Saturday Goofy Links

So here's a small sample of the goofy stuff I gathered this week despite the projectile whatevers...

(wow - now there's someone that has way too much time on their hands!)

Actually I just wanted to mention this link about the Egyptians catching some guys trying to clip the undersea cables carrying the internet. The international internet is much more fragile than we imagine. If these bozos had managed to succeed, they would have had a significant impact of world wide traffic. Since these cables are lying just under a few feet of mud for thousands of miles, the threat is grave indeed. That is why I am thinking a space based system, similar to the GPS constellations is needed.

On the other hand (pun intended), with the advent of sharia law there, these guys will probably loose theirs - before they are beheaded (Mullah's gotta have their porn!)

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I was not too bothered by this news that Amazon was buying Goodreads. Upon a friend's recommendation  I have been using Goodreads for a while now. They solved a problem that that I had that I assume is common for someone that reads a great deal. Namely, I often can't remember what books I have read, especially by authors like Clive Cussler who writes many similar but highly entertaining books. Goodreads lets me keep up with all that and has a recommendations link that suggest books that are similar based on the gene / authors I am currently reading. They already hock books, and Amazon, the indisputable leader of online book sellers, is naturally suited to their structure.

Having said that, I mostly get my books from the library, so cheapskates leeches like me are probably not (currently) worth it for them. However, with the advent of eBooks and it's accompanying low price (<$2.00) books, it is possible I may begin purchasing when I see a new book that I know I will like from good writer. That presumes that actually break down and buy myself some sort of eReader - an impulse I have stupidly resisted so far.
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This golf with rockets looks like a great idea to me. However, I don't think golf course managers will ever allow it to become a real thing, but not because or the chance of fire or litter of cast off rocket engines. No, it will not be allowed because the influx of nerds onto the nation's golf courses cannot be tolerated...

I like the idea of this bacon scented sunscreen. I have never liked coconut and always disliked the smell of it in sunscreen. This seems like a great idea! I am not sure how the sand fleas and the like would react to it however... Lots of other - er - unusual bacon themed products at that site.

Finally there is this concept of extending GPS to areas where the actual GPS signal is not accessible. This seems like a natural since a GPS receiver is built into virtually every phone. Imagine being able to use GPS underground in the metro. No more wondering if an exit will dump me into a 'free mugging zone' or the entrance nearest the Smithsonian.  Alternatively, imagine a plant worker attempting to find and replace a faulty sensor in the electronically noisy environment that are today's modern plant. A GPS app receiving directions from local 'repeaters' would allow them to pinpoint the sensor location much more efficiently.

Ok - that's all the lighter stuff I have for now. I will probably post some more serious stuff in a bit (making up for lost time), so stay tuned!