Month: October 2004

what a maroon

So the guy who hoped for the decapitation of Adam Nagourney’s son in a “Republican war” stopped by today, and a little Googling (how he has come to hate that, I’m sure) turned up his open letter to the NYTimes ombudsman who quoted him. Letter to Daniel Okrent:Let me close by pledging that, henceforth, I shall write all of my e-mails as though they will be published in the New York Times.

So the guy who hoped for the decapitation of Adam Nagourney’s son in a “Republican war” stopped by today, and a little Googling (how he has come to hate that, I’m sure) turned up his open letter to the NYTimes ombudsman who quoted him.

So let me see if I understand this. Writing as if your email will be published on the front page of the Times has been the understood rule since, oh, 1990 or so. So this is not a great insight on his part:
Letter to Daniel Okrent:

Let me close by pledging that, henceforth, I shall write all of my e-mails as though they will be published in the New York Times.

But in his comment below, he says he turned his Cub Scout pack contact list into pointers to Nagourney and Okrent to spare his Cub Scout parents, rather than publishing an explanation of what happened. So instead he turns his car club website into his platform? And he claims he’s not running, not hiding, but leaves a bogus email address in a non-existent domain. I guess he’s afraid of the same attacks he lobbed at Nagourney . . .

I’m not sure he really understands what’s going on. I hope he uses his 15 minutes wisely . . . .

Continue reading “what a maroon”

Rendezvous and Windows

I just found out that Apple has released a Rendezvous Services bundle for Windows.

I just found out that Apple has released a Rendezvous Services bundle for Windows. I had a chance to see if I could use it (I do have one Windows XP system here at Thistle Dew Media Unlimited). So I installed it and set it to browse the network: nothing doing. I did a little Google-aided research and found some information on Windows’ expectation for a listener on port 9100, the port used by HP JetDirect print servers. So I added this:

red:pdl
_pdl-datastream._tcp.
/printers/lp
9100

to /etc/rendezvous.conf, bounced the mdns service, and hey presto. It worked.

Continue reading “Rendezvous and Windows”

nah, that’s not me

Wired News: IPod Users Go Into the Closet:“The only people I’ve met who are closet users are middle-aged ex-college rockers who have a guilt complex about rediscovering the bad-boy tunes of their youth,” she said.

Wired News: IPod Users Go Into the Closet:

“The only people I’ve met who are closet users are middle-aged ex-college rockers who have a guilt complex about rediscovering the bad-boy tunes of their youth,” she said.

Continue reading “nah, that’s not me”

Operation Clark County (Ohio)

Guardian Unlimited | Operation Clark County:In the spirit of the Declaration of Independence’s pledge to show “a decent respect for the opinions of mankind”, we have come up with a unique way for non-Americans to express your views on the policies and candidates in this election to some of the people best placed to decide its outcome. It’s not quite a vote, but it’s a chance to influence how a very important vote will be cast.

Guardian Unlimited | Operation Clark County:

In the spirit of the Declaration of Independence’s pledge to show “a decent respect for the opinions of mankind”, we have come up with a unique way for non-Americans to express your views on the policies and candidates in this election to some of the people best placed to decide its outcome. It’s not quite a vote, but it’s a chance to influence how a very important vote will be cast. Or, at the very least, make a new penpal.

The Guardian wants citizens of the world to weigh in with undecided voters in one county in a swing state. I find myself in a different situation than they may have considered: as an EU passport holder and citizen on the UK, my opinions might be informed by different concerns than someone from Yorkshire or Haringey. But I will do my best to let my personal Clark county voter know what’s on my mind and hope we connect.

Now playing:Every Dog Has His Day by Let’s Active from the album “Every Dog Has His Day” | Buy it

hit them in the pocketbook

Good morning,In light of your advertising appearing on television stations owned by the Sinclair group, I am going to have to stop buying your products and services as a result of Sinclair’s demands that its stations air a film that demeans a presidential candidate and the integrity of the election itself.As you are doubtless aware, the Sinclair group has ordered it’s stations to replace their regular primetime programming between now and the election with a documentary film that purports to show the Democratic challenger in a negative light[1]. Regardless of your political affiliations, propaganda has no place on the publicly-owned airwaves and the timing leaves no doubt as to the intention of this action.Additionally, Mark Hyman, Sinclair’s VP of Corporate Relations[2], has compared the national broadcasters to “Holocaust deniers[3]”, a move that has drawn a sharp condemnation from the Anti-Defamation League[4].

Sinclair

Text follows.

Continue reading “hit them in the pocketbook”

at the risk of boring you

The Left Coaster: How To Deal With Sinclair Broadcast Group’s Attempt To Play Kingmaker: The conservative-leaning Sinclair Broadcast Group, whose television outlets reach nearly a quarter of the nation’s homes with TV, is ordering its stations to preempt regular programming just days before the Nov…. Kerry’s activism against the Vietnam War, network and station executives familiar with the plan said Friday.Sinclair has told its stations %u2014 many of them in political swing states such as Ohio and Florida %u2014 to air “Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal,” sources said.

Freedom of the press belongs to the guy who owns one, but not freedom of the airwaves: it might be time to remind some folks — the FCC and some forgetful broadcasters — that the public owns the airwaves.

The Left Coaster: How To Deal With Sinclair Broadcast Group’s Attempt To Play Kingmaker:

The conservative-leaning Sinclair Broadcast Group, whose television outlets reach nearly a quarter of the nation’s homes with TV, is ordering its stations to preempt regular programming just days before the Nov. 2 election to air a film that attacks Sen. John F. Kerry’s activism against the Vietnam War, network and station executives familiar with the plan said Friday.

Sinclair has told its stations — many of them in political swing states such as Ohio and Florida — to air “Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal,” sources said. The film, funded by Pennsylvania veterans and produced by a veteran and former Washington Times reporter, features former POWs accusing Kerry — a decorated Navy veteran turned war protester — of worsening their ordeal by prolonging the war. Sinclair will preempt regular prime-time programming from the networks to show the film, which may be classified as news programming, according to TV executives familiar with the plan.

As the site above points, the usual tactics for pressuring a media concern are through boycotts of their advertisers. But another avenue is to challenge their license renewals as they come due. And if you take a moment to read through the FCC’s Localism section, there are lots of opportunities to make your voice heard: it all goes on the record and if there’s a loud enough protest, it can’t be ignored.

The national press corps has been supine for these past four years: the FCC’s proposed media ownership rule changes were headed off by local pressure at public hearings across the country. That’s what it takes. Time to do it again . . .

Now playing:Spines by They Might Be Giants from the album “The Spine” | Buy it

something to think about

Mike Whybark points out that the Mount St Helens visitors center and webcam are located well inside the area devastated by the 1980 eruption. See the brown shaded area?

Mike Whybark points out that the Mount St Helens visitors center and webcam are located well inside the area devastated by the 1980 eruption.

See the brown shaded area? That’s the blast zone from the volcanic landslide: five miles at speeds of 100 mph or more doesn’t take long to cover (3 minutes?). And the area just north of that, with the rounded texture? That’s referred to as the “sear zone.” The camera and visitors center are located at the red circle labelled “CRVC.”

Imgs Gif Msh Natmonument Pointsinterest Map Msh Points Interest

Somehow a picnic doesn’t sound so appealing . . .