Prepare for Change

http://www.salon.com/2012/09/20/history_as_recorded_on_twitter_is_vanishing/ "A significant proportion of the websites that this social media [around the Arab Spring] points to has disappeared. And the same pattern occurs for other culturally significant events, such as the the H1N1 virus outbreak, Michael Jackson’s death and the Syrian uprising. In other words, our history, as recorded by social media, is slowly leaking away. The researchers found that 27 percent of content linked to two years ago via social media has since disappeared. A Twitter history of the Arab Spring now leads to a lot of long-gone Web pages." This is sad.  When Anonymous began protesting Scientology in 2008, I went on their web site and posted that "you need to have an archivist!"  Fortunately, quite a bit of that fleeting history, such as the call to arms on 4chan.org, were captured.  But in many cases people don't think about the historical nature of what they are doing, a...

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/10/opinion/a-new-kind-of-warfare.html?_r=1&smid=tw-share "The latest step occurred last month when the United States sent out bids for technologies 'to destroy, deny, degrade, disrupt, corrupt or usurp' an adversary’s attempt to use cyberspace for advantage. The Air Force asked for proposals to plan for and manage cyberwarfare, including the ability to launch superfast computer attacks and withstand retaliation." I have an idea. Why don't we instead work on making the Internet safer and more stable, instead of running headlong into a pissing match over who can destroy the biggest part of the net?

http://blogs.aljazeera.com/blog/middle-east/saudis-may-not-have-oil-export-2030 "Saudi Arabia could be an oil Importer by 2030 - Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest oil producer (11.1mbpd) and exporter (7.7mbpd)," Rehman wrote. It also consumes 25% of its production. Energy consumption per capita exceeds that of most industrial nations. Oil and its derivatives account for 50% cent of Saudi's electricity production, used mostly (>50%) for residential use. Peak power demand is growing by 8%/yr. Our analysis shows that if nothing changes Saudi may have no available oil for export by 2030." Well, where are we going to get our oil then?  We currently import about 1.5 million barrels of Saudi oil per day [ http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/17/business/energy-environment/us-reliance-on-saudi-oil-is-growing-again.html?pagewanted=all ].  Where will we find that much oil elsewhere? Or, perhaps we could ween ourselves off oil and find energy elsewhere?  Currently S...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/01/eminent-domain-mortgages_n_1836710.html "Gluckstern had an interesting idea: Authorities would seize home loans -- crucially, not the properties themselves -- that fit a defined set of characteristics: underwater, held in private trusts and still current, meaning that homeowners were still making monthly mortgage payments. The local government would then forgive all of the debt in excess of what the home was worth and help homeowners refinance at a new, lower value. The pension and institutional investment funds that actually own these loans would get paid fair market value. Mortgage Resolution Partners would pocket a $4,500 fee per loan for fronting the money to make the purchase. Homeowners would gain a new incentive to invest in repairs and upgrades to their homes, and gain hundreds of dollars each month to spend on the local economy. The plan could be customized to fit the needs of the local community, Gluckstern said...

http://truth-out.org/articles/item/11040-the-quebec-student-protest-movement-and-the-power-of-the-radical-imagination "From Paris, Athens, and London to Montreal and New York City, young people are challenging the current repressive historical conjuncture by rejecting its dominant premises and practices. They are fighting to create a future inclusive of their dreams as the principles of justice and equality become key elements of a radicalized democratic and social project. At stake in their efforts is not only a protest against tuition hikes, austerity measures, joblessness, and deep cuts in public spending, but also the awakening of a revolutionary ideal in the service of a new society. In short, youth have dared to call for a different world and, in doing so, have exhibited great courage in taking up a wager about the future made from the standpoint of an embattled present. To understand the shared concerns of the youthful protesters and the global nature of the f...

http://www.wired.com/reviews/2012/08/brammo-empulse-r/ "And in another electric motorcycle first, the Empulse is practical for highway use too. It pulled strongly to an indicated 105 mph tested top speed and, over a route that included suburban and rural surface streets, plus a stretch of 55 mph divided highway where riding speeds averaged 70 mph, we saw a realistic range of 75 miles. That included no attempts whatsoever at maximizing efficiency other than frequently neglected efforts to keep it in that 2,000 rpm-wide range. That matches Brammo’s claimed 77-mile combined range using the SAE Test for Electric Motorcycles. Drop that average speed to a city-like 19 mph (which includes frequent stops) and that test delivers 121 miles. Riding the Empulse fast up a mountain while dragging knee and using a lot of full throttle returns a practical 50 miles of fun." Not quite there yet because of how long it takes to recharge, but still, this is great news.  Most peopl...