Brian Prows

Social Issues and Debatable Topics

  • Home
  • MobileBeyond
  • Brian on Twitter
You are here: Home / Archives for Learning

Weather Unknown Says Sprint Smartphone

While playing with my Nexus S tonight, three words appeared at the top of the screen: “Weather is unknown.” I have  a mobile app that spits out insignificant news stories and the weather. When it launches, the weather forecast pops up for a second. Usually, it’s “45 cool overnight, 66 tomorrow.” But, tonight, no one knew or bothered to check tomorrow’s weather. So…..”weather unknown.” Not surprising. Unlike Iowa, where unknown weather can kill a crop, most Californians don't pay much attention … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Education, Humor, Learning Tagged With: weather, what we don't know

Young Kid–Birke Baehr–Wows TED Crowd About Food Supply

TED talks and videos, if you've seen them, bring incredible, brilliant minds to the world at no cost. I urge you to subscribe to email notifications of current, short videos, also available on iTunes. Birke Baehr, an eleven-year old kid,  blew the crowd away speaking about organic vs. our mass-produced meat and other staples. Don't miss this six minute talk. It gives you hope that the young have much to teach us. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Animals, Economics, Education, Government, health, Health Care, Learning, Society, Videos Tagged With: farming, food, leadership, organic

Are Good Ideas that Solve Problems in Short Supply?

When was the last time you came up with a good idea? Not just a "good idea" but a mind-blowing idea that solved business or personal problems? I'm guessing, like the rest of us, you'd say "not recently." It's like remembering the last time you put a fresh box of baking soda in your fridge to remove odors. "Let's see, I think it was...2004." Dictionary.com defines an idea as "...something, such as a thought or conception, that...  exists in the mind as a product of mental activity." Leonard … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Learning, Society, Success Tagged With: thought

Dictionaries for Kids at Hayward’s Park Elementary School

How many of you remember dictionaries when you were a kid? I'm not sure the year a dictionary and my eyeballs connected (probably early in my education), but I do remember the Webster's dictionary my Aunt and Uncle gave me as a high school gift--the most useful and lasting gift I've ever received. John Wilma, a rotarian who ran his own auto shop in Hayward, California, recently gave dictionaries to students at Hayward's Park Elementary School. The story is in today's Argus. Two events … [Read more...]

Filed Under: books, Education, Learning Tagged With: computers, dictionaries, hayward

Newspapers Losing Readers With Irrelevant Content

Reading through this morning's San Jose Mercury News reinforced my belief that U.S. newspapers are contributing to their demise by printing stories that are, in many cases, irrelevant to the majority of readers. The word "relevant" has an interesting origin. The dictionary says it derives from medieval Latin in the 16th century meaning "raising up." Instead of "relevant" then, we might ask ourselves: "are newspapers raising us up?" Are they enlightening us about events and issues that might … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Economics, Learning, Newspapers Tagged With: internet, news

Improve Your Blog Writing with Aristotle and your Mom

Writing a personal blog and improving your blog writing is more art than science. A couple of past week's experiences convince me that if Aristotle were still alive he'd issue harsh criticism to bloggers. I recorded a podcast with one of the top execs at a mobile marketing company. My guest, during the 30 minute recording, was amazed I'd read one of his articles on the Web. He said he thought only his mother read the piece. After joking that I was his second reader, we finished the podcast … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blogging, Learning Tagged With: blog writing, bloggers, darren rowse, personal blog, writing, writing blogs

Categories

Health Care Benefits for Congress?

To the Congress of the United States regarding your health care benefits: Over the weekend with the Senate's narrow but passing vote to "debate" health care legislation, it's become crystal clear that some members of Congress don't care about the health care crisis. With a few exceptions, the … [Read More...]

Bridges Connect People in the Bay Area? Drain the Bay

Residents in the San Francisco Bay Area awoke again today not knowing how to quickly commutel from one side of the Bay to the other. The Bay Bridge, connecting Oakland/East Bay with San Francisco, was shut down again due to safety issues. (On Labor Day, the bridge was also closed to fix a dangerous … [Read More...]

Living in Silicon Valley: Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

Something is terribly, terribly wrong in Silicon Valley. Probably the rest of the nation too. But, as they say, everything starts in California then heads east. So whatever's happening here will soon hit your home town if it hasn't already. Yes, living in Silicon Valley takes its toll on incomes and … [Read More...]

Dictionaries for Kids at Hayward’s Park Elementary School

How many of you remember dictionaries when you were a kid? I'm not sure the year a dictionary and my eyeballs connected (probably early in my education), but I do remember the Webster's dictionary my Aunt and Uncle gave me as a high school gift--the most useful and lasting gift I've ever … [Read More...]

Great White Sharks Return to Golden Gate Bridge

Great White Sharks Return to Bay Area Californian's are a strange lot, no doubt, but neither earthquakes nor floods nor swine flu nor collapsing bridges bring us to our knees. And that goes for sharks too. We're a hardy bunch here in the Bay Area and we treat recent reports of great whites poking … [Read More...]

Contracting Universes and the Law of Abundance

Before I begin, let me flatly state I'm not a physicist, an economist nor a guru on the lecture circuit telling people how to get wealthy. Neither am I a religious zealot, a Republican or Democrat. That should allay any concerns that I have an agenda to push or answers to ultimate questions of the … [Read More...]

Fort Hood Reminds Us of Veterans and the Ultimate Sacrifice

And we still remember Ford Hood a year later. The incident reminds us of veterans and the ultimate sacrifice.  Written and performed by Jeanie JaeCie Cunningham. 1. How can we look in your eyes, and not feel the pain of empty broken hearts… Aching with hope for another day, for one more hour. In … [Read More...]

California Broke :Send Your Coupons to Sacramento

California Broke: Clip & Mail Your Coupons to Sacramento

  (Updated October 7, 2012) California broke? Around two years ago I proposed in a blog post that citizens and non-citizens of the State of California donate their unused gift cards to balance California's budget. Yes, I know others have claimed they were the first to come up with … [Read More...]

Are Retailers Killing Off their Customers?

The news in this morning's paper--front page--is the same. Retailers are hysterically worried about another "bad Christmas." Consumers have tightened their belts, hidden their credit cards and won't even walk into a retail store unless there's a big "70% off" sign in the window. What's going on? I … [Read More...]

Health Care Reform Stifled by Drug Companies

The Washington Post reported two unrelated stories that, considered together, demonstrate a concerted effort by large drug companies and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to kill health care reform. The reports are disturbing and reveal two major challenges to controlling health care costs in the … [Read More...]

Smart Meters Invade Northern California

Over the past two years, so-called wireless "smart meters" to measure electricity have been installed in millions of  Northern California homes by PG&E, our utility company. The company claims with great fervor that smart meters are accurate to a nano-kilowatt; home owners beg to differ, … [Read More...]

Copyright © 2021 - Brian Prows - All Rights Reserved