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Monday links

12 Comments

  1. MamaLiberty
    MamaLiberty September 21, 2015 12:49 pm

    Sensors in drugs… Either don’t take any of their “drugs” or treat the pills to a few moments in the microwave. Carry them home from the pharmacy in a mylar bag. Don’t know what you’ll tell the doctor (or the guys who show up at the front door) when they figure out they’re not getting any signals. Guess that’s when you stop asking doctors for drugs. You win either way. 🙂

  2. Kent McManigal
    Kent McManigal September 21, 2015 3:30 pm

    See what sort of people think cops’ lives matter?

  3. jed
    jed September 21, 2015 8:19 pm

    I doubt this particular method can be subverted by microwaving the pill. But that’s not particularly important. The technology is interesting, and suitably primitive, at least for generating the signal. The production of the magnesium and copper wafer doesn’t sound too difficult. But the breakthrough, I suspect, is in the technology to detect that miniscule voltage, using a package small enough to be unobtrusive. So, the “fix” is to simply remove the sensor, or disable it in the microwave. However, as ML notes, that will result in a visit from the nice young men in their clean white coats …

    I see this as another of those tech things which has much promise, but will no doubt be abused. And I don’t blame the tech.

  4. LarryA
    LarryA September 22, 2015 1:08 am

    [Devil’s advocate]
    So George is mentally ill, and one of the few that will harm himself or others if given the chance. But on the proper medication, he can live a relatively normal life, with some side effects. Current options:
    1. Lock George up so no one gets hurt.
    2. Release George and hope he stays on his medication. If he quits you probably won’t find out before he’s psychotic. Then try to capture him and stabilize him. Tell him he really must stay on his meds and release him. Rinse, repeat.

    Some method of monitoring whether he takes the meds would seem to provide a needed alternative.
    [/Devil’s advocate]

    And yeah, it’s creepy/slippery slope/etc.

    So, the “fix” is to simply remove the sensor, or disable it in the microwave.

    Seems like a better alternative would be to crush the pill, swallow the sensor, flush the med. That keeps everybody happy, until the patient’s mental state goes south.

  5. KenK
    KenK September 22, 2015 9:27 am

    In re the LA city business tax
    I quit caring about the abusive governmental practices in places like LA a long time ago. Except for minor children who really are stuck there, people can pick and leave. And if they love cal so much that they wont theyll just have to bend over and pay. Why I left Seattle.

  6. MamaLiberty
    MamaLiberty September 22, 2015 11:24 am

    Larry! What a marvelous idea. 🙂 Well, except that those damned pills will still be expensive. I’ll choose not to take the pills at all, and not to see the doctors who prescribe them. Not perfect, as the goons may show up at my door eventually anyway, but I’ll deal with that then. 🙂

  7. Bob
    Bob September 22, 2015 12:47 pm

    What amuses me is how “see something, say something,” and “zero tolerance,” and all those other “keep America safe” mantras work just fine until someone in an “approved” demographic gets caught up in it. Then it’s an invitation to the White House and “be sure to bring your clock, Ahmed.”

    http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/09/18/real-story-istandwithahmed/

  8. A.G.
    A.G. September 22, 2015 2:55 pm

    Given the lack of sophistication in the embezzlement scheme, I doubt his hiding techniques were very complex.

    An unruly beard and a backpack. Not your typical accountant attire.

  9. LarryA
    LarryA September 22, 2015 7:58 pm

    Larry! What a marvelous idea.
    Thanks.

    Upon further thought, you don’t have to swallow the sensor, just dip it in something the same pH as stomach acid. You could probably use the same sensor tens of times.

    Another datapoint for my theory that researchers tend to be intelligent, but not necessarily ingenious.

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