Happy New Year's!

Hope everyone is up to fun festiveness or a lazy ring-in of the new year, as suits personality and circumstances. Myself, I'm going with the torpor, accompanied by some nice wine and a movie. It's like a siren song.

See you in 2008!

Almost Ten Grand: A Steep, Steep Price to Pay for Richard Marx

The new frontier of the RIAA battle against music sharing: personal use.

Now, in an unusual case in which an Arizona recipient of an RIAA letter has fought back in court rather than write a check to avoid hefty legal fees, the industry is taking its argument against music sharing one step further: In legal documents in its federal case against Jeffrey Howell, a Scottsdale, Ariz., man who kept a collection of about 2,000 music recordings on his personal computer, the industry maintains that it is illegal for someone who has legally purchased a CD to transfer that music into his computer.

The industry's lawyer in the case, Ira Schwartz, argues in a brief filed earlier this month that the MP3 files Howell made on his computer from legally bought CDs are "unauthorized copies" of copyrighted recordings.

"I couldn't believe it when I read that," says Ray Beckerman, a New York lawyer who represents six clients who have been sued by the RIAA. "The basic principle in the law is that you have to distribute actual physical copies to be guilty of violating copyright. But recently, the industry has been going around saying that even a personal copy on your computer is a violation."

Wow, you've got to admire that ambition.

What I'm Doing on My Christmas Vacation: A Book Report

In addition to shopping the sales, eating way too much, trying some really lovely wines, anticipating using my new baking pans, and scraping bathroom woodwork, I picked up a stack of books from the library. Perusing through nonfiction in a vain attempt to locate the Omnivore's Dilemma, I picked up Sick, by Jonathan Cohn. I've read his healthcare-related articles before, and I've been impressed with his ability to distill complicated elements into a simpler, easier-to-understand larger picture.

So, I've been pretty steadily tearing through this book, which illustrates the myriad failures of our healthcare system, using examples of individuals for whom the system has failed. He also nicely provides historical context throughout, which gives a good background understanding without overwhelming the larger narrative or turning the book into an eye-popping treatise on the history of health policy in the United States.

It's depressing but illuminating reading. And from the Chicago perspective, it's quite enlightening to read about the strong-arm collection tactics of nonprofit Catholic hospitals, which seem to have bought out a lot of the remaining hospitals around here. You know what seems like a bad move from a PR perspective? A Catholic hospital suing a destitute former nun for unpaid hospital bills. Just one illustration of how we're living with the best healthcare system in the world, baby!

I should add, a point that he stresses throughout is that people with insurance tend to assume that there is a safety net available for the most needy (a perception shared and reinforced at high levels of government). This turns out not to necessarily be the case.

Good News for Those of You Coming to Stay with Me in the Near Future

I've clipped three claws on the cat! Seventeen more to go, and you'll be safe as houses from the scratching, at least.

It Looks Like That Race for the Craziest GOP Advisors and Supporters Continues

A "designated surrogate" for the Giuliani campaign declared, on video:

He's [Guiliani's] got I believe the knowledge and the judgment to attack one of the most difficult problems in current history and that is the rise of the Muslims, and make no mistake about it, this hasn't happened for a thousand years. These people are very, very dedicated and they're also very smart, in their own way. We need to keep the feet to the fire and keep pressing these people until we defeat or chase them back to their caves -- or in other words get rid of them."

When asked later if he stood by his comments, he responded:

"I most assuredly do. I've been very concerned about this Muslim thing for quite awhile. The average American does not know beans about what the Muslims are about. I am talking about the Muslims in general. I don't subscribe to the principle that there are good Muslims and bad Muslims. They're all Muslims."

Deady added, "When I say get rid of them, I wasn't necessarily referring to genocide."

Well, I for one am glad he clarifed with the "not necessarily," aren't you?

What the Discriminating Feline Is Playing With This Holiday Season

Hours of amusement. Although, for some reason, any toy's coolness factor increases exponentially when it's provided by my mother.

It's Friday, It's Snowing, I'm Home, the Pandas Are Sleeping, I Have New Music

Yes, everybody is on vacation or otherwise engaged in pre-New Year's suspension of normal activities. I myself am pausing with coffee before launching on sundry cat-related errands (not all for mine, believe it or not; the catsit collective has many obligations and rewards). Anyway, it was with great anticipation that I queued up the random ten: what exciting goodies would turn up?

1. here comes the summer, the undertones
2. pitter patter goes my heart, broken social scene
3. love more than pride, laura lee
4. sometimes i remember, the pernice brothers
5. garageland, the clash
6. death valley ’69, sonic youth
7. moonage daydream, david bowie
8. being for the benefit of mr. kite, the beatles
9. warsaw, joy division
10. both have to pay, the mystery meat

More of a retro feel here, but trust me, I got all sorts of new music for Christmas.

Scenes from the Season

Opening of goodies, day the first.

Opening of goodies, day the second.


And a little something to display my photographic talents.

My god, we killed the dog. Possibly, if we toss her in with the used gift wrap, no one will notice.

Slightly Good News about Health Care, at Least in California

I'm sure Dick Cheney will have something to say about this (as he does everything, because he has self-provided godlike powers and infallible judgment, Hail Caesar) but a state court in California has recently put limits on health insurers' ability to cancel policies after policy holders get sick:

Health insurers can't wait until a policyholder is sick or injured to investigate the person's medical history and then abruptly cancel the policy on the grounds that important information was left out of the original application, a state appeals court has ruled.

On Monday, the Fourth District Court of Appeal in Santa Ana called a halt to a practice that lawyers for policyholders claim is widespread. Known as "post-claims underwriting," it has led to numerous lawsuits - mostly unsuccessful so far - and state enforcement actions against insurers.

It doesn't go as far as it might, and the measure's a drop in the bucket given the systematic absuses, but still, this is good news. And yes, I did just watch Sicko.

I May Have to Bust Out a Can of Black-Eyed Peas This New Years

An ex's mother, being a Southern belle from Georgia, used to be really adamant about doing this.

What do black-eyed peas have to do with good luck and prosperity?

Everything or nothing, depending on what you believe.

According to Southern folklore, those who eat the little beige-with-a-black-spot legume on New Year's Day will have good luck the rest of the year.

She also firmly believed in not doing any housework on New Year's Day, because what a person did on that day represented what they would be doing the rest of the year.

Why not? I need some good karma this year.

Less Cuddly Side of Zoo Animals in California

A tiger at the San Francisco Zoo inexplicably escapes and mauls three people, killing one. Ewww, further details:

Police sources said a footprint had been found on a metal fence, suggesting that someone had climbed the fence to get closer to the big cats. Authorities were looking into whether the tiger escaped by latching on to a leg or body part.

Good god. Are people really that stupid?

Your Mid-Holiday Feasting and Libations Break: A Moment of Zen

Panda cam.

Four words: adorable baby panda frolicking.

More Holiday Miscellany: My Peops Are Important, Cool Places to Find Your Cards

When people tell you that they're related to Santa Claus, don't believe them. Unless these people making outrageous claims are related to me.

Nothing says the holidays like Santa plus the space race, as expressed in vintage Soviet Christmas cards. Thanks, Erik!
Now I'm really on my way out of here. Happy Holidays. Peace around.

Laura, taking the express lanes to Michigan.

Did Someone Say Feats of Strength?

Little-seen footage of Toby back when he had larger sideburns.

A Festivus for the Rest of Us

This is for Toby.

'Tis the First Day of Christmas!

Last workday until January! Woo!

1. sound of silver, lcd soundsystem
2. all i could do was cry, etta james
3. like eating glass, bloc party
4. identity, x-ray spex
5. loving you could never be better, george jones
6. shotgun, southern culture on the skids
7. auf achse, franz ferdinand
8. poor skeleton steps out, xtc
9. compliments, bloc party (duplicates! but it's bloc party, so i forgive)
10. the gash, the flaming lips

See? I have other stuff in there.

I Know This Is Like Shooting Fish in a Barrel

But more wisdom from Rush Limbaugh, by way of incisive political analysis. Lots of people think it, but a few brave souls have the courage to say it out loud. Regarding Hillary Clinton:

There is this thing in this country that, as you age -- and this is particularly, you know, women are hardest hit on this, and particularly in Hollywood -- America loses interest in you, and we know this is true because we constantly hear from aging actresses, who lament that they can't get decent roles anymore, other than in supporting roles that will not lead to any direct impact, yay or nay, in the box office...

We know that the presidency ages the occupants of that office rapidly... But men aging makes them look more authoritative, accomplished, distinguished.

Sadly, it's not that way for women, and they will tell you... Look at all of the evidence. I mean, I've just barely scratched the surface with some of the evidence, and so: Will Americans want to watch a woman get older before their eyes on a daily basis?

My god, no. I don't even want to watch myself age. My plan is to spare us all and start wearing a hood once I hit 45.

Hey, I Spoke Too Soon!

What can't you find on youtube, I ask you? And, bonus: My favorite, Blue/s Forms!



UPDATE: Alas, she doesn't play the last movement, which is the best part.

Something for the Holiday Gift List

Genius, people. Genius.

This Here's a Holiday Classic for a Reason

One of my coworkers reverently brings this up every year. Then he cackles like mad, until we think he's having a coronary.