good day for Obama

Congrats Mr. President.

Globe and Mail – Obama finding a way through the legislative ‘gridlock’

Though most of the positive press features DADT, I’m far happier about the New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty). A symbolic event, perhaps.

But if it ever comes to nuclear war, we need Russia and USA to stand together against the aggressor.

START is a step forward, supported by former President George H. W. Bush and all six former Republican Secretaries of State.

I want to thank the 13 Republicans who defied their party’s leadership, voting to ratify the treaty.

… Before we get excited that the USA has got their act together, check the latest misguided CIA initiative:

WikiLeaks Task Force = … WTF

Is there a brain in that organization? WTF ??

someone FINALLY fired Dr. Laura

Dr. Laura accidentally used the “N” word. … 11 times.

Oops.

Sarah Palin defended her. … There’s the next moron celebrity I’d like sent to the camp for reprogramming.

Dr. Laura fired herself …

After the N-word broadcast aired, Schlessinger apologized for using the racial epithet. “I articulated the N-word all the way out — more than one time,” she said. “And that was wrong. I’ll say it again — that was wrong.” She said she “realized I had made a horrible mistake, and was so upset, I could not finish the show.”

Washington Post

Or did she?

Kevin Nealon on Twitter late on Wednesday: “Just think of all the millions and millions of people Dr Laura will help by being off the air.”

The most venomous commentary came from Stern, who also faces the prospect of wrapping his radio career at year’s end.

Stern seized on Schlessinger’s assertion during her King interview that she was quitting radio to regain her free speech rights, which he called “the most self-serving statement I ever heard.”

“I want to be free, Larry, to use the N-word,” he said mockingly.

“Just because you have First Amendment rights doesn’t mean all your speech is appropriate,” said Stern, no doubt speaking from experience. (Stern’s show has used the word in humorous contexts over the years, but he was mortified when staffer Artie Lange once pronounced guest Arnold Schwarzenegger’s last name with the N-word as a suffix.)

But Stern seems to think Schlessinger’s whole announcement was a publicity stunt.

“She won’t leave,” he said. “You’ll see. It’s all bulls–t.”

Toronto Sun

Viacom Loses $1 Billion Lawsuit Against YouTube

Great news.

Viacom’s bogus lawsuit, filed 2007, has been dismissed .

If you like YouTube, you should be celebrating.

The billion-dollar YouTube-Viacom case has finally been resolved, and the winner is … YouTube. In a statement published to its company blog this afternoon, YouTube writes, “The court granted our motion for summary judgment in Viacom’s lawsuit with YouTube. This means that the court has decided that YouTube is protected by the safe harbor of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) against claims of copyright infringement.”

YouTube goes on to say in its statement, “This is an important victory not just for us, but also for the billions of people around the world who use the web to communicate and share experiences with each other.”

Of course, Viacom could quickly appeal the ruling, and this case could be dragged out for several more years. Stay tuned.

Mashable

can fish be saved?

My Dad and I watched an entertaining and informative 18min talk from the TED conference.

The decline of many fish species may be irreversible. This is one bit of good news.

… Dan Barber squares off with a dilemma facing many chefs today: how to keep fish on the menu. With impeccable research and deadpan humor, he chronicles his pursuit of a sustainable fish he could love, and the foodie’s honeymoon he’s enjoyed since discovering an outrageously delicious fish raised using a revolutionary farming method in Spain.

Craig Ferguson on Rush Limbaugh

This late night talk show host resolves the Limbaugh controversy PERFECTLY.

Watch a clip from his show on YouTube.

Limbaugh makes about $33 million / year.

Perhaps we need to get rid of Leno and Conan. And put Craig Ferguson in that spot.

Keith Olbermann damns both Limbaugh and Pat Robertson to Hell. That was more my first reaction. …

Good Riddance – Sarah Palin goes to FOX TV

On Sunday, January 10th, 60 Minutes did an interview with John McCain’s campaign strategist Steve Schmidt:

Revelations from the Campaign

Sarah Palin comes off very, very badly.

Schmidt says it would be a disaster to elect her President in 2012.

Click PLAY or watch her Greatest Hits on YouTube.

Happily, Dana just let me know that Palin’s gone to work for Fox News TV, the bastion of those who actually still believe anything she says.

How appropriate.

Google disrupts mobile phone tyranny

And I LOVE it.

Did you see the announcement of the new Google phone?

…” the Nexus One: huge AMOLED touchscreen, thin-and-light form factor, available unlocked or on T-Mobile, pervasive voice input, etc. And many have already reached for the easiest narrative in which to fit Google’s announcement: the Nexus One is Google’s attempt at an iPhone-killer. …

The Nexus One may or may not be an iPhone killer (it probably isn’t), but it doesn’t matter, because the Nexus One was arguably the least significant thing that Google announced today. The real news at Google’s event this morning—news that could shake up the mobile industry just as thoroughly as the original iPhone announcement—wasn’t a phone at all, but a URL: http://google.com/phone. An online storefront that, if successful, could knock one of the major pillars out the current, much-reviled US carrier model and result in faster, cheaper, more flexible service for mobile users. …

… once they’re on Google’s platform, they’ll be forced to compete purely on the kinds of things that consumers actually want them to compete on, namely, price and quality. And when networks compete on price and quality, prices will go down and quality will go up. …

read more – arstechnica – Google’s biggest announcement was not a phone, but a URL

Phone companies will actually have to adopt a sensible pricing model. Apple must “open” their products.

The phone’s not available in Canada yet.

via Tyler McGowan on twitter @tylermcgowan

Canada does something RIGHT

The Supreme Court of Canada transformed the country’s libel laws Tuesday with a pair of decisions that proponents say will expand the boundaries of free speech.

The court ruled that libel lawsuits will rarely succeed against journalists who act responsibly in reporting their stories when those stories are in the public interest.

It also updated the laws for the Internet age, extending the same defence to bloggers and other new-media practitioners. …

“Freewheeling debate on matters of public interest is to be encouraged and the vital role of the communications media in providing a vehicle for such debate is explicitly recognized,” Chief Justice McLachlin said in a pair of 9-0 decisions. …

Globe and Mail

more news stories on this topic

Our politicians ususally blunder when drafting legislation around new media, clinging to flawed, outdated models. But the Supreme Court is to be praised. Click through if you want to see their names.

I’m proud to be a Canadian today … after being so disappointed this week in the lack of transparency, accountability and fiscal responsibility of our Ministry of Indian Affairs,

global warming to end by Christmas 2009

So says Brian.

He’s a Global Warming skeptic. Like these guys:

… Some global warming skeptics in the science or political community dispute all or some of the global warming scientific consensus objecting to whether global warming is actually occurring, if human activity is truly to blame, and if the threat is as great a threat as has been alleged. Prominent global warming skeptics include Richard Lindzen, Fred Singer, Patrick Michaels, John Christy, and Robert Balling. …

Wikipedia

Of course there are pro-industry, right wing idiots that deny global warming as a knee jerk reaction.

But there are also serious scientists that feel there is not enough evidence. That the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has jumped the gun. Especially the “hockey stick” graph.

Read about critics here.

Or read a mainstream media article – BBC – What happened to global warming? That’s written by the Climate correspondent, BBC News.

You’ve heard skeptics before.

… But Brian now declares that global skepticism will be WIDELY covered by the mainstream media by Christmas.

global-warming-santa

Let’s see if he’s right.

We could go back to worrying about the next ice age.

Me, I’ve done no research at all. There are many bigger problems in the world occupying my attention.