Hackers switch online votes to evil sci fi robots

This year, more people than ever are voting ahead of time and online.  Click on this link to read a Washington Post article about how a group of computer scientists were able to penetrate Washington DC's online voting system and switch peoples' votes to the names of evil sci fi robots.  Fortunately, it was just an experimental test of the system, but it doesn't encourage a lot of confidence in the security of online votes.  Is cyber-space a safe place for citizens' votes to be lodged?

Digital deer hunting

In class we talked about a proposed website that would allow people online to control a gun that shoots actual deer.  Click on this link to read about a different approach to digital hunting.  The article (Sarasota Herald Tribune, 10-17-10) describes how cameras are mounted on gun scopes and and hunters aim at the animals but don't actually shoot them.  The video images are saved and offered as evidence that they would have killed the animal.  The technology thus mixes actually tracking animals with the woods with something similar to hunting animals (or humans or monsters) in a video game.  Competitions are being created in which hunters stalk their deer and compare potential kills, but no animals are actually harmed (like the tagline at the end of films).  Has this technology "solved" the problem of how to satisfy humans' recreational desire to hunt and kill animals without actually inflicting harm on the animals?

GPS tracker discovered on car

A new surveillance technique consists of placing a GPS tracking device on a person's car.  In some jurisdictions, a search warrant is not needed because the use of the device is regarded as the same as just following someone by car.  Click on this link to read a Sarasota Herald Tribune article (10-17-10) about a 20 year old computer salesman with a Middle Eastern name was shocked to discover such a device attached to his car.  He had apparently been tracked electronically without his knowledge.  Do you believe a search warrant should be required for such tracking?

Cameras to be installed at dangerous Sarasota intersections

Do you believe installing cameras that automatically ticket red light runners will reduce accidents and fatalities?  Click on this link to read a Sarasota Herald Tribune (10-19-10) article about how cameras are to be installed at the 10 most dangerous intersections.  Some cities are installing cameras only at the busiest intersections, but this has provoked the charge that they are just money-making machines.  Sarasota is trying to avoid this objection and also concerns about drivers having points added to their record (they won't).  Some studies suggest accidents actually increase when there are cameras present, though the accidents tend to be rear-enders rather than t-bone (which are more fatal).  Is installation of these cameras a good idea?  (asked by someone who has to cross 41 on a bicycle every day).

Teens text every 10 minutes

It turns out that teens are texting pretty much all the time. Precisely, they are on average sending and receiving text messages every 10 minutes of every waking hour of every day of the year, according to a new studyreleased by Nielsen.

According to the report on cellphone use in the second quarter of the year, Nielsen found that teenage girls are thumbing their way to new texting records ahead of boys. In total, cellphone users ages 13 to 17 sent and received an average of 3,339 texts a month, up 8 percent from the second quarter of 2009. Girls averaged 4,050 texts, and boys sent 2,539.

Text messaging – because of ease of use and fast transmission – is what 43 percent of teenagers say is their primary use for a cellphone. That’s why, according to Nielsen, the first they thing look for in a phone is a QWERTY raised keyboard, as opposed to touch screens. Two years ago they said the primary reason for having a cellphone was for safety factors.

And teens are using more Internet applications. Because of more picture messaging, gaming and e-mail, the average data consumed by teens rose to 62 megabytes in the second quarter compared with 14 megabytes in the second quarter of 2009.

By Cecilia Kang  | October 14, 2010; 5:15 PM ET |Washington Post

Animal abusers list first of its kind

Published: Friday, October 15, 2010 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, October 14, 2010 at 9:08 p.m.

From the Sarasota Herald-Tribune

FARMINGVILLE, N.Y. - You've heard of Megan's Laws, designed to keep sex offenders from striking again. Now there's a law created in the hope of preventing animal abusers from inflicting more cruelty -- or moving on to human victims.

"If you don't love an animal, you should not have an animal.."

– Fred Surbito
dog owner

By FRANK ELTMAN
The Associated Press

Suffolk County, on the eastern half of Long Island, moved to create the nation's first animal abuse registry this week, requiring people convicted of cruelty to animals to register or face jail time and fines.

"We know there is a very strong correlation between animal abuse and domestic violence," said Suffolk County legislator Jon Cooper, the bill's sponsor. "Almost every serial killer starts out by torturing animals, so in a strange sense we could end up protecting the lives of people."

The online list will be open to the public, so that pet owners or the merely curious can find out whether someone living near them is on it. Some animal abusers have been known to steal their neighbors' pets.

Cooper is also pushing legislation that would bar anyone on the registry from buying or adopting a pet from a shelter, pet shop or breeder.

The law was prompted by a number of animal abuse cases in recent months, including that of a Selden woman accused of forcing her children to watch her torture and kill kittens and dozens of dogs, then burying the pets in her backyard.

Animal welfare activists hope the law, passed unanimously Tuesday in the suburban New York City county of 1.5 million people, will inspire governments nationwide in the same way Megan's Law registries for child molesters have proliferated in the past decade.

A spokesman for county Executive Steve Levy said he intends to sign the legislation.

As Fred Surbito took his Yorkshire terrier, Sasha, in for grooming at a Farmingville pet store this week, he applauded the legislation.

"It's very, very important," he said. "If you don't love an animal, you should not have an animal. An animal is part of your family."

President Obama Is a Gay, Mexican, Suicide-Bombing Mobster

There's a parking lot in Grand Junction, Colo., that needs a taco truck. A creative Coloradan has managed to cram at least a half-dozen insults and stereotypes into a single Grand Junction billboard, and people are crowding a nearby parking lot to get a better look. The sign, which towers over I-70, features each of President Obama's four personalities seated around a table: Mexican-narcoterrorist Obama, cigar-chomping-gangster Obama, flamboyantly gay Obama, and, of course, suicide-bomber Obama. The various Obamas are gambling; the stakes are the Bible and the Constitution. Scurrying around beneath them are rats labeled "trial lawyers," the EPA, and the IRS. Talking Points Memo talked to the artist who created the image for $500. He won't reveal the name of his employer, but there's little doubt about his party affiliation.

From Slate, 10/15/10

Read original story in Talking Points Memo | Thursday, Oct. 14, 2010

I just learned how to text message

Thanks, Amanda, for these grisly photos!

A solution to the economic crisis?

In this column, Tom Lyons, an editor of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune (10-12-10) argues that the simplest solution to the lingering economic recession is to give $1,000,000 to each of 40 million Americans near retirement age.  This will open up the job market and the economy will be stimulated by the infusion of cash.  It's unlikely that he's serious about this proposal, but what do you think about the idea of putting cash (lots of it) directly in the hands of consumers, rather than funneling it through banks, businesses, the government, etc.?

New Web Code Draws Concern Over Risks to Privacy

Samy Kamkar

Click on this link to read a Sarasota Herald-Tribune article about privacy concerns connected with the new browser language, HTML 5.  The article discusses an individual, Samy Kamkar, who has used the new language to create a type of cookie that is almost unremovable due to its storing information about web-surfers in a variety of locations.  There are concerns that the new language will enable marketers and others to compile extensive information about all of us.

5 dangerous things to teach kids

(Thanks, Freddie, for pointing us to this video!)

Google tests self-driving cars

Click on this link to read a Washington Post article (10-11-10) about cars that can steer, stop, and start without a driver.  The developers at Googel aren't seeking to replace the driver, but rather to have something that would step in to avoid accidents if the driver isn't paying attention.  Apparently the cars have already logged 140,000 miles on the California highways without serious incident.  Do you believe the move towards turning driving over to a machine is a good step?  Or are we inviting disaster?

Democrats Consider Motivating Voters With Marijuana in 2012

Democratic strategists have their eye on marijuana as a way to get out the youth vote in 2012, reports the Wall Street Journal. California's Proposition 19, which would legalize the drug in small quantities and let the state regulate and tax its retail sale, is expected to draw California's Democratic voters and have a "coattail effect" for Democratic candidates. Party officials have considered Colorado, Nevada, and Washington as possible key states to roll out cannabis ballot measures during the 2012 presidential election. Though ballot initiatives don't generally have a big impact on turnout, initiatives that target certain audiences may tip the balance: In 2004, efforts to ban gay marriage in Ohio and other states brought out thousands of conservative voters and may have helped George W. Bush to victory. An August poll of California voters showed that the marijuana measure sent Democratic interest in this year's elections soaring from 24 percent to 38 percent, while it made no difference to Republicans.

From Slate (10-6-20); Read original story in The Wall Street Journal | Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2010

Some bar patrons are armed

Do you think it's a good idea to allow guns in taverns?  Click on this link to read a Sarasota Herald-Tribune article (10-14-10) about how some states are allowing concealed weapons in bars.  Most states forbid it, fearing the mix of alcohol and bullets.  But some argue that there would be less bar fights and crime if bar patrons might carry guns.  Guns have been called the "great equalizer" between the strong and the weak.  Or do you think this is a dangerous idea?

"Square" credit card allows private individuals to accept card payments

Click on this link to read a column that ran in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune business section (10-4-10) about a new credit card service called Square.  Whereas currently, only businesses can accept credit cards, Square allows private individuals to accept cards via a tiny free card reader connected to your phone.  Say, for example, a friend wants to borrow $20 from you.  You could slide his credit card thru the reader and be reimbursed by Square.  Do you think this next step towards replacing cash transactions with credit cards is a good idea?  See the article to read about the terms offered by the service.

PETA kills animals

PETA has been reported to find homes for only 1 out of 300 pets that is brings into its headquarters in Virginia. Since 1998 they have decided to “put down” 23,640 adoptable dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens instead of finding homes for them. Despite the fact that they spend millions on media campaigns telling people about how inhumane it is to eat meat, drink milk, and other things that can be considered harmful to animals. It is much cheaper to just kill the animals as opposed to giving them good living conditions while they wait to be adopted.

What do you think? Does this seem a bit hypocritical to you?

To read the whole article go here... http://www.petakillsanimals.com

Stuxnet worm could take down power plants and factories

Click on this link to read a Yahoo News stories (9-30-10) about Stuxnet, the cyberspace worm that has the ability to autonomously target specific industrial machines such as pumps, valves, and generators.  Some believe the Israelis developed it to take down or delay Iran's nuclear research program while others believe it it could be used to paralyze the manufacturing sector and power grid of any developed country.  Or is just hackers seeing what they can do?  Perhaps Battlestar Galactica was smart to not allow its ship to be networked.

Mistaken for Muslim

1700% Project: Mistaken for Muslim from Anida Yoeu Ali on Vimeo.

I don't really know if I'm allowed to make posts, but I'm just going to assume I am. This is a commentary on post-9/11 USA and the growing amount of national anti-Muslim sentiment. It's kind of artsy fartsy, but Anida Yoeu Ali highlights violence against Muslims with a poem made up mostly of news headlines.


Most people agree that bigotry is wrong, but even so, hatred against Muslims is rising at an alarming rate. What do you think gives us (and other countries for that matter) the belief that we have the right to treat a specific group of people this way?

It's Morphin' time!!..... wait what?!!

Apparently during a robbery at a house, the thugs were suddenly chased away by.... wait for it... the RED POWER RANGER! So what do you think... a Dangerous Idea or a Dumb idea?

Link to the news;

http://scaredmonkeys.com/2006/11/30/4-year-old-power-ranger-saves-family/

Controversy ensues over Rutgers U. suicide

There is much controversy over the Rutgers University student who killed himself after his roommate broadcast on the internet his having sex with another male student.  Some are defending those who (innocently?) shot the voyeuristic video while others demand they be punished.  Click on this link to read a Washington Post (10-1-10) story (or view a video) about the controversy.

Man blames bar for scooter crash

BRADENTON -- A 73-year old man who crashed his motorized scooter after too many drinks is suing the bar that served. him.  John Wasko filed a lawsuit this past week against The Oasis, saying the bar should have stopped giving him drinks.  He is seeking more than $15,000 in damages.  On Jan.18th, Wasko was riding home on his scooter when he was struck by a vehicle.  He blames the bar for injuries from the accident.  Bradenton Police cited him for walking in the path of a vehicle.  [story from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 9-27-10]

Misuse of handicapped placards is widespread

We've all seen people park in handicapped spaces, leave their car, and walk perfectly well or even jog to their destination.  Click on this link to read a Washington Post article (9-26-10) about the widespread abuse of handicapped stickers and placards.  The article describes how spouses and friends of the handicapped use the placards and how some placards are handed down in families after the person dies.  They are also stolen by thieves and sold.  One study cited suggested that 75% of the placards where being used improperly.  Do you think the whole enterprise of handicapped spaces should be abolished?  Or is there a way to crack down on abusers so that the spaces are reserved for those genuinely in need?  The article notes that police are hesitant to accuse a person who seems to be misusing the placard of not really being disabled, hence enforcement is minimal.  Are handicapped spaces an example of Nietzsche's concern that we've grown weak, whiny, and pathetiic as a species, or do they represent a genuine and legitimate exercise of compassion?

Is it wrong to leave water bottles for illegal immigrants?

Activist groups such as No More Deaths have been leaving plastic jugs of water in the Arizona desert for illegal immigrants who cross the border there.  They believe the flow of immigrants is inevitable and are trying to prevent these individuals from dying of thirst in the harsh desert terrain.  Critics argue that this supports criminal activity and pollutes the environment.  Click on this link to read a Sarasota Herald-Tribune story (9-27-10) about this practice.  Do you believe this is a compassionate or criminal action?

Does it make a difference who runs a local library?

Public libraries have been a central institution in America since Benjamin Franklin founded the first one.  Librarians operate according to a strong ethic of neutrality and have resisted many attempts to censor library holdings.  A new trend, however, is to turn the management and staffing of libraries over to for-profit private corporations.  Click on this link to read a Sarasota Herald-Tribune story (9-27-10) about this movement to save money.  Do you think turning this key public information portal over to private companies is a good idea?

Did you know?

www.youtube.com/watch%253Fv%253DlUMf7FWGdCw

Genetically modified salmon? We're not going to tell you

Click on this link to read a story that first ran in the Washington Post (9-18-10) about the new FDA rules concerning genetically modified salmon.  Not only do the rules not require companies to disclose that their fish is GM, they also forbid companies that don't genetically modify their food from advertising this.  The ruling continues the huge controversy about whether such foods are safe and whether the FDA is protecting the interests of companies that use genetic modification to produce food.  Salmon is the first fish product that has been allowed to be sold GM.

Redesigning the Dollar

I came across this article that is trying to promote redesigning the American dollar. They seem to think that by redesigning the dollar they will "find a catalyst to restart our economy". I highly doubt that just by making our money look prettier we can restart the economy, but what do you think? Does our dollar need to be revamped?

The whole article can be found here...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/721294

The realities of illegal immigration and sexual slavery

This is an article that Sara brought to my attention. It discusses the realities of young girls who have dreams of coming to America for a better life but end up being forced into prostitution upon arrival. The teenage girls live in Mexico and are swept away by men who tell them stories of great lives in America, and finding jobs. They then sneak them illegally into the US and force them into becoming prostitutes with threats of beating them or killing the girls parents if they don't do as the men wish. This is a terrible tragedy that many people don't realize is going on. It causes me to wonder if immigration were easier things like this wouldn't be happening. The whole article can be read here.


http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/09/16/human.trafficking.claudia/index.html?npt=NP1

What do you think is the cause of this? And how can we stop it?

What the Bleep do we know? Flatland

Here is a clip from the very interesting movie "What the Bleep do we know?" which discusses quantum physics and consciousness. This is a clip about Flatland, which we have been discussing in class.




Thanks for the clip Scott!

Yankee baseball caps correlated with crime?

Click on this link to read a Sarasota Herald-Tribune (9-16-10) story that investigates alleged correlations between the wearing of Yankees baseball caps and committing crimes.  Do the explanations cited by the article indicate the cause of this strange statistical anomaly or does this fall into the "weird shit happens" category?

Dangerous anti-censor software?

Click on this link to read a Washington Post article about Haystack, an application designed to circumvent Iranian censors.  Human testing of the software in Iran has been halted for fear that authorities might be able to determine the identities of the testers.  The software anonymizes the testers, but security in the program was apparently lax.  Should the U.S. government (which approved Haystack's export to Iran) be encouraging the creation of programs that defeat other governments' attempts to control the Internet in their countries?

Paranoid about paranoia

Click on this link to read a New York Times column (9-8-10, reprinted in the Herald-Tribune) that warns about paranoid thinking by both liberals and conservatives.  What does such thinking do to our political process?

Imagining and Visualizng the different dimensions

This is a cool video Scott sent me about the different dimensions we might live in. Its a bit long but pretty interesting it discusses the theory that we live in a universe with 11 dimensions. They make some pretty interesting points, its worth taking a look at.

Why Is the Anoka-Hennepin School Board Doing Nothing About LGBT Suicide?

Lesbian and gay students in a Minnesota are committing suicides at an alarming rate, and the school district is doing nothing to stop it. Three gay students commited suicide this year due to bullying and feeling uncomfortable in their own skin. The school distrcit is scared to do anything because they're worried about offending some socially conservative religious leaders in the area, who want to keep any mention of homosexuality, even if it relates to anti-bullying, verboten on high school campuses. I personally think this is a horrible tragedy. Students are dying and the school is scared of offending anyone? Do you think it is the school districts job to step in and stop this?

You can read the whole article here http://gayrights.change.org/blog/view/why_is_the_anoka-hennepin_school_board_doing_nothing_about_lgbt_suicide

There are a lot of other interesting articles on change.org, you can also sign petitions and find out ways to get involved in helping to resolve some of these problems.

Understanding the Theory of Everything

I recently saw a video describing the way we try to understand multiple dimensions as being similar to Plato's Allegory of the Cave, and I thought it was a really neat comparison between ancient philosophy and quantum physics.

True, we may have trouble grasping the truths behind scientific processes when all we are capable of understanding are the "shadows" of what we can comfortably perceive. But even when addressing a difficult concept, like Garrett Lisi's Theory of Everything illustrated below in an eight-dimensional model, there is the possibility of comprehension.

Cyber-bullying defies traditional school bully stereotype

Click on this link to read a Washington Post (9-2-10) article about how young girls are playing the role boys traditionally played as bullies in the world of social networking.

Corpse-tested cars

From Slate (9-1-10):

Corpses Used As Crash Test Dummies

Virtually every part of your vehicle that affects driver safety, from the steering column to the windshield, was tested by having a human corpse slammed against it, reports Wired. Computer modeling is used to design new safety features, company officials say, but when push comes to shove there's still no substitute for testing new equipment using a genuine human cadaver. "It's still very important," said a Ford safety specialist. "Even though we have very good math modeling of dummies, human modeling hasn't reached that state yet." The bodies are swaddled in stockings to protect their dignity, then used in exactly the same way as a conventional crash-test dummy; after a simulated crash, the cadavers are rushed away for X-rays and autopsies to check for organ damage. Some automakers deny using cadaver testing, but even those who are bashful about using human bodies fund independent research groups that conduct testing on their behalf. "It's always a good idea when you're developing something to do cadaver testing," the Ford safety official says.

Read original story in Wired.com | Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2010

Iranian newspaper calls for death of France's first lady

French First Lady Must Die, Says Iranian Newspaper

An Iranian daily newspaper with close ties to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, has called for the execution of French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy. The attack, which came in response to Bruni-Sarkozy's defense of an Iranian woman sentenced to death for adultery, began on Saturday when the Kayhan newspaper ran a story headlined: "French prostitutes enter human rights uproar." The newspaper continued its assault today, calling the French first lady a "decadent actress" and "immoral woman ... known for her extramarital relations," and saying that she too deserved capital punishment for adultery. Iran's government sought to distance itself from the comments, and warned the country's media to be more restrained in future. "Insulting the officials of other countries and using inappropriate words … is not approved of by the Islamic Republic of Iran," a foreign-ministry spokesman said. "We don't think using inappropriate words and insulting words is the right thing to do."

Read original story in Reuters | Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2010

Diagnosis by cellphone?

Click on this link to read a Washington Post article about how physicians are using cell phone photos of wounds sent by their patients to make initial diagnoses.  There is a large push nationally for doctors to do more of their work from a distance via technology.  Do you think this is a good trend, or only one justified by emergency?

Straddling bus solution to mass transit

Click on this link to read a Sarasota Herald Tribune article (8-26-10) about a new kind of bus in China that drives above cars on the road by straddling them.