Using Bugs to Make Ethanol for Fuel
Wired News ran a story about an innovative company in Canada.Ottawa-based Iogen is already producing ethanol by exploiting the destructive nature of the fungus Trichoderma reesei, which caused the “jungle rot” of tents and uniforms in the Pacific theater during World War II. Through a genetic modification known as directed […]
Why More People Don’t Read My Blog
Blogging is a world of have and have-nots, according to a story in New York Magazine, titled Blogs to Riches. “Economists and network scientists have a name for Shirky’s curve: a “power-law distribution.” Power laws are not limited to the Web; in fact, they’re common to many social systems. If […]
Teeny Tiny Thai and Massive Depot
Tonight’s travels took me to a teeny tiny Thai restaurant in downtown Greenfield. The diminutive eatery, staffed by one smiling women, is called Hetterkorn. They had seating for two. The restaurant was a sliver of a space, and her wok sizzled by the cash register. We ordered our pad thai […]
The New Yorker Interviews Twice to be Sure
David Remnick says that the trademark attribute of The New Yorker is the insistence on accuracy. The legendary editor of the world’s most desirable publishing market was interviewed in Haartez, an Israeli News outlet. “When I go to interview, for example, Sheikh Naif Rajoub, one of the leaders of Hamas, […]
The Spider Can Hear You from Her Hole
Last night as we snuggled up by the fire we turned on the telly to watch PBS. There was a man on a show who chases spiders around, and he talked with much zeal about tarantulas. The female of this hairy spider can hear the sound of the male coming […]
The Most Expensive Animals in the Zoo
Pandas were in the news today, as the snow fell outside and we hunkered down with a fire and piles of newspapers. It seems that the Chinese government fleeces Zoo Atlanta and others with $80 million a year in rental fees for the priviledge of keeping the animals in their […]
Oh Sly, We Hardly Knew Ye
We tuned into the Grammys last week, and among the spectacles, the most bizarre had to be Sly Stone’s two minutes on stage. I have been intrigued with this iconic ’60s figure ever since I first heard that classic tune “Family Affair,” and when I saw him emerge on stage, […]
A Speaker is Born
Friday was a big day; I made my presentation to a standing room only crowd who filled a hall at the Washington Convention Center. The title was How to Make your Website Google Friendly and Make More Money with your Website. It went beautifully. Thanks to Joe I was well […]