Perl Modules

After not touching it for a while, I was looking to explore PERL again for webapps. Here's my problem. If I want to use a single interesting looking PERL module, it seems like I need to install the entire contents of CPAN. If all this stuff is so necessary, why isn't it bundled with the core distribution?

Double-edged shaving update

It's now been a few weeks since acquiring my Gillette Super-speed, and after a rough start, I seem to have developed enough of a feel for it that I can shave both face and head (I do most of my head by feel) without unpleasant incident. I also did some objective testing on quality of the shave (wife and daughters). The majority ruled that the difference between the double-edged and a Gillette Fusion (five blades) was not enough to matter, especially considering how fast my beard grows. However, the most sensitive of the group insisted the Fusion shave left my face smoother.

Facebook apps

I wouldn't have acknowledged these folks as my friends if I didn't like them. But really, people. If you want to talk, talk to me, stop with the superpoking and the vampires and the rest.

Shaving the old fashioned way

Inspired by a post on ZenHabits on wet-shaving, I decided to take the plunge myself. I figured that the cost of a double-edge handle on ebay, and a pack of blades, I would have made my money back if I managed to spare myself only three Gillette Fusion blades. You know, the five-blade wonders.
My previous approach was using a gel from a tube, in the shower, and the five-blade cartridges, in the shower. This included shaving not only my face, but my head, as well.

Now, I'm using a Gillette Super-Speed. It was rough at first. I don't know whether it was a matter of habituating my skin, or developing the technique, but there were a few cuts, and it felt a bit rough. This was working with a boar-hair shaving brush and some old-fashioned shaving soap. After a few times, I find I can get a very smooth shave, without hacking myself up, and without feeling roughed up, in a reasonable amount of time. This includes shaving in and out of the shower. I even ventured to shave my head over the sink. That was a bit touchy. I shave my head by feel, and I was worried about hacking my scalp up. Came out OK, though.

I have yet to do a side by side comparison. At some point, I have to shave either side of my face with the five-blade and the double-edge, and get an independent opinion (my wife) of the quality of the shave.

The likely scenario now is that I will use up my supply of Fusion cartridges, but keep a supply of twin blades on hand for travel (I don't want to try to get double-edged blades past the TSA), and use the double-edge for every day shaving (maybe even my head, if I get more proficient). 15 cents a blade versus $3.50 is a very compelling argument.

Getting things done with...

On a recommendation from some blogger or other (this was some time ago, and forgetting them protects their reputation), I downloaded ThinkingRock. This is software tool for implementing David Allen's Getting Things Done As far as interface goes, and usability, I think it's very nice. One big problem for me: it is very slow on my system, so I'm abandoning it, now trying to use wikidpad, and so far, so good.

The Power (or lack thereof) of Networking

Just got through reading a Discover Magazine Article
on an examination of the "six degrees of separation" meme. I've had the power of networking brought home to me in recent months, in terms of what a motivated connection can do for you. I also has a cousin that refuses to use such connections, at the cost of good opportunities.
It's easier to get opportunities if you have take advantage of connections. It doesn't mean you are getting something you don't deserve, because often these opportunities will only become available if trust is established. And trust is often transitive (even if it shouldn't be).

Cryogenic suspension a little closer?

New Scientist has a blog post about a protein made from gelatin that is similar to snow flea antifreeze. They go on about using it to make the perfect ice cream, but it seems this is a step to effective cryogenic suspension for larger animals, like humans.

Getting rid of my audio cassettes

I'd accumulated a lot of audio cassettes over the years. Granted, I haven't generated a new one in a while. But I'm looking to clear up that clutter now and digitize some, and I'm too cheap to buy a dedicated device. The project has begun. I had already managed to digitize a few, basically converting a couple of old children's tapes because neither of our cars has a cassette player, now, so we need CD's, at minimum, to keep our little one entertained in the car. Using Creative's MediaSource Organizer worked for those, but now, about a year later, when I come back to it, I'm finding myself challenged and frustrated, as the various programs I have tried seem to lose full volume after some indefinite period of time which is always shorter than the tape.

The main stuff I need to capture is tapes from when I was teaching and when I would record narration of my meditations. The music, for the most part, if I want to hear it again, I'll just buy the CD's.

Lame keeps dying on my laptop, and every mp3 encoder that doesn't cost me money uses it. I've even tried using the command line in cygwin. So it looks like I'm keeping wav and ogg files, and will convert to mp3 on linux.

Verbal chunks I have grown to hate...

• "At the end of the day..."
• "If you will.."
• "... bigtime..."
• "...and all that good stuff..."
  

Medical Office Automation

I was listening to a piece on KQED this morning, where a doctor was complaining that he was spending too much time on routine adminstrative tasks, which comprise an increasing portion of his day, and less on time with patients. It sounds like there is an opportunity for office automation that could vastly improve quality of experience for physicians and patients alike.

Are people really this selfish or stupid?

Confirming his status as an ignoramus whose greed exceeds his understanding, Bill O'Reilly tries to make the case against the movie "Sicko". You can't have it both ways. If individual health is not a concern for government, then stop the "war on drugs" as well. Prohibition should have already provided us on an effective lesson of the costs of enforcement and incarceration versus improved public health. Nationalized health care is not about handouts, on a policy level. The handouts are already happening, in the form of emergency room visits on the part of the uninsured, and in the form of medical insurers and pharmaceuticals sucking money out of Americans, but not necessarily giving back effective medical care, because our government has given them the right to do so. You already pay more for spotty insurance. Health insurance premiums would become taxes, probably a bit less, drug costs would become a little more in line with the rest of the world. However, as much sense as nationalized health insurance would make, I have little hope of it happening, as long as the health insurance industry and the pharmaceuticals are able to invest in lobbyists. Left, right, center, money appeals to all our Congress critters.

Isn't compassion a virtue?

Another review of Sicko What struck me we more the tone of one of the comments, that leads me to ask when compassion and the desire to help others stopped being a conservative virtue. Medical insurers have a clear financial incentive to deny services, and a moral incentive to provide effective care. If the moral incentive prevailed, we wouldn't have a movie like "Sicko".

What we do as individuals matters.

Swarm Behavior - National Geographic Magazine
Key point for me, the wisdom of the masses only applies if individuals behave responsibly.

Now there's a keeper of a quote.

Wapsi Square by Paul Taylor - Tuesday, June 26, 2007
"Just because someone is older than you and can pull a rabbit out of a hat, doesn't make them a god or a demon."

This would certainly explain a lot.

Having children alters the brain - life - 12 June 2007 - New Scientist
Certainly, in my own case, the noise of children is not iterating to me the way it was a few years ago.