Combine The Terminator with Robocop, throw in a little Iron Man, top it off with "The Million Dollar Man," and you get this guy: the soldier of tomorrow (if tomorrow arrives in 2030 or so).

As a soldier enters a crowded marketplace, sensors mounted on his helmet automatically scan faces in the crowd, identifying a known insurgent; a cursor in the heads-up display highlights the target and cues the weapon, which can be set to stun or kill; a simple voice command unlocks the trigger.

Given the nation's experience with Pentagon procurement, it's fair to predict that the futuristic weaponry won't work while the advanced body armor will give way to a butter knife. More troubling is the notion that future soldiers will be "enhanced with prosthetics" and fed "smart drugs." The Pentagon should put those ideas aside until it enhances its ability to provide mental health care to veterans. [more ...]

Connecticut's Republican Gov. Jodi Rell promised to veto a bill that would eliminate capital punishment as a sentencing option. Overriding the veto would require a two-thirds majority vote in both legislative chambers. Since the state senate passed the bill by a 19-17 vote, an override is unlikely.

Rell says the veto is for the families of victims who believe there are crimes "so fundamentally revolting to our humanity" as to warrant death. What about the family members who believe that the death penalty is fundamentally revolting to human values? And given the haphazard application of the death penalty, does Rell seriously believe that only the worst offenders who commit the worst crimes will be executed?

What a difference a verdict makes.

A little over a month ago, [Helio Castroneves] was facing deportation or prison over tax-evasion charges. A brilliant racing career and his freedom rested in the hands of a Miami jury.

The Brazilian racer was acquitted on April 17. Today he won his third Indianapolis 500.

[more...]

The FTC is going after a company that uses those annoying (and illegal) robocalls to market its extended vehicle warranties. The company -- Florida based Transcontinental Warranty Inc. -- wasn't easy to find. Employees are instructed not to disclose the company's name, and they're fired if they break that rule.

Fortunately, a former employee got fed up after only four days on the job and contacted the FTC. The information he provided corroborated customer complaints about the company's deceptive practices.

[more ...]

This weekend cops in Colorado (and I'm sure elsewhere) resume their 100 day "The Heat is On" campaign to bust drunk drivers.

One police chief outside of Vail has a new plan. He wants to force those stopped to take a blood test. What about our law that says you can choose between breath and blood or choose to refuse (and lose your license) unless there's an accident with serious injuries? He doesn't care. He says his officers will get a search warrant for your blood.

The courts will probably shoot him down. [More...]

Susan Boyle is headed to the finals in Britain's Got Talent. Check out her funny reaction when the winner is announced.

The other winner: The dance group Diversity, who beat out Natalie.

The performances:

• Susan Boyle
• Diversity
• Natalie

I'm sure some people are following politics and crime today, but I'm not one of them.

So here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

President Obama tells C-Span he's a night owl. He sometimes stays up till midnight.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

The TimesonLine quotes TalkLeft pal Terry Kindlon (who represented defendant Yassin Aref in the Albany terror case) on the latest New York Bronx Synagogue bust:

“This whole operation was a foolish waste of time and money,” claimed Terence Kindlon, a defence lawyer who represented the last terror suspect to be tried in New York state. “It is almost as if the FBI cooked up the plot and found four idiots to install as defendants.”

Kindlon’s complaints were echoed by other legal experts who have repeatedly questioned the FBI’s reliance on undercover informants – known as confidential witnesses (CWs) – who lure gullible radicals into far-fetched plots that are then foiled by the agents monitoring them.

Questions raised by the case: [More...]

The New York Times reports the U.S. has seized 101 tons of opium and narcotics in Afghanistan. 60 insurgents were killed.

The drugs were taken in a central market area in the town. A battle ensued in which, according to the American military, 60 insurgents were killed. An American military spokesman said the allies met a surprising level of resistance, fighting the militants for four days in gun battles and by aerial strikes.

Almost as an afterthought, the article adds:

The military said that commandos also found bomb-making materials, including 30 tons of ammonium nitrate, pressure plate triggers, military grade explosives and ammunition vests.

A recent Times piece on the informant at the center of alleged
Bronx synagogue terror plot is filled with uncritical thinking on the role of informants in terrorism cases.

The reporters acknowledge the centrality of the informant to the government's case--"The government case revolves significantly around the work of an informant who facilitated the men’s desire to mount a terrorist attack"--as well as the importance of informants in other terror cases since 9-11.[More...]

This town is psyched. The TL Kid tells me this is an event that might happen once every 25 years.

The Nuggets haven't lost at home since March -- 16 consecutive home games including 6 in the playoffs. They last played the Lakers in Denver on Feb. 27 and they won, 90-79.

I'm actually going to watch. If you are, please join in.

Update: End of first quarter, Nuggets up by 2. Can they keep the momentum? [More...]