Wednesday, May 31, 2006
HP putting its stamp on personal postage / Palo Alto corporation will go where none has gone before -- an experimental logosphere promoting brands on
The move is another sign of how the Internet is transforming American law, commerce and culture. In January, lobbyists for the nascent personalized postage industry persuaded Congress to amend an 1872 law forbidding advertisements on American currency, including postage.
WRAL.com - News - High Court Curbs Speech For Public Employees
Critics predicted the impact would be sweeping, from silencing police officers who fear retribution for reporting department corruption, to subduing federal employees who want to reveal problems with government hurricane preparedness or terrorist-related security.
No ethics, no conscience, and no common sense in this latest gift to corrupt U.S. politicians.
- Frank
No ethics, no conscience, and no common sense in this latest gift to corrupt U.S. politicians.
- Frank
Monday, May 29, 2006
UC professor's diet book touts oil and sugar solution - 2 foods, in small amounts, seem to reduce appetite
It's not news that eating sweets between meals has an impact on appetite. But according to Roberts' theory, taking small doses of plain sugar or unflavored vegetable oil between meals doesn't only diminish appetite, it seems almost to crush the urge to overeat.
USATODAY.com - Study: Global warming boosts poison ivy
Another reason to worry about global warming: more and itchier poison ivy. The noxious vine grows faster and bigger as carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere rise, researchers report Monday.
Friday, May 26, 2006
Apple Loses Court Bid to Identify Source
"A state appeals court on Friday rejected Apple Computer Inc.'s bid to identify the sources of leaked product information that appeared on Web sites, ruling that online reporters and bloggers are entitled to the same protections as traditional journalists."
Researchers surprised to find no link between marijuana, lung cancer / Study's findings apply even to heavy pot smokers
"'We hypothesized that there would be a positive association between marijuana use and lung cancer and that the association would be more positive with heavier use,' he said. 'What we found instead was no association at all, and even a suggestion of some protective effect.'"
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Duck's X-rayed gut has UFO / Unidentified facial object peeks out at technicians at wildbird rescue center
"Right there, in the duck's ventriculus, or gizzard, is the shocking image of a grimacing, bald-headed being. How it got there, nobody knows, but when an autopsy was performed after the bird died of unrelated causes, the alien had mysteriously disappeared."
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
USATODAY.com - Retiree benefits grow into 'monster'
"Federal, state and local governments have added nearly $10 trillion to taxpayer liabilities in the past two years, bringing the total of government's unfunded obligations to an unprecedented $57.8 trillion.
That is the equivalent of a $510,678 credit card debt for every American household. Payments on this delinquent tax bill must start soon if financial promises to the elderly are to be kept."
That is the equivalent of a $510,678 credit card debt for every American household. Payments on this delinquent tax bill must start soon if financial promises to the elderly are to be kept."
Protesters face off with Verizon, AT&T | CNET News.com
"Protesters lined streets on both coasts Wednesday to bring public awareness to the telecommunications policy debates currently going on in Washington, D.C., and to show opposition to the phone companies reportedly providing customer records without a court order to the National Security Agency."
CNN.com - Dobbs: Bush, Congress tell working folk to go to hell - May 24, 2006
"Never before in our country's history have both the president and Congress been so out of touch with most Americans. Never before have so few of our elected officials and corporate leaders been less willing to commit to the national interest. And never before has our nation's largest constituent group -- some 200 million middle-class Americans -- been without representation in our nation's capital."
Intelligence Czar Can Waive SEC Rules
"The timing of Bush's move is intriguing. On the same day the President signed the memo, Porter Goss resigned as director of the Central Intelligence Agency amid criticism of ineffectiveness and poor morale at the agency. Only six days later, on May 11, USA Today reported that the National Security Agency had obtained millions of calling records of ordinary citizens provided by three major U.S. phone companies. Negroponte oversees both the CIA and NSA in his role as the administration's top intelligence official. "
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Inman Real Estate News - Fannie Mae's 'best-in-class' image a 'façade'
"'As the OFHEO report shows, the image of Fannie Mae as one of the lowest-risk and 'best in class' institutions was a façade. In fact, it was just the opposite. They promoted unconstrained growth while undermining proper internal controls by under investing in systems, risk management and staff,' James B. Lockhart, OFHEO's acting director said in a statement today.
'Our examination found an environment where the ends justified the means. There was a systematic effort by senior management to manipulate accounting, reap financial rewards, and prevent the rest of the world from knowing about it,' Lockhart said."
'Our examination found an environment where the ends justified the means. There was a systematic effort by senior management to manipulate accounting, reap financial rewards, and prevent the rest of the world from knowing about it,' Lockhart said."
Berners-Lee calls for Net neutrality | CNET News.com
"Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the Web, has called for clear separation between Internet access and Internet content.
Speaking at the World Wide Web conference in Edinburgh on Tuesday morning, Berners-Lee gave his views on the growing battle over Net neutrality.
'It's better and more efficient for us all if we have a separate market where we get our connectivity, and a separate market where we get our content. Information is what I use to make all my decisions. Not just what to buy, but how to vote,' Berners-Lee told journalists."
Speaking at the World Wide Web conference in Edinburgh on Tuesday morning, Berners-Lee gave his views on the growing battle over Net neutrality.
'It's better and more efficient for us all if we have a separate market where we get our connectivity, and a separate market where we get our content. Information is what I use to make all my decisions. Not just what to buy, but how to vote,' Berners-Lee told journalists."
Suit Seeks to Stop Phone Records Release - Yahoo! News
"A lawsuit filed Monday on behalf of author Studs Terkel and other professionals seeks to stop AT&T from giving customer phone records to the National Security Agency without a court order.
The plaintiffs, who also include a doctor and a state lawmaker, said they rely on confidentiality in their work and are worried their clients will be less likely to phone them if they think the government collects lists of the numbers they are calling."
The plaintiffs, who also include a doctor and a state lawmaker, said they rely on confidentiality in their work and are worried their clients will be less likely to phone them if they think the government collects lists of the numbers they are calling."
Baby Boomers Push RV Ownership to Record - Yahoo! News
"Baby Boomers have money, a sense of wanderlust and enough technology to run an office or stay in touch with family while on the road, said Rachel Parsons, spokeswoman for the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association."
Monday, May 22, 2006
USATODAY.com - Supreme Court rules police don't need warrants in emergencies
"The Supreme Court reaffirmed Monday that police can enter homes in emergencies without knocking or announcing their presence.
Justices said four Brigham City, Utah, police officers were justified in entering a home after peeking through a window and seeing a fight between a teenager and adults."
Justices said four Brigham City, Utah, police officers were justified in entering a home after peeking through a window and seeing a fight between a teenager and adults."
Wired News: Whistle-Blower's Evidence, Uncut
"Former AT&T technician Mark Klein is the key witness in the Electronic Frontier Foundation's class-action lawsuit against the telecommunications company, which alleges that AT&T cooperated in an illegal National Security Agency domestic surveillance program."
Hot Points – A blog by Go Daddy CEO and founder Bob Parsons
Out of 35 million names — 32 million were part of a kiting scheme.
During the month of April 2006, a little more than 35 million domain names were registered. Of these names, 32.7 million were used – most again and again – but never permanently registered. These 32.7 million names were part of a scheme – a growing abuse of the domain system — one I wrote about in my last blog article. It’s an outrageous practice. I used to call it the add/drop scheme. After thinking about it, I think the name “add/drop” sanitizes the practice too much, so I’ve decided to call it something closer to what is actually taking place. The name I’ve decided upon is “domain kiting.” - Bob Parsons
During the month of April 2006, a little more than 35 million domain names were registered. Of these names, 32.7 million were used – most again and again – but never permanently registered. These 32.7 million names were part of a scheme – a growing abuse of the domain system — one I wrote about in my last blog article. It’s an outrageous practice. I used to call it the add/drop scheme. After thinking about it, I think the name “add/drop” sanitizes the practice too much, so I’ve decided to call it something closer to what is actually taking place. The name I’ve decided upon is “domain kiting.” - Bob Parsons
USATODAY.com - VA computer disk stolen
"The theft of stolen information comes as the department has come under criticism for shoddy accounting practices and for falling short on the needs of veterans. Last year, more than 260,000 veterans could not sign up for services because of cost-cutting. Audits also have shown the agency used misleading accounting methods and lacked documentation to prove its claimed savings"
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Understanding and Reading a Blog -- John C. Dvorak
"With five million or more bloggers out there and even more readers it is assumed that everyone knows how to read a blog, or how they work. From my blogging experience I can say that this is definitely not true and hopefully this short article will describe the process for newcomers. This article is for the readers of blogs, not the writers."
Saturday, May 20, 2006
PALO ALTO PRIME / New houses sell at auction -- and at a premium -- before first spade of earth is turned
'Make your bid for a piece of Palo Alto history.'
That's how home builder D.R. Horton enticed 78 people to pay $1,000 to consider bidding at least $1.7 million for one of 11 single-family houses on the site of the legendary Rickey's Hyatt Hotel.
That's how home builder D.R. Horton enticed 78 people to pay $1,000 to consider bidding at least $1.7 million for one of 11 single-family houses on the site of the legendary Rickey's Hyatt Hotel.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Daily Kos: Haditha Civilian Killings: "This One Is Ugly"
Back in November, Iraqi residents in the town of Haditha claimed the U.S. Marines went on a civilian killing spree, leaving 15 dead, 10 of them women and children. A Marine spokesman initially denied the charge, saying that they had been killed by an IED and that in a following gun battle, eight insurgents were killed.
At a news conference today originally called to mark the six-month anniversary of his call for withdrawal from Iraq, John Murtha confirmed that the Iraqi civilian reports were indeed true and that the Marines 'killed innocent civilians in cold blood.'
At a news conference today originally called to mark the six-month anniversary of his call for withdrawal from Iraq, John Murtha confirmed that the Iraqi civilian reports were indeed true and that the Marines 'killed innocent civilians in cold blood.'
USATODAY.com - ACLU to sue after community rejects unmarried pair
A suburb of St. Louis faces a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union after it voted to deny residency to an unmarried couple and their children.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
AT&T loses bid for a closed court - At issue are papers the company calls trade secrets
AT&T was turned down by a federal judge Tuesday in its 11th-hour attempt to bar the public from a San Francisco court hearing today about documents that allegedly show the company's involvement in a secret government electronic surveillance program.
Monday, May 15, 2006
Foster Quotes Eminem at Penn Graduation
You can add rapping to the list of Jodie Foster's talents. The Oscar-winning actress spoke Monday at the University of Pennsylvania's commencement ceremonies, ending her address with the chorus of Eminem's 'Lose Yourself' from '8 Mile,' the semi-autobiographical 2002 film in which he starred.
ABC News: Federal Source to ABC News: We Know Who You're Calling
A senior federal law enforcement official tells ABC News the government is tracking the phone numbers we (Brian Ross and Richard Esposito) call in an effort to root out confidential sources.
House cleaning tips - the Happy Slob's Guide to Housecleaning
High Oil Prices: Don't Shoot the Messengers: How Not to Ruin Your Life - Yahoo! Finance
Here are a few ways of looking at the disgraceful and useless attack on the oil companies, sparked by the skyrocketing price of gasoline across the world.
Saturday, May 13, 2006
USATODAY.com - CIA leak court filing focuses on Cheney
In a new court filing, the prosecutor in the CIA leak case revealed that Vice President Dick Cheney made handwritten references to CIA officer Valerie Plame — albeit not by name — eight days before her identity was publicly exposed.
Apple flaws put both Macs and PCs at risk | CNET News.com
Serious flaws in Mac OS X and QuickTime software could put Macintosh and Windows systems at risk of cyberattack, Apple Computer has warned.
Friday, May 12, 2006
OfficialWire: The Spies Who Shag Us
They are paid to keep an eye on you —because the FBI can't. For the government to collect this stuff is against the law unless you're suspected of a crime. (The law in question is the Constitution.) But ChoicePoint can collect if for 'commercial' purchases—and under the Bush Administration's suspect reading of the Patriot Act—our domestic spying apparatchiks can then BUY the info from ChoicePoint.
Poynter Online - From Voice of God to Voice of Many
New media is not just for 25-year-old computer geeks who grew up playing Nintendo, but those who attended Thursday night’s Hearst New Media Lecture at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism already know that. The lecture, delivered by citizen-media pioneer Dan Gillmor, attracted people from different professions and various ages. But make no mistake, new media is not your grandmother’s news, and Gillmor made that crystal clear as he spoke of trends in today’s media.
Rocky Mountain News: Johnson: Maybe the terrorists have won already
OregonLive.com: NewsFlash - Ex-Qwest CEO balked at NSA request, worried about privacy laws
Former Qwest Communications Chief Executive Joseph Nacchio refused to share customer telephone records with the National Security Agency following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks because authorities did not want to use 'any legal process' to justify their request, Nacchio's attorney said Friday.
An example of passionate service from AT&T Wisconsin | The Daily Page
The real test here was whether or not AT&T representatives would respond directly when queried, both from the perspective of a customer and from someone seeking comment for publication.
All levels of AT&T failed. Its customer service representative, its regional officer, its regional spokesperson and its national spokesperson all begged off. But is anyone surprised to learn that?
All levels of AT&T failed. Its customer service representative, its regional officer, its regional spokesperson and its national spokesperson all begged off. But is anyone surprised to learn that?
Daily Kos: The President Speaks, Americans Demand Answers
"When the administration shoves Mr. 31% in front of the cameras to do some damage control, you know that this is a huge scandal:"
New fears of security risks in e-voting systems | CNET News.com
'It's the most severe security flaw ever discovered in a voting system,' said Michael I. Shamos, a professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University who is an examiner of electronic voting systems for Pennsylvania, where the primary is to take place on Tuesday.
Another Election Day Reminder
Net Neutrality
SAVE THE INTERNET
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Free Press : Gun Owners, Librarians Unite Against Bells
“Whenever you see people on the far left and the far right getting together [to oppose the same bill],” said Craig Fields, director of InterNet operations for conservative gun advocacy group Gun Owners of America, it’s a good indication that, “what Congress is getting ready to do is un-American.”
Average Joe And Saving The Internet
Pull Average Joe to the side (the next time you see him at the pub or wherever Joe haunts these days) and float the phrase 'Network Neutrality' by him; if for nothing else, to watch the blankness wash over him. He has little use for the phrase, though it has the potential to affect him greatly.
Free Press : Panel Vote Shows Rift Over `Net Neutrality'
A fight in a House committee about online tolls offered a preview Wednesday of the larger battle brewing over the future of the Internet as Congress overhauls telecommunications rules for the first time in a decade.
AlterNet: MediaCulture: Save the Internet
With the help of Republicans in Congress, mammoth telecommunications companies are fighting to restrict your internet freedom.
IBM to help build $100 million supercomputer center | CNET News.com
IBM, in conjunction with other companies, will help build a supercomputer center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The center is expected to develop new semiconductors and advancing nanotechnology.
Home builders switch on the 'invisible' solar panels | CNET News.com
Twelve developers in California have kicked off plans in recent weeks to integrate solar tiles from PowerLight into hundreds of new homes over the next few years. PowerLight's SunTile solar tiles are integrated into the roof, making them far less obtrusive than conventional solar panels, which are perched in a frame that sits atop a roof.
Bush Addresses Reports About NSA Activity
Congressional Republicans and Democrats demanded answers from the Bush administration Thursday about a government spy agency secretly collecting records of ordinary Americans' phone calls to build a database of every call made within the country.
Saturday, May 06, 2006
St. Petersburg Times: Dagwood's deli dream will come to life
CLEARWATER, FL - 'We have a menu that will make people ravenous to come back over and over,' he said, adding that, of course, there will be a Dagwood sandwich piled with 1.5 pounds of cold cuts.
'It's a foot-high,' Berry said.
'It's a foot-high,' Berry said.
Friday, May 05, 2006
Pink - Dear Mr. President - Live
Principal bars Coral Springs student from singing anti-Bush song at talent show: South Florida Sun-Sentinel
A 10-year-old Coral Springs girl won't be allowed to sing a controversial President Bush-bashing ballad at her school talent show after her principal deemed it inappropriate and too political.
USATODAY.com - Court strongly questions Internet wiretap rules
A U.S. appeals panel sharply challenged the Bush administration Friday over new rules making it easier for police and the FBI to wiretap Internet phone calls. A judge said the government's courtroom arguments were 'gobbledygook.'
Conservatives Drive Bush's Approval Down - Yahoo! News
Angry conservatives are driving the approval ratings of
President Bush and the GOP-led Congress to dismal new lows, according to an AP-Ipsos poll that underscores why Republicans fear an Election Day massacre.
President Bush and the GOP-led Congress to dismal new lows, according to an AP-Ipsos poll that underscores why Republicans fear an Election Day massacre.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
BlogWrite for CEOs: So why should you care about Fortune 500 CEO bloggers?
A freelancer working on a story for BusinessWeek wanted to know if it's *really* true that Sun Microsystems' new CEO, Jonathan Schwartz, is the first Fortune 500 CEO blogger... and isn't this all just a fad anyway?
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
USATODAY.com - IRS plan to use private tax collectors runs into snags
A private debt-collection firm tapped by the IRS to seek repayment from Americans who owe back taxes has been tangled in legal controversy, including a bribery scheme involving a collection contract in Texas and a federal investigation of another collection deal in Louisiana.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Louis Rukeyser, Television Host, Dies at 73 - New York Times
Louis Rukeyser, the exquisitely tailored and pun-loving television host who helped millions of Americans believe that they could get rich in the stock market, or at least begin to understand it, died yesterday at his home in Greenwich, Conn. He was 73.
Monday, May 01, 2006
USATODAY.com - Poll: No comfort for GOP
A USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken Friday through Sunday found Bush's approval rating at 34%, two points below his previous low. The president also received the lowest ratings of his presidency for his handling of the economy, energy and foreign affairs. He tied his previous low for Iraq: 32% said they approve of the job he's doing there.
Bolivia Moves to Nationalize Gas Industry
President Evo Morales ordered soldiers to occupy Bolivia's natural gas fields Monday and threatened to evict foreign companies unless they give Bolivia control over the entire chain of production.
USATODAY.com - Social Security, Medicare trust funds sink
The trust funds contain the equivalent of government IOUs. To raise the actual cash to meet obligations, the government must either borrow more money from the public by issuing marketable Treasury securities, raise taxes or cut spending in other programs.
Thank You Stephen Colbert!
'...Mayor Nagin, I'd like to welcome you to Washington, D.C.. The chocolate city with a marshmallow center, ......and a graham cracker crust of corruption...'
SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL!
It seems a bit strange that at the White House Correspondents Dinner, it was a comedian and NOT a news person who finally told it the way it is.
Bravo, Steve!
Please take the time to view at least Parts 1 and 2 of the 3 video parts.
SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL!
It seems a bit strange that at the White House Correspondents Dinner, it was a comedian and NOT a news person who finally told it the way it is.
Bravo, Steve!
Please take the time to view at least Parts 1 and 2 of the 3 video parts.
- Frank
Counterfeiters' next step: Faking the whole company | CNET News.com
After two years and thousands of hours of investigation in conjunction with law enforcement agencies in China, Taiwan and Japan, the company said it had uncovered something far more ambitious than clandestine workshops turning out inferior copies of NEC products.
The pirates were faking the entire company.
The pirates were faking the entire company.
