The saloon keeper who changed the world
The word of the day is peculation, which is the dishonest appropriation of public funds or property entrusted to one’s care. Synonyms include misappropriation, defalcation and Congress.
Technology
The Social Experiment
It was a social experiment. Nothing more. We were in an elevator. Me and Bill. Bill is an academic researcher, dealing in human behavior. Also rats. He knows a lot about rats. Whereas I am a redhead.
From Vacuum Tubes to Pocket Radar: A Retired Geek’s Lament
I’m a retired Army math geek, and I’ll confess: I didn’t get to work on the sexy, world-changing projects my predecessors did back in the day. My career field was literally born because, in the middle of World War II, some engineers with more brain cells than social skills invented a device called the Variable Time fuze
The High-Tech World
Wake up. Get dressed. Remove phone from nightstand charger, put phone in pocket. Your phone dings. The phone is already notifying you about your highly sophisticated security cameras, which have just picked up movement by the neighborhood cats.
The Impostors
I joined social media in my thirties. Back then, social media was still a new, exciting frontier. Sort of like outer space except no zero-gravity toilets.
These Boots Were Made for Texting
How I ended up walking into a sliding glass door in a supermarket is pretty simple. I got a text from my wife. I looked at my phone to read the message and, WHAM! Goodbye nasal cartilage.
Army XM7 – If It Ain’t Broke, The Army Will Fix It Anyway
Why the New .277 Fury May Be the Greatest Logistical Disaster Since the MRE Omelet The U.S. Army is rolling out its first major service rifle redesign since 1965—yes, you read that right. The M16/M4 platform has been around longer than disco, and just like disco, it still works surprisingly well if you know how …
The Strong Delusion of AI
Technology is advancing today at break-neck speed. As I mentioned in a previous message, research now shows that by the end of this year, technology and human knowledge will be doubling every twelve hours! I can’t comprehend that. Can you?
Inventions Needed
do you ever wonder why SOMEBODY hasn’t invented a device to do this or that? Chuck Klein has a few of those…”this or thats.”
Is Idiotic Net Neutrality FINALLY Dead in DC?
Way back when, Big Tech was just beginning to reorder its strategy of total conquest. In DC, that meant massively increasing their lobbying budgets.
This Was Not Written by AI
Humanoid robots. Automated cars. Augmented reality smart-glasses. Smart dishwashers. Robotic surgeons. And what about the weird AI images all over my newsfeed? Where are these freaky AI pictures coming from?
Tracked Since Birth: How Privacy Died with Our Childhoods Part 3
There was a time when being young meant making mistakes, learning from them, and moving on. But in the age of permanent digital footprints, youthful ignorance doesn’t fade—it follows you.
Tracked Since Birth: How Privacy Died with Our Childhoods, Part 1
Today’s young people are growing up in a world where the mistakes of adolescence are not only remembered but digitally archived, searchable, and weaponizable.
In Defense of Anonymity: Why Real Names Aren’t Always the Answer
Let’s take a moment to examine the other side of individual internet transparency. What if anonymity isn’t about hiding, but about protecting?
The Enduring Legacy of the Caltrop: From Ancient Battlefields to Modern Crime
The caltrop is a deceptively simple but highly effective weapon that has remained relevant for over 2,500 years. First recorded in 5th century BC Greece and Persia, caltrops were designed to stop cavalry charges by injuring the hooves of horses.
Tyranny – Electric Bikes, Government Paperwork, and the Quiet Resistance of the Amish in Mio, Michigan
In northern Michigan’s quiet farm country around Mio, it’s not unusual to see horse-drawn buggies clopping along the road. But lately, another vehicle has made an appearance: the electric bicycle. And interestingly enough, it’s being used by the local Amish.
Human Psychology- CB Radio and the Internet: How Human Nature Corrupts Every Technology
Throughout history, every new form of communication technology has initially been seen as a tool for good—an avenue to connect people, share ideas, and promote progress. But as soon as these technologies fall into human hands, they quickly become corrupted by the darker side of human nature.
Dangers In The Cloud
The public cloud, for those not in the IT industry, is a group of computer service providers that provide IT services (at cost) to almost every company in the US today, along with the Federal Government, as well as many foreign countries.
Luddite DC Is Always Fighting the Last and Wrong (Technology) War
We are still stuck with the 456+ federal agencies, departments, commissions and boards with which we have always been stuck. For now. That number will be, of course, always and forever expanding.
iRobot
I was in the airport when an AI robot custodian was roving around, sweeping the floor and accepting various bits of trash from nearby passengers. The robot came close to me. We just locked eyes.