BBC NEWS | Entertainment | U2's Vertigo tops touring chart

Whaaaah? Did I miss the concert?

Apparently, U2 topped the touring charts for 2005, but the year isn't over yet--I'm going on Saturday. I guess Utah doesn't count for much of anything.

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | U2's Vertigo tops touring chart

Chron.com | Simpler guidelines to make CPR 'more effective'

The ratio between recommended chest compressions and breaths in CPR has changed.

"The revised CPR guidelines, issued Monday by the American Heart Association, advise giving 30 chest compressions for every two rescue breaths, up from 15 for every two breaths."

It's time to get re-certified.

"About 9 million Americans are trained in CPR each year. The heart association hopes to increase that number to 20 million in the next five years."

Chron.com | Simpler guidelines to make CPR 'more effective'

ASHDOWN OPPOSES HR 4194

ASHDOWN OPPOSES HR 4194

"A prime example of the lack of Congressional technology chops"

SALT LAKE CITY, UT -- Pete Ashdown, US Senate candidate (D-UT), today came out
against HR 4194, the "Internet Anti-Corruption and Free Speech Protection Act
of 2005." While understanding the intent, Ashdown decried the bill as
comparable to Senator Hatch's failed "INDUCE Act" in the way that it
circumscribes all non-blog on line political activity.

"While I support the efforts of Representatives Shays and Meehan to close
soft-money loopholes, this is not the way to do it," Ashdown said. "The
mistake it makes, and this is the same broad clumsy brush that painted Hatch'
s INDUCE act, in that it refers to "web logs" only. INDUCE referred to "P2P"
technology without bothering to define it. P2P can equally cover the
technology behind email, instant messaging, and legal file transfers, all
which would have been made illegal by INDUCE." Senator Hatch introduced the
INDUCE Act after he said the government should be "destroying [illegal
downloaders] machines." (Ted Briddis, Associated Press, June 17, 2003) "HR
4194 seems to think that all political communication on the Internet is done
over "web logs" and therefore only that should be protected speech. Never
mind mailing lists, Usenet, web bulletin boards, audio, video, and other
technologies down the road."

Ashdown lauded Internet users for working to expand democratic discourse
through the net. "For the first time in the history of democracy, the
Internet presents the opportunity for all to have an equal voice in lobbying congress and political action. What disturbs me about the Congressional and FEC actions is that it appears they are attempting to curb that freedom."

For Ashdown, HR 4194 was just another example of a Congress that does not understand today's on line environment. "Some staffer thought the only speech that needed to be free was 'web logs' and therefore we have our amendment to protect 'that Internet thing'."

While condemning the practical effects of HR 4194, Ashdown praised the efforts of campaign finance reformers. "While I do not endorse this bill, I do wholeheartedly endorse the concept of campaign finance reform. However, I feel that reform efforts should be focused on the FEC, making it a competent, responsible agency that gives all Americans the assurance their democracy is not for sale."

When he is elected, Ashdown pledged to bring the ideas and knowledge of the technology community to the Senate. "What remains to be seen is whether the political efforts of on line communities will ever result in the election of a candidate who understands what they\'re talking about. I want to be that candidate, but I need the support of on line and off line communities to do it." What disturbs me about the Congressional and
FEC actions is that it appears they are attempting to curb that freedom."

For Ashdown, HR 4194 was just another example of a Congress that does not
understand today's on line environment. "Some staffer thought the only speech
that needed to be free was 'web logs' and therefore we have our amendment to
protect 'that Internet thing'."

While condemning the practical effects of HR 4194, Ashdown praised the efforts
of campaign finance reformers. "While I do not endorse this bill, I do
wholeheartedly endorse the concept of campaign finance reform. However, I feel
that reform efforts should be focused on the FEC, making it a competent,
responsible agency that gives all Americans the assurance their democracy is
not for sale."

When he is elected, Ashdown pledged to bring the ideas and knowledge of the
technology community to the Senate. "What remains to be seen is whether the
political efforts of on line communities will ever result in the election of a
candidate who understands what they're talking about. I want to be that
candidate, but I need the support of on line and off line communities to do
it."

INDUCE Act: http://www.corante.com/importance/archives/004563.html
Release: http://peteashdown.org/media/releases/20051115-HR4194.html
Blog: http://peteashdown.org/journal/2005/11/10/online-speech

Which race are you? Me? Well, I am tall.

Numenorean


To which race of Middle Earth do you belong?
brought to you by Quizilla

deseretnews.com | Y. professor thinks bombs, not planes, toppled WTC

At first blush, this seems like some real crackpot psuedo-science. Read more, and it presents a solid alternative to the 'official' explanation.

The first footage, I saw, of the collapsing towers amazed me. The collapse of all of the structures was remarkably similar to the many planned demolitions that have been filmed of condemned buildings. I was surprised to hear it explained that the heat from the igniting jet fuel liquified the steel support beams. Who has ever heard of that happening? Jet fuel burns quickly-surely not enough to cause what we saw on 9/11. The power inherent in a bomb is not the size of the bomb itself, but in what surrounds the bomb. That's why bombs that go off in buildings cause more damage than those that are detonated outside. Any explosions happening from the collision were coming from the outside, not inside the buildings. These are the thoughts that I, a layman, had when I heard the explanations surrounding the cause of the destruction.

Then I saw the article below and I imagined a plot from an Oliver Stone movie. I thought this professor is just trying to get published-get famous.

Maybe, I think too much.

Y. professor thinks bombs, not planes, toppled WTC

Utah Policy.com: George Will's Confusion

Utah Policy.com posted this statement culled from Hugh Hewitt's radio program.

"National radio host Hugh Hewitt pointed out yesterday on-air that George Will's latest column on Utah's rebellion against No Child Left Behind contains a few sentences that "would have received an 'F' if they had been written by a 3rd Grader." The sentences in question: "Not all Utahns are Mormons. Almost 11 percent are Hispanics, heading for 20 percent by 2020, and there is a significant population of Pacific islanders. But the state's singular tone is set by the Mormons." Though Hewitt, an evangelical, "disagrees with Mormon's theologically," he knows enough about them to recognize "they're not some kind of ethnic group, segregated and cut off from everybody else in Utah. Doesn't Will know that many Utah Hispanics and Pacific islanders happen to be Mormons, too?""

Google Maps Mania: A game of RISK on Google Maps

I registered for the game of RISK when I got married. Everything else we asked for was actually practical. When someone actually gave us the game I was excited. After the honeymoon was over, and we got down to some real life, I decided to crack open the game.

My decision to not play RISK with my wife ever again saved my marriage.

Google Maps Mania: A game of RISK on Google Maps

Wilson-Plame: Who's wearing the pants?

An article in Utah Politics on Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame has this humorous line.

"Former Ambassador Joe Wilson, wife of Valerie Plame..."

Maybe Valerie wears the pants in the family? Who am I to say?

Whiny and Inaccurate Self-Pleading

White House bares teeth at The Onion | News.blog | CNET News.com

The Whitehouse has sent a cease and desist letter to the satirical newspaper, The Onion, for its use of the Whitehouse seal in it's articles.

"Lawyers for the administration noted that U.S. Code forbids the use of the seal "in connection with commercial ventures or products in any way that suggests presidential support or endorsement." Exceptions are allowed, the Times said, but the Onion had not applied for one."

So, does this apply to only commercial ventures or products alone. Does it apply on the level of a State? Does it apply to bloggers? The Wasatch Front has the Utah State Seal prominently placed. Does that imply to anyone that the State of Utah endorses that blog over others?

White House bares teeth at The Onion | News.blog | CNET News.com

How much is your blog worth? $3,$4?

Technorati has hacked together a nice algorithm that figures what a particular blog may be worth in cash. It is based on the alleged purchase price of a Weblogs, inc. weighed against the popularity of <'insert' your blog here>! My two blogs came in much better than I thought but I'll keep my day-job.

Farrercommons
$3,387.24

Davis County Watch
$1,693.62

CRS: Daylight Saving Time Shift

Starting in March, 2007, DST will begin on the 2nd Sunday in March and finish the 1st Sunday in November. That will amount to four extra weeks of DST each year. Congress has done this because they think it will help people conserve energy. Comments?

Daylight Saving Time

FT.com / In depth / Hurricane impact - Fema ex-chief blames 'dysfunctional' Louisiana

"Nancy Pelosi, the House minority leaders, said the hearings were a '“sham'.

"Questioning one Republican crony will not get the truth of the disastrous federal response to Hurricane Katrina and prevent it from happening again,"” she said. A group of Democrat congressmen has introduced a petition calling for a vote on the creation of an independent commission.""

I think that it is fine to hold hearings to address how the disaster response to Katrina was handled, but I have a problem with these 'independent commissions'. What knee-jerk concession led to this concept? Why does Congress create commissions to do the job of Congress? As I see it, Congress is authorized and duty-bound by the Constitution to provide oversight for the other two branches of the Government. The Congress are elected because the citizenry feel that they are qualified to do so. So, I have a hard time comprehending why we would want an extra layer of bureaucracy. We need to return to the days where if Congress wants to hold hearings , they do so, and Congress is answerable to the people.

Hurricane impact

Spaceflight Now | Delta Launch Report | GPS modernization begins with Delta rocket launch

A new modern GPS has been launched-the first of many to replace the older satellites. It is backwards compatible with most older receivers. I'm hoping the accuracy of my GPSr will improve. It should take a while for an entire constellation of new satellites to be put in place, but this is a start.

"The advancements for the military will provide warfighters with a more robust jam-resistant signal and enable better targeting of GPS-guided weapons in hostile environments, while the new civilian signal removes navigation errors caused by the Earth's ionosphere.

"I think this is a pretty huge step. We have essentially been operating on the original-design signals of GPS for over a decade, and this is going to be the first time we are actually adding new signals from space," said Col. Allan Ballenger, GPS system program director at the Space and Missile Systems Center. "

Spaceflight Now|GPS modernization begins with Delta rocket launch

CRS:Terrorism-Riding the wave of illegal immigration

In 2004 1.6 million illegals attempted entry into the U.S. 93% of these aliens were Mexicans. The acronym OTM is used to describe those that are "other than Mexican" aliens. Mexico won't take OTM's back, and we don't have enough beds to detain them here so they are let loose inside the Country with explicit instructions to attend their court hearing. Is it ridiculous to assume that a person entering this country illegally won't volunteer to appear before a judge? It is It only takes a handful of people to execute a terrorist agenda (9 in the case of 9/11).

"...Terrorists and terrorist organizations could leverage these illicit networks to smuggle a person or weapon of mass destruction into the United States, while the large number of aliens attempting to enter the country illegally could potentially provide cover for the terrorists. Additionally, the proceeds from these smuggling networks could potentially be used to finance terrorism. The issue of OTM apprehensions has received publicity recently for many of these reasons, which were highlighted during congressional testimony by DHS then-Deputy Secretary Admiral James Loy when he stated that AlQaeda is considering infiltrating the Southwest border due to a belief that "illegal entry is more advantageous than legal entry for operational security reasons."

What can be done to fix this problem?

Border Security: Apprehensions of "Other Than Mexican"Aliens

Researcher dispels Myth of Dioxins and Plastic Water Bottles

Here is something to think about as you are updating your 72 hour kits.

"First, people should be more concerned about the quality of the water they are drinking rather than the container it’s coming from. Many people do not feel comfortable drinking tap water, so they buy bottled water instead. The truth is that city water is much more highly regulated and monitored for quality. Bottled water is not. It can legally contain many things we would not tolerate in municipal drinking water."

Point being there are risks associated with drinking bottled water that don't exist for tap water. I have nine gallons of distilled water packed away for my little family. What factors should I take into account when storing this stuff (i.e. keep out of direct sunlight, keep cool, etc...)?

Myth of Dioxins and Plastic Water Bottles.

Celebrity maps

Back in April, CNET reported on a poll done of Americans in which 72% favored censorship of personal information about celebrities. I took that as a challenge to obtain as much information about celebrities as my readers could provide. I received zero response. I did stumble upon this tool today. It lists celebrity addresses and maps them on GoogleMaps.

Celebrity Maps

CRS Speaks to Katrina Response: Bloggers blame Bush

Democracy for Utah and The Raw Story are both reporting that President Bush has been blamed by an Congressional Research Service for his response to Katrina. This is patently false.

My comment to Democracy for Utah reads:

"If you read the report in it's entirety, available from CRS(pdf), you would see that President Bush is also absolved from blame in his response.

"...In response to the Governor's requests, it appears that the President did take the steps necessary to trigger the availability of Stafford Act emergency assistance and disaster assistance, by declaring first a state of emergency, and later a major disaster, and authorizing specific Stafford Act assistance to be made available to the State of Louisiana to respond to the effects of the Hurricane..."

Nowhere in the letter does any blame get assigned to anyone. "

The Tax Foundation - Tax Reform and Revenue Neutrality: President's Panel Should Avoid the Redistribution of 1986

The Tax Foundation has weighed in on the idea of committing to a revenue neutral Tax reform.

"A good revenue-neutral tax reform plan would involve no deliberate redistribution between the corporate and individual income tax systems. The tax code should raise sufficient revenue to fund government programs, not act as a tool for social engineering or political patronage. Thus, the goal of tax reform is to make the tax code more simple, fair, and economically efficient by eliminating special tax breaks and applying the lowest possible tax rate on the widest possible tax base—in other words “plucking the goose as to obtain the largest possible amount of feathers with the smallest amount of hissing" as Jean Baptiste Colbert wrote some 250 years ago."

Governor Huntsman has elicited no willingness to consider anything but a revenue neutral reform. Why will he not consider a break when there are clear excesses? Despite this I do think that the Task force is going about 'plucking the goose' all wrong.

The Tax Foundation - Tax Reform and Revenue Neutrality: President's Panel Should Avoid the Redistribution of 1986

Roberts Repeatedly Dodges Roe V. Wade

It seems that Specter isn't much of an apparition.

Did the Senators think that the man that has argued more than any other in front of the Supreme Court would buckle under pressure when faced with the likes of Specter and Kennedy?

Washington Post:Roberts Repeatedly Dodges Roe V. Wade

Citizens Against Government Waste: CAGW Issues "No Pork" Challenge to Congress on Hurricane Relief

What an interesting idea. Create a bill for Emergency relief without any extraneous and unrelated projects included (i.e. pork barrell, swine bucket, etc) .

CAGW:Challenge to Congress