Recently deceased, and one of my famous authors, Kurt Vonnegut lives on- at least for me- and damn is he funny! Odd to think of his recent death happening while i was unaware and pondering Asimov, Robotics, Nanontechnology and Engines of Creation. They were both humanists too- he and Isaac Asimov.

It is a bit surreal in the world of Second Life- he is hysterical- the quotes and quips are fantastic. Slaughterhouse Five is a must read…among others. This makes me so sad….he is gone, but he is so alive (verbally) and expressive in the metaverse.

So now I have to ask- what will be the effect on humanity if we interact in “avatar form” for long periods? After we die we leave “almost spectral” after images of ourselves? Think about that…for a moment…and reflect.

Back to Kurt Vonnegut. He even graded his own books…(Kwisatz Haderach Award)

In Chapter 18 of his book Palm Sunday “The Sexual Revolution,” Vonnegut states that the grades “do not place me in literary history” and that he is comparing “myself with myself.” The grades:

Player Piano: B
The Sirens of Titan: A
Mother Night: A
Cat’s Cradle: A-plus
God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater: A
Slaughterhouse-Five: A-plus
Welcome to the Monkey House: B-minus
Happy Birthday, Wanda June: D
Breakfast of Champions: C
Slapstick: D
Jailbird: A
Palm Sunday: C

About Clip: the national, weekly public radio program The Infinite Mind made broadcast history as it aired a four-part special taped inside the three-dimensional virtual on-line community Second Life. Among those interviewed in front of a live virtual audience were author Kurt Vonnegut. This is a machinema video of Vonnegut’s interview taped inside Second Life, on the 16-acre virtual broadcast center built by Lichtenstein Creative Media, which produces the program. The host is John Hockenberry.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Share This

Yes it is true… tonight in Second Life, if you looked closely at the setting sun, you would notice the silhouette of Martin Luther King, Jr. inside the sun itself. Very deft touch, and easily missed if you aren’t paying close attention.

I’ll see what I can do about getting my hands on pics and video up to capture interesting events like this.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Share This

Robert Anton Wilson has gone not so gently into the night. Hail Eris!

Robert Anton Wilson Defies Medical Experts and leaves his body @4:50 AM on binary date 01/11.

All Hail Eris!

On behalf of his children and those who cared for him, deepest love and gratitude for the tremendous support and lovingness bestowed upon us.

(that’s it from Bob’s bedside at his fnord by the sea)

RAW Memorial February 2007
date to be announced

If you want to know more try the Wikipedia entry or read the The Illuminatus! Trilogy for a taste.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Share This

And in dire need of digital leadership!

The full theatrical release of the movie We Are Marshall comes out tonight….

The critics will be harsh I am sure, I predict real people, the salt of the earth, will resonate with it- of course it will with me-I was born in Huntington the year it happened and not a day passed on campus that I didn’t see the memorial fountain. I was born in and raised near Huntington, in rural Appalachia. I am a hillbilly.

Everyone who knows me- also knows that I am a regional nationalist. Strong in my beliefs of the Mountain State and a culture that is not stupid- simply misunderstood and stereotyped by the media…I’ve spent time with our senators lately, our governor (thanks Joe M. for listening and offering your aids), the mayor of Huntington and our state’s CTO- the CTO gets it! As the movie says “Anything is Possible” and I truly, with all my heart believe that. I believe that no dream can be crushed, that no individual cannot rise up beyond hardship, that no one can be held down, and that there is no obstacle that cannot be beaten.

For the most part, take what you like or don’t…as a whole West Virginian culture

- Doesn’t value money as the most important thing- it ranks low on the list.

- Honor, name and one’s word is trading currency with value.

- Land ownership is more important than money and a sign of success.

- Is not very striated- you can see a trailer next to a large 500k home.

- Full of friendly people that are loyal to family, home, state and country.

- Is full of beatiful land, lush mountains, streams, and rugged beauty.

- Has more colorful dialects and phrases than anywhere else in the United States. It is actually called Appalachian English for a reason. The honey-smooth sound that the world likes to paint as ignorant is because of its unique heritage. Speakers of Appalachian English have little or no trouble understanding standard English, but some native speakers of other dialects can find it somewhat difficult, and foreigners can have significant trouble with it.

It isn’t perfect, but there are so many opportunities, it just needs digital leadership- not the job of a politician- a change agent is needed. I know it can be done and how it can be done.

Here is a review on with it- i truly forgot where I plucked it.

We Are Marshall opens on the fatal day, showing the Marshall team losing their game, boarding the plane then never arriving home. In the wake of the accident, the initial impulse is to suspend the program. However, a rally organized by one of the surviving players, Nate Ruffin (Anthony Mackie), who did not make the trip due to an injury, prompts University President Donald Dedmon (David Strathairn) to change his mind. Several prominent citizens, including Paul Griffen (Ian McShane), whose son died on the plane, oppose Dedmon’s change of heart. After feelers to numerous “name” coaches are rejected, Dedmon is forced to settle for Jack Lengyel (Matthew McConaughey). Lengyel lures back Red Dawson (Matthew Fox), the only living member of the previous staff (he elected to drive rather than fly). Red, however, is haunted by survivor guilt. Using players from the junior varsity squad, incoming freshmen, and players from other sports, Lengyel builds a team for the 1971 season, but a single question hangs over the endeavor: Is fielding a team with little chance to win honoring the dead or mocking them?

Manipulation and melodrama go hand-in-hand with the sports genre, and they are present here, although not in such overwhelming quantities that they make the viewer feel awash in a flood of sentimentality. There are three emotional high points: the rally that encourages Dedmon to re-consider suspending the team, the moment when Dedmon’s petition to the NCAA is approved, and the concluding football-related sequence. As one would expect from a movie whose roots lie in a tragedy, there are valleys as well. McG keeps the tone well modulated so the movie never threatens to become bogged down in depression.

It is acknowledged up front that the new Marshall team will have difficulty competing. In fact, they would win only two games that inaugural season and wouldn’t do much better in subsequent years. The question asked by everyone is simple: What honors the dead more - allowing a sub-par team to play or keeping the football stadium as quiet as a tomb for several years? Different characters have different answers, and it’s the inclusion of this element that makes We Are Marshall a little different from the standard-order clichéd sports drama.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Share This

I start with a sad note and indeed it is a sad one. I recently learned UKBiker a.k.a. Mark Williamson died after a long battle with skin cancer on October 18. He was an all around great guy, stalker of the dark ones, and part of the grass roots movement that has helped stem the tide of malware pushing bastards who seek to subvert the grid. A fitting tribute is here. People are known by their actions and not just words…farewell Mark- Ride on in peace.

But Mark, I don’t think, would want any of us to stand still but to keep battling on…and so we shall.

So Oh noes. Here it is…PaperGhost…and he will be al jacked up comic books, tea and shock memes ala EON8 and who knows what else….

From my dearest, and quite mad, Brit compatriot at VitalSecurity.org

That’s right kids, watch out because the greatest hero in English history is winging his way over toRSA 2007in the face-splattering form of….

Botnet Live: Tracing, Chasing and Building the Case to Bust the Bad Guys with Chris Boyd, Wayne Porter - FaceTime Security Labs

From the session blurb
(scroll down to the sexily titled HT1-202):

This session will provide an introduction to criminal botnets, a demonstration of botnet tracking and guidance on how to collect key information for law enforcement. Botnets have become delivery vehicles for spyware and adware, and revenue sources for their creators. This presentation will provide in-depth information on fraud strategies, and illustrate the financial impact of click fraud and other methods.

It is well known i like to carry a ballbat and I am not afraid to use it, but Chris Boyd is like a chainsaw on rocket fuel…really. No doubt Obi, PG, and I will end up putting our RSA RFID ridden badges into the microwave to evade the RFID nets they will have setup (and deny), that, our swap them around or something. I am working on a plan.

- Sam if you thought that hellride we spoke about on the podcast (Google Video Ads, Fraud & Black Vans) that I took you on was something frightful…spend a night with this dude chasing down whackjobs and botnets with malware beacheads and you will have pack holy water, crosses, long knives and then stick a fork in your eye and have to snort powedered NoDoze to keep up…don’t forget to evade the damn dynamite.

Ars Technical Net Lifestyle Online Education Security Tribute

Popularity: 5% [?]

Share This