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Making ammunition is trivial:

    - bullets can be cast from lead http://www.amazon.com/Cast-Bullets-E-H-Harrison/dp/B0007ASOHO
    - primer can be strike anywhere matches carefully ground up, or fashioned from chemicals http://cryptome.info/0001/tm-31-210.htm
    - gunpowder is simple chemistry http://www.amazon.com/Do-Yourself-Gunpowder-Cookbook/dp/0873646754
    - cases can be turned on a lathe (granted they're not as malleable as those which are formed, but they'll last for a couple of firings) http://www.janellestudio.com/metal/turning_brass.txt

and of course, doing a muzzle loader eliminates the need for that, just need a patch

I can never find organic irradiated ground meat.

Easy - grind your own! Buy the cut(s) of beef you like, and grind away!

It just keeps going ...

On one of those Slashdot reviews, I remember Ben plugged his book on computer security (it was $6 at the time) so like a fool I figured, hey, you can't go too wrong with $6, right? Wrong. It was the single WORST purchase I've EVER made at amazon.com, and I give them close to a thousand each and every year. Ben's book was a like a long CNET article full of tips like "don't choose a password that hackers can guess, like 123456". In the trash it went inside of two minutes.

I plain don't trust the guy, he fooled me once and took my money. Go away Ben!

I'm undoing all my mod points in this thread, but my problem with antibacterial soap is the fact that there is virtually NO liquid soaps available that are NOT antibacterial now.

Here you go: http://www.amazon.com/Softsoap-Liquid-Butter-28-Fluid-Bottles/dp/B003A4HSVM/

$15 for six 28oz bottles in the Subscribe & Save program. No Triclosan. I confirmed by checking the ingredients from one of the actual bottles purchased from that page.

The problem doesn't seem to be in the manufacturer. Softsoap sells a number of soaps without the anti-bacterial additives. The problem would seem to be with your local store. Have you tried asking them to stock the versions that you prefer? Sometimes that works. Or just buy from Amazon. Even at $18, that's still only $3 a bottle. Since one of those bottles will fill three of the pump bottles, that's only $1 per refill.

Sorry to respond to my own comment but for Ben Rothke it looks like he just reposts his Amazon reviews here:

Book Review: The Plateau Effect: Getting From Stuck To Success is identical to this Amazon review.

Book Review: The Death of the Internet is identical to this Amazon review.

Book Review: Everyday Cryptography is identical to this Amazon review.

Book Review: Liars and Outliers is identical to this Amazon Review.

It just keeps going ...

Sorry to respond to my own comment but for Ben Rothke it looks like he just reposts his Amazon reviews here:

Book Review: The Plateau Effect: Getting From Stuck To Success is identical to this Amazon review.

Book Review: The Death of the Internet is identical to this Amazon review.

Book Review: Everyday Cryptography is identical to this Amazon review.

Book Review: Liars and Outliers is identical to this Amazon Review.

It just keeps going ...

Sorry to respond to my own comment but for Ben Rothke it looks like he just reposts his Amazon reviews here:

Book Review: The Plateau Effect: Getting From Stuck To Success is identical to this Amazon review.

Book Review: The Death of the Internet is identical to this Amazon review.

Book Review: Everyday Cryptography is identical to this Amazon review.

Book Review: Liars and Outliers is identical to this Amazon Review.

It just keeps going ...

Sorry to respond to my own comment but for Ben Rothke it looks like he just reposts his Amazon reviews here:

Book Review: The Plateau Effect: Getting From Stuck To Success is identical to this Amazon review.

Book Review: The Death of the Internet is identical to this Amazon review.

Book Review: Everyday Cryptography is identical to this Amazon review.

Book Review: Liars and Outliers is identical to this Amazon Review.

It just keeps going ...

The reviewer's Web site and LinkedIn profile both state "I review and recommend books on digital security, privacy and other relevant issues and write a monthly book review on topics of information security and privacy for Security Management magazine and Slashdot."

The reviewer reviews IT books on Amazon like clockwork, almost always 7 or 8 days between reviews, which are always positive, written like marketing material and always give 4 or 5 stars:
May 20, 2013 Locked Down: Information Security for Lawyers 5 Stars
May 13, 2013 The Plateau Effect: Getting from Stuck to Success 4 Stars
May 7, 2013 Secure Coding in C and C++ (2nd Edition) (SEI Series in Software Engineering) 5 Stars
May 1, 2013 Cybersecurity: Public Sector Threats and Responses (Public Administration and Public Policy) 4 Stars
April 22, 2013 Applied Information Security: A Hands-on Approach 4 Stars
April 15, 2013 The Death of the Internet 5 Stars
April 8, 2013 Applied Cyber Security and the Smart Grid: Implementing Security Controls into the Modern Power Infrastructure 4 Stars
March 28, 2013 Introduction to Computer Networks and Cybersecurity 4 Stars
March 20, 2013 Managing Risk and Information Security: Protect to Enable 4 Stars
(362 Reviews total)

There's a theme in his reviews of either saying that the book is a must-read for _____, or suggesting that the only people who won't get a lot out of the book are people who don't understand how much they need it: "For the reader who may be indifferent to their need for change, the book may not be of full value to then." And "The only negative thing about the book is the over the top title, which I think detracts from the important message that is pervasive in it."

The reviewer's Web site and LinkedIn profile both state "I review and recommend books on digital security, privacy and other relevant issues and write a monthly book review on topics of information security and privacy for Security Management magazine and Slashdot."

The reviewer reviews IT books on Amazon like clockwork, almost always 7 or 8 days between reviews, which are always positive, written like marketing material and always give 4 or 5 stars:
May 20, 2013 Locked Down: Information Security for Lawyers 5 Stars
May 13, 2013 The Plateau Effect: Getting from Stuck to Success 4 Stars
May 7, 2013 Secure Coding in C and C++ (2nd Edition) (SEI Series in Software Engineering) 5 Stars
May 1, 2013 Cybersecurity: Public Sector Threats and Responses (Public Administration and Public Policy) 4 Stars
April 22, 2013 Applied Information Security: A Hands-on Approach 4 Stars
April 15, 2013 The Death of the Internet 5 Stars
April 8, 2013 Applied Cyber Security and the Smart Grid: Implementing Security Controls into the Modern Power Infrastructure 4 Stars
March 28, 2013 Introduction to Computer Networks and Cybersecurity 4 Stars
March 20, 2013 Managing Risk and Information Security: Protect to Enable 4 Stars
(362 Reviews total)

There's a theme in his reviews of either saying that the book is a must-read for _____, or suggesting that the only people who won't get a lot out of the book are people who don't understand how much they need it: "For the reader who may be indifferent to their need for change, the book may not be of full value to then." And "The only negative thing about the book is the over the top title, which I think detracts from the important message that is pervasive in it."

The reviewer's Web site and LinkedIn profile both state "I review and recommend books on digital security, privacy and other relevant issues and write a monthly book review on topics of information security and privacy for Security Management magazine and Slashdot."

The reviewer reviews IT books on Amazon like clockwork, almost always 7 or 8 days between reviews, which are always positive, written like marketing material and always give 4 or 5 stars:
May 20, 2013 Locked Down: Information Security for Lawyers 5 Stars
May 13, 2013 The Plateau Effect: Getting from Stuck to Success 4 Stars
May 7, 2013 Secure Coding in C and C++ (2nd Edition) (SEI Series in Software Engineering) 5 Stars
May 1, 2013 Cybersecurity: Public Sector Threats and Responses (Public Administration and Public Policy) 4 Stars
April 22, 2013 Applied Information Security: A Hands-on Approach 4 Stars
April 15, 2013 The Death of the Internet 5 Stars
April 8, 2013 Applied Cyber Security and the Smart Grid: Implementing Security Controls into the Modern Power Infrastructure 4 Stars
March 28, 2013 Introduction to Computer Networks and Cybersecurity 4 Stars
March 20, 2013 Managing Risk and Information Security: Protect to Enable 4 Stars
(362 Reviews total)

There's a theme in his reviews of either saying that the book is a must-read for _____, or suggesting that the only people who won't get a lot out of the book are people who don't understand how much they need it: "For the reader who may be indifferent to their need for change, the book may not be of full value to then." And "The only negative thing about the book is the over the top title, which I think detracts from the important message that is pervasive in it."

The reviewer's Web site and LinkedIn profile both state "I review and recommend books on digital security, privacy and other relevant issues and write a monthly book review on topics of information security and privacy for Security Management magazine and Slashdot."

The reviewer reviews IT books on Amazon like clockwork, almost always 7 or 8 days between reviews, which are always positive, written like marketing material and always give 4 or 5 stars:
May 20, 2013 Locked Down: Information Security for Lawyers 5 Stars
May 13, 2013 The Plateau Effect: Getting from Stuck to Success 4 Stars
May 7, 2013 Secure Coding in C and C++ (2nd Edition) (SEI Series in Software Engineering) 5 Stars
May 1, 2013 Cybersecurity: Public Sector Threats and Responses (Public Administration and Public Policy) 4 Stars
April 22, 2013 Applied Information Security: A Hands-on Approach 4 Stars
April 15, 2013 The Death of the Internet 5 Stars
April 8, 2013 Applied Cyber Security and the Smart Grid: Implementing Security Controls into the Modern Power Infrastructure 4 Stars
March 28, 2013 Introduction to Computer Networks and Cybersecurity 4 Stars
March 20, 2013 Managing Risk and Information Security: Protect to Enable 4 Stars
(362 Reviews total)

There's a theme in his reviews of either saying that the book is a must-read for _____, or suggesting that the only people who won't get a lot out of the book are people who don't understand how much they need it: "For the reader who may be indifferent to their need for change, the book may not be of full value to then." And "The only negative thing about the book is the over the top title, which I think detracts from the important message that is pervasive in it."

The reviewer's Web site and LinkedIn profile both state "I review and recommend books on digital security, privacy and other relevant issues and write a monthly book review on topics of information security and privacy for Security Management magazine and Slashdot."

The reviewer reviews IT books on Amazon like clockwork, almost always 7 or 8 days between reviews, which are always positive, written like marketing material and always give 4 or 5 stars:
May 20, 2013 Locked Down: Information Security for Lawyers 5 Stars
May 13, 2013 The Plateau Effect: Getting from Stuck to Success 4 Stars
May 7, 2013 Secure Coding in C and C++ (2nd Edition) (SEI Series in Software Engineering) 5 Stars
May 1, 2013 Cybersecurity: Public Sector Threats and Responses (Public Administration and Public Policy) 4 Stars
April 22, 2013 Applied Information Security: A Hands-on Approach 4 Stars
April 15, 2013 The Death of the Internet 5 Stars
April 8, 2013 Applied Cyber Security and the Smart Grid: Implementing Security Controls into the Modern Power Infrastructure 4 Stars
March 28, 2013 Introduction to Computer Networks and Cybersecurity 4 Stars
March 20, 2013 Managing Risk and Information Security: Protect to Enable 4 Stars
(362 Reviews total)

There's a theme in his reviews of either saying that the book is a must-read for _____, or suggesting that the only people who won't get a lot out of the book are people who don't understand how much they need it: "For the reader who may be indifferent to their need for change, the book may not be of full value to then." And "The only negative thing about the book is the over the top title, which I think detracts from the important message that is pervasive in it."

The reviewer's Web site and LinkedIn profile both state "I review and recommend books on digital security, privacy and other relevant issues and write a monthly book review on topics of information security and privacy for Security Management magazine and Slashdot."

The reviewer reviews IT books on Amazon like clockwork, almost always 7 or 8 days between reviews, which are always positive, written like marketing material and always give 4 or 5 stars:
May 20, 2013 Locked Down: Information Security for Lawyers 5 Stars
May 13, 2013 The Plateau Effect: Getting from Stuck to Success 4 Stars
May 7, 2013 Secure Coding in C and C++ (2nd Edition) (SEI Series in Software Engineering) 5 Stars
May 1, 2013 Cybersecurity: Public Sector Threats and Responses (Public Administration and Public Policy) 4 Stars
April 22, 2013 Applied Information Security: A Hands-on Approach 4 Stars
April 15, 2013 The Death of the Internet 5 Stars
April 8, 2013 Applied Cyber Security and the Smart Grid: Implementing Security Controls into the Modern Power Infrastructure 4 Stars
March 28, 2013 Introduction to Computer Networks and Cybersecurity 4 Stars
March 20, 2013 Managing Risk and Information Security: Protect to Enable 4 Stars
(362 Reviews total)

There's a theme in his reviews of either saying that the book is a must-read for _____, or suggesting that the only people who won't get a lot out of the book are people who don't understand how much they need it: "For the reader who may be indifferent to their need for change, the book may not be of full value to then." And "The only negative thing about the book is the over the top title, which I think detracts from the important message that is pervasive in it."

The reviewer's Web site and LinkedIn profile both state "I review and recommend books on digital security, privacy and other relevant issues and write a monthly book review on topics of information security and privacy for Security Management magazine and Slashdot."

The reviewer reviews IT books on Amazon like clockwork, almost always 7 or 8 days between reviews, which are always positive, written like marketing material and always give 4 or 5 stars:
May 20, 2013 Locked Down: Information Security for Lawyers 5 Stars
May 13, 2013 The Plateau Effect: Getting from Stuck to Success 4 Stars
May 7, 2013 Secure Coding in C and C++ (2nd Edition) (SEI Series in Software Engineering) 5 Stars
May 1, 2013 Cybersecurity: Public Sector Threats and Responses (Public Administration and Public Policy) 4 Stars
April 22, 2013 Applied Information Security: A Hands-on Approach 4 Stars
April 15, 2013 The Death of the Internet 5 Stars
April 8, 2013 Applied Cyber Security and the Smart Grid: Implementing Security Controls into the Modern Power Infrastructure 4 Stars
March 28, 2013 Introduction to Computer Networks and Cybersecurity 4 Stars
March 20, 2013 Managing Risk and Information Security: Protect to Enable 4 Stars
(362 Reviews total)

There's a theme in his reviews of either saying that the book is a must-read for _____, or suggesting that the only people who won't get a lot out of the book are people who don't understand how much they need it: "For the reader who may be indifferent to their need for change, the book may not be of full value to then." And "The only negative thing about the book is the over the top title, which I think detracts from the important message that is pervasive in it."

The reviewer's Web site and LinkedIn profile both state "I review and recommend books on digital security, privacy and other relevant issues and write a monthly book review on topics of information security and privacy for Security Management magazine and Slashdot."

The reviewer reviews IT books on Amazon like clockwork, almost always 7 or 8 days between reviews, which are always positive, written like marketing material and always give 4 or 5 stars:
May 20, 2013 Locked Down: Information Security for Lawyers 5 Stars
May 13, 2013 The Plateau Effect: Getting from Stuck to Success 4 Stars
May 7, 2013 Secure Coding in C and C++ (2nd Edition) (SEI Series in Software Engineering) 5 Stars
May 1, 2013 Cybersecurity: Public Sector Threats and Responses (Public Administration and Public Policy) 4 Stars
April 22, 2013 Applied Information Security: A Hands-on Approach 4 Stars
April 15, 2013 The Death of the Internet 5 Stars
April 8, 2013 Applied Cyber Security and the Smart Grid: Implementing Security Controls into the Modern Power Infrastructure 4 Stars
March 28, 2013 Introduction to Computer Networks and Cybersecurity 4 Stars
March 20, 2013 Managing Risk and Information Security: Protect to Enable 4 Stars
(362 Reviews total)

There's a theme in his reviews of either saying that the book is a must-read for _____, or suggesting that the only people who won't get a lot out of the book are people who don't understand how much they need it: "For the reader who may be indifferent to their need for change, the book may not be of full value to then." And "The only negative thing about the book is the over the top title, which I think detracts from the important message that is pervasive in it."

The reviewer's Web site and LinkedIn profile both state "I review and recommend books on digital security, privacy and other relevant issues and write a monthly book review on topics of information security and privacy for Security Management magazine and Slashdot."

The reviewer reviews IT books on Amazon like clockwork, almost always 7 or 8 days between reviews, which are always positive, written like marketing material and always give 4 or 5 stars:
May 20, 2013 Locked Down: Information Security for Lawyers 5 Stars
May 13, 2013 The Plateau Effect: Getting from Stuck to Success 4 Stars
May 7, 2013 Secure Coding in C and C++ (2nd Edition) (SEI Series in Software Engineering) 5 Stars
May 1, 2013 Cybersecurity: Public Sector Threats and Responses (Public Administration and Public Policy) 4 Stars
April 22, 2013 Applied Information Security: A Hands-on Approach 4 Stars
April 15, 2013 The Death of the Internet 5 Stars
April 8, 2013 Applied Cyber Security and the Smart Grid: Implementing Security Controls into the Modern Power Infrastructure 4 Stars
March 28, 2013 Introduction to Computer Networks and Cybersecurity 4 Stars
March 20, 2013 Managing Risk and Information Security: Protect to Enable 4 Stars
(362 Reviews total)

There's a theme in his reviews of either saying that the book is a must-read for _____, or suggesting that the only people who won't get a lot out of the book are people who don't understand how much they need it: "For the reader who may be indifferent to their need for change, the book may not be of full value to then." And "The only negative thing about the book is the over the top title, which I think detracts from the important message that is pervasive in it."

The reviewer's Web site and LinkedIn profile both state "I review and recommend books on digital security, privacy and other relevant issues and write a monthly book review on topics of information security and privacy for Security Management magazine and Slashdot."

The reviewer reviews IT books on Amazon like clockwork, almost always 7 or 8 days between reviews, which are always positive, written like marketing material and always give 4 or 5 stars:
May 20, 2013 Locked Down: Information Security for Lawyers 5 Stars
May 13, 2013 The Plateau Effect: Getting from Stuck to Success 4 Stars
May 7, 2013 Secure Coding in C and C++ (2nd Edition) (SEI Series in Software Engineering) 5 Stars
May 1, 2013 Cybersecurity: Public Sector Threats and Responses (Public Administration and Public Policy) 4 Stars
April 22, 2013 Applied Information Security: A Hands-on Approach 4 Stars
April 15, 2013 The Death of the Internet 5 Stars
April 8, 2013 Applied Cyber Security and the Smart Grid: Implementing Security Controls into the Modern Power Infrastructure 4 Stars
March 28, 2013 Introduction to Computer Networks and Cybersecurity 4 Stars
March 20, 2013 Managing Risk and Information Security: Protect to Enable 4 Stars
(362 Reviews total)

There's a theme in his reviews of either saying that the book is a must-read for _____, or suggesting that the only people who won't get a lot out of the book are people who don't understand how much they need it: "For the reader who may be indifferent to their need for change, the book may not be of full value to then." And "The only negative thing about the book is the over the top title, which I think detracts from the important message that is pervasive in it."

I post this having not read a single page of this book. I was interested in getting this book for my attorney wife. When looking at it on AMAZON.COM, I noticed that the post here is a copy of only ONE of TWO reviews the book has on Amazon.com. The other review is HORRIBLE. http://www.amazon.com/Locked-Down-Information-Security-Lawyers/product-reviews/1614383642/ref=cm_cr_dp_qt_hist_one?ie=UTF8&filterBy=addOneStar&showViewpoints=0 Read/order with caution.

As someone who occasionally writes reviews for Slashdot (and usually reads all of the ones posted), this is a clear violation of the book review guidelines:

First, an important one: by submitting your review to Slashdot, you represent that the review is your own work, that it is original to Slashdot, and that it is unencumbered by any existing or anticipated contractual relationship; further, you are granting Slashdot permission to publish your review, including any editing the Slashdot editorial team finds necessary and appropriate. (Major edits will involve consultation by email or other means.) If you've reviewed the book elsewhere anywhere besides a personal home page (for instance, on Amazon) please be sure that your review for Slashdot is substantially different.

(emphasis mine) There is no difference that I can see ...

I post this having not read a single page of this book. I was interested in getting this book for my attorney wife. When looking at it on AMAZON.COM, I noticed that the post here is a copy of only ONE of TWO reviews the book has on Amazon.com. The other review is HORRIBLE. http://www.amazon.com/Locked-Down-Information-Security-Lawyers/product-reviews/1614383642/ref=cm_cr_dp_qt_hist_one?ie=UTF8&filterBy=addOneStar&showViewpoints=0 Read/order with caution.

haha, I knew that would get me a troll. but seriously, even if they work at all, its not worth the risk of the poisons they put in them (mercury, msg, etc).

MSG? Why is that in vaccines? To enhance their flavor? As far as I know there has been no conclusive evidence regarding the harmful effects of MSG. It takes 5 times as much MSG per weight to kill you vs. table salt. You can buy MSG at most grocery stores.

If you don't think that right-wing USA isn't extremely right-wing, and left-wing USA isn't centre-left then you need to go visit any other country (Australia, Canada, anywhere in Europe), as it's blatantly obvious you haven't had any experience of what a political continuum is.

I would be tempted to answer you, but I see another AC post just above this (literally as I see it) that I will direct you to. I think that nicely addresses some aspects of a perceived lack of a "real left" in the US.

For further reading:

Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning

You don't even need lathe and milling machine. You just need the right kind of tubes, and they're actually readily available. Of course, the resulting firearm will be smoothbore, but it's still plenty efficient.

I don't know about Sten, but here is a book that documents building a 9mm submachine gun at home mainly out of steel tubing - no lathe work or milling involved.

Unfortunately for the author, he is a Brit, and so he's now in jail for "conspiracy to supply firearms". On the other hand, it would seem to indicate that this thing actually works.

The best they can do is probably to make it illegal to sell or share the blueprints for gun parts, similar to how its illegal to sell or share bomb-making guides.

I imagine making it illegal to share the information would work about as well as efforts to stop software piracy.

You can't make most bombs with just a trip to the grocery store. It takes a trip to the grocery store, the hardware store, and the pharmacy. Then you can most bombs yourself, assuming you have a junior high level of chemistry lab capability.

http://www.amazon.com/U-S-Army-Improvised-Munitions-Handbook/dp/1616083840/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368887905&sr=8-1&keywords=us+army+guide+improvised+munitions

I would be interested if this experiment was reproduced by several respectable researchers, but the skeptic in me says that this will likely not happen.

You can always try the experiment yourself. Your local Home Depot (or equivalent) has a good selection of seeds, and the seeds don't require much attention. You can even buy exactly those seeds at Amazon for a princely sum of $1.89.

"Someone up to something nefarious, the camera lens is going to be one of his shirt buttons."

You have been able to do that for over a decade now.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=button+hidden+camera

They are dirt cheap now to the point that they are almost free. Back in the 90's they were $300-$400 but still readily available.

There's a reason why empathy and altruism exist, and both have shown positive correlation with the ability of the species to survive.

Species exist on a spectrum between complete selfishness (everything for me) and complete altruism (everything for the group). Some species tend more towards one end or the other of the spectrum. However the success of a species typically depends on the circumstances and the balance between the two. Our success depends on the tension between the two. Sometimes a little selfishness is good for the species as well as the individual. It's actually beneficial to society that I earn a good living instead of immediately donating every penny to charity. However never donating a dime isn't ideal either. The balance is somewhere in between.

E.O. Wilson wrote about this dynamic recently. Interesting read if that sort of thing tickles your fancy.

Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!

Time travel may not work, but here's proof of space-travel, shifting between parallel universes. Arguably equally useful.

Or just travel 1 hour 50 minutes into the future while watching this classic.

I really wish I'd pirated a copy of MacBasic instead of buying Microsoft's lame BASIC for Macintosh ( http://www.folklore.org/StoryView.py?story=MacBasic.txt ).

Every time I pick up my Fujitsu Stylistic ST-4121 running Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, I wish it were running Go Corp.'s PenPoint ( http://www.amazon.com/Startup-Silicon-Adventure-Jerry-Kaplan/dp/0140257314 http://www.amazon.com/ThinkPad-Different-J-Gerry-Purdy/dp/0672317567/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1368791379&sr=1-1&keywords=thinkpad )

It kills me that I can't buy Creaturehouse Expression for a new version of Mac OS X ( http://www.creativemac.com/article/Microsoft-Buys-Creature-House-Assets-21443 )

Or that I can't upgrade my copy of Altamira Composer or that the plug got pulled on Altsys Virtuoso for Windows NT.

&c.

I really wish I'd pirated a copy of MacBasic instead of buying Microsoft's lame BASIC for Macintosh ( http://www.folklore.org/StoryView.py?story=MacBasic.txt ).

Every time I pick up my Fujitsu Stylistic ST-4121 running Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, I wish it were running Go Corp.'s PenPoint ( http://www.amazon.com/Startup-Silicon-Adventure-Jerry-Kaplan/dp/0140257314 http://www.amazon.com/ThinkPad-Different-J-Gerry-Purdy/dp/0672317567/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1368791379&sr=1-1&keywords=thinkpad )

It kills me that I can't buy Creaturehouse Expression for a new version of Mac OS X ( http://www.creativemac.com/article/Microsoft-Buys-Creature-House-Assets-21443 )

Or that I can't upgrade my copy of Altamira Composer or that the plug got pulled on Altsys Virtuoso for Windows NT.

&c.

"You were not created for a life of idleness. You cannot eat from sunrise to sunset or drink or play or make love. Work is not your enemy but your friend. If all manners of labor were forbidden to thee you would fall to your knees and beg an early death." http://www.oocities.org/hazelleglen/success.html, ("The Greatest Success in the World", page 11, http://www.amazon.com/The-Greatest-Success-World-Mandino/dp/0553278258) From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Og_Mandino

I agree with everything you said, but I'll still call your simulator and raise you this book. It's a book written by a person who studied a lot about traffic and safety -- for cars, pedestrians, and bikes. No matter which side of the fence you're on, it will change the way you look at traffic. Despite the dry topic, I really enjoyed it.

No, the devil put dinosaurs here.

It's Google's fault for allowing such an absurd restriction in the first place. Anything is "mobile" if you plug it into one of these. Fucking stupid Google. It's like having an option to not allow people wearing green to watch your video.

We have established that the brain is the interface between person and physical reality, but that is it. And it is not complete.

Yes.

There's an interesting textbook called Irreducible Mind released in the last few years which details the multitude of evidence acquired over the last century and a half that something very interesting and strange is going on with the mind-brain interface, and that not only is it not established that the mind is the same thing as the brain, but that it's pretty well established that the mind, whatever it is, can exist decoupled from the brain, and can under some circumstances (and quite possibly a lot more commonly than that) access information that there is no physical model for the brain being able to access.

Also take a look at Extraordinary Knowing which documents much of the same material but in a more newbie-friendly way. Still scientific, just not as heavyweight.

Yes, this stuff is weird. Yes, it's often onsidered taboo to research. Yes, it's very hard to "scale up" and make behave in industrial settings. But it appears to be real, and it has a lot of implications for the computational and simulationist approaches to general artificial intelligence.

(Mainly, that it doesn't look like even simulating the physical structure of the brain will get any further toward simulating an actual human mind than modelling a person's house would get us close to simulating that person. If the brain is shaped by the mind, and not the other way around, then sure, you'll see correlations, you may even be able to infer behaviour from physical structure - as you would be able to guess my personality if you looked at my house. But that finite physical structure will not be the mind, because the mind/inhabitant is much larger than the brain/house and contains much unexpressed detail. Quite possibly an infinite amount of detail. We simply don't know what the mind is yet, but we are starting to get a picture of what the mind isn't.)

We have established that the brain is the interface between person and physical reality, but that is it. And it is not complete.

Yes.

There's an interesting textbook called Irreducible Mind released in the last few years which details the multitude of evidence acquired over the last century and a half that something very interesting and strange is going on with the mind-brain interface, and that not only is it not established that the mind is the same thing as the brain, but that it's pretty well established that the mind, whatever it is, can exist decoupled from the brain, and can under some circumstances (and quite possibly a lot more commonly than that) access information that there is no physical model for the brain being able to access.

Also take a look at Extraordinary Knowing which documents much of the same material but in a more newbie-friendly way. Still scientific, just not as heavyweight.

Yes, this stuff is weird. Yes, it's often onsidered taboo to research. Yes, it's very hard to "scale up" and make behave in industrial settings. But it appears to be real, and it has a lot of implications for the computational and simulationist approaches to general artificial intelligence.

(Mainly, that it doesn't look like even simulating the physical structure of the brain will get any further toward simulating an actual human mind than modelling a person's house would get us close to simulating that person. If the brain is shaped by the mind, and not the other way around, then sure, you'll see correlations, you may even be able to infer behaviour from physical structure - as you would be able to guess my personality if you looked at my house. But that finite physical structure will not be the mind, because the mind/inhabitant is much larger than the brain/house and contains much unexpressed detail. Quite possibly an infinite amount of detail. We simply don't know what the mind is yet, but we are starting to get a picture of what the mind isn't.)

Hmmm.... looks like the M1 Abrams might be a proper tank after all.

Line-of-Sight Stabilization Systems

The dual-axis head mirror can be operated with either analog or digital VME control electronics.

The dual-axis system provides improved image acquisition, improved target tracking, and maintains the sight aim retinal at the sight's center of view.

The dual-axis system is available in two configurations. The larger assembly is designed for the M1 Abrams head assembly envelope. The smaller unit will fit within the M60 tank or standard M36 sight head periscope sight.

A great book on the M1 Abrams: King Of The Killing Zone

Hats off to Her Majesty's research establishment for the development of Chobham armour.

This is very interesting - I just finished reading The Link by Colin Tudge, et al (You can get it here. I definitely recommend reading it .

FWIW - thank for the link.

This is very interesting - I just finished reading The Link by Colin Tudge, et al (You can get it here. I definitely recommend reading it if you are even vaguely interested in paleontology). In it, they discuss Ida, a specimen found in Germany's Messel pit, which is believed to be closely related to the first common ancestor between anthropoids (Old & New World apes, hominids) and other simians (lemurs, tarsiers, etc). If the claim made in the article is true, the discovered species would be contemporary with our ancestor living after Ida but before hominids separated from apes. A really great find! I wonder what a comparison between Ida and this new species will reveal. Mind you, that may never happen, since Ida is a very complete fossil and all they found here were teeth and fragments.

http://www.amazon.com/Pirate-Cinema-Cory-Doctorow/dp/0765329093

Interestingly enough, it also happens in UK...

Two words for you: Liberal Fascism

Barack Obama, the Quintessential Liberal Fascist

See also: With Liberty and Justice for Some by Glenn Greenwald. I'm still reading it. It's depressing.

"Money out of politics instantly"...I think you seriously underestimate how much money is involved. Our lawmakers get rich via indirect payments too. Campaign funding isn't even the worst problem. That gets spent by the campaign. Personal windfalls to the lawmaker don't though, so there is a long list of those too. The circle works like this:

-Company tells Congressman they want to build a new office in an area, but it needs rezoning and better roads to the location.
-Congressman purchases real estate in the area.
-The road construction and rezoning are pitched and passed as something that will bring new jobs to the area. Taxpayers foot the bill.
-Real estate prices along road increase, both due to improved transport there and due to the company buying up land there.
-Congressman sells the land at a hefty profit.

Throw Them All Out has a 20 page chapter just on real estate deals with this basic structure. They might instead nudge the path of construction toward property they already own, but the basic flow is the same. No one step of this is illegal, and the more sophisticated politicians further mask their involvement via shell companies or relatives.

There's dozens of variations on this theme. A lot of them involve stock trades. Congress didn't even try to act like they weren't doing insider trading until last year's STOCK act. All that is happening there is that the scheme have added a level of indirection so they're less obvious.

The revolving door approach works too. Give a company some breaks while you're in office, and then they provide you a hefty salary when you return to private work. Work privately for a few years, fill your piggy bank, and then return to another public position; repeat. That one is why the SEC doesn't do anything useful about insider trading at the major trading firms. Too many of its lawyers get hired by the same companies they should be prosecuting. Would you prosecute a company that offers you a big starting bonus in a few years if you just quietly avoid investigating them today? If you don't have a problem with that, why are you reading Slashdot--you should be working on your campaign instead.

You know, the color Kindle that's been on the market a year and a half?

Pssst, I heard some other top secret rumors you might be able to use: I hear that Apple is working on a phone!

Know thine enemy.

If you've been having trouble sleeping too soundly, or getting scammed because you're too trusting, I recommend the book: Without Conscience.
http://www.amazon.com/Without-Conscience-Disturbing-World-Psychopaths/dp/1572304510

Written by a shrink, he explains what happens (and doesn't happen) in the mind of a sociopath, with plenty of examples.

The rapist mentality is covered too.

Also, for something more low-tech, this book might be helpful.

Really? Honestly curious what language you're working in. I do a ton of concurrent dev in Java and it is quite easy to write unit tests for. I think almost all of my concurrent code also abstracts most of the problems into a nice class hierarchy that encapsulates most of the threading related code anyways.

I'm not saying there aren't pit-falls but with something like http://www.amazon.com/Java-Concurrency-Practice-Brian-Goetz/dp/0321349601 as a reference it is really not that hard to right solid, unit testable, modular, multi-threaded code in Java. Though it really does help that as of JDK5 there are a lot of really nice concurrent constructs just built into the core API.

Guns are useless without gun powder. Since you can make gun powder in a 3D printer, I think regulating gun powder might be more effective.

Making gunpowder is quite simple, actually. It's time-consuming, but if you follow the instructions you end up with something quite good, like Hodgdon's HP38. It was actually quite consistent when I made it, but took a long time to make around 10,000 grains. Definitely easier to just go buy a pound bottle...

Now making primers might be tricky; I'll have to try that sometime. But making powder, molding bullets, and reloading are all quite simple, and I do the latter two (molding bullets and reloading) quite often...

The skill needed is quite little. The instructions are quite complete and easy to follow, and you need a hand drill, a hacksaw, a couple of hand files, and materials you can buy at Home Depot - along with the tools I just listed. Trivial to build, nothing more complex than tracing a paper pattern on thin steel and cutting it. And you end up with a fully-functioning 9mm submachine gun.