Yikes

Tech to Control Your Teen Drivers—and Keep Them Safe

A range of GM vehicles include “Teen Driver Technology,” which is triggered by the specific car key you assign your teen. The feature generates a pin-protected “report card” that tallies the times that traction control and forward collision avoidance braking were employed and logs the top speed during each ride. It also requires that seat belts be fastened for the vehicle to move or the radio to work and lets you cap the driver’s speed. If you think your favorite sophomore resents you now, toss him a key to your Corvette without telling him that alerts will sound when he crosses 45 mph.

Aside from the fact that no teen-aged driver is ever getting the keys to my 'vette…imagine growing up without all those cruising-around-in-cars movies and other unmentionable memories like…well…I'm not mentioning. 

It looks like the Rebel has finally found a Cause.

This is one of the two busiest streets in town, at noon, today

And we're all about getting the money out of politics

 Biden makes gains on Trump with online ad blitz

Democratic nominee Joe Biden's campaign spent massive sums on Facebook and Google ads during the month of August, nearly closing the gap with President Donald Trump's campaign.

Harsh?

 

Facebook will limit some advertising in the week before the US election -- but it will let politicians run ads with lies

Maybe. Also true.

How are they going to tell the difference?

 Facebook will block new political advertising the week before Election Day

The move to limit ads, part of a spate of election-related announcements, is an attempt to reduce misinformation that is expected to flood social networks as Election Day draws near.

Seems like just about everything is political these days. 

When following the rules pays off

 

Military not selected to be among first groups to receive coronavirus vaccine

As of Wednesday, the military has had 38,424 cases of the coronavirus and seven service members have died. About 575 people have been hospitalized and 23,011 have recovered, according to Pentagon data.

[Emphasis mine.] 

Beer maker goes to the dogs

 

WE MADE A BREW FROM BONE BROTH FOR OUR BEST FRIENDS

[H/T Lynn C Dot]

This is Lincoln, where I (for a while) grew up

Nebraska Man Makes Plea to Rename Boneless Chicken Wings at City Council Meeting

No kidding, real ones?

 

Russians Again Targeting Americans With Disinformation, Facebook and Twitter Say

The fake network and site did not reach as big an audience as the group’s efforts in 2016, but the campaign came with a new wrinkle: The Russians hired real Americans to write for the website.

 Emphasis mine, of course.

In fact, everybody is targeting Facebook and Twitter with disinformation all the time but why should that make a difference anyway. Bad Russians. Also, bad real Americans. Real Americans should only write for the New York Times, maybe. They certainly should not write for Russians. 

Imagine our relief

Rolls-Royce boss says demand for luxury cars is rebounding

 At the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Rolls-Royce shut down production for a couple of weeks, while dealerships around the world followed suit.

How about easier to get to the grocery store?

Scientists create batteries that could make it easier to explore Mars

Finding a vaccine will be only half the battle (or not even that)

 Infected by doubt

“Just from a research point of view, it’s fascinating to watch,” Smyser said. “Whereas public health is very disorganized in our approach to the pandemic, anti-vaxxers are extremely organized and are hosting online summits and doing advocacy training.”

Sorry about the paywall. The clip above is one of the salient points of this piece but if you can get access, it's worth reading further for what says about the power of media—online media in particular—to accelerate movements.

For my part, I will trust my own health care provider for an evaluation of any future vaccine but in the meantime, my sleeve's already rolled up.

They're coming for you: It's too late

 Amazon Prime Air lands FAA approval for drone deliveries

"Amazon Prime Air's concept uses autonomous [unmanned aircraft systems] to safely and efficiently deliver packages to customers," said a spokesperson for the FAA on Monday.

Ooooh Noooo

No More Snow Days? Why COVID Could Mean the End of Weather Related School Cancellations

New England is close enough, thanks.

Get naked, and other advice to fend off a polar bear attack

“Polar bears are very curious,” Sarah Woodall, a tourism destination manager for Visit South Greenland told me during my first trip to the country in 2015. To that end, if you should come face-to-face with one, back away (slowly at first), while peeling off your clothes one item at a time. The bears are very curious so they should stop, sniff, and perhaps play with each item as they come across it, leaving you free to run somewhere across the Arctic buck naked. Until they catch up with you, of course. Or you die of exposure. Either way — what an experience!

Maybe it's time for me to go back to school

German university offers scholarships for people to do ‘absolutely nothing’

Questions from the application form: What do you want not to do? How long do you want not to do it for? Why is it important not to do this particular thing? Why are you the right person not to do it?