You *have* to check this out...

http://www.krazydad.com/colrpickr/index.php

Abuse - Needle Ordeal

There are levels of cruelty that are difficult to understand. This is
one of them.

BBC - Chinese Woman's Needle Ordeal
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6983435.stm

Instant Films Festival

I was trying to remember which video camera Steve Jobs touted when he was
announcing the new aluminum iMac and iWork '08. (It was the Panasonic
HDC-SD1.)

While searching for the info I stumbled across a couple goodies from the
Instant Film festival.

The Instant Films festival is a weekend affair in which, essentially,
people have 36 hours to make a short -- from writing to showing. Stories
are written, then drawn from a hat, and cast members randomly assigned.

These are brilliant!

You can watch the films at their website.

http://www.instantfilms.tv/watch.html

D N A for the U K . . .

A top UK judge is calling for a DNA repository of every person in the UK.

The government response? So far, it has been that there are no plans to create such a database, that there are serious privacy concerns.

But the Home Office minister also said, "I think we are broadly sympathetic to the thrust of what he [the judge] has said.

"I have said that myself in the past, that there is a real logic and cohesion to the point that says, 'Well, put everybody on'."

The UK has already amassed the largest DNA collection in the world, mainly of criminals. Its residents are -- I believe -- filmed more than any other people, thanks to the proliferation of private and public CCTV.

Also, I found this amusing: Authorities' powers to collect biometric data are spelled out in the "Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984".

_{sources:
The Guardian - Judge Wants Everone in UK on Database}