Software and Life After Death

As a computer programmer, the software I create is the closest realization I will ever have of life after death.  The digital instructions executed by the computer processor become a reified representation of a thought, a wish, or a concept that once existed in my mind.  A small part of human consciousness transcends its biological origins  and instead becomes animated by microscopic circuitry.  This stream of consciousness reacquaints with the human mind as the future end-user interacts with the program and comprehends the meaning behind the symbols presented by the software.

 One may think the same phenomenon occurs with film, books or pictures, but these offerings of one-way media are lifeless artifacts that can only preserve an immutable arrangement of symbols.  Software achieves greater conveyance of sentience because software is capable of a bilateral interaction with the physical world.  Input mechanisms such as keyboards or even cameras inform the software of events in the outside world.  The software interprets the meaning of these events and decides on an appropriate response.  Of course, the computer itself is a stupid machine, it cannot decide on anything.  It is the conscious thought of the programmer embedded in the software code that provides the knowledge to achieve a desired result.  Long after the programmer's death, the software will continue to interpret reality and leave impressions on human minds.  As an organism who faces certain death and does not subscribe to metaphysical fictions like Souls and Heavens, my only chance of persisting my consciousness in an animated form is software.

Software that is useless will not likely be remembered long after the programmer's death.  To become immortal one must become desirable.  Certainly the code running PacMan, Fortran or Bash will be executed for a long time to come.

Emulation and virtualization software are allowing people of all ages to resurrect old video game classics such as Legend of Zelda, Zork, and Wolfenstein3d.  Instructions written in high-level interpreted programming languages further extend the usability of the software long after the original hardware architecture is obsolete.

Two hundred years from now, after the deaths of Shigeru Miyamoto, John Carmack, Sid Meier and Linus Torvalds, their souls may not be with Saint Peter, but their software creations will continue on.
--Jae F. Muzzin

Free To Distribute Skateboard Instruction Video

A great series of beginner skateboarding tutorial videos.  They are free to redistribute for non-profit purposes and available in full length on youtube.   There are seven chapters in the video series.

Watch Free Movies on the Internet (Legally)

The best things in life are free, and so should be movies.  Why not kick back and watch a free public domain or creative commons licensed movie on youtube tonight?  Here are two ways to find public domain movies on youtube:

• Click on the Filter button underneath the Search box and select "Creative Commons" under Features list.  Select "Long" under Duration.  Type in some specific key words like "Sci Fi" or just "Movie" will bring up lots of results.
• Include the term (be sure to include the quotes) "public domain" in your youtube searches.

My most reliable phone friends: the harassing collectors of the predatory lenders

I almost feel like I have no friends and no one ever calls me, but I can always count on Adam from ARO Credit recovery, Bill from CBL Collections, the sweet anonymous woman who leaves me recorded messages every day asking to quickly return the call to her 877 number, and the 10 or so other creditors who call to talk with me everyday. I try to have a meaningful relationship with these people but they can't seem to let go of a grudge. Theyre the kind of friends who are always going on about me owing them this or that.
I didn't end up in this situation because of irresponsibility. I didn't shy away from social obligations, I consciously turned my back on the entire consumer credit system after my house value crashed and I was unable to sell it for more than I owed. I had already given the mortgager (RBC) $22,000 in interest alone, and I was tired of giving all my money away to a bunch of fat cats. Instead of selling at a loss, I told the bank to take the damn house and since my credit would be ruined anyway, I also walked away from all my credit cards, furnace loan, utility accounts, and a $3000 municipal tax bill. My goal was to negate any profit my creditors made off me in interest and generally thwart them in anyway.
That was two years ago, and since they've been paying poor suckers to call me everyday, further increasing the cost of their loans to me, and they will never see a dime. Living off cash is liberating but precarious. But I've never regretted this because having to live within your means brings interesting challenges to an otherwise humdrum life of work and consumption. And some months I'm really low on cash, having less than $10 in your bank account never feels good. But now zero is actually zero, and when I do get paid the money is ALL mine. I was forced to develop the skills of forethought and preparation, because mastercard aint gonna bail me out no more. 

Money Saving Tip: Join a Food Cooperative

Look up a local food cooperative or CSA and buy in-season produce.  Other alternatives are roadside stands or farmers market, but that will be more expensive.

This summer I joined Locally Germinated CSA http://locallygerminated.wordpress.com/about/ it was $300 for the year.  That works out to $15 a week for enough produce for 2 people.  Here is what you get

• In June baskets will have – Lettuce, Snow Peas, Snap Peas, Radishes, Garlic Scapes, and more.
• In July – Beans, Garlic, Summer Squash, Broccoli, Cabbage, and more.
• In August – Tomatoes, Sweet Peppers, Basil, Eggplant, Cucumbers, Melons, and more.
• In September – Beans, Summer Squash, Winter Squash, Kale, Onions, and more.
• In October – Cauliflower, Beets, Turnips, Brussel Sprouts, Sunchokes, Leeks, and more.

 

Money Saving Tip: How to Save Money on Groceries

When you have to go grocery shopping, don't go to one store.  Go to every store in the area.  Only buy things that are on sale.  Your usual fare not on sale this week?  Good time to try a new recipe.  Buying produce on sale means you have to use it quickly.  If you can't eat it all in time, peel it, chop it, freeze it.

When you find a good sale, stock up.  Certain grocery stores have 50% off stickers that go on after the usual sales, concentrate on these.  Organic items almost always go on sale sooner or later because it doesn't move as fast as the usual stuff (milk especially).

Following this strategy should save you at least 30-40% of your grocery bill.  You'll really notice the shrinking grocery bill once you're stocked up on for-sale items and you're no longer paying high prices for common items.