Author : Jasen Taylor

The large, solid steel table in the center of the sterile conference chamber was three inches thick but still did not weigh as much as the spirits of the twelve individuals seated around it. They had put this meeting off for as long as they could, but it now appeared there was only one course of action left open to them.

A course of action that the tallest of them, seated at the head of the table, still took umbrage with.

“I’m still not convinced that we have exhausted every treatment option available to us.”

“Well, what would it take to convince you?”, asked a voice three seats down. “Our last and best treatment for this patient has failed. We simply don’t have any way of curing the damage that has been done.”

“But cell migration…”

“Has failed. Repeatedly, I might add.” This brought a chorus of agreement from the others around the table. “Many times we have tried to isolate the damaged cells so the healthy population can grow and flourish,but the corruption has spread to the point where the patient’s system is damaged both from within and without.”

A loud voice at the other end of the table added, “There are many pockets of cells which are continually fighting for dominance over the other cells. At first, this was a slow process. The cells could only affect those closest to them and we thought we could reverse the process by introducing several reagents to halt the flow of corruption, but now these cells have gained in strength and are spreading their infection at an exponentially increasing rate and now have the capability of attacking the body as a whole. They can strike anywhere, anytime.

The tallest of them, realizing he was fighting a losing battle, said, “But there is still a potential for change. The patient’s cellular landscape is in a constant state of flux. Is this not the reason we have waited so long to determine the patient’s outcome?”

“But your argument is now the dominant reason shaping our decision. This state of flux is a cellular juggernaut, spiraling out of control. There is no way now to reverse the process. Several times it seemed a breakthrough had been made. A rogue cell or group of cells would break off and begin to promote harmony among the cellular ranks, but would always be eradicated or indoctrinated back into the cellular decay from which it sprang. Now the decay has reached the bloodstream, poisoning the system from deep within and promoting the feverish warmth which now plagues the entire body. There can be no going back now. All hope is lost. The plug must be pulled.”

“Agreed.”

“Seconded.”

And so the chant was taken up around the table, every one seated agreeing in turn, until finally it was time for the tall one to weigh in.

“It just seems a shame to erase all that potential for excellence. I had such high hopes for this one.”

“Your regrets are echoed in all our hearts. However, it must be done in order to protect the surrounding patients from the cellular degeneration of their neighbor.”

The tall one sighed.

“I recommend we discontinue the use of colonization as a viable treatment option in the future.”

As the others got up to leave, the tall one opened up the folder in front of him, labeled INTER-GALACTIC PLANETARY DE-CONTAMINATION SQUAD. He signed off on the action that would silence six billion cells.

Time of Death – 2008

Patient’s Name – Earth

 

 

In a country where government budgetary allocation for education is steadily decreasing every year, shortages of classrooms, school tables, chairs, among others are the stuff of news every opening of classes. To cope with the lack of educational facilities, public schools often rely on donations.

Such was the case with the Sangat National High School of San Fernando, Cebu when a foundation headed by a former town resident now based in the U.S. donated books and computers to the school earlier this year.

Sadly, the beneficiary students of the southern Philippine municipality never got to benefit from the donations. What happened?

Photos uncovering the fate of the donations appeared online in the anonymous blog, Taga San Fernando[fil].

Dumped Books: Photo by Taga San Fernando used with permission.

Taga San Fernando explains:

Gi-donate ang maong mga computer, mga accessories, ug mga libro sa Bless of Mind Foundation nga gipangulohan sa taga San Fernando nga si Racquel Kristina Enad. Kini iyang gipadala alang sa Sangat National High School.

Kahinumdoman, ang maong mga computer, mga computer parts, ug mga libro miabot sa Cebu International Port (CIP) sa miaging May 15, 2008 gikan sa USA ug ang consignee mao ang Sangat National High School. Gisulod kini og tulo ka mga 40-footer nga mga container van.

Gipaguwa kini ginamit ang mga kontak ni Nonoy Reluya, ang bana ni Mayor Neneth Reluya sa San Fernando.

Ang nakaapan kay imbes i-turnover pagdiretso sa Sangat National High School, gidiretso kini sa pagdala as munisipyo ug gipilian sa mayor.

Dihang nireklamo ang principal sa Sangat National High School nga si Glenna Plarisan ug naabot sa media ang maong anomaliya, nasuko ang mayor ug iyang gipadala ang mga gipanghimulbulan nga mga donated items sakay sa mga dump truck ug igo lang giambak sa grounds sa maong high school.

The blog invited furious reactions with more than 400 comments posted. According to the blog owner, the deluge of responses resulted to the site's reaching its limits which led him to move his coverage of the issue to a second blog[en].

A case against the mayor is now pending at the Ombudsman Office. Meanwhile, a commenter posted the text of an email from one of the donors to Mayor Reluya's husband that defended the mayor. However, this only raised more questions:

* Why was there no proper turnover of the items to the schools in San Fernando?

* Your defenders say the pictures are exaggerated. Are they saying these were doctored? Are you denying that your people dumped the books on the ground? Are those not the town dump trucks that carried the computers that were obviously dis-assembled? For what? usable parts?

* Is this the way you turnover donated items to their beneficiaries?

For Mr. Steve Enad, don't you feel insulted by how the donations were handled when it arrived?

The pictures say more than a million words … please look at them closely.

Filed under: Displays, HDTV

NewSight 180-inch 3D Video Wall is first with LEDs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

iowahawk:
Apologetic Mumbai Killers: “We Didn't Get the Memo About Obama”  —  MUMBAI - Ajmal Amir Kasab, the sole surviving member of the 10-man team of Pakistani gunmen that left hundreds dead or wounded after a bloody three day rampage in Mumbai, today blamed the mayhem on an “email mixup” …

Warning! This holiday season you will be tempted to purchase one of those set-top boxes that deliver movies directly to your TV set. You will be lured by the idea of having this content on a digital tap, serving it up without ever needing to get off the couch. Don’t be fooled! While these devices and services are definitely getting better — and even approaching awesome — this holiday season is not the time to buy.

There are a lot of entrants in the set-top box space, but big names you’re already familiar with will grab most of the attention this season. Apple, Netflix and now Blockbuster all have set-top box solutions ready to pump piping hot video content to your TV.

Of the three biggies, the Apple TV has been out the longest. The box costs $229 for the 40 GB model and $329 for the 160 GB one. It plays content, which is purchased or rented on an a la carte basis from the iTunes store, as well as music and other content stored on your network. New releases are available for purchase (but not always rental) day-and-date with their DVD release.

Why you should wait: Apple makes excellent products, but $229 isn’t chump change. If you watch a lot of television shows — especially in high definition (HD) — sticking with your cable or satellite provider might be more economical. Plus, MacWorld is right around the corner in January. Even though my colleagues over at The Apple Blog say a hardware update is unlikely (Apple just did a software update for the device), why take that chance?

Where Apple takes a surgical approach to its set-top offering, marketing a single solution, Netflix is blasting away with a shotgun — and that’s not a bad thing. The company has worked tirelessly over the past year to get its online streaming service up and running on a number of devices including the Roku ($99), TiVo ($149 - $299), Xbox ($199), and Samsung and LG Blu-ray players ($399). Movies are streamed (not downloaded) so there is nothing kept locally on your device — and HD streams are rolling out across most of the partnerships. Content is an all-you-can-eat smorgasbord included your Netflix subscription price.

Why you should wait: Netflix offers a subscription plan, rather than a la carte rentals. Because of complexities in the licensing and release windows, that meansit doesn’t get access to new releases. So no matter what flavor box you buy, after the novelty of it all wears off, there aren’t enough titles to choose from (unless you consider Improve Your Sailing Skills must-see TV).

Blockbuster’s device, launched just last week, is the latest entry in the set-top box battle. The rental chain is using 2Wire’s MediaPoint hardware to power the service. Blockbuster says the box is free, but you do have to pre-pay $99 for 25 rentals. Boxes are available through Blockbuster.com and select retailers. The video chain also said that, like Netflix, it will be integrating its on-demand service into Blu-ray players and other devices such as game consoles and DVRs. Movies use progressive downloads (not streams) for DVD-quality video, and the device supports HD. Because the movie rentals are a la carte, new releases are generally available within 30 days of the DVD release, according to Blockbuster.

Why you should wait: The service just came out last week, so it hasn’t gone through a rigorous review process. Let other people find any aggravating bugs before you plunk down your money for one.

While I may come across as a Debbie Downer, dashing your set-top dreams for this holiday season, let me offer a bit of optimism. All of these options will only get better and cheaper in the coming months, so your patience will be rewarded.