Category: Useless knowledge

Information you have no need for. Ever. Usually about me, but possibly about other trivial crap in the world.

I might be wrong on the air travel issue

I’m not. Let me just state that up front. And apologies again about the language below – I try to keep the site clean, but this current issue just cranks my frustration levels too high for me to stay clean.
There is a chance, though, that I’m wrong on the air travel issue. I’ve credited the whole ass-raping that travellers are being subjected to now to a government making decisions based on idiots running things. The fine folks at StecoNews have a different view – conspiracy. Now normally I pass on any conspiracy theorists ravings, but since I hold fast to my almost certainly untrue conspiracy view (which if you’ve been with me long you’ve seen me post on before) of the lies we were fed to justify the illegal war in Iraq, I’m going to post some notes from other conspiracy nutjobs out there. That said, here’s a few highlights from the StecoNews post title “London Terror Alert? A Skeptical Round-up” for you to ruminate on.

Several points make the whole affair seem unlikely:

  1. The Republicans are joyfully using it for political gain. Via (Phila Daily News)
  2. Officials have known about the threat of liquid explosives for years and done nothing. Via (NYTimes)
  3. Bush has been trying to cut funds for bomb detection at us airports Via (ABC News)

That’s half the list. You’ll have to check StecoNews for the rest.  I do want to point out that #2 is true, but indicative of nothing.  As I’ve mentioned before, the terrorist attacks have done nothing to increase our risk during travel, but only heightened our awareness.  The natural government reaction is to make a meaningless gesture which appears to be a positive security move, and suddenly acting on the threat of liquid explosives is just that.
[tags]Air travel restrictions a political conspiracy?, More air travel ranting, London terrorist attacks a ruse[/tags]

Happy Birthday, Fidel Castro

I almost made it through the day without wishing Mr. Castro a happy birthday (because, like, you know he totally reads my web site and is waiting for me to send well-wishes, and all). So, here’s a bit from The History Channel on our favorite communist dictator whofidel_castro_mug_3.jpg lives only miles from the US.

1926 Fidel Castro born

Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro is born in the Oriente province of eastern Cuba. The son of a Spanish immigrant who had made a fortune building rail systems to transport sugar cane, Fidel attended Roman Catholic boarding schools in Santiago de Cuba. He became involved in revolutionary politics while he was a student and in 1947 took part in an abortive attempt by Dominican exiles and Cubans to overthrow Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo. In the next year, he took part in urban riots in Bogotá, Colombia. The most outstanding feature of his politics during the period was his anti-American beliefs; he was not yet an overt Marxist.

The humorous part of Castro’s history?  In 1953, while trying to overthrow the current Cuban government with a band of rebels, roughly half of his troops were captured or killed.  Arrested for this, Castro argued he shouldn’t be jailed:

Castro was himself arrested and put on trial for conspiring to overthrow the Cuban government. During his trial, he argued that he and his rebels were fighting to restore democracy to Cuba, but he was nonetheless found guilty and sentenced to 15 years in prison.

So, Fidel, how’s that whole democratizing your nation going?

That said, happy birthday Fidel Castro.  We hope you get well from your recent surgery and all really soon.  And could you like, please stop being a communist dictator and all?

[tags]Happy Birthday, Fidel Castro, Cuban government[/tags]

A look at computer interfaces (PC and Apple) from 1984 to present

(view MAKEzine blog)
A graphical look at graphical and semi-graphical user interfaces on Apple and PC systems from 1984 to present.  See what you have missed, if you just entered the computing world recently.  Shoot – I was into computers since way back then, and I even missed a lot of these interfaces.

system_30.png

 windows_100.jpg

[tags]Graphical interfaces, User interfaces, Computing interface evolution[/tags]

I don’t get it – why aren’t more travellers outraged?

The idiocy continues.  Our government has made a public relations move and disallowed all liquids on flights.  Rather than continuing to do real work that improves safety for travellers, they have made things worse by forcing anyone travelling with a dangerous liquid to pour it in a large receptable and expose *EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO COMES NEAR THE RECEPTACLE* to that liquid.  In other words, our government has increased the power terrorists have for disrupting our daily lives – moreso than they have already disrupted it by giving the government reasons to implement stupid policies that they’ve probably wanted to do any way.

But in same locations, the current levels of stupidity are not enough.  No, in same places, the inspectors are making people peel bananas to prove that there are bananas.

At Dulles International Airport near Washington on Thursday morning, one traveler reported that screeners were also making passengers remove all food items from their carry-on luggage for inspection, and one passenger was told to peel her banana.

[tags]Our government is staffed by idiots, Lose of rights continues in America, Let’s not let people take food either because they would be a way to top the idiocy of no liquids[/tags]

Surprise science headline of the century?

Obese people more likely to pass out in heat.

ATLANTA (AP) — Obese people face a higher risk of passing out — or worse — during heat waves, some health experts say.

Layers of fat make it extra difficult for a body to dissipate heat, or to move to a cool location. Add in diabetic dehydration and other conditions common in the obese, and it’s a recipe for trouble.

“ER physicians will tell you that they (obese people) are the ones collapsing,” said Thomas Adams, a Michigan State University physiologist.

Continue reading “Surprise science headline of the century?”

Approaching the uncanny valley

(via TechEBlog)

Scientists in Japan have recently announced the development of a “lifelike” female android called “Repliee Q1Expo.” Of course, they should have named her Rachael, I think, but what do I know? (And speaking of Sean Young, go check out her pictures on IMDB – I can barely believe she’s nearly 50).

More information from the BBC:

She has flexible silicone for skin rather than hard plastic, and a number of sensors and motors to allow her to turn and react in a human-like manner.

She can flutter her eyelids and move her hands like a human. She even appears to breathe.

So why the uncanny valley reference? Well…

Continue reading “Approaching the uncanny valley”

How to build a sandcastle

(via LifeHacker)
Another item to throw on the list of things I need to do with my kids – Build a sandcastle.  Of course, I think this might have been handier when we were living in Myrtle Beach, but since I couldn’t find a good job there, that didn’t last long.

Why spend money on clay when you can use beach sand for free? Indulge your artistic side and create medieval fantasies by building your very own sand castle.

  1. Draw a rough sketch of the castle you’d like to build.
  2. Choose a square site near the water, but not so close that waves will destroy your castle as the tide comes up. Make sure the square is large enough for your castle plans.
  3. Dig a hole down to the water table, where the sand is dark and moist, or bring up large buckets of water from the ocean or lake.

And the list goes on.  After the ehow guide is a section with tips from ehow readers.

[tags]How to build a sandcastle[/tags]

Ancient ads – height increasing shoes

An advertisment from the March 1954 issue of Popular Science. Clip courtesy of Modern Mechanix blog.

I go for a TALL man
Wishing won’t make you TALLER . .. but “ELEVATORS” will! In these wonderful height-increasing shoes you grow almost 2 inches the instant you put them on.

The Original and Genuine ELEVATORS*
Height-Increasing Shoes
“Your Personal Pedestal”
*Trade Mark of Stone-Tarlow Co., Inc.

mm-med_tall_man.jpg

Don’t we all, darling? Don’t we all?

And apparently the ad creators mean 2 inches when they say 2 inches, not the “That’s 5 inches, little lady” 2 inches that some of you men out there lie and use…
[tags]Modern Mechanix, Ancient ads, I go for a tall man.[/tags]

Even in the spider world, men are wrong

LiveScience.com has this article on the mating habits of a certain spider species (Physocylus globosus, if you must know).  “Now why in the world would this make you say men are wrong, Randy?” you might be thinking.  Well, because much like everything else we males do, the females instruct the males in how they are mating incorrectly.  And all you voyeuristic perverts can even watch the video and hear the audio of these 2 little critters getting it on.

While mating, female Physocylus globosus spiders emit high-frequency squeaks to let males know what they should be doing, a new study finds.

Continue reading “Even in the spider world, men are wrong”