Apparently the MiMail Worm is also targeting Disney Sites. Now I REALLY hope that guy falls off a cliff… or gets hit by a bus…. or gets hit by a bus at the bottom of a cliff … or maybe a really fast train. Whichever.
Via Slashdot:
Last night a high-speed magnetically levitated Japanese train set a new record of 581 kph, topping its own record set just last month. The new Maglev high speed had real passengers on board this time. They proved that the distance between Osaka and Tokyo can be covered in one hour’s time. However, we wouldn’t see real trains for a while now since the cost is prohibitively expensive at this time. They expect that the cost would come down over the next 20 years. This seems to be the future of transportation, at least in Japan. Here is a detailed article from The Japan Times.
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Celebrity Atheists
While surfing the Random Website Generator I found a site dedicated to maintaining a list of Celebrity Atheists. This article by Steve Benson is very interesting and I liked that it lead me to his article: Good-bye to God (Editorial Cartoonist’s Journey From Jesus to Journalism—and Beyond).
Anti-spam organizations have become the target of a new Internet worm that tries to knock their sites offline using denial-of-service attacks. The worm/virus comes as an attachment to an e-mail purporting to be from a woman named Wendy who details an erotic encounter and then offers naked photographs.
Clicking the attachment triggers the virus which then sends itself to other email addresses stored in the infected computer and then allows a massive amount of data to at a later time to the Anti-Spam site. The flood of useless data renders their services unavailable.
If there is one thing that I hate worse than regular spam, it’s email spam. And if there is one thing that I hate worse than email spam, it’s email spam that’s actually a worm / virus. I hope the guy that wrote this virus gets hit by a bus, or falls off a cliff – whichever I’m not picky.
Attorney Johnnie Cochran Jr., best known for his work in OJ Simpson’s murder trial, stated last month that he is swearing off criminal law. It was announced today that his newest client is Winnie the Pooh — actually the heirs of the Stephen Slesinger. They allege that Disney owes them millions of dollars because they miscalculated royalties due from the sales of Pooh dolls, books and other merchandise for years. The lawsuit has been going on for the last 12 years, and the Slesinger’s have changed attorneys several times in that time.
Pati Slesinger stated, “We are honored to have Mr. Cochran […] on our team.” Stephen Slesinger, Pati’s father, acquired the rights to Pooh from British author A.A. Milne in 1930 and expanded them in a 1932 agreement.
Update: A legal opinion on the case was delivered December 21, 2012.
In 1930, A.A. Milne transferred to Slesinger exclusive merchandising and other rights to Winnie-the-Pooh works in the U.S. and Canada. In 1961, Slesinger exclusively “assigned, granted, and set over to” Disney the rights in the 1930 agreement. A 1983 agreement sought to resolve the parties’ disputes, but Slesinger contends it retained rights in the works, while Disney maintains Slesinger assigned all rights. In 1991, before the present litigation, Slesinger sued in state court, alleging breach of the 1983 agreement. Slesinger acknowledged that the 1983 agreement “regranted, licensed and assigned all rights” to Disney. The action was ultimately dismissed. The dispute continued in federal court. The district court dismissed, noting that the parties’ actions indicated the rights were transferred to Disney in the 1983 agreement. Between 1983 and 2006, Disney registered at least 15 trademarks. In 2004, Disney registered copyrights in 45 works and renewed copyright registrations for another 14. Slesinger did not attempt to perfect or register trademarks or copyrights before asserting its federal claims and never objected to Disney’s registrations until 2006, when the state court dismissed its claims and Slesinger attempted to cancel Disney’s applications and marks. The Federal Circuit affirmed the Board’s dismissal, citing estoppel.
Special-effects guru Mark Hurt design and built a scale replica of Disney’s Haunted Mansion. He lives in the home, which he explains, “will always be a work in progress”. He even has his own home-brew audio-animatronics and a ghost that appears in his bathroom mirror.
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Blogging in China a Dangerous Game
China released the “Stainless Steel Mouse” and two other Internet essayists who were detained a year ago for criticizing the government. Stainless Steel Mouse, (the moniker used by Liu Di) is a 23 year old college student in Beijing whose arrest on subversion charges had attracted international attention.
Although the Chinese authorities said she’d be charged with crimes relating to ‘illegal organizations’, no arrest documents were ever issued. Nor was she allowed visits from her family.
CNN Reports that at least a dozen other dissidents who have posted “anti-government” articles on the Web remain incarcerated.
After reading this it really makes me realize how we really do have it good in North America.
MiceAge.com shares Walt’s nephew, Roy Disney’s, resignation letter. Roy blames Michael Eisner’s poor leadership and relates point by point reasons how Michael Eisner has failed:
- The failure to bring back ABC Prime Time from the ratings abyss it has been in for years and your inability to program successfully the ABC Family Channel. Both of these failures have had, and I believe will continue to have, significant adverse impact on shareholder value.
- Your consistent micro-management of everyone around you with the resulting loss of morale throughout the Company.
- The timidity of your investments in our theme park business. At Disney’s California Adventure, Paris and now in Hong Kong, you have tried to build parks “on the cheap” and they show it and the attendance figures reflect it.
- The perception by all of our stakeholders — consumers, investors, employees, distributors and suppliers — that the company is rapacious, soul-less, and always looking for the “quick buck” rather than long-term value which is leading to a loss of public trust.
- The creative brain drain of the last several years, which is real and continuing, and damages our Company with the loss of every talented employee.
- Your failure to establish and build constructive relationships with creative partners, especially Pixar, Miramax, and the cable companies distributing our products.
- Your consistent refusal to establish a clear succession plan.
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New Media Project
I am finished one of my two new media flash assignments. Anna-Maria said of all the flash stuff she has seen me make she liked it the best – that was before it even had sound! However, don’t get your hopes too high, it’s cool but not my best ever.
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Ten More Days!
I’m heading down to Utah in aproximately 10 more days, then after some great fun and partying it’s off to California for more great fun and partying! I’m really excited.
Anna-Maria, it looks like, won’t be leaving for Utah until Sunday. I wish she were still here, but alas, such is life.