I read this off of Bruce Scheiner’s blog today and I thought it was very interesting for those of you whole like legal, security, and pirate matters. It’s a little talk about how to classify terrorists, so we get rid of much of the ambiguity that exists in the US concerning their legal status, and how by classifying terrorists as pirates, other not-so-friendly states would be pressured to give them up.

That goes for you too Bert!

Read on, hope you find this interesting – and of course, thoughts are always welcome.

First, the crime of terrorism would be defined and proscribed internationally, and terrorists would be properly understood as enemies of all states. This legal status carries significant advantages, chief among them the possibility of universal jurisdiction. Terrorists, as hostis humani generis, could be captured wherever they were found, by anyone who found them. Pirates are currently the only form of criminals subject to this special jurisdiction.

Second, this definition would deter states from harboring terrorists on the grounds that they are “freedom fighters” by providing an objective distinction in law between legitimate insurgency and outright terrorism.

Third, and perhaps most important, nations that now balk at assisting the United States in the war on terror might have fewer reservations if terrorism were defined as an international crime that could be prosecuted before the International Criminal Court.

Full story here.

Most new cars in the United States (over 70-90%) come equiped with Event Data Recorders (EDRs).

EDRs record various data from model to model, but most record the speed, brake pressure, direction or movement, among other things, several seconds before a car is involved in an accident. Data from EDRs has already been used in court cases changing verdicts both in favor and against car drivers.

Does your car have an EDR? See below, but since car maufacturers aren’t required to let you know if you have one, there is no way to tell for sure. Check your owners manual. Toyota and some other companies disclose the information voluntarily to their customers.

10 states, beginning with California in 2004, are passing laws obliging automakers to tell buyers if their vehicles have recorders; the laws also restrict the downloading of data without car owners’ consent. Eleven other states are considering similar legislation.

Time.com?

Personally, I think EDRs are a good idea and will cut back on insurance fraud and other cases where you get hit and you get the drop. Planes have them, and cars crash all the time, don’t you think this data is valuable??

Cars with EDR

This isn’t a comprehensive list FYI – because on doesn’t exist 😉

So, does your car have an EDR? I plan to call Honda, just to find out about mine.

Team USA beat Germany in the FIBA basketball championship over in Japan, 85-65. Now they face Greece in the quarterfinal, and hopefully win by 40+ points.

Since peaceluvbug is out there in the Swissland also known as Switzerland, I thought I’d share will all of you this story I cam across. Apperently, Swiss hikers are horny for cows, so new laws had to be put in place.

Keep your distance. Avoid eye contact. And even if it looks cute, never hug a Swiss cow.

Responding to numerous ?reports of unpleasant meetings between hikers and cattle? along Switzerland?s picture-perfect Alpine trails this summer, the Swiss Hiking Federation has laid down a few ground rules.

?Leave the animals in peace and do not touch them. Never caress a calf,? according to the group?s guidance, posted on the Web site www.swisshiking.ch.

Full story, mooooo!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14570685/?GT1=8404?

Freddy reported this past weekend that George Mason University is no longer accepting SAT scores for incoming students. This is acutally not 100% true as a reader pointed out to me yesterday.

From the Mason Gazette:

George Mason will permit high school seniors with strong academic records to apply for admission without standardized test scores, becoming one of the largest competitive public universities in the nation to offer such a policy.

Beginning this fall, seniors with cumulative GPAs of 3.5 or higher who rank in the top 20 percent of their class will have the option of being considered for admission without submitting SAT or ACT scores.

You can read the full story here: http://gazette.gmu.edu/articles/8464/?