Hello, Big Brother

Feds are now using backscatter X-ray equipped vans to search cars with no warrant, no probable cause, in direct violation of the 4th amendment. Of course, the 4th amendment has been dead since the Patriot Act.

Are you ready to rebel yet?

Robot Archery [Robot Apocalypse]

Sure he's cute. But replace that toy bow and arrow with a compound bow and hunting arrows, and you've got a robotic Rambo killing machine.

Peace is War

An unsettling development in America's War on Itself.

The FBI raided the Minneapolis homes of five antiwar activists, including three leaders of the Twin Cities peace movement, Friday morning as part of what it called a probe of "activities concerning the material support of terrorism."

The Minneapolis office of an antiwar organization was also raided, protest leaders said. No one was arrested in any of the raids.

Protest leaders said the raids surprised them. Mick Kelly, whose home was searched, played a central role in the 2008 demonstrations at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul. Asked if he was involved in illegal activities, he replied, "Absolutely not.''

The FBI appears to believe that if one takes a stance against the American War State, then they must have connections with terrorism. This garbage is getting out of hand.

Mutant Salmon

Genetically modified giant salmon await FDA approval for human consumption. I think this is a dangerous game we're playing.

This is a Great Trend

Opensecrets.org

Patrick Henry

When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Drink Wine

Despite a faltering economy, Americans' appetite for wine has increased

At supermarkets and other food outlets, sales of 750-millileter wine priced at $20 or above are “up significantly,” leaving shelves at their fastest pace since 2006, said Doug Goodwin, vice president of beer, wine and spirits at SymphonyIRI, which collects point-of-sales data at retailers.

“Consumers have moved consumption into the home,” said Goodwin. “The reality is you can go into a Kroger or Safeway and buy a nice $30 bottle of wine that would have cost $60 in a restaurant.”

Dollar sales of bottles marked $20 or more are up 19% from January 2010 through Sept. 5, compared with the same 2009.

I'm partial to Cabernet and a good Malbec, myself. I used to like Pinot Noir, but now I need something with a little more body.

Sarah Palin 2012? You Betcha!

I've been reflecting on the recent Tea party candidate win in Delaware, and I've come to a frightening conclusion:

The 2012 GOP Candidate for President of the United States will be Sarah Palin.

And she will probably win.

I got shivers just typing that.

The Tea party is pulling the GOP further Right, but a lack of sophistication has them voting for dumb-but-nominally-conservative candidates. Enter: Sarah Palin.

The GOP is not dumb. They (I think) see the writing on the wall. In order to win the primaries, a candidate will have to appeal to the Tea party. Palin already has name recognition and media cache. The fact that the Left hates her so much is even more motivation for the Right. She keeps showing up at Tea party events for a reason.

She is trying to position herself as the leader of the new push for small government. And right now she is leading the pack.

Barring some terrific show of idiocy (not out of the realm of possibility), Palin will be the GOP nominee. Most independent voters will not vote Obama again. So, assuming she doesn't split the vote with a Ron Paul-type real conservative, she will be President of the United States.

The Mayans were right. The end will come in 2012. The Great American Political Farce will reach its zenith. The curtain will be pulled back for all to see. Democracy will be exposed for the failed experiment that it is.

The great cosmic joke will finally get to the punchline.

Ha...ha?

Ultra-sensitive Robot Skin [Robot Apocalypse]

Researchers at UC Berkley have developed an ultra-sensitive mechanical skin to give robots touch feedback. All I can say is I hope they make sure to program the robots to feel pain.

[Engadget]

Quadrocopter Flies through Hoops, Blows Minds [Robot Apocalypse]

Attach a gun to this thing and you've got yourself a perfect killing machine. We don't stand a chance.

[Engadget]

We Are In The Future

Tractor Beam

Mind Reading

Lightsaber

The future is now, kiddies. So where's my holodeck?

Warrantless Cell Phone Tracking / A Lesson in Journalism

So I originally heard about the 3rd Circuit Appeals ruling on warrantless cell phone tracking here, on CNET.

But then, a Google News search revealed Forbes, with a story with an opposite headline.

But I think the true answer lies in between, as in this Wired story.

What I gather is that the government is allowed to look at a cell carrier's stored logs without a warrant. I don't really see why they should need to do so without a warrant, so we might want to update our laws on the matter.

Strange that it took me three sources before I could figure it out. Two of those sources had serious typos, so I guess that should have been a tip-off.

I'll read the ruling and see what I can figure out.

World Trade Center Mosque: Perspective from the Neighborhood

Finally, someone from the neighborhood responds.

Yes, the actual World Trade Center site (can we stop calling it Ground Zero, a misused term from douchebag news anchors, please???) is hallowed ground, but the surrounding area? Those surrounding blocks are no different than the rest of this Lower Manhattan neighborhood. It’s a place constantly changing, lots of run down buildings waiting for redevelopment beside gleaming corporate towers, Wall Street titans, tons of office space, churches, mosques, old stores, tacky souvenirs, “adult entertainment,” and more, as market forces (self-interest, competition and supply and demand: AKA the invisible hand of the market) continually puts businesses and other facilities in the city, and because it’s NYC, everything is right next to everything (placed to serve the concentrated demand in such a tight, concentrated space of real estate). That’s right, the blocks surrounding the WTC have STRIP CLUBS, Burger Kings, everything–NOT “hallowed ground.”

Thanks, Nick. It needed to be said.

In Honor of Obama Ending the Iraq War

I created a little artwork.

SSDD