December 19th, 2007 by 5cents
Time magazine recently selected Apple’s iPhone as its invention of the year. While the iPhone is a breakthrough mobile device, I was upset at Time choosing a gadget with such a small global reach as its annual halo invention. Instead, I’d like to rave about Time’s 2005 invention of the year, the Lifestraw from Vestergaard Frandsen Group. Yes, this is about three years late, nevertheless, this little straw that could is even more relevant today than it was in 2005 (and a new version just came out).
Studies show about a billion people worldwide do not have access to a reliable source of safe drinking water, something most in the developed world take for granted. Africa comes to mind first given the general public perception of a continent devoid of anything liquid but the problem affects most third world countries (including India which, paradoxically Read On! »
Popularity: 13% [?]
Topics: Design/Engineering, Poverty, Public Awareness | 3 Comments »
December 18th, 2007 by 5cents
Mal-aware is a portmanteau meaning being aware of malicious activity on the internet. In this article I’ll be tackling phishing scams (as relevant to Myspace accounts, though the general concept is applicable to eBay, Paypal and various other internet communities). I’ll try to be thorough yet simple enough for the layman to understand. Why? Because of a flood of bulletins from Myspace friends apologizing for their account being hacked (which isn’t what’s happening). So if you feel your account is being constantly hacked, you might want to take a look-see (this is a long article but an easy-read with most of the important points illustrated).
Now a lot of what I mention may be common-knowledge for the web-savvy but since most of the internet’s population is web-happy, not web-aware, it’s important to understand the basics. Indeed, just a rudimentary understanding of web addresses Read On! »
Popularity: 9% [?]
Topics: Public Awareness, Tech | 2 Comments »
December 10th, 2007 by 5cents
By now internet/current-affairs mavens have seen the two most recent clips involving the abuse of Tasers, namely, that of the clueless Polish immigrant, Mr. Dziekanksi, at Vancouver airport (how many Polish jokes will this spawn?) and the poor husband, Jared Massey, pulled over by a Utah state trooper. Mr. Dziekanksi, who is now deceased, was the victim of a right excessive zapping (read the BBC report HERE) while Mr. Massey, who is alive and well, was the victim of a wanton, no-holds-barred series of Taser-bitch-slaps. The latter has since filed a formal complaint against the state trooper (read about it HERE). Videos of both incidents are available on Youtube.
What must the state of law enforcement be to justify such acts? Watching both videos confirms neither individual could possibly have been threatening enough to warrant Read On! »
Popularity: 9% [?]
Topics: Commentary, Fear, Public Awareness | 1 Comment »
November 14th, 2007 by 5cents
I presume paedophiles are fairly smart people which is why they have existed since time immemorial; Sexual deviants who live in a dark, removed world and prey upon those most defenseless in our society. To survive and feed their hunger they must constantly stay ahead of the authorities, out of the watchful eye of parents (unless they themselves are the abusive parents) and generally out of the public’s scrutiny. I also suspect paedophilia is significantly more prevalent that most of us would have believe. Which makes the current global manhunt for the latest child-loving poster boy an important event.
I’ve noticed of late that paedophilia seems to be in the news ever more frequently. I don’t think, as some might, that this in indicative of an increasing number of predators but rather a consequence of growing awareness to the situation, better reporting on Read On! »
Popularity: 9% [?]
Topics: Commentary, Public Awareness, Sexual Abuse | 1 Comment »
October 31st, 2007 by Sir Reverend Gonzo
Editor’s note: A warm welcome to Sir Reverend Gonzo. A learnéd individual with remarkable experience in life, Reverend Gonzo begins by tackling the massive issue of whether or not global warming is worth our time.
As we all know, global warming is melting our ice caps. Well, who cares? Nobody lives in the ice caps. It’s making our winters warmer, and soon enough, Chicago will be tropical. How is this a bad thing?
Well, I’ll tell you how. There’s one person we forget about not living in the ice caps. And that, my friends, is Santa Claus. Read On! »
Popularity: 15% [?]
Topics: Jokes, Public Awareness, The Natural World | 22 Comments »
October 6th, 2007 by woland
Editor’s Note: Please welcome our newest author, Woland, to the BackWomb. A refreshingly opinionated thinker and budding writer, Woland can also lay claim to some stellar taste in music. A fitting start, then, as he opines about the state of race relations & “blackness” in his first article.
So I am driving through my city the other day. It was a beautiful autumn afternoon and I was enjoying listening to Smokey Robinson and the Miracles on the radio. I stop at the light when I hear the bass of some ridiculously loud stereo system booming up behind me. You know the kind so loud that you feel it in your chest and the entire car shakes. This vehicle pulls up alongside me and I allowed myself to break my usual rule of not paying attention to people who are crying out for it. The first thing I see is a huge purple Chevy Caprice Read On! »
Popularity: 22% [?]
Topics: Commentary, Music, Politics, Public Awareness, The Media | 30 Comments »
September 19th, 2007 by 5cents
A lot of the xenophobia sweeping the world these days stems from the simple fact that it is hard to understand what the hell that towel-head/spic/wop/sand nigger or chink is saying. This aside from all the obvious cultural differences. Still, just knowing how to say a few phrases in someone else’s language is a huge step towards understanding, tolerance and a moving rendition of Kumbaya.
In search of alleviating said communication barrier is the free web application, Mango, which just launched its beta version this week. Rather than pay an arm and a leg to attend classes on some campus, just grab a few beers and spend 20 minutes on the site. It’s easy to use, beautifully laid out and the phrases are clearly spoken. I imagine it would take a little longer to load on slower internet connections, nevertheless, it is a fantastic piece of kit. Read On! »
Popularity: 13% [?]
Topics: Productivity, Public Awareness, Tech | No Comments »
