The amino acid glycine, a fundamental building block of proteins, has been found in a comet for the first time, bolstering the theory that raw ingredients of life arrived on Earth from outer space, scientists said on Monday.
Read more.
Read more.
August 17, 2009
August 15, 2009
The brutal truth about America’s healthcare
They came in their thousands, queuing through the night to secure one of the coveted wristbands offering entry into a strange parallel universe where medical care is a free and basic right and not an expensive luxury.
...
In the week that Britain's National Health Service was held aloft by Republicans as an "evil and Orwellian" example of everything that is wrong with free healthcare, these extraordinary scenes in Inglewood, California yesterday provided a sobering reminder of exactly why President Barack Obama is trying to reform the US system.
Healthcare is a basic right, not a luxury.
Read more.
...
In the week that Britain's National Health Service was held aloft by Republicans as an "evil and Orwellian" example of everything that is wrong with free healthcare, these extraordinary scenes in Inglewood, California yesterday provided a sobering reminder of exactly why President Barack Obama is trying to reform the US system.
Healthcare is a basic right, not a luxury.
Read more.
August 14, 2009
Senators exclude end-of-life provision from bill
Key senators are excluding a provision on end-of-life care from health overhaul legislation after language in a House bill caused a furor.
...
A health care bill passed by three House committees allows Medicare to reimburse doctors for voluntary counseling sessions about end-of-life decisions. But critics have claimed the provision could lead to death panels and euthanasia for seniors.
Reality is fiction. Education is ignorant. Fear sells.
Read more.
...
A health care bill passed by three House committees allows Medicare to reimburse doctors for voluntary counseling sessions about end-of-life decisions. But critics have claimed the provision could lead to death panels and euthanasia for seniors.
Reality is fiction. Education is ignorant. Fear sells.
Read more.
August 11, 2009
Are we on the brink of creating a computer with a human brain?
Instead, most neuroscientists believe that our feelings of self-awareness, pain, love and so on are simply the result of the countless billions of electrical and chemical impulses that flit between its equally countless billions of neurons.
So if you build something that works exactly like a brain, consciousness, at least in theory, will follow.
In fact, several teams are working to prove this is the case by attempting to build an electronic brain.
Fascinating.
Read more.
So if you build something that works exactly like a brain, consciousness, at least in theory, will follow.
In fact, several teams are working to prove this is the case by attempting to build an electronic brain.
Fascinating.
Read more.
August 7, 2009
August 6, 2009
Rest in Peace John Hughes
Let's look at his legacy. The man either wrote or directed (or did both) some of my all time favorite films, including FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF, THE BREAKFAST CLUB, SIXTEEN CANDLES, WEIRD SCIENCE, PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES, UNCLE BUCK, PRETTY IN PINK, NATIONAL LAMPOON'S VACATION, THE GREAT OUTDOORS, DUTCH and HOME ALONE.
Thank you, Mr. Hughes. Rest in peace.
Read more.
Thank you, Mr. Hughes. Rest in peace.
Read more.
For Today’s Graduate, Just One Word: Statistics
The rising stature of statisticians, who can earn $125,000 at top companies in their first year after getting a doctorate, is a byproduct of the recent explosion of digital data. In field after field, computing and the Web are creating new realms of data to explore — sensor signals, surveillance tapes, social network chatter, public records and more. And the digital data surge only promises to accelerate, rising fivefold by 2012, according to a projection by IDC, a research firm.
Read more.
Read more.
August 4, 2009
Britain To Put CCTV Cameras Inside Private Homes
As an ex-Brit, I’m well aware of the authorities’ love of surveillance and snooping, but even I, a pessimistic cynic, am amazed by the governments latest plan: to install Orwell’s telescreens in 20,000 homes.
£400 million ($668 million) will be spend on installing and monitoring CCTV cameras in the homes of private citizens. Why? To make sure the kids are doing their homework, going to bed early and eating their vegetables. The scheme has, astonishingly, already been running in 2,000 family homes. The government’s “children’s secretary” Ed Balls is behind the plan, which is aimed at problem, antisocial families. The idea is that, if a child has a more stable home life, he or she will be less likely to stray into crime and drugs.
It gets worse. The government is also maintaining a private army, incredibly not called “Thought Police”, which will “be sent round to carry out home checks,” according to the Sunday Express. And in a scheme which firmly cements the nation’s reputation as a “nanny state”, the kids and their families will be forced to sign “behavior contracts” which will “set out parents’ duties to ensure children behave and do their homework.”
Wow.
Read more.
£400 million ($668 million) will be spend on installing and monitoring CCTV cameras in the homes of private citizens. Why? To make sure the kids are doing their homework, going to bed early and eating their vegetables. The scheme has, astonishingly, already been running in 2,000 family homes. The government’s “children’s secretary” Ed Balls is behind the plan, which is aimed at problem, antisocial families. The idea is that, if a child has a more stable home life, he or she will be less likely to stray into crime and drugs.
It gets worse. The government is also maintaining a private army, incredibly not called “Thought Police”, which will “be sent round to carry out home checks,” according to the Sunday Express. And in a scheme which firmly cements the nation’s reputation as a “nanny state”, the kids and their families will be forced to sign “behavior contracts” which will “set out parents’ duties to ensure children behave and do their homework.”
Wow.
Read more.
July 29, 2009
Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway (or, the Privatization of the English Language)
I find it unbelievable that a common phrase (that was used way before it was the title of any book) can be trademarked. We’re not talking about the names of products … we’re talking about the English language. You know, the words many of us use for such things as … talking, and writing, and general communication? Perhaps I’m a little behind the times, but is it really possible to claim whole chunks of the language, and force people to get permission to use the language, just in everyday speech?
What if this were taken to an extreme? What if some billionaire (say, Bill Gates) decided to start trademarking thousands and thousands of phrases, so that he could charge us for each use, or so that we’d have to link back to the Microsoft homepage with each reference? The language, in this scenario, could be entirely privatized if we allow this sort of thing.
Read more.
What if this were taken to an extreme? What if some billionaire (say, Bill Gates) decided to start trademarking thousands and thousands of phrases, so that he could charge us for each use, or so that we’d have to link back to the Microsoft homepage with each reference? The language, in this scenario, could be entirely privatized if we allow this sort of thing.
Read more.
Astronomers Discover Rare 'Green Pea' Galaxies
The galaxies, which are between 1.5 billion and 5 billion light years away, are 10 times smaller than our own Milky Way galaxy and 100 times less massive. But surprisingly, given their small size, they are forming stars 10 times faster than the Milky Way.
Read more.
Read more.
Five Hours
After calculating that I wasted 6500 hours in church the first 25 years of my life, I vowed to spend 6500 hours doing volunteer work that would actually make a difference in the world.
It was just too good not to post.
It was just too good not to post.
July 28, 2009
Oldest Animal Fossils Found in Lakes, Not Oceans
Conventional wisdom has it that the first animals evolved in the ocean.
Now researchers studying ancient rock samples in South China have found that the first animal fossils are preserved in ancient lake deposits, not in marine sediments as commonly assumed.
Read more and realize we don't really know all that much.
Now researchers studying ancient rock samples in South China have found that the first animal fossils are preserved in ancient lake deposits, not in marine sediments as commonly assumed.
Read more and realize we don't really know all that much.
A Modular Robot That Puts Itself Back Together Again
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a walking robot constructed from modules that are designed to separate on impact, find each other and reassemble into a working robot.
Read more.
Read more.
July 25, 2009
Scientists Worry Machines May Outsmart Man
Impressed and alarmed by advances in artificial intelligence, a group of computer scientists is debating whether there should be limits on research that might lead to loss of human control over computer-based systems that carry a growing share of society’s workload, from waging war to chatting with customers on the phone.
Their concern is that further advances could create profound social disruptions and even have dangerous consequences.
Read more.
Their concern is that further advances could create profound social disruptions and even have dangerous consequences.
Read more.
July 8, 2009
Copyright laws threaten our online freedom
Copyright was meant to encourage culture, not restrict it. This is reason enough for reform. But the current regime has even more damaging effects. In order to uphold copyright laws, governments are beginning to restrict our right to communicate with each other in private, without being monitored.
File-sharing occurs whenever one individual sends a file to another. The only way to even try to limit this process is to monitor all communication between ordinary people. Despite the crackdown on Napster, Kazaa and other peer-to-peer services over the past decade, the volume of file-sharing has grown exponentially. Even if the authorities closed down all other possibilities, people could still send copyrighted files as attachments to e-mails or through private networks. If people start doing that, should we give the government the right to monitor all mail and all encrypted networks? Whenever there are ways of communicating in private, they will be used to share copyrighted material. If you want to stop people doing this, you must remove the right to communicate in private. There is no other option. Society has to make a choice.
Read the rest.
File-sharing occurs whenever one individual sends a file to another. The only way to even try to limit this process is to monitor all communication between ordinary people. Despite the crackdown on Napster, Kazaa and other peer-to-peer services over the past decade, the volume of file-sharing has grown exponentially. Even if the authorities closed down all other possibilities, people could still send copyrighted files as attachments to e-mails or through private networks. If people start doing that, should we give the government the right to monitor all mail and all encrypted networks? Whenever there are ways of communicating in private, they will be used to share copyrighted material. If you want to stop people doing this, you must remove the right to communicate in private. There is no other option. Society has to make a choice.
Read the rest.
July 5, 2009
New Class of Black Holes Discovered
Only two sizes of black holes have ever been spotted: small and super-massive. Scientists have long speculated that an intermediate version must exist, but they’ve never been able to find one until now.
Get sucked in here.
Get sucked in here.
Video: Pentagon’s Robo-Hummingbird Flies Like the Real Thing
So far, the mock bird, built for Pentagon mad-science division Darpa, has only stayed aloft for 20 seconds at a time. But that short flight was enough to show the potential of a whole new class of miniature spies, inspired by nature.
Check out the video.
Check out the video.
US manned space flight in doubt 40 years after moon walk
The commission chairman, respected former Lockheed Martin chief executive Norman Augustine, said it comes down to money.
"With a few exceptions, we have the technology or the knowledge that we could go to Mars if we wanted with humans. We could put a telescope on the moon if we wanted," he said.
"The technology is by and large there. It boils down to what can we afford?"
Which really means it boils down to priorities.
Read more.
"With a few exceptions, we have the technology or the knowledge that we could go to Mars if we wanted with humans. We could put a telescope on the moon if we wanted," he said.
"The technology is by and large there. It boils down to what can we afford?"
Which really means it boils down to priorities.
Read more.
July 2, 2009
When your phone rings, the copyright police may come calling
A digital rights group is contesting a U.S. music industry association's assertion that royalties are due each time a mobile phone ringtone is played in public.
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) filed suit against AT&T asserting that ringtones qualify as a public performance under the Copyright Act.
Fucking leeches.
I read more.
ASCAP’s suit highlights efforts by the music industry to aggressively assert its influence in dealing with new digital media. ASCAP wants mobile operators to pay royalties or be held liable for the so-called public performances of the ringtones. The organization has indicated that it would not pursue claims against individual consumers but rather the operators.
I guess that's supposed to keep the wrath of the individual consumers off their asses. Well, quite frankly, it's not fair to the "operators".
A public performance?
A Fucking. Public. Performance.?
These bastards sure know how to alienate the consumers that made them rich.
Read more.
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) filed suit against AT&T asserting that ringtones qualify as a public performance under the Copyright Act.
Fucking leeches.
I read more.
ASCAP’s suit highlights efforts by the music industry to aggressively assert its influence in dealing with new digital media. ASCAP wants mobile operators to pay royalties or be held liable for the so-called public performances of the ringtones. The organization has indicated that it would not pursue claims against individual consumers but rather the operators.
I guess that's supposed to keep the wrath of the individual consumers off their asses. Well, quite frankly, it's not fair to the "operators".
A public performance?
A Fucking. Public. Performance.?
These bastards sure know how to alienate the consumers that made them rich.
Read more.
‘Toy universe’ may solve mystery of life’s origins
Enter the Evogrid, a computer creation concept that would be a digital version of the primordial soup.
Read more.
Read more.
June 29, 2009
Toyota technology has brain waves move wheelchair
Toyota Motor Corp. says it has developed a way of steering a wheelchair by just detecting brain waves, without the person having to move a muscle or shout a command.
Read more.
Read more.
June 25, 2009
May 30, 2009
US lab debuts super laser
A US weapons lab on Friday pulled back the curtain on a super laser with the power to burn as hot as a star.
The National Ignition Facility's main purpose is to serve as a tool for gauging the reliability and safety of the US nuclear weapons arsenal but scientists say it could deliver breakthroughs in safe fusion power.
Read more.
The National Ignition Facility's main purpose is to serve as a tool for gauging the reliability and safety of the US nuclear weapons arsenal but scientists say it could deliver breakthroughs in safe fusion power.
Read more.
May 29, 2009
May 19, 2009
Scientists Unveil Missing Link In Evolution
"The link they would have said up to now is missing - well it's no longer missing."
Now, that's, cool.
Read the rest.
Now, that's, cool.
Read the rest.
May 16, 2009
How Cool Is That?
Well, Wolframalpha has launched and it looks pretty cool. It (and the future copy cats) will only get better as time goes on. I, for one, am excited about it.
Check it out here.
Check it out here.
May 13, 2009
Obama opposes detainee abuse photo release
In a reversal, President Barack Obama said on Wednesday he would fight the release of dozens of photographs showing the abuse of terrorism suspects, over concern the images could ignite a backlash against U.S. troops.
How disappointing.
Get more disappointment here.
How disappointing.
Get more disappointment here.
May 6, 2009
Get Ready Humanity, Because Space Is a Freak Show
In October, NASA discovered the universe was sliding inexplicably toward, well, something massive. They called the phenomenon "dark flow," and it's but one example of the creepy, unexplained awesomeness that awaits humanity in space.
Explore the rest.
Explore the rest.
May 3, 2009
An invention that could change the internet for ever
Wolfram Alpha will not only give a straight answer to questions such as "how high is Mount Everest?", but it will also produce a neat page of related information – all properly sourced – such as geographical location and nearby towns, and other mountains, complete with graphs and charts.
The real innovation, however, is in its ability to work things out "on the fly", according to its British inventor, Dr Stephen Wolfram. If you ask it to compare the height of Mount Everest to the length of the Golden Gate Bridge, it will tell you. Or ask what the weather was like in London on the day John F Kennedy was assassinated, it will cross-check and provide the answer. Ask it about D sharp major, it will play the scale. Type in "10 flips for four heads" and it will guess that you need to know the probability of coin-tossing. If you want to know when the next solar eclipse over Chicago is, or the exact current location of the International Space Station, it can work it out.
Now, you can't tell me that's not cool.
Read more and try to wait patiently for the arrival of Wolfram Alpha.
The real innovation, however, is in its ability to work things out "on the fly", according to its British inventor, Dr Stephen Wolfram. If you ask it to compare the height of Mount Everest to the length of the Golden Gate Bridge, it will tell you. Or ask what the weather was like in London on the day John F Kennedy was assassinated, it will cross-check and provide the answer. Ask it about D sharp major, it will play the scale. Type in "10 flips for four heads" and it will guess that you need to know the probability of coin-tossing. If you want to know when the next solar eclipse over Chicago is, or the exact current location of the International Space Station, it can work it out.
Now, you can't tell me that's not cool.
Read more and try to wait patiently for the arrival of Wolfram Alpha.
May 1, 2009
April 25, 2009
The Geomagnetic Apocalypse — And How to Stop It
Needless to say, shorting out the electrical grid would cause major disruptions to developed nations and their economies.
Worse yet, the next period of intense solar activity is expected in 2012, and coincides with the presence of an unusually large hole in Earth's geomagnetic shield, meaning we'll have less protection than usual from the solar flares.
The report received relatively little attention, perhaps because of 2012's supernatural connotations. Mayan astronomers supposedly predicted that 2012 would mark the calamitous "birth of a new era."
But the report is credible enough that some scientists and engineers are beginning to take the electromagnetic threat seriously.
Read more.
Worse yet, the next period of intense solar activity is expected in 2012, and coincides with the presence of an unusually large hole in Earth's geomagnetic shield, meaning we'll have less protection than usual from the solar flares.
The report received relatively little attention, perhaps because of 2012's supernatural connotations. Mayan astronomers supposedly predicted that 2012 would mark the calamitous "birth of a new era."
But the report is credible enough that some scientists and engineers are beginning to take the electromagnetic threat seriously.
Read more.
April 17, 2009
Obama Releases Torture Memos, Vows Not to Prosecute
The Obama administration on Thursday released top secret memos outlining the legal rationale used to justify the CIA's torture of terror suspects, but vowed not to prosecute the torturers.
And anything else was expected?
Hardly.
It appears some animals are more equal than others.
Read more.
And anything else was expected?
Hardly.
It appears some animals are more equal than others.
Read more.
April 13, 2009
March 30, 2009
Once-a-day heart combo pill shows promise in study
The experimental combo pill was as effective as nearly all of its components taken alone, with no greater side effects, a major study found. Taking it could cut a person's risk of heart disease and stroke roughly in half, the study concludes.
...
No price for the polypill has been disclosed, but its generic components cost only a total of $17 a month now and doctors expect the combo would sell for far less.
Read the rest.
...
No price for the polypill has been disclosed, but its generic components cost only a total of $17 a month now and doctors expect the combo would sell for far less.
Read the rest.
March 27, 2009
Criticism over Obama invite mounts at Notre Dame
Chris Carrington, a political science major from the Chicago area, said he doesn't see how Obama's appearance at Notre Dame contradicts Catholic values.
"To not allow someone here because of their beliefs seems a little hypocritical and contradictory to what the mission of the university and church should be," he said.
Read more.
"To not allow someone here because of their beliefs seems a little hypocritical and contradictory to what the mission of the university and church should be," he said.
Read more.
March 25, 2009
The Great Lake Swimmers
Nice find out of Canada. Here are a couple of beautiful songs:
Moving Pictures, Silent Films
Moving Pictures, Silent Films
'Three Stooges' coming together at MGM
As a big fan of Moe, Larry, and Curly, (and yes, even Shemp) I have to say this saddens me a bit.
MGM and the Farrelly brothers are finally slapping together their high-profile cast for "The Three Stooges," a comedy project the filmmakers have been developing for years. Sean Penn is set to play Larry, and Jim Carrey is in negotiations to play Curly. Benicio del Toro is a rumored possibility for the brothers' taciturn leader, Moe.
I see this as having too good of a chance at diminishing what the original Three Stooges accomplished. If it sucks even half as bad as I'm thinking it will, then the new generations will quickly forget about the Three Stooges. Why, in their view, should they waste their time exposing themselves to the original shorts if this movie with Penn, Carrey, and del Torro sucks?
Again, original brilliance is relegated to a modern re imagining with too good of a chance of being destroyed in the process.
Read more.
MGM and the Farrelly brothers are finally slapping together their high-profile cast for "The Three Stooges," a comedy project the filmmakers have been developing for years. Sean Penn is set to play Larry, and Jim Carrey is in negotiations to play Curly. Benicio del Toro is a rumored possibility for the brothers' taciturn leader, Moe.
I see this as having too good of a chance at diminishing what the original Three Stooges accomplished. If it sucks even half as bad as I'm thinking it will, then the new generations will quickly forget about the Three Stooges. Why, in their view, should they waste their time exposing themselves to the original shorts if this movie with Penn, Carrey, and del Torro sucks?
Again, original brilliance is relegated to a modern re imagining with too good of a chance of being destroyed in the process.
Read more.
March 18, 2009
Vatican defends pope condoms stand, criticism mounts
The Vatican on Wednesday defended Pope Benedict's opposition to the use of condoms to stop the spread of AIDS as activists, doctors and politicians criticised it as unrealistic, unscientific and dangerous.
I can't believe this is still even an issue. Yeah, even for the Pope and the Catholic Church.
Read more.
I can't believe this is still even an issue. Yeah, even for the Pope and the Catholic Church.
Read more.
March 17, 2009
National debt hits record $11 trillion
The eye-popping national debt surpassed $11 trillion Monday, the largest in U.S. history.
That's "trillion". With a "t".
At $1 a second, which is $3600 an hour, it would take about 32,000 years to reach $1 trillion.
And the U.S. owes eleven of them.
Fiscally irresponsible idiots.
Read more.
That's "trillion". With a "t".
At $1 a second, which is $3600 an hour, it would take about 32,000 years to reach $1 trillion.
And the U.S. owes eleven of them.
Fiscally irresponsible idiots.
Read more.
March 16, 2009
UW-Milwaukee Study Could Realign Climate Change Theory
Now the question is how has warming slowed and how much influence does human activity have?
"But if we don't understand what is natural, I don't think we can say much about what the humans are doing. So our interest is to understand -- first the natural variability of climate -- and then take it from there. So we were very excited when we realized a lot of changes in the past century from warmer to cooler and then back to warmer were all natural," Tsonis said.
Read more.
"But if we don't understand what is natural, I don't think we can say much about what the humans are doing. So our interest is to understand -- first the natural variability of climate -- and then take it from there. So we were very excited when we realized a lot of changes in the past century from warmer to cooler and then back to warmer were all natural," Tsonis said.
Read more.
March 13, 2009
March 8, 2009
Scientists meet to dispute global warming theory
"What we are trying to accomplish with this conference is to present to the politicians and to the public that the debate is not over about global warming or climate change; that there is plenty of room for disagreement; and that sound science shows that the earth is not warming," says Miller.
Read more.
Read more.
Top Republicans say banks should be allowed to fail
John McCain and Richard Shelby, two high-profile Republican senators, said Sunday that the government should allow a number of the biggest U.S. banks to fail.
I agree.
Obama made clear in an interview published Sunday in The New York Times that he did not want big banks to fail, saying his administration "would take more significant action to deal with those institutions."
"But the point is that our commitment is to make sure that any actions we take to maintain stability in the system, begin to loosen up credit and lending once again so that businesses and consumers can borrow," he said. "And if they can, then you're going to start seeing businesses invest once again and you're going to see people hired once again, but it's going to take some time."
And since these banks really did not suffer any consequences for their actions (after all, we taxpayers allowed congress to use our money and bail them out) what incentives do they (as well as all other big organizations) have so as not to make such stupid decisions again?
The answer: none.
Why?: Because they will be bailed out again.
If they're allowed to fail, then other organizations will take notice and not make similar stupid decisions.
Read more.
I agree.
Obama made clear in an interview published Sunday in The New York Times that he did not want big banks to fail, saying his administration "would take more significant action to deal with those institutions."
"But the point is that our commitment is to make sure that any actions we take to maintain stability in the system, begin to loosen up credit and lending once again so that businesses and consumers can borrow," he said. "And if they can, then you're going to start seeing businesses invest once again and you're going to see people hired once again, but it's going to take some time."
And since these banks really did not suffer any consequences for their actions (after all, we taxpayers allowed congress to use our money and bail them out) what incentives do they (as well as all other big organizations) have so as not to make such stupid decisions again?
The answer: none.
Why?: Because they will be bailed out again.
If they're allowed to fail, then other organizations will take notice and not make similar stupid decisions.
Read more.
Famed pastor predicts imminent catastrophe
"It will engulf the whole megaplex, including areas of New Jersey and Connecticut. Major cities all across America will experience riots and blazing fires – such as we saw in Watts, Los Angeles, years ago," he explains. "There will be riots and fires in cities worldwide. There will be looting – including Times Square, New York City. What we are experiencing now is not a recession, not even a depression. We are under God’s wrath. In Psalm 11 it is written, "If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?"
Jesus, this guy.
He's preying on people's fears and the current global economic crisis (which was a man-made crisis) and claiming this will be "God's wrath." I read on...
"God is judging the raging sins of America and the nations," claims Wilkerson. "He is destroying the secular foundations." Wilkerson urges everyone to stockpile a 30-day supply of food and other necessities to deal with the catastrophe he foresees.
"I do not know when these things will come to pass, but I know it is not far off," Wilkerson concluded in his message. "I have unburdened my soul to you. Do with the message as you choose."
Of course you don't "know when these things will come to pass". For some strange reason this "God" of yours is never able to disclose such details.
There's a pretty good chance that a disaster like this could happen, but that's just because of the crisis that a few humans have put the world in, not because your "God" is pissed off at America and other nations.
You're doing a little preemptive strike here. In case something like this does happen, then you will have many sheeple following you. Good move on your part, but "God" has nothing to do with it.
Read more, if you really want to, here.
Jesus, this guy.
He's preying on people's fears and the current global economic crisis (which was a man-made crisis) and claiming this will be "God's wrath." I read on...
"God is judging the raging sins of America and the nations," claims Wilkerson. "He is destroying the secular foundations." Wilkerson urges everyone to stockpile a 30-day supply of food and other necessities to deal with the catastrophe he foresees.
"I do not know when these things will come to pass, but I know it is not far off," Wilkerson concluded in his message. "I have unburdened my soul to you. Do with the message as you choose."
Of course you don't "know when these things will come to pass". For some strange reason this "God" of yours is never able to disclose such details.
There's a pretty good chance that a disaster like this could happen, but that's just because of the crisis that a few humans have put the world in, not because your "God" is pissed off at America and other nations.
You're doing a little preemptive strike here. In case something like this does happen, then you will have many sheeple following you. Good move on your part, but "God" has nothing to do with it.
Read more, if you really want to, here.
Kepler Launches
The Kepler Space Telescope is the first human tool that will be able to find planets capable of supporting life as we know it.
Read more.
Read more.
Wolfram Alpha: Next major search breakthrough?
It follows the Google principle, with a simple input box, but takes a different approach to rendering search results. Nova Spivack, CEO of Radar Networks, which developed Twine, an ambitious "interest network" Web application based on semantic Web technologies, , said that Wolfram Alpha may be as "important for the Web (and the world) as Google, but for a different purpose."
Read more.
Read more.
February 27, 2009
America's Stupid Health Care Debate: Keeping Some Ideas Off the Table
It is a sad commentary on the pinched and strictly censored level of political discourse in this nation that any serious consideration of Canada's successful approach to health care is simply out of bounds in America.
...
There has for years been a huge ongoing propaganda campaign by US health care companies and their lobbies to denigrate Canada's system, but the big truth that they cannot deny is that it is loved by Canadians. The best evidence of this: Despite years of conservative governments in Canada, and in the various provinces, no political leader has ever tried to re-privatize health care in Canada. Clearly such an effort would be political suicide, so popular is the system there. As Canadian resident Joe Sotham explains, "In Canada we complain about wait list length, and the reality is that there is rationing, but everyone gets care and nobody is bankrupted , no HMO clerk stands in the way of treatment. We treat health care like a fundamental right.
...
The truth is that every other modern country in the world has long ago figured out that you can't have cost-effective, universal health care unless the government is the paymaster, with prices set by the government. The truth too is that no country that has moved to such a single-payer system has later rejected it--a good indication that the people of these countries are satisfied with the results and with what they're getting for what they're paying.
Read more.
...
There has for years been a huge ongoing propaganda campaign by US health care companies and their lobbies to denigrate Canada's system, but the big truth that they cannot deny is that it is loved by Canadians. The best evidence of this: Despite years of conservative governments in Canada, and in the various provinces, no political leader has ever tried to re-privatize health care in Canada. Clearly such an effort would be political suicide, so popular is the system there. As Canadian resident Joe Sotham explains, "In Canada we complain about wait list length, and the reality is that there is rationing, but everyone gets care and nobody is bankrupted , no HMO clerk stands in the way of treatment. We treat health care like a fundamental right.
...
The truth is that every other modern country in the world has long ago figured out that you can't have cost-effective, universal health care unless the government is the paymaster, with prices set by the government. The truth too is that no country that has moved to such a single-payer system has later rejected it--a good indication that the people of these countries are satisfied with the results and with what they're getting for what they're paying.
Read more.
Things That Make Me Smile
When my two and half year old walks up to the computer, points (because he wants to hear a song), and then says, "Black ... Diamond."
That's my boy.
That's my boy.
February 18, 2009
February 16, 2009
Amazon Kindle = Privacy FAIL
Leaving aside for a moment that the Kindle’s very name is weirdly evocative of book burning, consider that for everything we gain with a Kindle—convenience, selection, immediacy—we’re losing something too.
...
In the past, restrictive governments had to ban whole books whose content was deemed too controversial, inflammatory or seditious for the masses. But then at least you knew which books were being banned, and, if you could get your hands on them, see why. Censorship in the age of the Kindle will be more subtle, and much more dangerous.
...
The original version was never printed, and now it’s like it didn’t even exist. What’s more, the government now has a list of everyone who downloaded both the old and new versions of the book.
Read more. Thanks, Luis!
...
In the past, restrictive governments had to ban whole books whose content was deemed too controversial, inflammatory or seditious for the masses. But then at least you knew which books were being banned, and, if you could get your hands on them, see why. Censorship in the age of the Kindle will be more subtle, and much more dangerous.
...
The original version was never printed, and now it’s like it didn’t even exist. What’s more, the government now has a list of everyone who downloaded both the old and new versions of the book.
Read more. Thanks, Luis!
February 15, 2009
As Data Collecting Grows, Privacy Erodes
In Mr. Rodriguez’s case, he participated in a 2003 survey of steroid use among Major League Baseball players. No names were to be revealed. Instead, the results were supposed to be used in aggregation — to determine if more than 5 percent of players were cheating — and the samples were then to be destroyed.
It is odd that most of the news coverage described the tests as “anonymous.” If the tests were truly anonymous, of course, Mr. Rodriguez would still be thought of as a clean player — as he long had insisted he was. But when federal prosecutors came calling, as part of a steroid distribution case, it turned out that the “anonymous” samples suddenly had clear labels on them.
As a friend put it in an e-mail message: “Privacy is serious. It is serious the moment the data gets collected, not the moment it is released.”
Read more, but remember, they know everything about you.
It is odd that most of the news coverage described the tests as “anonymous.” If the tests were truly anonymous, of course, Mr. Rodriguez would still be thought of as a clean player — as he long had insisted he was. But when federal prosecutors came calling, as part of a steroid distribution case, it turned out that the “anonymous” samples suddenly had clear labels on them.
As a friend put it in an e-mail message: “Privacy is serious. It is serious the moment the data gets collected, not the moment it is released.”
Read more, but remember, they know everything about you.
Scientists Agree: It's in His Kiss
Over 90 percent of human society engages in what, if you get right down to it, seems like a very strange thing to do: putting faces together and trading spit. But because it is so pervasive, scientists think there must be a good reason for it, some kind of evolutionary advantage. And humans aren't alone in this ritual. Chimpanzees kiss, foxes and dogs lick each other's faces, some birds tap their bills together, and elephants put their trunks in each other's mouths.
Read more.
Read more.
Galaxy has 'billions of Earths'
But, based on the limited numbers of planets found so far, Dr Boss has estimated that each Sun-like star has on average one "Earth-like" planet.
This simple calculation means there would be huge numbers capable of supporting life.
Read more.
This simple calculation means there would be huge numbers capable of supporting life.
Read more.
Study takes step toward erasing bad memories
A widely available blood pressure pill could one day help people erase bad memories, perhaps treating some anxiety disorders and phobias, according to a Dutch study published on Sunday.
Read more.
Read more.
February 10, 2009
Ruin Your Health With the Obama Stimulus Plan
But the bill goes further. One new bureaucracy, the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology, will monitor treatments to make sure your doctor is doing what the federal government deems appropriate and cost effective. The goal is to reduce costs and “guide” your doctor’s decisions (442, 446). These provisions in the stimulus bill are virtually identical to what Daschle prescribed in his 2008 book, “Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis.” According to Daschle, doctors have to give up autonomy and “learn to operate less like solo practitioners.”
Keeping doctors informed of the newest medical findings is important, but enforcing uniformity goes too far.
Read more, and hope you don't get sick.
Keeping doctors informed of the newest medical findings is important, but enforcing uniformity goes too far.
Read more, and hope you don't get sick.
February 8, 2009
'Doom' rhetoric seen by some as 'not presidential'
In terms not heard in Washington since the late 1970s under President Jimmy Carter's watch, the new president has sought to terrify Americans into supporting the $800 billion-plus bailout bill.
Because unfortunately fear works.
Read more.
Because unfortunately fear works.
Read more.
February 5, 2009
ESPN to ISPs: Pay for Your Customers to Play Video
"Ultimately, if you carry it to its logical extreme — that's everyone charging for their content, and depending upon where you are and which ISP you're using to connect to the internet, your internet experience is different — that's a really unsettling prospect," says Scott. "I think it undermines the foundational principles that make the internet such an engine of innovation and creativity."
Read more...while you can.
Read more...while you can.
February 3, 2009
46 Of 50 States Could File Bankruptcy In 2009-2010
In fact, Jan Brewer, the newly appointed Governor of Arizona has a major crisis on her hands, one that Arizona and national media isn’t covering. The alarming news is the State of Arizona has 90 to 120 days before they completely run out of money. After that, all bills and tax refunds owed to the citizens will go unpaid.
...
It’s very possible you’ll see the end of the United States as we know it. If the Fed doesn’t bailout the States when their cash dries up and the banks don’t loan them money, then our States will be left in financial ruin. This would be a tragic and unprecedented event never experienced in the United States.
Read more.
...
It’s very possible you’ll see the end of the United States as we know it. If the Fed doesn’t bailout the States when their cash dries up and the banks don’t loan them money, then our States will be left in financial ruin. This would be a tragic and unprecedented event never experienced in the United States.
Read more.
Your ISP is watching you
This is not a novel by Philip K Dick: it is happening right now. The only difference is that it's not happening in the physical world, it's happening online. Since last autumn, BT – under the "Webwise" banner – has been trialling a technology called Phorm, which dials direct into your internet service provider's network and intercepts communications between you and the websites you visit, using information about the sorts of things you are viewing to serve you targeted ads.
Read more. They know everything about you.
Read more. They know everything about you.
Google and Nasa back new school for futurists
Google and Nasa’s backing demonstrates the growing mainstream acceptance of Mr Kurzweil’s views, which include a claim that before the middle of this century artificial intelligence will outstrip human beings, ushering in a new era of civilisation.
Read more.
Read more.
January 29, 2009
Suntan Drug Greenlighted for Trials
Although the drug will not be available for cosmetic purposes any time soon, similar compounds are already being widely abused on the pharmaceutical black market. The official product, a man made hormone called afamalenodtide, has received U.S. government approval to begin clinical trials.
"It's a bioabsorbable implant that you just inject into the skin," said Colin Mackie, director of business development for Clinuvel, the company bringing the drug to the U.S. "It stimulates melanin production."
Read more.
"It's a bioabsorbable implant that you just inject into the skin," said Colin Mackie, director of business development for Clinuvel, the company bringing the drug to the U.S. "It stimulates melanin production."
Read more.
January 27, 2009
Why Does the World Feel Wrong?
Those of us who want little more than peace and freedom don’t run the world. Pursuing freedom contradicts controlling others, so we can reason that people who pursue power have some motivations separate from our own.
...
Too often, I have assumed that the people working for the state take the jobs only because of the easy hours and good pay, benefits, and retirement. For the predator, though, it offers all these things with the appetizing fringe benefit of satisfying their criminal urges without the risk of retribution.
...
After considering the possibility that psychopaths have taken control of society, we find volumes of evidence to support the hypothesis. Did Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot sympathize with their victims or have any sense of guilt? More recently, among Bush, Cheney, Rove, Rumsfeld, or Clinton , can we point to one who even exhibits a façade resembling normality? Obviously not—these lists name one person after another who has zero accountability to a rational morality. If people like this could make their way to the highest levels of power, what does that say about lower offices?
It suggests people like this have control over the levers of power everywhere. We live at a time when the population at large cannot achieve its wants, yet few seem to know why. As one example, polls consistently indicate that educational matters concern the public, yet decade after decade, schooling gets quantitatively worse. What a mystery! Evidently, if we believe our well-meaning masters, 2,000 years of Western civilization has not yet determined effective ways to transmit key knowledge to younger generations. However, what happens if we suspend our belief in their benevolence for a moment and consider other possibilities? If schools fail to achieve their stated goals over several decades, might some groups see this as a success?
Read the rest.
...
Too often, I have assumed that the people working for the state take the jobs only because of the easy hours and good pay, benefits, and retirement. For the predator, though, it offers all these things with the appetizing fringe benefit of satisfying their criminal urges without the risk of retribution.
...
After considering the possibility that psychopaths have taken control of society, we find volumes of evidence to support the hypothesis. Did Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot sympathize with their victims or have any sense of guilt? More recently, among Bush, Cheney, Rove, Rumsfeld, or Clinton , can we point to one who even exhibits a façade resembling normality? Obviously not—these lists name one person after another who has zero accountability to a rational morality. If people like this could make their way to the highest levels of power, what does that say about lower offices?
It suggests people like this have control over the levers of power everywhere. We live at a time when the population at large cannot achieve its wants, yet few seem to know why. As one example, polls consistently indicate that educational matters concern the public, yet decade after decade, schooling gets quantitatively worse. What a mystery! Evidently, if we believe our well-meaning masters, 2,000 years of Western civilization has not yet determined effective ways to transmit key knowledge to younger generations. However, what happens if we suspend our belief in their benevolence for a moment and consider other possibilities? If schools fail to achieve their stated goals over several decades, might some groups see this as a success?
Read the rest.
Rumsfeld to stand trial for war crimes?
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture Manfred Nowak in an interview on Monday told CNN that the international body had enough evidence to prosecute Rumsfeld for his direct authorization of tortures at US detention centers in 2002.
Read more.
Read more.
How the faceless and amoral world of cyberspace has created a deeply disturbing... generation SEX
Today’s teenagers are starring in the reality show of their own lives and doing all they can to make it as dramatic as possible.
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In today’s world of fast information and access to all areas, too many - particularly the young - are having to up the stakes to chase their particular dragon and get the high they crave.
Read the rest.
...
In today’s world of fast information and access to all areas, too many - particularly the young - are having to up the stakes to chase their particular dragon and get the high they crave.
Read the rest.
January 24, 2009
Two ex-Guantanamo inmates appear in Al-Qaeda video
One of the two former inmates, a Saudi man identified as Abu Sufyan al-Azdi al-Shahri, or prisoner number 372, has been elevated to the senior ranks of Al-Qaeda in Yemen, a US counter-terrorism official told AFP.
How convenient that this happens at, oh say, right after Obama orders Gitmo closed within a year.
Read more.
How convenient that this happens at, oh say, right after Obama orders Gitmo closed within a year.
Read more.
December 29, 2008
Robert Fisk: Leaders lie, civilians die, and lessons of history are ignored
We've got so used to the carnage of the Middle East that we don't care any more – providing we don't offend the Israelis. It's not clear how many of the Gaza dead are civilians, but the response of the Bush administration, not to mention the pusillanimous reaction of Gordon Brown, reaffirm for Arabs what they have known for decades: however they struggle against their antagonists, the West will take Israel's side. As usual, the bloodbath was the fault of the Arabs – who, as we all know, only understand force.
Read more.
Read more.
2008 was the year man-made global warming was disproved
Easily one of the most important stories of 2008 has been all the evidence suggesting that this may be looked back on as the year when there was a turning point in the great worldwide panic over man-made global warming. Just when politicians in Europe and America have been adopting the most costly and damaging measures politicians have ever proposed, to combat this supposed menace, the tide has turned in three significant respects.
Read more.
Read more.
December 27, 2008
Internet sites could be given 'cinema-style age ratings'
The Cabinet minister describes the internet as “quite a dangerous place” and says he wants internet-service providers (ISPs) to offer parents “child-safe” web services.
It always starts as "protecting the children".
His plans to rein in the internet, and censor some websites, are likely to trigger a major row with online advocates who ferociously guard the freedom of the world wide web.
You think? Hmmm. I'm already in a "major row".
“There is content that should just not be available to be viewed. That is my view. Absolutely categorical. This is not a campaign against free speech, far from it; it is simply there is a wider public interest at stake when it involves harm to other people. We have got to get better at defining where the public interest lies and being clear about it.”
Yep. Definitely in a "major row" now.
Mr Burnham admits that his plans may be interpreted by some as “heavy-handed” but says the new standards drive is “utterly crucial”. Mr Burnham also believes that the inauguration of Barack Obama, the President-Elect, presents an opportunity to implement the major changes necessary for the web.
Read the rest.
It always starts as "protecting the children".
His plans to rein in the internet, and censor some websites, are likely to trigger a major row with online advocates who ferociously guard the freedom of the world wide web.
You think? Hmmm. I'm already in a "major row".
“There is content that should just not be available to be viewed. That is my view. Absolutely categorical. This is not a campaign against free speech, far from it; it is simply there is a wider public interest at stake when it involves harm to other people. We have got to get better at defining where the public interest lies and being clear about it.”
Yep. Definitely in a "major row" now.
Mr Burnham admits that his plans may be interpreted by some as “heavy-handed” but says the new standards drive is “utterly crucial”. Mr Burnham also believes that the inauguration of Barack Obama, the President-Elect, presents an opportunity to implement the major changes necessary for the web.
Read the rest.
December 23, 2008
Pope Benedict criticizes homosexual behavior
Pope Benedict said Monday that saving humanity from homosexual or transsexual behaviour was just as important as saving the rainforest from destruction.
...
The Catholic Church teaches that while homosexuality is not sinful, homosexual acts are. It opposes gay marriage and, in October, a leading Vatican official called homosexuality "a deviation, an irregularity, a wound."
The pope said humanity needed to "listen to the language of creation" to understand the intended roles of man and woman. He compared behavior beyond traditional heterosexual relations as "a destruction of God's work."
Hmmm. Seems like "behavior beyond traditional heterosexual relations" might just be proof that you've been making up this "god" of yours.
He also defended the Church's right to "speak of human nature as man and woman, and ask that this order of creation be respected."
Sure, those of us that disagree with you can respect this "order" of yours. Too bad you can't seem to do the same for those that are different than how you think they should be.
Read more.
...
The Catholic Church teaches that while homosexuality is not sinful, homosexual acts are. It opposes gay marriage and, in October, a leading Vatican official called homosexuality "a deviation, an irregularity, a wound."
The pope said humanity needed to "listen to the language of creation" to understand the intended roles of man and woman. He compared behavior beyond traditional heterosexual relations as "a destruction of God's work."
Hmmm. Seems like "behavior beyond traditional heterosexual relations" might just be proof that you've been making up this "god" of yours.
He also defended the Church's right to "speak of human nature as man and woman, and ask that this order of creation be respected."
Sure, those of us that disagree with you can respect this "order" of yours. Too bad you can't seem to do the same for those that are different than how you think they should be.
Read more.
December 22, 2008
December 19, 2008
With economy in shambles, Congress gets a raise
A crumbling economy, more than 2 million constituents who have lost their jobs this year, and congressional demands of CEOs to work for free did not convince lawmakers to freeze their own pay.
Instead, they will get a $4,700 pay increase, amounting to an additional $2.5 million that taxpayers will spend on congressional salaries, and watchdog groups are not happy about it.
...
“They don’t even go through the front door. They have it set up so that it’s wired so that you actually have to undo the pay raise rather than vote for a pay raise,” Ellis said.
The "Haves" (Them) and the "Have Nots" (You).
Read more.
Instead, they will get a $4,700 pay increase, amounting to an additional $2.5 million that taxpayers will spend on congressional salaries, and watchdog groups are not happy about it.
...
“They don’t even go through the front door. They have it set up so that it’s wired so that you actually have to undo the pay raise rather than vote for a pay raise,” Ellis said.
The "Haves" (Them) and the "Have Nots" (You).
Read more.
December 18, 2008
The Heaviest Element Known to Science
Lawrence Livermore Laboratories has discovered the heaviest element yet known to science.
The new element, Governmentium (Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.
These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.
Read the rest. It's pretty damn funny.
The new element, Governmentium (Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.
These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.
Read the rest. It's pretty damn funny.
October 21, 2008
And now the Manchurian microchip
The myth: Chinese intelligence services have concealed a microchip in every computer everywhere, programmed to "call home" if and when activated.
The reality: It may actually be true.
All computers on the market today -- be they Dell, Toshiba, Sony, Apple or especially IBM -- are assembled with components manufactured inside the PRC. Each component produced by the Chinese, according to a reliable source within the intelligence community, is secretly equipped with a hidden microchip that can be activated any time by China's military intelligence services, the PLA.
"It is there, deep inside your computer, if they decide to call it up," the security chief of a multinational corporation told The Investigator. "It is capable of providing Chinese intelligence with everything stored on your system -- on everyone's system -- from e-mail to documents. I call it Call Home Technology. It doesn't mean to say they're sucking data from everyone's computer today, it means the Chinese think ahead -- and they now have the potential to do it when it suits their purposes."
Read more.
The reality: It may actually be true.
All computers on the market today -- be they Dell, Toshiba, Sony, Apple or especially IBM -- are assembled with components manufactured inside the PRC. Each component produced by the Chinese, according to a reliable source within the intelligence community, is secretly equipped with a hidden microchip that can be activated any time by China's military intelligence services, the PLA.
"It is there, deep inside your computer, if they decide to call it up," the security chief of a multinational corporation told The Investigator. "It is capable of providing Chinese intelligence with everything stored on your system -- on everyone's system -- from e-mail to documents. I call it Call Home Technology. It doesn't mean to say they're sucking data from everyone's computer today, it means the Chinese think ahead -- and they now have the potential to do it when it suits their purposes."
Read more.
October 5, 2008
'Intelligent' computers put to the test'
No machine has yet passed the test devised by Turing, who helped to crack German military codes during the Second World War. But at 9am next Sunday, six computer programs - 'artificial conversational entities' - will answer questions posed by human volunteers at the University of Reading in a bid to become the first recognised 'thinking' machine. If any program succeeds, it is likely to be hailed as the most significant breakthrough in artificial intelligence since the IBM supercomputer Deep Blue beat world chess champion Garry Kasparov in 1997. It could also raise profound questions about whether a computer has the potential to be 'conscious' - and if humans should have the 'right' to switch it off.
Read more.
Read more.
September 30, 2008
Obama suggests expanding FDIC coverage to save bailout plan
"The majority of American families should rest assured that the deposits they have in our banks are safe," Obama said in a statement put out by his presidential campaign.
"That is why today, I am proposing that we also raise the FDIC limit to $250,000 as part of the economic rescue package — a step that would boost small businesses, make our banking system more secure, and help restore public confidence in our financial system."
Yes, because the everyday Joe has $250,000 in the bank.
Idiot.
This is smoke and mirrors being used to hide the fact that he's in the back pocket of big business and is trying to protect the wealthy.
Look, I don't want my tax dollars going to bail out banks that made risky loans and are now going under. Why protect stupidity? What incentive is there to not make risky loans if the government is just going to bail you out?
Read more.
"That is why today, I am proposing that we also raise the FDIC limit to $250,000 as part of the economic rescue package — a step that would boost small businesses, make our banking system more secure, and help restore public confidence in our financial system."
Yes, because the everyday Joe has $250,000 in the bank.
Idiot.
This is smoke and mirrors being used to hide the fact that he's in the back pocket of big business and is trying to protect the wealthy.
Look, I don't want my tax dollars going to bail out banks that made risky loans and are now going under. Why protect stupidity? What incentive is there to not make risky loans if the government is just going to bail you out?
Read more.
Let Risk-Taking Financial Institutions Fail
Let the poorly managed, overly risk-taking financial institutions fail! Always remember that Wall Street and the real economy are not the same thing.
Read more.
Read more.
September 29, 2008
Bankruptcy, not bailout, is the right answer
The fact that government bears such a huge responsibility for the current mess means any response should eliminate the conditions that created this situation in the first place, not attempt to fix bad government with more government.
The obvious alternative to a bailout is letting troubled financial institutions declare bankruptcy. Bankruptcy means that shareholders typically get wiped out and the creditors own the company.
Bankruptcy does not mean the company disappears; it is just owned by someone new (as has occurred with several airlines). Bankruptcy punishes those who took excessive risks while preserving those aspects of a businesses that remain profitable.
In contrast, a bailout transfers enormous wealth from taxpayers to those who knowingly engaged in risky subprime lending. Thus, the bailout encourages companies to take large, imprudent risks and count on getting bailed out by government. This "moral hazard" generates enormous distortions in an economy's allocation of its financial resources.
Um, duh. Bravo to Congress today for rejecting the bailout.
Read the rest.
The obvious alternative to a bailout is letting troubled financial institutions declare bankruptcy. Bankruptcy means that shareholders typically get wiped out and the creditors own the company.
Bankruptcy does not mean the company disappears; it is just owned by someone new (as has occurred with several airlines). Bankruptcy punishes those who took excessive risks while preserving those aspects of a businesses that remain profitable.
In contrast, a bailout transfers enormous wealth from taxpayers to those who knowingly engaged in risky subprime lending. Thus, the bailout encourages companies to take large, imprudent risks and count on getting bailed out by government. This "moral hazard" generates enormous distortions in an economy's allocation of its financial resources.
Um, duh. Bravo to Congress today for rejecting the bailout.
Read the rest.
September 22, 2008
Mobile phone use 'raises children's risk of brain cancer fivefold'
Professor Hardell told the conference – held at the Royal Society by the Radiation Research Trust – that "people who started mobile phone use before the age of 20" had more than five-fold increase in glioma", a cancer of the glial cells that support the central nervous system. The extra risk to young people of contracting the disease from using the cordless phone found in many homes was almost as great, at more than four times higher.
Those who started using mobiles young, he added, were also five times more likely to get acoustic neuromas, benign but often disabling tumours of the auditory nerve, which usually cause deafness.
By contrast, people who were in their twenties before using handsets were only 50 per cent more likely to contract gliomas and just twice as likely to get acoustic neuromas.
Read more.
Those who started using mobiles young, he added, were also five times more likely to get acoustic neuromas, benign but often disabling tumours of the auditory nerve, which usually cause deafness.
By contrast, people who were in their twenties before using handsets were only 50 per cent more likely to contract gliomas and just twice as likely to get acoustic neuromas.
Read more.
Europeans on left and right ridicule U.S. money meltdown
"Greenspan was considered a master," Tremonti declared. "Now we must ask ourselves whether he is not, after [Osama] bin Laden, the man who hurt America the most. . . . It is clear that what is happening is a disease. It is not the failure of a bank, but the failure of a system. Until a few days ago, very few were willing to realize the intensity and the dramatic nature of the crisis."
Read more.
Read more.
September 18, 2008
Software spots the spin in political speeches
Skillicorn has been watching out for verbal "spin". He has developed an algorithm that evaluates word usage within the text of a conversation or speech to determine when a person "presents themselves or their content in a way that does not necessarily reflect what they know to be true".
Read more.
Read more.
Biden calls paying higher taxes a patriotic act
Although Republican John McCain claims that Obama would raise taxes, the independent Tax Policy Center and other groups conclude that four out of five U.S. households would receive tax cuts under Obama's proposals.
That's because their plan targets those that make over $250,000 a year.
Read more.
That's because their plan targets those that make over $250,000 a year.
Read more.
September 12, 2008
Proposed new FBI rules draw civil liberties worries
The American Civil Liberties Union expressed concern the rewritten rules had been drafted in a way to allow the FBI to begin surveillance without factual evidence to back it up.
It said that under the new guidelines, a person's race or ethnic background could be used as a factor in opening an investigation, a move the ACLU believes will institute racial profiling as a matter of policy.
Read more.
It said that under the new guidelines, a person's race or ethnic background could be used as a factor in opening an investigation, a move the ACLU believes will institute racial profiling as a matter of policy.
Read more.
Saudi cleric says 'depraved' TV moguls may be killed
A senior Saudi cleric has issued a religious decree saying the owners of television networks broadcasting "depravation and debauchery" may be killed, Al-Arabiya television reported on Friday.
...
"It is lawful to kill ... the apostles of depravation... if their evil cannot be easily removed through simple sanctions," Luhaidan said, according to excerpt of the remarks broadcast on the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya.
Read more. Practice religion less.
...
"It is lawful to kill ... the apostles of depravation... if their evil cannot be easily removed through simple sanctions," Luhaidan said, according to excerpt of the remarks broadcast on the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya.
Read more. Practice religion less.
September 8, 2008
How to Create the Perfect Fake Identity
Let me start off by saying that I'm making this whole thing up.
...
Call it "identity farming." You invent a handful of infants. You apply for Social Security numbers for them. Eventually, you open bank accounts for them, file tax returns for them, register them to vote, and apply for credit cards in their name. And now, 25 years later, you have a handful of identities ready and waiting for some real people to step into them.
...
Here's the real question: Do you actually have to show up for any part of your life?
Read more.
...
Call it "identity farming." You invent a handful of infants. You apply for Social Security numbers for them. Eventually, you open bank accounts for them, file tax returns for them, register them to vote, and apply for credit cards in their name. And now, 25 years later, you have a handful of identities ready and waiting for some real people to step into them.
...
Here's the real question: Do you actually have to show up for any part of your life?
Read more.
September 5, 2008
File Sharing Lawsuits at a Crossroads, After 5 Years of RIAA Litigation
Despite a fallow legal landscape, most defendants cannot afford attorneys and settle for a few thousand dollars rather than risk losing even more, Beckerman says. "There are still very few people fighting back as far as the litigation goes and they settle."
"It costs more to hire a lawyer to defend these cases than take the settlement," agrees Lory Lybeck, a Washington State attorney, who is leading a prospective class-action against the RIAA for engaging in what he says is "sham" litigation tactics. "That's an important part of what's going on. The recording industry is setting a price where you know they cannot hire lawyers. It's a pretty well-designed system whereby people are not allowed any effective participation in one of the three prongs in the federal government."
Settlement payments can be made on a website, where the funds are used to sue more defendants. None of the money is paid to artists.
Now, isn't that interesting? None of the settlement money goes to the artists. Zero. Zip. Nada. So, if none of that money is going to the artists (and remember, we're told that downloading songs only hurts the artists) does that mean that the RIAA is getting filthy rich off of other people's work? Oh, wait. Yes, it does. But you already knew that.
Nobody can credibly dispute that file sharing systems are a superhighway for pirated music. "There is no doubt that the volume of files on P2P is overwhelmingly infringing," says Eric Garland, president of Los Angeles research firm BigChampagne. But critics of the RIAA say it's time for the music industry to stop attacking fans, and start looking for alternatives. Fred von Lohmann, a staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, says the lawsuits are simply not reducing the number of people trading music online.
"If the goal is to reduce file sharing," he says, "it's a failure."
It's difficult to admit that your business model is outdated when mega-fortunes have been made off of it for decades.
Read more.
"It costs more to hire a lawyer to defend these cases than take the settlement," agrees Lory Lybeck, a Washington State attorney, who is leading a prospective class-action against the RIAA for engaging in what he says is "sham" litigation tactics. "That's an important part of what's going on. The recording industry is setting a price where you know they cannot hire lawyers. It's a pretty well-designed system whereby people are not allowed any effective participation in one of the three prongs in the federal government."
Settlement payments can be made on a website, where the funds are used to sue more defendants. None of the money is paid to artists.
Now, isn't that interesting? None of the settlement money goes to the artists. Zero. Zip. Nada. So, if none of that money is going to the artists (and remember, we're told that downloading songs only hurts the artists) does that mean that the RIAA is getting filthy rich off of other people's work? Oh, wait. Yes, it does. But you already knew that.
Nobody can credibly dispute that file sharing systems are a superhighway for pirated music. "There is no doubt that the volume of files on P2P is overwhelmingly infringing," says Eric Garland, president of Los Angeles research firm BigChampagne. But critics of the RIAA say it's time for the music industry to stop attacking fans, and start looking for alternatives. Fred von Lohmann, a staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, says the lawsuits are simply not reducing the number of people trading music online.
"If the goal is to reduce file sharing," he says, "it's a failure."
It's difficult to admit that your business model is outdated when mega-fortunes have been made off of it for decades.
Read more.
No Questions, Please. We'll Tell You What You Need To Know.
According to Nicole Wallace of the McCain campaign, the American people don't care whether Sarah Palin can answer specific questions about foreign and domestic policy. According to Wallace -- in an appearance I did with her this morning on Joe Scarborough's show -- the American people will learn all they need to know (and all they deserve to know) from Palin's scripted speeches and choreographed appearances on the campaign trail and in campaign ads. Here's the exchange:
Watch the video and read more.
Watch the video and read more.
Senator Biden Wrong: AIPAC Does Represent the Government of Israel
Accused of not backing AIPAC sponsored legislation, Biden told reporters, "They think they know the Senate better than I do. They don't know the Senate better than I do...AIPAC does not speak for the State of Israel."
The outspoken Senator Biden, often compared to president John F. Kennedy, is wrong. Newly declassified documents reveal that before his death, JFK's most pressing concerns were registering the Israel lobby as foreign government agents and inspections of the Israeli nuclear weapons program.
Read more.
The outspoken Senator Biden, often compared to president John F. Kennedy, is wrong. Newly declassified documents reveal that before his death, JFK's most pressing concerns were registering the Israel lobby as foreign government agents and inspections of the Israeli nuclear weapons program.
Read more.
September 2, 2008
DNA breakthrough can identify an individual in a public place
They have found a way of picking an individual’s DNA out of a mixed sample – even when that sample is contaminated by the DNA of up to 200 others. The method works even when the DNA of interest is only 0.1 per cent of the sample. At present, it is hard for forensic investigators to detect an individual’s DNA if it constitutes less than 10 per cent of a mixture, or if many other people’s DNA is present.
This means that it is almost impossible to identify a suspect’s DNA out of, for example, a collection of skin cells from the handrail of a public staircase. The new method could resolve this problem.
Read more.
This means that it is almost impossible to identify a suspect’s DNA out of, for example, a collection of skin cells from the handrail of a public staircase. The new method could resolve this problem.
Read more.
Sun Makes History: First Spotless Month in a Century
The sun has reached a milestone not seen for nearly 100 years: an entire month has passed without a single visible sunspot being noted.
The event is significant as many climatologists now believe solar magnetic activity – which determines the number of sunspots -- is an influencing factor for climate on earth.
Read more.
The event is significant as many climatologists now believe solar magnetic activity – which determines the number of sunspots -- is an influencing factor for climate on earth.
Read more.
Gov. Sarah Palin - just another dirty politician
The top 10 things you should know about Sarah Palin:
I think we can add an 11th one: she was once a member of AIP (Alaskan Independence Party).
Check 'em out.
I think we can add an 11th one: she was once a member of AIP (Alaskan Independence Party).
Check 'em out.
The Myth of Sarah Palin as Tax Cutter and Budget Cutter
During her 6 years as Mayor, she increased general government expenditures by over 33%. During those same 6 years the amount of taxes collected by the City increased by 38%.
She inherited a city with zero debt, but, despite the increase in taxes,left it with indebtedness of over $22 million.
Read more.
She inherited a city with zero debt, but, despite the increase in taxes,left it with indebtedness of over $22 million.
Read more.
Is McCain Getting Set to Dump Palin?
And the Palin mess is getting uglier by the minute. The NY Times Tuesday reports that, in addition to Palin's daughter being five months pregnant, she's hired a private lawyer to defend her in her abuse-of-power investigation; was a member of a political party seeking Alaska's secession from the Union; and that her husband Todd was arrested 22 years ago for drunken driving. Jeez, the Republicans sure have a distorted view of "family values," huh? With McCain's temper, we can only imagine how much yelling and screaming must be going on behind the scenes right now.
But McCain likely has only himself to blame. Word on the street is that no one in his vice presidential selection committee but him wanted Palin. He wanted his pal Sen. Joe Lieberman, but hastily switched plans last-minute in a likely act of desperation following Obama and the Dems Denver blowout. His move, purely political to seduce Sen. Hillary Clinton's disaffected women supporters, hardly is a "country first" strategy. If McCain was/is so concerned about country, he wouldn't be pushing to put it in the hands of the very inexperienced Palin in the event something were to happen to him. He'd give us someone like Sen. Joe Biden, the Dems' VP nominee.
Will the "token" fall?
Read more.
But McCain likely has only himself to blame. Word on the street is that no one in his vice presidential selection committee but him wanted Palin. He wanted his pal Sen. Joe Lieberman, but hastily switched plans last-minute in a likely act of desperation following Obama and the Dems Denver blowout. His move, purely political to seduce Sen. Hillary Clinton's disaffected women supporters, hardly is a "country first" strategy. If McCain was/is so concerned about country, he wouldn't be pushing to put it in the hands of the very inexperienced Palin in the event something were to happen to him. He'd give us someone like Sen. Joe Biden, the Dems' VP nominee.
Will the "token" fall?
Read more.
Will she even survive the week?
Oh, most likely. But the very fact that the question needs to be asked – and I'm not the only one asking it, believe me – indicates what a joke Sarah Palin has already become. Wednesday night, she'll speak before an audience that (mostly) loves her – delegates to a GOP convention tilt heavily toward the socially conservative. That will sustain her for the week. But whether she'll survive the month of September seems a genuinely serious question.
The "token" will speak.
Read more.
The "token" will speak.
Read more.
A Disappointing Finish for Americans at Education Olympics
The United States won the most medals of any country at the summer Olympic Games in Beijing, but it turned in a dismal performance at the Education Olympics. Americans took home only one medal from those games, for an embarrassing 20th-place finish, ahead of only Germany, Hungary, and Iceland. The top medal winners across all 58 education events were Finland (35 medals), Hong Kong (33 medals), and Singapore (16 medals).
...
The folks responsible for the first Education Olympics are the policy wonks at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute in Washington, D.C. Michael Petrilli, who oversees national education research projects at the institute, apparently caught the Olympic bug and decided to see what would happen if, instead of competing in pole vaulting or in the 400-meter swim relay, Americans competed in academic challenges.
Read more.
...
The folks responsible for the first Education Olympics are the policy wonks at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute in Washington, D.C. Michael Petrilli, who oversees national education research projects at the institute, apparently caught the Olympic bug and decided to see what would happen if, instead of competing in pole vaulting or in the 400-meter swim relay, Americans competed in academic challenges.
Read more.
Sarah Palin’s Preacher Problem. End Times Coming?
I did a drive-by of Palin’s church when I was traveling through Wasilla yesterday, not realizing the furor that would be churning the blogosphere less than 24-hours later about a speech Palin delivered there only three months ago. Here’s what she said regarding the war in Iraq.
“Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. Also, for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending [U.S. soldiers] out on a task that is from God.”
Jesus. I'm sure "God" gets tired of being used in such ways.
Read more.
“Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. Also, for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending [U.S. soldiers] out on a task that is from God.”
Jesus. I'm sure "God" gets tired of being used in such ways.
Read more.
Lieberman hails McCain's record, criticizes Obama
Sen. Joe Lieberman, the Democratic vice presidential pick eight years ago, on Tuesday criticized Barack Obama's national security record and hailed Republican candidate John McCain's, a clear boost to the GOP.
...
Although his vote in the Senate gives the Democrats a narrow majority, he has riled former party members again this year by criticizing Obama and endorsing his longtime friend McCain.
...
"He's going to be punished by the Democratic Party and he knows it. But he wants to do it because he thinks he's the best candidate for president," Kean said.
No he's doesn't. He's supporting his "longtime friend McCain." Which probably means if McCain gets elected, then Joe "I'll do anything" Leiberman will get appointed to a nice position.
Hey Joe (apologies to Jimi Hendrix there), I guess you'll do or say anything to try and make you believe that you are important. You are not.
Read more.
...
Although his vote in the Senate gives the Democrats a narrow majority, he has riled former party members again this year by criticizing Obama and endorsing his longtime friend McCain.
...
"He's going to be punished by the Democratic Party and he knows it. But he wants to do it because he thinks he's the best candidate for president," Kean said.
No he's doesn't. He's supporting his "longtime friend McCain." Which probably means if McCain gets elected, then Joe "I'll do anything" Leiberman will get appointed to a nice position.
Hey Joe (apologies to Jimi Hendrix there), I guess you'll do or say anything to try and make you believe that you are important. You are not.
Read more.
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