Amalgamated North Pole Industries. L.L.C.
100 Candy Cane lane
North Pole, Arctic Circle
10001
To Whom it May Concern,
The management of A.N.P.I. would like to take this opportunity to offer a public statement regarding the recent alleged incidents in Florida involving two of our employees. Let me assure the citizens of this community that the elves in question have been reprimanded and placed on administrative leave pending resolution of all legal matters.
Three days ago, a pair of elven sled mechanics had been hitting the eggnog a little too heavy at the …

So it turns out that HP’s face tracking webcams only work with white folks. Bwahahahaha. “Technology is colorblind” in your face. Check it out via Current.com:

Make sure you watch until near the end. Turns out “Black Desi” has a surprise for his wife to boot.
HP responds:
“We are working with our partners to learn more. The technology we use is built on standard algorithms that measure the difference in intensity of contrast between the eyes and the upper cheek and nose. We believe that the camera might have difficulty “seeing” …

Ain’t it annoying that sometimes what we love the most causes us the most discomfort?
So two of the things I love the most are blogging and lifting really heavy weights in the gym. *sigh*
Apparently, this combination has caused deep tendinitis in my right wrist and tennis elbow on my right arm. My doctor calls it “right de quervains tenosynovitis” – such a pretty name for pain.

So, I’m in a arm/wrist/thumb brace full-time for the next 7 days and overnight and while on the computer after that.
Please know that …

By Andrew Padula
A couple of days after the election last year, I attended a foreign policy seminar in downtown D.C. I had really been looking forward to this opportunity to rub elbows with international political and business leaders while enjoying one heck of a free lunch buffet. Unfortunately, the most memorable part of this day was my commute on the pride of our nation’s rail system, the Washington Metro. Three or four stops had passed by on my trip home. I was sitting quietly by myself …

I have been bugging Andrew Padula to write the post that follows since he told me about his disturbing encounter on the DC metro last year. He was extremely hesitant to do so, but finally put it together in the wake of the Chicago beating-murder of the young honor roll student that was captured on cell phone video.
As the victim of violent bullies as a child, when I lived in New York I dreaded being on the subway at the time schools let out because of the overt aggression …