Armchair Philosophy

Inside Sarah Palin's Head

Fri, 3 Oct 2008 12:57:21 PDT

Looks like those days in debate camp were pretty productive!

Playboy.com Goes Mobile with iPhone-compatible Version

Fri, 4 Apr 2008 11:02:54 PDT

Playboy, America’s favorite magazine (for the articles), just announced an iPhone version of the Playboy.com website. The site features an iPhone-esque UI and includes a HotorNot clone, a nightlife adviser, and Playboy Radio, an MP3-based online radio show.

Read more

Microsoft offers $44.6B for Yahoo

Fri, 1 Feb 2008 07:16:39 PDT

Microsoft Corp. has pounced on slumping Internet icon Yahoo Inc. with an unsolicited takeover offer of $44.6 billion in its boldest bid yet to challenge Google Inc.'s dominance of the lucrative online search and advertising markets.

The surprise offer of $31 per share, made late Thursday and announced Friday, comes with Sunnyvale-based Yahoo in a vulnerable position.

In a statement Friday, Yahoo said it will "carefully and promptly" study Microsoft's bid.

With its profits steadily sliding, Yahoo's stock slipped to a four-year low earlier this week and a new management team has been trying to steer a turnaround but sees more turbulence through 2008.

The announcement sent Yahoo's share price up 60 percent in premarket trading, while Google fell 8 percent, weighted down by a fourth-quarter earnings report that missed Wall Street expectations.

In a letter to Yahoo's board of directors, Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer indicated the world's largest software maker is determined to bring the two companies together.

To underscore its resolve, Microsoft is offering a 62 percent premium to Yahoo's closing stock price Thursday.

Since reaching a 52-week high of $34.08 in October, Yahoo shares have fallen 46 percent. Yahoo climbed $10.40 a share, or 54 percent, to $29.58 in premarket trading. Microsoft shares fell $1.40, or 4.3 percent, to $31.20.

Ballmer revealed in the letter that Yahoo had rebuffed a previous overture a year ago, saying it had a turnaround in the works. But he pointedly noted Yahoo has instead deteriorated significantly.

"A year has gone by, and the competitive situation has not improved," Ballmer added.

Microsoft's previous offer was rebuffed by Terry Semel, who stepped aside last year as chief executive under shareholder pressure.

Apple Announces iTunes Movie Rentals and new AppleTV

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 09:56:53 PDT

iTunes Movie Rentals

Steve Jobs announced today the launch of iTunes Movie Rentals at the annual MacWorld conference.

"We have every major studio supporting us with iTunes Movie Rentals." - Touchstone, MGM, Miramax, Lions Gate, Fox, WB, Walt Disney, Paramount, Universal, and Sony.

Over 1000 films by end of Feb, availible on iTunes
30 days after DVD release.
Watch anywhere. Mac, PC, all iPods, iPhone.
Watch instantly. 30 second start time with broadband.
30 days to start watching it. 24 hours to finish watching it once you start.
Can transfer to device while you're watching.
Start on computer, finish mobile.
Rent library title: $2.99. New releases, $3.99

iTunes Movie Rentals launches today.

AppleTV

No computer required to use is, but still syncs to computer if you like.
Can rent movies directly from iTunes using AppleTV.
Can rent HD with 5.1 sound, or DVD quality
Podcasts right from Apple TV, Photos from flickr and .mac, videos from YouTube.
Over 50M videos.
Can buy TV and music directly from TV, and will sync back to computer if you like.
Can play iTunes content from computer.
HD pricing - $3.99 for library titles, $4.99 for new releases
Entirely new UI for AppleTV.

iPhone Feeds - Feed Reader App for iPhone

Sat, 16 Jun 2007 15:05:19 PDT

iPhone Feeds is a proof of concept for a Feed Reader iPhone Application.

Simply hit the "+" sign to add the URL of a feed. Feeds can be removed by hitting "edit".

Built with PHP, AJAX, and MagpieRSS.

Please leave your feedback in the comments below.

HOW TO: Access your Mac from anywhere

Sun, 11 Feb 2007 13:23:44 PDT

This is Part 1 of a series of articles about setting up services on your Mac that you can access over the internet.

Have you ever wanted to get a file from your Mac, but it's at home and you're at work? How about listening to your iTunes Library when you're at a friends house, or better yet starting a small online radio station your friends can tune into?

This article will walk through the steps of pointing a domain name to your Mac at home, whether you have a single Mac or a home network full of 'em, and access your files remotely. This is only recommended for those people on a high-speed connection, at least DSL or Cable - a dial up connection probably won't work well for most people. Future articles will include discussions about setting up an online radio station, and controlling your computer remotely.

Step 1 - Find an Available Domain Name

In order to connect to your Mac, you'll need to know its address on the internet. All computers are assigned an IP address while online, but almost all ISPs will assign you a "dynamic" IP, which will change often and with no notice, as opposed to a "static" IP, which never changes. If you're lucky enough (or pay extra) to have a static IP, then this tutorial is not for you. For those who have Cable or DSL, you'll need a domain name to point to your home Mac to get around this problem.

Domain names are registered through a domain name registrar company. You can use any company you like, but for this example I'll be using GoDaddy, where new domains currently cost $8.95/year. The domain name I'll be using for this example is MyMacAtHome.com.

On the GoDaddy homepage, search for the domain name you'd like to register. If it's available, you'll see something like this:

If you find an available domain name that you like, hit the big orange "Continue" button.

Step 2 - Create Your GoDaddy Account
GoDaddy will now ask you to complete "Domain Registration Information", which includes your name, email, etc. This will setup your GoDaddy account. Hit "Continue" when you're finished.

If you already have an account with GoDaddy, you can login here and skip this step.

Step 3 - ZoneEdit and DNS
The next step in the GoDaddy checkout process, "Registration and Checkout Options", is important because we'll be updating some of the settings of this new domain name - namely, the Nameservers. Before we can complete this step, though, we need to setup an account with a free DNS service. I'll be using ZoneEdit.

The DNS record we're about to setup will tell computers on the 'net where to look for the computer that the domain name is supposed to point to. Once someone types in "MyMacAtHome.com", GoDaddy will ask ZoneEdit for the IP address of my Mac, so the request can be sent where it's supposed to go.

On the ZoneEdit homepage, click "Free Signup". Fill out the information, make sure "Select Service Option" is set to "Free Trial", and hit "Sign Up Now" to setup your account. You'll need to check your email to retrieve your generated username and password. Then click the link in the email to login.

Once logged in, you'll be presented with a link to "Add Zones". Click this, and enter your domain name in the text box on the next screen, like below:

Then click "Add Zone".

The next page is very important, as ZoneEdit will now provide the name server addresses you need to enter at GoDaddy.com. The information below is part of the example - be sure you use the information ZoneEdit provides YOU, not the information below:

Now, return to GoDaddy, and click the link that says "click here to set nameservers", illustrated below:

(note: if you took a long time to complete the ZoneEdit signup, GoDaddy may have timed out, at which point you'll need to search again for your domain and get back to the screen illustrated above)

Once you click the "nameservers" link, boxes will pop up in which you can enter the information from ZoneEdit, as follows:

Other options on this page include "Registration length", which can be as low as 1 year, and "Quick Checkout", which skips a lot of extra offers from GoDaddy during the checkout process. Change both of these, then click "Continue".

Finish the checkout process with GoDaddy.

Step 4 - DNSUpdate

So, to recap - GoDaddy will have the record of the domain name we want to use. It will then ask ZoneEdit for the IP address of our computer, so requests to our domain name goes to the intended destination.

But how does ZoneEdit know what our IP address is, especially if it's dynamic and will change often?

Enter DNSUpdate (click to download the latest version) - a small, nifty program that runs on your Mac and notifies ZoneEdit if and when your IP address changes. This way, requests to our domain name will always go to our home Mac, even if our IP address has changed.

Once you download the program using the link above, drag it into your Applications folder, or wherever else you'd like to keep it. Then, start the program. Once the program begins to load, it will ask you to install a daemon that will activate DNSUpdate when you computer starts up. Click Install and wait for the install to complete.

(note: for this to work correctly, make sure you setup DNSUpdate on a computer that's always on. You can't update your IP, or connect remotely, when your Mac is powered off.)

Once the program is loaded, you will see a window like this:

First, hit the "Add User" button. The following window will pop up:

Simply add your account information from ZoneEdit, and then change the drop down menu to the "ZoneEdit.com" option. Hit "Add" when complete. Once your new user shows up in the main window of DNSUpdate, make sure to click the "active" box, which will allow DNSUpdate to talk to ZoneEdit.

Now, you need to add information about your domain name. With your user highlighted, click the "Add Host" button. The following window will pop up:

Enter your domain name in the "Hostname" field. If you have a single computer and no network, leave the drop down menu on "Default Interface". If you have a home network with a router, you'll need to change the drop down to "External", so it reports your external IP address, not your home network IP.

Hit "Add" when complete.

If everything is setup correctly, you should now see your user, and your host, and both will have a status of "OK". If you like, you can return to ZoneEdit.com, click "Edit Zones", and double check that your account is setup correctly. The address you see in the field "IP Address" should match the IP address of your internet connection. To find your IP address, you can use the website ShowMyIP.com to view it.

(note: it may take some time for your new domain to propagate across the internet - sometimes it's instant, other times in can take a day or two. If you have DNSUpdate setup correctly, and have set the correct nameservers with GoDaddy, and your domain name isn't working, it may take some time for it to "kick in".)

Step 5 - File Sharing

Now that you can access your computer remotely, you need to setup some useful services so you have something to do once you connect. For all those times you forgot to grab an important document before you left the house, we'll setup remote file sharing.

Fire up your System Preferences and hit the "Sharing" button. Under the "Services" tab, there is a list of services you can run on your Mac, the first of which is "Personal File Sharing". Click the checkbox next to Personal File Sharing to start this service.

To access your files remotely from a computer away from home, do the following:

In the Finder, go to the "Go" menu, and select "Connect to Server" (or hit Command-K from the Finder).
In the box that pops up, type in the following: afp://yourdomainname.com
where yourdomainname.com is the domain you registered.
Hit the "+" sign to save this address as a favorite.
Hit "Connect"
When prompted, enter your username and password for the account on your remote Mac, and select the drive you'd like to mount.

If you are running a firewall, check to make sure it allows traffic on Port 548 & 427.

Also, if you're running a home network through a router, you'll need to setup Port Forwarding on ports 548 & 427 and forward that traffic to the Mac you want to connect to remotely. See your router manual for instructions.

Conclusion

That's it! Now you can access your home computer using your custom domain name, and add, edit and delete files from your home computer. Check back soon for additional articles that use your new remote-accessible Mac to setup an online radio station, and to control your computer remotely.

Apple's Jobs urges music companies to change piracy stance

Wed, 7 Feb 2007 09:13:35 PDT

Apple Inc. Chief Executive Steve Jobs Tuesday issued a challenge to the music industry, saying Apple would support an open online music marketplace if the four-largest music companies would drop the use of digital-rights management software. That kind of software prevents the copying of music sold online.

In an open letter posted on Apple's Website, Jobs said "DRMs haven't worked, and may never work, to halt music piracy," and said the music companies receive few benefits from selling 90% of their music on CDs, which don't have DRM software built in, and the remaining amount online with DRM technology.

Apple's iTunes Music Store is currently listed as the world top-selling online music store with more than 2 billion songs sold.

11 Most Important Philosophical Quotations

Wed, 7 Feb 2007 15:22:05 PDT

1. “The unexamined life is not worth living” – Socrates (470-399 BCE)

Socrates’ [wiki] belief that we must reflect upon the life we live was partly inspired by the famous phrase inscribed at the shrine of the oracle at Delphi, “Know thyself.” The key to finding value in the prophecies of the oracle was self-knowledge, not a decoder ring.

Socrates felt so passionately about the value of self-examination that he closely examined not only his own beliefs and values but those of others as well. More precisely, through his relentless questioning, he forced people to examine their own beliefs. He saw the citizens of his beloved Athens sleepwalking through life, living only for money, power, and fame, so he became famous trying to help them.

Read the rest...

Favre to play in 2007 (updated)

Fri, 2 Feb 2007 11:38:26 PDT

Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre will return for the 2007 season, he told the Sun Herald in an exclusive interview this morning.

"I am so excited about coming back," he said. "We have a good nucleus of young players. We were 8-8 last year and that's encouraging.

"My offensive line looks good, the defense played good down the stretch. I'm excited about playing for a talented young football team."

Favre, the former Hancock North Central and Southern Miss star, told the team about his return this morning. He said he'd made the decision after consulting with his family at home in Hattiesburg. His wife Deanna said she didn't want to be involved in the decision-making this time around, though.

His older brother, Scott Favre, found out while working out in a gym.

"He made the decision on his own," Scott Favre said. "Deanna, his wife, didn't want anything to do with the decision this time around.

"He was leaning toward retirement during the middle of the season. Then, the team turned things around and that rejuvenated him to play again."

Favre said he wanted to come back in the locker room after the season finale against the Chicago Bears. Last year, he waited until late April to let the team know he was coming back.

This morning, he called the team then told favorite receiver Donald Driver before calling the Sun Herald.

Packers general manager Ted Thompson confirmed Favre had told the team he plans to return.

"The Packers are excited by his decision and look forward to a successful 2007 campaign," Thompson said in a statement.

The team scheduled a 3 p.m. news conference Friday.

Found: New Bumper Stickers

Fri, 26 Jan 2007 06:58:19 PDT

That's OK, I Wasn't Using My Civil Liberties Anyway
Let's Fix Democracy in This Country First
If You Want a Nation Ruled By Religion, Move to Iran
If You Can Read This, You're Not Our President
Hey, Bush Supporters: Embarrassed Yet?
George Bush: Creating the Terrorists Our Kids Will Have to Fight
Impeachment: It's Not Just for Blowjobs Anymore
America: One Nation, Under Surveillance
They Call Him "W" So He Can Spell It
No, Seriously, Why Did We Invade Iraq?
We're Making Enemies Faster Than We Can Kill Them
Is It Vietnam Yet?
Bush Doesn't Care About White People, Either
You Elected Him. You Deserve Him
Impeach Cheney First
When Bush Took Office, Gas Was $1.46
The Republican Party: Our Bridge to the 11th Century
What Part of "Bush Lied" Don't You Understand?
2004: Embarrassed – 2005: Horrified – 2006: Terrified
Bush Never Exhaled
At Least Nixon Resigned
As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron. - H. L. Mencken (1880 - 1956)

Doyle to ask for bans on smoking, supports at least a $1 boost in cigarette tax

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 06:41:08 PDT

From the "OH GOD NO!" Department

Gov. Jim Doyle will announce today his support for an increase in the cigarette tax of more than $1 a pack and call for legislation banning smoking statewide in workplaces and public places, including taverns and restaurants.

Gov. Jim Doyle will announce today his support for an increase in the cigarette tax of more than $1 a pack and call for legislation banning smoking statewide in workplaces and public places, including taverns and restaurants.

Health care interest groups have been lobbying for a $1 increase in the cigarette tax, which would more than double the current tax of 77 cents and bring it to $1.77 per pack. But sources said Doyle is expected to go beyond that and back an increase of as much as $1.25.

Doyle is slated to make the announcement at 9:30 this morning at the governor's mansion. He will offer a broad package that is intended to reduce smoking in Wisconsin, counter increasing health care costs related to smoking and address the effects of secondhand smoke.

The smoking ban Doyle will propose would supersede less stringent local ordinances already in place. Fifteen states plus the District of Columbia have workplace smoking bans, according to the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation.

Doyle was reportedly influenced by strong evidence that increasing the cost of smoking makes people more likely to quit and less likely to begin puffing in the first place. The package will include strong support for smoking-cessation programs.

Doyle declined to comment on his plans on Tuesday.

Maureen Busalacchi, executive director of SmokeFree Wisconsin, said smoking rates among teens and pregnant women would plummet if the tax were raised by $1 per pack or more.

"It would be one of the most fundamental health-care policy items the Legislature could enact," she said.

The tax increase will be included in the budget Doyle introduces early next month. The Democratic Senate and Republican-run Assembly will then have a chance to rewrite the budget before giving it to Doyle for final approval.

The smoking ban would be in a bill separate from the budget.

Increasing the cigarette tax by $1 a pack would raise an additional $236.8 million of new revenue in its first full year, and $197.6 million in subsequent years, according to estimates from the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau.

That new revenue would be nearly a quarter of the $1 billion a year the state spends to help fund health care programs for the elderly, disabled and low-income residents. The state could also get more in federal Medicaid funding if state contributions to the program increase.

In December, the Healthy Wisconsin Council, convened by Doyle to find health care solutions, backed a $1-a-pack increase to pay for extending Medicaid coverage to an additional 61,000 adults and creating a reinsurance pool to cover the cost of catastrophic care, which would help 100,000 people get access to less-expensive insurance.

Since 1980, the cigarette tax has been raised seven times, with the last increase coming in 2001. An increase of $1.25 would put Wisconsin's tax at $2.02, higher than any of its neighbors.

Doyle has said he would support an increase only if assured the money would go toward health care and anti-smoking programs.

Sen. Robert Jauch (D-Poplar), a longtime supporter of an increase in the cigarette tax, said many of his colleagues are more receptive to the idea now.

"Anything we can do to discourage tobacco use in this state is a productive way to save lives and reduce costs," Jauch said.

Senate President Fred Risser (D-Madison), who has long backed efforts to raise the cigarette tax, said it would be easier to boost the tax in the state budget than with stand-alone legislation. To remove the proposed tax increase from Doyle's spending plan, lawmakers would have to make budget cuts to offset rising health-care costs.

Andre the Giant - The Greatest Drunk on Earth

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 13:46:20 PDT

While it can be argued that a miniscule handful of professional wrestlers matched Andre’s in-ring achievements (Gorgeous George back in the ‘40s and ‘50s, perhaps; Dusty Rhodes in the ‘70s, and Hulk Hogan, without a doubt, in the ‘80s), no other wrestler ever matched his exploits as a drunkard. In fact, no other human has ever matched Andre as a drinker. He is the zenith. He is the Mount Everest of inebriation.

As far as great drunkards go, there is Andre the Giant, and then there is everyone else.

The big man loved two things: wrestling and booze—mostly booze—and his appetites were of mythic proportion.

First, consider the number 7,000. It’s an important number, and a rather scary one considering its context, which is this—it has been estimated that Andre the Giant drank 7,000 calories worth of booze every day. The figure doesn’t include food. Just booze.

7,000 calories.

Every day.

I don’t know about you, but it makes my brain turn somersaults. Hell, it makes my brain perform an entire floor routine, complete with colored ribbons.

When Andre arrived in New York to begin his long working relationship with the McMahon family, his reputation as both a serious student of the nightlife and an extravagant spender was already a topic of speculation and wonder among East Coast wrestlers and promoters. Andre might make $15,000-$20,000 for a single appearance at Madison Square Garden, and a substantial amount of that went to settling the bar tabs he piled up as he boozed his way up and down Manhattan until sunrise. Andre’s generosity matched his size. He often invited a gang of fellow wrestlers along for the ride, as he disliked drinking alone, and picked up some truly staggering tabs. Andre was going to have a good time and went out of his way to make sure everyone else did too.

Worried about his headliner, Vince McMahon Sr. assigned a “handler” to the Giant—long-time wrestler, manager, and road agent, Arnold Skaaland, whose only job when Andre was in town was to keep him out of serious trouble and get him to the arena in time to wrestle. Skaaland was an old-school drinker in his own right, but Andre blew his mind. On one occasion he could only watch goggle-eyed as Andre went about demolishing a dozen or so quarts of beer as a “warm-up” for a match.

With Skaaland on the job, Vince Sr. knew Andre was in capable hands, but the promoter still worried about how the Giant would cope with the insane amount of travel required of a wrestling superstar. Andre loathed flying—no commercial airliner could accommodate such a massive man without resorting to the luggage compartment—and his opinion of most cars wasn’t much sunnier, because aspects of his disease caused intense pain in his knees, hips and lower back when he remained too long in a cramped position. When a tight schedule left a plane or car as the only option, Andre eased his discomfort by getting good and hammered.

Vince Sr. pondered the situation and arrived at a novel solution. He wanted to keep the big man happy, so he bought a trailer and had it customized just for Andre. With plenty of room to spread out and relax, Andre could now travel in a semblance of comfort, which allowed him to do some serious boozing. During trips Andre consumed beer at the incredible rate of a case every ninety minutes, with bottles of vodka or top-rate French wine thrown in for variety.

Sadly, the trailer wasn’t available outside the WWWF territory; Vince Sr. wasn’t about to do the competition any favors. Andre didn’t expect other promoters to pony up a trailer just for him, so he commissioned a customized Lincoln Continental. With the front seat now positioned about where the back seat would normally be, Andre had a little leg room. He carried his luggage and wrestling gear in the trunk and towed his necessities in a trailer. Lined with plastic tarps, the rickety trailer was filled with ice and cases of Budweiser tallboys. As he cruised the nation’s highways, Andre kept a case on the seat beside him, stopping only for food, more ice, and another case or two if he ran low.

Early labor so husband can watch Bears

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 08:15:07 PDT

Nine months pregnant and married to a fervent Bears fan with tickets to Sunday's NFC Championship game, Colleen Pavelka didn't want to risk going into labor during the game against the New Orleans Saints. Due to give birth on Monday, Pavelka's doctor told her Friday she could induce labor early. She opted for the Friday delivery.

"I thought, how could (Mark) miss this one opportunity that he might never have again in his life?" said Pavelka, 28, from the southwestern Chicago suburb of Homer Glen.

At 10:45 p.m. Friday, Mark Patrick Pavelka was born at Palos Community Hospital after close to six hours of labor.

While her husband watched the Bears play the New Orleans Saints at Soldier Field Sunday, Colleen planned to watch in the hospital with the baby wrapped in a Bears blanket - a Christmas gift from his grandmother.

The couple named Mark after his father, who wore a "Monsters of the Midway" shirt during the delivery.

"If he wasn't born by Sunday and the Bears won, I would have named him Rex," after Bears quarterback Rex Grossman, joked Mark Pavelka, 28.

Mark is the couple's second son.

Clinton launches 2008 White House bid

Sat, 20 Jan 2007 07:12:24 PDT

Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton embarked on a widely anticipated campaign for the White House on Saturday, a former first lady intent on becoming the first female president. "I'm in and I'm in to win," she said on her Web site.

Clinton's announcement, days after Sen. Barack Obama shook up the contest race with his bid to become the first black president, establishes the most diverse political field ever.

Clinton is considered the front-runner, with Obama and 2004 vice presidential nominee John Edwards top contenders. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who would be the first Hispanic president, intends to announce his plans on Sunday.

Ohio city may rename 'South Park'

Fri, 19 Jan 2007 06:47:34 PDT

You don't find fans of Cartman and Kenny on the Parks and Recreation Commission in the central Ohio city of Marysville. The panel has decided it's time to rename a local park that has come to be known as "South Park."

City administrator Kathy House says having a park with the same name as the popular but often controversial cartoon show has become inappropriate.

One member of the parks commission says they wanted to get away from "South Park" -- far away.

So, the board is recommending that the city council approve a change to "Greenwood Park," after a nearby street and apartment complex.

Marysville is about 35 miles northwest of Columbus.

Jobs unveils long-awaited iPod cellphone, Apple TV and changes company name

Tue, 9 Jan 2007 10:06:52 PDT

Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs on Tuesday made the company's long-awaited jump into the mobile phone business and renamed the company to just "Apple Inc.," reflecting its increasing focus on consumer electronics.

The iPhone, which starts at $499, is controlled by touch, plays music, surfs the Internet and runs the Macintosh computer operating system. Jobs said it will "reinvent" the telecommunications sector and "leapfrog" past the current generation of hard-to-use smart phones.

"Every once in a while a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything," he said during his keynote address at the annual Macworld Conference and Expo. "It's very fortunate if you can work on just one of these in your career. ... Apple's been very fortunate in that it's introduced a few of these."

He said the name change is meant to reflect the fact that Apple has matured from a computer manufacturer to a full-fledged electronic retailer.

"I didn't sleep a wink last night," he said. "I was so excited."

During his speech, Jobs also unveiled a TV set-top box that allows people to send video from their computers and announced the number of songs sold on its iTunes Music Store has topped 2 billion.

Apple shares jumped more than 6% on the announcements, while the stock of rival smart-phone makers plunged.

Jobs demonstrated the iPhone's music capabilities by playing Lovely Rita, Meter Maid, from the Beatles' Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, as the album's psychedelic album art graced a wide-screen monitor.

IPhone uses a patented touch-screen technology Apple is calling "multi-touch."

"We're going to use a pointing device that we're all born with," Jobs said. "It works like magic. ... It's far more accurate than any touch display ever shipped. It ignores unintended touches. It's super smart."

The phone automatically synchs your media — movies, music, photos — through Apple's iTunes Music Store. The device also synchs e-mail content, Web bookmarks and nearly any type of digital content stored on your computer.

"It's just like an iPod," Jobs said, "charge and synch."

The phones, which will operate exclusively on AT&T's (T) Cingular wireless network, will start shipping in June. A 4-gigabyte model will cost $499, while an 8-gigabyte iPhone will be $599, Jobs said.

IPhone is less than a half-inch thin — less than almost any phone on the market today. It comes with a 2-megapixel digital camera built into the back, as well as a slot for headphones and a SIM card.

In a demonstration Tuesday, Jobs slid his finger across the display to reveal a home screen and then scrolled through a list of songs.

To make a call, users can tap out the number on an onscreen keypad or scroll through their contacts and dial with a single touch.

Apple is also introducing what it calls "visual voicemail," so users can jump to the most important messages rather than have to listen to all of them in order.

The phone supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless technology and can detect location from Global Positioning System satellites. It also can send and display e-mail and text messages. Apple is partnering with Yahoo (YHOO) on Web-based e-mail and Google (GOOG) on maps.

With a few finger taps, Jobs demonstrated how to pull up a Google Maps site and find the closest Starbucks to the Moscone Center. He then prank-called the cafe and ordered 4,000 lattes to go before quickly hanging up.

"My initial reaction is that this product actually lives up to the extensive hype, and I'm not easily impressed," said Avi Greengart, mobile device analyst for the research firm Current Analysis.

Also Tuesday, Jobs said Apple will begin taking orders immediately for the $299 video box called Apple TV. It will ship next month.

The gadget is designed to bridge computers and television sets so users can more easily watch their downloaded movies on a big screen. A prototype of the gadget was displayed by Jobs in September when Apple announced it would sell TV shows and movies through its iTunes online store.

The product could be as revolutionary to digital movies as Apple's iPod music player was to digital music. Both devices liberate media from the computer, allowing people to enjoy digital files without being chained to a desktop or laptop.

"It's really, really easy to use," Jobs told the crowd at San Francisco's Moscone Center before demonstrating the system with a video clip of The Good Shepherd. "It's got the processing horsepower to do the kinds of things we like to do."

Apple TV will come with a 40-gigabyte hard drive that stores up to 50 hours of video. It features an Intel microprocessor and can handle videos, photos and music streamed from up to five computers within the wireless range.

Jobs also said Apple has sold more than 2 billion songs on its popular iTunes music download service, catapulting the company into the top ranks of music sellers worldwide. Apple, which sells 58 songs per second, or 5 million songs a day, sells more songs than Amazon.com and ranks behind only Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Target as a music retailer.

"We couldn't be happier with the growth rate of iTunes," Jobs said.

He said Apple will sell digital movies from Paramount. Apple has partnered with Disney for several months, offering about 100 movies on iTunes. With Paramount's selection, it will have 250 movies available for downloading on the site.

Brett Favre Post-Game Interview

Mon, 1 Jan 2007 20:19:29 PDT

Was this Brett's last post-game interview?

Jeremy Enigk - Milwaukee, WI 12/12/06

Sun, 17 Dec 2006 23:12:19 PDT

For years, my brother and I have struggled to find gifts for each other. Something that fits the price range that is neither useless or lame. Gift certificates, bottles of booze, and cash have been the popular choices in recent years.

But this year, when he asked me what I wanted for my birthday, and I once again replied "Whatever", he remembered that Jeremy Enigk was playing Shank Hall in a couple of weeks.

Perfect.

A friend once asked me "What band would you crawl across hot coals to see?". Now, no proper music snob could answer that without giving a list of bands or certain conditions, but any Jeremy Enigk related show would certainly be on my short list.

Hell, "Heaven" by the Fire Theft was the bride-groom-dance song at our wedding.

I've seen Sunny Day three times, all of which centered around special occasions, and all of which were spectacular. My first Sunny Day show is certainly in my top five of all time.

But I wasn't sure what to expect from a solo Jeremy show. Especially one at Shank Hall, a tiny little club which doesn't normally host musicians that fit my musical palette.

I wasn't sure about the instrumentation either. As much as I would enjoy Jeremy and his guitar, crowing solo on stage, my favorite songs of his are the dynamic, swelling, building, contrasting epic songs that he's crafted over the years, and couldn't be done justice with just one guitar.

On arrival, I realized the club was even smaller than I remembered - and lightly populated. As show time approached the room began to fill, but never got to the point that I couldn't leave my seat near the front without worrying about someone grabbing it from me.

After the opening band finished, Jeremy took the stage. As I had hoped, he had a backing band with him - 2nd guitar, bass, keys and drums. Jeremy started his set...

And it was incredible. Jeremy played through the majority of his solo work - from what I can remember, the entire new album "World Waits", and just about the entire "Return of the Frog Queen" album, plus a couple of tracks from the film "The United States of Leland", of which he composed the score (and I had been previously unaware of).

The songs sounded better that night than they do on the albums. The band did a great job recreating all of the songs, even those that relied heavily on symphonic arrangements (courtesy of the next synthesizer I'll be buying), Some of the songs from the new album, that I wasn't too crazy about previously, were absolutely STUNNING.

And as good as the music was, Jeremy's voice was even better. He has one of the most unique voices I've ever heard - the kind where you hear it once and can immediately recognize it if you ever hear it again. And as good as it is on record, there's a whole other dimension to it when you see it live that I've always found hard to describe.

Another one of my friends commented, "When you hear him sing on his albums, you figure his voice is all processed and layered in effects to make it sound that way. But that's actually how he sings!". Probably the best way I've heard to say it.

The intimate atmosphere allowed Jeremy to interact often with the crowd, going so far as to let the audience choose between a U2 cover and a new song he'd been working on. To my dismay, the crowd chose the U2 song, a track off the Joshua Tree, which was just he and his guitar and quite good.

He closed the set with "Shade and the Black Hat", the highlight of "Frog Queen" and the song any Jeremy fan was waiting to hear all night. After a rousing response, the crowd coaxed he and the band back out, and they played another "Leland" song. Jeremy then closed the show, just he and his guitar, with "Explain" off "Frog Queen", the song where his vocals spend most of their time in his high-but-not-falsetto-and not-quite-screamy range that just kills me.

It took me a couple of days to listen to "World Waits" after the show. As much as I wanted to, needed to, I wanted to keep in my head, just a bit longer, the version of the songs I head that night. That scratchy, soaring voice cutting through the lush soundscapes. Now that I've broken the seal, it will have to do until we're lucky enough for him to hit the road again.

And now I'll have to come up with something pretty damn cool next time my brother has a birthday...

Iverson traded to Minnesota

Wed, 13 Dec 2006 19:12:03 PDT

Bob Brainerd of Fox Sports is reporting that Allen Iverson has been traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Brainerd broke this new during the Milwaukee Bucks/New Jersey Nets post game show.

More details to follow as they emerge.

Hunter S Thompson - February 2003 Interview with Russert

Mon, 11 Dec 2006 14:12:39 PDT

Full interview Hunter replies to Russert on why the war in Iraq is wrong and crazy for the United States A man ahead of his time. You can hear he didn't buy the hype like Russert did on going to War.

Major labels to offer unrestricted MP3s

Thu, 7 Dec 2006 06:12:05 PDT

From the "Holy Lord are you people Hypocrites" Department:

After years of selling online music digitally wrapped with copy and playback restrictions designed to hinder piracy, major music labels are beginning to make some songs available in the unrestricted MP3 file format.

The releases are part of an experiment to gauge demand for tracks that can be played on any digital music player capable of playing MP3s, one of the oldest music compression formats.

Normally, copy-protected tracks are only playable on certain devices. By selling MP3s, recording companies can ensure they can be played on Apple Computer Inc.'s market-leading iPod players without going through Apple's iTunes Music Store.

The latest such offering comes from singer Norah Jones and rock band Relient K, both signed to labels operated by Britain's EMI Music.

Jones' "Thinking About You" and Relient K's "Must Have Done Something Right" - both from their forthcoming albums - went on sale for 99 cents each as MP3 downloads Tuesday via Yahoo Inc.'s online music service.

Relient K also is selling the song on the band's Web site with a bonus MP3 titled "Fallen Man," while EMI has released an MP3 from British pop singer Lily Allen for sale only in Great Britain.

Many artists, mostly with independent labels, have been selling music in the MP3 format for years. Dimensional Associates Inc.'s eMusic has sold nearly 100 million MP3 downloads to date.

Still, major labels have been reluctant to follow suit.

That is beginning to change, if slowly.

This summer, Sony BMG Music Entertainment released an MP3 by pop diva Jessica Simpson on Yahoo Music, while the Walt Disney Co.'s Hollywood Records released an entire album by pop singer Jesse McCartney in the MP3 format.

"They're still looking at it as an experiment but the labels have really come a long way in terms of wanting to see how this works for them," said Carrie Davis, a Yahoo spokeswoman, refusing to disclose sales totals for the Simpson and McCartney tracks.

9 out of 10 e-mails now spam

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 11:35:49 PDT

LONDON, England (Reuters) -- Criminal gangs using hijacked computers are behind a surge in unwanted e-mails peddling sex, drugs and stock tips.

The number of "spam" messages has tripled since June and now accounts for as many as nine out of 10 e-mails sent worldwide, according to U.S. email security company Postini.

As Christmas approaches, the daily trawl through in-boxes clogged with offers of fake Viagra, loans and sex aids is tipped to take even longer.

"E-mail systems are overloaded or melting down trying to keep up with all the spam," said Dan Druker, a vice president at Postini.

His company has detected 7 billion spam e-mails worldwide in November compared to 2.5 billion in June. Spam in Britain has risen by 50 percent in the last two months alone, according to Internet security company SurfControl.

The United States, China and Poland are the top sources of spam, data from security firm Marshal suggests.

About 200 illegal gangs are behind 80 percent of unwanted e-mails, according to Spamhaus, a body that tracks the problem.

Experts blame the rise in spam on computer programs that hijack millions of home computers to send e-mails.

These "zombie networks", also called "botnets", can link 100,000 home computers without their owners' knowledge.

They are leased to gangs who use their huge "free" computing power to send millions of e-mails with relative anonymity.

Democrats win control of Congress

Thu, 9 Nov 2006 07:12:44 PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) -- In a rout once considered almost inconceivable, Democrats won a 51st seat in the Senate and regained total control of Congress after 12 years of near-domination by the Republican Party.

The shift dramatically alters the government's balance of power, leaving President Bush without GOP congressional control to drive his legislative agenda. Democrats hailed the results and issued calls for bipartisanship even as they vowed to investigate administration policies and decisions.

Democrats completed their sweep Wednesday evening by ousting Republican Sen. George Allen of Virginia, the last of six GOP incumbents to lose re-election bids in a midterm election marked by deep dissatisfaction with the president and the war in Iraq.

Democrats had 229 seats in the House, 11 more than the number necessary to hold the barest of majorities in the 435-member chamber.

"In Iraq and here at home, Americans have made clear they are tired of the failures of the last six years," said Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, in line to become Senate Majority leader when Congress reconvenes in January.

Rumsfeld Hangs It Up

Wed, 8 Nov 2006 13:39:24 PDT

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the controversial face of U.S. war policy, quit Wednesday after Democrats rode Americans' anger over Iraq to victory in Tuesday's congressional elections.

Just days after declaring his strong support for Rumsfeld, President Bush said he agreed with his top war manager that it was time for a new perspective.

Bush said the current Iraq policy was "not working well enough, fast enough."

He said Rumsfeld would be replaced by former CIA Director Robert Gates, a member of the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan group that is assessing alternative strategies for Iraq.

Tuesday's elections gave the Democrats control of the U.S. House of Representatives and results by Wednesday had moved them within one seat of victory in the Senate.

The slap to Bush's Republican Party was driven largely by voter anger over Iraq, where more than three years of combat have failed to stop violence plaguing much of the country.

Americans voted just days after the military saw its highest monthly death toll in almost two years. The total U.S. military death toll since the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003 is currently 2,839.

Democrats, who have long called for Rumsfeld to go, praised Bush's decision to replace him.

"I think it will give us a fresh start," said Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, set to be the next speaker of the House.

U.S.House goes to Democrats

Wed, 8 Nov 2006 06:30:46 PDT

D.C. power shift means changes ahead

Four years of unified Republican rule came to an end Tuesday night, hobbling the final two years of the Bush presidency, launching a period of power-sharing between the parties and transforming the political stage for the 2008 presidential election.

The Democratic Party's takeover of the House and its gains in the Senate alter the debate over U.S. policy in Iraq and change the legislative outlook on domestic issues ranging from immigration to trade to judges to the minimum wage.

In the House, Democrats were projected to gain more than 30 seats, including the northeastern Wisconsin district vacated by Republican Mark Green and captured Tuesday by Appleton allergist Steve Kagen. California's Nancy Pelosi is on track to become the first woman speaker of the House.

In the Senate, Democrats gained at least three seats - in Ohio, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania - and were contending for three others held by Republicans, in Virginia, Montana and Missouri. Winning all three would give the party control of the Senate as well.

For an embattled President Bush, a return to divided government could force an unwelcome choice between concessions and compromise on the one hand, and a prolonged stand-off with congressional Democrats on the other.

Effect of marriage amendment unclear

Mon, 30 Oct 2006 06:47:40 PDT

Voters get an uncertain choice

To all those who remain dazed and confused about how to vote on Wisconsin's proposed marriage amendment, take heart.

You're probably not alone.

There are a few reasons why.

Wisconsin voters don't often face highly charged statewide ballot questions or referendums, let alone cast ballots on such a bedrock social issue as marriage.

The amendment itself is also subject to legal interpretation. Lawyers on both sides of the debate have made their best cases on what the language really means.

Even the issue is somewhat clouded because of how the debate is often framed. Some are under an impression that this is a "gay marriage amendment." It's not.

Others are confused on what a "yes" vote means and what a "no" vote means.

We'll try to clear up the confusion.

Click here to read the entire article

The Best Ad the Democrats Have Had In Years

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 16:30:46 PDT

If this gets seen by enough people, the Dems may just win this...Nothing is more powerful than your opponents words to make your case. Glad they borrowed this tactic from the GOP.

Bartlett: "It's Never Been A Stay The Course Strategy"

Mon, 23 Oct 2006 11:47:34 PDT

Video of White House counselor Dan Bartlett on CBS this morning saying the administration has "never" had a "stay the course strategy" in Iraq + Video of President Bush and Tony Snow repeatidly describing their Iraq strategy as "stay the course."

Olbermann : Rumsfeld sold North Korea Nuclear Technology

Sun, 22 Oct 2006 16:42:18 PDT

Keith does it again....

Olbermann: The Beginning of the End of America

Thu, 19 Oct 2006 13:48:53 PDT

Video of Olbermann's special comment on the "Military Commissions Act" and the end of Habeas Corpus. Aired Wednesday, October 18.

Green backs Bush on 90% of votes

Mon, 16 Oct 2006 06:49:49 PDT

Like many a House Republican, Mark Green has been a solid supporter of President Bush's most important initiatives, from the 2001 tax cuts to the No Child Left Behind education law to the Iraq war.

Democrats have said that makes him a rubber stamp.

"Mark Green stands with George Bush," declares an ad by Green's opponent, Gov. Jim Doyle.

Green, who is trying to unseat Doyle, called such charges "silly."

"With where the president is in the polls, of course they're going to make this claim. They're doing it all over the country," Green said. "I have never looked at votes in those terms. There are times when I've agreed with the president. There are times when I've disagreed."

A review of the almost six years during which Green has served under Bush shows that the Green Bay congressman has agreed far more often than he has disagreed, backing Bush's position on close to 90% of the votes he has taken, according to two non-partisan vote studies.

That rate of support for Bush is fairly typical of House Republicans overall, though it makes Green a more consistent backer of the president than any of his three GOP colleagues from Wisconsin, Paul Ryan, Tom Petri and Jim Sensenbrenner.

Does it also make him a "rubber stamp," as Democrats have said? Or are such charges an attempt by Doyle to shift attention from his own record in Wisconsin, as Green said?

Voters can make their own political judgments.

But as far as Green's voting history goes, the record shows that he has supported Bush's signature policy initiatives almost without fail when they have come to the House floor.

Bucks unveil new uniforms

Fri, 29 Sep 2006 11:45:31 PDT

Ignoring Senate Intel Report, White House Releases 'Fact Sheet' on 'Iraq's Links to Al Qaeda'

Sat, 23 Sep 2006 14:58:25 PDT

On September 8, the Senate Intelligence Committee - chaired by Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) - released a report examining Iraq’s pre-war links to al-Qaeda. Here’s what they concluded:

…Saddam Hussein was distrustful of al-Qa’ida and viewed Islamic extremists as a threat to his regime, refusing all requests from al Qa’ida to provide material or operational support…Saddam issued a general order that Iraq should not deal with al Qa’ida. No postwar information suggests that the Iraqi regime attempted to facilitate a relationship with bin Ladin.

Days later, the White House has released this “fact sheet“:

9/11 conspiracy theorists thriving

Sat, 23 Sep 2006 14:45:22 PDT

Kevin Barrett believes the U.S government might have destroyed the World Trade Center. Steven Jones is researching what he calls evidence that the twin towers were brought down by explosives detonated inside them, not by hijacked airliners.

These men aren't uneducated junk scientists: Barrett will teach a class on Islam at the University of Wisconsin this fall, over the protests of more than 60 state legislators. Jones is a tenured physicist at Brigham Young University whose mainstream academic job has made him a hero to conspiracy theorists.

Five years after the terrorist attacks, a community that believes widely discredited ideas about what happened on Sept. 11, 2001, persists and even thrives. Members trade their ideas on the Internet and in self-published papers and in books. About 500 of them attended a recent conference in Chicago.

The movement claims to be drawing fresh energy and credibility from a recently formed group called Scholars for 9/11 Truth.

read entire article

The Senate must not pardon President Bush for breaking the law

Tue, 19 Sep 2006 11:58:28 PDT

From MoveOn.org

This week, the Senate is planning to quietly hold a vote that would pardon President Bush for breaking the law by illegally wiretapping innocent Americans. So far, Democrats and some Republicans are holding strong against the bill, and there are good chances to stop it if enough of us speak up.

"The Senate must not pardon President Bush for breaking the law by illegally wiretapping innocent Americans. Instead, Congress should be holding him accountable."

Click here to petition congress NOT to pardon Bush for breaking the law

Apple launches online movie service

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 13:29:48 PDT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Seeking to push digital media further into homes, Apple Computer launched its long-awaited online movie service Tuesday and showed off a device that will make it easier for consumers to watch the videos on television.

The iTunes Music Store, however, will initially carry movies only from The Walt Disney Co. studios, where Apple CEO Steve Jobs is a board member. By contrast, Amazon.com Inc.'s movie service launched last week with distribution deals with seven studios - but not Disney.

At a media event Tuesday, Jobs also showed off a compact gadget, dubbed iTV, that will allow consumers to watch movies purchased online - as well as other digital content stored on a computer - on a connected television set. It will sell for $299 and be available early next year.

He said more than 75 films will be available on iTunes from Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar, Touchstone Pictures and Miramax. New releases will be priced at $12.99, when pre-ordered and during the first week of sale, or $14.99 afterward. Library titles will be sold for $9.99 each.

Other online movie services already exist but haven't attracted many customers. Apple, however, is already being cast as a leading competitor with its entry.

Bringing digital content stored on a computer and playing it back on a television has been a vexing challenge for online movie providers.

And as many expected, Apple is tackling that problem.

With iTV, digital content stored on computers could more easily be played on TVs, Jobs said.

"We think it completes the picture here. Now I could download content from iTunes. I could enjoy it on my computer, my iPod and my big-screen television in the living room," he said.

Apple has been forging ahead to make its products the digital media hub for consumers. Its iconic iPod player is designed for music and video on-the-go, its iTunes Music Store is a leading destination for getting digital content, and its Macintosh computers are touted for being able to manage all media.

Jobs also announced a slate of iPods upgrades, including:

- A 24-hour battery life on the iPod Nano, which stores media files on flash memory chips. Models, ranging in capacity from 2 gigabytes to 8 gigabytes will come in five colors and sell for between $149 and $249.

- A larger-capacity video-capable iPod that features an 80-gigabyte hard drive for storing digital music, video and other content. It will retail for $349

- A smaller size for the iPod Shuffle, which also will sport a built-in clip. It will sell for $79.

The Nano and 80-gigabyte iPods are available immediately. The shuffle will be available in October.

Jobs also debuted downloadable video games such as "Tetris" or "Bejeweled," that have been designed specifically for the latest video-iPod models. They can be purchased at the iTunes online store.

Shares of Apple Computer Inc. gained 56 cents, at $73.06 in afternoon trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

MySpace: The Business of Spam 2.0

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 20:07:52 PDT

By Trent Lapinski

By now, everyone knows what MySpace is--or at least, they think they do. The generally held assumption is that MySpace is a social networking site: "a place for friends," as their slogan puts it. In reality, MySpace is the next generation of marketing, advertising and promotion, exquisitely disguised as social networking. Simply put, MySpace.com is Spam 2.0.

Spam in Sheep's Clothing

On July 11th, 2006, Hitwise reported that MySpace had "surpassed Yahoo! Mail as the most visited domain on the Internet for US Internet users." Clearly, MySpace has become almost ubiquitous--everyone and their mom have a profile up, from the fourteen-year old girl next door to Madonna. Tom Anderson himself--one of the site's founders and every MySpace user's number one "friend"--has over 109 million pals with profiles, and that's just today; by next week that number could easily have increased by millions. What's interesting is that most users don't know that Tom Anderson is more of a PR scheme than anything else--the mascot designed to give a friendlier feel to a site created by a marketing company known for viral entertainment websites, pop-up advertising, spam, spyware, and adware.

Most users believe that MySpace started as some kind of fluke--a happy accident that began in Anderson's bedroom or garage--and many still don't wonder, know, or care about the site's real business history and model. Heralded as a haven of DIY self-expression, MySpace was actually created by executives whose backgrounds are anchored in spam and mass marketing, and who are tied to investment scandals. With his almost alternateen good looks, Tom Anderson has served as an exceptionally convincing distraction. The PR campaign is one of MySpace's two strokes of genius, brilliant, but not groundbreaking.

The real genius of MySpace lies in it's re-imagining and repackaging of spam. While most internet users expend time and energy attempting to keep it out, MySpace is spam that they actually invite in.

Click here to read the entire article

Effort to recall Sheboygan mayor fails

Tue, 5 Sep 2006 18:18:37 PDT

The contentious effort to recall Sheboygan Mayor Juan Perez from office ended today when organizers failed to turn in the 4,013 signatures needed to force a recall election.

The recall organizers had until 5 p.m. to turn in the signatures. City Clerk Sue Richards said no petitions had been delivered by the deadline.

The official reason cited for the recall was listed as Perez "failing to uphold his mayoral duties in office with integrity and professionalism."

Perez, the first Mexican American mayor of a Wisconsin city, was elected more than a year ago. The recall effort turned nasty and was tinged with racial overtones, although recall organizers denied it was about anything but the mayor's leadership.

But the www.recallperez.com web site posted a Fourth of July parade photograph that was digitally altered to show Perez marching with a Mexican flag instead of the U.S. flag he had actually carried.

It's Brew City for a reason

Thu, 24 Aug 2006 10:36:38 PDT

Forbes.com taps Milwaukee as America's drunkest city

If it's a typical weekend night and Rick DeMeyer knows he's not driving, he might suck back 10 to 12 beers and three or four shots of whiskey while out at the clubs with friends.

"Does that sound like a lot?" asked DeMeyer, 28, a DJ and graphic designer.

Depends on whom you ask.

On Tuesday, Forbes.com named Milwaukee "America's Drunkest City" on a list of 35 major metropolitan areas ranked for their drinking habits. The report put Brew City way above stereotypical party towns Las Vegas (No. 14) and Miami (No. 33) and warned of the "serious trouble" Milwaukee could experience based on its alcohol consumption.

"It's not necessarily the end of the world to rank high on this list, but it certainly should be an amount of concern for civic leaders," said David M. Ewalt, who wrote the story for the business Web site.

But there's a difference between being a town of belchers on bar stools and a city with a drinking culture, some Milwaukee residents argued Wednesday.

"I don't remember the last time I got wasted, but I have a drink every other day," said Chase Brandon, 32, the kitchen manager at G-Daddy's BBC, a popular east side bar at 2022 E. North Ave.

Brandon estimated that the bar would sell 900 cans of Pabst beer between 7 and 10 p.m. as part of its Wednesday night $1 Pabst / $1.75 burger special. Yet partaking in a special and being a drunk are two different things, he said.

"The people who are drunks, honestly, don't get served here," Brandon said. "If you can't hold your head up and if you can't walk straight, you get shown to the door."

Read entire article

Group: Web firms violating human rights

Tue, 1 Aug 2006 21:10:24 PDT

By JOE McDONALD
AP Business Writer

BEIJING (AP) -- Amnesty International accused Yahoo, Microsoft and Google on Thursday of violating human rights principles by cooperating with China's efforts to censor the Web and called on them to lobby for the release of jailed cyber-dissidents.

The London-based human rights group also called on the Internet companies to publicly oppose Chinese government requests that violate human rights standards.

"The Internet should promote free speech, not restrict it. We have to guard against the creation of two Internets - one for expression and one for repression," said Larry Cox, executive director of Amnesty's U.S. branch, in a statement.

The companies "have violated their stated corporate values and policies" in their pursuit of China's booming Internet market, the statement said. It appealed to them to "call for the release of `cyber-dissidents.'"
Click here for entire article

ESPN to cover Johnsonville brat contest

Wed, 12 Jul 2006 11:11:45 PDT

jsonline.com

Elevating a Wisconsin cliche to a spectator sport, ESPN is covering the Johnsonville Brat-Eating World Championship Aug. 5, according to Johnsonville Sausage and the Sheboygan Jaycees.

The 3 p.m. eat-off, sanctioned by the International Federation of Competitive Eating, will include top-ranked gobblers and the return of Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas, who won the inaugural event last year by downing a world-record 35 brats in 10 minutes. Also competing is Japan's Takeru "The Tsunami" Kobayashi, who won the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest recently.

Professional eaters will compete for more than $23,000 in prizes in the wurst race, which is part of the 53rd annual Johnsonville Brat Days, the chief fundraiser for the local Jaycees.

Sheboygan County-based privately held Johnsonville considers itself the top national brand of brats, Italian sausage, smoked cooked links and fresh breakfast sausage links. The company employs 1,000 workers and distributes its meats in 39 countries.

----------------

A proud day to be from Sheboygan, to be sure.

Pink Floyd co-founder Syd Barrett dies aged 60

Tue, 11 Jul 2006 11:20:22 PDT

LONDON (Reuters) - Syd Barrett, a founding member of Pink Floyd, has died aged 60, a source close to the band said on Tuesday.

"I have had it from David (Gilmour) that it was confirmed by the family," said the source, who did not want to be named. "It happened on Friday".

Guitarist David Gilmour joined Pink Floyd in 1968, three years after it was formed and shortly before Barrett left the band.

Barrett, a singer, songwriter and guitarist, had lived the life of a recluse for the last 30 years. He had been suffering from diabetes, although it was not immediately clear what caused his death.

The writer of the bulk of Pink Floyd's early music, Barrett had been credited with helping to shape its progressive sound. His increasingly erratic behaviour in the late 1960s has been linked to his experimentation with psychedelic drugs.

Pink Floyd's 1975 track "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", from the album "Wish You Were Here", is widely believed to be a tribute to Barrett.

He was born in Cambridge as Roger Keith Barrett, and acquired the nickname "Syd" when he was 15 years old.

He missed out on Pink Floyd's most successful years in the 1970s, which included the albums "Dark Side of the Moon", "Wish You Were Here" and "The Wall".

The band has sold an estimated 200 million albums worldwide, although internal rifts have kept public performances featuring its main members to a minimum since the 1980s.