Fri, 24 July 2009  This week Cooter joins us as we open with a lovely discussion on the newest robotic innovation: corpse eating! After that, it's the political corner as we discuss the recent nomination hearings for Sonia Sotomayor and what they reveal about the lack of discussion in this country about race, and beyond that we each take a moment to reflect on some of our little differences. From there, it's the renewed fight between Microsoft and Google before we take some time to comment on the casting choices for the Green Lantern and Jonah Hex films. Finally, the big topic as we think about what a future war will look like. The days of trenches and tanks seem to be rapidly fading, so what can we expect out of the next big conflict? Opening Music: "Alive WIP v2" by George Carpenter Closing Music: "Blau.ton" by Rauschwerk Comments[4] |
Mon, 20 July 2009   40 years go today, at 20:17 UTC, one of the greatest moments in human history unfolded before a planet that was no doubt largely riveted to their radios or televisions. In a stunning example of how fear can drive innovation, the result of the Soviet-American space race came down to three men surviving a venture that spans roughly thirty times the diameter of the planet we all share. Looking back now, there can be little doubt on how perilous and grandiose this undertaking was. From the amount of planning and coordination needed just to compute how to make the trip to our planetary dance partner to the skill and courage of the men making the actual journey, it is a story that should never fail to captivate. In this age of technology advancing at what often seems the speed of light, it's easy to overlook what the moon landing involved. At any time public support could have faltered, as it almost did after the deaths of three astronauts during a test simulation in the Apollo 1 spacecraft. Instead of sever scares such as the Apollo 13 mission, the technology could have simply not worked. In place of the brave men who made possible the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs we might have had less capable men who would have cracked under the pressure. The reality is that this was far beyond an American achievement, but instead speaks to the possibilities that we have within ourselves to make what many would think impossible happen. Regardless of our religions, nationalities, race, gender...we all share the commonality of being human beings on the planet Earth. Perhaps one day when that becomes what we as individuals define ourselves by first and foremost, the petty concerns with which so much suffering and hatred arise will fall away. It's a dream, no doubt. But so too was the notion of a human being standing on the Moon, and we sit 40 years beyond the realization of that goal. for that reason along, this is an important date to remember for all of us. Category: Blog Post -- posted at: 1:17 PM Comments[5] |
Fri, 17 July 2009 This week we're skewing heavy into the tech sector, as we talk about the recent Google Chrome OS announcement. From there we begin a bigger discussion of netbooks, laptops, the future of OS design, and the lack of innovation in both hardware and software. We also consider the fact that the big bottleneck in evolving our interaction with technology may be US, not the companies making these products. Enjoy! Opening Music: "Alive WIP v2" by George Carpenter Closing Music: "Blau.ton" by Rauschwerk Comments[1] |
Mon, 13 July 2009 Theme Music: "Nature Of The Experiment" by Tokyo Police Club Comments[1] |
Fri, 10 July 2009 This week we start off talking about animals in the world, from the cute capybara to killer pythons. From there we talk about my favorite channel, Discovery, which is starting up a new series called The Colony and paying tribute to legendary infomercial host Billy Mays. Speaking of television and fame, we get into celebrity cannibalism and how being boring can help you dodge the paparazzi. After that, it's on to companies who manufacture fake receipts and the weight of temporal elasticity versus the need for Medieval Times. Moving on, we take some time to deliberate on TV and movie advertising, and on the opposite side, the recent sale of Pirate Bay. Finally, the incredibly powerful need for style over substance when it comes to packing material. Opening Music: "Alive WIP v2" by George Carpenter Closing Music: "Blau.ton" by Rauschwerk Comments[1] |
Fri, 3 July 2009 This week we're relenting and talking, if only tangentially, about the recent death of Michael Jackson and further about the divide, if any, between artist and art. From there, it's time once again for Recently Discovered Religious Icon Showcase, this year featuring the Ark Of The Covenant! Speaking of religion, if you live in a place where most people are faithful then apparently you are free to abuse a child in the name of the dominant religion. In a complete turnabout from that story, the Supreme Court finally struck a blow in favor of civil rights this week in a case involving strip searching a 13-year-old girl. Finally, leave it to Russia to invent a great new sport: pirate hunting! Opening Music: "Alive WIP v2" by George Carpenter Closing Music: "Blau.ton" by Rauschwerk Comments[6] |
