A Question About Homeopathy
Viktor Poór asks a good question about Homeopathy:
You can read more about the “science” underlying homeopathy here.
hoopyfrood.org
The Blog at The End of the Universe : Musings on Life, the Universe and EverythingArchive for May, 2010
Ken Robinson’s 2010 TED Talk
First, there was the original TED Talk in 2006, about Creativity and Education. (highly recommended)
Then there was a followup about Changing Paradigms in Education.
Now comes Ken Robinson’s new TED Talk. If you haven’t already seen it, you really should watch the 2006 TEDTalk first.
My initial impressions are: The talk was pretty good, he’s a great speaker. He did rehash a lot of points from his 2006 talk though. Still a great Talk.
Geomorphology and Pi
I learned something cool from the book I’m reading
I did not know this, but apparently there is a reasonably consistent ratio between the length of rivers from source to mouth, and their direct length as the crow flies.
Draw Muhammed Day
Today is Draw Muhammed Day.
Why would you Draw Muhammed? Because some people get offended and say you can’t.
You know whats offensive? Killing or attacking people because of a drawing. Censoring people who are exercising their right to free speech, as if free speech is allowed only when it does not offend you.
This event has taken off in a big way. Draw Muhammed Day started off as a couple of kids trying to make a point using a Facebook group. The idea caught on, and it has cannonballed into something big and controversial, you’re going to see a lot of Muhammed pictures across the internet today. Some countries have gone to the extent of banning Facebook and some websites. If moderate Muslims truly believe in free speech, they ought to be supporting the people who are drawing these images, even if they don’t necessarily like them.
Here is my own random rendition of Mo. I was kind of imagining Jesus and Mo in Vegas, having a good time before one of them marries a nine year old. But didn’t think stick figures would get it across. So, for what it’s worth, here is Muhammed in a poker game.
Death Threats to the usual address: here (NSFW)
On Crocs
Crocs are the ugliest footwear I’ve ever seen in my life. They’re an insult to good taste. I recently bought a pair.
Not real crocs though. Spending ~$28 on a pair of rubber sandals seemed excessive. They’re $6 Wal-mart discount bin knockoffs. But I think they’ll do the job. Turns out, Crocs are really good as a second pair of outdoor footwear (first pair being your boots). They work in a lot of conditions. What they have going for them is that they protect your toes, will let you get your feet wet but dry out almost instantaneously, and stay on your feet, like sandals. I hear real crocs are pretty comfortable too.
What would I use these for?
- Backpacking. Because of the nice thick sole, they make great camp shoes. Better than the flipflops I used to carry. The knockoffs weigh about 210 grams for the pair. Real crocs weigh about 350 grams, which was way too much weight for a second pair of footwear. (I backpack ultralight, and every gram matters). They’re a little bulky, but I can just strap them to the outside of my pack.
- Travel. They make good shower shoes for grungy hostels. I don’t really wear them much while walking around and exploring, I prefer boots, but these seem durable and they’d probably be good for casual walks.
- Portaging. On canoe expeditions. Don’t want to get your boots wet? Crocs won’t get swept off your feet by the current when you pull your canoe in, dry out quickly, and work reasonably well when walking. Little bits of dirt and rock will get in through the holes, but it’s manageable.
by Gaddis
by Harris
by Sachs
