Pattern Recognition

Thankfully, there are still a few things that our gelatinous, lumpy, carbon-based data processing organs can do better and faster than a machine. One of these miraculous 'mutant powers' is called pattern recognition. This ability was an important milestone on the road to higher intelligence. A child is better equipped for many pattern recognition tasks than some of the most sophisticated computer hardware running cutting edge software. Some day computers emulating human/animal neural processes may force me to eat my words. The advent of truly 'intelligent' tools and devices will allow humanity to scan the infinite nooks and crannies of the natural world in an explosion scientific discovery. I just hope I'm around to see it.

If, by chance, you want to apply your amazing gift for pattern ecognition skills to a useful purpose . Go to GalaxyZoo and help astronomers categorize some of the millions of entire galaxies (clusters of hundreds of BILLIONS of stars) that have only been seen by a few (if any) human eyes. After taking a simple 3-5 minute tutorial, you are charged with a simple but awe inspiring task. You will be shown an image of a real unclassified galaxy in our universe, you need to click a button for spiral galaxy (and which way it's spinning), elliptical galaxy (round but not spiral arms), or something else (a star, a satellite in the telescopes view, alien starship, etc.). I keep finding myself going back there again and again, but it makes me feel like some kind of meat computer.

Do you Buntu?

While I've gotten around to updating my blog, I wanted to mention my successful transition to Ubuntu Linux. For those of you dreading the upgrade to Vista and are of an experimental nature, I highly recommend giving Ubuntu a try. It's becoming the most prime-time ready "distribution" (expert collection of open-source programs/utilities/extras) out there. Personally, I went with the UbuntuStudio, which includes a bunch of audio/video/art based applications. However, the most important thing to understand is that the software is FREE (well, the developers would probably like you to know that it's not free, it's "donor supported"). Regardless, I've been using Linux now for about 4 months and I'm very happy with the outcome. Dare I say that I'm actually having a lot of fun with it. I still have Windows XP set-up, all I have to do is restart and select Windows XP, though truthfully I can do everything I need to do on Linux and not have to worry about the vast majority of the bugs/security hole and just bloated inefficiencies of Windows. Ubuntu tells me when updates are necessary and it does so without having to restart the computer, or even stop what I'm doing, aside from clicking "install updates" and my password.

On top of all this, it looks great, has the cool 3D desktop effects (wobbly windows, burning, shimmering, shrinking menus, etc.). I love Linux, and I like that it's empowering this entrepreneurial instinct in me, showing me how to turn a computer into a server, media workstation, cross-platform device, and I can even see myself creating some unique Linux powered devices someday. Finally, there is a massive built in repository of additional sowtware to play around with, anything from children's edutainment to complex physics/chemistry/mathematics simulators. All for free, including future upgrades.

Letter to a Senator

If you've ever been told to write to your congressional representatives, the time to do it is NOW. Our government is becoming more and more independent of the will of the American people, in effect creating a new class of elites that work with the corporations and interest groups to make decision for you that may really affect your lives. Get angry and do something. With no further ado, here's my letter to Senator Ben Nelson (D) - Nebraska, after he voted against de-funding America's #1 scumbag, Vice President Dick "The Dick" Cheney. You can read about the story here.

Stand up to the Vice President’s office!

Your inability to use your authority to pressure this secretive and corrupt VP is, to put it lightly, disappointing. The only way that this administration will comply with the will of the Congress, as elected representatives of the citizens of the United States is to apply the “power of the purse”.

By standing idly by and rubber-stamping this administration’s ridiculous and questionable expenditures, you are personally responsible for creating even more doubt and disapproval from the American people. This administration needs to be heeled in, like an aggressive and out of control dog. By failing to call the Vice President on the ridiculous idea that he is a separate entity from the Executive branch is nothing short of dereliction of duty.

I, like many Americans this decade, have been forced to have a dead reckoning with the political process in this country and can no longer care about your years of patriotic service, your length of Congressional tenure, who you are, were and what you’ve done for us in the past. Today, you failed the American people. You stepped carelessly aside at your post as a sentry at the gates to the Congressional treasury.

I know that some people may have seen this attempt to de-fund the VP’s office as a cheap news headline ploy, but the venom and bile that Americans feel for this man and his shadowy, back-room operation requires dramatic action.

I can only hope that your inaction on this issue was because of a principled stance that hopes elevate political discourse in the country in spite of your opponents’ ruthless attempts to nickel and dime the political process until the American people are so frustrated and lost in the mess of national politics that they just tune out.

Please for the sake of the republic that we all cherish, stand at your post, speak out against this administration and this pointless war. Expose the wasteful expenses and unsustainable policy of this entire government. Let history remember you for taking a stand for true American values and against the status quo.

[my contact info]
Los Angeles, CA