Think

I saw this the other day on Facebook, and I couldn't help but pass the message on.  This is the kind of message that I think is worth passing along, and I can only imagine if everyone could embrace this idea what a difference it might make in the world.  Although it might kill the comedy industry.  Still, ...I believe that thinking before we speak is pretty important, and I will admit that I don't always do so--especially when I'm with friends.

Maybe it's time to change that--for all of us.

So before you speak--THINK!

To help with this idea of thinking before we speak--or at least thinking before we write, I found this lovely article which relates some of the most common writing mistakes that many people make in their blogs and comments.  Feel free to take a look at it; though, the section on semicolons has a tiny error with regard to when you use it.  You can find all the good stuff about semicolon usage on its Wikipedia page.

Also, to remind us all about a lot:

Thank you, Hyperbole and a Half!  And thank you, Dana for introducing me to this!

This next article gives us another view on privately-funded science--that of improved communication.  It is something that Bob Lalasz sees as part of the cons of private philanthropy.  According to his article, a lot of the scientific community have felt more comfortable only talking to those in their own specializations--or those who have the ability to understand the more obtuse theories, math, and language of their science.

Getting money from people requires you to couch your science in a way that those people are going to be able to understand--or at the very least understand its practical applications.  And that, Bob says, is good, not only for people wishing to donate money to scientific causes, but to all of us--as it means that the science community as a whole will need to give those of us who aren't as well-versed in all the scientific mumbo-jumbo a real understanding of what, and why, they need money for their work.

This could, in theory, jumpstart a greater interest in science and scientific discoveries, and also get people excited about science again.  In his eyes, at least, this is a win for science and the world as a whole.

And with that in mind, I leave you with a little song to brighten up your day.  I've had it in my head since John and I went to San Diego a few weekends ago, and it's just stuck with me.  And, of course, it always makes me smile.  I hope you'll feel the same.


And here's a little something for all you Firefly fans before I flit away for today....

Thursday Potpourri

All the things....  ALL THE THINGS!

Since I couldn't make up my mind about a topic under which all the things I wanted to share with you would fit under, this is what you get.

Deal with it.


Why Muse?  Why "Uprising"?

I think it embraces my rebel spirit today--that eternal need to just break free and escape from established norms.  I've never been the most conventional of people, after all; so, today you get the potpourri of interests that caught my eye.  I hope they keep you entertained, and I hope you have a great Thursday!

First up--Norway!

Memorial to the Worst Mass Shooting in Modern History

An emptiness cutting through the heart of all things--a sense of loss that cannot be replaced--these are the sensations that Jonas Dahlberg wishes to convey with this startling memorial for the deaths of 77 people who were killed by a gunman nearly three years ago.  If you'd like to learn more about this monument, check out this article by Gizmodo.

Next up, Kevin Spacey!

Kevin Spacey Answers the Female Version of Questions on the Oscars' Red Carpet

This is why men and women are different.  Watch and learn; watch and learn.


Spanx anyone?  And in case you're wondering--yes.  They do have Spanx for men.

And now for some trees....

What Tree Rings Sound Like

A friend of mine on Facebook shared this article yesterday from livescience.  It was so interesting, though, that I just couldn't wait to share it with the rest of you.  Apparently Bartholomäus Traubeck created a series of devices that allows a program he created to interpret what tree rings would sound like if played on a piano.

It's actually very haunting, and I encourage you to check out the article as well as this video.


Next up...language sounds!

What Foreign Languages Sound Like to Those Who Don't Speak the Language

On occasion Sploid surprises me with something that isn't just hype and sensationalism.  Yesterday, as I was going through my social networking feeds, I came across this gem, and while I'm not certain if this is even remotely accurate, it certainly was a lot of fun watching the girl in the video and listening to her speak--especially since I have some first-hand knowledge after my recent trip to Spain and France.  I have to admit, those were all pretty accurate, too.


Nonsense words, nonsense words, nonsense words...and now NASA!

The President's Budget for NASA Means Cool Stuff in Our Space Future (if it's passed)

Yet another find from my social networks, yesterday I found an article (that I didn't think was very well written) that directed me to a statement from NASA's Administrator, Charles Bolden, with regard to the Fiscal Year 2015 Presidential budget.  In these released portions of his statement, we get some clear indications that NASA is still ready to contribute to the ISS (International Space Station), work on getting a manned mission to Mars up and running, and beginning to plan for an exploration mission to Jupiter's moon, Europa (artist rendition shown in picture above).  This is a pretty big deal to me, and I would hope it's a big deal to the rest of you, too.  Exploring our universe isn't just about finding new resources, but about understanding where we come from--and if there might be other life out there, not only in our own solar system, but in the rest of the universe, as well.

Let's hope that Congress feels the same and passes at least this part of the president's proposed budget.

And last, but not least...cyber attacks!

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attacks Are on the Rise and Costing Us Greatly

MSN yesterday had an insightful article up about how DDoS attacks are steadily on the rise--and costing corporations (and thus, us) a lot of money--both in lost revenue and in keeping information secure.

According to Peter Apps who wrote the article, in just three years, DDoS attacks have gone from just 2% of attacks on U. S. data centers to 18%.  Not only are hackers using computers for these attacks, but they're also co-opting smartphones and printers, as well.  Furthermore, it seems that these attacks may also be significantly slowing down the internet at large.

So why is this such a big deal, then--apart from the costs and the inconvenience?  It shows that hackers are becoming more sophisticated.  In some cases, they are looking to extort companies for money to stop the attacks, and that means that cyber security is going to be an important job market and investment opportunity if these trends continue.  It also means that our police forces are going to have to learn some new tactics if they want to start catching cyber criminals, too.

Oh, and check out the weird number things that appear twice in the article.  I wonder what those mean....