First Looks category archive

I don’t know whether this is true, but there’s a reason I use T-Mobile. Verizon users, check your inbox and let me know.

From TechDirt

Jeff A. writes to let us know that Verizon Wireless is trying to change its policy on what it can do with your calling record info. Basically, it sounds like they want to start selling it to marketers, so they had to change their terms of service. What they did was send customers a letter telling them they had 30 days to call and opt-out of this new plan to hand over your calling records, or you’d have automatically accepted their changed terms of service and Verizon Wireless could hand over the info to advertisers.

Via Geek News Central.

Addendum, 10/17/2007:

From the New York Times. Follow the link for the full story:

Brian Ashby, associate general counsel for Verizon, said the company was seeking to share that information only among Verizon divisions, so it can better sell new products to existing customers. In the mailing, Verizon gave customers 30 days to “opt out” if they did not want their information shared.

But analysts and consumer advocates suggest the company may also be interested in gathering information as it prepares to tailor the advertising it displays on cellphone screens, based on individual customer habits and attributes. Mobile advertising is an untapped source of revenue among mobile phone companies looking to expand their businesses.

Oh, my.

The ridiculous is related to the sublime.

When I lived in Narberth, I used to ride this damned road all the time.

I have recently won a dispute with the IRS over a tax deduction.

I knew going in that it was iffy–and, no, I shan’t go into the details.

But I can say this: Throughout, they conducted themselves courteously and in a businesslike manner. Their only goal seemed to be determining the facts.

It is a good thing that Gonzo was not Commissioner of the IRS, or I would have likely been toast.

Tomorrow, 6-9 p. m., Tangier Restaurant, 18th and Lombard, Center City, Philadelphia. Just behind Jeff.

Preceded by a rally for SCHIP in Rittenhouse Square:

“Ring Around Rittenhouse”
Vigil for Children’s Health Care
Rittenhouse Square, 1800 Walnut St., Philadelphia
Tuesday, October 16th
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

From Sunday’s Washington Post (emphasis added):

Those vested in the system will try to persuade you to ignore this cycle (described in the beginning of the article–ed.), to pass off an obvious pattern as mere anomalies. At the hearings, the owner of a private firm, outside the chain of command, oddly described his company as somehow being “part of our nation’s total force.” Then State Department officials claimed that they had no choice but to outsource security tasks to Blackwater, rather than admit that they had preferred not to make choices that carried political costs. These are the denials of enablers, pushers and addicts.

The blunt truth is that while contractors are carrying out valuable roles, their overall effect has been to undermine the Iraq mission and the wider fight against terrorism. Worst of all, we have outsourced the most important core function of our government: to fight and win the nation’s wars.

I’ve said it before: Hiring mercenaries whose loyalty is to whoever signs their paycheck, rather than to the United States of America, is probably not a good idea.

Words fail me.

And these folks dare to call themselves Americans.

Furrfu.

Via Atrios.

ASZ.

The sad thing is, it’s all too believable about that bunch of clowns.

Frankly, it ain’t that great:

A Florida man who deliberately defied an Orlando ordinance which prohibits feeding the city’s homeless will become the first person to face trial for the offence when he’s hauled before a judge and jury.

According to wftv.com, 22-year-old Eric Montanez was in April this year caught on video camera providing nourishment to a group of the less fortunate in Lake Eola Park in contravention of the ban on “mass feeding in one area”. He was duly cuffed for his trouble.

Neither, for that matter, is Orlando.

Tangier Restaurant, 18th and Lombard, Center City Philadelphia.

The hamburgers won honorable mention at the the Inky, but I like the Fish and Chips.

This is another edition of What Digby Said.

Balloon Juice.

I saw the story, but didn’t take the time to blog about it.

ASZ does it justice.

It’s a Republican tune.

When played on the toes.

Phillybits.

Yeah, I know it’s an oxymoron.

In this post, I linked to a post by Phillybits about an American soldier’s wife who faces deportation because, by God, she got married.

Check out the follow-up, in which Phillybits discusses the reaction he’s gotten from red-blooded American bigots commenters.

Now it’s time for the Maalox.

What Tristero said.

Via Atrios.

I’m not going to try to summarize.

Just go read it.

And think, think seriously, about why some folks, like the Mark Krikorian quoted in the post, are so full of hate.

Of course, Joe Biden, who actually is a fairly decent–and extremely smart–guy, has this problem of engaging his mouth before putting his brain in gear, leading to some of the memorable gaffes in modern American politics.

Hoof-in-mouth disease apparently extends to his staff, also.

Complicated by an inability to diagram a simple sentence.

Recreation here.

ASZ.