Many do not like jury duty, but did you
know you can perform jury duty from the comfort of your own home
and make money doing it?
Lawyers will post a
case summary and verdict questions to the OnlineVerdict, with
the option of having 25 or 50 jury-eligible people review the
case facts and provide feedback on the case issues. Registered
jurors in the venue the case was filed will receive an email
invitation to review the case, and when completed, will
receive payment for their time. Juror feedback is tabulated
and presented to the lawyer or legal professional who posted
the case.
Each case review may
take anywhere from 20-60 minutes to complete depending on the
length of the case summary and the number of attorney-provided
questions. Juror payment amounts ($20-$60) reflect the amount
of time estimated to review a case. The web site for more info
is LINK
Feb 24, 2017
Robo Marimba
Here is something you do not see every day. It
is a robot that plays music in relation to what human musicians
are playing.
Shimon, engineer Guy Hoffman’s robot musician, does not play programmed music, it improvises in ensembles with human players, communicating with a expressive head and favoring musical ideas that are unlikely to be chosen by humans, so as to lead the performance in genuinely novel directions.
The robot combines computational modeling of music perception, interaction, and improvisation, with the capacity to produce melodic acoustic responses in physical and visual manners. Shimon has performed with human musicians in dozens of concerts and festivals from DLD in Munich Germany, the US Science Festival in Washington DC, the Bumbershoot Festival in Seattle WA, and Google IO in San Francisco. Georgia Tech Center for Music Technology is Shimon’s patron.
Here is a three minute example of the pleasant outcome. LINK
Shimon, engineer Guy Hoffman’s robot musician, does not play programmed music, it improvises in ensembles with human players, communicating with a expressive head and favoring musical ideas that are unlikely to be chosen by humans, so as to lead the performance in genuinely novel directions.
The robot combines computational modeling of music perception, interaction, and improvisation, with the capacity to produce melodic acoustic responses in physical and visual manners. Shimon has performed with human musicians in dozens of concerts and festivals from DLD in Munich Germany, the US Science Festival in Washington DC, the Bumbershoot Festival in Seattle WA, and Google IO in San Francisco. Georgia Tech Center for Music Technology is Shimon’s patron.
Here is a three minute example of the pleasant outcome. LINK
Wordology, Roughshod
We see this word in the expression "to run/ride roughshod" over somebody or something, meaning to tyrannize or treat harshly.
It came about as a way to describe the 17th century version of snow tires. A "rough-shod" horse had its shoes attached with protruding nail heads in order to get a better grip on slippery roads. It was great for keeping the horse on its feet, but not so great for anyone the horse might step on.
It came about as a way to describe the 17th century version of snow tires. A "rough-shod" horse had its shoes attached with protruding nail heads in order to get a better grip on slippery roads. It was great for keeping the horse on its feet, but not so great for anyone the horse might step on.
Feb 19, 2017
Happy Friday
Smiles are like honey, sweet to the soul, and health to the
bones.
I always share sweet smiles, especially on a Happy Friday!
I always share sweet smiles, especially on a Happy Friday!
Gravity Myth
Many
believe there is no gravity in space. Astronauts appear weightless
in space, so there is an assumption that space is a place with
zero gravity. That assumption carries no weight.
There is less gravity in space, but the idea that there is none is factually incorrect. There is gravity on Earth, on the moon, and on the sun. It all around us. The reason why space allows humans to be weightless is because they are gravitating toward the Earth at the same rate as their ships.
There is less gravity in space, but the idea that there is none is factually incorrect. There is gravity on Earth, on the moon, and on the sun. It all around us. The reason why space allows humans to be weightless is because they are gravitating toward the Earth at the same rate as their ships.
Coffee Grounds Uses
Coffee grounds serve a dual purpose
when it comes to cleaning pots and pans. Grounds attract and
absorb grease and oil, making them an ideal candidate, with dish
soap for removing excess grease from a pan.
Coffee
attracts worms and their presence means a healthy garden. Also,
the acidity in the grounds keeps snails and slugs away. The
grounds alter the pH level of soil, which can result in new
colors for flowers.
Sprinkling grounds over wood before setting a fire can stop ashes from flying around.
After rinsing your hands, scrub them with used grounds, and then wash to remove the smell of garlic or fish from them. The grounds exfoliate your skin and remove dead tissue, which is where much of the smell resides.
Coffee grounds as a skin scrub can help revitalize your face and reduce cellulite.
Put a bowl of grounds in the back of the fridge, and another in the freezer. Some people argue that raw grounds work as the best deodorizer, while others claim used grounds are best. Try a half-and-half mixture.
Sprinkling grounds over wood before setting a fire can stop ashes from flying around.
After rinsing your hands, scrub them with used grounds, and then wash to remove the smell of garlic or fish from them. The grounds exfoliate your skin and remove dead tissue, which is where much of the smell resides.
Coffee grounds as a skin scrub can help revitalize your face and reduce cellulite.
Put a bowl of grounds in the back of the fridge, and another in the freezer. Some people argue that raw grounds work as the best deodorizer, while others claim used grounds are best. Try a half-and-half mixture.
Millennials overtake Baby Boomers
It finally happened,
Millennials are now America’s largest generation according to
population estimates from the US Census Bureau. Millennials,
those ages 18-34 in 2015, now number 75.4 million, surpassing
the 74.9 million Baby Boomers, ages 51-69. Generation X, ages
35-50 in 2015 is projected to pass the Boomers in population by
2028.
The Millennial generation continues to grow as young immigrants expand its ranks. Boomers, whose generation was defined by the boom in US births following World War II are older and their numbers shrinking as their number of deaths exceeds the number of older immigrants arriving in the country. With immigration adding more numbers to its group than any other, the Millennial population is projected to peak in 2036 at 81.1 million.
Pew Research Center established that the oldest Millennial was born in 1981 and the youngest Millennial was born in 1997.
The Millennial generation continues to grow as young immigrants expand its ranks. Boomers, whose generation was defined by the boom in US births following World War II are older and their numbers shrinking as their number of deaths exceeds the number of older immigrants arriving in the country. With immigration adding more numbers to its group than any other, the Millennial population is projected to peak in 2036 at 81.1 million.
Pew Research Center established that the oldest Millennial was born in 1981 and the youngest Millennial was born in 1997.
Unseen World
A friend of mine, John Mascitti passed
along this great Ted Talk. Fast and slow motion from the minute
to the enormous. Seven minutes of wonder. LINK
Amethyst
It is a
semiprecious stone and is the traditional birthstone for
February. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/amethyst
1250-1300; Latin amethystus, Greek améthystos not intoxicating, not intoxicated (so called from a belief that it prevented drunkenness)
The ancient Greeks wore amethyst and made drinking vessels decorated with it in the belief that it would prevent intoxication. It is one of several forms of quartz.
1250-1300; Latin amethystus, Greek améthystos not intoxicating, not intoxicated (so called from a belief that it prevented drunkenness)
The ancient Greeks wore amethyst and made drinking vessels decorated with it in the belief that it would prevent intoxication. It is one of several forms of quartz.
Wordology, Nasothek
A
collection of noses is a Nasothek.
Classical statues tend to lose their noses, and during the 19th century museums would commonly replace them with “restoration” noses, to preserve the appearance of the original sculpture.
During the 20th century some museums changed philosophies and “de-restored” their collections, thinking it better to present each piece in its authentic state. This created a excess of noses, and some museums collect these into displays of their own. I make no claims about which one might resemble mine.
Incidentally, Gutzon Borglum, who also sculpted Mount Rushmore, sculpted the Capitol bust of Abraham Lincoln - with just one ear. He believed that the dualities of Lincoln’s personality (hard as rock, soft as velvet) were reflected in the opposite sides of his face, with the right strong and masculine, the left soft and feminine. Borglum said of Lincoln’s face, “You see half-smile, half-sadness; half anger, half-forgiveness; half-determination, half-pause; a mixture of expression that drew accurately the middle course he would follow.” If you look at the left side, you do not see an ear. Borglum explained that he purposely omitted the ear because he wished attention to be drawn to the stronger right side of the face.
Classical statues tend to lose their noses, and during the 19th century museums would commonly replace them with “restoration” noses, to preserve the appearance of the original sculpture.
During the 20th century some museums changed philosophies and “de-restored” their collections, thinking it better to present each piece in its authentic state. This created a excess of noses, and some museums collect these into displays of their own. I make no claims about which one might resemble mine.
Incidentally, Gutzon Borglum, who also sculpted Mount Rushmore, sculpted the Capitol bust of Abraham Lincoln - with just one ear. He believed that the dualities of Lincoln’s personality (hard as rock, soft as velvet) were reflected in the opposite sides of his face, with the right strong and masculine, the left soft and feminine. Borglum said of Lincoln’s face, “You see half-smile, half-sadness; half anger, half-forgiveness; half-determination, half-pause; a mixture of expression that drew accurately the middle course he would follow.” If you look at the left side, you do not see an ear. Borglum explained that he purposely omitted the ear because he wished attention to be drawn to the stronger right side of the face.
Self Destructing Phone
From noses to ears to phones.
Researchers in Saudi Arabia have developed a mechanism that,
when triggered, can destroy a Smartphone or other electronic
device. The self-destruct mechanism consists of a polymer layer
that rapidly expands when subjected to temperatures above 80
degrees Celsius, effectively bursting the phone open from the
inside. The mechanism can be adapted to be triggered in various
ways, including remotely through a Smartphone app or when it is
subjected to pressure.
Once triggered, power from the device's battery is directed to electrodes that rapidly heat, causing the polymer layer to expand to about seven times its original size within 10-15 seconds. This crushes the vital components inside the device, destroying any stored information.
One engineer believes the phone will see adoption in the intelligence and financial communities first, though it can also be retrofitted to existing phones for about $15.
Once triggered, power from the device's battery is directed to electrodes that rapidly heat, causing the polymer layer to expand to about seven times its original size within 10-15 seconds. This crushes the vital components inside the device, destroying any stored information.
One engineer believes the phone will see adoption in the intelligence and financial communities first, though it can also be retrofitted to existing phones for about $15.
Cold or Flu
This is the time of year there are many
bugs going around to make us miserable. Worse yet, some come
back during the same season. In
general, flu symptoms tend to be more severe than cold
symptoms, but do not last as long. Here are a few ways
to tell whether you have a cold or the flu.
Antiviral medications do not cure, but can help alleviate some of flu symptoms, and many of the remedies for cold apply to the flu as well, including taking medicine for headaches. Flu symptoms usually are gone in a short time and do not linger as a cold does.
Regardless of whether you have a cold or the flu, the illness will usually go away on its own, but you should visit your doctor if your symptoms change or get worse. If you get either a cold or flu, please stay home and do not share.
- Symptoms of a cold usually come on gradually, but symptoms of the flu can appear suddenly.
- Symptoms such as sneezing, stuffy nose, and sore throat are more common with colds than with the flu.
- People with the flu usually develop a fever, but people with colds rarely do.
- The flu often causes body aches and headaches, which can be severe. If you have a cold, aches are usually mild.
- The flu can cause
serious complications, such as pneumonia or bacterial
infections, but such compilations are rare with colds.
- You can get a seasonal flu vaccine to reduce the severity of flu each year, but there is no vaccine to protect from the common cold.
- Washing your hands
frequently can help prevent either cold or flu.
Antiviral medications do not cure, but can help alleviate some of flu symptoms, and many of the remedies for cold apply to the flu as well, including taking medicine for headaches. Flu symptoms usually are gone in a short time and do not linger as a cold does.
Regardless of whether you have a cold or the flu, the illness will usually go away on its own, but you should visit your doctor if your symptoms change or get worse. If you get either a cold or flu, please stay home and do not share.
Feb 10, 2017
Happy Friday
Laughter is like a
push-up bra for your personality.
Now I understand why I like laughter so much, especially on a Happy Friday!
Now I understand why I like laughter so much, especially on a Happy Friday!
Apple TV
If you
have a 4th generation Apple TV box and want to reduce the loud
sounds to equalize volume during some parts of shows, press the
microphone on your Apple remote and say to Siri, "Reduce loud
sounds." It will change the internal settings until you change
it again.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)