The Bush administration's assault on health and the environment continues as they attempt to downplay the toxic effects of mercury in favor of granting favor to cronies in fossil-fuel burning energy corporations.
In some cases, White House staff members suggested phrasing that minimized the links between power plants and elevated levels of mercury in fish, the primary source from which Americans accumulate mercury in their bodies, in a form known as methylmercury.
...
Small amounts of mercury occur naturally in the environment. In December 2000, however, the environmental agency concluded that mercury from power plants should be classified as a hazardous air pollutant to be strictly regulated under the Clean Air Act. In December 2003, the Bush administration reversed that finding.
Wednesday, April 07, 2004
Tuesday, April 06, 2004
An insanely analytical examination of Netflix's dvd rental practices, with a good dose of the obligatory compulsive "what you guys really should do is..." content.
The Coconut Weblog is a blog for people who are really into the coconut and the islands that spawn them.
Every year for literally 50 years, Ed Clinch received a mysterious coconut in the mail, "always wearing a blond wig, googly eyes and lipstick." He died in 1997, and one of the same coconuts appeared on his grave that year. He died without ever learning who was sending him the coconuts.
Every year for literally 50 years, Ed Clinch received a mysterious coconut in the mail, "always wearing a blond wig, googly eyes and lipstick." He died in 1997, and one of the same coconuts appeared on his grave that year. He died without ever learning who was sending him the coconuts.
Exactly 600,426,974,379,824,381,952 possible spellings of Viagra, and my inbox has only seen about half of them. (from cockeyed - the 'bad things' guys)
The sliding rocks of Racetrack playa.
Trails created by the rocks vary in length and direction. Some trails show gradual (curving) or abrupt (angular) changes in direction; most trails indicate a general south/southwest to north/northeast motion
Trails created by the rocks vary in length and direction. Some trails show gradual (curving) or abrupt (angular) changes in direction; most trails indicate a general south/southwest to north/northeast motion
The Murals of Diego Rivera from his eponymous web museum. Zoomable panels from his San Fransisco mural. At the Detroit Ford plant
Monday, April 05, 2004
A Heretical View of File Sharing (NYTimes) that really isn't so heretical. Downloads don't hurt sales. Even more galling is the industry's subversion of legislative process. In the past 4 years, they've been allowed to criminalize an issue because of the influence of one very wealthy group, even harming the beneficial intentions of copyright law in the process. Getting rid of these terrible laws is going to be near-impossible.
Sunday, April 04, 2004
Digital Needle - A virtual gramophone
This guy flatbed scans LPs, and deduces the extracts of the grooves from the images.
This guy flatbed scans LPs, and deduces the extracts of the grooves from the images.
Friday, April 02, 2004
Ohhhh... so this is the job creation strategy he's talking about.
"I would like to have the largest, most professional private army in the world." (NYTimes)
Hey... wouldn't we all? But Gary Jackson, president of Blackwater USA, might actually get it with his bankrolled backing by the Bush administration.
Business is booming at Blackwater, and the company is hardly alone. Private contractors are an invisible but growing part of how war is now fought. Some 10,000 of them are serving in Iraq — one private worker for every 10 soldiers — more than the number of soldiers from Britain, America's largest coalition partner. Some are supplied by well-known corporations like Halliburton. But for the most part, the private military industry is dominated by more obscure businesses with names that seem designed to tell as little as possible about what the company does.
"I would like to have the largest, most professional private army in the world." (NYTimes)
Hey... wouldn't we all? But Gary Jackson, president of Blackwater USA, might actually get it with his bankrolled backing by the Bush administration.
Business is booming at Blackwater, and the company is hardly alone. Private contractors are an invisible but growing part of how war is now fought. Some 10,000 of them are serving in Iraq — one private worker for every 10 soldiers — more than the number of soldiers from Britain, America's largest coalition partner. Some are supplied by well-known corporations like Halliburton. But for the most part, the private military industry is dominated by more obscure businesses with names that seem designed to tell as little as possible about what the company does.
So it looks like the pigs and the farmers are sharing the dinner table.
"This agreement launches a new relationship between Sun and Microsoft - a significant step forward that allows for cooperation while preserving customer choice," said Scott McNealy, chairman and chief executive officer, Sun Microsystems, Inc. "This agreement will be of significant benefit to both Sun and Microsoft customers. It will stimulate new products, delivering great new choices for customers who want to combine server products from multiple vendors and achieve seamless computing in a heterogeneous computing environment. We look forward to this opportunity - it provides a framework for cooperation between Sun and Microsoft going forward."
Register link to same
"This agreement launches a new relationship between Sun and Microsoft - a significant step forward that allows for cooperation while preserving customer choice," said Scott McNealy, chairman and chief executive officer, Sun Microsystems, Inc. "This agreement will be of significant benefit to both Sun and Microsoft customers. It will stimulate new products, delivering great new choices for customers who want to combine server products from multiple vendors and achieve seamless computing in a heterogeneous computing environment. We look forward to this opportunity - it provides a framework for cooperation between Sun and Microsoft going forward."
Register link to same
Privacy under fire yet again.
In the Opinion Journal, Heather MacDonald attempts to demonize anyone who would dare question the Administration's intrusion into private personal data, even referring to the privacy movement as a "Jihad" - with all of its terroristic implications.
Let's look at why people might be concerned that their private data is being mined and analyzed for telltale signs that they might be worthy of further investigation:
We have a court-appointed administration that holds prisoners without access to legal counsel; that arbitrarily assigns risk to situations without having to answer to the reasons behind such assignments; that has overstepped its bounds of power by appointing radicals like John Ashcroft - a man whose popular support is so miniscule that he was trounced by a corpse in the last elections in his own state - to positions of immense power; that has declared war and continues to occupy a sovereign state without proving cause, or for that matter, any reasonable guarantee of success in its stated mission, and that tirelessly combats free speech (monitoring libraries!) at every opportunity. Furthermore, airlines have failed miserably at even the most simple operational procedures that were put in place to "ensure" safety. The administration, through CAPS, CAPSII, and TIA have asked for even more intrusive access without having to justify the reasons for its searches, while real, concrete methods for ensuring safety (procedures as simple as making it more difficult to obtain assault weapons) are fought tooth and nail by the ultra-right administration. This administration isn't interested in its citizens' safety or welfare - it is a conflicted, opportunistic special interest hive trying to push a radicalized fringe-minority ideology into the mainstream by sheer beaurocratic force.
A huge number of people see this transparent power-grab for what it is and are reacting with justified debate.
This is precisely what angers Ms. MacDonald and her administration cohorts.
Given these facts, that Ms. MacDonald finds cause for alarm at the citizens distrust in its own government is astounding. The Bush administration's actions have made the case for defending their intrusions an impossible task. Find a new platform Ms. MacDonald. Bush is a liar, a war profiteer, and a hapless failure as a leader. Privacy advocates shouldn't and won't back down to his continued assaults on democracy.
In the Opinion Journal, Heather MacDonald attempts to demonize anyone who would dare question the Administration's intrusion into private personal data, even referring to the privacy movement as a "Jihad" - with all of its terroristic implications.
Let's look at why people might be concerned that their private data is being mined and analyzed for telltale signs that they might be worthy of further investigation:
We have a court-appointed administration that holds prisoners without access to legal counsel; that arbitrarily assigns risk to situations without having to answer to the reasons behind such assignments; that has overstepped its bounds of power by appointing radicals like John Ashcroft - a man whose popular support is so miniscule that he was trounced by a corpse in the last elections in his own state - to positions of immense power; that has declared war and continues to occupy a sovereign state without proving cause, or for that matter, any reasonable guarantee of success in its stated mission, and that tirelessly combats free speech (monitoring libraries!) at every opportunity. Furthermore, airlines have failed miserably at even the most simple operational procedures that were put in place to "ensure" safety. The administration, through CAPS, CAPSII, and TIA have asked for even more intrusive access without having to justify the reasons for its searches, while real, concrete methods for ensuring safety (procedures as simple as making it more difficult to obtain assault weapons) are fought tooth and nail by the ultra-right administration. This administration isn't interested in its citizens' safety or welfare - it is a conflicted, opportunistic special interest hive trying to push a radicalized fringe-minority ideology into the mainstream by sheer beaurocratic force.
A huge number of people see this transparent power-grab for what it is and are reacting with justified debate.
This is precisely what angers Ms. MacDonald and her administration cohorts.
Given these facts, that Ms. MacDonald finds cause for alarm at the citizens distrust in its own government is astounding. The Bush administration's actions have made the case for defending their intrusions an impossible task. Find a new platform Ms. MacDonald. Bush is a liar, a war profiteer, and a hapless failure as a leader. Privacy advocates shouldn't and won't back down to his continued assaults on democracy.
Thursday, April 01, 2004
A really nice history site dedicated to Stax Records. This guy even has posted scans of old recording session paychecks that he dug up. Mitch Ryder: 25 bucks? Damn.
This is the first of a series of pages about Stax Records, Memphis, and many of the people I met and worked with. I hope to keep adding to them as time allows, and include many more people, details, and little stories. As I wrote this, I did my best to provide clear, accurate details. Almost everything in this article took place well over 30 years ago.
My memory happens to be excellent - especially in regard to my days at Stax - the best, most powerful, and most influential musical period in my life.
In some areas, I've stated my own opinions about certain events and people. I realize not everyone will necessarily agree with my thoughts. In other areas, I've refrained from personal opinions, and tried to write simple facts as I remember them.
This is the first of a series of pages about Stax Records, Memphis, and many of the people I met and worked with. I hope to keep adding to them as time allows, and include many more people, details, and little stories. As I wrote this, I did my best to provide clear, accurate details. Almost everything in this article took place well over 30 years ago.
My memory happens to be excellent - especially in regard to my days at Stax - the best, most powerful, and most influential musical period in my life.
In some areas, I've stated my own opinions about certain events and people. I realize not everyone will necessarily agree with my thoughts. In other areas, I've refrained from personal opinions, and tried to write simple facts as I remember them.