|
Thursday, December 18, 2003
|
|
|
The Free Arms Project. The Free Arms Project just opened today for business, spun off the smith2004-discuss Yahoo Groups mailing list: "The Free Arms... [Survival Arts]
So far most of the discussion has been about the 1960s gyrojet guns. While they were an interesting idea, the gyrojet ammo didn't reach its maximum velocity for 60 feet--and most shootings take place at less than twenty. Perhaps today the technology exists to make a gyrojet that accelerates more quickly?
8:29:37 PM
|
|
A Day in Court. Jose Padilla's getting some company. The Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit has ruled that Gitmo detainees have a right to lawyers and access to the U.S. court system. From the decision:
We cannot simply accept the government's position that the Executive Branch possesses the unchecked authority to imprison indefinitely any persons, foreign citizens included, on territory under the sole jurisdiction and control of the United States, without permitting such prisoners recourse of any kind to any judicial forum, or even access to counsel, regardless of the length or manner of their confinement. [Hit & Run]
More good news--and this too will no doubt produce shrieks of dismay from Crusaders everywhere.
2:51:37 PM
|
|
More articles on yesterday's successful test flight of SpaceShipOne:
Spacecraft built on the quiet goes supersonic on its first solo flight [Sydney Morning Herald]
SpaceShipOne Breaks the Sound Barrier [Scaled Composites]
Privately Funded SpaceShipOne Breaks Sound Barrier [Space.com]
First private rocket ship goes supersonic [NewScientist.com]
There are some good quotes, like this one:
"Our flight this morning by SpaceShipOne demonstrated that supersonic flight is now the domain of a small company doing privately funded research, without government help," Mr Rutan's company, Scaled Composites, said.
and this one:
"This successful and historic flight is important because we are showing that the private sector can perform human space flight faster, safer and cheaper," said Jim Benson, founding chairman and chief executive of SpaceDev, the Poway, California-based company that built SpaceShipOne's engine.
12:29:56 PM
|
|
Padilla Ruling. From the Wash Post:
President Bush does not have power to detain American citizen Jose Padilla, the former gang member seized on U.S. soil, as an enemy combatant, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday.
The decision could force the government to try Padilla, held in a so-called "dirty bomb" plot, in civilian courts.
Whole thing here.
Padilla is nobody's idea of a hero, but his treatment has been outrageous from the get-go. [Hit & Run]
I wouldn't be completely surprised if the government simply ignores the ruling. In any case, there will no doubt be howls of outrage from the Crusaders.
11:14:44 AM
|
|
We See Nothing. We Know Nothing. The European Union's Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia recently refused to release a report it commissioned on anti-Semitism. It claims the report was too badly written, but the researchers who put the report together tell a different story. They say the report was shelved after they refused demands to change their findings. They documented that young Muslims, especially immigrants from North Africa and the Middle East, were responsible for much of an upsurge in anti-Semitic acts in Europe. They also found that anti-globalization activists shared some of the blame for the resurgence in anti-Semitism. The researchers say they were repeatedly asked to change those conclusions. [Reason]
9:43:49 AM
|
|
E-Voting Undermined by Sloppiness. An audit reveals that a number of Californians voted on Diebold machines that were not properly certified by either the state or the feds. The company owns up to procedural errors, while state officials seethe. Kim Zetter reports from Sacramento. [Wired News]
This sort of problem is totally predictable, and is an example of why I'm opposed to electronic voting. If Los Angeles County ever starts using those machines, I'll switch to voting by absentee ballot.
9:01:25 AM
|
|
|
|
© Copyright
2006
Ken Hagler.
Last update:
2/15/2006; 1:58:34 PM.
|
|
|