A generator converts water to hydrogen, to power the vehicle.  Click here for video link.

thanks, Lanny.

Fred Wilson’s post about the iPhone remote for Boxee inspired me.

What if there was an iPhone app, where you could easily create a universal remote, with all your preferences (favorite channels etc.) easily programmed by a drag and drop interface.

Universal remotes I’ve used in the past are hard to program, and generally don’t work very well…

There would then be a wifi-enabled device in your cabinet, which converts your iPhone commands to infrared, to control all your hardware!

Universal remotes I’ve used in the past are hard to program, and generally don’t work too well…

Click here for app linik!

I believe there are absolutes.

Like gravity, time and space.

But, you say, “What if there’s another dimension outside of our awareness, where these rules don’t apply?” Then that dimension would be governed by its own absolutes.

Within nature, there is a hierarchy  But, among humans there is not.  All men are created equal.

But, you say, “I’m not good at math, and Henry is, so clearly we are not created equal.”  However, you do have equal value in God’s eyes.

So, you may kill innocent bugs, but not innocent humans.

But, you say, “A noble war may have innocent casualties.”  In this case, I believe it comes down to intention. Did you intend to kill innocent people, or not?

But, you say, “Innocence is subjective to perspective.”

If your endgame violates our fundamental rights as humans, then that is absolutely wrong.

The great firewall of China has blocked this blog.

What if we could deliver free, uncensored Internet to every human on the planet via satellites?

the United States Information Service was disbanded in 1999.

We are waging a war that simply can’t be won with conventional military might.

Its stated goals were:

To explain and advocate U.S. policies in terms that are credible and meaningful in foreign cultures;

To provide information about the official policies of the United States, and about the people, values, and institutions which influence those policies;

To bring the benefits of international engagement to American citizens and institutions by helping them build strong long-term relationships with their counterparts oversea;

To advise the President and U.S. government policy-makers on the ways in which foreign attitudes will have a direct bearing on the effectiveness of U.S. policies.

According to an article in the Atlantic Monthly, “The supremacist ideology of the Bush Administration stands in opposition to the principles of an open society, which recognize that people have different views and that nobody is in possession of the ultimate truth.”

Do you accept the assertion that there is no ultimate truth?

Scientists might say there is: science.

And, those of faith would say there is.

(and those two belief systems are not mutually exclusive, by the way.)

Is freedom not a universal ideal we should strive for?

If you say no, then do you believe there should not be a universal acceptance of what is right and what is wrong?

Under any circumstance, is genocide ok?

Is terrorism ok?

If you say no, then you are accepting a universal belief. And, this makes you are a supremacist, because you are unwilling to accept these things under any circumstance.

The logical rule as it relates to supremacy is not necessarily valid unless you believe the “universal belief” should apply to all people irrespective of their belief.  For instance, if “terrorism is not ok,” then that would mean your belief is superior to those who believe terrorism is ok, which is different than an “ultimate truth,” which you believe, but are willing to accept alternative beliefs, and don’t necessarily think your belief is superior to another person’s belief.  For example, I believe that Christianity is the “ultimate truth,” but not necessarily a “universal belief.” I do not feel my beliefs are superior to a Buddhist’s beliefs.

Where do you draw the line in accepting opposing points of view, in a free society, to use language consistent with George’s?

Is polygamy ok? Is the oppression of women ok? Is blowing people up in the name of allah, or chopping people’s heads off ok? Is it ok to have 23 babies?

somehow the 1980’s word “Rad”! seems especially appropriate for this bathroom stall advertising campaign in Japan (if I was ten years younger, I would say “Sick!”  The ad is for Georgia Max Coffee (part of Coca-cola). The toilet paper holder says, “Seriously kick-ass intensely sweet for the real coffee super zinging unstoppable Max! Taste-explosion!”

skiing coffee advertisment in Japan

this is an addendum to my previous post here.

Universities are basically walled gardens (and could easily make lecture videos available online for anyone, anywhere to view), and there is a lot of precedence for achieving greater success, as a result of opening up.  For example, when the NYT unleashed its archive content, revenue from advertising soared, and significantly surpassed its user pay revenue.

And, the TED conference is making most of its video content available for free, while demand to attend the TED conference has soared, and the amount people are willing to pay to attend has soared, as well.

Thanks to Steve Brown for inspiring these thoughts.

I liked this swivel bottle cap, which is obviously reused, especially in light of this TED video showing how conventional bottle caps pollute our oceans.