Stupid, Manipulative ABC News Article

Maybe I'm a little irritable this morning but I just read this ridiculous ABC news article titled Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's Medical Care Is Covered at Federal Facility. In it, the reporter states that after receiving medical care for nearly a week at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Dzhokhar has been transferred into federal custody were his treatment will continue. "Since he is in federal custody, it's unlikely Tsarnaev or his family will have to pay for his medical care, as U.S. Federal Marshals are responsible for the health care of any inmate in their custody.

Maybe it's just me but it seems that the article has only one purpose and that is to manipulate the emotions of its readers into thinking that it is outrageous and maybe even unprecedented that we would be providing medical treatment for a terrorist. The truth is that the government is always responsible for providing the necessary medical care of all inmates. This is true at the local, state and federal level. It doesn't just happen at "The transformative moment when he's transferred into custody of the federal government" as the article implies.

Don't get me wrong, I despise these wicked terrorist and all that they believe in. I just can't stand when the media attempts to make a story out of nothing by simply manipulating its readers.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's Medical Care Is Covered at Federal Facility

Strumpfhosentanz Dance Illusion

It's apparently referred to as Strumpfhosentanz, which translates to pantyhose dance. It's a disorienting effect. Even though we know each dancer has one white and one black leg, our brains want to pair them by color. 

IllumiRoom: Microsoft Research

Microsoft has taken some interesting steps forward in the area of game immersion. Using the Kinect and a projector, IllumiRoom creates a wide area viewing experience incorporating both the TV and the wall behind it. 3D mapping technology allows the system to deal with the particular curves and angles of your room. It's an interesting concept perhaps bringing us closer to the holodeck envisioned in Star Trek.



http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/illumiroom/

The Debt-Growth Debate

It seems the famous 2010 paper "Growth in a Time of Debt" by Reinhart and Rogoff may have some serious calculation errors. You may recall that it proposed that growth slows dramatically when government debt goes beyond the 90% of GDP mark. A new study by Herndon, Ash and Pollin points to data errors in the original paper resulted in an overly dramatic reduction in the growth rate for the debt greater than 90% category.

The Economist: Revisiting Reinhart-Rogoff

As the above graph points out, the Herndon, Ash and Pollin paper still finds that there is a negative correlation between debt and growth, but that going over the 90% mark doesn't immediately mean that the end of days is here.



Revisiting Reinhart-Rogoff

Growth in a Time of Debt

Does High Public Debt Consistently Stifle Economic Growth? A Critique of Reinhart and Rogo

Then and Now: Blending Historic & Modern Photographs

Historian consultant Jo Hedwig Teeuwisse has created a fascinating series of photos which she calls "Ghosts of History." The series consists of mostly old World War II photos of various places overlapped with a modern photo of the same place. 

Teeuwisse: Cherbourg, avenue de Paris, ancien Poste de Police, jardin Public

Teeuwisse: Rue Dom Pedro, civilians and American soldiers tear down the sign indicating the headquarters of the Todt organization in Cherbourg

Teeuwisse: rue Armand Levéel à Cherbourg

It seems Teeuwisse wasn't the first person to utilize this captivating technique. Photographer Seth Tara created the following series for a 2004 History Channel ad campaign titled "Know Where You Stand." 

http://www.ghostsofhistory.co.uk/ghosts-of-history-images/

http://sethtaras.wordpress.com/know-where-you-stand/

Phantom Quadcopter Captures Stable Aerial Footage

 

Slick stabilization rig for the Phantom quadcopter allows for relatively inexpensive aerial video. I could see this being used extensively by amateur and independent film makers.

Tempo

Directed and co-written by Seth Worley, Tempo is a sci-fi action short film which was created to showcase the power of Red Giant movie making software. At 14 minutes, the film proves that good things can come in small packages. Stuffed with cool sci-fi tech, amazing visuals and perfect pacing, Tempo is a must see for any fan of the genre.


Tempo from Red Giant on Vimeo.