Wisdumb: Smart and Not-So-Smart

A distraught and very sad letter ‘e’ contacted me this afternoon. It requested I speak on its behalf as it fears for its existence. From what I can tell, there are two main reasons for this fear.

It all started a few years ago with the iPod. Before the iPod came along, the letter ‘e’ was dominating the world - or at least in equal footing with the letter ‘i’. There was e-mail, e-commerce, e-loan, e-machines, e-money, etc. Then, with the popularity of the iPod, other iDevices started popping up everywhere. And quite frankly, in many cases, the ‘i’ was showing up where an ‘e’ would make more sense. I mean, a digital music player is an electronic device more that it is an Internet device.

But then, something even worse came along… FLICKR. Come on! It drops the ‘e’ for no reason and then mocks the fifth letter by leaving the ‘i’ in it. And for some reason, names like this practically became mandatory for web 2.0 sites. You’ve got zoomr, bloggr, grabbr and many other examples. I started to compile a list, but during my research I discovered a site that beat me to the punch (with 120 such names).

Anyway, in an effort to help out our old friend the letter ‘e’, I beseech thee to start speaking in Olde English whenever ye see an opportunitee or if ye desires in its stead, just forgo the letter ‘y’ at the end of words for the perfectlee capable double ‘ee’ if ye please.

My favorite from the 15 Unfortunately Placed Ads is the one below:

This is a pretty freakin’ cool video. I suggest you check it out (click Kanye’s noggin’). The guys behind the digital magic, RhinoFX do a lot of very nice work. As I am myself a moderately talented motion graphics artist and video editor, I really pay attention to this type of stuff.

BTW, my favorite line from the song:

Since Prince was on Appolonia, since OJ had Isotoners

Sony has developed a battery that uses the process of breaking down sugar to generate electricity. The chart below explains the concept of this sweet new technology [sorry, couldn’t resist the pun]:

For an explanation of this process, here is an explanation. It’ll likely be awhile before there are practical applications for this new technology, but it is exciting nonetheless when you consider that if this concept works and is expanded, we might have the ability to generate electricity with an easily renewable resource that could have virtually no negative impact on the environment.

Here’s an interesting story with a bit of a nightmare PR angle.

It seems the MPAA bought private e-mails stolen from TorrentSpy execs. Of course, the MPAA have some sort of paper trail that claims the e-mails were obtained via legal means through a third party…

This makes me wonder ‘How does one sell e-mails that don’t belong to you legally?’ Can anyone do that? Is it just with e-mails, or can it be anything? If so, there is some property on the east coast I’d like to sell you.

Anyway, according to an expert (and virtually any person with a 50+ IQ):

“Ethically, it’s pretty clear that reading other people’s e-mail is wrong,” said Lorrie Cranor, an associate research professor and Internet privacy expert at Carnegie Mellon University. “Being offered someone else’s e-mails by a third party should have been a red flag.”

You think?

Most of the cars written about in a Wired Magazine article about the 10 Fastest Green Cars on the Planet are concept, unrealistic or specialty cars that don’t directly affect your life, or at least won’t for a number of years until what is developed is modified into something that the actual public will drive. However, I believe it is good that the engineers are working on these things and the Green car of the near-future seems to be very promising.

Anyway, of the cars listed, the one that matters the most in today’s world is this one. However, given the means, I’d opt for this:

This post will be a running update of all of my predictions. The stats so far are:

Total # of predictions: 3
Correct predictions: 2
Incorrect predictions: 0
Jury still out: 1

Itemized predictions:

• Anchorwoman - correct
• Van Halen 3.5 tour - unknown
• Jane Austen Book Club - correct

I just listened to a terrible radio spot for some Icelandic Omega-3 fish oil pills. Besides the fact that it uses one of the worst voice overs I have ever heard (the woman has this tinny voice that doesn’t carry, and her acting is sub-par to Paris Hilton), the commercial is stupid in another very significant way.

This is a paraphrase, but the spokeswoman tells us that her fish oil pills will help us improve our memories and our ability to focus. She then tells us it is also good for our skin. Not only that, it is also good our joints. She then says, “Oh? Did I tell you…” that it is good for our hearts as well.

Well, I guess she needs to take more of her crappy pills because I guess she forgot what she was going to say and didn’t focus too well on the benefits of the freakin’ pill she is hawking.

I know this has been out for quite awhile, but I just saw it again and wanted to show it:

Showing how Green awareness and activism can actually have a positive impact, check out this statement below from the Environment Illinois State Director:

Citing “ongoing regional opposition,” BP America Chairman and President Bob Malone announced this morning that the company will avoid any increased pollution into Lake Michigan from its oil refinery in Whiting, Indiana.

BP has heard the voices of hundreds of thousands of Great Lakes region residents saying that Lake Michigan is a natural treasure and source of drinking water, not our dumping ground. In response, BP has issued a non-binding statement indicating it will avoid increased dumping of ammonia and toxics-containing solids, which are allowed by its new discharge permit issued in June by Indiana’s Department of Environmental Management.

I’d like to thank the hundreds of thousands of Great Lakes region residents like you who have spoken out to protect Lake Michigan from BP’s expanded dumping. Together we made BP’s announcement today happen. We now need to urge BP to immediately call for an amended discharge permit that sets in stone its promise to avoid any increase in pollution.

As long as BP’s current discharge permit remains on the books in Indiana, it sets a disastrous precedent. The permit is the first in years to allow a company to increase its pollution into Lake Michigan. To ensure Lake Michigan’s protection, the permit must be amended — both to hold BP to its pledge and to avoid setting a dangerous standard for future permits.

Send the message to BP today that it needs to get an amended permit that doesn’t allow for any increase in pollution:

http://www.environmentillinois.org/action/protect-lake-michigan/bp-email?id4=ES

Sincerely,
Rebecca D. Stanfield
Environment Illinois State Director
RebeccaS@environmentillinois.org
http://www.environmentillinois.org

P.S. Thanks again for your support. Please feel free to share this e-mail with your family and friends.

In case you weren’t familiar with this story, here is some background from TreeHugger.