Reviewing The Elder Scrolls Online Beta

I will keep this article rather concise, so let us exclude the introductions, and get to the point.

The Elder Scrolls Online, the beta, which has just begun a rather massive event, starting recent Friday, 31.1.2014, has been a new experience for me. It is an MMO of a new generation. It actually has some serious story, questing, and a realistic vibe, to it.

Man, I saw no radar in my beta! ><"

First of all, it feels well made. It does not feel cheap, or "AZN", or a scramble of well-tested ideas, scrounged into an "role-playing-like action game". It is a real MMORPG. There are a lot of actors reading out the quest texts, and shouting about in populated areas. The visuals are compelling, and not toy-ish. The UI and controls are minimal, logical, and entertaining. It feels really good.

Maybe just as important as the feel it has, it draws the interest of the player. I am only enjoying a few days of beta here, as I have been invited with a private key; one of the lucky ones, who got rolled in. But, in these few days, I have found myself growing more and more curious about the game world itself, and about where it would lead me. Unlike many other games, which quickly turn into a repetitive-quest grind-fest, ESO straddles itself tight onto its' story and characters. NPC's are not that stupid. MOB's feel more purposeful, than in many other games. It is kind of nice.

I will point out, critically, that the atmosphere of the game is quite dark and gloomy. For many of us, who enjoy a light-hearted - casual - funky sort of ~vibe~, I seriously doubt that it is there. Even the player-base feels different. All those individuals, who have been enjoying the Elder Scrolls single-player games of the past, now turn in their hordes, to play this new release; the next of the series, really.

You see, it's a different sort of humor.
For me? It ain't extreme enough.

I strongly suspect that, while being a rather good MMO - unusually so even, it will only draw unto itself a rather specific crowd. I hope it gets enough trolls.

Oh, and I do not plan on buying it, myself. Nothing personal, really.

The Failure Of The Buddha

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The Buddha, as described & depicted by the ancient Buddhist texts in the Suttas, specifically the older text from the Pitaka, is painted for us as a person who did not strictly associate himself with any group, nor considered any place as a specific place of practice. That is to say, that the Buddha did not weave together with his Dhamma, the concepts of a monastery, or a religious group, under one name.

Just like researchers today, and in the past, he was a man, who suggested a system of rules & practices that recognized a problem, and pointed to a solution. And just like other researchers, even since before his time, his system was described in terms that were relevant to his time and place. Beyond its' basic principles, it only created many responses to issues of its' time.

The Buddha is depicted as debating his opinions with others. The Buddha is depicted as putting forth concentration & thought, into understanding his reality. The Buddha is depicted as a person who accepted disciples, which means that he accepted disagreement, and different ways of using his ideas.

Understanding this history of Buddhism, and by doing some research about our own contemporary Buddhism, it comes to light that there really is no such thing as "Buddhism." What there is, is the Dhamma - the rules that the Buddha described, and the results he predicted, for following those rules. We also have several millennia, in which people have tried those rules, in an endless variety of ways.

And the result? Failure. There is no evidence, whatsoever, that the Buddha's Dhamma actually achieves the results it predicts. Saying that a person has not used the Dhamma for "enough time", or that those who fail, do not "really follow the Dhamma", is not acceptable reasoning. Scientists and researchers do not, these days, accept "laws of nature" that do not prove themselves constantly.

I practice meditation,
but do so regardless of Buddhism,
like most people.

Today, there are simply too many recorded instances of people, who do follow the Dhamma, but do not present the expected results. The ending to suffering - Dukkha. This is not only objectively so. Many who have practiced this faith wholly, and for a period of several years, often describe not feeling what is to be expected.

For the Buddha's ideas to be true, to be a law of nature - Dhamma, they must repeat in a reliable manner. This is simple scientific observation. Naturally, there can be argument about the validity of certain cases. But, like with anything else, when there is an overwhelming account of failure, then there can be nothing left, but suspicion and doubt.

Lao Tzu, of the ancient wisdom of the Tao Te Ching, was not affiliated with any group, either. He taught what he saw as the law of nature - Tao, in an a way that is applicable to people, as well. These are the most concise and specific ideas he could use, to predict results with. There is an interesting correlation between the two faiths, when their origins, history and modern expressions are examined and compared.

If the Buddha ever had a religion, it was simply the manifestation of his own ideas, and nothing more. If he ever had a monastery or sacred place, it would be nothing more, than just his home. If he ever had disciples, they would be nothing more, than just interested equal parties. Buddha, like many other charismatic teachers, had his own traditions and notions about life. Those worked out in limited ways, and never proved to be anything but generally good ideas, if even that.

The same could be said about any of us.

A Warhammer Production!

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Click here to download an excerpt from Thorn and Talon.

The Warhammer audiobooks were a refreshing surprise to my senses. I believed to have been well acquainted with well-made science-fiction and fantasy audiobooks, but discovered an exceptionally made production, in this case!

In my excitement, I bring this report to you, my audience, before browsing deeply into the collection; which, by the way, spans over 30 stories! Of course, most of them are rather short. Some of those I have enjoyed, so far, were about an hour long. And what an hour it was!

The production of the audiobooks includes clear narration by a professional, who does the characters very well, and music & sound-effects, according to the situation entailed. This mixture of grand production and refined stories, brings together some of the best fiction audiobooks available! The narrator appears to be British, or at least, he is well versed in their speech habits.

I will post an update, when I find myself at the end of this wonderful collection, so stay tuned.

A Celebration of Ten Thousand Blossoms

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A haiku for my reaching the 10,000 unique visitors mark!

                                                                                      
    "    people come to watch                                                
                                                                                      
                  where robots host the show                              
                                                                                      
                                      in a house of words         "            
                                                                                      

lol

No Money In My Bitcoin

My latest rap single has been released, from my home "studio"! I find it entertaining, and I sure hope that you do, as well.

Basking In Fantasy

In these cold winter days, up here in the northern hemisphere of the Earth, I find myself spending more hours reading books of fiction. Well, I say reading, but I enjoy more audio-books than paper books or ebooks, really.

It is enjoyable to imagine different worlds, full of unexplored wonders with tales of thrilling adventures. Whether these worlds are either strongly or loosely based on our own reality, matters little.

The Elder Scrolls Online

Is it all just a pretense?

The careful mixture of emotions and ideas that is displayed in stories, represents a reality that is not quite our own, but more so how we feel about it.

In other words, stories feel more real, while representing reality in an impossible way. After all, stories can describe events and objects that clearly have no evidence for, in our own lives, while still feeling true and eminent.

Sort of like living a lie?

No. Our perception of reality does not change, when we pretend. A pretense is only a layer that we put over our perception of reality, just like putting sunglasses over our eyes. It does not change our notion what is real.

Still, to pretend that a story, or even a game, has real meaning, requires from us a justification. We justify the pretense, by setting out rules of conduct in a defined setting. This is the same as actors, when they play a character on stage or in front of the camera. Pretending to be a character outside of that setting, would only then truly be lying.

Is the purpose of pretense to generate beneficial behavior?

Dreams are a pretense. We experience dreams, in order to improve the functionality of the brain, and thus generate beneficial behavior, when we are awake again.

We also have many popular games, from card & board games to sports and social entertainment games, that encourage action and thought, where idleness and atrophy would have been the default. Even if on rare occassion conflict or injury may result, those are still generally considered beneficial.

Never the less, there are many instances of pretense that neglect to consider our well-being. False marketing, militarism, nationalism, religious fanaticism & extreme hierarchies are some examples that we are all familiar with.

Behold, how this monstrosity turns into an
 innocent little girl, in front of your eyes!

Does pretense enhance our sense of reality?

It sounds like a contradiction, right? Imagining things in order to enhance our sense, or understanding, of reality. Almost laughable.

All cultures, from the wildest tribes to the most technologically sophisticated nations, bask in fantasy. More often than not, it is those most impossible ideas and stories that persist, when a culture makes the transition from tribe to nation: The belief in deities, and superstitious behavior.

It is the need of living things to grow that encourages pretense, wherever and whenever life is little more than subsistence. Boredom, tediousness, disinterest, and even apathy, are all urgent signals for us to find entertainment in pretenses that rejuvenate our faculties.

So, I must conclude that yes, pretense enhances our sense of reality. Pretense brings us to life, when we would have become dull and detached, from our own needs and abilities.

Blowing Softly In Your Ear

     

Jerny At Ways, Part Two

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When Pae finally realized that she and her brother could not stay at the farm any longer, she asked Maghir, her elder brother, about their mother.

"Why can't we stay with mom? We can work the animals, ourselves," she complained. Maghir, a young boy, quite far from being a young man, did not have a good answer. Instead of giving her a bad answer, he decided that answering another question would be better.

"We're going to aunt Jen and uncle Madhu. They'll take care of us, and granny will take care of mom," he ended in a decisive tone. He was not really sure why their mother needed taking care of, but it was plain enough that she did not take their father's death well.

It is not that most children take death well. Not even a friend's death, much less family. Even the death of a farm animal could hurt. It is not even that their father was a bad man to be despised and glad over his demise. Not at all. Maghir and Pae simply did not feel as strongly as most others, when it came to death. Even they suspected that such a perspective was considered unusual in people.

"Spring" by Charles-Francois Daubigny, 1857

On the northern road, away from their home in Iranwin and towards those who would adopt them, at least for a time, Big Hor sang merrily. "Hoddy ho doddy do, little bird a whistle oh," he went and changed melodies and lyrics often, with little pause. Pae seemed aloof to the man's attempt at cheerfulness. Maghir felt slight disgust at the notion that they were too young to be allowed to be upset about their father's death.

Hor was a neighbor and an old friend. Each farm in their village, their further and further away village, stood a good walking distance away from the next farm. Even so, the locals felt close to each other, and treated each other well. Even between adults and children, games and conversations were commonplace. Hor was not then only a friend of the family, but an actual personal friend to both brother and sister.

As they walked under the mid-day sun, Maghir heard a noise from the east. Hor seemed to be too preoccupied to notice the sound, but Pae did turn to look at the same direction, as Maghir did. They exchanged curious glances. Could it be a wandering fox, Maghir wondered. When he turned back to look to the east again, he saw a tall woman covered with feathers from head to toe. She wore no clothing, except her feathers and a big toothy smile.

End of Part Two.

How To Identify People Reliably

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The act of identifying people has always been a nookie in the smooth mechanic wheels of communication. By nature, we tend to generalize our identification of people by their figure, face, voice, gestures and swagger. Less consciously, we also do so by scent and rhythm.

In the age of the letter, which now includes the age of information technologies - Internet & Computers, we find the problem more aggravating, than ever before. And the contemporary solution? Passwords.

Passwords are as much of a failure as is fast food. First, you have to memorize them both ways, which is unreliable. If either the listener or the teller get the password wrong, for whatever reason, then the identification fails. Second, using the letter or word format to identify a person is unsafe. It may be easily stolen and copied.

What is the next step in reliable identification?

Patterns!

Passwords are a sub-category of patterns. Many things are patterns. How we behave. How we converse. Our timing.

Face, voice and finger-print recognition software use patterns, too. Are they reliable and safe? No. Faces and voices are too error prone and may be simulated by others. Finger-prints are reliable, but can be copied, so they are not very safe.

Also, all of the above require an extra device to get the user input. A camera, a microphone or a finger-print sensor. It will be more reliable if we avoid using extra devices for identification.

There is, however, a pattern that requires nothing new, and is more reliable and safe, than anything else. Usage patterns.

For example, a computer can remember the input patterns of the user, during regular activity. Typing on the keyboard. Mouse clicks and movement, or touchpad clicks. The days and hours of usage. The applications most used and the pattern of changing between them. Internet website browsing patterns. Even the patterns of audio and video that the computer can access.

What does this mean, in practice?

Any new account is guaranteed access, for a limited period of time. No password necessary. After a reliable and unique pattern has been identified, the computer will begin keeping a watchful eye on the user, trying to identify the user. The moment the user logs in, the computer will start running unobtrusive tests, against the user. The more the user is identified, the more access is granted.

Simple!

Imagine you create a new email account. The email server - the computer on the other side - begins the recording process. After you have accessed your email several times, the server will start by having you type a short phrase, for basic entry. Any phrase! The server will know what words, symbols and typing habits should display from your side.

In the case of more entry levels, such as a sensitive email folder, the server may open up certain secure options, only after you have displayed enough usage to confirm your identity.

Can you even imagine anybody able to mimic your habits? It sounds impossible!

Unless, you are a machine. Machines mimic patterns. That is their specialty. Never the less, no worry, for this process is protected from such machine hacking attempts, by the simple usage of already existing anti-bot modules (pieces of software that are designed entirely for this need.)

Big social websites, such as Facebook and Google, already use pattern recognition for both server and user. The server will identify and alert you, when your account has been logged in from a new location. Facebook even requires users to identify people in their photos!

I hope you find this topic interesting. I know I do! This is definitely going to be implemented in my next programming project.

The Argument Against Money, Even BitCoin

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Before money, people had to keep their promises or trade on good faith. That is to say, that you gave something of yours to another person, because you trusted that other person to give you of his own, equally.

"At the potlatch, gifts repay guests for witnessing the week's events
with nonstop feasting, singing, dancing, and gift-giving."
- Shirley Collingridge, Wordsmith

Whenever trust is lost, the only way to have trade is by force and violence. Money is an intermediary to the threat of violence. When you cannot trade by trust, but you are forced to trade regardless, by other parties, then one way to mask the actual violence inherent to the trade, is by using an actual item that represents the promise of trading back to you goods of equal value.

Whether it is a sack of wheat, the ancient Babylonian Shekel, or a coin or a note, as we know money today, it is always a promise that disagreement to do trade will lead to violence. But, it is also an empty promise, because the value of the money is always decreed by those who rule by violence. They change the value of the currency according to their own needs. Even a sack of wheat, can in one hand represent life itself, and in another hand, represent nothing, at all.

In other words, say you give me an apple, and I give you a note that says that I must give you something of unknown value back, for that note. Why would you accept such a blatant scam? Because the other party forces you to do so, using violence and the threat of violence. The only value remaining to you is the trade that you can do with others, who are under the same threat and have the same-styled notes of promise that you do.

Digital currencies are no different. They are but a meaningless promise given by strangers and those who have little to no interest in the other party; you. If I know and trust another person online, then I will feel comfortable giving them of my own; knowing that they are likely to do the same for me. However, when I deal without having trust (personally, or by proxy of another trustee), then I know not that I will ever get the value of my goods back to me, in any shape or form.

This argument, claiming that money is nothing but a weapon, may not seem obvious, at first. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Where does money come from? Generally, to everyone, and personally, to you.
• What do people do, when they have no money?
• What is the history of the value of currencies?
• Are there people who live without money, and if so, how do they do trade?
• Do most people actually agree on the value of goods?

Even the answers to these questions, should be enough to see that money is not the supposed "tool and method" of trade that many claim it to be.

Do The Pullup! + Pics

The pull-up bar is the most important piece of exercise equipment, for both men and women. Modern society lacks upper body strength and health. The pull-up bar helps us maintain a maneuverable body weight, healthy arms & hands, a better more straight posture and a better sense of balance.

1. The bar is located at the end of my reach,
so I do not over-stretch myself.

2. I strengthen my grip and pull myself upwards,
as if I were climbing a tree.

4. Hang down and lift my knees up,
to give my lower abs some exercise.

3. Going up as high as I can manage
and hold for two seconds.

How To Upload Your Podcast?

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This is more of question rather than an answer; although, I do deliver an answer, as well.

I was very disappointed to see that Google, while providing blogging, website and online profile services (for free), they do not provide podcasting services - or rather MP3 (audio) file hosting services.

Music full of vitamins and minerals!

I searched around and found a website that, while it does not seem entirely reliable in the long run, does work and work well. Kiwi6 lets us upload and share audio with others, with direct links. It seems to be mostly used by independent artists that record music and songs. They have some nice playlists to play while surfing or gaming.

If you know of other reliable hosts for audio files, or even specifically for podcasts, which let us direct link to the files, then please comment!

Jerny At Ways, Part One

The Crossroads at the Eagle Nest

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Maghir's father died, shortly after the boy had reached his seventh birthday. The grief tore at his mother, who decided she would travel alone and see the world, so that healing would come faster. She left Maghir and his younger sister Pae to their aunt and uncle; her elder sister's family.

Turning and twisting in his sleep, Maghir dreamed of the morning his father died. He and his younger sister were playing with the lambs; those who had already grown enough wool to be fluffy to the touch. Two rams were wrestling under a big oak tree. His father did not appreciate having his rams injured or dead from fighting, so he moved in to kick one of the giant heavily-horned rams.

This was not an unusual day. Life at Maghir's family farm was a quiet and simple one. Mostly pleasant, and sometimes harsh. Just as life should be, or so Maghir imagined. Suddenly, he heard his father yell followed by a loud crunch. Pae turned to look and so did he. They both stared to see their father lying broken on the ground. One of the giant rams sniffed at the man curiously.

"Dad? Is he dead?" Pae asked without looking away. Maghir had the words dad and dead confused in his mind.

"Yes," he said sharply. "Of course he's dead, Pae. Just look at him." Their father was not twitching or moaning. The two children had seen many people and animals this way, before. A broken body, so badly twisted that it was a surprise to not see blood oozing from the corpse. "Stay here and make sure nothing comes to... eat him," he turned to look at Pae, his eyes worried and his lips pursed.

As he turned and walked back towards their wooden hut, beneath the trees further inside the forest, he was not surprised to see his sister only staring in disbelief, or was it shock, at the twisted corpse of their now ever-restful father...

End of Part One. Listen to part Two.

What Does The Fox Say?

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I do not know.

But, I do know that there are plenty of foxes (actually, jackals) where I live. They are generally friendly and harmless animals, similar to dogs, but smaller and faster.

I recall spending a night outside, on a local hill, just sitting and relaxing. After lying down, I heard some rustling noises from the bushes. I glanced towards the sound, but saw nothing. A minute later, I heard their sharp pitched barks all around me. I admit; I was scared! Even knowing that they are harmless, I felt scared; so, I grunted loudly to scare them, and walked back, down the hill.

It is odd how at night even small things are scary.

A Middle-Eastern Jackal.

On Moral Agnosticism

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Ayn Rand, the 20th century philosopher and novelist, who coined the term Objectivism, spoke of the avoidance of moral judgement by one person on others:

Virtue of Selfishness, pp. 82–83.

We lose our personal integrity, when we deny the existence of morality. This is our own belief in ourselves: opinions and emotions. Our ultimate natural intuition. This denial is equal to naming ourselves liars. It is often correlated with dismissing our own opinion in favor of someone else.

Self-trust is not about being right or correct. It is about having a clear set of priorities in mind. All decision come from and rely on the self. If the self is dismissed, then no critical thought is allowed. Without the benefit of critical thought, we cannot come to conclusions. We then must either wager or rely on others.

It is the responsibility of each person to choose. Without choice there is no free will. Without choice there is no learning and correction. Choices are always based on our inner morality; what we decide is good or bad.

Would you care for an uneducated life?

Why Do We Hate The Rich?

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My 2nd blogcast! I do need the practice in narration.

Have you ever caught yourself hating someone who is extremely rich?

"With great power comes great responsibility."

"Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers."

"Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities."

“Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.”

“The comfort of the rich depends upon an abundant supply of the poor.”

Voltaire, 1694 - 1778

I have begun suspecting that hatred towards those with power actually makes sense. It is not envy that drives us to dislike the haves that we have not. Envy and hate are very different emotions. Hatred is a form of disagreement, while envy is only a personal wish of having what we do not have.

It is our feeling that people with power do not take responsibility for their influence. When you see a person, so poor as to hunger for old bread, and look aside only to see another person, so rich as to throw away fresh bread; that is when we feel anger and hatred toward the rich, and we realize that justice is a truth from within; regardless of philosophical debate.

I do not intend to imply that those who are more able should obey those who are less so! That would be as ridiculous as if it were the opposite.

The importance of this entire realization is that wealthy people do, indeed, have a responsibility towards those who are, at the very least, poverty stricken. It is their responsibility to find ways to calm the anger of those less fortunate, or they will risk justifying that hatred.

I do not believe in socialism. No person should command another to assist others. Help must be a voluntary thing, to be what it truly represents; for it is not the lacking of another and their envy that must be solved; but, it is the anger and hurt that demands reparation.

Interval Back Stretches

I still need to practice my self-portraits! Anyways, I thought I would share this.

Being a regular on the computer chair, it is common to suffer lower and upper back strains. Muscles becoming tense and painful, creating inflammations and echoing the pain towards the limbs.

Once every hour or two, or pretty much randomly, I stand up and purposefully stretch slowly and relax my body. The most important of those stretches is the bending relaxation. Just drop down with straight legs (knees do not have to lock) and pause for a short comfortable while. Feel the disentanglement of your joints!

Spread your legs apart and relax towards the floor,
for up to a minute.

Watching Sons Of Anarchy

Listen to my first ever blogcast:

Click here to download this blogcast in MP3 Audio.

Recorded using my shiny new condenser microphone!

I was wandering the web for something to watch, say educating, say entertaining, and found a not-so-new TV series with the word Anarchy in its' title.

"Is the Sons of Anarchy TV Show a Biker Soap Opera?"
- Biker Law Blog discusses his experience watching the series.

If you could find yourself interested in an Action-Drama sort of show, then check out this trailer and consider. I found myself somehow reviewing my own life, thinking about all the nonsense that the guys on the show pretend to go through. I guess even extreme fantasy can reflect reality.

Autumn Growth & Camera

I just got my new Tatop W858 - see: some lesser known Chinese smartphone, which has a wonderful camera! So, finally, I can show my works here. :-)

I used regular plastic pots, so far, but I am starting to change into plastic bowls, without dripping holes - like the blue one in front. I find it better, in my extremely dry climate, to let the water sit at the bottom and have the plants slowly drink it. Of course, this means that I must be careful about drowning the plants, so I do not let the water level get too high.

Some of my plants are unidentified. Seriously, I just do not know what is going on there. Beyond those, I have Potatoes, Sunroots (Jerusalem Artichoke), Beans (black), Aubergine (Eggplant), Tomatoes, Sweet Beetroot and a bit of garlic. All for the sake of experiment and experience.

I have already enjoyed two tiny harvests of black beans! But, so far, I am not seeing any tomatoes or aubergines. It seems that some plants really do require very certain conditions. I always felt plants were more variable than that, but alas, my spot does have very little sun and only limited watering.

A Life Of Values

ZenPencils shared a very inspiring and encouraging comic strip by Bill Watterson, the creator of the infamous comics Calvin and Hobbes. While I have not read his other works, this is a very well made strip. Click on the following preview to visit the page!

The first page of the strip.