So what is it that's on my mind at the moment?  No, not the idiots (a.k.a. the Heene "family") that decided to pretend that their child was floating away in a balloon, although they certainly qualify.  As a matter of fact, I am referring to the two commercial jet pilots who during a recent flight, uh... forgot to land/respond to radio inquiries/fly the plane/think/etc...

So initially, there was speculation that they might have been asleep in the cockpit, simultaneously.  That would be pretty stupid, but from what I understand, this isn't entirely uncommon.  While that is at least moderately shocking, let's put it aside for a moment, because that isn't what happened, at least according to the pilots' testimony.

There was an initial report that a "heated discussion" was the source of distraction, but that was dispelled by one of the pilots, stating that "wasn't even an issue," rather emphatically, I might add... almost as if the true story would be a source of vindication.

No, jackass.  You really shouldn't have even spoken on camera.  In fact, it seems you probably shouldn't even speak, let alone pilot an aircraft full of people.

So it turns out that the pilots missed their mark by 150 miles because they were... *drumroll* ... using their laptops.  This led them to completely lose "situational awareness".

Yes, using their laptops, at the same time, with such intensity that they missed numerous communication attempts from numerous air traffic control centers, via numerous forms of communication.  Apparently, they were looking up some scheduling conflict nonsense due to an airline merger.  I'm sure the issue was very near and dear to their hearts, but for crying out loud, you morons, you are the PILOTS on a plane FULL OF PEOPLE.

Now, I'll admit, I frequently find myself distracted by my laptop while on the job.  In fact, my laptop is quite compelling, and if it weren't for the fact that nearly 100% of my job DEPENDS on my laptop, the fact that I'm constantly using it on the job might be a problem!

But alas, I am not flying a plane at work, but rather writing code, or messing with a database, or building a report, or writing an email, typically... again, not.. flying.. a PLANE.

In this day and age, we tend to worry more about say, a plane getting hijacked, or hell-- geese flying into an engine while we are flying.  Never did it occur to me that we would also have to legitimately fear getting on a plane with Beavis and Butthead ravenously playing World of Warcraft in the cockpit in addition to these concerns.

Luckily, in this case, nothing all that bad happened as a result of these stupid people.  Nobody was hurt, and evidently, the passengers were never in danger.  Of course, had a dangerous situation arose, the passengers would most certainly have been in danger, because, well, fuck... there's two crash test dummies at the controls.  Curses.

It seems likely that these two "pilots" will lose their jobs, thankfully.  If you ask me, their pilot licenses, driver's licenses, and World of Warcraft accounts (OHNOES!) should go as well.  Their collective dignity is already, of course, nowhere to be found.  I'm thinking it might be back in the cockpit flying the plane.

The Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday the Northwest Airlines pilots had violated numerous regulations, including failing to comply with air traffic control instructions and clearances and operating carelessly and recklessly.

The pilots — first officer Richard Cole and captain Timothy Cheney — told investigators they lost track of time and place while working on their laptop computers.

FAA revokes licenses of wayward pilots [MSNBC via AP]

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A government watchdog says federal officials weren't entirely honest with the public about the health of the first 9 financial firms that got federal bailouts, according to a report released Monday.

Bailout special inspector general Neil Barofsky says in an audit that Treasury Department officials painted an overly rosy picture, creating "unrealistic expectations," when they called the first bailout banks "healthy" institutions that would be able to lend more with government help.

For those of you that feel similarly, look no further than WebOS Quick Install v2.7 from PreCentral's Jason Robitaille.  This GUI-based java application makes it stupid-easy to install/remove OS mods, and from my experience thus far works flawlessly.  It is compatible with the latest WebOS release (1.2.1), as well.

In a mere 10 minute session (I had all of the prerequisites installed already-- there is a bit of preparation involved for those of you that have done little-to-no noodling with your phone), I managed to set up the following OS hacks, simply by clicking on some checkboxes:

• 4 x 4 icon layout in the launcher  (ah, I can breathe again...)
• Add/Remove pages to the launcher (this really should be a standard feature.  Palm, are you listening?)
• Added Roam-Only option to Phone Preferences (sadly, my service sucks so much that this still doesn't resolve anything at home)
• Character counter when composing new messages
• Timestamp displayed on all messages
• Removed that stupid Nascar application icon
• Display battery charge percentage in title bar

And this really only scratches the surface of what this handy application can do, particularly because it supports several patch repositories that are continuously being updated with new, cutting-edge WebOS mods.

DISCLAIMER: You can still screw up your phone to varying degrees using this software.  Any usage of your phone that strays beyond out-of-the-box stock functionality poses some risk.  Read (and understand) all related information and documentation before attempting any modifications.  

With that disclaimer out of the way, here are some links (consider them mandatory reading) to get you started:

WebOS Quick Install v2.7 with webOS 1.2.1 Support Released (PreCentral)

WebOS Quick Install v2.7 and beyond! (PreCentral Forums)

 

Turns out science has presented us with yet another genetic marvel--  A mouse that lives 20% longer, with nothing more than one gene removed from its' genetic makeup.

Also compelling is the fact that the increase of lifespan is accompanied by (or facilitated by?) a distinct lessening of age-related ailments.  

Dominic Withers, the co-author of the study explains, "These mice were resistant to type 2 diabetes ... and they also appeared to have reduced incidence of the mouse-equivalent of osteoporosis -- so they had stronger bones." 

The list of noted improvements goes on, including improved balance, strength, coordination, and brain health-- the latter indicated by an abnormally inquisitive nature.

Here's the twist, however..  All this super-mouse greatness wouldn't do Mighty Mouse any good...  or Mickey, for that matter.  These effects were witnessed exclusively in female mice.

Relax, Minnie.  

One intelligent and uplifting commenter on the original blog post on Discover's website had this to contribute:

No thanks… Lifes not really working out for me so well. Im not interested. Somebody else can have mine. Death may be the only way I can escape you f***ers.

via [gizmodo] via [Discover]

In lifehacker's post Boost Your Brain's Health with Loud Music, they cite a recent article from Daily Mail that brings to light some information that explains why we all love the way it feels to experience loud, pumping bass..  And here I thought it was just because I couldn't hear well enough to enjoy it when it was quiet (just kidding):

According to researchers at Manchester University, music fans are stimulating part of the inner ear known as the sacculus, which responds to the beat in music. This gives the brain pleasure and makes us feel good — during the music and afterwards.

[When loud music is playing,] the brain is stimulated into releasing feelgood hormones that make us calm, happy and responsive. So to trigger a dose of happy hormones on a Monday morning, you should, in theory, choose Black Sabbath over chamber music.

...Or perhaps some dirty-as-hell minimal grooves, as the case may be.  Whatever it is, the beat is crucial.  Lifehacker goes on to point out that the research states that the sacculus only responds to sounds of 90db or more.  That's pretty loud. 

Just how loud is 90db?  According to this page from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association on noise and hearing loss, it falls into the lower end of the "extremely loud" category, comparable to the noise produced by a lawnmower, shop tools, truck traffic, or a subway.  And bear in mind, this is the minimum volume level to stimulate your sacculus. 

Next time someone asks you to "turn it down", tell them to piss off-- nobody's coming between you and your sacculus stimulus. ;)

via [lifehacker.com] via [daily news]

Even more amusing, however, are some of the searches that have brought people to this article, including:

• "maximum caffeine intake not to hallucinate"
• "coffee consumption increases likelihood of hallucinogens"
• "coffee makes me hallucinate"
• "coffee beans hallucination"

The list goes on, and on, and on...  I wish I'd made note of some of the better ones that I've seen that I no longer have a record of, but still... pretty funny.

Seems like a lot of people experience this phenomenon.  Let's hear about it if you have!

Anyone who has watched the news lately has seen the coverage of people bringing their guns (for which they have licences to carry) into Presidential town-hall meetings.  There's been a debate over whether this should be allowed, and of course, the interpretation of the second amendment of the Constitution is the focal point of the argument.

I thought I'd throw up a poll here to see what people think about this issue, partially because I felt like trying out polldaddy, but also because I'm curious.  That said, I'm not sure I even have the reader-base at this point, thanks to my hiatus, that will generate a decent turnout. Regardless, it's all in good fun anyhow.

Personally, I think it's lunacy for these people to be permitted near the president with their sidearms, second amendment or not.  As pointed out by many, people who feel the need to exercise their right to bear firearms at town-hall meetings that are obviously going to focus on health care might be a little batty...  All it takes is one well-timed and well-aimed shot by one of these crazies and boom-- assassination.  And given the barbaric atmosphere of some of these town halls as of late, I wouldn't put it completely out of the realm of possibility.  Not by a long shot.

But, what these people are doing is legal.  Retarded, but legal.  I have no problem with people carrying weapons, honestly.  I'm not for aggressive gun control, as I recognize that in the vast majority of cases, it is the guns that are not legally registered that we need to worry about, and this freedom, just like any other that we appreciate having in this country, should be protected.

Seriously though, you can't take a gun on a plane... but you can take one within feet of the president?  Something is a bit backwards here.

Personally, my interest in this subject is not the fact that it is heartthrob Brad Pitt running for mayor, but rather the platform that he has stated he intends to run on (again, jokingly, it seems).  I've always had the impression that Pitt was a pretty cool guy, but his political keystone issues might just give a reason to girls and boys alike to be "ga-ga" over Brad Pitt.  ...words I thought I'd never type, or say, or even think...

Anyhow, were Mr. Pitt to run, he has stated that his intended platform would be based on the following:

• Gay Marriage
• No Religion
• Legalization and Taxation of Marijuana

In his own words, "I don't have a chance."  Probably true, but you still kick ass, Brad.

links:

Brad Pitt 1-on-1 Interview with Anne Curry (video) [buzzfeed.com]

Brad Pitt for Mayor! [thecelebritycafe.com]

1. Giraffes
2. Salamanders
3. Cobras (I thought they just uh... killed you)
4. Bees
5. Toads (okay, we all knew this one.)
6. Scorpions (see comment on #3)

Pretty interesting and humorous stuff.

DISCLAIMER: I do not partake in, advocate, or suggest any of these means of psychoactive exploration.  This information is intended for amusement and novelty purposes and nothing further. :)

via [cracked.com]