BBC:
Weblog entries on some parts of Microsoft’s MSN site in China using words such as “freedom”, “democracy” and “demonstration” are being blocked.
Chinese bloggers already face strict controls and must register their online journal with Chinese authorities.
Microsoft said the company abided by the laws, regulations and norms of each country in which it operates.
Rebecca MacKinnon has more
Former Democratic VP Nominee John Edwards spoke to a number of David Obey’s supports at a Wausau Fund Raiser Sunday. WisPolitics’ J.S. Decker has more.
Kristof posts a moving story from Addis Ababa. Check out the photos & video.
Some fabulous video clips in the BBC Motion Gallery.
“Colorado’s Flying Dog Ales is making a tribute beer to Hunter S. Thompson. Ralph Steadman, who did the artwork for Hunter’s books, is designing a unique four pack case for this limited edition brew. They are also going to donate some of the profits towards the giant Gonzo fist to be built in Aspen.” via Cory Doctorow
I’ve already written about what a bad idea trusted traveler programs are. The basic security intuition is that when you create two paths through security — an easy path and a hard path — you invite the bad guys to take the easy path. So the security of the sort process must make up for the security lost in the sorting. Trusted traveler fails this test; there are so many ways for the terrorists to get trusted traveler cards that the system makes it too easy for them to avoid the hard path through security.
Ernest Miller on Apple & Microsoft DRM (Digital Restrictions Management) Lock-in:
Look at it from Microsoft’s point of view. Every song you purchase from iTunes with Apple’s proprietary, DMCA-protected DRM is one more bit of lock-in to Apple. When you’ve got a hundred or two hundred or more of your favorite (let’s face it, you buy your favorites first) songs in iTunes format, you’ve got some significant lock-in in the form of very high switching costs. Just the way Steve Jobs likes it.
And that lock-in is growing at a rate of millions of songs every month.
Very useful post, Ernie!
Brian Bull on GM Janesville’s prospects in light of recent statements by CEO Rick Wagner that additional plants would be closed.
Lynnley Browning sort of misses the point of Presidio’s lawsuit against the US Government. Browning focuses on the personalities, rather than the larger constitutional question.
Presidio’s suit is an attempt to test how the tax code’s ambiguities and complexity stand up in a federal court.
It’s easy to find zero sympathy for the wealthy, however, recent tax law changes, including large corporate giveaways supported by our “populist” US Senators Russ Feingold and Herb Kohl demonstrate the problems (and opportunities) that our tax law spaghetti creates.
Growing tax code complexity simply means more opportunities for the wealthy and growing hassle for the rest of us….. Disclosure: One of Presidio’s principals is a good friend of mine.
UPDATE: Andrew Ross Sorkin takes an interesting look at a Wall Street case that NY Attorney General Eliot Spitzer lost. Sorkin digs up quite a quote from a juror:
The jury was split 11 to 1 – with all but one juror prepared to acquit Mr. Sihpol of all charges. The lone juror told reporters that she was convinced of Mr. Sihpol’s guilt because she just could not believe the government would bring a case if there wasn’t something to it.
Having said all that, if Presidio did break the law, then they will deal with the consequences. It’s difficult for me, a laymen, to understand all the nuances of our tax system. Time to start over, I think.
US Senators Russ Feingold and John Sununu introduced a bill requiring federal agencies to report to Congress on data-mining programs they are developing or using. Ironic, given that our Senator Feingold voted for the National ID Act which will create a juicy data mining target….