Jonathan replaced one of the kiosks (the one by the main door) with a new model. Thanks to the wonders of Moore's Law, this kiosk is now the fastest machine in the club. It's a 1200MHz Athlon, and even though it doesn't have a real video card in it (it's using the SVGA/VESA driver) it still runs the screensavers fast enough to look reasonable, and it boots really fast. This is the prototype, so it took a while, but we'll be upgrading the others as they break, or as funds materialize. It cost about $400 total; the other kiosks (which are ~200MHz) cost about $250 total when we bought them two and a half years ago. Jonathan didn't like any of the case options he could find (they were either too large, insufficiently ventilated, or too expensive) so he built a custom case out of plexiglass. And, since the case is transparent, I insisted he put a blacklight inside it! Now it's all tricked out, like a Honda Civic with a rear spoiler and neon ground-effects. All it's missing is a bunch of stickers with "performance parts" manufacturers on it, or perhaps Calvin peeing on a Raiders helmet.
DNA Lounge: Wherein a new kiosk debuts.
The Vampire Menace
Trying to Stop Vampire Hysteria
BLANTYRE (Reuters) - A bizarre rumor that Malawi's government is colluding with vampires to collect human blood for international aid agencies in exchange for food has led to a rash of vigilante violence.
President Bakili Muluzi accused unnamed opposition politicians on Sunday of spreading the vampire stories to try to undermine his government, already hit by political protests and widespread food shortages.
Vampire paranoia has sparked several attacks on suspected bloodsuckers, despite official efforts to kill the rumor.
Last week a man accused of helping vampires was stoned to death and three Roman Catholic priests were beaten up by villagers who suspected them of being bloodsuckers.
Both attacks happened in the southern tea-growing district of Thyolo.
Muluzi told a news conference on Sunday the vampire stories were malicious and irresponsible. "No government can go about sucking blood of its own people," he said. "That's thuggery."
The rumors have increased political tensions in the country, one of the 10 poorest in the world, where protests have already broken out over Muluzi's efforts to stay in office for another five years.
Muluzi said the rumors were also affecting economic activity in four southern districts as agricultural workers stayed indoors.
