Here is an interesting site. It is a storeless shopping site where manufacturers display their household items directly. Coupons, if available, are subtracted from purchases and always free shipping. The idea is big savings by factory direct with multiple manufactures, like Tide, etc.
Manufacturers set their own prices and receive all of that revenue. The site makes money by giving the companies spending data, advertising space, and distributing samples for them to targeted customers. It allows price comparisons and just opened in June, so might have a few bugs for a while, but an interesting concept to save money on the mundane items we use everyday. Sorry, not available in Alaska or Hawaii.
Jul 18, 2009
Virtual Humans
A European project called the Virtual Physiological Human (VPH) is designed to foster, harmonize and integrate pan-European research in the field of patient-specific computer models for personalized and predictive healthcare and ICT-based tools for modeling and simulation of human physiology and disease-related processes.
It plans a simulation of human organs and new knowledge extraction, methods. The idea is to end of animal testing and eventually even clinical patient drug trials.
There are 13 institutions involved in the VPH initiative and it will allow a wide range of academic, clinical, and industrial researchers to investigate the human body as a single complex system. They will be able to use the VPH network's expanding database of computer simulation data to develop better diagnosis and treatment methods, including using mathematical modelling to suggest solutions to currently unsolved biomedical problems.
The Virtual Physiological Human is an initiative that's being funded with 72 million Euros ($100 mil) by the EU. It could revolutionize medical science in the 21st century. It's expected that substantial advances in this field will be made during the next ten years in a range of diseases, from cancer to others. Can you imagine what the US could accomplish if we didn't have to spend an additional $1.6 Trillion on political healthcare issues?
It plans a simulation of human organs and new knowledge extraction, methods. The idea is to end of animal testing and eventually even clinical patient drug trials.
There are 13 institutions involved in the VPH initiative and it will allow a wide range of academic, clinical, and industrial researchers to investigate the human body as a single complex system. They will be able to use the VPH network's expanding database of computer simulation data to develop better diagnosis and treatment methods, including using mathematical modelling to suggest solutions to currently unsolved biomedical problems.
The Virtual Physiological Human is an initiative that's being funded with 72 million Euros ($100 mil) by the EU. It could revolutionize medical science in the 21st century. It's expected that substantial advances in this field will be made during the next ten years in a range of diseases, from cancer to others. Can you imagine what the US could accomplish if we didn't have to spend an additional $1.6 Trillion on political healthcare issues?
How Big Is It?
The US is about half the size of Russia, three-tenths the size of Africa, half the size of South America, slightly larger than Brazil, slightly larger than China, and more than twice the size of the European Union. 90% of the continental United States is still open space or farmland.
Computer on a Keyboard
Coming out in August '09, this is an interesting idea from Asus.Everything is self contained under the keyboard and the whole thing weighs 2 pounds. The only problem I see is the measly 5 inch touch screen on the right of the keyboard. Of course, it can be hooked up to any monitor or the TV and it comes either wireless or wired and can run Windows. It comes with a microphone and a set of speakers and will probably cost about $400. Might be a good way to marry your PC and TV and do emails during commercials.
Chicken and Egg Solved
According to Genesis 1:20-22 the chicken came before the egg. "And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that hath life. . . It doesn't say, "Let there be eggs."
Juice is Bad for Teeth
Whitening teeth is increasing and Eastman Institute did a study to see if there are negative effects on teeth from using whitening products.
The team determined that the effects of 6 percent hydrogen peroxide, the common ingredient in professional and over-the-counter whitening products, are insignificant compared to acidic fruit juices.
It has long been known that juice and sodas have high acid content, and can negatively affect enamel hardness. The acid in orange juice markedly decreases hardness by 84% and increases roughness of tooth enamel. No significant change in hardness or surface enamel was found from whitening.
People who sip their drinks slowly over 20 minutes are more likely to have tooth erosion than those who finish a drink quickly.
Jul 13, 2009
Billy Mays
Many will miss the appearances of pitchman Billy Mays, but of course, there is always more to say.A few months ago, he felt another pitchman ripped him off, Vince Shlomi (Offer) of Shamwow fame. In a radio interview on Feb. 10, 2009, Billy claimed that the popular Shamwow trod on the turf of Zorbeez, a super-absorbent towel he promoted in a separate infomercial two years prior. Mays suggested the two settle the score via a pitch-off. Mays predicted the outcome, "Shampow!"
Popular Mechanics magazine actually conducted its own test and put the rival rags head-to-head in a spill test of some blueberry beer. It also soaked snow puddles and clocked drying times.
The Verdict was Shamwow, by a mile. The Shamwow soaked three paper towels' worth of blueberry beer on a single swipe as Zorbeez pushed the liquid off the edge of the table. After one use, the Zorbeez began shedding fibrous blonde tufts, while the Shamwow retained its rubbery integrity. Sorry Billy, I use Shamwow and agree it works.
PS - Sincere condolences to the Mays family. We will all miss him.
Potato Chips are sooo Good
True - Oklahoma City resident Lahuma Smith, pled no contest to prostitution charges that she traded sex for a box of Frito-Lay potato chips.
According to the police report, undercover officers noticed Smith was flashing her headlights to 'catch' a date. They followed her car and found her with her blouse open and a man in the passenger seat pulling his pants up.
The man told police he was having marital problems and she told police the man said he was looking for company, but he didn’t have any money, so she agreed to be paid with a $30 case of Frito-Lay chips he had in his car. As much as I love potato chips, this one is not right. . . and they weren't even Better Made or Granny Goose potato chips.
According to the police report, undercover officers noticed Smith was flashing her headlights to 'catch' a date. They followed her car and found her with her blouse open and a man in the passenger seat pulling his pants up.
The man told police he was having marital problems and she told police the man said he was looking for company, but he didn’t have any money, so she agreed to be paid with a $30 case of Frito-Lay chips he had in his car. As much as I love potato chips, this one is not right. . . and they weren't even Better Made or Granny Goose potato chips.
My Life is Worth What?
Remember that nasty little word - rationing - that keeps rearing its ugly head? Well, here is a bit more food for thought. The decision to use expensive cancer therapies that typically produce only a relatively short extension of survival is a serious ethical dilemma in the US being debated by the oncology community published, June 29 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
The authors show cost-benefit relationships for several cancer drugs. They ask, "Is an additional 1.7 months a benefit regardless of costs and side effects?" (They don't answer a benefit to whom.)
According to the article, one drug was found to extend life by 1.2 months and cost an average of $80,000, which translates into an expenditure of $800,000 to prolong the life of one patient by 1 year. They describe how much it might cost to extend the lives of 550,000 Americans who die of cancer annually, by 1 year.
They recommend that studies to detect a survival advantage of two months or less should test only interventions that can be marketed at a cost of less than $20,000 for a course of treatment.
Every life is of infinite value, the authors say, but spiraling costs of cancer care makes this dilemma inescapable. I thought this was against the Hippocratic oath, so went to find out exactly what the oath says. Seems there are multiple versions and all physicians do not even take the oath. They believe it is outdated and less than relevant these days.
The authors show cost-benefit relationships for several cancer drugs. They ask, "Is an additional 1.7 months a benefit regardless of costs and side effects?" (They don't answer a benefit to whom.)
According to the article, one drug was found to extend life by 1.2 months and cost an average of $80,000, which translates into an expenditure of $800,000 to prolong the life of one patient by 1 year. They describe how much it might cost to extend the lives of 550,000 Americans who die of cancer annually, by 1 year.
They recommend that studies to detect a survival advantage of two months or less should test only interventions that can be marketed at a cost of less than $20,000 for a course of treatment.
Every life is of infinite value, the authors say, but spiraling costs of cancer care makes this dilemma inescapable. I thought this was against the Hippocratic oath, so went to find out exactly what the oath says. Seems there are multiple versions and all physicians do not even take the oath. They believe it is outdated and less than relevant these days.
Weighing Atoms
Did you know we can now weigh a single atom? European researchers have built a device that can do just that. It may ultimately allow scientists to study the progress of chemical reactions, molecule by molecule. They believe they can push the technology to detect the mass of a single nucleon - a proton or neutron.
Carbon nanotubes are ultra-thin fibres of carbon made from thin sheets of carbon only one atom thick, known as graphene, and rolled into a tube only a few nanometres across. Even the thickest is more than a thousand times thinner than a human hair and are 1000 times stronger than steel. And I thought only Superman was stronger than steel.
Jul 9, 2009
Profound Thoughts
Here is a copy of Chapter one from one of my new books. This the first in a series of compiled great thoughts from great minds. Hope you enjoy.
You can click on the arrows above the book to turn pages or place the hand cursor to the right side of the page and click to turn. Also, there is a little box above the book at the top right that you can click to see the book in full page mode.
Profound Thoughts 1x
You can click on the arrows above the book to turn pages or place the hand cursor to the right side of the page and click to turn. Also, there is a little box above the book at the top right that you can click to see the book in full page mode.
Profound Thoughts 1x
Jul 3, 2009
Self Serving
I just had another book published on Amazon, 'Number One Book of Wacky Lists' - Should have the search inside feature available within about ten days. It's a hilarious compendium of lists from the sublime to the absurd. Interesting facts and bits of wisdom, humor, and just plain common sense.
Something for everyone to enjoy. . . and it is only $9.99. Check it out, you might like it.
PS - There is a link on the left for all my books.
Something for everyone to enjoy. . . and it is only $9.99. Check it out, you might like it.
PS - There is a link on the left for all my books.
July 4th
Happy 4th of July tomorrow. Let's remember what Independence Day is really all about, even if they call it just another paid day off in Washington, where they have traded in Free Speech for Cheap Talk.
Salute
Armored knights raised their visors to identify themselves when they rode past their king. This custom has become the modern military salute and soldiers from every country salute with their right hand.
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