[Last Update 2000.04.14] Matthew Wronka <matt.wronka@altavista.net>

I feel a brief into is in order. This page has existed -- in one form or another -- since the spring (winter?) of 1998. It's first appearance was at http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Arena/1384/, my hockey site, and was later moved to the traffic intensive http://www.angelfire.com/ms/lasthope/. Unfortunately, it fit well in neither location, and therefore it has been moved here, where it fits nicely. Perhaps parts of this site look like other people's, perhaps other people's sites look like this one. With the plethora of sites out in the Internet, it is nigh impossible to not bear some resemblance to another site.

"I'm talking about lending a hand -- you're talking about exploitation!"

"Is there a difference? . . . Well, forgive my capitalism."

-Dilbert (4/5/1999)

Back on the subject of patents (see below)

I am not sure if I clearly made my point below. I am not opposed to close source on any moral grounds, nor am I opposed to making money from something that you write. What I am opposed to is a closed market that stifles innovation and free enterprise. the LZW patent and Amazon's new patent are just two examples of the hinderance of patents. Once somebody creates something, open up the market. This will allow others to create competing products, forcing everyone to strive to create the best product.

Take the operating system market. Throughout the '80s, Microsoft and Apple were in a heated battle for this market. Innovation was basically taking others' ideas (see Parc), but it forced the evolution of the operating systems and created a better product (but certainly not perfect). What innovation has there been since the end of the Apple threat? Not much. If Microsoft was suddenly forced to deal with a threat, it might work on the stability of its operating system (it already tried with security in NT so they could create a "Unix replacement").

Like in nature, this would encourage survival of the fittest. Whatever is best survives, everyone else dies out or evolves. If the survivor is complacent, it will not make it to the next generation. Everyone evolves, and the consumer gets the best product.

I was perusing /. today when I came upon a link to DOJ's new page dedicated to kids (this reminds me that MTV's special on k00l hAck3rZ is on in 42 minutes [wow]). If you haven't checked out their DOs and DON'Ts of the Internet and its explanations I suggest you do, or some of this may not make complete sense.

DOJ brainwashing. Did you know that, starting with the prospective CyberTerrorists of the future (kindergartners), the DOJ is sponsoring (well, you are) lessons to deter hacking. Let us first look at the effectiveness of this brainwashing, before we look at the ignorance of the lessons.

DARE. Do you remember it? Sixth and ninth grade for me, and, well, I don't see that it has made a huge impact. Do you know what it stands for? I've seen more shirts that profess Drugs Are Really Expensive than the intended Drug Abuse Resistence Education (a straight sentence is a bit easier to remember). My opinion on drugs after these classes? Am I against drugs? The answer is no. If someone wants to use them, I see no reason why they should not be able to; this is a free country, isn't it? Well, that's a number of stories which I'll probably put here from time to time.

Now, the ignorance of these lessons. Look at all this money coming into our economy from software sells, let alone the countless hours of productivity spent on free software, especially that from uberhacker Richard M. Stallman. How far back would our technology be if it were not for hackers (by any definition)? Crypto would be as weaker than what the US wants it to be now. The first person who wanted access to a computer would have it, because nobody would know of system flaws, because nobody would have looked for them. We would have virtually no free software. Our phone system would still be controlled by a gang of operators; forget automation.

Let us go back to the DOJ's webpage now. It asks if you, among other things, what you consider private. Do you consider your medical records private? Did you currently know that Intel and the American Medical Association is putting your records online? Do you have any control over this? Not really. To echo comments from /., this could be a good thing if it is done correctly. Chances are, however, that it will not be. Encryption? Who knows how strong it will be, if there is any. Stories abound of companies, from MTV to the FBI and a multitude of Fortune 500 companies leaving secure information unencrypted on a computer with an open connection to the Internet. I'm not very optimistic.

This all stems from the capitalistic, or perhaps only American (as in US, not the continent [amazing how that works]), belief that everything we do must improve our bottom line. Do I care if somebody copies one of my old term papers? To quote an innumerable amount of sources "the only one they are cheating is themselves." Frankly, I don't care. If somebody asks me to proof their source code (or their friend's from another town), do I care if they don't even look at it and simply turn it in? Well, maybe a little, but it isn't something that I am going to lose any sleep over. This goes on to the argument of closed source and asinine pattents.

So where does this leave us? Will allow your kids to be subject to this mockery? Will you encourage them to visit the DOJ site, and take the quizzes (I noticed that my action was rarely included as one of the three options)? Will you advocate the actions which you yourself currently take (be honest)? Will you tell your children to scorn closed software?

Personally, I don't know about much of this. I've given it some thought, but there is still a lot of time before I have to decide (hopefully, I will still be able to decide as Big Brother encroaches). Will I tell my children to scorn closed source? No. I hear some people who know me snickering right now. Yes, I use Linux as my main operating system. Yes, I advocate the GPL and Free Software, yes I've GPLed some of my programs.

But I don't feel that closed source software in inherently evil. Do I use any closed source software? Unfortunately, yes. If something is good enough, I have no problem paying for it (hence, the success of Red Hat Linux at $80, though everything on the Discs is free). If there is a closed source program that someone really needs, but wants an open source solution, this program is likely to appear. The GIMP was written by college students and is used as an alternative to Adobe Photoshop which costs quite a pretty penny. To paraphrase Eric S. Raymond, ‘all great software is created because somebody has an itch to scratch, not because they are getting paid to.' Case in point, the GNU/Linux operating system. Has Linus Torvalds received a penny directly from his writing the operating system? Nope. He wrote it because he needed a stable operating system to use in college. He couldn't afford an expensive Unix box, and was frustrated by the instability and unusability of DOS/Windows.

What does annoy me? The fact that people accept crashing and rebooting their computer once every ten minutes to retype a lost document as normal? Once again, yes, but this isn't the most important thing in my life either. It is the FUD (Fear Uncertainty Denial) that bothers me (read ESR's Halloween Documents). It is paying off a third-party group to run a benchmark and then reporting them as unbiased. It is considering that allowing anyone in the world to read your email as a "service issue" and saying nothing more (Microsoft has just released the program responsible for this whole to additional companies, btw). It is the fact that people cannot make an educated decision because nobody will elucidate the problems, masking it in half-truths and outright lies ("I did not have . . . " I guess it starts at the top). It is these idiotic patents that annoys me most of all.

Have you heard of Unisys? Let me rephrase that. Have you heard of anything they've done this decade? Aside from collect royalties and sue small companies over the use of their LZW compression patent, I don't think I have. (LZW is used in, among other places, the GIF graphics format and many common compression programs such as ZIP files and Unix's traditional compress program.) This has led to countless problems when trying to make free software compression problems (did you know that the MP3 standard is also patented?). Amazon.com has just been issued a patent for its "innovative" online purchasing scheme. You can purchase something online by clicking and using a web browser. Now you can only do it at Amazon.com. That's right, they own the patent that covers a LOT of ways to shop online, including using a program, a web browser, clicking a button, using a mouse, using a telephone wire, and basically living under the sun. Honestly, it was sick reading their patent.

Well, you've read my ramblings on the subject, and the aforementioned show on MTV will start in approximately 15 minutes, so I guess it is time to do some work. Have fun, and I hope that you have given this some thought.

What have we accomplished? Day after day of bombing by NATO forces, and who's winning? All but a dwindling few Albanians are no longer (alive) in Kosovo; many have fled to neighboring Macedonia (who won't even let many of them in) or Albania, while many others are dead- killed by Serbs, malnutrition, or the elements. Are we really accomplishing anything over there? We get to bomb a bunch of civilians now - doesn't that show our power? Bombing Belgrade in its current state, most of the government is out of the capital (they aren't that stupid) so the only people left in the capital are civilians, many lured by government sponsored rock concerts, won't accomplish anything. What are we going to do, bomb the empty defense building and take out the hospital right next door? Why don't we just go blowup a pharmaceutical plant which has absolutely no military value, except that it will release numerous poisons into the atmosphere (better that we do it than Sadam, right?) What will any other "signs of strength" that will "send a message" really accomplish? Give me a break, when was the last time something like this worked? Iraq? No, we just come back half a decade later to try and save a President's political life. Come on. These guys aren't going to give in to any shows of force short of a bullet in their head; bombing civilians doesn't work.

I already mentioned, but now I will expound on the subject, since it has been a subject of much contesting, and even a special postage stamp in Georgia (the other one). The subject is a tired one, and perhaps makes many sick (not only the act, but the co$t): The Clinton Fiasco. How do you expect me to continue this now? With many liberal, conservative smashing, arguments? If Cesar's wife had to be above suspicion, I see no reason why our President, and the supposed ruler of the free world, should at least not be above the law: especially since his most important duty is to uphold the laws of this country (and should be expected to follow international law as well . . .). Granted, we spent WAY to much of the taxpayer's money on this one, but this whole thing is Clinton's fault. I don't mean to say that the whole thing could have been avoided had he not left a stain on the dress or stuck things where they shouldn't have been - of course it certainly could have been - but if he had not constantly and consistently tried to split hairs, sidestep questions, and outright lie to the Court, the IC, and most repugnantly, the American people. He wasn't impeached because he had relations with Ms. Lewinsky, he was impeached for abusing his power, for perjury, and for not fulfilling his job. If you were at work screwing someone, what would happen to you? Almost definitely you'd be fired, unless you happened to be the boss, and depending on the circumstances, other penalties might be incurred. So how does it feel that someone you hired is screwing off on your dime?

"Oh no, they're going to impeach me, better blow(up) something else. Hmm . . . Iraq? Might there be something going on over there? I really wouldn't know. Better send someone to investigate . . ." That's bs. How can anyone justify Clinton sending troops to Iraq at this time based on the fact that Clinton happened to have given a "final warning" shortly before. He's been Commander in Chief for 7 years without lifting a finger against Iraq and Sadam. Do you honestly believe that Sadam disappeared following Desert Storm in 1993 and just happened to start his diabolical reign at a time to coincide with Clinton's impeachment after a half decade of loving rule? Right.

Closing comments on this issue:

Two points of irony. First, we go to Iraq, claiming that Sadam is killing his citizens; yet they rally behind him while we bomb civilians. Second, the same congressmen that were fighting for the Communications Decency Act released the Starr report.

Who cares? The American people, unfortunately. You don't think people that publish tabloids in hope of going broke, do you? Intelligence in America is a constant, and the population is rapidly growing.

Why would anybody that is having an affair walk up to and hug their lover on national television? Perhaps he injected.

Clinton has recently proclaimed that we will continue the bombings until American goals are met; there goes peace in the next millennium (whatever year that is). On the other hand, what are American goals? Apparently all of our goals were met in Iraq by scratching a few runways and murdering the night shift at a pharmaceutical plant. Maybe there is hope.

I will at no point in the foreseeable future create a protest and start damning troops who willingly sacrifice their lives to save ours. I do agree with the plan: use military force to remove the Serb president or Iraq's dictator, but at the same time, do not feel that Clinton is doing an acceptable job in office, and is mishandling the situations. Ruling out the use of ground troops at the start of the conflict was not the right way to go. Just look at what happens upon the threat of NATO ground troops: suddenly Milosevic is looking for a cease-fire (though his intentions are suspect); yet Clinton still insists that this conflict can still be won without the use of ground troops [note that our Apaches aren't doing us any good as all our supplies are being used for humanitarian reasons. Prolong their tragedy, or end it? Guess we'll just drag it out.].

Aren't we truly a great country. We are one of the most industrialized, richest, and respected countries in the world (its amazing the respect a strong army commands); yet our schools are some of the worst in the world, especially among the leading nations. I love the way that some teachers teach: they don't know anything, so they have their students teach the class. If there is something that none of the students know, what is the solution? "Look it up in your book." That's a great lesson: skip school and read a book. It's more efficient, and you'll probably learn more. You spend eight hours a day in a building, and how much do you really learn in that time? A lot of it is just repeating information that you've heard for the last 2-, 3-, 4-, or however many years. Think about health for a second. For six years (from sixth grade to senior year), you talk about the same thing; a subject that is also repeated in biology, and bio AP (some teachers teach both with the same curriculum as well). If people don't understand these concepts by now, I don't think they are going to learn them after another year! Perhaps it's best that they don't know -- perhaps we'll clean out the gene pool a little. As for other classes: doesn't it seem weird that there is a state law requiring a set amount of days of gym for each year of high school, yet we only need three years of math? Americans are fat (as well as ignorant, but I'll let you read Chris' page for that), but how does changing and taking attendance for 10 minutes, another 5 minutes to get changed again, and 15 minutes of sitting around actually keep kids in shape? They get more exercise trying to run from class to class with ten pounds of books on their back. And excuses for not having gym exemptions anymore for students participating in vigorous sports for the school? An unidentified principal, Currently in charge of a small but growing central Jersey school, said that we [as a school] acknowledged all that student-athletes did, and therefore they should take on the extra burden. Recognize the athletes? For all the effort that we put in, we get nothing back. Perhaps twice I heard the hockey team mentioned last season, despite a strong record and an exciting win over a strong program in West Windsor-Plainsboro; furthermore, students aren't allowed out early to come to games, even in the States (why is there no school spirit? can't figure that one out . . .). And this is just hockey, I'm sure that the other sports suffer almost as much, but I only noticed when the problems pertained to the hockey team. The other reason for not having gym exemptions? Cost. Honestly, how much does it cost to have a drunk and inept teacher -- who's stuck in the building anyway -- to sit in a library and have to do nothing. I also enjoy learning about the quality of teachers first hand -- form themselves. Science teachers talking about how they fail their physics finals in college, inject 200 proof alcohol into a watermelon and then eating it, and taking uppers. On a lesser note, has anybody been keeping track of the number of teachers (full time as well as subs) that we've been losing due to providing alcohol to minors?

Originally, I meant to stay away from this topic. I feel that it occupies too much of our media at the moment, and that the continued publicity and media playing off of peoples grief only serves to fullfill the intent of the deranged minds that committed this heinous act. Nevertheless, after reading a recent editorial cartoon, I have been forced to write about the subject. However, I will not write on the shootings themselves - reasons stated above - but instead the fact that people are blaming this on the media/movies/video games. In particular, the editorial cartoon that I have recently seen includes the captions "Solution is movies: Get an arsenal and kill everyone in the building./Solution is video games: Get an arsenal and kill everyone in the building./Solution in school: hard diligent work that will pay off down the road."

Movies. video games, books. They are designed for many purposes, but the most common is to entertain. In the 1930s, at the height of the Great Depression, how did Americans maintain their morale? They listened to the radio, went to the movies. These days, though one may argue that the quality of programming has decreased (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, starring James Stewart, was a great movie from the former time period), people go to the movies for the same reason. Why are baseball players overpaid? People go and watch. Why is there a multitude of violent films/games? People pay money for them. Violence is in our nature. Take a bit out of History of the World Part I. When the caveman is eaten by the dinosaur, everyone laughs; it pleases them. The civilization of Rome never had anything like school shootings, no, they had public stonings, crucifixions, the Colosseum where gladiators fought to the death or Christians were fed to the lions. But no school shootings.

Now for the third panel of the cartoon. School shouldn't be solely about hard work where you reap the benefits at some distant time in the future (though it often is), it should be a place where you learn. You learn about reading, 'riting, 'rithmatic and other stuff. But most importantly, you are supposed to learn about getting along and about socializing (no talking in class!). You are supposed to learn to be a better person, not just in brute intelligence measured by an IQ test or grades, but a better person in general, one with a conscience (despite what our good friend Henry David Thoreau would have us believe), and one that is considerate of others.

Everyone seems to place the blame on the movies and video game industry, some parents are even suing them. The roots of the problem are instead with the school system and the parents (let alone the mentally unstable that pulled the trigger). It is their job to give guidance and form the conscience in these people.

Disclaimer: If I have any threats or other "terroristic" statements mentioned anywhere, they are meant only in good humor and are not real threats.

Don't get me wrong, I'm certainly not misogynic or bigoted, though perhaps I am a little cynical; but Affirmative Action is the biggest disgrace to our nation , and a blatant violation of our Constitution. Numerous are the stories of well decorated and senior persons being passed over for promotions and jobs in favor of the "deprived minorities." I feel like there are not enough Polish American millionaires, does that mean that the government will be giving me some of your money? I think that all Fortune-500 companies should be forced to hire people who consider themselves to be Polish Americans (of course, they could just say they are) to fill 5% of their executive positions with a starting salary equal to 3% of the companies gross income -- after all, they were treated horridly at Ellis Island where many were subjected to torture and others not allowed to enter the US; we must correct those mistakes. Who's a minority, who's in the majority? Who's this helping (who's this hurting)? What's the point anyway?

The fourteenth amendment guarantees equal protection despite race among other things. Then why are male caucasians being passed over for jobs and promotions in place of other people who are not even half as qualified? Are these minorities really that stupid and incompetent to need the federal government to force people to lower their standards? Hey, job$ are leaving for Mexico. Is this supposed to make up for past discrimination from 1619? I think that those people have been dead for a while, even those from later eras aren't affected by AA. I am all for equal rights, and that is precisely why I am against AA. By definition, Affirmative Action is legalized discrimination against the largest segment of our population. Because of legislation and ideas like this, we have to face the situation that we might have an under qualified doctor operating in life and death situations. The Americans with Disabilities Act is almost as pernicious. Isn't anyone else scared that you might be a passenger on an airplane with a mentally unstable pilot?

Top 10 things heard at the DMV

1. "Are you here legally?"
2. "Qué año?"
3. "Oh, was this the FRONT of the line?"
4. "Are you sure you want to be driving with these people?"
5. "How much longer?"
6. "Damn Clinton!" [While reading a copy of The Star Ledger]
7. "F*k this!" [Stormed out]
8. "It will be about 45 minutes."
9. "It will be about two hours."
10. "They found the guy I got the car from dead."

Its spring break again. That wonderful time of the year. Four days of rest, relaxation, long-terms DBQs and enough Bio work to last to the end of college (why do they keep dead cats in black, unrefrigerated, containers less than a yard from students? It also isn't like these were just killed yesterday and we're dissecting them the next day: they've been dead for a while, and we won't be opening them for a couple weeks.) . There was a key word "break." Apparently teachers understand this to be used in phrases such as "break their will," "break their backs," and "nervous breakdown." While we are on the subject, I don't understand having Walden as part of our curriculum. The main idea of the monologue is to tell the reader not to live by another's standards, yet here we are in class, graded on every little aspect after staying up to 3 am to finish the rest of you homework. Are we supposed to be getting something from this and ignoring what we learn? I can't help saying that I am more than a little confused. It's also nice when teachers give you homework that is completely different than what they are going to test you on, or even don't teach what you're tested on. Or don't teach. Or teach you the wrong thing despite the correct version being written write in front of you. Do you think that their might be something amiss when you keep finding "errors" in the sixth edition of a common text book?

Exert from Walden: The Breviloquent Edition

When I wrote the following monologue, I isolated myself from society, in a house which I had built with stolen components, and earned my living by working just enough to get by because I was fainéant and too pococurante to care for the betterment of the world. At present, I have returned to civilized life to sell my dissertation so that I may never have to do even menial tasks again.

I wouldn't tell you all about myself, if it were not for the fact that I am an egotistical egomaniac. Or perhaps I am an egomaniacal egotist. Either way, I will constrain you to listen to my discourse about myself and my life in the wilds of New England . . . Many people have asked me for what reason would one wish to subject themselves to such a torture; I ask them for what reason would they subject themselves to the torture of remaining in Society . . . for it is a common verisimilitude that true happiness is being surrounded by your inferiors, and for this reason I have journeyed out to live among the Charles Fields and Sean Collinses of the world so that I may live amongst them and write demeaning things about those who have found true happiness because they do not conform to my ideals, such as the woodchopper Miriam. Why? Because I am better than these people, and they are not capable of ever attaining my level of enlightenment and therefore being truly happy. Sure, Miriam may believe that true happiness has been reached, and, though Miriam has never had a worry in the world and always been in a jovial mood, Miriam is not happy; for I know better, for only I know the path to true happiness.

So I have left society and its conformity so that I may live as I enjoy, the way that everyone should live: by listening to themselves, not as society dictates. I prefer to let society run amok of me than to try and live among society. Everyone must realize that true happiness cannot be obtained until they separate from society and end conformity.

What the hell is it about rant pages, anyway? Do these people actually think that anybody reads what they write? Do they believe that they are so important that people will take time out of their hectic schedules simply to read somebody else's complaints? And what's with all the damn profanity that's in them these days. Simply despicable.

Another thing that bothers me: disclaimers/comments/explanations that nobody reads and then writes/shouts nasty things because they didn't see them. "It's alright to disagree, but first understand what your disagreeing with." [Note on Charles' hw] . Due to blackmail threats from a certain midget Asian, who we shall reffer to as "Wrian Bong," I have voluntarily removed the following quote from the RUDY documentation as of version 1.4.2:

pyramid765 (4:11:34 PM): i demand a modification to the docs
pyramid765 (4:11:47 PM): I object to the following quotes:
pyramid765 (4:12:17 PM): "...Mike wouldn't understand it."
pyramid765 (4:12:58 PM): "Chris really doesn't know that much about computers. I asked him a question once . . ."
pyramid765 (4:16:05 PM): "This is complete CRAP!" should be changed to "Well, this is certainly interesting..."

Any email message that is recieved from makemoneyfast2@juno.com should be discarded immediately.

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