Via the well-balanced Media News, an amusing account of how a newspaper managed to print the winning Oregon Lottery numbers before they were actually drawn. They printed the numbers from the wrong lottery. They happened to be the right ones — in advance.

Helen Thomas, former White House correspondent for UPI, is joining the Hearst News Service. She will be writing two weekly columns, but it doesn’t sound like she’ll need to be back in that front row at the White House briefing room. I would love to hear what other offers she had. Perhaps she’ll reveal her choices in her next book of memoirs.

Intacta Code is a pattern of dots that can be translated into all sorts of files (executables, images, etc). A deal with Fujitsu is allowing Intacta Code to be printed in Japanese newspapers, such as the Yomiuri Shimbun, the world’s largest newspaper. This ZDNet article says: “Each byte of the original file is represented by a pattern of black-and-white or color dots that can contain around 400 bytes per centimeter.” It reminds me of UPS’ Maxicode which you may have seen on some UPS deliveries. Maxicode has the advantage of being able to be scanned from any direction, unlike typical bar codes, so you can have boxes scanned while they are moving along a twisty conveyor belt at a good clip. Other bar codes are described on this page of 2D bar codes.

Sili Valley: Unfriendly to Women? “Monika Khushf, director of engineering at Intuit, has made a documentary film that reveals the effects of Silicon Valley work culture on women engineers.” It seems that male engineers spend their time using Nerf weaponry and building things with Lego and soda cans. But “the social gap in notions of fun may have more to do with age than gender.” I’d agree somewhat. The demographics of a company can predict what types of bonding you will find in the hallways, but it’s really the specific personalities that have been added and cultivated that determine if everyone’s playing with toys or isolating themselves in their cubes. (I hate generalizations, but I probably use them as much as everyone else.) Some people (women and others) may feel isolated in toy-heavy environments, but there are also toy-loving individuals stuck in rigid companies who are wondering if a job has to be this boring.

I loved reading about the glass blower who works at Caltech. Rick Gerhart creates and repairs custom glass equipment for researchers. His father was a glass blower for Corning Glass and Gulf Oil Co. So some of our newest discoveries are depending on an artist’s craft. Beautiful.

There are many notable examples of Walter Matthau‘s acting abilities, but my fondest memory of him is in Hello Dolly! because he did a great surprised look by raising his eyebrows which made his entire hat pop up. It makes me laugh whenever I think of it. And he had to put up with Ms. Streisand. So, my hat’s off to him.

400,000 people work in the fireworks industry in Liuyang, China’s “fireworks capital”. Last week there was an explosion at a factory that killed 36 people, injured 160, with 30 more missing, presumed dead. And some fireworks have poisonous compounds such as lead. No, I’m not trying to put a damper on anyone’s 4th of July celebrations, I’m just having an informed holiday, thanks to a NY Times article with even more of a party-pooper tone. “Americans spent $122.4 million on Chinese fireworks last year.” Wow.

More info on that pesky new dollar coin. A SF Gate article claims that the reason they aren’t going into circulation is because stores aren’t asking for them from their banks, and banks haven’t been ordering them from the (supposedly) plentiful Federal Reserve Bank supply. The few that are out are being hoarded. So if stores don’t want them and banks aren’t getting them, how are the coins supposed to get out there? Stamp vending machines? (thanks Unknown News)

I have yet to buy a digital camera. Mostly I worry about battery life and picture quality. And I still like to have actual photographs for albums and frames, without having to buy a photo quality printer. I’m very happy with my 14 year old Nikon 35mm and no digital cameras have enticed me. But this past week I kept thinking about the new Canon Digital ELPH. It’s 3.4 x 2.2 x 1.1 inches and weighs around seven ounces. What can you expect from something that small? According to the Digital Camera Resource Page review, quite a lot! It’s a 2-megapixel, has zoom, and supports speedy USB. It uses white LEDs to backlight the display. This other review has photos comparing its size to credit cards and a key chain. As for battery-life, it’s a lithium ion (no icky NiMH!) and they claim 85 shots with the LCD on, 270 off. It’s $600. But I don’t really need one, do I?

RE: the contraceptive pill “over the counter” debate, I remember hearing that if men take women’s birth control pills, they also become infertile, but pharmaceutical companies were unwilling to go down that route. This was from a reliable source, so it’s not rumor, but I can’t remember where I saw/heard it. What I have found is this article on how pharmaceutical companies don’t think men would take well to taking pills, though they were working on a male version.