Mike Williams

A Break from The Crazy

We’ve been getting ready to complete a major project at my day job. This project has been pushed back a couple of times because it seems the scope was much bigger than anyone imagined. Anyone but me, of course. I remember talking to a co-worker who believed we could get this thing done in a month. It looks like we will get this done in 3 months. Ideally, this should have taken 6 months.

In talking to a few folks over the last several weeks, I realize there are two things that I am really passionate about outside of the day job. Those two things are writing and hiking/camping. Throw in a few ideas about “prepping” and you’ve got quite the mix.

A couple of books in the audible library are about what happens when we loose electricity. The power grid goes down and the whole world goes to shit. Literally. I have a few different titles but they all seem to show a common thread. People who have not prepared expect those who do — to take care of them. Extreme liberal views are like that. I have friends who believe that the government should run everything. Not because the government clearly knows what they are doing — but because they believe in being “taken care of” by someone other than themselves. As a military veteran, I would strongly disagree.

I think I am overdue to a short shory so I am hoping to write one this weekend.

I should probably start posting on this site because, why not?

This website is for me. I don’t write on it to keep anyone else informed. It is my place to discuss whatever I like and… occasionally, I get to swear.

Being single has its perks.

TTFN.

March 17, 2018 by General Musings Sh*t Mike Says

Busy Times

I am not really posting a lot right now. Our major project deadline keeps getting pushed back.

It is now going to be at the end of this month.

Once I get to the other side, I’ll have plenty of time to get back to writing which is something I love to do. I’d also like to write about my new amazing (and very stinky) 3 day pack.

I plan on doing a lot of camping this year. The idea is to set up a base camp and simply lounge about and write.

I’ll post more if I get the chance.

March 14, 2018 by General Musings

Projects and Plans

It is almost the end of February. Where did it go?

I’ve moved the website over to Captain Nukko but it has issues. The kind of issues that I usually don’t encounter like missing graphics, the books I read, etc.

That is why I am writing this post on my normal site. Captain Nukko might have been a great idea at the time but chipheadmike works and I should probably just stick to this site.

Watch both sites…just kidding. I’ll most likely just write here.

With that aside, I’d like to update my small following on what has been going on at Castle Nerda.

The big work project is in full swing and has been pushed back a couple of times. It is the same idea as NASA “Go” or “No-Go” for launch. We’re getting there. We should be done with this soon.

Camping…

A couple of months ago, I got the camping bug again. I love camping. I love taking a three day hike/camp in the woods and being outdoors and living in nature.

I did it as a kid, a teen, but not so much as an adult.

I’m changing that this year. I’ve decided to keep three bags ready. My big GTH bag, a 3 day trip bag, and a day trip bag.

I’m in the process of stocking those up.

I am watching numerous bush craft videos on youtube as well as “prepper” info. It is good stuff.

This month will almost be over soon. Where did it go?

February 24, 2018 by Bushcraft Camping General Musings Hiking

Dumbing Down of America

I found a pretty good article that talks about why Americans seem so dumb today compared to what they were just a few decades ago.

The article points to the education system but I disagree about why Americans aren’t as smart as they used to be.

The number of American citizens who can do very high-end research who also can easily get security clearances is limited,” Ignatius says. “The ability of our schools to produce American students at a world-class level, that’s an important national challenge.

Again, I disagree to a point. I believe the problem is something else entirely. Do college graduates really need to remember anything? In the age of “just Google it” do we really need to even try to retain information? I believe the answer is no. If I can’t remember a song, there is an app for that. If I can’t remember what camping gear I need to take with me — again I can just Google it.

January 20, 2018 by Google Opinion

The Go to Hell Bag and Zombies

It is called many things but I believe there is a difference between a “Go Bag” and a “Go to Hell” bag. Being a former military member I am well aware of what they are. It is a pack ready to go in case the world goes to shit and you need to get out of dodge — quickly.

I won’t go into details here because that is not what this site is about. I do want to discuss why I am writing about it. First, I miss my iPad Pro. It has always been one of my favorite computers for writing but I haven’t been using it much these days. That is a real shame. This thing rocks!

I guess the real reason I am mentioning a GTH bag is because I find myself inspired by all of the science fiction I’ve been reading lately. Most of them are about either a zombie acopalypse or the end of the world as we know it. Most stories have a military component and that includes GTH bags. It caused some reflection on me and my training as a member of the military. I find myself wondering why I didn’t have a GTH pack ready when I know they make perfect sense no matter what life is currently throwing at you.

I’ll post a link to a great article about GTH packs and what you should pack in them. This site is great.

Planning for an emergency situation is always a smart idea. Know this — you will definitely be in the minority when trouble hits.

Be prepared. The zombies could be coming…

January 19, 2018 by Zombies are Coming

Birthdays and What They Actually Mean

I’m writing this post because a lot of people (Google) seem to have an issue with understanding what birthdays actually are.

Their own definition is…

A birthday is the anniversary of the birth of a person or an institution. Birthdays are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with gifts, cards, a party, or a rite of passage.

Two words are missing. Living and Existing. A “living” person and an “existing” institution.

Birthdays are a celebration of life. If you have 5 birthdays than that means that you have been alive for at least five years.

If you die at the age of five then you will never be able to have a 6th birthday. You know…because you are DEAD.

Google loves to put up a birthday celebration honoring a particular figure in history. The problem is that they are usually dead.

It is impossible for any of these people to have birthdays past their death date.

For example, Princess Diana is not 56 years old. She only ever made it to 36.

 

January 10, 2018 by Common Sense Filter

Two Favorite Quotes

Both are from Eleanor Roosevelt.

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.
The 1st quote has had the biggest impact on me.
The 2nd quote is something we all could revisit from time to time. Including myself.
December 24, 2017 by Quotes

The Problems with Star Trek Discovery

I have to admit that I was one of those people who just couldn’t wait for another Star Trek series. I like them all although admittedly, some more than others.

Enterprise had a good start but really went off the rails pretty quickly. For a show that took place 100 years before Kirk, they made some mistakes with canon. Perhaps misunderstood, the show tried to do too much and I think that is why it got cancelled. It doesn’t matter what the writers think or what the producers “think” people want. You can’t take a property like Star Trek and just move away from everything Gene Roddenberry was trying to do. The really cool stuff happens in the Picard era and the Archer generation would have been a great platform for ironing out the kinks and showing us what it is like to be the new kid on the block. The fantastical plot lines didn’t need to happen for the show to be good. I guess that is my point.

Discovery takes what I just said and completely ignores it. I’ve read a host of comments about why fans don’t like the show or the approach that has been taken. I agree with most of them. Spore drive? Really? Lead character is a woman. No problems there but the name is ridiculous. Michael? I don’t have a huge problem with it but come on writers…you couldn’t have thought of anything better? You are given a blank slate and that is the best you could do? Sister of Spock? Never mentioned…anywhere. That makes this one, not cool. You could have done the same thing without involving the Sarak character. There are milions of other vulcans and the Star Trek universe should not be that small. Not everything involves Kirk, Spock, McCoy…and so on. You get the idea.

The producers and writers are going to end up asking themselves “why” when this show gets cancelled well before the seven season run that a few Star Trek shows have enjoyed.

The answer is obvious. You can’t shit on the fanbase. Especially, the Star Trek fan base.

They will be the ones flushing you out of the proverbial air lock.

Note: The reason I wrote this post was this article in Wired. Obviously, they at least acknowledge that there are problems.

 

December 9, 2017 by Star Trek

Why People are Growing Weary of Scientific Conclusions

This story is a perfect example of how science makes leaps without actually doing any of the research.

Here is a story about what the brain does when changing focus or losing attention; you can call it anything you like. The study was conducted on humans…oh wait…it wasn’t.

When your attention shifts from one place to another, your brain blinks. The blinks are momentary unconscious gaps in visual perception and came as a surprise to the team of Vanderbilt psychologists who discovered the phenomenon while studying the benefits of attention.

This is not about the human brain. It is about what they saw in an animal’s brain.

The research was conducted with macaque monkeys that were trained to shift their attention among different objects on a display screen while the researchers monitored the pattern of neuron activity taking place in their brains. Primates are particularly suited for the study because they can shift their attention without moving their eyes. Most animals do not have this ability.

Science means data which means accuracy to me. Those things have to be important for the process to work properly. There was a time when scientists didn’t report on something until their testing was completed.

December 5, 2017 by Big Science Science

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