Once again, it’s the middle of an extra-short week already. The week before Thanksgiving always seems busy to me. Partly that’s because I usually spend some time on Thanksgiving weekend banging out the annual holiday letter and getting the Christmas cards ready to go. Partly it’s because there’s at least one dinner on the schedule. But it’s been five years since I flew out of town for Thanksgiving, and I was really hoping I’d be able to do it again this year. Sadly, all the cheap overseas flights were full by the time I got my passport back this year, so I’m staying at home.
That’s just as well, I guess. There’s a lot to be done around here, and I start a new job on Monday, the enormity of which is just starting to really sink in. My schedule’s going to see some pretty darned big changes next week, and I’m torn between trying to get everything in order around home (which I already know is a lost cause) and just relaxing and enjoying the last few days of freedom.
- Warren hits again with a short gripe about how government is Criminalizing Everything and that takes a lot of the fun out of running a small business. I’m not going to say that it’s the only reason I’ve taken a full-time job with another company, but it fits nicely with my new-hire packet which tells me that I’m working for a company which specializes in
1099 Risk Management
(I start as a contractor, and will be an employee of a contract firm). I’m not positive, but I suspect it’s probably easier to start a new small-business in China now than it is here in the US. [coyote blog] - Ooh. Here’s a good letter to the Congress-critters from a citizen [who] questions loss of freedoms at home, while we’re busy
making the world safe for democracy.
It’s a damn fine letter. [tcf] - Here’s comes more bad juju for Sony: EFF Files Class Action Lawsuit Against Sony BMG and Texas sues Sony BMG for spyware violations. Couldn’t happen to a nicer company.
- Ted Stevens is finally admitting it was A Bridge Too Far and has removed the earmark for $320 million of funding for the Gravina Island bridge. It’s not much of a victory, though; the money’s still going to Alaska, just for other road projects (which were presumably already funded in the transportation bill). I just hope people keep the porkbusting in mind come the 2006 elections. [instapundit]
- Minneapolis will be allowing More turns on red. There are currently about 500 signs in Minneapolis telling you you’re not allowed to make a right turn on red, and they’ve decided to do a systematic review of them, and only keep the ones that actually improve safety. The vast majority will be going away. Cool. [metro mpls]
- In some more somewhat good news, Senators Threaten to Hold Up Patriot Act. They’re not actually improving anything, though. They’re just holding things up until the House puts back a few minor protections the Senate had added which were removed in the conference committee. Again, this isn’t really any sort of victory, just a less brutal defeat, but I’m taking hope wherever I can find it. [kirsten]
- Bruce Schneier talks about Surveillance and Oversight of the FBI, which is directly related to the renewal of USA-PATRIOT. [schneier]