Monday, December 26, 2011

voice based instant messaging ?

http://heytell.com/   "Push to talk" on iPhone and Android.
It's not quite the same as the old Nextel push-to-talk, but potentially very handy.

Look up contacts by phone number or email.  Three levels of privacy - "friends only", "friends of friends", or "anybody" would be allowed to contact you.

Too bad there is no desktop version / equivalent.

Possible to enable a "geolocation" if you don't mind being located.

data everywhere, and tools

Data Day 2012 at Northeastern Univ (Huntington Ave, Boston)
http://dataday2012.eventbrite.com/

http://data.gov  <-- !
http://data.medicare.gov   <-- !!

Research tools and visualization tools for the data you find:


Thanks, Dan!

Thursday, December 22, 2011

gophers are at it again

Happy days -

Thursday, December 15, 2011

100 books to read (from Time, 2005)

Getting ready to delete a livejournal account that has been stagnant since 2005...
so... how many of these have I actually read?  hmm.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Dignity 2012

Whatever your position and how you feel about being in control of the end of your life, please do find out what the specifics are, on the Massachusetts Death With Dignity Act. http://www.dignity2012.org/ is the web site that has the entire initiative petition to be included on the 2012 ballot.

The first section of the petition summarizes it pretty well.
It is hereby declared that the public welfare requires a defined and safeguarded process by which an adult Massachusetts resident who has the capacity to make health care decisions and who has been determined by his or her attending and consulting physicians to be suffering from a terminal disease that will cause death within six months may obtain medication that the patient may self administer to end his or her life in a humane and dignified manner. It is further declared that the public welfare requires that such a process be entirely voluntary on the part of all participants, including the patient, his or her physicians, and any other health care provider or facility providing services or care to the patient. This act, being necessary for the welfare of the Commonwealth and its residents, shall be liberally construed to effect the purposes thereof.
Repeated verbal and written requests are required, with many opportunities to change their mind during the required waiting periods. 

See section 16 on contracts, wills, insurance policies, and annuities.
Contracts, wills, insurance policies, annuities.

(1) No provision in a contract, will, insurance policy, annuity, or other agreement, whether written or oral, made on or after January 1, 2013, shall be valid to the extent the provision would condition or restrict a person’s decision to make or rescind a request for medication to end his or her life in a humane and dignified manner. 
(2) No obligation owing under any contract, will, insurance policy, annuity, or other agreement made before the effective date of this chapter shall be affected by the provisions of this chapter, a person’s making or rescinding a request for medication to end his or her life in a humane and dignified manner, or by taking any other action authorized by this chapter. 
(3) On and after January 1, 2013, the sale, procurement, or issuance of any life, health, or accident insurance policy or annuity or the premium or rate charged for any such policy or annuity shall not be conditioned upon or otherwise take into account the making or rescinding of a request for medication under this chapter by any person.
Whether you agree or disagree, please do yourself the favor of reading the facts of the petition for your own information so you can make your own decision before you go into the voting booth this coming Election Day.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Arlington Laughter Club closes- last meeting Nov 28th.

Sun, Nov 27, 2011 at 7:40 PM
To: "P. Lynn Caesar"
Arlington
LAUGHTER CLUB 

    




“Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.” – Dr. Seuss 


To my dear laughing friends:
I wanted  to let you know I have decided to close the Arlington Laughter Club.  We have had 7 great years and  the  
laughing presence in the greater Boston area (and beyond)  exceeds my hopes and dreams  since I became certifiably
laughable back in 2003.  I admire those of you who have shown courage to show up to something
"unusual" and stretch yourselves beyond your comfort zone. We have had many joyful memories and I will cherish
our "celebrity status" being on WBUR, ABC Good Morning America, and having publications in the Boston
Globe and local newspapers.
Clubs are not easy to join as adults. I have felt blessed and fortunate being a proud member of the
Arlington Laughter Club. Laughter is the great equalizer. Being in the presence of joyful and playful people who
have dropped in to our club over the past 7 years has set the tone for the next chapter which I am ready to embrace.
I can guarantee you I will not stop laughing. I will carry with me the importance of connecting with a wonderful community.
Dr. Seuss captures my sentiments about the feeling associated with this decision. I hope you can come to our last
Arlington laughter club session on 11/28 at 11:30AM to rejoice and share a special session with people
who have helped shape the club over the years. And please, in the spirit of who we have been to the community, come
for the first time if you've never experienced laughter yoga. You can't help but to be touched by the positive energy of
people who are willing to show up to connect with people who want more laughter in their lives. There are other
laughter clubs in the area for you to attend. This was not so much the case when we started 7 years ago.
The tradition can continue!
I will  proudly still be offering my  certified  laughter yoga trainings (next session will be in April  - see below)  and   will
continue to offer speaking engagements, seminars, and workshops on laughter. 
  
Announcing our   LAST  laughter club meeting   in 2011  :


  




 Daytime meeting  will be  held    on Monday 11/28/11 from  11:30-12:30  PM    at the Church of our Saviour on 21 Marathon street in East Arlington, MA .    IF YOU ARE ABLE TO STAY LONGER,  we will SOCIALIZE UNTIL 1pm.  HOWEVER, THE FORMAL SESSION IS OVER AT 12:30.    
 

  Charge :  $5  

  

 Laughter Club Meeting    
  
Location: Church of our Saviour on 21 Marathon street in East Arlington, MA     

 Last  Laughter club Meeting  
     

Monday  daytime       11/28/11      at  11:30AM  with Lynn Caesar                     
   
  Laughter club   Time :  
              Daytime : 11:30-1PM
    

                          Upcoming Certified laughter Yoga  Leader  Training  April, 2012  
 Continuing education credits  approved   for social  workers,    licensed mental health counselors , and activity professionals.  Application made for holistic nurses, and  case managers.   

 Lynn Caesar, Ph.D. will be leading another certified laughter yoga leader training
to add more laughter in your life, start a laughter club, lead laughter workshops/events,
 and incorporate  laughter yoga into your work and personal life.    
      Dates: Friday and Saturday   April 20/21, 2012 
   Time:   9-4:00PM (Friday) and 9-5PM (Saturday)  
Fee:  $295  (price includes handouts, t-shirt, snacks ;  additional $20 for CEU's   ) 
 Where:   Belmont, MA         Please contact Lynn for more information: [email protected]
781-641-1353  
 
  


  Please visit our web site to see Walter's fun pages, research reports,  
 
 and interesting links to laughter and humor.  Walter works very hard to  
 develop creative links and easy access to the activities of our club.  Thank  
 you Walter for a fabulous job!  Check out our Arlington laughter club website: 
  www.ArlingtonLaughterClub.com    
 
 
 
Laughter Leader  
   
 
Lynn Caesar: [email protected]
 
 For information about other laughter clubs in Massachusetts and other states, click on links below:
   Dr. Madan Kataria's website: www.laughteryoga.org
World Laughter Tour:  www.worldlaughtertour.com
 
 

  IN  JOY AND LAUGHTER
FROM LYNN CAESAR (I am including Okame, Japanese Goddess of Mirth, to accompany our friend Hotei, the laughing Buddha) 

One Economy - bringing technology to underserved

http://www.one-economy.com/
http://www.tkoeducation.com/  discount pc's for education and nonprofit organizations

Sunday, November 20, 2011

What makes a good password ?

Okay, this is one place where you don't (should not) ask google:
http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2011/11/08/want-to-create-a-really-strong-password-dont-ask-google/

http://xkcd.com/936/  <-- interesting, easy to understand, and best:  easy to remember !!

** READ THIS ** http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/11/hacked/8673/1/?single_page=true James Fallows had first hand personal collision with email passwords and has some recommendations that can help you prevent those troubles from visiting you as well. ** READ THIS **

http://world.std.com/~reinhold/diceware.html <-- if you have not already read this, do it now.  note: Reinhold suggests staying away from computer randomized sources of "random" numbers.   Diceware FAQ Questions and answers for people who want to know more about Diceware and passphrase generation.   Diceware Word List, the list in PostScript format, Beale word list, Diceware8k list for computer generation

----------- then you already know what makes a BAD password (hint: it starts with 123...) --------
http://www.techworld.com.au/article/407952/123456_worst_passwords_2011/

Anyway, here's the full list:
1. password
2. 123456
3. 12345678
4. qwerty
5. abc123
6. monkey
7. 1234567
8. letmein
9. trustno1
10. dragon
11. baseball
12. 111111
13. iloveyou
14. master
15. sunshine
16. ashley
17. bailey
18. passw0rd
19. shadow
20. 123123
21. 654321
22. superman
23. qazwsx
24. michael
25. football

And a very similar list in NYT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/technology/21password.html


note: post updated since original date

60 Hudson Street NYC

A brief glimpse of one of the internet's key nexus points:
or view at http://vimeo.com/benmendelsohn/bundled --

Friday, November 18, 2011

Town Gov't 101 - be there !

Town Government 101

Sunday, November 20th 2-4pm Town Hall Auditorium (Winchester, MA).  How does our town government work? What do all of the committees do?  What decisions do they make? How do all of the pieces fit together?

Representatives from Town Meeting, Board of Selectman, Town Manager’s Office, Finance Committee, School Committee, Capital Planning Committee,  and Planning Board will be on hand to explain what they do and the vital role voters play in the civic life of Winchester.

IT ALL STARTS WITH VOTERS!

Light refreshments will be served. More info about the League at http://www.lwvwinchester.org/

Monday, November 14, 2011

La novlangue des journalistes en ligne

http://blog.slate.fr/labo-jhttp://blog.slate.fr/labo-journalisme-sciences-po/2011/01/24/la-novlangue-des-journalistes-en-ligne/

"wod"s - more than one?

sample:  - but obviously they have not caught up with http://failblog.org/ and also discover http://thereifixedit.failblog.org/

Fail (nom, masculin):
Un raté. Par exemple une vidéo qui ne «clique» pas (voir plus haut) ou un article qui reste en bas des «stats» (voir plus bas), en somme un soufflé qui se dégonfle.


Fake (nom ou adjectif):
Faux. Cela peut concerner une fausse information, un faux compte Twitter, un photo montage… tout, sur le Web, peut être fabriqué. Et doit donc être pesé et vérifié avant de faire l’objet d’une information publiable. Exemple: «Ã§a sent le fake, cette histoire».

Sunday, November 13, 2011

there are liars, and then there are liars

Pamela Meyer on liespotting:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/13/opinion/meyer-lie-spotting/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

Maybe we should use more technologies such as NoLieMRI:
http://noliemri.com/ like a paternity test...

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Rox In Ipswitch at Cranes Beach

Cranes Beach, Ipswitch, MA - rocks on the beach below the "Grande Allee" between the Estate and the ocean.

Friday, November 04, 2011

yoga mats and shoe soles ? in my McRib ?

http://blog.beaumontenterprise.com/hottopics/2011/11/01/mcrib-sandwiches-contain-same-ingredient-as-yoga-mats-shoe-soles/

McRib sandwiches contain same ingredient as yoga mats, shoe solesNovember 1, 2011 at 12:58 pm by Francisca Ortega
McRib. Yum. Photo by Tammy McKinley/The Enterprise

Attention: Your McRib sandwich is probably not good for your heart. It has 980 mg of sodium and 10 grams of saturated fat. But then we already knew that it wasn’t exactly health food.
According to Time’s healthland blog, that’s not all it has: The sandwich contains 70 other ingredients. And some of those ingredients, such as azodicarbonamide, ammonium sulfate and polysorbate 80 are kinda gross.
From the story:
These components are in small enough quantities to be innocuous. But it’s still a little disconcerting to know that, for example, azodicarbonamide, a flour-bleaching agent that is most commonly used in the manufacture of foamed plastics like in gym mats and the soles of shoes, is found in the McRib bun. The compound is banned in Europe and Australia as a food additive. (England’s Health and Safety Executive classified it as a “respiratory sensitizer” that potentially contributes to asthma through occupational exposure.) The U.S. limits azodicarbonamide to 45 parts per million in commercial flour products, based on analysis of lab testing.
Something tells me this news isn’t going to stop people from eating the sandwich.

Monday, October 31, 2011

now THAT's a teapot - maybe a distant cousin of origami

see the post here:


Email not displaying correctly? Click here to view it in your browser.


The Teapot Redefined 2011 


The Teapot Redefined 2011
October 25th - November 15th
Please join us for an opening reception to meet the artists and view their work on Thursday, November 3rd from 6-8pm at Mobilia Gallery, 358 Huron Ave, Cambridge MA 02138. RSVP to [email protected] or by phone at 617-876-2109.
The teapot is an enduring symbol of hospitality throughout the world, and exploring the sculptural teapot form has been a source of inspiration for artisans throughout history. For The Teapot Redefined, we have invited a variety of artists working in diverse media such as paper, horsehair, metal, beads, ceramic and textiles to add their own unique interpretation of the teapot form. 


PARTICIPATING ARTISTS:
Kate Anderson
Beth Blankenship
Rebecca Brown-Thompson
Ann Coddington
Emily Dvorin
Yael Friedman
Emily Garfield
Louise Hill
Jan Huling
Anna King
Al Krueger
Kathlyn Leighton
Jennifer Maestre
Donna Rhae Marder
Brooke Marks-Swanson
Dorothy McGuinness
Leah Meleski
Ellen Moon
Merrill Morrison
Sylvie Rosenthal
Lois Russell
Amanda Salm
Leslie Sills
Teresa Sullivan
Andrea Uravitch
Mallory Weston


-- Scroll down to view a selection of works in the exhibition -- 

Kate Anderson
Kate Anderson
Jim Dine Teapot 
Knotted waxed linen
12.5"h x 7"w x 2.75"d
Beth Blankenship
Beth Blankenship
Strange how a teapot can represent at the same time
the comforts of solitude and the pleasures of company 

Glass beads, Nymo beading thread, wool felt
Rebecca Brown-Thompson
Rebecca Brown-Thompson
Bondage to Tea 
Felt, beading, metal, macaw feather
Emily Dvorin
Emily Dvorin
T-E-A 
Metal form, suede, cable ties
5" x 7" x 4.5"
Emily Dvorin
Emily Dvorin
Who's calling the kettle black? 
Plastic gutter screening, cable ties
7" x 15" x 11"
Yael Friedman
Yael Friedman
Teapot 
Kinder Egg toys
Louise Hill
Louise Hill
Witch's Brew 
5.75" x 8" x 4.5"
Wood, beads, Swarovski crystals, epoxy resin, sculpting clay, copper sheeting, wire, fabric
Louise Hill
Louise Hill
Witch's Brew (detail) 
5.75" x 8" x 4.5"
Wood, beads, Swarovski crystals, epoxy resin, sculpting clay, copper sheeting, wire, fabric
Jan Huling
Jan Huling
Pretty Pot 
Ceramic, metal, wood, wire, glass beads, ball chain, rhinestones
Anna King
Anna King
Peerie Pot 
4" x 5" x 3.5"
Leather, bound with waxed silk, and garnished with a few sequins
Kathlyn Leighton
Kathlyn Leighton
Comic Capers 
Wire armature soft form figures wired to a molded felt teapot – worked with bead embroidery and fabric.
10" length x 11" width x 11" height
Kathlyn Leighton
Kathlyn Leighton
Comic Capers (detail) 
Wire armature soft form figures wired to a molded felt teapot – worked with bead embroidery and fabric.
10" length x 11" width x 11" height
Jennifer Maestre
Jennifer Maestre
Teapot 
Pencils, epoxy
5 x 6.5 x 4 inches
Donna Rhae Marder
Donna Rhae Marder
Wired Teapot 
8" h x 11"w x 6"d
Crocheted wire
Brooke Marks-Swanson
Brooke Marks-Swanson
Teapot 

Ellen Moon
Ellen Moon
Wood Dragon 
Wire, cotton, glass beads, stainless steel wire, crewel embroidery
7.25" high x 12.5" wide x 6" deep
Ellen Moon
Ellen Moon
Wood Dragon (detail) 
Wire, cotton, glass beads, stainless steel wire, crewel embroidery
7.25" high x 12.5" wide x 6" deep
Merrill Morrison
Merrill Morrison
Antiqui-Tea 
Dark gold C-lon Nylon Thread, Japanese Glass Beads
6"H x 12"W x 3"D
Kyoko Okubo
Kyoko Okubo
The Teapot in the Woods 
Washi paper sculpture
Teapot: 5.5" x 7.5" x 4"
Cups: 1.5" x 4" x 2.25" diameter each
Kyoko Okubo
Kyoko Okubo
The Teapot in the Woods (detail) 
Washi paper sculpture
5.5" x 7.5" x 4"
Sylvie Rosenthal
Sylvie Rosenthal
Stacked House Teapot 
Poplar and paint
11" x 7" x 6"
Sylvie Rosenthal
Sylvie Rosenthal
Stool Stack Wave Teapot 
8.5" x 8.5" x 4.5"
Poplar and paint
Lois Russell
Lois Russell
Chit Chat 
Twined Waxed Linen Thread
Amanda Salm
Amanda Salm
eyeT 
Twined horsehair
5.25"H x 10"W x 4"D
Leslie Sills
Leslie Sills
Spring Song Tea 
Ceramic
Teresa Sullivan
Teresa Sullivan
Teapot 
Glass beads and thread
9"Lx5"Wx4"H
Mallory Weston
Mallory Weston
Icosidodecahedron 
Copper, Enamel, Cotton
L 12"x W 6"x H 7"
Andrea Uravitch
Andrea Uravitch
Lizard Teapot 
Clay, Wonderflex, handmade paper, fiber, wire, and a branch
6.5" x 14" x 5.5" 
For additional information about the exhibit, or to view more images, please contact Mobilia Gallery by phone at
617-876-2109 or by email at [email protected]
MOBILIA GALLERY



Mobilia Gallery
358 Huron Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02138
617-876-2109
mobilia-gallery.com

article on haggling in Forbes ? (!!) and wearable electronics

http://www.forbes.com/sites/groupthink/2011/10/28/how-to-haggle-for-everything/

and wearable electronics (wireless of course):
http://www.forbes.com/sites/elizabethwoyke/2011/10/28/att-plans-to-sell-health-tracking-clothing/

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Saturday, October 08, 2011

2011 the political religious combustion

Some topics to chew over in your mind, if you're so inclined to reflect on that soon-to-be-ignited (if not already burning) collision in the title above.

http://swampland.time.com/2011/09/02/articles-of-faith-what-journalists-should-be-asking-politicians-about-religion/

and this one about "dominionists"  (for the definition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominionism)
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2093314,00.html

and that time when Hilary was asked if she ever felt the Holy Spirit:
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1731089,00.html 

As a label, it is at least as loaded with implications as sharia law is for Islam.

Finally a commnet:  (paraphrasing)  Sitting inside (going to) church makes someone a Christian / attending services at a mosque makes someone a Muslim, / as much as sitting inside a garage makes you a car.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

one big croc

http://news.yahoo.com/giant-crocodile-captured-alive-philippines-134625838.html
Now THAT is one well-fed croc !   Wonder what it's been eating ?

Saturday, September 03, 2011

Movies for your Education

Recommended from Dan --  http://kidsboston.com/movies.htm
By the time I have viewed all these movies, I'll have an education.

The Godfather. 1972. See [at least] the first of the three-film series. So much flows from The Godfather.  Brando as The Godfather
High Noon. 1952. Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly. The quintessential American western. And it's a smashing-good movie.
Apocalypse Now Redux. 1979. Vietnam and madness via Conrad's Heart of Darkness. (See this one in a theater.)
Lawrence of Arabia. Peter O’Toole. 1962. (To feel all the desert beauty, see it in a theater; not on video)
Casablanca. 1942. Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman. Nazis, Peter Lorre, the fall of Paris, heartbreak.  "I'm shocked, shocked to find gambling in this establishment."
The Wild Bunch. 1969. Aging outlaws and the end of the old west. Sam Peckinpah directed.
The Wizard of Oz. 1939. Judy Garland, Munchkins, the Wicked Witch.  source of munchkins
West Side Story. 1961. Jets and Sharks. Amazing music and dance. Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim.
Star Wars. 1977. The now-classic space opera. See the first film in the series.
2001: A Space Odyssey. 1968. Hal, Dave and director Stanley Kubrick.  could this the same Kubrick that brought us Lolita?
The Third Man. Orson Wells, Joseph Cotton. 1948. Post-war Berlin, evil, zither music.
Grapes of Wrath. 1940. John Ford. Henry Fonda. Dust Bowl, Oakies, the Great Depression.
Annie Hall. 1977. Woody Allen, Diane Keaton. Understanding the '70s with humor.
ET: The Extraterrestrial. 1982. Director Steven Spielberg. Phone home.
The Untouchables. 1987. Prohibition Chicago; getting Al Capone.
Taxi Driver. 1976. Robert DeNiro, Jodi Foster. You talkin' to me?
Psycho. 1960. Director Alfred Hitchcock. Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh. Bates Motel and mother.
Blade Runner, Final Cut. 1982. Harrison Ford, Sean Young. Replicants and the LA of the future. and there's origami in here too !
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. 1937. Fantasia. 1940. Disney's art, made for adults way before computer animation.  dwarves ?
Gone With the Wind. 1939. In glorious Technicolor. Clark Gable, Vivian Leigh, Hattie McDaniel. Atlanta's plucky planter class and its slaves at Tara in the American Civil War.  Frankly my dear, I don't give a __.
The Seven Samurai. In Japanese with subtitles. Influenced American films, especially westerns, for years. Kurosawa.
The Man Who Would Be King. 1975. Sean Connery, Michael Caine. Afghanistan, ambition and Kipling's India.

Mississippi Burning. 1988. Gene Hackman. The KKK, 1960s redneck racists and the FBI.
Show Boat. 1936. The great Paul Robeson sings "Old Man River."
Yankee Doodle Dandy. 1942. James Cagney. Flag waving, vaudeville & George M. Cohan's ymusic.
On the Waterfront. 1954. Marlon Brando, Vivien Leigh. A Streetcar Named Desire. 1951. Brando, Eva Marie Saint.
Alien. 1979. Sigourney Weaver. A strong woman in very threatening outer space.
Sunset Boulevard. 1950. Joseph Cotton, Gloria Swanson. Classic Hollywood.
Citizen Kane. 1943l. Orson Wells, Joseph Cotton. (Showing 8/30/11 at the Brattle Theater in Cambridge)
Oklahoma and Guys and Dolls. Influential Broadway musicals on screen.
All the President's Men. 1976. Redford and Hoffman nail Nixon's crimes.
Gary Cooper in High Noon
Platoon. Director Oliver Stone. Vietnam war from a grunt's-eye view.
The Shawshank Redemption. 1994. Morgan Freeman, Tim Robbins, prison.
Jaws and The Sound of Music. Not spectacular, but part of the culture.
The Harry Potter series. Who knows if they will last, but they're certainly part of the heritage.

Love, romance, romantic comedy  These are not among the culturally significant group, above, but they're well worth seeing.
City of Angels. 1998. Cage, Ryan. If a boyfriend doesn't melt at this, dump him immediately.  Nicholas Cage, Meg Ryan
Sleepless in Seattle. 1993. Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan. Director Nora Ephron.
Starman. 1984. Jeff Bridges, Karen Allen. Love from the stars.
Manhattan. 1979. Woody Allen, Mariel Hemingway, Diane Keaton. Romance in b&w.
Dirty Dancing. 1987. Good girl, bad boy in the Catskills. Swayze, Jerry Orbach.
Ghost. 1990. Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg.
Big. 1988. Tom Hanks. Warm (and smart) romantic comedy.
While You Were Sleeping. 1995. Sandra Bullock, Bill Pullman..
Notting Hill. 1999. Julia Roberts, Hugh Grant. With a Charles Aznavour theme song.

sharing attributed to collaboration ?

http://www.mpg.de/4376010/collaboration-children-chimpanzees?page=1http://www.mpg.de/4376010/collaboration-children-chimpanzees?page=2

"Children as young as three years of age are willing to share a prize equally with a peer, but only if both children previously collaborated in order to earn their reward."

Is it important that children learn to share ?   Only if they need to get along with others and obtain the help of others, ultimately for their own personal and professional advancement.

Friday, September 02, 2011

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

justified intelligence

Two shows recommended:
Justified = rookie US Marshal adventures, fast on draw (on DVD but worth the wait) http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/justified/index.php

Intelligence = dual views of law and not-law (on Netflix stream) http://www.intelligencetv.com/

Saturday, August 20, 2011

foto credit in Winchester Star!

foto that was uploaded to Winchester Farmer's Market page was used in the Winchester Star !
http://www.facebook.com/winchfarmmkt

Monday, August 15, 2011

Saturday, August 13, 2011

ha ha ha ha ha

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DB7Jm0m-jU&

Penguins can be so mean !

Monday, August 08, 2011

July 4th USS Constitution

Finally, the video is here. Home movies of the day out on Boston Harbor.
Music from the US Navy Band http://www.navyband.navy.mil/Sounds.shtml (confirmed with Navy Band that this is all public domain music).

Update - edited down to 17:07, now in HD. Watch on youtube directly
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpSGskz54PM


17:07min edited down from
25:33min original below

Thursday, August 04, 2011

get a permit before firing up that reactor in your kitchen

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/man-arrested-for-trying-to-split-atoms--in-his-kitchen-20110804-1ic8h.html

Man arrested for trying to split atoms - in his kitchen
August 4, 2011 - 7:29AM

A Swedish man who was arrested after trying to split atoms in his kitchen said he was only doing it as a hobby.

Richard Handl said he had the radioactive elements radium, americium and uranium in his apartment in southern Sweden when police showed up and arrested him on charges of unauthorised possession of nuclear material.

The 31-year-old Handl said he had tried for months to set up a nuclear reactor at home and kept a blog about his experiments, describing how he created a small meltdown on his stove.
Advertisement: Story continues below

Only later did he realise it might not be legal and sent a question to Sweden's Radiation Authority, which answered by sending the police.

"I have always been interested in physics and chemistry," Handl said, adding he just wanted to "see if it's possible to split atoms at home".

The police raid took place in late July, but police have refused to comment. If convicted, Handl could face fines or up to two years in prison.

Although he says police didn't detect dangerous levels of radiation in his apartment, he now acknowledges the project wasn't such a good idea.

"From now on, I will stick to the theory," he said.

AP

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Is Hell Dead ?

This was the cover of Time magazine for Holy Week this year, and I'm finally catching up to reading it.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2065289,00.html

What is hell, anyway, and what is heaven?   Rob Bell explores the possibility that all will eventually make it into heaven.  Many opinions on this, just google "is hell dead, Rob Bell".

Reminds me of the "what do you believe" on http://www.beliefnet.com/ that matches your beliefs to recognized entities with the "Belief-o-Matic" http://www.beliefnet.com/Entertainment/Quizzes/BeliefOMatic.aspx  to determine (or verify).

There is even a joke section "A Recently Spotted Bumper Sticker:  "What if the Hokey Pokey really is what it's all about?"",  then "Q: What do you call a dead atheist?    A: Someone all dressed up with nowhere to go!"

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

those square "bar codes"

Bar codes no longer look like bars, they have taken all kinds of shapes.
Some of them can contain either text, email, contact info, phone number, or even a google maps link.
Using http://www.qrstuff.com/index.html   you can create your own "QR" code.
For example the above contains a name, email, URL, and phone number.
How to read it ?  Simplest is to use a smarphone app like Google Goggles, which uses the built in camera on the smartphone, takes a picture of the code, and interprets the code (works on bar codes too, and many other things).    Otherwise look for "QR reader" and you will find applications as noted on http://techie-buzz.com/softwares/read-qr-codes-on-pc.html, or http://www.dansl.net/blog/?p=256 .  <-disclaimer: I have not tried these apps.

(Note:  the geolocation is not for me, it is trying to find where you are...)

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

imslp - international music score library project <- wow !

http://imslp.org/wiki/2_Arabesques_(Debussy,_Claude)

and near the bottom, mp3 audio as well.

July 2011:  over a hundred thousand scores !

If you feel up to it you can submit your own performances of the music.
http://imslp.org/wiki/IMSLP:Performers_Portal

Caution: there are parts that are "not public domain" in different geographies and countries - marked as an example:  "Non-PD US".     For example, Gershwin's "Lullaby" is PD in Canada and EU, but not US.

Monday, July 18, 2011

civic media

http://civic.mit.edu/

The Center for Civic Media - what is it ?  Read on!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Pastafarians Unite ! Put on your helmets (or not) !

News from Pastafaria (thanks, Brendan!)  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14135523 .  Niko's strainer, collander, sieve, whatever you call it, made pastafarian history.

For those who are not already aware of pastafaricness, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Spaghetti_Monster 

Speaking of hats, reminded me of the study http://berkeley.intel-research.net/arahimi/helmet/  that showed the foil hats often used for protection against remote mind control by aliens and Big Brother, often not only failed to protect the brains of the potential victims, but actually amplified the radio signals inside the foil at frequencies that are specifically reserved for government use.   Is it possible that it was a plot all along, to peer into the brains of the most paranoid?   Yikes !  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OuhHUvl6Sc

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Soul, and Consciousness

Michael Singer
The Untethered Soul, in the library at https://library.minlib.net/record=b2526392~S1
Or you can go to his book web site http://theuntetheredsoul.com/index.html
This book has been out since 2007 !   " Who are you, really ? "   The parts I liked best were Chapter 15, The Path of Unconditional Happiness, and  Chapter 17, Contemplating Death.  Remarkably insightful.

On a related note, on the idea of consciousness, there are two TED videos that are immediately relevant:
First is Jill Bolte Taylor's http://blog.ted.com/2008/03/12/jill_bolte_tayl/  direct experience with left and right brain when she suffered a stroke, and eventually recovered over a long time.

Second,  Simon Lewis had his own direct experience with a remarkable recovery, coming back from a severe injury http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_lewis_don_t_take_consciousness_for_granted.html and the many aspects of technologies that were of help to him along the way, both relating to his consciousness and the recovery of his physical body.  

Thursday, July 07, 2011

a neurological foundation for ethics and morality ?

It's not so far fetched:  https://library.minlib.net/record=b2901841~S1 
Patricia Churchland.

The story goes back to the conversation Socrates has with Euthyphro on his way to court, to face the charges that will condemn him to execution by poison.

Wednesday, July 06, 2011

self expression as therapy ?

http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/06/29/writing.healing.enayati/index.html?

maybe that is part of the reason blogging, tweeting, and facebook are so popular

Thursday, June 30, 2011

new publishing, ebooks, etc

http://newkindofbook.com/
Pete Meyers talks about current crop of tools for publishing, particularly in electronic form.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

do you have a Living Will (in Massachusetts, a health care proxy) ?

If you have both a Living Will (for use outside MA), and a Health Care Proxy (for use inside MA), and they both say the same thing, it is a confirmation of your desires wherever you are.
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from http://www.lawlib.state.ma.us/subject/forms/formsf-l.html#proxy

Health Care Proxy / Living Will

Massachusetts Health Care Proxy

Living Will

According to Mass. Medical Society, "Massachusetts is one of only three states that recognizes Health Care Proxies but does not recognize Living Wills. Living Wills are still potentially useful because they guide Agents and physicians about the types of choices a person would make."

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Massachusetts Medical Society's Health Care Proxy form is available here:

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Also,  google "Living Will" and there are many sites that will prepare a living will for you for no charge.  This is different from a "Last will and testament", or "health power of attorney" which have different powers.   Talk to your legal advisor.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

111 gigapixel image

http://www.sevilla111.com/default_en.htm

The picture was made with the Canon 5D mark II and a 400mm-lens.  It consists of 1.665 full format pictures with 21.4 mega pixel, which was Recorded by a photo-robot in 172 minutes. The converting of 102 GB raw Data by a computer with a main memory cache of 48 GB and 16 processors took 94 hours. The picture is the largest in the world.  Zoom in to see any particular building/object.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Disciplines of Execution

What's more important than strategy ?   Watch this:
http://www.franklincovey.com/4dflv/4D_bottomvid.html

17 minutes, but worth it.

"the good is the enemy of excellent" (it seems counterintuitive, but sometimes you have to say no to good ideas, so enough resources are available to do a few great things).

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

draft CEC web site

http://cec-hms.weebly.com

first cut at community ethics committee web site
follow links to medicalethicsandme.blogspot.com and twitter: @medethicsandme

Friday, June 17, 2011

course on bioethics

  • http://medethics.med.harvard.edu/education/bioethics/
  • Decision-Making Capacity, Surrogates, and Advance (health) Directives.  6 months after the event that paralyzed accident victims, 90% feel their quality of life is good -- ironically the ones who require ventilation (mechanical assistance to breathe) felt better than those who could breathe on their own.
  • In working through a scenario to resolve conflict among parties, must keep in mind the patient's interest is foremost consideration, family's is second.   Whatever the suggested options to be described as "ethical", there must be a clear rationale based on some fundamental concept of ethics and justice, whether it is "truth-telling",  individual person (patient)'s autonomy and right to decide the fate of their own body (and life), benefit (to community; e.g. utilitarianism, or intrinsically, or according to the consequences of those options.
  • What are your goals ?  Go home?  Back to life as it was before?  Life regardless of comfort or dignity?  or comfort and dignity potentially at the cost of length of life ?  Question is sometimes framed as "why?"  - what's the rationale of the patient's desires?    Discovery of whether patient's decisions were made based on incorrect information, can only be accomplished by direct contact and conversation / investigation with patient, much of important background cannot be found in the paper trail.
  • Power, Trust, Money, Hope, Integrity -- all candidates for components that constitute medical futility after the obvious medical diagnosis.
"Hope is a state of mind independent of the state of the world.  If your heart's full of hope, you can be persistent when you can't be optimistic.  You can keep the faith, despite the evidence, knowing that only in so doing does the evidence have any chance of changing.  So, while I'm not optimistic, I'm always very hopeful."    -- Reverend William Sloane Coffin.

Friday, June 10, 2011

me and Barack and Michelle

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at town day 2011

Bozeman

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morning in Bozeman - looking out at the Spanish Peaks
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and bison too

Sunday, June 05, 2011