"I don't think the report is true, but these crises work for those who want to make fights between people." Kulam Dastagir, 28, a bird seller in Afghanistan
Boing Boing: Kidnapped Nun Bun Resurfaces in Seattle
Topic: Miscellaneous
11:07 am EDT, Mar 16, 2007
Here's an article about the "world-famous" Nun Bun which was stolen/kidnapped about two years ago. The Nun Bun is a cinnamon roll that has a strong resemblence to Mother Teresa.
Its interesting to read about the coffee shop I hung out at in high school on BoingBoing.
Googleis reversing a long-standing policy to retain all the data on its users indefinitely, and by the end of the year will begin removing identifying data from its search logs after 18 months to two years, depending on the country the servers are located in.
Currently, Google retains indefinitely detailed server logs on its search engine users, including user's IP addresses – which can identify a user's computer, the query, any result that is clicked on, their browser and operating system, among other details. Even if a user never signs up for a Google account, those searches are all tied together through a cookie placed on the user's computer, which currently expires in 2038.
Pi Day and Pi Approximation Day are two unofficial holidays held to celebrate the mathematical constant π (Pi). Pi Day is observed on March 14 (3/14 in American date format); Pi Approximation Day may be observed on any of several dates, most often July 22 (22/7 - in European date format - is a popular approximation of π).
The day happens to be Albert Einstein's birthday, among others, and it is common to sing "Happy birthday Dear Albert". Massachusetts Institute of Technology often mails out its acceptance letters to be delivered to prospective students on Pi Day.[1]
On my Mac the new MemeStreams design looks great, but on my Dell laptop the colors seem slightly too dark. I want to take an opinion poll. With regard to the grays in the title bar behind the logo and in the posts, is the new design too dark, just right, or not dark enough, in your opinion?
So if someone checked your Web Searches, would it tell on you?
Wife googled 'How to commit murder'
At exactly 5:45:34 on April 18, 2004 a computer taken from the office of the attorney of Melanie McGuire, did a search on the words "How To Commit Murder."
That same day searches on Google and MSN search engines, were conducted on such topics as `instant poisons,` `undetectable poisons,' 'fatal digoxin doses,' and gun laws in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Jennifer Seymour, who worked for the State Police digital technology unit, testified thismorning how she examined the digital contents of computers and hand held devices obtained as part of the investigation.
Her testimony was the strongest evidence yet in the state's circumstantial evidence case against the 34-year-old McGuire, who allegedly murdered her husband with a .38 caliber weapon, dismembered his body and placed body parts in three suitcases found in the Chesapeake Bay in May of 2004.
We lost MemeStreams user FineThen to BlogSpot, but her posts are still worth following. I like this one.
I was reading this article in the Times the other day about a scientist who was working on his PhD in evolutionary biology and almost done with his thesis. The catch? This guy was a fundie Christian who didn't believe in evolution, but rather that the world was created in the exact way described in the bible. Colleagues and other scientists felt this was a huge dillemma- should you be allowed to practice a science that you don't believe in?
Oddly enough, I identified with this man. While I find many aspects of fundamentalist Christianity a tad grating (ha) I totally understand how it feels to be disenchanted by a practical science's underlying value system, but still desire to learn it as a tool to assist you with your beliefs.
Lets face it. Its bullshit that people need to hire lawyers to solve their problems. Its ridiculous that the law is written in such confusing and arbitrarily convuluted language that ordinary people can't understand their rights or laws that are meant to protect them. And its insane that to pay for law school you need to either be born rich or crazy. But who does it help to stay out of the field and let it be a one-sided conversation?
That fundie guy uses the education he has recieved in science to (attempt to) dismantle its core assumptions and prove that his view of the world is correct. If I can do something analagous with my law degree, without convincing myself along the way that my core assumptions about humanity were wrong, then I will consider this lawschool thing a success.
PC World - Seagate Ships Super-Secure Hard Disk Drive
Topic: Computer Security
6:26 pm EDT, Mar 12, 2007
Putting encryption into a hard drive is no mere security window-dressing. According to Seagate, any U.S. company that loses a laptop using the Seagate drive in conjunction with the launch security management system from Wave Systems, will not have to give public notification of the loss, even if the data is of a highly confidential nature.
