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Posted on September 28th, 2007 by Myk.
Categories: Travel & Leisure, Philosophy & Spirituality, Humor & Pop Culture.
Those of you who are familiar with Burning Man know that on the first night of the burn this year a man climbed up the Man and set him on fire. Now, this is the ultimate fate of the Man HOWEVER his death sentence was supposed to allow him to live for another 6 days, until the Saturday night ceremony. Phil and I arrived just a few hours after the firery act and the knave had already been captured. While many versions of the story flitted about, we weren’t sure what the full story was–they kept it under wraps at Black Rock City. Well, Wired had a chat with Paul Addis, the prankster-arsonist himself, and got his take on his actions and Burning Man. Here are excerpts from the interview (full article here):
Wired News: So the big question is, did you set the Man on fire?
Paul Addis: For legal reasons I can’t answer that. One of us is looking at a felony charge, and it’s not you.
WN: Was the Black Rock Intelligence, a group you’re a member of, responsible for putting the giant testicles on the Burning Man in 1997?
Addis: No, I did that. It was a solo operation. I was part of the building team who built the Man in 1997. I was standing in the back yard of the guy who had the man built. We had the legs assembled, and they were sitting in his backyard. I was on a break and thought, “What’s missing from this thing?” and I turned around and I thought, “Balls!”
WN: What did you think of this year’s Burning Man?
Addis: Burning Man should stop the disingenuous Green Man immediately. It’s all a lie. If you want to know how much a of a total lie it is, run a Google satellite photo of Burning Man right now and count the number of RVs there. And they’re telling me it’s an environmental movement? Bullshit. There are people sucking gas up there faster than they are passing it.
WN: From your sense, what have people’s reactions been to setting Burning Man aflame before the scheduled Saturday burn?
Addis: I have no idea. This could have been all for nothing. It could have made people think. I hope it has. That’s all the Black Rock Intelligence has wanted is for people to think for themselves, whether they’re in the streets, at Burning Man or in the ballot box. They don’t have to like us; the only thing the Black Rock Intelligence has ever wanted was for people to think about what they are doing. If they come back to the same place as where they started, that’s fine, at least they thought about it. But every once and a while you can break people out and there’s another free mind out there with a Socratic operating system in it.
WN: What do you have to say to the people who are upset about the early Burning Man burn?
Addis: They’re entitled to their opinions. I can certainly understand their feelings on it, but at the same time, the newbies who go along aren’t from that same pranksterism and one-upmanship that used to be done at Burning Man.
So to them, the entire experience of Burning Man is a passive spectacle. To people who would say they are pissed off because the Man got torched, I say, “Why are you really out there?” If the burning of the Man means something, if it brings them some sort of cathartic connection, then build your own thing and burn it down. Don’t be a passive audience member. Cross the line.
WN: Your arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 25 at Pershing County Courthouse in Nevada. How are you going to plead?
Addis: Not guilty to all charges.
The guy is funny–and has some really astute points. Classic mug shot in any case. Read the rest of the article and see what you think.
Posted on September 27th, 2007 by Phil.
Categories: Food & Wine, Consumer Products, Philanthropy & Environment, Business & Finance, Science & Technology.
Unless you live on a farm and eat pretty much only the organic foods that you grow yourself, you are already eating genetically modified (or GM) foods. According to a new report by the International Food Information Council (IFIC), less than one quarter of American consumers believe that biotech foods are currently available in supermarkets, when in fact nearly 100% of supermarkets contain foods which have ingredients that have been genetically modified. Without a doubt, most restaurants cook with foods that have GM ingredients. This highlights not only a huge gap in consumer knowledge an education, but also the simple fact that GM foods have been generally accepted in the US.
One region that is not so GM friendly is the EU. Indeed, the issue of GM approval within the EU is one of the most contentious in modern agriculture. Many Member States, and millions of European consumers, remain steadfastly against the introduction of GM food. But despite the stringent controls in place, it is becoming harder for Europe’s regulatory authorities to deny market access to certain GM products. The proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back was the WTO decision last year that the EU and six member states had broken trade rules by barring entry to GM crops and foods. GM foods will most likely be allowed ever more access into the EU markets in the near future. Furthermore, it is interesting to note that the EU has been importing GM corn from the US for years, and using it as ingredients in a wide range of consumer goods. It’s already there too, and more is on the way.
The undeniable trend is going strongly towards GM foods worldwide. Monsanto, the leading global agricultural biotechnology company, yesterday said it expects to almost triple its presence outside of the United States in coming years. Currently, there are some 95 million acres outside the US planted with Monsanto’s biotech traits. That will soon be around 300 million acres. The forecasts highlight a growing global adoption of genetically modified crops, resulting partly from the increased acceptance of the technology as a means to address climate and yield challenges.
This aspect is particularly compelling, as climate change continues to wreak havoc on crops worldwide. Farming methods that have been tried and tested over thousands of years of human existence can no longer keep up with a global climate that is changing in new and dramatic ways. Droughts, extreme storms, and new animal and insect patterns, are among the many issues tearing apart crops that used to be cultivated with relative ease. So the question is logically posed… could genetically modified foods actually end up saving the human race from widespread famine in years to come?
One major issue with GM food is that people don’t like the fact that their food’s genetic structure has been altered in a way that they do not understand. They do not know what the changes are, and they do not know if those changes can somehow impact them personally. Do these plants somehow process differently through your body? Will super-plants take over the landscape and kill off other plants? Will eating GM wheat make you grow a third arm? Questions abound, and consumers are generally not given thre answers. To a large degree this is a typical case of breakthrough technology being misunderstood and rejected by contemporary consumers in its early days. That is not to say that GM food is flawless. There are indeed some very reasonable issues to consider in regards to GM foods, and to be certain there are potential problems, but those issues are not the ones being identified and pondered by consumers. Not to be curt, but the reality is that 99.99% of people simply cannot fathom the complexity that is involved when dealing with the genetic structure of any organism, and the impact that changes to that structure might have when interacting with the rest of the ecosystem.
To give a fairly basic example, let’s compare the Roundup-ready corn popularized by Monsanto with the drought-resistant soybeans created by Mendel Biotechnology. Monsanto’s corn has had its genetic sequence spliced to introduce new information into the genetic code. The plant has had a resistance to the herbicide Roundup inserted, so that it can fight off the killing effects of the herbicide. The result is that farmers can spray a large crop of this corn with lower amounts of Roundup, and in a cost-effective way kill off all of the weeds that would otherwise hurt their crop. A popular idea, but it has two problems… 1) You are still using herbicide, a poison, and spraying it on what you eat. 2) The more you do it, the more likely it is that Roundup resistant weeds will eventually develop. (Fun fact: The largest single user of Roundup reportedly is the U.S. Government, which sprays huge quantities of the herbicide over the northern countries of South America in an effort to discourage cultivation of the coca plant.)
Mendel’s soybeans on the other hand, do not involve any alteration to the genetic sequence of the plant. Instead, Mendel’s scientist have found a way to effectuate changes in the expression of plant transcription factors, thereby increasing or decreasing the degree to which any specific gene in a plant is expressed. Think of it like turning up or turning down the volume on any trait you select. A plant might have 30,000 genes in its genome, but those genes may be controlled by only 2,000 different transcription factors. By systematically analyzing the functions of transcription factors, Mendel scientists discovered that single transcription factors can control complex traits such as the ability of plants to withstand freezing or drought, yield, morphology, disease resistance, nitrogen use efficiency and many other complex traits. So the result in the example posed herein is a soybean plant that is resistant to extreme drought, but does so without any new information being inserted into its genome, and without the need for any external chemicals. I challenge anyone to find a major flaw in that - especially when such a crop can bring food to millions of impoverished and starving peoples all over the world. And keep in mind that drought resistance is only one trait. Transcription factors can also increase the oil (or protein) content of foods, make them resistant to disease, and make them flower more often and with a greater number of flowers, to note some examples. Imagine a soybean crop that yields ten times the nutritional content of typical crops, and can do so in very harsh climates. That’s something we may very well need to survive on earth.
Knowledge of the function of plant transcription factors has enabled many other novel inventions by Mendel scientists. One of which is the creation of biofuel feedstocks that can much more efficiently produce feedstock specifically for the production of ethanol and other fuels. This is going to be a key piece of the puzzle when it comes to solving our dependence on fossil fuels.
What’s the moral of the story? You decide for yourself. But before you lump all GM foods together, and write them all off as “strange and dangerous stuff’, realize two things: 1) You’re already eating them, and 2) They may save your life.
Posted on September 26th, 2007 by Phil.
Categories: History & Politics, Philanthropy & Environment, Science & Technology, Coming Events.
The people at NASA this past week came out with a report on the Antarctic ice shelves that should send chill down anyone’s spine. Their scientists have been studying a broad range of data, including everything from historical records to space-based sensors, and have found that the Antarctic snow is increasingly melting farther inland and at higher altitudes. More significantly, they have found that the rate is dramatically accelerating, and that it is doing so much faster than any of them had expected. Keep in mind that many of these people are the ones fighting hard to draw awareness to the devastation that our world is facing, and even their doom and gloom estimates are being beaten out by actual events in nature. That’s more than a little disturbing if you think about it.
The discovery is particularly significant when you consider that Antarctica contains 90 percent of the Earth’s fresh water, making it the largest potential source of sea level rise. It’s also a place where snow melting has traditionally been quite limited, because even in summer most areas typically record temperatures well below zero. Now, however, studies have found that snow is melting as far inland as 500 miles from the Antarctic coast, and as high as 1.2 miles above sea level in the Transantarctic Mountains. The data also confirm melting has increased on the Ross Ice Shelf, both in geographic area and in duration. The main shelves of Antarctica, should they melt into the ocean, have the potential to raise sea levels by as much as 200 feet. If even one tenth of that occurs, get ready to redraw the maps of the world. I live in Miami right now, and it’s overwhelming to think that most of what I see on a daily basis may not exist by the time my children are my age.
Posted on September 25th, 2007 by Myk.
Categories: Travel & Leisure, Arts & Literature.
Have you ever read an analysis of a chess game? I had not until today; when I accidentally walked into one (theoretically) via a NYT link. Here is an excerpt:
Levon Aronian of Armenia faced Alexander Grischuk of Russia in the most interesting game of the day. The opening was an obscure variation of the Queen’s Gambit Declined and by move 7 the players had left known theory. Grischuk soon got a good game in a complex and unbalanced position. But, at a critical moment, he faltered, choosing a less enterprising continuation. Aronian exchanged pieces and soon had a much better position. Grischuk then blundered, walking into a mating net, and resigned one move away from checkmate.
It’s catchy verbiage, no? Have you ever pulled an “obscure variation of a Queen’s Gambit” (it only works once so use it wisely) or driven your exgirlfriend to a “complex and unbalanced position? (works every time)” How about “walking into a mating net?” ;). Not that my Russian blood is going to move me to take up chess, but I thought the language used to describe the intellectual endeavor is fascinating.
Posted on September 21st, 2007 by Effrom.
Categories: Travel & Leisure, Food & Wine, Humor & Pop Culture.
Now I’ve heard of some wacky Japanese, but the latest Tokyo fad as reported by MSN.com and Jitsuwa Knuckles takes decadence to a whole new level. Hidden within the Tokyo entertainment district of Roppongi, a new form of entertainment has surfaced for Tokyo’s bored elite in the form of a Bestiality Restaurant. That’s correct, “bestiality restaurant.”
As described by one patron:
“I’d been told what to expect, but when I actually saw what was happening, it was as shocking as you’d imagine it to be,” M tells Jitsuwa Knuckles. “Later, the lawyer told me the appeal of the place just came about because when people have got money and done everything else, they turn toward bestiality.”
Once the lawyer had finished porking the pig, the couple returned to the first floor and sat at a table to dine. M says she was totally shocked when staff members carried in roast pork — made of the same sow the lawyer had earlier been with.”
check please…
Posted on September 20th, 2007 by Darvish.
Categories: History & Politics.
“Just when I think I’m out, they pull me back in”…You knew I wasn’t gonna let this go with just a comment on Myk’s entry!
The fact is that Bush, Cheney and their gang of misfits have been gunning for Iran (read as World’s largest concentration of gas reserves after Russia and oil reserves after Saudi Arabia) since day one. And what really bites is that our biggest ally in the Muslim world, Saudi Arabia, is in fact the biggest state sponsor of Muslim extremist terrorism, producing such great hits as Osama and the Sunshine band (9/11 anyone?), the Taliban Five, and the Sunni Iraqi Insurgents and the News. But we already have a sweet deal for their oil, so who cares.
So, yeah, the current Iranian regime has a bunch of hard liners with tough talk and anti-western/Israel rhetoric, but if you think about it (and you don’t even have to think real hard), they are actually the most moderate of all of the Muslim states, more so than even our biggest ally there. And if we had a President with even a single progressive, forward thinking bone in his body, we’d have figured out a way to make an ally out of Iran by now and gut out the real extremists and state sponsors of terrorism. And would probably be getting a much better deal on oil than over $80 a barrel.
But some ole habits die hard, and I’m afraid Bush’s good ole boy network has a pretty nasty habit of shooting themselves (and the rest of us) in the foot.
Posted on September 19th, 2007 by Myk.
Categories: Travel & Leisure, Science & Technology.
We figured in case anyone was looking for a job, we’d post a unique opp: The Astronaut Candidate Program. Here are the requirements:
I think that’s about it for requirments if you’re not a pilot. If you’ve got good eyesight, are not a midget, and you’re a cute 3rd grade teacher–you’ve already got your foot in the door. That’s all it takes apparently! Oh, Jealousy/neurosis and love of a good drink will help your candidacy, of course. So if your current job is less satisfying than you’d have hoped, and you meet the above criteria (which has got to be a couple of million people at least), why NOT apply? You’ll get to travel, there are lots of perks I’m sure, and you can get sauced on your way up!
Posted on September 19th, 2007 by Myk.
Categories: History & Politics.
I just read that the president of Iran asked permission to lay a wreath at the World Trade Center site when he comes to NYC next week. Denied because of ongoing construction. Jeez…
From the Yahoo article,
White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said Wednesday that an Ahmadinejad (Iranian president) visit to ground zero “is a matter for the city of New York, but it seems more than odd that the president of a country that is a state sponsor of terror would visit ground zero.”(Myk’s insert-what a ridiculous statement).
Iran and the U.S. have not had diplomatic relations since Washington cut its ties with Tehran after Iranian students stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979. The Bush administration has accused Iran of arming Shiite Muslim militants in Iraq and seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
In a television appearance earlier this week, Ahmadinejad said his country wanted peace and friendship with the United States, despite mounting tensions between the two countries. (perhaps he’s being agreeable?)
Ok I really hate to address politics in general (Zeitgeist post was more edu-tainment), but c’mon…is that necessary? Is the president of Iran going to martyr himself at ground zero? Who the hell makes these decisions?
Posted on September 18th, 2007 by Myk.
Categories: Philosophy & Spirituality, History & Politics, Business & Finance, Science & Technology, Arts & Literature, Coming Events.
I was recommended by Rachel to watch this online movie The Zeitgeist (click on the link) which I’m sure 99% of you won’t have the time/energy to see–it’s 2 hours long–but I did watch it yesterday and holy shit. I don’t even know what to think. Is part of it accurate, is it total bs, or is it a valid representation of our world? Since I can’t determine the accuracy of many of its claims, I’ll just describe the film by its 3 parts….so consider this a book report with a little “are you kidding me?” thrown in:
#1: The greatest story ever told
Christianity is not based on truth. Ok ok, we’ve heard this one before in several forms…Holy Blood, Holy Grail etc. Still, this movie claims that the bible is nothing more than an astrotheological hybrid. What that means is that astrology has determined the details of most astrology, starting with the Egyptian go Horus. The original myths were then recycled by different cultures but maintained core similarities:
Basically, Christianity as fact is a sham and the figure known as Jesus most likely did not even exist!
#2: All the world’s a stage
9/11 was a government conspiracy to give the rulers (Bush/Cheney/big money) the means to enact wars in oil rich regions in order to enrich themselves. What the %*$@? I mean, I’d heard of this before but never paid attention to it. Loony conspiracy theorists…
Still, Did you know that another tower came down on 9/11? WTC 7?? That’s not a conspiracy theory, that’s reality–and I totally had no clue until this movie…and the analysis of how they came down is wild. Some facts, like that the 911 Commission report wrote on on pg. 172 that “The US govt. has not been able to dermine the orgin of the money used for the 911 attacks. Ultimately the question is of little practical significance.” Are you kidding? How did I miss this stuff?
#3: The men behind the curtain
Basically bankers, industrialists, and other big money pull all the strings in US policy, including bringing the US into most major wars. From the creation of the Federal Reserve in the early 20th century to Bush’s advocacy of the North American Union, a pan-N American government including Mexico and Canada (see Youtube video of Lou Dobbs report) and the Amero (replacing the US dollar). Huh??? Dude, is this shit for real or what (Myk’s personal reaction)? And I’ve never heard a word about it!!!
So to conclude, So I Married an Axe Murderer may be a more prescient film than I gave it credit for. Here is an excerpt from the transcript:
It’s a known fact, Sonny Jim, that a secret society of the five wealthiest people, known as the Pentavirate run everything in the world, including the newspapers and meet tri-annually at a secret mansion in Colorado known as “The Meadows.”
Who’s in the Pentavirate?
The Queen, the Vatican, the Gettys, the Rothschilds and Colonel Sanders, before he went tits-up.
I don’t know how else to say. Treat this movie as entertainment, as something to think about, and if you get a chance check out the Zeitgeist…
Posted on September 16th, 2007 by Myk.
Categories: Travel & Leisure, Philosophy & Spirituality, Consumer Products, Business & Finance.
No more sneaking around, nervous you’re going to get caught, paying cash for dinners and hotels. No more fear that wifey or hubby is going to take 1/2 your net worth as a result of “a few” indiscretions. From BusinessWeek, we learned about a French company (who else?), called Alibila that offers “a service for people ’suffocating’ in their family situation who need some air, or for those in the throes of a ‘passing adventure’ who don’t want to jeopardize their marriage. It offers would-be philanderers a range of services, costing €19 ($27) upwards, including diversionary phone calls, merchandise from fake conferences, and invitations to non-existent weddings.” Wow, that’s legit.
I want to address this issue within the framework of practicality first. When I worked at a hedge fund after undergrad, as the junior person on the team, I was responsible for facilitating extra-marital activities for my boss such as arranging hotel rooms in not-his name (true story…we also stopped work on Fridays at 4pm to hit the liquor cabinet–ahhh life in the world of finance). Let’s not dwell on the fact that he is a shady dirtbag…rather, I want to talk about efficiency. Had there been a service like Alibila, I could have spent more time analyzing companies to invest into, or given more attention to our investors–basically on productive tasks. This is really just another case where outsourcing makes sense–when an activity can be done better and/or cheaper by another party then by you (ex: housekeepers, accountants, lawyers, doctors, laundrymat, etc.) it makes economic sense to move the activity out-of-house. So, I would say Alibila makes sense for the rational cheater.
However, I’m not totally thrilled with the idea of this service, as practical as it might be. Adultury is not a respectable activity, nor is dishonesty–and to the extent possible we should try to refrain (I’m a pragmatist so I’ll use try) from both. Because, lest we forget, the impetus to cheat is part of a larger issue; namely being unsatisfied/unhappy in our lives. We at VM think life should be lived without compromise and in openness. So, file away Alibila in case you need it but be conscious about it, you can’t cheat yourself.
