Month: July 2005

  • The Web in context

    Check out Kevin Kelly’s article at Wired about the historical context of the web. He makes some interesting points about the influence of commercialization of the web, the shift in how content is created, and the way it functions as an extension of the human mind.

  • On the merits of video games

    Steven Johnson writes in the LA Times about how violent video games are actually making kids smarter and safer – as opposed to “a game that instills aggressive thoughts in the minds of its players, some of whom have gone on to commit real-world acts of violence and sexual assault after playing” – high school…

  • NASA rant

    Have you been following the space news? While the shuttle awaits its long-delayed launch, Congress has approved a $36 billion NASA budget for the next two years. The bulk of NASA’s budget is devoted to Pres. Bush’s “Vision for Space Exploration” – a plan to establish bases on the Moon and Mars and finding a…

  • Racial traits in cartoons across cultures

    I noticed an interesting difference between the racial traits of American and Japanese cartoon characters today. Japanese cartoon characters do not have racial distinctions as American carton characters do. Americans viewers often assume that the large-eye style and varied hair and skin color of anime characters refers to Caucasian traits, but this is not true.

  • DEA thugs find more lives to ruin

    I normally don’t bother ranting about the evils of the “drug war” but this is just insane: after five years of ignoring the trade in “research chemicals,” the government is sentencing the vendors to life in prison for selling psycodelic drugs online. These are not stereotypical drug dealers – they are individuals who privately manufactured…

  • Forget cameras – spy device will cut drivers’ speed by satellite

    IT IS the ultimate back seat driver. Motorists face having their cars fitted with a “spy” device that stops speeding. The satellite-based system will monitor the speed limit and apply the brakes or cut out the accelerator if the driver tries to exceed it. A government-funded trial has concluded that the scheme promotes safer driving.…

  • Amazing!

    Google Earth 3.0 – a free download. This brilliant app provides hours of earth-surfing fun.

  • Reason Papers Archives Online

    I recently redesigned the website for the academic journal Reason Papers to help Stephan Kinsella‘s project of putting up 30 years (25 online issues) online in PDF format. Reason Papers is a mix of essays on economics, politics, ethics and philosophy. Check it out!