Suicide bombing photo

An amazing photo of the instant of a suicide bomber detonating during a Sri Lankan religious holiday.
It wasn't pure luck--it taken from a videotape of the event.

Via Sydney Morning Herald.

Engine technology

The opposed piston opposed cylinder engine is a new piston cylinder design. It is purported to have a 90% scavenging efficiency, which describes how well it cycles fresh and depleted air. Because there is a split stroke, the engine runs at twice normal speed.

This isn't new stuff, but still looks cool.


Via Engineering TV.

Green light for stem cell research?

Obama is expected to announce tomorrow a reversal on Bush's ban on embryonic stem cell research. Instead of the Bush plan that restricted federal funding to existing lines, his plan will allow scientists who work with new lines to apply for government money.

Thank you Obama for realizing the necessity for more science and better medicine. In my view, there is no ethical dilemma. Either use unfertilized balls of cells to heal otherwise incurable diseases or throw the embryonic cells away. The religious right who purport a violation of ethics should look into their own hypocrisy when it comes to denying relief to the sick.

Via Newsday.

Spring forward

Clocks forward one hour at 2AM.

Interestingly, Hawaii and Arizona don't use DST. Indiana was like this too before 2006. Parts of Canada and Australia most of southeast Asia doesn't use DST either

Thanks for lying, Ann

Ann Coulter claimed on her blog that:

Except Keith didn't go to the Ivy League Cornell; he went to the Old MacDonald Cornell.

The real Cornell, the School of Arts and Sciences (average SAT: 1,325; acceptance rate: 1 in 6 applicants), is the only Ivy League school at Cornell and the only one that grants a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Keith went to an affiliated state college at Cornell, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (average SAT: about that of pulling guards at the University of South Carolina; acceptance rate: 1 of every 1 applicants).

Olbermann's incessant lying about having an "Ivy League education" when he went to the non-Ivy League ag school at Cornell would be like a graduate of the Yale locksmithing school boasting about being a "Yale man."

But wait...? Keith Olbermann did go to Cornell. It says he went to the "real" Cornell on his IMDB bio and he is mentioned in the Cornell University newspaper indicating that his peers considered him a Cornell student. Contrary to what she is trying to imply, Olbermann was actually a brilliant student--he graduated from Cornell at 20.

Cornell University itself lists the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences as part of the Cornell University and, thus the college is still in the Ivy League. As is common, there are several colleges within the greater university, which in this case all falls under the Cornell title. She should know this but intentionally misleads to prove her point.

Which is what? I don't get what defaming Olbermann does to improve her status. His school from over 30 years ago does not matter now. If he did go to a "lesser" school, that should not change how he is looked upon because how a person acts now not his school defines him. That she is willing to pull out this piece of history shows her conceitedness. She, also Cornell grad, wants to elevate herself above him, a "lesser Cornelian." Her ad hominem attacks do not prove she is better than Olbermann is--they show she is willing to throw scum and sink lower.

She is bending the truth and lying to suit her devices. She is a hypocrite, attempting to tout her morals and righteousness when instead she blatantly trample on her own values.

Shame on you, Ann. Shame on you.

Printer Easter egg

The HP Scanjet 5P can play Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" when the right buttons are pressed:

College application triangle

The bottom level is the core and absolutely necessary for an application. These need to be solid before moving on to the next tier of application necessities. The second level allows a student to stand out and express individuality. The top demonstrates excellence and stands out the most.


The bottom left includes all the Collegeboard/ACT testing. These show preparedness for the test, but not much else. The problem with these is that once you are in the range, you look exactly the same to an admissions officer as any other applicant in this area.
SAT I: 2200-2400
SAT II: 720-800 for most, although there are some where nothing but an 800 cuts it
ACT: 30-36
AP: 4-5 gives credits for most schools

The middle section, school, includes grades and the like. Your transcript basically consists of this. It is unreliable in a college's eyes because the difficulty of the courses offered in a school vary by region and within a school teachers vary. However, it still needs to be solid to look good in a college's eyes.

The essay, recommendations, and possible interview give the college insight into how you act and express yourself. In the essay, you get to express your voice and experiences from your point of view. The recommendations give the college a look at who you are from other people's perspectives. The interview allows you to just be yourself.

The activities you do show your passions to the school. Leadership is better than participation; being a member of 5 clubs < style="font-style: italic;">Sports: Not just the common interscholastic sports, but uncommon sports such as archery, sailing, and rowing
Speaking: Speech and Debate, Junior Statesmen of America, Slam Poetry, Model UN
Writing: School newspaper, yearbook, and literary publications
Internships/jobs: The harder the position is to get, the better
Summer experiences: Stuff like AMIGOS and other volunteer abroad opportunities cost money but are fun
Volunteering: I personally despise volunteer clubs (because many people at my school join them just for the mindless community service), but they serve the purpose of appearing dedicated to helping society
Music: Either in a school or community symphony/orchestra/band/ensemble or privately. For a symphony, generally all wind instruments except the flute and clarinet as well as violas and double bass are in demand.

Awards show excellence and dedication. These are what make a student stand out above the rest as these awards are very difficult to attain and hard to attain a lot of.
Science: There are the Science, Bio, Chem, and Physics Olympiads as well as others
Math: There are many math and computing contests
English: There are numerous essay and poetry-writing contests
History: The National Geographic Bee as well as other historical competitions
Music: There are many music competitions available, more so for the piano than any other instrument
Collegeboard: There are AP-based awards, the PSAT National Merit Scholarship, and a few others
Language: There are many English and foreign language competitions