Must See Video: This Will Change Photography Forever

Train Engineer Leads Passengers in Birthday Rap

This is a lot of fun. My wife thinks the rapper is so cute. 

It's or Its: A Review

Once again, friends- "Its" only has an apostrophe when being used as the contraction for "it is." When being used in the possessive, it remains "its" without the apostrophe. 
I see this grammatical error more than any other. "It's" everywhere: websites, articles, posts, titles, etc. Please put it out of "its" misery. 

What's In a Name in This Global Society

The name on my birth certificate is Karl Miller Lugo. It's based on Spanish naming customs where the first (paternal name) name is Miller and the second (maternal names) is Lugo. I would be called Senor Miller or Miller Lugo. 

That became problematic when I moved to the states at the age of 8 and everyone called me only Karl Lugo. It became so confusing, my grandparents actually changed my social security card to read Karl Miller and asked that Lugo be taken off my grade school lists. 

Fast forward 30 years and now the Hispanic community is the fastest growing segment in the United States population. You would think perhaps we would have this whole Spanish surname thing figured out yet. 

I don't hold out much hope after opening up my iPhone news apps this morning to see the Argentinian president's name listed differently in almost every article: 

Kirchner

Fernandez

Fernandez de Kirchner 

Since the Miami Herald and the LA Times have some of the largest Hispanic readerships in the US and they both went with Fernandez or Fernandez de Kirchner, I recommend we go with one of those. Sorry, New York Times and Christian Science Monitor. 

And if we can't figure out Spanish surnames, imagine what we're doing to surnames from other nationalities. 

We certainly had no idea how to spell Gaddafi, or Kadafi, or Qaddafi, or...

 

Top 10+ TED Videos On Education & Learning

TED keeps me company on my daily rush-hour commutes. 

http://gettingsmart.com/news/2011/10/top-10-ted-videos-on-education-learning/

7 Little Things That Make Life Effortless

Love this post written by Leo Babauta.

 

http://zenhabits.net/glide/?utm_source=sendgrid.com&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=website

 

An artist named Kaziah Hancock paints portraits of fallen soldiers free of charge for their families as part of Project Compassion.

http://www.militarytimes.com/multimedia/video/?bcrefid=866157386#/Portraits+of++the+Fallen/51748824001

Replace your existing wall outlets with one including two extra USB charging ports

Everything's USB Powered Anyway, right?

• Supplies up to 2.1 Amps through each USB Port!
• Made for US 110v only households only

 

 

http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/travelpower/e81a/?cpg=cj&CJURL=&cpg=...

Because You Never Know When You'll Have to Escape From Wrist-Binding Zip Ties

 

 

Idea for the US Postal Service

USPS, while it's my belief that any governmental agency who has to advertise on TV should be privatized, I am the son of a USPS retiree. In that regard, I have a difficult time watching you go extinct. 

Here's one idea you might consider to help you regain some of the clients you've lost in this digital era.

The basic premise is this: you charge me less than the cost of a regular letter so I can send a hard copy card, IMMEDIATELY (almost), to anyone in the US.

Here's how it works:

• I start by going to the USPS website and telling you what kind of letter or card I am writing (e.g., thank you card, birthday card, love letter, etc.).
• I upload my message and choose from a list of card or letter (paper) options.
• I provide you the address of the recipient and you send my completed card electronically to the post office in that town.
• That post office prints it on the paper/card I chose, puts it in an envelope, and delivers it to the address within a few hours. 
• I get charged for the cost of the paper and envelope, a stamp price less than the regular price of a stamp (since I'm not actually mailing it), and a few cents for the cost of the printing. 

Sure, we give up a little privacy, but for a generation that posts everything in their lives on Facebook, I don't think that's an issue. And this way your clients get what they want: the uniqueness of sending a hard copy letter/card with the immediacy of email...well, almost as fast. 

I wish you all the best in your fight for survival.