Thursday, May 19, 2005

Pre-K Student Brings Handgun to School (AP). AP - A pre-kindergarten student brought a handgun to school, where it was seized by a fifth-grader and turned over to the principal, school district officials said Tuesday. [Yahoo! News: U.S. National] At least they did not suspend the child...of course, the parents need a good spanking. 7:35:08 AM    comment []

Woman Says Quran Came in Mail Desecrated (AP). AP - A Muslim woman who said she ordered a Quran through Amazon.com only to find profanity and religious slurs written inside asked Wednesday for an apology and a full investigation by the online retailer. [Yahoo! News: U.S. National] So a used book is sold to someone and you are holding the middle man accountable? Have we all gone stark raving mad?  Next we are going to have to produce ID just to unload the stuff we do not want taking up space in our house.  It will be like Toronto where they have to separate their garbage and then only have it picked up every two weeks.  At that rate, I would need another house for all the things that need to be thrown out.  And no, I don't write in my books - but quite a few people do. 7:30:15 AM    comment []

Report: Muslim World Largely Anti-American (AP). AP - Anti-American feelings are widespread in the Muslim world and extend to U.S. consumer brands, according to a report released Wednesday. It suggested the U.S. burnish its image with a change in tone and by publicizing aid programs. [Yahoo! News: U.S. National] One of the recomendations to come out of the September 11 Commission was just that - the United States needs to do a better job of promoting itself in the Muslim world.  It does not seem that they have taken the message to heart however.  First with the whole axis of evil and then the invasion of Iraq (which most people are still questioning) and then several other political missteps in the international community, the United States has become a bit of a joke.  Now, the died-in-the-wool American would tell you that the United States does not have to be liked, but that is rather like saying the schoolyard bully does not have to be liked.  You would be correct, you do not have to be liked, but if you expect to get support for your initiatives, then you better do something to cooperate with those around you.  If you want tighter secuity and you expect countries to go along with you, it does you little good to tick them off.  At somepoint, people say, who needs it and go somewhere else. The United States is not so big that it cannot do without tourism and trade and international goodwill.  That old saying, it's me against the world, does not bode well for economic health and stability. 7:21:54 AM    comment []

Study: More than a third of PC software pirated. More than a third of the software installed on PCs last year was pirated, according to a study released today by the software trade group Business Software Alliance. [Computerworld News] While I am opposed to piracy in general, one has to wonder why 21% of software in the US was pirated - and in this case, I suspect it means installed from legit media rather than the whole bogus copy ball of wax.  Could it be the increased cost and requirements being put on individuals?  Most companies now expect their work force to be able to work at home but do little to provide for that capablitity, so as a result, the home PC is always lagging behind the corporate one (in terms of capabilities) and with most people struggling to make the mortgage payment, where are they going to come up with the $500 for a copy of MS Office? 7:12:45 AM    comment []

© Copyright 2005 David Lane.