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Showing posts from November, 2009

Another Mount and Blade Review.

Describing it, and understanding the Niche. Also understanding the success is important.

what's happening

this always happens. stressful projects eroding my health to a point that it becomes compromised near the end. I should plan my projects in 4-6 week durations.I haven't exercised in the whole time I was studying. I tried just yesterday and a 30 min brisk walk was tiring. I didn't push hard because there are consequences I cannot afford right now. after my classes end on the 16th of december, I plan to get my health back (during christmas, yeah right). right now phlem is building up cause it hurts to much to cough or sneeze. this is bad. this pain comes and goes back when I didn't have a steady 4 week coughing spree. coughing is good exercise and seems to be firming up my gut. but a muscle that has a history of cramping up when I would cough has been taking a really bad beating. one time I coughed and cramped into a lump I had to push down to relax. Now that muscle(?) or what ever feels like its all torn up. My imagination is inflaming the absence of information. I plan to c

Rule of thumb: explain it truthfully to a child

i thought up an interesting rule of thumb, if you have a dilemma and you have a course of action it would be nice to have a truthful explanation you can relate to a child. It is a bit of boiling it down to basic core truths and giving children the opportunity to think for themselves. If I had a kid and i had to explain why people want to refuse equal rights for gays, it would be a fun exercise to boil down the truth in a way a kid can understand. I guess there will be an age appropriate matter.

Pilosopo Philosophers

I've begun to hate Pilosopos. This means Philosopher in Filipino but has come to mean someone who can't give a straight answer and twists around semantics. Ex. US Bishop bans congressman Kennedy from voting for abortion legislation . Rationalism is quite simple and elegant, but most importantly it disembowels play on semantics and exposes a lot of "pilosopo" made up arguments. I've been arguing with a Pilosopo lately. Even when I show him empirical method, he insists in Philosophy. The funny thing is that, his consistency is quite plain. He takes what he wants from empirical data and interprets it with Philosophical semantics, it does not change anything just how it is arranged the Pilosopos own deluded head. Philosophy + empirical data = Philosophy Empircial Data + Rationalism = Empirical Data When reading the BS about Objective Truth. How can one be "objecetive" when they are arbitrarily manipulating semantics? really thats just plain BS. One does not

The Price of being a Freethinker

The Price of being a Freethinker Posted using ShareThis

What belief?

disclaimer: This is my own explanation and it may not be the best for all rationalists. To spread what we know to be true. :) You mean what we believe is true. :P You will find me saying semantically arguing the same point as Arsenius in another thread. For background, check out rationalism vs empiricism (just google it). I chose to get it out there because I just recently understood enough to put it to words. Basically the reason why rationalists say it is not a matter of belief is because it simply a matter of rationality, (and no need for belief). It is what the empirical method informs a rationalist and that's the truth even if he had a choice in the matter. Coming from outside looking into it, wondering why it is not a matter of choice to rationalists regarding empirical methods while it is for others made me wonder where did I get all my non-empirical information. This is because of the way Philosophy and Theology has added another way of attaining knowledge outside empiri

Being a bad troll

Too much temptation to play with this troll. Too much... must finish work.

Another crazy assed Troll

Troll Slayers, keep your wits sharp and your reasoning sound. Here be another troll. A big bully and fair game for all. Ready, Set, Go!!! Bullies . I can't help but like to crush bullies. It's probably a compulsion that came from failing to protect my own brother from bullies (because of the school's stupid and biased policies). So when a bully makes his intentions quite clear, I'm off to cut'em at their legs and collect a scalp. It is an irrational urge and I'm trying to keep it in control. Hopefully some of my friends who know me can stop me going all Troll Slayer when I shouldn't be. A find myself chomping at the bit for some trolls, lately, maybe all that pent up anger about my school, religion and many of the institutions. Its sad, after watching how some developed nations people fight for their rights, fighting for them here is so different because the monsters here more insidious and stronger. The disparity of power is scary, it makes the country lik

Some Basics Covered - Empirical Method

my definition of Empiricism is truth that is observable, testable, and verifiable. Unfortunately this is not a dictionary meaning and with semantics that can be twisted around... As a Philosophy Empiricism has become a choice and method of viewing the world. A philosophy along side Metaphysics ("how many angels can dance at the head of a needle") and epistemology (looking at knowledge as an existential or meta-manner and going all twisted with semantics). Some basics Empiricism - Fathered by Aristotle with his famous "Tabula Rasa". Very philosophical. Pragmatism - the 18th Century version of Empiricism, getting closer and quite simple. Empiricism - Empiricism again Francis Bacon, John Locke, and David Hume Rationalism and Empirical Method - No Philosophy and Meta-Philosophy it jus is. Annoying "Pilosopos" implying all Empiricism is Philosophical, Eto - Empirical Method is not a Philosophy. Nako There is a tendency for people to use Metaphysics, a REALLY

My Success is not in GradSchool

I've had a long talk with my parents about Gradschool. My parents, did not go to gradschool. In the Philippines there is a notion that education is the gateway to success, but at a certain point it is the only path to success people know. EastwoodDC said it best in my opinion... Higher Education is anything but a placebo. Learning itself is a critical skill which is gained through study. That study might be biology, business, physics, physiology, zoology – even Walt Whitman. A college degree does not mean a student has mastered a subject, rather it is an indication that the student is teachable and capable of jumping through the higher hoops of their profession. - Eastwood DC Unfortunately, in the Philippines, education has mutated into something else. Instead of giving the people initiative, and adaptability the quality of teachers and educators have fallen so low that it doesn't promote these ideals expressed. When business educators participate mostly in purely speculative

COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS BULLSHIT

Basically the COMELEC denied a gay party list because they were GAY. click on the title. Please Someone there SUE THEIR ASS and GET THEM OUT OF THE COMELEC. They are one of the most corrupt groups of the country. This is discrimination, thats grounds Names to remember Si Nicodemo Ferrer ay Extraordinary Eucharistic Minister (EEM), Our Lady of the Purification Parish, Binmaley, Pangasinan, si Lucenito Tagle ay Diocesan Director of the Christian Family Movement of Cubao (at baka nga kamag-anak pa ni Imus Bishop Chito Tagle) at si Elias Yusoph ay obviously Muslim. - Gari Lazaro

Game Design - Failure and Success Analysis.

I'm not bashing my countrymen, but... If you compare Anito: defend the Land Enraged and Mount&Blade . Critic and Users Score Respectively: 5.6/6.4 vs 7.4/8.8. It is not just a difference of technology. If you look at the premise of Anito and some of the psychology and stories behind its starting and compare it to Mount and Blade, there is a world of difference and so many similarities. Both are their own country's strongest mark in the Computer Game industry, they both draw from their own "history" or the past for inspiration, and placed themselves in positions of great financial risk. The key difference that I see is in the level of commitment to the Vision. Anito has a throw away plot, it didn't even take the time to get any of the key Philippine "pre-history" points (not just the details) right. It was trying to bet on the previous success of Diablo. This to me is a heart-breaking revelation and reflection. Take Amargan and Ipek Yavuz strategy an

Open Source in the Future

If our company goes open source Ubuntu. We will be saving as much as P1.5M or $30,000 a year. The cost to train is almost none given the It personnel and Linux can easily make it own drivers. They have just begun tests and appraising learning curves right now. Hopefully this all goes well, anyway I'd like to know what are the other barriers there are anyway. Several companies have already gone Linux in the Philippines. Windows may just be used just for games in the future. Eventually Open Source will catch on, and it may cost us to be at the crest of the wave but the benefits right now seriously out weigh other options. With Droid due to become one of the most common OS because of Smartphones this Linux synergy will create new opportunities. Near Tech independence in at least one of the most key aspects in computing.

Something Too long and Off-Topic

I've watched this. Great debate. But just to be clear. It's the Catholic [b]Church[/b] and not necessarily its followers. "followers" or victims? there are also enablers and abusers? I guess it will be a matter of semantics. There are those within the church that does use its influence for political, material and temporal gain. Back in the 80-90s being a priest was not just a calling but a career that had special perks, in what ever social class you may have come from. I know of some priests who really use this as a card in politiking (because of my Opus dei background). They are smart enough to know better, but they the game as it is. Hitchens talks about the intentional and conspiratorial denial of certain facts when the church is confronted with it. These were also brought up in the debate, and the old lady discarding the important points as "unimportant" just after Stephen Fry pre-emptively brought it up is an example of its inherent danger. The choice

Giving others the mindset to Innovate

I was talking to our IT People, and learned what is really stopping our company from going Linux all the way is the Psychology and Inherent bias people quickly have when confronting something new and different. Looking at the costs, the cost to train everyone to use Linux and the cost of support is almost 1M in savings cost of the savings from staying on MS. Looking at the future cost being Independent of Microsoft, this saving doubling every 4 years (the time for the software to depreciate). Then there is the savings of being to still keep outdated hardware working increasing the work life value of all the computers. Suffice to say, there is very little excuse not to go Linux even in the Philippines. Identifying the problem as primarily people's mindset, points out the solution lies in the leadership. The mark of a good leader is quality of taking people where they should if it is ultimately the best for them even if they don't want to. Strange how New and Different things sho

Philippine History Game

Have a game on the Nov 14, it set in Phil History but not in Mahadlika. Mahadlika is an altered history setting, better used for people familiar with the basic Philippine History time line (and where will i find someone like that :lol:) from point of deviation. I have 3 confirmed players. I will write up some few details, but don't want to over prepare, and over expect (from both parties). Being extrodinary characters without combat abilities is one of the challenges in Philippine History. Especially since Filipinos were second class citizens in their own land. Planned Game at Nov 14, Saturday. Area: San Juan, Greenhills Genre: (probably) Drama, Action, Thriller Game System: GURPS 4e Power Level: Realistic, Upper Middle (120cp characters) Game Primer: depending on demand. What to bring: A basic understanding of Philippine History An Open Mind A Character Concept you want to Role-Play. What to Expect: (Probable itinerary) 6pm Meet up 6:30 Dinner- discussion 7:30 pm Character Cr

Crazy Person, the kind that can seriously Harm people

In face book there is this guy __V!nc3nt__83rs@m!n@__ who is sock-puppeting and trolling in the "I support the reproductive health bill". Basically he claims he is an Objectionist, ALA Ayn Rand. He's been bullying and disruptively trolling (glossing over valid arguments and making personal attacks). There is suspicion he has come back to attack the people in the group that basically discredited him and his crazy philosophies using J0Y 5@n#05. One of the guys in the forums pointed me to this link . Basically it is either a group of UE people who are following him OR a bunch of Sock Puppets promoting him. Objectionist Philosophy is outdated and filled with flawed reasonings. Even the basic Game Theory Concepts like Tragedy of the Commons high light the flaws all to clearly of a philosophy so short shortsightedly selfish, it doesn't even know its committing social suicide. The guy was bullying people, threatening that counter arguments against him are "threats&qu

On Merit instead of Gimick

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Holy Crap! 93 hits because of my article on Open Source Tools for Game Material Production . I know people have a tendency to click on contraversy, but I just realized my niche in the RPGblogger Network is taking my Multi-Media Background in making quick and easy GM tools. I'm already one of the rare GURPS 4e posters, I will also be the resident Multi-Media do-it-yourself guys, helping GMs use their home office to max out their game experience. Now that mom got me a camera, I'll be recording and editing my games.

Mental Judo

"Holier than thou" point of view is old and integral with the missionary self image. They are the ones bringing light to darkness, and all that "savior" crap. Right now, I'm wrestling with a fundie and he's exposed his holier than thou attitude about general Christianity. Secular Humanists promote respects for individual beliefs, but how can one preach their faith over the individual faith of others IF they didn't think theirs was better. That is one of the critical weaknesses of the hierarchy of legitimacy in religious debates. Particularly ones that believes your are not as holy as they are and they have the right of it. This brings out the messier side of an individual when many of these individuals don't have the actual near objective assessment to know their own imperfections to know better. One of the guys in FF who is an atheist, used to be a religious stick in the mud. The one who took his faith seriously and with absolute conviction. This a

Classic Corruption

In any other developed Country, this would be so suspect that a case would have been right after this interview (if they didn't detect it earlier). Highlights - 2002 5 million assets, 2005 75 million assets. How did you get so rich so quickly? By the way, the Office of the Ombudsman is in the Pocket of the President. The Ombudsman is supposed to be a separate body charged in preventing corruption in the government. All any player needs to do is keep one in the pocket. Actually one can actually have a civil SUIT against the Ombudsman. The country doesnt resove things BY THE LAW, it is by Popular Opinion. Anyone with a powerful enough machine can take control of the Ombudsman's office and hold it over the president's head. The surprise is that None of the TAIPANS are doing this? It is the knife by which to hold the president throat too and to have a cronie in that position is not that hard. Let who ever politician win, just have the business community OWN the Ombudsman. The g

Begining to dislike Philosophy

This is an interesting video of Laurence Krause I keep referring to over and over again. I might as well post it here so that It is easier for me to find in the future. Its just a video of how he explains the scientists interesting pursuit of how the universe works and how mathematically it makes sense to them that there are complexities in the universe that are far greater than that of Philosophy and Theology but are Testable, Observable and Provable. I am slowly growing a revulsion to Philosophy. I'm beginning to see it as a Lazy way to answer questions when we actually have the capacity to survive without answers and have powerful means of figuring things out empirically. Its like Theory's ill-reputed brother who ruins it for the rest of the Science family. Throwing useless pieces of information out of context and taking forgranted hard won empirical evidence and research. Currently sick. I was supposed to go to the doctor but given how they have a penchant to make me take a