AllanThinks

The Day There Was No News

This gives new meaning to the phrase "No news is good news."

Well, damn.

Diebold Accidentally Leaks Results Of 2008 Election Early

Imagine

Election Day

Alison and I will be heading to the polls to cast our votes in state-wide elections today. This is one election where I really feel like my vote matters and will make a difference. That hasn't happened a lot in the past 10 years or so.

The last time it felt like it mattered was the congressional elections last November. Unfortunately, the change that I thought my vote would help bring about didn't happen.

I hope I am not disappointed again.

I've Become One of Those Damned Hippies!

Click image for a much better view. Really. Click it. You won't be disappointed.

Mist asked what our bumperstickers say.

So here they are.

We have a couple of more to add.

Please Help Save Internet Radio

Being able to listen to Internet radio is very important to Alison and me. Besides the fact that had it not been for Radio Paradise we might never have met, we enjoy being able to listen to decent music whenever we want. Music that can't be heard on conventional, corporate controlled radio anymore.

But Internet radio is in danger of extinction at the hands of the recording industry, as represented by the RIAA.  The recording companies have been trying to quash Internet radio since it began early in this decade, out of misplaced fear. They almost succeeded in 2002, but pressure from Congress forced them to negotiate a reasonably fair royalty plan.

But the industry is once again on the march, and has enlisted the aid of the US Copyright Office, which recently set new royalties for Internet radio stations to pay to the recording companies. Not to the composers and performers of the music (the stations already pay royalties to them), but to the record companies themselves. Royalties that traditional radio stations do not have to pay.

These royalty rates are astronomical, forcing most Internet radio stations to pay as much as 125% of their annual revenues to the RIAA. And the payments will be retroactive to the beginning of 2006, which will bankrupt these stations for sure.

You can read more detailed information about this, and some thoughts about it all from Bill Goldsmith, the founder of Radio Paradise, at Save Our Internet Radio.

And then, please take a few moments to sign this petition which will be forwarded to Congress in hopes that they will, as they did in 2002, stop this injustice.

Also, please consider writing your Congressional representatives by mail or email and ask them to help in this fight.

Thank you.

We're having a great night.

We are out with friends drinking beer, eating wings, and watching the election returns.

Alison is live blogging the election returns.

Go read it.

Incommunicado

In a couple of hours we will be heading to the Glasgow airport to return the rental car and board a plane back to Paris (via London). Tomorrow morning we will rent another car to drive the kids home to where they live.

Ali and I will stay in a hotel at the Paris airport tomorrow night and return to the States on Monday.

Unless we find an Internet café somewhere we will be out of touch until we get home. So the next time you hear from us will probably be Monday night EST.

If we are too tired to blog then, I will say this now.

Vote on Tuesday! It is very important that you get out and exercise this precious right.

Be well.

My Turn

Alison started the bumper sticker meme and it's starting to make its way across the blogosphere.

Here's one of the best stickers I have seen recently. And I have seen it on several cars