Wednesday Weekly Bits and Pieces 03 Oct 2013

Fair warning: the links to the UK newspaper will allow you to read five pages a month for free. You'll be able to look at these posts, but then you'll be locked out for the month! Ha! Tricky of me, wasn't it?

All over the world, our government shutdown is big news. I guess it should be.

In the UK, The Independent reported it as a headline with a short video of President Obama. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-government-in-partial-shutdown-as-congress-fails-to-strike-budget-deal-8850502.html

In Australia, they are simply shaking their heads that things could get this bad in our political arena, and point at House Republicans as the major culprits.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-01/us-shutdown/4992224

There's a debt ceiling to address in the middle of the month, too.

The Motley Fool boys want you to remember one thing about the government shutdown - it wasn't a big deal for investors seventeen years ago, and probably isn't right now.

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/09/30/the-most-important-thing-investors-should-remember.aspx

I'm pretty sure it's a big deal to the people at home with no forthcoming paycheck…

A big part of the roadblock to civil discussions among our elected representatives is the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). If you want to know how much Obamacare will cost you, here is a web site that has an on-line calculator.

http://kff.org/interactive/subsidy-calculator

I don't know if the calculator is correct. I entered where I lived and assumed I retired, making about $15,000 per year (I figure substitute teaching or something). This could happen, depending on the congressional budget (that doesn't currently exist). Obamacare would cost me almost $11,000 and I wouldn't get a subsidy. Is that how the new insurance is supposed to act? Ouch. Well, I suppose I'd lose a lot of weight…

Let's quit looking at Washington and look elsewhere for a few seconds. Historically, Paris has not allowed skyscraper buildings in the center of the city for about forty years. That's about to change. Keep an eye on the sky if you visit!

http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/bulletin/like-the-look-of-paris-blink-its-about-to-change/30431

British scientists found proof of alien life. It's not ET or some strange humanoid, though. I'm not sure what the picture represents. I should have read the article when I was still below my 5/month limit!

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/the-truth-is-out-there-above-cheshire-that-is-british-scientists-claim-to-have-found-proof-of-alien-life-8826690.html

Scientists from Oz found a fossil in China that is the missing link for fish. Fish everywhere can now breathe a sigh of relief knowing who their ancestor was. Wait! Do fish actually breathe?

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-26/fossil-discovery-links-gap-in-evolutionary-knowledge-of-fish/4981652

And on that note, what's the difference between fur and hair? Do I have fur on my arms and hair on my head?

A guy could go a little nuts thinking about these things.

This fellow had a lot of time to think about such odd topics. The poor guy wasn't actually in a coma, as diagnosed. Instead he was conscious and paralyzed. For TWENTY-THREE years! When Belgian neurologist Steven Laureys analyzed 44 other vegetative patients, 18 responded to proper communication. Imagine being trapped in your own body, seeing and hearing and conscious, but unable to communicate…

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2009-11/man-comatose-23-years-was-actually-conscious-all-along

You always suspected that your dog saw things in slow motion. That's why he can catch so well. Or maybe it's your cat, or your pet squirrel. Small animals see in slow motion! Wouldn't that be a very cool skill to have!

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-09/small-animals-see-world-slow-motion

Okay, scientists accidentally discovered a new form of matter, similar to a light saber. That's cool. I want a light saber… I'd be a Jedi on the light side. Maybe I could fight in slow motion!

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/scientists-bind-photons-together-to-create-new-state-of-matter-comparable-to-lightsabers-8841612.html

On the dark side of computer abilities, this guy honed his computer skills to spy on girls, surreptitiously capturing photos of them naked and then blackmailing them. He spent a lot of time in front of his computer and (fortunately) left a trail the FBI could follow.

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/09/miss-teen-usas-webcam-spy-called-himself-cutefuzzypuppy/

On the light side of computers, she just finished programming 180 web sites in 180 days.  I have to say, that's quite an accomplishment! I can't even get my business site back on-line!

http://blog.jenniferdewalt.com/post/62472912052/day-180-finished

For the rest of us who are not as programming savvy, Google just launched a new tool for building interactive web sites using visual techniques. It isn't as easy as just think about a web site and it appears though. We aren't there yet. Wish we were; I could get that LLC site working again!

http://techcrunch.com/2013/09/30/google-launches-web-designer-a-visual-tool-for-building-interactive-html5-sites-and-ads/

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner. It is a beautiful plane.

http://www.newairplane.com/787/