Oxford University Dictionary Goes Digital: Not to Worry

The Oxford University Press (OUP) has announced that complete dictionary sets have become so obsolete they may stop publishing them.

The Press accumulated roughly $734 million in sales of 30,000 boxed sets (pictured above) at about $1,000 each over 21 years.

In contrast, the Press' new online digital dictionary has two million subscribers already paying $295 per year creating new revenue of $600 million in the last year alone.

In other words, the OUP is solvent at least for now. And for what it's worth, unlike this blogger, I didn't get any consideration at all for writing this piece - and haven't for any other. If I ever do, I'll acknowledge it.

From the Emmy Award Show:

Here's a clip that made me smile. Well worth watching, this video from the Emmy Award Show last night gets better after the start with terrific singing, dancing and acting.

Drive, Work, Learn, Shop, Eat in Princeton, New Jersey

There has been a problem in the town of Princeton for many years about the issue of tax payments to the town. The university used to pay little in taxes, but now Princeton pays more than other ivy league universities, such as Harvard and Yale, which paid $4 and $7 respectively to Princeton's $10 in millions of dollars.

Despite this unusual generosity, townspeople are resentful of the apparent wealth of the university. They relentlessly push Princeton University at every available opportunity to pay more taxes, most famously, for public education.

Palmer Square, Princeton, New Jersey

Would the town have the same desirability without the university? Does it really fancy it is "Greenwich or Beverly Hills with a University"? I would say Princeton isn't the same. While the town has fine real estate, its healthy international reputation is the beneficiary of the prestige of Princeton University.

Nassau Street, Princeton, New Jersey

Around the world, everyone has heard of  Princeton, because of Princeton University, but like Stanford University, the town itself is somewhat more of a mystery. Do people really live there? At Stanford University, professors live near the university and spill over into the City of Palo Alto and other suburbs of San Francisco. At Princeton, professors live in the surrounding town of the same name and the area, roughly halfway between New York and Philadelphia. Harvard doesn't have a town in the Boston area of Massachusetts named after it, and professors tend to live in towns around the university.

 

Nassau Street, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey

Many professors in general like to have a reliably and conveniently short commute and that is why the real estate around colleges and universities tend to be relatively stable, and affluent around the Ivy League Universities. I have no doubt that Princeton will continue to be one of the most winning places to live in America. 

Princeton is an idyllic place to live, with a very desirable climate and surrounded with beautiful real estate, large estates and substantial country houses built of stone and many  new areas in surrounding townships. Princeton is also the headquarters of hedge funds, pharmaceutical and technology companies. For entertainment, the McCarter Theater, music at Richardson Auditorium and the attractions of nearby Symphonies beckon, as do the close proximity of the Jersey shore, the Poconos, movie theaters, trains to airports and cities. 

McCarter Theater, University Ave at College Rd, Princeton, New Jersey

In addition, Princeton has an established philanthropic base with countless  social events to benefit the homeless,  medical services, and homeless pets. It also has the greatest concentration of private schools in America and is  the location of the home of the Governor of New Jersey as he commutes to the nearby state Capitol building in Trenton. But townies in Princeton shouldn't forget the University makes the town thrive and attracts tourists from all over the world, not the real estate. It might, however, be the real estate that makes tourists want to stay, become residents and pay taxes.

Studies Indicate Body Mass Index of 23 is Optimal

We've all heard that excess weight shortens human lifespan. Medical researchers have now announced statistical evidence that Body Mass Index or BMI numbers of 23 and 24 are optimal for good health. Among the 900,000 men and women in a study, mortality was lowest in that narrow range, according to an interesting  press release from the British Medical Research Council.

Here is a BMI table of heights and weights:

In the study, moderately obese individuals (BMI 30-35) had lifespans reduced by 3 years. Worse, severely obese  individuals (BMI 40-50) had lifespans reduced by 10 years, similar to the effect of lifelong smoking. There was also a higher death rate among those who had a BMI well below 23-24, where more information would be helpful.

Obesity is a serious public health problem with increasingly global consequences. Do you know what your BMI is today?

T. Colin Campbell

The China Study by Colin Campbell draws very interesting conclusions as far as the virtues of recommending a plant-based diet for optimum nutritional and health benefits are concerned. Thousands of studies indicate it's the best way to head off heart disease and strokes, all kinds of cancers and autoimmune diseases.

In my early twenties, I worked in the office of venerable former Head of the British Medical Research Council in Oxford, Sir Richard Doll, when he was Warden of Green College, now Green Templeton College, Oxford. He now has a building named after him, and I also met Sir Richard Peto mentioned in this release many times. In fact, I may have met Colin Campbell, too, which is why I trust this work. Incidentally, another very nice nutritionist, Barbara Rolls, who eventually created the Volumetrics Diet was an acquaintance at Green College, too.

Google's Eric Schmidt Sounds Off

Sometimes Google's CEO Eric Schmidt seems to be getting ahead of himself. Don't get me wrong; since he's an alumnus of Princeton University, he must be a good person.

Eric Schmidt, CEO Google, Inc.

But on television he claimed that Google Inc wants to organize and own all knowledge and put it online. This to me, ranks with the outlandishness of President Bush calling other countries "evil empires." I agree there are evil people, but people are in the end just people, not machines, at least not yet.

Now, he says, supposedly seriously, according to a recent interview at the Wall Street Journal, that if people in the future have a problem with their online identities, then poof! They can just change their names. No problem.

"The Wall Street Journal's Holman Jenkins writes in his interview with Eric Schmidt that the CEO "predicts, apparently seriously, that every young person one day will be entitled automatically to change his or her name on reaching adulthood in order to disown youthful hijinks stored on their friends' social media sites."

"I don't believe society understands what happens when everything is available, knowable and recorded by everyone all the time," Schmidt said."

Huffington Post
 

This simply sounds preposterous, doesn't it? The idea that everyone, or anyone, really, should change given names to wipe clean any signs of previous online mistakes obviously has enormous legal and social consequences. Does he envision people identified by numbers (such as cell numbers) rather than names?

I don't know anything about his home life, but hasn't he ever thought of naming a child for life or about the value of intellectual and family genealogies? How will society work if people are forced to just change their names to erase online shame? Sure it's a new idea, but  it's not necessarily a good one. Please weigh in and leave a comment.

Remembering Mathematicians: Let's Talk about Mathematical Pedigrees

Now that teachers and parents are gearing up for the new school year, let's think about mathematics for a little while. Mathematicians have very desirable jobs according to a recent survey. One topic that might interest all students is the idea that mathematicians learn from other mathematicians before them. In addition, some mathematicians have fascinating academic lineages now search-able online.

The academic pedigree of mathematicians is a fascinating topic aided by computers and funded by the American Mathematical Society (AMS), one of the most prestigious of mathematical societies and associations, along with the Mathematical Association of America and many others.

It's fascinating to be able to go back, now very far back in time, and check the academic pedigrees of mathematicians. I would encourage all my readers to check out the Mathematics Genealogy Project.

By searching for a mathematician, and then clicking on the advisor links, it's possible to travel back many centuries in time and see how mathematicians are connected.

Let's start at home, with one Paul Seymour. Dear reader, I married him. On the home page, search Paul Seymour, and his advisor at Balliol College, at the University of Oxford was Aubrey Ingleton. Click on Ingleton, and on Ingleton's site, click on advisor links to descend directly back to famous mathematicians such as G.H. Hardy, and before him, Sir Arthur Cayley, who was descended from Sir Isaac Newton and then his line continues back to the great Galileo. Paul Seymour's lucky students at Princeton should know they were taught by  someone who learned from Galileo!

This was interesting news to us. The AMS has been busy…Guess I should thank them at this point. As with family pedigrees with which we are more familiar, mathematical pedigrees, if true (a very large if), should be taken with large flakes of salt (and not create social impediments) with value as interesting mathematical folklore not business advantage.

Actually, maybe math teachers might want to research this site and point it out to students whose interest might be captured and motivated by this cool research tool. The world needs more mathematicians, whoever taught them and whatever establishment they attended.

Incidentally, the AMS has just announced the establishment of digital archives in mathematical research journals, over 34,000 articles.

A few hundreds or thousands of mathematicians will attend the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) in Hyderabad, India, August 19-27, 2010. The Congress meets only once every four years and is a forum for announcements of major recent mathematical breakthroughs. Invitations to attend are highly sought after and prestigious, and major mathematical awards are usually given at the Congress. We're thinking of them. Click here to search a database of mathematicians who have given talks at ICMs since 1897. 

Finally, can't resist saying I am currently noticing math blogs buzzing about a paper currently being reworked about P and NP. The blogs by Lipton, Gowers and Aaronson are strictly for insiders, but interesting to read for recent results and collaborative professional effort.

Knowledge can change perceptions, which in turn can change reality-Linda Greenhouse

Have you ever wished to be invisible? Scientists have discovered a way to step closer to the ideal "cloak of invisibility" with Harry Potter-esque possibilities. The science is being developed, but it would appear rays of light are deflected away from a very tightly knit fabric of gold-etched silk. It could have many exciting medical applications, and many, many other uses, and kids would love it.

This Is Sure to Make America Sound Attractive

America plans to make skilled foreigners pay to close America's door to unskilled foreigners.

The increase [in visas for skilled foreigners'] fees is what pays for the bill's $600 million in spending on increased border personnel, unmanned aerial drones, and other initiatives to help stop illegal immigration to the U.S. WSJ

Unfortunately, America hasn't updated inefficiencies at "Homeland Insecurity" and discourages smart, legal immigration as much as possible.  Worse, this new measure intuitively violates international law as a form of "indirect protectionism." How smart is that? Full article in the Wall Street Journal.

The Superior Diet: Varied and Lean to Protect Your Health

An article in today's Wall Street Journal, Not So Young at Heart? by Ron Winslow has important news on the topic of heart disease. New research from a 20-year study involving 3,258 people, 18-30 years of age, found that the cumulative effect of even modestly abnormal cholesterol heightens your risk of developing telltale signs of heart disease by age 45. LDL levels should be below 70, whereas current national guidelines consider LDL below 100 optimal.

bn.com

As my recently recommended book, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by C.B. Esselstyn M.D. tells, national cholesterol levels are far too high at  200 and should be below 150. Rip Esselstyn, C.B. Esselstyn's son, has a book, Engine 2 Diet, with lots of tasty recipes and exercises to help reduce your cholesterol and LDL.

The China Study by T. Colin Campbell  tells the same news with a convincing case for a varied diet of plant-based fruits, vegetables and whole grains. This recent research taken from long studies of the Chinese population reinforces the need for more strictness in the American diet, as far as cutting back on oils, is concerned, along with the need for a vegan diet,  one without dairy, eggs and meats, fish, white flour foods. This is a diet that can be extremely challenging to follow if one eats out a lot or with others not on the diet, but the rewards make it well worth following: to have more energy, a settled digestive system, and it could push cancer away and save your heart. Diet does all this! 

bn.com

Warning: These books are extremely persuasive.

In stock at Whole Foods Grocery stores and bookstores.

It's So Simple To Google: A Quick Review

Weather: type weather followed by zipcode or city name. weather by itself gives you weather in your current location. weather princeton

Local Businesses: type location followed by category of business e.g. new york beads

Flight tracker: for flight status, type name of airline and flight number e.g. aa 3

Currency Conversion: type in e.g. 10 USD in GBP

Unit Conversion: type in desired conversion e.g. 4 lbs in kg

Movie Times: movies automatically shows movies near you, or showtimes for nearby theaters remembered by the computer from a previous search.

Sport Scores: for scores and schedules, type team or league name e.g. dallas cowboys

Dictionary: type define and the word e.g. define desire

Time: type in time and name of city e.g. time new york

Stock Quotes: Simply type in the ticker name e.g. GOOG with more inside from Google Finance etc.

Calculator: type in equation e.g. 16/20

Earthquakes: type in earthquakes for recent activity

Cooking Conversions: type in e.g. 2 cups in ounces

Fill in the blank: start a sentence e.g. Ronald Reagan died or (name of business) tel. (for a telephone number)

Package Tracking: type in tracking number from UPS, Fedex or USPS directly e.g. ABCDE123

Area Codes and Zip Codes: simply type in numbers e.g. 12345

Mortgage Rates: google mortgage rates

Public Data: For population trends and unemployment rates: type either one and then location e.g. population New Jersey or unemployment rates NJ.

Courtesy: Google Tips

Please comment and add more of your favorite searches.

Conflict Management: "Fighting Happily Ever After" - from The Wall Street Journal

Super-caffeinated "Beverages" Are Actually "Drugs"

Did you know that one can of heavily marketed energy drink WiredX505 has the caffeine equivalent of ten (10!) cans of cola? How do the makers of these drinks get away with masking the truth? They're so loaded with caffeine, children shouldn't drink them and containers should be labeled to indicate they are drugs.

The editors of the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) warn that drinks such as WiredX505 and Fixx are really drugs marketed as tasty syrupy refreshments. Fuzzy labelings on caffeine-loaded drinks have lulled and by now repeatedly tricked consumers into buying products that doctors warn "have crossed the line from beverages to drugs." They maintain official warning labels on drinks are not comparable to those currently mandatory for caffeine tablets as they should be.

Dr. Noni MacDonald, Dr. Matthew Stanbrook and Dr. Paul C. Hebert in the current month's editorial, just published, entitled "Caffeinating children and youth" (CMAJ, July 23, 2010) exhort advertisers of these drinks to end promotions targeting vulnerable children who are "notorious for making poor health choices." Dr. MacDonald, Professor of Pediatrics at Dalhousie University et al. assert the marketing of energy drinks is "distinctly different" because companies increasingly target children and youth through sponsorship of events such as snowboarding and skateboarding competitions.

Noni MacDonald, M.D.
cahs-acss.ca

Astoundingly, caffeine information is invisible on these products,  and containers should be properly marked to warn consumers of the dangers. Too much caffeine is well known to cause "nervousness, irritability, sleeplessness and, occasionally, rapid heart rate." Red Bull was prohibited in France until 2008, and in Denmark until 2009. 

These drinks are often mixed with alcohol by college students, creating potentially hazardous combinations. A survey showed that "college students who mixed alcohol with energy drinks were three times more likely [than other patrons] to leave a bar highly intoxicated and four times more likely to drive while intoxicated." 

Blogging Tips For Newbies

Here are some tips I'm going to try to follow in the future from Copyblogger, a blogsite with tips for bloggers. This could be a good set of tips for new bloggers to read:

1) Have a conversation. It's true, the personalities of bloggers tend to shine through their writing. If you feel worse after reading posts time after time, stop reading even if  you feel you should.

2) Lighten up. Everyone loves a good laugh, and as a writer you want to make people feel more comforted and happier than when they started. I hope readers can relate to some issues I write about.

3) Be yourself. The older you get, the easier it is. Trust me on this.

4) Be nice. Mamma said so (as did Copyblogger).

5) Get over yourself. It's all about the readers. Keep the focus on the audience.

6) Help people. "The people who run these blogs are constantly thinking about how they can help..Helpful people are popular people."

7) Stop trying so hard. Posts aren't sales pitches.

Hotel Pools: a slideshow

 Villa d'Este, Lago di Como, Italia.  courtesy: Daily Beast

Summer Dreams

Just in case you love pools, you will want to see a wonderful slideshow of amazing ones at locations around the world. Click at Hotel Pools. Have you any other hotel pool favorites?

Online Sites Make Cell Phone Decisions Easier

There are multiple decisions to make before venturing to a store to purchase a new cell phone. Especially if you're thinking of buying a fancy new smartphone, you will need to plan which store to go to in the first place. It's wise to take the time to determine which phone to buy through internet comparisons. Your effort will help you decide ahead whether or not to buy a smartphone (and all the internet capabilities they deliver) along with which carrier and exactly which plan will fit your needs in the future.

To help you make a decision, as a preliminary, try adding a few pieces of data into this website to find the most recent percentage data of cellphone users in the United States using smartphones as opposed to regular cell phones, as well as the most popular makes. For a greater worldview of cell phone use, try reading this site for statistics at getjar.com.

To help you decide which carrier to use, you can search local cell phone towers close to the areas you will usually be using at a website at cellreception.com. The site also very usefully rates the effectiveness of wireless providers, T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and Nextel. A table of consumer reviews of providers is linked here. You can check with individual providers for their best plans online at wirelessguide.org.

In addition, this site published by CNet lists the highest-radiation cell phones in the United States. See where yours falls in the list by manufacturer and model. Hope yours isn't second in the list like mine is.

We all have different needs for phones, and making the decision easier is the point of this entry post. Mulling over the current options available for new cell phones had me checking out websites. I'll need one a new one for my new career as a real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty.

Speaking Up For Stricter Gun Control is Helpful

"Silence Always Favors the Wrongdoer" - Gloria Allred

The subject of guns makes me want to speak up in support of stricter gun control laws in America. It takes a lady whose husband was killed by a gunmnan on a rampage and elected to public office -- Carolyn McCarthy, D-NY -- to have the strength and power to publicly support stricter gun control laws. This is my personal platform to support her and add my single, small voice to the good, quiet individuals with the nerve to publicly support gun control laws.

According to this article in today's New York Times, N.R.A. [National Rifle Association] lobbyists have succeeded in loosening gun control restrictions recently. With the so-called Disclose Act, four million gun-toting Americans (all N.R.A. members) are now legally secret and anonymous political and financial backers of the N.R.A. At least they're not the majority of Americans. But clearly, the greater good of society has lost some freedom in the elusive quest of progress toward greater civilization.

With retrogressive gun control laws, America becomes, in a sense more primitive, less civilized, less hospitable. Healthcare is an urgent need for gun shot victims. Republicans  who recently successfully destroyed gun control laws are also undermining healthcare reform. Insurance companies, too, are now banned from charging higher premiums for people with guns in their homes. Guns create a much more violent society, and one that many sane and rational people in other developed countries choose not to inhabit or even visit.

The perennially charming National Rifle Association has succeeded at winning over politicians, somehow, while my (and our) silence has not. Actually, this baffles and disappoints me, because I thought President Obama's government would help crush the overwhelming power of lobbyists in D.C. Obviously, lobbying by special interests hasn't gone away and is still enormously effective, whether or not at the will of the majority.

What is the good in promoting relaxed gun laws anyway? No, don't let me know, I don't care for the other side of this topic. To my set of values, unfortunately the bad side won - a shame for America at home and abroad, and just plain ugly for business and the future. Pity.

Washington's National Cathedral Thrives Amid Sweltering Heat

Washington, D.C.'s National Cathedral had another wonderful service last Sunday, July 11, 2010, with The Very Reverend Samuel Lloyd III giving the sermon. It can be viewed online at the National Cathedral website. The service leaflet is also available, and can be followed at the same time. Many wonderful old hymns, many of them my personal favorites were sung, and the service was very satisfying to see.

 Hyfrydol's "Love divine, all loves excelling" is one of my especial favorites. I always love to hear the "Presentation Acclamation" : "We gather at your table, Lord: we humbly lift our hearts to you! Here all are welcomed, all restored, and all are given work to do."

This month, the new Cathedral Provost, The Rev. Timothy Boggs, has participated in services as well. The music played throughout by Michael McCarthy, Director of Music, finished with the Allegro Maestoso by L.Vierne.  All the service can be heard and enjoyed online, a great new resource offered by the National Cathedral. Please give generously to the nation's National Cathedral.

Fascinating Fascinators

Fascinator: a hairpiece, a style of millinery like a hat, also called a cocktail hat, commonly made with feathers, flowers and beads. Fascinators are popular at events where hats were traditionally worn, such as horse-racing events, as an alternative.

Although this term fell into disuse by the 1970s, it is used in a newspaper article referring to hairpieces worn by women at church at St. James Cathedral in Toronto, Canada today.

The Queen is noted for her hats, and she was certainly not upstaged. But there were quite a few women in the church who also wore hats and fascinators.

TheGlobeAndMail.com

Silk flowers, too can be just the perfect finishing touch for a coat or suit or even a dress. Many are available at M and J Trimmings, 1008 Sixth Avenue, (nr. 38th St.) New York 10018 tel.1.800.MJTRIM. This large store bills itself as "the world's Premier Trimming Resource since 1936. With one location at over 5000 square feet, they are highly recommended for over-the-top trimmings and tassels for clothing and furniture and jewelry designs. They have lace, buttons, tassels, belt buckles, bullion crests, and patches and are located in the middle of the jewelry and garment district, and now have items available online. See that website for a wonderland of creations for use in fabulous designs.

Washington's National Cathedral: Dean Sam Lloyd and Guest Lisa Miller Discuss Heaven

Washington's National Cathedral had a wonderful service this morning. Two hymns were especially beautiful today: "Dear Lord and Father  of Mankind" by Repton, and the Michael music " All My Hope on God is Founded." They inspire me to make a list of my favorite hymns; that would make a nice project. I prefer those old ones.

Earlier, before the service at the Sunday Forum hosted by The Very Rev. Samuel T. Lloyd III, the discussion was all about Heaven with visiting Newsweek Religion Editor, Lisa Miller. She talked about "How Our Conceptions of Heaven Influence Our Lives." Her book is called "HEAVEN: Our Enduring Fascination With The Afterlife."

On June 6, 2010, an important Forum discussion was with The Rev. Thomas G. Long, an author of many, many books such as one about challenges facing preachers in Preaching From Memory To Hope  and about sickness and funeral customs  in Accompany Them With Singing. This Forum conversation should be listened to by every clergyman, in my humble opinion. The Forum is called: "Living and Dying: Why our Christian Rituals Matter."

These Forum discussions  are great online, live or later, even if I don't always write a review of them. They are important conversations about life, religion, God, and so much more. Dean Sam Lloyd has a gentle way of guiding the discussion with calmness to a wonderful warm place.

It is a privilege to be able to listen to the services and Forums here in the comfort of my own home near Princeton, New Jersey, over two hundred miles away from the Capital. Please give generously, as the Cathedral needs money to fight hunger in the Capital, and to follow through with promised social programs.

The beautiful music of the Cathedral, especially when played by the excellent Organist Scott Dettra, could be made into CDs. I notice there are CDs out there of favorite hymns.  Of course, I wish his special organ recitals could be played online, as well.

The Rev. Canon Carol Wade announced her departure intention, as had The Rev. Canon Stephen Huber, leaving the National Cathedral with a few vacancies to fill. I have every confidence Dean Sam Lloyd will find suitable replacements in time, although they have been extremely fine preachers.

Washington's National Cathedral is my favorite place to watch live online when it's time for religion at all times of the year. It's also an important location to support with thousands of visitors each year.

Training a Child Quickly in One Weekend

Here are some time-tested suggestions to help train your child. Life gets easier after the diapers are off and everyone can finally relax. Just look ahead and think of how soon your little genius could graduate from Princeton. Every kid has to do this!

1) Most important: listen to your child. Your child will  show readiness and let you know when  it is time to take off diapers. You will notice a consciousness over actions in many ways. A child won't rush to take diapers off, so it's time to gently assert and suggest. Don't even think  of taking a child off diapers before evidence of muscle control is clear, except as a dream. That would be a losing battle.

2) When it is time to potty-train, plan a quiet weekend a little ahead in which this will be your major focus. Admittedly, it will not be your most public event of the year, but if done with sensitivity, potty-training generally can be initiated, if not fully achieved, fairly quickly, in an evening, day, or weekend. The most important aspect is the bond of understanding the child needs to make of the connection between the urge and the action.

3) Before the weekend, prepare the child by explaining your plan, and showing what will happen in steps. Doesn't hurt to give a child time to get used to the idea.  A small plastic seat placed on top of a toilet seat is helpful to a baby.

4) Let your child know the most important thing in this designated special weekend for all of the family will be potty-training. (This may take some creative truth-stretching)...

5) When the promised and planned weekend comes,  discuss the topic and perhaps dramatically cast aside those diapers  for the child. Stay close to the potty at all times, at least for a few hours, to provide security and assistance so that your child's requests will be heard and followed. Be sure the baby realizes the connection between not having diapers and aiming into the potty.

6) Praise your baby profusely, with any signs of success. Celebrate after it's done, and the training is successful.  You all will deserve it.

It's enough to make me wonder who needs potty training more, the parents doing the training or the babies trying to help the parents training them?

Please comment or email and let me know if these suggestions worked for you...

New West Wing Blog

In case you have wondered whether you could trail the President more closely, read his new blog now online called "The White House Blog." It's going to show video highlights of the President's days in office.

The White House Blog should make a wonderful historical record as well as a wonderful site to visit anytime for official information. On the site are links to other White House blogs run by government councils and offices, as well as links to breaking news issues, such as the oil spill. It also has a direct search of the White House website with the Saturday address and so on, WhiteHouse.gov, and links to photo sites, podcasts, live streams, press briefings, historical sites, current issues, and offices of the administration.

Jane Fonda On How Car Scenes Are Filmed

Have you ever wondered how car scenes are made in movies? Jane Fonda is in Paris to act in a French movie called "Et Si On Vivait Tous Ensemble" . Luckily for us, she is leaking open secrets in her blog of which I am a fan. Here she explains how it's done:

"I wanted to show how we shoot car scenes…with the car mounted on a flat bed , the cameras attached in front and the whole is being pulled by another truck. This isn’t the only way to shoot car scenes but a common way, and, in our case, essential because [actor] Guy Bedos doesn’t drive."

Photos: Jane Fonda
http://janefonda.com/category/my-blog/

The Aspinall Foundation's Successful African Dream Trip

More like this are on Youtube.com

Jeff Bezos: "Will you be clever at the expense of others, or will you be kind?"

Jeff Bezos    

princeton.edu

Jeff Bezos made a wonderful Baccalaureate Address at Princeton University today. The Baccalaureate Address is one of Princeton's oldest traditions. He discussed his childhood and how he made the decision to found Amazon.com in 1994. Here's a copy of the speech "We are What We Choose". 

 "In her introduction of Bezos, Princeton President Shirley M. Tilghman praised him as "a dreamer and doer, entrepreneur and engineer" and "refreshingly unassuming even in the face of unimaginable success." She also lauded him for "his exceptional ability to marry commerce and technology in creative ways" and "his sheer inventiveness and willingness to take the risks inherent in this process." princeton.edu

 

Bezos described his boss' reaction [when he mentioned the idea of starting his company]: "He took me on a long walk in Central Park, listened carefully to me, and finally said, 'That sounds like a really good idea, but it would be an even better idea for someone who didn't already have a good job,'" Bezos said.

He spun a yarn about his grandparents that ended with a lesson: "My grandfather looked at me, and after a bit of silence, he gently and calmly said, "Jeff, one day you'll understand that it's harder to be kind than clever."

Speaking to packed audiences of graduates and families around the idyllic Princeton campus blessed with perfect weather, he asked many philosophical questions such as: 

"How will you use your gifts? What choices will you make?

Will inertia be your guide, or will you follow your passions?

Will you follow dogma, or will you be original?

Will you choose a life of ease, or a life of service and adventure?

Will you wilt under criticism, or will you follow your convictions?

Will you bluff it out when you're wrong, or will you apologize?

Will you guard your heart against rejection, or will you act when you fall in love?

Will you play it safe, or will you be a little bit swashbuckling?

When it's tough, will you give up, or will you be relentless?

Will you be a cynic, or will you be a builder?

Will you be clever at the expense of others, or will you be kind?"

He encouraged them in his conclusion with the words: "We are our choices. Build yourself a great story".

Bezos graduated from Princeton in 1986 with highest honors and his wife, novelist Mackenzie Tuttle Bezos graduated in 1992.

Real Estate "Agents Without Borders"? Not Likely Anytime Soon

Most people don't think about real estate agents until they need them, and if asked, don't have much idea of what they do besides sell houses. Did you know that you are at an advantage if you familiarize yourself with real estate law, especially if your property is complicated? I used to wonder why American Presidents tend to be lawyers; the odds are stacked against a politician who isn't a lawyer. Young politicians are wise to study law.

The concept of selling property is grounded in real estate law. The reasons agents take real estate courses, at least here in America, are varied:
1)to guide buyers with professionalism to make better real estate choices
2) to deepen agents' knowledge of statewide real estate laws and regulations
3)to obtain real estate licenses to legally sell property
4) to belong to the governing body of the Board of Realtors

The rigorous education and useful knowledge of laws are invaluable to a general understanding of society. We can only thank history for changing the ugly, old ways of redlining (not giving mortgages in subprime areas), blockbusting (telling certain minorities to move out), and steering (showing buyers certain areas (usually more expensive). How can constitutional infringements be nipped in the bud? Probably the answer is they can't, at least not easily.

                                                   Our New Jersey farm, north Lawrence Township

Real estate agents in New Jersey (especially North Jersey) learn three different areas: real estate principles of residential and commercial real estate in general, NJ real estate laws and regulations of the Real Estate Commission, and thirdly, Pennsylvania, South Jersey customs and laws. North Jersey follows New York law more than Pennsylvania and South Jersey law.

New Jersey enjoys two different tax customs, in North and South Jersey, something I hadn't appreciated in the last 27 years. Legal practices south of I-95 in New Jersey follow Pennsylvania customs. For example, in South Jersey and Pennsylvania, attorneys aren't at closings, meaning that, in practice, attorneys are more likely to stop sales just before closing. Attorney reviews, the North New Jersey alternatives, happen after a residential sales contract is signed and take three days. I suppose it could be debated which has better laws, New York or Philadelphia.

Transfer taxation of realty is an issue that is not uniform around America. It would make life easier if it were. Uniformity of laws would make enforcement easier. Unnecessary divisions complicate justice. I didn't think New Jersey and Pennsylvania law could be so dissimilar. And those are just two states.

How many people pay cash (in percent per year) for houses in New Jersey or in the USA for that matter? Simple question. I can't find an answer, and I'm told it doesn't matter anyway.

Maybe It's Time For You To Achieve Your Dreams

Whether it's a diploma at 94, or sailing around the world at  the tender age of sixteen,  two women proved today they were neither too old or too young to achieve a dream.

Hazel Soares was one of 500 undergraduates to pick up diplomas at Saturday's commencement ceremony at Mills College in Oakland, California. After achieving  her lifelong dream with plenty of help, she has made plans to be a docent at a San Francisco Bay area museum.

Nola Ochs of Kansas holds a place as oldest to graduate at age 95 according to the Guinness Book of World Records, a feat she topped on Saturday when she received her master's degree in liberal studies from Fort Hays State University.

Meanwhile, not something to try at home is the feat of Australian Jessica Watson, 16, who sailed around the world during the last seven months in complete solitude. She became the youngest person to sail around the globe solo, nonstop and unassisted in a pink 34 foot yacht dubbed Pink Lady.

Jessica Watson, 16, on the Pink Lady  Reuters

 The Wall Street Journal claims "she successfully maneuvered her boat through raging storms, 40-foot waves and seven knockdowns during the 23,000 nautical mile journey that critics thought she wouldn't survive."

She said storms gave her moments of doubt, but she kept her spirits up. "You don't actually have a choice - you're in the middle of a storm, you're being knocked down -- you can't fall apart." She wrote of seeing "stunning sunrises over glassy seas...spotting a blue whale and the dazzling, eerie sight of a shooting star racing across the night sky above her boat." She also "had "Silly" a brown seabird that landed on her yacht and kept her company." Jessica is looking forward to getting her driver's license, which the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd assured her she would pass "with flying colors."  Experts say her astonishing feat had high risk of a catastrophic outcome.

These two strong women proved wrong doubters who assumed they wouldn't succeed. I have to admit I was one of them. While they are  highly resilient and independent and self-reliant, they also are blessed with good health and support. If they hadn't tried, they wouldn't have succeeded. And the reason it's news has to do with their ages, proving achievements happen that make age irrelevant and unimportant.

Having a sixteen year old girl myself, I wouldn't encourage courageous acts. When she left I felt sorrowful and didn't like it her parents let her go despite the fact they evidently had the meant to give her a yacht. People get accused of child abuse for far less, not that I am saying her parents should be.

The project to me sounded foolhardy from inception. Seven times the yacht blew over and had to be upturned alone, high winds, killer waves...She has been blessed and her parents are very fortunate and she will gain unknown rewards, no doubt. At the same time, I wouldn't give a yacht to my daughter to travel alone around the world and expect to see her again.

Was she more or less likely to return alive had she traveled with a crew, or at least one other person? What do you think?

The Internet is Teaching Itself to Think - M.Mayer, Google

 "Edge: the World Question Center" asks the question

"How has the Internet changed the way you think?"

This is how Google's Marissa Mayer answers it:

faz-community.faz.net

MARISSA MAYER

Vice President, Search Products & User Experience, Google

IT'S NOT WHAT YOU KNOW, IT'S WHAT YOU CAN FIND OUT

It's not what you know, it's what you can find out. The Internet has put at the forefront resourcefulness and critical-thinking and relegated memorization of rote facts to mental exercise or enjoyment. Because of the abundance of information and this new emphasis on resourcefulness, the Internet creates a sense that anything is knowable or findable — as long as you can construct the right search, find the right tool, or connect to the right people. The Internet empowers better decision-making and a more efficient use of time.

Simultaneously, it also leads to a sense of frustration when the information doesn't exist online. What do you mean that the store hours aren't anywhere? Why can't I see a particular page of this book? And, if not verbatim, no one has quoted it even in part? What do you mean that page isn't available? Page not found?

The Internet can facilitate an incredible persistence and availability of information, but given the Internet's adolescence, all of the information simply isn't there yet. I find that in some ways my mind has evolved to this new way of the thinking, relying on the information's existence and availability, so much so that it's almost impossible to conclude that the information isn't findable because it just isn't online.

The Web has also enabled amazing dynamic visualizations, where an ideal presentation of information is constructed — a table of comparisons or a data-enhanced map, for example. These visualizations — be it news from around the world displayed on a globe or a sortable table of airfares — can greatly enhance our understanding of the world or our sense of opportunity. We can understand in an instant what would have taken months to create just a few short years ago. Yet, the Internet's lack of structure means that it is not possible to construct these types of visualizations over any or all data. To achieve true automated, general understanding and visualization, we will need much better machine learning, entity extraction, and semantics capable of operating at vast scale.

On that note — and in terms of future Internet innovation, the important question may not be how the Internet is changing how we think but instead how the Internet is teaching itself to think.

Amusing Signs in English For Armchair Travelers

One of the pleasures of traveling abroad is finding sources of amusement and variety in everyday life. We see how other people can do the same as us with different philosophies. Depicted in an article entitled

"Strange Signs from Abroad"

are signs collected from around the world by the New York Times. You will likely recognize some of them and wonder about the social values behind others. Time to fasten your seatbelt and marvel!