The Good Guys

Back in the days of black and white TV the good guys in the westerns wore white hats. Fast forward to the present day and the white hat still has the same meaning,but it now refers to computer hackers who work to hack security systems to find faults before the black hat hackers find them first. One example was shown at a hackers show in Las Vegas. A white hat hacker with nothing more than a laptop hacked into two ATM machines he had purchased on e-Bay and had them spewing money out on the stage,he dubbed the hack "jackpotting". This also applies to some medical devices,like computerized insulin delivery systems and pacemakers. Former Vice-President Cheney had the wireless capabilities disabled on his pacemaker to prevent assassination attempts. It is comforting to know there are still some people working for the good guys.

Warning!

Today we are going to explore the world of ridiculous warning labels,in my opinion most of these should not have to be included with a product as they are obvious to all but the dimmest of bulbs. Not to mention that if these people are going to overlook the obvious,what are the chances they will read a warning label?
Coat hangers are not food,do not swallow.
Coffee is hot,avoid pouring on crotch area.
Remove child from clothing before washing.
Zipper may harm penis,zip with caution.
On a bag of peanuts: Do not eat if you have peanut allergy.
I know there are people out there just looking for a reason to sue large companies,but will these warnings be enough to deter those actions?

Mirror Trick

The people of these two towns should get some kind of award for their ingenuity,never mind the energy they are no doubt saving by harnessing nature instead of using power. I'm talking about the town of Viganella in the Italian Alps and Rjukan a town situated in a valley in Norway. Both towns suffered a lack of light because of their locations so they erected mirrors that are rotated by computers so that they reflect the natural daylight into the normally dark valleys. If only they could apply their genius to a way to light the darkness of the winter months here, I would personally see to it that they received their just reward! Oh well,back to the drawing board.

Natural Sex Change

Today's post is one of the oddest things I've ever heard about and trust me there is plenty of weirdness out there. In a remote village in the Dominican Republic (it has also been observed in Turkey and New Guinea) a little over 1% of the female babies born turn into males when they reach puberty. When they are born they are lacking testes and have what appears to be a vagina,but as they near puberty the testicles descend and a penis grows. The condition is caused by a deficiency of an enzyme that normally causes the body to produce male hormones. Once puberty begins it triggers increased levels of testosterone,changing the previously female body into a male. Once they change from female to male they live their lives as men with the only difference being less facial hair and smaller overall size. The discovery has been helpful in treating enlarged prostate and male pattern baldness.

This young man was born a girl but turned into a boy at age 7.

Cultural Clash

First I want to make it clear that I do not support any sport that involves injuring animals but such sports are part of different cultures,in Hawaii it is cock fighting,in Spain bullfighting and in other countries other cruelties are inflicted as their culture allows. Yesterday's post was a demerit for a PETA action where as today's post is an atta boy for a PETA member. A 41 (she sure doesn't look 41!) year old Swedish porn star was attending a bullfight in Spain when she was overcome with emotion after witnessing the murder of an animal that clearly didn't want to die,so she climbed two barriers to get into the ring with the intention of comforting the dying bull. The matador's assistants intercepted her and dragged her out of the ring,but she is petitioning the Prime Minister of Spain in an effort to end the cruelty. The moral of the story is some PETA intentions are honorable.

Selfie Suit

No,not an outfit a person wears while taking a selfie! A macaque monkey who took a selfie with a camera a photographer had set up to take pictures of the monkeys is now being represented by PETA in a suit over copyright rights. PETA claims that the law does not specify species but clearly states the copyright is not property of the camera owner but belongs to whoever took the photo. It seems equally clear to me that PETA is spending way to much time (and probably money) on something that is in no way beneficial to the animal in question (the monkey's name is Naruto)or animals in general. It appears to be nothing short of a plea for headlines and not the kind of press animal lovers will be impressed with. Shame on them.

Walmart/Weird

Is it just me or do Walmart stores seem to attract an odd crowd? They are like the Florida of discount stores in the weirdness that happens there. Today's offering is a combination of two reoccurring themes,stupid crimes and packaging that is impossible to open. A 46 year old man had taken a cell phone from the shelf and went into the automotive section to attempt to get it out of the packaging using a knife. He stabbed himself in the arm and began bleeding profusely,he started making his way to the exit leaving a trail of blood and attracting the attention of employees,so he grabbed a towel to make good his escape. He drove himself to the hospital but the injury was so severe he had to be flown to another facility. Police met him at the hospital and charged him with retail theft and disorderly conduct. All for a cell phone that hadn't even been activated.