Taco Pirate

Welcome to My Site

As life began moving faster and faster, I decided I needed an outlet. An outlet where I can share with the world honest feelings about myself and the things around me. If I have an interest in it, you’ll find thoughts about it here on this website. Everything from my life, to my research, to the entertainment that I enjoy.

Life

All Life Posts

One Week on Keto

May 5, 2015

Well, I finished my first week on Keto. And I have to say, it was rough. You never notice how much you crave carbs until you cut them out. But it is entirely worth it. I lost 8 pounds in my first week, which is extraordinary given that I don’t have much to lose. I’m…

First Day on Keto

April 27, 2015

Yup, you read that right, I’m trying a diet. It’s no secret that when my wife got pregnant, I gained a lot of weight. I went from 215, which I was at for a number of years, to over 250. Well, I made a few lifestyle changes and dropped down to 205. My initial goal…

So I Got Hired To Develop Some Websites

March 27, 2015

I started designing websites and user interfaces when I was 15. I enjoyed it, immensely. It was also how I got most of my experience with photoshop. Unfortunately, the last time I did one was when I was 17. Fast forward 7 years and HTML5 has been released, WordPress has been improved greatly, and here…

Flaws; and All Those Things That Make Us Human

March 11, 2015

A few weeks ago, someone asked me what my flaws were. At the time, I could only think of one, which would be my complete lack of patience. I answered with this because it was not only the sole flaw that came to mind, but it was also the first one someone new in my…

Research

All Research Posts

Radicalizing Twitter

February 14, 2018

Twitter states that their mission is “to give everyone the power to create and share ideas and information instantly, without barriers” (Twitter). A powerful a statement coming from one of the largest social media websites in the world, and as a platform of 300 million users that can collectively respond to any disruption in the…

Minecraft’s Effect on Institutional Organization

December 19, 2017

As a game, Minecraft offers an incredible amount of entertainment a replayability. Since the year it was released, I have spent many hours in these procedurally generated worlds fending off creepers, building structures to survive the night, and mining precious ores to progress further into the game. Minecraft is a game that will define a…

Trends Towards a Singularity

October 22, 2017

“With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet”… Victor Frankenstein continues reflecting on a dark, dreary November night. And as his Creation takes its first breath, Victor realizes “the different accidents…

The Sovereignty of Cyberspace

April 18, 2015

The Internet is a very unique gathering of individuals, in a very strange sort of place, and it should stay that way. However, the American government, with the support of conglomerates like Comcast, are looking to strangle the very essence that makes the Internet what it is. Collectively, cyber citizens need to rise up and…

Does World Citizenship Matter?

April 5, 2015

I recently listened to the Nerdist podcast with Bill Gates. I thought that it would be focused on Microsoft and his history with the company. Instead, and what I didn’t realize, was that it was released along with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Annual Letter. I knew that he was a huge supporter of third…

Entertainment

All Entertainment Posts

Studio Ghibli and the Imagination of Hayao Miyazakis

May 6, 2015

disney, hayao miyazaki, my neighbor totoro, princess mononoke, spirited away, studio ghibli

I remember being a child, probably 9 or 10, and having to stay inside because it was raining. My brother and I were watching HBO, I think, and whatever it was we were watching had just ended. The next movie coming on had a curious title that we couldn’t help but be in intrigued. It…

Sloppy Seconds: The Hobbit – The Battle of the Five Armies

April 3, 2015

movies, sloppy seconds, the hobbit

If you're anything like me, you are floored when you go to the theater to see a movie. The experience of spending a small fortune on seeing the next big thing, on the biggest screen, can leave you breathless. You leave the theater thinking that, whatever particular movie it is that you saw, is the…

The Bungie Paradigm

October 19, 2014

bungie, destiny, halo, video games

For me, Halo is the game that defined my teenage years. I spent more time playing Xbox Live than I did with my friends; and idolized Master Chief and his creator, Bungie. After four glorious outings with the big green guy, Bungie has released their newest IP, Destiny. As an adult, my feelings towards the…

Sloppy Seconds: Godzilla

August 28, 2014

godzilla, pacific rim, sloppy seconds