New workplace accomodations in economic downtimes

Remember there is a light at the end of the tunnel

My Seven Year Old has too many girlfriends

My mother-in-law has been picking my 3 sons from school. Each day she asks them, “how was your day?” Yesterday she told me a funny story about the answer. My first grader said, “My day was fine, but I have 5-6 girlfriends”.


My mother-in-law said, “How do you have so many girlfriends—that must be because you are a really nice boy.” He responded, “No, it’s because I’m cute”. He then added, “I cannot date all 5-6 of them, it is just too crazy.”


My very helpful kindergartener then said, “I’ll take some of your girlfriends for you and if there is any problem, you just come and talk to me”.

Mock Computer Errors

These are classic mock computer errors. I had seen most of them before, but decided to post them after my mom passed them along to me. Great stuff.

Enjoy!

Google and Nasa back new school for futurists

I found this article to be interesting.

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By David Gelles in San Francisco

Published: February 3 2009 05:02 | Last updated: February 3 2009 05:02

Google and Nasa are throwing their weight behind a new school for futurists in Silicon Valley to prepare scientists for an era when machines become cleverer than people.

The new institution, known as “Singularity University”, is to be headed by Ray Kurzweil, whose predictions about the exponential pace of technological change have made him a controversial figure in technology circles.

Google and Nasa’s backing demonstrates the growing mainstream acceptance of Mr Kurzweil’s views, which include a claim that before the middle of this century artificial intelligence will outstrip human beings, ushering in a new era of civilisation.

To be housed at Nasa’s Ames Research Center, a stone’s-throw from the Googleplex, the Singularity University will offer courses on biotechnology, nano-technology and artificial intelligence.

The so-called “singularity” is a theorised period of rapid technological progress in the near future. Mr Kurzweil, an American inventor, popularised the term in his 2005 book “The Singularity is Near”.

Proponents say that during the singularity, machines will be able to improve themselves using artificial intelligence and that smarter-than-human computers will solve problems including energy scarcity, climate change and hunger.

Yet many critics call the singularity dangerous. Some worry that a malicious artificial intelligence might annihilate the human race.

Mr Kurzweil said the university was launching now because many technologies were approaching a moment of radical advancement. “We’re getting to the steep part of the curve,” said Mr Kurzweil. “It’s not just electronics and computers. It’s any technology where we can measure the information content, like genetics.”

The school is backed by Larry Page, Google co-founder, and Peter Diamandis, chief executive of X-Prize, an organisation which provides grants to support technological change.

“We are anchoring the university in what is in the lab today, with an understanding of what’s in the realm of possibility in the future,” said Mr Diamandis, who will be vice-chancellor. “The day before something is truly a breakthrough, it’s a crazy idea.”

Despite its title, the school will not be an accredited university. Instead, it will be modelled on the International Space University in Strasbourg, France, the interdisciplinary, multi-cultural school that Mr Diamandis helped establish in 1987.

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009

Battlestar Galactica - Has it 'Jumped the Shark'

The new Battlestar Galactic has been one of my favorite television shows of the past few years and perhaps ever, but has it finally jumped the shark?
Spoilers will follow, so don't read ahead if you are not caught up with the show and hope to watch it.

Battlestar was and is extremely well done. For a long time I thought the strength of the show is it didn't have to be a sci-fi show, it could have been set in another time and place and the elements that made it strong would have worked with minimal adjustment. The storytelling and acting was fantastic. While these elements remain strong, the show has gone further and further from it's roots. At the end of the 3rd season 4 Galactica crew members hear the Bob Dylan song 'All Along the Watchtower', representing that something has 'switched' in their brains and now they know there are Cylons? What!?! This has subsequently been explained, but I never fully bought it. There has been good stuff since that point in the show, some great stuff, but it was too far fetched on many different levels.

Everyone started wondering who is the 5th and Final Cylon. This is interesting, but none of this is what made the show interesting at the outset. We know who it is now and we found earth (which was very cool) and where are we headed now.

I'm not sure and the show could redeem itself by the end, time will tell.

Don't get me wrong, this remains one of my favorite TV shows and I'll watch it to the bitter end, but I think it may have lost a bit of it's luster. Ever since the end of the 3rd season when the four of the final five were revealed to be Cylons, it really lost something. My suspension of disbelief was pushed a bit too far. It's lead to some great stories as a result, but it's not quite the same.

Daily Show Clip about Bush and Obama

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Changefest '09 - Obama's Inaugural Speech

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

This was pretty funny. For those who are adamantly for or against either Obama or Bush, here's a clips showing striking similarities between them.

Mamma Mia

Shannon and I watched Mamma Mia on DVD a few weeks ago. It's the film version of the broadway show based on Abba songs. It was odd to see an old style musical with pop music of the late 70's and early 80's performed by big name actors like Meryl Streep, Stellan Skarsgård and Pierce Brosnan. To see Pierce Brosnan, aka James Bond, singing and dancing was a unique experience. I liked it, but it's definitely not for everyone, if you don't like musicals or if you don't like Abba, I'd steer clear.

However weather you are inclined to watch it or not, the closing credits feature the main cast including Pierce Brosnan singing and dancing in 70's disco garb. Had to be posted... Here it is.

Interaction with youngest son

I had a short conversation with my youngest son a few moments ago. I told him, "You make my heart feel very good."

He told me, "I know."

I laughed and asked, "How do you know?"

He said, "I'm a professional."

(too funny)

Vacation is almost over

Well my long Christmas vacation at home is nearly over and Tuesday I'll be back at work. I feel refreshed and kind of miss my work, but it doesn't compare to a week with my kids. It's my favorite week of the year.

Facebook

I've started dabbling with Facebook. I never thought I'd see the day, but I've actually done it. I gave it a try to view the wedding album of a friend and then people I know started coming out of the woodwork. I've connected with many old friends I lost touch with.

My Father's You Tube Channel

Here are videos my dad has posted on YouTube. It covers his real steam engine hobby and some of his machining tools.
http://www.youtube.com/user/ernietrainz

One more post - sever winter weather

Loads of ice very little snow. Yuck! Fortunately family driving to town for the holiday arrived safe and sound. Now family driving home from work just needs to take it slow and safe.

Merry Christmas

This is likely to be my last pre-Christmas blog entry, so Merry Christmas to all of my family and friends out there in internetland.

60,000 Piece Star Wars Diaorama

My dad forwarded this. Mark Borlase has built a 5' x 10' Hoth base diorama consisting of between 55,000 to 60,000 pieces of LEGO and containing 50 real lights and a remote controlled device that can deploy troops from the AT-ATs.

The diorama took 4 years to complete and cost over $3,000.

Middle Son's Birthday Cake

It's my middle son's birthday today. He's seven years old. His Grandma once again made a pretty amazing cake.

Feds take Gov. Blagojevich into custody

UPDATE: Source: Feds take Gov. Blagojevich into custody

A source said today that Gov. Rod Blagojevich was taken into federal custody at his North Side home this morning. The U.S. attorney's office would not confirm the information, and a spokesman for the governor did not immediately return a phone call for comment.

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I'm not a fan of our (Illinois) current governor. This is good news from my perspective.

After reading about this and listening to the press coverage all day I am convinced the Soprano's are running Illinois State government. The Blagojevich family sound more like Tony and Carmella Soprano than Tony and Carmella!


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Here is a link to the legal document related to all of this. Note the 'F-bomb' is dropped with some regularity.

Can You Guess What This Is?

Can you guess what this is?



.

.

.

.

.

Its a hard disk drive in 1956....


The Volume and Size of 5MB memory storage in 1956.

In September 1956 IBM launched the 305 RAMAC, the first computer with a hard disk drive (HDD). The HDD weighed over a ton and stored 5MB of data.

Makes you appreciate your 4 GB USB thumb drive, doesn't it?

8 years

Eight years ago I married the most wonderful woman in the world.

I know she reads my blog, so this goes out to my beautiful wife.

"Thanks for eight great years sweetheart. I love you."

Quantum of Solace

Quantum of Solace, the new James Bond film is out. It's pretty darn good. Between Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace I think the bond franchise is back on track. The writing is much improved, it's gritty and Daniel Craig is an outstanding James Bond. I hope the next film continues in the same style and tone. I was dubious about Daniel Craig, but all I can say now is WOW. He owns the part of Bond and he's right up there with Sean Connery.
The new Bond movies defiantly seem to take a page from the Jason Bourne movies in terms of style, but I've got no complaints, and would happily seem more.
My wife is not a huge James Bond movies and she's had nothing but good things to say about the new bond and the two most recent movies. That's high praise indeed.

The Future?

Following is a summary of a report predicting U.S. Dominance and Influence will fade in the next 15-20 years. I found the summary on foxnews.com but the full report is available here.

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The next two decades will see a world living with the daily threat of nuclear war, environmental catastrophe and the decline of America as the dominant global power, according to a frighteningly bleak assessment by the U.S. intelligence community.

"The world of the near future will be subject to an increased likelihood of conflict over resources, including food and water, and will be haunted by the persistence of rogue states and terrorist groups with greater access to nuclear weapons," said the report by the National Intelligence Council.

The analysts said that the report had been prepared in time for Barack Obama's entry into the Oval office on January 20, where he will be faced with some of the greatest challenges of any newly-elected president.

"The likelihood that nuclear weapons will be used will increase with expanded access to technology and a widening range of options for limited strikes," the 121-page assessment said.

Click here to read the report in full

The analysts draw attention to an already escalating nuclear arms race in the Middle East and anticipate that a growing number of rogue states will be prepared to share their destructive technology with terror groups.

"Over the next 15-20 years reactions to the decisions Iran makes about its nuclear program could cause a number of regional states to intensify these efforts and consider actively pursuing nuclear weapons," the report Global Trends 2025 said. "This will add a new and more dangerous dimension to what is likely to be increasing competition for influence within the region," it said.

The spread of nuclear capabilities will raise questions about the ability of weak states to safeguard them, it added. "If the number of nuclear-capable states increases, so will the number of countries potentially willing to provide nuclear assistance to other countries or to terrorists."

The report, a year in the making, said that global warming will aggravate the scarcity of water, food and energy resources. Citing a British study, it said that climate change could force up to 200 million people to migrate to more temperate zones. "Widening gaps in birth rates and wealth-to-poverty ratios, and the impact of climate change, could further exacerbate tensions," it said.

The report says the warming earth will extend Russia and Canada's growing season and ease their access to northern oil fields, strengthening their economies. But Russia's potential emergence as a world power may be clouded by lagging investment in its energy sector, persistent crime and government corruption, the report says.

"The international system will be almost unrecognizable by 2025, owing to the rise of emerging powers, a globalizing economy, a transfer of wealth from West to East, and the growing influence of non-state actors. Although the United States is likely to remain the single most powerful actor, the United States' relative strength -- even in the military realm -- will decline and US leverage will become more strained."

Global power will be multipolar with the rise of India and China, and the Korean peninsula will be unified in some form. Turning to the current financial situation, the analysts say that the financial crisis on Wall Street is the beginning of a global economic rebalancing.

The U.S. dollar's role as the major world currency will weaken to the point where it becomes a "first among equals."

"Strategic rivalries are most likely to revolve around trade, investments and technological innovation, but we cannot rule out a 19th-century-like scenario of arms races, territorial expansion and military rivalries." The report, based on a global survey of experts and trends, was more pessimistic about America's global status than previous outlooks prepared every four years. It said that outcomes will depend in part on the actions of political leaders. "The next 20 years of transition to a new system are fraught with risks," it said.

The analysts also give warning that the kind of organized crime plaguing Russia could eventually take over the government of an Eastern or Central European country, and that countries in Africa and South Asia may find themselves ungoverned, as states wither away under pressure from security threats and diminishing resources..

The intelligence community expects that terrorism would survive until 2025, but in slightly different form, suggesting that Al Qaeda's "terrorist wave" might be breaking up. "Al Qaeda's inability to attract broad-based support might cause it to decay sooner than people think," it said.

On a positive note it added that an alternative to oil might be in place by 2025.

Star Trek XI Trailer

Oh... this is where I will be next May.

Fire in Downtown Champaign, IL

There was a fire in a historic building in downtown Champaign, IL today. The law office my wife used to work in, Dobbins, Fraker, Tennant, Joy & Perlstein, was a few doors down from the fire. The law office suffered water and smoke damage. Photos from the local newspaper are online here.

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The following story is from the local newspaper, The News Gazette

DOWNTOWN BLAZE CONSUMES HISTORIC BUILDING
By Meg Thilmony and Mike Monson
Friday, November 7, 2008 9:43 AM CDT

CHAMPAIGN — The 1870s-era Metropolitan Building caught on fire early Friday morning, collapsing under the flames.

No injuries have been reported.
Advertisement

The intersection of Neil and Church streets will be closed all day, officials said. Neil Street southbound is blocked at Washington Street.

Flames were shooting 100 feet in the air when firefighters arrived at about 5:20, said Deputy Fire Chief Tim Wild. About 10 minutes after they arrived, the building collapsed.

The building, on the National Register of Historic Places, is at the southwest corner of Church and Neil streets. It most recently housed The Estate Sale and was under renovation.

The law office building just south of the Metropolitan also has suffered heavy damage, according to Wild.

Flames shoot from the Metropolitan Building at the corner of Main and Neil streets in downtown Champaign early Friday morning.

Renee Monfort, a partner in the law firm of Dobbins Fraker Tennant Joy & Perlstein, said the building at 215 N. Neil St. had smoke, fire and water damage.

"We had fire on the third floor and the roof; there's water damage throughout. There's water on the first floor and ceiling tiles have collapsed," and firefighters are concerned the north wall will collapse, Monfort said.

Larry Happ of the city's building safety division said, "You can see through" the north wall of the law office. He said the city has brought in a structural engineer to evaluate the building and wall.

"We don't want the roof collapsing," he said.

Several streets leading to the heart of Champaign were blocked, and fire hoses snaked down Main Street in front of One Main. Bricks from the collapsed building lay across the street all the way to M2 on Neil development.

Windows at M2 were cracked from the heat.

Power is out to the 200 block of North Neil Street, according to fire department spokeswoman Dena Schumacher. The department will bring in another ladder truck to spray down the building, which she said is full of embers.

Investigators won't be able to seek the cause until all the embers have been extinguished and they can get in the building, Schumacher said.

"It could be days," she said, adding that firefighters may be dealing with hot spots all day.

She planned to work with business owners to get them into their buildings.

Wild said there was no one in the building, and there were no injuries. He said the Metropolitan Building was under construction, so it didn’t have the same fire protection features as a normal building.

Firefighters knew they couldn’t save the building, so they focused their efforts on containing the fire, Wild said. Ladder trucks sprayed a steady stream of water on the building directly south of the Metropolitan Building, as the rising sun illuminated the scene. That building’s roof had been on fire, Wild said, and firefighters were checking the building out for more fire.

Embers flew around the Champaign area and started a small fire on the roof of the Orpheum Children’s Science Museum, a block away. That fire was quickly put out, Wild said, but firefighters were looking inside the building to make sure the fire didn’t spread.

In addition to the Champaign department, firefighters from Urbana, Savoy, Edge Scott, Eastern Prairie and St. Joseph assisted.

Ben Wagner lives in an apartment above Guido’s, 2 E. Main St., across the street from the Metropolitan Building. He said he was still awake from working at SOMA, a downtown bar, when he realized about 5:15 a.m. something was wrong.

“There were flames coming out of the second story. There were windows popping out. I called 911 and they said they had already heard about it." he said. "About two or three minutes later, police got here and about a minute later the first fire engine pulled up and started to pour water on it."

“Pretty quickly, the majority of the facade came down. It was pretty scary.”

Carlos Nieto, owner of Guido’s and several other downtown bars, was watching the fire from Main Street before 6 a.m. He said the heat from the fire had cracked windows at Guido’s, but that he expected to be open today.

“Most of the damage to our building is superficial,” Nieto said. We should be OK.”
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MORE PICTURES
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Author Michael Crichton dead at 66

I have read almost all of Chichton's books and have greatly enjoyed his writing.

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NEW YORK (AP) - The family of Michael Crichton, the million-selling author of such historic and prehistoric science fantasies as "Jurassic Park," "Timeline" and "The Andromeda Strain," says the author has died in Los Angeles.

Crichton died Tuesday at age 66. He had been privately battling cancer, his family said.

"Through his books, Michael Crichton served as an inspiration to students of all ages, challenged scientists in many fields, and illuminated the mysteries of the world in a way we could all understand," his family said in a statement.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Giant Spider eats bird

Odd news story out of Australia. A very large spider eats a bird. Supposedly there is video out there too but the spider could not finish his meal.

Cousin's Web Site

My cousin, Kevin Gould, has a web site up with his modeling photos and acting resume/credits. Way to go Kevin! Here's a link to the site: http://www.kevingouldonline.com/

Cookies from ISA Certification Department

Bruce and I received a nice cookie bouquet from the ISA certification team in response for some work we have been doing for them. It was a terrific and appreciated surprise. I've attached a pair of photos.

The card read, 'Ernie + Bruce - Thank you for all your hard work. we appreciate it. You Rock, The Certification Team'.

Very cool!

Star Trek Episode Song

I found this on YouTube. Some guy wrote a song including the name of every episode of Star Trek the Next Generation. If you know me, you know I am a big Star Trek fan and this video just had to be posted.

The Snuggie Cult

Anyone seen this commercial. It's too funny. This is going on both of my blogs.

This is a real product, but it makes these people look like they are in a cult.