What Is a Shifted Librarian? What Is a Shifted Librarian?
So I call myself "The Shifted Librarian," but what does that mean? I took the name from a presentation that I do called "Information Shifting" about how the change from pursuing information to receiving information is and will be affecting libraries.
You can see the presentation at http://www.sls.lib.il.us/infotech/presentations/shifting/index.htm, but please note that it's a bit disorganized and it desperately needs to be updated. Rest assured it's on the to-do list. In fact, I'll be posting to this blog many of the ideas and trends I will be adding to the presentation.
So back to the definition of information shifting. It comes from a New York Times article that discussed the history of consumer fair use and the entertainment industry's efforts to regulate use of VCRs and MP3 players. It referred to the 1984 Supreme Court decision in favor of VCRs in which the judges declared that these devices were okay because consumers were using them to "time shift." In other words, to record shows to watch them at their convenience.
Monday, November 25, 2002
The Rumble in the Jungle:
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) -- Miss World contestants in bright summer dresses and tank tops left Nigeria for London on Sunday after four days of sectarian violence left more than 100 people dead and forced the pageant to move.
Organizers decided to move the contest from Nigeria to London ``for the sake of the nation,'' pageant publicist Stella Din said. ``Even though we believe this violence is not connected to us ... we didn't want any more bloodshed.''
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) -- Miss World contestants in bright summer dresses and tank tops left Nigeria for London on Sunday after four days of sectarian violence left more than 100 people dead and forced the pageant to move.
Organizers decided to move the contest from Nigeria to London ``for the sake of the nation,'' pageant publicist Stella Din said. ``Even though we believe this violence is not connected to us ... we didn't want any more bloodshed.''
FACT-CHECKING MICHAEL MOORE: Forbes says that "Bowling for Columbine" comes up short in the accuracy department. Excerpt:
TITLE: Moore titled the movie Bowling for Columbine because, he suggests, the two kids who shot up Columbine High in Littleton, Colo., went to a 6 a.m. bowling class on the day of the attack.
ACTUALLY: Cool story, but police say it's not true. They say the shooters skipped their bowling class that day.
MISSILES: Moore wonders whether kids at Columbine might be driven to violence because of the "weapons of mass destruction" made in Lockheed Martin's assembly plant in Littleton. Moore shows giant rockets being assembled.
ACTUALLY: Lockheed Martin's plant in Littleton doesn't make weapons. It makes space launch vehicles for TV satellites.
WELFARE: Moore places blame for a shooting by a child in Michigan on the work-to-welfare program that prevented the boy's mother from spending time with him.
ACTUALLY: Moore doesn't mention that mom had sent the boy to live in a house where her brother and a friend kept drugs and guns.
BANK: Moore says North Country Bank & Trust in Traverse City, Mich., offered a deal where, "if you opened an account, the bank would give you a gun." He walks into a branch and walks out with a gun.
ACTUALLY: Moore didn't just walk in off the street and get a gun. The transaction was staged for cameras. You have to buy a long-term CD, then go to a gun shop to pick up the weapon after a background check.
Hmm. If a big corporation were this dishonest, Moore would be making fun of it.
UPDATE: SpinSanity has a post in response, concluding:
When the most popular documentary of the year is riddled with blatant lies and distortions, it's a cause for concern. When the film is part of a pattern by one of the nation’s most prominent political celebrities, it's disturbing. And when the media gives Michael Moore free reign to spread his lies and distortions with very little critical analysis, it's a sad comment on our democracy.
Or at least on our media. However, another reader -- who because he works at Lockheed-Martin will remain anonymous -- points out that the plant Moore refers to did formerly do missile work. That's true, though the Titans that Moore showed -- unless he was using ancient archival footage -- were commercial vehicles used to loft peaceful payloads, not "weapons of mass destruction." (Though I believe that military spy satellites are among them).
TITLE: Moore titled the movie Bowling for Columbine because, he suggests, the two kids who shot up Columbine High in Littleton, Colo., went to a 6 a.m. bowling class on the day of the attack.
ACTUALLY: Cool story, but police say it's not true. They say the shooters skipped their bowling class that day.
MISSILES: Moore wonders whether kids at Columbine might be driven to violence because of the "weapons of mass destruction" made in Lockheed Martin's assembly plant in Littleton. Moore shows giant rockets being assembled.
ACTUALLY: Lockheed Martin's plant in Littleton doesn't make weapons. It makes space launch vehicles for TV satellites.
WELFARE: Moore places blame for a shooting by a child in Michigan on the work-to-welfare program that prevented the boy's mother from spending time with him.
ACTUALLY: Moore doesn't mention that mom had sent the boy to live in a house where her brother and a friend kept drugs and guns.
BANK: Moore says North Country Bank & Trust in Traverse City, Mich., offered a deal where, "if you opened an account, the bank would give you a gun." He walks into a branch and walks out with a gun.
ACTUALLY: Moore didn't just walk in off the street and get a gun. The transaction was staged for cameras. You have to buy a long-term CD, then go to a gun shop to pick up the weapon after a background check.
Hmm. If a big corporation were this dishonest, Moore would be making fun of it.
UPDATE: SpinSanity has a post in response, concluding:
When the most popular documentary of the year is riddled with blatant lies and distortions, it's a cause for concern. When the film is part of a pattern by one of the nation’s most prominent political celebrities, it's disturbing. And when the media gives Michael Moore free reign to spread his lies and distortions with very little critical analysis, it's a sad comment on our democracy.
Or at least on our media. However, another reader -- who because he works at Lockheed-Martin will remain anonymous -- points out that the plant Moore refers to did formerly do missile work. That's true, though the Titans that Moore showed -- unless he was using ancient archival footage -- were commercial vehicles used to loft peaceful payloads, not "weapons of mass destruction." (Though I believe that military spy satellites are among them).
LawMeme
Meme- a unit of cultural information, such as a cultural practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another.
LawMeme - a unit of legal information, such as a law or regulation, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another.
Meme- a unit of cultural information, such as a cultural practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another.
LawMeme - a unit of legal information, such as a law or regulation, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another.
Dear Tech Support:
Last year I upgraded from Boyfriend 5.0 to Husband 1.0 and noticed a
slowdown in the performance of the flower and jewelry applications
that had operated flawlessly under the Boyfriend 5.0 system. In
addition, Husband 1.0 un-installed many other valuable programs, such
as Romance 9.9,
but installed undesirable programs such as NFL 7.4, NBA 3.2 and NHL
4.1. Conversation 8.0 also no longer runs and Housecleaning 2.6 simply
crashes the system. I've tried running Nagging 5.3 to fix these
problems,
but to no avail.
What can I do?
Signed, Desperate
Dear Desperate,
First, keep in mind that Boyfriend 5.0 was an entertainment package,
while Husband 1.0 is an operating system. Try to enter the command
:/ITHOUGHTYOULOVEDME and install Tears 6.2. Husband 1.0 should then
automatically run the applications Guilt 3.3 and Flowers 7.5. But
remember, overuse can cause Husband 1.0 to default to such background
applications as Grumpy Silence 2.5, Happy Hour 7.0, or Beer 6.1.
Please remember that Beer 6.1 is a very bad program that will create
SnoringLoudly.WAV files. DO NOT install Mother-In-Law 1.0 or reinstall
another Boyfriend program. These are not supported applications and
will crash Husband 1.0. They could also potentially cause Husband 1.0
to default to the program Girlfriend 9.2, which runs in the background
and has been known to introduce potentially serious viruses into the
Operating System.
In summary, Husband 1.0 is a great program, but it does have a limited
memory and can't learn new applications quickly. You might consider
buying additional software to enhance his system performance. I
personally recommend Hot Food 3.0 and Single Malt Scotch 4.5.
Good Luck.
Tech Support
Last year I upgraded from Boyfriend 5.0 to Husband 1.0 and noticed a
slowdown in the performance of the flower and jewelry applications
that had operated flawlessly under the Boyfriend 5.0 system. In
addition, Husband 1.0 un-installed many other valuable programs, such
as Romance 9.9,
but installed undesirable programs such as NFL 7.4, NBA 3.2 and NHL
4.1. Conversation 8.0 also no longer runs and Housecleaning 2.6 simply
crashes the system. I've tried running Nagging 5.3 to fix these
problems,
but to no avail.
What can I do?
Signed, Desperate
Dear Desperate,
First, keep in mind that Boyfriend 5.0 was an entertainment package,
while Husband 1.0 is an operating system. Try to enter the command
:/ITHOUGHTYOULOVEDME and install Tears 6.2. Husband 1.0 should then
automatically run the applications Guilt 3.3 and Flowers 7.5. But
remember, overuse can cause Husband 1.0 to default to such background
applications as Grumpy Silence 2.5, Happy Hour 7.0, or Beer 6.1.
Please remember that Beer 6.1 is a very bad program that will create
SnoringLoudly.WAV files. DO NOT install Mother-In-Law 1.0 or reinstall
another Boyfriend program. These are not supported applications and
will crash Husband 1.0. They could also potentially cause Husband 1.0
to default to the program Girlfriend 9.2, which runs in the background
and has been known to introduce potentially serious viruses into the
Operating System.
In summary, Husband 1.0 is a great program, but it does have a limited
memory and can't learn new applications quickly. You might consider
buying additional software to enhance his system performance. I
personally recommend Hot Food 3.0 and Single Malt Scotch 4.5.
Good Luck.
Tech Support
Friday, November 22, 2002
Playwright Jim Sherman wrote this today after Hu Jintao was named chief of
the Communist Party in China.
HU'S ON FIRST
by James Sherman
(We take you now to the Oval Office.)
George: Condi! Nice to see you. What's happening?
Condi: Sir, I have the report here about the new leader of China.
George: Great. Lay it on me.
Condi: Hu is the new leader of China.
George: That's what I want to know.
Condi: That's what I'm telling you.
George: That's what I'm asking you. Who is the new leader of China?
Condi: Yes.
George: I mean the fellow's name.
Condi: Hu.
George: The guy in China.
Condi: Hu.
George: The new leader of China.
Condi: Hu.
George: The Chinaman!
Condi: Hu is leading China.
George: Now whaddya' asking me for?
Condi: I'm telling you Hu is leading China.
George: Well, I'm asking you. Who is leading China?
Condi: That's the man's name.
George: That's who's name?
Condi: Yes.
George: Will you or will you not tell me the name of the new leader of
China?
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Yassir? Yassir Arafat is in China? I thought he was in the Middle
East.
Condi: That's correct.
George: Then who is in China?
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Yassir is in China?
Condi: No, sir.
George: Then who is?
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Yassir?
Condi: No, sir.
George: Look, Condi. I need to know the name of the new leader of China.
Get me the Secretary General of the U.N. on the
phone.
Condi: Kofi?
George: No, thanks.
Condi: You want Kofi?
George: No.
Condi: You don't want Kofi.
George: No. But now that you mention it, I could use a glass of milk. And
then get me the U.N.
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Not Yassir! The guy at the U.N.
Condi: Kofi?
George: Milk! Will you please make the call?
Condi: And call who?
George: Who is the guy at the U.N?
Condi: Hu is the guy in China.
George: Will you stay out of China?!
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: And stay out of the Middle East! Just get me the guy at the U.N.
Condi: Kofi.
George: All right! With cream and two sugars. Now get on the phone.
Condi picks up the phone.)
Condi: Rice, here.
George: Rice? Good idea. And a couple of egg rolls, too. Maybe we should
send some to the guy in China. And the Middle East. Can you get Chinese
food in the Middle East?
the Communist Party in China.
HU'S ON FIRST
by James Sherman
(We take you now to the Oval Office.)
George: Condi! Nice to see you. What's happening?
Condi: Sir, I have the report here about the new leader of China.
George: Great. Lay it on me.
Condi: Hu is the new leader of China.
George: That's what I want to know.
Condi: That's what I'm telling you.
George: That's what I'm asking you. Who is the new leader of China?
Condi: Yes.
George: I mean the fellow's name.
Condi: Hu.
George: The guy in China.
Condi: Hu.
George: The new leader of China.
Condi: Hu.
George: The Chinaman!
Condi: Hu is leading China.
George: Now whaddya' asking me for?
Condi: I'm telling you Hu is leading China.
George: Well, I'm asking you. Who is leading China?
Condi: That's the man's name.
George: That's who's name?
Condi: Yes.
George: Will you or will you not tell me the name of the new leader of
China?
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Yassir? Yassir Arafat is in China? I thought he was in the Middle
East.
Condi: That's correct.
George: Then who is in China?
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Yassir is in China?
Condi: No, sir.
George: Then who is?
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Yassir?
Condi: No, sir.
George: Look, Condi. I need to know the name of the new leader of China.
Get me the Secretary General of the U.N. on the
phone.
Condi: Kofi?
George: No, thanks.
Condi: You want Kofi?
George: No.
Condi: You don't want Kofi.
George: No. But now that you mention it, I could use a glass of milk. And
then get me the U.N.
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Not Yassir! The guy at the U.N.
Condi: Kofi?
George: Milk! Will you please make the call?
Condi: And call who?
George: Who is the guy at the U.N?
Condi: Hu is the guy in China.
George: Will you stay out of China?!
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: And stay out of the Middle East! Just get me the guy at the U.N.
Condi: Kofi.
George: All right! With cream and two sugars. Now get on the phone.
Condi picks up the phone.)
Condi: Rice, here.
George: Rice? Good idea. And a couple of egg rolls, too. Maybe we should
send some to the guy in China. And the Middle East. Can you get Chinese
food in the Middle East?
Tuesday, November 19, 2002
Let's go for stupid
A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store, but couldn't find one big enough for her family. She asked a stock boy, "Do these turkeys get any bigger?"
The stock boy replied, "No ma'am, they're dead."
Caught for speeding
The cop got out of his car and the kid, that was stopped for speeding, rolled down his
window. "I've been waiting for you all day," the cop said.
The kid replied, "Yeah, well I got here as fast as I could."
When the cop finally stopped laughing, he sent the kid on his way without a ticket.
Stuck under a bridgeA truck driver was driving along on the freeway. A sign comes up that reads "low bridge ahead." Before he knows it the bridge is right ahead of him and he gets stuck under the bridge. Cars are backed up for miles. Finally, a police car comes up. The
cop gets out of his car and walks around to the truck driver, puts his hands on his hips and says, "Got stuck, huh?"
The truck driver says, "No, I was delivering this bridge and ran out of gas."
Drunk?
The drunken wino was stumbling down the street with one foot on the curb and one foot in the gutter. A cop pulled up and
said, "I've got to take you in, sir. You're obviously drunk".
The wasted wino asked, "Officer, are ya absolutely sure I'm drunk?"
"Yeah, buddy, I'm sure," said the copper. "Let's go."
Obviously relieved, the wino said "That's a relief - I thought I was a cripple."
Dealing with trouble
A deputy police officer responded to a report of a barroom disturbance. The "disturbance" turned out to be well over six feet tall and weighed almost 300 pounds. What's more, he boasted that he could whip the deputy and Muhammad Ali too.
Said the policeman, "I'll bet that you're also an escape artist-probably better than Houdini."
The giant nodded.
"If I had some chains," the deputy continued, "you could show us how strong you really are. But all I've got is a set of handcuffs. Why don't you see just how quickly you can break out of them?"
Once in the cuffs, the man puffed, pulled and jerked for four minutes. "I can't get out of these," the giant growled.
"Are you sure?" the deputy asked. The fellow tried again. "Nope," he replied. "I can't do it."
"In that case," said the deputy, "you're under arrest."
Too Late
The man was in no shape to drive, so he wisely left his car parked and walked home. As he was walking unsteadily along, he was stopped by a policeman.
"What are you doing out here at 2 A.M.?" asked the officer.
"I'm going to a lecture." The man said.
"And who is going to give a lecture at this hour?" the cop asked.
"My wife," said the man
A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store, but couldn't find one big enough for her family. She asked a stock boy, "Do these turkeys get any bigger?"
The stock boy replied, "No ma'am, they're dead."
Caught for speeding
The cop got out of his car and the kid, that was stopped for speeding, rolled down his
window. "I've been waiting for you all day," the cop said.
The kid replied, "Yeah, well I got here as fast as I could."
When the cop finally stopped laughing, he sent the kid on his way without a ticket.
Stuck under a bridgeA truck driver was driving along on the freeway. A sign comes up that reads "low bridge ahead." Before he knows it the bridge is right ahead of him and he gets stuck under the bridge. Cars are backed up for miles. Finally, a police car comes up. The
cop gets out of his car and walks around to the truck driver, puts his hands on his hips and says, "Got stuck, huh?"
The truck driver says, "No, I was delivering this bridge and ran out of gas."
Drunk?
The drunken wino was stumbling down the street with one foot on the curb and one foot in the gutter. A cop pulled up and
said, "I've got to take you in, sir. You're obviously drunk".
The wasted wino asked, "Officer, are ya absolutely sure I'm drunk?"
"Yeah, buddy, I'm sure," said the copper. "Let's go."
Obviously relieved, the wino said "That's a relief - I thought I was a cripple."
Dealing with trouble
A deputy police officer responded to a report of a barroom disturbance. The "disturbance" turned out to be well over six feet tall and weighed almost 300 pounds. What's more, he boasted that he could whip the deputy and Muhammad Ali too.
Said the policeman, "I'll bet that you're also an escape artist-probably better than Houdini."
The giant nodded.
"If I had some chains," the deputy continued, "you could show us how strong you really are. But all I've got is a set of handcuffs. Why don't you see just how quickly you can break out of them?"
Once in the cuffs, the man puffed, pulled and jerked for four minutes. "I can't get out of these," the giant growled.
"Are you sure?" the deputy asked. The fellow tried again. "Nope," he replied. "I can't do it."
"In that case," said the deputy, "you're under arrest."
Too Late
The man was in no shape to drive, so he wisely left his car parked and walked home. As he was walking unsteadily along, he was stopped by a policeman.
"What are you doing out here at 2 A.M.?" asked the officer.
"I'm going to a lecture." The man said.
"And who is going to give a lecture at this hour?" the cop asked.
"My wife," said the man
Sunday, November 17, 2002
Subject: SOME LAWYERS REALLY CARE
Date: Sun, 10 Nov 2002 13:55:12 -0500
One afternoon, a wealthy lawyer was riding in the back of his limousine when he saw two pathetic men eating grass by the road side. He ordered
his driver to stop and he got out to investigate,and asked, "Why are you eating grass?"
"We don't have money for food," the first man replied.
"Well, you can come with me to my house," insisted the lawyer. "But sir, I've got a wife and three kids here." "Bring them along!" replied the
lawyer. "But how about my friend?" The lawyer turned to the other man and said, "you come with us too." "But sir, said the friend, "I've got a
wife and six kids!" "Bring them as well!" answered the lawyer as he headed for the limo.
They all climbed into the car,and once underway, one of the poor fellows says: "Sir, you are too kind. Thank you for taking all of us with you."
The lawyer replied, "Glad to do it, you'll love my place, the grass is almost a foot tall."
Date: Sun, 10 Nov 2002 13:55:12 -0500
One afternoon, a wealthy lawyer was riding in the back of his limousine when he saw two pathetic men eating grass by the road side. He ordered
his driver to stop and he got out to investigate,and asked, "Why are you eating grass?"
"We don't have money for food," the first man replied.
"Well, you can come with me to my house," insisted the lawyer. "But sir, I've got a wife and three kids here." "Bring them along!" replied the
lawyer. "But how about my friend?" The lawyer turned to the other man and said, "you come with us too." "But sir, said the friend, "I've got a
wife and six kids!" "Bring them as well!" answered the lawyer as he headed for the limo.
They all climbed into the car,and once underway, one of the poor fellows says: "Sir, you are too kind. Thank you for taking all of us with you."
The lawyer replied, "Glad to do it, you'll love my place, the grass is almost a foot tall."
Saturday, November 16, 2002
Immigration policy stupid, evil and hurting Americans
By Peter Brimelow
IN AMERICA, WE have a two-party system," a Republican congressional staffer is supposed to have told a visiting group of Russian legislators some years ago.
"There is the stupid party. And there is the evil party. I am proud to be a member of the stupid party."
He added: "Periodically, the two parties get together and do something that is both stupid and evil. This is called -- bipartisanship." . . .
By Peter Brimelow
IN AMERICA, WE have a two-party system," a Republican congressional staffer is supposed to have told a visiting group of Russian legislators some years ago.
"There is the stupid party. And there is the evil party. I am proud to be a member of the stupid party."
He added: "Periodically, the two parties get together and do something that is both stupid and evil. This is called -- bipartisanship." . . .
Wednesday, November 13, 2002
Bloated Billables
"One of the reasons attorneys turned to hourly billing is that they found they were making less money than doctors," said William G. Ross, a law professor at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala.
But the hours in question were few by contemporary standards. In 1965, the American Bar Association found that hours billed by American lawyers ranged between 1,200 and 1,600 annually, practically a part-time schedule today.
Larger firms now generally expect at least 2,000 to 2,200 billable hours from their associates, and billing 2,500 to 3,000 hours is not unusual. Earlier this month, associates at the New York office of Clifford Chance, the British law firm that is the world's largest, sent the partners an anguished memorandum. Its primary complaint was that the firm required 2,420 billable hours annually to qualify for a bonus. The requirement is, their memorandum said, "profoundly unrealistic," "dehumanizing" and "verging on an abdication of our professional responsibilities." It encourages, they said, "padding of hours, inefficient work, repetition of tasks and other problems."
. . .
As a result, said Deborah L. Rhode, a law professor at Stanford University, lawyers billing 2,000 must work 60 hours a week. "No one working these kinds of sweatshop hours can give good legal service," she said.
. . .
Associate salaries, which start at around $125,000 for new associates at big firms in New York and easily top $200,000 for more senior associates, create few options for firms. Partners at such firms, whose hourly rates have been approaching $700, often make more than $1 million.
"The salary wars have only made things worse," said Susan Saab Fortney, a law professor at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. "Where is the money going to come from? It's going to come from the sweat of associates."
In 1999, Professor Fortney of Texas Tech surveyed 1,000 associates in Texas law firms. Almost half agreed that billing pressure "causes ethical and competent attorneys to leave private law practice." Another third abstained from answering the question. "We're driving the wrong people out of private practice," Professor Fortney said. "We're driving out the ethical lawyers."
"One of the reasons attorneys turned to hourly billing is that they found they were making less money than doctors," said William G. Ross, a law professor at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala.
But the hours in question were few by contemporary standards. In 1965, the American Bar Association found that hours billed by American lawyers ranged between 1,200 and 1,600 annually, practically a part-time schedule today.
Larger firms now generally expect at least 2,000 to 2,200 billable hours from their associates, and billing 2,500 to 3,000 hours is not unusual. Earlier this month, associates at the New York office of Clifford Chance, the British law firm that is the world's largest, sent the partners an anguished memorandum. Its primary complaint was that the firm required 2,420 billable hours annually to qualify for a bonus. The requirement is, their memorandum said, "profoundly unrealistic," "dehumanizing" and "verging on an abdication of our professional responsibilities." It encourages, they said, "padding of hours, inefficient work, repetition of tasks and other problems."
. . .
As a result, said Deborah L. Rhode, a law professor at Stanford University, lawyers billing 2,000 must work 60 hours a week. "No one working these kinds of sweatshop hours can give good legal service," she said.
. . .
Associate salaries, which start at around $125,000 for new associates at big firms in New York and easily top $200,000 for more senior associates, create few options for firms. Partners at such firms, whose hourly rates have been approaching $700, often make more than $1 million.
"The salary wars have only made things worse," said Susan Saab Fortney, a law professor at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. "Where is the money going to come from? It's going to come from the sweat of associates."
Lawyers may look for opportunities to make the simple complicated. "Why not leave no stone unturned if you are charging by the stone?" Professor Rhode asked.
In 1999, Professor Fortney of Texas Tech surveyed 1,000 associates in Texas law firms. Almost half agreed that billing pressure "causes ethical and competent attorneys to leave private law practice." Another third abstained from answering the question. "We're driving the wrong people out of private practice," Professor Fortney said. "We're driving out the ethical lawyers."
Top Spam Scams
Balancing Life and Practice
lexisONEsm
The Federal Trade Commission lists the top 12 scams most likely to arrive in your inbox via spam:
1. Business opportunities that turn out to be illegal pyramid schemes.
2. Offering bulk email lists, which turn out to violate the terms of service of most Internet service providers.
3. Chain letters via email are just as bogus as those on paper.
4. Work-at-home schemes that require investment.
5. Health and diet scams whose gimmicks don't work.
6. Effortless income - yeah, wouldn't we all?
7. Free goods for a fee for joining a club - actually a pyramid-scheme variant.
8. Investment opportunities with a high rate of return and no risk. Buy Enron stock instead.
9. Cable descrambler kits that don't work.
10. Guaranteed loans that turn out to be just lists of lenders.
11. Credit repair companies that can't deliver or urge you to commit fraud.
12. Vacation prize promotions that turn out to be captive-audience sales pitches.
The FTC's job is to protect consumers, so if you're being nailed by a particularly egregious spammer or scammer, tell them about it on their Web site.
Balancing Life and Practice
lexisONEsm
The Federal Trade Commission lists the top 12 scams most likely to arrive in your inbox via spam:
1. Business opportunities that turn out to be illegal pyramid schemes.
2. Offering bulk email lists, which turn out to violate the terms of service of most Internet service providers.
3. Chain letters via email are just as bogus as those on paper.
4. Work-at-home schemes that require investment.
5. Health and diet scams whose gimmicks don't work.
6. Effortless income - yeah, wouldn't we all?
7. Free goods for a fee for joining a club - actually a pyramid-scheme variant.
8. Investment opportunities with a high rate of return and no risk. Buy Enron stock instead.
9. Cable descrambler kits that don't work.
10. Guaranteed loans that turn out to be just lists of lenders.
11. Credit repair companies that can't deliver or urge you to commit fraud.
12. Vacation prize promotions that turn out to be captive-audience sales pitches.
The FTC's job is to protect consumers, so if you're being nailed by a particularly egregious spammer or scammer, tell them about it on their Web site.
Friday, November 08, 2002
Welcome to
Dumb Warnings!
Welcome to Dumb Warnings, where you may see the consequences of numerous pointless lawsuits. This site is dedicated to helping companies fight this menace which is plaguing society today. In addition to Dumb Warnings, this site will also feature Dumb Instructions, Rules, and other information frequently placed on packages.
We need Dumb Warnings, and we need
Dumb Warnings!
Welcome to Dumb Warnings, where you may see the consequences of numerous pointless lawsuits. This site is dedicated to helping companies fight this menace which is plaguing society today. In addition to Dumb Warnings, this site will also feature Dumb Instructions, Rules, and other information frequently placed on packages.
We need Dumb Warnings, and we need
Monday, November 04, 2002
The Lost Chapter of Genesis
Adam was hanging around the garden of Eden feeling very lonely. So God
asked him, "What's wrong with you?" Adam said he didn't have anyone to talk to.
God said that He was going to make Adam a companion and that it would be a woman.
He said, "this pretty lady will gather food for you, she will cook for you, and when you discover clothing, she will wash it for you.
She will always agree with every decision you make and she will not nag you and will always be the first to admit she was wrong when you've had a disagreement. She will praise you!
She will bear your children and never ask you to get up in the middle of the night to take care of them.
She will never have a headache and will freely give you love and passion whenever you need it."
Adam asked God, "What will a woman like this cost?" God replied, "An arm and a leg."
Then Adam asked, "What can I get for a rib?"
Of course the rest is history....
Adam was hanging around the garden of Eden feeling very lonely. So God
asked him, "What's wrong with you?" Adam said he didn't have anyone to talk to.
God said that He was going to make Adam a companion and that it would be a woman.
He said, "this pretty lady will gather food for you, she will cook for you, and when you discover clothing, she will wash it for you.
She will always agree with every decision you make and she will not nag you and will always be the first to admit she was wrong when you've had a disagreement. She will praise you!
She will bear your children and never ask you to get up in the middle of the night to take care of them.
She will never have a headache and will freely give you love and passion whenever you need it."
Adam asked God, "What will a woman like this cost?" God replied, "An arm and a leg."
Then Adam asked, "What can I get for a rib?"
Of course the rest is history....
Thursday, October 31, 2002
Wednesday, October 30, 2002
In July 1994, syndicated business columnist Allan Sloan wrote: "For lawyer-haters, the case of Weil Gotshal & Manges vs. Posner is a delicious spectacle. A tough, savvy bunch of lawyers decided to lend their prestige and talent to a well-known corporate lowlife in return for fat fees. Then Posner stiffs them. Think of it as selling a piece of your soul and getting paid with a rubber check."
Thursday, October 24, 2002
Workers Paying More for Health Insurance
By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Michael Smith, MD
Sept. 9, 2002 -- You may be paying more than ever for health insurance, but you're actually getting less, according to a new survey. Researchers say rising healthcare costs and a fledgling economy have prompted the biggest increase in health insurance premiums in 12 years. And employers are passing along those added costs to their workers.
The survey shows that premiums paid by employers have risen 12.7% from spring 2001 to spring 2002 -- now totaling $3,060 for single coverage and $7,954 for family coverage. Meanwhile, the amount an employee pays for health insurance has grown by 27% to an average of $454 per year, and the employee-paid share for family coverage has gone up 16% to an average of $2,084 per year.
...
By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Michael Smith, MD
Sept. 9, 2002 -- You may be paying more than ever for health insurance, but you're actually getting less, according to a new survey. Researchers say rising healthcare costs and a fledgling economy have prompted the biggest increase in health insurance premiums in 12 years. And employers are passing along those added costs to their workers.
The survey shows that premiums paid by employers have risen 12.7% from spring 2001 to spring 2002 -- now totaling $3,060 for single coverage and $7,954 for family coverage. Meanwhile, the amount an employee pays for health insurance has grown by 27% to an average of $454 per year, and the employee-paid share for family coverage has gone up 16% to an average of $2,084 per year.
...
Hypertext Links
Hypertext Links: Whither Thou Goest, and Why by Claire Harrison
The link is the basic element of hypertext, and researchers have long recognized that links provide semantic relationships for users. Yet little work has been done to understand the nature of these relationships, particularly in conjunction with the purposes of organizational/informational Web sites. This paper explores the semantic and rhetorical principles underlying link development and proposes a systematic, comprehensive classification of link types that would be of use to researchers and Web production teams.
Contents
Introduction
Semantics: The "Whither" of Linking
Rhetoric: The "Why" of Linking
Why a Classification of Links?
The Classification of Links
Conclusion
Hypertext Links: Whither Thou Goest, and Why by Claire Harrison
The link is the basic element of hypertext, and researchers have long recognized that links provide semantic relationships for users. Yet little work has been done to understand the nature of these relationships, particularly in conjunction with the purposes of organizational/informational Web sites. This paper explores the semantic and rhetorical principles underlying link development and proposes a systematic, comprehensive classification of link types that would be of use to researchers and Web production teams.
Contents
Introduction
Semantics: The "Whither" of Linking
Rhetoric: The "Why" of Linking
Why a Classification of Links?
The Classification of Links
Conclusion
Washington Post mispells 'catalog'
The Virtual Acquisition Shelf and News Desk Libraries and Librarians
Source: The Washington Post
"Librarian Looks for Clues In Mountains of Old Maps"
Meet R. Lee Hadden. "[He's] a reference librarian at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), who started indexing USGS's vast catalogue of Afghanistan-related resources soon after the 9/11 attacks. The USGS library, a scientific warehouse in Reston that collects journals and data about national resources, has 12 miles worth of books and 26 tons of maps."
Link Directly To This VAS&ND Post posted by g price on Thursday, October 24, 2002
The Virtual Acquisition Shelf and News Desk Web Search--Google
Source: News.Com
"Google Excluding Controversial Sites"
From the article, "Google, the world's most popular search engine, has quietly deleted more than 100 controversial sites from some search result listings. Absent from Google's French and German listings are Web sites that are anti-Semitic, pro-Nazi, or related to white supremacy, according to a new report from Harvard University's Berkman Center. Also banned is Jesus-is-lord.com, a fundamentalist Christian site that is adamantly opposed to abortion. Google confirmed on Wednesday that the sites had been removed from listings available at Google.fr and Google.de. The removed sites continue to appear in listings on the main Google.com site." "To avoid legal liability, we remove sites from Google.de search results pages that may conflict with German law," said Google spokesman Nate Tyler. He indicated that each of the sites that were delisted came after a specific complaint from a foreign government." It will be interesting to see the complete list of sites and determine if they're still available from other general search engines.
See Also: You Can Find Additional Information and a List of Sites from the Berkman Center Site
"Google Excluding Controversial Sites"
From the article, "Google, the world's most popular search engine, has quietly deleted more than 100 controversial sites from some search result listings. Absent from Google's French and German listings are Web sites that are anti-Semitic, pro-Nazi, or related to white supremacy, according to a new report from Harvard University's Berkman Center. Also banned is Jesus-is-lord.com, a fundamentalist Christian site that is adamantly opposed to abortion. Google confirmed on Wednesday that the sites had been removed from listings available at Google.fr and Google.de. The removed sites continue to appear in listings on the main Google.com site." "To avoid legal liability, we remove sites from Google.de search results pages that may conflict with German law," said Google spokesman Nate Tyler. He indicated that each of the sites that were delisted came after a specific complaint from a foreign government." It will be interesting to see the complete list of sites and determine if they're still available from other general search engines.
See Also: You Can Find Additional Information and a List of Sites from the Berkman Center Site
posted by g price on Thursday, October 24, 2002 VAS&ND
Source: News.Com
"Google Excluding Controversial Sites"
From the article, "Google, the world's most popular search engine, has quietly deleted more than 100 controversial sites from some search result listings. Absent from Google's French and German listings are Web sites that are anti-Semitic, pro-Nazi, or related to white supremacy, according to a new report from Harvard University's Berkman Center. Also banned is Jesus-is-lord.com, a fundamentalist Christian site that is adamantly opposed to abortion. Google confirmed on Wednesday that the sites had been removed from listings available at Google.fr and Google.de. The removed sites continue to appear in listings on the main Google.com site." "To avoid legal liability, we remove sites from Google.de search results pages that may conflict with German law," said Google spokesman Nate Tyler. He indicated that each of the sites that were delisted came after a specific complaint from a foreign government." It will be interesting to see the complete list of sites and determine if they're still available from other general search engines.
See Also: You Can Find Additional Information and a List of Sites from the Berkman Center Site
"Google Excluding Controversial Sites"
From the article, "Google, the world's most popular search engine, has quietly deleted more than 100 controversial sites from some search result listings. Absent from Google's French and German listings are Web sites that are anti-Semitic, pro-Nazi, or related to white supremacy, according to a new report from Harvard University's Berkman Center. Also banned is Jesus-is-lord.com, a fundamentalist Christian site that is adamantly opposed to abortion. Google confirmed on Wednesday that the sites had been removed from listings available at Google.fr and Google.de. The removed sites continue to appear in listings on the main Google.com site." "To avoid legal liability, we remove sites from Google.de search results pages that may conflict with German law," said Google spokesman Nate Tyler. He indicated that each of the sites that were delisted came after a specific complaint from a foreign government." It will be interesting to see the complete list of sites and determine if they're still available from other general search engines.
See Also: You Can Find Additional Information and a List of Sites from the Berkman Center Site
posted by g price on Thursday, October 24, 2002 VAS&ND
Wednesday, October 23, 2002
Music News from Oz
Pink wants to party with Kylie
Singer Pink would never choose one of her own songs to get a party in full swing - she'd much rather the vocals of Kylie Minogue.
The ‘Get The Party Started’ hit maker admits she's such a huge fan of Kylie’s 2001 chart-topper ‘Can’t Get You Out Of My Head’, it would be her track of choice to keep her guests entertained.
She says, "There are too many great songs to get the party started to – Prince has a million of 'em! "For hip-hop, my favourite is Tupac’s ‘California Love’. But for a dance song it's ‘Can't Get You Out Of My Head’ for sure. "That's the one I love to dance to right now - we love us some Kylie. She's cute as hell, and she's really tiny. I'm tall compared to her." (wenn)
Pink wants to party with Kylie
Singer Pink would never choose one of her own songs to get a party in full swing - she'd much rather the vocals of Kylie Minogue.
The ‘Get The Party Started’ hit maker admits she's such a huge fan of Kylie’s 2001 chart-topper ‘Can’t Get You Out Of My Head’, it would be her track of choice to keep her guests entertained.
She says, "There are too many great songs to get the party started to – Prince has a million of 'em! "For hip-hop, my favourite is Tupac’s ‘California Love’. But for a dance song it's ‘Can't Get You Out Of My Head’ for sure. "That's the one I love to dance to right now - we love us some Kylie. She's cute as hell, and she's really tiny. I'm tall compared to her." (wenn)
Monday, October 21, 2002
law.com The Humans Behind the Headnotes
Mark Voorhees
AmLaw Tech
09-09-2002
Early on the morning of Dec. 13, 2000, shortly after arriving for work at West Group in Eagan, Minn., Chip Allen was in a foul mood. Late the night before, the U.S. Supreme Court had stopped the recount of votes in Florida and handed the 2000 election to George W. Bush. Allen was not upset by the outcome but by how the justices reached it. Allen's first assignment of the day was to summarize the case and write the headnotes. He had to do it quickly and correctly, and neither was easy.
Mark Voorhees
AmLaw Tech
09-09-2002
Early on the morning of Dec. 13, 2000, shortly after arriving for work at West Group in Eagan, Minn., Chip Allen was in a foul mood. Late the night before, the U.S. Supreme Court had stopped the recount of votes in Florida and handed the 2000 election to George W. Bush. Allen was not upset by the outcome but by how the justices reached it. Allen's first assignment of the day was to summarize the case and write the headnotes. He had to do it quickly and correctly, and neither was easy.
law.com King of the Bloggers
Law Professor Glenn Reynolds: the Web's 'InstaPundit'
Jeffery Knight
The American Lawyer
09-12-2002
Glenn Harlan Reynolds is a celebrity law professor for the Information Age. He teaches law and technology at the University of Tennessee College of Law. He writes books and articles with titles like "Outer Space: Problems of Law and Policy." He produces techno music under the name Mobius Dick.
And he blogs.
A blog -- it's shorthand for "Web log" -- is like a personal bulletin board. It's a place to post anything you care to write about, whenever you care to write about it. Then you hope someone out there in cyberspace stops by and starts to read.
Reynolds, 41, named his blog InstaPundit. On it, this self-described "disenchanted libertarian Democrat" posts his thoughts on material that he excerpts from a mountain of other blogs, Web sites and reader e-mail. He includes
Law Professor Glenn Reynolds: the Web's 'InstaPundit'
Jeffery Knight
The American Lawyer
09-12-2002
Glenn Harlan Reynolds is a celebrity law professor for the Information Age. He teaches law and technology at the University of Tennessee College of Law. He writes books and articles with titles like "Outer Space: Problems of Law and Policy." He produces techno music under the name Mobius Dick.
And he blogs.
A blog -- it's shorthand for "Web log" -- is like a personal bulletin board. It's a place to post anything you care to write about, whenever you care to write about it. Then you hope someone out there in cyberspace stops by and starts to read.
Reynolds, 41, named his blog InstaPundit. On it, this self-described "disenchanted libertarian Democrat" posts his thoughts on material that he excerpts from a mountain of other blogs, Web sites and reader e-mail. He includes
Law Library - Electronic Evidence Discovery and Computer Forensics Law Library
Kroll Ontrack attorneys have put together several resources to help you learn more about electronic discovery and computer forensics, and stay abreast of current case law and news.
Current Kroll...
Kroll Ontrack attorneys have put together several resources to help you learn more about electronic discovery and computer forensics, and stay abreast of current case law and news.
Current Kroll...
Judge Refuses to Block Harrods Libel Suit in Britain
Mark Hamblett
New York Law Journal
10-21-2002
The Wall Street Journal's bid to have a federal judge in New York block a purportedly frivolous libel suit in England has been denied.
In a case that started out as an April Fool's joke, Judge Victor Marrero of the Southern District of New York declined to apply the Declaratory Judgment Act and issue a ruling preventing Harrods department store from suing the newspaper.
"To the question 'What is in a joke?' this lawsuit gives a decidedly wooden answer: a federal case," Judge Marrero said in Dow Jones & Co. Inc v. Harrods Ltd., 02 Civ. 3979.
The dispute began on March 31, 2002, when a mock press release announcing Mohammed Al Fayed's intention to offer shares in a floating version of Harrods moored in the Thames River was misinterpreted by The Wall Street Journal as an announcement to "float shares." The newspaper ran an item on the supposed offering on April 1.
After realizing the hoax, the newspaper published a correction the following day. But three days later, on April 5, it printed an item about the April Fool's joke, in which it conceded being taken in by the prank. And although the newspaper intended the piece to be tongue in cheek, Al Fayed and Harrods were not pleased by "The Enron of Britain?" headline.
Lawyers for Harrods said the article caused serious damage to the company's reputation, and demanded a correction and an apology as well as the payment of "substantial damages."
When the Harrods lawyers asked for disclosure of Wall Street Journal circulation figures and the number of hits on the newspaper's Web site for Great Britain, Dow Jones & Co. Inc., the paper's parent company, filed suit in the Southern District of New York on May 24 seeking to block a London action that Harrods ultimately filed five days later.
Judge Marrero said that Dow Jones was eager to avoid a trial in Britain because libel laws there are far more friendly to plaintiffs.
He said the Declaratory Judgment Act, 28 U.S.C. § 2201(a), "was designed as a means to facilitate early and effective adjudication of disputes at a time when a controversy, though actual, may still be incipient, but before it expands into a larger conflict."
But Marrero said the case fell short of being an "actual controversy," because Dow Jones had offered only an "abstract tower of hypotheticals stacked like a house of cards on suppositions piled on top of speculations."
The judge said that if he were to grant the relief sought by Dow Jones, "the conflict may be fully resolved," but only if the courts in the United Kingdom and elsewhere recognized and enforced the New York court's judgment.
Dow Jones had argued that a declaratory judgment was appropriate because it would be freed from "vexatious and oppressive" litigation abroad. The company said that its assets in the United Kingdom were minimal, that no court in the United States would find for Harrods under the law of defamation in this country, and that the expense of defending the action would be significant.
Essentially, Marrero said the company was seeking to apply the act "as a defensive shield, a preemptive means to immunize a litigant" from the costs of litigation.
But Marrero said there was nothing in the statute or the pertinent case law that supports using the act to serve "such a sanctuarial purpose." The judge said it made no difference that the "asserted harmful conduct relates to an exercise of First Amendment rights."
SETTLED DOCTRINE
Moreover, the judge said, it is settled doctrine that the "authority of federal courts to enjoin foreign lawsuits" involving litigants within their jurisdiction "should be used sparingly and granted only with care and restraint."
And even though Dow Jones considered the April 5 article as a "jocular response to Harrods' April Fool's prank," and the judge doubted whether there was any real injury caused by the Enron remark, he said it could not be "summarily declared" that the Harrods action must be dismissed as a matter of law "as frivolous and motivated by bad faith."
Jack M. Weiss of Los Angeles-based Gibson Dunn & Crutcher represented Dow Jones. Zachary Carter of Minneapolis-based Dorsey & Whitney represented Harrods.
©2002 Law.com
http://www.law.com
Illiterate reporting by WSVN channel 7 in Miami. Count the verbs in this story:
Monday, October 21, 2002
Local News
10/18/2002
Alonso's Furniture Confiscated
Printable version
E-mail this story to a friend
WEST MIAMI -- Police raiding the home of former Miami-Dade Commissioner, Miriam Alonso -- for the second time.
But this time, officers walking away with furniture instead of documents.
Police accusing Alonso of mishandling 130-thousand dollars in political donations -- confiscating the furniture they say was received as a kick-back.
Detectives say Elba Morales, the aid and confidant of Alonso was forced to purchase 15 thousand dollars worth of furniture for the alonso's.
A claim the former commissioner vigorously refutes.
Miriam Alonso, the Former Miami-Dade County Commissioner says, "It is my property it is my dining set. It was purchased in 1997. Two sofas in the family room. Frankly, I have not taken anything from anyone and what I want is the same opputunity. To defend myself and to have the same rights that everyone American citizen has."
Lawyers for alonso say the act was a simple measure to embarrass and humiliate the former commissioner.
Police now planning to tack on three more charges for unlawful compensation, money laundering and grand theft to Alonso's already stacked legal problems.
Monday, October 21, 2002
Local News
10/18/2002
Alonso's Furniture Confiscated
Printable version
E-mail this story to a friend
WEST MIAMI -- Police raiding the home of former Miami-Dade Commissioner, Miriam Alonso -- for the second time.
But this time, officers walking away with furniture instead of documents.
Police accusing Alonso of mishandling 130-thousand dollars in political donations -- confiscating the furniture they say was received as a kick-back.
Detectives say Elba Morales, the aid and confidant of Alonso was forced to purchase 15 thousand dollars worth of furniture for the alonso's.
A claim the former commissioner vigorously refutes.
Miriam Alonso, the Former Miami-Dade County Commissioner says, "It is my property it is my dining set. It was purchased in 1997. Two sofas in the family room. Frankly, I have not taken anything from anyone and what I want is the same opputunity. To defend myself and to have the same rights that everyone American citizen has."
Lawyers for alonso say the act was a simple measure to embarrass and humiliate the former commissioner.
Police now planning to tack on three more charges for unlawful compensation, money laundering and grand theft to Alonso's already stacked legal problems.
Wounded nation needs to cry, mourners told - smh.com.au
...
Within the Anglican Church of Australia, tensions are emerging over comments made by the Anglican Primate, Archbishop Peter Carnley, on Friday in Perth.
"Given the bombing of Afghanistan and the dispersal in disarray of al-Qaeda and Taliban forces, and Australia's high-profile support of President George Bush's stance in relation to a possible war on Iraq, it was surely only a matter of time before Australian lives were sacrificed in some form of retaliatory action," he said.
His suggestion that Australia's close links with the United States may have prompted the attack was rejected by the US Ambassador to Australia, Tom Schieffer.
Mr Schieffer said it was not a question of opting to be "on or off" the terrorists' list.
Terrorists struck for their own reasons and without warning, he said.
The Anglican Diocese in Sydney was also distancing itself from Dr Carnley's comment yesterday. The Bishop of South Sydney, Robert Forsyth, said the Primate was expressing a personal view.
"These are not the views of the Anglican Church and he does not speak for the Anglican Church in Australia," he said.
...
Within the Anglican Church of Australia, tensions are emerging over comments made by the Anglican Primate, Archbishop Peter Carnley, on Friday in Perth.
"Given the bombing of Afghanistan and the dispersal in disarray of al-Qaeda and Taliban forces, and Australia's high-profile support of President George Bush's stance in relation to a possible war on Iraq, it was surely only a matter of time before Australian lives were sacrificed in some form of retaliatory action," he said.
His suggestion that Australia's close links with the United States may have prompted the attack was rejected by the US Ambassador to Australia, Tom Schieffer.
Mr Schieffer said it was not a question of opting to be "on or off" the terrorists' list.
Terrorists struck for their own reasons and without warning, he said.
The Anglican Diocese in Sydney was also distancing itself from Dr Carnley's comment yesterday. The Bishop of South Sydney, Robert Forsyth, said the Primate was expressing a personal view.
"These are not the views of the Anglican Church and he does not speak for the Anglican Church in Australia," he said.
International eyes search for hidden jigsaw pieces
By Neil Mercer
October 21 2002
Federal agent Steven Hunt peers into the microscope trying to identify fingerprints. It's just one tiny, but perhaps critical, part of the jigsaw puzzle that is the biggest police investigation in Australian history.
Agent Hunt was one of about 17 investigators working yesterday morning in the Australian Federal Police command post. The post has been established in a Bali hotel.
In a rectangular room not much longer than a cricket pitch, laptops line the work areas while maps of Bali and photos of the bomb site are on the walls and boards.
At a long table in the centre of the room, other agents look at statements, discussing and analysing the growing mountain of information and intelligence.
Already, police have identified 450 Australians from whom they will have to take statements,
and that number is growing every day.
The Australian side of the joint investigative team now comprises 105 police and experts, 81 of whom are Australian. There are also four terrorism specialists from New Scotland Yard, three agents from the FBI and forensic experts who were involved in
the investigation of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States.
Others come from Japan, France, New Zealand and Germany.
The joint chief investigator, assistant commissioner Graham Ashton, has likened the massive crime scene to a jigsaw puzzle.
"Like with any jigsaw it will have a pattern to it and you want to find the next piece of the pattern," he said .
Yesterday, the members of the team, some in shorts and T-shirts, were busy trying to put it all together.
Net begins to close in on Indonesian extremists
By Matthew Moore, Herald Correspondent in Jakarta, and agencies
October 21 2002
Indonesian police yesterday announced the formal arrest of the Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, who is accused of terrorist activities, but said they had no plans to remove him from his hospital bed, where he has been since collapsing on Friday.
Police first detained Abu Bakar in hospital in the Central Java town of Solo for a 24-hour period from Saturday before announcing yesterday that they had tightened their legal hold on him. "At around noon we officially changed his status into a police detainee," said the national director of criminal investigations, Brigadier-General Aryanto Sutadi.
...
Singapore and Malaysia have accused Abu Bakar of being the spiritual leader of Jemaah Islamiah (JI), which wants to incorporate several Asian countries, including Indonesia, into a giant Islamic state.
The Immigration Minister, Philip Ruddock, yesterday confirmed Abu Bakar entered Australia "on a fairly significant number" of occasions during the 1990s, usually under an assumed identity. The Australian Government has said it believes JI is probably responsible for the Bali bombings, something Abu Bakar strenuously denies.
...
Abu Bakar's lawyer said police had told him they might extend his client's questioning. The move on Abu Bakar came after Western governments, including the United States, Australia and Japan last week increased their pressure on Indonesia to crack down on terrorism and find those responsible for the Bali bombings.
Indonesia's Defence Minister, Matori Abdul Djalil, said at the weekend that Abu Bakar was linked to al-Qaeda and that his right-hand man, known as Hambali, was behind many of the country's terrorist bombings.
...
Early on Saturday Indonesia's cabinet enacted a new anti-terrorism regulation giving police broad new powers to detain terrorism suspects without charge.
However, Abu Bakar's sudden illness may undermine attempts to quickly interrogate terrorism suspects identified by the senior al-Qaeda figure Omar al-Faruq.
Al-Faruq was interviewed last week by Indonesian police who said they were convinced by his allegations made first to the CIA in September that Abu Bakar played a key role in a series of church bombings that killed nearly 20 people in Christmas 2000 and was planning a car bomb attack on the US embassy in Jakarta for September 11.
There are also reports that al-Faruq told the CIA that money controlled by al-Qaeda's leader, Osama bin Laden, was used to buy explosives for the Bali attack.
Al-Faruq told the CIA that $US74,000 ($135,000) was transferred from bin Laden to JI.
Al-Faruq's claims add weight to those that the Bali bombings were part of al-Qaeda's worldwide campaign against the West.
People For the American Way The White House
The Bush administration has welcomed, encouraged, and participated in these right-wing campaigns. And Bush continues to make it clear that he has the interests of the Religious Right in mind, pledging to nominate judges in the mold of Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, and promising recently to appoint only "common sense judges who understand that our rights were derived from God."
The numbskulls who published this think it is a negative. It's a frigging endorsement! Praise the Lord.
The Bush administration has welcomed, encouraged, and participated in these right-wing campaigns. And Bush continues to make it clear that he has the interests of the Religious Right in mind, pledging to nominate judges in the mold of Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, and promising recently to appoint only "common sense judges who understand that our rights were derived from God."
The numbskulls who published this think it is a negative. It's a frigging endorsement! Praise the Lord.
Sunday, October 20, 2002
Arc of a diva
After two decades of Eurostardom, Kylie Minogue's brand of glossy retro-disco may finally conquer America. Good -- she's just what we need right now.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
By Charles Taylor
March 7, 2002 | I was in England during the Christmas season of 1987 when Kylie Minogue's first hit, a cutesy-poo version of Little Eva's "The Loco-Motion," became inescapable. I grumbled so predictably whenever it came over the radio or on "Top of the Pops" that the first few notes were enough to get my British then-girlfriend laughing at how much it irritated me.
So how, 15 years later, did I wind up standing in line at the Times Square Virgin Megastore, possibly the only straight man in the crowd, waiting for Minogue to autograph "Fever," her new CD? Although Kylie fizzled out in the U.S. after "The Loco-Motion" became a hit here, she went on to a huge career in Europe (30 million-plus records sold), first under the tutelage of Brit-pop schlockmeisters Stock, Aitken, Waterman and then, briefly, in a commercially disappointing fling with alternative rock. But apart from the occasional gossip column appearance, or a photo layout in some Euro lad-mag, in which she didn't look much like the perky teenager in cutoff sweats I remembered grinning her way through "The Loco-Motion," I had barely thought about her.
That is, until early last year, when a Welsh friend returned to New York from a Christmas visit home. My buddy, whose musical tastes overlap with mine, told me that several U.K. critics had listed the Minogue album "Light Years" on their year-end best-of lists. Since British music critics tend to be less embarrassed about the transitory pleasures of pop than their American counterparts (who seem more concerned about writing for the ages), I considered the possibility they might be onto something. But I didn't actually pick up "Light Years" until a couple of months later, after seeing Kylie as the Absinthe Fairy in "Moulin Rouge," a saucier version of that earlier movie sex fantasy, Walt Disney's Playboy Bunny-esque Tinker Bell. . . .
Amen to that. Kylie is God-sent.
After two decades of Eurostardom, Kylie Minogue's brand of glossy retro-disco may finally conquer America. Good -- she's just what we need right now.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
By Charles Taylor
March 7, 2002 | I was in England during the Christmas season of 1987 when Kylie Minogue's first hit, a cutesy-poo version of Little Eva's "The Loco-Motion," became inescapable. I grumbled so predictably whenever it came over the radio or on "Top of the Pops" that the first few notes were enough to get my British then-girlfriend laughing at how much it irritated me.
So how, 15 years later, did I wind up standing in line at the Times Square Virgin Megastore, possibly the only straight man in the crowd, waiting for Minogue to autograph "Fever," her new CD? Although Kylie fizzled out in the U.S. after "The Loco-Motion" became a hit here, she went on to a huge career in Europe (30 million-plus records sold), first under the tutelage of Brit-pop schlockmeisters Stock, Aitken, Waterman and then, briefly, in a commercially disappointing fling with alternative rock. But apart from the occasional gossip column appearance, or a photo layout in some Euro lad-mag, in which she didn't look much like the perky teenager in cutoff sweats I remembered grinning her way through "The Loco-Motion," I had barely thought about her.
That is, until early last year, when a Welsh friend returned to New York from a Christmas visit home. My buddy, whose musical tastes overlap with mine, told me that several U.K. critics had listed the Minogue album "Light Years" on their year-end best-of lists. Since British music critics tend to be less embarrassed about the transitory pleasures of pop than their American counterparts (who seem more concerned about writing for the ages), I considered the possibility they might be onto something. But I didn't actually pick up "Light Years" until a couple of months later, after seeing Kylie as the Absinthe Fairy in "Moulin Rouge," a saucier version of that earlier movie sex fantasy, Walt Disney's Playboy Bunny-esque Tinker Bell. . . .
Amen to that. Kylie is God-sent.
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Harassment Created Hostile Work Environment And Employer’s Investigation Was Inadequate (10/1/02)
8th Cir.
Evidence Was Sufficient To Prove Employer Retaliated Against Plaintiff For Exercising His ADA Rights And To Support Award Of Punitive Damages
TX Sup Ct
Harassment Created Hostile Work Environment And Employer’s Investigation Was Inadequate (10/1/02)
8th Cir.
Evidence Was Sufficient To Prove Employer Retaliated Against Plaintiff For Exercising His ADA Rights And To Support Award Of Punitive Damages
TX Sup Ct
Saturday, October 19, 2002
Left: Australian relatives of a bomb blast victim hug each other during the memorial service. Picture: AP
Right: Australian Prime Minister John Howard talks at the memorial service in Denpasar. Picture: AFP
Click to see more and
God bless Australia
Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong
Under the shade of a coolibah tree
And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled
You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me
Waltzing matilda, waltzing matilda You'll come a waltzing matilda with me And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me
Down came a jumbuck to dri-ink at that billabong
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee
And he sang as he stuffed that jumbuck in his tucker-bag
You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me
Waltzing matilda, waltzing matilda You'll come a waltzing matilda with me And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me
Up rode the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred
Up rode the troopers, one, two, three
"Where's that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker-bag?"
You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me
Waltzing matilda, waltzing matilda You'll come a waltzing matilda with me And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me
Up jumped the swagman and sprang into that billabong
"You'll never take me alive!", said he
And his ghost may be heard as you pa-ass by that billabong
You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me
Waltzing matilda, waltzing matilda You'll come a waltzing matilda with me And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me
Kylie's Place Congratulations, Kylie ! for winning 5 Australian Music Industry ARIA Awards.
-best pop release, Fever
-best single, CGYOOMH
-highest selling album, Fever
-highest selling single, CGYOOMH
-outstanding achievement award, most successful solo artist in Australian music history.
She's the "Singing Budgie" with "no voice", "no talent" and "no class". Yes that's the same one.
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Friday, October 18, 2002
THERE’S BEEN A RECENT retread of the weblogging phenomenon following a few articles at PC Mag, Time, and The Morning News. After posting my own short list of things that ought to be banned from weblogs, I realized that a list of things to be encouraged would be more useful. Some people are new to weblogging. Others want to raise the bar. In the end, everybody wants better sites, and some of these suggestions might help.
The bulk of this advice focuses on writing, which is generally at the heart of weblogs. All of them are obvious yet often ignored, to the detriment of both the readers and the writers. They’re aimed at people trying to improve the general appeal of their weblogs, but folks writing privately for friends and family might also find them useful. We’ll begin with an example.
Professional vs
The bulk of this advice focuses on writing, which is generally at the heart of weblogs. All of them are obvious yet often ignored, to the detriment of both the readers and the writers. They’re aimed at people trying to improve the general appeal of their weblogs, but folks writing privately for friends and family might also find them useful. We’ll begin with an example.
Professional vs
Wednesday, October 16, 2002
World eBusiness Law Report - Copyright Gator ordered to stop popping up
A US federal court has issued a preliminary injunction in WashingtonPost Newsweek Interactive Co LLC v The Gator Corporation (Civil Action 02-909-A, ED Va July 15 2002) barring software company Gator from causing its controversial pop-up advertisements to be displayed on users' screens while they are viewing the websites of the plaintiff publishers. The order, if it stands, will threaten the business model of Gator and other internet advertising services that use similar software implanted on a user's computer to deliver unauthorized ads.
A US federal court has issued a preliminary injunction in WashingtonPost Newsweek Interactive Co LLC v The Gator Corporation (Civil Action 02-909-A, ED Va July 15 2002) barring software company Gator from causing its controversial pop-up advertisements to be displayed on users' screens while they are viewing the websites of the plaintiff publishers. The order, if it stands, will threaten the business model of Gator and other internet advertising services that use similar software implanted on a user's computer to deliver unauthorized ads.
VeriSign loses another 'domain slamming' suit
VeriSign, a leading domain name registrar, has lost a fourth lawsuit over its aggressive customer acquisition campaign. The campaign involved the mailing of a controversial "domain name expiration notice" to competitors' customers, encouraging them to switch to VeriSign.
The plaintiff, Go Daddy Software Inc, filed its 'domain slamming' lawsuit in an Arizona federal court, alleging consumer fraud, deceptive advertising and misappropriation of trade secrets. The court ordered VeriSign to discontinue the marketing campaign, enjoining VeriSign from sending the notices to, specifically, Go Daddy's customers and, more broadly, any other competitors' customers.
The Go Daddy suit comes on the heels of previous actions filed by BulkRegister, the California Consumer Action Network and a class action on behalf of all consumers making similar claims against VeriSign. BulkRegister won a preliminary injunction in a Maryland federal court (see VeriSign enjoined from 'domain slamming'). Christine Jones, Go Daddy's general counsel, is reported as saying that VeriSign interpreted the preliminary injunction to apply narrowly to only BulkRegister's customers.
Three years ago, VeriSign held 100% of the '.com', '.net' and '.org' (CNO) market, but this was down to 38% in April 2002 according to SnapNames.com, which tracks the industry. In the meantime, Go Daddy has risen from 47th place to sixth place in the past 18 months, largely due to its heavy discounting. BulkRegister, which places fifth in the CNO rankings, claims it was shocked to learn that VeriSign was continuing to mail the notices.
VeriSign's aggressive marketing tactics are not without risk. Despite its brand name advantage (possibly jeopardized by this negative publicity), VeriSign appears to be pursuing a high-risk strategy to avoid a flat-out price war with its lower-priced competitors.
Douglas Wood and Linda Goldstein, Hall Dickler Kent Goldstein & Wood LLP, New York
VeriSign, a leading domain name registrar, has lost a fourth lawsuit over its aggressive customer acquisition campaign. The campaign involved the mailing of a controversial "domain name expiration notice" to competitors' customers, encouraging them to switch to VeriSign.
The plaintiff, Go Daddy Software Inc, filed its 'domain slamming' lawsuit in an Arizona federal court, alleging consumer fraud, deceptive advertising and misappropriation of trade secrets. The court ordered VeriSign to discontinue the marketing campaign, enjoining VeriSign from sending the notices to, specifically, Go Daddy's customers and, more broadly, any other competitors' customers.
The Go Daddy suit comes on the heels of previous actions filed by BulkRegister, the California Consumer Action Network and a class action on behalf of all consumers making similar claims against VeriSign. BulkRegister won a preliminary injunction in a Maryland federal court (see VeriSign enjoined from 'domain slamming'). Christine Jones, Go Daddy's general counsel, is reported as saying that VeriSign interpreted the preliminary injunction to apply narrowly to only BulkRegister's customers.
Three years ago, VeriSign held 100% of the '.com', '.net' and '.org' (CNO) market, but this was down to 38% in April 2002 according to SnapNames.com, which tracks the industry. In the meantime, Go Daddy has risen from 47th place to sixth place in the past 18 months, largely due to its heavy discounting. BulkRegister, which places fifth in the CNO rankings, claims it was shocked to learn that VeriSign was continuing to mail the notices.
VeriSign's aggressive marketing tactics are not without risk. Despite its brand name advantage (possibly jeopardized by this negative publicity), VeriSign appears to be pursuing a high-risk strategy to avoid a flat-out price war with its lower-priced competitors.
Douglas Wood and Linda Goldstein, Hall Dickler Kent Goldstein & Wood LLP, New York
Tuesday, October 15, 2002
Some words of Steven Wright
"I woke up one morning, and all of my stuff had been stolen...
and replaced by exact duplicates."
Here are some more of his gems:
I'd kill for a Nobel Peace Prize.
Borrow money from pessimists -- they don't expect it back.
Half the people you know are below average.
99% of lawyers give the rest a bad name.
42.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot.
A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so
good.
A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.
All those who believe in psychokinesis, raise my hand.
The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the
cheese. (Think about it some more.)
OK, so what's the speed of dark?
How do you tell when you're out of invisible ink?
If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked
something.
Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.
When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
Ambition is a poor excuse for not having enough sense to be
lazy.
Hard work pays off in the future; laziness pays off now.
I intend to live forever.....So far, so good.
If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet
engines.
What happens if you get scared half to death twice?
My mechanic told me, "I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made
your horn louder."
Why do psychics have to ask you for your name?
If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.
A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking.
Experience is something you don't get until just after you
need it.
The hardness of the butter is proportional to the softness of
the bread.
To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from
many is research.
The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard.
The sooner you fall behind, the more time you'll have to
catch up.
The colder the x-ray table, the more of your body is required
to be on it.
Everyone has a photographic memory; some just don't have
film.
"I woke up one morning, and all of my stuff had been stolen...
and replaced by exact duplicates."
Here are some more of his gems:
I'd kill for a Nobel Peace Prize.
Borrow money from pessimists -- they don't expect it back.
Half the people you know are below average.
99% of lawyers give the rest a bad name.
42.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot.
A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so
good.
A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.
All those who believe in psychokinesis, raise my hand.
The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the
cheese. (Think about it some more.)
OK, so what's the speed of dark?
How do you tell when you're out of invisible ink?
If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked
something.
Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.
When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
Ambition is a poor excuse for not having enough sense to be
lazy.
Hard work pays off in the future; laziness pays off now.
I intend to live forever.....So far, so good.
If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet
engines.
What happens if you get scared half to death twice?
My mechanic told me, "I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made
your horn louder."
Why do psychics have to ask you for your name?
If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.
A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking.
Experience is something you don't get until just after you
need it.
The hardness of the butter is proportional to the softness of
the bread.
To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from
many is research.
The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard.
The sooner you fall behind, the more time you'll have to
catch up.
The colder the x-ray table, the more of your body is required
to be on it.
Everyone has a photographic memory; some just don't have
film.
Monday, October 14, 2002
BEST QUOTES [we do not vouch for these]
1) "Women might be able to fake orgasms. But men can
fake whole relationships." (Sharon Stone)
2) "Clinton lied. A man might forget where he parks
or where he lives, but he never forgets oral sex, no
matter how bad it is." (Barbara Bush)-
3) "Ah, yes, divorce..., from the Latin word
meaning to rip out a man's genitals through his
wallet. " (Robin Williams)
4) "Women need a reason to have sex. Men just need
a place. " (Billy Crystal)
5) "Instead of getting married again, I'm going to
find a woman I don't like and just give her a house"
(Rod Stewart)
6) "Hockey is a sport for white men. Basketball is
a sport for black men. Golf is a sport for white men
dressed like black pimps." (Tiger Woods)
7) " Women complain about premenstrual syndrome,
but I think of it as the only time of the month that
I can be myself. " (Roseanne)
8) "According to a new survey, women say they
feel more comfortable undressing in front of men
than they do undressing in front of other women.
They say that women are too judgmental, whereas, of
course, men are just grateful. " (Robert De Niro)
9) AND THE NUMBER ONE QUOTE IS: " See, the problem
is that God gives men a brain and a penis, and there is only
enough blood to run one at a time. "(Robin Williams)
GoodQuotes.com - Funny and Inspirational Quotes
Murphy's Laws
Nothing is as easy as it looks.
To succeed in politics, it is often necessary to rise above your principles.
Nature always sides with the hidden flaw.
Success always occurs in private, and failure in full view.
Two wrongs are only the beginning.
If you perceive that there are four possible ways in which a procedure can go wrong, and circumvent these, then a fifth way, unprepared for, will promptly develop.
Nothing is as easy as it looks.
Every solution breeds new problems..
If there is a worse time for something to go wrong, it will happen then..
If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.
Exceptions prove the rule ... and wreck the budget.
Whenever you set out to do something, something else must be done first.
It is impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious.
If there is a possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the one to go wrong.
Left to themselves, things tend to go from bad to worse.
Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
Trust everybody ... then cut the cards.
Whenever you set out to do something, something else must be done first.
Everything takes longer than you think..
Two wrongs are only the beginning.
Murphy's Laws
Nothing is as easy as it looks.
To succeed in politics, it is often necessary to rise above your principles.
Nature always sides with the hidden flaw.
Success always occurs in private, and failure in full view.
Two wrongs are only the beginning.
If you perceive that there are four possible ways in which a procedure can go wrong, and circumvent these, then a fifth way, unprepared for, will promptly develop.
Nothing is as easy as it looks.
Every solution breeds new problems..
If there is a worse time for something to go wrong, it will happen then..
If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.
Exceptions prove the rule ... and wreck the budget.
Whenever you set out to do something, something else must be done first.
It is impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious.
If there is a possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the one to go wrong.
Left to themselves, things tend to go from bad to worse.
Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
Trust everybody ... then cut the cards.
Whenever you set out to do something, something else must be done first.
Everything takes longer than you think..
Two wrongs are only the beginning.
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