The Manslater...

It's about frickin' time someone invented this!

You Are Not Special...

What a refreshing message for high school graduates!  Over the past twenty years or so, I've run into so many young Americans who really could have used this message.  Really what they needed was to have been raised and educated in a manner consistent with this message – as so many young people outside America are.

Several readers sent me links to transcripts of this speech, but I was holding out for the video.  In this day and age, one can be pretty much certain that something like this would be videotaped.  Turns out I had four separate videos to choose from :-)

Posner Smacks Down Apple and Google...

... and disses the U.S. patent system while he's at it.  From a news report:

A U.S. judge yesterday threw aside a much-anticipated trial between Apple and Google-owned Motorola Mobility over smartphone patents. The decision and a blog comment by the same judge could prove to be a watershed moment for a U.S. patent system that has spiraled out of control.

In his remarkable ruling, U.S. Circuit Judge Richard Posner stated that there was no point in holding a trial because it was apparent that neither side could show they had been harmed by the other’s patent infringement. He said he was inclined to dismiss the case with prejudice — meaning the parties can’t come back to fight over the same patents — and that he would enter a more formal opinion confirming this next week.

There's more in this blog post by Posner, in which he calls the patent system “dysfunctional”.  Well, yes it is – but we haven't often seen insider, influential people like Posner admitting that.  Might we actually do something about it?  What a lovely thought!

Piano History...

This isn't what you think – just watch and enjoy Victor Borge's performance.  There are only a few notes played in this entire video...

Miki...

Miki is one of our dogs that Debbie is currently running in agility competitions (the other is Race, our Border Collie).  The photo at right is of Miki exiting a tunnel obstacle in a recent competition.  Click on it and check out his expression.  What do you suppose is going through his little dogly brain at that moment?

It worries me :-)