Hot & Cold In Singapore

This video is an excellent example of Innovative thinking. A Singapore inventor has created a machine that harnesses the excess heat created from AC systems to help heat water. This type of forward thinking is whats needed on a massive scale if the world and America has any real hope of over coming our massive energy consumption trends.

Some may say… what is this little machine really going to impact. I would respond, by itself? Probably not much, but when you add up a million small numbers you start to form a larger one, one that can make a significant impact. In the beginning there was just one model T… what impact on the enviroment did it have? Alone…. probably not much, but look at the situation now.

Sea Water Burns… kinda (its actually the Salt that releases hydrogen)

It seems a gentleman named John Kanzius from Erie may have stumbled upon a world changing energy source. Combining radio frequencies and sea water has reportedly resulted in a “controlled flame” hot enough to melt test tubes. Initial reports have been confirmed by Penn State Univeristy Chemist Rustum Roy.

I can see it now… 8 years in our future we will be filling up at the Water Station. Hmmm TAKE THAT MIDDLE EAST!

Star Trek has been a staple of American science ficition for decades. It was cutting edge in terms of social culture and technology when it first emerged and helped to shape the direction many real scientist and inventors point their ambitions. Several pieces of “tech” from the show have become realities over the years and now it seems we are close to adding just one more to that ever growing list.

The medical Tricorder.

Two new inventions (developed seperately) seem to be on the verge of that magical gadgetry that would routinely save Star Fleets finest. The two new inventions pack a whallop of medical technology in a small form factor.

The first, a mobile vital stats monitor, based off common tech tools such as a Bluetooth interface and a PDA, connect with ECG (heart rythms), EMG (muscle tension), GSR (skin resistance), and even body temperature and movement sensors to keep your vitals right at your finger tips. Emerging from the Berkeley Institute this small form factor and “off the shelf” parts puts other monitors to shame.

The 2nd new invention, a retro-of-the-future health tool, is the ARANZ Meical handheld wound monitor. Through laser optics nurses and patients can measure a wounds width and deepth without the need for invasive and often painful medical instructments. The tool can also be used to track the healing progression and help determine the effectivness of medical treatment.

Emerging from the entertainment field (the first “silhouette camera” that this monitor is based off of was used to help Animate Gollum from The Lord of The Rings) this device shows the ever broaden scope our technical advances are taking.

The only question now is… when will ever doctor that uses these tools be as sexy as the ones from the future?

India, one of the fastest growing economies in the world, stills has villages that are without power, without water and without direct government involvement.

A single man, chosen by the village elders, attended a specially designed college for those living in such villages. There he learned of ways to improve life for his family and friends back home. What did he bring them?

Solar light of course!

Many people don’t realize the impact a reliable source of light can have. If you have no light and the sun sets, the day is over. Your workable hours have been exhausted. Now with a source of “free” light, these villagers can be productive past the setting of the sun.

The college where this young man (Hanuman Ram) acuired the skills to help bring Solar power to this remote village (Gudda) has also inspired an entrepreneurial spark. A group of women, also taught at the nearby college, have formed to build & sell a solar cooker which is able to quickly and cheaply boil water.

It wasn’t clear from the article what the cost of attendance is at this college entitled the “Barefoot College” or who financially backs it but it seems to be bring about positive change; even if it is a bit slow compared to the rapid growth of capitalist India.

Google cries over possible restriction of H-1B Visas

QUICK RUNDOWN: Google states they need the H-1B Visa program to bring in qualified foreign workers to fill a gap in the American work force. They argue to stay on top of their game they need workers from outside of the country.

My thoughts: HOGWASH

It’s hard for me to believe that American companies are truelly unable to find qualified employees here in the states to fill these high tech jobs. It would seem that if this truly was a problem Google and other high tech companies would be better served by instituting a better education reimbursement & rewards program. This would increase employee loyalty, improve desired “skill sets” and ease the need (if any real need actually exists) for foreign workers.

I guess part of my distrust for Google stems from the fact that they bend over backwards to meet the Chinese governments censorship requirements simply to make a buck.

So the military sees fit to cut off soliders from one of the few avenues of stress reduction, entertainment, and communication with friends and family by banning 8 popular websites including Youtube, Photobucket and Myspace. Official CNN Article Here.

We already see how much the big brass and the executive office values their low level grunts. With reports of crappy health care, allowing low ranking soliders to take the fall for / in place of higher ranking officers and now this most recent slap.

Its a sad state of affairs when a solider has so few things to help maintain their sanity in times of war that they can no longer log on to a social website and try to unwind.

The pentagon would like you to think this is all in the name of operational security, and “bandwidth” cost, thats simply a bunch of hogwash.

If the true reasons for this ban included operational security the military would see to it that soliders did not access ANY website where they could transmit information back home or to the general public and they would make sure that this ban was enforced universally, not just on DOD computer networks.

The argument about bandwidth is relatively mute as well. Caps can be placed on internet activity, systems can be put fourth to monitor usage if this was really such a problem.

Whats more important, the moral and mental health of soliders fighting and dieing thousands of miles from their families or keeping the “bandwidth” free on a computer network?

From my time in the military and since, its been quite clear that there is a real lack of respect for the soliders that put themselves out on the lines everyday. Of course many will disagree and make statements like “our soliders are our most important element” Of course they are, so why not start treating them as such?

Instead the higher ups see fit to shuffling our young men and woman around as if they were a bag of votes in their political game. It makes me sick.

 Alright, I’m registered for class again. Econ 103, Geology 101 (World Regions), Physics 103, Math 108, and a general elective I have yet to pick. A total of 16 credits.

Classes start Aug 27th, so I’ve got a bit of time before I jump back in. I’ll need to take a self guided course for entree into Math 108, but I’ll have most of summer to complete that. Going back to school, well at least registering to go back, is a bit surreal. I do intend to finsih this time though. I just need to stay focused.

Some of you may have noticed my site was down this evening, if so I apologize.

I am updating my theme and while it is a work in progress a very large chunk has been completed. I hope you like the new style designed by Dean J Robinson and edited by… me.

 As always feel free to leave any suggestions or comments.

There’s plenty to say about this video, but at the moment its 5:54 AM here in Saint Thomas and I haven’t found my way to bed yet (I got lost somewhere between the frig and the computer I think…).

My best attempt at insight on this video, at this hour, with this lack of sleep, is this.

For the most part we create blogs, vlogs, personal websites, youtube accounts, myspace pages, facebook profiles, forums and the such not only for the obvious self expression we all seek but for the chance to reach out to others and find individuals we can share some sense of connection with. The net is a series of electrical connections. On a much deeper level however, it’s really just a complex overlapping entanglement of human interactions.

I decided to switch things up over here; at least visually that is.

I loaded a new theme called Smooth Dirt by Robert Day and started my editing process. So far I’ve changed the function of the Page. Categories & Archive links and messed around a little bit with the post and comment formating. Overall there is alot less editing needed on this theme as compared to my last one (cordobo green park) to make it something I’ll be content with.

It wasn’t so much that I didn’t like the other theme, I just wanted something a bit more simple and straight forward, something that will last a bit longer that I won’t tire of in a few weeks.

So anyway, if your on my RSS feed come on down and check out my new layout and let me know what you think.