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The Washington Post is running an article on the slow adoption of compact fluorescent lighting (CFL) in the US. Apparently, saving the world from global warming while taking a load off the ole wallet, isn't incentive enough for a great deal of Americans. The simple step that everyone could take, to switch incandescent bulbs to CFLs, is simply not catching on. The rest of the world has already jumped on the bandwagon, but not Americans, where adoption of CFLs is at 6%, compared to 80% for Japan, 50% for Germany and 20% for the UK. Why? Apparently, Americans don't like the way the light looks, the few seconds it takes to warm up to full brightness, and have a host of other complaints about CFLs. The reality of CFLs is very different however. Most of the gripes have already been resolved, with manufacturers doing their best to make CFLs reflect the incandescent glow -- yet consumers, despite their willingness to want to change, aren't following true. Seems a little pe...

Ecuador has asked to be compensated for leaving the environment alone -- specifically, to leave the 1 billion barrels of oil under the Ishpingo-Tiputini-Tambococha oil fields located in the Amazon rainforest. In return, for an estimated US$350m per year, the world will get Equador's stake in the Amazon, with its great biodiversity, and natural oxygen replenishment and carbon sequestration system. The $350m is half of what Equador is projects it could generate per year if it taps into the oil fields. The world has one year to respond. I'm unsure if this will make it onto the radar of many countries -- especially those of the west. I fully expect that this proposal to be ignored by the world's government and mainstream media. This proposal puts governments in a tough spot. As environmental concerns make it onto the agendas of those in power across the world, this proposal forces the issue -- it demands that governments put money against the chest-thumping they've...

What's happening to Wal-Mart -- and why should it matter to other retailers?  Wal-Mart has pursued the single-minded strategy of low prices to fuel its explosive growth.  That has made it the world's largest retailer, at $345b in revenues, with stores in 13 nations -- the biggest concentration being in the US, where Wal-Mart has close to 3,500 stores.  Through its phenomenal growth, Wal-Mart has kept going by sticking to low prices, and opening stores at an alarming pace.  In 2006, the company boasted a new store everyday.  It has done this on the backs of suppliers, employees, communities and competitors -- and the price has been so high, that the company now faces significant socpolitical challenges to its continued expansion strategy. Wal-Mart isn't slowing down however. CEO H. Lee Scott Jr. is determined to continue the new store openings, suggesting that the 1-new-store/day pace can be sustained for the next five years. Me...

Altitude Capital Partners, Coller Capital, Rembrandt IP Management and Northwater Capital are venture capital firms with billions of dollars between them, and out to make a quick, easy buck at the expense of others. These dubious venture capital firms are in the business of funding patent trolls -- companies that either file or buy patents with the sole purpose of going to court to collect billions from others who may have developed similar technology or processes protected by patents in-hand. Forbes reports on their war chests, patents secured, and litigation game plan. The whole practice is obscene and a misuse of the law. Read more , and if you're a technology company, be afraid ... be ah-fwaid !

Ever wonder what "the architecture of the subterranean nests of the Florida harvester ant" looks like? How about what the tunnels under an anthill looks like? Walter R. Tschinkel wanted to know, so he poured plaster into an anthill to find out. What he found was just another cool surprise from nature. The tunnels can be as deep as 3m, with about half the total area of the nest contained in the first 25% of the nest depth. The nest in the thumbnail image to the right was created by about 5,000 worker ants excavating 20kg of sand in about 4-5 days. A typical ant colony constructs one or two of these nests per year. In the nests, the ants arrange themselves with older ants in the upper parts of the structure, and the younger ants taking up positions in the lower parts -- with the younger ants tending to dig more than their older counterparts. The ant colony behaves like a superorganism . The findings are an interesting read -- and totally cool!

Astronomers using the ESO's 3.6m telescope, have discovered a planet orbiting Gliese 581, a red dwarf star, that bear a striking resemblance to Earth . The planet has a radius 50% larger than Earth, with five times more mass and is 14 times closer to its star. Its orbit allows the planet to complete an orbit in 13-days. At that proximity to its star, you'd think the planet would be hot, but because Gliese 581 is smaller, cooler and is less luminous that our star, this new planet may actually have comfortable temperatures, and possibly even liquid water. Gliese 581 is just over 20-light-years away from us, in the constellation Libra. It belongs to the group of most prevalent and stable stars in our galaxy. Due to their low luminosity however, they are difficult to observe. While the newly discovered planet is gaining a lot of press lately for being Earth-like , the chances that the system could support life as we know it, is fairly small. While red dwarfs are stable, ha...

A recent survey of Americans , polling their basic understanding of plastic, revealed that mostly, Americans are woefully ignorant of the world they live in. From the pollster press release: 72% of respondents do not know that plastic is made out of oil/petroleum On average, respondents estimated 38% of plastic is recycled (the reality is less than 6%, according to the EPA) Nearly 40% (38.1%) of respondents said plastic will biodegrade underground, in home compost, in landfills, or in the ocean (plastic will not biodegrade in any of these environments). After learning that plastic is made from oil and never biodegrades, half (50.1%) of respondents stated they would be likely or very likely to pay 5-10% more for a natural, biodegradable plastic. Only 24% were unlikely/very unlikely to pay this much more. 62% of respondents rate their own level of environmental knowledge as fair or poor, with only 5.6% rating it as excellent. These are the same folks I bet, who ...

In the years since Randall "Duke" Cunningham lurked in the Washington halls of power as a Congressman, he preyed on taxpayers, bilking the public of millions of dollars. The money came indirectly from the public coffers, in the form of bribery from Brent Roger Wilkes of ADCS, and Mitchell J. Wade of MZM, for hundreds of millions of dollars in government business. The business thrown to ADCS and MZM was in information technology, specifically in the security and defense areas. In a post 9/11 US, the gravy flowed, and the salivating Wilkes and Wade piled on the bribes to Cunningham for the train to be directed their way. In the end, Cunningham was busted. So was Wilkes and Wade. Other politicians may have also benefited for doing their personal bit to directing public defense, military and intelligence spending towards ADCS and MZM. Specifically named by Cunningham was Florida's Secretary of State, Katherine Harris . If you recall, Harris was the Florida politici...

This image, from the October 2002 issue of Popular Mechanics , compares the nuclear weapons from WWII-era to those in existence -- and the tiny, low yield, Bunker Busters of the US. What is incredible isn't the latest nuclear arsenal -- but that of the past -- and how terrifyingly close we came ending it all. The Popular Mechanics graphic tops out with the Tsar Bomba (aka Ivan), the 50-megaton nuclear bomb that was detonated by the Russians on October 30, 1961 in the Arctic Sea -- its yield was equivalent to 10-times all the explosives used in WWII; followed by Bravo , a 15-megaton bomb tested by the US on March 1, 1954 at Bikini Atoll -- its yield was equivalent to 1,000 times that of Fat Man and Little Boy ; then, Mike , which was tested on October 31, 1952 by the US. On the graphic, Fat Man and Little Boy hardly register as a blip. How close we came during the cold war ... how close .

May 3rd is the National Prayer Day in America. It's the 56th annual prayer day, and I've never heard of it. Yesterday, Bush released his proclamation for the National Prayer Day . Included in his proclamation, are the following words: At this important time in our history, we also pray for the brave members of our Armed Forces and their families. We pray for their safety, for the recovery of the wounded, and for the peace we all seek. "... for the peace we all seek." Peace doesn't come easy. It's hard work -- prayer however, is the most ineffective way to go about achieving peace. I'm reminded of this one simple sentence I read recently: " We are the ones we have been waiting for ." We are the ones that can make a difference. Not god. Whichever god you believe in has given us the power over our own actions. Bush's actions started the war that currently feeds on American lives. He was the power to stop the war. Instead, he has c...

The Raw Story has a clip of the Daily Shows commentary on the US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales answers to the queries of both Democrats and Republicans at the Senate hearings into Justice Department's firings of US State Attorneys. In his commentary, Jon Stewart channels Dick Cheney, to coach Gonzales. Says the dick via his televised medium, "You gotta piss lightning and crap thunder, Alberto!" As usual, Stewart is hilarious.

Yesterday, 33 individuals were murdered at Virginia Tech , in what was an unprovoked and senseless act. There is no meaning in this random act of violence that so swiftly cut short so many lives. One can't begin to understand the pain being felt by those close to the events. The images of the family and friends -- of the injured and dead -- they can only provide those of us far removed, with a mere glimpse into the pain, confusion and helplessness of the situation. For those of us that feel, the loss of life is a wound. How can you not help but feel for those dead, injured and the family and friends left behind? In the days and weeks that will now follow this horror, while the media is still squeezing every bit of sensationalism from the murders, there will be speculation, finger pointing and much deliberation. For those close to this, trying to understand, there will be much frustration. When the media grows tired of this story, it will fade from our collective memories --...

It's hard not to be cynical in this short-term thinking world. When you look at the global warming problem and the efforts underway to curb the belching of noxious fumes into the air we breathe, you want to think that the motivations are for the right reasons. But, as with most opportunities, we must ride that hype curve before we get to that plateau of productivity where things can actually be accomplished. Climbing the peak of inflated expectations , are a lot of do-gooders with noble intentions -- but there are also the snake-oil salesmen, out to exploit good intentions for short-term gain. BusinessWeek's March 26 th issue carries an article on another inconvenient truth -- the currency of carbon offsets . Companies and individuals alike, especially the vocal ones, are jumping on the bandwagon more for selfish gains than altruism. Rather than take the arduous step of significantly cutting their own emissions of carbon dioxide, many in the ranks of the environmental...

The February 1 st issue of CIO Magazine carries an article on innovation and benefits IT can bring to the process as an enabler. CIO suggests that as product lifecycles continue to shrink, the pressure to bring the innovation cycle down to shorter timeframes will be even greater. Internal R&D departments can no longer afford to do it all on their own –- and innovation as a result, is becoming a distributed process, requiring the collaboration of customers, suppliers, independents and even competitors. How can IT help? CIO provides these elements that specifically requires IT as an enabler: Collaboration. Communications is critical among both internal employees and external contractors. Agree on a medium, whether its e-mail, IM or fancy collaboration software, and get everyone using it. Data access. Easy access to research information is the basis for doing collaborative innovation work with outsiders. Make project data available in a format that is standard, simple and e...

The April 2 nd issue of BusinessWeek carries a cover story on the coming virtualization of the world that's an eyeopener on future of human-computer interface. Lets face it, the keyboard is not natural -- neither is the mouse, the remote control or 2D simulations of 3D worlds. What is natural for humans have long been a challenge for computers to accept as input, interpret and execute. A glimpse of the future however is here, and its showing up in the unlikely place of business. Sure the entertainment industry has been at the forefront of exploiting new technologies such as motion capture, rendering and virtualization of the real world -- but how about sensor technology that detects movements and expressions, allowing the natural interaction with presentations? Or technology that tracks the motion, allowing advertisers to interact with their audience? Others are also bringing 3D modeling to life, allowing prototypes to be interacted with -- designed, tested and virtually co...

Steve Olson asks too many questions on his blog, starting with, " When did America become a nation of frightened wimps? " When did we decide to allow the police to smash into private homes without knocking and identifying themselves? When did we decide it was okay to strip search an old lady at the airport because the pin in her hip set off the metal detector? When did we decide it was too risky to take a cup of coffee on an airplane? When did we decide it was reasonable to make a nursing mother drink her own breast milk to prove she wasn't a terrorist? When did we decide it was okay for policemen in combat boots with German Shepherds to patrol High School hallways? When did we decide it was too dangerous for our children to ride their bikes to school? When did we decide it was okay for the government to seize property without a trial, without due process, at the whim of a government agency? When did we decide that our government had a right to the fluids inside our own b...

Kurt Vonnegut died from brain injuries as a result of a fall a couple of weeks ago. Read about the man on Wikipedia , then go borrow one of his books. (He's dead, he doesn't need you to buy his books anymore.) Vonnegut had great wit and had a keen eye for human nature. He left a legacy of excellent writing -- so really, his passing isn't really the end of him. For those interested, check out this 8-part series from YouTube .

Something stinks in Joliet, IL. An officer from the local police force, noticed a van parked on the driveway of Kuldip Singh Nag 's house with expired registration tags. The officer instructed Nag, a Sikh, to move the vehicle into his garage. The van was inoperable, and Nag had the audacity to point out that on his private property, he could actually park the van wherever he wanted to -- including his driveway. According to Nag and his wife, what followed was bizarre. The officer pulled out a can of pepper spray, sprayed Nag in the eyes, then proceeded to beat him with his baton, while yelling, "You fucking Arab! You fucking immigrant, go back to your fucking country before I kill you!" Nag stayed in the hospital a few days to recover, after suffering head injuries, bruises and temporary blindness. Now clearly, something is just not right here. Even I'm having a hard time believing this. But I can't see the motivation for the cop to do what he did. WTF? ...

The Heathlander has a post on MSNBC shameless obliteration of history in a recent slide-show on Iran. Apparently, publishing facts pertaining to the US-UK involvement in the overthrow of Mohammed Mossadeq , the eventual Islamic revolution and the US-backing of Iraq in wars against Iran is just not convenient. Before the US can launch a war against Iran, it must first be demonize. Americans must first be made to see Iranians as evil -- people who aren't human -- and therefore should be killed. MSNBC is participating in this propaganda exercise.

This ad by Be A Witness , a campaign made by the American Progress Action Fund and the Genocide Intervention Fund, was rejected by the three major US TV networks (ABC, CBS and NBC).

Ford CEO Alan Mulally had an opportunity to save the world, instead, he proved his mettle as a tactically thinking CEO and made the short-term decision. Ford had arranged for one of their hybrid vehicles to make a public appearance at the White House. They had a arranged for a ceremonial charging -- plugging the hybrid in, at the White House. Bush was dragged out on the lawn to do the plugging, but he was apparently heading to plug the electricity into the hybrid's hydrogen tank, when CEO Mulally had the stupid sense to correct Bush . Think about it: hydrogen + electricity = kaboom! OK, well, maybe not. Safety features and all that -- but one can just imagine. Now I'm never going to buy a Ford again.

What would happen if ... At 7:15AM, at a busy hub for workers heading off to cubicle hell ... "One of the finest classical musicians in the world" -- say ... Joshua Bell ... dressed incognito ... Pulled out a handcrafted violin, made by Antonio Stradivari in 1713, and worth over $3M ... And started "playing some of the most elegant music ever written" ... Would anyone stop to listen? Joshua Bell's performance at the L'Enfant Plaza, just outside the Metro in Washington, was arranged by the Washington Post. It was "an experiment in context, perception and priorities -- as well as an unblinking assessment of public taste: In a banal setting at an inconvenient time, would beauty transcend?" The acoustics proved surprisingly kind. Though the arcade is of utilitarian design, a buffer between the Metro escalator and the outdoors, it somehow caught the sound and bounced it back round and resonant. The violin is an instrument that is said to be much...

The patron saint of the Republican party, Ann Coulter, has been frothing at the mouth again . On Darfur: These people can't even wrap up genocide. We've been hearing about this slaughter in Darfur forever — and they still haven't finished. The aggressors are moving like termites across that country. It's like genocide by committee. Who's running this holocaust in Darfur, FEMA? On Passover: Moses had to grab Jews by the scruff of their necks and drag them to the desert for 40 years to get a generation capable of living in freedom — and even then the Jews were complaining about it being too drafty. Once free, they complained about the food, which apparently compared unfavorably to the food back in Egypt. Even in the desert, the Jews would not stop with the golden calves. God nearly let the whole lot of them perish in the desert, he was so angry about their idolatrous ways. Only when he had a new generation, born in freedom, that didn't complain about the food, d...

Out of Google's Labs comes another search solution -- voice search. To try this service, just dial 1-800-GOOG-411 (1-800-466-4411) from any phone. Using this service, you can: search for a local business by name or category. You can say "Giovanni's Pizzeria" or just "pizza". get connected to the business, free of charge. get the details by SMS if you’re using a mobile phone. Just say "text message". How cool is that?!

The Washington Post is running a story on a declassified US Defense Department report released yesterday, that discounts any pre-war ties between Iraq and al-Qaeda. Before the war, the US intelligence community was pretty much aligned in their consensus that there was only limited contacts between al-Qaeda and Iraqi government officials -- and that any links between the two was based on suspect information. The Undersecretary of Defense, Douglas J. Feith , however, had taken such reports from the CIA and DIA, and spun a tale of lies to feed to Cheney and Bush, which concluded that there was indeed an established relationship between al-Qaeda and Iraq -- and that Iraq may even have had a hand in the 9/11 attacks on the US. The CIA had disagreed with the information Feith was feeding Cheney and Bush via briefings -- and expressed their disagreement -- however, Feith concluded that the CIA could be ignored. Subsequent to the US invasion of Iraq and the toppling of Sadaam Hussein , I...

The political machinations of justice in America continues under the Bush Administration. For those who don't know, the Bush Administration, via Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, fired eight US Attorneys that were appointed by the Administration, under questionable circumstances. Critics have argued that the attorneys simply didn't follow the mandate of their appointments, and focus on the prosecution of Democrats -- but rather, started investigating the wrongdoings of Republicans. Has the Bush Administration ever done anything that wasn't politically motivated? Well, not really. The latest in the escalating travesty of the Justice Department comes with the political appointments of Monica Goodling and Rachel Paulose -- two attorneys way over their heads in the positions they were placed in -- but great candidates for the Bush Administration to elevate. Both apparently love the Bible, and are have no qualms with dancing to the Administration's tune. Their imp...

Joe Klein writes in Time of the Bush Administration's three defining sins : arrogance, incompetence and cynicism -- and how it's leading to the slow demise of the government. While the administration will stay in power for the next two years, it will continue to be more and more apparent to the American people -- even the idiots that voted Bush into power -- that the government doesn't give a damn about governing. It's simply there to exercise the adolescent whims of GW. History will mark the beginning of the new century as truly dark times for America.

Google TiSP (BETA) is Google’s foray into the Net Neutrality debate. Sign up, and Google will ship you a free TiSP system package for your own in-home installation that will bring you free WiFi broadband access. The installation is pretty simple -- and involves you dropping a fibre-optic cable into your toilet to connect it to one of the many TiSP Access Nodes. Not a bad April Fool’s joke. Updated: This one is good too ... Gmail paper ! Get all your emails printed, for free!

A Newsweek poll on the belief of god finds that Americans are deeply religious. 91% of Americans believe in god -- and 82% of them are Christians. Further, 48% of Americans think the scientific theory of evolution is a load of shit -- with 34% of college graduates believing the Bible's take on creation is fact. Goes to show you -- we really do need population control.

Sometimes, the United Nations say things that make it hard to give it support -- especially in an age when the US sees little benefit in gaining UN approval for its actions around the globe -- when the UN needs any support it can get. The latest stupidity from the UN highlights the problem with the organization -- it basically treats all nations as equals -- when clearly, they're not. The UN Human Rights Council (HRC) voted 24 to 14 to adopt a resolution on Combating Defamation of Religions [DOC], which "expresses deep concern at attempts to identify Islam with terrorism, violence and human rights violations" -- especially in the aftermath of 9/11 -- and further, "urges States to take resolute action to prohibit the dissemination including through political institutions and organizations of racist and xenophobic ideas and material aimed at any religion or its followers that constitute incitement to racial and religious hatred, hostility or violence." The res...