Planet 無 Web Logs

by Steve Benen at August 29, 2008 02:07 AM

Convention Open Thread

CONVENTION OPEN THREAD.... It's a packed house, of course, at Invesco Field in Denver, and the fourth and final night of the Democratic Convention has been going off without a hitch. Tim Kaine ("Move, mountain!") was better than I expected,...

Capital Radio's London Guide

Simon Willison : Capital Radio's London Guide - Capital Radio’s London Guide. Worth pointing out: the search / map interface on this page is one of the best examples of progressive enhancement I’ve ever seen. Try disabling JavaScript and see what happens. It seems like most developers just can’

August 29, 2008 02:00 AM

Technocrat

Half of Australia Still Wilderness

A joint environmental organizational study has looked at Australia and land use and found that it still has almost half of its land area as wilderness. This ranks them in the top tier of still remaining global wilderness areas, with Canada's north, the Sahara, parts of the Amazon basin and Antarctica at the very top. The study also cautions that this could be endangered if it isn't managed correctly, and notes the pervasive destructiveness of certain invasive species.

August 29, 2008 01:50 AM

スラッシュドット

米国のテロリストデータベースは設計不備、アップグレード案も問題あり

あるAnonymous Coward 曰く、

Ars Technicaの記事によると、米国の国家テロ対策センター（NCTC）が管理している「テロリストの疑いのある人物」データベースは多くの技術的問題を抱えているようだ。

飛行機に搭乗させてはならない者をリストアップしたNo-Flyリストなど、より詳細な警戒者リストは全てこのDBを基に作られているそうだ。しかし現行のシステムは簡単なテキスト検索は行えず、複雑で面倒なSQLサーチを強いられており、また50万人分に及ぶデータは463ものテーブルに分かれて格納されている上、インデックスも正しく設計されていないようだ。

NCTCはこのシステムのアップグレードプロジェクトを進めているが、米下院科学技術委員会の監督・調査小委員会は、このアップグレードは問題をより複雑にする可能性があると分析している。アップグレードされると政府機関間での情報共有が困難になり、また、ブーリアン型以外での検索ができなくなるため、名前にわずかな差異があると拾ってこれず、機能も少なくなると指摘している。

ちなみにNo-Flyリストなどは、掲載されている名前と同姓同名であるために搭乗を拒否されたり尋問されるなど、運用面でも問題が多いようである。

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by hayakawa at August 29, 2008 01:43 AM

LimeWire doubles music library; almost no one notices

If LimeWire doubles its library in the woods, does it make a sound? The company recently added another 1.2 million tracks from independent artists and small labels to its library, but it'll have to do more than that to gain an audience.

August 29, 2008 01:30 AM

An Hour Earlier, It Was Prime Walk-of-Shame Time

Man #1: I always look for hot babes on the way to work, but never see much.
Man #2: That's because the hot ones work in fashion. Only ugly girls have to be at work this early.

--Columbus Circle

Alsome | Thumbs up | Thumbs down |
Link · Email · Quote this! · Del.icio.us · Posted 2008-08-28

August 29, 2008 01:00 AM

Technocrat

Casual Hacktivism

Along with the recent shooting war in Ossetia and Georgia, came a cyberwar, a war fought by activists on both sides. This article shows how casually easy it was to join up on one side and get to DDOSing.

August 29, 2008 12:57 AM

Saul Bass on film titles

Thirty-five minute video in which Saul Bass talks about some of the iconic movie title sequences he created in his career. (via smashing telly)

(link)

August 29, 2008 12:55 AM

Saul Bass on film titles

Thirty-five minute video in which Saul Bass talks about some of the iconic movie title sequences he created in his career. (via smashing telly)

(link)

August 29, 2008 12:55 AM

Hi Al Gore! Hi Generals! Hi Joe Biden!

You Are Hearing Me Talk. Your Wonkette has been chopped into three pieces, like a Starfish, and your current editor is just sitting in Level Two against a brick wall, on the concrete. We saw Stevie Wonder sing two songs! And, uh, Sheryl Crow sing like 7,000 songs which all sounded like shopping for lawn furniture on heroin. Al, what do you say?

6:45 PM — Good lord these Democrats are making a ruckus to welcome Al Gore! How many of them voted for Nader in 2000?
6:47 PM — “I know something about close elections,” blah blah, Al Gore is still boring.
6:49 PM — Thomas Edison totally solved global warming before it even happened! But then Cheney killed Thomas Edison with a car.
6:55 PM — Gore’s southern accent doesn’t sound so awful after hearing John “Love Child” Edwards and his terrible accent for so long … and if not for the Heroes at the National Enquirer, we would be hearing Scumbag John Edwards TONIGHT!
6:58 PM — Al has a thang for Michelle!
6:59 PM — Your editor is stuck between a terrible popcorn stand and a grease-nut vendor. There is no booze here, not even beer.
7:00 PM — Good-bye Al!
7:00 PM — Neither Jim nor Sara can get a decent wireless signal in the stadium seats, and they are about four sections apart, and this place is almost completely full of humanity. Even the very top nosebleed seats in the sun, they’re filling right up to the top. Craziness. John McCain would have to give a year’s free sleeping pills to the jobless elderly of the whole country to get this kind of crowd — and half of them would die during the speech.
7:03 PM — There are Obama staffers unfurling huge American flags for whatever purpose … probably for Obama to burn, with a giant flame-thrower.
7:05 PM — The dudes told me the giant flags are for “America the Beautiful,” to be waved around, and I said, “Oh did Ray Charles come back from the dead?” And they just glared at me, and now that fucking Doobie Brothers guy, ~~Kenny Roggers~~, Michael Mac Donald, is singing it, Ray Charles style, but minus the talent. Somewhere, Wolf Blitzer is just cold dancin’.
7:06 PM — Sorry it took a week to get here. Jesus christ. And of course once we got in, every single staffer told us conflicting lies about where we could go, where we could sit, and ultimately we were not really wanted anywhere, except Jim and Sara found single seats far away, and they have no Internets. HOPEY TOOK THEIR INTERNETS.
7:18 PM — Wow there are a lot of generals out here for Obama, including the famous “General Fig Newton.” We have no idea if this is a true name.
7:20 PM — Is the Secret Service jamming cell phones here? Nothing works. Soon they will figure out my fancy wireless broadband deal and blow up Verizon, for freedom.
7:21 PM — Fireworks will finish the thing up, we know. But what’s the secret surprise, like last night? We think Obama will leave, then come back, by jet pack, wielding a lightsaber, and then he’ll zoom around killing the evil snack vendors and just give snacks to everybody. Yes We Can!
7:24 PM — Joe Biden! We totally saw this guy last night, at the old no-good Pepsi Center.
7:25 PM — Ha, Biden just wants to be some old dead football player for the Denver Broncos. Nobody tell Joe that this “Invesco Field at Mile High” was literally built on the ruins of his beloved childhood Mile High Stadium.
7:26 PM — Those jesus freaks don’t have much juice anymore, do they? Beautiful weather, with distant fluffy clouds over the mountains and a million miles of blue sky. And like a hundred cop helicopters.
7:30 PM — We will get another live-blog ready to go, for Hopey. Then I’ll go trade with Jim, and he can write the liveblogging! It is a perfect plan that cannot fail.

by Ken Layne at August 29, 2008 12:48 AM

Obama to tell nation: 'Enough is enough'

OBAMA TO TELL NATION: 'ENOUGH IS ENOUGH'.... I received an advance copy of excerpts -- not the whole text -- from tonight's speech from Barack Obama, and not surprisingly, it looks very strong. Most notably, after characterizing this election as...

by Steve Benen at August 29, 2008 12:35 AM

Who Are All Of These Rotten Democrats?

Fifteen thousand hours later, and we’re in. You know what would be great right now is a couch.

by Jim Newell at August 29, 2008 12:33 AM

Wikileaks to auction Hugo Chavez aide's e-mail trove

In a first for the leaks site, Wikileaks hopes to raise cash and attract attention by auctioning off a high-profile new leak: a collection of e-mails allegedly gleaned from a senior Hugo Chavez aide.

August 29, 2008 12:25 AM

First public release of Gazelle, open-source software for BitTorrent communities

Andy Baio : First public release of Gazelle, open-source software for BitTorrent communities - brave move, opening up what.cd to potential attacks

August 29, 2008 12:01 AM

Koyaanisqatsi, 1982 film about urban life, technology, and nature

Andy Baio : Koyaanisqatsi, 1982 film about urban life, technology, and nature - full-length in 420p; the spliced-in Hulu ads break the mood a bit, but worth watching

August 29, 2008 12:00 AM

August 28, 2008

Mad Men's Arial gaffe

Mad Men gets a C- for using Arial in the closing credits instead of original-and-still-champion Helvetica. Time for Sterling to have a chat with the art department.

(link)

August 28, 2008 11:46 PM

Mad Men's Arial gaffe

Mad Men gets a C- for using Arial in the closing credits instead of original-and-still-champion Helvetica. Time for Sterling to have a chat with the art department.

(link)

August 28, 2008 11:46 PM

Newly unearthed Apple patent raises hopes for fabled iTablet

Sure to fan the flames for those praying for a multi-touch Mac tablet, a recent patent filing by Apple describes how the UI for such a device would work.

August 28, 2008 11:20 PM

EFF Deeplinks

Computers Seized from Berkeley Activist Space

Yesterday, the FBI, UC Berkeley police, and Alameda County Sheriff's deputies conducted a raid on the Long Haul Infoshop, a community space that is home to a number of leftist and anarchist groups, including a newspaper and a radio station. Armed with a warrant (PDF), authorities entered and quickly removed every computer in the Long Haul space.

According to the Associated Press, a UC Berkeley spokesman said that the raid was part of an investigation into threatening e-mails tracked to computers there. Among the computers seized were computers belonging to the Slingshot newspaper, and the Berkeley Daily Planet reports that police "got [Berkeley Liberation Radio's] hard drive."

Even with a warrant, the authorities may have acted in violation of federal law when they seized the computers. The seizure of media computers would appear to be a violation of the Privacy Protection Act, which says that the authorities are not entitled to "search for or seize any work product materials possessed by a person reasonably believed to have a purpose to disseminate to the public a newspaper [or] broadcast."

The purpose of the Privacy Protection Act is to ensure the freedom of speech and of the press. While there are exceptions to the act (such as when the documents seized themselves contain classified information or child pornography), the intent of the act is to prevent the government from using its search and seizure powers to shut down newspapers and radio stations, or otherwise interfere with the free flow of information to the public.

The seizure of computers is of special interest to EFF, since the first case we fought — and won — was a result of the illegal seizure of several computers from Steve Jackson Games in 1990. In that case, the federal court held that the Secret Service violated the Privacy Protection Act, and ordered the agency to pay for the harm it had caused.

by hugh at August 28, 2008 11:14 PM

The Mighty Book of Boosh: a sneak preview

jonhicks : The Mighty Book of Boosh: a sneak preview - This looks like a must-have. I hope it has a gallery of creamy creamy Baileys art by ol' Greg

Tags : sidenotes

August 28, 2008 11:04 PM

Net mob searches for iPhone girl's identity

Andy Baio : Net mob searches for iPhone girl's identity - the "human flesh search engine" tracked her down to the fifth floor of a FoxConn building in Shenzhen

August 28, 2008 11:03 PM

John McCain's POW Bros.

Andy Baio : John McCain's POW Bros. - like Mario, he should only be able to use it three times before it disappears

August 28, 2008 11:02 PM

WolfenFlickr 3D, mashing up Wolfenstein with Flickr's Javascript API

Andy Baio : WolfenFlickr 3D, mashing up Wolfenstein with Flickr's Javascript API - browse your photos in 3D, hit ctrl-click to view photos in high-res; more on the project

August 28, 2008 11:01 PM

McCain's prickly TIME interview

Andy Baio : McCain's prickly TIME interview - I'd recommend listening to the MP3, which is different from the transcript, and in some ways much more painful

August 28, 2008 11:00 PM

I've Been Highlighting My Hair for Years in Preparation

Blond: She says UCLA Santa Cruz is, like, 7 hours from LA.
Brunette: Weird. Well, I want to apply to the UCLA that's in LA.
Blond: Oh my god, I've been telling my dad since I was like four that I wanted to go UCLA. You know, the one in LA.
Brunette: We should totally both go there together!

--Penn Station

Overheard by: really?

Alsome | Thumbs up | Thumbs down |
Link · Email · Quote this! · Del.icio.us · Posted 2008-08-28

August 28, 2008 11:00 PM

EFF Deeplinks

EFF Urges Copyright Office to Fix Digital Music Mess, but Carefully

In comments filed today, EFF joined with other public interest and consumer groups in urging the Copyright Office to clarify the process for licensing digital music services, but to steer clear of larger digital copyright controversies. The comments were filed in a rulemaking involving the Section 115 compulsory license for "digital phonorecord deliveries" (DPDs) that has been dragging on since 2001 (read the July 16, 2008 "notice of proposed rulemaking" for a summary of the tortured history of the proceeding).

The issues are fantastically complex (even most copyright experts are perplexed by the morass surrounding digital music licensing), but the current logjam boils down to music publishers against everyone else. Every music recording involves two copyrights: one for the sound recording (i.e., the "master"), which is usually controlled by a record label, and one for the musical work (i.e., the "composition"), which is usually controlled by a music publisher. Different music services need different sorts of licenses (and those that simply host materials uploaded by users or simply distribute software may need no license at all), and it has been notoriously complicated to figure out who to contact for the relevant licenses.

The licensing of sound recordings has been getting easier, not least because the four major labels cover so much of the waterfront, and because licensing aggregators are consolidating the independent labels. It's the music publishers that represent the last great obstacle to streamlined licensing, in large part because there are so many of them. The good news here is that Congress in 1995 created a compulsory license in Section 115 of the Copyright Act, which means that so long as you pay a set rate, you can get a license to any and all musical works that you need. The bad news is that the interpretation of what the compulsory license covers, as well as the rate setting, has been trapped in regulatory limbo for years, creating uncertainty for everyone.

The Copyright Office has been trying to break the logjam with respect to digital music services by issuing regulations clarifying the scope of the DPD compulsory license. In particular, the Copyright Office is aiming to cut through some of the complexity by saying that the compulsory license is broad enough to cover any and all copies (whether server-side or client-side, whether on a hard drive or in a RAM buffer) made in the course of any kind of digital music service (whether downloading, streaming, or time-limited subscription).

So far, so good. The DPD compulsory license was created by Congress to prevent music services from having to find and negotiate one-by-one with every music publisher for every song. If some incidental copy is left hanging outside the 115 license, that goal would be frustrated.

But, as discussed in the EFF comments, the Copyright Office's proposal goes a bit too far by trying to resolve a number of other, unnecessary, copyright controversies that should be resolved by the courts or Congress. In particular, the proposed regulations took the position that temporary RAM buffer copies made in the course of streaming should qualify as copies under copyright law, precisely the issue that the Cablevision DVR opinion decided the other way just a few weeks ago. The proposed regulations also unnecessarily weigh in on the question of whether the distribution right reaches digital transmissions, an issue EFF has addressed in several court cases.

There is no need for the Copyright Office to get entangled in these continuing controversies in order to clarify the DPD compulsory license. It is enough for the regulations to clarify that all of the activities of digital music services can be licensed under the compulsory license, without coming to any conclusions about whether any particular activities must be licensed. Rather than issuing broad statements that will only spawn more litigation, the Copyright Office should stay out of these extraneous controversies and focus instead on clarifying the Section 115 compulsory license.

by fred at August 28, 2008 10:54 PM

by Steve Benen at August 28, 2008 10:30 PM

Thursday's Mini-Report

THURSDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits: * Now here's a provocative charge: "Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has accused the United States of orchestrating the conflict in Georgia to benefit one of its presidential election candidates." * The stock...

● Koyaanisqatsi

This is my favorite scene from Koyaanisqatsi.

Unaware at first of the camera, she sees it. Then smiles almost imperceptibly and turns away. Then self-consciously looks everywhere but at the camera. And finally, a last contemptous peek at the camera.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

August 28, 2008 10:21 PM

● Koyaanisqatsi

This is my favorite scene from Koyaanisqatsi.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

August 28, 2008 10:21 PM

Good seats are still available

GOOD SEATS ARE STILL AVAILABLE.... There are competing reports on when, exactly, the McCain campaign is going to announce its running mate, with some rumors the news could come tonight. (Obama communications chief Dan Pfeiffer sounds skeptical: "If they do...

by Steve Benen at August 28, 2008 09:40 PM

Philip Greenspun

Sikorsky counterrotating helicopter takes flight

Sikorsky flew its prototype counterrotating helicopter yesterday (press release). Typical helicopters, however expensive, are limited to about 165 knots of cruise speed. When the helicopter is moving faster than that, the “retreating blade” is not getting enough airflow, i.e., the blade is going backward about as fast as the helicopter is going forward. This results in a loss of lift on half of the disk. With two rotor systems rotating in opposite directions you still get retreating blade stall but it happens to both rotors at the same time and on opposite sides of the helicopter. Instead of the helicopter pitching and rolling it should just keep flying. The goal with this style of helicopter is to achieve cruise speeds closer to 250 knots, albeit probably at Sikorsky prices starting at $20 million.

How new is this idea? The U.S. military tried this around 1970 and gave up due to uncontrollable vibrations. The Russians built and flew some helicopters like this, also around 1970, but never went into large scale production.

What makes it practical today when it wasn’t practical in 1970? Better computer systems that can run active vibration dampening (like noise-canceling headsets but for vibration).

by philg at August 28, 2008 09:18 PM

It's official: Comcast starts 250GB bandwidth caps October 1

Comcast has finally announced that it will introduce 250GB per month bandwidth caps for all residential customers this fall. It insists that this is the same policy it always had, but with clearer limits.

August 28, 2008 09:16 PM

Philip Greenspun

Cambridge Public Schools #1 in Massachusetts…

The September 2008 Boston magazine has a cover story on high school education in the Boston area. Cambridge is #1.. in cost, having spent $24,467 per year per student. That’s up from $20,637 in 2005. SAT scores, meanwhile, have fallen from 481 verbal/500 math to 465/468, well below the nationwide average for 2007 of 502/515. Cambridge has the lowest student-teacher ratio of any school in the state and the most non-teacher staff (100 administrators for the 1541 students).

Brookline is right across the river and has a similar proximity to Boston and density of housing. They spent $15,098 per student and the average SAT scores were 571/587.

Lincoln-Sudbury, right near Hanscom Field, proves that Gulfstream exhaust is good for learning. They spent $14,500 per student and the SAT scores were 573/600. MCAS scores were excellent as well.

A separate article in the same magazine covers the new high school building in Newton, Massachusetts. The old school building had a flakey HVAC system. To rectify the problem, the town hired Graham Gund, a prestige architecture firm, and the result is throwing out the old building in favor of the most expensive public school project in the United States. By the time it opens in 2010 it will have cost more than $200 million. The Harvard design school graduates at Graham Gund apparently did not read the Massachusetts school guidelines and therefore the classrooms are going to be slightly smaller than the regulatory minimum. Newton taxpayers are going to be paying for this for the next 30 years via bonds that start out with very small payments but balloon to $10 million/year starting a few years hence (just like a subprime mortgage!).

by philg at August 28, 2008 09:03 PM

Wasn't He Marlon Brando's Personal Cook?

Man: Who was that chef who said "Butter, butter, bring me more butter."?
Woman: Umm, I think you just made that up.
Man: No, he said it. And he meant it, and he was right! (butters roll)

--Brazil Grill, 8th Ave & 48th

Alsome | Thumbs up | Thumbs down |
Link · Email · Quote this! · Del.icio.us · Posted 2008-08-28

August 28, 2008 09:00 PM

North Korean anti-US posters

A collection of North Korean anti-US propaganda posters.

Though the dog barks, the procession moves on!

(via fp passport)

(link)

August 28, 2008 08:48 PM

North Korean anti-US posters

A collection of North Korean anti-US propaganda posters.

Though the dog barks, the procession moves on!

(via fp passport)

(link)

August 28, 2008 08:48 PM

Downplaying the differences

DOWNPLAYING THE DIFFERENCES.... In early June, Paul Krugman had an interesting item on the media's coverage of the presidential campaign, as the dominant story shifted from a primary race to the general election. When the focus was on Hillary Clinton...

by Steve Benen at August 28, 2008 08:35 PM

On the air

ON THE AIR.... After Barack Obama's acceptance speech this evening, there will be plenty of news outlets offering analysis, but there's one, in particular, I'd recommend. The estimable Paul Glastris, Washington Monthly's editor in chief, will be part of an...

by Steve Benen at August 28, 2008 08:11 PM

¿Podrían llegar a funcionar las turbinas eólicas sin viento?

Un pobrecito hablador nos cuenta: «La compañía Energy Power and Storage ha desarrollado sistemas de almacenamiento de energía que permitirán accionar las turbinas eólicas aun cuando no haya viento. De lo que se trata de es de bombear aire a formaciones subterráneas, como antiguos pozos de gas o cuevas de sal. La idea es que este aire quede comprimido y disponible para accionar las turbinas eólicas en los momentos en que no sopla el viento. Con el aire comprimido almacenado se podrían abastecer por varias horas o incluso días de electricidad a los generadores eólicos para que sigan funcionando. Fuente en inglés: Smartplanet.»

by Yonderboy at August 28, 2008 08:08 PM

"Siouxland residents, many of whom consider themselves connoisseurs of fine food, a city is not a city without an Olive Garden."

Greg Storey : "Siouxland residents, many of whom consider themselves connoisseurs of fine food, a city is not a city without an Olive Garden." - I can't add insult to injury.

Tags : Food

August 28, 2008 08:04 PM

Software bundling sleaze

nelson : Software bundling sleaze - You can pay Best Buy $30 to remove the crap that's preinstalled on your PC

Tags : badtech software hp dell bestbuy via:jeffmcmanus

August 28, 2008 08:02 PM

Google + Mozilla

nelson : Google + Mozilla - Advertising deal that funds Firefox extended to 2011

Tags : google mozilla firefox cpc ads

August 28, 2008 08:01 PM

New Captions Feature For Videos - YouTube Blog

wearehugh : New Captions Feature For Videos - YouTube Blog

Tags : video youtube accessibility

August 28, 2008 08:00 PM

newsforge

Behind the doors of the Free Software Foundation

The purpose of the Free Software Foundation (FSF) is probably obvious from its name -- but what does promoting free software mean in terms of everyday activity? Examining the roles of the organization shows how complex the FSF's advocacy role has become. It also reveals the range of services available to the free software community, and helps to explain how such a small group has had such a major influence on computer technology.

August 28, 2008 08:00 PM

Grok Law

SCO's Motion to Give Stock Options to 4 Executives

SCO has filed a motion [PDF], titled Debtor's Motion for (1) a Determination that Stock Options Granted to Executives Were Awarded in the Ordinary Court of Debtors' Business and (2) Continuing Authority to Grant Ordinary Course Stock Options. SCO says it consulted with the US Trustee's Office and it says it takes no position on this motion. But SCO says they are filing the motion "in an abundance of caution." And it has filed a motion [PDF] to be able to file evidence and give testimony about the stock plan under seal.

Well. I would want that too, I'm thinking, all things considered. It's comforting to know there are still people on earth who still want SCO stock. Relax. Just joking around.

The first motion has to do with stock options granted under the SCO 2004 Omnibus Stock Incentive Plan, attached as Exhibit A [PDF], options that SCO granted on August 26, 2008. That was Tuesday. So they granted them and now they are asking the court to say it's OK and to let them do it again in the future.

The plan "is designed to promote the interests of SCO and its stockholders by incentivizing and rewarding employees who make a long-term contribution to the success of the company," SCO says. But trust me, if you want to know just how incentivized the SCO executives have been, you probably want to read their 2008 Proxy Statement, filed with the SEC on March 5, 2008. Looking at both documents together brings them both into a more nuanced context.

August 28, 2008 07:56 PM

Going To Invesco Field, BRB

Hey wait, it isn't Sunday! We are commencing the long terrible journey to Barack Obama’s Athletics Parthenon and Live Pagan Sex Spectacle. It will take approximately one million hours, and we have to stop for lunch besides, so if we do not post for a few hours it is because we are drunk or incarcerated or maybe we have expired in the heat. Wish us luck.

by Sara K. Smith at August 28, 2008 07:42 PM

How to be a good intern

How to be a good intern. This list works equally well for advice on how to be a good employee, manager, or CEO. "There are no stupid questions" is good advice no matter what. (via swissmiss)

(link)

August 28, 2008 07:25 PM

How to be a good intern

How to be a good intern. This list works equally well for advice on how to be a good employee, manager, or CEO. "There are no stupid questions" is good advice no matter what. (via swissmiss)

(link)

August 28, 2008 07:25 PM

by Jim Newell at August 28, 2008 07:22 PM

ROVE, YOU SCOURGE: Talking about the possibility of Hurricane Gustav making landfall during the Republican convention, Karl Rove tells Fox News, “The Republicans can’t seem to get a break when it comes to August and when it comes to the weather.” Right in the middle of the president’s vacation, frequently! Stupid asshole weather, poor Republicans.

Kristol on Clinton's 'legacy'

KRISTOL ON CLINTON'S 'LEGACY'.... It's hard to imagine that Bill Kristol, as far gone as he is, actually believes this: ...Clinton was too inexperienced to be commander-in-chief in 1992. [...] Clinton didn't, as he now claims, lead us "to a...

by Steve Benen at August 28, 2008 07:22 PM

McCain: Iraq is ‘A Peaceful And Stable Country Now’

Today, Time Magazine published an interview with Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) that it conducted aboard McCain’s campaign airplane. Reporters James Carney and Michael Scherer described McCain as “prickly” and “at times, abrasive” during the course of the interview.

Carney and Scherer noted to McCain that the Iraqi government is calling for a deadline for U.S. troops to withdraw from Iraq even though McCain’s previously stated definition of “victory” — “a peaceful, stable, prosperous democratic state” — has not been achieved. The Arizona senator dismissed their characterization of the situation, saying that Iraq is “a peaceful and stable country now”:

Q: Some members of the [Iraqi] government have made it clear in the last month or two that they might want to withdraw before complete stability, before totally secure borders, before some of the completeness of victory as you described. Is there any change, do you think there is some wiggle room there because what you described with Petraeus was an end point that was rather complete — a peaceful, stable country.

MCCAIN: Its a peaceful and stable country now.

Listen here:

Here are some examples (from just this month) of McCain’s so-called “peaceful and stable” Iraq:

– August 9: A suicide car bomb in Tal Afar killed at least 25 people.

– August 24: A suicide bomber killed 25 people, including women and children, in Baghdad’s Abu Ghraib district.

– August 27: A suicide bomber killed 28 and wounded 45 in Iraq’s Diyala province.

Moreover, while U.S. troop deaths in Iraq reached their lowest point since the beginning of the war last month, they are on the rise again. According to icasulaties.org, 20 U.S. military personnel have been killed so far this month in Iraq — up from 13 in July.

But this isn’t the first time McCain’s assessment of the security situation in Iraq has been off. Last May he said the northern city of Mosul was “quiet” despite the fact that a car bomb had killed three and wounded nine there the very same day.

by Ben at August 28, 2008 07:10 PM

by Jim Newell at August 28, 2008 07:02 PM

This Is A Great Deal!

Hell, we already have two, but we’ll take another. There’s a food shortage PEOPLE and kidneys taste gooooood. [Craigslist]

Linux Io Scheduler - Waikato Linux Users Group

Jeremy Zawodny : Linux Io Scheduler - Waikato Linux Users Group - Linux Io Scheduler - Waikato Linux Users Group: I like being able to try new schedulers on the fly...

August 28, 2008 07:02 PM

tmpfs

Jeremy Zawodny : tmpfs - tmpfs: "tmpfs is a common name for a temporary file storage facility on many Unix-like operating systems. It is intended to appear as a mounted file system, but one which uses virtual memory instead of a persistent storage device."

August 28, 2008 07:01 PM

Re: Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 Now Available

wearehugh : Re: Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 Now Available - "IE8 Betas 1 and 2 behave the same way as IE6 when it comes to unrecognized elements. This is a huge problem for forward-compatibility looking ahead to HTML5."

Tags : msie ie8 html5

August 28, 2008 07:00 PM

Why England Attacked New England

Girl #1: I wonder where Austria is.
Girl #2: It must be by Australia, because they sound the same.

--Bus

Overheard by: David

Alsome | Thumbs up | Thumbs down |
Link · Email · Quote this! · Del.icio.us · Posted 2008-08-28

August 28, 2008 07:00 PM

El hielo del Ártico llega a su segundo nivel más bajo

manifa nos cuenta: «El hielo ártico se redujo a su segundo nivel más bajo de la historia, según revelaron ayer científicos de Estados Unidos, con el fuerte derretimiento en el Mar de Chukchi, donde recientemente se han visto osos polares nadando lejos de la costa de Alaska. Evidentemente, donde dice "historia" debería decir "desde que se hacen las mediciones vía satélite".»

by Yonderboy at August 28, 2008 06:58 PM

McCain campaign denies Goodman is ‘an advisor.’

Yesterday, McCain health care architect John Goodman told the Dallas Morning News yesterday that there are no “uninsured” people in America because Americans have access to emergency rooms, which is a radical view of health care in this country. Now, the McCain campaign is trying to distance itself from Goodman, telling The New Republic’s Jonathan Cohn that “he is not an advisor“:

Although the Morning News article reported Goodman as a McCain advisor, the McCain campaign says he is NOT an advisor. That’s obviously a big distinction so I’ve corrected the item, which described Goodman as part of the campaign, as well as the update below. I apologize for the error.

But in July, when Goodman wrote a WSJ op-ed praising McCain’s health care plan, he was labeled “an unpaid adviser to the McCain campaign” by the paper.

by Matt at August 28, 2008 06:50 PM

Album-loving artists blame iTunes for changed music tastes

High-profile artists have forgone putting their albums on the iTunes Store lately as they complain of an unfair distribution system that only helps to reduce album sales. Is cherry-picking only hot singles a trend with staying power, or can full-album sales make a comeback?

August 28, 2008 06:30 PM

by Steve Benen at August 28, 2008 06:26 PM

Bush to skip RNC?

BUSH TO SKIP RNC?.... Under the circumstances, John McCain would probably be thrilled if George W. Bush didn't show up at the Republican National Convention. For that matter, Bush would probably be thrilled if he got a second chance to...

Schneier on Security

The TSA Told You That Liquids Are Dangerous

So weird:

A plane was forced to land when a passenger had an extreme allergic reaction to a leaking jar of mushroom soup, it was revealed today.
The soup fell on the man from an overhead locker on a Ryanair flight to Dublin from Budapest.

He reportedly suffered allergic swelling in his neck and struggled to breathe, forcing staff to seek emergency medical treatment.

by schneier at August 28, 2008 06:25 PM

Hagee Ministries: ‘No Comment’ on Tropical Storm Gustav

Earlier today, ThinkProgress contacted John Hagee Ministries to see if erstwhile John McCain endorser Rev. Hagee saw the Lord’s hand in reports that President Bush might not speak at the Republican National Convention on Monday because of Tropical Storm Gustav.

Back in 2006, Hagee declared that “Hurricane Katrina was, in fact, the judgment of God against the city of New Orleans.” Hagee said that “New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God,” because “there was to be a homosexual parade there on the Monday that the Katrina came.”

ThinkProgress asked Rev. Hagee’s spokesperson, Kara Silverman, whether Gustav’s possible impact on the Republican National Convention might be seen as punishment against Republicans for their not having done enough to combat the “homosexual agenda,” or whether this storm could be attributed to some other target of divine wrath.

Ms. Silverman said Hagee had “no comment.”

by M. Duss at August 28, 2008 06:15 PM

Bubble flow chart of things to say during sex

The "Truth" Hurts

cobra libre : The "Truth" Hurts - Morgan Meis on James Woods's How Fiction Works.

August 28, 2008 06:01 PM

Andy Baio : Bubble flow chart of things to say during sex - "Thanks... for that."

August 28, 2008 06:00 PM

Target to pay $6 million to settle site accessibility suit

Target has settled a class-action lawsuit with the National Federation of the Blind over complaints that its site isn't accessible to screen reading technology. The laws regarding disability access in cyberspace are gray at best, but a major settlement like this gives the NFB some steam.

August 28, 2008 06:00 PM

newsforge

Make etexts pretty with GutenMark

Project Gutenberg, the online library of more than 25,000 free books, is a treasure trove for bookworms and casual readers alike, but turning electronic text files into a readable form is not as easy as it may seem. In theory, since etexts are just plain text files, you should be able to open and read them on any platform without any tweaking. In practice, however, this approach rarely works. Hard line breaks, for example, may ruin the text flow, making it virtually impossible to read the book on a mobile device. Another problem is that most books are stored as single files, so locating a particular chapter or section in a lengthy book can be a serious nuisance. Then there are minor but annoying formatting quirks, such as inconsistent handling of italicized text, use of straight quotes instead of smart ones, and so on.

August 28, 2008 06:00 PM

by Steve Benen at August 28, 2008 05:31 PM

The Republican E.R. plan

THE REPUBLICAN E.R. PLAN.... John McCain's healthcare plan, by his campaign's own admission, doesn't even try to extend coverage to every American without insurance. We're starting to get a better sense as to why this is. [John Goodman, president of...

UK banking giant de-pants irate customer over password

Lloyds TSB is a UK banking giant, but don't let that fool you—the company still cares about individual UK citizens. One customer found this out the hard way, when his attempts to choose certain, anti-Lloyds passwords were denied.

August 28, 2008 05:30 PM

Ingraham: McCain Has Been ‘Different From President Bush On Every Issue’

Yesterday, ThinkProgress talked to right-wing radio host Laura Ingraham, who was spending time in the Huffington Post Oasis in the Big Tent at the Democratic National Convention. Ingraham told us that she sees virtually no similarities between the policy positions of President Bush and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), and that it is pointless for progressives to argue as much. From our interview:

He’s pretty much been different from President Bush on every issue other than on the war, and even on the war, he was very critical of how it was being handled. So I’m not sure, if I were a Democrat, I wouldn’t focus on the Bush angle. I mean, Bush will be gone in four months.

The similarities between the two men is uncomfortable for conservatives because it’s something the majority of the public recognizes. A recent Gallup poll found that 68 percent of Americans are either concerned that McCain would pursue policies similar to those of Bush.

Time after time, McCain has refused to show how his presidency would be anything but a third Bush term. In 2008, McCain voted with Bush 100 percent of the time, according to a May CQ analysis; in 2007, he voted with the President 95 percent of the time.

Even on the issue of climate change — which conservatives like to point to as a main difference between Bush and McCain — there are increasing indications that McCain plans no changes. Although McCain has said that he believes global warming is real, the Washington Times recently reported that McCain plans to “run on the final version” of the Republican party’s election platform, which is “loaded with caveats about the uncertainty of science and the need to ‘resist no-growth radicalism’ in taking on climate change.”

On Iraq — which Ingraham said McCain was “very critical of how it was being handled” — McCain was actually in lock-step with the Bush administration’s stay-the-course policies from day one.

Also during the interview, Ingraham hinted that right-wing talk radio will stage a rebellion if McCain chooses a pro-choice vice president, such as Joe Lieberman:

Talk radio exists because there’s a very big constituency for it. A lot of conservatives, and other people too, by the way. … I think that John McCain is going to see, that if you look at every successful Republican nominee over the last 28 years — pretty much had a pro-life ticket. Why infuriate a very important part of the base? For what? It’s not like liberals are going to vote for you because you put Joe Lieberman on the ticket.

Rush Limbaugh recently compared McCain choosing a pro-choice VP to “committing suicide.”

by Amanda at August 28, 2008 05:22 PM

Marc Jacobs profile

Nice profile of fashion designer Marc Jacobs, creative head of Louis Vuitton, in the New Yorker this week. Jacobs used to be a chunky unfashionable pasty-white kind of guy but has recently started dressing the part and now looks like he could model for one of LV's magazine ads.

Jacobs walked outside to the back garden, to take in the evening amid the boxwood. "I like the fact that people are sort of commenting on my appearance," he said. "I work on these things! So to have them recognized, even if sometimes I don't like the way they're recognized, I like that they are, and I feel good that I can admit that, instead of being ashamed." He paused. "I'm going to get a 'shameless' tattoo next," he said, the Eiffel Tower sparkling behind him in the night sky. "That's what I think everyone should aspire to in life: being shameless."

(link)

August 28, 2008 05:19 PM

Marc Jacobs profile

Jacobs walked outside to the back garden, to take in the evening amid the boxwood. "I like the fact that people are sort of commenting on my appearance," he said. "I work on these things! So to have them recognized, even if sometimes I don't like the way they're recognized, I like that they are, and I feel good that I can admit that, instead of being ashamed." He paused. "I'm going to get a 'shameless' tattoo next," he said, the Eiffel Tower sparkling behind him in the night sky. "That's what I think everyone should aspire to in life: being shameless."

(link)

August 28, 2008 05:19 PM

Ars forum survey: five minutes of your time, win a giant bag of dimes

Got thoughts on the Ars Open Forum? Share them with us and you'll help us improve our forums and become eligible to win a $250 American Express gift card.

August 28, 2008 05:17 PM

MercurialHosting - Mercurial

jcgregorio : MercurialHosting - Mercurial - Wow, there's a lot of options for hg hosting.

August 28, 2008 05:06 PM

I'm in Your Google Docs, Reading Your Spreadsheets

Linkorama : I'm in Your Google Docs, Reading Your Spreadsheets - Now an employee can accidentally drop it into the lap of a random outsider without even knowing that anything is amiss. That’s the power of cloud computing at work.

Tags : security google cloud spreadsheet

August 28, 2008 05:05 PM

Techdirt: Do We Need a National CTO?

Linkorama : Techdirt: Do We Need a National CTO? - The idea of a designated tech policy advisor is more promising, but that also has potential downsides.

Tags : government technology politics

August 28, 2008 05:04 PM

Social tools are not immune to being used the wrong way

Linkorama : Social tools are not immune to being used the wrong way - Can blogs be harmful? I think it’s how you use them.

Tags : blogs socialnetworking socialmedia wikis

August 28, 2008 05:03 PM

Sharepoint wiki verses MediaWiki

Linkorama : Sharepoint wiki verses MediaWiki - A corporate wiki is a seriously powerful tool though, and I’m convinced that as an application it deserves a dedicated platform, such as Confluence or SocialText.

Tags : sharepoint wiki socialtext mediawiki

August 28, 2008 05:02 PM

Rove ’speaks regularly with the McCain campaign’ and ‘lunches two or three times a month’ with Bush.

Despite the fact that he talks “fairly regularly” with top advisers to Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), former Bush political guru insists on denying that he is an informal adviser to McCain’s campaign. But in a new article, Time magazine highlights how “dialed in” Rove is with McCain’s campaign efforts:

In private, Rove speaks regularly with the McCain campaign, where his former protégé Steve Schmidt is now the manager. He’s also dialed in at the Republican National Committee, run by Mike Duncan, another former aide. And he still lunches two or three times a month with President Bush.

As ThinkProgress has previously noted, one reason Rove may be reluctant to admit his ties to the McCain campaign is the fact that he is also reported to be “developing outside groups” to help Republicans and John McCain in November. It is illegal for outside groups to coordinate with campaigns.

by Matt at August 28, 2008 05:00 PM

Thursday's campaign round-up

THURSDAY'S CAMPAIGN ROUND-UP....Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers: * The weather, at this point, looks pretty good for Denver tonight. * Republicans may not...

by Steve Benen at August 28, 2008 05:00 PM

How to use Google Code's code review tool

Simon Willison : How to use Google Code's code review tool - How to use Google Code’s code review tool. I missed this, but Google Code now has a pleasantly simple code review system built in to the source code browser. You can add comments to any changeset, including annotations attached to individual lines of

August 28, 2008 05:00 PM

You Guys Are Becoming Chinks in My Armor

Construction worker #1: This place is expensive.
Construction worker #2: Ca-ching.
Korean store owner: I'm not fucking Chinese.
Construction worker #2: It's the cash register sound.
Korean store owner: I don't care, I'm not fucking Chinese, get out of my store.

--Canal & West Broadway

Overheard by: also not chinese

Alsome | Thumbs up | Thumbs down |
Link · Email · Quote this! · Del.icio.us · Posted 2008-08-28

August 28, 2008 05:00 PM

El gobierno venezolano pretende establecer por ley un punto único de conexión a Internet

Un pobrecito hablador nos cuenta: «Se hace eco la La Jornada de México (vía cables de Notimex, Afp y Dpa) de la inclusión de un punto único de conexión a Internet por parte del Gobierno de Venezuela en su proyecto de ley sobre telecomunicaciones. En el artículo, Carlos Correa, director de la organización no gubernamental Espacio Público, comenta: "el Ejecutivo creará un punto de interconexión o punto de acceso a la red de proveedores de servicios de Internet con la finalidad de manejar el tráfico con origen y destino en el espacio geográfico". Vivo en Cuba y sé cuán negativo puede ser que el Estado tenga el monopolio de el acceso a la red. Aun cuando no se llegue a instaurar una "Gran Pared de Fuego" como en China, o se monopolice completamente la comercialización del acceso a Internet por una sola empresa estatal con precios de estafa y sin acceso a particulares como en Cuba, el solo hecho de tener el Estado con el poder de establecer prioridades a su antojo con el acceso a la Red puedo imaginar que no será nada ventajoso para los venezolanos.»

by Yonderboy at August 28, 2008 04:35 PM

Veoh Safe Harbor ruling could help YouTube in Viacom battle

A federal judge ruled yesterday that video-sharing site Veoh qualifies for a DMCA safe harbor, freeing the company from the responsibility of playing the copyright cops. What does this mean for the billion dollar lawsuit against YouTube? According to Viacom, it means nothing.

August 28, 2008 04:25 PM

by Steve Benen at August 28, 2008 04:08 PM

The Prickly Talk Express

THE PRICKLY TALK EXPRESS.... John McCain became a media darling by offering extraordinary access to campaign reporters. The candidate and the journalists would spend hours hanging out on a bus, enjoying the gabfests, on and off the record, about any...

La Comisión Europea obligará a compartir el conocimiento de los proyectos subvencionados

Wikier nos cuenta: «Vía La Pastilla Roja leo que según una nota de prensa de la Unión Europea, la Comisión incluirá una cláusula en los contratos que obligue a los beneficiarios de subvenciones a compartir sus hallazgos. Según el portavoz de la Comisión Martin Seylmar "tras un período de retención de entre seis y doce meses" las empresas y particulares que se beneficien de ayudas del Séptimo Programa Marco Europeo estarán obligadas a compartir sus artículos en la Red. La nota sólo se habla del papel (artículos), pero no dice nada del producto (software en mucho casos). ¿Qué opinan los lectores de Barrapunto? ¿No se debería fomentar también el liberar bajo software libre las aplicaciones subvencionadas con fondos públicos?»

by Yonderboy at August 28, 2008 04:01 PM

A poem in which each instance of the word "love" is replaced by "Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame Catcher Carlton Fisk".

Love is a ballfield

"And know you not," says Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame Catcher Carlton Fisk, "who bore the blame?"
"My dear, then I will serve."

(via hodgman)

(link)

August 28, 2008 03:56 PM

Love is a ballfield

A poem in which each instance of the word "love" is replaced by "Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame Catcher Carlton Fisk".

"And know you not," says Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame Catcher Carlton Fisk, "who bore the blame?"
"My dear, then I will serve."

(via hodgman)

(link)

August 28, 2008 03:56 PM