J. Palmer

…wonder when it’ll be available in kentucky.

Drew Curtis’ comments on Tim Couch’s proposal got Valley attention…

…like setting up a MySpace account (again).

Go ahead and go check it out, and while you’re there, feel free to add me… I’m feeling lonely…

United Press International reports that Sir Paul has made a deal with Apple to distribute the Beatles catalog of music. While no release date has been mentioned, we can hope to download the Beatles before the end of 2008.
This will likely become my first and only purchase of digital music. I guess I’ll get to use doubleTwist later on, too….

Wal-Mart’s decided to pull the plug on an in-store solution for inexpensive Linux boxes…

According to the article, demand wasn’t that great for the PCs at stores, so they’ve decided to stop sales in-store, but will continue to offer the gPC2 online.

Oklahoma State Representative Sally Kern tells us that:

The homosexual agenda is destroying this nation–it’s just a fact. Not every lifestyle is equal; just like not every religion is equal.

She continues to say:

I even think it’s more of a threat than terrorism, or Islam–which I think is a big threat.

Yes, folks, she’s a Republican.

Not bad, I’m running just a few days behind the news, but…
Last Tuesday, a bill was introduced into the Commonwealth’s House, which would, if passed into law, make attempts at blocking anonymous posting of content to a web-site. HB775 currently reads as of March 10, 2008:

AN ACT relating to information technology.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky:

SECTION 1.   A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 369 IS CREATED TO READ AS FOLLOWS:

As used in Sections 1 to 3 of this Act, unless the context otherwise requires:
(1) “Information content provider” means any person, business, or entity that is responsible, in whole or in part, for the creation and dissemination of information through the Internet or any interactive service;
(2) “Interactive service provider” means any person, business, or entity authorized to do business, or doing business, in the Commonwealth of Kentucky that is responsible, in whole or in part, for the creation, development, or maintenance of any interactive service;
(3) “Interactive service” means any Internet-based Web site, blog, or message board that allows users to provide information to be viewed by other users; and
(4) “Internet” means the international computer network of both federal and nonfederal interoperable packet switched data networks.

SECTION 2.   A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 369 IS CREATED TO READ AS FOLLOWS:

(1) An interactive service provider shall establish, maintain, and enforce a policy to require information content providers to register a legal name, address, and valid electronic mail address as a precondition of using the interactive service.
(2) An interactive service provider shall establish, maintain, and enforce a policy to require information content providers to be conspicuously identified with all information provided by, at a minimum, their registered legal name.
(3) An interactive service provider shall establish reasonable procedures to enable any person to request and obtain disclosure of the legal name, address, and valid electronic mail address of an information content provider who posts false or defamatory information about the person.

SECTION 3.   A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 369 IS CREATED TO READ AS FOLLOWS:

An interactive service provider that violates any of the provisions of Section 2 of this Act shall be fined five hundred dollars ($500) for the first offense and one thousand dollars ($1,000) for each subsequent offense.

The story has been picked up by digg, TWiT, slashdot, Valleywag, and the Kentucky Democrat.
To be updated on revisions and actions related to this bill, register at kentucky.gov/billwatch, and search for HB 775(BR-1943).

Dontcha just love rumors?
Got an email this morning that spoke of a family whose home had burned down–the cause of the fire was a plug-in air freshener. So, figuring this was another half-way made up story, I hit Snopes in search. Yep. It’s just another urban legend.
According to Snopes, roots of the legend lie in a recall that SC Johnson did on their line of Glade Plug-ins–SC Johnson recalled a few models after it was discovered that a few had loose wiring. Glade plugins have never been established as a cause of fire; however other brands have–and in those cases, faulty residential wiring was ruled a possibility.
Just another reminder that you shouldn’t trust what you get in your email…