Thursday, December 13, 2007
A Child's View of the OLPC
The BBC has a report on A child's view of the $100 laptop. The report is about 9 year-old's Rufus Cellan-Jones experience. "With no help from his Dad, he has learned far more about computers than he knew a couple of weeks ago, and the XO appears to be a more creative tool than the games consoles which occupy rather too much of his time." Pretty cool.
And The Snow Just Started
We've had a little big of snow so far but it's mostly been some bad ice. Today we're getting a storm that yesterday they said would leave about 2-4 inches by me (more to south) and an hour ago I heard 5-12 inches. But I'm really just expecting about 4 inches. We'll see.
The snow just started. I've got my rock salt, food, and plenty to read. I also have movies to watch which is useful because TV is just about over. Last week I had it off a lot to read The Golden Compass and I've been catching up on my Economists and Sky & Telescopes and I really can concentrate much better without the background noise. Shocker.
The snow just started. I've got my rock salt, food, and plenty to read. I also have movies to watch which is useful because TV is just about over. Last week I had it off a lot to read The Golden Compass and I've been catching up on my Economists and Sky & Telescopes and I really can concentrate much better without the background noise. Shocker.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
More Torture News
Andrew Sullivan writes "The former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, Lieutenant General Harry Soyster pushes back against the torture-advocates"
TPM has assembled a Timeline of the CIA's Torture Tapes
TPM has assembled a Timeline of the CIA's Torture Tapes
How Super-Precise Atomic Clocks Will Change the World in a Decade
I won't even begin to summarize Wired's article, How Super-Precise Atomic Clocks Will Change the World in a Decade. Pretty amazing stuff.
"At F1's level of precision, even general relativity introduces problems; when technicians recently moved F1 from the third floor to the second, they had to re-tune the system to compensate for the 11-and-a-half foot drop in altitude."
If you don't know this is how your GPS works and NIST envisions new uses medical imaging and geological surveys. "That means passing a precise clock over different landscapes yields different gravity offsets, which could be used to map the presence of oil, liquid magma or water underground."
"At F1's level of precision, even general relativity introduces problems; when technicians recently moved F1 from the third floor to the second, they had to re-tune the system to compensate for the 11-and-a-half foot drop in altitude."
If you don't know this is how your GPS works and NIST envisions new uses medical imaging and geological surveys. "That means passing a precise clock over different landscapes yields different gravity offsets, which could be used to map the presence of oil, liquid magma or water underground."
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
This Weeks Torture News
ABC has a very interesting interview with John Kiriakou, the retired leader of the CIA team that captured and tortured Abu Zubaydah. Andrew Sullivan provides commentary on the information. Basically we tortured with water boarding and sleep deprivation. Kiriakou calls the techniques torture and while at the time he thought they were justified, he's rethought that and now thinks otherwise. Also, he says every single thing done was approved up the chain of the command. I think Sullivan jumps the gun a little saying that it's clear Bush himself knew about the specifics, but I'd guess that he did. Kiriakou also says that the information gotten via waterboarding Zubaydah absolutely helped prevent dozens of attacks against US interests but not on US soil. Sullivan goes on to compare this information with Gestapo toture techniques.
In related news, digby wonders: "Gosh, I sure hope nobody tore up these photos [of bruises to Binyam Mohammed after being totured by the CIA] over the week-end before the Attorney General finally got around to ordering everyone to cease destroying evidence."
Think Progress asks: "Is CIA Director Michael Hayden Lying About When The Agency Stopped Videotaping Interrogations?" Amnesty International reports tell of prisoners seeing cameras after 2002 but then again Kiriakou thought the cameras were closed circuits and not being recorded. Think Progress adds Spencer Ackerman's comments "The CIA lied for years about the existence of videotaped interrogations, so there’s no reason to credit Hayden’s account of when the recordings ceased."
Ackerman wonders in TPM How Do Classified Letters Get Classified?. Personally I wonder about how congressmen find out about classified stuff and then can't discuss it with anyone or each other. I think this is a deliberate tactic by the Bush administration. Instead of releasing information to say the entire Intelligence committee they release it to just the top 4 members (2 of each party). But then they can't discuss it with the rest of the committee so how can they perform any oversight duties?
In related news, digby wonders: "Gosh, I sure hope nobody tore up these photos [of bruises to Binyam Mohammed after being totured by the CIA] over the week-end before the Attorney General finally got around to ordering everyone to cease destroying evidence."
Think Progress asks: "Is CIA Director Michael Hayden Lying About When The Agency Stopped Videotaping Interrogations?" Amnesty International reports tell of prisoners seeing cameras after 2002 but then again Kiriakou thought the cameras were closed circuits and not being recorded. Think Progress adds Spencer Ackerman's comments "The CIA lied for years about the existence of videotaped interrogations, so there’s no reason to credit Hayden’s account of when the recordings ceased."
Ackerman wonders in TPM How Do Classified Letters Get Classified?. Personally I wonder about how congressmen find out about classified stuff and then can't discuss it with anyone or each other. I think this is a deliberate tactic by the Bush administration. Instead of releasing information to say the entire Intelligence committee they release it to just the top 4 members (2 of each party). But then they can't discuss it with the rest of the committee so how can they perform any oversight duties?
Bike for a Cure
My friend MIke is trying to raise $2,500 by bicycle riding 550 miles over 7 days to help find a cure for diabetes in the Tour de Cure ride. Help him if you feel like it.
Former Chief Prosecutor for the Office of Military Commissions Resigns
Morris D. Davis writes "I was the chief prosecutor for the military commissions at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, until Oct. 4, the day I concluded that full, fair and open trials were not possible under the current system. I resigned on that day because I felt that the system had become deeply politicized and that I could no longer do my job effectively or responsibly. " He goes on to describe three reasons for his resignation:
"Susan Crawford...the convening authority...had her staff assessing evidence before the filing of charges, directing the prosecution's pretrial preparation of cases (which began while I was on medical leave), drafting charges against those who were accused and assigning prosecutors to cases, among other things." The problem is, "the convening authority is supposed to be objective". "Intermingling convening authority and prosecutor roles perpetuates the perception of a rigged process stacked against the accused."
The hearings are secret and justice should be transparent.
And the straw that broke the camel's back was when Davis was put under the chain of the command of Defense Department General Counsel William J. Haynes who had a "role in authorizing the use of the aggressive interrogation techniques some call torture."
"The president first authorized military commissions in November 2001, more than six years ago, and the lack of progress is obvious. Only one war-crime case has been completed. It is time for the political appointees who created this quagmire to let go. Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) have said that how we treat the enemy says more about us than it does about him. If we want these military commissions to say anything good about us, it's time to take the politics out of military commissions, give the military control over the process and make the proceedings open and transparent."
This story reminded me of an NPR piece I heard a few weeks ago. "By all accounts, Colby Vokey is a model officer in the U.S. Marine Corps...For the past four years, Vokey has served as chief of all the Corps' defense lawyers in the western United States — and he's played a key role in some of the military's most sensitive legal issues, including the murder investigation in Haditha, Iraq, and in the debate about detainees at the U.S. prison camp at Guantanamo Bay."
"So when Vokey announced recently that he wanted to leave the Corps, it said something troubling about the military system of justice that he's served for almost 20 years. Vokey charges that some commanders and officials in the Bush administration have abused the system of justice, and he's going to retire from the Corps May 1, 2008."
Here's another problem with this administration, many of the good people are choosing leaving the military because they have too much integrity. How screwed up is that?
"Susan Crawford...the convening authority...had her staff assessing evidence before the filing of charges, directing the prosecution's pretrial preparation of cases (which began while I was on medical leave), drafting charges against those who were accused and assigning prosecutors to cases, among other things." The problem is, "the convening authority is supposed to be objective". "Intermingling convening authority and prosecutor roles perpetuates the perception of a rigged process stacked against the accused."
The hearings are secret and justice should be transparent.
And the straw that broke the camel's back was when Davis was put under the chain of the command of Defense Department General Counsel William J. Haynes who had a "role in authorizing the use of the aggressive interrogation techniques some call torture."
"The president first authorized military commissions in November 2001, more than six years ago, and the lack of progress is obvious. Only one war-crime case has been completed. It is time for the political appointees who created this quagmire to let go. Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) have said that how we treat the enemy says more about us than it does about him. If we want these military commissions to say anything good about us, it's time to take the politics out of military commissions, give the military control over the process and make the proceedings open and transparent."
This story reminded me of an NPR piece I heard a few weeks ago. "By all accounts, Colby Vokey is a model officer in the U.S. Marine Corps...For the past four years, Vokey has served as chief of all the Corps' defense lawyers in the western United States — and he's played a key role in some of the military's most sensitive legal issues, including the murder investigation in Haditha, Iraq, and in the debate about detainees at the U.S. prison camp at Guantanamo Bay."
"So when Vokey announced recently that he wanted to leave the Corps, it said something troubling about the military system of justice that he's served for almost 20 years. Vokey charges that some commanders and officials in the Bush administration have abused the system of justice, and he's going to retire from the Corps May 1, 2008."
Here's another problem with this administration, many of the good people are choosing leaving the military because they have too much integrity. How screwed up is that?
16 Inspirational Portrait Photography Techniques
16 Inspirational Portrait Photography Techniques. I don't think I can do any of these, but the pictures are nice.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Movie Review: The Golden Compass
The Golden Compass is the first book in a fantasy trilogy by Philip Pullman. Based on the trailers I saw before the new movie based on it, it's one of many movies trying to capitalize on the success of The Lord of the Rings and the Harry Potter series. It's not fair to say that about the book since The Golden Compass was actually published two years before Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
The world of the series is similar to ours, but slightly different. Technology is at the time of zeppelins, fantastical creatures exist, and every human has a personal small creature that stays with them called a daemon. Daemons are an outward representation of the soul and we see them as cats, birds, rodents, monkeys, etc. Childrens' daemons change forms but as they reach puberty the daemon settles on a single form. A daemon is always with its human and touching someone else's daemon is strictly taboo.
The story centers around an 11 year-old girl named Lyra Belacqua (Dakota Blue Richards). She's an orphan and her uncle, Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig) had her placed at Jordan College in Oxford where she studies with the scholars and plays with local children. She overhears a conversation between her uncle, the scholars and a representative of the Magisterium about mysteries in the frozen north involving "dust" and other worlds. Her friend Roger is kidnapped by the "Gobblers" who've been kidnapping children for a while. She wants to go find him but had recently met the politically powerful Mrs. Marisa Coulter (Nicole Kidman) and agrees to study with her in London. Just before leaving, the master of the school gives Lyra a small gold device called an alethiometer which can "measure the truth". Lots more happens as Lyra goes off on a long adventure, meeting various people and creatures such as witches and armored polar bears.
On advice from a friend I had read the book before seeing the film. As is usual, the book is better. The book is 350 pages and the film is just under 2 hours. Most scenes are still in the film, but abbreviated; and while there seems to be a lot of exposition in the film, I kept noticing how much they left out. The book is a typical quest where one event leads to the next. In each instance Lyra learns a little more about the daemons, the Gobblers, her past, the alethiometer, etc. The film introduces some of this information very early which takes away some of the mystery. Also the book was told from Lyra's point of view and the film had some scenes where Lyra wasn't present. Overall it was pretty faithful though some major events are also out of order. I'm not sure how well those who hadn't read the book would follow some things, and the changes made things confusing for me.
The special effects are very very good, in fact they are the best thing in the film. The interaction of the daemons with the humans was seemless. Iorek Byrnison (voiced by Ian McKellen) is an armored bear that befriends Lyra and several of his fight scenes are spectacular. The set design and costumes also uphold their share in creating a different world. The acting is fine, but the film is really about the whirlwind plot.
For all the complaints of some religious groups, most of the religious aspects of the book have been removed (and I think most of them develop in the second book anyway). The problem is that the soul of the story has been removed too. The film is a series of events and because it's the first of a trilogy there are many questions left unresolved, but aside from the giant bear, it's hard to get excited by any of them.
The world of the series is similar to ours, but slightly different. Technology is at the time of zeppelins, fantastical creatures exist, and every human has a personal small creature that stays with them called a daemon. Daemons are an outward representation of the soul and we see them as cats, birds, rodents, monkeys, etc. Childrens' daemons change forms but as they reach puberty the daemon settles on a single form. A daemon is always with its human and touching someone else's daemon is strictly taboo.
The story centers around an 11 year-old girl named Lyra Belacqua (Dakota Blue Richards). She's an orphan and her uncle, Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig) had her placed at Jordan College in Oxford where she studies with the scholars and plays with local children. She overhears a conversation between her uncle, the scholars and a representative of the Magisterium about mysteries in the frozen north involving "dust" and other worlds. Her friend Roger is kidnapped by the "Gobblers" who've been kidnapping children for a while. She wants to go find him but had recently met the politically powerful Mrs. Marisa Coulter (Nicole Kidman) and agrees to study with her in London. Just before leaving, the master of the school gives Lyra a small gold device called an alethiometer which can "measure the truth". Lots more happens as Lyra goes off on a long adventure, meeting various people and creatures such as witches and armored polar bears.
On advice from a friend I had read the book before seeing the film. As is usual, the book is better. The book is 350 pages and the film is just under 2 hours. Most scenes are still in the film, but abbreviated; and while there seems to be a lot of exposition in the film, I kept noticing how much they left out. The book is a typical quest where one event leads to the next. In each instance Lyra learns a little more about the daemons, the Gobblers, her past, the alethiometer, etc. The film introduces some of this information very early which takes away some of the mystery. Also the book was told from Lyra's point of view and the film had some scenes where Lyra wasn't present. Overall it was pretty faithful though some major events are also out of order. I'm not sure how well those who hadn't read the book would follow some things, and the changes made things confusing for me.
The special effects are very very good, in fact they are the best thing in the film. The interaction of the daemons with the humans was seemless. Iorek Byrnison (voiced by Ian McKellen) is an armored bear that befriends Lyra and several of his fight scenes are spectacular. The set design and costumes also uphold their share in creating a different world. The acting is fine, but the film is really about the whirlwind plot.
For all the complaints of some religious groups, most of the religious aspects of the book have been removed (and I think most of them develop in the second book anyway). The problem is that the soul of the story has been removed too. The film is a series of events and because it's the first of a trilogy there are many questions left unresolved, but aside from the giant bear, it's hard to get excited by any of them.
What to buy organic in winter
What to buy organic in winter "Ten tips to eat healthy and get the most bang for your buck"
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Romney Spokesman Won't Say If Atheists Have Place In America
Well I'm not voting for Romney. Romney Spokesman Won't Say If Atheists Have Place In America: "A spokesman for the Mitt Romney campaign is thus far refusing to say whether Romney sees any positive role in America for atheists and other non-believers, after Election Central inquired about the topic yesterday." I can understand a "spokesman" ducking that question and letting Romney address it himself, but really, that's pretty scary.
I propose the following amendment to the Constitution, all uses of man or person are to be clarified by meaning homo sapiens. I'll accept a difference in rights based on citizenship, but otherwise all "humans" (that is living beings of the same species as me) should be treated the same under the law and by the government. Is that so difficult to figure out? It shouldn't matter to the law what you look like or what you believe or how much money you make.
I propose the following amendment to the Constitution, all uses of man or person are to be clarified by meaning homo sapiens. I'll accept a difference in rights based on citizenship, but otherwise all "humans" (that is living beings of the same species as me) should be treated the same under the law and by the government. Is that so difficult to figure out? It shouldn't matter to the law what you look like or what you believe or how much money you make.
Friday, December 07, 2007
Sen. Whitehouse Reveals Secret DoJ Legal Memos
I'm a big fan of Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). As a former US Attorney he's been very critical of what Bush has done to the DoJ and was one of the most critical of Gonzales. Today he gave a speech (real player video). saying he read secret DoJ Office of Legal Council decisions that basically confirm that Bush thinks he's above the law. "The President, exercising his constitutional authority under Article II, can determine whether an action is a lawful exercise of the President’s authority under Article II" and "The Department of Justice is bound by the President’s legal determinations".
It's really time to impeach him. This is violating his oath to uphold the Constitution. Really.
It's really time to impeach him. This is violating his oath to uphold the Constitution. Really.
C.I.A. Destroyed Tapes of Interrogations
New York Times reports C.I.A. Destroyed Tapes of Interrogations. "The videotapes showed agency operatives in 2002 subjecting terror suspects -- including Abu Zubaydah, the first detainee in C.I.A. custody -- to severe interrogation techniques. They were destroyed in part because officers were concerned that tapes documenting controversial interrogation methods could expose agency officials to greater risk of legal jeopardy"
They tortured people and covered it up because they fear reprisal. Now the investigators have to figure out if they actually lied or merely covered it up. And of course it's not the agents that should be held accountable but Cheney and Bush.
They tortured people and covered it up because they fear reprisal. Now the investigators have to figure out if they actually lied or merely covered it up. And of course it's not the agents that should be held accountable but Cheney and Bush.
Another Look at Gas Prices
An economics professor takes another look at gas prices in Why The Goldilocks Economy Can Handle $3 Gas
Keith Olbermann on Bush's Iran Lies
Kieth Olbermann on Thursday night about Bush: "either a pathological presidential lier or idiot in chief":
Yeah we knew this and heard it before. When if ever will Congress do something about it?
Yeah we knew this and heard it before. When if ever will Congress do something about it?
Boumediene v. Bush, U.S. Supreme Court Oral Argument
Oyez has the transcript and audio of the oral arguments of Boumediene v. Bush. This is the case about Guantanamo prisoners argued at the US Supreme Court this week.
Update: Orin Kerr has some analysis.
Update: Orin Kerr has some analysis.
Speed Racer Trailer
Jalopnik has the trailer for the Wachowski's Speed Racer movie coming out in May. Wow the trailer looks bad. I have hope the movie itself could be good, but I have no idea why.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Super Freaky Documentary to be Made
Imagine if the creators of ’The King of Kong’, ’Super Size Me’, ’Jesus Camp’, ’Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room’, ’My Country My Country’, ’Why We Fight’, and ’Control Room’ all got together to make a documentary. That's exactly what's happening for the film version of Freakonomics. Wow.
Gift Idea: HistoryShots Prints
Possible gift idea if that someone is into interesting charts. HistoryShots Information Graphics cover political, military and sports topics.
Movie Review: In Bruges
Bruges is a city in Belgium. From the 12th through 15th centuries it was a huge economic capital in Europe, but then a river changed and the city fell in decline. I was at a conference in Brussels in the 90s and spent a day sightseeing around Bruges. Much of the medieval architecture is still there and it's like stepping 700 years into the past. Tonight I saw an early screening of the film In Bruges and all I knew about it was the title. It's not coming out until next year.
Like so many of the films I've liked this year, it's another dark crime thriller, but this one also has a lot of comedy. Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson) are hit men who need to lay low after a job. They are sent to Bruges and are supposed to stay there until their boss Harry (Ralph Fiennes) calls. Ken is fascinated by the history, architecture and sights; Ray is bored out of his mind and can't wait to get back to London. His mood changes when they come across a film set and Ray is smitten by Chloë (Clémence Poésy) and fascinated by Jimmy a dwarf actor (though through the film I kept thinking it was Peter Dinklage, no it's not, yes it is, but no it was Jordan Prentice). They go out, they party and yes this is a crime thriller, violence does ensue, with some graphic (though brief) shots.
The casting was superb. There's a lot of Colin Farrell's reputation in Ray, a wild boy who constantly swears, drinks, argues and fights with people. Farrell sometimes annoys me but is perfect in this role. Gleason is even more impressive, giving Ken a soul and making us care about this killer and understand his conscience. These two have lots of conversations on history, morality and some are very funny. Ralph Fiennes' Harry is volatile angry man, who reminded me of Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast. A phone message that Harry leaves was one of my favorite scenes. Yes, there's a fair amount of Tarantino in the script and sometimes it felt a little contrived (like when someone at the next table at dinner started arguing with Ray) but mostly it worked wonderfully; I laughed a lot at this film.
I always appreciate a tight script and In Bruges delivered. Things established early on are followed up on later. Things that you think are a fun throw away come back into relevance. It's not a jigsaw puzzle like The Usual Suspects, but an internally consistent story without fat to trim. I was annoyed a couple of times at things like people not slipping when running on wet cobblestone roads (probably because I slipped on icy steps Tuesday), and I wondered why there weren't more cops in Bruges, but mostly it was well done. There are a lot of shots of beautiful old buildings and canals but sometimes they were a bit blurry and that annoyed me. Also, while the music was overall fine, I thought in two scenes the songs were overdone. But those are minor complaints for a very entertaining film.
In Bruges was written and directed by Martin McDonagh. His previous film was a 27 minute short called Six Shooter which won the Best Live Action Short Film Oscar in 2006. It's a bleak dark comedy and is available on iTunes for $1.99.
After the film we were given long questionnaires to fill out. One woman starting screaming that film the was a piece of crap that merely glorified violence. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but everyone else in the audience seemed to enjoy it. I certainly had a lot of fun with it. It will play at Sundance in January, and IMDB lists a limited US release in February. I say catch it.
Like so many of the films I've liked this year, it's another dark crime thriller, but this one also has a lot of comedy. Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson) are hit men who need to lay low after a job. They are sent to Bruges and are supposed to stay there until their boss Harry (Ralph Fiennes) calls. Ken is fascinated by the history, architecture and sights; Ray is bored out of his mind and can't wait to get back to London. His mood changes when they come across a film set and Ray is smitten by Chloë (Clémence Poésy) and fascinated by Jimmy a dwarf actor (though through the film I kept thinking it was Peter Dinklage, no it's not, yes it is, but no it was Jordan Prentice). They go out, they party and yes this is a crime thriller, violence does ensue, with some graphic (though brief) shots.
The casting was superb. There's a lot of Colin Farrell's reputation in Ray, a wild boy who constantly swears, drinks, argues and fights with people. Farrell sometimes annoys me but is perfect in this role. Gleason is even more impressive, giving Ken a soul and making us care about this killer and understand his conscience. These two have lots of conversations on history, morality and some are very funny. Ralph Fiennes' Harry is volatile angry man, who reminded me of Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast. A phone message that Harry leaves was one of my favorite scenes. Yes, there's a fair amount of Tarantino in the script and sometimes it felt a little contrived (like when someone at the next table at dinner started arguing with Ray) but mostly it worked wonderfully; I laughed a lot at this film.
I always appreciate a tight script and In Bruges delivered. Things established early on are followed up on later. Things that you think are a fun throw away come back into relevance. It's not a jigsaw puzzle like The Usual Suspects, but an internally consistent story without fat to trim. I was annoyed a couple of times at things like people not slipping when running on wet cobblestone roads (probably because I slipped on icy steps Tuesday), and I wondered why there weren't more cops in Bruges, but mostly it was well done. There are a lot of shots of beautiful old buildings and canals but sometimes they were a bit blurry and that annoyed me. Also, while the music was overall fine, I thought in two scenes the songs were overdone. But those are minor complaints for a very entertaining film.
In Bruges was written and directed by Martin McDonagh. His previous film was a 27 minute short called Six Shooter which won the Best Live Action Short Film Oscar in 2006. It's a bleak dark comedy and is available on iTunes for $1.99.
After the film we were given long questionnaires to fill out. One woman starting screaming that film the was a piece of crap that merely glorified violence. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but everyone else in the audience seemed to enjoy it. I certainly had a lot of fun with it. It will play at Sundance in January, and IMDB lists a limited US release in February. I say catch it.
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