Open Source

Open Source Software is definitely the up-and-coming thing.

Mozilla is an open source software group that has created:
Internet Browser: FireFox
Better than Internet Explorer, tabbed browsing, no popups, no spyware, security.
Email Client: Thunderbird
Better than Outlook, haven't used it yet but it definitely looks safer (its not integral with the Windows kernel like Microsoft programs are), and its ported to Mac and Linux as well!

Sun Microsystems headed up this one:
Office Productivity Software: OpenOffice.org
Definitely up there. I haven't used all the features yet, and its not complete yet. But it so far is definitely compatible with Microsoft Office, and a few other office suites as well (no compatability with Lotus Smartsuite yet).

One huge advantage of these softwares is that they are not integral with the kernel. One huge security risk for Microsoft Programs is that they function hand in hand with windows operations, so Microsoft has had a hard time patching security holes. These are written in an entirely different way, and since the source code is published on their websites, developers can check out the code themselves (and if you don't trust it, you can download the source and build your OWN software).

Partisan Charities

I'm sick of the discussion about who is covering the donations more, and who is giving the most money. Why have we devolved into a society where EVERYTHING is about who is big, better, best? My charitable donations can piss farther than your charitable donations. Please just get over it, pray for those who need it, and do your best to help.

I must say a really good question was asked at the press conference involving Kofi Annan and Jan Egeland. Kofi was asked "What are your thoughts on that fact that all we can do sometimes just isn't enough?" His response was "That is sadly true, the needs are so great." Sometimes you just can't do enough, but we are obligated as Human Beings to help out our less fortunate brothers. God's first commandment to his creation: "Go, Be fruitful and multiply". Not to mention his incarnated recent commandment "Love your neighbor as yourself". Since when is helping other people out political fodder?

I'm an avid reader of Wizbang!, Little Green Footballs, Instapundit, Powerline, and a few others, but sometimes those people make me sick, such as Paul (at Wizbang!). He's claiming that he just posted something for discussion, but he devolved into name-calling himself, logical fallacies (red herring, straw man, and a few others). Paul, please, for the sake of the other conservatives out there, calm down and have an adult, mature discussion.

Appendix
The logical Fallacies mentioned above are as follows:
Red Herring Fallacy: is committed when the arguer diverts the attention of the reader or listener by changing the subject to a different but sometimes subtly related one. He or she then finishes by either drawing a conclusion about this different issue or by merely presuming that some conclusion has been established. By so doing, the arguer purports to have won the argument.
Argument: A is not B
Premesis: B is C, and C is D, therefore A cannot be B

Straw Man Fallacy: is committed when an arguer distorts an opponent's argument for the purpose of more easily attacking it, demolishes the distorted argument, and then concludes that the opponent's real argument has been demolished.
Argument: A causes B
Premesis: Since A is extreme A, Extreme A causes Extreme B to happen, Extreme B is B, therefore A causes B

One of my favorites:
Argument against the Person: This fallacy always involves two arguers. One of them advances (either directly or implicitly) a certain argument, and the other then responds by directing his or her attention not to the first person's argument but to the first person himself.
This has 3 forms:
ad hominem abusive
The second person responds to the first person's argument by verbally abusing the first person.
ad hominem circumstantial
Begins the same way as ad hominem abusive, but instead of heaping verbal abuse on his or her opponent, the respondent attempts to discredit the opponent's argument by alluding to certain circumstances that affect the opponent. By doing so the respondent hopes to show that the opponent is predisposed to argue the way he or she does and should therefore not be taken seriously.
tu quoque
Begins the same way as the other two varieties of the ad hominem argument, except that the second arguer attempts to make the first appear to be hypocritical or arguing in bad faith. The second arguer usually accomplishes this by citing features in the life or behavior of the first arguer that conflict with the latter's conclusion. In effect:
Child to Parent: Your argument that I should stop stealing candy from the corner store is no good. You told me yourself just a week ago that you, too, stole candy when you were a kid.

Of course, those are just a few of the fallacies displayed by many many arguers on both sides.
Source:
Hurley, Patrick J. A Concise Introduction to Logic: 6th Ed. Wadsworth Publishing Co. Belmont, CA: 1997

UN Secretary General....what?

I found it rather amusing that Kofi Annan went on a 3-4 day skiing trip, and decided not to comment on the disaster until yesterday. He MUST have received word during his trip at all. He hosted a press conference with that Jan Egeland character yesterday. He was well-spoken, but left much to be desired.

(I watched it on CSPAN)

Mitsubishi Commercial Music

I found the song for the Mitsubishi Commercial, its actually a fairly decent track.

Dirty Vegas - Days go By

I'd host the song on my geocities if it was legal, but oh well.

Grades are in!!!

Grades are in!

Fluid/Thermal Design : B
Fluid/Thermal Lab: A
HVAC Design: A
Naval Arcitecture: A+
Project Design I: B+
Engineering Ethics: A

GPA for Fall Semester, 2004: 3.7

Overal Weighted GPA: 3.232

1 Semester left!

Update 1:
Apparently graduating with cum laude is an overal GPA of 3.25, I have one semester to raise my GPA 0.02 of a grade point. Wish me luck!

Coast Guard Exams

My Coast Guard Exams start next Teusday.
For those who don't know, my Coast Guard Exams are more like a driver's license exam, but for operating huge ocean-going vessels such as:
Oil Tankers
LNG Carriers
BreakBulk Carriers
Roll-on Roll-off Ships
Container Ships
and many more!

The sections are:
Steam I
Boilers, boiler chemistry, and feedwater systems

Steam II
Turbines, Condensers, Air Ejectors, Lubrication Systems

Electrical
Ohm's Law (basics), finding Grounds, Motor controllers, Motors, Circuits, Electronics, Electricity

Safety
Lifeboatmen's stuff, Firefighting, Hazardous Materials, Watertight Integrity

Diesel I
Diesel II
I have no idea what seperates Diesel I from Diesel II, but the closest thing I might think of, is I is mostly about the basics of the Diesel cycle and engines, and Diesel II might be about auxiliary equipment needed, such as cams, rods, lubrication quills, governors, reed valves, etc...

General Subjects
Refrigeration, Lathe Operations, Welding, Pumps, Valves, Piping, and pretty much everything else....


That's 7 tests in 3 days. Wish me luck!

May god have mercy on their souls

Found by Kevin at Wizbang!

Some poor tourist videotaped this, that seems rather small, I wonder what would have happened if they were closer to the epicenter (the energy waves magnitude decreases as a function of the square of the distance to the quake)

WVX File
ASF file


*Note, apparently, you have to right click on the WVX and save to your desktop, then play in windows media player for it to work. Confuses the hell out of me, I got the ASF to work, though.

Merry Christmas!

Have a very Merry Christmas everyone! My Christmas went well. My older sister and her husband came over and we had a pleasant time, saw Ocean's Twelve in theatres today (Man was it good). We exchanged a token gift, leaving the majority of the presents underneath the tree. Before you start getting ideas, we are waiting for my little sister to obtain her leave from the Navy. She's stationed in New York at Prototype. She'll get off sometime around January 6-7th. In the meantime, we took a picture of our cat and the christmas tree with the presents underneath it for her to drool at.

Have a very Merry Christmas!

(And a very happy Chrismahanukwanzakah!)

Ah Christmastime

Well not quite Christmas, but close nonetheless.

Wow so let's see where am I? Currently I'm residing at my parents' residence in Bakersfield, home for Christmas break. I finished the semester , and am now studying for the Coast Guard exams. I sit for those in the first week of January.
Ah I just wish Amy would say yes to me for once. =/ She's dating someone new without even telling me.

Ah Sometimes life just makes you feel like a knife just got thrown into your back. Time to go beat my head against the wall until I bleed.

The Future of P2P

At 1 Million Online, Warez P2P Answers It’s Top 10 Questions
Contact: Kaleb Kain – kaleb@warez.com

After helping drive the Warez/Ares Network to over 1,000,000 online users, the Warez P2P team answers it’s most frequently asked questions.

1. Why use the controversial name “Warez”?

We use “Warez” for its recognition and marketability. . Since the start of the Internet boom, "warez" has been one of the top terms searched for on search engines. In the early 80's, the word "warez" became the slang term for trading software among others via online bulletin board sites, the precursor to the Internet. Today "warez" is the underground term for all the software, music, and movies posted on websites or traded through peer-to-peer networks. Like the term “MP3”, we have moved “warez” into the mainstream and redefined it as “Shared information over a digital network”

2. What is Warez’s relationship with Ares Galaxy?

Warez P2P contracted the developer of Ares to develop a Warez branded version. Both clients share the same decentralized network. Warez joined the network in January when the network was under 100,000 users. Since then, our marketing has helped it become one of the fastest growing P2P networks, already reaching 1 million online.

3. Is Warez filled with Spyware or Adware?

Warez P2P has no spyware. Warez does include web search enhancements, but they are optional and can be unchecked on install.

4. What is planned for the Warez/Ares network?

The network in its current form may be released as Open Source in the near future. For the upcoming Warez P2P 3.0, we will be introducing an advanced, proprietary network we call “Generation 3”. We are working with the top developers in this field.

5. Will Warez P2P search other networks in the future?

We currently are working to implement Bit Torrent in Warez. We may consider searching other networks, but only those we feel have advanced privacy and quality content.

6. Does Warez plan to implement advanced security and privacy?

This is our main goal. We are working with another well-known P2P developer that is specializing in encryption and IP protection. Warez P2P 3.0 will give the users the complete privacy and security they need.

7. What features are planned for upcoming Warez P2P versions?

Filesharing and chatting is only the beginning. P2P voice conferencing, gaming, and media streaming is under development now, and we have a few surprises that will make us a strong leader in P2P technology.

8. Will Warez P2P be used to legally distribute copyrighted media in the future?

This is definitely a goal. We are working with representatives of well-known artists that are not controlled by big labels to distribute their content via P2P. Also, we are open to discussions with the big labels to show them the money that can be made from our massive audience via micro-payments and perhaps not charging the user at all. We feel we have the answers and are excited about meeting with musician coalitions and the big record labels to propose the solutions. Until then, we are ready to work directly with artists.

9. How will Warez support independent artists and software developers?

We are in the process of implementing an independent submission system which will eliminate distribution costs and the need to be tied to a record label. P2P users will be able to rate artists and their works. Warez P2P will display ratings charts and introduce channels dedicated to popular independent works in various categories. We also have a plan to directly distribute income to popular artists.

10. What is Warez vision for the future of P2P technology?

Free P2P clients are here to stay. The fact that P2P communication bypasses the monitoring and control by commercial institutions or dictator governments is the true reason why P2P has become so popular. This audience of millions will guarantee P2P will be a success and accepted by all. We plan to advance encryption and privacy methods to ensure that people will be comfortable with how they communicate and share data in a peer-to-peer network. If the Internet was a revolution, P2P will be its evolution.

Warez.com gives full permission to anyone who wishes to reprint this article in any media form as long as Warez.com is cited as its source.

About Warez.com

Warez.com is a subculture Web portal and Internet search engine. Warez.com is also home to Warez P2P, a peer-to-peer communication and file sharing program. The Warez Network has grown rapidly since its launch in January. It has reached 1,000,000 online users as of September 2004.

Done with the semester

Whew. Freakin' finally done with the fall semester.
Fluid/Thermal Design - I know I passed, I wasn't able to turn in a few of the homeworks, but I know I pretty much aced everything else
Fluid/Thermal Lab - Probably end up with an A. Did really good on all the lab writeups as well as the Presentation for the Pre-mixed charge engine lab.
HVAC Design - Passed as well, Unsure as what grade though. I aced all the quizzes, got a B average on the Exams, high B average on the individual sections (when due), but the final report project binder I put together REALLY well, so Hopefully I'll see an A in that class. (same instructor for Heat Transfer, I'm surprised I ended up with an A in that as well, but we'll see)
Engineering Ethics - Definitely an A range. I didn't bother with the last homework assignment, and I got an A on everything else (except for one hw assignment, got a B). Even if I get a B, its fine, the class wasn't that important anyhoo. I just know how to go about making ethical decisions.
Project Design I - The first half of our capstone senior engineering design project. We did exceptionally well on our presentation, and we got each task in and did decent on them. Probably an A, but at least I know I passed. I'll be satisfied with a B though. Besides, next semester is where it REALLY counts.
USCG License Prep Seminar - This class was pretty much a joke, just preparation for the USCG license exam I'll take in the first week of January. We took a mock-up of each section every other week and I passed every one except for General (the most difficult one). All that means is that I'll get a no-credit for the course. Doesn't mess up my GPA, thank goodness.


I'm Done!

Clarification

Again I let my zero readership know that the picture listed on my profile is from my senior cruise. I was setting up our daily fuel transfer in the auxiliary machinery room from one of our storage tanks to our day (service) tank that our main engine draws from.

Update 1
I forget, my 1 reader

Mommy, why are her headlights pointing at me?

Noticed from Paul at Wizbang!

On The Ninth Day Of Christmas
Gasps as Wonderbra loses its grasp
By Victoria Fletcher, Evening Standard
13 December 2004

A new bra designed to uplift women's cleavage has been withdrawn from sale after repeatedly bursting open.

Customers have found themselves humiliated when the clasp at the front which pulls the two cups together suddenly gives way.

It is especially cruel as the bra is designed to fit inside low-cut dresses which allow wearers little room for mistake.
The manufacturer has now recalled the Clearly Daring range only one month after it went on sale.

Playtex, which makes the Wonderbra, admits the design of the ?20 item is faulty.

"The centre area can break, causing the bra to split open," it warned. "This can occur on first use, but may fail after a number of uses."

Wonderbra shot to fame 12 years ago when supermodel Eva Herzigova modelled the lingerie in a nationwide " Hello Boys" campaign which brought traffic to a standstill.

How come this never happens to women that are around me?

Project Design I ME 492

Here are some pictures of the initial mathematical modeling of our barrel.

Barrel Geometry



Barrel Total Deformation



Messing with Settings

I just added the blogrolling feature, it took a bit to get it working (I had to look at the source code for other blogspot blogs in order to get it to work. Now that it works (and I have zero readership ;/ ) I hopefully will get blogrolls.


I hope.

Presentations

Well the presentations went well, I talked with some of the engineering faculty afterwards and they felt that our group did a good job. We then got into discussions as to how to model the water balloon in flight as well as how to actually propel the balloon inside the barrel without exploding the balloon. Any engineers out there willing to comment?

The Start of a new Era

Well here is the start for my blog.

For my first post might as well say what's up.
I'm presenting my initial project design in front of the senior engineering instructors with the rest of my group. We're designing a water balloon launcher (pictures to come later) that uses air pressure to launch a water balloon to hit a target 150 feet away that's 10ft x 10ft.

More details to come....