It's that time of year again. Summercon 2009 will be in Atlanta (again) this year. The call for papers has just been posted. Please pass thing along to anyone that might be interested. SummerCon
Museum finds secret message in Lincoln's watch | U.S. | Reuters
Topic: Miscellaneous
10:18 am EDT, Mar 11, 2009
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A gold watch owned by Abraham Lincoln bears a message marking the start of the U.S. Civil War, but the president never knew of the "secret" inscription uncovered on Tuesday at the National Museum of American History.
YouTube - Hudson River Plane Landing (US Airways 1549) Animation with Audio
Topic: Miscellaneous
9:56 am EST, Mar 4, 2009
Professional 3D animation, accurately reconstructed to match the event.
It's amazing how calm everyone is over the airwaves. 'We're going into the Hudson, over'. I'd be screaming like a little girl, no offense to little girls of course.
I also enjoyed this article. I liked how counter-examples were given for each 'myth'. Also, it seems to me, that although US car manufacturers are making feeble attempts at making cars consumers want, they already have a tainted brand (as I see it). For example:
Mazda 3 (5 door): - 19k MSRP - 22/29 City/Hwy - 156 HP 2.3L DOHC 4cyl engine - Same features w/o cost as VW Rabbit
VW Rabbit: - 16k MSRP - 21/30 City/Hwy - 170 HP 2.5L 5cyl in-line - You'll have to purchase some features, adding @ most an additional 1k
I like the look of the Mazda 3 5-door, but you basically get the same thing with the rabbit at much less cost. Not to mention I've personally heard more positive VW stories than I have any Mazda stories. VW has made quality small cars that were available in the US market since the original VW beetle, it is a 'trusted' name. This is just one simple example I threw together, I'm sure there could be counter-examples or even more that agree with me.
The Energy Challenge - Wind Energy Bumps Into Power Grid’s Limits - Series - NYTimes.com
Topic: Miscellaneous
11:09 am EDT, Aug 28, 2008
When the builders of the Maple Ridge Wind farm spent $320 million to put nearly 200 wind turbines in upstate New York, the idea was to get paid for producing electricity. But at times, regional electric lines have been so congested that Maple Ridge has been forced to shut down even with a brisk wind blowing.
That is a symptom of a broad national problem. Expansive dreams about renewable energy, like Al Gore’s hope of replacing all fossil fuels in a decade, are bumping up against the reality of a power grid that cannot handle the new demands.
The dirty secret of clean energy is that while generating it is getting easier, moving it to market is not.
Good article, and something I wasn't actually aware of before reading.
