LKM's stuff

“The 11-foot long torpedo is made of brass and had a range...

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:07:26 -0400

“The 11-foot long torpedo is made of brass and had a range of 400 yards while traveling at 25 knots. Not bad for the 1800s.” (via Mine-seeking dolphins make historic discover | DVICE)

(via Hilarious And Terrifying 1950s Kids Safety Manual)

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:56:49 -0400

(via Hilarious And Terrifying 1950s Kids Safety Manual)

"First - and arguably foremost - there is virtually no difference among upper, middle and lower..."

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:51:51 -0400

“

First - and arguably foremost - there is virtually no difference among upper, middle and lower classes in Iceland. And with that, tension between economic classes is non-existent, a rare occurrence for any country.

A study of the Icelandic class system done by a University of Missouri master’s student found only 1.1% of participants identified themselves as upper class, while 1.5% saw themselves as lower class.

The remaining 97% identified themselves as upper-middle class, lower-middle class, or working class.

On one of three visits to Althing, the Icelandic parliament, I met Bjorgvin Sigurdsson, former chairman of the parliamentary group of the Social Democratic Alliance. In his eyes - as well as those of many Icelanders I spoke with - equality was the biggest reason for the nation’s relative lack of crime.

”

- BBC News - Why is violent crime so rare in Iceland?

"Since he doesn’t have arms he can’t turn the handle to open the door. He used to crank..."

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:20:06 -0400

“Since he doesn’t have arms he can’t turn the handle to open the door. He used to crank up the volume and yell, but that didn’t really work either, so over time he learned to adapt, to use his unique gifts to solve the problem. He would back up, creating enough room to pick up speed, and then ram the door at full throttle. It wasn’t too violent a collision, but it was enough to shake the door with the force of a hard knock, and after a few minutes someone always came to his aid.”

- Lyndon Baty and the Robot That Saved Him - - News - Dallas - Dallas Observer

"Another reason for an increased ability to think in the abstract using symbols and hypotheticals is..."

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:46:18 -0400

“Another reason for an increased ability to think in the abstract using symbols and hypotheticals is that our lives in general have become more complex and require more symbolic and abstract thinking even in everyday lives. Flynn points out that even when it comes to popular culture like TV shows, nowadays they routinely feature fairly complex multiple interweaving story lines even in sit-coms, unlike the simpler and more linear ones that were the norm even as late as the 1970s. Our work and leisure activities and the technology we use today all require us to manipulate symbols and use abstract reasoning to a far greater degree than people in the past or even people now who live in different cultures.”

- The puzzle of rising IQ scores » Mano Singham

"As journalists interviewed in the documentary repeatedly say, high level government officials leak..."

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:33:49 -0400

“As journalists interviewed in the documentary repeatedly say, high level government officials leak even classified information to media all the time in order to make themselves and the government look good, so it is not leaks themselves that are the problem. The government only vigorously prosecutes any leaks that make it look bad, irrespective of whether it helps or harms the country.”

- Film review: War on Whistleblowers » Mano Singham

"The two men strolled into the hall to order tea from white-uniformed waiters. As they returned,..."

Sun, 19 May 2013 15:44:01 -0400

“

The two men strolled into the hall to order tea from white-uniformed waiters. As they returned, Kumar said, “We are in big trouble,” and motioned for Thakur to be quiet. Back in his office, Kumar handed him a letter from the World Health Organization. It summarized the results of an inspection that WHO had done at Vimta Laboratories, an Indian company that Ranbaxy hired to administer clinical tests of its AIDS medicine. The inspection had focused on antiretroviral (ARV) drugs that Ranbaxy was selling to the South African government to save the lives of its AIDS-ravaged population.

As Thakur read, his jaw dropped. The WHO had uncovered what seemed to the two men to be astonishing fraud. The Vimta tests appeared to be fabricated. Test results from separate patients, which normally would have differed from one another, were identical, as if xeroxed.

Thakur listened intently. Kumar had not even gotten to the really bad news. On the plane back to India, his traveling companion, another Ranbaxy executive, confided that the problem was not limited to Vimta or to those ARV drugs.

“What do you mean?” asked Thakur, barely able to grasp what Kumar was saying.

”

- Dirty medicine - Fortune Features

"One of Indonesians’ favorite food is noodles. But there is a problem with some of the noodles. Some..."

Sun, 19 May 2013 10:06:42 -0400

“One of Indonesians’ favorite food is noodles. But there is a problem with some of the noodles. Some noodle-makers were caught putting dirty used underwear in the soup. They believe that with dirty underwear and a little bit of prayer, they could make the soup taste better and could attract more customers.”

- Sounds plausible. Skeptics Organize in Indonesia - CSI

"Having read The Da Vinci Code with close attention to its sales figures, I have a great belief in..."

Sat, 18 May 2013 17:56:05 -0400

“Having read The Da Vinci Code with close attention to its sales figures, I have a great belief in Dan Brown’s attractions as a writer. The belief is all the greater because I can’t quite define what those attractions are. Certainly they don’t have anything to do with his prose, which would be unreadable if it were not so riveting. From that strange anomaly, I deduce that it’s his ability to ‘tell a story’ that pulls in the customers. (I once met a man who told me that he was reading all of Jeffrey Archer’s novels for a second time because of Archer’s ability to ‘tell a story.’ I asked for more details, but the man was led away to take his meds.)”

- Clive James on Dan Brown: ‘I pity him deeply’

(On a related note, I enjoyed Inferno. I can get over eminent book writer Dan Brown’s quirky, yet precarious writing style if the plot, written using a quilt fashioned from African Mahogany that once belonged to erudite, although not overly handsome forty-year-old carefree college athlete Robert Langdon, is exciting and gets my eyes white, like a shark about to attack. The Lost Symbol’s plot was boring, but Inferno’s isn’t. It’s not as good as The Da Vinci Code, which keeps the tension up by not revealing the main mystery until the very end. Inferno’s mystery, on the other hand, is pretty much revealed a third through the book, after which we’re left with an enjoyable scavenger hunt. During the book’s final twenty or so percent, the plot eventually does collapse under the weight of its own complexity and becomes unbelievable and somewhat annoying. But overall, it was an almost entirely enjoyable read.)

"You’re so sensitive. You’re so emotional. You’re defensive. You’re overreacting. Calm down. Relax...."

Sat, 18 May 2013 16:58:55 -0400

“

You’re so sensitive. You’re so emotional. You’re defensive. You’re overreacting. Calm down. Relax. Stop freaking out! You’re crazy! I was just joking, don’t you have a sense of humor? You’re so dramatic. Just get over it already!

Sound familiar?

If you’re a woman, it probably does.

Do you ever hear any of these comments from your spouse, partner, boss, friends, colleagues, or relatives after you have expressed frustration, sadness, or anger about something they have done or said?

When someone says these things to you, it’s not an example of inconsiderate behavior. When your spouse shows up half an hour late to dinner without calling—that’s inconsiderate behavior. A remark intended to shut you down like, “Calm down, you’re overreacting,” after you just addressed someone else’s bad behavior, is emotional manipulation—pure and simple.

”

- Why Women Aren’t Crazy — The Good Men Project

"Today’s International Day Against Homophobia rally in the capital city of Georgia was broken up when..."

Sat, 18 May 2013 15:44:39 -0400

“Today’s International Day Against Homophobia rally in the capital city of Georgia was broken up when priests and thousands of other Georgians burst through police lines and attacked gay rights activists.”

- I guess they were following Jesus’ lesser-known proverb: “All things therefore whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do ye also punch them in the face: for this is the law and the prophets.” May 17, 2013 | Evening Edition

(via Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal)

Fri, 17 May 2013 10:39:31 -0400

(via Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal)

"The Mac on your desk or on the cafe table next to you has a chip with secret functions that can be..."

Fri, 17 May 2013 09:39:05 -0400

“The Mac on your desk or on the cafe table next to you has a chip with secret functions that can be unlocked only by inputting a spell from the Harry Potter series. That’s right, the SMC, or system management controller, a chip used to regulate a Mac’s current and voltage, manage its light sensor, and temporarily store FileVault keys, contains undocumented code that is invoked by entering the word “SpecialisRevelio.” Those are the same magic words used to reveal hidden charms, hexes, or properties used by wizards in the Harry Potter series written by author J. K. Rowling.”

- “SpecialisRevelio!” Macs use Harry Potter spell to unlock secret “backdoor” | Ars Technica

"Many people in creative fields share, to varying degrees, a psychological phenomenon known as..."

Fri, 17 May 2013 06:09:11 -0400

“

Many people in creative fields share, to varying degrees, a psychological phenomenon known as “impostor syndrome.” Those who experience this syndrome doubt their own competence in the face of overwhelming evidence of their skills. They have difficulty internalizing their own accomplishments.

Alexander Bruce, sole creator of the multiple award-winning, $1 million-plus grossing Antichamber, travelled to the Game Developers Conference all the way from Melbourne, Australia. Instead of enjoying congratulatory conversations with the developers he admired, he decided to sleep most of the week away in his hotel room. Alone.

“I go to something like GDC and everyone else is way more excited for me than I actually am for myself. Because I’m only seeing problems.”

”

- Truth In the Land of Impostors | Dork Shelf

(via Gamasutra: Ryan Langley’s Blog - Welcome to the club...

Fri, 17 May 2013 06:02:34 -0400

(via Gamasutra: Ryan Langley’s Blog - Welcome to the club - Women in Video Games, Circa 1983.)

"Worse, there are people who fetishize dialogue itself. Who think that harassers and harassed should..."

Fri, 17 May 2013 05:21:25 -0400

“Worse, there are people who fetishize dialogue itself. Who think that harassers and harassed should simply sit down and have beers with one another and learn that they aren’t really all that different. As though every dispute is between equals, and every viewpoint equally valid, and every grievance equal in weight and just a matter of perspective.”

- Privilege, Dialogue, Harassment, and the Anti-Availability Heuristic » Lousy Canuck

"In New York, a computer-security expert named James Dolan persuaded a trio of his industry..."

Thu, 16 May 2013 15:16:54 -0400

“In New York, a computer-security expert named James Dolan persuaded a trio of his industry colleagues to meet with Aaron to review the architecture and, later, the code. We wanted to be reasonably confident that the system wouldn’t be compromised, and that sources would be able to submit documents anonymously—so that even the media outlets receiving the materials wouldn’t be able to tell the government where they came from. James wrote an obsessively detailed step-by-step security guide for organizations implementing the code. “He goes a little overboard,” Aaron said in an e-mail, “but maybe that’s not a bad thing.””

- Strongbox and Aaron Swartz : The New Yorker

Abercrombie & Fitch Gets a Brand Readjustment...

Thu, 16 May 2013 11:19:18 -0400

Abercrombie & Fitch Gets a Brand Readjustment #FitchTheHomeless (by gkarber)

"The three predators were rescued as cubs 12 years ago from drug dealers who’d abused and neglected..."

Thu, 16 May 2013 11:13:52 -0400

“

The three predators were rescued as cubs 12 years ago from drug dealers who’d abused and neglected them.

“All of them had issues,” Hedgecoth said. “Leo, the lion, had a big raw spot on his nose. Baloo, the bear, had an ingrown harness where his owners hadn’t lengthened it as he grew, so it actually grew into the skin and it had to be surgically removed. … They have recovered more than 100 percent.”

But when trainers tried to separate the animals, they acted out. For years, trainers said they worried and waited for fights but had witnessed nothing but peace among the three.

”

- Lion, Tiger and Bear Make for Odd, Yet Happy Family at Ga. Sanctuary - ABC News

"Here, Nature takes a look at three pressing questions: are GM crops fuelling the rise of..."

Thu, 16 May 2013 08:30:41 -0400

“Here, Nature takes a look at three pressing questions: are GM crops fuelling the rise of herbicide-resistant ‘superweeds’? Are they driving farmers in India to suicide? And are the foreign transgenes in GM crops spreading into other plants? These controversial case studies show how blame shifts, myths are spread and cultural insensitivities can inflame debate.”

- Case studies: A hard look at GM crops : Nature News & Comment