fibrowitch's blog

Your laptop could detect the next earthquake

fibrowitch — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 23:36:15 +0000

Listening to All things considered on NPR and they are interviewing a woman who developed a computer program, that uses the motion sensor in lap top computers to measure earth quakes. Most newer laptops have an accelerometer, a kind of motion sensor that detects when a computer gets dropped or shaken. If the computer gets dropped, it shuts off the hard drive to save the laptop. Gosh, wish I had one of those three years ago when Purrball knocked the laptop off the kitchen table.

Your laptop could detect the next earthquake I love this quote from Elizabeth Cochran - almost as much as I love the her last name is Cochran - wonder if she is going to have a distant relative named Zefram Okay, anyway, here is the quote --

"As soon as I knew there were these low-cost sensors inside these accelerometers, I thought it would be perfect to use them to network together and actually record earthquakes," geoscientist Elizabeth Cochran of the University of California at Riverside says.

I feel sorry for the animals

fibrowitch — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 07:12:13 +0000

It is that time of year when college kids who got pets, can not take them home, and can not leave them in the dorm rooms. Or kids who got what they thought was a great pet, only to be overwhelmed with the care and feeding of another living creature. An animal, which may not have responded the way the student expected the pet to.

I read so many postings on Craig'slist, long postings, some full of sorrow, about the loss of a pet. From people who had never been given the slightest lesson in how to care for the animal in the first place.

I decided to send letter to two posters tonight, not to talk about adopting their animals, but how to help them keep their pets. One poster had a rat, the rat had bit him. Out of fear I think. I will know further once he responds to my letter. The second poster does not believe he is able to properly care for his pet as it looks unhappy. Again, when he responds to my questions I will better understand what he means by 'happy' and if the young owner, is properly caring for his pet.

Can I vote for nobody?

fibrowitch — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 00:50:20 +0000

It has become the question to ask this week, from family, friends, and strangers.

â€œWho are you voting for?â€

Do you like this one? Do you trust that one? Is he serious about that promise? I know politics is a blood sport here in Massachusetts. Right up there with revenge, and bitching about sports. I should be able to get up a little bit of interest, maybe not the blood boil level of my past, but something, anything? But I can't not a whiff of anger, not a hint of interest. Not over the can dates, not even to vote for the lesser of four evils.

I have read the web pages, reviewed the platforms, watched the debates. The only emotion any of them brings to mind is boredom. Is this the best Massachusetts can do. In this entire state, home of the first blow for freedom from England. The bluest of the blue states, this is the best we can do!

Is the Daily Show growing up?

fibrowitch — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 03:50:05 +0000

This Daily Show is gonna be a keeper. Part of me is stunned that the President of Pakistani is on the Daily Show, part of me is amazed at how serious Jon Stewart is right now. I don't know what Pervez Musharraf was thinking when he agreed to appear on the Daily Show, but both he and Jon are taking this very seriously. Perhaps President Pervez Musharraf thinks this is the best way to reach the people of America. Perhaps he thought this was a serious Show is our word for funny, his word for serious?

I like his response to Jon when Jon asked him why if the Talaban keeps trying to kill him why he takes the same route to work every day. His response â€œBecause I want them to know I am not afraid of them.â€ I do believe he is about to win over the American people. This interview will be talked about in the morning. The major news outlets, and by this I so do not count Fox, will be showing clips of this interview.

Massive numbers of link page

fibrowitch — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 14:02:54 +0000

Just some thing I am leaving here for later.

I was going through all the places I go today. Each blog gets different information. In order to understand all of me, you would have to read all of them. They become a big self referential when I talk about one blog in another. So today every single blog, gets listed in one place.

Universal Hub http://www.universalhub.com/blog/374
This is the place for my deep thought, my random brain blasts. Early samples of my writing before the final draft gets sent out to the world. Ideas I can put no where else, and notes about Boston, and the inhabitants with in.

the Unbearable Lightness of Byron

fibrowitch — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 18:35:29 +0000

We have our beach back! The tourists and teens are gone, very gone. The beach is empty. To windy for all but the hardiest wind surfers - is that you Senator Kerry - and the local dog walkers.

Byron loves the beach, he enjoys digging in the sand, barking at the seagulls, and rolling in all those smelly things the ocean specializes in throwing on to the beach. Our beach...

Always argue with Fast Lane

fibrowitch — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 19:16:23 +0000

Earlier this year I went through a Fast Lane toll gate to fast for the Fast Lane to pick up my id, but not so fast that they did not take a picture of my car and license plate.

When I received the letter telling me I had been charged 20 dollars for not being picked up on fast lane, my first reaction was to call fast lane, and get all 'Masshole' on them. The person I was talking to suggested it would be easier for me to send in a fax, than to discuss it with him.

What a genius! True genius. Because I sent in a fax, explaining how I did NOT know my car had not been read, and that I would like to pay for the missed toll.

I believe I have discovered the latest exercise craze.

fibrowitch — Sun, 10 Sep 2006 15:24:19 +0000

It's fun, you can work with or without a partner, and only a small amount of money is needed for apparatus. Most importantly, it will draw all those television addicted two year olds outside where they can get exercise.

Does a two year old screaming in glee, and clapping her hands count as exercise for her? Or just for the adult who should have known better, providing the entertainment.

The back story...

I had a small party yesterday, 30 people. two people under the age of 5. I, knowing nothing about children except that if you purchase them fudge, don't be there when their Mother sees them. - I also hear that until about the age of 3 they leak, but I have no experience in this phenomena. I purchased some large balls they could throw, some bubble stuff they could make bubbles with, or dump on the floor. Option two being the most popular with the two year old. I also bought some blow up punching bags.

A new blog source

fibrowitch — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 05:17:05 +0000

Just wanted to drop a note here for the launch of the revamped dog boston web site.

http://www.dogboston.com/blog/

A Red Sox question

fibrowitch — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 22:44:11 +0000

Last night I decided to pull myself out of the funk caused by the Sox forgetting how to play ball. So we went out, to The Top of the Hub. A place where baseball does not exist.

And they won.

So, do I stay up and watch tonight, and hope they win again? Or do I find someplace else to hide tonight? Some place where my boys are far from my thoughts. Where by not paying attention to them, they could be convinced to win?

And 'they' say, the players are idiots.

Even the Onion is confused

www.theonion.com/content/index

Call me confused.