2002, Militarization

1. Jan. 6th, 2002 - "Virtuality, A.I., and Human Panic"
   [RATING: 43 | VOTES: 8]

   What if there were an open source virtual world application equivalent to the viral Napster? Could this be what the Internet has been waiting for?

   
   
2. Jan. 13th, 2002 - "Mandatory Service"
   [RATING: 62 | VOTES: 29]

   Perhaps requiring people to serve some time in the service like other countries do would help people understand and identify with the US more, even if they abhor it?

   
   
3. Jan. 20th, 2002 - "The Subway/Jared Fogle Conspiracy"
   [RATING: 46 | VOTES: 79]

   What surprises me is how the press is ignoring the obvious connection between the rise in frequency of Subway commercials and the untimely death of Wendy's great, Dave Thomas.

   
   
4. Jan. 27th, 2002 - "Man with Briefcase"
   [RATING: 36 | VOTES: 5]

   Expanding on my wish to be able to go anywhere and have everything I need with minimal material encumbrance.

   
   
5. Feb. 3rd, 2002 - "Enron Gets Gang-Tackled"
   [RATING: 27 | VOTES: 6]

   Everyone's eager to get their licks in on Enron. But they're flinging stones from glass houses!

   
   
6. Feb. 10th, 2002 - "Online Reputation Systems"
   [RATING: 13 | VOTES: 6]

   What if we sacrificed some privacy for some protections online for once? What if all the time you spent working on even the most obscure projects increased your identity rating?

   
   
7. Feb. 17th, 2002 - "The Drive to Win"
   [RATING: 30 | VOTES: 7]

   I'm learning the value of desiring to win even in less important competition -- it helps you push your bar further. Also, thoughts on becoming a soldier.

   
   
8. Feb. 24th, 2002 - "Setting a Good Example"
   [RATING: 16 | VOTES: 5]

   Dubya is being seen as flying off the handle a bit. The example he sets is used and justified by others who may not be as bound by their countries' laws and media as Dubya is.

   
   
9. Mar. 3rd, 2002 - "Bloggers Go to SXSW to Try on the Glass Slipper of Journalism"
   [RATING: 11 | VOTES: 9]

   What happens when a bunch of bloggers get together to discuss their quickly-approaching status as credible journalists? Why, comedy ensues, of course!

   
   
10. Mar. 10th, 2002 - "The Web is Boring"
    [RATING: 52 | VOTES: 23]

    A New York Times article is published quoting people like Glenn Davis saying the web is no longer cool. The bloggers go crazy, and I respond!

    
    
11. Mar. 17th, 2002 - "Wetware Personae"
    [RATING: 14 | VOTES: 7]

    Wouldn't it be cool to look up someone's profile walking past you down the street, like you would on something like ICQ?

    
    
12. Mar. 24th, 2002 - "The CBDTPA and DMCA"
    [RATING: 25 | VOTES: 10]

    Senator Hollings has proposed the CBDTPA, a nasty sibling of the DMCA. And just like everyone else online, I weigh in with my opinions. =P

    
    
13. Mar. 31st, 2002 - "Blackness, Exploitation of"
    [RATING: 56 | VOTES: 20]

    Identifying problems with portrayals of well-known black people and how they interact with society, and vice versa.

    
    
14. Apr. 7th, 2002 - "Vanishing Text"
    [RATING: 29 | VOTES: 9]

    Is it possible to duplicate the effect of oral narration transmission in a digital world? Wouldn't we benefit from it?

    
    
15. Apr. 14th, 2002 - "Killing Machines"
    [RATING: 26 | VOTES: 8]

    Do people really understand the authority which commands the military? If so, then why do they malign it so, when it is a tool used by their will?

    
    
16. Apr. 28th, 2002 - "Basic Combat Training and More"
    [RATING: 38 | VOTES: 13]

    Okay, so I'm leaving for nine weeks to go to boot camp... The site's gonna be inactive for a bit. =( Bye! I'll have stories when I return, I hope!

    
    
17. May. 5th, 2002 - "Letters from Basic, 1"
    [RATING: 0 | VOTES: 4]

    Army Basic Combat Training: Reception Battalion.

    
    
18. May. 12th, 2002 - "Letters from Basic, 2"
    [RATING: 13 | VOTES: 5]

    Army Basic Combat Training: Welcome to Fort Leonard Wood.

    
    
19. May. 19th, 2002 - "Letters from Basic, 3"
    [RATING: 20 | VOTES: 5]

    Army Basic Combat Training: Warrior Tower and getting used to the conditions.

    
    
20. May. 26th, 2002 - "Letters from Basic, 4"
    [RATING: 0 | VOTES: 4]

    Army Basic Combat Training: Land nav, gas chamber, and more.

    
    
21. Jun. 2nd, 2002 - "Letters from Basic, 5"
    [RATING: 28 | VOTES: 5]

    Army Basic Combat Training: Hand-to-hand combat, basic rifle marksmanship.

    
    
22. Jun. 9th, 2002 - "Letters from Basic, 6"
    [RATING: 10 | VOTES: 6]

    Army Basic Combat Training: Rifle qualification.

    
    
23. Jun. 16th, 2002 - "Letters from Basic, 7"
    [RATING: 69 | VOTES: 7]

    Army Basic Combat Training: PT tests, bayonets, and ceremonies.

    
    
24. Jun. 23rd, 2002 - "Letters from Basic, 8"
    [RATING: 0 | VOTES: 2]

    Army Basic Combat Training: US weapons, grenades, confidence courses.

    
    
25. Jun. 30th, 2002 - "Letters from Basic, 9"
    [RATING: 13 | VOTES: 6]

    Army Basic Combat Training: Pugil sticks, bickering, suicides, and preparation for the end.

    
    
26. Jul. 7th, 2002 - "Letters from Basic, 10"
    [RATING: 18 | VOTES: 6]

    Army Basic Combat Training: Drill and Ceremony, preparation for FTX.

    
    
27. Dec. 22nd, 2002 - "Kelb Shaitan"
    [RATING: 24 | VOTES: 8]

    One period of Arabic class spent in the computer lab produced a quick noir-ish tale about a man and his dog. (kelbahi)

    
    
28. Dec. 29th, 2002 - "On Happiness"
    [RATING: 52 | VOTES: 13]

    I wrote a little playful essay on happiness as a response to a poem a girl wrote to me on the same subject.