Excerpt: "Old way: 35 grams. x number of hours. Effort to buy, change bulb. New way: 35.5 grams. 2x number of hours. Less effort to "change" bulb."

Clever. -Pk

Lightbulb 2.0: Double the Life, Halve the Materials

Excerpt: "When U.S. foreign aid is measured on other scales, however, a different picture emerges. For example, the United States provided about $51 per citizen in official development assistance in 2002–03. That ranks it in 16th place among other major donors, behind Norway ($381 per citizen), the Netherlands ($203 per citizen), France ($96 per citizen), and the United Kingdom ($89 per citizen), among others. When aid is measured as a share of national income, the United States ranks dead last at 0.15 percent. Top givers include Norway (0.92), Denmark (0.84), Belgium (0.60), and Germany (0.28)."

Before you take either a positive or negative view read the whole five (and growing?) pages. It's interesting any which way. -Pk

Think Again: U.S. Foreign Aid

Excerpt: "The demonstration quickly turned into a mass rally and youths set fire to banners and poster celebrating the 26th anniversary of the revolution that toppled the monarchy and brought to power Iran's turbaned clerics, residents reported."

Mass rally in support, 'eh? Suurree. -Pk

Clashes in Iran between people and Security Forces

Excerpt: "The patience Venezuela displays to such groups as Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN) has increased the U.S. concern further, it is stressed in the statement, according to the Washington Times."

Interesting way of putting it. Cheers, -Pk

US protests against Russia plans to sell arms to Venezuela

Since it's Wednesday which is HOPS' Brewmaster Wednesday I figured I'd post this URL. It contains articles, opinions, timeline, etc.

Since I'm already mad and in further decline I'm going to enjoy my steak tonight. Cheers, -Pk

BSE and vCVD

Excerpt: "The tragedy of the tsunami is obvious and largely unavoidable. But malaria deaths could be significantly reduced if only health agencies would do the politically incorrect – but morally correct – thing and spray DDT and other long-term insecticides."

The guys over at JunkScience.com have a Malaria Clock, other DDT articles, etc. Cheers, -Pk

Personal view: Health agencies must stop demonising DDT – it saves lives

Excerpt: "Studies on the effectiveness of gun laws are plagued by poor or missing data, confusion over which laws affect which jurisdictions and underreporting of violent gun-related crimes, the task force researchers say."

It's not a NRA position piece by any means. Just discusses the problems of trying to quantify the issue. -Pk

Not Enough Evidence to Say Gun Laws Reduce Violence

I'm marking this under Society because I'm biased.

Excerpt: "The more seriously you take the idea of global warming, the more seriously you have to take nuclear power. Clean coal, solar-powered roof tiles, wind farms in North Dakota - they're all pie in the emissions-free sky. Sure, give them a shot. But zero-carbon reactors are here and now. We know we can build them. Their price tag is no mystery. They fit into the existing electric grid without a hitch. Flannel-shirted environmentalists who fight these realities run the risk of ending up with as much soot on their hands as the slickest coal-mining CEO."

Cheers, -Pk

Nuclear Now!

For all you Speedpass users out there... PANIC! No, don't panic actually..

Excerpt: "Faraday shielding offers a short-term, partial remedy. In particular, users may encase their DSTs in aluminum foil or some suitable radio-reflective shielding when not using them. This would defend against active scanning attacks, but not against passive eavesdropping."

Are you thinking what I'm thinking? I can't tell, this foil is suffocating. Cheers, -Pk

Analysis of the Texas Instruments DST RFID (e.g. Speedpass)

Excerpt: "An explosive sometimes used by terrorists does not burn when it detonates. Instead, its molecules simply fall apart. The chemist who has discovered this is so concerned by its implications that he has decided to abandon this line of research."

Whacky. -Pk

Terrorist explosive blows up without flames