http://boingboing.net/2011/11/11/stop-sopa-save-the-internet.html

http://wordsbynowak.com/2011/02/22/10-myths-from-usage-based-billing-supporters/

Last year I paid my ISP a bit under US$600 for my Internet service alone. I’m expecting costs to rise this year, mostly because recent legislation will allow my service provider to add extra charges depending upon the ‘flavor’ of the bits consumed, i.e. Netflix streams. In the face of this, and also over the past year, quality of service has declined perceptibly: I’ve logged more service interruptions and outages.

I’m curious. How much does your service cost? And has your quality of service changed?

But I digress. In this morning’s email was this missive from Cablevision.

A MESSAGE FROM CABLEVISION

We regret to inform you that News Corp, in an act of corporate greed, has pulled Fox 5 and My9 from your Cablevision channel lineup. This is an unfortunate attempt to extort unreasonable and unfair fee increases from Cablevision and our customers.

News Corp is demanding more for Fox 5 than we pay for every other broadcast channel. In fact, they want more for Fox 5 than we pay CBS, NBC, ABC and Univision combined and are asking for more than $150 million a year. That’s an $80 million increase for the exact same programming! In these tough economic times, an increase of these vast proportions is irresponsible and unfair.

We have made numerous fair and reasonable proposals to News Corp and they have refused every one. And now, News Corp has pulled the plug on Fox 5 AND My9. This was News Corp’s decision, not ours. We want to keep these channels on the air while we negotiate a fair agreement.

As a result of News Corp’s refusal to negotiate, Cablevision is willing to accept binding arbitration to resolve this matter fairly. We are confident that an independent third party will agree that what we are offering to pay News Corp is fair. We call on News Corp to accept binding arbitration, and return Fox 5 and My9 to the air until an agreement is reached.

We apologize for the inconvenience caused by News Corp’s actions, and we ask for your help. Call 1-877-NO-TV-TAX (1-877-668-8829) or visit www.cablevision.com/fox and tell News Corp to put Fox 5 and My9 back on the air, and to keep you out of the negotiations.

Thank you for your patience, your patronage and your support.

(The link in their message eventually expired. I removed it, but note that when it appeared in Cablevision’s email it actually pointed to an internal tracking link before being forwarded – deceptive at best.)

[sigh] Who’s the bigger liar? If you take Cablevision’s statements at face value then News Corp looks like the dick. I’m sure that if I sought out News Corp’s take – I didn’t bother – I’d find that Cablevision looked like the dick.

It’s the customer that takes it on the chin. Pam‘s grumbling that some of the television shows she likes are affected. I told her to watch ‘em over the ‘net. Me? I don’t watch television, no time for that, so I’d dump the subscription and not miss it in the least. (Sure, I’d lose the multi-product discount I get for the Internet service portion of the bill but the benefit is so small it doesn’t matter.)

Well, here’s to hoping those profit-mongering bastards resolve their differences.

Among other things, I contemplated the state of our schools, the cost of which is a large portion of our property taxes. We have, what, some 640 school districts in the state? Each is run by its own highly-compensated set of administrators. The NJEA is an all-powerful union hell-bent on perpetuating its bloated self, keeping things fragmented, weak. They’re gathering for their annual convention this week. More days off for the kids. (Don’t let me get going on how Sports is King while STEM languishes with little-to-no funding!) No, with a setup like this there’s absolutely no hope of such proven concepts like ‘economy of scale’ ever taking root here!

Tomorrow my wife and I will ride our motorcycles to the polls. The cost to register a motorcycle more than doubled this year, similarly to many other motor vehicle fees. (I’ll spare you my whining about motor vehicle insurance here in the Garden State. You’re welcome. No, really.)

Tomorrow’s vote will choose our next governor. The way I see it, we will choose between a proven incompetent and a crook. Or we can simply throw a vote away. Tough choice.

Our municipal government is no better.

My family and I have already made the decision to leave New Jersey. It’s not a new decision, either. Enough is enough. We’re definitely joining what’s become a mass exodus, folding our cards, liquidating assets, adiós. Gettin’ out while the gettin’ is good. (Or at least before it gets unbearably worse.) Yeah, that decision is done, the only question remaining is when.

Will we be following the plans, the projects underway, to their logical conclusions? Or something less?

It’s actually kind of comforting to know that, by a bit later than this time tomorrow, we’ll know how we’ll be focusing our efforts.

Can anyone tell me a rational reason why churches enjoyed tax-exempt status?

We absolutely need to tax all churches, as we do every other non-profit.

Check out this Web site to learn a little  more (edited 2-Sep-09) to read some more; it was the first hit Google returned when I searched.

Who’s with me on this?

Actually, this is a pointer to video, not something to read.

http://blasphemes.blogspot.com/2009/04/global-warming-swindle.html

“The environmental movement has evolved into the strongest force there is for preventing development in the developing countries. I think it’s legitimate for me to call them ‘anti-human’. Like, okay, you don’t have to think humans are beter than whales, or better than owls or whatever you don’t want to. Right, but surely it is not a good idea to think of humans as sort of being scum, you know, that it’s okay to have hundreds of millions of them go blind or die or whatever.  I… I just can’t relate to that.”

Patrick Moore
Co-founder, Greenpeace

I think I may start selling t-shirts.

There. I’ve said it. And I’ll say it again. Jon Corzine sucks.

Besides the hits those words will likely deliver, let me tell you a story about the latest affront this dope’s administration has foisted upon us poor working slobs.

The registration for one of my bikes is coming up for renewal at the end of July. I’ve had the form on my desk for a couple of months now. I’ve been meaning to ride down to the agency to take care of it – I even attempted it on one of the few days that it didn’t rain. Alas, the lines were long – must have been the beginning or end of a month – and it was just too nice a day to wait it out. So I rode instead. But I digress…

A one-year registration renewal for a motorcycle in the People’s Republik of New Jersey cost US$31.50. Yeah, I know, that’s way more than you pay, isn’t it? Well, we’re used to it.

Anyway, this afternoon’s snail mail brought an envelope from Motor Vehicle Services. As I walked in from the mailbox thought it odd – nothing was due, other than the registration renewal which was already on my desk. What could they want? Can you guess?

Of course! A fee increase! And not just any fee increase, a whopping 106% increase to US$65.00! And it takes effect when? Not the end of July, when the second wave of motorcycle registrations comes due (just twice a year here – something to do with the ‘riding season’). Oh, no, July 6th, the Monday after the holiday. Today’s Wednesday. Friday’s a holiday, and Saturday, too, for the State. Just one day to act.

I visited the agency just before they closed and paid the lower cost. Surprisingly, the lines weren’t *that* bad, considering it’s the beginning of the month. I saw two other motorcyclists in the fray. None looked happy.

I unloaded a little on the girl at the counter. It wasn’t personal, of course, but I felt it was my civic duty to express my displeasure. She said she’d been hearing it all day, and leaned closer to express her own displeasure with Corzine.

They’ve already taken removed the convenience of online renewals. My pickup already costs well in excess of US$100 to register. I wonder what that increase will be…

I believe there’s a special place in Hell waiting for that SOB. I’ll be more than happy to drive him there myself, on the end of my boot, no State Police detail needed.

If you’re considering voting Corzine in for another term I’d really like to hear your reasoning. Add your comment today.

Proving once again that there are statistics to support just about anything you’ve got to say.

I’ve been following this; I’ve got a stake in it because I sell stuff online. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that I’m opposed to the idea. I collect – and pay the state Treasury – sales tax from customers here in New Jersey because my business presence is here. But I simply haven’t got the manpower to keep track of the nuances of 7,000-plus tax authorities in the US alone.

Well, I’m not writing here to complain. What I’d like to do it point you toward a particularly coherent article on ZDNet:

http://www.webpronews.com/house-says-bloggers-dont-count-as-journalists-2009-03

The reality of it, though, is it ain’t gonna happen. Look out for yourself, my friends, because nobody else is gonna look out for you. Take that to the bank.

[edited after posting to add this URL for easy reference: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPch2k63uj4]

The Orlando Sentinel reported it this way.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m not saying for a moment that the behavior is correct. It’s not. You shouldn’t post defamatory material. You shouldn’t gang-beat others. But sometimes stuff just happens.

Making it a little bit more personal… over my lifetime I’ve done some ass-kicking.  And I’ve had my ass kicked a few times, too. Each role – kicker or kickee – teaches you something, and you come away from each lesson a little stronger for the experience. You can wring your hands all you want; sometimes it just happens.

But it’s the stuff that followed the Florida incident that riles me, beginning with the requisite blaming of others. What’s become of taking responsibility for your actions, or taking responsibility for those in your charge? Of teaching? Of setting a better example? No, it’s easier to blame someone else. I wonder, who will be the first one to bring suit this time? Or write a book?

And then there are the experts who have all the answers. Well, actually, it always boils down to the same answer, doesn’t it?

Here’s an article: “Videotaped Florida Teen Beating Prompts Calls To Block Violent Content“.

So let’s block it. Yeah, that’s it. Regulate! Censor! Protect! Then it’ll go away, and we can get back to the really important stuff, like who’s winning on American Idol or something.

Y’know, when the stuff that passes for entertainment today is evidently (according to media coverage, ratings, paychecks, and so on) more important than anything else, is it any wonder that some of today’s kids are all-consumed with obtaining a piece that attention?

And at the conclusion of each was an opportunity to participate in a little survey. In the comment box I always applauded the state for taking this tiny step toward making the process a little easier for us poor slobs – er, citizens.

In yesterdays mail was a notice that a registration was soon due for renewal. And today as I was clearing the desk I began the task. But something stopped me in my tracks.

They had tacked on a $2 Convenience Fee!

Sure, it’s only two bucks. Change, really, you can’t even get a decent cup of coffee for two bucks these days, but it’s the principle of the thing. I checked their FAQ. It was easy enough to find. The couple of lines explained that they were passing along the fee for processing a credit card payment, and the state saw none of it.

I’m sorry, but that’s just too bad! In the course of running my business I also process credit cards. It certainly is more expensive for me to process a customer’s credit card payment, but I treat it as a cost of doing business and I never discriminate against credit card users.

Needless to say, I abandoned the registration transaction. I put a note in the calendar and the papers (along with the envelope I fished from the recycling bin) in the folder for payment closer to the due date. There’s absolutely no sense in paying them early, now! And then, freshly disgruntled, I wrote and told them exactly what I thought of their Convenience Fee.

I’m not expecting a reply.

America is going to Hell in a handbasket, I tell you.

Go read this:

http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2008/03/spring_is_in_th.html