By Ross McGuinness (Metro UK) Instead of just worrying about what might happen to their material possessions after they die, more and more people are taking steps to protect the belongings they store online.

The emergence of cloud computing — storing your information on a network of remote servers on the internet as opposed to a local server — means images, songs, movies, email logins, social networking details and online bank accounts are part of a new digital property.

And, like any property, people are starting to include them in their wills. Eleven per cent of Britons say they have  included, or plan to include, their internet passwords in their wills.

‘Control what is publicly available online during your lifetime – don’t wait for your executors or anyone else to sort your public profile out after death,’ said Sarah Needham, media and data protection lawyer at law firm Taylor Wessing.

She warned digital assets could be used ‘in an inappropriate and unexpected way’ if they were not looked after.

via What happens to your online life after you die? | Metro.co.uk.

 March 13, 2012  Posted by at 6:13 am No Responses »
 

(Modern Language Association) Begin the entry in the works-cited list with the author’s real name and, in parentheses, user name, if both are known and they differ. If only the user name is known, give it alone.

Next provide the entire text of the tweet in quotation marks, without changing the capitalization. Conclude the entry with the date and time of the message and the medium of publication (Tweet). For example:

Athar, Sohaib (ReallyVirtual). “Helicopter hovering above Abbottabad at 1AM (is a rare event).” 1 May 2011, 3:58 p.m. Tweet.

via How do I cite a tweet?.

 March 4, 2012  Posted by at 6:13 am No Responses »
 

By Mike Masnick (TechDirt) Charlie Savage of the NY Times filed a Freedom of Information Act request to find out the federal government’s interpretation of its own law… and had it refused. According to the federal government, its own interpretation of the law is classified. What sort of democracy are we living in when the government can refuse to even say how it’s interpreting its own law? That’s not democracy at all.

You can bet that the feds will do everything they can to get out of this lawsuit, just as they did with the various lawsuits concerning warrantless wiretapping. Here’s hoping the court systems don’t let them. No matter what you think of this administration (or the last one) and how it’s handling the threat of terrorism, I’m curious how anyone can make the argument that the US government should not reveal how it interprets the very laws under which it’s required to operate.

via NYTimes Sues The Federal Government For Refusing To Reveal Its Secret Interpretation Of The PATRIOT Act | Techdirt.

 October 11, 2011  Posted by at 7:40 am No Responses »
 

By Walter Brasch (Spectrum) In case you’re in a funk because you think the reason you didn’t receive an invitation to the royal wedding is because the Brits are still ticked off about that silly little skirmish back in 1776, the American media have a solution for you.

The media had been pumping out news, features, and gossip about the wedding for more than three months. Almost every radio, TV, and cable network, except for maybe the Cartoon Channel, will be covering the wedding on Friday. All. Day. Long.

Coverage begins at 3 a.m. EDT (8 a.m., British Standard Time) and finally ends before the bars close. In addition to extensive live coverage of the procession and wedding itself, ABC, CBS, and NBC are devoting five hours in evening prime time to reviews of the wedding.

WE TV has four one-hour documentaries: “Prince William,” “Kate: The New Diana?”, “Will + Kate Forever,” and “William & Kate: Wedding of the Century.” Apparently, the cable network that brands itself as “the women’s network devoted to the wild ride of relationships during life’s defining moments,” believes there won’t be a royal divorce, and that the marriages of Charles and Diana (which did end in divorce), Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier, Elizabeth II and Philip, and Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson in the 20th century were only preliminaries. Lifetime, which bills itself as the cable network that “celebrates, entertains and supports women,” has several one-hour documentaries, including “A Tale of Two Princesses,” “William and Kate: A Love Story,” and “Kate’s Gown of Renown.” The network is also cablecasting two two-hour docudramas, “Prince William” and “William & Kate.”

If you don’t have access to a TV set, You Tube is transmitting the events live to computers and every handheld device known to technology. Add in all the newspaper and magazine coverage—look for multi-page photo spreads in all major entertainment magazines in the next week—plus a million or so blogs, and there’s no reason why anyone shouldn’t know important details, including how many canapés were ordered for the after-wedding reception.

Americans have always had a fascination with royalty. Although we organized a revolution to overthrow a monarchy, and created a president not a king as head of State, we have spent more than two centuries trying to regain a royal image.

Our fast food restaurants are called Burger King and Dairy Queen.

Somewhere at any moment during the year, American girls (infants through senior citizens) are practicing their wave so they can become a beauty queen. Schools have prom queens and homecoming queens, each with their court of princesses. Every college football bowl game parade has a Miss Something and her Court. And, every winner wears a tiara.

The media and the public dub almost every new celebrity singer a “pop princess.” Just about any young ice skating star is known as an “ice princess,” but the media in 1989 derogatorily dubbed Deborah Norville an “ice princess” when she took over for popular Jane Pauley on NBC-TV’s “Today Show.”

Princess Cruises has the “Love Boat,” but there was no love lost when Donald Trump sold his 282-foot Trump Princess for about $40 million in 1991 after he, mistress Marla, and wife Ivana had formed a Ménage a Tabloid.

Among googobs of literary and movie princesses have been Cinderella, Snow White, and Leia who helped Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and that giant furry thing make the world safe for high-tech special effects. And, of course, there’s the Lion King that made the Disney company rich enough to devour all other media companies, and take on the corporate shape of Jabba the Hut.

The greatest baron, pursued by ace aviator Snoopy, was the Red Baron. However, for some reason the media prefer to use the title “baron” to refer to evil “kingpins”–as in “drug baron,” “robber baron” and, understandably, “media baron.”

The music industry abounds with royalty. Bessie Smith was the Empress of the Blues; Roger Miller was King of the Road. Among other kings are those of Ragtime (Scott Joplin), Blues (W.C. Handy), Swing (Benny Goodman), Waltz (composer Richard Strauss or bandleader Wayne King), Pop (Michael Jackson), and, of course, Elvis, the king of rock and roll. One of the best singers was Nat “King” Cole.

Aretha Franklin is the Queen of Soul. Rap singer Queen Latifah may think she’s royalty, but British rock group Queen truly has a better shot at sitting in Buckingham Palace than she does.

Among singing princes are the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, who doesn’t do much singing or rapping any more, and Prince Rogers Nelson, who became known simply as Prince, and then the singer-with-the-unpronounceable symbol, who later regained a pronounceable moniker, and has the ability to predict purple rain.

The most famous duke is the “Duke, Duke, Duke of Earl, Earl, Earl, Duke of Earl” who proved in the late 1950s that anyone can grow up and write song lyrics.

Other less royal dukes have been baseball great Duke Snider and musical genius Duke Ellington who, had he gone to baseball games, would have had to sit in segregated seating in most ball parks. Sitting with him would be the Dukes of Dixieland. Upset there are no more segregated “colored” seats, drinking fountains, and rest rooms is David Duke who once cornered the market on pointy white hats and dull-witted Whites.

Babe Ruth was the Sultan of Swat. But no royal monikers were attached to Roger Maris who broke Ruth’s single season record or to Hank Aaron, who broke Ruth’s lifetime record, and had to put up with numerous racist comments. So far, no one has given royal titles to Barry Bonds, the current leader in single season homeruns, lifetime homeruns, and steroid usage accusations.

Nevertheless, the only royalty that matters are the Counts–Tolstoy, Dracula, and Basie.

[Walter Brasch is an award-winning journalist. His next book is Before the First Snow, a look at America’s counter-culture and the nation’s conflicts between oil-based and "clean" nuclear energy. The book is available at amazon.com]

 

 

 

 April 26, 2011  Posted by at 5:02 am No Responses »
 

By Mona Charen (Creators.com) You have to be living in a dream world not to face the other reality of co-ed wrestling: It puts the boy at a disadvantage.

Not only is any well brought up young man going to hesitate to use his full strength against a young lady, he is also going to have to be so, so careful about where he touches her. The genital areas of both sexes are off limits, obviously. But girls also have breasts. So the boys have to be very careful not to grab the girl in such a way as might cause his hands to touch her breasts if she moves in an unexpected direction. One finger slip and the wrestler becomes a sexual harasser, no? The girl, by contrast, can push and shove and grab the upper body of her opponent without impediment.

Supporters of co-ed wrestling insist that sex is the last thing on the kids’ minds when they’re in the arena, which is almost certainly false. These are, after all, teenagers.

via Should Boys Be Wrestling Girls? by Mona Charen on Creators.com – A Syndicate Of Talent.

 March 1, 2011  Posted by at 10:39 am No Responses »
 

(travel4press.com) Flying to 30 destinations around the world, Virgin Atlantic’s six million passengers all have their own individual demands and requests. Following a recent survey of over 3,000 of our cabin crew, Virgin Atlantic has compiled a selection of the strangest, most unusual requests received over the years. The survey revealed that the requests heard most frequently by the crew are “please can you open the window?” and “can you show me to the showers?” but the survey also revealed a few more unique examples.

1) Please can I have a cup of tea and book a massage for my Barbie doll?

2) Can you take my children to the playroom?

3) Please could you fix my hair?

4) I have dropped my glass eye, please could you help me find it?

5) Could you turn the engines down because they are too noisy?

6) Is there a McDonald’s onboard?

7) Please can the captain stop the turbulence?

Caroline Lynam, customer relations manager at Virgin Atlantic commented: “Virgin Atlantic crew will always go that extra mile to offer our customers the best possible service but there are some requests that even we find somewhat challenging!

One request which really shows the lengths our crew are prepared to go to was when a very famous celebrity pressed her call bell and asked the crew member to “fix her hair”. The crew member agreed to this slightly unusual request and headed back to the galley where the other crew members rallied round and provided him with a hair brush, comb and small can of hairspray. Off he went back to Mrs XXX armed with his array of hairdressing equipment where upon she roared with laughter and explained by saying ‘could he fix the AIR!’ and she pointed overhead. He quickly turned on the air vent and crept back to the galley sheepishly.

Virgin Atlantic flies to 30 destinations worldwide including New York, Boston, Washington DC, Miami, San Francisco & Los Angeles, Delhi, Shanghai, Tokyo, Dubai, Lagos and Nairobi as well as many Caribbean destinations.

To book a flight with Virgin Atlantic, log onto www.virginatlantic.com or call 0844 20 92 770

 February 1, 2011  Posted by at 9:13 am No Responses »
 

(travel4press.com) Flying to 30 destinations around the world, Virgin Atlantic’s six million passengers all have their own individual demands and requests. Following a recent survey of over 3,000 of our cabin crew, Virgin Atlantic has compiled a selection of the strangest, most unusual requests received over the years. The survey revealed that the requests heard most frequently by the crew are “please can you open the window?” and “can you show me to the showers?” but the survey also revealed a few more unique examples.

1) Please can I have a cup of tea and book a massage for my Barbie doll?

2) Can you take my children to the playroom?

3) Please could you fix my hair?

4) I have dropped my glass eye, please could you help me find it?

5) Could you turn the engines down because they are too noisy?

6) Is there a McDonald’s onboard?

7) Please can the captain stop the turbulence?

Caroline Lynam, customer relations manager at Virgin Atlantic commented: “Virgin Atlantic crew will always go that extra mile to offer our customers the best possible service but there are some requests that even we find somewhat challenging!

One request which really shows the lengths our crew are prepared to go to was when a very famous celebrity pressed her call bell and asked the crew member to “fix her hair”. The crew member agreed to this slightly unusual request and headed back to the galley where the other crew members rallied round and provided him with a hair brush, comb and small can of hairspray. Off he went back to Mrs XXX armed with his array of hairdressing equipment where upon she roared with laughter and explained by saying ‘could he fix the AIR!’ and she pointed overhead. He quickly turned on the air vent and crept back to the galley sheepishly.

Virgin Atlantic flies to 30 destinations worldwide including New York, Boston, Washington DC, Miami, San Francisco & Los Angeles, Delhi, Shanghai, Tokyo, Dubai, Lagos and Nairobi as well as many Caribbean destinations.

To book a flight with Virgin Atlantic, log onto www.virginatlantic.com or call 0844 20 92 770

 February 1, 2011  Posted by at 9:13 am No Responses »
 

"He trusts God to keep him safe," says RP2 Chute. "And I'm here just in case that doesn't work out."

By Michael M. Phillips (WSJ) SANGIN, Afghanistan — Navy Chaplain Terry Moran is steeped in the Bible and believes all of it. His assistant, Religious Programs Specialist 2nd Class Philip Chute, is steeped in the Bible and having none of it.

Together they roam this town in Taliban country, comforting the grunts while crossing swords with each other over everything from the power of angels to the wisdom of standing in clear view of enemy snipers. Lt. Moran, 48 years old, preaches about divine protection while 25-year-old RP2 Chute covers the chaplain’s back and wishes he were more attentive to the dangers of the here and now.

“He trusts God to keep him safe,” says RP2 Chute. “And I’m here just in case that doesn’t work out.”

Army chaplains represent 130 religions and denominations, including Catholicism, Judaism, Islam and Buddhism. The military says it’s common for assistants to be of different faiths from the chaplains they support, or of no faith at all.

“They don’t have to be religious,” says retired Navy Capt. Randy Cash, who served 30 years in the Chaplain Corps and now is its historian. “They have to be able to shoot straight.”

Read the rest: This Chaplain Is Protected By God—and by an Atheist–at War – WSJ.com.

 September 7, 2010  Posted by at 9:07 am No Responses »
 

"He trusts God to keep him safe," says RP2 Chute. "And I'm here just in case that doesn't work out."

By Michael M. Phillips (WSJ) SANGIN, Afghanistan — Navy Chaplain Terry Moran is steeped in the Bible and believes all of it. His assistant, Religious Programs Specialist 2nd Class Philip Chute, is steeped in the Bible and having none of it.

Together they roam this town in Taliban country, comforting the grunts while crossing swords with each other over everything from the power of angels to the wisdom of standing in clear view of enemy snipers. Lt. Moran, 48 years old, preaches about divine protection while 25-year-old RP2 Chute covers the chaplain’s back and wishes he were more attentive to the dangers of the here and now.

“He trusts God to keep him safe,” says RP2 Chute. “And I’m here just in case that doesn’t work out.”

Army chaplains represent 130 religions and denominations, including Catholicism, Judaism, Islam and Buddhism. The military says it’s common for assistants to be of different faiths from the chaplains they support, or of no faith at all.

“They don’t have to be religious,” says retired Navy Capt. Randy Cash, who served 30 years in the Chaplain Corps and now is its historian. “They have to be able to shoot straight.”

Read the rest: This Chaplain Is Protected By God—and by an Atheist–at War – WSJ.com.

 September 7, 2010  Posted by at 9:07 am No Responses »
 

By Elizabeth Weise (USA Today) Last week in a series of morning TV interviews, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret Hamburg told consumers that they should reject over-easy eggs and avoid “runny egg yolks for mopping up with toast.”

Carol Tucker-Foreman, an assistant secretary of agriculture under President Carter who’s worked on food policy at Consumer Federation of America for decades, asks:

“Should egg cartons be required to carry a message that says ‘Warning — to protect your health and the health of those in your household, you should assume that these eggs are contaminated with Salmonella Enteriditis and must be handled carefully in order to avoid possible illness?’ ”

At IHOP, all egg dishes that can come undercooked are marked with an asterisk. A note at the bottom of the menu says “Notice: items marked with an * may be cooked to order. Consuming raw or undercooked meat or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness.” At Denny’s the wording is “Eggs served over easy, poached sunnyside up or soft boiled may be undercooked and will only be served upon the consumers’ request.”

via Egg industry resorts to blaming the victim in recall, critics say – USATODAY.com.

 August 29, 2010  Posted by at 7:30 am No Responses »