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Showing posts from 2007

jQuery

Discovering jQuery: Simpler, Smarter Web Development While working on a recent web application project, our team was introduced to jQuery—and it has significantly simplified how we build and interact with web pages. We were first exposed to it by one of our Interaction Designers, who uses it to rapidly prototype application interfaces. It didn’t take long to see why. With just a few lines of code, we were able to transform static pages into dynamic, interactive experiences—for example, turning a fixed page into a smoothly scrollable one. 🧠 Thinking of the DOM as a Database One of the most powerful ideas behind jQuery is how it treats the DOM (Document Object Model). You can think of it almost like a database, where the $() selector acts like a query language. Using selectors, you can easily target: IDs Classes Tags Attributes within elements From the top-level <html> tag down to the smallest <td> or <span> , everything becomes accessible and manipulatable. ⚙️ Even...
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What are banks for?

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A Thought-Provoking Look at Banking The following excerpt, originally published in Punch magazine on April 3, 1957, has circulated widely over the years. It offers a satirical yet insightful look at the mechanics of modern banking—particularly what is often referred to as fractional-reserve banking. This dialogue is also featured in The Creature from Jekyll Island by G. Edward Griffin, a book many have found thought-provoking when exploring the history and structure of the banking system. A Conversation About Banks Q: What are banks for? A: To make money. Q: For the customers? A: For the banks. Q: Why doesn’t bank advertising mention this? A: It would not be in good taste. Q: When banks list large “reserves,” is that money they’ve made? A: Yes, in a sense. Q: And what about their “assets”? A: That is money they use to make more money. Q: Do they keep it in a vault? A: No, they lend it out. Q: Then they don’t actually have it? A: Not in that form, no. ...
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Intelligence

Holding Two Ideas at Once Today, while reading through several blogs, I came across a quote shared on Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad podcast that really stood out to me: “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time… and still retain the ability to function.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald That idea has stayed with me. The podcast went on to suggest that much of our current political climate reflects the opposite of this principle. Too often, issues are framed in absolutes: something is either right or wrong, with little room to seriously consider both sides at the same time. For example, debates around major decisions—like war—are often reduced to rigid positions, where each side defends its view without genuinely engaging the other. When this happens, thoughtful decision-making suffers. Instead of seeking the best possible outcome, conversations can become divided, with each side reinforcing its own perspective. These separat...
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Better than Blood?

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This white substance carries oxygen 50 times more effectively than our blood. It is composed of tiny particles that can pass through injured vessels, where the red blood cells can’t squeeze through. It seems to have already been used on some persons and the results appear to be quite impressive. You can read a very comprehensive article here .
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Fire Rainbow

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This is a real photograph of an atmospheric phenomenon known as a circumhorizon(tal) arc , the example shown above was captured on camera as it hung for about an hour across a several-hundred square mile area of sky above northern Idaho (near the Washington border) on 3 June 2006. In general, a circumhorizontal arc (or "fire rainbow") appears when the sun is high in the sky (i.e., higher than 58 degrees above the horizon), and its light passes through diaphasous, high altitude cirrus clouds made up of hexagonal plate crystals . Sunlight entering the crystals' vertical side faces and leaving through their bottom faces is refacted (as through a prism) and separated into an array of visible colors. When the plate crystals in cirrus clouds are aligned optimally (i.e., with their faces parallel to the ground), the resulting display is a brilliant spectrum of colors reminiscent of a rainbow.
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50 terabyte flash drive made of bug protein

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A prototype USB drive using bug protein to store data in the neighborhood of around 50 terabytes worth of data could be here in less then 18 months. This idea first started out by coating DVDs with a layer of protein so that one day solid state memory could hold so much information that storing data on your computer hard drive will be obsolete, says Professor V Renugopalakrishnan of the Harvard Medical School in Boston while reporting on his findings at the International Conference on Nanoscience and Nanotechnology in Brisbane this week. “What this will do eventually is eliminate the need for hard drive memory completely,” he says. Renugopalakrishnan says high-capacity storage devices like the new protein-based DVDs will be essential to the defense, medical and entertainment industries. These trade in terabytes of information with the transfer of information such as satellite images, imaging scans and movies. “You have a compelling need that is not going to be met with the existing mag...
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Mitt Romney cannot be President

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The Media has touted that Romney is a MORMON, if it is so, it is a grievous thing And may cost him the election When the scandal laden Olympics was embarrassing our nation, Romney stepped in and turned it into a showcase-Yet Romney is a MORMON, and surely a MORMON cannot be president. Romney won the governorship of Massachusetts as a REPUBLICAN, yes, in the state that gives us Senator Kennedy? He showed the ability to work with all people of all political backgrounds.-Yet Romney is a MORMON, and surely a MORMON cannot be president. Romney saved a state government facing fiscal disaster, bringing economic expansion and staving off unemployment, something this nation could use.-Yet Romney is a MORMON, and surely a MORMON cannot be president. Mitt Romney understands health care. He established a comprehensive health care plan for the people of his state.-Yet Romney is a MORMON, and surely a MORMON cannot be president. Unlike many politicians, Romney has remained faithful to his wedding vo...
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Intelligent Agents

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I have always been intrigued with the idea of creating an array of intelligent agents to do my biding. Here are some links I found this morning that I will be reading and doing some playing in Java with. By far, these are not complete; but a place to get me started. I sort of envision a Bloomberg of my interesting data - such as the rents on various properties where I invest, changes to my bank balance, and price changes on items I am planning on purchasing to name a few. I'm sure I could think of many others. Anyway, here are the links: JADE Jadex http://www.agent-software.com/shared/resources/tech-reports/tr9904.pdf http://www.pcai.com/web/ai_info/intelligent_agents.html http://citeseer.ist.psu.edu/busetta99jack.html http://www.research.ibm.com/iagents/ibm_iagents.html
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Mission Statement

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Personal Mission Statement Be a kind and patient mentor. Honor those who have helped me by giving more than I have received, and accept the generosity of others with gratitude. Pause thoughtfully before speaking, and choose words that uplift and strengthen. Nurture relationships with intention. Remember my friends and family, reaching out often with meaningful messages. Invite them to know me more fully by living transparently and allowing my life’s work to be visible and understood. Stand as an advocate for freedom and personal responsibility. Love those who place their trust in me, and in turn, trust those who love me. Be fully present and diligent in my work. Act as a faithful steward over the six properties entrusted to my care, treating them with ownership and integrity. Live by the 100 Action Principles, studying and applying them daily. Review my goals each day with focus and commitment. Maintain a high standard of personal cleanliness and discipline. Be honorable in every ...
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