2013q3
It's the end of the quarter and I'm sitting in ohmbase waiting for someone else to show up to a potential gaming night (unless g/f wants to hang out).
What has happened in the last 3 months?
I think a better question is what hasn't happened in the past 3 months. For example, I've done pretty much nothing at all to push back against the Trans-Pacific Partnership. I've been in Thunder Bay, working at three or four different directions...none of which really measure up to any potential progress at all on that front, besides honing skill and/or tools which might come in handy later. The people around me by and large haven't heard of it, though in this NDP-friendly area they are and remain mostly aganist Stephen Harper and his government(so local campaigns have a slightly different flavour than they would in God fearing Saskatchewan). Of course, Canada joined on to this formerly secret treaty a year ago but there remains a struggle to impose its draconian restrictions on the rest of the world that I am simply not taking part in right now. Humanity's hope flickers by my inaction. I need to make some changes in my life, and soon.
On the upside, I found out about Petrov Day, which is now going to be a yearly tradition. Individual people can make a difference, and Petrov Day should remind us of that.
Despite lazy lawyers, an apathetic public, a helpful dose of obstruction of justice, lenient judges who are clearly balancing something other than canada's democratic interests , the Robocalls investigation continues.. A PMO scapegoat is made of one of people most likely involved, for unrelated issues, but the damage is done, as for example of the above TPP. While Michael Sona continues to talk(and others involved remain silent), those involved in deliberately messing with the last federal election remain, years later, free from imprisonment and not swinging from the gallows. It's tragic that SilkRoad was shut down and its orchestrator imprisoned, but those involved in stealing ballots in my country remain at large. Whats more, the Harper Government is beginning to show a disturbing pattern in its dealings with Elections Canada, which I guess we pretty much should expect since they have faced so little consequences for doing so in the past.
I came upon an epic moment of real connection, but still haven't located Thomas Kuhn's rumoured computer program, which if TPP and other restriction of computer technology gets too much further won't be worth much anyway here.
I'm finding the stuff I'm learning at less wrong is causing substantial inferential distance between me and other people, and in particular, the women in my life. I'm having to start from scratch each time, describing science as a Good Thing, as opposed to magic, and magical thinking. I might as well be on mars. I'm starting to think that I'm just not destined for a happy, fulfilling relationship before a heart attack whisks me away.
Speaking of which, I've been having chest pains and dizziness spells lately. More frequent with time, too. Despite dating a heart specialist, and living with a former nurse, I am on the waiting list to see a doctor and there are deep structural problems in the Ontario healthcare system such that I suspect that I should probably focus on living with passion and meaning in my life rather than expecting to be able to do anything about it, though there's a good chance of survival even so. I need to be careful about what I spend my time on, so that the rest of my life counts. As of yet, we are all mortal, and I've got bigger fish to fry.
I've been aware of NSA/CSIS/CSEC surveillance for quite some time, long before the current leaks and haven't really thought anything of it, but one computer scientist makes a good point; Computer Scientists have an ethical responsibility above normal people to both be informed about, and to not participate in mass surveilance, and to develop tools and support the development of tools to circumvent the surveillance where it occurs. With knowledge comes responsibility, and we should not merely be passive when it comes to this.
I guess lastly, though I think my musical skill has been honed, thanks to Maureen Prairie's hospitality and guidance, and though I have been able to help both the local hackerspace survive, and the local startup progress as far as it has...in the end I do not see Thunder Bay ever becoming a home to me. It has been good to be here, and I'll be here for the time being, but like Outlook, I don't fit here.
2013q4 has to be lived better.
What has happened in the last 3 months?
I think a better question is what hasn't happened in the past 3 months. For example, I've done pretty much nothing at all to push back against the Trans-Pacific Partnership. I've been in Thunder Bay, working at three or four different directions...none of which really measure up to any potential progress at all on that front, besides honing skill and/or tools which might come in handy later. The people around me by and large haven't heard of it, though in this NDP-friendly area they are and remain mostly aganist Stephen Harper and his government(so local campaigns have a slightly different flavour than they would in God fearing Saskatchewan). Of course, Canada joined on to this formerly secret treaty a year ago but there remains a struggle to impose its draconian restrictions on the rest of the world that I am simply not taking part in right now. Humanity's hope flickers by my inaction. I need to make some changes in my life, and soon.
On the upside, I found out about Petrov Day, which is now going to be a yearly tradition. Individual people can make a difference, and Petrov Day should remind us of that.
Despite lazy lawyers, an apathetic public, a helpful dose of obstruction of justice, lenient judges who are clearly balancing something other than canada's democratic interests , the Robocalls investigation continues.. A PMO scapegoat is made of one of people most likely involved, for unrelated issues, but the damage is done, as for example of the above TPP. While Michael Sona continues to talk(and others involved remain silent), those involved in deliberately messing with the last federal election remain, years later, free from imprisonment and not swinging from the gallows. It's tragic that SilkRoad was shut down and its orchestrator imprisoned, but those involved in stealing ballots in my country remain at large. Whats more, the Harper Government is beginning to show a disturbing pattern in its dealings with Elections Canada, which I guess we pretty much should expect since they have faced so little consequences for doing so in the past.
I came upon an epic moment of real connection, but still haven't located Thomas Kuhn's rumoured computer program, which if TPP and other restriction of computer technology gets too much further won't be worth much anyway here.
I'm finding the stuff I'm learning at less wrong is causing substantial inferential distance between me and other people, and in particular, the women in my life. I'm having to start from scratch each time, describing science as a Good Thing, as opposed to magic, and magical thinking. I might as well be on mars. I'm starting to think that I'm just not destined for a happy, fulfilling relationship before a heart attack whisks me away.
Speaking of which, I've been having chest pains and dizziness spells lately. More frequent with time, too. Despite dating a heart specialist, and living with a former nurse, I am on the waiting list to see a doctor and there are deep structural problems in the Ontario healthcare system such that I suspect that I should probably focus on living with passion and meaning in my life rather than expecting to be able to do anything about it, though there's a good chance of survival even so. I need to be careful about what I spend my time on, so that the rest of my life counts. As of yet, we are all mortal, and I've got bigger fish to fry.
I've been aware of NSA/CSIS/CSEC surveillance for quite some time, long before the current leaks and haven't really thought anything of it, but one computer scientist makes a good point; Computer Scientists have an ethical responsibility above normal people to both be informed about, and to not participate in mass surveilance, and to develop tools and support the development of tools to circumvent the surveillance where it occurs. With knowledge comes responsibility, and we should not merely be passive when it comes to this.
I guess lastly, though I think my musical skill has been honed, thanks to Maureen Prairie's hospitality and guidance, and though I have been able to help both the local hackerspace survive, and the local startup progress as far as it has...in the end I do not see Thunder Bay ever becoming a home to me. It has been good to be here, and I'll be here for the time being, but like Outlook, I don't fit here.
2013q4 has to be lived better.