More news on the FCC’s Broadcast Flag fight…
Click here for the word from the EFF.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Saturday, October 08, 2005
Movie Time
The movie I’m most psyched about seeing next is Serenity. I’ve seen nothing past the 9-minute trailer that I first got word of on Slashdot, but it was enough to say yes!
How many of you remember the Aeon Flux animated series back in the day from MTV? Well now it’s going to be a movie starring Charlize Theron, with a release date of Dec. 2nd. The movie’s site looks pretty interesting and even gives a bit of background for those who weren’t into the series. Definitely worth checking out.
Thursday, October 06, 2005
FCC and the Broadcast Flag
The following is the text of an e-mail sent to Rep. Istook of OK, concerning the FCC’s Broadcast Flag. To help support opposition to this legislation, see the links below.
Sir, I am writing you today to ask you to oppose any "broadcast flag" or "radio protection" legislation offered in response to the recent U.S. Appeals Court decision striking down the Flag Order issued by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC). These protection schemes will hurt me as a consumer: not just by harming how I like to use my consumer electronics and computers, but harming my choice of new and affordable products in the market place.
As a consumer, particularly of electronics, I want you to be aware of the following points:
* This Legislation is Broad: There is no "narrow" way to implement the broadcast flag scheme because it necessarily puts the FCC in the role of gatekeeper, having to approve and certify every technology that might carry DTV - computers, cellphones, portable video game players, etc. Drafts of the language is broad in order to give the FCC permission to do both the broadcast flag and radio protection. As proof of the broad scope of the flag, when petitioned to exempt lawful uses of digital television, the FCC declined saying "practical and legal difficulties of determining which types of broadcast content merit protection from indiscriminate redistribution and which do not."
* Causes Consumer Confusion, Will Slow DTV Transition, and Probably Halt Digital Radio Rollout: At a time when Congress is concerned about making television sets obsolete at the end of the DTV transition, the flag would similarly render obsolete much consumer equipment because commonly used devices will not work together unless they all use the same copy protection technology. The broadcast flag will not help the transition to DTV, but may indeed harm it because it makes consumers' TVs less functional than before. Digital radio protection is aimed at being intrusive and restraining inside a consumers own home, including yours and mine.
* Limits Fair Use: As the May 11, 2005 Congressional Research Service report noted, the flag will prevent important fair uses, like the ability of teachers to engage in distance learning (which has become increasingly important to students in the workforce and deployed military members). Making excerpts for public criticism of television media through the use of the Internet is critical (as seen by the Dan Rather/President Bush memo fiasco), yet it will be severely limited as a result of this legislation.
Lastly, the flag will also hinder educational use of copyrighted content, and will stifle the design, operation, and further development of innovative consumer electronics. To me, this legislation is a bad idea, especially if Congress were to pass it with zero public debate. Mr. Istook, I urge you to oppose any broadcast flag legislation.
The original BoingBoing post
Others are getting involved
Sir, I am writing you today to ask you to oppose any "broadcast flag" or "radio protection" legislation offered in response to the recent U.S. Appeals Court decision striking down the Flag Order issued by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC). These protection schemes will hurt me as a consumer: not just by harming how I like to use my consumer electronics and computers, but harming my choice of new and affordable products in the market place.
As a consumer, particularly of electronics, I want you to be aware of the following points:
* This Legislation is Broad: There is no "narrow" way to implement the broadcast flag scheme because it necessarily puts the FCC in the role of gatekeeper, having to approve and certify every technology that might carry DTV - computers, cellphones, portable video game players, etc. Drafts of the language is broad in order to give the FCC permission to do both the broadcast flag and radio protection. As proof of the broad scope of the flag, when petitioned to exempt lawful uses of digital television, the FCC declined saying "practical and legal difficulties of determining which types of broadcast content merit protection from indiscriminate redistribution and which do not."
* Causes Consumer Confusion, Will Slow DTV Transition, and Probably Halt Digital Radio Rollout: At a time when Congress is concerned about making television sets obsolete at the end of the DTV transition, the flag would similarly render obsolete much consumer equipment because commonly used devices will not work together unless they all use the same copy protection technology. The broadcast flag will not help the transition to DTV, but may indeed harm it because it makes consumers' TVs less functional than before. Digital radio protection is aimed at being intrusive and restraining inside a consumers own home, including yours and mine.
* Limits Fair Use: As the May 11, 2005 Congressional Research Service report noted, the flag will prevent important fair uses, like the ability of teachers to engage in distance learning (which has become increasingly important to students in the workforce and deployed military members). Making excerpts for public criticism of television media through the use of the Internet is critical (as seen by the Dan Rather/President Bush memo fiasco), yet it will be severely limited as a result of this legislation.
Lastly, the flag will also hinder educational use of copyrighted content, and will stifle the design, operation, and further development of innovative consumer electronics. To me, this legislation is a bad idea, especially if Congress were to pass it with zero public debate. Mr. Istook, I urge you to oppose any broadcast flag legislation.
The original BoingBoing post
Others are getting involved
Sunday, September 25, 2005
Make it stop!
So I went on a FIELDEX last weekend with my Reserve unit and was thoroughly eaten by skeeters! The first day out (Saturday), I made sure to spray myself regularly with bug spray (with DEET!), which worked great. The only problem was leaving my can of spray in my 782 gear out in the security van. The rain started at 0530 Sunday morning and was on and off for a few hours. I wasn’t able to get to my gear in time to spray down, so by the time I did, the little buggers were out in full force! They only got me in a dozen or so places, mostly on my arms, but I think I brought some home with me. It’s been a week now, and the majority of last weekend’s bites are going down, but now I’ve gotten about half a dozen more in the past week. Man, this really sucks.
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