Month: November 2006

I am right – again – current airport security is garbage

Another day, another fine fine airport security idiocy to report. This time, the danger is a rubber-band ball – probably about the size of a soccer ball. The end result is jail time with no actual charges.

I was departing a small commuter airport in Southern California last week and I found myself in jail! Here’s the story with the facts, and without any “emotional hype.”

About two years ago I made a big, rubber band ball. It’s bigger than a softball, but not as big as a basketball. It’s made of 100% rubber bands, and the core is nothing but knotted rubber bands. It’s been in the trunk of a car that I own and keep down there for most of that time.

I decided to bring it home to Anchorage to work on more, and that proved to be a bad decision.

Continue reading “I am right – again – current airport security is garbage”

More on the coming robot uprising

The robots are learning humor. Perhaps in an effort to catch us all off-guard? Regardless – don’t be fooled by friendly utterances from robots!

How do you stop a robot from destroying you and the rest of civilization?
You don’t.

Little Susie tosses a clock out the window. A robot inquires, “Why did you do that?” She replies, “I wanted to see time fly!” The robot says, “Ah … A perfect subject for elimination,” and shoots her with a laser beam through the face.

(via boingboing)

[tags]Robot humor, Signs of the coming robot uprising[/tags]

Frigits – marble structures for your refrigerator

frigit-fridge.giffrigits.jpgRefrigerator marble tracks? How could that not be considered cool? Get your own set at Firebox.com for only $30.

And if that doesn’t quite catch your fancy but you like the marble theme, try out Marble Racer instead, for just $30-$40 (depending on which set you buy).

marble-racer.jpg (via shinyshiny)

[tags]Marble gadgetry, Marble racing, Refrigerator marble toys[/tags]

1999 war games under Clinton indicate potential Iraq invasion issues

After some talks by Marine General Anthony Zinni (ret.) about these, the folks at George Washington University’s National Security Archive have gotten their hands on post Iraqi invasion war game documents from 1999 via a Freedom of Information Act request. If I’m reading things correctly, these war games performed under President Clinton detail some possibilities of what would be required for a successful Iraqi invasion and post-invasion rebuilding program.

A series of secret U.S. war games in 1999 showed that an invasion and post-war administration of Iraq would require 400,000 troops, nearly three times the number there now.

And even then, the games showed, the country still had a chance of dissolving into chaos.

In the simulation, called Desert Crossing, 70 military, diplomatic and intelligence participants concluded the high troop levels would be needed to keep order, seal borders and take care of other security needs.

Continue reading “1999 war games under Clinton indicate potential Iraq invasion issues”