Venus Burn

Back, forward looking

2010-12-16T09:56:00.000-08:00

I'm back after a fall hiatus. Let's go 2011!!

Solution Symmetry by O.J. Caldon

2010-06-10T17:35:00.000-07:00

Solution, though elusive, I think is to encourage the study of math and the study of spelling of one's own name. After conferring with my neighbors - who are well-to-do in the center of Cambridge and who are a bit older than me, whom has not completed a master's degree yet - the aforementioned observation, I supposed that city administrations ought to encourage their communities to review math like algebra or arithmetic. A fellow state citizen recommended the lost generations practice spelling names, such as Megan Van De Geisen. (Did I spell that correctly? My computer doesn't have a horizontal half-space.)

So, this criteria for those who were in fourth grade in the year 2000 and including those who were in college at age 26 but who are now at least 28. If this, then rest of us must keep up unconditionally or the youth will be better than us.

Problem Population

2010-06-10T17:13:00.000-07:00

Problem these days is that for the 8 years of George W. Bush's presidency the youth graduating high school at age 18 drifted w/o college. That means that as of the year 2000 we the American people endured a young adult - youth - population of college looking years which graced through American commerce, buying according to it's new credit, good credit (startup $1000, pay late, lttle bit, please, please a little more??) all that was needed to keep up with mom & pop who pay rent &/or mortgage. They got $10.00 to $14.00 "minimum" wage jobs doing security or fast food or non-entry point jobs, showing up late, or not at all, putting in the minimum. They get off work & always on the cellphone. They're addicted to it. They use it so much it has a static electricity magnet from the sticky fingers to the negative side of the head. Those who made it to college for whatever reason took no scholarships but got school loans - manual instant electronic application with 2 handwritten personal references (non-confirmed, unchecked) - paying at least $45,000 over the course of 4 years (8 year presidency term). That's just the loan; that's not additional independent school loan; that's not additional independent school loan plus Pell grant + any misc. grant or same-day cross lender Bank unchecked funnel . Then, credit-card credit; plus a petty penny from mom or dad when car gas price go up (forgot about that one?). Now we're out of school, no job profession will have us - next goodest thing - medicine - it pays the most. If I don't get medicine, well, there's always the Law. "Thank God I have a laptop. I'll just use my friend's cellphone if needed." Problem nowadays is that academic honesty was not enforced in schools for 8 years. Nor were students pushed to make A's. Those that were honest went to Iraq, I guess.

Failing America's Faithful by Mikky Snow

2010-06-10T17:01:00.000-07:00

Book Review

Kathleen Kennedy Townsend's book "Failing America's Faithful" appears to have been sent to press without having been proof-read more than once. Why? First of all, there is a typo on the book-jacket front. [Well, "typo" isn't really the right word, if I don't change the word "typo" it's because I didn't have a chance to look this review over before continuing.] [The typo: two words need to be inter-changed in the subtitle.] These two words are: "God" and "Politics." Now watch folks as I give the subtitle: "How Today's Churches Are Mixing God with Politics and Losing Their Way." The ending? Hmm,...was Townsend educated in the South or something? The Confederacy was big on polar opposite vocabulary to that of the North. I know because I've been around that area. Anyway, I'll leave the mathematics to you. You do the math. Now. See what I'm talking about? Should go "Politics with God" for many different reasons. Man, I just spent one hour typing out this book review yet I didn't have time to finish three whole points. Maybe better luck next book review.

Bullock Cop Goes Postalby K Mak

2010-06-07T08:42:00.000-07:00

At 7:00am this morning, I walked into the Central Square U.S. Post Office in Cambridge, Massachussetts. The service desk where the postal clerks usually are was closed. Damn. It occurred to me that if I really needed anything, I could always try at the customer service window at the far left of the post office intake area.

So I walked around a little inside. Observed, I did, the shipping products section like I always do, looking for something new. Two boys looking. I spotted some loose labels. Bruce Sterling. After seeing that the price for two was $.69 each, I checked how much money I had on me. I had only planned to buy a stamp. Fortunately, I had enough money with me to purchase more than what I had intended in the first place.

I used a label. When I was finished addressing it, I found that there was nowhere to pay for it. I buzzed the customer service representative, a woman with, boy on the right looking, with short blond hair but she never looked at me from behind the glass;

rather, she glancedat me then turned to the side and walked away behind the glass window.It was 7:15am.
I had about fifteen minutes until the main clerk counter opened. So, I then sorted through my papers I had with me and jotted down some stories I thought I would like to work on today [the story list will follow this article].

At last the clerk counter opened [it was 7:30] and about 8 people poured through the main door. I kept letting each one get ahead of me even though I had been third or fourth in line. Something was making me uncomfortable about them and the postal clerk was looking at me weird.

Then the heat came on but I couldn't tell because I prefer AC.

I huffed and puffed and went over to the customer service window at the left side of the room.

There, from behind a desk a guy wearing a blue pin-striped, short-sleeve shirt hanging out over dark pants said I could pick up my mail at that post office location via a 30 day service called General Delivery.

It's a postal service for those doing business in an area temporarily. Many people use the service when moving to a new area and are apartment hunting. That postal clerk was not wearing a name tag, but neither was the black lady standing to his right, I think.

So this clerk tells me, "You need to talk to my supervisor," and reaches for a button on the phone. I tell him, "I don't need to speak to your supervisor, you're doing the job fine. Then he said, then I said, and round and round we went talking until I agreed with him and out pops his supervisor, Fran. His name was Michael.

Anyway, then I went back over to the postal clerk counter, paid for the labels and bought a stamp. Mr. Kendall, the clerk, gave me a purple heart stamp.

Coming stories in the next few days, weeks, and months include:
U.S. Dept. of Education
Student Loan Revampment
Food Prices
Minimum Wage
Human Genome
MIT Tech newspaper/MIT Police Dept.
Social Security

Stay tuned folks!!!!!!!!! :P

Titty Ditty trying to steal my story

2010-06-07T08:40:00.000-07:00

>From "Ms." Oct. 1987.

(In response to those who complain that feminism doesn't take
homemaking seriously enough as work):

"Six months ago I too was a self-described "happy homemaker" I baked
bread, grew roses, played with my toddler. Then I woke one morning and
found my husband ( and our car, our stereo, our checkbook, etc.) gone.
I was COMPLETELY surprised; I had assumed he was as happy as I was!

"I had to immediately find a job (which pays a third what his does);
arrange for day care: try to scrape together enough money for food,
mortgage, and utilities.

"Housewife is NOT a valid career option because you have no control
over your own life. If you lose your husband you can't go down to the
employment agency and apply for another one!"

Lenona.

At 7:00am this morning, I walked into the Central Square U.S. Post Office. The service desk where the postal clerks usually are was closed. Damn. It occurred to me that if I really needed anything, I could always try at the customer service window at the far left of the post office intake area.

So I walked around a little inside. Observed, I did, the shipping products section like I always do, looking for something new. Two boys looking. I spotted some loose labels. Bruce Sterling. After seeing that the price for two was $.69 each, I checked how much money I had on me. I had only planned to buy a stamp. Fortunately, I had enough money with me to purchase more than what I had intended in the first place.

I used a label. When I was finished addressing it, I found that there was nowhere to pay for it. I buzzed the customer service representative, a woman with, boy on the right looking, with short blond hair but she never looked at me from behind the glass;

rather, she glancedat me then turned to the side and walked away behind the glass window.It was 7:15am.
I had about fifteen minutes until the main clerk counter opened. So,

Individuals with Dis Fareby Mikky D. Hoffman

2010-06-05T10:33:00.000-07:00

U.S. Code Online via GPO Access states new laws in effect as of January 3, 2007. Title 42, Chapter 126, Subchapter III documents that discrimination in specified public transportation services provided by private entities, such as the Metropolitan Boston Trans... (MBTA), is prohibitted. Required purchase of photo I.D., or identity, cards for inviduals with disabilities as a means of identifying them and their disabilities is illegal. According to U.S. Code Online, http://www.gpoaccess.gov/, general rule:

"No individual shall be discagainst on the basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment of specified public transportation services provided by a private entity that is primarily engaged in the business of transporting people and whose operations affect commerce."

In the city of Boston, Massachusetts, persons with disabilities are forced to use turnstyle entry points to the subway labeled "reduced Fare" in large letters. Senior citizens and students with reduced fares also use these gate points. Sometimes, public transportation customers are requested to present this I.D. card to MBTA train and bus operators.

Title 42--The Public Health and Welfare of the U.S. Code Online states that:

"the imposition or application by an entity described in the general rule of this section of eligibility criteria that screen out or tend to screen out an individual with a disability or any class of individuals with disabilities from fully enjoying the specified public transportation services provided by the entity, unless such criteria can be shown to be necessary for the provision of the services being offered."

One subway rider who did not appear to be disabled said, "I was forced to pay reduced fare with an I.D., or identity, card even though I was able to pay full fare without one."

These I.D., or identity, cards can be tracked anywhere in the MBTA transportation system. Application for an I.D. card requires the applicant to disclose medical information and income documentation in order to obtain this service benefit. The individual card may sometimes serve as legal proof of identity for business transactions.

Email public record 6/3/2010

2010-06-03T07:43:00.000-07:00

Email Public Record 6/3/10
by Diana Vieson

Sandra Albano, Executive Assistant to the City Counsel of Cambridge, reported to a Cambridge resident that email in the United States - i.e. person to person - is public record as of today, June 3, 2010. Thus, said a female City Clerk representative, passwords are not necessarily neccessary but may be used. Albano made her statement in response to an inquiry into whether volunteer positions are available for the city of Cambridge councilmembers. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the seat of Academic power in the United States and is a strongly valued authority source around the globe

Steve Jobs rocks!

2010-05-18T12:50:00.000-07:00

Date from Hell

2010-03-10T08:09:00.000-08:00

When most people think of getting something to eat on, say, a first date, they usually think of going to a safe joint like a pizza place or a cafe. Following this train of thought it might seem that a place like McDonalds would be okay, right?

Well, I considered what a date at a place like the Cheesecake Factory might be like, menu-wise, and transferred the menu choices to a less pricey McDonalds palate. It would go something like this:

Drinks and Appetizers:
2 medium cokes $4.00
2 Ceasar salads $10.00
(no such thing as McSoup) - $0.00

Entrees:
1 Big Mac (guy) - $3.00
1 6-piece chicken McNuggets - $3.00
1 Quarter pounder (gal) - $3.00
1 Fish filet $4.00
2 large fries - $4.00
2 Coke refills (?) - $3.00

Dessert & Coffee:
2 Apple pie - $1.00
2 Strawberry shake - $4.00
2 McCappacinoes - $6.00
2 McCoffee refills - $2.00

This comes to a rough grand total of:
$50.00, if you want to be cheapo.

I dunno. I'm sick of figuring.
Where's an extension cord?

Pizza Pie Electric

2010-03-09T16:16:00.000-08:00

Eating is possibly one of the most disgusting things people can do. Who the hell thought up eating in groups? Y'know, it's like, maybe, four people get together and decide together that they want a pizza pie with all the toppings extra cheese. Then this 2-foot circumference plate, hot, comes out of a back room and all hands dig in. The cheese stretches from pan to mouth while bits of green pepper and mushroom fall to the lap. Mouths are stuffed and nothing is left but cornmeal crumbs. DISGUSTING!!

Now what I'd like to see is something like Electric Food. Let's replay our little scenario using electric food technology. First, a group of friends get together and decide they'd like a pizza pie with everything. Next, a pan comes from the back of a restaurant trailed by an electric cord. Then, everyone in the group surrounds the pan, which has been placed on a table of medium height. Everyone is exposed to an electric smell which is inhaled tremendously. The image of the pizza pie flickers on the hot plate and suddenly disappears. NO MESS, NO FUSS! Cokes all around.

Cross Walkers

2010-03-09T16:01:00.000-08:00

WHAT has come over this American nation?!!? To be more specific, why is it that everytime I walk down the street there is always some pedestrian traffic trying to cut me off? It's like this: I'll be walking down the street when suddenly oncoming foot traffic directly crosses in front of me to walk on _my_ right side.

Y'know, it's like when I was growing up in school we kids used to get videoes that showed how to walk down the street without getting hit by automobile traffic. Now, though, it seems, that there is an undercurrent movement to walk deliberately on the right of oncoming traffic. That is, against traffic. It seems that pedestrians in Boston just don't know even how to drive. I need to have a one-on-one personal chat with President Obama.

ChipCharles&Kate

2010-02-24T12:03:00.001-08:00

ChipCharles&Kate
Originally uploaded by astrokatmack.

Charles Stross sat across a table from me at Boskone 2010. When we all started exchanging names, he said very casually, "I'm Charlie." Then as we all chowed down on food he said, "I'm Charles Stross." _The_ Charles Stross?!!? The very, he said. mmmhhmm...

C. Doctorow to the top

2010-02-08T10:15:00.000-08:00

It seems that in Cory Doctorow's climb to superpop stardom there is always someone dogging him. Take for instance this Web Celeb top 25 Forbes list where Cory is listed in the top 10, but only coming in at number 10.

1. Perez Hilton
2. Michael Arrington
3. Pete Cashmore
4. Evan Williams & Biz Stone
5. Kevin Rose
6. Guy Kawasaki
7. Heather "Dooce" Armstrong
8. Tila "Tequila" Nguyen
9. Gary Vaynerchuk
10. Cory Doctorow

I mean, who ARE these people anyway?! Cory is the only one who has a toe hold, and those toes are turning into large footsteps to follow.

Text Check

2010-01-26T18:36:00.000-08:00

A burger from the Cheesecake Factory or "Makers" by Cory Doctorow? The book I chose. I have never been kept warm from reading a book before. This book reads like Neal Stephenson and Bruce Sterling rolled into one. Cut 'n patch William Gibson where appropriate. "Makers" is a Winner on all points for me.

Look at BoingBoing

2010-01-13T11:18:00.000-08:00

...it's good for you.

Busting the Internet

2009-07-02T15:44:00.000-07:00

Jeff Bezos and Mark Frauenhauser are ruining the Internet economy and therefore, the World economy. Why? Because they keep sinking _all_ of their left over profits back into their companies! How do I know? Because Cory Doctorow, a writer for www.boingboing.net, Mark Frauenhauser's site, told me that the writers there get paid by splitting the advertising dollars after overhead costs are met.

Hey Mark!!

Did you know that in Accounting 202 in my university we learned that that business model is applied for DBA's, small companies, and businesses going into bankruptcy. Is Boing Boing one of those?? Damn! Do you need help balancing the books? I can cook, y'know. I've got a B.B.A. in Business. No shit. I know your site "BoingBoing" is a major Internet hub attracting readers and commentors from all parts of the U.S. and other parts of the globe. It's big, it's great; I think you should incorporate with the UK. You could call it Virgin Internet, Inc.

As for Jeff Bezos, well, y'know all the top Internet hubsite owners keep in touch, therefore all their business models are the same. Oh, Jeff's site is www.amazon.com. Perhaps I'll send him an e-mail blaming the majority of the U.S. recession on him, & a few other minor sites that don't count, like, mine - venusburn.blogspot.com, maybe, I don't know - Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, other startups that caused the nation to explode with medically severe nerve damage. At least I still have my name.

Ok, so this is what we all guilty economy-crasher websites must do. Each one of us needs to three-up - I call Viridian Design and DJ Christian - and develop independent business models that feed the World economy in _different_ ways. An agreed upon requirement for all of us will be that we will give 10% of Revenues to a charity such as University scholarship creation, the homeless, and other economic sources that allowed that tri-party to come into existance. Then, if any spare change can be found - it would be encouraged that all the websites donate to a local church in Thanks for maintaining moral codes and standards in the Young who are new to the Internet and really could have torn a hole in the side of Man over the last 15 years.

Michael Jackson tribute photo

2009-06-26T06:50:00.001-07:00

Michael Jackson tribute photo
Originally uploaded by astrokatmack.

Today, on June 26, 2009, it was announced that pop music pioneer Michael Jackson died. That's too bad. I'll miss him. So to honor the beloved, I will make an effort to look like him all day today on the Super Highway. Peace.

Mickey

Flashy Dessert

2009-06-25T06:52:00.000-07:00

Cookiers are big this season all of a sudden. All I seem to want are fancy cookies. I look everywhere in every shop looking for cookies. I try the International foods isle looking for combination fancy entertainment cookies like the kind my Spanish neighbors used to get or I look for the English butter cookies my grandmother used to send or I look for any with pretty colors that I can eat. Where can I get some?

Outside Funny

2009-06-24T14:26:00.000-07:00

Hey Friends,

I have another little funny. Hopefully, this makes two (2). This clip is longish, and the first half is rather boring b/c it talks about $$$ analysis. But, if you will, please stay connected for the second half of the record. It's very spicy and may give you ideas you can use one day. :)

Much thanks to CCTV in Cambridge for support in production.

Internet Reform Part II

2009-06-23T14:37:00.000-07:00

Here's part II. Please continue.

Internet Regulation, Part I

2009-06-23T14:20:00.000-07:00

Listen to Part I of my latest talk on regulating the Internet. American social structures can be improved if careful attention is provided. Take note FCC!

OffWorld Experience

2009-06-23T12:43:00.000-07:00

Some guy, maybe Armand Van Helden, missed his lift in Central Square today. Hope some dog helped him out.

$17 Coffee Concoction

2009-06-22T13:41:00.001-07:00

$17 Coffee Concoction
Originally uploaded by astrokatmack.

Here's a clip I chatted up while investigating Cambridge. It's a contest, really. The trick is to order up the most expensive coffee concoction from your local coffee shop. I can't even come up with one costing more than $9.00. I'm trying to think of one for about $13.00, but I'm not good at it. Water back, please. Make mine tuti-fruity.

Special thanks to Cambridge Community TV (CCTV) for making this project possible.

WannaLoveyDovey

2009-06-21T14:13:00.000-07:00

I just cut a new smash hit song. This is dedicated to the boys on the Bounce.

testing youtube

2009-02-19T17:01:00.000-08:00

Back Bacon

2009-02-09T15:35:00.000-08:00

I went to jail in Canada for being an illegal alien. Anyone got any other stories to tell?

Oh-Bomba

2008-11-03T13:50:00.000-08:00

Sorry I missed posting last month. I was in jail in Canada over the Canadian Thanksgiving holiday due to a crime I already committed in Houston, TX in 1999. For some reason, the Canadian gov't felt it necessary to detain me and chew me out in the event that I pulled the same stunt there. I was deported.

Vote.

Printcrime

2008-09-07T17:13:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers & Fellow Bloggers,

"Printcrime" by BoingBoing.net co-editor Cory Doctorow is one of the greatest illustrations of flash fiction that I have ever read.

It's captivating, historic, and elegant, all 420 words of it. It's heroic. The unsung underdog will find sympathy and comfort within it's pages.

I don't normally praise writing of any sort unless I truly and honestly feel that the story would please others, and Cory Doctorow has clearly redefined the concept of flash fiction with "Printcrime." Seriously, what story can trace all the elements of fiction - setting, characterization, plot, denumuent, conclusion, etc - in less than 500 words and still be entertaining enough to compell a reader to want more? I challenge you!

In short, Doctorow exhibits his skill and mastery of storytelling with "Printcrime," which can be found in his short story collection _Overclocked_ (2007). "Printcrime" would make an excellent first science fiction story for a young reader. Cory Doctorow is a talent to watch.

Ellen Datlow & K. Mackenzie

2008-09-07T15:21:00.001-07:00

Ellen Datlow & K. Mackenzie
Originally uploaded by astrokatmack.

Dear Readers,

After a month's hiatus abroad, I have returned to the trecherous Web to lay tracks.

Check out this photo of me & famous, rich, prestigious Ellen Datlow at ReaderCon.

Achtung, baby

2008-07-13T20:11:00.001-07:00

Achtung, baby
Originally uploaded by astrokatmack.

Yes, a peaceful day at the zoo. I wonder if I can get these animals to do the laundry.

Music of the Mellenium

2008-05-12T18:42:00.000-07:00

Where once the air was filled with music it is now filled with the bandwidth of networks. The music of the New Mellinium is the constant chatter of cellphones and the electronic humming of wireless computing.

IronMan

2008-05-12T18:37:00.001-07:00

IronMan
Originally uploaded by astrokatmack.

The must see movie of the summer!

Must See Movie Bonanza - Iron Man

2008-05-12T14:19:00.000-07:00

http://ironmanmovie.marvel.com/

I saw this movie 3 times opening weekend.

Mission Rock

2008-04-17T17:50:00.000-07:00

What happened to the music industry? I think this is now a way to date myself: "When I was young I used to listen to music, and you could turn on the radio and here hundreds of new bands..."

Sheeesh...now I'm reduced to searching the Internet for any leads on bands I used to love like U2, Ultravox, and UB-40. OK, maybe not UB-40.

Maybe this is what it's like to be a music pioneer -- to have to seek out and deliver new music to my palate. Byonce doesn't count. I'm talking rock 'n roll!

Ouch!!

2008-03-24T17:43:00.001-07:00

Oh my googleness. It's been too long since my last post!

Anyway, have you been to the stores lately? I almost fainted with joy when I went to the local mall and found that shirt lengths have DROPPED!! YES!! Know what that means? All those butts in pants will be covered henceforth. I am so relieved. I was beginning to worry for my immortal fashion soul for a minute there. I laugh at all of those gen-90'ers who now don't know what to wear.

Cherry Network

2008-02-24T16:08:00.000-08:00

http://www.pomwonderful.com/cherry_juice.html

I can't get enough of Pom Wonderful's cherry juice. It's actually a combination of other exotic juices, like pomegranate (mmmmm...).

One time the place where I get it ran out. I thought it might be the end of the World. But then I thought, Hey, I'm not the only one around who digs this stuff. I mean, there must be hundreds of thousands of noble Pom Cherry drinkers like me, all suffering a shortage of the drink. Think about it, I'm part of an entire Juice Network.

Computers Are Commodities

2008-02-03T19:46:00.000-08:00

So now we as a society are past the fears, hoopla, and hope (?) of the Y2K turn of the century. Where are we now? Hopefully, plunging forward to the promise of a new century and whatever marks we can make in it. What lies ahead? Who is leadng the way?

Today, several names come to mind, but in particular, I see Mark Frauenfelder (google him) as the leader in possible technological break throughs with his new mag Make Magazine. Read some. It's good for you.

Feeling Green

2008-01-09T17:54:00.000-08:00

When I heard that Al Gore had received the 2007 Nobel Prize this past October, I thought to myself, “What has he done recently that would net him such an honor?” The news reports testified that he won the award due to his work associated with the film “An Inconvenient Truth” which focuses on global warming. I made a mental note to myself to rent the video. And then promptly forgot about it.

A few weeks later I was surfing the Internet when I ran across Bruce Sterling’s www.viridiandesign.org site. On it he featured an article about Cuba’s “Special Period,” a time when imports of crude oil and other resources from the collapsed Russia were cut off. The article hit home because it reminded me of how dependent the U.S. is on imported oil. I wondered if I could be as environmentally friendly as Cubans in the face of such an energy crisis.

Then, all the environmental disaster warnings that had crept into my peripheral awareness like stop smoking ads screamed, “The environment and the world as you know it are in danger! What are you going to do about it?”

My little mental reminder went off to watch Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth.” I ordered it from Netflix. Watching the film, I grew to understand why Al Gore had received the Nobel. The man had spent almost his entire life documenting environmental endangerment and politically advocating immediate change. Right at the part in the movie where I thought I couldn’t sit still any longer due to attention fatigue, Gore pounds into the camera that global CO2 levels have more than tripled since the 1960’s, a circumstance not duplicated at any other time in human history. Then, he highlights how the Arctic ice cap will cease to exist during the summers less than 20 years from now. I thought I was going to die.

Al Gore ended his film on a promising, although brief, note of hope. There are steps that can be taken to divert catastrophe.

Awareness of environmental doom has been propagating through the global population for the last fifty years. Now it is up to the individual to secure his, or her, place in the ecological world of the twenty-first century.

In an article for Permaculture Activist (http://www.permacultureactivist.net/) by Megan Quinn, Bruno Beres, a director of Cuba Solar, said, “What we must know is that the world is changing and we must change the way we see the world.”

Top 10 Predictions for the New Year 2008

2008-01-01T18:58:00.000-08:00

OK. It's that time of year again. I hear the drum roll, let the predictions begin!

1) After a spotlighted Democratic presidential struggle, a Republican will steal the presidency by a 2% margin.

2) Unusual, catastrophic weather events will dominate the news.

3) Terrorism will cease to be the In mass scare. Instead, everybody will be afraid of the weather.

4) The much praised Kindle will be the biggest market flop of the year.

5) Cory Doctorow will sweep the Hugos with the publicaton of his new book "Little Brother."

6) Smoking on Planet Earth will be banned. Smokers must schedule special trips to Mars to do it.
7) American gasoline prices will jump to $5.00 a gallon.

8) Internet usage will surpass t.v. viewing ratings. Popular shows will move to YouTube and streaming video.

9) A new meat vitamin will be all the rage in diet food. It will be called: The Meatamin.

And #10) I will finally become a published SF author but will find that my readers are fictitous.

Let the Year commence!

Me121807

2007-12-18T17:21:00.001-08:00

Me121807
Originally uploaded by astrokatmack.

Not camera shy today. I'm inside staying warm.

Yuk 12.18.07

2007-12-18T17:18:00.001-08:00

Yuk121807
Originally uploaded by astrokatmack.

On top of a snow, white drift, God sent his pure, sweet...wait a minute..

More Yuk 12.18.07

2007-12-18T17:16:00.001-08:00

MoreYuk121807
Originally uploaded by astrokatmack.

I traded the sunshine of Houston for the snowy slopes of Boston. Loving every minute.

VideoNet

2007-12-11T05:37:00.001-08:00

The online community is being invaded by streaming video. Most computer freaks turned to the virtual world to escape the boob-tube. What are the hackers of the late '80's up to now-a-days? What does video on demand mean for the future of the Net?

Butt-in Pants

2007-11-26T21:02:00.000-08:00

I like to watch fashion trends, but I think participating in a particular fashion should be up to me. Now take these low-rise pants, for instance. Y'know, the ones with the short crotch zipper that "sit just below the waist?"

I HATE THESE PANTS!!

But they are the only pants available even in the most conservative of department stores. So, for the past three years, ever since Briteny Spears showcased her hip bones, I've had to put up with my underwear hanging out every time I bend over.

I thought I could weather the fashion storm without buying a pair, but the fashion _persists_ while my butt goes threadbare.

Do guys' pants do this?

Raging this year at Amazon

2007-11-23T08:12:00.000-08:00

Amazon's new Kindle is all the rage this year.

See what Cory Doctorow has to say:
http://www.boingboi ng.net/2007/ 11/20/amazon- kindle-the- we.html

Bruce the Mastermind

2007-11-09T05:35:00.000-08:00

Bruce Sterling releases another SF tale via Technology Review. Enjoy.

http://www.technologyreview.com/Infotech/19533/?nlid=653

Congress Approves Seven-Year Internet-Tax Ban

2007-10-30T16:17:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'd rather a gasoline tax hike or a cigarette tax hike or an alcohol tax hike...

Congress Approves Seven-Year Internet-Tax Ban

The measure now goes to President Bush, who is expected to sign it in time to meet Thursday's deadline.

By Richard Martin InformationWeek October 30, 2007 04:30 PM

It's not easy to get the partisan Congress to vote unanimously on anything these days, but apparently both parties can agree that Internet access should not be taxed.

With only two days to spare, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 402-0 on Tuesday morning to extend the moratorium on state and local Internet taxes. The move was applauded by Internet service providers, wireless carriers, and other Web companies that said that prices for Web access could shoot up as much as 17% without it.

Originally passed as the 1998 Internet Tax Freedom Act, the ban was extended to Nov. 1, 2007 as the Internet Tax Nondiscrimination Act of 2004. The new bill prohibits "bit taxes" and the like through 2014.

What's Hot Today

2007-10-24T09:33:00.000-07:00

The story

Relentless wildfires roared through Southern California for a third day Tuesday, sending more than half a million residents fleeing with family members, pets and whatever prize possessions they could fit in their vehicles.

The blazes have charred 400,000 acres and reduced 1,300 homes -- 1,000 in San Diego County -- to ash.

The fires have killed one person and injured more than 50. Earlier Tuesday, officials erroneously reported that a second person had died.

Earlier Tuesday, Lt. Gov. John Garamendi, said the number of evacuees "could very well approach 500,000 by the end of the day."

By Tuesday night, officials had evacuated nearly 350,000 homes in San Diego County. Using U.S. Census Bureau numbers from the 2000 census, that could mean as many as 950,000 were affected by the fires.

Gore and warming

2007-10-23T12:55:00.000-07:00

Let me not forget to praise Al Gore's efforts at clmate change enlightenment. Check out:
An Appreciation Of Al Gore by Hon. Wangari Maathai

NAIROBI -
When I learned this month that the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize had been awarded to Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for their groundbreaking work to raise awareness about the threats posed by global warming, I was delighted.

In 1990, then Sen. Gore visited the Green Belt Movement in Kenya and later wrote about our work planting trees with poor, rural women in his book Earth in the Balance. A few years later, Vice President Gore invited me to join him on a trip to Haiti to view first-hand the effects of extreme deforestation on the country. Nearly every tree had been cut down, and people, desperate to feed themselves, had planted crops wherever they could, including on barren hillsides. When the rains came, the soil just washed away.

Unfortunately, little has changed. In times of extreme floods and hurricanes, which affect Haiti all too often, thousands of people lose their homes and their lives.

Back then, neither of us could imagine being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize or, indeed, that the Norwegian Nobel Committee would expand its conception of peace and security to encompass protecting the environment, ensuring the equitable and sustainable use of natural resources, and raising awareness of the linkages between ecological stress and conflict. By choosing Al Gore and the IPCC as this year's peace laureates, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has rightly reminded us that climate change is the single biggest threat to world peace.

Bioplastics

2007-10-23T05:38:00.000-07:00

Sure, we've all heard about biodegradable products. But here's the skinny on bioplastics.

"Bioplastics are a new generation of biodegradable & compostable plastics, derived from renewable raw materials such as starch (e.g. corn, potato, tapioca etc), cellulose, soy protein, lactic acid etc., not hazardous in production and decompose back to carbon dioxide, water, biomass etc. in the environment when discarded."

Google, Intel, Microsoft Fund Robot Recipes

2007-04-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

From slashdot.org

"Google, Intel, and Microsoft are funding what may become a robot invasion. Money from the three tech companies has enabled researchers at Carnegie Mellon University to create a new series of Internet-connected robots that almost anyone can build using off-the-shelf parts. These "recipes" describe how to build a robot that connects to the Internet using common parts and a $349 Qwerk controller from Charmed Labs."

Charles in Space

2007-04-10T12:24:00.000-07:00

Charles Simonyi, credited with inventing Microsoft Word, paid $20 million to go into space. Watch his blog:

http://www.charlesinspace.com/

New Google FREE Broadband Beta

2007-04-01T13:41:00.000-07:00

And now, just in time for April 1st: Google TiSP! It's the Broadband that works through your plumbing!

http://www.google.com/tisp/
http://www.google.com/tisp/install.html
http://www.google.com/tisp/press.html

Amoebalike Robots for Search and Rescue

2007-03-29T07:35:00.000-07:00

Amoebalike Robots for Search and Rescue by Duncan Graham-Rowe

"A novel form of locomotion inspired by the way amoebas move could help robots get in places other robots can't reach."

http://cl.exct.net/?ffcb10-fe211572726d077b741c79-fdfa10747666057b70107576-ff011674776105-fec4127776650574-fe1b1d7572620c74771072

Bill Gates to Finally Receive His Harvard Degree

2007-03-23T13:28:00.000-07:00

From Slashdot.org

"It's not like he needs it to beef up his résumé, but the world's richest college dropout finally is getting his degree. Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft, will speak at Harvard University's commencement ceremony in June and, like all commencement speakers, will receive an honorary degree from the institution. It's hard to guess if Gates, the wealthiest person in the world and co-founder of a company that brought in $44 billion in revenue last year, cares. But the programming whiz who once dropped out of Harvard will likely feel some sense of satisfaction."

Superlenses and Smaller Computer Chips

2007-03-23T11:27:00.000-07:00

Superlenses and Smaller Computer Chips by Kevin Bullis

"Researchers report using metamaterials to make devices that could transform computing, data storage, and optical microscopy."

http://cl.exct.net/?ffcb10-fe1f157273630d75701373-fdfa10747666057b70107576-ff011674776105-fec4127776650574-fe1b1d7572620c74771072

I do NOT look like Michael Jackson!!

2007-03-22T18:22:00.001-07:00

Picture 004
Originally uploaded by astrokatmack.

This is me on the second official day of spring.

Picture 011

2007-03-22T18:20:00.001-07:00

Picture 011
Originally uploaded by astrokatmack.

Here I am, Kathleen McKenzie, not looking so much like Cleopatra. This is me, testing out Flickr. We'll get back to green after these messages from our sponsor (me). Send me some e-mail.

Flickr

2007-03-22T18:16:00.001-07:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

2007-03-17T16:42:00.000-07:00

post

Global Warming

2007-03-13T08:17:00.000-07:00

Check out this clip about global warming from MIT Press. It's mindboggling yet straightforward.

http://www.technologyreview.com/video/globalwarming/

Nanocharging Solar

2007-03-12T11:00:00.000-07:00

Nanocharging Solar by David Talbot

"Arthur Nozik believes quantum-dot solar power could boost output in cheap photovoltaics. "

http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/18285/

Acer is Sexy

2007-03-08T13:21:00.000-08:00

I swear there are two people f**king on this computer screen. Doc, does this vision mean my brain is warped?

Blending in progress

2007-03-08T13:17:00.000-08:00

Power Generating Spacesuits

2007-02-15T11:58:00.000-08:00

From Slashdot.org :

"Piezoelectric sensors could help power future space missions. Astronauts' spacesuits may one day be covered in motion-sensitive proteins that could generate power from the astronauts' movement, according to futuristic research being conducted by a new lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US. Such 'power skins' could also be used to coat future human bases on Mars, where they could produce energy from the Martian wind. Eventually, the biologically derived suits might even be able to heal themselves."

John Edwards' Campaign Enters Second Life

2007-02-15T11:55:00.000-08:00

From Slashdot.org :

"It may not be an official effort — yet — but thanks to a grass-roots effort, John Edwards has become the first presidential candidate to set-up-shop in Second Life. Jerimee Richir, whose avatar is called Jose Rote, paid-for and developed Edwards' virtual headquarters, and, on a voluntary basis, is managing the in-world campaign. Considering that Second Life's user numbers are much smaller than other social networks, such as MySpace and Facebook — aside from generating press coverage — will campaigning in Second Life actually win many votes? Rote says yes, and that 'Second Life users are a unique audience, in that, they are first adopters. It is a smaller community, but I would argue it is a more influential community.'"

A Portable Refinery Powered by Garbage

2007-02-14T11:45:00.000-08:00

A Portable Refinery Powered by Garbage by Tyler Hamilton

"Researchers have built and tested for the military a portable machine that efficiently turns waste into electricity."

http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/18183/

Massive Off-Shore Wind Turbines Safe for Birds

2007-02-12T12:37:00.000-08:00

Massive Off-Shore Wind Turbines Safe for Birds by Peter Fairley

"Infrared monitoring shows that savvy seabirds steer clear of wind turbines."

http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/18167/

Climate Change: "Many, Many Smoking Guns"

2007-02-01T13:19:00.000-08:00

Climate Change: "Many, Many Smoking Guns" by Peter Fairley
"Fourth in a series of international reports, due out tomorrow, reflects better science and more-precise models."

http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/18129/

Vista DRM Cracked by Security Researcher

2007-01-29T12:33:00.000-08:00

As predicted here on VenusBurn around New Year's Day, Windows Vista has been cracked by a security expert.

From Slashdot:

"Security researcher Alex Ionescu claims to have successfully bypassed the much discussed DRM protection in Windows Vista, called 'Protected Media Path' (PMP), which is designed to seriously degrade the playback quality of any video and audio running on systems with hardware components not explicitly approved by Microsoft. The bypass of the DRM protection was in turn performed by breaking the Driver Signing / PatchGuard protection in the new operating system. Alex is now quite nervous about what an army of lawyers backed by draconian copyright laws could do to him if he released the details, but he claims to be currently looking into the details of safely releasing his details about this at the moment though."

Discovering the Surface of Greenland

2007-01-25T11:30:00.000-08:00

"A new technique provides clearer pictures of massive ice sheets--and better insight into future sea-level increases."

http://www.technologyreview.com/Infotech/18102/

Couple sees green via power push

2007-01-23T12:53:00.000-08:00

From International Business Times:

"When the sun shines bright on their home in New York's Hudson Valley, John and Anna Bagnall live out a homeowner's fantasy. Their electricity meter runs backward. Solar panels on their barn roof can often provide enough for all their electricity needs. Sometimes — and this is the best part — their solar setup actually pushes power back into the system."

http://ibtimes.com/services/pop_print.htm?id=17631&tb=bh

Sol Powered Home

2007-01-19T09:00:00.000-08:00

"Yahoo! News is running an article about a New Jersey home that uses solar power to provide 100% of its energy needs, including fuel for the owner's hydrogen fuel cell-powered automobile."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070118/lf_nm/solar_home_dc

Creating Ethanol from Trash

2007-01-19T08:18:00.000-08:00

"Creating Ethanol from Trash" by Kevin Bullis

"Researchers find a way to make liquid fuels from waste cheaply and without the pollution produced by earlier methods."

http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/18084/

Could HP Beat Moore's Law?

2007-01-17T11:09:00.000-08:00

From Slashdot:

"A number type of nano-scale architecture developed in the research labs of Hewlitt-Packard could beat Moore's Law and advance the progress of microprocessor development three generations in one hit. The new architecture uses a design technique that will enable chip makers to pack eight times as many transistors as is currently possible on a standard 45nm field programmable gate array (FPGA) chip."

Internet Visionaries Betting On Green Technology Boom

2007-01-16T11:57:00.000-08:00

From The Washington Post:

"Bill Gates, John Doerr and Steve Case believed in the Internet long before Wall Street did. Now, they're betting on the next great "disruptive" technology: alternative fuels and other environmentally friendly products, but this time other investors aren't far behind."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/17/AR2006041701563.html

Dell Goes Green

2007-01-11T11:03:00.000-08:00

This just in...Michael Dell, founder of Dell computers, promises to plant a tree for every pc recycled through his company. This is a great first step by a technology leader. Surely, as I predicted for 2007, others will contribute to green efforts as the year progresses.

http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?id=18052&ch=biztech

Attention minimum wage!

2007-01-10T09:41:00.000-08:00

Yahoo! reports:

"House Democrats pushed a $2.10 an hour increase in the federal minimum wage toward passage Wednesday."

Ten years is enough time to wait for a raise. Some people don't ever see as much. If the minimum wage is raised from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour, will it stagnate the U.S. economy? I don't think so.

"Organized labor and other supporters pitched the bill as coming to the aid of the working poor. Business groups and other opponents said it could lead to higher prices for goods and services, force small companies to pink-slip existing workers or hire fewer new ones, and crimp profits."

A Green Definition

2007-01-09T12:17:00.000-08:00

For those with inquiring minds, from the Wiki files:

"The Green movement encompasses the Green parties of various countries, and relies on the ideals of the larger ecology movement, peace movement, conservation movement, environmental movement and general trend towards environmentalism. The most extreme members are sometimes called Gaians. A more mainstream term for a member of all of these movements is political ecologist, which is used especially in Europe and academic circles."

Thanks, Sharon!

GM tries again

2007-01-08T10:24:00.000-08:00

GM attempts again to mass produce fuel economy cars. It must be applauded for taking the initiative.

GM's New Electric Vehicle by Kevin Bullis
"The automaker tries again, announcing an electric-drive system that can be paired with gasoline generators or fuel cells."

http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/18042/

The controversy continues...

2007-01-08T08:47:00.000-08:00

From Slashdot:

"CNN reports that scientists at Harvard and Wake Forest have discovered a 'plentiful' non-embryonic source for stem cells, as well brain, liver, and bone cell types as well. The cells, found in amniotic fluid, can be harvested without harm to the donor or the donor's unborn child. While there's no proof that amniotic stem cells are as potent as embryonic stem cells, scientists are hopeful that this will be a huge step forward for the field of stem-cell research."

Grass clippings from space?

2007-01-05T11:27:00.000-08:00

Imagine waking up and finding something of plastic and metal laying in your backyard. In your wildest dreams you might think it fell off of Santa's sleigh!!

"A spent Russian booster rocket re-entered the atmosphere Thursday over Colorado and Wyoming, the North American Aerospace Defense Command said. NORAD spokesman Sean Kelly said the agency was trying to confirm a report that a piece of the rocket may have hit the ground near Riverton, Wyoming, at about 6 a.m. Kelly said military personnel had not yet reached the scene. No damage was reported and the debris was not believed to be hazardous, NORAD said. Eyewitnesses reported seeing flaming objects in the sky at the time the rocket was re-entering, Kelly said."

Thanks Slashdot!!

China bypasses U.S. in coal emissions

2007-01-04T13:15:00.000-08:00

Part I: China's Coal Future by Peter Fairley
"To prevent massive pollution and slow its growing contribution to global warming, China will need to make advanced coal technology work on an unprecedented scale. "

http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/17963/

Top 10 Predictions for 2007

2007-01-02T11:33:00.000-08:00

Here are my predictions for up and coming 2007:

10. Nanotech booms.

9. Fortune 500 companies come face to face with the reality of global warming and try to do something about it. Governments still ignore potential consequences.

8. Cory Doctorow becomes a superstar in the realm of science fiction.

7. Automakers develop and mass produce green friendly vehicles and fuels.

6. A storm of radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology goes on.

5. Microsoft's Windows Vista has a serious security flaw.

4. YouTube takes over primetime t.v.

3. Water is found on Mars just under the surface.

2. E coli bacteria can be gotten from terminal keyboards -- especially public ones.

1. Paris Hilton cuts a #1 smash hit single.

Happy New Year!!

Bollywood

2006-12-29T11:49:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Bruce Sterling for bringing a bit of Bollywood to us today. YouTube in action!

http://www3.youtube.com/watch?v=TrKirCqXIjU&mode=related&search=

I love Bollywood flicks. So dreamy and steamy.

Genzyme

2006-12-28T12:26:00.000-08:00

Recently I had opportunity to visit the Genzyme building at MIT. It's built with green tachnologies in mind. I got as far as the second floor lobby, then security said "that's all for the tour." Inside the building are a few artsy waterfountains. The building houses medical research businesses.

A GM phoney?

2006-12-28T10:00:00.000-08:00

Fuel-Cell Cars Are a Cop-Out

"GM gets credit from the EPA for producing vehicles that aren't ready for market while doing little to increase fuel-efficiency in its commercial automobiles."

Green Weed

2006-12-27T11:14:00.000-08:00

Big breaking news for the fuel economy:

India's Big Plans for Biodiesel by Michael Fitzgerald
"Researchers are developing new methods for cultivating a plant called jatropha."

By processing crops of jatropha, researchers believe they can revolutionize fuel used by the masses. Jatropha is a plant that prospers in any type of soil in tropical regions, especially India.

However, only southwestern states in the U.S., like Arizona or New Mexico, are ready for such a crop. In addition, critics warn that because corn is the leading omniplant in North America, jatropha pioneers will have a hard time making a stake in the fuel economy.

Researchers in India expect to see strides of success made by 2008.

Degrees Apart

2006-12-26T06:56:00.000-08:00

I've always wondered about the dangers of social networks. Here's an article by Steve Kerrison that takes a look at the down side of "degrees apart."

From the article, "There's little point in worrying about ID cards, RFID tags and spyware when more and more people are throwing away their privacy anyway. And the potential consequences are dire."

Hope your holidays are merry.

2006-12-22T11:46:00.000-08:00

Consider for a moment global warming fed by car emmissions. Must we as global citizens adjust our lives to the new environment of the 21st-century or is it possible to counter the effects of the growing level of CO2 on the planet with technology? Who is contributing to the improvement of our atmosphere?

BMW is working on an engine that burns hydrogen. BMW will then *give* these new engines away to celebrities and to any other high profile personage in an effort to promote the technology. Read more about it here: http://www.technologyreview.com/special/transportation/index.aspx

"BMW's Hydrogen Hopes
Hydrogen may never be feasible as a fuel for vehicles, but BMW is pushing ahead anyway with an advanced hydrogen-gas combustion hybrid."

"An Inconvenient Truth" for Free

2006-12-21T09:34:00.000-08:00

From BoingBoing:

Free copies of "An Inconvenient Truth" for educators 50,000 copies of the climate change documentary An Inconvenient Truth which were rejected by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) after apparent pressure from Exxon and oil industry advocates are now offered free of charge to teachers via Participate.net. The giveaway ends January 18, or when the DVDs run out. Teachers can request a copy at this link.

Reptilious Vert

2006-12-21T09:27:00.000-08:00

From Slashdot:

"A tiny skeleton from the Early Cretaceous shows an embryonic or newborn reptile with two heads and two necks, called axial bifurcation ('two-headedness') (a well-known developmental flaw among reptile species today such as turtles and snakes) was found in China by French and Chinese paleontologists recovered from the Yixian Formation, which is nearly 150 million years old."

Internet Green

2006-12-21T09:02:00.000-08:00

But wait, there's more. Let's consider the effect of the Internet on the World. Around 1995 the Internet went commercial. Academics in my circle and various on the Internet proper went nuts exclaiming that it wasn't secure enough for financial transactions while enterprises set up to cash in on the mass markets suddenly available due to the work of underpaid university faculty and students. Behold the IT .com bubble was born. On the one hand we had the global market door open to the little guy, the guy sitting at home behind his pc shipping out t-shirts, electronics, and stocks. On the other, we witnessed the power of corporations -- like Amazon, Ebay, and Microsoft -- reaching into the home. Remember when Yahoo! was home of the free?

Now the Internet Wars continue in the early 21st-century with the struggle between desktop computing and search engine mania. Blogs, or weblogs, count in the portfolio of search engine. Now is the era of Microsoft and Google. Of course, an era in terms of the Internet is between five and ten years. Google is a "humongatoid" since its inception in 1996 compared to Microsoft which was founded in 1975.

Paper networks cannot compete with the flash of the electronic Internet, thank goodness, save the trees. Although, unlike paper media, Internet date and time stamps have only recently been introduced to the Net via weblogs.

Green Day

2006-12-20T16:02:00.000-08:00

Not the band, but my blog.

One of my main pet projects is leading the Venus Burn Movement, an Internet-based Green movement dedicated to highlighting, discussing, and challenging global environmental issues. Updates are disseminated via this blog. The purpose is to hash out Green social issues -- that is, issues pertaining to how the globe operates, the weather climate and what can be done about it, and related social interests. The scope will also include concerns that pertain to the environment that surrounds us, mental stimuli, and the function of governments.

Jim Hansen, director of NASA's climate research center -- the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, says that for 25 years data has been telling him that Earth is getting warmer, humans are causing it, and this is bad news. Let us begin to discuss.

Green Orientation

2006-11-29T08:32:00.000-08:00

On the blogging front: stay tuned for green technology news.

Deja Vu

2006-11-27T13:05:00.000-08:00

I've discovered an old Blogger account while trying to create this one. Whoopie!!

On the romance horizon, Bruce Sterling has been taken by Jasmina Teskonova. Alas! Oh, what is the world coming to? Yes, they married in 2005. May we all say "Congratulations on the Romance Front."