Que es?
The Weblog of Brett Singer. Bringing the world what it needs most - a blog.
Note: Sorry about all of the 'hot deals' entries (someone referred to this blog as
CorporateShill.com).
The deals and things are being fed into Multineedia.com. We will
soon move the deals category over to Multineedia so you don't have to read it, and we apologize for any inconvenience.
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Thu, 08 Jun 2006
AT&T and NSA, sittin' in a tree...
...violating my privacy...
These photos illustrate AT&T's phone, Internet tracking activities for NSA. From ZDNet. Fri, 24 Mar 2006For the conspiracy minded among us.
A bullet point version, for conspiracy theorists with other things to do.
Wed, 09 Nov 2005Paris Prosecutors Eye Blogs Urging Riots (AP via Philly.com.)
What are they going to do, sue?
This was also the Most Ridiculous Item Of The Day (so far) on Barking Moonbat. With a name like that, how can you not take a blog seriously?
Wed, 26 Oct 2005
Imagine a world in which 9/11 never happened
Judge Wants No Reference to Sept. 11 in Terror Case from the New York Times. A tough concept.
A very big country with very big weather...and very big cars.
This is a BBC News reporter talking about how Hurricane Rita preperations are going, and how, while they are better than they were for Katrina, it's still not really good enough. It's the phrasing that I like, as well as the less-than-hysterical coverage of the topic. It's also more willing to say, hey, things didn't go so well last time, and while they'll be better this time, it's still not perfect. Here in the States, it seems that you're either with us, or you're against us.
Thu, 08 Sep 2005 Fri, 02 Sep 2005
CNN doesn't know what day it is
I sent this to Gawker, but just in case they don't use it:
Good work guys.
Also: playlist of CNN video, including Anderson Cooper hollering at government officials.
Wed, 31 Aug 2005
Gruesome Iraq War Photo Exchange Uncovered Online
Wow. This is a link to seriously gory photos from Iraq. Don't look at them. It's goatse disturbing, except much more so because (a) the photos are real and (b) the photos are of things that the mainstream media (sorry, hate the phrase, but it works here) won't show. Not that they SHOULD be showing this stuff, but according to IndyMedia no one is even reporting that this is occuring.
Basically, a porn site operator is giving free access to porn in exchange for Iraq photos. Read the whole piece. It's all very bad.
Tue, 30 Aug 2005
Not to jump on the whole hurricane coverage bandwagon, but these photos are kind of incredible. More here, found the link here, and BoingBoing has, as usual, lots of links too.
Mon, 29 Aug 2005MySpace makes me feel old. MTV makes me feel sad that our society is going to hell. There is a difference, I guess.
NY Times article about MySpace in the usually unreadable Styles section. Best line is at the end:
"It's kind of like, who cares about MTV anymore?"
The article ran on the same day as the does-anybody-who-isn't-kind-of-lame-still-think-this-is-cool Video Music Awards were busily partying while the world around them drowned (literally). It's a huge exaggeration obviously, but I like it when something that used to be cool is no longer cool and this fact gets pointed out in a major media outlet.
Thu, 11 Aug 2005
The Missile Launcher is a Quarterback
Also from DefenseTech:
“The [missile] launcher is a quarterback. What’s the best way to stop the quarterback from throwing the ball?” he tells The Hill. “You use your defensive linemen. If you can tackle him before he launches the ball, there’s not a threat. That’s what we call our boost-phase defense.”
Wed, 03 Aug 2005
Well, it COULD be true.
Wed, 27 Jul 2005Jim recounts a rather disturbing tale that is both more and less disturbing because it happens thousands of times a day here in NYC. Just wait till we get our national ID cards! Indeed.
Me Buy Your Daughter, Mr. President
This can't be true. Okay, it could be. But it's too weird.
Wed, 20 Jul 2005Okay, obvious headline, I know, sorry. I liked Scotty. Rest in peace.
Tue, 19 Jul 2005
WOW LOOK @ DIS FOXX BGHT MYSPACE KEWL DOOD
Wow. Good for them, I guess.
News Corp, the company run by media mogul Rupert Murdoch, has made one of its first major internet purchases.
It has bought Intermix Media, owner of Myspace.com, the fifth most-viewed internet domain in the US and owner of other sites for $580m (£332.85m).
I'm telling you people, the boom is coming back. Maybe not as big as it was before, but its coming back. Thanks to Kevin for the link.
Sun, 17 Jul 2005Is this still going to the web site of a certain political party?
Thu, 14 Jul 2005
PTC Files Indecency Complaint Against ABC’s Live 8 Concert
LOS ANGELES (July 14, 2005) – Today, the Parents Television Council (PTC), the nation’s most influential advocacy organization protecting children against sex, violence and profanity in entertainment, filed an indecency complaint with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) about the ABC Network pre-recorded airing of Live 8: A Worldwide Concert Event for the use of unedited profanity. The PTC, on behalf of its nearly one million members nationwide, has asked the FCC to levy a Notice of Apparent Liability against each ABC affiliate that aired the unedited program.
Audiences tuning-in to this family hour broadcast got an unexpected surprise at the bottom of the first hour. During The Who’s performance of “Who Are You,” a line in the chorus “who the f*ck are you” was aired unedited. The concert program that contained the indecent material aired during the 8:00 – 9:00 pm hour (Eastern Time) on July 2, 2005, on the ABC Network.
“The program was aired on a tape delay, which should have given ABC ample time to edit all obscenities from the concert prior to broadcast,” said Tim Winter, executive director of the PTC. “ABC took steps to edit other profanity from the broadcast. But given the time of day that this program aired, the broad family appeal of the Live 8 event, as well as the program’s PG rating, ABC should have been more diligent.”
Would somebody get these people a stamp collecting kit so they can have something else to do with their time? Tipper Gore would never have done anything this stupid.
Tue, 12 Jul 2005
Donald Trump Officially Loses His Fucking Mind
Will The Apprentice become a battle of the races?
Business mogul Donald Trump says he “wasn’t particularly happy” with the most recent season of his hit reality show, and is considering some controversial changes bound to generate buzz for upcoming episodes. Among the proposals: pitting a team of African-American contestants against a team of all-white players.
“Whether people like that idea or not, it is somewhat reflective of our very vicious world,” according to Trump. “But needless to say, not everybody thinks it’s a good idea.”
Sane people, Donald. Sane people don't think it's a good idea.
Thu, 07 Jul 2005Headline: • Dems want more talks nominees
I know there are more important things going on, but this was on CNN's front page. Embarrassssing. Rn spelchk.
Fri, 01 Jul 2005
I know she's a Reagan appointee, but she was also one of the voices of reason on the recent 'The Gov't Can Take Yer House' case. I don't think this is a good thing.
Wed, 29 Jun 2005This is what you people get for voting Republican.
P2P is the new bong
Bongs are not illegal. In fact, if you're one of the many consumers who prefer to smoke their tobacco through a water pipe, you can pick one up here, here, here; at any of these places; and so on. But wait, you say. Isn't possession of drug paraphernalia illegal? Certainly, I answer. But these particular devices aren't made for smoking drugs. They're made for smoking tobacco, and as long as they're advertised that way, water pipes are not illegal.
That, in a nutshell, is the future of P2P software.
Good and Bad News from the Supremes
Two from the Supreme Court:
So I can't put up the Ten Commandments at a courthouse (well, there go my weekend plans) and Grokster can be sued. From Variety:
Internet file-sharing services will be held responsible if they intend
for their customers to use software primarily to swap songs and movies
illegally, the Supreme Court ruled Monday, rejecting warnings that the
lawsuits will stunt growth of cool tech gadgets such as the next iPod.
This is a deceptively tricky issue. Clearly you don't want a court ruling that a software or device maker is liable for the actions of its users (does that mean the founding fathers of the Internet are responsible for the amount of spam I receive? Is Microsoft responsible for the viral plague that has taken over Inboxes everywhere?), and the test of a "primary usage" is a very slippery slope. I'm not a lawyer, but this just doesn't bode well. Unfortunately, it's difficult to get fully behind spyware hawkers. As anyone who has ever tried to remove a pile of ticware from a PC knows, it sucks. This sounds like it will open a door for more lawsuits against other p2p-related companies, and that's unlikely to end well.
Wed, 22 Jun 2005
Fidel with a soccer ball on his head
That wacky Fidel.
Honoring the War Dead Now a Crime!
From PHXNews, which is usually VERY conservative. I think the tide is turning, slightly anyway - that is, cons are starting to feel like they've been, well, connned by Bush and Co.
Here's the story they link to:
Since Mike Norton, of Layton, began displaying the pictures of American soldiers killed in Iraq on an illuminated sign in his front yard, his home has been vandalized, cars have stopped in front of his home and honked horns in the early morning hours and he has received anonymous harassing phone calls.
Now the city of Layton has gotten into the act.
Norton, who was told by a city official last winter that the sign in his yard did not violate zoning ordinances, received a letter from the Layton City Attorney's Office recently informing him that, upon further review, the sign does violate the ordinance and he would have 10 days to take it down.
Caribbean take on the First Lady
RFID IS GREAT! I LOVE IT! I'M AN IDIOT!
Molly Wood at AnchorDesk thinks that RFID is just dandy because it will help her shop faster. Well hell, Molly, your shopping convenience is a small price to pay for allowing the federalies to ID us all from 100 feet away! The comments are fun too.
Tue, 10 May 2005
Network attacked? Gives me a warm feeling inside.
The computer of Wren Montgomery at the University of California, Berkeley, was attacked in April 2004. Investigators say that intruder is primarily responsible for a series of attacks on government computers.
Smile for the camera!
Wed, 04 May 2005
PoE Computer (they should call it 'The Raven PC')
BBC is reporting that UK firm DSP Design has made a PC that gets electric power via a network cable rather than through a wall socket. This is extremely cool.
Ordinary laptops could also soon be getting their power from network cables as work is starting on specifications for Power Over Ethernet Plus which will be able to deliver 30-35 watts.
Power-Over-Ethernet could end up being a universal power supply for much computer hardware as the cables and connectors for it are the same all over the world. By contrast power sockets and plugs differ by country.
Neat!
They do call it the 'Poet 6000', although The Raven (as in Poe - get it?) would've been more fun.
Tue, 26 Apr 2005
E-mails 'hurt IQ more than pot'
Friday, April 22, 2005 Posted: 8:08 AM EDT (1208 GMT)
Half of workers respond to an e-mail within an hour, survey found.
LONDON, England -- Workers distracted by phone calls, e-mails and text messages suffer a greater loss of IQ than a person smoking marijuana, a British study shows.
The constant interruptions reduce productivity and leave people feeling tired and lethargic, according to a survey carried out by TNS Research and commissioned by Hewlett Packard.
Oooo, I've been replying to email for an hour and now I have a bad case of the munchies...
I actually agree with the notion that contact interruptions all day long makes me feel sluggish. Wait, hang on, someone's at my door... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Wed, 23 Mar 2005
Old News
Microsoft Word bytes Tony Blair in the butt - wouldn't you think these guys would have better computer skills than your grandmother?
CIA Blog?
Wired has a story about the military and intelligence community's private network, and suggests using blogging as a tool to get more info out there. It also suggests letting 'regular people' get on (If intelligence organizations built a collaborative environment through blogs, they could quickly identify credible sources, develop a deep backfield of contributing analysts, and engage the world as a whole. How cool would it be to gain "trusted user" status on a CIA blog?) to share what they know. Sounds good. It also sounds very Hitler Youth, encouraging people to talk about what they see and hear. How long would it take for people to start reporting on their neighbors? Also, I thought part of the problem in the intelligence community was that they had too much info to sort through. Would adding 'the blogosphere' to that pile make it easier to dive in to? Who knows.
Deeplinking, the sequel
Lucas writes about a Wired story about deep linking, as well as others comments on it. It's sort of amazing to me that this is back as a potential problem, and I'm pretty cynical. I would think that sites would understand by now that requiring others to link only to their home page is unrealistic and short-sighted: traffic is traffic. More importantly, though, it's not going to stop. I'm sure any major site would love to get blogged by thousands of people. But you can't choose how they link to you. Read Lucas' post for better explanations. Bottom line: people who don't like deep linking are stoopid.
No, not BILL Gates. The Gates on display in Central Park. What kind of sense does "The Gates" make? is the Doonesbury "straw poll" of the day today. My answer to What kind of sense does "The Gates" make? is Economic. Who cares if it's art? The artists are paying for it, the merch money goes to nonprofits, it will fill 50,000 hotel rooms and bring NYC $80 million. And that's a beautiful thing.
Stuff that NY doesn't have to pay for - that I like.
Wed, 09 Feb 2005
Carly says bye-bye
Fiorina steps down at HP, although it sounds more like she was fired. Why am I the only one who noticed that this is EXACTLY what she did at Lucent? Merging with Compaq was dumb. If you can't make a company monstrously successful with the kind of profits that their printer division turns out, you are stoopid. There's some trenchant analysis for ya. Don't feel too bad for her, though, I'm sure she made a gigantic pile of money.
Chipping Away At Verisign's Monopoly
In the wake of Panix getting their domain name hijacked and Verisign being no help at all, maybe it's time to see what kind of job someone else would do. (See VeriSign Has Challengers to Run .Net, the Domain for more info - ".Net, the domain" - as opposed to ".Net, The Movie"?) Personally, I think that a not-for-profit company should take care of this, if for no other reason than the simple fact that a for-profit company has very different motives than just keeping things running, namely, making money (or "spending cheese" as the kids call it). For example, is it really a good idea that Verisign is suing ICANN just because ICANN told them that they can't screw with the way the Internet works with their stupid "sitefinder" thing. You know what? Everything doesn't have to be looked at for its profit potential.
Here's an idea: a group of like minded technologists from around the world get together and manage .net themselves. They form a company, a not-for-profit. If things go well, maybe they take over .com whenever that contract expires. It could work. If anyone wants to do it, email me.
Sat, 15 Jan 2005
Pentagon Considered a Gay Bomb
They say it was never a serious proposal, but it does make one wonder what else is going on the military. Don't bomb, don't tell.