Crime prediction software: an idea whose time has come?

I read a news report today (via Drudge) claiming that software capable of identifying and/or predicting those most likely to commit crimes was to be rolled out soon.

Developed by Richard Berk, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, the software is already used in Baltimore and Philadelphia to predict which individuals on probation or parole are most likely to murder and to be murdered.

. . .

If the software proves successful, it could influence sentencing recommendations and bail amounts.

"When a person goes on probation or parole they are supervised by an officer. The question that officer has to answer is 'what level of supervision do you provide?'" said Berk.

It used to be that parole officers used the person's criminal record, and their good judgment, to determine that level.

"This research replaces those seat-of-the-pants calculations," he said.

. . .

Beginning several years ago, the researchers assembled a dataset of more than 60,000 various crimes, including homicides. Using an algorithm they developed, they found a subset of people much more likely to commit homicide when paroled or probated. Instead of finding one murderer in 100, the UPenn researchers could identify eight future murderers out of 100.

Berk's software examines roughly two dozen variables, from criminal record to geographic location. The type of crime, and more importantly, the age at which that crime was committed, were two of the most predictive variables.

. . .

Scientifically, Berk's results are "very impressive," said Shawn Bushway, a professor of criminal justice at the State University of New York at Albany who is familiar with Berk's research.

Predicting rare events like murder, even among high-risk individuals, is extremely difficult, said Bushway, and Berk is doing a better job of it than anyone else.

But Berk's scientific answer leaves policymakers with difficult questions, said Bushway. By labeling one group of people as high risk, and monitoring them with increased vigilance, there should be fewer murders, which the potential victims should be happy about.

It also means that those high-risk individuals will be monitored more aggressively. For inmate rights advocates, that is tantamount to harassment, "punishing people who, most likely, will not commit a crime in the future," said Bushway.

There's more at the link. Very interesting reading.

Part of me is very concerned about the implications of this software for civil and human rights. I hate the thought that someone who's reformed, and who may be a very low risk for re-offending, might be highlighted by this software as a major risk, and therefore be subjected to much tighter and more intrusive monitoring than he might otherwise receive. Indeed, he might get so annoyed at the intrusion that he commits another crime almost as a way of 'getting his own back' on the system that he regards as oppressing him. I think this is a very real danger.

On the other hand, I've been a prison chaplain. Routinely we staff saw prisoners released whom we knew - knew, beyond a shadow of doubt - were still extremely dangerous to society. Their conduct behind bars, their attitude . . . everything about them screamed a warning to us: but we couldn't keep them incarcerated. They'd done their time, and no matter how sure we were that they still represented a danger to others, we weren't allowed to keep them behind bars.

If this computer system can somehow be used to independently identify such people, and the knowledge of corrections staff can be linked to its predictions, the combination might be a very effective tool to ensure that likely re-offenders are monitored so closely that their recidivism becomes almost impossible. Will this represent an invasion of their civil liberties? Yes, I'm afraid it will. Can it be justified? On strictly Constitutional grounds, no, I daresay it can't. Is it therefore wrong to employ such means? Only the courts can answer that . . . but I'd like to point out that in many states, a convicted felon automatically loses certain rights (e.g. the right to vote). Given such restrictions, should a felony conviction also carry with it the loss of the right to privacy, at least as far as likely re-offenders are concerned? I can't answer that . . . but I can recall seeing hardened offenders let go, and later reading about their arrest for committing the most violent, vicious and horrific crimes after their release.

What say you, readers? Is there any circumstance in which the use of such predictive software can be allowed to trump, or at least limit, one's human and Constitutional rights? If so, what circumstance(s)? If not, what alternative can you suggest to minimize the risk of re-offense? Let's hear your views in Comments.

Peter

Blogorado update #2

Everyone's winding down tonight as Blogorado draws to a close. We've had a couple more days of fun at the shooting range, wandered around admiring horses (both from a distance and, for the more adventurous, from atop them), visited the local swimming hole (with the more energetic climbing down a steep rock face to take pictures, while the rest of us sat on top of the bluff discussing their madness in working so hard in 90-degree-plus temperatures!), eaten enormous quantities of delicious food (FarmMom and her helpers have outdone themselves), drunk ditto of the Atomic Nerds' home-brewed beer, and probably doubled the breakfast turnover of a local hostelry every morning.

It's come on to rain tonight, just in time to be perfect for the farmers but no problem for us. A few have left already, and most of the rest of us will depart tomorrow morning. I'll be dropping Oleg and Miss D. at the airport in Denver, then heading back across Kansas and Missouri to my home. I'll try to post more tomorrow night from whatever hotel I use.

Thanks for being patient with the lack of posts. Things will be back to normal by the end of the week, all being well.

Peter

Ice sculpture FAIL!

No time for regular posting today, with Blogorado still very much on the go. I'll try to post more tomorrow. To keep you happy (?), here's a video of a sculptor of ice figures who was . . . er . . . a little too ambitious!

Oops . . .





Peter

Blogorado update #1

In a nutshell - lots of fun being had by all!

I picked up Miss D. and Oleg from the airport in Denver as scheduled, and we headed out late morning for our destination. It took us 5 hours to get there, and the heat was brutal! Even with the air-conditioner at full blast, Miss D. was visibly wilting, and I don't blame her. She's come from thirty-something consecutive days of rain in Anchorage, at sea level, with a relatively humid climate and temperatures reaching 70° (Fahrenheit - equivalent to just over 21° Celsius) on only two of those days. Yesterday she flew in to 97° (equivalent to just over 36° Celsius), an altitude of well over 5,000 feet, and an extremely dry, non-humid atmosphere. Quite a change! Still, she drank lots of water, made a valiant effort, and survived the trip.

Things cooled down rapidly, and the evening was very pleasant indeed. We gathered at the FarmFamily's ancestral manse (home to FarmGrandMa and others), and enjoyed two varieties of lasagna prepared by the indispensable Gay_Cynic. The Atomic Nerds (who are driving around in a most un-nerd-like Dodge Ram heavy-duty four-wheel-drive pickup with a 5.7-liter Hemi engine, to the envy of many of the local farmers) provided their home-brewed beer in several varieties (ambrosia!). The conversations lasted long into the evening, and were loud and spirited. I'm not going to give away all the stories that were told, except to say that there was much laughter and mutual enjoyment. I'm sure many will be re-told on various blogs later this month, as people return to their normal lives.

This morning we gathered for breakfast at a local hostelry, which had obviously been warned about us - they put us in a separate room, far away from their regular guests, who might otherwise have been somewhat taken aback by the openly-carried weapons, loud banter, and enthusiastic devouring of vittles of various kinds. (I've never seen so many things added to oatmeal as Matt G. managed to add to his . . . I'm surprised he didn't have to call for a cauldron instead of a bowl to hold them all! Still, he seemed to enjoy it, and it certainly didn't hurt his shooting later.)

Then it was on to the range, set up about thirty miles outside town on FarmFamily land, where dirt removal has left several nice-sized berms to act as backstops. Falling-plate targets had been set up for handguns, and the rifle range faced the other way across many acres of open prairie. A thoroughly good time was had by all the shooters, who ranged from an enthusiastic four-year-old who had to be carefully watched and (to his vociferous indignation) restrained from time to time, to a septuagenarian Expert Witness who outshot just about everybody! The lovely Phlegm gritted her teeth and had a go at a cylinderfull of hot PMC 240gr. .44 Magnum ammo out of my Smith & Wesson Model 29. The explosions of dust from the backstop were awesome, and she handed it back with a large grin. To think that the lady was introduced to shooting only a couple of years ago! She's come a long way since then.

Miss D. had a ball with the prototype Kel-Tec PMR-30. She's shot it before with Oleg, and it seems to suit her very well. Given health issues, she can't handle a heavy-recoiling firearm, and is thus forced to look to lighter-caliber weapons for her defensive needs. Quite frankly, the thought of her armed with 30 rounds of high-velocity .22 Magnum ammo is a very warm and fuzzy one. I'd hate to be the evildoer who tried to get close to her through the hailstorm that thing throws out! We're definitely in the market for one of them for her. Production's just getting under way, so I think I know what she's getting for Christmas . . .

I left the rest at the range and headed back into town shortly after lunchtime. Driving about 1,600 miles over the past three days (particularly with my fused spine and injured nerves in my left leg) had been a bit too much, and my body was letting me know about it. Firmly. I put my head down for some much-needed rest this afternoon, and am posting this prior to heading for the FarmFamily manse once more. Tonight's menu: chicken-fried steak, as only FarmMom can make it (complete with her famous gravy), and scrappy nibbles for those who have yet to be introduced to them.

Peter

Ninja football FAIL!

It seems that ninja kicking skills are all very well, but not necessarily when applied to footballs . . .

Peter

In the footsteps of Alexander the Great

A journalist with GlobalPost, Theodore May, is attempting to follow the route of Alexander the Great from Greece through the Middle East to Persia - on foot and by car, alone, in an area not noted for its tolerance of infidel outsiders. As he says in his introductory article:

It was Alexander’s 11-year conquest, between 334 and 323 B.C. that had brought me to this point — sharing a belching ferry ride this month across the Dardanelles with a gaggle of school girls giggling at the sight of a passing pod of dolphins. It was his crossing here that also made me realize, with a laugh, that my own ambitious undertaking — to walk 2,000-plus miles in the footsteps of Alexander as he set about redrawing the maps of the ancient world — lacked what would, back in the day, have been considered essentials (an army of many thousands of men, horses and supplies for at least a year).

Do they still say the pen is mightier than the sword?

There's more at the link.

Mr. May is blogging every couple of days about his progress, and his experiences en route. It's a fascinating look 'behind the scenes' at areas and countries that are often in the news, but seldom understood in the West. Here, for example, is his report on marriage in the Gaza Strip.

Tea Leaves: Sex, Love, and Marriage in Gaza

On our half hour drive back, I began peppering Hamouda with questions about one topic I’ve never delved into here: sex, love, and marriage in Gaza. He was a good sport and let me cover all the relevant topics top to bottom. Hamouda, age 20, says he wants to get married in 2 years. His parents will facilitate the arrangement with a girl’s family.

In the world of arranged Muslim marriages, it’s somewhat incorrect to assert that there isn’t a period of dating and courtship. It just happens in the opposite order of how it’s done elsewhere.

Here, after families pair the bride-to-be with the groom-to-be and financial terms are arranged, the two get engaged. The engagement, which can last typically 6 months, essentially allows the couple to spend time alone with one another and get better acquainted. They can sit next to one another in cars, enjoy one-on-one dinners, and walk together in public. In other words, engagement first, dating second.

I’ve heard all sorts of horror stories involving Hamas police beating up men they catch walking down the street alongside a girl they’re not engaged or married to. Hamouda told me that when he drives a girlfriend (or “a girl that is a friend,” if we’re going to get high school about it) in his car, she sits in the back so he can claim to Hamas officials that he’s driving her for work. Still, though, Hamouda insists that young men and women find a ways to maintain friendships, through cell phones, the internet, and a little bit of discretion.

The highlight of the conversation came when I asked Hamouda about the wedding night. He’s already picked out the spot for the party, but he was quick to move onto the after party, which features the couple’s first ever trip to the bedroom.

Hamouda described at length how it’s important for the groom to find an apartment for him and his bride to move into immediately after the ceremony because, as he explains, you don’t want to sleep with a girl for the first time in the family house with your parents right outside the door.

As for honeymoons, a great line: “Gaza is closed, and we can’t leave. So we spend the honeymoon in the bedroom.”

Again, there's more at the link.

In general, Mr. May's travel blog is a very interesting look at history in modern context, and modern society in the light of history. Recommended reading . . . and I hope he survives his experiences and completes the journey!

Peter

Doofus Of The Day #383

Today's award goes to a wannabe (but lamentably unsuccessful) burglar in London, England.

Perhaps he had put on a few pounds since the last time he went, er, window shopping.

For when this hapless burglar tried to break into a house at 2am yesterday, he found himself in a bit of a tight spot.

After attempting to slip in through an unlocked window under the cover of darkness, the thief found himself stuck fast in the tiny frame measuring just 12in by 8in.

Unable to wriggle out of it, the crook was left with his bottom and legs dangling outside the ground floor window for almost six hours until he was discovered by the astonished owner of the house as he came downstairs for breakfast.

Police, ambulance and fire crews were called to the address in Bow, east London after the homeowner reported the intruder's sticky predicament at 7.30am.

Two fire engines attended and ten firefighters worked to free him using a ladder to support the man's legs as bolt-cutters sliced through the window frame.




Amused by the spectacle, neighbours gathered to watch.

One resident said: 'It was hilarious. All of the neighbours came outside to take a look at his legs and backside sticking out of the window.

'He must have felt a right idiot. Most people wanted him to be left there. There is one neighbour who is a surgeon, and he told the emergency services he'd be able to get the burglar out without damaging the window.

'But they politely declined, saying they would rather get him out in one piece.'

There's more at the link.

I'm almost sorry they didn't let the surgeon have a go. With all the cutting remarks flying around, he'd probably have done rather well!





Peter

Blogorado: so far, so good

I made it into Denver this evening, loaded umpteen gun cases and other boxes, bags and bits onto a luggage cart, wheeled it to my hotel room, and sat on the bed, wheezing, gasping, clutching my chest and wondering if I was having another heart attack. No . . . I'd forgotten that Denver is 5,500-odd feet above sea level! When I'd regained my breath, I had a good chuckle at myself.

I must admit, though, two days of eleven to twelve hours on the road are a bit much for me now. I can handle one, and I can handle several days if it's an eight-hour-per-day pace; but two long days leave my back in a nasty state. I've de-kinked it in the hotel whirlpool tonight (blessed invention!). Thanks, too, to Crucis and his wife for their very welcome hospitality last night, breaking the journey in half. It was great to meet another blogger who until now has been an electronic friend, but is now one in meatspace as well. (That goes for their two cats too . . . very friendly, and very insistent if you aren't stroking or scritching hard enough or in the right place!)

I'll pick up Miss D. and Oleg at the airport in the morning, and we'll head down to Blogorado in the south-eastern corner of Colorado for a long weekend of shooting, eating, drinking, socializing and general laid-backness. It's a tough job, I know, but someone has to do it . . .



Peter

I wonder what the Secret Service will do?

I note with glee that a British billionaire, Mr. Alki David, has offered one million dollars to the first person who succeeds in streaking, fully naked, in the presence of President Barak Obama.

There are obvious logistical difficulties, of course, like getting close enough to the President in the first place - his Secret Service escorts are a bit paranoid about that sort of thing. Then there's the problem of where to attempt the feat. The money will only be paid if the streaker is "in front of" the President. Would it qualify if the streaker were a hundred yards away? I doubt it. Wannabe millionaires will have to pick a venue where they can get a lot closer; and the aforementioned Secret Service will be hyper-vigilant in such places.

Then, of course, there are the possible charges involved. Given the time-honored US Marine Corps cadence of "This is my rifle, this is my gun" (link is to a YouTube video clip), could a streaker be charged with a firearms offense for exposing his 'weapon'?





Peter

The return of sail power?

A very interesting vessel, the E-Ship 1, has just gone into service in Europe.




She's what's called a rotor ship or Flettner ship (after their inventor, Anton Flettner). She's powered by conventional diesel engines; but as well as driving the propellers directly, their exhaust turns four rotorsails which rise high above the deck. They use the Magnus effect to propel the ship forward, in addition to the thrust of the propellers, and thus save a considerable amount of fuel.

Flettner developed a prototype of the rotor ship as early as 1925, called the Buckau. She relied on two rotorsails for propulsion, driven by a 50hp. electric motor.

Buckau in 1925 (image courtesy of Wikipedia)

The prototype successfully crossed the Atlantic, and attracted considerable interest in America: but in the 1920's, technology was not sufficiently developed to make rotorsails an economical proposition. Flettner went on to design a number of helicopters for Germany, including the FL 282 Kolibri, which the German Navy ordered in large quantity late in World War II. Unfortunately for them, Allied bombing disrupted preparations for mass production. Only about 30 were built, of which examples were brought back to the USA after the war for evaluation. Flettner followed, establishing an aircraft company here, and influencing the design of Kaman helicopters during the 1950's. He died in 1961.

Rotorsails can propel vessels on their own, without an engine, or can be used in the same way as aboard the E-Ship 1, as a hybrid propulsion system. The assistance provided to propulsion by the rotorsails might mean that a ship so equipped would burn a lot less fuel than one relying on conventional propulsion alone. If the E-Ship 1 proves successful, it might prove a very important step forward for merchant shipping in general.

Peter

Sign language: Animals.

The Telegraph newspaper in England has an ongoing series called Sign Language, where its readers submit photographs of weird and wonderful signs that they've encountered all over the world. They've recently compiled a few anthologies of the best signs in certain categories. Over the next few days, I'll publish a few examples from some of the collections, and link to the rest for your entertainment.

Today, signs concerning animals.

The deer in North Vancouver, Canada, must be extraordinarily active, evolutionarily speaking!

No s***, Sherlock!

. . . because they make the road squishy . . .

There are many more at the link. Good for a laugh!



Peter

Light blogging for a few days

I'll be heading for Colorado tomorrow, to join in the fun and games at this year's Blogorado gathering. A couple of dozen other bloggers will be there, and a veritable arsenal of firearms and ammunition will be enjoyed and employed by all concerned.

FarmDad's killed several of his fatted calves; I've no doubt FarmMom (ably assisted by Farmgirl) is preparing trays of 'scrappy nibbles' to ambush the unwary; the Atomic Nerds have brewed up multiple barrels of their (and our) favorite suds; I'm bringing several bottles of Van Der Hum (one of my favorite liqueurs, although most Americans have never heard of it); even though she can't join us, Dixie's sending several jars of her cauterizing hot sauce (which I understand is under consideration for inclusion in the next nuclear arms reduction treaty); Miss D.'s taking a redeye special from Alaska, getting into Denver (where I'll collect her) at some unearthly hour of the morning; Oleg's arriving shortly after her (also to be collected), weighed down with cameras and lenses; our hotel reservations (which had mysteriously disappeared last week, when I checked them) have been re-confirmed; Lawdog, Phlegmmy, the Expert Witness and Matt G. are on their way up from Texas; Old NFO is interrupting his global high-jinks to join us for a few days . . . should be a good time! I'm heading out in the morning for the two-day drive to Colorado, vehicle loaded to the gunwales with things that go bang (except when they're wearing suppressors, as do many of Oleg's toys) and therefore shouldn't be sent through airport security for fear of causing multiple heart attacks among TSA drones employees.

I've put up some posts that will be published at pre-set dates and times over the next couple of days, until I'm settled enough to post again. I'll try to contribute a few from Blogorado, perhaps with pictures. If things are a little sparse in the interim, enjoy yourselves in the archives.

Peter

A military band with a sense of humor!

This Russian military band's performance made me giggle.

Peter

Ever heard of a MAMIL?

I hadn't, until I read this BBC report. It's about Britain rather than the USA, but I've seen similar things here. It made me smile.

Every weekend, across the nation's rolling countryside, watch out for the MAMIL's: Middle-Aged Men In Lycra [better known in the US as Spandex].

And ladies, if you have a man at home taking an unusual interest in how you shave your legs, you may have a Mamil in the making too.

Research conducted by the retail analyst Mintel suggests there has been a surge in the number of middle-aged men choosing to get on two wheels.

Given the number of men aged 35-44 who are buying fancy-pants road racing machines, is this a 21st Century mid-life crisis? Has the silence of skinny tyres and carbon fibre framesets replaced the thunderous noise of motorbikes?

Back in the day, when some men with a bit of disposable income reached a certain age, they did some strange things. The grind of the office and home life convinced some that the answer to an expanding midriff lay in a pair of designer jeans and a flashy but cheap Japanese sports car. Teenage daughters ran away screaming. Sons were deprived of the role models seen in adverts for shaving products.

Gents, our womenfolk were right all along. It wasn't a good look. And did it do anything for the beer belly?

But then came a confluence of coincidences that gave a man an option other than looking like a gigolo cruising Italy's glitzy Lake Como.

The past three years have seen the rise of the uber-techno, super-flashy, full-carbon fibre, bobby-dazzler road bike. The market for these bikes has expanded faster than a 45-year-old's waistline, partly thanks to the success of the British cycling stars at the Beijing Olympics. Marketing departments have produced smart advertising messages that encourage a bit of freedom, elite performance and memories of teenage derring-do.

And the result can be seen on Saturday and Sunday mornings as middle-aged blokes polish the rear derailleur, lower the mirrored shades and pedal into the hills. Every couple of weeks, you'll see a girth of Mamils gathering to race a "Sportive", a form of amateur competing that has taken the British cycling world by storm.

While the serious, younger riders are busy getting into the zone of elite competition, we're comparing the latest GPS route-finding cycle computer and pretending that we know how to stretch.

We hit the first hill and suddenly we're a puffing, panting, heaving mass of sweaty humanity that is well past its sell-by-date. Sounds humiliating? I've never had so much fun in my life - and there are also some unintended benefits of being the older rider.

First, there's the no-questions-asked fan club. My kids, on the promise of an ice cream, will cheer me over the top of any climb. They're still young enough to think I'm Superman - and you don't get that kind of pick-me-up on the golf course.

Even better is the Mamil's solution to saddle sores. A teenage shop assistant in a too-posh-to-pedal London shop tried to sell me some balm for £30. What's the point of that, I asked. I've got loads of unused nappy [diaper] rash cream at home. He thought I was terminally uncool. I know better son, learn from your elders.

. . .

I conclude with a message from my own Mrs Mamil to other cycling widows. She's discovered a precise form of retaliation. If your portly husband buys another stupid fluorescent jersey, buy yourself another pair of shoes.

That way, at least one of you can look good.

There's more at the link.

I may be middle-aged, but I'll be damned if you're going to find me wearing lycra. Uh-uh. No way, José. Ain't gonna happen.

(Besides, She Who Must Be Obeyed already has enough reasons to laugh at me. No point in giving her another one!)



Peter

And the problem is?

I'm cynically amused at the fuss being made in some quarters over a rather permanent solution to the poaching problem being adopted in some African countries. The BBC reports:

Prof Rosaleen Duffy has researched the issue for 15 years for a book to be published this month.

. . .

Ms Duffy says the development of nature tourism has meant international pressure to save high-profile species is intense.

Some conservation groups regard the protection of the gorilla, rhino and other endangered species as more important than human life, she says.

In countries, including Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Malawi, private security firms have been brought in to provide military-style protection for these iconic animals.

. . .

"Because private military operations and also park rangers are given authority to shoot on sight, the suspected poachers, then they can shoot first and ask questions later," she told the BBC.

"I think what happens then is that local people get justifiably very angry about people being shot because they're suspected of poaching whereas in fact what they might be doing is simply taking a short cut through a national park or they might be collecting grass for thatch."

Ms Duffy concedes that some poachers are heavily armed professionals - often former members of security forces - who are only too willing to open fire themselves.

But escalating this war for wildlife is, in Ms Duffy's view, not the way forward.

She argues that conservationists should work with local people, so that they value the animals that wander near their homes.

There's more at the link.

I have news for Prof. Duffy. This is Africa. Human life has always been cheap in Africa. It's been that way for uncounted centuries, it's still that way today, and it'll probably continue that way for a long time to come. Locals have learned the hard way - and I really mean 'the hard way'! - that if an area's declared closed 'or else', the people issuing that warning aren't joking about the 'or else' bit. They don't go walking around in such areas "taking a short cut" or "collecting grass for thatch"! They have more sense! Ergo, those found in such areas are usually not locals. The odds that they're poachers are relatively good; and given the staggering amounts paid for poached products (a single rhinoceros horn, obtained at the cost of a few bullets in the bush, sells for an average of US $80,000 in the Far East, where it's regarded as an aphrodisiac) they're not about to stop poaching just because it's been declared illegal. There's only one way to stop them, and that's to remove them from circulation. In nations with few prisons and fewer police, that leaves only one option.

Africa is typically laid-back about a permanent solution to such problems. I recall the fuss made in South Africa during the 1990's, when it was discovered that would-be illegal immigrants were crossing the Mozambique border and walking through the Kruger National Park to get to South African cities. Needless to say, the predators in the Park were overjoyed at the influx of easy-to-catch prey (humans are slow compared to almost any animal, and have no horns, hooves or long, sharp teeth with which to defend themselves). All sorts of left-wing liberal idiots got their knickers in a twist at the thought of so many people being devoured; but the average South African shrugged and said, "Well, the animals have to eat, too!"

That's Africa. Live with it. It's not about to change.

Peter

The US is winning in the British beer wars

I'm amused to read that US microbreweries are giving their British equivalents more than a run for their money. Global Post reports:

It’s not easy to hear conversations over the clinking of glasses and raucous banter that fills the hangar-like London venue of the Great British Beer Festival, but this year among the thousands gathered to toast their beloved warm beers, there is talk of heresy.

The Great British Beer Festival is exactly what its name implies. It’s a festival, it’s great, there’s beer — enough of the stuff to soak an entire city — and it’s a proud celebration of brewing traditions that no one else upholds quite like the British.

Except, it seems, the Americans.

For lurking like sediment in an empty barrel is the controversial claim that American craft brewers, in their enthusiastic efforts to recreate the traditional bitters, porters, stouts, milds and golden ales of England, Scotland and Wales, are actually now bettering them.

And British drinkers can’t get enough. Midway through the five-day festival, most of the 80 American draft beers on sale (the largest collection of U.S. beers ever assembled anywhere in the world, the organizers claim), had run out. Bottled beers were selling just as quickly.

. . .

Sales of beers from both sides of the Atlantic are welcomed by the Campaign for Real Ales, or CAMRA, the festival organizers, which stages the event as the yearly centerpiece to its long-running battle to preserve artisanal brewing methods under threat from industrial giants.

With more than 60,000 visitors, the event is a runaway success, giving CAMRA a platform to drive home its serious messages about British pub closures and beer taxation, as well as some headline-grabbing pseudo-science about how “switching to beer can help you lose weight.”

This year, to celebrate the ascension of U.S. beers, there’s also a new prize for best American cask ale. The inaugural winner of the Michael Jackson award (named after a British beer aficionado, not you-know-who) is Smuttynose Big A IPA, from Portsmouth, N.H.

Says Garrett, who volunteers to work at the festival but earns his beer money as a civil servant, said Smuttynose boasts the “big flavors,” which are partly behind the popularity of the American brews and, with a 9.7-percent alcohol by volume (ABV), is typically potent.

“The reason people love the American beers is they’ve taken the British brewing traditions and made them their own," Garrett said. "You often hear phrases like ‘pushing the envelope’ and I suppose that’s what they’ve done. They have used more of everything to ramp up the flavor. There’s no subtlety — they go for very big beers.”

. . .

The British brewing industry can, however, probably rest easy for the time being. While U.S. craft ales such as Boston’s Samuel Adams and California’s Sierra Nevada have made headway into the potentially-lucrative U.K. market, the high cost of importing is likely to remain a barrier for most, as are the CAMRA naysayers.

“We can’t really expand the international beer section at the festival any further without treading on a few toes,” Garrett said. “It will remain the British Beer festival, but we just want people to know that American beer is better than Budweiser.”

With that, he proffered a bottle of Smuttynose recovered from a hidden stash behind the bar, a brew he describes as “very balanced and deceptively drinkable,” adding, with a wry smile, “I wouldn’t recommend more than one bottle, mind you.”

There's more at the link.

I enjoy beer in relatively small quantities, and there are several brews I favor; but I'd dearly love the opportunity to visit a festival like that, to sample beers from all over the world. I enjoy finding a new microbrewery pub that serves 'samplers' - a tray of small glasses containing a couple of ounces of each of its beers - to savor and enjoy in good company over the course of an hour or two. To do that on a Festival scale should be fun!

Peter

Gymnastics as I've never seen it before!

I'd never heard of Indian pole gymnastics, or Mallakhamb, until I came across a video of it during an unrelated Internet search. It's pretty amazing stuff, if all one's used to is the Western-style gymnastics seen at the Olympics and other international competitions.

I somehow think a Western-style gymnast would really struggle to master the Indian variety! On the other hand, it might be very entertaining to see them try . . .





Peter

Who said pylons have to be boring?

I'm intrigued with the award-winning designs of Choi+Shine Architects for electricity pylons in Iceland. They haven't been built, but were submitted for a 2008 competition. The organizing committee reported:

The competition’s goal was to obtain new ideas in types and appearances for 220kV high-voltage towers and lines. The competition emphasized that specific consideration be given to the visual impact of the towers (or lines) and that careful consideration be given to the appearance of towers near urban areas and unsettled regions.

The competitors were free to choose whether all the towers would have a new look, particular towers and selected environments would have a new look, or whether the appearance of known types of towers would be altered. In addition, it was left up to the competitors whether the design would blend into the landscape in rural and urban areas, or the tower/towers would stand out as objects.

The main goal of the competition was that a new type of tower/towers would emerge, altering the overall appearance of line routes and that towers could be developed further with respect to environmental impact, the electromagnetic field lifetime and cost.

The competition was advertised in Iceland and abroad.

Choi + Shine's submission won an Honorable Mention at the 2010 Boston Society of Architects Unbuilt Architecture contest. Their Web site describes their proposal as follows:

Making only minor alterations to well established steel-framed tower design, we have created a series of towers that are powerful, solemn and variable. These iconic pylon-figures will become monuments in the landscape. Seeing the pylon-figures will become an unforgettable experience, elevating the towers to something more than merely a functional design of necessity.




The pylon-figures can be configured to respond to their environment with appropriate gestures. As the carried electrical lines ascend a hill, the pylon-figures change posture, imitating a climbing person. Over long spans, the pylon-figure stretches to gain increased height, crouches for increased strength or strains under the weight of the wires.




. . .

Despite the large number of possible forms, each pylon-figure is made from the same major assembled parts (torso, fore arm, upper leg, hand etc.) and uses a library of pre-assembled joints between these parts to create the pylon-figures’ appearance. This design allows for many variations in form and height while the pylon-figures’ cost is kept low through identical production, simple assembly and construction.




Like the statues of Easter Island, it is envisioned that these one hundred and fifty foot tall, modern caryatids will take on a quiet authority, belonging to their landscape yet serving the people, silently transporting electricity across all terrain, day and night, sunshine or snow.

There's more at the link.

That's some pretty creative thinking! It might be fun if they were built one day.

Peter

A "Bee Beard" competition?

The Daily Mail reports on a competition held in Canada yesterday.

It is a competition not for the fainthearted, but several brave Canadians rose to the challenge at the Clovermead Bees & Honey, Bee Beard Competition in Ontario yesterday.




Beebearding is thought to date back to the 1700s when an English beekeeper discovered he could create a beard of bees by tying the queen to a thread around his neck and would parade through the streets wearing the unusual costume.

In a recent interview with The Australia Telegraph, professional beekeeper Melanie Kempers explained the beard process.

'Every colony has one queen,' she says. 'They all recognize her by smell. We put her in a small plastic cage and tie it around the neck, and we take the bees from her colony.

'We put them onto newspaper, and then pour them into a pair of hands just below the queen. They smell her and walk up towards her. Once they smell her, they huddle around her, that’s what creates the certain look.'

There's more at the link, including many more photographs.

There's just one thing I want to know. How the hell do you get those bees off when you've finished competing???





Peter

So much for prioritizing . . .

Readers will know I'm no fan of either the Democratic or Republican parties, regarding both as overgrown, bloated, self-interested excrescences on the American body politic. I have no great love for the present Administration, either, given that its incompetence seems to increase by leaps and bounds as time passes.

Justification in full for my cynicism is provided by an article from CBS News.

In an Address to the Nation two months ago, Mr. Obama declared "our top priority is to recover and rebuild from a recession that has touched the lives of nearly every American."

More than any other issue, he has used the phrase "top priority" about digging the economy out of the recession and creating jobs. And on this issue, he drew a distinction between "a" top priority and "the" top priority.

"Creating jobs in the United States and ensuring a return to sustainable economic growth is the top priority for my Administration," he said in an Executive Order last March on his National Export Initiative.

Early in his administration, Mr. Obama also assigned the "top priority" label to his campaign promise to overhaul America's health care system. But a check of his speeches since taking office, reflect a bevy of other "top priorities:"

FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS: "...that's something that's going to be a top priority." (4/27/10)

ENERGY SECURITY: "And that's why my energy security plan has been one of the top priorities of my Administration since the day I took office." (4/28/10)

EDUCATION REFORM: "To train our workers for the jobs of tomorrow, we've made education reform a top priority in this Administration." (2/24/10)

STUDENT LOAN REFORM: "This is something that I've made a top priority." (2/1/10)

EXPORTS BY SMALL BUSINESSES: "This is going to be a top priority." (12/3/09)

HEALTH ASSISTANCE TO 9/11 FIRST RESPONDERS: "I'm not just talking the talk, we've been budgeting this as a top priority for this Administration." (2/3/10)

END HOMELESSNESS AMONG VETERANS: "I've also directed (Veterans Affairs) Secretary Shinseki to focus on a top priority: reducing homeless among veterans." (8/17/09)

HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS: "Our top priority is ensuring the public safety. That means appropriate sheltering in place or if necessary, getting as many people as possible out of harm's way prior to landfall." (5/29/09)

H1N1 FLU VACCINATIONS: "And throughout this process, my top priority has been the health and the safety of the American people." (5/1/09)

SUPPORT FOR MILITARY FAMILIES: "These military families are heroes too. And they are a top priority of Michelle and me. And they will always have our support." (5/30/09)

STRENGTHENING TIES WITH CANADA AND MEXICO: "We're going to make this a top priority..." (10/16/09)

CONSUMER PROTECTION: "During these challenging times, the needs of American consumers are a top priority of my Administration." (2/11/09)

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION: "So this is going to be a top priority generally improving our environmental quality." (11/5/09)

There's more at the link. Recommended reading.

Seems to me that if this Administration gives your particular interest a rating of 'top priority', it might as well be the kiss of death for it! It's bound to get lost in the shuffle of all the other 'top priorities'!





Peter

Handset hygiene FAIL!

I was rather taken aback to read that, according to Which? magazine in the UK, mobile phone handsets may carry many times more bacteria than the average toilet.

The average handset carries 18 times more potentially harmful germs than a flush handle in a men's toilet, tests have revealed.

An analysis of handsets found almost a quarter were so dirty that they had up to ten times an acceptable level of TVC bacteria.

One of the phones in the test had such high levels of bacteria it could have given its owner a serious stomach upset.

. . .

The most unhygienic phone had more than ten times the acceptable level of TVC and seven were above the threshold.

This worst handset also had 39 times the safe level of enterobacteria, a group of bacteria that live in the lower intestines of humans and animals and include bugs such as Salmonella.

It boasted 170 times the acceptable level of faecal coliforms, which are associated with human waste.

Other bacteria including food poisoning bugs e.coli and staphylococcus aureus were found on the phones but at safe levels.

. . .

Which? has previously found that some computer keyboards carry more harmful bacteria than a lavatory seat.

There's more at the link.

Alarmed by the report, a journalist swabbed various items around her home and sent them for bacteriological analysis. She chose things like a computer keyboard, the handle of the refrigerator, and a stuffed teddy bear. The results were equally dismal.

Having read those articles, I think I'm going to have to disinfect my phone once a week . . . not to mention fumigate the house now and again!





Peter

Feeling hungry?

In that case, watch how hot dogs are made.

I must confess, after seeing that, I'm no longer all that much of a fan of hot dogs . . .





Peter

The Age of Sail, captured on film

Google has released Life magazine's collection of pictures of sailing ships, dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There are some remarkable images in the gallery. Here are a few to whet your appetite.












There are hundreds more pictures at the link, all much bigger than the small reproductions above. To view them, go to the link, click on each picture to bring it up, then click it again to enlarge to maximum size. Essential viewing for those interested in maritime history, particularly in the age of sail.

Peter

A balanced look at the Gulf oil spill

John Mauldin takes a look at the lessons learned from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in his latest weekly investment newsletter. Some excerpts:

From Unmitigated Disaster to Merely Disaster

First, let’s begin with the “good” news. The ecological destruction that was first feared is not going to be as bad as once thought, for a variety of reasons. It is not good, but it is not the unmitigated disaster it could have been.

. . .

The Obama administration dithered while Rome burned.

As The Christian Science Monitor reported in “The Top Five Bottlenecks”: “Three days after the accident, the Dutch government offered advanced skimming equipment capable of sucking up oiled water, separating out most of the oil, and returning the cleaner water to the Gulf. But citing discharge regulations that demand that 99.9985 percent of the returned water be oil-free, the EPA initially turned down the offer. A month into the crisis, the EPA backed off those regulations, and the Dutch equipment was airlifted to the Gulf.”

Really? For 0.0015 percent clean water from badly contaminated, toxic water? It takes a month to get that decision? I can guarantee you that there were people arguing for such a decision early on, and some rookie environmentalist at the EPA who never had responsibility in the real world made things a lot worse. Moving on:

“A giant Taiwanese oil skimming ship, The A Whale, is only now working on the spill. It can process 500,000 barrels of oily seawater per day, but it also needed the same waiver from the EPA which, expressed in another way, limits discharged water to trace amounts of less than 15 parts-per-million of oil residue. It also needed a waiver from the Jones Act, which prevents the use of specialized foreign ships from the North Sea oil fields because they use non-American crews. Previously, the skimmers had to return to port to offload almost pure seawater each time they filled up with water.”

Ok, Let’s get this straight. The oil industry screwed up by not having enough disaster equipment and ships available. That’s bad beyond words. But for the government to compound that by not allowing needed ships to do the work, just because they did not have US union workers is just as bad. You expect better from government in a disaster, or we should.

(Overton said we never really did learn whether The A Whale would have been as useful as advertised, as it did not get into the Gulf soon enough.)

What should have been a no-brainer decision to use the Dutch ships was delayed for whatever reason. What should have been a no-brainer decision to waive the water purity rules was delayed beyond reason. My personal opinion. Whoever participated in that decision should be allowed to return to the private sector. They only made the problem of the spill worse. They should not be allowed near the decision-making process again.

Please note, this is no defense of British Petroleum. As noted below, they were extremely negligent, and deserve the costs and more. We just don’t need to compound stupid, incompetent, irresponsible (choose several more adjectives, some with color) corporate acts with dumb government ones.

The Corexit Decision

There is a chemical called Corexit that is a product line of solvents primarily used as dispersants for breaking up oil slicks. It is produced by Nalco Holding Company. Corexit was the most-used dispersant in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, with COREXIT 9527 having been replaced by COREXIT 9500 after the former was deemed too toxic. Oil that would normally rise to the surface of the water is broken up by the dispersant into small globules that can then remain suspended in the water.

In hindsight, Overton thinks the use of Corexit was the correct thing to do. It probably saved the wetlands. But it is not without its own bad effects.
When you put Corexit on an oil slick, the surface oil disperses but also drops into the ocean about 15 feet. While Corexit (basically a type of soap) itself is not toxic (an admittedly controversial claim), the resulting dispersed oil is quite toxic. Fish swimming through it can be and are harmed. Marine mammals like porpoises are seriously harmed when they rise to breathe through an oil slick.

But here is the good news. It turns out that there are about the equivalent of two Exxon Valdezes a year from natural oil seepage from the floor of the oceans. The Gulf has an ecosystem of bacteria that eat that oil, which are then eaten again by plankton. To those bacteria, dispersed oil is filet mignon. They thrive and grow rapidly, turning that toxic waste into nutrients, which are absorbed by the plankton. The bacteria keep on growing until they lose their source of nutrition (the toxic oil) and then die out over time. Note: once absorbed by the bacteria, the oil is no longer toxic. There are no toxic minerals like mercury introduced into the ecosystem.

Scientists are somewhat baffled. There are tens of millions of gallons of oil that seem to be missing. It seems that the Gulf is providing its own (albeit chemically assisted) defense mechanism. Overton thinks that within less than five years, and maybe only a few years, the ecosystem will largely be back. And fishing may even be better, since the fish and shrimp are not currently being harvested (he called it human predation). At least for a while.

. . .

Some More Takeaways

It was clear talking from experienced oil professionals that the blowout was human error, and probably compounded human error, ignoring multiple warning signs and safety procedures. We went to Shell’s Robert Training Center, where they train people to work on oil rigs. It is a very rigorous facility and the people running it are very professional. They take safety seriously. They train most of the oil rig workers in the Gulf, including British Petroleum’s. They showed us the simulated control rooms. There are lots of safety features and redundancy; and it is *my* take that complacency had set in at BP, as things had gone just fine for so many years, and then some corners were cut. Over time, this will all come out.

There's more at the link. (Link is to an Adobe Acrobat file in .PDF format.) It makes interesting reading.

Peter

This should make the superstitious even more so!

The Daily Mail reports that a boy, aged 13, was struck by lightning on Friday the 13th (i.e. yesterday) at precisely 1.13 p.m. - or 13:13 in the 24-hour clock.

If that doesn't send the superstitious screaming beneath their bed-covers, what will?





Peter

A tongue-in-cheek commercial

Via Holly of 'Out Of My Mind ... Back In A Minute!', we learn of this not-so-serious advertisement for tequila. Do note the long list of potentially harmful side-effects starting at about 50 seconds into the clip . . .

Peter

In Memoriam: Mitch Miller

I was sad to learn of the recent death of renowned musician and conductor Mitch Miller.

From my earliest years I can remember the songs of 'Mitch Miller and the Gang', played by my parents on their valve-driven turntable. Their Christmas carols in particular became part of our household repertoire (not that we ever sang as sweetly as they did!), and I still find myself humming one of their tunes now and then.

Miller disliked rock 'n roll, but produced many rock hits. He established the importance of the producer as a key element in a recording's success, although his own production techniques and ideas were often heavily criticized by others. In his 99 years, he played, sang, conducted, produced, and did just about everything else imaginable in the music business. If there's such a thing as a modern Renaissance Man of music, I guess he came pretty close.

I know my younger readers probably won't recognize his name or his music, but anyone over about 40 years of age must surely have heard him and his 'Gang' over the years. Here are two of my favorites from their vast repertoire.

Rest in peace, Mr. Miller, and thanks for many happy memories.

Peter

An Android phone as a satellite???

I'm intrigued to read of an experiment conducted with the help of NASA and Google techs. Treehugger reports:

What happens when NASA geeks hangout with Google employees? Well, they duct tape their Android-based phones to a space rocket and blast it 28,000 feet into the air. Duh!

It's the quintessential Maker Faire project! Coined the NexusOne PhoneSat project, its goal is to determine if low-cost mobile phone components can withstand space travel. Not only must they reach orbit without shaking apart but they have to function within a vacuum and operate at both extremely high and low temperatures. And, of course, they'll have to travel a lot higher than 28,000 feet. The group is comprised of NASA Ames students, Google employees and two NASA contractors.

"The purpose of flying the Nexus One is to find a low-cost satellite solution," says Thomas Atchison, chairman of the Mavericks Foundation. "The radio, processing power, sensors and cameras in smartphones potentially have the same capability as those in satellites."

Interestingly enough, smart phones have 120 times the computing power of your average satellite, which are closer to 1984-era computers.

"You can go to Walmart and buy toys that work better than satellites did 20 years ago," said NASA physicist Chris Boshuizen. "And your cellphone is really a $500 robot in your pocket that can't get around. A lot of the real innovation now happens in entertainment and cellphone technology, and NASA should be going forward with their stuff."

There's more at the link. Interesting and recommended reading.

Here's a video clip explaining the project.

Looks like a lot of fun was had by all - and if this works out, it might usher in a whole new era of low-cost, relatively low-tech satellites.

Peter

Another bizarre growth

Back in April last year I wrote about a Russian man who was discovered to have a fir tree growing in his lung. It seems he's not alone in strange plants in his airways. Via JayG, we learn of a Massachusetts man with a pea that had taken root inside him.

The former teacher, who also had spent years running a retail fish market and smokehouse, had seen his already-frail health begin to falter further in prior months. He already knew he had emphysema but lately was having bad coughing spells.

"Everything seemed to be going downhill," said Sveden, of Brewster. "I seemed to be tired a lot more. I didn't want to do too much. My appetite was diminishing."

The news sounded even more dire when he was told at the hospital that he was dehydrated and suffering from pneumonia. Then came X-rays showing a small but ominous dark spot — then biopsies that came up negative for lung cancer.

His doctors decided their only option was to go inside and see for themselves.

"There was a lot of inflammation there and I thought, OK, there's a tumor at the bottom of this," said Spillane, who went in with a scope.

But the more Spillane probed at the encrusted mass, the clearer it became that it was no tumor.

"It was pretty grungy, but it looked like a pea," Spillane said. "I sent it to the pathologist. They said it was a vegetable."

It took less than half an hour to clear away the sprout, drain some of the fluid that had built up around it, and help restore the lung's capacity.

After his surgery in June, Sveden spent three weeks in the hospital and a week in rehab. He said he feels fine now and is still amazed by that something as small as a pea could create such a big health headache.

There's more at the link.

At least a pea's a manageable sort of size. What if it had been a seed from a pumpkin or watermelon?





Peter

Parallel bars FAIL!

And in front of the cameras, too . . .

Ouch!!!

Peter

Behind the scenes at 'Star Wars'

Yesterday I published an article about a fanfic development of the 'Star Wars' story. A reader e-mailed me today, sending a link to an article in the Los Angeles Times. It reports on the perspective of Gary Kurtz, producer of the first two 'Star Wars' films before he parted company with George Lucas.

Kurtz gives a unique perspective on the development of the franchise, particularly the conflict between the art form and its commercialization. He also has many tales of the background to the films, choosing the actors, and how he saw their reception by the public. It's a very interesting article, and worth reading for those of us who grew up with 'Star Wars'. Recommended.

Peter

Danger ahead for open Internet access?

A rather scary article on the Web site IO9 suggests that the recent Google-Verizon proposal on network principles might endanger the 'neutrality' of the Internet, and affect access for all of us. Here's an excerpt.

Earlier this week Google and Verizon pledged to uphold a set of network principles that could transform the internet into a husk of its former self. Let's look down the barrel of the Googlezon future.

. . .

Google has always been a staunch supporter of net neutrality, since its income depends on people being able to access the company's services quickly online. Imagine if Verizon demanded that Google pay extra to prevent YouTube from giving you the annoying twirly circle. Google's business model would be crippled, and you would probably have to start paying for YouTube access.

But nobody has successfully implemented net neutrality laws in the US. So if Google wants to protect its business, it has to make deals with companies like Verizon. And here's where things get ugly.

The internet becomes a pay-to-play medium

The Googlezon agreement includes a section where both companies pledge to keep the "public internet" completely neutral. Verizon says it won't privilege some services over others (unless they are "special services" or "mobile services," but we'll get to that). And for its part, Google pledges that it will keep all of its services on the public internet.

But what the hell is this "public internet"? Isn't all of the internet public? Obviously there are internal business and government intranets that are private, and pay-to-play services, but the internet itself is by definition public. So why all this talk from Googlezon about how they'll keep the public internet neutral?

One simple answer, my friend: Googlezon is redefining the internet as a tiered service, like cable. And this new thing called the public internet is the lowest tier. Kind of like network television is the lowest tier in your television service options. From here on out, you will start to see the internet equivalent of cable service online: For an extra ten dollars, you can get the "movie lovers" package, where your ISP privileges Netflix and Hulu traffic, giving them to you super-fast. For another ten dollars, you can get the "concerned parent" package, which blocks peer-to-peer traffic as well as websites that they consider to be pornographic. And so on.

The "public internet" is for the poor

Pledging to keep the "public internet" neutral is great, but what happens when companies stop wanting to offer their services on it? Googlezon has the answer: In their proposal, they say that it's perfectly OK for companies and consumers to buy non-neutral, non-public "special services" online. If you're a media company that streams videogames, for example, your customers want a guarantee that the game won't stall out because of a crappy "public internet" connection. So you make your game available only to people with the special service "gamer package." Your customers pay you; you pay Googlezon; now there's a superfast connection for the privileged few with money to burn.

And what happens when news websites start delivering their pretty pictures and infographics in 3D? Verizon has already suggested 3D is a perfect "special service" to deliver in a non-neutral way. In five years, the public internet is going to look boring and obsolete. Where's the 3D? Where are all the cool games and streaming viddies? The public internet? Yeah, that's just for poor people.

But guess what's going to remain on the public net, the place where you go when you don't have money? Certainly there will be educational resources like Wikipedia. But mostly it's going to be advertisement-saturated free content from major entertainment companies. ... Put in brick-and-mortar terms: There won't be any produce markets on the public internet, but there will be plenty of liquor stores.

. . .

Googlezon could even strike a bargain with democratic political candidates to carry only their websites and block others. They could justify this by saying that people who want to get political information from conservatives can switch to another network that doesn't block them - or they can subscribe to the special "conservative service" package.

Your mobile is a battleground

Perhaps the most disturbing part of the Googlezon agreement is the companies' statement that there will be no net neutrality on mobile networks. Given that mobile networks are the future of how most people will go online, this section of the agreement is the most pertinent to any prediction about how this agreement will affect the internet.

Quite simply, the Googlezon agreement means that if you access the internet via your Android phone (or other mobile device), there will be no public internet at all. Your access to the web will be determined by your carrier, who may or may not offer special services - and who may decide to block any content it likes.

There's more at the link.

The article raises many important points. I think every Internet user should read the whole thing - and that goes double for those of us (like bloggers) who use the Internet for communication with others.

(While you're there, check out the other articles on IO9. It's new to me, but looks like a very interesting and thought-provoking site. I'll be visiting it regularly, I can see that already!)

Peter