Find You Next Dig with Google Earth

Scholar finds new archaeological sites by Googling.

Indiana Jones's next adventure may well be in front of a computer if Hollywood scriptwriters decide to embrace a new approach to archaeological research in war-torn zones.

David Thomas, a Ph.D. student in La Trobe University's archaeological program in Melbourne, has used Google Earth to safely uncover historic sites in a remote part of war-torn Afghanistan.

Using the free Internet resource, Thomas found up to 450 possible archaeological sites in Registan, which borders Helmand and Kandahar provinces in southern Afghanistan. The decision to use Google Earth was "partly born out of adversity", Thomas said, when a planned field trip was cancelled because of security concerns.

That is great he can use this technology to find sites like this. My only question. How are they going to do anything. I mean the reason they didn't go in the first place was because it is too dangerous.

NASA Needs Urine

Go in a cup!

"The No. 1 need right now for some of the builders of the nation's next spaceship: Lots of urine."

Hope the are concentrating on designing the rocket as well.

"The Windsor Locks, Conn.-based company building the Orion toilet needs the large volume of urine (about the daily output of 30 people) to work on urine acidity issues, said spokesman Leo Makowski. The memo seeking daily contributions from July 21 to July 31 was not meant to go public, he said."

Now how could that not go public.

Read the full article here.

Unix Error Messages

Funny Unix Error Messages

#25. One of your faux pas seems to have wounded me deeply.. in fact, I’m barely conscious. Please fix it and try again.

#43. “Keyboard error or no keyboard present. Press F1 to continue.”

#76. ERROR 1164 HOW IN THE HELL DID YOU GET HERE

#104. You must be joking.

#137. “The impossible has happened!”

I thought these were good. There are 189 total. Click here to read more.

Linux and World Domination

Linux edges closer??

linuxinsider.com — Microsoft told the world which desktop OS to use, and the business world listened. The innocent little Linux-based smartphone may change all that. As consumers become comfortable with Linux on handheld devices, they will likely influence decisions at their places of employment.

I have to agree with some of the comments on the article. I don't think people would relate their cell phone's operating system and their desk/lap top operating system. Don't get me wrong, I like linux. I actually took windows off my daughters desk top and intalled Ubuntu on it. I've no problems at all. I would actually install it on mine but am unable to because of some of the programs I have to use. I may set up a dual boot one day. Just haven't had the time so far.

I can actually see linux competing with Microsoft one day. I mean if Microsoft keeps putting out crap like Vista, I think people would start considering Mac or Linux more.

Microsoft needs to wake up and realize that pretty and cool effects aren't always better. And MS, PLEASE stop trying to control what the user does so much. YES, I AM SURE I WANT TO DO THAT!! SO STOP ASKING ME!! I know I can turn it off.

Mystery Bug

Experts stumped

The experts at London's Natural History Museum pride themselves on being able to identify species from around the globe, from birds and mammals to insects and snakes. Yet they can't figure out a tiny red-and-black bug that has appeared in the museum's own gardens.

The almond-shaped insect, about the size of a grain of rice, and was first seen in March 2007 on some of the plane trees that grow on the grounds of the 19th century museum, collections manager Max Barclay said Tuesday.

I don't know what it is either. But then again, I am no expert.

Viacom will not Get Private Data

Viacom and Google reach a deal.

However, after the latest development of the litigants backing out, Google will not be required to provide viewing data of the users, which also includes usernames and IP addresses, thus maintaining user privacy. Read the official legalese here.

You can read the court document here

I don't think user's information is any of Viacoms business.

Miss Universe

Crystle Stewart, Miss USA, falls down during the evening gowns segment of the Miss Universe 2008 beauty pageant in Nha Trang, Vietnam, Monday, July 14, 2008.

Apparently this has happened before.

Mendoza said, she is simply looking forward to taking off her high-heeled shoes and massaging her feet.

She declined to discuss her kidnapping, which occurred a year and a half ago, but took advantage of the occasion to call for global peace.

Wow! Seems like these contestants go through a lot.

You can read the full story here

Here is a video. Seems like she took it well.

Women with Toilet Seat

Don't make this woman mad. I guess she gets her way or you pay the price.

Police arrested a couple after the woman allegedly hit her boyfriend with a toilet seat. The woman, 18, told police that she found her boyfriend smoking cocaine in their bathroom and turned on the shower to try and wash away the drugs.

The pair argued and when he refused to give up the drugs, authorities say the woman hit him with the toilet seat.

The boyfriend was charged with cocaine possession and later released on bond. The woman faces a battery charge and was released without posting bond.

Companies Scramble to Stop Cell Phone Trafficking

Cell phone trafficking

It's technically not illegal to unlock the software on your personal cell phone — but the companies are hoping to put a stop to traffickers that they say are siphoning away profits. Led by Miami-based TracFone Wireless Inc., makers of the low-cost prepaid cell phones are suing traffickers in federal courts around the country. One such lawsuit resulted in a criminal conviction in Houston when a man disobeyed a court order by refusing to stop selling the phones.

I'm sure that will change quickly. It seems to that no matter what companies do, hackers always find a way around it.

Fractals are Cool

Benoit Mandelbrot Fractal Art Contest

Here is one of the winners. Maybe you can download some software to create fractals and enter the contest. I remember talking about fractals in some of my math classes. Very interesting stuff.



You can see more of them here

Ska Brewing Company

Ska Brewing Company is located in Durango, Colorado. They have nice art work on their beer bottles.

Here is one of them. It is true blonde beer.


You can see more here.

No Dog Meat

Dog meat off the menu during Olympics

Canine cuisine is being sent to the doghouse during next month's Beijing Olympic Games.

Dog meat has been struck from the menus of officially designated Olympic restaurants, and Beijing tourism officials are telling other outlets to discourage consumers from ordering dishes made from dogs, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Friday.

I would just hope I went to an officially designated Olympic restaurant.

Distant Galaxy

Distant galaxy booming with baby stars

A distant galaxy is churning out stars at a prodigious rate of up to 4,000 a year, new observations show, in a finding that has left astronomers wondering if the generally accepted theory of galaxy formation is actually true.

Our own Milky Way galaxy, in comparison, creates about 10 new stars annually.

Scientists say it is not just the rate of new star formation that is puzzling; it's that fact that the star-booming galaxy dates back to a time when the universe was only about 1.3 billion years old.

I have always found space interesting. If you want to explore around in space, download Google Earth here. After downloading go to "View" and then click on "Switch to Sky".

A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned

Kan. town hopes pennies saved are records earned.

This town is trying to set world records for fastest time to lay pennies in a mile and longest line of pennies. I'm sure they will do it.

Residents of Fort Scott, just west of the Missouri line, are spending the week trying to break two world records: the longest line of pennies and assembling a mile of pennies in the fastest time.

Members of the Fort Scott Youth Activities Teams and hundreds of volunteers are trying to create a 40-mile chain of pennies _ nearly 4 million _ in the parking lot of Fort Scott Middle School. The effort started Tuesday and will be judged by Guinness World Records on Friday.

I saved enough pennies one time to buy my first excel book. The book was about $25.00. That would come out to 2,500 pennies. Well below what they will need for the record. But, pennies do add up.

Don't Shoot Mice With a Gun

Woman shoots herself while trying to kill mice

But she accidentally dropped the gun, which went off as it struck the floor. The bullet went through the woman's kneecap, bounced off the keys sitting on the belt loop of a 42-year-old man in the trailer and grazed the man's groin before ending up in his coin pocket.

In the words of Seinfeld. "That is one magic bullet."

Vick Goes Bust

Vick owes millions

Imprisoned quarterback Michael Vick filed for bankruptcy protection while serving time for federal dogfighting charges, saying he owes between $10 million and $50 million to creditors.

Vick filed Chapter 11 papers in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Newport News on Monday. The seven largest creditors listed in the court papers are owed a total of about $12.8 million.

Vick is serving a 23-month prison sentence at the U.S. Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kan., after pleading guilty last year to bankrolling a dogfighting ring. He was subsequently suspended indefinitely without pay and lost all his major sponsors, including Nike. He also faces state charges related to dogfighting.

Talking about stupid. He had it all and blew it.

Yahoo! Trying to Beat Google

Yahoo is inviting partners to build on its search power

Unable to beat Google in the Web search business on its own, Yahoo is trying a new approach.

Yahoo wants to enlist a small army of search start-ups as allies in the hope that collectively they will be able to stop the Google juggernaut, whose share of Web searches keeps growing.

I think it will be very difficult to overtake Google. I mean, think about it. When you tell some one to look on the internet, yo don't say "Do a search on the internet", you say "Google It".

Salmonella

Salmonella victims surpass 1,000

But people at highest risk of severe illness from salmonella also should not eat raw jalapeno and serrano peppers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged Wednesday. The most vulnerable are the elderly, people with weak immune systems and infants.

I wonder what's next.

Cool Island

I thought these islands were cool looking. You can do a search in Google Earth for "Dubai" without the quotes. They are man-made islands. Here is a screen shot of one of them from Google Earth.

Crystal Skulls

Crystal Skulls Deemed Fakes.



How about this for the next installment of the Indy franchise: "Indiana Jones and the Dodgy Antiques Dealer"?

Less than three months after the Quai Branly Museum in Paris discovered that a crystal skull once proclaimed as a mystical Aztec masterpiece was a fake, it is now the turn of the British Museum and the Smithsonian Institution to find they were victims of skull-duggery.

Don't know if they are fake or not. Probably are. But they look cool.