MythTV, the PVR-150, and DISH Control via IR Blaster!

I have recently returned from the 2005 APS-DPP conference on plasma physics. While not my first scientific conference, it was the first of my graduate career! I presented a poster on the adaptation of the DIII-D plasma control system (PCS) to the Pegasus Toroidal Experiment. (Pictures Here)

With APS over with, I can get back to regular life, like schoolwork (ack), dating, and Linux hacking! Yes, I am a nerd. :) As such, I've put together a MythTV Guide, as I alluded to earlier, which will be evolving along with my Myth expertise. So far, I've been able to get a Hauppauge PVR-150 unit working with Myth on my Fedora Core 3 box, in the sense that I can watch television, record it and use the built-in IR blaster to control my DISH network satellite receiver! (Truly a dangerous development.)

And, since it's Halloween, have a look at the jack-o-lanterns we made this year -- Tux and The Cheat included!

Behold the Power of Linux -- and my Dorkiness

Yesterday after working for more than twelve hours on plasma theory (still not done today!) I took a break to tinker with my MythTV box. I had gotten to the point where I could record a program via my hardware TV tuner card, but couldn't change channels, etc. due to the fact that I use a satellite box.

Well it turns out there's been a devoted bunch of hackers that have written experimental drivers for my card's infrared remote. Moreover, it's kind of two remotes in one -- one for receiving commands, another to send commands to an external box. Yesterday, I got the IR sending (aka channel changing) to work. (Yes, I had to write a shell script to do this -- but hey, it's experimental for a reason!)

When that power button first flashed on and off by hitting the Enter key at 1:47 AM, I'll admit it: I giggled like a schoolgirl. There's nothing better than controlling blinking lights with a keyboard. :P

I'll write up a MythTV guide when I get things settled down and I get some free time. I earnestly recommend building one of these things!

Middleton School Referendum

One of the most important things I remember about growing up was when my local school district failed to pass a referendum which would have helped to maintain the elementary and middle schools I had attended. As a result, my parents had been so angry at the local population that they had to leave. A little over a year later, our family moved outside Mahtomedi, MN which had a more progressive (read: well-maintained) district.

The difference in quality of education was simply amazing. I had gone from class sizes approaching fifty to twenty-five. Teachers were less stressed-out. There were extra-curricular activities through which I could get involved both in my school and my community. (The academic coursework was more challenging, to boot -- we were expected to learn, not just pass State proficiency tests.)

Fast forward to now. I'm living in Middleton, WI, a town that was recently rated as one of the most livable cities in the US. (Hooray!) The entire Madison area has been exploding, and as a result, the school system is getting population pressure. At issue: a new K-8 school and funds to renovate heating and air conditioning systems in elementary schools from the fifties. If all of the four measures were to pass, property taxes would increase on the order of low hundreds of dollars per year depending on property value.

The situation is eerily similar to that which faced my parents when I was growing up. And just this morning I was interrupted in my plasma theory work by a pre-recorded phone message from a bigoted anti-school Republican backed PAC that asserted that my property taxes would go up $500/year for no good reason. Of course, this same group has been shown to intentionally air false ads before.

The venom in the lady's voice was difficult to hear. Why should we be arguing about building a school or maintaining existing properties?

I know the school has my vote. Hopefully this kind of nonsense will be ignored by the city. After all, investing in the education of children (and adults!) is a very good thing for the children -- and our future.

Politics Trounces Science at the FDA -- And Needs to Stop

Now that I'm done with Ph.D qualifying exams, I can get back to politically-loaded issues and commentary on techie stuff! In the works: a MythTV box, the alluded-to Nintendo modification, and maybe some more handy Windows tricks that I've been using recently.

But tech takes time, which is in short supply for now. So, it's back to the usual. This particular topic resonates with me both as a concerned American and as a scientist. Specifically, the FDA is caving to what can only be conceived as political pressure to keep a medication known as 'Plan B' from becoming an over-the-counter drug, despite overwhelming scientific evidence of both the safety and efficacy of the medicine, which is very effective at preventing pregnancy within 72 hours of sex. (Of course, earlier is better.) It works like regular oral contraceptives, but with a higher dosage; if a woman takes it too late (after implantation of a fertilized egg) it will not prevent the pregnancy or harm the embryo.

After an advisory panel voted 23-4 in favor of making Plan B over-the-counter, internal FDA scientists reviewed the recommendation and also independently agreed.

In response, FDA leadership delayed a decision for more than a year. After political pressure from Congressional Democrats, the FDA promised a decision -- but ended up deciding 'not to decide' and instead opening a public comment period of 60 days. As a result, multiple internal staff scientists have resigned in protest. (And recently the embattled FDA Commissioner resigned -- coincidence?)

After listening to a podcast from NPR's Science Friday on the subject, I was so angry that politics is trumping both science and women's health that I have written my Congressional representatives. I urge you to do the same.

Dear Senator Feingold, Senator Kohl, and Representative Baldwin,

I am writing to you to express my concern about the Food and Drug Administration's handling of a request to make a brand of emergency oral contraceptive, commonly known as 'Plan B,' available over-the-counter. This single pill, if taken within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse, can effectively and safely prevent pregnancy. However, the sooner the medication is taken the more effective it is -- and if a fertilized egg has implanted itself in the uterus before the medication is taken, it will not work.

The FDA has evaluated the scientific evidence for the safety and efficacy of this medicine and overwhelmingly supported the decision (in a 23-4 vote of advisory panel experts) to make it available over-the-counter. This recommendation was based on an exemplary safety record and to make accessibility to the medication dramatically greater due to the narrow window of time that the medication is effective at preventing pregnancy. Following the recommendation, the FDA's internal scientists reviewed the application and agreed with the findings of the advisory panel.

However, the FDA has chosen to defer making a definitive decision on the subject repeatedly. Prominent scientists in the FDA have resigned in protest. As a scientist myself, I am deeply dismayed by what appears to be a politically motivated decision on behalf of the FDA leadership to keep this medication from women that can already be in a terrible situation.

There are some positions in the government that should be immune from partisan politics -- and the FDA should certainly be one of them. When politics trumps sound science, all Americans lose.

Please take whatever steps are necessary to bring this problem to the attention of the {Senate | House} and to swiftly address the issue.

Very Truly Yours,
Michael Bongard