Libertaria

Check out my new blog, Libertaria!, when you get a chance. Because of it, you will probably be seeing a lot fewer rants around here, which I guess could be a good thing if you're not too fond of my leanings.

The Best Compliment

I think that being called "competent" is just about the best compliment anyone can give you. "Gifted," "talented," "visionary," etc., all imply innate skill and/or intelligence, but say nothing about one's ability to apply those traits. In my view, "competent" means that not only is one greatly skilled, but that one also has superior drive, work ethic, and motivation as well as a penchant for critical thinking and problem solving. These factors propel the competent to not only do things, but to do those things to the best of their abilities and in a timely manner. It is competence which drives the world.

Similarly, I think that "incompetent" is quite an insult. To be called incompetent is to be ridiculed not because of lack of intelligence or skill, but because of one's inability to apply those traits towards a fruitful goal. If competence drives the world two steps forward, it is incompetence which pulls it back one.

I was called "extremely competent" today, by someone who I consider to be more than extremely competent. I don't know if a compliment has ever meant more to me, or put me in such a joyous disposition.

Template Issues

As my lovely girlfriend noticed (and hopefully she's the only one), my blog was recently uglified when the background images were replaced by something really annoying. Apparently, the people who wrote the open source template I was using decided to be stupid and use a free picture hosting service to host the background images. So when that service did clean up they removed the images I was using. **sigh**

Oh well. For now I'm going to be using this built-in minima dark theme. I've recently learned me some XHTML, CSS, and JavaScript, so I'll fiddle around with the template in my spare time, and there may even be some interactivity coming in the future.

"Smoking" Hot Topic

Some time before the beginning of last semester, the University of Arkansas instituted a new tobacco-free policy which completely banned smoking (and chewing tobacco too, I presume) on campus. The Arkansas Clean Air Act banned smoking indoors but allowed it outside as long as you were at least 25 feet away from all public building's entrance/exit. But the University's new, less sensible policy has banned smoking anywhere on campus, at any time.

Though I dislike smoking, I oppose the University's new tobacco-free policy on three grounds: it unnecessarily infringes upon students', faculties', staffs', and visitors' liberties; it was enacted unilaterally by the University's administration without much, if any, consultation with or input from those whom it affects; and it is currently not being enforced, making the University appear insincere and/or weak with their regulations.

Proponents of the University's policy justify prohibiting smoking, which would be permissible almost anywhere outdoors off-campus, by claiming that second-hand smoke is harmful to non-smoking passersby. Sadly enough, the science to support this claim is just not there, though there is plenty of rhetoric spread across the internet and elsewhere. Smoking is dangerous to the smoker, and absolutely harmless to non-smokers unless they are a premature infant or trapped in a small room with a chain smoker for hours on end every day. I won't cite anything because that's not what I'm here for, but if you doubt my claim simply watch Penn & Teller: Bullshit!, Season 1, Episode 5 (long story short, the original EPA study -- which almost all successive studies use as a basis -- fabricated data to be used by those with an anti-smoking agenda).

So the anti-smoking advocates on campus who so ardently defend the policy are advocating infringing on smokers' liberty to put whatever legal substance they want into their own bodies on the scientific basis of...well, there is no scientific basis. The only thing that they have left to claim is that the smoke is unpleasant, which I don't disagree with, but which is not a legitimate reason to ban smoking. If it was, you could apply the same idea to obsessive Axe bodyspray users, people who listen to music too loudly while driving, or the dude who chews with his mouth open at the table next to you: all those behaviors are unpleasant, but you just can't in good sense do anything institutionally about them. Same goes for smoking.

I take issue with the way that the University enacted the tobacco-free policy. From what I understand, there was no ad campaign to raise support, no open forum for discussion and/or debate, and no input solicited from the student body or government. The policy was formulated and enacted solely by the University's bureaucracy and administration. At a public university, enacting such a sweeping yet non-essential policy should be a much more open and inclusive process so that its opponents have a fair chance to be heard. Instead, the University chose to disregard almost anything its students might have to say on the matter, which clashes horribly with the new Chancellor's motto of "Students First."

Finally, we get to the sheer ridiculousness of enforcing the policy. All a smoker has to do to get around the policy is cross the street to off-campus, or even just whip out a pack, light up, and hope that one of the three people on campus who actually care about following the policy don't walk by. And even if they do, what are they going to do: ask you to stop? "No thanks, I'd rather not." Flag a passing police officer? Campus cops are few and far between and have more important things to worry about even if they could enforce the policy (to my knowledge, they currently cannot), and so would probably laugh at you for wasting their time. Grab the cigarette out of your mouth and quench it? That's a form of assault and theft, both of which the University and the law consider much more serious than smoking. Besides, the smoker will just light up again as soon as the coast is clear. Accordingly, I know only one smoker who has changed his habits because of the tobacco ban, and he only does so because he is an RA and could lose his position otherwise.

Unenforceable laws or policies only degrade the integrity of those issuing them. When college kids see that they can get away with not abiding the University's widely publicized ban on smoking, psychologically it makes it easier for them to break other, less advertised rules. I don't know why the University would want to potentially add to the problems it already has with under aged alcohol consumption, public intoxication, narcotics use and addiction, unruly drivers, etc., but that's exactly what they do every time they institute an unenforceable policy like the smoking ban.

C is for Death Metal

All Hail Skynet!

Judgment Day is upon us. If you see a blinding flash of light and then a naked Arnold Schwarzenegger, it's already too late.

Gizmodo: near-future supercomputer will be capable of 20 petaflops (that's faster than the combined computing power of the world's 500 fastest already-existent supercomputers!).

Love/Hate

This is a theme that's been stuck in my head for a while now. I figure getting it down on digital paper might make it go away...or maybe it won't and you'll see more of these posts in the future. Meh.

I love (meaning appreciate, enjoy, etc):

• Good action/science fiction movies.
  
• Guitar solos.
• Caffeine.
• Low gas prices.
• Fresh-out-of-the-dryer clothes, especially hoodies.
• Procrastinating.
• Kickin' ass and takin' names.
• Netflix.
• Sarcasm, and lots of it.
• Earl Grey with half-and-half and sugar or honey.
  

I hate (meaning dislike, despise, condemn, etc):

• Chain mail, all "pass this on" memes.
  
• Surprise-attack cold hands on the back of my neck, my stomach, or pretty much anywhere.
• Obama-fanatics and Bush-bashers.
• Bush-fanatics and Obama-bashers.
• Pretty much anyone who idolizes/demonizes someone who really isn't all that great/terrible.
  
• Landscape photos being posted on the interwebz in portrait orientation, and vice versa.
  
• Insomnia.
• People who own a computer, but don't know the first thing about it or how to use it.
• Legislating from the pulpit. It's called liberty, people: get with it!
• Awkward moments. They're awkward.