Business, and Repression, as Usual	government
Link #104026 submitted by deathburger on Jan 20, 2006 03:28pm.   (+510XP) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/18/AR2...
The charm of businessmen in general is not only that they lack irony but, because they took business courses in college, they lack basic knowledge. That explains why they unknowingly suggest Anatole France, who in 1894 wrote, "The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread." In somewhat less literary language, Microsoft has just said the same thing.     The speaker of this unintended echo was Brooke Richardson, a group product manager (whatever that is) for Microsoft. She was responding to inquiries about the company's decision to help shut down a Beijing blogger at the request of the Chinese government. "Microsoft does business in many countries around the world," Richardson explained. "While different countries have different standards, Microsoft and other multinational companies have to ensure that our products and services comply with local laws, norms and industry practices." In other words, Microsoft follows the law in America and it follows the law in China -- never mind that there really is no law in China.     Yahoo is similarly evenhanded. When the Chinese government asked the company who among its many users was sending out certain embarrassing e-mails, Yahoo provided the name -- Shi Tao -- and he is now serving a 10-year prison term at what amounts to hard labor. He works at a prison jewelry factory, cutting and polishing stones, and reportedly suffering from the dust produced. According to the organization Reporters Without Borders, "at least 32 journalists and 62 cyber-dissidents are currently in prison in China."     Yahoo, of course, explains its actions the same way Microsoft does -- or, I suppose, as does Cisco Systems, which produces the equipment with which the Chinese censor the Internet: just following local custom. Comments: 3   Hits: 492   Points: 614   Rating: 9.3 / 13   [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ]

15 Cheap Valentine’s Day Dates	the "other" pile
Link #143650 submitted by dorian on Jan 29, 2009 12:12pm.   (+300XP) http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/15-cheap-valentines-day-dates...
Valentine’s Day is coming up in a few weeks and with the economy in a funk, the responsible thing is for you to go out, spend a lot of money, and stimulate the economy! I’m only kidding. The prudent thing to do is to remember that Valentine’s Day isn’t about spending money on your loved one, it’s about spending time with your loved one. I’ve listed fifteen ideas that my wife and I have done over the years (not just on Valentine’s Day, but for our date night’s and other such occasions) and hope you can get some good ideas too! Comments: 1   Hits: 373   Points: 408   Rating: 8.7 / 4   [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ]

Saving Social Security: A Guide to Social Security Reform,	gods
Link #73740 submitted by dwharbin on Feb 1, 2005 07:03pm.   (+275XP) http://rawstory.rawprint.com/105/social_security_1.php
Raw Story has acquired a copy of Saving Social Security: A Guide to Social Security Reform, printed by the House and Senate Republican Conferences as a guide for Senators and Representatives to market private accounts for the Social Security system.     The document is filled with suggestions for communicating with constituents such as, "Talk in simple language: Your audience doesn't understand financial jargon," and "Offer an alternate reality." The first several pages of the 103-page document are posted here.     The playbook, first reported on by Raw Story, has been subsequently reproduced by various liberal weblogs. View the entire document in PDF format here (2mb).       This is the GOP playbook to con us all into beliving that we have yet ANOTHER imminent crisis on our hands. Comments: 0   Hits: 546   Points: 628   Rating: 8.2 / 10   [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ]

Music Is Music	it's the arts
Link #134714 submitted by johnny2000 on Dec 31, 2007 12:42pm.   (+370XP) http://musicismusic.blogspot.com
a bootlegs blog with many free mp3 for the (hard) rock & new wave fans of lf     similar: Smuggled Sounds   The Ultimate Bootleg Experience   Music Hole   Nargothebort's Deviant Subculture Comments: 0   Hits: 1365   Points: 1427   Rating: 8.8 / 7   [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ]

Mars Rover Gets First Hints Of Water	blinded by science
Link #37508 submitted by fb- on Jan 13, 2004 01:27pm.   (+310XP) http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994554
The Mars rover Spirit has not even left its landing platform yet, but mission managers say some of its major scientific goals are already well on the way to being realised. Most importantly, Spirit has detected tantalising signs of minerals that could provide the long-sought evidence of Mars's watery past.     The first images taken by the craft's mini-Thermal Emission Spectrometer - an infrared instrument capable of indicating the composition of nearby soils and rocks - show evidence of carbonates and hydrated minerals. Both of these are usually, though not exclusively, produced in long-standing bodies of water. Comments: 0   Hits: 1178   Points: 1265   Rating: 8.7 / 10   [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ]

Russian Women Wow World	vices
Link #53198 submitted by Psychomike on Jul 14, 2004 01:07pm.   (+315XP) http://www.russiancelebrities.org/index.asp
This website has 1000's of Russian women celebrities, singers, models and makes me glad we didn't bomb them during the Cold War!     Might be a good day to call in sick and do some research guys! Not safe for work. Comments: 0   Hits: 421   Points: 514   Rating: 7.7 / 12   [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ]

50 Rock Stars and Their Exit	history
Link #131148 submitted by pdxpogo on Jul 14, 2007 08:00am.   (+460XP) http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?id=1855
By Accident By their own hand with a little help from their fans....       Some stories you know others are part of the legends. Comments: 6   Hits: 1111   Points: 1167   Rating: 7.0 / 8   [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ]

A Common Hero: The Resilienceof a Political Prisoner in East	the "other" pile
Link #51114 submitted by beaglebot on Jun 22, 2004 04:27pm.   (+320XP) http://www.meaning.ca/articles/resilience_klaassen.htm
In the struggle for existence, it is only on those who hang on for ten minutes after all is hopeless, that hope begins to dawn. G.K. Chesterton     The topic of resilience has received a lot of research and clinical attention as of late. These are dangerous times, not just for 'those people' in far-off and foreign lands that endure the horrors of war, but also for many people in the West. While we may have been able to delude ourselves into believing that we are invincible, as a people and a continent, 9/11 has awoken us to the reality of trauma and terrorism that lurked beneath the surface of our peaceful world. And we have realized that SUVs and RRSPs do not protect us from a few determined individuals who wish to wreak havoc on our well ordered lives. More importantly, we have perhaps come to experience at a deeper level that existential security is not derived from consumable products, and that we need to find a deeper ground that gives us strength during times of uncertainty. In other words, we have come to realize that we need to be noetcially resilient. Comments: 0   Hits: 407   Points: 491   Rating: 9.3 / 9   [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ]

Mandatory Mash-Ups	entertainment
Link #89800 submitted by lagbnaft on Jul 23, 2005 12:08pm.   (+535XP) http://www.99x.com/index.asp?url=%2Fstation%2Fprograms%2Fmashups%2F...
MP3s from an Atlanta radio station's playlist. The tracks are hit and miss, but I give two thumbs up to Snoop Dogg vs Guns 'N' Roses. Take me down to the paraside doggy!     [free music] Comments: 5   Hits: 454   Points: 541   Rating: 8.7 / 10   [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ]

Wikiquote	entertainment
Link #86878 submitted by johnny2000 on Jun 21, 2005 12:56pm.   (+210XP) http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Main_Page
free online compendium of quotations in every language, including sources (where known), translations of non-English quotes, and links to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/) for further information! The English version of Wikiquote has 3458 pages so far with many thousands of quotations and proverbs. Visit the help page or experiment in the sandbox to learn how you can edit nearly any page right now; or go to the Log in page to create a User page.     Browse: Films | Literary works | Occupations | Proverbs | Television shows | Themes | Electronic games | Mnemonics   Comments: 0   Hits: 111   Points: 148   Rating: 9.2 / 4   [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ]

Krugman: 'What's Going On?'	gods
Link #78874 submitted by glitch p-udding on Mar 29, 2005 05:41pm.   (+550XP) http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/29/opinion/29krugman.html?ex=1269752...
Democratic societies have a hard time dealing with extremists in their midst. The desire to show respect for other people's beliefs all too easily turns into denial: nobody wants to talk about the threat posed by those whose beliefs include contempt for democracy itself.     We can see this failing clearly in other countries. In the Netherlands, for example, a culture of tolerance led the nation to ignore the growing influence of Islamic extremists until they turned murderous.     But it's also true of the United States, where dangerous extremists belong to the majority religion and the majority ethnic group, and wield great political influence.     Randall Terry, a spokesman for Terri Schiavo's parents, hasn't killed anyone, but one of his former close associates in the anti-abortion movement is serving time for murdering a doctor. George Greer, the judge in the Schiavo case, needs armed bodyguards.     But there has been little national exposure for a Miami Herald report that Jeb Bush sent state law enforcement agents to seize Terri Schiavo from the hospice - a plan called off when local police said they would enforce the judge's order that she remain there.     There is a nationwide trend toward "conscience" or "refusal" legislation. Laws in Illinois and Mississippi already allow doctors and other health providers to deny virtually any procedure to any patient. Again, think of how such laws expose doctors to pressure and intimidation.     But the big step by extremists will be an attempt to eliminate the filibuster, so that the courts can be packed with judges less committed to upholding the law than Mr. Greer (of the Schiavo case).     America isn't yet a place where liberal politicians, and even conservatives who aren't sufficiently hard-line, fear assassination. But unless moderates take a stand against the growing power of domestic extremists, it can happen here.     whoa! a must read from paul krugman. scary, scary shit. Comments: 1   Hits: 721   Points: 921   Rating: 9.0 / 22   [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ]

Rhinotillexomania	vices
Link #36364 submitted by kid-ney on Dec 24, 2003 07:46am.   (+320XP) http://home.nycap.rr.com/useless/nose/index.html
Wondering what that is? It's one disgusting habit and is not socially acceptable. You've probably done it many a time. Interesting statistics provided. Comments: 1   Hits: 351   Points: 425   Rating: 8.2 / 9   [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ]

good-ear.com The Online, Free Ear Training on the Net	hobbies & diversions
Link #118760 submitted by lagbnaft on Sep 8, 2006 12:14pm.   (+600XP) http://www.good-ear.com
For a musician ear training is one of the most important tasks.     Good Ear helps you to develop good ears. It works within your browser. Comments: 0   Hits: 359   Points: 474   Rating: 8.8 / 13   [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ]

John Lurie Revealed	some dude/some chick
Link #66750 submitted by bear on Nov 20, 2004 01:20pm.   (+195XP) http://savvytraveler.publicradio.org/show/features/1998/19980801/lu...
You may not have heard of John Lurie, but if you've ever seen those mid-1980s Jim Jarmusch films "Stranger Than Paradise" and "Down By Law," you've seen Lurie     Or maybe you saw Lurie on his recent Independent Film Channel series, "Fishing with John," in which he traveled to places like Jamaica and Thailand with buddies like Tom Waits, Dennis Hopper, and Matt Dillon to check out some of the world's best fishing holes. Comments: 0   Hits: 781   Points: 825   Rating: 8.8 / 5   [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ]

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