Ryan Kuykendall

Grameen Phone’s “Village Phone Program,” that, according to their website:

...began from a social commitment made by the shareholders of GrameenPhone that “good development is good business”. The program is implemented by Grameen Telecom (GTC) in cooperation with Grameen Bank, the internationally renowned micro- credit lending institution.

The program facilitates women borrowers of Grameen Bank to the GSM technology through the village phones. They become effectively mobile public call offices. This not only provides rural poor with new, exciting income-generating opportunities, but it also helps to enhance the social status of women from poor rural households.

The VP works as an owner-operated pay phone. It allows the rural poor who cannot afford to become a regular subscriber, to avail of the service with loans from Grameen Bank. The loan usually is for BDT 12,000 and pays for a handset, the subscription and incidental expenses. The VP operator receives training from GTC about mode of operation, user charges etc.

I know I am going to sound a little like a fuddy-duddy, but isn’t it a shame that Iqbal Quadir (or Pierre Omidyar for that matter) isn’t an American household name? I am reflecting back on that all too common task where American school teachers have their students list or write about their heroes, the people who they admire.

How is it that we pine so long over people who were just lucky, or who entertain us, or who are simply just more spoiled than we are? By how much did we disappoint our teachers?

Nick led the charge on outing and exposing a Bush Administration crony at NASA named George Deutsch. Deutsch was actively trying to undermine NASA Scientific mission. Read all about it here (and in the New York Times):

http://scientificactivist.blogspot.com/2006/02/breaking-news-george-deutsch-did-not.html

Three cheers for Nick!

He was signing copies of “Nudist on the Late Shift” at Amazon’s offices in Pike Tower…somehow I ended up with two copies of his book…

I was working at Amazon and a group of us were heading to lunch. As we popped out of the elevator into the basement hallway, there was man perched atop a Segway, just hanging out.

This was still prior to the Segway going into full production, so they were still a bit of a fascinating novelty. We approached, and I immediately recognized Dean Kamen. We chatted with him a bit (although I can’t remember what he said), and he whirred and twisted the Segway, demonstrating its agility.

At the far end of the hallway, just outside, a taxi cab rolled up. Kamen spun around, said good-bye, and then raced out the door to catch his cab.

The irony of watching him dismount, throw the segway in the trunk of the taxi, and then speed off did not escape me.

I had the good fortune of attending a presentation by Professor Gershenfeld while I was at Amazon.com. I quickly followed up by reading his book “When Things Start to Think.” It’s one of the few books I have read in the last 5 years that I have actually taken large quotations from (I keep the citings in virtual sticky notes on my computer.) I didn’t realize that he had another book out (“Fab”), so it’s going to leap to the top of my reading list.

This December is going to be great: Gerschenfeld’s “Fab” and the New York Times Magazine Year in Ideas issue. Who needs Christmas?

Morey’s history is filled with one invention after the next:

http://tommorey.com/toms_bio.html

He invented my favorite pastime, bodyboarding, which I have travelled (and continue to travel) the world to pursue.

His writing combines things I find utterly fascinating and intricately linked: genetics, evolution, and computer programming.

The show went on:

The first time I went to see Belle & Sebastian was the Friday following September 11th. The band played “Turn, Turn, Turn” (written by Pete Seeger, best known by the recording done by the Byrds) very early in the set. Now I want to say that they opened the set with that song, but maybe I believe that because it had such a powerful effect on me. Something about choosing that song, and the wonderful harmonizing the band did when they sang it, it was as though they were asking us as best as they could to be rational, to not be reactive.

It was absolutely brilliant.

I think I stumbled upon Inka’s artwork through a Bomb article posted online in early 2000. Shortly afterwards, I had the happy coincidence of seeing one of her pieces (“Supernatural”) at COCA in Seattle.

I try to make a point of visiting her website about once every 6 months, just to see if she has any new paintings up.

http://www.inka-essenhigh.com

I’m a huge fan of Francis Bacon (the painter), and there is just something about the way Inka distorts the human figure, animals, and landscapes that reminds me of his work. But Inka’s work is grander, her narratives broader, the fading horizons of the painting border less dismal and murky.

If I could be singer/songwriter I would want to be Stuart Murdoch of Belle and Sebastian. If I could be an artist who draws, I would be William Kentridge. But if I could be a painter, I think I would want to be Inka Essenhigh.