7. mars 2003

DMCA under fire from unexpected quarters Lexmark is suing Static Control, a company that makes printer toner cartridges for Lexmark printers, because the cartridge contains a chip that Static Control had to reverse engineer. Ergo, says Lexmark, they violated the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, widely recognised as the most draconian copyright laws in the known universe. Makers of auto parts and accessories are watching scared, as they realised that it is chips in anything these days, and an adverse verdict in this case may declare the whole industry of third-party car accessories illegal. The DMCA is not only finding new sue-happy friends, it is also facing new enemies as a large number of unexpected side effects stifles competition in large industries. 9:14:29 PM    comment []

More on Iraq I heard the oral reports by Hans Blix and Mohammed ElBaradei to the Security Council today, and read a number of news analysis. The best short "highlights" summary I found in the New York Times, A new initiative by the UK is in the works to give Iraq ten days - until March 17 - to show "full, unconditional, immediate and active" co-operation with arms inspectors. However, France refuses any resolution that authorises "automatic use of force," that is, they will not allow Bush to be the judge, jury and executioner on whether Iraq is complying. That is the key problem, and the new resolution text is unlikely to address that issue. 8:25:14 PM    comment []

Blix throws bones to both sides Dr Hans Blix, chief UN weapons inspector, gave a balanced report to the Security Council, giving both sides sound bites to use to justify entrenched positions. On one hand, he did, as expected, state that the Iraqi cooperation is gradually improving. He also said that it would take months, not years, and not weeks, to solve the remaining issues. On the other hand, Blix was clear that the Iraqi cooperation was not "immediate compliance" as required by resolution 1441. This is likely to be the last report by Dr Blix on Iraqi disarmament, considering the statements given by George Bush earlier that he would require immediate voting over a new Security Council resolution in effect authorising force, as drafted by a group consisting of the US, the UK and Spain. 5:51:19 PM    comment []

Women more rarely go bankrupt A study of small businesses in two counties of Norway reveals that women-lead businesses are more successful in avoiding bankrupcy. Figures from Creditreform shows that among about 2000 single-person businesses started by women between 1998 and 2001, only 16 went bust. Among 6000 similar businesses started by men, 207 suffered this fate. Sigrun Vågeng, a director with the Norwegian employer organisation NHO, suggests that women bring their natural caution and soberness into the business life. On the flip side, this means women may well be too cautious sometimes, as any business plan includes an amount of risk. (from a Norwegian article by NRK) 5:34:50 PM    comment []

Simple question When the Iraqi scientists wanted to keep tape records (or have witnesses present) when they were interviewed by the arms inspectors, is this not pretty solid evidence that the scientists have information that the Iraqi government would not like them to talk about? 5:11:27 PM    comment []

Finnish cross country athlete used drugs, again An unnamed Finnish female cross country skier who participated in the World Cup in Val di Fiemme earlier this year has been busted using an illegal performance-improving drug. Finland's national cross country team was virtually decimated during their homeground World Cup two years ago when a significant number of their athletes, including champion Mika Myllylä, were exposed as frauds. Since then, they have taken great pains to rebuild the public's confidence in the young team. This is such a massive blow to the ski nation that Seppo Rehunen, the president of the Finnish ski association, has decised to shut down the team temporarily. The athlete's name will be made public when the b-test is ready. Speculations will probably weed her out before then. (from a Norwegian article in Aftenposten) 2:37:01 PM    comment []

Muslim cleric jailed for inciting hatred Sheik Abdullah el-Faisal, a Muslim cleric of Jamaican descent, has been sentenced to nine years in jail by a British court for soliciting murder and stirring up racial hatred. The court also recommended he be deported after serving his time. El-Faisal (picture) had recorded a number of his speeches for sale, and a number of these were used as evidence against him. He made frequent incitement for Muslims to kill Jews, Hindus and unbelievers generally. In one tape he can be heard saying the following: "So you go to India and if you see a Hindu walking down the road you are allowed to kill him and take his money, is that clear?" There are also frequent instances where he encourages followers to arm themselves, including chemical, biological and nuclear weapons, to kill infidels. El-Faisal has claimed that his words were misinterpreted and that he quoted the Koran. The jury did not believe hiim. This is the first time in Britain anybody is convicted for soliciting murder on unspecific individuals. 1:27:12 PM    comment []

Burst likes me! The Daypop Burst feauture must just like Secular Blasphemy. Right now my blog features as an example for the words at #1 (crossgates guilderland) and #4 (haifa) I have earlier said that the algorithms seem to need some tweaking. I have changed my mind. Please leave them exactly as they are! 11:42:43 AM    comment []

The most significant sf/fantasy books I don't have much to argue with in the Science Fiction Book Club's list of The Most Significant SF & Fantasy Books of the Last 50 Years, 1953-2002. The pretty undisputed #1 goes to Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, and the #2 spot goes to Asimov's Foundation trilogy. These books are very special to me. Actually, I borrowed both of these series, three books of each, at the library when I was fourteen, and read them. The worlds that opened up in both series pretty much blew me away. Since then I have read both series many, many times, and everything else I can get my hands on by both authors. The ranking is perhaps a bit unimaginative and catholic; there are few surprises in the top at least, but I think that is because which books are the most significant is really pretty much settled. 10:42:30 AM    comment []

The Talibanisation of the USA When the Bush administration erodes the wall between state and church, they borrow the script from the very enemies of western liberties, argues Roger Ebert. When Ashcroft pleads to defend the phrase "under God" in the pledge, he violates his very function as a defender of the constitution. Ashcroft said after the 9th circuit court's ruling to ban the "under God" phrase, that his Justice Dept "spare no effort to preserve the rights of all our citizens to pledge allegiance to the American flag." No doubt that is popular in a country where evangelical Christian feelings are deep. But Ashcroft flat out lied when he said this was about allegience to the flag. Ebert makes a useful distinction between vertical and horizontal prayer. Vertical prayer is, he says, a private prayer between human and God. Horizontal prayer is really not intended as communication with God, but as preaching to fellow-men. This conflict is about horizontal prayer: state mandated preaching hidden under a guise of piety. Suppressing an "amen," I have only one comment to add to Ebert's article, a quotation from a source Ashcroft and Bush claim to take very seriously:  "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full." (Matthew 6:5) 10:06:56 AM    comment []

Bush the bully Fred Kaplan in Slate, who, like me, thinks there is a convincing case for war against Iraq, nevertheless thinks that Bush has botchered the case completely. What's particularly disturbing about these failures is not so much their legal implications as their political and diplomatic ones. If the administration lacks the acumen or persuasive power to deal with such familiar institutions as the U.N. Security Council or the established governments of France, Germany, Turkey, Russia, China—even Canada—then how is it going to handle Iraq's feuding opposition groups, Kurdish separatists, and myriad ethno-religious factions, to say nothing of the turbulence throughout the region? Bush's simplistic world-view and total arrogance is threatening to undermine the whole fabric of international alliances that has been built up over decades. This is a far more serious problem in the long term than the upcoming war in Iraq. 8:48:47 AM    comment []

Bush gives ultimatum to the world President Bush is sick and tired of the arms inspections and the growing peace movement keeping countries vaccilating. Now he says the US will put a new resolution text on the table, and all countries can "put their cards on the table." It is "with us or against us" time. Does the French and Russians really have the stomach to stand up to the economic and political might of the United States? Whatever the Security Council decides, Bush has made it very clear that the US and an "alliance of the willing" will go to war against Iraq. This is just the latest example of the totally inept diplomacy of the Bush administration. I am of the opinion that there is a good case to be made for a military solution to the Iraq question. Yet, it is becoming increasingly difficult even for friends of the United States to accept the hostile and simplistic rhetoric of President Bush. He has succeeded in alienating almost every nation on earth, even those who were initially very sympathetic to the US counter-terrorism war. 8:02:06 AM    comment []

Robbery, Swedish style A Swedish man completed his armed robbery of a Stockholm tobacconist Thursday by shooting himself in the leg on the way out the door. He was found bleeding nearby shortly afterwards and brought to hospital. (from a Norwegian article in VG) 7:04:46 AM    comment []

Blazing net speed: I want that! Scientists have set a smashing new record for data transfer over the Internet, transferring 6.7 Gigabytes of data in less than a minute from the US to Holland, at an average speed of 923 megabits per second. No, alas, this does not mean that the backbone of the Internet for-you-and-me is seriously beefed up. This was, strictly speaking, not Internet but Internet2, which currrently is only linking together around 200 acedemic institutions, kind of like our Internet until around 1990. But it is a message about things to come. Don't hold your breath, though. 6:36:30 AM    comment []

Is evolution a religion? Creationists, Christian fundamentalists, often claim that evolutionary biology is part of an atheist religion, that comes with its own set of values (or, as they would argue, lack thereof) and that teaching evolution to children will promote atheism and all kind of horrors at the expense of Christianity. Contrary to these claims, there is really not much in the history of life or the mechanisms of evolution that promotes certain values or morals. But interestingly, it is not only opponents of evolution who has considered it a form of pseudo-religion. Michael Ruse gives an interesting overview in his essay in Science magazine (PDF format), showing how evolutionists, too, have used the facts of biology to promote political reform, social change and environmental awareness. 6:23:47 AM    comment []

Heavy metal fans prisoned A court in Casablanca in Marocco has sentenced 14 heavy metal fans to prison sentences ranging from a month to a year, following newspaper accusations that the accused were "Satanists" and that the recruited for an international devil-worshipping movement. The 14 men were found guilty of "possessing objects which infringe morals" and of "acts capable of undermining the faith of a Muslim." Nine of the sentenced are members of three Maroccan heavy metal bands: Nekros, Infected Brain and Reborn. Marocco does not have Muslim shariah law, but its penal code still makes it a crime to try to convert a Muslim to another faith. Many secularised muslims worry about a backlash as Islamists rise to power. On the other hand, western countries have had their range of insane media panics related to heavy metal bands and alleged Satanic conspiracies. 6:01:48 AM    comment []

© Copyright 2003 Jan Haugland. Last update: 01.04.2003; 01:32:54.