Spy Handler - Slashdot User

Submission + - Pickens Plan comes to a wimpering end (wsj.com)

Submitted by Spy Handler on Wednesday December 22, 2010 @05:55PM

Spy Handler writes: In 2008, billionaire T. Boone Pickens unveiled his "Pickens Plan" on national TV, which calls for America to end its dependence on foreign oil by increasing use of wind power and natural gas. Over the next two years, he spent $80 million on TV commercials and $2 billion on General Electric wind turbines. Unfortunately market forces were not favorable to Mr. Pickens, and in December 2010 he announced that he is getting out of the wind power business.

What does he plan to do with his $2 billion worth of idle wind turbines? He is trying to sell them to Canada, because of Canadian law that mandates consumers to buy more renewable electricity regardles of cost.

Submission + - Americans' Support for Nuclear Power Highest Ever (reuters.com)

Submitted by Spy Handler on Tuesday March 23, 2010 @05:13PM

Spy Handler writes: According to a new Gallup poll, 64% of Americans favored nuclear power as a means for generating electricity.

Though a majority of Americans has long supported nuclear power, Gallup said the latest rating is the highest since it began polling on the issue in 1994.

71% of Republicans supported nuclear, while 51% of Democrats did so.

Submission + - Software Engineer Flies Plane into IRS Building (cnn.com)

Submitted by Spy Handler on Thursday February 18, 2010 @07:10PM

Spy Handler writes: A software engineer flew his small airplane into an office building in Austin, Texas today. Fortunately none of the 199 IRS employees who work there were killed, even though the crash caused a massive fire that gutted the building.

The pilot, Joseph Stack, was the founder of a small software company that apparently had tax problems with the government, and he posted a disgruntled suicide note on his company webite. (archived version here.)

Submission + - Los Angeles City Website Crashed by MJ Memorial (latimes.com)

Submitted by

Spy Handler

on Wednesday July 08, 2009 @11:16PM

Spy Handler writes: "The City of Los Angeles spent $1.4 million to provide security for Michael Jackson's memorial service on Tuesday, mostly in overtime pay for approximately 3000 police officers. Since the city was already in the midst of a severe budget crisis, it actively sought out donations from MJ fans, by asking them to go to the city's website and sending them money. (there is a prominent link at the top of the home page that says "JACKSON EVENT DONATIONS")

Unfortunately the website simply could not handle the surge in traffic and crashed repeatedly on Tuesday and Wednesday, one of them lasting for 12 hours. As of Wednesday the city has only received $17,000 in donations.

A quick check of the city's website reveals that it is running Sun Java Web Server 6.1"

Submission + - Nazi Stealth Bomber Built and Tested (foxnews.com)

Submitted by

Spy Handler

on Wednesday July 01, 2009 @03:31AM

Spy Handler writes: "The Horton 229 Flying Wing, one of the more famous "Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe" produced in the latter days of WWII, is noted for its striking similarity to the modern B-2 Stealth Bomber. The question remained, "How effective would it have been against Allied air defenses of the day?". Unfortunately no surviving example existed for testing... until now. Northrop Grumman, on its own time and money, built a replica using the original blueprints and conducted radar tests. The result? Very good for the Nazis, bad for Allied defenses trying to detect it.

National Geographic Channel will be airing a new documentary about this on Sunday July 5th. (Although Nat Geo calls it "Hitler's Stealth Fighter", the size and shape of the aircraft dictates that it wouldn't have been used for anything other than dropping bombs)"

Submission + - Fembot to go on sale in Japan (bbc.co.uk)

Submitted by

Spy Handler

on Monday March 16, 2009 @06:35PM

Spy Handler writes: "Japanese scientists have developed a Humaniform Female Robot (Fembot) capable of making facial expressions. It will go on sale for about $200,000."

Submission + - Electrolyzed Water Cleans And Disinfects (latimes.com)

Submitted by

Spy Handler

on Tuesday February 24, 2009 @12:12AM

Spy Handler writes: "Los Angeles Times is reporting about electrolyzed water gaining mainstream acceptance in the United States. Many people don't know this, but simply running a current through water mixed with table salt gives you a solution that acts as a germ killer and a degreaser — one that works better than toxic chemicals sold for that purpose (like chlorine bleach) — and it's safe enough to drink! The downside? The electrolyzed solution doesn't last very long so you can't bottle it up and put it on store shelves. And machines that electrolyze water cost about $10,000 each."

Submission + - "Khan" Actor Ricardo Montalban Dies (latimes.com)

Submitted by

Spy Handler

on Wednesday January 14, 2009 @07:04PM

Spy Handler writes: "Ricardo Montalban, known to most Slashdotters as the memorable villain "Khan" from Star Trek II, died today at the age of 88.

He is also remembered fondly for teaching us the value of "rich Corinthian leather"."

Submission + - Knee-Powered Electrical Generator Developed (usatoday.com)

Submitted by

Spy Handler

on Thursday February 07, 2008 @04:05PM

Spy Handler writes: "University researchers created an electrical generator that attaches to the human knee, powered by a person's walk. It weighs 3.5 pounds, generates 5 watts of electricity, and because it's only active during the deceleration portion of the walking motion, is said to be quite comfortable and uncumbersome.

Add two more on the elbows and you might get enough juice to power a small computer and a red eye laser... for a truly Borg experience."

Submission + - JFK bullet analysis was wrong

Submitted by

Spy Handler

on Thursday May 17, 2007 @12:58PM

Spy Handler writes: "Researchers analyzing bullet fragments from the 1963 Kennedy assassination using new techniques say that the government's 1976 conclusion that the bullets came from only one gun (Oswald's) is wrong."

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