Arsenal

Bleeding internally? Seal it with this DARPA foam

While any soldier dreads the idea of being shot, sustaining an internal abdominal injury from an explosion or other impact can be far worse. Bleeding from wounds that can't be compressed causes some 85 percent of preventible battlefield deaths.

As part of DARPA's Wound Stasis program, Arsenal Medical has developed an injectable polymer foam that expands inside the body to stanch internal bleeding.

The concept of foam growing in the body reminds me of that 1980s B-horror film "The Stuff," but apparently it's effective.

Based on testing in pigs, DARPA says the product can control hemorrhaging in an abdominal cavity for at least an hour, a critical window to get the soldier to a medical facility. … Read more

Why are two soccer stars making out in EA game?

I sometimes wonder how mischievous those who create video games really are.

They toss in unexpected witticisms, facial expressions, and idiosyncratic actions--just for the sheer fun of it. But what could have been going on among EA's FIFA 12 development team to create the stunning action I have, well, embedded here?

For at the end of what seems to be entirely innocent sporting action, pony-tailed Andy Carroll of Liverpool and goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski of Arsenal collide and then start snogging.

Should you not be familiar with that term, it is the colloquial English for kissing. And what happens here--thank … Read more

Adman puts divorce settlement online in order to look (and feel) better

It used to be that your plans to marry had to be read out in churches. (This allowed parishioners to raise an objection. "He's stumpy and stupid." "She's far too beautiful for you." That sort of thing.)

Now, divorce settlements are being slapped on websites.

Gary Dean, a British businessman, who seems to have made quite a lot of money out of advertising, is deeply sensitive to public relations.

He was so upset that people were calling him unpleasant names like "greedy" when he divorced his wife of nineteen years that he … Read more

Off-topic: AC Milan 0 Arsenal 2 (Champions League) - Arsenal4ever

It had to be Fabregas. Fabregas, who has stalled in the past few games reclaimed his claim to the throne with a brilliant last-ditch solo effort to blast the ball into the net from distance. Walcott then followed up in extra time to square the ball to Adebayor to put the match beyond doubt. Arsenal, the first English team to ever beat AC Milan at the San Siro.

About time. Arsenal dominated the game, only looking exposed in the first 15 minutes when Milan threatened. The ref, appropriately enough, was wearing Milanese colors, making a series of terrible calls against … Read more

Off-topic: Arsenal 1 Aston Villa 1 - Arsenal stuttering to a halt?

Ugh. Arsenal appear to have hit a wall. While Manchester United are on a tear, routinely trouncing teams by four goals, Arsenal can barely find the net at all. Today Arsenal scored twice - once for Aston Villa (thanks, Senderos!) and once in the last minute of the match (I dislike you less than I did before, Bendtner), but it looked like a much lesser team than the hitherto dominant Arsenal.

Things can't continue like this. I'm starting to worry whether Arsenal will finish in the top two. The team lacks any appetite in front of goal, except … Read more

Manchester United discovers...Pointcast???

Manchester United (the other English Premiership team, second only to Arsenal) is rolling out a new desktop service that will provide "video, match results and Old Trafford news in real time." The club's reasons for going with a desktop software model is interesting, if misguided:

The application gives more flexibility in delivering the service than a web-based tool because the content is pushed out by us. It is discreet and compelling because it uses rich media, is simple and easy to control.

I'm trying to find something in the above that begs for a desktop-based offering (… Read more

Off-topic: Birmingham 2 Arsenal 2 (The draw that never should have been)

Today was a very bad day. First, Martin Taylor decided to inflict the usual strategy against Arsenal: "kick them off the pitch." He did so. Literally. Eduardo da Silva was stretchered off with his shin bone coming out of his socks (picture below). Disgraceful. Wenger's right: Taylor should be banned from the game for life. As it stands, it looks bleak as to whether 25-year old Eduardo will ever be able to play again.

Such was the day. It happened in the third minute of the game and completely dampened Arsenal's mood for the first half, when Birmingham put a ball in the net near the end of the half. After the half, however, the team came alive and Walcott drilled home his first two Premiership goals.… Read more

Something to talk about besides Microsoft

I'm now very tired of Microsoft's openness pledge. I think there's more substance to it than many in the open-source community (No one seems to have noticed the ability to plug in things like ODF to Office, for example), but understand the skepticism. Microsoft has spent thirty years earning that skepticism. It's not going to fade with one announcement.

So let's talk about something else, please! I'm sick of it. :-)

How about we start with Arsenal? And maybe we could then talk about Cesc Fabregas? And how I think Arsenal will pound Juventus … Read more

Off-topic: Arsenal 0 AC Milan 0 (Champions League)

AC Milan may be the Club World and Champions League 2007 champions, but Arsenal made them look very pedestrian today. Unfortunately, Arsenal's shooting also looked very ordinary, with the team apparently deciding to shoot every single ball directly at the AC Milan keeper. Nice plan. Worked like a charm.

Except for Adebayor's golden opportunity in the 93rd minute, Arsenal never looked like it was going to put the ball into the AC Milan net. Threatening, ever threatening, yet never finishing the job. It was like 2006/07 all over again.… Read more

Off-topic: Manchester United 4 Arsenal 0 (FA Cup)

The best that can be said for today's match was that I knew Arsenal would lose going into it. With 10+ first-team players injured or otherwise unavailable, it was never going to be a good game (for Arsenal, anyway). It wasn't made any better by those Arsenal stars who did play - Fabregas and Gallas, in particular - deciding not to show up on the pitch.

Painful, painful match. Bendtner is rubbish. He gave away nearly every chance he had in the first half, which wasn't all that many since a midfield bolstered by Gilberto leaks like a sieve. Gilberto has had his day - he needs to go.… Read more