http://dilbert.com/strip/2014-07-13
Thursday, April 30, 2015
The problem with automation
One of the problems with self driving cars is that it will probably encourage people to drive more.
http://dilbert.com/strip/2014-07-13
http://dilbert.com/strip/2014-07-13
DJ Steve Porter - "Press Hop"
I love this comment:
"I'm sitting here i supposed to be valedictorian and we in here talking bout studying..how the heck can I make myself better by studying not a test not a test..we talking bout studying."
"I'm sitting here i supposed to be valedictorian and we in here talking bout studying..how the heck can I make myself better by studying not a test not a test..we talking bout studying."
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
SI swimsuit cover
How long before Sports Illustrated has a centerfold?
Hannah Davis says Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover isn’t that naughty:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/wp/2015/02/10/hannah-davis-says-sports-illustrated-swimsuit-cover-isnt-that-naughty/
Hannah Davis says Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover isn’t that naughty:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/wp/2015/02/10/hannah-davis-says-sports-illustrated-swimsuit-cover-isnt-that-naughty/
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Shatner's Toupee
Now I think I've seen everything...
http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/
Shatner's Toupee is the public information service of the William Shatner School of Toupological Studies, one of the world's foremost scientific and research institutions.
http://shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com/
Shatner's Toupee is the public information service of the William Shatner School of Toupological Studies, one of the world's foremost scientific and research institutions.
24 hour clock
While we're on the subject of clocks, how about a 24 hour clock.
I like this 24 hour noon at the top clock.
https://staticfree.info/projects/24h_clock/
Here's a mechanism for a 24 hour clock.
"This 24-Hour European/Military Time Clock Movement makes a clock that shows 24 hours on the dial, a wonderful way to teach your family the European or military way of telling time."
http://www.klockit.com/products/dept-157__sku-BBBII.html
I like this 24 hour noon at the top clock.
https://staticfree.info/projects/24h_clock/
Here's a mechanism for a 24 hour clock.
"This 24-Hour European/Military Time Clock Movement makes a clock that shows 24 hours on the dial, a wonderful way to teach your family the European or military way of telling time."
http://www.klockit.com/products/dept-157__sku-BBBII.html
25 microchips that shook the world
http://spectrum.ieee.org/semiconductors/processors/25-microchips-that-shook-the-world
"Suffice it to say that they gave us the technology that made our brief, otherwise tedious existence in this universe worth living."
"Suffice it to say that they gave us the technology that made our brief, otherwise tedious existence in this universe worth living."
How long should a car last?
How long should a car last?
I think a modern car should last at least 200,000 miles and 20 years (assuming 10,000 miles per year)
How long does it actually end up in practice?
According to the NHTSA, the 2006 VEHICLE SURVIVABILITY AND TRAVEL MILEAGE SCHEDULES document
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/809952.pdf says that after 20 years, less than 1 percent of the cars are still on the road.
Trucks though, last longer. After 20 years, still about a quarter are on the road.
"The updated analysis shows that a typical passenger car will travel a lifetime mileage of 152,137 miles, while light trucks will travel 179,954 miles."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_longevity
http://business.time.com/2012/03/20/what-you-only-have-100k-miles-on-your-car-thats-nothing/
I think a modern car should last at least 200,000 miles and 20 years (assuming 10,000 miles per year)
How long does it actually end up in practice?
According to the NHTSA, the 2006 VEHICLE SURVIVABILITY AND TRAVEL MILEAGE SCHEDULES document
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/809952.pdf says that after 20 years, less than 1 percent of the cars are still on the road.
Trucks though, last longer. After 20 years, still about a quarter are on the road.
"The updated analysis shows that a typical passenger car will travel a lifetime mileage of 152,137 miles, while light trucks will travel 179,954 miles."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_longevity
http://business.time.com/2012/03/20/what-you-only-have-100k-miles-on-your-car-thats-nothing/
Inevitable Inventions
It is truly amazing the amount of human progress, especially in the last 100 years. I posit that all of the inventions that we enjoy today were inevitable. Someone would have invented it sooner or later. Once you reach a certain point in technological development that it's a question not of if, but when.
The printing press, the telephone, the car, the lens, the computer, the radio, radar, the gun, the atomic bomb, jets, concrete, the frigerator, and the list goes on.
One of the interesting things to me is how many things were discovered/invented right about at the same moment in time independently.
The printing press, the telephone, the car, the lens, the computer, the radio, radar, the gun, the atomic bomb, jets, concrete, the frigerator, and the list goes on.
One of the interesting things to me is how many things were discovered/invented right about at the same moment in time independently.
Monday, April 27, 2015
The man who counted to a million
Harper counted for approximately 16 hours per day from June 18 to Sep 14, 2007.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Harper
Reminds me of this news report I saw once about this man who was obsessed with counting to a million with his printing calculator. Every day he would sit and press +1 for hours and print roll after roll. That's dedication.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Harper
Reminds me of this news report I saw once about this man who was obsessed with counting to a million with his printing calculator. Every day he would sit and press +1 for hours and print roll after roll. That's dedication.
Oh Sherrie 1984
I really like this video. I always misheard the lyrics "after all your words of steel" as "after all you was a steal" and "now I know just why you stay" as "now I know you lie you stay."
Hp Scitex Printer
Hp Scitex printer. Man, that thing is huge. (In my best Tiny Elvis voice)
Either that's one big printer or that's Darby O'Gill.
Either that's one big printer or that's Darby O'Gill.
Excessive Alcohol Consumption Costs $223 Billion Per Year
From an article at http://www.cdc.gov/features/alcoholconsumption/, the CDC says that excessive alcohol consumption costs $223 billion per year.
http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/alcohol-facts-and-statistics
"Excessive alcohol use led to approximately 88,000 deaths and 2.5 million years of potential life lost (YPLL) each year in the United States from 2006 – 2010, shortening the lives of those who died by an average of 30 years."
http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm
http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/alcohol-facts-and-statistics
"Excessive alcohol use led to approximately 88,000 deaths and 2.5 million years of potential life lost (YPLL) each year in the United States from 2006 – 2010, shortening the lives of those who died by an average of 30 years."
http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm
Why doesn't everyone drive on the right?
According to wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-_and_left-hand_traffic, 65 percent of the world's population drive on the right hand side, and 35 percent drive on the left.
I reckon that if there's a way to do something different, people will do it.
I remember some of the old PCs had floppy drive cables that were backwards. I got an old PC once and was trying to reuse the floppy drive and killed the drive because I plugged it in backwards.
I suppose there's reasons why they drive on the left, probably to protect the local car industry.
What's kind of interesting is that it seems logical to walk on the right side of the sidewalk as well if you drive on the right side. Maybe it has something to do with people being right handed? I always thought it was easier to make a right hand basketball layup approaching from the right side of the basket.
I reckon that if there's a way to do something different, people will do it.
I remember some of the old PCs had floppy drive cables that were backwards. I got an old PC once and was trying to reuse the floppy drive and killed the drive because I plugged it in backwards.
I suppose there's reasons why they drive on the left, probably to protect the local car industry.
What's kind of interesting is that it seems logical to walk on the right side of the sidewalk as well if you drive on the right side. Maybe it has something to do with people being right handed? I always thought it was easier to make a right hand basketball layup approaching from the right side of the basket.
Sunday, April 26, 2015
Interstellar music reminds me of Koyaanisqatsi
Koyaanisqatsi really sticks in my head. The music in Interstellar reminded me of the Koyaanisqatsi organ music by Philip Glass.
Superman Returns Trailer
While I'm on the subject of Superman, I really liked this trailer for Superman Returns. The combination of the voiceover and music is perfect.
ABC Movie Open - Superman 1982
I always thought that the music and the computer graphics for the ABC movie opens was really cool. Complete with Atari commercial, the intros for the ABC Superman broadcast.
I want a silent remote workstation
I hate fan noise. I want a workstation that has a remote module that gives me my display and keyboard allowing the main computer system to be somewhere else (like in the basement.)
There's something great about a perfectly quiet workspace.
And a remote station over ethernet so I could have a remote station in different rooms all connected to the same main system.
And without any compromises regarding video resolution, speed and quality.
I remember these old black IBM Aptivas that had a separate module from the main computer that housed the CD, floppy, and monitor outputs. I think they called it the "IBM Aptiva Media Console."
Something like that over ethernet, and fairly cheap (<$100). Maybe something like the Ncomputing L300.
Or something like these KVM Extenders from Aten: http://www.aten-usa.com/KVM-Extender.htm
There's something great about a perfectly quiet workspace.
And a remote station over ethernet so I could have a remote station in different rooms all connected to the same main system.
And without any compromises regarding video resolution, speed and quality.
I remember these old black IBM Aptivas that had a separate module from the main computer that housed the CD, floppy, and monitor outputs. I think they called it the "IBM Aptiva Media Console."
Something like that over ethernet, and fairly cheap (<$100). Maybe something like the Ncomputing L300.
Or something like these KVM Extenders from Aten: http://www.aten-usa.com/KVM-Extender.htm
Saturday, April 25, 2015
The 35 dollar tablet
Remember the 35 dollar tablet from India? I remember that people said that it was impossible: you could never get the costs down that low. Well, thanks to Moore's law, you can buy tablets now for $35.
http://gizmodo.com/5594441/35-dollar-tablet-will-cost-20-eventually-10
http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/05/indias-35-tablet-is-here-for-real-called-aakash-costs-60/
And if you go to Amazon, they have some that are $35.99. (Not quite $35 but close enough)
Electronics : Computers & Accessories : Tablets : $25 to $50
http://gizmodo.com/5594441/35-dollar-tablet-will-cost-20-eventually-10
http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/05/indias-35-tablet-is-here-for-real-called-aakash-costs-60/
And if you go to Amazon, they have some that are $35.99. (Not quite $35 but close enough)
Electronics : Computers & Accessories : Tablets : $25 to $50
What's the deal with grape nuts?
I could never eat grape nuts cereal. It's just like little rocks. I think it must've been invented by a dentist. This guy loves it though.
Galaxy Collisions - simulations vs observations
It's really amazing how the observations line up with these simulations.
Sea Named Solaris
This music at times reminds me of Wendy Carlos in Switched On Bach. It's "The Sea Named "Solaris"" by Isao Tomita. It was used in the Cosmos series by Carl Sagan. Cosmos had such a great soundtrack.
The most recognizable part starts around the 3:00 mark.
Genius of Wendy Carlos
Wendy Carlos made some really fantastic music. I listened to Switched-On Bach over and over again when I was growing up. Pure Genius. She also did the music for Tron, one of my favorite movies.
Most of her stuff has been pulled from youtube (I seem to remember there being more) so this is all I could find.
Most of her stuff has been pulled from youtube (I seem to remember there being more) so this is all I could find.
It was the best of times, It was the worst of times
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only."
This quote from a Tale of Two Cities speaks for itself.
This quote from a Tale of Two Cities speaks for itself.
Friday, April 24, 2015
Melissa Benoist - James McAvoy
Just got through watching Whiplash and saw the very cute Melissa Benoist for the first time. She reminds me of James McAvoy. They could be brother and sister.
Why don't Americans buy wagons?
I never could understand why Americans don't buy station wagons. There's all kinds of great wagons sold in Europe, including Focus and Fusion Estates. I don't get why Subaru can sell a ton of Outbacks here but US car manufacturers won't make wagons available.
http://gas2.org/2014/02/25/six-sexy-station-wagons-we-wish-were-sold-in-america/
https://www.yahoo.com/autos/bp/global-conspiracy-keep-wagons-americans-hands-232617634.html
http://gas2.org/2014/02/25/six-sexy-station-wagons-we-wish-were-sold-in-america/
https://www.yahoo.com/autos/bp/global-conspiracy-keep-wagons-americans-hands-232617634.html
Supercomputer on your desktop
There are a few things that I thought I'd never see. One is that I'd have a supercomputer on my desktop. Gigahertz speeds, gigabytes of ram, fast 3d video, terabytes of hard disk space, and network connectivity to the global internet.
30 years ago it was all theoretical but Moore's law turned it into a reality.
Most importantly, it's all cheap. Anyone can afford a computer now. Heck, your smartphone is basically a portable supercomputer. It's truly the democratization of computer power.
I remember flipping through a computer magazine back in the 80s with pictures of an Evans and Sutherland flight simulator, dreaming of how awesome that would be. Now, flight simulator software is commonplace.
A computer faster than a Cray supercomputer of old sits on my desk.
64 kilobytes to 64 gigabytes, that's like a factor of 1E6 (a million times improvement)
30 years ago it was all theoretical but Moore's law turned it into a reality.
Most importantly, it's all cheap. Anyone can afford a computer now. Heck, your smartphone is basically a portable supercomputer. It's truly the democratization of computer power.
I remember flipping through a computer magazine back in the 80s with pictures of an Evans and Sutherland flight simulator, dreaming of how awesome that would be. Now, flight simulator software is commonplace.
A computer faster than a Cray supercomputer of old sits on my desk.
64 kilobytes to 64 gigabytes, that's like a factor of 1E6 (a million times improvement)
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Car crashes cost 871 billion a year
According to this article in the USA Today, car accidents cost 871 billion a year. That's huge.
Staggering toll: Car crashes cost $871 billion a year
From an article at rmiia.org, in 2012 there were 5.4 million car accidents, 2.36 million injuries, and 33,561 fatalities.
These are pretty big numbers.
http://www.rmiia.org/auto/traffic_safety/Cost_of_crashes.asp
If it were a disease, it'd be considered an epidemic. And these numbers don't really change a lot from year to year.
Let's be safe out there.
Staggering toll: Car crashes cost $871 billion a year
From an article at rmiia.org, in 2012 there were 5.4 million car accidents, 2.36 million injuries, and 33,561 fatalities.
These are pretty big numbers.
http://www.rmiia.org/auto/traffic_safety/Cost_of_crashes.asp
If it were a disease, it'd be considered an epidemic. And these numbers don't really change a lot from year to year.
Let's be safe out there.
Why are degrees measured with 360 instead of 120?
If you measured degrees with a full sweep of 120 instead of 360 it would line up with the numbers on a clock. To translate a clock number to degrees with a 120 degree circle just multiply by 10.
I suppose all I have to do with a 360 degree circle is multiply the clock number by 30.
Perhaps it's just easier to have 90 degrees for each quadrant. 90 is a nice round number.
And people like round numbers, like 100 for each quadrant. So they made up gradians (or gon) which is 400 degrees making a circle.
Units. They can make your head spin. 360 degree spin, that is.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Degree_%28angle%29
I suppose all I have to do with a 360 degree circle is multiply the clock number by 30.
Perhaps it's just easier to have 90 degrees for each quadrant. 90 is a nice round number.
And people like round numbers, like 100 for each quadrant. So they made up gradians (or gon) which is 400 degrees making a circle.
Units. They can make your head spin. 360 degree spin, that is.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Degree_%28angle%29
Toshiba television half-mute
I like my Toshiba TV except for one thing: the half mute. You press mute, and instead of shutting off the sound, it goes to half volume. Another press is required to fully mute the TV.
There's no way in the control panel to change this behavior. Ridiculous.
When I press the mute button I want it to mute!
Sorry, I had to rant. I feel much better now.
There's no way in the control panel to change this behavior. Ridiculous.
When I press the mute button I want it to mute!
Sorry, I had to rant. I feel much better now.
Your car might be faking it
One of the controversies these days is whether your car is faking the engine noise.
The Washington Post writes that "The engine growl in some of America’s best-selling cars and trucks is actually a finely tuned bit of lip-syncing".
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/americas-best-selling-cars-and-trucks-are-built-on-lies-the-rise-of-fake-engine-noise/2015/01/21/6db09a10-a0ba-11e4-b146-577832eafcb4_story.html
Who cares? I think if it sounds good, why not? You ought to be able to shut it off though if you want to run silent.
*gasp* An engine that's quiet and smooth running? Heresy you say. It must not be very powerful then.
I see they are having to make electric cars sound noisy to make pedestrians aware of their presence. Imagine a prius that sounds like a Harley Davidson.
(n+1)(n-1)
(n+1)(n-1) = n^2 - 1
Ahhh my good friends (n+1) and (n-1). I swear I must have factored n^2 - 1 a million times during various math classes.
But it's kind of cool that when you multiply n-1 and n+1 that you get n^2 - 1.
Like 3*5 = 15
or 15*17 = 255 (reminds me of CHS numbers for my old hard drive)
or 9*11 = 99
or 99*101 = 9999
or 9999*10001 = 99999999
The power of algebra.
Ahhh my good friends (n+1) and (n-1). I swear I must have factored n^2 - 1 a million times during various math classes.
But it's kind of cool that when you multiply n-1 and n+1 that you get n^2 - 1.
Like 3*5 = 15
or 15*17 = 255 (reminds me of CHS numbers for my old hard drive)
or 9*11 = 99
or 99*101 = 9999
or 9999*10001 = 99999999
The power of algebra.
Calendar Reform
Calendar Reform.
It never made sense to me that we've got different calendars for every year. Why not just have a single calendar that starts a year on the same day?
Leave it to the Romans to make a wacky short month (February) so that the first half of the year has 181 days and the second half has 184.
30 days hath September, April, June and November. (9, 4, 6, 11) and all the rest have 31 except for February.
One of the first tests of the United Nations was to study the problem and give up on it back in 1957.
I kind of liked the 13 month calendar, which was adopted by George Eastman for Eastman Kodak.
What to do with all of those pesky remainder days. Maybe in the future they'll be able to change the Earth's orbit to make it exactly 360 days.
Oh well, in the meantime I guess I'll have to keep buying calendars...and working on my Rain Man skills. 10 minutes to Wapner!
It never made sense to me that we've got different calendars for every year. Why not just have a single calendar that starts a year on the same day?
Leave it to the Romans to make a wacky short month (February) so that the first half of the year has 181 days and the second half has 184.
30 days hath September, April, June and November. (9, 4, 6, 11) and all the rest have 31 except for February.
One of the first tests of the United Nations was to study the problem and give up on it back in 1957.
I kind of liked the 13 month calendar, which was adopted by George Eastman for Eastman Kodak.
What to do with all of those pesky remainder days. Maybe in the future they'll be able to change the Earth's orbit to make it exactly 360 days.
Oh well, in the meantime I guess I'll have to keep buying calendars...and working on my Rain Man skills. 10 minutes to Wapner!
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Ulysses the way back to earth has been wiped from my memory
I really loved the show Ulysses 31 back in the 80s. It was a really dark show with villains at every turn. The ship design of the Odyssey was very distinctive.
What a great idea to put the story of Ulysses in the 31st century and "futurize it".
The music from the show was really great.
A group called parallax has redone the music from the show and it is freaking awesome.
At the bottom of this page at the parallax website you can download some demo tracks.
http://www.parallax.fr/9.ulysse31str/ulysse31str.htm
What a great idea to put the story of Ulysses in the 31st century and "futurize it".
The music from the show was really great.
A group called parallax has redone the music from the show and it is freaking awesome.
At the bottom of this page at the parallax website you can download some demo tracks.
http://www.parallax.fr/9.ulysse31str/ulysse31str.htm
Interstellar Movie Rating PG-13
I was curious why it was rated PG-13, so I had a look.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0816692/parentalguide
What's interesting is how the ratings differ in each country:
Argentina:13 / Australia:M / Austria:12 / Brazil:10 / Canada:PG / Canada:G (Quebec) / France:U / Germany:12 / Hong Kong:IIA / India:U/A / Ireland:12A / Italy:T / Japan:G / Mexico:B / Netherlands:12 / New Zealand:M / Norway:11 / Philippines:PG-13 / Portugal:M/12 / Singapore:PG13 / South Korea:12 / Sweden:11 / Switzerland:12 / Thailand:G / UK:12A / USA:PG-13 (Approved No. 49218)
Some are age 13, some age 12, some are 10, and in Thailand it's G for general audiences.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0816692/parentalguide
What's interesting is how the ratings differ in each country:
Argentina:13 / Australia:M / Austria:12 / Brazil:10 / Canada:PG / Canada:G (Quebec) / France:U / Germany:12 / Hong Kong:IIA / India:U/A / Ireland:12A / Italy:T / Japan:G / Mexico:B / Netherlands:12 / New Zealand:M / Norway:11 / Philippines:PG-13 / Portugal:M/12 / Singapore:PG13 / South Korea:12 / Sweden:11 / Switzerland:12 / Thailand:G / UK:12A / USA:PG-13 (Approved No. 49218)
Some are age 13, some age 12, some are 10, and in Thailand it's G for general audiences.
Spider Man music from 1978
and my favorite incidental music which is called "the captive tower"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YF4vW_wxh0c&t=8m00s
Things I learn from my patients
There's this classic thread at studentdoctor.net called "Things I learn from my patients" where they recount their experiences. Just one trinket:
Stay away from people named "Some Guy" or "This One Dude", because they for whatever reason, just punch someone in the face or hit them with a crowbar and run off.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/things-i-learn-from-my-patients.257985/
Stay away from people named "Some Guy" or "This One Dude", because they for whatever reason, just punch someone in the face or hit them with a crowbar and run off.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/things-i-learn-from-my-patients.257985/
Battlestar Galactica 1978 viper control panel
Joel Owens made some recreations of the Viper control panels from Battlestar Galactica. I was amused by the RS-232 panel.
http://www.joelowens.org/bsg/viper.html
http://www.joelowens.org/bsg/viper.html
Battlestar Galactica Units
I was always amused by the time units in Battlestar Galactica. You've got centons and centars for minutes and hours. I thought it was cool that it was all base 10 like the metric system. Now wait just a centon!
http://en.battlestarwiki.org/wiki/List_of_terms_%28TOS%29#Units_of_Measure
http://en.battlestarwiki.org/wiki/List_of_terms_%28TOS%29#Units_of_Measure
How cool is the number 12
I always liked numbers and I think one of the coolest is the number 12. Why is 12 cool? Well for one, it's used for clocks. And what's neat is that 12 is evenly divisible by 2,3,4 and 6. So it's one of these highly abundant numbers. It's actually a superabundant number.
I don't know what all that means, but I'm sure if I mention it I'll look smart and that I know what I'm talking about.
Other superabundant numbers are 1, 2, 4, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 120, 180, 240, 360, 720, 840, 1260, 1680, 2520, 5040, 10080, 15120, 25200, 27720, 55440, 110880, 166320, 277200, 332640, 554400, 665280, 720720, 1441440, 2162160, 3603600, 4324320, 7207200, 8648640, 10810800, 21621600.
There's actually a catalog of number sequences where this is listed as http://oeis.org/A004394
And our good friends 24, 60 and 360 show up here. 24 is used for hours in a day, 60 for minutes in an hour and 360 is used for degree measure (and is really close to the number of days in a year). 12 is also the number of months in a year. And the number of inches in a foot.
This post is brought to you by the letters A,B and the number 12.
I don't know what all that means, but I'm sure if I mention it I'll look smart and that I know what I'm talking about.
Other superabundant numbers are 1, 2, 4, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 120, 180, 240, 360, 720, 840, 1260, 1680, 2520, 5040, 10080, 15120, 25200, 27720, 55440, 110880, 166320, 277200, 332640, 554400, 665280, 720720, 1441440, 2162160, 3603600, 4324320, 7207200, 8648640, 10810800, 21621600.
There's actually a catalog of number sequences where this is listed as http://oeis.org/A004394
And our good friends 24, 60 and 360 show up here. 24 is used for hours in a day, 60 for minutes in an hour and 360 is used for degree measure (and is really close to the number of days in a year). 12 is also the number of months in a year. And the number of inches in a foot.
This post is brought to you by the letters A,B and the number 12.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Stephen Curry hits 77 straight 3 point shots
During practice, Warriors guard Stephen Curry hit 77 straight 3 pointers. That's impressive. I think I could miss 77 in a row.
http://www.si.com/nba/2015/04/15/warriors-stephen-curry-77-straight-three-pointers-practice
http://www.si.com/nba/2015/04/15/warriors-stephen-curry-77-straight-three-pointers-practice
Word crimes
Great video and song...
I guess that Weird Al got some flak for using the phrase "cause you write like a spastic". Maybe he could have used drastic or tragic instead. Reminds me of when Tiger Woods said that he played like a "spaz".
I guess that Weird Al got some flak for using the phrase "cause you write like a spastic". Maybe he could have used drastic or tragic instead. Reminds me of when Tiger Woods said that he played like a "spaz".
The woman who sewed 21 million sweatpants
From http://articles.latimes.com/2002/feb/20/news/mn-28906
February 20, 2002|JEFFREY GETTLEMAN | TIMES STAFF WRITER
MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Some people climb mountains. Margaret Blankenship has sewn one--out of sweatpants, 21,565,440 pairs of them, to be exact.
Every single workday for the last 36 years, the bundles of fuzzy cotton kept coming and Blankenship kept stitching, making more sweatpants along the line at the VF Imagewear factory than anybody in company history.
Absolutely incredible. But it didn't stop them from closing the plant.
February 20, 2002|JEFFREY GETTLEMAN | TIMES STAFF WRITER
MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Some people climb mountains. Margaret Blankenship has sewn one--out of sweatpants, 21,565,440 pairs of them, to be exact.
Every single workday for the last 36 years, the bundles of fuzzy cotton kept coming and Blankenship kept stitching, making more sweatpants along the line at the VF Imagewear factory than anybody in company history.
Absolutely incredible. But it didn't stop them from closing the plant.
Achilles heel of modern industrial society - Cheap Energy
All of the abundance that we enjoy in the modern world is because we have "energy slaves" working for us.
There's an interesting book about the Energy of Slaves by Andrew Nikiforuk.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Energy-Slaves-Andrew-Nikiforuk/dp/1771640103
Without this massive input of energy, industrial society grinds to a screeching halt. Look at how sensitive our current economic structure is to the price of oil.
When gas approaches $4 per gallon - *poof* - demand collapses. Certain activities become instantly "uneconomic". This pattern has been repeated a few times in recent memory. I like to go to gasbuddy.com and do a price chart for the last 12 years.
I would say that the economic structure is quite fragile if it can't handle $4 per gallon gas. Europe has been paying quite a bit more than that for awhile.
Maybe people stop buying SUVs and start conserving when they have to pay the true cost of things.
What happens when we get $10 per gallon gas? Or even $20?
http://www.amazon.com/20-Per-Gallon-Inevitable-Gasoline/dp/B005HKMWXQ
There's an interesting book about the Energy of Slaves by Andrew Nikiforuk.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Energy-Slaves-Andrew-Nikiforuk/dp/1771640103
Without this massive input of energy, industrial society grinds to a screeching halt. Look at how sensitive our current economic structure is to the price of oil.
When gas approaches $4 per gallon - *poof* - demand collapses. Certain activities become instantly "uneconomic". This pattern has been repeated a few times in recent memory. I like to go to gasbuddy.com and do a price chart for the last 12 years.
I would say that the economic structure is quite fragile if it can't handle $4 per gallon gas. Europe has been paying quite a bit more than that for awhile.
Maybe people stop buying SUVs and start conserving when they have to pay the true cost of things.
What happens when we get $10 per gallon gas? Or even $20?
http://www.amazon.com/20-Per-Gallon-Inevitable-Gasoline/dp/B005HKMWXQ
Monday, April 20, 2015
RTS games had the best music - KKND2
I really loved this game from Melbourne House. It's one of the few games I've played through. The music was awesome. I really like the sax on the third track.
If you missed this years ago, get it at GOG for $6. On ebay they want your first and second born for it.
http://www.gog.com/game/krush_kill_n_destroy_2_krossfire
If you missed this years ago, get it at GOG for $6. On ebay they want your first and second born for it.
http://www.gog.com/game/krush_kill_n_destroy_2_krossfire
RTS games had the best music - Dark Reign
I don't know why, but it seems that RTS games had the best music. Dark Reign was pretty cool:
RTS games are like crack
I have always found RTS (real time strategy) games addictive. They just keep you so busy constantly, you look up and hours have flown by.
Good thing I never tried World of Warcraft. I prefer the "old classics" like Starcraft, Dark Reign, Z, Z2:Steel Soldiers, KKND/Xtreme/KKND2, AOE2, Emperor Battle for Dune, Dune2000, Dune2, Battlezone and Total Annihilation. Goodness those were good games.
And who needs 3d? It's amazing how awesome they were before all of the infatuation with 3d. (ok, so Battlezone was 3d, and what a great game it was).
Good thing I never tried World of Warcraft. I prefer the "old classics" like Starcraft, Dark Reign, Z, Z2:Steel Soldiers, KKND/Xtreme/KKND2, AOE2, Emperor Battle for Dune, Dune2000, Dune2, Battlezone and Total Annihilation. Goodness those were good games.
And who needs 3d? It's amazing how awesome they were before all of the infatuation with 3d. (ok, so Battlezone was 3d, and what a great game it was).
Tulsarama - the buried Belvedere
http://www.autoblog.com/2006/08/10/tulsarama-time-capsule-a-1957-plymouth-belvedere/
http://www.oldcarsweekly.com/news/hobby-news/tulsarama_miss_belvedere_to_shine_once_again
In 1957 at the Tulsarama fair, they buried a brand new Plymouth Belvedere in a time capsule. 50 years later, they opened it up only to find that the car had been terribly damaged by numerous floods that had ravaged the city.
I think that it's such a waste of a beautiful car. They'll never get that car restored and running again.
For me, now I use the word "Tulsarama" to refer to something that I've put away for use later only to find it's gone bad. I had a bunch of sealed deskjet cartridges for my deskjet 500 that were about 10 years old and when I opened them they had all disintegrated. Tulsarama, baby.
It reminds me of these supercars in Brunei.
http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2011/03/the-sultan-of-bruneis-rotting-supercar-collection/
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Honest Trailers - Interstellar Review
Just saw interstellar and it was pretty good for a 2 hour and 48 minute movie. It played like a mashup of Signs, 2001 a space odyssey, Armageddon and House at the End of Time along with a touch of Benjamin Button.
Rated S for Spoilers.
Rated S for Spoilers.
Pitch Perfect medley
I really liked the acapella singing movie "Pitch Perfect". They really had some good performance sequences. My favorite though is the final Price Tag medley and especially the intro.
Knoppix 7.5 in the April Linux Pro Magazine
Yay! Finally got the April issue of Linux Pro Magazine with Knoppix 7.5. I really like Knoppix because it's rather lightweight. You don't have to install it, you can run it from a DVD-ROM drive as it's a Live DVD. My favorite thing to do is to copy the DVD to an ISO, then copy the ISO image file to a flash drive, boot the live DVD and switch to the flash iso with this command line:
knoppix64 bootfrom=knoppix75image.iso
It's really awesome as it includes a full spectrum of programs.
I just get a Dell Optiplex 745 with 4GB of ram, boot knoppix and I'm off to the races.
Knoppix gets a new version about every 6 months and it's like getting a shiny new OS. I always buy the issues of Linux Pro with knoppix in them.
http://www.linux-magazine.com/Issues/2015/173
knoppix64 bootfrom=knoppix75image.iso
It's really awesome as it includes a full spectrum of programs.
I just get a Dell Optiplex 745 with 4GB of ram, boot knoppix and I'm off to the races.
Knoppix gets a new version about every 6 months and it's like getting a shiny new OS. I always buy the issues of Linux Pro with knoppix in them.
http://www.linux-magazine.com/Issues/2015/173
Modular Laptops and variations on a theme
I always wondered why you don't see modular laptops. It's not like its impossible to modularize parts and fit them on a standard chassis. But then you wouldn't be able to distinguish one manufacturer from another. They couldn't differentiate themselves. It would really commoditize the market.
Something like the XO-Infinity would be cool.
https://one-education.org/infinity/
http://liliputing.com/2015/02/xo-infinity-is-a-modular-laptop-for-students-picks-up-where-olpc-left-off.html
This got me thinking about why there's so many variations on a single theme. Before standardization of cell phone chargers on mini and micro usb every single manufacturer had a different charger.
Look at cars, for instance. Every model from every manufacturer is different. They try to standardize certain parts within a automobile platform but there's just way too many different models.
I find it interesting how car manufacturers are moving to standardize their platforms. Like VW's MQB where all of their front wheel drive models are based on the same basic design. Car and driver had a nice writeup on the MQB.
But are there too many car companies anyway?
There Are Too Many Car Companies Anyway http://www.forbes.com/2008/12/17/gm-chrysler-bailout-leadership-cx_mm_1217autos.html
I suppose that we eventually end up with defacto standards, like Apple where they make millions of the same model and design.
It seems like every single laptop is completely different: chassis, screen, motherboard, internal connectors. If one component goes bad, you can't just swap in a standard component. I can't tell you how many laptops I've seen that have had screens go bad or damaged. It would be awesome to just swap in a cheap replacement.
Or even modular tablets where you can swap out the cpu, screen or battery.
Maybe Project Ara will help in this regard.
Some people think that standardization leads to "badge engineering" and the "dilution of a brand". I think it's a good thing to reduce costs and reduce waste.
Look at how some car manufacturers keep using the same platforms over and over.
http://jalopnik.com/the-ten-most-prostituted-car-platforms-ever-1509830686
Ford kept making cars based on the Panther platform for 33 years, making 9.6 million cars.
http://www.motortrend.com/features/consumer/1109_an_american_icon_ford_panther_platform/
Saturday, April 18, 2015
150K and barely scraping by
What's the amount of money you need to live comfortably?
No matter how much you have, it's never enough.
$150,000 Income and Struggling to Survive? http://writedge.com/150000-income-and-struggling-to-survive/
http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2012/03/07/The-Real-Cost-of-Living-150000-Minimum
Pro Athletes can make millions of dollars during their careers but most end up completely broke.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2012/10/02/162162226/espns-broke-looks-at-the-many-ways-athletes-lose-their-money
According the this article, within five years of retirement, an estimated 60 percent of former NBA players are broke.
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/09/19/10-star-athletes-who-excelled-at-losing-millions/
Actors can make a lot, but often they lose it all too.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/fameandfortune/10898061/Fay-Ripley-I-earn-about-150000-but-I-live-hand-tomouth.html
Fay Ripley: 'I earn about £150,000 but I live hand to mouth'
Lottery winners can't seem to handle their money either.
http://www.therichest.com/rich-list/poorest-list/10-lottery-winners-who-went-broke/
http://abc7.com/finance/broke-and-murdered-real-life-lottery-horror-stories/510374/
Friday, April 17, 2015
All you can eat
I marvel at the productive ability of the modern world. I like to think that we've moved into a new phase of human development: the Post Scarcity world.
One aspect of the abundance is that we have "all you can eat". And not just food, but anything that you desire.
What do people do when they can "keep eating"? They tend to eat more than they need, not because they need it, but because they want it. It's just human nature.
Our brains are designed to function on scarcity. Our brains have adapted to an environment with scarcity. We really aren't programmed to handle an environment with abundance.
One way this manifests itself is that we have diseases of affluence. Obesity is epidemic in the United States and is becoming more common worldwide. People just can't stop eating salt, fat and sugar. There's even a term for it: Affluenza.
There's a curious paradox that occurs: Instead of focusing on what you have, you focus on what you don't have. In fact, I believe that the more that you have, the more you focus on what you don't have. And the more you focus on what you don't have, the less content you are and the less happy you are. As a society, we've become less and less happy along with our growing prosperity. So you buy and buy and eat and eat. It's a vicious cycle.
I don't know how it ever happened, but according to Nielsen, the average person watches TV for 5 hours per day. How did this ever become normal? I think there's a direct correlation between TV watching and happiness. If you watch messages that constantly tell you that you don't have the nicest car or the biggest house, or the most beautiful woman you will be unhappy.
But all of the fanciest cars, houses, clothes, possessions, and most beautiful women won't ever replace the simple pleasures of life. In fact, we seem to be trying to substitute these things for what will truly make us happy.
You've got all you can eat but you're still hungry.
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Crossing the threshold
At some point in the 20th century, mankind passed a threshold. That threshold was the point at which technology could produce more than we need.
More food, more cars, more computers, more books, more buildings, more factories, more schools, more entertainment, more information, more software, basically more of everything.
We passed from a state of insufficiency into oversufficiency.
So what happened to all of this surplus? What happened to all of this productive power?
And why is all of this productive power being idled?
Everything should be abundant and plentiful. But all of this abundance leads to the devaluation of everything.
Profit has to be protected so the laws of supply and demand are manipulated to maintain profit margins. Excess supply has to be kept off the market to keep prices up. Excess production has to be stopped.
Look at housing, for example. There's nothing special about housing. So why are prices kept so high? And more importantly why can't people afford housing? We can build more houses than we need. Artificial scarcity and market collusion pushes prices up.
The unemployment rate is officially 5%. The unemployment statistic is far underestimating the real unemployment rate which some people believe is around 25%. That is an incredible amount of productive power to be kept deliberately idle.
Just think if all of the productive capacity was put on-line.
More food, more cars, more computers, more books, more buildings, more factories, more schools, more entertainment, more information, more software, basically more of everything.
We passed from a state of insufficiency into oversufficiency.
So what happened to all of this surplus? What happened to all of this productive power?
And why is all of this productive power being idled?
Everything should be abundant and plentiful. But all of this abundance leads to the devaluation of everything.
Profit has to be protected so the laws of supply and demand are manipulated to maintain profit margins. Excess supply has to be kept off the market to keep prices up. Excess production has to be stopped.
Look at housing, for example. There's nothing special about housing. So why are prices kept so high? And more importantly why can't people afford housing? We can build more houses than we need. Artificial scarcity and market collusion pushes prices up.
The unemployment rate is officially 5%. The unemployment statistic is far underestimating the real unemployment rate which some people believe is around 25%. That is an incredible amount of productive power to be kept deliberately idle.
Just think if all of the productive capacity was put on-line.
Saturday, April 11, 2015
The Singularity is Near
I had the good fortune of picking up the book "The Singularity is Near" a few years ago from Barnes and Noble. Due to the short shelf life of everything these days, they were putting the hardback edition on clearance.
It's a very interesting book on the march of technology, where technology heads inevitably and directly to the singularity. What fascinated me was the copious amount of graphs depicting the exponential rise of human progress.
Semiconductors grow exponentially as the cost decreases exponentially (according to Moore's law). New technologies (like cell phones) become rapidly adopted as previous technologies are discarded. And the pace keeps accelerating until we hit the singularity and we transcend biology.
http://www.singularity.com/aboutthebook.html
Make sure that you check out the graphs from the book as many of them are online here:
http://www.singularity.com/charts/page17.html
It's a very interesting book on the march of technology, where technology heads inevitably and directly to the singularity. What fascinated me was the copious amount of graphs depicting the exponential rise of human progress.
Semiconductors grow exponentially as the cost decreases exponentially (according to Moore's law). New technologies (like cell phones) become rapidly adopted as previous technologies are discarded. And the pace keeps accelerating until we hit the singularity and we transcend biology.
http://www.singularity.com/aboutthebook.html
Make sure that you check out the graphs from the book as many of them are online here:
http://www.singularity.com/charts/page17.html
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Hormesis and Hormetism
What is hormesis? Well, it's not when you eat too much Hormel food products.
Hormesis is the hypothesis that a certain amount of stress is good for you. It activates your body's defense and cell repair systems. Too little stress is just as bad as too much stress. So we have to find that happy medium, that magic amount that will promote health and get your body's systems to "exercise".
I came across an interesting page at gettingstronger.com, where he gives this philosophy a name: Hormetism. It's worth a look.
http://gettingstronger.org/hormesis/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hormesis
Hormesis is the hypothesis that a certain amount of stress is good for you. It activates your body's defense and cell repair systems. Too little stress is just as bad as too much stress. So we have to find that happy medium, that magic amount that will promote health and get your body's systems to "exercise".
I came across an interesting page at gettingstronger.com, where he gives this philosophy a name: Hormetism. It's worth a look.
http://gettingstronger.org/hormesis/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hormesis
Sunday, April 5, 2015
Every day's a good day when you paint
This is a another great song/video by melodysheep. Reading the wikipedia page on Bob Ross is very interesting. He was in the Air Force and upon retirement, he allegedly vowed never to scream again.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Ross
http://mentalfloss.com/article/23260/5-happy-little-things-you-didnt-know-about-bob-ross
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Ross
http://mentalfloss.com/article/23260/5-happy-little-things-you-didnt-know-about-bob-ross
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Tesla Model X test car in Palo Alto
I want it... looks like a bigger Model S. As the person shooting the video says: "That is sick!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbZTc4wk-y0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbZTc4wk-y0
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Land of the Lost - The Stranger
As a kid, I loved the show Land of the Lost. It was one of those Sid and Marty Krofft productions. The show didn't age very well, but there were some really interesting elements to it. The sleestak were very memorable.
One particular episode always stuck in my mind: The Stranger written by none other than Walter Koenig who played Mr. Chekhov in Star Trek TOS. Great writing and concept.
Fun fact: One of the sleestak was played by William Laimbeer, who you may remember better as Bill Laimbeer of the Detroit Pistons.
One particular episode always stuck in my mind: The Stranger written by none other than Walter Koenig who played Mr. Chekhov in Star Trek TOS. Great writing and concept.
Fun fact: One of the sleestak was played by William Laimbeer, who you may remember better as Bill Laimbeer of the Detroit Pistons.
Eye of the Tiger
I was amazed that you could make music from a dot matrix printer. It's interesting that the patterns on the paper resemble an audio spectrum voice print.
http://hackaday.com/2014/02/20/eye-of-the-tiger-as-played-by-a-dot-matrix-printer/
http://www.qotile.net/dotmatrix.html
http://hackaday.com/2014/02/20/eye-of-the-tiger-as-played-by-a-dot-matrix-printer/
http://www.qotile.net/dotmatrix.html
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