Sunday, February 19, 2006

Justice Ginsburg Goes It Alone (AP). AP - It will be a different scene Tuesday when the black-robed justices of the Supreme Court emerge from behind a red, velvet curtain and take their seats at the mahogany bench. [Yahoo! News: U.S. National] Yet once again, I look at my calendar and it says, quite plainly, that this is 2005, not 1905 or 1805.  So, the questions on the floor remain.  1) Other than Harriet Myers (who I contend was a token, not a real candidate) there was not one single female that was as qualified or more than Justice Alito to sit on the Supreme Court?  2) There were no people of ethnic diversity that were qualifed?  For the next ten years and possibly longer, the key judicial decisions in the United States are going to be made primarily by white men.  Am I the only one who has a serious problem with this? 2:27:09 PM    comment []

Amateur Radio's Role Gets Favorable Mention in Post-Katrina Report. The Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), the Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) and the HF digital e-mail system Winlink 2000 all got positive mentions in a post-Katrina report from the US House of Representatives. US Rep Tom Davis (R-VA) chaired the panel. References to ARES, MARS and Winlink appear in "A Failure of Initiative"--the final report of the Select Bipartisan Committee to investigate the preparation for and response to Hurricane Katrina. [ARRL Amateur Radio News] And you think the government is capable of keeping you in touch?  Remember, When all else fails... 2:22:04 PM    comment []

Microsoft confirms USB bug that drains laptop batteries. Microsoft has admitted that an unfixed USB flaw in Windows XP SP2 drains laptop batteries and said no easy fix will be available anytime soon. [Computerworld News] In a statement through its public relations firm, Waggener Edstrom Inc., Microsoft also admitted that the flaw, which lies in the ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) driver of Windows XP SP 2, will remain without an easy-to-apply fix indefinitely. The ACPI is part of the operating system's power management scheme for USB 2.0, the latest standard for USB peripheral ports on notebook computers. No, really, it was not just you...there really was a bug.  You knew it all along right.  As did most of us with four hour batteries getting two hour life out of them...<sigh> 2:18:25 PM    comment []

Firm Sues to Block Foreign Port Takeover [WTOP / National / Stories] Why is this suddenly an issue?  I understand why it is an issue, the question, for those who did not read it is why is it suddenly an issue NOW?  This has been going to happen for the better part of six months now.  This sale was approve a long time ago and more importantly, it was big news then.  But there was no hue and cry, no wailing, no gnashing of teeth at the time.  So why is it suddenly such a new maker?  Could it be that our politicians were busy doing other, more important things? I cannot imagine what.  Frankly, at the moment, there is very little I can say that the politicians have done since Bush II took office in 2000, other than waste taxpayer money that is. 2:12:40 PM    comment []

Google rejects DOJ bid for search info. Google has formally rejected the U.S. Justice Department's subpoena of data, arguing the demand violates the privacy of users' Web searches and its own trade secrets. [Computerworld News] There is little question that the Federal Government does not get it, never will get it and should give up trying.  This is the same government that things the Patriot Act will somehow magically reveal who is and is not a terrorist and some how protect the citizens against the bad acts that a terrorist might want to shower upon us.  Trying to protect web surfers against themselves is a bit of a waste of time and money.  The government would be better off expending the money in the Department of Education in a surf smart campaign rather than a witch hunt out of the Department of inJustice. 2:07:17 PM    comment []

© Copyright 2006 David Lane.