I fold@home

Well, the latest and greatest news story to come out of the gaming world really has nothing to do with video games whatsoever. Regardless of where you go for your gaming news and information, fanboys in all three corners of the gaming universe (PS3, 360, and Wii) do nothing but attempt to pick apart the other consoles with nothing more than child-like sayings and insults. Sony’s Playstation 3 has taken a serious beating due to its slow start out of the gate and seemingly lack of games to pick up (that’s a whole other can of worms I won’t get into yet).

But, it appears that Sony may have struck gold with their most recent firmware update (v. 1.6) to the PS3 which allows for such things as background downloading, the option to have the console run the disc upon initial start-up, and many other things. Most of these things are pretty much no-brainers that the competition already has (leaving a few less things for the fanboys to talk about). But, did I forget to mention that the update also allows your PS3 to help find a cure for cancer? Oh, but it’s true!

There are many research groups out there who have programs that take advantage of the sheer power than most computers offer these days that tends to be wasted on Myspace and instant messenging. Seti@home, World Community Grid, and the BBC Climate Change Experiment (just to name a few) are some of the many programs out there that make full use of the raw processing power of the modern CPU and whatnot. Personally, I’ve installed and ran all three of my examples, although I’m only currently running the first two using the Boinc client.

So, what is the PS3 doing? It’s running a little program for some cancer research referred to by anyone paying attention as Folding@Home. Why would anyone want to waste their time creating a program that could run the Folding@home simulation on the PS3? Well, I don’t understand the technical mumbo-jumbo, but the PS3s Cell processor gives it the unparalleled ability to do things that could only be previously done on supercomputers (according to the PS3 FAQ).

Of course, fanboys being fanboys, some people just can’t seem to accept this new PS3 feature as a good thing and leave it alone. Apparently, some people don’t realize not everyone sits in front of their tv playing video games (some of us just sit in front of our computer monitors and blog), so we can afford to let our gaming machines fold some protein for the betterment of mankind.

If you haven’t already figured it, I, too, fold@home.

Ann Coulter is just making it too easy

I have a hard time understanding how people can enjoy extremism. Oh, sure, it’s fun to see, watch, and listen to when it’s supporting your “side.” Who doesn’t like hearing the other guy getting verbally smacked around and made fun of? I certainly do, but only to an extent: only in comedy/satire situations.

The Michael Moores and the Ann Coulters of the world just need to go away. They have no place in mainstream politics. They do nothing but incite the other side into saying and doing things that are counter-productive.

Ok, I admit, I’ve seen a few of Moore’s movies. But, unlike some (some meaning many) people, I don’t get wood from listening to what he, and other people like him (from both sides of the political aisle) has to say. Yeah, he and people like him (yes, that even includes Ann Coulter) can point out some interesting things that might make you go “Hmmmm, now why is that?” or “Hmmm, that just isn’t right!” But, I don’t pray at his or anyone else’s alter…well, other than Jon Stewart’s.

Which brings me back to Ann Coulter. I think we all know I hate Ann Coulter. She’s a…well, I’ve always been told if I don’t have anything nice to say…she’s not a nice person. I’ve had the “pleasure” of seeing speak in person and it was downright scary. She twists and manipulates facts like any good political nut job could, should, and would. I’ve seen and heard her point out blatantly false statements and then watched the majority of the crowd give her an ovation (they tend not to be too bright, ya know). Quite honestly, it was a scary, scary, scary sight. One I do not care to be a part of agains

So, what did she do this time? Oh, you know, the usual: bash liberals and liberalism (you know, the idea and philosophy that tells society it’s ok for her not to be slaving away in a kitchen all day), suck off the conservative right, and called John Edwards a “faggot.” Yeah, oops. How’d that one work out for ya, Ann?

The truly disturbing thing coming out of all of this is not the spin doctors (no, not the band) trying to lessen the backlash by explaining it away, but the apologists trying to tell us it was ok for her to do that.

I’ve read some columns where there has been at least some support, if not total support, of her comments. Basically, it seems that it’s ok for Ann to use the word “faggot” because these columnists know gay people who use the term. Right, that must mean it’s ok for white people to throw around the word “nigger” because they hear rappers and blacks on the street tossing it around like a baseball.

The problem with Ann Coulter, and people like her, is that far too many people tolerate her blatant hate-spewing rhetoric. Far too many people actually enjoy and AGREE with what she says. And that speaks volumes about our society and far we still have to go.

If I were to really tell you how I felt and thought about Ms. Coulter, I’d be no better than her. Will that thought ever stop me? Probably not. I have the urge to rage now-and-then and I’ve certainly let the bad thoughts slip out…completely. But is it alright, in my mind, when I do that, based on what she does on a regular basis? Nope. I’m just adding more fuel to the fire, if you ask me.

She just makes it way too easy to attack. I think she really enjoys being the center of attention, positive or negative, and that’s kind of scary. Someone who is as much of a public figure as her shouldn’t be breaking out with inflammatory and hateful remarks/comments. But, she does anyway, and it just sells her books.

The Greenest of the Green Buildings in America

There is a growing trend towards making buildings environmentally friendly. Why? Companies are beginning to realize that by “going green” they’ll actually save money while also getting that warm, fuzzy feeling. Not only that, but it also looks good if your company is looking to attract young talent (let’s face it, if you’re in your 20’s or 30’s and you had to choose between working for Company A or Company B which were completely identical in every manner including pay and benefits but Company B had a LEED certified building, you’d probably pick Company B).

Not only do these companies save money in utility costs, but they also tend to raise the overall value of the building. For example (and this is from the article), the California Environmental Protection Agency spent $500,000 to upgrade one of its buildings. Because of those upgrades, they are saving over $600,000 a year in utilities and, oh by the way, the building’s value increased by $12 million. Not a bad investment.

I’ve argued with a person or two before about whether or not it was worth the costs to green up a building and this is just more ammo to shoot down their argument against the expenditure.

It’s worth it.

More on LEED Certification at: U.S. Green Building Council 

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RIAA gets a taste of its own medicine

In the last week of January, a teenager in New York decided to fight back against the RIAA and their scatter-shot approach to dealing with music sharing.

Robert Santangelo’s counter-suit has several points of defense, including denying ever having used P2P technology, that the statute of limitations in his alleged downloading spree has passed, and that the music he allegedly downloaded is already owned, CD, by his sister. His suit also claims that the recording companies are violating anti-trust laws as well as defrauding the U.S. courts.

Santangelo’s case, as well as many others, raises the point of how nearly impossible it can be for the RIAA to pinpoint, let alone prove, who has what IP address at any given time. Their cases are based solely on the information of IP addresses provided by the internet company (normally only after that information has been subpoenaed). Given the fact that IP addresses are constantly changing “owners” as well as the fact that decent internet security through a router tends to mask each individual computer’s IP address, it’s becoming more and more difficult for the RIAA and its lawyers to prove their cases against the average Joe.

There needs to be more people willing to fight back against the RIAA and their mass lawsuits since the courts are beginning to give the RIAA less leeway as well as taking back the benefit of the doubt they had been so graciously given.

Hopefully, in time, as the RIAA is shown to be inept and unable to build strong cases against alleged piraters, they’ll think about revamping their archaic corporate infrastructure. Including, but certainly not limited to, giving the artists the majority of the profits they’ve worked hard for.

Until then, boycott the RIAA and support music and bands signed under independent labels (check here to see what’s what) or are just unsigned and avoid buying albums released by labels that are a part of the RIAA.

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What’s Wrong With Evangelical Christians and Why Are We Destroying America?

An evangelical Christian’s thought-provoking critique of his own faith and the public figures within that faith.

It’s a good amount of reading, so go grab yourself a glass of water, wine, juice, whatever, get yourself comfortable and be prepared to read intelligent and insightful thoughts and comments (a rarity on the internet, let alone in this world, I know).

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