k0an.com

If I'm going to be working from home a lot I need a quiet and comfortable place to do that. The only unused room is our guest room. We have guests in there about twice a year so I didn't feel too bad about repurposing it (sorry guests!).

I bought a computer desk from IKEA about 3 or 4 years ago. We didn't have room for it when we moved here so I took it apart and put it in the back yard. Today I gathered all the pieces and wiped off the dirt and spiders and put it together. The desk had been taken apart multiple times so the wood was very soft and I think a lot of the screws are just resting in the holes. But it's sturdy enough! After the desk I needed to get a chair because my back has been killing me (3 hours of driving per day) and I need some lumbar support. Staples had some great prices on leather chairs (better than Costco or other places I looked) so I got one there.

Now all I need is a computer! I don't get one from the new job until Monday so I have been stealing Samantha's desktop when I can.

Also, this is the funniest video I have seen in a long time. It's an edit of "The Shining" to make it look like a preview for an heartwarming family drama. Genius. The site that created it is http://www.ps260.com.

As a reward for reading this whole post here is a new video of Jace.

My new job asked that I get a Blackberry phone since that's what everyone uses there. Once I got to the Sprint (the only cell phone provider that works inside my house) store and saw how huge the Blackberry was I freaked. It wouldn't really fit in my pocket. The salesman said "you just wear it on your belt". I then said "I don't think I'm the kind of person who does that." Then I looked around and realized that all the salesmen standing around me had their cell phones on their belts. I felt bad for saying that and accepted my fate as a gadget geek...

Here's what it looks like. It feels like it weighs 2 pounds.


Despite my protests earlier I spent about 3 hours playing with all the settings when I got home.

This is very exciting news. Confirming recent rumors Google has begun their free internet access program. It's only a beta program restricted to a few users in the S.F. Bay Area. However, since Google has been buying up dark fiber across the United States I'm sure that all major metropolitan areas will be able to receive free Internet from Google. This is revolutionary and I'm sure there will be many legal battles by Telcos to block it.

Let's just hope that Gmail users get to participate in some of the early rounds of testing :)

I wanted a domain name of my own plus the server I used to store images on isn't available anymore so I decided to get my own website. Yahoo charges about $20/month for what I want but GoDaddy.com only charges about $7/month. You might have seen one of their controversial commercials (see above) during the last Super Bowl.

I chose "k0an" because it's the name I use when playing online games or registering with websites. It's my leet version of the Zen Buddhist idea of a koan.

So, from now on you will be able to find me at www.k0an.com!

Earlier I talked about wanting to put together a Disaster Kit. I've read several articles about the chance of a large earthquake on the West Coast plus the effect it would have on California's levees and water system.

I searched around and found a great set of instructions for putting together a disaster kit made by the Red Cross.

It looks pretty easy and it really won't cost that much money. Having a kit like this could mean the difference between life and death because we all know how long it takes FEMA to help people... I'm going to get everything I need from Target and maybe a local sporting goods store. I estimate I'll be done in about an hour. Put your kit together today!

A good offer came my way so I decided to give two weeks notice at my job. It's scary because it was my first job out of college and I've been there for five years. It's also sad because I have a few good friends there. I know that it's time to leave though and this is a good opportunity so it's time to leave my comfort zone.

As you've probably heard by now, FEMA predicted 9/11 and Katrina back in August, 2001. Their third prediction at that time was a catastrophic California earthquake in the next few years. I'm not claiming any conspiracies or voodoo science, they just analyzed data to come up with the most likely risks.

I've been meaning to do this for years but I think it's time to put together a disaster kit. After seeing what lack of water and food did to disaster victims in the Gulf Coast I finally realize just how important it is to be prepared. The only item I have purchased for a kit in the last couple years is a bottle of Potassium Iodate pills (otherwise known as Anti-Radiation pills).

Yeah, I know, it sounds crazy. My logic was that if a city is hit by a terrorist nuclear strike SF would maybe be in the top 10 of the list of targets because of the population density and proximity to the ocean (it would be relatively simple to sneak a bomb onto a transport ship). So, if SF was hit I calculated that the fallout would go straight to where I live based on wind patterns.

Anyways, I think the best way to put together a disaster kit is to look at some available online and just buy the items yourself to save money. I think that water is the most important item so I'll start there.

I'm sure there are hundreds of websites with photos of Katrina's aftermath but this site has some really amazing and haunting images.

Right now the two parties in Washington D.C. are planning on creating review committees to discuss what went wrong with the rescue effort. I think there should just be one independent review. A review sponsored by the Republicans or Democrats will just be a platform for campaigning. Also, the review should happen after the situation in the Gulf Coast is stabilized. Right now politicians have more important things to deal with.

I heard on the radio that the various agencies providing aid are telling people to just donate money and to stop giving them donations of items (clothes, food, etc...) because it's too hard to distribute effectively. While I understand their logic I think there are a few problems with people just donating money:

1. Not everyone has cash on hand to donate.
2. It's hard to trust that the money will be put to good use.
3. There isn't much satisfaction in clicking on a "donate now" link on a charity website. There is no emotional connection with what you are doing.

If they move some of the storm victims to Northern California shelters (this has been put on hold) I would like to volunteer to help at those shelters or even provide shelter to a family for a few months at my home. I would like to directly help the people affected by Katrina.

Jace has all of the sudden figured out how to walk. I say "all of the sudden" but it feels like we've been waiting forever. Here's a video.

With news of Katrina's devastation and my declining company I needed something to cheer me up.

I just read an article today about an amazing lab discovery showing that mice can regenerate limbs and organs:

"We have experimented with amputating or damaging several different organs, such as the heart, toes, tail and ears, and just watched them regrow..."

If they can bring that technology to humans (AFTER deeming it safe) then life as we know it will involve less pain and misery. Hopefully the technology is made available to everyone but I'm guessing there will some expensive licensing models around it making it exclusive to the wealthy.

That reminds me of an idea I had last night after watching the amazing documentary "The Corporation". I highly recommend that movie, it was truly an amazing experience to discover how corporations have shaped our world in the last century. After watching the movie I was reminded yet again that in Capitalism in order for there to be winners there have to be losers. And, to support the ever-increasing wealth of the winners the gap has to become wider.

Since technology could perhaps solve the human health dilemma I wonder if it could solve the human economic dilemma. This is going to sound pretty sci-fi but if we can solve the energy problem (solar, wind, hydrogen, etc...) and perfect nanotechnology (self-assembling machinery and resource assembly) we could have a fleet of zero-maintenance "helper bots" to perform labor. It sounds far-fetched but it is technically possible based on what the scientific community knows today. If we achieved that result we would theoretically no longer have the problems of slave labor, scarcity of resources, pollution, etc... The problem is will the powers-that-be allow something like that to succeed? Will the "captains of industry" allow a utopian society like that to exist?