The road to space

The kindly government has just allowed Spaceport America the go ahead to build the first commercial spaceport!  Check out this article about it, but trust me, this is amazing.  It's the beginning of human expansion off the Earth, and it will carry great consequences.  I'm so impressed with humanity (on this one little front) that I'll risk being left hanging by humanity and go for a high five!

GOP - Their strategy is to defeat democracy.

Read this article.
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/23638322/block_the_vote/print

Why I'm voting for Obama

TOP 5 REASONS OBAMA SUPPORTERS SHOULDN'T REST EASY

1. The polls may be wrong. This is an unprecedented election. No one knows how racism may affect what voters tell pollsters—or what they do in the voting booth. And the polls are narrowing anyway. In the last few days, John McCain has gained ground in most national polls, as his campaign has gone even more negative.

2. Dirty tricks. Republicans are already illegally purging voters from the rolls in some states. They're whipping up hysteria over ACORN to justify more challenges to new voters. Misleading flyers about the voting process have started appearing in black neighborhoods. And of course, many counties still use unsecure voting machines.

3. October surprise. In politics, 15 days is a long time. The next McCain smear could dominate the news for a week. There could be a crisis with Iran, or Bin Laden could release another tape, or worse.

4. Those who forget history... In 2000, Al Gore won the popular vote after trailing by seven points in the final days of the race. In 1980, Reagan was eight points down in the polls in late October and came back to win. Races can shift—fast!

5. Landslide. Even with Barack Obama in the White House, passing universal health care and a new clean-energy policy is going to be hard. Insurance, drug and oil companies will fight us every step of the way. We need the kind of landslide that will give Barack a huge mandate.

If you agree that we shouldn't rest easy, please sign up to volunteer at your local Obama office by clicking here:

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=31260&id=14523-3849258-IPOOT5x&t=1

Electoral Vote is my favorite web site

Bailout on the bailout

This is a mass email.  I don't do it much, but this one I had to send.

I'm worried about the economy.  I'm worried about how what happens on Wall Street will affect the world.  And I must do something about it.  I read an article today that I think you all should read.  And it's message is clear, we must tell our representatives and political candidates one thing: "Don't do it."

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php?id=235

Read this article if you like, I think it is very clear, and very important.  If you aren't upset about what's going on then you probably haven't been paying attention.  It's criminal. 

Wishing you all the best, and the chance to make it so,

Eli

FOX can suck it too.

Add fox to my list of things that can suck it (it stands at China, Japan, Iceland, and Norway currently). Watch this video to find out why.

Great Capoeira video

Check this out (the first half is awesome capoeira, the second is music that I didn't listen to)

The Sad State of our Liberty

Two very sad articles have come to my attention and both involve the police (thankfully not on our Left Coast, but still this is One Nation With Liberty and Justice for ALL)

The first involves a set up by narcotics officers who in disguise delivered a package (presumably filled with marijuana) to a house in Mayberry (in DC). They then raided the home and SHOT THE DOGS that live there! So sad. Those dogs are dead, and there is no way we can calculate a value for their lives. The trauma inflicted on the residents is also incalculable. What has happened to our police force? For whom are they working? To keep who safe? They have become terrorists.


The second takes place in New York during the Critical Mass event one week ago. A police officer apprehended and held, then arrested and is now charging a rider with disrupting traffic ("Purposefully making cars stop and turn abruptly"), trying to run down the same officer, and resisting arrest (the defendant was then held for 26 hours). Well it was caught on YouTube and the "Officer" will now be paying the price. You can see it here in video, or follow the link and read the article I read. It is clear that the cop singled out the rider, tracked him down (the way you would track down a tackle on the football field (the cop was once an offensive tackle), and took him out in mid pedal. The cyclist goes flying onto the concrete sidewalk and is then arrested and detained. What trauma, for the cyclist, and for OUR NATION!



People! Politicians! Police! Take back our country for the right reasons! Life! Liberty! The pursuit of happiness! Not this FASCIST, AUTHORITARIAN, NIGHTMARISH VIOLENCE AND TRAUMA WE ARE ALL STUCK IN NOW!

[where: Portland, OR]

Ninja Bike Followup

I have to mention specifically my experience here with Crosslake Sales. I had some trouble figuring out everything with my bike and the components. They consistently responded with lightning speed to every question and inquiry I had, they presented me with better options and have definitely made a return customer out of me! I definitely recommend their ebay store, and if you have any needs for bike supplies give them a click!

Happy hunting.

Ninja Bike

With the incredible help of Jim Duthie, I have been steadily building over the past month my dreamy new Ninja Bike. It all started from an idea....

A bike that is:
Stealth (silent, black, capable of being safely reflected and running dark, nondescript, nimble)
Tough
Easily transported on my back
Light

It's a bike I can commute on and ride on secret missions (to my girlfriend's house for example), and a bike I can be sneaky on. Hence the bike took form with Jim's help and some easy imagination. It's a track bike, and it is a single speed. No clicking, no whirring, no jangling of spare bits and bells, no derailer to gum things up. Simple, straightforward, easy to mount and dismount, and easy to ride no handed (for those moments when you need to grab onto an overhead bar to flip up onto, duh).

I started buying parts about a month ago with the wheels. I was able to find an all black set, spokes, hubs, and rim (NON MACHINED - essential to remain all black) on ebay. The wheel set is great.. back wheel is set up for flip flop single speed and fixie!

Next was the frame and as this is a crucial part it was the hardest choice. I thought about going for a Mercier TT from bikesdirect, or just buying one from bikeIsland, but I found a great deal on ebay again from CrossLakes Sales. It's an aluminium frame, comes black with no stickers and a great price tag!

Yet another sad tale of misunderstanding

You can just read this article on the BBC about the Dongria people in India being pushed off their land (unless the supreme court of India prevents it, which they might!) for development. But first let me sum up: Vedanta mining company has already taken some land and kicked off the people living there (which raises the question about land rights... if you and your ancestors have been living on a land longer than any government has existed but never wanted, needed, or taken legal right to the land, how can any one else claim the land? but they can! and they do all the time!!!) and now they want to mine the sacred mountain of the Dongria people.

Vedanta claims:

"They will be there where they are today. The only thing is that if that area develops they will get better living conditions, because we may develop some roads, some better infrastructure, better communications, better living conditions."

But here's the misunderstanding that leads to almost every one of these confrontations! "Better living conditions" means something different to every people and person, so who are they to say a road into their land is better or worse? Just as our pristine wild lands are disappearing to development, so are our pristine cultures. And I believe they deserve just as much protection as the land and animals we work so hard to save.

Republicans are LIARS (but they're not the only ones)

Showing their absolute disregard for truth and the people who pay their salaries this crap they spread. How can ANYONE vote for this party? Maybe people just like being lied to.

Check it out: Officials spread false 'not a drop spilled after Katrina' talking point in support of offshore oil drilling

An important (and intelligent) speach by Obama

Michael Pollan gets it right (again and again...)

Check out this article he wrote. Yes, I know, it means reading. So hard for so many of us, but utterly worth it.

It made me think of two things immediately.

First is a new blog or photo pool online or something entitled "Thins I will miss when they are gone for good" featuring all the photos people want to include of the things that face extinction with the coming climate change. Birds, trees, nature, your house, an island, forests in California, the Amazon, maybe your cushy lifestyle, whatever! Look for it soon... maybe it already exists. I'll find out.

Second is a garden I am going to plant. In my FRONT YARD. With a sign explaining why, which you will already understand if you read the article. Read it. Seriously.

Peace, Love and ^5s (that's high fives for you not in the know yet (which is everyone but me and Theresa so far))

Yes. Operable Glazing on a Dome

Norm, you've done it again.

Scary stuff

Pregnancy pacts among teens.  This is scary.  The consequences are so far down the line, i just hope it remains an isolated incident, but right now it doesn't seem likely.  I wonder if it's a reaction to the times.  The world seems unstable.  War clouds our vision and old wounds and fears are being brought to the surface.  They say it's always darkest right before the dawn.  I hope they are right.

NASA reveals plans for lunar base

It is so on. I'm all over this.  Creativity is spewing out  my ears at this very moment.  Tarek!  Parth!  Time to start our consulting agency!

Moon HO!

Perpetuation of myth

We name ourselves after mythic heroes and villains in that way we play the roles through eternity, heroes, villains, struggle and path entwined on this course.

Interior Environmental Quality - Sustainability strikes home

http://www.rawstory.com/news/mochila/Children_in_Katrina_trailers_may_fa_05272008_af.html

Scary as all get out

http://articles.citypages.com/2008-05-21/news/moles-wanted/

My Next President

Barak Obama

Don't Taze Me Dude!

This article strikes fear into my heart (that is afflicted with the chronic condition WPW (which surgery can fix) and in danger of being exploded should a cop every try to non-lethally subdue me with a massive charge).

CFLs - Better than I thought

From a cool site about Green Technology and living some facts about CFLs

• A CFL contains about 5mg of mercury (and several manufacturers are working to lower that). In comparison, a watch battery contains around 25mg, the average mercury thermometer contains about 500 mg, and older mercury thermostats can contain 6-18 grams of mercury.
• Regardless of the amount of mercury, CFLs, like other mercury-containing devices, can be disposed of safely.
• The electricity produced to power an incandescent bulb from a coal-fired power plant will create 13.3 mg of mercury emissions (which is much more likely to end up in water, Mr. Tinsley).
• Finally, there's never been a $2000 cleanup required for a CFL breaking… ENERGY STAR has clear guidelines for cleaning up a broken CFL. There's probably more danger of mercury poisoning from a tuna sandwich than from a broken CFL.

Personal Flight Realized

I'll just link to TechEBlog's site because they have already done a good job blogging about this man who strapped a wing with rockets to his back and flew. God Speed Fusion Man!

A true hero

I believe this article speaks for itself.

Cultural Awareness Foundation: Capoeira Regional

www.culturalawarenessfoundation.com

MoveOn asked me nicely so..

Hi-res map of CO2 emissions in the US

I found this on io9.com the awesome sci-fi blog, and here's the link to the article itself. The image pretty much speaks for itself though.

6-Legged Robot Kicks Ass (from any direction)

Algae

One of my favorite ways to make biofuel that also sinks carbon, makes oxygen, and can clean water: Algae.

Thanks to Jojo for sending me this link on CNN no less about a new kind of vertical algae farm that increases the amount of surface area per acre tremendously! Keep it up Algae farmers!

For more information on Algae as a source for bio-fuel (specifically bio-diesel) check here. Worth of note in the article is an amazing bit about how different strains of algae can be selected to produce different types or grades of fuel. For example you can have a simple bio-diesel strain, and a jet fuel strain... i wonder when the Rocket Fuel strain will be discovered! Imagine this if you will...

A giant ship traveling the solar system with a huge array of Algae farms constantly growing and generating propellant, you'd just have to refuel on comet water every now and then or maybe swoop by Saturn or Jupiter to swallow up some ice from one of their moons.

The future of computing

Disgusting: Bush spending US Tax Dollars to DESTABILIZE Democracies

So, what's it called when the people elect a new leader for a specific term... and he holds the title President? Oh yea, Democracy! So in 2005 when the people of Bolivia elected Evo Morales (a Socialist, like let's say, Sweden's President) Democracy was celebrated by the majority of Bolivians. It was a heroic campaign, and a huge day of celebration as for the first time in Bolivian history the vast majority of the people felt like they had a leader that was one of them, not a representative or remnant from colonial powers. And now, one of the men I despise most, President Bush, is using our (your, my, every American's) tax dollars to unbalance, overthrow, and destabilize a successful democracy because he doesn't like the politics of the leader.

Read this article.

What is that called? Hypocrisy. Sin. Evil. Just straight up disgusting.

Oh my f-ing cool.

The space shuttle is set to blast off again soon to take Dexter, the dexterous Canadian robot that will live on the ISS, and the first part of a Japanese science station into orbit. This robot is awesome. Man, look at it! Sensors, swiveling arms, rotating body parts... so cool.

Good job scientists of the world!

Nau Photo of the Year and Outdoor School!

I love outdoor school.  Jeeze, that was one of the most affirmative experiences of my life and hope you got to do something like it too.  This looks like a great photo competition, and a great cause.  I'll try to go to the gala.  Thanks Tarek for the link!

Bolivia and UN Law

I just read an article that gives me pause.  It's about Coca, the plant that America turned into Cocaine.  Because Western Culture has a problem with drugs and drug abuse, and thusly transformed the Coca plant into Cocaine, Western governments in association with the UN have decided that Coca must be eradicated.  As with most problem the best way to eliminate a problem is be eliminating the source (plant) right?  Wrong.  The real problem is cultural and is Western culture's problems with drug abuse.  The real root of the problem is the sociological foundation of drug abuse and the cultural mores that cause it to be allowed.  Not a plant.  I ask you is Corn responsible for our American obesity?  Should we eradicate Corn because it has become the leading cause of death in America?  Heart disease from ill health, often compounded by obesity, and oh yes, smoking, so we must eradicate the species Tobacco as well. 

 

This is LUNACY.  But back to the article...  here's a quote that really got my goat:

 

    "A 1961 UN treaty stipulates governments must gradually eliminate coca chewing and other traditional uses of the leaf as well as attempt to eradicate the plant."

 

Note that it says nothing about processing, smuggling, and distributing cocaine.  And who wrote that treaty?  Were the indigenous peoples of South America participants?  NO!  During the time when this treaty was written the governments of South America were still entirely run by the colonial powers that had usurped control of these lands.  Since then through democratic struggles and mighty efforts the People of South America have elected new leaders that represent the native ideas, cultures, and traditions of their land.  And Coca, as a plant, is part of that.  Condemning Coca because of our abuse and misuse of that plant is akin to throwing the baby out with the bath water.  This makes no sense.  Coca leaf is a part of their culture in every way.  And it is not a sinister device that hooks users and addicts innocents.  There is no way for me to convince you of this if your mind is already made up, but I urge you to think about the logic of mandating that Coca be eradicated by our abuse, and one possible misuse of this plant.

 

Perhaps another example?  Did you know that apple seeds contain trace amounts of Cyanide?  Process enough and you have a deadly poison that can be used to kill!  So we should stop growing and selling apples.  And Tobacco kills thousands each year! 

 

I declare that the UN law that demands Coca be eradicated be examined and re-written with the input of the people, not the colonial governments that subjugated the natives of these lands for countless generations.

 

To add another quote from the article just to show the bullheaded idiodicy of buracracy:

 

    "Nobody doubts the medical value of coca, heroin or cocaine, just as nobody denies their illegality under the 1961 convention,'' Philip Emafo, the Nigerian president of the INCB, said in a telephone interview from Vienna. ``If the provisions of the convention are being breached, the board in its wisdom, or lack of wisdom, is obligated to act.''

 

and in appreciation to the willingness of the author to show both sides I would like to include another quote:

 

    "Coca is as vital to the Andes as the Eucharist is to Catholics,'' said Davis, who is also a National Geographic Society explorer-in-residence. ``There's no evidence of toxicity or addiction in 4,000 years of use.''

Mondays food?

I am going to try a raw diet for a couple of weeks. Looks pretty good,
doesn't it?

Extra Terrestrial Imperative: Countdown 1 billion years

I just read a great article from an unusual source about the future prospects of the earth and how we can avoid our planet's demise from the life-cycle of the sun. An interesting angle is the use of a meteor to draw the Earth away from the sun as the sun expands... leads to a whole slew of interesting ideas among them the extrapolation of this form of celestial mechanics. Perhaps as the sun begins to decline (by first growing) we will decide to manipulate the sun itself, and not just our own orbit. Maybe we will even decide to dump Mercury into the sun for a little extra reaction mass? So many ideas, not enough time.

A cool new tower in Moscow made me think... the shapes of the structures that have lasted the longest are all pyramids. Whether stepped or sloped they shape mimics nature, and the closer the shape matches the hills and mountains of the setting, the longer they will last (just a prediction). So this pyramid is nothing like the pyramids of antiquity, but it does take a cue from their lessons. Either way, it is cool looking but who knows how well it will ultimately work, or how long it will last. All of that depends on the care that is taken in it's design, construction, and maintenance. I can certainly imagine the solar opportunities on those long, even, sloping facades.

Also worthy of note is the structural advantage and stability of triangles and tripods. Good work Sir Foster, yet again.

This sorta thing makes me upset

A company with a web site called Red Planet Land is selling land on Mars, or rather, what they are selling is an embossed linen piece of paper that says you own a specific piece of land on Mars.  What this means to us, to the future, is more interesting and upsetting.

Thinking of having kids guys? Think about this:

It turns out men's reproductive health is critical for the health of an offspring just like a womans! Drinking, doing drugs, being exposed to toxins (in your air, water, food, beer... etc) harm your sperm! Check out this article and note the last line (quoted below)...

The good news for men is that sperm is produced continuously in a 74-day cycle, so the body does clean itself over time.

So a three month cleanse and healthy lifestyle can help your kids out for generations down the line... seems worth it to me.

Fukuoka Prefectural International Hall

Wow, this is an incredible building. It's been around for the better part of a decade now, but it illustrates some amazing ideas. The foremost being a continuous connection of ecosystems (however in the detailing, this is not truly achieved. For more images check out the architect's site directly (or better this link to the page about this project).

iPhone I luv you

So, I waited a year. And then I pounced. About a week and a half ago Apple introudced the 16gb iPhone to it's lineup and I decided the wait was over. So I went to the Apple Store in Pioneer Place and inquired about this new device. They didn't have any! But the knowledgeable employee told me that the AT&T store across the street had plenty. So off I went and lo and behold they had them in stock. After a moment's prependerence I decided to take the plunge.

During my purchase I asked a few questions and this is where the heart of the matter resides. I am a T-Mobile customer, still on contract, and very happy with their service. Especially their Customer Service. So my inquiries were pointed regarding using the iPhone w/out service (impossible so don't even try) and having AT&T buy me out of my contract with T-MO. No can do.

So I bought it anyway. And I banked on the rumors I have heard that I will be able to unlock the iPhone at a later date. It sat in my drawer at work for a week before I even took it out to show my co-worker. I signed up for Google alerts for the term "iphone unlock" and started reading the forums. I found a ton of very useful and confusing material. I was beginning to think about either giving it a go on my own, to unlock this expensive and totally foreign (to me) device or returning the iphone and waiting to see how the unlocks for the new firmware would be.

Then my very smart co-worker suggested hiring someone who knew wtf they were doing to do the unlock. My first search "iphone unlock Portland" hit on a Craigslist ad for just that service for $40. Turns out it is this guy, Adam Baker.

But how do you trust someone off of Craigslist with your $500 iPhone? And what, am I supposed to leave it with him and just walk away? Am I to show up at some random place and step out of the car with said device just hoping I'm not about to get mugged? This is one of the dilemmas of our modern world. And here's how I propose you go about it. Find a trustworthy source that will recommend a service. ServiceMagic.com does this for your more traditional services, but this is a one off wacky sorta deal. So here's my solution for you. Trust me.

I've had this blog for over 3 years, and I am writing to tell you that if you live in Portland, and want an unlocked iPhone, go buy one and then pay Adam $40 to unlock it. And keep his address handy for any updates or whatever you need because he is a trustworthy, efficient, and friendly guy who just made my iPhone work. You can wait there, at his house, while he unlocks your phone and he can explain all the ins and outs of what you can expect and do with your new unlocked iphone (which is just about everything an iphone is capable of, minus visual voice mail which is AT&T specific). He also hooked me up with some awesome knowledge to get me online and surfing as fast as possible.

Now that it's over and done with it seems like a no brainer, but I'll tell you what, I was worried that first moment getting out of my car. But it's good to know now that I have a safe and trustwor

Verticle Wind Generators - Better?

An interesting article here from The Guardian about a new type of wind turbine proposed for off shore use in the UK, also mentioned is a type developed here in the US. I like the picture much, and the engineering principals seem very sound. They have identified the problems with traditional turbines (Don Quixote your story may need some updating) with rotors on a horizontal axis at the top of a tall tower, and instead of re-engineering those problems, they removed the problem with a new solution. That is my favorite operandi: instead of solving problems, remove the problem.

Ranchers protecting Cougars

This is a great article about Cougars being protected in Oregon.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services did not examine all the adverse environmental impacts of their decision to kill cougars on behalf of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, in violation of the National Environmental Policy Act.

It appears that the USDA ordered the Oregon DFW to issue the slaughter of 2,000 Cougars. And ranchers and wildlife protection organizations stood up and filed a suit. This is where my money goes. To protecting life, diversity, and the chance, our one chance, to live in a beautiful and balanced ecology.

A great graph from my friend's status line

A graph of our national debt rate of increase.

It's amazing what we create

Japan: Suck It.

Japan is being a major douche bag lately, launching whaling vessels under the pretense of "scientific research" to slaughter 1,000 of the leviathans. The meat ends up on the douchebags plates, and they eat those beautiful beasts. Read this article about the heroics of these two gents in the face of their own safety and freedom. Go Sea Shepard and Greenpeace!

Utterly Insane and Stupid

Have you heard the news? Former Olympic champion Marion Jones was sentenced today to 6 months in prison for taking steroids. How much time will the Bush administration have to serve for lying on the record and taking us to war? And this lady gets six months. For this. Where are our priorities? What has our legal system come to?

Awesome new technology

So we all agree that the Aptera is awesome, but check this out! A car that runs on compressed air, and you can refill it at home or at special stations (which means almost anywhere). So cool!

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Air_car_runs_on_compressed_air_0104_af.html

http://www.theaircar.com/

What a scumbag

I just read an article about Ed Rollins who says "he loves to go negative." And that "South Carolina is a more negative place." In my experience the world is what we make it, so I would say to you Mr. Rollins get the hell out. And keep your negativity to yourself.