Allen's Interests

Earth More Active in Past 15 Years

Many years ago I was fascinated by the plate-tectonic theory that I learned about in an earth-science course. With the news full of the recent tragedies in Haiti and Chile, I wondered if the earth was becoming more active. The following LiveScience article answers it well.

Scientist: Earth More Active in Past 15 Years

One scientist says that relative to a time period in the past, the Earth has been more active over the past 15 years or so.

Chile is on a hotspot of sorts for earthquake activity. And so the 8.8-magnitude temblor that shook the capital region overnight was not a surprise, historically speaking. Nor was it outside the realm of normal, scientists say, even though it comes on the heels of other major earthquakes.

One scientist, however, says that relative to a time period in the past, the Earth has been more active over the past 15 years or so.

The Chilean earthquake, and the tsunami it spawned, originated on a hot spot known as a subduction zone, where one plate of Earth's crust dives under another. It's part of the very active "Ring of Fire," a zone of major crustal plate clashes that surround the Pacific Ocean.

"This particular subduction zone has produced very damaging earthquakes throughout its history," said Randy Baldwin, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

The world's largest quake ever recorded, magnitude 9.5, occurred along the same fault zone in May 1960.

Even so, magnitude-8 earthquakes occur globally, on average, just once a year. Since magnitudes are given on a logarithmic scale, an 8.8-magnitude is much more intense than a magnitude 8, and so this event would be even rarer, said J. Ramón Arrowsmith, a geologist at Arizona State University.

Is Earth shaking more?

The Ryukyu Islands of Japan were hit with a 7.0-magnitude quake just last night. News of this, the Haiti quake and now Chile make it seem Earth is becoming ever more active. But in the grand scheme of things, geologists say this is just Mother Nature as usual.

"From our human perspective with our relatively short and incomplete memories and better and better communications around the world, we hear about more earthquakes and it seems like they are more frequent," Arrowsmith said. "But this is probably not any indication of a global change in earthquake rate of significance."

Coupled with better communication, as the human population skyrockets and we move into more hazardous regions, we're going to hear more about the events that do occur, Arrowsmith added.

However, "relative to the 20-year period from the mid 1970's to the mid 1990's, the Earth has been more active over the past 15 or so years," said Stephen S. Gao, a geophysicist at Missouri University of Science & Technology. "We still do not know the reason for this yet. Could simply be the natural temporal variation of the stress field in the earth's lithosphere." (The lithosphere is the outer solid part of the Earth.)

And while the Chilean earthquake wasn't directly related to Japan's 7.0-magnitude temblor, the two have some factors in common.

For one, any seismic waves that did make their way from Japan to the Chilean coast could play a slight role in ground-shaking.

"It is too far away for any direct triggering, and those distances also make the seismic waves as they would pass by from the Haiti or Japan events pretty small because of attenuation," Arrowsmith told LiveScience. (Attenuation is the decrease in energy with distance.) "Nevertheless, if the Chilean fault surface were close to failure, those small waves could push it even closer."

In addition, both regions reside within the Ring of Fire, which is a zone surrounding the Pacific Ocean where the Pacific tectonic plate and other plates dive beneath other slabs of Earth. About 90 percent of the world's earthquakes occur along this arc. (The next most seismic region, where just 5 to 6 percent of temblors occur, is the Alpide belt, which extends from the Mediterranean region eastward.)

Colliding plates

The Chilean earthquake occurred at the boundary between the Nazca and South American tectonic plates. These rocky slabs are converging at a rate of 3 inches (80 mm) per year, according to the USGS. This huge jolt happened as the Nazca plate moved down and landward below the South American plate. This is called a subduction zone when one plate subducts beneath another.

(Over time, the overriding South American Plate gets lifted up, creating the towering Andes Mountains.)

The plate movement explains why coastal Chile has such a history of powerful earthquakes. Since 1973, 13 temblors of magnitude 7.0 or greater have occurred there, according to the USGS.

In fact, today’s earthquake originated about 140 miles (230 km) north of the source region of the magnitude 9.5 earthquake of May, 1960, considered the largest instrumentally recorded earthquake in the world.

The 1960 earthquake killed 1,655 people in southern Chile, unleashing a tsunami that crossed the Pacific and killed 61 people in Hawaii, Japan, and the Philippines.

In November 1922, a magnitude-8.5 earthquake occurred about 540 miles (870 km) to the north of the Feb. 27 earthquake, triggering a local tsunami that inundated the Chile coast and crossed the Pacific to Hawaii.

Because the recent one was such a huge earthquake, the shaking would likely have caused just as much damage had a similar-sized event occurred elsewhere, said Baldwin, the USGS scientist.

"If [the quake] were in Los Angeles you'd probably have massive destruction too," Baldwin said in a telephone interview.

Not Your Grandfather's Honda!

from Engadget by Donald Melanson:

Honda shows off three-wheeled 3R-C concept vehicle

Dig the idea of something like GM's P.U.M.A. personal transporter but wish it would make you want to say pew pew pew whenever you're driving? Then feast your eyes on the Honda 3R-C concept that's just been announced in advance of the Geneva Motor Show. Nothing even approaching a roll-out date, as you might expect, but the three-wheeled vehicle would apparently use a battery electric drivetrain mounted low in the chassis for improved stability, and it even includes a bit of room for storage in the front, along with a clear canopy that apparently shifts to a windshield to give the "pilot" a bit more headroom. Not much else in the way of details, unfortunately, but Honda might have a bit more to say after its official unveiling in Geneva next week.

 

1932 Paparazzi

 from Michael Zhang - PetaPixel 

George Burns

"I was always taught to respect my elders and I've now reached the age when I don't have anybody to respect."

George Burns (January 20, 1896 – March 9, 1996), born Nathan Birnbaum, was an American comedian, actor, and writer.

PC vs. Mac: The Straight Scoop

A couple of months ago, I discussed how I had used Windows-based computers for many years, and how I plan to continue to use a PC for my tax-preparation business for the foreseeable future. I also told about how impressed I am with Apple products and now also have a Mac on my desk. (You can read my prior post here.)

It can be difficult to find an unbiased article comparing PC's and Macs. I believe the following article by Harry McCracken does a good job of comparing the two systems fairly. 

PC vs. Mac: The Straight Scoop

By Harry McCracken, 2/23/2010, - FOXNews.com

Beyond the ads, the hype, and the nerdy debate, both Windows and Mac machines have their pros and cons. Here's a level-headed guide to choosing which one is right for you.

Apple's iconic series of ads pits Justin Long (right) as a Macintosh computer against John Hodgman (left), a PC. For consumers, the choice is more complex than in the ads, however.

Want to start a fight between computer geeks? Bring up one simple question: PC or Mac? 

Windows advocates will start accusing Mac users of being members of a fancy-pants cult. Mac fans will maintain that Windows users are the undiscerning owners of hunks of generic junk. It's a pretty undignified squabble, and both Microsoft and Apple egg it on via contentious TV ads.

Me, I'm cheerfully agnostic: I recommend both Windows PCs and Macs all the time, and use them both, too. The last computer I purchased was a thin-and-light Asus laptop running Windows 7; the one before that was a 15-inch MacBook Pro. When it comes time to buy a new machine, I'll consider both options. And if your budget permits, I recommend you do the same.

The PC-or-Mac debate has been raging for more than a quarter-century, but making sense of it requires considering the situation as it stands at one moment in time. Here's my take on things as of early 2010.

Cost. Venture into the computer department of a store like Best Buy, and you'll find scads of computers priced well under $1,000 and a handful for a grand or more. The former are almost all Windows machines, and many are respectable choices. The latter, however, are nearly all from Apple -- hence the common perception that Macs are way overpriced.

Every time I do the math, though, I come to the conclusion that the cost of Macs isn't out of whack with that of similar Windows machines. Apple isn't selling $750 notebooks for $1,500 -- its portables tend to use higher-end processors, mostly have aluminum cases rather than plastic ones, are typically thinner and lighter than garden-variety laptops and run longer on a battery charge than many of their Windows brethren. The Microsoft-powered laptops most directly comparable to Apple's MacBook Pro line, HP's Envy models, actually cost more than roughly equivalent Macs.

Another point to consider: All Macs come with Apple's excellent iLife suite, which provides tools for editing, organizing, and sharing photos, video, music, and more.  Bargain-basement PCs come with much more basic software at best.

Bottom line: You certainly don't need to splurge on a system in the Mac's price range to be a happy computer user. But with computers, as with most things in life, you generally get what you pay for.

Selection. The best thing by far about Windows PCs is the sheer unending variety of choices. They come in every size from teeny-tiny to extra-large. There are boxes with touchscreens, Blu-Ray players for high-definition movies, and TV tuners that let you watch and record cable and satellite TV. You can buy a PC that's pink, or transparent, or designed to be as close to indestructible as possible.

Apple, meanwhile, makes Macs in nine basic variants: the basic MacBook laptop, the MacBook Pro laptop in 13", 15", and 17" models, the MacBook Air ultraportable, the Mac Mini microdesktop, the iMac all-in-one desktop in 21.5" and 27" models, and the Mac Pro power desktop. And the company doesn't do Blu-Ray, TV tuners, touchscreens, and other features that are commonplace in the Windows world. In short, getting a Mac requires that you buy into one company's take on what's important. 

Operating systems. From early 2007 until late 2009, Microsoft's operating system was Windows Vista. It was short on fixes for long-standing Windows annoyances, and often sluggish and crashy even when pre-installed on new PCs. It was a powerful argument in favor of buying a Mac -- especially since OS X, Apple's operating system, was (and is) a slick piece of software that stays out of your face rather than complicating your life.

In October of last year, however, Microsoft shipped Windows 7, the solid upgrade to Windows XP that Vista never was. OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard remains more consistent, and less quirky, and some PC makers muck up Windows 7 by larding it up with demoware, adware, and other irritating extras. But the gap between Apple and Microsoft's offerings is as small as it's ever been. If you're a basically content Windows XP user, you've got less reason than before to contemplate switching to a Mac when you buy a new system.

Security. The vast majority of the world's hackers spend the vast majority of their time making trouble for the vast majority of computer users. That's why almost all known viruses, trojan horses, and other malicious applications attack only Windows PCs. Including really dangerous ones that can steal your credit-card and banking information. Recent releases of Windows security suites such as Norton Internet Security are pleasanter to use than their predecessors, but they're still not exactly entertaining.

Buying a Mac doesn't let you simply opt out of worrying about computer safety, however. For one thing, Mac owners are equally vulnerable to the growing number of threats that target social networks and other online venues, not Windows-based computers. Still, a Mac owner who runs no security software is vastly less likely to be the victim of a successful attack than a Windows user who's protected up to his eyeballs.

Service. The best time to think about whether a computer company builds reliable machines and backs them well is before you plunk down any money, not after something goes wrong. No manufacturer ships defect-free systems or makes every customer happy: At the moment, for instance, Apple is dealing with widespread complaints about faulty iMac screens.

Even so, the company has a more consistent reliability and service record than any of its Windows-centric rivals, as shown by surveys conducted by both PC World and PCMag.com. Check out these studies for invaluable real-world data before you buy from any major company.

The best thing of all about the PC-or-Mac decision? Despite what impassioned partisans may contend, it's not a big, existential question. Whether you buy a Windows system or a Mac, you'll find that the Web is the Web, that good software (much of it free) is plentiful, and that printers, cameras and nearly all other hardware work fine. Hey, they're just computers, folks -- and the only thing that really matters is choosing one that fits your needs, taste and budget.

Harry McCracken blogs at Technologizer, his site about personal technology. He's also the former editor in chief of PC World. Follow him on Twitter as @harrymccracken.

 

Notice Anything About This Painting?

©Copyright 2009 by Peter Kun Frary • All Rights Reserved

PetaPixel by Michael Zhang on February 22, 2010:

Despite what your eyes tell you, the above image is a photograph of a real person, not a painting. It was taken by Peter Kun Frary, a music professor at the University of Hawaii. He tells us,

"Recently I walked by the Ala Moana Center Mac (cosmetic) store and noticed a crowd of Japanese tourists gawking and snapping pics. A model in full body paint was posing against a set on an open air stage in front of the store. I thought she was a darn good simulation of a late 19th or early 20th century French oil painting. Although there were no stage lights, natural sunlight light was diffused through white cloth canopy to reduce shadows and contrast."

more at Photograph by Peter Kun Frary

Laurence J. Peter

"The incompetent with nothing to do can still make a mess of it."

Laurence J. Peter

US educator & writer (1919 - 1988)

Dilbert and Souls

Dilbert Daily Strip 

Shatner to star in 'S*** My Dad Says' TV pilot

In November, 2009's, "Tweet Smell of Success", I posted an article from the New York Post that had a subtitle of "Slacker turns cranky dad into TV sitcom." The article told about Justin Halpern, a 29-year old man who stilled lived with his parents. Justin tweets things that his 73-year-old dad says around the house. Since then, I have been following Justin Halpern on Twitter and some of the tweets are pretty outrageous and funny. Recently, he posted his dad's saying "Can we talk later? The news is on... Well, if you have tuberculosis it's not gonna get any worse in the next 30 minutes, jesus." Many things dad says (and Justin tweets) are far worse (and funnier!)

Yesterday, Chris Matyszczyk of Cnet News reported the following:

Shatner to star in 'S*** My Dad Says' TV pilot

by Chris Matyszczyk

I
f you haven't yet sniffed out "S*** My Dad Says," you have missed a chronicle of someone who is chronically honest.

Sam Halpern used to work in nuclear medicine at University of California at San Diego. His son, Justin, having been forced to move back in with his parents, one day thought it might be fun to start a Twitter page dedicated to the stuff that emerges from his dad's mind via his pleasant potty mouth.

The result makes Archie Bunker look like the kind old weather man on a regional TV station in Florida. For example, here is Sam's bon mot of February 9: "I don't get it; I sweat, I smell fine. You sweat, you smell like mule s***...Relax, she's on the treadmill next to you, she knows."

There is a rule that once more than a million people follow you on Twitter, you're either already on TV or you soon will be. So who would offer even the slightest "you s******* me?" to discover that the Twitter phenomenon is reportedly being made into a TV pilot. And the network behind it is CBS, CNET's parent company.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Captain Kirk himself, the man some Trekkies refer to as William S***ner, after he began to make fun of them, will be taking up the role of Sam Halpern.

"Please don't let the script be crap." (Credit: CC Zaphod's Other Head/Flickr)

Justin Halpern is co-writing the script, and the Reporter reports that the title of the show just might not be quite the same as that of the Twitter page. Perhaps it will be "Stuff My Dad Says." Or "Papa the Potty Mouth."

Perhaps, though, you might be a little queasy about the casting. While Shatner created a fine, Emmy-winning curmudgeonly presence in "Boston Legal," he was a very patrician and privileged Denny Crane. Sam Halpern is not merely a little rougher around the edges, he is rougher at his very heart than anything the skirt-chasing, perhaps-Alzheimery Denny Crane could ever muster.

Take this from January 23: "Sprain, huh? Did you go to medical school?...Well I did, so spare me your dog-s*** diagnosis and lemme look at your ankle." Or this from January 9: "Been thinking for a while, and I'd say there's 1.5 pounds of s*** in the dog. Tried to get the vet to weigh a sack of it. No dice."

Then there's this utter delight to celebrate the New Year: "Universe is 14 billion years old. Seems silly to celebrate one year. Be like having a f****** parade every time I take a piss."

Where often naughty words are gratuitous, Sam Halpern's invective is such a fundamental part of his being that it is hard to imagine these meaningful four- and seven-letter words not exiting from your flat-screen TV.

Justin Halpern, though, believes that his dad has always been sanguine about the Twitter feed, which has been going only since August 3. He told the Los Angeles Times: "He really doesn't give a crap."

So it can't be called "Crap My Dad Gives," right?

I've always enjoyed Shatner's crazy TV commercials. I still love his character, Denny Crane, and watch the re-runs of "Boston Legal" every chance I get. It should be interesting to see if the pilot becomes a series.

Kim's Photography Advice Useful for All of Us

As a long-time amateur photographer (with tech-geek tendencies,) I tend to spend a lot of time on the technology and fine-tuning details of cameras. I used 35MM cameras for years and loved the control they allowed the photographer. Only recently, I obtained a digital SLR camera. 

Sometimes I just want a quick shot at the optimal settings. Also, most people just want to point and shoot with their camera to capture moments to keep as memories and share with friends. The following article by Kim Komando contains excellent advice for all of us. 

Take perfect photos every time with scene modes

by Kim Komando, USA Today

It would be nice if a digital camera's automatic settings mode took perfect pictures every time. Truth is, it doesn't. You may miss the warm tones of a sunset. Or, skin tones are off.

You don't need to be a camera geek to get excellent photos. Virtually all point-and-shoots and many SLRs feature scene modes. Turn a dial to specify the shooting situation. Or, select it from a camera menu. The camera optimizes the settings.

Available scene modes vary by manufacturer. Modes are more common on point-and-shoots and entry-level SLRs. You won't find them on high-end SLRs. Let's take a look at some common scene modes and when to use them.

Starting with portrait mode, use this when shooting well-lit people or animals. Its icon is typically a person. You'll get soft, natural skin tones. Focus is on the subject's face, drawing viewers' attention.

The background will be blurred to eliminate distractions. However, the closer your subject is to the background, the clearer the background.

The sports mode icon is a person running. Use it for children, pets or any fast-moving subject. Exposure time is minimized, so you take photos quickly. Continuous shooting is enabled for rapid, multiple shots. Focus tracking is also enabled. The subject should always be in focus.

Sports mode may yield noisier photos, particularly in poor lighting. Noise is off-color pixels; it looks somewhat similar to film grain.

The icon with a mountain and star is night (or night landscape) mode. Use it for night scenes without a person or other central subject. It is perfect for photographing skylines. Night mode brings as much of the scene into focus as possible. Settings are optimized for low light. You'll get detailed dark areas, but lights and other bright areas won't lose detail.

Again, noise may be a problem. Also, flash is disabled. Use a tripod to avoid camera shake.

Use night portrait when shooting a central subject at night. Night portrait mode is represented by a person and star. The background may be dark, but, your subject will be well lit, thanks to your camera's flash. Night portrait may add noise to your shots.

Photographing bugs or flowers? Select the flower icon to put your camera in close up (macro) mode. It also works well for shots of small objects or details.

Your camera will focus at its closest distance. The background is softened so that your subject stands out. Additionally, flash settings may be tweaked to prevent bleached out subjects.

The picture of mountains is landscape mode. Use it for capturing detailed landscapes and streetscapes. Landscape mode puts as much of your scene in focus as possible. Foreground objects and distant objects should be equally sharp.

Use sunset mode for sunsets and sunrises. It is represented by a picture of the sun. Sunset mode preserves warm tones. You'll get the rich colors you want. Flash is turned off and your camera focuses farther away.

Child mode is represented by a picture of a child. It yields smooth, natural skin tones, but background details and clothing are vivid. The camera will track the child and focus continually. Settings are changed to avoid blurring.

The scene modes on your camera may differ slightly. Try using them. Experiment. After all, there is no more film to waste.

Kim Komando hosts the nation's largest talk radio show about computers and the Internet. To get the podcast or find the station nearest you, visit www.komando.com/listen. To subscribe to Kim's free e-mail newsletters, sign up at www.komando.com/newsletters. Contact her at gnstech@gannett.com.