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