Prince of Persia 2: Warrior Within

Decent game. A little bit of a let down after the first Prince of Persia game. Darker, moodier, more fighting and less puzzles. I certainly hope they return to the lighter side with the third game.
http://www.princeofpersiagame.com/us/ww/home.php

Quantum Darwanism

If, as quantum mechanics says, observing the world tends to change it, how is it that we can agree on anything at all? Why doesnt each person leave a slightly different version of the world for the next person to find?
Because, say the researchers, certain special states of a system are promoted above others by a quantum form of natural selection, which they call quantum darwinism. Information about these states proliferates and gets imprinted on the environment. So observers coming along and looking at the environment in order to get a picture of the world tend to see the same preferred states.
If it wasnt for quantum darwinism, the researchers suggest in Physical Review Letters1, the world would be very unpredictable: different people might see very different versions of it. Life itself would then be hard to conduct, because we would not be able to obtain reliable information about our surroundings... it would typically conflict with what others were experiencing.
http://www.nature.com/news/2004/041220/full/041220-12.html

More Info On New Hitchikers Movie

We should expect a movie that quite differs from the books, the radio show and the TV show. The script has a new angle to the story, there are new plot elements and even a few new characters. So if you get in line on the day of the premier and is eager to see a film adaptation of the books/Radio/TV-show, you are most likely bound to become disappointed. The story is probably mostly reinvented, but rest assured that its all still Douglas Adams.
http://www.douglasadams.se/movie/

Bowmore 12

Smokey, peaty, a little too agressive but a good day-to-day scotch for cold winter nights. Little bit of chocolate and orange, not as much as the 17 of course.
http://www.whiskymag.com/whisky/brand/bowmore/whisky472.html

HomeStar Christmas

... or, Decemberween. Whatever.
http://www.homestarrunner.com/xmas04.html

500,000 Year Old Axe Found

Despite being half and million years old the tool is very well-preserved and will eventually go on show at Warwickshire Museum. Amongst other things, the hand axe would have been used for butchering animals, but what is perhaps most intriguing about it is that it is made of a type of volcanic rock called andesite.
http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/nwh/ART25245.html

New StrongBad Email

"The fish was delish and it made quite a dish."
http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail120.html

Cool Article On Leadership

Here is the very heart and soul of the matter. If you look to lead, invest at least 40% of your time managing yourself -- your ethics, character, principles, purpose, motivation, and conduct. Invest at least 30% managing those with authority over you, and 15% managing your peers. Use the remainder to induce those you "work for" to understand and practice the theory. I use the terms "work for" advisedly, for if you dont understand that you should be working for your mislabeled "subordinates," you havent understood anything. Lead yourself, lead your superiors, lead your peers, and free your people to do the same. All else is trivia.
http://pf.fastcompany.com/magazine/05/dee2.html

Top 10 Songs On My iPod

1. Take Me Out/Franz Ferdinand
2. Dear Prudance/The Beatles
3. Born Too Slow/Crystal Method
4. Are You Gonna Be My Girl/Jet
5. Anxiety/Black Eyed Peas
6. Mo Move/Underworld
7. Ur/DJ Tiesto
8. Walkie Talkie Man/Steriogram
9. Vertigo/U2
10. Stay Positive/The Streets
http://www.apple.com/itunes

Blade: Trinity

Pretty good action flick. Not as serious as the first two -- in fact very funny. In fact, Ryan Reynolds is in this one and hes hilarious. Story line is a bit dumbed down and Wesley Snipes is overshadowed by the other characters, which in my opinion is a good thing. Hes getting a bit old for the part.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0359013/

Grail Code Broken

For 250 years, the cryptic inscription has exercised the minds of Britains finest theologians, historians and scientists, including Charles Darwin, Josiah Wedgwood and, most recently, the Second World War code-breakers of Bletchley Park.
But an anonymous American researcher was credited yesterday with the best stab yet at what the letters D.O.U.O.S.V.A.V.V.M. - carved on the Shepherds Monument at Lord Lichfields Shugborough estate in Staffordshire - might actually signify.
The answer appears to be "Jesus (As Deity) Defy" - a message left by an 18th century Christian sect Priory of Sion, which was forced to keep its views secret since the Church of England thought they were heretical. On first impressions, this rather perplexing answer may disappoint those who believed the letters pointed the way to the final destination of the Holy Grail, the cup Jesus is said to have used during the Last Supper. But Shugborough Hall was holding on to its hopes last night, since the Priory of Sion was the spiritual successor to the Knights Templar, who were known as the keepers of the Holy Grail.
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/story.jsp?story=586828

House of Flying Daggers

Excellent movie, and very beautiful. Better than Crouching Tiger.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0385004/

Hero

Very, very good movie with Jet Li. Beautiful. Not quite as good as House of Flying Daggers
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0299977/

Saw

Very creative and very brutal. Grotesque but still creepy. Well done, but poorly acted. I guessed the ending as well. Worth a watch, though.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387564/

Troy

Adequate, but kind of weak. You dont really care about any of the chararacters. Too long, too -- I actually wanted Troy to fall by the end.
http://www.imdb.com/find?q=troy;tt=on;nm=on;mx=20

The Da Vinci Code

Pretty good book. Intelligent, reasonably accurate and believable. I actually read this in the UK not long after we saw Roslin Chapel for ourselves.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0385504209/qid=1099530307/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/102-2836647-7374515?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Bubba Ho-tep

What a stupid, sad movie. Very few funny scenes and not very origional except Bruce Cambell is old.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0281686/

Sky Captain and the World Of Tomorrow

Sweet, sweet flick. Exactly like being in an old movie theatre. If you like old-style sci-fi movies youll love this.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0346156/

Chronicles of Riddick

Imaginative sets, cool effects, but a dead and inexplicable story. 6/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0296572/

How the Universe Will Die

Our Sun, a relative newcomer to the Galaxy, will, like your least favorite uncle, go funny as it ages. In another five billion years or so, it will swell up, swallow a few inner planets, and boil away all that?s interesting on our world. Our descendants (presuming we have any) will relocate to a better neighborhood ? bringing along photos and artifacts for future museum exhibits on "Earth: the Planet That Was."
http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti_thursday_041021.html

Top 10 Sci-fi Films

1: Blade Runner. Nuff said.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/feature/story/0,13026,1290561,00.html

Six Big Myths Of IT

IT Myth 1: Server upgrades matter Reality: Don?t pay extra for upgradability; you?ll never need it
IT Myth 2: Eighty percent of corporate data resides on mainframes Reality: Try 50 percent, or even less
IT Myth 3: All big shops run multiple platforms Reality: This myth is closer to fact than fiction
IT Myth 4: CIOs and CTOs have a greater need for business savvy than tech expertise Reality: Tech chops matter more than ever
IT Myth 5: Most IT projects fail Reality: It all depends on how you define failure
IT Myth 6: IT doesnt scale Reality: Virtually any technology is scalable, provided you combine the right ingredients and implement them effectively
IT alligator tales Urban legends run amok in the technology world
http://www.infoworld.com/reports/33SRmythsofit.html

The Stills: Logic Will Break Your Heart

"With pretty synth lines; chiming, chugging guitar riffs; the right influences for a rock band, circa 2003 (the Smiths, Echo and the Bunnymen, the Cure , New Order, Radiohead, U2, Chameleons) and another sexy singer with a melodramatic, soaring tenor, this well-hyped Montreal band could very easily be another lame Interpol cover band. But the Stills are far more than the sum of their influences; theyve actually recorded one of the best debuts of 2003. The first clue that this band is for real lies in their songcraft--hear the soaring "Lola Stars and Stripes" once and you want to hear it again. Hear it again, and its stuck in your head all day. Check out the words ("We all need to feel secure, were so middle class/ But Im still waiting for next weeks chemical blast") and you realize Logic deals with topical issues, such as the aftermath of 9/11, in a way thats neither cheesy nor histrionic. Its definitely ironic in parts--theyve stolen the title for their moody "Lets Roll" from Neil Youngs ill-fated tune of the same name, for instance. But this is still soaring, meaningful pop music."
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000D9PI4/qid=1092752151/sr=ka-1/ref=pd_ka_1/104-0365298-3670323

Iwata Company

http://www.alpha-net.ne.jp/users2/iwataco/iwatatop_e.html

The Price Of Oil In Context

The price fluctuated through a fairly narrow band, spiking again at $30 a barrel when Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990. But after the first Gulf War, the price again headed south, hitting a low of close to $10 a barrel in the late 1990s. Since then, the trend has been up. There was a brief dip after the Americans toppled Saddam Hussein - but the price has now surpassed the highs it reached during the second Gulf War.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/oil/

Water Was On Mars For A While

The actual time span has not been estimated, but it reveals enough time to strengthen the possibilities that life could have evolved on Mars. The team is expects to spend most of this week analysing the razorback with the rovers various spectrographs.
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99996178

Coalition of the Billing

If wars for oil are bad and terror is worse, this Coalition of the Billingis a logical blend: global free-marketing at gunpoint. Its above the law,beyond the law, and worst of all, irreplaceable and utterly necessary topower the planets nations, cities, and homes. Weve suffered terror withouta country. Welcome to war without flags.
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.07/view.html?pg=4

Fujitsu Technique Hides Data In Images

Thanks Tim...
This would allow data such as phone numbers or a URL to be planted into aposter, a magazine advertisement or business card. To extract theinformation, users would just have to point their camera phone or PDA at theimage--as long as the device was configured to find the hidden message.
http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1103_2-5260241.html

Time For A Redesign

... thats causing the most problems is information architecture, which continues to be driven more by how the information is produced than by how its consumed. Intranets are usually divided up by which department does which things, as opposed to what tasks employees have, or which work activities people have.
http://www.cioinsight.com/article2/0,1397,1610163,00.asp

McClellands Highland 16 Year

I took a chance on this one, never having heard of McClellands before. Its not bad, buttery with lots of fruity flavors yet with the throatyness of a highland. I hear its a rebottling of Glen Garioch, which I also like. Suprisingly mellow. Not bad.
http://www.singlemaltscotchwhiskies.com/inventory/review/mcclellands_hi.htm

The Business of Software

OK Book. Heres some coding best practice highlights:

• Focus Creativity
1. Divide large projects into milestone cycles
2. Use a vision statement and outline feature specifications
3. Base feature selection and prioritization on user activities and data
4. Evolve a modular and horizontal design architecture
5. Control by individual commitments to small tasks and fixed project resources
• Work In parallel but synchronize continuously
1. Work in parallel teams but synch up and debug daily
2. Always have a product you can ship
3. Speak a common language
4. Continuously test as you build
5. Use metric data to determine milestone completion

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/074321580X/qid=1088791120/sr=8-1/ref=pd_ka_1/002-5581219-8642469?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Farenheight 9/11

The trailer for Michael Moores new film about Bush and 9/11. Looks amazing.
http://www.ifilm.com/filmdetail?ifilmid=2642193

Suicide by Pseudoscience

The Union of Concerned Scientists in a February report pointed out something the science press has known for years: The Bush administration has no respect for science. Ideologues prefer to make up the laws of nature as they go.
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.06/view.html?pg=4?tw=wn_tophead_3

The Brand Mindset

Good book. Genuine brands are:

internalized sum of impressions

distinctive position in minds eye

perceived functional and emotional benefits

Business Expertise (Doing things right)+
Brand Expertise (Doing the right things) =
Optimum Brand Equity
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/007134795X/qid=1086713868/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-8364830-6977448?v=glance&s=books

Working Knowledge: How Organizations Manage What They Know

Very good.

intuition is compressed expertise

dont expect software to solve all your problems

founded on mutual trust

gossip = knowledge networks updating themselves

"well stolen is half done" - proverb

a good story is often the best way to convey meaningful knowledge

cant share knowledge if there is no common language
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1578513014/qid=1086040641/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/002-0920314-4494445

Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career

Big ideas:

Explore possible selves

Craft and execute "identity experiments"

Create "small wins" that keep momentum going

Survive the rocky period between career identities

Connect with role models and mentors who can ease the transition

Make time for reflection?without missing out on windows of opportunity

Decide when to abandon the old path in order to follow the new

Arrange new events into a coherent story of who we are becoming.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1591394139/qid=1086020845/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-3188938-8156663?v=glance&s=books

Love It, Dont Leave It

A little cheezy but suprisingly practical. Big message is take charge of your career -- dont just leave if you are unhappy. Often you can change within your current company. Also included is a brief section on when to know when you have to go.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1400046831/qid=1085673965/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-3188938-8156663?v=glance&s=books

Life On Venus?

The existence of life on the planets oven-hot surface is unimaginable.
But microbes could survive and reproduce, experts say, floating in the thick, cloudy atmosphere, protected by a sunscreen of sulphur compounds.
Scientists have even submitted a proposal for a Nasa space mission to sample the clouds and attempt to return any presumed Venusians to Earth.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3746583.stm

Size Of Universe Measured

The universe is at least 156 billion light-years wide.
In the new study, researchers examined primordial radiation imprinted on the cosmos. Among their conclusions is that it is less likely that there is some crazy cosmic "hall of mirrors" that would cause one object to be visible in two locations. And theyve ruled out the idea that we could peer deep into space and time and see our own planet in its youth.
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/mystery_monday_040524.html

Sam Roberts: The Inhuman Condition

Really good disk. Good guitar pop & kick ass lyrics.
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=UIDMISS70405211201032961&sql=A2e861vj4zzxa

Leadership From Within

Id give this book a B. Interesting section on figuring out what kind of leader you are and focusing on your intrinsic values and goals, but nothing truly fab.
Some good big ideas:

The wrong decision is better than no decision

If you dont make a decision, youll waste time thinking about it

Stay focused

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0773762698/qid=1085155307/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-8839459-2352833?v=glance&s=books

Principle Centered Leadership

Not a bad audio book, but I expected more. Big ideas:

Build a high performance, high-trust culture;

Identify desired results and unify your teams to achieve those results;

Renew your leadership role and gain a better understanding of its impact on your organization.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0671792806//qid=1084978238/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-8839459-2352833?v=glance&s=books&vi=reviews

St Germain: Mezzotinto

Not a bad cd. Its a re-release of a 2004 EP. Very good chillout music. Not as good as Tourist or Boulevard but still pretty good.
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=UIDSUB040405180909133055&sql=A8baxlfheacqo

What The CEO Wants You To Know

I didnt get much out of this book.
"What the CEO wants you to know is a good get back to the basics that matter for the business executive. For any employee this book is a good view in what top management should be considering and how you can impact the companys top and bottom line (the book also covers what these terms mean)."
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0609608398/qid=1084816417/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-8839459-2352833?v=glance&s=books

Classical Budo

Simple but flexible review of the transition from training for survival (bujutsu) to training for self-perfection (budo). Good stuff.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0834802341/qid=1084732502/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1__i1_xgl14/002-3514907-4324832?v=glance&s=books

ESA About To Declare Life On Mars?

"Speculation is that already methane is a rather strong indicator life is probably present today on Mars. Just simply based on methane. ...Formaldehyde is destroyed in the Martian atmosphere within 7.5 hours. There is no way that formaldehyde can exist and remain for a long time in the Martian atmosphere. If (formaldehyde) confirmed, possibly life on Mars today, yes." - Vittorio Formisano, Ph.D., Physicist
http://www.earthfiles.com/news/news.cfm?ID=707&category=Science

A Home Test for Parallel Universes

When you think of a parallel universe, do you think of a universe, or a world, similar to ours but different in some fundamental quality. Bill Clinton, for instance, is a happily celibate priest. Or George W. Bush delights his fellow Mensa members, at parties, with his verbal games. Or, perhaps, you only have a science-fiction quality vagueness to what you think of a parallel universe: pointed ears, warp-drive through worm holes, and form fitting Lycra body suits on a thin, well-groomed crew. A parallel universe, it may surprise you to learn, is actually detectable in your own home, office, or almost anywhere indoors. All that?s required is a red laser pointer, a pin, and a piece of paper.
http://www.allsci.com/parallel.html

Crypto Experts Search For The Holy Grail

Experts from Bletchley Park are trying to crack a 250-year-old code rumoured to point the way to the Holy Grail. Specialists from the Buckinghamshire code-breaking centre hope to decipher words etched on a garden ornament at Shugborough in Staffordshire.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/staffordshire/3703191.stm

GTA 4 Screencaps Online

http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/adventure/gta4/screenindex_6097570.html

More Curve Videos Online!

Superblaster, Coast Is Clear, and Missing Link.
http://www.curve.co.uk/movieindex.html

In The Age Of The Smart Machine

Zuboff asserts that the computer is paving the way for a redistribution of authority in the workplace. Geared to managers and information-systems experts, her findings, though ponderously written, will be of value to those who want to get the most knowledge and power from computerization.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0465032117/qid%3D990751110/102-3394161-3320161

Classical Bujutsu

Lightweight but suprisingly comprehensive review of the classical bujutsu (martial arts) of Japan. Includes an interesting review of the differences between bujutsu and budo (martial ways).
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0834802333/ref=pd_bxgy_text_1/102-3394161-3320161?v=glance&s=books&st=*

The Cheat Commandos

http://www.homestarrunner.com/cheatcommando.html

First Possible Pic Of Extrasolar Planet

The subtle detections involved using a trick developed by other researchers. After taking the first image of a white dwarf and its surroundings, Hubble was rolled slightly in space and a second image was made. By comparing the two images, scattered light created by instrument imperfections can be removed, Debes explained. That way the star is reduced more closely to a point-like source. Remaining nearby points of light then emerge as either dim orbiting companions or background objects.
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/mystery_monday_040510.html

NASA: Antimatter Drives

The Phase I project was very successful. Our system analysis indicates that a 10mg instrument payload could be sent to 250 AU in 10 years using 30 milligrams of anti-hydrogen. This amount of antimatter is clearly within the product _on potential of the US within the next 40 years using currently accepted accelerator technologies. In addition, preliminary calculations also indicate that this architecture could enable a similar probe to be sent to the next star, Alpha Centaur, in 40 years using grams of antimatter. Previous investigations by JPL had concluded that _lograms of antimatter would be needed for an interstellar mission.
http://www.niac.usra.edu/files/studies/abstract/850Howe.html

The Cheating Culture

Interesting, but also obvious. People are cheating more because:

Theres less to lose

Theres more to gain

The gap between haves and have-nots is widening.

... all because of the 80s boom.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0151010188/qid=1083620440/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/103-6057925-2666242?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Digital Gunfire

The best streaming station Ive found. Excellent for coding.Industrial/electronica.
http://www.digitalgunfire.com

The Simplicity Survival Handbook

Do Less. Accomplish More.

1440. The number of minutes in the day. No more, no less. When theyre gone, theyre gone.

Do less of the corporate silliness.

Ignore more of the noise and senseless stuff that comes your way.

Spend your time and talent on what really matters.

http://www.simplerwork.com

Sweet Pic Of Saturn

Saturn and its rings completely fill the field of view of Cassinis narrow angle camera in this natural color image taken on March 27, 2004. This is the last single `eyeful of Saturn and its rings achievable with the narrow angle camera on approach to the planet. From now until orbit insertion, the rings will be larger than the cameras field of view. The image is a composite of three exposures in red, green, and blue, taken when the spacecraft was 47.7 million kilometers (29.7 million miles) from the planet. The image scale is 286 kilometers (178 miles) per pixel.
http://ciclops.lpl.arizona.edu/PR/2004D29/final.jpg

Fundamental Limits On Computation & Consciousness

The physical limits to computation have been under active scrutiny over the past decade or two, as theoretical investigations of the possible impact of quantum mechanical processes on computing have begun to make contact with realizable experimental configurations. We demonstrate here that the observed acceleration of the Universe can produce a universal limit on the total amount of information that can be stored and processed in the future, putting an ultimate limit on future technology for any civilization, including a time-limit on Moores Law. The limits we derive are stringent, and include the possibilities that the computing performed is either distributed or local. A careful consideration of the effect of horizons on information processing is necessary for this analysis, which suggests that the total amount of information that can be processed by any observer is significantly less than the Hawking-Beckenstein entropy associated with the existence of an event horizon in an accelerating universe.
http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0404510

Scientific American: The White House Bends Science To Its Will

The administration misrepresented the findings of the National Academy of Sciences and other experts on climate change. It meddled with the discussion of climate change in an Environmental Protection Agency report until the EPA eliminated that section. It suppressed another EPA study that showed that the administrations proposed Clear Skies Act would do less than current law to reduce air pollution and mercury contamination of fish. It even dropped independent scientists from advisory committees on lead poisoning and drug abuse in favor of ones with ties to industry.
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa006&colID=2&articleID=0001E02A-A14A-1084-983483414B7F0000

Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done

This book was OK, nothing too groundbreaking. Basically insist upon realism and make sure of the details when someone says that they can get something done.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0609610570/qid=1083123101/sr=8-1/ref=pd_ka_1/002-3514907-4324832?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

The White Stripes: Elephant

This is not bad. A mix of 70s rock and 80s punk with some good lyrics. Songs range from boring to excellent. Id give it a B+.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00008J4P5/qid=1083118901/sr=8-1/ref=pd_ka_1/002-3514907-4324832?v=glance&s=music&n=507846

Fierce Conversations

This book is about having the courage and finesse to have difficult conversations. Some good ideas. Some good quotes:

"As a leader, you get what you tolerate"

"I have not yet witnessed a spontaneous recovery from incompetance."

"Hire attitude. Train skill."

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0425193373/qid=1083095967/sr=8-1/ref=pd_ka_1/102-0027190-5299331?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Balvenie Doublewood

Bought another bottle of the Balvenie Doublewood. I just cant stay away from this Scotch, especially for its price range.
http://timmyp.typepad.com/the_tasting_room/2004/01/the_balvenie_do.html

Old Computers Site

Found http://old-computers.com -- hilarious.My first PC was a Sinclair ZX-80, I cant believe I was coding databases out to audio cassette tape with this thing when I was 10 or 11.

My second PC was a bad boy, even by the time my dad let me have it -- a Tandy Model 100. The first laptop with a built in 300 baud modem! I was into the local phone and power companies with this thing when I was 12.

Next came the Apple II+ and Apple IIe of course. Although it wasnt mine -- my juniour high was one of the first in canada to have a computer lab. Wrote some sweet basic on this unit:
http://www.old-computers.com

First Bank Transfer Using Quantum Cryptography

Quantum cryptography is a superior technology which overcomes limitations and drawbacks of classical cryptographic schemes by utilizing quantum physical effects.The appeal of quantum cryptography is that its security is based on the laws of nature. In contrast to existing classical schemes of Key Distribution, Quantum Key Distribution does not invoke the transport of the key, since it is created at the sender and receiver site immediately. Furthermore, the key is created from a completely random sequence, which is in general an extremely diffcult task in classical schemes. Finally, eavesdropping is easily detected due to the fragile nature of the qubits invoked for the quantum key distribution.
http://www.quantenkryptographie.at/

Neal Stephenson Interview

The author of "Cryptonomicon" and the "Baroque Cycle" talks about the brighter side of Puritanism, the feud between Newton and Leibniz, and the literary worlds grudge against science fiction.
http://www.salon.com/books/int/2004/04/21/stephenson/index_np.html

New Strong Bad Email

http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail101.html

Dilemma: Bring Doctor Who Back?

Next year Doctor Who, the long-running British science-fiction serial, will return to television after an absence of 15 years. The people who are happiest about this are, naturally, the vast subculture that is Doctor Who fandom. But many of the same fans have greeted the news with foreboding, even though none of them has seen the new series and thus had a chance to be disappointed with it yet. Why would someone be dismayed to learn that his favorite show is returning to the air? The answer should tell us something about the nature of pop culture, and the relationship between those who produce it and those who consume it.
http://www.reason.com/links/links040804.shtml

The Experience Economy

Excellent book. Some key take aways:

• Work is theatre.
• Act with intention.
• Cut 95% of unnecessary tasks.
• The customer is the product.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0875848192/qid=1081181234/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-3679236-6348920?v=glance&s=books

Valis

Phenominal book by Philip K. Dick.
Imagine Jean-Paul Sartre and William Gibson dropping acid and debating the nature and existance of god.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0679734465/qid=1081138384/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/002-3514907-4324832

Re-imagine!

Some of his ideas, like the unlimited potential of the Internet, have begun to wear a bit thin, while others need overhauling thanks to the recession. There are strong chapters on the spending power of women and the need to restructure the American education system, but not all the new twists are as satisfying.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/078949647X/qid=1081138294/sr=8-1/ref=pd_ka_1/002-3514907-4324832?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Maybe The Musics Just Lousy?

"My conclusions, in a nutshell, are that MP3 downloading does appear to be causing harm. No other explanations that have been put forward seem to be able to explain the decline in sales that have occurred since 1999," Liebowitz said, referring to songs downloaded to digital music players. "Still, it is not clear that the harm will be fatal."
http://www.wired.com/news/print/0,1294,62871,00.html

Methane on Mars == Life?

Evidence pointing to possible alien life on Mars today has been suggested by the recent methane detected in the atmosphere of the Red Planet by the European Mars Express spacecraft and confirmed by Earth-based telespcope observations. Michael Mumma of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, when asked if the methane was biological in origin, said "I think it is, myself personally." in a report posted on Slashdot. The discovery of past oceans of salty water by one of the two Mars Exploration Rovers recently adds scientific excitement to the confirmed discovery of atmospheric methane raising human hopes of finding life on Mars. Methane exists only brifely in the Mars atmosphere and must be replinished frequently to be sustained with two working theories now before scientists: living microbes or active volcanoes. Methane has a relatively short lifetime on Mars for atmospheric gases, about 300 years or so, scientists believe there must be some process at work to keep replenishing its concentration in the atmosphere.
http://www.mywisecounty.com/news/033004-1.htm

We Are In An Extintion Event

According to scientists, there have been five prior mass extinctions in the past 450 million years. The last was 65 million years ago, when the dinosaurs and tens of thousands of species disappeared, likely as a result of a comet or large asteroid hitting the Earth. Theres no great mystery about the cause of the sixth extinction. Humans have dramatically altered the ecosystems of the Earth, says Stuart Pimm, a leading conservation biologist at Duke University.
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,62735,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_1

StrongBads Hundreth Email

http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemailahundred.html

Hubbles Deepest View Ever of the Universe Unveils Earliest Galaxies

Thanks Tim...
Download the full resolution image here.
view the animation of the Field of View of Hubbles Advance Camera for Surveys Ultra Deep Field here.
For more hit hubblesite.
http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/releases/2004/07/

The Hunt for Zero Point : Inside the Classified World of Antigravity Technology

For all intents and purposes, a rant on the possible technology recovered from the Germans in WWII and its theoretical next-generation classified applications today. Short on details and tall on speculation, an interesting read nevertheless.
From amazon.com:

The Hunt for Zero Point explores the scientific speculation that a "zero point" of gravity exists in the universe and can be replicated here on Earth. The pressure to be the first nation to harness gravity is immense, as it means having the ability to build military planes of unlimited speed and range, along with the most deadly weaponry the world has ever seen. The ideal shape for a gravity-defying vehicle happens to be a perfect disk, making antigravity tests a possible explanation for the numerous UFO sightings of the past 50 years.Chronicling the origins of antigravity research in the worlds most advanced research facility, which was operated by the Third Reich during World War II, The Hunt for Zero Point traces U.S. involvement in the project, beginning with the recruitment of former Nazi scientists after the war. Drawn from interviews with those involved with the research and who visited labs in Europe and the United States, The Hunt for Zero Point journeys to the heart of the twentieth centurys most puzzling unexplained phenomena.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0767906284/qid=1079374670/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-5862973-0424625?v=glance&s=books

Alpha and Omega: The Search for the Beginning and End of the Universe

Interesting book in a Brief History of Time kind of way. A romp through cosmological theory, ending in string theory. A good read, but you should check out The Elegant Universe, Minds, Machines, and the Multiverse and Just Six Numbers as companions.
From amazon.com:
Alpha and Omega is a dispatch from the front lines of the cosmological revolution that is being waged at observatories and laboratories around the world-in Europe, in America, and even in Antarctica-where scientists are actually peering into both the cradle of the universe and its grave. Scientists-including galaxy hunters and microwave eavesdroppers, gravity theorists and atom smashers, all of whom are on the trail of dark matter, dark energy, and the growing inhabitants of the particle zoo-now know how the universe will end and are on the brink of understanding its beginning. Their findings will be among the greatest triumphs of science, even towering above the deciphering of the human genome. This is the book you need to help understand the frequent front-page headlines heralding dramatic cosmological discoveries. It makes cutting-edge science both crystal clear and wonderfully exciting.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0670031798/qid=1079374402/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-5862973-0424625?v=glance&s=books

The End Of Time

An interesting idea: time doesnt exist, the perception of time is simply the universe sliding down the hill of entropy. Failed to compel me, the idea of encapsulating time into instantaneous time capsules seems intuitively incorrect.
From amazon.com:
The "End of Time" devotes many pages to arguments in favour of the authors thesis, in a way that will bore the general reader but is unlikely to convince the physicist. Near the end of the book my feeling was ok ok you win, just tell me the implications, but thats the problem, the author refuses to speculate, possibly on the spurious grounds that predictions are impossible in a world without time. In summary a long, confusing and eventually a frustrating read.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0195145925/qid=1079374132/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_3/103-5862973-0424625?v=glance&s=books

The Art Of Happines At Work

Listened to this on my iPod, fully agree with the following review from Amazon.com:
The Art of Happiness at Work is a modern-day Socratic dialogue in which Cutler asks the Dalai Lama about the difficulties and rewards we might encounter in the workplace. The authors explore issues such as work and identity, making money, the Buddhist concept of "right livelihood," and transforming dissatisfaction at work. The discussion appears simple, if not obvious, at first, but upon closer scrutiny, the Dalai Lamas profound wisdom and sensitivity emerges. For the Dalai Lama, basic human values such as kindness, tolerance, compassion, honesty, and forgiveness are the source of human happiness. Throughout the book, he illustrates with clear examples how bringing those qualities to bear on work-related challenges can help us tolerate or overcome the most thorny situations. Recognizing that not all problems can be solved, the Dalai Lama provides very sound advice. The authors urge balance and self-awareness and wisely state, "No matter how satisfying our work is, it is a mistake to rely on work as our only source of satisfaction."
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1573222615/qid=1078956592/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-4484612-1776934?v=glance&s=books

Who Owns Tomorrow?

Some good stuff from a Canadian futurist:
- The rising power of the knowledge worker
- Continuous training replaces job security; respect is rare, but produces loyalty
- Data mining and the golden customer
- Seek Clarity, Not Facts
- Knowledge is power, but information is a curse
- Customized media, fragmented society
- Watch for Falling Governments

http://www.futuresearch.com/tomorrow.php

The Path to Enlightenment

For the last forty years, the Tibetan government has been exiled in India. In 1959 the new Communist Chinese government forced the non-violent Tibetan Buddhist government, lead by the fourteenth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, to flee the land in preparation to overtake the Tibetan people. In his years in exile the Dalai Lama has written literature on the Tibetan Buddhist way of life, not only to attract the Buddhist population but the worlds religions. This life is one of clarity, love, and good deeds. Path to Enlightenment, which is a commentary on the third Dalai Lamas Essence of Refined Gold, gives spiritual advice through the eyes of Buddhist over a span of many years, defining the life of a Tibetan Buddhist. The writing of Tenzin Gyatso and Sonam Gyatso together is showing us Buddhas principal on the path to enlightenment. ALong with defining the Lam Rim, which are the stages on the spiritual path. His holiness described the difficulty of attaining Nirvana(full Buddhahood), but urges determination. Path to Enlightenment makes one aware of the steps that must be taken in advance for the true inner peace., while giving up the expectation of a quick fix to a problem. The Dalai Lama explains how to cultivate a persons own meditative concentration, to give the mind a clear state. A person has to train their mind to discipline themselves, but enlightenment is feasible by any human being.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1559390328/qid=1078345041/sr=1-4/ref=sr_1_4/103-1586376-7306229?v=glance&s=books

Stillness Speaks

In Stillness Speaks, best-selling author Eckhart Tolle illuminates the fundamental elements of his teaching, addressing the needs of the modern seeker by drawing from all spiritual traditions. At the core of the book is what the author calls "the state of presence," a living in the "now" that is both intensely inspirational and practical. When the pressures of future and past thinking disappear, fear and frustration also vanish, conquered by the moment. Stillness Speaks takes the form of 200 individual entries, organized into 10 topic clusters that range from "Beyond the Thinking Mind" to "Suffering and the End of Suffering." The entries are concise and complete in themselves, but, read together, take on a transformative power.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/157731400X/qid=1078344945/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-1586376-7306229?v=glance&s=books

The One Minute Manager

The One-Minute Manager, adapted from Blanchards classic book which sold more than a million copies, is a parable about a young man in search of world-class management skills. The authors message is so simple its brilliant: a "One-Minute Manager" achieves positive results with a minimum of time and effort by being communicative and consistent. Areas covered include goal-setting, motivating, training, praising and even reprimanding employees. Key points are effectively recapped by co-author Johnson at the end of the CD.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0425098478/ref=pd_sbs_eb_1/103-1586376-7306229?v=glance&s=ebooks

Secret Tactics

This book is a very deep research text. It comprehensively unites, comments on and extends past writings on martial arts.Beautiful calligraphies notwithstanding, it is not a work for the coffee table. In an attempt to properly understand the content, this reader was slowed down to about three pages a day. In turn, rewards are sweet and plentiful. Master Tabata characterizes clearly how the basic tenets and spiritual practice of martial arts are different from other strands of eastern philosophical and religious traditions. This book will be seminal, as it combines scholarly rigour and original insight to establish martial arts as an independent spiritual system. It traces its roots in India and East Asia but highlights its original contributions over traditional Buddhist or Confuzian beliefs and ideals. It also gives helpful advice on how to beat up your opponent in a match.This book is indispensable for any instructor or serious practitioner of martial arts. It will be the standard reference work for anyone trying to discover the meaning and foundations of martial arts.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0804834881/qid=1078344759/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-1586376-7306229?v=glance&s=books

Auchentoshan 10 Yr

Picked this up at the Scotch tasting this weekend at Willow Park. For a ten year, its very mellow and smooth. Hints of citrus and heather, yet distinctively a lowland. Triple distilled.
http://www.whiskyclassified.com/auchentoshan.html

New StrongBad Email

http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail98.html

The Computer at Natures Core

Ironically, the most significant consequence of the view that the natural world is computational may be the death of the notion that technology is applied science. If both the physical universe and the biological world are best understood in terms of information and computation - concepts that arise from the artificial world of technology - it no longer makes sense to think that technology results from an application of science. Indeed, if computation is the basis of all nature, then science is just applied technology.If thats the case, then science becomes less purely contemplative and more purposeful, and as fraught with social and political goals as technology is. Scientific theories are more properly viewed not as discoveries but as human constructions. Its already happening in physics: Philosopher of science Andrew Pickering suggests that the quark, which in its unbound state has not - and some say cannot - be observed, should be regarded as a scientific invention rather than an actual particle. In the future, we may come to see the second law of thermodynamics (entropy) as a consequence of information theory and not the other way around. And if science is a subset of technology, our system of research support will definitely have to change. Maybe well get that National Engineering Foundation after all.
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.02/view.html?pg=2?tw=wn_tophead_5

Bright Eyes: Lifted

Nebraskan wunderkind Conor Oberst writes songs so naked and heartfelt they make you feel like a voyeur just listening to them. This precocious singer-songwriter croons with the astonished intensity of a homeless Robert Smith singing for his supper. And his bands fourth album is every bit as lyrical, sprawling, and pretentious as its title. The production is notably brighter and crisper than previous efforts, with some songs, notably "Nothing Gets Crossed Out," lushly swathed in sweet-sounding strings. When Lifted is great, as on the slow-churning anthem "From a Balance Beam," its superb, visionary pop music, on par with Jeff Mangum, Phil Elvrum, and Daniel Johnston--and on occasion, Dylan. Unfortunately, half the songs sprawl on too long or revisit the same themes too frequently. Still, anyone who can operate a fast-forward button will find much to enjoy on this vital, messy masterpiece.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00006FRN7/qid=1075782155/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/103-0251204-3527055

The Rapture: Echoes

"Owing Much to Gang of Four, the Cure, David Bowie and P.i.l., The Rapture Are One Retro Band that Even a Jaded Postpunker Can Learn to Love. Here is the Stuff with which So Many have Waited for So Long to Hear. Though They Clearly Do Live Sampling (Could They Be Any More Blatant Than the Drum Beat on "Open Up Your Heart"?), Its Easy to Forgive Here Because There is So Much Meat on These Bones and it is Served Well Done. Give it a Listen, You Wont Regret It!"
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000C83MI/qid=1075782094/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/103-0251204-3527055

Current Scotch: Balvenie Doublewood 12 Yr

An excellent gift from Jason. Very clean speyside, citrusy. Not aggressive. Great nose.
http://www.queenannewine.com/baldoubsinma.html

Big Musics Worst Move Yet

One has to admit: The RIAA sure is tenacious in pursuing its strategy. What it doesnt seem to realize, though, is that it has already lost the war. The recording industrys hardball tactics have fueled a technological shift thatll make it nearly impossible to pursue file swappers in the future.
How so? The culture of fear and loathing that the RIAA has created is starting to put encryption on the must-have list of every Joe and Jane Internet user. The results will be wide-ranging and will pose a threat to the movie industry, the software industry, and just about any other industry involved with the creation and sale of intellectual property.
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jan2004/tc20040127_2819_tc047.htm

New Mars Rock Found

Scientists say the fragments are magmatic rocks. Magmatism is the main process by which water moves from the core of planets to their surface. From a magma chamber below Mars "It is a remarkable experience to hold it in your hand," Bruno Fectay said. "When you hold it you are in a Martian magmatic chamber, deep in a volcano under the surface of Mars. "We will never be able to go to such a place. This rock is our passport." Further analysis will help clarify the processes that produced magmas on Mars, and perhaps make it possible to estimate the quantity of fluids - and therefore water - released by volcanic activity on the planet in the past.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3414143.stm

Esthero: Breath From Another

Excellent downtempo electronica CD. Good for chillin, good for codin. Worth a listen.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000062H5/qid=1074135492//ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i0_xgl15/102-0919677-4322560?v=glance&s=music&n=507846

Bill Jensen: Work 2.0

Excellent read. Turns out us creative knowledge workers dont form a pool, we form a puddle, one that is drying rapidly. We are in demand in a low economy more than ever. Time to stand up and demand ROI for our investment in the company, not the other way around.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0738208043/qid=1074135335/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-0919677-4322560?v=glance&s=books

Po Bronson: What Should I Do With My Life?

Listened to this audiobook on my iPod. A rambling stream of consciousness list of stories about people that have asked this question, from the very human to the sublime. Very good food for thought, a touchstone in amidst the confusion of life.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0375758984/qid=1074135148//ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i0_xgl14/102-0919677-4322560?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

New StrongBad Email

http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail94.html

The Art Of Deception

This book wasnt so hot. Rambling, presenting the same ideas over and over. Simple message: tell people at your company to not give any info out over the phone or email, ever. Ill save you the 300 pages. Skip this one.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0471237124/qid=1073328543//ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i0_xgl14/002-3126239-4140041?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Rethinking the Future

This book is about companies re-inventing themselves from the ground up. Its official: heirarchies are dead. Take charge of the future to to make sense of the change. Redifine yourself. "If you think youre good, youre dead." "Capitalism depends upon people working terribly hard to make other people rich." Our corporate culture has thus lost its idealism. We need to get it back. We are giving society a mind of its own -- thats why it seems out of control. A very cool read.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1857881087/qid=1073328092//ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/002-3126239-4140041?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Stardust Takes Pics Of Comet

Team Stardust, NASAs first dedicated sample return mission to a comet, passed a huge milestone today by successfully navigating through the particle and gas-laden coma around comet Wild 2 (pronounced "Vilt-2"). During the hazardous traverse, the spacecraft flew within 240 kilometers (149 miles) of the comet, catching samples of comet particles and scoring detailed pictures of Wild 2s pockmarked surface. "Things couldnt have worked better in a fairy tale," said Tom Duxbury, Stardust project manager at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. "These images are better than we had hoped for in our wildest dreams," said Ray Newburn of JPL, a co-investigator for Stardust. "They will help us better understand the mechanisms that drive conditions on comets." "These are the best pictures ever taken of a comet," said Principal Investigator Dr. Don Brownlee of the University of Washington, Seattle. "Although Stardust was designed to be a comet sample return mission, the fantastic details shown in these images greatly exceed our expectations." The collected particles, stowed in a sample return capsule onboard Stardust, will be returned to Earth for in-depth analysis. That dramatic event will occur on January 15, 2006, when the capsule makes a soft landing at the U.S. Air Force Utah Test and Training Range. The microscopic particle samples of comet and interstellar dust collected by Stardust will be taken to the planetary material curatorial facility at NASAs Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, for analysis.
http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/solarsystem/stardust_update.html

Spirits Healthy On Mars

"Its a place almost ... tailor-made for our vehicle," Mars Exploration Rover chief mission investigator Steve Squyres said. "Its a glorious crater. We have hit what the science team believes is the scientific sweet spot." The pictures, taken at mid-afternoon Mars time, show a vast expanse of what appears to be desert extending to the horizon in every direction. The scientists were intrigued by dust-filled hollows they said may be one of the rovers first stops. They also were trying to gauge the distance to a series of ridges.
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,61785,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_5