A Lifetime of Pictures

Remember that awesome video with all the pictures? Olympus has created their own version for their PEN camera. Plus, I like that they reference the original concept, too.





If you like the song, you can download it for free!

The Future is Dangerous

A glimpse at what we have to look forward to--and to fear.





Man. Robots suck.

It's Electric!

Happy birthday, Nikola Tesla! You light up our lives with electricity--even if most of us think Thomas Edison was the big electric guy.

Check out this article to learn a little about the truth. Tesla definitely had the jump on electricity, but died in poverty because Edison had the better PR machine. That's a life-lesson for you.

"Yet it's thanks to Tesla, not Edison, that we have electricity coming out of plugs, and that we even have power stations able to generate serious amounts of energy. He won 'the war of the currents' with Edison, who was convinced that direct current (DC) - the sort that comes out of an ordinary battery - was the way forward for power generation and distribution. Tesla was able to show that alternating current (AC) - which swaps its polarity at a regular rate, 50 times a second in UK mains electricity - was far more efficient (you don't lose anything like as much energy in transmitting it over long distances)."

Plus, if you ever needed a reason to hate Edison, here's one: "...Edison took to electrocuting dogs in public displays to show just how dangerous AC was (no, really)."

Tesla for the win!

Feel the Pain

Usually, when you get some kind of minor surgery (like getting your wisdom teeth pulled) or are hurt in a not-too-terrible way, you'll get some kind of painkiller from the hospital. Most likely, that'll be either Percocet or Vicodin. But soon that could change, because of a proposed ban on both drugs because of their effects on the liver.

"The two drugs combine a narcotic with acetaminophen, the ingredient found in popular over-the-counter products like Tylenol and Excedrin. High doses of acetaminophen are a leading cause of liver damage, and the panel noted that patients who take Percocet and Vicodin for long periods often need higher and higher doses to achieve the same effect...While the medicine is effective in treating headaches and reducing fevers, even recommended doses can cause liver damage in some people. And more than 400 people die and 42,000 are hospitalized every year in the United States from overdoses."

Instead, patients would be left with over-the-counter products like Tylenol. Not exactly the same punch, but also a safer dose of acetaminophen for the liver. And even then, the acetaminophen in over-the-counter products would be reduced. People who take pain medication regularly and consistently could be in trouble.

Obviously, no one wants to put their liver in danger, but I also imagine that no one wants to be left without a painkiller. And will this just spur the pharmaceutical industry into making really expensive substitutes?

And, more importantly, what will House do?

Better get those wisdom teeth out now, kids.

Hello Sunshine!

Need some help getting up in the morning? Your usual alarm clock just not doing it? Give this guy's alarm a try.






Personally, I'll stick with coffee, thanks.

In Europe, Computers Can Fly

I don't think my Mac can do that!







Fly away, Mac!

Click the Link to Chapter Four

When I was in high school, we had three minutes to change classes--leave class, get to our lockers, trade books, and get to our next class. And the books we had to carry were eighty pounds! We all destroyed our backs for the sake of knowledge!

Now that kids are switching to e-books, how will we know how much they've learned? They won't have the back pain to demonstrate their intelligence. We'll actually have to ask them things!

Okay, so even though I love actual books, I think the switch to more e-books and technology-based learning is a good idea. Hopefully it will mean that students/schools won't have to buy new copies of expensive textbooks every year. However, it does leave out low-income students, who don't have access to their own textbooks, much less school computers.

And as for the back pain? I guess we'll just have to enter kids in cage fights.

Sniffle

Got a cold? Don't reach for the Zicam. Apparently it can destroy your sense of smell. The FDA has warned people against using products such as Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel, Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Swabs, and Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs Kids' Size. (The kids' products have already been discontinued, but people might still have them in their medicine cabinets.) Matrixx Initiatives, the company that makes Zicam, has received a warning letter saying that they "must provide FDA with a plan on how it will remove existing inventory from the marketplace."

Sinus pressure vs. legal pressure, I guess.

Super scary, though. Having a cold and being unable to breathe properly sucks, but I also don't want to give up the smell of birthday cake/the ocean/oranges/gasoline/pretty much anything. I'll be sticking with the Mucinex for now, thanks.

More Kindling

Another author comes out against the Kindle (and other book-reading devices). This time it's Nick Hornby, who feel that the whole e-book thing isn't going to catch on.

"People don't read enough. Their consumption is summer holidays and they like to take a couple of paperbacks away with them. That's a three-for-two offer. They read maybe seven or eight per year. You don't need one of those machines to do that...IPods were driven after kids saw what MP3 players did. They all wanted one but I am not sure whether they feel the same about e-book readers."

I tend to agree. People don't get all nostalgic about the feel of a CD, because the form didn't matter as much as the sound. Form matters when it comes to a book. Devices like Kindle can be convenient for people who read fast, a travel a lot, and don't want to lug eight books with them wherever they go. But for the average reader, I don't think it's a great deal. With an iPod, you could upload the music you already owned; with a Kindle, you have to buy books specific to the Kindle, so even if you already have a copy of, say, The Time Traveler's Wife, you'd have to buy it again if you want to read it on the Kindle. Who wants to do that?

Of course, this could all be like the rantings of someone arguing against sound in movies, but I don't think I'll fall to the Kindle any time soon.

Better Than 'Across the Unvierse'

Check out the trailer for the Beatles Rock Band. I've never actually played the game, but the trailer is really well done.





My favorite part? The penguins jumping.

An Exciting Week for Literary Battles

The case of Sherman Alexie v. Amazon (and Kindle) takes another turn! Now Alexie has agreed to meet with people at Amazon "and listen to their arguments for the machines."

I hope this means that Alexie will inspire Amazon to get involved in charity work for literacy (if they're not already). And it sounds like some of the responses to Alexie's anti-Kindle stance have softened him a bit to the technology:

"I have been especially humbled by those Kindle readers who, because of various physical issues, can only read with the machines. While I still have serious qualms about the technology, I have been challenged and emotionally moved enough to take a long-requested meeting with the folks at Amazon and Kindle and listen to their arguments for the machines."

Although I'm actually a little confused by the phrase "readers who, because of various physical issues, can only read with the machines." Not quite sure what would make a Kindle a different physical experience from a book. You have to hold both and stare at both, right? Not saying that there's no difference; I'm sure there is, but I just don't know what it is.

I'm glad both Alexie and Amazon are taking this step. Maybe by coming together, they can approach the much larger issue of illiteracy and class discrepancy.

Those Kids Today

This makes me want to get out of my rocking chair and yell at kids for not appreciating how good they have it.





I have to admit, I am one of those "plane horror stories" people. Next time, maybe I'll just trying cheering instead.

How Did I Get on This Side?

How is it possible that I want to play devil's advocate for the Kindle? I will never want a Kindle. I spend too long staring at a screen as it is. When I want to read, I want a real book, with pages and binding and covers. Sherman Alexie and I should be high-fiving our agreement about the Kindle, right? But I think he's going a little too far with his Kindle hate.

He calls Kindle "elite" and says that Amazon.com is forgetting about poor kids who barely have used books, let alone book-technology:

"I consider the Kindle elitist because it’s too expensive. I also consider it elitist because, right now, one company is making all the rules. I am also worried about Jeff Bezos’ comments about wanting to change the way we read books. That’s rather imperial. Having grown up poor, I’m also highly aware that there’s always a massive technology gap between rich and poor kids. I haven’t yet heard what Amazon plans to do about this potential technology gap. And that’s a vital question considering that Bezos wants to change the way we read books. How does he plan to change the way that poor kids read books? How does he plan to make sure that poor kids have access to the technology? Poor kids all over the country don’t have access to current textbooks, so will they have access to Kindle?"

Certainly, he's touching on a major issue--the literacy/economic divide. There are kids all over the country who can't read. Even if they want to, there aren't many/any outlets for them. That's really terrible, and I consider literacy one of the most important foundations a society can have.

Still, does Amazon have an obligation to change that? Certainly, when companies reach out to the community and do non-profit work, that rocks. The best companies will have a social conscious. But just because they sell expensive book products doesn't mean they necessarily have to worry about illiterate kids, as horrible as that is. Their purpose is to sell things to people who will/can buy them. It's just business. They can sell insanely expensive books if they want to, if someone wants to buy it. Does it help the world at all? No, but they're not in the business of helping the world. I would hope that a major company (especially one that sells a lot of books and book products) would care about literacy, but it's ridiculous to rant about how expensive Kindle is when Amazon is a private company. It may suck, but that's how it is.

I think Alexie is also upset about the attitude associated with Kindle, in particular "Jeff Bezos’ comments about wanting to change the way we read books." Here, it sounds like Bezo is forgetting the people who can't even read. But he's also trying to sell a product, not help illiterate kids. It's all part of the ad campaign.

Does that mean people can't take a stand against corporate policies? Definitely not. Illiteracy is a huge problem, and everyone--from Amazon CEOs down--could be doing more. But selling/buying/using a Kindle isn't a horrible act. (Even though I do scorn them a little.) Again, I'd hope that people at Amazon would care about literacy, but they're not actually obligated to do anything. It would be better to get the company involved in specific literacy programs--donating books, sponsoring libraries, etc.--than to yell about the Kindle.

Still, if Sherman Alexie wants to make "Books > Kindle" shirts, count me in.

Medical Monopoly

Cancer treatment costs a lot of money. But it costs even more when private companies hold the monopoly over potentially life-altering knowledge and technology.

For example, Myriad Genetics owns the patent on the two genes that are associated with increased breast/ovarian cancer risk, as well as a test that can determine if a patient is at an increased risk for these cancers. So if you want to check your risk factor, you have to go through them. And it'll cost you.

Now one of those at-risk patients, Genae Girard, is fighting Myriad.

"On Tuesday, Ms. Girard, 39, who lives in the Austin, Tex., area, filed a lawsuit against Myriad and the Patent Office, challenging the decision to grant a patent on a gene to Myriad and companies like it. She was joined by four other cancer patients, by professional organizations of pathologists with more than 100,000 members and by several individual pathologists and genetic researchers.

The lawsuit, believed to be the first of its kind, was organized by the American Civil Liberties Union and filed in federal court in New York. It blends patent law, medical science, breast cancer activism and an unusual civil liberties argument in ways that could make it a landmark case."

It's a tough issue. Certainly, those who develop medical breakthroughs should be rewarded, but not at the expense of people who are dying. It should be an interesting case to follow.

Buckle Up

"Not so much a sidecar but a burlap sack, attached to your vehicle with c-clamps and hooks, it assures a sense of danger and excitement that your pooch is sure to appreciate as you hurtle down the freeway."

For a while in 1936, dogs stopped wanting to go for a ride in the car.

Achoo!

Just like pogs or troll dolls, this season's trend--swine flu--doesn't seem to be lasting very long. After all the craze, now it seems like this illness isn't as intense as everyone assumed it would be.

"U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano acknowledged claims by Mexican authorities who believe their cases have peaked. 'I have no reason to think that is inaccurate,' Napolitano said. 'What the epidemiologists are seeing now with this particular strain of H1N1 is that the severity of the disease, the severity of the flu -- how sick you get -- is not stronger than regular seasonal flu.'"

Sorry, swine flu. You're not a lot scarier than normal flu.

But I think we have learned some good lessons here. First of all being--wash your hands. Seriously, stop hacking into your hand and then touching things. I hate that.

Hey Jude

Not exactly a flash mob, but T-Mobile got a crowd in Trafalgar Square to sing "Hey Jude." I love Trafalgar Square and the Beatles, so I'm a little sad I wasn't there.






I kind of like that companies are resorting to fun, communal activities to getting attention.

Not that I'll be switching back to T-Mobile anytime soon. Sorry, guys. Your coverage isn't that great.

Push Me!

Lucky BART riders! I want a swing on the T!

Street Musicians Unite

Sadly, I can't embed this one for your viewing convenience, but check out the loveliest video I've seen in a while. And I didn't even love "Stand By Me" as a song--these guys have changed my mind.

About the project:

"This cover of Stand By Me was recorded by completely unknown artists in a street virtual studio all around the world. It all started with a base track—vocals and guitar—recorded on the streets of Santa Monica, California, by a street musician called Roger Ridley. The base track was then taken to New Orleans, Louisiana, where Grandpa Elliott—a blind singer from the French Quarter—added vocals and harmonica while listening to Ridley's base track on headphones. In the same city, Washboard Chaz's added some metal percussion to it.

And from there, it just gets rock 'n' rolling bananas: The producers took the resulting mix all through Europe, Africa, and South America, adding new tracks with multiple instruments and vocals that were assembled in the final version you are seeing in this video. All done with a simple laptop and some microphones."

This is what the internet is for--connecting people in the best way possible. (I mean, that and porn, right?)

Also check out Playing For Change, the group that put all this together. Their goal: "to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music...No matter whether people come from different geographic, political, economic, spiritual or ideological backgrounds, music has the universal power to transcend and unite us as one human race. And with this truth firmly fixed in our minds, we set out to share it with the world." They also have other videos bringing musicians together, so be sure to check them out.

Buskers rock. (But then, we already knew that.)

I Want to Punch Their Lights Out

Recently, the Boston Globe ran an article about young people who are eschewing modern technology in favor of a simpler life. No, it's not steampunk. It's just people who don't really use their cell phones.

I feel like this article was so half-assed. I would be more interested to read about people who actually eschew modern technology--ie, they read by candlelight, they grow their own vegetables, they dream about being Amish. The people in this article were so self-righteous about not using technology, but they ended up admitting that they used it sometimes. For example, the Kalfs have a TV but keep it turned to the wall. Like they have to hide it. Just have a TV or don't have it. You don't need to brag about how much you watch it or don't watch it. Also, they go to their parents' to use the computer. That must be really fun for their parents.

Mostly I hate this quote:

"Worshiping at the church of the pixel comes at the expense of real-life experience," says Alan, who teaches biology at Lexington Christian Academy.

Can you be any more pretentious about the fact that you have hobbies?

How is that a fucking article? Seriously? I want to read about people who are hardcore, passionate, whatever. I want an article about the Amish. Not baout people who just don't answer their cell phones very often. Those people aren't interesting; they're just hard to contact.

No wonder the Boston Globe is going under.