I honestly don't understand this vote, but I would like to. The GAO reports that armored humvees have not been produced at full capacity. Bayh & Kennedy sponsor an ammendment to the Iraq appropriations bill for extra $$ to maximize their productions, which passes in a 60-40 vote.
Seriously, what is the story with the senators (39 Republicans) who voted against it?
Thursday, April 28, 2005
High Tech Copyright Infringement
President Bush signed a bill into law (interestingly, with no public signing ceremony) that allows a specific software company to "edit" movies by skipping sections of a DVD that they deem to contain objectionable material. It is unquestionably a huge victory for one company, Clearplay, based it Utah (Thanks, Orrin!) that sells this add-on service to your DVD player at $5/month. The movie studios believe that a 3rd party has no right to edit/alter their copyrighted work without permission.
I don't understand why can't there be a free market solution to this problem that doesn't infringe on the copyright of the artist. Movies are willingly altered all the time, to be shown on airplanes and broadcast TV. Of course, if the producers choose not to do this, that should also be their right.
No doubt this will end up playing out in the courts. The Clearplay technology may technically not violate existing copyright statues, since it doesn't physically alter the media itself, but that's only because the law hasn't caught up. And it is true that the content owners don't lose any money, since the original product must be used. However, the copyrights protect more than income, it protects the rights of artistic presentation. I don't see how Clearplay can argue that their product has any purpose other than to alter the original work for their own profit. There is no "fair use" argument.
I also think it's bad politics to legislate the business model of one specific company. If this kind of thing becomes commonplace, the influence of money and political connections may just start to have an impact on what laws end up being passed. That could lead to a corrupting influence on our elected representatives.
I don't understand why can't there be a free market solution to this problem that doesn't infringe on the copyright of the artist. Movies are willingly altered all the time, to be shown on airplanes and broadcast TV. Of course, if the producers choose not to do this, that should also be their right.
No doubt this will end up playing out in the courts. The Clearplay technology may technically not violate existing copyright statues, since it doesn't physically alter the media itself, but that's only because the law hasn't caught up. And it is true that the content owners don't lose any money, since the original product must be used. However, the copyrights protect more than income, it protects the rights of artistic presentation. I don't see how Clearplay can argue that their product has any purpose other than to alter the original work for their own profit. There is no "fair use" argument.
I also think it's bad politics to legislate the business model of one specific company. If this kind of thing becomes commonplace, the influence of money and political connections may just start to have an impact on what laws end up being passed. That could lead to a corrupting influence on our elected representatives.
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
No One Can Prove I Can't Fly
Interesting comments from anti-skeptics about the Two Percent Company's recent fine piece on the claims/ravings of self-proclaimed psychic/medium Allison Dubois. Some are upset that they were unable to completely prove that everything she said is untrue.
No one can prove that I am unable to magically elevate off the ground and fly away, either. My claim is no less valid (or likely to be true, given the impressive lack of evidence of either) than Ms. Dubois'.
No one can prove that I am unable to magically elevate off the ground and fly away, either. My claim is no less valid (or likely to be true, given the impressive lack of evidence of either) than Ms. Dubois'.
More Senseless Administration Secrecy
U.S. Figures Show Sharp Global Rise In Terrorism
"The State Department announced last week that it was breaking with tradition in withholding the statistics on terrorist attacks from its congressionally mandated annual report."
It's hard to conceive how not reporting the statistics is helpful to any claim of success, or even denial of blame for failure.
"The State Department announced last week that it was breaking with tradition in withholding the statistics on terrorist attacks from its congressionally mandated annual report."
It's hard to conceive how not reporting the statistics is helpful to any claim of success, or even denial of blame for failure.
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Lies, Damn Lies, and the Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal ran an editorial with statistics purported to show that the wealthiest americans are paying a larger share of the tax burden then they did 20 years ago. (There is no free link, but excerpts of it are here.) For example, the chart shows that the top .1% paid 5% of all taxes in 1979, and 11% in 1999.
Sounds pretty cut and dried, right? Well, except for a few pesky facts that they left out. During that same period while their percentage of the tax burden more than doubled from 5% to 11%, their percentage of the total income more than tripled, from 3% to 9%! When you make most of the money, you pay most of the taxes. As the gap between the wealthiest and the average american has grown, the tax burden has in fact clearly become more regressive. A more eloquent breakdown is here and here.
Who's betting the Journal will bother to correct their glaring (and frankly embarrassing) omission?
Sounds pretty cut and dried, right? Well, except for a few pesky facts that they left out. During that same period while their percentage of the tax burden more than doubled from 5% to 11%, their percentage of the total income more than tripled, from 3% to 9%! When you make most of the money, you pay most of the taxes. As the gap between the wealthiest and the average american has grown, the tax burden has in fact clearly become more regressive. A more eloquent breakdown is here and here.
Who's betting the Journal will bother to correct their glaring (and frankly embarrassing) omission?
Thursday, April 21, 2005
More GOP hypocrisy
Who can it be?!?
"The time has come that the American people know exactly what their Representatives are doing here in Washington. Are they feeding at the public trough, taking lobbyist-paid vacations, getting wined and dined by special interest groups? Or are they working hard to represent their constituents? The people, the American people, have a right to know...I say the best disinfectant is full disclosure, not isolation."
U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, 11/16/95
"The time has come that the American people know exactly what their Representatives are doing here in Washington. Are they feeding at the public trough, taking lobbyist-paid vacations, getting wined and dined by special interest groups? Or are they working hard to represent their constituents? The people, the American people, have a right to know...I say the best disinfectant is full disclosure, not isolation."
U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, 11/16/95
About this blog (and me)
Just to clarify a few things here, I am absolutely not interested in perpetuating any democratic/liberal orthodoxy. As I read my site, I noticed a rail against the Ann Coulter article, and a filibuster snippet cut from dailykos. Both are worthy of note, and things that I think are important, but one might get the impression from that small sample that I am a 100% leftist demagogue, which is not the case.
Here are a few things I'm not against:
John Bolton - He may be an ass, but he's the president's ass. I'll take the Russ Feingold view here.
Two-Sided Ethics Investigations - I think that there is plenty to dig into with the Delay/Abramoff travel, but I also suspect that such practices are rampant on both sides of the aisle. If there are similar tales about Reid & Pelosi as I've heard suggested, then I want to hear them and see them on the front page.
Lawrence Summers - Those who wanted this guy out would seek to destroy academic freedom and inquiry. Can you really be a bad guy for asking a question?
Iraq Optimism - I may have been against the war, but we still need to do everything we can to make this work. There is a decent opportunity to genuinely remake this part of the world, and if it is successful it will be a huge victory, and a vast legacy for George W. Bush.
I will continue to post about government for and by the rich power interests, other abuses of power, religion influencing politics, rejection of rational analysis and science, and other topics. Undoubtedly many of these positions will be against the republican power structure, but that's how things are when one party has dominant control. I'll be more than happy to criticize democrats anytime that they are in a position to say and do things that I think hurts the country.
-dave
Here are a few things I'm not against:
John Bolton - He may be an ass, but he's the president's ass. I'll take the Russ Feingold view here.
Two-Sided Ethics Investigations - I think that there is plenty to dig into with the Delay/Abramoff travel, but I also suspect that such practices are rampant on both sides of the aisle. If there are similar tales about Reid & Pelosi as I've heard suggested, then I want to hear them and see them on the front page.
Lawrence Summers - Those who wanted this guy out would seek to destroy academic freedom and inquiry. Can you really be a bad guy for asking a question?
Iraq Optimism - I may have been against the war, but we still need to do everything we can to make this work. There is a decent opportunity to genuinely remake this part of the world, and if it is successful it will be a huge victory, and a vast legacy for George W. Bush.
I will continue to post about government for and by the rich power interests, other abuses of power, religion influencing politics, rejection of rational analysis and science, and other topics. Undoubtedly many of these positions will be against the republican power structure, but that's how things are when one party has dominant control. I'll be more than happy to criticize democrats anytime that they are in a position to say and do things that I think hurts the country.
-dave
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Embarrassing
..that this kind of thing passes for journalism. Per usual, the howler has the best breakdown and analysis.
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
GOP Filibuster Hypocrisy
Senator Smith (R-NH) onthe floor of the senate, 3/7/2000:
"That is my advise and consent role, and I intend to exercise it. I don't appreciate being told that somehow I am violating the Constitution of the United States."
Senator Frist voted with him.
Via dailykos.
"That is my advise and consent role, and I intend to exercise it. I don't appreciate being told that somehow I am violating the Constitution of the United States."
Senator Frist voted with him.
Via dailykos.
Sunday, April 17, 2005
The Scalia Dustup
There is an interesting point to consider from a recent Antonin Scalia talk at NYU, where he was assailed by a student on the judges dissent in Lawrence. The student asked the Scalia - "Do you sodomize your wife?". Scalia's reply was "the question is unworthy of an answer".
Scalia does not believe there is a constitutional right to privacy, and therefore the government has a legitimate authority to legislate consentual adult sexual behavior. Therefore, I humbly suggest that this same question should be asked in an appropriate forum - in every senate judicial nomination hearing where the nominee does not believe in such a right.
(notes cribbed from The Two Percent Company.)
Scalia does not believe there is a constitutional right to privacy, and therefore the government has a legitimate authority to legislate consentual adult sexual behavior. Therefore, I humbly suggest that this same question should be asked in an appropriate forum - in every senate judicial nomination hearing where the nominee does not believe in such a right.
(notes cribbed from The Two Percent Company.)
Friday, April 15, 2005
More Bankruptcy
By the way, I'm certainly in favor of reasonable measures to reduce backruptcy fraud, such as the disallowing of excessive excemptions available only to the wealthy. For example, the exemption for assets placed in an Asset Protection Trust, or the unlimited homestead exceptions like they have in Texas and Florida, where your "primary residence" can't be taking from you if you declare bankrupcy, even if it is a $25 million dollar home.
But of course, both those loopholes remain untouched in this law. No, no, the corporate overlords behind this monsterous bill wouldn't go for anything that might prevent them from avoiding paying their bills.
But of course, both those loopholes remain untouched in this law. No, no, the corporate overlords behind this monsterous bill wouldn't go for anything that might prevent them from avoiding paying their bills.
Thursday, April 14, 2005
Bankruptcy Bill
The bill who's only constituency is the lobbyists for the banking and credit card industry passed today. Republicans bravely voted down amendments that would have exempted families who can't pay their bills because they've been called up to military service, families with catastrophic medical bills, people who've been the victims of fraud, and many other varieties of deadbeats.
Today's news story quotes David Drier of California claiming that this law will save the average family $400/yr in reduced fees and interest due to the credit card companies having to carry all this bad debt. I'll be keeping my eye out for the notice that my fees and interest rates are going down, as the credit card companies pass the savings on to me. And waiting, and waiting....
Today's news story quotes David Drier of California claiming that this law will save the average family $400/yr in reduced fees and interest due to the credit card companies having to carry all this bad debt. I'll be keeping my eye out for the notice that my fees and interest rates are going down, as the credit card companies pass the savings on to me. And waiting, and waiting....
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Alternative Medicine
A simple, yet astute post from the always worthwhile Skeptico, on so-called "alternative" medicine.
Alive?
I'm thinking about reviving this blog. Perhaps I'll have something to say of interest to you. Perhaps not. Perhaps I'll get bored in a month and go on a three year hiatus. Life is a mystery.
I'm going to be experimenting with blog titles until I find one I like. At this moment, I'm fond of the trans-Wisconsin Yogurt Pipeline.
I'm going to be experimenting with blog titles until I find one I like. At this moment, I'm fond of the trans-Wisconsin Yogurt Pipeline.
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