The Science of Patience

Walter Mischel, NYU and Harvard psychologist, explains some details of his devotion to the study of patience and attention, and how they both correlate with intelligence and success.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/05/18/090518fa_fact_lehrer?currentPage=all

Conan O'Brien Robot

in the year 2006:

Barry O'Bomber

President Barack Obama in high school


Obama, #23, was referred to as Barry O'bomber. Although he didn't play a lot of minutes, here he is contributing to his team's state championship win:

Gold vs.USD

really? inflation anyone?

Roger Federer Wins French Open

With his first French Open title, Roger Federer strengthened the argument he’s the best tennis player ever.

He completed a career Grand Slam, something only five other men have done. He won his 14th major title to tie Pete Sampras’ record. He played in his 19th Grand Slam final to match Ivan Lendl’s record.

The stylish Swiss caught a break in Paris and made the most of it, winning the title by beating the man who beat Federer’s nemesis, Rafael Nadal. Federer swept surprise finalist Robin Soderling 6-1, 7-6 (1), 6-4 on Sunday.

“I don’t know if we’ll ever know who was the greatest of all time, but I’m definitely happy to be right up there,” said the 27-year-old Federer, who plans to play into his 30s. “I think it should be judged at the very end, you know. How well did I do? Good? Great? Very good? Or medium? I don’t know. It’s for other people to decide.”

“I’m obviously happy for Roger,” Sampras told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from Los Angeles, where he lives. “Now that he has won in Paris, I think it just more solidifies his place in history as the greatest player that played the game, in my opinion.”

Andre Agassi, the most recent man to complete the career Grand Slam when he won at Roland Garros 10 years ago, presented Federer with the trophy. The other men to win all four major titles were Roy Emerson, Rod Laver, Don Budge and Fred Perry.

The championship came after Federer lost to Nadal at the French Open and Wimbledon last year, and at the Australian Open in February. Federer also lost the No. 1 ranking to Nadal last August.

“Sounds like an Achilles’ heel, but at the same time, what (Federer) has done is unmatched,” Agassi said. “We’re watching two guys in the prime of their years compete against each other—and Nadal has an answer for him. But what criteria do you use to judge best ever? Roger’s numbers—it’s hard to disagree with. His domination on different surfaces—hard to disagree with.”

Federer was in top form Sunday, gliding across the court and whacking winners from all angles as he raced to a quick lead. Soderling’s strokes steadied, but Federer played a brilliant tiebreaker, hitting aces on all four serves.

“One of greatest tiebreakers in my career,” Federer said.

He broke again to start the third set and kept that lead the rest of the way, although it wasn’t as easy as he made it look.
Switzerland's Roger Federer poses with his trophy in the players dressing room after defeating Sweden's Robin Soderling in their men's singles final match and winning the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Sunday June 7, 2009.
Switzerland's Roger Federe…
AP - Jun 7, 1:22 pm EDT

“It was very hard mentally for me to stay within the match during the match, because my mind was always wondering, `What if?”’ Federer said. “`What if I win this tournament? What does that mean? What will I possibly say?’

“I was very nervous at the beginning of the third set because I realized how close I was. The last game, obviously you can imagine how difficult that game was. It was almost unplayable for me.”

Still, Federer managed to hold in the final game. When he hit a service winner on championship point, he fell to his knees and was teary by the time he met Soderling at the net.

Debates about the greatest player ever usually include Laver, who swept the Grand Slams in 1962 and 1969. Sampras is another contender, even though he never reached the French Open final.

Soderling’s vote: Federer.

“I never played anyone playing that fast,” said Soderling, who is 0-10 against Federer. “He doesn’t have any weaknesses at all. He really deserves to be called the best player of all time.”

Source: Associated Press

Obama Cairo Speech

President of Earth Barack Obama speaking his mind in Cairo, Egypt:

Oil price history 101

Full story from last year with active links: BBC NEWS | Business | Oil hits $100 barrel

Is Howard The Next Great Endorser?

Now that Lebron has left the stage? Naturally. Waiting to see some new Dwight Howard commercials.

According to polls representing today's general population:

• 10% know who Dwight Howard is
• 36% know who Lebron James is
• 63% know who Michael Jordan is
• 84% know who Kobe Bryant is
  

Is Howard The Next Great Endorser? - Sports Biz with Darren Rovell - CNBC.com

Project Natal

Hours ago at the pre-E3 convention in Los Angeles, Microsoft presented it’s upcoming motion sensing system to compete with Wii Fit.

Microsoft's goal is to broaden the potential reach of Xbox360, betting that it can impress many of the millions of people who would never consider themselves gamers but who somehow ended up with a Nintendo Wii in their homes. Self-proclaimed gamers will be just as impressed.



Project Natal will work with XBox360 and eliminate the need for game controllers! It has full body motion control by tracking 3D movement. It also recognizes voices and lets you video-conference with other users. You can scan-in your own gear like a skate board. If the product works as smoothly as this video clip claims, Nintendo is going to have flashbacks of being dethroned and left eating video-game market dust.

Xbox Senior Vice President Don Mattrick said that Project Natal would be compatible with every Xbox 360, but didn't address how much it would cost or whether it would be backward compatible with older Xbox 360 games.

According to Brier Dudley at The Seattle Times, who's post went up soon before the press conference, the price will be around $200. The official price and release date are TBA

Arriving in Style

Richard Branson and Virgin Atlantic are having a party on cloud 9 while other airlines accept their hardships and spend time building explanations out of economic symptoms.

The company recently reported annual pre-tax profits of $109M usd, almost doubling last year's number.

How?

• "results had been helped by a rise in premium fare passengers."
  
  
• "successful hedging of fuel had helped the firm, by buying in advance before fuel prices surged."
  
  
• "Group sales, which include sales from tour operator Virgin Holidays, increased by 8.4% to £2.579bn from £2.38bn in the year before."
  
  
• Style!
  

Full BBC Article

Doc 420

What is the deal with California and medical marijuana? It is too easy to get a medical marijuana card, a license to purchase marijuana for 'medical use'. Either this is a dangerous path to be walking, or a helpful element of California's massive budget deficit solution (when there is a solution).

Sona Patel, also known as "Doc 420", is more than just your typical Indian doctor. I was given her business card recently:

ABC News: Who is Doc 420?

The Beginning of the End: A Free Market

7 months later, a random sheet of scratch-paper puts progress into perspective:

• How a radical idea from a philosophy we've been trained to hate is now common practice
• How a certain political party that designed and engineered this change is the same party that by majority is against the continuation of the same ideas now lead by an opposing party
• How urgency and fear can be convenient; how it is easy to deflect opposition and approve change quickly under these circumstances
• How even before the first of its kind of change was a reality, there seems to have already been some mapped out long-term agenda
  
• How an incubator for an infectious disease can simultaneously act as a counselor for the internationally infected
• How the domestically infected were chronilogically "saved", indebted, weakened, and/or gone

Programmable Matter

Barack Ospock Obama

Great article by NY Times' Maureen Dowd. I hope newspapers survive... a new business model?

There is value somewhere in the fact that newspapers are tangible, and businesses can take advantage of it somehow. Maybe upgrade the concept of giving free shampoo samples that sometimes come with the Sunday paper. If I got something new everyday, it would add a little suspense and excitement to getting my paper and might encourage more home delivery subscriptions. Vendors might pay publishers more for this distribution service if there's some branding value and ROI. Maybe it's a long shot but they should put up a fight soon before subscriptions dwindle.

In the end it's about what the people like. As much as people love the ability to watch tv or hulu.com at home, I think most people today still enjoy the experience of going to the movies and likewise, people like Eric Schmidt and I still enjoy navigating through a physical paper.

online-article is to newspaper as automatic is to stick-shift.

Mayweather Jr. vs. Hatton

on December 8, 2007

The build-up:


The result:

Tiger Woods

and his perfect swing. Saving it here to watch 1000 times again some other time

Freddy Roach

trained Manny Pacquiao, you know, the guy who turned Oscar De La Hoya's face into a strawberry and forced him to give up. The guy who gave Ricky Hatton his naptime in less than 2 rounds. Here, Freddy talks about strategy and makes it sound so simple.

Roach shows interest in a Pacquiao vs. Mayweather jr. fight which at the time of this video must have been soon after Mayweather retired from the sport. Freddy Roach predicted his quick return to boxing, just announced on May 2nd before the Pacquiao Hatton bout. He was also right about Hatton getting knocked out in less than 3 rounds

Swine Flu

Barack Obama is not worried about catching swine flu while playing a game of PIG.

Aerobics, Dance, Boxing, Pilates, Yoga

are all forms of martial arts, just ask Billy Blanks or Dhalsim.

Here is Prince Naseem's version:


Who?
Hamed "Prince" Naseem was a British boxer, born in 1974 after his parents migrated from Yemen. He evolved five years of classical ballet training into a vigorous style that combines nimbleness and power. He won the featherweight (126lbs) championship at the age of 21 and is also a former bantamweight(between 112 and 118 lbs) champion. His record was 35-0 and his confidence peaking before the tarnishing done by Marco Antonio Barrera in MGM Grand on April 7th, 2001. It was his last notable fight, his last dance, and possibly his last workout. He was arrested in 2006 for dangerous driving and reportedly weighed over 180 lbs.

He is considered by some boxing critics as the greatest British boxer of all time. Ring Magazine titled him as the 11th "Greatest British Boxer of All Time" and the 46th "Greatest Puncher of All Time"

Professional Record:
* Fights: 37
* Wins: 36 (97.3%)
* Wins by Knockout: 31 (86%)
* Losses: 1
* Drawn: 0

Segway

was created by Dean Kamen, billionaire inventor and founder of First. First is a non-profit organization that promotes science and technology in high schools by hosting annual robotics education and competitions. In 2000, he dropped by the San Jose competition in his helicopter to say hello. Another inspirational college drop-out.

The latest project with GM