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For the time being, we have decided against accepting contribution to the FAQ as it has proven much too difficult to do as a communal project. However, that may change again in the future, once we have a good foundation laid to work from. Then it might be easier to tackle the big topics for which several alternative theories exist.
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Film features Houma native
Published: Monday, June 24, 2013 at 10:51 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, June 24, 2013 at 10:51 a.m.
A documentary film about a Houma native's determination to regroup a Carnival club in New Orleans will be screened locally in August.
Want to see the documentary?
The documentary "Mr. Robinson" will be screened
Aug. 17 at The Main Affair, a meeting hall attached to
Castalano's restaurant, 7881 Main St., in downtown Houma.
The first screening will start at 3 p.m., the second at 7:30 p.m. The cost is $12 per person, which includes some food and refreshments.
"Mr. Robinson" follows Lawrence Robinson, 61, for six months during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina as he tries to reform the Young Men Illinois Carnival Club, which features African-American debutantes.
After Katrina, Carnival clubs, to which prosperous black New Orleanians have belonged for generations, were lost, their members scattered by the storm.
Robinson is the ball captain for the Young Men Illinois club, which was formed in 1895 by Pullman porters. The social group hosts annual debutante balls where girls are introduced in a formal fashion known as call-outs.
Like many others, Robinson lost his home in the storm. Curiously, in the film, Robinson seems more invested in trying to reorganize the Carnival Club than anything else.
"After Katrina, everyone had dispersed and was gone," he said, "and I was left trying to find all my club members."
Robinson said it was surreal having a crew of cameramen following him as well as the girls going about their lives during such trying times.
"They just followed me no matter where I went," he said. "There were always there."
The film also features the debutantes, some of whom were not as open to the idea of following in the debutante tradition.
The film leads up to the first ball after Katrina, held Feb. 2, 2007.
Since then, Robinson said the club is stronger than ever.
"It was my determination to hold on to an organization that has its roots," said Robinson, a member of the club for 32 years. "The club is near and dear to my heart."
It was a difficult process tracking people down during that time, Robinson said.
"Everybody had lost their homes, and a social club was not foremost on their minds like it was on my mind," he said. "But I felt we couldn't let an age-old organization like this just go away, and that's why I worked so hard to find these people."
A California-based production company, Blue Elephant Productions, produced the documentary.
The film's director, Patrice Horne, said she read about Robinson's quest to reorganize the social group in the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
Horne, who had already filmed a short film about debutante parties in Los Angeles, said she wanted to learn more about why Robinson would dedicate his life to preserving this seemingly outdated tradition of presenting young women to New Orleans society.
"I was trying to understand why a man of his age and stature would bother doing all that," she said. "What is so interesting about debutantes and waltzes? But he loves it; he lives for it."
Though Horne said the film is funny sometimes as Robinson deals with some of the girls who aren't as enthused about the traditional ball as he would like for them to be, she said it's clear how the ball was created to equalize certain elements of race in New Orleans.
"It's interesting to see that there are people around us that do extraordinary things that we're not really aware of," she said. "He is someone who is in love with Louisiana and New Orleans and it has shaped his entire world."
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See all dates for The Prince And The Pauper
The Prince And The Pauper
Set in a Tudor London so vibrant you can smell the potato-peelings, poor Tom Canty has a chance meeting with the young heir to the throne, Prince Edward – and by pure coincidence they find they look almost identical.
Mark Twain's classic tale of confused identities tells the story of what happens when the one is mistaken for the other: Tom Canty is forced into the world of the court and power, while Edward is cast down into a world of poverty and thieves, from which he must fight his way back to the Court. Part traditional and part fantastical, a riotous show for all the family this Christmas.
Suitable for ages 6 and up and for all the family.
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Jim Kent, hero of free and open source software
Percy Shelly averred that poets were the unacknowledged legislators of the world. That was a hope rather than a fact. It might have been true in earlier centuries but the inexorable rise of scientific methodology relegated it as a source of power and influence. Inevitably, the baton passed to science.


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Three robberies, three hotels...over the course of just four days.
Quality Inn on Belair Road, Best Western on Center West Parkway, and Amerisuites on Claussen Road were robbed at gunpoint, all at around 8:00 in the evening.
And all of this just in time for Augusta's busiest week for hotels: the Masters.
Several seconds were caught on tape of a man pulling what officers say is a gun.
"That's pretty disturbing," says Sgt. Matthew Hehemann. He's staying with his family at Amerisuites...and just missed Wednesday's robbery by about an hour.
"I didn't know it happened until just now...but my family was here by themselves."
Manager Elizabeth Lynn says the suspect didn't seem suspicious at first. He waited until all the customers left.
"He took a gun out of his jacket and demanded money," Lynn says.
Lynn says the suspect seemed to know exactly where to find the register...where he took between $500 and $1000.
Lt. Scott Peebles says it all started Sunday at the Belair Quality Inn...that's where they got the video.
"He's robbing places with a gun. We don't know what he's capable of, who he is, but we consider him to be dangerous," Lt. Peebles says.
Lt. Peebles says the next stop was the Claussen Road Best Western Tuesday. But they can't be sure...general manager Jasmine Shah didn't get it on camera.
"If there was a security camera, it would capture their face and he may have shot her or something," Shah says.
And then, on to Amerisuites Wednesday. Elizabeth Lynn's camera wasn't working and missed the robbery...but she remembers it well.
"I think it's guests staying in the hotel, checking out the hotel...because he was just too familiar," Lynn says.
And that makes guests like Sgt. Hehemann nervous.
"Hopefully the police will step up their presence...especially with the Masters here, it will make them an easy target," Sgt. Hehemann says.
Quality Inn Sunday, Best Western Tuesday, Amerisuites Wednesday, and a man officers are still trying to find.
As Sgt. Hehemann mentioned, there is concern that this may continue into next week when Masters starts...and most hotels are completely booked.
They think the same person could have done it all because of the way he was dressed.
The white hat matches the description in all three reports. They're still looking into whether the robberies are linked.


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CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – March 16, 2012 – Ducks Unlimited announced today the winners of the 2012 Wetland Conservation Achievement Awards during the 77th North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference, held at the Hilton Atlanta. This year's winner in the Communications category is David Sikes, outdoors columnist for the "Corpus Christi Caller-Times."
"David has been a driving force for communicating issues important to waterfowl and wetlands conservation along the Gulf Coast and throughout Texas," said DU Chief Conservation Officer Paul Schmidt. "He has spent the last decade using his writing to promote the work of conservation organizations and the benefits that work provides hunters and waterfowl."
DU's Wetland Conservation Achievement Awards recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the restoration and conservation of North America's wetlands and other waterfowl habitat.
As the "Caller-Times" outdoors columnist since 1998, Sikes serves as a regular and reliable source of conservation-related information for approximately 50,000 southeast Texans. Sikes also promotes the outdoor offerings of the Coastal Bend in multiple venues, including other newspaper columns, magazine articles and group presentations, including the Texas DU State Convention.
"David does a tremendous job covering important conservation issues along the Texas Gulf Coast, including promotion of freshwater inflows into Texas bay sand estuaries, seagrass protection throughout coastal Texas, invasive species problems, water availability issues and the economic impacts of hunting, fishing and other outdoor recreation," Schmidt said.
Sikes' friends and colleagues are quick to point out the writer's active pursuit of the topics he covers. Rather than sitting behind a computer wondering where his readers' interests lie, Sikes is out in the field, fishing the same waters and hunting the same areas.
"David is out there finding the stories. And he has a knack for seeing a much bigger picture. Corpus Christi is a long, long way from the Prairie Pothole Region, but through his writing, people along the Texas Gulf Coast understand the issues facing the Duck Factory," said David Schuessler, DU's national director of grassroots fundraising and a longtime friend of Sikes'. "David helps his readers understand the linkages between places as far removed as Eston, Saskatchewan, and Edna, Texas."
Sikes is a longtime member of the board of directors of the Texas Outdoor Writers Association and currently serves as the association's president. He has received numerous awards from TOWA and was named the 2012 Professional Conservationist of the Year by the Harvey Weil Foundation.
"Conservation is the lifeblood of hunting and fishing," Sikes said. "Without it, I, too, would wither and die along with the habitats I enjoy."
To view all 2012 Wetland Conservation Achievement Award winners, please visit www.ducks.org.
Ducks Unlimited is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, DU is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, with special events, projects and promotions across the continent. Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 12 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever.
Andi Cooper
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President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act into law.
First duck stamp, designed by Pulitzer-prize winning editorial cartoonist, Jay N. "Ding" Darling, issued.
Prairie drought peaks.


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A's owner Lew Wolff is asking if he can stay at the Oakland Coliseum for five more years regardless of any stadium outcome in San Jose, according to a story published Friday in the Los Angeles Times.
In a letter to the commission that governs the Coliseum, Wolff proposed an agreement that would delay a potential move to San Jose until 2018. The A's lease at the Oakland Coliseum expires after the 2013 season.
The A's have been waiting nearly four years to have baseball commissioner Bud Selig and a panel he appointed approve a move to San Jose. The Giants have been vigorously fighting a potential move, claiming terrotial rights to San Jose.
In the letter, much of which appeared in the L.A. Times, Wolff wrote he would keep the team in Oakland for at least five more years "regardless of the outcome of our efforts to obtain a new facility in the City of San Jose."
According to the Times, Wolff's letter said: "The A's organization certainly prefers to remain in Oakland for the next five years rather than being forced into looking elsewhere for a temporary home venue. If possible, we should retain the 130 full-time jobs and the almost 800 union jobs that encompass a full baseball season, the fun of the A's, and Major League Baseball in Oakland for five more years.
"I believe the A's have a great deal to contribute to the area for the next five years, and even thereafter."


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SoftBank - Humanoid Robot "Pepper" with Artificial Intelligence out for sale in 2015
In 2015, you could become best friends with an amiable and attentive humanoid robot, like the relationship of Nobita and Doraemon (minus the Yojigen-poket)!
In 2015, you could become best friends with an amiable and attentive humanoid robot, like the relationship of Nobita and Doraemon (minus the Yojigen-poket)!
Phillips, a Dutch major electrical manufacturer, announced that they are going to start selling a kitchen appliance to make full-fledged fresh noodles called - "Philips Noodle Maker" - in late June in Japan.
The Philips Noodle Maker gets all the noodle making process done including mixing and kneading a dough and quickly makes nice chewy noodles for 4 people in 10 minutes.
Takara Tomy announced the release of a toy smartphone for kids - My Touch Smart "Line Friends". With it, kids can pretend like sending and receiving messages and stamps on the popular communication application LINE. It will be out for sale on August 7.
As if it is a real smartphone, it has a LED display, camera function, music reply ability, and more than 30 kinds of playable applications.
Sony is going to release a XAVC recording format compliant XDCAM video camera for professional use - PXW-X160 - on August 21. The estimated price is around ¥480,000.
In the Department of Applied Chemistry at Keio University's Faculty of Science and Technology, the Katayama Laboratory is doing research in the field of electrochemistry.
One aspect of the Lab's research is investigating electrochemical reactions in electrolytes called ionic liquids, and applying them to technologies, including new batteries and electroplating.
Make your ears absolutely clean!
Coden co., ltd. has just released the ultimate earpick tool "Sugoi Mimikaki", which means "great earpiece" in Japanese.
With the Sugoi Mimikaki connected to the USB terminal of a PC, you can clean up your ear while looking at the 15X zoomed real-time image of inside of your ear on the PC monitor.
During the upcoming summer vacation season for schools, Canon will hold Canon Kids Park 2014 and provide multiple events for kids to learn something related to cameras in an enjoyable way.
Tokyo Street Shots
• Collection 4 - SET #4 •


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WNC parachute plant laying off 68 workers
Published: Friday, November 9, 2012 at 10:57 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, November 9, 2012 at 10:57 a.m.
WOODFIN, N.C. (AP) — A western North Carolina company that makes parachutes and other supplies for the military is laying off 68 workers by the end of the year.
Mills Manufacturing president John Oswald says the company has several large government contracts that are ending.
The plant in Woodfin has employed 180 workers.
Oswald says if more contracts come in, the laid-off workers could be recalled.
He says the company has exported its products to more than 65 counties.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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Today, hopefully, is the day our focus can shift from politics and turn toward other more traditional November favorites, like turkey and stuffing and thankfulness. As far as I can tell, there will be near national consensus we're grateful the Oval office race has concluded. Even though as I write the election outcome remains uncertain, regardless of who "wins" there seems to be an overwhelming desire to move away from judgment and cynicism. My crankiness meter has topped out in the red-zone the last couple of weeks. It's due a rest.
It was in this frame of mind that I ran across notes from a friend who started, on Nov. 1, to post daily on Facebook the reasons why she is thankful. Initially, it seemed sweet - if a bit cheesy. I wondered too whether her 1,400 other Facebook friends would be interested. (At the same time I wondered, rather rhetorically, if I even know 1,400 people.) Other people's interest is beside the point, however. Far more important is her effort to specifically identify her gratitude.
Not surprisingly her children, including a teenage daughter, topped my friend's gratitude list. As a parent I was touched when her daughter responded right back to her mom's gratitude post, letting mom know that she was the teenager's inspiration. The exchange prompted me to initiate a conversation with our youngest about the things she is thankful for. Her short list was not surprising. Family (even her sister), friends, school and her pets came out "winners" in that race. The discussion made me realize I do not often enough let my family know how thankful I am for their presence in my life.
As I mulled over gratitude I realized that regardless of the election outcome I am genuinely thankful we live in a country where we have the privilege of voting without concern for our safety. These thoughts lead me to ponder all of the military personnel who protect our freedoms. I realized we have another chance to say thanks this Sunday, on Veterans day. The events of the last few weeks have once again reminded us, tragically, of the sacrifice so many have made in the line of duty. Gratitude (like crankiness) builds on itself, and I am glad my friend reminded me of this simple precept.
With only a few weeks remaining until the national holiday set aside to give thanks I'll try to follow my friend's lead, and be on the lookout for more things to appreciate. Sure it's an attempt, in part, to distance myself from some of the grime of the past couple of weeks. There's that selfish angle too. Every blog or post I read on gratitude suggests the people who practice appreciation daily are far more content with their lives. So, why not? Crankiness hasn't worked so well, and after all, it is the right month. There's no penalty if we disagree, and the rewards may be great.
If I'm lucky, and practice hard, there's even a chance that someday when I let the girls know how grateful I am for them I will hear a faint echo of my friend's daughter's response "Love you mom! You're my inspiration."
Albert Schweitzer once said, "at times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us." Thanks friend.
Cindy Bargell is a mom and attorney who lives outside of Silverthorne. She welcomes your comments at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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At the risk of sounding like I'm a bubble or two off plumb, I'd like to ask our natural resource decision makers to try something new as we start 2013. I'd like them to decide things based on what they don't know, rather than on what they do. If it seems counter-intuitive to plan the future on a lack of knowledge, please consider the record we've compiled so far, starting in the Northwest.
After using gillnets and fish wheels to decimate the almost limitless salmon runs of the Columbia River during the 1800s, we used what we knew - commonly referred to as the "best available science" - to build hatcheries and hatch billions of eggs. The best available science held that all salmon of a given species were essentially the same, so there was no attempt to release the fry and smolts into their natal streams.
After more than a century of developing fish that were progressively weaker, more prone to disease and more vulnerable to predation than their wild cousins, we finally began to use modern hatcheries to supplement wild runs, rather than replace them. Perhaps in another century or so, we'll be able to undo the harm we caused based on what we thought we knew.
While we were destroying the greatest run of salmon on earth, we were also beginning a frenzied search for precious metals. That search left great scars on the land, turned streambeds inside out, and polluted waterways that are still a mess today. In fairness, I doubt the scientists of the day even pretended to know what to expect from large-scale mining. By the mid-20th century we knew better, though, and began implementing controls on older, existing methods. Unfortunately, those controls didn't help us deal with new technology.
Heap-leach mines use a cyanide or sulfuric acid solution to extract gold, copper and nickel from crushed ore. The pregnant solution then drifts down to an impermeable layer where it is collected so the metals can be removed. The scientists, planners and mine owners knew the layer was impermeable ... until it wasn't. They knew there was no risk ... until there was. Unfortunately, leaks weren't typically discovered until the nearby groundwater was poisoned.
Nowadays, with increased environmental awareness and media coverage, it is more difficult for corporations to damage the environment, but only slightly. Because even if they can't prove their activity is benign, corporations can still say, "If you don't like what I'm doing, prove it's harmful. Until you can provide incontrovertible proof, I'm going to continue, because, based on our best available science, I'm doing no harm. And you're just an hysterical homeowner, environmentalist, troublemaker."
The timber industry has a long history of such attitudes. Although government biologists were raising concerns about old-growth-dependent wildlife species in the 1970s, they were sidelined by the continual demand for data. "There is no definitive data showing spotted owls and marbled murrelets are affected by the loss of old-growth timber," said the loggers. And when the data became available, they simply refocused their argument. "Well, OK. Spotted owls in Northern California are covered by your study, but do we know if owls in Oregon and Washington are affected?"
Because of these delays, the timber companies were able to delay sanctions until they'd harvested all but a tiny fraction of the Northwest's old-growth timber.
What if we'd admitted, from the beginning, that we really didn't know much about salmon? Would we have continued to flood the rivers with damaged fry and smolts? Or might we have stopped and taken a look around and decided that maybe Mother Nature knew somewhat more than we did? If the mining engineers had admitted their ignorance of the long-term impacts of their actions, would they have continued to do the damage they did? Or did our utter dependence on the best available science cause them to push forward? Would a little humility, a little uncertainty, have slowed the timber industry down, made its decision makers question themselves and their legacy?
Now consider fracking - hydraulically fracturing the earth's crust in a massive search for oil and gas. Wouldn't it be more prudent to approach something as potentially catastrophic as fracking by taking it slowly for a few years, thereby giving us time to evaluate the risks?
Instead, the oil and gas companies are fracking wherever they can, full speed ahead, just as if they really had a clue about what they were doing and what might happen in a serious accident. "There is no proof of any danger to water supplies," they say, "and no proof of any danger of earthquakes. And if you don't like it - show us your data."
Pat Wray is a contributor to Writers on the Range, a service of High Country News (hcn.org). He writes in Corvallis, Ore.


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Lambuth's Lady Eagles, the defending NAIA Division 1 national champions, used an 18-3 run to end the first half and never looked back in an 85-74 win on Saturday over the Campbellsville University Lady Tigers in the Citizens Bank Classic.
The Lady Eagles took their largest lead, 46-26 at the start of the second half before Campbellsville managed to claw within eight points at 74-66 with 2:47 remaining when Courtney Danis' basket pulled the Lady Tigers within single digits.
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Area briefs: Byrnes' Brooks helps SC to win over NC
Published: Sunday, March 24, 2013 at 3:15 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, March 25, 2013 at 12:54 a.m.
Byrnes center Charlendez Brooks helped lead South Carolina to a 99-90 victory against North Carolina in the Carolinas All-Star Classic over the weekend in Myrtle Beach. The Western Carolina signee scored two points with eight rebounds and two blocks. Gaffney coach Mark Huff was the head coach for South Carolina.
"He played a tremendous game for us defensively wiith his rebounds and two blocks on the kid going to North Carolina, Isaiah Hicks," said Huff of Brooks. "He led us in total rebounds and did a great job for us." South Carolina led 50-37 at the half. However, North Carolina went on a 26-0 run after being down 71-47 to take a two-point lead. Matt Howard (A.C. Flora) and Justin McKie (Irmo) would then knock down back-to-back shots to give South Carolina the lead for good.
... Former Boiling Springs standout Brinson Corn won the pole vault event (13 feet, 11 inches) to lead Coastal Carolina at the High Point University VertKlasse Meet over the weekend. Corn was one of two Chanticleers to pick up individual wins.
LIMESTONE: The No. 3 women's lacrosse team (9-1, 2-0) downed No. 11 Lock Haven 11-7.
... With eight teams hailing from both Carolinas, the competitive cheerleading team took home second place in the "Co-Ed" division in the second annual Clash of the Carolinas.
SOUTH CAROLINA: In Baton Rouge, La., behind a 3-for-3 day from sophomore Kristen Struett, the softball team (18-11, 1-5) picked up its first SEC win of the season in a 4-1 victory over No. 12 LSU.
... In Tuscaloosa, Ala., the No. 34 men's tennis team had the lead throughout the day in a 4-1 win over No. 26 Alabama.
... The 49th-ranked women's tennis team was defeated by Alabama 4-1.
CLEMSON: In Dedham, Mass., the No. 15 men's tennis team defeated Boston College 7-0.
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On the one hand, I'm secretly jealous of the Mt. Washington runners.
On the other hand, I'm secretly relieved that I didn't get in and I don't have to train for it...this year.
I'll be rooting hard for you all. That's no secret. !http://www.coolrunning.com/forums/biggrin.gif|src=http://www.coolrunning.com/forums/biggrin.gif|border=0!
[[yelling loudly]] Hey, Thunderbolter? You out there?
Today is my son's last day of 1st grade, so I took the day off work. I ran 4 miles this morning and then volunteered at his school with the various activities they have planned for the day. Then DH came up at lunchtime at had bbq lunch with DS. He should be home from school in about an hour and then we are taking him to a matinee later this afternon to see Pirates 3, then to his favorite pizza place for dinner.
mariposai, congrats on your son's graduation and thanks for the picture. Tramps, the ages of those who finished around you sure was interesting. DaveinAA, continued best wishes for you to get back to normal. Mustang Sally, I like your doctor's idea of seeing a sports doctor but not for the reason he proposed. Good luck in resolving your problem. vista, that's really something about the stress test. You're in such good shape it couldn't help determing the problem. You have my best wishes in determining the cause and best treatment. BTY, it was nice to hear from you. fjord, I wouldn't mind seeing a cougar out my window but I sure don't want to hear of one in the area where I'm running.
Nice long runs for Evan, dshclio (still fighting that darn sciatica - best of luck in getting rid of it), Skip, soot, and Lab. Good job on the speedwork for jjj (on hills), UncleSteve, and choover.
This morning, it was a pleasant 60 when I started, warming to about 70 by the end of my run. I got in 8 miles in about 1:15 for a 9:21 pace.
A good day and good runs for all.
Hi Boomers! Went out for my run, was going to be a longish 16 mile run but I bagged it after 12 miles. Most uncomfortable run in a long time, intestinal cramps, leg cramps. Hr and pace were ok for easy run and hr dropped quickly after excercise. I think I know the culprit. Bing Cherries, I have an addiction to them and have been eating bags of them, probably washed out all my electrolites. Why do I do this to myself? Fortunately, I am wise enough to bring along toilet paper and my handy buck knife for digging latrines while on the run. I think I will knock of the cherries and try my long run again next week.
Good Runs All, Larry
"If you see a man running up a mountain trail in Montana with a fly pole attached to his back, you are probably lost. LDD
Originally posted by RunsTheBitterroot:
Fortunately, I am wise enough to bring along toilet paper and my handy buck knife for digging latrines while on the run.
You musta been a Boy(Eagle) scout!
Self induced tri here today:
3.5 mile run
4 mile bike ride
1 mile swim
Oh well - all in good fun
Vista. Take care and be careful about what treatments you buy into. As a researcher I lean toward Evidence-based medicine. Is this treament FDA approved? What clinical studies have they run and where were the trial centers?
Peter NC – nice way to work through your reluctance – and the pool too!!!
Tomwhite need to post Maggie too - we want to see her mug!
http://www.coolrunning.com/forums/Forum13/HTML/003462.shtml[/URL" target="_blank">
30 minutes at lunch today easy but with 6 or so 200 meter sprints in the 30 second range. Very hot today and the rest of the week. Lovin in it.
Going to race a 5K on Fathers Day. It benefits Prostate Cancer.
Take care
Geez, I need to walk, but don't seem to be able to get up off the couch...at least not with three grandkids crawling on me!!
Will try to walk tomorrow and post...I promise!
Lunchtime run again today in the wind and heavy clouds, but no rain (yeah!). Have a busy soccer night tonight so switching today's 10 with tomorrow's 5 works out well. I do a lot of this switching and swapping as the season gets busy.
Any ideas on running in Las Vegas? I'm thinking I'll be using the hotel treadmill a lot... Might get in a run while the kids are warming up before their games.
Erika, if you're staying on The Strip, you can get up early and run it. It's about 8.5 miles from Mandalay Bay to the Stratosphere and back. Even early in the morning, there is some very interesting people watching to be had.
Rest day for me...which means yardwork. Pblttt!
I am actually on my way to Vegas this weekend myself.
I have usually run early morning right on the strip area. The downside to that is the steps, escalators, and overpasses for pedestrians that are there. Actually I sort of enjoyed the step work for running. If you go off the strip there are parallel streets that you can run on but you have traffic lights and traffic to deal with. Of course most of the hotels have treadmills but they are pricey there.
The heat is there during the day time, so early morning worked best for me. Good luck and have fun. I am there for a week.
Evanfline, drive west on Charston Blvd, it will take you out to Red Rock Canyon Nat'l Concervation area, there are some nice trails and the loop road is good too. Very nice area. There is an entry fee. Larry
"If you see a man running up a mountain trail in Montana with a fly pole attached to his back, you are probably lost. LDD
Great runs all, i ran at 420 pm today,hot 83 degrees,9 miles @ 7:20 pace and 1 mile cool down............
.....LT//........no clue how to post pics........
....................Maggie is a brindle Mountain Cur.......basically picutre a LARGE brindle-colored Coyote with a Blank Stare.....
that doesn't know how to play ''fetch''..............
yay! Go, La Tortuga! Nice triathlon (a full mile swim, yipes!)
1200y swim for me, with every 4th lap as fast as possible.
ACTIVE is the leader in online event registrations from 5k running races and marathons to softball leagues and local events. ACTIVE also makes it easy to learn and prepare for all the things you love to do with expert resources, training plans and fitness calculators.


text:
Michael Lewis: The Stock Market Is Rigged
The U.S. stock market is "rigged." High-speed traders are able to front-run ordinary investors and make billions of dollars off of speedy computerized trading. That's all according to Michael Lewis, author of a new book called "Flash Boys."
"The United States stock market, the most iconic market in global capitalism, is rigged by a combination of the stock exchanges, the big Wall Street banks and high frequency traders," Mr. Lewis said Sunday evening on CBS's "60 Minutes."
High-frequency trading represents a growing, albeit contentious, part of the investing community. These traders use powerful computers to rapidly move in and out of stocks and other securities in fractions of a second. Critics say this practice has been one of the contributors to the stock market's heightened volatility and instability in recent years and has led some to wonder if, or how, these traders should face more regulatory scrutiny.
Mr. Lewis joins a long list of voices that have expressed concerns about high-speed trading. The debate drew mainstream attention in May 2010 during the "flash crash," when the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged nearly 1000 points in the matter of minutes before rebounding quickly.
In the interview, Mr. Lewis described high-speed trading as a form of "front running," which he acknowledges is completely legal.
"The insiders are able to move faster than you," Mr. Lewis said. "They're able to see your order and play it against other orders in ways that you don't understand. They're able to front run your order."
High-speed trading has gotten the attention of lawmakers in recent years, but few landmark regulations have been enacted on the subject. Earlier this month, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said he is investigating services offered by stock exchanges that he alleges give certain high-speed investors an unfair advantage by getting early access to data.
In a speech on March 18, Mr. Schneiderman said he was urging stock exchanges to consider curbing such features and adopting proposed safeguards to ensure investors are competing on an equal playing field.
Critics of high-frequency trading are hopeful that Mr. Lewis's book will lead to changes in current market structure.
"It is a needlessly and purposely built-in pickoff feature in our market structure, and becoming desensitized to this weakness does not make it acceptable," Sal Arnuk, co-head of trading at brokerage firm Themis Trading and co-author of the book "Broken Markets," wrote on the firm's website. "[B]e prepared for some changes. This type of attention has a tendency to create positive change in our industry much more quickly and effectively than any government entity has ever been able to."


text:
POSITION: Goaltender
CATCHES: Left
BIRTHPLACE: Chicago, IL, USA
DRAFTED: NYR: 2004-6 overall
|CCHA All-Rookie Team (2003) NCAA West Second All-American Team (2004) Traded to Phoenix by NY Rangers with Marcel Hossa for Josh Gratton, David LeNeveu, Fredrik Sjostrom and Phoenix's 5th round choice (Roman Horak) in 2009 Entry Draft, February 26, 2008. Traded to NY Islanders by Phoenix for NY Islanders' 6th round choice (Andrew Fritsch) in 2011 Entry Draft, February 9, 2011. Signed as a free agent by Winnipeg, July 4, 2012. Signed as a free agent by Florida, July 1, 2014.
|2011-12: Was the Islanders opening-night starting goaltender on Oct. 8 vs. FLA... Earned his
first win in his second-straight start on Oct. 10 vs. MIN... Made a career-high 47 saves on
51 shots on Nov. 10 at COL... Suffered a head injury at WPG on Dec. 20, returning on Jan. 17
at WSH after missing 12 games.
2010-11: Led Islanders goalies in wins (9) and goals against average (2.39) in 20
appearances as a rookie after being acquired from PHX on Feb. 9… Began his sixth
professional season with the San Antonio Rampage (AHL), where he posted an 11-8-0 record
with a 3.19 GAA and .891 save percentage... Assigned to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (AHL)
upon being acquired by NYI on Feb. 9… Recalled from BRI on Feb. 11…Made his NYI debut in
relief on Feb. 13 at BUF, earning the win…Posted a 35-save shutout in his first start on Feb.
19 vs. LA… Appeared in 20 of NYI final 27 games.
2009-10: Went 4-7-1 with a 3.19 GAA and a .904 sv% in 14 games for SAN (AHL)… Earned
his first AHL victory of the season on Oct. 2 vs. TEX… Made his 4,000th AHL save on Nov.
24 vs. MIL.
2008-09: Recorded a shutout in his NHL debut with PHX on Apr. 1, making 23 saves vs. COL
in 3-0 win... Became the first goalie in PHX franchise history to record a shutout in his NHL
debut... Went 3-1-0 with a 2.08 GAA and a .925 sv% in the final five games of the season
with PHX… Posted a 7-17-2 record with SAN (AHL), showing a 3.23 GAA and a .890 sv%... Was
recalled by PHX on Mar. 23… Made 40 saves for PHX in a 4-1 win at SJ on Apr. 9.
2007-08: Split his third professional season between the Hartford Wolf Pack and San
Antonio, posting a combined 24-14-3 record… Went 16-8-3 with a 2.54 GAA and a .908 sv%
in 31 appearances with HAR before being traded from the NYR to PHX on Feb. 26... Went on
to play in 14 games with SAN, going 8-6-0 with a 2.59 GAA and a .912 sv%... Made 31 stops
in his first shutout of season on Mar. 29 vs. PEO… Finished tied for third in AHL in shutouts
with six (one off the league lead), fifth in GAA and tied for fifth in wins… Earned Rbk X-Pulse/
AHL Goaltender of the Month honors for the month of February (5-2-0, 1.37 GAA, .946 sv%,
1 shutout).
2005-06: Had an All-Star rookie AHL season with Hartford, posting a 23-9-1 record with
a 2.61 GAA and a .907 SV%... Earned the win in his pro debut on Oct. 8 vs. Manchester (22
saves)… Won seven straight starts from Oct. 28-Dec. 23… Set a Hartford single-game record
with 51 saves on Oct. 29 vs. Bridgeport (3-2 win)… Registered his first shutout on Jan. 13 vs.
Hershey, making 31 saves and contributing two assists… Played for the Planet USA All-Stars
in the 2006 Rbk Hockey AHL All-Star Classic in Winnipeg, MB on Feb. 1.


text:
Trinidad Travel Information
The Basics
Most older hotels use 110-volt power, 50Hz, while newer hotels use 220 volts, 50Hz. A variety of outlets are in use, but the flat and round two-pin plugs are most common.
The official language is Spanish, but English is spoken in the main tourist spots.
Travel Health
Health insurance, with provision for emergency repatriation, is compulsory for visitors to Cuba. Those travellers without adequate health insurance will be obliged to purchase Cuban health insurance on arrival. No vaccinations are officially required, however visitors are advised to take precautions against typhoid if travelling to rural areas. Most of the more serious tropical diseases are rare in Cuba, but viral meningitis and dengue fever do occasionally break out, including in urban areas like Havana. Dengue fever is on the increase and the best prevention against it is mosquito repellent and suitable clothing to avoid being bitten. Hepatitis A is common. Rabies should only be a risk for those exposed to animal bites, but if you are planning to spend a lot of time outdoors a vaccination is recommended. Food in Cuba is generally considered safe. Bottled water is available and advised for the first few weeks, although mains water is chlorinated. Cuban medical facilities are mediocre and many medicines are unavailable, so those requiring regular prescription drugs should bring them, along with a copy of the prescription and a doctor's letter to facilitate entry through customs.
Tipping in convertible pesos is very welcomed as salaries in the service industry are small. A 10 percent tip is appreciated in restaurants and by taxi drivers. Small amounts are appreciated by all service staff, however items like toothbrushes and pens are not necessary.
Safety Information
Cuba is considered free from any threat of global terrorism, but has an increasing crime rate. Visitors are warned that theft from baggage during handling is common, and valuables should not be packed in suitcases. Be wary of pickpockets and bag snatchers at major tourist sites and on buses and trains. Visitors are advised to take taxis after dark rather than walk. Tropical storms and hurricanes usually occur between June and November; although good warning is given, electricity, water and communications can be disrupted for weeks.
Local Customs
Visitors should address Cuban men as 'señor' and women as 'señora'. While many Cubans will engage in political discussion and debate, it is not advised to criticise the government too vocally, and one should be respectful of revolutionary figures such as Fidel Castro and Ernesto 'Che' Guevara.
Cubans tend to be warm and hospitable, and business is conducted more informally than in many other countries. Establishing a good relationship is vital to successful business and some time may be given over to small talk. Due to relative isolation from the global economy, business in Cuba tends to take some time and effort, and one is often hemmed in by the country's communist practices. Punctuality is always important, but don't expect meetings to begin on time or deals to be struck quickly. The dress code tends to be more casual than elsewhere but businessmen still usually wear traditional shirts and the dress code for women is sophisticated. Business hours are usually 8.30am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 4.30pm Monday to Friday. Some businesses are open every second Saturday.
The international access code for Cuba is +53. Cellular phone companies have roaming agreements with many international cell phone companies, but not the United States. A GSM network covers most main towns, and cell phones are available for rent. Public telephones are widely available for domestic as well as international calls, but international calls are expensive. Pre-paid phone cards are available. Internet cafes are located in the main towns and cities.
Duty Free
Travellers to Cuba over 18 years do not need to pay customs duty on 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco; 3 bottles of alcoholic beverages; gifts to the value of US$50; and up to 10kg of medicine. Seeds, fresh animal or vegetable products, narcotics and psychotropic substances; explosives, firearms and ammunition; pornographic material; publications directed against public order and morality and household electrical appliances are all prohibited. Strict regulations govern the import or export of philatelic collections; precious stones and metals; artistic, historical or cultural artefacts; and books printed prior to 1940.
Become our Trinidad Travel Expert
We are looking for contributors for our Trinidad travel guide. If you are a local, a regular traveller to Trinidad or a travel professional with time to contribute and answer occasional forum questions, please contact us.


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Lants wrote: i didn't get mine yet
i feel left out
FranktheP wrote: I ordered one for my 11 year daughter-she loves to write, draw and Sage. Her Quote," Math is not the answer". Should be fun getting her to do her homework after that!!! Its awesome she is going to flip on Christmas monring.
emily b. wings wrote: i read the quote in every book before i sent them all out.
cool to see who got which one.
my favorite was a big man face with 'sage francis' as teeth.
some kid in CA has it.


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Copper Mountain Ski Resort hosted the 2013 USASA National Championships from March 30 to April 4. The largest snowboard and freeskiing event worldwide, the competition showcased talent from around the nation in slalom, giant slalom, halfpipe, slopestyle and boardercross events.
Silverthorne local Brett Esser shone during the competition, coming away with first place in both the halfpipe and slopestyle events. Esser has competed in the national championships since 2006 and said that while he has won the halfpipe and slopestyle competitions before, this is the first time he was won them both at the same time.
"It's exciting, because I haven't ridden much slopestyle this year," he said. "So to win (half)pipe, that was definitely an expectation and then the slopestyle, I tried my best and came out on top and couldn't have been happier."
Esser, at 20 years old, has been snowboarding professionally for three years. He is a member of the U.S. Snowboard team and often trains with the Vail Ski and Snowboard Club.
The weather at the event was good for the most part, Esser said, particularly for the halfpipe qualifiers and the slopestyle final. But then it got tricky.
"Qualifiers for Halfpipe were beautiful, it was sunny and warm, and then right as finals started it just started to dump," he said.
Despite that challenge, Esser said he thoroughly enjoyed the courses and during his runs felt that he had done well.
"I would say Slopestyle was probably the best nationals course I've ever been on, to be honest," he said. "It was good, and (halfpipe) was good."
Now that the championships are over, Esser's plans are to "soak up the sun at Breckenridge until they close, then head off into some summer camps." His summer is pretty solidly booked for snowboarding, spending time at Mammoth, Calif., then New Zealand and some camps in Oregon.
Right behind Esser in the halfpipe was Taylor Gold of Breckenridge in second place. In the slopestyle, Breckenridge competitor Sy Moran finished fifth, with Asher Humphreys of Breckenridge in 10th place and Dillon Wilson of Silverthorne in 14th place. In the boardercross competition, Frisco representative Chris Mahaney took third place.
The women of Summit County also represented themselves well in the championships, with Lindsea Lumpkin of Frisco taking a fourth place finish in the slopestyle event. Mandy Cloud, also of Frisco, finished 28th in the same event.


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While gNewSense enjoys its initial introduction as a fully free as in freedom distribution, it seems at the same time an existing GNU/Linux distribution has turned to slavery. Excuse me a moment, while I remove the metaphorical knife from my back before continuing. Never before has the contrast between software freedom and intellectual slavery been more clear thanks to the proud efforts of gNewSense, and the craven ones of Novell.
In truth from what I see the Novell agreements with Microsoft are about two things. The first is actually relatively benign, at least when compared to the second. The first seems to involve some technical cooperation on making Novell's version of Xen paravirtualization support Microsoft Windows and may also involve some Linux kernel blobs to better support this as well. Technical cooperation also seems to cover Novell and Microsoft working together to embrace and extend (and otherwise contaminate) OpenOffice with Office/XML and better support a weak Microsoft Office plugin for OpenXML. These things are in fact bad enough, although in narrow ways. However, it is in the second thing, in endorsing, participating in, and supporting Microsoft's patent extortion racket, that Novell has truly jumped the shark and pulled a "SCO", and in doing so has become both a danger to freedom everywhere.
Much effort has been made by Novell to give "spin" and "market speak" about what they are doing, and what their patent cooperation agreement means, trying to make it sound as harmless as they possibly can. This alone, and the fact that they will receive revenue directly from Microsoft as part of it, is like a big red warning light saying "danger". It is about "Mono", some of them say, hiding the full truth as well as the fact that Microsoft already has an effective agreement with Novell and Mono users in regard to their existing Royalty-Free agreements with ECMA. What is telling is that nowhere is Mono or C# referenced in what has been shown about their agreements, and more important is what Microsoft, rather than Novell, says about them.
Rather than the deceptions, deliberately false and misleading statements, and half truths we hear from Novell, we can be thankful that Steve Ballmer from Microsoft has chosen to be very clear and explicit about what they (Microsoft) believe this agreement actually means; The distributors of other versions of Linux cannot assure their customers that Microsoft won't sue for patent infringement. "If a customer says, 'Look, do we have liability for the use of your patented work?' Essentially, If you're using non-SUSE Linux, then I'd say the answer is yes," Ballmer said. For Microsoft, it is about patent extortian, and like the neighborhood thug that shakes down local grocery stores looking to pay off the local police, it is about Microsoft trying to find a thin veneer of legitimacy through the help of Novell for enabling its intended thuggery. Thank you so very much Novell.
It is interesting that Novell chooses to say they negotiated this agreement on "behalf" of all software contributors to (and customers) of Novell. Some of my packages are included in SuSE, though, strangely, I do not recall them ever asking me to negotiate this agreement on my behalf. That it claims to only protect "non commercially involved" contributors, it's clear it is about limiting what I can do and to whom I can safely distribute my code through. It's meant to threaten and intimidate those who develop software in freedom, and to control what they will be allowed to do. I do not remember requesting to become Novell's slave, or of desiring to pay a Microsoft slug for the right to practice freedom. As such it is an insult to everyone who has ever contributed code that they now use.
What Novell gains in this patent shakedown is two things. First, they get Microsoft to intimidate their competitors. Further shame on Novell. Second, they get to exchange funny money with Microsoft, and have done so without explicitly doing it as a "cross patent licensing agreement". It means Microsoft gets to raid Novell's remaining technology uncontested in return for a token payment, and it seems deliberately structured in a way to try and avoid triggering the letter of the GPL and section 7, even while knowingly and deliberately violating its spirit and intent. That they should choose so deliberately and carefully to do this also speaks volumes about the kind of people involved in both Novell and Microsoft, of what they are, and of why these repulsive slugs should be avoided and treated as the thugs they are.
For Microsoft, it must seem like a bonanza. They have to pay some minor cash to Novell as part of their "covenant" that is "not" a cross licensing agreement in explicit name, but get to do so still with far less machinations and potential legal risk than was required to fund SCO through their pipe fairy. Speaking of SCO, if anything, they are perhaps to be left as a jilted lover holding all the credit card bills. More important for Microsoft it means they can now try and collect their "Danes Gold" from other GNU/Linux vendors, developers, or anyone else whom they can successfully intimidate. For Novell, hoping to become the "only" legally permitted GNU/Linux vendor, it actually means their GNU/Linux business will now go into decline, and perhaps if they did not cross all the right t's, to go into sudden death under section 4 of the GPL. But Novell does get continued funding as a Microsoft sock puppet the way Microsoft controlls Apple's destiny, and that of Sun. Novell is now to become a defacto "Intellectual Property Licensing" company rather than a software company, and Microsoft is their only real customer.
What we can do, those who believe in freedom, those who use GNU/Linux, or those who everywhere who believe in free markets and reject gangsters and thugs and the destruction such people do to society? First and foremost we must stand together in solidarity and not let the enemies of freedom succeed in their game of divide and conquer. If Novell has violated the letter of the GPL as well as its spirit, those of us who maintain packages that are distributed today as part of SuSE/Novell GNU/Linux must exercise our option to issue cease and desist orders. When dealing with a dog with rabies, even if once a loved family pet, it is best to put such an animal down before it also has the opportunity to infect others. As for thugs like Microsoft, they must be treated as the cancer to business and society that they are.
GPLv3 not so silly now eh?
It looks like this will help demonstrate that GPLv3's approach to software patents is justified.
its almost a good thing
Well, I did say 'almost'.
Seriously, I hope this does wake people up who have been dragging their feet or claiming that there was no reason for v3.
That same week I had a long discussion with people in our IT dept. who were claiming that the v3 discussion was a waste of time that no one cared about and my response was that it was better to do it now as opposed to say one day we should have done it. Considering this was 48hrs before the start of the Patent Wars and Ballmer's direct threat to other distros, let me tell you that I used up my quota of 'I told you so' today.
The thing we always have to to worry is FLOSS being coopted by forces that want to neuter it. Just like US politicians are doing to the constitution they have sworn to uphold but have been clawing at for years or the Hollywood stars who are doing their charitable PR work and supporting terrorists in Kosovo and Bosnia or doing sham events like Live8 which is nothing more than shilling for the multinationals who are screwing the poor nations. (You got to love the RED campaign: help the poor buy increasing the sales of Apple, Amex, Armani and others..)
As much as Perens, Eben, RMS are villified by superficialists, the 'humanitarian' business has shown us how multinationals like Coke, ClearChannel and others like that have managed to hijack the social activism aspect of popular culture for their political and social uses.
(Imagine if Live8 happened in the 70's, would the Lennon's of the day allowed Bush and Blair, war criminals to the world, be called 'compassionate, generous and saint like?')
That's why it is so important to have watchers and rules to make sure that underhanded manoeuvers and loopholes are minimized.
Over the years, we have come up with quite a number of scenarios which could seriously hindered Linux (ok, Ill even say GNULinux) with various poison pills or patent scenario so Im pretty sure major corporations with armies of soul sucking leech...uh, lawyers, have also planned to attack vulnerabilities in the GPL.
As much as we love FLOSS and the way it allows for technology to flow instead of being stunted for monetary reasons, the GPL is the means to make sure it stays like that. That's why I dont understand FLOSS promoters and users who think the GPL is more of a hindrance.
My only problem with it is there is to many GPL violations that arent being taken to court because of the decentralized system. Which of course is not fault of the GPL.
Papa Chango
M$ go to hell!
Bravo!!! Wonderful article! I love the end, M$ thug should die!
Novell has made the BIGGEST mistake of their life, they will be sorry for this in a couple of months, if not earlier.
I'm not so sure about that.
What Novell has done is used a major competitor with a dominant share in the desktop market to effectively endorse their product. It means that businesses are going to take more note and reconsider their liability when switching to Linux for their desktop needs. I think this will ultimately boost Novell's market share, and I suspect that's been their plan all along.
How does this help Microsoft? Additional buffer against anti-trust lawsuits. This corporate-friendly government won't last forever, and more than a few states are still bitter about being forced into a settlement. Microsoft hasn't so much changed their business practices as modified their marketing strategy. Sooner or later someone is going to point out that the claims of reform are just smoke and mirrors and attempt to go after them again for anti-competitive practices. Microsoft is gambling that they can maintain their stranglehold on the OS market while maintaining the appearance of being friendly to competition.
However it pans out, increased penetration of Linux for corporate desktops means increased visibility of Linux in the core user base. People like to use at home what they use at work. The more people are educated on the stability and user-friendlyness of modern Linux distributions, the better it will catch on.
Novell's agreement with Microsoft is a two-edged sword. It as all sorts of potential for abuse particularly with regard to patents and the like, but at the same time it will boost Linux awareness and get people to realize that Microsoft isn't the only option for their personal desktops. Which side of the sword will cut deeper remains to be seen.
Welcome to Microsoft GNU/Linux!
This is a major attack on the paradigm of GPL'd software... at it's roots. Ignore the GPL, don't even test it. Attack by discrediting the philosophy at it's core. Use this "smoke screen" agreement with Novell, and threaten and instill "fear" in the rest that don't sign up. Absorb then erase the competition from within. The CONVICTED MONOPOLY thrives!
It looks like Novell is at risk as a future "SCO like" casualty. Really, why did Novell REALLY do this? If an all out WWIII of patent war broke, Novell's stockpile may be in question. IBM and Red Hat have strong patent arsenals but really who would be stupid enough to initiate this holocaust? It would grind to a halt software evolution in this country as the lawyers suck up what Wall Street depends on. A rewrite of US patent law throwing software patents out would be the only solution to this insanity.
By staying globally united and behind free software, the GPL can survive, technology can thrive and the playing field is level with proprietary philosophies.
Yet somehow the BSD license looks stronger every day.
I do not see the connection
I do not see how this has anything favorable to say about BSD, and I believe it would require even less effort to undermine a BSD community given the lack of any enforced reciprocity that is found in copyleft licensing like the GNU GPL as well as lack of any patent retaliation clauses in BSD licensing. It does say that the GPL needs a stronger patent mutual protection clause, though. But I may be misundertanding your perspective.
Not an attack on the GPL
Yet somehow the BSD license looks stronger every day.
BSD-licensed software is not immune to patent attacks. The GPL does not increase exposure to this sort of shenanigans. In fact, there is nothing that would stop Microsoft (or anybody else, for that matter) from taking BSD code, taking it closed-source, and denying its use to anyone else by means of patents.
The GPL has a mutually-assured destruction clause that would invalidate the use of GPL code should someone try that tactic. So in one sense, the GPL is has stronger defenses than the BSD license.
Novell in bed with Microsoft
Upon hearing of the announcement that Novell had reached an agreement with Microsoft I immediately removed the Novell software SLED10 from my computer.
No Well
You have made right thing. I did the same. Nowell sues Linux.
It sounds dangerous for me
Great Post
Well thought out and written article. I loved the end too especially the part about:
"If Novell has violated the letter of the GPL as well as its spirit, those of us who maintain packages that are distributed today as part of SuSE/Novell GNU/Linux must exercise our option to issue cease and desist orders"
Hope Novell & Microsoft both get what they deserve. Also hope that the GPLv3 will be adopted since GPLv2 is vague on many details and there are more threats on software freedom now (the TiVoization of linux for example).
Microsoft != Legal
For Novell, hoping to become the "only" legally permitted GNU/Linux vendor, it actually means their GNU/Linux business will now go into decline . . .
This only assumes that Microsoft is the only company with valid patents, which is clearly untrue. That makes this whole thing even more bizarre. I can't imagine the original negotiations. Perhaps Microsoft strong-armed Novell to the table in the first place. Perhaps Novell approached Microsoft. I do not know, though I would like to know.
Microsoft does not have a lock on software patents, by a long way. There are many companies and individuals with patents that could conceivably target Linux or GNU software. Novell is only marginally "safer" than any other Linux choice. Considering Microsoft's past dealings (a history Novell has experienced first-hand), I would say they are perhaps less protected than they seem. This certainly doesn't increase Novell's legal standing with GNU/Linux, nor shield them from patent litigation. To claim otherwise is disingenuous.
In any case, I do not believe Microsoft will safely be able to attack GNU/Linux directly with patents. Instead, it looks as if they are taking the indirect route, and attacking GNU/Linux with patent threats.
That is what Microsoft was after, I believe. They needed a credible GNU/Linux company to act as a patsy, which gives them the ability to question the validity of other vendors.
This is what they learned from SCO: the assertions of impropriety are more effective than trying to prove impropriety.
This only assumes that Microsoft is the only company with valid
That is an interesting point, and yes I agree it does make the whole exercise seem even more bizzare. I can at least partially understand the narrower parts related to interoperability of specific things, although I completely disagree with their approach to that as well, but why would they willingly choose to be Microsoft's new SCO, that I do not understand. Maybe the financials of Microsoft's funny money payment to Novell over using Novell things when the SEC filings appear may make it clearer if it is all just about the size of the bribe. Maybe they also really have a much huger disconnect with the community and the likely response (never impossible to make really stupid moves with group-think) or really believe they were going to be able to drive other vendors out of the market. No possible explanation I can find speaks in any way well of their motives, and any of them speak volumes about why it is far better now to put down the rabid Novell dog.
Article is spot on
Article is spot on. Especially the part about Apple and Sun. The only consolation is that a company so generally hated cannot in the end survive in its present form.
Surely the point is to make "Linux" a company?
Microsoft's problem with GNU/Linux and free software in general has always been its decentralized nature. By using FUD to force Novell into a key position of control over Linux (at least in the commercial world), they can (or I should say "probably hope to") "make Linux a company". They expect this to work for them, because they already know how to subvert and defeat a company. IOW, it seems like the whole effort is designed to convert a problem they don't understand into one they do.
The fact that they seem to think this will work is very telling about the deep strategic misconceptions they still suffer from. This is not going to be pretty, but it may be about time for it to happen. In short, I expect that Microsoft will see its bluff called, and that will get interesting.
"They expect this to work
"They expect this to work for them, because they already know how to subvert and defeat a company."
Seems I recall something about a deal with Microsoft that nearly caused IBM to go under years ago.
They expect this to work
During the SCO affair, Novell claimed they still owned the Unix patents and rights. At that time Microsoft took out a Unix license from SCO. If Microsoft manage to aquire Novell, does this mean the whole SCO affair is on again?
No, Darl, it doesn't. Now, you and little Bobby Enderle go play in the backyard, and leave the adults alone.
SCO and it's mockery of a case against Linux is dead. It was braindead to begin with. With the evidence that has come to light *against* SCO's facetious claims, I'll be/am surprised if it actually makes it into a courtroom.
Just wondering ...
Do you guys have any idea if Miguel de Icaza was involved in this ?
And ... should we stay away from MONO, or should we continue using it ?
Common sense is telling me to stop using it because it is the one application with the best chances of infringing on Microsoft's patents, but on the other hand every complex application infringes on someone's patents, and if we stop using Mono it will be a short-term victory.
What do you think ?
It is claimed he and Nat Friedman were principally involved
I have seen that stated a number of places, and I gather in reference to something said in Miguel's interview on the matter, and some mention of this in the coverage on Groklaw as well. I do not have the links to reference offhand, though if you have some to share that substantiate that, it would be helpful to know.
weak Microsoft Office plugin for ODF
The weak / lame plugin is for MicroSoft Office to support ODF. Office has native support for Open XML.
Anyone for Mono ?
I think the real intent behind this is that Microsoft has finally come to the
conclusion that its aging, buggy, bloated, and generally broken software stack
is in dire need of a replacement, and the GNU/Linux Platform is the ideal choice.
Should they build it them selves, no, do as they always do,
let some half-witted sap do all the real work, (the FOSS Community via Novell),
acquire there assets and destroy there competition.
To successfully make the transition to a FOSS base they need to do it
carefully, especially with the release of Vista just around the corner,
why would there investors, and customers upgrade to another round of the lock-in,
if MS is going to Embrace the competition, no they will wait a couple more
years to officially make the jump.
In the mean time, they need to begin to take controll of one of the top 2
competing vendors, Red Hat, or Novell, RH wont do it, but Microsoft's Long time
lap dog, Novell always takes the bait, after all they have had several
"strategic partnerships" with Novell over the years, and everytime they screwed
Novell, Hard, and the fools at Novell just took the punches and came back for
more. Now there back again, and we already know whats going to happen,
apparently Ron Hovespan neglected to dig into his company's history of past
dealings with MS, and the o' so wonderfull results gained.
Now lets consider what MS Needs in a FOSS based Future OS,
Foremost is Complete 'backwards compatability' with there existing software,
and Solid Interoperability with there 'File Formats' and 'Filesystem's'
This is why there Indemnification is targeted at Samba (SMB/NMB/CIFS),
Active Directory + Novell's eDirectory, and .Net/Mono.
The .Net/Mono point is Very important, as the problems OpenSuSE 10.1 have had,
with there package/patch management tool relate directly to the next step,
enshuring that they have controll over the core set of the apps that define
the difference between distro's of GNU/Linux:
the "System Administration, and Configuration Infastructure".
Novell has been pushing very hard (and mostly behind the scenes, outside of the
OpenSuSE development team) to recreate the System Administration Toolchain
(SuSEConfig, YaST, and SaX) using Mono/.Net.
Mono, relies heavily on MS's IP, Proprietary .Net Specifications,
and Documentation as Mono is intended to be an (barely) OSS implamentation of
.Net, the capability to Port Mono apps too .Net is very easy, and by providing
More Internal details about the Proprietary API of .Net, they use one of
the often overlooked points of Contamination in software design and development
Proprietary Documentation of Specifications, Methods, and Procedures used in
the Source Code, then you get asked a question like this:
"Did you learn how to implement that feature by accident, or did you pull it
out of the documentation that was handed to you?"
And wasn't this one of SCO's main claims, that parts, or whole chunks of the
Linux Kernels code contained Proprietary Legacy System5 code, or what about
the thousands of other separate applications, libraries, and documentation
that constitute a standard GNU/Linux Distribution.
So MS can say "we wont come after you, for using our IP", the real point is
that they Want, and Need Mono developers to Use there Proprietary information.
Once Novell has Recreated its Administrative Toolchain w/ Mono,
and Microsoft has Contaminated the Novell/SuSE enviroment,
getting Novell to do the grunt work of porting, and developing the tools
needed to transition MS's customers to there future OS,
and destroyed the effectiveness of the other Distro's to Controll the Corporate
FOSS landscape.
Then they can take over Novell, rebrand SLES,SLED,OES as
Microsoft Linux, cut off what ever might be left to OpenSuSE,
and then the Legal war will begin, as MS will Own the Number 1 Linux Distro
for Corporate, Embeded, and Consumer Environments, and have an vested interrest
in gaining absolute controll over all of those separate pieces I mentioned
above, how many of those Individual, unpaid developers could withstand
a lawsuit from mighty Microsoft, when they make a claim that so and so coder
is doing something bad to a piece of Microsoft's Linux OS ?, very few.
They will have a little talk with them, something like this:
"we can settle out of court, just sign this NDA, and transfer the licence of
your code from that evil GPL, to our Shared Source Licence, or, we will sue you
for 10 Million dollars." then one by one everyone of them will cave in,
and of the few who don't, there apps can be Replaced entirely.
Microsoft has Embraced Linux with Novell,
Novell has agreed to Extend the OS for Microsoft,
Microsoft will Exterminate the competition.
Microsoft Wins, Everybody else Loses, Game Over.
You Anyone for Mono ?
you did hit nail. That is really what is going to happen.
Can I use your comments?
Anyone for Mono ?
I wanted write a few rebuttals to your points. IANAL, please beware.
"Mono, relies heavily on MS's IP, Proprietary .Net Specifications, and Documentation as Mono is intended to be an (barely) OSS implamentation of .Net, the capability to Port Mono apps too .Net is very easy, and by providing More Internal details about the Proprietary API of .Net, they use one of the often overlooked points of Contamination in software design and development Proprietary Documentation of Specifications, Methods, and Procedures used in the Source Code, then you get asked a question like this:
"Did you learn how to implement that feature by accident, or did you pull it out of the documentation that was handed to you?"
Worst case scenario, GPL'd Mono code has become contaminated with Microsoft (MS) IP. The developer would have to go to court, but all we, the rest/users/coders would have to do is take the source and strip the MS IP out and rewrite the code. Thus eliminating an issue for all of us. Or?
"Once Novell has Recreated its Administrative Toolchain w/ Mono, and Microsoft has Contaminated the Novell/SuSE enviroment, getting Novell to do the grunt work of porting, and developing the tools needed to transition MS's customers to there future OS, and destroyed the effectiveness of the other Distro's to Controll the Corporate FOSS landscape."
Again, with us having the source, how could MS control us, short- or long-term? It may make it tough(er) but I believe we have people on our side that are just as good and probably more highly motivated than MS.
"Then they can take over Novell, rebrand SLES,SLED,OES as
Microsoft Linux, cut off what ever might be left to OpenSuSE,
and then the Legal war will begin, as MS will Own the Number 1 Linux Distro
for Corporate, Embeded, and Consumer Environments, and have an vested interrest
in gaining absolute controll over all of those separate pieces I mentioned
above, how many of those Individual, unpaid developers could withstand
a lawsuit from mighty Microsoft, when they make a claim that so and so coder
is doing something bad to a piece of Microsoft's Linux OS ?, very few."
Again, fighting FOSS is a lot different than fighting another company. Even if a development team falls, nothing inhibits/prohibits a new group to form and start over/continue. If MS wants to isolate their version of Linux (I don't see entirely how they could do this, but lets say they succed) then they would, as is my belief, only hurt themselves.
"Microsoft has Embraced Linux with Novell,
Novell has agreed to Extend the OS for Microsoft,
Microsoft will Exterminate the competition."
FOSS, and Linux as a sub-set, is too big to chew off of for MS. My prediction would be that if they did this, they would only hurt themselves.
What I do think is going on here is that Microsoft is getting into the consulting business and needs to have a poster example of working with a major Linux vendor to point to in order to show customers that they "get" Linux now, finally.
Just my 2 cents.
You've got a point.
But there is still a Red Hat out there, alive and kicking.
Moreover, some 85% of all linux installations with paid support contract are RHEL ones. SUSE, whatever its merits, is an also run in the corporate world, and only the third most popular among hobbyists, easily beaten by Debian/Ubuntu/Knoppix and Fedora/CentOS.
What we can do is to try to influence Linus Torvalds; especially w/r/t his cooperation with Eben Moglen and his support for a meaningfull and strong GPL3.
In the meantime let's replace all and sundry SELs and SLEDs with Fedora, or Debian. Nothing helps Novell understand the economy better than a sudden lizardectomy. Can the Chameleon. LoSE the SuSE. Novell Tohell. Snuff openSUSE.
What needs to happen (IMHO)
This all boils down to patents and money, which seems obvious. Novell sunk a lot of their money into the SCO battle, and they are trying to recoup their losses (which anyone would do). I think two people have hit on the patent subject without actually saying it. So here goes my opinion.
1. Novell knows that if it came down to an Intellectual Property patent suit (between Linux and Unix), Linux wouldn't hold up. No, Linux isn't using copied Unix code, but IP-wise it's close enough that the courts would probably rule in Unix'es favor. That's why Novell asserted it's patent ownerships.
2. Microsoft could easily persuade Novell to enforce it's IP rights to Unix, seeing as how Novell actually has the patents. If this happens, then Linux is effectively dead in the water.
So, what needs to happen is this. Either portions (or all) of Unix need to be GPL'ed, or Novell and anyone else that holds patents for Unix (or at least the portions that Linux are derived from) need to make it publicly known that they will never enforce their patent rights against Linux. If there is a legal-binding patent agreement that can be signed (basically one that says that the holders of the Unix Patents will never enforce them on anyone involved in the Linux development or use), then it needs to be signed.
I really wish it was a perfect world. At least in my home, Linux and Windows coincide perfectly together. Neither one makes a fuss about the other, and they both know their purpose (and do their purpose quite well, actually). Now, it's just a matter of convincing the people who have power that they can coexist. Then, we'll probably see an end to this entire patent mess.
Imagine it this way. If corporations as a whole turn away from the Microsoft/Novell deal, and start backing other Linux distros, then Microsoft and Novell wouldn't have a solid leg to stand on. Yes, Novell may have the patents, and Microsoft may have the money, but if enough big corporations say "We're not going to pay you for this, when we can get it from xyz for free (or for the cost of minimal support)." and the corporations put their money behind xyz and the other companies (if a legal challenge comes up), it's a lot of money that's weighing against Microsoft/Novell. Maybe enough to run them under like SCO.
In all fairness and honesty, I should point out that I do use (and beta test) Microsoft products. For me, it's a question of making a product the best that it can be. It doesn't matter who's product, just the spirit of being involved in making it as good as possible. Although some of my reasons for using their products are going by the way-side.
What happened to gNewSense?
You know, in all of the huffing and puffing about the Novell/Microsoft deal, something was lost. What about gNewSense? Were they just mentioned to get their name out in the public eye? I, for one, would like to hear more about it. So, could we have a follow-up blog entry strictly about them, and what they're doing right?
That is true
Yes, I agree that they were largely lost in all the discussion of the Novell fallout. Even I only used them to contrast the vast difference that now exists because of the coincidental timing of their arrival with the self-destruction of SuSE, but I completely agree gNewSense is very worthy of a long and detailed blog all of it's own, along with some honest and extensive reviews, some parallel discussion of what makes a distro truly free as in freedom, and something about Ututo in comparison which is often overlooked, rather than simply saying "here is freedom, go get liberated". Maybe next week :).
The self-destruction of SuSE
It's not SuSE who has self-destructed, it is Novell who have (potentially) destroyed SuSE by taking them over and exposing them to Microsoft's predatory actions. It seems likely that Novell got into this position because they were running out of money. Whether SuSE would be able to survive on their own is not clear to me, but the value of their own products alone, rather than being allied to the failing NetWare, should have made them more likely to survive. I am now going to Kubuntu.
Patents not a problem in my country
You all think this is going to have a lot of repercussions. Well, that might happen in the US. But what about the countries that do not share your patent system? Do you think China or Europe is going to stop developing or using Linux if Microsoft sues?
The problem is in your IP system.
Patents not a problem in my country
I think the problem is with your patent system. You think China or Europe are going to stop using or developing Linux because of the software patent threat?
Keep dreaming Microsoft! Americans are doomed if they don't change the patent system.
Your packages in SUSE
what are your plans for the packages you wrote that are in SUSE?
re: Your packages in SUSE
If, as it appears, that they have generally violated section 7, then we will send them a cease and desist notice from further distribution. But I would imagine that if this is clearly the case we would not be alone in doing so. We are also reviewing other options.
Does GPL v 3, has anything against this?
I would like to know!! Does GPL v 3 has any sort of clause to stop such a thing.. And if not, can it be added.. Someone send this to RMS ;)
Life is not about solutions to problem, its about living the problem.
re: Does GPL v 3, has anything against this?
First, both RMS and Eben are well aware of the issue. The GPLv3 does have some extra patent retaliation language which some vendors (hmm, including Novell) had been lobbying strongly against. I imagine it will be revised as needed. My packages are all GPLv2 or later, so we will migrate to GPLv3 as soon as it is ratified.
Sadly GnuSense isn't really the answer...
I'm no fan of M$ at all, but GnuSense and other "Totally Free" distros I've tried have proven to be totally unsuitable for a typical desktop. Lets take a moment and think about what people use their computers for. I use mine for Playing 3d games like Quake, Downloading, Riping, Playing and Burning my music (MP3 Files in nearly every case) Watching Videos on YouTube, Google Video and News sites. Ripping my DVDS and watching them on my HTPC system, Reading documents my boss sends me (PDF) and so forth.
For any "Free" Distro to be actually useable in the real world for real people they MUST find a way to support 3d from ATI and NVIDIA, MP3, iTunes, All the regular Video formats typically found on the Web, and PDF and Office documents.
Surely there is a way for an OS to be free of lawsuit and patent unpleasentness and yet be able to do the things that people really use their computers for.
You have missed the point of Free Software
You are choosing commodity and safety over freedom ... the same thing americans are doing now by accepting all the shit that the Bush administration is feeding them.
The answer is to fight companies that do not want to give you freedom.
The answer is to force ATI and NVidia to release open-source drivers.
The answer is to advocate for open-standards, to make the world know that by using open standards, like OGG or ODF, nobody is getting left out.
The only reason you have the luxury of choosing commodity is because of stupid eggheads that fight for freedom.
But just try to imagine a world where you have to pay for the very air you're breathing.
Because companies and administrations that give you safety and commodity, but not freedom ... want to take you in precisely that direction.
So, be careful what you wish for, because someday it might happen ;)
PS: some of use really value freedom and the self-empowerment that come with it.
take their versions
I'm probably being simplistic here but if this agreement covers openSUSE and all the code in the repositories can still be taken under GPL. Surely if you take it from there repositories then patch so it is all the same as yours again you have in effect taken on board the negotiated protections of the deal?
If that cannot be done it must surely indicate a license violation because they have changed the terms with which they took the software in order to use it.
An increase in suicide rates
I took the decision to be free and stop using MS 3 weeks ago only. It took me around 1 day to get used to the GUI in Linux, another week or so to execute few commands on the Shell, & I'm currently spending my free time to learn BASH Scripting. Despite being used to MS Windows since the first Ver. 3.0, I've found it easy to switch to GNU/Linux.
Novell & MS would make it easier to MS Windows users to get used to the GNU/Linux environment & thus to spread the knowledge of Linux, and to trigger the curiosity of using or even just trying the other free distributions of GNU/Linux. Switching to other OS and leaving MS Windows behind will never become easy without the Novell MS agreement.
SUSE was the poisoned pill for MS. In my opinion, this agreement will kill MS & the real GNU/Linux revolution is yet to begin.
Regards, & happy GNUing
MONO is the backdoor
MS can essentially support Novell to the hilt and thereby annihilate Red Hat because Red Hat uses Gnome which is connnected To Mono.
They n they ensure that SUSE is not as "good" as Vista by limiting MONO or plating to its weaknesses and the Linux community is gone.
Die Novell Die
As I've been saying everywhere ... it's those two brats from Ximian (who call themselves "Novell" these days) who are at the helm. They, not RedHat, are *truly* "The Microsoft Of Linux." They've been playing the Microsoft-style "Not Invented Here" game for years, deliberately balkanizing the free software community with divisive projects like GNOME and Mono. They've pulled that particular stunt at least half a dozen other times as well, each time preventing an existing killer app from becoming ubiquitous. Now they're pulling out all the stops, and showing exactly where their loyalty is. I personally think that they are still indirectly on the Microsoft payroll somehow ... follow the money trail and you'll probably discover kickbacks of some sort.
As free software enthusiasts and defenders of the revolution, we all know what to do. It is time to boycott Ximian (who call themselves "Novell" these days) entirely. Here's hoping that Red Hat is correct, and these traitors are out of business (or at least irrelevant) by this time next year.
I've generally agreed with your excellent articles but this time you are wrong.
I've used SuSE since 8.1. As far as distros go SuSE was the best. Install and everything just works and works well. SuSE made life easier than any other OS.
However, as much as I liked SuSE, after I watched the webcast I instantly understood the implications. I eradicated SuSE from my server and desktop boxes and removed my paid-for SLED from my laptop immediately.
This is not about MS aquiring their own Linux distro nor is it about helping customers. Microsoft's expansion in the enterprise is limited by the growing adoption of enterprise Linux. Namely Red Hat. Novell hopes to gain at Red Hat's expense and they may realize some short-term gains but MS wants something else. MS wants to expand in the enterprise at the expense of Linux in general. They also want to prevent any potential growth of desktop Linux.
The FUD created by the "patent covenant" will do alot of the job. But with Red Hat now offering indemnification MS may have no choice but to sue a couple of Linux companies. Novell has pushed risky Mono code throughout Gnome which is a part of most distros. Mono seems to be the focus of the "patent covenant".(it is assumed because we don't know what is involved in the patent agreement) The community doesn't have the financial resources to win a fight against MS in court. The result will be one choice. Novell Lnux. When this agreement expires all bets are off.
Where is IBM? Sun?
All of this becomes a non-issue if an IBM or Sun pledges to use their patent portfolios to defend Linux/FOSS in case of an MS attack. What would these companies stand to gain from the "death" of Linux? Possibly rejuvenated sales involving AIX and Solaris? Sure MS would gain but there are plenty of enterprises who would still need if not prefer a "nix" even if that means unix.
By entering into this agreement Novell has legitimized the MS claims of infringing IP and provided a golden opportunity for MS to spread FUD against the entire community. For this reason and for the sake of Linux/FOSS it is incumbent on the community to reject Novell in order to reject the "IP" infringement assertions and send a strong message that we will not be intimidated and we will fight back. It would also serve as a powerful warning to others that the community won't stand for betrayal.
This MS/Novell deal is far more dangerous than SCO ever was and by continuing to use SuSE you SJVN are enabling the comming attack on the software you claim to love.
New name for Microsoft
New name for Microsoft
"The company who must not be named"
Not out of fear but out of disgust.
Bye the way I am not Anonymous coward
My name is "Ashish Yadav"
Linux kernel
Maybe I'm being simplistic as well, but since Linus Torvalds GPL'd the kernel that every Linux distribution uses, how can SUSE (or any other distribution, for that matter) sell their product as proprietary without releasing the source code freely, as described by the GPL?
Quoted from Linus Torvalds himself, "The Linux kernel is under the GPL version 2. Not anything else. Some individual files are licenceable under v3, but not the kernel in general." (http://lkml.org/lkml/2006/1/25/273) Also, I found this in the GPLv2 interesting:
"7. If, as a consequence of a court judgment or allegation of patent infringement or for any other reason (not limited to patent issues), conditions are imposed on you (whether by court order, agreement or otherwise) that contradict the conditions of this License, they do not excuse you from the conditions of this License. If you cannot distribute so as to satisfy simultaneously your obligations under this License and any other pertinent obligations, then as a consequence you may not distribute the Program at all. For example, if a patent license would not permit royalty-free redistribution of the Program by all those who receive copies directly or indirectly through you, then the only way you could satisfy both it and this License would be to refrain entirely from distribution of the Program." (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html)
Basically, I agree with most of what I have read so far. Microsoft has come to terms that Linux is not just for hobbyists anymore. What angers me and most of the people I know is that Microsoft has to buy out everything and everybody so it can be theirs and theirs alone. If they tried working with the Linux community on its terms (meaning no money is involved and no threats of suing people who do contribute programs and code freely and willingly under the GPL) the world would be a much better place. Just an example of what money is capable of and the driving force behind it. Thanks to this, I will always use Linux now. No more dual booting. Go Red Hat! Go Ubuntu!
What's the way to fight back??
It seems the only way to fight back is, to stop using Mono and Novel altogether. Now i dont have proper knowledge about the licensing issues and dont know whether the following is possible:
Ask the Software Contributers for Mono to Fork the Project and free the fork from all the patent infringing code. Put a clause against such tie-up in GPL v3 and put the fork under GPL3+. It seems like a logical solution (dont know whether its practically possible).
Hope this episode pursues, Linus Torvalds, and all GNU/Linux developers to upgrade their licenses to GPL3.
Life is not about solutions to problem, its about living the problem.
Stay and support Debian.
The core and the kernel.
The environment is complete.
Support Ubuntu.
We are going to be a target.
An evolutionary persepctive.
In America anybody can sue for anything and it is often used not only by corporations but also by individuals as a means of intimidation and even survival. Look at all the "Judge n" shows on television. Those are cultural/psychological "memes" (to use Dawkins' term) that have been passed on to the current generation of minds. The marketplace is the environment in which natural selection actually takes place and the animals in this environment mostly possess the aforementioned "memes" and they want to live. This kind of action is par for the course. Novell it seems has evolved into being symbiotically parasitic on the "beast from Redmond". It has taken 25 years for Stallman's "meme" to spread to the point that it is now and this occured in a more hostile environment than we have now. We will no doubt see new forms of life spawned by his "meme" but it has proven itself quite resilient in a very short period of time and in my view is unstoppable in the long run.