Shimizu TRY 2004 Mega-City Pyramid, Tokyo
The dimensions of this sky city are nothing short of staggering. If ever completed the Shimizu TRY 2004 Mega-City Pyramid will stand 12 times higher than the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt at 6,574ft tall with an area of 3 square miles at the base. The structure would consist of 8 layers stacked on top of each other which would have a total area of 34 square miles. Each layer will consist of smaller pyramids each roughly the size of the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas with layers 1 through 4 devoted for mixed residential and commercial usage and layers 5 through 8 for leisure and social facilities. There will be accommodation for 750,000 people, or 1/16th of Tokyo’s 12 million strong population. Getting that many people around will be a challenge met by a zero carbon, personalised rapid transit system and a network of accelerated walkways and elevators that connect the city via 55 strategically located nodes. The exterior facade of the proposed hyperstructure will be sprayed with a photovoltaic coating to convert sunlight into electricity for a greener city. (more…)

A volcanic eruption is a bad thing … right? Well, according to some scientists: not necessarily. The theory goes something like this: a faked volcanic eruption (via rockets shot nearly into space) could disperse sulphur into the upper atmosphere and block incoming and outgoing radiation. Of course, this plan has its critics. Other scientists worry about potential drought and other unforeseen consequences of such a bold and brazen act of geoengineering. And how could the process be undone if needed? (more…)

5) Words to write right: its, it’s, who’s, whose, their, there, they’re
The saying used to be, “On the Internet, no one knows if you’re a dog.” (Cats are obvious, though; they always fall asleep on the keyboard.)

Likewise, when you’re talking, no one can tell if you screw up whose and who’s, its and it’s, and there, they’re and their. But when you’re writing, watch out. Screw these up and you’ll look like a fool.

But don’t despair. Or, as grandmothers say, “There, there.” You can expand your mind on this front by understanding contractions.

If what you’re really saying is “it is,” “there is,” or “who is,” then use the apostrophe version. So, it’s, there’s, and who’s.

Use its, whose, and theirs for possessives. How do you remember this? Just remember that possessive pronouns have everything–except apostrophes.

Likewise, I have another goofy little trick for keeping their straight from they’re and there. Their is a possessive. It has an i in it. I like owning things. Therefore, the one to use there is their. (more…)

As Facebook enjoys its moment in the sun, we should take a moment to step back and look at the history of computers and social communication. Some historical perspective is in order, both to assess the real value of social networks as businesses, and to anticipate how they are likely to evolve in the future.
Bulletin Boards

People have been using computers for social communication since the very beginning of the personal computer industry. Long before the Internet became accessible to the general public, people were hosting BBS systems, many of them focused on an interest group or local community. One particularly prescient invention was FidoNet, a network for BBSes that allowed systems to transfer data (messages, files, etc.) in bucket-brigade fashion to sites around the world. It grew to, at one point, cover much of the world, and was an entirely community-based effort. (more…)

1. Be patient during the break-in period
You’ve bought your dream car and now you want to make it last at long as possible in top condition. Here are some things to remember as you pull it out of the dealer’s lot:

* During the break-in period, typically the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km), keep your speed under 55 mph (88 kpm) or to the speed recommended by your car’s manufacturer.

* Avoid heavy loads on the drive train, such as towing trailers, and loading the roof rack or trunk with heavy construction materials.

* Do not allow your new car to idle for long periods — this is good advice for the life of your car, but especially during breakin. The oil pressure generated by doing so may not be sending oil to every part of your engine.

* Use only light to medium acceleration, keeping the engine rpms below 3,000 for the first few hours of driving.

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Couch Surfing seems to be all the rage these days. Here are 8 tools that will help you embark on your Couch Surfing career.

Caretaker’s Gazette

(http://www.caretaker.org)

By joining this service (annual membership is approximately US$30), you will gain access to a classified system of people looking for caretakers in exchange for rent-free living. The opportunities vary widely in scope from ranch hands, to organic farm workers, campground hosting, motel management, nursing for the elderly, to just plain house sitting. Locales for your next potential gig could be anywhere in the world, from numerous U.S. locations, to Australia, to Europe and even Micronesia.

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1. Fischer was a schoolmate of singer Barbara Streisand when both attended Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn.
2. Fischer later dropped out of school in 1959 when he turned 16.
3. The movie Searching For Bobby Fischer is not about Bobby Fischer, but actually about the life of another chess prodigy, Joshua Waitzkin. Fischer only appears in the movie in the form of archival news footage.
4. Fischer learned how to play chess from instructions found in a chess set that his sister bought at a candy store.
5. Fischer remains the youngest ever United States Junior Chess Champion.
6. Fischer played in eight United States Chess Championships, each held in New York City, winning every one. This string includes his 11-0 win in the 1963-1964 championship, the only perfect score in the history of the tournament, and one of only a handful of perfect scores in high-level chess tournaments ever. (more…)

10. It’s not another American version of Godzilla. (Thank God!)

Let’s get this out of the way first. This movie is not 1998’s Hollywood version of Godzilla. Nor is it the movie that Godzilla should’ve been. Really, aside from the fact that both films feature a gigantic creature thrashing about New York, they’re so different in style and intent that any comparisons beyond that should be immediately disregarded. In other words, forget Godzilla. That movie sucked. Cloverfield, meanwhile, is something different entirely, and warrants all the hype it’s gotten thus far.
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