Issue 192 Cloud Computing on the cheap October 25, 2013

Popular Mechanics has provided an interesting guide on how to create your own cloud based collaborative file sharing website. So let’s get right into it.

What to do first: You need to grab online memory for file storage. This memory is used to store any and all information that you need and/or want to share with the other members of a team. DropBox, Box, SkyDrive and Google Drive (listed in the article) give out free space for file sharing. Things like Facebook also provide a certain amount of space for all the information that you may want to share.

Next step: Now you need a group website. There are free templates that offer such a service like Moonfruit, and Weebly. The ones listed here can be used to make an entire website, so Popular Mechanics recommends sites like these being used to support a business or a movie.

If you just need to post text, videos, and photos, Popular Mechanics suggests using a blog type format. So things like Google Blogger and WordPress would be prime examples. Each one supports the ability to allow multiple authors, and have an administrative hierarchy. The WordPress site has a paid version that also grants even greater control.

Wiki's also count as a tool for cloud computing as anyone can add to it, or edit it. So they are to be used for knowledge based, community website or a private site or basically anything that requires constant changes. This format differs from a blog which uses a time line as it instead represents the last user’s way of thinking. Using Wiki's you can create dedicated sites to any particular topic. Wiki can be downloaded easily for free to your computer or server. Add-ons can be applied to allow the installation of various types of programs. Then all you have to do is grant people the right to edit and modify the pages. Popular Mechanics suggests that you can keep the information relevant by hosting group discussions while another person searches the site to look for errors, and maintain style and consistency.

Final Step: Once the site is made, you must find people who will help contribute to it. In the article it says to look for people with similar styles of writing or creative styling. From there you may branch off as the site grows. In general, an individual will take charge when needed to get whatever projects need to get done. So forcing yourself to be a project leader is not necessary.

Conclusion: There you have it, simple ways to share information. Such information may be specialized or be restricted to say music or photos. Other times it can be broad like an encyclopedia (like Wiki). The sky is the limit when it comes to topics or applications, so it is up to you to take advantage of the system. Google Blogger which we are on right now is free. So is Facebook, its competitor. Both have the capacity to share endless amounts of information, but it is up to you to decide what, when and how. Good luck in your own website building and endeavors.

Issue 191 3D printer update October 24, 2013

If you have read my blog since the beginning you will know all about 3D printers. But today is an update to how this fantastic technology is being used. So sit back and enjoy the read.

Recap: 3D printers use a form of manufacturing called additive manufacturing. It layers the material bit by bit to form the object. By bonding the material either via lasers, heat or even glue the object can be formed to your own specifications. The result can be a simple copy of say a mug, or a complex metal using a honeycomb type structure for strength. This manufacturing technique is being used by major industries and manufactures like Boeing, and Lockheed Martin. It has revolutionized manufacturing and production.

Update 1: The first major update is coming from the field of medicine. Schools are using 3D printers with human cells to make hearts, lungs and other body parts for students to practice on. Yes, you read it right. They are printing body parts for hands on practice for surgery. They are even able to print tumors so that students can practice extracting them.

Of course there is more. 3D printer technology is able to print these organs so that they may be used for transplants. The research is still ongoing to make these organs fully functional, but the technology exists to produce Kidneys, Hearts, and lungs. They have even developed a way to make blood vessels which they hope in the near future can be scaled up to produce more verities of organs and other tissue. Right now they are using 3D printers to even make skin for skin grafts on burn patients. It is hoped that eventually they will be able to just spray on new skin directly into the wound using the printers.

Update 2: Cost is still an issue with 3D printers. As such, researchers want to develop alternatives to using plastics and metals for their 3D models. They have therefore turned to none other than paper. That is correct; paper has come to save the day. With home models starting at $300 and the inks used still be fairly pricey, the use of paper has dramatically cut costs. In this method, the paper is layered and cut as the 3D printer makes its model. Glue is used as a binding agent to secure the layers of paper together. The end result is a material that feels like wood.

Another piece of technology that is making it easy to manufacture objects with this technology is 3D scanners. These scanners can measure out an object in a similar manner to scanning a document into your computer. This cuts down on having to measure the object yourself, let alone wasting valuable time and material.

Conclusion: A lot is being invested into 3D manufacturing. There was even a man who used it to build parts for an entire car (which he assembled and drove). However, the ultimate goal is the creation of a replicator like from Star Trek. That is the dream of scientists who are developing this technology to its full potential.

All these updates are thanks to Popular Science and Popular Mechanics magazines.

Issue 190 Online Education Advantages October 23, 2013

Online Education has a number of advantages over traditional classroom models. Here I will highlight some of those advantages.

No Bullies: Education done through a computer allows for the student to focus only on their work. There is no need to raise your hand in a classroom. As such, there is no peer pressure to answer correctly, or fear of embarrassment for answering wrong. It also takes the child out of the school environment which for some students becomes a nightmare as children can be very cruel to one another. But as this environment is now absent and is substituted for a home computer in most cases it eliminates the bullying entirely.

Flexible schedules: Because the education is online, a more flexible schedule can be made to accommodate activities outside of learning. So say your child has a dance recital in the middle of the day. Under normal circumstances, your child would miss a day of school. However, with at home online education that is no longer the case. Your child through online education can skip ahead a day if needed, or the learning program can be paused till your child returns. Thus it eliminates missed lectures and allows for parents to bring their children on trips or do activities that would have other wise cost their child a day or more worth of education.

Educational advantage: Students using online education have an advantage over typical students. Traditional students are constrained by a structure that prevents them from going ahead in class. So they are left to wait for other students to catch up. However, the online model eliminates that by allowing students to go as far ahead in their studies as they are comfortable with. So why stop at eighth grade math when your child can be free to go all the way up to 12th grade math and in some cases beyond. No more students waiting for peers to catch up and no more students who need extra time while feeling rushed and maybe even missing information because of it. Basically it is about moving at your own pace.

Parent/Teacher advantage: Whether at home or in a casual classroom setting, online education has a unique advantage over traditional methods. It tracks a student’s progress. Basically it allows for teachers or parents to see how far the child has come in a particular subject. Also, it allows for the teacher/parent to see where the child is struggling. As such, extra attention can be directed toward that student if needed to help them overcome their difficulties. This is all due to it being a monitored environment.

Direct learning: Instead of typical teachers, the online courses allow for lectures and information from specialists. In short, rather than a teacher, you could have NASA scientists helping your child learn about astronomy. Ocean biology can be taught by the top ocean biologist. And the list goes on. It gives students a major advantage when it comes to accessing knowledge.

Conclusion: Online education is an amazing resource, but there is a disadvantage. Some are saying that disadvantage is socialization with other kids their own age. But that is solved through play dates, and extra curricular activities like dance classes, karate and bowling teams. No, the main disadvantage is to students who need a classroom type structure. Online education is geared toward home schoolers and those students who are self motivated. It however, is not geared toward the students who need the authority of a teacher and a classroom setting to enforce a kind of discipline. So, traditional education will not disappear, but it will have competition thanks to school choice.

Issue 189 Online Public School October 22, 2013

The title is just as it says; public schools are turning to the Internet. Even Ron Paul, the Granddaddy of the Tea Party and Libertarians has got into the act with his own online public education resource. But is online public school any good?

Why do online public school?: Originally, home schooling evolved out of parents wanting to include religion in their child's education. Public schools today of course forbid such actions. So the parents said forget about you, I'm educating my kids my way. Later, this want of parents to educate their kids at home would include how polluted education has become with politics. Text books are decided by political committees on their content and what topics are addressed in each. School had become boring to some students to the point that their grades dropped. Other parents were tired of the discipline problems that either their child was having or the bullying that was occurring. Regardless, of the reasons now, parents wanted a say in how to educate their children.

Social Interaction: The biggest obstacle to home school and online education in general is the social interaction. There is no longer a class room that allows students to interact and thus form social bonds. But home schooling has countered that problem. Parents enroll their children in things like ballet, karate and sports teams, while at the same time establishing play dates. Thus they have solved the human interaction problem.

But an online public school: Well if you can get a college degree online, it only makes sense that you can do the same with public education. Teachers are already using "Khan Academy" to help support their teaching either via homework or through the kids learning primarily through the computer with the teacher helping students only when they are having trouble. In fact, the program at "Khan Academy" has been so successful that some young students skip ahead to the point that they are either learning math or science that is two to even five grades ahead. Then there is "Sneak on the Lot" which is an online school for young people aspiring to be in the movie and television businesses. Rather than rely on teachers they use people actually in the field of film to do their lectures. Also, they even support contests and hands on learning by giving students (they have a k-12 curriculum and a college curriculum) step by step instructions on how to make props, film a movie or short, write a script etc. Ron Paul on the other hand created the "RonPaulCurriculum" to replace traditional public school entirely. His goal is to provide a curriculum that sticks to American values: see website http://www.ronpaulcurriculum.com/ . All of it is about giving students information they need without any of the boring old public school curriculums where you have to wait for everyone to catch up with you, or you racing to catch up with everyone else.

Conclusion: I support any form of education as it enhances school choice. By giving students access to these resources will give students and even some parents the resources needed to succeed where traditional education methods have failed. No, this will not replace traditional schools as some students need structure in order to learn. However, this has become a great option for parents who want their kids out of failing public schools, but can't afford a Charter or Private School. So to all those online educators out there, thank you for enhancing school choice.

Issue 188 A New Party? October 21, 2013

With all this government shut down talk, we begin to see the truth behind both political parties. In that I mean, who supports whom, and what ideology. I had previously talked about defunding the GOP, and I do mean that. But could it lead to a new political party, or even the death of the Republican Party?

What has occurred: The leadership in the Republican Party is concerned. They thought they had control over the more Conservative and Libertarian parts of their party. However, the shut down has shown that to be false. Senator Ted Cruz, Rand Paul and others have stood up. These Senators and many in the House of Representatives have begun to speak out for change. Change for them would mean not raising the debt ceiling, but paying the interest on the debt first to prevent a default. Changes that would mean slimming down government. But the leadership does not want that. The Republican leadership wants the big government and has even threatened to pull funding from any member of the Republican Party that gets money from Freedom Works or the Senate Conservatives Fund as they are Libertarian and Conservative organizations respectively. Established members hate these groups because they run counter to the leadership’s agenda and thus want to force them into submission.

Reaction: Many Libertarians and Conservatives see the writing on the wall. People like Glen Beck who runs the Blaze has called for the GOP to be defunded. He has now refused to give any money to any GOP related organization. As he has the third most listened to radio show, the 11th most visited social media site and a constantly growing television network, he has a lot of fans who are going to listen. As such the Libertarians and Conservatives like those in the Tea Party, or in C-pack are also more than likely going to follow suit. Therefore the voices of the Conservative and Libertarian arm of the Republican Party are going to force the issue. Either you stop attacking your own or we are going to just up and leave with all the money.

Possibilities: What could happen is one of two things. Either the Republican Party capitulates and goes in a more Libertarian/ Conservative direction or we get a new political party. The Whig Party destroyed itself by ignoring its anti-slavery arm which would eventually become the Republicans. Now it is happening again to the Republican Party. As to whether the Libertarians/conservatives take over or split off into a new party remains to be seen. However, if either should occur, then the Republican Party as we know it is dead. Also, you will see a mass exodus of the old guard of the Republicans shift to the Democrats. This will moderate the Democrats further as it is felt by even some of its own leadership that it has gone a bit further to the left than it had desired. So which occurs remains to be seen?

Conclusion: I like the idea of multiple parties. It keeps people from reaching a consensus too quickly which could lead to a detrimental result. I would not mind a third or fourth party, but others do mind because they feel chaos may ensue, or coalitions that breaks with values may be formed. If the GOP dies I will not weep. I'm not even a Republican in the first place. I have no party, and I like it that way. I had hoped Occupy Wall Street would become a third party and the Tea party another, but those hopes were dashed as groups attempted to hijack Occupy and the Republicans made every attempt to either eat or snuff out the teas. However, it is revenge time. Time to defund the GOP.

Issue 187 Green Tea Party October 18, 2013

Here is a twist. The Green Party and the Tea party have found common ground. Not only that, but they have teamed up to try and make the world a better place. Here is what they are up to.

The common ground: As you all probably know, the Green party wants clean energy production. They want the complete removal of fossil fuels from the world and replaced by renewable and cleaner fuels that do little to no harm to the environment. The Tea party wants open and free markets that let people choose who and what to buy from. This of course includes energy production. So the Greens and the Teas saw an opportunity to work together to allow for an open market in energy production. So they are battling big energy and their government sponsored monopoly on energy production.

What they want to do: It all started in Georgia when Debbie Dooley (Tea party leader) got fed up with her town’s energy company. A 40 year old ban on energy companies donating to political causes was overturned and the energy company Georgia Power and its parent Southern Co. raised rates to pay for their new nuclear power plant before it was finished (she saw something fishy going on). She teamed up with the Sierra club and they started looking to diversify the energy market in there area (particularly by adding solar panels to the mix of energy producing resources). But this was just an example. Barry Goldwater Jr. has taken up the clean energy/alternative energy cause in Arizona along with other Tea party groups in other States. Tea party members see it as a way to protect ourselves from terrorism on our national infrastructure and diversify a market that ensures a form of self protection against natural disasters as well. The Sierra club sees it as getting their agenda for cleaner energy through to the masses. As such their dream for a cleaner world without negative environmental effects may become a reality.

Should we support this?: This is an opportunity. Two groups that normally would never agree on anything have come together to push for a common goal. A diverse energy infrastructure that is safe and has little to no environmental impact is crucial for the future of America's energy production. By diversifying the market we gain access to better services through competition. We can feel safer by knowing that if a tree hits a power line we will not loose power. It comes down to safety, security and the freedom of choice which is hoped will end the government sponsored monopolies of the power companies.

Conclusion: A diverse energy infrastructure is a good thing. The overall goal should be eliminating the need for power utility companies for our electricity. Basically, I think we are all tired of paying the bill for power companies who each year charge more and more for the same stagnant services they gave us since they started. Let competition bring forth diversity and quality, and as such support the Green Tea Party.

Side note: If these two opposing political groups can find common ground, then why can't the Republicans and Democrats do the same? Well that is because they both want credit for the same successes, but none of the failures. May be we should have the Greens and the Teas running D.C. instead of the fat cat politicians we have now.

Issue 186 Free the Parks October 17, 2013

As part of the government shutdown the national parks were closed. One problem, many of those parks require zero federal funds to run and operate in the first place. As such, by closing them down the government is spending more money than it would to just allow people to go in and enjoy the parks natural vistas.

Those they shut down: They shut down Yellow Stone, Mt. Rushmore, and even the WW II memorial in Washington D.C. However, this is a problem. Places like Mt. Rushmore, and the Grand Canyon do not require any money to operate. Also, the WW II memorial is entirely maintained by private donations (including those from my own family). But the bureaucratic arm of the federal government wanted to make the shut down hurt. So they tried to block off the memorials and parks. They even went as far as chaining swings to the bars in parks in D.C. and attempted to shut down some State run parks. It has become ridiculous.

How they are enforcing this?: Unfortunately for us, they are enforcing this by having police officers block off these sites. They have even tracked down joggers who have skirted the parks on their morning exercise just to write them a ticket. In some cases, they have forcefully removed people from their own private property if that property sits inside a federal park. This includes seniors like on the Island that sits in Lake Mead (you can read about this more in detail in the "Washington Times" or at "The Blaze").

What can be done?: Simple, we need to let the parks loose from the grasp of the federal government. It is obvious that those in power are trying to force as much pain as possible on the American people, to put pressure on the Republicans in this case, to forcefully end the shut down. So we need to let the States have that land back. The federal government owns about 1/3 of the land in the United States with some States having well over half their land under federal control. As such, let us petition government to give the parks and the unused federal land back to the individual States. It will not take any money save the price of the paper and ink to write up the legislation. Once this is done, States can own the parks and operate them as they see fit (which will generally be free just like before) and the unused federal land that becomes State property can be used for any number of purposes. Such purposes include more parks, nature study areas, places for scientific research, mining and industrial purposes or even another launch site for the growing private space flight industry. All federal park rangers and personnel will be transferred to the State governments so they don't loose their jobs. A simple solution to an oppressive government that thinks it can make us do what it pleases.

Conclusion: A federal shut down, like the one that just occured, did not have to shut down a single park. Many of the facilities and even some of the businesses on them can or already are run privately or are supported through private donation. We do not need the federal government to maintain parks like Glacier or Arcadia. And we most certainly do not need them closing down any war memorial let alone the WW II memorial in D.C. So I say free the parks now!