Thinking inside the box: Trapped light spurs quantum computing - Yahoo! News: "Photons are arguably the ultimate existential particle in physics. By switching on a light bulb, you release a million billion photons every second.
But as soon as you see a photon, it dies, for its contact with the retina expends the energy that made it exist.
'Photons are easy to detect. You do it yourself, every second for instance when you are looking at a computer screen,' Jean-Michel Raimond of France's National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), who is one of the innovators, told AFP.
'But you do this only once. It's post-mortem analysis. We, though, can now analyse it in real time, while the photon is still alive.'"
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
So FCUKIN SCARY
Glenn Greenwald - Salon: " he combined Roberts-Stelzer response: The causes of rampant anti-Americanism do indeed include dislike of Bush. But there are others: the war in Iraq; anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian sentiment, laced with some covert anti-Semitism; and resentment of American power. Roberts urged the president not to concern himself with these anti-American feelings, since in a unipolar world the lone superpower cannot be loved. His advice: 'Get your policies right and history will prove a kind muse.'
Nothing matters -- not the disapproval of the American people of the President's actions nor rising anti-Americanism around the world. He should simply ignore all of that and continue to obey the mandates of neoconservatism because that is what is Good and his God will be pleased.
Other lessons that Bush was taught that day: 'First: Do not set a deadline for withdrawal. That led to the slaughter of 700,000 to 1 million people in India, with the killing beginning one minute after the midnight deadline.' They also told the President to ignore the fact that other powerful countries and even empires that tried to dominate the world have all collapsed. Those incidents are irrelevant and teach us nothing because -- unlike the Glorious Leader today -- those people simply lacked the Will to Power. Thus:
Second lesson: Will trumps wealth. The Romans, the tsars, and othe"
Nothing matters -- not the disapproval of the American people of the President's actions nor rising anti-Americanism around the world. He should simply ignore all of that and continue to obey the mandates of neoconservatism because that is what is Good and his God will be pleased.
Other lessons that Bush was taught that day: 'First: Do not set a deadline for withdrawal. That led to the slaughter of 700,000 to 1 million people in India, with the killing beginning one minute after the midnight deadline.' They also told the President to ignore the fact that other powerful countries and even empires that tried to dominate the world have all collapsed. Those incidents are irrelevant and teach us nothing because -- unlike the Glorious Leader today -- those people simply lacked the Will to Power. Thus:
Second lesson: Will trumps wealth. The Romans, the tsars, and othe"
Congress must aid subprime victims: consumer group | U.S. | Reuters
Congress must aid subprime victims: consumer group | U.S. | Reuters: "WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. homeowners with subprime mortgages struggling under payments need federal government help to ease them through the crisis, a leading consumer advocacy group said on Wednesday.
Fresh data on increased mortgage delinquencies and the collapse of several mortgage lenders have increased attention on subprime loans offered to borrowers with damaged or sketchy credit histories.
As many as 1.5 million Americans could lose their homes as the subprime market shakes out, the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) said, and so Congress should step in to protect those troubled homeowners."
Fresh data on increased mortgage delinquencies and the collapse of several mortgage lenders have increased attention on subprime loans offered to borrowers with damaged or sketchy credit histories.
As many as 1.5 million Americans could lose their homes as the subprime market shakes out, the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) said, and so Congress should step in to protect those troubled homeowners."
As rates soar, 2.2 million Americans risk losing homes this year - Yahoo! News
As rates soar, 2.2 million Americans risk losing homes this year - Yahoo! News: "Edwardsen, a 47-year-old assistant optician, was tempted to take out a special high-risk loan targeted at people with low credit ratings. Today her monthly repayments have soared to 2,800 dollars, yet she only takes home 1,600 dollars.
She is among 2.2 million people across the US who risk forfeiting their homes by the end of the year as they struggle to meet monthly repayments swollen by rising interest rates, and triggering fears that a financial crisis could sweep US lenders.
'I'm panicking every day. I'm not sleeping because I'm worrying. This house has been in my family forever and I don't want to lose it. But I can't make the payments they are asking me for,' she told AFP."
She is among 2.2 million people across the US who risk forfeiting their homes by the end of the year as they struggle to meet monthly repayments swollen by rising interest rates, and triggering fears that a financial crisis could sweep US lenders.
'I'm panicking every day. I'm not sleeping because I'm worrying. This house has been in my family forever and I don't want to lose it. But I can't make the payments they are asking me for,' she told AFP."
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Hullabaloo
Hullabaloo: "But this attitude is pervasive in Washington circles and it's causing some serious problems. (Partisan impeachments against the will of the people. Illegal wars. Out of control executive branch.) It comes at least partially from the fact that journalists think that by simply telling the public what the politicians are saying (much of it on double super-secret backround) they are doing their jobs. They allow both sides to play out their political games in the mainstream media and then provide running color commentary on who's 'winning.' In their minds, if the Democrats aren't as good at stoking scandals or creating an atmosphere of political terrorism, then it's not their job to uncover what the Republicans are doing. Democrats need to 'play better' if they want to 'win.' (You often see a kind of admiration for the bold machismo of the Republican character assassins in the press -- they are winners.)
The fact that the Republicans are better at dirty politics and hand-feeding the kind of scandals to the press that they like should not be what controls the coverage of politics. A nose for news should be and it's clear that some combination of intimidation, laziness, commercial concerns, habit and, yes, political and cultural bias (see the disparate degrees of MSM revulsion shown toward the Democratic base and the GOP base when they exert their influence on their party)have tilted this ridiculous 'playing"
The fact that the Republicans are better at dirty politics and hand-feeding the kind of scandals to the press that they like should not be what controls the coverage of politics. A nose for news should be and it's clear that some combination of intimidation, laziness, commercial concerns, habit and, yes, political and cultural bias (see the disparate degrees of MSM revulsion shown toward the Democratic base and the GOP base when they exert their influence on their party)have tilted this ridiculous 'playing"
Study links sense of humor, survival - USATODAY.com
Study links sense of humor, survival - USATODAY.com: "BUDAPEST, Hungary — Laugh and the world laughs with you. Even better, you might live longer, a Norwegian researcher reports.
Adults who have a sense of humor outlive those who don't find life funny, and the survival edge is particularly large for people with cancer, says Sven Svebak of the medical school at Norwegian University of Science and Technology."
Adults who have a sense of humor outlive those who don't find life funny, and the survival edge is particularly large for people with cancer, says Sven Svebak of the medical school at Norwegian University of Science and Technology."
A quick walk could help smokers quit - Yahoo! News
A quick walk could help smokers quit - Yahoo! News: "LONDON - As little as five minutes of exercise could help smokers quit, says a new study. Research published in the international medical journal Addiction showed that moderate exercise, such as walking, significantly reduced the intensity of smokers' nicotine withdrawal symptoms."
Please let this one stick!
Shakespeare's Sister: "Another familiar name is popping up again, too—Harriet Miers, ill-fated Supreme Court nominee and former White House counsel. In 2005, Miers sent a memo to Gonzo's chief of staff, D. Kyle Sampson, inquiring 'whether it would be feasible to replace all United States attorneys when their four-year terms expired.' Sampson responded that 'filling so many jobs at once would overtax the department,' and began to work with Miers on 'devising a list of attorneys to oust.' Yikes. Sampson resigned yesterday.
Today the WaPo reprints some damning correspondence between Sampson advises Miers, in which he outlines how the Patriot Act can and should be used to make interim appointments (as I described here):
Sampson, Sept. 7, 2006: 'I am only in favor of executing on a plan to push some USAs out if we really are ready and willing to put in the time necessary to select candidates and get them appointed. It will be counterproductive to DOJ operations if we push USAs out and then don't have replacements ready to roll immediately. I strongly recommend that as a matter of administration, we utilize the new statutory provisions that authorize the AG to make USA appointments. [By avoiding Senate confirmation], we can give far less deference to home state senators and thereby get 1.) our preferred person appointed and 2.) do it far faster and more efficiently at less political co"
Today the WaPo reprints some damning correspondence between Sampson advises Miers, in which he outlines how the Patriot Act can and should be used to make interim appointments (as I described here):
Sampson, Sept. 7, 2006: 'I am only in favor of executing on a plan to push some USAs out if we really are ready and willing to put in the time necessary to select candidates and get them appointed. It will be counterproductive to DOJ operations if we push USAs out and then don't have replacements ready to roll immediately. I strongly recommend that as a matter of administration, we utilize the new statutory provisions that authorize the AG to make USA appointments. [By avoiding Senate confirmation], we can give far less deference to home state senators and thereby get 1.) our preferred person appointed and 2.) do it far faster and more efficiently at less political co"
Pandagon
Pandagon: "If your nuptial dreams include a fairy-tale wedding, Walt Disney Co. might have the perfect solution.
The company is using its stable of imaginary princesses as inspiration for a new line of wedding gowns. Disney and bridal designer Kirstie Kelly have developed a line of ethereal gowns that pay homage to Cinderella, Jasmine, Snow White, Ariel and Sleeping Beauty."
If you want to dress up like a character from Disney on your wedding day, you actually need serious psychological help.
The company is using its stable of imaginary princesses as inspiration for a new line of wedding gowns. Disney and bridal designer Kirstie Kelly have developed a line of ethereal gowns that pay homage to Cinderella, Jasmine, Snow White, Ariel and Sleeping Beauty."
If you want to dress up like a character from Disney on your wedding day, you actually need serious psychological help.
There goes the gayborhood - Yahoo! News
There goes the gayborhood - Yahoo! News: "In just about any other place, the sight of a man and woman pushing a stroller would be welcomed as a sign of stability and safety. In San Francisco's heavily gay Castro District, some people can't help but think: There goes the neighborhood.
Gay leaders in the Castro and other gay neighborhoods around the country fear their enclaves are losing their distinct identities.
These areas are slowly being altered by an influx of heterosexual couples, the forces of gentrification, and growing confidence among gays that they can live pretty much wherever they want nowadays and do not need the security of being in a 'gay ghetto.'"
Gay leaders in the Castro and other gay neighborhoods around the country fear their enclaves are losing their distinct identities.
These areas are slowly being altered by an influx of heterosexual couples, the forces of gentrification, and growing confidence among gays that they can live pretty much wherever they want nowadays and do not need the security of being in a 'gay ghetto.'"
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Democrats cancel Fox News debate - Yahoo! News
Democrats cancel Fox News debate - Yahoo! News: "'We cannot, as good Democrats, put our party in a position to defend such comments,' Collins and Reid said in the letter. 'We take no pleasure in this, but it the only course of action.'
Fox News Vice President David Rhodes responded with a written statement criticizing the Democrats for caving in to MoveOn.org.
'News organizations will want to think twice before getting involved in the Nevada Democratic Caucus, which appears to be controlled by radical fringe out-of-state interest groups, not the Democratic Party,' David Rhodes said in the statement."
Fox News Vice President David Rhodes responded with a written statement criticizing the Democrats for caving in to MoveOn.org.
'News organizations will want to think twice before getting involved in the Nevada Democratic Caucus, which appears to be controlled by radical fringe out-of-state interest groups, not the Democratic Party,' David Rhodes said in the statement."
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Killer bug kills scores, sows panic in Israel - Yahoo! News
Killer bug kills scores, sows panic in Israel - Yahoo! News: "Five hundred people in more than 10 hospitals have been struck down with the lethal Klebsiella bacteria strain in the past six months, with 30 percent of cases ending in death, senior health ministry official Yair Amikam told AFP.
Battling to cope, the health ministry is demanding an extra half a billion dollars to improve hospital infrastructure and for hundreds of new beds, as doctors raise alarm bells of a wildfire epidemic failing decisive action.
'There were 500 cases in the last six months, 30 percent of which end in fatality. All of them are old patients suffering from many kinds of illness and this is not the only reason that caused death,' Amikam said."
Battling to cope, the health ministry is demanding an extra half a billion dollars to improve hospital infrastructure and for hundreds of new beds, as doctors raise alarm bells of a wildfire epidemic failing decisive action.
'There were 500 cases in the last six months, 30 percent of which end in fatality. All of them are old patients suffering from many kinds of illness and this is not the only reason that caused death,' Amikam said."
Murphy's Lesser Known Laws
Murphy's Lesser Known Laws: "4. Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.
5. The 50-50-90 rule: Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90% probability you'll get it wrong."
5. The 50-50-90 rule: Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90% probability you'll get it wrong."
Porn free | Salon.com
Porn free | Salon.com: "Porn reduces the mind and flattens the soul. I don't like it. That's not hypocrisy talking; that's just experience. I sometimes think of myself, ironically, as a progressive: I started off as a liberal but I progressed to conservatism. Part of that transformation is due to my time in the industry. How does a conservative trace his roots to such distasteful beginnings? I didn't like porn's liberalism. In porn, everything taboo is trivialized and everything trivial is magnified.
Being in the adult entertainment industry was sort of like being in a cult, and like all followers of a cult, I have a difficult time figuring out when I stopped believing in the party line. I can tell you, though, that by the time I finished my brief tour of the major studios, I was pretty disgusted with myself. It was an emotional low, and the people who surrounded me were like drug dealers interested only in being with the anesthetized in order not to shake off the stupor of being high.
Why did I become a conservative? Just look at what I left, and look at who is attacking me today. Let's face it: Those on the left who now attack me would be defending me if I had espoused liberal causes and spoken out against the Iraq war before I was outed as a pseudo celebrity. They'd be talking about publishing my memoir and putting me on a diver"
Being in the adult entertainment industry was sort of like being in a cult, and like all followers of a cult, I have a difficult time figuring out when I stopped believing in the party line. I can tell you, though, that by the time I finished my brief tour of the major studios, I was pretty disgusted with myself. It was an emotional low, and the people who surrounded me were like drug dealers interested only in being with the anesthetized in order not to shake off the stupor of being high.
Why did I become a conservative? Just look at what I left, and look at who is attacking me today. Let's face it: Those on the left who now attack me would be defending me if I had espoused liberal causes and spoken out against the Iraq war before I was outed as a pseudo celebrity. They'd be talking about publishing my memoir and putting me on a diver"
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
FCC payola probe boosts indie music - Yahoo! News
FCC payola probe boosts indie music - Yahoo! News: "While it is not part of the consent decree, a separate voluntary side deal between the station groups and the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) would set aside 8,400 half-hour blocks of time for independent music.
Peter Gordon, founder of Thirsty Ear Recordings and A2IM's chief negotiator, said in an interview that the 'agreement in principle' is a way to get independent music on the air that also avoids undue government interference.
'It's a private relationship between the radio groups and the independent music sector,' he said. 'It's a chance for all of us to embrace each other's cultures, and it looks like the best way to get good stuff for people to listen to.'"
Peter Gordon, founder of Thirsty Ear Recordings and A2IM's chief negotiator, said in an interview that the 'agreement in principle' is a way to get independent music on the air that also avoids undue government interference.
'It's a private relationship between the radio groups and the independent music sector,' he said. 'It's a chance for all of us to embrace each other's cultures, and it looks like the best way to get good stuff for people to listen to.'"
Researchers discover spider 'chastity belt' - Science - MSNBC.com
Researchers discover spider 'chastity belt' - Science - MSNBC.com: "BERLIN - A new study by German scientists of spiders' copulation techniques found that males leave part of their sex organ inside their female partner as a sort of 'chastity belt' to deter rivals."
The language of whales revealed - LiveScience - MSNBC.com
The language of whales revealed - LiveScience - MSNBC.com: "A related study, also by Scripps researchers, found that there are distinct 'dialects' of whale-speak in different regions of the ocean. The finding could have implications for preservation efforts.
The scientists used acoustic recordings to delineate nine population regions worldwide. They found the whales weren't evenly distributed, though: Populations using a 'Type 1' call, for example, live within a narrow band of ocean hugging the North American coast, while whales that use a 'Type 4' call are spread over a large swath of the Northern Pacific Ocean."
The scientists used acoustic recordings to delineate nine population regions worldwide. They found the whales weren't evenly distributed, though: Populations using a 'Type 1' call, for example, live within a narrow band of ocean hugging the North American coast, while whales that use a 'Type 4' call are spread over a large swath of the Northern Pacific Ocean."
BBC NEWS | Europe | Couple stand by forbidden love
BBC NEWS | Europe | Couple stand by forbidden love: "The couple's lawyer, Endrik Wilhelm, has lodged an appeal with Germany's highest judicial body, the federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe, in order to overturn the country's ban on incest.
'Under Germany's criminal code, which dates back to 1871, it is a crime for close relatives to have sex and it's punishable by up to three years in prison. This law is out of date and it breaches the couple's civil rights,' Dr Wilhelm said.
'Why are disabled parents allowed to have children, or people with hereditary diseases or women over 40? No-one says that is a crime."
'Under Germany's criminal code, which dates back to 1871, it is a crime for close relatives to have sex and it's punishable by up to three years in prison. This law is out of date and it breaches the couple's civil rights,' Dr Wilhelm said.
'Why are disabled parents allowed to have children, or people with hereditary diseases or women over 40? No-one says that is a crime."
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Hidden fees seen eroding U.S. 401k retirement plans - Yahoo! News
Hidden fees seen eroding U.S. 401k retirement plans - Yahoo! News: "WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government should require clearer disclosure of hidden fees that erode the investment returns of millions of Americans' 401(k) retirement plans, said a senior lawmaker and pension experts on Tuesday.
Just a one percentage point difference in fees over time can cut the gains in a 401(k) account by as much as 20 percent, said Rep. George Miller (news, bio, voting record), chairman of the House of Representatives E"
Just a one percentage point difference in fees over time can cut the gains in a 401(k) account by as much as 20 percent, said Rep. George Miller (news, bio, voting record), chairman of the House of Representatives E"
They Won’t Know What Hit Them
They Won’t Know What Hit Them: "In the 2006 elections, on a level where a few thousand dollars can decide a close race, Gill’s universe of donors injected more than $3 million, providing in some cases more than 20 percent of a candidate’s or organization’s budget. On Election Day, fifty of the seventy targeted candidates were defeated, Danny Carroll among them; and out of the thirteen states where Gill and his allies invested, four—Iowa, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Washington—saw control of at least one legislative chamber switch to the Democratic Party. (In Massachusetts, Travis decided to retire rather than seek reelection.) The national climate, which was strongly anti-Republican, helped bring about this transformation. But Gill’s stealth campaign was both effective and precedent-setting. For the first time, in a broad and organized way, gays had taken the initiative in a sweeping multistate strategy and had mostly prevailed."
Glenn Greenwald - Salon
Glenn Greenwald - Salon: "Coulter insisted last night that she did not intend the remark as an anti-gay slur -- that she did not intend to suggest that John Edwards, husband and father, was gay -- but instead only used the word as a 'schoolyard taunt,' to call him a sissy. And that is true. Her aim was not to suggest that Edwards is actually gay, but simply to feminize him like they do with all male Democratic or liberal political leaders.
For multiple reasons, nobody does that more effectively or audaciously than Coulter, which is why they need her so desperately and will never jettison her. How could they possibly shun her for engaging in tactics on which their entire movement depends? They cannot, which is why they are not and will not.
The converse of this is equally true. As critical as it is to them to feminize Democratic and liberal males (and to masculinize the women), even more important is to create false images of masculine power and strength around their authority figures. The reality of this masculine power is almost always non-existent. The imagery is what counts.
This works exactly the same as the images of moral purity that they work so hard to manufacture, whereby the leaders they embrace -- such as Gingrich, Limbaugh, Bill Bennett, even the divorced and estranged-from-his-children Ronald Reagan and Coulter herself -- are"
For multiple reasons, nobody does that more effectively or audaciously than Coulter, which is why they need her so desperately and will never jettison her. How could they possibly shun her for engaging in tactics on which their entire movement depends? They cannot, which is why they are not and will not.
The converse of this is equally true. As critical as it is to them to feminize Democratic and liberal males (and to masculinize the women), even more important is to create false images of masculine power and strength around their authority figures. The reality of this masculine power is almost always non-existent. The imagery is what counts.
This works exactly the same as the images of moral purity that they work so hard to manufacture, whereby the leaders they embrace -- such as Gingrich, Limbaugh, Bill Bennett, even the divorced and estranged-from-his-children Ronald Reagan and Coulter herself -- are"
Monday, March 05, 2007
Oprah's ugly secret | Salon Life
Oprah's ugly secret | Salon Life: "The promises of Oprah culture can seem irresistible, and its hallmarks are becoming ubiquitous. Believers may be separated into tribes according to what they believe, but they do it in pretty much the same way, relying on a 'Secret'-style conception of 'intuition' --- which seems to amount to the sneaking suspicion that they're always right -- to arrive at their tenets. Instead of the world as it is, constantly changing and full of contradiction, they see a fixed and fantastical place, where good things come to those who believe, whether it's belief in a diet, a God, or a Habit of Successful People. These believers may believe in the healing power of homeopathy, or Scripture or organizational skills -- in intelligent design, astrology or privatization. They all trust that their devotion will be rewarded with money and boyfriends and job promotions, with hockey championships and apartments. And most of all they believe -- they really, really believe -- in themselves.
For these believers, self-knowledge is much less important than self-'love.' But the question they never seem to ask themselves is: If you wouldn't tell another person you loved her before you got to know her, why would you do that to yourself? Skipping the getting-to-know-you part has given us what we deserve: the Oprah culture. It's a culture where superstition is"
For these believers, self-knowledge is much less important than self-'love.' But the question they never seem to ask themselves is: If you wouldn't tell another person you loved her before you got to know her, why would you do that to yourself? Skipping the getting-to-know-you part has given us what we deserve: the Oprah culture. It's a culture where superstition is"
Thursday, March 01, 2007
wow breakthrough
so the rollback segments, completely separate from the online redo logs.... the world makes sense again!
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Well I'm screwed , thanks
Low-Fat Dairy Foods May Boost Infertility Risk - Yahoo! News: "WEDNESDAY, Feb. 28 (HealthDay News) -- High-fat dairy foods such as ice cream and whole fat milk may be better choices for women who are trying to get pregnant than low-fat dairy products such as yogurt and skim milk, a U.S. study suggests.
The eight-year study of 18,555 women, ages 24 to 42, found that those who ate two or more servings of low-fat dairy products a week were 85 percent more likely to experience ovulation-related infertility than women who ate less than one serving of low-fat dairy products a week."
The eight-year study of 18,555 women, ages 24 to 42, found that those who ate two or more servings of low-fat dairy products a week were 85 percent more likely to experience ovulation-related infertility than women who ate less than one serving of low-fat dairy products a week."
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Mom taught her 2 kids to fake retardation - Crime & Punishment - MSNBC.com
Mom taught her 2 kids to fake retardation - Crime & Punishment - MSNBC.com: "TACOMA, Wash. - A woman admitted Monday that she coached her two children to fake retardation starting when they were 4 and 8 years old so she could collect Social Security benefits on their behalf.
Rosie Costello, 46, admitted in U.S. District Court that she collected more than $280,000 in benefits, beginning in the mid-1980s. Most was from Social Security, but the state social services agency paid $53,000."
Rosie Costello, 46, admitted in U.S. District Court that she collected more than $280,000 in benefits, beginning in the mid-1980s. Most was from Social Security, but the state social services agency paid $53,000."
College students think they're so special - Mental Health - MSNBC.com
College students think they're so special - Mental Health - MSNBC.com: "The standardized inventory, known as the NPI, asks for responses to such statements as “If I ruled the world, it would be a better place,” “I think I am a special person” and “I can live my life any way I want to.”
The researchers describe their study as the largest ever of its type and say students’ NPI scores have risen steadily since the current test was introduced in 1982. By 2006, they said, two-thirds of the students had above-average scores, 30 percent more than in 1982."
The researchers describe their study as the largest ever of its type and say students’ NPI scores have risen steadily since the current test was introduced in 1982. By 2006, they said, two-thirds of the students had above-average scores, 30 percent more than in 1982."
http://haikucircus.com/pacman.gif
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Friday, February 23, 2007
Cheney continues to drink the blood of puppies
Cheney hints at possible military action against Iran. 24/02/2007. ABC News Online: "Mr Cheney, in an interview with the US television network ABC refused to rule out military action against Iran, vowing the US will 'do everything' it can to deprive Tehran of nuclear weapons.
'We haven't taken any options off the table,' Mr Cheney said when asked if a military solution was a realistic option.
'A nuclear-armed Iran is not a very pleasant prospect for anybody to think about.
'It clearly could do significant damage.
'We need to continue to do everything we can to make sure they don't achieve that objective.'"
'We haven't taken any options off the table,' Mr Cheney said when asked if a military solution was a realistic option.
'A nuclear-armed Iran is not a very pleasant prospect for anybody to think about.
'It clearly could do significant damage.
'We need to continue to do everything we can to make sure they don't achieve that objective.'"
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Tearful soldier tells court of Iraq rape-murder | U.S. | Reuters
Tearful soldier tells court of Iraq rape-murder | U.S. | Reuters: "'Barker and Green had already known what, um, house they wanted to go to ... knew only one male was in the house, and knew it would be an easy target,' Cortez said.
Once at the house, Green, the suspected ringleader, took the girl's mother, father and little sister into a bedroom, Cortez said, while he and Barker took the teenager, Abeer Qassim al-Janabi, to the living room.
'She kept squirming and trying to keep her legs closed and saying stuff in Arabic,' Cortez said"
Once at the house, Green, the suspected ringleader, took the girl's mother, father and little sister into a bedroom, Cortez said, while he and Barker took the teenager, Abeer Qassim al-Janabi, to the living room.
'She kept squirming and trying to keep her legs closed and saying stuff in Arabic,' Cortez said"
"During the time me and Barker were raping Abeer, I heard five or six gunshots that came from the bedroom. After Barker was done, Green came out of the bedroom and said that he had killed them all, that all of them were dead," Cortez said.
"Green then placed himself between Abeer's legs to rape her," Cortez said, sniffing audibly. When Green was finished, he "stood up and shot Abeer in the head two or three times." The entire crime took about five minutes to carry out, he added.
Cortez said the girl knew her parents and sister had been shot while she was being raped. He said she screamed and cried throughout the assault.
Dad seeks answers in killing by Wharton police | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle
Dad seeks answers in killing by Wharton police | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "Daniel Castillo Sr. said no one with the district attorney's office or police department has talked to him since the shooting. Castillo said his son had no criminal record and was not selling drugs and that he fears the shooting will be ignored."
Salon.com | News Wires
"February 21,2007 | -- One of the most prestigious prizes in computing, the $100,000 Turing Award, went to a woman Wednesday for the first time in the award's 40-year history.
Frances E. Allen, 75, was honored for her work at IBM Corp. on techniques for optimizing the performance of compilers, the programs that translate one computer language into another. This process is required to turn programming code into the binary zeros and ones actually read by a computer's colossal array of minuscule switches."
Frances E. Allen, 75, was honored for her work at IBM Corp. on techniques for optimizing the performance of compilers, the programs that translate one computer language into another. This process is required to turn programming code into the binary zeros and ones actually read by a computer's colossal array of minuscule switches."
We do have royalty....
Goldman Co-Presidents Out-Earned Many Wall St. Chiefs - Mergers, Acquisitions, Venture Capital, Hedge Funds -- DealBook - New York Times: "Goldman Sachs said in a regulatory filing Wednesday that it had paid Gary D. Cohn and Jon Winkelried, the firm’s co-presidents and co-chief operating officers, about $52.5 million each in bonuses for its 2006 fiscal year.
That figure includes $26.7 million in cash bonuses, $15.4 million in restricted stock and what the bank estimated was $10.3 million worth of stock options.
By way of comparison, John J. Mack, the chairman and chief executive of Goldman’s rival Morgan Stanley, took home a $40 million bonus last year. Merrill Lynch’s chief executive, Stanley O’Neal, got $47.3 million."
That figure includes $26.7 million in cash bonuses, $15.4 million in restricted stock and what the bank estimated was $10.3 million worth of stock options.
By way of comparison, John J. Mack, the chairman and chief executive of Goldman’s rival Morgan Stanley, took home a $40 million bonus last year. Merrill Lynch’s chief executive, Stanley O’Neal, got $47.3 million."
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
i need a phone
Every day it starts again
You cannot say if you’re happy
You keep trying to be
Try harder, maybe this is not your year.
Movies, TV screens reflect just what you expected
There’s a world of shiny people somewhere else
Out there following their bliss
living easy, getting kissed
while you wonder what else you’re doing wrong
Breathe through it, write a list of desires
Make a toast, make a wish, slash some tires
Paint a heart repeating, beating “don’t give up, don’t give up, don’t give up.”
A road map out of Iraq - Los Angeles Times
A road map out of Iraq - Los Angeles Times: "Here, for instance, is a plausible scenario for a military collision with Iran: Iraq fails to meet the benchmarks for progress toward stability set by the Bush administration. This is followed by U.S. accusations of Iranian responsibility for the failure, then by some provocation in Iraq or a terrorist act in the United States blamed on Iran, culminating in a 'defensive' U.S. military action against Iran. This plunges a lonely United States into a spreading and deepening quagmire lasting 20 years or more and eventually ranging across Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. "
Baghdad Burning
Baghdad Burning: "She might just be the bravest Iraqi woman ever. Everyone knows American forces and Iraqi security forces are raping women (and men), but this is possibly the first woman who publicly comes out and tells about it using her actual name. Hearing her tell her story physically makes my heart ache. Some people will call her a liar. Others (including pro-war Iraqis) will call her a prostitute- shame on you in advance."
Math anxiety saps working memory needed to do math - Yahoo! News
Math anxiety saps working memory needed to do math - Yahoo! News: "Math anxiety -- feelings of dread and fear and avoiding math -- can sap the brain's limited amount of working capacity, a resource needed to compute difficult math problems, said Mark Ashcroft, a psychologist at the University of Nevada Los Vegas who studies the problem."
Monday, February 19, 2007
B+ tree - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
B+ tree - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "A B+ tree is a variation on a B-tree. In a B+ tree, in contrast to a B-tree, all data is saved in the leaves. Internal nodes contain only keys and tree pointers. All leaves are at the same lowest level. Leaf nodes are also linked together as a linked list to make range queries easy."
So I'm back and my phone isn't working and databases confuse me and I'm sad cause I thought I was going to be able to talk to people after work......
So I'm back and my phone isn't working and databases confuse me and I'm sad cause I thought I was going to be able to talk to people after work......
Thursday, February 15, 2007
"Your Hate for Everything I am Brings Darkness to My World" | Jewcy.com
"It was about 10 pm and the din rose to a feverish and exhausting peak, so I stepped into another room and sat down for a moment of quiet reflection. And there, as I was looking at their bookshelf, I thought of you. Yes, Mahmoud, an American gay Jewish intellectual celebrating Hanukkah with his husband, daughter, and Jewish-Muslim family in Los Angeles thought of you.
On the top shelf, next to the trashy novels and other popular fiction, sat a Torah, the first five books of Moses, the prophet near and dear to both you and me. Next to the Torah sat a Koran. There they were, the holiest books in Judaism and Islam sitting perched on a bookshelf in my cousin’s house beneath the mountains of gift wrap from the recently wrapped presents.
I’m pretty sure that neither my birth cousin, the Jewish one, nor my in-law, the Muslim one, has cracked open those books in a while (I could see a little dust on the jackets). But as I sat there staring at the Torah and Koran nuzzled up together on that bookshelf, my eyes actually welled up at the transcendent experience that was taking place in that house, 8,000 miles and worlds of vision away from the image of the world you have been projecting to me since you became president.
Mahmoud, my eyes teared up because I discovered s"
On the top shelf, next to the trashy novels and other popular fiction, sat a Torah, the first five books of Moses, the prophet near and dear to both you and me. Next to the Torah sat a Koran. There they were, the holiest books in Judaism and Islam sitting perched on a bookshelf in my cousin’s house beneath the mountains of gift wrap from the recently wrapped presents.
I’m pretty sure that neither my birth cousin, the Jewish one, nor my in-law, the Muslim one, has cracked open those books in a while (I could see a little dust on the jackets). But as I sat there staring at the Torah and Koran nuzzled up together on that bookshelf, my eyes actually welled up at the transcendent experience that was taking place in that house, 8,000 miles and worlds of vision away from the image of the world you have been projecting to me since you became president.
Mahmoud, my eyes teared up because I discovered s"
I'm not saying run for the hills necessarily.....
Oceanic problems once found on a local scale are now pandemic. Data from oceanography, marine biology, meteorology, fishery science, and glaciology reveal that the seas are changing in ominous ways. A vortex of cause and effect wrought by global environmental dilemmas is changing the ocean from a watery horizon with assorted regional troubles to a global system in alarming distress.
According to oceanographers the oceans are one, with currents linking the seas and regulating climate. Sea temperature and chemistry changes, along with contamination and reckless fishing practices, intertwine to imperil the world’s largest communal life source.
In 2005, researchers from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory found clear evidence the ocean is quickly warming. They discovered that the top half-mile of the ocean has warmed dramatically in the past forty years as a result of human-induced greenhouse gases.
'Amphibian Ark' planned to save frogs - Yahoo! News
"'This is the precedent of a disease working its way across an entire species on the scale of all mammals, all birds or all fish,' said Joseph Mendelson, curator of herpetology at Zoo Atlanta and an organizer of Amphibian Ark. 'Humans would be absolutely stupid if they didn't pay attention to that.'"
Um yeah, we are kinda stupid though....
Um yeah, we are kinda stupid though....
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
I will shoot myself
Steroids Now for my pet peeve, steroid use for hive therapy. Many patients understandably get very concerned about their hives and turn to either emergency rooms or primary care physicians who may not be well versed on the subtleties of dermatological care. When patients are shot up with steroids and/or placed on short-term medrol dose packs, more often than not they exerience a worsened case of hives within a few days. This is called the rebound phenomenon. You may have read about it in some of my other newsletters. I almost never give systemic steroids for hives. Now if someone is in anaphylactic shock with their hives, epinephrine as well as steroids and huge doses of antihistamines are certainly appropriate medical management, but fortunately, most individuals are nowhere near that sick.
just funny
"The real story -- if this can be called a 'real story' -- is that a poll published last week of 1,578 teenagers found that a third of the teenage girls were 'willing to have sex on Valentine's Day if their boyfriends asked.' (It's unclear from this article whether they would also be willing to have sex on, say, Tuesday, if their boyfriends requested it.) "
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Surging CEO pay sparks US backlash, including from Bush - Yahoo! News
"While many US companies are dynamic, Hodgson said 'Toyota is about to become the number one car company,' and although there is no detailed information about Japanese compensation packages, 'the entire board and executive team at Toyota doesn't earn as much as a single American executive at General Motors.'
Hodgson added that companies that provide lavish benefits for CEOs while making cuts for those in the rank and file can have 'very big employee morale problems.'"
Hodgson added that companies that provide lavish benefits for CEOs while making cuts for those in the rank and file can have 'very big employee morale problems.'"
Daily Kos: Credit Cards: The Biggest Reverse Robin Hood Scheme You've Never heard Of
"Now, if you're thinking ahead you may have already asked: Well, why don't they just offer a discount if you're using cash? Good point! I'm glad you asked. And I'll tell you why not: because in the thousand-plus page agreements that merchants have to sign before they can accept Visa or Mastercard. Also in that document: it's highly highly against the rules for merchants to tell customers about the interchange fee they pay."
Now, here's another important factoid: As I mentioned, those interchange fees are much higher than they need to be, and that's because the banks that control the Visa/MC use the money generated from them to pay for the rewards cards you can only get if you qualify, and you have to be worth something already to qualify.
So think about it: A person living on a fixed income, who uses cash to pay for most items, pays a small percentage of that interchange fee every time he or she buys everyday goods at any place that takes credit cards. The banks then take those fees and give them to people who certainly don't need it, but like it when their bank gives them free stuff. And who doesn't like free stuff?
Now, here's another important factoid: As I mentioned, those interchange fees are much higher than they need to be, and that's because the banks that control the Visa/MC use the money generated from them to pay for the rewards cards you can only get if you qualify, and you have to be worth something already to qualify.
So think about it: A person living on a fixed income, who uses cash to pay for most items, pays a small percentage of that interchange fee every time he or she buys everyday goods at any place that takes credit cards. The banks then take those fees and give them to people who certainly don't need it, but like it when their bank gives them free stuff. And who doesn't like free stuff?
Hives and angioedema: Causes - MayoClinic.com
"Causes The lesions of hives and angioedema are caused by inflammation in the skin. In some cases, hives and angioedema are triggered when certain cells (mast cells) release histamine and other chemicals into your bloodstream and skin.
Allergic reactions to medications or foods can cause acute hives or angioedema. Many allergens have been identified. Examples include:
Foods. Many foods can cause problems in sensitive people, but shellfish, fish, nuts, eggs and milk are frequent offenders.
Medications. Almost any medication may cause hives or angioedema; common culprits include antibiotics, aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) and blood pressure medications.
Other allergens. Other substances that can cause hives and angioedema include direct contact with pollen, animal dander, latex and insect stings. "
So I went to the hospital and got me some pregnazone. Hives are now mostly gone. I think Mexico is winning:)
Allergic reactions to medications or foods can cause acute hives or angioedema. Many allergens have been identified. Examples include:
Foods. Many foods can cause problems in sensitive people, but shellfish, fish, nuts, eggs and milk are frequent offenders.
Medications. Almost any medication may cause hives or angioedema; common culprits include antibiotics, aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) and blood pressure medications.
Other allergens. Other substances that can cause hives and angioedema include direct contact with pollen, animal dander, latex and insect stings. "
So I went to the hospital and got me some pregnazone. Hives are now mostly gone. I think Mexico is winning:)
Monday, February 12, 2007
Mystery ailment strikes honeybees - Yahoo! News
"STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - A mysterious illness is killing tens of thousands of honeybee colonies across the country, threatening honey production, the livelihood of beekeepers and possibly crops that need bees for pollination."
Sunday, February 11, 2007
2 Italians stoned to death on Cape Verde - Yahoo! News
"ROME - Three Italian women were brutally attacked while vacationing on a resort island off the coast of West Africa, dragged into the woods, pelted with stones and left for dead at the bottom of a hole, the sole survivor said Saturday."
Saturday, February 10, 2007
storm in the distance
Huge thunderstorm today. Hail, snow and very ominous clouds. trying to relax as last night was the first night I have slept in awhile. Tomorrow I am going touring. Pyramids, flea markets and hopefully something more interesting than the hotel and office:)
Friday, February 09, 2007
That which makes us clever, make us mad-News-UK-Science-TimesOnline
"One of the most devastating types of mental illness could be a by-product of the evolution of human beings’ uniquely sophisticated intelligence, a new genetic study has suggested.
Scientists have discovered that a common version of a particular gene appears both to enhance a key thinking circuit in the brain, and to be linked to a raised risk of schizophrenia."
Scientists have discovered that a common version of a particular gene appears both to enhance a key thinking circuit in the brain, and to be linked to a raised risk of schizophrenia."
Thursday, February 08, 2007
moments of happiness
Happiness is an emotional or affective state that is characterized by feelings of enjoyment and satisfaction. As a state and a subject, it has been pursued and commented on extensively throughout world history. This reflects the universal importance that humans place on happiness.
Life is fickle and ephemeral by nature, so knowing this I strive constantly to appreciate moments of happiness. This is one of those moments. I've had a lovely dinner with nice wine from Chile. Good music is coming from my iTunes and I am reading a good book. I am far away from the people who give me roots and identity, but I feel intimately connected to them. I am overwhlemed by my job, but thrilled by the methods it is overwheming. There are people and places and smells that in concert define these moments. So that I am having such a moment in a far off land with no instigation whatsoever makes me even more in awe of life. My life has not been obvious or easy, but I am deeply grateful that it is my life and that I can, be proud of how I have spent my time so far. The time we get is a gift, only it doesn't "feel" that way often. So tonight as I look out at Mexico City and hope that I finally fall asleep tonight, I wanted to remember this moment. If only because there are so many moments not remembered or written down that we don't properly remember.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Daily Kos: CSI: Federal Reserve
Daily Kos: CSI: Federal Reserve
In the 1970s, corporate chief executives earned 30 times as much as the average worker. Ten years ago, CEO compensation was 116 times the average. CEOs now earn close to 300 times as much as the average worker.
In the 1970s, corporate chief executives earned 30 times as much as the average worker. Ten years ago, CEO compensation was 116 times the average. CEOs now earn close to 300 times as much as the average worker.
Understatement defined...
"The prewar planning was inadequate," he offered in testimony to the committee.
But to an official audit that in January 2005 revealed the "disappearance" of some nine billion dollars under his responsibility in Iraq, Bremer testified: "I know of no person who spent some meaningful time in Iraq who thought it was possible, under the conditions we worked," to impose modern accounting practices on money the authority spent.
But to an official audit that in January 2005 revealed the "disappearance" of some nine billion dollars under his responsibility in Iraq, Bremer testified: "I know of no person who spent some meaningful time in Iraq who thought it was possible, under the conditions we worked," to impose modern accounting practices on money the authority spent.
uh huh
Sweat has been the main focus of research on human pheromones, and in fact, male underarm sweat has been shown to improve women's moods and affect their secretion of luteinizing hormone, which is normally involved in stimulating ovulation. Other studies have shown that when female sweat is applied to the upper lip of other women, these women respond by shifting their menstrual cycles toward synchrony with the cycle of the woman from whom the sweat was obtained.
Helicopter 'hit by missile' says Iraqi official
A Sea Knight helicopter crashed near Baghdad today, sending flames and a huge plume of black smoke into the sky, the fifth helicopter lost in Iraq in just over two weeks.An Iraqi air force officer said it was downed by an anti-aircraft missile.At the Pentagon, an official said there was a report that the number of people on board the helicopter was fewer than 10.US military spokesman Major General William Caldwell said the CH-46 helicopter went down about 20 miles north west of the capital, but he declined to comment on casualties or give a cause for the crash.“A quick reaction force is on site and the investigation is going on as we speak,” he told reporters in Baghdad
Ugh
Hyperactive Child Medicated to Death
by kittania
Wed Feb 07, 2007 at 07:20:59 AM PST
This is an extremely sad story that only gets worse as more details emerge. A four year old girl has died of a drug overdose. The drugs were given to her by her own parents on the advice of a family doctor.
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/...
The autopsy revealed that Rebecca Riley died of a lethal combination of drugs. The Rileys are accused of giving her too much Clonidine, a drug used to treat hyperactivity. When she was just 2 1/2 years old, a Boston psychiatrist diagnosed her with bi-polar disorder.
For anyone familar with BPD the first question would probably be, "how the hell do you recognized bi-polar disorder in a 2 year old?" In this case the diagnosis was made largely on genetic predisposition. Why was a diagnosis like this necessary? Well there's the possiblity it was all for medical insurance...
by kittania
Wed Feb 07, 2007 at 07:20:59 AM PST
This is an extremely sad story that only gets worse as more details emerge. A four year old girl has died of a drug overdose. The drugs were given to her by her own parents on the advice of a family doctor.
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/...
The autopsy revealed that Rebecca Riley died of a lethal combination of drugs. The Rileys are accused of giving her too much Clonidine, a drug used to treat hyperactivity. When she was just 2 1/2 years old, a Boston psychiatrist diagnosed her with bi-polar disorder.
For anyone familar with BPD the first question would probably be, "how the hell do you recognized bi-polar disorder in a 2 year old?" In this case the diagnosis was made largely on genetic predisposition. Why was a diagnosis like this necessary? Well there's the possiblity it was all for medical insurance...
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Hell yeah, nail the bastards
SAN FRANCISCO - A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest private employer, must face a class-action lawsuit alleging female employees were discriminated against in pay and promotions.
Well isn't that special...
The Rev. Ted Haggard emerged from three weeks of intensive counseling convinced he is "completely heterosexual" and told an oversight board that his sexual contact with men was limited to his accuser.
That is according to one of the disgraced pastor's overseers, who on Monday revealed new details about where Haggard has been and where he is headed.
The Rev. Tim Ralph of Larkspur also said the four-man oversight board strongly urged Haggard to go into secular work instead of Christian ministry if Haggard and his wife follow through on plans to earn master's degrees in psychology.
That is according to one of the disgraced pastor's overseers, who on Monday revealed new details about where Haggard has been and where he is headed.
The Rev. Tim Ralph of Larkspur also said the four-man oversight board strongly urged Haggard to go into secular work instead of Christian ministry if Haggard and his wife follow through on plans to earn master's degrees in psychology.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Friends, they really are that important
People in the study were also assessed for signs of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
And autopsies were carried out on 90 patients who died during the study to look for certain physical signs associated with Alzheimer's disease such as deposits of protein outside and around nerve cells.
The team found that the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease increased by 51% for each point of the loneliness score.
Those with the highest loneliness score of 3.2 had about 2.1 times the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease compared to those with a low score of 1.4.
When the researchers factored in social isolation, such as if people had a small social network, the results did not change significantly.
And autopsies were carried out on 90 patients who died during the study to look for certain physical signs associated with Alzheimer's disease such as deposits of protein outside and around nerve cells.
The team found that the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease increased by 51% for each point of the loneliness score.
Those with the highest loneliness score of 3.2 had about 2.1 times the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease compared to those with a low score of 1.4.
When the researchers factored in social isolation, such as if people had a small social network, the results did not change significantly.
Time management
Mexico City is located in the Valley of Mexico also called the Valley of Anáhuac, a large valley in the high plateaus at the center of Mexico, at an altitude of 2,240 meters (7,349 feet). It was originally built by the Aztecs in 1325 on an island of Lake Texcoco. The city was almost completely destroyed in the siege of 1521, and was redesigned and rebuilt in the following years following the Spanish urban standards. In 1524 the municipality of Mexico City was established, known as México Tenustitlan, and as of 1585 it is officially known as Ciudad de México
So today I bought a digital camera so I can take and upload photos which I hope to have uploaded by tomorrow. I also will start class. I have skype and just have to say again how tremendous I find technology. I am feel like I just down the street rather than thousands of miles from home:)
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Immersion, blogger style
So blogger thinks I am spanish and all of my buttons are in spanish, so forgive me in advance if anything strange shows up as a result of me hitting the wrong button. Regardless I landed today in Mexico City! Very exciting as it is my first time. I was a little apprehensive, but so far everything seems exciting and wonderful. I have an extraordinary view outside my window of Mexico City. It is unbelievably vast. I have tomorrow off so I will go gallavanting and try to not get into toomuch trouble!
Friday, February 02, 2007
Travel, Documents and life
I wrote a totally not legally binding will today and sent to people. I am going off into remote world for a little while and I watched Grey's Anatomy last night and in general have been feeling viscerally the fragility of life recently. Between, moving into my first own place in a new town with a new job and turning 30, time seems to have gone a little funky on me.
The future stands still, dear Mr. Kappus, but we move in infinite space.
Between the oh so helpful global warming report, freakish storms killing people and oh so abundant rhetoric of bigotry one could get pessimistic. Instead I aim for neutrality when I can't obtain optimism. So tonight I am neutral. I am going out for dinner in my new town and will pack and panic tomorrow. Take care, love well and be safe but not to afraid.
The future stands still, dear Mr. Kappus, but we move in infinite space.
Between the oh so helpful global warming report, freakish storms killing people and oh so abundant rhetoric of bigotry one could get pessimistic. Instead I aim for neutrality when I can't obtain optimism. So tonight I am neutral. I am going out for dinner in my new town and will pack and panic tomorrow. Take care, love well and be safe but not to afraid.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
You know that gravy train is going to hit the kids soon
While consumer spending rose 4.4% in the fourth quarter, the level of new home building declined 19%.
The consumer spending figure is key, as this accounts for about 70% of the output of the US economy.
The consumer spending figure is key, as this accounts for about 70% of the output of the US economy.
So sad
AUSTIN, Texas - Best-selling author and columnist Molly Ivins, the sharp-witted liberal who skewered the political establishment and referred to
President Bush as "Shrub," died Wednesday after a long battle with breast cancer. She was 62.
President Bush as "Shrub," died Wednesday after a long battle with breast cancer. She was 62.
Now he's a populist? WTF
The president acknowledged people's continuing nervousness about their financial picture, despite a string of similar reports that provide some reason for optimism. He said some workers are being left behind in the booming economy and the disparity between the rich and the poor is growing.
"The fact is that income inequality is real. It has been rising for more than 25 years," the president said. "The earnings gap is now twice as wide as it was in 1980," Bush said, adding that more education and training can lift peoples' salaries.
"The fact is that income inequality is real. It has been rising for more than 25 years," the president said. "The earnings gap is now twice as wide as it was in 1980," Bush said, adding that more education and training can lift peoples' salaries.
sick
I'm sick and it sucks....
The complications of coughing can be classified as either acute or chronic. Acute complications include cough syncope, fainting spells when coughs are prolonged and forceful, and caused by decreased blood flow to the brain, secondary to raised intrathoracic pressure due to cough. Other acute complications include insomnia, cough-induced vomiting, chest pain due to muscular strain of incessant coughing, rupture of bulla causing pneumothorax. In severe cases, prolonged coughing can cause fatigue fractures of lower ribs and costochondritis, an inflammation of the connective tissue between the breastbone and the ribs. Chronic complications are common. In certain cases, it can even lead to abdominal or pelvic hernias. In women with prolapsed uterus, cough micturition (urination) can result, which can be a major social nuisance. Cough defecation can also occur
The complications of coughing can be classified as either acute or chronic. Acute complications include cough syncope, fainting spells when coughs are prolonged and forceful, and caused by decreased blood flow to the brain, secondary to raised intrathoracic pressure due to cough. Other acute complications include insomnia, cough-induced vomiting, chest pain due to muscular strain of incessant coughing, rupture of bulla causing pneumothorax. In severe cases, prolonged coughing can cause fatigue fractures of lower ribs and costochondritis, an inflammation of the connective tissue between the breastbone and the ribs. Chronic complications are common. In certain cases, it can even lead to abdominal or pelvic hernias. In women with prolapsed uterus, cough micturition (urination) can result, which can be a major social nuisance. Cough defecation can also occur
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Best article on food like ever!
Title of post is link..here is a snippet:
Also, people don’t eat nutrients, they eat foods, and foods can behave very differently than the nutrients they contain. Researchers have long believed, based on epidemiological comparisons of different populations, that a diet high in fruits and vegetables confers some protection against cancer. So naturally they ask, What nutrients in those plant foods are responsible for that effect? One hypothesis is that the antioxidants in fresh produce — compounds like beta carotene, lycopene, vitamin E, etc. — are the X factor. It makes good sense: these molecules (which plants produce to protect themselves from the highly reactive oxygen atoms produced in photosynthesis) vanquish the free radicals in our bodies, which can damage DNA and initiate cancers. At least that’s how it seems to work in the test tube. Yet as soon as you remove these useful molecules from the context of the whole foods they’re found in, as we’ve done in creating antioxidant supplements, they don’t work at all. Indeed, in the case of beta carotene ingested as a supplement, scientists have discovered that it actually increases the risk of certain cancers. Big oops
Also, people don’t eat nutrients, they eat foods, and foods can behave very differently than the nutrients they contain. Researchers have long believed, based on epidemiological comparisons of different populations, that a diet high in fruits and vegetables confers some protection against cancer. So naturally they ask, What nutrients in those plant foods are responsible for that effect? One hypothesis is that the antioxidants in fresh produce — compounds like beta carotene, lycopene, vitamin E, etc. — are the X factor. It makes good sense: these molecules (which plants produce to protect themselves from the highly reactive oxygen atoms produced in photosynthesis) vanquish the free radicals in our bodies, which can damage DNA and initiate cancers. At least that’s how it seems to work in the test tube. Yet as soon as you remove these useful molecules from the context of the whole foods they’re found in, as we’ve done in creating antioxidant supplements, they don’t work at all. Indeed, in the case of beta carotene ingested as a supplement, scientists have discovered that it actually increases the risk of certain cancers. Big oops
Monday, January 29, 2007
Not good folks, not good
Early and changeable drafts of their upcoming authoritative report on climate change foresee smaller sea level rises than were projected in 2001 in the last report. Many top U.S. scientists reject these rosier numbers. Those calculations don't include the recent, and dramatic, melt-off of big ice sheets in two crucial locations:
They "don't take into account the gorillas — Greenland and Antarctica," said Ohio State University earth sciences professor Lonnie Thompson, a polar ice specialist. "I think there are unpleasant surprises as we move into the 21st century."
Michael MacCracken, who until 2001 coordinated the official U.S. government reviews of the international climate report on global warming, has fired off a letter of protest over the omission.
The melting ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica are a fairly recent development that has taken scientists by surprise. They don't know how to predict its effects in their computer models. But many fear it will mean the world's coastlines are swamped much earlier than most predict.
Others believe the ice melt is temporary and won't play such a dramatic role.
That debate may be the central one as scientists and bureaucrats from around the world gather in Paris to finish the first of four major global warming reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The panel was created by the
United Nations' United Nations in 1988.After four days of secret word-by-word editing, the final report will be issued Friday.
The early versions of the report predict that by 2100 the sea level will rise anywhere between 5 and 23 inches. That's far lower than the 20 to 55 inches forecast by 2100 in a study published in the peer-review journal Science this month. Other climate experts, including NASA's James Hansen, predict sea level rise that can be measured by feet more than inches.
The report is also expected to include some kind of proviso that says things could be much worse if ice sheets continue to melt.
The prediction being considered this week by the IPCC is "obviously not the full story because ice sheet decay is something we cannot model right now, but we know it's happening," said Stefan Rahmstorf, a climate panel lead author from Germany who made the larger prediction of up to 55 inches of sea level rise. "A document like that tends to underestimate the risk," he said.
"This will dominate their discussion because there's so much contentiousness about it," said Bob Corell, chairman of the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, a multinational research effort. "If the IPCC comes out with significantly less than one meter (about 39 inches of sea level rise), there will be people in the science community saying we don't think that's a fair reflection of what we know."
In the past, the climate change panel didn't figure there would be large melt of ice in west Antarctica and Greenland this century and didn't factor it into the predictions. Those forecasts were based only on the sea level rise from melting glaciers (which are different from ice sheets) and the physical expansion of water as it warms.
But in 2002, Antarctica's 1,255-square-mile Larsen B ice shelf broke off and disappeared in just 35 days. And recent NASA data shows that Greenland is losing 53 cubic miles of ice each year — twice the rate it was losing in 1996.
Even so, there are questions about how permanent the melting in Greenland and especially Antarctica are, said panel lead author Kevin Trenberth, chief of climate analysis at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado.
While he said the melting ice sheets "raise a warning flag," Trenberth said he wonders if "some of this might just be temporary."
University of Alabama at Huntsville professor John Christy said Greenland didn't melt much within the past thousand years when it was warmer than now. Christy, a reviewer of the panel work, is a prominent so-called skeptic. He acknowledges that global warming is real and man-made, but he believes it is not as worrisome as advertised.
Those scientists who say sea level will rise even more are battling a consensus-building structure that routinely issues scientifically cautious global warming reports, scientists say. The IPCC reports have to be unanimous, approved by 154 governments — including the United States and oil-rich countries such as Saudi Arabia — and already published peer-reviewed research done before mid-2006.
Rahmstorf, a physics and oceanography professor at Potsdam University in Germany, says, "In a way, it is one of the strengths of the IPCC to be very conservative and cautious and not overstate any climate change risk."
___
They "don't take into account the gorillas — Greenland and Antarctica," said Ohio State University earth sciences professor Lonnie Thompson, a polar ice specialist. "I think there are unpleasant surprises as we move into the 21st century."
Michael MacCracken, who until 2001 coordinated the official U.S. government reviews of the international climate report on global warming, has fired off a letter of protest over the omission.
The melting ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica are a fairly recent development that has taken scientists by surprise. They don't know how to predict its effects in their computer models. But many fear it will mean the world's coastlines are swamped much earlier than most predict.
Others believe the ice melt is temporary and won't play such a dramatic role.
That debate may be the central one as scientists and bureaucrats from around the world gather in Paris to finish the first of four major global warming reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The panel was created by the
United Nations' United Nations in 1988.After four days of secret word-by-word editing, the final report will be issued Friday.
The early versions of the report predict that by 2100 the sea level will rise anywhere between 5 and 23 inches. That's far lower than the 20 to 55 inches forecast by 2100 in a study published in the peer-review journal Science this month. Other climate experts, including NASA's James Hansen, predict sea level rise that can be measured by feet more than inches.
The report is also expected to include some kind of proviso that says things could be much worse if ice sheets continue to melt.
The prediction being considered this week by the IPCC is "obviously not the full story because ice sheet decay is something we cannot model right now, but we know it's happening," said Stefan Rahmstorf, a climate panel lead author from Germany who made the larger prediction of up to 55 inches of sea level rise. "A document like that tends to underestimate the risk," he said.
"This will dominate their discussion because there's so much contentiousness about it," said Bob Corell, chairman of the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, a multinational research effort. "If the IPCC comes out with significantly less than one meter (about 39 inches of sea level rise), there will be people in the science community saying we don't think that's a fair reflection of what we know."
In the past, the climate change panel didn't figure there would be large melt of ice in west Antarctica and Greenland this century and didn't factor it into the predictions. Those forecasts were based only on the sea level rise from melting glaciers (which are different from ice sheets) and the physical expansion of water as it warms.
But in 2002, Antarctica's 1,255-square-mile Larsen B ice shelf broke off and disappeared in just 35 days. And recent NASA data shows that Greenland is losing 53 cubic miles of ice each year — twice the rate it was losing in 1996.
Even so, there are questions about how permanent the melting in Greenland and especially Antarctica are, said panel lead author Kevin Trenberth, chief of climate analysis at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado.
While he said the melting ice sheets "raise a warning flag," Trenberth said he wonders if "some of this might just be temporary."
University of Alabama at Huntsville professor John Christy said Greenland didn't melt much within the past thousand years when it was warmer than now. Christy, a reviewer of the panel work, is a prominent so-called skeptic. He acknowledges that global warming is real and man-made, but he believes it is not as worrisome as advertised.
Those scientists who say sea level will rise even more are battling a consensus-building structure that routinely issues scientifically cautious global warming reports, scientists say. The IPCC reports have to be unanimous, approved by 154 governments — including the United States and oil-rich countries such as Saudi Arabia — and already published peer-reviewed research done before mid-2006.
Rahmstorf, a physics and oceanography professor at Potsdam University in Germany, says, "In a way, it is one of the strengths of the IPCC to be very conservative and cautious and not overstate any climate change risk."
___
so cool
Each tear is composed of a watery layer sandwiched between an inner layer of mucus and an oily outer layer made of lipids and other fats. Each time we blink, the oily layer blankets the eye, sealing in moisture.
Why Do We Cry?
Researchers identified the substances that make up the oily layer and were surprised to find a class of lipids no one had come across before, called fatty acid amides, said lead author Kelly Nichols, an assistant professor of optometry at Ohio State University.
They also found oleamide, a lipid previously seen only in the brain and central nervous system. Oleamide has been linked to sleep regulation and has also been shown to enable communication between nerve cells. The scientists speculate it may allow for similar communication between cells at the front of the eye.
If there is insufficient or excess oleamide—or any of the other fatty components—the oily lipid layer could lose its ability to keep moisture locked in, resulting in dry eye, Nichols said.
Why Do We Cry?
Researchers identified the substances that make up the oily layer and were surprised to find a class of lipids no one had come across before, called fatty acid amides, said lead author Kelly Nichols, an assistant professor of optometry at Ohio State University.
They also found oleamide, a lipid previously seen only in the brain and central nervous system. Oleamide has been linked to sleep regulation and has also been shown to enable communication between nerve cells. The scientists speculate it may allow for similar communication between cells at the front of the eye.
If there is insufficient or excess oleamide—or any of the other fatty components—the oily lipid layer could lose its ability to keep moisture locked in, resulting in dry eye, Nichols said.
Friday, January 26, 2007
goody
Breaking news on climate change
News flash! Climate change: It's for real, and humans are causing it!
What, you say, you believe you may have heard this news somewhere before? Yes, but this time, we really, really mean it.
Rob Metcalfe at Globalisation and the Environment brings us the news this morning that the U.K.'s Observer has obtained a draft copy of the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, due to be released officially on Feb. 2.
The IPCC reports are the gold standard in climate science, documents in which the nuance of every word is struggled over and the research of thousands of scientists is compiled together. So when the wording to describe oncoming mayhem and disaster moves from "likely" to "almost certain," then it might just be time to start clearing the winter coats out of your closet and making room for bikinis. Stock up on the sunscreen while you're at it. Oh, and a carbon tax would be nice too.
In a Reuters report, IPCC chairman R.K. Pachauri says, "I hope this report will shock people, governments into taking more serious action as you really can't get a more authentic and a more credible piece of scientific work." He also does a little jig on the tomb of climate skepticism: "I think the skeptics on climate change will continue, but the good news is that their numbers and their effectiveness is on the decline," Pachauri said.
Meanwhile, the Observer sums up the conclusions:
News flash! Climate change: It's for real, and humans are causing it!
What, you say, you believe you may have heard this news somewhere before? Yes, but this time, we really, really mean it.
Rob Metcalfe at Globalisation and the Environment brings us the news this morning that the U.K.'s Observer has obtained a draft copy of the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, due to be released officially on Feb. 2.
The IPCC reports are the gold standard in climate science, documents in which the nuance of every word is struggled over and the research of thousands of scientists is compiled together. So when the wording to describe oncoming mayhem and disaster moves from "likely" to "almost certain," then it might just be time to start clearing the winter coats out of your closet and making room for bikinis. Stock up on the sunscreen while you're at it. Oh, and a carbon tax would be nice too.
In a Reuters report, IPCC chairman R.K. Pachauri says, "I hope this report will shock people, governments into taking more serious action as you really can't get a more authentic and a more credible piece of scientific work." He also does a little jig on the tomb of climate skepticism: "I think the skeptics on climate change will continue, but the good news is that their numbers and their effectiveness is on the decline," Pachauri said.
Meanwhile, the Observer sums up the conclusions:
The frequency of devastating storms ... will increase dramatically. Sea levels will rise over the century by around half a meter; snow will disappear from all but the highest mountains; deserts will spread; oceans [will] become acidic, leading to the destruction of coral reefs and atolls; and deadly heatwaves will become more prevalent ... And in a specific rebuff to skeptics who still argue natural variation in the Sun's output is the real cause of climate change, the panel says mankind's industrial emissions have had five times more effect on the climate than any fluctuations in solar radiation. We are the masters of our own destruction, in short.
Coffee OK if you are pregnant
LONDON (Reuters) - Drinking moderate amounts of caffeine during pregnancy does not lead to premature births or underweight babies, Danish scientists said on Friday.
Up to three cups of coffee a day does not seem to have any negative impact on the baby or the pregnancy.
As someone who fears that they don't have the ability to give up all my vices while pregnant, these stories make me very happy.
Up to three cups of coffee a day does not seem to have any negative impact on the baby or the pregnancy.
As someone who fears that they don't have the ability to give up all my vices while pregnant, these stories make me very happy.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
whole new level of f*$#@d up!
AMMAN, Jordan - A Jordanian man fatally shot his 17-year-old daughter whom he suspected of having sex despite a medical exam that proved her chastity, an official said Thursday. The man surrendered to police hours after the killing, saying he had done it for family honor.
.....
In response, the government has abolished a section in the penal code that allowed for "honor" killers to get sentences as lenient as six months in prison. Instead, the government has told judges to consider honor killings on a par with other homicides, which in Jordan are punishable by up to 15 years in jail.
But attempts to introduce harsher sentences have been blocked by conservative lawmakers who argue that tougher penalties would lead to promiscuity.
.....
In response, the government has abolished a section in the penal code that allowed for "honor" killers to get sentences as lenient as six months in prison. Instead, the government has told judges to consider honor killings on a par with other homicides, which in Jordan are punishable by up to 15 years in jail.
But attempts to introduce harsher sentences have been blocked by conservative lawmakers who argue that tougher penalties would lead to promiscuity.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
So depressing
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bank of America Corp. (BAC.N: Quote, Profile , Research), the No. 2 U.S. bank, said on Tuesday fourth-quarter profit rose a greater-than-expected 47 percent, as growth in credit card fees and investment banking offset rising loan losses. Net income for the Charlotte, North Carolina-based company rose to $5.26 billion, or $1.16 per share, from $3.57 billion, or 88 cents a share, a year earlier.
Monday, January 22, 2007
As I am now in charge of my domestic life
A team of engineering researchers at the University of Florida found that two minutes of microwaving on full power killed or inactivated more than 99 percent of bacteria, viruses or parasites, as well as spores, on a kitchen sponge.
I'll have to pay attention to stuff like this=)
I'll have to pay attention to stuff like this=)
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Dogs rock
If you are looking for a healthier life, get a dog. Scientists have long believed that the companionship of a pet can be good for you, but new research suggests that dog owners are physically healthier than cat owners.
According to Deborah Wells from Queen's University, Belfast, dog owners tend to have lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, possibly thanks to regular walks with their four-legged friends.
Writing in the British Journal of Health Psychology, Dr Wells said that dog owners appear to suffer from fewer minor ailments as well as fewer serious medical problems.
In a review of dozens of previous studies, Dr Wells found that dogs also seem to aid recovery from serious illnesses, such as heart attacks. One study published in 1995 found that dog owners were more likely, by about 8.6 per cent, to be alive one year after a heart attack than those who do not own a dog.
Dr Wells said: "It is possible that dogs can directly promote our well-being by buffering us from stress. The ownership of a dog can also lead to increases in physical activity and facilitate the development of social contacts, which may enhance physiological and psychological human health in a more indirect manner."
According to Deborah Wells from Queen's University, Belfast, dog owners tend to have lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, possibly thanks to regular walks with their four-legged friends.
Writing in the British Journal of Health Psychology, Dr Wells said that dog owners appear to suffer from fewer minor ailments as well as fewer serious medical problems.
In a review of dozens of previous studies, Dr Wells found that dogs also seem to aid recovery from serious illnesses, such as heart attacks. One study published in 1995 found that dog owners were more likely, by about 8.6 per cent, to be alive one year after a heart attack than those who do not own a dog.
Dr Wells said: "It is possible that dogs can directly promote our well-being by buffering us from stress. The ownership of a dog can also lead to increases in physical activity and facilitate the development of social contacts, which may enhance physiological and psychological human health in a more indirect manner."
Saturday, January 20, 2007
he heh heh
| You're an Expert Kisser |
 You're a kissing pro, but it's all about quality and not quantity You've perfected your kissing technique and can knock anyone's socks off And you're adaptable, giving each partner what they crave When it comes down to it, your kisses are truly unforgettable |
another quiz
| Your Birthdate: April 29 |
 You may watch someone from afar before you finally decide to make your move. It takes a long time for you to develop an attraction to someone. Generally, you prefer to pick who you love. Anyone who tries to rush you is in for some heartache. Number of True Loves You'll Have: 3 Number of Times You'll Have Your Heart Broken: 5 You are most compatible with people born on the 2nd, 11th, 20th, and 29th of the month. |
Friday, January 19, 2007
A new life
I am sitting at home on my newly delivered couch (title link I think is the same couch) watching my new cable ( which has some damn transmission issue and I have to keep uplugging the modem and replugging it to make it stop skipping) and drinking a Sam Smith Nut Browne Ale. I wrote the following quote in a note recently:
I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.
Douglas Adams
It has often seemed to me that some basic life assumptions (fashion, love, food, sentimentality in details, etc..)were far more obvious to my peers than to me. I am trying to let that go and believe that what is obvious or not to me will lead me to a high quality of life. So I sit in a new city hoping that it will be my last for awhile and that I now know enough to create a life where I am. here's hopin'.....
I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.
Douglas Adams
It has often seemed to me that some basic life assumptions (fashion, love, food, sentimentality in details, etc..)were far more obvious to my peers than to me. I am trying to let that go and believe that what is obvious or not to me will lead me to a high quality of life. So I sit in a new city hoping that it will be my last for awhile and that I now know enough to create a life where I am. here's hopin'.....
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Life in a cubicle
There are many realities to modern corporate work which are challenging or dehumanizing etc....but we are still humans stuck in small little cubicles close to each other. So today, I'm sitting there studying the possible root causes of performance bottlenecks when the smell of fart hits like a freight train and then just keeps coming. I lasted a couple of minutes but then had to walk away in order to not start laughing out loud in front of said farter.
The China Study
I once dated someone that is evangelical about the link between a "whole foods" diet and long term health. Every now and then I find stuff articulating and defending that belief i.e. pesticides and chemicals aren't good for us, but high fat, high protein diets actually kill us. I am including a link to an excerpt.
ChinaStudy_Excerpt
ChinaStudy_Excerpt
gross
Other economists say the industry's federal subsidies are far higher. They average about $39 billion annually if items such as defense of oil lanes in the Persian Gulf, guarding domestic infrastructure like the Alaska Pipeline, and paying to maintain the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve are also included, says Doug Koplow, founder of Earth Track, a Boston consulting firm that analyzes natural-resource subsidies.
"There probably is a public interest in government involvement in maintaining security of supply and reducing price, but those costs should be borne by oil markets and not by taxpayers," he argues.
The strategic reserve, for instance, stores about a two-month supply of oil for the nation in salt domes in Louisiana and Texas. Maintaining it costs the nation an average $2 billion or so a year, Mr. Koplow says. Guarding Middle East oil lanes averages about $19 billion a year, he found, which doesn't include the recent surge in spending because of the Iraq war.
If Congress were to cut $1.4 billion a year in subsidies, as House Democrats urge, the industry would still get more than $37 billion a year from government coffers, according to this analysis, four times the amount spent on the nuclear industry and six times the amount spent on ethanol
"There probably is a public interest in government involvement in maintaining security of supply and reducing price, but those costs should be borne by oil markets and not by taxpayers," he argues.
The strategic reserve, for instance, stores about a two-month supply of oil for the nation in salt domes in Louisiana and Texas. Maintaining it costs the nation an average $2 billion or so a year, Mr. Koplow says. Guarding Middle East oil lanes averages about $19 billion a year, he found, which doesn't include the recent surge in spending because of the Iraq war.
If Congress were to cut $1.4 billion a year in subsidies, as House Democrats urge, the industry would still get more than $37 billion a year from government coffers, according to this analysis, four times the amount spent on the nuclear industry and six times the amount spent on ethanol
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
In case any of you were unclear...
This isn't a maverick, this guy is officially crazy!
For those of you unaware of who Dobson is, he is the head of Focus on the Family, who are not only right wing nuts, but he also seriously instructed fathers to shower with their sons into puberty in order to "model heterosxual masculinity". Uh huh. think about that...
COLUMBIA, S.C. - Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record) said Tuesday he hopes to patch things up with conservative Christian leader James Dobson, who recently said he wouldn't support the Republican's presidential bid under any circumstances.
For those of you unaware of who Dobson is, he is the head of Focus on the Family, who are not only right wing nuts, but he also seriously instructed fathers to shower with their sons into puberty in order to "model heterosxual masculinity". Uh huh. think about that...
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Panic and Optimism
So now at the end of the day I am feeling mildly more optimistic. The later requirements fit more within my experience so at least I don't feel like I have to learn everything new. Still I sense it will be a long while before I complain about being bored at work again:) I'm back in MA for the weekend to meet the movers. Let the adventure begin. Hope everyone has a great weekend!
New Worlds
I am trying to learn the history of programming very quickly. It won't work. It's a whole world. Back to intense study for me....Does this mean I can't obsess about politics?
The Chomsky hierarchy consists of the following levels:.
Type-0 grammars (unrestricted grammars) include all formal grammars. They generate exactly all languages that can be recognized by a Turing machine. These languages are also known as the recursively enumerable languages. Note that this is different from the recursive languages which can be decided by an always-halting Turing machine.
Type-1 grammars (context-sensitive grammars) generate the context-sensitive languages. These grammars have rules of the form with A a nonterminal and α, β and γ strings of terminals and nonterminals. The strings α and β may be empty, but γ must be nonempty. The rule is allowed if S does not appear on the right side of any rule. The languages described by these grammars are exactly all languages that can be recognized by a linear bounded automaton (a nondeterministic Turing machine whose tape is bounded by a constant times the length of the input.)
Type-2 grammars (context-free grammars) generate the context-free languages. These are defined by rules of the form with A a nonterminal and γ a string of terminals and nonterminals. These languages are exactly all languages that can be recognized by a non-deterministic pushdown automaton.
Context free languages are the theoretical basis for the syntax of most programming languages. Type-3 grammars (regular grammars) generate the regular languages. Such a grammar restricts its rules to a single nonterminal on the left-hand side and a right-hand side consisting of a single terminal, possibly followed (or preceded, but not both in the same grammar) by a single nonterminal. The rule is also here allowed if S does not appear on the right side of any rule. These languages are exactly all languages that can be decided by a finite state automaton. Additionally, this family of formal languages can be obtained by regular expressions. Regular languages are commonly used to define search patterns and the lexical structure of programming languages
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Obsessions
I have a lot of people who would tell me I have no appreciation for what obsession really means....I wouldn't necessarily argue except that I can totally be obsessed with certain things. One of them is political blogs. I read them a lot...but see if you read them a lot, you find sentences like this:
Now, let's be honest. How much of a dumb, painfully dumb, masterfully dumb,
spectacularly gullible, hyperenfranchised, alcohol-addled, camera-chasing
microphone-humping column-strangling jackass from the seventh circle of Grey
Poupon Hell do you have to be to buy that premise even for the slightest moment
as being anything other than dumbfuckery promoted by carnival barkers trying to
weasel away from their own rigged game? Since when did "willing to promote any
asinine hypothesis, no matter how stupid and self-serving on its face" become
the defining characteristic of supposed political wisdom?
EU puts climate change at heart of energy policy
With oil imports hit by the latest energy dispute involving Russia, Brussels laid out a vision of a common energy policy for the 27-nation bloc with proposals including a recommendation to scale back the dominance of energy companies.
What real national security looks like....
What real national security looks like....
Depressing
The study found an annual income of nearly $85,000 was needed to afford the median-priced U.S. home.
In the New York metropolitan area, a $500,000 median-priced home required a $171,000 annual salary. The median-priced home in San Francisco, the most expensive U.S. market, was $759,000, requiring income of $260,000. In less-expensive Chicago, the median-priced home cost $254,000, requiring an $87,000 salary.
In the New York metropolitan area, a $500,000 median-priced home required a $171,000 annual salary. The median-priced home in San Francisco, the most expensive U.S. market, was $759,000, requiring income of $260,000. In less-expensive Chicago, the median-priced home cost $254,000, requiring an $87,000 salary.
Sunday, January 07, 2007
New Template-ugh
The old template didn't make the titles look like links. I am not sure this one does either but it least it calls it out better-OK so this title will click as if it is a link but it will justt lead to its own page. Till I figure out the coding assume all news stories referenced, the title is the link to the actual story
Confirmation of what you feared all along
Iraq's massive oil reserves, the third-largest in the world, are about to be thrown open for large-scale exploitation by Western oil companies under a controversial law which is expected to come before the Iraqi parliament within days.
The US government has been involved in drawing up the law, a draft of which has been seen by The Independent on Sunday. It would give big oil companies such as BP, Shell and Exxon 30-year contracts to extract Iraqi crude and allow the first large-scale operation of foreign oil interests in the country since the industry was nationalised in 1972.
The huge potential prizes for Western firms will give ammunition to critics who say the Iraq war was fought for oil. They point to statements such as one from Vice-President Dick Cheney, who said in 1999, while he was still chief executive of the oil services company Halliburton, that the world would need an additional 50 million barrels of oil a day by 2010. "So where is the oil going to come from?... The Middle East, with two-thirds of the world's oil and the lowest cost, is still where the prize ultimately lies," he said.
Supporters say the provision allowing oil companies to take up to 75 per cent of the profits will last until they have recouped initial drilling costs. After that, they would collect about 20 per cent of all profits, according to industry sources in Iraq. But that is twice the industry average for such deals.
The US government has been involved in drawing up the law, a draft of which has been seen by The Independent on Sunday. It would give big oil companies such as BP, Shell and Exxon 30-year contracts to extract Iraqi crude and allow the first large-scale operation of foreign oil interests in the country since the industry was nationalised in 1972.
The huge potential prizes for Western firms will give ammunition to critics who say the Iraq war was fought for oil. They point to statements such as one from Vice-President Dick Cheney, who said in 1999, while he was still chief executive of the oil services company Halliburton, that the world would need an additional 50 million barrels of oil a day by 2010. "So where is the oil going to come from?... The Middle East, with two-thirds of the world's oil and the lowest cost, is still where the prize ultimately lies," he said.
Supporters say the provision allowing oil companies to take up to 75 per cent of the profits will last until they have recouped initial drilling costs. After that, they would collect about 20 per cent of all profits, according to industry sources in Iraq. But that is twice the industry average for such deals.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
My new town has Mummers:)
The first official Mummers Parade was on January 1, 1901. Prior to that, local lore holds that many traditions — the dressing ("mumming") from England, Sweden and other countries — came on New Year's Day when at midnight, the citizens shot off guns to welcome the new year, a dangerous tradition that the law frowns upon. The next day, residents usually went door-to-door shouting out the following rhyme:
Here we stand at your door,
As we did the year before.
Give us whiskey, give us gin,
Open the door and let us in!
Or give us something nice and hotLike a steaming hot bowl of pepper pot! (A Philadelphia soup)
The parade is related to the Mummers Play tradition from the UK.
Here we stand at your door,
As we did the year before.
Give us whiskey, give us gin,
Open the door and let us in!
Or give us something nice and hotLike a steaming hot bowl of pepper pot! (A Philadelphia soup)
The parade is related to the Mummers Play tradition from the UK.
Friday, January 05, 2007
No seriously, at what point do we call him King?
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House and the Secret Service quietly signed an agreement last spring in the midst of the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal declaring records identifying visitors to the White House are not open to the public.
The Bush administration did not reveal the existence of the memorandum of understanding until last fall.
The White House is using it to deal with a legal problem on a separate front, a ruling by a federal judge ordering the production of Secret Service logs identifying visitors to the office of Vice President Dick Cheney.
In a federal appeals court filing three weeks ago, the administration's lawyers used the memo in a legal argument aimed at overturning the judge's ruling. The Washington Post is suing for access to the Secret Service logs.
The five-page document dated May 17 declares that all entry and exit data on White House visitors belongs to the White House as presidential records rather than to the Secret Service as agency records.
Therefore, the agreement states, the material is not subject to public disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.
In the past, Secret Service logs have revealed the comings and goings of various White House visitors, including Monica Lewinsky and Clinton campaign donor Denise Rich, the wife of fugitive financier Marc Rich, who received a pardon in the closing hours of the Clinton administration.
The Bush administration did not reveal the existence of the memorandum of understanding until last fall.
The White House is using it to deal with a legal problem on a separate front, a ruling by a federal judge ordering the production of Secret Service logs identifying visitors to the office of Vice President Dick Cheney.
In a federal appeals court filing three weeks ago, the administration's lawyers used the memo in a legal argument aimed at overturning the judge's ruling. The Washington Post is suing for access to the Secret Service logs.
The five-page document dated May 17 declares that all entry and exit data on White House visitors belongs to the White House as presidential records rather than to the Secret Service as agency records.
Therefore, the agreement states, the material is not subject to public disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.
In the past, Secret Service logs have revealed the comings and goings of various White House visitors, including Monica Lewinsky and Clinton campaign donor Denise Rich, the wife of fugitive financier Marc Rich, who received a pardon in the closing hours of the Clinton administration.
Fat CEO pay seen a wider society concern
Today, soaring executive pay "offends most people's sense of fairness," said Archie Carroll, a recently retired business ethics professor at the University of Georgia. It "symbolizes more than anything else how out of touch corporate America, particularly CEOs and boards of directors, is with the rest of American society," he said.
The abrupt departure of Home Depot Inc. chief Robert Nardelli this week, with a $210 million exit package in hand, shows how skewed CEO pay can be, ethics experts say. Nardelli's exit package, which includes $20 million cash severance as well as a pension, deferred stock awards and stock options, equals the annual incomes of about 10,000 retail stock clerks making an average $21,000 a year.
In 2005, the ratio of CEO pay to average worker pay was 411-to-1, according to a report by the Institute for Policy Studies and United for a Fair Economy, two groups that focus on social justice issues. That compares with a 1980 ratio of 42-to-1, as calculated by BusinessWeek, the two groups said.
The abrupt departure of Home Depot Inc. chief Robert Nardelli this week, with a $210 million exit package in hand, shows how skewed CEO pay can be, ethics experts say. Nardelli's exit package, which includes $20 million cash severance as well as a pension, deferred stock awards and stock options, equals the annual incomes of about 10,000 retail stock clerks making an average $21,000 a year.
In 2005, the ratio of CEO pay to average worker pay was 411-to-1, according to a report by the Institute for Policy Studies and United for a Fair Economy, two groups that focus on social justice issues. That compares with a 1980 ratio of 42-to-1, as calculated by BusinessWeek, the two groups said.
First Post from Philly
So sis and I went out to a "chic" place for dinner called the Continental. Link above to a review of it as great ambience food etc. My take? Over priced mediocre food with uncomfortable booths. That said, progress is being made. I have been here a week and I have found several decent places to eat, a place to live and transferred my car and renter's insurance. A pretty productive week all together. My new job is sending me to Mexico City for 5 weeks. Off on adventures so quickly. I can't wait. I promise to post frequently again:)
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