The Bureau of Communication - Fill-in-the-blank Correspondence

On-line FORMs for all occasions. Here's a well done piece of fun. So far they've got: Declaration of Romantic Intent, Unsolicited Feedback, Observance of Holiday, Airing of Grievance, Formal Apology, Statement of Gratitude, Official Invitation, Acknowledgement of Occasion.

Press Releases 2008

14 April 2008 Here is a disconcerting report from the UK. The Soil Association documents here at length, over time and around the world, the failure of GM crops to increase food yields as Monsanto claims.

Joining 3.5 Billion Years of Microbial Invention | J. Craig Venter - FORA.tv

J. Craig Venter

Biologist, author and businessman Craig Venter discusses his work mapping and synthesizing genomes. Venter recalls his work mapping the human genome and expands on his current work.

The projects and equipment he describes are fantastic. He says it is not a matter of "creating life", but of engineering it. He is close to "booting up" a synthetic bacteria. He is intently aware of bio-ethics but listen close, he is no alarmist, and is working very hard to accomplish new things. Few are listening.

Most exciting is his plan to adapt a microbe he found on his world spanning ocean voyage on his boat. The microbe created methane with CO2 input and hydrogen for energy. He wants to make it create octane fuel directly from sequestered CO2 using sunlight for energy, and simply obsolete the need for global oil. He thinks it won't take very long either.

TED | TED Prize | Karen Armstrong | Wish: the Charter for Compassion

Charter for Compassion Karen Armstrong makes a wish to the TED conference. "I wish that you would help with the creation, launch and propagation of a Charter for Compassion, crafted by a group of leading inspirational thinkers from the three Abrahamic traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam and based on the fundamental principles of universal justice and respect." Here is the link to her talk. Compassion

Armstrong is the scholar that has brought to the public awareness, the work of Martin Marty at Chicago on fundamentalism, showing us that it is entirely a reaction to modern inequalities, injustice and social change.

"I say that religion isn't about believing things. It's ethical alchemy. It's about behaving in a way that changes you, that gives you intimations of holiness and sacredness."

3arabawy

3arabawy Amy Goodman on Democracy Now was interviewing this chap about matters Egyptian while he was visiting the US. Hossam el-Hamalawy is a left-wing Cairo journalist. This is his blog and it seems rather representative of the new lines of communication that are threading the world today. Though his focus is the Egyptian conditions of oppression under Mubarak, his communication is to the world, and in this case in English. As for a long time, the problems in Egypt are still about cotton and bread and the politics that serve the rich. Review his blog a bit and be better informed.

Classic ScobleShow » Blog Archive » Advanced Photographic Research at Stanford with Prof. Marc Levoy

Classic ScobleShow Robert Scoble is perhaps the most prolific of the Silicon Valley podcasters. He interviews the inventors, the movers and the shakers of this very creative corner of the world. This is the archive of his work. I find him one of the most efficient ways of keeping in touch with the changes and inventions that matter, and subscribe to his feed on Miro. (getmiro.com now has nearly 4000 video feeds and is the modern equivalent of journal/magazine subscription.)

This episode is Scoble at his informal, brusque best. Marc Levoy shows where "graphics" is going in some most remarkable and useful ways. (and there isn't a single mention of the game industry) The most incredible reveal is a camera where the focus of a photograph after it has been taken can be changed. The demos are just incredible.

This is university at its best, where the mutual exchange of ideas is highly synergistic, and Levoy conveys his joy of research and teaching at Stanford.

Due Up

Due Up Here is the blog of a lucky fellow who shares his carefree travels in his piper cub. The photos he takes are not only of spectacular places, but he is an artist with the camera. Add to that his sense of adventure and you get pictures of landing on Alaska glaciers and the top of mountains. Enjoy

Paul Saffo: The Secret to Effective Forecasting - FORA.tv

Paul Saffo: The Secret to Effective Forecasting - FORA.tvJan 11th, 2008. As part of The Long Now Foundation's Seminars About Long-term Thinking, technology forecaster and strategist Paul Saffo presents Embracing Uncertainty: The Secret to Effective Forecasting.

Found this delightful lecture because it contains the notion of "common sense". Here's a forecaster that actually explains his craft with examples that help. He wants us all to become our own forecasters and use more common sense. His ideas are both sensible and intriguing - like the increasing power of city states.

Hegemony of Common Sense:Interview Of Dean Manders

Hegemony of Common Sense:Interview Of Dean Manders This excellent interview of the professor/author gives great insight to "common sense" in the context of citizenship.