Note: The following posts were imported from my previous blogs.

Plastic  #
Wednesday, 14 Mar 2001 06:55PM
Subject URL: Plastic

Plastic. It's like Slashdot, but for everything. Not just nerdy crap. They linked to this article which tells of statistical proof that legalised abortion reduces the crime rate. The new ultrachristian US is gonna love that.

I bet legalised Murder would reduce the crime rate after the initial carnage. Legalised drugs would reduce crime enormously. Hey! Just legalise everything and reduce crime to nothing. I'm a genius.


National Bank closes my branch, again  #
Wednesday, 14 Mar 2001 04:52PM
The National Bank closed my branch today and moved my account. It doesn't bother me that much as I never go to the bank, and when I do, it doesn't have to be my home branch. But this is the third time it's happened!

My first branch at Vermont South was shut. I opened a new account in Elizabeth Street. Then it shut. Now my branch at Forest Hill has shut.

I do everything with Internet Banking and autotransfers anyway so it's not that big a deal, but I find it very interesting how quickly these branches are dying.


Clay Shirky Slashdot Question and Answer  #
Wednesday, 14 Mar 2001 10:52AM
Subject URL: Clay Shirky Slashdot Question and Answer

Personally I don't know who Cley Shirky is, but he is answering a lot of good questions on DCMA, New Media, Micropayments, long term content rewards, WAP, DNS and more. Interesting read whether you agree with his answers or not.

Napster ready to block  #
Wednesday, 14 Mar 2001 10:31AM
Subject URL: Napster ready to block

Napster says it's ready to block the 135,000 song/artist names provided to them by the RIAA. They were given a deadline of Wednesday. Speculation is that Gracenote (CDDB, see below) might help them.

Spelling variants of artists' names "MMetallica" or "etallicaMay," for instance have lessened the effectiveness of Napster's weekold screening technology, the company said.

More importantly, it lessens the effectiveness of Napster itself.