Science Friction

The Washington post has This story

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- When MIT announced in March that it had won a $50 million grant to design high-tech gear for the U.S. Army's "soldier of the future," the project was hailed as the stuff of science fiction and comic book heroes. It turns out those plaudits were a lot closer to the truth than most people realized.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology grudgingly acknowledged yesterday that it copied images from the sci-fi comic book "Radix" as part of its winning bid to host a research center that aims to make soldiers partly invisible and allow them to clear 20-foot-high walls in a single bound.

When you put the MIT drawing up against the comic book, the similarities are clear. The only difference is the MIT soldier has a helmet on! What were those MIT boys thinking?

Alwaleed made honorary citizen of Cannes, France

ArabNews has this story.

RIYADH, 29 August — Prince Alwaleed ibn Talal yesterday became an honorary citizen of Cannes, France.

Mayor Bernard Brochand presented the honorary citizenship diploma to the prince aboard his yacht which is currently moored in Cannes. It was the 11th state recognition for the prince.

This was the guy that Rudy Guliani told to take his money and shove it . Alwaleed ibn Talal is the Saudi prince who tried to give New York City a ten million dollar check and a lecture on American foreign policy post 9/11. Seems that the old adage will remain forever true "money talks and BS walks".

Can Dogs Count?

A new study suggest that dogs can count.

"Dogs are descended from wolves, which not only have a large neocortex - the brain's centre of reasoning - but live in large social groups. So their mathematical ability could, in evolutionary terms, have been useful for working out how many allies and enemies they had in a pack, the researchers think.

Animals such as birds and rodents can tell when one pile of objects is bigger than another. But to count, an animal has to recognise that each object in a set corresponds to a single number and that the last number in a sequence represents the total number of objects."

The Case For Iraq Action

The White House thinks it doesn't need Congressional approval to attack Iraq. Sure, but things would go smoother politically if Bush asked for a resolution.

On a related note, Vice President Cheney made the case for war with Iraq. "We will not simply look away, hope for the best and leave the matter for some future administration to resolve," Cheney told a Veterans of Foreign Wars convention.

"Bush Aides Say Iraq War Needs No Hill Vote"

"Cheney Presses Case for Iraq Action"

The text of Cheney's speech is now posted on the White House web site.

Bush's Playbook: Orwell's '1984'?

TomPaine.com writes:

"As… Bush wages his war against terrorism and moves to create a huge homeland security apparatus, he appears to be borrowing heavily, if not ripping off ideas outright, from George Orwell's 1984, the prophetic novel about a government that controls the masses by spreading propaganda, cracking down on subversive thought and altering history to suit its needs. 1984 was intended as a warning about the evils of totalitarianism -- not a how-to manual... Interesting article [more]

Homeland Insecurity

A write-up of Bruce Schneier's thoughts on security measures, and how most recent measures may reduce security. [more]

To Carole, Jen, Moe and Randall:

This new design is my latest effort to combine content as well as a visually harmonious means of expressing myself through HTML . I chose to feature pictures of the family prominently because you represent a very important part of my life. I am proud that I've had an opportunity to play a major role in the development of this household and I wish to take time to say thanks for the reciprocation.

test test 999

USA Today: Mike and Spike reunite to sell Jordan's line of clothing

Lee has worked with Nike and Jordan as a director-for-hire over the years. But the new assignment marks the first time his shop, which specializes in reaching urban consumers, has won an account from Nike. SpikeDDB beat several other ad agencies to win the business.

"I've been working very hard to do business with Michael. We have a long history," says Lee, chairman and chief creative officer of SpikeDDB, who jokingly refers to himself as "El Maestro" of the agency. The Jordan division's move to hire a shop outside of longtime Nike agency Wieden shows it wants its "autonomy," he says.

Lee "clearly understands the power of our logo — and what Michael brings to the table," says Larry Miller, president of the Jordan division.

"Hermes the robot edged its way into the dark cave, its treads spinning over the dust and small rocks until a boulder appeared in its path. No problem. The tiny machine dropped its side arms, lifted onto and over the boulder, and rolled on, its two cameras sending images to an operator waiting outside. The war in Afghanistan is the first time robots are being used by the U.S. military as tools for combat. Proponents believe sending them into caves, buildings or other dark areas ahead of troops will help prevent U.S. casualties..." [more]