Saturday, May 07, 2005

The power supply fan in my desktop PC has given out, which means that I can't use the system until I can replace the power supply lest it overheat. It's a bit annoying, but I can't complain--the fan lasted two and a half years of almost continuous use. Fortunately, that system is used almost exclusively for games, so it's only a minor inconvenience. 10:29:59 PM    comment () Scams: Avoiding fake photography contests. Amateur photographs are suckers for scam artists who run photography contests. In this article, I'll talk about the most popular scams and how to recognize and avoid them. Don't give your photographs away for free or worse - pay for the privilege of seeing them in print! [Photoethnography.com] These scams seem to be popular with event organizers. Several times while shooting at a parade or festival I've had someone approach me and suggest that I should enter my photos in a photography contest associated with the event. A look at the entry form invariably reveals a clause saying that any submissions become property of the organizers. 9:49:27 PM    comment () From muth (no date, but it must have been about 40 years ago): "The religious factions that are growing throughout our land are not using their religious clout with wisdom. They are trying to force government leaders into following their position 100 percent. If you disagree with these religious groups on a particular moral issue, they complain, they threaten you with a loss of money or votes or both. I'm frankly sick and tired of the political preachers across this country telling me as a citizen that if I want to be a moral person, I must believe in 'A,' 'B,' 'C,' and 'D.' "Just who do they think they are? And from where do they presume to claim the right to dictate their moral beliefs to me? And I am even more angry as a legislator who must endure the threats of every religious group who thinks it has some God-granted right to control my vote on every roll call in the Senate. I am warning them today: I will fight them every step of the way if they try to dictate their moral convictions to all Americans in the name of 'conservatism.' " -- Sen. Barry Goldwater [End the War on Freedom] It's sad that after forty or so years this quote is just as appropriate today--if not more so. 9:19:26 PM    comment ()

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