Archive for December, 2013
Medical Radioactive Material Truck Stolen in Mexico
December 4th, 2013Update: Found, “But Officials Aren’t Sure Whether Any of the Cobalt is Missing” Via: CNN: A pair of thieves in Mexico may have stolen more than they bargained for when they targeted a truck this week. The stolen vehicle was carrying delicate cargo — a radioactive element used for medical purposes that also can be […]
“Lockup Quotas” Guarantee Profits for the U.S. Private Prison Industry
December 4th, 2013Via: In The Public Interest: Shar Habibi looks at the rise of “lockup quotas” in private prisons; quotas where states guarantee that prisons will be filled at rates of 90 percent or even higher. She argues that these quotas mean that even if communities realize their objective of lower crime rates, taxpayers will see no […]
Mission Acomplished: Afghanistan Opium Harvest at Record High
December 4th, 2013Via: BBC: Afghan opium cultivation has reached a record level, with more than 200,000 hectares planted with the poppy for the first time, the United Nations says. The UNODC report said the harvest was 36% up on last year, and if fully realised would outstrip global demand. Most of the rise was in Helmand province, […]
Green Energy Versus a Grid That’s Not Ready
December 4th, 2013In other news: Germany Hits 59% Renewable Peak, Grid Does Not Explode. Via: Los Angeles Times: Energy officials worry a lot these days about the stability of the massive patchwork of wires, substations and algorithms that keeps electricity flowing. They rattle off several scenarios that could lead to a collapse of the power grid — […]
Power Out
December 3rd, 2013A storm took out our electricity about 13 hours ago. It’s still down. Apologies for the lack of updates.
Amazon Drone Attempted Delivery Tag *Chortle*
December 2nd, 2013I don’t have a Humor category, but if I did…
For Nearly Two Decades the Nuclear Launch Code at All Minuteman Silos in the U.S. Was 00000000
December 2nd, 2013Via: Today I Found Out: Today I found out that during the height of the Cold War, the US military put such an emphasis on a rapid response to an attack on American soil, that to minimize any foreseeable delay in launching a nuclear missile, for nearly two decades they intentionally set the launch codes […]
Britain: Woman Forcibly Sedated, Child Taken from Her Womb by Caesarean Section
December 2nd, 2013Via: Telegraph: A pregnant woman has had her baby forcibly removed by caesarean section by social workers. Essex social services obtained a High Court order against the woman that allowed her to be forcibly sedated and her child to be taken from her womb. The council said it was acting in the best interests of […]
DHS Agent Cites Private Medical History to Deny Canadian Entry Into U.S.
December 2nd, 2013Via: Network World: A U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent cited private medical history, a ‘mental illness episode,’ as the reason to deny a wheelchair-bound Canadian woman entry into the U.S.
Amazon Testing Delivery by Drone Aircraft
December 1st, 2013😯 Via: USA Today: Amazon.com is testing delivering packages using drones, CEO Jeff Bezos said on the CBS TV news show 60 Minutes Sunday. The idea would be to deliver packages as quickly as possible using the small, unmanned aircraft, through a service the company is calling Prime Air, the CEO said. Bezos played a […]
