Well, isn't this wonderful:
The Navy Bought Fake Chinese Microchips That Could Have Disarmed U.S. Missiles: "Last year, the U.S. Navy bought 59,000 microchips for use in everything from missiles to transponders and all of them turned out to be counterfeits from China.
Wired reports the chips weren't only low-quality fakes, they had been made with a 'back-door' and could have been remotely shut down at any time.
If left undiscovered the result could have rendered useless U.S. missiles and killed the signal from aircraft that tells everyone whether it's friend or foe."
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
China’s “Conflict Handbags”
We often forget that China has it's own set of serious problems:
China’s “Conflict Handbags” - Gordon G. Chang - New Asia - Forbes: "The worker unrest in Guangdong is occurring at a time of protests across Chinese cities and a series of bombings directed against government offices. There has been a noticeable increase in social discontent, which seems to have been aggravated by the hardline policies of Hu Jintao, the country’s current leader.
According to one report, there were 280,000 protests in China last year. And although it is not possible to verify the number of “mass incidents,” today there are clearly many more of them than in the middle of last decade, when analysts believe there were only 80,000 to 90,000 demonstrations a year."
China’s “Conflict Handbags” - Gordon G. Chang - New Asia - Forbes: "The worker unrest in Guangdong is occurring at a time of protests across Chinese cities and a series of bombings directed against government offices. There has been a noticeable increase in social discontent, which seems to have been aggravated by the hardline policies of Hu Jintao, the country’s current leader.
According to one report, there were 280,000 protests in China last year. And although it is not possible to verify the number of “mass incidents,” today there are clearly many more of them than in the middle of last decade, when analysts believe there were only 80,000 to 90,000 demonstrations a year."
Policing the Police: The Apps That Let You Spy on the Cops
Keeping the police honest:
Policing the Police: The Apps That Let You Spy on the Cops - Alexis Madrigal - Technology - The Atlantic: "Which is what makes two new apps, CopRecorder and OpenWatch, and their Web component, OpenWatch.net, so interesting. They are the brainchildren of Rich Jones, a 23-year-old Boston University graduate who describes himself as 'pretty much a hacker to the core.' Flush with cash and time from a few successful forays into the app market, nine months ago Jones decided to devote some of his time to developing what he calls 'a global participatory counter-surveillance project which uses cellular phones as a way of monitoring authority figures.'"
Policing the Police: The Apps That Let You Spy on the Cops - Alexis Madrigal - Technology - The Atlantic: "Which is what makes two new apps, CopRecorder and OpenWatch, and their Web component, OpenWatch.net, so interesting. They are the brainchildren of Rich Jones, a 23-year-old Boston University graduate who describes himself as 'pretty much a hacker to the core.' Flush with cash and time from a few successful forays into the app market, nine months ago Jones decided to devote some of his time to developing what he calls 'a global participatory counter-surveillance project which uses cellular phones as a way of monitoring authority figures.'"
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Project Gunrunner
This could get very big:
Project Gunrunner | Kenneth Melson | ATF Resignation | The Daily Caller: "A spokesman for House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa told The Daily Caller the congressman expects his investigations into the Justice Department’s gun walking programs to point to a much higher political appointee than acting ATF director Kenneth Melson."
Project Gunrunner | Kenneth Melson | ATF Resignation | The Daily Caller: "A spokesman for House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa told The Daily Caller the congressman expects his investigations into the Justice Department’s gun walking programs to point to a much higher political appointee than acting ATF director Kenneth Melson."
Monday, June 20, 2011
Book Review: Unnatural Selection
Disturbing:
Book Review: Unnatural Selection - WSJ.com: "Mara Hvistendahl is worried about girls. Not in any political, moral or cultural sense but as an existential matter. She is right to be. In China, India and numerous other countries (both developing and developed), there are many more men than women, the result of systematic campaigns against baby girls. In 'Unnatural Selection,' Ms. Hvistendahl reports on this gender imbalance: what it is, how it came to be and what it means for the future."
Book Review: Unnatural Selection - WSJ.com: "Mara Hvistendahl is worried about girls. Not in any political, moral or cultural sense but as an existential matter. She is right to be. In China, India and numerous other countries (both developing and developed), there are many more men than women, the result of systematic campaigns against baby girls. In 'Unnatural Selection,' Ms. Hvistendahl reports on this gender imbalance: what it is, how it came to be and what it means for the future."
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Companies Leaving California in Record Numbers
This isn't a surprise:
CARPE DIEM: Companies Leaving California in Record Numbers: "California currently ranks #49 among U.S. states for 'business tax climate' (Tax Foundation) and #48 for for 'economic freedom' (Mercatus). It shouldn't be any surprise then that companies are leaving the 'Golden State' in record numbers this year (see chart above) for 'golder pastures' and more business-friendly climates in other states."
CARPE DIEM: Companies Leaving California in Record Numbers: "California currently ranks #49 among U.S. states for 'business tax climate' (Tax Foundation) and #48 for for 'economic freedom' (Mercatus). It shouldn't be any surprise then that companies are leaving the 'Golden State' in record numbers this year (see chart above) for 'golder pastures' and more business-friendly climates in other states."
Climate conference faces brush with reality « Hot Air
Isn't this too bad...
Climate conference faces brush with reality « Hot Air: "In case you missed it – and judging by the complete lack of coverage on the cable news networks you may very well have – there was yet another climate conference held this week in Bonn, Germany. But rather than the usual singing in the round of Bob Dylan tunes and boisterous plans to alter the world, there was a decidedly depressed tone to the discussions."
Climate conference faces brush with reality « Hot Air: "In case you missed it – and judging by the complete lack of coverage on the cable news networks you may very well have – there was yet another climate conference held this week in Bonn, Germany. But rather than the usual singing in the round of Bob Dylan tunes and boisterous plans to alter the world, there was a decidedly depressed tone to the discussions."
Monday, June 13, 2011
Shiller Says U.S. Home-Price Declines of 10% to 25% ‘Wouldn’t Surprise Me’ - Bloomberg
Yikes:
Shiller Says U.S. Home-Price Declines of 10% to 25% ‘Wouldn’t Surprise Me’ - Bloomberg: "Robert Shiller, the economist who co- founded the S&P/Case-Shiller index of U.S. home prices, said a further decline in property values of 10 percent to 25 percent in the next five years “wouldn’t surprise me at all.”"
Shiller Says U.S. Home-Price Declines of 10% to 25% ‘Wouldn’t Surprise Me’ - Bloomberg: "Robert Shiller, the economist who co- founded the S&P/Case-Shiller index of U.S. home prices, said a further decline in property values of 10 percent to 25 percent in the next five years “wouldn’t surprise me at all.”"
Saturday, June 11, 2011
America's Hottest Investment: Farmland
Interesting:
America's Hottest Investment: Farmland - The Curious Capitalist - TIME.com: "This is usually a slow time of the year for farm sales. It's past prime planting season. Yet, Sam Kain, Des Moines area manager for land sales at Farmers National, is busy. He has 3 auctions this week. Most of the 30 or so bidders who show up will be farmers. But an increasing number of people buying land these days have no intention of planting seeds, at least not themselves."
America's Hottest Investment: Farmland - The Curious Capitalist - TIME.com: "This is usually a slow time of the year for farm sales. It's past prime planting season. Yet, Sam Kain, Des Moines area manager for land sales at Farmers National, is busy. He has 3 auctions this week. Most of the 30 or so bidders who show up will be farmers. But an increasing number of people buying land these days have no intention of planting seeds, at least not themselves."
Friday, June 10, 2011
Quote Of The Week
small dead animals: Quote Of The Week: "One German organic farm has killed twice as many people as the Fukushima nuclear disaster and the Gulf Oil spill combined"
Thursday, June 09, 2011
MIT Students Develop Liquid Fuel for Electric Cars – Gas 2.0
This could be significant:
MIT Students Develop Liquid Fuel for Electric Cars – Gas 2.0: "One (of many) complaints against electric cars is that they take too long to “fill up” with electrons. But a group of MIT students seems to have developed a semi-solid electron-laden “fuel” that could completely how we power EV’s.
Forgoing the traditional route of storing electrons in either nickel or lithium-ion, the MIT students have figured out a way to store electricity in semi-solid flow cells."
MIT Students Develop Liquid Fuel for Electric Cars – Gas 2.0: "One (of many) complaints against electric cars is that they take too long to “fill up” with electrons. But a group of MIT students seems to have developed a semi-solid electron-laden “fuel” that could completely how we power EV’s.
Forgoing the traditional route of storing electrons in either nickel or lithium-ion, the MIT students have figured out a way to store electricity in semi-solid flow cells."
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
Ten Signs The Double-Dip Recession Has Begun - 24/7 Wall St.
Hmm:
Ten Signs The Double-Dip Recession Has Begun - 24/7 Wall St.:
"1. Inflation
There is almost nothing that damages consumer confidence as badly as a rapid rise in prices. Starbucks recently increased the price of a bag of coffee by 17% because wholesale prices have risen by almost twice that rate in the last year. Cotton prices nearly doubled in 2010 but has fallen this year. But, apparel is made months in advance of when they reach store shelves. Summer clothing prices are up as much as 20%. That may change in the fall, but for the time being, the consumer’s ability to buy even the most basic clothing has been undermined. Consumers today pay more for sugar, meat, and corn-based products as well."
Ten Signs The Double-Dip Recession Has Begun - 24/7 Wall St.:
"1. Inflation
There is almost nothing that damages consumer confidence as badly as a rapid rise in prices. Starbucks recently increased the price of a bag of coffee by 17% because wholesale prices have risen by almost twice that rate in the last year. Cotton prices nearly doubled in 2010 but has fallen this year. But, apparel is made months in advance of when they reach store shelves. Summer clothing prices are up as much as 20%. That may change in the fall, but for the time being, the consumer’s ability to buy even the most basic clothing has been undermined. Consumers today pay more for sugar, meat, and corn-based products as well."
Why the Hypocrisy Defense is political suicide for liberalism
Good analysis:
Zombie » Why the Hypocrisy Defense is political suicide for liberalism: "All across the internet over the last few hours, liberal commenters and bloggers have fallen back on one of their most trusted logical arguments in situations like this in which a Democrat is caught in a sex scandal: “At least he’s not a hypocrite.”"
Zombie » Why the Hypocrisy Defense is political suicide for liberalism: "All across the internet over the last few hours, liberal commenters and bloggers have fallen back on one of their most trusted logical arguments in situations like this in which a Democrat is caught in a sex scandal: “At least he’s not a hypocrite.”"
Saturday, June 04, 2011
Bank of America Gets Pad Locked After Homeowner Forecloses On It | digtriad.com
Heh:
Bank of America Gets Pad Locked After Homeowner Forecloses On It | digtriad.com: "Have you heard the one about a homeowner foreclosing on a bank?
Well, it has happened in Florida and involves a North Carolina based bank.
Instead of Bank of America foreclosing on some Florida homeowner, the homeowners had sheriff's deputies foreclose on the bank."
Bank of America Gets Pad Locked After Homeowner Forecloses On It | digtriad.com: "Have you heard the one about a homeowner foreclosing on a bank?
Well, it has happened in Florida and involves a North Carolina based bank.
Instead of Bank of America foreclosing on some Florida homeowner, the homeowners had sheriff's deputies foreclose on the bank."
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