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.