http://reason.com/archives/2010/11/15/brian-aitkens-mistake
Moving, has legally-owned handguns locked in trunk, sentenced to 7 years.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Cool hack: stuxnet virus destroys nuke centrifuges by jacking motors up and down
http://volokh.com/2010/11/19/is-israel-behind-the-stuxnet-cyberattack-on-iran/
The new forensic work narrows the range of targets and deciphers the worm’s plan of attack. Computer analysts say Stuxnet does its damage by making quick changes in the rotational speed of motors, shifting them rapidly up and down.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
How Detroit does strip clubs
Writer is a bit of an effete prig, but color is interesting: http://nplusonemag.com/postcard-from-detroit
A larger collection of Detroit writings: http://thebrowser.com/topics/front-line-detroit
A larger collection of Detroit writings: http://thebrowser.com/topics/front-line-detroit
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
How much taxation is too much?
A good metric from Bainbridge:
Michael Kinsley tells us that "although I favor Obama’s tax increase, I could not defend [a top marginal tax rate of] 90 cents on the dollar." Why not? Once you accept the liberal view of taxes, why not go all the way to a top rate of 100%? It's the Alice Trillin tax. She argued that, over a certain level, the government gets everything.
This got me to thinking, what's the total tax burden? Everything combined: income, FICA, state and local, property, sales, excise, etc.... The Tax Foundation reports:
The shift toward a lower tax burden since 2007 has been driven by three factors: (1) The recession has reduced tax collections even faster than it has reduced income; (2) President Obama and the Congress have enacted large but temporary income tax cuts for 2009 and 2010, just as President Bush did in 2008; and (3) Two significant taxes were repealed for 2010 as part of previous legislation, the estate tax and the so-called PEP and Pease provisions of the income tax.
The kicker, however, is that:
Despite all these tax reductions, Americans will pay more taxes in 2010 than they will spend on food, clothing and shelter combined.
I'd say that that's more than enough. If the government can't get by with what the rest of us spend on "food, clothing and shelter combined," the government's just going to have to learn to do with less.
Of course, if Kinsley wants to voluntarily make a contribution to the government, that's fine by me too.
Graffiti animation
File under OMFG: graffiti animation. Spray can + walls + objects + camera = crazy animation. Hard to describe. Just watch it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMoKcsN8wM8&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMoKcsN8wM8&feature=player_embedded
Monday, October 25, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
neat: DNA day = $99 to get DNA mapped at 23andme.com
They look for disease and racial markers and other things.
They are reputable. Sergey Brin (google co-founder) used to find that he was predisposed for parkinsons; also married their co-founder.
https://www.23andme.com/
They are reputable. Sergey Brin (google co-founder) used to find that he was predisposed for parkinsons; also married their co-founder.
https://www.23andme.com/
Sunday, April 11, 2010
cool edge finding trick
from: http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general-archive/best-cheapest-edge-finder-76080/
Here is what I do when I have to pick up an edge dead "**uts" :
Take a ring gage of known size - any size works that you can get the tip of your indicator inside of. I always grab my .5000.
Stick it down on top of your part or your vise with double sided tape, location does not matter, all you want to do is set your indicator center to that gage. When the indicator is set on zero (rotated the spindle to do this) .. you now know that the center of the spindle is exactly 1/2 of what the size of the ring gage hole is. (.500 ring gage, .2500 off center)
Now without touching the indicator to knock it out of this position, bring the indicator and spindle over to the edge you are trying to find and sweep the edge. When you see zero on the indicator again you are within (if using the .500 ring gage) .2500 exactly from the edge.
With a tenth indicator you should be able to pick up this edge within a tenth. This is very reliable, takes all the variables out.
Of all the electronic center finders and even the "u" shaped finders, I find this to be the most accurate center finder of all. It never lies.
Monday, February 8, 2010
evil eye
Mistaken IDs are far and away the leading cause of wrongful convictions in the United States. Nearly three out of every four prisoners who have been released after being exonerated by DNA evidence had an eyewitness identifying them.Guy on hunting trip falsely ID'd by highschool alumni as at a nightclub 100s of miles away beating another guy to death. Since exonerated, but got lucky:
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/crime/witnesses-to-beating-dead-wrong-about-man-charged-219392.html
Friday, February 5, 2010
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