Cornell Scientest teaching computers to solve problems the human way.

"Cornell Scientists Tackle 'Hard' Problems by Teaching Computers to Solve Tough Tasks the Human Way"

Cornell News (02/21/05); Steele, Bill

Cornell University Intelligent Information Systems Institute director Carla Gomes and associate computer science professor Bart Selman have developed new methods for solving hard "combinatorial" computer problems, which were detailed on Feb. 21 at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington, D.C. The combinatorial nature of the problems the tools are designed to address means that the computer must extract from a large set of variables the most effective combination of values to assign to the variables to fulfill specific parameters. The computing strategy in such cases is to try out every possible combination and choose the one with the optimal outcome; the computer begins selecting different blends of value settings, building a continuously growing possibility tree, re-doing the process until all possibilities have been compared or a satisfactory answer is uncovered. However, sometimes the computer can select a tree whose completion takes too long, which often happens when the computer is attempting to calculate "heavy-tailed" phenomena such as chess or economic trends. Among the techniques Gomes and Selman have come up with is one that involves finding a small number of core variables whose values can be set ahead of time. For instance, solving an airline scheduling problem with thousands of variables could be easier if just a dozen of those variables are fixed in advance. Gomes notes that "Humans are very good at seeing the big picture and seeing what's critical." Real-world problems that Gomes thinks could benefit from such strategies include power outage prediction and management.

http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/Feb05/AAAS.Gomes.heavytails.ws.html

Religous Right now going after Shrek? You know color != gay.

What is it with Christian fundamentalists and cartoon characters? First there was Rev. Jerry Falwell's "outing" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/276677.stm) of Tinky Winky. Then Focus on the Family's leader James Dobson decided to attack (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/20/politics/20sponge.html?ex=1109307600&en=3934353b562b7492&ei=5070) what he saw as a pro-gay message behind SpongeBob SquarePants. The newest make-believe figure under fire from the religious right? Shrek. That's right. The uber-right Traditional Values Coalition is warning parents (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/cpress/20050221/ca_pr_on_en/film_gay_animation_1) about the cross-dressing and transgender subtext in the movie about the beloved green ogre. The group is promoting "family values" by deciding to ignore the overall theme of Shrek -- a "general message of tolerance -- that outward appearances don't matter and that it's what's underneath that counts" -- and instead focus on a line in the movie in which Pinocchio is teased about wearing a thong. It's time for these groups to relinquish the remote.

Want to be a CIO some day?

"So You Want To Be a CIO"
Computerworld, February 7

John Parker, executive vice president and CIO at A.G. Edwards & Sons, offers some advice on how to become a future CIO. While there is no specific formula for becoming a CIO, says Parker, any successful candidate must become an outstanding leader, cultivate certain skills and experiences and be ready to take advantage of opportunities as they arise.

Since decision-makers are typically looking for certain types of persons as they fill open positions, it is important to understand the types of behaviors and experiences that help candidates distinguish themselves from others. Being willing to tackle tough problems, make hard calls and accept stretch goals are all key ingredients in becoming a leader, says Parker. In addition, it is important to think of oneself as not only a "technology person," but also as a "business person." After all, knowing how a business operates is sometimes just as important as understanding the underlying technology.

The key factor, of course, in career success is becoming an outstanding leader. As Parker explains, there is a huge difference between management and leadership. While leadership is not something that can be learned in a book, it is possible to understand the most important factors contributing to strong leadership skills. In developing these leadership skills, IT workers should establish a set of principles to serve as a guide during tough decisions, and develop the courage to make those decisions and accept the consequences.

Full Article: http://www.computerworld.com/careertopics/careers/story/0,10801,99528,00.html?source=NLT_CAR&nid=99528

Hitch hikers guide to the galaxy trailer

Heck, I'm to lazy to read the book, and it is something that all geeks are suppose to love. I been waiting for this movie to come out, since I heard of it last year. Well here is the website and trailer for the movie. Comes out April 29, 2005, the day after my birthday :) coincidence, I think not.

http://hitchhikers.movies.go.com/main.html

Hitch hikers guide to the galaxy trailer

Heck, I'm to lazy to read the book, and it is something that all geeks are suppose to love. I been waiting for this movie to come out, since I heard of it last year. Well here is the website and trailer for the movie. Comes out April 29, 2005, the day after my birthday :) coincidence, I think not.

http://hitchhikers.movies.go.com/main.html

Petal around the rose, puzzle

Still having trouble with this stupid game. I know not to try any difficult math, and keep it simple, but does math have a hand in this? I don't know. I been trying this for about a week now. AHHHHHHHH

http://crux.baker.edu/cdavis09/roses.html

Google: Movie searches

So google again, expands their horizon to greatness. Enough of the sucking up, here is a link to an example of how this can be done.

http://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&lr=&safe=off&c2coff=1&q=movie%3A+good+anime+series

Just enter a search term like:
movie: good anime series

Walking Robots, using less energy and learning to walk different terrains

"Rambling Robots Show Human Efficiency"
New Scientist (02/17/05); Knight, Will

Three robots that stride like human beings made their debut at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science on Feb. 17. The machines, which were produced by researchers at the University of Michigan, MIT, Cornell University, and Delft University in the Netherlands, amble along using simple mechanical dynamics and minimal motorization; each robot's frame and joints are configured so that they can walk without overexerting themselves. "Our robots demonstrate that utilizing the natural dynamics of the body can make robots much more efficient," said the University of Michigan's Steve Collins. The robots' designs were inspired by mechanical walking toys that automatically respond to gravity by striding down a slope, and this capability was refined to accommodate flat surfaces with the addition of a few motors. The Cornell and Delft robots boast exceptional power efficiency, consuming around the same amount of energy as the average walking human--about 10 times less than is consumed by Honda's Asimo android. The MIT bot, nicknamed "Toddler," was hailed by one robotics researcher as the most conceptually innovative of the three because it adapts to terrain via a learning algorithm. University of Michigan researcher Art Kuo noted that practical walking bots must be made capable of climbing stairs through a combination of simple dynamics and greater control.

Full Article: http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7023

Todays Computer Science job seekers need more, like business skills, etc...

"New School of Thought"
InformationWeek (02/14/05) No. 1026, P. 39; Malykhina, Elena

Leading schools have started to offer interdisciplinary programs that blend IT studies with high-demand skills and business courses to produce IT professionals who can more effectively function in an environment where business and technological prowess must be applied in equal measure. The Computer Research Association's Taulbee Survey concludes that undergraduate enrollment in U.S. computer science and engineering programs has significantly declined in recent years due to the dot-com meltdown and the growing popularity of offshoring IT work. Professionals cannot survive in the turbulent job market on IT skills alone; they must also be adept problem solvers, communicators, team players, and innovators. For instance, the optimal game industry leader would be skilled in game design, computer engineering, and art, and Carnegie Mellon's Entertainment Technology Center offers a concentration in all three areas and reinforces the skills students acquire by having them participate in hands-on, real-world projects. One such project is the development of the HazMat Game, a video-game technology for the New York City Fire Department that can be used to train first responders in events involving dangerous materials or weapons of mass destruction. Entertainment Technology Center co-director Donald Marinelli says the increasing use of digital media calls for professionals with both technology and storytelling skills. Meanwhile, Stanford University's Technology Ventures Program features in-class student collaboration with venture capitalists and entrepreneurs, and summer mentorships. "Having the classroom and real-world experience with business and management, in addition to the technical side of the computer-science degree, means that there are a lot more options [for] jobs," notes Stanford student Steve Garrity.

Full Article: http://www.informationweek.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=60400089

Recent Articles about: Academic Freedom Under Attack

The idea that conservatives are trying to stop free speach is also stupid on their side. A lot of schools have religous freedom on campus with programs like Campus Crusade for Christ, and B.A.S.I.C., etc... Anyway, I like the idea of free speach in the college classroom. It gives a chance for me to hear someone smart, and what they think. Heck, I can't turn on the TV and find it that often, especially during some "State of the Union Address"

HIGHER EDUCATION
Academic Freedom Under Attack

Conservatives in the Ohio State Senate are considering a bill (http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=%5CNation%5Carchive%5C200502%5CNAT20050211a.html) that would prohibit public and private college professors from introducing "controversial matter" into the classroom and shift oversight (http://www.acluohio.org/issues/free_speech/sb24.htm) of college course content to state governments and courts. The language of the bill comes from right-wing activist David Horowitz's " Academic Bill of Rights (http://www.studentsforacademicfreedom.org/abor.html) ," which recommends states adopt rules to " restrict what university professors could say in their classrooms (http://www.ohiodems.org/index.php?display=ArticleDetails&id=205409) " and halt liberal "pollution" on campus. The bill is both redundant and misleading -- most colleges already have rules ensuring free expression (http://www.registrar.fas.harvard.edu/handbooks/
student/chapter4/community.html) (political and otherwise) and Horowitz and his supporters have been able to offer scant evidence of widespread political bullying. Nevertheless, a variation of the bill was introduced (http://www.studentsforacademicfreedom.org/archive/November2003/
Kingstonbillnumbered101203.htm) in the U.S. House of Representatives and has made inroads in six states (http://www.studentsforacademicfreedom.org/actions(boxattop)/ActionsMainPage(new).html) . For a chance to fight back against the growing influence of the right wing on campus, and to help strengthen progressive student voices, check out American Progress's brand new website, Campus Progress (http://www.campusprogress.org/) .



MUMPER'S MOTIVATION: Ohio Senate Bill 24 (http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=126_SB_24) was introduced late last month by State Sen. Larry Mumper (http://www.senate.state.oh.us/senators/bios/sd_26.html) (R), who says it is necessary because "80 percent" of college professors " are Democrats, liberals or socialists or card-carrying Communists (http://www.ohiodems.org/index.php?display=IssueDetails&id=205519) " who attempt to indoctrinate students. When asked how he came to his conclusion, Mumper said he had been "investigating the issue for months," but cited just one instance when he had "heard of an Ohio student who said she was discriminated against because she supported Bush for president." He added that "anti-American" professors were a threat to young people and said he didn't think it was right (http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/
breaking_news/10892255.htm) for college campuses to teach students things their parents might disagree with.



OHIO FIGHTS BACK: Last week, the Ohio University student senate passed a resolution against the bill -- the latest in a string of college students and administrations to register their opposition. One "senate commissioner" pointed out the college handbook already mandated similar rules and " suggested that the Ohio Senate should be concentrating on more important issues in education (http://www.athensnews.com/issue/article.php3?story_id=19676) " (of which there are many (http://www.mysan.de/international/article38453.html) ). A political science professor at Ohio-Wesleyan said the law could stifle debate, and Kenyon College (http://www.kenyon.edu/index.xml) President S. Georgia Nugent called Horowitz's thinking " a severe threat (http://www.ohiodems.org/index.php?display=IssueDetails&id=205519) " to academic freedom. Two conservative students from Ohio State wrote in an editorial that they did not think " government should...be involved (http://www.bucyrustelegraphforum.com/news/stories/
20050215/opinion/1992991.html) " in policing academic debate. They also pointed out that if Horowitz "were a professor under his own bill, he probably would violate it."



DAVID HOROWITZ, CHAMPION OF OPEN DEBATE: Horowitz, who has been the driving force behind the movement for "academic freedom" in Ohio and other states, has a distinguished history of intellectual defamation, historical inaccuracy and political bullying. He has freely compared American liberals to Islamic terrorists (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/089526076X/
qid=1108503551/sr=2-1/ref=pd_ka_b_2_1/102-0136851-7758552) , slandered the Democratic Party (http://www.davidcorn.com/2005/02/is_david_horowi.php) and John Kerry for criticizing the war in Iraq and made a habit (http://mediamatters.org/items/200412020001) out of accusing his detractors of racism. Most recently, when African-American historian John Hope Franklin (http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/franklin/bio.html) questioned Horowitz's 2001 claim that black people benefited from slavery and owed a "debt" to white America, Horowitz responded by calling the eminent historian " a racial ideologue rather than a historian (http://hnn.us/roundup/comments/9856.html) " and "almost pathological." Horowitz has no academic credentials (http://www.frontpagemag.com/articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=10814) and routinely distorts facts (http://mediamatters.org/items/200412010006) -- exactly the crime he accuses "liberal" professors of committing -- to fit his political bias.


WHAT LIBERAL CAMPUS?: Horowitz claims his bill is necessary because college campuses are a "hostile environment" for conservatives, but as American Progress's Ben Hubbard and David Halperin point out, "Increasingly, it is the conservative movement that sets the agenda (http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/
articles/2004/09/12/illiberal_education/) ." Over the past 30 years, "the right has built a powerful campus machine. A dozen right-wing institutions now spend $38 million annually pushing their agenda to students. Conservative foundations channel tens of millions more for academic programs" which "buff an intellectual sheen over conservative ideology." Groups like Young America's Foundation, which spent more than $10 million on campuses in 2003, have no progressive counterpart. The ultra-conservative Leadership Institute (http://www.leadershipinstitute.org/01ABOUTUS/aboutus.htm) -- boasting prestigious graduates (http://mediamatters.org/items/200502120002) such as disgraced fake White House reporter Jeff Gannon -- claims it has trained more than 40,000 college students to become "conservative leaders" since 1979.



THE EMPTY DATABASE: Horowitz's best attempt to prove liberal bias on campus is his " Academic Freedom Abuse Center (http://www.studentsforacademicfreedom.org/comp/listComplaint.asp?by=college) ," housed on the Students for Academic Freedom (SAS) website. But the database, which invites students to report having their "rights abused" in class, only looks impressive until you start reading the actual claims. Some highlights: One student complains because her professor suggested men and women might see colors differently (http://www.studentsforacademicfreedom.org/comp/viewComplaint.asp?complainId=319) . Another is offended she was asked to watch an " immoral Seinfeld episode (http://www.studentsforacademicfreedom.org/comp/viewComplaint.asp?complainId=374) ." The latest entry in the database as of Tuesday afternoon was from an Ohio State student who claims he got a bad grade on an essay because his English professor " hates families and thinks it's okay to be gay (http://www.studentsforacademicfreedom.org/comp/viewComplaint.asp?complainId=370) ." One of the complaints comes from an Augustana College senior who is upset her school used "funds from Student activity fees to bring in the one-sided speaker David Horowitz (http://www.studentsforacademicfreedom.org/comp/viewComplaint.asp?complainId=111) ."

Credit Card companies trying to make bankruptcy harder.

This idea might not sound to bad at first, but to take it away from thoughs that can't work anymore because of illness or job loss, is wrong.

The United States credit card industry rakes in $2.5 billion a month in profits (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/21/business/21cards.html?ex=1108270800&en=cdb1a03bdc1c9acb&ei=
5070&oref=login&pagewanted=1) -- largely in fees and interest charged to the American consumer. But its thirst for additional profits is insatiable. Credit card corporations are showering Congress with cash (http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/contrib.asp?Ind=F06) in an attempt to squeeze every last dime out of those who can afford it least to by making it harder for them to get out of debt. The industry is pushing for a bill that would deny bankruptcy relief to "people with low or moderate incomes who have fallen on hard times because of illness, job loss or divorce (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A15399-2005Feb10.html) ." Meanwhile the bill does nothing to stop "abusive lending practices by credit card companies."

"Is Your Job Just Work?"

"Is Your Job Just Work?"
Harvard Business School Working Knowledge, November 15

Russell Muirhead, an associate professor of government at Harvard and the author of the book Just Work, explains why more professionals than ever before are searching out careers promising "more than a paycheck." A growing sense of career restlessness means that more U.S. workers are changing careers, going back to school or simply taking sabbaticals to think over their next move. It's all part of a generational change, says Muirhead, as employees re-think the very notion of work.

In an interview with Harvard's Mallory Stark, Muirhead explains the changing notion of work in today's marketplace: "Today, many of us want more than a secure job at a prestigious firm with a fat paycheck...
They want work they find fulfilling and meaningful." In developing this theory of generational change in the world of work, Muirhead raises questions about our expectations of work, the role of the employer in creating meaningful work for employees, and the whole notion of how work is distributed within society. Work should be more than "just work" - it should be fulfilling at the same time.

Muirhead delves into the double meaning of the title of his recent book, explains the concept of "fitting work," and analyzes why employers should be concerned about creating just work for their employees. Creating "just work" does not have to mean a break with the American work ethic, says Muirhead, as long as workers understand that the notion of "working hard" actually means "working hard for a reason."

For Full Article: http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item.jhtml?id=4487&t=career_effectiveness

A make your own NES game class at Carnige Mellon

http://www.bobrost.com/nes/

Something I need to make for work: A Beer Cooler, well for sodas of course.

http://www.stud.ntnu.no/~arnesen/peltierbeer/

Free NASA Posters

http://eospso.gsfc.nasa.gov/eos_homepage/for_educators/
eos_posters/index.php

An update on me

So, if anyone who actually visits the best blog in blogland, I'm talking about my blog, then you will know that I haven't been updating as often as I use to be. Well to say it officially to though that don't know: I HAVE A JOB.

I'm a Forms Analyst for Mercury Insurance Group in Brea, CA. So, I'm currently busy with work, and traveling to and from. Once I get my own car and computer, I will definitely have more free time for gaming, blogging, and exercising. I'll say in about a month or two, I should have these things, if everything goes as planned.

Computer Science: Apprenticeship

"IT Students Can Get Leg Up"
EastValleyTribune.com (Arizona), January 17

The National IT Apprenticeship System, a new IT training program at schools such as Mesa Community College, is bringing the apprenticeship model to IT instruction. The new program - sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor and administered by the Computer Technology Industry Association - enables IT
students to get on-the-job training and mentoring advice at a local company. Over the long-term, these types of programs may provide an important competitive advantage to U.S. job seekers.In addition to getting classroom training, each participant gets a permanent performance report, including training records, coaching records, hours of experience and certifications achieved. By completing the program, students also receive a valuable resume tool that verifies skills learned in the classroom. Each school offering the program is responsible for
seeking out companies that want to become partners in the program, providing
internships and supervisors to oversee and document the work of their apprentices.The purpose of the National IT Apprenticeship Program is to make
sure the United States continues to have a competitive information technology
work force in a world where many IT jobs are being outsourced to foreign countries. The program is most likely to provide support for positions such as business analysts, hardware and networking support and database management. Students who might once have been wary of committing to an IT career can now receive an advantage over other peers, including those based overseas.

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=34878

Hack: Create your own Bender costume.

http://home.arcor.de/r.kosse/bender.htm

Computer Science: Watch how a chess program thinks!!!!

http://turbulence.org/spotlight/thinking/chess.html

This is an awesome website. Play chess and see how the program views the moves, it gives a different prospective.

Hack: A monitor for your Kegerator

http://uweb.txstate.edu/~ej1007/kegerator/

Hack: Onstar

http://www.i-hacked.com/content/view/15/45/

Basically you'll find a gps in there, kinda duh. Anyway, this leaves things open for other potential hacks with Onstar units. Cool

Computer Science: Don't take counter-offers from your job

"Be Careful of Counteroffers"
Network World, January 17

Steve Hall, the director of recruiting at South Carolina-based
professional search firm Find GreatPeople International, explains why
highly-qualified IT professionals should think twice before accepting a
counteroffer from their current employer. As Hall points out, accepting a
counteroffer - no matter how attractive - could jeopardize one's future career
or destabilize relationships with peers if not done properly.By working through
a number of worst-case scenarios that might play out if an employee decides to
stay with his or her current employer, Hall illustrates why counteroffers may be
dangerous for future career growth. After all, "a resignation is the business
equivalent of holding your boss at gunpoint," so even if an employee winds up
with a promotion or more money as a result, the culture of the company will be
changed forever. In addition, by accepting a counteroffer, an employee will
implicitly change the expectation levels for future performance, meaning even
minor missteps or miscalculations will be magnified. Even worse, the act of
presenting a boss with the chance to make a counteroffer might be misconstrued
as an act of corporate disloyalty, says Hall. It's important to address any
misgivings and dissatisfactions with the boss before announcing a decision to
consider employment elsewhere: this gives the company a fair chance to rectify
them without jeopardizing your future career.

http://www.nwfusion.com/careers/2005/011705man.html

So basically don't take a counter offer at your job, because it will change the culture of your company by making your co-workers hate you, you will raise their expectations of you, and you will not be trusted by the company to stay.

India Untouched

http://www.indiauntouched.com/

Ok, so I pick on my friend Venkatesh alot about how poor his country is, and he hates me for that. :P (Hey, he picks on me for living in Long Beach, da Ghetto-land).

I do find it funny that the auther is named Abraham George. The guy talks about how the cities are growing rich, and the ruals are poor. Isn't that the case no matter where you go in the world? Well, anyway-- if you find the book interesting or something tell me, I hear the procides go to helping the poor, which is always a good thing.

(One last jab at Venk)
Even though you might be helping bring more Indians like Venkatesh to here in the states. Ahhhhhh!!!!!!!!

My house vis Microsoft and Google

http://terraserver.microsoft.com/

^^^^^^^That red tack is wrong, but who cares. ^^^^^^^^

Computer Science: Tech Interships

"Tech Internships: The New Must-Have"
Monster.com

Technology internships offer recent graduates without an offer of a full-time paid position a productive way to build up skills, contacts and references within the IT industry. Some companies, too, now view these internships as "must-haves" when recruiting new employees. While recent college graduates once expected multiple job offers upon graduation, the newest crop of graduates now views internships as a creative way to put their IT degrees to work.

There are a number of "post-boom" trends in the world of IT internships. Most notably, students are increasingly willing to take unpaid internships simply to gain experience or to avoid resume gaps. In addition, companies support the idea of internships since they offer them a "try-before-you-buy" approach to recruiting top talent. In fact, internships are becoming such a competitive weapon that many companies see no internships on a resume as a warning flag.

Not surprisingly, these two factors make landing an internship increasingly more competitive for college students. The good news, though, is that companies with tight IT budgets are now more likely to hire interns to pick up the slack. While many internships are unpaid, if graduates have not found the right full-time work opportunity, internships can often offer a way to "get a foot in the door" of a hiring company. Plus, companies that do not pay their interns often feel as though they must offer something valuable in return for a student's unpaid time.

http://content.monstertrak.monster.com/resources/
archive/internships/newtechintern/


The job market is harsh, with Bush in the white house and the job market down, especially for the Tech industry. A internship is probably the fastest way today, on getting a job. It may be the only way, by the looks of it.

Hack: Another google search term

allinurl: admin mdb

Ok, so here is another unsecured search of things that should be secured. The past ones weren't that big of a deal, but allowing people to see your database of information is probably not a good thing for most of these websites.

One of the databases I found was of the NYS Education system. I figure might as well take a look and see what comes up for Elmira, NY. Nothing special, just all the principals and superintendents work location and phone for that region.

Are you Autistic? Take a quiz to find out

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html

In the first major trial using the test, the average score in the control group was 16.4. Eighty percent of those diagnosed with autism or a related disorder scored 32 or higher.

My Results:
Agree: 2,4,5,7,12,16,19,21,22,23,26,41,43,46: 1 point
Disagree: 1,11,25,32,38,40,44,47: 1 point
Score: 22

Computer Science: "Don't Flee From IT, Career Expert Says"

"Don't Flee From IT, Career Expert Says"
SearchWindows2000.com, January 25

Matthew Moran, author of the new book "The IT Career Builder's Toolkit: A Complete Guide to Building Your Information Technology Career in Any Economy," discounts the notion that now is not a good time to pursue a career in IT. In addition to offering some tidbits of advice on ways to build a successful IT career, Moran also emphasizes the types of realistic expectations that employees must have about working within the IT sector in today's economy.

Moran explains that it is no longer possible to expected a "linear path that moves from end to end" for an IT career. Instead, job seekers must be able to find several different paths to get the same results as someone else. For example, Moran points out that not all IT careers begin and end in an IT department. In addition, it's important not to overlook the opportunities available in small businesses: "I'm a big believer in that small business market. From a career standpoint, you're not just one of 25 technologists running around. You are the person they go to."

In addition to having strong technical skills, job seekers should also have a certain level of business savvy or business acumen. According to Moran, a strong understanding of business concepts and business practices will allow one's technical skills to advance more rapidly and get better overall. Moran also offers advice on how to find career opportunities in smaller market spaces and how to avoid thinking solely in terms of titles and positions

Full Article: http://searchwin2000.techtarget.com/
qna/0,289202,sid1_gci1047247,00.html

Basically, I should have applied for some business classes during my school year. Oh well, but I do have a very good business savvy mind. That is why I have always picked on the stupidity of business majors, to me it mostly common sense. I guess I will be paying more attention to THE APPRENTICE on NBC more closely. hmmmmm.

Hack: Guerrilla Solar

Ok so here is something that nobody should do because it is against the law, but if you are curious here is a interesting hack. Taking Solar Power Panels and hooking them up to your meter reader to lower your energy bill.

http://www.guerrilla.net/reference/power_systems/solar/guerrilla.pdf

Google: Maps

http://maps.google.com/
Another Cool feature from the people at Google: Google Maps

So I did a search on my house address to see how the feature works. I has a nice looking map and feel. Simple and clean, just the way google makes everything.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=3131%20E.%20Cade%20St%2C%20Long%20Beach%2C%20CA

Computer Science: A brain capable of fixing it self even after damage.

"Toward a Truly Clever Artificial Intelligence"
University of Reading (02/03/05)

"Dr. James Anderson of the University of Reading's Computer Science Department reports the development of an approach to writing computer programs that could one day be applied to the design and construction of robots whose minds function like those of humans. His "perspective simplex" (Perspex) method involves writing programs as a geometrical configuration instead of a list of instructions, which allows the program to operate in the manner of a neural network so that it continues functioning and developing even when it sustains damage. Anderson explains that a Perspex program serves as a connection between the geometrical structure of the physical world and computational structure, thus offering one answer to the long-term puzzle of how minds relate to physical bodies. In essence, it establishes a model that a robot can employ to define its own body and mind. Anderson says damaged Perspexes exhibit human-like periodic recovery and relapse, leading him to conclude that "a computer program that continues developing despite damaged, erroneous, and lost data means that, in the future, we could have computers that are able to develop their own minds despite, or because of, the rigors of living in the world."
He explains that a Perspex facilitates the acquisition of global reasoning with a single initial instruction, enabling a program to follow a model similar to human strategic thinking in which a problem is considered in its entirety before numerous details are examined."

http://www.extra.rdg.ac.uk/news/details.asp?ID=471

I believe the growth of AI will be an awesome feat this century, and will end up to be the next big invention to change everything. Alan Turing's dream is inching it way toward truth every year.

Politics: Freezing the poor and GOD says screw the environment

"LEAVING THE POOR IN THE COLD: Prices for home heating oil are skyrocketing. Nevertheless, Bush's budget proposes cutting the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance program (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/05/politics/05cuts.html?pagewanted=2) (LIHEAP), which helps people pay their heating bills, by 8.4 percent. At last year's funding levels, only one-sixth of low-income families who qualified for the program were able to receive assistance (http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/10306350.htm) . Last year's funding for LIHEAP was 23 percent lower than in 2001 (http://www.cbpp.org/11-19-04bud.htm) . For continually updated information on the Bush administration's budget, check out our 2006 Budget page (http://www.americanprogress.org/site/pp.asp?c=biJRJ8OVF&b=307118) ."

So again, more HEAP funding is taken away while oil prices go up. It is impossible for any single parent household to afford heating for their children already, and it just keeps getting worse.

"ENVIRO -- EVANGELICALS GO GREEN: Times have changed since James G. Watt, the conservative interior secretary under President Reagan, argued that the imminent return of Jesus made environmentalism unnecessary. "God gave us these things to use. After the last tree is felled, Christ will come back," Watt told Congress in 1981. These days, the Washington Post reports, evidence "in polling and in public statements of church leaders" shows that a " growing number of evangelicals view stewardship of the environment as a responsibility mandated by God in the Bible (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1491-2005Feb5.html) ." Though evangelicals sometimes rely on different terms -- "creation care" instead of "environmentalism" -- and emphasize particular environmental ills -- for example, the health effects of mercury pollution on developing fetuses -- the basic progressive principles are the same. "The environment is a values issue," says the Rev. Ted Haggard, president of the 30 million-member National Association of Evangelicals, whose members will meet in March to develop a position on global warming."

If I was ignorant enough to believe in a GOD, I would at least have some common sense to give it some respect. If GOD made this earth, sure use it as you would, but don't destroy it. When I was little, back during junior high school, my Gym teacher taught us to one rule. If it is not yours treat it like it was precious and delicate. So this earth is not yours or mine, it is supposely GOD's land, don't mistreat it. Again, I don't believe in GOD, but I also seem to give more respect where it should be given.

Politics: Bush, Deficit, and Social Security

"People in Congress on both sides of the aisle have said, 'Let's worry about the deficit.' I said 'Okay, we'll worry about it again.'"
-- President Bush, 2/4/05 (http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/02/20050204-3.html)

VERSUS

"Vice President Dick Cheney acknowledged Sunday that the federal government would need to borrow trillions of dollars...to cover the cost of the private retirement accounts at the heart of President Bush's plan to revamp Social Security."
-- Washington Post, 2/7/05 (http://www.sltrib.com/nationworld/ci_2557759)

Funny: query on C

So I'm reading my Google Groups on some of my favorite topic = Programming. Well recently a guy named GREAT_HACKER post for help:

"frenz,
i made a passqord protection program in c using teh if else thigy but how do i fuse it with a cd,if i want to run the program as soon as teh cd is opened(e: right click-open) adn if right only then allow access.i will hav to do double fusing.i know thta but how.pls reply to me on mankindlove...@hotmail.com

the first one to correctly reply will get a free copy of my book: hacking for beginners(phase 1:internet) hacking for beginners(phase 2:all possible methods and tricks)

otehrs who want this book should also contact me at mankindlove...@hotmail.com
signed, hacker 007(owner of grp HACKER'S DREAM) "

The responses to this guy are funny to read: http://groups-beta.google.com/group/comp.programming/
browse_thread/thread/94618a500173f16e

Hack: Unsecure Wireless (So what else is new?)

http://www.thinkcomputer.com/corporate/news/southstation.pdf

"As I’m writing this paper from my chair near the corner of my office in Boston’s Financial District, there are six wireless networks available for my laptop computer to sign onto, two of which require no encryption whatsoever.

None of them belong to my company or myself personally. One of them does belong to a company I know to be nearby, and should I choose to sign onto its network, I have full access to files on their Windows NT and Macintosh servers."

Hack: Make a LCD Projector for about $300

http://www6.tomshardware.com/howto/20041113/

Superbowl Ads and Vote for your favorite

Well this is probably the first superbowl that I skipped watching, but I can still watch the commercials at least and vote on them.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/3379732

Funny: Ghetto version of Google

It a search that looks like google, but it translates the descriptions into gangsta talk. http://gizoogle.com/

Hack: Another way of finding netcams via google.

Search Term: intitle:liveapplet inurl:LvAppl

American Idol

http://media.ebaumsworld.com/americanidolmatthew.wmv

This guy reminds me of the simon character on Mad TV, with the voice and everything.

Joined another internet gathering thing. hi5

http://www.hi5.com/index.html
You can look up old school mates from all your schools, chat, find friends, etc. There are probably over a thousand of these types of web sharing places. Here is a personal invite link if you are interested. http://www.hi5.com/i?l=KW2LJ4K

Hack: Make a Underwater Camera

http://www2.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/personal/pdh/housing/

Comp Sci: Is .Net unsafe?

My view is no, unless the programmer wants to increase speed. Of course this has been debated (kinda) before when talked about gaming, since most games are written in C,C++. Java is just to slow for gaming IMO.

Well here is a link about the Java Creator hating C,C++ .Net
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/0,2000061744,39179932,00.htm

Hack: how to fix your PS2 disc read errors

But first a quick jab:
PS2 sucks
and now your link:

http://arstechnica.com/articles/paedia/hardware/ps2.ars/1?91124&16652

Politics: Right Wing Ralphie

Science: Dark Matter found?

http://www.wired.com/news/space/0,2697,66487,00.html

So scientist have found a possible solution to what dark matter is.

A new study conducted with the help of the Earth-orbiting Chandra X-ray Observatory has revealed the existence of baryons in at least two giant, intergalactic clouds of super-hot gas 150 million and 380 million light-years from our planet.

The study, which appears in the Feb. 3 issue of the journal Nature, shows how certain wavelengths of X-rays emitted from a distant galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major are being absorbed by the two clouds. The absorption pattern, as detected by Chandra, is consistent with interference caused by carbon, neon, nitrogen and oxygen ions -- in other words, baryons.

Interesting: Organic HTML

Enter a website and it will grow a planet with the colors from that website.
http://a.parsons.edu/~christine/fall_03/organic_html/flash/main.html
Here is my Blog's plant:

Politics: Bush vs. Gangs

"Now we need to focus on giving young people, especially young men in our cities, better options than apathy, or gangs, or jail. Tonight I propose a three-year initiative to help organizations keep young people out of gangs." -- President Bush, 2/2/05 (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/03/politics/03btext.html?pagewanted=print&position=)

VERSUS

The White House has "proposed a 40 percent cut in federal juvenile justice and delinquency prevention funding, which supports anti-gang programs in communities across the country. That's on top of a 44 percent overall reduction in delinquency-fighting and anti-gang funds since 2002." -- Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 6/1/04 (http://www.fightcrime.org/)

I done enough of these Bush versus things to learn how he thinks.

First - cut some program.
Second - Issues of problem will come up from lack of funding.
Third - Promise to do something about it.
Fourth - Give only a fraction of the funding cut back into the program.
Fifth - Tell the press, so you seem like a hero.
Sixth - Have your republican spin machine go to work.
Seventh - Start deceiving idiots.

Hack: A google hack

Search Term:
"access denied for user" "using password"

I'm not a hacker, but I'm guessing that you have won half the battle by having the username right in clear site. So if I'm right so far, all that is needed to do is to write a simple dictionary program to use as the passwords. But hey, I'm no hacker, just want to be informed, thats all.

Games: Abandon Games & Net games

http://www.abandonline.com/showlist.php?cat=1

Some old crappy games and some common titles. So go download these games.

Now here are some popular net games at the following site.
http://www.addictinggames.com/
and yes the Yeti games are there for you penguin smashers.

Google: Gmail invite website

Put yourself into a queue for a Gmail invite.

http://www.highwayman.org/gmail.php

Interesting: How to fold a shirt

http://www.howtofoldashirt.net/

Cool: Music Videos

http://www.grumby.com/videos.html

Darwin: Smoking Gun

"(11 February 2001, New Jersey) Two drunks were goofing around, when one challenged the other to shoot him with cigarette butts "to see what it would feel like." His friend obligingly loaded an antique rifle with cigarette butts, placing black powder behind the butts to make sure they left the barrel of the gun. He then shot his friend from a distance of seven feet. The projectiles penetrated the ribcage of the thirty-one-year-old who had issued the challenge, and he died of three cigarette butts to the heart.

The gene pool is in trouble!"

Source: http://yahoo.darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2001-28.html

Hack: A magazine for hacks, mods, and projects.

http://www.makezine.com/

Hack: Mod your PS2 without soldering

http://www.smashsworld.com/2005/01/easily-mod-your-ps2-in-30-minutes-with.php

Hack: M&M sorter for you rock stars

http://www.parallax.com/html_pages/resources/catapps/cat_mandm_sorter.asp

Politics: 14 Defining Characteristic of fascism

A look at the similarities of Fascism and America. I don't agree with every one of the 14 points, but it is still interesting to see some similarities.

http://infowars.com/articles/us/14_characteristics_of_facism.htm

Darwin: Return to Trees Fails

http://yahoo.darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2002-07.html

(18 February 2002, Hawaii)
Millennia after an evolving human species descended from the trees, 30-year-old Joshua reversed the process, removing himself from the gene pool while perched in a tree. Joshua had hiked several miles onto a ranch and climbed a Koa tree under cover of darkness, intent upon stealing a branch of the expensive native hardwood. To his credit, he was smarter than a classic cartoon character, and didn’t make the mistake of cutting the branch supporting him. However he was not smart enough to avoid cutting a branch directly above his head. The severed branch struck and killed him, and authorities found him still in the tree, twenty feet off the ground.

Hack: Turf war at the Office today? Fight back!!

http://www.bleacheatingfreaks.com/science/OB/micromine/