[intellicar] drink detector says no

Good idea, infringement of personal liberties or are these women just plain MADD? They want their hubbies’ cars to refuse to start if the said hubbies are drunk.

While devices that check a person's blood-alcohol level and disable a car are in use, it could soon be universal. Arizona is currently among 20 states requiring repeat offenders to use the device, called an alcohol ignition interlock. Last year, New Mexico became the first state to make them mandatory after a first DUI conviction. The device also tells authorities when the driver is avoiding using it. It can be programmed so that the offender must use it at specific times.

According to the Mothers Against Drunk Driving, or MADD, Web site: "An alcohol ignition interlock is a breath-test device linked to a vehicle's ignition system. When a driver wishes to start his or her vehicle, he or she must first blow into the device. The vehicle will not start unless the driver's alcohol concentration is below a preset blood-alcohol concentration."

[turkey time] a quiet day in late november

The scene: Tom and Tina are wondering where all their friends have disappeared.

Tina: Er … have you noticed where Tony, Tim, Tamara, Tomasetta and Tilly went, dearest?
Tom: I saw some men chasing them round a bit yesterday.
Tina: Oh that’s nice. Fun and games, yes?
Tom: The men were shouting out something about inviting us all to Thanksgiving. Something about cranberry sauce.
Tina: And what did Tomasetta and Tim say? They always were a greedy pair.
Tom: I don’t think they were actually saying very much – more like running around wildly and squawking and the men were shouting, 'Here're two plump ones for the pot!'
Tina: Clearly Tomasetta and Tim were delighted to be invited. I hear tell it's a happy time of year for all families. Right altruistic of those kind men, don't you think? Do you think we could get an invite too, dear?
Tom: Tina, my little turkey-gobbler,I don’t think they were actually invited to partake in the Thanksgiving.
Tina: But w-w-whatever can you mean Tom? [catches his knowing frown, pregnant with meaning and attendant pathos] Oh … no … I think I’m coming over all faint, dear. Catch me!
Tom: Tina, honey, I think it’s time to … to…
Tina: To run, Tom ... to run?
Tom: Er - yeah. [Reflects in mid-waddle] And I thought it was such a happy time of year.

[france] untold energy to rival the sun, the earth, the stars

What is it with the French? It’s been said that a Frenchman raises his eyes above him anxiously whilst an Englishman lowers his with satisfaction. Whatever, here is an idea the French have come up with [yes I know there were 7 countries but it is clearly a French idea].

A seven-member international consortium including India on Tuesday signed a formal treaty to build a multibillion-dollar experimental nuclear reactor emulating the power of the sun, sealing a decade of negotiations.

Originally called the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, now known officially by its initials ITER (or "the way" in Latin), the facility is to be built in Cadarache, in southern France, over a decade starting 2008. Instead of splitting the atom - the principle behind current nuclear plants - the project seeks to harness nuclear fusion: the power of the sun and the stars achieved by fusing together atomic nuclei.

If it is successful, a prototype commercial reactor will be built, and if that works, fusion technology will be rolled out across the world. Note the language used: ‘exceptional venture’, ‘rolled out across the world’, ‘harness nuclear fusion’, ‘emulating the power of the sun’, 'ITER - the way'. The light, the light bearer. Has any one out there ever heard of the Tower of Babel? What about mighty Babylon? And naturally it’s situated in France. But of course.

"This is a new step in an exceptional adventure," French President Jacques Chirac said after leading the signing ceremony in Paris, "a hand held out to future generations" and he predicted that, if it proved successful, "we will be able to derive as much energy from a litre of seawater as from a litre of petrol or a kilo of coal." Man will become G-d and we will surpass Him, all glory to France and I … I … Jacques Chirac, alias Agent Smith, will go down in history as the creator of the new earth, the heavens, the …….

[whitechapel] do you know this man

Here's an interesting one [no link, sorry]: Jack the Ripper was short, stocky and about 30 years old - "frighteningly normal" - according to a profile of the notorious Victorian-era killer published yesterday using state-of-the-art technology.

The man who strangled and butchered five London prostitutes probably looked very different from the man authorities were searching for at the time, police said.

Laura Richards, head of analysis for the Metropolitan Police's violent crime command, has drawn up what is believed to be the most accurate portrait of the murderer after analysing evidence from the case using modern police techniques. Does he look like anyone you know?

[google bombing] time to try it on tony

Reactionary Snob has come up with a doozy of an idea and explains: you probably don't know what a Google Bomb is. From my limited understanding, it is some sort of trick that a group of people do to subvert the Google algorithm (for those of you educated since 1970 an algorithm is described quite well here).

The government, following the DEFRA wiki and Milliband's blog, have come up with the idea of a list of online petitions. At the moment, the top ranking is a repeal of the Hunting Act 2004. Each is phrased ''We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to…'' The 9th best ranked is a stroke of genius. However, why don't we all group together and try and get something ridiculous (and, if possible, offensive) high-up the list.

I’m game if he is and if you are. So what will we bomb?

[blogfocus tuesday] 14 final victims under scrutiny

1…, the Hugo Chavez look-alike, runs nearly one of the best Conservative blogs on Iain Dale’s list at the moment, he was an officer in the Territorial Army for over 15 years [looks too young for mine], was a one year resident in Scotland until they sent him home to think again, is the next member for Lewisham East, runs pictures of pretty girls on his site and 79% of respondents were in favour of him joining the Goldlist but as a blogger, he is clearly on the A list. Here he is, swimming about in a piece of Lewisham skullduggery:

It was always the case that the parties involved in the Ladywell Pool campaign would make political capital out of the decision to keep it open. Everyone writes their part a little bit bigger, a little bit bolder than in reality it was. I can forgive them that. But it takes some kind of brass neck for Steve Bullock to claim credit for it's saviour. See here for the leaflet.

2…Daily Pundit is a full-on, mainstream, no-nonsense, at-you blogger whose catchcry, Yo Churchill! sets the scene, his concern being the British sphere, even down to listing Government Departments, which presumably he uses for background material. But his interests are broadly international and he runs link after link down his sidebars, like an aircraft instrument control panel, everything at his fingertips and ready to press into action - a man after my own heart [look at my own sidebars]. Where we differ, his undoubted talent aside, is that Daily Pundit is also concerned with scientists, pointing out that there are two kinds: those who are peer reviewed, the true scientists and then there are those who yearn for a certain outcome and set about creating the needed data to make it so, requiring grants along the way. What this says about Daily Pundit himself is not clear.

I was just about to say what a good day it's been for Labour to 'bury bad news'. Then I popped over to the Government News Network, a central hub for department press announcements, only to read this: 'The News Distribution Service is currently experiencing some technical problems, which have caused some old press releases to be spuriously re-issued.' Surely that's the norm?

Another 12 bloggers here …

[weirdos] time to terminate this superstition

People, sorry – I really seem to be hitting this topic lately but maybe it’s hitting us instead and we are simply picking up on it. Last one for now – promise.

“I am not a religious person, but I like to think my beliefs are broadly Christian. This is, after all, still a predominantly Christian country. But I find it appalling that Christians are starting to be persecuted like some weird religious sect, while other religions are deemed to be 'untouchable' both in law and satire. The latest manifestation of this worrying trend is that some universities are, unbelievably, starting to ban Christian Unions.” No, it’s not me but Iain Dale.

Anonymous replies... iain, in 1998 the christian union systematically went around the university trying to get rid of every single student in halls they did not like the look of … these organisations … have been taken over by a bunch of unlibertarian, evangelical nutcases. The university chaplain correctly stated there was "nothing christian about our christian union."

Sam Tarran said ... If there are problems with the Christian Union shoving the Bible in people's faces, as some here have described, then surely wouldn't it be better to act against its wrongdoings rather than ban it altogether?

Firstly, there is no doubt at all that there is a systematic movement, especially in the halls of higher learning, against the cross. Anonymous is also right - many of these people are appalling and you have to run and hide until they’ve gone away. There’s no one more off-putting than a religious zealot who produce precisely the opposite of their desired result.

Should we ban the movement or the individuals? My fellow humanist bloggers would say suppress all religion – it only causes wars but that’s nothing but the old three card trick.

Analogy – there are two boys from a college sitting on a bench, reading. A pair from another college come along and start taunting them, jostling them and so on. Along comes a street kid, reads the situation and goes and gets his mates to champion the first ones. Soon there’s biffo everywhere, blood on the benches, the centre manager ejects them all and two women look at each other and mutter, ‘Boys - nothing but trouble wherever they go!’

[youngest author] six year old to be published

Proud father

Now here’s an interesting one: A six-year-old boy whose book will be published in the UK later this month has staked a claim as the world's youngest author.

There’s a link which takes you to the Independent, which continues: Christopher Beale completed his 1,500-word, five-chapter novel 'This and Last Season's Excursions' when he was six years and 118 days old, beating the previous Guinness World Record by 42 days. Christopher, now seven, from Zug in Switzerland, landed a publishing contract with Aultbea Publishing, based in Inverness, and his book will be launched in London on 25 November.

His father’s name is Theodore, aged 38 and he’s a proud dad. He’s also known as Vox Day.

[high street stores] rise of the herd mentality

You think it’s time to buy a shirt so you take the tube to James Street and go to Bednams, Trubons and so on. You could go to a boutique but that’s pricy.

As you look around the range, you notice that, in your size, there’s only rubbish left but in midget or elephant sizes there are some good lines. You ask the woman and she shrugs. You’ve had two weeks to buy and anyway, why didn’t you take advantage of the preview for card holders?

“But I don’t have a card.” She looks to the sky and directs you to the credit facility. Now you’re all set up and you’re on the grid. The moment the store sends you advance warning of the preview, you get in quick and buy up before any other rival does. Comes the grand opening and the plebs all rush the store to pick off the remaining wearable sizes before someone else muscles in ahead of them. The question never crosses your mind, ‘Er … did I really need these three pairs of underwear and silk thai I also bought?’

The question also never enters your head, ‘Why must I join the cattle drive to buy a shirt? Why must buying of clothing be done in spasms? Why can’t enough of the good sizes be held back so that when someone actually has a need for a new shirt, he can visit the store, confident that some nice lines will still be available? How does the stampede shopping mentality improve modern life? And why, if you refuse to madly stampede, is nothing left for you but remainders when you do casually stroll through the door?

[racism] cussing your brother then apologizing

Michael Richards said Monday he spewed racial epithets during a stand-up comedy routine because he lost his cool while being heckled and not because he's a bigot. “For me to be at a comedy club and flip out and say this crap, I'm deeply, deeply sorry,” the former Seinfeld co-star said during a satellite appearance for David Letterman's Late Show in New York.

Oh really? Calling two hecklers ‘nigger’ appears to me to be a little racist. Uttering profanities [I think they call it ‘cussing’] would seem to support the contention. But this post is not about racism – it’s about weakness. The Pope made comments about Mohammed. All right, so be it. Certain young gentlemen in Lewisham who’d watched too many 90s movies called me ‘white honky’. And what? At least they didn’t apologize for it afterwards.

What’s with all this apologizing, as I plaintively asked some time ago? Look, if you think the guys are ‘niggers’, then either say it or shut up about it. Personally, I think you’re a pratt for even concerning yourself in that stuff. But don’t call them things and then try to squirm out of it later.

That’s just weak.