Saturday, September 22, 2007, 08:02 PM CST
[General]
by Ian Punnett
Tonight there are two compelling links I want to share with you. Copy and paste this for a website with satellite imagaes of little known corners of our world:
There is a link in a book I just read called The Body Has a Mind of Its Own by Sandra Blakeslee and her son Matthew Blakeslee, both science writers.
It's all about the latest research on the brain's "body maps." In one chapter, the authors discuss how our brains process information and this website gives you a quick interactive tutorial on the mystery of your melon:
Wednesday, September 19, 2007, 08:09 AM CST
[General]
I thank everybody for the vibrant vetting of the book "Boys Adrift" by Dr. Leonard Sax.
As the father of boys and a former boy myself, there were many "I knew it!" moments in every chapter as well as so many "eye opening" passages that if my eyes had opened any wider my eyebrows would have been under my shirt collar.
My blue shirt collar, that is.
That is right: blue collar. I am broadcasting professional, to be sure, but I am the practitioner of a trade: radio. You do not need a college degree to be successful in radio--certainly not a masters degree--although I have both. Most people I know in broadcasting do not have a degree in communications. Indeed, I have often said that a degree in Radio and TV is a waste of a college experience because so much of this business is a "craft" that most people can do after some practice and doesn't require any fancy book-larnin'.
As a craftsman, I needed to learn the tools of my trade and be apprecenticed before I started making any real money.
And I know I am in a blue collar trade because two year "broadcasting schools" abound, my in-laws didn't want me to marry Margery because they thought my career path was beneath their daughter and my lawyer, doctor and academic friends think my career is "cool." In fact, most professionals I know harbor fantasies of spending their retirement years in a trade (just ask my doctor brother-in-law that would chuck it all tomorrow to become a landscaper).
So, as we talk about re-thinking the blue collar/white collar paradigm and our societal insistence that a four-year college degree is necessary for success and happiness in hopes that fewer boys will end up adrift as young men, your ol' Uncle Punnett stands with his fellow craftsman, shoulder to shoulder, denim shirt to denim shirt, smiling with the sublime knowledge that it may be the professionals that get all the respect but we're having all the fun!
Friday, September 14, 2007, 07:19 AM CST
[General]
Is it just me?
Am I just being too critical here?
Or would you like to know a little less about the yellow case and a LOT MORE about the "radioactive substance" inside?
I mean, I suppose it's really important that device inside is worthless unless you are some sort of trained expert but any idiot can do a whole lot of damage with a "radioactive substance."
OK, it's important to know that the dimensions of the yellow case but how about a few clues as to what the "radioactive substance" is and in what is that contained! Is it permanently inside the measuring device? Is it separate? A gun metal tube? A Skippy Peanut Butter Jar? A Ziploc Baggie?
Comes down to this. I hope they find the case. I PRAY they find the "radioactive substance."
And if somebody does, can I have it?! I promise not to poison any water supplies or weaponize it in anyway.
I just think it would be cool to have in my office. You know, leaving it on a chair on purpose just so I can tell somebody that's visiting, "Here, take this chair--oops, let me get that radioactive sustance out of the way. Here, have a seat."
And wouldn't that yellow case make a smart travel bag?
Minnesota Department of Health
News Release
September 13, 2007
Public urged to be on lookout for stolen device containing radioactive material
State health officials are alerting the public to be on the lookout for a measuring device containing radioactive materials, which was reported stolen from a pick-up truck in Forest Lake.
The device is believed to have been stolen sometime last night. The theft was reported to MDH at approximately 2:00 p.m. this afternoon. The device was owned by Asset Management, a local firm involved in construction work.
The stolen device uses sealed radiation sources to measure the moisture content and density of soil and building materials. The device does not pose a health hazard as long as it is not damaged, tampered with, or handled by untrained individuals, MDH officials emphasized.
The device has no resale value, according to MDH, since it can only be used for the intended purpose, by people who have been properly trained and licensed. Use of the stolen devise and similar instruments is regulated by MDH.
The device is stored in a yellow box measuring approximately 30 inches long, 14 inches wide and 17 inches high. The box weighs 29 pounds, and is clearly labeled as containing radioactive materials.
MDH is working with the Forest Lake Police Department and officials of Asset Management to recover the device. Anyone who finds the device should call the Forest Lake Police Department at (651) 464-5877, Asset Management at (612) 272-1376 or the State Duty Officer at (651) 649-5451.
Photos of a device similar to the one reported missing:
Tuesday, September 11, 2007, 05:59 AM CST
[General]
A Master Reference binder has been createdfor all who may need to reference it.
Inside this binder you will find "solutions" to everyday problems.
If you are having problems with the photocopier, having difficulty dealing with co-workers, having computer problems...please come and get the red binder and it will help you through your issue. You may refer to the red binder as often as you wish.
