Monthly Archives: January 2007

No Google for you

Posted on January 30, 2007 | 2 comments

Google Reader is awesome and all, but man, their error messages are quite useless sometimes:

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Posted in computing, funny, meaningless, tech

Convergence of important social issues

Posted on January 29, 2007 | Leave a comment

The hilarious headlines keep on coming. Kathryn found this one today:

It makes me wonder… if more people practiced birth control, would there be less cockfighting?

Article.

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Posted in bizarre, funny, news

O Knights of Ni, you are just and fair, and we will return with a shrubbery.

Posted on January 28, 2007 | 2 comments

Kathryn’s parents live in Hilton Head, and came across this hilarious bit of local news:

Deputy finds man punching shrub

Published: Monday, January 22nd, 2007

A 23-year-old Hilton Head Island man was charged with public disorderly conduct after a deputy observed him ‘in a physical confrontation with shrubs’ at 8:27 p.m. Saturday at Carolina First, 401 William Hilton Parkway, according to a Beaufort County Sheriff’s Report.

Responding to a complaint that a man tried to get into a stranger’s car, a deputy called over to the suspect, who was punching vegetation. The man then ran across the bank parking lot to kick one last bush before talking to police, reports said.

He reportedly smelled of alcohol and was taken to the Beaufort County Detention Center, where he is being held for prosecution, according to the jail’s online log.

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Posted in funny, news

Gluten-free time capsule

Posted on January 25, 2007 | Leave a comment

I have always suspected that there is something peculiar about the construction of the foul-tasting energy bars Kathryn is fond of buying:

best-by-may-3007_420px.jpg

Lasting for one thousand years is an admirable feat. But I don’t think that will improve the flavor.

(My guess is it’s supposed to mean “May 30, 2007”.)

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Posted in bizarre, food, funny, queasy

The device that betrays your thoughts?

Posted on January 20, 2007 | Leave a comment

Through the Illinois Genetic Algorithms Laboratory blog, I learned of the Lemelson-Illinois Student Prize, a $30,000 award given to outstanding student inventors. The selection process for the prize is down to eight finalists, one of whom has created an amazing method to translate thoughts into speech:

Michael Callahan – Graduate Student – Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering, College of Engineering

Michael hopes to assist individuals without the use of speech and mobility communicate through the application of neuroscience. By interfacing near the source of vocal production, he has been able to translate unspoken thought of the mind from intercepted neuronal activity at the vocal cords. The method that Michael has developed produces complete fluent speech with 70% accuracy from neurological signals.

Incredible. I can’t wait to see this kind of technology in use. It might complicate poker games, though.

Another article on Michael Callahan

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Posted in computing, medical, tech

Happy New Year

Posted on January 17, 2007 | Leave a comment

Wow; I haven’t posted in a long time. I think this is because of the holidays, and because I’ve been spending a lot of time organizing and posting photos on Flickr. To see them, click here. If you haven’t already, click here to sign up for a free Flickr account (it’s even easier to do if you already have a Yahoo account). If I know you, let me know you’ve signed up for a Flickr account, and then I can add you to my Flickr contact list. This way, you’ll be able to see the additional non-public photos that are reserved for friends and family.

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Posted in Uncategorized