The Journal of Left of Center Thinking :: January 14, 2007 - January 20, 2007

God’s Gay Child

Short and Sweet.

Dems: First 100

Seeking to recoup royalties from the Oil Companies that were lost, end some tax breaks.

Things I learn in Law School

Pen Knives are called that, because they used to be used to cut new nibs on a quill pen.

Why yes, I did have to read about the evolution of printing as part of an overview of how technology has affected law practice.

I also learned that the modern ball point pen was created by a Hungarian who fled the Nazis. It was created to help the RAF, because the old style ‘Metal Quill’ pens tended to leak at high altitudes.

Note to Dems

Please repeat, frequently and loudly, that the GOP is stalling the ethics bill by using a filibuster.

Question

Don’t the rights and responsibilities of marriage come at the same time?

To Dream the impossible dream

Wouldn’t it have been nice for this to be done, before it started to effect family members of our elected officials?

Nothing brings an issue to the fore-front, like it personally effecting someone in power. This is why I think we should tie our elected official salaries to the Minimum Wage. If they want raises, then they need to raise the MW as well.

Hair Splitting

I think Gonzales is technically correct here, but he’s purposely obscuring the issue by hiding behind an ultra-technical definition.

Habeas corpus is the actual order from a court to have a prisoner brought before them. There are specific requirements to be met before such an order may be given – and just requesting a writ of HC doesn’t mean you’ll be granted one.

In that light, the constitution doesn’t grantee everyone the right to a writ.

What Gonzales doesn’t focus on is the fact that they are trying to remove the right of people (or specifically, a court who would order it), who otherwise meet the requirements.

And that’s Specter’s point. And Gonzales is aware of it, I’m sure.

This is funny

And yes, I’m jealous I don’t have one.

Don’t Think

There aren’t people in this country who think this is a good idea.

Damn Consitution.

The Free Market

I’m entering the MP3 player market a little late. While I have a large CD collection, and have ripped a lot of my music to my laptop, I am usually with my laptop, or in my car, or home. So, I hadn’t really seen the need.

About 5 years ago, however, I bout my partner an Intel MP3 player. Two years ago, I bought him a Dell jukebox (I refused to buy him an IPod – more on that in a second). My few times using it, have made me appreciate it. And, since we moved, I now spend more time on the train – and pulling out the laptop is a hassle – especially if standing.

So, today I bought one (Not an IPod). And, so far, my experience has been a huge cry for regulation of the MP3 market. Now, let me stress that my music is all on the up and up. In fact, that’s the problem.

I use MusicMatch. I have used them almost since they went live. I have bought an odd collection of music from them, over time. Yesterday, in anticipation of my new toy, I downloaded the Simon and Garfunkle central park concert (9.99).

Today, I bought my player. Installed it. Downloaded the patch. Imported my Music, and tried to transfer it to the player. And was denied.

The problem? This MP3 player doesn’t support the Windows Protected files that Music match downloads. So, I spent time looking for a converter (The free version of music match doesn’t convert to MP3s, and the player’s music management program only will convert from WMA to their proprietary file types. (The mp3 player plays MP3 files, but won’t convert to them).

So, I tried a few free WMA to MP3 converters with no luck. Now, I am forced to burn the music to blank CDs, as audio files, then turn around and rip them in MP3 format. (My other ripped music is already in MP3 format, so their fine. Just the music I legally downloaded was the problem).

My reason for refusing to buy an Ipod is the same. I should be able to pick the service I want to use to download music, and pick the player I want to own. Everybody is so focused on squeezing every last dollar out of the consumer, what should have been a leap forward in my music listening pleasure, has put me off the whole process.

I bet if I had illegally downloaded the music, I wouldn’t have had a problem…

dolphin said (at January 18, 2007 07:23 AM):

Henry said (at January 18, 2007 02:44 PM):

dolphin said (at January 26, 2007 01:32 PM):

dolphin said (at January 26, 2007 01:33 PM):

I’m pro gay marriage

But this still baffles me.

More Gay Legal Stuff

I’m actually considering focusing on this issue as the basis for a research paper for Law School.

You Know

If states would recognize gay relationships, and offer them some form of protection, then stuff like this wouldn’t happen.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m not sure that person in this case is morally entitled to anything. But, lots of people who aren’t really entitled to things get them, because of a poorly worded will.

The reason Adult Adoption became a tool of gay couples, is that when gays left each other things in their wills, the family of the deceased would often contest the will – usually using the fact that it was a gay relationship, and the widowed partner would lose everything.

Adult Adoption was harder to defeat because even if the will is contested, the partner would take as an heir.

Drudge

Fox may take 24 nuclear

Unless, of course, they have already seen Jericho

More Spying on Americans

We can only hope all this spying allows them to stumble upon a copy of the constitution.

For those keeping track, that's phone calls, financial records, travel, mail...

Shorter Bush

I’ve made plenty of mistakes in the war in Iraq, but everyone else is wrong this time.

Cheney wins the irony award for the ‘Committee’ comment. Maybe if Bush had allowed a few other dissenting voices to reach him, rather than getting rid of people who didn’t agree, we might be at a different place.