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zotzI notice that Mikhail Kalashnikov was in London yesterday publicising Kalashnikov vodka. I've been aware of the existence of Kalashnikov-branded vodka for a while, but a) I think you could only get it in Russia and b) I'm told it's not very good (well, the stuff you could get in Russia a couple of years back apparently wasn't). Nice bottle. No word on how his umbrella venture's going.
Slashdot has a Q&A session here with the (US) Libertarian Party's presidential candidate. once again, I'm amazed at the gap between the rhetoric saying that they're beyond the left/right thing and a truly radical outfit, and the opinions seeming to show just another insular rightist. Going by his opinions, he's actually quite a scary bloke, although I was amused that wants some of the legal protections offered to limited-liability and stock-owned corporations ended. His reasoning on that point is, as far as it goes, spot-on.
There's an interesting article here about tax havens, which seem to be an even worse problem that I'd realised. In April, the US general accounting office said 61% of US corporations paid no federal income tax in the late 90s. Tax havens contain only 1.2% of the world's population and 3% of the world's GDP, but 26% of assets and 31% of the profits of US multinationals are held there.
This might also be worth a look. It's about reading newspapers, and how to go about it. If the headline asks a question, try answering "no" [ . . . ] It is often a scare story, or an attempt to elevate some run-of-the-mill piece of reporting into a national controversy and, preferably, a national panic. To a busy journalist hunting for real information a question mark means "don't bother reading this bit".
Also in yesterday's Meeja section was this piece about the BBC's Creative Archive, mainly focussing on Lessig's rôle in the whole business.
Finally, and with reference to my comments on tradition here, there was a letter (the second on that page) which mentioned a book ("Hunting England: A Survey of the Sport, and of its Chief Grounds", London: Batsford ltd, 1936, AFAICT) stating that "in 1799 there were fewer than a dozen regular [fox-]hunts".
Anyone reckon I might have had another quiet day at work, then?
Slashdot has a Q&A session here with the (US) Libertarian Party's presidential candidate. once again, I'm amazed at the gap between the rhetoric saying that they're beyond the left/right thing and a truly radical outfit, and the opinions seeming to show just another insular rightist. Going by his opinions, he's actually quite a scary bloke, although I was amused that wants some of the legal protections offered to limited-liability and stock-owned corporations ended. His reasoning on that point is, as far as it goes, spot-on.
There's an interesting article here about tax havens, which seem to be an even worse problem that I'd realised. In April, the US general accounting office said 61% of US corporations paid no federal income tax in the late 90s. Tax havens contain only 1.2% of the world's population and 3% of the world's GDP, but 26% of assets and 31% of the profits of US multinationals are held there.
This might also be worth a look. It's about reading newspapers, and how to go about it. If the headline asks a question, try answering "no" [ . . . ] It is often a scare story, or an attempt to elevate some run-of-the-mill piece of reporting into a national controversy and, preferably, a national panic. To a busy journalist hunting for real information a question mark means "don't bother reading this bit".
Also in yesterday's Meeja section was this piece about the BBC's Creative Archive, mainly focussing on Lessig's rôle in the whole business.
Finally, and with reference to my comments on tradition here, there was a letter (the second on that page) which mentioned a book ("Hunting England: A Survey of the Sport, and of its Chief Grounds", London: Batsford ltd, 1936, AFAICT) stating that "in 1799 there were fewer than a dozen regular [fox-]hunts".
Anyone reckon I might have had another quiet day at work, then?
