(no subject)
May. 6th, 2004 02:22 am
May. 6th, 2004
A Simulation Study of the Psychology of Imprisonment Conducted at Stanford University
How we went about testing these questions and what we found may astound you. Our planned two-week investigation into the psychology of prison life had to be ended prematurely after only six days because of what the situation was doing to the college students who participated. In only a few days, our guards became sadistic and our prisoners became depressed and showed signs of extreme stress.
How we went about testing these questions and what we found may astound you. Our planned two-week investigation into the psychology of prison life had to be ended prematurely after only six days because of what the situation was doing to the college students who participated. In only a few days, our guards became sadistic and our prisoners became depressed and showed signs of extreme stress.
Tiny robot walker made from DNA
May. 6th, 2004 12:14 pmScientists have created a microscopic walking robot using only the building blocks of life: DNA.
The tiny walker is only 10 nanometres long and has been described as a major step forward in nanotechnology.
A New York University team created the robot using DNA legs that move along a footpath, which is also based on DNA.
The legs move by detaching themselves from the footpath, moving along it and then reattaching themselves, New Scientist reports.
DNA is an ideal material to build the robot from, because DNA chains easily pair up.
The tiny walker is only 10 nanometres long and has been described as a major step forward in nanotechnology.
A New York University team created the robot using DNA legs that move along a footpath, which is also based on DNA.
The legs move by detaching themselves from the footpath, moving along it and then reattaching themselves, New Scientist reports.
DNA is an ideal material to build the robot from, because DNA chains easily pair up.
Now this is an "Axis of Evil"
May. 6th, 2004 12:25 pmEric on Disney and Michael Moore:
Posted By Eric Szulczewski on 05.06.04
[quote]
Everyone knew a couple of years ago that Michael Moore was working on a documentary describing the connections between the Bush and bin Laden families. That documentary is now finished. It's called Fahrenheit 9/11 and is set to premiere at Cannes (in the main competition, no less, something no documentary has ever done). But there's one slight problem. It doesn't have a distributor.
Moore's documentaries are normally distributed by Miramax. Miramax is owned by Disney. Moore was told earlier this week by Miramax that Disney will not allow Miramax to distribute the film, and he broke the news immediately on his web site and to the normal media outlets, namely the Noo Yawk Times and Daily Variety. This is the first time that Moore has had any trouble getting one of his documentaries distributed. Miramax loves him, because his documentaries are cheap, but make big bucks thanks to his notoriety (take Bowling For Columbine; it cost US$3M to make and hauled in about US$120M at the box office and from video sales).
Now, I am NOT a Michael Moore defender. I think he's strident, overbearing, and tends to draw attention away from issues. In other words, he's a bit of an embarassment to us liberals. But this is one time I'm going to have to take his side. It's just too easy for me to do so given the people involved.
We're talking Disney, folks. We're talking Andre the Giant. And we all know how I feel about him and them. It's bad enough that they decided to use their pet politicos to destroy copyright laws to such an extent that nothing will ever become public domain again (and helped to usher in the current era of **AA repression). Now they're fucking with political speech. And they're doing it at the worst time.
First of all, the Weinsteins' contracts with Disney are currently being renegotiated. Miramax has been a rare bright spot for the Mouse. Just look at all of the Kill Bill money and positive glow that Miramax has been able to contribute. Harvey Weinstein is going to bat for Moore, if only on the basis that Moore's a profit machine. If Eisner insists on not distributing Fahrenheit 9/11, this might cause him to lose the Weinsteins. Without them, Miramax is a shell. Without Miramax, Disney loses another crown jewel. Coming on top of the loss of Pixar, the near ouster of Eisner at the stockholders' meeting a month and a half ago, the smearing of Disney's rep by Comcast when the purchase fell through, and the box office failures of The Alamo and Home on the Range, the loss of Miramax as a viable entity could be the final straw for Disney.
And then there's the issue of political censorship. That was brought up immediately by Moore's agent, who pointed out very nicely that the Walt Disney Company gets a great many tax breaks from the State of Florida, whose governor happens to be a subject of Moore's documentary, and is not painted very well in it. Of course, that didn't need to be brought up. The ass-licking from Eisner is obvious, so obvious that there are senators who realize it. Frank Lautenberg wrote a letter to John McCain in McCain's capacity as chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, essentially saying, "Look, this is a company that distributed Kill Bill for Miramax, one of the most violent films ever made, and they're clamping down on this? It's GOT to be because of the Bush family's portrayal." Disney's spin on this? "We don't want to take sides in a political argument." Uh, excuse me? You have no choice. You have a political documentary on your hands, and there is no way that you can justify clamping it down for financial reasons. It's going to make money, and you need money right now. So you have two choices, Disney: you release it and spin the release as a fiscally sound decision, all the while looking good in the eyes of people who still believe that there's a thing called the First Amendment, or you say no and look like the tools of Jeb Bush that you are, with no way to spin it in your favor.
Doesn't sound like much of a choice to me. Fuck Disney, yet again.
[/quote]
Posted By Eric Szulczewski on 05.06.04
[quote]
Everyone knew a couple of years ago that Michael Moore was working on a documentary describing the connections between the Bush and bin Laden families. That documentary is now finished. It's called Fahrenheit 9/11 and is set to premiere at Cannes (in the main competition, no less, something no documentary has ever done). But there's one slight problem. It doesn't have a distributor.
Moore's documentaries are normally distributed by Miramax. Miramax is owned by Disney. Moore was told earlier this week by Miramax that Disney will not allow Miramax to distribute the film, and he broke the news immediately on his web site and to the normal media outlets, namely the Noo Yawk Times and Daily Variety. This is the first time that Moore has had any trouble getting one of his documentaries distributed. Miramax loves him, because his documentaries are cheap, but make big bucks thanks to his notoriety (take Bowling For Columbine; it cost US$3M to make and hauled in about US$120M at the box office and from video sales).
Now, I am NOT a Michael Moore defender. I think he's strident, overbearing, and tends to draw attention away from issues. In other words, he's a bit of an embarassment to us liberals. But this is one time I'm going to have to take his side. It's just too easy for me to do so given the people involved.
We're talking Disney, folks. We're talking Andre the Giant. And we all know how I feel about him and them. It's bad enough that they decided to use their pet politicos to destroy copyright laws to such an extent that nothing will ever become public domain again (and helped to usher in the current era of **AA repression). Now they're fucking with political speech. And they're doing it at the worst time.
First of all, the Weinsteins' contracts with Disney are currently being renegotiated. Miramax has been a rare bright spot for the Mouse. Just look at all of the Kill Bill money and positive glow that Miramax has been able to contribute. Harvey Weinstein is going to bat for Moore, if only on the basis that Moore's a profit machine. If Eisner insists on not distributing Fahrenheit 9/11, this might cause him to lose the Weinsteins. Without them, Miramax is a shell. Without Miramax, Disney loses another crown jewel. Coming on top of the loss of Pixar, the near ouster of Eisner at the stockholders' meeting a month and a half ago, the smearing of Disney's rep by Comcast when the purchase fell through, and the box office failures of The Alamo and Home on the Range, the loss of Miramax as a viable entity could be the final straw for Disney.
And then there's the issue of political censorship. That was brought up immediately by Moore's agent, who pointed out very nicely that the Walt Disney Company gets a great many tax breaks from the State of Florida, whose governor happens to be a subject of Moore's documentary, and is not painted very well in it. Of course, that didn't need to be brought up. The ass-licking from Eisner is obvious, so obvious that there are senators who realize it. Frank Lautenberg wrote a letter to John McCain in McCain's capacity as chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, essentially saying, "Look, this is a company that distributed Kill Bill for Miramax, one of the most violent films ever made, and they're clamping down on this? It's GOT to be because of the Bush family's portrayal." Disney's spin on this? "We don't want to take sides in a political argument." Uh, excuse me? You have no choice. You have a political documentary on your hands, and there is no way that you can justify clamping it down for financial reasons. It's going to make money, and you need money right now. So you have two choices, Disney: you release it and spin the release as a fiscally sound decision, all the while looking good in the eyes of people who still believe that there's a thing called the First Amendment, or you say no and look like the tools of Jeb Bush that you are, with no way to spin it in your favor.
Doesn't sound like much of a choice to me. Fuck Disney, yet again.
[/quote]
Amnesty International has announced that the United States is among the top three countries for executions in 2003. U.S. Justice Department officials have indicated that they are pleased with the international recognition.
"Finally," said Justice Department spokesperson Wendy Allbright, "after the Iraq war and World Trade Organization complaints, a little good press for once. We worked really hard for this."
Of all the countries in the world, only China and Iran top the United States for executions. U.S. officials blame an inefficient judicial system and a plodding review procedure for the low American total.
"We’re hoping to hit number 2 next year," said Allbright. "Watch out Iran, we’ve got you in our sights."
-----------------------------------
I love Canadian Law News. It's like the Onion, but less blatant.
"Finally," said Justice Department spokesperson Wendy Allbright, "after the Iraq war and World Trade Organization complaints, a little good press for once. We worked really hard for this."
Of all the countries in the world, only China and Iran top the United States for executions. U.S. officials blame an inefficient judicial system and a plodding review procedure for the low American total.
"We’re hoping to hit number 2 next year," said Allbright. "Watch out Iran, we’ve got you in our sights."
-----------------------------------
I love Canadian Law News. It's like the Onion, but less blatant.
Pointing crudely at the genitals of a naked, hooded Iraqi, the petite brunette with a cigarette hanging from her lips epitomised America's shame over revelations US soldiers routinely tortured inmates at Abu Ghraib jail near Baghdad.
Lynndie England, 21, a rail worker's daughter, comes from a trailer park in Fort Ashby, West Virginia, which locals proudly call "a backwoods world". She faces a court martial, but at home she is toasted as a hero.
At the dingy Corner Club Saloon they think she has done nothing wrong. "A lot of people here think they ought to just blow up the whole of Iraq," Colleen Kesner said.
"To the country boys here, if you're a different nationality, a different race, you're sub-human. That's the way girls like Lynndie are raised. Tormenting Iraqis, in her mind, would be no different from shooting a turkey. Every season here you're hunting something. Over there, they're hunting Iraqis..."
Lynndie England, 21, a rail worker's daughter, comes from a trailer park in Fort Ashby, West Virginia, which locals proudly call "a backwoods world". She faces a court martial, but at home she is toasted as a hero.
At the dingy Corner Club Saloon they think she has done nothing wrong. "A lot of people here think they ought to just blow up the whole of Iraq," Colleen Kesner said.
"To the country boys here, if you're a different nationality, a different race, you're sub-human. That's the way girls like Lynndie are raised. Tormenting Iraqis, in her mind, would be no different from shooting a turkey. Every season here you're hunting something. Over there, they're hunting Iraqis..."
Pretty spiffy..
May. 6th, 2004 06:44 pmFind the people near you (or just anyone, by name) who've made campaign contributions for the US Presidential election.
http://www.fundrace.org/neighbors
http://www.fundrace.org/neighbors