Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in osewalrus' LiveJournal:

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Thursday, May 24th, 2012
2:24 pm	I explain why Comcast gives away free wireless phone calls I have a brief snippet explaining why Comcast is offering Voice2Go, an ap for your mobile device that lets you make free calls using your home number if you are an XFinity phone subscriber. http://www.marketplace.org/topics/tech/comcast-giving-away-internet-phone-calls For those not clicking through: growth. Comcast and cable companies are moving from being cable companies to broadband companies, which means being your everything company. But how to keep you paying for high-margin services like voice when you can use Skype or Google Voice? Offer the same functionality "free" with your subscription. It's the same strategy Microsoft used with IE to kill Netscape. The deal with Verizon Wireless is the 2012 equivalent of MS' deal with AOL to cross bundle each other's services. (Comment on this)
Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012
3:39 pm	Probably the best speech on tech policy I have ever heard (6 Comments |Comment on this)
6:12 am	A Rebbe Explains Why We Don't Fear The Internet I'm a mitnagdid and would not put things in quite this way, but I agree with the basic message. There is nothing new about the computer and the Internet. We have always had the capacity for sinful thoughts (machshavot zarah). Don't fear the computer. Don't fear the Internet. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012
5:47 am	House Concert Report The house concert with Heather Dale was a total blast. First and foremost, I need to thank museinred who spent hours getting the house in shape and who kept me on task when my natural attention span tended to wander. We had about 20 people, which was what I expected. Heather, Ben and their drummer John were wonderful. They also understand about performing in a small space. The music was at perfect volume for the venue, which is an achievement. In addition to museinred, the people I recognized who were there were gorgeousgary and the_sheryl, and starmalachite and stevemb. It was great seeing them as we will miss Balticon this year on account of Shavuot. Altogether we had about 20 or so, which was what I expected based on replies. Some were local SCA, the rest were fans of Heather from their mailing list. The music was a total blast, and hanging with Heather, Ben and John before and after the concert was no end of fun. We finally kicked everyone out at about 10:30 or so but we continued to finish a little beer and cider while Heather and I swapped songs (her) and stories (me). Which led to the highlight of the evening. Heather asked me to perform with her at Pennsic! I'll be contributing a brief set (8 minutes approx) to Heather's Midnight Madness concert. w00t! w00t! Fun does not begin to cover it. I will say that those rare occasions when I actually get to listen to performances and do the bardic thing remind me that I need to keep making time to try to have a life outside of work. (10 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, May 21st, 2012
5:54 am	Reminder: Heather Dale and Ben Deschamps House Concert TONIGHT! A reminder that today is the day that the amazing Mistress Marion of Heatherdale mka Heather Dale, and her partner Ben Deschamps, will be performing at my house here on the border between The Barony of Storvik and the Shire of Roxbury Mill! Those of you who have not heard Mistress Marion perform, or who have only heard her perform from her many tapes, should not miss this fantastic chance to see her performing live! Those of you who have had the privilege to see her perform live will know why I am so excited at this opportunity to host her down here. Time and address given below. We have three cats and someone in the house very allergic to cigarette smoke. We also keep kosher, so please do not bring food into the house without pre-clearing it. Our house can hold about 20-25 people. We are asking for a donation of between $8-$15 a person to fund Heather and Ben. Please feel free to forward this announcement to any appropriate list. Heather Dale and Ben Deschamps House Concert When: Monday, May 21. Doors open at 7 p.m., music starts at 7:30 p.m. ends approximately 9:30 p.m. Where: Home of Yaakov HaMizrachi and Rivka Bat Shaul (Harold & Becky Feld) 8917 2nd Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20910 Directions: From the Beltway Take 97 South/Georgia Ave (Exit 31) Turn right on 16th St. Make the left at the first light onto 2nd Ave (ignore the no entrance sign, as that applies only during morning rush hour). Our house, 8917 2nd Ave, is on the left between Highland and Wilson. From DC Take 16th St. North After crossing East West Highway, make a right turn on Second Avenue (first right after the strip mall and the bridge over the metro) Our house, 8917 2nd Ave, is on the left between Highland and Wilson. (Comment on this)
Wednesday, May 16th, 2012
5:45 pm	Gov. Walker Decides to Make Up Own Job Numbers Bloomberg News reports that Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is unhappy that recent federal labor statistics show Wisconsin has lost more jobs than any other state in the Union. So Walker will release his own figures showing that the state really added jobs instead of losing them. As usual, the Indecision Forever blog supplies the best bon mot: "Basically, Walker is Republican Jesus, except instead of turning water into wine, he turns crappy economic data into bullshit economic data." Based on this, I would say Governor Walker has an excellent future here in Policyland if he loses the recall election. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, May 15th, 2012
10:25 pm	One was Johnny, who lived by himself . . . . And he liked it like that. Of all the Maurice Sendak books people have celebrated and talked about how they shaped their character, etc. I will name my personal favorite from the Nutshell Library. My mother insisted on reading "Chicken Soup With Rice" to us. But my all time favorite was, and still is, One was Johnny. It spoke to my inner me. Oh, how I envied Johnny growing up. And, in Maurice Sendak fashion, this did not conclude with some Very Important Lesson about how we all need someone after all. One was Johnny, who lived by himself AND HE LIKED IT LIKE THAT! So I was delighted to find this musical version, sung by Carole King, on Youtube. (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, May 14th, 2012
5:35 am	Event Reminder: 1 Week To Amazing Heather Dale and Ben Deschamps House Concert! Greetings! One week from today, the amazing Mistress Marion of Heatherdale mka Heather Dale, and her partner Ben Deschamps, will be performing at my house here on the border between The Barony of Storvik and the Shire of Roxbury Mill! Those of you who have not heard Mistress Marion perform, or who have only heard her perform from her many tapes, should not miss this fantastic chance to see her performing live! Those of you who have had the privilege to see her perform live will know why I am so excited at this opportunity to host her down here. Time and address given below. We have three cats and someone in the house very allergic to cigarette smoke. We also keep kosher, so please do not bring food into the house without pre-clearing it. Our house can hold about 20-25 people. We are asking for a donation of between $8-$15 a person to fund Heather and Ben. Please feel free to forward this announcement to any appropriate list. Heather Dale and Ben Deschamps House Concert When: Monday, May 21. Doors open at 7 p.m., music starts at 7:30 p.m. ends approximately 9:30 p.m. Where: Home of Yaakov HaMizrachi and Rivka Bat Shaul (Harold & Becky Feld) 8917 2nd Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20910 Directions: From the Beltway Take 97 South/Georgia Ave (Exit 31) Turn right on 16th St. Make the left at the first light onto 2nd Ave (ignore the no entrance sign, as that applies only during morning rush hour). Our house, 8917 2nd Ave, is on the left between Highland and Warren. From DC Take 16th St. North After crossing East West Highway, make a right turn on Second Avenue (first right after the strip mall and the bridge over the metro) Our house, 8917 2nd Ave, is on the left between Highland and Warren. (Comment on this)
Friday, May 11th, 2012
5:03 pm	Is the conservative noise machine off its game? It is early days in the election of 2012, but the vibe coming off the conservative noise machine and the way these things are playing out at the press level and the blog level is shaping in a fascinating way. Conservatives are playing defense, and have been unable to make any of their chosen themes fit. ( Read more... ) (3 Comments |Comment on this)
9:55 am	Same Sex Marriage and the Bible It is inevitable, I suppose, that recent events have revived debate about the Bible and its views on homosexuality and same sex marriage generally. Equally, inevitably, it has spawned the usual foolishness on the part of those who believe that the appropriate response is to demonstrate how out of step the Bible is with modern sensibilities. These critiques range from those designed to show the hypocrisy of Christians who interpret the biblical injunction against homosexuality literally while ignore other prohibitions to those designed to demonstrate the utter unsuitability of the Bible as a guide to moral behavior. As someone who regards the first five books of the Hebrew Bible (Gen., Exodus, Lev., Num. and Deut.) as the sacred Word of God given to Moses, the foundation of my moral character, and the touchstone of my every action from the time I open my eyes in the morning to the time I lay down for sleep, I find this rather painful and offensive. As a professional advocate, I find it really bad advocacy. As someone actually familiar with the literature and the historic context, I find that most of the material circulating is as full of abysmal ignorance and hate as they project on their opponents. I initially thought about writing a lengthy post to dispel some of the most common offensive stereotypes and misconceptions, but decided this would take just too damn long. I will simply note the following: (a) the fact that a small number of people who support a position are hate-filled ignoramuses does not make the entire same sex marriage movement an anti-religious movement, nor does it make everyone else associated with the same sex marriage movement intolerant a-holes; (and yes, this point is generalizable) (b) Many people who I know are not intolerant a-holes point to and/or circulate some of the most offensive material. I take this not as a character defect, but as the natural human trait to chose sides and view that which comes from my side favorably and that which comes from the other side unfavorably. This leads to -- (c) So if you are tempted to pass this stuff along, you may want to make a brief check on whether you really agree with the entire sentiment expressed or not. Sure, it's useful to point out that the Bible uses the same word toeivah (usually transalted "abomination") for man-on-man sex and for eating unclean food. That at least raises the very legitimate challenge of why should one verse be observed and the other not. But continuing on to the litany of everything the Bible permits that offend modern sensibilities (e.g., slavery) would not seem to have any purpose other than to say the Bible is a vile book and those who use it as a code for behavior and ethics are equally vile. People are certainly entitled to hold that opinion and to evangelize them to the world, but that is a much broader set of issues than same sex marriage or even homophobia generally. If you are someone caught up in the moment retweeting or reposting someone else's "why using the Bible as the reason to oppose same sex marriage/justify homophobia is stupid" material, you may wish to consider whether the material you are retweeting or reposting actually conveys the broader view the the Bible is a vile foundation for a code of modern ethics and whether that is, in fact, the sentiment you wish to convey. At the same time, I'm going to keep assuming that people who are my friends and who I don't think share that belief don't intend to convey that broader message and won't take offense. Those of you who do believe the Bible is a vile foundation for modern behavior don't bother me either, although why you chose to remain my friend when the halacha (Jewish law) is the foundation of my behavior is your own business. (21 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, May 10th, 2012
10:28 am	Dijaz1 and the abuse of Government Power Whenever we debate modifying the law to give the feds and private actors more power to go after supposed infringers, while reducing the due process rights of those accused, the attitude on the other side is invariably that they are only going after "the worst of the worst" and that these arguments are a mere ploy to protect pirates. Let us therefore consider the case of Dijaz1, which took place under existing law -- albeit unsettled existing law. As reported in Wired, the Immigrations, Customs Enforcement Bureau (ICE) seized the Dijaz1 website and redirected it to a federal landing page based on RIAA allegations of massive piracy. It did not help, I suppose, that Dijaz1 was a Hip Hop site without a major label collection, which apparently already translates in the minds of many at the RIAA and law enforcement as being a den of scum and villany. The Feds held Dijaz1.com in legal limbo for 13 months by refusing to file charges. On three occasions, the feds filed sealed documents requesting an extension of time to file charges. In December 2012, 13 months after the seizure ICE returned the domain without apology or explanation. EFF just got the sealed extension requests unsealed. Turns out the problem was RIAA never coughed up any actual evidence of infringement. Why on Earth would ICE make a seizure without evidence? And why did RIAA make the accusation in the first p;ace if they lacked evidence? All excellent questions. But for me, there is only one relevant question: what would stop RIAA and ICE from doing that again? (7 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, May 9th, 2012
11:51 am	NAB Not Use Good English Dear National Association of Broadcasters (NAB): I heartily agree with the sentiments of your letter to the newly appointed FCC commissioners that we need an inventory of what spectrum is assigned and how intensely it is being used. But did you really mean to ask for a "fulsome spectrum inventory?" Perhaps you meant "comprehensive" instead? (9 Comments |Comment on this)
8:19 am	Best Statement of Defeated Candidate/Departing Elder I have Seen So Far Senator Richard Lugar just issued a statement answering some of the critics of his campaign, explaining why he did not wish to run as an independent, and his overall concerns about how our political system is "losing its ability to even explore alternatives." Of what has become a sub-genre of political writing which I will call "the exit of the more moderate elder," this is probably the best I have seen so far. This paragraph bears repetition: "Too often bipartisanship is equated with centrism or deal cutting. Bipartisanship is not the opposite of principle. One can be very conservative or very liberal and still have a bipartisan mindset. Such a mindset acknowledges that the other party is also patriotic and may have some good ideas. It acknowledges that national unity is important, and that aggressive partisanship deepens cynicism, sharpens political vendettas, and depletes the national reserve of good will that is critical to our survival in hard times. Certainly this was understood by President Reagan, who worked with Democrats frequently and showed flexibility that would be ridiculed today – from assenting to tax increases in the 1983 Social Security fix, to compromising on landmark tax reform legislation in 1986, to advancing arms control agreements in his second term." You can find the entire thing below the cut. ( Read more... ) (8 Comments |Comment on this)
6:58 am	Team Tarvek w00t w00t Yes, I know Gil is the hero and the one she ends up with, which is why Tarvek is so much fun -- as illustrated by today's Girl Genius. http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php Tarvek is a fascinating character to me because he *should* be pure scheming evil given his background. But he actually wants to be something better. I suspect it's one of the things he loves about Agatha -- she makes him a better person by giving him a way to use his talents for good. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Tuesday, May 8th, 2012
9:31 pm	A Few Random Observations Not much time to post these days. Very behind on my writing. But a few stray thoughts. 1. The European elections and the European situation generally are the first application of Feld's Law of the Ultimate Check and Balance I have actually witnessed in my lifetime. I really hope it won't come to that here in the US. But it easily could. The utter inability of people to imagine a state of societal collapse ensures that when it comes, it comes suddenly. (Feld's Law of the Ultimate Check and Balance: The ultimate check and balance on any political system is the mob with pitchforks and torches.) 2. Just in case folks for marriage equality were starting to feel good, North Carolina wants to remind you that your rights can be denied at any time. But don't take it too hard. Everyone's fundamental rights can be denied by a suitably motivated electorate. But if you were wondering why Obama has been holding back on SSM, wonder no more. 3. It's been rather grey in DC. That may explain why I keep feeling like the stupid is winning. 4. Stepehen Colbert killed Maurice Sendak by publishing "I am a Pole and So Can You" today. 4. On the plus side, the Howard County Sheep and Wool festival was fun. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, May 7th, 2012
2:24 pm	Link Harvest: How founders Retain Control After the IPO I'd mentioned this last week, but this article explains how the trend in the last ten years has made this the new normal for Silicon Valley, severely curtailing shareholder power. http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-05-07/zuckerberg-stock-grip-becomes-new-normal-in-silicon-valley-tech (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Friday, May 4th, 2012
1:10 pm	Now we're talking about sumptuary laws and heraldry At our "fashion and copyright" panel. Did I end up going to Crown early? (1 Comment |Comment on this)
10:45 am	OMG! My Passions Are Running Together! Am here at World Fair Use Day event where Poet Lauraete Robert Pinsky is talking media consolidation and will later talk about fair use and poetry. Is it too fanboy to ask him to read my stuff? I mean, as one poet laureate to another. OK, I was Poeta Atlantia, but still . . . . (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, May 3rd, 2012
6:14 pm	Crayon Dragon My thanks to kayshapero for posting this. As it happened, it showed up at just the right moment to brighten an otherwise *very* frustrating day. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012
5:51 am	Briefly on News Corp and Google Two companies this past week raise the interesting question of what it means for a company, or the head of a company, to "know" when the company is behaving badly. And, if we dig deeper, the question of whether we care for purposes of accountability. First, the British Parliament released its report on whether Rupert Murdoch or James Murdoch knew about the hacking and associated illegal activity to cover it up. They concluded that while they did not have personal knowledge, they had created the environment in which such illegal activity was encouraged and had exercised "willful blindness" to avoid personal knowledge that would have required them to take action. Second, Google voluntarily released the FCC's report on its "Spy-Fi" scandal. turns out that the trucks driving around collecting info for Google Street View deliberately intercepted unencrypted WiFi transmissions and collected all the info they could. There was at least one email from the engineer designing the software to the people managing the project, prompting the FCC to conclude that Google "knew" it was collecting the information. While this did not, according to the FCC, break any Federal laws under the Communications Act, the Report found Google had impeded the FCC's investigation and failed to cooperate fully. Accordingly, they fined Google $25K. (I haven't read the FCC Report so not sure if I agree with them on the enforcement side, but the FCC is fairly conservative when it comes to enforcing its criminal jurisdiction. Also, while $25K is cheap, Google did ultimately cooperate and statute limits the FCC's ability to impose fines in these cases.) These cases rather the rather interesting question of what it means for a corporation -- especially a large one -- to "know" that it is committing a crime. As intent is often a key part of criminal (rather than civil) enforcement, this is not an arbitrary question. And in an age of corporate personhood, the notion that corporations have rights of real people but are incapable of committing crimes because they are not actual people is rather unsatisfying. Worse, it eliminates the deterrent effect of criminal law in such cases. But a rule of strict liability seems inherently unsatisfying as well from a policy perspective. For one thing, what would it mean? In the case of Murdoch, where there seems evidence of willful blindness on the part of those who control the company, some sort of criminal liability for the decisionmakers is more justifiable under traditional principles of criminal law (which often treats willfulness as a form of intent). But the Google case stops at a fairly low level of management (and, in any event, does not appear to have violated federal law). We used to rely on shareholder control, but changes to corporate law have made shareholder control a myth. The legal impediments to a shareholder trying to hold management accountable are fairly high, and the fact that it is possible to have multiple classes of common stock that leave voting control in the hands of a small number of shareholders makes it even more difficult. (For example, the public traded stock of Google conveys, I believe, 1/100th of a vote per share. A small portion of the original founders and investors control a different class of stock, that conveys 99/100th of a vote per share, but a smaller percentage of ownership of the actual company.) Fun problems for a world in which corporations have become the dominant life form. (4 Comments |Comment on this)