The Bearskinrug Sketchbook

Kevin Cornell has a complete sketchbook displayed on his portfolio site using a clever flash interface.

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Prague artists charged with nuclear bomb hoax

From CNN:

"Members of a Czech art group who hacked into television broadcasting with images of a hoax nuclear explosion were charged and will have to stand trial, a state prosecutor said Thursday.

The six members of the Prague-based Ztohoven group were charged last month with spreading false information and face up to three years in jail if convicted, said Dusan Ondracek, the state prosecutor in the northern town of Trutnov, who is in charge of the case.

The trial could begin by the end of January, Ondracek said.

On June 17, viewers of a Czech television channel watching a Web cam program monitoring weather in various Czech mountain resorts could see a nuclear explosion taking place in the Krkonose or Giant Mountains in the northern Czech Republic.

In December, the project was awarded the NG 333 prize for young artists by Prague’s National Gallery together with a cash prize of 333,000 koruna (US$18,350)."

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Let’s Paint,Exercise, & Make a Sushi-Gingerbread House TV

This show makes me want to own a television set.

Hiring Programmers

Finding talented software developers can be a real challenge for those of us in the IT field. Companies generally wait until they are behind schedule to hire programmers, which of course leads to many problems including further delays in the production schedule. This article, by Nick Corcodilos, is one of the most clearheaded in explaining the perceived dearth of skilled programmers in the marketplace and how poor management practices  are culpable.

"5. Companies try to hire talent rather than develop it. They wait for someone else to train and develop IT workers, while they want only "perfect fits" today. Thus the talent pool is not developed or replenished. Employers who complain about a talent shortage should first look at their own practices: do they develop their IT staff? Do they invest in training? Do they cultivate leaders from among the staff?

6. Perhaps worst of all is that companies hire only when they are desperate to fill a position. By then, it’s too late. Corporate HR’s complaint that there’s a "talent shortage" in the community is easy and cheap. Smart companies plan staff development — they hire in advance and train new hires for a scope of responsibilities, to be there when they need them. This approach fosters a reputation that always attracts good people."

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Why I Believe Bush Must Go

George McGovern is a much better political writer than he was a Presidential candidate. I believe against Nixon in ‘72 the only state he carried was Massachusetts. The Washington Post has published McGovern’s concise case for the impeachment of President George Bush and it is worth a read.

"Of course, there seems to be little bipartisan support for impeachment. The political scene is marked by narrow and sometimes superficial partisanship, especially among Republicans, and a lack of courage and statesmanship on the part of too many Democratic politicians. So the chances of a bipartisan impeachment and conviction are not promising.But what are the facts?Bush and Cheney are clearly guilty of numerous impeachable offenses. They have repeatedly violated the Constitution. They have transgressed national and international law. They have lied to the American people time after time. Their conduct and their barbaric policies have reduced our beloved country to a historic low in the eyes of people around the world. These are truly "high crimes and misdemeanors," to use the constitutional standard."

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Dreams: Night School

Finnish psychologist Antti Revonsuo has done some fascinating research into the function of dreams. This article changed the way I think about the nature of dreams.

"Dreams, (Revnonso) contends, are a training ground in which animals and people
alike go over the behaviors that are key to their survival.

...Revonsuo believes that dreams are a sort of nighttime theater in which
our brains screen realistic scenarios. This virtual reality simulates
emergency situations and provides an arena for safe training. As
Revonsuo puts it, ‘The primary function of negative dreams is rehearsal
for similar real events, so that threat recognition and avoidance
happens faster and more automatically in comparable real situations.’"

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What’s Your Consumption Factor?

Jared Diamond (author of "Guns, Germs, and Steel") offers an analysis of the consumption disparity between the first world and the developing world and the environmental implications for the future.

"Much American consumption is wasteful and contributes little or nothing
to quality of life. For example, per capita oil consumption in Western
Europe is about half of ours, yet Western Europe’s standard of living
is higher by any reasonable criterion, including…"

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