Archive for August, 2011
Battle for the California Desert: Why is the Government Driving Folks off Their Land?
August 29th, 2011No mortgage: Check. Not paying utility companies: Check. Agenda 21? In any event, this definitely isn’t a new phenomenon. Twenty years ago, I knew people who were playing cat and mouse with code enforcement nonsense way, way further out in that bone dry wasteland than Antelope Valley, which is a built-up metropolis compared to what […]
Scared Mexicans Turn to Bogus Tracking Chip Implants
August 29th, 2011Via: Washington Post: Of all the strange circumstances surrounding the violent abduction last year of Diego Fernandez de Cevallos, the Mexican power broker and former presidential candidate known here as “Boss Diego,” perhaps nothing was weirder than the mysterious tracking chip that the kidnappers allegedly cut from his body. Lurid Mexican media accounts reported that […]
Pentagon Has Paid $720 Million in Late Fees for Storage Containers Since 2001
August 29th, 2011Via: USA Today: The Pentagon has spent more than $720million since 2001 on fees for shipping containers that it fails to return on time, according to data and contracts obtained by USA TODAY. The containers — large metal boxes stowed on ships and moved from port on trucks — are familiar sights on bases in […]
Artist’s Depiction of a Bank on Fire Drew Attention L.A. Police
August 29th, 2011Via: Los Angeles Times: Alex Schaefer’s depiction of a Chase branch going up in flames drew the attention of L.A. police, who asked if he was a terrorist. He said the work was a metaphor for the havoc banking practices have caused the economy. Standing before an easel on a Van Nuys sidewalk, Alex Schaefer […]
4 Million People Without Power in Northeastern U.S.
August 28th, 2011Via: CNN: Trees toppled and streets flooded Sunday morning as Irene lashed some of the biggest cities in the Northeast with wind gusts and torrential rains. Even as Irene weakened to a tropical storm, authorities in the region warned that its impact was not waning. “We’re not out of the woods yet. Irene remains a […]
The Slow Disappearance of the American Working Man
August 27th, 2011What’s the solution? Hmm. War: Now Even Better for Wiping Out Excess Men (and Women and Children and Elderly). Buy Now! Via: Business Week: A smaller share of men have jobs today than at any time since World War II As President Barack Obama puts together a new jobs plan to be revealed shortly after […]
Irene: Utilities Bracing for Widespread Power Outages
August 26th, 2011Via: AP: Hurricane Irene’s strong winds and heavy rains threaten to deliver long-lasting power outages to millions of customers along the East Coast, utility officials and weather forecasters say. An unusually large number of people may be affected by Irene because it is forecast to stay just offshore — and thus retain much of its […]
Credit Default Swaps Indicating Market Crash Might Be Weeks Away
August 26th, 2011Via: Telegraph: A more severe crash than the one triggered by the collapse of Lehman Brothers could be on the way, according to alarm signals in the credit markets. Insurance on the debt of several major European banks has now hit historic levels, higher even than those recorded during financial crisis caused by the US […]
People Who Doodle Learn Faster
August 25th, 2011I really enjoy Vi Hart’s videos and other work. My head was pretty much wrecked for math by sK0oL. Vi reminds me that it didn’t have to be that way. Check out her latest video, What Is Up with the Noises?: And, oh yeah… Via: io9: New research published today shows that doodling helps you […]
Mexican Terrorists Target Nanotech Researchers with Package Bombs
August 25th, 2011Via: Times Union: A Mexican terrorist group is targeting nanotechnology researchers around the world. The group, which is influenced by the Unabomber, has sent package bombs to universities and research facilities in South America and Europe. A number of victims, including professors, were injured after they opened mail that exploded. Research Credit: lagavulin
