Floating Bones

I have created a skeptical review and a second blog entry about a movie "The Living Matrix". My review is at http://floatingbones.com/?p=92 and the second blog entry is at http://floatingbones.com/?p=171 .

What are the five most effective things I can do to get the word out about my review to have viewers of this film be properly skeptical when they view it?

Actions you suggest should be free or cost less than $5 each to do. Thanks.

I'm interested in finding the first edition of Grady Booch's book. Second edition was published in 1993; I believe the first edition was published around 1980. Does anyone have a source with the definitive answer? Thanks!

I'm using a DVD player to present several clips from a custom DVD. Since the installed cable is coax and virtually no new DVD player has RF output, I'm going to purchase an RF Modulator to convert the signal.

I'd like to be able to cue the DVD player without having that display at the front of the room. I know there are some RF modulators with A/B switches. Do any of those send out blank/black signal if nothing is connected on the B input? If none do this automatically, could I do the same thing by putting a pull-down resistor to the B video input? Please make specific model recommendations for the RF Modulator.

What sort of switch do those A/B switchers have? Should I expect to have them smoothly transition -- no flashes on the displays -- when switching between the sources?

Thanks.

Are there DVD players capable of zooming in on a letterbox/widescreen movie so that the movie is being displayed full-screen on a standard 4:3 aspect ratio TV? Ideally, I'd like recommendations on 3-4 specific models that can do this for less than $100. THanks.

What music did St. Anthony's Imperials use in 1988? That was their last year that that guard marched.

Are there any videos showing the Kendall Band in action? This is the name of the sculpture at the Kendall Square/MIT MBTA station in Cambridge, MA. I couldn't find any videos on YouTube.

Ideally, I'd like to see a video showing someone start moving the hammers from a standstill to full motion.

Thanks.

Please recommend a good text/resource about the design of power transmission lines. I'm interested in knowing about the qualitative decisions: the physical tensions of the lines, use of mechanical vibration dampers, are lines a continuous cable or separate segments between each of the towers. What bad things happen if the spacing between cables, insulators at towers, etc. are not uniform? How do power lines work where there are pairs of cables rather than one: what are the benefits and design constraints? I'm interested in a breadth of knowledge rather than a depth: I want to understand the engineering tradeoffs. If an online reference exists that talks about such things, great. If you feel like diving in and giving a brief survey of the engineering principles, that's even better. Otherwise, please recommend a text that provides a survey of the engineering issues in electrical power transmission line design. Thanks!

What composer? What recordings do you recommend of that original piece?

One site said that a screen-door closer is an example of critical damping; I wanted to see if I have captured a good example:

An over-damped screen-door closer would close the door a bit, stop, and then start closing it again. It would take more than one of these start/stops for the door to shut completely.

An under-damped door would slam shut, bounce open some bit, and then shut again. There may be more than one of these slam-bounces before the door was shut.

A critically damped door closer would close the door in one smooth movement with the door gently kissing the frame when it shut. No bounce.

Does that sound good? Note: simply answering "yes" (or "no" ) is an insufficient answer; I need to understand what is right/wrong about my example, and I'd like you to provide a different example of these phenomenon. Thanks!

What pens/markers do the best job for coloring the drawings in the Anatomy Coloring Book? I don't really like the bleed-through that the Prismacolor markers have. I was thinking about trying the Pentel Color Brush pens. Or has someone had good luck with one of the cheap Crayola marker sets ....

Is there a way to configure my Mac to be the "headset" for my Treo 700P cell phone?

I'd like to do this because I have a USB headset that I like, and I would like to be able to use Audio Hijack to capture the phone conversation.

If it is possible, what is the exact procedure for configuring both the phone and the Mac (running OS X 10.4.9) to do this?

Thanks!

This phrase is used as a general guideline to making reliable systems using Object Oriented Programming, but it has application in whole-system design in electrical and mechanical engineering. Can someone please provide a reference to the creator of this particular concept? Thanks.

I'm looking for wall clocks with a WWV radio reciever that have precise movement of their hands. In other words, at 12:11:30, the minute hand should be half-way between minutes 11 and 12. Most of the ultra-cheap atomic wall clocks have haphazard movement of the hands.

What brands will give high-quality movement for the hour, minute, and second hands?

Thanks in advance.

Does [human] hemoglobin consume energy to capture an oxygen molecule at each of the 4 active sites? How much energy? What is the source of the energy? A pointer to an appropriate text would be appreciated.

Why is foaming soap more efficient at cleaning us -- more clean, less time, less water, less soap -- than the exact same soap as a liquid? I'm talking about foaming soap dispensers like the one at

http://www.kissmyface.com/Product/Kiss+My+Face/Sel...

I remember a discussion about this in the 1980s -- perhaps a newspaper article -- but I couldn't find any reference online.