Of 85,532 new registered voters in the south Florida county, 56,175 were Democrats, only 9,313 were Republican. That is, 66 percent of new registration were Democratic, only 11 percent were Republican (the rest were third party and ‘no party affiliation’).

Even more incredible is the shift in the Latino voter away from the GOP. Of the 45,881 new Hispanic voters, only 7,236, or 16 percent, registered Republican. 25,907, or 56 percent, registered Democratic. The ranks of registered African American has grown by over 10 percent. And sure, Republicans picked up 80 of them, but another 22,035 of them slotted in with the Democrats.

Now, lets put this hanging-chad thing behind us, OK?

Contrast that situation for DVDs. The newest iPods can play back video as well as music. However, Apple is unable to offer the same ability to import DVDs as it does with CDs. This is because DVDs to have a technological protections measure that, though easily bypassed, provides a legal framework for the content owners to prevent Apple from offering this functionality. This means that, although my CD collection has proved to have value beyond its original purpose, the only thing I can do with DVDs is play them as the studio originally intended.

This situation means that “innovation” is at the mercy of the established content players. In the history of progress, the dominant players in the industry are not the innovators. The VCR, although an innovative way to watch television, was seen as a threat to the content industry and its makers sued. The tape deck suffered the same threat. Luckily, these technologies existed before the DMCA and the Grokster decision. Nobody in America today can build the next VCR or tape deck. Either these technologies won’t exist or they will be invented somewhere else.

The Recording Industry likes to claim that “many other services are coming to market because of a secure environment rooted in the DMCA’s protections.” However, this is like the cable industry saying there is a free market for television viewing because you can choose a “Movie and Sports” package. Or the auto industry claiming there is a free market because you can choose the color of your car. Real free markets are about people choosing between products from competing companies, not by companies offering a limited range of goods that they control through a cartel.

Technorati Tags: copyfight, DRM

So the point Geeklawyer made was on the anti-French slant in the article and, while I agree, I think it’s also interesting that the pro-America raving was all about how America allows for more innovation.

You see, according to the reporter, America is better for innovation because we have laws that allow Apple to create a de-facto monopoly on digital music downloads. Uh, of wait. That’s not what a free market is supposed to allow.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t agree with the French law. I don’t think Apple should be forced to help other companies operate with iTunes Music. But, I do think they should make is explicitly legal for companies to do so.

In the US, the DMCA prevents any competitor of Apple’s from being able to create a player that customers can use with their iTunes purchased music. That doesn’t sound like a free market to me.

Technorati Tags: DMCA, DRM

In other words, he wants us to stop calling him names.

Well, I remember 9/11. Even though it’s mostly been edited out of the collective consciousness, I remember Bush sitting on his ass, dumbstruck, impotent, and out of the loop when he was told about the hijacked planes.

I also remember Bush going missing for two or three days after the attacks. It’s because there’s a credible threat against the President, we were told. Of course, we later find out the White House made it up (Washington Post).

So, yes, just like 9/11, Bush sits on his ass doing nothing while the country is threatened. In 2001, he was reading a children’s book. In 2005, he was playing a guitar.

Just like 9/11, Bush is nowhere to be seen for days afterwards while the country wonders where their President might be hiding out.

Just like 9/11, the Bush White House makes up stories about the reason for Bush’s lack of action. In 2001, it was because he was hiding from evil terrorists (while Dick Chaney somehow was safe in the White House). In 2005, it was because, oh well, take your pick: “They never asked us to help” or “Shucks, nobody could have predicted this would happen”, etc. All lies.

Of course, unlike 9/11, this wasn’t a surprise. I’m 1500 miles away and I knew the storm was going to turn north and strengthen. I knew that disaster planners had worried about the New Orleans levees in the face of a major hurricane. I knew there was going to be a massive rescue and recovery operation required.

How did I know? Well, I read the National Hurricane Center reports. I looked at the new media reporting on the possible consequences of a major storm hitting New Orleans. Like the one the New Orleans Times Picayune published in 2002.

But, perhaps I should forgive Bush. After all, I forgot that Bush doesn’t actually read much news.

Technorati Tags: Bush, Katrina, New Orleans

Sorry to be so blunt, but what fucking decade are we in that the First Lady President’s mother can say something like “What I’m hearing, which is sort of scary, is they all want to stay in Texas.”

So, who exactly is “they” in that statement Mrs. Bush?

Poor people? Black People? I’d like to believe she meant poor people (at least it’s slightly less shocking), but I doubt it.

Update:
Here’s a link to the NPR interview where Barbara Bush made her remarks: NPR

Technorati Tags: Bush, New Orleans

From the news reports I’ve read, he’s right. For example, here’s a report about Bush’s visit to the disaster area. Apparently, it was entirely staged with the food distribution point torn down as soon as he left.

If you just want to hear the radio interview, it’s here.

Technorati Tags: Bush, Katrina, New Orleans

First, we have Bush outright lying about people predicting the nature of the disaster. Plenty of people predicted that New Orleans was likely to be flooded after a major hurricane. I knew that, and I was just some guy who reads the newspaper.

Then, we have Bush asking people not to “play politics” over this situation. I’m sorry, but Mr. Bush, perhaps nobody explained your job to you, but the safety and security of U.S. Citizens is a) Your Job and b) exactly what “politics” is about.

But hey, this is your right-wing ideal isn’t it? Surely it’s up to the state governments to handle right? Because the federal government should only be fighting wars on foreign soil.

Bullshit.

I’m not angry about the failure of the emergency services to handle this situation, but I am angry that Bush is trying to convince people that the situation is inevitable and nothing could have been done.

Maybe I’ll write more when I calm down. Perhaps if I can take five weeks of vacation I’ll be able to thing more clearly.

Technorati Tags: Bush, Katrina

There’s a pledge over a pledge banks (http://www.pledgebank.com/rights) to get people to fund it.

I think the idea initially is to get enough money together to fund someone to act as a media contact/PR person to raise awarness.

This is apparently a response to September 11th, but it’s nothing but more window dressing from the Bush administration. The FBI already knew suspected terrorists were in the US and taking flying lessons. The outgoing administration warned Bush to keep an eye on Al Qaeda. But, unfortunately, our commander-in-cheif spent his summer playing golf and ignoring intelligence reports instead of beefing up security. So, I’m not sure how more intelligence would have helped any.

Bush enacts anti-terror measures:
The US president approves 70 new measures to fight terror and prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction.