A Sense of Proportion
Tuesday, May 16th, 2006
Scale models showing the relative sizes of the planets and the sun. It’s eye-opening when seen this way.
Archive for May, 2006
Majority of Americans Support NSA Wiretapping
Saturday, May 13th, 2006
A Washington Post-ABC News poll finds that 63% of Americans support the NSA’s wiretapping efforts. Read on for more details.
What Happens When You Obey The Speed Limit
Saturday, May 13th, 2006
Recall that the speed limit is an upper limit, not a lower one. A group of people decided to see what would happen if they all drove 50 MPH in the 55 MPH zone of an interstate highway. They lined up next to each other, taking up all four lanes and forcing the cars behind them to also go 50. The results were impressive—one driver lost his side mirror while passing them on the shoulder. (Note: the sound quality of the video isn’t that good, but I still found it worth watching.)
FedEx Airplanes Avoiding A Thunderstorm
Friday, May 12th, 2006
This is pretty neat, although I don’t know the source of the video images (and can’t vouch for their authenticity).
High-Tech Crime Center Aids NYC Police
Thursday, May 11th, 2006
One of those rare cases where technology actually comes through on its promises, with tangible results.
eBay Selling Tips
Wednesday, May 10th, 2006
Some useful tips for selling on eBay, and they parallel my own experience. Another trick I’ve seen is to set the price at $0.01 with “Buy It Now” and set the shipping fairly high. This drastically lowers the fees you pay to eBay, but you still make the same amount of money.
Sand Sculptures
Tuesday, May 9th, 2006
Sand sculptures from the world championship competition. Wow.
And for Star Wars buffs, there are these.
“Forever” Stamps
Monday, May 8th, 2006
The US postal service is requesting permission to release stamps that will always be valid for first-class mail, regardless of future price increases.
Do Driving Tips Really Save Gas?
Monday, May 8th, 2006
These guys put six common gas-saving driving tips to the test. There were some surprises, and they claim you can increase fuel economy by up to 37%, just by changing the way you drive.
Personal Ultrasound Machines To Be Banned
Sunday, May 7th, 2006
Too many politicians seem convinced their constituents are stupid and must be protected from themselves. It’s insulting. Isn’t it sufficient that California already requires a license to operate an ultrasound? Guess I’m a firm believer in the Darwin awards.
2006 White House Press Dinner
Sunday, May 7th, 2006
The 2006 White House press dinner was hilarious. First up was President Bush, speaking in tandem with an impersonator. The keynote speaker was Stephen Colbert from the Comedy Channel’s The Daily Show With Jon Stewart. Be warned: both speeches require fairly detailed knowledge of Washington politics in order to “get it,” and much of the humor in Colbert’s speech is very subtle. The “marshmallow center” and “Hindenburg” comments, however, had me ROTFL.
Arkansas Bans Smoking In Cars With Small Children
Saturday, May 6th, 2006
The bill was signed into law, and now other states are considering a similar ban.
