About Us
The Far Traveler Foundation is a for profit organization founded in 2087 with the goal of promoting the development of technologies and engineering practices necessary to enable efficient, long term settlement of the final frontier. The initial focus of the Foundation was on the outer gas giants and the inner edge of the Kupier belt. But after the establishment of the first successful colony on Eris in 2113 (Valentina Base) the Foundation's focus shifted outwards to the Oort cloud and beyond, with the ultimate goal of establishing permanent extra-solar colonies.
We offer many technology development and deployment services, including logistical and social cohesion analysis. Our holistic system failure analytic prediction service is a three time winner of Extropist Plog's yearly Murphy Prevention Award.
Project Crystal Sphere
Project Crystal Sphere is the Foundation's flagship project, with the ultimate goal of creating baseline-tailored habitats capable of isolated, reliable operation for time-spans of 100 Earth years and beyond. The project benefits from some of the best minds in the system, as well as extensive contributions from corporate interests and individuals.
Despite the bleeding edge nature of Crystal Sphere the project has turned a profit every fiscal year since it's inception in 2107. New technologies developed by the project are utilized by our other divisions, published in our public repositories, as well as sold in standard tech-replication packages.
Pledge
When using our services you can be certain of dealing with experienced craftsmen of the highest quality, and a technological base that is second to none. The Foundation adheres to the OpenFailure (2.3.5) and OpenAccounting (4.0.3) practices, including all optional clauses.
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Monday, June 13, 2016
Social Conservatives: How to Lose Friends and Not Influence People
This is old news, but it was a formative event for me, and an excellent example to demonstrate a point.
During the run up to the 2012 election one of the larger shitstorms was the Todd Akin controversy over abortion. The specific quote that started it (source Wikipedia) is:
During the run up to the 2012 election one of the larger shitstorms was the Todd Akin controversy over abortion. The specific quote that started it (source Wikipedia) is:
Well you know, people always want to try to make that as one of those things, well how do you, how do you slice this particularly tough sort of ethical question. First of all, from what I understand from doctors, that's [pregnancy from rape] really rare. If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down. But let's assume that maybe that didn't work or something. I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be on the rapist and not attacking the child.Immediately the MSM sent up the Patriarchy Signal. Much screaming ensued on all sides. As is traditional, both sides of the debate took leave of anything that might be called "sanity" (how much they had originally is undetermined, but not the topic of this post), and both require some attention, starting with the media.
Saturday, May 21, 2016
Here's to the Frivolous
Once upon a time, there were pulp magazines. They were derided as frivolous.
As the pulps died they gave birth to the medium of comic books, and the full blooming of the genera of science Fiction.
Comic books also contained a great deal of Science Fiction. Comic books were and are derided as frivolous and dangerous drivel for adolescent boys.
Science Fiction is our scout into the future, it gives us time to cope with new technology and the effects that it will have on our culture. It trains the thinking of the people who will build that future. When Philosophy abdicated it's role as the field that asks Important Questions, and threw down the banner of knowledge, Science Fiction picked up the banner, cleaned off the mud, and continued the march. Because of this, Science Fiction is the most important cultural artifact of our species.
Science fiction was and is derided as frivolous drivel for adolescent boys.
In the late 80s video games became popular, Science Fiction made the jump from print medium to the new entrant with ease. Partly due to the people who are able to make video games being the same as the people who like Science Fiction. Partly because the medium has sufficient bandwidth to do proper Science Fiction in ways that movies cannot, and TV has difficulty with.
Video games are and have been derided as dangerous and frivolous drivel for adolescent boys. So dangerous in fact that merely playing one would turn a person into a violent mass murderer, or in the new war with Eastasia, a rapist.
Contemporary with video games, personal computers appeared. PCs have become so vital to the economy (at any scale you care to observe) that removing them would be analogous to removing electricity. While they have the potential to usher in Big Brother, they have an even greater potential to banish him forever, and even to banish the need for government in the first place. Whether enabling accurate logistics, and making everything in the economy run more smoothly, or enabling things that could not have happened before, PCs have improved everything they touch.
PCs were derided as a frivolous waste of time for anyone who wasn't a business, especially for those stupid adolescent boys, who are probably autistic losers anyway.
The next time a person tells you that something is frivolous or dangerous and only of interest to adolescent boys, you should first inquire as to how they managed to get their head so far up their ass that it came out the other end. Then go buy the "frivolous" thing, and study it.
You will be ahead of the curve for whatever society changing event happens next.
As the pulps died they gave birth to the medium of comic books, and the full blooming of the genera of science Fiction.
Comic books also contained a great deal of Science Fiction. Comic books were and are derided as frivolous and dangerous drivel for adolescent boys.
Science Fiction is our scout into the future, it gives us time to cope with new technology and the effects that it will have on our culture. It trains the thinking of the people who will build that future. When Philosophy abdicated it's role as the field that asks Important Questions, and threw down the banner of knowledge, Science Fiction picked up the banner, cleaned off the mud, and continued the march. Because of this, Science Fiction is the most important cultural artifact of our species.
Science fiction was and is derided as frivolous drivel for adolescent boys.
In the late 80s video games became popular, Science Fiction made the jump from print medium to the new entrant with ease. Partly due to the people who are able to make video games being the same as the people who like Science Fiction. Partly because the medium has sufficient bandwidth to do proper Science Fiction in ways that movies cannot, and TV has difficulty with.
Video games are and have been derided as dangerous and frivolous drivel for adolescent boys. So dangerous in fact that merely playing one would turn a person into a violent mass murderer, or in the new war with Eastasia, a rapist.
Contemporary with video games, personal computers appeared. PCs have become so vital to the economy (at any scale you care to observe) that removing them would be analogous to removing electricity. While they have the potential to usher in Big Brother, they have an even greater potential to banish him forever, and even to banish the need for government in the first place. Whether enabling accurate logistics, and making everything in the economy run more smoothly, or enabling things that could not have happened before, PCs have improved everything they touch.
PCs were derided as a frivolous waste of time for anyone who wasn't a business, especially for those stupid adolescent boys, who are probably autistic losers anyway.
The next time a person tells you that something is frivolous or dangerous and only of interest to adolescent boys, you should first inquire as to how they managed to get their head so far up their ass that it came out the other end. Then go buy the "frivolous" thing, and study it.
You will be ahead of the curve for whatever society changing event happens next.
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
[Unix Koan] The Old and Young Masters
An Old master sought knowledge of a part of the Way which was unfamiliar to him. So he traveled to a village where a Young Master lived who knew much of this part of the Way.
When the Old Master arrived at the monastery in the village, the Young Master was aghast at his purpose, saying: "But thou art a Master of sixty years, and I of but seven. Wherefore do you seek knowledge of one such as I?".
The Old Master replied saying; "When you built this monastery was it with your own hands?". "No" said the Young Master, "for I know little of carpentry or masonry.". The Old Master asked who did build the monastery, to which the Young Master pointed towards two of his students saying; "They did, for Bar has great skill in carpentry, and Baz in masonry."
The Old Master said: "But they are younger than you".
The Young Master was enlightened.
When the Old Master arrived at the monastery in the village, the Young Master was aghast at his purpose, saying: "But thou art a Master of sixty years, and I of but seven. Wherefore do you seek knowledge of one such as I?".
The Old Master replied saying; "When you built this monastery was it with your own hands?". "No" said the Young Master, "for I know little of carpentry or masonry.". The Old Master asked who did build the monastery, to which the Young Master pointed towards two of his students saying; "They did, for Bar has great skill in carpentry, and Baz in masonry."
The Old Master said: "But they are younger than you".
The Young Master was enlightened.
Thursday, December 31, 2015
The Too Common Definition of Wisdom
The first thing to understand about Wisdom is that I am Wiser than you.
This is because I hold [random opinion X]. Any kind of logical argument you have for your opinion is proof that you are Foolish, and the fact that you do not understand and agree with whatever random whims I use to justify my Wisdom is also proof that you have no Wisdom.
If, in my infinite generosity I decide to explain the Wisdom of my position, I will simply repeat the same logic-free statements I have already said before, after all, those statements are the description of Wisdom. If in my truly sublime and infinite generosity I allow you to argue your side, your argument must be constructed of perfectly flawless logic, without any unproven premises. For purposes of the discussion any premise that I agree with is considered proven, and any premise I disagree with is unproven. If using premises that I agree with you come to a conclusion that I do not agree with then it is false regardless of logic, and it is yet more proof that you are not Wise.
I will grant that you might be more intelligent than I am, but it doesn't matter because you are a Fool, and I am Wise, as I have already proven by your differing opinion.
See also, Kafkatrap
(This post was originally going to be on /r/raisedbynarcissists but I realized it's wide applicability)
This is because I hold [random opinion X]. Any kind of logical argument you have for your opinion is proof that you are Foolish, and the fact that you do not understand and agree with whatever random whims I use to justify my Wisdom is also proof that you have no Wisdom.
If, in my infinite generosity I decide to explain the Wisdom of my position, I will simply repeat the same logic-free statements I have already said before, after all, those statements are the description of Wisdom. If in my truly sublime and infinite generosity I allow you to argue your side, your argument must be constructed of perfectly flawless logic, without any unproven premises. For purposes of the discussion any premise that I agree with is considered proven, and any premise I disagree with is unproven. If using premises that I agree with you come to a conclusion that I do not agree with then it is false regardless of logic, and it is yet more proof that you are not Wise.
I will grant that you might be more intelligent than I am, but it doesn't matter because you are a Fool, and I am Wise, as I have already proven by your differing opinion.
See also, Kafkatrap
(This post was originally going to be on /r/raisedbynarcissists but I realized it's wide applicability)
Sunday, December 13, 2015
A warning about spoilers.
WAKE WAKE WAKE
CASE SPOILER INFINITY
*** EXPEDITE EYES ALL
*** MAXIMUM DISPERSAL
1. THIS MESSAGE CONSTITUTES A MEME WARNING.
2. ALL SOPHONTS NOT SEEING VID-MEME "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" ON OPENING NIGHT ARE ADVISED TO MAKE BEST SPEED TO NEAREST ISOLATION BUNKER.
3. SOPHS NOT ABLE TO REACH ISOLATION ARE ADVISED TO MAKE USE OF PERCEPTION FILTERS OF MILITARY GRADE OR BETTER.
4. ACTIVATION OF RETALIATORY WEAPON PACKAGES FLAMEWAR, TORCH, AND PITCHFORK ARE AUTHORIZED IN THE EVENT OF SUCKAGE.
5. GOOD LUCK, MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU.
AUTHENTICATION: FOXTROT LUCAS CHARLIE REVAN ERIS 0x23DEADBEEF42
[Force Persuade] This is definitely not a lame ripoff of some of The Eldraeverse nanofics
CASE SPOILER INFINITY
*** EXPEDITE EYES ALL
*** MAXIMUM DISPERSAL
1. THIS MESSAGE CONSTITUTES A MEME WARNING.
2. ALL SOPHONTS NOT SEEING VID-MEME "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" ON OPENING NIGHT ARE ADVISED TO MAKE BEST SPEED TO NEAREST ISOLATION BUNKER.
3. SOPHS NOT ABLE TO REACH ISOLATION ARE ADVISED TO MAKE USE OF PERCEPTION FILTERS OF MILITARY GRADE OR BETTER.
4. ACTIVATION OF RETALIATORY WEAPON PACKAGES FLAMEWAR, TORCH, AND PITCHFORK ARE AUTHORIZED IN THE EVENT OF SUCKAGE.
5. GOOD LUCK, MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU.
AUTHENTICATION: FOXTROT LUCAS CHARLIE REVAN ERIS 0x23DEADBEEF42
[Force Persuade] This is definitely not a lame ripoff of some of The Eldraeverse nanofics
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Thought of the Day: the Communist Creed, and Dirty Words in Economics
(blog post so I have a reference point)
The Communist Creed
"From each according to his inability to hide, to each according to his ability to bullshit."
For the uninitiated; "inability to hide" refers both to property, as well as pretending to be sick or disabled and unable to work. "ability to bullshit" covers the 10,000 "needs" that appear when a person can only get what they can wheedle out of the head honcho.
Dirty Economic Words
"Need" has been referred to as a dirty word in economics, however there is something worse. "Should" is not merely a bad word: it is blasphemy. As soon as someone says "should" they are no longer making an economic argument, but a moral one. Worse, when a person starts mixing up moral arguments about how things should be, with arguments about what is, it becomes easy to forget what is. Confusion of thinking and insanity will soon follow, just don't. Not even once.
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