“In the aftermath of Google’s announcement, some members of Congress are reviving a bill banning U.S. tech companies from working with governments that digitally spy on their citizens. Presumably, those legislators don’t understand that their own government is on the list.”

– U.S. enables Chinese hacking of Google – CNN.com

“In case you’re wondering, this is unusual not only for early in the season — remember, winter hasn’t officially begun — but for anytime.”

– Yes, that stuff is snow – ContraCostaTimes.com

Google Goggles – Use pictures to search the web:

This is an amazing, groundbreaking technology that Google has announced today.  While other companies have focused on recognizing product bar codes Google has skipped all that and just lets you take a picture of the book cover!  Genius.

Apparently Google also has the ability to do face recognition but hasn’t released the functionality due to privacy concerns.

Pompeii on Street View:

If you haven’t been to Pompeii before now you can go for free!  As of this last week Google has added it to the growing list of cities on Street View!

Police arresting people just for the DNA
| International
| Reuters

Jobless rate tops 10 pct. for first time since ‘83 – Yahoo! Finance:

Wait a minute, I thought the recession was over?  10.2% unemployment is the national total.  Michigan is still around 15% and California, Rhode Island and Nevada are all over 12%.  Somehow the Dakotas never felt this recession, at least in the unemployment numbers.  They are both around 4% unemployment and have been there for decades.

See the Unemployment graph

Cash for Clunkers costs taxpayers $24,000 per car – Oct. 28, 2009 :

Sadly, I’m not surprised by this at all.  I predicted this when I first heard about the program.

“the figures show the public debt doubling by 2019 and reaching three-quarters the size of the entire national economy”

– White House projects bigger deficits, bigger debt – Yahoo! Finance

NASA’s moon plan too ambitious, Obama panel says – Nation – MiamiHerald.com: The government is incapable of running the postal system or a space program. The US’s next moon landing and eventual journey to mars isn’t going to be done by the government, it’s going to be done by independent and private companies like Virgin Galactic. Time to give up on government folks, NASA’s space program has been treading water for over twenty years.

Obama’s healthcare horror: I don’t think I’ve ever agreed with Paglia so much before. Pages 1 and 2 of her article are spot on.