The Kids Are Alright

For the hundredth time this month, it feels like, I saw someone around my age posting a meme praising Generation X for being "the last great generation" - apparently "before all these sissies were born". That set me to thinking.

Yeah, us Gen Xers.... we're tough, but for all the wrong reasons.

Thoughts on Forgiveness

I've come to wonder why there is such a powerful emphasis on forgiving those who hurt us in modern society?

The answer, naturally, is religion - specifically Christianity, which places a disproportionate burden on the individual to forgive all transgressions committed against them, no matter what they were, or how much they were hurt by them.

These are my thoughts on the subject.

The Microsoft Challenge

Has anyone wondered why new computers are always so slow?

It used to be expected of older, physically slower PCs, but these days it's true even of brand new computers.

 

I mean, back in the day - when I first started working as a PC technician back in 1999, I had a 486DX 100mhz with 48mb of RAM using Windows 98 2nd edition, and that was faster than most of the newer PC's I've used since. Such was my expertise back then that I rigged up a live toggle switch to the jumper settings on the board so that - while the PC was running - I could overclock it to 120mhz - play my first-person shooters - and then set it back down to 100mhz again. I even managed to play Heretic and Hexen on it smoothly, and without any trouble. I even built a cooling duct over the CPU and heat sink that ran to a fan at the front of the case to improve cooling and stability, and occasionally augmented that by placing a saucer filled with ice cubes in front of the case so that chilled air would be sucked in!

But then we got newer, faster PCs - with more RAM, bigger multi-core CPUs - and much, much bigger Windows.

The Pride Flag Murder - A Reflection

Last week in California, Laura Ann “Lauri” Carleton, a 66 year old woman was shot dead in cold blood by someone who can only be described as a domestic terrorist who took issue with a rainbow flag displayed outside her business. 

The terrorist in question was named as one Travis Ikeguchi, a slavering and brainwashed devotee of the Trump/MAGA cult.

While this event may appear at first glance to be a simple hate crime, or yet another commonplace shooting incident, one of many that has already taken place across the USA just this year alone, there are actually more facets to this event than initially meet the eye.

OceanGate - A Recipe For Stupid Deaths

The incident with the OceanGate Titan submarine disaster - from beginning to end - reads like a recipe for stupid deaths. 

Think about it: You've got rampant corner-cutting to save costs, use of the wrong materials (carbon fiber instead of steel) to build a deep-ocean submersible in the first place, no back-up systems and reduced safety practices, poor maintenance and industrial safety compliance, lack of oversight or regulation, and pervasive greed and suicidal risk-taking. It's all in there. The only really amazing thing about this is that it took so long for something serious to go wrong. (1, 2, 3)

Port Elizabeth & The Appalling State Of The Place: A Justified Rant

Port Elizabeth - my home town, the city on the southeast coast of South Africa's Eastern Cape province - has long been the mounting cause for concern and anger on the part of many residents - but aside from them, on my part as well.

Does space suck? Find out here!

"Space Sucks!" Space Sucks! Book 1

Does space suck? Find out here!

After an unexpected battle in orbit over a strange planet, the crew of the surviving ship lands to repair their damage. Will the locals welcome them - or try to eat them?

On the border of Terran space, a lone starship on frontier patrol is unexpectedly attacked. How will the rest of their day turn out? Will they miss dinner?

At the very last moment, Earth’s first mission to send a ship to explore a nearby star system, is delayed. A shuttle is on its way to dock – a shuttle bringing an admiral bearing bad news – and the captain of Earth's first starship finds her life – and her career, poised on the edge of the PR department’s knife.

On the other hand, Lance-Corporal Thomas O’Blivion – a newbie to a deep space mining station where the miners have just gone on strike and turned to violence, has no idea how bad his day is about to get!

Lastly, while in the midst of taking revenge (and a second magnum of champers) insurance salesman Eric Sloane is paid a visit by a strange and extraordinary alien (who informs him her name is Catisha), and points out the flaws in his plan.

Launch into space, the future and beyond! Enjoy a humorous look at life in space through the eyes of some colorful characters in this collection of five unique sci-fi tales by Christina Engela, spanning everything from adventure to suspense to comedy and then back again!

Narrated by: Jennifer Pratt, Published by Peever Publishing

Read more: https://wp.me/PcoTxI-1Yw