Yearly Archives: 2012

You know how we keep hearing officials from the movie and music industry whine about… 1

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Google+ PIPA SOPA on by (updated 5197 days ago)

You know how we keep hearing officials from the movie and music industry whine about the hundreds of billions of dollars they lose to piracy? It looks like it's all made up, citing studies that were never apparently never done. You'd think that if someone had actually done these studies they would have stepped forward by now to present the data but it has never happened. It's long past time to dispense with SOPA, PIPA and any other anti-piracy bills they will probably spawn. Hollywood has no credibility.

#sopa #pipa

Reshared post from +Molly Wood

Best breakdown I've seen yet of how the entertainment industry has virtually no hard evidence to back up their claims of massive financial losses from piracy. http://www.itworld.com/security/242587/best-evidence-showing-we-need-sopa-based-govt-studies-never-existed

Embedded Link

Best evidence showing we need SOPA based on 'govt studies' that never existed
No one disputes very seriously that there is a lot of content piracy going on, especially online.

Google+: Reshared 1 times
Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.

This is why it's more critical than ever to pass a constitutional amendment that…

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Google+ on by (updated 5197 days ago)

This is why it's more critical than ever to pass a constitutional amendment that explicitly eliminates the idea of corporate personhood and reverses the ideas behind the Supreme Court's "Citizens United" ruling.

Reshared post from +Koushik Dutta

Our politicians are so dirty that they're reneging on bribes!

Chris Dodd is threatening politicians that went back on their support for SOPA.

Embedded Link

MPAA Directly & Publicly Threatens Politicians Who Aren't Corrupt Enough To Stay Bought | Techdirt
Reinforcing the fact that Chris Dodd really does not get what's happening, and showing just how disgustingly corrupt the MPAA relationship is with politicians, Chris Dodd went on Fox News to explicitl…

Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.

This is absolutely amazing and if either Fox or Lucasfilm makes any moves to take…

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Google+ on by (updated 5197 days ago)

This is absolutely amazing and if either Fox or Lucasfilm makes any moves to take this offline, both companies should be boycotted by all people for all time.

Embedded Link

'Star Wars Uncut: Director's Cut' crowdsources Episode IV, 15 seconds at a time
Star Wars Uncut is a global project to re-record the original Star Wars movie in 15-second chunks. Anybody from the internet could submit a fan-made scene and, though you've been able to view these……

Google+: Reshared 1 times
Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.

It's previously been demonstrated by researchers that crows are one of many animals…

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged crows Google+ smartanimals on by (updated 5197 days ago)

It's previously been demonstrated by researchers that crows are one of many animals that can and will use tools. This has to be one the of the best examples of I seen with a crow repeatedly using what appears to be a cap from a jar to go sledding down a snow covered roof. https://plus.google.com/114133424228405038490/posts/bQiH9QzG1BU

#crows #smartanimals

Google+: Reshared 1 times
Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.

Anybody that knows me, is well aware of my fondness for station wagons 3

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged ford fordfusionstory fusion Google+ on by (updated 5197 days ago)

I'm a car guy and I personally have no use for SUVs or crossovers, but there are many times when extra cargo space is welcome. A station wagon offers the size and driving dynamics of its sedan siblings while typically offering more useful volume than a similarly sized SUV. Unfortunately most Americans don't seem to grasp the appeal of wagons which means we'll probably never see a Ford Fusion wagon here.

Then again, when the Fiesta was in the planning stages, America was originally only going to get the sedan and the last generation Focus was only available with a trunk. Both of those are now sold as hatchbacks with nearly half of all takers opting for the larger rear opening. Let's hope Ford product planners take that to heart. I'll take a Fusion wagon with the 1.6-liter Ecoboost and a 6-speed stick please!

#ford #fordfusionstory #fusion

Embedded Link

2014 Ford Mondeo Wagon Rendered: We’ll Take It as a Fusion
Now that the 2013 Ford Fusion's sheetmetal has been exposed, one of our illustrators has grafted cargo space onto the back to create a wagon. And a good-looking one at that. Since the new Fusion w…

Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.

How do you feel about addressing the federal budget deficit?

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Google+ indecision2012 taxes on by (updated 5197 days ago)

According to Washington Post columnist Ezra Klein on Up with Chris Hayes moments ago the Bush tax cuts of a decade ago amounted to 1% of GDP. When those tax cuts were passed the federal government was running a surplus.

The current tax cut plan being proposed by Mitt Romney actually amounts to 3.3% of GDP and at the same time it actually lets current tax cuts for lower income Americans expire. It's estimated that Romney's own taxes would probably be cut in half if his own plan were passed. Given the push by Republicans to cut the deficit such an enormous tax cut would mean even more cuts in spending. Given that congress can't even agree on the cuts they mandated in last summer's bill that raised the borrowing limit, this is just completely unworkable.
#taxes #indecision2012

Embedded Link

Up with Chris Hayes
Up with Chris Hayes

Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.

Good to see a company as big as Microsoft come out in favor equal civil rights for… 1

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Google+ on by (updated 5198 days ago)

Good to see a company as big as Microsoft come out in favor equal civil rights for everyone

Reshared post from +Patrick Beja

Very cool… Go Microsoft!

Embedded Link

Microsoft Calls for Gay Marriage in Washington State
The company argues that it's hard to hire the best people in the world when the state where it's based discriminates against them.

Google+: Reshared 1 times
Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.

The next time you think about a our do-nothing congress, consider MPAA boss Chris… 11

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Google+ PIPA SOPA on by (updated 5199 days ago)

The next time you think about a our do-nothing congress, consider MPAA boss Chris Dodd's assessment in the aftermath of the anti-SOPA/PIPA internet protest this week. Instead of acknowledging the overreach of the bills and looking at alternative strategies for fighting piracy, he sees the problem as congress acting too slowly and not pushing the bills through before the citizenry had a chance to respond. This of course is exactly what happened in Sept 2001 when the Patriot Act was passed in just days with almost no one really knowing what was in the bill.

It sounds like we will have to be far more vigilant going forward, because Hollywood isn't going to go down without a fight and they will probably try and tack these provisions onto another bill somewhere along the way without anyone taking notice.

#sopa #pipa

Embedded Link

MPAA chairman Chris Dodd expresses regret over pro-SOPA strategy, calls for compromise
Former Senator and current MPAA chairman Chris Dodd has acknowledged that SOPA and its Senate counterpart PIPA have an image problem. Dodd says that the bills were largely considered a "slam dunk"…

Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.

Automotive News managing editor Phil Nussel provides an good analysis of the announcement…

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged automotive automotivesafety Google+ safety on by (updated 5199 days ago)

Automotive News managing editor Phil Nussel provides an good analysis of the announcement from the National Academy of Sciences on the closing of its Toyota investigation.

The major flaw from NAS is in saying that there are untraceable electronic faults that can cause problems. Having spent 17 years working on automotive electronic control systems, I have to humbly disagree. Hardware and software bugs can be enormously difficult to diagnose. But given enough time and effort, they can eventually be traced. Software and processors are discrete systems that can only do what they are instructed to do. Stuff doesn't just happen. Sooner or later a systematic approach will determine the root cause.

Where we have a real problem is on the regulatory side where NHTSA has not kept up with the rapid pace of development in the auto industry. They need more experienced engineers to conduct investigations. They also need to be given complete access to source code for all control software in new vehicles. While I'm a proponent of open source, for a number of reasons that isn't a viable option in the auto industry. But outsiders do need to be check out the code as part of an investigation. Investigators also need to understand the development tools used to produce and test code.

Unfortunately the current fiscal state of the US government and republican resistance to any additional spending or expansion of government operations means none of this is likely to happen. Oh Well.

#automotive #safety #automotivesafety

Embedded Link

Why auto electronics remain a concern after the Toyota recalls
Let's say it one more time: Electronics or software glitches played absolutely no role in Toyota Motor Corp.'s recall of some 8 million vehicles in 2009 and 2010 after reports of unintended ac…

Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.