The best part about dominoes? Watching them fall down. The worst part? Setting them back up again. The Ouroborus Domino sculpture turns the worst part into the best part and makes me dizzy in the process. [Doobybrain via SlipperyBrick]
so my father and I instaled an new sony sterio in a 84 300D TD mercedes and created a short that isnt bad ... but you know isnt good.... and i cant find a place where i can find if its the darn yellow wire to plug in to the ignition or the red one. but there is a gray wire that goes no where that we
Verbal Testimony by Miles O'Brien: Senate Hearing on NASA's FY 2011 Budget
"While I give the Administration plan high marks for its steely-eyed reassessment of priorities - it did a horrible job telling this story. The headlines should have read: "Space is now open for business". Or - "Space travel now for the rest of us" Or "Space Station science gets a big reprieve" or "NASA to work on fixing air traffic delays" or "NASA to focus more on our favorite planet: Earth".
You get the idea. Instead we got a bunch of blue moon stories...
Why? Well for one thing my understanding is this decision was made in the White House office of Science and Technology Policy office - and was very closely held until the weekend before the budget rollout. They were reluctant to tell the kids I guess.
Even so, everyone in the Space Cadet Nation knew Constellation was a dead man walking. But denial is a powerful thing and so NASA was caught flatfooted - with no strategic plan on how to explain the nuance of this story. And let's face it the mainstream media doesn't have a clue either. Reporters who know some things about this beat have been unceremoniously dumped by the big papers and networks right and left - and many of them are now...well...webcasting.
So it is the perfect storm: the agency is not sold on the change...the communications plan is non existent...the reporters are not well informed...and the public is disengaged."
Keith's note: Hmmm .. the person responsible for all of this messaging is NASA PAO AA (and self-proclaimed "White House Liaison for space") Morrie Goodman who said last week: "I need to make sure that the agency's message is heard loud and clear and that our position is well known, well articulated, in the best way possible for people to understand and hopefuly come to the same conclusions that we do about the things that we do and where we are going."
Something is broken, Morrie.
The W90 is Pentax's solid successor to the W80. It's got a new strap and LEDs around the lens for close illumination. It's also slightly more resistant, rated to 20 feet of water and 4-foot drops.
The new case is nicer than the old, and the innards seem pretty similar to the older model (which I liked). There's the 12mp sensor, 720p video recording and digital shake reduction as well as a 5x 28-140mm equivalent lens. I liked the old one, so I'll probably like the new one. (Although perhaps not quite as much as I like the new rugged Lumix TS2.) [Pentax]
Did you know that your run of the mill keyboard is basically a gigantic apartment complex for bacteria? Gross, no? Thankfully there's Cleankeys, a keyboard that bulldozes that shit and replaces it with a sleek, sterile touch-sensitive slab.
Wiping a standard keyboard with a disinfecting cloth kills about 5% of bacteria. Cleankeys claims the same test kills 99% of bacteria on their keyboard, simply because they have nowhere to hide.
The wireless keyboard trades actual keys for touch-sensitive ones, so in exchange for a much more sanitary experience you'll be giving up that satisfying clickity-clack you've grown accustomed to. It's intended for use at hospitals where keyboard-germs are a serious issue, though I'd imagine it might pique the interest of regular old germaphobes too.
The Cleankeys keyboard includes a trackpad for clicking about and uses patent-pending technology to keep it from registering keystrokes when you're just resting your hands on the thing. That way your doctor doesn't accidentally diagnose you with alsdfjasgyboxicyuixccccccccc.
A molded model costs $400 and a glass version will run you $50 more. No one said your campaign against germs was gonna be cheap. [Clean Keys Inc]
President Obama portrayed himself as a business-loving centrist today at a Business Roundtable. Obama is stepping up his pursuit of an energy/jobs/climate bill and he did say that we need to address climate change. But as always, he emphasized jobs and the economy, calling this the ‘lost decade’. Though it was a good speech, it was uninspired-sounding. (possibly due to his audience; see photo below.) You can read a summary of his remarks here. He also said we need a price on carbon.
If this helps sell a climate bill it will be worth it. He did say quite a bit about energy and climate and keeping America competitive through keeping up with the rest of the world. Here are those remarks from the transcript:
[President Obama]: “A competitive America is also America that finally has a smart energy policy. We know there’s no silver bullet here. We understand that to reduce our dependence on oil and the damage caused by climate change, we’re going to need more production in the short term, we’re going to need more efficiency, and we need more incentives for clean energy.
Business Roundtable audience. Are the people who run America's businesses really this homogenous? Capitalism needs some diversity! Photo from whitehouse.gov
And already, the Recovery Act has allowed us to jumpstart the clean energy industry in America -– an investment that will lead to 720,000 clean energy jobs by the year 2012. To take just one example, the United States used to make less than 2 percent of the world’s advanced batteries for hybrid cars. By 2015, we’ll have enough capacity to make up to 40 percent of these batteries.
We’ve also launched an unprecedented effort to make our homes and businesses more energy efficient. We’ve announced loan guarantees to break ground on America’s first new nuclear plant in nearly three decades. We’re supporting three of the largest solar plants in the world. And I’ve said that we’re willing to make tough decisions about opening up new offshore areas for oil and gas development. So what we’re looking at is a comprehensive strategy, not an either/or strategy but a both/and strategy when it comes to energy.
But to truly transition to a clean energy economy, I’ve also said that we need to put a price on carbon pollution. Many businesses have embraced this approach — including some who are represented here today. Still, I am sympathetic to those companies that face significant potential transition costs, and I want to work with this organization and others like this to help with those costs and to get our policies right.
What we can’t do is stand still. The only certainty of the status quo is that the price and supply of oil will become increasingly volatile; that the use of fossil fuels will wreak havoc on weather patterns and air quality. But if we decide now that we’re putting a price on this [...]
New Rasmussen numbers released last night, show Texas Governor Rick Perry with a commanding lead against his two GOP primary rivals. What's more, Perry's gain has come at the expense of his nearest rival Kay B. Hutchison who has seen her poll numbers decline.
From Rasmussen:
Just days before Texas Republicans pick their nominee for governor, incumbent Rick Perry has his biggest lead yet.
A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely Republican Primary voters finds Perry leading Senate Kay Bailey Hutchison 48% to 27%, with Tea Party activist Debra Medina earning 16% of the vote. Nine percent (9%) of Texas GOP voters remain undecided.
Hutchison was at 29% in the last poll conducted last month.
Additionally, Debra Medina who had been surging in previous polls, appears to have suffered a serious set-back:
Just 35% now have a favorable view of Medina... This includes nine percent (9%) with a very favorable regard for her. Forty-seven percent (47%) view her unfavorably, with 18% very unfavorable.
When on vacation and not wanting to tote around two laptops and three spare external drives, it's nice to have a gadget to dump and view photos on. Sanho's HyperDrive Album could be that gadget—if it weren't overpriced.
The HyperDrive Album is supposed to serve as a way of clearing out your memory cards and backing up your treasured moments without a computer's intervention. And it does just that with a 640GB capacity, 2GB per minute transfer speed, and a 4.8-inch display to double check that all went well. The trouble is that while the device's speed and capacity are tempting, the price range of $350 to $600 for 160GB to 640GB is tough to look past. [HyperShop]
The mini-giant Nintendo DSi XL, which is ALSO AN EREADER APPARENTLY, has just gotten a price: $190. It will be ripe for your purchasing on March 28.
“Nasal leech infestation rarely occurs in society today and it is usually reported as an anecdote. In this study, we present seven nasal leeches in six patients from 1984 to 2008… Four patients were less than 8 years old and two patients were older than 60 years old. All patients had spent time in rural streams 2 weeks to 2 months before the symptoms occurred. All of the seven leeches were removed smoothly and one leech migrated to the oropharynx during the operation. The length of the leeches ranged from 2 to 12 cm with an average length of 4.6 cm. Attention should be given to nasal leech infestation, especially in children and senior citizens who have visited rural streams and have been exposed to freshwater. One of our patients had two leeches lodged in his nasal cavities. Therefore, it is also important to re-examine both nasal cavities after the removal of one leech.”
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Discoblog: NCBI ROFL: health issues I wish I didn’t know about
Here’s a quick snapshot looking at my observatory. In the foreground you can see a generator and one of my bbq grills (yeah, I have a couple and am getting ready to build a chicken cooker, party sized YAY!) anyway, you can kind of get sense of what’s been going on today.
At 5pm we had 17 inches and it contained 1.5 inches of water so you know it was heavy.
Between this snow and the boiler that blew up downstairs, it’s been a bit crazy.
We will get the snow all cleaned up in the morning and will wait for the next storm tomorrow night.
Microsoft's Beijing office filed a patent yesterday for an unusual little device with two distinct functions: one side is an inductive charging pad, for, say, a mouse. The other features a tiny built-in display for displaying headlines or sports scores.
Sometimes mash-ups are just right, creating something that's greater than the sum of its parts. Sometimes, well, they just plain remain the sum of those parts. This mashed-up peripheral falls somewhere in between.
Though the tiny screen doesn't look like it'll be a great boon to your data intake, it should suffice for signaling new Tweets or scrolling the occasional news item. Also nifty is that the device doesn't hog twice the power: a built-in accelerometer detects which side is in use and reduce the juice pumping to the opposite face.
After Microsoft's patent showed up on the internet yesterday, people were quick to connect it with months-old photographs of a prototype device given away at Microsoft Research Asia's 10th Anniversary celebration. Its name: the uPad. Ha!
So the name won't stick, and it's not exactly a multi-function powerhouse, but at least Microsoft's looking to make an inductive charging pad that's a little bit more than just an inductive charging pad. [Engadget]
NASA Chief Bolden reorganizes his space agency (includes memo excerpts with other changes), Orlando Sentinel
"As announced previously, the Office of Strategic Communications will be disbanded. ... Office of Public Affairs: This organization will be renamed the Office of Communications and will be led by an Associate Administrator. The Associate Administrator for the Office of Communications will report to the Office of the Administrator and will also serve as NASA Press Secretary (also see "Changes in Center Reporting")..."
Keith's note: Curiously, the description of NASA PAO AA Morrie Goodman's job - as offered by Goodman himself last week during a meeting of the NASA Advisory Council's Education and Public Outreach Committee - is a little bit more expansive. Make that MUCH more expansive. If you listen to this video (starting at around 08:25) Goodman says:
"I have three goals. Number one is I need to make sure that the agency's message is heard loud and clear and that our position is well known, well articulated, in the best way possible for people to understand and hopefuly come to the same conclusions that we do about the things that we do and where we are going. The other job that I have is to be - I am the White House liaison for space. Uh, uh, um, In that fashion I have to articulate not only NASA's view but - you know, it is NASA's view - because what the President decides for NASA is what NASA does - basically."
"I am the White House liaison for space"? Hmm. I thought David Noble was the White House Liaison. It even says so here at NASA.gov. Goodman is the guy who is supposed to do all of NASA's messaging "loud and clear", so what he said must be accurate, right?
Embedded video below
Monogamy isn’t popular in the amphibian world. From frogs to salamanders, life in cold blood is all about meeting new ladies and hitting the road once the kids are born. So the male of a species of Peruvian poison frog (Ranitomeya imitator) stands out by proving that he is quite the keeper. He’s not only the first monogamous frog ever found, he also stays home and makes sure the tadpoles are fed.
Scientists studying these frogs say this unusual behavior–monogamy and co-operative parenting–could be directly attributed to the limited resources available to the frogs. They note that a broad study of 404 frog species show that species that deal with reduced food availability and greater difficulty in tadpole-rearing are more likely to have frog couples that work together to raise the young.
These findings could possibly shed some light on the way our hunter-gatherer ancestors approached monogamy. Details of the findings are to be published in the April issue of The American Naturalist.
Scientists studying the mating and parenting habits of R. imitator frogs found that the female frog lays her eggs on leaves for the male to fertilize. When the fertilized eggs hatch into tadpoles, males of other frog species like Ranitomeya vairabilis normally hop away, thinking their job is done. But the R.imitator male sticks around to carry the tadpoles on his back to individual pools of water where they can grow in safety, under dad’s watchful eye. The female frog stays behind, but is summoned to service by the male once a week for a few months; she hops to the tadpole-rearing pools to lay unfertilized eggs for the hungry tadpoles to eat.
Evolutionary ecologist Kyle Summers was studying the frogs, and wondered if the size of the pool had anything to with the way the frogs approached joint parenting. R. variabilis favors larger pools, whereas R. imitator frogs place their young in less than 2 tablespoons of nutrient-poor water, perhaps because R. variabilis as a species snagged the prime pools first [ScienceNow Daily News]. Using available data on 404 frog species, scientists observed that frog species that raised their tadpoles in small pools were likely to be more doting parents; the findings suggest that if the pools were bigger, the frogs wouldn’t have to remain faithful, as they wouldn’t be tied by their need to work together to raise their brood [BBC].
To make sure that the frogs were truly being faithful to their partners, the researchers took DNA from the toes of parent frogs and the tails of their tadpoles and found that 11 out of the 12 seemingly monogamous couples they monitored over the mating season had been sexually faithful making R. variabilis the first known monogamous amphibian [ScienceNow Daily News].
The scientists say that studying the frogs could give us insight into the role that resources play in monogamy, and suggest that when human hunter-gatherers had to scramble for food and warmth, they were less likely to stray.
Related Content:
80beats: Frogs Pee Away Scientists’ Attempts To Study Them
Discoblog: Video: How Male Frogs Kick up a Frog Froth to Protect Their Young
80beats: Commitment-Phobic Men Can Blame Their DNA
DISCOVER: Sex and the Female Agenda
DISCOVER: Sex and Control
DISCOVER: Mating Like an Animal: The Real Story
Image: Flickr/Phrakt
New from Dan Mitchell
Is there any financial privacy left now that new banking regulations have taken effect?
Chinese citizens hoping to share dirty jokes or flirtation via text message will now be subject to Beijing’s all-seeing eyes. After policing the Internet and censoring online dissent, the Chinese government has stepped up its monitoring of cell phone messages in the country. The government is encouraging people to be mindful of the texts they send, and is asking them to refrain from writing or forwarding any smutty messages or pornographic content.
State controlled-media has reported on the new effort to clean up cell phone messages. Mobile service providers in Guangzhou, Beijing, and Shanghai are reportedly trying a text-filtering system, looking for porn or sexual content in short messages–which the Chinese refer to as “yellow texts.”
The Economist reports on the new message-filtering initiative:
Those caught sending yellow ones risked having their phone’s text function blocked. Restoring it would require a visit to the police and a written pledge not to text smut again.
The move is provoking howls of protest among texters and online users. The Economist writes that one popular blogger said he would continue sending text messages until he found out what words caught the attention of the administration’s censors. A newspaper article complained that the filtering was unconstitutional, prompting one official in Guangzhou to clarify only those who send an estimated 300 smutty messages an hour were likely to be penalized (huh, huh).
Beijing has also decided to fight back against the profusion of “yellow texts” by launching a “red text” campaign–encouraging texters to send politically correct “red texts,” which normally consist of Mao’s sayings or party propaganda.
Related Content:
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80beats: Google to China: No More Internet Censorship, Or We Leave
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80beats: China Bans Electroshock Therapy for “Internet Addiction”
80beats: China’s Internet Users Force Government to Back Down on Censorship
Image: Flickr/Madhatrk
An Open Letter to NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden, Homer Hickam
"It was for that reason, I guess, that I was so surprised at how you've treated a lot of the people who work for you, all of whom also love our country and spaceflight. Maybe you weren't aware that many of those people were pulling 80-hour weeks doing everything they could do move the Constellation moon program forward. The impersonal manner in which you informed them that their work was no longer needed was not good, Charlie. Nor was the fact you allowed the program that defined NASA's future to be closed down with nothing concrete to take its place. I mean, a good manager would never allow a thing like that to happen. That's why I think you were as surprised as everybody else when you got your orders from the White House. At least, I hope you were."
Space Pioneer Burt Rutan Blasts NASA Plan, WS Journal
"Commercial space pioneer Burt Rutan has sharply criticized Obama administration proposals to outsource key portions of NASA's manned space program to private firms. The White House wants NASA to use outside firms to develop and operate new rockets and spacecraft that would transport astronauts into orbit and beyond, functions that had previously been considered a core function of the agency. Mr. Rutan, a veteran aerospace designer and entrepreneur, in a letter addressed to lawmakers on Capitol Hill, says he is "fearful that the commercial guys will fail" to deliver on the promises to get beyond low earth orbit, and that the policy risks setting back the nation's space program."
A better way to go where no one has gone before, opinion by Scott Hubbard, SF Chronicle
"Some complain that the plan concedes the moon to the Chinese. This is nonsense. The United States landed on the moon six times more than 40 years ago. As Buzz Aldrin, the second man on the moon, has pointed out, it is far more logical to partner with the Chinese on the exceedingly expensive trip to the moon. In the meantime, many of us have identified the "flexible path" as a way of moving human exploration ever more deeply into space beyond low-Earth orbit, while keeping Mars as the ultimate goal."
Losing sight of the Moon?, ABC
"Like other NASA astronauts and scientists working on the complex Constellation program, Andy Thomas was surprised when the White House chose to dump the entire project. "Many of us who'd been working in Constellation and watching Constellation had recognised that some elements were not going in the right direction," he said. "We were not surprised when they were cancelled, we were surprised when the entire program was cancelled and done so without a clear plan of what the going forward position was. The wording was rather vague."
Water, water everywhere. Another pass of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, made by the Cassini spacecraft last November, shows at least 30 geysers blasting water from the moon’s south pole. That’s 20 more than were previously known at that location. In addition, the most detailed infrared map of one of the south pole’s fissures, where jets emanate, indicates that the surface temperature there might be as high as 200 kelvins (-73º Celsius), or about 20 kelvins warmer than previously estimated [Discovery News]. Cassini drew to within about 1,000 miles of Enceladus to measure this geological feature, which is a fracture–one of the moon’s so-called “tiger stripes”–about a quarter-mile deep officially called Baghdad Sulcus.
While 200 kelvins is still a frigid temperature for we humans, research team member John Spencer said it could make a big difference on Enceladus. “The huge amount of heat pouring out of the tiger stripe fractures may be enough to melt the ice underground,” Spencer said. ”Results like this make Enceladus one of the most exciting places we’ve found in the solar system” [Wired.com].
For more info (and some spectacular photos), check out DISCOVER blogger Phil Plait’s post at Bad Astronomy. And see 80beats’ previous coverage of Enceladus below:
Bad Astronomy: Enceladus Is Erupting!
80beats: Cassini Probe Finds “Ingredients For Life” on Saturn’s Moon Enceladus
80beats: Antifreeze Might Allow For Oceans—And Life—On Enceladus
80beats: Does Enceladus, Saturn’s Geyser-Spouting Moon, Have Liquid Oceans?
80beats: New Evidence of Hospitable Conditions for Life on Saturn’s Moons
80beats: Geysers From Saturn’s Moon May Indicate Liquid Lakes, and a Chance for Life
80beats: Cassini Spacecraft Snaps Pictures of Saturn’s Geyser-Spouting Moon
Image: NASA/JPL/GSFC/SWRI/SSI
The 
