Tibet, understand it more

Tibet: dream and reality

It seems the Chinese Communists finally learned the lesson: what is the oppressive power of secret police, camps and Red Guards destroying ancient monuments, compared to the power of unbridled capitalism to undermine all traditional social relations? The Chinese are doing what the West has always done, as Brazil did in the Amazon or Russia in Siberia, and the US on its own western frontiers.

Creepy much

A display of mummies because of a law down in Mexico.

The museum contains a few local legends as well. For example, one body was said to belong to a woman who had been buried alive. When the Mummy Road Show hosts researched the mummy, they concluded that two factors suggested this legend was correct: the woman's arms were raised over her face and her forehead had scratch marks.

Guanajuato Mummies

Junk Mail

For those of you who are not content to just put your name on no mailing lists. Or just use things like Green Dimes. Here is an idea that will exact revenge on your bulk mailing nemesi(or is it nemisises?) But basically its easy, just take that envelope with the postage already paid. Tape it to a box with a brick, all your junk mail, or the head of a horse and drop it into a mail box.
http://officeofstrategicinfluence.com/bulkmailer/

(via The Morning News)

Breakfast

The Perfect Scrambled Egg

Technology versus

I'm more and more impressed by the use of technology these days by protesters in the issue of the Olympic Torch. A few weeks ago when the torch was passing through San Francisco I was able to follow along with what the protesters were doing through a Twitter feed.

The feed gave you a feeling for what was going on in the actual crowds, a step above reporters being on scene. That paired with the live feeds that people can broadcast through some Nokia phones on qwik, it was a much different experience.

I wouldn't go so far as calling it gritty, but definitely more authentic. More so than what feels like the scrubbed down news you would receive from normal media outlets. Not that those outlets are not aiming at reporting the truth. Unfortunately there is such an ingrained process for them, that its harder to get up to the minute information like what was accessed through twitter and qwik.

This is coming up again in the Everest climb where there is a media blackout. However, the climbers that are being blocked from continuing their climbs are keeping everyone updated through blogs and posts. Which is almost dangerous, because any of them found to be violating any of the orders in place will be immediately deported.

One young American climber, William Brant Holland, was found carrying a sign that read "Free Tibet, Fuck China" last Friday, and deported back to the United States. Despite the presence of soldiers, Holland said that he was not scared. (via Wired)

This makes it easier for people to find out about whats going on and I hope this trend continues through out the situation in China. It will set a precedence for other situations in the world that people may not be aware of because of blackouts of information enforced by the governments. This takes the power away from the people that want the power and abuse it.

My New Kitchen

A minimalist approach to a kitchen. Hansen Living has some interesting ideas for using the space in your kitchen. Apartment Therapy did a piece on it. I love the idea of such simple intelligent use in a kitchen.

All Streets

Excellent map with every road in the U.S. displayed on it. Nothing else has been added. However, you can make out different aspects that aren't roads, like the Rockies, and different areas.

All Streets

Philosophy just became more exciting

Absurdism is a philosophy stating that the efforts of humanity to find meaning in the universe ultimately fail (and, hence, are absurd) because no such meaning exists, at least in relation to humanity. The word Absurd in this context does not mean "logically impossible", but rather "humanly impossible". (via Wikipedia)

Not Too Sharp: Razor-Filled Muffin Left in a Classroom

Umm, no shit

Apparently the poor will suffer the most during economic crises, that seems like its kind of a give....:

The new economics of hunger

The globe's worst food crisis in a generation emerged as a blip on the big boards and computer screens of America's great grain exchanges. At first, it seemed like little more than a bout of bad weather.

Tool Use By Orangutan

Weird

Tree People

Very cool gallery of photos of the Korowai people of Indonesia.

Tree People

Kids Try To Limit Their Technology Dependence, or Go Freakin' Enjoy Some Fresh Air and Stop Watching TV Dammit!

University of Central Florida students freak out when they go tech-free

A professor at the University Of Central Florida gave her class the assignment to disconnect from technology. No cell phones, no ipods, no games, not TV, nothing at all. They couldn't do it.

I remember being grounded this same way by my dad before. I was a bit bored at first, but then I did what the teacher suggested her students do, read a book. I went outside, drew, did other things. I mean I napped a lot too, but I always did that, I was a teenager.

My favorite quote from this is:

"It'd be stupid and dumb to go back to the old ways," Rogero said. "Why should we inconvenience ourselves when it's right there for us?"

Both stupid and dumb?? Its unfortunate that people can't disconnect themselves from technology and is increasingly dependent on it. It just lessens our survivability.

Silicon Valley = Toxic Valley

So, I was talking to my friend the other day and we were talking about civil rights and discrimination. Y'know, normal chit chat, and she told me about the workers in Silicon Valley. These aren't the programmers or the engineers or the normal people you associate in working with technology. These are the people that put together the products.

These are the people that deal with a lot of the toxic materials. They put together the components in the computers. I've known that computers are made using very toxic chemicals, but I guess I always assumed that because of such toxic environments, either the factories were overseas, or were done in very carefully controlled clean settings.

Unfortunately, I did end up assuming the factories over seas are not clean and safe. Which ends up being the norm, with the human rights violations in south east Asia. However, thats a whole other situation. This is more about the human rights violations that are happening directly under our noses that are kept from the public eye.

Most of these people are Asian or Hispanic women, because of the stereotype that they have small, nimble fingers (Park And Pellow, pp. 47).

Unfortunately I haven't found an online source for this article, its called Making The Invisible Visible: Asian American/Pacific Islander Workers in Silicon Valley and can probably find it at your local library

Overall, this is an unfortunately hidden dangerous practice that needs to be brought to light. Even searching online for information on this was a chore, and normally the internet is rife with information that doesn't make it into mainstream media. This is because of watchdog groups, and there really is little to know control over what you can put online.

Gattaca no more

At least it looks like we'll be avoiding living in a future like the one portrayed in Gattaca. Luckily Congress has passed unanimously a bill to prevent discrimination based on ones genetic make up.

Genetic Nondiscrimination Bill Clears Congress(via Wired)

A bill to protect Americans from discrimination based on their genetic makeup has passed the Senate by a vote of 95-0, sending it to the president's desk via a final vote in the house that is considered a formality. President Bush is widely expected to sign the legislation into law.

So hopefully this will set precedence for avoiding discrimination as the Human Genome Project discovers more and more traits associated with your DNA.

Good for you Congress.

Nothin' But Net

Check this out, the company will donate a net, as in a bed covering net to help protect people from malaria carrying mosquitoes, not a basketball net. All you have to do is play a free interactive game, although interactive seems kind of redundant, and they'll send a net in your name to a region that is in need. Doesn't even cost you anymore than a few minutes of your time. Do it, do it.

(via Good Magazine)

Blind Man Beats The Shit Out Of An Intruder

Legally blind man teaches alleged intruder a lesson

Lt. Jeff Duhamell was impressed with Kieta's feat.

"Its pretty remarkable for anyone thats blind to be able to defend themselves, let alone make an apprehension," Duhamell said. "To be able to grab this guy and hold him down until police got there is pretty remarkable."

Obviously the lieutenant has never seen Blind Fury

Simple Design, What?

I love simple design, and its always excellent to come across products that do the exact opposite with packaging than the hideous packaging with tons of colors and words and such all spattered all over them.

Apparently theres a new line of first aid products. They totally embody the idea of simple, functional design. It just makes your life easier.

I Need Help

Water

Go Donate, seriously, its like $25. Thats not much considering. Its a small hand and gravity powered water purifier, which water is such a basic need but so rarely clean in a lot of areas. Clean water will make an excellent impact on any area. Plus you get some good karma, who doesn't want good karma?

Each system costs $25 and is good for 15,000 liters, which, we're told, is two years' worth of safe drinking water. Totally worth it. (via Good Magazine Blog

I know I'm going to donate a few the next paycheck I get.

Twitter

Oh yeah, I do have a twitter account, so if anyone has one also, you can follow mine.

My Twitter

Bad Choice

I totally support freedom of choice. Which also means allowing people to make bad choices. Which some people use that freedom to the farthest extent possible. I'm not sure if this guy could have possibly made a worse choice.

Candidate speaks at Hitler birthday party

A congressional candidate is defending his speech to a group celebrating the anniversary of Adolf Hitler's birth, saying he appeared simply because he was asked.

Tony Zirkle, who is seeking the Republican nomination in Indiana's 2nd District, stood in front of a painting of Hitler, next to people wearing swastika armbands and with a swastika flag in the background for the speech to the American National Socialist Workers Party in Chicago on Sunday.

Financial Stuff

I know I'm not one of the best people when it comes to money. There was a period of time when I kept all my money in cash in a basket in my room. Not exactly the most goal oriented, future looking plan.

I just realized where I was going with this was totally starting to sound like an advertisement for some debt consolidation company. Horrible. But seriously, totally suck at money management, so I need all the help I can get, so I'm totally trying to be more responsible. If you're as bad as I am with money, some of this might help you out.

Starting Out: Begin Funding for Your Financial Security

Weed Beer

Brewer must stop using 'Legal Weed' bottle caps

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Vaune Dillmann thought the wording on his bottle caps was just a clever play on the name of the Northern California town where he brews his beer - Weed.

Federal alcohol regulators thought differently. They have ordered Dillmann to stop selling beer bottles with caps that say "Try Legal Weed."

(via azcentral.com)

His best rebuttal though is the slogan "This Bud's for you".

The Abominable Charles Christopher

I love this web comic just because all the animals have such personalities. Like in The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, they have GPP, Geniune People Personalities. But overall, a very good comic. You really do need to read it from the beginning though. Go now.

http://horhaus.com/abominable/

New Reason To Not Say The Pledge Of Allegiance

Usually the Pledge of Allegiance is not said because of atheist reasons. I definitely haven't heard of something along these lines happening, however the reaction by the administration is fairly harsh. I remember deciding not to say the allegiance when I was given the choice in High School. Not so much because of any deep seated belief, unless you consider a teenagers near worship of sleep as a deep seated belief.

Garrett told the Chattanooga Times Free Press that she is a devout Christian and believes she should not pledge her allegiance to anyone but God.

Fire Proof Kittens

Apparently your pets have more toxins in them than you do in you.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG), based in Washington, D.C., found levels of flame retardants (used in fabrics and furniture) in kitties that were 23 times higher than in humans

So you don't have to worry about rushing into burning buildings to save a cat anymore, they'll probably make it.

Also an update on the war on drugs at the end of that link.

University of California, Davis, researchers report in the online edition of the Journal of Pain that they confirmed that pot can ease pain caused by nerve damage.

Hahahahahaha

Just Hanging Out

lol, just lol

Hangover Cures

Hangover Cures(via The Morning News)

I know that the best hangover cure for me is definitely lots of water, and rest. But for an extreme having to go to work at 9 after drinking all day the day before cure involves lots of coffee, anything with a lot of absorption, i.e. bagels. But if I'm going out someplace to hang out with friends, a good bloody mary(but use more than a "dash" of wine, like at least a shot of it in the bottom) is probably the greatest cure ever.

Hey, if you have better cures than me, feel free to let me know.

More on the Food Shortage

Sam's Club limits sales of rice in U.S.(via Report On Business)

NEW YORK — The Sam's Club warehouse division of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said Wednesday it is limiting sales of Jasmine, Basmati and long grain white rices "due to recent supply and demand trends."

The news came just a day after Costco Wholesale Corp., the largest U.S. warehouse club operator, said it had seen increased demand for items like rice and flour as customers, worried about global food shortages, stock up.

It's definitely accelerated from reports of violence in places like Haiti. Sudan, and other places to having it directly affect the U.S.

This has all happened within a few months.

Food Shortage

World food crisis roundup

Yeah, I've only found small articles talking about the problems with the food shortages that are happening all over. It's even happening in the U.S. Some of the larger retailers are starting to limit the amount you can buy for rice, flour, and other staple foods.

I'm surprised not many people have heard of it, it's certainly creeping up on us, and I for one don't really want it to suddenly spring into my life and wreck havoc. I'm certainly going to stay aware of how this is evolving, and if you don't want it to sneak up on you, I suggest you do the same.

How Much Food Families Eat From Around The World

What We Eat

It's amazing the differences between countries. As the photographs show more third world/developing countries, you start to see the huge differences between the regions. I mean, we do all know that there is a difference, and we may even be able to kind of think of it in an abstract way, i.e. x number of people are malnourished in such and such a country. However, seeing it this visually has an impressive impact on realizing how big of a gap there really is.

Buy A House

Home Buying For Hipsters(via Gawker)

Like "cool," "hipster" is a multivalent word with no set definition but many different meanings. But from a real estate developers' perspective, if you live in Brooklyn, have read a Jonathan Lethem book or have gone to Studio B, you qualify. Sorry! Even so, no real hipster admits to being one. That's worse than saying you want to be cool. Which makes Home Buying For Hipsters — a monthly real estate advising meet-up with ties to the Corcoran Group — so perplexing. What tool would show up to their event tonight, which is aimed at a demographic no one would acknowledge being a part of?

You know you want to read it, and you know who you are....

High School Project On Genocide....

High School Project on Genocide Was a Portent of Real-Life Events

In 1993, when Travis Hofmann was a freshman of 15, he had traveled little beyond the sand hills that surrounded his hometown, Alliance, Neb. He was the son of a railroad engineer, a trumpeter in the high school band, with a part-time job changing the marquee and running the projector at the local movie theater.

In Travis’s class in global geography at Alliance High School, however, the teacher introduced the outside world with the word and concept of genocide. The teacher, Tim Walz, was determined that even in this isolated place, perhaps especially in this isolated place, this county seat of 9,000 that was hours away from any city in any direction, the students should learn how and why a society can descend into mass murder.

Its just interesting to say the least that with a little investigation/research you can actually predict human behavior. But its also scary that we are so predictably violent and intolerant.

Real Fight Club

Real Fight Club

I don't know if these people are dedicated or just don't really understand how to expend their energy...