weblog

Hiding prOn on your computer - Gizmodo (J. Herman)

Space rays causing Toyota's "sudden acceleration" phenomenon? -Detroit Free Press (J. Hyde)

NYC's schools "rubber room" for teachers - NY Post

Just like a jail cell except that they get full salary and benefits and can go home at night.

weblog

The office cubicle of tomorrow - Geekosystems
Even less space and privacy than there is now.
Sorel Caribou snow boots - Sorel.com/
$110 + s/h. A great value.
PA School Defends Web-Cam Spying As "Security Measure"- BoingBoing
Cameras were activated 40+ times.
Toyota brake safety hearings to be televised. - Detroit News
Grandstanding, excuse making and finger-pointing are sure to ensue. Toyota saved $100 million but the damage to their reputation for quality has been diminished by way more than than they "saved" by all the stonewalling.
Thefts of catalytic converters up as precious metal prices rise. - Michigan Daily
Some rude (but bitterly accurate) comments in reply to a NY Post editorial demanding NY State police be armed with military-grade weaponry. - New York Post
The Majesty of the Law - Megan McCardle @ The Atlantic
"Consider the way we have cracked down on pain medications, impeding the effectiveness of pain control for people in chronic agony out of the fear that somewhere, someone might be getting high. Or the terrifying authority we've handed the IRS, because if anyone gets away with cheating on their taxes, the terrorists will have won, or something."
Pistol-whipping followed by gun fire at Toledo, Ohio Chuck E. Cheese - Toledo On the Move

The US M-1 rifle in action -YouTube

weblog

"Electric bicycles" are extremely popular and getting more so. - NY Times
Used to be called scooters, didn't they?
Robotic pack-mules being developed for the Army can carry 200kg in any terrain for 24 straight hours -Layer8 blog
Selective breeding of cannabis plants for a better high also makes them a health hazard for some
- Popular Science
Army to dispense with bayonet training in basic training; modern high tech soldiers don't fight that way anymore - Popular Science
OK but what happens if you run out of ammo or your rifle jams up then?
Is human knowledge likely to survive long term in digital form? - New Scientist
Data carved into stone can last a long, long time. Stuff stored on a HDD not so much.
Why some NYC parents are giving IQ tests to their four-year-olds. -iSteveblog
Steve Wozniak: Toyota accelerator problems are caused by software bugs. - Gizmodo
Patent trolls doing great: beats actually producing code. - Ars Technica

Surplus SKS rifles are cheap, rugged, dependable, plentiful.-Backwoods Home Magazine
"This handy little semi-auto is just the ticket for taking whitetails in the woods or groundhogs in the bean field—out to somewhat over 200 yards. While its 7.62 X 39 cartridge packs plenty of punch for the bigger bucks (especially with handloaded 150-grain bullets), its recoil is really pretty negligible."