Have you ever heard the claim that H-1B visa holders don't have to pay income taxes? That they get to live her as cheap labor without needing to pay taxes on their salaries?
That's just rubbish. It's one of many lies that have been spread by people who are frustrated and who don't bother to check the facts. They are outraged that foreigners are supposedly taking jobs away from US citizens (an overly simplistic claim, IMO), and so they unfairly lash out at H-1B workers. The reality is that H-1B workers DO have to pay income tax, and anyone who claims otherwise is either lying or severely misinformed.
Saturday, December 05, 2009
Friday, December 04, 2009
Now that was a terrible sight
Every now and then, you get some annoying people at the local swing dance events. There was one such guy recently.
First, a word of explanation. It takes a while for newbies to learn how to dance swing, so you've got to expect that some folks won't know the moves very well. Nevertheless, it's expected that even newbies will at least try to dance in a swing style.
At one of the recent swing dances, there was this fella who wasn't doing swing at all. Instead, he was just messing around, swing his arms around with his partner and just making stuff up on the spot -- badly. You know, just swaying around and moving his arms about, as well as those of his partner. That was distracting enough, but this fella chose to do so RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE of the dance floor. You'd think that if he didn't know the moves, he'd stick to the perimeter of the floor instead of staking out a spot right where everybody could see it.
Now, it would be one thing if he was at least doing some other style -- foxtrot or salsa, for example. People would just figure that he was trying something different. When you're just messing about though, that shows that you're not really trying very hard.
To make matters worse -- and I don't mean to be unkind -- he was badly overweight. I mean SEVERELY overweight. There's no moral or social culpability in that; however, he was wearing an ill-fitting shirt, and so as he swayed back and forth, he had huge layers of flab flopping out of his shirt and bouncing around. It was a painful and disturbing sight to behold.
I don't want to disparage the guy for being fat. I do wonder if he knew how unslightly and disturbing it was to see these huge flaps of flab peeking out from his shirt and flying about. Yeow.
First, a word of explanation. It takes a while for newbies to learn how to dance swing, so you've got to expect that some folks won't know the moves very well. Nevertheless, it's expected that even newbies will at least try to dance in a swing style.
At one of the recent swing dances, there was this fella who wasn't doing swing at all. Instead, he was just messing around, swing his arms around with his partner and just making stuff up on the spot -- badly. You know, just swaying around and moving his arms about, as well as those of his partner. That was distracting enough, but this fella chose to do so RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE of the dance floor. You'd think that if he didn't know the moves, he'd stick to the perimeter of the floor instead of staking out a spot right where everybody could see it.
Now, it would be one thing if he was at least doing some other style -- foxtrot or salsa, for example. People would just figure that he was trying something different. When you're just messing about though, that shows that you're not really trying very hard.
To make matters worse -- and I don't mean to be unkind -- he was badly overweight. I mean SEVERELY overweight. There's no moral or social culpability in that; however, he was wearing an ill-fitting shirt, and so as he swayed back and forth, he had huge layers of flab flopping out of his shirt and bouncing around. It was a painful and disturbing sight to behold.
I don't want to disparage the guy for being fat. I do wonder if he knew how unslightly and disturbing it was to see these huge flaps of flab peeking out from his shirt and flying about. Yeow.
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Smallpox
The following is from the October 2007 issue of Discover. Very nice.
------------------
Whatever Happened to... Smallpox?
Once the most feared disease on the planet, smallpox killed countless people in the course of human history. The first signs of smallpox are fever and aches. Then come the disfiguring pustules, often followed by death. But there hasn't been a case in nearly 30 years. In 1979, after an aggressive 12-year campaign of vaccination, the World Health Organization declared human beings smallpox-free. William Foege, who worked on the effort and is now a senior fellow at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, says smallpox is still the only disease that humans have ever manged to vanquish.
Crude versions of a smallpox vaccine were first described in the 18th century, and by the 19th century, vaccination had become widespread--and in some countries, compulsory. "The speed with which smallpox disappeared was breathtaking," Foege says.
Smallpos hasn't vanished entirely, however. At least two laboratories--the CDC in Atlanta and one in Moscow--keep the virus alive, and the last known case, in 1978, arose from a lab accident in Birmingham, England. Although the manufacture of smallpox vaccine for the general public was suspended in 1982, production resumed when security analysts realized that smallpox would be a choice weapon for bioterrorists. In 2002, President George W. Bush claimed that the United States had stockpiled enough smallpox vaccine to protect the entire country.
If smallpox does reappear, "scientifically, we know how to stop outbreaks," Foege says. "My concern would be the social chaos of people who are trying to get in line for vaccinations."
- Stephen Ornes
------------------
Whatever Happened to... Smallpox?
Once the most feared disease on the planet, smallpox killed countless people in the course of human history. The first signs of smallpox are fever and aches. Then come the disfiguring pustules, often followed by death. But there hasn't been a case in nearly 30 years. In 1979, after an aggressive 12-year campaign of vaccination, the World Health Organization declared human beings smallpox-free. William Foege, who worked on the effort and is now a senior fellow at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, says smallpox is still the only disease that humans have ever manged to vanquish.
Crude versions of a smallpox vaccine were first described in the 18th century, and by the 19th century, vaccination had become widespread--and in some countries, compulsory. "The speed with which smallpox disappeared was breathtaking," Foege says.
Smallpos hasn't vanished entirely, however. At least two laboratories--the CDC in Atlanta and one in Moscow--keep the virus alive, and the last known case, in 1978, arose from a lab accident in Birmingham, England. Although the manufacture of smallpox vaccine for the general public was suspended in 1982, production resumed when security analysts realized that smallpox would be a choice weapon for bioterrorists. In 2002, President George W. Bush claimed that the United States had stockpiled enough smallpox vaccine to protect the entire country.
If smallpox does reappear, "scientifically, we know how to stop outbreaks," Foege says. "My concern would be the social chaos of people who are trying to get in line for vaccinations."
- Stephen Ornes
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Lindy hop pointers
A few things that I need to remember when it comes to lindy hop:
Keep my shoulders square
Make sharp 90 degree turns with small steps
Step back, step back
Hold the woman close when doing a lindy circle
Lead with the shoulders. Think of yourself as turning your body, not just your feet.
Think of yourself as throwing the woman out, releasing just before the "5" count
Keep the footsteps low and avoid crossing over
Keep my shoulders square
Make sharp 90 degree turns with small steps
Step back, step back
Hold the woman close when doing a lindy circle
Lead with the shoulders. Think of yourself as turning your body, not just your feet.
Think of yourself as throwing the woman out, releasing just before the "5" count
Keep the footsteps low and avoid crossing over
Monday, November 30, 2009
How not to use PowerPoint
I suspect that everyone who has worked in a technical field has seen this kind of person. You know, the kind of clown who prepares a PowerPoint presentation, and then liberally reads the content of the slides out loud to the public. That's just sheer buffoonery, and it's an insult to the intelligence of one's listeners.
People like that typically lack common sense. They fail to realize that the audience is perfectly capable of reading the slides for themselves, thank you very much.
I would cut people slack when they're not college educated and haven't worked in industry before. After all, I understand that public speaking is an acquired skill. I also understand that some people are very uncomfortable when it comes to public speaking. If one is in the position of giving such talks on a regular basis though, then one should really know better.
This article might be beneficial to these folks. It talks about the reasons why PowerPoint is not a teleprompter.
People like that typically lack common sense. They fail to realize that the audience is perfectly capable of reading the slides for themselves, thank you very much.
I would cut people slack when they're not college educated and haven't worked in industry before. After all, I understand that public speaking is an acquired skill. I also understand that some people are very uncomfortable when it comes to public speaking. If one is in the position of giving such talks on a regular basis though, then one should really know better.
This article might be beneficial to these folks. It talks about the reasons why PowerPoint is not a teleprompter.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
What the...?
I swear, I do not understand how some people have so little energy. Lead them through a simple jitterbug basic, and they already get tired. It's one thing if you have a glandular disorder, but for a lot of people, simple exertion is enough to tax them heavily.
That's why a lot of people are obese. It's not simply that they move sluggishly because they're fat; after all, I know a lot of dancers who are significantly overweight, and who still move with energy. Rather, a lot of people are fat because they've gotten used to moving sluggishly. They don't want to put any effort into everyday motions, and so even simple dance moves are enough to wear them out. Ditto for simple things such as walking up two flights of stairs.
That's why a lot of people are obese. It's not simply that they move sluggishly because they're fat; after all, I know a lot of dancers who are significantly overweight, and who still move with energy. Rather, a lot of people are fat because they've gotten used to moving sluggishly. They don't want to put any effort into everyday motions, and so even simple dance moves are enough to wear them out. Ditto for simple things such as walking up two flights of stairs.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Allan, you were a jerk
I was reminded of Allan, a former schoolmate of mine who -- during an English class -- openly expressed his disgust toward the poor people in a park. Not a classy thing to say.
Allan, you were a jackass. That was admittedly a long time ago though, so hopefully you're a better person now.
Allan, you were a jackass. That was admittedly a long time ago though, so hopefully you're a better person now.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Writing tip
Writing Tip of the Day: Avoid starting a sentence with "however." Try "nonetheless" instead.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Ranking the angels
This is how I would rank the classic Charlie's Angels.
1. Cheryl Ladd
2. Farrah Fawcett-Majors
3. Jacklyn Smith
4. Kate Jackson
5. Shelly Hack
6. Tanya Roberts
1. Cheryl Ladd
2. Farrah Fawcett-Majors
3. Jacklyn Smith
4. Kate Jackson
5. Shelly Hack
6. Tanya Roberts
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
More costume thoughts
Sometimes, people don't have the time or inclination to make an interesting costume. They might not have the finances, either. I know one guy who wore his cook's uniform to a costume party, for example. That was reasonable, especially since he wasn't earning a lot of money.
However, it's usually lame when people take these costumes and actually enter a contest. For example, I attended a costume event once wherein one guy wore his taekwondo outfit. Nothing wrong with that, but then he entered himself into the costume contest. Predictably, people did not applaud for him. No offense to the guy, but it's not hard to see why. There's nothing clever about that kind of costume; instead, it speaks of someone who just used whatever he had lying around and using it uncreatively.
BO-RING.
However, it's usually lame when people take these costumes and actually enter a contest. For example, I attended a costume event once wherein one guy wore his taekwondo outfit. Nothing wrong with that, but then he entered himself into the costume contest. Predictably, people did not applaud for him. No offense to the guy, but it's not hard to see why. There's nothing clever about that kind of costume; instead, it speaks of someone who just used whatever he had lying around and using it uncreatively.
BO-RING.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Lame costumes
I like attending costume parties. Unfortunately, a lot of people simply have no creativity when it comes to costumes.
Consider this pre-Halloween dance that I attended recently. There was a costume contest at this dance, and three of the women who joined the contest were dressed up as witches. Get that? Witches. Plain old boring witches in black outfits. There is simply no way that a costume like that would win in any sort of honest contest.
Now if they had dressed as the witches of Eastwick, that'd be different. Or maybe Wendy the Good Little Witch. But your garden variety witches? Boring as all get out.
Costumes that are too obviously store bought are also extremely lame. Batman costumes, for example, are almost invariably lame, especially when they involve fake muscles. (Here's a hint, guys. Fake muscles on a costume are always a dumb idea.)
I know a guy who dressed up as Robin -- the classic Dick Grayson version. That's more original than dressing up as Batman. What's more, the costume looked very authentic, since it was homemade and had a lot of effort put into it. (Store-bought Bat-costumes invariably look cheesy.)
Consider this pre-Halloween dance that I attended recently. There was a costume contest at this dance, and three of the women who joined the contest were dressed up as witches. Get that? Witches. Plain old boring witches in black outfits. There is simply no way that a costume like that would win in any sort of honest contest.
Now if they had dressed as the witches of Eastwick, that'd be different. Or maybe Wendy the Good Little Witch. But your garden variety witches? Boring as all get out.
Costumes that are too obviously store bought are also extremely lame. Batman costumes, for example, are almost invariably lame, especially when they involve fake muscles. (Here's a hint, guys. Fake muscles on a costume are always a dumb idea.)
I know a guy who dressed up as Robin -- the classic Dick Grayson version. That's more original than dressing up as Batman. What's more, the costume looked very authentic, since it was homemade and had a lot of effort put into it. (Store-bought Bat-costumes invariably look cheesy.)
Monday, November 23, 2009
No more Traylor
Only two more episodes of "Monk" to go. I'm going to miss this wonderful cast I will miss Tony Shalhoub's comedic and dramatic talents, as well as the powerful performances from Ted Levine and Jason Gray-Stanford.
I will also miss Traylor Howard. What a gal. She makes Natalie Teeger very likable.
I would be tempted to get the complete DVD sets. However, since I've seen virtually every episode at least twice, that would be kinda excessive.
I will also miss Traylor Howard. What a gal. She makes Natalie Teeger very likable.
I would be tempted to get the complete DVD sets. However, since I've seen virtually every episode at least twice, that would be kinda excessive.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
BioScience
BioScience is the wave of the future.
Okay, that's a bit of hype; after all, there are all sorts of technologies with tremendous promise for the future, and these are often complementary. The greatest innovations often occur when you have cross-fertilization between disciplines. Still, bioscience is a tremendously promising field, so it's no surprise that some organizations are actively trying to promote it.
Good for them.
Okay, that's a bit of hype; after all, there are all sorts of technologies with tremendous promise for the future, and these are often complementary. The greatest innovations often occur when you have cross-fertilization between disciplines. Still, bioscience is a tremendously promising field, so it's no surprise that some organizations are actively trying to promote it.
Good for them.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Windows Vista still sucks
Windows Vista sucks to high heavens. Talk about a resource hog.
I've got 4GB of memory and a pretty fast processor. When switching from one application to another, I should not have to wait several seconds.
Heck, I'm even using Google Chrome, which is much faster than Internet Explorer, and it's still slow. I click on the Chrome entry in the task bar, and it still takes several seconds for Chrome to respond.
This doesn't happen all the time, mind you. When it does happen though, it's bloody annoying.
I've got 4GB of memory and a pretty fast processor. When switching from one application to another, I should not have to wait several seconds.
Heck, I'm even using Google Chrome, which is much faster than Internet Explorer, and it's still slow. I click on the Chrome entry in the task bar, and it still takes several seconds for Chrome to respond.
This doesn't happen all the time, mind you. When it does happen though, it's bloody annoying.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
The language of Muay Thai
andap: vrating
bat: block
champ: champion
dtae: to kick
dtae kao: knee kick
dtae wiang: roundhouse kicking
dtee: to hit
dtoi: to box
dtoi lom: shadow boxing
gamagan: referee
garsawb: punching
gawn welaa: novice bout
hua: head
kai boxing: camp
kao: knee
kradot: jump
kradot dtae: jumping kick
kru: instructor
kwaa: right
lop: to duck
mat at: uppercut
mat drong: straight punch
muay sakon: international boxing
na kaen: shin
nak muay: boxer
nuam: gloves
saai: left
sawing: swing
sawk (or sok): elbow
ting: throw
weh tee: ring
yaek: break
bat: block
champ: champion
dtae: to kick
dtae kao: knee kick
dtae wiang: roundhouse kicking
dtee: to hit
dtoi: to box
dtoi lom: shadow boxing
gamagan: referee
garsawb: punching
gawn welaa: novice bout
hua: head
kai boxing: camp
kao: knee
kradot: jump
kradot dtae: jumping kick
kru: instructor
kwaa: right
lop: to duck
mat at: uppercut
mat drong: straight punch
muay sakon: international boxing
na kaen: shin
nak muay: boxer
nuam: gloves
saai: left
sawing: swing
sawk (or sok): elbow
ting: throw
weh tee: ring
yaek: break
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Those darned lyrics
Here is a snippet of the lyrics that I mentioned earlier.
Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch
Who watches over you
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
Not to put too fine a point on it
Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
Here's another little excerpt.
There's a picture opposite me
Of my primitive ancestry
Which stood on rocky shores and kept the beaches shipwreck free
Though I respect that a lot
I'd be fired if that were my job
After killing Jason off and countless screaming Argonauts
Bluebird of friendliness
Like guardian angels its always near
"Countless screaming Argonauts." Now that cracks me up.
Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch
Who watches over you
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
Not to put too fine a point on it
Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
Here's another little excerpt.
There's a picture opposite me
Of my primitive ancestry
Which stood on rocky shores and kept the beaches shipwreck free
Though I respect that a lot
I'd be fired if that were my job
After killing Jason off and countless screaming Argonauts
Bluebird of friendliness
Like guardian angels its always near
"Countless screaming Argonauts." Now that cracks me up.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Birdhouse in your Soul
I've been listening to "Birdhouse in Your Soul" by They Might Be Giants. Now that's a catchy song. A total earworm.
The lyrics are kinda nonsensical, though. There was some clear reference to a lighthouse, but much of the remaining lyrics were kinda oblique. As it turns out though, the song was written from the viewpoint of a blue canary-shaped night light. It referenced a painting or photograph of a lighthouse, which the night light apparently considered to be its predecessor.
Good to know that it wasn't purely nonsense. Some of the lyrics were kinda shoehorned in and didn't make much sense, but the song was still great.
The lyrics are kinda nonsensical, though. There was some clear reference to a lighthouse, but much of the remaining lyrics were kinda oblique. As it turns out though, the song was written from the viewpoint of a blue canary-shaped night light. It referenced a painting or photograph of a lighthouse, which the night light apparently considered to be its predecessor.
Good to know that it wasn't purely nonsense. Some of the lyrics were kinda shoehorned in and didn't make much sense, but the song was still great.
Monday, November 16, 2009
More rantings
Here are some disjointed thoughts.
One of my Zumba instructors is cute. She's not pretty in any classical sense, but she's physically fit and quite friendly. She's also very intelligent, which makes her very attractive. She can also dance, and I've found that to be appealing. A few years ago, I would never have said such a thing.
I like geeky jokes. That's one reason why I enjoy watching "The Big Bang Theory." I especially like the scene where Penny made a Star Trek reference without even realizing it.
I also like the PharmiWeb website. They've got a lot of really helpful resources. Great stuff.
Oh, and I miss the old Riptide TV series. I loved that show.
I wish I had more hours in the day with which to work out. Sigh. I'd love that.
One of my Zumba instructors is cute. She's not pretty in any classical sense, but she's physically fit and quite friendly. She's also very intelligent, which makes her very attractive. She can also dance, and I've found that to be appealing. A few years ago, I would never have said such a thing.
I like geeky jokes. That's one reason why I enjoy watching "The Big Bang Theory." I especially like the scene where Penny made a Star Trek reference without even realizing it.
I also like the PharmiWeb website. They've got a lot of really helpful resources. Great stuff.
Oh, and I miss the old Riptide TV series. I loved that show.
I wish I had more hours in the day with which to work out. Sigh. I'd love that.
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