All those topics that i wish i had time to pursue more earnestly.

Keychain Plants:
SorobanGeeks has pictures of what they say is the latest fad in Japan: keychain plants. Each one sells for around $10 and features real, live plants that grow in a tiny arboretum until they become too large to be contained, after which they can be transplanted to a larger pot. I wanted to find a reason this was a bad idea, but I really can’t—the more greenery the better.
Plantes à emporter… [SorobanGeeks]

i want some.

Self-Destruct Button DX:
The Self-Destruct Button DX is a handy bit of kit to have around, especially if you access your living space through any manner of airlock. Noted as the “luxurious edition” on the product page (only the best for your last milliseconds in corporeal form), it’s made perfectly clear that ” Installing in the reception table, and on et cetera the foot warmer please enjoy. As for function this way as a switch completely being not to be, please note.” Noted.
Home Page [LiveDoor via TechJapan via SlashdotJP]

i need one of these for my office door.

Auction Preview:
http://www.msu.edu/~clarion/auction/auctionpreview.html

some cool stuff….

STS (R)Evolutions Conference Web Site:
http://www.sts-gso.org.vt.edu/STS(R)Evolutions/

The Yankee or Dixie quiz:
http://www.angelfire.com/ak2/intelligencerreport/yankee_dixie_quiz.html

37% (Yankee). A definitive Yankee.

Discourse.net: On the fringes of the public sphere:
Nine months later, the threat level has been lowered, and Ridge, speaking at a news conference last week, said there is no evidence of a plot to disrupt President Bush’s inauguration. Previous warnings, Ridge explained, stemmed from threat reports tied to the elections — not to the inauguration more than two months later.

———-

lying and manipulation. there was terrorists at the polls though, with terror devices such as rigged voting machines, intentional miscounts and scare tactics…..

Ethiopian Distance Learning:
Andrew Heavens has a short but interesting blip on his blog ‘Meskel Square’ about this Ethiopian classroom’s distance learning set-up, consisting of a satellite dish picking up Digital Video Broadcasts (DVB) from Addis Ababa that then outputs to a generously-sized Samsung plasma screen television. The schools next step is to get online using a satellite connection—cool stuff.
The shock of the new [MeskelSquare]

————–

if they didn’t use the plasma screen….. this would be so much less expensive.

Some MAN needs to calculate the rotational velocity of MLK’s corpse, immediately!:

<—–snip—->

I also don’t think that last attempt to salvage his thesis by comparing the possession of a pair of X chromosomes to a heritable, organic brain disorder does him any credit. I’m hoping a cabal of strong, smart Harvard women is going to rise up and fire his dumb, hairy scrotum.

(via Feministing)

i agree.

How Nerdy Are You???:

UNESCO conference on freedom of ….:
UNESCO conference on freedom of.

I really have to go to this UNESCO conference on Freedom of Speech in Cyberspace which will be held in UNESCO headquarters in Paris, on 3-4 February.

At least to embarrass the Iranian delegation which will be arrogant enough to take part in such conference, even with its horrible record of freedom of speech in Cyberspace, and also to inform the UN and its members about the vast and heavy Net censorship in Iran. (I’m even prepared to do this trip on my own expense, if no other funding can I find.)

Since my Canadian citizenship is still in the process, I have to use my invaluable Iranian passport — again — and to apply for a Type C Scheme Visa. But I worry issuing the VIsa takes longer than February 2nd and I miss the whole thing.

So does anyone know someone who might be of help, especially in the French councilor in Toronto or in the Embassy in Ottawa?

[Editor: Myself (English)]

this seems like it could be interesting… of course the problem is that because of the means of access to cyberspace, namely implicit or explicit contract, and that usually in those contracts there are limits to the freedom, because you can contract away your ‘freedom of expression and/or speech”.