self evident truths

2008-12-22T13:32:00.000-08:00

Stony Brook University prides itself on environmental awareness and activism. “Green” campus programs run the gamut from simple recycling kiosks to buses that run on biodiesel fuel. Biodiesel fuel is a substance that burns just like regular, oil based diesel, but cleanly. It can be derived from various things such as vegetable oil, animal fat, or even algae byproducts.
Stony Brook University’s website proudly mentions the use of biodiesel in campus buses. However, upon further investigation, a few things should be cleared up.
Not all campus buses run on biodiesel. There are a handful of buses, including good old number 49, which appears in the pictures, that run on regular diesel fuel.
More importantly, though, is that even the ones that do run on biodiesel only run on a mixture of regular and bio derived diesel fuels. In addition, this mixture is undisclosed, and despite repeated attempts to attain this information from both the campus environmental director and campus transportation director, I was unable to attain this information.
Experts say that bioldiesel burns 100 percent clean, and that just a small amount of regular diesel in the mixture would not create noxious black fumes. With this in mind, all Stony Brook campus buses emit a fairly obvious black plume upon hard acceleration. There are also distinct carbon deposit stains surrounding the buses equipped with normal round exhaust pipes which protrude from a cutout in the rear valence oft the bus.

Best handling box around

2008-11-19T16:18:00.000-08:00

In addition to being obsessed with the sound of my own political voice, I have a passion for cars. My current car, and project, finally went under the knife and I'm thrilled with the results.

What started as a 2006 subaru forester turbo has been transformed into the boxiest STI you'll ever see, at least when it comes to handling dynamics, as the turbo is still stock. (That will be changing soon as well, with a Td06-18G, 8cm)

Off came the stock suspension and on went some re-greased struts and springs from a 2004 wrx sti. This is in addition to the cobb adjustable rear sway bar, cobb rear endlinks, and 2004 wrx sti rear lateral links. The result is a car that is a blast to drive. It powers out of corners with authority, and oversteer is the rule. I can get the tail to slide out if i want it to, and gone are the days of front-end dive. It also looks much better, too. No more cute-ute for me.

On the Brink

2008-11-03T20:18:00.000-08:00

Well it's election eve, and we are steadily approaching a sad day in American history. While people would like to think that Obama is sent by the hand of god to deliver goodness to our evil decadent society, the reality is, he's a socialist opportunist making promises that he knows he can't keep. This video encapsulates his entire platform in a 26 second clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P36x8rTb3jI

That is downright disturbing, and you can tell she actually believes it too. however, the saddest part of this whole election is the fact that the only other party with a shot decided to put up a ticket that i can't, in good faith, even think about supporting. I like McCain. I very well may have voted for him if he had chosen a different running mate. But Sarah Palin is an ignorant, uninformed, unintellectual dunce with no business even being a part of this campaign. The mere thought of something happening to McCain and having to rely on President Palin to swoop in and be the greatest heroin in American history is frightening.

Despite this, an Obama presidency still scares me more. We are about to turn a corner as a nation towards a leftist, anti market philosophy. While what we've had for the last 20 or so years has hardly been pure capitalism, it has, for the most part, resisted any extreme measure to redistribute wealth or control industry. Obama's "tax" plan is the most absurd proposal in the last 20 years. The way he describes it, though, makes it sound appealing to almost everyone, but let me explain what the plan really entails. Taxes will increase for those making more then 250,000 dollars per year (or as low as 150k according to Biden in an interview, nobody is really sure yet, but to me the plan sucks regardless of the number). He then says that EVERYONE else will see a tax CUT. Well, 40 percent of this country pays NOTHING in income taxes. This means that his plan will cut those people a check, since you can't cut taxes that are already at zero. So, this isn't really a "tax" plan, but a robin-hood inspired welfare plan.

Also, another tricky thing about Obama's plan. He claims that he will not "increase taxes" but simply bring them back to pre-Bush levels. Well, those Bush tax cuts were voted in once, and then were voted for again to become permanent. Any "reversal" of this is a tax increase. This is the way it is now, and if the way you make it is higher then the way it is now, then it's a tax hike. This Obama semantic bullshit is tricking lots of people into getting a false impression about his policies.

So what do I suggest? Don't vote. It is NOT your duty to vote for someone who you do not have the utmost faith in. It is not your duty to choose between two candidates from two dominating parties while other candidates don't stand a chance. Not voting is a vote. It's a message. If people are upset that you aren't voting, then I surely hope they don't read up on some stuff Thomas Jefferson said. You know, that whole thing about killing your leaders (i don't suggest it) when they no longer defend your inalienable rights or act in your interest or honor the constitution. Violent revolution is permitted in the Declaration of Independence too, so if not voting is as bad as it gets, then everyone should consider themselves lucky.

The only silver lining here might be the restructuring of the Republican party. Maybe they can finally try to go back to the party's roots, which they have strayed so far from that a new party was started to reflect these original ideals (Libertarian). There needs to be a push-back against the religious right wing zealots who have hijacked the party of minimal government and favor legislation of morality and violations against the most basic civil liberties.

As for Obama...there isn't much else to say. His plans for this country are ludicrous and pie-in-the-sky. They are based on an unattainable utopia which if achieved, would surely stifle innovation, progress, and education...as the will for such things (money and the ability to spend it how you want) will be diminished. Nobody deserves to have more then 30 percent of their income taken from them by the government, and under Obama, I suspect some people in the top tier of wealth would be forced to give up half or more of what they make. At that point, it is morally reprehensible, regardless how much money the person being taxed is making. I don't care if Bill Gates marries Warren Buffet in California. Even they should NOT have half there income taken from them each year. When people are forced to give up their money, they are far less likely to voluntarily give it up. This reduces charitable acts, and makes people question why they are working so hard if the government is going to insist that they give a HUGE chunk of it back.

Nobody is entitled to wealth. Nobody is entitled to anything except the basic rights guaranteed to them in the constitution. Capitalism has benefited the world more then any other economic system ever. Free economies are directly attributable to free countries. Civil liberties are a direct result of economic freedom. This is a great resource to discover the link between economic policy and quality of life, degree of personal freedom (green being the most free and red being the least):

Index of Economic Freedom

After that simple map, it should be evident what works and what doesn't. Next, take into account the size and immense diveristy of this nation, and you'll realize that it's that much more difficult to make certain policies here work, compared to much smaller, almost entirely native countries like Sweden or Norway. And in those countries, it is a market-based socialism, and in many ways has more capitalistic elements then the current economy in our own country.

For a fabulous, in-depth look at why you shouldn't vote, I urge you to take some time to read the latest post here:

It's the Incentives, Stupid

It expands on my rhetoric and goes deeper and more specifically into the issue of voting.

Whatever happens, there is always the potential for change, as Obama is proving himself. I'll continue to fight the good fight in the leftist climate that exists around me every day, and I'll continue to smugly laugh at all the ignorant masses around me whose beliefs are formed around idealism and fantasy and greatly lacking actual research. And don't be surprised when the government becomes an intrusive part of your life, because the more you take from the hand that feeds you, the more that the hand feeding you feels righteously entitled to tell you what you can and cannot do.

Obama is getting 98 percent of the black vote

2008-10-27T17:40:00.001-07:00

I don't want to hear another black person tell me they are voting for Obama because of his politics. While it may be true for some, or even the majority...a STAGGERING 98 percent of African Americans have voted and will vote for Barack Obama. Come on. Anyone who thinks that is a reasonable number is crazy. Stop pretending to be unbiased, stop pretending that you sat down and carefully evaluated the candidates and decided on Obama because his policies are consistant with your philosophies. It's because he is black, his policies are essentially irrelevant as far as the black vote is concerned. It would be no different if the tickets were reversed, and McCain was the liberal and Obama the conservative. No different...I promise. Well, maybe the number would drop to a paltry 95 percent. Every other racial group in the country is close to evenly split among the two candidates.

Palin sucked on SNL

2008-10-22T15:17:00.000-07:00

It wasn't funny. She had to do it from a political standpoint, but I don't think it did a damn thing for her. She is still perceived as an ignorant hayseed with no business running for this position. Those perceptions are correct. This whole thing is a joke, and it ruined any chance of me for voting McCain, which was a very real chance prior to this abomination of a VP pick. Now I think I'll just stay home as our country elects a new President, one who will be the first of his kind. Black? No...Socialist.

news website critique

2008-10-01T17:17:00.000-07:00

The internet is now easily the number one way people in this country obtain information. From crappy meaningless entertainment news to important issues pertaining to politics and society, there are tons of websites offering content. When speaking in terms of “news”, there are essentially three heavily trafficked mediums on the internet. There’s web content provided by television stations and newspapers, which often have similarities. Then there are blogs, where intellects, idiots, and wannabes from all over the world have a place to tell everyone anything they want us to know. Like anything else, there are some good, and some bad.

Fox News has a very heavily trafficked website. Upon pulling up FoxNews.com on your browser, you are immediately greeted with enough colors, pictures, bold headlines, and self proclaimed “breaking news” to cause a stroke. There is no shortage of drama on this homepage. The white background and royal blue font makes for a very easy to read page. At the very top there is a search bar, an excellent place for such an important feature of any large website. Directly below the bar are links to all the nooks and crannies of the Fox News empire including subject matters and original programming. The headlines begin right below these links, where the stories deemed most important appear on the left side of the page. The right side of the page features a fairly large advertisement atop a link to the streaming videos of the day. Overall the layout is logical and visually appealing, something you would expect from a television network. However, as you scroll down, it’s not as peachy. The screen becomes cluttered with entertainment gossip, celebrity pictures, and self serving advertising for Fox programming. Despite the potential nausea that the visual layout of the homepage might cause, I do notice one common complaint to be lacking: bias. I see no obvious political bias in any of the headlines, or in any coverage of political events. A better word to describe the problems with the Fox News page is sensationalism. The bold colors, strong language, and graphic pictures all serve up a dramatic angle, regardless of the story at hand.
Overall, the site is a little overwhelming, but does contain lots of valid news, and anyone with half a brain would be able to extract valuable, unbiased information on important issues.

The logical newspaper site to compare this to is the commonly associated enemy of Fox News and all things “conservative”, The New York Times. The website for The Times has a very similar look and feel to the actual printed version. Top headlines appear at the left side of the screen, similar to the cover of the actual newspaper. The appearance is more mundane and professional then that of Fox News, using mostly black font with some unassuming light blues mixed in as well. The navigation for the site appears on the left hand side rather than the top. I prefer this layout over the layout of FoxNews.com. It leaves room at the top for small banner advertisements, which is where they belong. The overall size of the homepage is relatively small for an information hub, and logically laid out and easy on the eyes. One thing is still present, though, and it shouldn’t surprise anyone. That is the clear agenda of this lefty publication. The headlines include a very pro-Obama article and directly beneath that is an article extremely critical of Vice Presidential nominee Palin. Now don’t get me wrong, Palin deserves every bit of attacking that comes her way; she sucks. But it doesn’t change the fact that the utter predictability of this shamefully and terminally biased newspaper pisses me off. There is FAR more apparent bias built into NYtimes.com then that of the much maligned and vilified big bad Fox News. While the New York Times website offers far better writing and more intellectually stimulating coverage of important news, it does not match Fox News in the fairness department. ::Gasp:: Yes, Fox News and fairness in the same sentence. The audacity.

This wouldn’t be complete without taking a look at a popular blog to round it out. I like to visit the Libertarian Alliance Blog. It’s a blog focusing on libertarian ideas, essentially consisting of many editorials. While editorials are opinions and not necessarily news, these opinions all focus on current events and contain actual news within them. Even so, I go here to confirm my already established beliefs. At least I can admit it. As for the site layout, I think it is excellent, though not much different from many other blogs. The blog entries are presented in chronological order, with the most recent entry at the top of the page. Each entry ends with a list of categories that the entry might fall under, so that it will appear in searches. Comments also appear at the bottom of each post as well, though you will need to click “Comments” to be redirected to the page where they are located. The right side of the page has a “blogroll”, which is essentially a large collection of links to like-thinking blogs. Overall, the layout of this blog appeals most to me. It has very unassuming font style and little to no color. This also means that it loads up in your browser much quicker than a site like Fox News. Embedded within some posts are videos, which don’t play unless you click the play button. This is a very important feature to me. Any site that automatically begins playback of an embedded video is a great annoyance. Aside from slowing down your computer, it can remind you of how high you had the volume when you were listening to music a few minutes ago when your room or workplace is suddenly filled with a voice screaming at you to buy a Chevy or switch to AT&T. (I’m talking to you, espn.com)

brief

2008-09-29T20:08:00.000-07:00

Obama wants to raise the capital gains tax to increase federal revenue. Unfortunately, his other ideas would prevent the existence of capital gains.

hail to the thief

2008-09-24T16:58:00.000-07:00

There are two ways one needs to look at John McCain's decision to suspend his campaign amidst the economic turmoil. One evaluation is whether or not this was a shrewd political move, tactically speaking. It does give the impression that John McCain puts country before politics, which I'm sure is the pure intention of this move. However, one can argue that he is stalling prior to the first debate. I don't think this is true. I also don't think he is doing it because he is truly invested in solving the crisis. He is doing it as a PR move to try and further his image as the anti-politician type. He constantly tries to separate himself from the political elite, special interests, and lobbyists, and this is another way he can attempt to do just that.

The other way to look at it, and in my opinion the much more important way, is whether or not he, or anyone else in congress, needs to "solve" this problem. This problem was created by a combination of risk taking by top money lenders, and the idiots who took the loans out in the first place. The combination of greed on the part of banks, and utter stupidity on the part of people taking on debts that they cannot afford has led to a mortgage crisis that is the root of the meltdown underway right now. Lending money to people with bad credit is not illegal. If you have bad credit and accept a loan, it's not illegal either. This means this problem was created by two willing parties, and the end result should be on their shoulders. The proposed bailouts amount to nothing more then corporate welfare. If republicans are so vehemently against social welfare (and I agree with them), then they should be against all forms of welfare provided by the govrnment. And we are now seeing many republicans come around, as the bill for the bailout is losing support quickly.
Which leads me back to Mccain. He should not "suspend" his campaign to help solve the crisis, because he should not be helping to solve the crisis. Neither should Obama, and neither should anyone else with an office in Washington DC. These companies dug their own grave. If there are other healthy private companies that would like to bail them out, thats wonderful. If not, thanks for playing. The short term result will be a fairlu substantial blow to the economy, but the long term would see the market correct itself like it always has, and new companies will start from the ground up, and hopefully learn from the mistakes of the now deceased entities. Should the government bailout these cancerous companies, it may help to stabilize the economy in the short term, but the long term effect would reflect the artificial nature of the bailout, and would only increase the liability of the already overtaxed population of this country. I don't have a full education in economics, so if you choose to take what I say with a large grain of salt, I urge you to read some pieces by the late Milton Friedman. You'll learn a lot.

Mock the Vote

2008-09-21T14:18:00.000-07:00

Im tired of this rock the vote crap, as if it's sole intention is to get young people involved in the political process. While it's nice to romanticize this program(and the self righteous idiots who promote it sure do a good job of it), the fact is, just like anything else, it has a specific political motivation for it's existence. Like it or not, the VAST majority of people aged 18-23 that you coax into voting will vote democrat. In fact, according to Young Democrats of America, of the 2.2 million youth voters who voted in the 2004 election for the first time, 2 million of them voted for the democratic candidate! That is a STAGGERING 91 percent voting for the democrat. Factor in the collegiate love affair that exists for Barack Obama, and this election could see even higher numbers then that within this demographic.

I don't mind the efforts to recruit voters for a specific cause, even if I don't support that particular cause. What I do mind is the utter dishonesty and fraudulent attitude that the members of this program posses. Just admit it, stop acting like you are an innocent simpleton just trying to spread democracy to the wonderful youth of this country. You are a democrat recruiting the strongest democratic base this side of poor people. So just man up, and be honest about what you do. I never do anything without acknowledging my own biases which come as a package deal in almost everything I do. And the newspapers that cover this movement as a non-partisan operation are just as guilty as the operation itself. Here's to you, New York Times.

testing

2008-09-15T17:14:00.000-07:00

A day in the life of

2008-09-08T16:22:00.000-07:00

After attending a party on Saturday, I have reached the conclusion that the vast majority of college students are moronic fools who know essentially nothing about the world around them. As I passed from conversation to conversation, the next subject matter became more degrading to intelligence then the last. To think that all of these people will be voting is downright frightening. The utter complacency and trust that these self obsessed collegians has in their government and the responsibilities it is willing to grant it makes my skin crawl.