Solving technology problems, one at a time
A 1-round search battle
I recently read that AskJeeves (now “ask.com”) would be making some changes to try to reclaim some market share from Google. I hadn’t used that site in a while, so I decided to test it against Google. I came up with one of those questions that rattle around in my head:
How do they train oil tanker captains?
Ask.com Results (click to enlarge)
mail.app can’t connect to mail server smtp server connection blocked port 25 SBC dsl
Continue readingAn article on SlashDot about cardboard houses reminded me of Shigeru Ban, a Japanese architect who has designed beautiful structures using waterproofed cardboard tubes. He has developed methods for creating the tubes on site in
Continue readingIn case anyone is curious, as I was, what film caused someone to murder Theo Van Gogh, the short film “Submission” is available for viewing HERE or HERE
Continue readingI did a little research into why we now only have two (no, make that one!) suppliers of flu vaccine for the entire US, and why that supply is available only through the government. If the authors quoted below are correct, perhaps current policy needs to be revised.
I’ve heard various politicians and administrators lately (most recently Tommy Thompson) telling us how the flu vaccine shortage is not a public health problem, and people questioning how dangerous the flu can be. I have to disagree with them – for anyone who has asthma or respiratory diseases, or simply doesn’t have a lot of defense against the flu, ithe possibility of getting a bad case of the flu can be a pretty scary prospect.
Continue readingDropsy is one of the worst diseases goldfish can come down with. It’s usually fatal. I hope this description of one goldfish that survived a bout of dropsy will help someone to save their fish.
Fish are said to have the disease “dropsy” when they swell up and their scales stand out all over like a pinecone. As JoAnn the Goldfish Guru says, “Dropsy is a SYMPTOM of other problem(s) with the fish. Dropsy can be due to problems with the environment (water quality, temperature shock, alkalinity), parasites, bacteria or virus.” Dropsy is apparently caused by bacterial infections and kidney failure.
Eggdrop in a happy moment. He has never been able to swim correctly, so he uses the bubblers to get around.
Many of my graphic designer and computer geek friends have some form of carpal tunnel syndrome. Several have had operations, and some are nearly crippled. Women seem to be the most frequent sufferers, but I
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| “going UP!” |
Eggivation!
After he had been back in the goldfish tank a while, I got the idea that changed Eggdrop’s life. I installed a bubbler in the tank to aerate the water at the bottom better, since the tank was pretty tall. One day we looked over at the tank and there was Eggie, shooting up to the top of the tank on a geyser of bubbles.
After watching this for a few weeks, I got another idea – give him MORE bubblers. I put a row of four bubblers across one half of the tank’s back wall. Eggie took to them like he had been born to fly! He would surf from bubbler to bubbler for hours. When tired, he would sink down and go into a flower pot to sleep.
Continue readingEggdrop was born with “flotation-disorder” which means he can’t swim! He rolls around helplessly in the water, sometimes floats near the surface, sometimes sinks to the bottom, and generally has a tough time getting anywhere. His floppy little fins aren’t very strong either – he doesn’t have any reliable means of propulsion or steering.
So how does he get around? It depends on what kind of day it is. If it’s a “sideways” day, he scrabbles about sideways like a crab, using one fin to push along the gravel, and the other for stabilizing, with added boost from shooting water out of his mouth like a squid. If it’s a “headstanding” day, he bounces along on his mouth, like a balloon.
Continue readingAccording to the site: Cover the Uninsured Week.Org, May 10-16 is “Cover the Uninsured Week,” a weeklong series of national and local activities that is part of a year-round, nonpartisan effort in support of securing health care coverage for every man, woman and child in the United States.
The site is devoted to organizing and distributing information related to the weeklong event, with Fact Sheets, data on the uninsured in America, suggestions for events you can plan, etc. It also has a lot of information for individuals who need insurance, including guides to finding insurance in your own state no matter what your situation, information on free or low-cost insurance for your kids, information on community health centers, guides to the legal protections you may have under the law in all 50 states, and more. I took a look at some of the guides, they are definitely worth a read if you need insurance.
One thing I’ve found that the site doesn’t seem to have is a list of companies that offer major medical coverage or primary care coverage for those that are not getting insurance through their jobs, but can afford some coverage if it is not too expensive.
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