LIE #9: “We know where [Iraq's WMD] are. They’re in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south, and north somewhat.” � Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, March 30, 2003, in statements to the press.
“Computers were making every existing authority obsolete. Information would be free, censorship impossible. Consumers would buy products directly from suppliers, cutting out the middlemen and threatening every traditional business.”
Gary Wolfe’s new book recounts the making of Wired.
catbird :: Jun.25.2003 :: socio-pop :: 1 Comment »
The son of legendary musician Spike Jones called Justice Walter Tolub’s ruling against Viacom’s Spike TV name change “frightening.”
“I am very concerned that the court injunction . . . may hinder and interfere with the efforts we have been making for many years to promote, sell and market both my father’s work and . . . autobiographical commercial projects,” said Spike Jones Jr.
“I do not believe that Spike Lee ‘owns’ or has any individual right to the use of the name ‘Spike’ or as an individual to prevent its use by others any more than I do,” he said.
Spike Lee, on the other hand, commented that he is currently the best known “Spike” and therefore has the most rights to the name. Best known? Possibly. Most liked and respected? Not in my book.
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in favor of forcing libraries installing anti-pornography filters on computers. In fact, libraries must conform to this new law or sacrifice government money. The Court decided that the law does not violate the First Amendment, regardless of the fact that it restricts access to legitimate, informational Web sites.
Library computer users can request to have a site unblocked and adults can request to have the filter turned off.
While something about the blackmail technique makes my stomach queasy and the restriction on freedom of speech seems to forebode of things to come, I also recognize that with tens of thousands of public libraries in the U.S., this law will be hard to police.
Somehow, when I read this story, I couldn’t help but envision conservative Republicans dressed as Microsoft butterflies running around shielding people from the horrors of pop culture.
Orrin Hatch said he favors developing new technology to remotely destroy the computers of people who illegally download music from the Internet. Even though legal experts say doing so would violate federal anti-hacking laws, Hatch thinks it “may be the only way you can teach somebody about copyrights.”
It kind of makes me want to use his computer to download some music.
catbird :: Jun.18.2003 :: socio-pop :: 1 Comment »
Yesterday, I took Pinto for a stroll up the block. Coming back, we passed a neighbor’s house and heard the jingle-jangle of license against rabies tag against collar buckle. A little Beagle was trotting up the driveway.
Pinto was thrilled, whining and straining to say hello. The Beagle approached hesitantly, turned, tucked his tail, and ran back. Then approached again. Just as he and Pinto were started the sniff ritual, an arm scooped the Beagle up. The neighbor said her dog “has never seen another dog.”
I assured her that Pinto was friendly, thinking this was a great socialization opportunity, but alas, the neighbor clearly thought that Pinto, in all his 85 lb tail-wagging goofiness, was a threat.
I left feeling quite sad for the Beagle. He is not being socialized - that is, he isn’t being exposed to all different people, animals, and experiences so that he will grow up well-adjusted.
Dogs that aren’t well socialized are fearful, which can lead to timidity or aggression. Dogs that are well socialized are happier and more adaptable to new situations. They can go places with you, handle any visitors you may have, and get along with most anyone.
While it’s best to socialize a puppy under five months - puppies are more receptive to new situations and easier to control - older dogs can be socialized as well, with some patience. Next to neutering and spaying, socialization is the most important thing you can do for your dog.
Poor Beagle. He is happy-go-lucky now, but without some socialization, he could become a fear biter, leash aggressive, or territorial. In short, he will live a fairly miserable life in fear of anything new. Hopefully, his guardian will realize the benefits of socialization before it’s too late.
I’m not TNN/Spike TV’s #1 fan, but this Spike Lee thing is just a ridiculous publicity stunt.
If he is going after Spike TV, what about spike magazine, Spike.com, Spike Recording, Spikeradio.com (spawns a whole lotta ad windows), Spikeweb.com, spike report, Spikewebb.com, spikebroadband.net, BlueSpike.com, spike and mike?
On IMDB.com, a search for “Spike” shows 30 actors - including Spike Jonze. Plus names under virtually every other category.
Not to mention musicians Spike Jones and Spike Milligan, golfer Spike McRoy, Spike Lee from the Our Gang serials, Spike the dog from Rugrats, Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the band Spike 1000, and Spike Dudley the wrestler.
A check of Dictionary.com shows 15 definitions as a noun, plus 2 for “spikes” and 13 as a verb.
I could go on, but you get the idea.
catbird :: Jun.13.2003 :: socio-pop :: 1 Comment »
Like Nelson on the Simpsons, the RIAA is just a bunch of bullies.
Recently, the RIAA sued Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute freshman Jesse Jordan for creating a search engine that would search the campus network. He wasn’t sharing music, he just created a way for students to find things on the existing network.
In the settlement, the RIAA agreed that Jordan did nothing wrong, but took his whole savings account, $12,000, anyway.
They are just a bunch of playground bullies, pushing kids around and taking their money. You can almost hear them saying “Ha-ha.”
After four years (well, four and a half - thanks mom, dad, and the hospitable Britons) working my butt off (or at least, working) to get my BFA in graphic design, I graduated into a world where anyone with a computer, PowerPoint, and CorelDRAW thought they could generate good design.
Are weblogs the same thing for writing and journalism? Sure, others slaved for four or more years to get a degree in journalism, english, or writing. But, hey, I have a weblog. In fact, screw all you professional photographers - I have a digital camera and a photoblog, too.
I hate to admit it. I consider myself a fairly handy chick. But the drywall, deceptively heavy and impossible to hold on the angled roof walls, beat me down. My knuckles were scraped and white, powdery dust coated my clothing. But I could have dealt with that - if just one piece of our drywall looked like the pictures in the Black and Decker attic remodeling book.
Instead, the drywall was scraped up every time we moved it, the drywall screws went right through the board at least three times, one piece was backwards, and the dog ate a piece of fiberglass insulation.
So I was defeated. And Steve will have to find a new drywall partner.
Maybe I will be better at taping….
catbird :: Jun.04.2003 :: house stuff :: Comments Off
… so that I could actively drive down the ratings of all the reality shows that are making tv a wasteland.
catbird :: Jun.04.2003 :: socio-pop :: 1 Comment »
“Swaziland’s absolute monarch has singled out women wearing trousers as the cause of the world’s ills …”
Mswati, Africa’s last absolute monarch, “is currently married to nine wives, with a wedding pending for wife number 10, and has chosen an additional fiancee after reviewing videos of topless maidens performing a traditional Reed Dance ceremony.” She wasn’t wearing trousers at the time.
catbird :: Jun.02.2003 :: cat rants :: 1 Comment »