Yesterday, the Florida legislature passed legislation — backed by the National Rifle Association — that would bar adoption agencies from asking whether prospective parents have guns or ammunition in their homes. The bill “rocketed” out of the legislature and now just needs the signature of Gov. Charlie Crist (R), who supports the measure. The AP explains what prompted the bill:
The issue of adoptions by gun owners came to light after a few prospective parents complained last year that the Children’s Home Society of Florida, the state’s largest provider of services to children and families, was asking applicants to disclose information about weapons or ammunition they keep at home. Florida law bans state agencies or their agents from maintaining a registry of firearm owners.( Read more )
New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg apologized to an elderly Brooklyn couple on Friday for about 50 door-pounding visits police made to their home resulting from a glitch in one of the department's computers.
Police used the address of Rose and and Walter Martin's modest home as part of "random material" to test the automated computer system that tracks crime complaints and records internal police information, a department official told the Associated Press. As a result, police over the past four years have repeatedly banged on their doors and demanded the couple open up.
The most recent raid came Tuesday, when officers pounded on both the front and back doors of the modest abode yelling "Police, open up!"
Police officials thought they had resolved the problem in 2007, when the couple's address was wiped from the system, but that assessment was later proven wrong.
This time, police officials say, the Martins' address has been flagged with an alert, "so if there's any record indicating an officer should visit the address, 'they're barred from doing it,'" the AP said here.
An automated system that tells police not to visit an elderly couple's address? We wouldn't be surprised if the rule of unintended consequences strikes again. ®
Source: The Register
Thursday's 200-page dump of court documents in the 3-year-old, $1 billion copyright fight between Viacom and Google's YouTube was entertaining enough.
The documents, filed in federal court in New York, had everything from accusations of young, Silicon Valley entrepreneurs cynically ignoring the law as they sought their fortune, to claims of duplicity from a New York media conglomerate trying to embrace a start-up's youthful audience, even while it was threatening to sue that start-up into oblivion. Oh yeah, and they revealed that the conglomerate also considered buying the little company, which made the entrepreneurs multimillionaires upon selling it to Google for $1.7 billion.
Juicy stuff. But what really matters is who presented the better legal argument. Does Viacom's evidence prove that YouTube's founders, at the very least, knew that copyrighted material was being uploaded to their site en masse yet chose to do nothing about it? Did Google, YouTube's parent company, prove that Viacom has undercut its own arguments? Both questions matter because they could impact YouTube's ability to claim protections under the safe-harbor provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
"I think that's the key question," said Fred von Lohmann, senior attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, an advocate for Internet users and tech companies. "At the heart of the case is what the court considers red-flag knowledge...and [whether] the kind of knowledge that YouTube had [falls] within that definition."
Given that we'll be hearing plenty more about this landmark copyright fight in the coming months, we put together a handy FAQ to help sort things out:
Did any Arabs save Jews during the Holocaust? Seeking a hopeful response to the plague of Holocaust denial in the Arab world and, in the wake of 9/11, Rob Satloff, head of a Washington policy center, set out on what would become an eight-year journey to find an Arab hero whose story would change the way Arabs view Jews, themselves and their own history. Along the way, Satloff found not only the Arab heroes for whom he started his quest but a vast, lost history of what actually happened to the half-million Jews of the Arab lands of North Africa under Nazi, Vichy and Fascist rule.
Text source
Old interview about the book the documentary is based on
I follow the PBS Newshour on Twitter and they posted a link to trailer as a "sneak peak" of upcoming programs. Check your local stations for aid date and you can hopefully catch the whole documentary
The report from the OneWorld Community Health Centers, coupled with the earlier confirmation of an abortion by a Schuyler, Neb., woman, prompted at least three state senators to say Thursday that the issue has reached a “crisis” level.
Because of a federal directive, the state cut off government-funded prenatal care as of March 1 for about ( 1,500 Nebraskans, including 840 women here illegally. )
Poll: Majority of Israelis find Obama ‘fair’ or ‘friendly.’
Israel’s Haaretz newspaper reports that, according to a new poll examining Israeli attitudes toward President Obama, “a sweeping majority of Israelis think his treatment of this country [Israel] is friendly and fair.” The poll found that 51 percent of Israelis say Obama is “fair”, and 18 percent say he’s “friendly.” Another 21 percent find him hostile. By comparison, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s party is losing ground:
The paper linked the shift against Likud to frayed relations between Netanyahu and U.S. President Barack Obama over Israel’s continuing settlement expansion in the West Bank, but did not present findings on the Israeli leader’s personal popularity.The poll is the latest evidence rebutting conservative claims that Obama is unpopular in Israel. In December, a poll (pdf) commissioned by the New American Foundation found that 52 percent of Israelis “believe that Obama’s election is good for addressing the world’s problems,” and that Obama had an overall 41 percent favorable/37 percent unfavorable rating, which was stronger than Israeli opinions toward the Israeli Defense and Foreign Ministers.
It said a majority of 64 percent felt that the Netanyahu coalition’s policies “do not represent” their wishes.
- Mood:
amused
Beck says Daily Show segment "was hysterical" but Stewart "continues to get it wrong"
Also, totes not crazy
Source
Saw something in Popular Science that makes me think restarting our MLT (medical lab tech) program isn't worth the time. They've freaking perfected a tricorder. One drop of blood and this hand held device that doesn't require much in the way of training can test for a myriad of STDs. It's only a matter of time before it makes labs go the way of the doo doo, which is their intent (well it's designed for poor countries without resources but you know what will happen)
It's been literally freaking weeks since i've been able to concentrate to write. this is getting old.
( Writin meme )
21. Do any of your characters have children? How well do you write them?
Hmm well a chunk of mine are YA characters and no they are not kids with kids. Looking at the adults, Wine is the default foster father for his much younger sister, his sister's son and a distant cousin but Merryn, Tarran and Adao are teens heading into their 20's . I guess that would be the same for Vito and Donnalisa Dragonetti, Tazia's werewolf parents. So at the moment I really don't have small children. From fanfic however, I do know I find writing kids hard.
- Mood:
drained
Hey, I posted a while back but I’m reposting since I feel like a lot has changed since then.
Name: Alice
Age: 18
Gender: girl-pants
Location: Middle of nowhere, England
Languages: English, very bad Spanish and French
Religious views: I consider myself to be a Spiritual person but for me it’s a pretty private thing and not necessarily something I’d talk about much
Orientation: If you think it matters I don’t think we should penpal, if you’re curious then I like men and women but if it’s something you base your decision on whether you want me as your penpal or not on then please, don’t let the metaphorical door hit you on the ass on your way out.
About me: I think I’m a friendly, laidback kinda gal who’s easy to get along with and very loyal to my friends, I’m also really proud to be a principled person who sticks to their convictions and tries to make good difference in life. I love my college (last 2 years of high school in ameri-lang I think?) lessons, Politics and English lit and lang, and I’ve just started working as a barmaid which has been fun so far. I went through some really bad times with depression a few years ago and I’ve come out of it a stronger person, I do what makes me happy and what I think is right and I try to make the most of the cards life deals me.
Likes
TV Shows: I watch for too much TV! I’m a complete Supernatural geek, it’s been my favourite TV show for years now, Merlin, Doctor Who, HIMYM, Chuck, Psych, Bones, Criminal Minds, Stargate Atlantis, BtVS, Dollhouse, Firefly, Scrubs, Friends, Monty Python, A Bit of Fry and Laurie, Mock the Week, Have I Got News For You, That Mitchell and Webb Look, Queer as Folk, The Peep Show, Blackadder, Glee, Gavin and Stacy and The Mighty Boosh.
Films: I haven’t really watched anything in ages, I need to go out and buy some more dvds at some point soon! My all time favourite films are Mulan, The Nightmare Before Christmas and Monsters Inc (yes I am a cartoon junkie :D). I also like Amelie, musicals, horror films and good comedies, particularly anything with James Cordon or Simon Pegg in them.
Music and Books: Same goes for both really; I like all sorts of things for loads of genres and I’m constantly reading or listening to something so I’d find it impossible to list all of my favourite songs or books but at the moment I’m re-reading Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, which is my favourite book ever I read it again and again and still laugh every time and I’m listening to Bon Jovi who are also a band I really like.
Other: Tea, good friends, laughing, smiling, rubber duckies, yoga, coffee, being able to be myself, travelling, ice hockey (the only sport I like), sunny days, Chinese food, spending time with my sister, antique furniture, old postcards, raspberries, big cities, surprises (the nice kind not the people dying kind!), seeing people do good things.
How many pen pals do you have? 0
How many do you want? 2 or 3 since I’m already quite busy and I want to keep up with replies.
Email or snail mail? Either is fine.
How long are your letters? Some are longer than others and some shorter though I think they’re normally around a page typed.
Do you write by hand or type? I’m happy to write or type, though if you want me to write I should warn you I have really bad hand writing most of the time.
Male or female? Don’t mind.
Age: 16-24ish, if you feel we’d get along regardless of your age though I don’t think it matters.
Where would you like them to be from? For writing England or Europe would be best though I don’t mind writing and emailing or just emailing outside of there.
What are you looking for in a pen pal? I'm not interested in being friends with someone who judges people based on the color of their skin, the sex they're attracted to, the money in their bank account or anything else so superficial. If that's you, you know who you are and you're not my friend. Apart from that I want someone who I can be really good friends with, be honest and open up to and who would hopefuly do the same to me.
( And just for the lols, blonde me. )
- Location:in a teacup, england
- Mood:
sleepy - Music:Bon Jovi - Livin' on a Prayer
Police in this picturesque city in rural Riverside County have been on edge in recent weeks. Someone is trying to kill them.
First, a natural gas pipe was shoved through a hole drilled into the roof of the gang enforcement unit's headquarters. The building filled with flammable vapor but an officer smelled the danger before anyone was hurt.
"It would have taken out half a city block," Capt. Tony Marghis said.
Then, a ballistic contraption was attached to a sliding security fence around the building. An officer opening the black steel gate triggered the mechanism, which sent a bullet within eight inches of his face.
In another attempted booby trap attack, some kind of explosive device was attached to a police officer's unmarked car while he went into a convenience store.
"There's a person or people out there, a bunch of idiots, trying to do damage to us," Hemet Police Chief Richard Dana said. "We can't expect our luck to hold up, we need help."
Since New Year's Eve, there have been several other booby trap attempts to kill officers, Dana said.
( 'The only reason they haven't killed an officer yet is because we've been observant.' )
--
...Wow. o_O I mean, just, wow. I'm glad no one has been killed, because that is kinda bananas.
Women's History Month with ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
soapinha Day Nineteen
By Eleanor Herman
Last fall, Peggielene Bartels was on the way to Agona Swedru, a market town about 1 hours from the fishing village of Otuam, in Ghana. Bartels, who is a secretary and lives in Silver Spring, wanted to buy new beads and sandals for the "gazetting" ceremony that would enhance her status as king. After the proceedings, and with the news published in the local gazette, she would be backed by other gazetted kings, adding huge heft to her power. Although it is possible for a woman to be a Ghanaian king, as the title refers to the person who wields executive power over a tribe or community regardless of gender, it is unusual.
( Read more... )
Source
( Read more )
So, a while ago I posted a snippet, set pre-novel, about one the protagonists named Daisy Huang. ~400 words, here on LJ, here on DW.
Anyway, this is another snippet, pre-novel, about another character. Big, big thank you to
![[personal profile]](http://s.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
miarr for looking it over.( Elijah, 900 words )
For those of you not into reading random snippets of my original works, lol, here is an awesome music video for an awesome song ~from my childhood~ to make this post less useless:
pessimisticmiarr and make her read it and show me snippets in chat. 2. So Dreamwidth is this journaling service that kind of rocks and that I am enjoying immensely. I could go on about how it's run by awesome people and has awesome guidelines and principles (it has stuck to through storm and tide so far) about adult content and diversity (
![[community profile]](http://s.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
kink_bingo and scans_daily don't move house for just anyone) but the truth is I just think it's a really interesting place. It's not really like LJ at this point because it's much smaller and has a higher concentration of a particular kind of audience than LJ does. Part of this is that you need a code to sign up - a system I both appreciate and want to see abolished already. Codes are ridiculously easy to come by, but I'm going to take an extra step and offer up the two codes I have.If you'd like to create a DW account, here you go:
823MQ9GVHRYB7AAAAJB2
AKTG7RQ4SMBAXAAAAJBY
3. I am sharing this with all you Hebrew speakers, because this is a skit that NEVER FAILS to make me laugh:
It's by a trio of comedians known as "Ma Kashur?". The point of the skit, dear foreigners, is that they're late for a concert and all three of them have to take a shower and there are only two stalls (that look exactly like military showers/stalls) and then one of them just jumps in with the other and the other is like "...WTF DUDE" and the intruder is like "GOD, don't be such a child! Didn't you ever shower with people in the military? Here, let me soap up your back..." and then they have this whole thing and it's just... it's like many layers of meta commentary on military honoeroticism and Israeli culture or just really stupid humor or maybe both, I can't tell, but it is CRACKING ME UP.
4. This post that's been deleted from ONTD is so much hilarious drama.
5. Sailor Moon Cup is exactly what you think it is, AHAHAHA.
6. Also for Hebrew speakers, this is utterly hilarious.
By Giovanna Rossi Pressley and Susan Loubet
Whatever happens with health reform in Washington, D.C., unfair health insurance rates for women are being banned by an increasing number of states. Here, two New Mexican advocates tell how it happened in their state.
While Democrats in Washington struggle to pass health care reform, a number of states aren’t merely waiting for federal action. Some state legislatures are moving to negate possible federal reform, but others are enacting measures that would ensure fairer insurance rates regardless of the outcome at the national level.
Gender equity in insurance has been a goal for feminists at least since Montana, using its Equal Rights Amendment, passed a law guaranteeing fair rates for women 26 years ago. Without such protection, according to examples uncovered by the National Women’s Law Center, a 25-year-old woman may be charged up to 84 percent more than a man her age even for individual plans that exclude maternity coverage. Though Montana has had to reject repeated repeal attempts, one as recent as last year, the idea caught on in other states.
The insurance industry had long argued that higher premiums are justified for women because they use more health care. But according to the industry publication Health Care Week, actuarial data show that while younger women have higher than average health costs than men, overall male and female costs average out over a lifetime because men need more and costlier services as they age.
Federal antidiscrimination law already prevents businesses from charging individual employees based on gender, but overall group premiums can be higher based on the number of women insured. In such businesses as child care or home health care, the high proportion of women employees can make for a much greater cost. Rates for large groups are less likely to be based on gender, and larger groups are more likely to be self-insured. So state legislators have focused on individual and small group markets. The industry long ago stopped using race as a factor in setting premiums. As the New York Times editorialized in the middle of the Great Recession: “Surely it is time to eliminate gender-based premiums in the individual health insurance market as well. Otherwise women, who typically earn less than men, may find themselves priced out of adequate health coverage.”
Last week, Governor Bill Richardson signed a bill prohibiting gender discrimination in the individual health and small group insurance market, making New Mexico the 12th state to pass such a measure. A Colorado bill, passed just days ago, awaits the governor’s signature; California passed a bill dealing with individual policies in 2009; Utah called for a study of gender rating; and Illinois is currently considering a bill.
women's history month with brecho: day nineteen
Human trafficking disguised as temp work
Why didn't you just run away?
That was a question an audience member, a man, posed to former sex trafficking victim Maria Suarez who spoke last fall in Costa Mesa. It's a question many wonder when they hear of cases where trafficking victims live openly in our midst.
In Suarez's case, the answer was this: She was held captive for five years in the home of an Azusa man, lured by the promise of a house cleaning job. She came in contact with neighbors and, later, with fellow employees when her captor allowed her to work in a factory. Still, she never ran away.
That dynamic – a victim who stays in a horrific situation even when escape seems possible – is often at play for trafficking victims, whether they're forced to work in a factory in Taiwan or at a brothel in Orange County.
( Read more... )
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Page Summary
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sf_drama :: vox_diabolica : And they were religious! [+43] - ontd_political :: evildevil : Guns Dont Kill People. Gay Guns Kill People (and Wiimotes) [+22]
- ontd_political :: paulnolan : Computer glitch prompts 50 raids on elderly couple's home [+8]
- ontd_political :: acmeeoy : Reasons to care about Viacom v. Google [+1]
- ontd_political :: fenris_lorsrai : "Among the Righteous"- documentary seeks Arabs that saved Jews during Holocaust [+4]
- ontd_political :: jwaneeta : Fatuous Pro Lifers Ambushed By Reality; Don't Like It [+39]
- ontd_political :: evildevil : Libural Poll Indicates That Israel Loves Our Socialist Tyrant Usurper. Netanyahu is Heartbroken [+0]
- politicartoons :: blueduck37 : Census Taker [+2]
- ontd_political :: escherichiacola : Glenn Beck responds to Jon Stewart [+78]
- cornerofmadness : apparently there is no limit to mom's ability to shop [+4]
- penpals :: amavissem : Penpals (woah we're halfway there!!) [+3]
- ontd_political :: homasse : Calif police department on alert for deadly traps [+23]
- ontd_political :: soapinha : Women's History Month with soapinha Day Nineteen [+4]
- ontd_political :: superfan1 : Mass. House approves anti-bullying bill [+3]
- sabrina_il : (no subject) [+0]
- politicartoons :: unnamed525 : Repudiate the Debt! [+0]
- ljsecret :: epic_cathedral : Secrets #1069 [+161]
- sabrina_il : "And if you want something different, try the hint of cinnamon." [+0]
- ontd_political :: acmeeoy : Health Insurance: States Move Ahead on Curbing Costs [+0]
- ontd_political :: brecho : women's history month with brecho: day nineteen [+19]