Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Newsweek: Obama's Experience Trumps McCain's? | NewsBusters.org
Newsweek: Obama's Experience Trumps McCain's? | NewsBusters.org: "Newsweek is at it again (see here, here, and here for starters). Virtually any positive angle its writers can come up with for Barack Obama, it'll take. The latest comes from 'special guest columnist' Alan Ehrenhalt who argues -- and then doesn't argue (you'll see what I mean) -- that Barack Obama's experience as a state legislator makes him more qualified (to be president) than John McCain's twenty-two years as a U.S. Senator (and his four years as a U.S. Representative before that).
But here's something I bet you didn't know: If Obama becomes president, he will have spent more time serving as a state legislator (eight years) than anyone who has occupied the White House since Abraham Lincoln.
You're thinking that's kind of irrelevant. John McCain has been a member of the U.S. Senate since 1986; do I really mean to suggest that Obama's eight years in the Illinois Senate (not the most august deliberative body, as anyone who has seen it will attest) provide the same preparation for the presidency? Well, not exactly. But looking back on quite a few years covering Congress, and an almost equal number of years following legislatures, I'm drawn to some slightly curmudgeonly comments about what it is that U.S. senators do, and what it is that state legislators do."
But here's something I bet you didn't know: If Obama becomes president, he will have spent more time serving as a state legislator (eight years) than anyone who has occupied the White House since Abraham Lincoln.
You're thinking that's kind of irrelevant. John McCain has been a member of the U.S. Senate since 1986; do I really mean to suggest that Obama's eight years in the Illinois Senate (not the most august deliberative body, as anyone who has seen it will attest) provide the same preparation for the presidency? Well, not exactly. But looking back on quite a few years covering Congress, and an almost equal number of years following legislatures, I'm drawn to some slightly curmudgeonly comments about what it is that U.S. senators do, and what it is that state legislators do."
Labels: National Politics, News, Time Waster;, WTF
Monday, June 23, 2008
Op-Ed Columnist - Paul Krugman - Home Not-So-Sweet Home, and the ownership obsession - Op-Ed - NYTimes.com
Interesting article... read the whole thing...
Paul Krugman
Blog: The Conscience of a Liberal
Op-Ed Columnist - Paul Krugman - Home Not-So-Sweet Home, and the ownership obsession - Op-Ed - NYTimes.com: "“Owning a home lies at the heart of the American dream.” So declared President Bush in 2002, introducing his “Homeownership Challenge” — a set of policy initiatives that were supposed to sharply increase homeownership, especially for minority groups.
Oops. While homeownership rose as the housing bubble inflated, temporarily giving Mr. Bush something to boast about, it plunged — especially for African-Americans — when the bubble popped. Today, the percentage of American families owning their own homes is no higher than it was six years ago, and it’s a good bet that by the time Mr. Bush leaves the White House homeownership will be lower than it was when he moved in."
Paul Krugman
Blog: The Conscience of a Liberal
Op-Ed Columnist - Paul Krugman - Home Not-So-Sweet Home, and the ownership obsession - Op-Ed - NYTimes.com: "“Owning a home lies at the heart of the American dream.” So declared President Bush in 2002, introducing his “Homeownership Challenge” — a set of policy initiatives that were supposed to sharply increase homeownership, especially for minority groups.
Oops. While homeownership rose as the housing bubble inflated, temporarily giving Mr. Bush something to boast about, it plunged — especially for African-Americans — when the bubble popped. Today, the percentage of American families owning their own homes is no higher than it was six years ago, and it’s a good bet that by the time Mr. Bush leaves the White House homeownership will be lower than it was when he moved in."
Labels: National Politics, News
Monday, June 16, 2008
From NEWS BUSTERS
Ohio Judge With Posters of Che and Obama, Where's MSM Outrage?
By Warner Todd Huston | June 16, 2008 - 18:27 ET
The AP had a short newsbreak story on Lorain County Common Pleas Judge James Burge who ruled that the state must stop the method of executions in the state, saying that the "lethal injection procedure doesn't provide the quick and painless death required by Ohio law." Accompanying the short story is the picture we post here showing the judge in his office where he proudly displays two posters, one with murderer, insurrectionist and communist Che Guevara upon it and the other is the famous "Hope" poster put out by the Barack Obama campaign.
Labels: Election, National Politics, News, Obama
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Sales of Spam rise as consumers trim spending
Much-maligned canned meat benefits from ad campaign, weak economy
Cans of Spam line the shelves at a store in Berlin, Vermont. Sales of Spam are rising as consumers turning more to lunch meats and other lower-cost foods as a way of stretching they're already stretched food budgets.
updated 2 hours, 46 minutes ago
MILWAUKEE - Love it, hate it or laugh at it — at least it's inexpensive.
Sales of Spam — that much maligned meat — are rising as consumers are turning more to lunch meats and other lower-cost foods to extend their already stretched food budgets.
What was once cheeky, silly and the subject of a Monty Python musical, Spam is now back on the table as people turn to the once-snubbed canned meat as costs rise, analysts say.
Fliers Lose More: US Airways says "so long snacks"
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) - May 28, 2008 -- Fliers, let go of the pretzels and peanuts.
In what could be the ultimate cost-cutting move by airlines buffeted by sky-high fuel prices, US Airways Group says it will eliminate free snacks in coach class on all its domestic flights starting June 1.
US Airways also says it has matched last week's fare hikes by United Airlines, AMR Corp.'s American Airlines and Delta Air Lines Inc. The increases are from $10 to $60 per round trip and vary based on the length of the flight.
US Airways spokesman Morgan Durrant says the move to cut free snacks was needed to save money in a time of extremely high fuel costs. The price of jet fuel has soared this year with crude oil prices in the $130-per-barrel range.
Labels: News
Monday, May 19, 2008
FOXNews.com - 2 Colorado Men Exchange Taser Shots in Confrontation Over Parking Boot - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News
FOXNews.com - 2 Colorado Men Exchange Taser Shots in Confrontation Over Parking Boot - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News: "2 Colorado Men Exchange Taser Shots in Confrontation Over Parking Boot"
Monday, May 19, 2008
BOULDER, Colo. — It wasn't exactly pistols at 30 paces, but police say a security company supervisor and a restaurateur shot each other with Tasers in a "bonehead" confrontation over parking.
Officers said neither man needed medical attention after the Saturday confrontation, but Harvey Epstein, co-owner of Mamacitas restaurant, was arrested on suspicion of felony menacing and using a stun gun.
A police report said Epstein and Casey M. Dane, a supervisor for Colorado Security Services Inc., were arguing over a metal boot that one of Dane's guards had clamped on a wheel of a van parked behind Mamacitas.
Dane told police he was afraid Epstein was going to hit him with a 2-foot-long pair of bolt cutters. Epstein told police he had only tried to remove the boot with the bolt cutters and hadn't threatened anyone with them.
Epstein told police Dane put his hand on a holstered pistol and threatened to shoot him. Dane told The Associated Press by telephone that he did put his hand on the holstered pistol but never threatened to shoot Epstein.
Both men drew Tasers.
MORE
Labels: Just Because, News, WTF
Peter Thiel Makes Down Payment on Libertarian Ocean Colonies
Peter Thiel Makes Down Payment on Libertarian Ocean Colonies: "Peter Thiel Makes Down Payment on Libertarian Ocean Colonies
By Alexis Madrigal Email 05.19.08 | 12:00 AM"
Illustration: Valdemar Duran
By Alexis Madrigal Email 05.19.08 | 12:00 AM"
Illustration: Valdemar Duran
Tired of the United States and the other 190-odd nations on Earth?
If a small team of Silicon Valley millionaires get their way, in a few years, you could have a new option for global citizenship: A permanent, quasi-sovereign nation floating in international waters.
With a $500,000 donation from PayPal founder Peter Thiel, a Google engineer and a former Sun Microsystems programmer have launched The Seasteading Institute, an organization dedicated to creating experimental ocean communities "with diverse social, political, and legal systems."
"Decades from now, those looking back at the start of the century will understand that Seasteading was an obvious step towards encouraging the development of more efficient, practical public-sector models around the world," Thiel said in a statement.
It might sound like the setting for the videogame Bioshock, but the institute isn't playing around: It plans to splash a prototype into the San Francisco Bay within the next two years, the first step toward establishing deep-water city-states, or what it calls "seasteads" -- homesteads on the high seas.
Labels: Environment, Just Because, News, Ocean, Technology
Sunday, May 18, 2008
More News of Interest: At least to me...
Cuba holds large gay rights rally Raul Castro's daughter presides at government-backed event
Montana teen is in a class by himself ... literally Jeff Greenwood is only student to graduate from his high school this year
Disney Attraction Puts Guests in Eye of Hurricane Charley
11 questions for Indiana Jones' whip trainer
Montana teen is in a class by himself ... literally Jeff Greenwood is only student to graduate from his high school this year
Disney Attraction Puts Guests in Eye of Hurricane Charley
11 questions for Indiana Jones' whip trainer
Labels: cuba, Just Because, News, Technology, WTF
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Makers of cigars fear bill's burn -- chicagotribune.com
Makers of cigars fear bill's burn -- chicagotribune.com: "Makers of cigars fear bill's burn Nicaragua, other exporters say U.S. proposal to raise excise taxes will devastate economies
By Oscar Avila | Tribune foreign correspondent August 28, 2007 ESTELI, Nicaragua -
This town's residents have gotten a taste of prosperity. And a whiff. The savory odor of tobacco from Esteli's cigar factories is a reminder of how this region helped Nicaragua become the third-largest foreign cigar supplier to the U.S. At the Grupo Plasencia factory, William Espinoza and other workers earn comfortable salaries by drying, cutting, sorting and rolling squares of tobacco leaf. But instead of satisfaction, the workplace is full of unease and dark humor these days, such as when a co-worker points out the duffel bag near Espinoza's work station."
More
By Oscar Avila | Tribune foreign correspondent August 28, 2007 ESTELI, Nicaragua -
This town's residents have gotten a taste of prosperity. And a whiff. The savory odor of tobacco from Esteli's cigar factories is a reminder of how this region helped Nicaragua become the third-largest foreign cigar supplier to the U.S. At the Grupo Plasencia factory, William Espinoza and other workers earn comfortable salaries by drying, cutting, sorting and rolling squares of tobacco leaf. But instead of satisfaction, the workplace is full of unease and dark humor these days, such as when a co-worker points out the duffel bag near Espinoza's work station."
More
Labels: cigars, National Politics, News
Thursday, August 23, 2007
FOXNews.com - NAACP: Michael Vick Should Return to the NFL - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News
Now I have kept quiet about this, but this just bites my shorts. Which fans does he have left all the dog fighting trainers in the world. I am sorry but prison time is just not enough.
FOXNews.com - NAACP: Michael Vick Should Return to the NFL - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News: "ATLANTA — An NAACP leader said Michael Vick should be allowed to return to the NFL, preferably the Atlanta Falcons, after serving his sentence for his role in a dogfighting operation. 'As a society, we should aid in his rehabilitation and welcome a new Michael Vick back into the community without a permanent loss of his career in football,' said R.L. White, president of the group's Atlanta chapter. 'We further ask the NFL, Falcons, and the sponsors not to permanently ban Mr. Vick from his ability to bring hours of enjoyment to fans all over this country.'"
FOXNews.com - NAACP: Michael Vick Should Return to the NFL - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News: "ATLANTA — An NAACP leader said Michael Vick should be allowed to return to the NFL, preferably the Atlanta Falcons, after serving his sentence for his role in a dogfighting operation. 'As a society, we should aid in his rehabilitation and welcome a new Michael Vick back into the community without a permanent loss of his career in football,' said R.L. White, president of the group's Atlanta chapter. 'We further ask the NFL, Falcons, and the sponsors not to permanently ban Mr. Vick from his ability to bring hours of enjoyment to fans all over this country.'"
Labels: Football, News, Sports
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Rocky Patel Speaks Out On The Cigar Tax
Friday, July 20, 2007
Cigar Aficionados Want Tax Plan To Go Up In Smoke
cbs4.com - Cigar Aficionados Want Tax Plan To Go Up In Smoke: "Men, and women, who love a good cigar may go into stogie sticker shock if Congress has its way.
A measure making its way through the halls of Congress would not only raise the tax on cigarettes and cigars, it would raise the tax on some cigars through the roof.
Cigarettes, which account 95 percent of tobacco tax collections, are the main focus of the bill. Federal taxes on a pack would jump from 39-cents to $1.
As for cigars, currently the federal government levies a flat tax of 5-cents per cigar. If the proposed legislation passes, it would increase the tax up to $10 per cigar, depending on the price of the cigar. In some cases that would be an increase of up to 20 thousand percent.
Under measure being considered, a cigar would be taxed at 53-percent of its wholesale price. For example, if a cigar costs $5 now, under the new tax plan the price would increase by more than half - to just over $7.50. A cigar that costs $20 would be taxed $10 under the new plan.
The impact of cigar dealers, large and small, would be enormous.
'I have a thousand open boxes of cigars,' said Jorge Valdes of Sabor Havana Cigars in Doral. 'Put 20-thousand percent on top of each cigar and you tell me what that number is.'"
A measure making its way through the halls of Congress would not only raise the tax on cigarettes and cigars, it would raise the tax on some cigars through the roof.
Cigarettes, which account 95 percent of tobacco tax collections, are the main focus of the bill. Federal taxes on a pack would jump from 39-cents to $1.
As for cigars, currently the federal government levies a flat tax of 5-cents per cigar. If the proposed legislation passes, it would increase the tax up to $10 per cigar, depending on the price of the cigar. In some cases that would be an increase of up to 20 thousand percent.
Under measure being considered, a cigar would be taxed at 53-percent of its wholesale price. For example, if a cigar costs $5 now, under the new tax plan the price would increase by more than half - to just over $7.50. A cigar that costs $20 would be taxed $10 under the new plan.
The impact of cigar dealers, large and small, would be enormous.
'I have a thousand open boxes of cigars,' said Jorge Valdes of Sabor Havana Cigars in Doral. 'Put 20-thousand percent on top of each cigar and you tell me what that number is.'"
Labels: cigars, National Politics, News, tabacco
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
WTF- Cigarmakers in a panic
This is a MAJOR WTF: the government is really getting out of hand. I am wondering what is next. tax this tax that.
Business: Cigarmakers in a panic: "Eric Newman punches the numbers on his calculator and gapes at the results one more time.
It's no mathematical error: The federal government has proposed raising taxes on premium cigars, the kind Newman's family has been rolling for decades in Ybor City, by as much as 20,000 percent.
As part of an increase in tobacco taxes designed to pay for children's health insurance, the nickel-per-cigar tax that has ruled the industry could rise to as much as $10 per cigar.
'I'm not sure in the history of man, since our forefathers founded the country in 1776, that there's ever been a tax increase of 20,000 percent,' said Newman, who runs the Tampa business founded by grandfather Julius Caesar Newman. 'They had the Boston Tea Party for less than this.'"
More info at Cigar Afcionado
Business: Cigarmakers in a panic: "Eric Newman punches the numbers on his calculator and gapes at the results one more time.
It's no mathematical error: The federal government has proposed raising taxes on premium cigars, the kind Newman's family has been rolling for decades in Ybor City, by as much as 20,000 percent.
As part of an increase in tobacco taxes designed to pay for children's health insurance, the nickel-per-cigar tax that has ruled the industry could rise to as much as $10 per cigar.
'I'm not sure in the history of man, since our forefathers founded the country in 1776, that there's ever been a tax increase of 20,000 percent,' said Newman, who runs the Tampa business founded by grandfather Julius Caesar Newman. 'They had the Boston Tea Party for less than this.'"
More info at Cigar Afcionado
Labels: cigars, National Politics, News, tabacco, WTF
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Rivals’ talk fuels furious debate - U.S. Politics - BostonHerald.com
Well isn't this interesting... Edwards trying to cull the herd. If he really wants to get rid of competition he needs to get rid of Hillary and Obama because he doesn't stand a chance against those two. Actually the Democrats are offering nobody I would want to vote for except MAYBE Joe Biden.
Rivals’ talk fuels furious debate - U.S. Politics - BostonHerald.com: "NEW YORK - A whisper in Hillary Clinton’s ear had John Edwards on the receiving end of loud blasts from his presidential rivals as he took heat for suggesting to the former first lady that they unite to cull the herd of candidates allowed at debates.
Democratic candidate Dennis Kucinich, an Ohio congressman often viewed as a second- to third-tier contender by pundits, ripped Edwards for “a consistent lack of integrity” by suggesting fewer candidates should participate in presidential forums.
“This is a serious matter and I’m calling him on it,” Kucinich said. “Whispering, trying to rig an election, then denying what’s going on and making excuses. It all reflects a consistent lack of integrity.”"
Labels: National Politics, News
Appeals court rejects Webcast royalty delay | Entertainment | Music | Reuters
Well, this bites the big one... and will be the death of many an Internet radio station. Although to be honest it really doesn't affect me it still is wrong because the Internet stations are paying different fees that regular radio stations. This is WRONG!!!!!
Appeals court rejects Webcast royalty delay | Entertainment | Music | Reuters: "WASHINGTON (Hollywood Reporter) - The federal appeals court here on Thursday rejected Webcasters' request to postpone implementation of a new royalty rate for music they air over the Web.
The decision hands a court victory to the music industry and performers who have been warring with Webcasters over the rate. By denying the Webcasters' stay, the court let stand the July 15 'true up' date when they are required to give copyright holders a new, higher royalty payment for digitally delivered music.
'This is a major victory for recording artists and record labels whose hard work and creativity provides the music around which the Internet radio business is built,' SoundExchange executive director John Simson said. 'Notwithstanding this victory, we continue to reach out to the webcasting community to reach business solutions.'"
Appeals court rejects Webcast royalty delay | Entertainment | Music | Reuters: "WASHINGTON (Hollywood Reporter) - The federal appeals court here on Thursday rejected Webcasters' request to postpone implementation of a new royalty rate for music they air over the Web.
The decision hands a court victory to the music industry and performers who have been warring with Webcasters over the rate. By denying the Webcasters' stay, the court let stand the July 15 'true up' date when they are required to give copyright holders a new, higher royalty payment for digitally delivered music.
'This is a major victory for recording artists and record labels whose hard work and creativity provides the music around which the Internet radio business is built,' SoundExchange executive director John Simson said. 'Notwithstanding this victory, we continue to reach out to the webcasting community to reach business solutions.'"
Labels: Music, National Politics, News, Technology
Monday, July 02, 2007
END OF THE DISCOUNTER?
CigarCyclopedia.com - Perelman's Pocket Cyclopedias of Cigars: "END OF THE DISCOUNTER?
Supreme Court reverses precedent on retail price fixing!
Los Angeles, July 2 – If you think the Supreme Court isn’t important, guess again.
In a decision which did not get as much play as those on school integration and campaign funding, Justice Anthony Kennedy’s decision in Leegin Creative Leather Products vs. PSKS, Inc. dba Kay’s Kloset now makes it potentially legal for manufacturers – including cigar manufacturers – to set minimum retail prices for their products.
Announced on Thursday, June 28, the decision – by a 5-4 vote – overturned a 1911 decision in Dr. Miles Medical Co. vs. John D. Park & Sons Co., (220 U.S. 373) in which the Court held that it is illegal “for a manufacturer to agree with its distributor to set the minimum price the distributor can charge for the manufacturer’s goods.”
Instead of this immutable rule, Justice Kennedy prefers the “rule of reason” and wrote that:
• “Minimum resale price maintenance can stimulate interbrand competition – the competition between manufacturers selling different brands of the same type of product – by reducing intrabrand competition – the competition among retailers selling the same brand.”
• "A single manufacturer’s use of vertical price restraints tends to eliminate intrabrand price competition; this in turn encourages retailers to invest in tangible or intangible services or promotional efforts that aid the manufacturer’s position as against rival manufacturers. Resale price maintenance also has the potential to give consumers more options so that they can choose among low-price, low-service brands; high-price, high-service brands; and brands that fall inbetween.”
• “Absent vertical price restraints, the retail services that enhance interbrand competition might be underprovided. This is because discounting retailers can free ride on retailers who furnish services and then capture some of the increased demand those services generate.”
• “With price competition decreased, the manufacturer’s retailers compete among themselves over services.”
Supreme Court reverses precedent on retail price fixing!
Los Angeles, July 2 – If you think the Supreme Court isn’t important, guess again.
In a decision which did not get as much play as those on school integration and campaign funding, Justice Anthony Kennedy’s decision in Leegin Creative Leather Products vs. PSKS, Inc. dba Kay’s Kloset now makes it potentially legal for manufacturers – including cigar manufacturers – to set minimum retail prices for their products.
Announced on Thursday, June 28, the decision – by a 5-4 vote – overturned a 1911 decision in Dr. Miles Medical Co. vs. John D. Park & Sons Co., (220 U.S. 373) in which the Court held that it is illegal “for a manufacturer to agree with its distributor to set the minimum price the distributor can charge for the manufacturer’s goods.”
Instead of this immutable rule, Justice Kennedy prefers the “rule of reason” and wrote that:
• “Minimum resale price maintenance can stimulate interbrand competition – the competition between manufacturers selling different brands of the same type of product – by reducing intrabrand competition – the competition among retailers selling the same brand.”
• "A single manufacturer’s use of vertical price restraints tends to eliminate intrabrand price competition; this in turn encourages retailers to invest in tangible or intangible services or promotional efforts that aid the manufacturer’s position as against rival manufacturers. Resale price maintenance also has the potential to give consumers more options so that they can choose among low-price, low-service brands; high-price, high-service brands; and brands that fall inbetween.”
• “Absent vertical price restraints, the retail services that enhance interbrand competition might be underprovided. This is because discounting retailers can free ride on retailers who furnish services and then capture some of the increased demand those services generate.”
• “With price competition decreased, the manufacturer’s retailers compete among themselves over services.”
Labels: cigars, National Politics, News, tabacco
Friday, June 15, 2007
U.S. Supreme Court Supports New York City’s Effort to Collect Taxes on Some U.N. Missions - New York Times
U.S. Supreme Court Supports New York City’s Effort to Collect Taxes on Some U.N. Missions - New York Times: "WASHINGTON, June 14 — New York City can go forward with its effort to collect unpaid property taxes from foreign governments that use part of their United Nations missions for housing, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday.
The court rejected an argument by India and Mongolia that the principle of sovereign immunity shielded them from a lawsuit the city filed in 2003 to establish its right to collect what it says is now about $25 million in unpaid taxes and interest.
“Property ownership is not an inherently sovereign function,” Justice Clarence Thomas said for the 7-to-2 majority.
The dissenters were Justices John Paul Stevens and Stephen G. Breyer.
The decision upheld a ruling issued last year by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, in Manhattan."
The court rejected an argument by India and Mongolia that the principle of sovereign immunity shielded them from a lawsuit the city filed in 2003 to establish its right to collect what it says is now about $25 million in unpaid taxes and interest.
“Property ownership is not an inherently sovereign function,” Justice Clarence Thomas said for the 7-to-2 majority.
The dissenters were Justices John Paul Stevens and Stephen G. Breyer.
The decision upheld a ruling issued last year by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, in Manhattan."
Labels: National Politics, News
Friday, March 30, 2007
Google-Viacom spat goes old-media | News.blog | CNET News.com
Update on Google(YouTube) vs. Viacom
Google-Viacom spat goes old-media | News.blog | CNET News.com: "Google and Viacom are taking their fight over digital media rights to an unusual place--print media.
Viacom started it off with an op-ed piece in the Washington Post last Saturday that accused the search engine and its YouTube division of profiting from the technology and innovation of others. "
Google-Viacom spat goes old-media | News.blog | CNET News.com: "Google and Viacom are taking their fight over digital media rights to an unusual place--print media.
Viacom started it off with an op-ed piece in the Washington Post last Saturday that accused the search engine and its YouTube division of profiting from the technology and innovation of others. "
Labels: News, Technology
Monday, March 26, 2007
Texting at the wheel may face N.J. ban | Inquirer | 03/26/2007
Texting at the wheel may face N.J. ban | Inquirer | 03/26/2007: "TRENTON - New Jersey was one of the first states to outlaw cell-phone use while driving.
Next up: text messaging?
Three South Jersey lawmakers say texting while driving is even more dangerous than using a cell phone because it requires drivers to divert their hands and eyes. And they've introduced a bill to ban it.
Democratic Assemblyman Paul Moriarty admits to having texted while driving. And he says he sees others do it all the time.
'I see both of their hands on a BlackBerry, and I can only assume they're using their knees to hold the steering wheel,' said Moriarty, one of the bill's sponsors.
No other state has banned the practice yet, though at least two are considering it.
New Jersey is one of only four states to ban cell-phone use, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures; Washington D.C. has a similar ban.
But New Jersey's law, unlike those of the other states', prohibits officers from pulling over offending drivers unless the drivers are violating another law."
Next up: text messaging?
Three South Jersey lawmakers say texting while driving is even more dangerous than using a cell phone because it requires drivers to divert their hands and eyes. And they've introduced a bill to ban it.
Democratic Assemblyman Paul Moriarty admits to having texted while driving. And he says he sees others do it all the time.
'I see both of their hands on a BlackBerry, and I can only assume they're using their knees to hold the steering wheel,' said Moriarty, one of the bill's sponsors.
No other state has banned the practice yet, though at least two are considering it.
New Jersey is one of only four states to ban cell-phone use, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures; Washington D.C. has a similar ban.
But New Jersey's law, unlike those of the other states', prohibits officers from pulling over offending drivers unless the drivers are violating another law."
Labels: News, Technology
Saturday, March 24, 2007
U.S. oil companies miss out on Cuban oil rush - March 19, 2007
U.S. oil companies miss out on Cuban oil rush - March 19, 2007: "(Fortune Magazine) -- Sometime later this year, less than 70 miles from Florida, a consortium of Spanish, Indian and Norwegian companies will likely start drilling for oil. It could mark the beginning of a Cuban oil rush - one that American oil companies won't be able to join, despite their proximity to the action.
And that has some U.S. oil industry executives and lobbyists seething, especially since the American Association of Petroleum Geologists calls the offshore Cuban oil deposits a 'significant find.'"
U.S. oil companies can't play in these waters, of course, barred as they are by sanctions prohibiting them from doing business with Cuba. But irked at the irony of sanctions designed to isolate Fidel Castro that isolate them instead, some in the oil industry are seeking to exempt U.S. oil compPublishanies from the 45-year-old embargo.
And that has some U.S. oil industry executives and lobbyists seething, especially since the American Association of Petroleum Geologists calls the offshore Cuban oil deposits a 'significant find.'"
U.S. oil companies can't play in these waters, of course, barred as they are by sanctions prohibiting them from doing business with Cuba. But irked at the irony of sanctions designed to isolate Fidel Castro that isolate them instead, some in the oil industry are seeking to exempt U.S. oil compPublishanies from the 45-year-old embargo.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Viacom sued over Colbert parody on YouTube | CNET News.com
More on Viacom vs. YouTube
Viacom sued over Colbert parody on YouTube CNET News.com: "Viacom is misusing U.S. copyright law by forcing YouTube to remove a parody video of The Colbert Report, according to a lawsuit filed against the media conglomerate Thursday.
The video in question is itself a parody of news coverage on Viacom's Comedy Central.
The suit, filed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation in federal court in San Francisco, accuses Viacom of filing a baseless copyright complaint and takedown notice on YouTube, and infringing on the free-speech rights of the makers of the video--activist group MoveOn.org Civic Action and Brave New Films.
The tongue-in-cheek video, called 'Stop the Falsiness,' uses snippets from The Colbert Report for parody. That approach, the EFF said, is permissable under the 'fair use' provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, just as The Colbert Report uses excerpts from real news shows in its segments.
'If you watch this clip for 01 seconds it is clear that it's a parody and it is fair use,' said Corynne McSherry, staff attorney at the EFF, which is working on the case with Stanford University's Center for Internet and Society.
Under the DMCA, service providers like YouTube, which is owned by Google, are immune from copyright suits if they respond quickly to takedown notices filed by content owners. "
Viacom sued over Colbert parody on YouTube CNET News.com: "Viacom is misusing U.S. copyright law by forcing YouTube to remove a parody video of The Colbert Report, according to a lawsuit filed against the media conglomerate Thursday.
The video in question is itself a parody of news coverage on Viacom's Comedy Central.
The suit, filed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation in federal court in San Francisco, accuses Viacom of filing a baseless copyright complaint and takedown notice on YouTube, and infringing on the free-speech rights of the makers of the video--activist group MoveOn.org Civic Action and Brave New Films.
The tongue-in-cheek video, called 'Stop the Falsiness,' uses snippets from The Colbert Report for parody. That approach, the EFF said, is permissable under the 'fair use' provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, just as The Colbert Report uses excerpts from real news shows in its segments.
'If you watch this clip for 01 seconds it is clear that it's a parody and it is fair use,' said Corynne McSherry, staff attorney at the EFF, which is working on the case with Stanford University's Center for Internet and Society.
Under the DMCA, service providers like YouTube, which is owned by Google, are immune from copyright suits if they respond quickly to takedown notices filed by content owners. "
Labels: News, Technology
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
A view from Iraq
This is a great article... click the link and read it all...
Collegian photographer David Walker tells the story of his year as a soldier in Iraq. He says it isn't like anything you've read or seen before.
A view from Iraq: "In 2003, many of my peers were starting their spring semester of college partying, buying books and staying out late. For a few of us though, this was a time for writing wills, packing personal belongings into a warehouse and saying our goodbyes. I was 21 years old, and in March 2003, as part of Alpha Company, 4th Combat Engineers, I was deployed in response to escalations in Iraq. The 14 months that followed are not what you see on television or read in the papers -- rather they are the nightmares that follow each of us deployed into combat.
During the first half of our deployment, it seemed like we were on the scenic tour of Iraq. Sandstorms in the lower half the country would fill up my sleeping bag while I slept. In the northern half of the country, mosquitoes would swarm while I tried to eat dinner. I stopped noticing trivial things that would normally bother me. My first shower, dripping water from a bucket, came three months into the deployment."
Collegian photographer David Walker tells the story of his year as a soldier in Iraq. He says it isn't like anything you've read or seen before.
A view from Iraq: "In 2003, many of my peers were starting their spring semester of college partying, buying books and staying out late. For a few of us though, this was a time for writing wills, packing personal belongings into a warehouse and saying our goodbyes. I was 21 years old, and in March 2003, as part of Alpha Company, 4th Combat Engineers, I was deployed in response to escalations in Iraq. The 14 months that followed are not what you see on television or read in the papers -- rather they are the nightmares that follow each of us deployed into combat.
During the first half of our deployment, it seemed like we were on the scenic tour of Iraq. Sandstorms in the lower half the country would fill up my sleeping bag while I slept. In the northern half of the country, mosquitoes would swarm while I tried to eat dinner. I stopped noticing trivial things that would normally bother me. My first shower, dripping water from a bucket, came three months into the deployment."
Labels: News
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Viacom's YouTube lawsuit could test limits of DMCA | The Register
More on Viacom vs. YouTube(Google)
Viacom's YouTube lawsuit could test limits of DMCA | The Register: "Analysis Viacom has launched a $1bn lawsuit against YouTube and its owners Google over copyright infringing videos hosted by the site. The case could test the limits of the 'safe harbor' protections for ISPs and influence other user-generated content sites.
The entertainment giant said that its clips have been viewed more than 1.5 billion times without its permission and has sued the search giant and its video sharing subsidiary in a New York court for 'massive international copyright infringement'.
If the case goes to trial it is likely to test the limits the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DCMA) of 1998. Google claims 'safe harbor' status for YouTube, which is a DMCA protection designed for search engines, web hosts and ISPs to shield them against liability for third party copyright infringements. Similar protections exist in European laws.
The safe harbor was designed to protect such companies from having to monitor the activity of every internet user, something which was recognised as impractical. These companies do not have to prevent illegal use of their services pro-actively, but when properly notified that they host infringing material they must 'expeditiously' remove or disable access to that material. There is presently no clear judicial authority on the speed of reaction that qualifies as expeditious under "
Viacom's YouTube lawsuit could test limits of DMCA | The Register: "Analysis Viacom has launched a $1bn lawsuit against YouTube and its owners Google over copyright infringing videos hosted by the site. The case could test the limits of the 'safe harbor' protections for ISPs and influence other user-generated content sites.
The entertainment giant said that its clips have been viewed more than 1.5 billion times without its permission and has sued the search giant and its video sharing subsidiary in a New York court for 'massive international copyright infringement'.
If the case goes to trial it is likely to test the limits the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DCMA) of 1998. Google claims 'safe harbor' status for YouTube, which is a DMCA protection designed for search engines, web hosts and ISPs to shield them against liability for third party copyright infringements. Similar protections exist in European laws.
The safe harbor was designed to protect such companies from having to monitor the activity of every internet user, something which was recognised as impractical. These companies do not have to prevent illegal use of their services pro-actively, but when properly notified that they host infringing material they must 'expeditiously' remove or disable access to that material. There is presently no clear judicial authority on the speed of reaction that qualifies as expeditious under "
Labels: News, Technology
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Viacom sues YouTube over copyrights
I don't know how this will turn out but it will be interesting to watch...
Viacom sues YouTube over copyrights: "Media conglomerate Viacom Inc. is suing YouTube for $1 billion, claiming that the video-sharing site had built a business by using the Internet to 'willfully infringe copyrights on a huge scale.'
Other media companies also have major concerns about YouTube, but Viacom's was the first lawsuit filed by a major media owner.
Several media companies have reached agreements to supply YouTube with clips, including CBS Corp., General Electric Co.'s NBC Universal and the British Broadcasting Corp., but many others remain reluctant to deal with the Web site because of copyright concerns.
YouTube had been a quirky, fast-growing startup until the deep-pocketed Internet search behemoth Google Inc. bought the company last November for $1.76 billion.
But YouTube's soaring popularity, especially among younger people who are increasingly tuning out traditional media, has broadcasters frightened of losing viewers and advertising dollars.
Last month, Viacom demanded that YouTube remove more than 100,000 unauthorized clips from its site, and since that time, the company has uncovered more than 50,000 additional unauthorized clips, Viacom spokesman Jeremy Zweig said.
A quick search of YouTube's site turned up numerous clips from Viacom programs including segments from Comedy Central's 'The Daily Show with Jon Stewart' and Nickelodeon's 'SpongeBob SquarePants' cart"
Viacom sues YouTube over copyrights: "Media conglomerate Viacom Inc. is suing YouTube for $1 billion, claiming that the video-sharing site had built a business by using the Internet to 'willfully infringe copyrights on a huge scale.'
Other media companies also have major concerns about YouTube, but Viacom's was the first lawsuit filed by a major media owner.
Several media companies have reached agreements to supply YouTube with clips, including CBS Corp., General Electric Co.'s NBC Universal and the British Broadcasting Corp., but many others remain reluctant to deal with the Web site because of copyright concerns.
YouTube had been a quirky, fast-growing startup until the deep-pocketed Internet search behemoth Google Inc. bought the company last November for $1.76 billion.
But YouTube's soaring popularity, especially among younger people who are increasingly tuning out traditional media, has broadcasters frightened of losing viewers and advertising dollars.
Last month, Viacom demanded that YouTube remove more than 100,000 unauthorized clips from its site, and since that time, the company has uncovered more than 50,000 additional unauthorized clips, Viacom spokesman Jeremy Zweig said.
A quick search of YouTube's site turned up numerous clips from Viacom programs including segments from Comedy Central's 'The Daily Show with Jon Stewart' and Nickelodeon's 'SpongeBob SquarePants' cart"
Labels: News, Technology
Cuban Refugee?
Wonder if the Wet Foot/Dry Foot rules apply...
Local & State News - Tampa Bay's 10 - tampabays10.com: "KEY WEST, Florida (AP) — A rare bird that bird watchers say has never been seen in the U.S. has been spotted in Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park in Key West.
Bird watchers from several states have traveled to Key West to see the bird — a loggerhead kingbird. The bird is believed to have flown from Cuba.
The bird has been reported in the U.S. a few times, but there was never been enough documentation to prove the reports and pictures have disproved three sightings."
Local & State News - Tampa Bay's 10 - tampabays10.com: "KEY WEST, Florida (AP) — A rare bird that bird watchers say has never been seen in the U.S. has been spotted in Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park in Key West.
Bird watchers from several states have traveled to Key West to see the bird — a loggerhead kingbird. The bird is believed to have flown from Cuba.
The bird has been reported in the U.S. a few times, but there was never been enough documentation to prove the reports and pictures have disproved three sightings."
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
White House considered firing all prosecutors
The thing that bothers me the most about this is Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y is leading the charge...
AP Wire 03/13/2007 White House considered firing all prosecutors: "WASHINGTON - The chief White House lawyer floated the idea of firing all 93 U.S. attorneys at the start of President Bush's second term, but the Justice Department objected and eventually recommended the eight dismissals that have generated a political firestorm two years later.
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Monday that then-White House Counsel Harriet Miers raised with an aide to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales the prospect of asking all chief federal district prosecutors to resign in 2004 as a logical way to start a new term with a new slate of U.S. attorneys.
Perino also acknowledged Monday that complaints about the job performance of prosecutors occasionally came to the White House and were passed on to the Justice Department, perhaps including some informally from President Bush to Gonzales.
The U.S. attorneys, the chief federal law enforcement officials in their various districts, typically are appointed to four-year terms by the president on the recommendation of state political leaders, but serve the pleasure of the president and can be dismissed at any time - like the attorney general and other Cabinet officers."
AP Wire 03/13/2007 White House considered firing all prosecutors: "WASHINGTON - The chief White House lawyer floated the idea of firing all 93 U.S. attorneys at the start of President Bush's second term, but the Justice Department objected and eventually recommended the eight dismissals that have generated a political firestorm two years later.
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Monday that then-White House Counsel Harriet Miers raised with an aide to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales the prospect of asking all chief federal district prosecutors to resign in 2004 as a logical way to start a new term with a new slate of U.S. attorneys.
Perino also acknowledged Monday that complaints about the job performance of prosecutors occasionally came to the White House and were passed on to the Justice Department, perhaps including some informally from President Bush to Gonzales.
The U.S. attorneys, the chief federal law enforcement officials in their various districts, typically are appointed to four-year terms by the president on the recommendation of state political leaders, but serve the pleasure of the president and can be dismissed at any time - like the attorney general and other Cabinet officers."
Labels: National Politics, News
Ticket-holder losing big time
Philadelphia Inquirer | 03/13/2007 | Ticket-holder losing big time: "Whoever won the New Jersey half of last week's record $390 million Mega Millions lottery jackpot is becoming a bigger loser by the minute.
The mystery millionaire has already lost as much as $140,625 - interest that the giant jackpot could have earned in a bank for a week. That's nearly three times what the typical New Jersey resident makes in a year.
'It would seem like it's a big financial hit not to be earning that interest, but in terms of what they have won, the amount is a drop in the bucket,' said Don Taylor, an associate finance professor at the American College in Bryn Mawr, who writes a personal finance column for the Web site www.bankrate.com.
He added: 'The lottery winner may be using the time wisely to talk to a financial planner, move to a secure location, and change their phone number before they stand in front of the camera and smile as they are handed a giant check.'"
The mystery millionaire has already lost as much as $140,625 - interest that the giant jackpot could have earned in a bank for a week. That's nearly three times what the typical New Jersey resident makes in a year.
'It would seem like it's a big financial hit not to be earning that interest, but in terms of what they have won, the amount is a drop in the bucket,' said Don Taylor, an associate finance professor at the American College in Bryn Mawr, who writes a personal finance column for the Web site www.bankrate.com.
He added: 'The lottery winner may be using the time wisely to talk to a financial planner, move to a secure location, and change their phone number before they stand in front of the camera and smile as they are handed a giant check.'"
Monday, March 12, 2007
You Know We Didn't Do Too Bad With The Last Actor Who Became President
'Law & Order' star considers real Oval Office role - CNN.com: "WASHINGTON (AP) -- Not enough 'star' power for Fred Thompson in a GOP presidential field that includes some of his friends? Whatever the case, the actor and former Tennessee senator is considering getting into the 2008 race.
Thompson, who plays district attorney Arthur Branch on NBC's drama 'Law & Order,' said Sunday, 'I'm giving some thought to it, going to leave the door open' and decide in the coming months. 'It's not really a reflection on the current field at all,' he said.
'I'm just going to wait and see what happens,' Thompson added. 'I wanted to see how my colleagues who are on the campaign trail do now, what they say, what they emphasize, what they're addressing, and how successful they are in doing that, and whether or not they can carry the ball in next November.'
Thompson, 64, said he was pondering a run after former Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker and other Tennessee Republicans began drumming up support for his possible GOP candidacy, citing his conservative credentials. (Watch how Thompson might be right for new role )
'I think people are somewhat disillusioned. I think a lot of people are cynical out there. I think they're looking for something different. ... and I think that they're going to be open to different things,' he said.
'It will be interesting to me as I listen to people and learn and watch what's going on and what's the reaction, and the poll numbers and so forth, as to whether or not my instinct on that is right.'"
Thompson, who plays district attorney Arthur Branch on NBC's drama 'Law & Order,' said Sunday, 'I'm giving some thought to it, going to leave the door open' and decide in the coming months. 'It's not really a reflection on the current field at all,' he said.
'I'm just going to wait and see what happens,' Thompson added. 'I wanted to see how my colleagues who are on the campaign trail do now, what they say, what they emphasize, what they're addressing, and how successful they are in doing that, and whether or not they can carry the ball in next November.'
Thompson, 64, said he was pondering a run after former Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker and other Tennessee Republicans began drumming up support for his possible GOP candidacy, citing his conservative credentials. (Watch how Thompson might be right for new role )
'I think people are somewhat disillusioned. I think a lot of people are cynical out there. I think they're looking for something different. ... and I think that they're going to be open to different things,' he said.
'It will be interesting to me as I listen to people and learn and watch what's going on and what's the reaction, and the poll numbers and so forth, as to whether or not my instinct on that is right.'"
Labels: National Politics, News
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Google's buses help its workers beat the rush | CNET News.com
Google's buses help its workers beat the rush | CNET News.com: "MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--The perks of working at Google are the envy of Silicon Valley. Unlimited amounts of free chef-prepared food at all times of day. A climbing wall, a volleyball court and two lap pools. On-site car washes, oil changes and haircuts, not to mention free doctor checkups.
But the biggest perk may come with the morning commute.
In Silicon Valley, a region known for some of the worst traffic in the nation, Google, the Internet search engine giant and online advertising behemoth, has turned itself into Google, the mass transit operator. Its aim is to make commuting painless for its pampered workers--and keep attracting new recruits in a notoriously competitive market for top engineering talent.
And Google can get a couple of extra hours of work out of employees who would otherwise be behind the wheel of a car.
The company now ferries about 1,200 employees to and from Google daily--nearly one-fourth of its local work force--aboard 32 shuttle buses equipped with comfortable leather seats and wireless Internet access. Bicycles are allowed on exterior racks, and dogs on forward seats, or on their owners' laps if the buses run full."
But the biggest perk may come with the morning commute.
In Silicon Valley, a region known for some of the worst traffic in the nation, Google, the Internet search engine giant and online advertising behemoth, has turned itself into Google, the mass transit operator. Its aim is to make commuting painless for its pampered workers--and keep attracting new recruits in a notoriously competitive market for top engineering talent.
And Google can get a couple of extra hours of work out of employees who would otherwise be behind the wheel of a car.
The company now ferries about 1,200 employees to and from Google daily--nearly one-fourth of its local work force--aboard 32 shuttle buses equipped with comfortable leather seats and wireless Internet access. Bicycles are allowed on exterior racks, and dogs on forward seats, or on their owners' laps if the buses run full."
Labels: News, Technology
Friday, March 09, 2007
Billionaires on yearly list a varied lot
I am not on this list, maybe next year...
Billionaires on yearly list a varied lot: "What could a Chinese dumpling maker and Mexican telecommunications mogul possibly have in common? They're among a record number of wealthy people who held the title of billionaire over the past year.
The tally of billionaires around the globe reached a high of 946, their combined wealth growing 35 percent to $3.5 trillion, according to Forbes magazine's 2007 rankings of the world's richest people.
The rich cashed in on strong equity markets, real estate and commodity prices worldwide, according to Forbes billionaires co-editor Luisa Kroll."
Billionaires on yearly list a varied lot: "What could a Chinese dumpling maker and Mexican telecommunications mogul possibly have in common? They're among a record number of wealthy people who held the title of billionaire over the past year.
The tally of billionaires around the globe reached a high of 946, their combined wealth growing 35 percent to $3.5 trillion, according to Forbes magazine's 2007 rankings of the world's richest people.
The rich cashed in on strong equity markets, real estate and commodity prices worldwide, according to Forbes billionaires co-editor Luisa Kroll."
Labels: News
