Pa^2 Patois

They have discovered that the northern hemisphere was plunged into a big freeze 12,800 years ago by a sudden slowdown of the Gulf Stream that allowed ice to spread hundreds of miles southwards from the Arctic.

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Widetronix

2009-11-17T08:49:00.001-06:00

Dr. Michael Spencer, co-founder & chief scientist

Semiconductor materials growth & device design

Widetronix was founded by Mike and several colleagues to commercialize innovative semiconductor technologies evolving from research at his lab at Cornell University. As a professor and director of Cornell's Wide Bandgap Laboratory, he investigates novel semiconductor materials growth and device applications in silicon carbide, gallium nitride, and graphene. Mike received BS, MS, and a PhD from Cornell University and has over 100 peer reviewed publications.

Widetronix

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Politicians & Pundits

2009-11-17T08:42:00.001-06:00

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Self perpetuating welfare state...

2009-11-16T11:58:00.001-06:00

The Dead Zone: The Implicit Marginal Tax Rate

Mises Daily: Monday, November 09, 2009 by Clifford F. Thies

To say that antipoverty programs in the United States are perverted may be an understatement. When you take into account the loss of means-tested benefits (e.g., cash assistance, food stamps, housing subsidies, and health insurance), and the taxes that people pay on earned income, the return to working is essentially zero for those in the lower two quintiles of the income distribution.

For many of the working poor, the implicit marginal tax rate is greater than 100 percent. The long-run consequence of undermining the positive incentive to work is, of course, the creation of an underclass acclimated to not working; the supplement of cash and noncash benefits with income from crime and the underground economy; and the government resorting to negative incentives such as mandatory work programs.

Yoga - not just for humans any more...

2009-11-16T09:36:00.001-06:00

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Taking H1N1 seriously...

2009-11-16T08:38:00.001-06:00

A geek in Japan

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"To Obama" in Japanese

2009-11-16T08:33:00.001-06:00

« Security theater goes mainstream | Main | More on US presidents as Japanese words »

"To Obama" in Japanese

19 Oct 2009 04:05 pm

Last week the NYT ran a story about how Barack Obama's version of spoken English has become a huge hit in Japan, emerging as the new standard for language-learning. This rings true to the fad/blockbuster nature of many commercial and cultural phenomena in Japan. And, we can all think of worse versions of English for them to emulate. (Carville? Stallone?)

But I thought that this item from the Ampontan blog, written by a foreigner in Japan, was more fascinating. It is about the way the invented verb Obamu -- オバむ, "to Obama" -- has gained currency among some Japanese youths. Explanation:

"obamu: (v.) To ignore inexpedient and inconvenient facts or realities, think "Yes we can, Yes we can," and proceed with optimism using those facts as an inspiration (literally, as fuel). It is used to elicit success in a personal endeavor. One explanation holds that it is the opposite of kobamu. (拒む, which means to refuse, reject, or oppose).

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Building Robot Hands

2009-11-16T05:51:00.001-06:00

Building Robot Hands with Compliant Under-Actuated Fingers

November 15, 2009 by Travis Deyle

Building capable robot end effectors, particularly high-complexity hands, can be a daunting challenge. In this article, we will examine the fabrication of a robot hand with compliant, under-actuated fingers that is rugged enough to bounce back from twisting, end-on and side impacts, falls, collisions, and even severe back-bending. The specific fabrication process explored is akin to shape deposition manufacturing using materials such as resins (epoxy / Delrin) and urethanes (a "rubbery" substance) of various durometer (hardness). This particular technique was used to build early hand prototypes for MIT's Nexi (or MDS) robot from the Personal Robotics Group, and further refinements resulted in the Meka Robotics H2 Compliant Hands, as seen on the Simon robot. Read on for details and pictures -- this should be of interest to robotics hobbyists and professionals alike.

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Hoover Dam Bypass

2009-11-15T09:47:00.001-06:00

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If all you have...

2009-11-15T07:58:00.001-06:00

If all you have are Generals then everything looks like a military conflict.
- Papa

(If all you have is a hammer then everything looks like a nail.)

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