Random Pwnsauce: 2016

Monday, September 26, 2016

Let Gary Debate

This post is slightly out of place in this blog, but I don't really have a better place for it. I want to show my support of having 3rd party candidates in debates. To me, the more perspectives the better. There is so much more one could say on this topic, but the short of it is, let Gary debate. (if Jill wants to debate that's cool too)

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

My own country 1

I still sometimes say daydream about making my own country.

So much so, I might start a small series on it. A lot of it involves a lot of central planning, something I am generally quite opposed to, unless it's me doing the planning. But it's useful for creating benefit that otherwise would not exist.

For example the design of airports benefit those that design the airport the most. As travels generally don't have much choice in airport. But a centrally planned airport could focus on benefiting everyone involved. I'm thinking a airport that has a small hotel and sleeping pods in the airport. So simple, but only a few airports have it. In addition the airport should be accessible via light rail. Another idea of mine is a computer lab with computers designed to play games. I have been trapped in an airport with nothing to do and I think computer games could be ideal here.

Thursday, August 11, 2016

universal basic income

So today on NPR I heard the term universal basic income used. I was so happy I thought I would share part of a paper that I wrote that mentions it. Enjoy!

I believe that financial independence is an important part of life. If we lack sufficient material wealth, many aspects of life become more difficult. It is difficult to achieve our greatest potential if we are worried about what we will eat the next day. I also think it is rewarding to help others who are facing these concerns. I believe that people have a fundamental right to life. Some people may not be able to provide this right for themselves and it is duty for others to aid them in this. As a citizen of the world, this responsibility comes in part to me, not to solve the world's problems, but to do my share.

My views have not always been this way. Time and other significant life experiences have shaped my view of my responsibility. One significant life experience was when I was a missionary. When I served, I noticed that sometimes families that were suffering financially had trouble understanding gospel principles. In these experiences, I learned that having basic necessities is important in order to understand more important things, like our purpose in life. Maslow’s hierarchy, while not empirically proven, influenced me as well; if our basic needs are not met, achieving self-actualization is not possible.

When I was younger, I thought that government involvement was generally a bad thing and the private sector can operate more efficiently than government. As I got older, I realized that the private sector doesn’t help those that need help the most, but rather helps those most able to pay for it. With age, I also began to understand the writing of the foundering fathers differently. The Declaration of Independence asserts that people have inalienable rights; one of these is the very fundamental right to life. In a modern context, I believe this has a few implications. One is that all citizens of the United States have a right to health care. Children are sometimes, through no one's fault, born with medical conditions. These children still have a right to life, despite the circumstances in which they were born. In my youth, I did not think about these people; after all, supporting them would be a burden on me. I have learned from Christ that we must bear one another's burdens.

About a year ago, I was introduced to the concept of universal basic income. The basic premise is that everyone is entitled to a basic level of income. This is different from welfare because of its universal nature. This income is not contingent on anything; rich or poor, you qualify for this income. This removes the incentive for people on welfare to not work as they might lose their welfare. Initially, when I participated in the universal basic income movement, I just did so for the free money. However, as time when on, I saw that this was a powerful solution to helping those in need. It is crazy that in a nation like the United States, children go to bed hungry. The idea of universal basic income helps solve this, while avoiding the problems of incentivizing laziness.

Sunday, August 7, 2016

Chapter 1

Harry soon found himself in a world that was totally unfamiliar, yet oddly, it felt as if he had been there before, as if this were the reality he was always meant to be a part of. “ahem”, harry said, “I thought we were stopping with all this metaphysical nonsense.” The mushroom nodded in agreement, as it began to hop away with harry still on it.

“Where are you going?” Harry asked, with panic in his voice. “Where are you taking all this?” He asked again with a bit more conviction. The mushroom did not reply. Harry looked around as the mushroom hopped. “This place is very strange” Harry thought to himself. “Is it really thinking to myself if you announced to the whole world?” Harry inquired. “ Hush Hush” I responded, “we aren’t supposed to be talking like this.”

In the distance, Harry saw what he thought were large pigs. One of them seemed to have a red ribbon tied around its chest. Harry was confused by this. “Why does the pig have a ribbon?” Harry questioned. Harry was about to be even more surprised as one of the pigs seemed to be in a full set of plate mail made specifically for a pig. “Is that…? I can’t even…” Harry thought as he approached the armored pig. The Pig began running and jumping towards Harry and the mushroom. Harry was worried. The Mushroom was headed to a blue portal just past the armored pig. Harry’s mind raced as he worried both about the menacing pig and the eerie portal.

The Pig took a leap towards Harry. Harry, helpless, panicked as the pig’s body hit Harry. Harry’s body flashed in anguish and blue arabic numbers bubbled out of his chest and floated into the air, quantifying the pain harry felt. Before Harry could take it all in, the mushroom was on top of the blue portal. The world whirled around Harry in an eerily familiar whirlwind of colors. Harry found himself in a new place, like where he was moments ago, but simply more right than before.

The mushroom quickened its pace. The hops were faster and longer. Seemingly two dimensional scenery whizzed past Harry’s head. Harry’s eye peered ahead at the road. It appeared the mushroom was headed towards a cliff. “Ummm” Harry ummmed, as the cliff got closer. “I think we shouldn’t’ dothatohpleasedon’t” Harry kind of said/yelled as the mushroom jumped off the cliff. Harry closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he saw clouds surrounding him on all sides. As he looked more carefully he realized he was on a seemingly floating platform. Harry was momentarily comforted not to be dead; however, he began to worry again as he was on a floating platform. The mushroom bucked harry off. Harry, surprised at this, fell off on to the floating ground. “Wait” Harry said, “Where are you going?” The mushroom gave harry a look as if to say, “You will see.” Harry observed his surroundings. He thought he perhaps heard a town nearby.

Saturday, June 25, 2016

Story series: the Prologue

Once upon a time, there was a young wizard boy named Harry Pooter. He was named this, because I had a typo, and I was too lazy to fix it. Harry lived in a cupboard above the stairs with his niece and nephew. They were very kind people, and had extreme magical powers. They all enjoyed playing maplestory together as a family. It turns out, Harry’s parents were quite poor before they decided to sell him into slavery. Harry was fortunate enough to be taken in by his thoughtful Niece and Nephew ( both of whom were much older than harry mind you).

One day, harry was waiting for his girlfriend to wake up from her nap. Harry wanted to play a video game; however, the internet was not working at his apartment ( Harry moved away for school). Harry wondered what he should do. “uuuuugh” Harry thought, as he sat on the couch. “Why doesn’t the internet work!” his mind yelled in anguish.

Time passed, and his mind went blank as he stared at the wall, totally at a loss as to what he should do.

…

A giant mushroom appeared; it had a majestic green hat ( you know, the top of the mushroom, not like a baseball cap). It must have been nearly 2 yards in diameter, and stared at harry in all its mushroomy glory. The mushroom beamed with uncharacteristic happiness (most mushrooms aren’t this happy as you probably know). Although it didn’t talk, the mushroom’s face seemed to say, climb aboard harry. Harry was a bit frazzled. What if his girlfriend woke up while he was gone? Speaking of which, why did the large mushroom not cause her to awaken in the first place? As Harry sat, lost in his chain of thought, the mushroom gently bumped into him, as if to say, “would you please hurry this up.” Harry snapped back to reality . Or, well… something somewhat similar to reality. Like reality with giant mushrooms and wizards. Now that I think about it, maybe that is reality, and the boring non-wizard mushroomless life we think is real is just a game. Food for thought.

…

“Mister narrator, isn’t it time we got back to the actual story” Harry said.

“woah, woah, woah, I replied, the characters aren’t allowed to break the fourth wall” I replied.

“But I am bored of listening to you as you consider whether or not Maplestory is real life. Besides, this mushroom is starting to give me a strange look”

Harry was right, the mushroom was indeed giving him a strange look. Harry, in fear, jumped aboard the back of the mushroom. And by jumped, I mean climbed, as the mushroom was about a foot taller than him. Suddenly, the world whirled around him, colors flashed, red, blue, purple, yellow, white, then everything turned to black, as if it were some kind of cosmic loading screen.

…