Leapfrog - "causing trouble today for a better tomorrow"

What's going on here?!

WorldChanging: Another World Is Here: Hands-On Leapfrogging: "Wireless Networking for the Developing World is a how-to guide for building, deploying and maintaining wireless information networks in rural parts of the developing world. Written by Tomas Krag, O'Reilly editor Rob Flickenger and a wide assortment of wireless hackers brought together by the Wireless Roadshow last October, the book is now available as a download under a generous Creative Commons 'share alike' license (which means you can do whatever you’d like with the text, so long as you share the output -- allowing people to translate the text into local languages, for instance.) In the near future, the book will also be available in a print-on-demand format."

Leapfrog technology - The gist is this. The western world has developed along a path (ie - wheelbarrow -> horse cart -> horseless carriage -> tractor trailer -> ? -> flying cars (next year)... What if we could help the developing world (Africa, Southeast asia, South Carolina, etc) skip the tractor trailer and go right to the flying car. We all see that if everyone with a horse cart gets a Ford expedition, we are screwed - unless you sell Expeditions, and / or oil, and / or don't care about living on the freeway, in traffic, with smog, with a broken, soft body ....

This post is getting to be depressing. It's not and neither is leapfrog technology for the developing world. Wikipedia to the rescue!

Leapfrogging is a theory of development in which developing countries skip inferior, less efficient, more expensive or more polluting technologies and industries and move directly to more advanced ones.

A frequent example is countries which move directly from having no telephones to having cellular phones, skipping the stage of landline telephones altogether.

Speaking of cell phones (and this really is the depressing part of the post) Both my and Angies cell phones were STOLEN! (plus her bookbag and palmpilot!) So I've spent the week without phone and trying replace stuff. Angie got a new Palm, the LifeDrive (4Gs with a big ole' screen) and we are negogiating with Cingular about replacing the phone (I'll have to ask my manager if we can allow you to use a different phone).

Sorry for the rambling post! Remember to leapfrog whenever possible. Don't leave your cell phone in the car.

The BEAST 50 Most Loathsome People in America, 2005

The BEAST 50 Most Loathsome People in America, 2005: "44. George Lucas

Charges: It needs to be said: George Lucas is an awful writer and a shitty, shitty director. His second Star Wars trilogy absolutely sucked from beginning to end, and was in fact the least brave creative endeavor he could possibly have chosen, a guaranteed grand slam. Lucas has grown so accustomed to massive commercial success that he has no idea he’s putting out the worst work of his career, and no one dares to tell him. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter, because an army of sexless, sedentary thirty-something dweebs with an unhealthy fixation on Princess Leia will insist that his schlock is brilliant as if their lives depend on it, and an absurdly disproportionate media blitz always brings the kids in. But everything that was great about the first trilogy—reasonably decent acting, an engaging storyline and cool model-based special effects—is gone, replaced by detestably unsympathetic characters reciting torturously bad dialogue in a manner so wooden that coaching from Keanu Reeves would have helped, and CGI effects that, while painstakingly crafted down to the nanopixel, somehow looked less real than plastic spaceships and Muppets.

Exhibit A: Already revising the new trilogy for DVD releases.

Sentence: Cast into the gaping maw of Tatooine’s all-powerful Sarlacc and digested alive for a thousand years, along with a talkative Jar Jar Binks."

and there are 49 others, people!

Marcus Fuller - Powder Magazine Local Hero

Our ol' Valdez friend, Marcus, was nominated for a local hero award. The readers of powder magazine submitted nominations of their friends based on "skills, attitudes and willingness to sacrifice anything for time on the snow." Marcus made it to the round of four and recieved a very nice write up by Travis Andersen. Our man got over 1000 votes - That's 1000 people he inspired AND read powder AND have the internet. That's impressive! And I know my mom didn't vote and I'm sure she would have.

Our collective hats are off to this unsung (now sung?) hero. I hope this recognition inspires him to keep up his middle way to whatever's next. I hope to see him on down the line.

You can read Travis Andersen's write up here : http://www.powdermag.com/marcus_fuller/

And look at some original watercolors and photography here:The work of Marcus Fuller - Skiing snowboarding photographer and wilderness watercolor painter

Greenpeace dumps dead whale at Japanese embassy in Berlin - Yahoo! News

Greenpeace activists dump a great big whale on the steps of the Japanese embassy. hmmm... That's really freakin cool. It's a non violent protest. Doesn't hurt anybody. Forces the issue. It is a public spectacle and generates headlines and photos. I like it. It's different. I mean I was getting pretty bored of the greenpeace ship getting in the way of the whaling ships. Those dudes on the boats can REALLY stop - It's up to the law makers and the fat cats sitting in the embassy.

And now they smell the whale.

Greenpeace dumps dead whale at Japanese embassy in Berlin - Yahoo! News:

"BERLIN (AFP) - Greenpeace activists called a protest in which they dumped a dead whale in front of the Japanese embassy in Berlin a big success as they removed it to a museum.
ADVERTISEMENT

'We think it is a pity that we have to take it away because the Berliners' response has been brilliant,' said Bjoern Jettka, a spokesman for the environmental group.

He said large crowds had gathered to look at the 17-meter (55-feet) -long mammal that was laid on a trailer in the snow in front of the embassy from Wednesday night to Thursday afternoon in a protest at Japanese whale hunting.

The whale, which was between 10 and 20 years old, was brought to Berlin by the environmental group after it was found beached near Wismar on Germany's Baltic coast on Saturday.

They had hung a banner over it stating: 'Science does not need harpoons.'"

link

Other creative protests: The parking place park , The truth anti tobacco ads, cycle naked day, anything with naked....

Flickr Photos of the whale - Greenpeace whale and Berlin Whale

Nanny and John

...

A few months later, I came across a newspaper story on the guy. Turns out, his retirement hobby was pedaling his bike 50 miles every weekday. It was like a 9-to-5 job, but fun. He’d get up, eat breakfast, say goodbye to his wife and then start riding. He wouldn’t stop until he had knocked off 50 big ones. Every time an odometer maxed out at 9,999 miles, he’d disconnect it and hook up a new one. The old ones stayed on the handlebar showing all those beautiful nines lined up in a row.

...
Read the whole story on Bicycles and Icicles

It sort of reminds me of my 92 year old Grandfather, John Townsend. He rides his stationary bike 2 miles at the gym three days a week as a warm up for a weight lifting session. While my grandmother, Nanny, hangs out with her friends doing their "workouts", John is pumping iron with people half his age. When I lift the weight he lifts, my jaw drops and then I try hard not to strain and breathe as normally as I can.

He just smiles - "Just happy to be here"

Doc Searls and Dr. King and History now

The Doc Searls Weblog : Monday, January 16, 2006:

"Listen to the Dream speech, and hear the hope it brought to people of all races. That hope was real. That hope lifted a nation. That hope moved civilization forward.
The Dream speech was dawn. It was light. It promised freedom. After that speech, many more people fought for that freedom, most effectively without violence, as Dr. King had taught them. I was one of those people.
The cause of freedom, of nonviolence, of peace, of opportunity, of so many good things people can bring to each other, was shot along with Dr. King on April 4, 1968. The setback was enormous, incalculable."

Read the whole post here

Doc Searls recognizes the MLK holiday. Something I didn't know about Doc is that he was in North Carolina during the civil rights movement. He tells about a time of curfews and the National Guard peace keeping.

What an incredible time in US history! I hope that when Doc's generation gets to the 'I wanna write my memoirs' phase of life - I hope that they don't just skim over the 60s and the civil rights movement and the Vietnam war (like they do on the news and in text books)

I think the problem with history as a subject or a theme is that it's so easy to seperate the past from the present - the story of the past seems so unconnected to the present. It's a story. It's a myth. Those people. That time.

When someone, like Doc, relates a personal history, I realize it's not history. It's life. And it didn't just happen in the past. It's happening now.

hmmm, so Thanks Doc for making the holiday and the history real

Martin Luther King and American innovation

Good Morning, yall.

It's a wet morning here in Tacoma. The rainy day streak ended yesterday windy sunny day at 28 days. The radio announcer said the new streak begins today at 1.

Doing what I do for MLK day - A humble list of links

muchfun,esl

A couple of links here for the esl set

Flickr: The MLK BLVD Pool

Flickr is almost certainly the best online photo management and sharing application in the world. Show off your favorite photos to the world, securely and privately show photos to your friends and family, or blog the photos you take with a cameraphone.

1956 Martin Luther King "Montgomery Story" Comic Book

A very cool comic about the bus boycott. And a great example of communicating with comics

American Rhetoric: Martin Luther King, Jr. - "I Have a Dream"

Full text and audio of Martin Luther King speech -- I Have A Dream

: : We Will Not Be Silenced : :

We Will Not Be Silenced - You've got to watch this flash animation of a MLK day speech. It's freakin' awesome and makes me want to run out in the streets to start the revolution.

Martin Luther King, Jr. - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Get the facts.... wiki style! BTW, who shot MLK?

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Lesson Plans

Lesson Plans for teachers to use on Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

TrueMajorityACTION Oreos

Ben and Jerry's breaks down the budget crisis cookie style.

American Experience | Citizen King | Non-Violence | PBS

KEXP 90.3 FM - where the music matters

Civil rights movement music show

TrueMajority

I good primer on King in his own voice - another Flash animation

Sorry for the many many links... but WTF it's a holiday and if you aren't starting a non-violent protest in the name of Jesus, Ghandi, or King - sit down and read alittle.

Also,

I'm reading "The United States in 1800" by Henry Adams and it's getting good.

I wanted to put this quote in ....
"Truths would you teach, or save a sinking land,
All fear, none aid you, and few understand."

3quarksdaily: About us

A recommendation from Steven Pinker means I read the blog. 3 Quarks daily is also recommended by OpenSourceRadio which I love by don't seem to get around to reading. I need a new work flow....

Anyway, I like what I saw on Quarks particularly the header graphic. It's more like a sig and a blog header.

"'I couldn't tear myself away from 3 Quarks Daily, to the point of neglecting my work. Congratulations on this superb site.'—Steven Pinker, Johnstone Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of The Blank Slate, How the Mind Works, Words and Rules, and The Language Instinct."3quarksdaily:

Technorati Tags: pinker, lydon, blog

Eduardo Gucci

Things looked alittle weird in 1998 and so did Eddie. Thanks so much for the visit to Vancouver, BC this weekend. I made a list of some of the discussion topics and events:

graffiti

you and me and everyone we know ))<<>>((

life

cities

travel

religion

Cory Doctorow and Boing Boing

ESL websites

blogs and the new Web

starbucks meme

cars being super evil killers

taiwan and our friends there

the noon horn

crazy Vancouver bum / addict aquariums

my haircut

Mels cousins

the goodness of swarma / gyros / donair

missing the bus - Even Taiwanese bus stations announce departures

Stanley Park

Netflix

Eating all the time - No hotdogs after midnight!

the rain

John's discovery of the funky tree illusion

"Do you have an extra quarter... spare change.... 25 cents!"

Dai Chi's bike

Mel's pancakes! says Eddie "I'm not a pancake man"

... so much more. Thank you Eddie and Mel for a great trip to Vancouver BC!

The 80 / 20 rule

Is it true? Have you heard? No, not about the 911 coverup or the definition of "meme".

I'm talking about 20 percent of the effort produces 80 percent of the result.






A big thank you to Cathy SieCreating Passionate Users for the link and graphic

Jack Handy - Life, like lawndarts, can kill you.

I'm just back from Vancouver, BC and an excellent visit with Eddie and Melanie. They are enjoying the wild and free life, supported by hard work, true love, and craigslist rss feeds. They truly have taken to the "Bloody your hands" lifestyle. They are taking the initiative and moving ahead. Soon they will leave BC and head South.

Eddie tells a analogy of their way of "traveling". He says, when he was a younger guy he would move around like a paper airplane. It travels a long distance and then lands on the surface, he says. It also is easily effected by the wind and is often unpredictable. The paper airplane is like the tourist that never gets away from the tourist traps. This type of traveler never gets to see the real place- never meets the real "people" - only other tourists. (It sort of begs the question if these people are just tourist on EARTH, tourist with their WHOLE LIFE, but I digress...)

But now he wants to live life like a lawndart. A lawndart travels with purpose and when it lands it penetrates and finds firm footing. Melanie points out that if it lands on your foot or head, you can sue, because lawndarts are illegal - good point, Mel! The lawndart style is going to find the goods. It cuts through the crap of superficial surface living. It breaks through... down to the soil, where life grows. It's not always 'pretty' down there with the slugs and worms and dirt, but it's the real life. And you can't have the flower, without the fertilizer.

So whether you are a paper airplane or a lawndart, 'adventures in living' is hard... and it's not a game. To illustrate the point I asked Jack Handy (of Deep Thoughts Saturday night live fame) to write a piece to really describe it. Thanks to Betsy Devine for the link.

"This is not playtime or make-believe. This is real. It'’s as real as a beggar squatting by the side of the road, begging, and then you realize, Uh-oh, he's not begging."

...

"You go skipping and prancing through life, skipping through a field of dandelions. But what you don't see is that on each dandelion is a bee, and on each bee is an ant, and the ant is biting the bee and the bee is biting the flower, and if that shocks you then I'’m sorry."

read more from The New Yorker: Shouts and Murmurs

Technorati Tags: jack, handy, life

JH STAR GAZER HOME PAGE

JH STAR GAZER HOME PAGE: "'Star Gazer' is the world's only weekly television series on naked eye astronomy. Each weekly episode features selected objects for naked eye viewing for the following week."


Jack Horkheimer, (his name is my name, too) is a freakin' pimp! If you wanted a reason why Miami is cool, look no further than Mr. Horkheimer. He has an Asteriod named after him. I love - no... LOVE - his show on PBS. It comes on at funny times, like most PBS shows, but when I stumble across it, I sit mezmorized.

Anyway, you can now get podcasts of the show and watch anytime you like. But you still have to get up an hour before sunrise to see most of the cool stuff.

KEEP LOOKING UP!

Block and Bird got NOTHINGS on Horkheimer!

Southern Kitchen

Southern Kitchen
Originally uploaded by newmania.

Fried Okra: Not from Uncle Fred's garden but pretty good.

Hush Puppies: My favorite

Greens: Show me the money

Black Eyed Peas: Not the hip hop group

It's going to be a good year...

Good Morning 2006!

Greetings Race Fans! I'm going to give a break down right quick. I want to tell you about the book I'm reading, my new years day meal, and ... I don't know, maybe New Years resolutions.

First the book - It's by Po Bronson and called "Why do I love these people?" My friend, Angie, picked it up at the airport after a trip back home, read it, and recommended it to me. I've read 87 pages and now I'm recommending it to you.

If you have a family, you might find the book interesting. It's basically a collection of short biographical essays of people who had to deal with some sort of family issue - a guy who fights to keep a relationship with his son, or a single mother who struggles to keep her hyperactive boy from being put into "special" classes. It's kinda heartfelt and touching, but the author, Po, presents the stories in a style that brings out the insights and not the sappy, girly crap. (sorry girls) Of course some people think it's new touch feely dad stuff, but I don't.

Topic 2! New Years day you eat black eyed peas and collard greens. Black eyed peas are really beans and are an excellent source of vitamins. Sometimes called collards, or simply greens ( you could get turnip or mustard greens), they are really the green leafy parts of a cabage plant. Why is it a tradition? It brings good luck, of course. The greens bring cash money and the peas bring coins or copper. Some people say that they are healthy foods you should eat all the time and others call it "soul food". I like the taste and ... well I must admit - Black eyed peas are my favorite and I might skip the collards (which might explain the large amount of coins I have on the dresser and the low number next the $ sign on my bank statements)

I found a great restuarantand treated myself to good luck meal and I think it's working. Also on the menu was fried okra, hush puppies and Sweet tea. So, along with my deep fried goodness I got some traditional southern luck.

That brings us to New Year's resolutions - I might follow up on being a talk show host, which the people around me as we watched the fireworks thought might be a good idea. Speaking of jobs, I might want to get one this year. I ate my collards,so I'm expecting some returns. hmmm... Resolutions... It sounds sort of hard and fast and I'm not that kinda guy, so here is a New Year's Motto.

"Bloody your hands"

The purpose of life nobody knows. (If you think you know, keep it to yourself or people will try to kill you.) I can bet we aren't here to keep a perfect record. Teams lose. People fail. Stuff breaks. Bloody your hands means to get involved without fear of failure or injury. If anyone is reading this from TOBC class 6 (transportation officer basic course) you will remember the instructor who gave used this motto.

So Bloody your hands (dirty your hands, if you prefer - same concept), and get involved in 2006. I'm not the only one who is happy to wave goodbye to 2005, nor the only one with a hopeful look for 2006.

NPR : Political Cartoonists Cast an Eye Back on 2005

NPR : Political Cartoonists Cast an Eye Back on 2005

More on a political bent... I know, I know. This stuff is making me seem like a droning mouthpiece for the liberal media and 'net "playa haters". But these best of cartoons from 2005 are pretty good. And there is an audio bit, for those who like to listen.

Impeach George W. Bush

Katrina vanden Heuvel: The I-Word Is Gaining Ground - Yahoo! News: "n the late 1990s, House Majority Whip
Tom DeLay, currently under indictment on corruption charges, proclaimed: 'This nation sits at a crossroads. One direction points to the higher road of the rule of law.... The other road is the path of least resistance' in which 'we pitch the law completely overboard when the mood fits us...[and] close our eyes to the potential lawbreaking...and tear an unfixable hole in our legal system.' That arbiter of moral politics, Tom DeLay, was incensed about the danger of letting
Bill Clinton escape unpunished for his 'crimes'--lying about sex."

Let's impeach the President.

• http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/


• http://en.wikipedia.org/


• http://www.impeachpac.org/

Home of the Chugach Mountain Kings - a photoset on Flickr

Home of the Chugach Mountain Kings - a photoset on Flickr

This is a christmas present for my friend , Eddie Spaghetti (http://muchfuninc.blogspot.com),and ski buddies all over the world.

Enjoy!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everybody!

a clear and present danger

. . . unlimited?�-�Commentary�-�The Washington Times, America's Newspaper: "President Bush presents a clear and present danger to the rule of law."

Citgo is a Venezuela Oil Company -

"We love the holidays, because we get to spend time with our families and do nice things for people we love. Sometimes, though, with all the rushing around to buy gifts and visit relatives, it can be easy to lose sight of the point of it all. Well, here's a way to remember the spirit of the season and help out less fortunate neighbors, even in the midst of all your holiday traveling: buy Citgo gasoline.

You already may have seen the headlines about how Citgo, unlike every other oil company in the U.S., is making cut-rate heating oil available to struggling families in the Northeast. The Energy Department predicts a nearly 26 percent jump in heating costs this winter compared with last year,1 and despite a year of record oil company profits, the country's heating oil assistance fund is falling behind.

Citgo has stepped in to help out. They're selling heating oil at discounted rates to poorer communities in Massachusetts and the Bronx, NY, and working on deals to keep low-income homes in Rhode Island and Vermont warm, too.

So while you're out on the road this month, you can help some fellow Americans by filling your tank with Venezuelan gas. Here's a link to find the nearest one of the 14,000 Citgo gas stations in the U.S.:

'Citgo is not just another oil company,' says Citgo CEO Felix Rodriguez. 'With Venezuela's state oil company, of which we are a subsidiary, we share a broad social mission.'

That's our kind of company. If you need any other reasons to feel good, just remember that money you pay to Citgo goes primarily to Venezuela - not Saudi Arabia or the Middle East. Of the top oil producing countries in the world, only one is a democracy with a president who was elected on a platform of using his nation's oil revenue to benefit the poor.

And this winter Citgo is helping out less fortunate Americans, too.

Some have said that Citgo's generosity is a publicity stunt, part of the ongoing war of words between Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and President Bush. We think a recent USA Today editorial has the best response:

'Chavez might be trying to embarrass the Bush administration, but what's really embarrassing is how little help Americans will receive this winter from their own government.'

Naturally, if you can get where you're going without a car, do so. And we'll continue to work for a country with more renewable energy options. But in the meantime, help your Northeast neighbors by supporting Citgo on your holiday drive"

thanks to http://www.truemajority.org/

Gothamist on the NYC subway strike

Gothamist: "On our walk to work this morning, we found the streets pretty busy for early in the morning, with people walking to work, stopping at coffee carts and nodding at each other in recognition that, yes, many of us were wearing sensible shoes. When Gothamist made it to our office, another building worker asked us how we got in. And it struck us: The socially accepted walls of silence were crumbling down as we were making conversation with others beyond the weather and how slow the elevators are! Sort of like the cold-weather, working Joe-or-Jane's blackout, the Transit Strike of 2005 will be fodder for many conversations - and missed connections! - to come. And the hook-ups? Please, we predict a lot of 'Hey, I live near your office...why don't you just stay over?' offers. But not to us - we're about to set up camp in our office. We have our WetNaps, Febreze and deodorant!

Have you been chatting with your fellow pedestrians? Or were you a biker who made fun of that guy on the scooter? Tell us!"


If you want info on the NYC Strike, check out http://www.gothamist.com and http://www.rocketboom.com

Flickr images with strike tags

Free Marijuana For The Homeless

Free Marijuana For The Homeless: "There are alot of homeless people who purchase crack because street dealers are aggressive and it is easier to obtain than marijuana. Many homeless people drink alcohol because it is cheaper and easier to obtain than marijuana. Marijuana use does not pose the problems of crack and alcohol. Prevention of women giving oral sex for more crack because of it's short high and subsequent cravings should be a priority. Alcohol abuse creates violence and obnoxious behavior. Marijuana makes people quiet and passive and reduces impulsive acts of destructive behavior. It is an herbal tranquillizer that is safer than the addictive ones prescribed by doctors."

The bush administration is coming around... This could be good. What if the CIA was a POT smuggling operation?

How to Save the World

How to Save the World: "What will it take for moderate Americans to get up in arms about this reckless and arrogant government? Where the hell was the rest of the media? When your government sees itself as above the law, and is allowed to break the law and ignore both the law and the constitution of the land with impunity, how big a step is it from there to simply suspend the constitution, abolish Congress, and install a one-party ultra right-wing Christian state 'until the government is convinced the war on terror has been won'? "

Our gov'ment dissed us on this one. As well as the media, why wasn't there an uproar about this? ... First the war on Christmas and now this... Well, Merry Christimas! MotherFucker!

Alaska: Chugach Crawl, The

Alaska: Chugach Crawl, The: "Two adventurers put their strength, stamina, friendship-and 5,000 calories a day-to the test in a three-week odyssey through the glacial heart of the Chugach Mountains.

'That's what you're looking for,' guru alpinist Charlie Sassara said in response to my whimpering about the Swiss cheese nature of our route through the Chugach Range."

Hillbilly Housewife

Hillbilly Housewife: "$45 Emergency Menu for 4 to 6"


I love it - Hillbilly Housewife. This is my kind of cookbook! A full week of recipes with nutritional info, a shopping list, and a guide to what to do and when. Fuck Yeah!

Eight Life Hacks for Health, Wealth, and Happiness : kadavy.net

Eight Life Hacks for Health, Wealth, and Happiness : kadavy.net: "I’ve noticed in my short existence that I tend to do many things differently from most people. Some of those things probably work just as well, whereas others make me wonder “why doesn’t everyone do this?” Here are eight things that may make you feel like you’re cheating the system, too (in no particular order):"

Do you know what a lifehack is? I'll give you the first three - Walk, smile, and drink water... and they get good after that. It's funny that this is a hack and not just the way it's done....

December

December

December 15
Halcyon Days. According to ancient legend, the seven days before the winter solstice and the seven days following it are a special time of tranquility and calm, due to the magickal powers of the halcyon (a fabled bird who nested on the sea and calmed the wind and the waves during the winter solstice).

How to do cool pop art portraits - no skill required

How to do cool pop art portraits - no skill required:

So, You know I like to do graphics tutorials. I found this one and it's in a really funny style. The tutorial itself isn't that great, but I did it anyway and came up with a pretty funny portrait. Wanna see it? YES or NO?

Here is the original pic

Bunny suicides

Bunny suicides

Here we go Brownies!

Better than a Cleveland Steamer!


Here I am at Cleveland Brown's Stadium - Dec. 4th, 2005. It's an incredible pagent. The people, the cold, the brats and the beer, peanuts, high flying touch down catches. awesome! 

The agenda!

It's 28 degrees and snowing. This is near perfect weather for tailgate'ing at Cleveland Browns Stadium on the shores of Lake Erie. OH YEAH!!!! look for pics

Photoshop practice

Forest Scene - Tutorials Factory

Photoshop tutorials this morning! I subscribe to an RSS feed at goodtutorials.com. When there are about 100 new tutorials backed up, I go through them and pick out the ones that look intresting. Then I save all the pages as bookmarks (using the cool Firefox save all open tabs into a folder). That way I can work on the tutorials I like and AND have a record of the ones I did.

The reason I'm writing about this is I found a great one - maybe the best I've done. I like it because it uses funky default brushes (leaves and grass) and a COOL gradient technique. And the picture looks cool. Here is what I got...

PS: And while I took a break at lunch, I watched the last part of Sharky's Machine. Burt Reynolds is the MAN!

Cool Google Maps - Who knew maps could be fun?

Cool Google Maps - Who knew maps could be fun?: "New York City Live Cam Map "

So Eddie is talking about Maps today and I'll chime in. Like Eddie, I love me some Maps.

I've always said that my only inate skills is sense of direction and the ability to get lost and unlost. My life is has been an experience in map reading. When I went to Six Flags, I was always in the lost parents pavillion. When I my family moved to Germany for a year, I got lost in most European capitals (In Rome, the Swiss guards carried me back to my Dad). When I played Video games (like the excellent Telegard for C-64 / 128) I always made a map of the levels. When I went to school, the Cartographers were the coolest group ever (followed closely by the librarians).

So, I love the google Earth and new mapping tools on the internet.

I found a good one - I'll be in NewYorkCity next week and found this cool Google Hack - New York City Live Cam Map Check out the link at the top of this post for more cool google maps.

Interactive Listening Maze: Travel

Interactive Listening Maze: Travel: "This is an adaptation of the popular Reading maze, a classroom activity that has adapted well to the Web. For examples of reading mazes that I have created with students, please go to: English For Tourism mazes"


Freakin' reading mazes... I think this a great teaching idea. I read a "reading maze" book when I was growing up. It's cool.

Also, I neat use of the blogger template to make a 'normal' looking website.

enjoy!

Panama Canal Miraflores locks time-lapse, 1 week compressed into 11 minutes - Google Video

Panama Canal Miraflores locks time-lapse, 1 week compressed into 11 minutes - Google Video

This hypnotic video is made with time-lapse frames from seven days' worth of the webcam at the Panama Canal's Miraflores canal. Watching the stately dance of the giant ships, day and night, passing through the locks, is like watching ogres waltz -- their grace is perfectly offset by their hulking, container-stacked brutal unloveliness

18 Tricks to Teach Your Body

18 Tricks to Teach Your Body: "5. Clear your stuffed nose!

Forget Sudafed. An easier, quicker, and cheaper way to relieve sinus pressure is by alternately thrusting your tongue against the roof of your mouth, then pressing between your eyebrows with one finger. This causes the vomer bone, which runs through the nasal passages to the mouth, to rock back and forth, says Lisa DeStefano, D.O., an assistant professor at the Michigan State University college of osteopathic medicine. The motion loosens congestion; after 20 seconds, you'll feel your sinuses start to drain."

OpenOffice.org: Stick it to the man!

OpenOffice.org: Home: "OpenOffice.org 2.0 is the productivity suite that individuals, governments, and corporations around the world have been expecting for the last two years. Easy to use and fluidly interoperable with every major office suite, OpenOffice.org 2.0 realises the potential of open source."

Ah... choice. Today I'm choosing to download and install OpenOffice, instead of installing MicroSoft Office. Just say yes!

A redhead girl, the moon, and beer

A redhead girl, the moon, and beer - Have you ever wondered about the girl in the Miller High Life logo? I have. She is better than I dreamed. Be sure to watch the TV ads.

I'm in Cleveland, Ohio. The place where football, working people, beer and red meat go when they die. It's the Valhalle of all things American. Yesterday, I had a BBQ hamburger with Fred Flintstone (Of course, Wilma, Barney, Betty, BamBam and Pebbles were there too.) We watched college football and drank beer. During half time, a front yard, two hand touch football game between the kids and the adults broke loose. The kids won. Everyone was home by 6:30 for dinner and bedtime. I love you, America! ... i love you, america

Welcome to vSocial - The Video Clip Sharing Community

Welcome to vSocial - The Video Clip Sharing Community

This here is a video clip of an Alaskan Lady showing you how she cooks salmon. Eddie, this one is for you.

Booster Shot - How well do those energy drinks work? By Sam Eifling

Booster Shot - How well do those energy drinks work? By Sam Eifling: "In spring of last year, some dudes in the park began passing out samples of Red Bull, the omnipresent energy drink, while I was playing football. I chugged a can. Immediately, I felt giddy and off-kilter. I started running around. Some guy with John Elway's arm and Kordell Stewart's aim passed the ball my way. I turned, reached for it, and felt my pinky dislocate at the middle joint. My finger did its impression of a clock face at 2:30 until an ER doctor wrangled it back into place. It took six weeks of physical therapy before I could make a proper fist.

I've had about two-thirds of a Red Bull since. That is, until about half an hour ago, when I cracked open a can. My feet have begun wiggling, unbidden. The TV seems too loud. But, whoa, do my fingers scamper along this keyboard! Red Bull, like most of its energy-drink ilk, claims to perk you up and keep you there—'gives you wings,' its ads intone."

This is a what I believe to be an honest and unbias opinion of Energy Drinks. The guy reviews 6 or so drinks using a system to measure the effectiveness. That's how I solve the energy crisis.

WorldChanging: Another World Is Here: The Week in Green Design (11/12/05): Green Roofs

WorldChanging: Another World Is Here: The Week in Green Design (11/12/05): Green Roofs: "Green Roofs
An even better alternative to cool roofs (albeit one that requires more time and effort) is to turn waste roofs into landscaped Green Roofs. Green roofs having the same cooling effect of white roofs, with the added benefits of:

# Providing amenity space for building users �replacing a yard or patio
# Increasing roof life span
# Reducing storm water run off
# Providing noise insulation
# Filtering pollutants and CO2 out of the air
# Providing locally grown food (with roof-top vegetable gardens)
# Increasing wildlife habitat in built up areas
# Reducing heating (by adding mass and thermal resistance value) and cooling (by evaporative cooling) loads on a building
# Reducing the urban heat island effect"

One of the things I love about riding Amtrak, is the changing of perspective while traveling. When you ride the train, you see a different landscape than if you travel by car or airplane. The landscape is often the backside of America. You see peoples backyards in the suburbs. In the countryside, you see a roadless expanse. And (the point of the post) in the cities you see the allies and cinder block storage buildings, not the fancy facades of front street. It really is a secret passage.

So, this past weekend, when I travelled from Fayetteville, NC (home of Fort Bragg, and former capital on North Carolina), through Washington, DC (our nations capital and home to quite a few sites within walking distance of Union Station), to my final destination, lovely Cleveland, Ohio and my sister's house, I saw quite a bit of out of the usual roadtrip. One thing was light colored gravel spread out on flat roof commercial buildings. I figure it's a slow progression to the greenroof.

I also saw Eastern Virginia in High Fall, the Washington Mall, the new Native American Museum, Pittsburg, and many other highlights! Wait for pictures!

What time is it?

What time is it?: "There is a time and space for everything and everyone."


Damn this is good!

Rocketboom

Rocketboom

wanna have a beautiful girl tell you what's up with rss / aggregateors / podcast / itunes / fireant???? ... i know I DO!

Frappr!

Frappr!

Howdy, mufu drinkers the world over. I have know about this service for alittle while, but I'm always alittle cautious about trying new stuff. But if it's good enough for uncle dave, then it's good enough for me and the gang.

What is it? It's a shout out map. You can add your name, location, and picture to a map that is shared for all the others to see. It's a neat way to show a group of people all over the world.

My buddy from the old days, Mike Mendez, has set up a site over at http://www.allmypeople.com and has been maintaining it for some time now. And I think it would be great for him.

So, check it out and sign up. You don't have to become a member to post your information (location, picture, and shoutout), but you should. Create your own map and ask your email list to join.

Cheers,
nsl

Just do eat!

This is a photo of a chain bakery in Taiwan. Trademarks creatively circumvented or totally disregarded - you make the call.

Tonight, after a dinner of shrimp and grits (Tip: make the grits with chicken broth), as well as some country sweet potatoes from Nanny and an episode of Firefly, I sat down on my blue ball and tuned WinAmp to the World Cafe and focused on some photoshop tuts.


I found some videos that really blew my mind. http://www.digital-industry.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=3192 . The guy's name is 'Faded' and I think he is a genius. Faded is a young photoshop artist that captures his screen while he does photoshop work. He is just talking and working. When you are watching the video, it's like you are really there, with him. He isn't pretending to be a teacher. You get the feeling that you are his buddy and he is showing you his stuff. It's freakin great and It's a powerful way to catch the vibe / feel of the photoshop artist. So, Faded you freakin' rule. keep'em coming.

Clean Walls and Erase Set-In Dirt with Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.

Clean Walls and Erase Set-In Dirt with Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.

Mr. Clean is so freakin' cool. I gotta get me some of this stuff. Really, if you know me, then you know I love to clean. I love to sweep, swift, vacuum, wash, wipe, srub, dust and squeegee. How could I not even KNOW about something called 'Magic Eraser' from Mr. Clean.

Graffiti

IMG_0060bw
Originally uploaded by Mitchkitter.

Whoever controls what you SEE, controls what you THINK.

The graffi / stencil thing is pretty cool and I'm seeing it all over the place. ... They really ARE controlling what I think!!! yikes... YIKES!!!




ps - this is a also a test of posting to the blog from Flickr. I found this on the Alaska Pool on Flickr and I simply clicked on the Blogthis icon above the picture to post.

Faster Mustache

Faster Mustache: "Home
To be the burliest bearded pirates on the asphault sea!"

Faster Mustache is an independent organization made up of a diverse group of Atlanta residents with one thing in common: riding bicycles. Fixed or free, geared or single, cruiser, chopper, racer, clunker, we ride 'em. Our interests are as diverse as our riders but we are all dedicated to promoting safer riding conditions in Atlanta and being ambassadors for Atlanta's broad bicycle community. Faster Mustache events cover areas of interests including political/social activism, design, urban transit, urban planning and construction, food and drink, music and movies, art and culture, mountain biking, and quesadillas.

Guardian Unlimited Technology | Technology | Minister of counterculture

Guardian Unlimited Technology | Technology | Minister of counterculture: "
Gilberto Gil is a musical legend - and a senior Brazilian politician. He tells Oliver Burkeman how poverty can be challenged if ideas are shared for free "

EIK 00

Everything I know
The historic 42-hour session with Bucky (Buckminster Fuller)

should be cool

Kiva

Kiva: "Kiva provides a new, sponsor a business option for individuals to connect with small enterprises in developing countries through flexible loans."

I want to - a page of utilities that help you do stuff you want to

I want to - a page of utilities that help you do stuff you want to

"I want to..." or "I need to" or "How do I?" These are all questions we all ask all the time. This is a small collection of resources that will help to answer those questions. It is not complete, nor will it ever be. I will be adding to this on a regular basis, so feel free to bookmark it and come back and visit.

Heifer International

Nothing's more satisfying than finding exactly the right solution to a problem. That's the good feeling you get when you give an Asian subsistence farmer a water buffalo.

-Heifer International


A water buffalo is only 250 USD! check out all the other animals you can give.... the holiday season is just around the corner

When pipes are outlawed....

Gerald Ford is my President! 

Pete Lowney arrested

The Jewish Advocate | This Weeks Issue | News: "Policeman attacked by anti-Israel protester

BY TED SIEFER - Thursday October 27 2005

Israeli consul general Meir Shlomo

Activist arrested at synagogue talk led by Israeli consul general

LEXINGTON – A man was arrested on Oct. 23 for assaulting a police officer at a demonstration staged by a small group of anti-Israel protesters outside a post-Gaza disengagement talk at Temple Isaiah, which featured Meir Shlomo, Israel’s consul general to New England.
Top Stories

* A city-wide celebration of renewal
* Air Force retracts evangelizing policy

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The assailant was identified as Newton resident Peter Lowney, 35, a veteran protester whose activism has previously led to confrontations with law enforcement. Lowney has an outstanding warrant for disorderly conduct charges stemming from a protest at the Waltham-based technology company Raytheon earlier this year.
Lowney was deported from Israel in 2004 for his activities with the International Solidarity Movement, the pro-Palestinian group known for bringing western activists to hotspots in Gaza and the West Bank.
Police presence at the talk, titled “After Gaza: Looking Ahead,” was increased after Lexington police discovered a protest announcement on the Internet which contained language the authorities found alarming. Referring to Shlomo, the announcement stated: “This is a rare chance for people to corner this notorious and blood soaked human rights abuser and criminal. Please join us to make a citizens arrest of an IDF occupier for crimes against humanity.”
Shlomo said of those who organized the protest: “I think the language shows exactly who they are. To use this kind of description for anybody shows that they’re probably not really interested in discussion …This kind of language really doesn’t deserve a response.” As for the demonstration itself, Shlomo noted that it was “a free country.”
The assault occurred just after the talk began, when police asked the six protesters to move for safety reasons. While being escorted across the street, Lowney broke away and shoved an officer, prompting the arrest, said Lexington police Lt. Joe O’Leary.
Lowney was charged with trespassing, disorderly conduct, assault and battery and resisting arrest.
The Temple Isaiah discussion, which was attended by an estimated 250 people, was free and open to the public, although because of heightened security concerns, police and temple officials didn’t allow anyone to carry in bags or signs. Discussion moderator and Temple Isaiah member Jeff Robbins told the Advocate that while a couple activists did make it into the event, the only disruption occurred when one had to be coaxed into a question after making a long-winded anti-Israel statement.
Lowney, a former resident of Valdez, Alaska, has been in the Boston area since his deportation from Israel last year and appears to have been very active in local anti-U.S. and anti-Israel protests. In addition to being charged with resisting arrest and defacing property at the April protest at Raytheon, Lowney was also most likely the person who staged a one-man protest outside the Boston University Hillel in late September, although he refused to give his last name to a reporter from the student newspaper at the time. Lowney was also arrested for disorderly conduct at a small protest on the campus of Harvard on Oct. 10. He could not be reached for comment.
Lexington police have taken to monitoring local activist Web sites after several extremist groups had announced their intentions to stage demonstrations in the town, although Lt. O’Leary noted that most of the previous activity involved white supremacist groups and issues such as same-sex marriage and diversity in the schools.
It is not known if Lowney was working with one of the several pro-Palestinian groups in the Boston area, although O’Leary said that many of the people who were present at Sunday’s protest showed up for his hearing and offered to post bail, which was set at $1,000.
After his arraignment in Lexington, Lowney was transported to the Lawrence district court on a warrant for charges related to the April protest at Raytheon. His court date in Lexington was set for Nov. 21."

Alaska girls kick ass!

Amazon.com: Fate Is the Hunter: Music: "Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
With a face like Liv Tyler and a winsome voice that recalls early Joni Mitchell and late Fiona Apple, Kate Earl shoots right out of the gate with a couple of genetic advantages. And that's even before you consider her vocal shape-shifting, her audacious jazz chanteuse poses and the unstinting and, at times, painful honesty that she employs when singing these clearly autobiographical numbers. Hailing from Alaska, Earl is no near neighbor of Jewell Kilcher. Both her songs and her poetry are made from stronger stuff, with an attention to detail and nuance that is enviable in an artist her age. 'Free' is a high wire act, finding the singer both reaching for lofty notes and even loftier ideals. An astonishing debut. --Jaan Uhelszki

Album Description
The upcoming collection of songs is autobiographical. Just as Kate carries the beauty and purity of the Alaskan wilderness with her, she also holds the long, dark, 40-below winters and the isolation that comes along with the never-ending nighttime. Kate has been playing shows up and down the west coast, honing her skills and establishing herself as the kind of artist who leaves her heart on the stage. In her own words and with her own stunningly beautiful voice, Kate tells her stories...stories that are full of love, faith, tragedy and the strength of the human spirit. "



I love her! http://www.kateearl.com/
--- follow the jump to listen to full sample songs and read her blog - too cool. Keep rockin!

Your codename is Hurricane Wilma

Wilma wrecks shit in Florida, Cuba, and Mexico, but Surfers all over the east coast Blissfully shout her name as they score set after set of beautiful swells. Ala Fred Flinstone - WillllllllMMAAAAAA!

There must have been 50 surfers out on this day ... Later the internet was buzzing picts on Wilma wave riders all over the east coast. 

I thought I'd add some pictures of Wilmington...

That there is the InterCoastal waterway and beyond those buildings is Wrightsville Beach and the Atlantic Ocean. 

ultrashock.com

ultrashock.com

So, I'm sitting at home and ... one of the things that I'm doing is getting to know forums or online communities. It's a wild wild west out there in these things and you can see real people doing real stuff and working it out. Anyway, I found this 'thread' / conversation this morning...

http://forums.ultrashock.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=75137&referrerid=211537

It's about a person - young man? - who's best friend has been killed in Iraq. He starts the post with telling his friends on the forum that he is joining the army, then all of his friends / people on the forum reply and give their support or advice.

It's really cool to see the "Community" part of online community come out. It doesn't have anything to do with the technology, it's just people talkin'.

Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Business

Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Business: "The state of Alaska is pushing ahead with decades-old plans for a pipeline to carry natural gas to the lower 48 states as demand has risen and prices have soared.

Dallas investment bank Challenger Capital Group is expected to announce today that it will take the lead in arranging financing for the pipeline, expected to cost between $13 billion and $20 billion when it's finished in 2012.

'Ultimately, we'll help get more gas to the lower 48, which I would appreciate so my heating bill won't be so high,' said Challenger managing director Chuck Davis.

For three decades, Alaska has considered building a pipeline to bring to market natural gas produced in the North Slope area.

Those fields can produce 4.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas a day, or about 15 percent of U.S. demand, Mr. Davis said.

But depressed prices for natural gas left the project unprofitable. Now the financial incentive to bring natural gas to market has strengthened.

'It really didn't make much economic sense until we got into the current energy economy,' Mr. Davis said.

The state would work with major oil companies BP PLC, ConocoPhillips and Exxon Mobil to build a pipeline either to Alberta, Canada, or to Valdez, Alaska."

A rainy october morning

A commanding view of the compound here in Wilmington, NC. You can see our three vehicles. The egg camper. The shaved ice cart (under the blue tarp). The white trapazoid is a mirror for reflecting sunlight into my office. And Old glory. 

The Bubble Project - Ji Lee

The Bubble Project - Ji Lee

A clever graffiti site - protest thing. I've come across a few of these. Let me track down the links....

http://www.freewayblogger.com/

http://www.banksy.co.uk/menu.html - be sure to check out his links section

E-Tutoring Broadens Bounds of Outsourcing - Yahoo! News

E-Tutoring Broadens Bounds of Outsourcing - Yahoo! News: "COCHIN, India - A few stars are still twinkling in the inky pre-dawn sky when Koyampurath Namitha arrives for work in a quiet suburb of this south Indian city. It's barely 4:30 a.m. when she grabs a cup of coffee and joins more than two dozen colleagues, each settling into a cubicle with a computer and earphones.


More than 7,000 miles away, in Glenview, Ill., outside Chicago, it's the evening of the previous day and 14-year-old Princeton John sits at his computer, barefoot and ready for his hourlong geometry lesson. The high school freshman puts on a headset with a microphone and clicks on computer software that will link him through the Internet to his tutor, Namitha, many time zones away."

On the Net:

Growing Stars Inc.: http://www.growingstars.com

NIIT Technologies Ltd.: http://www.niit.com

Educomp Datamatics Ltd.: http://www.edumatics.com

PBS | I, Cringely . October 20, 2005 - Seeing Is Believing

PBS | I, Cringely . October 20, 2005 - Seeing Is Believing: "My point here is that we're entering another period of Internet exuberance. Yes, a lot has changed since 1999, but it's amazing how many of the ideas being pushed are the SAME ideas, just empowered now by dark fiber, cheap broadband, and six years of Moore's Law. And this time I think it will actually work and the Internet will change even more than it has the ways we live and work. But it isn't going to come easy and it isn't going to come cheap."

um... yeah

Where the hell am I ?

I'm in North Carolina. At the beach. in a log cabin. near my family. in an office. in front of a computer. ... and no one can hear me scream.

....


if halloween scares you sometimes, raise your hand. ... and one more thing, I honestly think, that if hell bent, blood thristy robbers come to my house to kill me, AND go up the stairs on the WRONG side and run into the big nasty spiderweb protecting my door, they will freak out and run away.


... email me if you want to know the right side to walk up to avoid the spiders.

Okay okay - there is no way to avoid the roaches, lizards, fleas, mosquitos. sorry

eLearn: Feature Article from Stephen Downes

eLearn: Feature Article: "In learning, these trends are manifest in what is sometimes called 'learner-centered' or 'student-centered' design. This is more than just adapting for different learning styles or allowing the user to change the font size and background color; it is the placing of the control of learning itself into the hands of the learner [5]."

Stephen breaks down eLearning for those of us who are lagging behind. A good article.

Mr. Picassohead

Mr. Picassohead


freakin' rules!

Emily Chang - eHub

Emily Chang - eHub: "eHub is a constantly updated list of web applications, services, resources, blogs or sites with a focus on next generation web (web 2.0), social software, blogging, Ajax, Ruby on Rails, location mapping, open source, folksonomy, design and digital media sharing."

iterating toward openness � Learning, Complexity, and Simplicity

iterating toward openness � Learning, Complexity, and Simplicity: "Moving on. Brett next says:

The example of trial-error learning within Sims environment is simply misplaced: the Sims games are not created for learning, and the learning that takes place during activity has proven to be of secondary importance if people are learning at all.

Here I’ll disagree somewhat. Sim City, the game I described previously, may not have been created explicitly to support learning about civic infrastructure, taxes, zoning, and parks. Understanding the individual purpose and function of each of the areas of infrastructure, finance, power, education, zoning, employment, and transportaion individually is a rather straightforward endeavor. In fact, one might take a class at school, read books, write essays, and take tests showing that they understand each of these individual components. However. The complexity inherent in the task of managing a city is not in managing the individual components - they are extremely simple. The complexity is in managing the interactions of those components, and the patterns of collective behavior that emerge from those interactions of the simple components of the system. At this stage, yes, “learning is complex.”"

Couldn't agree more. Simple individual componets vs complex interactions between componets.

Rodolf and Lenny!

Working on a building, holy ghost building... 

Family on the steps

This is so cool and easy! 

Uncle Rodolf and Aunt Emily!

Look at these beautiful people---

Ps: I used the new picasa blogThis! button and hooray - no more confusing Hello! Goodbye, Hello! 

We Will Not Be Silenced : : AntiWar Speech

1 death is 1 death too many: "SAVE MY SON
My son is in the US Army. And I'm proud of him for wanting to serve his country. But he will be shipping out to Iraq in November to be part of an ill conceived and poorly waged war. I tried pointing out to him the irony of the thirty years the Iraqi people refused to fight Saddam the tyrant in light of the vigorous insurgency he will have to face while the vast majority of the Iraqi people are content to wait and see who wins. I tried to tell him that this is a war that historically we cannot win. I tried to tell him that if this war was so noble, how come they had to lie, lie, lie and lie some more to get us into it? And he told me 'Don't worry dad, I named you as my beneficiary' Tim. I don't want your death benefits. I want YOU.

Thom, Milwaukee Wisconsin"

That new-car smell might be toxic - Automotive - MSNBC.com

That new-car smell might be toxic - Automotive - MSNBC.com: "That new-car smell might be toxic"


MIGHT BE TOXIC - MIGHT. Yeah right. It is toxic. Wake up and smell the CAR.

my 1989 Ford Festiva has 0% new car smell!

Minds in Play: Computer Game Design as a Context for Children's Learning

Untitled Document: "This is the companion video to my book Minds in Play: Computer Game Design as a Context for Children's Learning."

Where the hell was I in 1991?

Creating Passionate Users

Creating Passionate Users: "A lot of adult learning environments (including colleges) do have scenarios in which the students/learners are asked to help evolve the course itself... including taking turns presenting some of the material, but these kinds of activities are the exception, when they should be a key component. I've argued with instructors for years over this--as they claim, 'Students didn't come here to be taught by other students who don't know anything--they came here to get the facts from ME, the expert.'

Oh really? If you drill down, you'd find that most of the students/learners are there to learn. They may have been conditioned through tradition that this means the student listens (and does the occasional 'lab exercise') while the expert dispenses facts and knowledge, but that doesn't mean it's truly what most learners want. They want to learn.

And surprisingly little real, deep learning comes from sitting in a chair listening. Think about it... "

Cathy Sierra of "Creating Passionate Users" is freakin' awesome!

Photoshop Grant Wood's "American Gothic" in honor of its 75th birthday

FARK.com: (1620765) Photoshop Grant Wood's "American Gothic" in honor of its 75th birthday

FUH2 | Fuck You And Your H2

FUH2 | Fuck You And Your H2: "Haiku by Tim

Hulking black Hummer
Purchased in rank atonement
small peckered driver"


ah-men

Couloir Magazine--Backcountry, Randonnee, Snowboard, Telemark Skiing

Couloir Magazine--Backcountry, Randonnee, Snowboard, Telemark Skiing: "Unidentified snowboarder hoofing it up Worthington Glacier in Thompson Pass August 6. Photo by Matt Kinney"

Enjoy the South!

Best Enjoyed on Sunday

um... I don't know where the BPN Summer rooftop ruckus and BBQ feed is, but I'm goin next year.

Bangkok Thai secrets | Marlboro man cruises Soi Cowboy

Bangkok Thai secrets | Marlboro man cruises Soi Cowboy: "I didn’t Photoshop this. It’s a genuine Thai government heath warning. By law, all cigarette packets must now incorporate a range of gruesome photos – which include graphic images of diseased lungs and rotting teeth."

This - NOW THIS - is a tobacco warning! Thailand is great - LONG LIVE THE KING!

The answer is focus.

Richard Koch's web site: "The answer is focus."

I have no idea what this guy is saying about 20 percent of this... or 80 percent of that. 80 / 20 principle... okay, party on.

"Most people think / Great God will come from the sky / take away everything / And make everybody feel high" Bob Marley

Nearly everyone thinks that to get more out of life, and succeed in what we want, we have to labor harder, devote more time to our work, and make sacrifices and trade-offs. I say No. In all aspects of life, we can find, to our astonishment and delight, that less is more. We can only life fully by subtraction. We make progress by stripping our activities and concerns back to a small authentic core.

okay... I like more and more. Live fully by subtraction... authentic core... I love it!

• Chuck your To Do List. Make a Not to Do List. Act less. Think more. Reflect on what really matters to you. Stop doing anything that isn’t valuable or doesn’t make you happy.

cool. DONE. I'm keeping the MindMaps, however.

Southern Energy & Environment Expo

Southern Energy & Environment Expo: "The Southern Energy & Environment Expo, being held at the The Western N.C. Agricultural Center in Fletcher NC, is an annual event designed to showcase renewable energy and sustainable economics in a context of responsible environmental stewardship. By working together in a cooperative spirit, we CAN make a difference for the future of our children and our planet."


I'm going here because it Freakin RULES!!!!

How to Load and Run a Dishwasher - eHow.com

How to Load and Run a Dishwasher - eHow.com: "How to Load and Run a Dishwasher
It seems like an easy task, but do you know the proper way to load and run your dishwasher? "

So easy, yet so hard... Why? Who is letting us down here? hmmm...

Web Content by and for the Masses - New York Times

Web Content by and for the Masses - New York Times: "'The giant brain is us,'"

SoyLentGreen is people! IT'S PEOPLE!!!!

No More Electric Bills - Newsweek Technology - MSNBC.com

No More Electric Bills - Newsweek Technology - MSNBC.com: "No More Electric Bills
Well, not quite. But 'zero-energy homes' keep them low.
Model home: The Gonzales family has gone energy efficient in Rosemont, Calif.
Robyn Twomey for Newsweek
Model home: The Gonzales family has gone energy efficient in Rosemont, Calif.


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By Andrew Murr
Newsweek

Aug. 15, 2005 issue - Nicholas and Loan Gatai used to cringe when they received power bills that routinely topped $200. Last September the Sacramento, Calif., couple moved into a new, 1,500-square-foot home in Premier Gardens, a subdivision of 95 'zero-energy homes' just outside town. Now they're actually eager to see their electric bills. The grand total over the 10 months they've lived in the three-bedroom, stucco-and-stone house: $75. For the past two months they haven't paid a cent."

In Austrian Alps, a not-so-glacial retreat - Europe - International Herald Tribune

In Austrian Alps, a not-so-glacial retreat - Europe - International Herald Tribune: "The glacier is broad and grand, like the river of ice it is, and yet something about it is visibly not right, and you can tell right away what it is from the steep cable car that was built a bit over 40 years ago to take tourists from the heights above down to the glacier itself.

'When it was built, it went right down to the glacier,' said Erhard Trojer, owner of the Hotel L�rchenhof in the nearby ski resort village of Heiligenblut.

But now, if you stand at the bottom of the cable car run and look down at the tourists disporting themselves on the glacier, it is as though you are looking at them from an airplane.

'It's going down from four to eight meters a year,' said Trojer, who grew up in this valley. 'In the early 1960s, they used to have a ski race every spring from the top of the Grossglockner to the bottom of the glacier.'

The Grossglockner, which looms above the Pasterze, is, at 3,798 meters, or 12,460 feet, Austria's highest mountain.

'They can't do it anymore,' Trojer said a bit sadly. 'It's warmed up, and there isn't enough snow.'

Austria's glaciers - there are 925 of them - are shrinking fast, and as they shrink, this part of the world is slowly losing one of its many attractions, those rivers of ice that, figuratively and almost literally, reflect the grandeur of the mountains around them."

Mom and I at the roadside fruit and veggies stand. It was hot and dusty, and smelled like sun bleached wood and peaches - I love me some South.

|||glitch13.com||| -> The Ghettotenna

|||glitch13.com||| -> The Ghettotenna: "Last week my little brother had a bit of a delimma, one that he knew could only be solved by yours truly.
...

Thinking the signal strength may be the cause for this sketchy behavior, I set out to boost his reception to see if it would solve the problem.

Luckily, he was using one those USB wifi fobs on a cord for his wifi adaptor. Being the genius I am, and having read quite a bit about people boosting wifi signals with chinese wok utensils and Pringles cans, I knew I could whip up a ghetto solution in no time flat. Here is where we enter the meat of this post and the explanation of that weird ass piece of crap up there. "

This guy whips up an wifi signal booster aperatus to help his brother and posts it to help his fellow man. In the process, he teaches us the definition of engineering.

***"Engineering is the application of science to the needs of humanity." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineering***

Ghetto engineers of the world, UNITE!

Cost of War

Cost of War


There is a 7% sales tax in NorthCarolina... I live on a dirt road, and have no health care.... But there are only chiggers in the woods and no terrorists... I wonder if the war or terrorists could include chiggers...

Dear Bush,
....

How to Recognize Chigger Bites - eHow.com

How to Recognize Chigger Bites - eHow.com

chiggers = misery


I have at least 50 red welt chigger bites. Everywhere my hands can reach itches. ... they say it can last two weeks!!!!

Hybrid Center :: Consumer Center :: Incentives

Hybrid Center :: Consumer Center :: Incentives

Can you tell what I've been thinking about lately? Yep, buying a car. My brother has a nice 1987 diesel GMC Suburban, but I'm not sure that's my style. A nice hybrid would fit the bill - and be a huge bill. But wait - Uncle Sam is going to help me out. A federal tax deduction that's cool. What's this? It was 2000 dollars in 2005 and it drops to 500. hummmm

C'mon tax cut man! The less we pay for a car, the more we can spend on gas. That means more money for your friends in the Oil business - you know, the friendly turban wearers.