| « July 2005 | Main | September 2005 » |
August 31, 2005
Get Moving!
People need to exercise more, but instead they just sit around and play video games. So why not combine video games and exercise? The high-tech NeXfit exercise bike hooks up to your XBox, Playstation, or the Internet, incorporating game controls...
Moon Invasion By Rocket Penguins Possible!
Defense contractor Raytheon has developed a robot, dubbed the Lunar Penguin, that could one day bounce across perilous craters and imposing mountains on the Moon's craggy surface using a set of compact rocket boosters.
Continue reading "Moon Invasion By Rocket Penguins Possible!"
August 30, 2005
RFID Update
RFID, or Radio Frequency Identification, is a really hot topic among today's retailers. Here's a recap of several articles over the last couple of weeks.
Have You Seen This Monkey?
From Ohio police today: The bulletin issued by police in the southwest Ohio town of Springdale describes the subject as two feet tall, weighing eight pounds, clad only in blue pants and prone to sleeping in trees. It's another week...
August 29, 2005
Department of Defense Agency Uses MAT for Six Sigma Effort
The Defense Commissary Agency, as part of their modernization, re-engineering, and process improvement efforts, has decided to use the Markham Assessment Tool to identify key areas for improvement. "We plan on using the MAT to identify key elements of the...
Continue reading "Department of Defense Agency Uses MAT for Six Sigma Effort"
Don't Reinvent the Wheel
Some more news is leaking out of NASA this week, with rumors that the new Crew Exploration Vehicle will be based on existing technology, either one of the military rockets or a modification of the shuttle engines already developed.
August 27, 2005
T-Rays Offer Hope
Remember how Superman used his X-Ray vision? He could see through just about anything, save for lead. Well, we all got older and realized that X-Rays really don't work that way. Anybody who has seen an X-Ray image knows it's...
August 25, 2005
Cool Site of The Day
Look out in your yard and see a Skunk-Ape? How about an American Lion?
August 24, 2005
Salad Dressing? In a Spray Bottle?
But once you think about it, perhaps spay-on salad dressing is a neat idea.
August 23, 2005
Beware Geeks Bearing GIFs
I love watching the commercials for "Geek Squad", which seems to be an on-call, pocket-protector-wearing thin white man with 1950s glasses.
Call Me Names, Please
Every week or so, I get online on one of the politics rooms where most people disagree with me. Why? Because it is good to learn to care for people who disagree with you. Teaches you character.
August 19, 2005
Checking out the Movies
My wife and I are going out this weekend for our anniversary. We both love the movies, and I try to keep up with what is good and what is not-so-good.
Home
With all of the wars, poverty, discussion, terror, fighting, and general malcontent, i thought it might be good to get a little bigger perspective on things. Any Questions?
August 18, 2005
It's Your Free Time
It never ceases to amaze me what people do with their free time. Here is a guy who took 15 million popcycle sticks and made a Viking Boat from them!
August 17, 2005
Monkey Attack!
Sixty-two year old James Davis is finally getting out the hospital this week after being savagely attacked by chimps six months ago. What were they doing? They "...were celebrating the 39th birthday of their former pet chimp, Moe, at the...
August 16, 2005
Busy Busy
Sorry about the paucity of blog entries lately -- I have been working on a presentation to the Research Triangle Park Rational User's Group.
Robot Roundup
Word today that Japanese researchers are perfecting an artificial skin for robots that can feel pressure and temperature
August 14, 2005
737 Crash
As a commercial pilot who's never flown a big commercial aircraft, I think I've always dreamed of being on an airplane when they ask "Is there a pilot on board?", then leaping up to the cabin to save the day.
Managing Secret Programs
I'm beginning to believe that the US has a new secret aiframe, the TR-3B.
August 12, 2005
Can Moving Data be a Crime?
Let's say you have a company with a lot of information. You hired a subcontractor to do something, let's say check for dirty data. The contractor does his work, but meanwhile he's also downloading ALL of the data on your...
Trillion Here, Trillion There
Some of these solutions hurt worse than the original problems.
August 9, 2005
Scientist Use RAINEX to Forecast Hurricanes
Hard to say, but mixing plant and animal DNA is going to make for some crazy green beans. Let hope they don't decide to run away.
Continue reading "Scientist Use RAINEX to Forecast Hurricanes"
August 8, 2005
AJAX: Get Your Head Outta the Can
"Here's a bill for that other universe. You'll find that we had to work a lot of overtime over there. Jeesh. What a job!"
Ah yes. The quantum computer consulting world will be a load of fun for everyone.
August 7, 2005
Evolution of Corporations: Similarities with Governments
It used to be, the guy who ran the tribe was the toughest of the bunch. He carried the biggest club, he was the tallest, biggest, baddest, and meanest. It also used to be that the guy who started the company was the big cheese. He hired and fired at will, he had the big ideas, he was the alpha male of the workshop.
So what's changed?
Continue reading "Evolution of Corporations: Similarities with Governments"
August 5, 2005
Hydrogen Power Update
It looks like hydrogen power in definitely the wave of the future. National Geographic has a cool article about this fuel cell motorcycle -- looks like something from Batman. What about infrastructure? Don't we have a long way to go?...
August 3, 2005
Wood Pecker Song Excites Bird People
There were skeptics, sure. After the lost ivory-billed woodpecker was found this year, many bird watchers did not believe that the extinct bird actually was alive. Well, after hearing their songs on tape, the skeptics are now believers. Pandas might...
CSS Support Improved in IE7, but Nowhere Up To Par
Great article over on ArsTechnica about how IE7 is supposed to have much better CSS support. As a developer who has been suffering through MS CSS schlock for the last year, it sounds like good news. But that ain't all...
Continue reading "CSS Support Improved in IE7, but Nowhere Up To Par"
August 2, 2005
CMMI Facilitator: Not An Easy Job
I'm currently looking for companies to help out, so I am scouring the web for various opportunities. Aside from the recruiter who emailed me this morning with a ludicrous contract rate, it's been very interesting. There's a lot of jobs out there, but the one I think is the toughest is CMMI Facilitator.
Artificial Womb + Stem Cell = Headaches
There's a column in slate today that is giving me a headache. We've all talked about stem cells and morality, and I'm not going to beat that gong any more. But with the development of artificial wombs, that means that...
Making Mistakes
This morning, over my first Diet Mtn. Dew, I got a comment about the blog. I can't repeat all the language invovled, but suffice it to say the author was displeased. I think his words were that I was "so ******* boring I am going to go and kill myself as soon as I click post."
August 1, 2005
August Newsletter Created
Don't you hate those "flashback" TV shows? It's like they can't come up with any new material so they just rehash all the old stuff. Sounds like a plan to me. Especially for those who don't read the blog. I'm...
Hubble Space Telescope: Another Outdated Platform?
I like the Hubble. I also like the Space Shuttle. But people talking about saving the Hubble are missing a few salient points....
Continue reading "Hubble Space Telescope: Another Outdated Platform?"