August 2007
Average broadband speed by country [graph]
Look at the US compared to Japan….It must be cheaper over there! (via Rick’s shared items in Google Reader)
What Does Your Business Card Say About You? →
Breaking: White House Press Secretary Tony Snow...
Snow, ailing with cancer, had said recently he would leave before the end of Bush’s presidency. The father of three children, Snow said he needs to make more than his White House salary of $168,000. He could earn far more money on the speechmaking circuit. (via Rick’s shared items in Google Reader)
Google Shift on Handling of News
Google will now host articles from four news agencies, setting the stage for the company to generate advertising revenue from Google News. (via Rick’s shared items in Google Reader)
[Dumbass] Houston school police officer...
Houston Chronicle (via Rick’s shared items in Google Reader)
What to do when the RIAA comes callig →
Great Engadget technology law article!
John Edwards asks America to give up SUVs, forgets...
Democratic 2nd-string Presidential nominee John Edwards asked Americans to “sacrifice” and give up their fuel-inefficient Sport Utility Vehicles and light Trucks. Oops! It turns out that when in Washington, the North Carolina Senator drives a Cadillac SRX. And back on the farm, he’s got another SUV plus a pickup truck. Pot. Kettle. Black. (via Rick’s shared items in Google...
The iPod Blog: Universal and the dinosaur's last...
Universal Music/NBC seems to believe the old rules still apply. Wait, what’s that fast-approaching fiery ball in the sky? (via Rick’s shared items in Google Reader)
[Hero] "Not Everyone in the World is a...
(MaineToday) (via Rick’s shared items in Google Reader)
[Weird] Wife cuts off her husband's right hand...
(orange.co.uk) (via Rick’s shared items in Google Reader)
Researchers develop a 360-degree holographic...
Researchers at USC have taken another step towards that holiest of sci-fi dreams: the 3D holographic display. Using a spinning mirror covered with a “holographic diffuser,” a special DVI implementation, and a high-speed projector. Wait till the porn industry gets hold of this. (via Rick’s shared items in Google Reader)
Is America Becoming A Police State?
Ron Paul: “In 2002 I asked my House colleagues a rhetorical question with regard to the onslaught of government growth in the post-September 11th era: Is America becoming a police state?” (via Rick’s shared items in Google Reader)
Apple responds: NBC wanted $4.99 per TV show...
Apple has responded to news that NBC will not renew its iTunes contract. In a shocker, NBC wanted an eye popping $4.99 per episode, which is up from the $1.99 price that over 50 cable networks have agreed to this fall. As a result, the iTunes Store will not offer any episodes from the upcoming seasons of NBC TV shows. (via Rick’s shared items in Google Reader)
Apple to NBC: Go Fuck Yourselves, You Greedy...
So NBC and Apple couldn’t agree to terms to sell NBC TV shows for the upcoming fall season. Apple issued a point-blank press release explaining why:
Apple today announced that it will not be selling NBC television shows for the upcoming television season on its online iTunes® Store (www.itunes.com). The move follows NBC’s decision to not renew its agreement with iTunes after Apple declined to...
Court Rules Against TorrentSpy In MPAA Email Suit
mikesd81 writes “C|Net reports that a lawsuit filed by TorrentSpy against the MPAA, accusing it of intercepting the company’s private e-mails, was tossed out of court this week. Even though a U.S District judge ruled that the MPAA broke no rules, the MPAA does admit it paid $15,000 to obtain private e-mails belonging to TorrentSpy executives. The MPAA’s acknowledgment is...
organitarian
organitarian
n. My friend Claire introduced me to a new word: Organi-tarian. It describes meat eaters who strive to support humane treatment of their animal food sources. —“Full Steam Ahead: What’s Going On” by Hafidha Sofia Never Say Never to Your Traveling Self Aug. 29, 2007. Categories: English, Food & Drink, New or Nonce—More information about organitarian and related words at...
"Bush has discarded habeas corpus and the Geneva...
“Bush has discarded habeas corpus and the Geneva Conventions, justified torture and secret trials, damned critics as anti-American, and is responsible, according to Information Clearing House, for over one million deaths of Iraqi civilians, which puts Bush high on the list of mass murderers of all time. The vast majority of “kills” by the US military in Iraq and Afghanistan are...
Game Party for Wii - Featuring Wii Beer Pong &... →
This November Midway is releasing “Game Party” for the Wii, a bundle of classic games like skee-ball and air hockey. Included in this package is “Ping Pong” which allows gamers to toss balls into a diamond of cups on each side. This means that we will soon be able to play beer pong with out all the basement floor bacteria!
At Least Nine Cases Of Walmart Flipflops Burning...
“I have the same EXACT condition that Kerry Stiles has, and Fox news did a story regarding the Sun and Sand flip flops last night filed by another lady here in Texas. I purchased the shoes at Walmart in July… I, unlike Kerry, wore the shoes a mere 2 hours.” (via Rick’s shared items in Google Reader)
Ex-Reagan Aide Calls Bush 'Mass Murderer' →
The headline says it all. Paul Craig Roberts, former assistant secretary of the treasury under the Reagan administration, cites a recent report of more than 1 million deaths in Iraq since the war began. He calls Bush a “mass murderer” and also refers to his “Brownshirt administration.”
Intoxicated mother had 5-year-old son drive car...
AUGUST 30—Meet Holly Schnobrich. The Indiana woman’s mind was clear enough to know she was in no state to get behind the wheel of her car, but her judgment was clouded (likely by the painkillers and sleeping pills she had been ingesting) when she made her five-year-old son her designated driver. (via Rick’s shared items in Google Reader)
Researchers aim to make Internet bandwidth a...
Computer scientists are using a novel peer-to-peer video sharing application to explore a next-generation model for safe and legal electronic commerce that uses Internet bandwidth as a global currency. The application (available for free download) is an enhanced version of a program called Tribler. (via Rick’s shared items in Google Reader)
Viacom s "bass ackwards" screw-up issues takedown...
Viacom’s copyright battle with YouTube took an interesting turn this week, as the company has found itself in the embarrassing position of having highlighted the possibly that it committed a little “for-profit” copyright infringement of its own (some would call it “piracy”). (via Rick’s shared items in Google Reader)
NEW SSBB STAGE - WarioWare →
Jump! Stay Dry! Dodge!… Just some of the things you’ll have to do when duelling it out with your friends in this new SSBB stage.
Swedish vote on OOXML annulled
(Sorry, article in Swedish). The Swedish Standardization Institute, SIS, has decided to annul its ballot on OOXML, since at least one member seems to have been using multiple votes. This is against the SIS rules and calls for a revocation. Last Monday, SIS voted YES on OOXML after questionable vote stuffing by Microsoft. (via Rick’s shared items in Google Reader)
Viacom: It’s Not Copyright Infringement When We Do...
In a rather interesting turn of events, Viacom has been called out for copyright infringement. That’s right. The same company that’s suing YouTube for a whopping $1 billion has done some dirty business of its own. (via Rick’s shared items in Google Reader)
How A Real President Handled Katrina... In 1965
On The Evening Of Sept. 9, 1965, Hurricane Betsy, A Category 4 Storm, Roared Into Louisiana With Winds Of Up To 160 Miles Per Hour. The Next Day, President Lyndon Johnson Was On The Streets Of New Orleans With His Secret Service Agents Giving Out Water. (via Rick’s shared items in Google Reader)
"Strikingly Negative" Iraq Report Leaked Before...
Amazing — someone in the Government Accountability Office wants the government to be accountable. (via Rick’s shared items in Google Reader)
The Wachowski brothers are no more!
and for reasons you might not expect (via Rick’s shared items in Google Reader)
Storm Hits Blogger Network
ancientribe writes “Researchers have discovered the Storm Trojan nestled in hundreds of blog sites in Google’s Blogger network, according to an article in Dark Reading. And this isn’t simple comment spam, but actual blogs that post spam, and now, Storm executable files. A researcher who’s been tracking the Storm-infested blog sites says he’s working with Google to...
[Sick] A school where students undergo routine...
(Some Guy) (via Rick’s shared items in Google Reader)
Some Are Born to Greatness; Others Have It Thrust...
Bimbette #1: Chris* has the biggest dick ever. I mean, how does someone’s dick get to be that big?! Bimbette #2: Yeah, I wonder how that’s determined. Like, what side of the family? Bimbette #1: Yeah, I don’t think I want to have boys and have to deal with stuff like that… [Trails off as guy in front of them turns his head and then keeps walking. Both girls stop dead in...
Survey Shows More Women Blogging Than Men
thefickler writes “The blogosphere has hit the mainstream, according to a new survey, which reveals that 80% of Americans know what a blog is, 50% regularly visit blogs, and 8% publish their own blog. The survey also reveals that more women than men are bloggers, with 20% of American women who have visited blogs having their own versus 14% of men.”
Read more of this story at...
Thieves: Steal from Home Depot, Since You Can't...
24-year-old Home Depot employee Dustin worked at a Home Depot in until he caught and restrained a thief who he caught prying open a soda machine with a crowbar. Now he’s unemployed. Says a spokesperson: “Property isn’t worth getting hurt over — merchandise can be replaced and people can’t.” I guess that means it’s safe to steal from Home Depot? (via...
Judge Declares Iowa Same-Sex Marriage Ban...
Six same-sex couples in Iowa in a lawsuit filed by Lambda Legal won a major victory on Thursday when a judge struck down a state law banning same-sex marriage.
Wrote Judge Robert B. Hanson in the ruling: “This court has yet to hear any convincing argument as to how excluding same-sex couples from getting married promotes responsible reproduction in general or by different-sex couples in...
The iPhone at two months: It's all about the... →
“When I first walked into the house the day I bought my iPhone, I had a moment of panic. After six months of media frenzy and amongst all of the excitement, I had lost sight of the fact that the 8GB iPhone I bought at a nearby AT&T store had set me back $600. Not that I hadn’t been warned; the price information was everywhere…”
Rudy Giuliani has made $9.2 million off the...
The former mayor of New York made $9.2 million on a speaking tour in 2006 and 2007. Here is a look at who paid him and how much. (via Rick’s shared items in Google Reader)
Leaked: "Strikingly Negative" Iraq Report Leaked...
Iraq has failed to meet all but three of 18 congressionally mandated benchmarks for political and military progress, according to a draft of a Government Accountability Office report. The document questions whether some aspects of a more positive assessment by the White House. (via Rick’s shared items in Google Reader)
Testimony by Gonzales Is Subject of Inquiry
The Justice Department’s inspector general said today that he is investigating whether Alberto R. Gonzales misled Congress. (via Rick’s shared items in Google Reader)
[Dumbass] Robber wants $4 from victim. Victim only...
WNBC (via Rick’s shared items in Google Reader)
[Florida] High school journalism students graded...
MSNBC (via Rick’s shared items in Google Reader)
10 Must Have Online Office Apps →
Washington Post Notices That Japanese Broadband Is...
While there isn’t that much new there if you’ve been paying attention, the Washington Post has an article about how Japan reached the point where it has a highly competitive broadband market that is cheaper and many times faster than US broadband offerings. The Washington Post version does a pretty good job highlighting how opening up access to the core lines was a big part of it (as...
Viacom Says User Infringed His Own Copyright
Chris Knight writes “I ran for school board where I live this past fall and created some TV commercials including this one with a ‘Star Wars’ theme. A few months ago VH1 grabbed the commercial from YouTube and featured it in a segment of its show ‘Web Junk 2.0.’ Neither VH1 or its parent company Viacom told me they were doing this or asked my permission to use it, but...
'I ate my roommate', says teen →
Robert crushed his room-mate’s skull with a 9kg iron bar before using a butcher’s knife to remove his intestines. Officers found the body lying in a pool of blood, with body parts spread around the room and half-eaten on a plate in the kitchen.
MSNBC's Tucker Carlson Recounts Assault on Gay Man
Last night on MSNBC Live, during a discussion about Sen. Larry Craig’s (R-ID) arrest for “lewd conduct” and eventual guilty plea, MSNBC’s Tucker Carlson described his assault on a man who he said “bothered” him in a Washington, D.C., public restroom. (via Rick’s shared items in Google Reader)
KKK rally pwned by... clowns!? →
Wife Power!
Leaked: "Strikingly Negative" Iraq Report Leaked... →
Iraq has failed to meet all but three of 18 congressionally mandated benchmarks for political and military progress, according to a draft of a Government Accountability Office report. The document questions whether some aspects of a more positive assessment by the White House.
While the Cat's Away
A woman is in bed with her lover, who also happens to be her husband’s best friend.
They make love for hours and, afterwards, while they’re just lying there, the phone rings. Since it’s the woman’s house, she picks up the receiver. The best friend listens, only hearing her side of the conversation:
“Hello? Oh, hi… I’m so glad that you called…...
Record Company Collusion a Defense to RIAA Case?
NewYorkCountryLawyer writes “Is collusion by the record companies a defense to an RIAA case? We’re about to find out, because the RIAA has made a motion to strike the affirmative defense of Marie Lindor, who alleged that “the plaintiffs, who are competitors, are a cartel acting collusively in violation of the antitrust laws and of public policy, by tying their copyrights to each...