KickIdle.com Blog

I hope this makes sense if translated into English, but given some of the other products of Japanese culture, I doubt it would.

Hollings has also adopted the industry’s basic stance, that copying is primarily about piracy and only rarely about honest fair use, at one point calling the Internet “a haven for thievery.”

Yes, that’s right, this whole Internet thing is just an excuse to steal stuff. Ironically, here I am creating content for free* while the RIAA rips off consumers and music artists at the same time. Hollings, by the way, isn’t the president of the RIAA or a lawyer for Metallica, he’s a US Senator from South Carolina. What the hell does South Carolina care about the RIAA, you ask? Good question. I can tell you why Senator Hollings cares though. The entertainment industry was the second largest contributor to his 1998 campaign; lawyers being the only ones to give more. (As a matter of fact, only two other Senators got more from the entertainment industry — and they were from NY and CA.)
Enron doesn’t manage to buy enough influence, and it’s headlines for weeks. The RIAA has their own Senatorial Lapdog, and no one seems to notice. As mad as that makes me, I can’t say I’m suprised.
[*] Well, it actually costs me, since I’m paying for hosting.

Well, it’s a shame Blogger‘s perma-links are screwed right now — I can’t link directly to the Sarge‘s latest post. But look at this page, under March 2, 2002, for the title “We might as well use them for something”.
Update: Looks like Blogger’s working ok after all. Either that or Blogger Pro didn’t have a problem today. Here’s the direct link.

There’s nothing harder than saving money when you don’t really want to. It’s only made harder by the fact that the government likes to tax our savings. Fortunately, we have IRAs, 401(k)s, and 403(b)s to help us avoid taxes when saving for retirement. But another big expense most people face is college tuition (not to mention books, room & board, and beer money) for their children. There’s the Education IRA, which allowed you to save $500 a year towards a child’s education (now up to $2000 a year, thanks to new tax laws). But $500 a year isn’t much, especially considering that many people are only saving for 10 years or less before their child is enrolled and the bills start arriving.
There’s another option, which I just happened into today — the 529 plan. 529 plans are like a 401(k) for college expenses. They grow tax-deferred until withdrawn, and are then taxed at the rate of the student (typically the lowest bracket). Because these are state plans, you can get excellent tax advantages at the state and local level, as well as the advantages on federal taxes. Other advantages include having a much larger contribution ceiling (over $100,000 in some states) and asset allocation plans that allow you to mitigate some investment risks. You can even create 529 accounts for children you’re not directly related to — or yourself, if you plan on returning to school someday. Another benefit is that you can have rebates on purchases deposited directly into a 529 account through Upromise.
As with any investment decision, you should review all the available information carefully before opening a 529 account. I found a CNN/Money article, a Motley Fool article, and the SavingForCollege website during my brief research.

I’ve just discovered The Note, a summary of political news from ABC News. It’s a concise review of the current stories and actors in the US scene, updated daily, and includes a calendar of upcoming events. While I’m not one to trust some of their editorializing, this is far more convenient than gleaning everything out of a huge collection of stories.

While I’ll occasionally take these online “What …. are you?” polls, I don’t normally post the results. But this one is just too amusing. Those of you who know my tastes in firearms will no doubt agree.

Which Firearm are you? brought to you byStan Ryker

I was kinda hoping for the H&K G11, but this actually seems more appropriate.