Maybe Europeans aren’t paranoid after all. Maybe we really are out to get them. Or, maybe we’ll just wait and let them do themselves in. It’ll only take 15 years or so, according to the CIA.
January 20th, 2005
A Second Look At rel=nofollow
Earlier this week I wrote about Google’s decision to recognize the rel="nofollow" tag that’s supposed to take away the incentive for spammers who try to boost their page rankings with annoying URL-laden comments.
After some thought, and some words of caution from James Joyner, I explained that I wasn’t going to be incorporating the tag. Because, just as it takes away the comment spammers’ incentive, it also diminishes the incentive for bloggers to leave comments. (Not that I think bloggers comment anywhere solely to get a link back to their site, but surely there should be some reward for contributing to the discussion.)
Ben Hammersley points out another reason why the the tag may work against bloggers:
This is the key point. If rel=”nofollow” works, if it’s applied universally, it will actually have the reverse effect. It actually gets less effective the more it is implemented. Why? Because the comment spamming sites are in competition with *each*other*, and not with any legitimate businesses. They’re not so much trying to get the best pagerank for their term, as trying to get a better one than their rivals. That’s a key distinction. If the playing field is levelled by rel=”nofollow”, then everyone involved will be forced to try all the harder to get their links out there. The blogosphere will be hit all the harder because of the need to maximise the gains.
Lovely.
January 20th, 2005
An Excuse To Be Sloppy
Mom always told you to make your bed. As you’ve no doubt learned by now, Mom doesn’t always know what’s best for you.
Experts warn that (dust) mites, which can cause a host of allergies, thrive in the moist and warm conditions created by a well-made bed with tightly-drawn sheets and blankets. By contrast, a messy bed in which the sheets are simply tossed aside in the morning and left as they fall creates dry conditions which cause the little blighters to dehydrate and die.
Still think cleanliness is next to godliness? Then try this on: there are 1.5 million dust mites in the average bed. So think about this next time you’re folding down those bed covers and looking forward to a good night’s sleep: You’re not alone…..
January 20th, 2005
More on the Dirty Bomb
Boston’s “dirty bomb scare” is receiving quite a bit of coverage in the world press where journalists provide additional details not reported in the American media.
A group of drug smugglers from Honduras established in multiple cities have their main operations in Boston. According to WABC 77 talk radio show, John Bachelors program, there is 50% chance that Al-Queda perhaps Al-Zarqawi with guidance from Bin Laden has used this Honduran network of drug smuggling route to send terrorists through Mexico into United States. Some one called the authorities and tipped them off.
The report speculates that, if there is no actual dirty bomb, perhaps the tip is a “classic disinformation to test the waters” by spooking a response that al-Qaeda can then analyze for flaws and weaknesses. It also notes that law enforcement in New York is on the lookout for the individuals, since they are expected to pass through there.
According to CNN, the anonymous caller who reported that the target of the alleged plot is Boston also described a very specific place in NY where the two Iraqis and four Chinese nationals were dropped off. CNN also explains that the word “nuclear” was never used.
Other reports, cited in The Australian, say that terrorists are planning a strike on Boston using a “fully laden petrol tanker.”
Back here in America, authorities are rumored to be keeping a close eye on underground tunnels around 120 miles east of San Diego.
In attempts to determine the caller’s credibility, the Joint Terrorism Task Force in San Diego was trying to locate a tunnel in Imperial County identified by the smuggler as a route for either the Chinese nationals or for the nuclear material, San Diego Police Chief Bill Lansdowne said yesterday.
Other agencies declined to comment on the possibility of a tunnel.
UPDATE: Although authorities continue to insist that there is no specific threat, Massachusetts has asked New Hamphshire to have radiological response teams on “standby.” This move is attributed to the presence of a nuclear plant in Seabrook, NH and one just across the border in Vermont and fears that the materiels there could be used in the bomb plot.
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January 20th, 2005
Dirty Bomb Hunt In Boston
Authorities in Boston continue to hunt for a “dirty bomb” in connection with two Iraqis and four Chinese nationals allegedly smuggled into the United States. An anonymous caller called police several days ago and claimed to have smuggled the suspected terrorists across the Mexican border. Although the caller did not show up for a meeting with federal agents, he did provide pictures of the Chinese individuals. They are purportedly scientists. The “dirty bomb” is believed to consist of nuclear material which, the caller said, was scheduled to cross the border sometime after the group made the crossing. According to the caller, “something” was going to happen within four days.
Today’s Boston Herald says that the White House is downplaying the incident and Andrew Card has indicated that it is based on “truly sketchy intelligence.” Apparently, much of the doubt concerns the identity of the caller. Authorities acknowledge that they’ve corroborated the site where the man claims to have smuggled the group across the border, but many speculate that he is trying to exact revenge on the group for not fully paying him for the trip.
Backcountry Conservative and Accidental Verbosity have much, much more. (Links via the Beltway Traffic Jam).
UPDATE: Boston police don’t seem to be taking as skeptical of an approach as the White House. USA Today reports that police are conducting a manhunt, although the FBI has not yet corroborated the tip. And Fox News says that the governors of Massachusetts and New Hampshire skipped today’s inaugural celebration in favor of staying home as a demonstration to their states’ citizens that the two states remain safe.
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January 20th, 2005
Surprise, Surprise
I am 26% evil.
Take the test at koolplace.com
26 percent. That’s all?
January 20th, 2005
Picky Eaters
Punctilious at Blog O’ Ram needs kid-friendly recipes that will still please adult palates. Hurry on over and help!
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