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August 24, 2006
Remote controls. Cue the cello music.
A while back, I mused on the delightful fact you could mail order both sharks and high power lasers.
Not to be outdone, the NUWC has released a wonderful abridged paper containing thoughts on Autonomous Shark Tag with Neural Reading and Stimulation Capability for Open-ocean Experiments
The introductory line:
NUWC is developing a fish tag whose goal is attaining behavior control of host animals via neural implants.
Behaviour control through neural implants. The NUWC in question being the Naval Undersea Warfare Center. Of course they're using sharks. Sharks are large animals, not terribly complex neurally. I've long held the belief that a sharks world consists of three (occasionally interchangeable) categories of things to eat, things to mate with and rocks.
A remote control shark. I, for one, am absolutely appalled. There is no mention of "Preflexes and Laser Munitions Targeting Systems".
I'm also not going to be volunteering to change the batteries.
Scrawled illegibly by Meathe at 11:04 AM
August 10, 2006
A selection of the mornings headlines
Plan to blow up 6-10 planes in mid-flight over ocean
'Mass murder' bomb plot
May have been 'the Big One'
'Suggestive' of al-Qaida
UK police hold 21
REPORT: Citizens of Pakistani Descent
Britain on highest alert
USA raises air security alert to red for first time
London-to-Boston flight returns to Heathrow because of security issue Britain facing 'most sustained threat since WWII'
Scrawled illegibly by Meathe at 12:00 PM
August 09, 2006
The Wanton Cruelty of the Common Comma
Modereately recently, a book was release called "Eats, shoots and leaves", contending with the misuse of punctuation.
contract n. An agreement between two or more parties, especially one that is written and enforceable by law. See Synonyms at bargain. The writing or document containing such an agreement.
One additional comma in a five page contract is set to cost Rogers Communications upwards of 2 million dollars.
Rogers had a contract with Aliant for laying cable lines across thousands of utility poles in the Maritimes for an annual fee of $9.60 per pole. The actual language in question is:
[The agreement] shall continue in force for a period of five years from the date it is made, and thereafter for successive five year terms, unless and until terminated by one year prior notice in writing by either party.
Rogers is saying that gives them an iron-clan guarantee of five years plus the option of another five and that the intent is clear. Aliant has given them one year warning (three years into the original contract) and is hiking the prices.
Under common law, agreement is a necessary element of a valid contract. Under Uniform Commercial Code section 1-201(3), agreement is the bargain of the contracting parties as represented explicitly by their language or implicitly by other circumstances (as a course of dealings).
If the second comma wasn't there, Rogers would be correct. That lone fleck of ink, however, means that the sentence can and is interpretted exactly the way Aliant wishes and that they may cancel the contract with 12 months notice.
Whoops.
Scrawled illegibly by Meathe at 12:43 PM
August 01, 2006
It bounced? Oh my. How terrible.
The Times carries the story of Roy Thayers, a seventy seven year old pensioner in London, was in a bit of a pickle. He needed heart surgery, but his doctors told him he would probably die on the nine-month waiting list. Or he could have private surgery at £8000, a sum he couldn't afford.
So he wrote out a cheque knowing that by the time it bounced, the operation would be over. He is now repaying the debt at a rate of £25 a week (discounting interest, it will take 6 years and eight weeks to pay off)
"I’ve never been a debtor in my life, but it was either that, or rigor mortis — I would have been a dead man. I think every man or woman would have done the same."
Damn skippy.
Scrawled illegibly by Meathe at 10:27 AM