It's been good to know ya...

(ALERT: To foil a nasty 'bot that inserts links to advertizing into my text without my knowledge or permission, where you see the letters "x" in front of a word please ignore it. If the links are still there they're not mine, and please ignore them. They're just ads. The ad-placement service has a web site with an "opt out" procedure if you don't want them messing with your content, but it doesn't actually xwork. Damn them to hell.)

I haven't done anything with this blog for years. And I'm not really doing anything now. I just wanted to post a brief message saying why...but, unfortunately, there's no way to briefly tell you all the crap I've had to xdeal with in the last few years. But I'll give you a reason, since you deserve one.

The 'net is a much different place these days. The utility of a blog like this one is diminished by the all-pervading Facebook, where anyone and everyone can post links to their heart's content in a manner much like I was trying to do with this blog.

And I'll give you another. I don't spend enough time on-line anymore to surf news sites, commentary sites, and whateverthehellelse sites to collect interesting tidbits for your consumption.

My main blog at http://thebluesvikingonline.blogspot.com/ is still there, and I do still post to it from time to time, so feel xfree to stop by.

Thanks for listening.

The Blues Viking
These thoughts are mine. Get your own.

Ex-aides say Bush never recovered from Katrina (Associated Press)

Bush never recovered from Katrina? Bush? What is this, a sick joke? -BV

December 29, 2008

"Hurricane Katrina not only pulverized the Gulf Coast in 2005, it knocked the bully pulpit out from under President George W. Bush, according to two former advisers who spoke candidly about the political impact of the government's poor handling of the natural disaster."

Read the entire article in the Associated Press at Yahoo!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081230/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_advisers_speak_out;_ylt=AldWJkGgCt27uqUelre8Ckys0NUE

Virginity Pledge Doesn’t Stop Teen Sex (WebMD)

And in the "Does This Actually Surprise Anyone?" Department... -BV

Dec. 29, 2008

"Teenagers who take virginity pledges are no less sexually active than other teens, according to a new study. But the results, published in the journal Pediatrics, suggest that virginity pledgers are less likely to protect themselves against pregnancy or disease when they do have sex."

Read the entire article at WebMD
http://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20081229/virginity-pledge-doesnt-stop-teen-sex

Judge Delays Ruling on Blocking Release of ‘Watchmen’ Film (New York Times)

If, like me, you've been eagerly awaiting the release of The Watchmen, it looks like you may have to wait a while longer than expected. Like forever. -BV

Published: December 29, 2008

"A federal judge, having ruled last week that 20th Century Fox has distribution rights to 'Watchmen,' an eagerly anticipated superhero movie shot by Warner Brothers, said he was inclined to decide after a hearing scheduled for Jan. 20 whether the release of the film should be blocked"

Read the entire article at the New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/30/business/media/30watchmen.html

Senate recount stalls on rejected ballots (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)

The Neverending Recount -BV

Last update: December 29, 2008 - 3:34 PM

"With a Minnesota Supreme Court-imposed deadline approaching and sniping among lawyers increasing, the U.S. Senate recount stalled today as the campaigns for Sen. Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken remained far apart on an agreement for improperly rejected absentee ballots."

Read the entire article at the Minneapolis Star-Tribune
http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/senate/36833124.html?elr=KArks7PYDiaK7DUvDE7aL_V_BD77:DiiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU

Microsoft Seeks Pay-As-You-Go Computing Patent (InformationWeek)

That cold chill at the base of your spine turns out to be Microsoft trying to grab your credit cards. Again. Under this model, they would own the software...on your computer (and you might not even own the computer). You would only rent it. Am I the only one frightened of Microsoft having my credit card number? -BV

While such patent applications do not always lead to products, they do give some inkling as to what Microsoft is considering.
December 29, 2008 07:03 PM

"Microsoft has applied for a patent on a pay-as-you-go computing model that would charge people only for the hardware, software, and services used...The application is for a method of operating a computer that present to the user a catalog of options with a price associated with each...The charge for operating the computer could be a fixed rate for a specific time period, a onetime charge, or an hourly rate..."

Read the entire article at InformationWeek
http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/web2.0/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212700131&subSection=E-Business

Managing nonprofits in an “age of hope” (Reuters)

December 29th, 2008

Prof. James Post, an authority on corporate governance, teaches “Strategies for Nonprofits” at the Boston University School of Management. The views expressed are his own.

"I am inclined to think the Bernard Madoff affair has blown the lid off the financial madness of this decade. We have been living in an age of fraud, and now must rethink the way we do business. As John Kennedy once appealed to the nation’s better angels to call us into public service, Barack Obama’s inaugural address should instruct us on our obligation to serve the greater good. It’s not just a moral concept; it’s good business. I offer a corollary as well: Without good business, how far will a moral concept take you?"

Read the entire commentary at Reuters
http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2008/12/29/managing-nonprofits-in-an-age-of-hope/