Firefox’s Download Day
June 17th, 2008Congratulations to the Mozilla Team for producing the best web browser on the planet! Visit mozilla.com today to download your copy of Firefox 3.
The Earth Strain: Is it OK if we contaminate the universe?
May 27th, 2008“In a vast, cold universe we aren’t just “Keepers of the Sacred Flame” of life, we are the bloody flame. So if our microbes spread life, are we committing a sin or a brilliant blessing?”
Light Rail Coming To Detroit
April 23rd, 2008The Detroit Transit Options for Growth Study (DTOGS) released a press release outlining a plan to secure federal funds to build a light rail transit system along the Woodward corridor in Detroit. The rail system would be a starter line for a more regional transit system. Imagine going from Pontiac to Birmingham, to Royal Oak and Ferndale, and all the way down to Detroit’s New Center, Wayne State University, and Fox Town all on light rail?
The initial line would run up Woodward Avenue starting next to Comerica Park, Ford Field and the Fox Theater, and run up to the State Fairgrounds at 8-Mile road. The idea is that Oakland county would be able to extend the line further up Woodward and into the surrounding cities. This is definitely something the region needs.
Here’s a demonstration of what it might look like:
At an initial cost of $371 million, the DTOGS Project, led by the Detroit Department of Transporation (DDOT) is looking to secure up to 60% of the funds from the Federal Transit Administration. The remaining funds would come from “other Federal, state and local funding sources”. DDOT is working with the URS Corporation, a consulting firm with previous success in helping cities through the Federal review process.
Construction on Woodward Avenue could begin as soon as 2011. Finally! Mass transit in Motown!
Life Without Arrogance
April 21st, 2008Arrogance might not be such a bad thing afterall…
From Little Bites of Point:
When a person asks if they look fat, the answer is always yes. People who are fit, know they are fit. It’s perhaps unfortunate, but common sense requires that you acknowledge that people who look good know they look good, even if well advised politeness or political correctness causes them to suppress any expression of that which is plain to see.
He goes on:
Instead of suppressing the best among us with guilt, jealously and socialist policies, imagine a world in which all extraordinary people were deluded into believing they are average, then realize how grateful you are the world has not been deprived of the benefits derived from their contributions.
U.S. Debt
April 17th, 2008Jim Jubak writes:
The taxes you paid on your recently filed 1040 included roughly $4,300 to cover your household’s annual share of the interest payments on the $9.4 trillion in public debt owed by the U.S. government.
David Walker, Comptroller General of the United States:
The most serious threat to the United States … is our own fiscal responsibility.
Caller ID: TOLL FREE CALL
April 6th, 2008I actually started to recognize one of the numbers. At 9:00 PM on a Sunday night, the phone rang. “Who could that be”, I thought. The number 877-303-8757 “TOLL FREE CALL” showed up on the second ring. I picked up, but there was nobody on the other side. We’ve been getting all sorts of random calls lately. They seem to come through at random throughout the day, but Sunday night? That’s a little rediculous. I looked up the number on several reverse phone number lookup sites such as:
Some of the reports claim the number belongs to “GC Services”. I finally just called the number back. A woman answered “GC Services how may I help you”. I reported the many calls. She asked if I had a Capital One card. I do not. She then asked for my phone number. I reluctantly gave it to her… I figured I was already getting several calls a day from this number. How much worse can it get? She said she couldn’t find the number in the system, but that she would remove it from their call list.
Is it just me or does that not make any sense? If my number isn’t in their system, why am I getting calls? Nevertheless, if the calls stop, I’ll be happy. Wasn’t the National Do Not Call Registry supposed to prevent calls like this? I think I’ll file a complaint.
Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream at MPCon XX
March 5th, 2008It actually tasted quite good!
Internet Explorer 8 Has Arrived
March 5th, 2008Microsoft’s next-generation web browser, Internet Explorer 8, has arrived. In a surprising move, after the demo of IE8 and its new features at today’s session of the MIX08 conference. I hope the direction that the IE team has been able to go (as far as standards compliance) is an indication of the direction Microsoft will be headed in the future.
Michigan Charity Gaming Tournament Bounces Back
February 26th, 2008A year after his high school shut down his charity Halo 2 tournament because police said the game was too violent, Zach Wigal is hosting a Halo 3 tournament that could raise $7,500 for local autism charities.
Why National Healthcare is a Mistake
January 28th, 2008Why don’t we want National Healthcare?
- When the former prime minister of Italy needed heart surgery, he came to the U.S.
- When the Minister of Health in Canada found out she had breast cancer, she came to the U.S. for healthcare.
- About 7,500 foreiners came to the John Hopkins last year alone.
- Survival rates for almost any disease is higher in the U.S.
- The U.S. drives much of the medical innovation in the world. 18 of the last 25 medical nobel prize winners live/work in the U.S.
- The more the government gets involved, costs go up, quality goes down, waits go up, choice goes down…
- Canada has over 800,000 people on waitlists for care… Many in chronic pain, and some may die due to lack of care.
- 750,000 people in the U.K. are on waitlists. Treatable illnesses like cancer go untreated, and become untreatable by the time people get care.
- and on and on…