Supplementary

Tech Preferences

Browser: Firefox. Safari and Internet Explorer are respectively, useless and bloated, (trying to be as eloquent as possible) pieces of crap. Google Chrome is fine, lean, quality, but I tend to have less productivity in that browser for some reason. Most of my web-based projects, therefore, revolve around Firefox. I have streamlined addons so that I have maximized efficiency:

1. shareholic (namely for twitter and delicious bookmarks interaction)
2. reminderfox (a sophisticated alternative to Google Tasks created by Daniel Eric Lee with a remote ftp .ics file for cross-syncing but located all on own hosts). This deserves more credit and explanation. Two things: I’m in the process of making a productivity app and have tried out dozens and dozens and dozens so when I find one that’s pretty good, it’s pretty frickin’ good. Secondly, I love being in total control of the remote path of the .ics. Google tasks syncs beautifully across chrome, but do I have any awarness of what the remote path of my tasks file is? Do I even know what format it is, or where it’s saved? I do not. I love having my .ics file located on my ftp sever where I host all my web stuff. They’re my tasks; they should be computationally juxtaposed (close to other computer files) with my other online (sites, podcasts, personal, backups, and the like) things; that makes sense. This is a fantastically useful addon that transforms a previously overwhelming headache of “todos” into a fun quest log that I create! Productivity apps should function in the way that ReminderFox does.
3. a few email addons
4. read it later
5. a tea timer productivity addon (remarkably grand for time-focused productivyt and time is the most valuable commodity ever to exist so this addon is decidedly vital), and a few others).

I am trying to chisel my news aggregation into Yahoo and/or Google reader.

Operating System: I was a drone of the Mac OS community from 1986 to 2007, or for over 21 years. I like how most all applications are available on Windows 7 and I like the open source gnu/linux Ubuntu OS for it’s minimalism and for having a few select, exceptional apps.

Word-Processor: Google docs and Libre Office. The latter is a superior application to MS Word and far far superior to the useless rubbish that is iWorks. The former has cloud-based mobility. They’re both cross-platform. Libre Office is simply better designed than Open Office.

Supplementary Points

Possibly to be added later.

Heroes of Past and Present

In 2007 I realized one’s heroes immensely shapes and influences ones interest. Here are a few list of heroes I have had in the past and present.

2007

The Dalai Lama.
Henry David Thoreau.
Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Albert Einstein.
Mick Jagger.

Commentary:
I heard and saw the Dalai Lama speak in 2007 but no longer consider him nor his words inspiring nor valauble; his religious focus incapacitates him from being a hero. Although he appears to have moderate happiness, my interest in him and his work is extinct. Albert Einstein no longer interests me; my interest in physics is galvanized by Richard Feynman. I wrote a letter to Mick Jagger in 2008. While the interest in him as a hero was related to the now extinct acting interest, I still do consider him a decent performer, but again, he is no longer a hero, as his career is not congruent with my interests. While Emerson and Thoreau are no longer heros, they are the only two of those five of whom still can be a source of guidance. Their well-written prose and clarity is inspiring. I would probably have to include Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) to that list of inspiring literary former heroes as well.

2009 to Present.

Nikola Tesla.
Richard Dawkins.
Richard Feynman.
Sherlock Holmes.

Commentary
Nikola tesla has an extraordinarily useful ability to visualize. Additionally, I admire his focus and self-determination.

Richard Dawkins has assisted me greatly in accessing my inner voice and thoughts on life-purpse; his words have been a friend amidst atheist opposition, amidst opposition and prosetylization from lost religious wankers. Much of his work I comment on in my blog category of “Science FTW! – Atheism”

Richard Feynman led an amusing life and his advances in physics and his ability to teach are helpful and inspiring.

Sherlock Holmes was the greatest detective in the world. Combined with some NLP, his skills of observation and deduction fuel my current blog category ”The Skills of Sherlock”.

Possible Future Heroes

John Carmack
Continuation of all the 2009 Heroes.

Carmack’s progress and professional in tech and coding coupled with the fact that he’s a well-kempt, decently attractive male is simultaneously congruent with my coding interest and a good thing for the coding community (most coders live in a putrid squalor of low hygiene and ugliness, something I have personally experienced).

Other Heroes

Gustav Holst
Beethoven.
Mozart.

I had wanted to make those classical composers heroes to solidify more focus on classical music. While I consider some of their music and their musical skills heroic, they are not personal heroes. They do produce, however, exquisitely complex, enjoyable, intelligent, and enriching music, led incredible lives, and are exceptional people.