From http://www.eff.org

* Uproot Sony-BMG's Invasion of Your Privacy and Your
Computer

For years now, copy-restriction software has been a looming
threat to those who purchase music and want to make fair
uses, such as space-shifting it from one device or computer
to another. Fortunately, early versions of the software were
so cumbersome and easy to work around that consumers whole-
heartedly rejected or bypassed them. Recently, however, at
least one record label has stepped up the war for control of
digital content by drawing from the playbook of spyware
companies and virus-writers.

Using a program called a rootkit, inserting a Sony BMG music
CD will now infect your computer with a nefarious program,
burying it deeply and obscurely within your operating system.
The program will monitor your computer activity in the name
of preventing the so-called "epidemic of piracy" that results
from people making extra copies of their music CDs or
favorite songs. Worse yet, there is no "uninstall" feature on
this program. It's like the roach motel -- once Sony BMG's
surveillance program checks in, you can't make it check out
without completely wiping your entire system clean. Such
practices have been widely condemned in the computer world,
even by Microsoft's own research division.
Click the READ MORE link for the rest of this article...

Outrage from computer users and music fans has sparked Sony
BMG into offering a program on its website that will show you
if you have been infected with the rootkit. However, while
you can see the program running, you still can't uninstall
it, and some security experts believe installing the "update"
may even infect your computer with more unwanted files.

While it is debatable whether copy-restriction software can
even prevent serious illegal copying to begin with, there
should be no question that invading our computers and
infecting our systems should be off-limits. Unfortunately,
the law is unclear on the exact rights users have to keep
programs like Sony's rootkit off your computer when you
purchase their CDs or click on a random "I Agree" button that
might appear during an installation process. Until the law
clarifies that We the Consumer actually hold the rights and
keys to our computers, spyware companies, virus-makers, and
now even entertainment conglomerates will be the ones
dictating what we can and cannot do in the privacy of our own
homes with the equipment and content we have lawfully
purchased. Left unchecked, they will continue using our own
computers against us to enforce their will and whims over our
personal freedoms and behavior.

Entertainment companies often complain that computer users
refuse to respect their intellectual property rights. Yet
tools like Sony's rootkit refuse to respect our own personal
property and privacy rights. Such hypocrisy should not stand.

Note: According to Princeton University CS Prof. Ed Felten,
if you're using a recent version of Windows, you can protect
yourself against this type of software, and some other
security risks, by disabling autorun.

More on the Sony rootkit:


More on the Sony response:


More on Ed Felten's suggestions:

The MPAA & RIAA keep shooting themselves in the foot, and cutting their nose to spite their face, and so many other cliches it's sickening.
As they continue with their illegal, unjust, extortion masked as lawsuits, I wonder how many others, that are actually aware of what's going on (it's very clear most don't "get it" from talking to people about this, unfortunately), are doing the same thing that I'm doing.

I used to buy a LOT of tapes, CDs, records, software, VHS, and DVD movies.

An average of several of each EVERY MONTH!

But, for over two years now, since they started their self-defeating and consumer hurtful actions, I have in protest radically change my buying habits. And I will continue it for as long as they continue their Mafia-like tactics. This includes the regulations they keep trying to sneak into congress, as well as their litigation practices of intimidation of those who can not afford to defend themselves.
Click the READ MORE link for the details of what I've done to address this issue, what others can do, and the letter I sent to our US Congressperson.

1. I NEVER buy any CD, DVD, Video Tapes, Casette Tapes, Pay-for Music Downloads, etc. from any vendor "new" any more. I will not give them a single penny to fund their terrorism of their customers.

2. I only buy CDs, DVDs, tapes, etc. from second hand stores. And only ones that do NOT pay any fees to RIAA. This mostly includes pawn shops and the like. Never major chains that have a "used cd" section. This not only saves me a bundle (I buy 20-30 CDs at a time, for around $1-2$ each!), but introduces me to a much broader range of music than I could have found or afforded previously.

3. I only buy new CDs or DVDs from artists that are NOT RIAA or MPAA members.

4. I don't buy ANY products (new) from any companies that are members of the RIAA or MPAA. That most especially includes Sony and many others. See the links at the end of this article for the lists of the members' products to help boycott as well. It's a pain sometimes, but there are quality companies and products out there who are not members of those cartels. This includes blank CDs, blank DVDs, players, TVs, computer equipment, you name it. I almost never go to movie theaters anymore (only when wife drags, because of the kids), and I'm trying to find any independent film theaters to go to and support instead. If you know any in the Spokane area, please let me know.

5. I try to spread the word as much as possible to everyone I can to do the same, and it's slowly working.

6. I constantly contact my congressmen every time the RIAA and MPAA try to sneak another attempt at destroying what is left of Copyright "fair use" law. Thanks to www.efff.org keeping everyone alerted.

7. During my broadcasts I take time in every show to inform the listeners as to what I'm doing, and what the RIAA & MPAA are up to.

And yet, they still continue. What more can I do? I don't know, but I'd love feedback on what you do, if anything to fight back against the RIAA & MPAA, and any suggestions you might have in addition to what I've listed above.
Please educate and enlighten all your friends and family!

Link to list of RIAA member companies (to boycott):
http://www.riaa.com/about/members/default.asp

Link to list of MPAA member companies (to boycott):
http://www.mpaa.org/about/


The Electronic Frontier Foundation (www.eff.org) has a great notification email list that keeps you posted on all the good, bad, and ugly about anything to do with your electronic rights. Subscribe to them today. They provide you with forms to contact your congressmen when something is trying to be passed, etc.
Subscribe here:


Here's the RIAA yet again (monthly attempts it seems) trying to lobby congress to take away "Fair use":
https://secure.eff.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=181


Now, I realize it's always easier to criticize than offer solutions, but many prominent individuals and organizations have offered far better solutions than the courses taken by the MPA/MPAA & RIAA, but they continue to ignore these far more positive and productive solutions.

I will try to gather together on my website a list of all the alternatives that could/should be considered instead. But there needs to be significant economic sanctions against these entities, by the consumers, and the representatives of consumers in the US Government, before they will be willing to consider any other possibilities unfortunately.


-Hawke


Below is the text of the letter I sent to my congressperson from that eff.org link. As my Representative, I urge you to investigate and oppose the
Analog Content Protection Act, Broadcast Flag Authorization Act and HD Radio Content Protection Act, proposed by the RIAA and MPAA to Congress at the House Judiciary Committee hearing on Content Protection in the Digital Age, on Thursday, November 3rd, 2005.

Innovation depends on the ability to creatively add functionality to existing systems. If digital television and radio were to be locked down, it would limit my ability to use digital signals in the same ways I currently listen to, watch and use radio and television. If the RIAA and MPAA were to have their way, every future digital radio in every car and home would be limited to the uses that Hollywood executives currently imagine they could accept. Every digital television would be locked down by fixed rules, so that open source developers and American innovators could not adapt or improve upon them. And every audiovisual device - including DVD recorders, camcorders, VHS VCRs with digital outputs - would be encumbered with red tape and constant upgrading.

None of these restrictions will impede or punish digital piracy; they will merely impede and punish innocent American television, radio and computer owners. Indeed, when consumers realiae they can do even less with their digital media than they could do with analog equivalents, it would be no surprise if they chose to seek out freely available content with no such restrictions.

Each of these proposals is an incredible and far-reaching attempt by an industry to control and limit consumer choice, to constrict and cripple future audio and video technology, and to eliminate the fair use rights of American citizens.

I'm a perfect example of how the RIAA and MPAA are driving me away as a consumer, musician, song writer, and owner of an Information Technology & Security company.

I used to buy a LOT of tapes, CDs, records, software, VHS, and DVD movies.

An average of several of each EVERY MONTH!

But, for over two years now, since they started their self-defeating and consumer hurtful actions, I have in protest radically change my buying habits. And I will continue it for as long as they continue their Mafia-like tactics. This includes the regulations they keep trying to sneak into congress, as well as their litigation practices of intimidation of those who can not afford to defend themselves.

1. I NEVER buy any CD, DVD, Video Tapes, Casette Tapes, Pay-for Music Downloads, etc. from any vendor "new" any more. I will not give them a single penny to fund their terrorism of their customers.

2. I only buy CDs, DVDs, tapes, etc. from second hand stores. And only ones that do NOT pay any fees to RIAA. This mostly includes pawn shops and the like. Never major chains that have a "used cd" section. This not only saves me a bundle (I buy 20-30 CDs at a time, for around $1-2$ each!), but introduces me to a much broader range of music than I could have found or afforded previously. But it unfortunately also hurts those same local businesses, and as a business owner myself, I generally try to always support local businesses as much as possible.

3. I only buy new CDs, downloads or DVDs from artists that are NOT RIAA or MPAA members. Independent labels and artists.

4. I don't buy ANY products (new) from any companies that are members of the RIAA or MPAA. That most especially includes Sony and many others. See the links at the end of this article for the lists of the members' products to help boycott as well. It's a pain sometimes, but there are quality companies and products out there who are not members of those cartels. This includes blank CDs, blank DVDs, players, TVs, computer equipment, you name it. I almost never go to movie theaters anymore (only when wife drags, because of the kids), and I'm trying to find any independent film theaters to go to and support instead. If you know any in the Spokane area, please let me know.

5. I try to spread the word as much as possible to everyone I can to do the same, and it's slowly working.

6. I constantly contact my congressmen every time the RIAA and MPAA try to sneak another attempt at destroying what is left of Copyright "fair use" law. Thanks to www.efff.org keeping everyone alerted.

7. During my audio broadcasts I take time in every show to inform the listeners as to what I'm doing, and what the RIAA & MPAA are up to.

And yet, they still continue, and seem to be getting bolder in their inane actions.

Now, I realize it's always easier to criticize than offer solutions, but many prominent individuals and organizations have offered far better solutions than the courses taken by the MPA/MPAA & RIAA, but they continue to ignore these far more positive and productive solutions.

I will try to gather together on my websites a list of all the alternatives that could/should be considered instead (or point to any sites already including such lists). But there needs to be significant economic and legal sanctions against these entities abusing the citizenry, by the consumers, and the representatives of said consumers in the US Government, before these industry giants will be willing to consider any other possibilities unfortunately.

What more can I do?

Where do you stand on these issues as a whole (with re-elections just a few days away).

I don't know what more I can do, but I'd love feedback on what you do, if anything, to fight back against the RIAA & MPAA, and any suggestions you might have in addition to what I've listed above.


Please oppose these acts on my behalf. Thank you.

I've had a number of conversations and emails with several people about the merits and risks of L-Tryptophan.
Personally, I've found it to miraculous in handling my sleeping issues, bi-polar, and other struggles.
I really wish I had been introduced to it 17 years ago, instead of (insert list of 20+ different medications including by not limited to lithium, tegratol, prosac, wellbutrin, geodon, neurontin, and so many others) it would have saved a lot of complications and frustrations over the years.
I've basically just copied and pasted what I wrote to others, or some sent to me, so the information will be in the format of a conversation. I decided to post this because of a recent conversation with someone interested in nutrition and health, and also who is frustrated with the FDA and Pharmaceutical companies.

Click the "Read more" link to read all that I have posted.
Update (July 2006). I've added notes as an overall update, but here's a reply from someone who followed up on the reply in the Read More section of this article and how much it helped out (I've edited names out for their privacy): From C____: "I received this message from my sister-in-law, A____, a few days ago. I told her what Hawke told me about Tryptophan. She talked to her doctors about it and they had no idea where to get it in prescription form. They said they hadn't heard of it in prescriptions. So she found it in a nutrition store. She's been taking it for several months and apparently it has changed her life. Please forward my, and her, thanks to Hawke for telling me about tryptophan. " From A___ : "I wanted to Thank You so much for suggesting Tryptophan! It has helped me to be consistent in my business & have a better outlook on life!!!!! I feel like I owe my new life to you!!! I am finishing my first car & DIQ is not far behind!! I see a better future in so many ways so Thank You for helping me take my life back!! It has been huge!"

"
I can talk to you to give you a lot of personal information and experiences with it (L-tryptophan).
I did a lot of research before taking it, concerned about possible side-effects, but after doing the research it seemed the risks were about next to nill (which is other than the press, FDA, and Pharmaceutical companies would want you to believe).
But you should understand that IF those risks are legitimate they are severe. For my part however, it has been so helpful, it has been worth it. I have been on many, many medications over the years, and none have
worked as well as L-Tryptophan has for me. (update as of July 2006, still working wonderfully. Started taking in January 2005).

Here's three useful links giving varying perspectives on the pros and cons of taking large doses of L-Tryptophan:

The government's stance:
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/ds-tryp1.html

A perspective still accusing of government actions but not as detailed and virulent as the third link:
http://www.ceri.com/trypto.htm

Below, the conspiracy theory perspective, I do not necessarily go along with this approach. Reality is probably somewhere between the extremes. I came across many other articles, and hope to post those in future articles, maybe around August 2006 I'll more time to perform a more comprehensive research project).
The "conspiracy theory" perspective:
http://www.seedsofdeception.com/Public/L-tryptophan/index.cfm

Through other sources, before using L-Trypto, I found out pretty much everything this article covers. Additionally, the article doesn't mention that the Japanese company responsible for genetically modifying the bacteria
to increase output, had in prior years actually "BLOWN UP" (sabotaged) one of their major labs in order to hide the evidence when inspectors were coming for some other
products they had created that were under investigation. I wish I could find where I had bookmarked that interesting article. Maybe when I have some time I'll look that up again and post it as well. This company had a years long reputation of dangerous products.
Also the articles don't mention, how the pharmaceutical companies that had lobbied to have L-Trypto taken off the market for the year prior to the EMS outbreak
(and the week it was taken off the market, Prosac and other SSRI, as well as other types of "competitive" drugs came onto the market publicly), then in 1994 one of these companies filed a PATENT using a modified version of L-Trypto (Danger Will Robinson! Danger!) they call LTP-5, to TREAT the EMS. Though many seem to feel LTP-5 is fine, and I've not seen too much bad about it, once again, I'm nervous about the modifications being "short cuts" for a natural process. Where L-Tryptophan lets the body decide whether to convert it to serotonin or a b vitamin, LTP-5 goes straight to the serotonin conversion step supposedly. Again, I haven't researched that yet, so my information could be mistaken at this point.
The sum of all this issue is that the dealings of the pharmaceutical companies and FDA has been blatantly crooked.
L-tryptophan works great for me, too bad so many others aren't getting to benefit because of the dirty pool being played. :(:(
I've been using it since January 2005.
I've fluctuated the dose between 500mg to 2000 mg, usually keeping it around 1,000 mg to 1,500 mg.
Update: Apparently now the access to L-Tryptophan has been lightened up somewhat since the FDA's 2001 status update, but it is still restricted state by state with different regulations. Apparently Washington state, where I'm now residing, has one of the more restrictive rules, supposedly because it was one of the "harder hit" states from the "bad batch" in '89. I have to get a prescription to get it, and it is only available at a local compounding pharmacy (I've been going to The Medicine Shoppe myself). And it costs about $60.00/30-45 day supply. :-(
Below is an article someone else sent recently, related to what I covered above, and then some...
I don't totally go along with all that is said, but it's more information to help others make their own decisions.

This article's main purpose is about GM/GE (Genetically Modified / Genetically Engineered) foods and focuses on a conspiracy theory approach to the FDA and the Pharmaceutical companies.

"Institute for Responsible Technology
Spilling the Beans, August 2005

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

In my book, Seeds of Deception, I bring out new information about the
genetically engineered food supplement L-tryptophan, which was
responsible for a deadly epidemic in the United States in the 1980s.
Much of the research for the chapter came from the work of
investigator William Crist. The book cited Crist's report, which was
expected to have been posted on a website well in advance of my book's
publication. Unfortunately, Crist was unable to update his report at
that time. It is now available at http://www.seedsofdeception.com/Public/L-tryptophan/index.cfm
and provides important new evidence, including
ways in which the U.S. government apparently hid information in order
to protect the biotech industry.

A Deadly Epidemic and the Attempt to Hide its Link to Genetic
Engineering

By Jeffrey M. Smith
Author of the international bestseller Seeds of Deception

In October, 1989, 44-year old Kathy Lorio arrived in the medical
office of Dr. Phil Hertzman in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Lorio, who had
been healthy and active, was suddenly struck with severe pain and a
host of debilitating symptoms. Blood tests revealed that her
eosinophil count had skyrocketed. The normal concentration of this
white blood cell is about 10 per CC. Allergies or asthma can make it
rise to 500. Lorio's was over 10,000.

In a coincidence that was destined to save lives, Hertzman referred
her to Santa Fe rheumatologist James Mayer, who happened to have
recently seen another patient, Bonnie Bishop, with similar symptoms.
Bishop was in severe pain, her arms and legs were filled with fluid,
she had trouble breathing, and her muscles were so weak she couldn't
even sit up. "She slumped like a rag doll."[1] And her eosinophil
count was extremely high.

Patient histories revealed that both Bishop and Lorio were taking the
food supplement L-tryptophan. Although it was the only supplement
common to both patients, the doctors were hesitant to blame L-
tryptophan for the disease. It is an essential amino acid, naturally
found in turkey and milk, and in supplement form had been consumed
safely for years as a treatment for stress, insomnia and depression.

Hertzman checked the literature on eosinophils. One author's name
kept coming up?Dr. Gerald Gleich of the Mayo Clinic. Hertzman gave him
a call. Gleich told him that two cases weren't enough to draw a
conclusion about L-tryptophan. Better wait. They didn't wait long.
That same day a third case, also linked to L-tryptophan, was reported
in New Mexico. Gleich called the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in
Atlanta and told them about the cluster of patients in New Mexico and
the possible link to L-tryptophan.

Within two weeks, three other patients checked into the Mayo Clinic
with serious symptoms?one needed a respirator to breathe. All had
taken L-tryptophan and they were from different parts of the country.
Gleich called the CDC again. He told them it's not limited to New
Mexico?it's out and it's deadly. An L-tryptophan alert went nationwide.


Articles began circulating about the mysterious disease. The
Albuquerque Journal ran a series about it that eventually won the
Pulitzer Prize. The New York Times covered it. As more articles
appeared, the phone calls started coming in?first dozens, then
hundreds, then thousands: individuals with incurable symptoms, doctors
with incurable patients, and stories of horrific symptoms. Some had
coughs, rashes, physical weakness, pneumonia, breathing difficulties,
hardening of the skin, mouth ulcers, nausea, shortness of breath,
muscle spasms, visual problems, hair loss, difficulty with
concentration or memory, and paralysis. Not everyone had all the
symptoms, but everyone seemed to be in pain?greater pain than doctors
had seen before. The disease was named eosinophilia myalgia syndrome,
or EMS?eosinophilia because of the high cell count, myalgia because of
the muscle pain. In all, about 5,000 - 10,000 people got sick; some
are permanently disabled. About 100 people died.

Disease Traced to Genetic Modification

The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reported on
July 11, 1990 that people only got EMS from pills made by Showa Denko,
one of the six manufacturers whose L-tryptophan was imported into the
U.S. from Japan. Showa Denko's pills had several unique contaminants
that were likely to be responsible for the epidemic. Moreover, the
manufacturer was genetically engineering bacteria to produce the L-
tryptophan more economically. Genes had been inserted into bacteria's
DNA in order to produce high concentrations of several enzymes used in
its production.

Epidemiologist Michael Osterholm, who helped track the source of the
epidemic, said in a Newsday article on August 14, "This obviously
leads to that whole debate about genetic engineering." Two weeks
later, FDA spokesperson Sam Page was quoted in Science magazine
"blasting" Osterholm for raising the issue of genetic engineering,
"especially given the impact on the industry."[2]

Diverting Blame

There are numerous ways in which genetically engineered bacteria
might lead to unpredicted contaminants. For example:

The process of inserting genes can create significant changes in the
expression of natural genes throughout the DNA, causing changes in
proteins (including enzymes) and their interactions.

Genetic engineering can cause mutations and deletions in the DNA,
altering its natural functioning and changing what is produced.

The bacteria were engineered to produce ingredients in larger
concentrations than were normally part of the process to create L-
tryptophan. These higher concentrations might interact in
unpredictable ways to create new compounds.

The L-tryptophan is toxic to the bacteria that create it. As a means
of self-preservation, the bacteria might have modified the L-
tryptophan, itself, or its environment.

The press reported that Showa Denko had introduced a GM strain of
bacteria at Christmas time in 1988. Soon after, they also reduced the
amount of carbon in the filter of the manufacturing process from 20
kilos to 10. This change in the filter was just what the young and
vulnerable biotech industry needed to protect its reputation. The
alternative story diverted the blame away from genetic engineering.
This explanation circulated around the world. "The change in the
filter was responsible for the epidemic." Or more simply put, "It was
bad manufacturing?not genetic engineering."

In 1996, writer William Crist began what would become an eight-year
investigation into the cause of the EMS epidemic. He contacted the
FDA's biotechnology coordinator, James Maryanski, who told him "We can
not rule [genetic engineering] out. . . . However, we are aware of
close to two dozen cases of L-tryptophan-linked EMS that occurred
before Showa Denko began using their engineered strain. So, there
would have to be a cause other than just the mere engineering of the
strains. Now, I can't say that definitively because we don't have a
lot of information on these earlier cases." Maryanski asserted that
"either L-tryptophan itself, or L-tryptophan in combination with
something that was the result of the purification process, was
probably the more likely cause."[3]

Crist decided to track down the EMS cases that Maryanski
described?those caused by L-tryptophan produced before the genetically
altered bacterium was introduced in December 1988. He quickly
discovered CDC studies that identified about 100 pre-epidemic cases,
not two dozen. And since reported cases of EMS were far less than
actual cases, the true number, using the CDC's estimated ratio for
unreported incidents, was in the hundreds?all apparently from
individuals who had ingested Showa Denko's pills manufactured before
December 1988. This fact clearly dismantled the change-in-the-filter
theory as the cause of the disease. But it didn't explain how the
contaminants got into Showa Denko's L-tryptophan.

Crist spoke with several attorneys who represented EMS victims. They
had gathered significant evidence for their lawsuits, which were
eventually settled with Showa Denko for about $2 billion. In one
company memo obtained by an attorney, Crist discovered a significant
fact. The bacterium introduced in December 1988 was called Strain 5.
The preceding three strains, introduced starting on October 22, 1984,
were all genetically modified. This was a revelation. It countered the
FDA's argument that illnesses "that occurred before Showa Denko began
using their engineered strain" meant that "there would have to be a
cause other than [genetic engineering]." But they were all engineered!

As he looked at the memo, Crist wondered why the FDA didn't know
about the earlier GM strains. They had access to a lot more
information he did. Then his eyes rose to the top of the document to
see a fax imprint: "FDA September 17, 1990." It had been faxed by the
FDA! They knew back in 1990 that the earlier strains were modified,
but in 1996, the FDA's biotech coordinator James Maryanski was still
claiming ignorance.

An even greater omission occurred when Douglas Archer, deputy
director of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition,
testified before Congress in July 1991 about the epidemic. Not only
did he not discuss the earlier bacterial strains, he never even
mentioned genetic engineering. Instead, he blamed the disease on "the
dangers inherent in the various health fraud schemes that are being
perpetrated upon segments of the American public." The FDA used this
logic to take all L-tryptophan, GM or not, off the market.

According to a 2000 article in the Rutgers Law Journal, "Political
pressures have played a role in the FDA's decision to ban L-tryptophan
as well as its desire to increase its regulatory power over dietary
supplements."[4] In its FDA Dietary Supplement Task Force report on
June 15, 1993, it states, "The Task Force considered various issues in
its deliberations, including ... what steps are necessary to ensure
that the existence of dietary supplements on the market does not act
as a disincentive to drug development." According the Rutgersarticle,
"This is a particularly disturbing issue," as it shows that developing
FDA guidelines "has far more to do with eliminating competition in the
pharmaceutical industry than preserving the public health." In the
case of L-tryptophan, the FDA simultaneously protected prescription
drugs for stress, insomnia and depression, as well as the entire
biotech industry. In retrospect, when FDA's Sam Page told Science that
it was better not to discuss genetic engineering, "especially given
the impact on the industry," it turns out he was describing the
motivation and strategy that would guide the agency for years.

Sobering Lessons Unheeded

Many studies have verified that the process of genetic engineering
can produce unpredicted toxins or allergens. Nevertheless, the FDA
does not require any additional safety testing for GM products,
whether they are food crops or supplements. Thus, if that same deadly
L-tryptophan were first introduced today, it would get on the market.

The EMS epidemic took years to identify and was almost missed. The
only reason it was discovered was because the disease had three
concurrent characteristics: it was rare, acute, and came on quickly.
What would happen if all three characteristics had not been in place?
What if it took 20 years for onset or only impacted the next
generation? What if it produced only mild symptoms like frequent
colds? What if it created serious diseases that were common, like
cancer, heart-disease, obesity or diabetes? The epidemic might remain
undiscovered for decades.

What then of the thousands of products currently being fed to US
citizens that contain ingredients from genetic modification? Might
they be creating problems that don't have all three characteristics?
Are they contributing to the doubling of food-related illnesses in the
United States between 1994 and 2001, corresponding to the time when
many of these products were introduced? We don't know, because no one
is looking. And even if we were, derivatives from the four major GM
crops, soy, corn, cottonseed, and canola, are found in the majority of
processed foods. Unlike L-tryptophan, if common food ingredients were
creating health problems, identifying the source might be impossible.

In spite of these facts, and ignoring the thousands of victims of GM
L-tryptophan, U.S. regulators continue to make the baseless statement
that "millions of people have been eating genetically engineered
products for years and no one has gotten hurt."

Dissatisfied with the way that the FDA is protecting their health,
more and more people have chosen to protect themselves by avoiding GM
foods altogether. Here too, the FDA stands in the way. More than 90
percent of Americans want GM foods labeled. Most industrialized
nations require labeling. But the FDA has an official mandate to
promote biotechnology. They know that more than half of those surveyed
say they would avoid GM foods if they were labeled. To protect
industry profits, the FDA ignores the desires of nine out of ten
Americans.

There is no indication that another EMS epidemic will emerge from
another GM food or supplement. But with obesity, diabetes, migraines,
allergies, and many other ailments skyrocketing in the U.S., there is
no guarantee that another GM-related epidemic is not already upon us.

To learn more about the potential dangers of GM foods, to find out
how to shop GM-free, and to read the excellent report by William
Crist, visit www.seedsofdeception.com/Public/L-tryptophan/index.cfm..


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Spilling the Beans is a monthly column available at
www.responsibletechnology.org. Publishers and webmasters may offer
this article or monthly series to your readers at no charge, by
emailing column@responsibletechnology.org. Individuals may read the
column each month by subscribing to a free newsletter at
www.responsibletechnology.org.

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----------

References

[1]Barbara Deane, "Anatomy of an Epidemic," Reader's Digest, April
1991
[2]P. Raphals, "Does medical mystery threaten biotech?" Science, vol.
249, no. 619, 1990
[3] William E. Crist, The Toxic L-Tryptophan Epidemic, see
www.seedsofdeception.com/Public/L-tryptophan/index.cfm.
[4]Joshua H. Beisler, L-tryptophan Section from "Dietary Supplements
and Their Discontents: FDA Regulation and the Dietary Supplement
Health and Education Act of 1994, Rutgers Law Journal, Winter 2000,
See www.seedsofdeception.com/utility/showArticle/?objectID=263.



Copyright 2005 by Jeffrey M. Smith. Permission is granted to
reproduce this in whole or in part.
"

An old friend/coworker recently emailed me asking how things were with the family and myself. I replied with an exceptionally long email, and decided I should post excerpts here, for others who might have the same questions... Click the READ MORE link for the rest of the details...

Regarding Halloween this year:
Last year only about a dozen or so
kids came to the door, and my wife had bought a LOT of candy. So this year, I
just bought one large bag from Costco. Well. we actually ran out after about
the 30th or 40th visitor!
In just the past year, a lot of new families have moved into the area, so
that's probably why the significant change. This is/was an older
neighborhood, about 40 years old, and most of the people were in their
70's/80s. So they've been moving out to retirement communities and selling
their house on this very hot market, and families like ours have been moving
in. So we hit it at a great time of transition for what is normally a very
non-changing, nice families, neighborhood. ;-);-)

Kids are doing great. William (9, be 10 in December), is in his second year of Kungfu, is in chess club, has become fanatical about role playing gaming (non-computer) since I introduced all three kids to it recently, and
I'm trying to keep him from going overboard on that. ;-);-)
He's now using email between family members, and loves playing multi-player game classics such as Warcraft 2 and Diablo. All three kids are totally addicted to Neverwinter Nights. William read The Hobbit last year in 2nd
grade. He's now started the Lord of the Rings. He was dressed up as Harry Potter for Halloween today.

I'm going to post Halloween pics shortly today on
my site.

He prefers to be sedentary, so I kind of have to push him to do physical stuff, but he's really good about doing Kungfu every day. He's a bit of a pessimist, and that may be a bit my fault, but we're working
on it. ;-);-)

He's struggling with OCD and anxiety issues, but doing ok in school. We're working with counselors to help him with that. I've been teaching them meditation and breathing techniques, and those are slowly sinking in.
He is most content "playing in his imagination" in his head, reading, playing video games and watching tv, and role playing gaming (paper and dice).

Brennan (7) is being active as always, despite his asthma. We tried him in
Kungfu this summer, but he kept goofing off, so we pulled him (much against
his wishes) until he's a little more mature to behave. ;-);-) He's been close to
whooping my tail in Warcraft, and is acing Neverwinter Nights.
He's good at being active, and helping around the house, riding his bike,
inline skating, scooter, running (despite asthma), and more. He's struggling
with controlling his temper, which has had him in trouble sometimes, but he's
making progress. He's a huge optimist, very positive, and loves people. He
loves role playing gaming and games, and a little tv, but he's most happy
being active, playing with others, going outdoors, mountain biking, and most
of all doing stuff with daddy. (as they all love). ;-);-) Brennan is a real
"doer" who expresses his emotions of the moment very strongly. He love
cuddling the most.

Drake (5) is the youngest, probably the toughest (out of necessity), and will
probably be the largest of the three (burly and tall). He is a real
"watcher", and shy with people at first, but very outgoing once he gets to
know them. He's actually doing very well with WC2 and NWN. He also loves
paper and dice RPGing, He does a GREAT orc voice, I should record it, it's a
hoot from a 5 year old. He also has a bit of a "Dark side". Long before he
played video games or role playing, he always wanted to play "the bad guy",
while his brothers were the good guys. I'm not sure how much of that was just
the other two putting him there, but he fully embraces it now, though I try
to dissuade him. ...
He enjoys rough housing with his brothers and others (they all love that of
course). Loves hid and seek and tag. Likes to watch tv waaaaaaay too much.
Enjoys moderate hikes and some bike riding, though not as much as Brennan,
much more than William does.
He's doing well in private school in Kindergarten, he'll be joining his
brothers at Evergreen next year. Evergreen is one of the "best" public schools in the Mead district, and the Mead district is the one of the "best" districts in the Spokane area (we kept our house selection to try to make sure they ended up in that school).
The private schools here aren't quite what I thought they should be from a private school
from them, as well as the expense, and Evergreen is an exceptional school, though I generally don't
like public schools.

Karina is going to school now taking her generals. She is thinking of becoming
a nurse possibly. But it's early yet since she just started this Fall
quarter, taking a course in precollege map to work up to her requisites. She
is very excited today because she had the best grade on the midterm test
today. And the teacher pointed it out and praised her and all, I think she
said she had a 96% on the test.
Woohoo! You go girl! ;-P

She's doing the "craft fair" thing on the weekends, She registered booths at
the three largest fairs in the area. Her website is www.karina.org, the
undeveloped catalog is dev.karina.org
I'm trying to take pics of all her stuff, especially her great angels, before
it's all sold off. She says this is the last year she's going to do this.
We'll see... ;-P
She has been taking Kungfu on and off the past year as well. And she just
started going back to the gym this week. Her weight is still not good (380
lbs). But her health is better than 2 years ago, even though she skips Kungfu
and working out for weeks or months at a time. She can kick quite high with
good balance, and woe betide anyone who tries to mug her without a
weapon. ;-P
She's been reading fanatically the new Robert Jordan (11th) book, and the
Harry Potter book she recently finished, after re-reading all the books
leading up to both.
She's made lots of friends here, and is active with them frequently.

I'm acting as "Mr Mom" now. I control the finances, groceries/shopping, and do
most of the cooking. We are eating much healthier now, but eating well too (I cook a lot
of gourmet and other recipes). I'm enjoying this (quasi-retired) still busy,
but less insanely intense life style. Though it's still overwhelming with school on top of everything else.
I've posted some of what I've been
cooking on the website.
I love it here in Spokane. Though my heart is always with Northern California,
I'd say this is the closest "2nd" I've been to in the USA (about 25+ states
I've been in for any brief or prolonged periods). The economy is much more affordable than
CA, the city is large enough to have all the necessities, but not TOO large. It has an excellent education and medical infrastructure (multiple major hospitals and suppoorting structure, two community colleges, several other colleges, and universities).

We feel like we almost live in the woods (which is a good thing from my view), even
though we're only 3 minutes from the malls and such, and everything is within
15-30 minutes. Surrounded by trees and life. Since most of the trees are
evergreens, it stays green year round, rather than the brown "ugliness" of
winter in other places. There is a "winter" of actual snow and ice, but very
moderate compared to Utah, Idaho, Nevada. Very temperate summer (actually
cooler than the Bay Area many times by a few degrees). Over 100+ lakes within
100 miles in any direction. Awesome outdoors life here.
Reasonable "cultural culture" here. Though certainly room for improvement there.
I'm hopefully getting my Internet radio show approved on a community FM radio
station here in the next few weeks. I've donated streaming for their signal
as well. Check them out here:
www.kyrs.org
You'll see the streaming link leads to one of my servers.
I don't agree with much of their politics, but I agree TOTALLY with their
approach to free speech, civil liberties, etc.

I have started being trained by the Kungfu studio to become an instructor in
their style. I'll be starting with the kids in a few months, and adults after
a year or so.
Physical therapy is going well. I "graduated" from the first level, and am now
at the 2nd tier, which is more a "Sport training" level.
I'm VERY sore from the first Friday session, but no injuries, and I did handle Kungfu yesterday just fine. No injuries, just soreness, is a VERY good thing, and a welcome change to the pattern of pain and injuries of the past years.

There's a third more
intense program from PT for "professional sports level". I don't know that I'll go to that third level or not.

My goal is to be at Kungfu a
minimum of 3 days a week for 2-3 hours per day. Eventually maybe 4-5 days per
week.

Also a therapist who used to teach Karate, says, when I'm ready he'll hook me up with teaching the
children in the Children's Asthma center of Sacred Heart hospital as
well, which he apparently did years ago.

School is chugging along. I've never liked academia, and have always struggled
in school, except for my computer science degree. But I'm trying to make the
best of it.
I'm full time this quarter taking:
Overview of Therapeutic Recreation
Intercultural Communications
Medical Terminology

I've been chiseling away at my required 1500 hours of volunteer/work related
work for the prerequisite before I can start the 16 weeks internship as part
of the degree requirements.
I'm majoring as a Recreational Therapist, and minoring in Music for music
therapy.
I've been learning the African Djembe drum, in addition to continuing with the
Native American wood flute, guitar, bass, harmonica. I've been taking on and
off voice lessons to try to get better with vocals too.

I LOVE my online broadcasts, but due to a busy schedule I just cut it back
from 3x / week to 1x / week, in the hopes that I'll be doing the Radio
broadcasts with KYRS 1x /week as well.
My site for all this is:
www.thesyntheticzenshow.com
or
www.synthzen.com

My show time is now:
Sundays 4 am to 6 am UTC/GMT (that's 10 pm to Midnight Saturdays for Pacific
time).
I've been working on my two Broncos. One is lifted 6", with 32" tires. It's an
awesome off road beast, but a POS other than that. That's the black one. :-p:-p
The red one is "a more civilized" Bronco. It's a great family mobile, that I
can take them most anywhere, and it's in great shape, though it's needs a
little work.
It's going to cost me about $200.00 to replace the melted/burned parts on the
motorcycle. :-):-)
Luckily my Zaurus wasn't in the bag, as it usually is, else that would have
been a $930.00 handheld lost. But I did lose all three of my Kungfu uniforms,
and my primary eyeglasses, as well as my whole quarter's work so far and
their sylabi (?). But, could have been a LOT worse. I'll post the full
version of my stupidity in that event at some point as an update to that same
article already on line.
I've been working on the house, the landscape.
I'm still working on a (way overdue) database project for a client, for extra money for my "useful gadgets" such as the Zaurus.

I'm Game Mastering a role playing gaming group twice per month (http://eagroup.merp.com) based in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth.

So, that's probably WAAAAAy more information than you wanted. And if you
actually managed to read through it all, you should get a reward for
patience. :-P :-P

But, that gives an overview of the highlights of current events for our clan.
Cheers!

In response to a document in the EWU (Eastern Washington University) Library 101 course, I was struck by the (obvious motivation) total bias and negative, condescending attitude of the document's introduction towards public information and free search engines.

I am pasting below my response to this document, though some of the context might be a little confusing since most outside of EWU will not have read the document that this is in reference to. However, most of the statements stand pretty clearly on their own.

Feel free to comment. Cheers! -Hawke

"

It may be true that the media industry is fighting to keep the current paradigm as much in the “quality information costs money” realm. But I STRONGLY disagree with the premise that it must always remain as the future evolution of our society in staying on that course. That is not to say that it might not stay stuck in such antiquated a mode of thought, but that the best benefit to society, and the human race's evolution, is a complete paradigm shift to completely open and free “quality information”. The technology already exists to discern and disseminate that information, if only those who control the data would allow it be released.

One of the better examples of this argument is the “Open Source” versus “Closed Source” debate to developing software, which I've commented on in other parts of the DB, so I'll not duplicate that here. The main point is that societies advance when “quality information” is freely given and shared, and societies are stunted, even devolving, when information is controlled by cost or elitists and those who want to keep the “unwashed masses” under control.

The section on searching with Google is also a practice in sophistry (plausible arguments based on misleading or facetious assumptions), in that it makes statements mostly from the pemise of treating Google as the only search engine, or means of finding (quality) data on the Internet or elsewhere for free.

In regards to Google. it seems that the writer of the document is not very familiar with Google's (and other search engine's) “Advanced Search” and other features. Using operands (AND, OR, etc.) and many other criteria offerings on different sites, one can control results by relevant categories. Google also uses far more complex algorithms for determining the top ranked results than just “popularity”. That is a common misconception that many make, and then those entities wonder why they are 40,000^th in rank order of relevancy. As for categorization, Google is certainly not the best engine for that, instead there are many other search engines out there (freely available, as well as for cost of coruse) that provide exactly that type of searching. Also, most of the Search Engine Directories (Yahoo Directory for example) have information categorized.

There are search engines for specific professional data, like medical search engines, technology search engines, hobby specific search engines, literary search engines, the list is endless. Yes, it does take some time in one's profession or field of interest to find and learn to most effectively use all the tools available, but that is a far different reality from the blanket statements the document makes about Google, and other free sources of information.

I personally implemented and have been responsible for huge corporate and government full-text search engines that cost millions of dollars for the licenses annually, that were not as efficient as many of the now free systems have become. In fact, many of those agencies/businesses have switched to the less expensive or free engines to more efficiently catalog and access their full text data. This not only decreases the costs to the public significantly, it also speeds up the process of data research, as well as improving the quality of relevant data. The document instead belittles the power of the public search engines  Google, Yahoo, and others by referring to them as "duct tape quality and swiss army knife".

I was (in my working days) very familiar with Lexis-Nexis and other similar private "for pay" systems, and their limitations and high costs. As long as people keep buying into the false assumption that “quality information costs”, the stranglehold of information access to the public will continue to be controlled by a minority, when it should be benefiting the majority.

I am also fully supportive of Google's requests to scan in and create full text repositories of everything ever published into electronic format. I am very incensed by the media and publishing industries rigid resistance to this very important evolution of our society (though I am not in the least surprised). In one of my former occuptations I used to be CTO (Chief Technology Officer) of an online digital publishing company (that was later acquired by Barnes & Noble), so I'm intimately familiar with the publishing industry's business model and why there are so resistant and threatened by this topic, thus the rather lengthy response (my apologies if it's an overly emotional response).

Just my (more than) two bits worth of opinion on that. ;-)

Are there classes offered by EWU in training people how to make the most out of using the many publicly available Internet search engines available? If not, it would be good to at least consider having a document included with many classes that at least provides a link to a decent in depth tutorial on fully utilizing the power of search engines.

"

The below quotes are from the FAQs of the soundexchange site, that I was led
to in reading other articles on this unbelievable topic. I hope over time these interpretations become invalidated, because this is insane that they think they are allowed to do this. Even more insane if they actually ARE allowed to do so.

The FAQs are supposedly translating as meaning that, even those of us creating our own music, (or even potentially our own talk shows), if streaming over the Internet, anyone streaming over the Internet MUST pay SoundExchange the royalty fees regardless as to whether any of the music ( or potentially even SPOKEN WORD?)  artists are members of the RIAA or other
organization or not.

They claim the rights on spoken word as well, though it's under their "members" listing, they do not clarify if that is excluded from the non-members royalty collection, but some articles are claiming they are/will demand such royalties even for that.

They claim that they get to mandate collection for non-members as well as
members, because if those non-members approach them for royalty payment, they
will pay them (after the applicant fills out forms proving their rights to those performances that were streamed and their right to receive the royalties, and pays deducted fees of course). So this means playing indie labels will NOT exclude us from having to pay all the royalties for streaming. So they get to charge webcasters for all musical (and spoken ???) broadcast non-interactive (that means streaming, not download/podcast) streamed over the Internet!

I've been seeing articles pointing this out since around the end of April,
that they are starting to act on this premise.

I don't know if this would hold up in a court battle, but it will years before
that would be resolved.
<sigh>
Well, I have lots of convo points for tonight's show to be sure.

See the FAQs in the "read more' link for this article...

SoundExchange FAQs below.

http://soundexchange.com/faq.html

##### BEGIN SOUND EXCHANGE FAQ QUOTES ######

What about webcasting?

 The recent U.S. Copyright Office ruling regarding webcasting designated
SoundExchange to collect and distribute to all nonmembers as well as its
members. The Librarian of Congress issued his decision with rates and terms
to govern the compulsory license for webcasters (Internet-only radio) and
simulcastors (retransmissions). For more detailed information on the
different types of statutory licensees, including webcasters, click here. For
questions relating to licensing, click here for Licensing 101.

What licenses does SoundExchange administer?

The Digital Performance Right in Sound Recordings Act of 1995 (DPRA) and the
Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (DMCA) granted a performance right
in sound recordings for certain digital and satellite transmissions. In
exchange for this new right, SRCOs are subject to a compulsory license for
the use of their music, provided the user complies with those conditions set
forth in the copyright law. SoundExchange was established to administer the
collection and distribution of royalties from such compulsory licenses taken
by noninteractive streaming services that use satellite, cable or Internet
methods of distribution.
http://soundexchange.com/faq.html#a6


What royalties does SoundExchange administer?

SoundExchange collects and distributes royalties from statutory licenses,
including:
* Digital cable and satellite television services (Music Choice and Muzak)
* Noninteractive "webcasters" (including original programmers and
retransmissions of FCC-licensed radio stations by aggregators)
* Satellite radio services (XM and SIRIUS)


What is a featured artist?
 A "featured artist,” “featured recording artist,” “contract artist,” “royalty
artist,” or “featured performer” means the performing group or, if not a
group or ensemble, the individual performer, identified most prominently in
print on, or otherwise in connection with, the phonorecord actually being
performed. If a sound recording (either musical or spoken word) identifies
several featured performers, then the allocation of royalties may be on a pro
rata basis among all identified performers. According to the legislative
history to the Digital Performance Right in Sound Recordings Act, where “both
the vocalist or soloist and the group or ensemble are identified as a single
entity and with equal prominence (such as ‘Diana Ross and the Supremes’),
both the individual and the group qualify as the ‘featured recording
artist.’” SoundExchange may also distribute royalties according to any splits
agreed to among featured recording artists in private agreements, provided
that all of the identified featured recording artists agree in writing to
SoundExchange’s distribution of royalties according to such splits.


Are artists receiving direct payments from SoundExchange?

 Yes. SoundExchange, in compliance with the rules and regulations of the U.S.
Copyright Office, provides direct payment to all artists. We are providing
direct payment to the major label groups and hundreds of independent labels
without recoupment. We are, therefore, processing thousands of artist
accounts in addition to the hundreds of SRCO accounts. All SoundExchange
royalty distributions include payment of the 5% share for nonfeatured
musicians and vocalists to AFTRA and AFM's Intellectual Property Rights
Distribution Fund, that collects and distributes this money on their behalf.
If you are a nonfeatured musician or a nonfeatured vocalist, and would like
to inquire about any royalties that may be due you, please contact the AFM
and AFTRA Intellectual Property Rights Distribution Fund at
www.raroyalties.org.

##### END SOUND EXCHANGE FAQ QUOTES #####



--
---
 "Tech Talk With Hawke"
 A technology talk show like no other.
 Informing the public about technologies impacting
 privacy, security, and civil rights, with a leaning
 towards open source solutions.
 FM 92.3 & 89.9 FM Broadcasts:
 KYRS LP-FM - Thin Air Community Radio
 Fridays 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Pacific Time
 http://www.kyrs.org

For playlists, show archives, downloads, news and details see:
http://www.techtalkhawke.com
RSS News Feed: http://techtalkhawke.com/news/RSS2
Podcast Feed: http://techtalkhawke.com/news/podcast.xml
ICQ: 3218959
AIM: hawkerobinson
Yahoo: synthzen
MSN: msverbsthenoun@hotmail.com
IRC: Server: irc.merp.com Channel: #broadcast

Originally posted 2006/10/26.

Some VERY interesting dialogue that was on Slashdot this week (all quotes from others, no commentary from me right now):

Commentator1: "...the MPAA hasn't provided legitimate alternatives for what consumers want..."

Commentator2: "...this statement is almost laughable. What's the purpose of it? To justify theft? That's a very, very slippery slope indeed..."

Commentator3: "Here" (referring to Commentator2's statement) " is the misconception, copyright violations are not theft. Copyright ownership is not an absolute right like property ownership is. Copyright is a comprimise struck by society with artists and writers. The purpose of compulsory licensing was to modify the compromise to maintain it's fairness. The MPAA and RIAA have no absolute right to control their members' creations. Neither do their members for that matter. If the MPAA does not live up to it's side of the compromise, we the people reserve the right to renegotiate. No slippery slope, no theft. If we give in to the MPAA and RIAA or any of those extremists that say intellectual propery is the same as real property, then we are giving up our rights and heading down a slippery slope."

"He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine;
as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me.  That ideas should freely spread from one to another over the globe, for the moral and mutual instruction of man, and improvement of his condition, seems to have been peculiarly and benevolently designed by nature, when she made them,
like fire, expansible over all space, without lessening their density in any point, and like the air in which we breathe, move, and have our physical being, incapable of confinement or exclusive appropriation. Inventions then cannot, in nature, be a subject of property. Society may give an exclusive right to the profits arising from them, as an encouragement to men to pursue ideas which may produce utility, but this may or may not be done, according to the will and convenience of the society, without claim or complaint from anybody... '
-- Thomas Jefferson, letter to Isaac McPherson, 1813"

No slippery slope, no theft. If we give in to the MPAA and RIAA or any of those extremists that say intellectual propery is the same as real property, then we are giving up our rights and heading down a slippery slope."
<br />
<br />
<b>" He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine;
<br />
<br />
as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me.
<br />
<br />
 That ideas should freely spread from one to another over the globe, for the moral and mutual instruction of man, and improvement of his condition, seems to have been peculiarly and benevolently designed by nature, when she made them,
<br />
<br />
like fire, expansible over all space, without lessening their density in any point, and like the air in which we breathe, move, and have our physical being, incapable of confinement or exclusive appropriation. Inventions then cannot, in nature, be a subject of property.
<br />
<br />
 Society may give an exclusive right to the profits arising from them, as an encouragement to men to pursue ideas which may produce utility, but this may or may not be done, according to the will and convenience of the society, without claim or complaint from anybody... ' </b>
<br />
<br />
-- Thomas Jefferson, letter to Isaac McPherson, 1813"
<br />

One of the courses in my slowly chiseling towards a degree in Therapeutic Recreation aka recreation therapy, is the Recreation Programming course. We created lots of great proejcts, activities, etc. I came up with an event for the Deaf community with 10 activities, which was voted by the class as the "best" event (separate posting at some point), and we did many items together.

Each year, the Spring class puts together ane event for the Spokane, WA neighborhood known as the Hillyard area. Apparently this is supposed to be "the poorest zipe code in the Washington state and the second 'hungriest' zip code in the USA".

So each year, EWU students put together a fun event for the children of this district, from donations from businesses and individuals solicited by the EWU students around the area. The list of sponsors is lengthy.

Each year there is a different theme. We brainstormed for a while, and I had thrown out there: Medieval (shocker!), (as well as Matrix, and Scifi and others), also Extreme Sports.

I jokingly said, "how about "Extreme Medieval Sports". People laughed, then we all paused and said wait a minute. and unanimously the class voted for that theme.

This included my jousting (on chairs) event, and others had other great themes. I will post some photos shortly for each. It was a blast of an event.

I have to run to an appointment, I'll be back in a few to continue this, as well as upload pics.

TTFN.

-Hawke

Ok. I'm back.

Below are various pics with captions...

Many food donations from various tores, restaurants and individuals:

Some Open Office Development Crippled by Legal "Chilling Effects" - More Proof of Suppressed Competition & Innovation.

I posted this on slashdot.org as well under the title (due to their shorter title size limits) as:

Open Office Development Crippled by Legal "Chilling Effects".

Here is even more proof of the "chilling effects" caused by overly-far-reaching legal decisions, patents, and other "intellectual Property" laws:

http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=20370

For those who do not wish to read through the bug/feature report dialogue, the summary is as follows; They have closed the feature request to "embed" fonts in Open Office documents, and listed it as "Won't Fix" due to fears over legal issues, even for embedding completley "open" fonts. These fears are not unfounded of course, as they indicate from commenting about their interpretation of the meaning of the legal decision regarding the case "Adobe versus ITC", but surely there must be _some_ solution in some way.

I have asked EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation - http://www.eff.org ) to take a look at this to see if there are any options. It is early yet, and I have not yet heard back from the voice and email messages I left late this afternoon. Not considering development on this feature is a SIGNIFICANT crippling of the ability for OpenOffice to compete with products such as Microsoft Office, and just one more indicator of how fears over legal harrassment, even from different countries than were the devleopers are located in, where it is perfectly legal for such development (Skylarov/Adobe issue for example). This is just one more indication of how such IP "legal" abuses and intimidation are crippling innovation around the globe.

I have commented on my blog and technology talk radio show over the years about how I have observed (albeit however subjectively) the recent decline in technology innovation being available to the general public. I can not count the numerous technologies I have watched be shelved, never attempted, or kept only "in house" in recent years just due to fears over legal entanglements. This has stopped many individuals, companies and groups from even beginning the process of creating great solutions due to legal fears.

This question is coming up from people more and more as the '08 general elections approach. Of course, I've been active on this topic every year, not just electrion years.

I guess it's time I finally started to sum up where I stand on the man different political issues. Below is just the beginning with an overview. More details on specific issues will be posted later...

* I would be considered fiscally conservative and socially moderate. I tend more towards libertarianism, but find the party and people tend to go "to far". I can not ally my self with any  of the current parties comfortably, and especially not the Republicans or Democrats. The Republicans have lost their vision (and souls?), and become too corrupt and strayed too far from their platform goals and become too facist and capitalistically corrupt. I am for capitalism and democracy, but without it becoming oligarchical i