Archives for Things I Don’t Like

Proof of Chinese Agent Provacateurs Dressing As Tibetan Monks?

You have to see this image.

Help Me Destroy My Treo 650

My Treo 650 has been an endless source of frustration. It’s probably one of the most annoyingly bad devices I’ve ever owned. First of all, the form factor is such that it’s almost impossible to grab it when it rings without dropping it or flinging it across the room.… Read More “Help Me Destroy My Treo 650”

Contextual Ad Targeting On Your Life

This article discusses a new research project at Google where they are working on a way to run contextual ads on your computer that reflect what is taking place in the room around you. The technology works by using the computer microphone to make brief snippet recordings of your room where you are.… Read More “Contextual Ad Targeting On Your Life”

Amazon Desertification May Start Next Year — Global Warming Could Increase by 50% — Note to Self: Find New Planet

Amazon Rainforest Faces Desertification

Amazon rainforest ‘could become a desert’

And that could speed up global warming with ‘incalculable consequences’, says alarming new research

The Independent (U.K.), July 23, 2006

The vast Amazon rainforest is on the
brink of being turned into desert, with catastrophic consequences for
the world’s climate, alarming research suggests.

Read More “Amazon Desertification May Start Next Year — Global Warming Could Increase by 50% — Note to Self: Find New Planet”

Now They are Patenting Storylines

A truly horrible innovation. Someone has figured out how to patent storylines, for example unique plots and they have a published (but not issued) patent. Hopefully writers everywhere will blow this out of the water.

20% of Your Genes Belong to Them

From Boing Boing today:

Xeni Jardin: A report in this week’s issue of Science
says 20 percent of human genes have been patented in the United States:

The study (…) is the first time that a detailed map has been
created to match patents to specific physical locations on the human genome.

Read More “20% of Your Genes Belong to Them”

Transgenic Tombstone Project Hits Snags

Yikes this one freaks me out — A project to splice the DNA of dead people to apple trees as a way to preserve people’s “essence” after death. Fortunately, it has hit some snags. I would not want to bite into an apple and find out that I was actually eating grandma!!!!… Read More “Transgenic Tombstone Project Hits Snags”

The Actual Situation in Madrid: Unsanitized News

Here is an article that accurately depicts the carnage in Madrid. In the USA we only get highly sanitized news and war coverage is usually very minimal — but this article tells it like it really is. Perhaps if the public was shown what was war was really like there would be less of it?… Read More “The Actual Situation in Madrid: Unsanitized News”