Monday, July 30, 2007
Yesterday, the Chicago Sun-Times published an excerpt from the book Blasphemy: How the Religious Right Is Hijacking Our Declaration of Independence, by Alan Dershowitz. The issue: separation of church and state. Mr. Dershowitz shows a surprising lack of understand. Essentially he says the religious right wants to break down the "wall of separation in Church and State" to form a state-run religion. A religion run by the government is exactly what the religious right does not want. Therefore Dershowitz is actually in agreement on this point and in agreement with Thomas Jefferson. When Jefferson coined the phrase in a letter to the Danbury Baptists, he was trying to protect the free practice of religion by not setting a federally sponsored religion. The religious right see a twisting of this original intent. Instead of protecting religion, the past few decades shows rulings and legislation impinging on religious freedom.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Friday, July 27, 2007
Marijuana: Risk for Schizophrenia
A study published by The Lancet, strongly links marijuana use with the risk of developing schizophrenia. Users have a 41% increase risk of psychosis and higher with heavier use. Of note is, if Britain stopped its marijuana consumption, ~800 cases of schizophrenia would be prevented. (see article at Reuters).
Thursday, July 26, 2007
NY Times article on restaurants for people with celiac disease. It is useful to know if you have friends who have the condition. It frees you up to go out to eat and not have to always check in advance if the restaurant offers gluten free food.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Rambling on Tolerance (modified)
It seem unavoidable that we operate by stereotypes. How do people sum or size others up? By pattern recognition. We match from past experiences with people of the similar body habitus, complexion, fashion sense, posture, demeanor, vocal inflections, vocabulary, etc. How do people make a judgment call or determine first impression? At times it is an essential tool in order to screen people in the interview process, auditions, airports... not to say that our ability to match is perfect. Mass data (people) under time constraints demands practicality.
In part I poo-poo the notion of tolerance. What is tolerance? It is the notion of not acting out against something attributed negatively. Our P.C. nation has no tolerance for stereotyping that is matched with negative emotions (hatred, anger, annoyance); though it has spread to avoiding almost any form generalization (which is impractical). This band-aid on a heart issue will not resolve by putting on a front. Yet everyone is required to assume the front and pretend without necessarily addressing the core. Doesn't this just add another layer of deception? Then again we should strive to live at peace with others so it could suffice as a temporary salve.
As for tolerance in terms of "being open to new ideas or change," fine. There should be a willingness to entertain and understand new things, within reasonable limits. After all, experience is not an end-all (unless you're an existentialist), otherwise everyone would try, for example, street drugs. But we don't need experience to necessarily choose wisely.
At the other side of the spectrum there are elements we can not tolerant: injustice, evil and the likes... In conclusion, tolerance is too broad an agenda to set, that could lead to oversight of practicality and core issues.
(There is a distinction between tolerance and patience. Patience is tied closely with contentment and enduring stress, duress, boredom.) Okay, I'll get off my soapbox.
It seem unavoidable that we operate by stereotypes. How do people sum or size others up? By pattern recognition. We match from past experiences with people of the similar body habitus, complexion, fashion sense, posture, demeanor, vocal inflections, vocabulary, etc. How do people make a judgment call or determine first impression? At times it is an essential tool in order to screen people in the interview process, auditions, airports... not to say that our ability to match is perfect. Mass data (people) under time constraints demands practicality.
In part I poo-poo the notion of tolerance. What is tolerance? It is the notion of not acting out against something attributed negatively. Our P.C. nation has no tolerance for stereotyping that is matched with negative emotions (hatred, anger, annoyance); though it has spread to avoiding almost any form generalization (which is impractical). This band-aid on a heart issue will not resolve by putting on a front. Yet everyone is required to assume the front and pretend without necessarily addressing the core. Doesn't this just add another layer of deception? Then again we should strive to live at peace with others so it could suffice as a temporary salve.
As for tolerance in terms of "being open to new ideas or change," fine. There should be a willingness to entertain and understand new things, within reasonable limits. After all, experience is not an end-all (unless you're an existentialist), otherwise everyone would try, for example, street drugs. But we don't need experience to necessarily choose wisely.
At the other side of the spectrum there are elements we can not tolerant: injustice, evil and the likes... In conclusion, tolerance is too broad an agenda to set, that could lead to oversight of practicality and core issues.
(There is a distinction between tolerance and patience. Patience is tied closely with contentment and enduring stress, duress, boredom.) Okay, I'll get off my soapbox.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Break & Down
Break in.
Break locks.
Break chains.
Break free.
Breakfast.
Break ties.
Break promises.
Break hearts.
Break spirits.
Breakdown.
Down to the details.
Down to a science.
Down to the bone.
Down to an artform.Break locks.
Break chains.
Break free.
Breakfast.
Break ties.
Break promises.
Break hearts.
Break spirits.
Breakdown.
Down to the details.
Down to a science.
Down to the bone.
Down to the last second.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Friday, June 29, 2007
China's Export Woes - Seafood
The Washington Post reports China exports farm-raised seafood contaminated with antibiotics and carcinogens despite repeated warnings and even visits to farms. The FDA now requires inspection of shrimp, eel, catfish, basa and dace from China before they are sold.
The chemicals found in the seafood were "nitrofurans detected in shrimp, malachite green detected in dace, eel and catfish and basa, and gentian violet detected in eel and catfish. In addition, fluoroquinolones were found in catfish and basa."
Again, the levels are just detectable but should not be present in the firs place.
The Washington Post reports China exports farm-raised seafood contaminated with antibiotics and carcinogens despite repeated warnings and even visits to farms. The FDA now requires inspection of shrimp, eel, catfish, basa and dace from China before they are sold.
The chemicals found in the seafood were "nitrofurans detected in shrimp, malachite green detected in dace, eel and catfish and basa, and gentian violet detected in eel and catfish. In addition, fluoroquinolones were found in catfish and basa."
Again, the levels are just detectable but should not be present in the firs place.
Friday, June 22, 2007
iPhone Strategy
iPhones hit stores at 6 p.m., 1 week from now (June 29). Details about the plan are still vague but news estimates have it at $60/month phone service + $20/month unlimited data = $80/mo. or $960/year. The phone itself will cost ~$600 (8GB model) and there doesn't seem to be any AT&T subsidy to buffer the cost. I want one, but practically I can't afford it.
Just like iPods, part of the initial draw would build on the fact that only a select few--the affluent and trendy have it. If you follow the music player market, as it grew, the white headphones became more widespread, a turn off to some early adopters (no longer elite), but the larger draw shifted to a stage of belonging, being in, an elevated expectation of norm. How else could you answer, "What's on your iPod?" (not that I could answer that)? The iPhone's price point has it's role in maintaining cool. A strategy which Apple will not exercise is making the phone first available only for the Mac, as they did with the iPod.
People believe the iPhone has greater function and customization than a Treo, Blackberry Curve, Blackjack, etc. Sure it has a full operating system (Leopard) and full web browser (Safari); yet the OS's potential may choke at outset. Security restrictions have not opened the phone to third party developers ("Where's the iPhone developer kit?"). The only means of expanding function are via webwares and working at Apple; perhaps that's enough. The interface is great intuitive eye candy but these do not replace the office. In the least, the iPhone would benefit from having document & spreadsheet software. The current absence of these imply that Apple is targeting trend setters and consumers not business-types and industry. Expectations are overblown. Gear lust - it's real and it's hungry.
Update: iPhone Guide video on Apple's website. It looks beautiful and its surface is optical glass. "Nothing compares to holding one in your own hand."
Features: phone, email, SMS text messaging, browser... plus Notes, Stocks, Google Maps, Weather, the ability to read .doc and .pdf, YouTube. Integration is well done, something that 3rd party developers will likely be unable to access.
No games shown. It would be cool if programs were written to take advantage of the proximity sensor (used to detects if the phone is close to your face), accelerometer/gyroscope (detects if phone is in landscape or portrait mode), the touch screen, and microphone. It could be the sleek alternative to Nintendo DS.
iPhones hit stores at 6 p.m., 1 week from now (June 29). Details about the plan are still vague but news estimates have it at $60/month phone service + $20/month unlimited data = $80/mo. or $960/year. The phone itself will cost ~$600 (8GB model) and there doesn't seem to be any AT&T subsidy to buffer the cost. I want one, but practically I can't afford it.
Just like iPods, part of the initial draw would build on the fact that only a select few--the affluent and trendy have it. If you follow the music player market, as it grew, the white headphones became more widespread, a turn off to some early adopters (no longer elite), but the larger draw shifted to a stage of belonging, being in, an elevated expectation of norm. How else could you answer, "What's on your iPod?" (not that I could answer that)? The iPhone's price point has it's role in maintaining cool. A strategy which Apple will not exercise is making the phone first available only for the Mac, as they did with the iPod.
People believe the iPhone has greater function and customization than a Treo, Blackberry Curve, Blackjack, etc. Sure it has a full operating system (Leopard) and full web browser (Safari); yet the OS's potential may choke at outset. Security restrictions have not opened the phone to third party developers ("Where's the iPhone developer kit?"). The only means of expanding function are via webwares and working at Apple; perhaps that's enough. The interface is great intuitive eye candy but these do not replace the office. In the least, the iPhone would benefit from having document & spreadsheet software. The current absence of these imply that Apple is targeting trend setters and consumers not business-types and industry. Expectations are overblown. Gear lust - it's real and it's hungry.
Update: iPhone Guide video on Apple's website. It looks beautiful and its surface is optical glass. "Nothing compares to holding one in your own hand."
Features: phone, email, SMS text messaging, browser... plus Notes, Stocks, Google Maps, Weather, the ability to read .doc and .pdf, YouTube. Integration is well done, something that 3rd party developers will likely be unable to access.
No games shown. It would be cool if programs were written to take advantage of the proximity sensor (used to detects if the phone is close to your face), accelerometer/gyroscope (detects if phone is in landscape or portrait mode), the touch screen, and microphone. It could be the sleek alternative to Nintendo DS.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
The days of Big Solar have come. Yay! I had said we should convert that sun drenched expanse of the Southwest into a solar power generator for the U.S. Two concerns: Can the energy be transported to far off states? Is there an ecological impact on the desert?
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Apple Trailers shows a new Pixar movie for June 27, 2008. WALL∙E a robot that draws similarities to Spielberg's ET in voice + body habitus (prominent eyes, thin neck, squat body).
I hope it follows in the Pixar tradition of dynamic heartfelt characters. With Pixar running Disney animations, are all their subsequent animated features falling under Pixar's name? (Banish the duality formed around "Chicken Little," "Meet the Robinsons" & "Incredibles," "Cars.")
I hope it follows in the Pixar tradition of dynamic heartfelt characters. With Pixar running Disney animations, are all their subsequent animated features falling under Pixar's name? (Banish the duality formed around "Chicken Little," "Meet the Robinsons" & "Incredibles," "Cars.")
Friday, June 15, 2007
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Mr. Wizard passed away from multiple myeloma on Tuesday, June 12, 2007. He was part of a better Nikelodeon.
Several years ago Microsoft's ramped up its recruitment of researchers in the field of voice recognition and other multimodal interactions (touch, vision, voice, position/motion) for the HCI (human-computer interaction). Only now is its efforts becoming commercial and reaching market. Of note is their research in computer vision, which will only trend larger unless limited by privacy issues (Big Brother watching or Minority Report iris/retinal scans). Microsoft's Surface uses cameras to track interaction with the table interface and is an example of how refined vision has become.
It's not a far stretch to see future payoff in Microsoft's investment in robotics. I'd say robotics is essentially computing empowered with motion. The payoff (reaching consumers) comes with applying that vision to hand-eye coordination and then applying AI. This is not to say, robots do not already exist for the consumer (Roomba), but it has yet to hit critical mass.
Not only are our senses interacting with computing more but computing devices are increasingly sensing us. For example xuuk has a camera with infrared eye tracker to detect if you are looking at it. They are marketing it as a way for advertisements (Wired magazine says billboards) to tell if you are looking at them. Not too long ago, a Wired magazine article described military research on computers scanning our brains to monitor which sensory input was overloaded or underutilized. The computer would then select the optimal mode of communication (image, text, or audio) to the user.
It's not a far stretch to see future payoff in Microsoft's investment in robotics. I'd say robotics is essentially computing empowered with motion. The payoff (reaching consumers) comes with applying that vision to hand-eye coordination and then applying AI. This is not to say, robots do not already exist for the consumer (Roomba), but it has yet to hit critical mass.
Not only are our senses interacting with computing more but computing devices are increasingly sensing us. For example xuuk has a camera with infrared eye tracker to detect if you are looking at it. They are marketing it as a way for advertisements (Wired magazine says billboards) to tell if you are looking at them. Not too long ago, a Wired magazine article described military research on computers scanning our brains to monitor which sensory input was overloaded or underutilized. The computer would then select the optimal mode of communication (image, text, or audio) to the user.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Safari to PC
Apple has released a public beta of the latest version of Safari AND it's available for Windows XP or Vista. It claims the current title of fastest major browser--faster than Firefox 2 or Opera 9.
Apple has released a public beta of the latest version of Safari AND it's available for Windows XP or Vista. It claims the current title of fastest major browser--faster than Firefox 2 or Opera 9.
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