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RazzyJam

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  1. RazzyJam

    AAAA!

    By RazzyJam,

    Hello hello again!
     
    I have been away for quite a while, and I should apologize for that. For those of you who dont know, I am an IB student, and school has absorbed most of my life.
    Nonetheless, If people are still interested, Im looking to restart the blog and post more! Let me know what you want to hear about, and we can get this show on the road again!
     
    Thanks for the patience
    Brohoofs!
    ~WR
  2. RazzyJam

    Crazy Communism

    By RazzyJam,

    Hello to you peruser of the forums, and welcome to my blog. For those of you familiar with what I do here, welcome back. Here is where I talk all about the future and the glory it contains. Todays topic is that wacky evil communism!
     
    Now before we all jump to conclusions and assumptions, lets clear one thing up:
    The USSR was not a legitimate Communist state.
    All legitimate rape jokes aside, lets take a dive into what the core values of communism are, and try and understand exactly what this concept is, because I assure you it is mind boggling. Seeing as the USSR was not communist, we should probably establish what it was then; the USSR is better categorized as a socialist, fascist state. For those of you who do not know what that means, think stereotypical russia and/or Nazi Germany. Socialism is, at its core, the redistribution of wealth and welfare by the government. I assure you, nothing good ever comes of it, and the high class societies we have developed today were due to strives in the improvement of the capitalist economy.
     
    Here is the first thing that one should know about communism: it is not a government. If you are looking for government structure from communism, you will find something very akin to anarchy, in that there are no law makers and no leaders. Communism is in actuality a economic system, one that contrasts capitalism, and would make the brain of a socialist explode. If you were to chart this out (ignoring standard political terms), the far left would be communism, somewhere in the middle is capitalism, and the far right would be socialism.
    Communism is one of the most elegant and simple economic systems ever devised. It was spawned from the genius mind of Karl Marx, and is now referred to as a resource based economy. A resource based economy means what it sounds like; No money is involved, and everything is done on a supply and demand trade. This only works in an economy that has surplus of resources. In a communist society, this comes from the idea that all people would be working together to better their community and the benefit to themselves is sustainable living. For example, lets say that the population begins to grow, people would work to build more houses with available material. Now more energy is needed, so power plants are constructed. This is all based upon sustainable and efficient engineering, all designs in which humans and the ecosystem live in tranquility. Human impact is minimized by design of eco friendly cities. Think Walt Disney's EPCOT on a global scale.
     
    Given there is no money, nothing needs to be purchased. Libraries would loan out anything and everything, or simpler yet, manufacturing could be done in ones home through 3D printing. Technology would be the educators of this society, as one needs to make sure that the global population is unbiased and ethical. This is the only way to keep a work force that does not stop or ride the system, as it would be easy to do.
     
    Riding the system is exactly why Karl Marx himself realized that such a society could never exist. He knew that it was in human nature to cheat and freeload, and he also knew that people would try to corrupt the system and put themselves on top. This is apparently visible as seen in the USSRs history.
    Not to mention that 3D printers can now make weapons, which kind of defeats the purpose of having a society without war. Unless, of course, people are smart with fire arms and use them respectfully.
    To read more about 3D printing, give a click here:
    http://mlpforums.com/blog/24/entry-773-plans-printers-and-power-to-the-people/
     
    Communism has some really interesting topics and ideas that will have to be considered for the future. Living in such a society would take work from all humans, but I could see it being possible, especially considering one man is already working toward it. If you have not heard of Jacque Fresco's "The Venus Project", I implore you to give it a read here, he has some great free literature and lots of in depth guides to how everything would work inside a future commune (communist city). Give that a read here, it is really interesting:
    http://www.thevenusproject.com/
     
    So what are your thoughts on Communism? Wether it be positive or negative post it in the comments below. Leave some ideas for next weeks topic, and as always, brohoofs to you guys!
  3. RazzyJam
    Well here it is! A whole topic on terraforming! i feel like a lot of alliteration is about to go down.
     
    Because this is such a large and broad topic, im going to start with defining terraforming processes and then talking about the ethics of it all and then I will talk specifically about terraforming Mars, as it is the easiest to do and requires the least amount of work to type about and also to literally terraform
     
    So first things first, what is terraforming? Well, it is exactly what it sounds like; the latin root terra means Earth, and then the verb to form follows, so terraforming literally means 'to shape like Earth'.
    Terraforming is a lengthy process depending on the planet in question. It would involve creating a proper atmosphere for the plannet, allowing for liquid water to form by melting ice caps or cooling temperatures to allow for condensation of water. Basically, one would have to recreate the conditions of earth on another planets surface. This is not limited to the whole surface of the planet, there are other forms of terraforming, such as the construction of a large geodesic dome and then the monitoring of that areas internal atmosphere. This obviously requires much less work, but at the same time, it costs more resources, especially in the sense of terraforming Mars. But before we get to into detail on that, lets talk ethics.
     
    Normally one would assume, "This is great! We are creating new areas to sustain life! What could possibly be unethical about this?". Well, basica biology has proven that life is extremely adaptable. There is life at the hottest, most pressurized depths of the oceans, and scientists have brought organisms into the vacuum of space and found that they can survive the harsh environments there as well. With this knowledge, we need to consider what exists on the planet being terraformed. For example, recent studies of the martian surface have shown methane leaks from vents in the ground. Theories have sprouted about this being anything from a geological to possibly a biological occurrence. Methane is a gas produced by some bacteria here on earth as a biproduct of biochemical processes. So if the environment on mars were the be changed, how could this effect the possible organisms that already exist there?
    Of course, there are other minor arguments against such action, such as the human race taking on the role of God and other similar arguments. However, all religious scripture points out that our Gods have made us the rulers and protectors of life on Earth, so perhaps it is our duty to terraform other planets in our quest to protect life. Let me know your thoughts on this below.
     
    Now, we have discussed that terraforming is a rather simple concept, and we have analyzed the arguments that involve such processes. But how would such a task be done?
    There are many lengthy descriptions on how such a thing could be done, but Im going to spoon feed this to you in the most simple Way I can, and I will start with a pretty picture:

    Everyone at once: "Oooooh... Aaaahhhh..."
    There are a bunch of ideas out there to make something like this happen on mars, such as wrapping the plannet in tin foil, shooting it with lasers, and other such ridiculous sounding suggestions to heat the planets surface. Such a feat is already plausible given the atmosphere, the frozen water on the surface, and the possibility of liquid and semi-solid H2O under the martian surface, the problem is heating the planet to get that water to appear on the surface. There is one solution that is already proven to work at terraforming planets, and could possibly produce a pristine environment on Mars. Care to take a guess?
     
    The greenhouse effect, caused by the production of CO2 that traps solar heat in atmosphere is already in action on Earth. It has been for millions of years mind you, so keep your pants on. But the idea that releasing CO2 on the martian surface could cause an earth-like environment is very possible. One would not have to burn fossil fuels, but rather there is already carbon dioxide gas trapped beneath the martian surface, a small heating of this planet could cause some gas to escape, and start a chan reaction that would alter the surface of Mars. This is where the giant mirrors and tin foil starts to sound logical. But still heating the planet from orbit would be quite a challenge. An alternate, cheaper solution would to be to start mineral extraction and processing on the planet surface. Mining operations could increase heat and yield mineral resources that could better the economy and be utilized in sustaining a martian mining operation. This is just my own personal Idea, as I love the concept of taking apart celestial objects for mineral resources, and Mars seems like a logical first step, as a biproduct could be another biological habitat.
     
    So what are your opinions of the terraforming process? Do you think it is possible to be done in your life time? Post any thoughts in the comments below and leave a suggestion for next week. This Wednesday's topic will be communism! Dun Dun Dun! Thanks for taking the time to read this and as always, Brohoofs to you!
  4. RazzyJam

    Next topic?

    By RazzyJam,

    Before this wednesday, I need an Idea on a new topic to discuss. It can be anything future related that you have heard of or seen in a movie or something. Lemme know what you want to hear about so that I can do research and formulate my thesis!
  5. RazzyJam
    Sorry this took so long to get out to everyone! The first two topics kind of ame out one after the other, and I got pressured by other workloads and wasn't able to keep that standard. So from now on, Im going to be releasing these Topics Every Wednesday! Sounds like a cool slogan or something. So, now that that announcement is made, lets get down to business!
     
    So on my Organization thread the request came up about 3D printing. Perhaps it wasn't really a request, but It got me thinking, and I did a little bit o research. Im going to share what Ive learned with you, because there is some really frighteningly awesome stuff out there when it comes to 3D printing.
     
    First off, the whole idea of model printers has been around for a long time. The concept was thought of in the late 50s in one of the many Futurist movements. It wasn't until recently that the technology became compact enough to reach a public market. Now desktop laser cutters, CNC mills, and Extrusion machines all are available to the public, bringing manufacturing right into your office. And, thanks to the rise of computers and free distribution of software, it is now possible to create - anything - right in your house. Websites like thingiverse literally distribute objects that you can just download right onto your computer and print. If I wanted, I could just go online, find a 3D model of Pinkie Pie, and BANG a little piece of Equestrian is now in my home. I could literally, email you a spoon. If that doesn't blow your mind I dont know what does.
     
    This all really sounds like science fiction, but it exists. Today even. If we can print anything from Lego bricks to car parts in our homes now, what does the future hold, and how could this device change the way we live?
     
    Lets start with where this device is going, because it is more certain than some of the more interesting and controversial subject matter that should be addressed later. As of right now, right at this moment, Scientists and doctors are working together to create Bio-Printers. Say you need a heart transplant or you drank yourself shifted and now you need a new liver or kidney, In the near future, doctors will be able to take YOUR genetic code and print you a brand new heart or liver or kidney. This technology sounds insane, but it is being worked on right now. Food companies are even looking into the technology so that you can print meats and edibles. Imagine just being able to print out bacon. The internet would rejoice!
    Some of these technologies involve the use of stem cells, this is something that will most likely not be an issue in the future, considering the positives outweigh the negatives of the introduction of the technology. This is one minor controversy of the 3D printer, but what if I told you that the world could soon have to restructure its governments because of the 3D printer?
     
    Recently there were some issues that involved 3D printing and corporation copyrights. If you are unfamiliar with Games Workshop's Warhammer, I suggest you look at their website, and see how awesomely expensive all of their awesomeness is. But because that it is cheaper to print 50 dollar models at home for under 5 dollars, hobbyists did just that. Games Workshop filed a law suit because their intellectual property was being stolen. But the question is... by who? If people just make a 3D model thats fine, but once it is distributed and downloaded how do you monitor that? Now before I jump ahead of myself and suggest that 3D printers are going to usher in some sort of Marxist Communism, allow me to blow your minds further. Thats right. there is Moar!
     
    In Australia, hobbyists in possession of 3D printers have been printing weapons. Defense Distributed has 3D models of ACRs. Working ACRs that can be printed right at home. This goes against Australian Gun control laws, so naturally, something needed to be done. But once again, there is no one specific person that can be nailed down for distributing guns over the internet, and once these files are out there, there is no getting them back. It is now possible for armed revolutions to be staged on literal home fronts; Liberty could be yours at the click of a button.
     
    So what do you guys think of 3D printers? Would you own one, and what would be the first thing you made? Post in the comments below and as always, brohoofs to you guys!
  6. RazzyJam
    So because it was brought up in a previous blog post of mine, I thought Id bring up a new debate to the engineering world, and that is the discussion of green energy. There is a lot of political push for eco-friendly technologies, and energy production is a huge part of it. In the next 50 years we are looking at growing to a population of 9 billion. To put that in perspective, the estimated population cap is around 10 billion. How are we supposed to provide for that many people and still keep the planet clean? Obviously the consideration of eco friendly energies is a valid point, but we need to understand the efficiency behind each of these energy sources before we can consider them to be a solution.
     
    Lets start with the three obvious ones, in order of efficiency. First of the bat, we have the almighty hydroelectric power. This is arguably the most efficient machine man has built (next to that magical steam engine if you read my lasts post ), given that it requires nothing but the flow of water. This flow can come in different forms, but lets start with hydroelectric dams. Hydroelectric dams are pretty dam cool, given they are naturally resupplied by the earths water cycle. This means we maximize the amount of energy produced, because we have near unlimited resupply to the input of the dam. The issue is that we have already dammed every river that is possible to build a dam on. The other form would be to harness tidal motion in oceans and oceanic currents. This is a very inefficient method of creating energy, as you would have to cover the entire Gulf of Mexico in buoys before you have enough energy to power a city. Ocean current turbines are a better solution, but these too lack the efficiency required to power a small city.
     
    Wind energy! Something that has been used almost since the dawn of man. Its a simple concept, efficient in theory for powering small areas, but when we get to a larger scale, things become much more interesting. If we were to power the entire US of A on wind energies, we would have to cover both North and South Dakoda in turbines (assuming the standard turbine that is in use is utilized, switching to a space efficient Vertical Tower Turbine would change this statistic.) While the space exists to do such a thing, the price is not very reasonable. the cost to build that many turbines would be more than the cost of the energy they produce.
     
    Last but not least, that illusive solar energy. This is the only way of generating electricity without a generator, which is truly a marvel in itself. The only problem we encounter with solar energy, is that it is big and HOT. Enough panels in one area could actually melt the energy pylon, and this is often why not all panels are put in perfect alignment to the energy pylon. Also the amount of space needed for one of these things is monumental, not even to mention the cost.(Again, this is assuming a reflective solar power plant, which is the highest efficiency plant we have.)
     
    So we have these green energies that are nice for the environment, but not so nice to our wallets. While there are some efficiencies and bonuses to these energy solutions, the benefits do not outweigh the costs.
     
     
    So what these were the facts, but where do you stand in the discussion of green energies, are they worth investing in and developing? Or should we go in a different dirtection entirely? Post your thoughts below!
  7. RazzyJam
    In light of my previous activity on the forums, I decided to do something new with my personal blog. Ive gotten a bit lazy on making this personal, given I dont care as much about my personal life and I know most of you dont either. So here is the new plan for what I will be doing here
     
    Im going to be using this blog to discuss the future! Everything about the future! I got this Idea after talking to others about the space elevator Feld0 is presently involved in. Engineering and physics are a major interest of mine, so I figured I could appeal to you all by using my interest and knowledge to talk with you folks about the future progression of mankind! Sounds exciting!
     
    Im going to start with opinions on nuclear reactors <3. I personally love the Idea of them. They are clean, efficient, and under moderation, extremely safe. Compared to renewable energy sources, This is the most space efficient, high energy yielding plant humans have ever invented. (Whats ironic is it still runs on the same machine that humas have been using for centuries, the steam generator. Kind of cool how something so simple is still at the forefront of human technology). Now of course, nuclear reactors are notorious for stereotypes of exploding, and being radioactive. while there is some truth to this, it isn't as big a deal as people would make it out to be.
     
    Nuclear reactors dont explode, they have meltdowns. Thats exactly what it sounds like. It melts down... Through the reactor... Through the Reactor chamber... through the earths crust...
    The only time one of these plants ever esplode, is if you are using a graphite reactor, akin to the design used by the Russians in the 60s, especially in the Chernobyl Incident, and another accident involving a nuclear submarine that never left the harbor.
    These plants use radioactive materials, but it emits nothing more than that of what the sun puts out. The only difference is that Earth has a magnetic shield to defend us, whereas we need lead and concrete to shield us from the radioactivity. Currently, this source is Uranium, which you may or may not know that we are running out off. Actually, Uranium is about as rare as platinum or gold (could you imagine burning gold? )
     
    So where does the future come into all this? What if I told you that there was an element as common as dirt, that you could hold a lifetime supply of energy of this element in your hand, and it has a more badass name than Uranium? It exists, its not science fiction. This magical element is called Thorium (like the god of thunder), and over 500,000 tonnes are thrown out per day. That much thorium could power the earth for Centuries. CENTURIES! And we are throwing it away!
     
    The fantastic part is we could utilize this element with little modification to our current nuclear facilities. It all involves a reactor called LFTR (lifter). I could talk about this thing for eons, but Id rather leave you a link to a video that explains it all in under 5 minutes:
     
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uK367T7h6ZY
     
    So what is your opinion on nuclear energy? Where do you see mankind filling its growing energy needs in the next 50 years? post in comments below! Id love to hear your opinions.
  8. RazzyJam

    SOON!

    By RazzyJam,

    Will be uploading sneak peeks to our first release soon! it is our version of This day Aria. It should be pretty legit, especially considering all the hard work the band put in. We got some awesome beats by letter, some amazing guitar work by Sam, my sexy piano work, and We have heard some beautiful vocals from sky that are almost done . Check in some time today or tomorrow to get the 30 second clip!
     
    Pic related!

  9. RazzyJam
    Before I kick anything off, I should recognize that it is in fact the Forums birthday. I have been on this forum for 6 almost 7 months now, and I must say it has been great! I have made so many friends on here and it has meant so much to me to be able to meet you all and talk to you and get to know some of you on a personal level. This place is more than a website for me, it is a safe haven and an escape from the stress that I have in my life and I thank you all.
     
    Now, lets dive into business. There was some competition between discussing Terraforming or Communism. In light of my recent project at school, I will be discussing Terraforming and then moving Communism to next week. This seemed only fair to me, but keep thing in mind that you may want to hear about.
     
    I need some extra time today to get my stuff together considering my workload, so you can expect everything about Terraforming to be released sometime around 8:30. Hope to hear from you all then! For now, brohoofs!
  10. RazzyJam

    Long time no see!

    By RazzyJam,

    Howdy hey everypony! Its been too long! I thought Id give a few updates to the bands going ons. We are currently working on at least 15 individual projects at once, on top of jobs careers and schooling. As a result, the cover we promised to release weeks ago has been and will continue to be delayed. We hope to have it sometime before season 3, along with at least two new compilations. I personally am writing some new music for the band, but I am wrapped up in any number of other things as well.
     
    Here is a little sneak peek of what I am writing currently. See if you cant find out where I am going with this!
     
    Louisa May Alcott - My Doves
    http://www.poetry-archive.com/a/my_doves.html
  11. RazzyJam

    A logo Idea

    By RazzyJam,

    So here was a concept for our band logo, leave some comments below on what you think!

    And as promised, we will be releasing some musical clips soon. Be prepared to see some of those some time this weekend (That includes Monday for all you Yankees ).
  12. RazzyJam
    So Im going to start posting my interesting life stories here, because I know how Important I am and how much you all care. So yeah thought Id start by telling what happened to me this weekend
     
    A picture is worth a thousand words right? See the full entry for full pic!

     
    Well now I have 10 stitches in my face. Didn't feel a thing. Fun weekend.
     
    Back to school tomorrow. have two Exams right off the bat this week. Fun times
  13. RazzyJam
    I do music writing. I send basic stuff to letter and he makes it epic. I also contribute ideas and hurt myself for fun. Water bottles beware!
     
    I would love to post some stuff up here soon... maybe a 30 second music piece or something of what im working on
     
    Pic totally related:

  15. RazzyJam

    FIRST BAND ENTRY

    By RazzyJam,

    Started a new Brony band! We shall be posting randomness here related to our music, wether it be commentary, music updates or announcements, or downloads! Stop by regularly!
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