Friday, January 11, 2008
Fresh Intelligence : Radar Online : The New Republic Rebrands Ron Paul
Fresh Intelligence : Radar Online : The New Republic Rebrands Ron Paul
The New Republic's website is humbly suggesting on this day of the New Hampshire primary that Ron Paul is probably a hate-filled bigot. Writer James Kirchick provides an exhaustive survey of bizarre and offensive passages gleaned from newsletters put out by Paul throughout his political career, which at times seem more like T. Herman Zweibel broadcasting a spectacular array of fuddy-duddy worldviews on gays, Jews, and blacks.
"Am I the only one sick of hearing about the 'rights' of AIDS carriers?" one excerpt reads. Another laments the aftermath of the Chicago Bulls winning the NBA championship in 1992: "Blacks poured into the streets of Chicago in celebration. How to celebrate? How else? They broke the windows of stores to loot." Yet another notes an encounter with a reporter from a gay magazine "who certainly had an axe to grind, and that's not easy with a limp wrist."
The newsletters are not an entirely new issue for Paul; some racist excerpts surfaced during Paul's effort to re-gain a seat in Congress in 1996. But Kirchick's more sizable cache of newsletter nuggets may weaken the credibility of Paul's claim that the offensive comments were somehow penned by a ghostwriter without his knowledge or review.
Kirchick goes beyond even the clearly damning comments to indict Paul as "a member in good standing of some of the oldest and ugliest traditions in American politics." (Maybe because he's a Giuliani guy?) Previewing his article last night on MSNBC, Kirchick claimed that Paul "speaks in code" to racist elements in our society. "He'll say certain things that, you know, at first might not appear to be overtly racist but to certain audiences, they know what he's talking about."
While this is all bad news for Team Paul, coming as it does in the heat of the New Hampshire primary, Paul supporters can take heart: This could be the beginning of a major South Carolina bounce!
Fresh Intelligence : Radar Online : Does Ron Paul Have Asperger’s Syndrome?
Fresh Intelligence : Radar Online : Does Ron Paul Have Asperger’s Syndrome?: "In the great tradition of George W. Bush's rumored undiagnosed learning disabilities, might Ron Paul, the libertarian/Republican/racialist candidate for president, have a hidden disorder of his own? Could Paul have Asperger's Syndrome, the autism spectrum disorder characterized by extremely awkward social interactions along with obsessive behaviors and interests? If you've seen Ron Paul on television recently—or taken a glimpse at his platform—there's no question he displays the symptoms."
Fresh Intelligence : Radar Online : If Barack Obama Becomes President, Will the Secret Service Be Assigned to His Grandmother in Kenya?
Fresh Intelligence : Radar Online : If Barack Obama Becomes President, Will the Secret Service Be Assigned to His Grandmother in Kenya?: "'The price on her head would be quite high from a kidnapping perspective,' says Joseph Lasorsa, a 20-year veteran of the Secret Service who worked on Ronald Reagan's protective detail.
So how would granny be protected?"
Fresh Intelligence : Radar Online : Madonna's Bottled Water Habit Is Destroying the World
Fresh Intelligence : Radar Online : Madonna's Bottled Water Habit Is Destroying the World: "Veiny superstar Madonna's serious Kabbalah water habit runs her about $10,000 a month, according to In Touch. The tab says Madge is exclusive to Kabbalah water and goes so far as to ship cartons to herself when she's off photo-op-ing in faraway lands. On its surface, this is just Madge being the excessive weirdo that we all love, but just below that surface it is yet another example of her ever-growing hypocrisy in the face of supposed environmental stewardship."
In terms of environmental scourges, bottled water is the new SUV, and in those terms Madonna's rolling in a five-Escalade cavalcade every single day. A bottle of her special blessed water—which has "miraculous powers of restoration and healing"—runs $5 a bottle, meaning Madge and her clan slurp their way through 2,000 bottles per month to spend that 10 grand. That's 24,000 bottles of water a year—meaning 24,000 empties she's sprinkling around the world ... and presumably thousands in countries without recycling plants. But, oh, the sacred hydration!
AlterNet: Blogs: MediaCulture: "Fox Attacks: Obama Staffer" Video Breaks 300,000 Views in Less Than Three Days!
AlterNet: Blogs: MediaCulture: "Fox Attacks: Obama Staffer" Video Breaks 300,000 Views in Less Than Three Days!
And in case any of you are wondering:
1. Marvin Nicholson, the shoved Obama staffer, most likely knew that Obama did not have friendly relations with FOX for spreading the "madrassa" lie and continually attacking Obama's patriotism, faith, and race. He was doing his job, and we applaud him for it. If Obama is even considering going on BOR, he should only do it if BOR will apologize to Nicholson in person and on the air. BOR is such an egomaniac who thinks he's never wrong and is beyond accountability that he'll never do it.
2. The Constitution does NOT guarantee the right of pasty, pathologically lying ass clowns to "get a shot" and assault those who get in the way. Does Britney Spears' paparazzi army have the right to assault her security if they step in front of their cameras? No. If you can't get a shot, move your lazy ass.
3. O'Reilly will "defend" his warped view of the Constitution when it comes to him trying to get a shot, but won't fight against the destruction of Habeas Corpus, illegal surveillance of American citizens, "free-speech zones" at political events, secret service prohibiting non-Bush supporters from attending Bush's staged town hall meetings, torture, indefinite imprisonment without charge, the arrest of non-violent protestors, the separation of church and state, the outing of covert CIA agents, and lies about WMD and Nigerian uranium.
4. O'Reilly wouldn't know the Constitution if it shat in his mouth.
AlterNet: Butts on Parade: When Roger Clemens Met 60 Minutes' Mike Wallace
AlterNet: Butts on Parade: When Roger Clemens Met 60 Minutes' Mike Wallace: "The Wallace/Clemens showdown had the hype of a prizefight. But the millions at home didn't see the Mike Wallace who made Vietnam War architect Gen. William Westmoreland cry in his napalm. On Sunday we didn't witness the famed media bulldog, but a chihuahua. If he had looked at the camera and said, 'Yo quiero Taco Bell,' no one would have blinked. The 89-year-old legend is a regular in Yankee owner George Steinbrenner's owner's box and has called Clemens a friend. On Sunday he seemed to have his own narcotic reaction to the athletic proximity."
AlterNet: The Primaries Are Broadcasters' Big Payday
AlterNet: The Primaries Are Broadcasters' Big Payday: "One way Fox News/News Corp. recently tried to influence the process was to exclude Ron Paul from a Republican candidate forum in New Hampshire, two days before that state's first-in-the-nation primary. Paul was the most successful fundraiser among Republican candidates in the fourth quarter of 2007; he decisively beat Rudy Giuliani in the Iowa caucus, with 10 percent of the vote versus Giuliani's 4 percent. Fox nixed Paul from the debate, while Giuliani was welcomed."
A Selection of Perfect Ads | Funtasticus.com
A Selection of Perfect Ads | Funtasticus.com
THESE ARE PICS OF SOME GREAT PRINT ADS; SOME ARE REALLY COOL
Feed Article | Business |
Feed Article | Business |: "Ask corporate lobbyists which presidential contender is most feared by their clients and the answer is almost always the same -- Democrat John Edwards.
The former North Carolina senator's chosen profession alone raises the hackles of business people. Before entering politics, he made a fortune as a trial lawyer.
In litigious America, trial lawyers bring lawsuits against companies on behalf of aggrieved individuals and sometimes win multimillion-dollar settlements. Edwards won several.
But beyond his profession, Edwards' tone and language on the campaign trail have increased business antipathy toward him. His stump speeches are peppered with attacks on 'corporate greed' and warnings of 'the destruction of the middle class.'
He accuses lobbyists of 'corrupting the government' and says Americans lack universal health care because of 'drug companies, insurance companies and their lobbyists.'
Despite not winning the two state nominating contests completed so far, with 48 to go, Edwards insists he is in the race to stay. An Edwards campaign spokesman said on Thursday that inside-the-Beltway operatives who fight to defend the powerful and the privileged should be afraid.
'The lobbyists and special interests who abuse the system in Washington have good reason to fear John Edwards.
'Once he is president, the interests of middle class families will never again take a back seat to corporate greed in Washington," said campaign spokesman Eric Schultz."
CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - Kucinich calls for New Hampshire recount « - Blogs from CNN.com
CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - Kucinich calls for New Hampshire recount « - Blogs from CNN.com: "Kucinich alluded to online reports alleging disparities around the state between hand-counted ballots, which tended to favor Sen. Barack Obama, and machine-counted ones that tended to favor Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. He also noted the difference between pre-election polls, which indicated Obama would win, and Clinton's triumph by a 39 percent to 37 percent margin."
2 Chicks, 1 Joe Rogan - CollegeHumor video
2 Chicks, 1 Joe Rogan - CollegeHumor video
Joe Rogen watches the "2 girls one cup video" -
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1789714
High Times Editorial Office - CollegeHumor video
High Times Editorial Office - CollegeHumor video: "Ever wonder what goes on in the dank offices of High Times? Wonder no more!"
this 3 minute vid is actually pretty funny...
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1759736
Carroll agrees to Falcons’ proposal on one condition
Carroll agrees to Falcons’ proposal on one condition: "LOS ANGELES, CA — Sources tell SSNN that USC head coach Pete Carroll spoke at length with Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank via phone Thursday evening about the Falcons‘ head coaching vacancy. Carroll remains the front-runner for the less-than-desirable position, and surprisingly admits to have contemplated a deal proposed by Blank that does satisfy Carroll’s requisite demand for control over all personnel decisions. While financial terms of the proposal were not disclosed, Carroll reportedly wasted no time indicating to the Falcons organization which players he intends to bring aboard if the deal is finalized."
Romo dentist appointment comes at bad time for Cowboys
Romo dentist appointment comes at bad time for Cowboys: "DALLAS, TX — An irate Wade Phillips, barely able to hold his tongue, told assembled media that Tony Romo’s three-hour dental appointment Friday “could have had better timing.”"
“In general, I would like to think that we can schedule these appointments for times other than two days before the biggest game this franchise has had in the last 12 years,” Phillips said. “I mean, Tony is sort of a free spirit, but come on, man – we need you at practice.”
“I didn’t NEED to go today,” Romo told reporters. “But my dentist gets booked up like six months in advance, and if I had to reschedule, it’d be forever before I could get in there again. So I figured, let’s just knock it out today.”
Romo has been criticized recently for not focusing enough on the matters at hand, specifically the team’s playoff game against the Giants on Sunday. He has been photographed globetrotting with girlfriend Jessica Simpson, recently on a quick sojourn to Cabo San Lucas.
Anchor Van Pelt still not sure what ‘ESPN’ stands for
Anchor Van Pelt still not sure what ‘ESPN’ stands for: "“Honestly, I’m still not sure what the ‘E’ and the ‘P’ stand for in ‘ESPN.’ The ‘S’ has to stand for ‘Sports’ and the ‘N’ means ‘Network,’ I’m pretty sure,” said Van Pelt, who regularly appears on The Mike Tirico Show on ESPN radio and is referred to as “Van Peezy” by a multitude of fans. “When I initially joined, I thought both the ‘S’ and ‘P’ stood for ‘SPorts,’ but I realized a few years ago that that’s just stupid.”"
Founded in 1979, the ESPN acronym stood for ‘Entertainment and Sports Programming Network,’ before the lengthy name was scuttled in 1985 in favor of adopting just the four letters as a new corporate name. This information can be found on ESPN’s website.
AlterNet: Blogs: War on Iraq: Murders of Iraqi Women Cannot Be Explained by 'Cultural' Reasons
AlterNet: Blogs: War on Iraq: Murders of Iraqi Women Cannot Be Explained by 'Cultural' Reasons: "'In fact, shifting the focus from culture to gender reveals a system of power that is nearly universal. Yanar Mohammed, the founder of OWFI, describes this year's killings of women in Basra as a campaign 'to restrain women into the domestic domain and end all female participation in the social and political scene.' Compare her comment to Amnesty International's conclusion about the ongoing mass killings of women in Guatemala.
According to Amnesty, that wave of violence, 'carries with it a perverse message: women should abandon the public space they have won at much personal and social effort and shut themselves back up in the private world, abandoning their essential role in national development.' This certainly captures the intent of Iraq's Islamists, who have little in common with the killers of women in Guatemala, other than a rigid adherence to a gendered system of power.'
Susskind compares the violence against women in Iraq to violence against women in Guatemala. But the truth is she could have picked any culture or country on earth and it would be the same. Day in and day out, this blog reports on violence against women throughout the world. The circumstances are always a little different, explained away with various nuances, but in the end it is all the same-women"
AlterNet: Blogs: War on Iraq: Blackwater Gassed US Soldiers
AlterNet: Blogs: War on Iraq: Blackwater Gassed US Soldiers: "Just yesterday, Think Progress reported-
Controversial private security firm Blackwater Worldwide 'has ramped up its lobbying representation on Capitol Hill' by hiring the law firm Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice to 'lobby the government on contracting and other issues.'
Then this comes out today-
Suddenly, on that May day in 2005, the copter dropped CS gas, a riot-control substance the American military in Iraq can use only under the strictest conditions and with the approval of top military commanders. An armored vehicle on the ground also released the gas, temporarily blinding drivers, passers-by and at least 10 American soldiers operating the checkpoint.
'This was decidedly uncool and very, very dangerous,' Capt. Kincy Clark of the Army, the senior officer at the scene, wrote later that day. 'It's not a good thing to cause soldiers who are standing guard against car bombs, snipers and suicide bombers to cover their faces, choke, cough and otherwise degrade our awareness.'
They're going to need all the good p.r. they can get."
AlterNet: ForeignPolicy: Iran: Bush's Tonkin Gulf Tale Unravels
AlterNet: ForeignPolicy: Iran: Bush's Tonkin Gulf Tale Unravels: "The new information that appears to contradict the original version of the incident includes the revelation that U.S. officials spliced the audio recording of an alleged Iranian threat onto to a videotape of the incident. That suggests that the threatening message may not have come in immediately after the initial warning to Iranian boats from a U.S. warship, as appears to do on the video.
Also unraveling the story is testimony from a former U.S. naval officer that non-official chatter is common on the channel used to communicate with the Iranian boats and testimony from the commander of the U.S. 5th fleet that the commanding officers of the U.S. warships involved in the incident never felt the need to warn the Iranians of a possible use of force against them."
The Wall Street Journal Edges Towards Free
The Wall Street Journal Edges Towards Free: "As more and more readers move online, they will expect their news to be free and ad-supported, as it is today on 99 percent of the Web. Even the Wall Street Journal cannot fight market forces and consumer preference forever."
Amazon Completes DRM-Free Roster With Sony-BMG
Amazon Completes DRM-Free Roster With Sony-BMG
" For anyone who was bummed about the hoops they were going to have to jump through to get DRM-free songs from Sony-BMG artists, by the end of the month you will be able to download those songs at Amazon’s MP3 store. A couple days after announcing a weird plan with physical retailers to distribute DRM-free music that will require people to buy a plastic stored value card first and then download it afterwards , Amazon looks to be the first online music distributor to strike a deal with Sony-BMG. It will also be the first online music store to offer DRM-free songs from all four major labels, having previously struck deals with Warner, EMI, and Universal Music.
Sony has uploaded around 200,000 tracks to Amazon, which constitutes their entire “active” catalog (the stuff that actually sells). Our understanding is that their entire catalog will be uploaded over time.
We expect Steve Jobs to announce the addition of Sony-BMG music without DRM to iTunes at MacWorld next week. But for now, Amazon has them all to themselves. Amazon now has 3.25 million DRM-free tracks in their library, compared to just 2 million at iTunes. ITunes has a far larger DRM catalog, but, really, do those tracks even count any more?"
http://www.amazon.com/mp3
The Music Industry’s Last Stand Will Be A Music Tax
The Music Industry’s Last Stand Will Be A Music Tax
from techcrunch:"
Personally, I think a new era of free recorded music and paid live performances is a very good thing. Recorded music will become a marketing tool to get people to pay for concerts and merchandise. Overall the music industry will be smaller in terms of revenue. But the artists who are driven to create their art will continue to do so, and many will make a very good living from it.
But before that happens, the music industry is going to make one last stand to preserve their “bloated bureaucracies.” And that is going to be a call for a music tax to create guaranteed revenues."
Thursday, January 10, 2008
AlterNet: Blogs: Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: New Film Slams Wal-Mart: "Going Big Box vs. Going Local" [VIDEO]
AlterNet: Blogs: Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: New Film Slams Wal-Mart: "Going Big Box vs. Going Local" [VIDEO]: "This Movement Vision Lab film follows one woman on a shopping quest — as we learn about the consequences at every turn."
AlterNet: Blogs: PEEK: Bush Reappoints Mine Safety Chief Who Bungled Crandall Canyon Disaster
AlterNet: Blogs: PEEK: Bush Reappoints Mine Safety Chief Who Bungled Crandall Canyon Disaster: "The Senate had twice rejected his nomination because the mines he managed “incurred injury rates double the national average.”"
AlterNet: Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: 'Democracy,' American Style
AlterNet: Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: 'Democracy,' American Style: "If this is democracy, why doesn't the average wage earner receive a fair share of America's productive economy?"
AlterNet: Election 2008: Baloney, Inequality and Mitt's Family Fortune
AlterNet: Election 2008: Baloney, Inequality and Mitt's Family Fortune
Want to really understand how dramatically the distribution of wealth and income in the United States has changed over the past half-century? To gain that understanding, you could go poring through reams of dense research data. Or you could take a shorter route. You could simply consider the family financial history of Mitt Romney, Wall Street's favorite son in the race for the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination.
This Romney family history encapsulates, over the span of a single generation, just about every dominant trend that has shaped our increasingly unequal times. The tilt to the top. The squeeze on the middle. The assault on honest labor. Mitt Romney, for his part, appears to have precious little interest in telling this story -- or discussing anything else about inequality. "I don't believe," he opined at a recent campaign stop in New Hampshire, "in this baloney that there are two Americas."
But we don't need Mitt to narrate the story of his family's evolving financial fortunes. The details are already sitting in the public record.
Our story starts in 1954, the year that Mitt's dad George became the chief executive of American Motors, the newly created company that had just emerged from what qualified, at the time, as the largest corporate merger in U.S. business history.
George Romney's new executive status, not surprisingly, quickly catapulted the Romney family into the nation's economic elite, the most affluent 0.01 percent of U.S. income-earners. But here's the surprising part. George Romney's new status did not make him super-rich.
In fact, as the top exec at American Motors, George Romney never made more than $225,000 a year. His total annual income over these years -- his auto industry take-home coupled with gains from his personal investments -- only averaged $275,000. That's just $1.8 million in today's dollars, points out New York Times reporter David Leonhardt, a sum not even close to the near $10 million that a corporate executive needed to make in 2005 to enter the ranks of America's topmost 0.01.
And that's also not the only difference between the wealthy in George Romney's time and ours. Back in 1960, taxpayers who reported $275,000 in income paid on average, after exploiting every loophole they could find, just under 44 percent of that income in federal taxes. By contrast, in 2005, the most recent year with IRS data available, taxpayers in America's most affluent 0.01 percent -- average income, $27.3 million -- paid only 20.9 percent of that to Uncle Sam.
In other words, back in George Romney's heyday, America's most affluent one-hundredth of 1 percent paid over twice as much of their income in taxes as their counterparts do today. And they started out, after adjusting for inflation, with considerably less income! What about average Americans, then and now? In George Romney's 1960, American workers were enjoying their most prosperous years ever. Over the quarter century right after World War II, the real incomes of average Americans more than doubled. Indeed, incomes for average Americans jumped faster in these postwar years than incomes for wealthy Americans like George Romney. In 1940, the last full year before U.S. entry into World War II, the most affluent 0.01 percent of U.S. households took home 336 times more income than the average household in the bottom 90 percent. The gap in 1960: only 158 times.
The gap today? A stunning 893 times. What has made today's United States so much more unequal? The quick answer: The twin pillars of growing economic equality back in George Romney's time -- a vital trade union presence throughout the economy and a steeply graduated progressive income tax -- have both crumbled. George Romney's American Motors paid good union wages, as did, at the time, almost all major U.S. companies outside the South. Widespread collective bargaining -- a third of private-sector workers carried union cards -- helped make sure that companies shared the wealth their operations created.
The federal income tax, meanwhile, reinforced this sharing impulse. In 1960, the top tax rate on income over $400,000 stood at 91 percent. Corporate boards then, as now, could pay their top executives whatever they chose. But why bother -- when so little above $400,000 would actually end up in executive pockets? Mitt Romney, George Romney's son, hasn't had to worry about 91 percent top marginal tax rates -- or unions either. He came of business executive age in the early 1980s. By that time, the Reagan "revolution" had already begun sharply shrinking both unions and tax rates on high incomes.
Mitt, first as a private equity company CEO and later as an "anti-tax" pol, has done his best to help this shrinking along. George Romney's American Motors regularly bargained with unions over wages, hours, and working conditions. Private equity companies don't bargain with the workers at the companies they take over. They demand concessions from them. These concessions in hand, private equity execs then quickly turn around and sell their acquisitions, now lusciously profitable, at steep premiums, in the process reaping personal paydays that can routinely reach $50 or even $100 million.
And on these millions, private equity kingpins pay taxes at just a 15 percent rate, the current tax rate on capital gains. On income that doesn't qualify for this preferential capital gains treatment, deep pockets like Mitt Romney today never need to pay taxes at rates higher than 35 percent. Thanks to these precious low tax rates, Mitt now holds a fortune worth as much as $350 million. Out of that sum, he has already spent more on his own Presidential campaign -- over $17 million -- than his dad George earned in his entire business career.
Mitt sees nothing wrong with this picture. Do the American people? In 2008, we'll find out.
AlterNet: Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: Big Oil's Profits and Plunder
AlterNet: Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: Big Oil's Profits and Plunder: "While many impoverished American families are shivering in the winter cold for lack of money to pay the oil baron their exorbitant price for home heating oil, ex-oil man, George W. Bush sleeps in a warm White House and relishes his defeat of the Congressional attempt to get rid of $15 billion in unconscionable tax breaks given those same profit-glutted oil companies like ExxonMobil when crude oil was half the price it is today."
AlterNet: Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: NY Carpenters' Union Embraces Immigrant Organizing
AlterNet: Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: NY Carpenters' Union Embraces Immigrant Organizing: "'The union has had to recognize the reality that the only way to organize is to start organizing the immigrant workers.'"
AlterNet: Experts Warn of Recession -- Duh, We're Living in One Already
AlterNet: Experts Warn of Recession -- Duh, We're Living in One Already: "Growth and productivity mean nothing when they are de-coupled from most people's lived experience: being squeezed."
Mathematician proposes another way of divvying up the US House : Nature News
Mathematician proposes another way of divvying up the US House : Nature News: "One for you, one for me
The Hamilton method, used from 1850 until 1900, is the simplest. In this method, an 'ideal' district size is determined by dividing the US population by 435 (the number of seats). The state populations are then divided by this ideal size to find their deserved fraction of seats. In 2000, for example, California was entitled to a quota of 52.44 seats. The states are then ordered by the size of their fractional remainders. Those with the biggest remainder are the first to be rounded up and given an extra representative. Remaining seats are distributed, down the list, until all 435 seats are meted out."
Slashdot | Identity Theft Skeptic Ends Up As Fraud Victim
Slashdot | Identity Theft Skeptic Ends Up As Fraud Victim: "'British TV host Jeremy Clarkson recently wrote a newspaper editorial ridiculing the uproar that had occurred after the British government admitted to losing two compact discs containing the personal information on 25 million people. To support his claim about the overhyped risks of identity theft, he published his bank account information in the article. Proving that some identity thieves have a sense of humor, a week later, he found out that someone had setup an automatic bank transfer for $1000 to a diabetes charity from his account. This comes less than a year after the CEO of LifeLock, an identity theft protection company which publishes the CEO's social security number on its website, himself was a victim of financial fraud. Back in July of 2007, a man in Texas was able to secure a $500 loan from a payday loan company using the CEO's widely publicized SSN. Will this latest incident finally prove that identity theft is real, and that publishing your own financial info is an invitation for fraud?'"
Slashdot | Diebold Voter Fraud Rumors in New Hampshire Primaries
Slashdot | Diebold Voter Fraud Rumors in New Hampshire Primaries: "'Multiple indications of vote fraud are beginning to pop up regarding the New Hampshire primary elections. Roughly 80% of New Hampshire precincts use Diebold machines, while the remaining 20% are hand counted. A Black Box Voting contributor has compiled a chart of results from hand counted precincts vs. results from machine counted precincts. In machine counted precincts, Clinton beat Obama by almost 5%. In hand counted precincts, Obama beat Clinton by over 4%, which closely matches the scientific polls that were conducted leading up to the election. Another issue is the Republican results from Sutton precinct. The final results showed Ron Paul with 0 votes in Sutton. The next day a Ron Paul supporter came forward claiming that both she and several of her family members had voted for Ron Paul in Sutton. Black Box Voting reports that after being asked about the discrepancy Sutton officials decided that Ron Paul actually received 31 votes in Sutton, but they were left off of the tally sheet due to 'human error.''"
Tata Nano: The $2500 Tata Nano, Unveiled in India
Tata Nano: The $2500 Tata Nano, Unveiled in India: "Tata Motors has finally unveiled the Tata Nano -- its already legendary $2,500 (1-lakh)car. As expected, the car that Tata claims will change the face of not only the Indian car market, but the global auto industry will be a four door, five seat hatch, powered by a 30 HP Bosch 624 cc four stroke engine mounted out back and mated to a CVT. That makes the Nano the first time a 2-cylinder gasoline engine will be used in a car with a single balancer shaft. The Nano's also expected to get 54 US miles per gallon"
Slashdot | Material Turns All Surfaces into Stereo
Slashdot | Material Turns All Surfaces into Stereo: "'According to James Bullen of NXT, 'The UK ministry of defense was experimenting with a way to dampen the sound in helicopters and developed a honeycombed material that did the opposite — conducted sound.' Cambridge-based NXT christened it 'SurfaceSound' and arranged for it to be crafted into Toyota cars, Gateway computers, Hallmark greeting cards and more. NXT is working on ways to put the technology to use in touch screens that promise to be part of a new rage in 'natural interfaces' for computers, mobile telephones, televisions and other electronic devices. Toyota has SurfaceSound in the head liners of four of its car models. NXT recently made a deal with greeting card giant Hallmark to use the technology in 'big cards with big sound' when opened, Bullen said.'"
Slashdot | White House Gets Green by Putting Federal Budget Online
Slashdot | White House Gets Green by Putting Federal Budget Online: "'Looking to save $1 million, 20 tons of paper, or close to 500 trees, the White House said today President Bush's 2009 Federal Budget will for the first time be posted online. The E-Budget will be available for downloading at the Office of Management and Budget Web site on Feb. 4. Typically the White House has paper-bombed congress and anyone else who wanted to read the budget with a tome which can reach 3,000 pages and weighed multiple pounds each.'"
ESPN - UW Class of '66 law school grad pledged $200K if Willingham, AD fired - College Football
ESPN - UW Class of '66 law school grad pledged $200K if Willingham, AD fired - College Football: "Among the many e-mails and letters received by the University of Washington regarding the football program and coach Ty Willingham, there are the usual: words of praise, derision, encouragement, urgency.
And then there was this: an offer by a Huskies alum to donate $100,000 to a Washington law school scholarship if Willingham were fired, and another $100,000 if Todd Turner were fired as athletic director."
ABC News: Pentagon Won't Probe KBR Rape Charges
ABC News: Pentagon Won't Probe KBR Rape Charges: "The Defense Department's top watchdog has declined to investigate allegations that an American woman working under an Army contract in Iraq was raped by her co-workers."
The case of former Halliburton/KBR employee Jamie Leigh Jones gained national attention last month. An ABC News investigation revealed how an earlier investigation into Jones' alleged gang-rape in 2005 had not resulted in any prosecution, and that neither Jones nor Democratic and Republican lawmakers have been able to get answers from the Bush administration on the state of her case.
TPMmuckraker | Talking Points Memo | Civil Rights Commissioner's Double Switch
TPMmuckraker | Talking Points Memo | Civil Rights Commissioner's Double Switch: "Yesterday, we reported that the administration's scheme to pack the Civil Rights Commission with Republicans was on shaky legal footing.
But a TPM reader made a good observation. The packing scheme relies on Republican commissioners changing their party affiliation to 'Independent' after they've been appointed, thus creating room for more Republicans to be appointed (there can be no more than four commissioners at any one time from a single party).
The Republicans who've switched their affiliation, of course, have denied changing them just to create more room for other conservatives. Abigail Thernstrom was no different, telling the Boston Globe's Charlie Savage that she'd just decided that she'd be 'most comfortable' as an independent.
But her comfortability level appears to have abruptly changed. In December, the president reappointed her to the commission, but this time as a Republican, after one of the four Republican nominees left. The move also allowed her to become the commission's vice chairman. (Update/Correction: Bush actually promoted Thernstrom to be vice chair in 2004 -- ironically, six weeks after her first party registration change.)
So to retrace her steps: she was first nominated as a Republican, then registered as an independent, then was re-nominated as an Republican. With that move, the commission's conservative majority drops to five to two -- it's not clear yet who the eighth nominee will be, or what party he or she will represent. But not to worry: the committee can move forward on business with a simply majority, so the commission's direction shouldn't change that much."
New Estimate of Violent Deaths Among Iraqis Is Lower - washingtonpost.com
New Estimate of Violent Deaths Among Iraqis Is Lower - washingtonpost.com: "A new survey estimates that 151,000 Iraqis died from violence in the three years following the U.S.-led invasion of the country. Roughly 9 out of 10 of those deaths were a consequence of U.S. military operations, insurgent attacks and sectarian warfare."
TPMmuckraker | Talking Points Memo | Traffic Engineering, The Blackwater Way
TPMmuckraker | Talking Points Memo | Traffic Engineering, The Blackwater Way: "Back in 2005, The New York Times reports, a Blackwater helicopter dropped tear gas (CS gas) on a checkpoint in Baghdad's Green Zone. 'An armored vehicle on the ground also released the gas, temporarily blinding drivers, passers-by and at least 10 American soldiers operating the checkpoint.... A number of Iraqi civilians, both on foot and in cars waiting to go through the checkpoint, were also exposed. ' The gas, which the American military itself 'can use only under the strictest conditions and with the approval of top military commanders,' causes burning eyes, skin irritation, coughing, difficulty breathing and sometimes even vomiting.
Blackwater's explanation, by way of spokeswoman Anne Tyrell, was that 'a CS gas canister was mistaken for a smoke canister and released near an intersection and checkpoint.' If there was some mistake, both the helicopter and the vehicle on the ground seem to have been mistaken. Oops."
Scholars and Rogues » Blog Archive » The candidates don’t care about our children
Scholars and Rogues » Blog Archive » The candidates don’t care about our children: "There’s a mass transfer of wealth from the young to the same seniors who destroyed the system for the young in the first place coming, and unless they’re actually working to change that transfer of wealth via Social Security, Medicare, and to a lesser extent Medicaid, then the candidates are lying."
RoboCop in Iraq -- In These Times
RoboCop in Iraq -- In These Times: "In the next five years, according to DefenseLink, the Pentagon plans to spend $2 billion on robots, breaking the monopoly of human soldiers in an army"
FBI Wiretaps Dropped Due to Unpaid Bills - washingtonpost.com
FBI Wiretaps Dropped Due to Unpaid Bills - washingtonpost.com: "The FBI, which has had trouble keeping track of its guns and laptops, also has a chronic problem paying its phone bills on time, according to audit results released today.
Telephone companies have repeatedly cut off FBI wiretaps of alleged terrorists and criminal suspects because of failures to pay telecommunication bills, the audit found."
ABC News: U.S.: Voices on Recording May Not Have Been From Iranian Speedboats
ABC News: U.S.: Voices on Recording May Not Have Been From Iranian Speedboats: "We're saying that we cannot make a direct connection to the boats there,' said the spokesperson. 'It could have come from the shore, from another ship passing by. However, it happened in the middle of all the very unusual activity, so as we assess the information and situation, we still put it in the total aggregate of what happened Sunday morning. I guess we're not saying that it absolutely came from the boats, but we're not saying it absolutely didn't.'"
BuzzFlash Exclusive from Senator Bernie Sanders: "It's Time to Stand up and Fight Back" | BuzzFlash.org
BuzzFlash Exclusive from Senator Bernie Sanders: "It's Time to Stand up and Fight Back" | BuzzFlash.org: "In other words, in the United States of America in the winter of 2007-2008, a significant and growing number of our people are hungry, cold and homeless. Many of them also lack access to doctors, dentists or adequate childcare for their young kids. The average working family has seen a decline in their real income during the years since George W. Bush took office. This is America, not some struggling Third World country.
Bush is fighting for budgetary policies that cut back on the needs of the most desperate people in our society. With the cost of home heating oil soaring, Bush wanted a $379 million cut in the low-income heating assistance program. As the affordable housing crisis expands, he called for a major reduction in funding for elderly housing and housing for the disabled. While hunger in America grows, he proposed slashing Food Stamp assistance to 280,000 families. With more than nine million children lacking health insurance, he vetoed legislation that would expand the Children’s Health Insurance Program. He even tried to eliminate the Community Services Block Grant Program that provides desperately needed emergency services for the lowest income people.
Meanwhile, the people on top have never had it so good. The richest 1 percent now own more than 34 percent of the natio’s private wealth, more than the combined wealth of the bottom 90 percent. The share of the national income held by the top 1 percent is now higher than at any time since 1928.
While Bush slashes programs for the poor, his attitude toward his wealthy and powerful friends is very different. For Exxon-Mobil and the other oil companies enjoying record-breaking profits, he was prepared to veto legislation rescinding some of their tax breaks. For the millionaires and billionaires in the top 0.3 percent of the American population, he wants to provide them $1 trillion over a 20-year period by eliminating the estate tax. For Halliburton, Blackwater and other private contractors earning huge profits from the Iraq War, he vigorously opposed any investigations into the no-bid contracts they received. On and on it goes. National polling suggests that Bush is the least popular president in almost 60 years.
Unfortunately, Congress is not doing much better. There are a number of reasons, but at the top of the list is the widespread belief that the Democratic leadership has not been aggressive enough in opposing Bush. The problem has been especially acute in the Senate where Republican obstructionism has been unprecedented. As an independent senator affiliated with the Democratic caucus, it’s my view that in order to regain the confidence of the American people we should be changing our tactics as we enter the new session.
Former Dem nominee Kerry endorses Obama - Yahoo! News
Former Dem nominee Kerry endorses Obama - Yahoo! News: "CHARLESTON, S.C. - John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, gave Barack Obama a timely endorsement Thursday, snubbing Hillary Rodham Clinton as well as his own vice presidential running mate."
The Journal of Joe The Peacock. Yay.: How To Actually Win A Fist Fight
The Journal of Joe The Peacock. Yay.: How To <u>Actually</u> Win A Fist Fight: "How To Actually Win A Fist Fight"
I Got What America Needs Right Here | The Onion - America's Finest News Source
I Got What America Needs Right Here | The Onion - America's Finest News Source: "You better get down on your hands and knees and kiss Jimmy Carter's rosy-red Georgia-peach-picking ass and beg me to run your fucking country again, because there's no way I'm ever gonna come to you fuck-knobs and politely ask you if I might please be a presidential candidate in your precious fuckin' election. So you can just bite my cock. I've had it with you jerkoffs and your jerkoff candidates."
Kelly Tilghman’s ‘Lynch’ Remarks Create Firestorm--Bumpshack.com
Kelly Tilghman’s ‘Lynch’ Remarks Create Firestorm--Bumpshack.com
Kelly Tilghman is in an Olympic size pool of hot water after her comments about young golfers needing to lynch Tiger Woods. Kelly is the anchor for the Golf Channel. She has apologized for the comments and to Wood’s rep.
Golf Channel anchor Kelly Tilghman has made a round of apologies after saying that young golf players should “lynch Tiger Woods in a back alley” as a way to compete with the most dominant player in the sport’s history, ESPN reported Tuesday.
Tilghman made the remarks during Friday’s telecast of the PGA Tour’s opening event at the Mercedes-Benz Championship.
Tilghman does play-by-play for the PGA Tour on the Golf Channel. She is the first woman to do so. She played golf for Duke in college.
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
BuzzFlash.net - Progressive News and Commentary with an Attitude | Fight Ignorance: Read BuzzFlash
BuzzFlash.net - Progressive News and Commentary with an Attitude | Fight Ignorance: Read BuzzFlash: "Obama Wins Major International Union Endorsement"
Bangor (Maine) Daily News First Major Newspaper to Editorialize in Favor of Impeaching Cheney | AfterDowningStreet.org
Over the past 18 months, a core group of Democrats and others from the left has steadfastly maintained that President Bush and Vice President Cheney should be impeached. Mainstream Democrats in Congress are sympathetic to their arguments, but most have bowed to the political reality that impeachment proceedings would gridlock the federal government in the last year of the Bush administration, distract lawmakers from resolving problems that affect the daily lives of Americans, and possibly trigger an endless cycle of reprisal impeachment attempts for future administrations.
There is another angle on this difficult question, raised by Rep. Michael Michaud in a Dec. 21 letter to Rep. John Conyers, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. "There is no doubt that at the very least this Administration has dangerously expanded the scope of executive authority and flaunted the constitutionally defined separation of powers," Rep. Michaud wrote.
The letter urges Rep. Conyers to schedule impeachment hearings on Mr. Cheney, though not on the president’s conduct. Those supporting impeachment argue Cheney in his role in the administration has repeatedly violated the Constitution on matters such as warrantless telephone eavesdropping, deliberately misled Congress and the American people about the threat posed by Iraq and Iran, revealed the name of a CIA agent, and ordered the abuse of prisoners in violation of international treaties.
The specific alleged abuses of power will, for the most part, fade away when the Bush-Cheney administration leaves Washington. But the "dangerously expanded" powers of the executive branch cited by Rep. Michaud could remain in place. Those powers will be inherited regardless of which party takes the White House, and while Democrats may relish the opportunities that come with an expanded presidency, ultimately, such an imbalance in the government is unhealthy and will increase the chance of future abuses.
Mr. Bush’s interpretation of executive powers has led critics to dub his tenure the "imperial presidency." Rep. Michaud correctly notes in his call for hearings on impeachment of Mr. Cheney that: "Expansions and potential abuses of power by this administration become precedents for future ones, which lead to further erosions of our constitutional rights."
Rep. Michaud had given the impeachment matter long and careful thought, his press secretary Monica Castellanos reported, before calling for the hearings. The congressman has not prejudged the outcome of the hearings and possible investigation, she said, but he strongly believes those steps are essential in restoring Americans’ trust in their government.
It is a big step for Congress to take, especially in a politically charged presidential election year. But if it is possible, a dispassionate examination of the manner in which Mr. Cheney and this administration have stretched the executive branch to the point of distorting its constitutional definition would be enlightening, and could help rebalance the powers of the federal government.
BuzzFlash.net - Progressive News and Commentary with an Attitude | Fight Ignorance: Read BuzzFlash
BuzzFlash.net - Progressive News and Commentary with an Attitude | Fight Ignorance: Read BuzzFlash
Rep. Michaud seeks to impeach Cheney
Democratic U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud has called for impeachment hearings into the conduct of Vice President Dick Cheney.Michaud, who represents Maine’s 2nd District, expressed his position in a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers of Michigan last month. In it, Michaud charged that there was "no doubt" that the Bush administration had "dangerously expanded the scope of executive authority" and flouted "the constitutionally defined separation of powers."
Consumers Say Toyota Greenest Car Company · Environmental Leader · Green Business and Corporate Sustainability News
Consumers Say Toyota Greenest Car Company · Environmental Leader · Green Business and Corporate Sustainability News: "Toyota took a dominant first-place ranking in consumer brand perception, according to Consumer Reports Car Brand Perceptions Survey. Twice as many car-shoppers associate Toyota with being environmentally friendly as second-ranked Honda.
Although far behind Toyota and Honda in this ranking, Ford generated buzz when it released the Escape Hybrid, which was the first hybrid SUV."
LAist: Does Your Job Description Include Cock Socks?
LAist: Does Your Job Description Include Cock Socks?: "how about this for an opening about the founder of American Apparel in today's New York Post? 'Dov Charney walks around his office in his underwear, sleeps with employees, and calls women bitches, sluts, whores and the c-word - and that's the stuff he admits to.'
We've all heard rumors that Charney is an ass and it's all coming out before a civil trial that begins here in Los Angeles tomorrow between former employee Mary Nelson, a sales manager who began in November 2003, and the clothing founder. The specific claim? Charney had a meeting with her wearing only a cock sock, invited her to masturbate and fired her when she said she would be talking to a lawyer."
A Life Well-Lived is Not About the Bling ∞ Get Rich Slowly
A Life Well-Lived is Not About the Bling ∞ Get Rich Slowly
I love real-life stories of people who get rich slowly. Paul Navone, a 78-year-old resident of Millville, New Jersey, is one of those. On December 21st, Navone donated $1 million to Cumberland County College. He still has millions left. How did he earn his money? The old-fashioned way: lots of hard work.
The World’s Coolest Solar Collecting Building? » ecoble - ecological design, green innovation and environmental sustainability
US recession is already here, warns Merrill - Telegraph
US recession is already here, warns Merrill - Telegraph: "The US has entered its first full-blown economic recession in 16 years, according to investment bank Merrill Lynch."
Customer data stolen from Geeks.com - dealnews.com
Customer data stolen from Geeks.com - dealnews.com: "Customer data stolen from Geeks.com
Consumerist reports that Geeks.com was hacked, leading to stolen customer data. If you are affected, Geeks.com suggests closely monitoring your credit card statements and credit reports."
Lou Dobbs: Scumbag
So: is Dobbs a Nazi? Not really. Because Mexicans aren't Jews! And because he's not calling for their extermination. Just calling for them to be relocated, by force, out of our motherland! But the question posed up top is whether he'd turn Nazi when it become the expedient thing to do in suburban Jersey (it could happen here!). Using populist "concern" for der Mittelstand to rile up the folks about an imagined, darker-skinned threat is a pretty good indicator of the direction he'd fall.
Now Lou wants to run for President! Or, at least, he's not ruling it out. Anything's possible, and anyone who can so effectively split the difference between the most despicable and craven aspects of both major parties would surely gain more popular nationwide support than Michael Bloomberg. But Dobbs ain't a Hitler, he's a Goebbels—an educated gentleman used to the finer things in life pretending at solidarity with the workers in order to fatten his coffers and improve his standing.
Police: 'Radio Boy' Caught In Online Sex Sting - News Story - WMAQ | Chicago
Police: 'Radio Boy' Caught In Online Sex Sting - News Story - WMAQ | Chicago
Wawrzyniak, also known as Radio Boy on KISS-FM (103.5 FM), was charged after an online sting operation involving police detectives posing as the boy caught him soliciting sex from the child and setting up a meeting place.
Axium: The Enron Of The Payroll Services World?
Axium: The Enron Of The Payroll Services World?
"The reason for this is all because of the two owners [Ron Garber and John Visconti]. They mismanaged funds and sent a very profitable company and all of its employees and production payroll clients down the drain. They could have fixed things but decided not to. All 350 plus employees were notified via email not to show up for work and are most likely not going to be paid for their last week or two. Nobody had any idea this was going to happen since everything had been going so well. It is like another Enron."
Short Ends: Letterman Shaved, Sloppily
Short Ends: Letterman Shaved, Sloppily
video recap of last night's various acts of talk-show-host facial hair removal, in which a unibrow is plucked, a Moses-beard shredded, and a drifter-thicket shaved
Virtual Banking Banned in Second Life
Virtual Banking Banned in Second Life
Linden Lab has announced that virtual banking within Second Life is to be banned effective January 22 after receiving multiple complaints by Second Life residents scammed by bank operators.
Banking and associated services have become popular in Second Life over the last two years, with many offering ponzi style interest schemes that usually sounded too good to be true. Ginko Financial was the best known failure amongst Second Life banks, owing 200 million Linden ($750,000) to depositors when it declared itself insolvent in August 2007.
In a post on the Second Life blog
, Ken Linden said that as well as not being able to provide protection to Second Life users with these banks running, their legality under law is also questionable. The decision is unlikely to affect virtual stock exchanges but may affect groups such as Second Life credit card provider Metacard, who also previously offered bank services as well.
Second Life banks are experiencing a run on their funds as customers seek to get their money before the ban comes in place. Companies such as JT Financial have been inundated by customers wanting to know what is going on. Screen shot of the JT Financial crisis meeting below.
Banking joins bestiality and gambling on the banned in Second Life list.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Lorenzo di Bonaventura Talks Everything 'G.I. Joe' | Movie News | RopeofSilicon.com Entertainment News
Lorenzo di Bonaventura Talks Everything 'G.I. Joe' | Movie News | RopeofSilicon.com Entertainment News
IESB: Is Zartan going to be in the film?
LDB: Zartan will be in the film.
IESB: Are we also two weeks away from knowing who is playing Zartan?
LDB: Zartan is probably within the next week, week and a half. We know who it is, we are just negotiating right now.
IESB: Is he an Aussie?
LDB: (Pause) He is a really good actor, you guys are gonna like him. (laughs)
IESB: That's very good. Alright sir, are we going to see another female character, Cover Girl?
LDB: Right now Cover Girl is in the script but whether we can afford her or not is another question.
IESB: How soon will you be announcing Destro?
LDB: Within the next two weeks, I will comfortably tell you that. We don't have a guy chosen, we have the list down to about 4 or 5. All of them are of the English, Irish, Scottish persuasion shall we say.
IESB: Can we get a character breakdown? We've got Snake Eyes, we got Ripcord, Hawk? Any word on how soon we'll be hearing about Hawk?
LDB: I would say within the next two weeks both Destro and Hawk will be cast…and I would say to you that there's already been an announcement of a guy we're in negotiations with who would play one of the villains…
Blog@Newsarama » The smooch heard ’round the world
Blog@Newsarama » The smooch heard ’round the world
n Page Six-like fashion, the New York Post catches Peter Parker, um, macking on a woman who’s not Mary Jane:
Spider-Man, you dog!
The first issue of the Amazing Spider-Man to feature a single Spidey in 20 years hits comic book stores this week, and the first page shows the webbed wonder’s alter ego Peter Parker locking lips with a woman who isn’t wife Mary Jane Watson.
“The first page is a real shocker and it’s done on purpose. It’s a bit of a slap of reality to longtime readers,” said Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada.
Amazing Spider-Man #546, which kicks off the “Brand New Day” storyline, hits shelves this week.
Slashdot | Mass Hack Infects Tens of Thousands of Sites
Slashdot | Mass Hack Infects Tens of Thousands of Sites: "An anonymous reader writes 'Tens of thousands of Web sites have been compromised by an automated SQL injection attack, and although some have been cleaned, others continue to serve visitors a malicious script that tries to hijack their PCs using multiple exploits, security experts said this weekend. Hacked sites included both .edu and .gov domains, the SANS Institute's Internet Storm Center reported in a warning posted last Friday. The ISC also reported that several pages of security vendor CA's Web site had been infected. Roger Thompson, the chief research officer at Grisoft, pointed out that the hacked sites could be found via a simple Google search for the domain that hosts the malicious JavaScript. On Saturday, said Thompson, the number of sites that had fallen victim to the attack numbered more than 70,000. 'This was a pretty good mass hack,' said Thompson, in a post to his blog.' By Sunday a second round of the same attack had infected over 90,000 servers."
Slashdot | Sony's Idea of DRM-Free Music
Slashdot | Sony's Idea of DRM-Free Music "Leave it to Sony to mess up DRM-free music downloads. What is the point of DRM-free tracks if you still have to go to a retail store to buy them? From the Infoworld article: 'The tracks will be offered in MP3 format, without DRM, from Jan. 15 in the U.S. and from late January in Canada... The move is far from the all-digital service offered by its rivals, though. To obtain the Sony-BMG tracks, would-be listeners will first have to go to a retail store to buy a Platinum MusicPass, a card containing a secret code, for a suggested retail price of $12.99. Once they have scratched off the card's covering to expose the code, they will be able to download one of just 37 albums available through the service, including Britney Spears' "Blackout" and Barry Manilow's "The Greatest Songs of the Seventies."'"
Slashdot | Professors Slam Java As "Damaging" To Students
Slashdot | Professors Slam Java As "Damaging" To Students: "jfmiller call to our attention two professors emeritus of computer science at New York University who have penned an article titled Computer Science Education: Where Are the Software Engineers of Tomorrow? in which they berate their university, and others, for not teaching solid languages like C, C++, Lisp, and ADA. The submitter wonders whether any CS students or professors would care to respond. Quoting the article: 'The resulting set of skills [from today's educational practices] is insufficient for today's software industry (in particular for safety and security purposes) and, unfortunately, matches well what the outsourcing industry can offer. We are training easily replaceable professionals... Java programming courses did not prepare our students for the first course in systems, much less for more advanced ones. Students found it hard to write programs that did not have a graphic interface, had no feeling for the relationship between the source program and what the hardware would actually do, and (most damaging) did not understand the semantics of pointers at all, which made the use of C in systems programming very challenging.'"
Slashdot | Microsoft Apologizes To Rival
Slashdot | Microsoft Apologizes To Rival: "'Microsoft apologized to rival software vendor Corel Corp. for saying that Corel's file format posed a security risk, and issued a set of tools to unblock file types that had been blocked by default in the December Office 2003 service pack. In his blog on the Microsoft site, David Leblanc says 'We did a poor job of describing the default format changes.' He goes on to explain, 'We stated that it was the file formats that were insecure, but this is actually not correct. A file format isn't insecure — it's the code that reads the format that's more or less secure.' As noted by News.com, 'it is the parsing code that Office 2003 uses to open and save the file types that is less secure.' Larry Seltzer at pcmag.com also blogs the story.'"
The Dallas Morning News | Dallas Cowboys/NFL news
The Dallas Morning News | Dallas Cowboys/NFL news
he league just passed along numbers from NFLshop.com's sales for the period from April 1 through the end of 2007, and America's team proved again to be just that. Here's the team rankings and, if you follow the jump, you'll get the jersey sale numbers and a few quick facts that we got.
TOP 10 SELLING NFL TEAMS MERCHANDISE
1. Dallas Cowboys
2. New England Patriots
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
4. Chicago Bears
5. Green Bay Packers
6. Indianapolis Colts
7. Washington Redskins
8. New York Giants
9. Philadelphia Eagles
10. San Diego Chargers
TOP 25 SELLING NFL PLAYER JERSEYS
1. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys
2. Tom Brady, New England Patriots
3. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts
4. Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers
5. LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers
6. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
7. Brian Urlacher, Chicago Bears
8. Randy Moss, New England Patriots
9. Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh Steelers
10. Reggie Bush, New Orleans Saints
11. Devin Hester, Chicago Bears
12. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
13. Terrell Owens, Dallas Cowboys
14. Brady Quinn, Cleveland Browns
15. Marion Barber, Dallas Cowboys
16. Sean Taylor, Washington Redskins
17. Eli Manning, New York Giants
18. Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia Eagles
19. Vince Young, Tennessee Titans
20. Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys
21. Chad Johnson, Cincinnati Bengals
22. Hines Ward, Pittsburgh Steelers
23. Champ Bailey, Denver Broncos
24. DeMarcus Ware, Dallas Cowboys
25. Bob Sanders, Indianapolis Colts
* Romo started the season (April 1 - Aug. 31, 2007) at No. 3. He finished at No. 1. Owens was No. 15 and finished at No. 13.
* Those were the only two Cowboys in the top 25 at season's start (Aug. 31). Now, there are five.
It's the Bears vs. the Packers, again - Darryl Enriquez: Waukesha FYI
It's the Bears vs. the Packers, again - Darryl Enriquez: Waukesha FYI
Former Chicago Bears defensive end and head coach of the Chicago Slaughter Steve "Mongo" McMichael will fight former Green Bay Packers defensive player and head coach of the Milwaukee Bone Crushers Gilbert “Grave Digger” Brown.
Huckabee vows to defy birthright citizenship - - The Washington Times, America's Newspaper
Huckabee vows to defy birthright citizenship - - The Washington Times, America's Newspaper
Mike Huckabee wants to amend the Constitution to prevent children born in the U.S. to illegal aliens from automatically becoming American citizens, according to his top immigration surrogate — a radical step no other major presidential candidate has embraced.
Mr. Huckabee, who won last week's Republican Iowa caucuses, promised Minuteman Project founder James Gilchrist that he would force a test case to the Supreme Court to challenge birthright citizenship, and would push Congress to pass a 28th Amendment to the Constitution to remove any doubt.
Jobs Picture, January 4, 2008
Jobs Picture, January 4, 2008: "The unemployment rate jumped up to 5% last month, and non-government payrolls fell by 13,000, in a far weaker job report than was expected, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics report on the labor market for December 2007. Total payrolls rose by 18,000 the weakest month for job growth since August 2003, the last month of the jobless recovery.
Though one month of particularly weak jobs data does not necessarily signal a new, negative trend, a broad set of indicators throughout today's report suggest the weakening economy has finally reached the job market:"
AlterNet: Blogs: Health and Wellness: New Health Care Ad: Every American Deserves CheneyCare
AlterNet: Blogs: Health and Wellness: New Health Care Ad: Every American Deserves CheneyCare
Last month, the California Nurses Association and the National Nurses Organizing Committee ran ads in Iowa newspapers advocating for a single-payer health-care bill, highlighting the fact Vice President Dick Cheney has benefited from his government-provided coverage. "If he were anyone else, he'd probably be dead by now" due to his long history of health problems, claimed the ad.
In the group's newest round of ads, which ran "in eight New Hampshire papers" on Friday and will go "national" today, they dub a new name for "guaranteed, publicly-funded health care for all Americans": CheneyCare.
The ad "asks readers to go to CheneyCare.org and sign a petition in support of CheneyCare for all Americans":
Cheney's office "did not respond to a request for comment" by the Washington Examiner, but in December, when the original ads ran, Cheney spokesperson Megan Mitchell said that "something this outrageous does not warrant a response."
As ThinkProgress noted at the time, what is actually outrageous is the fact that there are roughly 47 million people in America without health insurance, including 3.2 million children, but President Bush twice vetoed legislation that would have expanded coverage to 4 million more children.
While it is certainly good that Vice President Cheney was able get the medical attention he needed, the groups' ad is right. Americans do deserve "CheneyCare for all."
AlterNet: Blogs: Election 2008: "The Simpsons": Ralph Wiggum Launches '08 Presidential Run [VIDEO]
AlterNet: Blogs: Election 2008: "The Simpsons": Ralph Wiggum Launches '08 Presidential Run [VIDEO]: "'I want a tricycle and a dog who won't chew my Hot Wheels, and a brighter future for America,' says Wiggum."
AlterNet: Blogs: Election 2008: Huckabee's Call to Soldiers in Christ’s Army: "Obey Orders"
AlterNet: Blogs: Election 2008: Huckabee's Call to Soldiers in Christ’s Army: "Obey Orders"
Mike Huckabee proved Sunday he is just a little too comfortable fighting for souls for Christ. He delivered the sermon at an evangelical church in New Hampshire, and his words should leave non-Christians and reasonable people of every faith troubled.
"When we become believers, it's as if we have signed up to be part of God's Army, to be soldiers for Christ," Huckabee told the enthusiastic audience...
"When you give yourself to Christ, some relationships have to go," he said. "It's no longer your life; you've signed it over."
Likening service to God to service in the military, Huckabee said "there is suffering in the conditioning for battle" and "you obey the orders."
Mother Mary. Do we really want a president who believes he signed his life over to Christ? Or anyone else, for that matter? I mean at least Bush makes it clear by both word and deed that he doesn't actually believe all that God and heaven and hell stuff.
AlterNet: Blogs: Election 2008: Obama as the Repudiation of Generational Failure
AlterNet: Blogs: Election 2008: Obama as the Repudiation of Generational Failure: "In some ways, an Obama victory would be a very, very good thing. The truth is that, as a nation, we failed from 1994 to 2007. We failed to expand health care coverage. We failed to stop the increasing corporatization of our lives and vicious exploitation of the Third World. We failed to close the income gap, either nationally or internationally. We failed to stop global warming. We have failed to respond to the threat of peak oil. We failed to stop a Presidential election from being stolen. We failed to stop the war in Iraq. The end result of these failures is that the Apollo Program of this era in American history is the war in Iraq. That's right--instead of doing something like, say, going to the Moon or stopping global warming, we invaded Iraq. In every political aspect, America has failed its generational role as a world leader in the post-Cold War era. While I refer to this as a generational failure, it is not limited to Americans of any age group. It isn't a failure of Boomers or Gen X or the Silent generation, or any of that. It is a generational failure in the lifespan of our country where we failed to live up to the promise of our nation. All adult Americans alive during that time period share a role in our failure."
AlterNet: Blogs: PEEK: Bush Spokesman Incorrectly Claims "No One Is Predicting a Recession"
AlterNet: Blogs: PEEK: Bush Spokesman Incorrectly Claims "No One Is Predicting a Recession": "The entire concept of 'recessions' and 'predictions' may be out of reach for the spokesman to a president who only 'got a B in Econ 101.'"
AlterNet: Blogs: Video: Hillary Shows Emotion and Unleashes a Torrent of Sexism
AlterNet: Blogs: Video: Hillary Shows Emotion and Unleashes a Torrent of Sexism: "It's bad enough that the media attacks Clinton if she shows any emotion, but to have her own party members play that cheap sexist card is too much."
AlterNet: Blogs: Election 2008: Fox News and Bill O'Reilly Attack Obama Staffer [VIDEO]
AlterNet: Blogs: Election 2008: Fox News and Bill O'Reilly Attack Obama Staffer [VIDEO]: "It's been fun watching O'Reilly make a spectacle of himself, traveling to New Hampshire to beg Barack to come on his show."
The internet is buzzing with Billy boy shoving an Obama staffer this weekend, thanks in large part to our friends at Crooks and Liars. It's been fun watching O'Reilly make a spectacle of himself, traveling to New Hampshire to beg Barack to come on his show.
Jonathan and Bill, our FOX Attacks duo, rushed in to do a video showing why Obama is so right to remain strong and principled in refusing to go on. See the video and laugh out loud at his invoking the Constitution, I kid you not!
Please spread the video FAR AND WIDE. We want thousands signing on to support Obama in hanging tough against the FOX bullies.
And let's have a little fun too. Post a comment on the blog with all the reasons you can think of why Obama should not go on Billy's show. The most compelling/funny/interesting will score some cool BNF gear and a signed Outfoxed: FOX Attacks! Special Edition DVD.
AlterNet: Blogs: PEEK: Obama Ties Hillary Nationally, Leads by 20 in SC and Gets More Secret Service Too
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Slashdot | Scientist Suggests We Explore 'Universe is a VR Simulation' Theory
Slashdot | Scientist Suggests We Explore 'Universe is a VR Simulation' Theory
"A New Zealand physicist has written a paper saying that physicists should seriously explore the possibility the universe is a giant virtual reality simulation. He says that the existence of quantum phenomena could be due to the underlying digital nature of the simulation and also claims his VR hypothesis can explain relativity, the big bang and more. It should be possible to perform experiments to prove the hypothesis too. He reasons that if reality was to do something that information processing cannot, then it cannot be virtual."
Slashdot | Why Intel and OLPC Parted Ways
Slashdot | Why Intel and OLPC Parted Ways
"The New York Times has an article that sheds some light on why Intel left the OLPC board: 'A frail partnership between Intel and the One Laptop Per Child educational computing group was undone last month in part by an Intel saleswoman: She tried to persuade a Peruvian official to drop the country's commitment to buy a quarter-million of the organization's laptops in favor of Intel PCs. Intel and the group had a rocky relationship from the start in their short-lived effort to get inexpensive laptops into the hands of the world's poorest children. But the saleswoman's tactic was the final straw for Nicholas Negroponte.'"
Lone holdout in DRMed music recommends DRM circumvention
Lone holdout in DRMed music recommends DRM circumvention
Hence you can imagine our delight when a reader alerted us to the fact that Sony tacitly recognizes the inconvenience caused by its DRM usage and even recommends that iPod users circumvent some of its own DRM. On the Sony Rewards site, we learn that we can cash in Sony Rewards points for music from artists like Avril Lavigne, The Fray, Clint Black, Kelly Clarkson, Elvis Presley and more. Then there's this curious bit, which I quote in full:
Attention iPod users:
Our download service provides files in the WMA music format or the WMV video format, which is not supported by Apple Macintosh computers. To use your music with an iPod, simply follow the steps below:
1. Save each downloaded song to your PC
2. Burn a music CD (in CDA file format)
3. Import the music from the CD into iTunes
4. Update your iPod
The instructions are what one might call the caveman's circumvention technique: burning CD-audio compliant CDs from DRMed source material and re-ripping them to get rid of DRM works, but it does cause a generational loss in audio quality.
The best way to get rid of DRM is to strip it, of course, but Sony won't recommend that because it is illegal in the United States, and it might just make Microsoft (the DRM vendor in this instance) a little bit unhappy.
Will Sony wake up and realize that it is creating difficulties for itself by continuing to use DRM? We think it's inevitable. Barring Universal finding something unsavory in its watermarking test, it's a total numbers game: Sony won't want to be the odd man out. That doesn't mean we should expect an announcement soon. Sony is about as stubborn as they come.
Consider Sony Connect. The offering was nothing other than Sony's attempt to ape Apple's iTunes-iPod play, complete with lock-in and proprietary formats that don't play on other devices. The service failed miserably, and the company shuttered Sony Connect this past summer. Sony is still reportedly hoping to pull of this kind of play in the video scene, however, with the PS3 and PSP.
Update
BusinessWeek.com is reporting that Sony is close to throwing in the DRM towel. Sources close to the company tell BusinessWeek that part of its catalog will be made available without DRM during the first quarter of 2008. First up will be a promotion in partnership with Pepsi that will involve the distribution of 1 billion tracks via the Amazon Music Store, which sells non-DRMed music. This may indicate a long-awaited change of heart towards DRM on Sony's part—and make it trivially simple for music fans to get Sony music on to any digital media player.
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