Javabeans!

In case you haven't read the recent LJ news, LJ has stopped the creation of new "basic" accounts (meaning the free accounts with no adverts). I think "plus" accounts are still available for free, and maybe sponsored accounts, and of course, paid accounts. In theory, existing basic accounts are not being disabled. Yet.

There seems to be some fear that LJ will convert current basic accounts to plus accounts in the near future.

I wonder how many people would switch to paid accounts to avoid losing several years worth of LJ entries. I bet the current LJ staff is wondering the same thing.

In today's news, the announcement of a major discovery regarding breast cancer metastasis: new journal article indicates that a single gene could be the culprit, and the potential target for new therapies.

Even if it's for publicity, even if it's not a regular season game, I think it's still pretty darned cool...

Billy Crystal playing for the Yankees -- apparently a lifelong dream, and just in time for his 60th birthday.

Comic about Sim3

chuckle

blueeowyn and I saw Miss Pettigrew this weekend, and it was an absolutely charming and delightful tale about an out-of-work governess who stumbles into a job waiting upon a starlett want-to-be in 1930s England, on the eve of that country's entry into WWII. Despite Ann Hornaday's review at the Washing Post, the movie is not about Amy Adams' character (the quasi-starlett), but about how a middle-aged woman (Frances McDormand as Guinevere Pettigrew) deals with the need to change while remaining true to herself. The setting gives the movie a bit more depth than the traditional romatic comedy, and maybe suggests that while Pettigrew deals with identity issues, perhaps so is England?

Oh, and we had very fresh popcorn. Very tasty!


EDIT: Amy Adams was Giselle in last year's "Enchanted"

OK, I know the word when referring to people is usually "pixilated", but watch this youtube and you'll see what I mean.

These are really pixelated, not pixilated.

whee!

I first heard about D&D when I was in junior high, back in 1979, and was immediately sucked into the world of RPGs. Gygax was, in many ways, the father of a whole genre of geekiness. He was one of the founders of the original D&D, transforming tabletop wargaming into role playing games.

RIP Gary.

I'm not sure which is the more ... ahh, I don't have a word for it.

First, according to this article, many hospitals will charge you for their gross mistakes, such as operating on the wrong body part. The article cites a case where a hospital killed a man by administering the wrong blood type, and then charged the patient's estate for the blood!

Second, the tone of the article makes it sound like a recent movement of some states or localities towards not charging patients in such cases is optional, a decision made by some hospitals or states because "it's the right thing to do." How can the author not express outrage, indignation, shock, or at least surprise that such things are happening?

Just, arrrgh!

I am amused -- as the physical monitors get more and more two-dimensional, there is a trend to making the images on them look more three-dimensional. NewEgg.com is selling this iZ3D three-dimensional monitor, 22" flat-panel widescreen computer monitor. Yes, you have to wear polarized glasses for the effect.

Apparently, there are some drawbacks to the monitor's technology, such as not being compatible with 64bit operating systems, dual-vid-card set-ups. Also, it runs about $700, which is a bit on the expensive side of affordable, since it's primarily a video-game toy. Still, the tech will improve, the price will come down, eventually.

Tonight, the moon will experience total eclipsical darkness between roughly 9 and 10 pm (eastern time). So if the snow clouds don't obscure the whole thing anyway, go out and take a peek!