Archive for November, 2011
As Egyptians Return to Tahrir Square, the Obama Administration Sides with the Military
November 21st, 2011Via: Salon: In the nine months since Hosni Mubarak stepped aside, the Egyptian military has monopolized political decision-making. The SCAF has broken its promise to lift or modify the Emergency Laws, which have been in place since 1981 and give the state sweeping powers to detain citizens and restrict free speech, even though repeal of […]
DARPA Wants to Collect ‘Physiological Signals’ at a Distance and Through Walls
November 20th, 2011Via: Office of the Secretary of Defense / DARPA: TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Information Systems, Biomedical, Electronics, Battlespace OBJECTIVE: Demonstrate the ability to collect, localize, and evaluate physiological signals (e.g., heart rate) at distances greater than 10 meters, non-line-of-sight, and through solid objects (walls, rock, concrete, etc.). DESCRIPTION: There is a need to remotely detect, collect, and […]
One in Three Americans in Poverty, or Just Above It
November 20th, 2011Via: New York Times: They drive cars, but seldom new ones. They earn paychecks, but not big ones. Many own homes. Most pay taxes. Half are married, and nearly half live in the suburbs. None are poor, but many describe themselves as barely scraping by. Down but not quite out, these Americans form a diverse […]
Foreign Hackers Targeted U.S. Water Plant in Apparent Malicious Cyber Attack
November 20th, 2011Related/Update: Hacker Says Texas Town Used Three Character Password To Secure Internet Facing SCADA System Via: Threat Post: In an e-mail interview with Threatpost, the hacker who compromised software used to manage water infrastructure for South Houston, Texas, said the district had HMI (human machine interface) software used to manage water and sewage infrastructure accessible […]
Britain ‘Will Join Euro Before Long’, Says German Finance Minister
November 19th, 2011Via: Telegraph: Wolfgang Schäuble said that, despite the current crisis in the eurozone, the euro will ultimately emerge as the common currency of the entire European Union. He said he “respects” Britain’s decision to keep the pound, but insisted that the survival and eventual stabilisation of the euro will convince non-members to join the currency […]
Judge Declares Law Governing Warrantless Cellphone Tracking Unconstitutional
November 19th, 2011The NSA smiles at the part in bold below. Via: Wall Street Journal: In a succinct one-page ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Lynn N. Hughes of the Southern District of Texas declared that the law authorizing the government to obtain cellphone records without a search warrant was unconstitutional. “The records would show the date, time, […]
At Planned Sunny Isles Beach Condo, Cars and Drivers Ride Elevator Home
November 19th, 2011Via: Miami Herald: Pull over into the designated space. Turn off the engine. And enjoy the oceanfront view as you escalate in a glass elevator that takes you, while you are sitting in your car, to the front door of your apartment. No, this is not the latest Disney ride. The $560 million Jetsonesque tower […]
Fake Terror Plots, Paid Informants: The Tactics of FBI ‘Entrapment’
November 18th, 2011Via: Guardian: Critics say the FBI is running a sting operation across America, targeting – to a large extent – the Muslim community by luring people into fake terror plots. FBI bureaux send informants to trawl through Muslim communities, hang out in mosques and community centres, and talk of radical Islam in order to identify […]
All French Nuclear Reactors Need Safety Upgrades
November 18th, 2011Via: Reuters: France needs to upgrade the protection of vital functions in all its nuclear reactors to avoid a disaster in the event of a natural calamity, the head of its nuclear safety agency said, adding there was no need to close any plants.
A Conspiracy of Hogs: The McRib as Arbitrage
November 18th, 2011I have a special relationship with the McRib sandwich. Long ago, I had a friend who used to eat those things and the smell of them turned my stomach. He found my revulsion hilarious and he would taunt me by offering me some of the McRib, or blowing the putrid fumes my way. One time, […]
