Raw or distilled news?

Reading my way though "Fooled by Randomness" by Nassim Ncholas Taleb, and I came upon a section worth mentioning:

"News providers are offering all manner of updates, "breaking news" that can be delivered electronically in a wireless manner. The ratio of undistilled information to distilled is rising, saturating markets."

It is true; a lot of information these days are undistilled. The mass media functions as a mouthpiece of politics (and other subjects), simply rebroadcasting raw footage without actually spending time to question it, analyze it, and decipher it.

In comes the role of the blogs. Though not without bias, many blogs can provide insight into relevant news. Some blogs unfortunately, have devolved into gossip and mouthpieces, such as the Huffington Post. That is not to say that the Huffington Post has gone to the dark side of journalism; it still contains a number of blogs within its site and articles that delve into contemporaneous issues. But the more important blog/website that compiles the raw data into discernible patterns, is Media Matters.

Long live the blog!

The Winter Olympics is rapidly approaching...

Are you ready for the bed bug explosion? It's been growing each year - as seen by the number of searches on Google, for the term, "bed bug". It has become a huge problem in major metropolis areas, in no small part to the over-crowding and the reuse of tossed furniture sitting on the road and in open dumpsters, looking as if they're perfectly clean and new. But the other problem appears to be the lack of an effective, modern insecticide that is both safe to use and effective at killing bedbugs. The most effective insecticide - DDT - has long been banned. Pyrethrins haven't been nearly as effective, with some localized populations of bedbugs showing high levels of resistance to Pyrethrins.

Here's something to think about. As infestations grow, people are moving out of apartment buildings. In moving out, they are unwittingly helping spread bedbugs to other apartment buildings and hotels.

Yes, hotels and motels are being infested as well, as travelers bring bedbugs with them from their homes.

Which bring us back to this video story about the 2000 Summer Olympics in Australia, and how this single event may have been the catalyst for the massive jump in bedbug reports in Australia and around the world, since 2000. Jump to 3:02 to get the low down on the story of Australia's problem.


Hence I ask the question...is the world ready for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, BC? If you look at the Bedbug Registry, it's clear that just in the past 2 months, Vancouver's had numerous reports in downtown buildings. Considering that Vancouver's had this bed bug problem for several years now, I'm guessing visitors will be bringing home with them some bedbugs of their own this February, when they go to the Olympics.

I love this National Geographic video on bedbugs:


Of course, if you live in NYC, life is already a bedbug hell.

Jewish boy prays, plane freaks out.

Has it come to this, that we're a nation afraid of its own shadow?

Lane Kiffin criticisms...

There have been a lot of criticism leveled at Lane Kiffin, USC's recent hiring to replace 9-year head coach Pete Carroll, who left for the NFL to pursue what might be a last chance to tackle his legacy as an NFL coach. Generally, the criticism amounts to sour grapes or misguided lies.

One big critic has been ESPN's Gene Wojciechowski, who called Kiffin, "Mr. One-and-Done." The unhappy Tennessee alumnus, harshly continued his unabashedly negative critique by saying that, "Kiffin is about Kiffin."

Another criticism of Kiffin that is very popular around the media, is leveled by ESPN's Pat Forde, who asks rhetorically, "What's to love about Lane? His career head-coaching record is 12-21." ESPN's Jemele Hill is just as critical of Kiffin with his "paper-thin coaching résumé." Of course, Jemele Hill also wrote, "If Al Davis reads a multipage letter to the media about what a slimeball a guy is, you should know you're not exactly getting St. Peter." Now, that's just downright ridiculously moronic, but I'd rather focus on Kiffin than on Al Davis and his continued love for JaMarcus Russell.

I'm here to bring some perspective to these so-called journalists who spew their venom with the power of the pen and the bully pulpit of sports television from ESPN.

I think everyone - especially these folks - should consider a particular coach that compiled this record in his first six years as a head coach:

Year 1 - School #1 - 6-5 record
(1 year break in head coaching - accepted job as offensive coordinator at prestigious school)
Year 2 - School #2 - 1-10 record
Year 3 - School #2 - 4-7 record
Year 4 - School #2 - 6-6 record
Year 5 - School #3 - 1-10 record
Year 6 - School #3 - 1-10 record

This guy's accumulated a 19-48 record as a head coach. He LEFT school #1 after just one year. He left his offensive coordinator position after just one year. You're the athletic director or maybe a booster or fan at school #3, and he's just completed his second year with a combined 2-20 record at your school, what do you think...keep him or fire him?

It turns out that this apparent loser, this transient who left Appalachian State after just one year and left Oklahoma after just one year, is none other than.....

MACK BROWN, current head coach at University of Texas Longhorns.

Who would have thought, right? Well, the athletic director at North Carolina kept Mack Brown despite having two straight seasons at 1-10 (the season prior to his hiring, the Tar Heels had a 5-6 record). He went on to coach the Tar Heels to a 11-1 record and a strong run at bowl games, and after 10 years, moved on to Texas, where he's been for the past 11 years.

Now mind you, he's not the only coach that sat at a school for just one year, and moved on. There is also the case of this other guy who coached Toledo for just one year. Like Kiffin, he was an NFL coach for just slightly longer than Kiffin, completing two whole years, and finishing with a 15-17 record. This guy who coached just one year at a school, and had a losing record in two years in the NFL is none other than....

NICK SABAN, current head coach at University of Alabama.

I think the pundits and fans need to think about these two successful head coaches, before they criticize Lane Kiffin. I'm not saying that Kiffin will resume USC's dynastic rise under Pete Carroll, but it makes no sense in criticizing him, when two of the most successful coaches currently coaching at big-name schools all had their checkered past, and Kiffin hasn't coached a single game at USC.

A fat cat sat on a hat saw a rat on a mat...

I miss and love these. Don't you?

Sesame Street - Fat Cat

A timeline of recent major natural disasters, past decade+

I thought I'd compile a list of large natural disasters (in terms of deaths) in recent times (past 12 years), just to look at the frequency of these large-scale disasters. The greater the number of deaths, the larger the font, to indicate some scale.

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2010 - Port au Prince, Haiti earthquake (100,000+/- dead)
2009 - Sumatra, Indonesia earthquake (1100 dead)
2008 - Myanmar cyclone Nargis (146,000 dead)
2008 - Sichuan, China earthquake (69,000 dead)
2006 - Java, Indonesia earthquake (6200 dead)
2005 - Kashmir, Pakistan (86,000 dead)
2005 - Central America Hurricane Stan (2000 dead)
2005 - US Hurricane Katrina (1800 dead)
2004 - Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand earthquake/tsunami (230,000 dead)
2004 - Haiti, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Florida Hurricane Jeanne (3000 dead)
2003 - Bam, Iran earthquake (30,000 dead)
2003 - Boumerdes, Algeria earthquake (2200 dead)
2001 - Gujarat, India earthquake (20,000 dead)
1999 - Venezuela flood / mudslide (15,000 dead)
1999 - Izmit, Turkey earthquake (17,000 dead)
1998 - Central America / US hurricane Mitch (18,000 dead)

Who uses Internet Explorer?

I thought this was an interesting comparison. People who visit Krebsonsecurity.com are clearly aware of internet explorer's vulnerabilities. A good number of us are, in fact, aware that at the 2009 PWN2OWN challenge, the Chrome browser was never breached.

Compare this to the broad market share of browsers in use.

The thing about anecdotes...

Picked this one up from BoingBoing that rings 100% true:

The plural of "anecdote" is not "fact".

I don't suppose I need to explain this one to anyone, but from the comments below that post, it's clear that many people don't understand the placebo effect. The placebo effect is a condition under controlled experiments, where some people given a placebo will physically effect change towards the end goal. The mind is very powerful; if you believe that what you're taking will cure your ills, then for some people this will become true, regardless of whether you took a sugar pill or a powerful drug.

I have a friend that, despite her high level of intelligence, seems to be drawn into believing her psychiatrist friend, who in turn is drawn to unproven homeopathic solutions that are pushed by those within the scientific community, without any direct studies (relying sometimes on indirect studies that suggests A+B=C). I don't think it's necessary to explain how little we understand about the body, but apparently people are just looking for the newest and most convenient panacea available.

An unexpected moment in life.

I got an email from the husband of an ex-girlfriend from nearly two decades ago. He was angry as hell - deservedly so - for the way I treated my then girlfriend. I won't go into details, but suffice to say, I could only respond that he was completely correct; that I was a selfish, arrogant person that was an idiot and completely immature (no I didn't beat her). I also explained that I've always lived with that sadness and regret, and that I've never forgotten her or what happened.

In a return email after my apology, he expressed forgiveness, which was more than I could have possibly asked for - and I did not ask for it, as I didn't believe that I deserved it.

Despite his words of kindness, there is little solace. At that point in time nearly 20 years ago, I remember a poignant conversation with my neighbor and friend, Martin, who expressed regrets in his life, to which I suggested that I have no regrets. Well, as I get older, I have certainly grown over my arrogance and discovered my own box of regrets, including how I was terribly selfish and self-centered.

Life changes, we move on, but those regrets just sit there, don't they? A butterfly flaps its wings and things are set into motion, that which cannot be changed. Such is our lives, that every little action has consequences, but fortunately for my ex-girlfriend, she appears to have found a good man to build a happy life together. Me? Meh. I'm too scared to hurt someone else to get deep into a serious relationship, to be honest.

I don't hate stupid people.

But I can tell you what turns me off: people that THINK they're smart, but demonstrate a lack of knowledge and comprehension.

I am willing to spend as much time as it takes to teach someone that is willing and open, but I have no patience for the person that shows bravado with feigned intelligence. More aggravating than that, are some media 'experts' that clearly have limited expertise in a broad range of subjects, but nonetheless feel compelled to offer an authoritative opinion on it. In that same boat are those who are hypocritical in their opinion. George Will and Michelle Malkin come to mind; the former gets his facts wrong while the latter is a specialist in post-rationalism to match her preconceived opinions. To think that these people get paid to disseminate their stupid ideas and stupid opinions!

Let me set the record straight: If you do not distrust your knowledge, you're likely an idiot. If you believe your knowledge is perfect, you're likely an idiot. At best, it can be said that you're naive to believe that your knowledge is perfect. Of course, it's okay to have an opinion, but if you take yourself too seriously, you're really just a foolish zealot.

I don't hate stupid people...

But I do enjoy mocking those who think they're intelligent, despite being otherwise.

ATM skimmers.

You definitely want to read this blog post on ATM skimmers. It's near-impossible to spot the skimmer unless you know what to look for. This is a must-read. In fact, this blog is must-read, period.

via BoingBoing via KrebsonSecurity

Breaking down the current bubble.

It's not over, by a long shot. GDP is no longer shrinking, but that does not mean that the current bubble isn't over. The real estate bubble has yet to get through the next wave of Alt-A resets, and commercial real estate continues to suffer. The financial turmoil is hidden by TARP and stock offerings that replaced TARP, and the derivatives market continues to remain unregulated. Until they fix all the problems, the economy remains extremely fragile, even as the market is about to potentially push up asset valuations.
Congress must act fast.
This video is a quick review of the problems, and questions Congress must ask of the banks.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks coach?

Minutes ago, I just read an update that Pete Carroll has handed his letter of resignation to USC. Looks like it's official and the rush is about to begin. I know that many people are feeling anxious about replacing someone who is no doubt going to become a legend at USC, but this has the opportunity to breath new life into the program on the heels of a 9-4 season. I know, a 9-4 season is one that most teams would love to have, but this is not just any program; USC is all about football, Heisman trophies and national championships. There is little tolerance for failure at USC.

Good luck Pete; Seattle Seahawks are one of my favorite NFL teams, so I'm glad you're going there.

And with the beginning of a search, let's hope they find someone that has the same fire as Pete, and will assume the mantle without a dropoff on intensity. We'll need it to keep the recruits from bolting.

Fight On.

Best jobs of 2010?

Careercast.com created a list of the top 200 jobs for 2010, based on the following factors: physical demands, work environment, income, stress and job outlook. The list is very amusing with janitors (#83) and forklift operators (#67) ranked higher than Architects (#86). Speaking of Architects, what do you suppose the list says about Architects, when architectural drafters are ranked higher, at number 46?

Honey is dangerous, and AT&T is playing catchup.

Apparently honey is dangerous. Two TSA officials were hospitalized by the fumes from jars of honey. Poor TSA workers. I hope they recover from the trauma of sniffing honey fumes.

via Boing Boing, via VOA

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Also in the news, AT&T is apparently attempting to go for the homerun. They've decided that in the next 6 months, they're going to bring 2 WebOS devices to their network, and 5 Android devices.

And, possibly because they were burned publicly when T-Mobile took a swipe at AT&T's previously announced timeline (end of 2010) to upgrade to 7.2Mbps, AT&T just came out that they have in fact completed their upgrades for the entire network to 7.2Mbps...with a caveat, of course: Actual speeds might not increase until they fatten the pipes feeding the antennas.

Maybe someone at AT&T finally decided that doing nothing but airing Luke Wilson commercials was a bad idea, huh?

via engadget

I know a police chase shouldn't be funny but...

via BoingBoing

Google's Nexus One phone is here!

The coverage at Engadget is absolutely 100% awesome.

Some interesting tidbits:

• Can be purchased directly without contract from Google, or can be purchased on contract through T-Mobile.


• On a 2 year contract, it'll be $179.99. Without a contract, it'll cost $529.99.


• Later this Spring, it'll be available for Verizon customers. (One suspects that it'll be a variant carrying the Droid moniker.)


• Android 2.1 is an extension of 2.0 (Eclair) and not the anticipated "Flan".


• Android 2.1 won't be available to all previous phones because of the need for a powerful processor. Probably means no 2.1 for my G1. But really, my phone is already 14.5 months old.


• Google Earth will be coming to an Android near you, in the future.


• Supports broader speech-to-text (beyond voice-directed search), including voice directed navigation, emails and texting.


• Has animated wallpapers that are interactive.


• Has some new, snazzy widgets inside, including an exclusive Weather Channel widget showing you a graph of daily temperatures


• Has a 1Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and 512MB of internal storage (double most other Android phones). In the future, Android will support encrypted microSDHC card storage.


• Sports a 3.7" AMOLED screen which is actually smaller than the Droid but larger than the G1.


• Does not have a physical keyboard.


• Has a new media (photo/video) gallery UI which is 3D in layout.


• Has 5 screens instead of 3; more space to keep your widgets and shortcuts.


• Includes GPS, compass, accelerometer, proximity sensor and light sensor. Throw in a temperature sensor and call it a Tricorder!

And their website has now gone official: Nexus One is available for purchase!

via Engadget and Google Mobile Blog

Patronizing people.

Over the course of my life in this world, I have had the displeasure of being interrupted by patronizing people who absolutely believe they have a greater understanding of all things related to me. Tonight was one of those moments.

Coming out of the post office and untying my dog's leash from a side door, some random woman starts talking to me from halfway inside her car. Of course not understanding a word she's saying, because she's talking to her car window, I say to her, "Excuse me, I didn't hear what you were saying; something about my dog?"

With a gesture of disgust - as indicated by her frown and her slightly rolled eyes - she stepped one leg outside of the car and roll down her window down halfway. She then pointed out that she's had my 'type' of dog in the past and that she could tell that my dog was nervous around a 'strange' (her exact description) person.

Of course, knowing my dog, I thanked her and told her that, in fact, it was not necessary because my dog is actually quite good around strangers whom he does not trust. Clearly this frustrated her, because she had to explain again, that in fact, she had to stand there to watch my dog because there was a strange person that my dog was afraid of, and that I shouldn't tie my dog up outside alone.

Now, at this point, I'm trying to explain to her that she doesn't know my dog and that my dog is very good around strangers when left alone. While talking to her, I contemplated going into depth about how my dog walks off leash, and has done perfectly fine - including not eating donuts from strangers - when tied up over at least a thousand times, outside the supermarket and the post office, and how he'll actually pull out of his collar and run away to find me if something is wrong.

Before I could relate stories of my dog's intelligence, apparently I had set her off. In a rush of disgust, she exclaimed as she closed her door - again talking through her car window to talk to me - that, "Okay, well I'm just making it up, then!"

Now, throughout the brief conversation to which I stepped towards her to politely inquire what it was that she was trying to say to me, it was clear that she thought that she knew my dog better than myself, because of her past experiences with my dog's breed. But her last words to me - to which she left without giving me a chance to respond - solidified the point that in fact, she was not looking to converse. Rather, her entire intent of speaking to me was to issue her reprimand and instructions on how things ought to be done.

I wonder if she stayed overnight at the Holiday Inn?

Ahmadinejad's website hacked?

Ha! Looks like someone pwned the Iranian President's website (or at least, someone discovered it wide open).



via BoingBoing via Austin Heap blog

Internet shows for the geek.

I know of no other website that has the breadth of shows produced exclusively for internet viewing, that are worth watching, than Revision3. Two of my favorite shows are Tekzilla and Pixel Perfect. Tekzilla is all about technology and exploring a wide range of 'how-to' topics. Pixel Perfect is all about Photoshop, giving you tips and tricks and 'how-to' demonstrations, which is a lot easier to follow than a book.

Even if you're not a techie person, the Tekzilla Daily Tips are quite useful:


And they even have humor. INST MSGS is all about bringing forth the best of "Missed Connections" from Craigslist, emails and other sources, to video. This is one of my favorites:

How can you not laugh at that?

Don't taze me, don't shoot me.

I'm just a man trying to survive this rat race.

The 9th circuit appeals court decided that it might be time to reel in police usage of tasers to effect compliance on the public in general. Which leads us to this most excellent Devo video, inspired by an incident at a University of Florida speaking event. Of course, I think Andrew Meyer - the guy at the center of the UF confrontation - was a bit of a drama queen. Nonetheless, they already had the kid on the ground, why taze him?


via Wired Magazine