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Darwin On The Playground

[ 1 Comment ]Posted on August 26, 2008 by admin in Lifestyle & Culture

That which does not kill me…
will try again a minute later.
- Eric Brown

I’ve joked for some time that the recent generation which has grown up with padded playgrounds would be the dumbest generation since the dark ages. It’s just common sense that natural selection killed off all the dumb kids of my generation by letting them play on our lethal playgrounds. Seems like this sentiment is gaining some popularity. Good Magazine has an article in the current issue that addresses the topic a little more seriously. Referring to an experimental “Adventure Playground” in Berkeley, CA: “…There are no hidden risks here…by forcing kids to assess the possibility of risk, they play more safely while also learning how to take care of themselves…” and “…You kill their creativity by hovering too close…”. Makes sense to me, but as a kid I did experiments like jumping off the roof to see if an umbrella would work as a parachute. Cost: sprained ankle, wind knocked out. Benefit: Immense fun, and proof that rough play doesn’t ALWAYS kill the stupid kid. In a similar vein, this LA Times piece reminisces about simply going out to play, apparently a lost art. Hell, in my day (I love saying that), when adults weren’t busy throwing us off the dock as a swim lesson, they were fond of telling us to “go play freeze tag on the freeway”. Most of us survived.

Assaultin’ Batteries

[ 1 Comment ]Posted on August 26, 2008 by admin in Clean & Green, Technology

If you’re trying to live green, try shaking the battery habit. Lots of simple devices around the house no longer need to rely on batteries. Consider at least using rechargeable batteries (an option that’s economical too), or really shake things up with a kinetically charged LED flashlight. Or get all cranky and wound up with a Wind Up 4-in-1 FM Radio, Alarm, LED flashlight and mobile phone charger or a Wind Up/Solar AM FM Radio . They even make wind up remote controls. One device that left me a little perplexed was the Solar-powered Flashlight .

Jobama 2008

[ Comments Off ]Posted on August 25, 2008 by admin in Politics

Who’s Yo Daddy Now? Jobama!

Do We Really Need This In Hi-Def?

If you don’t have cable TV but for some ungodly reason you still feel like watching the Academy Awards of Politics (often otherwise referred to as the Democratic National Convention), you can now do so in HD, right on your computer. That is, if you feel like seeing Ted Kennedy’s bloated head rendered in high-definition, and you feel like installing the Microsoft Silverlight Plugin, and you feel like installing the Move Media Player, then you’re all set. If you have better things to do, like maybe learning more about what Vice-President Joe is about, you might want to check out Mashable.com’s 9 Web Tools For Learning About Joe Biden, which has links to everything Joe . Except their link to OnTheIssues.org, which is bunged. Here’s the proper link to his OnTheIssues.org page.

Who Needs A Decider When You Can Have A Divider?

[ 1 Comment ]Posted on August 24, 2008 by admin in Politics

I am not not now, nor have I ever been a Nader supporter. Although I am kind of a commie.

So, you’re informed on the issues, and you’ve made your decision. It’s either Mr. Hopey-Changey Guy or Mr. Vietnamikaze. So why not prove to yourself with a blind taste test that you’re picking the right candidate for your needs? Take the quiz at GlassBooth.org, and you may be surprised at the results. Using a simple series of questions to define your core values, the site will tell you which candidate is the best match. You can even compare candidates that have dropped out, and rank by pecentage matches. Much to my horror, my best match out of the remaining field was Ralph Nader. Yes, that egomaniacal man of the people is running again, and no, I didn’t know either, until today. On my behalf I have to point out that the site doesn’t factor in whether or not you think a candidate is a blithering idiot or not. My best match out of all candidates was actually Bill Richardson.