April Reign

Computer Tech Barbie – Pink Meets Tech

2010-03-10T16:13:06Z

Mashable has a great article on women/Barbie and tech. Mattel has introduced Computer Tech Barbie and some are upset that she has her usual pink accessories, but for women and girls who like pink or pretty does fashion preference automatically rule out career choice?

This false dichotomy — that you have to choose between being feminine and “looking the part” of a mathematician or scientist — might be part of what turns girls off from math and science in the first place.

Or maybe girls don’t aim for careers in math and science because they don’t see role models. Even Ada Lovelace had role models. Her mom, the “Princess of Parallelograms,” loved math and gave Lovelace a very intensive math education. And Lovelace was also mentored by legendary female science writer and polymath Mary Somerville.

Or maybe girls are afraid of being the only woman in their technology courses or workplaces. If that’s the case, their concerns are certainly warranted. Not only are fewer women entering the information technology field, but more women are leaving the field mid-career.

A recent Harvard Business Review report, The Athena Factor, notes that “52% of highly qualified females working for SET [science, engineering, and technology] companies quit their jobs, driven out by hostile work environments and extreme job pressures.” These women report that they lack mentors and feel intense isolation in the workplace.

The article also points to a great female role model Ada Lovelace;

In 1842 Charles Babbage was invited to give a seminar at the University of Turin about his analytical engine. Luigi Menabrea, a young Italian engineer, and future prime minister of Italy, wrote up Babbage’s lecture in French, and this transcript was subsequently published in the Bibliothèque Universelle de Genève in October 1842.

Babbage asked Ada Lovelace to translate Menabrea’s paper into English, subsequently requesting that she augment the notes she had added to the translation. Ada spent most of a year doing this. These notes, which are more extensive than Menabrea’s paper, were then published in The Ladies Diary and Taylor’s Scientific Memoirs under the initialism “A.A.L.”.

In 1953, over one hundred years after her death, Lovelace’s notes on Babbage’s Analytical Engine were republished. The engine has now been recognized as an early model for a computer and Lovelace’s notes as a description of a computer and software.[26]

Her notes were labeled alphabetically from A to G. Note G is the longest of the seven. In note G, Ada describes an algorithm for the analytical engine to compute Bernoulli numbers. It is generally considered the first algorithm ever specifically tailored for implementation on a computer, and for this reason she is considered by many to be the first computer programmer.

The computer language Ada, created on behalf of the United States Department of Defense, was named after Lovelace. The reference manual for the language was approved on 10 December 1980, and the Department of Defense Military Standard for the language, “MIL-STD-1815″, was given the number of the year of her birth. In addition Lovelace’s image can be seen on the Microsoft product authenticity hologram stickers.[citation needed] Since 1998, the British Computer Society has awarded a medal in her name[27] and in 2008 initiated an annual competition for women students of computer science.[28]

Not Even Men Believe That

2010-02-10T14:03:00Z

Over at Bread & Roses Antonia posted a link to a David Warren column which included such gems as;

Consider for instance the proposition, “a woman’s right to control her own body.” Not even men believe this, and a pregnant woman, who actually believes that the baby she is carrying is part of her own body, should wait for it to kick. Perhaps she has an astoundingly primitive notion of biology; but I should think even a woman of subnormal intelligence would understand the difference between what is in that bump she is carrying, and what is in the rest of her flesh. To wit: a different person.

“a woman’s right to control her own body.” Not even men believe this

What exactly does he mean by this? For sure the statement is no lie as we know that

*rapists don’t believe it
*abusive husbands/boyfriends don’t believe it
*anti-choice fucktards don’t believe it
*men’s rights fucktards don’t believe it
*the pope doesn’t believe it
*the taliban doesn’t believe it

Geez Davey you’ve found yourself some great company!

Power To The People!

2010-01-23T23:33:53Z

Attended the Hamilton CAPP rally, what an inspiration. Canadians of all ages, income groups, ethnicities and political stripe joined together in a common cause it was all so…Canadian!

Stephen Harper – Canadians HAVE noticed, we DO care, and all your Parliament are belong to us!

Pics from the Rally

Parliament Wants Answers Harper Runs Away

2010-01-10T18:13:42Z

with apologies to the Arrogant Worms

I remember back when I was still in Parliament
The opposition always picked on me, they wanted answers every day
They questioned my ministers!
They questioned my policies!
They wanted answers on Afghanistan,
They said, “Come on and show some accountability!”

(What’d you do??!!)

I phoned the GG, prorouged Parliament then.. I ran away!

I ran away, I ran away
Democracy stared me in the face and I ran away
Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament grew by leaps and bounds after that day
I hate not having total control so I ran away

here is the original

Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament 101,671 Members And Growing…

2010-01-08T12:45:00Z

How’s that people don’t care meme working out for ya Stevie?

Hey Jude: Airport Version

2010-01-06T12:41:23Z

Happy New Year?

2010-01-02T04:22:14Z

I’m am endeavouring to feel optimistic about the coming year, sadly my cynicism keeps overpowering my optimism. With Harris on steroids in the PMs seat and an opposition that seems as useless as teats on a bull, I fear that this country is going down a long dark dirty road. I keep feeling as if I should apologize to my children for bringing them into this.

The last few years democracy has taken a beating and it seems the thugs and bully boys in power have no intention of letting it up just yet the proroguing of parliament was yet another kick in the teeth.

Those seeking to take away rights from women, gays and anyone who doesn’t meet their narrow criteria of moral are being given voice far beyond their numbers and certainly far beyond their due. They are an embarrassment to the philosopher in whose name they claim to be acting.

It is with great pleasure that I read many of you each day. You are rays of sun in the black hole of despair which is washing over this land as the dark shadows of Mordor.

And so I wish my fellow bloggers well. May the year bring you peace and prosperity.

This is Your Government

2009-12-31T16:54:08Z

This is your government

this is your government on Harper

any questions?

Carrot Juice is Murder

2009-12-27T14:50:03Z

Being both an omnivore and a plant lover I’ve always hated when some vegetarians/vegans try to claim higher moral ground based on their food choices. Scientists are becoming more aware of just how spectacular plants really are;

“Plants are not static or silly,” said Monika Hilker of the Institute of Biology at the Free University of Berlin. “They respond to tactile cues, they recognize different wavelengths of light, they listen to chemical signals, they can even talk” through chemical signals. Touch, sight, hearing, speech. “These are sensory modalities and abilities we normally think of as only being in animals,” Dr. Hilker said.

So the next time you are munching on veggies remember – Carrot Juice is Murder

Tasers Can Kill! Shocking!

2009-12-08T14:21:29Z

Taser, concerned for liability issues for police officers [note not for the company..] is recommending officers avoid the chest area;

Taser International advised them to stop aiming at the chest because of a slight risk of cardiac arrest when the electrified darts hit there.

The company has advised the police to instead aim for the belly or the back of the legs.

Taser International has always assured police officers that the stun gun can never cause problems with the heart, no matter how many times it is used on someone.

This is apparently resulting in some officers leaving the weapon in their lockers. We can only hope this is the beginning of the end of these devices.

Source