What is a “fringe” topic?

I’ve noticed that some people have referred to some of the topics
in the forum as being “fringe” topics.

Why?

What makes the paranormal, conspiracy theories, or alternate
spiritual and religious beliefs and ideas “fringe” topics?
Because they don’t follow the “established” ideas? Or maybe
because they make you have to pull your head out of the sand
and consider the possibility that what you were taught as a
child might not be all there is?

It has been my observation that many people falsely assume that
expressing an interest in such things means you must be, by
default, some wacko that wears a tin foil hat and believes that
“they” are watching your every move.

No.

Many people that are interested in “fringe” topics are actually
quite normal. Some would even say bloody boring in their day to
day lives. The part of it that amuses me is that as soon as
some people find out you are interested in such things they
think they need to distance themselves from you or shun you for
fear that they will be seen as “tainted” in the eyes of others.
Or worse, they treat like you are some sub-human creature that
somehow managed to escape a lunatic asylum and need to be treated
like you were somehow ill.

Then there are the ones that use the term “lunatic fringe”. What
makes one person a lunatic and another one normal? Politically
speaking, many consider me to be a lunatic because I think our
current government(s) don’t have our best interests in heart. Nor
do I believe this is how the original founders of the various
governments intended for things to be for posterity.

Looking at my traffic reports has shown me something interesting
about this site, the so called “fringe” topics are of greater
interest than the supposed “normal” topics. And believe me, there
are more “normal” topics here than there are “fringe” topics.

One prime example is the topic Pagnor posted about Odinism,
Asatru, and Heathen. I see many visitors looking at that one so
it makes me have to ask the question, If there are that many
people regularly looking for such topics online, how can they be
considered “fringe”? In fact I just looked, that one topic has
had 484 views since he posted it in January.

Link to Pagnor’s thread

So the next time you see something referred to as a “fringe”
topic, ask yourself, What makes this a “fringe” topic? Because
Katie Couric isn’t blathering about bigfoot on the evening news?
Or they aren’t offering you tips on the Today Show on best way to
set up a cleansing ritual for your house before your new baby is
born? Oh wait, they do that if it is Feng Shui.

Good liberals and good conservatives

In modern (US) politics there are three primary groups, Liberals,

Conservatives, and Pretenders. I’m not going to go into the various
political parties as there are many even though the media acts as
though there are only two, Democrats and Republicans.

Many people automatically associate liberal politics with the
Democrats and conservative politics with Republicans. In my
experience that isn’t entirely accurate. I’ve seen plenty of self
proclaimed Democrats that were and are very conservative in their
views and almost as many Republicans that were surprisingly liberal
in their outlook. Then there are the pretenders. They claim one
name or the other yet their actions tell the tale all too well about
where their loyalties lie. Their loyalties usually lie with themselves or
some special interest group who’s interests are usually at odds with
everyone else’s best interests.

As a general rule I detest politics and politicians. It always seems to
be the same song and dance year after year and election after election.
One candidate points an accusing finger at their opponent and the
other counter attacks by digging up more dirt on the other. This
cycle continues until we go to the polls and cast our votes. After the
election is won or lost we get a little peace and quiet for a while
before they start it over again.

I have been told be people on both sides that I am crazy because
my views don’t conform to either set of ideas. Maybe I am crazy for
seeing both sides as being in error in their thinking. However, I see
that there are good liberals and good conservatives and then there
are just idiots that wear the name without knowing what it means.

A review of Google’s Chrome beta browser

I downloaded Chrome beta after having read a bit about it on Digg.
The general consensus on Digg is that it sucks. So far I have to agree
with them for the most part. It has a few annoying problems and what
I have to call design flaws. These may only be typical beta problems
but they still might discourage a user from dropping IE or Firefox in
favor of Chrome.

Installing it went fairly quick and smoothly except for a hiccup that required
me to shut down Firefox so it could import my settings, bookmarks, and other
information from it. It did offer the option to not import any or all of my
information from Firefox but I wanted to see if it would do it and get
everything right, so far so good on that point.

Several people have commented on Chrome’s UI (User Interface) as being
very clean. It is clean, a little too clean if you are used to having all the
options and normal buttons and tabs readily available. The site tabs are at the
very top but it has only back, forward, and reload buttons next to the
search/address/bookmarks bar. You do have the option of adding the home
button from the options menu under the wrench icon. It allows you to
set a home page or you can just use the default new tab page.

The bookmarks can be a pain in the butt to get to where they are located
if you are used to being able to quickly navigate around your favorite sites. You
do have the option of adding a bookmarks tab to the browser but it is located
to the right side and that is not where most people look for their bookmarks
as far as I know. It will also allow you to drag and drop your most used bookmarks
to the left side but it still leaves a lot of room for confusion until you get used
to the lay out.

It also lacks a constant status bar. This is replaced with a fading tab that
shows you where links lead and if a page is still loading. While this may not
be a problem a lot of the time it is still a minor distraction if you are used
to glancing down and seeing the status bar. Their pop up blocker notification
bar will also display here when a pop up is blocked.

As far as I have been able to determine, the beta version does not support
RSS or ATOM feeds and I have seen no buttons for any kind of feeds. I am
hoping this will be corrected in the final version.

I also noticed that some sites that use a lot of widgets that are dependent
on Flash and Quicktime seem to hang up or drag when trying to scroll. This may
only be a problem with the beta but it does tend to make me want to go right
back to Firefox. On most sites the scrolling is very quick and smooth though.
One other problem I noticed was that if you have only one tab opened and
accidentally close it the entire browser will close.

And finally I will address the incognito window they have come up with
for more private surfing. Personally, I can’t see any real need of it since
you can just as easily clear your browsing data from the controls under the
wrench icon.

In closing, I know there are a lot of things I haven’t addressed but these
are the things that drew my attention. It may be a good general purpose
browser after it’s final version is released but I think Google still has a lot of
work ahead of them if they plan to give Internet Explorer any serious competition.

If you would like to try the beta of Chrome visit:
Google Chrome Beta download

You’re meant to be online for your own reasons not for everyone else’s

“You’re meant to be online for your own reasons not for everyone
else’s.”

This was something a friend told me a few years ago. Ever since, it
has been something I have pondered from time to time. At first blush
it seems a simple enough thing and is fairly straightforward in nature
and it is. But the longer you think about it the more you have to ask
yourself, What is my reason for being online in first place?

Until about 12 years ago the internet and home computers in general
were mostly just a novelty, and a fairly pricey one at that, for most
people. Now though they are pretty much a commonplace thing in
most homes. But it still leaves that question, What are your reasons
for being online? Before the internet we managed to get information
by going to a library and meet people without viewing their “profile” or
MySpace page and sent letters via the postal service or made a phone
call. Or just went to their house for a visit.

Of course before that if we wanted to meet someone from another
country we had to travel to their country unless we met them
traveling in our own. Now, we can have friends on the other side
of the planet that we may never actually meet face to face.

When I first got online it was, for me, a way to find information.
Mostly information that wasn’t readily available to me where
I live. For a very long time I merely wandered the internet,
exploring and lurking, never actively participating. Then one
day I finally took the headlong plunge and started posting on a
forum and got hooked on it. For a long time I contented myself
with merely posting on other people’s forums and sites. For some
reason I still am not entirely sure of I built my first website on
Geocities. Some of my online friends may still remember that first
attempt at building a website. It wasn’t very pretty and it in
retrospect, it looked amateurish. And that is a kind description
IMO. (Hey, my site, my opinion.)

After that I got the wild hair to make my own forum, the
first Bastion. It looked a little rough around the edges too as
I recall it. Ok, a lot rough but not too bad for my first “serious”
attempt at building one. A year and a half later came The
Bastion’s second incarnation, this time as a .com, this site in it’s
first form. It was rushed into service before I was completely
ready because things with my business on eBay went to Hell in a
hand basket due to them jacking their fees up. I scrambled to find
alternative auctions and found one to put my stuff in while I got
The Bastion’s own store online, something that took me two
months of bumbling around to do before I finally got it to work
the way I wanted it to. The rest of the was fairly easy since the
bulk of it was the old SMF forum, the old blog and the gallery.
The other parts came more slowly since I had to make them from
scratch and was still learning.

And we come back the original question, What is my reason for being
online?

Dunno, I’ll get back to you on that when I figure it out myself.

The universe ONLY 14 BILLION years old???

I’ve been reading some of this lately and I am quite frankly, annoyed

as Hell.

I will use the following article as a reference…

New Scientist Article

In part:

2 The horizon problem

OUR universe appears to be unfathomably uniform. Look across space from one edge of the visible universe to the other, and you’ll see that the microwave background radiation filling the cosmos is at the same temperature everywhere. That may not seem surprising until you consider that the two edges are nearly 28 billion light years apart and our universe is only 14 billion years old.

Nothing can travel faster than the speed of light, so there is no way heat radiation could have travelled between the two horizons to even out the hot and cold spots created in the big bang and leave the thermal equilibrium we see now.

This “horizon problem” is a big headache for cosmologists, so big that they have come up with some pretty wild solutions. “Inflation”, for example.

You can solve the horizon problem by having the universe expand ultra-fast for a time, just after the big bang, blowing up by a factor of 1050 in 10-33 seconds. But is that just wishful thinking? “Inflation would be an explanation if it occurred,” says University of Cambridge astronomer Martin Rees. The trouble is that no one knows what could have made that happen, but see Inside inflation: after the big bang.

So, in effect, inflation solves one mystery only to invoke another. A variation in the speed of light could also solve the horizon problem - but this too is impotent in the face of the question “why?” In scientific terms, the uniform temperature of the background radiation remains an anomaly.

Ummkay, who can point out the problems here?

The first thing that pops out at me is this…

“That may not seem surprising until you consider that the two
edges are nearly 28 billion light years apart and our universe is
only 14 billion years old.”

Didn’t we go through this a few hundred years ago? As I recall it, it
was Copernicus that stuck his neck out and suggested that the Earth
was not the center of the bloody universe!

Oh, wait, heres a lovely Wikipedia article about it…

Wikipedia article on Copernicus

Now it seems that allegedly modern astronomers have taken a
long step back and decided that our little spinning rock is the
center of the universe.

Hmmm…

Could it be that the 14 billion light years we can see in any given
direction might just be as far as our telescopes can see? Admittedly
14 billion light years is a long damn way to see but it also implies that
logic has been put on the shelf so some jackass can draw a paycheck
for not using the gray matter between his ears! Until someone can
show me empirical data proving me wrong, the Earth is not the
center of the universe!
To think otherwise implies an arrogance that is utterly
mind staggering.

Next up…

”Nothing can travel faster than the speed of light, so there
is no way heat radiation could have travelled between the two
horizons to even out the hot and cold spots created in the big bang
and leave the thermal equilibrium we see now.”

Proof? Can anyone prove beyond any doubt that nothing can travel
faster than the speed of light?

Now before you go on about this theory, that theory, and the other
theory take into account that they are theories. With all due respect
to Einstein, Hawking and all of the other brilliant minds engaged in
academic pursuits, theory is fine. Facts and proof are better.
Theoretically, nothing can travel faster than light. This does not
mean that there is something we have yet to observe that could make
light look like a narcoleptic snail in comparison.

In theory I can make your piss turn blue if I focus my mind but
I ain’t countin’ on it.

And finally…

“So, in effect, inflation solves one mystery only to invoke another.
A variation in the speed of light could also solve the horizon problem
- but this too is impotent in the face of the question “why?” In
scientific terms, the uniform temperature of the background radiation
remains an anomaly.”

So far the only anomaly I see is their lack of logic. I suppose
Cambridge must be paying by the hour so they have to cast
all efforts at logic to the wayside to make a living.

Here is a logical theory for you to chew on Mr PhD, sir….

Some time beyond our feeble comprehension, the universe was
formed and all the matter was scattered far and wide. How far
is hard for us to say as our current level of technology limits us
to a relatively small sphere of the vastness that is the universe
that is observable from our tiny planet. To assume that all we can
see at this time is all there is to see is foolish at best.

What are my credentials, you ask? My credentials are two eyes
and a functional brain. Apparently that is no longer a requirement
for paid cosmologists.

Wartime Wonderland

Wartime Wonderland

I wrote this after having read all the reports of the Georgains
and Russians fighting and all of the other politicians gleefully
rattling their sabers internationally.

(sung to the tune of Winter Wonderland)


Sabers rattle
Are ya listenin'
In the field
bombs are droppin'
Scary sight
We're freakin' tonight
Walkin' in a Wartime Wonderland

Gone away is the blubird
here to stay is a new bird
Dive bombing all day long
as we run along
Walkin' in a Wartime Wonderland

In the basement we can build a shelter
Sit and swelter
When the red cross shows up
They'll ask: Are you injured?
We'll say: No sir
But the troops can do that
When we go to town

Later on
We'll retire
Sittin' by the fire
That used to be our home
And wait for the next air raid
Walikin' in a Wartime Wonderland

In the UN refugee center
we can sit holding the splinter
that used to be the front door
To our house
Walkin' in a Wartime Wonderland

Walkin' in a Wartime Wonderland
Walkin' in a Wartime Wonderland

SMF Mods installed on the BSP SMF example forums

If you have looked at the two SMF forums install at
BSP you may have noticed that they have a number
of Mods applied to them to expand their functionality.

Bastion Special Projects SMF Example Forum

Bastion Special Projects SMF with Tiny Portal Example Forum

Here I will give you brief overview of each mod. please
see the "Located here" links for the full details of each
mod.

SMF Gallery Lite

What is it?
Simply put it is a basic image gallery for SMF.
It can have multiple categories and sub categories
and it can be set to allow any user group you want
access to it.

Located here

Global Headers and Footers

What is it?
This something you may find quite useful if you want
to add some HTML code to your forum but don't want
to play around with the PHP code. Take a look at either
of the example forums and you can see some uses for
this mod, Adding links to other areas of your site, adding
code for Adsense and other ads, code for free hosted
toolbars and more.


Located here

SMF Links

What is it?
This is a links directory that can handle multiple
categories and sub categories. Much like the gallery
mod you can give permissions to specific groups.

Located here

Auto Embed Video/Audio Clips

What is it?
This is a neat little mod that allows audio and video
clips from a wide variety of sites to embedded into
forum post without needing any special BB Code or
major modifications to your forum. You might want
to take a look at the link below to get a better
idea of what sites it can auto embed from.

Located here

TinyPortal

What is it?
TinyPortal is an addon Portal System or CMS
(Content Management System) for SMF. It is
a great way to greatly extend you forum into
much more by adding the ability is write and
post articles in addition to your existing forum.
It also includes a built in Shout Box among other
features. For the full details visit the link below*.

* TinyPortal requires you to register an account to
download the mod and to view certain areas of their
forum.

Located here


As I find and try more Mods I will update this blog
entry.

My version of Night Before Christmas (by Dr Roi)

he following are the lyrics to a song I wrote back in 1973.




Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the pad,
not a person was sober, including my dad.

The hash pipes were lined by the chimney with care,
in hope that no narcs, or no Feds would go there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
while visions of acid still danced in their heads.

My dad popped a Qualude and my mom dropped a Red,
and they both settled down in the ole' water bed.

When all of a sudden I heard such a clutter,
I sprang from my bed and looked down towards the gutter.

The Moon on the breast of the new fallen snow,
gave a glittering view of the narcs down below.

They sprang to the door quickly indeed,
I had just enough time to go flush the speed.

They broke down the door and came stomping inside,
I got under a lampshade and attempted to hide.

Then suddenly he came, and this lines for rhyme,
Old Santa Clause came in the saint nick of time.

He screamed, and he hollered with a terrible shout,
He rounded them up and he tossed them all out.

And when the narcs were gone, and the house again sane,
he pulled out a kilo, and an ounce of cocaine.

So now that you've heard, and I'm sure you'll agree,
that Christmas is fun when you spend it with me.


Republished with permission of the author

The 2008 Ninja Parade

Very few people are aware that in Mississippi we have some of the most
highly trained and skilled ninjas in the entire world. It’s true, We do!
Though you may be asking how can this be as the ninja is part of the
Japanese culture. Well, a long long time a small ninja clan moved from their
traditional home in Osaka, apparently the manufacturing plants made too
much noise for their liking, and transplanted themselves in my home town
and soon spread themselves far and wide around the entire state.

As an annual event they celebrate their “new” home by giving us non-ninja
a spectacular parade. i was fortunate enough to be offered the opportunity
to act a photographer and reporter at their request. (the fact they offered to
give me a wedgie with a sword if I didn’t had nothing to do with my decision…)

Here we have their famed, if hard to locate, head quarters and home. How many
ninjas live and work here? No one is entirely sure. Disguised as a vacant lot it has
ensured them a peaceful locale to practice their arts.

And they’re off on their steady march through the entire town. You can see that
they truly are masters of stealth. I’ve blown this picture up and used every filter
I have and have yet to find a single trace of them!

Here they stopped for a moment to show off the precision sword drill.
Amazing technique and superior form to any team I have ever seen!

Here we see there marching band showing that they can in fact hide in broad
daylight without as much as a blade of grass for cover!

They don’t just stop at a parade, no way, they treat use to an all day event!
Including a picnic…

And a softball game in which they invite ninjas from every part of the state to play
and attend. I was lucky to have been given a press pass for this. It was shoulder
to shoulder!

The end of the final inning, the bases were load and our home team managed to
whip the visitors! As you can tell the crowd had trouble containing their excitement.

Here we have two graduates of our local high school catching up after the game.
The good thing about ninjas is that you don’t need to worry about getting them to
sign waivers…

Again we see them showing off their skills by cleverly disguising a gift shop and
book store as abandoned buildings.

Is this my shadow? Mwwuuuuhahahaha…. I’ll never tell.

How to correctly use a doorbell.

I have noticed that all too many people seem utterly clueless
when it comes to how to use a doorbell in a proper and civil
manner, having had my sleep disturbed by more than one
inconsiderate person randomly banging on the button like a
three year old banging pots in the kitchen…

As a general rule most people tend to get a little annoyed when
their doorbell rings repeatedly during the ten to twenty seconds
it may take them to answer the door. Yes, it is supposed to get
our attention, No, we cannot magically appear at the door on the
first sounding of the chime. And no, pressing the button every 0.5
seconds will not make us open the damned door any faster!

Now, onto the proper civilized way to use the doorbell…

Depress the doorbell button once and them stand back and
count off thirty seconds to yourself. If no one responds after
thirty seconds you may repeat this process once. If after the
second thirty seconds has elapsed and no one has answered the
door, you may assume that: 1) No one is home. 2) Everyone is
asleep or otherwise indisposed*.

* If the sun has gone down and it is after 9:00 PM, it is generally
safe to say that the home’s occupants have retired for the evening
and it would be best to try again at a later date (preferably during
day time the next day).

For more sarcastic wit, watch this blog…