Today is a holiday. The second day of Purim (“Lots”). My family has always celebrated Shushan Purim, the name for the second day; most Ashkenazi Jews only celebrate it, if they live in walled cities like Jerusalem or Quebec.) The Purim holiday celebrates the ploys of Esther (also known as Hadassah), the Jewish Queen of Babylonia, and her uncle (godfather?) Mordechai.
I have been so tempted to write about this (poor) management case for a few years. But, given my undying appreciation for art, I kept hoping they would find the management team and focus that would let them pull the rabbit out of the hat. Instead (this will date me dramatically), the rabbit died without a viable baby being produced.
Continue reading The Corcoran bites the dust
It never stops. I just heard it again. The claim that talking on the cellphone is equivalent to driving drunk. Why would facts matter to these polemicists?
Continue reading Can we please use the facts???
When I was younger, I remembered virtually all of my dreams. Of course, I had a few
recurring dreams, which probably made it somewhat easier to remember them.
Continue reading Dream a little dream for me….
Sacrifice. This word brings up all sorts of connotations. What are we going to give up? What did we shortchange ourselves to provide another. But, that’s not really the meaning.
Most of you know that I have taught at various colleges and universities. As such, I have taught a range of students. As a matter of fact, one year, I filled in for a colleague, teaching a remedial math (I actually considered it arithmetic) class. It took a while, but I finally figured out how to get the kids psyched to learn the material…
Continue reading So, now we’ll screw up the colleges, too?
I’ve written about Bob Langer (most recently here), one of the smartest guys I know. Today, I’ll talk about someone I don’t know- but is a pretty prolific medical innovator.
Continue reading Coming to your intestine- soon?
I wrote about a ‘simple’ device that provides pure water for villages of a thousand or so in developing nations. But, now, instead of converting humidity in the air for water uses on land, solar technology has been adapted- and expanded- to make it relevant and critical to America… for our farms.
Continue reading Water, water everywhere, but not a drop…
Given the current state of politics in America, the IRS is being underfunded. No, I am not just talking about the fact that there is a desire to have the government spend less money- but spending less money for an agency that is responsible for collecting the government’s money doesn’t really make sense in the first place.
Continue reading What Happens When the IRS Runs Out Of Money…
Recover memories with brain implants? Really?
DARPA (the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) hopes so. Of course, their goal is to heal the soldiers who have been brain injured by war. By memory, we are not talking about helping the warfighter recall his or her name, but motor skills and other tasks that are necessary for life or to earn a living. But, like many a NASA advances of old, these developments may also help those who suffer from Alzheimer’s, among other folks. How many folks suffer from memory losses? How about 1.7 million new subjects a year!
Continue reading Not the Scarecrow Song at all…