CMoore.com

Freedom Forum's Annual First Amendment Survey

My god, this is frightening. As if I didn't have enough ammunition to hold the entirety of humanity in contempt, I now have a specific reason to detest Jane and Joe Average American Citizen. You ignorant twits. (they support abandoning our fundamental rights … because, well, they're twits). Gah.

Venezuela's Government Shifts to Open Source Software

Sweet, another victory for the people.

Cold spelt end of dinosaurs

… uh, the headline means before the asteroid hit. Interesting. So the asteroid was more of a last straw than a catalyst. Man, they know so much more about dinosaurs now than when I was growing up. I'm jealous.

RIAA: Feeling Burn of Ripped CDs

Gawd, this is so much like the old baseball commish quotes from the turn of the century (re: player salaries killing the game) that it's beyond funny. There was also the “VCRs are going to kill the movies!” argument. Two thoughts: one, why does no one ever mention the MPAA along with the RIAA? The two are joined at the hip. And two, when is the music industry going to realize that it was organized to solve what used to be the nigh-insurmountable problem of distribution. Now that distribution is solved… They. Need. To. Change.

I hate weak industries that try to rely upon statutory preservation rather than actual modification and adaptation. And a bunch of other -tions.

New patent will 'revolutionize e-mail'

The PTO gave a patent for email forwarding? email? forwarding?!? Yeah, they're up on modern trends over there at the PTO.

Pie Menus in Mozilla

i'm convinced that pie menu's are the most efficient form of
human-computer interfacing. seriously. these are cool.

BB3 Recap

It's writing like this that keeps me coming back to the site. I don't even have cable or watch tv fergawdsake. Dang good writing, though. “Good” in my book requires elements of humor and/or snarkiness. Preferably both. Paging Dorothy Parker.

The Daily Adventures of Mixerman

A running diary of an engineer on a major-budget session (currently
ongoing). It's a great read and makes me really want to… not know these
artists. But it does make me want to make music. The right way. I mean,
the only way. Perhaps you could show me, baby. (Prince (thanks dude!) -
“Anna Stesia”)

Satellite tracker finds goose in freezer

Oh. My. That is too too funny. While studying the migratory patterns of geese (using expensive collars) … one was found … in an Eskimo's freezer. Hee!

Where Cheaters Often Prosper

ok, addendum to the above NYTimes “revelation” earlier today. along with fraud, spam, and porn, i forgot to mention casinos and now… term paper plagiarism sites. if i was a professor, i would seriously be running that plagiarism-detection program. you know, kids these days just ain't got no scruples… not that they did in my day either, but they didn't have access (outside of frats, pro or otherwise) to old tests and papers. i never plagiarized and i never cheated. i was never even tempted, really, because i always thought school was just too damn easy, i didn't care about my grades anyway, and, strangely enough, i have this whole intellectual honesty ethos thing. probably comes from having my brains as my only praiseworthy or at least non-hideous asset my whole life. and if i sully my brain, i might as well pull a Plath ('cept our oven is electric. that would hurt like a mother). Where was I? oh yeah, plagiarism sites making money. funk dat.

From Unseemly to Lowbrow, the Web's Real Money Is in the Gutter

What? is this 1998 again? are we still talking about this (the only
things that make money on the inet are spam, fraud, and – especially -
porn)? get over it already, people.

Cheney Presses for Action on Iraq

You know, if the justifications for attacking Iraq were actually compelling, you wouldn't have to go around saying that they are compelling. Nor would you have to state that they are “beautiful” or “intelligent.” They would stand on their own.

Confession Had His Signature; DNA Did Not

I'm really glad MI didn't have a death penalty. Results like this are a
systemic problem with elected law enforcers; if they don't catch the perp
- even the wrong one – they're going to be jobless (not that being jobless
is all that bad, mind you…)… Anyway, confessions of a flippin mental
patient should be scrutinized even more than normal. So, with all the
details, the cops *had* to have told him all of the relevant data, right?
And why doesn't anyone go back and review the people involved with the
case after stuff like this happens? Too many old wounds? Not enough
benefit? This guys life was destroyed for 17 damn years,
and, acknowledging the guy's own complicity in the matter, I think someone ought to pay for that.

And note: I wrote all of the above before I even knew that Eddie Joe Lloyd was black. But I'm sure race had nothing to do with it.

Friends file suit against friend who caught No. 600

easily a 12(b)6 motion, and if i were there, an 11(c) motion as well.
oral promises enforceable? please. where's the detrimental reliance?
there was no consideration given, and anything falling immediately to
equitable remedies is doomed to failure. hah! i love how the article
tries to imply there's a strong chance this isn't a spurious,
golddigging claim by stating ” Under California law, a verbal
agreement by informed and willing parties can be enforceable as a
contract.” I don't know who is more pathetic, the parties to the case or
the attorneys.

How much do you want to bet this'll be a hypo in contracts this 1L year?

If They're Brits, They Must Acquit

finally a good article from lithwick. well, maybe it's just because she's
not saying how dangerous it is to have open trials. perhaps the distance
from 9/11 has finally cleared her ashcroft-america#1 sentiments. 'bout
time