The same kind of giant oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico happened 31 years ago. And the same processes are being followed to stop the leak.
Give this video a look to see how the more things change…
FDA: Xenical and Alli weight-loss meds may cause severe liver injury
It’s not a good week for mainstream drugs! The FDA just announced a study of theirs that indicates taking Xenical and/or Alli may cause severe liver damage.
The FDA did say this is a fairly rare occurrence, but “patients taking the weight-loss medication orlistat, marketed as Xenical and Alli” need to check with their doctors if they get any symptoms of liver damage, including “…itching, yellow eyes or skin, dark urine, loss of appetite, or light-colored stools.”
FDA: long term use of proton pump inhibitors (Nexium/Prilosec) increase serious bone fracture risk
Yikes! The FDA came out today with a study that says long term use of proton pump inhibitors will greatly increase the risk of fractures on the hip, wrist, and spine.
I’m not a doctor, but I do know getting a fracture on the hip or spine is the “flaming chainsaw with ebola in your face” kind of bad. It’s not something you want to have happen to you!
Of course the FDA says it better than I do…
“Epidemiology studies suggest a possible increased risk of bone fractures with the use of proton pump inhibitors for one year or longer, or at high doses,” said Joyce Korvick, M.D., deputy director for safety in FDA’s Division of Gastroenterology Products. “Because these products are used by a great number of people, it’s important for the public to be aware of this possible increased risk and, when prescribing proton pump inhibitors, health care professionals should consider whether a lower dose or shorter duration of therapy would adequately treat the patient’s condition.”
“Proton pump inhibitors, available by prescription and over-the-counter (OTC), work by reducing the amount of acid in the stomach. Prescription proton pump inhibitors include esomeprazole (Nexium), dexlansoprazole (Dexilant), omeprazole (Prilosec, Zegerid), lansoprazole (Prevacid), pantoprazole (Protonix), and rabeprazole (Aciphex). Prescription proton pump inhibitors are used to treat conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), stomach and small intestine ulcers, and inflammation of the esophagus. OTC versions, used for the treatment of frequent heartburn, include omeprazole (Prilosec OTC, Zegerid OTC) and lansoprazole (Prevacid 24HR).”
Seriously? If you take Nexium or Prilosec (or any of the other proton pump inhibitors mentioned above), run this news by your doctor. These kinds of fractures are life-changing kinds of bad.
Space shuttle Atlantis returns home safely and is now officially retired
It’s the end of an era. The space shuttle Atlantis made it back home safely today and is now officially retired after 25 years of service. Unfortunately there are only two missions left for the space shuttle program before it is completely discontinued.
So how is this fairly important event covered in the mainstream media?
- CNN has it buried under “BP readies ‘top kill’ to cap Gulf oil leak” and “Everyday plastic, toxic fears”.
- MSNBC actually has it prominently on the sidebar! (Thanks MSNBC!)
- FOX has it buried under “BP admits it made critical mistake”, “DOJ Preps for U.S. vs. Arizona”, “Civilians Dead in Bloody Jamaica Battles”, “GOP Rep.: Job Offer to Sestak a ‘Crime'”, “Ahmadinejad Urges Obama: Accept Nuke Swap Deal” and “U.S. Army Outgunned in Afghanistan?”
The space shuttle was so incredible, it became commonplace. Launches were no more spectacular or captivating in the last few years than it was to start a car or make a pot of coffee. But every single time those rockets lit, it took several human beings and the best tools we have right now to the edge of space and then brought them all back. Over and over and over. It went, it came back. It went, it came back.
And now one of the greatest tools and greatest accomplishments science has ever made is now archived. Retired. And the news of this epic denouement is almost muted in the background because of all the constant problems still running rampant in the world.
Ugh.
So now what? Unmanned rockets? Relying on Russia to deliver our cargo into space? Privatization of space travel where only the über-wealthy can go for the novelty of it? Letting the military have the only shuttle program? Chopping up the shuttle and selling it for parts?
Where’s the impetus to further science? Where’s the drive to see what’s what’s out there? What’s the plan for the next step forward here?
Nuts. Nuts to all of this.
Here’s the official press release from NASA…
——————————————–
RELEASE: 10-124
SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS RETURNS HOME AFTER ITS FINAL PLANNED MISSION
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Space shuttle Atlantis and six astronauts ended a 12-day journey of more than 4.8 million miles with an 8:48 a.m. EDT landing Wednesday at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The third of five shuttle missions planned for 2010, this was the last scheduled flight for Atlantis. The mission, designated STS-132, delivered the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1 to the International Space Station. Also known as Rassvet (“dawn” in Russian), the module provides additional storage space and a new docking port for Russian Soyuz and Progress spacecraft.
Ken Ham commanded the flight and was joined by Pilot Tony Antonelli and Mission Specialists Garrett Reisman, Michael Good, Steve Bowen and Piers Sellers.
The mission’s three spacewalks focused on replacing and installing components outside the station, including replacing six batteries, installing a communications antenna and adding parts to the Canadian Dextre robotic arm.
A welcome ceremony for the astronauts will be held Thursday, May 27, in Houston. The public is invited to attend the 4 p.m. CDT event at Ellington Field’s NASA Hangar 990.
Highlights from the ceremony will be broadcast on NASA Television’s Video File. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit:
STS-132 was the 132nd shuttle flight, the 32nd flight for Atlantis and the 34th shuttle mission dedicated to station assembly and maintenance.
With Atlantis and its crew safely home, the stage is set for the launch of shuttle Discovery on its STS-133 mission, targeted to lift off in September 2010. Discovery’s flight will deliver the Leonardo Permanent Multipurpose Module to house experiments. STS-133 also will bring critical spare components and a cargo carrier to the station. Robonaut 2, or R2, will be the first human-like robot in space when it flies on Discovery to become a permanent resident of the station.
For more information about the STS-132 mission and the upcoming STS-133 flight, visit:
For information about the space station, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/station
Sony Bloggie HD camera review
Bloggie HD camera
I bought the Sony Bloggie HD Video Camera
Looking at the HD bloggie specs, you would think it would be at least a silver medalist in the entry-level HD camera arena. Unfortunately, after I have used it for twenty days, I think it should have taken a little more prep time before hitting the market.
Right up front, let’s get some test videos out of the way.
Here’s a field shot, taken at midday in 1280×720…
Same field, same time, but this one is at 1920×1080…
Right. On to the technical details!
The camera records in 4 settings. Using a standard SDHC 8 gb memory card…
- 1080 at 30p gives you 1 hour and 15 minutes of recording time
- 720 at 60p gives you 3 hours and 05 minutes of recording time
- 720 at 30p gives you 4 hours and 58 minutes of recording time
- VGA mode at 30p gives you 8 hours and 15 minutes of recording time
There is an image stabilization option for the VGA and 720 at 30p video settings, but not for the 720 at 60p or 1080 settings. This becomes extremely evident when shooting outdoor “moving” shots, or just holding the camera as you are walking. Every little bump or heavy step will make the video jump like it was broadsided by a speeding 18-wheeler semi truck on fire. If you are staying still, or just tracking a moving object, it’s not too bad though.
The camera design is similar to Sanyo’s. A USB cable under the rear panel pops out for connecting to a PC or Mac…
Bloggie 02
…but whoever designed this plug was apparently guessing about laptop heights because the camera plug is higher than the USB ports on my HP, Dell, and Mac laptops.
Bloggie 01
The camera’s USB connector does not have a swivel joint, so you’re stuck connecting it straight in. The only way to connect this camera to the USB ports on my computers was to either prop up the laptops about 1/2 inch on the USB side or to use an extender cable that was included with he camera. (Another specialized cable to carry around! Yay!) Plus it’s a port hog. Once it’s plugged in, you won’t be able to reach any usb ports near the one the Bloggie is plugged into.
Some other “bad camera!” bullet points….
- The LCD panel useless in daylight. You can not see what you’re shooting. Check out the photos below. The LCD is on full brightness in both photos.
Bloggie 06
Bloggie 07
- You can only charge this camera through a USB connection to your PC. There’s no wall charger included.
- There is no flash on the camera. (The Sanyo has one on their HD camera.)
- The optical zoom is only 5X. (Sanyo has 10X)
- There are no manual override camera settings at all. You’re stuck with what the bloggie feels like shooting in video and in “still” camera mode. (And this is a big big big problem for me.)
- The low light camera recording quality is very poor.
- Any sort of nighttime imaging and recording is useless. You will get nothing but solid black. (My un-modified first generation iPhone takes better video AND still images at night than this 2010 Sony camera!)
- Video takes a long time to re-focus on any zoom shot.
- The still camera images seem blurry and not as sharp as images from a “regular” camera.
- The gloss camera finish absorbs fingerprints – the camera gets dirty and ugly in seconds. (Sanyo used a matte finish. That’s a much better design!) Here’s a “clean” and “used” comparison…
Bloggie 04
Bloggie 03
- Playback is limited to what’s on screen. There’s no “NEXT” or “PREVIOUS” option. If you want to jump to a second video while watching a video currently in playback mode, you need to back up to the menu and choose the next video. Highly frustrating.
- The mac version of the software has no “info” options and is very limited in scope.
- If you have anything over medium-large hands, you may accidentally cover the microphone when you hold it. You’ll have to get used to the “three fingers kung-fu grip”. The next photo shows the microphone covered, the second shows the “three fingers kung-fu grip” and the microphone on the curve of the HD camera exposed.
Bloggie 08
Bloggie 09
OK, now the good parts….
- It does have an HDMI and Video out, so you can plug it straight into a HDTV.
Bloggie 05
- The Bloggie does come with HDMI and RGB cables and a USB extender cable, so you can plug into anything right out of the box.
- The camera does very well in indirect daylight and well-lit indoor areas. It’s also fairly water resistant.
- The microphone picks up everything. Great sound quality.
- The 720 at 60p is outstanding.
- The 1080 setting is a knockout. Just don’t move much or you’ll get the “Blair Witch Barfs”. (NOTE; Earlier this week I recorded a recent downpour in the area in 1080 and the video made it on to the local news station. So the 1080 (or 720 at 60p) is perfectly acceptable for HD broadcast.)
- The zoom feature, once focused after the zoom, stays focused even on moving objects.
- It takes SDHC cards and Sony’s “stick of gum” style memory.
- It’s a featherweight. I find myself carrying it everywhere and shooting things on a whim. Citizen/Underground journalism FTW!
- I’m shooting more 1080 HD video and taking less still images with my digital camera.
- Plugging it in to a PC with the window closed just charges the unit. You have to open the window to power on the unit to access the photos and movies. Good security feature!
- Software to use the camera is pre-loaded, so you don’t have to worry about installing the Bloggie’s transfer software on new machines, but you can also just drag-and-drop the movies and images out of the respective drives that appear when you plug in the camera if you don’t want to mess with the software.
Overall, I think it is a good camera for everyday use and it works well for recording HD movies if you have a steady hand. The portability of the device makes it easy to shoot HD movies all the time wherever you go. However, despite the good points, there are superior HD cameras for the same price as this one. (IE: Sanyo’s Xacti).
The Bloggie isn’t bad at all, but I really expected better from Sony.
Three and a half out of five stars.
You can also see the Sony MHS-CM5 bloggie HD Video Camera
Slick from US oil spill reaches coastland – Al Jazeera [VIDEO]
Leave it to a real foreign press corps to deliver the news.
Jump to :55 seconds to see how bad the gulf oil spill is.
EDIT: The news report says nobody is in charge of cleaning the slick and nobody is taking charge of what’s hitting the shore.
Monday Morning Music : 05/24/10
Every Monday I like to post some music to start the week off on the right foot.
This week….
Minuit – Fuji
Kåre and the cavemen – Filadelfia
Kool Moe Dee – I go to work
…and finally Hootie and the Blowfish on Sesame Street – Hold my hand
News stories the mainstream media missed : 05/22/10
Here are some news stories from this week that I think the mainstream media completely missed out on. All links are from legitimate news sources and not the fringe / wacko sites.
* Four words: refrigerator-sized nuclear reactors. Hell yes! And at $50 million for a 25-megawatt reactor (as opposed to the usual $2.3 billion for a back-to-the-future sized 1.2 gigawatt reactor), it’s a steal! Oh, and “A 25-megawatt plant would put electricity into 20,000 homes” according to James Kohlhaas, vice president at Lockheed Martin Corp. Or, shall we say, 15,500 homes and one super secret high tech personal laboratory! All I need now is a winning lottery ticket! [BUSINESSWEEK]
* Driving gives you skin cancer? Specifically the part of your skin that hangs out the window? Damn you sun! I say we go full Republican on it’s ass and just blow the damn thing up! [WEBMD]
* Wait…the gulf oil spill is actually worse than the worsest worst worst predictions before? ONE new pulme is “10 miles long, 3 miles wide and 300 feet thick.” ONE? This is re-friggin-diculous. BP mega-nukes the Gulf of Mexico and nobody is calling for their heads? [MSNBC] Oh, and if you want some really scary analysis, click this out… “It’s not a leak, it’s a volcano spewing oil.” [EXAMINER] and [NYTIMES] Crap. Crappity crap crap crap.
* Read this next bit in that voice of that guy that does all the movie-previews… “Dispatched to Houston on a top secret mission by the President, five “extraordinarily intelligent” scientists from around the country will have to stop the biggest oceanic disaster in history…Members of the team designed the hydrogen bomb, invented techniques for mining on Mars, and found a way to precisely position biomedical needles.” Pan the camera back to reveal the actors walking toward the camera in slo-mo. Dramatic music flares! Yeah, baby! I got your movie right here! [BLOOMBERG]
* Our brains re-shoot every scene in a memory when we recall something? Dude! Our brains are George Lucas – reshooting the classics all the time?! AAAAAAA!! [SMITHSONIAN MAG]
* So if you loan someone money to keep them from starving, and they come back and SUE YOU for loaning them money, what would you think of them? Check it out – Greece would be the one with no money and the US would be the loaner. [YAHOO]
* Want a real-time tally of the promises Obama kept and the promises Obama broke? Look no further! Prepare for some surprises, too. [POLITIFACT]
* A giant friggin’ botnet is just sleeping out there in the internet. It’s huge, and has the potential to cause some serious game-changing damage whenever it wakes up. Kind of like Godzilla taking a nap. And when she wakes up? (Yes, Godzilla was a she!) Run!! Because some mega-level destruction is soon to follow! The Atlantic article has a great explanation of what a botnet is and how they work, too. [THE ATLANTIC]
* A girl re-grew kidneys after her old ones failed? Awesome!! Science needs to figure out how she did this immediately! [DAILYMAIL]
* How are things going in Afghanistan? Let’s just say if things were catastrophically FUBAR with a touch of rabies, it would be a improvement. [SLATE]
That’s it for this week. Back Monday!
Crater Face [VIDEO]
This is the best video I’ve seen all month.
Go ahead. Keep a straight face at the end. I dare you.
Crater Face from Skyler Page on Vimeo.
Error 500 you say?
I get tied up with business trips and miss a few days of posts and the website decides to go all “error 500” on me.
Following absticles’ tip on the wordpress forum, adding this to the .htaccess file seems to have done it.
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
Some sidebar candy seems to need some burping too. Plus I should backup the backup’s backup.
Looks like it’s time to do a little surgery on the site!
Now where did I put my scalpel and bazooka…