.

1. Any such judicial candidate would be rejected outright by the US Senate, with or without Republican control based on obvious preconceived bias.

2. The idea that the federal government should dictate the worthiness of a medical procedure is completely unethical and leads down the dangerous path of legislated medical ethics. If you want to end abortion, convince people to not have them. Don't screw over people who seek abortion as a last resort in their most desperate hour. Don't listen to the propaganda that states that people use abortion as a means of birth control, that is completely false.

3. To vote in public officials who are anti-science, anti-education, anti-separation of church and state, and anti-civil rights is crime against your own interests and the constitution.

4. Single-issue-voting is the most dangerous thing you can do in a presidential election.

5. John McCain has proved himself to be an unwise and unsure leader, as demonstrated by his lack of consideration while picking a running mate, and by his ill-conceived attacks on Senator Obama. If he can't conduct his campaign in a respectful manner, why should we assume that a McCain presidency would be any different?

6. Barack Obama has proved himself to be a competent politician, by example of his political career, his presidential campaign, and his personal life. His views reveal someone who has been humble enough to take advice on every policy decision that he has made. His foreign policy is based on reality, not fiction. His domestic policy demonstrates compassion and a belief in hard work. His social policy is based on the belief that every human should have equal rights, regardless of their race, gender, or sexual orientation. As for abortion, he believes that abortion is an unfortunate but in many cases necessary medical procedure that should not be banned based on the religious preferences of a few.

Please reconsider your vote on Election Day. Don't let one issue cloud the bigger picture.

Thank you for listening.

Sincerely,
John Ediger

Obama Biden '08