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Mind-Altering Worldviews
"We are fast approaching the point where either we must reject the pterodactyl-like hallucinations of irrational humanistic constructs that only produce mind-boggling complacent stupor, political correctness contrivances, and cowardice, or we will become a pitiful specter of our former selves through our utter stupidity." by Pastor Bruce Moon (Read on Source)
Shunra Offers New WAN Optimization and Application Acceleration Selection Turnkey Service
Service empowers organizations to quickly and accurately select the right WAN optimization product for their company's specific needs. (PRWeb Jun 7, 2007) Post Comment:Trackback URL: http://www.prweb.com/pingpr.php/TWFnbi1Db3VwLUhvcnItU2luZy1UaGlyLVplcm8=
SEO Chat Forums - Blog V Forum
Date: June 27th, 2007 11:22 AM - Goviphosting - Untitled Post: A blog is more like a diary, where you can write abt your life and day to day happenings if its a personal blog that is. And you can use a blog as a content management option i.e Article posting etc A forum is a community comprises o...
Serial bus expands embedded computers flexibly
Embedded board vendor VersaLogic has started shipping small, low-cost I/O boards based on a proprietary new expansion board format. The company's SPX (serial peripheral expansion) modules offer cost and space savings compared to traditional stacked PC/104 I/O boards, with no reduction in throughput or capability, the vendor claims.
Wireless, High-Speed Net Growth Buoy Verizon Profits
Verizon posted strong financial gains for the second quarter of 2007 Monday, calling out its growth in wireless and high-speed Internet subscribers. The diversified phone company's net profit rose 4.5 percent to $1.7 billion, up from $1.61 billion from the same period a year earlier. Verizon's operating revenue rose 6.3 percent to $23.37 billion. Verizon's primary competitors include AT&T, Qwest and Sprint.
DNA pioneer's legacy saved
The notebooks used by Fred Sanger, Britain's most decorated scientist, to record experiments that won him two Nobel prizes have been saved for the nation. (Read on Source)
Roger Wolcott Sperry
Roger Wolcott Sperry (1913-1994) was born in Hartford, Connecticut and grew up on a farm outside Hartford. He attended Hartford public schools. At West Hartford High School he was a star athlete in several sports, but he also did well enough academically to win a scholarship to Oberlin College, in Ohio. He graduated from Oberlin in 1935 with a ... (Read on Source)
Biffle's victory continues to baffle - USA Today
 Auto Racing Daily | Biffle's victory continues to baffle USA Today - By Nate Ryan, USA TODAY So how does a Nextel Cup driver finish first by crossing the finish line fourth? Greg Biffle, who did exactly that in Sunday's LifeLock 400 and placed ahead of Clint Bowyer and Jimmie Johnson in the finishing order despite ... Cool Down Lap: The problem with judgment calls Johnson guts out type of performance that wins titles |
- Chad Pennington's failure with Jets whale of a tale
... he center snapped the ball before Pennington expected it in the shotgun. The Bengals recovered and Watson converted the turnover into a 2-yard TD run to give the Ben ... (Read on Source)
ARM plans Android demonstration at MWC
The chip designer will show off prototype mobile phones running Google's Android software, in a very public display of support for the project.
How it Works
Depression is not fully understood, but a growing amount of evidence supports the view that people with depression have an imbalance of the brain's neurotransmitters, the chemicals that allow nerve cells in the brain to communicate with each other. Many scientists believe that an imbalance in serotonin, one of these neurotransmitters, may be an ... (Read on Source)
Metabolife Liquidation Plan Proponents Oppose Stay Pending Appeal
SAN DIEGO - MII Liquidation (formerly Metabolife International Inc.) and its creditors and indemnitees oppose a motion brought by the lead plaintiff of a denied settlement class to stay the implementation of a bankruptcy settlement plan pending appeal, stating that the motion was untimely and that a stay would lead to "turmoil" and might jeopardize the resolution of the Metabolife personal injury and wrongful death cases (In re: MII Liquidation, Inc., et al., No. 05-06040-H11, S.D. Calif., Bkcy.; See Nov. 2007, Page 5). Full story on lexis.com
Eye care gap found between Americans, Canadians
Americans with vision problems who lack health insurance receive less care than Canadians or those Americans with insurance, according to doctors who suggest focusing on those at greatest risk of losing their sight. (Read on Source)
Broadband Households Hit 56% in UK
Price drops help boost subscriptions, as 13.8 million Britons sign up for broadband at home, survey reveals.
Do We Need a Stopgap Fuel?
It???s becoming clear that energy and energy independence ??? you have to love that term ??? will be a major focus of the upcoming presidential election. While most of us are sick of the dog-and-pony shows and pundits of the past few weeks, we are also sick of the all too-easily dismissed ease of both parties??? energy policies.
Do we drill more? Do we import less? Do we use ethanol? Should all cars be flex-fuel?
There are two end goals, it seems: independence from foreign oil and eventually independence from non-renewable fuels.
I???m going to try and tackle just the first one today, and in doing so I think it might become clear that ethanol and natural gas are stopgap fuels that we just don???t need to become energy independent.
The reason I got to thinking about this was the upcoming Senate bill that would require every car to be flex-fuel ??? to the layman, that means capable of running on both gasoline and ethanol E85. It seems everyone is ethanol-crazy and doesn???t understand that there is very little infrastructure to support massive ethanol use nationwide; there are 1,500 E85 pumps in the U.S., versus 167,000 gas stations. Adding thousands of new pumps will be expensive. E85 is also less efficient, and while it emits less carbon monoxide and other toxins than gasoline, it produces more of other types of toxins. My thinking is we don???t even need it. My alternative? It???s not a new one: We go all-hybrid, and fast. And guess what? If we do, we don???t need to import any more oil from OPEC.
Well, maybe we don???t go ALL hybrid, but we move the real average mpg close to 40 mpg instead of 35 mpg. That would double efficiency and cut demand for gas by 50%, thus cutting the need for oil by 50% (assuming that it???s a true relative relationship).
I???ll get to how we do this in a second, but check out the numbers. According to the U.S. Office of Energy Statistics, the U.S. imported 401 million barrels of oil in June 2008, 182 million of which were from OPEC. That???s really who we don???t want to import from when we???re looking to be energy independent. I don???t think we???re too worried about Canada, Mexico, the U.K. and the rest of the non-Opec countries, except maybe Russia. Throw Russia???s imports into the OPEC number and you get a nice round 200 million barrels of oil imported from those nations, versus 200 million barrels of oil from the non-Opec ones. The U.S. in June 2008 produced 153 million barrels of oil on its own.
So we don???t really need to reduce use by 50%, but let???s just say we did; then we???re doing even better. How do we do it? We don???t need E85 or biodiesel. We???d need more-efficient cars running on regular gasoline. I???m not a hybrid fanatic and would take a BMW M3 over a Toyota Prius any day, but if politicians want answers on how to go energy independent, this is it. And guess what? Consumer choice is going to matter most of all.
Consumers will have to start buying hybrids, diesels and other cars that get 35 mpg or higher (and there aren???t many of those today) in large numbers over the next 10 years to achieve a 50% drop in gas consumption. Otherwise, by some numbers it???ll take until 2034 until we???re all-hybrid.
We???ve already seen a rather significant 4.7% drop in travel just due to high gas prices reducing travel. We???ve also seen huge spikes in fuel-efficient car sales because of high gas prices. But can the government force everyone to buy in? Of course not. It can only incentivize it with tax credits, like it did for early hybrid-adopters.
If those tax credits are extended and expanded and more hybrid models hit the market, like the new Honda Insight and its expected sub-$20,000 price tag, the tables could shift quickly. There are hybrid options for buyers of trucks and large SUVs that get 40% better mileage as of today, but they???re pricey. Besides sports cars, most segments already have hybrid alternatives. By 2010, the number of hybrid offerings will double from what we have today, including plug-in electric vehicles from GM and possibly Toyota. We expect more automakers will join in that trend. The cost of hybrid technology is falling, while the seamless nature of the hybrid vehicles themselves is improving.
We could actually see real-world fuel economy rise 50% by 2015 if buyers make this shift. We could say goodbye to OPEC and let China and India become its new top consumers. Let???s not get delusional; we???re still going to need oil for the foreseeable future, possibly the next century. The goal is to reduce overall demand and lower prices at the pump.
So when we hear about making flex-fuel capability mandatory on all cars because it only costs $300 a car to do it ??? with no mention of the millions, if not billions, it would take to expand ethanol infrastructure ??? we don???t get it. Just like when we hear that natural gas ??? which needs to be drilled for just like oil and is used to heat homes ??? is a viable fuel for propulsion, we scratch our heads. Why split our focus on stopgap measures? If we???re all headed toward using alternative energy sources ??? wind, solar, thermal, wave ??? to produce electricity for electric cars and electric hybrid cars, than promoting another liquid fuel that is inefficient to produce and inefficient to burn makes little sense, especially if hydrogen is really the best long-term solution and we already need millions and billions for that infrastructure.
I will say that if cellulosic ethanol or ethanol produced from algae or some other cutting-edge technology can hit mass production ??? and it might in the next 10 years ??? then flex-fuel should be more common. But we???ve been hearing about these techniques for years with no breakthroughs for real-world consumption.
So what am I saying? Keep it simple. Plan for renewable energies to take over in the future, but focus on efficiency today. Then we could reach our lofty goals without going broke on stopgap measures.
SEO Bailout or Digital Initiative
Christopher Hart is Director, Eastern Region Operations of Bruce Clay, Inc. Welcome to the blog, Chris! It's been impossible to miss what's going on in the American economy today. If you aren't watching it on the news, you're feeling it on the bottom line. Along with the lessons we'll inevitably... (Read on Source)
With No Plan B, House Reluctantly Passes Politically Risky Measure
Henry M. Paulson Jr. was in his corner office in the Treasury Department on Monday afternoon, too nervous to turn on his television, when his chief of staff poked his head into the Treasury secretary's office to tell him the stunning news playing out on Capitol Hill: The House had just defeated the...
When Software Outsourcing Is Not A Great Plan
"Outsourcing and globalization of manufacturing allows companies to reduce costs, benefits consumers with lower cost goods and services, causes economic expansion that reduces unemployment, and increases productivity and job creation."
~~ Larry Elder -- "The Larry Elder Show"
When Outsourcing Is Not a Great Plan
Outsourcing can definitely be profitable for a great deal of reasons. Numerous companies enjoy advantages such as lower labor expenses, bigger workforces, access to industry experts and extraordinary flexibility because of outsourcing. At any rate, in spite of the glaring advantages to outsourcing there are a few situations when outsourcing is not a great plan. Though there a number of scenarios where outsourcing is a sensible business opportunity there are other scenarios where outsourcing is not the best idea. In these situations it is best to control the job in-house rather than attempting to force an outsourcing situation to work out.
When Outsourcing Is Too Expensive
One of the main advantages of outsourcing is lower expenses. In a great number of cases outsourcing results in lower labor expenses because expenses such as social security, health care and workers' comp are eliminated. In addition, the increased proficiency resulting when tasks are outsourced to industry experts can also result in cost trimming.
In spite of these numerous opportunities for expense reductions, there are many situations where outsourcing might actually be the more costly alternative and it may also lead to a monetary loss instead of a gain. This may also include a situation where the expense of outsourcing to a tremendously specialized freelancer exceeds the budget for the project. Fees for freelancers with immensely specialized degrees or areas of knowledge are frequently quite costly. An additional possible instacne is one where discovering an freelance worker experienced enough to finish certain tasks would be too costly of a procedure.
"The other part of outsourcing is this: it simply says where the work can be done outside better than it can be done inside, we should do it."
~~ Alphonso Jackson -- Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
When Outsourcing Causes You to Lose Command
Even when tasks or projects are outsourced the business accountable for the work likes to continue to handle the job and keep close tabs on the progression of tasks. It is extremely important for the business to proceed to control the job even after it has been outsourced because they are the ones who are ultimately accountable for the successful fulfilment of the work. Whenever an freelance worker or business wants to deny the company access to project files or documents, outsourcing is a bad plan. The business who has the vested concern in the result of the project should at no time be excluded from participating in making decisions concerning the project.
Prior to outsourcing a job or task care ought to be taken to lay out criteria for the managing of the project. Depending on the length and complexity of the job it may also be smart to schedule regular meetings to supply updates on the progression of the job. During this period the contractor ought to supply the employer with all information needed to assess the progression of the job and affirm it is still on track for completion by the specific deadline.
When Outsourcing is Not Permitted
Occasionally outsourcing is not a great plan merely because it is not permitted by contract requirements. A few project contracts may possess stipulations stating the labor cannot be outsourced to an freelance worker or to another business. Inserting such a clause into a contract agreement is well within the rights of the customers. When they employ a specific business to finish a task or project, they expect all work related to the task or project to be completed by members of that business unless they stated otherwise when negotiating the agreement. Breaching the agreement documents in this circumstance is not a great idea. The business could be penalized by the customer. Penalties may include withholding payment or refusing to grant future projects or tasks to the business.
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Edward M. Brancheau is the author of several informative articles about software outsourcing and <a href="http://www.outsourcersbible.com">outsourcing</a> in general. If if you would like the authoritative guide, check out <a href="http://www.outsourcersbible.com">www.outsourcersbible.com</a> and register for the FREE 5-day Ecourse.
Random thoughts on a football Saturday
Six of the top seven teams in the AP poll that played Saturday covered easily. The top 15 either won or didn't play. Things heat up a bit next week when Texas Tech-Oklahoma will either sort out the Big 12 South (if Texas Tech wins) or complicate it even further. (Read on Source)
Titans? Kerry Collins says managing the game is all about decisions - Boston Herald
 Vancouver Sun | Titans? Kerry Collins says managing the game is all about decisions Boston Herald - By JP Pelzman / The Record (Hackensack NJ) FLORHAM PARK, NJ - Kerry Collins is resurrecting his career, with a team that is closing in on the top seed in its conference. Power Rankings: New York Giants still No. 1, but Dallas Cowboys ... Status of Tennessee Titans? Harper still uncertain for Sunday |
Clock Quotes
The next time you feel like complaining, remember that your garbage disposal probably eats better than thirty percent of the people in this world. - Robert Orben Read the comments on this post... (Read on Source)
Will Justin.tv Destroy Sports TV Rights Deals?
Last month, Mike wrote about how the English Premier League was making threatening overtones towards Justin.tv, after it discovered some users on the site were streaming broadcasts of its soccer matches. It's the usual stuff from sports leagues, complaining that the sites aren't doing enough to stop piracy, and that their safe harbor shouldn't protect them, and that the DMCA takedown process isn't good enough. Now, a piece in The Guardian wonders if the large-scale piracy, along with a spending slowdown, will hit the value of TV rights deals when they come up for renewal, with broadcasters unable to justify the same level of spending should viewer figures fall.
This scenario isn't hard to imagine, but should it occur, it will be thanks to a lack of business acumen, not piracy. These sites exist, and thrive, because they serve demand untapped by the Premier League and its rightsholders. For instance, the rights situation means that in England -- where the league's based and its games played -- fewer games are broadcast on TV than in many places in the world. Here in the US, nearly every match is broadcast each weekend; just a handful make it onto UK TV screens. British pub owners tried to serve the untapped demand for this by buying satellite systems from foreign countries, but the EPL shut that avenue off in the courts. Likewise, users in the UK and elsewhere turn to sites like Justin.tv because they don't have other options. The match they want to see isn't available on television, or they're not near a TV set when the match is being played. I'd argue this drives use of the services much more than a desire for free content does.
The rights situation domestically in the UK is the way it is because of the long-held view that putting games on TV will hold down attendance; but the small stadium sizes and increasingly geographically distributed fan bases (along with high ticket prices) do this already. And indeed, the experience of other sports leagues around the world would indicate that giving fans the ability to watch their teams' games on television does little, on its own, to hurt attendance. That sort of view seems to color the entire TV rights situation for the Premier League: it tries to manufacture some sort of scarcity in an attempt to increase its revenues. But the popularity of sites that make broadcasts available online makes it clear they'd be better off answering this demand with services of their own.
Here's a novel idea: instead of trying to crack down on the likes of Justin.tv, why not require rightsholders to offer free streams of games as parts of their deals? Then, the Premier League and its broadcast partners get to serve this demand, instead of Justin.tv or Chinese P2P services, and get to capitalize on it through advertising or other means. It might have some effect on pay services by giving fans with the least willingness to pay a free service to use, but again, I'd argue that most people would still prefer to watch their teams' games on a bigger screen and in higher quality enough to pay for it. And the additional fans the services would reach could make new converts to paid services as well. Whatever the EPL decides to do, it's impossible to understand how it thinks it can benefit by alienating fans and making it difficult, if not impossible, for them to follow their teams.
Carlo Longino is an expert at the Insight Community. To get insight and analysis from Carlo Longino and other experts on challenges your company faces, click here.
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Allok Video Converter 4.7
Allok Video Converter is an All-in-One video converting tool which can convert all video files to AVI, MPEG, WMV, MP4, H264, 3GP, FLV etc. With Allok Video Converter you can convert your video files into the formats you need to watch on TV, put on a...
Flight of fancy, or a far-sighted protest?
One issue picked up by the media and now, looking like a handle for BAA to grab on to is class. Some members of plane stupid are from privaliged backgrounds, and that interests journalists for some reason. I`m not sure that this would be the worst thing in the world in normal times but in a receesion it really isnt what you want. It's easy to ... (Read on Source)
Nearly frozen sea turtle heading to rehab
The 75-pound loggerhead sea turtle was discovered by volunteers from the Massachusetts Audubon Sanctuary at Wellfleet Bay and was taken to the New England Aquarium in Boston for a slow but steady warmup. (Read on Source)
Miracle Marker 1.0.3.5
Miracle Marker for Internet Explorer makes it easy to draw over any web page, mark selected text, save the entire page as an image file in the format you select (all popular graphic formats are supported), and share it with friends via e-mail. [New | License: Shareware $19.95 | Requires: Win 98/ME/NT/2000/XP/Vista | Size: 1082 KB]
Shhh! Gadget racket threatens pulsar research (AP)
AP - Of all the threats to scientific research Wesley Sizemore has stymied over the years, satellites and cell phone towers don't stick in his memory quite like the possessive old hound and its treasured heating pad.
Name: SyroBro