Procrastineering - Project blog for Johnny Chung Lee

This is a very interesting link:

Procrastineering - Project blog for Johnny Chung Lee
Video on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0awjPUkBXOU
Second video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s5EvhHy7eQ

Basicly what this graduate student did was take a 50$ piece of hardware (The Wiimote) with about 20 to 50$ worth of Radio Shack equipment, and sometime, and made is own multi-touch screen interface.

The wiimote is actually an infrared camera with motion sensors and Bluetooth. To make a multi-touch interface, he simply linked the wiimote to a computer via bluetooth, and using the wiimote's camera tracked an infrared emitter as a mouse.

it's VERY impressive. It's one of those "I wish I tough about that"

Smedley Butler on Interventionism

Smedley Butler on Interventionism

It has been 74 years... and it still rings true today...

Quote of the day (2007-11-28)

Bumper sticker idea: “How many soldiers per gallon does your SUV get?”

My take on the situation: The US soldier are fighting for the wrong reasons, on the wrong front, while the Canadian troops are fighting a war that is not ours...

New NSA-Approved Encryption Standard May Contain Backdoor

New NSA-Approved Encryption Standard May Contain Backdoor

It's neither malice not incompetence, it's both!

This is something I don't get: who, inside the government, wants to spy on people and why?
-It's not the politicians because it would have considerable negative impact if it were to be found out.
-It's probably not the lower guys in the police workers who work on this stuff day after day, because they know how trivial it is to replace the algorithm use with a strong one. (And it would have to be disclosed in court at some point, so it would be of use a couple of time, until either the bad guys found out or the public found out...)
-It has to be a higher up manager thinking it's a "great idea" and that it would "make work lots easier"...

Well, I got news for you: It boils down to the same argument behind Security-trough-obscurity and it's going to buy you a couple of years maximum (or like in this case, very bad publicity)

Anti-Terrorism and the Death of the Chemistry Set

An insightful post on slashdot about fascism and totalitarian regimes:

Anti-Terrorism and the Death of the Chemistry Set

I fear the day when we won't be able to count votes in here... It's a good thing that voting machines are not yet approved around here...

Create Your Own News | D*I*Y Planner

Diyplaner.com : "Create Your Own News "

Insightful and true.

MIT Student Arrested For Wearing 'Tech Art' Shirt At Airport

This Comment from Slashdot tell the truth better than I could ever do:
MIT Student Arrested For Wearing 'Tech Art' Shirt At Airport

Franklin Virtue Chart

Benjamin Franklin had a simple method to try and be the best individual he could be.

He devised a list of 13 virtues and marked them in a smal list. he would then review each day his list, and mark the virtues he had missed with a black dot.

1. "TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation."
2. "SILENCE. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation."
3. "ORDER. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time."
4. "RESOLUTION. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve."
5. "FRUGALITY. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing."
6. "INDUSTRY. Lose no time; be always employ'd in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions."
7. "SINCERITY. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly."
8. "JUSTICE. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty."
9. "MODERATION. Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve."
10. "CLEANLINESS. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation."
11. "TRANQUILLITY. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable."
12. "CHASTITY. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation."
13. "HUMILITY. Imitate Jesus and Socrates."

After searching the web a bit, I found this website which has a Do-it-yourself planner taken from the original layout Benjamin made:

Franklin Virtue Chart | D*I*Y Planner

Benjamin never managed to be a perfect man, but even has he slowly stopped updating the list, he never forgot the virtues listed, and always remembered that even if he wasn't perfect, trying to keep up these 13 virtues was what made he a better man.

I got this little thing for my birthday.... My sister caught me completetly by suprise... But I think it's the most original gift I have received in ages :)

This little fella just landed near my windows...