date:20100826

October fest, the superbowl, St.Patricks day could run the country.
PEE POWER TO THE PEOPLE

Analysis by Alyssa
Danigelis 
Wed Aug 25, 2010 05:42 PM ET
2 
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 | Leave a 
Comment
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Email 

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Buzz

[image: 
Urine_power_fuel_cell]

Edinburgh scientists sure know where to look for renewable energy. Recently
they figured out a way to make
biofuel
from
whiskey byproducts, and now a different team is hard at work on what
promises to be the world's first urine-powered fuel cells.

Chemistry postdocs Shanwen Tao  and Rong
Lan  at
Heriot-Watt University's School of Engineering and Physical Sciences in
Edinburgh are turning pee into electricity and clean water with a prototype
fuel cell system. I had heard about pee-power for
robots,
but not pee-power for everyone.

I don't tend to highlight fuel cell tech very often because the process has
been so ridiculously expensive and tricky. Fuel cells usually rely on
flammable hydrogen gas or toxic methanol to generate electricity, but Tao
and Lan's cheaper prototype relies instead on urea, an organic chemical
compound produced as waste when the body metabolizes protein.

Urea, also called "carbamide," has several advantages as a potential fuel
source. It's abundant, non-toxic, relatively straightforward to transport --
when we're not already transporting it, if you know what I mean -- and rich
in nitrogen. According to the
university,
Tao thought about incorporating urea because he had seen it used as a
fertilizer while growing up in eastern China.

*Related Links:*
--

   - *Poo-Powered VW Beetle Runs
Clean*
   - *Plastic Bags Into
Power?*
   - *Pee Power for Future
Robots*
   - *Bad Wine Makes for Good
Energy*

--

The Carbamide Power System prototype can break urea or urine from humans or
animals down into water, nitrogen and CO2, and also produce electricity at
the same time. Unlike existing fuel cells that require catalysts made from
precious metals like platinum, the
"Youtricity"
research
group's prototype uses a cheaper catalyst and less expensive membranes.

A $203,000 grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
is helping the team develop the technology, which they think could be ideal
for islands, deserts and even on submarines. Plus, municipalities already
spend a ton of money and energy removing urea from wastewater, so
incorporating a system like this could help reduce those costs. The
prototype's exact components aren't being publicized, but the team is
planning to have a demonstration system ready next year.

I remember NASA making significant gains a couple years
ago
in
purifying wastewater. Perhaps fuel cells like these could reduce waste in
space, and back on Earth.

If these scientist

[scifinoir2] Software Predicts Who Will Commit Crim

Software Predicts Who Will Commit Crime

By Boyce Watkins,
PhD on
Aug 25th 2010 1:16PM
Filed under: News ,
Politics
, Race and Civil
Rights

Comments 
(5)
Print
[image: The real Minority Report: U.S. police trial computer software that
The real minority report: U.S. police software predicts who is most likely
to commit crime]

It is being reported that law enforcement officials in Washington, D.C.,
plan to use a new computer program that claims to be able to predict which
citizens are most likely to commit crime. The concept conjures up images of
the *Tom Cruise* film "*Minority Report*," where agents were able to predict
"pre-crime": crime that hasn't happened yet and is set to occur. But far
from science fiction, this program is actually based on reality.

The program was developed by *Richard Berk*, a professor at *The University
of Pennsylvania*. The first version of the program was used to predict
future murders among parolees, but it is being argued that the software can
be used for all kinds of crime.

"When a person goes on probation or parole they are supervised by an
officer. The question that officer has to answer is 'what level of
supervision do you provide?'" Berk told* ABC News*.

The program could have real implications, including determining the amount
of a person's bail or how long they are to remain in a halfway house upon
their release from prison. The program works by using a large database of
crimes and other factors, including geographic location, age, prior offenses
and the criminal record of the person being considered.

This is not the only kind of technology used to predict crime. Some
departments actually use brain scanners to predict someone's intentions
before they act. Apparently, changes in brain chemistry can communicate
hostility toward the person being discussed by the possible offender.

All of this seems to represent a very interesting brave new world. I am not
sure what to think about the use of computer algorithms to categorize people
based on the likelihood of deviant behavior. I can say that judges have, for
centuries, used ad hoc measures to determine the length of a sentence and
level of bail for inmates. Also, parole boards use their own predictors to
decide if a person should be released from prison or not. It seems that
computer programs are simply the next step. While I am disturbed by these
programs, their presence seems almost inevitable.

One also can't deny the influence of race in these kinds of decisions. While
I am sure the program doesn't use race as an explicit variable in its
calculations, there are several factors highly correlated with race that
could also be used in such a program, such as income, geographic location or
education level. I am hopeful that the*American Civil Liberties Union* (ACLU)
will keep an eye on how such programs are used.

While the use of this program can certainly be criticized, there is also the
truth that there are some occasions when one can see prison in the pipeline
for a misguided young person. I once told a friend of mine that if she
didn't intervene more deeply in to her son's life, he would end up in the
penitentiary, since prison beds are kept nice and warm for uneducated black
boys who have nothing to do. I knew then that based upon his location in his
city, there were far too many ways for him to get in to trouble with his
friends. Two years later, he was in jail for his first offense, and he was
in prison shortly thereafter.

So, most of us must admit that there are ways to predict who among us might
be most at risk. The question is what we choose to do with that information:
Do we use it to simply protect the rich from the poor, or do we use it to
help that person before it's too late? Perhaps the ACLU, *NAACP* and other
concerned parties should access this information as much as the police.

Re: [scifinoir2] Software Predicts Who Will Commit Crim

I wonder how long this has been around without us knowing it...

On Thu, Aug 26, 2010 at 4:08 AM, Mr. Worf  wrote:

>
>
>  Software Predicts Who Will Commit Crime
>
> By Boyce Watkins, PhD 
> on
> Aug 25th 2010 1:16PM
> Filed under: News , 
> Politics
> , Race and Civil 
> Rights
>
> Comments 
> (5)
>  Print
>  [image: The real Minority Report: U.S. police trial computer software
> that The real minority report: U.S. police software predicts who is most
> likely to commit crime]
>
> It is being reported that law enforcement officials in Washington, D.C.,
> plan to use a new computer program that claims to be able to predict which
> citizens are most likely to commit crime. The concept conjures up images of
> the *Tom Cruise* film "*Minority Report*," where agents were able to
> predict "pre-crime": crime that hasn't happened yet and is set to occur. But
> far from science fiction, this program is actually based on reality.
>
> The program was developed by *Richard Berk*, a professor at *The
> University of Pennsylvania*. The first version of the program was used to
> predict future murders among parolees, but it is being argued that the
> software can be used for all kinds of crime.
>
> "When a person goes on probation or parole they are supervised by an
> officer. The question that officer has to answer is 'what level of
> supervision do you provide?'" Berk told* ABC News*.
>
> The program could have real implications, including determining the amount
> of a person's bail or how long they are to remain in a halfway house upon
> their release from prison. The program works by using a large database of
> crimes and other factors, including geographic location, age, prior offenses
> and the criminal record of the person being considered.
>
> This is not the only kind of technology used to predict crime. Some
> departments actually use brain scanners to predict someone's intentions
> before they act. Apparently, changes in brain chemistry can communicate
> hostility toward the person being discussed by the possible offender.
>
> All of this seems to represent a very interesting brave new world. I am not
> sure what to think about the use of computer algorithms to categorize people
> based on the likelihood of deviant behavior. I can say that judges have, for
> centuries, used ad hoc measures to determine the length of a sentence and
> level of bail for inmates. Also, parole boards use their own predictors to
> decide if a person should be released from prison or not. It seems that
> computer programs are simply the next step. While I am disturbed by these
> programs, their presence seems almost inevitable.
>
> One also can't deny the influence of race in these kinds of decisions.
> While I am sure the program doesn't use race as an explicit variable in its
> calculations, there are several factors highly correlated with race that
> could also be used in such a program, such as income, geographic location or
> education level. I am hopeful that the*American Civil Liberties Union* (ACLU)
> will keep an eye on how such programs are used.
>
> While the use of this program can certainly be criticized, there is also
> the truth that there are some occasions when one can see prison in the
> pipeline for a misguided young person. I once told a friend of mine that if
> she didn't intervene more deeply in to her son's life, he would end up in
> the penitentiary, since prison beds are kept nice and warm for uneducated
> black boys who have nothing to do. I knew then that based upon his location
> in his city, there were far too many ways for him to get in to trouble with
> his friends. Two years later, he was in jail for his first offense, and he
> was in prison shortly thereafter.
>
> So, most of us must admit that there are ways to predict who among us might
> be most at risk. The question is what we choose to do with that information:
> Do we use it to simply protect the rich from the poor, or do we use it to
> help that person before it's too late? Perhaps the ACLU, *NAACP* and other
> concerned parties should access this information as much as the police.
>
>  
>



-- 
"If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell
wrote the script?" -- Charles E Grant

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik

Re: [scifinoir2] PEE POWER TO THE PEOPLE

DAY-UM. I could run my house for a year on what passes from my kidneys in a
week.

On Thu, Aug 26, 2010 at 3:05 AM, Mr. Worf  wrote:

>
>
>  October fest, the superbowl, St.Patricks day could run the country.
> PEE POWER TO THE PEOPLE
> 
>   Analysis by Alyssa
> Danigelis 
> Wed Aug 25, 2010 05:42 PM ET
> 2 
> Comments
>  | Leave a 
> Comment
> Print
> Email 
>
>- 
> Facebook
>- 
> Twitter
>- 
> Digg
>- Yahoo! 
> Buzz
>
> [image: 
> Urine_power_fuel_cell]
>
> Edinburgh scientists sure know where to look for renewable energy. Recently
> they figured out a way to make 
> biofuel 
> from
> whiskey byproducts, and now a different team is hard at work on what
> promises to be the world's first urine-powered fuel cells.
>
> Chemistry postdocs Shanwen Tao 
>  and Rong Lan  at
> Heriot-Watt University's School of Engineering and Physical Sciences in
> Edinburgh are turning pee into electricity and clean water with a prototype
> fuel cell system. I had heard about pee-power for 
> robots,
> but not pee-power for everyone.
>
> I don't tend to highlight fuel cell tech very often because the process has
> been so ridiculously expensive and tricky. Fuel cells usually rely on
> flammable hydrogen gas or toxic methanol to generate electricity, but Tao
> and Lan's cheaper prototype relies instead on urea, an organic chemical
> compound produced as waste when the body metabolizes protein.
>
> Urea, also called "carbamide," has several advantages as a potential fuel
> source. It's abundant, non-toxic, relatively straightforward to transport --
> when we're not already transporting it, if you know what I mean -- and rich
> in nitrogen. According to the 
> university,
> Tao thought about incorporating urea because he had seen it used as a
> fertilizer while growing up in eastern China.
>
> *Related Links:*
> --
>
>- *Poo-Powered VW Beetle Runs 
> Clean*
>- *Plastic Bags Into 
> Power?*
>- *Pee Power for Future 
> Robots*
>- *Bad Wine Makes for Good 
> Energy*
>
> --
>
> The Carbamide Power System prototype can break urea or urine from humans or
> animals down into water, nitrogen and CO2, and also produce electricity at
> the same time. Unlike existing fuel cells that require catalysts made from
> precious metals like platinum, the 
> "Youtricity" 
> research
> group's prototype uses a cheaper catalyst and less expensive membranes.
>
> A $203,000 grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research
> Council is helping the team develop the technology, which they think could
> be ideal for islands, deserts and even on submarines. Plus, municipalities
> already spend a ton of money and energy removing urea from wastewater, so
> incorporating a system like this could help reduce those costs. The
> prototype's exact components aren't being publicized, but the team is
> planning

Re: [scifinoir2] Before and After visual efx of famous movie scenes

Keith, some of the posts from here are revisiting me as well. Mostly in my
spam folder, but a few do pop up in the inbox. Glad to know it's not just
me.

On Thu, Aug 26, 2010 at 12:54 AM, Keith Johnson
wrote:

>
>
> Is it my Comcast mail system, or are several of your posts getting reposted
> every day or so?
>
>
> - Original Message -
> From: "Mr. Worf" 
> To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Saturday, August 21, 2010 1:25:09 AM
> Subject: [scifinoir2] Before and After visual efx of famous movie scenes
>
>
>
> This is a small collection of clips from movies showing how the movie was
> shot and what was done via CGI and colorizing.
>
>
> http://www.techxilla.com/2009/11/17/visual-effects-of-your-favorite-movies-in-the-breakdown-mode/
>
>
>
> 
>
> --
> Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity!
> Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
>
>   
>



-- 
"If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell
wrote the script?" -- Charles E Grant

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik

Re: [scifinoir2] SanDisk reveals the postage-stamp-sized integrated SSD

Great gosh a-mighty. If that were in a tablet PC...

On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 8:21 PM, Mr. Worf  wrote:

>
>
>  SanDisk reveals the postage-stamp-sized integrated SSD
>
> By Paul Ridden 
>
> *09:50 August 24, 2010*
>
> 6 
> Pictures
>  [image: SanDisk has developed the first small form factor SATA SSD 
> drive]
>
> SanDisk has developed the first small form factor SATA SSD drive
> *Image 
> Gallery
>  (6
> images)*
>  Flash SSD Appliance 
> 2.4TB
>  - 
> www.solidaccess.com
> Sustained Steady State IOPS 1000 MBps Performance via 10GbE
> SAN for Pro Video 
> Editing
>  - 
> www.StudioNetworkSolutions.com/Evo
> Fibre Channel, 10Gb iSCSI and NAS – Up to 64TB, 10 Users. TV/Film/Video
> Sony VAIO® 
> Laptops
>  - 
> www.SonyStyle.com/VAIO-Laptops
> High-Performance Laptops Powered By Intel® Core™ i5 Processors.
> LG's Optical Hard 
> Drives

Re: [scifinoir2] Brain-Blasting Cerebral Sci-Fi Cinema, Chosen by You

When the kids are left alone too long, Mr Worf...

On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 5:56 PM, Mr. Worf  wrote:

>
>
> How could they not include 2001? Not only was it a visual masterpiece, it
> was technically correct too.
>
> I think they make these lists to stir up their audience.
>
>
> On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 11:14 AM, sincere1906 wrote:
>
>>
>> As we learned when we assembled a gallery of cerebral sci-fi classics in
>> honor of Inception, plenty of other films fire on all neurons. In fact, the
>> topic seems to have gotten Wired.com readers pretty fired up indeed.
>>
>> "Do you guys purposely commit sins on these lists, like leaving off Blade
>> Runner, just to piss us off?" asked Wired.com commenter JudasPato. "One of
>> the best sci-fi flicks of all time? Check. Cerebral? Double-check."
>>
>> Well, no, we don't. But we love giving our readers a platform for sharing
>> their exquisitely geeky picks. Here, then, are your favorite mind-bending
>> flicks, extracted from Wired.com readers' plentiful and enlightening
>> comments, then displayed here for our collective consideration.
>>
>>
>> http://www.wired.com/underwire/2010/08/cerebral-sci-fi-cinema-readers/
>>
>>
>>
>> 
>>
>>
>> Post your SciFiNoir Profile at
>>
>> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/app/peoplemap2/entry/add?fmvn=mapYahoo!
>> Groups Links
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity!
> Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
>
>  
>



-- 
"If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell
wrote the script?" -- Charles E Grant

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik

Re: [scifinoir2] Something for students: Textbook rentals

My niece, as part of her summer reading, read "Lies My History Teacher Told
Me". I believe that she alluded to that being mentioned in it. I'll ask her
when she comes back from school.

On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 6:11 PM, Mr. Worf  wrote:

>
>
> I have always believed that the textbook industry was a long lived scam.
> Most of the time they rarely made any changes at all to the books but were
> pressuring teachers to update to the latest editions. Some of the teachers
> were also getting kickbacks and perks as well. (like free trips etc.) Very
> similar to the pharmaceutical industry.
>
>
> On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 10:56 AM, Martin Baxter 
> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> Wish it had been around twenty-five years ago... I remember dropping $400
>> in one semester for textbooks. (Danger of being a math/physics major -- no
>> one in either department was willing to parts with their books.)
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 7:16 AM, Mr. Worf wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> No problem! I think that this may be the "Killer business strategy for
>>> the new millennium" for college books.
>>>
>>> On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 3:16 AM, Martin Baxter 
>>> wrote:
>>>


 Thanks, Mr Worf! I'm going to send this to my niece.


 On Tue, Aug 24, 2010 at 6:17 PM, Mr. Worf wrote:

>
>
> There is a company called Chegg that rents textbooks to highschool and
> college students for about 1/4 the price of the book. It is a cheap
> alternative to buying them, because most of the time no one wants to keep
> them!
>
> Check out Chegg at http://www.chegg.com/
>
>
>
> 
>
> --
> Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity!
> Mahogany at:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
>
>


 --
 "If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody
 hell wrote the script?" -- Charles E Grant

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik



>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity!
>>> Mahogany at:
>>> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> "If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell
>> wrote the script?" -- Charles E Grant
>>
>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity!
> Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
>
>  
>



-- 
"If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell
wrote the script?" -- Charles E Grant

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik

Re: [scifinoir2] OT: Touchscreen E-Voting Machine Reprogrammed to Play Pac-Man

And the Guv'mint could make money. Quarter a pop. [?]

On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 5:58 PM, Mr. Worf  wrote:

>
>
> That might prompt more people to vote, but the lines would be very long.
>
>
> On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 11:10 AM, Martin Baxter 
> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> Diebold strikes again?
>>
>>
>> http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1TC8kn/www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/08/pac-man/
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> "If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell
>> wrote the script?" -- Charles E Grant
>>
>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity!
> Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
>
>  
>



-- 
"If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell
wrote the script?" -- Charles E Grant

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik
<<347.gif>>

Re: [scifinoir2] New catalyst produces 200 percent fuel cell efficiency boost

Thanks, Mr Worf!

On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 6:00 PM, Mr. Worf  wrote:

>
>
> Here's the commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-XNNPTqNMQ
>
>
> On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 10:58 AM, Martin Baxter 
> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> I never saw the end of that. I only took it in once, and had to run out
>> the door as it was going. Cool.
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 7:10 AM, Mr. Worf wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Have you seen that commercial with Larry Hagman in it? He plays Jr. Ewing
>>> talking about the oil days in Texas. As the commercial ends, he says that he
>>> is still in the game and the future is bright "shine baby shine!" It was a
>>> commercial for solar power!
>>>
>>> On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 3:20 AM, Martin Baxter 
>>> wrote:
>>>


 This makes Big Oil sad. That makes me happy.


 On Tue, Aug 24, 2010 at 5:15 PM, Mr. Worf wrote:

>
>
>  New catalyst produces 200 percent fuel cell efficiency boost
>
> By Ben Coxworth 
>
> *19:08 August 23, 2010*
>
>  [image: Diagrams depict how an electrolyzer could be worked into a
> home's energy 
> system]
>
> Diagrams depict how an electrolyzer could be worked into a home's
> energy system
>  California Solar 
> Power
>  - 
> www.Solarpower.org
> 50% Off California Solar Panel Projects. Sign Up for a Free Quote.
> Go Solar for $0 
> Down
>  - 
> www.SolarCity.com/FreeSolarQuote
> Affordable & Clean Solar Power Spin Your Electric Meter Backward.
> Eagle Shield 
> Insulation
>  - 
> www.EagleShield.com

Re: [scifinoir2] Body Art: Creations Made of Human Flesh, Blood & Bones

And, even after the news reported on this (one station even going so far as
to tell people going into the exhibit), people still went in.

On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 5:41 PM, Mr. Worf  wrote:

>
>
> Wow that's messed up. I remember hearing a story on NPR that there were
> several similar exhibits circling the global. Its the morbid curiosity thing
> I guess.
>
>
> On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 11:01 AM, Martin Baxter 
> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> It's like the Bodies exhibition that's here at the High in Atlanta. It ran
>> here for two years straight before it left (scheduled to go for three
>> months), and it's since returned, into its second year now, if memory
>> serves. As adverted, it's a collection of cadavers from China. The Chinese
>> Guv'mint, kind souls that they are, basically appropriated the bodies from
>> morgues without any permissions from family members, some of whom were about
>> to bury their loved ones.
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 7:08 AM, Mr. Worf wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Quite a while back, I saw an art exhibit in San Francisco that was done
>>> by a French artist that used cadavers as a medium. His work was possibly the
>>> most controversial in the world next to Mapplethorpe at the time. (the
>>> exhibit was a focus on controversial art.) Although his work was very
>>> similar to what the Nazis did during WW2.
>>>
>>> Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, he has
>>> influenced other folks to do similar work. Its all extremely creepy.
>>>
>>> On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 3:21 AM, Martin Baxter 
>>> wrote:
>>>


 To quote LL Cool H, "E... I don't think so."


 On Tue, Aug 24, 2010 at 5:03 PM, Mr. Worf wrote:

>
>
> Body Art: Creations Made of Human Flesh, Blood & 
> Bones
>
> Posted: 23 Aug 2010 10:00 AM PDT
> [ By Steph  in Graffiti & 
> Drawing
> , Urban Images . ]
>
>
> What could be more personal and human than a cast of your head – made
> from your own frozen blood? The human body has been used as a canvas for 
> all
> sorts of art, but perhaps more interesting and rare is the use of human 
> body
> parts as artistic media, from sculptures made of hair, bones and 
> fingernail
> parings to plasticized corpses in dynamic poses. These 12 artists have 
> made
> human body art that is often controversial and sometimes surprisingly
> poignant.
> Marc Quinn
>
> (images via: art news 
> blog
> )
>
> If you’re going to do a self-portrait, why not go all out and make a
> sculpture out of your own frozen blood? That’s what sculptor Marc Quinn 
> has
> done – every five years since 1991 – using a mold of his head and a 
> whopping
> 9.5 pints of blood drawn over a period of five months. Quinn’s 2006 
> version
> of ‘Self’ was purchased by the UK’s National Portrait Gallery for over
> $465,000.
> Andrew Krasnow
>
> (images via: the 
> independent
> )
>
> It’s been called horrific and gruesome, but is Andrew Krasnow’s
> controversial skin art really a sensitive reflection on human cruelty? The
> artist creates flags, lampshades, boots and other everyday items from the
> skin of people who donated their bodies to medical 
> science.
> Krasnow says that each piece is a statement on America’s ethics. “The
> objective was to express my concerns about the war and that it would not 
> be
> conducted in a way that was moral and ethical,” he said. “Since that
> question wasn’t permitted in a museum, the work became more complex, with
> all the inherent contradictions of what it means to be an American or, for
> that matter, to be human.”
> Gunther Von Hagens
>
> (images via: body worlds )
>
> Perhaps no artist using actual human flesh as his chosen medium has
> gained such renown as Gunther Von Hagens, the man behind the “Body Worlds”
> exhibition of plasticized human corpses. But for all the outcry regarding
> Von Hagens’ supposedly “disrespectful” usage of human bodies, there’s just
> as much fascination. Von Hagens invented plastination, the method of
> replacing water and fat in human tissue with certain plastics, preserving
> them for study.
> Francois Robert
>
> (images via: francois 
> robert
> )
>
> Francois Robert’s fascination with human bones started

[scifinoir2] Re: Scott Pilgrim vs. the box office

2010-08-26 Thread sincere1906

I am in "lesibans" with this movie... alongside Inception, one of the best sci 
fi flicks on the big screen I've seen this year.

Sin/BG

--- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, "Kelwyn"  wrote:
>
> http://articles.latimes.com/2010/aug/17/entertainment/la-et-scott-pilgrim-20100817
> 
> For Amy Berciano, this was the moviegoing weekend of the summer.
> 
> More than a year before "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" hit movie theaters, the 
> 20-year-old UCLA junior became a huge fan of the graphic novels that inspired 
> the film. At July's Comic-Con International in San Diego, she waited more 
> than an hour to meet the cast and filmmakers; "I even kissed [director] Edgar 
> Wright on the cheek!" she bragged.
> 
> After attending the debut midnight screening of the movie Thursday night 
> while dressed as one of the characters  Knives Chao, Scott Pilgrim's 
> obsessive ex-girlfriend  Berciano declared herself eminently satisfied. 
> "They got the tone of the book just right, especially the way they brought to 
> life those fighting scenes," she said. "I couldn't get enough."
> 
> Her enthusiasm was shared by nearly everyone who saw the film in its opening 
> weekend, particularly those younger than 35, who gave "Scott Pilgrim" an 
> average grade of A, according to market research firm CinemaScore. 
> Universal's internal exit polls were equally strong, and the film attracted 
> scores of positive reviews.
> 
> But as last weekend's box office numbers rolled in, all that hardly mattered 
> at all.
> 
> The movie sold only $10.6 million worth of tickets, a disappointing figure 
> given that Universal Pictures spent about $85 million, before tax credits, on 
> production and tens of millions more on marketing.
> 
> Comic book hits:
> (since 1978)
> The Dark Knight, $533,345,358
> Spider-Man   $404,706,375
> Spider-Man 2 $373,585,825
> Spider-Man 3 $336,530,303
> Iron Man $318,412,101
> 
> Comic book misses:
> 
> Sheena$5,778,353
> Batman: Mask of the Phantasm  $5,617,391
> Tank Girl $4,064,495
> Barb Wire $3,793,614
> Steel $1,710,972
>

Re: [scifinoir2] WTF??? Hitler DNA Tests Show He Likely Had Jewish, African Roots, Daily Mail Says

Could be a million reasons. Don't know them, so can't say. Some do it because 
they honestly feel such areas have better quality of life (schools, homes, 
parks, etc). Some do it because they feel deep down that white is better--even 
if they can't admit it to themselves. I have some black friends like that, who 
live in majority white, very conservative areas. Always complaining about 
racism and stuff, but never seem to be able to find the will to move. Makes me 
impatient... 

- Original Message - 
From: "Mr. Worf"  
To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2010 1:38:02 AM 
Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] WTF??? Hitler DNA Tests Show He Likely Had Jewish, 
African Roots, Daily Mail Says 






They live in the mostly white section of Marin county. The area is now much 
more integrated but back then it was about 99% white. They were doing pretty 
well though. (business owners, private school for the girls etc.) Thinking 
back, the lies that they told probably kept them alive in that area. I'm not 
sure why they moved there though. 


On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 9:43 PM, Keith Johnson < keithbjohn...@comcast.net > 
wrote: 






Really? Where are they located? 

- Original Message - 
From: "Mr. Worf" < hellomahog...@gmail.com > 
To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 4:29:50 PM 
Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] WTF??? Hitler DNA Tests Show He Likely Had Jewish, 
African Roots, Daily Mail Says 






I think that there is a lot of demons in the closet on this topic that should 
be exercised. 


@Keith, I have family members that are passing for Portuguese. I only saw them 
twice when I was a kid. I wonder have any of them came out of the racial closet 
or not. 


On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 7:59 AM, Keith Johnson < keithbjohn...@comcast.net > 
wrote: 






Not at all a surprise. First, the Jewish thing was always noised about. I often 
joke to my wife, why didn't someone, during any of his mass rallies, look at 
him and say "Hey, waitaminute? Didn't he say 'blonde hair and blue eyes? WTF??" 
Secondly, given the centuries of exploration, migration, and conquest, a lot 
more Europeans have African and Asian blood in them than would like to admit. 
They need to do the same DNA tests on J. Edgar Hoover (rumoured to have black 
ancestry) and Babe Ruth (often called disparaging names for a black man by some 
of his white opponents). I've always been fascinated by people who've denied, 
hidden, or simply didn't know about their heritage. For example, former 
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright didn't discover until the last few years 
that she was Jewish. Her family evidently tried to hide that fact, no doubt to 
avoid a lot of problems in American society. I found her surprise surprising, 
as I'd always assumed she was, based on her looks. 

I've long been happy that i'm obviously black, and didn't grow up in a time, 
place, or family where trying to pretend to be something else was either an 
option, a desire, or even a necessity. There's a scene in one of the Easy 
Rollins books--it might be "Devil in A Blue Dress--where Easy is staking out a 
hotel lobby. As he's sitting there, he notices a man sitting in a chair, well 
dressed, manicured nails, light olive skin. Idly curious, Easy stares at the 
man for a sec. They make eye contact, and the man literally starts looking 
agitated. Easy quickly realizes that the man in is fact at least part Black, 
and is obviously passing for something else--Italian or Greek, most likely. 
Easy looks away, silently assuring the "brother" that he's not going to blow 
his cover, cause right or wrong, the man feels he has to hide like that. Easy 
wasn't going to judge him or cause him pain. 

I've often had to fight a kind of knee jerk disgust at people of color who've 
passed for white, or who deny their African roots while embracing the European 
ones. I had a lot of trouble, honestly, with the Torres character on "Voyager", 
for example, because she was ashamed of her Klingon heritage. But I've had to 
realize that some people have been raised in times and places where it's simply 
been too hard to be who they were. Maybe they were taking the easy route; maybe 
they were just trying to survive. I guess I shouldn't judge. 



- Original Message - 
From: "Mr. Worf" < hellomahog...@gmail.com > 
To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com 

Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 2:59:32 AM 
Subject: [scifinoir2] WTF??? Hitler DNA Tests Show He Likely Had Jewish, 
African Roots, Daily Mail Says 






Hitler DNA Tests Show He Likely Had Jewish, African Roots, Daily Mail Says 

By Steven Fromm - Aug 24, 2010 7:39 AM PT 

• 
• Email 
• Share 
• Print 





Hitler Likely Had Jewish, African Roots, Daily Mail Says 

DNA shows Adolf Hitler likely to have had Jewish or African roots, reports 
Daily Mail. Photographer: Keystone/Getty Images 

Adolf Hitler may have been descended from both Jews and Africans, DNA tests are 
indicating, the Dai

Re: [scifinoir2] CLASSIC MOVIE ILLUSTRATIONS FROM THE 60S

Yeah, I haven't noticed that. Although I do believe the US population is 
getting slightly taller, I thought it was a natural thing, not based on stuff 
in our food. 

- Original Message - 
From: "Mr. Worf"  
To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2010 1:19:53 AM 
Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] CLASSIC MOVIE ILLUSTRATIONS FROM THE 60S 

Maybe its a California thing but I was at a grade school recently and about 50% 
of the 6th graders close to my height or taller. I'm 5'10. 

On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 9:59 PM, Keith Johnson < keithbjohn...@comcast.net > 
wrote: 

I don't think that height change is all that widespread yet. But I do know 
there's a noticeable change in the weight of youth, with more getting heavy 
earlier in life. there's also been the recently discussed fact that a lot of 
young girls are developing sooner than before... 

- Original Message - 
From: "Mr. Worf" < hellomahog...@gmail.com > 
To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com 

Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 11:55:55 PM 
Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] CLASSIC MOVIE ILLUSTRATIONS FROM THE 60S 

I think that aesthetic will disappear soon. Most of the youngsters that are in 
their teens right now are close to or above 6ft tall (In this area, possibly 
30-40%) so that tiny little waif look will eventually disappear. 

This brings up the question as to why hasn't anyone looked into the growth 
hormones that are being passed on to everyone. There is no reason whatsoever 
for these kids to be this big across the board. My 4yr old nephew is over 4 
feet tall now. At this rate by the time he is 10 he will be taller than me. 

On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 7:32 PM, Keith Johnson < keithbjohn...@comcast.net > 
wrote: 

Oh, she's a gorgeous lady, one of the prettiest women in Hollywood. I'm just 
saying she's not curvy or voluptuous by any means, and I've heard some people 
go on about her great figure. But all I can conclude is that that's based on 
the modern love for slim-to-thin athletic builds that some champion nowadays. 

- Original Message - 
From: "Mr. Worf" < hellomahog...@gmail.com > 
To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 7:20:33 AM 
Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] CLASSIC MOVIE ILLUSTRATIONS FROM THE 60S 

Here's the pic of Fox wearing the tshirt: 
http://cm1.theinsider.com/thumbnail/400/552/cm1.theinsider.com/media/0/87/50/megan-foxa-all-star-party-6.jpg

I have to admit that it looks good on her. 

On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 3:06 AM, Martin Baxter < martinbaxt...@gmail.com > 
wrote: 

"On a side note, I was walking by the tv and they were talking about Megan Fox 
wearing her 8 year old stepbrother's tshirt. I immediately thought "now that's 
ridiculous!"" 

My skin has just left the building... 

On Tue, Aug 24, 2010 at 5:13 PM, Mr. Worf < hellomahog...@gmail.com > wrote: 

I think that Jolie looked better a couple of years back before she lost that 
last "20lbs." In Salt she looks dangerously underweight. 

I agree with you on all of the classic ladies. Most of them wore a size 6 or 8 
dress. In Hollywood the average is a size 2-4 now. I think currently Jolie is 
going for size 0. Which is the ultimate. 

On a side note, I was walking by the tv and they were talking about Megan Fox 
wearing her 8 year old stepbrother's tshirt. I immediately thought "now that's 
ridiculous!" 

On Mon, Aug 23, 2010 at 7:33 PM, Keith Johnson < keithbjohn...@comcast.net > 
wrote: 

No offense to any women here, but ah for the days when beauty in an actress 
wasn't about being skinny, blonde, and athletic looking. Remember when the 
(white) actresses in TV and film had actual curves, full lips, and were often 
brunette stunners? Sophia Loren, Racquel Welch, Liz Taylor, even Marilyn 
Monroe--all would be considered borderline overweight in the current 
atmosphere. I heard a lady on an entertainment show today say for the millionth 
time how breathtakingly beautiful Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Anniston wore, 
and wax ecstatic about their great figures. I see Anniston as fit but slim, 
Jolie as dangerously thin, and neither coming close to the standard of beauty 
of yesteryear. Although when made up, Jolie's feline features indeed are old 
school... 

- Original Message - 
From: "Mr. Worf" < hellomahog...@gmail.com > 
To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Saturday, August 21, 2010 6:28:37 PM 
Subject: [scifinoir2] CLASSIC MOVIE ILLUSTRATIONS FROM THE 60S 

-- 
Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! 
Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ 

-- 
"If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell 
wrote the script?" -- Charles E Grant 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik 

-- 
Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to pe

Re: [scifinoir2] Before and After visual efx of famous movie scenes

No, I've got the 60's illustrations e-mail, the movie review, and at least one 
or two others at least two or three times a day for several days now... 

- Original Message - 
From: "Martin Baxter"  
To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2010 6:23:52 AM 
Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Before and After visual efx of famous movie scenes 

Keith, some of the posts from here are revisiting me as well. Mostly in my spam 
folder, but a few do pop up in the inbox. Glad to know it's not just me. 

On Thu, Aug 26, 2010 at 12:54 AM, Keith Johnson < keithbjohn...@comcast.net > 
wrote: 

Is it my Comcast mail system, or are several of your posts getting reposted 
every day or so? 

- Original Message - 
From: "Mr. Worf" < hellomahog...@gmail.com > 
To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Saturday, August 21, 2010 1:25:09 AM 
Subject: [scifinoir2] Before and After visual efx of famous movie scenes 

This is a small collection of clips from movies showing how the movie was shot 
and what was done via CGI and colorizing. 

http://www.techxilla.com/2009/11/17/visual-effects-of-your-favorite-movies-in-the-breakdown-mode/

-- 
Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! 
Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ 

-- 
"If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell 
wrote the script?" -- Charles E Grant 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik

[scifinoir2] Re: Scott Pilgrim vs. the box office

2010-08-26 Thread B Smith

I'd say that this is my third favorite movie of the summer. Inception and Toy 
Story 3 are 1 and 1a for me.

I enjoyed it first go round but the more I thought about it the more it stuck 
in my head. I'm going to watch it again.

--- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, "sincere1906"  wrote:
>
> I am in "lesibans" with this movie... alongside Inception, one of the best 
> sci fi flicks on the big screen I've seen this year.
> 
> Sin/BG
> 
> --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, "Kelwyn"  wrote:
> >
> > http://articles.latimes.com/2010/aug/17/entertainment/la-et-scott-pilgrim-20100817
> > 
> > For Amy Berciano, this was the moviegoing weekend of the summer.
> > 
> > More than a year before "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" hit movie theaters, 
> > the 20-year-old UCLA junior became a huge fan of the graphic novels that 
> > inspired the film. At July's Comic-Con International in San Diego, she 
> > waited more than an hour to meet the cast and filmmakers; "I even kissed 
> > [director] Edgar Wright on the cheek!" she bragged.
> > 
> > After attending the debut midnight screening of the movie Thursday night 
> > while dressed as one of the characters  Knives Chao, Scott Pilgrim's 
> > obsessive ex-girlfriend  Berciano declared herself eminently satisfied. 
> > "They got the tone of the book just right, especially the way they brought 
> > to life those fighting scenes," she said. "I couldn't get enough."
> > 
> > Her enthusiasm was shared by nearly everyone who saw the film in its 
> > opening weekend, particularly those younger than 35, who gave "Scott 
> > Pilgrim" an average grade of A, according to market research firm 
> > CinemaScore. Universal's internal exit polls were equally strong, and the 
> > film attracted scores of positive reviews.
> > 
> > But as last weekend's box office numbers rolled in, all that hardly 
> > mattered at all.
> > 
> > The movie sold only $10.6 million worth of tickets, a disappointing figure 
> > given that Universal Pictures spent about $85 million, before tax credits, 
> > on production and tens of millions more on marketing.
> > 
> > Comic book hits:
> > (since 1978)
> > The Dark Knight, $533,345,358
> > Spider-Man   $404,706,375
> > Spider-Man 2 $373,585,825
> > Spider-Man 3 $336,530,303
> > Iron Man $318,412,101
> > 
> > Comic book misses:
> > 
> > Sheena$5,778,353
> > Batman: Mask of the Phantasm  $5,617,391
> > Tank Girl $4,064,495
> > Barb Wire $3,793,614
> > Steel $1,710,972
> >
>

Re: [scifinoir2] Before and After visual efx of famous movie scenes

Just found those and three others in my spam folder, Keith, the others from
another of my Yahu groups. Might be them..

On Thu, Aug 26, 2010 at 2:47 PM, Keith Johnson wrote:

>
>
> No, I've got the 60's illustrations e-mail, the movie review, and at least
> one or two others at least two or three times a day for several days now...
>
>
> - Original Message -
> From: "Martin Baxter" 
> To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2010 6:23:52 AM
> Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Before and After visual efx of famous movie
> scenes
>
>
>
> Keith, some of the posts from here are revisiting me as well. Mostly in my
> spam folder, but a few do pop up in the inbox. Glad to know it's not just
> me.
>
> On Thu, Aug 26, 2010 at 12:54 AM, Keith Johnson  > wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> Is it my Comcast mail system, or are several of your posts getting
>> reposted every day or so?
>>
>>
>> - Original Message -
>> From: "Mr. Worf" 
>> To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com
>> Sent: Saturday, August 21, 2010 1:25:09 AM
>> Subject: [scifinoir2] Before and After visual efx of famous movie scenes
>>
>>
>>
>> This is a small collection of clips from movies showing how the movie was
>> shot and what was done via CGI and colorizing.
>>
>>
>> http://www.techxilla.com/2009/11/17/visual-effects-of-your-favorite-movies-in-the-breakdown-mode/
>>
>>
>>
>> 
>>
>> --
>> Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity!
>> Mahogany at:
>> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> "If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell
> wrote the script?" -- Charles E Grant
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik
>
>   
>



-- 
"If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell
wrote the script?" -- Charles E Grant

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik

Re: [scifinoir2] CLASSIC MOVIE ILLUSTRATIONS FROM THE 60S

Humanity itself has been getting taller as it goes on. Jesus was considered
tall for his era, and he was reputedly only 5'7" (average height at the time
being a hair over 5'4" for a man).

On Thu, Aug 26, 2010 at 2:42 PM, Keith Johnson wrote:

>
>
> Yeah, I haven't noticed that. Although I do believe the US population is
> getting slightly taller, I thought it was a natural thing, not based on
> stuff in our food.
>
> - Original Message -
> From: "Mr. Worf" 
> To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2010 1:19:53 AM
> Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] CLASSIC MOVIE ILLUSTRATIONS FROM THE 60S
>
>
>
> Maybe its a California thing but I was at a grade school recently and about
> 50% of  the 6th graders close to my height or taller. I'm 5'10.
>
> On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 9:59 PM, Keith Johnson 
> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> I don't think that height change is all that widespread yet. But I do know
>> there's a noticeable change in the weight of youth, with more getting heavy
>> earlier in life. there's also been the recently discussed fact that a lot of
>> young girls are developing sooner than before...
>>
>>
>> - Original Message -
>> From: "Mr. Worf" 
>> To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com
>> Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 11:55:55 PM
>> Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] CLASSIC MOVIE ILLUSTRATIONS FROM THE 60S
>>
>>
>>
>> I think that aesthetic will disappear soon. Most of the youngsters that
>> are in their teens right now are close to or above 6ft tall (In this area,
>> possibly 30-40%) so that tiny little waif look will eventually disappear.
>>
>> This brings up the question as to why hasn't anyone looked into the growth
>> hormones that are being passed on to everyone. There is no reason whatsoever
>> for these kids to be this big across the board. My 4yr old nephew is over 4
>> feet tall now. At this rate by the time he is 10 he will be taller than me.
>>
>> On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 7:32 PM, Keith Johnson > > wrote:
>>
>>> Oh, she's a gorgeous lady, one of the prettiest women in Hollywood. I'm
>>> just saying she's not curvy or voluptuous by any means, and I've heard some
>>> people go on about her great figure. But all I can conclude is that that's
>>> based on the modern love for slim-to-thin athletic builds that some champion
>>> nowadays.
>>>
>>>
>>> - Original Message -
>>> From: "Mr. Worf" 
>>> To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com
>>> Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 7:20:33 AM
>>> Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] CLASSIC MOVIE ILLUSTRATIONS FROM THE 60S
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Here's the pic of Fox wearing the tshirt:
>>> http://cm1.theinsider.com/thumbnail/400/552/cm1.theinsider.com/media/0/87/50/megan-foxa-all-star-party-6.jpg
>>>
>>>
>>> I
>>> have to admit that it looks good on her.
>>>
>>> On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 3:06 AM, Martin Baxter 
>>> wrote:
>>>


 "On a side note, I was walking by the tv and they were talking about
 Megan Fox wearing her 8 year old stepbrother's tshirt. I immediately 
 thought
 "now that's ridiculous!""

 My skin has just left the building...


 On Tue, Aug 24, 2010 at 5:13 PM, Mr. Worf wrote:

>
>
> I think that Jolie looked better a couple of years back before she lost
> that last "20lbs." In Salt she looks dangerously underweight.
>
> I agree with you on all of the classic ladies. Most of them wore a size
> 6 or 8 dress. In Hollywood the average is a size 2-4 now. I think 
> currently
> Jolie is going for size 0. Which is the ultimate.
>
> On a side note, I was walking by the tv and they were talking about
> Megan Fox wearing her 8 year old stepbrother's tshirt. I immediately 
> thought
> "now that's ridiculous!"
>
> On Mon, Aug 23, 2010 at 7:33 PM, Keith Johnson <
>> keithbjohn...@comcast.net> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> No offense to any women here, but ah for the days when beauty in an
>>> actress wasn't about being skinny, blonde, and athletic looking. 
>>> Remember
>>> when the (white) actresses in TV and film had actual curves, full lips, 
>>> and
>>> were often brunette stunners? Sophia Loren, Racquel Welch, Liz Taylor, 
>>> even
>>> Marilyn Monroe--all would be considered borderline overweight in the 
>>> current
>>> atmosphere. I heard a lady on an entertainment show today say for the
>>> millionth time how breathtakingly beautiful Angelina Jolie and Jennifer
>>> Anniston wore, and wax ecstatic about their great figures. I see 
>>> Anniston as
>>> fit but slim, Jolie as dangerously thin, and neither coming close to the
>>> standard of beauty of yesteryear. Although when made up, Jolie's feline
>>> features indeed are old school...
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> - Original Message -
>>> From: "Mr. Worf" 
>>> To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com
>>> Sent: Satu

Re: [scifinoir2] Neverwhere

The name rings a bell but I don't remember it. I will check it out. Thanks!

On Thu, Aug 26, 2010 at 2:34 PM, Martin Baxter wrote:

>
>
> Also, while reading, I scanned Lenny Henry's Wiki file, and learned that
> he, with Neil Gaiman, created one of my favorite mini-series of all time,
> Neverwhere .
>
>
> "If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell
> wrote the script?" -- Charles E Grant
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik
>
>
>

[scifinoir2] BBC America To Air Idris Elba Miniseries

I'd never heard of "Luther" before reading about it in my Comcast guide's list
of upcoming shows for the fall. Sounds like it'll be pretty good. Elba's quite
an actor, and this being a British production, you can count on it being of
high quality and realism, especially with one of the guys behind the series
"MI-5" on board.

http://torforge.wordpress.com/2010/06/08/bbc-america-books-idris-elba-hourlong-series-luther/

BBC AMERICA REINVENTS CRIME THRILLER WITH WIRE STAR IDRIS ELBA

BBC AMERICA today announced its latest U.S. premiere co-production. Luther ,
starring Idris Elba ( The Wire ), is a smart, six-part, psychological thriller
that takes a bold new look at the crime genre. Elba is also Associate Producer
on the project.

* Luther (6 x 60) is a BBC/BBC AMERICA co-production and is distributed by BBC
Worldwide. It will air later this year on BBC AMERICA.

Idris Elba, best known for his performance as drug kingpin Russell “Stringer”
Bell in HBO’s The Wire , now finds himself on the other side of the law. He
plays John Luther, an intellectually brilliant but emotionally impulsive murder
detective. He considers his profession a vocation rather than a job and it
remains to be seen if he’s a force for good or a man hell bent on
self-destruction. His confidante is also his arch-enemy Alice ( Ruth Wilson ,
Jane Eyre ), a beautiful multiple-murderess who evades his grasp early on, and
with whom he becomes locked in a lethal battle of wits.

Luther is created and written by acclaimed suspense novelist, and one of the
lead writers on MI-5 , Neil Cross . He says: “I’m delighted that the BBC has
brought Luther to life. It’s an intense psychological thriller which examines
not only human depravity but the complex nature of love … and how it’s often
this – our finest attribute – that leads us into darkness.”

Elba is joined by an all-star cast: Ruth Wilson ( The Prisoner ) is Alice
Morgan, beautiful, extraordinarily intelligent and a key witness in Luther’s
first investigation; Steven Mackintosh ( Criminal Justice ) is Detective Chief
Inspector Ian Reed and Luther’s loyal friend and work colleague; Indira Varma (
Rome ) is Zoe Luther, who’s had the strength to walk away from the man she
still loves; Paul McGann ( Withnail and I ) is Mark North, unafraid to compete
with Luther for Zoe’s love; Saskia Reeves ( Bodies ) is Detective
Superintendent Rose Teller, Luther’s risk-taking boss and Warren Brown (
Occupation ) is Detective Sergeant Justin Ripley, Luther’s loyal, awestruck new
partner.

The deal was brokered by Matt Forde, EVP BBC Worldwide Sales & Co-Productions
with Chris Carr, COO, BBC Worldwide Channels and Richard De Croce, SVP
Programming, BBC AMERICA.

Chris Carr says: “BBC AMERICA viewers have always loved British crime
thrillers. Luther, puts a whole new spin on the genre and sucks you in with its
intelligent storytelling and gripping plotlines. We’re thrilled to have Idris
Elba on BBC AMERICA and intend to surprise a few people by revealing that he’s
British!”

Luther , airing later this year, adds to BBC AMERICA’S new slate of
co-productions recently announced including sci-fi thriller Outcasts starring
Eric Mabius ( Ugly Betty ) and Come Dine With Me , a cooking show which follows
amateur chefs competing for the title of the ultimate dinner party host. (via
Variety & TVbytheNum

Re: [scifinoir2] WTF??? Hitler DNA Tests Show He Likely Had Jewish, African Roots, Daily Mail Says

I asked my sister for a little more info. Apparently, they own a horse ranch
and appear in local parades with their horses as Hispanic riders.

>From what I understand, their great grandmother was white, so I guess they
are claiming that side of the family.

On Thu, Aug 26, 2010 at 11:44 AM, Keith Johnson
wrote:

>
>
> Could be a million reasons. Don't know them, so can't say. Some do it
> because they honestly feel such areas have better quality of life (schools,
> homes, parks, etc). Some do it because they feel deep down that white is
> better--even if they can't admit it to themselves. I have some black friends
> like that, who live in majority white, very conservative areas. Always
> complaining about racism and stuff, but never seem to be able to find the
> will to move. Makes me impatient...
>
>
> - Original Message -
> From: "Mr. Worf" 
> To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2010 1:38:02 AM
> Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] WTF??? Hitler DNA Tests Show He Likely Had
> Jewish, African Roots, Daily Mail Says
>
>
>
> They live in the mostly white section of Marin county. The area is now much
> more integrated but back then it was about 99% white. They were doing pretty
> well though. (business owners, private school for the girls etc.) Thinking
> back, the lies that they told probably kept them alive in that area. I'm not
> sure why they moved there though.
>
> On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 9:43 PM, Keith Johnson 
> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> Really? Where are they located?
>>
>> - Original Message -
>> From: "Mr. Worf" 
>> To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com
>> Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 4:29:50 PM
>> Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] WTF??? Hitler DNA Tests Show He Likely Had
>> Jewish, African Roots, Daily Mail Says
>>
>>
>>
>> I think that there is a lot of demons in the closet on this topic that
>> should be exercised.
>>
>> @Keith, I have family members that are passing for Portuguese. I only saw
>> them twice when I was a kid. I wonder have any of them came out of the
>> racial closet or not.
>>
>> On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 7:59 AM, Keith Johnson > > wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Not at all a surprise. First, the Jewish thing was always noised about. I
>>> often joke to my wife, why didn't someone, during any of his mass rallies,
>>> look at him and say "Hey, waitaminute? Didn't he say 'blonde hair and blue
>>> eyes? WTF??" Secondly, given the centuries of exploration, migration, and
>>> conquest, a lot more Europeans have African and Asian blood in them than
>>> would like to admit.
>>> They need to do the same DNA tests on J. Edgar Hoover (rumoured to have
>>> black ancestry) and Babe Ruth (often called disparaging names for a black
>>> man by some of his white opponents). I've always been fascinated by people
>>> who've denied, hidden, or simply didn't know about their heritage. For
>>> example, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright didn't discover until
>>> the last few years that she was Jewish. Her family evidently tried to hide
>>> that fact, no doubt to avoid a lot of problems in American society. I found
>>> her surprise surprising, as I'd always assumed she was, based on her looks.
>>>
>>> I've long been happy that i'm obviously black, and didn't grow up in a
>>> time, place, or family where trying to pretend to be something else was
>>> either an option, a desire, or even a necessity. There's a scene in one of
>>> the Easy Rollins books--it might be "Devil in A Blue Dress--where Easy is
>>> staking out a hotel lobby. As he's sitting there, he notices a man sitting
>>> in a chair, well dressed, manicured nails, light olive skin. Idly curious,
>>> Easy stares at the man for a sec. They make eye contact, and the man
>>> literally starts looking agitated. Easy quickly realizes that the man in is
>>> fact at least part Black, and is obviously passing for something
>>> else--Italian or Greek, most likely. Easy looks away, silently assuring the
>>> "brother" that he's not going to blow his cover, cause right or wrong, the
>>> man feels he has to hide like that. Easy wasn't going to judge him or cause
>>> him pain.
>>>
>>> I've often had to fight a kind of knee jerk disgust at people of color
>>> who've passed for white, or who deny their African roots while embracing the
>>> European ones. I had a lot of trouble, honestly, with the Torres character
>>> on "Voyager", for example, because she was ashamed of her Klingon heritage.
>>> But I've had to realize that some people have been raised in times and
>>> places where it's simply been too hard to be who they were. Maybe they were
>>> taking the easy route; maybe they were just trying to survive. I guess I
>>> shouldn't judge.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> - Original Message -
>>> From: "Mr. Worf" 
>>> To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com
>>> Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 2:59:32 AM
>>> Subject: [scifinoir2] WTF??? Hitler DNA Tests Show He Likely Had Jewish,
>>> African Roots, Daily Mail Says
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Hitler DNA Tests Show He Likely Had

[scifinoir2] New record set for ferroelectric data storage

New record set for ferroelectric data storage

By Paul Ridden 

*02:05 August 26, 2010*

[image: A Scanning Nonlinear Dielectric Microscope Inset left: shows
topography and electric
dipol...]

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Inset right: Example of a ferroelectric information storage
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[scifinoir2] Scientists hope to collect electricity from the air

Scientists hope to collect electricity from the air

By Ben Coxworth 

*21:17 August 25, 2010*

[image: 'Hygroelectric' collectors could someday harness atmospheric
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[scifinoir2] Buckeye Bullet 2.5 claims battery electric vehicle world land speed record of 307.7mph

Buckeye Bullet 2.5 claims battery electric vehicle world land speed record
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*21:14 August 25, 2010*

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[scifinoir2] Biosynthetic corneas restore vision to humans

Biosynthetic corneas restore vision to humans

By Ben Coxworth 

*19:42 August 25, 2010*

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[scifinoir2] Re: BBC America To Air Idris Elba Miniseries

2010-08-26 Thread B Smith

Sweet. I saw previews for this a while back.

--- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Keith Johnson  wrote:
>
> I'd never heard of "Luther" before reading about it in my Comcast guide's 
> list of upcoming shows for the fall. Sounds like it'll be pretty good. Elba's 
> quite an actor, and this being a British production, you can count on it 
> being of high quality and realism, especially with one of the guys behind the 
> series "MI-5" on board. 
> 
> * 
> 
> http://torforge.wordpress.com/2010/06/08/bbc-america-books-idris-elba-hourlong-series-luther/
>  
> 
> 
> 
> BBC AMERICA REINVENTS CRIME THRILLER WITH WIRE STAR IDRIS ELBA 
> 
> 
> BBC AMERICA today announced its latest U.S. premiere co-production. Luther , 
> starring Idris Elba ( The Wire ), is a smart, six-part, psychological 
> thriller that takes a bold new look at the crime genre. Elba is also 
> Associate Producer on the project. 
> 
> * Luther (6 x 60) is a BBC/BBC AMERICA co-production and is distributed by 
> BBC Worldwide. It will air later this year on BBC AMERICA. 
> 
> Idris Elba, best known for his performance as drug kingpin Russell 
> âStringerâ Bell in HBOâs The Wire , now finds himself on the other side 
> of the law. He plays John Luther, an intellectually brilliant but emotionally 
> impulsive murder detective. He considers his profession a vocation rather 
> than a job and it remains to be seen if heâs a force for good or a man hell 
> bent on self-destruction. His confidante is also his arch-enemy Alice ( Ruth 
> Wilson , Jane Eyre ), a beautiful multiple-murderess who evades his grasp 
> early on, and with whom he becomes locked in a lethal battle of wits. 
> 
> Luther is created and written by acclaimed suspense novelist, and one of the 
> lead writers on MI-5 , Neil Cross . He says: âIâm delighted that the BBC 
> has brought Luther to life. Itâs an intense psychological thriller which 
> examines not only human depravity but the complex nature of love â¦ and how 
> itâs often this â" our finest attribute â" that leads us into 
> darkness.â 
> 
> Elba is joined by an all-star cast: Ruth Wilson ( The Prisoner ) is Alice 
> Morgan, beautiful, extraordinarily intelligent and a key witness in 
> Lutherâs first investigation; Steven Mackintosh ( Criminal Justice ) is 
> Detective Chief Inspector Ian Reed and Lutherâs loyal friend and work 
> colleague; Indira Varma ( Rome ) is Zoe Luther, whoâs had the strength to 
> walk away from the man she still loves; Paul McGann ( Withnail and I ) is 
> Mark North, unafraid to compete with Luther for Zoeâs love; Saskia Reeves ( 
> Bodies ) is Detective Superintendent Rose Teller, Lutherâs risk-taking boss 
> and Warren Brown ( Occupation ) is Detective Sergeant Justin Ripley, 
> Lutherâs loyal, awestruck new partner. 
> 
> The deal was brokered by Matt Forde, EVP BBC Worldwide Sales & Co-Productions 
> with Chris Carr, COO, BBC Worldwide Channels and Richard De Croce, SVP 
> Programming, BBC AMERICA. 
> 
> Chris Carr says: âBBC AMERICA viewers have always loved British crime 
> thrillers. Luther, puts a whole new spin on the genre and sucks you in with 
> its intelligent storytelling and gripping plotlines. Weâre thrilled to have 
> Idris Elba on BBC AMERICA and intend to surprise a few people by revealing 
> that heâs British!â 
> 
> Luther , airing later this year, adds to BBC AMERICAâS new slate of 
> co-productions recently announced including sci-fi thriller Outcasts starring 
> Eric Mabius ( Ugly Betty ) and Come Dine With Me , a cooking show which 
> follows amateur chefs competing for the title of the ultimate dinner party 
> host. (via Variety & TVbytheNum
>

Re: [scifinoir2] Software Predicts Who Will Commit Crim

Good question. I think that it was probably around for a few years. They
were hinting at stuff like this for a while. They have been doing a lot of
precog type software work, as well as interesting AI / psychosis research.
The story itself is pretty old.

 I remember reading the requirements for a major at San Francisco State a
while back that was a psychology / computer science/ engineering degree.
(Finish it and you would have a MA in all 3.) There were a couple of others.
The only job that I could think of for that combination had to be AI
research.



On Thu, Aug 26, 2010 at 3:17 AM, Martin Baxter wrote:

>
>
> I wonder how long this has been around without us knowing it...
>
>
> On Thu, Aug 26, 2010 at 4:08 AM, Mr. Worf  wrote:
>
>>
>>
>>  Software Predicts Who Will Commit Crime
>>
>> By Boyce Watkins, 
>> PhD on
>> Aug 25th 2010 1:16PM
>> Filed under: News , 
>> Politics
>> , Race and Civil 
>> Rights
>>
>> Comments 
>> (5)
>>  Print
>>  [image: The real Minority Report: U.S. police trial computer software
>> that The real minority report: U.S. police software predicts who is most
>> likely to commit crime]
>>
>> It is being reported that law enforcement officials in Washington, D.C.,
>> plan to use a new computer program that claims to be able to predict which
>> citizens are most likely to commit crime. The concept conjures up images of
>> the *Tom Cruise* film "*Minority Report*," where agents were able to
>> predict "pre-crime": crime that hasn't happened yet and is set to occur. But
>> far from science fiction, this program is actually based on reality.
>>
>> The program was developed by *Richard Berk*, a professor at *The
>> University of Pennsylvania*. The first version of the program was used to
>> predict future murders among parolees, but it is being argued that the
>> software can be used for all kinds of crime.
>>
>> "When a person goes on probation or parole they are supervised by an
>> officer. The question that officer has to answer is 'what level of
>> supervision do you provide?'" Berk told* ABC News*.
>>
>> The program could have real implications, including determining the amount
>> of a person's bail or how long they are to remain in a halfway house upon
>> their release from prison. The program works by using a large database of
>> crimes and other factors, including geographic location, age, prior offenses
>> and the criminal record of the person being considered.
>>
>> This is not the only kind of technology used to predict crime. Some
>> departments actually use brain scanners to predict someone's intentions
>> before they act. Apparently, changes in brain chemistry can communicate
>> hostility toward the person being discussed by the possible offender.
>>
>> All of this seems to represent a very interesting brave new world. I am
>> not sure what to think about the use of computer algorithms to categorize
>> people based on the likelihood of deviant behavior. I can say that judges
>> have, for centuries, used ad hoc measures to determine the length of a
>> sentence and level of bail for inmates. Also, parole boards use their own
>> predictors to decide if a person should be released from prison or not. It
>> seems that computer programs are simply the next step. While I am disturbed
>> by these programs, their presence seems almost inevitable.
>>
>> One also can't deny the influence of race in these kinds of decisions.
>> While I am sure the program doesn't use race as an explicit variable in its
>> calculations, there are several factors highly correlated with race that
>> could also be used in such a program, such as income, geographic location or
>> education level. I am hopeful that the*American Civil Liberties Union* (ACLU)
>> will keep an eye on how such programs are used.
>>
>> While the use of this program can certainly be criticized, there is also
>> the truth that there are some occasions when one can see prison in the
>> pipeline for a misguided young person. I once told a friend of mine that if
>> she didn't intervene more deeply in to her son's life, he would end up in
>> the penitentiary, since prison beds are kept nice and warm for uneducated
>> black boys who have nothing to do. I knew then that based upon his location
>> in his city, there were far too many ways for him to get in to trouble with
>> his friends. Two years later, he was in jail for his first offense, and he
>> was in prison shortly thereafter.
>>
>> So, most of us must admit that there are ways to predict who among us
>> might be most at risk. The question is what we choose to do with that
>> information: Do we use it to simply protect the rich from the poor, or do we
>

[scifinoir2] Clean Machines: 10 Wonderful Washers of the Future

   Web Urbanist 
 

--

Clean Machines: 10 Wonderful Washers of the
Future

Posted: 25 Aug 2010 10:00 AM PDT
 [ By Delana  in Architecture &
Design,
Furniture & Interiors , Green
Technologies . ]

The humble washing machine revolutionized the way we all live. Before
automatic washing machines came along, clothes were washed by hand in a tub,
a tedious and tiring process. Today, the washing machine takes care of all
of the hard work for us, even if it is a less-than-thrilling machine. But
the next generation of washing machines is on the way. What will it bring?
These concepts offer some of the best, strangest and most ambitious guesses
for the future of our laundry.
 Swirl Electricity-Free Washing Machine

Laundry might be the last household task anyone would classify as “fun,” but
the Swirl 
conceptcould
make it at least a little less tedious. This clothes washer was meant
to be used in areas where water is scarce and electricity isn’t available.
The spherical design features a handle that allows the tub to be easily
wheeled to a water source. Then, with the handle either still attached or
removed, the ball becomes a plaything that users can roll, kick and have fun
with to agitate the clothing within. The motion scrubs the clothes clean, no
electricity required. And when the tub isn’t being used for laundry, it can
be used to transport water for the family.
The Tiny, Wall-Hanging Washer

When space is at a premium, taking appliances off of the floor and hanging
them on the wall can be a brilliant solution. But in order to do that with
an appliance as major as a washing machine, you have to rethink the way the
machine works. The Shine
conceptfrom
the Electrolux Design Team in Porcina, Italy takes into account the
fact that most of the world’s population will be living in urban
environments by 2050 – a figure that means many of us will be short on
space. The tiny washing machine can either be mounted on the wall or
integrated beneath a bathroom countertop. Lights on the front of the machine
count down the time remaining in the cycle while providing unique ambient
lighting.
The Maglev Washing Machine

It doesn’t get much more futuristic  than
this 
conceptfrom
designer Jakub Lekes. The small, energy-efficient design is notable
for
its crystal ball-like shape which allows it to spin in all directions.
Magnetic levitation, or maglev, holds the ball in place while it spins
around, getting clothes cleaner than a circular-spinning drum ever could.
The Aquarium Washing Machine

The simple round aesthetic of the Aquarium washing
machineconcept recalls
the unusual shape of the Maglev concept above, but closer to
the ground. The interior ball holds the clothing and swirls around in all
directions to provide a superior clean while the exterior sits in your home
looking like a fascinating piece of futuristic art.
The Pebble

If you get a stain on your outfit just before going out for the night, you’d
think the best solution would be to change. But why bother when you can
simply run your soiled clothes through this wall-mounted wonder and head out
of the house with your favorite outfit clean and ready to impress? The
Pebbleis
a concept for the year 2022 from designer Ning Ning Lee, and it
addresses
the age-old problem of washing machine cycles that take way too long. The
small appliance washes, steams and dries clothes quickly – and it looks
great hanging on the wall.
Electrolux Renew

Along the same lines of the Pebble concept is the Electrolux
Renew.
It’s a quick and easy way to clean and refresh your clothes with a blast of
steam – but it can also teach you a thing or two. The Renew uses RFID and
infrared scanners to give you information about the fabric composition and
condition of your clothes. The machine is equipped with wi-fi and features
an OLED touchscreen interface to make navigation simple.
Orbital

Traditional washing machines use a huge amount of electricity and water. The
Orbital

[scifinoir2] Cisco and Verizon are pushing for true holograms and 3D TV delivered via 1 Gigabit Per Second Fiber Network by 2020

AUGUST 25, 2010
Cisco and Verizon are pushing for true holograms and 3D TV delivered via 1
Gigabit Per Second Fiber Network by
2020
3Share

*Ad Support* : *Nano
Technology*
   *Netbook*

*Technology 
News*
   *Computer 
Software*

Cisco predicts that high-definition TV and 3D TV content will increase 13
times between 2009 and
2014.
In
total, HDTV and 3D video will account for 42 percent of the video on the
Internet by 2014. Cisco predicts that in the next four years, more than 90
percent of all content traversing the Net will be some form of video,
whether it's peer-to-peer or streamed from servers.

Beyond 3D video, Chambers sees holographic technology as being the next
truly big advancement in video technology. "3D will make things more
lifelike, " he said. "But I think in 10 years we'll be seeing holograms
used. Not only can this be used to enhance business communications, but
imagine the implications for certain vertical businesses like medicine."

Verizon Communications Chief Information Officer Shaygan Kheradpir said his
company is already working with researchers to bring holographic
technologies into homes and small businesses. And the medical industry is
one place where he sees a particularly good fit for holograms.



Cisco and Verizon executives say that the 3D TV revolution won't stop with
consumer services. They also expect the technology to make its way into
businesses. Chambers wouldn't specify when, but he said the company's
telepresence video conferencing service, which today uses high-definition
video, will eventually be 3D-enabled.

Whether executives will sit around Cisco telepresence conference rooms with
3D video glasses is unknown. Chambers seemed confident that the technology
would eventually get to a point where glasses are unnecessary. Toshiba is
already talking about making a glasses-free 3D TVs for the Japanese market.

Verizon Communications Chief Information Officer Shaygan Kheradpir said his
company is already working with researchers to bring holographic
technologies into homes and small businesses. And the medical industry is
one place where he sees a particularly good fit for holograms.

Kheradpir wouldn't offer specifics of what Verizon is working on with its
research partners, but he said that it has been playing around with sending
holographic images of someone's head across its Fios fiber-optic network.

He said this could be a very useful application for doctors and other
medical professionals.

"A hologram of a patient can be beamed right to the home of the doctor, who
could rotate the image and make a diagnosis," he said.

Kheradpir said his father was an ear, nose, and throat doctor, who spent
most of his time running back and forth to the hospital to see patients.

"Just think of how much more time he would have been able to spend with his
family if he had this technology," he said. "He would not have had to go
into the ER as often as he did. Most times all he needed to do was ask
someone to open his mouth and say 'ah.'"

Verizon recently announced that it had field tested the first ever 1Gbps
link to a business using Verizon's existing Fios infrastructure. Kheradpir,
who lives on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, has also been testing the
1Gbps service in his home. On a recent tour of his home to show off new Fios
TV services and features, he said that holography is the type of application
that would need such high speed connections.



*If you liked this article, please give it a quick review on
Reddit,
or StumbleUpon . Thanks*

[scifinoir2] Air Has No Prejudice, But Verizon Does

Air Has No Prejudice, But Verizon Does

by Jamilah King 
ShareThis
 | 
Print
 | Comment 
(15)

Monday, August 23 2010, 4:12 PM ESTTags: digital
divide
, net neutrality ,
Verizon
65Share

*RELATED*




Verizon’s new “Rule the
Air”
campaign is a mess. But, by design, it’s an attractive and racially diverse
one. That’s precisely what ad agency McGarryBowen, which Ad Age voted 2009’s
agency of the year*,
had in mind. The company seems to have ditched its “Can you hear me now?”
slogan for a sly effort at convincing its users they actually have a
foothold in the roiling debate over broadband access.

Verizon launched its new campaign earlier this summer, and it’s clearly
aimed toward younger users, mostly those of color. One ad called “Prejudice”
debuted in July and features a racially diverse cast of young women talking
about how Verizon’s wireless service allows them full ownership of their
voices and ideas.

It’s ironic, given Verizon’s recently released joint policy
proposal
with
Google. In the two-page proposal, both companies outline a legislative
framework 
that
leaves the door wide open for network operators like Verizon to block or
interfere with any mobile traffic they desire. As Nilay Patel at
Endgadget
pointed
out when the proposal was released, it’s a big deal because “it’s pretty
obvious that wireless broadband will be the defining access technology for
the next generation of devices and services.”

So we took a look at Verizon’s 30 second July ad and examined its claims,
phrase by phrase:

*1. Air has no prejudice.*

This, of course, is true. Except in the case of the air that Verizon owns,
which is certainly prejudiced against those who can’t afford to be heard on
it.

Verizon claims to operate “America’s largest and most reliable wireless
network,” covering approximately 290 million people. In 2008 it had the
second largest revenue of all wireless companies at nearly $50
billion.
Wireless smart phones, including the Google-operated Droid, have taken off
considerably in the past two years, which has surely increased the company’s
total wireless revenue.

The air that Verizon owns and profits from generally costs mobile users
upwards of at least $60 per month, not including data (wireless Internet)
plans, monthly insurance, and taxes. For instance, take the company’s
hottest phone on the market: the Google-operated Android. Let’s start with
the Droid Incredible. If you sign a two-year contract and purchase the phone
online, it costs $199.99. Then go and purchase the cheapest available
calling plan: 450 minutes for $30 per month. But this is a Droid, and we
want Internet. Mobile Internet, after all, is supposed to catapult blacks
and foreign-born Latinos across the digital divide. So let’s get a
smartphone data package. The cheapest one allows you to surf the Web and
check email for an additional $30 each month (text messages not included).
Then there’s text messages, equipment protection, visual voicemail ($2 — so
you can see all those messages you don’t wanna answer on that shiny Droid
screen!). That’s $283.96
right
out the door. And each month from here on out, you’re looking at a monthly
bill of $83.97, not including taxes.

But look at the bright side. If you’re new to Verizon and sign a new
two-year contract, at least they’ll waive the activation fee.

*2. It does not carry the opinions of a man faster than a woman.*

Back in 2006, the Economic Policy
Institute found
that while the gender divide online had shrunk significantly, it hadn’t
disappeared completely. Women are still more likely to have slower di

Re: [scifinoir2] SanDisk reveals the postage-stamp-sized integrated SSD

Give them a couple of years. Just about all of the big manufactures are
moving toward solid state storage already. So if they can get their hands on
something like this we will start seeing 250gig Ipods, and Tabletpcs with
100 terabytes of storage.

The interesting thing is I haven't heard anything about improvements in ram
storage for a couple of years now (minus DDR3). Have you?

On Thu, Aug 26, 2010 at 3:39 AM, Martin Baxter wrote:

>
>
> Great gosh a-mighty. If that were in a tablet PC...
>
>
> On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 8:21 PM, Mr. Worf  wrote:
>
>>
>>
>>  SanDisk reveals the postage-stamp-sized integrated SSD
>>
>> By Paul Ridden 
>>
>> *09:50 August 24, 2010*
>>
>> 6 
>> Pictures
>>  [image: SanDisk has developed the first small form factor SATA SSD
>> drive]
>>
>> SanDisk has developed the first small form factor SATA SSD drive
>> *Image 
>> Gallery
>>  (6
>> images)*
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>>  - 
>> www.SonyStyle.com/VAIO-Laptops

Re: [scifinoir2] Body Art: Creations Made of Human Flesh, Blood & Bones

Instant denial or morbid curiosity.

On Thu, Aug 26, 2010 at 3:52 AM, Martin Baxter wrote:

>
>
> And, even after the news reported on this (one station even going so far as
> to tell people going into the exhibit), people still went in.
>
>
> On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 5:41 PM, Mr. Worf  wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> Wow that's messed up. I remember hearing a story on NPR that there were
>> several similar exhibits circling the global. Its the morbid curiosity thing
>> I guess.
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 11:01 AM, Martin Baxter 
>> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> It's like the Bodies exhibition that's here at the High in Atlanta. It
>>> ran here for two years straight before it left (scheduled to go for three
>>> months), and it's since returned, into its second year now, if memory
>>> serves. As adverted, it's a collection of cadavers from China. The Chinese
>>> Guv'mint, kind souls that they are, basically appropriated the bodies from
>>> morgues without any permissions from family members, some of whom were about
>>> to bury their loved ones.
>>>
>>>
>>> On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 7:08 AM, Mr. Worf wrote:
>>>


 Quite a while back, I saw an art exhibit in San Francisco that was done
 by a French artist that used cadavers as a medium. His work was possibly 
 the
 most controversial in the world next to Mapplethorpe at the time. (the
 exhibit was a focus on controversial art.) Although his work was very
 similar to what the Nazis did during WW2.

 Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, he has
 influenced other folks to do similar work. Its all extremely creepy.

 On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 3:21 AM, Martin Baxter >>> > wrote:

>
>
> To quote LL Cool H, "E... I don't think so."
>
>
> On Tue, Aug 24, 2010 at 5:03 PM, Mr. Worf wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> Body Art: Creations Made of Human Flesh, Blood & 
>> Bones
>>
>> Posted: 23 Aug 2010 10:00 AM PDT
>> [ By Steph  in Graffiti & 
>> Drawing
>> , Urban Images . ]
>>
>>
>> What could be more personal and human than a cast of your head – made
>> from your own frozen blood? The human body has been used as a canvas for 
>> all
>> sorts of art, but perhaps more interesting and rare is the use of human 
>> body
>> parts as artistic media, from sculptures made of hair, bones and 
>> fingernail
>> parings to plasticized corpses in dynamic poses. These 12 artists have 
>> made
>> human body art that is often controversial and sometimes surprisingly
>> poignant.
>> Marc Quinn
>>
>> (images via: art news 
>> blog
>> )
>>
>> If you’re going to do a self-portrait, why not go all out and make a
>> sculpture out of your own frozen blood? That’s what sculptor Marc Quinn 
>> has
>> done – every five years since 1991 – using a mold of his head and a 
>> whopping
>> 9.5 pints of blood drawn over a period of five months. Quinn’s 2006 
>> version
>> of ‘Self’ was purchased by the UK’s National Portrait Gallery for over
>> $465,000.
>> Andrew Krasnow
>>
>> (images via: the 
>> independent
>> )
>>
>> It’s been called horrific and gruesome, but is Andrew Krasnow’s
>> controversial skin art really a sensitive reflection on human cruelty? 
>> The
>> artist creates flags, lampshades, boots and other everyday items from the
>> skin of people who donated their bodies to medical 
>> science.
>> Krasnow says that each piece is a statement on America’s ethics. “The
>> objective was to express my concerns about the war and that it would not 
>> be
>> conducted in a way that was moral and ethical,” he said. “Since that
>> question wasn’t permitted in a museum, the work became more complex, with
>> all the inherent contradictions of what it means to be an American or, 
>> for
>> that matter, to be human.”
>> Gunther Von Hagens
>>
>> (images via: body worlds )
>>
>> Perhaps no artist using actual human flesh as his chosen medium has
>> gained such renown as Gunther Von Hagens, the man behind the “Body 
>> Worlds”
>> exhibition of plasticized human corpses. But for all the outcry regarding
>> Von Hagens’ supposedly “disrespectful” usage of human bodies, there’s 
>> just
>> as much fascination. Von Hagens invented plastination, the method of
>> replacing water and fat in human tissue with certain plastics, p

Re: [scifinoir2] New catalyst produces 200 percent fuel cell efficiency boost

No problem.

On Thu, Aug 26, 2010 at 3:50 AM, Martin Baxter wrote:

>
>
> Thanks, Mr Worf!
>
>
> On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 6:00 PM, Mr. Worf  wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> Here's the commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-XNNPTqNMQ
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 10:58 AM, Martin Baxter 
>> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I never saw the end of that. I only took it in once, and had to run out
>>> the door as it was going. Cool.
>>>
>>>
>>> On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 7:10 AM, Mr. Worf wrote:
>>>


 Have you seen that commercial with Larry Hagman in it? He plays Jr.
 Ewing talking about the oil days in Texas. As the commercial ends, he says
 that he is still in the game and the future is bright "shine baby shine!" 
 It
 was a commercial for solar power!

 On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 3:20 AM, Martin Baxter >>> > wrote:

>
>
> This makes Big Oil sad. That makes me happy.
>
>
> On Tue, Aug 24, 2010 at 5:15 PM, Mr. Worf wrote:
>
>>
>>
>>  New catalyst produces 200 percent fuel cell efficiency boost
>>
>> By Ben Coxworth 
>>
>> *19:08 August 23, 2010*
>>
>>  [image: Diagrams depict how an electrolyzer could be worked into a
>> home's energy 
>> system]
>>
>> Diagrams depict how an electrolyzer could be worked into a home's
>> energy system
>>  California Solar 
>> Power
>>  - 
>> www.Solarpower.org
>> 50% Off California Solar Panel Projects. Sign Up for a Free Quote.
>> Go Solar for $0 
>> Down
>>  - 
>> www.SolarCity.com/FreeSolarQuote
>> Affordable & Clean Solar Power Spin Your Electric Meter Backward.
>> Eagle Shield 
>> Insulation
>>  - 
>> ww

Re: [scifinoir2] OT: Touchscreen E-Voting Machine Reprogrammed to Play Pac-Man

I kind of miss the arcade days. I had a lot of fun and got to know the
people that worked there. One of the guys that worked at my local arcade was
an electrical engineer and he would often make his own modifications to the
arcade games that they bought outright. (he loved playing them too) Games
like Galaga had rapid autofiring and extra ships and a better joystick.

On Thu, Aug 26, 2010 at 3:46 AM, Martin Baxter wrote:

>
>
> And the Guv'mint could make money. Quarter a pop. [?]
>
> On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 5:58 PM, Mr. Worf  wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> That might prompt more people to vote, but the lines would be very long.
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 11:10 AM, Martin Baxter 
>> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Diebold strikes again?
>>>
>>>
>>> http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1TC8kn/www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/08/pac-man/
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> "If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody
>>> hell wrote the script?" -- Charles E Grant
>>>
>>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity!
>> Mahogany at:
>> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> "If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell
> wrote the script?" -- Charles E Grant
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik
>
>
> 
>
<<347.gif>>

Re: [scifinoir2] Something for students: Textbook rentals

Hmmm! I didn't know that. I wrote an article for my jr.college's newspaper
and they gave me 4 pages. :)


On Thu, Aug 26, 2010 at 3:42 AM, Martin Baxter wrote:

>
>
> My niece, as part of her summer reading, read "Lies My History Teacher Told
> Me". I believe that she alluded to that being mentioned in it. I'll ask her
> when she comes back from school.
>
>
> On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 6:11 PM, Mr. Worf  wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> I have always believed that the textbook industry was a long lived scam.
>> Most of the time they rarely made any changes at all to the books but were
>> pressuring teachers to update to the latest editions. Some of the teachers
>> were also getting kickbacks and perks as well. (like free trips etc.) Very
>> similar to the pharmaceutical industry.
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 10:56 AM, Martin Baxter 
>> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Wish it had been around twenty-five years ago... I remember dropping $400
>>> in one semester for textbooks. (Danger of being a math/physics major -- no
>>> one in either department was willing to parts with their books.)
>>>
>>>
>>> On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 7:16 AM, Mr. Worf wrote:
>>>


 No problem! I think that this may be the "Killer business strategy for
 the new millennium" for college books.

 On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 3:16 AM, Martin Baxter >>> > wrote:

>
>
> Thanks, Mr Worf! I'm going to send this to my niece.
>
>
> On Tue, Aug 24, 2010 at 6:17 PM, Mr. Worf wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> There is a company called Chegg that rents textbooks to highschool and
>> college students for about 1/4 the price of the book. It is a cheap
>> alternative to buying them, because most of the time no one wants to keep
>> them!
>>
>> Check out Chegg at http://www.chegg.com/
>>
>>
>>
>> 
>>
>> --
>> Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity!
>> Mahogany at:
>> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> "If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody
> hell wrote the script?" -- Charles E Grant
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik
>
>
>


 --
 Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity!
 Mahogany at:
 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/


>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> "If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody
>>> hell wrote the script?" -- Charles E Grant
>>>
>>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity!
>> Mahogany at:
>> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> "If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell
> wrote the script?" -- Charles E Grant
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik
>
>
> 
>

Re: [scifinoir2] PEE POWER TO THE PEOPLE

Hey, I just remembered that there was a cellphone that was pee powered from
Japan. (I think) I posted it about a month ago. Remember that?

On Thu, Aug 26, 2010 at 3:21 AM, Martin Baxter wrote:

>
>
> DAY-UM. I could run my house for a year on what passes from my kidneys in a
> week.
>
>
> On Thu, Aug 26, 2010 at 3:05 AM, Mr. Worf  wrote:
>
>>
>>
>>  October fest, the superbowl, St.Patricks day could run the country.
>> PEE POWER TO THE PEOPLE
>> 
>>   Analysis by 
>> Alyssa
>> Danigelis 
>> Wed Aug 25, 2010 05:42 PM ET
>> 2 
>> Comments
>>  | Leave a 
>> Comment
>> Print
>> Email 
>>
>>- 
>> Facebook
>>- 
>> Twitter
>>- 
>> Digg
>>- Yahoo! 
>> Buzz
>>
>> [image: 
>> Urine_power_fuel_cell]
>>
>> Edinburgh scientists sure know where to look for renewable energy.
>> Recently they figured out a way to make 
>> biofuel
>>  from
>> whiskey byproducts, and now a different team is hard at work on what
>> promises to be the world's first urine-powered fuel cells.
>>
>> Chemistry postdocs Shanwen Tao 
>>  and Rong Lan at
>> Heriot-Watt University's School of Engineering and Physical Sciences in
>> Edinburgh are turning pee into electricity and clean water with a prototype
>> fuel cell system. I had heard about pee-power for 
>> robots,
>> but not pee-power for everyone.
>>
>> I don't tend to highlight fuel cell tech very often because the process
>> has been so ridiculously expensive and tricky. Fuel cells usually rely on
>> flammable hydrogen gas or toxic methanol to generate electricity, but Tao
>> and Lan's cheaper prototype relies instead on urea, an organic chemical
>> compound produced as waste when the body metabolizes protein.
>>
>> Urea, also called "carbamide," has several advantages as a potential fuel
>> source. It's abundant, non-toxic, relatively straightforward to transport --
>> when we're not already transporting it, if you know what I mean -- and rich
>> in nitrogen. According to the 
>> university,
>> Tao thought about incorporating urea because he had seen it used as a
>> fertilizer while growing up in eastern China.
>>
>> *Related Links:*
>> --
>>
>>- *Poo-Powered VW Beetle Runs 
>> Clean*
>>- *Plastic Bags Into 
>> Power?*
>>- *Pee Power for Future 
>> Robots*
>>- *Bad Wine Makes for Good 
>> Energy*
>>
>> --
>>
>> The Carbamide Power System prototype can break urea or urine from humans
>> or animals down into water, nitrogen and CO2, and also produce electricity
>> at the same time. Unlike existing fuel cells that require catalysts made
>> from precious metals like platinum, the 
>> "Youtricity" 
>> research
>> group's prototype uses a cheaper catalyst and less expensive membranes.
>>
>> A $203,000 grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research
>> Council is helping the team develop the technology, which they think could
>> be ideal fo

[scifinoir2] Pee power?

Here is something to add to the kinky environmentalists vault. Pee powered
batteries! Yup. You read that right...

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/09/pee_powered_bat.php

--

[scifinoir2] Classroom 3d projection and 3d demo outside

This is cool, but in case the video doesn't forward here is the link:
http://funzu.com/index.php/crazy-video/classroom-3d-projection-29072010.html

Classroom 3d projection
[image: AddThis Social Bookmark
Button]
Buzz 
15Share
Classroom 3d projection

Classroom 3d projection



Read more:
http://funzu.com/index.php/crazy-video/classroom-3d-projection-29072010.html#ixzz0xmSXX6wF

Re: [scifinoir2] WTF??? Hitler DNA Tests Show He Likely Had Jewish, African Roots, Daily Mail Says

Really sad, but not uncommon, unfortunately. 

- Original Message - 
From: "Mr. Worf"  
To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2010 8:42:19 PM 
Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] WTF??? Hitler DNA Tests Show He Likely Had Jewish, 
African Roots, Daily Mail Says 

I asked my sister for a little more info. Apparently, they own a horse ranch 
and appear in local parades with their horses as Hispanic riders. 

>From what I understand, their great grandmother was white, so I guess they are 
>claiming that side of the family. 

On Thu, Aug 26, 2010 at 11:44 AM, Keith Johnson < keithbjohn...@comcast.net > 
wrote: 

Could be a million reasons. Don't know them, so can't say. Some do it because 
they honestly feel such areas have better quality of life (schools, homes, 
parks, etc). Some do it because they feel deep down that white is better--even 
if they can't admit it to themselves. I have some black friends like that, who 
live in majority white, very conservative areas. Always complaining about 
racism and stuff, but never seem to be able to find the will to move. Makes me 
impatient... 

- Original Message - 
From: "Mr. Worf" < hellomahog...@gmail.com > 
To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com 

Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2010 1:38:02 AM 
Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] WTF??? Hitler DNA Tests Show He Likely Had Jewish, 
African Roots, Daily Mail Says 

They live in the mostly white section of Marin county. The area is now much 
more integrated but back then it was about 99% white. They were doing pretty 
well though. (business owners, private school for the girls etc.) Thinking 
back, the lies that they told probably kept them alive in that area. I'm not 
sure why they moved there though. 

On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 9:43 PM, Keith Johnson < keithbjohn...@comcast.net > 
wrote: 

Really? Where are they located? 

- Original Message - 
From: "Mr. Worf" < hellomahog...@gmail.com > 
To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 4:29:50 PM 
Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] WTF??? Hitler DNA Tests Show He Likely Had Jewish, 
African Roots, Daily Mail Says 

I think that there is a lot of demons in the closet on this topic that should 
be exercised. 

@Keith, I have family members that are passing for Portuguese. I only saw them 
twice when I was a kid. I wonder have any of them came out of the racial closet 
or not. 

On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 7:59 AM, Keith Johnson < keithbjohn...@comcast.net > 
wrote: 

Not at all a surprise. First, the Jewish thing was always noised about. I often 
joke to my wife, why didn't someone, during any of his mass rallies, look at 
him and say "Hey, waitaminute? Didn't he say 'blonde hair and blue eyes? WTF??" 
Secondly, given the centuries of exploration, migration, and conquest, a lot 
more Europeans have African and Asian blood in them than would like to admit. 
They need to do the same DNA tests on J. Edgar Hoover (rumoured to have black 
ancestry) and Babe Ruth (often called disparaging names for a black man by some 
of his white opponents). I've always been fascinated by people who've denied, 
hidden, or simply didn't know about their heritage. For example, former 
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright didn't discover until the last few years 
that she was Jewish. Her family evidently tried to hide that fact, no doubt to 
avoid a lot of problems in American society. I found her surprise surprising, 
as I'd always assumed she was, based on her looks. 

I've long been happy that i'm obviously black, and didn't grow up in a time, 
place, or family where trying to pretend to be something else was either an 
option, a desire, or even a necessity. There's a scene in one of the Easy 
Rollins books--it might be "Devil in A Blue Dress--where Easy is staking out a 
hotel lobby. As he's sitting there, he notices a man sitting in a chair, well 
dressed, manicured nails, light olive skin. Idly curious, Easy stares at the 
man for a sec. They make eye contact, and the man literally starts looking 
agitated. Easy quickly realizes that the man in is fact at least part Black, 
and is obviously passing for something else--Italian or Greek, most likely. 
Easy looks away, silently assuring the "brother" that he's not going to blow 
his cover, cause right or wrong, the man feels he has to hide like that. Easy 
wasn't going to judge him or cause him pain. 

I've often had to fight a kind of knee jerk disgust at people of color who've 
passed for white, or who deny their African roots while embracing the European 
ones. I had a lot of trouble, honestly, with the Torres character on "Voyager", 
for example, because she was ashamed of her Klingon heritage. But I've had to 
realize that some people have been raised in times and places where it's simply 
been too hard to be who they were. Maybe they were taking the easy route; maybe 
they were just trying to survive. I guess I shouldn't judge. 

- Original Message - 
From: "Mr. Wor

Re: [scifinoir2] Scientists hope to collect electricity from the air

That's really cool, but I don't think we'd want to eliminate lightning 
completely. It does help produce ozone, which in turn protects us from harmful 
radiation from space. When it comes to Nature, one well-intentioned action can 
often have numerous unforeseen negative consequences... 

- Original Message - 
From: "Mr. Worf"  
To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2010 9:38:51 PM 
Subject: [scifinoir2] Scientists hope to collect electricity from the air 

Scientists hope to collect electricity from the air 

By Ben Coxworth 

21:17 August 25, 2010 

'Hygroelectric' collectors could someday harness atmospheric electricity

'Hygroelectric' collectors could someday harness atmospheric electricity 

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Nikola Tesla once dreamed of being able to harness electricity from the air. 
Now, research being conducted at Brazil’s University of Campinas (UC) is 
indicating that such a scenario may indeed become a reality. Professor Fernando 
Galembeck, a UC chemist, is leading the study into the ways in which 
electricity builds up and spreads in the atmosphere, and how it could be 
collected. “Our research could pave the way for turning electricity from the 
atmosphere into an alternative energy source for the future," he stated. "Just 
as solar energy could free some households from paying electric bills, this 
promising new energy source could have a similar effect.” 

Scientists once believed that water droplets in the atmosphere were 
electrically neutral, even after having come into contact with charged dust 
particles. Galembeck and his UC team, however, have shown that this isn’t the 
case. In a lab experiment, they noted that tiny particles of silica and 
aluminum phosphate became negatively and positively charged (respectively) when 
circulated in highly-humid air. “This was clear evidence that water in the 
atmosphere can accumulate electrical charges and transfer them to other 
materials it comes into contact with,” Galembeck explained. “We are calling 
this 'hygroelectricity,' meaning 'humidity electricity'.” 

He now pictures collectors, not unlike solar cells, that could someday collect 
and distribute hygroelectricity from the air. Just as solar cells work best in 
sunny places, his collectors would do best in humid parts of the world. He even 
believes it’s possible that by diminishing the electrical charge in the air, 
his collectors could prevent lightning, especially if mounted on top of tall 
buildings. His team is currently experimenting with different metals, to find 
out which would work best for capturing atmospheric electricity and preventing 
lightning strikes. 

"These are fascinating ideas that new studies by ourselves and by other 
scientific teams suggest are now possible," he said. "We certainly have a long 
way to go. But the benefits in the long range of harnessing hygroelectricity 
could be substantial." 

A report on Galembeck’s research was presented this week at the 240th National 
Meeting of the American Chemical Society .

Re: [scifinoir2] Buckeye Bullet 2.5 claims battery electric vehicle world land speed record of 307.7mph

That's cool. 
I have a question, though. Is this requirement that a vehicle make two runs, in 
opposite directions within an hour of each other, an American thing? I remember 
reading about how a guy had broken the land speed record in a jet car a few 
years back, but officially wasn't in the record books because his car suffered 
some problems, and he couldn't make the run in the opposite direction within 
the time limit. Made no sense to me because he did make the run once, and 
that's what should matter. I've never gotten this need to do it twice. Even if 
one wanted to think the speed was a fluke, it's real and can't be faked, so why 
not just take the first run and be done with it? 

- Original Message - 
From: "Mr. Worf"  
To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2010 9:39:46 PM 
Subject: [scifinoir2] Buckeye Bullet 2.5 claims battery electric vehicle world 
land speed record of 307.7mph 







Buckeye Bullet 2.5 claims battery electric vehicle world land speed record of 
307.7mph 



By Darren Quick 

21:14 August 25, 2010 




4 Pictures 
The Venturi Buckeye Bullet 2.5


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The Bullet Buckeye team from Ohio State University has set a world record 
average two-way speed of 307.7mph (495km/h) with its battery electric Venturi 
Buckeye Bullet 2.5. The lithium ion battery powered car eclipsed the previous 
245mph (394km/h) world land speed record for battery electric vehicles set in 
1999 by White Lightning. The new record was set by the Bullet at the Bonneville 
Salt Flats in Utah this week, is pending certification by the Federation 
Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the worldwide motor sports governing 
body. 

The Bullet was required to make two speed runs, one each in opposite directions 
and within 60 minutes, in order to be considered for the record. While the 
record is officially determined by averaging the speed of the two runs in the 
middle of the 12-mile course, the Bullet exited the flying mile at 320 mph 
(515km/h). 






The team led by Ohio State engineering students had anticipated making further 
tries at besting its time this week but decided to stop after spending all 
night trying to replace the vehicle’s broken clutch; too much torque from the 
motor ripped apart the half-inch steel teeth that connect the motor to the 
gearbox. 

The Bullet 2.5 uses the same body and chassis of the hydrogen fuel cell powered 
Buckeye Bullet 2, and nearly the same electric traction system, but it is 
powered by a 600+ kW A123 Systems lithium-ion battery pack that was designed, 
tested and assembled by the Bullet team and A123 Systems. The team is supported 
by French electric vehicle manufacturer Venturi Automobiles, the company behind 
the Fetish and Volage electric sportscars. 






The Buckeye Bullet 2, powered by hydrogen fuel cells, set an FIA-certified 
world record of 302.877mph (487.4km/h) for the fuel cell class in 2009. While 
the original battery-powered Buckeye Bullet set a national record at 314.9mph 
(506.7km/h) in 2004, however this record did not meet FIA specifications. That 
team did, however, set a certified record of 132.129mph (212.6km/h) in 2007. 

The Buckeye Bullet 2.5 will provide a test platform for systems including an 
all new inverter, control system and batteries to be used in the Buckeye Bullet 
3.

Re: [scifinoir2] Scientists hope to collect electricity from the air

I totally agree with you on that. As soon as they figure out how to do
something like this, they will force us to become dependent on it and muck
up the planet.

On Thu, Aug 26, 2010 at 10:40 PM, Keith Johnson
wrote:

>
>
> That's really cool, but I don't think we'd want to eliminate lightning
> completely. It does help produce ozone, which in turn protects us from
> harmful radiation from space. When it comes to Nature, one well-intentioned
> action can often have numerous unforeseen negative consequences...
>
>
> - Original Message -
> From: "Mr. Worf" 
> To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2010 9:38:51 PM
> Subject: [scifinoir2] Scientists hope to collect electricity from the air
>
>
>
>  Scientists hope to collect electricity from the air
>
> By Ben Coxworth 
>
> *21:17 August 25, 2010*
>
>  [image: 'Hygroelectric' collectors could someday harness atmospheric
> electricity]
>
> 'Hygroelectric' collectors could someday harness atmospheric electricity
>  Verizon 
> FiOS
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Re: [scifinoir2] Buckeye Bullet 2.5 claims battery electric vehicle world land speed record of 307.7mph

Wikipedia says: The *land speed record* (or *absolute land speed record*) is
the highest speed achieved by a wheeled vehicle on land. There is no single
body for validation and regulation; in practice the Category C ("Special
Vehicles") flying start regulations are used, officiated by regional or
national organizations under the auspices of the Fédération Internationale
de 
l'Automobile
.[1]  The
record is standardized as the speed over a course of fixed length, averaged
over two runs (commonly called
"passes").[2]
Two
runs are required in opposite directions within one hour, and new record
mark must exceed the previous one by one percent to be
validated.[
3 
]

The fastest is
held by ThrustSSC of 763mph. The Japanese
JR-Maglev is
the fastest non-conventional train in the world, having achieved 581 km/h
(361 mph) on a 
magnetic-levitation
track.
Unmanned rocket sleds  that ride
on rails have reached over 10,400 km/h (6,462 mph), equivalent to
Mach 8.5.
The fastest manned rail vehicle was a manned rocket sled, that travelled at
1,017 km/h (635 mph).

The fastest train is 405mph held by Spain.

On Thu, Aug 26, 2010 at 10:43 PM, Keith Johnson
wrote:

>
>
> That's cool.
> I have a question, though. Is this requirement that a vehicle make two
> runs, in opposite directions within an hour of each other, an American
> thing? I remember reading about how a guy had broken the land speed record
> in a jet car a few years back, but officially wasn't in the record books
> because his car suffered some problems, and he couldn't make the run in the
> opposite direction within the time limit. Made no sense to me because he did
> make the run once, and that's what should matter. I've never gotten this
> need to do it twice. Even if one wanted to think the speed was a fluke, it's
> real and can't be faked, so why not just take the first run and be done with
> it?
>
>
> - Original Message -
> From: "Mr. Worf" 
> To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2010 9:39:46 PM
> Subject: [scifinoir2] Buckeye Bullet 2.5 claims battery electric vehicle
> world land speed record of 307.7mph
>
>
>
>  Buckeye Bullet 2.5 claims battery electric vehicle world land speed record
> of 307.7mph
>
> By Darren Quick 
>
> *21:14 August 25, 2010*
>
> 4 
> Pictures
>  [image: The Venturi Buckeye Bullet 
> 2.5]
>
> The Venturi Buckeye Bullet 2.5
> *Image 
> Gallery
>  (4
> images)*
>  Solar Panel 
> Leasing
>  - 
> www.Sungevity.com/$0-Down
> Get Solar Power for Your Home Today $0 Money Down and Pay As You Go!
> GE Wattstation EV 
> Charger

Re: [scifinoir2] Buckeye Bullet 2.5 claims battery electric vehicle world land speed record of 307.7mph

Here's the one I was talking about. Again, the need to do it twice in opposite 
directions within an hour, then *average* those speeds, makes no sense to me. 
Did Chuck Yager have to turn his plane around and fly in the other direction to 
officially break the sound barrier? Do space probes have to go to mars or 
whatever, then come back to Earth, to get their record breaking speeds 
confirmed. Is Yusan Bolt's world record speed no good if he'd only obtained 
that speed once? No. i just don't get it... 

* 

[Breaking the Sound Barrier on Land] 

http://www.hotrod.com/thehistoryof/land_speed_record_history/index.html 



It all started back in the mid-70s when designer/builder Bill Fredrick and 
owner Hal Needham began working on a two-stage, rocket-powered, tricycle-style 
streamliner (much like Breedloves first and ill-fated Spirit of America) to 
exceed the then-standing mark of 630 mph set in 1970 by Gary Gabelich driving 
the Institute of Gas Technologys Blue Flame. Fredricks assault vehicle was 
a 39-foot-long trike powered by a Romatec V4 hybrid that combined liquid and 
solid propellants to produce 24,000 pounds of thrust (48,000 horsepower), 
augmented by a jet-assisted take-off unit (JATO) in the form of a 12,900hp 
Sidewinder missile. During 1976 both Needham and Kitty ONeil tested the 
Budweiser/SMI Motivatorsponsored vehicle in excess of 600 mph on a huge dry 
lake located in Oregon. Three years later fellow Hollywood stuntman Stan 
Barrett lit the fuse at Rogers dry lake (aka Muroc/ Edwards Air Force Base) and 
literally rocketed off the starting line. Some 12 seconds into the run, Barrett 
punched-in the Sidewinder at 612 mph, which pushed him to a terminal speed of 
739.666 mph (or Mach 1.0106), duly recorded by Edwards state-of-the-art 
tracking radar and the teams own on-board computer-telemetry equipment. 

However, the rub is this: FIA rules state that any land speed attempt must be 
made under its or an appointed agents jurisdiction. Furthermore, the attempt 
must be two-wayed within an hour over the same piece of real estate. None of 
these conditions were met. So the purists, including Craig Breedlove, feel the 
Fredrick/Needham/Barrett mark is, at best, unofficial. Needham doesnt let 
these details bother him. We were interested in breaking the sound barrier, 
not setting an FIA record, Needham says. We did it, and we can prove we did 
it no matter what Breedlove or those other guys say. [The Motivator] is in the 
Smithsonian now, and [that museum] doesnt display bogus cars. 
- Original Message - 
From: "Mr. Worf"  
To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Friday, August 27, 2010 1:58:36 AM 
Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Buckeye Bullet 2.5 claims battery electric vehicle 
world land speed record of 307.7mph 






Wikipedia says: The land speed record (or absolute land speed record ) is the 
highest speed achieved by a wheeled vehicle on land. There is no single body 
for validation and regulation; in practice the Category C ("Special Vehicles") 
flying start regulations are used, officiated by regional or national 
organizations under the auspices of the Fédération Internationale de 
l'Automobile . [ 1 ] The record is standardized as the speed over a course of 
fixed length, averaged over two runs (commonly called "passes"). [ 2 ] Two runs 
are required in opposite directions within one hour, and new record mark must 
exceed the previous one by one percent to be validated. [ 3 ] 


The fastest is held by ThrustSSC of 763mph. The Japanese JR-Maglev is the 
fastest non-conventional train in the world, having achieved 581 km/h (361 mph) 
on a magnetic-levitation track. Unmanned rocket sleds that ride on rails have 
reached over 10,400 km/h (6,462 mph), equivalent to Mach 8.5. The fastest 
manned rail vehicle was a manned rocket sled, that travelled at 1,017 km/h (635 
mph). 


The fastest train is 405mph held by Spain. 



On Thu, Aug 26, 2010 at 10:43 PM, Keith Johnson < keithbjohn...@comcast.net > 
wrote: 






That's cool. 
I have a question, though. Is this requirement that a vehicle make two runs, in 
opposite directions within an hour of each other, an American thing? I remember 
reading about how a guy had broken the land speed record in a jet car a few 
years back, but officially wasn't in the record books because his car suffered 
some problems, and he couldn't make the run in the opposite direction within 
the time limit. Made no sense to me because he did make the run once, and 
that's what should matter. I've never gotten this need to do it twice. Even if 
one wanted to think the speed was a fluke, it's real and can't be faked, so why 
not just take the first run and be done with it? 




- Original Message - 
From: "Mr. Worf" < hellomahog...@gmail.com > 
To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2010 9:39:46 PM 
Subject: [scifinoir2] Buckeye Bullet 2.5 claims battery electric vehicle w

Re: [scifinoir2] Buckeye Bullet 2.5 claims battery electric vehicle world land speed record of 307.7mph

By the way, i know I've mentioned this several times before, but as for great 
speed on land, I'm a big fan of someday building a network of underground high 
speed subway trains in vacuum tunnels. If you built sealed tunnels, evacuated 
much of the atmosphere (to reduce the drag effects of air), and then put maglev 
trains on tracks in those tunnels, you could conceivably build a network of 
vehicles that could travel faster than current passenger jets. There'd be no 
need to crowd airports, no need to worry about jet fuel, weather, birds, etc. 
If you remember the post-nuclear holocaust movies from the 70s, there was one 
that had such a system. If was a Gene Roddenberry TV movie. I think it was 
"Earth 2" or "Genesis II". I can't remember, there were two such movies back 
then, both dealing with a scientist from our time being in suspended animation 
and awakening in a future post-nuclear war Earth. One had Alex Cord, the other, 
John Saxon. At any rate, whichever movie it was had those superspeed 
underground bullet trains, which captivated my imagination as a kid. 

- Original Message - 
From: "Mr. Worf"  
To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Friday, August 27, 2010 1:58:36 AM 
Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Buckeye Bullet 2.5 claims battery electric vehicle 
world land speed record of 307.7mph 






Wikipedia says: The land speed record (or absolute land speed record ) is the 
highest speed achieved by a wheeled vehicle on land. There is no single body 
for validation and regulation; in practice the Category C ("Special Vehicles") 
flying start regulations are used, officiated by regional or national 
organizations under the auspices of the Fédération Internationale de 
l'Automobile . [ 1 ] The record is standardized as the speed over a course of 
fixed length, averaged over two runs (commonly called "passes"). [ 2 ] Two runs 
are required in opposite directions within one hour, and new record mark must 
exceed the previous one by one percent to be validated. [ 3 ] 


The fastest is held by ThrustSSC of 763mph. The Japanese JR-Maglev is the 
fastest non-conventional train in the world, having achieved 581 km/h (361 mph) 
on a magnetic-levitation track. Unmanned rocket sleds that ride on rails have 
reached over 10,400 km/h (6,462 mph), equivalent to Mach 8.5. The fastest 
manned rail vehicle was a manned rocket sled, that travelled at 1,017 km/h (635 
mph). 


The fastest train is 405mph held by Spain. 



On Thu, Aug 26, 2010 at 10:43 PM, Keith Johnson < keithbjohn...@comcast.net > 
wrote: 






That's cool. 
I have a question, though. Is this requirement that a vehicle make two runs, in 
opposite directions within an hour of each other, an American thing? I remember 
reading about how a guy had broken the land speed record in a jet car a few 
years back, but officially wasn't in the record books because his car suffered 
some problems, and he couldn't make the run in the opposite direction within 
the time limit. Made no sense to me because he did make the run once, and 
that's what should matter. I've never gotten this need to do it twice. Even if 
one wanted to think the speed was a fluke, it's real and can't be faked, so why 
not just take the first run and be done with it? 




- Original Message - 
From: "Mr. Worf" < hellomahog...@gmail.com > 
To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2010 9:39:46 PM 
Subject: [scifinoir2] Buckeye Bullet 2.5 claims battery electric vehicle world 
land speed record of 307.7mph 










Buckeye Bullet 2.5 claims battery electric vehicle world land speed record of 
307.7mph 



By Darren Quick 

21:14 August 25, 2010 




4 Pictures 
The Venturi Buckeye Bullet 2.5


The Venturi Buckeye Bullet 2.5 Image Gallery (4 images) 




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Off Grid Systems & Backup Power Residential & Commercial Solar 
Ads by Google 





The Bullet Buckeye team from Ohio State University has set a world record 
average two-way speed of 307.7mph (495km/h) with its battery electric Venturi 
Buckeye Bullet 2.5. The lithium ion battery powered car eclipsed the previous 
245mph (394km/h) world land speed record for battery electric vehicles set in 
1999 by White Lightning. The new record was set by the Bullet at the Bonneville 
Salt Flats in Utah this week, is pending certification by the Federation 
Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the worldwide motor sports governing 
body. 

The Bullet was required to make two speed runs, one each in opposite directions 
and within 60 minutes, in order to be considered for the record. While the 
record is officially determined b

[scifinoir2] "Genesis II" is the Movie with the Bullet Train

Got it. The movie in which I saw the system of high speed underground bullet 
trains ("vactrains") was "Genesis II", starring Alex Cord. It also had Mariette 
Hartley, who had a guest spot on an ep of Star Trek (the one where Spock and 
McCoy go back in time to a planet's ice age, and Spock loses emotional control 
and gets the hots for Hartley's character). I remember thinking those trains 
were freakin' awesome when I first saw the movie. Here's a blurb about the 
movie from Wikipedia. 
Note that Cord's character is named "Dylan Hunt", the name that would later be 
lifted from Roddenberry's notes, and then applied to the TV series "Andromeda". 

** 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genesis_II_%28film%29 
Plot summary 


In 1979, NASA scientist Dylan Hunt ( Cord ) is working on "Project Ganymede", a 
suspended animation system for astronauts on long-duration space flights . As 
chief of the project he volunteers for the first multi-day test. He places 
himself in chemically-induced hibernation deep inside Carlsbad Caverns ; while 
there, his lab is buried in an earthquake . The monitoring equipment is damaged 
and fails to awake him at the intended end of the test. He awakens instead in 
2133 A.D., emerging into a chaotic post-apocalyptic world. An event called "The 
Great Conflict" (a third and final World War ) destroyed the civilization of 
Hunt's time. Various new civilizations have emerged in a struggle for control 
of available resources. Those with the greatest military might and the will to 
use it have the greatest advantage. 

Dylan Hunt is accidentally found and rescued by an organization calling 
themselves "PAX", which stood for peace (from the Latin). PAX members are the 
descendants of the NASA personnel who worked and lived at the Carlsbad 
Installation in Dylan's time. They are explorers and "scientists" who preserve 
what little information and technology survive from before the Conflict, and 
who seek to learn and acquire more in an effort to build a new civilization. 
Members of PAX find Dylan Hunt still sealed in the hibernation chamber. They 
revive him, and are thrilled to meet a survivor from before the Conflict. 

An elaborate Subshuttle transit system was constructed during the 1970's due to 
air transportation becoming too vulnerable to air attack. The Subshuttles were 
a rapid transport system that utilized magnetic levitation transports . They 
operated inside vactrain tunnels and ran at hundreds of miles per hour. The 
tunnels were comprehensive enough to cover the entire globe. The PAX 
organization has inherited the still working system and used it to dispatch 
their teams of troubleshooters. 

In the area once known as Arizona and New Mexico a totalitarian regime known as 
Tyranians rule the area. The Tyranians are mutants who possess greater prowess 
than average humans (they can be identified as possessing two navels ). Their 
leader discovers that Hunt has knowledge of nuclear power systems, and they 
offer him great rewards if he can repair their failing nuclear power generator. 
However, once under their power they attempt to force him to reactivate a 
nuclear missile system in their possession, with which they intend to destroy 
their enemies and dominate the region. Hunt is appalled by this small-scale 
replay of the events that must have led to the Conflict. He leads a revolt of 
the enslaved citizenry, sabotages the nuclear device, and destroys the reactor. 

To Hunt's dismay, the PAX leaders assert their pacifist nature and intentions. 
They are attempting to rebuild an idealistic society using all that was deemed 
"good" from Earth's past, and they regard Hunt's interference with a rival 
civilization and his destructive tactics as antithetical to this end. However, 
they also see great good in him and value his knowledge of the past. They ask 
Hunt to join PAX permanently but only if he can agree to never again take human 
lives. Hunt half-heartedly agrees. Security Chief Yuloff states that the 
rationale of taking lives to justify the saving of lives was what allowed "The 
Great Conflict" to happen in the first place.

[scifinoir2] More Info on Vactrains

Can you tell I love this stuff? :) 
Here's info on the vactrains, including references to the tech in movies and 
books. By the way, the movies I was mentioning about the scientist in the 
future were threefold. First was "Genesis II", with Alex Cord as Dylon Hunt. 
Later came "Planet Earth", with Hunt now played by John Saxon, but which was in 
the same continuity. Finally came John Saxon in "Strange New World", which had 
a completely different story. in this case, he was an astronaut returning to 
Earth after two centuries in suspended animation in outer space. he and his 
fellow astronauts had intentionally been sent into the longer sleep by NASA to 
save them from an asteroid bombardment that was about to devastate Earth. 

** 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vactrain 



A vactrain is a proposed, as-yet-unbuilt design for future high-speed railroad 
transportation. This would entail building maglev lines through evacuated 
(air-less) or partly evacuated tubes or tunnels. Though the technology is 
currently being investigated for development of regional networks, advocates 
have suggested establishing vactrains for transcontinental routes to form a 
global network. The lack of air resistance could permit vactrains to use little 
power and to move at extremely high speeds, up to (4000-5000 mph (6400–8000 
km/h) or 5-6 times the speed of sound at sea level and standard conditions), 
according to the Discovery Channel 's Extreme Engineering program " 
Transatlantic Tunnel ". 

Theoretically, vactrain tunnels could be built deep enough to pass under oceans 
, thus permitting very rapid intercontinental travel. Vactrains could also use 
gravity to assist their acceleration. If such trains went as fast as predicted, 
the trip between London and New York would take less than an hour, effectively 
supplanting aircraft as the world's fastest mode of public transportation. 

However, without major advances in tunnelling and other technology, vactrains 
would be prohibitively expensive. Alternatives such as elevated concrete tubes 
with partial vacuums have been proposed to reduce costs. 
History 


The modern concept of a vactrain, with evacuated tubes and maglev technology, 
was explored in the 1910s by American engineer Robert Goddard , who designed 
detailed prototypes while a university student. His train would have traveled 
from Boston to New York in 12 minutes, averaging 1,000 mph (1,600 km/h). The 
train designs were found only after Goddard's death in 1945. 

Russian professor Boris Weinberg offered a vactrain concept in 1914 in the book 
"Motion without friction (airless electric way)" and built the first maglev 
prototypes in 1913. 

Vactrains made headlines during the 1970s when a leading advocate, Robert F. 
Salter of RAND , published a series of elaborate engineering articles in 1972 
and again in 1978. 

An interview with Robert Salter appeared in the LA Times (June 11, 1972). He 
discussed, in detail, the relative ease with which the U.S. government could 
build a tube shuttle system using technologies available at that time. Maglev 
being poorly developed at the time, he proposed steel wheels. The chamber's 
door to the tube would be opened, and enough air admitted behind to accelerate 
the train into the tube. Gravity would further accelerate the departing train 
down to cruise level. Rising from cruise level, the arriving train would 
decelerate by compressing the rarefied air ahead of it, which would be vented. 
Pumps at the stations would make up for losses due to friction or air escaping 
around the edges of the train, the train itself requiring no motor. This 
combination of modified (shallow) gravity train and atmospheric railway 
propulsion would consume little energy but limit the system to subsonic speeds, 
hence initial routes of tens or hundreds of miles or kilometers rather than 
transcontinental distances were proposed. 

Trains were to require no couplers , each car being directly welded, bolted or 
otherwise firmly connected to the next, the route calling for no more bending 
than the flexibility of steel could easily handle. At the end of the line the 
train would be moved sideways into the end chamber of the return tube. The 
railway would have both an inner evacuated tube and an outer tunnel. At cruise 
depth, the space between would have enough water to float the vacuum tube, 
softening the ride. 

A route through the Northeast Megalopolis was laid out, with nine stations, one 
each in DC, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, Rhode Island, 
Massachusetts and two in Connecticut. Commuter rail systems were mapped for the 
San Francisco and New York areas, the commuter version having longer, heavier 
trains, to be propelled less by air and more by gravity than the intercity 
version. The New York system was to have three lines, terminating in Babylon , 
Paterson , Huntington , Elizabeth , White Plains , and St George . 

Salter also point

Re: [scifinoir2] Buckeye Bullet 2.5 claims battery electric vehicle world land speed record of 307.7mph

Here is the opening of Genesis II:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkCzOuWt9Sg&feature=related

Strangely, the
same character and plot was used in the movie Planet Earth.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKVAguLxH1w&feature=related

I think you were thinking of Planet Earth.

On Thu, Aug 26, 2010 at 11:22 PM, Keith Johnson
wrote:

>
>
> By the way, i know I've mentioned this several times before, but as for
> great speed on land, I'm a big fan of someday building a network of
> underground high speed subway trains in vacuum tunnels. If you built sealed
> tunnels, evacuated much of the atmosphere (to reduce the drag effects of
> air), and then put maglev trains on tracks in those tunnels, you could
> conceivably build a network of vehicles that could travel faster than
> current passenger jets. There'd be no need to crowd airports, no need to
> worry about jet fuel, weather, birds, etc.  If you remember the post-nuclear
> holocaust movies from the 70s, there was one that had such a system. If was
> a Gene Roddenberry TV movie. I think it was "Earth 2" or "Genesis II". I
> can't remember, there were two such movies back then, both dealing with a
> scientist from our time being in suspended animation and awakening in a
> future post-nuclear war Earth. One had Alex Cord, the other, John Saxon. At
> any rate, whichever movie it was had those superspeed underground bullet
> trains, which captivated my imagination as a kid.
>
>
> - Original Message -
> From: "Mr. Worf" 
> To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Friday, August 27, 2010 1:58:36 AM
> Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Buckeye Bullet 2.5 claims battery electric
> vehicle world land speed record of 307.7mph
>
>
>
> Wikipedia says: The *land speed record* (or *absolute land speed record*)
> is the highest speed achieved by a wheeled vehicle on land. There is no
> single body for validation and regulation; in practice the Category C
> ("Special Vehicles") flying start regulations are used, officiated by
> regional or national organizations under the auspices of the Fédération
> Internationale de 
> l'Automobile
> .[1]  The
> record is standardized as the speed over a course of fixed length, averaged
> over two runs (commonly called 
> "passes").[2] Two
> runs are required in opposite directions within one hour, and new record
> mark must exceed the previous one by one percent to be 
> validated.[
> 3 
> ]
>
> The fastest
> is held by ThrustSSC of 763mph. The Japanese 
> JR-Maglev is
> the fastest non-conventional train in the world, having achieved 581 km/h
> (361 mph) on a 
> magnetic-levitation track.
> Unmanned rocket sleds  that ride
> on rails have reached over 10,400 km/h (6,462 mph), equivalent to 
> Mach 8.5.
> The fastest manned rail vehicle was a manned rocket sled, that travelled at
> 1,017 km/h (635 mph).
>
> The fastest train is 405mph held by Spain.
>
>
> On Thu, Aug 26, 2010 at 10:43 PM, Keith Johnson  > wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> That's cool.
>> I have a question, though. Is this requirement that a vehicle make two
>> runs, in opposite directions within an hour of each other, an American
>> thing? I remember reading about how a guy had broken the land speed record
>> in a jet car a few years back, but officially wasn't in the record books
>> because his car suffered some problems, and he couldn't make the run in the
>> opposite direction within the time limit. Made no sense to me because he did
>> make the run once, and that's what should matter. I've never gotten this
>> need to do it twice. Even if one wanted to think the speed was a fluke, it's
>> real and can't be faked, so why not just take the first run and be done with
>> it?
>>
>>
>> - Original Message -
>> From: "Mr. Worf" 
>> To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com
>> Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2010 9:39:46 PM
>> Subject: [scifinoir2] Buckeye Bullet 2.5 claims battery electric vehicle
>> world land speed record of 307.7mph
>>
>>
>>
>>  Buckeye Bullet 2.5 claims battery electric vehicle world land speed
>> record of 307.7mph
>>
>> By Darren Quick 
>>
>> *21:14 August 25, 2010*
>>
>> 4 
>> Pictures
>>  [image: The Venturi Buckeye Bullet 
>> 2.5]

Re: [scifinoir2] More Info on Vactrains