I thought it was a joke, but got in this morning and clearly idiot is reality. (more…)

Are you amazed by these facts and would like to explore more about our space then here is something for you.

World Wide Telescope Web 2.0 visualization software environment that enables your computer to function as a virtual telescope bringing together imagery from the best ground and space-based telescopes in the world for a seamless exploration of the universe.

The best part of this project byMicrosoft is that the images that shown are from observations associated with real instrument, like the Hubble Space Telescope, the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), and the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS). These are the few advanced telescopes that mankind has sent in to space.

There are different views available to look at the same celestial body. One can see the x-ray view of the sky and zoom into bright radiation clouds, and then cross fade into the visible light view and discover the cloud remnants of a supernova explosion from a thousand years ago. There is the Hydrogen Alpha view to see the distribution and illumination of massive primordial hydrogen cloud structures lit up by the high energy radiation coming from nearby stars in the Milky Way.

You will not get bored and lost by just zooming IN and OUT in the dark sky. The Software allows you to download guided tours by various authors on different planets, galaxies etc. The images are worth downloading if you have any interest in astronomy.

You can download the software from its website Download

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Where Social Media has been a community of people exchanging information endlessly over the last 12 years¹, The New York Times is working its way into the network (within its own network of journalists). TimesPeople is an online community composed of those reading the Times and recommending the Times to other friends/followers, who then read your Times and recommend those articles to their friends/followers.

Time Out!

This is beginning to look like an endless cycle of a one-track mind. In a time when we should be seeking additional sources of information, TimesPeople has now taken Social Media one step back – limiting the user to only recommend articles within The Times network. Social Media is not a socialist community! (more…)

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Brooke Barnes with The New York Times reports,”Strawberry Shortcake was having an identity crisis. The “it” doll and cartoon star of the 1980s was just not connecting with modern girls. Too candy-obsessed. Too ditzy. Too fond of wearing culottes.”

So, according to Barnes, her owner, American Greetings Properties, worked for a year on what it calls a “fruit-forward” makeover. Strawberry Shortcake, part of a line of scented dolls, now prefers fresh fruit to gumdrops, appears to wear just a dab of lipstick (but no rouge), and spends her time chatting on a cellphone instead of brushing her calico cat, Custard. Unveiled last week, the new look is part of a new line of toys from Hasbro.

What!! Are you kidding me? My favorite childhood character is losing her pet to an electronic device?? What are we doing? I can understand giving a character a refresher but a cell phone? Who does a five-eight year old have to talk to on a cell phone? I do not have children, but I can’t even begin to conceive the need for a phone? I didn’t even buy myself one till I was 21.

She is not the only aging fictional star to get a face-lift, Barnes Reports. An unusually large number of classic characters for children are being freshened up and reintroduced – on store shelves, on the Internet and on television screens – as their corporate owners try to cater to parents’ nostalgia and children’s YouTube-era sensibilities.

Warner Brothers hopes to “reinvigorate and reimagine” Bugs Bunny and Scooby-Doo through a new virtual world on the Internet.

American Greetings is also giving the Care Bears, another one of my favorites some liposuction and lash extensions! Wasn’t the whole point of them bing big and cuddly so as a child you had something to squeeze when you wanted to give your toy a hug or cry with???
Even Mickey Mouse is getting an update, although the Walt Disney Co. is still mulling what tweaks to make. “I love classic Mickey, but he needs to evolve to be relevant to new generations of kids,” Robert A. Iger, Disney’s chief executive, said in an interview.

There have been some noteworthy misfires, reports Barnes.. “Earring Magic Ken” is the industry’s nightmare. Mattel’s 1993 character, who had a purple mesh T-shirt, a pierced ear and a leather vest, drew howls from consumers, who did not see him as a realistic boyfriend for Barbie.”

Brooks Barnes, The New York Times

TV.com offers some other good shows for kids:

If you like Strawberry Shortcake, you may also like these shows:
My Little Pony Tales
Welcome to the My Little Pony Tales guide at TV Tome. An attempt by Hasbro to revive the “My Little Pony” craze in the early 90s, the show aired on the Disney channel (and later, syndicated… more
My Little Pony and Friends
My Little Pony ‘n Friends was a showcase for the popular My Little Pony series, which began life as a handful of animated specials that eventually spawned a fondly remembered movie. In this… more
Bananas In Pajamas
This television series, Bananas in Pajamas, is about two giant, child-like bananas, B1 and B2. They are good friends and companions. Together they live on Cuddles Lane, with their friends, the… more
My Little Pony
Based on one of the most beloved toylines of the 1980’s, My Little Pony started out as a couple of animated specials and a feature film before finally becoming a cartoon series. Its various… more
The Smurfs
The Smurfs are a group of over 100 bluish, three-apple tall creatures who live in the mushroom homes of Smurf Village. They are led by 543-year-old Papa Smurf (who doesn’t look a day over 530)…. more
Care Bears
The Care Bears keep watch over the earth to keep bad feelings at bay. Whenever a kid is feeling down, they are there to help bring a smile to the child’s face. They live in a city in the sky, named… more

The Saint John’s Bread and Life Center has recently renovated after 26 years of service to its community. Amongst other improvements, starting next Monday food orders will be taken on touch screen computers (using technology from Plexis Point of Sale Software.) Families will essentially be issued gift cards with credit, which is distributed based on need, to use to select their necessities from the pantry’s inventory.

This is a novel approach to bringing options to the typical food pantry. I don’t know how familiar you all with food pantries but often food is prearranged for families; giving them little, if any, choice in their selection. With little consideration to whether a given family even needs some of the prearranged objects. I had never really thought about how the standard technique was so inconsiderate, but the article mentions that this can be frustrating and somewhat demeaning to the consumers.

It is hoped that using their new method will allow a more typical and dignified shopping experience for its families. They hope that they will not be fighting much of a learning curve based on the assumption that many people are familiar with ATM cards and should be able to navigate a similar system. In addition to the added simplicity and order this will implement for the pantry, the program will promote healthier eating amongst the patrons. A food pyramid will be only a click away for easy reference and the less healthy a product is the more it will cost.