Save on Gas? Tailgate

I recently read that the optimal gas efficiency speed on the highway is about 60mph, in general. For every 5mpg over 60, the increased air resistance causes a drop of about 10% in fuel efficiency. So if you were driving 75mph, you would be spending about 30% more gas then if you were going 60.

I found this graph from a government website (click the graph to visit the site).

In some states (like Michigan), the speed limit is 70mph, but lets face it, when was the last time you drove “speed limit” on an uncongested highway?

The reason why your efficiency drops so rapidly after 60mph is due to air resistance. Logic would dictate that if you decrease your air resistance, you increase your gas efficiency. Auto makers have been making their cars more and more aerodynamic – able to cut through the air with less resistance.

Another solution – tailgate.

In racing, they call it “drafting”. NASCAR drivers use it, and so do bike racers like Lance Armstrong.

Okay, tailgating is stupid - It causes many accidents, some fatal.

If you know how to follow a car and which kind of car to follow, however, you will notice a decrease on the amount of gas you use.

The science is simple – the car or truck in front of you “breaks the wind” for you, hence reducing air resistance. The bigger the vehicle in front of you, the farther away you can be in order to reap the benefits.

With my sedan, I often follow (not tailgate, though – too dangerous) SUVs or semi-trucks – prefer SUVs, though.

Where is my proof? Well, I don’t really have any solid proof. However, on a recent trip, I rented a 2006 Ford Taurus and drove it about 300 miles. On the way there, it was sunny and dry so I followed an SUV down I-75 going at about 75mpg. I got there in about 4 hours and used less ¾ tank of gas.

On my way back, it was night so I did not follow behind any cars. I went about 65 or 70 (speed limit). It took me a longer to get home and I used an entire tank of gas!

Following behind another car is also a good idea when the wind is blowing hard. On my way back from school, going down a highway I notice a big difference, especially on a windy day, between taking the lead and following. I could feel the car get heavier and the need to press the gas peddle harder.

Conclusion:
Do NOT tailgate (its illegal). A skilled driver can save on gas, however, by leaving a safe, but close, distance between you and a driver in front of you. Of course, you could always get yourself one of these bumper-stickers:

Immigration Reform: An Iraqi-American Perspective, Part II

For a little background on my experience with immigration, check out Part I:
Immigration Reform: An Iraqi-American Perspective, Part I

Pros of Immigration
First off, I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for immigration, so I tend to like the idea. Immigration infuses “new blood” into societies that might be getting a bit stale (like Germany, no offense). It also helps with the problem of the shrinking worker-to-retiree ratio that so many developed countries are dealing with. Immigrants help societies better learn and understand what other cultures are like – increasing tolerance and decreasing inequality. Many immigrants study and work in our colleges and universities – often in positions that citizens of the country frankly do want to have. Same goes with the service industry – immigrants tolerate labor and wage conditions that we would consider unworkable.

Cons of Immigration
Unfortunately, there are many. Illegal immigrants are typically un- or under-educated and therefore to not put the kind of emphasis on education that they should. They tend to have trouble integrating - which could be caused by their unwillingness (or inability) to seek public assistance. This can lead to social isolation, lower education levels, higher crime rates, higher teen pregnancy, and a whole host of other problems.

Getting back to the labor and wages – a vast majority of immigrants (especially illegal ones) work in unbelievable conditions. Companies take advantage of them. We treat them like dirt – subhuman. They cannot complain for fear of being fired or deported. But they would rather take their chances with a horrible job here than the misery they left back in their country. Illegal immigrants depress wages and work their butts off – and companies know it. They usually can’t get a citizen to do the same amount of work for the same low pay as an illegal. They have become dependent on this workforce.

This brings in mind an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation called “The Measure of a Man” (you knew it was coming). The android Data is being ordered to be dissembled to be studies and is refusing to do so - so there is a hearing to determine if he (being a machine) has a right to refuse. Captain Picard is Data’s defender and is stumped, so he talks the issue over with Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg). Read the dialogue and you will see how this is relevant (and why I love ST:TNG so much):

Guinan: "Consider that in the history of many worlds there have always been disposable creatures. They do the dirty work. They do the work that no one else wants to do, because it's too difficult and too hazardous. With an army of Datas, all disposable, you don't have to think about their welfare, or you don't think about how they feel. Whole generations of disposable people."
Picard: "You're talking about slavery."
Guinan: "I think that's a little harsh."
Picard: "I don't think that's a little harsh, I think that's the truth. That's the truth that we have obscured behind...a comfortable, easy euphemism. "Property." But that's not the issue at all, is it?"



Captain Picard argues in the hearing that others will judge us by how we treat the vulnerable. And right now, US companies are not treating the illegal immigrants very well.


Conclusion:
Immigration is a win-win situation for everybody. I support any law that will severely limit illegal immigration. This includes building barriers and cracking down on illegal immigrants that are the source of many problems.

Legal immigration must be expanded at the same time, however, so we can continue to reap the benefits of immigration and show people that we are a nation of tolerance and openness.

Immigration Reform: An Iraqi-American Perspective, Part I

I am sure you have heard on the news that the government wants to reform immigration. Some demonstrated in favor of the new measures, others were opposed (gotta love freedom to demonstrate).

Before I share my take, here is a little background on me and my experiences. My parents came to the US as students back in the mid-‘70s – paid for by the Iraqi government. Up until the 1990’s, that was really the only way Iraqis came to this country (well, there was also church-sponsored immigration of the Christian Chaldean population). Like many foreign students, their plan was to get educated and go back to their country – with yearly visits in between. On their last visit in 1981, things changed. The Saddam government started cracking down on religious people after the war with Iran broke out. My father’s youngest brother was thrown in jail simply for being a little more religious than “normal” (at the time, religion was falling apart in Iraq – women abandoned their modest dresses, there were bars and nightclubs everywhere).

My parents came back to the US, fleeing religious persecution and fear of being drafted for a war that ended up taking millions of lives on both sides (it was truly pointless and tragic). Their visas shortly expired, so they were living in fear of being deported. God answered their prayers when they were sponsored by a company on worker’s visas. A few years later, we all became naturalized citizen.

As for the Chaldeans, I cannot say that I know too much about them. From what I know, starting in the 1960s a church group started bringing Chaldeans from Iraq to live and work here in the US. At a time when Detroit was being evacuated, known as “white flight”, the Chaldeans seized on the opportunity to grow their community. They bought entire city blocks in Detroit where they would house Chaldean immigrants. In return, the Chaldeans would work, mainly in grocery stores, to pay their house debt off. They were also in charge of patrolling their neighborhood at a time where Detroit was considered to be a dangerous place (in the 1987 movie Robocop, Detroit is labeled Crime City). As they paid off their debt and established their own careers, they moved to higher class suburban neighborhoods such as Southfield and now West Bloomfield.

After the first Gulf War and the failed intifadha (uprising against Saddam), hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, mainly from the south of Iraq, fled for their lives. A vast majority were simple people – farmers that have never lived in the city. Some fled to Syria or Iran. Others went to Saudi Arabia and were forced to live in refugee camps, known to many as the camps of Rafha. There, some spent years before being picked up by donor nations such as Australia, many European nations, and the US. Life in the Western world was very difficult for many. A decade later, these immigrants are still struggling to adjust – some would use the word “assimilate”.

Now that you have a little background on my and my experiences, continue to Part II to find out what I think of the current reforms being proposed:
Immigration Reform: An Iraqi-American Perspective, Part II

Captain’s Book Review: “Fear and Other Uninvited Guests”

“Fear and Other Uninvited Guests: Tackling the Anxiety, Fear, and Shame That Keep Us from Optimal Living and Loving” by Harriet Lerner

I checked this book out from the library after listening to an interview with the author on NPR’s Diane Rehm show. You can find that interview at:
http://www.wamu.org/programs/dr/04/06/10.php

I sometimes suffer from anxiety. Sometimes it keeps me from speaking up, or calling somebody back, or confronting a problem. So I figured this book might help overcome or at least understand my anxiety problem.

It turns out that this book is written by a woman for other women – go figure. And to make things more interesting, she is a feminist.

The book tries to give advice on how to deal with anxiety, fear and (you guessed it) shame. It does this mainly by integrating stories from her personal life and from friends and sometimes patients. Of all the stories, I recall only one male, and the rest are all female. Lerner dedicates an entire chapter on a woman’s center of shame – her private parts.

I found some of Lerner’s suggestions to be useful – where relevant - though none have seemed to have embedded permanently in my head.

For the women in my audience, this book could be useful for you. For you guys out there, look for another book – one that doesn’t talk too much about female genitalia. When I do find and read another book about the subject, you’ll be sure to see a Captain’s Book Review about it.

Captain’s Book Review: “The Theory of Everything: The Origin and Fate of the Universe”

This book is actually a collection of essays and lectures given by Stephen Hawking. For those who don’t know who Stephen Hawking is, I suggest you get with the program. Some would say he is the Einstein of our day.

The essays are ordered chronologically. It starts out discussing theories of the universe from a historical perspective – sorta the history of the history of the universe. I learned how the view of the universe has changed over the centuries and how, even though we are obviously learning more and more everyday, there has always been “scientists” who think that we’ve learned it all.

One of the reasons I admire Dr. Hawking is because he knows when to admit that he is wrong. In the book, he admits that he lost a bet because he originally though that nothing could escape from a black hole, which turned out to be somewhat incorrect.

I also like his sense of humor. While some scientists abhor science fiction (such as Star Trek), he seems to not only admire it, but contribute to it (see Star Trek Reference below). He also uses science fiction to help get his point across and for the occasional humor.

As the book’s title indicates, Dr. Hawking discusses various views on whether or not there is a “master theory”. He doesn’t say for sure if there is, but it seems that he leans toward the idea that there is no “master theory” to explain everything. Instead, you need a sequence of and infinite number of theories to get a more and more accurate description of the universe. If we were able to find a “master theory”, however, then we would “know the mind of God”.

Dr. Hawking takes a rather interesting view of God. From what I have read, he believes in God. For a good believer, it is not simply enough to accept that God exits. God has given us a mind to think and reason and expects us to use it in that way. Dr. Hawking does a wonderful job in stimulating ideas and thoughts. Some of my favorite parts of the book were:

“Even if there is only one possible unified theory, it is just a set of rules and equations. What is it that breathes fire into the equations and makes a universe for them to describe?... Why does the universe go to all the bother of existing? Is the unified theory so compelling that it brings about its own existence? Or does it need a creator, and, if so does he have any other effect on the universe? And who created him?”

“So long as the universe had a beginning, we could suppose it had a creator. But if the universe is really self-contained, having no boundary or edge, it would have neither beginning nor end, it would simply be. What place, then, for a creator?”

I just found out something very odd about this book. According to Stephen Hawking’s official website (the supposed author of the book):

“It has come to our attention that the book "The Theory of Everything: The Origin and Fate of the Universe" has been published. Professor Hawking would like to make it clear that he has not endorsed this book. The text was written by him many years ago, however the material has already been published in books such as 'A Brief History of Time'. A complaint was made to the Federal Trade Commission in the US in the hope that they would prevent the publication. We would urge you not to purchase this book in the belief that Professor Hawking was involved in its creation.”
http://www.hawking.org.uk/info/news.html

“The Theory of Everything” is quite short – only took me a few hours to read it while on the treadmill. Except for a few technical details that even a physicist-wannabe like me gets lost in, I enjoyed every though-provoking part of this book. However, I would follow Hawking’s recommendation to read “A Brief History of Time” instead – which is exactly what I intend to do shortly.


Star Trek Reference:
Stephen Hawking appeared in person on an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. He was playing poker with the android Data on the holodeck. Also sitting at the table were Albert Einstein and Sir Isaac Newton. For more detail about this, visit:
StarTrek.com

Miracles in Baghdad

With all the bad news coming out of Baghdad, I wanted to take a few minutes to share a few “miracles” – events relating to my family in Baghdad and how they seem to somehow be protected from horrible fates.

Miracle One – Parking Next to a Rigged Car and Living to Tell About It

On March 10, 2006 one of my many cousins was driving back home from work in his 1991 Opel Optra (I think that’s the make of his car). As he was heading near a hospital in Baghdad, an Iraqi police convoy had signaled him to pull over so they could get by. He pulled over – right next to a parked car loaded with explosives. The result:








You might be thinking: how the heck do you survive that?

Well, right after the rigged car went off the police convoy stopped and pulled him out of the car before it exploded. My cousin escaped serious injury. In addition to being sprayed with glass, one of his ear drums was torn and the other ruptured. Doctors say they might be able to restore hearing to both ears.

It is also a miracle that a book in his car was not destroyed. It was a religious book with prayers and verses from the Quran. I wish I had a picture to show you.


Miracle Two – Criminals Caught Before Disrupting an Event

For the past 6 months or so, insurgents in Iraq have started targeting Shiite Muslims. Anybody who hosts a religious meeting or event at their house risks being blown up or latter killed.

My aunt has been wanting for weeks to hold a religious commemoration at her house. My family has been scared to host such an event, but decided enough was enough. On Thursday evening, March 23, was the date set.

On March 22, the Iraqi police stormed the house right across the street from theirs. They found a makeshift car-bomb making factory along with loads of weapons. Two cars parked in the house’s backyard were rigged and the police detonated them.

The criminals later confessed that they had planned to crash my aunt’s party.

Miracle Three – Detention Is Good For Your Health

Last week, my 14 year old cousin was sentenced to detention for not having his homework. He was bummed. Some of his friends were hanging out outside the school and he couldn’t join them.

A few minutes after his detention started, a car bomb went off outside his school. Nobody was sure what the target was – the best guess is that the bomb went off prematurely before reaching its target.

My cousin lost one of his friends in the blast. I am so glad he is ok, but I feel terrible for the parents of that dead boy. The insurgents will burn in Hell for this and all of their cowardly actions.

Miracle Four – Entering a Building Before Your Car is Blown Up

A few days ago (around March 22 or 23), the husband of one of my cousins went to work for the Ministry of Education in Baghdad. He parked his car in the same spot as usual. Only this time, the car that parked behind him was set to explode. It exploded only moments after he entered the building and was uninjured. Luckily, he was driving a government car.

Afghan Outrage – Let the Man Free

Whatever happened to "There is no compulsion in religion." (The Qur'an 2:256)? Islam is a religion of peace, of tolerance, of unity. Allah (God) has given us the right to choose which path we take – otherwise our life - even Heaven and Hell - would have no meaning.

Yet, the Afghani courts show us yet another sign that the Muslim word is stuck in the Dark Ages. They want to sentence to death a man who converted from Islam to Christianity. As a Muslim, I am deeply troubled that a person would find a need to convert to Christianity in order to find religious harmony. It is not his fault. We, the Muslims of the world, have pushed him out of Islam with our ignorance and arrogance of the religion of the Prophet Mohammed. This leads to cruelty and intolerance – exactly the traits that the Prophet set out to reverse.

In case you’re wondering what news story I am talking about:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060324/ts_nm/religion_afghan_dc_16

In Islam, punishment is not as common as it is in the Western world. In other words, the number of offenses in Islam punishable by an Islamic government is fewer. For example, in the US, you can go to jail for accidentally killing another person – its called manslaughter. Under Islamic law, the situation needs to be resolved by the family of the killed and the accidental killer – the government can only arbitrate the situation.

In Islam, the health and well-being of the society has a higher priority than that of the individual. For that reason, Islamic punishments are very stern – theft is punishable by cutting of the fingers (not the whole hand), and murder is punishable by death.

With that said, it might be conceivable that a Muslim who converts to another religion and is causing chaos in the community might warrant punishment. In the case of Abdur Rahman, however, his conversion was silent and - as far as I can tell - has no intention of causing trouble.

There is no need for a Muslim to convert to Christianity to “find Jesus” – Islam is an extension of Christianity and Judaism; they are embedded in Islam. One only need read the Quran to find the teachings of Moses and Jesus.

From one Muslim to the rest of the world – leave Mr. Rahman alone. If he is on the right path, we should be happy for him. If he is on the wrong path, Allah will deal with him in time.

Captain’s Book Review: “The Singularity is Near” and “The Age of Spiritual Machines”

This is my first book review, so bear with me while I compose my thoughts and opinions.

I am actually going to blog about two books on this posting. The reasons are that they are by the same author, I read them only a few days apart, and since they are basically about the same subject, I get them confused. The main difference between the two books is that “The Age of Spiritual Machines” is a bit older, published in 1999, and the other book is brand-spanking new (Sept 2005).

First, I have to express my admiration for the author, Ray Kurzweil. I first learned about him from my favorite radio program, Science Friday. When I heard him being interview, I was at first shocked by some of the things he was saying, then it started to make sense to me. He was claiming that technology will change our lives so much, it does not even make sense to make predictions beyond the 2050s because we are just not able to comprehend the changes. This is why he calls his book “The Singularity is Near” – it is a reference to a black hole (aka singularity) beyond which you cannot see.

You can listen to his interview by going to:
http://www.sciencefriday.com/pages/2005/Dec/hour2_122305.html

I am not going to go into more detail about the author, so you can learn a whole lot more about the author from:
http://www.kurzweiltech.com/aboutray.html

Both books started about the same way. They talk about the acceleration of technology and evolution. Kurzweil spends a great deal of time with charts and diagrams to prove his point that - even though we may not notice it - the rate technological advancement is accelerating. And even the rate of acceleration is increasing (but he kind of leaves that out of his predictions).

Kurzweil uses so many examples, starting from life itself. It took 4 billion years for the first single-celled organism to evolve - about a billion or so for the first multi-cellular organism. From then on, we had an explosion in evolution, with each new “era” getting shorter and shorter. As the most evolutionary advanced species that we know of, the only way to continue this evolutionary trend, Kurzweil argues, is to through technology. In fact, he states that technology might be the ultimate goal of evolution – the reason that the universe exists.

Kurzweil uses a lot of technology examples to support his idea of “Accelerating Return”. He starts out with the regular telephone, moves to cell phones, the internet, and alas blogs. Each one of these technologies, Kurzweil proves, came on quicker and were adopted by the masses faster than the previous. This trend will continue. Each time we hit a limit, such as the number of transistors that can possibly fit on a chip, we will move on to another technology and get the curve moving again. Telephones took several decades, the internet about 10 years, and blogs – well they have only been around for a handful of years and now yours truly’s using them.

In “The Singularity is Near”, Kurzweil talks about different stages of human evolution – Genetics, Robotics, and Nanotechnology – GNR. Genetics, well on it way, will first start out helping the sick but then move on to enhance our abilities and our food supply (Genetically Modified Organism – GMO – is already a hot topic, look for a post from me about this). Robotics already control most of our lives without us even realizing it – your banks will probably know when your credit card number was stolen before you do thanks to computers. Airplanes, banks, you name it, are all using a form of computer intelligence known as ‘soft AI’ – they can do many things humans can do, but quicker, more efficiently, and they don’t need healthcare. The real breakthrough, though, will be what is called ‘hard AI’ – a computer that can think, act, and understand on its own. The hardware that is required for this feat is probably already available in the newest generation of super computers. The software, however, still lags behind and requires the modeling of how our brain works in order reverse engineer its workings. According to Kurzweil, expect to see the birth of strong AI somewhere around the year 2020 or so.

By that time, Kurzweil argues, humans will have already started enhancing themselves through genetics and implants. The real revolution starts with the breakthrough of nanotechnology. Just read the science news, and you can already see so much potential for nanotechnology. Nanobots will be in our bodies and brains making us smarter, in our homes able to create anything we wish, and in our environment cleaning up the mess we are making.

I enjoy Kurzweil’s method of trying to explain what the future would be like by conjuring up another personality – Molly. He does this in both books, but takes it much farther in “The Singularity”. He chats with Molly at various times in her evolution, Molly 2009, Molly 2019, and Molly 2048. Sometimes, Molly from one time period talks to Molly of another. It is interesting to help answer many of the questions readers might have about what they are reading and what a “Kuzweillian” future would be like from a human perspective.

As you can probably tell, I agree with almost everything Kurzweil says in his books. I do not, however, agree with his religious philosophy. Kurzweil seems to take an agnostic view of God – meaning that (from what I gather from him) whether God exists or not is irrelevant to humans and our advancement. He does not, however, reject God which indicates that he is not an atheist. My personal belief in God and science will take at least one posting, if not more – so you’ll have to wait until I can get that composed before making a comparison.

Over all, I would definitely put “The Singularity is Near” on my “must read” list of books. Reading “The Age of Spiritual Machines” was somewhat more technical, if you like that kind of thing, but most of the book was summed up in “The Singularity”










“The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology” by Ray Kurzweil

“The Age of Spiritual Machines: When Computers Exceed Computer Intelligence” by Ray Kurweil

Captain’s Book Review – Intro

I have recently discovered the wonders of reading books. To be honest, I have never been a book reader. Well, actually, in the 3rd grade I read a whole bunch of books and won an award at our library’s summer reading program. Books were much simpler when you’re that young – now they don’t have pictures.

I have once again tuned into my reading ability. I am now reading 3-4 books per month. I read them when I go to them gym, while on the elliptical and treadmill. Some find it hard to read while exercising. I have to admit, it slows my reading down, but I am killing two birds with one stone – increasing my knowledge and intellect, and getting in shape. Reading a good book makes 90 minutes of exercise go by in what seems like 10.

I learn about these books mainly from interviews with the authors on NPR – so far it’s been through listening to archived Dianne Rheem shows. During my time in the lab I used to work in, I would download and listen to the discussion while I was crunching away at PET image statistical data on massive Excel spreadsheets. I also use “books that might interest you…” tool on Amazon to find books.

Here are a list of book I have read so far, so keep an eye out for reviews I am going to be posting soon (before I forget what the book was about). Of course, I will be posting new book reviews all the time as I read them, so check back frequently. Feel free to suggest a book or share your thoughts on the book (after I write the review, please).

Ok, here is that list: (Click on the link to go to my review post)

“The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology” by Ray Kurzweil

“The Theory of Everything: The Origin and Fate of the Universe” by Stephen Hawking

“The Age of Spiritual Machines: When Computers Exceed Computer Intelligence” by Ray Kurzweil

“Fear and Other Uninvited Guests: Tackling the Anxiety, Fear, and Shame That Keep Us from Optimal Living and Loving” by Harriet Lerner

“The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less” by Barry Schwartz

"The Green Pharmacy Anti-Aging Prescriptions : Herbs, Foods, and Natural Formulas to Keep You Young" by James A. Duke

“Radical Evolution: The Promise and Peril of Enhancing Our Minds, Our Bodies -- and What It Means to Be Human” by Joel Garreau

Enjoy

UPDATE:
Here is a list of books that I have finished reading after originally publishing the post:

"Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential" by Joel Osteen
Finished reading on April 5, 2006

"Freakonomics : A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner
Finished reading on April 11, 2006

"Culture and Prosperity : Why Some Nations Are Rich but Most Remain Poor" by John Kay
Finished reading on April 26, 2006.

"Natural cures 'they' don't want you to know about" by Trudeau, Kevin
Finished reading on May 11, 2006.

"Fantastic Voyage: Live Long Enough to Live Forever" by Ray Kurzweil, Terry Grossman
Currently reading - been waiting a long time to read this book, the library finally ordered it for me.

"Critical Condition: How Health Care in America Became Big Business--and Bad Medicine" by Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele
Checked out from the library, on my list to read.

"SuperFoods Rx: Fourteen Foods That Will Change Your Life" by Steven G. Pratt and Kathy Matthews
Checked out from the library, on my list to read.

About CaptnSaj

Captains’ Blog, started 3-22-06

As you can already guess, I happen to like Star Trek (not The Original Series, though, and definitely not the latest franchise disaster Enterprise).

I was born in 1981 in Baghdad, Iraq (making me 24 as of the year 2005 if you’re a little rusty on math). My parents came to the US a long time ago to get an education. The Iraqi-Iran war broke out, my parents stayed, and here I am.

I graduated high school in 1999. I went to college for 5 years and got 2 degrees – a BS in Computer Science and a BS in Biological Science (a “BS in BS” is what my friends who are Bio majors and can’t get into med school or can’t find a job call it – but I enjoyed my classes). Oh, I also got my CCNA (Cisco certification) and took a class for EMT (Emergency Medical Technician). I am in medical school right now, just trying to get by.

I suppose I should be studying instead of blogging, but I have always been a habitual multi-tasker - I guess it’s from my computer background (I proudly proclaim to be a computer geek).

After high school, I got a job as a student computer guy and troubleshooted computers for about a year. Then I got a full time job as a contractor with Kmart in their massive store-wide computer upgrade. My contract ended three short months later, just before they filed for bankruptcy (I am still kicking myself for not buying their stock at the time – it went down to under $0.60 a share, and a few years later back to $6+ and now they merged with Sears).

My next job was a network admin with a small-midsize company. I spent two years there, learning a whole lot about networks, servers, computers, and corporations. I realized that my potential was better spent on something more challenging – medical school. So I quit my job, switched majors to BS, got a lab job on campus, applied, and here I am – on my way to being a doctor (or so I hope).

You’re probably wondering why I am “Captain”. Well, the main reason is that I am a fan of Star Trek, so it’s like of like a joke. Sometimes I take the lead on projects or activities. In high school, I had a job in a retirement home dinning hall and I was the dinning room captain (an official position) for about a year.

During my spare time (before I started blogging), I like to catch up on the latest news. Political news bores me, and sometimes stresses me out – that goes double for tragic news (robberies, murders, etc…). But I love to read science news – any kind of science - anything from renewable energy, to health, to the latest gadgets and toys. I also go to the gym in my futile attempt to lose weight and get in shape. While there, I read a book that I heard about – science related, of course.

Now that Paramount has bagged Star Trek, my new favorite series is Stargate, both flavors. I admit, though, that I never get sick of Star Trek reruns that they air on Spike TV and G4 (The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine, of course).

Welcome to my blog. I hope you enjoy reading my thoughts and insights. Feel free to post comments and invite others.

Enjoy

Software Piracy: Good for Software Makers?

Before you start reading this, you should know that I am against stealing of any sort – that includes software. It hurts the industry, which hurts the companies, and it hurts the employees working for those companies. And, in general, it’s a bad idea. Companies, especially, should never pirate software.

With that said, software piracy can be a good thing – sometimes.

I personally own an academic version of Windows XP for my desktop, which means I paid a heck of a lost less than the almost $200 price tag Uncle Bill wants for it. I also have whatever version of XP came with my new laptop – it’s legit.

Many of my friends, however, have taken to pirating versions of Microsoft products, including, but not limited to, Windows and Office. Though Uncle Bill may not like this in the short term, he will probably be better off for it in the long run.

Why? It’s simple. When my friends and I go out into the business world, we will take with us the “urge” to use Microsoft products. When we acquire the power to influence software decisions – whether we are software developers, network admins, or just bean counters – we will demand Microsoft. And businesses will shell out the big bucks to buy legit versions. Why? Because it is what we have become accustomed to. We have known nothing but Microsoft for most of our computing existence – it’s a name we trust, we find it easy to use, and compatible with all the programs and games we have ever known.

Imagine a world where Microsoft made it absolutely impossible to pirate – forcing only those with ready-made systems or deep pockets able to afford and use Windows and Office. Those of us [geeks] who like to build our own system would be left pondering the question: “where do you want to go today?” And answer with: “somewhere in the realm of free, like Linux”.

Yes, Linux – Uncle Bill’s worst nightmare.

The irony, of course, is that the more money Microsoft tries to squeeze out of consumers, the more consumers will squeeze back.

With my apologies to Linux fans, it is just not ready for the everyday user. It seriously lags behind in terms of user friendliness and compatibility. About the only thing it has going for itself (other than being free) is its claimed superior stability.

This can change rather quickly, however, if more people were forced to join the Linux community by being priced out of the Windows market.

Software piracy is a double-edge sword. Software companies better be careful what they wish for – they might just get it.