Francis Shanahan[.com]Blog feed of Francis Shanahan[.com]Visa: Basic Math might've ruined the moment (but saved Strug's foot)- August 18, 2008 There's an advertisement on TV at the moment for Visa as part of the 2008 Olympics. Morgan Freeman narrates. He says... "She needed to perform one more vault, She needed to sprint down the runway, jump off the springboard, fly spinning through the air...and stick the landing. And she needed to do it all on one foot. " They are referring to Keri Strug's vault as part of the 1996 Games. Unfortunately the entire ad is based on a false premise. Not taking anything away from Strug's...http://www.francisshanahan.com/detail.aspx?cid=701 I Can Haz Android- August 15, 2008 My contract's almost up and the search is on for a new cell phone. I've had a fairly basic phone up until now and don't pay it much heed. In the last two years though the iPhone has come out and despite some major shortcoming's its pretty cool. Battery life sucks though and I couldn't take signing up to iTunes just for phone access. That's uncalled for. So what's the competition Verizon have some fairly blech looking clones (the LG Dash) but what I'd really like is an HTC device running...http://www.francisshanahan.com/detail.aspx?cid=700 Mr. Coffey for English- August 14, 2008 I had a great teacher for English in secondary school. His name was Mr. Coffey and you could tell he loved to teach. He used to get on a roll during some lectures as if carried away in the moment. You could always tell when this happened as his whole face would take on a look of sheer amazement. I used to think this was a conscious act as how could someone be so amazed at the same material he'd been reciting for twenty plus years Mr Coffey had numerous tricks or gimmicks to keep us all...http://www.francisshanahan.com/detail.aspx?cid=699 Richard Dawkins on Natural Selection in the Animal Kingdom- August 12, 2008 In a recent Channel 4 documentary on evolution, presented by Richard Dawkins, he makes the following statement: "The total amount of suffering in the natural world is beyond all decent contemplation. During the minute that it takes me to say these words, thousands of animals are running for their lives whimpering with fear, feeling teeth sink into their throats. Thousands are dying from starvation or disease or feeling a parasite rasping away from within. There is no central authority,..http://www.francisshanahan.com/detail.aspx?cid=698 Math + Woodwork = Homemade Wooden Burr Puzzles- August 11, 2008 This weekend I was in dire need of a mental escape. Woodworking in the basement is both a physical and mental endeavour which generally only succeeds when you give it adequate focus. I don't recommend woodworking when you're mind's not on your work LINK. I came across IBM's website on burr puzzles LINK and decided to make one. "Burr puzzles are interlocking puzzles known in Europe and Asia since at least the 18th century. Traditionally they are made from wood....and require special...http://www.francisshanahan.com/detail.aspx?cid=697 Framework Futility- August 7, 2008 "Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he'll eat for life. Give a man a Fishing Framework and he might starve to death before choosing the most elegant, re-usable way to bait the hook. " - Shanahan 2008 Jeffrey Palermo has a great common sense post on the notion of Frameworks LINK. He makes so many great points, many of which I've lived through first hand, I can't resist throwing my 2 cents into the pot... I spent a large portion of my early career...http://www.francisshanahan.com/detail.aspx?cid=696 |