News of the day

[mzrowan]

Japanese train company requires employees to take computerized "smile test" before work each day. The test uses image analysis to rate the quality of the smile from 0 - 100, and gives tips on how to improve the smile.

Holes and inconsistencies in officer's account of "skipgate" emerge as more details released on 911 call, caller's account, and

Comments

[lightcastle]

I just wrote something for my crappy job about the British government twitter guide.

I am suspicious of the 2-D lover thing. I suspect this may be some more "Oooh! Japan is WEIRD" sensationalism.

[mzrowan]

I am suspicious of the 2-D lover thing. I suspect this may be some more "Oooh! Japan is WEIRD" sensationalism.

That concerned me, too, but since the byline would seem to indicate that it was written from within, as it were, I gave it a pass.

[lightcastle]

Mmm... a fair point.

I remain cynical. Because I am grumpy and hungry. :)

[lightcastle]

http://www.mutantfrog.com/2009/07/27/nemutans-revenge-some-fact-checking-and-reaction-to-the-nyt-story-on-anime-fetishists/

[silentq]

*jaw drops at the shooting story* I'm very impressed that a bike helmet stopped a bullet though! Mine's stopped acorns before but that's all it's had to handle (other than pavement). :)

[littlehoudini]

I don't think the bike helmet stopped the bullet - that was my initial reaction as well, but when I re-read the story:

"They said the bullet penetrated the outer lining of the helmet but did not actually hit the victim's head."

...I decided that the aim was bad - the bullet must have "skimmed" the helmet and just missed the head. I'm highly skeptical that a bike helmet could stop a bullet, esp. at close range.

[silentq]

I was skeptical as well, but the wording made me think that the bullet went through the "candy coating" and was stopped by the padding. The article is vague, they don't mention how close together the two were (though I guess "pulled a gun" implies that he didn't go back to his vehicle to get it), nor what type of helmet was being worn.
In any case, the cyclist was fortunate to survive the encounter!

[mzrowan]

More details here: http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090728/NEWS01/907280324

They say that the bullet "passed through" the helmet, which would seem to support littlehoudini's hypothesis.

[littlehoudini]

So, I tracked down the blue-dye-rat article, and posted it on the ratties community, 'cause I agree, the pic is cute (and the article is interesting).

Several of the rat owners pointed out that while the pic *is* cute at first glance, that's actually a poor, crippled rat in the photo - the rats are deliberately given a spinal injury (note how the head is propped up) for this testing.

Now, I do agree that there are places where it's appropriate to do testing on rats - I'm not really happy about it, but I appreciate the value of it. But now that I look at the photo in that light...yah, not as cute.

(Still, I'd like to get some dye and try it with perfectly healthy rats...)

[cos]

Shouldn't "Edit: More details from the Asheville Citizen-Times" be a link?

[mzrowan]

Whoops! Fixed. I wish they would just add rhef to the spec as an alternate to href. ;-)