Musings of a Space Goat

Musings of a Space Goat Musings of a Space Goat Syndication Sat, 20 Oct 2007 10:34:56 -0500 jasonevines@hypersyllogistic.com (Hypersyllogistic Forums) IP.Blog 60 My new PC
Of course, powerful state-of-the-art PC's from good vendors (Alienware, Falcon Northwest, etc.) cost more than $4,000, which I didn't want to pay. So, I tested the computer knowledge and technical skill I've gained over the past few years by building a new computer myself. The cost was half what it would have been if I had bought the PC pre-built.

Since I had never self-built a PC before, the endeavor was grueling. For a week earlier this month, I toiled on my machine, navigating around boxes, cords, and tools lying all around my apartment. During much of that week, I couldn't coax my new computer to start properly. I was on the verge of giving up on getting the PC to work myself; I even sent e-mails to techs around Washington, D.C., asking for assistance. But then I tried one last time to bring my creation to life, having connected to the motherboard only the components necessary for a successful boot. And it worked! So, I carefully connected the rest of the hardware, and my PC still operated as it should have. From there, I installed Windows Vista Home Premium, and my computing experience has been largely smooth ever since.

Here are my new system's specifications:

Processor: Pentium Core 2 Quad 2.4 GHz
Heatsink: Thermaltake TR2-M21 RX
Motherboard: EVGA 680i LT SLI
Graphics card: EVGA GeForce 8800 GTX
Hard drives: 2 x 150 GB 10,000 RPM Raptor (RAID 0); 320 GB 7,200 RPM WD
Memory: OCZ Flex XLC 2GB DDR2 800
DVD: Sony DRU170C
Power supply: Enermax Infiniti 720W
Case: Antec 900
Mouse: Logitech MX518 (had before)
Speakers: Creative I-Trigue 2200 (had before)
Monitor: Samsung 245BW (1920 x 1200 widescreen 24 in. LCD)

I've taken some pictures of the computer, in various stages of construction:

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This is the fastest machine I have ever used. The 1920 x 1200 native resolution of the monitor and maximum graphics settings don't daunt it the slightest bit, even in the most demanding games. And most normal Windows operations transpire in less time than a snap of the fingers would take.

2008, here I come. Crysis and Alan Wake, do your worst.]]> Sat, 28 Jul 2007 12:22:37 -0500 A place to call home
As I announced earlier this month, I have gotten a full-time job at the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C., as a Web Technologies Associate. Because I'll be living in D.C. for the predictable future, my grandparents came out to help me finally decorate my apartment. Before, since I didn't know even the city in which I would eventually live, I had in my apartment a card table, four folding chairs, two small rolling cabinets, a trunk, a bed that turns into a couch, a desk without drawers, and my computer. If I wanted to watch TV or DVD, I did so on my computer. (I have a 20.1" 1600 x 1200 Samsung 204B monitor, so the experience wasn't as bad as it might seem.)

With Memorial Day weekend nearing its conclusion, I have two bookcases, one for DVD's and the other for books; two dressers, one for clothes and another for office supplies; a stack of racks by my computer onto which I can place its equipment and media; an actual table with four chairs; and a credenza on which sits a 27" CRT flat tube Panasonic Tau television. Additionally, a mirror hangs on the closet door next to my bathroom so I can tie my tie before work without getting my socks wet on still-damp tile.

That's not all: I now can cook and bake with pots, pans, and trays. And I can use genuine dishes to serve meals instead of plastic utensils and paper plates.

At last, my apartment is starting to feel like a home instead of a place I'm visiting temporarily.]]> Tue, 29 May 2007 09:18:20 -0500 The Bodies The Bodies. This exhibition must have been in New York City when I visited, because I glimpsed advertisements for it there, too.

The Bodies showcases cadavars and other real human body parts to educate the public about anatomy. That makes one of the critical blurbs about the exhibition I saw on one of its advertisements particularly creepy: "The Bodies makes anatomy come alive."

If I'm in a building with a lot of human corpses and remains, I don't want anything coming alive. "Dead" should remain the order of the day, in my opinion.]]> Thu, 24 May 2007 10:04:10 -0500 <![CDATA["Where the tides of fortune take us, no man can know"]]> Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fifth season episode "By Inferno's Light." Considering recent events in my life, that seems an appropriate title for this blog entry.

My internship for the Government Affairs department at the Cato Institute will be ending soon. I have enjoyed the experience immensely: I attended a few congressional committee hearings at which Cato scholars testified. I sat in on a large conference call with Karl Rove before President George W. Bush's State of the Union address. I learned my way around the Capitol Hill office buildings (Russell, Dirksen, and Hart for the Senate; Cannon, Longworth, Rayburn, and Ford for the House) as I delivered studies and books to various politicians and their staffers. I absorbed great quantities of information at roundtable discussions and film seminars. And I met many amazing people.

What will I do next, after the internship concludes at the end of May? I will become the new Web Technologies Associate at Cato Institute.

That is weird for a couple reasons:

I had intended my internship at Cato only to be a stepping stone to a job on Capitol Hill. After all, throughout my life, I had dreamed of working in politics. And I want actively to make a difference, not put out ideas hoping decision-makers will act on them.
The Web Technologies Associate position has little to do with what I studied in college. Coding and scripting web pages was only a hobby for me. And my family sometimes wished I would stop "sitting on my ass" making Internet sites.

But, in the third quarter of the internship, I realized Cato had more to offer, in terms of knowledge and relationships, than I could take advantage of by the end of May. So, although for much of my internship, I had been preparing to gain employment in a congressional office, I decided I would rather work for Cato instead. My intention was to apply for the Government Affairs Assistant position that is opening up soon, but my intern coordinator knew of my fondness for web design and encouraged me to apply for the Web Technologies position, too. I did so thinking it would constitute a backup, since I hadn't officially studied web design or gained professional experience with it.

Lo and behold, a few days ago, I was offered the Web Technologies Associate position. I accepted the offer, and I couldn't be happier to have done so. Now, I have ample excuse to immerse myself in technology for its own sake. I will remain at Cato for a while. I shall make quite a bit more money than I would have as an entry-level congressional staffer. And I can help promote liberty through the most effective tool available, the Internet, and with a platform that enjoys a lot more traffic than Hypersyllogistic.

Since my web savvy has landed me a well-paying job, my family has become quite supportive of my design predilection. For my birthday, still a month away, they have bought for me (rather, allowed me to purchase with a credit card) Adobe Web Premium Creative Suite 3 (

), several web coding books, and a wireless router for my apartment, so I can use my laptop, too. (I find that easier to use for writing and coding sometimes. This blog entry probably wouldn't exist but for my new wireless network.)

Responding to Gowron, Captain Sisko said, "They're tricky, those tides." Sometimes, they're also enjoyable. And I can't wait to see where they take me next.

(A disclaimer is necessary: I do not in any way speak for the Cato Institute. I just work there. My thoughts and opinions are my own, and they do not represent those of Cato.)]]> Sun, 13 May 2007 19:43:18 -0500 A new word for English: earworm
What is an "earworm"?

QUOTE(Jason's Internal Dictionary)

earworm: (noun) a song one cannot expunge from one's mind; a tune that plays repeatedly in one's head

Examples: "'Billie Jean' is an earworm."

Go forth and spread this wonderous new word, so Merriam-Webster's must recognize it in a few years.

]]> Thu, 12 Apr 2007 21:56:31 -0500 Now officially a university graduate

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I could attend graduate or law school after this, but I likely won't. After going to school since 1989, I'm ready to begin my life as a professional. To begin my walk down that path, I am now working in a paid internship at Cato Institute. Maybe after that, I will work on the staff of a congressman. And then who knows where I'll end up...

I know for certain, though, many more doors have opened for me that wouldn't have budged for me before.

]]> Sat, 17 Mar 2007 10:36:01 -0500 A very odd dream

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I implored my grandma to call an exterminator to get rid of the gecko, which she eventually did.

And then, I was kneeling in the garage of my old house, posing with the gecko for a picture. The gecko would not remain still, though; it kept crawling and writhing all over the place. So, naturally, former President Bill Clinton arrived with a baby seal.

Mr. Clinton grabbed the gecko and planted it in front of me for the picture. Immediately afterward, the seal ate the gecko.

"That solves the problem," I thought.

At that point, I awoke.

]]> Sun, 21 Jan 2007 08:30:58 -0600 From global warming with love
After I returned home, I wouldn't have known St. Louis had suffered an ice storm earlier in the month if I hadn't heard about it. Temperatures have ranged from the 40's to the 60's. I donned a sweater with an undershirt one day, which is standard apparel for the height of winter, and I was sweating profusely before long. Since then, I have preferred thin long-sleeve shirts to sweaters.

Consequently, even though Christmas was fun, it didn't feel like Christmas. On Christmas, the skies dump snow everywhere; hills and roofs of white greet holiday revelers, and their boots strike the ground with a satisfying crunch-crunch. Christmas does not feature spring showers, green grass, and blooming flowers.

I hope this trend does not continue next year, for a green Christmas two years in a row shall leave me cranky.
]]> Tue, 02 Jan 2007 19:02:22 -0600 Cato Institute... So, from January to May, I'll be interning for them. I'll work five days a week from 9 AM to 5:30 PM. That's certainly much longer and on more days than I attend classes now, but I won't have to worry about homework and studies once I return home!

I'm excited to have this opportunity!

]]> Tue, 05 Dec 2006 23:26:18 -0600 Almost done with college
I don't want to work in Washington, D.C., forever, though. Spending too much time inside the Beltway, immersed in government groupthink, disconnects one from the America of most citizens. After learning the political ropes in D.C. for a few years, I hope to venture into the "real world" to see what it's like from an adult perspective. And then, eventually, I could return to D.C. as a Member of Congress, able to serve my country more effectively for not having stayed in D.C. my whole adult life.

But, before all that happens, I must ensure my graduation actually takes place, so see you!

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