Yearly Archives: 2003

George Bounces Caterpillar

This entry was posted in Culture Law Libertarianism Trademark Law on by

Last week Modulator commented on Caterpillar’s attempt to block Disney from releasing George of the Jungle 2. Today a federal judge ruled against Caterpillar:

The judge said there is no sign Disney sought to “somehow poach or free ride” on Caterpillar’s trademarks to drive up sales of the movie, one of the standards for trademark infringement.
McDade also disputed Caterpillar’s argument that use of its name and logo will make viewers think the company is somehow supporting the movie. He called use of well-known trademarks a “common phenomenon” in films and television.
…..
Along with infringement, Caterpillar alleged that its trademark is diluted by the movie, which describes the equipment as “deleterious dozers” and “maniacal machinery” during a climactic final battle.
McDade countered that “it is clear to even the most credulous viewer” that the bulldozers are operated by humans and are merely inanimate implements of the villains’ “environmentally unfriendly schemes.”

It would have been much less expensive for Caterpillar to have just asked Modulator.

Canadian Big Brother

This entry was posted in Privacy on by

My response to this plan by a bunch of Vancouver, BC., nightclubs would be to vote with my money and go elsewhere:

Bar patrons in Vancouver will soon have to swipe their drivers’ licences and have their photographs taken every time they enter a club or bar that is a Barwatch member.

A lot of these places probably have security cameras already so a good part of the privacy issue may be moot.
And, I’m not arguing that these establishments should not be able to do this. As private businesses they can set the terms under which they will operate.
I am not interested in having my personal information residing in the hands of a bunch of bar owners that I have no reason to trust, whose internal security is suspect and who might share this information with 3rd parties without my approval.
Oh yea, remember to use cash instead of debit/credit cards as often as possible. No point filling anyone’s database with information about yourself or in giving the banking industry a cut of your transaction.
Via Arguing with signposts…

Epistaxis Treatment

This entry was posted in Health Care on by

Apparently, in 1881, only men got nosebleeds:

Keep the patient erect or sitting, with his head thrown a little backwards, take off his cravat, unbutton his shirt collar, and expose him freely to the cold air; apply ice or cold vinegar and water to the back of his neck.

Hey, and if there is too much blood just reduce the pressure:

If the pulse be full, bleed him from the arm.

But more entertaining is this part of the treatment:

If these are not sufficient, moisten a plug of linen or cotton with brandy, roll it in powdered alum. and screw it up the nostril. A piece of catgut may also be passed through the nostril into the throat, drawn out at the mouth, and a bit of sponge be fastened to it and drawn back again, so as to make the sponge block up the posterior nostril. In doing this it is necessary to leave a piece of the catgut so as to be got hold of, in order to withdraw the sponge.

Actually, there is a lot of interesting material in this 1881 Household Cyclopedia and lest we laugh too much just remember what folks 120 years from now will be thinking about material from early 21st century encyclopedias.
Via Circadian Shift.

Buying the News

This entry was posted in Journalism on by

Bad Culture found this at the Washington Post:

But no, Mr. Land’s station is pioneering the latest descent into pay-for-play journalism: It’s selling segments on its “Today”-style morning program. For $2,500 you can buy four to six minutes of what is in fact an infomercial — though only the most eagle-eyed viewers would be able to figure that out. No mention of payment is made during the segment; the only reference is a small-type, four-second display during the closing credits.

This would be no big deal if these segments were obviously commercials but they aren’t and hopefully their ratings will soon reflect lie.

w saves a buck

This entry was posted in bush Federal Government Iraq War on Terrorism on by

Apparently revervists called to active duty should not expect to get the same level of medical treatment as active duty personnel. They may not even get treated at all.
But, they will get all expenses paid living quarters:

Most soldiers in medical hold at Fort Stewart stay in rows of rectangular, gray, single-story cinder block barracks without bathrooms or air conditioning. They are dark and sweltering in the southern Georgia heat and humidity. Around 60 soldiers cram in the bunk beds in each barrack.
Soldiers make their way by walking or using crutches through the sandy dirt to a communal bathroom, where they have propped office partitions between otherwise open toilets for privacy. A row of leaky sinks sits on an opposite wall. The latrine smells of urine and is full of bugs, because many windows have no screens. Showering is in a communal, cinder block room. Soldiers say they have to buy their own toilet paper.

I do hope this story is proven wrong.
Via The Agonist.