Hulleye Comes By!

can you solve the rule of four? i can’t even get past puzzle number 1.

i think i was a little late to catch up on this but google has once again proved it’s worth. they’ve released google earth in beta. new recruit has a really, really good review of the software and how much more advanced it is from keyhole. this stuff is insane!

real bad jobs.

What the hell is dvorak?

!   @   #   $   %   ^   &   *   (   )   [   +
1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   0   ]   =

”      P   Y   F   G   C   R   L   ?
‘   ,   .   p   y   f   g   c   r   l   /

  A   O   E   U   I   D   H   T   N   S   _
  a   o   e   u   i   d   h   t   n   s   -

   :   Q   J   K   X   B   M   W   V   Z
   ;   q   j   k   x   b   m   w   v   z

Basically that. The Dvorak keyboard, named for its inventor, Dr. August Dvorak, was designed with the goal of maximizing typing efficiency. For over a century, typists have been using the qwerty keyboard arrangement, a hack that was implemented to work around the mechanical limitations of early typewriters.

Contrary to popular opinion, the qwerty design was not actually invented to slow typists down. Rather, the layout was intended to place common two-letter combinations on opposite sides of the keyboard. On manual typewriters, each key is mechanically connected to a lever that has the reversed image of a letter on it. If a typist were to hit two keys on the same side of the keyboard in rapid succession, the second lever on its way up would hit the first on its way down, the keys would become stuck together, and the typist would have to stop typing and unstick the keys. The qwerty layout was a clever design that minimized this problem. However, now that most of us use computers (or electric typewriters that don’t use levers), the problem of keys jamming is no longer a consideration. Also, computers now enable us to switch layouts while continuing to use the same equipment. Read the rest here.

Exciting news for the Dvorak community from Slashdot,

A group of three faithful Dvorak promoters have launched new website at DvZine.org. The big thing here is a Comic (available in print, pdf and html) describing the history of QWERTY and Dvorak, how and why one should make the switch, and real-life stories of the converted. If you are thinking about making the switch, this could push you over the edge. My favorite line: “It could be the difference between working in your garden at 70 or wearing wrist braces at 40.” As someone who started wearing wrist braces at 23, I couldn’t agree more - I read this comic, changed my keyboard layout and have been happier ever since.”

Despite NASA recommendations that astronauts sleep 8 hours a day, they usually don’t. Strange sights and sounds, the stress of riding a powerful rocket, the lack of a normal day-night cycle–all these things tend to keep space travelers awake. Studies show that astronauts typically sleep 0.5 to 2.5 hours less than they do on Earth.

Although many astronauts report feeling fully rested after only six hours of sleep, the fact is, sleeplessness can cause irritability, forgetfulness and fatigue–none of which astronauts need to deal with while piloting complicated ’ships that hurtle through space at tens of thousands of miles per hour.

The solution seems simple: Take a nap. Read on for the complications and reasons why you should or shouldn’t nap.

Whether you’re a newly minted blogger or a relative old-timer, you’ve been seeing more and more stories pop up every day about bloggers getting in trouble for what they post.

Like all journalists and publishers, bloggers sometimes publish information that other people don’t want published. You might, for example, publish something that someone considers defamatory, republish an AP news story that’s under copyright, or write a lengthy piece detailing the alleged crimes of a candidate for public office.

The difference between you and the reporter at your local newspaper is that in many cases, you may not have the benefit of training or resources to help you determine whether what you’re doing is legal. And on top of that, sometimes knowing the law doesn’t help - in many cases it was written for traditional journalists, and the courts haven’t yet decided how it applies to bloggers.

But here’s the important part: None of this should stop you from blogging. Freedom of speech is the foundation of a functioning democracy, and Internet bullies shouldn’t use the law to stifle legitimate free expression. That’s why EFF created this guide, compiling a number of FAQs designed to help you understand your rights and, if necessary, defend your freedom.

the EFF is doing great work in defending bloggers rights online and is worth supporting. read the rest of the legal guide here.