February 27, 2008

A Revolution in Nanoelectronics

The Nokia Morph is a flexible, two-piece concept device that can adapt its shape according to the task its user wants it to accomplish. Thanks to nanotechnology, Morph can sense its environment, harvest solar energy, and also clean itself automatically.

Featured in The Museum of Modern Art “Design and The Elastic Mind” exhibition, the Morph concept device is a bridge between highly advanced technologies and their potential benefits to end-users. This device concept showcases some revolutionary leaps being explored by Nokia Research Center (NRC) in collaboration with the Cambridge Nanoscience Centre (United Kingdom) – nanoscale technologies that will potentially create a world of radically different devices that open up an entirely new spectrum of possibilities.

X-Files 2 Trailer Leak

I want to believe.
This is some good news I ran across today. No word if this trailer is legitimate, but I have heard they have been definitely working on the movie. I am not aware of many people outside of the family that are fans of the old series but still...exciting stuff for July. Oh, and Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny are both returning to the big screen as the trailer shows.
The truth is out there.

February 26, 2008

Museum of Life and Science

After a nice treat yesterday being near home & working at RRMC, this weekend is looking better. On this Saturday(Caturday as I like to call it) I'll be heading up to visit the Museum of Life and Science up in Durham after meeting the family. I'm looking forward to the Nanoscale Science exhibit & of course the Indoor Activities most of all. Afterwards...hopefully we'll find a TV nearby for the Tarheel game against Boston College. Hansbrough has been ridiculous lately so a sweep on BC is definitely possible.

...ready to see the crazy animals, and harass them.

Fro-Hat

Dad I believe you got more a of kick out of this than anyone else. This is genius, very creative, and it may take a little longer to get than a regular hat.

February 22, 2008

Working from Home...close enough

Somehow I have been volunteered by some upper chalant people near our home office to work at another account next week for an unknown number of days. The account happens to be where I was born, the close to home Rowan Regional Medical Center. It's extremely nice walking into a situation not knowing any details or what reasons have been looked over for a situation like this...just joking. To be volunteered by a group of fellas I've never met isn't too encouraging, but here we go.
The dumb(them?) leading the blind(me) is something anyone would want to avoid, but I'll be close to home...so it's good to go.

February 19, 2008

Talking Cat

Today I was showing someone one of the best sites on the internet, ICanHasCheezBurger, then somehow got derailed by this video on Youtube...glad I did. Apparently it's back from some old days of America's Funniest Home Videos, but I had never seen this one before.

February 18, 2008

Music using ONLY sounds from Windows XP and 98!

Everyone is familiar with the sounds that Windows makes, either when you're holding down too many keys on the keyboard or the computer was just thinking for itself & decided to error out for no apparent reason. Right dad? Well, now you can enjoy the sounds of all those effects that are built right into XP & windows of the past in a nicely put together musical piece.

February 16, 2008

Professional Arm Wrestling, What!

Tonight it was an experience on ESPN2. Little did I know that the leading sports channels on TV were short on programming for the next couple of days. Seriously, it's an All-Star weekend in the NBA plus plenty of college games & controversies to follow. While flipping in between college & NBA basketball I see two 30 minute slots of Professional Arm Wrestling competition. I had no idea this "sport" had been going on for longer than I've been alive. Although, I cannot see this going mainstream or being an Olympic sport anytime soon. Other countries also compete in this PAC sport. Funny...they have a heavyweight class along with the lower weight class, two referees, a special table, and of course their own fan base.

February 14, 2008

Look out below, PLEASE!

Very glad that my church has a basketball night for men, however on the 11th, after grabbing rebound after rebound, someone else decided to take one away from me. With the white boy jumps not letting that happen, they were already on the floor before my foot met theirs. I still had the ball when I went down, held my stance but knew that was it for the night...and for weeks to come. The only difference was how mine was shaped when I landed. Feet are the best landing ground, or maybe just for me. The nice color in the picture is what showed up after two mornings later. Yep, it's definitely sprained...same ankle from 11 months ago. It's not enjoying it. It looks a lot worse than the sprain before, but I'm walking...slowly. Notice how small the foot looks like compared to the ankle.

Some will never learn to get out of the way.

February 13, 2008

Century-Old Fish Caught in Alaska

It doesn't matter how new, old, fresh, dead, cooked, or how much yummy goodness is crammed on top of a fish, I will not touch it. How do you know when fish goes bad? Anyway, this was interesting to see how old the fish turned out to be...still not the oldest of its kind found. - ABC
A handful of Christians preparing rockfish as part of their traditional fish dinner this Good Friday might be feasting on one of the oldest creatures ever to live in Alaskan waters.

Commercial fishers in the Bering Sea hauled in the female shortraker rockfish seen above, which scientists say was between 90 and 115 years old, in March 2007. Researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) used growth rings in the fish's ear bone, or otolith, to make their age estimate.

NOAA scientists also found that the fish's advanced years had yet to take a toll on its reproductive abilities. "The belly was large," NOAA researcher Paul Spencer told the Associated Press. "The ovaries were full of developing embryos."

A Seattle, Washington-based ship caught the 44-inch-long (112-centimeter-long), 60-pound (27-kilogram) fish while trawling for pollock at about 2,100 feet (640 meters) below the surface. The massive mama was among ten shortrakers pulled from the depths along with roughly 75 tons of the smaller commercially fished species.

The fish's age and size both approach the maximum known limits for shortrakers. The largest on record measured 47 inches (119 centimeters) long, and the oldest ever caught was 157 years.

February 11, 2008

20 Simple Ways to Get Happy by Reader's Digest

Happiness is ephemeral, subject to the vagaries of everything from the weather to the size of your bank account.

We're not suggesting that you can reach a permanent state called "happiness" and remain there. But there are many ways to swerve off the path of anxiety, anger, frustration, and sadness into a state of happiness once or even several times throughout the day. Here are 20 ideas to get you started. Choose the ones that work for you. If tuning out the news or making lists will serve only to stress you further, try another approach.

1. Practice mindfulness. Be in the moment. Instead of worrying about your checkup tomorrow while you have dinner with your family, focus on the here and now -- the food, the company, the conversation.

2. Laugh out loud. Just anticipating a happy, funny event can raise levels of endorphins and other pleasure-inducing hormones and lower production of stress hormones. Researchers at the University of California, Irvine, tested 16 men who all agreed they thought a certain videotape was funny. Half were told three days in advance they would watch it. They started experiencing biological changes right away. When they actually watched the video, their levels of stress hormones dropped significantly, while their endorphin levels rose 27 percent and their growth hormone levels (indicating benefit to the immune system) rose 87 percent.

3. Go to sleep. We have become a nation of sleep-deprived citizens. Taking a daily nap or getting into bed at 8 p.m. one night with a good book -- and turning the light out an hour later -- can do more for your mood and outlook on life than any number of bubble baths or massages.

4. Hum along. Music soothes more than the savage beast. Studies find music activates parts of the brain that produce happiness -- the same parts activated by food or sex. It's also relaxing. In one study older adults who listened to their choice of music during outpatient eye surgery had significantly lower heart rates, blood pressure, and cardiac workload (that is, their heart didn't have to work as hard) as those who had silent surgery.

5. Declutter. It's nearly impossible to meditate, breathe deeply, or simply relax when every surface is covered with papers and bills and magazines, your cabinets bulge, and you haven't balanced your checkbook in six months. Plus, the repetitive nature of certain cleaning tasks -- such as sweeping, wiping, and scrubbing -- can be meditative in and of itself if you focus on what you're doing.

6. Just say no. Eliminate activities that aren't necessary and that you don't enjoy. If there are enough people already to handle the church bazaar and you're feeling stressed by the thought of running the committee for yet another year, step down and let someone else handle things.

7. Make a list. There's nothing like writing down your tasks to help you organize your thoughts and calm your anxiety. Checking off each item provides a great sense of fulfillment.

8. Do one thing at a time. Edward Suarez, Ph.D., associate professor of medical psychology at Duke, found that people who multitask are more likely to have high blood pressure. Take that finding to heart. Instead of talking on the phone while you fold laundry or clean the kitchen, sit down in a comfortable chair and turn your entire attention over to the conversation. Instead of checking e-mail as you work on other projects, turn off your e-mail function until you finish the report you're writing. This is similar to the concept of mindfulness.

9. Garden. Not only will the fresh air and exercise provide their own stress reduction and feeling of well-being, but the sense of accomplishment that comes from clearing a weedy patch, watching seeds turn into flowers, or pruning out dead wood will last for hours, if not days.

10. Tune out the news. For one week go without reading the newspaper, watching the news, or scanning the headlines online. Instead, take a vacation from the misery we're exposed to every day via the media and use that time for a walk, a meditation session, or to write in your journal.

11. Take a dog for a walk. There are numerous studies that attest to the stress-relieving benefits of pets. In one analysis researchers evaluated the heart health of 240 couples, half of whom owned a pet. Those couples with pets had significantly lower heart rates and blood pressure levels when exposed to stressors than the couples who did not have pets. In fact, the pets worked even better at buffering stress than the spouses did.

12. Scent the air. Research finds that the benefits of aromatherapy in relieving stress are real. In one study people exposed to rosemary had lower anxiety levels, increased alertness, and performed math computations faster. Adults exposed to lavender showed an increase in the type of brain waves that suggest increased relaxation. Today you have a variety of room-scenting methods, from plug-in air fresheners to essential oil diffusers, potpourri, and scented candles.

13. Ignore the stock market. Simply getting your quarterly 401(k) statement can be enough to send your blood pressure skyrocketing. In fact, Chinese researchers found a direct link between the daily performance of the stock market and the mental health of those who closely followed it. Astute investors know that time heals most financial wounds, so give your investments time -- and give yourself a break.

14. Visit a quiet place. Libraries, museums, gardens, and places of worship provide islands of peace and calm in today's frantic world. Find a quiet place near your house and make it your secret getaway.

15. Volunteer. Helping others enables you to put your own problems into perspective and also provides social interaction. While happy people are more likely to help others, helping others increases your happiness. One study found that volunteer work enhanced all six aspects of well-being: happiness, life satisfaction, self-esteem, sense of control over life, physical health, and depression.

16. Spend time alone. Although relationships are one of the best antidotes to stress, sometimes you need time alone to recharge and reflect. Take yourself out to lunch or to a movie, or simply spend an afternoon reading, browsing in a bookstore, or antiquing.

17. Walk mindfully. You probably already know that exercise is better than tranquilizers for relieving anxiety and stress. But what you do with your mind while you're walking can make your walk even more beneficial. In a study called the Ruth Stricker Mind/Body Study, researchers divided 135 people into five groups of walkers for 16 weeks. Group one walked briskly, group two at a slow pace, and group three at a slow pace while practicing "mindfulness," a mental technique to bring about the relaxation response, a physiological response in which the heart rate slows and blood pressure drops. This group was asked to pay attention to their footsteps, counting one, two, one, two, and to visualize the numbers in their mind. Group four practiced a form of tai chi, and group five served as the control, changing nothing about their lives. The group practicing mindfulness showed significant declines in anxiety and had fewer negative and more positive feelings about themselves. Overall they experienced the same stress-reducing effects of the brisk walkers. Better yet, the effects were evident immediately.

18. Give priority to close relationships. One study of more than 1,300 men and women of various ages found that those who had a lot of supportive friends were much more likely to have healthier blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood sugar metabolism, and stress hormone levels than those with two or fewer close friends. Women, and to a lesser extent men, also seemed to benefit from good relationships with their parents and spouses. Studies also find that people who feel lonely, depressed, and isolated are three to five times more likely to get sick and die prematurely than those who have feelings of love, connection, and community.

19. Take care of the soul. In study after study, actively religious people are happier and cope better with crises, according to David Myers, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. For many people faith provides a support community, a sense of life's meaning, feelings of ultimate acceptance, a reason to focus beyond yourself, and a timeless perspective on life's woes. Even if you're not religious, a strong spirituality may offer similar benefits.

20. Count your blessings. People who pause each day to reflect on some positive aspect of their lives (their health, friends, family, freedom, education, etc.) experience a heightened sense of well-being.

February 10, 2008

53-0 against Clemson at Dean Dome

Tonight did not look good for the Heels at home, that is until Hansbrough, Green, and Ellington decided to stretch the game & set a new NCAA record. Big Tyler had 39 points while Ellington added on 28! It was all decided after a double overtime, but Psycho-T played like the usual madman...which paid off.

February 9, 2008

Part of the herd

Today I met mom & Ab over at the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro. It has been probably 15 years since going there & definitely changed from the last time. The bad part...all the bears(polar, black, grizzly) were on vacation, the puffin exhibit was closed before we could get around to it, and no shark rides were being offered for this weekend(just kidding). The good...being retarded around the animals. Here are a couple from the album on Picasa. The monkeys were very cooperative with the camera, but maybe a little over ranked for an audience for children. Take a look at the album to understand why. There are more of Abby & Mom & Me in the separate albums...some good ones too.


February 8, 2008

Worst website "layout disater" of all time!!

Remember, the cup will lead you to the answer. Don't try to fight it. This is actually pretty cool, and it's put out by an actual company...nothing like a ploy for more customers. Click the picture to the left to see this website explode with chaos.

February 1, 2008

Fast food while you drive

After seeing the Cheeseburger in a can I thought nothing could be worse or an invention so "fueled" by Nascar fans. Now, with this "lame" invention, you can not only combine two of your favorite hobbies(driving to your local Nascar event & grilling out), you can save time & money & use untapped resources from your car's exhaust. You getting as excited as I am...not really though. Ok, so the whole idea is not having the time to enjoy your hobby as the master griller. The solution is the nifty & ridiculous Exhaust Grill. Yes, technically, it would work because of the heat back there but come on...who is going to use this?

I am dying to see someone actually stop on the side of the road, get out with a small grill pick & put that bad boy on a bun to eat it. On top of getting that tasty burger cooked while you drive you can now have the annoying sound of a souped up import car.
So, what have we learned today? Don't eat burgers heated by the exhaust from your car. And, don't eat any burger from McDonald's. But, if you plan on heading over to the next Nascar event, bring this new invention with you so you'll be ready for the first bite before the boys are warming up their grills.


Cheeseburger in a Can! Part 2, Review!

With the ingredients & instructions posted on the can, it seems like a simple meal, right? Wrong, with every action there is that sometimes "bad" reaction. And, any time you decide to munch down a canned cheeseburger you will pay for it as the poor guy did that reviewed this thing. Now you can see the picture of the ad in my post from last month & try to compare the two pictures for similarities, but you won't come out with anything similar. Lesson to learn from this sorry excuse for a meal...don't can good kinds of food. It will make it worse.