Best Inexpensive Eye Glasses Cleaner

#Eyeglasses clean lenses & nose pieces anytime with regular dishsoap and hot water.

Better than lens cleaner.

http://t.co/WoX5MPO8LJ

http://twitter.com/kpmitton/status/544197012129083392

Toys! Missing LEGO Bricks? Easy to replace at LegoLand

LEGO is the most popular toy for kids in this shopping season. If your child's favorite kit is missing any bricks, the solution is simple: get them replaced at the LEGO website. LEGOland can save the day for you Mom and Dad. Here is how...

Just how does this Sun, Earth heating thing work anyway?

How does the whole climate scene, earth's temperature changes, the Sun's radiant heat, the green house gas effect and more work anyway? Why should we care to know?

For one thing, the physics of how and why our Earth has the temperature patterns that it has are not secret. They are actually not very complicated and they are not questionable. The physics is as well understood as the force of gravity. We understand, at our space agencies, gravity well enough that a small space craft could be launched ten years ago to meet up with a comet and go into orbit around it and even get a small lander onto that comet. The physics of our planet's temperature and the way our oceans and lands and atmosphere interact with the Sun's irradiant light are well understood from theoretical models as well as real observations to confirm that theory using satellite data. 

One of the best and complete explanations of how this works is found in the link below at NASA's Earth Observatory website. The illustrations are excellent, and anyone can feel the logic, the reality and the science reading all about it. Basically, it works likes like this: 

Nurses - brave, under appreciated, too easy to pick on during Ebola in the US. Shame on us.

Rick Mercer. A favorite Canadian son, uses humor to make observations and good points about our society and politics when things should be said and everyone is too afraid to do so. He has a great show on CBC television every Tuesday night and played again on Fridays at the end of the busy week. Rick always includes his rant walking monologue commentary each week. A bit annoyed that some US Nurses were being treated so badly as they came back from Africa or actually suffered through Ebola themselves after caring for sick patients, Mr. Mercer gave this rant. All about just how brave and respected Nurses are, and how doing anything to them other than just thanking them with respect is just…wrong. Watch the video below that Rick Mercer has on YouTube.

Rick's Rant for #Nurses. Totally correct. http://t.co/nwFvhRNrIi
— Kenneth Mitton (@kpmitton) October 25, 2014

YOU can Watch the Rosetta Comet Landing Live TODAY ON Livestream.

You can Watch Rosetta #CometLanding webcast on Livestream here: http://t.co/8ptLxZlbmO

— Kenneth Mitton (@kpmitton) November 12, 2014

2013 Cloud Dangers in Your Digital Life... continue in 2014

Happy holidays. If you have a new smart phone, iPad, tablet or computer, and you are busy linking all your devices to automatically syncronize your music, pictures, and work files, then read and share this blog post. Your digital life can be erased in seconds using the cloud. Clouds and iClouds may seem fluffy and nice, but both have their dangers. New pilots get Visual Flight Rules licenses: control of your aircraft requires visual reference to the horizon. VRF pilots should NEVER FLY INTO CLOUDS. Without more training, the average VFR pilot will get their aircraft into a spiral-dive in about 15 minutes. Your computing "Cloud" can also take you into a digital spiral-dive with its new vulnerability to hacking that you should be aware of. Imagine all your files on all your devices getting deleted.

World Sports Navigator - Android Apps on Google Play- No Ads. FREE.

World Sports Navigator - Android Apps on Google Play

Free Android APP.

I recently updated my Info Navigator for Winter Games App for use 365 days/year. New name: World Sports Navigator. You can update the previous version automatically using your Google Play App on your Android phone or tablet. Also, link above will take you to the App on the Google Play site using your web-browser. 

The App is free to use, and it is free of ads. Yes, that is correct: no ads. This is my contribution to promote sports and fun. "Make sports not war."

Not just professional sports information, not just Olympics. The links provided, and the @OlympicNav Twitter feed, provide information on Special Olympic and Para Sports of all kinds and all levels during the day. This twitter feed in the App is generated by real people. (Usually myself, not a robot or program.) Our App follows many amateur athletes and you can help too by passing this info on to your friends.

Feel free to offer your suggestions, I may add them. The App provides maps of event locations for the last Summer and Winter Olympic games, links to the best sports information broadcasters in US, Canada, UK, France and Australia, and links to official Olympic social media sites.

No charge, from me to you. Enjoy.

From Rochester Michigan, USA. 

(The World Sports Navigator App update will also come out soon in the Amazon App store for Kindle users.)

Apollo 11. Man on Moon 45th Anniversary

From my Tweets

July 20 USA. July 21 UK.

#Apollo45 My #Apollo11 aluminum coin from 1969. Crew and #Lunar Module sides. It travels with me all the time.

Lunar coin

SUPERMOON Baby!! Its Lunalicious!

Super Moon. 

The first of three this summer is this Saturday.  

Full moon combined with a close orbit to earth.

Read more about Supermoons at NASA. Just click the link below.

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2014/10jul_supermoons/

BLACKBERRY 's Bounce Back. Secure Messaging of New Z3 Loved in Asia.

Blackberry phones were the defacto business phone of choice for well over a decade due to their handy QUERTY  keyboard and a secure messaging system.
As smartphones became sources of entertainment, the company failed to be ready for an entirely new marketplace. Apple and then Android have almost wiped BB off the map.

AND THEN..........Mr Snowden caused a year of shock and revelation about our land of the free and the brave..USA... spying, sucking up, and storing phone user data as if George Orwell was just 30 years too early in 1984 but otherwise bang on about "Big Brother ".

Now Blackberry has a low cost and excellent little smartphone called the Z3 and the company has not dumped their own software to just become another Android phone. This is now paying off with some stability for BB and a regrowing user base in Asian markets. Where better to be? The next half century will be large growth in Asian economies.

So, what are they saying about Blackberry now in India? Read the article below in Asian Age to get a good idea.
Android and iOS are popular systems but they are not secure communication devices. On the other hand, guess who has offered secure communication since the 90's with their own servers to back the phones? You guessed it. Blackberry.

Maybe Blackberry should nickname their next OS something catchy, just like Apple and Google do. Maybe "SNOWDEN" ?  ;)

I also recommend this great article by Anand Parthasarathy, posted online in "Asian Age".

http://www.asianage.com/technology/blackberry-bounces-back-145?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=t.co

Be Your Own Climate Scientist: Just use your brain.

According to WeatherUnderground (dot com), 2013 graced the planet with 41 disasters on the 1-Billion dollar-plus scale. These included flooding, severe weather, hurricanes, winter weather, and drought. Before 2010, this disaster tally was only 18 events per year. As a scientist, broadly trained, I am getting tired of hearing college educated people tell me they think global warming is not real because their congressman, a think-tank created by coal companies, or their Pastor told them so last Sunday. 

Are greenhouse gasses bogus? Many businesses would like you to think so, and lobby to put doubt in your mind, but we cannot deal in "feelings" when it comes to such things. As a scientist who relies on chemistry and mathematical calculations to design experiments, and a former pilot who trusted physics to stay airborne and navigate hundreds of miles over featureless forests and bush, I just want the facts and numbers. 

So in this posting, let me give you the facts, and then you can decide about global warming and climate change for yourself. Wisdom is respected in most cultures, after all. I invite you to read and think for yourself. You are smart. Please read on...

Sun in Your Eyes? Cheap Sunglasses, UV-light, and Sales Tricks

Finally, its summer here in Michigan, and the Sun is getting higher in the sky every day. Those little expensive sunglasses stores, with the products ranging from $300-$1000 per pair, are busy talking to potential customers about the importance of special lens coatings to filter out UV-light. The sales associates will tell you many facts about "blocking UV-A and UV-B light", both ultraviolet light that you cannot see. Ultraviolet light causes sunburn of course, and can damage chemical components within your skin cells, such as the DNA. Most of us know that suntanning raises your personal risk of skin cancer (melanoma). Australia has a higher incidence of skin cancer compared to the United States. Sales staff will remind you that you already use sunscreens for your skin and they will quote information telling you that as we age, many of us will suffer from age related macular degeneration and cataracts. As an eye health researcher myself, I can tell you that we do know that people who work outside in Sunlight do have higher incidents of cataracts (clouding lenses of the eye) compared to those who work indoors. This is thought to be caused by more exposure to the UV light from the Sun. However, it is also true that $300 sunglasses may actually be increasing the amount of UV-light getting into your eyes if you use them incorrectly! How? Read on for more details.

Android Nearing 80% of Smart Phone Users. Will iPhones be Relevant?

While the iPhone really got the smartphone age started, in less than a decade the proportions of the smartphone pie have completely reversed in favor of Android. Android OS will be on 80% of phones worldwide as we move deeper into 2014. Furthermore, the pie is at least 10 times larger compare to when the iPhone was king. That might not be so bad for Apple"s iPhone and the iOS system if Apple's absolute numbers of users were growing as fast as Android's, but they are not.

You can see an informative graph of smartphone growth in a Business Insider's post from this week at bisinessinsider.com.

While sales of iPhones are very profitable and benefit just one iOS company (Apple), it is also true that many new iPhone sales rely on current users trading in for new models. In a world where smartphones link the work and lives of billions of users, what will be the incentive for developers to make iPhone Apps as well as Android Apps?

Heritage Days Rochester Michigan, Memorial day weekend: heritage as connections.

Lots happening in the municipal park at downtown Rochester Michigan. Home city of my university: Oakland.edu, and my place of work the Eye Research Institute. Here are some pictures of art, crafts, cars, heritage and food this Saturday and Sunday.

Science and Humanities work best Together, like a Guitar or a Book?

Guitars, Books, Computers. Symbols of Science PLUS Humanities.

Some of us agree that real useful changes and discoveries come from persons or teams that know something about science and something about humanities.

From DaVinci to Franklin, to Curie to Jobs, all of these persons were working in the intersections and overlapping space of the humanities and science.

ANDROID APP for Travel Expenses

Need to keep a running track of travel expenses for yourself and others in your party?

I recommend Travel Manager.

Free.

Works.

Learn about Stem Cells and Macular Degeneration

Amsler Grid. Cover one eye and look at the dot in the center of this grid.  Click on the image to see it in larger size. If you do not have  AMD related damage to your central vision then all the lines should look straight and parallel. If they look bent or curvy, or parts of the grid are broken or covered by dark spots, then you should go and see an eye doctor for a look at your retina. 

Age Related Macular Degeneration, or AMD, affects the most important vision we have. Our central vision, our detailed vision. The vision we use to read, see faces of who we are talking to, and for driving. Thus, AMD is devastating to our normal lifestyle and we really have no cures for this condition yet. AMD is a condition related to aging itself and its occurrence and progress is somewhat complicated. Environmental factors influence our risk of this disease, such as smoking. Also, there is a genetic factor for many who suffer this condition. We have found, in the last decade, that some genetic variants of several genes tend to increase the risk of AMD.

Science of Customer Service: how companies live or die by this fundamental principal.

Customer service. 

We hear about it all the time, we experience bad customer service most often, and we remember good customer service when we experience it... as customers. What has always confused me, as a logical minded scientist, is how obvious it is to me that excellent customer service must be a corner stone for any company that wants to exist past the first year of sales beyond its first time customers. That is, when the company or product is simply the new kid on the block. 

Heartbleed Computer Web Site Virus

When you use your web browser to login at websites then your computer or smartphone is using Open SSL to send encrypted passwords and user names.

This week we learned about the heartbleed computer virus that allows hackers to steal this information as you communicate with websites.

If you get email from websites you use that warn you they were vulnerable to the heartbleed virus, then go to the website and change your password. 

If you have an Android smartphone or tablet, uou can also get a free app from google play store that will check the version of Open SSL on your device. Use the link below.

Open SSL tester for Android.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lookout.heartbleeddetector

The app is free and small size. My phone's Open SSL is not a compromised version.

Ken Mitton

Metabolic Syndrome & Diabetes: what you can do to avoid it? Start with Sugar.

Metabolic Syndrome starts when you are young. Too Much Sugar Man!

In your 30s, 40s or 50s and overweight? If so, you could be on your way to developing diabetes, heart disease, and atherosclerosis. You are also increasing your overall risk for developing various cancers, but the diabetes and circulatory problems are the big risks you need to worry about.

The Science of What Women Like on the Dance Floor.

I recommend this Washington Post article to all men who think they are killing on the dance floor. Maybe your body moves are not as impressive to women as you think? Are you moving your left lower leg more than your right lower leg? If so, you may be dancing on thin ice with the lady across from you.

Study this article well and good luck if you are hitting the club scene this weekend.

Read all about it here, at the Washington Post:

What women want on the dance floor, according to science

Ladies are welcome to read the article too, and everyone is free to get a good chuckle.

Enjoy,

Dr Mitton :)

The Science Rant's current most popular blog posts this week: March 6

A check this week shows that my short guide to Cloud and Web services is still a very popular read.

Replacement for iDisk and iWeb Services: Alternati... Sep 7, 2013	46 reads
Amazon.com: Info Navigator for Winter Games: Appst... Dec 2, 2013	13 read
Grapefruit Dangers if you take Lipitor or many oth... Nov 27, 2012	6 reads
We Live and Breathe in a Fish Tank we Pollute. Mar 10, 2012	4 reads
Summer Undergraduate Program in Eye Research: payi... Jun 15, 2013	4 reads

Paralympics Start March 7. Free Android App to Follow Paralympics and other sports 365 days/year.

" Info Navigator for Winter Games - Android Apps on Google Play

 This FREE Android App links you to information for world wide amateur and pro sports, including the Paralympics, Olympics, and Special Olympics events. Between major games, the App continues to provide news on amateur and professional sports worldwide.  This App helps you stay connected to IOC official websites, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube feeds. Also, major world sports media outlets that report on the games from the United States, France, Canada, Australia, and the UK.

Winter Food and Warm Advice

Bit cold here in Michigan south today? Wind chill is making it colder too.

This is more like a Cold Lake Alberta or Edmonton winter. Often this cold in Ottawa or Montreal too.

My advice? Long underwear, a real winter jacket with hat, scarf and gloves.

Also Habitant for lunch. Pea soup. Soupe aux pois. French Canadian style.

Some bread to dip and you are good for the day.

Get some x-country skiis too. Enjoy the snow and sun.

Dr Mitton

A Professor's Secret Advice for Getting into College: Don't panic, Don't go into heavy debt.

Another college application season is coming to an end as we wind down the winter term. This tradition has changed in the last few years, because many colleges and universities take applications all year long. You can also start your classes in any term at many colleges, depending on the degree program. Are you a student, worried that you won't get into a good University? Are you the parents of your eldest child, about to enter their last year of high school? Maybe you home school, and you are worried you have messed up and ruined your Kid's chance to get into college? Well, don't panic. The real "SECRET" about college admission, is that the overwhelming majority of Universities and Colleges are eager to have your child come and register for classes at their institution. Here are some "secrets" that are not secrets at all. While there are many companies, especially in North America, which make money selling you college entrance prep services, it is actually very straight forward to gain acceptance into most universities. Furthermore, just going to the most expensive prestigious university does not really predict success after college. Ultimately, how well you do post-graduate will depend mostly on your own drive.

Banana Leaves for Pastelles

Tracy is making Cuban Stew and Puerto Rican Pastilles today. Lots of nice ingredients to a very healthy and hardy meal. Protein. Beef. Chicken. Pork. We have tomatoes, onions, calabaza winter squash, boniatos sweet potatoes, yautia taro root, green peppers, garlic cloves, cinnamon, celeryand spices.
Good warm kitchen in Rochester Michigan.

The banana leaves will be used to wrap and boil meat and vegetables mix in plantain masa dough.

I will post pics of the results later.

FREE Android Ap to find Olympic Winter Games Information: also AD-FREE :)

Info Navigator for Winter Games by Andromiton Link: http://amzn.com/B00H0Q62Z4

Getting excited about the Olympic winter games in Sochi Russia. This free Ap is also AD-Free. Has links to help you follow the games and other sports all year long.

Enjoy.

Also works on Kindle's.

To go the Amazon Android Ap Store, click => HERE