Another one of my experiments. This time it’s a radio show style podcast. Each episode will focus on a different genre of music only using free music that is licensed under a creative commons license. This episode focuses on Jazz.

Download Episode 1
Music Compilation Download 

Album art photo: “Music” by Carnoodles

Ahhh… such a good podcast, and I was on it!

ATW9K!

It’s night as I walk into the museum staff entrance dressed as one of the guards. I swipe the keycard of  the real guard whose place I took. Today would have been his first shift, so none of the others really know what he looks like. They’ve all met him but, with my fake eyebrows and nose, I look close enough to fool anyone but his mother (who, coincidentally, died in a car accident with his father as they plunged into the Hudson after careening off the George Washington bridge).

I felt bad, having had to kill him, but my client paid be good money to get this item. Too good. More over, they told me something that went against my every intuition: don’t disable any of the security measures and make the theft as obvious as possible. Remembering the woman’s voice on the end of the line as she said those words made me shiver. Her voice was colder than peaks of the Himalayas. Unless under contract, thieves usually steal for the challenge. But for those who hire us, it’s usually an object of personal import. This woman, though, this ice queen, there was no emotion in her voice. Cool, calm, and analytical.

As I let the eleventh or twelfth Ambien drop into the shared guards coffee pot in the break room, I wondered why she had also asked- no, ordered me to forgo my usual warning of the target and the leaving of my calling card. I listened to my radio as it squarked to life.

"James? Where are ya?"
"In the break room, boss," I answered.
"Well, get back to your post. That exhibit needs to be picture perfect tomorrow morning for the press conference."
"Yes sir! On my way!" I added with a little extra enthusiasm.

As I made my way to the exhibit hall, I looked around for any changes in the security. I had cased the place several times before in the week, each time with a different disguise. No changes. I smiled wryly. It wasn’t going to be the easiest heist, but certainly not even close to the most difficult I’ve ever pulled.

I had arranged to take the post closest to my target, the "Romanov Tercentenary", a Faberge Egg on loan from the Kremlin Armoury Museum in Moscow for the visit of Vladimir Putin. Standing with my back to the the glass case, I was so close to that egg I could almost smell the gold.
Waiting for the shift change to make my move, I smashed the glass case with my diamond tipped hammer and snatched the egg, pocketing it and stowing the hammer back under my uniform jacket. Running towards the front of the museum, I saw a trio of guards heading my way. I pointed to the main doors and yelled, "The thief! I saw him go this way!"
I threw open the doors, took out my flash light and started running down the stairs to the outside of the museum. I stopped and yelled back to the guards at the top of the stairs, "I see him! He’s heading south! I’ll get him if it kills me!"

As I ran down the street and out of sight of the museum, I began un-velcroing my pre-prepared uniform and making my way to the delivery truck that awaited me, now walking in a Fed-Ex uniform. Climbing into the drivers seat, I pulled out the museum radio.

"I’ve got him. We’re on our way back now."
"Good work, Rookie! Let’s get some beer after this."
"Yes, sir!"

As I held up my treasure, I smiled and started driving south, only stopping so that the police cars heading towards the museum could whiz past me. When James doesn’t show up, they’d go looking for him. In his apartment, they’ll find James, face down on the floor with a bullet in his head, in his real uniform, with a duplicate keycard and an identical diamond tipped hammer. They’ll assume that he was paid to steal the egg, but that the people who paid him decided to save their money and not leave any loose ends.

Or only write for ten minutes. Pfft… I don’t care! 

Anyway, starting Monday, there’ll probably be a short story a day.

Step 1. Open your browser of choice and go to http://library.csun.edu

Step 2: Click on “Databases A-Z”

Step 3: Click “O” to jump to the entries that start with the letter “O”

Step 4: Click on “Oxford English Dictionary”

Step 5: On the bottom of the page, click on “Key to the pronunciation”

That’s it! You’re done! See you tomorrow morning!

-Victor Khaze

Tonights Guests: Adam, Jason, Scott Johnson, Churba, Thaed, and Victor

Now that the last Space Shuttle has launched, what is the future of space exploration? Where do you want to see us 10, 50, 100 years down the road? Should there even be more space exploration within those timeframes?

Tables Turned: LulzSec under attack: http://arstechnica.com/security/news/2011/06/dox-everywhere-lulzsec-under-attack-from-hackers-law-enforcement.ars , They fight back: http://arstechnica.com/security/news/2011/07/anonymous-vows-revenge-after-15-arrested-in-italy-antisec-hacks-continue.ars

Six Strikes and you’re out!: US ISP’s get together with Big Media and make their own laws. White House all for it! http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/07/major-isps-agree-to-six-strikes-copyright-enforcement-plan.ars , http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/07/white-house-we-win-the-future-by-making-isps-into-copyright-enforcers.ars

Ask the Panelists!: From Sammie R. of Burbank, CA: What is your ideal “Get stuff done” environment? How do you get in “The Zone”?

Ask the Panelists! 

Download the Blooper Reel!

Tonight’s Guests: Luke, Thaed, and Victor

On tonight’s show, Thaed’s been listening to a book, Luke asks us to travel back in time, and Victor wonders if we should be telling people where we are…

Direct download: FNPL_45.mp3

So you may or may not have seen this video by Ilysabeth: Fluttershy’s (20% cooler)

It’s a great song, taking the concept created by another and executing it beautifully.
However, almost anytime a guy tried to make his own version of the song (even the original guy himself) it never seemed to come out right. So I’m throwing my hat into the ring, so to speak.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yrJjAc7zNU

Download links:

WAV Download (on SoundCloud)

Mp3 Download (Right-click, Save-as)

The Rapture!

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapture

The Washington Post’s Outlook section invited 10 writers to sift through the world’s clutter and each nominate one thing – an idea, a tradition, a habit, a technology, you name it – that we’d all be better off tossing out this spring. What they got ranged from “The Simpsons” to “Democracy”. What thing would you want eliminated?

Original Article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/opinions/outlook/spring-cleaning-2011/?hpid=z2

Everyone “knows” that everyone else is a worse driver than they are, so what if we took humans out of the equation? Well, Google has been silently lobbying to allow robots to drive on Nevada public roads. How do you feel about this?

Original Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/11/science/11drive.html?_r=2

A bill has been introduced into the senate that would give the Department of Justice and individuals new powers to enforce copyright and trademark law against “rogue” and “pirate” Web sites that offer unlicensed copies of protected content or which sell illegal knock-offs of brand-name goods by taking them off the internet. Never mind the questions of the technological feasibility of this bill, what do you think of the possible ramifications of this, if it even passes.

CNET Article: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-20062419-38.html
EFF Blog Post: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/05/protect-ip-act-coica-redux

You can find Victor at his website VictorKhaze.com and on Twitter as @SonicDH

Download Episode 44

We’ve all done it at least once or twice, either out of convenience or necessity, but Wired Magazine recently published an article asking “Is WiFi Squatting Illegal”? What are your thoughts on the legality, or even morality, of this happy collision of technology and circumstance.

Original article: http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/03/pr_burning_wifi_squatting/

It’s almost universally understood that smoking is bad for you and, through second hand smoke, those around you. Almost every state in the U.S. has some kind of ordinance banning smoking within twenty feet of public buildings, but now there are cities like Pasadena, California looking to ban smoking altogether within city limits, including in private residences. They say a “man’s home is his castle”, so is this an admirable show of progressive thinking or a violation of the sovereignty of one’s own home?

Pasadena Article: http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_14509079

The DIY revolution is here and it’s stronger than ever. Manufacturing technologies that were once available only at an industrial level, such as CNC Machines and 3D printers, are now being brought down to the desktop level. Amateurs and professionals alike are using these tools, as well as rapid prototyping services like Shapeways and Ponoko, to build fantastic new designs. They can then bring them to life with flexible, inexpensive programming platforms like the Arduino. Have you done any of this? If so, what have you DIY-ed lately?

Wired Interview with Limor Fried (LadyAda): http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/03/ff_adafruit/

Maker Bot: http://www.makerbot.com/

Home CNC Kit: http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Toolworks-CNC-Carving-Machine/dp/B002ARTLUG

Ponoko: http://www.ponoko.com/

Shapeways: http://www.shapeways.com/

Arduino: http://www.arduino.cc/

You can find Victor at his website VictorKhaze.com and on Twitter as @SonicDH

Download Episode 43