11.25.07
More Pareidolia Fun
A few months ago, we posted a link to the “Faces In Places” blog.
The Daily Mail printed a recent story with even more pics.
To the casual observer they are simply a collection of buildings, gadgets and everyday items. But look more closely and you will see that hidden within each one there is an intriguing image of a face.
Link (to “The faces spotted in the strangest places” article on Daily Mail site)
11.23.07
Rubik’s Cube Champs
National Geographic reports on the 4th annual Rubik’s Cube World Championship in Budapest, Hungary.
(In case you didn’t notice, we are currently crazy about the cube!)
Link (to Youtube video directly)
11.22.07
The 2nd Bill of Rights
I recently re-read some of Franklin Roosevelt’s speeches.
His 1936 acceptance speech is powerful — and very relevant for today’s America.
An old English judge once said: “Necessitous men are not free men.” Liberty requires opportunity to make a living—a living decent according to the standard of the time, a living which gives man not only enough to live by, but something to live for.
Link (to FDR 1936 Acceptance Speech)
And his 1944 State of The Union Address includes an “Economic Bill of Rights”:
In our day these economic truths have become accepted as self-evident. We have accepted, so to speak, a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of security and prosperity can be established for all—regardless of station, race, or creed.
Among those rights he mentions are “The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health.”
11.18.07
QWERTY vs. Dvorak — History of Typewriter and Computer Keyboards
This comic zine gives a history of the QWERTY keyboard, and tries to promote the advantages of using a Dvorak keyboard layout instead.
I’ve played around a bit with the Dvorak keyboard… it’s an interesting idea, but the pain of learning a new skill seems to negate the benefits (maybe not longterm, but at least shorterm).
The Dvorak Zine does make some interesting points though. It is kind of hilarious that the semicolon is featured on the home row of QWERTY keyboards.
I think if I designed a keyboard, I would put a smiley face in the home row — or maybe an interrobang — just to be funny.
Link (to “The Dvorak Zine”)
11.17.07
First HDTV Images Of The Moon
The first high definition images of the moon have been taken by Japan’s “lunar explorer” Kaguya.
The images were captured on Halloween.
There is also a non-high-definition video called “Earth Rise” (featured below) on Youtube. Taken from a Japanese television broadcast, it is a video where you can see the Earth rise and set from the surface of the moon.
Link (to “World’s First Image Taking of the Moon by HDTV” on JAXA website”)
Link (to “Earth Rise” video on Youtube)
11.13.07
Rubik’s Cube — Welcome Back !
In case you didn’t know, the Rubik’s Cube is back in a big way (actually, it never really left, but it’s popping up everywhere these days).
I never did figure out how to solve one, but I’m going to start working on it. At one time, I could solve Rubik’s Magic.
Here’s a story about the Rubik’s Cube World Championship games that were held in Budapest this past October. The winner was Japan’s own Yu Nakajima who solved the cube in 12.46 seconds. Now that’s fast!
More than 300 million cubes have been sold to date and organisers says 12 million will go on the shelves this year alone.
The Rubik’s Cube, an invention of Hungarian architect Erno Rubik, has been exhibited at New York’s Museum of Modern Art and has been entered into the Oxford dictionary.
Link (to “Rubik’s Cube solved in 12.46 Seconds” story on ABC News Australia)
Link (to Rubik’s Cube entry in Wikipedia)
11.12.07
Need Advice? Ask the Elder Wisdom Circle
This is a cool website, where you can ask advice to someone with a little more life experience.
It’s called the Elder Wisdom Circle, and I think it’s a neat idea.
The EWC is a place for people in their teens, 20’s and 30’s to connect with a Cyber-Grandparent for anonymous personalized advice. Elder Wisdom Circle is organized as a IRS 501(c)3 non-profit association. Most advice-seekers are 14-35 but we reply to everyone. We are based in the San Francisco Bay Area with 600 Elders all over North America. We are one of the largest providers of personal advice anywhere with hundreds of thousands of readers. The mission of our association is to promote and share elder know-how and accumulated wisdom. We also have a goal of elevating the perceived value and worth of our senior community.
I personally sent them a question about a year ago, and their reply was extremely helpful.
rating: FIVE stars (out of five possible)
Link (to Elder Wisdom Circle)
Link (to story on NPR about Elder Wisdom Circle)
FreeRice.com
Here is a website that I really like:
FreeRice.com lets you improve your vocabulary while helping others:
For every word you get right, we donate 10 grains of rice through the United Nations to help end world hunger
I should note that I got this link from Seth Godin’s blog (I read his great blog everyday, and so should you!)
Link (to FreeRice.com)
11.07.07
Radiohead Album — Most Didn’t Pay Anything
On MSNBC… A new study says the majority of people who downloaded Radiohead’s In Rainbows didn’t opt to pay anything.
Some 62 percent of the people who downloaded “In Rainbows” in a four-week period last month opted not to pay the British alt-rockers a cent. But the remaining 38 percent voluntarily paid an average of $6, according to the study by comScore Inc.
I know some readers are going to disagree with me, but, honestly, $6 sounds about right for an album these days. Especially if it is just a digital download.
