This week's hosts:  David, Kyle and Thaed.  We discuss:

--Ask the Economist:  given gold and oil are at all time highs and the dollar is at an all time low, what does this mean for the economy over the next 5 years?  What can we do about it?
--http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071106133058.htm  Sci fi v. reality, another solar system.  What does this mean for humanity's understanding of space.  What does it mean for you personally?
--Income and net worth.  http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/103815/Where-Do-You-Stand-on-America's-Wealth-Spectrum.  Look it's another list.  What does this tell you about wealth in America?  What does wealth correlate to on an individual level?
--Things that affect daily life are perhaps more important than they seem.  Take cracking hands, for example or toenail clippers or ironing.  Is there something to elevating the mundane?  Are Buddists right in thinking that we should focus on directly experiencing life through the mundane?
--Fab at home.  http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/industry/4224759.html.  How long before this is actually useful?  Will it ever be?  Is this the next great advance that will be commonplace in 50 years the way computers are today?
--Name things and industries that don't seem to have patent squatters.  How are patent squatters affecting innovation? 

Sites where you can find more information about Thaed:

http://www.mentalinterface.net

Subscribe via iTunes.

Email Thaed at thaed@cox.net

We tried to get together tonight, but it just wasn't in the stars.  Maybe next week...

Tonight's hosts:  David, Scott, Kyle & Thaed.  Here are the topics:

--Ask the Economist. 
--Reductionism and the enjoyment of life.  Does understanding everything in daily life to a fundamental level destroy the capacity to enjoy it?  Does greater understanding of the universe make life less desirable?  (9:06)
--In a future world of hyper efficiency, what will people do for a living?  (16:20)
--Say you are a billionaire and you want to make your home town a better place.  How do you use your money to make this happen?  (21:03)
--Dave's Stalin Quote:  death of a soldier is a tragedy, the death of a 1000 soldiers is a statistic.  Was this ever true?  Is it true today?  (39:43)
--What will it take for Linux to make really progress in the marketplace against Windows?  (44:21)
--Golf:  is it still how business is acquired?  Do you have to play golf to be successful?  Can you play WoW instead?  (53:21)

Sites where you can find more information about Scott and Thaed:

http://www.frontrowcrew.com
http://www.mentalinterface.net

Subscribe via iTunes.

Email Thaed at thaed@cox.net

Tonight's hosts:  Ray, Scott, Kyle, Rym & Thaed.  Here are the topics:

--Tax evading idiots and blogosphere response.  There were some tax cheats recently captured by the U.S. Government and bloggers went nuts.  Why is it so hard for some people to pay their taxes?
--  Unusual experiences with people you've sold stuff to.  I had a recent
encounter with a very motivated dude concerning a car.  (8:33)
--best hotel rooms you've ever occupied and why.  (16:18)
--8 simple-minded ways to enjoy every day.   (25:59)
http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/enjoy-life-each-day/
--Classical literature versus comic books and manga.  Shouldn't you limit your consumption of lowbrow entertainment?  (42:56)
--What questions do you have about life?  Thinking people work out most of the main issues and life isn't really much of a mystery.  Do you even have any and if so what are they?  (59:24)

(I have to make mention of the fact that I had never heard the term Hikikomori until Scott used it in this show.  Thanks for that.)


Sites where you can find more information about Rym, Scott and Thaed:

http://www.frontrowcrew.com
http://www.mentalinterface.net

Subscribe via iTunes.

Email Thaed at thaed@cox.net

Tonight's hosts:  Ray, Kyle, David & Thaed.  Here are the topics:

--After Alan Greenspan's interview aired on 60 Minutes, the price of gold has gone up.  He predicts future double digit inflation.  If hyperinflation happens in this country, does it make sense to to keep $5k in gold coins just to buy bread?  Silver is another option, but it's more volatile.  What do you think a person should do by way of currency in the face of world wide economic chaos?

--Does your source of news color your world-view?  Geeks generally get news from a variety of sources, but what if your only source was CNN, Fox News or your local newspaper.  Would the particular agency viewpoint make you see things only in that light?  (11:15)

--Do Not Want.  You've seen the meme, but what things in life do you actively avoid?  (25:07)

--There was an article on Digg about a guy who was active on the Something Awful forums who killed a couple of people.  Is it strange that they bothered to link a killer to a forum?  Are forums new ways to associate people?  Are forums the new Masons?  Or is it more like the Sharks and the Jets?  (36:16)

--Teh social networks.  Do you use any of them?  I had someone find me from High School yesterday on Facebook.  I've had some good discussions on Linkedin.  But is there any real point to it and can you explain how Facebook could really be worth more than $1.95 instead of $10 billion or half what General Motors is worth?  (46:41)

--If you could own and operate a manufacturing plant, what would you make?  (51:58)


Sites where you can find more information about David and Thaed:

http://wholegarden.wordpress.com/
http://www.mentalinterface.net

Subscribe via iTunes.

Email Thaed at thaed@cox.net

I'm doing a lot of traveling so no show this week.  We should be back next week, though with new show goodness.

Tonight's hosts:  Dave, Nathan, Scott & Thaed.  Here are the topics:
 
--Is it possible to get paid for just being you?  Does a job exist where you do whatever you want to do and getting paid for it?  (2:13)
 
--Is Steampunk bunk?  Is there any point to it?   http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2007/08/26/the_age_of_steampunk/?page=3      (8:42)
 
--David's topic:  Did you see that the kid who hacked the iPod got a Z Car?  http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/ptech/08/28/iphone.unlocked.ap/index.html  
Plus, what do you think of the iTouch?    (15:17)
 
--Have you guys seen the Pleo?  Is this going to be a hit?  Will it be better
than the Aibo?  Worse?  (25:37)
 
--What things do you do on the weekend to make your week go more smoothly?   (29:14)
 
--What are your thoughts on skyscrapers?  Should they still be built?  Are they a good use of space?  Will they continue to be built?
http://washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070902/SPECIAL/109020044
/1001    (38:49)
 
--Female traveling willberries:  Who would you pick to be an all female rock band from mature female singers? (41:14)

--Oobuntoo?  (45:59)


Sites where you can find more information about Nathan, Scott and Thaed:

http://saturn49.blogspot.com/
http://www.frontrowcrew.com
http://www.mentalinterface.net

Subscribe via iTunes.

Email Thaed at thaed@cox.net

After a little more than a year off, we're back!  Here are the topics for Episode 15:

--A quick down and dirty explanation of the sub-prime lending mess in the U.S.
 
--Is geography important?  I know a woman who, when she finished school, moved to the city where she wanted to live and waited tables until she found a job in her field.  Most people normally do the opposite:  the job dictates where you live.  Does it matter?  (9:16)
 
--There's a video about a guy who collects apple computers:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/ptech/08/08/mac-collector.ap/index.html Are you this way about anything?  C'mon, you've really got 400 GI Joes, don't you? (20:06)
 
--Home theater:  where do you stand now, what do you want to get, what do you recommend.  What did you pick Blu-Ray or HD DVD? (30:57)
 
--Modeling human behavior has become more advanced.  There's a huge market for being able to predict human response to a given stimulus from a military, corporate and political perspective.  How far do you think we are really and how far do you think this technology will go?
http://www.newscientist.com/blog/invention/2007/08/strategy-predicting-software.html (45:02)
 
--We used to talk about futurism a fare amount on this show.  What signs do you see that indicate major technological progress in our society?  Do you think we'll have a singularity event by 2020?  2050? Ever? (51:37)

--Editing podcasts:  a primer.  (1:01:12)

Sites where you can find more information about Nathan, Scott and Thaed:

http://saturn49.blogspot.com/
http://www.frontrowcrew.com
http://www.mentalinterface.net

Subscribe via iTunes.

Email Thaed at thaed@cox.net

That's right folks.  It's coming back!!!  Check out my main blog, www.mentalinterface.net for more details.  Look for the first new show on 8/25/2007.