Author: Jeff Milner

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PC World Busts the Biggest PC Myths

PC World Logo
PC World published an article revealing the truth behind some common computer myths. Have you ever wondered:

  • If magnets will damage your data?
  • Does using a cell phone on a plane actually interferes with the navigation and communications systems of the aircraft?
  • If you don’t “eject” a USB device before unplugging it from a PC, will you really screw things up?
  • Do cookies track everything you do on the Internet?
  • What terrible things happen if you turn off your PC without shutting down Windows?
  • Does opting out of spam gets you even more spam?
  • If you don’t periodically run your laptop batteries down to zero, will you lose battery life?

Find out the answer to these questions and more as PC World exposes the myths that waste your time and money.

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The Slanket

Yeah it’s pretty geeky, but nevertheless The Slanket is so weird it’s interesting.

The Slanket

The Slanket is a HUGE 100% polyester polar fleece blanket with oversized sleeves. They are made and tested in Maine. The Slanket is approximately 60 inches wide by 102 inches in length, with 13 inch wide sleeves, that are so large and loose that you never feel constricted and you have total control in how you use them. The Slanket is great on a couch, a chair, in a hammock, on your bed or anywhere else you care to take it.

I love fleece as a material and as long as I could get over how silly I’d feel wearing this thing, I think it might be pretty comfortable. After all, I like to wrap up in a blanket when I’m on the computer or reading a book but I often find my upper body gets a little chilly.

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The Socratic Method

Rick Garlikov has written a compelling piece titled, The Socratic Method: Teaching by Asking Instead of by Telling. In it he demonstrates the power of the Socratic method (teaching by asking) for both teaching and also for getting students involved and excited about the material being taught.

It’s a very absorbing read—my only complaint is that he hasn’t formatted the story into nice readable columns, but if you resize your browser window and give this one a chance, I think you may find it very interesting. It works on many levels: as a method for teaching, a lesson on binary numbers, and how important it is to ask the right questions.

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Wall Street Journal Wood Print

Wall Street Journal Pen and Ink StippleYesterday I received a copy of the Wall Street Journal that the reporter, Dionne Searcey, had told me she would send. (Thanks Dionne).

The wood print looks great! Here it is, scanned and enlarged. Click for an even bigger version.

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Interview with 700WLW

I’ll be on 700WLW in Cincinnati tonight at 8:00pm (MST) doing an interview about my backmasking page.

I think a large part of what makes backmasking so interesting is that it strikes people on so many different levels. First off, with relation to religion, when people hear that popular music might contain messages about Satan, they really want to listen and decide for themselves. Even if people are not religious, there is still a natural curiosity to hear what all the fuss is about. It’s compelling to feel like we have discovered a secret about something so prominent in popular culture. We know Paul is not dead, yet we are interested to learn all the clues about his untimely demise.

I’ve made my views fairly clear that I don’t think the “satanic lyrics” are (for the most part) intentional. Most people that I have shown the Stairway to Heaven clip can’t even hear the messages the first time they listen. This brings up another interesting aspect of this story. People are fascinated by the psychology at work here. It is amazing how the power of suggestion can transform your interpretation of what at first registers as reversed gibberish into a coherent message.

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Federal Election Debate at the U of L

The local Lethbridge MP candidates were at the University of Lethbridge this afternoon in a debate. I’ll probably end up voting for Melanee Thomas of the NDP party because I think she is most deserving of my vote. She’s very quick on her feet and I imagine she’ll continue to do well in the party.

Melanee Thomas NDP Candidate

Melanee Thomas gives her opening statement.

However, after hearing some of the Conservative party plans I have a renewed respect for Rick Casson and some of the things he said today have actually made me feel better about their imminent majority victory next week. He’s not going to get my vote but at the same time it’s not like he needs it, traditionally Southern Alberta always votes for the conservatives.

It’s the topics that didn’t come up that bother me, but for the first while as/if Conservatives follow through with their top five goals, I don’t think I’ll have much to complain about—all that money for beer and popcorn — oh wait I don’t have kids.

Previously: MP questions and answers for the 2004 election

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Interviews Keep Rolling In

I just finished another interview for a University paper in Ontario. What continues to confound me is that though some of the world’s biggest papers find the story so fascinating, my own University paper, The Meliorist (whose office is just down the hall from mine) hasn’t shown a bit of interest. I find it so strange. C’est la vie, how can I complain with all this good fortune.

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Sirius Satellite Radio

I was just asked to do an interview for the Jay Thomas show on Sirius Satellite Radio.

The topics on Jay’s new show range from the sublime to the ridiculous and everything in between. The Jay Thomas Show takes a light-hearted approach and a middle of the road political standpoint. Past guests include Geraldo Rivera, Meredith Viera, Mike Ditka, George Foreman, Joy Behar, Mario Cuomo, Don King and many others.

I’ll be on next Monday sometime after the show starts at 1330 (MST).

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The Associated Press

I had an interview with the Associated Press this morning. The story that they run will probably reach a bigger audience than even the Wall Street Journal article last week. This is truly amazing. Every time I think things can’t possibly get any bigger or better they keep doing just that.

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Interview Airing Today on BBC Coproduction The World

I had an interview last Friday with the BBC/PRI show The World. The World is a one-hour, weekday radio news magazine offering a mix of news, features, interviews, and music from around the globe. Today they will be airing my interview with Marco Werman. I understand that this show is played on 200 NPR stations including New York and Seattle, and has a weekly audience of about 2 million listeners.

You can listen to the program when it airs (1730 eastern—it will be the last piece in the program, called the Global Hit) at http://www.bbc.co.uk/ or if you missed it you can find it archived at http://theworld.org/globalhits/2006/01/17.shtml.