tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82663249625580746752024-02-19T03:28:39.331-05:00The Pressure CookerA discourse on economics, politics, food, theatre, and the wondrous thing we call Life.Isaachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04792616956635936671noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266324962558074675.post-38249822997375849352013-08-21T23:43:00.001-04:002013-08-21T23:43:18.912-04:00Goal Setting and Human PsychologyThis evening, I was discussing with my wife the importance of focusing one's energies and setting goals. It occurred to me that goal setting is the most overlooked and most powerful tool for self growth. Studies have shown people who create goals and implement plans to achieve them are vastly more likely to succeed. Proper goal setting is the tool of the homo econimus, rational, self actualizing Isaachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04792616956635936671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266324962558074675.post-14060318466047761782013-08-16T18:42:00.001-04:002013-08-16T18:44:16.701-04:004 Minute Hoax: Investigating Methods of Emotional Manipulation
First, an apology - It's been 8 months since I last posted, and I've had dozens of ideas but never put pen to paper, so to speak. I'm trying to change that now, and getting myself on a new schedule. I was shocked today to look at the dusty dashboard and saw that I've been getting a steady stream of pageviews even without new contents.
So y'all are awesome.
I'm jumping in to this head first, so Isaachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04792616956635936671noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266324962558074675.post-82944926748230275122012-12-03T05:32:00.000-05:002013-08-16T18:42:52.324-04:00Dealing With Debt Insolence
I don't make a point to respond to trolls on the internet, but recently I came across one arguing that the federal government is like a teenager given an allowance, and that it's finally time to stop "paying the irresponsible teenager" for "wasting" the money you've given him. This thoroughly Republican line of attack is aimed at discrediting the government while ignoring that the fundamental Isaachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04792616956635936671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266324962558074675.post-1003996188042356302012-08-31T12:48:00.003-04:002012-08-31T14:33:15.867-04:00Calling the Spade a Spade: Can we stop with the Fear-Mongering?
My father recently forwarded me an email for my consideration - it was excerpted from an article in the Las Vegas Review written by a fellow classmate who claims to "know Obama's master scheme." If you really think about what he says, it's both amusing and frightening - amusing that he get's things so terribly, terribly wrong, and frightening that his threats and fear-mongering are considered Isaachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04792616956635936671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266324962558074675.post-82499555558471190632012-08-06T16:08:00.004-04:002012-08-06T16:08:55.629-04:00Killing My First Raid Boss: Why Forbes Got Their Analysis of Activision Completely Wrong
I grew up shouting spells in D&D instead of chanting "Defense!," playing multiple CCG's [Decipher, you will be missed] instead of collecting baseball cards, and ogling new computer parts instead of cars or bikini-clad models. The desire to "assimilate" all knowledge, the plumbing of rules for synergies and efficiencies, and the concepts of interactive roleplaying play a major role in myIsaachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04792616956635936671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266324962558074675.post-80624458815021871012012-07-18T14:35:00.001-04:002012-07-18T14:47:26.089-04:00Project: Urban Poverty and a Community-Based Solution
Problem:
Inner city Baltimore is characterized as an area of extreme poverty, crime, and a distinct lack of opportunity. More houses are condemned than inhabited, people live far below the poverty line, and many drop out of education and resort to crime due to a lack of other opportunities. Incarceration for minor offenses exacerbates this problem, as even after serving time they are unable toIsaachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04792616956635936671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266324962558074675.post-74173393659740294682012-03-06T13:03:00.000-05:002012-08-31T18:58:51.221-04:00Reimagining Architecture in the Modern Age
As the boys of Monty Python are apt to say: "And Now for Something Completely Different!"
One of the joys of being a cenophile (using the greek root ceno = new, not the latin, though it is applicable for a foodie like me) is encountering new and interesting fields of study and integrating that information into new world constructs.
In college, people often questioned my choice of Economics Isaachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04792616956635936671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266324962558074675.post-77481346182364267172012-03-02T10:38:00.000-05:002012-03-02T15:57:14.762-05:00Neuroeconomics: Introspection on Attention Surplus
Yesterday, I wrote a piece on how modern technology wasn't causing problems by decreasing our attention, but rather with increasing our capacity to handle data in our mundane environment. It occurred to me earlier today that things like meditation aren't about increasing attention, but rather narrowing focus on to a specific set of activities. Actively filtering our experience enables us to pushIsaachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04792616956635936671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266324962558074675.post-72503682178291740912012-03-01T22:02:00.001-05:002012-03-01T22:10:12.412-05:00Results from the Great Experiment
Well, what can I say...
The final results of our first experiment with Free, Good Will, and Marketing for a small business have finally come in. Overall, very few of the free tickets we offered were taken by the two organizations we worked with, and a third declined entirely for political reasons. Nevertheless, they expressed immense gratitude for our desire to give back to the community Isaachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04792616956635936671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266324962558074675.post-27519044077527663772012-03-01T20:23:00.000-05:002012-03-02T15:29:11.632-05:00Surplus in the Attention Economy
A little while back, I decided on a lark to count the various things I was doing simultaneously.
1) paying attention to a man reciting verse aloud
2) folding an item I was using to put it away
3) reciting a prayer by heart
4) scanning the room for an individual I was going to get a ride with
5) composing this list/blogpost
6) calculating the approximate time I would arrive at workIsaachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04792616956635936671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266324962558074675.post-54213186488119406602012-02-29T16:14:00.000-05:002012-02-29T16:14:18.387-05:00An Innovation and an Apology - Feasibly Fixing the Patent SystemSorry I've been out the past couple weeks - real life has been a bit... hectic. I'm working on rebalancing my obligations, so while I might not post quite so frequently anymore (hey, I'm only one person), I should maintain more regular activity here and with my twitter account. This was a comment I wrote on Techdirt on the unidirectional patent system. The idea has been fermenting and Isaachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04792616956635936671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266324962558074675.post-61878564960762419762012-02-20T07:12:00.001-05:002012-02-20T07:12:05.928-05:00Open Letter to Lamar SmithTexas prides itself on the independence of its citizens. You should be ASHAMED that you are taking away civil liberties from people and handing them to private lobbyists that have you on their payroll. My right to privacy us no less sacred than my right to own a gun, so why are you pioneering unconstitutional government surveillance? I am sickened by the violations you made to your oath to Isaachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04792616956635936671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266324962558074675.post-50903065912493058082012-02-16T12:48:00.002-05:002012-02-16T14:07:43.078-05:00Response from Sarbanes on TPP ProtestBelow is the email I got from Congressman Sarbanes as a response to my objections on the heinous TPP, the next vehicle for MAFIAA IP protectionism.
Based on his response, I probably won't be voting for him next election. Analysis to follow...
______________________
Dear Mr. ______:
Thank you for contacting me about the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement. I appreciate hearing from you and welcomeIsaachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04792616956635936671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266324962558074675.post-47882031807523068712012-02-15T21:36:00.002-05:002012-02-16T15:05:32.911-05:00On the 'Moral Right' to ProfitThis was written in response to Kevin Drum for an article in which he posited that " creators have a moral right to profit from their works."
And "I'd hate to live in a world in which authors found it nearly impossible to make money from their works."
Yes. Really a quote.
No. I will NOT justify his idiocy by linking his dogmatic rant.
Thanks to Mike Masnick and Techdirt.com for the to to the Isaachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04792616956635936671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266324962558074675.post-49049752039212276282012-02-12T00:33:00.004-05:002012-02-12T00:35:08.381-05:00Tax Code Revolution!
Taxes are tricky, messy, bastardized things. Their inherently mongreloid nature leaves them more misshapen than a Boris Karloff monster and more random than a platypus. So what happens when you start throwing different ideas around? My uncle pitched me his ideas for tax reform and asked for my opinion. We had the following exchange that I invite everyone to join in on.
(note: since my internet Isaachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04792616956635936671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266324962558074675.post-20952329615647378192012-02-10T12:48:00.001-05:002012-02-16T15:02:18.287-05:00The Great Experiment: Marketing for a Small OrganizationI've been hard at work with our newest "experiment" for my non-profit. Below is a discussion on marketing strategy applicable to any small organization looking to get its voice heard in the larger community. In it, I've outlined a number of different tactics necessary to garner the two important aspects of a successful company: Word of Mouth advertising and Good Will.
As the bold new Isaachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04792616956635936671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266324962558074675.post-6278696552449357222012-02-07T14:31:00.002-05:002012-02-16T15:02:52.016-05:00On Atheism and AgnosticismJust read an interesting article by a favorite webcomic author of mine. In it, he deplores the false dichotomies of Gnosticism/Agnosticism and Theism/Atheism, the former concerning the "knowability" of the existence of a god, and the latter concerning whether god exists.
As Zack posits, the former question must be resolved before one can even move to the latter, and "If you believe knowledge of Isaachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04792616956635936671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266324962558074675.post-23148192870123516152012-02-07T09:39:00.001-05:002012-02-16T15:03:22.430-05:00Giving Away Scarcity: Free Tickets Aren't CheapI am presently engaged in a little experiment with a theatre company I help manage.
The nature of this group is such that our screwy demographic has a hard time finding us: to whit, many of the major social organizations that people participate in have actively rebuffed our attempts at advertising based on secondary considerations.
We exist entirely on a shoestring budget from year to year basedIsaachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04792616956635936671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266324962558074675.post-21482429736958116402012-02-05T06:21:00.003-05:002012-02-16T17:24:24.985-05:00Laissez-Faire: Economics vs. PoliticsWhew! Time to dust off my blog... Sorry. Life's been... life.
Tried to slide this one post in before the SOPA Blackout on the 18th...but I guess I failed. Whoops.
This is an important issue that's been percolating in my mind for some time now, and this will (in all likelihood) be an incomplete treatment of the subject.
Laissez-faire economics was an invaluable development spurring Isaachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04792616956635936671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266324962558074675.post-65185887235688196422012-01-24T11:28:00.001-05:002012-02-16T15:06:39.043-05:00Start of the MPAA OffensiveYou gotta love people for bringing their newest article to show that "SEE! THIS COMMUNIST CANDIDATE REALLY WORSHIPS SATAN!!" or that the Liberals want to destroy the United States (uh, they live here, too...) or that the conservatives are capitalist money-draculas looking to suck the bones dry of the nations blue collar workers.
Below is an exchange that tipped off the fact that the Pro-SOPA/Isaachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04792616956635936671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266324962558074675.post-6231214927101707702012-01-22T12:14:00.002-05:002012-02-16T15:06:57.689-05:00Overly Responsible JournalismThis was an email I typed up a couple months ago but never sent - I had originally intended on throwing this to the Colbert Report, but never got around to it. It's a bit of lighter humor on the subject of journalism.
___________________________
I was shocked this morning by a headline I read in the news:
“Dead Body Found in Texas ‘Occupy’ Camp – Police arrest Portland Protesters”
I was shocked Isaachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04792616956635936671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266324962558074675.post-61123769379253820172012-01-21T19:02:00.002-05:002012-02-16T15:07:13.421-05:00UPDATE: More Congressional ResponsesComing in thick and fast! ... with all this pedaling, maybe we should hook up a generator to Congress and solve the energy crisis!
First an update from Mikulski where she claims that copyright still "needs to be strengthened" somehow... bunkum.
Sarbanes responded yesterday as well. As is typical with most members of the present government, they somehow feel the need to create a "regulatory Isaachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04792616956635936671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266324962558074675.post-23274127055649181882012-01-21T18:47:00.001-05:002012-02-16T15:07:31.310-05:00First World Problems?They run the whole gamut. Here's a few I cooked up that run from funny to thoughtful to frightening.
Isaachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04792616956635936671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266324962558074675.post-32541921432366650772012-01-19T22:28:00.002-05:002012-02-16T15:07:58.756-05:00Letter from my senator in responseI received a reply today from one of the four congressmen I contacted yesterday. Analysis will follow shortly.
__________________
Dear Mr. ______:
Thank you for writing to me about copyright law. It's good to hear from you.
The PROTECT IP Act (S. 968) would give the Department of Justice (DoJ) authority to identify and take legal action against websites that market counterfeit or pirated goods.
Isaachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04792616956635936671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266324962558074675.post-80519897480631753532012-01-19T08:55:00.001-05:002012-02-16T15:08:26.244-05:00Explaining the Wireless to the UnwiredI had a very productive day without twitter I took a stand against SOPA and made my voice heard. What I didn't expect (and was enheartened to see) were people whom I emailed who weren't connectedto the tech interests of the day.
My own mother (god bless her) took the time to actually research and respond to my email, and engaged me in a dialogue about SOPA/PIPA and copyright. A fun time was had Isaachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04792616956635936671noreply@blogger.com0