Monthly Archives: February 2004

False Domain Info May Mean Jail

Posted on February 8, 2004 by Kevin

Via Wired:

Congress may crack down on businesses and people who provide false information when they register a website, proposing huge fines and extra jail time for those who violate copyright and trademark law.

Backers say the bill, known as the Fraudulent Online Identity Sanctions Act, targets only those who lie when submitting data to domain-registration databases and then go on to break federal laws.

Co-sponsors Reps. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) and Howard Berman (D-California) hope the law will help copyright holders track down those who sell counterfeit merchandise on the Web, set up “phisher” sites to con unsuspecting Internet users into turning over credit card and PIN numbers, or illegally offer copyright works for download.

Yet another example of Congress making laws for specific industries, this time the RIAA and MPAA. And they continue to get away with it… Mind you, this is no better or worse that laws they’ve made in the past for farmers, environmental groups, etc. Not only “evil corporations” are special interest groups – something I wish Liberals would begin to understand.

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Just Say No to Clown Protests

Posted on February 8, 2004 by Kevin

20 clowns surprise BART riders and a train becomes a fun house

One-year-old Hazel Praught cried when she saw the deluge of clowns. Her mom, Michelle, said she hoped her daughter was not scarred for life.

“One clown is scary enough,” she said.

Posted in Amusements | Leave a comment

A New (Free) Kind of Science

Posted on February 6, 2004 by Kevin

Stephen Wolfram’s grand treatise, “A New Kind of Science” has been made available for free. Maybe it’s time to attempt to read it…

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Microsoft Acquires MySQL?

Posted on February 5, 2004 by Kevin

Just saw this on a XO Communications product sheet:

Uh, oh. That’s a big oopsie. :-)

Posted in Tech | Leave a comment

Is Georgia Moving Into the 20th Century?

Posted on February 5, 2004 by Kevin

Maybe Georgia ain’t so stoopid:

ATLANTA — Georgia’s school superintendent Thursday dropped plans to remove the word “evolution” from the state’s high school science curriculum.

“I will recommend to the teacher teams that the word ‘evolution’ be put back in the curriculum,” Kathy Cox said in a statement.

Cox said she originally wanted to replace “evolution” with the phrase “biological changes over time” to avoid controversy.

“Instead, a greater controversy ensued,” she said.

The proposal drew widespread criticism. Former President Carter said it exposed the state to nationwide ridicule.

The proposed change was included in more than 800 pages of draft revisions to the curriculum that have been posted by the state Education Department on its Web site.

Posted in Amusements | Leave a comment

Be Patriotic: Don't Vote

Posted on February 5, 2004 by Kevin

Interesting opinion piece on LewRockwell.com:

“Being patriotic in America means being devoted to the Constitution, if not the natural rights philosophy that motivated much of it. Since neither of the major political parties has any interest whatsoever in enforcing the constitutional limitations on the state, they are all traitors to the Constitution (with one lone exception, Congressman Ron Paul).

Anyone who supports them [politicians of either major party] is also behaving in a traitorous manner. That is, anyone who votes for any of them. Voting only allows these traitors to the Constitution to proclaim that ‘the people have spoken’ and ‘I am your president,’ or congressman, senator, governor, or whatever. Their legitimacy rests solely on their ability to make this claim.”

Posted in DeepThoughts | Leave a comment

N.Y. City Council Passes Anti-Patriot Act Measure

Posted on February 5, 2004 by Kevin

I Love New York…from today’s WaPo:

New York City, site of the country’s most horrific terrorist attack, Wednesday became the latest in a long list of cities and towns that have formally opposed the expanded investigatory powers granted to law enforcement agencies under the USA Patriot Act.

“The Patriot Act is really unpatriotic, it undermines our civil rights and civil liberties,” said council member Bill Perkins (D-Manhattan), the bill’s sponsor. “We never give up our rights that’s what makes us Americans.”

Good for them.

Posted in DeepThoughts | Leave a comment

Boston Drivers

Posted on February 5, 2004 by Kevin

When I logged in to my home Linux box this morning I received the following “fortune”:

I suppose some of the variation between Boston drivers and the rest of the country is due to the progressive Massachusetts Driver Education Manual which I happen to have in my top desk drawer. Some of the Tips for Better Driving are worth considering, to wit:

[110.13]:
“When traveling on a one-way street, stay to the right, so as not
to interfere with oncoming traffic.”

[22.17b]:
“Learning to change lanes takes time and patience. The best
recommendation that can be made is to go to a Celtics [basketball]
game; study the fast break and then go out and practice it
on the highway.”

[41.16]:
“Never bump a baby carriage out of a crosswalk unless the kid’s really
asking for it.”

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DO NOT CLICK ON THIS LINK!!!

Posted on February 3, 2004 by Kevin

PLEASE! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DO NOT CLICK ON THIS LINK!!!!

SWEET FANCY MOSES, DON’T DO IT! DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT DOING IT!

Seriously, it’s really gross. I’m not kidding.

Last warning…

THE LINK YOU SHOULD NOT CLICK

(See, I told you so)

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Nice Trophy There, Mister

Posted on February 3, 2004 by Kevin

The Patriots Superbowl Parade is happening right now here in Boston – starting at Copley Square, winding its way down Boylston to Tremont and then to City Hall Plaza. Over 1 million people have turned out to see the Pats, and to me it looks like 80% of them are teenage kids skipping school. Loud, obnoxious buggers, the lot of ’em. :-)

Anyways, I was workiing out at the BSC in Downtown Crossing at 1:00. The club is on the 3rd floor (actually really a bit higher – they’re big floors) and I could look out the window and see the parade going down Tremont. Sure enough, there was Tom Brady holding the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Pretty cool.

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