Random News Stories

[Zenpatista]

hxxp://tucson.com/news/blogs/police-beat/police-find-metal-spikes-in-eastside-manhole-covers/article_cd90549a-ef73-11e4-813f-13738f606281.html?id=201408

Looks like someone ground the ends of some bolts into points and bolted them into manhole covers. Someone from a local tire company?

[xXRon_Paul_42016Xxx(weed)]

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/03/05/391030925/respect-the-robot-giant-robots-oversee-traffic-in-kinshasa

Perhaps, we will welcome our robot overlords after all.

The two giant robots who have directed traffic in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, since 2013 have company. Agence France-Presse reports three new robots — developed by Women's Technology, an association of female engineers — were positioned this week across the city of 9 million people to direct traffic.

The giant robots are solar-powered, have chests that rotate and are equipped with cameras that send real-time information back to the police station, AFP reports. It's unclear why this is any different than having traffic cameras — besides the fact they look much cooler (and more intimidating) — but the robots appear to be having the desired effect.

"There are certain drivers who don't respect the traffic police. But with the robot it will be different," taxi driver Poro Zidane told AFP. "We should respect the robot."

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I, for one, welcome our robot overlords.

[minuspace]

Once, I stole a robot from a movie set.  It totally messed up continuity, and I had to give it back; or so I'm told.

[Reginald Ret]

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/03/05/391030925/respect-the-robot-giant-robots-oversee-traffic-in-kinshasa

Perhaps, we will welcome our robot overlords after all.

The two giant robots who have directed traffic in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, since 2013 have company. Agence France-Presse reports three new robots — developed by Women's Technology, an association of female engineers — were positioned this week across the city of 9 million people to direct traffic.

The giant robots are solar-powered, have chests that rotate and are equipped with cameras that send real-time information back to the police station, AFP reports. It's unclear why this is any different than having traffic cameras — besides the fact they look much cooler (and more intimidating) — but the robots appear to be having the desired effect.

"There are certain drivers who don't respect the traffic police. But with the robot it will be different," taxi driver Poro Zidane told AFP. "We should respect the robot."

Because people behave better if they are being watched, duh.
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140209-being-watched-why-thats-good

[minuspace]

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/03/05/391030925/respect-the-robot-giant-robots-oversee-traffic-in-kinshasa

Perhaps, we will welcome our robot overlords after all.

The two giant robots who have directed traffic in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, since 2013 have company. Agence France-Presse reports three new robots — developed by Women's Technology, an association of female engineers — were positioned this week across the city of 9 million people to direct traffic.

The giant robots are solar-powered, have chests that rotate and are equipped with cameras that send real-time information back to the police station, AFP reports. It's unclear why this is any different than having traffic cameras — besides the fact they look much cooler (and more intimidating) — but the robots appear to be having the desired effect.

"There are certain drivers who don't respect the traffic police. But with the robot it will be different," taxi driver Poro Zidane told AFP. "We should respect the robot."

Because people behave better if they are being watched, duh.
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140209-being-watched-why-thats-good

My own recognizance is actually more circumspect and does not lack propriety.  Being watched obtains a kind of retroactive double jeopardy whereby I am free to commit crimes of which, inevitably,  I have  already been accused. 

[axod]

htxp://boingboing.net/2015/05/10/what-did-the-courts-just-do-th.html
Whoa.
Who's lookin at my shoes now?

[LMNO]

http://www.lrb.co.uk/v37/n10/seymour-m-hersh/the-killing-of-osama-bin-laden

What the hell happened to Seymour Hersh?  It's almost as if he's fallen victim to ridiculous COINTELPRO stories.

[Cain]

Yeah.  The official raid story doesn't add up, but neither does Hersh's.

Not to mention how much of it seems to come from this retired intelligence official.  Someone's running a disinfo campaign here.

[LMNO]

The British are no longer allowed to mock American television.

BBC Two explores the front line of our nation's low wage economy in this new series which follows Brits from across the country through a series of real-world jobs to find Britain's Hardest Worker.

These jobs will take place both out in the workplace and within the confines of a specially created factory, a warehouse space which over the course of five episodes will be transformed to cover the UK's largest blue collar sectors.

The contestants are all there for one reason: to make money. The least effective workers will be asked to leave until only one is left, to be declared Britain's Hardest Worker.

The series will tackle some of the most pressing issues of our time: why is British productivity low? Is the benefits system providing many with a reason not to work or hindering their working opportunity? Is the hidden truth about immigrants simply that they work harder than Brits – and we need them as much as they need us - or are they simply prepared to work for a lower wage? And have the young simply not inherited the work ethic of older generations or have working conditions just got too hard? Who in Britain still knows how to graft? It's time to find out.

[Junkenstein]

Soon, shit like this will have an unpaid internship waiting for the winner.

That's utterly fucking foul.

[LMNO]

Oh, I forgot to mention: The prize for winning is 23,000 pounds, what they consider to be "the average yearly worker's salary (outside London)".

[Reginald Ret]

Oh, I forgot to mention: The prize for winning is 23,000 pounds, what they consider to be "the average yearly worker's salary (outside London)".

That's quite a bit more than I make, even before taxes.

[Vanadium Gryllz]

Oh, I forgot to mention: The prize for winning is 23,000 pounds, what they consider to be "the average yearly worker's salary (outside London)".

That's quite a bit more than I make, even before taxes.

Me too.

[LMNO]

Well, are YOU the Hardest Worker in Britain?









Didn't think so.