Voodoo Time Dot Com

So I realized this week that I have yet to really pimp any of the sites on my link list. My “Friends of the Program” list is comprised of the works of a fine group of folks with whom I have had the pleasure of conversing and sharing thoughts. I don’t really feature sites on my main page very often - mainly because I don’t want to leave anyone out. So I’m going to take this opportunity to briefly highlight these fine writers.

Insignificant Thoughts - This is the fine weblog of Vincent (Vinny) Ferrari. Vinny was the first person to link to Voodootime over a year and a half ago. Vinny is a relatively new convert to conservatism, and his site covers mainly political topics with a right-sided slant. His comments sections are more lively than most chat rooms though, as folks from both sides engage in debate over today’s more controversial topics. Vinny is a good guy and tolerates my political views stinking up his site. Well worth a daily read regardless of your politics!

Blue Goo Ate My Mom - This intriguingly named site is a peek into the mind of Troy D’Hondt. I don’t remember how I found Troy’s site, but I linked it shortly after. Troy doesn’t get to blog as often as he’d like anymore, but when he does, it’s an honest look into a genuinely good person. By the way, as far as I know, blue goo has not, in fact, eaten Troy’s mom.

Ministry of Squeaky Music - Actually mskoog.com, the blog of my friend and former co-worker, Mike. We worked together at a company that no longer exists; having more fun than we should have, playing with expensive technology. Mike is a proud cynic and connoisseur of all things weird. If it makes “normal” people twitch, he’s into it. I have dubbed him the Minister of Squeaky Music because of his penchant for multi-layered electronica and trance.

Analog Duck - I met the Duck through Mike some time ago. His blog (aptly-named AnaBlog Duck) is a great brain dump of the technical miscellany and arcana that he runs across daily in his work. If you’re in information tecnology, you’re sure to find an interesting tip in there somewhere. The Duck occassionally posts a bit of politics as well. I think he’s been a bit busy lately, so the posts have slowed a bit, but I imagine he’ll be back.

Serene Chaos - I found Rebecca in Troy’s links. She runs a fun site that captures the musings of a college freshman. This is someone who’s not afraid to tell the entire Internet about her goofs and embarrassing moments. Really good stuff.

Life With a Geek - “The lamentations of a geek’s wife” chronicles Gesikah’s ongoing conversion to geekdom, prompted by her techie husband. At the moment, she’s blogging the trials and tribulations of first-time home ownership. It almost makes me want to live in an apartment forever.

Digital Skunk - Actually titled “Intangibles in Decrescendo”, this is the world of Obigabu. We ran into each other at Troy’s site in a disagreement about religion, but found we have more in common than that. Like me, Obigabu has recommitted himself to blogging, but with the admirable goal of once a day, at least seven words. He’s back in form, and well worth a visit.

Chapel Perilous - This site is officially about all things paranormal and esoteric, but is much more than that. It’s Beastie’s baby, but it’s also a collaborative effort, with something like 15 members who post there. I’m proud to be a part of it. The Chapel is one of the more unique stops you’ll make on the Web. if you’re not visiting daily, you should. Be warned - sometimes there are boobie pictures on the page, so wait ’til you get off work.

Chapel Furnace - “The political wing of Chapel Perilous” started in an effort to remove the more divisive political topics from Chapel Perilous. The Furnace features a great mix of liberals, moderates, and conservatives in a battle of wits and ideas. If you comment here, make sure to do your homework first, or someone will call you on it.

Caiterwauling - Politics and kitties. Don’t let the cute pictures fool you, Cait is an ornery Texan (a regular contributer to the Furnace as well). Once you visit once, you’ll come back. The cats will hypnotize you…

So, go check them out. All of them. Right now. I’ll wait.

I found a link at FARK with some suggestions for the ways in which nanotechnology may modify and enhance the human body in the future. Nanotechnology is the science of building electromechanical devices on the molecular or atomic level. The idea is that atoms could be coaxed into specific shapes and aligned in such a way that these molecular components work together in a mechanical fashion. The result - teeny tiny robots. A single drop of water could contain hundreds of billions of complex atomic robots. I wrote a little about this possibility in a post back in June 2002.

With sufficient sophistication, the applications of nanotech are unlimited. Nanorobots could be developed to deliver medicine, or even make repairs at the cellular level. This has amazing promise for all kinds of disorders from cancer to sickle cell anemia. But the technology need not be limited to medicine. As the technology matures in the coming decades, I believe the “killer app” will be physical enhancement. Nanotechnology could heighten our senses, strengthen our muscles, or improve our memory. I, for one, could use a few mods. X-ray vision might be useful. I also wouldn’t mind some kind of reinforced stomach lining for meals at Taco Bell.

The idea of fleets of nanorobots floating through our bodies is a little disconcerting, but I think the merging of humanity with technology is inevitable. This idea is nothing new. In the 1970s the future was bionics. In the 80s and 90s, science-fiction foresaw the rise of the cyborg - a human merged with machinery. The idea of nanotechnology is not much different fundamentally. I say the sooner we’re all crawling with little tiny droids the better.

Need to get a letter to God? Here’s His address:

God
Jerusalem, Israel

The Israeli postal service’s Dead Letters Department will make sure it gets as close as possible. All of God’s mail is collected in plush bags and hand-delivered to the Western Wall (also known as “the Wailing Wall”) - a 58 meter section of the western retaining wall of the ruined Temple Mount. Several years ago, the God mail was really piling up, so postal service staff decided to start delivering it to God’s mailbox.

Apparently the requests run the gamut from pleas for forgiveness, to requests for money. For me, this raises an important question. How do they know? There is no explanation for this, but to assume that the Israeli post office is opening God’s mail! So if you decide to send a letter to God, it’s probably best to leave out the more embarrassing bits.

So now we know where God’s letters are delivered, but what about all His other mail? I’m not sure where the catalogs and advertisements go, but I think all the bills are sent to the televangelists. That would explain why those guys are always asking for money.