Your shirt called. Is everything okay?

I think it would be nice to have a smart shirt that can call for help. If something happens to me and no one is around to see it, my shirt could save me with a short text message. That's so Lassie, in a dogless sort of way.



But what if my comfy new vest turned against me? They're saying this thing could send an alert via text message, email or phone call. Do I really want a shirt that could call my friends and make plans without me knowing?

Voting

Only two hours and 15 minutes till the next debate!! Okay, maybe that's a little too enthusiastic, but I am excited about this year's election. I got depressed the other day by the Electoral Vote tracker on the L.A. times website (you can pick who you think will win each state, and see how the votes add up). Kerry doesn't seem to have much of a chance, if things go the way I predicted.



To people who think Kerry and Bush are the same, I say this: I care a lot about environmental issues. The League of Conservation voters gives each candidate a rating, based on how they've acted on environmental issues in the past. John Kerry has an "A" and Bush has an "F."



Oh, so you'd only vote if you had a chance of winning prizes? Check out this site, Get Off The Internet And Vote, to find out how a few digital camera pictures could win you some fun, arty stuff.

Creepy-looking peeps

Maybe I should've saved this link for Halloween, but it's October already, so close enough. It's a BBC article about a guy named Paddy Hartley who designs clear plastic "facial corsets." It feels weird and futuristic in a disturbing Clockwork Orange kind of way. That's not the kind of future I like. I guess I prefer plastic surgery the old-fashioned way, where everyone ends up with the same cute nose.



The article talks about how the facial corset idea can also be used to help patients who need facial support during surgery, but it's hard to get past the freaky photos.

Coolest speakers ever

I've also been meaning to link to this USA Today article about a Japanese gadget called Ka-on that turns plants into audio speakers. I totally love this because it seems so natural and also so futuristic. I can't believe this quote is from a real news article:

Lower your ear to the foliage and hear the music emanate from the petals. Touch a leaf, and feel it shake as though in a quiet dance.



Later this month, you'll be able to carry on a telephone conversation with a flower with a planned speaker phone model.

Sad little robot video

If you had access to a cool robot costume, would you maybe make a dramatic music video to the tune of Danny Boy? That's what one guy did. I came across that link a while ago and thought, "I should link to that." Then, later, I found out it was created by a friend of a friend. So now I'm linking.

Knitted wig

If I knew a girl with really short hair, I would totally knit her

one of these. (If I didn't have pink hair for real, I would need one for myself!)

Keeping my Brooklyn number

I moved to California in May, and told people "I'll keep my Brooklyn number for now." I figured once I settled in, I'd want an area code that signified palm trees and sunshine, but last week I made the decision to keep my Brooklyn number for the forseeable future. This New York Times article from Friday talks about how area codes are losing their geographic meaning, so I feel like I'm part of a trend.



The Upside:

Before you make assumptions, I'm not doing it for snobby, New York-loving reasons. (I mean, it's not like I have a 212 number, after all.) Most of my freelance work comes from New York, and keeping the Brooklyn number means my employers can reach me without calling long distance. Everyone else I talk to uses their cell phone all the time, so they don't care what my phone number is.



I'm also saving myself the trouble of having to deal with Verizon to get a new number. And I'm avoiding the annoyance of making sure everyone I know updates my contact information, so we don't lose touch.



The Downside:

When local businesses ask for my phone number, it occasionally causes confusion. My Brooklyn number starts with 718 and I live in the 818 region of California. Store clerks always seem to think they've heard wrong, so I better get used to repeating myself.



Another pain in the butt: I'll still get phone calls for that guy named Patel who had my 718 number years ago and never paid the bills on the property he owned in Florida. Since 718 is associated with the Eastern time zone, these calls occasionally come at 6 a.m. California time.