Recent Posts
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Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 2.0 Review & Rating PCMag.com-Arizona Hot (June 27, 2014, 06:59 PM)
"Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn"Blimey @wraith808! I hadn't realised you spoke Welsh as well!-wraith808 (June 26, 2014, 06:23 PM)
...He adds: “Light bulbs are a good example of the contradiction with the green movement. Europe has outlawed the tungsten lightbulb. Tungsten is a harmless metal, like gold, it does not react with anything and yet now, in the name of conserving energy, we have low energy light bulbs full of toxic chemicals, including mercury vapour, which is poisonous. If you smash a low energy lightbulb, the advice from the Department for the Environment is to vacate the room for 15 minutes.”
The Environment Agency website has this to say on low energy lightbulbs: “Energy saving light bulbs and fluorescent light tubes contain small amounts of mercury... mercury is a hazardous substance, these lightbulbs should be disposed of in accordance with hazardous waste regulations.”...
How to clean up a broken CFL bulb
If a fluorescent light comes crashing down onto your kitchen floor, releasing the mercury trapped within, you don't need to panic. Just follow these steps to safely get things cleaned up.
by Ry Crist @rycrist 24 June 2014, 8:23 AM AEST
Fluorescent lights get their glow from the mercury trapped inside, and the compact fluorescents (CFLs) used for energy efficient household lighting are no different. So what do you do when one of these bulbs breaks, releasing that toxic mercury into your home?
First things first, you don't need to panic. While mercury is nothing to play around with, the amount contained inside a standard CFL is only about 1 percent of the amount that you'll find inside an old-fashioned mercury thermometer. Still, to be safe, you'll want to be sure that you clean the mess up correctly -- here's how to do just that, per EPA standards.
broken-cfl-2.jpg Colin West McDonald/CNET
Step one: Air out the area
As soon as that bulb breaks, you'll want to let the room air out for about 15 minutes. Get everyone out (especially pets, who might be inclined to investigate the mess), then open the windows and shut the doors. You'll also want to be sure and turn off your central air -- the last thing you want is to circulate that mercury throughout your home.
Step two: Find a sealable container
While you're avoiding the area in question, go ahead and take a moment to find something capable of containing that broken bulb. A glass jar with a metal lid is ideal, but if you don't have one handy, a plastic food container or even a sealable plastic bag will do the trick.
Step three: Pick up the pieces
You'll be tempted to sweep everything up with a broom -- but don't. Anything that rifles through the broken bits of your bulb is going to risk mercury contamination. You'll also want to be sure not to use your vacuum, as doing so will risk kicking mercury back up into the air.
The best bet is to carefully scoop up the larger bits of glass with a piece of paper or cardboard, something you can easily dispose of along with the broken bulb. Once the big pieces are up, try using a piece of duct tape to easily lift the tinier bits, along with any white powder that you see. You could also use a piece of bread -- just don't eat it afterwards.
img3724.jpg
Seal the broken bulb and everything you used to pick it up. A glass jar is best, but a plastic container like this one will work, too. Ry Crist/CNET
Step four: Wipe the floor clean
Once you've gotten the glass up off of the floor, you'll need to wipe things down with a damp paper towel. You'll want to go over the area fairly liberally, making sure not to leave any of that white powder from the bulb behind.
Once you're done, add that used paper towel to the container with the paper, the tape, and the broken glass. Go ahead and seal it up, then take it outside. Now would also be a good time to thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water.
Step five: Let the room air out for another few hours
You've gotten the floor spic and span, but there still might be trace amounts of mercury vapor left in the air. If you're able to, leave the windows open and the air conditioning off for another couple of hours. Better safe than sorry, right?
capture.jpg
Your local government's website should have info on where you can take your broken bulbs. LouisvilleKY.gov
Step six: Dispose of the broken bulb
Depending on your local regulations, you might not be required to take the broken bulb to a recycling center. It's a good idea nonetheless, as you don't want that mercury sent off to a landfill, where it might slowly leech into the ground. The waste management section of your local government's website should have info on which facilities will take hazardous household materials off of your hands.
Here in Louisville, Ky., there's only one place for residents to take broken CFLs -- and it's only open two days a week. If you're in a situation like this, it's fine to hang on to that sealed up wreckage for a few days -- just be sure to keep it outside.
cfl.jpg Ry Crist/CNET
If this all sounds too high maintenance for your tastes, then know that you have other options. LEDs offer better energy efficiency, longer lifespans, and zero mercury inside the bulbs. If the higher price tag is a deal breaker, then consider halogens. The gas each one uses to prolong the bulb's lifespan is totally harmless. A broken CFL might be an annoying chore to deal with, but it's also an opportunity to upgrade to a bulb that's a better fit for your home.
Parliamentary links day
The House of Commons is having a "links day" in which MPs will get together with scientists to discuss the issue of trust in science. Mark Walport and Paul Nurse will be speaking. I've been following the tweets on the #linksday2014 hashtag and they are a mixed bunch so far.
For example, we learn that Nicola Gulley, the editorial director of the Institute of Physics opined that:
...peer review key to maintaining trust in science. No crisis but a lack of understanding of this process.
You can see why someone working in the peer-reviewed journal sector might be keen on peer reviewed science, but for many readers at BH and many others uninvolved with the climate debate, peer review - its ineffectiveness, the superficial aura of "correctness" it gives, and the problem of gatekeeping - are the source of mistrust in science not a solution to it.
On the other hand Mark Walport has apparently been emphasising that science is only one input into the policy process, which is undoubtedly true and a rebuke to the scientivists and activists who constantly criticise politicians for "ignoring" scientists.
When you think about it, there's a link between these two themes. As we know, the peer reviewed evidence demonstrates conclusively that peer review is virtually useless at finding error and fraud (see discussion in The Hockey Stick Illusion). Clearly then, those advocating use of peer reviewed science in the policymaking process must be incorporating non-peer-reviewed elements into their thinking in order to overcome the peer-reviewed evidence that peer-reviewed evidence is no better than non-peer-reviewed evidence.
I'm not sure what conclusions we should draw from this though.
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Update on Jun 24, 2014 by Registered CommenterBishop Hill
Paul Nurse is currently speaking at the event. Somewhat predictably he is still airing his GWPF conspiracy theories, as revealed in a tweet by James Wilsdon:
Paul Nurse warns against taking science advice from “shadowy organisations who refuse to declare their funders.”
Readers will recall the Met Office's scientific advice to Parliament: first telling them that recent changes in global mean surface temperature were statistically significant and then, when pressed for their calculations, prevaricating, then confessing that the changes were not statistically significant and then without apparently batting an eyelid claiming that they did not rely on such statistical analyses.
No doubt these are the kinds of people that Sir Paul feels should be giving scientific advice to politicians.
________________________________________
Update on Jun 24, 2014 by Registered CommenterBishop Hill
More from Sir Paul via the twitter hashtag:
Parliamentarians, journalists & scientists need to work better together; will increase public trust in science.
(If the press don't hold anyone to account, we can persuade the public of anything).
"Trust in science key to maintaining democracy" SirPaulNurse @royalsociety rounding off discussions on science & public trust.
(Huh?)
Uncertainty in scientific issues must be reflected in policy advice says Sir Paul Nurse.
(I'm looking forward to the Royal Society saying that the rise in surface temperatures is not statistically significant).
...If the guy behind me can't stop as quickly as I'm about to...then who's fault is it really if he just so happens to run my stupid ass the fuck over? ...^^ That!-Stoic Joker (June 23, 2014, 06:07 PM)
Dell Inspiron 14 7000 Series Review
Quick Take
The Dell Inspiron 14 7000 series is a well-rounded machine that, while its value may suffer due to a lack of an SSD and graphics card, is still a solid computer overall, with good portability and decent power for the price.
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The Dell Inspiron 14 7000 Series is a very standard Ultrabook offering. Featuring very average specs for its price point, a generally good construction, good media offerings through its screen and speakers, but overall nothing too impressive under the hood, the Inspiron 14 is a pretty good machine. ...
Details Leak On How Secret Global Treaty Will Force Countries To Further Deregulate Financial Sector
from the yet-another-ratchet dept
WikiLeaks has been rather quiet recently -- probably something to do with Julian Assange being stuck in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London for the last two years. But today, we saw a flash of the old, dangerous WikiLeaks, with its publication of a major leak concerning the Trade In Services Agreement (TISA). Although Techdirt wrote about this in April, for many this is the first time they have heard about this secretive deal, which has probably come as something of a shock given the global scale of its ambitions and its likely impact. Here's how WikiLeaks describes its latest release:
Today, WikiLeaks released the secret draft text for the Trade in Services Agreement (TISA) Financial Services Annex, which covers 50 countries and 68.2%1 of world trade in services. The US and the EU are the main proponents of the agreement, and the authors of most joint changes, which also covers cross-border data flow. In a significant anti-transparency manoeuvre by the parties, the draft has been classified to keep it secret not just during the negotiations but for five years after the TISA enters into force.
Despite the failures in financial regulation evident during the 2007-2008 Global Financial Crisis and calls for improvement of relevant regulatory structures, proponents of TISA aim to further deregulate global financial services markets. The draft Financial Services Annex sets rules which would assist the expansion of financial multi-nationals -- mainly headquartered in New York, London, Paris and Frankfurt -- into other nations by preventing regulatory barriers. The leaked draft also shows that the US is particularly keen on boosting cross-border data flow, which would allow uninhibited exchange of personal and financial data.
The leaked document itself is pretty dry and inscrutable, so wisely WikiLeaks has asked an expert in the field, Professor Jane Kelsey of the Faculty of Law, University of Auckland, New Zealand, to provide a detailed commentary, and this is the best place to start when coming to grips with the leak. Here's her chilling summary:
The secrecy of negotiating documents exceeds even the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) and runs counter to moves in the WTO towards greater openness.
The TISA is being promoted by the same governments that installed the failed model of financial (de)regulation in the WTO and which has been blamed for helping to fuel the Global Financial Crisis (GFC).
The same states shut down moves by other WTO Members to critically debate these rules following the GFC with a view to reform.
They want to expand and deepen the existing regime through TISA, bypassing the stalled Doha round at the WTO and creating a new template for future free trade agreements and ultimately for the WTO.
TISA is designed for and in close consultation with the global finance industry, whose greed and recklessness has been blamed for successive crises and who continue to capture rulemaking in global institutions.
A sample of provisions from this leaked text show that governments signing on to TISA will: be expected to lock in and extend their current levels of financial deregulation and liberalisation; lose the right to require data to be held onshore; face pressure to authorise potentially toxic insurance products; and risk a legal challenge if they adopt measures to prevent or respond to another crisis.
One of the most worrying features of the TISA proposals is the following:
The crucial provision is Art X.4, which would apply a standstill to a country's existing financial measures that are inconsistent with the rules. That means governments must bind their existing levels of liberalization for foreign direct investment on financial services, cross-border provision of financial services and transfers of personnel. The current rules will be the most restrictive of financial services that a government would be allowed to use. They would be encouraged to bind in new liberalization beyond their status quo.
This is the familiar "ratchet" that we see in copyright law. Here, it means that restrictions on the financial industry can only be reduced, never increased, no matter how badly they screw up the global economy (again). Doubtless proponents of TISA will claim that signatories to the agreement will -- of course -- retain their sovereignty and ability to take "prudential measures" for the good of their people, just as they have said regarding corporate sovereignty in TPP and TAFTA/TTIP. But as Kelsey points, part of the leaked document shows that is simply not true:
the article is comprised of two sentences that contradict each other. If a government takes a prudential measure that is inconsistent with the agreement, it cannot do so as a means to avoid its commitments under the agreement! So any prudential measures must be consistent with the other provisions in the agreement.
Put another way, governments will have total freedom to legislate in any way they please provided it is compatible with TISA -- which means that it must be in favor of the financial industry, not the public. Another section that is written entirely for the benefit of the financial companies, not the public, concerns the protection of personal data:
nothing shall be construed to require a Party to disclose information regarding the affairs and accounts of individual consumers. That means TISA does not affect states' ability to require disclosure of information, presumably to the government, about individuals. It is not concerned with protecting personal privacy or preventing those who hold the personal data from abusing it for commercial or political purposes.
Given the sensitivity of data protection issues in Europe, this is likely to become a major stumbling block to the ratification of TISA by the European Parliament, assuming it gets that far. Indeed, it's significant that one of the leading German newspapers, the Süddeutsche Zeitung, used the headline "U.S. grab account data of European citizens" when reporting on the leak (original in German.) That underlines the fact that alongside the new information that the WikiLeaks document reveals about the secret negotiations, another important aspect of the leak is that the mainstream media in Europe are finally aware of TISA, and are likely now to start exploring critically its effect on key areas like privacy and public services.
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Note that once TrueCrypt has been independently audited
it will be the only mass storage encryption solution to have
been audited. This will likely cement TrueCrypt's position
as the top, cross-platform, mass storage encryption tool.
VeraCrypt storage format is INCOMPATIBLE with TrueCrypt storage format.
I reckon that is a valid point, and if you follow it to a logical conclusion, then one conclusion you could end up with is Microsoft BitLocker being arguably the only safe/stable encryption tool for the Windows OSes. That might be OK if you could trust Microsoft, but Microsoft's own actions would seem to have demonstrated that there is no rational basis for such trust - quite the opposite, in fact.Not exactly. If you find an encryption tool that's valid for your current OS, then it should be valid up until the point that you change OS. And you can take steps before you change to see (a) if that particular software supports your new OS before you install it, and (b) if not, find another and switch.-IainB (June 21, 2014, 02:01 AM)-wraith808 (June 21, 2014, 10:58 AM)
if you follow it to a logical conclusion, then one conclusion you could end up with is Microsoft BitLocker being arguably the only safe/stable encryption tool for the Windows OSes.- is incorrect?
...Just because it seems to work when you encrypt it now, there's no guarantee that it won't stop working if they don't support the OS. They presumably say that for some reason...I reckon that is a valid point, and if you follow it to a logical conclusion, then one conclusion you could end up with is Microsoft BitLocker being arguably the only safe/stable encryption tool for the Windows OSes. That might be OK if you could trust Microsoft, but Microsoft's own actions would seem to have demonstrated that there is no rational basis for such trust - quite the opposite, in fact.-wraith808 (June 20, 2014, 10:49 AM)
He didn't stop there, however, as he looked directly at the NCPPR representative and said, "If you want me to do things only for ROI reasons, you should get out of this stock."So, we know that the motivation is probably not philanthropy (QED - by their own marketing behaviour and the apparently confirmed reports of Apple's use of slave/sweatshop labour in Asian countries), and now we know (or are being told, apparently) that it's not always ROI - so what is it? The inescapable conclusion would seem to be that it could well be (in this case, at least) for religio-political ideological reasons. But that would be incredible - because Apple is an incorporated, for-profit legal person and is obliged to act in that regard at all times.
...I kind of just wish SHTF would hurry up so that the corrupt roots can get pulled up and we can get on with rebuilding something slightly sane.Amazing. And what exactly do you think happened that led up to the creation of the Declaration of Independence and the American Constitution, and then the current US state? Or, to put it another way, Mao's revolution and the current Chinese state? Or, to put it another way, etc.... (i could go on, but I won't, as you will get the general drift.)
_______________________-Renegade (June 20, 2014, 08:16 PM)
The only serious black mark against the NHS was its poor record on keeping people alive.- apparently written in all seriousness in a Guardian article praising the NHS: NHS is the world's best healthcare system, report says | Society | The Guardian