get one. doesnt matter how little it is (preferably for all your most important applications like the CS5 suite, and other cache intense, high processing functions). if you are doing video, graphics, animations, 3d work, editing, stop playing around with a spinning disk, and get a solid state drive into your rig immediately. For people who are not on the constant upgrade bandwagon, and are satisfied with the four gigs or ram and dual core processors, dont spend money on a new laptop. get an ssd. get an usb external drive. or if you want to get maximum space for cheap, but not take the speed hit of being off your motherboard, get a caddy that replaces your optical drive with another solid state drive or sata drive.

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There is one day left of summer, in my mind. Sure, there will be fits and starts, some tardy bbq’s, a warm humid day here and there, but for the most part, it’s back to school, work and a busier mindset. The lazy meandering of open plans makes way for rigid deadlines and gmail appointment updates. Personally, it has been a very strange season; the uncertain employment and far too long vacation,  the disastrous mets and the wet cool weather made sure to leave a mark on my memories.  But no season makes me giddier than the autumn, and specifically, September.

Maybe it was because summers in my youth were full of  rerun “happy days”, learning the “facts of life” of “what’s happening” on “little house(s) on the prarie”. I was totally cut off from my school friends who did not live in my neighborhood, and was not fortunate enough to go to summer camp. I read a lot, but living in books all summer can get boring. September was an end to that monotony. Learning new things, hearing new stories, and later in life, meeting new people. 2.5 months away from a social group  you spend so much of your day with is pretty jarring. (continue reading…)

If you are one of those individuals who have reservations about global warming, climate change and how rapidly it can occur, please read on. I don’t know if Science Life readers recall back in the winter, but I wrote about this science special on the Bermuda Triangle, and scientific explanations of the mysterious happenings that occur near it. One of the most compelling theories was that of large deposits of solid methane ice that is abundant in the area, was bubbling up to the surface in massive amounts and causing disturbances with ships and planes. There is definitely enough of it down there. Now, another area of our oceans could be experiencing a similar bubbling and it is also not good news: (continue reading…)

It’s been a busy month. I have entrenched twitter into my daily schedule and i feel that it fits well with how i want to discuss science. There are a lot of fun smart people in that community, and i enjoy hearing about their daily insights on just about everything.  It also offers the chance to repost and broadcast stories that i come across that i find interesting, much more easily than using my google reader share. The word limit helps me with my verbosity as well. It’s a great medium.

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I have never read the works of Frank McCourt (author of popular books like Angela’s Ashes), but because he often graced my media staples like NPR, i had learned to appreciate and enjoy his take on America’s decadent persona. It is sad to see him and his insight go. He really put old cranky dudes like Andy Rooney to shame. I didn’t see his schtick reflect longing for the american idea of yesteryear (born in brooklyn, he grew up destitute in Ireland), but more of an indictment of materialism and its promise of easy joy.

Here is an interview i heard on NPR’s Studio 360 from McCourt on his ideas on how Americans raise their children. It’s a great listen: (continue reading…)

hot from my twitter, via Baratunde Thurston, is this the nation article by leslie savan that makes this very related argument about conspiracy theories, and why i think some are so pervasive. read the entire article, it’s good. take a look how it shows the connection between GOP’s strategy of crypto-racism and the birthers. a sample: (continue reading…)

Yesterday, New Jersey exploded. Apparently, everyone in that densely packed state of gardens was taking tax payer money and building structures made out of cheez whiz and pepsi max recycled cans. It was a field day for those people who take time out of their lives to make elaborate arguments (on youcrazytube) for an ever increasing conspiracy that explains just about everything that has happened in say, the past 100 years. You know what i’m talkin bout, willises. 911, elders of zion, fluoride, megan fox’s thumbs, playing thriller backwards, barack obama was born on the planet kodos. But my favorite favorite favorite one of this week, my favorite conspiracy theory, (that i heard someone who i once kinda respected repeat and now that respect has evaporated faster than my sweat on a 0% humidity day) is… (continue reading…)