- How Thomas Edison tried to dominate the movie industry:
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/09/thomas-edisons-plot-to-destroy-the-movies.ars
- An explanation of the term "jumped the shark" and why Happy Days shouldn't be at fault (although it really should be.)
http://tv.yahoo.com/blog/happy-days-writer-breaks-silence-show-did-not-jump-the-shark--1513
- Microbiology explained, via legos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ArusOqt8EM&feature=player_embedded
- When you want a soft-drink, do you say pop, soda, coke, or something else? Largely depends on where you live:
http://popvssoda.com/countystats/total-county.html
- You have never met Galileo, Thomas Jefferson or Joan of Arc, but you have at least one thing in common with them...you are inhaling the exact same air they inhaled:
http://io9.com/5635391/youve-probably-shared-the-same-air-with-galileo
- The Texas Sharpshooter fallacy. In other words, why we try to make coincidences seem like something more than they are:
http://youarenotsosmart.com/2010/09/11/the-texas-sharpshooter-fallacy/
- Nice piece about Republican presidential maneuvering for the 2012 campaign. My opinion on why the republican hopefuls are playing coy? Despite Obama's horrible poll numbers and the economy being in the toilet, at some point the economy will improve. No one wants to run against Obama if the economy is improving:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0910/42017.html
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Cephalopods buy stuff and play Farmville
- Most popular U.S. consumer products. Very enlightening:
http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/110348/the-popularity-issue
- Why do strands of spaghetti so rarely snap into only two pieces?
http://io9.com/5613155/when-spaghetti-snaps
- Six ways Farmville gets you hooked:
http://www.cracked.com/article_18709_6-devious-ways-farmville-gets-people-hooked_p1.html
- Simple animations of complicated mechanisms. Even more enlightening than the first link:
http://mytechnologyworld9.blogspot.com/2010/08/complicated-mechanisms-explained-in.html
- Last week, Nepture finished an orbit around the sun. Not a big deal? Think again. Nepture orbits the sun once every 165 years:
http://www.space.com/spacewatch/neptune-first-orbit-around-sun-since-discovery-100818.html
- 25 science-fiction movies you must watch. I don't make these lists, I just provide links to them:
http://io9.com/5619137/25-classic-science-fiction-movies-that-everybody-must-watch
- 24 things you might be saying wrong. I violate most of these on a daily basis:
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/life/24-things-you-might-be-saying-wrong-2338028/#poll-C926B9A6965B11DF88C4EE5DB10B4572
- How to make Monopoly more fun. I like some of these suggestions:
http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/how-to-make-monopoly-fun/1408875
- Last year I watched a program on the Discovery channel about what would happen to life on earth, over a very long period of time, if human-beings suddenly vanished. One of the theories put forth during the TV show was that certain cephalopods (squid and octopi) would emerge as the next intelligent creature. The reasoning is rather sound. Cephalopods, with their eight completely independent limbs, have very complex brains. It wouldn't be much of a evolutionary leap for their brains to develop enough to create self-consciousness and creative thought. The following article kind of backs-up that idea by claiming cephalopods have consciousness:
http://io9.com/5626679/three-arguments-for-the-consciousness-of-cephalopods
http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/110348/the-popularity-issue
- Why do strands of spaghetti so rarely snap into only two pieces?
http://io9.com/5613155/when-spaghetti-snaps
- Six ways Farmville gets you hooked:
http://www.cracked.com/article_18709_6-devious-ways-farmville-gets-people-hooked_p1.html
- Simple animations of complicated mechanisms. Even more enlightening than the first link:
http://mytechnologyworld9.blogspot.com/2010/08/complicated-mechanisms-explained-in.html
- Last week, Nepture finished an orbit around the sun. Not a big deal? Think again. Nepture orbits the sun once every 165 years:
http://www.space.com/spacewatch/neptune-first-orbit-around-sun-since-discovery-100818.html
- 25 science-fiction movies you must watch. I don't make these lists, I just provide links to them:
http://io9.com/5619137/25-classic-science-fiction-movies-that-everybody-must-watch
- 24 things you might be saying wrong. I violate most of these on a daily basis:
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/life/24-things-you-might-be-saying-wrong-2338028/#poll-C926B9A6965B11DF88C4EE5DB10B4572
- How to make Monopoly more fun. I like some of these suggestions:
http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/how-to-make-monopoly-fun/1408875
- Last year I watched a program on the Discovery channel about what would happen to life on earth, over a very long period of time, if human-beings suddenly vanished. One of the theories put forth during the TV show was that certain cephalopods (squid and octopi) would emerge as the next intelligent creature. The reasoning is rather sound. Cephalopods, with their eight completely independent limbs, have very complex brains. It wouldn't be much of a evolutionary leap for their brains to develop enough to create self-consciousness and creative thought. The following article kind of backs-up that idea by claiming cephalopods have consciousness:
http://io9.com/5626679/three-arguments-for-the-consciousness-of-cephalopods
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Cross-over sci-fi with Greg Gutfeld and Christopher Nolan
- According to Google, there are 129 million books in the world:
http://erictric.com/2010/08/06/google-129864880-books-in-the-world-and-counting/
- A spot-on analysis of Christopher Nolan and his movies:
http://www.slantmagazine.com/house/2010/08/christopher-nolan-what-are-we-watching-exactly/
- Excellent article about Greg Gutfeld and Red Eye:
http://www.blackcatrum.com/articles/fox-nightowl
- Futuristic movie time-line:
http://danmeth.com/post/124593834/futuristicmovietimeline
- Forty facts about Intel:
http://www.baselinemag.com/c/a/Intelligence/40-Fast-Facts-about-Intel-826028/
- An overview of computer programming:
http://www.makeuseof.com/tech-fun/an-overview-of-computer-programming/
- Will Ferrell's Tour of Tech that Never Took:
http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/08/ff_future_ferrell/all/1
- Eleven greatest, craziest TV sci-fi crossovers:
http://io9.com/5606108/the-11-greatest-craziest-sci+fi-crossovers-in-television-history
- A pessimistic guide to choosing the right font:
http://www.cracked.com/funny-5647-fonts/
http://erictric.com/2010/08/06/google-129864880-books-in-the-world-and-counting/
- A spot-on analysis of Christopher Nolan and his movies:
http://www.slantmagazine.com/house/2010/08/christopher-nolan-what-are-we-watching-exactly/
- Excellent article about Greg Gutfeld and Red Eye:
http://www.blackcatrum.com/articles/fox-nightowl
- Futuristic movie time-line:
http://danmeth.com/post/124593834/futuristicmovietimeline
- Forty facts about Intel:
http://www.baselinemag.com/c/a/Intelligence/40-Fast-Facts-about-Intel-826028/
- An overview of computer programming:
http://www.makeuseof.com/tech-fun/an-overview-of-computer-programming/
- Will Ferrell's Tour of Tech that Never Took:
http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/08/ff_future_ferrell/all/1
- Eleven greatest, craziest TV sci-fi crossovers:
http://io9.com/5606108/the-11-greatest-craziest-sci+fi-crossovers-in-television-history
- A pessimistic guide to choosing the right font:
http://www.cracked.com/funny-5647-fonts/
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Electors first to disappear during mass extinction?
- Massachusetts is trying to pass a law stating that the winner of the presidential national popular vote will get all of the state's electors. This is earth-shattering and could completely change how presidential politics are done in the U.S. For example, in 2012 if Barack Obama lost the popular vote in Massachusetts (a virtual impossibility), but won the national popular vote, Massachusetts would award it's 12 electoral delegates to Obama, despite the fact that Obama lost Massachusetts.
Five other states are trying to pass the same law. This kind of electoral reform seems monumental, but it would be quite easy to force this new system on the whole country. The constitution clearly states that it is up to each state to decide how to distribute their electors. It doesn't take a constitutional amendment to enable these laws. Also, since a candidate only needs a majority of the electors to win the election, a cabal of several states could enact this law and force the rest of the country to abide by their system. An example of how this would work: If the following 12 states (California, Texas, New York, Florida, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Virginia, Massachusetts) passed this law, then 281 electoral votes, more than enough for a majority, would be locked into the candidate who won the national popular vote. Since a majority of electoral votes would be spoken for, it would not matter how the remaining states distributed their electors. There simply wouldn't be enough electors left for the other candidate. In other words, it only takes roughly a dozen states to pass this law in order to make the U.S. presidential election into a national popular vote!
Reactionaries are already pouncing on this, stating that this law is mainly being pushed by the blue states, in order for Obama to run up his vote totals in large cities. However, in a true democracy, this argument has no merit. If each vote counts equally (as it should) then if a candidate can draw more voters to his side, he deserves to win. If Obama can draw out legal, registered voters from the cities, good for him! That's how a democracy is suppose to work. The candidate with the majority wins. The loser cannot complain. The loser could have used the same strategy, or used their own strategy. Both candidates are playing by the same rules. Under such a system, if a republican lost to Obama, perhaps the republican should have spent more time in Texas, the suburbs, or the south, in an attempt to motivate republican voters.
Should America be a representational democracy (republican democracy) or a true democracy? Perhaps that is the real discussion. The electoral college was created over 220 years ago so rich, white, educated male landowners could decide presidential elections. The founding fathers felt that the average American was not worthy of deciding the next president. Nowadays, not only is that patently offensive, but it's downright false. With radio, TV, the internet, and the availability of information in all kinds of forms, the average American has the same access to information as any current elector. In fact, I am quite sure that many of the people who read this website are more educated about political candidates than the electors themselves!
If we want to install this kind of system, then let's get rid of the entire electoral college system, and do strictly a national popular vote. This is as close to true democracy as we can get. An article with further details:
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=499869
- Robotic exoskeleton to make wheelchairs obsolete:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/15/rex-the-robotic-exoskeleton-aims-to-make-wheelchairs-obsolete/
- Ten fun facts about Microsoft:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/mashable/20100717/tc_mashable/10_fun_microsoft_facts_you_might_not_know
- A history of mass extinctions:
http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/8/2010/07/extinctions4.jpg
- A few months ago I started reading science fiction novels. Specifically sci-fi novels with a futuristic mystery or crime theme. I have read four books so far, and only enjoyed one of them. Perhaps I should have used one of the following five book recommendation services to help find books I would enjoy:
http://lifehacker.com/5595842/five-best-book-recommendation-services
- A Google executive complains that the C++ and Java programming languages are unnecessarily complex. No Duh, but Google's new programming language, called 'Go' is heading down the same path as Java and C++
http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/354210/google_executive_frustrated_by_java_c_complexity/
- Best laptops under $500. Good list:
http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/406/best-laptops-under-500/
Five other states are trying to pass the same law. This kind of electoral reform seems monumental, but it would be quite easy to force this new system on the whole country. The constitution clearly states that it is up to each state to decide how to distribute their electors. It doesn't take a constitutional amendment to enable these laws. Also, since a candidate only needs a majority of the electors to win the election, a cabal of several states could enact this law and force the rest of the country to abide by their system. An example of how this would work: If the following 12 states (California, Texas, New York, Florida, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Virginia, Massachusetts) passed this law, then 281 electoral votes, more than enough for a majority, would be locked into the candidate who won the national popular vote. Since a majority of electoral votes would be spoken for, it would not matter how the remaining states distributed their electors. There simply wouldn't be enough electors left for the other candidate. In other words, it only takes roughly a dozen states to pass this law in order to make the U.S. presidential election into a national popular vote!
Reactionaries are already pouncing on this, stating that this law is mainly being pushed by the blue states, in order for Obama to run up his vote totals in large cities. However, in a true democracy, this argument has no merit. If each vote counts equally (as it should) then if a candidate can draw more voters to his side, he deserves to win. If Obama can draw out legal, registered voters from the cities, good for him! That's how a democracy is suppose to work. The candidate with the majority wins. The loser cannot complain. The loser could have used the same strategy, or used their own strategy. Both candidates are playing by the same rules. Under such a system, if a republican lost to Obama, perhaps the republican should have spent more time in Texas, the suburbs, or the south, in an attempt to motivate republican voters.
Should America be a representational democracy (republican democracy) or a true democracy? Perhaps that is the real discussion. The electoral college was created over 220 years ago so rich, white, educated male landowners could decide presidential elections. The founding fathers felt that the average American was not worthy of deciding the next president. Nowadays, not only is that patently offensive, but it's downright false. With radio, TV, the internet, and the availability of information in all kinds of forms, the average American has the same access to information as any current elector. In fact, I am quite sure that many of the people who read this website are more educated about political candidates than the electors themselves!
If we want to install this kind of system, then let's get rid of the entire electoral college system, and do strictly a national popular vote. This is as close to true democracy as we can get. An article with further details:
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=499869
- Robotic exoskeleton to make wheelchairs obsolete:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/15/rex-the-robotic-exoskeleton-aims-to-make-wheelchairs-obsolete/
- Ten fun facts about Microsoft:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/mashable/20100717/tc_mashable/10_fun_microsoft_facts_you_might_not_know
- A history of mass extinctions:
http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/8/2010/07/extinctions4.jpg
- A few months ago I started reading science fiction novels. Specifically sci-fi novels with a futuristic mystery or crime theme. I have read four books so far, and only enjoyed one of them. Perhaps I should have used one of the following five book recommendation services to help find books I would enjoy:
http://lifehacker.com/5595842/five-best-book-recommendation-services
- A Google executive complains that the C++ and Java programming languages are unnecessarily complex. No Duh, but Google's new programming language, called 'Go' is heading down the same path as Java and C++
http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/354210/google_executive_frustrated_by_java_c_complexity/
- Best laptops under $500. Good list:
http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/406/best-laptops-under-500/
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Depending on a solar eclipse to break the heat wave.
- Twenty products that are cheaper today than ten years ago:
http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/06/30/20-products-that-are-cheaper-today-than-10-years-ago/
"We're having a heat wave. A tropical heat wave..." The top seven historical heat waves in the U.S.
http://io9.com/5583124/the-7-most-miserable-heat-waves-in-modern-history
- In 1776, did people living in the American colonies have British accents? It depends on your point of view:
http://www.nicholasjohnpatrick.com/post/767354896/did-americans-in-1776-have-british-accents
- I have been on this nutty planet for over three decades, and I have yet to find someone who can plainly explain when to use the words "affect or effect." That, and other grammar conundrums:
http://www.drgrammar.org/faqs/#44
- Solar eclipse across the south pacific today. Here is a wonderful map showing future solar eclipses. North America gets two good ones in 2017 and 2024.
http://www.exploratorium.edu/eclipse/future.html
http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/06/30/20-products-that-are-cheaper-today-than-10-years-ago/
"We're having a heat wave. A tropical heat wave..." The top seven historical heat waves in the U.S.
http://io9.com/5583124/the-7-most-miserable-heat-waves-in-modern-history
- In 1776, did people living in the American colonies have British accents? It depends on your point of view:
http://www.nicholasjohnpatrick.com/post/767354896/did-americans-in-1776-have-british-accents
- I have been on this nutty planet for over three decades, and I have yet to find someone who can plainly explain when to use the words "affect or effect." That, and other grammar conundrums:
http://www.drgrammar.org/faqs/#44
- Solar eclipse across the south pacific today. Here is a wonderful map showing future solar eclipses. North America gets two good ones in 2017 and 2024.
http://www.exploratorium.edu/eclipse/future.html
Sunday, July 04, 2010
Launch fireworks over Macho Grande
- Which states allow which kinds of fireworks:
http://erictric.com/2010/07/04/launching-fireworks-check-this-map-to-see-if-its-legal-first/
- Facts about Facebook:
http://www.infographicsshowcase.com/facts-about-facebook-infographic/
- Get me Rex Kramer!
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/27/movies/27airplane.html?_r=1&8dpc
- On a related note, Back to the Future is 25 years old today. A look back at the movies of 1985:
http://blog.seattlepi.com/cuttothechase/archives/212601.asp?from=blog_last3
- When intuition and math look wrong:
http://sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/60598/title/When_intuition_and_math_probably_look_wrong
- Top six Android smartphones and a comparison of the most popular smartphones:
http://jkontherun.com/2010/06/29/android-cheat-sheet-the-top-6-android-phones/
http://lifehacker.com/5575317/smartphone-comparison-chart-dishes-the-dirt-on-smartphone-specs
http://erictric.com/2010/07/04/launching-fireworks-check-this-map-to-see-if-its-legal-first/
- Facts about Facebook:
http://www.infographicsshowcase.com/facts-about-facebook-infographic/
- Get me Rex Kramer!
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/27/movies/27airplane.html?_r=1&8dpc
- On a related note, Back to the Future is 25 years old today. A look back at the movies of 1985:
http://blog.seattlepi.com/cuttothechase/archives/212601.asp?from=blog_last3
- When intuition and math look wrong:
http://sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/60598/title/When_intuition_and_math_probably_look_wrong
- Top six Android smartphones and a comparison of the most popular smartphones:
http://jkontherun.com/2010/06/29/android-cheat-sheet-the-top-6-android-phones/
http://lifehacker.com/5575317/smartphone-comparison-chart-dishes-the-dirt-on-smartphone-specs
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Pressing the elevator close button won't stop the BP oil spill
- Five dead auto-brands and why they died:
http://finance.yahoo.com/insurance/article/109823/5-dead-auto-brands-and-why-they-died?mod=insurance-autos
- Why do we still have power cords? Yeah, why?
http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/05/ts_burning_powercords/
- The BP oil spill put into perspective, compared to other oil spills:
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2010/06/08/pie-are-square-oil-spills-are-round/
- Seven myths about grilling a steak:
http://lifehacker.com/5571192/seven-myths-about-grilling-a-steak
- Everything you ever wanted to know about elevators. Did you know that the close button on elevators doesn't work? It's a placebo button. I always suspected as much. Seems like when people press the close button, the door closes, but not immediately:
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/04/21/080421fa_fact_paumgarten?currentPage=all
http://finance.yahoo.com/insurance/article/109823/5-dead-auto-brands-and-why-they-died?mod=insurance-autos
- Why do we still have power cords? Yeah, why?
http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/05/ts_burning_powercords/
- The BP oil spill put into perspective, compared to other oil spills:
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2010/06/08/pie-are-square-oil-spills-are-round/
- Seven myths about grilling a steak:
http://lifehacker.com/5571192/seven-myths-about-grilling-a-steak
- Everything you ever wanted to know about elevators. Did you know that the close button on elevators doesn't work? It's a placebo button. I always suspected as much. Seems like when people press the close button, the door closes, but not immediately:
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/04/21/080421fa_fact_paumgarten?currentPage=all
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Give up your seat on the bus and make Alex Trebek happy
- Have you ever asked a woman if she was pregnant, only to find out in abject horror that she was not pregnant? I almost did this once. It's a nightmare social scenario. The easy solution is to simply avoid asking all women if they are pregnant. However, what if you are on a bus, sitting in a seat, and a woman who may be pregnant is standing in front of you? Many cities have laws requiring you to give up your seat to a pregnant woman. Here are some tips to avoid making such a faux pas:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8730106.stm
- The differences between PC viruses, malware, spyware, worms, and other types of malicious software:
http://lifehacker.com/5560443/whats-the-difference-between-viruses-trojans-worms-and-other-malware
- Facebook games drop in popularity:
http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/across-the-board-top-facebook-games-take-a-tumble/1401804
- Google versus Apple. Five years ago this fight was Microsoft versus Apple. Sign of the times:
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/06/12/phone-fight.html
- Like movies, video games have suffered in quality over the past ten years. Here's the main reason why:
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/publishers-note/7688-Publisher-Note-10-E-for-Everyone-Except-Me
- Lovely maps showing where Americans are moving to, and where Americans are moving from:
http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2010/06/move/
- IBM supercomputer to participate in the game-show Jeopardy:
http://hothardware.com/News/IBMs-Watson-Supercomputer-Stars-In-Jeopardy-Promo-Video-Nearly-Ready-For-Primetime/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8730106.stm
- The differences between PC viruses, malware, spyware, worms, and other types of malicious software:
http://lifehacker.com/5560443/whats-the-difference-between-viruses-trojans-worms-and-other-malware
- Facebook games drop in popularity:
http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/across-the-board-top-facebook-games-take-a-tumble/1401804
- Google versus Apple. Five years ago this fight was Microsoft versus Apple. Sign of the times:
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/06/12/phone-fight.html
- Like movies, video games have suffered in quality over the past ten years. Here's the main reason why:
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/publishers-note/7688-Publisher-Note-10-E-for-Everyone-Except-Me
- Lovely maps showing where Americans are moving to, and where Americans are moving from:
http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2010/06/move/
- IBM supercomputer to participate in the game-show Jeopardy:
http://hothardware.com/News/IBMs-Watson-Supercomputer-Stars-In-Jeopardy-Promo-Video-Nearly-Ready-For-Primetime/
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
Hack a Gene Wilder movie on Netflix
- Do you use Netflix? Take a look at how Netflix sees the future of its movie delivery system over the next twenty years:
http://techcrunch.com/2010/06/03/netflix-business/
- Timeline history of hacking:
http://www.focus.com/images/view/2242/
- The top photo is Shanghai in 1990. The bottom photo is Shanghai in 2010. Incredible change in just twenty years:
http://www.businessinsider.com/shanghai-1990-vs-2010-2010-6
- Last night while watching The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Smarter Brother (an awful movie) I noticed that Gene Wilder has completely fallen off the map. Wilder is 77 years old, and apparently in very good condition. Wilder hasn't done a movie since 1999:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Wilder
- Dr. Demento will end his famous radio show after forty years. I never listened to Dr. Demento, but I remember friends and relatives talking about his show:
http://www.3news.co.nz/Dr-Demento-ends-his-radio-show/tabid/418/articleID/159591/Default.aspx
- Last week I implored you to get a gmail account if you don't already have one. Well, you may also want a hotmail account. Microsoft has released a website version Office 2010. Microsoft gives you 25 gigabytes of storage space and Office 2010 online, all for free. All you need is a hotmail account (which naturally is free.) A few years ago Google released their free office productivity suite, Google Docs. I am curious to try both of them and see which one is more useful:
http://office.live.com/
- How to tell a premium cigar from a bad cigar:
http://www.albertam.com/how-to-tell-a-premium-cigar-from-a-lower-quality-cigar/
http://techcrunch.com/2010/06/03/netflix-business/
- Timeline history of hacking:
http://www.focus.com/images/view/2242/
- The top photo is Shanghai in 1990. The bottom photo is Shanghai in 2010. Incredible change in just twenty years:
http://www.businessinsider.com/shanghai-1990-vs-2010-2010-6
- Last night while watching The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Smarter Brother (an awful movie) I noticed that Gene Wilder has completely fallen off the map. Wilder is 77 years old, and apparently in very good condition. Wilder hasn't done a movie since 1999:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Wilder
- Dr. Demento will end his famous radio show after forty years. I never listened to Dr. Demento, but I remember friends and relatives talking about his show:
http://www.3news.co.nz/Dr-Demento-ends-his-radio-show/tabid/418/articleID/159591/Default.aspx
- Last week I implored you to get a gmail account if you don't already have one. Well, you may also want a hotmail account. Microsoft has released a website version Office 2010. Microsoft gives you 25 gigabytes of storage space and Office 2010 online, all for free. All you need is a hotmail account (which naturally is free.) A few years ago Google released their free office productivity suite, Google Docs. I am curious to try both of them and see which one is more useful:
http://office.live.com/
- How to tell a premium cigar from a bad cigar:
http://www.albertam.com/how-to-tell-a-premium-cigar-from-a-lower-quality-cigar/
Thursday, June 03, 2010
Drinking a yotta-liter of scotch in space may save your life!
- The terms computer scientists use to measure bytes in a device. Your computer has either megabytes or gigabytes worth of memory, and probably has gigabytes or terabytes worth of hard-drive space:
Kilobyte = 1 thousand bytes.
Megabyte = 1 million bytes.
Gigabyte = 1 billion bytes.
Terabyte = 1 trillion bytes.
1 Petabyte = 1,000 Terabytes
1 Exabyte = 1,000 Petabytes
1 Zettabyte = 1,000 Exabytes
1 Yottabyte = 1,000 Zettabytes (a 1 followed by 24 zeros -- 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000)
The following link gives you a better idea of how insanely large a yottabyte is:
- What your email address says about your computer skills. I own the email domain of ???@greymarch.com, but I don't use it because it doesn't integrate with my smartphone or my computer as well as my gmail account. I also have a yahoo email address I give to anyone I think might try to spam me. If you don't have a gmail account, you really are wasting your life away. It's easily the best free email client.
- The first record of someone drinking scotch:
- What would happen if you became exposed to the vacuum of space? It's uber-dangerous, but don't believe the movies:
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