Worst Job in Science

by Erik Olsen on

I had to laugh. Remember we posted about Outside Magazine’s best jobs? There were all sorts of
great occupations in the issue. From dolphin instructor to tea purveyor to ski instructor. It’s all about fashioning
something great out of the brief time you’re given here in the planet. Sucking the marrow out of life, to use one of
the odder turns of phrase.

Well, spin that notion 360 degrees. Or turn it on its ear.
Here is a job voted one
of the worst by Popular Science Magazine: biology professor in Kansas. I have no idea where you stand on the whole
intelligent design debate, but you have to admit it’s all gotten a wee bit odd…the poor religious folks are desperately
in need of credibility to keep their hopes alive, and have asked science for a hand. Sadly, science is looking at them
like the retarded children of unfamiliar neighbors…they just don’t want these people around.

No need to cast myself into the debate, but I did find the Popsci piece interesting, as I say, it reminded me of the
Outside piece.

Electronic Passports are Here…Well in Germany

by Erik Olsen on

Remember we were talking a while back about electronic
passports…the ones with the chips in them that would carry your picture and fingerprints…perhaps your shoe size and
drink preference (I see you prefer white over red, sir)? Well, <<enter easy joke about Germans … i.e. You’re
papers are not in order.>> Germany has
begun issuing them to its citizens.

The passports carry “biometric” data, which means in this case a photo which will be scanned when you enter the
country and will come up on a monitor to help determine your ID. Of course, if they are like drivers license photos,
well, they may just be useless. But seriously, this is a big deal in both the counter-terrorism and the personal
liberty realms. Each side of the debate has valid…if perhaps a wee bit paranoid, concerns.

The new passports will certainly help curtail the inflow of unwanteds into the country, but there is a concern that a)
you could have your passport stolen (or hacked) and your ID ripped off as well, b) the government will use the personal
information for all sorts of nefarious uses, perhaps eventually using them to identify you for roundup when the Soylent
Green trucks come, c) corporations will get hold of the info and learn enough about you to completely understand your
preference of breakfast cereals and various addictions. You will then be blackmailed into buying a lifetime supply of
Cocoa Puffs or the public will learn of your fondness for porn.

Glimpse Abroad

by Kelly Amabile on

Glimpse Abroad is a unique online resource for
young adults interested in cross-cultural learning and exchange programs. It features over 350 first person travel
pieces written by study abroad students and volunteers from over 90 countries. It has recently added interactive web
capabilities (although some of them, like setting up a blog, require a fee) so young adults spending time abroad can
connect with peers at home, share their cultural insights and offer advice to other prospective travelers.

I think the free articles available on the website are of the greatest value to parents and kids considering a
study/volunteer abroad oppty. They are organized by location and by topics like
etiquette,
culture shock,
language learning and
race & identity. Each issue of the
companion print publication focuses on a particular region. The
Glimpse Quarterly is available to students for $20 a year.
Both the magazine and website are produced by the Glimpse Foundation,
a nonprofit that fosters cross-cultural understanding for young adults living and studying abroad.

Shooting a Video Safari

by Erik Olsen on

I’m a video and photo nut. Ask my family, my friends, they will all tell you that when I’m around, the chances are
I’ve got a camera in their face and am acting as if I am shooting for National Geographic. Sometimes I’ll even ask
questions of people on camera, like I’m doing a major expose on Thanksgiving: “Uncle Clark, how is the turkey this
year? Is it tender enough, or did mom overcook it again?”

So, as someone who can sympathize so deeply with the need to bring your cameras along on trips, I was very interested
to read this post at DV Guru about
shooting your own safari. It is a very practical, nuts and bolts look at the issues and concerns you will need to
involve yourself with whle shooting on the road. As a video journalist myself, I can’t sa I learned a great deal from
the peice, however. But for beginner VJs and would be Marlon Perkins. it’s a solid start.

Pokey Awards

by Kelly Amabile on

The New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) Straphangers Campaign and
Transportation Alternatives gave out their fourth annual Pokey
Awards last week.

The award, a golden snail on a pedestal, goes to the slowest local bus route in New York City. This year’s winner was
the M34 cross-town, for a second year in a row! According to
research done by NYPIRG, the M34 averaged 3.4 miles
per hour, which is close to the 3.0 m.p.h. maintained by the average person walking.

Looks like these groups will continue to put pressure on city officials, especially in an election year, to see if
travel times can be improved over the next few years. I’m sure the M34 drivers don’t want to win this one again next
year.