Salina Kansas Octopus, originally uploaded by Mark Neubrand
El Reg readers of a more fatalistic disposition may be dismayed, but probably not surprised, to hear that Cyberdyne — the company that invented Skynet and ultimately the murderous Terminator machines – has just listed on the Tokyo stock exchange.
Of course, it’s not the shadowy defence firm of the iconic Arnie films, which unwittingly brings about the virtual destruction of mankind.
No, this one is a maker of exoskeleton suits
and supports designed to help those with serious muscular, nerve or cerebral damage recover movement.
The firm also produces support gear which can be worn by carers to lift heavy loads and even markets a radiation-shielding disaster recovery
suit for emergency workers.
Innocuous enough, you may think, although so were the origins of the cybermen — via redwolf.newsvine.com
On 19 April, Southern Illinois University will begin to restore the world’s first geodesic dome home, built by Buckminster Fuller. Originally assembled in just seven hours from 60 wooden triangle panels, the dome was occupied by Fuller and his wife, Lady Anne, in the 1960s during his residency at SIU. After Fuller’s death, the dome was used as student housing before falling into disrepair. In 2001, the home was donated to a non-profit that had it listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. It will now be restored and preserved as a museum in Carbondale — via ArchDaily
Brooklyn-based designer Jake Wright was surrounded by military-related objects from the time he was a child. Born to an Air Force Pilot and a military defence contractor, Wright was naturally drawn toward these materials in his design work. Known collectively as Stockpile Designs, Wright’s line of furniture and home objects is based on obsolete and decommissioned military equipment — via Dornob
Spokesmen from the Two Main Political Parties
Originally aired on ABC TV: 13/03/2014 — via Youtube
Florida’s Brevard Zoo has had a flood of births over the past few months, including a litter of Capybaras! The zoo’s Capybaras are a mixed group, with juveniles from previous births as well as a new litter. The six new pups bring the total number of Capybaras at the zoo up to thirteen — via Brevard Zoo Welcomes a Litter of Capybaras – ZooBorns
Zoo Boise announced the 8 December birth of a Giant Anteater pup. The female pup is now starting to explore the outdoors with her mother, Gloria. Because Giant Anteaters are native to warmer climates, mother and pup have spent the last few months in their heated barn. The pup will stay with her mother until she is full grown at about two years old — via ZooBorns
— via PHD Comics
Feel the sea monster. Be the sea monster. Actually the octopus is a very intelligent creature, and can do cool things like open twist-top bottles to get food out. Oh and three fifths of their neurons (the electrical pulses that make brains work) are in their arms. Be the sea monster — via Black Milk Clothing
In the 60 years since it was created, the Fender Stratocaster has become a symbol for rockstardom — an axe wielded by musicians from Buddy Holly and Jimi Hendrix to the Arctic Monkeys.
Now, a guitar from the very first production line of Fender Stratocasters is going on sale in Nashville, Tennessee in the US, for a quarter of a million dollars (£150,000).
The sunburst-finish Stratocaster bears the serial number 0100. While some models of the guitar have lower numbers that begin with 0001, George Gruhn, who owns the shop selling the instrument, explained they were manufactured later in that first year of production — via redwolf.newsvine.com
A soft and cute Totoro that is looking for a place to stay. It is about 2.25 inches tall and 1.75 inches wide. This sculpture is hand needle felted and has glass eyes attached on — via Etsy
First video of 2-day-old baby tapir calf at the Palm Beach Zoo — via Youtube
This is a plush octopus based on Marvel’s Loki! He is made of no-pill fleece, and comes with a little mind-control staff (from the Avengers movie) with a shiny blue bead sewn in. He wears his typical horned helmet and a dark green moleskin cape! The base of this plush is a bright green octopus with a black underside, and black stripes. This plush is 12”x12” and about 10” tall, and the horns add about another 3”. The eyes are hand painted plastic safety eyes — via Etsy
Free speech and freedom of the press are under attack in the UK. I cannot return to England, my country, because of my journalistic work with NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and at WikiLeaks. There are things I feel I cannot even write. For instance, if I were to say that I hoped my work at WikiLeaks would change government behaviour, this journalistic work could be considered a crime under the UK Terrorism Act of 2000.
The act gives a definition of terrorism as an act or threat designed to influence the government
, that is made for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, racial or ideological cause
and that would pose a serious risk
to the health or safety of a section of the public. UK government officials have continually asserted that this risk is present with the disclosure of any classified
document.
Elsewhere the act says the government
means the government of any country — including the US. Britain has used this act to open a terrorism investigation relating to Snowden and the journalists who worked with him, and as a pretext to enter the Guardian’s offices and demand the destruction of their Snowden-related hard drives. Britain is turning into a country that can’t tell its terrorists from its journalists.
The recent judgment in the Miranda case proves this. David Miranda was assisting journalist Glenn Greenwald and transited through Heathrow with journalists’ documents when he was held under schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act last summer. Schedule 7 means a person can be stopped and detained at a UK port for up to nine hours and affords no right to silence. It compels you to answer questions and give up any documents you possess, and so forced Miranda to hand over his Snowden documents. Subsequently Miranda fought a case against the UK government over the legality of his detainment, to show how this act infringes upon journalists’ ability to work freely. Outrageously, the court found politically transparent excuses to ignore the well-defined protections for freedom of expression (PDF) in the European convention on human rights.
If Britain is going to investigate journalists as terrorists take and destroy our documents, force us to give up passwords and answer questions — how can we be sure we can protect our sources? But this precedent is now set; no journalist can be certain that if they leave, enter or transit through the UK this will not happen to them. My lawyers advise me not to return home — via redwolf.newsvine.com
— via Hello With Cheese
The crowd proved to be tougher than those who appear on Q&A when the prime minister, Tony Abbott, wandered over to talk to a group of students in the grounds of Parliament House on Friday.
After a few pleasantries, he told the year 9 students from Newtown High School of the Performing Arts he would take three questions.
Three zingers came in quick succession, on the carbon tax, gay marriage and asylum seekers, with each question being greeted by the students with rousing cheers — via redwolf.newsvine.com
Cary Grant walking his cat — via Steve Niles Tumblr
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