Do Americans Actually Believe Life Exists in a Galaxy Far, Far Away?

Kewl. Looks like the #s are going up.

Wired News: Big Brother Tries to Muscle ISPs

Don't they ever learn? Taking away freedom is a baaaaad thing.

Airport screeners could see X-rated X-rays | CNET News.com

Hmm, wonder how long until airport workers are posting voyeur pics.

Wired 13.06: The Mad Genius from the Bottom of the Sea

Interesting. I am not sure what I think about this.

Slashdot | PGP Ruled as Relevant For Criminal Case

So based on this decision, wouldn't the new precedence allow someone accused of hacking to have things like having SSH installed used against them as proof of criminal intent?

Mirror.co.uk - News - Showbiz News - LIGHT-SABRE DUEL PUTS TWO IN HOSPITAL

Ouch. Ok, who thinks to put gasoline inside an electric light?

Slashdot | Linux and OpenOffice save Microsoft Presentation

This is too funny. Don't eat your own dogfood I guess.

Tor: Contribute

I think perhaps EOTI should contribute some code to this. Perhaps a Java control interface, handle the DNS issues they are talking about, something.

Newsday.com: Accelerator Used to Decipher Archimedes

That's really kewl. I want my own particle accelerator.

PLANETSPACE

Maybe I should work for them and get free rides ;)

Slashdot | Teacher Fired for P2P Lecture

That's really fucked up.

Slashdot | USPTO Issues Email Address Patent to Microsoft

So is it that just the most technologically inept people work at the USPTO, or just that they are monetarily motivated?

Jacob Simpson

Well, it happened. My friend, Jacob Simpson (Jake) died in Iraq last night. We don't have any further details yet. If you are one of his friends that wasn't called, call me and we'll make sure you know about any further arrangements.

Update:
KATU Story
KATU Video

Update:
Oregonian story

According to the Oregonian:
he was on foot on a reconnaissance patrol, clearing a building near the northern city of Tikrit....was killed Monday near Tikrit, Iraq, when he was struck by shrapnel from a rocket-propelled grenade

Update:
These all have the same basic story as the Oregonian:
Denver Post article
Corvalis Gazette-Times
Rocky Mountain News
Mail Tribune

And this one requires subscription, but I assume it is the same as the rest:
SpokesmanReview

Very minimal reference:
Defense Department News

Update:
Just got ahold of Brenden's blog which also includes a chat session log with Jake.

Update:
Brenden's interview with Mail Tribune. Also note that Gov. Ted Kulongoski has asked that the state fly flags at half mast today (5.20.05) for Jake.

Update:
Jake's service will be at 1pm on FRI, 27 May 2005. The location will be:
Willamette National Cemetery ( Map )
11800 S.E. Mt. Scott Blvd.
Portland, OR 97266-6937
(503) 273-5250

There will be a wake at 3pm on FRI for family and friends. The location will be:
Club Paesano - Cederville park
3800 W. Powell Loop.
Gresham, OR
(Map )

NewsForge | Free Software Foundation and OpenOffice.org team up to escape Java trap

I know that many of my close friends respect and idolize Stallman, but this guy is really starting to piss me off. He acts like a Medieval Pope, trying to convert everyone to his more restrictive religion even if he has to lie to do it.

The main thoughts I got reading the article:
1) Idiots, Java is free. Just because it is not GPL does not make it free. Apache has as much say about the Java platform as Sun. It is NOT Proprietary.
2) GPL is not free -- it takes rights away from the developers. I have less rights with my own code under GPL than I do under BSD or MIT or Apache. GPL is a virus that prevents the world from switching to all public domain software.
3) Because of #1 and #2, the articles comment is total bullshit:
Sun has a history of alternately supporting and damning free and open source software (FOSS). For instance, while CEO Scott McNealy has called Sun a "heavy contributor" to open source ... has heavily criticized the GNU General Public Licence.
Well, duh, every free software license out there is better than GPL, including the JCP.

Slashdot | Human Blood For Electrical Power

Matrix anyone?

Slashdot | Self-Replicating Robots

Oh oh! I want some!

Slashdot | Real-ID Passes U.S. Senate 100-0

What a shock. no really. I mean it. who would have thunk the goverment would blindly pass something attached to giving more money to the Iraq war?

Slashdot | Nanotechnology + Superconductivity = Spintronics

Nice :)

PhysOrg: Researchers make bendable concrete

This would be perfect for Aeroform (ie: Monolithic) Domes!

Slashdot | FCC Broadcast Flag Struck Down

Woot! Score one for the homebrew pvrs.

Group for User Interface Research - Projects - SATIN

this looks kinda kewl

OpenBSD/zaurus

Nice ;)

CPU cooling and processor cooling for computer cooling - nanoCoolers

ooh, I want this. especially if I am going to do a home-brew PVR

Pi seems a good random number generator � but not always the best

I still need to finish reading this article, but the concept is interesting.

Maybe the problem is the fact that we are using base 10 numbering. Would some other numbering mechanism make numbers like PI more defined?

Slashdot | Time Travelers' Convention

Aww, I want to go!