We always try to brainstorm a list of relevant questions for Sen. Chuck Grassley’s weekly conference call with reporters here in Iowa. This week, I put two tech topics on the list.

Grassley has been highly critical of H-1B, a program that allows employers to apply for temporary visas for potential employees if they cannot find skilled workers here in the U.S. While the program applies to a variety of job fields, including modeling, it is most often discussed in relation to engineering and IT jobs.

Grassley wrote a letter to the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service yesterday, expressing his concerns for the program. We asked him about the letter today…here’s his response.

Computer World has more about possible implications in the tech industry.

On a much less serious note – Grassley apparently took some criticism yesterday over his misspelling of the word school.

Around 1 p.m. yesterday, Grassley posted the following tweet:

“Those of u who abhor the use of shorthand”skool” for”school” ought to try to Tweet a message in 140bytes. Pls complain to Twitter”

Grassley responded today with an explanation of the necessity of shorthand on Twitter.

Posted under Politics, Web/Tech

Been seeing this everywhere today – hopes it makes you smile on this windy Monday!

Posted under Apple

Ahoy me mateys! Tomorrow is Talk Like a Pirate Day!

I was introduced to this holiday last year, and it’s become something to look forward to. Who doesn’t love a chance to dress up and talk in a completely ridiculous manner because of a completely fictitious holiday?

Last year, media giants like Facebook and Google embraced the unofficial holiday. There’s been no official announcement, but I’m hoping to see the same features when I log on tomorrow.

Here’s my short list of pirate goodness.

12seconds.tv
Last year, 12seconds featured a feed of all the pirate videos uploaded to their site. Twelve seconds is really all you need to say an over-the-top pirate phrase. You can still see a bunch of the videos if you search their site, which has grown considerably since Tweetdeck added it as a toolbar feature.

Pirate translations
Last year, Facebook and Google gave you the option to view pages in pirate. For example, on your Facebook menu at the top you’d see Home Port, Me Hearties, and Bottle o’ Messages. I just checked and “English (Pirate)” is an option under language settings on Facebook.

TalkLikeaPirate.com
You can’t have an online guide to the holiday without a shout out for the official Web site. The site’s creators claim to also be the originators of the holiday. You can buy bootie, play games and investigate all things pirate. There’s even a tutorial on how to talk like a pirate (in English and German).

So…God speed and fair winds!

Posted under Holiday, Web/Tech

Okay, I admit I’m not very original for writing about the triple 9 event. It’s one of the top searches on Google today, so people are obviously interested in ways to appreciate the rare occurrence. And I’m fairly certain that I have at least one reason not on the other lists.

1. New releases

Anyone who reads this blog knows that Apple and I have a long and complicated relationship, but I still believe that once you go Mac, you never go back. Today’s Apple announcement included iPod/iPhone upgrades, lower prices and a revamped iTunes (which just happens to be iTunes 9). Read more.

And of course – you can’t mention today’s new releases without mentioning the resurgence of Beatle mania. The band is unique because it’s not the actual members that recreate the image of the Beatles. It’s the fans who find innovative ways to make the music relevant to a new generation. Whether it’s a happy melody or a politically charged ballad, from movie soundtracks to now video games, I think everyone can connect to their music. My mom was more of a Motown fan, so it wasn’t until my early 20′s that I experienced my own Beatle Mania. When I moved to London for a few months, a roommate shared her Beatles library with me. No matter where you walk in that city, the Beatles provide the perfect soundtrack. The night before I flew back to the U.S., I made the pilgrimage to Abbey Road and added my thoughts to the graffiti-ed fence outside the studio.

2. Baseball

While I don’t necessarily consider myself a baseball fan, I’ve always been intrigued by the game. It has a magical quality, tied into the cultural fabric of this country that gives it a significance much greater than players on a field. Regardless of how you feel about the game – it’s all about 9′s. Nine players on the field at one time, nine innings, 90 feet between bases and nine strikes per inning. MLB.com is celebrating with a $9.99 sale and a list of all-time 9′s.

3. Math

I’m definitely not a math enthusiast, but I appreciate a random fact to spice up a conversation every once in a while. Here’s a few to use at dinner tonight. 09/09/09 falls on a Wednesday in September, both of which have 9 letters. Sept. 9, is the 252nd day of the year. (2+5+2=9) And, if you multiply a single-digit number by 9, the resulting two digits add up to 9. Ex: 2×9=18 and 1+8=9.

4. Luck

While 9 may not have a lot of significance for Americans, for the Chinese it’s the second-luckiest digit (8 is the first). According to LiveScience.com, the number nine in Chinese sounds like the word for long-lasting. Emperors used to wear robes decorated with 9 dragons and the Forbidden City is rumored to have had 9,999 rooms.

5. Celebrations

Building on the Chinese idea of luck, more than 10,000 Chinese couples were expected to get married today. But Americans are joining in. According to CNN.com, The Stratosphere in Las Vegas is planning to marry off 99 couples at 9:09 p.m. for $99.09. And a 09/09/09 anniversary makes it a little easier for the calendar-challenged spouse.

6. No cats

Cats and I rarely get along. In the world of pets, I’m much more of a dog person. And even some cat lovers over at the comedy site Urlesque.com are fed up with the never-ending supply of cat videos online. They have declared 09/09/09 “A Day Without Cats,” – a Web-wide ban on cat videos. Perhaps something to do with a feline’s 9 lives…

7. History

A project called “A Day on the Planet” is looking for people all over the world to record their experience on 09/09/09 for a book that will summarize the experience of 7 billion people on the same day. They are accepting e-mail submissions through 9/25/09.

8. Clarity

I grew up in predominantly British culture but attended an American school, which meant I was perpetually confused about a variety of things including spelling, pronunciation and which side I should pass someone in the hallway. How to write out a date is one of many things the British and Americans disagree about. The Brits use Day/Month/Year, while Americans write it Month/Day/Year. I always loved that one day out of every month that didn’t require me to check and double check the order of numbers depending on who I was writing for.

The number 9 reason to love today…it’s my birthday. And no, I’m not looking for a flood of birthday wishes. But with all the attention focused on the significance of today, I can’t help but share why it’s important to me.

Posted under Apple, Holiday, My Adventures, Travel, Web/Tech

Because an advance copy of President Obama’s speech to students was released days ago, today’s story focused more on the reaction and less on the words themselves.

But, an unexpected twist came out of Obama’s pre-speech chat with some of the students. When asked for advice by a student who wants to grow up and be president, Obama cautioned the youngster about Facebook and other social media.

According to Bloomberg, the president said that when people are young, they are bound to make mistakes, and when those mistakes end up online, they can easily resurface later in life.

It’s not just good advice for future politicians, but anyone who plans to apply for a job. According to a survey by CareerBuilder.com, almost 50 percent of employers use social media to screen potential employees. And that number quickly increases for jobs involving technology or sensitive information.

Whether you agree with the president or not, it’s another friendly reminder that there’s nothing private about the Internet.

Posted under Politics, Web/Tech

Let’s say you’re sitting in the stands at Kinnick Stadium, and two people sitting in front of you start fighting. You definitely don’t want one of them to accidentally hit you, and you don’t want the argument to spread to other hyped up fans nearby. But, you also don’t want to be the tattle-tale running to security.

Starting this weekend, you can send a text message to alert authorities there’s a problem.

Simply text the word ALERT followed by the problem and location to 97178. The University of Iowa Athletic Department will have someone monitoring the texts and will dispatch someone to deal with the situation.

The new service is powered by FanDriveMedia who also serves the International Olympic Committee, MLB teams and the NFL.

If anybody tries it out this weekend, let me know. I’m interested to see it in action.

Posted under Web/Tech