Dalai Lama issues support for Tibetan WiFi summit in India. Xeni Jardin: Well, you don't see this at a technology conference every day. The Dalai Lama has issued a statement of support for the Air Jaldi Summit happening in October in Dharamshala. The Himalayan town is hometown-in-exile for the Tibetan government, and home to a mesh network project I've been reporting on for NPR and Wired News.

Here's the Dalai Lama's statement -- snip:

"The internet's contribution to the diffusion and dissemination of knowledge and information is truly remarkable.

"By itself the internet cannot feed the poor, defend the oppressed, or protect those subject to natural disasters, but by keeping us informed it can allow those of us who have the opportunity to give whatever help we can."

Previously:

* Tibetan mesh org hosting community WiFi event in India in Oct.

* Tibetan refugee WiFi org: we were DoSed, China IPs involved

* Xeni's "reporter's notebook" trek blog.

* NPR Day to Day radio series "Hacking the Himalayas":

By noemail@noemail.org (Xeni Jardin). [Boing Boing]
12:06:40 PM      comment []

NOAA in Second Life. David Pescovitz:

The US government's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has set up shop in Second Life. Their hang-out is called Meteroa, and if you visit you'll apparently find interactive educational demos about the oceans and weathers. Given that climate/weather researchers are always pushing the limits of scientific simulation, I find it, um, meta-interesting that they're now participating in the synthetic world of Second Life. From Second Life Insider:

On this lovely island sim you can find fully interactive educational demonstrations about the ocean and weather. Examples include a sea life submarine ride created by The Magicians, and two different tsnuami demos by Aimee Weber Studios and Electric Sheep Company (seen here). Other fun stuff includes a demonstration of a real-time temperature map powered by Yahoo, narration by Exploratorium Chief Scientist Paul Doherty, an airplane ride into a hurricane, and a melting glacier demonstration.

The NOAA's arrival may be a great sign of things to come. United States government agencies aren't exactly what you call flamboyant, trendy, or fashionable. Their interest in Second Life as a solid educational tool may give other companies a greater sense of comfort in the stability of the platform. Link (Thanks, Sean Ness!)

By noemail@noemail.org (David Pescovitz). [Boing Boing]

11:46:06 AM      comment []

N.O. better blues. Watching Spike Lee's four-hour epic on Hurricane Katrina in the New Orleans Arena with my neighbors, I felt awed, exhausted and heartbroken -- and more convinced than ever that somebody should go to jail for what happened here. [Salon]
11:36:00 AM      comment []