Archive for July, 2010
China Cuts Rare Earth Export Quota 72%
July 10th, 2010In other news: Afghan Mineral Deposits Actually Worth $3 Trillion, Not $1 Trillion. Via: Bloomberg: China, the world’s largest rare- earths producer, cut export quotas for the minerals needed to make hybrid cars and televisions by 72 percent for the second half, raising the possibility of a trade dispute with the U.S. Shipments will be […]
More Private Planes Are Being Repossessed
July 9th, 2010Via: USA Today: In the past few weeks, Ken Cage, who specializes in repossessing private planes, says he’s recovered two jets worth a combined $7.1 million. And while business has ebbed a bit compared with last year, it remains four times what Cage saw before the recession. “I think we picked up 15 (planes) that […]
‘Liar Loans’ Make a Comeback
July 9th, 2010As I was reading this, I kept thinking, “Who’s going to buy these loans?” The answer, at least according to this, is nobody. The companies are going to hold these loans on their books: The banks extending these loans are small community and regional outfits attracted to their relatively high interest rates (anything from 25 […]
The New “Convenient” Way to Buy Wine in Pennsylvania: Swipe Driver’s License, Look Into Camera, Blow Into Breath Sensor
July 9th, 2010Via: AP: Swipe your driver’s license, look into the camera, blow into the breath sensor and — voila! — you have permission to buy a bottle of wine from a vending machine. Pennsylvania, which has some of the most Byzantine liquor laws in the nation, recently introduced the country’s first wine “kiosks.” If the machines […]
300 Actions a Minute? Truly Mastering StarCraft
July 8th, 2010Madness. Via: Ars: Many gamers think that with a little more time to practice, with a touch more dedication, they could be competitive at their favorite games. The truth? Those who make money gaming competitively do very little else with their days, nights, and weekends. This video, from the documentary The Hax Life, shows just […]
National Security Bullshit Generator
July 8th, 2010I was looking through the Special Access Program (SAP) Policy document hosted over at Cryptome and thought I’d post a section from it because this is just about the most absurd collection of words I’ve ever come across in the English language. It reminded me of the maniac bureaucracies John Saul describes in Voltaire’s Bastards: […]
German Government Takes Legal Action Against Facebook; Saving Private Data of Non-Members for Marketing Purposes
July 8th, 2010Via: BBC: German officials have launched legal proceedings against Facebook for accessing and saving the personal data of people who do not use the site. Facebook could face fines of tens of thousands of euros under privacy laws. The social networking firm confirmed it had received a letter about the action. “We consider the saving […]
Relief Payments Get Slashed if Fishermen Refuse to Work for BP
July 8th, 2010That’s life in a company town. Via: Raw Story: Any relief payment plan established in the wake of the worst environmental accident ever was bound to have its flaws, but this goes to a whole new level of wrong. According to Gulf resident Kindra Arnesen, who turned whistleblower and full-time activist when she saw how […]
Corexit
July 8th, 2010Research Credit: JoKerHill
Bradley Manning Charge Sheet
July 8th, 2010Bradley Manning charge sheet – PDF Bradley Manning charge sheet – HTML Via: bradleymanning.org: CHARGE I: VIOLATION OF THE UCMJ, ARTICLE 92 SPECIFICATION 1: In that Private First Class Bradley E. Manning, U.S. Army, did, between on or about 19 November 2009 and on or about 27 May 2010, at or near Contingency Operating Station […]
