Good thing the DMCA wasn’t around when Compaq reverse engineered the the IBM PC: Federal Judge Rules Against Reverse-engineering.
Wow, I had no idea that there were developers who aren’t aware of Jesse’s awesome bookmarklets, especially surprising that Eric, who works at Netscape didn’t. (see bugzilla)
Anyway, thought I’d give it a little googlejuice, for the good of developers everywhere. It’s step 3 on my intermediate web development check list (step 1 is installing Mozilla).
Related: gemal.dk: Using Mozilla in testing and debugging web sites, Brad’s Mozilla resource page, List of Mozilla links from September 2002, old post from January 2002)
Republicans Want Terror Law Made Permanent
In completely unrelated news, US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says Syria has been ignoring a warning he gave last week about giving military assistance to Iraq and that some senior Iraqis were fleeing to Syria.
Salon on Jon Stewart’s Daily Show. Not getting cable, the only Daily Show I occasionally watch are the clips on Lisa’s site. [speaking of which, looks like this media analysis piece is on there]
After the war started, Stewart had the following conversations with Colbert, who was wearing his “senior media analyst” hat:
Stewart: What should the media’s role be in covering the war?
Colbert: Very simply, the media’s role should be the accurate and objective description of the hellacious ass-whomping we’re handing the Iraqis.
Stewart: Hellacious ass-whomping? Now to me, that sounds pretty subjective.
Colbert: Are you saying it’s not an ass-whomping, Jon? I suppose you could call it an ass-kicking or an ass-handing-to. Unless, of course, you love Hitler.
Stewart [stammering]: I don’t love Hitler.
Colbert: Spoken like a true Hitler-lover.
Stewart: Look, even some American generals have said that the Iraqis have put up more resistance than they were expected to.
Colbert: First rule of journalism, Jon, is to know your sources. Sounds like these “generals” of yours may be a little light in the combat boots, if you know what I’m saying.
Stewart: I don’t think I know what you’re saying.
Colbert: I’m saying they’re queers, Jon. They’re Hitler-loving queers.
Stewart: I’m perplexed. Is your position that there’s no place for negative words or even thoughts in the media?
Colbert: Not at all, Jon. Doubts can happen to everyone, including me, but as a responsible journalist, I’ve taken my doubts, fears, moral compass, conscience and all-pervading skepticism about the very nature of this war and simply placed them in this empty Altoids box. [Produces box.] That’s where they’ll stay, safe and sound, until Iraq is liberated.
Stewart: Isn’t it the media’s responsibility in wartime …
Colbert: That’s my point, Jon! The media has no responsibility in wartime. The government’s on top of it. The media can sit this one out.
Stewart: And do what?
Colbert: Everything it’s always wanted to do but had no time for: travel, see the world, write that novel. I know the media has always wanted to try yoga. This is a great time to take it up. It’s very stressful out there — huge war going on. Jon, hear me out, it was Thomas Jefferson who said, “Everyone imposes his own system as far as his army can reach.”
Stewart: Stephen, Stalin said that. That was Stalin. Jefferson said he’d rather have a free press and no government than a government and no free press.
Colbert: Well, what do you expect from a slave-banging, Hitler-loving queer?
Phone Number (non) Portability
WP is reporting that Wireless Firms Still Fight Portable Phone Numbers. To anyone following the situation this, it should be no surprise (for anyone interested, I wrote a rant on this last year). What’s been interesting was seeing a recent spate of coverage/posts that acted as if another forbearance wouldn’t be requested. It looks like now, they’re going to play the 9/11 card:
“I would rather see our resources devoted to safety of life and protection of property rather than addressing regulations of convenience,” said Brian Fontes, vice president for federal regulations for Cingular Wireless.
Despicable. (Although my current disgust is more with the spinelessness of the FCC, whom every single mobile subscriber continues to pay at least a buck or two in taxes/fees every month [several hundred million dollars cum.] – where’s that going to Mr. Powell?)
dangerousmeta comments on the latest NYT Paul Krugman Op-Ed. From the piece:
Last week John Kerry told an audience that “what we need now is not just a regime change in Saddam Hussein and Iraq, but we need a regime change in the United States.” Republicans immediately sought to portray this remark as little short of treason. “Senator Kerry crossed a grave line when he dared to suggest the replacement of America’s commander in chief at a time when America is at war,” declared Marc Racicot, chairman of the Republican National Committee.
Notice that Mr. Racicot wasn’t criticizing Mr. Kerry’s choice of words. Instead, he denounced Mr. Kerry because he “dared to suggest the replacement of America’s commander in chief” — knowing full well that Mr. Kerry was simply talking about the next election. Mr. Racicot, not Mr. Kerry, is the one who crossed a grave line; never in our nation’s history has it been considered unpatriotic to oppose an incumbent’s re-election.
PhpUnit – unit testing framework for PHP
Anil is right, Josh Llano is an evil, sick bastard. Of course, those who prostelytize are always doing stuff like this. Josh Llano is simply a prelude to what’ll happen after the fighting in Iraq. (more in Google News)
Here’s an Al-Jazeera report with some choice quotes:
“We do not deny the name of Christ. We believe in sharing him in deed and in word,” said Mark Kelly, a spokesman for the Southern Baptists.
The missionaries say that they plan to address the physical and spiritual needs of the Iraqi population.