text:
2. Jerry Hall, 54, in a tankini.
IN THE COMMENTS: ironrailsironweights said:
It's amusing that two people who are a generation apart in age are being lumped together as "old."
It's amusing that two people who are a generation apart in age are being lumped together as "old."
It's amusing that two people who are a generation apart in age are being lumped together as "old."
there really ought to be laws that prevent people from wearing clothes suitable for the much younger. maybe the death penalty for violation. Nothing worse than seeing someone wearing something completely inappropriate for the age and physique.
"Let's judge old people in their bathing suits."
It's so funny when Althouse tries to sex things up.
These people are old, they've lived long lives and gone through God only knows how much hell. Can't they enjoy a day at the beach without being judged?
I assume that if Jerry exercised as much as Armani..
I forgot what I was going to say.
Armani looks better than Jerry ..because?
Charlie Rose leans foward.
"These people are old, they've lived long lives and gone through God only knows how much hell."
Yes, figuring out which villa to visit this week is an unimaginable hardship.
lol Palladian...along with hiring and firing the help.
More beach monsters at www.hispandex.com
If we assume that biologically speaking women are meant to look better than men.. it is safe to say that..
I want to say something and its just not coming out..
..it is safe to say I don't have a biology hat.
Mimi Kirk won sexiest vegetarian over 50. She is 71 this month and looks great:
Palladian: Yes, figuring out which villa to visit this week is an unimaginable hardship.
After a certain level, money doesn't make life any easier and you know it.
Why do we have to judge their bodies anyway? Physical beauty is the most common thing in our society. Hell, if you love somebody they'll look beautiful.
Mr. Armani IMHO looks fantastic for his age, though my view of Speedos is similar to Althouse's view of men in shorts. Yes, I realize that in Europe, men commonly wear that type of bathing suit.
Jerry Hall looks average for her age, or at least neither notably great nor notably awful.
..too much empirical work... simply because it looks
ELS = Empirical Look Studies.
CLS = Criticial Look Studies.
I've seen far younger look far worse.
I think things are changing around age. People are living longer with greater quality of life.
It's becoming more and more absurd, imo, to retire at 65.
They look unexceptional to me.
Neither is shopping themselves around.
They look fine. I don't know why anyone would bother photographing them. Just people in bathing suits. Is anything tabloid-worthy going on with either of them?
wv: dopecard Ha!
"After a certain level, money doesn't make life any easier and you know it."
I've had a lot of money (like before 2009) and I've been poor (like now). In my experience, life is a hell of a lot easier when you have money. That's perhaps because I've always had my work to help me deal with the large, existential questions of life, which I think are the things that trouble rich people with no perspective on life. It's the small things, the everyday things like getting from one place to another, and paying the rent, and buying food, and paying the electric bill that are the real, burdensome, terrible toils of life, the toils that disappear when you have a lot of money. The things I consider hell on earth are the things the rich don't have to worry about, except for death.
I actually don't have a problem with the way either of these people look. They don't look beautiful or ugly enough to catch my eye. They just seem unremarkable other than that they are who they are. And even that fact is unremarkable, to me anyway.
But I can't think of anything worse than being out on a beach in the hot sun, so I never have to encounter inappropriately dressed persons of any economic stratum.
"Is anything tabloid-worthy going on with either of them?"
The actual worthiness of anything considered tabloid-worthy is worth evaluating.
It was hot out today. After my drive and ten minutes after I got home, I had to carrying a can of gas out to the road to give some motorcyclist some gas, I came into the house and took off my shoes, socks and pants and I was wearing a speedo. I started out today wearing boxers, but they had moved on up.
"But I can't think of anything worse than being out on a beach in the hot sun, so I never have to encounter inappropriately dressed persons of any economic stratum."
I must amend my comment, as I am constantly forced to encounter inappropriately dressed persons of all economic strata on the streets of my city. That last paragraph should read:
"But I can't think of anything worse than being out on a beach in the hot sun, so I never have to encounter people of any economic stratum wearing inappropriate beachwear."
Actually, no... I see people all the time on the streets wearing inappropriate beachwear...
Forget it.
Hope school starts for 'ya again soon, Althouse... Very soon!
The summertime quality of topicks is going down the drain... Bristol-Levy, indirect Roissy linkage, Journolist speculation, Sharon Spitz, and now what is essentially a more-polite version of a porn blog "Would U Hit It?" thread.
The Giorgio does look great, tho'. Dude exudes class, even in a Speedo, and that is a hard thing to pull off.
Dead said...
even in a Speedo, and that is a hard thing to pull off.
Why? Was it put on with Super Glue?
The summertime quality of topicks is going down the drain..
If that is so..and I'm not refudiating you on that.. It is up us citizens of Althousia to plug that drain.. isn't it?
Palladian @5:21.. you seem to be your old self again ;)
IF you're disgusted by a 76 year old in a Speedo, imagine Ezra Klein in one. Yikes!
And I think "speedos" are one European import we can do without. It's like these Euros were envious of the string bikini.
"IF you're disgusted by a 76 year old in a Speedo, imagine Ezra Klein in one. Yikes!"
Actually Klein's kind of cute. Not speedo material, certainly, but I don't think even attractively-built men look good in those things. I think you were thinking of Matthew Yglesias...
"And I think "speedos" are one European import we can do without. It's like these Euros were envious of the string bikini."
Without Speedos, fat German tourists would go naked to the beaches in Spain. Thank heaven for small mercies.
It's becoming more and more absurd, imo, to retire at 65
My Dad, who retired at 67, agrees with you. He thought he had done all the traveling he wanted by age 80 or so, and then he just sat around. If he had waited just a little longer, he would have had less time to sit around doing not much.
He's 88 now.
The actual worthiness of anything considered tabloid-worthy is worth evaluating.
Evaluation: Worthless unless it involves a media-favored politician. In that case, it sometimes turns out to be actual news that regular outlets simply won't report to protect their political allies.
Armani looks good because a man doesn't have to go through pregnancy. If he keeps away from the Budweiser, he can look great in his older years.
At 54, I would call Ms Hall middle-aged, not old; OTOH, it probably says something about the NHS and its jihad against weight that the Daily Mail calls her curvy.
Ashley Graham is curvy, Christina Hendricks is curvy, Althouse (what we've seen of her) is curvy, Ms Hall ain't. But, yes, for her years, she looks quite well.
Women over 40 don bikinis at their peril. The Blonde and I stayed at a RIU hotel in Playa Del Carmen some years ago and were stunned to see women pushing (and having pushed past) 60 wearing them. Most of the people there were Euros, so I guess this is one of their things. Not too many American women past 35 or so are vain enough to do it.
(Come to think of it, there's one person we've never seen in her tankini...)
palladian, as usual, you are on fire with the comments. I wish you would take whatever it was you taught, put yourself on DVD teaching it, and sell the hell out of it on an infomercial or on the web. You'd probably make enough small bank just advertising on Althouse.
Freeman and palladian in the same post - always awesome.
If Jerry Hall starts buying her bikinis at Tangaland24 then it is going to the end of the world.
That'll be it. It'll all be over. As the order arrives at Hall's door, it'll be a sudden black screen for the whole world, just like the last episode of The Sopranos.
BTW, that Tangaland24 is a German shop that sells Euro bikinis. You are warned!!!
For The Girogio, I recommend the Man's Transparent Bag. It's up one German notch from the Speedo.
While I would normally say old people shouldn't wear speedos (actually I would say no man should wear speedos) Armani has very good body for a 76 year old. He seems to literally have zero wrinkles and little body fat (not to mention no body hair), and I've seen 30 year olds who look far worse when on a beach.
That being said. Speedos simply look gay on almost any man. no speedos.
If he had waited just a little longer, he would have had less time to sit around doing not much.
He's 88 now.
88's a good age :-) My mom will be 89 in Oct.
Having nothing to do is not what it is cracked up to be. Boredom is a killer.
With longevity increasing - it's likely there will be millions of people living into their 90's and even past 100. To be *retired* for 30+ years is just crazy - and like your dad says - they'll wish they had kept working.
Even a vocation - something that is interesting and meaningful - even fun :-)
Times have definitely changed :-)
What's odd to me is that Giorgio's Speedo looks saggier than he does.
@joewxman: You're right. Both pictures should have been taken at a nude beach.
WV: fluck, the costumes always make people look like clowns.
54 is old now?
i have an 80 year old spinster aunt who lives in Milan Italy where according to her...the sun rises and sets there and no where else. She visits here and will go out on the beach in a bikini. When in public she wears clothing i usually see on women under 30 trying to get attention. On an 80 year old with sagging breasts and sagging everything else it really looks awful.
People can wear and do what they want and im not a clothes horse by any means ($4 dollar t-shirts from walmart is my version of formal) but for God sakes even i know when something doesnt work.
*weeps for the decline of Jerry Hall's once fantastic body*
I ain't saying she looks bad for a 54yo. I'm just saying that compared to how she used to look.... *sigh*
I sometimes think that we'd all feel better about ourselves if we spent more time at the beach or even at a nude beach with other real people.
I remember the trauma back when I was actually young and way too cute... putting on the swimsuit and looking in the mirror and being horrified that you don't look like the bodies you see all winter... on television... and going to the lake anyway and eventually getting summer bodies to compare yourself to... that *aren't* professional actresses and models.
And then there is the walking apocalypse known as Donatella Versace.
I'll take your Giorgio and Jerry, and raise you one Donatella.
Read 'em and weep...
Armani looks good because a man doesn't have to go through pregnancy.
A convenient but flimsy excuse. I work with a woman of about that age who has 5 kids and looks damn good in a bikini. My mother, who was 5' 8" in you younger days had 6 kids and weighted 125 lbs, her normal weight, the day after delivering each child. You get overweight and out of shape because you don't move around enough, not because of pregnancy.
I can do that!
Pick ME! Pick ME!
Haha Althouse? I judge you BAD to the bone.
But perhaps you meant for me to "objectively review" the parties placed before me in swimwear?
Sadly, I need to withdraw my thong from the throng.
Armani obviously has had some serious implant work done. Those pecs are impeccable, esp. for a 70+ year old. Unless he's taking a bull's scrotum's worth of testosterone via injection on a daily basis, there's not a chance in hell that's a natch physique.
Looks terrific, though.
DADvocate, you are sadly misinformed and sadly judgmental about the effect of pregnancy on women's bodies. Some women come through relatively unscathed...my neighbor had 5 kids and wore a bikini and it was a great wonder to me that she had absolutely no extra skin folds or stretch marks. I was not so fortunate. Normal weight gain, BIG babies carried all in front, and 2 C-sections. My abdominal muscles are permanently parted down the middle and there is just more skin than there used to be. Yes, I went back to my normal weight and exercise routine. Legs and arms: great; abdomen, not so much.
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass,
of glory in the flower,
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind;
In the primal sympathy
Which having been must ever be...
Living in America as I do I can confidently say Jerry looks much better than the average 54 year old woman, who is typically a walking ad for cellutitic treatment by age 35. But given the little pooch in her stomach I would say she looks better in the two-piece. I agree with GMay in that there are plenty of women half her age who look far worse.
For those who think Jerry is beyond curvy: When my grandmother was Jerry's age she could enter the water only in a housedress, to disguise what time and pastry had done to her figure. When dressed for the street she always had on her full body shaper, luckily built strong enough to prevent a fleshly explosion.
I don't think of Speedos as being particularly Euro. Speedos were part of our official PE kit when I was a freshman in college. They're designed to swim in, not for looks.
Hall still looks great on string bikinis considering her age.


text:
Up to 1000 cleaning contractors will be audited by next year in a bid to catch shonky operators who underpay workers.
The Fair Work Ombudsman on Thursday announced the random audits following concerns over a high level of non-compliance with fair work practices by cleaning contractors.
United Voice, the union representing cleaners, welcomed the audits, saying major corporations such as Westfield also needed to take some responsibility if they employed shonky contractors.
The ombudsman said in a statement that inspectors had recovered hundreds of thousands of dollars for underpaid cleaners over the past three years.
Auditing of 376 cleaning businesses in 2010 found 149 were non-compliant with federal workplace laws.
The most common contraventions were underpayment of penalty rates, inadequate record-keeping and failure to keep to minimum shifts.
Fair Work Ombudsman Nicholas Wilson said the 2010 results and ongoing complaints from the sector prompted the decision to undertake a follow-up campaign.
"We are mindful that this is an industry which employs large numbers of young people and migrant workers who may be vulnerable if they are not fully aware of their workplace rights."
United Voice National President Michael Crosby said the audits were a shot across the bows of major corporations like Westfield, which was one of the largest users of contract cleaners in Australia.
"Underpayments, cash payments, short shifts, bullying and sham contracting are rife in this industry," Mr Crosby said in a statement.
"These contractors don't operate in a vacuum. They are in business because of the refusal of property owners to accept responsibility for the consequences of their contracting decisions."
Mr Crosby said the ombudsman had recently warned business operators they risked breaching workplace laws if they knew underpayments were occurring.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Tomato cafe in Fruita hosted the Roice-Hurst Humane Society fundraiser on Saturday morning. The "Pies for Paws" event raised money for the shelter and provided current pet owners with a few tips on how to keep their pets safe.
"We love animals... we helped um out last year actually the last two years... so we are just kinda on board with trying to help the local human society," said Jen Zeuner owner of Tomato Cafe.
Tomato Cafe and Creature Comforts Animal Clinic teamed up to help the human society. Dr. Amy Johnson from the clinic offered discounted micro-chipping to pet owners in an effort to help residents keep tabs on their furry friends.
"You know really and truly if you lose your pet... that's probably the best way to get back in touch with mom and dad," said Dr. Johnson.
The procedure is done with a needle and the chip goes directly under the animals skin. The cost can range between $40 and $50 dollars.
The humane society also held an on site adoption opportunity.
"We will have 4-5 dogs.... and there are plenty more back at the shelter," said Elaine Johnson-Craig R-H Fundraising Chair.
A portion of Tomato Cafe sales went towards the R-H Humane Society, as well as money raised form T-shirt and tote bag sales.


text:
Interested in Language
The last bus leaves at eleven o'clock. It's about eleven now, Hurry up!
Is 'about' fine in the sentence? To me it is. Thanks.
It's OK generally but in the context you have used, it would make more sense to say "It's nearly eleven now. Hurry up!" "About eleven" could mean it's anywhere between 10.55 and 11.05 (to me). "Nearly eleven" means "Just before eleven". If it's after eleven o'clock, there's no point in the person hurrying up. They've already missed the last bus.
Remember - if you don't use correct capitalisation, punctuation and spacing, anything you write will be incorrect.


text:
Pineapple drawer knob will add style to your door, vanities, dresser, chest and more. The overall look of the fruit themed pull knob creates a charming and attention demanding accent piece.
- Elegant pineapple pull knob with contemporary and subtle detail
- Use the pull knob on cupboard, kitchen and bathroom cabinets, shutters, etc
- Dimension (W x H): Approx. 21 x 32 mm
- Material: Acrylic
- Color: Clear and silvery
Package Includes:
- 1x Pineapple Drawer Knob
- 1x Fixing Screw
Note: Please take note the length of the screws we provide is about 22mm, if they don't meet your requirements, you should buy screws by yourself.


text:
Isn't the point of protection to absorb the impact? That's why bubble-wrap is squishy. If this instantly turns solid, wouldn't that mean that the g-forces, the energy of the impact is not absorbed by it and is thus transferred to the item inside?
"SUVs are designed to kill people."
SUVs arent designed, that would imply some kind of thinking behind them.
Of course. They evolved to be that way, to maximize their fitness in an environment full of size queens.
Yes, because never in our history (cough, Great Pyramids, cough) have we humans ever been accused of having inadequacy issues.
Somehow I think this "evolution" started well before someone thought to take a truck and bolt a "trunk" on it.
Yes, because never in our history (cough, Great Pyramids, cough) have we humans ever been accused of having inadequacy issues.
Actually, Lin Yutang accused us of it quite eloquently
A man seeing a hundred-story building often gets conceited, and the best way to cure that insufferable conceit is to transport that skyscraper in one's imagination to a little contemptible hill and learn a truer sense of what may and what may not be called
Which is why you should look at the Bagger 288 [wikimedia.org] instead.
Then mentally transport it, and tear down the little contemptible hill.
No they have been designed for product placement. I imagine a Hummer employee in a suit wandering Hollywood lots: 'Shooting an action movie? History? Was time travel mentioned in the script? Sorry.' (leaves card, goes to next lot) 'Is this a post nuclear Apocalyptic wasteland type movie? Wha--Resident Evil 14! JACKPOT!
And so on...
Similar in principle (in vague terms) to how the bonnet of a car (hood to USA people) is designed to crumple so that it absorbs the energy of a crash.
I always assumed that the reason for the crumple was to maximize the cost of repair ultimately necessitating the purchase of a new vehicle.
Well the front of normal cars is designed to do that. SUVs are designed to kill people.
But its the people in the SUV that will be killed . So be happy.
Most collisions are single vehicle, involving a car with a fixed object. If we assume that most fixed objects are much more rigid than the vehicle, if you have an engineered crush zone, you'll stand a better chance of survival than if you have a rigid frame.
My SUV is designed so that it's frame doesn't distort when pulling with a winch. A side effect of that is that it has a rigid frame. Too bad for me, but its a decision I made when selecting it. You may feel free to laugh at me when I hit a tree. I laugh as I drive by every poor fool stuck in a snow bank whose car I would destroy trying to winch it out.
But its the people in the SUV that will be killed . So be happy
Not if it hits a cyclist or a pedestrian. I know those are rarer in the USA, but here in Europe, people are driving around in SUVS and when they hit someone on a bike, or an adult or a child - all of which are also more likely to happen in a SUV due to the height - then the chances of that person being killed are much higher than with a normal car.
My SUV is designed so that it's frame doesn't distort when pulling with a winch. A side effect of that is that it has a rigid frame. Too bad for me, but its a decision I made when selecting it.
Rigid under tension is not the same as rigid under compression. Most SUV's are designed with hardened points for towing (tension) but they still have crush zones for accidents (compression). In fact, because of the size, the crush zones in an SUV are often larger and more effective than those in a smaller car.
Overall, you are safer in an accident when you are in an SUV than when you are in a smaller car. Of course, this does vary according to the type of accident and overall safety design of the vehicle. You also have to factor in that SUV's are more susceptible to some kinds of accidents than other cars.
Presumably the energy is absorbed by it turning solid.
It sounds a little bit like what you get when you mix cornstarch and water. If you press it slowly, your finger sinks right in as if it's liquid, if you hit it hard, it's solid.
I guess there's a limit to the amount of shock it can absorb. I would imagine its properties have been tweaked so that it stops any impact within its own thickness. Obviously if the impacting object is travelling faster, that results in more rapid deceleration and thus more forces transferred to the delicate internally-bits of your laptop. For dropping off a table though, it probably provides the smallest possible deceleration force against the floor, compared to protection materials currently on the market.
My suspicion would be that rather than rather than causing the linear deceleration of a simple spring constant, (like most other foams, rubbers, etc.), it provides an exponential deceleration: the stopping force in a shear-thickening fluid is proportional to the speed rather than the displacement. This means that the material starts acting from the very moment of impact, as that is the point with the highest speed. A spring, (or foam, or rubber, or anything else that acts like a spring), would do essentially nothing until the impact has squeezed it enough to get a decent counter-force out of it. But by that time it might be too late, and the spring might have already bottomed out. I'd be interested to see some numbers for this gel, to back up the stuff I've just written!
Heh, glad I put that disclaimer there. Stopping force is proportional to velocity, (technically shear rate), in a Newtonian fluid such as water or oil: in a shear-thickening fluid viscosity is proportional to velocity. Viscosity is the proportionality constant linking speed and stopping force, so I guess that makes stopping force proportional to the square of the speed.
Nice analogy =P
I'm tempted to improve that Wiki article on power-law fluids when I have a moment, so that it's more readily understood by those who haven't already learned the majority of what it's trying to explain...
Can play around with a substitute; corn starch and water. Make a thick slurry and you can push your finger through it slowly but if you hit it faster, it hardens up at point of impact. Kinda' wild.
very thin on facts and "how it works".
Oh come now. The promotional video is FUCKING EXTREME! With snowboards! And Punk! What more could you possibly want?!
wait... "stopping force proportional to the square of the speed"
so if something impacts it twice as fast, it'll push back four times as much?
doesn't that mean it'd be perfect in some kind of new body armour? if it's not too heavy to be useful, that is. or just on the parts that need the most protection..
Well... we all know what's in this stuff don't we ? It's custard (possibly with some orange food colorant).
The behavior described here is identical to that exhibited by custard and other liquids with low viscosity but high surface tension. The effect is that low velocity impacts are passed through easily but high velocity impact causes the surface tension to rapidly increase and prevents entry. To put it bluntly, you can run over a swimming pool full of custard, but you can't walk over one (brainiac did an episode on it, though they could have done a better job of explaining the theory about why it works that way - wikipedia is your friend here - as per their usual script, they were mostly interested in the fun-value of a swimming pool full of custard... the test subject did indeed run over it until he got to the middle, was told to stop... and then sank).
Now I'm sure it's not actually custard in this goo (well, fairly sure) but the phenomenon is certainly not new and has been known for a while. What seems new is that this is a much lower liquidity and viscosity than most of these substances (it appears to be at the level of clay or playdough rather than a flowing liquid) - which clearly makes for a whole new range of practical applications, since it won't soak into things or leak, you can make things like laptop protective cases lined with the stuff which would be impractical with custard....
Actually, by all appearances, it's just a bright orange variety of the Smart Mass that ThinkGeek sells.
I think I will wrap my iPod in custard. It will be cheaper.
My guess is that it will be layered with other material.
By turning hard it will spread out the impact over a larger area.
A good example of how can work would be to take two sheets of foam. Hit one with a tack hammer.
Take a piece of plywood and put it on the other sheet of foam and hit that with a tack hammer.hammer.
So use a layer of the goo and a layer of foam.
Impact resistance is complicated, but there's parts that are very, very simple. Let's say you drop your laptop from five feet up. When it hits the ground, it'll be going at a certain velocity (I am currently too lazy to calculate it) with a certain amount of momentum. That velocity and momentum will go into crushing the impact point against the ground. If the impact point is forced to decelerate rapidly, and is a small enough point, it'll be subject to a huge amount of force. Boom, shattered plastic.
Now we add padding. The thing about padding is that it doesn't actually reduce the velocity or momentum in any way (in fact, unless it's literally weightless, it *increases* momentum.) It also doesn't change the basic physical requirements - that momentum will get absorbed somewhere. Guaranteed.
There's two ways the padding helps. First, it lets your dropped object decelerate more slowly - instead of having to go from fall to stop in a tiny distance (namely, the amount your laptop plastic deforms without permanent damage) it goes from fall to stop in a much larger distance - the distance that the padding can be compressed. (Plus the plastic deformation.)
Second, it provides - potentially - a larger impact zone, distributing the force more equally over the plastic of the laptop. A force that would shatter a corner may not do much at all distributed over a few square inches.
The first part, unfortunately, has some very basic physical limits. If the padding is an eighth of an inch thick, it will provide, at most, an eighth of an inch of extra speed reduction. There is just no way to improve this until you fit your shock absorber with little rockets and sensors to determine when it's about to impact the ground.
The second part is a lot more theoretically capable, but also a whole lot harder to solve. The ideal situation is a material that somehow deforms at the impact spot in exactly the manner that lets it stop at its maximum deformation point, without any extra jerks or impacts, while simultaneously spreading the impact over the entire surface of the protected item.
That is a damn hard thing to accomplish. If he's succeeded in it, or in anything remotely like it, I'm impressed.
The press releases seem to feel that d3o is absolutely fantastic for human garments, where the fabric has to be malleable until the impact occurs. That's quite different from electronics protection, where malleability is simply not an issue, and I'm not convinced that it will make the changeover smoothly.
We'll see.
There is just no way to improve this until you fit your shock absorber with little rockets and sensors to determine when it's about to impact the ground.
A bit like this, perhaps?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgXXCSlt7uI [youtube.com]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMmhNbj4K68 [youtube.com]
The protection has less to do with absorption reduction than a distribution of force.
BTW, I did something similar using custard powder (Which is basically just cornstarch + colouring) and it worked just as well.
Just put custard powder in a bowl then add a small amount of water. It's great fun to play with.
And this differs from Silly Putty how?
It is very similar to silly putty except that it does not "run" when left sitting on a table. The last thing you want your armor to do is pool around your waste.
I don't think you'd want your waste to pool around your armour, either...
I'd worry orange penis would turn off sex desire.
You gotta lay off the Cheetos when you're surfing pr0n....
14 September 2006
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EBWGbhsuws [youtube.com]
Does this remind anyone else of the armorgel in Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash?
Liquid that hardens on impact, mostly used in body armor, looks like gritty jello... Certainly sounds like the same kinda stuff.
I hope Stephenson's getting a cut. So many things from that book have come to pass that I'm getting worried about an insane Aelut showing up with a nuke...
Yeah, he should get a cut for describing non-Newtonian fluids...
Good foresight, yes, getting a cut of something that has been around for a LONG time, no.
My professor in engineering mechanics showed me a sample of a material with very similar color and characteristics sometime around october '08. Now I know, where I can get a sample for goofing around
However, this won't protect your precious harddisk. It works very well for protecting humans, mainly because it adapts to the form of the pressing surfaces (aka your head and a wall) and then distributes the pressure over a bigger area. It does almost nothing though for the rate of deceleration - face it, your notebook, falling from the table goes from v^2=2*g*s (s= table height, let's say 0.8m)=4m/s to zero in about - well, let's say 1mm as this stuff gets rigid very quickly. This makes it face a deceleration of 8000g. Hell, let's say 5mm and it's still 1600g. Nope, this won't save your harddisk as they're rated for 300 to 500g in every direction and a lot less when active. Thinking about it, it seems like a good idea for the notebook to come apart on impact, as this might give your harddisk another few millimeters for controlled deceleration and thus keep it withing mechanical specs.
In other words: Yes, the surface of your precious Macbook will be scratchfree after the fall, the harddisk will still be toast.
In other words: Yes, the surface of your precious Macbook will be scratchfree after the fall, the harddisk will still be toast.
So? A new harddisk is cheaper than a new laptop. And since you diligently maintained your backups...
> So? A new harddisk is cheaper than a new laptop. And since you diligently maintained your backups...
Mod parent WAY up. It might be irrelevant for netbooks and cheap notebooks from Best Buy, but if you're talking about a kilobuck+ Macbook or high-end performance notebook, the hard drive isn't just one of its cheapest components... it's also one of its few components that can be easily replaced by end users, with a part that's readily-available even in small towns, often on sale, and frequently would result in improved performance over the original part. Try buying a new Thinkpad keyboard, Macbook case, or Dell motherboard at Best Buy on Sunday afternoon at some city in the midwestern US with a population of ~500k living within a fifty-mile radius. Hell, with the possible exceptions of Silicon Valley, Hong Kong, and Akihabara , I doubt whether there's anyplace you could walk into a retail store and buy stuff like that at all, let alone on a weekend.
I'm thinking a lot of effort may be going in just the opposite direction. Most of the people spending (justified) kilobucks on notebooks tend to either be enthusiasts or companies equipping key employees.
For the former, not having that favourite toy/tool/device some work is done on sometimes probably sucks quite a bit but won't really cause any monetary impact through missed deadlines or similar. They may be gamers, Apple customers or Bloggers. Lots of pretty, high-powered models to go around, probably the
Does this apply to harddisks with parked heads, or just those in use? The macbook has had accelerometers for years to autopark the heads if you drop it. I expect that they've made it onto windows machines now as well. Does this change the problem, or or does the deceleration still kill the disk?
HD's can cover about 20g while in use. So as long as there are no sudden jerks, its fine for even mobile use.
When the drive heads are parked, its about 200-300g. Which is enough for small falls, and large jerks.
For all the talk about HD's being protected, its actually the casing and the motherboard that stands to benefit. Hell, newer laptops have the HD bay easily accessible for HD replacement.
But if the case is damaged, then the whole thing needs to be repaired. A laptop with a a damaged power socket, or b
Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure IBM introduced the 'park the heads when dropped' tech for their thinkpad.
To be clear, I meant IBM invented/introduced it before apple started buying hard disks featuring the tech.
Hard Drive Active Protection System; around in ThinkPads since about 2003.
Sudden Motion Sensor; Macbooks since 2005.
Makes a (I was going to say solid) case for a solid state drive, eh?
I mean, the more you decrease your moving parts the better.
The phone has a flash drive.
Did you see the video someone else posted of the stuff turned into a fabric? Looks even better than that. The guy is wearing a sweater and gets someone to whack him on the elbow with a snow shovel. Then they put a toque made of the stuff on a watermelon and hit it with a hammer.
No need to just do the "bony extremeties."
Great! Good thing my boxing gloves are orange, no one is going to notice it. Hehehehe...
what can only be described as an orange goo
Around here, we're a technically savvy group with relatively high IQs. You can describe it as a highly viscous non-newtonian fluid containing enough long-chain polymers or waxes to prevent it from flowing freely when at rest, and most of us will get it, and the rest will be able to look it up.
Assuming you're trying to describe it to a bunch of first graders, you can also describe it as "orange silly putty", and it'll be a hell of a lot more accurate than "orange goo".
Raise the bar, people.
You people modded me funny? It's intended to be serious.
Larry Niven and Ringworld, anyone ?
Am I the only one who instantly thought of the "securefoam" stuff in the copcar in Demolition Man ?
Get a (thick?) glove fill with the stuff. Possibly have the external layer contain some inserts... You can now break sticks and stones - and bones - with impunity. The original concept and the name "Karatand" appear in "Stand on Zanzibar" by John Brunner. It seems you can use 3do as an approximation: http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/content.asp?Bnum=1745 [technovelgy.com]
Who goeth a-borrowing goeth a-sorrowing. -- Thomas Tusser


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Maximizing Profits Doesn't Mean Screwing Your Customers
from the rinse,-lather,-repeat dept
Now we've got another similar story, as the LA Times is positively amazed that the popular virtual world Habbo Hotel limits its users to spending no more than $35/month, on the theory that many of its users are teenagers, who could get sucked into spending on stuff, which could lead to eventual backlash. Its CEO made this clear in a recent interview, saying: "We didn't want a situation where teens were raiding their parents' credit cards to be able to play.... We really don't want teenagers to spend more than the price of two movie tickets a month on Habbo."
So, how does the LA Times describe this decision? It points out, partly in jest, that "turning down money seems un-American." Again, even if this wasn't meant as a serious comment, it's similar to the silly claims about Craigslist. Habbo Hotel has simply made a strategic long-term decision on ways to best maximize its success for the long haul. And, part of that probably included the calculation that Habbo would have been in quite some trouble if news stories started showing up about kids bankrupting themselves buying virtual trinkets for their Habbo Hotel world. Limiting how much people can spend isn't anti-American or anti-capitalist or even anti-profit maximization. It's just taking a much longer term view of the best way to maximize profits over the long run.


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Established in 1922, El Charro Café of Tucson, Arizona is The Nation's Oldest Mexican Restaurant in continuous operation by the same family. Featuring traditional Northern Mexico-Sonoran style and innovative Tucson-style Mexican Food, El Charro Café is truly as Gourmet Magazine wrote: "A Taste Explosion".
With a large array of award winning hand-crafted recipes based on Sonoran and Local ingredients, El Charro Café is a passage to Tucson's Culinary History that has been won the dining icon acclaim from all over the world. People come from all corners of the globe to experience El Charro Café and we invite you to do the same.
The El Charro Café family is proud to be considered one of America's dining icons, but we will never rest on our laurels and will continue to develop delicious hand-crafted food and beverage recipes sure to please most any palate or dietary requirement. We are innovators and originators and have proven this with our efforts in maintaining old world quality with new found concepts such as recipes lower in trans fat or designing dishes for those who need to dine gluten free!
Whatever your needs, El Charro Café and family are prepared to show you that; "We are not the best because we are the oldest, We are the oldest because WE ARE THE BEST!"


text:
Yup. Big Dummy Review.
The Big Dummy does, and always will, have a special place in my bike heart. It was my first "real" bike. Sure…before it I had a Trek Fuel EX 5.5 and a Trek FX. (Yes. I'm not proud of it, but I had a flat bar road bike.) But those aren't real bikes. Not like the Dummy. Not like the Vaytanium.
Before I get to the pics, let me give you the truth. I really thought about pulling a few things off the Dummy and dressing it up for pics. But the truth of the matter is that the pictures show the bike how it is, 95% of the time. I've had it for 2 years this summer, and I just rolled over 1,000 miles. It isn't an everyday bike for me. That's the truth. It's a luxury to have it. And it's so damn fun.
When I started riding more, I realized that I wanted to be able to take my daughter with me. Based on that desire, I did what everyone does, and got a trailer. I hated having a trailer, for a multitude of reasons. And there was that fateful day when I walked into North Central Cyclery and saw my first Big Dummy in person. It was their shop Dummy, which I rode and loved. I went back and rode it again. Loved it again. Went back and rode it a third time. Loved it more. With their assistance, I got a Dummy of my own.
Quick note on trailers vs. Dummy. No comparison. On the Dummy, my daughter and I can talk without yelling, we can point things out to each other, we can ride when it's windy without dragging a parachute, we can ride anywhere a regular bike can fit without worrying about width, we can hop curbs, and we can do just about anything you can do on a bike. In far, far greater comfort. The Dummy allows parents to go for a ride with their children, instead of taking their children along on a ride. See the difference?
It's gone through a few iterations, but here's the current spec:
18″ swoop Big Dummy, stock build (Deore LX 3×9, Avid 7s, Salsa Gordo wheels, Schwalbe Big Apple 26x2s, somewhat cushy Bontrager saddle (I never wear bike shorts on the Dummy, so a little cush helps). Ergon grips. I run an inverted drop bar for a stoker bar (details below). I have the family kit and the cargo van kit, and usually run a flight deck, Peapod kid seat, and the 2 side bags. Jones Loop Bars. Rolling Jackass center stand. A ton of bottle cages, pump mount, etc. Planet Bike fenders.
This is how we roll.
The vast majority of the time, the Dummy is my kid-chariot. I also use it for errands and trips to town, and occasional fun rides around the 'hood. I haven't used it for touring (I'd like to), or anything really serious. Longest ride was about 45 miles over the course of a day. I said it–the Dummy is a luxury for me.
Big Dumb Shadow:
Mirror is useful for watching traffic…and passengers.
Jones Loop bars, wrapped.
That's a mount for my Edge 800 on the stem (I've used it once on this bike). Ergon Grips. Stock Avid SD-7 brake levers (love them) and Deore LX shifters. Cheap-o Bontrager headlight (used to be seen, not to see. I run it on flashing mode when it's dusk, so others can see my daughter and I returning from a park).
The lever in the center/front of the Loop is used to deploy the Rolling Jackass Centerstand.
Squeeze it, and it deploys the center stand down to the ground…then you just lift the front tire and pull the bike back onto the center stand, just like a motor cycle. You can then dismount in complete comfort. Frankly, it makes the bike so much more stable for loading cargo…and for loading and unloading my daughter. It works perfectly.
Nice wide stance, easily adjustable feet.
When you're ready to ride, just ease the bike forward and the spring shown above will retract the center stand…roll away. It's ugly…very ugly. But it works great. If you're loading/unloading kids, dealing with the extra weight and the aesthetic concerns is a small concern compared to the security and stability of the center stand. Srsly.
Because we ride after I get home from work a lot, I run reflectors and lights. I don't care if it looks stupid–I've got my daughter on board.
Goofy inverted drop stoker bars.
Why the inverted drop bars? Well, for starters, they're incredibly comfortable for a rear deck passenger to hang on to…without having to put their hands in incredibly close proximity to the biker's rear end. Equally as important, they're surprisingly functional. They're easy to grab to lever the bike around in tight quarters. They're super easy to lash heavy/large/awkward loads to. They're very comfortable for kids to get close to and hang on. They just work. They're also great for holding helmets at the park.
I intentionally took these pics at the park because that's the second home of my Dummy…parks all over my local area. My daughter begs to ride on the Dummy.
In the rear, you can see my dual lights and extensive reflectors.
Mr. Whirly cranks and DMR Vault pedals.
Why the Vault's? Because I had them, and they're awesome. Awesome. I love them. Best platforms ever. Reasonably light, totally bombproof, great traction.
The Peapod is very nice…super comfortable for my daughter, and very adjustable as she grows.
The downside to the Peapod is that it's pretty huge. If I want to carry significant cargo, it has to come off. The stock design requires you to remove the flight deck to remove the Peapod. That is really inconvenient. Xtracycle really needs to come up with a quick attach/release version of the Peapod, so it can be mounted and dismounted with ease. They don't have one–and that's unfortunate. I ended up building my own, with a fabricated aluminum subframe that the Peapod mounts too. It works well, and mounts/dismounts quickly and securely.
The Dummy handles loads with ease. I have yet to find a load that it feels uncomfortable or unstable with. Last year, there were a few times when me, my wife and daughter would all ride the Dummy to the park (or to Ollie's for custard). The more weight you put on it, the more stable it feels. And yet, for as sturdy as the wheels and frame are (look at that ovalized bottom tube), it has a very prototypical steel frame ride–which is to say it rides great. For big loads, throwing the wide loaders on is very, very helpful.
The parts spec is dead-on. Deore LX isn't exactly high-end in the drivetrain…but as long as the chain is, the drivetrain is totally forgiving. My Dummy lives a pretty nice life…it's been out in the rain one time. That said, the only work I've ever had to do on it is chain lubing. It's never needed a derailleur or brake adjustment, and has, after 1,000 miles, always shifted and braked perfectly. (With those super long cables, that's a really impressive feat. I attribute much of that to the careful setup at NCC). The headset has been nice and tight from day 1. I started pulling apart the bottom bracket to check it last weekend (after hitting 1k miles), and it was tight and lubed. Wheels are true and spin easily. When I got it, I did spray the frame down with some Boe-shield…and I have washed it once. (After it was out in the rain). But that's it.
I did run clip less pedals on it for a while…and for heavy loads, clip less rocks. But after one "almost didn't unclip while stopping" when I had my daughter on the back, I went back to platforms. As long as I have passengers, I'll stick with platforms. Risk/reward.
The Dummy is a great bike. Riding it just makes you smile. The perfect Dummy speed is 15mph–it just loves to ride 15mph. It will ride faster, it will ride slower…but 15 is about perfect. The drivetrain offers a wide enough gear spread to cover any load, any hill, any situation up to about 30mph. And 30mph is plenty fast on the Dummy.
I'll close out with a few comments on the Schwalbe Big Apples. They're quiet and have a great ride for the suburban use that I put the Dummy through–the high volume design works well at squelching bumps, especially in combination with the steel frame. At lower pressures, they're comfortable, at higher pressures, they're fast, around 45 psi, they're both. I've had 400 pounds of rider and cargo on the Dummy, and the B'Apples didn't even blink. The reflective stripe is a nice touch, as well. My complaints? Obviously, no real tread means no effectiveness in any kind of mud or snow. (I threw a Schwalbe Smart Sam on the rear end and screwed around in the snow once…it was super fun. The long wheelbase meant you could hang the rear end out sliding around every corner, and have complete control). Also, when you push it hard into a corner, the front tire squeals like a pig. Really. It's annoying. I'm also not fond of the look…I've seen a few Dummys with more aggressive tires, and think that they fit the bike's personality much better than the Big Apples. But after 1,000 miles, they look relatively like new.
The Dummy is a great bike. It would be a great urban, all-purpose bike, and it is a great suburban, special-purpose bike. And it can carry a butt-load of gluten free beer.


text: Korean Job Discussion Forums :: View topic - Philosophy Grad's!! Speak Korean Now! Korean Job Discussion Forums"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!" FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in Philosophy Grad's!! Goto page 1, 2 Next Korean Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> General Discussion Forum View previous topic :: View next topic Author Message danyukJoined: 17 Jun 2003 Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2003 4:14 am Post subject: Philosophy Grad's!! Just wondering how many Philosophy Grads are out there...how many of us who cant hack the idea of boring sell-out careers in the uk/us/wherever... Back to top RochJoined: 24 Apr 2003Location: Seoul Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2003 5:25 am Post subject: Yes, count me in except I'm a capitalist pig philosopher and want capitalism to sell everybody out. Back to top danyukJoined: 17 Jun 2003 Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2003 5:54 am Post subject: is this because u believe their naivity entitles them to be fucked over? lol Back to top panthermodernJoined: 08 Feb 2003Location: Taxronto Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2003 6:41 am Post subject: That's me. I like working in Korea because it is almost never boring and that I do not have to work conventional hours. Back to top SaoriJoined: 12 Jan 2003 Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2003 4:54 pm Post subject: Yes, philosophy grad. Oh, I'd happily sell out for a boring job elsewhere if it paid enough. But my student loan was calling. Back to top gang ah jeeJoined: 14 Jan 2003Location: city of paper Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2003 8:08 pm Post subject: one course away - logic 213. i specialised in philosophy of language and mind. graduated in religious studies though. edit: just so no-one thinks PHIL grads can't do the grammar or the spelling or the punctuation, could someone please take the typo out of the thread title? Back to top OdyJoined: 27 Jan 2003Location: over here Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2003 8:50 pm Post subject: i'm a 1st cousin: a fine arts grad. ' didn't know i would like teaching, but i do. now if i could only find a u. job that gives me more time to make art. ~ody ps: i second taking the typo out of the thread title. Back to top danyukJoined: 17 Jun 2003 Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2003 2:08 am Post subject: dont mean 2 sound silly... why cant we spell....where and what is the typo...I know this must sound silly, but im not exac with it at the mo... Back to top richardIIIJoined: 03 Jun 2003Location: Auckland NZ Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2003 3:01 am Post subject: It's not so much a typo as a common gramatical error. The person who created this thread may well suffer from Apostrophe Surplus Syndrome. The apostrophe is used to indicate possession or omitted letter(s). For example: John's car = the car belonging to John students' books = the books belonging to the students. Isn't = is not, the apostrophe replaces the letter "o" The apostrophe is not simply inserted whenever the letter "s" appears. So, the cat's sat on the mat's is WRONG. But the cat's mother sat on the mats is right. So, the title of this thread is poor english. Unless you wish to argue that in grad's, the apostrophe replaces "uate". But you don't have much of a case - grad is a recognise abbreviated word, so is grads and the apostrophe rarely replaces more than one letter that is traditionally swallowed anyway. So there you have it - and I'm the apostrophe ninja! So don't mess with me. An interesting possibility is created by Samoan names that include apostrophes. These apostrophes' significance might be in the fact they are pronunciation guides or something, I don't do foriegn punctuation. Back to top danyukJoined: 17 Jun 2003 Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2003 9:17 am Post subject: Apostrophe surplus syndrome, lol!! always in a rush, should try 'n think tings through! Back to top denzJoined: 15 Jan 2003Location: soapland. alternatively - the school of rock! Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2003 8:44 pm Post subject: richardIII wrote: [... blah blah pedantry...] I don't do foriegn [sic] punctuation. denz Back to top saw6436Joined: 16 Jan 2003Location: Daejeon, ROK Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2003 9:05 pm Post subject: Fat cat? So, a single cat sat on several mats. Were they stacked mats? Or just a fat cat? Back to top richardIIIJoined: 03 Jun 2003Location: Auckland NZ Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2003 3:47 am Post subject: Like I said, I'm the apostrophe ninja, not the spelling ninja. Besides, if I didn't make a deliberate mstake, the ironic effect of my affected pedantry would be affected. My money's on stacked mats. Or the cat sat on several mats one after the other. English is notoriously vague. This phrase can be translated a suprisingly massive number of ways into French for example. Back to top denzJoined: 15 Jan 2003Location: soapland. alternatively - the school of rock! Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2003 5:06 am Post subject: richardIII wrote: Like I said, I'm the apostrophe ninja, not the spelling ninja. Besides, if I didn't make a deliberate mstake, the ironic effect of my affected pedantry would be affected. avast ye apostrophe' ninja. walk da plank wit' ya. arrr'rr. denz - pirates' of pedants' Back to top cohke666Joined: 03 Apr 2003Location: California USA Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2003 6:09 pm Post subject: phil grad did the philosophy thing, don't care about proper english though, too much analysis is done on english and language in general, screw that as long as I know what your sayin it's ok I have the imagination to figure out most of it, besides if it wasn't for bad english how would the american and canadien version of english have ever came about from that stuff they use on the islands? Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Korean Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> General Discussion Forum All times are GMT - 8 HoursGoto page 1, 2 Next Page 1 of 2 Jump to: Select a forum Forums:----------------FAQJob-related Discussion ForumGeneral Discussion ForumOff-Topic ForumTravel ForumCurrent Events ForumTechnology ForumBuy/Sell/Trade Forum You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling. Contact Dave's ESL Cafe Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved. Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group TEFL International Supports Dave's ESL Cafe


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Thursday, January 10, 2008
Clean Bowled!!
It was a significant day to most of my peers as it was "the joining day" for all of us. Most of us were skeptical about the new world that we were stepping into. I was a little different from them all with more dreams and expectations than fear.
As i was instructed by the admin to meet my manager and confirm my joining date , i decided to go ahead and finish off with the formalities. I had butterflies in my stomach as i moved closer to the building in search of my manager.
Now, i had more fear than any other feeling. But something always told me that this day wud definitely be "the" day i wud remember for the rest of my life. And today, i have shared those feelings with all of you.
I had to run errands to fetch myself the necessary documents as a result of which i was a little tired and a little less tidy. It made me more conscious now as i entered the office.
A tall man with an impressive physique sat at the other end of the desk with his back facing me. I was too keen in knowing who this was and how he looked. His voice sounded like those bells ringing on my ears gently.He was attending a call - his accent so natural, so clear and his talk so crisp and sensible. I was Clean Bowled now as he turned to me and smiled. He extended his hand further for a quick hand shake. I felt weak in my knees all of a sudden as i extended my hand towards him.
I quickly mumbled something which i clearly know he dint follow. Anyways, i was done with a part of the intro i thought. I forgot everything about the formalities i had to complete and just continued to look at him without even winking my eyes. he was a charmer! his smile, his attitude... everything about him was just awesome and the way i like it!
He got another call now and thats when thoughts flooded my mind.I am naive when it comes to impressing men... added to that trait of mine was my drained out look at that time in the evening. I felt i should go and freshen up, tidy myself and get back. But i had conflicting thoughts too. Finally, i decided to sit there and just get things done and move out quickly.
He finished attending the call and turned back to me now. He asked me for the form that needed the manager's signature. I panicked as i realised i had forgotten the letter somewhere. He read my face and said, "Relax. It happens sometimes. Dont you worry!!" I thanked him for being so kind and felt a little relieved now.I tried to convince him about how i had misplaced it somewhere and that i would surely attempt to get another copy of it asap for his signature.
Till now, I had presumed he was my manager. I had also imagined that i would be his team member who can closely interact with him on a daily basis and a lot other things . But now I realized I was bowled over all again... this time with bitter facts!
He introduced himself to me as the HR person of the office who would be collecting the forms to hand it over in bulk to the respective managers. I was shattered!!My castle of dreams was pull down and my desires were inhumanely killed i felt.For a minute I cursed my choice for "feeling" for a meagre HR person and not a manager!!
Positions do play a role.. right?
That was more than enuf to pinch me and wake me up from the trance state. I now got practical and concentrated in getting my work done. I now dint care about either his sweet talk or the melody of his voice. I assured him that i would submit the form the next day and walked out.
Huh... a day to remember.. indeed!!
I might be wrong to have decided to have wiped out my feelings for this HR guy. But,its my life!! I've got my preferences . And am happy my heart agreed with my mind to make the decision.
So, guys.. what do you have to say about this little incident?
Do write in your comments. I welcome criticism , as i believe that "criticism is the only way to improve quality".
7 comments:
- z0ltan said...
Hmmm... nice first post mate! What can I say but this - funny, brutally honest and I loved the part about that "tall man with an impressive physique..." ;-) and how his non-existent dreams were shattered too... hahahahaaha...
Now if only you had given some names... ;-)
- January 11, 2008 at 2:48 AM
- Archie said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- January 11, 2008 at 6:10 AM
- manju said...
very bold ..well may be u can disclose the individuals of "interest" lols...
well archie..great start i can say..impressive wit the description.
lookin frwrd fer de devolopments
- January 13, 2008 at 2:10 AM
- arun said...
whew! Now was i in the middle of a film??
The impressive part of the blog was (not the HR ofcourse :P ) the way you have described even the smallest of things and the amount of detail ... BRAVO!
Keep this going on and there could be a lucky director after reading the blog ;)
- January 13, 2008 at 9:45 AM
- sindhura said...
sweets dont give up the guy just coz he's an HR guy.. c'mon even they have certain perks :-) . especially if they are good looking..I think u should give t a shot ;-)
- January 17, 2008 at 9:39 AM
- Chocolacious said...
the article kept me engaged so much, i cud almost visualize the entire happenings... a cool article to begin with...
it was just one day in ur life n beautifully narrated.. waiting to know more experiences from u..
- January 18, 2008 at 3:30 AM
- Pratik said...
Sometimes what you see is not what you get :)
- April 16, 2011 at 1:01 PM


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Fremont County Coroner Carlette Brocious, on Wednesday evening, released the autopsy reports of the March 9 triple homicide victims.
The suspect, Jaacob Van Winkle, 31, is accused of killing Mandy Folsom, 35, and her two children, Marissa, 9, and Mason, 5.
The coroner's reports suggest that the deaths were caused by "multiple incised wounds," apparent on the three victims. The arrest affidavit identifies the suspected murder weapon as a knife.
The three autopsy reports state that "investigation and autopsy findings are consistent with these injuries being the result of the actions of another person(s)."
Van Winkle, 31, is being charged with 14 counts of murder in the first degree, six counts of sexual assault, two counts of child abuse resulting in death, two counts of second-degree kidnapping, and one count each of assault in the first degree, sexual assault on a child, sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust, sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust — pattern of abuse and unlawful sexual contact. All are felony charges.
Additional charges are sentence enhancers of six counts of crime of violence and one count of habitual sexual offender against children.
Van Winkle was arrested March 9, and District Judge David Thorson found probable cause to proceed in the case at an advisement hearing March 10. Charges against Van Winkle formally were filed March 20.
The 11th Judicial District unsealed the affidavits in the case May 2.
The affidavit states the Cañon City Police Department received a call at about 8:10 p.m. March 9 from a female stating that "she had been raped" and that her family members were "tied up in the garage" at a home near the 1100 block of Phay Avenue.
"Law enforcement officers from the CCPD and the Fremont County Sheriff's Office subsequently responded and set a perimeter around the residence ... and made entry into the detached garage ... but located no persons inside," states the affidavit.
According to the affidavit, five officers entered the bi-level house, contacted and detained Van Winkle in a bedroom in the upper-level of the home.
The three victims were discovered deceased in a downstairs bedroom, according to the affidavit.
The reporting party was identified as Folsom's oldest daughter, age 16. As a victim of sexual assault, her name is not being released.
In an interview with the teen victim at St. Thomas More Hospital, she told a CCPD detective that "Van Winkle took several of her mother's (medical) pills" and after a second sexual assault, Van Winkle "passed out," and she was able to escape and "went to the neighbor's residence for help," according to the affidavit.
The affidavit states that Van Winkle was interviewed "after his detention" and "although he denied committing the murders, he admitted to sexually assaulting" the teen. According to the affidavit, "he told investigators he had found the two children and mother dead, but chose not to notify law enforcement due to his being a wanted fugitive."
The affidavit states that "Van Winkle told (investigators) that he had blood on his hands from touching the bodies" and "he claimed to have found the suspected murder weapon, a knife, on the bed," which he wrapped in sheets and hid in a crawlspace.
The affidavit states that investigators "discovered the insulated undershirt Van Winkle had been wearing was blood stained."
According to the affidavit, the teen victim also stated that "during the incident, Van Winkle told (her) that he had committed a murder in Indiana." In his interview, the affidavit states that "he denied this but then went on to say that (she) might have been referring to a friend of his."
WCSI, an Indiana-based news/talk radio station, reported that Van Winkle was questioned in September 2011 in Indiana on the death of his landlord, Michael Eaton, 50.
The Indiana-based Brown County Democrat reported that Eaton's sister reported him missing Sept. 13, 2011, and authorities authorities "found a badly decomposed body underneath clutter in a bedroom" of Eaton's residence, where Van Winkle had been renting a room. According to the Brown County Democrat, the Johnson County sheriff determined Eaton had been dead for at least two weeks and an autopsy on the cause of death was "inconclusive."
The Brown County Democrat reported that "Johnson County Sheriff's Office deputies and Whiteland police found him (Van Winkle) in a tent in the woods," and arrested him "on a warrant for parole violation."
WCSI reported that Van Winkle was never charged for the alleged murder.
At Van Winkle's March 10 advisement hearing in the Fremont County Courthouse, Judge Thorson said he is also being held on a failure-to-appear warrant issued out of Adams County. According to an Adams County court clerk, the warrant involves a protection order violation.
WCSI reported that according to the Indiana Department of Corrections, Van Winkle was "convicted of child molesting and vicarious sexual gratification in Johnson County in 2004." WCSI reports that "he was sentenced to four years and five months in prison on the child molesting count and 18 months in prison on the sexual gratification count. In 2007, Van Winkle was sentenced to an additional two years and nine months in prison on the same child molesting case, according to the Department of Corrections."
Van Winkle is being held in the Fremont County Jail on a no-bond hold, and in addition to the murder charges, he is also is being held on a separate case for failure to register as a sex offender.
Van Winkle's next court appearance will be a preliminary/proof evident hearing, during which the defense will request bond, at 9 a.m. June 30 through July 2.


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Parched by months of drought and searing heat, the Great Plains of the United States endured a widespread dust storm in mid-October 2012. Severe winds blew soil and sediment across hundreds of miles, closing highways and reminding longtime residents of the Dust Bowl years of the 1930s and the severe dust storms of the 1950s.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite captured this natural-color image of dust storms in the prairies of the United States around 1:15 p.m. Central Daylight Time on October 18, 2012. The dust appeared to have source points in southern Nebraska, though more localized sources in Kansas and Oklahoma also may have contributed. Many farms in the region are plowed in the fall for the planting of winter crops, so soils were loosened and ready for pickup by the wind.
Gale-force northwest winds—with gusts approaching hurricane force—blew along the western edge of a storm system that stretched from the Canadian border to Kansas. The storm was the result of the collision of a warm, humid air mass from the southern United States with colder, drier air from Canada, a familiar occurrence in autumn in the middle of North America. High winds carried dust and dirt as much as 3,000 to 4,000 feet (900 to 1,200 meters) into the atmosphere, according to local weather reports.
Authorities in several states reported near-blackout conditions in some places and wind gusts powerful enough to tip trucks driving along open highways. Portions of Interstate 35 in Kansas and Oklahoma, as well as Interstate 80 in Wyoming, had to be shut down due to accidents and poor visibility.
- Associated Press, via Yahoo News (2012, October 18) Dust storm shuts down interstate in northern Oklahoma. Accessed October 19, 2012.
- Casper Star-Tribune (2012, October 18) Wyoming DOT re-opens I-80 east of Cheyenne. Accessed October 19, 2012.
- Climate Central (2012, October 19) Powerful Windstorm Winds Down in Plains, Midwest. Accessed October 19, 2012.
- Climate Central (2012, October 18) Winter Wheat Crop Now Feeling Impact of U.S. Drought. Accessed October 19, 2012.
- National Weather Service (2012, October 19) Damaging winds expected to quiet by end of today, conditions mostly return to near normal. Accessed October 19, 2012.
- The Wichita Eagle (2012, October 18) High winds create Dust Bowl effect over Wichita area. Accessed October 19, 2012.
NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz LANCE/EOSDIS MODIS Rapid Response Team, GSFC. Caption by Mike Carlowicz.
- Instrument(s):
- Aqua - MODIS


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As Brett Bieber mentions in this new blog entry, there's been an OS X release of the Chiara_PEAR_Server package (a "droplet").
This is a Mac OS X droplet for PEAR developers that run Chiara_PEAR_Server. This little droplet just takes in your PEAR Package .tgz and it will release it to Chiara_PEAR_Server.
He idea of the droplet is to automate the packaging process for a tgz file to post it out to a PEAR channel server. Sounds quite handy - check it out for yourself by grabbing the source from svn.saltybeagle.com.


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I stopped by the office. They were all scuba diving.
I listen to This American Life - I know what an office with no employees means.
These guys are patent trolls.
How much do you think office space in San Francisco costs? It's cheaper to have the developers work from home and use their own computers instead of leasing office space and providing the stuff people need to do their work.
So they rent a tiny office a little off the beaten track so they at least have a mailing address and it's no doubt close to somebody who can actually go by and pick up the mail, and maybe it has a room big enough for a small meeting.
Whether working from home is more effective, I really don't know, but I doubt it. There are all kinds of issues that come up that can be resolved in five minutes or less if you can just talk face to face with the right person. I can't count the times I've spent hours on things that could have been resolved immediately if I had just had access to somebody who wasn't around at the moment.
I can't count the times I've spent hours on things that could have been resolved immediately if I had just had access to somebody who wasn't around at the moment.
So send them an email and wait for them to get back to you so that you don't waste your time working on something that either isn't needed or is being done wrong. Instead, work on something else that you can make progress on or complete in the meantime. This isn't a less efficient way of working overall and it can be more efficient than having the task blinders on and interrupting everyone else every half hour just so that you can complete your important task in a few hours on the same day. I really dislike
Email is not a solution for questions that must be answered quickly. That's what phones are for. People do not feel compelled to answer emails promptly. If somebody sends you an email, the implied priority is: read this when it's convenient. When you call on the phone, the implied priority is: we need to talk right now.
Also, it's not always possible to work on something else without serious impact. There is often a large difference in the immediate importance of what I am working on currently and my
There are all kinds of issues that come up that can be resolved in five minutes or less if you can just talk face to face with the right person.
And there are all kinds of issues that waste a lot of your time if you work in the office. Like people eating up five-minute chunks of your time while you're in the middle of a coding fugue, and totally blowing your concentration. It's a tradeoff; you want them to be less productive so that you can be more productive. That might actually make business sense, but it also might not.
...I'm not at my desk at 2pm either.
There's so much good that comes about through telecommuting that I'm surprised it isn't the norm yet.
It depends on a large number of factors. Telecommuting works for a narrow subset of jobs where interactions can be done exclusively by computer with highly independent tasks and the employees are highly motivated.
But some jobs just don't work that way - some creative ones require a high degree of interaction that just cannot be achieved virtually - people bouncing ideas off each other, reviews of materials that are unfeasible to be done electronically (stuff like prototype cases, blueprints that demand large paper, etc). And of course, stuff that requires exotic or expensive hardware - hardware design for example - where prototypes must be debugged and requiring access to expensive test and lab equipment. Then of coures, comes the customers - if your business has customers dropping over for meetings and collaboration, then you better have a way for them to meet the team.
For stuff like pure software development, customer support (phone/email/chat), yes, telecommuting is a transparent option that should be explored. For a lot of other jobs, it's doable, but not ideal. And for other jobs, it's just impossible.
Finally, the employee has to have strong motivation and will - some just aren't suited for it. And there's others who thrive with social interactions that are more in-depth than just IM and phone calls - put them in a room by themselves 8 hours a day and they'll go stir-crazy.
I partly agree, the analysis sounds a little too black and white. Many corporations are just too large to let everyone in the teams meet face to face with one another. There are periodical team meetings and more frequent subteam ones. The bottom line is, shared workspaces when you're in the office, a variable amount of telecommuting days for much of the workforce. As usual tailored solutions are the best.
There seems to be a larger barrier to calling someone by phone than walking to the next cubicle to ask someone.
But people will call you.
Some companies do some other tricks. I believe Github uses a chatroom as their main communication channel. Look up How GitHub Works.
But people will call you.
I believe Github uses a chatroom as their main communication channel.
Why not e-mail? Its a 'pull' technology that allows me to manage my own time. If people need real time communications, they can set it up (chat, in-person meeting, etc.)
The whole 'meeting' thing is a power game played at many companies (you jump when I tell you to) and needs to be minimized in flatter organizations. Or some PHB wanna-be's will abuse them.
The IRS is going to shit themselves if this sort of thing becomes widespread. Who is a direct employee? Who is a contractor? Worse yet, why San Francisco? Why not an office in the Cayman Islands? Is that guy just a low level coding grunt or the principle owner of the corporation? The only thing that gets reported is the salary or contracting fee payed back into the USA. All other requests for info from the IRS (or FBI/CIA/NSA) are met with a 'Fuck off. We're out of your jurisdiction.'
Er? The rules of legal paperwork don't change because of telecommuting. Contractors normally have to sign contracts that designate them as contractors. Direct employees normally have paperwork that say they are employees. When a corporations files their paperwork, they have to list key staff like an owner. If anything, not having an office means there is fewer line items in the company's tax forms.
Contractors normally have to sign contracts that designate them as contractors. Direct employees normally have paperwork that say they are employees.
And you don't think federal and state revenue departments challenge this status all the time?
When a corporations files their paperwork, they have to list key staff like an owner.
US corporations have to list this somewhere inside the USA. Foreign corporations list wherever they are chartered as required by their laws of incorporation. In some cases, its in a jurisdiction that protects its subjects privacy rights. Good luck finding the names of the board of directors, CEO or shareholders.
Working for such an entity (within the USA) I have to report my revenue. But any other questions the IRS
I have workers in differnt states of the country, some of whom I have never seen their face. I just need to know they are Online and they are delivering their work on time ad complete. The virtual office is just used for receiving bank statements and tax notifications. The first seven years of operation the virtual office was not even needed but I had to get one to be able to print my presentation cards with an address in a business zone instead of a residential zone like I was doing in the past.
Personal fa
"The one charm of marriage is that it makes a life of deception a neccessity." - Oscar Wilde


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NLDS workout day: Getting Game 1 vital for Phils
Posted by | September 30, 2008 at 09:38 PM
Winning early in a short series, especially a best-of-five series, is always important.
The Phillies' need to take Game 1 of their National League Division Series is greater than most teams' need to strike early.
When the Phillies and Brewers start their NLDS on Wednesday, the Phillies will certainly have the starting-pitching edge. Cole Hamels enters the playoffs off his second straight season with at least 14 wins and an ERA under 3.50. Milwaukee right-hander Yovani Gallardo has fewer big league starts than Hamels has wins over the last two years and has started just once since May 1 after tearing the ACL in his right knee. As good as Gallardo's stuff is, he probably won't be able to pitch as deeply into the evening as Hamels will because he isn't stretched out.
Having the pitching edge isn't the only reason it's important for the Phillies to win Game 1. The biggest reason the Phillies need a Wednesday win is the man waiting to face them in Game 2 -- Milwaukee ace CC Sabathia.
Many people have assumed Sabathia will start to wear down because he has made his last three starts on three days' rest. Until it happens, don't count on it.
Sabathia has been the best pitcher in the majors since he was traded to Milwaukee. He is 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA in his last 17 starts. He has a 0.83 ERA in his last three starts. He is making himself more money -- he will be a free agent after the season -- with each dominant effort.
The Phillies surely could beat Sabathia in Game 2. They could even have Brett Myers, who had 10 great starts before the two bad ones he had in his most recent outings, outduel Sabathia.
But if the Phillies lose Game 1, all the pressure will be on them. They cannot afford to go to Milwaukee down 0-2, the way they went to Colorado last season before getting swept.
Getting Game 1 on Wednesday will make Game 2 a gravy game. No one will expect them to beat Sabathia. If they do, all the better for them. If they don't, they would head to Milwaukee tied 1-1 with steady Jamie Moyer set to take the ball in Game 3.
Hamels has lofty expectations for himself. He wants to be viewed on the same level as the game's best pitchers.
Winning Wednesday would move him closer to that goal. It would also be the best recipe for the Phillies to win this series.
* * * * * * *
In today's NLDS notebook, we have word on a back injury suffered by Pat Burrell and quotes and info on Hamels and Gallardo.
Burrell hurt his lower back during batting practice this afternoon. He will be re-evaluated before Wednesday's game.
* * * * * * *
If you can't watch Games 1 and 2 of the NLDS, check here for live updates before, during and after the game.


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Jimmy Carter's second term
To say that I'm disappointed in the results of the election is probably a bit of an understatement. What is most disappointing is to see my "friends" on Facebook who are veterans celebrating a second term of the President. I can't figure out what they're celebrating about. Retirees in five western states are being forced out of Tricare Prime and into Tricare Standard which means that, unless they live near a military treatment facility, their healthcare are going to skyrocket. What's to celebrate?
And I put the blame for this loss of veterans squarely on the shoulders of the Romney team. When I brought the above subject up to John Noonan, Romney's defense advisor, he responded that he hadn't heard the Obama camp mention it in the campaign – so I guess he thought it wasn't going to happen. It's going to happen in April, whether Noonan has heard about it or not. A moment's Google would tell him that.
The Obama Administration has raided our healthcare premiums to pay for other defense projects. If a corporation had done that to it's retirees, the Obama Administration would be crawling up their ass with a microscope.
And what about the most egregious decision of the Afghan war? The one that forbade US troops from having loaded weapons when they were in the company of our "allies" just to make them think that we trusted them. That bit of brilliance cost us more than 50 young lives this year before they finally reversed the decision this summer. And let's not forget that this Defense Department ignored a report last year that predicted an increase in "insider" attacks this year.
While we're talking about the war, how about the overall strategy – what is the overall strategy if it's not solely to withdraw? It's a rush for the exits and a dependency on drones. The lowest infantryman understands that an Army doesn't control anything that doesn't have a soldier standing on it. Air attacks from several thousand feet above the battlefield doesn't win anything, and this administration was unwilling, for purely political reasons, to put the number of boots in Afghanistan that a winning strategy required.
But the troops are coming home. If Desert Storm taught us anything, it was that if you don't complete the mission, you're going to end up fighting the war all over again.
While we're at it, let's talk about the Veterans' Affairs Department which has squandered it's increased funding. the rolls of veterans awaiting a decision on their claims for service-connected relief has grown despite the promises of the Department. They promised to end homelessness among veterans and they're not really any closer than they were when they assumed office. Veterans are loosing money everyday when ever a college term begins because the VA can't pay them in a timely manner.
All of that without even mentioning sequestration, which the Obama Administration claims won't happen. I'm not sure how they think it won't happen because it's a law.
And then to top it all off, folks in Afghanistan wrote yesterday to tell us that TAH has been blocked in Regional Command (South) because we're "extremist". I guess it's extremist to point out the things that no one else will, the failings of the Big Army leadership. The fact that the Defense Department is screwing over veterans and the troops and blaming them for the failures of their own leadership.
So yeah, your guy won, but who is going to pay for your jubilant celebration? It's not American Idol or a sports contest. There is a real cost to real people out here in the real world.
Category: Barack Obama/Joe Biden, Big Army, Military issues, Veteran Health Care, Veterans Issues


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Latest Features
Fadden Named WHL Player of the Week ... Again
(CHL Release) The BOSTON PIZZA WHL Player of the Week is forward Mitch Fadden of the Tri-City Americans.
Fadden picked up eight points, scoring two goals and six assists to go with a +5 rating in three games over the last week, helping the Tri-City Americans win their Kal-Tire 2009 WHL Western Conference Quarter-Finals best-of-seven series over the Everett Silvertips 4-1.
On Wednesday, March 25th, the Tri-City Americans' opening round series shifted back to the Comcast Arena in Everett for games three and four versus the Silvertips, with the series tied 1-1. In game three Fadden picked up a goal and an assist as the Americans downed the 'Tips 4-2 to jump out to a 2-1 series lead and was named the games 1st Star. In game four on Friday, March 27th, Fadden netted one goal and added two assists as the Americans took a strangle hold on the best of seven series 3-1 with their 4-1 victory. He was also named the games 2nd Star.
Game five of the opening round series was on Saturday, March 28th back at the Toyota Center in Tri-City. Fadden picked up three assists as the Tri-City Americans defeated the Everett Silvertips 6-1 and advance to the next round of the 2009 WHL Playoffs. He was also named the games 3rd Star. The Americans will now face the Kelowna Rockets in the Kal-Tire WHL Western Conference Semi-Final starting Friday.
Fadden, a 20-year-old from Salmon Arm, British Columbia, is rounding out is fifth full season of play in the WHL in a career that began back in 2003 with the Seattle Thunderbirds. The Tampa Bay Lightning 4th round Draft pick in 2007 finished the WHL Regular Season 22nd among all WHL Scorers with 76 points (37 goals, 39 assists).
He was also named Player of the Week Feb. 23-Mar. 1. Lightning prospect Dana Tyrell was given the award for the week ending Nov. 2.
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Dinosaurs were named by a British scientist in 1841, from a pair of Greek roots meaning "terrible" and "lizard." Their fossils had been familiar in Asia for centuries – witness the mythology of dragons and griffins. But only gradually did dinosaurs become an essential part of the public imagination. Early 20th-century movies like The Lost World, King Kong and Fantasia played a key role. So did the atomic bombs that brought the Second World War to an end. After Hiroshima and Nagasaki, humans began to realize that we too could go the way of the great reptiles. In cultural terms, the outstanding attribute of dinosaurs is not their size, strength or diversity, but their extinction.
Starting in the 1950s, a dinosaur became a powerful metaphor for any person or institution unable to adapt to change. George Romney, a Republican governor who (unlike his son Mitt) dared to speak his mind, coined the phrase "gas-guzzling dinosaurs" to refer to the three largest carmakers in the United States. Punk rockers dismissively referred to the flamboyant progressive groups of a slightly earlier generation – Genesis, the Moody Blues and so on – as "dinosaur bands." The metaphor is often deployed by political columnists. The Globe and Mail's Lawrence Martin, for example, once wrote that although Stephen Harper isn't old, "to the young, (he) still comes across as a dinosaur."
It can be a brutally effective piece of scorn because it's so unanswerable. To say "No, I'm not a dinosaur" is a bit like saying "Yes, I do have a sense of humour" – or even "Yes, I've stopped beating my wife." It doesn't help, if you're accused of being a dinosaur, to point out that the creatures were tremendously varied in habits and form, that they flourished on every continent and that some of them evolved into modern birds. All that matters is that they eventually disappeared.
Which is why I was annoyed to read a feature in The Gazette's business pages last Saturday that stated: "In this era, the dinosaurs of publishing – newspapers, magazines and books – have not yet figured out what role they will play." If they're dinosaurs, in the way the metaphor is normally used, they will play no role whatever. The reporter announced: "With publishing gone, the post-publishing era means reading will be done on screens." He quoted a "renowned new media guru," who deplored the failure of books, magazines and newspapers to have "reinvented what's appropriate for this new world."
Speaking as an unrenowned old media dinosaur, I'm always a little suspicious of stories that constantly resort to the word "new." Journalists, perhaps fearing for their jobs in the future, and not wanting to be left behind in the general stampede for change, are liable to overvalue the latest forms of communication. A striking example appeared in this newspaper on New Year's Eve 2011, when a fashion feature began with the extraordinary statement: "This is the year that Twitter exploded, rendering the narrative form and everybody's attention span virtually obsolete." Really?
The trouble with such predictions and overstatements is that if they're repeated long enough, people start to believe them. And the breathless hype comes to seem more plausible than the sober truth. But in April of last year, a Toronto firm named Higher Education Strategy Associates sampled 1,370 Canadian undergraduates about their learning experience. The expectation was that students would be keen on electronic learning, and hungry for more of it. The results showed otherwise. Asked if they preferred having their course materials in electronic or hard-copy format, more than 82 per cent of these students said they preferred hard copies. Pieces of paper. Books.
Remember, these young people are "digital natives," to most of whom iPhones, iPads, Tumblr and Facebook are second nature, and for whom Twitter is supposed to be trending. But when they were asked to rate the quality of education in courses that relied partially or entirely on electronic teaching, 49.4 per cent said the quality was higher in courses with a live instructor and no electronic element. 44.3 per cent saw no difference. And only 6.4 per cent said the quality was higher in courses that were taught electronically, using live-streamed lectures, online texts and so on.
What a large tribe of young dinosaurs! Of course, dinosaurs were around for more than 100 million years.