Below the fold, because this is NOT going to be pretty.
Category Archives: Uncategorized
On careful consideration I’ve decided to reveal pseudonymous bloggers name:
This is not an easy decision to make. I probably shouldn’t do it. But I think this is important enough to make an exception to an otherwise hard and fast rule.
For reasons of legal protection, I’ve revealed the name on my other blog. Here.
How Democracy Works: The Norquist Tax Pledge Of Allegiance
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Poll on same sex marraige
The poll asks:
Do children need a mom and a dad? By encouraging men and women to marry, society helps ensure that children will be known by and cared for by their biological parents. Whenever a child is born, her mother will almost always be nearby. But the same cannot always be said of her father. Men, especially, are encouraged to take responsibility for their children through the institution of marriage. Marriage is society’s mechanism of increasing the likelihood that children will be born and raised by the two people responsible for bringing them into the world – their mother and father. Do you agree? Take this urgent poll right now.
In other words, are you for or against same sex marriage in Minnesota, where there is currently an important court case and an upcoming ballot box issue? The poll is worded in a funny way. If you answer “yes” you are throwing your lot in with the bigots. If you answer “no” you are saying same-sex marriage or other family types are OK and should not be made illegal. But the way they word it, it makes it seem like “no” is the “I Hate Children” vote.
And it would seem that they don’t really give you the poll results anywhere.
While we are on the topic of same sex marriage in Minnesota, see this.
Which Digital Camera?
I’m looking for a small (will always live in Amanda’s purse) point and shoot camera and have so far narrowed the choices down to the following. Anybody have any advice on which one I should get (or an alternative, if you’d like to suggest one)? (Descriptions/details are from Amazon, for consistency)
Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS 12.1 MP CMOS Digital Camera with Full 1080p HD Video (Silver)
- World’s thinnest digital camera with a 24mm ultra Wide-Angle lens and 5x Optical Zoom and Optical Image Stabilizer.
- Canon’s HS SYSTEM with a 12.1 MP CMOS and DIGIC 4 Image Processor improves shooting in low-light situations without the need for a flash and
- Full 1080p HD Video for exceptional quality with stereo sound, plus a dedicated movie button for easy access.
- Get high-speed shooting in a point-and-shoot camera: High-speed Burst Mode captures 8.0fps and
- Smart AUTO intelligently selects the proper settings for the camera based on 32 predefined shooting situations.
- Super Slow Motion Movie records video at high speeds to allow slow motion playback.
- Zoom optically while shooting video and keep footage stabilized with Dynamic IS.
- Lowers noise levels at higher ISO settings.
Nikon COOLPIX S9100 12.1 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 18x NIKKOR ED Wide-Angle Optical Zoom Lens and Full HD 1080p Video (Black)
Product Features
- 18x Wide-Angle Optical Zoom-NIKKOR ED Glass Lens.
- 12.1-megapixel CMOS sensor for high-speed operation and exceptional low-light performance.
- 3-inch Ultra-High Resolution VGA (921,000-dot) Clear Color Display
- Capture 5 shots per second at full resolution
- 5-way VR Image Stabilization System
Technical Details
- Brand Name: Nikon
- Model: S9100 Silver
- Optical Sensor Resolution: 12.1 MP
- Optical zoom: 18 x
- Display Size: 3.000 inches
- Width: 2.5 inches
- Height: 1.4 inches
- Weight: 0.5 pounds
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8 14.1 MP Digital Camera with 16x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3.0-Inch LCD (Black)
- The DMC-ZS8 features a powerful 16x optical zoom lens.
- The 16x Optical Zoom Keeps the Subject Sharp While Giving the Background a Soft focus.
- The DMC-ZS8 features a 1/2.33-inch CCD with effective 14.1-megapixel high-resolution.
- Images remain clear and sharp even when they are enlarged to A2 size.
- The Sonic Speed AF system includes numerous re-engineering enhancements, including a higher-speed actuator.
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-WX9 16.2 MP Exmor R CMOS Digital Still Camera with Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 5x Wide-Angle Optical Zoom Lens and Full HD 1080/60i Video (Black)
- Exmor R CMOS sensor for low-light performance, 5x, bright lens
- Full HD 1080×1920 with dual record of stills and movies
- 3D still image and 3D Sweep Panorama
- Fast capture with 10fps at full 16.2 MP resolution
- iSweep Panorama for one shot landscapes
Do you happen to have one of these? If so, how fast is the damn thing … if you press the button to turn it on, does it turn on quickly? How much lag between pressing the “shutter release” and the actual taking of the picture is there? Is it rugged? Does it suck?
Any info woudl be much appreciated. Thank you very much.
I’m leaning towards the Canon Power Shot, though Julia has one of those Sony’s and really likes it, and the zoom on that Nikon is rather kick-ass. Of course, what I really want is one of these
Freethinkers Directory
Have you seen the Freethinkers Directory
Supposedly, “Freethinkers Directory was created to give the skeptical person an easy way to come to their senses and join the community of reason. Please tell your local library that they should purchase this book or buy one and donate it to them. Just think of all the people who are searching for this information and can’t find it. Share the logic… Freethinkers Directory lists groups, organizations, stores, newspapers, magazines, publishers, blogs, podcasts, family services and more for atheists, agnostics, rationalists, naturalists, humanists and all freethinkers.
Is it any good? I’ve not seen it, but if it is good, it would be nice to tell people about it.
How to manage and maintain your electronic identity
This is not a manual or even a how-to blog post, but rather, what I hope to be a few helpful suggestions that may or may not have already occurred to you. I was motivated to write this because of a series of recent events in which it became obvious that a lot of people, myself included in certain instances, were not managing some of the basic information linked to their on-line identity in the best way.
Continue reading How to manage and maintain your electronic identity
Despondent Turkey Kills Self
Scottish couple murdered in suspected ‘honor killing’
Don’t Tase Me Nine Times, Bro!
Some people think it is Saturday
But it isn’t. Friday:
Good Science Always Has Political Ramifications
Financial Engagement, a Public Thing
Several weeks ago, my friend and colleague, Shanai Matteson asked if I’d get involved in a project she was working on along with several other people. If you have been reading my blog, or for that matter, Pharyngula, for a while you’ll know of Shanai even if you don’t know you know: She was for many years the public outreach coordinator person (not sure of her exact title) for the Bell Museum of Natural History, so it is she who organized the Great Smackdown at The Bell (with PZ Myers, Chirs Mooney, Matt Nisbet and me), as well as several Cafe Scientifiques that I’ve done, as well as a very interesting Evolutionary Dinner With Beer a year ago or so. Since then, Shanai has left the Bell and with her husband, Colin Kloecker, have started a company, Works Progress, that does some very interesting things, including Financial Engagement, a Public Thing.
Worst Persons
Especially interesting Worst Persons spot:
Wave Google Wave Good Bye
From Google Wave:
More than a year ago, we announced that Google Wave would no longer be developed as a separate product. At the time, we committed to maintaining the site at least through to the end of 2010. Today, we are sharing the specific dates for ending this maintenance period and shutting down Wave. As of January 31, 2012, all waves will be read-only, and the Wave service will be turned off on April 30, 2012. You will be able to continue exporting individual waves using the existing PDF export feature until the Google Wave service is turned off. We encourage you to export any important data before April 30, 2012.
If you need to keep waving, try these OpenSource projects: