DrWeb's Domain

MSNBC - Why sex is good for the species

MSNBC - Why sex is good for the species.

Why sex is good for the species
Process enhances survivability in stressful conditions
By Bjorn Carey

Sex is an expensive and risky business. It steals time and drains precious nutrient resources. And each act of reproduction runs the risk of messing up carefully crafted genetic blueprints. So why do we do it?

Smithsonian's National Museum of American History: Taking America To Lunch

Smithsonian's National Museum of American History: Taking America To Lunch.

Taking America to Lunch

For generations, the lunch containers many of us have hauled to school and work have reflected American culture. No meal has received more cultural attention to its transport than our lunch. Of all the bags, boxes, trays, cans, and cartons carried over the past century, the most message-laden is the child's metal lunch box. This selection of boxes and their drink containers from the collections of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History explores that colorful heritage.

Thanks to Librarians Index to the Internet for the pointer...

Daylight Saving Time - Saving Time, Saving Energy

Daylight Saving Time - Saving Time, Saving Energy.

SAVING TIME, SAVING ENERGY
Daylight Saving Time, Its History and Why We Use It
by Bob Aldrich, Webmaster (and Former Information Officer) California Energy Commission

Spring forward...Fall back....

It's ingrained in our consciousness almost as much as the A-B-Cs or our spelling reminder of "i before e...." And it's a regular event, though perhaps a bit less regular than the swallows coming back to Capistrano.

Yet in those four words is a whole collection of trivia, facts and common sense about Daylight Saving Time.

Daylight Saving Time begins for most of the United States at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday of April (see chart below). Time reverts to standard time at 2 a.m. on the last Sunday of October.

Thanks to Librarians Index to the Internet for the pointer...

Boston.com / A&E / Books / Poor circulation

Boston.com / A&E / Books / Poor circulation.

THE OBSERVER
Poor circulation
Shortage of new books at BPL hits browsers
By Sam Allis, Globe Columnist | March 27, 2005

My friend Mark called recently to report that the shelves of the New Books section of the Boston Public Library are all but empty. Now Mark's memory isn't what it used to be, so the Observer went to investigate on the chance the guy drew that conclusion in the shampoo aisle of a CVS.

Sure enough, the New Books offering is anemic. The shelves look skeletal. The library is putting books horizontally on shelves to consume more space, much the way bookstores do to mask dwindling stocks as they go out of business. It's a sad spectacle.

Thanks to LISNews.com for the pointer to this one.. more and more libraries are facing serious budget problems, this is one story of what's happening...

North Carolina - Local Secrets, Big Finds

North Carolina - Local Secrets, Big Finds.

North Carolina - Local Secrets, Big Finds

Part of a Travelocity feature area on each state, and Canada, too.. covering a lot of nice secret and undiscovered :) places in each.. this listing is for my home state of North Carolina.. see the main page for more.. a sample entry is below...

Bald Head Island

800.515.1038

Bald Head Island is only accessible by boat, which helps to make it "one of the best-kept secrets off the coast of North Carolina." Board a ferry from Southport to begin your unique adventure. Upon arrival, you can travel by golf cart--the "only motorized mode of transportation allowed on the island." With an island speed limit of 18mph, the pace is noticeably slower, and the atmosphere is tranquil. There are golf courses, beaches, and woodland, and "the most remarkable natural feature is the 800-acre ancient maritime forest." Read more.

Wired News: Freelancers Hit the Jackpot

Wired News: Freelancers Hit the Jackpot.

Freelancers Hit the Jackpot
By Rachel Metz | Page 1 of 1 04:00 PM Mar. 29, 2005 PT

A settlement reached last Wednesday in a class-action online publishing lawsuit could mean plenty of freelance writers will be eligible to receive their share of up to $18 million dollars from big media companies, once the agreement receives court approval that is expected in the next few weeks. The settlement, which could net qualifying freelancers a collective minimum of $10 million and maximum of $18 million, is the result of a lawsuit meant to remunerate writers for work that had been published over the years in online databases without their approval.

...

A site called FreelanceRights.com has been set up to help disseminate information about the agreement.

The Tasini case has finally inched close to settlement, and databases could once again be giving us the restricted content.. stay tuned...

The New York Times > Arts > Music > Rock Review | U2: Rock Icons Content to Do the Things They Do Best

The New York Times > Arts > Music > Rock Review | U2: Rock Icons Content to Do the Things They Do Best.

ROCK REVIEW
U2 Rock Icons Content to Do the Things They Do Best
By KELEFA SANNEH, Published: March 30, 2005

SAN DIEGO, March 29 - "I don't know if I can take it/ I'm not easy on my knees," Bono sang, and in case an arena full of fans didn't believe him, he spent two hours proving it.

Over and over again, during Monday night's sold-out world-premiere concert here, he dropped to his knees to emphasize a point. Kneeling is Bono's way of reminding everyone that he contains multitudes: when he went down, he became a repentant sinner, an eager-to-please lover, an abused prisoner, even - if this isn't too much of a stretch - a grateful 44-year-old rock star, basking in his fans' adulation.

Poynter Online - The Long and Winding Road

Poynter Online - The Long and Winding Road.

Posted, Mar. 29, 2005
Updated, Mar. 29, 2005
Chip on Your Shoulder

Inspiration & practical advice from Chip Scanlan, other writing coaches & fellow journalists

The Long and Winding Road
By Chip Scanlan

Why haven't I finished yet? Why does it always take me so long? What's wrong with me? I must be stupid or lazy. Maybe I just don't have any talent.

Sound familiar?

When a writer friend talked that way the other day, it was like looking into the mirror. How many times has the same hyper-critical loop played in my head as I looked at an unfinished piece of writing?

Very wonderful piece on writing.. and flowers (novels or other works) blooming when they are ready.. inspirational indeed for us long-time writer procrastinators.. now where is that 1997 folder again?

The New York Times > Arts > Critic's Notebook: On the Internet, 2nd (and 3rd and . . . ) Opinions

The New York Times > Arts > Critic's Notebook: On the Internet, 2nd (and 3rd and . . . ) Opinions.

CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK

On the Internet, 2nd (and 3rd and . . . ) Opinions
By SARAH BOXER, Published: March 29, 2005

Do you remember Charles and Ray Eames's 1977 film "Powers of Ten," in which the camera zooms back from the surface of the Earth to a far-off point in space? As the details of the planet recede and vanish, new features of the universe appear. Before you know it, you've been sucked into another order entirely.

Sometimes the Internet is like that. The traditional objects of culture - books, movies, art - are becoming ever more distant. In their place are reviews of reviews, museums of museums and many, many lists.

ConsumerReports.org - Travel search engines 3/05

ConsumerReports.org - Travel search engines 3/05.

March 2005

Travel search engines: New routes to deals

The launch last year of two new travel search engines, Kayak and Mobissimo, increases your odds of finding the absolute lowest prices on airfares, hotels, and rental cars. Like SideStep, a travel search engine introduced in 2000, these sites are trying to do for travel what Google did for Internet searches. They scour scores of Web sites for pricing information, unlike traditional travel Web sites such as Expedia, Orbitz, and Travelocity, the so-called Big Three, which only search their own databases and travel-agency reservation systems. When we tried out the new travel search engines, we found their wide-ranging approach to be very effective at uncovering great deals. As with any new technology, however, the sites are a little rough around the edges.

SDSUniverse | Tony Gwynn's Aztecs Oppose the Padres in First Match since 1998

SDSUniverse | Tony Gwynn's Aztecs Oppose the Padres in First Match since 1998.

Monday, March 28, 2005
Tony Gwynn's Aztecs Oppose the Padres in First Match since 1998
Tony Gwynn, the Aztec's head baseball coach [photo caption]

The first face-off since 1998 between the San Diego State baseball team and the San Diego Padres happens this week at Petco Park. Scheduled for Wednesday, March 30, at 7:05 p.m., the game is one of the final events of SDSU Month.

The Aztecs and the Padres met six times during the 1980s and three times in the ’90s with the big league club winning eight times while one game ended in a tie.

The Sports Network - Major League Baseball: San Diego Padres 2005 Preview

The Sports Network - Major League Baseball: San Diego Padres 2005 Preview.

San Diego Padres 2005 Preview
By Eric Gold, MLB Editor (Sports Network)

2004 FINISH (87-75) - Third Place (NL West)

KEY OFFSEASON ADDITIONS: INF - Geoff Blum; RP - Chris Hammond;; SP - Darrell May; SP - Tim Redding; RP - Dennys Reyes; OF - Dave Roberts; RP - Rudy Seanez; RP - Steve Sparks; OF - Mark Sweeney; SP - Woody Williams; INF/OF - Eric Young

KEY OFFSEASON SUBTRACTIONS: SS - Rich Aurilia; INF - Alex Gonzalez; OF - Terrence Long; RP - Antonio Osuna; OF - Jay Payton; SP - Dennis Tankersley; INF - Ramon Vazquez; SP - David Wells

PROJECTED LINEUP: Dave Roberts (CF); Mark Loretta (2B); Ryan Klesko (LF); Phil Nevin (1B); Brian Giles (RF); Sean Burroughs (3B); Ramon Hernandez (C); Khalil Greene (SS)

PROJECTED ROTATION: Jake Peavy (RHP); Brian Lawrence (RHP); Woody Williams (RHP); Adam Eaton (RHP); Darrell May (LHP)

PROJECTED CLOSER: Trevor Hoffman (RHP)

MANAGER: Bruce Bochy

Almost time for the Real Deal, baseball coming.. I enjoyed the Padres' game in Peoria, AZ on Saturday, just wish they'd had a better starting pitcher (May) to give them a win.. but, it was Spring Training, and as I've learned, it was a time for May to work out starting bad, rather than trying to do that when it really counts.. you can probably take May off the list as #5 pitcher.. great Padres' complex shared with Seattle Mariners, easy to access and enjoy.. lots of first-rate restaurants around for the after-game crowds..

Enjoy the coverage of the Padres in this summary overview article.. very well-done.. almost time for "Play Ball!" ...

PCWorld.com - Movable Type: Powerful Business Blog Tool

PCWorld.com - Movable Type: Powerful Business Blog Tool.

Movable Type: Powerful Business Blog Tool
Our reviewer finds this blogging software solid, easy to use.
Mike Heck, InfoWorld Monday, March 28, 2005

Six Apart's Movable Type arguably puts blogs on the map. The current 3.15 maintenance release shows that Six Apart continues to dedicate itself to giving organizations a respectable publishing platform for Weblogs.

Movable Type runs on Linux, most flavors of Unix (including Mac OS X), and Windows Server. It's more difficult to install than competitor TWiki, partly due to Movable Type's mediocre documentation and spotty online help. On the flip side, Movable Type's tag language isn't hard to learn and generates XHTML/CSS-compliant output, including support for Unicode and international character sets.

The commercial version I tested easily handled multiple blogs, an important point for businesses with many teams. Beginning with Version 3.1, administrators can select static or dynamic publishing for each template. For instance, index pages might be static for faster speed, whereas less-accessed archives are generated dynamically.

FT.com / Arts & Weekend - 'I should have been a librarian'

FT.com / Arts & Weekend - 'I should have been a librarian'.

Arts & Weekend
'I should have been a librarian'
By Lottie Moggach
Published: March 26 2005 02:00 | Last updated: March 26 2005 02:00

Sitting in a booth of his London restaurant Sticky Fingers, over a lunch of half a glass of white wine, half an order of ribs and half a dozen Dunhills, Bill Wyman is describing his perfect day.

"I would leave London and drive up to Suffolk. I lived up there before the A11 was built - it used to take me three hours, now it takes me about two-and-a-quarter . . . you know, as soon as that motorway opened, I don't think there's been a week when there haven't been road works . . . They've never maintained it properly . . . It's terrible." Wyman shakes his head. "I'd arrive about 1pm, and they'd have prepared me a little light lunch . . . " Who are "they"? "My staff. Estate manager and his wife, a gardener, and a maid. Very basic. So, I'd have a snack and then, if the weather's nice, I'll go out detecting."

...

So, back to metal detecting. Wyman has never unearthed anything of great value, like the finds detailed in his book, but that, he says, isn't the point. "Honestly, I'm really happy if I find a little medieval buckle. I'd be thrilled to bits. Someone lost it 500 years ago, and now I've picked it up." He pauses. "I should have been an archaeologist, or a museum curator. Or a librarian."

Great small piece on Bill Wyman, Rolling Stones, talking about his passion for finding things, and collecting, metal detecting, and so on.. he'd probably have been a good librarian, methinks.. check out his official site, http://www.billwyman.com/ or his restaurant, http://www.stickyfingers.co.uk/

The James Madison Papers - (American Memory from the Library of Congress)

The James Madison Papers - (American Memory from the Library of Congress).

The James Madison Papers, 1723 - 1836
Overview

The James Madison Papers from the Manuscript Division at the Library of Congress consist of approximately 12,000 items captured in some 72,000 digital images. They document the life of the man who came to be known as the "Father of the Constitution" through correspondence, personal notes, drafts of letters and legislation, an autobiography, legal and financial documents, and miscellaneous manuscripts. The collection is organized into six series dating from 1723 to 1836. Beginning with a selection of his father's letters, the series moves through Madison's years as a student, and as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and include extensive notes of the debates during his three-year term in the Continental Congress (1779-82). Notes and a memoranda document Madison's pivotal role in the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and the Virginia ratification convention of 1788. Other materials reflect the nine years that Madison spent in the House of Representatives and his tenure as Secretary of State during Thomas Jefferson's presidency. Correspondence and notes trace his two terms as the fourth president of the United States, illuminating the origins and course of the War of 1812 and the post-war years of his presidency and subsequent retirement. The collection also includes a complete copy of Thomas Jefferson's notes from the Continental Congress of 1776. Notable correspondents include Dolley Payne Madison, Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, Edmund Randolph, Noah Webster, and Secretary of War James Armstrong, whose correspondence with Madison fills an entire series.