Civilian Deaths

2004.02.27

Some estimates on the number of civilian casualties during the war in Iraq put the number as low as three thousand and as high as ten thousand. Who knows what's correct, or if those estimates are even close. I imagine we'll find out eventually, though it won't be soon. In any case, it shouldn't be a surprise.

War is a messy business. It's simply not possible to wage a war in which only soldiers or other intended targets are killed. People get in the way, and intelligence is frequently wrong. The training that most US soldiers undergo these days isn't even friendly to the idea of protecting civilian lives. If you're under fire and can tell where it's coming from, say a building, you return fire and keep firing until you aren't being shot at anymore. If something in the building makes a noise, you shoot at it. If something in the building moves, you shoot at it. You keep shooting at it until you can sit there for hours and be certain that nothing is going to come out of the building, at which point you send troops inside.

This kind of mentality is designed to protect US soldiers and their equipment from harm. Vietnam taught America, and the rest of the world, the price for trying to wage a "careful" war. Don't bomb this, don't shoot that, don't fly here, don't look there. The only thing all of that accomplished was to prolong the conflict indefinitely and lead to enemy soldiers taking advantage of the US fighting with their hands tied behind their backs.

I don't mean to sound like the killing of civilians is justified in wartime, because it is not. However, it is war. People tend to forget that. The American media and the American military themselves should stop pretending that it's possible to bomb a coffee shop without killing the people sitting outside on the patio. Physics just doesn't work that way. At the same time, it shouldn't be such a surprise or crime when civilians do get killed in the middle of a war. It happens, it's always going to happen, and there isn't much that can be done about it.

Comanche

2004.02.26

Army ends 20-year helicopter program

So the US Army has canceled the Comanche helicopter program. It's definitely hard to argue with the decision, even if it is unfortunate. Taking 20 years to develop a small reconnaissance chopper is more than a little ridiculous, even if it does incorporate stealth technologies.

It seems like it takes longer and longer to design and test new aircraft these days. I know they're significantly more complicated than they used to be, but the testing must cover more than just the increased number of systems. The F-22 Raptor has been in development for over 10 years, and they just recently delivered the first set of aircraft to what will become the first group of instructor pilots. I'm not sure exactly when the plane is supposed to enter service, but it's more than a few years away at least. Even the Navy's new F-18 Super Hornet, which is just a upgraded version of an existing plane, has taken a good deal of time to design, build, and test.

It's crazy to think that the F-22 will be the benchmark for fighter jets until at least 2020 or 2030. Certainly designers could come up with more advanced aircraft in a 20 year period, but it doesn't matter. With the amount of time it takes to bring a design idea into full operational service, things that are cutting edge on paper become routine by the time they're flying off carrier decks. I suppose that's the whole idea. Pilots don't want any surprises when they start flying the new birds, since all of that was supposed to have been dealt with by the test pilots and engineers during the testing phase.

I don't think we'll ever see a 6 month development cycle like the one they had during WW2 again.

Tong Moo Do

2004.02.24

The big blur in the centre team is me. Working with the demo team has been a lot of fun, and certainly a learning experience. After all, the closest belt to mine in the team is brown with a yellow stripe, which is 5 full belts above me and almost two years of training. So much to learn still.

It's things like this I'm interested in spending my time on these days. I've been off games for a while now, except for the occasional one every few months. I've barely been paying attention to computer hardware news, because that requires a lot of online reading, which I don't want to donate time to. Sometimes it seems like I barely have time to write these posts everyday, and I certainly don't put in the effort I used to. Well, maybe every once and a while.

What's the point of this? Who knows. All I can say is that when you feel like you aren't wasting time on things, life is a lot more enjoyable. Stop reading Rense.com for one day and do something worthwhile, you don't need to keep up with news about the lizard people.

Zero Mission

2004.02.20

I started Metroid: Zero Mission last night. I only had time to play it for an hour or so, but so far it's pretty good. The game is supposed to be a re-imagining of the first Metroid game, so the story and basic map layout are the same. Many of the environments look quite different, however, which is turning out to be an improvement most of the time. Even the music is the same, although obviously updated with fancier remixes of the original tunes.

So far my big problem with the game are the annoying Chozo statues. Every time you run into one, which seems to be about every 15 minutes, they recharge your energy and weapons, and point you in the direction you should be going. As a result, the game is way too easy compared with most platformers, let alone compared with the original Metroid. Most of the reviews I've read point to this as the game's one major flaw, and I would have to agree.

I am still only an hour into it however, so maybe it will turn out to be so awesome that I'll overlook the lack of challenge. Probably not, but anything's possible.

Apple Annoyance

2004.02.18

So I picked up one of the new iPods on Monday after losing my other one over the weekend. The new models are an improvement in every way except for one, and it's a big one. The first and second generation iPods use a standard Firewire cable to connect to a computer, but these new third generation ones use a proprietary Apple cable, presumably because the new models are thinner. The major problem with this is that you can no longer use the iPod as a portable hard drive without carrying Apple's cable around with you.

Say for example I'm at a friend's place, and I want to take a few hundred megs or a gig of stuff home with me. As long as they had a Firewire cable, any Firewire cable, it wouldn't be a problem. Plug it in, copy the files, and you're done. Now, I have to know I'm going to be copying data before hand, so I can remember to bring the stupid Apple cable with me from home. For a company that claims to be at the forefront of user friendliness, this seems like a pretty big oversight.

It's reasons like this that Apple will never really get out of the niche market it's stuck in. They make great stuff, as long as you're willing to pay the price, and use it the way they want you to use it. I may like the iPod enough to look over these flaws, but they're the reason I'll never buy a Mac.

Finding God

2004.02.17

I must admit I do have more respect for people who have found God on their own than I do for those who have grown up in the church. They are coming by the choice on their own, usually when they're older and actually know what's going on. People who can't remember the first time they went to church are usually brainwashed to some degree.

I can just hear it now. "No I'm not! I love God!" Obviously you wouldn't be brainwashed if you actually knew that you were. That would be quite pointless. I would guess that a large majority of people going to church, or whatever, today have been doing it for their entire lives, literally. These are people who have been taught to have faith, which definitely has less significance for me than people who come by it on their own.

Would all of the people who have been taught to love God still do so if the church hadn't been a driving force at the dawn of their lives? Somehow, I don't think so.

Aarrgg!!

2004.02.16

I managed to lose my iPod this weekend, which I am extremely upset about. No one's fault but my own, which is probably a good thing, since it prevents me from being bitter. I'm going to have to pick up a new one tomorrow. Unplanned expenses are never fun.

I wonder if some day every product or device we buy will have a little radio transmitter chip implanted in it somewhere? Just download the frequency to your home's tracking device when you make the purchase, and you'll always be able to zero in on your possessions if they become lost or stolen. Sounds like it could be cool, although it opens the door to all sorts of sticky questions about privacy. You know that companies and governments would want to use the technology to track people's movements and habits.

Why do these things always have to be a double edged sword? Why can't anything ever just be good, and not have some socially dangerous aspect?

Corruption

2004.02.13

I would be disappointed to hear that anyone was surprised about the news of the Chretien Liberals' corruption. I'm not sure if it's even possible for a government to be in power for so long and remain honest. Power corrupts after all, and anyone who thinks they are immune to that aspect of leadership is usually the first to suffer its effects.

It will be interesting to see if Martin and his camp can purge the Chretien poison out of the Liberal party. Not that I care very much mind you. Canadian politics is stagnant and boring, even with a $250 million corruption scandal.

No Time

2004.02.12

I'm still having a big problem finding time for everything. I just looked up at one of my shelves, saw the box for Lock On, and realized I've barely touched it since I bought it. At the moment I've got at least three games I can say that about. Just setting up my flight stick to work with Lock On the way I want would probably take an entire day of work.

Job, Tong Moo Do class, Tong Moo Do demo team, hockey, friends, website. I've pretty much got all of my time accounted for every week. In a way, I am complaining. There are certainly other things I would like to be able to do, which I can't find time for at the moment. On the other hand however, being busy is a wonderful way to go through life. Every day feels longer, and is ended with a sense of satisfaction for actually having done something.

I'm sure I've complained about the time issue before. Mostly I'm having a harder time thinking of something to post about these days. Things aren't getting me angry as much as they used to, which obviously cuts down on the political posts, even if they are fun. No big deal. I'm not writing all of this for you, after all.

Metroid

2004.02.11

I picked up Metroid: Zero Mission yesterday. Haven't had time to play it yet, but I'll let you know how it goes. I'm thinking it should be pretty cool, so we'll see.

Gotta get going to work. The whole Girlfriend thing really screws up timing. Oh well!

Ninten-stupid

2004.02.10

Nintendo has decided to "postpone" their next generation game console and stick with the Gamecube. Of course, in the world of computer technology, "postpone" means cancel. It's impossible to put something on hold and expect to be able to catch up with the competition if need be. I think that pretty much proves that everyone running that company is a moron, which means they'll all be out of work in a couple of years. According to the Nintendo president, people aren't interested in faster machines that can provide better graphics, they want new kinds of games.

Well, isn't that a ingenious look at market statistics. People made WW2 shooters back when you could only have two colours on the screen. They're still making them, and they're still awesome. The thing these fools don't realize is that more processing power and better graphics almost always translates to new kinds of gameplay. Things are more interactive because the machine can calculate more events. Grand Theft Auto III is one of the best selling games of all time, a position I'm positive it would not hold if it were made with 2D sprite graphics. The technology made that game possible.

I think I'm pretty much done with Nintendo. I'll still buy games for the Cube, because I know that the games they make are great. When the next generation of machines arrives however, I'll probably pick up a PS3, and hopefully I'll be able to play a fantastic new version of Metroid on it, since Nintendo will have become a third party.

Mark Steyn Rules

2004.02.09

Steyn on Canada

"A nation that rouses itself only to beat up on those who deviate from government-enforced cultural wimpiness cannot survive"

-Mark Steyn

If the CBC is a government funded station that shouldn't be allowed to be used as an opinion spreading device, why is it okay to use it to spread left wing socialist views, but not right wing libertarian ones? Steyn is correct about Canada; we've made it illegal to have "hurtful" views and opinions. I hope we do become the next US state.

Fuck the French

2004.02.07

CBC apologizes for Cherry comments, commits to tape delay

There are days when I actually hate this country. I hate the obscene political correctness, the disgustingly complete pandering to special interest groups by politicians up and down the chain, the constant socialist view that at times borders on communism.

Now, after Don Cherry said "the only players who wear visors are Europeans and French guys" on Coach's Corner, the certifiable separatists have sounded another war cry against Cherry's "anti-French" opinions. Hey assholes, take a look outside your province for even one second, and you'll find plenty of anti-French opinions. I am completely sick and utterly tired of hearing about the poor French, and how unfair everything is for them because they speak a different language. I would give almost anything for the power to kick them all out of the country, because quite frankly, I think we'd be a hell of a lot better of without them.

The worst part of all this is how the rest of the country panders to the French at every turn. It seems like we'll do almost anything just to get them to shut up. They're like little kids who won't stop screaming for candy at the grocery store, and we're the foolish parents who buy it just to stop the noise. The official languages commissioner is considering a formal investigation into whether Cherry's anti-Francophone comments are a failure by the CBC to follow the Official Languages Act. The junior multicultural minister says "the government will not tolerate statements that create dissonance in our society and disrespect for others." Can you seriously believe you just read that quote? I found myself looking around the room, checking to make sure I wasn't living in Oceania or North Korea. Has the minister heard of free speech, or even freedom at all?

It's gone so far that the CBC is going to commit to a seven second tape delay of Coach's Corner from now on. They aren't delaying the broadcast to add effects to the feed. They aren't delaying the broadcast to edit out swearing. They're delaying the broadcast to edit out opinions. Think about that for a second. They are censoring a person's opinion. This is the government's publicly funded television station. Don Cherry isn't a news anchor or a politician. Don Cherry is an editorial commentator that talks about hockey, most of the time. Coach's Corner is an editorial segment. I've seen roundtable discussions on TV featuring anti-Semitic Arabs and neo-Nazi white supremacists, but as soon as you cry foul against the French in Canada, you get censored and investigated.

This country sucks, everyone who runs it sucks, and the French can kiss my white anglophone ass!

Any Day Now

2004.02.06

What would it be like to wake up in the morning, open the door to get the paper, open it and see "LIFE ON MARS!" in huge black letters? The same feeling would apply if you happen to check Internet news sites first, listen to the radio, or turn on the TV. How long would the spectacle last? Would people be talking about it around the water cooler for more than a week, even?

Somehow, I doubt it. The previously described newspaper headline will almost certainly be accompanied by "microbial life, that is", which people don't really find too interesting. Still, such a discovery would bring hundreds of questions about biology, chemistry, physics, technology, philosophy, and religion out of the hypothetical realm.

I think we need a new big news story. I mean seriously, how long can a group of people talk about a breast?

New Technology

2004.02.05

Why is it that people always assume new technology will be adopted? Even if it is, people usually guess that it will come into use years before it actually does. We could make flying cars now if we wanted to, but you aren't going to see commuter traffic in the skies for at least one hundred years. Houses with digital drywall that displays the Internet and video? Sure, but it's going to take a couple of decades at least before the cost is low enough for the middle class, not to mention ironing out the technical problems.

Things take time to develop, and even if we think something can be done, figuring out exactly how is almost always extremely hard by comparison. Technology may move quickly, but it hardly changes overnight. Travel thirty years into the future, and you'll probably find a world almost exactly like this one. The cell phones will be smaller, the cars will look and sounds different, computers will be faster, and there will be video monitors everywhere. Other than that, I wouldn't expect much.

War

2004.02.04

Okay, here's the deal with war:

There are people out there who will only bow to one kind of authority: force. Unfortunately some of these people run countries. These tend to be countries that one doesn't want to live in, like Iraq a few years ago, or North Korea today. These leaders don't care about UN mandates or sanctions, security council resolutions or agreements, because none of these things affect them personally. The UN imposes a trade embargo on these countries and the people starve while the leader enjoys the same luxuries he's always had.

There is no amount of diplomatic pressure that can unseat a tyrant. It just doesn't work that way. People who rule by force can only be removed by it. The question then becomes: who's responsibility is it to do the removing? Should the wealthy, powerful nations of this world work together and militarily end tyranny everywhere? Should the antiwar left be allowed to enjoy the comforts of home while millions are butchered and experimented on in North Korean death camps?

War may be ugly, but isn't it preferable to allowing another Stalin?

Fanboys

2004.02.03

Every once and a while I come across a post on a forum somewhere that blows my mind. A few of the crew were looking at this one yesterday at work. Scroll down and read the super long post made by "The Hawk".

Now I suppose the post is technically positive, but I really do wonder about people who are so affected by television. I don't know about the rest of you, but I wouldn't consider any TV series I've seen as having been life changing experiences. The way this guy is talking, you'd think that watching Andromeda was like meeting God.

I don't know, it just doesn't seem right.

Ahh!

2004.02.02

I am so late for work!