I came to the realization that canned goods are going to increase in price. They're heavy, and the food will last a very long time. This is exactly what can't be cheap for very much longer. Fill your bomb shelters now!

Seriously, I love anchovies and canned fruit. I'd hate for them to be prohibitively expensive, like mediocre beef.

Soylent Green is People!

#23 re: Turbine Cars

I have been doing a bit of research on turbine cars, and I believe that instead of using a transmission to drive the wheels directly from the turbine, we'd have more efficiency by ONLY generating electricity from the turbine. Then each wheel is driven by its own in-hub electric motor. I also think this would allow multiple fuel sources (gasoline, ethanol, diesel, etc).

I am disgusted that our Rube-Goldberg cartoon contraptions are still on the road in the 21st century.

Haha! Go, Ray, go! I hope that when I do meet Ray, we can discuss some better tasting vitamins. Those bags of pills are about the volume of the snacks I eat during the day, mostly nuts and seeds and such. I should check out what vitamins he's taking.

#10 - I met Sasha at a couple of parties a while back. Nice guy. We spoke about party topics, and some of the recent work he was doing. I declined the pellet he offered me, as I was already on my way to sillyworld. Odd to see a post here referencing someone I knew.

#52 - "Come on guys, 99% of these smart-drugs are vitamins or plant extracts."

Uh-huh. Same thing with schedule-classified drugs -- heroin is a plant-extract, isn't it? So is asperin.

Good thing I don't get haircuts!

This happened near me (I'm in Pittsburgh), and I thought this was quite amusing. What kind of bad hairday results in getting shot by your stylist?

Should a bag like this even exist, I doubt that it would be something I'd like to put my laptop in. Also, I would expect the costs to be a bit steep.

I wonder if any of the makers out there would take a stab at something like this -- I'd love to see the rediculousness of their requirements made into a completely unusable bag. Then again, there might be some insightful designers out there.

If this happened in the US, anyone within a 2 mile radius would be tazed and arrested!

I'm another of those that thought of this idea, but did not put it together for whatever reason (me = broke).

However, I did get some samples of white LEDs -- 3 watt units, that come in their own heatsinks. I wondered if it would be possible to do what these people are doing, but by using these high-powered ir LEDs. So I asked someone about the brightness.

I was told that the intensity of the light, and the tiny emitter, might actually harm the eyes, especially if you're conversing with someone and have this turned on. So, probably a bad idea, but a very good way to prevent cameras from recording your face.

For a really bad idea, try this with high-powered UV LEDs.

Synapses are the connection between cells. This one looks like a cell itself -- not just a synapse.

My brain-scientist-sweetie would love to have one of these -- I hope I can get this at Kawaii in Pittsburgh...

...and in far-off Pittsburgh, a similar thing is happening, though it is being setup by ONE MAN. Shadysidewifi

Boy is it nice to see *no* people screaming about stealing things in a discussion of open WiFi! The solution really is quite simple: If you're paranoid of kiddies inviting the feds to your house, secure your WiFi. Your WiFi router comes with instructions, and a support phone number. You can also ask your local 12-year-old on how to do this, or have him/her do it for you.

For those of us in the ubiquitous-computing camp, defaults can be a fabulous way to instantly have working WiFi for you and your visitors.

Remember, the ISPs generally have an acceptable use policy, which may prohibit sharing to your neighbors (especially for profit), so you might want to familiarize yourself with it. Otherwise, the Internet is a much more interesting place when untethered.

(Have you been out wardriving lately? You'd be amazed at how these things are being installed EVERYWHERE. Even in the ghettos.)

I was at the Mutter Museum this previous Saturday for the first time, and I have to say that it is definitely worth the trip. My SO and I spent nearly three hours oogling their exhibits and reading the plaques. The place was packed with people and kids, and of course only pieces of dead people. The Soap Lady is the only whole dead person. If you're in Philly, this is something every nerd will enjoy, whether you're in medical school or not.

Make sure to eat soft buttered pretzels made by the Amish from the Reading Terminal Market. Mmmmmmmmm

I can haz 4 lites?

S'okay, people don't generally care about Pittsburgh anyway! =_)

Actually, the Lawrenceville neighborhood is pretty hopping: dorkbotpgh happens at Brillobox, there's a couple of nice restaurants, two robot factories, some dotcoms, it is close to the City, and easy to get to from CMU or Pitt (if you're a student).

Also, please fix the article link, I think it is missing the http:// prefix.

Sounds like this is a perfect area to start building a floating city -- plenty of raw materials around to build more land. As silly as it sounds, I think we will eventually have a New New York, and possibly in the Pacific.

Can anyone donate a used nuclear submarine? We'll need some power to start with...

Same here, I downloaded both the CentOS DVD and CD sets this weekend, at 800+ KB/sec using Comcast here in Pittsburgh. Seemed okay, but I had to upgrade my client before it would start downloading properly.

I really hope that Comcast doesn't throttle us, because DSL (Verizon) is a poor excuse for an alternative, and FIOS (Verizon) is just as bad -- if even it were available in my area.

I might actually be one of the few Internet users in the area, however.

Actually, quite similar in the dotcom world, from my perspective. Any CEO will tell you about riches, and get you to join a team doing whatever. Then, a few months later, you haven't been paid, and the company is gone or worse. I still see this happening.

Make sure you get it in writing before doing any work.

Bill Von Hagen, author and sysadmin, here in Pittsburgh, also has a collection of old soviet computers, calculators, and others here: http://www.vonhagen.org. Bill is also working on creating a computer museum, with emphasis on the machines still being used to access old and outdated software, old formats, and for the experience of computing in the past.

There generally are cracked out people in the Jan-niggle grocery stores here in Pittsburgh. I can't imagine what state of mind someone has to be in, in order to try to cash an obviously fake note. At a grocery store. And *then* inviting cops to be involved. Not a good idea.

Did anyone see the fake bills that protesters were giving out a few years ago, with Dubya's face on 'em? I got a picture around somewhere...

I wonder how long it will be until there are thread-embedded GPS devices. I'd love to scan wireless networks everywhere I go. Carying a brick and bag of wires got a little old!

I wonder if I miss living in Boston.

When I volunteered in the wearable department at the media lab, someone told me a story about bringing the MIThril wearable through the airport. The guy told a story about being tackled after going through the security line, and having to explain the wearable in great detail -- long before 9/11. He said that when he does travel with the device, he puts it into a suitcase, and includes a big stack of documentation, so there will not be any doubt of what the device is. Unfortunately, I can't imagine that any of these trigger-happy underpaid and clueless security-theatre employees can tell the difference between an iPod, feats of hackery, or an actual bomb.

This is why I make the 10.5 hour drive when I go to Boston, which is actually a shorter time door-to-door. That, and I can bring a wide range of fluids.

As others have mentioned, wouldn't an actual bomb be better packaged, and less obvious?

Wasn't there a movie about terrorists implanting bombs inside their bodies to escape detection?

...I thought Marius Milner wrote Netstumbler...

There was an article on 60 Minutes last nite, which went over some of these things. CBS's website may have more information.

I am glad the treasurer did not wave his position around at the airport, as he should have no special treatment than any other Citizen. Unfortunately, the cartoon-rediculousness of airport security is just a joke. This makes me drive to Boston whenever I go -- a 10.5 hour drive from Pittsburgh is actually a *shorter* ammount of time, door-to-door, than taking an airplane. I also get to smoke whatever and whenever, bring all kinds of fluids, and whatever other munchies.

All materials regarding Dick Cheney are classified.

Hi all! Couple interesting points you can read about in Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopus):

Even beheaded, an octopus is still processing. Only some of its 'brain' is in the body area, wheras the arms are 'smart'. These tentacles are not just a piece of meat, but a signifigant part of its brain, fingers, tongue, etc.

As you eat and taste the octopus, it is also tasting the inside of your mouth. The tentacles also perform taste.

Anyone do research on prion diseases related to cephalopods?

I recommend eating some of everything found on this planet (including humans). I even recommend eating salmon while it is still trying to escape. I do think, however, that eating a mostly live still-trying-to-escape octopus is not something to eat, as it may be concious, and self aware as you continue to chew.

I think it is important to note that people on TV are stupid, the things said on TV are stupid, and the entire concept of the lowest-common-denominator attract-highest-audience perpetuates stupid Americans. When people say stupid things on TV (El Presidente, dumb blondes, newscasters, etc), they should be made fun of until someone more competent takes their place.

Isn't that why we're all reading blogs, posting LOLCats pictures, boingboing, slashdot, and the like? Just like Jon Stewart and the Daily Show is more newsworthy than CNN. Go figure!

Style looks good, but I agree that links need to be made to appear obviously as links. Thanks for adding the comments!