How do you choose?

I wrote this in Sacrament meeting today (I still paid attention, sort of, hey, inspiration struck, I couldn't turn it down, it's been over a year since I've written anything).

It's still rather raw, and needs polish, but I might as well put it up here anyways.

How do you Choose?
When two paths lay before you, with what methods do you choose your way?
It's not a matter of which has been traveled less or more.
There is no grass been trod nor underbrush grown by which to gauge the popularity of the trail.
Simply left or right with no whisper of what lays at either's end.
No notion of which may lead through rough terrain or which will lope downhill.

Will the first lead you through wooded hills?
The shade protect you from the sun.
And as life leads on from Spring to Fall reward you with its glowing colors?
Or will those peaceful woods turn to oppressive forest, enclosing dark and dreary?
Smothering your soul from the precious light of day.

Perhaps the other follows along the river bank, meandering on its way.
Clear, fresh water to quench your ample thirst.
Soothing your tired feet at the end of each long day.
But is the Spring filled with floods which consume your easy trail?
You fight your way through the brush to keep up with the raging stream.
With luck it calms and you can spend your Autumn years relaxing along the bank.

Alas, from where you stand there is no way to tell.
So as you stop at the forks of life, two paths from which to pick;
With what methods will you choose your way?

As for me, I shall follow my heart.

Copyright Czar

Ok, so regardless of how we all feel about the $700 Billion bailout plan, we can probably agree that it's something that Congress should be spending their time on right now, deciding what to do with it. But, no, instead we spend our time on things like this:

The Senate has just passed a bill creating a new cabinet-level position for "Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator".

Yes, we now have a cabinet-level position in the government to monitor copyright infringement and patent violations. How ridiculous. We are tightening the screws on innovation in this country. I've been pushing the idea for a while now, and each week it seems to be even more obvious. The more Draconian we are about enforcing copyright and patent laws the harder it will be for people to invent and release interesting stuff.

It's becoming nigh unto impossible for small time individuals or companies to release new products or ideas for fear of being sued into the stone age. The only reason we still have most of our innovative new products being released is because they are being produced by gigantic corporations like Google who have the ability to guarantee Mutually Assured Destruction to anyone stupid enough to try to sue them. This is the same policy that IBM has employed for years as well, especially during their heyday. For the most part this companies will leave others alone, but if you try to sue them once about anything you'll be buried in so many counter-suits that it takes years to sort it all out (See SCO vs. IBM).

It is my opinion that if we keep up this insanity that the United States will be technologically irrelevant within 20 or 30 years. The rest of the world will continue on without us because they don't care about our stupid IP and Copyright laws, particularly China and India.

The purpose of copyright and patent laws is to promote creativity and innovation by rewarding people with monopolies over their work for short periods of time. Instead they are being used to allow people to create one piece of work and then sit on their butts for the rest of their lives collection checks.

Now, I'm ranting, but there was one, unexpectedly good thing that happened to this bill. The fact that the Senate did remove the clause that would force the DOJ to sue people on behalf of copyright holders, which was truly insane.

Awkward

So, I have a water bottle here at work that I take the water fountain and fill up each day. While sitting at my desk I pour the water into a plastic cup and drink it. So throughout the day I usually drink a liter of water. I've known that sometime I'm going to knock over the bottle or the cup and spill water, but I hoped it wouldn't happen and that if it did there wouldn't be much water in the one to be too big of a problem.

Unfortunately, I went to grab a pen and knocked over the half full cup of water, which was conveniently angled directly at me, at the front of my pants to be specific. So now my shorts are soaked right at the crotch and all down my left leg. It looks bad. Like really bad. So bad that if I didn't have witnesses that I had knocked over the water you probably wouldn't believe that that's the truth. [sigh]. I was hoping to leave right now too. I wanted to go home to charge my phone and grade the homework at home. But alas, now I am confined to my office until my shorts dry.

Awkward.

The Big One: WaMu Seizure

I don't remember who it was, and am too lazy to go look right now, but someone with an inside scoop was warning that within the coming weeks we'd see one of the biggest banks in the country fail. That day appears to have been today.

Washington Mutual was seized by federal regulators today. The nation's largest savings and loan operation and the largest bank failure in American history, according to the NY Times article. The assets of the company were immediately sold for $1.9 Billion to JPMorgan Chase which will absorb the $31 Billion in losses.

But don't worry, no will go hungry due to this failure, particularly not the CEO of WaMu. Alan H. Fishman who has been CEO for less than 3 weeks will still be able to receive $11.6 Million in severance, and keep his $7.5 Million signing bonus. Pssst, hey America, I think I know why your financial companies are in the toilet. You're paying people $19+ Million for 3 weeks of work. 3 weeks of work which ends with your company failing and being sold off for chicken feed. Seems like a bit of a problem to me.

Scams

From Slashdot:

I was thinking to myself "God! My EMail account must be in problem, I didn't receive any spam since the weekend", then I got this really great offer, a guy who is going to give me 20% of 5 million US dollars to help him recover a lost bank account. Well that's perfect, I'm the one who's finally gonna be rich!

------

That's nothing. I got an offer this morning of $700B, with little oversight and no accountability. All I have to do is prove that I recklessly lost hundreds of billions of investor capital.

That is the sad truth about what Bush is trying to push through Congress right now, the sadder truth is that Congress will pass it because it's an election year and a vote against this insane bill would be construed as "abandoning the people" by their opponents or some such nonsense.

Science FAIL

This is from the front page of cnn.com:



Do you see what's wrong with that paragraph?

I'll give you a hint, it's not currently possible to reach absolute zero. The LHC is very cold, but it does not operate at absolute zero, I promise.

Guarantee FAIL

Ever have one of those times when you try to do something really nice and it doesn't work out because of some other entity's failure?

Today I learned that a friend was feeling down, so I found a place online that works with local florists to have them deliver a little bouquet to this person's place of work. They said they had guaranteed same-day delivery for orders received before 2:00 pm. My order was placed before 2:00 pm, and I waited to hear from this person and their excitement of flowers surprising them at work. It never happened. And finally at about 6:00 (in the timezone of the person) I get a phone call from the florist saying they didn't get a chance to deliver the flowers and would I like free upgrade and have them delivered tomorrow. No, I don't want them delivered tomorrow; if I did I wouldn't have specifically placed the order with someone guaranteeing same-day delivery. So, I tried to do something really nice, but was foiled.

Don't guarantee same-day delivery if you can't make good on that guarantee. If you're a real customer pleasing business you would have called me when you realized you weren't going to make it and offered something like: "We won't be able to do it, but we did guarantee to deliver today, would you like us to contact other florists and find someone who will be able to do something similar and arrange for that delivery on your behalf?" That would have been customer service. But no, instead I get, "We didn't do it, do you want us to do it tomorrow?"

Welfare Economy

In the United States there is clearly no reason to be fiscally responsible.

If you're the government, you can spend trillions of dollars on illegal invasions of other countries, no one will stop you.

If you're a citizen you can live off of welfare checks and sit on your butt all day, because heaven forbid you be deprived of cable television, cigarettes and alcohol. If you happen to dig yourself under thousands of dollars in credit card debt the ads on the radio say that you can settle with the lending companies for pennies on the dollar.

And, if you happen to be a giant corporation or bank then the government will simply buy your company if you have money problems. Since when has it been the policy of our nation to simply nationalize companies that look like they'll go bankrupt? Fed loans AIG $85 Billion. This is a 80% stake in the mega-corporation. Does the federal government really need an 80% stake in a non-government corporation? Sure seems like if your company has over a TRILLION dollar in assets it should know how to handle its finances properly, especially a company that deals in finances (namely Insurance).

Growing up I was taught that if you mismanage your money then you eventually go bankrupt and life becomes very complicated and unpleasant while you try to get things fixed. And here I've been living like a sucker by working my butt off to stay out of debt. Little did I know that the real American way to live is to spend, spend, spend, and then cry to the government when you can't pay your bills. [Grumble, grumble...]

Olympus' Agent

I've read a lot of spy/military novels, watched several movies, and spent time considering various tactical situations one might come across. Based on this history I've been able to build up some knowledge about avoiding ambushes, losing a tail, and otherwise being awesome. So it was no surprise to me that I was able to spot the amateur agent that Olympus seems to have assigned to my case.

In order to avoid possible ambush I alter my path to campus each morning as much as the roads allow. Today's drive also called for an unexpected stop at my part-time job to pick up a paycheck and an assignment. This stop caused the amateur agent to blunder, expecting me to go straight through the green light, rather than turn just before. Caught off guard he or she was forced to turn at the light and loop into the lot from the cross street. I now know who (one of) Olympus' agents is and will be able to setup a counter-ambush at anytime convenient for me, as well as lose the tail whenever necessary. I will not be your pawn in this evil game of destruction you're playing, Olympus. I warn you, keep your agents back or the body count on this relationship is going to go way up.

P.S.
I also know about the agent who was tailing me in Smith's the other day. You think I actually forgot to pickup deli meat after getting bread and walking down to the dairy case? How easy it is to spot a novice when they follow you back and forth across the store like a lost puppy. At least make this a challenge for me!

Teaching

I TA a Computer Science class. This week I get to teach two sections for two days. I think it will be a lot of fun. This will be my first classroom teaching experience. How much I enjoy it will directly influence how much interest I will have in pursuing my idea of teaching high school. I hope it goes well, and I think it will.

But Happy

My previous two posts would suggest that I am in a rather unpleasant mood. And, I was. But despite my lack of sleep and my cold, I am happy. I just got home from a date that went really well and I'm really looking forward to my next opportunity to spend time with the girl in question. So, yes, I am currently and honestly happy. Which hasn't been the case for a while. So I'm going to relish in this and go play so Guitar Hero to celebrate.

Sleep, please return

I haven't been sleeping well the last couple of weeks. I don't know why. But, it's been incredibly annoying. Last night, I got in bed and laid there rolling back and forth trying to get comfortable for about 1.5 hours. Then I woke up about every hour during the night. It sucked. I need a switch on my brain that I can just turn off. Instead I lie there and my mind is wandering all over the place about random stuff going on in my life. I don't feel stressed about these things, but they seem to keep my brain worried. So all this with the cold previously mentioned has made me rather zombie-like. How lame.

Lame

I have a cold, how lame.

Amen to That

The Daily Kos has a post by "trenttsd" entitled "A Palin convert". I don't know anything about this trenttsd, but I felt the same way he did as I watched Palin's speech last night. I would recommend reading his little post and then re-read her speech and see that he is exactly right. The entire speech contained very little aside from a series of accusations and attacks upon the Democratic party and its candidates.

The worst part, which sickened me when I watched her say it, was about three-quarters through:

Al Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America ... he's worried that someone won't read them their rights? -- Sarah Palin Sept 3, 2008

And the most disturbing part was the wild shouts, cheers, and applause that followed that statement.

I am absolutely worried that someone won't read them their rights. I am absolutely concerned that they be allowed to speak with competent legal counsel and appear in a courtroom before a judge and jury. I am fully committed to requiring the government to produce a writ of habeas corpus detailing exactly what they are being charged with.

If we don't do these things then we have abandoned everything that makes this country different and great. We claim that we want liberty and justice for all, that explicitly means that we cannot tack on little caveats such as "except for the people we think don't deserve it".

Sarah Palin, by uttering such a ignorant statement you have proven to me that you understand nothing about what this country stands for. You understand nothing about why this country is loved by so many. And you understand nothing about leading the world to a better future.

The Crime Syndicate Codenamed "Olympus"

I will admit that I accidentally stole a bike last week. However, the blame, lies squarely upon the crime syndicate known only as Olympus. I was merely a patsy, being played for a fool. Do not let the innocent "Board Writer" act fool you. Codename "Olympus", working heavily to appear as a single person, is behind every major accidental bicycle larceny to occur last week. For the sake of this expose we will use the feminine pronouns to refer to codename "Olympus", since they use a female persona as their disguise.

Her modus operandi is straight forward. A highly skilled confidence woman, codename "Olympus" will befriend you over the course of several weeks or months. Once she's gained your trust through casual conversation and friendship she will ask you to do a favor for her. In my case it was to retrieve her old bike. The story I was fed was that codename "Olympus" had left this bike in Provo when she left over a year ago. There was not room to bring it with her so it was left locked up at her old apartment complex. Having gained my trust I believed the story. Her problem was that the bike was locked and the combination she remembered for it didn't seem to work when she asked someone to get it for her. So she needed someone to cut off the lock.

The story continues that she spoke to some locksmiths who wanted more money than she wanted to spend, and also wanted proof of ownership which she was not going to be able to provide due to the age of the bike. So, as had been planned and anticipated, I offered to help. I could probably cut the lock off with my rotary tool. The correct location and description were furnished to me and I found the bike there as expected. I cut through the lock (turns out the plastic-sheathed cable locks really aren't that tough, only takes about 30 seconds to cut through with a rotary cutting tool), and took the bike. Codename "Olympus" is thrilled by my success and speed.

Unfortunately, it was soon discovered that this bike did not belong to codename "Olympus". I was lucky though, the bike I had taken had clearly not been used for more than 12 months. The tires were flat and the chain was heavily rusted and detached from the gears. So it wasn't likely that the bike would soon be missed. I returned the bike and informed codename "Olympus" that I wouldn't be doing anymore of her dirty work. I was done. I was getting out. To this response she threatened me and those I care about. So I write this as a warning to all. Codename "Olympus" is highly dangerous and organized. Do not get involved with this organization under any circumstances, once they have you there is no escape. Even I, a highly trained agent, have only been barely able to elude her operatives and I will probably not be able to avoid them much longer.

Spread my story, don't let this evil crime syndicate take over!

A Nation of Morals

When my grandmother died I picked out some books from my grandfather's collection. One of the books I picked is "Thirteen Days - A memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis" by Robert F. Kennedy. I've only read through 57 pages so far, but I find some of the things absolutely fascinating about what the people in the "Ex Comm" group were going through during this time period. As I've thought about I kind of feel like the current mess our country is in is something akin to what might have happened if RFK and JFK had let themselves be drawn in by the military's insistence that a military invasion was the only acceptable solution.

Here are some enlightening excerpts:

The general feeling in the beginning was that some form of action was required. There were those, although they were a small minority, who felt the missiles did not alter the balance of power and therefore necessitated no action. Most felt, at that stage, that an air strike against the missile sites could be the only course. Listening to the proposals, I passed a note to the President: "I now know how Tojo felt when he was planning Pearl Harbor." --Tuesday October 16, 1962 (Day 1 of Cuban Missile Crisis) - pg 31

With some trepidation, I argued that, whatever validity the military and political arguments were for an attack in preference to a blockade, America's traditions and history would not permit such a course of action. Whatever military reasons he [former Secretary of State Dean Acheson] and others could marshal, they were nevertheless, in the last analysis, advocating a surprise attack by a very large nation against a very small one. This, I said, could not be undertaken by the U.S. if we were to maintain our moral position at home and around the globe. - pg 38

. . . Further, with the support of detailed photographs, Dean Acheson-- who obliged the President by once again being willing to help-- was able to quickly convince French President Charles de Gaulle of the correctness of our response... And in these days of strain it is well to remember that no country's leader supported the U.S. more forcefully than did France. General de Gaulle said, "It is exactly what I would have done," adding that it was not necessary to see the photographs, as "a great government such as yours does not act without evidence." -- pg 51

Would any country think that way about us now? To trust our government to not act without evidence? I don't. The current policies seem to be closer to "detain first, get evidence later." Which is really too bad, but the PATRIOT act allows the government to do this.

It's a Sign!

I ate lunch at Panda Express today. It would seem that they wanted to encourage me to attend FHE this evening: