Reinke Faces Life

http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/12/new-killer-bot.html

Newbies Build Killer Robot; Fortune Fawns
By Noah Shachtman
December 05, 2007 | 12:33:01 PM

*** begin quote ***

Killer robots might have just had their dot-com bubble moment, in this fawning Fortune article. The stars: “a 25-year-old self-taught engineer named Adam Gettings” and his “toy-like but gun-wielding robot designed to replace human soldiers on the battlefield.”

*** end quote ***

I’m not so sure that I think it will match the video, but the video gives one a vivid idea of their intent.

Will it use windoze?

# # # # #

At 20071208 0747, LUGGABLE went nuts. I was working with Word and Outlook and Outlook pegged at 95%. The DYNDNS went red indicating a network problem. Eventually, at 0811, I became exasperated and did a power cycle. Now let’s see if there’s any damage. And poke around for a reason other than the usual suspects Comcast and MICROSOFT OUTLOOK. DYNDNS shows a network burp at 0850!?

# – # – #

The adventure continues. The box wouldn’t reboot. An XP Repair luckily resuscitated it. (As I sat computing how royally screwed was I?) This time the Intelligent Designer decided that he had heard enough Irish prayers and permit the lesson to end with only 90 minutes wasted on this particular “productivity tool”.

Argh!!

# – # – #

[003] – 07:50:23 – 12/08/2007 – IP changes (69.248.143.184 > 5.44.68.254 [automatic])
[005] – 07:50:24 – 12/08/2007 – Update process starts
[004] – 07:56:13 – 12/08/2007 – reiinkefj [dyndns.org]: 10091 (Network subsystem is unavailable)
[005] – 07:56:14 – 12/08/2007 – Update process finished
[004] – 07:56:16 – 12/08/2007 – Update result: winsock error
[002] – 07:56:24 – 12/08/2007 – Will try to check again within 1 minutes
[002] – 07:56:25 – 12/08/2007 – Next force update: 01/01/2008 17:22:44
[002] – 07:56:25 – 12/08/2007 – DynDNS Updater ready…
[001] – 08:07:52 – 12/08/2007 – DynDNS Updater started…
[002] – 08:08:42 – 12/08/2007 – Total group(s): 1 group
[002] – 08:08:43 – 12/08/2007 – Total host(s): 1 host
[002] – 08:08:43 – 12/08/2007 – Connected from: lug
[002] – 08:08:43 – 12/08/2007 – Connected using: Local Area Network
[002] – 08:08:43 – 12/08/2007 – Automatic update: Enable
[002] – 08:08:43 – 12/08/2007 – Checking interval: 5 minutes
[002] – 08:08:43 – 12/08/2007 – IP address is detected automatically
[002] – 08:08:43 – 12/08/2007 – Current IP: 5.44.68.254
[002] – 08:08:43 – 12/08/2007 – Updated IP: 69.248.143.184
[002] – 08:08:43 – 12/08/2007 – Last updated: 14 hours 45 minutes ago
[002] – 08:08:43 – 12/08/2007 – Next force update: 01/01/2008 17:22:44
[002] – 08:08:43 – 12/08/2007 – DynDNS Updater ready…
[003] – 08:09:09 – 12/08/2007 – IP changes (69.248.143.184 > 5.44.68.254 [automatic])
[005] – 08:09:10 – 12/08/2007 – Update process starts
[004] – 08:09:22 – 12/08/2007 – reiinkefj [dyndns.org]: 11001 (Host not found)
[005] – 08:09:26 – 12/08/2007 – Update process finished
[004] – 08:09:26 – 12/08/2007 – Update result: winsock error
[002] – 08:09:26 – 12/08/2007 – Will try to check again within 1 minutes
[002] – 08:09:27 – 12/08/2007 – Next force update: 01/01/2008 17:22:44
[002] – 08:09:28 – 12/08/2007 – DynDNS Updater ready…

# # # # #

http://www.news.com/8301-13578_3-9829759-38.html?tag=nefd.top

December 5, 2007 5:47 PM PST
House vote on illegal images sweeps in Wi-Fi, Web sites
Posted by Declan McCullagh

***Begin Quote***

The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved a bill saying that anyone offering an open Wi-Fi connection to the public must report illegal images including “obscene” cartoons and drawings–or face fines of up to $300,000.

***End Quote***

No hearings, no committees, no “controversy” here.

Argh!

Fire up the old inet and put a blow torch on the congress critters.

No you see why we need a “read the bills act” and “one subject at a time”.

What a bunch of bozos!

# # # # #

http://www.masternewmedia.org/online_collaboration/send-large-files/how-to-send-large-huge-files-across-the-web-Eatlime-review-20071129.htm

November 29, 2007
How To Send Very Large Files Across The Web: Eatlime Does It
Robin Good
Master New Media Association
via P. Giannone, 10 B5
00195
Rome, Italy
Edited by: Luigi Canali De Rossi

***Begin Quote***

Eatlime Overview

Founded by Mohammad Al Adham and Adil Lalani, Eatlime is a new web-based (plus desktop version) file sharing and sending service utilizing some new key solutions and features. These are:

* Free sending and sharing of large files up to 1GB in size (for free registered users)

* Files to be shared can be sent by simply selecting them and pressing Ctrl-T

* Multiple files can be sent at once

* Receiving partners can start downloading files as soon as the sender starts uploading them

* Shared files are kept and archived inside each registered user profile

* No maximum limit of files that can be shared/ sent via Eatlime

* Track your shared file download links

* Import all of your email contacts directly from your Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo, or AOL contact lists

Registration is free but it is not required.

***End Quote***

Always can count on these folks finding great stuff.

# # # # #

Ron Paul is a baby elephant
From around the country, Ron Paul’s followers are descending on New Hampshire to go door-to-door for their man. But what do they really want?
By Michael Scherer
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/12/03/ron_paul/index.html

***Begin Quote***

A Web site Lyman built raised $4.2 million for Paul from more than 38,000 Americans in a single day, Nov. 5, which was chosen because it was the day Guy Fawkes, a 17th century British revolutionary, had attempted to blow up parliament with gunpowder. Until Saturday night at Murphy’s, Lyman had never met Paul, and to this day, Paul has never seen “V for Vendetta,” the 2005 cinematic thriller that familiarized Lyman with the Fawkes story. But none of that matters to either Paul or Lyman. For most of this year, Paul has effectively given up control of his campaign effort to his supporters, who organize online, through Meetup groups and Web sites like Operationlivefreeordie.com. At his own volition, Lyman is now organizing another major fundraising day, Dec. 16, a date commemorating the Boston Tea Party in 1773. “I would bet almost anything that we will beat $4.2 million,” Lyman tells me at Murphy’s. Already, he adds, 23,000 people have pledged to donate on that day.

***End Quote***

It seems that TECHNOLOGY has “rEVOLutionized” politics.

One can’t imagine this happening without the internet.

Three questions — all scary — come to mind: (1) What if he wins? (2) What if he doesn’t? (3) And, what if the next politician to discover the inet isn’t about freedom & liberty with peace and love?

If he wins, buy the S&P500 and the Wilshire5000 because the economy is going to have a bull market that will make every other one look tame. If the analogy of the free market is an engine delivering wealth to every one — and he’s going to remove the friction place on the economy by the excessive taxes and regulation — then get ready for a global boom that will light up the world. Nuke the department of Agriculture and the poorest folks in the world will be fed by the American Farmer. You ain’t seen productivity like this since the Mayflower folks decided to privitize the common grainery. We’ll be using the Air Force to parachute food into starving regions just to unload it.

If he loses, buy gold. There will be a revolution. All these productive folks will see the handwriting on the wall and adapt. Think the underground economy is big now. Just wait.

If the politicians figure out how to use propaganda on the inet, then this might be the “passions of democracy” that our Founding Fathers were so afraid of.

One can only hope that this old gent is the Third American Revolution. If not, I think it will be very painful when it does come. You can only sheer sheep so much before they become annoyed at you. Men always figure out when “enough is enough’!

# # # # #

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2007-11-29-secure-flights_N.htm

TSA plan to gather more data protested
By Thomas Frank, USA TODAY

***Begin Quote***

WASHINGTON — A government proposal to start collecting birth dates and genders of people reserving airline flights is drawing protests from major airlines and travel agencies that say it would be invasive, confusing and “useless.”

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) wants passengers to give the additional personal information — as well as their full names — so it can do more precise background checks that it says will result in fewer travelers being mistaken for terrorists. Travelers currently must provide only a last name and a first initial.

***End Quote***

Well, instead of just admitting failure and going out of business like any normal failure. They’re going to do an Avis.

(shaking my head in disgust)

From a technology pov, this thing is just fraught with flubs.

OK, instead of me being “Public, John Q.”, how does adding “YYYYMMDD” add to the accuracy?

Please don’t tell me that you are using name as an identifier? How inaccurate is that mathematically. That assumes that everyone tell you the truth. Ditto for adding bday.

What makes you think I’m going to tell you my REAL birthday? You know the one that people use to prevent identity theft on their credit accounts. Like I trust the gooferment to keep my info safe! Note VA and the many other flubs.

(If I was credit reporting agency, I’d be jumping for glee. When they lose the files, how many people will have to buy my “credit protection service”? Ya have to love it.)

And, like Abdul, the local terrorist, won’t know to buy his ticket as “Public, John Q. YYYYMMDD”!

Please, gimme a break. Please TSA just go away.

Storing 20M birthdates is going to cost at least 20 grazillion dollars, and unless you’re getting it from Google, it’s going to cost more for programming. And, it’s going to be wrong.

Just go away.

Great concept — government should protect its citizens — lousy idea. It can’t. Stop hi jackings? Give the pilot a gun. End of problem. Net cost — nearer to zero than grazillions. Certainly nothing close the overt and hidden costs we are enduring now.

Make the airlines responsible security. Make them have insurance should their plane hit a building. Ever seen an insurance company do risk mitigation. No, imagine an organizational colonoscopy.

Just go away!

# # # # #