They don't make these like they used too...

If you are getting tired with buying stuff that last no longer than the common cold, please read this...

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/good-news/world-oldest-light-bulb-still-burning-bright-110-174107117.html

Jim Henson's Birthday

Today would have been Jim Henson's 75th birthday. I was very saddened by his passing in 1990 because the Muppets meant so much to me as a child and even now as an adult. It is a great tribute to his memory that the Muppets still live on and that a new movie is coming on in November. Looking forward to it.

A passage from Children of Dune

I finished reading Frank Herbert's Children of Dune last week. It was a very good book and the last 100 pages were pretty intense.

Each chapter begins with a passage from a character. Here is one that is SOOOOOOOOO relevant to our 21st century world:

Good government never depends upon laws, but upon the personal qualities of those who govern. The machinery of government is always subordinate to the will of those who administer the machinery. The most important element of government, therefore, is the method of choosing leaders.

--Law and Governance
The Spacing Guild Manual

50th Anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's Flight

April 12th 2011 marks the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's space flight, the first by a human being. Wikipedia and other sites have very nice articles about Yuri and his impact on the world.

Top 10 technologies in a death spiral

I found this article fascinating. I use so much of this technology on a daily basis. For the full article, click on the following link: http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/opinion/1561899/top-technologies-death-spiral

In case the article goes dead, here it is in condensed form:

1. DVD players
2. Fax machine
3. Analogue TV
4. The landline phone
5. Mobile phone charger
6. Wii-mote
7. Sat Navs
8. Dongle
9. The computer mouse
10. Chip and pin credit cards

For the record, I use 7 out of 10 of them. Numbers 6, 7 and 8 aren't part of my life.

Update status to 'busted'

I found this funny tidbit in the November 20th 2009 edition of Computer World Canada.

Think you're obsessed with the time-suck that is Facebook? A Pennsylvania man has set the bar pretty high on that front. Police were called to a home in Martinsburg, W.V., for a reported burglary. The victim told police her bedroom window had been forced, cabinets opened, and two diamond rings valued at about $3,500 stolen from a dresser, according to the Martinsburg Journal.

In the same room sat a computer. The alledged burglar had apparently used the PC to access Facebook, and had forgotten to sign out.

Stand up, Jonathan G. Parker, 19, of Fort Loudoun, Pa. Your new Facebook status: Busted.

Oops!

I must be getting old since last Saturday (Feb. 27) was my birthday! I guess I was having too much fun... :-)

Friendly Wager

Obama owes Harper a few brews after Canada takes U.S. in Olympic hockey

THE CANADIAN PRESS 12 hours, 31 minutes ago

VANCOUVER, B.C. - It seems U.S. President Barack Obama owes Prime Minister Stephen Harper a few cold ones.

The two leaders had a friendly bet on the outcome of Sunday's gold-medal Olympic hockey game.

Team Canada came out on top, so Obama will have to pick up a 24-pack of Molson Canadian for the prime minister. Harper would have had to buy Obama a case of Yuengling beer if the U.S. had taken the top honour at the tournament.

Team USA beat Team Canada in the first match-up between the two countries in the preliminary rounds, but Canada came out on top in a heart-stopping overtime round on Sunday.

Harper was at the game in Vancouver but Obama did not make an appearance at the Olympics.

The prime minister met with the gold medal winners in the locker room after the game to congratulate them.

A Piece of Pi

Here is another fun fact courtesy of Download Squad. Pi has been calculated to 2.7 Trillion digits on a regular desktop coomputer. Cool stuff! Click here to read the article.

Data Consumed by People in a Day

Here is a cool article from Download Squad about data consumption by humans. Click here to read the article.

Edward Cullen (Twilight) vs Darth Vader (Star Wars)

My wife is a Twilight addict. For those who do not know Twilight, it is the story of a vampire and a human girl who fall in love. Anyway, we Twilighter husbands are fighting back after loosing our partners. If you want to read a great blog about the fight to prevent Edward Cullen from ruining our relationships, check out this blog. It is SOOOOOOO funny, I was laughing continuously!

Chuck Norris Facts

If you are a fan of the legendary Chuck Norris, please check out this site dedicated to interesting "facts" about the man.

Beware the Ides of March

Today is the 15ht day or March, which in Roman times, was a day of celebration in honor of the god of war, Mars. It was also, in 44BC, the day that Julius Caesar was assassinated. To find out more, check out Wikipedia.