http://picasaweb.google.com
http://picasaweb.google.com
Monday, March 31, 2008
PWA pics
http://picasaweb.google.com/bdot.02/BriansWedding
http://picasaweb.google.com/lenchikster/JessicaAndBrianMarch8th2008
http://picasaweb.google.com/philip.vargas/RoadTripToSFBrianJessicaSWedding
http://picasaweb.google.com
http://picasaweb.google.com
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Wedding pics
Claire: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2245953&id=930271
Stefan: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2245031&id=911189
Natalie: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2244676&id=924442
Carolina: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2244333&id=916972 , http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2244342&id=916972 (Family SF: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2244352&id=916972 )
Glenn/Kristen: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=20744&id=716603729
Scott: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2042648&id=3800246 (amazing pics!)
Tiffany: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2243625&id=903572
Philip: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2048805&id=704790 (road trip: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2048806&id=704790 , http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2048807&id=704790 )
Stefan: http://www.facebook.com/album
Natalie: http://www.facebook.com/album
Carolina: http://www.facebook.com/album
Glenn/Kristen: http://www.facebook.com/album
Scott: http://www.facebook.com/album
Tiffany: http://www.facebook.com/album
Philip: http://www.facebook.com/album
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
The most useful page on renting in SF
This page has several useful links, one of the best of which is http://www.metrorent.com
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Unsubscribe from Valpak savings junk mail
Cox Target Media aka ValPak Savings : Mailing Removal Request Form
Another way to seek victory over the paper junk in your mailbox... Fill out this form.
Make sure to try as many variations of your address as you can come up with!
Another way to seek victory over the paper junk in your mailbox... Fill out this form.
Make sure to try as many variations of your address as you can come up with!
Unsubscribe from ADVO
Unsubscribe from ADVO aka Shopwise
If you're getting junk mail that comes with a "Have you seen these children?" card, it's coming from ADVO. Here's their unsubscribe site. Good luck. I'm convinced they'll only take you off the list if you send them a court order. I've tried calling and just found this form tonight. Calling didn't work. Hopefully this form will!
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Almost April Fools...
http://maps.google.com/?q=Mountain+View+to+Zurich
From Mountain View to Zurich - read closely and you'll see...
36. Swim across the Atlantic Ocean 3,462 mi
From Mountain View to Zurich - read closely and you'll see...
36. Swim across the Atlantic Ocean 3,462 mi
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Official Google Blog: Google Pack cures the PC blues
Official Google Blog: Google Pack cures the PC blues
Try out the new screensaver!
Try out the new screensaver!
Monday, December 18, 2006
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
The fate of the electric vehicle
It's important to try to stay somewhat aware of what's going around in the corporate world around us. One of my major concerns of late has been the environment and the energy crisis that all countries will soon face. To that end, I've started to do some research about the electric vehicle that GM developed in the late '90s, trying to dig up what happened, why they shredded the vehicles, and where the patent for the batteries went.
While I'd love to assemble some sort of synthesis of the data, it makes more sense to put together a list of references that have tried to shine some light into the dark world of big oil.
For starters, here's a sort-of-sloppy site http://www.ev1.org/ which, honestly, looks like a conspiracy-theorist gone wild. Give it a chance. The site claims that mutual funds owning 42% of GM own more than 10x that market share in oil companies, and had a strong incentive to use this controlling position in GM to shut down the electric vehicle. While I don't hasten to believe that it's a matter of collusion among Wall Street mavens, I can't help but see that big oil has a strong interest in having the EV silenced. Billions, nay trillions, are on the line here. Of course, on the other hand, so are the glaciers in Montana's Glacier National Park.
Next, take some time to do a search on the US Patent & Trade Office's website and notice that numerous patents on NiMH battery technology are held by a company in Michigan called Ovonic Battery Company, Inc. or Texaco Ovonic Battery Company, Inc.Here's The Motley Fool's assessment of Ovonic, a company that has been sitting on NiMH battery patents. While they take a rather technically pessimistic slant, others suggest that sitting on these patents genuinely hurts progress.
A one-year old post to Americans for Energy Independence talks about the beneficial effects that could be realized from moving from oil-based energy to solar- and electric-based energy.
Toshiba has developed a battery that uses nanotechnology to recover as much as 80% of its full capacity within a minute.
What we are seeing is a convergence of the technology that is needed to turn the electric vehicle into a reality. All that is needed now is a "good" company that's willing to make some money off of a good thing - that is, helping America to achieve energy independence... A place not constrained by the legacy of big oil or deep-seated greed and uncertainty. Hopefully we'll see these vehicles hitting the road soon.
More links:
Doug Korthof, a leading EV spokesman (interview)
DontCrush, promoting plug-in cars
Tesla, demonstrating EV can be hot... Get yours for only $92k
Phoenix MotorCars, another company on the cusp
Chevron's press release, re: Ovonic
While I'd love to assemble some sort of synthesis of the data, it makes more sense to put together a list of references that have tried to shine some light into the dark world of big oil.
For starters, here's a sort-of-sloppy site http://www.ev1.org/ which, honestly, looks like a conspiracy-theorist gone wild. Give it a chance. The site claims that mutual funds owning 42% of GM own more than 10x that market share in oil companies, and had a strong incentive to use this controlling position in GM to shut down the electric vehicle. While I don't hasten to believe that it's a matter of collusion among Wall Street mavens, I can't help but see that big oil has a strong interest in having the EV silenced. Billions, nay trillions, are on the line here. Of course, on the other hand, so are the glaciers in Montana's Glacier National Park.
Next, take some time to do a search on the US Patent & Trade Office's website and notice that numerous patents on NiMH battery technology are held by a company in Michigan called Ovonic Battery Company, Inc. or Texaco Ovonic Battery Company, Inc.Here's The Motley Fool's assessment of Ovonic, a company that has been sitting on NiMH battery patents. While they take a rather technically pessimistic slant, others suggest that sitting on these patents genuinely hurts progress.
A one-year old post to Americans for Energy Independence talks about the beneficial effects that could be realized from moving from oil-based energy to solar- and electric-based energy.
Toshiba has developed a battery that uses nanotechnology to recover as much as 80% of its full capacity within a minute.
What we are seeing is a convergence of the technology that is needed to turn the electric vehicle into a reality. All that is needed now is a "good" company that's willing to make some money off of a good thing - that is, helping America to achieve energy independence... A place not constrained by the legacy of big oil or deep-seated greed and uncertainty. Hopefully we'll see these vehicles hitting the road soon.
More links:
Doug Korthof, a leading EV spokesman (interview)
DontCrush, promoting plug-in cars
Tesla, demonstrating EV can be hot... Get yours for only $92k
Phoenix MotorCars, another company on the cusp
Chevron's press release, re: Ovonic
Sunday, December 10, 2006
What's the riddle in "The Riddle"?
I listen to the radio a fair amount and the song "The Riddle" [lyrics] [block that page's pop-ups with Google Toolbar] by Five For Fighting has come on frequently of late. Now, I don't often think about songs I hear on the radio, but last time I heard this one I started thinking about the lyrics.
"The Riddle" as a whole seems to be (and is, according to FFF's myspace page) a message of love from a father to his son, painting a picture of close personal moments with their children that I think many fathers aspire to...
So I ask: Is there a riddle other than pondering "the reason for the world" contained in the song? And if so, is there an answer deeper than "You and I"? And if not, what did some of those other 100 drafts look like?
"The Riddle" as a whole seems to be (and is, according to FFF's myspace page) a message of love from a father to his son, painting a picture of close personal moments with their children that I think many fathers aspire to...
Yet he also touches unflinchingly on the personal. The CD's debut single "The Riddle" is a song he wrote for his children, while the companion video features his beloved blue Mustang (a car passed down to John from his father and the inspiration for the song "65 Mustang). Says John of the single, "A lot of my songs touch on mortality, but at its heart it's a love song from a father to his son." [link]This aspect of the song nearly brings tears to my eyes, because it reflects a part of the father I hope someday to be. While this is a nice explanation of the meaning as a whole, I still can't help but get put off by the shallowness of some answers to the question "What's the riddle?"
So I ask: Is there a riddle other than pondering "the reason for the world" contained in the song? And if so, is there an answer deeper than "You and I"? And if not, what did some of those other 100 drafts look like?
Friday, December 08, 2006
Props to a good post
Just wanted to increase the visibility of this post about using WiX to write an installer, and how to make it easily upgradeable.
http://blogs.msdn.com/johnls/archive/2006/11/13/how-to-upgrade-software-with-a-windows-installer-package.aspx
http://blogs.msdn.com/johnls/archive/2006/11/13/how-to-upgrade-software-with-a-windows-installer-package.aspx
Thursday, December 07, 2006
The Loafer Principle
A book my uncle wrote, and an enjoyable read.
Order one today :) at http://loaferman.googlepages.com/home
Order one today :) at http://loaferman.googlepages.com/home
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Quicktime
One thing that Apple never seems to get right with quicktime:
REMEMBER MY PREFERENCES AND DON'T SHOW ME THE CLUTTERY SYSTRAY ICON!!!!
I don't care if you wipe out all my preferences when you install a new version, if you'll keep that one preference set.
REMEMBER MY PREFERENCES AND DON'T SHOW ME THE CLUTTERY SYSTRAY ICON!!!!
I don't care if you wipe out all my preferences when you install a new version, if you'll keep that one preference set.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Bilingual Education - Anderson Cooper 360° Blog
CNN.com - Anderson Cooper 360° Blog - Bilingual Education
Several of the comments I've seen in the CNN discussion observe that bilingual education is very important in numerous countries, including most of Europe. There are two flaws with using this argument to support Spanish-language elementary education.
The first relates to size. Europe is so small and tightly knit that knowing two or three languages is nearly essential to doing business on the continent. Compare this to the US, where English is the de facto standard of business.
The second flaw with this argument is the implicit assumption that these students are learning both languages. If 90% of teaching is in Spanish, and 100% of home life is in Spanish, the chances of a student learning English well are dwarfingly small.
That said, it is clear that teaching only English will overwhelm and, in many cases, put Spanish-speaking students permanently behind their English-speaking counterparts.
What is perhaps more appropriate is to provide classes in Spanish and phase these out gradually, but firmly. That is, students should be taught in Spanish for a few years, but during those years, they will be put on an aggressive English-teaching program. As they gain proficiency in English, an increasing portion of their classes will be taught in English, starting with reading, writing, and social studies, and eventually moving to math and science (which can be taught in Spanish with less of a detriment to the student's long-term learning).
Bob Hartley, from Pittsburgh, makes an important statement in his comment on the CNN site:
"Hysteria regarding immigrants has gone on in this country ever since the Irish came in the mid-Nineteenth century.
It's an old song used to mask intolerance."
The problem we face in America is more urgent and cuts deeper than the discussion of bilingual education. According to Thomas Friedman's The World is Flat, we have an educational crisis on our hands and are not acting quickly enough to solve it. On average, our students are on pace with the world in fourth grade, but by 12th grade they have fallen far behind in technical disciplines.
There are several factors that must be addressed in order to improve America's educational quality. The first and most important is parental involvement. Parents must encourage and motivate their child's education (including Spanish-speaking parents, who should enroll in their own ESL courses). The disintegration of the family in America (47.5% of households are now married) plays a huge part in this, but that is a conversation for another day.
The second touchpoint we must address is much harder for individuals to impact. The US educational system as a whole has inherent flaws. Education in the US tends to reward technical training differently and less than corporate America. This makes it hard for education to get and retain the talent we need to train our children well in math and science, and to excite and motivate them to consider it as a career option. Additionally, we see far too few girls motivated to excel in technical disciplines and pursue them in higher education.
Friedman's book is important in that it calls Americans to action. If this generation and the next are to overcome an unfounded sense of entitlement and face the 21st century, we must make significant changes to how education is run, so that students are challenged and taught effectively. How this is to be done is up for discussion, and US government may or may not be capable, given its failures.
Several of the comments I've seen in the CNN discussion observe that bilingual education is very important in numerous countries, including most of Europe. There are two flaws with using this argument to support Spanish-language elementary education.
The first relates to size. Europe is so small and tightly knit that knowing two or three languages is nearly essential to doing business on the continent. Compare this to the US, where English is the de facto standard of business.
The second flaw with this argument is the implicit assumption that these students are learning both languages. If 90% of teaching is in Spanish, and 100% of home life is in Spanish, the chances of a student learning English well are dwarfingly small.
That said, it is clear that teaching only English will overwhelm and, in many cases, put Spanish-speaking students permanently behind their English-speaking counterparts.
What is perhaps more appropriate is to provide classes in Spanish and phase these out gradually, but firmly. That is, students should be taught in Spanish for a few years, but during those years, they will be put on an aggressive English-teaching program. As they gain proficiency in English, an increasing portion of their classes will be taught in English, starting with reading, writing, and social studies, and eventually moving to math and science (which can be taught in Spanish with less of a detriment to the student's long-term learning).
Bob Hartley, from Pittsburgh, makes an important statement in his comment on the CNN site:
"Hysteria regarding immigrants has gone on in this country ever since the Irish came in the mid-Nineteenth century.
It's an old song used to mask intolerance."
The problem we face in America is more urgent and cuts deeper than the discussion of bilingual education. According to Thomas Friedman's The World is Flat, we have an educational crisis on our hands and are not acting quickly enough to solve it. On average, our students are on pace with the world in fourth grade, but by 12th grade they have fallen far behind in technical disciplines.
There are several factors that must be addressed in order to improve America's educational quality. The first and most important is parental involvement. Parents must encourage and motivate their child's education (including Spanish-speaking parents, who should enroll in their own ESL courses). The disintegration of the family in America (47.5% of households are now married) plays a huge part in this, but that is a conversation for another day.
The second touchpoint we must address is much harder for individuals to impact. The US educational system as a whole has inherent flaws. Education in the US tends to reward technical training differently and less than corporate America. This makes it hard for education to get and retain the talent we need to train our children well in math and science, and to excite and motivate them to consider it as a career option. Additionally, we see far too few girls motivated to excel in technical disciplines and pursue them in higher education.
Friedman's book is important in that it calls Americans to action. If this generation and the next are to overcome an unfounded sense of entitlement and face the 21st century, we must make significant changes to how education is run, so that students are challenged and taught effectively. How this is to be done is up for discussion, and US government may or may not be capable, given its failures.
Friday, October 13, 2006
(BLOG) RED
(BLOG) RED
This is a great movement to end extreme poverty around the world. It'd be great to see it succeed; IMO this should be as important a part of our foreign policy as diplomacy and defense.
This is a great movement to end extreme poverty around the world. It'd be great to see it succeed; IMO this should be as important a part of our foreign policy as diplomacy and defense.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Friend Mapper
Friend Mapper
This site is a cool mashup of Google Maps + Facebook...It's kind of neat to see where people I know are from or are located currently.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Biofuels: Think Outside The Barrel - Google Video
Biofuels: Think Outside The Barrel - Google Video
This guy, Vinod Khosla's initiative proposal for clean energy in California (see 0:53:30) is very important and I hope we'll see this pass in the upcoming election, to the chagrin of the oil companies, who would love to keep making money off growing oil prices, despite the climate crisis it's causing.
This guy, Vinod Khosla's initiative proposal for clean energy in California (see 0:53:30) is very important and I hope we'll see this pass in the upcoming election, to the chagrin of the oil companies, who would love to keep making money off growing oil prices, despite the climate crisis it's causing.
UH -Top Education Stories - Can Tough Grades Be Fair Grades?
UH -Top Education Stories - Can Tough Grades Be Fair Grades?
A great story about education at my alma mater.
A great story about education at my alma mater.
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