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Wankers

T-SAW, who emailed Tim Blair: I saw your post about the proposed celebration at the Bellevue on Friday and your attendance along with that of some other wingnuts. Well I thought in the interests of community spirit that I'd pass along the details to some mates who used to be, amongst other things, BLF members. They were very interested in it and intend on bringing a group to join in the festivities on Friday. They mentioned something about what those blokes did to the channel 7 cameraman is gonna look like a massage when their done. Paul Deignan, who after getting banned from commenting…

Which one is the real Tim Blair?

In my previous post I noted that Tim Blair had posted: Can I ask all timblair.net regulars to stop commenting here. This is exactly what he wants and you're only encouraging him. In my comments someone also claiming to be Tim Blair posted: You complete idiot. That comment wasn't posted by me. I suggest you ban the impersonator responsible. Oh no! It's like one of those movies where there is a real person and a fake person and you have a gun and you hafta shoot the fake one. How can you tell which one is the real Tim Blair? What to do, who to ban. Is there some characteristic that…

Donnie Davies "outed"?

Remember Donnie Davies, the "youth pastor" that I wrote about a couple of days ago, who posted a list of gay bands, plus a homophobic video proclaiming that "God hates a fag" that led to a prolonged debate over whether he was for real or some sort of elaborate Borat-like prank? Two sources tell me that he's apparently been outed as actor Joey Oglesby: Thanks to the sleuthing of Dallas JMG reader Bob Stoller, "Pastor Donnie Davies" has been exposed as Dallas-area actor Joey Oglesby (First name corrected from post headline). Here he is. Joey Oglesby recently appeared in a production of Debbie…

Wisdom from the Cheerful Oncologist

Today, The Cheerful Oncologist reminded me why he was one of my role models when I first started blogging, as he takes on the issue of palliative care: As often as rain falls from the skies do patients reach that point in their illness where their doctor says "There is nothing more I can do for you." If you ever hear that phrase, remember this: it is a lie. Physicians who tell their patients this may actually mean "I'm getting depressed watching you die and want to avoid you," or they may think of illness as a contest of skill where only victory has any value, and defeat must be acknowledged…

A reason to be concerned about bird flu

Michael Fumento thinks there is nothing to worry about. Revere disagrees: It isn't that what Fumento says is so outrageous one would have to be stupid or ignorant to believe it. It's that it would be folly (and stupid) to act as if you believed it. Fumento couldn't care less about public health nor does he care that what he writes makes it still more difficult to get government to make a puny investment in keeping us safe from disease at the same time he encourages it to sink more down the rat hole of the War in Iraq. Fumento, of course, shows up in comments to insult not just Revere, but…

Save the Gay Sheep!

Since we biologists were just bizarrely accused of being like a bunch of animal rights activists, I am surprised that when I read that PETA opposes experiments on gay sheep, I find myself opposing PETA and thinking that the experiments sound cool and interesting and informative. I'm also a little disgusted with the way PETA finds it necessary to lie in their criticisms. The Next Hurrah has a thorough take-down of PETA. Particularly amusing is the statistic that the research involves 18 sheep a year, while meat-packers butcher 4 million per year…so which one do the kooky extremists of the…

The IREA memo

A leaked memo from the Intermountain Rural Electric Association (IREA) gives us inside view of how some of the Global Warming disinformation campaign is financed. There's this: We decided to support Dr. Patrick Michaels. ... In February of this year, IREA alone contributed $100,000 to Dr. Michaels. In addition, we have contacted all the G&T's in the United States ... and obtained additional contributions and pledges for Dr. Michaels' group. We will be following up the remaining G&T's over the next several weeks. and this, on the ludicrous CEI ads: [CEI] has been running two ads in…

And the Nobel goes to...

Andrew Fire and Craig Mello, for the discovery of RNAi. Read Pure Pedantry for an explanation for why this is important. I'll also mention that Carl Zimmer presents his take on this award…and wouldn't you know it, evolution has its greasy fingerprints all over it. I must also promote an excellent comment from Andy Groves: I've said it before, and I'll say it again for the benefit of ID supporters out there - this is what a real scientific revolution looks like. Fire and Mello published their paper in 1998 (two years after "Darwin's Black Box" came out, for those who are interested). Since…

Where's the gravy train?

Fellow ScienceBlogger Janet Stemwedel, in reference to the declining NIH budget, asks: Hey, where'd that gravy train go? She makes a number of good points and the article she references discusses Case Western Reserve University, where I spent eight years doing residency and graduate school. I may very well have more to say on this issue next week from my perspective as a physician-scientist who is already very worried about renewing his very first NIH R01 grant, even though it doesn't expire for nearly four years. However, contemplating the bleak funding situation for grants is just too…

WaPo ombudsman agrees that Will's sea ice claim was wrong, doesn't suggest a correction

In Washington Post ombudsman Andrew Alexander's column on George Will he notes that he received thousands of emails demanding corrections to Will's column, and eventually concedes that Will's sea ice claim was false and should have caught by the fact checkers, The editors who checked the Arctic Research Climate Center Web site believe it did not, on balance, run counter to Will's assertion that global sea ice levels "now equal those of 1979." I reviewed the same Web citation and reached a different conclusion. It said that while global sea ice areas are "near or slightly lower than those…

Must be one of those easily dismissible radical fringe types

"Archbishop of York"? What kind of silly, made-up title is that? The Archbishop of York has said British Christians should see Muslims as allies in the struggle against secularism. In a speech at York Minster, Dr John Sentamu said British Muslims were not offended by Christianity and preferred it to a secular state. Or maybe he was just mistranslated? Apparently not. It has often been Muslims, as well as leaders of other faiths, who have joined with Christians in refusing to accept the creeping secularisation that would replace 'Christmas' with 'Winterval', and remove references to faith…

John Lott at it again

John Lott in his Fox news column claims: During the 2000 election, with Bill Clinton as president, the economy was viewed through rose-colored glasses. According to polls, voters didn't realize that the country was in a recession. Pgl has the graphs to show that the US was not in a recession in 2000. Lott alos has: Indeed, research has indicated that media bias is real. Kevin Hassett and I looked at 12,620 newspaper and wire service headlines from 1985 through 2004 for stories on the release of official government releasing numbers on the unemployment rate, number of people employed, gross…

Don't trust anything you read in the National Post

The latest story doing the rounds of the global warming deniers (Drudge, Andrew Bolt, etc), is this one from Lorne Gunter in the National Post: Kenneth Tapping of our own National Research Council, who oversees a giant radio telescope focused on the sun, is convinced we are in for a long period of severely cold weather if sunspot activity does not pick up soon. If you are feeling a little bit of deja vu right now, it's because Gunter is making the same misrepresentation of Tapping's views that we saw in the Investor's Business Daily a couple of weeks ago. Mind you, Gunter isn't just…

Worst band names ever

Courtesy of Maxim, here's a list of The Worst Band Names Ever. (Found via Stereogum.) I'll certainly go along with them in naming Limp Bizkit and Toad the Wet Sprocket as truly horrible band names. But, hey, what's wrong with Men Without Hats (besides the music)? A few suggestions I'd add to the list: Better Than Ezra Dogs Die in Hot Cars Cherry Poppin' Daddies Panic! At The Disco (I particularly detest wandering exclamation points.) ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead (Love the band, hate the name.) Godspeed You Black Emperor! (As much as I love this band, it was a toss-up between…

A genomic X Prize

Here's a marvelous idea: a race to sequence 100 people's genomes in 100 days, with a nominal prize of 10 million dollars. As a tool to motivate the discovery of new technologies and gain prestige, I approve. It's unfortunate that it is so anthropocentric, though. A similar contest to sequence 100 species genomes in 100 days would be much cooler, and would contribute far more to our understanding. They've also got a second 100 genomes to sequence that will be drawn from a pool of celebrities. I have reservations there; the ones named seem to be mainly people who happen to be filthy rich (i.e…

Just what every Led Zeppelin fan needs: Stairways to Heaven, Stairways to Hell

As a long time Led Zeppelin fan, I'm not sure whether I'm amused or appalled by this. Yes, it's 101 cover versions of Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven, including a reggae version by Dread Zeppelin. (Actually, I kind of like Dread Zeppelin. I even saw them in concert once in Cleveland back in the early 1990's. Great show. I mean, come on. How can you resist a Led Zeppelin cover band that's fronted by an Elvis impersonator? I know I can't.) In any case, you can find reggae versions, banjo versions, backward versions, straight versions, symphonic versions, and more. I had no idea that Frank…

Global Warming conspiracy theories

Over at the Drum Stephan Lewandowsky notes the similarities between global warming skeptics and other conspiracy theorists: This attribute of conspiracy theorising also applies in full force to the actions of some climate "sceptics": When leading climate scientists are repeatedly exonerated after the "climategate" pseudo-scandal, then to climate "sceptics" this simply means that the relevant enquiries were pre-programmed to find nothing wrong. Thus, the U.K. Parliament conspired to produce a whitewash of Professor Jones a few weeks ago, as did Lord Oxburgh when his panel, constituted with the…

The Spoof on Andrew Wakefield

Well, it didn't take The Spoof long to comment on the Andrew Wakefield affair. Choice bits: While on holiday in the US in 1997 he was introduced to a creationist nutter called Professor Hugh Fudenberg who claimed to cure autistic children by giving them samples of his own bone marrow. And, my favorite: Wakefield was recruited for a sum not less than the publicly reported thrity peices of silver and began being tutored in Fudenberg's "transfer factor technology" - the secret key to mastering miracle cures for childhood autism syndrome. This theory was based on a curious supposition that…

Good Morning, Science Blogs!

I am a Ph.D. scientist in the public health sector with a good amount of toxicology and regulatory knowledge. I'm not going to be dishing about projects I am privy to, but I am much freer to make my opinions known anonymously, than I could do in a completely public forum. Although other topics will probably be brought up from time to time (friday is no day for science), this blog will be focused on public health and the science behind it and will be written for the non-scientist without dumbing anything down. I've added some of my previous posts onto this site for you to browse through. If…

What's the News, Doc?

One of the proudest traditions in the health care field is the delivery of "good news and bad news." The following examples were culled from Lamplighter's Smile When You Say That: How to Develop a Gentle Bedside Manner, 2nd edition. "Well, I've got good news and bad news." "Give me the good news first, okay?" "Sure thing. The good news is..." 1. "You don't have the stomach flu." 2. "We found the dog that bit you." 3. "We think we know why your eyebrows are growing together." 4. "Your bladder works just fine." 5. "I'm going to have you try some 'soft food' today." 6. "The doctor says you…

This Day in Medicine - April 12th

1851, London: Arthur Leared presents a model of a "double" or biaural stethoscope (one using both ears) at the Great Exhibition. Three weeks later a prominent surgeon, Sir Norwood Holsapple, purchases a similar stethoscope from Leared and discovers that the tubing connecting the diaphragm with the earpieces melts in the summer heat. He returns the device and receives a new one, along with strict instructions to avoid exposing it to excessive temperatures. With the assistance of a local tanner, Sir Norwood fabricates a heavy pouch similar to a mail bag and packs it with ice, followed by…

Back Home Again

Mirabile dictu, the electric company came by and replaced our downed power line this afternoon. Blogging will resume tout de suite, but first can I at least get the temperature in here above 60 degrees? (Up from 44, that is). While cranking up the thermostat in my office today I thought about some of my patients who have been started on a "rigorous" chemotherapy regimen (even oncologists rely on the occasional euphemism). I always worry about the toxicity of such treatment but once it has been given there is no taking it back, so all parties must agree that the decision to start is the…

This is really starting to go to my head...

Unbelievably, it looks as though I've been nominated yet again for another blogging award. Really, folks, this is too much. How on earth am I going to live up to this level of accolades in 2009? Not that that would stop me from pointing out that I'm in the running for the Best Health Policies/Ethics Weblog at Medgaget. So, if you like what I've been laying down, please vote for me here. If not, vote for Getting Better with Dr. Val, who would be my second choice if I can't win. Another blog I can't help but recommend a vote for is in the category of Best New Medical Weblog. It's Science-…

CHAOS: Complex Habitats around Our Suburbs

Lady beetle eggs (Coccinellidae, unknown genus/species) on a cedar fence. (Two animal species in one shot: There was a squirrel lurking in the trees behind, if you can make out the fuzzy gray shape in the background of the full-sized image.) CHAOS: Complex Habitats Around Our Suburbs isn't just a geeky acronym; it is a gallery of often-unnoticed life. Each week, I'll add a new photo of a complex habitat found near my home. We often think of nature as something that exists outside of our neighborhoods, away from the cities. It is easy to forget that cities and neighborhoods are, indeed,…

Anthology Avaliable

If you are love reading great science blogs, and wish you could read them while you are away from the internet, check this out: The Open Laboratory: The Best Writing on Science Blogs 2006: A collection of 50 selected blog posts showcasing the quality and diversity of writing on science blogs till 2006. With the help of his readers, fellow ScienceBlogger Bora Zivkovik (better known 'round these parts as Coturnix at a Blog Around the Clock) has scoured the web to find the best science writing in the blogosphere, and compiled it all in one easy-to-read volume. It is now available to purchase…

"Pop" Art Mosaics

Since I'm a little behind on, well... everything (housework, postings, academic deadlines, Christmas shopping, sleep, etc.,) I figured the least I could do was share another spiral delight. I ran across this mosaic of flickr images while browsing for my "Thanksgiving decorations": If you click this incredible spiral collage, you'll be taken to the full, interactive version at coverpop.com. If you roll your mouse over the images there, the titles will appear along with a linked preview of the original. The image was designed by Jim Bumgardner, who is known for such oddities as creating the…

Amazing Archive of US Army Medical Illustrations and Photos Now Free Online

Can't blog ... lost in AMAZING ARCHIVE OF MEDICAL IMAGES!  Today from BoingBoing:   This previously unreported archive at the National Museum of Health and Medicine in Washington, D.C., contains 500,000 scans of unique images so far, with another 225,000 set to be digitized this year. Mike Rhode, the museum's head archivist, is working to make tens of thousands of those images, which have been buried in the museum's archive, available on Flickr. Working after hours, his team has posted a curated selection of almost 800 photos on the service already, without the express permission of the Army…

Check your Chinese characters before you make it the cover of your journal

I've always joked around about girls who would walk into a tattoo parlor and ask for a Chinese character that means something to them... like love, hope, or faith. Of course the tattoo artists don't know one damn character in Chinese so they just pick a random character from the internet and the girl ends up with something that actually says slut, pink slippery Christmas tree, or something else random. I never imagined a scientific magazine would fall prey to something absolutely ridiculous like this. Science journal mistakenly uses flyer for Macau brothel to illustrate report on China…

The other side of the story

You guys remember that DonorsChoose campaign in which Signout participated last October? Well. A project called "The Pencil Monster" was funded exclusively through donations obtained via this very blog. And because it was a great project, it got televised. Behold, the 20/20 clip! (At this linked website, click on the video on the right to view it.) You may ask how Signout knows about this media gem. After all, Signout may not seem like someone who spends a lot of time browsing the 20/20 website. The fact is, I was contacted months ago about the possibility of participating in the segment. (…

About those Donors Choose giving cards...

Anyone who donated to the Geobloggers Giving Kids the Earth challenge should have received a "giving card" via e-mail in the past few days. If you're confused about it, here's the explanation: HP made a huge donation to all the social media challenges, but didn't donate money to specific projects. Instead, they gave each individual donor a Donors Choose giving card. That means you get to decide how HP's donation gets used. If you want help finding projects dealing with the Earth Sciences, I added a bunch of new projects to the Geobloggers Giving Kids the Earth. (Most of the projects that we…

The King of Butterflies

A scanning electron microscope image of a monarch butterfly wing. Since a scanning electron microscope only collects a black and white image (representing intensity of electrons) the image must be colorized with photoshop. The colors are fairly close to the real colors of the wing. The wing is composed of scales or platelets that in turn have a micro structure that creates turbulence as the wing moves through the air. The turbulence is responsible for decreasing drag on the wing and allows the butterfly to move with less energy. Monarch Butterflies are native to North America where they…

Final Results from the Blogger Bioblitz: Inverts

Between upcoming graduation and finals this week, I've been a bit slow to do my share of the final counts from the Blogger Bioblitz (B3), but I finally found some time this morning. First, some meta data: 50 bloggers signed up for the event 32 posted about their bioblitz 17 data sheets for analysis Invertebrate species breakdown: ARTHROPODS: 87+ Insects: 71+ Lepidopterans: 32+ Dipterans: 9+ Odontans: 9+ Hymenopterans: 7+ Hemipterans: 5+ Coleopterans: 3+ Collembolans: 2 Ephemeropterans: 2 Neuropterans: 1 Dictyopterans: 1 Arachnids: 10+ Aranaeans: 5+ Acari: 4+ Opiliones: 1 Diplopods…

Climate Crisis Action Day Revisited

My news editor wrote a great column (filling in for me) about the politicization of science and Climate Crisis Action Day last issue that I meant to link but never got to it: As a science columnist, I would guess that I would be ignoring a pretty specific requirement of the Voltage Gate without addressing the scientific implications involved. Climate change is a scientific issue, one that will require the collective knowledge and drive of many of the world's best. However, the lines between science, politics and culture are becoming increasingly blurred. The overwhelming dedication to…

Perchloroethylene (Oddly ubiqutious)

Trying to think of a molecule tonight, my friend suggested "pick an ugly one no one wants anymore...a clearance rack molecule." I immediately went to chlorinated solvents. They're in the backwater now, right? Carbon tetrachloride sure has a bad rep. I figured most of the organochlorides, except for the ubiquitous lab solvents, would, too. I was wrong. Perchloroethylene, or "perc," is a dry cleaning solvent. A few years back, I was surprised to learn that the non-chemistry nerds in my family knew of it, and I came to learn that grandpa owned a dry-cleaning shop back in the day, where he, in…

Rimonabant (The Anti-Weed)

Marijuana is a puzzling drug, and a contentious one at that. Pure THC is sold pharmaceutically (and DEA-OK), but the whole plant isn't OK with the feds. That said, many states have decriminalized it for medical use. The pharmacology of cannabinoids is complex; marijuana aficionados report the drug exhibits a certain capacity to make eating 99 cent frozen pizza a more sublime experience than it would be sober. This rationale has resulted in the use of rimonabant, a cannabinoid antagonist (that is, it blocks its effects, like yesterday's molecule does with nicotine) to treat obesity. Currently…

Neotame (Bulky aspartame)

About a year ago, I covered aspartame, the sometimes-maligned intense artificial sweetener. There is still a camp of substantial size insisting aspartame is deadly. Of course, it's widely sold, and still FDA-approved, etc. There is one group of people for whom aspartame is undisputedly dangerous, however: phenylketonurics. Aspartame is metabolized via esterases and peptidases - esterases remove the methyl ester as methanol (tiny, tiny quantities, but this is a big part of why some people insist this is a dangerous sweetener). This yields a dipeptide of aspartic acid and phenylalanine.…

List of links/phone #s for people in need of help (or offering help) #BostonHelp #bostonmarathon

Not going to report, since the facts will probably change before I hit publish, but these links should remain useful: Google people finder - for folks that can't get in touch with friends/relatives Boston Globe-run form for people looking for or offering places in the city Lots of folks offering help on twitter via #BostonHelp Mayor's hotline for people looking for friends/family 617-635-4500 (via the globe) Anyone with videos/pictures of the route (could be evidence) call 800-494-TIPS (also via Boston Globe) Red Cross is not looking for blood donations now, but would love you to schedule for…

Friday Link Dump

Science - There's a new flu strain running around in China. As is often the case, Maryn McKenna over at Wired has the most important piece to read. - Allie Wilkinson's piece in Ars Technica about a climate change's irreversibility, but not inevitability... it's a weird distinction, but it makes sense. - Another good post from Keith Kloor on GMOs, but I'm not a fan of equating Monsanto with GMOs. One is a company, the other is a technology. Just because the technology is used by the company, that does not imply that the two are related. Not Science - The most important video I've seen in a…

Allergies, Asthma and Eczema - New SITN Flash

The latest issue of the Science in the News "Flash" is out now about the connections between atopic disorders - namely allergies, asthma and eczema. Itchy, watery eyes, and a drippy nose. Constricted, swollen airways secreting thick mucus. Itchy, red, dry, cracked skin. These symptoms describe three conditions -- allergies, asthma, and eczema, respectively -- that are commonly found together in the same people. Yet, what causes these symptoms and why they are so closely associated with each other is still poorly understood. The Flash is written and edited by graduate students, an all-…

You Know You're Marrying a Geologist When...

You scour eBay looking for zircon engagement rings. Zircons are forever. During the wedding portraits, you keep hearing the words "for scale" Who knew REI had a bridal section? Altar? I thought you said meet me at the outcrop! She asks the musicians to slow down at any interesting unconformities exposed in the Canyon in D Your gift registry has its own GSA or AGU session Your vows include a promise not to take each other for granite You suggest following that up with a promise not to be fault-finders with each other, and she nearly dumps you She keeps asking if you've tried licking it She…

Anaerobic Animals Discovered on Sea Floor

This is pretty neat: scientists have apparently discovered the first example of truly anaerobic animal life (i.e. an animal that can survive in the absence of oxygen). This isn't some sort of fuzzy critter, though; instead, these are tiny (less than 1 mm in length) animals that were found on the floor of the Mediterranean Sea. The animals belong to the phylum Loricifera (see illustration below). Significantly, these animals lack mitochondria, the sub-cellular organelles where oxygen is employed to produce ATP in aerobic (oxygen-dependent) life. You can check out the original paper by Danovaro…

Where to Find Reliable Information on Swine Flu

Although I've only written a bit about the recent outbreak of influenza A H1N1 (swine flu), I'd encourage you to take a look at this post by Kent Newsome that discusses where to find reliable information on this topic. This post is particularly nice, because it gives concrete examples of some of the useful things this blogger has learned from these various sources. Granted, most of the sources he discusses are affiliated with ScienceBlogs, but that shouldn't really be surprising, given that there has been so much quality blogging here recently on the topic of swine flu (particularly by…

Just When I Thought Texas Politics Couldn't Get Any Dumber

What can I even say about this? From the Austin American-Statesman: At a hearing Thursday of the House Committee on Human Services, [Texas State Representative Gary] Elkins and other members of the panel considered more than two dozen bills related to Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program. Three hours into the hearing, Elkins asked: "What's Medicaid?" The Houston Republican continued: "I know I hear it -- I really don't know what it is. I know that's a big shock to everybody here in the audience, OK." And, for the win.... Medicaid, for the record, is the federal-state health…

Science Education Is Under Attack in the State of Texas (Again)

What else is new? Via Greg Laden comes news that creationists are once again mucking about with Texas' education standards. The National Center for Science Education (NCSE) explains just what's at stake: A number of amendments to the science TEKS were passed at the January 2009 meeting. Here is a brief analysis of these amendments, and why they are problematic for science education in Texas. In general, the amendments single out topics touching on evolution (including the age and evolution of Earth and the universe as a whole) from other scientific topics included in the TEKS. They uniformly…

Who Are My Super Readers?

ScienceBlogs is inviting each of its blogs to name two "Super Readers". These "Super Readers" will have access to a new del.icio.us account, where they'll be able to tag three ScienceBlogs posts of their choice per week. These will go on to a feed on the homepage, which I believe will replace the most active/most emailed feature currently in use. So, who are my "Super Readers"? Well, I have some ideas, but I don't know if you'll be interested. So, if you are interested, let me know by email or in the comments of this post. I'll pick my two "Super Readers" based on a combination of…

Don't Let the Door Hit You on the Way Out

This just in: even the devil incarnate has had enough. From Reuters: WASHINGTON - Karl Rove, a political adviser to U.S. President George W. Bush and a lightning rod for anger among Democrats, will leave the White House at the end of this month, Rove told the Wall Street Journal. "I just think it's time," Rove said in an interview with the newspaper published on Monday. "There's always something that can keep you here, and as much as I'd like to be here, I've got to do this for the sake of my family." And now we say goodbye, finally, to possibly the most cynical and shameless political…

George Deutsch to Testify at Upcoming Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Hearing

(See update here.) The Congressional Committee on Oversight and Government Reform--chaired by Henry Waxman--will hold part two of its "Hearing to Examine Allegations of Political Interference with Government Climate Change Science" on Monday, 19 March, at 10:00 am EST. The full witness list is supposed to be made available later today (Update: It looks like the list isn't going to be posted today, but hopefully it will be sometime soon). To see it (once it's posted), and to watch the video of the hearing (once the hearing has begun), go to the committee's schedule page. The witness list…

Updatin'

Yep, that's what I was up to last night. I've added some useful content to the left-hand sidebar of the site. Specifically, I've listed a few recommended books that readers of my blog might enjoy, and I've also listed several worthy science-related causes for prospective donors. The causes come from a recent post on the topic. There seemed to be quite a bit of interest, so I've now added it as a permanent feature. The list of books is currently short, only consisting of four recommended readings. This section will mostly be for links to books that I've already reviewed, but I've included…

A Patented Mega Millions Number Selector

Who couldn't use $135 million? Try this, just for fun, if you're game: A 2005 U.S. patent with the bland title: "Method for Selecting Lottery Numbers" describes a technique that just might be worth a try: From the Orange County Register: There were no tickets sold with all six numbers in Tuesday's drawing of the multi-state Mega Millions lottery and the estimated jackpot for Friday's drawing will grow to $135 million. Three tickets sold in California had five numbers, but didn't have the Mega number and are each worth $148,228, a California Lottery official announced. California law…

Texting Redefining the Written Word? tYp3 LyK tHi5

I receive many emails from students that were likely composed using a mobile device. Their sentences do not contain capitals ("i request..."), there are often grammatical and spelling errors as well as incomplete sentences. This comes as no surprise, I know. But tYp3 LyK tHi5? What is the point of this? Does it reflect a generation gap? Perhaps this is simply a farce, a hook to get people's attention on the web. I admit that it got my attention, if only as a reminder of the challenge of written communication with so many choices of mobile devices and networks. This latest example seems…