Number portability is supposed to kick in for consumers in November, but there’s a chance that cell phone service providers might find a way to get out of it if we don’t remind Congress how important number portability is to us. You can let your representatives know how you feel — and it takes less than one minute to do so — by going here.
(Thanks, Cory)
I’m speaking purely from experience, since I’ve been using Tai Chi to treat various health problems I’ve been having. (I’ve had the health problems for about the last year, but the most effective cure so far has been Tai Chi! And it really makes a difference on the days I don’t do it. It’s incredible. I’ve only been doing it for about the last two months — but the improvement to my overall health is absolutely incredible.)
I just saw this article that actually studied this phenomenon among patients with a lot bigger problems than I have, and the results are pretty interesting.
Tai Chi Chih Boosts Shingles Immunity In Older Adults
From the Center For The Advancement Of Health
(via BoingBoing)
The report in the September issue of Psychosomatic Medicine is the first study to show that a behavioral intervention can influence the virus-specific immune response, say Michael R. Irwin, M.D., of the Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology at the University of Los Angeles, California and colleagues.
On average, the 18 adults who participated in the tai chi chih program had an increase of nearly 50 percent in immune cell levels one week after completing the program, although individual responses to the exercises varied substantially in this group.
Tai chi chih participants were significantly more likely to increase their immunity than those who did not participate in the program, however.
Tai chi chih practice was also associated with improvements in physical functioning, especially among those who had the most problems with everyday tasks like walking and climbing stairs at the beginning of the study..
Bush Lauds Mich. Power Plant As Model of Clean Air Policy
But Opponents Say It’s a Polluter Excused by ‘Clear Skies’ Plan
By Dana Milbank for the Washington Post. (Eric Pianin also contributed to this report.)
Bush came to demonstrate how, under his policies, power plants could be expanded and upgraded without any increase in air pollution. He said Monroe is a “living example” of why the administration this summer eased clean-air rules for the nation’s oldest, coal-fired power plants — allowing the plant to modernize and “continue doing a good job of protecting the quality of the air.”
“You’re good stewards of the quality of the air,” the president told the Detroit Edison workers and executives.
Environmentalists and a number of Democratic lawmakers see Bush’s visit here as a symbol of something entirely different. They say the Monroe plant is one of the nation’s dirtiest polluters and, under Bush’s plan, would not have to reduce pollution for the next 17 years. According to projections by Bush’s Environmental Protection Agency, the plant is predicted to continue pouring its current annual level of 102,700 tons of sulfur dioxide into the air each year through 2020.
“It should come as no surprise to anyone that the Bush administration would hold an event to tout an initiative called ‘Clear Skies’ at a facility that will actually maintain its current levels of pollution over the next two decades,” said Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), who is vying to challenge Bush in next year’s election.
At issue are two major Bush policies regarding energy production and the environment. One is Bush’s “Clear Skies” initiative now awaiting congressional action. The plan aims to cut power plant emissions by 70 percent beginning in the year 2018, reducing the largest pollutant, sulfur dioxide, to 3 million tons that year from 11 million now. Heavy polluters could purchase pollution rights from clean plants. The second policy, Bush’s decision this summer to roll back “new source review” rules, means old power plants can make improvements and boost production without automatically adding expensive pollution-control equipment…
Environmental groups said Monroe is an example, but not a good one. They cited a 2000 study by Abt Associates, a group the EPA has used to gauge health effects of pollution, showing that the amount of pollution from the plant is responsible for 293 premature deaths, 5,740 asthma attacks and 50,298 lost workdays each year. They also cited an EPA model of Bush’s initiative that showed the plant was not forecast to cut its sulfur dioxide.
The plant also produces 45,900 tons of nitrogen oxide and 810 pounds of mercury, the other two pollutants covered under Bush’s initiative, and 17.6 million tons of carbon dioxide, which is not capped under Bush’s plan.
“I’m amazed that the president would choose this plant to highlight, given how dirty it is, and how much dirtier it could become because of the administration’s rollbacks of clean-air rules,” said Becky Stanfield, a lawyer with U.S. Public Interest Research Group…
Bush’s plan faces a difficult course in Congress. Sen. James M. Jeffords (I-Vt.), ranking minority member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said in a statement today that Bush “has chosen to push a divisive agenda that puts politics before public health.”
Crap. The recall’s back on — disenfranchised voters be damned.
Let’s hope the Supreme Court steps in to save the day.
(No I’m not holding my breath, but it would be nice, and I can dream, can’t I?)
Here’s the PDF Brief
Here’s a story on CNN about it.
I’ll be making the docs available in HTML soon…
If you’re as much of a courtroom junkie as I am, you’ll dig these clips from yesterday of Judge Alex Kozinski and Andrew J. Kleinfeld.
(A friend filled me in on who Kleinfeld was. I only recognized Alex Kozinski because he was at the moot court at the Spectrum Policy Conference last March.)
Clip #1 is from CNN‘s “Inside Politics” and contains Kozinski as he questions one of the lawyers.
Clip #2 is also from CNN’s “Inside Politics” and contains analysis from a couple of the show’s stock pundits.
Clip #3 is from CNN’s “Crossfire” and includes footage of Kozinski and Andrew J. Kleinfeld as they question the lawyers.
These are all from September 23, 2003.
Clip #1: Justice Alex Kozinski on CNN’s Inside Politics.
Justice Kozinski On CNN (Small – 10 MB)
Clip #2: Pundit analysis of the CA Recall from CNN’s Inside Politcs.
Inside Politics On The CA Recall (Small – 14 MB)
Clip #3: Justices Kozinski and Kleinfeld questioning the lawyers.
9th Circuit Court Of Appeals On The CA Recall (Small – 8 MB)
This report has great coverage of the situation surrounding Briana LaHara, the 12-year-old girl who was the first to settle one of the RIAA’s 261 copyright infringement lawsuits for $2,000. (However, Jon neglected to mention that filesharers around the world have since come to Briana’s rescue.)
Daily Show On The RIAA’s First Settlement Victim (Small – 8 MB)
The Daily Show (The best news on television.)
Anniston, Alabama, is a small town where many WMD are currently being destroyed via a giant incinerator in the middle of town. Many of the town’s citizens are not at all happy about the situation and potential health risks involved.
Ed Helms takes a humorous look at what appears to be a seriou health risk for Anniston’s citizens.
This segment was produced by Kathy Egan and Edited by Daric Schlesselman.
Alablama (Small – 9 MB)
The Daily Show (The best news on television.)
Ashcroft slams critics as Patriot Act backlash grows
By Tom Regan for the Christian Science Monitor.
The attorney general continues to insist that the Act “respects rights and increases security.” USA Today looks at how the Act is at the heart of Ashcroft’s powers as attorney general.
There are also some people who don’t think Ashcroft and the Patriot Act have gone far enough. They would like to see a halt to all immigration of any kind, for instance, as a better way to prevent terrorism.
Delaware Online reports that Patriot Act “abuses,” however, are starting to surface. People with no connection to any form of criminal activity say that they are being deprived of the right to open bank accounts, get credit cards, etc. because of the Patriot Act.
Shortly after he graduated from college in May, French Clements of San Jose, Calif., tried to open an online brokerage account with Harrisdirect, where his stepfather has an account. A day after he completed the online application, however, he got a brief e-mail from Harrisdirect saying, “We regret to inform you that we are unable to approve your application at this time: The customer’s identity not properly authenticated per the USA Patriot Act.” Clements was stunned, and so was his mother, Alayne Yellum. “Maybe they don’t like people named French,” she says…
Critics of the Patriot Act also point out that it is now being used in other areas of law enforcement.
“Within six months of passing the Patriot Act, the Justice Department was conducting seminars on how to stretch the new wiretapping provisions to extend them beyond terror cases,” said Dan Dodson, a spokesman for the National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys. “They say they want the Patriot Act to fight terrorism, then, within six months, they are teaching their people how to use it on ordinary citizens.”…
An analysis of the act, as it is being implemented by the federal government and subtly revised by the courts, indicates that so far it has not threatened the civil liberties of millions as some claim but neither has its use avoided unintended consequences and damage to innocent lives. The problem is that because of government secrecy
ABC News upset more than a few apple carts last week when it announced it was able to sneak in some depleted uranium from Jakarta to see if it could fool customs. There actually hasn’t been as much as you would think about this in the news. Luckily, the Daily Show stepped in to tell us more about the details.
Daily Show On ABC News’ Depleted Uranium-Airport Security Experiment (Small – 8 MB)
The Daily Show (The best news on television.)
I just put up another old song. Well, it’s new to you guys!
Rain
I wrote this one myself a while ago and finally recorded it a few years back.
There’s more where this came from, so stay tuned!
This is one of the first songs I ever wrote. I wrote it around 1994.
My friend Simon Grant recently mentioned to me that this one was still his favorite. It reminded me of a peak experience I was lucky to have of performing it live with him and two other guys from Scream Radio — Jeff Eason and Blake Harkins — at one of their gigs in Seattle in 2001. (These are the same guys that played with me on Poltergeist, Wander, and Spunky Funk.)
So I went and dug up the studio version I still had of this that I recorded at my friend Joe’s studio in Seattle in 1999-2000 or so. My other friend Scotty produced it. (Damn, I wish I could remember their last names.)
I sing and play guitar and bass on this one. My friend Scotty did the drum track.