The Fount of Useless Information
Your place for useless information that just might possibly be interesting.
Supreme Court expands defendant’s rights in plea deals
In two 5-4 decisions, the Supreme Court rules that defendants in criminal cases have a constitutional right to a competent lawyer’s advice when deciding whether to accept a plea deal.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-court-plea-20120322,0,2067347.story
It …
‘See-around-a-corner’ camera prototype unveiled
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/story/2012-03-20/see-around-a-corner-camera/53668372/1
Not ready for prime time, but it is quite interesting, none the less. In a few years I can see this being developed to the point where you can get really good images of what …
Stop Stealing Dreams
http://www.sethgodin.com/sg/docs/StopStealingDreamsSCREEN.pdf
I have not yet finished it, but I have already decided that the content must be promulgated. The author, Seth Godin, seems like a pretty smart guy so I might read some of this other …
Man-made noise disrupts the growth of plants and trees
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/17457323
When I read the title I thought that somehow the plant and trees were being individually affected by the noise, but it seems it is ‘just’ the behavior of pollinators …
Vernor Vinge Is Optimistic About the Collapse of Civilization
http://www.wired.com/underwire/2012/03/vernor-vinge-geeks-guide-galaxy/
I like Mr. Vinge a lot as an author (I would love to hang out with him and find out if he is as cool in person). I loved his …
You won’t read any of this in the US:
Robert Fisk: Madness is not the reason for this massacre
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-madness-is-not-the-reason-for-this-massacre-7575737.html
Even if we accept that the accused legitimately doesn’t remember killing those people, that doesn’t change the act or what …
Not something that I think has any potential with the current GOP morons…
Rice, Klein: Education keeps America safe
http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/20/opinion/rice-klein-education/index.html?hpt=hp_bn6
I agree with much of what the article has to say (I know Rice, but don’t know Klein, but I …
RS policies help fuel tax refund fraud, officials say
http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/20/us/tax-refund-scam/index.html
A sad article indeed. The sums involved are HUGE and all of it a direct withdrawal from our (taxpayer) pockets. This is on par with medicare/medicaid fraud: billions of dollars. …
Satellites spy thousands of ancient human settlements
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/03/20/satellites-spy-thousands-ancient-human-settlements/
This is a really cool idea to me. As mentioned in the article this is not the first time satellites have been used to identify archeology sites, but this is the first …
Senate mulls an express lane for IPOs
http://money.cnn.com/2012/03/20/smallbusiness/ipo-bill/index.htm?source=cnn_bin
As if it wasn’t already easy enough for the oligarchy to rip off ordinary people, now we have legislation that will turn the clock all the way back to before the ’29 …