My Archives: January 2005
Sunday, January 30, 2005
I predicted there would be phony appeals and other tsunami aid scams...but I didn't predict email worms masquerading as tsunami pleas. Don't respond to email pleas. Stick to well-known charities.
Posted by brad @ 08:45 AM EST [Link]
Friday, January 28, 2005
After my last blog entry, a reader inquired why shortwave radio interests me, and why someone would want to get a shortwave radio. I addressed the latter question briefly in a blog posting last September. Perhaps that was too brief, and at the risk of repeating myself, I should elaborate.
Basically, I think that everyone should develop alternative news sources. We receive some of the U.S. television media via satellite, and it's astonishing to me how blinkered, superficial, and subservient it has become. You get a very different "take", and a lot more actual information, from foreign news sources. And in North America there are only two ways to get those sources -- via the Internet, or via shortwave radio. (I suppose you could subscribe to foreign news magazines, but few are in English, and you'd be weeks behind the times.) [more]
Posted by brad @ 11:06 AM EST [Link]
Thursday, January 27, 2005
Cartoon roundup: Don Wright's "Nice Speech (Inaugural)"; Mark Fiore's latest rather heavy-handed animation "Ballot Man"; and, Chuck Asay's "Ponzi Scheme".
Posted by mac @ 04:01 PM EST [Link]
A disturbing story from ZNet: "The United States is eyeing a controversial tracking technology to aid tightened immigration controls at border crossings to Mexico and Canada. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security plans to begin issuing special identification devices to foreign visitors arriving by foot and by car by July 31, according to a Tuesday announcement from the agency. The devices will contain microchips storing a unique identification code that's linked via government computers to document holders' names, countries of origin, dates of entry and exit, and biometric data. " Why not just tattoo them on the arm?
And lest U.S. Citizens feel neglected by those who want surveillance uber alles... [more]
Posted by mac @ 03:18 PM EST [Link]
Everyone is atwitter about news broken by Howard Kurtz in the Washington Post that the columnist Maggie Gallagher received payments totalling $21,500 from Wade Horn's Administration for Children and Families to columnist Maggie Gallagher to promote the Healthy Marriage program. [more]
Posted by mac @ 03:04 PM EST [Link]
Leave it to the Wonkette to point out the irony -- er, the appropriateness -- of former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry teaching a class in chemistry at a local high school. in Southeast, teaching a class in chemistry for one day. "It is, of course, an area of knowledge he has some practical experience in. Want to watch how much baking soda you cut this with, for instance: C17H21NO4." She is referring, of course, to Barry's notorious use of illegal drugs, specifically cocaine.
Posted by mac @ 02:18 PM EST [Link]
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
From the LewRockwell blog posted by Dale Steinreich: NRO Writer Paid for Being Bush Shill. Steinreich writes, "When Armstrong Williams told David Corn that he wasn't alone, he was right. Drudge reveals that the Washington Post will report that Maggie Gallagher had a $21,500 contract with HHS to promote Bush's marriage initiative. Here's the NRO column where Gallagher peddled the Bush initiative. Here's the Post story. I wonder who else is on the payroll? Armstrong Williams--at least by reports--sure didn't sound like he was talking about only one other person besides himself."
Posted by mac @ 11:11 AM EST [Link]
A few days ago, Brad and I were in the car half-chatting, half-listening to the CBC 6:00 News when a report caught our attention. The print version of the story opens, "Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan has ordered an investigation into security at a major border crossing in Quebec after reports of motorists speeding through without being questioned.... [more]
Posted by mac @ 10:52 AM EST [Link]
Only one cartoon but a good one: Lalo Alcaraz's "Liberty Secured". And the Wonkette comments on the Condi Rice hearings... [more]
Posted by mac @ 09:39 AM EST [Link]
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
No one in Canada knows what to expect in terms of whether there will be a flood or trickle of immigration by Americans who feel so strongly against the war in Iraq and Bush's 2nd term that they no longer wish to live in the United States. [more]
Posted by mac @ 03:22 PM EST [Link]
Those who are Warner Brothers' cartoon fans -- and I always preferred their edgier approach to the gentler one of Disney -- will enjoy this site, which offers hundreds of classical audio clips from what appears to be all the characters. This one is for Brad.
Posted by mac @ 01:45 PM EST [Link]
Media gossip tells us that the next Republican target of CBS will be House Majority Leader Tom DeLay who, like their last target (GW) is also from Texas. [more]
Posted by mac @ 01:25 PM EST [Link]
Two cartoons that skewer Condi Rice: Steve Sack's "Diplomacy"; Paul Conrad "Mushroom Cloud". And Mark Fiore's latest animation "The Interactive Inauguration Map".
Posted by mac @ 12:01 PM EST [Link]
Monday, January 24, 2005
Justin Raimondo offers a nice analysis of some possible consequences of Iraq's election: "This Plastic Moment Getting out of Iraq: it's now or never." [more]
Posted by mac @ 11:33 AM EST [Link]
Why hasn't this "nuclear incident" been reported in the mainstream media? [I reprint an article from CounterPunch in its entirety because I do not have a permanent link, just the temporary one that is the same as CP's front page.] "The Cork is Off the Bottle: Nuclear Incident in Montana" by Jennifer Van Bergen and Raymong Del Papa.... [more]
Posted by mac @ 09:56 AM EST [Link]
The Book-a-Minute site is hilarious, even surpassing the Movie-a-Minute site. It is a collection of "ultra-condensed books... from Shakespeare to Steinbeck!" For example... [more]
Posted by mac @ 09:24 AM EST [Link]
Burglars take note! The San Francisco Chronicle reports on new job opportunities, "Burdened by thousands of false alarms, police in Fremont will become the first in California to stop responding to burglar alarms unless there is a confirmed break-in or security breach, officials said Thursday. The new policy, effective Feb. 18, will allow police in the Bay Area's fourth-largest city to handle more urgent calls and save the city about $600,000 a year in staff time and equipment costs, Fremont Police Chief Craig Steckler said. 'I'm going to get out of the alarm business,' Steckler said. 'I was never asked permission to get into it.' Under the policy, police won't respond to burglar alarms unless a resident, property owner or alarm company employee can show evidence that a crime occurred, such as glass breakage or seeing a suspicious person. Officers, however, will still respond to panic, duress and robbery alarms."
Nor does the SF Chronicle neglect those who prefer to make a living through identity theft...
[more]
Posted by mac @ 07:50 AM EST [Link]
Hmm...usually being correct gives me at least a slight sense of satisfaction but this item just unsettles me. (Thanks to Lee K. for sending it, nevertheless!) The most recent OC Weekly reports, "Viet Dinh, the Bush-appointed former assistant attorney general and main author of the USA Patriot Act, began his Jan. 11 speech at UC Irvine’s Beckman Center Auditorium by admitting, 'I am a complete intellectual fraud.' It was supposed to be a joke. But it wasn’t funny, because, as his speech would soon reveal, Dinh is, in fact, an intellectual fraud. So his confession of cerebral incompetence turned out to be both factual and devoid of irony—the latter being key to humor." [more]
Posted by mac @ 07:22 AM EST [Link]
Sunday, January 23, 2005
This is for Brad. The Ten Commandments for C Programmers.
Posted by mac @ 04:27 PM EST [Link]
Twinkie Sushi. After stating that, there's not much left to be said!
Posted by mac @ 12:00 PM EST [Link]
Friday, January 21, 2005
A few months back I offered some general advice about selecting a shortwave radio, intending to write a followup blog after I'd done some more research.
"Research" in this case meant going to an amateur radio swapmeet, and chatting with one of the guys manning the Ontario DX Association (ODXA) table. These are folks for whom shortwave listening is more than just a hobby; it's a passion. If you have a similar SWL (ShortWave Listening) group near you, do get in touch with them -- there's no better source for advice and help.
I asked Brian of the ODXA two key questions: what radio should I buy, and what's the best single book to recommend for a newcomer? [more]
Posted by brad @ 03:57 PM EST [Link]
Thursday, January 20, 2005
The Wonkette on the recent Condi Rice hearings.
Posted by mac @ 08:59 AM EST [Link]
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
I thought I was getting jaded, but even my jaw can drop sometimes. From Groklaw I learned of this test performed by Ben Edelman, revealing how quickly you can be contaminated if you use Windows Media Player:
On a fresh test computer, I pressed Yes once to allow the installation. My computer quickly became contaminated with the most spyware programs I have ever received in a single sitting, including at least the following 31 programs: 180solutions, Addictive Technologies, AdMilli, BargainBuddy, begin2search, BookedSpace, BullsEye, CoolWebSearch, DealHelper, DyFuca, EliteBar, Elitum, Ezula, Favoriteman, HotSearchBar, I-Lookup, Instafin, Internet Optimizer, ISTbar, Megasearch, PowerScan, ShopAtHome Select, SearchRelevancy, SideFind, TargetSavers, TrafficHog, TV Media, WebRebates, WindUpdates, Winpup32, and VX2 (DirectRevenue). (Most product names are as detected by Lavasoft Ad-Aware.) All told, the infection added 58 folders, 786 files, and an incredible 11,915 registry entries to my test computer. Not one of these programs had showed me any license agreement, nor had I consented to their installation on my computer.
All that from one "Yes" click to view a video file. Read the whole report; Mr. Edelman "follows the money" to find out who's behind it all. I tip my hat in salute. —bradPosted by brad @ 01:40 PM EST [Link]
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Good article! "Will the anti-inaugural protests be covered?" by Danny Schechter. Also a good question. [more]
Posted by mac @ 01:37 PM EST [Link]
The New York Daily News reports on dubious awards.... [more]
Posted by mac @ 11:24 AM EST [Link]
A reader makes an interesting point about yesterday's post entitled "Missile defense scheme [between Canada and the US], a done deal?" He writes, Another "telling" sign that the deal is already signed: Canada has experienced two additional BSE [mad cow disease] incidents in Western Canada. The first one, (resulting in the closed border) almost bankrupted the Canadian Beef Industry. Now, two more cases, (with one case occurring AFTER the proposed changed in feedlot processes) and not a peep from the US - other than a statement that the process to open the borders will continue on time. The US will not risk any conflict in trade etc. with Canada so to ensure the Missile Defense Treaty. Note: actually the Canadian press is reporting three more cases...but this correction merely strengthens the reader's main point: the US is strangely silent about the new mad cow "problem" in Canada.
Posted by mac @ 10:57 AM EST [Link]
Another New Year's resolution: time to clear your Google cookie.
To the consternation of privacy advocates, Google stores a persistent "cookie" on your PC that doesn't expire until 2038. Ostensibly this is so they can identify you and keep track of your user preferences. However, this also lets Google build a profile of you and keep a record of all your searches. Others have used cookies in this way, and Google has certainly expressed interest before in building profiles of their users. [more]
Posted by brad @ 04:12 AM EST [Link]
Monday, January 17, 2005
I know this has been floating around the blogosphere for some while but I just stumbled over it today. Bye, Bye to Mr. CIO Guy by Pat Helland sung to the tune of Bye, Bye Miss American Pie. The song's context: "The lyrics were written by Pat in response to Nicholas Carr’s Harvard Business Review paper 'IT Doesn’t Matter' in which Mr. Carr proposes that businesses reconsider their IT investments. Pat says this is not the vision he sees for the future, but rather what is implied by reducing the investment in IT as proposed by Mr. Carr. This is a 'speculative retrospective' in which we examine what happened 'The Day That IT Died'. "
Posted by mac @ 03:17 PM EST [Link]
The Simpson's came to Canada Sunday night on a drug run to a pharmacy called Dudley Do-Drugs.! (Of course, it wasn't their first visit. In 2002, the family visited Toronto where Marge was impressed with how "clean and bland" everything was.)
Posted by mac @ 01:34 PM EST [Link]
According to the Wonkette, the Mississippi tax commission is "honoring" Martin Luther King Day with a message on its answering machine (601-923-7000 unverified) that says that the office is closed " in observance of Robert E Lee's and Martin Luther King's birthdays." I don't think her racist take on the recording is accurate, however. It is probably just Southern pride.
Posted by mac @ 01:09 PM EST [Link]
A tip of the hat to Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch (M-LAW) for their Wacky Warning Label contest. This year's winner is "[a] flushable toilet brush that warns users, 'Do not use for personal hygiene'".
Lately we've been noticing long delays, and occasional timeouts, when our web browsers are looking up domain names. It's extremely disconcerting when your web browser times out while trying to visit your own domain! When using Opera I'm able to see that the timeout is in the DNS lookup, and not due to our server being down; also, I can usually access our server through a different name. This makes me suspect that I'm seeing, firsthand, the reported effect that spammers are overloading the Domain Name System. (There's more technical detail at eWeek, including the suggestion that this may be an unintended consequence of the CAN-SPAM Act.) —brad
Edited to add: Some knowledgeable people have challenged this theory of spammers' behavior and the effect on the DNS. See, for instance, this comment at eWeek. So I'm left wondering, what the heck is going on?
Posted by brad @ 10:28 AM EST [Link]
An interesting tidbit from InfoShop: "On the French CBC website, a news article was published on the first page for a brief period of 12 minutes before disappearing. " [more]
Posted by mac @ 04:38 AM EST [Link]
Sunday, January 16, 2005
An advisory from Gordon P. -- our unofficial co-blogger on all matters scientific. He writes about the Cassini/Huygens mission to Mars...the last of the NASA/ESA planetary missions using the "megaproject" approach, a multinational cooperation between three space agencies and 17 nations. [more]
Posted by mac @ 11:26 AM EST [Link]
Another small helping of schadenfreude today. It seems that Sir Bill, during his traditional keynote presentation at the Consumer Electronics Show, suffered not one but three crashes during demos ...including one on the much-touted Microsoft Media Center, and the famous Blue Screen of Death on an Xbox. Now that's what I call truth in advertising.
Not to get too complacent, though: some vulnerabilities have been found in the Mozilla and Firefox browsers, allowing the URL to be "spoofed" in downloads. Secunia says, "Do not follow download links from untrusted sources." See also this Secunia advisory. (And if you're still using Internet Explorer, check Secunia yourself regularly...I can't keep up.)
Interesting developments on the patent front... [more]
Posted by brad @ 11:22 AM EST [Link]
Cartoon roundup: Clay Bennett's "New Year's Resolution"; Stuart Carlson's "Then and Now" and "The Consequences"; and, Lalo Alcaraz "Tradition".
Posted by mac @ 10:39 AM EST [Link]
Saturday, January 15, 2005
I wish to remind everyone who is interested in a first-hand account of what is happening in Iraq to read the River Bend blog, written by an anonymous young woman living in Baghdad.
Posted by mac @ 01:24 PM EST [Link]
The Wonkette's take on the Zonkette's revelations: "It's come to our attention that some bloggers took money in exchange for their continued support of the Dean campaign. Three thousand dollars a month for three months, in one case. There will be some who look at this as yet another example of bloggers' lack of respect for the ethical guidelines of traditional journalism, but we think that prostituting yourself for a political position is the new black. We're just disappointed that Kos and Zephyr Teachout fucked it up for bloggers by not actually getting Dean the nomination. We were counting on the 2006 elections to furnish our apartment. Wait, what are we saying? They're Democrats! They practically invented throwing good money after bad. Finally, we can stop whoring ourselves the old fashioned way."
And I love her my tagline: "Wonkette, Cheaper than Armstrong Williams and just as ineffective as Daily Kos!"
Posted by mac @ 12:02 PM EST [Link]
The blogosphere is buzzing with news of scandal. Friday's Wall Street Journal declared, "Dean Campaign Made Payments To Two Bloggers," one of whom was the (formerly) highly-respected blogger Markos Moulitsas who publishes DailyKos. (DailyKos is the ninth most linked blog on the Internet, according to Technorati.) The 2nd was to Jerome Armstrong, who publishes the blog MyDD. The WSJ articles explains, "Howard Dean's presidential campaign hired...[them] as consultants so that they would say positive things about the former governor's campaign in their online journals, according to a former high-profile Dean aide." The two bloggers reportedly received about $3,000 a month over a four month period. [more]
Posted by mac @ 11:11 AM EST [Link]
I love living in provincial, small-town Canada. And, no, I'm not just referring to the rural area where I reside; the whole nation is like a small-town, with the possible exception of Toronto which Peter Ustinov once accurately described as "New York run by the Swiss." What prompts my waxing about the wonderfully backward Canadian lifestyle? Breaking News! "Canada Immigration Minister Quits in Pizza Scandal." The news item advises, "Canadian Immigration Minister Judy Sgro, already embroiled in a scandal over favors given to a Romanian stripper, resigned on Friday after a pizza shop owner said she had reneged on a promise to help him avoid deportation in exchange for free pizza." That's political corruption on a Canadian level.
Posted by mac @ 09:59 AM EST [Link]
Friday, January 14, 2005
Congratulations to Claire Wolfe who writes, "YES, YOU'RE READING THIS CORRECTLY. I'm going to write a column for S.W.A.T. magazine, starting in June. I'll be a one-year interim replacement for that great friend of liberty, Richard W. Stevens. But while he's a balanced and reasonable constitutional scholar, I'm ... well, an Outlaw." The full story here. And thanks to Claire for this news item which reports on how wide open and unmonitored the Canadian border actually is, in case someone is thinking of making a run for it.
Posted by mac @ 03:06 PM EST [Link]
I am in particular need of humor today so... Mark Fiore's latest animation is a good one this time, "Truth Enhancement"; Glenn McCoy's cartoon "Another Form of Torture" referencing Chappaquiddick - come on, Glenn, it's water under the bridge :-) ; and, Ted Rall's "US Invasion Plans".
Posted by mac @ 02:56 PM EST [Link]
My compliments to Michael Tanner of Cato Institute on a concise and clear explanation of the crisis facing the Social Security program. The analysis puts me in mind of a related issue: pension funds. [more]
Posted by mac @ 12:30 PM EST [Link]
Yahoo! The media watchdog site RatherBiased has 50 -- count 'em 50! -- new cartoons on MemoGate. Some of them are hilarious. Warning: all cartoons are on one page so the download is a pig. The site's first 50 cartoons are still available. Same warning. Also, Slate has a nice piece on libertarian humorist Dave Barry. I am sorry to hear, however, that Barry is retiring from writing columns...at least for the time being. He states, "There comes a time in the life of every writer when he asks himself -- as Shakespeare, Tolstoy and Hemingway all surely asked themselves -- if he has any booger jokes left in him." Come back soon.
Posted by mac @ 10:42 AM EST [Link]
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Here are three appropriate responses to the revelation that Armstrong Williams - the well-known black conservative TV and radio host -- pocketed $240K+ from the Dept. of Education to push the No child Left Behind act. [more]
Posted by mac @ 03:42 PM EST [Link]
One of the most hilarious humor items I've seen for a while....but, then, I'm Canadian.
Posted by mac @ 01:30 PM EST [Link]
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Cartoons: Stuart Carlson's "In the Know"; Walt Handelman's "Torture Policy"; Don Wright's "Secret Map"; and, Mike Luckovich's "The Latest".
And the Wonkette writes,
The White House sent a follow-up email to the day's press briefing transcript:
From: White House Press Releases
Sent: Tue Jan 11 15:26:06 2005
Subject: CORRECTIONS: PRESS BRIEFING BY SCOTT McCLELLAN
CORRECTIONS: *"That's what the terrorists want, delay elections. ("Terrorists," not "President")
* "taking steps to protect our critical infrastructure" ("Critical" not "Political")
We're not sure these words actually sound alike, but we do often get them confused.
Posted by mac @ 04:44 PM EST [Link]
Announcing The Szasz Blog. "The purpose of The Szasz Blog is to advance the debate about Thomas S. Szasz's basic ideas and their practical implications. The Szasz Blog is part of The Thomas Szasz Website. The administrators are Jeff Schaler and Sheldon Richman. Writers for The Szasz Blog currently include: Nelson Borelli, Mira De Vries, Lee Killough, Dr. Lajtavari Laszlo, Ron Leifer, Nicolas Martin, Sheldon Richman, Jeff Schaler, Tony Stadlen, and Richard Vatz. More writers are coming on board shortly."
And thanks to Lee K. for passing along a fascinating article Redefining the Political Spectrum - The Rational Spectrum.
Posted by mac @ 01:53 PM EST [Link]
Gordon P. -- unofficial co-blogger -- echoes my thoughts on one of my favorite TV programs "Monk" which has been hitting the skids lately and is about to go over the cliff (IMHO) with the departure of Sharona, his assistant. [more]
Posted by mac @ 01:48 PM EST [Link]
It is difficult to understand why the U.S. is so heavy handed in foreign relationships which would yield so readily to diplomacy...or just plain silence. I am thinking specifically of the recent announcement to the Canadian press by Paul Cellucci - the American Ambassador to Canada - on the controversial missile defense plan. Celluci stated, "We've been told that it will be dealt with over the next couple of months," thus clearly implying that the States has struck a deal with Canadian P.M. Paul Martin. Celluci even provided a timeline. Canada would join the U.S. ballistic-missile defense system for North America by the end of March.
[more]Posted by mac @ 09:58 AM EST [Link]
Monday, January 10, 2005
Chan Lowe's "Gonzales A.G."; Russmo's "Bailout Boulevard"; and, Russmo redux "War Vote".
BTW, re: the first cartoon on Gonzales, the ACLU report "The Civil Liberties and Civil Rights Record of Attorney General Nominee Alberto Gonzales" is now available. Or read the press release.
Posted by mac @ 02:37 PM EST [Link]
Thanks to Claire Wolfe for this item. "Last Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Owen M. Panner denied [Oregon Army National Guardsman Sgt. Emiliano] Santiago's motion for a preliminary injunction against having to report again for active duty?.A soldier with D Company of the Oregon Guard's 113th Aviation Battalion in Pendleton, he is and his unit are expected to be deployed to Afghanistan in February. Santiago argued that he already had completed his contracted term in 2002, but Panner's ruling means that he will have to go. And he is only one of thousands who are finding themselves back in uniform despite having honorably completed the service they signed on for." There is nothing new about stop-loss orders, extended duties, etc. but one sentence jumped out at me from the news account on Santiago. "He originally signed for an eight-year tour with the Guard in 1996, but as a result of the "stop-loss" back-door draft, his service has been extended to December 2031, when he would be 54." The military has extended his service for close to 26 years past the completion date of his contracted term? He is now 27 years old and may be required to service in the military until he is 54! I guess Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation didn't apply to the military.
Posted by mac @ 01:16 PM EST [Link]
MemoGate released. Download the Memogate report from RatherBiased and read further at the lawfirm of Memogate commissioner Richard Thornburgh. And while you are at it, read CBS' own version of axing 4 execs over the Bush National Guard memo scandal.
Posted by mac @ 12:30 PM EST [Link]
Breaking news on RatherGate (aka MemoGate), which I have been following. To me, the fallout -- with CBS now groveling to the Bush Administration for forgiveness -- falls into the same category as recent revelations that prominent black conservative pundit Armstrong Williams has been handsomely paid by the Department of Education to promote the No Child Left Behind program. That shared category is the increasing influence/control over the media being exercised by the Bush Administration.
The breaking news from Bloomberg: [more]
Posted by mac @ 11:37 AM EST [Link]
If you've followed the link to The Onion below, you might have been greeted with this advertisement from the Business Software Alliance: "Parting Gift Ideas for Your Old Employer: $150,000 Fine for Unlicensed Software. Report Software Piracy. Now." I wouldn't dare copy the image file, but while it remains available on their server you can see the advertisement here.
I don't know what this says about the BSA's opinion of Americans' character, but encouraging people to be vengeful snitches seems to be a big part of their strategy. It's particularly noxious because there is no requirement for evidence, and a BSA audit can cost even a 100%-compliant company tens of thousands of dollars. If you're an employer, you should be aware of this potential risk. All it takes is one disgruntled employee, no matter how squeaky clean you are. (Funny how this never gets factored into "Total Cost of Ownership" estimates.)
As for me, I will not buy software from any company that promotes these Stasi-like campaigns (and the legal extortion that follows). I don't think I can boycott all BSA members, since HP is on the list....but I can certainly live without the rest of them. —brad
Posted by brad @ 07:58 AM EST [Link]
Sunday, January 9, 2005
Humor break: Ann Telnaea's "#1"; Mark Fiore's latest animation "Aid"; and, Tom Toles' "Quaint Formalities". The Onion offers a line-up of top stories from 2004, including "Poll: Americans Feel Safer With Martha Stewart In Jail". Enjoy!
Posted by mac @ 11:36 AM EST [Link]
Saturday, January 8, 2005
Editor and Publisher informs its readership, "Tribune Media Services (TMS) tonight terminated its contract with columnist Armstrong Williams, effective immediately. But Williams told E&P that he plans to continue his feature via self-syndication." The termination results from a scandal.... [more]
Posted by mac @ 08:08 AM EST [Link]
Thursday, January 6, 2005
Cartoons: David Horsey's "It's All Relative"; Drew Sheneman's "No Gay People"; and, Mark Fiore's "Rummy's Greatest Hits". Meanwhile, having exposed Laura Bush's allegiance with the Dark Lord, another White House connection with Satan has been exposed. Enjoy!
Posted by mac @ 11:51 AM EST [Link]
Some nice links today from Groklaw, beginning with this UserFriendly cartoon about the Firefox browser. Heed the subtle truth in the last panel.
I've blogged before about the EU Council railroading a software patents directive. Now would be a good time to send a thank-you to Poland, who managed to derail this awful law from being rubber-stamped. (By the Council of Agriculture and Fisheries, forsooth! Someone is really desperate to ram this law through.) —brad
Posted by brad @ 08:22 AM EST [Link]
Wednesday, January 5, 2005
If you live in California and bought a Microsoft product between 1995 and 2001, you have until Saturday to claim your court-ordered refund from Microsoft. If you can, that is. Evidently the firm which set up the claims web site made it hostile to "people with pop-up blockers, ... or unusual computer configurations".
No, I don't suspect conspiracy -- I suspect stupidity. [more]
Posted by brad @ 06:20 AM EST [Link]
Tuesday, January 4, 2005
2005 will be the Year of The Blog... [more]
Posted by mac @ 09:35 AM EST [Link]
On Monday, the media watchdog site RatherBiased speculated on whether CBS was trying to repair its relationship with the Bush Administration in the wake of Dan Rather's Memogate scandal.... [more]
Posted by mac @ 08:40 AM EST [Link]
Cartoons: Stuart Carlson has another good commentary on the advent of 2005 "The Bright Side"; and, Mike Keefe's self-explanatory "The Idiot's Guide to Missile Defense".
Plaudits to the Wonkette for the best quote of the day gleaned from the New York Times. She comments on an article about upcoming Presidential Balls, "The NYT Magazine interviews Jeanne L. Phillips, chairwoman of the Presidential Inaugural Committee: I hear one of the balls will be reserved for troops who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan. Yes, the Commander-in-Chief Ball. That is new. It will be about 2,000 servicemen and their guests. And that should be a really fun event for them." [Brad says the quote is difficult to appreciate without clicking on the Wonkette item itself.]
Interesting developments at Google... [more]
Posted by mac @ 07:08 AM EST [Link]
Monday, January 3, 2005
More on disaster aid: you are likely to be inundated with requests for donations....some of them fraudulent. The Better Business Bureau offers some excellent tips for evaluating such appeals. The BBB also provides a very useful website where you can check out a (U.S.) charity before donating. Two more resources are Charity Watch and Charity Navigator —brad
Posted by brad @ 06:12 PM EST [Link]
Cartoons: Tom Toles' "More Volunteers" (I particularly like the comment at the lower right-hand side); Ben Sargent's mildly amusing "Current Conditions"; Glenn McCoy's biting "You're On Kid"; and, Clay Bennett's even more biting "Baby New Year" Meanwhile, Laura Bush shows her true allegiance -- as the Wonkette says,"All hail the Dark Lord, y'all!" Enjoy!
Posted by mac @ 02:11 PM EST [Link]