Feb 5, 2011
Bottled Water Causes Cavities
That's a headline I recently read. The reason shown was that those who drink only bottled and filtered water do not get the fluoride that is in tap water. Governments began adding fluoride in water in the 1940s and incidents of cavities dropped almost by half. Lately, some researchers have concluded that their might be too much fluoride in water and are discussing the appropriate amounts to be added. Seems like another unintended consequence of the green movement.
Happy Birthday Robots
The word is 90 years old. In 1921, a play about robots premiered at the National Theater in Prague, then capital of Czechoslovakia. The word stems from the Czech word robota meaning forced labor, drudgery, and servitude. The robots in Capek’s play were molded out of a chemical batter, and they looked exactly like humans.
Even before the word was invented, Leonardo da Vinci's 1495 sketch of a mechanical knight, which could sit up and move its arms and legs, is considered to be the first plan for a humanoid robot.
Robots do many things these days, such as clean floors, build and paint cars, harvest crops, play chess, act as prosthetics, and perform operations.
Isaac Asimov developed what have become the three universal rules for robots.
# A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
# A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
# A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
Danger, danger Will Robinson, this is beginning to ramble.
Even before the word was invented, Leonardo da Vinci's 1495 sketch of a mechanical knight, which could sit up and move its arms and legs, is considered to be the first plan for a humanoid robot.
Robots do many things these days, such as clean floors, build and paint cars, harvest crops, play chess, act as prosthetics, and perform operations.
Isaac Asimov developed what have become the three universal rules for robots.
# A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
# A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
# A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
Danger, danger Will Robinson, this is beginning to ramble.
Killed by a Robot
In 1979, A 25-year-old Ford Motor assembly line worker is killed on the job in a Flat Rock, Michigan, casting plant. It’s the first recorded human death by robot. Williams died instantly in 1979 when the robot’s arm slammed him as he was gathering parts in a storage facility, where the robot also retrieved parts. His family was awarded a generous sum in compensation.
Cheesburgers in a Can
The world’s first cheeseburger in a can is sold by Katadyn’s Trekking-Mahlzeiten, a subsidiary company that develops specialist ready-meals for the outdoor, expedition and extreme athlete markets.
Instructions say to simply throw the can into a water container over a fire, give it a minute or two, fish it out, open the lid, and eat. It has a shelf life of twelve months without refrigeration and is billed as the ideal fast food treat for the wilderness. This is probably the fifth best thing since canned bacon.
Instructions say to simply throw the can into a water container over a fire, give it a minute or two, fish it out, open the lid, and eat. It has a shelf life of twelve months without refrigeration and is billed as the ideal fast food treat for the wilderness. This is probably the fifth best thing since canned bacon.
Photo Tagging
Google and Facebook have options called photo tagging. When someone posts a picture, then names you as being in the picture, you have been tagged. Behind this is new cutting-edge facial-recognition software to enhance their photo editing and sharing services.
Both firms encourage users to assign names to people in photos. Facial-recognition software then goes to work indexing facial features like a fingerprint expert indexes swirls in a thumbprint. Once you are tagged in a photo, the software looks for similar facial features in untagged photos. This allows users to quickly group photos in which you appear. Google and Facebook say privacy is protected because photo tagging is designed strictly for use by individual consumers within their personal accounts. May be fun, but also scary. Caveat Emptor.
Both firms encourage users to assign names to people in photos. Facial-recognition software then goes to work indexing facial features like a fingerprint expert indexes swirls in a thumbprint. Once you are tagged in a photo, the software looks for similar facial features in untagged photos. This allows users to quickly group photos in which you appear. Google and Facebook say privacy is protected because photo tagging is designed strictly for use by individual consumers within their personal accounts. May be fun, but also scary. Caveat Emptor.
Speaking of Tagging
Did you know smartphones equipped with GPS location finders "geotag" photos and videos. It embeds images with the longitude and latitude of the location shown in the image. If you take a picture in your house and post it on the web, you are actually giving away your address to the world. If someone takes your picture with a non-descript background, the information in the photo still shows where you were when the picture was taken. Another reason for not getting your picture taken if you are someplace where you should not be. GPS for driving instructions Good. GPS for anything else Bad.
Bacon on Steroids
That's the only way to describe these videos. My niece Kalyn sent me this LINK from a site that is the baconiest, manliest, greasiest bunch of goodness this side of heaven. Their meals make turducken seem like tofu. OK, I know only 1% of you will go look, but I had to share.
Jack LaLane
He was the first to have a nationally syndicated exercise show on television and the to have athletes (men and women) working out with weights. He was also the first to sell vitamins and exercise equipment on TV.
Here are a few of his feats.
He could do 1,033 push-ups. In 23 minutes. At the age of 42.
Age 40: Swam the length of the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge underwater with 140 pounds of equipment, including two air tanks.
Age 44: Maneuvered a paddleboard 30 miles, 9-½ hours non-stop from Farallon Islands to the San Francisco shore.
Age 45: Completed 1,000 pushups and 1,000 chin-ups in 1 hours and 22 minutes.
At 60, he swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman's Wharf while handcuffed and pulling a 1,000-pound boat.
On his 70th birthday, he swam a mile and a half through the Long Beach Harbor while towing a flotilla of 70 boats. His hands and feet were shackled.
Money Fact
If we spent a dollar a second, it would take more than 31,000 years to spend a trillion dollars. A trillion $10 bills, if they were taped end to end, would wrap around the globe more than 380 times. In 2010, the U.S. government issued almost as much new debt as the rest of the governments of the world combined. The latest budget anticipates $5.08 trillion in deficits over the next 5 years.
Jan 28, 2011
Taxing Matters
Here are a few of the tax changes you might be affected by this year.
• Income taxes. Same as 2010, but the brackets are a bit higher Expires: end of 2012.
• 'Stealth' income taxes. Affluent taxpayers won't have deductions reduced. The old Pease limit cut 3% of itemized deductions and PEP cut the personal exemption, which is $3,700 for 2011. Expires: end of 2012.
• Investment taxes..For taxpayers in the 15% income tax bracket and below, the rate is zero. For those in the 25% bracket and above, the rate is 15% Expires: end of 2012.
• Estate and gift taxes. Top rate of 35% and one exemption of $5 million per individual for estate, gift and generation-skipping taxes. Expires: end of 2012. The annual exclusion for tax-free gifts remains $13,000 per donor. A giver may make an unlimited number of $13,000 gifts, as long as they are to different individuals. Gifts of tuition and payments for medical care also are exempt.
• Payroll taxes. A temporary two-percentage-point cut in the employee's share of Social Security taxes, saving a maximum of $2,136 per worker.No upper limit and each partner of a married couple can get the rebate. Expires: end of 2011. Will show up as an automatic adjustment to withholding. For the self-employed (whose tax rate falls to 10.4% from 12.4%), it will be built into a quarterly withholding worksheet the IRS hopes to release soon.
• Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). The AMT exemption limit is $47,450 for single filers and $74,450 for married couples Expires: end of 2011.
• Roth IRA conversion. The income limit for conversions has been permanently removed, so this year all taxpayers may still convert ordinary IRAs into Roth IRAs. But taxpayers who convert to Roth IRAs in 2011 no longer have the option of deferring conversion income into later years, as was true for 2010 conversions. Those who converted in 2010 do have until next Oct. 17 to decide whether to use this deferral.
• Foreign-account reporting. A new IRS reporting requirement on those with foreign financial assets above $50,000 in 2011. Details remain unclear, as the IRS hasn't yet issued regulations.
• Medical expenses. Workers with Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) may no longer use pretax funds to pay for many over-the-counter medicines—aside from insulin—without a prescription. But FSA funds may still be used for other, nonprescription medical items such as crutches, contact-lens solution or a wig after chemotherapy, if the individual plan allows it.
• Energy tax credits for homeowners. Extended the "25(C)" credit for energy-efficient improvements, but in a way that will be useful to few. The amount of the credit has shrunk to a maximum of $500 per taxpayer per lifetime, so those who took last year's $1,500 credit under this provision don't qualify. The current version expires at the end of 2011.
• Other changes. A deduction for state sales taxes in lieu of the state income tax deduction; and the tax-free donation of IRA proceeds to charity. They expire at the end of 2011. The American Opportunity Tax Credit of up to $2,500 for education expenses was renewed for 2011 and 2012.
• Income taxes. Same as 2010, but the brackets are a bit higher Expires: end of 2012.
• 'Stealth' income taxes. Affluent taxpayers won't have deductions reduced. The old Pease limit cut 3% of itemized deductions and PEP cut the personal exemption, which is $3,700 for 2011. Expires: end of 2012.
• Investment taxes..For taxpayers in the 15% income tax bracket and below, the rate is zero. For those in the 25% bracket and above, the rate is 15% Expires: end of 2012.
• Estate and gift taxes. Top rate of 35% and one exemption of $5 million per individual for estate, gift and generation-skipping taxes. Expires: end of 2012. The annual exclusion for tax-free gifts remains $13,000 per donor. A giver may make an unlimited number of $13,000 gifts, as long as they are to different individuals. Gifts of tuition and payments for medical care also are exempt.
• Payroll taxes. A temporary two-percentage-point cut in the employee's share of Social Security taxes, saving a maximum of $2,136 per worker.No upper limit and each partner of a married couple can get the rebate. Expires: end of 2011. Will show up as an automatic adjustment to withholding. For the self-employed (whose tax rate falls to 10.4% from 12.4%), it will be built into a quarterly withholding worksheet the IRS hopes to release soon.
• Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). The AMT exemption limit is $47,450 for single filers and $74,450 for married couples Expires: end of 2011.
• Roth IRA conversion. The income limit for conversions has been permanently removed, so this year all taxpayers may still convert ordinary IRAs into Roth IRAs. But taxpayers who convert to Roth IRAs in 2011 no longer have the option of deferring conversion income into later years, as was true for 2010 conversions. Those who converted in 2010 do have until next Oct. 17 to decide whether to use this deferral.
• Foreign-account reporting. A new IRS reporting requirement on those with foreign financial assets above $50,000 in 2011. Details remain unclear, as the IRS hasn't yet issued regulations.
• Medical expenses. Workers with Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) may no longer use pretax funds to pay for many over-the-counter medicines—aside from insulin—without a prescription. But FSA funds may still be used for other, nonprescription medical items such as crutches, contact-lens solution or a wig after chemotherapy, if the individual plan allows it.
• Energy tax credits for homeowners. Extended the "25(C)" credit for energy-efficient improvements, but in a way that will be useful to few. The amount of the credit has shrunk to a maximum of $500 per taxpayer per lifetime, so those who took last year's $1,500 credit under this provision don't qualify. The current version expires at the end of 2011.
• Other changes. A deduction for state sales taxes in lieu of the state income tax deduction; and the tax-free donation of IRA proceeds to charity. They expire at the end of 2011. The American Opportunity Tax Credit of up to $2,500 for education expenses was renewed for 2011 and 2012.
Arkansas Tattoo Tax
Since 2005, anyone in Arkansas wanting to get a tattoo or a nose ring has to pay an additional 6 percent, as the state included tattooing and body piercing in its list of services subject to sales taxes.
Looking Back
Rrrewind provides a way to look back at social media's past, letting you browse the archives of the most popular items posted to sites like delicious, Reddit, YouTube, Hulu, and more.
Using Rrrewind is pretty simple. Upon visiting the site you'll be presented with the popular posts from yesterday, currently defaulting to delicious. You can switch between different sites via the left hand menu, or visit the archives by clicking the link in the upper right hand corner. Currently Rrrewind's archives date back to June 29th, 2009 for delicious, but it varies depending on the site. If you're looking for old, popular social media, Rrrewind is a great place to find it.
Using Rrrewind is pretty simple. Upon visiting the site you'll be presented with the popular posts from yesterday, currently defaulting to delicious. You can switch between different sites via the left hand menu, or visit the archives by clicking the link in the upper right hand corner. Currently Rrrewind's archives date back to June 29th, 2009 for delicious, but it varies depending on the site. If you're looking for old, popular social media, Rrrewind is a great place to find it.
What's in a Name
Austin, Texas was originally named Waterloo until the capital of the Republic of Texas was moved there in 1839. That same year, Texas became the first nation in the world to enact a homestead exemption, under which a person's primary residence could not be seized by creditors. In 1845, the United States annexed Texas. As part of the deal, Texas dropped claims to parts of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Wyoming,
Jan 25, 2011
Nutrition Labels
Another benefit of the new Healthcare Reform (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) mandate is more labels for us to read. Get ready for those small print signs and menus in fast food places and restaurants to get smaller. The new government labeling for nutritional value is upon us. Restaurants are required to post mandated nutrition labels on menus if they have 20 locations or more. Rules vary by state. Home delivery packages are exempted from the label rules.
According to "Choices" magazine, 54 percent of consumers say they read nutrition labels and use the information to make purchasing decisions. That number is up 24 points since 1990, but there's been no observed decrease in obesity rates.
If it is true that two thirds of the people in this country are overweight, then it is logically also true that the remaining third are abnormal. Maybe this is really a reverse psychology to bring them up to normal.
Letting consumers know exactly how many calories are in their food is likely to do little to change their eating habits. Study results show that adding nutritional information to menus does not change consumer behavior. Average sales and average calories per sale did not change. One study suggests that some restaurants may reduce their portion size to keep the calories down. Hmmm, do I really want that juicy steak that I came here for, or should I just have a celery stick? Maybe I should stick to places with less than 20 locations.
According to "Choices" magazine, 54 percent of consumers say they read nutrition labels and use the information to make purchasing decisions. That number is up 24 points since 1990, but there's been no observed decrease in obesity rates.
If it is true that two thirds of the people in this country are overweight, then it is logically also true that the remaining third are abnormal. Maybe this is really a reverse psychology to bring them up to normal.
Letting consumers know exactly how many calories are in their food is likely to do little to change their eating habits. Study results show that adding nutritional information to menus does not change consumer behavior. Average sales and average calories per sale did not change. One study suggests that some restaurants may reduce their portion size to keep the calories down. Hmmm, do I really want that juicy steak that I came here for, or should I just have a celery stick? Maybe I should stick to places with less than 20 locations.
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