Here are some pictures taken of an abandoned Russian submarine base. From the looks of things, I'd say they are presently turning the site into a museum. There's some excellent photography here as well.

Pictures of a Russian Sub Base

Reaching out into the realm of even more expensive cruise missles, there is work underway for a missle called the RATTLRS, which has the basic aerodynamic shape of an engine nacele from an SR-71, complete with aero-spike and virtually nothing else. Speeds capable of an estimated 3.5 Mach, using high-temperature turbine technology. A picture of the missle was printed in Scientific American, but I have not yet been able to locate one on the web.

Explosive payload is 250 lbs. Jane's will probably have more info as it nears production.

Picture!

RATTLRS Cruise Missile is Turbine Based

As my friend Bill put it:

The TSA will not touch your monkey.

TSA Won't Touch Your Monkey

Justin is now running a blog at ONLAMP; he has spoken at Phreaknic in the past.

Justin Troutman on ONLAMP

This link is to a video posted on Google Video which contains some 25 minutes of 1950s and 1960s vintage commercials. They are somewhat intriuging to watch, as they seem to appeal more to thought than emotion -- reasoning with the viewer, instead of just outright assaulting them with the Spend! More! Money! message.

1950s - 1960s Commercials

Here's a blog entry from Dreamhost wherein they detail several problems they experienced in a rental datacenter which resulted in outages to several users at once. Supposedly, the facility is a very good one, but the article leaves me with some doubt due to the level of complexity in failures. Redundant generators, anyone?

Anatomy of a Datacenter Disaster

Samsung has filed one of their own in hopes of using the atmosphere as an antenna. Researchers and employees in Korea are devising a method to use the ionosphere -- the layer of the atmosphere at around 50 kilometers above the Earth's surface -- as a medium for "long distance communication" without the need for expensive satellites. The ionosphere already plays a role in communications as a "radio reflector" that bounces low frequency radio signals from sea to shining sea. But by launching UHF signals behind a 1GHz carrier signal, scientists hope to alter the behavior of the ionosphere to create an alternating current, which can then be modulated at a particular frequency in order to create an antenna of global proportions.

I'm curious as to exactly how they intend to use this. From reading the patent it appears that this is just an ordinary means of communications bounced off the Ionosphere, which means they'll be haggingly for More! Wireless! Spectrum! at an insane end-user cost for supposedly "public" airwaves. I'm also a bit concerned about the power levels they intend to use to facilitate this method of communications. I'm also certain the US Military has in some way, shape, or form a documented demonstration of prior art in this particular form of radio.

Samsung Makes Antenna Out Of Ionosphere

A BarCamp is an ad-hoc gathering born from the desire for people to share and learn in an open environment. It is an intense event with discussions, demos, and interaction from attendees. Learn more or organize your own Barcamp!.

They are organizing a BarCamp near my location in AL, which I find mildly amusing. What I find more amusing is that if you talk to Emmanuel and some of the other people involved in 2600, this has been a core tenent of 2600 from day one as well. I guess it's just so much more l33t when you take the "hacker" out of the meeting.

What Is BarCamp?

I'm not one to post video links, unless they are funny, but this one just made me laugh... "Don't judge too quickly."

Funny Video

Maybe it's this hideously low (no?) carb diet I've been on, but I read this page and think to myself: "I have found heaven."

Where's my passport....

Argentina On Two Steaks A Day