Smart jumper cables from Michelin

With smart jumper cables, there’s no need to check where the jumpers go, the surge protector in the cables takes care of that. Plus they won’t damage the sensitive electronics of newer cars.

“Smart” cables have built-in surge protectors like the professional units used in auto shops, which dampen voltage spikes to prevent surge damage [...]

Judge invalidates human gene patent

Finally, some sanity. Perhaps maybe medicine can return to helping patients rather than primarily being income streams and restricting technology.

A federal judge on Monday struck down patents on two genes linked to breast and ovarian cancer. The decision, if upheld, could throw into doubt the patents covering thousands of human genes and reshape the [...]

Hamsher and Greenwald respond to PAC story

Rogers Cadenhead continues his FireDogLake PAC funding probe.

The piece I wrote on Jane Hamsher’s PAC expenditures has drawn responses from both Hamsher and Glenn Greenwald, the cofounder of the Accountability Now PAC. They claim that I am engaged in “an attack meant to shut down fundraising” and “standard political cult behavior of trying [...]

Faking sincerity. The Democratic Party and Labour

Liberals and progressives plan to enter the black hole of the Democratic Party secure in the knowledge they will be welcomed and will affect real change from within

John Wight dissects the recent Chancellor’s debate in Britain saying their primary difference is the Tories want to appease the financial sector and screw everyone [...]

CalPERS investigated by feds over possible pay-to-play payments

The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether illegal payments were made to employees at California public pension fund giant CalPERS and others to influence where they invested money. This is part of several nationwide probes into many public pension funds.

But as CalPERS is the biggest fund, they will get the most media [...]

GE offshore wind turbine now 25% more efficient

Their new wind turbine has a simpler drive train, longer blades, and no gear box. The 176 ft long blades are lightweight and twist with the wind. Plus, it can generate more power at lower wind speeds, thus it becomes much more efficient.

[...]

Turn in the Walther PPK, James Bond, you don’t get Twitter

Brit spy agency firing those who don’t get social networking.

KPFK and KPFA circling the drain

Marc Cooper, who was purged a while back from KPFK, explains how now it really does appear that Pacifica Radio is about done for. There are snarling (and endless) internecine feuds, cratering numbers of listeners, and even a 26 day long pledge drive.

Do you know what 26 straight days of fundraising does to your [...]

Shipping up. An optimistic economic indicator. Really

Flickr photo by wirralwater

Containers are stacking up in Asian ports because there isn’t enough shipping capacity to send them to US and Europe.

Shipping companies had idled ships due to the recession. Now they’re scrambling to catch up.

As is obvious, we aren’t overly perky here about the economic situation. However, this ramp-up [...]

Healthcare! The topic of interest on the tip of everybody’s tongues

(Polizeros welcome our new contributor, Will O’ The Wisp)

Well, maybe on the tips of the tongues of those well-heeled, health-insured politicians. On the tips of the tongues of those whom health care reform is meant to assist? Food! Water! Shelter! Bills! Let’s go back to that first subject – Food. I admit, my friends, [...]