Piracy Is Not Theft

So despite popular belief, piracy and theft is not the same thing. This is a personal battle I seem to keep having with people. Now I'm not saying Piracy is not illegal... cause thanks to stupid people, interest groups, and the lack of having a true democracy in this country... we do have laws against piracy. But piracy is not theft... and this handy guide should explain the difference.


History:

So what exactly makes piracy illegal? Well the "No Electronic Theft Act (NET Act), passed in 1997 provides for criminal prosecution of individuals who engage in copyright infringement even when there is no monetary gain or commercial benefit from the action. Prior to this, only civil action could be taken for copyright infringement. So why would the government do this to people? Simple... those holding copyrights who wanted this law were more likely to contribute to campaigns. Duh!

Conflict in Georgia?

When you try to talk about the conflict in Georgia the vast majority of Americans will give you a blank stare and wonder what Florida is up to. Remind them how Georgia was a breakaway state and the first thing they think of is the Civil War. Talk about the oppression in Georgia and you may actually get a response... be it a useless diatribe about east coast rappers. Not to say that American's are sheltered... but we all know that geography or world affairs is not one of our strengths.

The Georgia we are talking about is sandwiched between Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey, and the Black Sea. Natural resource wise... not it a horrible place to be, but anyone standing between Russia and potential oil resources is not in a good place! So now that you know which Georgia we are talking about... you should remember Georgia is an independent state. While independent from Russia/USSR since 1991, it was actually its own kingdom for almost 1000 years before becoming park of the Soviet Union. Georgia has been trying to join NATO for a little while now, likely to prevent Russia from invading and one day aspires to be part of the EU, just like many other poorer countries. Less than 20 years have passed and Russia still isn't that happy with Georgia being independent, so they decided to invade. But what is really going on?

This conflict, just now getting media attention, actually started in July between Ossetian militia and Georgian armed forces which led to a full-fledged attack in early August. The Russian government claimed that 1,600 Ossetians were killed in this attack, and the Russian being the humanitarians they are, ordered troops into the region... Somewhere along the line this turned from a peacekeeping mission to an assault against Georgian forces.

Wait... so who are the Ossetians? Well, when Georgia declared their independence from the Soviet Union, one region of the state decided to become its own independent entity, but has never been diplomatically recognized by any United Nations member, including Russia. i.e. it's less legit than the Palestinian Authority.

About a week ago, an agreement was signed where one of the key points was that Russia would withdraw its forces... but low and behold, it has yet to do so. In fact, there are widespread reports of fighting, looting and burning which has led to prompting by the U.S. to urge Russia to withdraw immediately. Thats really all the news coverage you see now.... the U.S. saber rattling and the lack of action of the Russia side of it.

So now you are more informed on the world around you... why Russia may not be quite the ally we sometimes think it is, and that Georgia in the news is not the one just north of Florida.

Change! Progress! Expand Welfare!

Obama wants to put more people on the government tit! If you are a senior citizen and making less than $50,000 a year, the new Obama tax plan would mean that you are exempt from income tax!

What a deal for senior citizens, not only would do they pull in personal retirement, Social Security and Medicare... but now they would be getting yet another subsidy. We won't even mention that senior already get discounts at most restaurants and entertainment venues... or that they have the least need for money as generally they are not supporting any kids or paying off a mortgage.

The campaign says the plan would "relieve millions of older people from having to file complicated tax returns." Heck, if the forms are SOOOOO complicated, why not just get rid of them and go to a consumption based tax? Old people aren't stupid... just cause you are retired doesn't mean that you can't read a form and put numbers in boxes! If Obama really thinks that old people can't handle these tax forms, perhaps Seniors shouldn't be driving either... thats just as complicated!

This is just another attempt to bribe people for their votes... "Hey Seniors... Vote for Obama and I'll raise the national debt." The Obama website says, "If you work hard and pay into the system, you've earned the right to a secure retirement... but too many seniors aren't getting that security, even though they've held up their end of the bargain." So perhaps the problem is the system they are paying into???

Even Obama supporters think this is a stupid idea. Robert Greenstein, head of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal think tank, said, "Most low- and moderate-income seniors already owe no income tax. Among seniors with incomes below $50,000 who do owe income tax, a significant number have modest incomes because they are retired but possess substantial assets... Given all the problems and needs the nation faces, targeting relief to this group isn't a priority." For those people who think I'm just hating on Obama... realize that Seniors already get preferential treatment in the tax code including getting to claim an additional standard deduction and only a portion of their Social Security benefits are taxed. In addition, many don't pay payroll taxes because their income is from investments rather than wages. "The proposal would exempt comparatively well off senior citizens from tax and give them a benefit not generally available to working Americans.... it helps only those low-income seniors who currently pay income taxes. Those too poor to owe any tax — arguably those most in need — would get no benefit," said the Tax Policy Center, a think tank run jointly by the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute. Even AARP does not appear to be too excited about this plan... a bulletin on the presidential candidates' tax plans barely mentions it, saying that Obama's proposal could partly offset additional taxes that Obama would impose on seniors through higher tax rates on dividends and capital gains.

Happy 100,000 Orbit!

In April of 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope was launched, and today, almost 20 years later, the telescope has hit the 100,000-orbit mark with its odometer reading about 2.72 billion miles. To quote one of the scientist who works with the HST, "It's been just a fabulous long journey of scientific discoveries, with more to come."

Despite an early post-launch scare after scientists discovered that its main mirror was ground to the wrong shape, Hubble has been a mighty resource for astronomers, providing unprecedented contributions to the field of space studies.

Kailash Sahu, an astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute who used Hubble to observe exoplanets 26,000 light-years away, said "For me it's special because I used this to discover the farthest planet that has ever been discovered... HST is the only [telescope] which can do that."

"Personally, my work in black holes would not have been possible without HST, showing that nearly all galaxies contain a massive black hole in their center and that the black hole is an essential component for why galaxies look the way they do," said University of Texas astronomer Karl Gebhardt.

Current estimates have Hubble continuing to orbit until 2013... just in time for people to start calling me Doctor!

I Tried to Run for President (As Sung by Hillary Clinton)

Due to the current popularity of this song and how this just seemed so fitting...

This was always the way I planned
Ever my intention
I got so bold, head in sand
Lost my discretion
It's not what, I'm used to
Just wanna try to run
I'm curious for it
Caught my attention

I tried to run for president
Be thought of that White House chick
I tried to run for president
I hope the Democrats don't mind it
It felt so wrong
It felt so right
Don’t mean it was not a plight
I tried to run for president
I liked it

Yes, I just want to get fame
It doesn't matter
It’s my experimental game
Just human nature
It's not what, I should do
Not how I should behave
My head gets so confused
Hard to obey

I tried to run for president
Be thought of that White House chick
I tried to run for president
I hope the Democrats don't mind it
It felt so wrong
It felt so right
Don’t mean it was not a plight
I tried to run for president
I liked it

You know I am so unstable
No Less, would be, acceptable
VP would be miserable
Too good to accept it
Ain't no big deal, it's over now

I tried to run for president
Be thought of that White House chick
I tried to run for president
I hope the Democrats don't mind it
It felt so wrong
It felt so right
Don’t mean it was not a plight
I tried to run for president
I liked it

Perhaps you will remember this, and then the whole lesbian vibe thing just sits so well!

What's in a Name?

The great bard Shakespeare would say... "That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

Well, I started this blog about a year ago, back when I actually was running for Congress. I've been open to changing the name, but I have yet to think of anything suitable. So now I open it up to you... the readers. Just post any blog name suggestions as comments and we shall see what the public demands this site be called.

Now lets just refrain from anything too stupid -->

Cheap Coffee Still Not Worth It

I can't believe that I almost missed hearing the news about this deal. It's probably because I didn't have my morning, and afternoon, fill up on overpriced coffee! "Looking to bring more value-seeking consumers through its doors for a late afternoon caffeine fix, Starbucks Corp. said it will now offer its morning customers any iced grande beverage for $2 after 2 p.m." Thats right, if you spend $3 for a cup of boring coffee in the morning, you can get 470 calories and 19 grams of fat (in your Mint Mocha Chip Frappuccino) for only $2! But take advantage now... the deal ends September 2nd.

But not to worry... there may be a new drug that could take care of the calorie count... and probably be priced as absurdly as Starbucks coffee. "With no exercise, you can take a drug and chemically mimic it." I know... amazing right? It's currently being tested on humans after proving effective on mice. Sign me up!

Steinberg for President?

I'm not running for President... or am I?

Man Vs. Nature: Round 1 Goes to Nature, Round 2 Goes to Man

So lightning doesn't strike the same place twice, but how about striking one place and hitting 91 people? Oh yeah buddy... I usually refrain from talking about sports (cause you can find that anywhere), but how could I resist mentioning this little tidbit? "A lightning bolt struck 91 auto racing fans at a racetrack in Norway Sunday, during a national championship rallycross event, with 45 people ending up at the hospital." Note to self, avoid holding touching metal during a storm... oh wait... I knew that already. I wonder if the racetrack will be sued for having metal seating? Perhaps this was nature's way of getting back for all the emissions the cars were putting out?

Speaking of nature taking its toll on man... man seems to be doing a good job taking on nature! "Almost half of the world's 634 types of primates are in danger of going extinct, some of them literally being hunted to death, experts said Monday after their first comprehensive review in five years." Can anyone even name half of the 634 types of primates in the world... heck, can anyone name 34 (without the help of the internet) ?

Thats right nature... this fight isn't over... till we both go down!

Stupid Lawsuits and Lessons Learned

Ok... this has gone far enough. Everyone in this country is just aching to sue someone else! Lets talk about some of these cases and the lessons that can be learned from them

A woman successfully sued her former fiancé for calling off their wedding. A jury awarded the woman $150,000. At what point did breach of promise lead to the ability to sue? A woman makes a conscious choice to leave a good job for a man... to take in "for better or for worse." Now this might have been for worse, but why should her bad decision lead to a payoff? My parents told me I could be president one day, does that mean I can sue them for $1.6 million (the amount a president makes over the 4 years in office)? No court would rule in my favor... so why would they do so here? Think about it this way... if he decided now to go through with it, and she backed out... would she have to give the money back since she's breaking the deal now and not him?

Lesson to be learned: Avoid commitment.

A businessman won $58,900 in damages after a school friend put up a fake facebook page about him that incorrectly described Firsht's sexuality and political views.The businessman claimed that the page was created to cause him anxiety and embarrassment as well as to damage his company. The defendant says that the page was created on his computer by people who gatecrashed a party at his apartment. The judge didn't buy the answer. "The information stayed on the site for 16 days until Firsht's brother spotted it. Firsht alerted Facebook staff who deleted the pages and told his lawyers they had been posted on the site from a computer at Raphael's home." I am a little more concerned about how they knew who did it and how easily the information was available. So I could call up Facebook and say that I am some other person and that the page is fake, Facebook will delete the page and give me the address of the person who made it???

Lesson to be learned: Don't trust Facebook!

Author Salman Rushdie is threatening to sue a publisher over a book by a former bodyguard that he says portrays him in a negative light. Rushdie doesn't like what someone wrote... ironic since the reason he had the bodyguard was due to the Iranian-backed death threat for his 1988 novel "The Satanic Verses." Rushdie says the book portrayed him as "mean, nasty, tight-fisted, arrogant and extremely unpleasant" and that "In my humble opinion, I am none of those things." One would think that a man who wrote a book that angered many in the Muslim world would be able to live with a book that would anger him... but no, instead he said, "I am not trying to prevent him from publishing this stupid book, but if they publish it there will be consequences and there will be a libel action." Interestingly, had the bodyguards failed at their mission, Rushdie wouldn't be able to sue for libel... you would think that he would be grateful and let them profit.

Lesson to be learned: Let your protectee die.

Sex tapes are all the rage in the legal arena... and this case is especially stupid. A man is suing his ex-girlfriend for $20 million, claiming she allowed snippets of a sex tape to be released... he is also claiming that the ex was abusive and inflicted emotional distress on him. Geeze, if she's so bad, then why did you make a sex tape with her? I'm not even gonna get into this one...

If you can't figure out this lesson yourself you should stop reading my blog.

How to Get Tax Payers to Pay For Your Reelection Campaign

What the heck?!?! So by now you have all heard about how the federal government is going to step in and bail out the banking system. But why isn't anyone asking why the Freddie Mac Chief Executive pocketed almost $20 million in compensation last year if the company is doing so poorly? He's expected to get about the same amount this year as well... because he's doing such a great job! Well in a sense I guess he is... he, along with other bank executives, have convinced the government to give them billions of your tax dollars because of their poor business decisions. So next time you are wondering why that pot hole hasn't been fixed... it is in part due to this.

These companies enjoy lavish profits in good times and use their political clout to resist regulation while depending on the government to bail them out when there is a problem, and thats just bullshit. To make matters even worse, Democrats refused to allow a vote on a proposal to ban the companies from lobbying or making political donations to lawmakers. So a good chunk of all that bail out money will now go to lining the election coffers of those who gave the money to the banks in the first place. To quote Senator DeMint, "if we're going to ask the American taxpayer to be on the hook for billions, possibly trillions of dollars, let's stop this."

Meanwhile I'm glad that I do not live in New York... the land of lost rights. The government in New York has decided that they are going to start trying to regulate video game content. Yes, this was tried before and knocked down by the courts thanks to the whole 1st amendment... but New York obviously doesn't really care about that Freedom of Expression thing very much. Some say the games are too violent... but rather than take it out on the book that inspired the movie that led to the game... they see it easier to go after the gaming industry. The NYCLU put it best, "New Yorkers do not need the state judging which video games are appropriate and which aren't. Parents, not government committees, should be responsible for making those judgments."

How else is the government over stretching its bounds you ask? Well, California has banned restaurants from using trans-fats in their foods. Now I have no personal objection to this as I like the idea of being forced to eat healthier since I have no self control, but are we sure that we want to give the government the power to decide what we can and can't legally eat? Even the resturant association is not challanging the law, in part because restaurants already are phasing out trans fats to satisfy customers.... but... but... the president this sets forth! I'm starting to wonder if people even realize how much freedom they continue to give up on a daily basis?

What next, girls should get a curve in math class because girls traditionally are not as good as boys? Thankfully that changed! Serious folks... how about a little less government involvement and a little more use of common sense?

Science in Your Life

Viagra for women and Soy for men. Viagra may be of more use to women then we originally realized. While of course women like when their man takes it... for obvious reasons. A new study finds that Viagra may help with organisms for women on antidepressants. One scientist who was not involved with the study says, "For women on antidepressants with orgasm problems, this may provide some wonderful relief...But it will not improve their desire or arousal." For that is still up to the man. Then again I hear there are hormone sprays that help with that... or of course... alcohol. Meanwhile, men who wish to avoid having kids should consider upping their soy intake. Eating a half serving a day of soy-based foods could be enough to significantly lower a man's sperm count.