Comments on: Chapter 2 http://w1n5t0n.com/chapter-2/ An annotated version of Cory Doctorow's Little Brother Fri, 07 May 2010 01:01:41 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Alex B http://w1n5t0n.com/chapter-2/#comment-2438 Alex B Thu, 06 May 2010 23:46:00 +0000 http://w1n5t0n.com/?p=12#comment-2438 While it seems counter-intuitive, Marcus's reasoning on earthquake safety is extremely sound. The danger of an earthquake is not the shake itself, (unless you're standing on a widening fault line), it's what shakes loose! Furthermore, in places prone to earthquakes, like California, buildings have technology installed on them so that they can dissipate the destructive energy of the quake back into the earth and keep their buildings intact. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquake_engineering While it seems counter-intuitive, Marcus’s reasoning on earthquake safety is extremely sound. The danger of an earthquake is not the shake itself, (unless you’re standing on a widening fault line), it’s what shakes loose!

Furthermore, in places prone to earthquakes, like California, buildings have technology installed on them so that they can dissipate the destructive energy of the quake back into the earth and keep their buildings intact.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquake_engineering

]]> By: tiptoe http://w1n5t0n.com/chapter-2/#comment-378 tiptoe Sat, 19 Sep 2009 07:03:05 +0000 http://w1n5t0n.com/?p=12#comment-378 In fact, a guidebook for dealing with rat infestations in schools advises to check the teachers' lounges carefully and make sure that containers of food have lids on tightly. See http://apps.cdpr.ca.gov/schoolipm/managing_pests/gdebook/rats.pdf In fact, a guidebook for dealing with rat infestations in schools advises to check the teachers’ lounges carefully and make sure that containers of food have lids on tightly. See http://apps.cdpr.ca.gov/schoolipm/managing_pests/gdebook/rats.pdf

]]> By: tiptoe http://w1n5t0n.com/chapter-2/#comment-377 tiptoe Sat, 19 Sep 2009 06:50:29 +0000 http://w1n5t0n.com/?p=12#comment-377 A study of 47 urban schools in 12 states conducted in 1998-1999 and reported in 2002 showed that only about 0.2 percent of students are expelled in any given year. For more information, check the report: http://www.cdli.ca/tesic/Nippard_pdf/class_management/parental_involvement_in_discipline.pdf A study of 47 urban schools in 12 states conducted in 1998-1999 and reported in 2002 showed that only about 0.2 percent of students are expelled in any given year. For more information, check the report: http://www.cdli.ca/tesic/Nippard_pdf/class_management/parental_involvement_in_discipline.pdf

]]> By: tiptoe http://w1n5t0n.com/chapter-2/#comment-376 tiptoe Sat, 19 Sep 2009 06:37:35 +0000 http://w1n5t0n.com/?p=12#comment-376 RFIDs can be reprogrammed, but it takes expertise, and giving consumers the ability to do so might be expensive or not be in the interest of marketers, according to this article: http://www.rsa.com/rsalabs/staff/bios/ajuels/publications/blocker-full/blocker-full.pdf RFIDs can be reprogrammed, but it takes expertise, and giving consumers the ability to do so might be expensive or not be in the interest of marketers, according to this article: http://www.rsa.com/rsalabs/staff/bios/ajuels/publications/blocker-full/blocker-full.pdf

]]> By: tiptoe http://w1n5t0n.com/chapter-2/#comment-375 tiptoe Sat, 19 Sep 2009 06:34:17 +0000 http://w1n5t0n.com/?p=12#comment-375 Kill signals already are routinely used in commercial applications. After the purchase of a product, sales staff usually deactivates RFID tags for privacy protection. But some RFID tags are left on, for various reasons. As discussed in this paper, one approach to protect privacy is to use blocker tags that allow consumers to reveal some RFID devices and block others: http://www.rsa.com/rsalabs/staff/bios/ajuels/publications/blocker-full/blocker-full.pdf. Kill signals already are routinely used in commercial applications. After the purchase of a product, sales staff usually deactivates RFID tags for privacy protection. But some RFID tags are left on, for various reasons. As discussed in this paper, one approach to protect privacy is to use blocker tags that allow consumers to reveal some RFID devices and block others: http://www.rsa.com/rsalabs/staff/bios/ajuels/publications/blocker-full/blocker-full.pdf.

]]> By: tiptoe http://w1n5t0n.com/chapter-2/#comment-374 tiptoe Sat, 19 Sep 2009 06:10:29 +0000 http://w1n5t0n.com/?p=12#comment-374 "Arphid" is a mnemonic device to remember the acronym RFID, which stands for radio-frequency identification device. Such devices are embedded on or applied to a person, animal or product to keep track of its whereabouts. For more on such devices, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio-frequency_identification. "Killing" arphids appears to mean, in this context, rendering them useless. The author likens destroying these devices' functionality to masking the barcodes that exist on merchandise at a shopping market and are used to identify the price of an item as it is put through a scanner. For more on barcodes (or bar codes), go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio-frequency_identification. To see what a barcode looks like, go here: http://www.greatdreams.com/sacred/bar_code.gif “Arphid” is a mnemonic device to remember the acronym RFID, which stands for radio-frequency identification device. Such devices are embedded on or applied to a person, animal or product to keep track of its whereabouts. For more on such devices, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio-frequency_identification. “Killing” arphids appears to mean, in this context, rendering them useless. The author likens destroying these devices’ functionality to masking the barcodes that exist on merchandise at a shopping market and are used to identify the price of an item as it is put through a scanner. For more on barcodes (or bar codes), go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio-frequency_identification. To see what a barcode looks like, go here: http://www.greatdreams.com/sacred/bar_code.gif

]]> By: shesnameless http://w1n5t0n.com/chapter-2/#comment-357 shesnameless Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:31:20 +0000 http://w1n5t0n.com/?p=12#comment-357 The <a href="http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learning/faq/index.php?categoryID=8&faqID=121" rel="nofollow">U.S. Geological Survey explains</a> that a large earthquake nearby will feel like a sudden large jolt followed quickly by more strong shaking that may last a few seconds or up to a couple of minutes if it's a rare great event. The shaking will feel violent and it will be difficult to stand up. The U.S. Geological Survey explains that a large earthquake nearby will feel like a sudden large jolt followed quickly by more strong shaking that may last a few seconds or up to a couple of minutes if it’s a rare great event. The shaking will feel violent and it will be difficult to stand up.

]]> By: shesnameless http://w1n5t0n.com/chapter-2/#comment-356 shesnameless Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:20:12 +0000 http://w1n5t0n.com/?p=12#comment-356 An antivirus, anti-spam, end point security, data protection and network security software company called <a href="http://www.sophos.com" rel="nofollow">Sophos</a> reports that among the 25 most common words used in spam, nearly 40% are related to health and more than half of that 40% are related to erectile dysfunction. An antivirus, anti-spam, end point security, data protection and network security software company called Sophos reports that among the 25 most common words used in spam, nearly 40% are related to health and more than half of that 40% are related to erectile dysfunction.

]]> By: shesnameless http://w1n5t0n.com/chapter-2/#comment-354 shesnameless Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:11:46 +0000 http://w1n5t0n.com/?p=12#comment-354 "Fink on" is another way of saying "to snitch on." “Fink on” is another way of saying “to snitch on.”

]]> By: shesnameless http://w1n5t0n.com/chapter-2/#comment-353 shesnameless Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:09:54 +0000 http://w1n5t0n.com/?p=12#comment-353 Children's Hospital Boston explains why keeping your anger in check is good for your health in this <a href="http://www.youngmenshealthsite.org/anger.html" rel="nofollow">anger management guide for teens</a>. Children’s Hospital Boston explains why keeping your anger in check is good for your health in this anger management guide for teens.

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