Subscribe in a reader and get notified every time I update the blog.

Help keep Tammy Blog prosperous and strong by donating a little something to The Kitty. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Available Now at a bookstore near you!

Order it online at Amazon!

Science & Technology Archives

Isolation Tanks

A post by Maynard

Alright, boys and girls, some non-political touchy-feely trivia follows. This will not be on the test, so you can freely ignore it.

Read More »

Posted by Maynard · July 11, 2008 03:14 AM · Permalink  · Comments (3)
Gadgets/Toys | Hollywood/Films | Maynard Post | Science & Technology

Scientists: Religion a Figment of Human Imagination

Scientists, most of whom represent the epitome of narcissism, once again get their boxers in a twist trying to explain the one thing they will never be able to explain--the Divine. Scientists, you see, unable to comprehend something beyond themselves, have decided that faith and God is all in our heads. With their incredible imaginations, funny how they've just never been able to figure out that 'Big Bang' theory. Yes, my friends, that sound you hear is God laughing. You should, too. Weave pity in there for the 'scientists' while you're at it.

Religion a figment of human imagination

Humans alone practice religion because they're the only creatures to have evolved imagination.

That's the argument of anthropologist Maurice Bloch of the London School of Economics. Bloch challenges the popular notion that religion evolved and spread because it promoted social bonding, as has been argued by some anthropologists.

Instead, he argues that first, we had to evolve the necessary brain architecture to imagine things and beings that don't physically exist, and the possibility that people somehow live on after they've died..."Religious-like phenomena in general are an inseparable part of a key adaptation unique to modern humans, and this is the capacity to imagine other worlds, an adaptation that I argue is the very foundation of the sociality of modern human society."

"Once we realise this omnipresence of the imaginary in the everyday, nothing special is left to explain concerning religion," he says..."As soon as you have theory of mind, you have the possibility of deceiving others, or being deceived," he says. This, in turn, generates a sense of fairness and unfairness, which could lead to moral codes and the possibility of an unseen "enforcer" - God – who can see and punish all wrong-doers.

Maynard's comment

It should be remembered that science cannot explain the phenomena of consciousness and free will, and that free will in fact provably cannot exist, in that it violates fundamental laws of causality and/or probability. Some scientists address this conundrum by suggesting that free will is merely an illusion. You can believe that if you (ahem!) so choose. The rest of us must acknowledge that there is a supernatural aspect to our existence.

These pompous academic dismissals are the words of educated imbeciles who are offended by the notion of any Authority higher than themselves. Arguments like this, while cloaked in words of reason, are in fact appeals to Man's vanity.

What is God? What does He want of us? These are questions we can (and should) debate and discuss. But, setting aside the specifics of theology...as the man said, "There are more things in heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

Hey! While we're on the subject...This is exactly what the movie Expelled is about. See it!

Posted by Tammy · May 5, 2008 05:49 AM · Permalink  · Comments (15)
Faith/The Divine | Just Plain Stupid | Science & Technology

Sydney Bruce's DNA Report Is In!

My dog Sydney is a rescue and I've always been curious about what breed combo made the Best Dog in the World. Well, I had my vet check out the What's My Dog? DNA test group and went for it, and now we have the results. Here are the four breeds that make a Sydney:

The most expected: German Shepherd

Next most expected: Collie

A little surprise, but this does explain Sydney's spotted tongue: Chinese Sharpei

And: Leonberger! I had never heard of this breed before, but here she is.

Pour all of these dogs together in one container, mix gently, add a big scoop of American, and you get the American Classic Rescue Mix--Sydney Bruce:

Sydney, with Dog Bedhead

Posted by Tammy · May 1, 2008 12:44 PM · Permalink  · Comments (25)
Animal Issues | Science & Technology

An Engineer's Guide to Cats

You can learn from this even if you're a regular person and not an engineer. Enjoy. Oh, the "corporal cuddling" and "cat yodeling" parts are my favorite.

Posted by Tammy · April 30, 2008 10:57 PM · Permalink  · Comments (2)
Animal Issues | Humor | Science & Technology

Scientists: Earthquake. Big. California. Eventually.

Me: Hurricane. Big. Florida. Eventually. Now where do I send my bill? I just wonder how much this revelatory finding cost us. And I do have a question: why is this news? Oh yeah, more 'scary' for your life.

Scientists: Big Quake Likely in Calif.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - California faces an almost certain risk of being rocked by a strong earthquake by 2037, scientists said Monday in the first statewide temblor forecast. New calculations reveal there is a 99.7 percent chance a magnitude 6.7 quake or larger will strike in the next 30 years. The odds of such an event are higher in Southern California than Northern California, 97 percent versus 93 percent.

"It basically guarantees it's going to happen," said Ned Field, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Pasadena and lead author of the report.

The 1994 Northridge earthquake under Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley was magnitude 6.7. It killed 72 people, injured more than 9,000 and caused $25 billion in damage in the metropolitan area...

For example, a 2003 report found the San Francisco Bay Area faced a 62 percent chance of being struck by a magnitude 6.7 quake by 2032. The new study increased the likelihood slightly to 63 percent by 2037. For the Los Angeles Basin, the probability is higher at 67 percent. There is no past comparison for the Los Angeles area.

Scientists still cannot predict exactly where in the state such a quake will occur or when. But they say the analysis should be a wake- up call for residents to prepare for a natural disaster in earthquake country... "A big earthquake can happen tomorrow or it can happen 10 years from now," said Tom Jordan, director of the earthquake center, which is headquartered at the University of Southern California.

Ha! Genius. That sure narrows it down.

Posted by Tammy · April 14, 2008 10:06 PM · Permalink  · Comments (7)
Science & Technology

New Portraits of Mozart and Bach

The Mozart portrait is a 200-year-old painting of a man in a red coat, only now identified positively as Mozart. The new image of Bach is not old, but new--modern laser technology has been used to build a portrait of Bach using his skull. Both are amazing and show us more of the humanity of men who gave the world the miracle of God's voice in the guise of music.

Rare Mozart portrait discovered

A portrait of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart that lay unidentified for more than 200 years has been proved to be authentic, according to an expert on the composer.

Professor Cliff Eisen from London's King's College has spent more than a year trying to confirm that the picture was of Mozart, who died in 1791. He said: "This is arguably the most important Mozart portrait to be discovered since the composer's death." Its significance came to light after it was bought by a US collector in 2005.

And now for Bach:

Bach from the dead - fresh portrait of a decomposer

"This is the most complete likeness of Bach we can achieve from the information we have," says the forensic anthropologist Caroline Wilkinson.

Commissioned by the Bach Haus museum in the musician's home town of Eisenach, Wilkinson has spent a month reconstructing the "true face" of the maestro at the Centre for Forensic and Medical Art in Dundee, where - apart from archaeological recreations of Pharaoh Ramses II and Saint Nicholas (aka Santa Claus) - she is usually involved in crime cases, rebuilding faces out of remains found everywhere from back gardens to war zones.

Using a bronze casting of Bach's skull (made by the Leipzig anatomist Wilhelm His a century ago), and a portrait painted four years before his death in 1750 at the age of 65 - as well as documents hinting at his health, weight and fondness for beer and schnapps - Wilkinson has created the most definitive image of the composer yet. It is, she believes, about 70 per cent accurate: his friends, apparently, would have recognised him right away. "We made a laser scan of his skull," says Wilkinson. "From there, we recreated all the muscles of his face, taken from our muscle database. Using the detail of the bone, we then recreated his facial appearance." Documents describing Bach's eye problems, including what were possibly cataracts, allowed medical artist Caroline Needham to add the final touches that give Bach a human look.

Neeto.

Related Link:

WSJ: Who Cares What Mozart Looked Like? You and I Do for starters, but What Drives Our Curiosity?

Posted by Tammy · April 12, 2008 10:45 PM · Permalink  · Comments (1)
Art | History | Music | Science & Technology

Earth and the Moon, As Seen from Mars

Funny how we can get this glorious picture of Earth and the moon as seen from our Mars orbiter, but getting the 'Virtual' Border Fence to work proved just too difficult. Yeah, right.

Posted by Tammy · March 5, 2008 11:18 AM · Permalink  · Comments (1)
Outer Space | Science & Technology

It's Groundhog Day! But It's a Split Decision

Punxsutawney Phil and Woody the Woodchuck have each issued their winter/spring predictions, and it's a split decision. Phil saw his shadow today which means we'll have more winter, but Woody didn't and predicts an early Spring. I will choose Woody's prediction because I like it better. Also, Woody is a girl, so her female intuition probably gives her an edge. See, wasn't that easy? Time, of course, will prove one of them right. Whoever gets this year right, I will believe next year.

Phil of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania

Punxsutawney Phil Sees Shadow, Predicts More Winter

The groundhog called Phil emerged from his burrow this morning in central Pennsylvania and saw his shadow, which according to legend signals there will be six more weeks of winter in the U.S.

Phil's handlers, John Griffiths and Ben Hughes, removed him from his stump-shaped shelter on a stage in Punxsutawney at 7:27 a.m. local time and proclaimed he saw his shadow. The forecast elicited some boos from the crowd of about 30,000 gathered to await the 122nd annual weather prediction... If he sees his shadow, there'll be six more weeks of winter weather, and if he doesn't, there will be an early spring, according to an old German superstition.

Woody of Howell, Michigan

Woody says prepare for an early spring

Woody the woodchuck, Livingston County's famous female weather prognosticator, proved Saturday that she's got a sense of humor.

The groundhog stayed out of her hutch through the count of 30 before heading back in on 31. She resurfaced again before the count of 35 - leading staff at the Howell Conference and Nature Center to assume Woody must be predicting an early spring.

"It was a photo finish," said Dana DeBenham, the center's wildlife director, who blamed noise on Woody's last-minute run for the hutch. "I don't think she saw her shadow. I think she was frightened by the crowd."

The process goes like this: Woody is coaxed out of her hutch and has 30 seconds to see her shadow. If she's frightened and returns to the hutch, that means six more weeks of winter. If Woody is still outside after 30 seconds, that means a prediction for an early spring.

"It's all very scientific," DeBenham joked to the Saturday morning crowd who witnessed the event and helped with the count. "She's been right seven out of nine times."

Posted by Tammy · February 2, 2008 10:50 AM · Permalink  · Comments (4)
Animal Issues | Science & Technology | Squirrels

Wow--Look at What Apple Has Done Now

Must. Have. It.

Meet the world's thinnest notebook--the MacBook Air. I hesitated getting a new MacBook Pro, now I'm glad I did. This is making me hyperventilate almost as much as the Kimber .45 :) But will my iPhone be jealous?

Posted by Tammy · January 15, 2008 04:14 PM · Permalink  · Comments (3)
Gadgets/Toys | Good News | Hero | Inspiration | Internet/Communication | Science & Technology | Shopping

It Must Be That Lack of Gun Control Out There

And let's not dismiss that difficult birth childhood it had, either.

Astronomers Astonished by Violence of Universe

WASHINGTON — The deeper astronomers gaze into the cosmos, the more they find it's a bizarre and violent universe.

The research findings from this week's annual meeting of U.S. astronomers range from blue orphaned baby stars to menacing "rogue" black holes that roam our galaxy, devouring any planets unlucky enough to be within their limited reach...When astronomers this week unveiled a giant map of mysterious dark matter in a supercluster of galaxies, they explained that the violence of the cramped-together galaxies is so great that there is now an accepted vocabulary for various types of cosmic brutal behavior.

The gravitational force between the clashing galaxies can cause "slow strangulation," in which crucial gas is gradually removed from the victim galaxy. "Stripping" is a more violent process in which the larger galaxy rips gas from the smaller one.

Then there's "harassment," which is a quick fly-by encounter, said astronomer Meghan Gray of the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom.

With all this violence, it's amazing how the universe has survive without any governmental regulation, isn't it?

Posted by Tammy · January 15, 2008 09:01 AM · Permalink  · Comments (1)
Outer Space | Science & Technology

'Green' Scourge: Fluorescent Bulbs

Surprise: Just as England decided it would completely ban conventional light bulbs, we're finding the supposedly environmentally and human-friendly fluorescent bulbs are more dangerous and damaging than conventional bulbs ever were. According to experts, fluorescents cause migraines, exacerbate skin conditions and provoke seizures. Oh yeah, and with that mercury in them, they're also a Hazardous Waste.

Maybe this news will get Algore another Nobel Peace Prize. After all, if the plans to stop Global Warming kill off a good section of humanity, All-Mans-Fault-Global-Warming, by default, will be slowed or stopped. Yeehaw!

BBC: Low-energy bulbs 'cause migraine

The Migraine Action Association says members have told them how fluorescent bulbs have led to attacks. Concerns have already been raised by epilepsy charities about an increased risk of seizures from energy-saving bulbs..."These bulbs do trigger migraines for some of our members - it's either the flickering, or the low intensity of the light, causing eye strain.

"We would ask the government to avoid banning them completely, and still leave some opportunity for conventional bulbs to be purchased."

BBC: Low-energy bulbs 'worsen rashes'

Fluorescent bulbs can exacerbate skin rashes in people with photosensitive skin conditions, experts said...Health conditions which can involve some form of light sensitivity, include the auto-immune disease lupus, the genetic disorder Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP), certain forms of eczema and dermatitis, photosensitivity, and porphyria.

BBC: Low-energy bulb disposal warning

Low-energy bulbs contain small amounts of poisonous mercury and are classed as hazardous waste.

If one breaks, the room should be aired and the pieces removed in a sealed bag without using a vacuum cleaner.

The agency says householders need to be given more information about where to take the bulbs for safe recycling.

Posted by Tammy · January 4, 2008 09:30 PM · Permalink  · Comments (10)
Incompetence | Just Plain Stupid | Moronic Convergence | Science & Technology

Seven Great Medical Myths

According to the British Medical Journal include reading in dim light will not hurt your eyes and shaving will not make your hair grow back faster. But then how do we explain those tattoo and motorcycle issues?

Revealed: The seven great "medical myths"

LONDON (Reuters) - Reading in dim light won't damage your eyes, you don't need eight glasses of water a day to stay healthy and shaving your legs won't make the hair grow back faster.

These well-worn theories are among seven "medical myths" exposed in a paper published Friday in the British Medical Journal, which traditionally carries light-hearted features in its Christmas edition. Two U.S. researchers took seven common beliefs and searched the archives for evidence to support them.

Despite frequent mentions in the popular press of the need to drink eight glasses of water, they found no scientific basis for the claim...

Here's the whole list:

* Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight
* Shaving makes hair grow back faster or coarser
* You need to drink 8 glasses of water a day to remain healthy
* Eating turkey makes you drowsy
* We use only 10 percent of our brains
* Hair and fingernails continue to grow after death
* Mobile phones are dangerous in hospitals

Oh, wait! There are actually 8 medical myths. Shockingly, Chuck Norris's tears won't cure cancer. Who knew?

Posted by Tammy · December 23, 2007 01:00 PM · Permalink  · Comments (7)
Celebrity | Health & Fitness | Science & Technology

The March of the Penryns

A geek note from Maynard

If you're looking to buy a PC in the near future, be aware that Intel's new processor (codenamed "Penryn") was released on Sunday. This new line of CPUs will become more broadly available over the next several months. If you buy a computer based on older chips, look for close-out prices.

Penryn is what they call a "die-shrink", meaning that the transistors got even smaller than they were on the previous chip. The new process uses a basic manufacturing size of 45 nanometers, as opposed to the older 65 nanometer process. This allows for more transistors using less power to be crammed into the same space. (A nanometer is a billionth of a meter (which is a bit more than a yard). By contrast, a strand of hair is about 80,000 nanometers wide.)

Later in 2008, Intel will follow up with Nehalem, a new, improved architecture to better take advantage of the smaller components.

Intel rolls out a die-shrink and architecture update every two or three years.

Posted by Maynard · November 13, 2007 12:08 AM · Permalink  · Comments (3)
Maynard Post | Science & Technology

Scientists Wrong Again; Can't Figure Out the Universe

One of the many exquisite images of the universe brought to us by the Hubble Telescope (WildPointer bursts my Hubble Bubble a bit--this is an artist's representation of infrared observations from Hubble). Yes, science can show us the results of the divine, but they can't explain it.

What they thought was a big chunk of universe doesn't even really exist. In other words, all their guesses from calculations was...wrong. Is that God I hear laughing?

Big Chunk Of The Universe Is Missing -- Again

Not only has a large chunk of the universe thought to have been found in 2002 apparently gone missing again but it is taking some friends with it, according to new research at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH). The new calculations might leave the mass of the universe as much as ten to 20 percent lighter than previously calculated.

The same UAH group that found what was theorized to be a significant fraction of the "missing mass" that binds together the universe has discovered that some x-rays thought to come from intergalactic clouds of "warm" gas are instead probably caused by lightweight electrons.

If the source of so much x-ray energy is tiny electrons instead of hefty atoms, it is as if billions of lights thought to come from billions of aircraft carriers were found instead to come from billions of extremely bright fireflies.

And they'll keep guessing until one or two guesses works for a period of time, and then when proven wrong, they'll just move on to another guess. Ah, the fact-based security of science.

Addendum by Maynard:

One of the fundamental questions of cosmology is how much "stuff" there is in the universe. This is important because the presence of matter actually warps the shape of space. The universe may be infinite or finite, depending on whether there's enough stuff in it to wrap space around itself. This also determines the ultimate fate of the universe.

The universe presumably began with a Big Bang, meaning that everything flew apart from a single point maybe 13 or 14 billion years ago. If there's enough stuff, then the collective gravity may eventually pull it all together again in a corresponding "big crunch". (Remember that gravity is caused by mass.) A "crunch" may sound unpleasant, but consider the alternative: The stars fly into space, drifting ever-farther from each other, until they ultimately all burn out. The universe becomes an endless, frozen, lonely graveyard. That chilling scenario makes the potential renewal of a "big crunch" sound hopeful. (At this time, my understanding is that the bright boys who weigh the universe think we're underweight, and thus doomed to the "bad" alternative. But this evaluation is subject to revision.)

Anyway, very little of the universe is "stuff" we can directly observe. We have reason to believe there's a lot more "stuff" than we can see...mostly dark matter and dark energy. The article Tammy cites is part of the quest for the hidden "stuff". As you see, invisible "stuff" is hard to grasp.

Addendum by Tammy:

Um, I meant to say all that, too.

Posted by Tammy · November 5, 2007 11:44 AM · Permalink  · Comments (6)
Science & Technology

New Species Created in Lab

If it ends up looking like Natasha Hentsridge, I'm all for it. If it doesn't, I'm against it. One other suggestion, either way, buy some torches, invest in torch stock, and head for the hills, or your local pub.

One thing's for sure--if you can somehow connect the dots from a story like this to a hot chick, then everything's still okay, but be on the safe side and buy a gun anyway.

Posted by Tammy · October 6, 2007 03:58 PM · Permalink  · Comments (9)
Babes | Science & Technology

New iPhone Update and Patches

While the update fixes things, it will also likely turn your phone into a brick if you've done some shenanigan modifications. This update is available only though iTunes. This update, of course, is meant for and works just fine with regular, unmodified iPhones.

Apple patches 10 iPhone flaws

Apple today released 10 iPhone security updates, including 7 within the MobileSafari browser. The update is available only through iTunes and is not available from the Apple Downloads page. The version users should see within their iPhone after applying this update should be 1.1.1 (3A109a). Further, Apple refuses to discuss pending security vulnerabilities not patched here, stating "For the protection of our customers, Apple does not disclose, discuss, or confirm security issues until a full investigation has occurred and any necessary patches or releases are available."

And if you've done the shenanigans, Gizmodo tells you what will happen. Brace yourself.

Posted by Tammy · September 27, 2007 09:18 PM · Permalink  · Comments (1)
Relationships | Science & Technology

Verizon Reverses Self, Will Allow Pro-Choice Text Messages

Yesterday I noticed the news that Verizon had refused the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) the right to set up text messaging for its supporters. As all of you know, I'm pro-choice, but wherever you stand on the issue, this should outrage you. This isn't about abortion rights--it's about a corporation refusing, arbitrarily, a 'allow' a certain group, a certain message, to have access to public phone lines. NARAL or anyone else who sets up text messaging is also only reaching out to people who ask to receive the texts. It's for subscribers. Just like if you don;t subscribe to Vogue, it's not just going to show up at your house. For Verizon to refuse their request was outrageous.

Fortunately, the news this morning is Verizon has reversed itself. Or, I should say, the people at Verizon have reversed themselves (let's not make this an event only involving hardware). So at least now I won't have to find a new wireless carrier for my laptop. For now.

Verizon Wireless to allow abortion rights messages

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Verizon Wireless will allow an abortion rights group to set up a text message alert system for its subscribers, after initially refusing the request based on what the company called an outdated policy against unwanted messages, a spokesman said on Thursday.

The second-largest U.S. mobile phone carrier had denied a request from NARAL Pro-Choice America to set up text message alerts for subscribers who sign up for notices with a number known as a short code..."The decision not to allow text messaging on an important, though sensitive, public policy issue was incorrect, and we have fixed the process that led to this isolated incident," Verizon Wireless spokesman Jeffrey Nelson said in a statement....Other major U.S. wireless carriers have agreed to allow NARAL to set up a group text messaging system...

Posted by Tammy · September 27, 2007 08:54 AM · Permalink  · Comments (5)
Authentic Feminism | Just Plain Stupid | Science & Technology

Scientists Need to Get Out More Often

Obviously these scientists have never been to my part of town.

Bizarre Gender-Bender Bugs Baffle Scientists

Scientists have discovered a real gender-bender of a bug, a species in which most females impersonate males. Past research had already revealed the male bugs possessed fake female genitalia.

"We ended up uncovering a hotbed of deception," said evolutionary biologist Klaus Reinhardt at the University of Sheffield in England. "Nothing like this exists anywhere else in the animal kingdom." [...]

"We had to work in containment suits with full-faced respirators in sweltering temperatures for hours at end," Reinhardt said.

Sex among bat bugs (as with bed bugs) is violent. During copulation, males of these species pierce the abdomens of their mates with their genitals and ejaculate directly into their blood. The researchers originally set out to investigate bat bugs in the hopes of shedding light on "one of nature's strangest phenomena — why males had female genitalia," Reinhardt said.

The Tiny Gay Squirrel says: "They already found out why females had fake male genitalia--it makes their girlfriends happy."

Posted by Tammy · September 22, 2007 01:30 PM · Permalink  · Comments (6)
Animal Issues | Gadgets/Toys | Relationships | Science & Technology | Squirrels

Apple Posts iPhone Credit Instructions

Here are the details from ABC.

Apple Posts iPhone Credit Instructions

Apple Inc. has begun allowing people who bought iPhones before the higher-end model's price was abruptly slashed to apply for a $100 store credit.

The company said the credit would be available for people who bought either the $599 8-gigabyte, iPhone or the $499, 4-gigabyte model before Aug. 22. People who bought the phones more recently are eligible for refunds.

Those early buyers must fill out a form on Apple's Web site to have the retail or online store credit delivered to them electronically. The credit can be redeemed only inside the United States, and cannot be used inside the iTunes store or for Apple store gift cards, according to terms listed on the company's Web site.

For those of you who, like me, got the iPhone early on, here's your Apple page link for the credit. Onward Apple shoppers!

Posted by Tammy · September 14, 2007 05:45 PM · Permalink  · Comments (0)
Science & Technology | Shopping

VeriChip Animal ID Implants Linked to Cancer

Approved by the FDA, they are refusing press requests to find out if the FDA knew of the reports, dating back to the mid-90s, that linked malignant tumors in mice and rats. Gee, I wonder why. In the meantime, while the Feds and VeriChip were essentially ignoring the cancer information, the chip received approval for implantation in humans. That's just the beginning.

Chip Implants Linked to Animal Tumors

When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved implanting microchips in humans, the manufacturer said it would save lives, letting doctors scan the tiny transponders to access patients' medical records almost instantly. The FDA found "reasonable assurance" the device was safe, and a sub-agency even called it one of 2005's top "innovative technologies."

But neither the company nor the regulators publicly mentioned this: A series of veterinary and toxicology studies, dating to the mid-1990s, stated that chip implants had "induced" malignant tumors in some lab mice and rats.

"The transponders were the cause of the tumors," said Keith Johnson, a retired toxicologic pathologist, explaining in a phone interview the findings of a 1996 study he led at the Dow Chemical Co. in Midland, Mich...

Did the agency know of the tumor findings before approving the chip implants? The FDA declined repeated AP requests to specify what studies it reviewed.

The FDA is overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services, which, at the time of VeriChip's approval, was headed by Tommy Thompson. Two weeks after the device's approval took effect on Jan. 10, 2005, Thompson left his Cabinet post, and within five months was a board member of VeriChip Corp. and Applied Digital Solutions. He was compensated in cash and stock options.

Thompson, until recently a candidate for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, says he had no personal relationship with the company as the VeriChip was being evaluated, nor did he play any role in FDA's approval process of the RFID tag.

"I didn't even know VeriChip before I stepped down from the Department of Health and Human Services," he said in a telephone interview.

Wired has coverage which details the calculated untruth of Thompson's statement.

Read More »

Posted by Tammy · September 10, 2007 08:18 PM · Permalink  · Comments (3)
Animal Issues | Corruption | Science & Technology

Apple Surrenders; Offers Credits to Whiners

I understand how some people could be angry about the iPhone price cut if they bought their phone for the high price on the same day, and now apparently Apple has received so many angry e-mails, they're offering credits to those who bought the phone within the past 14 days. If that's you, here's your info:

Apple's Jobs Sorry for iPhone Price Cut

Apple Inc. (AAPL) CEO Steve Jobs apologized and offered $100 credits Thursday to customers who shelled out $599 for the most advanced model of the iPhone, only to have the company unexpectedly slash the price $200 in a push to boost holiday sales.

In a letter on the company's Web site, Jobs acknowledged that Apple disappointed some of its customers by cutting the price of the iPhone's 8-gigabyte model and said he has received hundreds of e-mails complaining about the price cut...

Jobs said Apple will hand out $100 credits for Apple's retail and online stores to iPhone customers who aren't eligible for a rebate.

An Apple spokeswoman said the company did not have an estimate of how much the credits would cost Apple. Under Apple's refund policy, customers who bought an iPhone within 14 days of the price cut can get a refund of the price difference if they have the original receipt.

Now, the Jobs letter on the Apple site doesn't refer to a 14 day time limit for the store credit. I'll be personally checking that out.

Posted by Tammy · September 6, 2007 04:50 PM · Permalink  · Comments (1)
Money/Capitalism | Science & Technology

Apple Slashes the Price of the iPhone

And all the whiners out there need to take a pill.

Some early iPhone buyers irked; others have no regrets

Some of the first iPhone buyers were divided about the news that Apple is slashing its price by $200, barely two months after the cellphone was launched. Apple on Wednesday announced the lower price, $399, for the 8-gigabyte model as it rolled out a new iPod Touch with features similar to the iPhone, without the phone capability. The company also said it is eliminating the 4-GB iPhone model.

"I feel like I have been ripped off by Apple," said Laura Carter of San Antonio. "They should give all the early adopters a gift card of $200 to use in an Apple store."

In Maplewood, N.J., longtime Apple customer Roberson Lazare also wants a rebate. "By buying their product," he says, "we showed loyalty to the Apple brand, and it's like we're getting a nice swift kick."

Read More »

Posted by Tammy · September 5, 2007 10:15 PM · Permalink  · Comments (5)
Good News | Science & Technology

Tom and Katie Sleep in Separate Bedrooms...

Breathe Right or separate bedrooms? Apparently a tough call for Tom Cruise.

Because he snores. And Angelina Jolie and I sleep in separate bedrooms because she snores. Or maybe it's because we really don't know each other. Actually, I'd have trouble breathing with Katie in my bed, too, but only at first :)

Katie blames Tom Cruise's snoring for sleeping in separate bedrooms

It's an age old problem, and many a wife has suffered because of it - but not Katie Holmes.

Tom Cruise and wife Katie Holmes are reported to sleep in separate bedrooms, so she doesn't have to suffer his snoring.

A source told US magazine, Star: "It's a situation that works for both of them"...

"In fact, they even joke about having separate bedrooms to their friends – Katie says Tom snores, and this way she can get her beauty sleep!"

"Of course they spend time together alone at night like most married couples; after all, they conceived Suri!"

Hey, what's this doing here?!

Posted by Tammy · August 25, 2007 01:49 PM · Permalink  · Comments (4)
Animal Issues | Babes | Celebrity | Crime | Gadgets/Toys | Health & Fitness | Just Plain Stupid | Just Wrong | Mental Health, Lack Of | Nature | Open Thread | Relationships | Science & Technology | Tammy Notes | Tragedy

Before the Space Shuttle...

...there was Astro Boy!

A post by Maynard

It may have been the early Astro Boy cartoons, which ran on TV from 1963 to 1966, that induced me to enter Starfleet Academy. Now they're back, showing late Saturday night on the Adult Swim cable channel. You really need to see them again, or watch them for the first time, or show them to the young generation of nerds and nerdettes! Check your local listings; I'm finding it at 2:00AM and 5:00AM on Saturday night (that is, technically on Sunday morning).

Astro Boy was the original Japanese anime, and it influenced everything that followed. The graphics were crude black and white, but there was a heart and depth and humor to the stories. The tale begins early in the 21st century, when Dr. Boynton, head of the Ministry of Science, loses his young son in an auto accident. Obsessed with restoring what has been taken from him, Boynton builds a powerful robot in the child's image. But, unsatisfied with the result, he rejects his creation. Astro Boy, a young creature with his own emotional needs, is forced to face a hostile world alone.

From my brief description, you get a sense of the real-world conflict that comes across in this simple cartoon. A troubled boy of unusual ability, who struggles to do the right thing even though the deck is stacked against him. He finds a surrogate father in the new head of the science ministry, the esteemed Dr. Packadermus J. Elefun. However most of the world remains prejudiced against robots, which are relegated to second-class citizenship status.

This is not to paint Astro Boy as a serious cartoon. It's filled with gags and low humor. In a typical scene, Astro Boy is lost in the desert, and running low on power. A vulture descends and pecks at him, causing the bird's beak to break off. Astro Boy reaches up and re-attaches the beak, kindly explaining, "You can't eat me. I'm metal."

The Adult Swim broadcast is probably the result of the DVD re-release by RightStuf.com; click to their site for additional history and background. The DVDs are carried by Amazon. A fan has uploaded the opening credits and theme song as a YouTube clip.

There have been various comic and animated revivals, and I'll bet we'll be seeing a movie sooner or later. But in my book, this is the true Astro Boy.

(BTW, Adult Swim runs the nighttime line-up of the Cartoon Network; these are the same people that shut down Boston a few months ago with their ill-advised promotion for the Aqua Teen Hunger Force movie that was mistaken for a terrorist threat.)

Posted by Maynard · August 25, 2007 02:37 AM · Permalink  · Comments (1)
Culture Note | Hollywood/Films | Maynard Post | Science & Technology

Global Warming Strikes Again

God help us all.

Arctic August: NYC Sets Record For Coldest Day

(CBS) NEW YORK Don't forget to bundle up if you're headed out in New York City today. After all, it is August 21. The city along with the rest of the tri-state region is feeling the chilly effect of a cold front sweeping through the region, accompanied by cool rain showers.

Tuesday's high temperature in Central Park was just 59 degrees. The normal high for today is 82 degrees. The normal low is 67.

Posted by Tammy · August 21, 2007 05:43 PM · Permalink  · Comments (11)
Environment | Leftists | Moronic Convergence | Nature | Politics | Religion | Science & Technology

Popular Mechanics on the Bridge and Our Infrastructure

An opinion piece addresses our infrastructure, its age and use to the breaking point.

Minn. Bridge Collapse Reveals Brittle America

It will take time to determine why the Interstate 35 bridge collapsed, so tragically, during the height of a Minneapolis rush hour on Wednesday night. But investigators will likely find that two factors contributed to its failure: age and heavy use. Bridge 9340 was constructed in 1967, 11 years after the launch of the Eisenhower Interstate System. Until it plunged into the Mississippi River, it served as a transportation lifeline for the growing Twin Cities population, carrying across its 14 spans many of the SUVs, cars and trucks that accounted for the 42 percent rise in Minnesota’s vehicle traffic from 1990 to 2003.

Age and heavy use are by no means isolated conditions. According to a report card released in 2005 by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), 160,570 bridges, or just over one-quarter of the nation’s 590,750-bridge inventory, were rated structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. The nation’s bridges are being called upon to serve a population that has grown from 200 million to over 300 million since the time the first vehicles rolled across the I-35W bridge. Predictably that has translated into lots more cars. American commuters now spend 3.5 billion hours a year stuck in traffic, at a cost to the economy of $63.2 billion a year.

Related Link:

CNN: Reports: Problems with Minnesota bridge noted twice since 2001

Posted by Tammy · August 2, 2007 10:21 AM · Permalink  · Comments (8)
Science & Technology | Tragedy

Carbon Offsets

A post by Maynard

Perhaps you've heard the Al Gores of the world justify their energy-intensive jet-set lifestyles by explaining how their carbon offsets render them carbon neutral. The idea is that CO2 creation should be balanced by CO2-absorbing activity such as planting trees. New York City is planning to plant a million trees in the next ten years to reduce carbon emissions.

I see the theory, but I'm skeptical about the practice. The fact is, we are burning fossil fuels much more quickly than the planet can create them. I don't see how we can plant trees fast enough to balance our fuel consumption. If this were possible, then the logical goal would be to stop burning oil and coal and gas, and transform the world into a wood-burning economy. That would truly be carbon neutral. It would also be impossible.

Another inconvenient fact is that planting trees doesn't necessarily fight global warming and may actually make things worse. The calculations are complex, but when you consider these questions, you have to take into account the change in surface color. A darker planet absorbs more of the Sun's heat energy, instead of bouncing it back into space. That's just as bad as adding greenhouse gas to the atmosphere.

As I've said before, I'm not going to dismiss concerns about climate change. The quest for sustainable energy sources is an important one, and I'd like to see us seriously grapple with it. But in my humble opinion, we're going to find answers in research laboratories and not at music festivals.

By the way, here's the website for Al Gore's environmentally-responsible investment company, Generation Investment Management (see also Wikipedia). I guess it's an upscale operation, because they don't seem to be soliciting investments from the common folk. Too bad; I actually might have been curious enough to break open my piggy bank and buy a share or two. (Hey, maybe one of you financial mavens out there can explain to me what this means.)

Posted by Maynard · July 11, 2007 02:40 AM · Permalink  ·