Clipmarks | geeknoob's clips

Rare Hellen Keller Pic W/ Doll Discovered

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:09:44 GMT

clipped by: geeknoob

Helen Keller, 8, with her teacher Anne Sullivan, in Cape Cod in 1888.

The photograph, shot in July 1888 in Brewster, shows an 8-year-old Helen sitting outside in a light-colored dress, holding Sullivan's hand and cradling one of her beloved dolls.

Experts on Keller's life believe it could be the earliest photo of the two women together and the only one showing the blind and deaf child with a doll -- the first word Keller spelled for Sullivan after they met in 1887

While "doll" was the first word spelled into her hand, Helen finally comprehended the meaning of language a few weeks later with the word "water," as famously depicted in the film "The Miracle Worker." Sullivan stayed at her side until her death in 1936, and Keller became a world-famous author and humanitarian. She died in 1968.

"The way Anne is gazing so intently at Helen, I think it's a beautiful portrait of the devotion that lasted between these two women all of Anne's life," Seymour-Ford said.

Tags: hellen keller, anne sullivan, history

Save Hotel Penn

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 02:40:52 GMT

clipped by: geeknoob
clipper's remarks: Hotel Pennsylvania being threatened with demolition. Home to several conventions and much history (including the oldest phone number still in use!), many people are trying to persuade the city to grant it landmark status.

(from the forum, http://talk.hope.net) "The hotel was designed by the prominent architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White, which also completed landmark properties such as the Waldorf Astoria, the original Pennsylvania Railroad Station, Pierpont Morgan Library, Columbia University and the United States Post Office Building on Eighth Ave. "

"New York's Hotel Pennsylvania has kept the same telephone number since 1919, which was immortalized in the 1938 Glenn Miller hit "Pennsylvania 6-5000", and is the oldest phone number still in use today."

The Waldorf Astoria has already been granted the landmark status. Will Hotel Penn be given the same chance?

Clip Source: nyc2600.net

This is Vornado’s plan for the site, eschewing part of our history and heritage in favor of just another office block and a generic box of ads.

Hotel Pennsylvania is not just a hotel. It is a place of memories, and some of those memories were made before I was born. Each time I hear the song “Pennsylvania 6-5000″ I think of the famous hotel in New York City. I have gone to more than one conference and admired the sheet music on display there. If you close your eyes you can almost hear history unfolding. I have made friends while visiting the hotel and will always cherish such happy memories.

I want to save Hotel Pennsylvania. Do you? If yes, please do not say yes and just walk away. Tell people of your history there. Tell others why you want it saved. Use one of our images on your webpage(s) to stir up conversation, or make one of your own. There are many ways you can get the word out that Hotel Pennsylvania is worth saving.

Tags: hotel penn, hotel pennsylvania, history, politics, 2600, 6-5000

Don't Arguew/the gay flight attendant

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 03:23:11 GMT

clipped by: qeneoft

Clip Source: humour.200ok.com.au

Don't Argue With The Gay Flight Attendant

My flight was being served by an obviously gay flight attendant, who seemed to put everyone in a good mood as he served us food and drinks.

As the plane prepared to descend, he came swishing down the aisle and told us "Captain Marvey has asked me to announce that he'll be landing the big scary plane shortly, so lovely people, if you could just put your trays up, that would be super."

On his trip back up the aisle, he noticed an extremely well-dressed and exotic young woman hadn't moved a muscle. "Perhaps you didn't hear me over those big brute engines but I asked you to raise your trazy-poo, so the main man can pitty-pat us on the ground."

She calmly turned her head and said, "In my country, I am called a Princess and I take orders from no one."

To which the flight attendant replied, without missing a beat, "Well, sweet-cheeks, in my country I'm called a Queen, so I outrank you. Tray up, Bitch."

Tags: funny, story, gay, flight attendant

Sexy Safety Shoes for Prostitutes....

Sat, 25 Aug 2007 20:44:26 GMT

clipped by: geeknoob
clipper's remarks: Oi!

Clip Source: blog.wired.com

GPS Alarm Shoes for Sex Workers

By Charlie Sorrel August 24, 2007 | 7:08:11 AMCategories: Apparel, GPS

Where would a good prostitute be without her (or his) signature platform shoes? In trouble, that's where. The Aphrodite projects has taken steps to protect street-walkers with Platforms. The shoes have a built in audible alarm to scare off attackers, and when the alarm is triggered, the prostitute's position is transmitted to either the police (in places where prostitution is legal) or to sex worker's rights groups.

The GPS unit uses APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting System) a system which uses amateur radio frequencies to send data, which, ironically, was first developed at the United States Naval Academy (all the nice girls love a sailor).

The shoes are a concept right now, albeit a working one, and can be tried out at the Gallery Aferro in Newark, New Jersey in September (15th, 22nd, and 29th). Mens and women's sizes will be available, and orders will be taken for custom builds.

Tags: gps, clothing, shoes, safety

The Named Laws of Technology

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 22:09:57 GMT

clipped by: ericskiff
clipper's remarks: I'm amazed how many of these I already knew! There's lots of wisdom in these funny little sayings.

Clip Source: globalnerdy.com

The Law

Who Said It

What it Says

Amdahl’s Law

Gene Amdahl

The speedup gained from running a program on a parallel computer is greatly limited by the fraction of that program that can’t be parallelized.

Augustine’s Second Law of Socioscience

Norman Augustine

For every scientific (or engineering) action, there is an equal and opposite social reaction.

Brooks’ Law

Fred Brooks

Adding manpower to a late software project makes it later.

Dilbert Principle

Scott Adams

The most ineffective workers are systematically moved to the place where they can do the least damage: management.

Ellison’s Law of Cryptography and Usability

Carl Ellison

The userbase for strong cryptography declines by half with every additional keystroke or mouseclick required to make it work.

Godwin’s Law

Mike Godwin

As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one.

Linus’ Law

Eric S. Raymond, who named it after Linus Torvalds

Given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow.

Tags: tech, technology, laws

Fight Hate Crimes

Sun, 01 Jul 2007 16:51:54 GMT

clipped by: geeknoob
clipper's remarks: One easy way to show support for the bill....

Clip Source: www.hrcactioncenter.org

Share this video >>

One in six hate crimes are motivated by the victim's sexual orientation. Yet Federal laws don't protect these people. Watch the video. Then tell your Senators to support the Matthew Shepard Act.

Tags: gay, lesbian, transgender, homosexuality, heterosexuality, violence, law, matthew shepard

Shepard Bill Closer to Being a Law

Sun, 01 Jul 2007 16:49:48 GMT

clipped by: geeknoob
clipper's remarks: There's a way to show support for the bill, by mailing your Senators here: http://www.hrcactioncenter.org/campaign/fighthate_video

The Shrub's (Bush administration) advisors have advised he veto it. They've said that we don't want to catagorize any crime, yet the original bill is categorized. And Gay/Lesbian/Transgendered people aren't covered by it.

Clip Source: citizenchris.typepad.com

May 03, 2007

The House passed the Matthew Shepard Act today by a vote of 237-180, a wide margin but not veto proof. Congratulations to the Human Rights Campaign, the ACLU and the other groups that have worked for its passage.

The Bush administration was quick to spoil the moment, issuing a statement that said the legislation is "unnecessary and constitutionally questionable." If the measure passes the Senate, the statement says, the president's "senior advisors would recommend that he veto" it. That's the equivalent of a veto threat, not a promise, since it's coming from his "senior advisers," but it doesn't bode well.

Tags: matthew shepard, law, sexuality, violence, homosexuality, heterosexuality, transgender

The only tool you'll ever need!!!

Tue, 03 Apr 2007 22:40:11 GMT

clipped by: IAMpmpope

Clip Source: content5.clipmarks.com

Tags: macgyver

New Record High for Chili Pepper

Fri, 02 Mar 2007 20:30:45 GMT

clipped by: geeknoob
clipper's remarks: But how do you measure a SHU (Scoville Heat Unit) of a food? Stick a thermometer in its mouth?

Clip Source: www.cnn.com

POSTED: 10:13 a.m. EST, February 23, 2007

Story Highlights

• Guinness World Records: New Mexico professor finds world's hottest chili pepper
• Bhut Jolokia comes in at 1,001,304 Scoville heat units, which measures hotness
• Chili pepper is nearly twice as hot as the variety it replaces
• Professor Paul Bosland says Bhut Jolokia translates as ghost chili

The name translates as ghost chili, Bosland said.

"We're not sure why they call it that, but I think it's because the chili is so hot, you give up the ghost when you eat it," he said.

Bhut Jolokia comes in at 1,001,304 Scoville heat units, a measure of hotness for a chili. It is nearly twice as hot as Red Savina, the variety it replaces as the hottest.

By comparison, a New Mexico green chili contains about 1,500 Scoville units; an average jalapeno measures at about 10,000.

Tags: hot, chili pepper, guinness world record, food

Turing Award Givin to the First Woman in History

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 15:17:05 GMT

clipped by: geeknoob
clipper's remarks: Females are tapping on the glass ceiling again...

Clip Source: campus.acm.org

FIRST WOMAN TO RECEIVE ACM TURING AWARD

IBM Fellow Emerita Frances Allen Responsible for Innovations to High Speed Computing; Work Inspired Generations of Computer Scientists

New York, NY, February 21, 2007 – ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery, has named Frances E. Allen the recipient of the 2006 A.M. Turing Award for contributions that fundamentally improved the performance of computer programs in solving problems, and accelerated the use of high performance computing. This award marks the first time that a woman has received this honor. The Turing Award, first presented in 1966, and named for British mathematician Alan M. Turing, is widely considered the "Nobel Prize in Computing." It carries a $100,000 prize, with financial support provided by Intel Corporation.

"Fran Allen's work has led to remarkable advances in compiler design and machine architecture that are at the foundation of modern high-performance computing," said Ruzena Bajcsy, Chair of ACM's Turing Award Committee, and professor of Electrical and Engineering and Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley. "Her contributions have spanned most of the history of computer science, and have made possible computing techniques that we rely on today in business and technology. It is interesting to note Allen's role in highly secret intelligence work on security codes for the organization now known as the National Security Agency, since it was Alan Turing, the namesake of this prestigious award, who devised techniques to help break the German codes during World War II," said Bajcsy, who is Emeritus Director of the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) at Berkeley.

ACM will present the Turing Award at the annual ACM Awards Banquet on June 9, 2007, in San Diego, CA.

Tags: allan turing, turing award, technology, tech, acm

Possible cure for deafness?

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 00:49:22 GMT

clipped by: geeknoob

Clip Source: www.wired.com

The science of hearing is moving beyond traditional hearing aids and cochlear implants into a world where patients may be able to regain their hearing through manipulation of their own biology. New techniques, such as combining stem-cell transplants with the "recharging" of cells that power an amplifier in the ear, were discussed at the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference here.

The stem-cell approach involves restoring the tiny "hair cells" in the ear that convert sound into electrical impulses. When the cells die, people permanently lose their hearing. Bringing back the cells through stem-cell transplants, along with a shock of electricity, could restore hearing, scientists say.

"What we do with the battery-jumping is actually put the current right next to the inner hair cells and outer hair cells," Heller said. "It's very invasive and dangerous to the other hair cells." Getting the electrode into the right place in the ear is crucial.

If you haven't heard about this research before, there may be a good reason: Ears aren't sensory celebrities. "Hearing is considered to be a sort of poor cousin of vision. It also doesn't have the sex appeal of AIDS, malaria and other worthwhile diseases," said Steven Greenberg of Silicon Speech, a communications technology company.

Tags: deaf, deafness, technology, health, medicine

Gamers make better surgeons

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 15:10:37 GMT

clipped by: geeknoob
clipper's remarks: I'll agree with that last comment!

Clip Source: www.engadget.com

Posted Feb 20th 2007 2:41AM by Donald Melanson
Filed under: Gaming

According to a new study published in the Archives of Surgery, surgeons who put in their downtime playing video games proved to have considerably higher surgical skills than their non-gamer co-workers, in particular when it came to laparoscopic surgery, which involves manipulating instruments while staring at a monitor. While the study is far from authoritative, with only 33 surgeons participating in it, it nonetheless found that those who played video games for at least three hours a week performed 27 percent faster, made 37 percent fewer errors, and scored 42 percent better in surgical tests than those who had not played video games. The correlation between video games and surgical skills was apparently so high that it proved to be an even greater indicator of performance than either the length of an individual's surgical training or their prior experience with laporscopic surgery. No word if those that snuck in some extra practice in Trauma Center on their DS had an even bigger advantage.

Neutral

Lab 14 @ Feb 20th 2007 9:42AM

Finally a valid excuse to play more video games!!

Tags: games, gamers, surgeon

Linux-Based Musician's Keyboard & Workstation

Sun, 18 Feb 2007 19:13:08 GMT

clipped by: geeknoob
clipper's remarks: Neat! Can't wait to have Linux in my fridge!

Clip Source: noizone.com

2007.02.17. 19:55

A big picture for displaying a big sensation: Lionstracks from Italy has produced the world's first Linux-based software workstation called Mediastation. The gadget runs Linux on a 64-bit AMD processor, and filled with an enormous quantity of open-source audio software - most of them are completely unknown for us dealing with PCs and Macs. What is clear that the most important software part is the 4.1 version of Linux sampler which seems to be Giga-compatible, and tons of sampleware is shipped for producing thousands of sounds. VST-compatibility is also solved as we can learnt from the website which also expands the horizon. Price depends on the configuration - from an entry point of 1750 euro to the double-manual 6200 euro. Visit their webpage.

Tags: music, linux, piano, mediastation

Skydiver survives 2 mile fall

Sat, 17 Feb 2007 23:54:40 GMT

clipped by: geeknoob
clipper's remarks: That's some blackberry bush!

Clip Source: www.msnbc.msn.com

Expert jumper Michael Holmes survived a parachute malfunction

Updated: 8:04 p.m. ET Feb 12, 2007

Spinning violently out of control as he fell toward Earth and an almost-certain death at hundreds of miles per hour, skydiver Michael Holmes had a split second to consider his demise when his parachute and a reserve failed high above New Zealand in December.

Holmes' harrowing escape from death, desperate farewell, wave goodbye and hard landing in a blackberry bush were captured by the helmet-mounted cameras he and fellow skydiving instructor Jonathan King donned Dec. 13 before jumping from a plane at 14,000 feet — more than two miles up.

An expert skydiver and canopy parachutist, Holmes, 24, said he was concerned but did not panic when his main chute failed about 4,000 feet above the ground. He knew the primary chute had deployed, but could not see that it had become entangled with the backpack that housed the chute and a reserve.

“It was when I pulled the chute cable to release the reserve parachute that I thought, ‘This is bad,’ ” Holmes recalled. “Looking back on it, I'm amazed I didn't pass out. I almost passed out.”

Holmes cut away the main chute, and pulled the cord for the reserve chute. When that didn't work, there was nothing left for Holmes to do but think of something to say into the helmet camera. “I thought, ‘Oh, I've got a camera on my head. Say something,’ ” Holmes recalled.

In hindsight, Holmes realizes that “I'm dead. Bye” didn't really cover everything the British citizen wanted to say to his family and friends. King told TODAY's Matt Lauer that he, too, thought Holmes was a goner.

He suffered a collapsed lung and broken ankle that may require further surgery, but plans to jump again. He called the incident a “freak accident” that has changed the way he looks it life.

“I will certainly jump. It's what I do. I love it,” Holmes said.

Tags: parachute, skydiving

NY Teen Sues the Record Industry

Wed, 07 Feb 2007 23:57:22 GMT

clipped by: geeknoob
clipper's remarks: "After the case started to get messy, particularly when it became clear that Patti didn't know how to turn a computer on, let alone file share, the music lawyers dropped its case against her."

And apparently decided to target her son instead... When will the RIAA learn that the more they make something "illegal" and the more difficult they make playing and obtaining music (via DRM), the more people will turn towards piracy?

Clip Source: www.theinquirer.net

'Pirate' boy bites back

By Nick Farrell : Wednesday 31 January 2007, 16:15

In papers responding to a lawsuit filed by five record companies, Robert Santangelo, who was 11 when he is supposed to have downloaded music, has come out fighting. He denies sharing music using P2P technology and says it's impossible for the record companies to prove that that he did.

They have demanded a jury trial and filing a counterclaim against the companies for allegedly damaging the boy's reputation, distracting him from school and costing him legal fees. The record companies have engaged in a wide-ranging conspiracy to defraud the courts of the United States, the court documents say. Competitors in the recording industry are a cartel acting together in violation of the antitrust laws by bringing the piracy cases jointly and using the same agency "to make extortionate threats ... to force defendants to pay", our precocious teen wrote.

After the case started to get messy, particularly when it became clear that Patti didn't know how to turn a computer on, let alone file share, the music lawyers dropped its case against her.

Tags: riaa, ny, lawsuit, piracy, music