The Pagan Left

A Fun Project?

January 15, 2011 in Gaming, Programming | Leave a comment

A while back I decided to thoroughly learn Microsoft’s VBScript scripting language to help with my job (scripting basic administrative tasks is very useful). This decision was made when we were still running Windows Server 2003 R2 and PowerShell was in its infancy, so at the time it made plenty of sense. Unfortunately, I rarely got a chance to use it in my job because we almost immediately upgraded to Windows Server 2008 R2 and PowerShell.

I didn’t want that knowledge to go to waste, though, so I started thinking of some fun things I could do with VBScript. I still don’t know it as well as I’d like, so this would give me an opportunity to really push myself (and possibly the language) to the limits. But what could possibly be made in VBScript that would be fun?

How about a Z-machine interpreter? There is already an example of someone writing one in JavaScript, so it is at least hypothetically possible that VBScript could do it, as well. I’d be limited to version 3 (or maybe even version 1) of the Z-machine standard since I can’t output graphics or sound with VBScript. Even with that, I’ll be able to run the first three Zork games.

Of course, there’s always a chance that VBScript and the Windows Scripting Host just don’t have the capabilities necessary to do this. If that’s the case, I’ll shift to re-implementing the original Colossal Cave Adventure. That may not be possible, either, but this is going to be fun, at least for me.

On Exercise

January 13, 2011 in Gaming, Health | Leave a comment

I’ve been going to a gym regularly for the first time since elementary school when it was required in physical education class. It’s an odd experience just starting to exercise when you’re in your 30s. At first your muscles are sore for days, but you have to keep going. Then you get tired, but you have to keep going. Eventually, as has happened with me, you start to look forward to the gym trip each day. You see the progress you’re making and start to have some hope.

At this point I’m down 32 pounds from when I changed my lifestyle in October 2010. My short-term goal is only 13 pounds away, and I have decided to reward myself with a Nintendo 3DS at release. At my next milestone (40 pounds below the first), I’ll get a new video game or two. And for my final milestone, a target body fat percentage of 16% or less (which should place me at between 200 and 230 pounds), I intend to go sky diving for the first time.

But don’t think I’ll let up! This exercise thing is quite addictive once you get into it. Perhaps a body fat percentage of 10% could be doable. Perhaps even less! I can only imagine what I’d look like with six-pack abs. Who knows what kind of reward I’ll give myself then. It may even be reward enough to just have them.

How Long?

January 11, 2011 in Blogging | Leave a comment

I had some great plans for this blog in the beginning, but I’m a guy that likes to plan things and never follow through. I’m sure anyone who randomly found this blog discovered that a long time ago.

But there was a time when I blogged on a regular basis, and I just recently read through a lot of those archives. I had an entry every single weekday of 2001 and for the first six months of 2002. In one of the earliest posts in 2001, I allude to an offline archive, so my blog may have gone back even further than that. I distinctly remember posting a rant about yellowjackets at some point, but it wasn’t in any of the posts I read. In short, I used to not be so lazy about posting things.

I don’t know if I’ll post as much high-philosophy and liberalism as I wanted, and I definitely won’t post as much detail as before. But I’ll do my best to update regularly, even if it’s just to post my thoughts about recent news or give some technology tip.

Welcome to the blog.

Kagan and Pornography

June 28, 2010 in Politics | Leave a comment

While reading Slashdot today, I noticed an article at Politico discussing US Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan’s views on pornography and obscenity. In a nutshell, she doesn’t like pornography, so she wants to apply existing laws regarding pimps and prostitutes to pornographers.

I’m not a fan.

Consenting adults should be free to make their own sexual choices. Whether that choice is to have sex with a single party in privacy or have sex with multiple partners in a recorded format, I will respect that decision. It is not my decision to make, nor is it Ms. Kagan’s decision.

I have heard arguments from some individuals that women who work in the adult film industry are exploited, and I must vehemently disagree on this point. My wife is one such individual, and she sees it from a feminist viewpoint as opposed to a traditional Christian viewpoint. In other words, she is not opposed to pornography because it is reprehensible but because it does not advance the plight of women’s rights.

From what I have gathered over the years, a significant percentage of adult film actresses are from Eastern European countries which don’t have the stringent Puritanical view of sex that we do. They come to America specifically to make it big in the adult film industry. Others go into the industry to get through college (ever heard that line at a strip club before?) and either wind up enjoying the work and staying in one way or another. One of my favorite tales is of a woman who worked as an adult film actress through college, changed her major to film and television production, and eventually worked her way up to become a producer.

What Ms. Kagan views as a terrible moral crisis is nothing more than an industry built around consent that in most European countries is seen from a more rational viewpoint. Pardon me while I go write a congressperson about her nomination.

Deep Dive: Execution Watching in Somalia

October 25, 2009 in Deep Dive, Politics, Religion | Leave a comment

In Somalia today, the al-Shabaab youth movement has forced women and children to watch the execution of “spies.”

Let’s dig into this a bit, shall we?

Somalia, for those who haven’t been paying attention, has been in a constant state of civil war since 1991. Conditions in the country had been deteriorating rapidly in the late 1980s, and multiple groups banded together to oust their tyrannical president Siad Barre. In 1991, they succeeded. The three largest groups couldn’t decided who should rule and started fighting. Siad Barre escaped to southern Somalia with his supporters and started fighting. The country has been war-torn since.

Although several attempts had been made to establish a government, none were successful. In 2004, the United Nations, with the assistance of Ethiopia and the African Union, under various transitional institutions, established the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia. In 2006, the Islamic Courts Union (ICU), a hard-line Islamic group, conquered Mogadishu and expanded its influence over Somalia. The al-Shabaab movement was the militant youth arm of the ICU.

When the ICU was defeated by the TFG in the War of Somalia (2006-2009), about 3,000 of their backers retreated “underground” to fight the TFG in any way possible including terrorism. The al-Shabaab movement started working on the youth of the country to indoctrinate them, terrorize them, and, failing other methods of persuasion, kill them. All of this is done in accordance with their reading of the Qur’an to instate Islamic judges that will uphold, literally, all of its Middle Age laws.

This brings us to our news story. While the BBC report does not specify who the “spies” were in this case, it is highly probable that they are captured members of the TFG. Forcing children to watch executions desensitizes them to violence. This is a crucial and horrific first step for the al-Shabaab in gaining new recruits. Once the children see murder as nothing out-of-the-ordinary it is far easier to convince them to murder others for your cause.

The BBC News article also notes that there was a “quiz” for the youth with various weapons being given as prizes. The organization is encouraging parents to allow their children to handle firearms at a very young age.

This disgusts me.

But there is some good news!

The al-Shabaab movement and Hizbul-Islam have had a falling out! They are now starting to fight each other instead of the TFG. Are we seeing the beginning of the end of the civil war in Somalia? Perhaps, but it will be a very long time before we see the country return to its glorious roots as a major trade route and port with richness, elegance, and peace. I know I hope too much for humanism and enlightenment to come at this early time, but just stopping the war is a great first step.

Welcome to The Pagan Left

July 22, 2009 in Blogging | Comments closed

Whether you stumbled upon this site by accident or purpose, I welcome you, dear reader. You should begin by reading the About page.