Is the USA at War With Pakistan?
WorldCitizen.org
How many countries is the United States at war with? It would appear as though Pakistan needs to be added to the list. Another missile attack killed 27 in Pakistan. Drone aircraft have been launching attacks in Pakistan since at least July. There are reports of more than 30 such invasions. [...]
Jail These Judges
These men are vile, jailing children for profit. They ought to be left to the mercy of the kids, toward whom they showed none. From the NYTimes:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/13/us/13judge.html?_r=1&hp=&pagewanted=all
Making Money Off the Mahatma
For shame! Auctioning off Gandhiji’s meager posessions is an infamy. “Because Gandhi had so few possessions, the sale is expected to attract huge attention from across the world.” From the BBC:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7886389.stm
More from the BBC: A number of Members of the Indian Parliament (one of the Houses of the bicameral legislature in [...]
Shine On Me
Southern California Edison comes toward the light.
SoCalEd commits to 1300MW power purchase agreement with Brightsource for solar power from the Mojave Desert. This kind of agreement is exactly what is needed to make solar power viable. Kudos to all involved. That’s another 1300 MW not coming from coal.
http://www.edison.com/files/021109_news1.pdf
Making Rain for a Thirsty Land
The Chinese have been doing this for a while. Apparently it works to some extent, but you do have to start with rain clouds. A danger with this technology is that it might be used to deny rain to a downwind country, by making all the rain fall out over your own territory.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90776/90785/6590656.html
Hide Your Face
Ten tips for privacy settings on Facebook. Or, save yourself the time and just dont use Facebook.
http://www.allfacebook.com/2009/02/facebook-privacy/
Obama Orders Efficient Appliances
About time. Fourteen states had filed lawsuits complaining that the previous administration had, as usual, failed to comply with legislation, in this case, the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. Let’s see if we do get stiffer standards. Deadline is middle of this year. From the Federal Register, via Cryptome:
http://cryptome.info/0001/pm020509.htm
Demolition Derby in Space
Coming to an orbital slot right above your head. This will become a bigger problem as more and more satellites die and their orbits decay. Don’t look up, the sky is falling. From
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090211/ap_on_sc/satellite_collision
Parents get Panic Button
Parents who can’t find the on-off switch may get a large red panic button to turn off their kids’ games. What will they legislate next. From
http://www.gamepolitics.com/2009/02/11/euro-parliament-online-games-should-have-quotred-buttonquot-parents
Shock Your Battery
Potholes decrease efficiency. This technique recovers some of the energy dissipated in shock absorbers as heat to recharge the car battery. Every little bit helps. From MIT:
http://techfragments.com/news/415/Tech/MIT_Team_Creates_Shock_That_Recharges_Your_Car.html