Date: May 31, 2010
People arrive, and people pass on…
Though I don’t always find it easy to express on a personal level…
…You were my friend…
I appreciate you, and will remember you with a sense of loss…yet, fond memories.
Date: May 31, 2010
“The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is urging a federal judge to dismiss Facebook’s claims that criminal law is violated when its users opt for an add-on service that helps them aggregate their information from a variety of social networking sites.”
“Power Ventures makes a web-based tool that users can set up to log into their multiple social networking accounts and aggregate messages, friend lists, and other data so they can see all the information in one place. In a lawsuit against Power Ventures, Facebook claims that Power’s tool violates criminal law because Facebook’s terms of service ban users from accessing their information through “automatic means.”
“But the risk for users is even broader. If any violation of terms of use is criminal, users who shave a few years off their age in their profile, claim to be single when they are married, or change jobs or addresses without updating Facebook right away would also have violated the criminal law.”
As a personal comment…
…It has not gone unnoticed, by me, how some of these big name, “social networking” websites, have been going off the deep end, when it comes to interpreting their own terms of service…and who they will discriminate against.
“MySpace” went bonkers, a year or so back…wanting to sterilize their site of all “sexual predators” [whatever that means, to them]…turning it into this big drama, and threatening people [potential “sexual predators”, by whatever definition], should they not give accurate information on themselves…and even turning people over to law enforcement, for just having an account with them.
Now, Facebook wants to make a big deal, out of what sounds like a complete non-issue.
Some people want to access [and, I guess, edit] Facebook information [personal, profile stuff, messages, etc.], using a third party client of some sort.
With the explosion of so many different networking, blogging, website, etc, options…it is no wonder, that people want to simplify their web activities [as opposed to loading up multiple websites, and entering in many passwords]. I’ve seen the clamoring, for these kinds of solutions, where in you subscribe to RSS feeds, or something of that nature…and content from sites you keep track of, are automatically brought to you.
If one could combine that, with the ability to mesh together this content into one, cohesive page…anyone could have their own, tailored websites, and cover all their favorite basis, in one, simple visit.
So what, if someone is accessing their own account information, through a third party client? If they are doing nothing malicious, then what is the problem?
How does it become “criminal”, in any sane manner?
If you ask me, there are way to many self appointed, “guardians of morality” online…and allowing for anyone to perform these kinds of mental gymnastics, just so they can call an innocuous activity “criminal”, sets one of the worst kinds of precedent, imaginable.
Date: May 28, 2010
Has it finally been proven, that “god” is not needed at all, to begin life?
They just created, a man made, synthetic, living cell…which reproduces itself.
Synthetic Life Becomes Reality
This is fascinating…
What are the implications?…
This wont be a death blow to religion, that much is for sure…because far to many religious people, are unwilling to believe science…especially when it conflicts with the bible, koran…or, whatever mystical text they believe in.
…But, from a practical, rational standpoint…does this finally “kill god”?
Has the mountain of persuasive data finally overwhelmed, any presumed justification for holding onto a belief in “god”?
Personally, I arrived at this conclusion years ago…and “the case for god” has just kept getting, more and more abysmal…with every passing year…
Man is creating new life…
…Maybe, man is “god” now?…
…and maybe, the whole idea of “god”, isn’t really so critical?
Date: May 26, 2010
Why do people [even some atheists] have such a problem, when it is pointed out that “atheist” literally means “non-theist”…
…and by default, this makes all humans atheists, at least initially?
Even according to the bible, we are “born wicked, and without god”…
…is that not atheist enough, by christian standards?
I’ve noticed, even some atheists objecting, whenever it is suggested that children are naturally atheist [that is, “non-theistic”].
If one does not have the capacity to understand even the concept of “god”…then how does one believe in “god”?
…How does one, who lacks the capacity to understand, adhere to theistic lore, dogma and doctrines?
How can they be anything, except, non-theistic, when it comes to this question?
It is not offensive, to state the obvious…
…I think, the problem here, is that people are stereotyping atheists…and think of us as little more, than complete jerks who are making fun of religions, and their “god” characters.
Of course, young children are not those obnoxious kinds of atheist.
….and I don’t believe that is what is being said, or implied…but, it is how many people are interpreting it.
It is not a badge of dishonor, to be an atheist…
…and I think, we should stop feeling as though we need to apologise, or make allowance, for the “ass hole element” amongst us.
Children are atheists…They can be born no other way.
They have to be trained, in order to become a theist.
If you think I am wrong, then please, explain your reasoning.
…but, children do not pop out of the womb, with knowledge of religion…This makes them a non-theist.
It is natural…This is the natural state of being.
It is true, yes…they don’t believe in, or stand for, anything at all…except wanting to be fed, held, changed, etc…
…but, guess what?…
Being an atheist [non-theist], is merely a question of your disposition towards religion…and nothing else…
All these other things implied, about “what it means to be an atheist”, are rubbish…and often bigoted.
If anyone gets offended, when children are acknowledged as naturally atheist, by default…then they do not understand atheism.
Date: May 25, 2010
It starts off promising…warning that we might not be able to understand [because it’s complicated math].
01) EVOLUTION DEBUNKED IN LESS THAN 10 MINUTES
I have to agree with one of the other commentators…
I knew something was fatally flawed with this video, immediately after he says, “evolution claims there was 1 male and 1 female (2 humans), as the original species”…
Firstly, evolution claims no such thing.
Secondly, how do you draw that line of distinction, as to where this so called, “original species” begins?
Thirdly, why would anyone suggest, that a “new” species would evolve onto the scene, “in twos”?
That just seems very weird…There likely would have been many, many such life forms, developing together in different areas and climates.
So, the premise is…humans could not even be 500,000 years old, as a species…because population doubling only happens every 150 years…and there aren’t enough humans on the planet, to qualify such a claim?…
…and it took 450 years, to get 16 people?!…
This is comedy!…Isn’t it?…
You’re aiming to be the next Ray Comfort spoof!…
…Aren’t you, TruthfulChristian?… 🙂
Homosapiens were never known to live much over 100 years, even in the best of conditions…In harsher times, 50 years was about it…Often less.
Truth be told, your “original two” would not have lived long enough, to see grandchildren…and the offspring of your “original two”, would not have lived long enough to have their own children…
The species would have died, by your model…and rather quickly…
You know, TruthfulChristian…You even sound like Ray Comfort…
…You’re not his kid, are you?… 😛
I love how another person takes that very same equation, and applies it to 6000 years [the human history claimed by the bible]…and comes up with two thousand billion…
“Where is everybody?!?”, indeed…
You know…
…When I was a teen, I never did that sort of thing…
I generally was quiet, and attentive…I listened, and learned…
I didn’t spend my time, to busy telling everyone how everything works, “because I already knew all the answers, so why bother with anything else?”….
I think, that was a strength…and a character virtue.
Often times, the most wise amongst us remains quiet…because he is so busy learning from both experience, and the truly educated minds.
Don’t cheat yourself, by thinking that “you already know how the world works”…or, “you already know all you need to know about anything”…
We are all ignorant…every single one of us…
What we can understand in a lifetime, is minuscule…
In understanding this, we are better able to overcome our ignorance, in some issues…and learn enough to get by in life, without putting our foot in our mouth, to often.
Don’t be afraid, to learn things outside the pages of the bible, TruthfulChristian.
You will find most truth there…in this world we live in.
Date: May 24, 2010
I’d like to direct your attention to the “Send Me a PM” link, above.
For a long time, I’ve wanted to incorporate an IM into my blog[s]…and a live chat room, also…but, I know of the paranoia level, and many people hate it, when you force their browser to load up a bunch of scripts, prior to their consent…They don’t like being forced to download content, from other sites, when they aren’t even familiar with said site.
This is understandable…and my compromise, is in placing such scripts on their own page, as opposed to the main page.
I’ve set up a chat room, but…I’m holding off on releasing this…and it will be private, anyway.
I want to make sure, that the message history clears out, and is not permanent…as that would be a security concern.
On a side note, this has been a problem I’ve tended to run into, when searching for a good chat room service…No easy feature, to clear out the room messages. It seems like a very common sense thing to have, and yet…the services I’ve checked out, typically don’t have it…or, there is something else about the service, that poses a concern…So, I go looking elsewhere.
No matter…If we finally get a community chat room, great…if not…
All the best…
Steve Diamond
Date: May 23, 2010
Newgon Post:
Once upon a time…
…There was a man named Fred, who was sexually attracted to iguanas.
Fred came online, and promptly joined a chat room for iguana lovers. He soon became mortified, to discover that many of his buddies were coming up missing, as time went by.
One day, out of the blue, Fred stumbled across a chatter named “Iguana13”, and he struck up a conversation.
Fred was shocked to learn, that “Iguana13”, was a thirteen year old iguana, that had learned to think deeply, read and type…and he/she was very horny [and clad in edible, skin tight, hot pink leather].
Fred just knew, there was something not right here…after all, reptiles only “talk” in the bible and other fantasy novels [ie: dragons]…not on the internet!
After some time, one of Fred’s old buddies resurfaced, under a different name…and in a private message, he warned Fred about “Iguana13”.
As it were, many inhabitants of this chat room were being terrorized by “Iguana13”, and his/her buddies. Because Fred’s friends wanted to believe in the fantasy of a “hot n horny iguana looking for them online”, and disregard common sense and all the dangers…they foolishly gave out their identity, in hopes of meeting some place.
Soon after, their names, general descriptions, phone numbers, addresses, and pictures of their faces, started showing up on a website…complete with transcripts of their private conversations, with “Iguana13”.
“Iguana13”, and his/her buddies, were calling their phone numbers endlessly, leaving threatening messages…They were posting fliers in communities, calling local cops to “report” them, and even informing the employers of these guys [in hopes that they get fired, or further harassed at their place of work]…They were holding prisoner, and habitually tormenting, Fred’s friends.
Fred got mad…This was not right!
Regardless of what anyone thought about sexual proclivities towards iguanas, people like “Iguana13” should never be allowed to have anything to do with policing it.
“Iguana13”, and his/her buddies, were fanatics…and not only that, they were people who held a sinister relishing, for the cruel tormenting of other humans…They were sociopaths, fulfilling a personal fetish…Iguana Lovers, were only a convenient means to an end…People “nobody” cared about, so they were easy targets with little, to no, consequences.
Fred decided to fight back, by finding out as much information about this group of online terrorists…including, what chat rooms they frequented, when hunting for new victims.
Fred wrote an expose, and put it on a website…he then started hanging out in chat rooms, where “Iguana13”, and his/her buddies, were known to hunt and entrap.
Whenever Fred arrived, he would private message everyone in the room, with a very brief message…
“Hello. Please be aware, a group of online terrorists are known to frequent this room, and hunt for victims by entrapment. Primary mode of entrapment, includes pretending to be a “hot n horny iguana”, who is willing to have sex with you. Please educate yourself further here: http://www.FredsExposeSiteHere.com [Not a Real Site]”
Fred would also private message this same thing, to everyone who entered the room, during his time there.
Fred was on a mission, to throw a monkey wrench into what those online terrorists were doing, and how they were destroying people’s lives…So, he started dedicating a few hours a day, to doing just that…and as more people became aware, they joined in…until there were enough volunteers, to keep all the rooms inhabited by at least one person, 24 hours a day.
There was no longer any chance, that people would walk onto the scene, and remain completely naive about what was going on, in those chat rooms. People who were about to make a terrible mistake, were diverted, educated [and perhaps shown a better way, to deal with their iguana loving]…and just as importantly, the life blood of those online terrorists has been dried up [with the exception of those, who are just to stubborn to help].
While Fred, and his friends, could not stop every single Iguana Lover from “winning the Darwin Award”…their efforts made a devastating impact, upon what the hateful online terrorists were doing…and in the face of this crippling response, most of these online terrorists became frustrated and gave up…It was no longer easy, and they were being deprived of the “rewards”, which they so relished.
…and the online terrorists, lived sadly ever after…
The End.
While there may be a few out there who miss the point entirely [“Uh Oh!…Better inform Wikisposure, I’m writing about bestiality, yet again!”]…the perceptive mind will quickly understand, what I have just suggested.
I’d like to put forward this thought, for further discussion.
Perverted Justice members [the more rabidly, unbalanced sociopaths], enjoy habitually doing just exactly what “Iguana13” does…and they entrap a lot of naive, internet newbies…to have as their own, living play things, to torment.
Irregardless of what we may think, about the intelligence level of going into online chat rooms, to find illegal sexual companions…I think there are at least two things we should be thinking about…
First, it is this very type of activity, which keeps the sociopath terrorists going…Removing the rewards, would deal a very critical blow, at the core of Perverted Justice…If there is no “pay off”, which those kinds of personalities value [or are looking for], then how long will most of them remain actively employing their current tactics?
…and if they start leaving, then how long will Perverted Justice continue to thrive?
Second, we likely do lose a lot of good people, to what Perverted Justice is doing…and this is primarily do to naivety, on the part of those good people.
They may not be of much use, initially…but once they come out of the fog, educate themselves and find their own footing…many such people can become important voices.
My own, “first few steps along the journey”, were not in places, that most people would put forward as “the most respectable”…I found various newsgroups, in the very beginning…At least one person from Free Spirits, was actively engaging in a sort of “outreach program”, and advertising BoyChat, in some of those newsgroups…I followed the link…and the rest, is a long bit of history.
While I rarely engaged in anything, that could be seen as “legally questionable” [unless you are going by a very broad definition], or even illegal in some jurisdictions…I can tell you, the opportunity to walk straight into trouble, did present itself in front of me, a number of times during those early days…and it was incredibly tempting.
Not to give myself accolades…but, some people do consider me to be a worthwhile presence, today…and I might not be here, if I’d have given a credit card number and accepted any special delivery from the wrong person…or, gone looking for sex with a young looking teen.
Those are not, inherently, the behaviors of bad people…but, to many unwary people, are falling into these kinds of traps…I think, it is hurting us, in the long run, that we set by and do nothing to combat it.
Thoughts?…Pros?…Cons?…Concerns?…
Has anything like this already been tried [the live chat room presence], by another group?…maybe Corrupted Justice?
Of course, the level of dedication would need to be serious…on the same level as a LifeLine volunteer, at least…Otherwise, we would not be as effective.
We’d need to know where Perverted Justice sociopaths hunt and entrap…are there favorite, or preferred rooms?…are these consistently existing rooms, or do they change [like IRC]?
I will admit some ignorance here…as I’ve only read/heard, that they hang out in places like, for instance, Yahoo! chat rooms for teens…I’m not sure what, exact, rooms these are, but I presume some of them have to be well established.
Of course, spending hours of your time in a chat room, just to post these kinds of warnings, is hard on anyone…and it disrupts so much of the rest of your life…but, if there were enough people, to where only an hour, or half hour, a day were required from each person…It would not be so bad.
Anyone hostile towards you, might accuse you of spamming, and try to get you banned.
I don’t know how practical this idea is, but I thought I’d throw it out there for consideration, at the very least.
If we want to start making a critical impact upon Perverted Justice, and their ilk…then we need to start hitting them, where it honestly hurts.
Date: May 22, 2010
…there are just to many freaking options?…
If you ask me…Changing blog hosts, is generally just an awful experience…
Oh, I’m happy to have Blog.com as an option…and I’m happy to be here…
It’s just that, you get your blog just the way you like it…You are accustomed to the features, layouts, etc, of the blog service you’ve been using…You have your custom links, categories and pages all set up, like you want them…and then, something comes out of nowhere and blindsides you…again…
It’s frustrating…
Well, at least my departure from baywords.com, was not caused by malicious vandalism of my blog…unlike another, popular blog service…
There is more than one reason why I left baywords, by the way…and I will elaborate upon that, soon.
I am impressed, that blog.com allows you to have an unlimited number of blogs [not that I want a lot of them], and that each has it’s own media library, apparently…with a 2 GB allowance for content…This might pose some very nice potential, for someone who likes producing media…Hmmm…
By the way, thank you to all who have expressed concern, over the fate of my previous blogging incarnation. It’s not really cause for alarm…baywords.com is having technical difficulties…and the owner(s)/administrator(s) have probably put it on the back burner, since baywords is not a business, but a private project.
Anyway…I need to go to bed, at the moment…So, I shall catch up with you all, soon.
Take care.
Steve
P.S. I just thought I’d share an original music file, I have titled “Cool Ambient”…Sort of a test, of how things work around here.
Date: May 10, 2010
…223,190 Kids Legally Beaten in US Schools…
…223,190 Kids Legally Beaten in US Schools…
…You keep hearing it, over and over…teachers leaving the profession, a reduction in the numbers of people, willing to become teachers…teachers getting into trouble, and having to follow insane rules, because of legal procedure [to safeguard themselves, and the school from being charged/sued]…
Teachers talk about not even touching kids, and all the things they are paranoid over doing…and what all they cannot do…
…but, they can still get away with spanking?
It blows my mind, that this actually happens, anywhere in the public school system, today.
How is it, that this paradox exists?
Date: May 10, 2010
For some reason…
…I’ve always retained this memory, of “Webster” [Emmanuel Lewis], doing a “public service” announcement, aimed at children…where he is directly talking to them, through the camera, and telling them “If any adult touches you and makes you feel funny, go tell another adult [someone you trust]”…
…Typical stuff, for the era…and probably today, too…
Of course, he was…what?…20 years old?…and looked like a six year old…
Never quite sure how I felt about those commercials…Kinda weird, in some regards…creepy, the way they used him, for that purpose…as if he were another child, talking to children…
…I never thought accepting “sex tips” [ie: “run and tell!”] from “Webster”, was all that great a source for advice.
As the years passed by, and I became more sophisticated…I’ve come to view that commercial, in more and more negative ways.
I know…yes, children should be educated about sexual assault…but, “that” just seemed deceptive…manipulative…and it didn’t really even get deep enough, to make good sense.
Our Love Frontier 