cyrus imapd crash

WARNING, EXTREMELY BORING TECHNICAL STUFF BELOW. READ ON YOUR OWN PERIL.

This post is mainly for system administrators out there needing information on how to fix a cyrus imapd index/header corruption. I think my MS Outlook messed up the cyrus index headers for my e-mail account when I accidentally clicked 'Undo Delete' on a message that was already deleted and purged from the INBOX.

Since then, on my Outlook, it would give me this error: "Failed to update headers." I wasn't able to delete or purge messages from my INBOX. I was able to do normal functions on my TRASH folder.

LOG ERRORS FROM /var/log/maillog

Mar 29 19:29:20 c2000 imap[21893]: open: user email@email.com opened INBOX
Mar 29 19:29:21 c2000 master[25621]: process 21893 exited, signaled to death by 11
Mar 29 19:29:21 c2000 master[25621]: service imap pid 21893 in BUSY state: terminated abnormally

Also got these...

Mar 29 19:57:54 c2000 last message repeated 2 times
Mar 29 19:57:55 c2000 imap[22490]: SQUAT failed to open index file
Mar 30 19:57:55 c000 imap[22490]: SQUAT failed

HOW I FIXED IT WITH WEBMAIL
1. I went to my webmail and I was able to access all of my messages. I use SquirrelMail. I moved all of my messages and moved it into the TRASH folder, which I knew was not corrupted.

2. I accessed it with my MS Outlook and all my INBOX messages were gone (as expected). I sent two test messages to myself and it showed up. I then deleted those two messages and purged it and the action was successful. That means I didn't get the error messages anymore.

3. I went ahead and moved back my messages from my TRASH folder into the INBOX. Mission success!

HOW I FIXED IT WITHOUT WEBMAIL
1. If you don't have webmail/SquirrelMail, you could also manually do this by going to your mail folder and manually moving messages. My mail folder was: /var/spool/imap/domain/e/email.com/d/user/don

2. I created a /backup folder.

3. I moved all of my messages to the /backup folder. The messages are usually named as 5 digit numbers. I saw most of my messages numbered as 4xxxx so I just 'mv 4* /backup'.

4. I went back to MS Outlook and accessed my INBOX and I was able to without any errors.

ADDITIONAL NOTES
This solution worked for me and I'm blogging about it just in case it happens again -- at least I know what to do. If it still gives you problem, please refer to the manual or go to online discussion boards and ask some admins.

Sugar powered cars

Over the past few days, scientists and engineers around the world have been celebrating over a potentially new energy source. What is it? Sprite.

Okay, well not only Sprite, but anything that has liquid sugar. According to news reports, within 5 years, we'll start seeing batteries and other devices using sugar as their portable power source.

This could also be applied to the lithium batteries that we use now in hybrids, we could replace the lithium batteries with sugar-powered batteries.

Here's the cool part, the waste product of sugar batteries is plain old water. Where in the world did these scientists get this idea from? Simple, from the human body. Our ability to use sugar and convert it into energy gave them an idea -- what if we can do that with electric circuits? Funded by the Department of Defense, chemists at St. Louis University pulled it off.

Why should you care?
1. Laptops that can run 12 hours.
2. iPods that can run 2 weeks.
3. Automobiles rechargable with sugar power source, more money in your pocket.
4. Keeps the environment clean, less dependency on fossil fuels.
5. Since the batteries are biodegradable, it doesn't end up in a landfill.

If I had my way...
1. Replace hybrid cars' lithium batteries and replace it with sugar-powered batteries. Put in two types of tanks, one for gas and one to recharge the battery through any type of liquid sugar. Car gets instantly recharged.

2. NASA's Mars Mission -- use sugar powered batteries to run internal power in future spacecrafts. Sugar batteries create water as a waste, water can be run through plants that produce fruits, and the cycle restarts.

Potential problems
I like sweets. I may eat or drink the fuel source (ie: Sprite) before its even used.

More reading...:
Science Daily
Live Science

Source: Technology News

Researchers at St. Louis University in Missouri on Sunday announced the development of a fuel cell battery powered by liquid sugar at the American Chemistry Society's 233rd national meeting.

Using nearly anything from natural substances such as tree sap to man-made beverages including soda, the new technology could potentially operate three to four times longer on a single charge than conventional lithium ion batteries, scientists said.

"This study shows that renewable fuels can be directly employed in batteries at room temperature to lead to more energy-efficient battery technology than metal-based approaches," Shelly Minteer, an electrochemist and the study's leader, told TechNewsWorld. "It demonstrates that by bridging biology and chemistry, we can build a better battery that's also cleaner for the environment."

The benefit for consumers could be substantially longer talk and playback time for cell phones and digital media devices such as the iPod, according to researchers.

As the technology is biodegradable, the batteries have a one-up on lithium ion in environmental impact.
Sugar High

One of the major problems with batteries is that they are not very efficient, Minteer told TechNewsWorld. The consequence for consumers is that they spend a lot of time recharging their batteries.

Using sugar to generate energy is not new. In fact, all living things convert sugar into energy in one way or another, Minteer explained. The challenge, however, was to create a way to harness the energy-dense power of sugar to produce electricity efficiently.

"What my group did was we looked at the fact that when humans, animals or any living cell consumes sugar or carbohydrates, the body is extremely efficient at converting the simple energy from that fuel into the energy to you need to go out and about and do everything we do every day - - energy to grow, to run a marathon," she said.

Similar to other fuel cells, the Saint Louis University researchers' sugar batteries contain enzymes that convert the sugar into electricity. Minteer has successfully run batteries on glucose, flat sodas, sweetened drink mixes and tree sap.

However, tests conducted using carbonated beverages failed, Minteer noted, as carbonation seems to weaken the fuel cell. In the case of sugar fuel, the simplest approach is best. Ordinary table sugar (sucrose) dissolved in water came out on top in test results.

"We took that process that happens in the body and we mimicked it on an electric circuit," Minteer said. "We just made a much more efficient battery."

After all of the energy has been discharged, the battery keeps on giving. Not only are the batteries biodegradable, but, according to Minteer, the battery's main byproduct is water. While lithium ion batteries contain no toxic metals, they do include cobalt, copper, nickel and iron. In the U.S., roughly 2 billion batteries make their way into municipal landfills and incinerators.
Convenient Recharging

If the research continues to show promise as the technology is tested and refined, Minteer said that it could be ready for commercial manufacturing within three to five years.

Funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, the batteries are of particular interest to the military to charge portable electronic equipment on the battlefield and in emergency situations when access to electricity is limited. Devices could be instantly recharged, Minteer stated, by adding any convenient sugar source. One example of possible use includes remote sensors for detecting biological and chemical weapons.

Consumers could see the battery first used as a portable recharger for cell phones akin to similar other quick recharge products already on the market that enable users to instantly recharge their mobile phones on the fly. The recharges would ideally consist of special cartridges pre-filled with a sugar solution, which could be replaced when they are used up.

Eventually, Minteer said, the sugar battery could replace traditional batteries depending on that battery's function.

"Whether it replaces every battery is probably going to be a function of what the needs of that battery are," she explained. "If you have a little disposal battery in your remote control, those batteries -- though there are some environmental implications -- are really cheap and work really good. So we're not trying to replace that type of battery.

"We are trying to replace the rechargeable batteries -- those that tend to be a little more expensive and have more environmental hazards, etc.," she continued.

Long-term goals include developing a battery for laptops and other similarly-sized devices. Other avenues of research include modifying the battery's performance for varying environmental conditions, such as high temperatures and extending the life of the battery.

E coli outbreak in Sept 06: What caused the problem?

The FDA, yesterday, released their report on possible reasons for the E coli outbreak in September 2006, killing at least two people and sickened hundreds of others. Though the report is inconclusive, they gave plausible explanations.

“One of the key findings from this investigation is that very clearly the problem is multifaceted,” said Dr. David Acheson, chief medical officer for the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the F.D.A.

The E. coli 0157:H7 bacteria found on four California ranches not long after the outbreak could have spread to leafy greens in a number of ways, officials said. Contaminated irrigation water, uncomposted manure used as fertilizer, the presence of wildlife and livestock and the hygiene of the workers handling the crops all might have served to transport the bacteria, they said.

For more information on the report, check out this New York Times article.

Thoughts
It's disturbing that in this day in age, the country's ability to check for basic contamination such as E. coli is inadequate. This particular incident was accidental, but one can only imagine what would happen if there were more sinister attempts to disrupt our food supply. Food is one of man's basic needs; hence, it should be one of our highest priorities to protect our food supplies, ranches, and farms.

This is especially important when year after year, farms are being consolidated and our foods are being distributed from centralized facilities, which increases the likelihood of other crops being contaminated.

Start asking questions:
1. What's the best, economical method of protecting against future outbreaks?
2. Is there new technology that allows us to detect contiminated foods in the supply chain?
3. What procedures can the FDA take that will protect both consumers and the bottom line of farmers that have razor-thin margins?

Francois Bovon sinks Cameron and Simcha's Lost Tomb of Jesus ship

Francois Bovon, Scholar Used To Translate Mary Magdalene Disagrees With Documentary

In a stunning public letter to the Society of Biblical Literature, Francois Bovon, the main source for Simcha Jacobovici's claim that Mariamne was Mary Magdalene, calls the documentary's conclusions as science fiction.

His letter is as follows:

"As I was interviewed for the Discovery Channel's program The Lost Tomb of Jesus, I would like to express my opinion here.

First, I have now seen the program and am not convinced of its main thesis. When I was questioned by Simcha Jacobovici and his team the questions were directed toward the Acts of Philip and the role of Mariamne in this text. I was not informed of the whole program and the orientation of the script.

Second, having watched the film, in listening to it, I hear two voices, a kind of double discours. On one hand there is the wish to open a scholarly discussion; on the other there is the wish to push a personal agenda. I must say that the reconstructions of Jesus' marriage with Mary Magdalene and the birth of a child belong for me to science fiction.

Third, to be more credible, the program should deal with the very ancient tradition of the Holy Sepulcher, since the emperor Constantine in the fourth century C.E. built this monument on the spot at which the emperor Hadrian in the second century C.E. erected the forum of Aelia Capitolina and built on it a temple to Aphrodite at the place where Jesus' tomb was venerated.

Fourth, I do not believe that Mariamne is the real name of Mary of Magdalene. Mariamne is, besides Maria or Mariam, a possible Greek equivalent, attested by Josephus, Origen, and the Acts of Philip, for the Semitic Myriam.

Fifth, the Mariamne of the Acts of Philip is part of the apostolic team with Philip and Bartholomew; she teaches and baptizes. In the beginning, her faith is stronger than Philip's faith. This portrayal of Mariamne fits very well with the portrayal of Mary of Magdala in the Manichean Psalms, the Gospel of Mary, and Pistis Sophia. My interest is not historical, but on the level of literary traditions. I have suggested this identification in 1984 already in an article of New Testament Studies."

François Bovon, Harvard Divinity School

My wife hid my soda

Today's poetic rant:

People have their vices, mine seems to be Sprite. I don't drink and I don't smoke, I don't do drugs, but yet I drink Sprite. There's nothing wrong with drinking carbonated sugar water with lemon lime taste that satisfies your thirst, no not at all, but if you drink it too much, then yes, there's a problem. I drink it while I'm on the boat fishing, I drink it if I'm going out to eat, I drink it during business meetings, and heaven forbid during prayer meetings. Yes, it's a habit that my wife recognized. "Babe you're going to get diabetes", she said. But I ignored her warnings. "Babe you're going to get fat", but I didn't care. Then she's done the unthinkable. She hid my soda. So here I am today unable to find my Sprite. And she went out, leaving her cell phone at home...forgetfulness or conspiracy?

How credible is the Lost Tomb of Jesus?

When you look at documentaries, you have to look at the source. When you ask the director's main objective, what his response to critics are, you'll quickly learn what his priorities and motivations were.

Weight loss surgery may cause memory loss

Just in! News reports state weight loss surgery may cause memory loss. I personally know three employees in the past that went through this type of operation (2 females, 1 male) and have not seen any memory problems with their job performance; however, it is still something to consider if you think you'll need to lose weight in this manner versus the traditional way of not eating too much and exercising.

Memory loss fear over obesity ops
Obese woman
Frequent vomiting after surgery can lead to the syndrome
Weight loss surgery could lead to a condition which can result in memory loss, according to US research.

The syndrome - Wernicke encephalopathy - affects the nervous system and brain, and can lead to confusion and the inability to co-ordinate movement.

The study, published in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology, says the syndrome is caused by a lack of vitamin B1, or thiamine.

Frequent vomiting after surgery can lead to the syndrome, the study found.


Clearly we need to note this report... but I don't think it should lead to a knee-jerk rejection
Dr Colin Waine, National Obesity Forum

The researchers identified 32 cases of Wernicke encephalopathy after obesity surgery, 27 involving women.

The report says it is not clear if the condition is more common in women, or if there were more cases in women because 75% of obesity surgery patients are female.

Dr Colin Waine, of the National Obesity Forum, urged against avoidance of weight loss surgery, for those most in need.

"Clearly we need to note this report and we must be aware of it but I don't think it should lead to a knee-jerk rejection," he said.

"The results of weight loss surgery can be very good.

"Some people are so at risk that they are going to die from other causes without surgery.

"The risk of encephalopathy is probably much less than the risk they are facing from obesity."

'Outlook usually good'

The syndrome was found to occur within one to three months of weight loss surgery, such as gastric bypass surgery, although one case occurred 18 months after surgery.

Study author Sonal Singh, of Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina, urged those who had undergone weight loss surgery to take their prescribed vitamin supplements and be alert for symptoms such as vomiting, confusion, visual changes and lack of co-ordination.

"When people who have had weight loss surgery start experiencing any of these symptoms, they need to see a doctor right away," he said.

"If treated promptly, the outlook is usually good."

For treatment, patients are given vitamin B1 through an IV or injection.

Of the 32 people in the study, 13 made a full recovery, though others continued to have problems such as memory loss.

Singh said more studies are needed to determine how often the syndrome occurs after weight loss surgery.

One of Lost Tomb of Jesus' holes: The Tenth Ossuary

There's been a lot of media hype regarding The Lost Tomb of Jesus. Personally, I have reserved my comments and limited it to scholars, archaeologists, and forensic experts for now until my book is published. However, after seeing the debate on the Discovery Channel, I found out something disturbing, and I feel I must share this with my readers.

You see, Dr. James Tabor and Simcha Jacobovici assume that the tenth missing bone box in the Talpiot tomb is James, the brother of Jesus. From this, they can make huge statistical assumptions.

But here's the problem...
1. On June 18, 2003, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) in a unanimous decision the 15-member committee, condemned the 'James ossuary' as a modern forgery.
2. While #1 is a problem, this is even a greater problem. There is a picture of the James ossuary dated 1976. The Talpiot tomb, where they found 10 ossuaries, was opened in 1980.
3. In fact, Amos Kloner, one of the three original archaeologists that supervised the dig site, stated the tenth ossuary found in 1980 was blank, it had no inscription on it:

"Due to a lack of storage space, only nine of the 10 ossuaries found in the tomb in 1980 were held by the Israel Antiquities Authority after they were examined and documented, said Kloner. But the tenth one that was discarded did not have any inscription, he said."

OUCH! This is significantly damaging. Yet Dr. Tabor and Simcha Jacobovici claimed in the Discovery Channel debate that one of Israel's most experienced archaeologists, Dr. Kloner, must have missed the inscriptions because there were some dirt on it! Extremely unlikely -- that's the first thing they would check. Even if a remote chance of that were true, how can you explain the James ossuary photo made in 1976 when the Talpiot tomb was uncovered in 1980?

Why Dr. Tabor and Mr. Simcha Jacobovici do you continue to support that the James ossuary is legit? Please, for the sake of your reputation, do not continue to make it part of your hypothesis. Please remove this from your blog, which the world is now mocking you on:

3. One other new bit of data related to the Talpiot tomb are the patina tests carried out by Rosenfeld and others that indicate that the James ossuary, acquired by Oded Golan, and made public in 2002, came from this particular Talpiot tomb. This data is summarized in the Discovery documentary as well as the book, The Jesus Family by Jacobovici and Pellegrino. Originally in 1980 there were ten ossuaries recovered from this tomb but one went missing early on. If the James ossuary is this missing 10th from this tomb, and I do believe there is some good evidence to support that possibility, adding an ossuary inscribed names “James son of Joseph,” or “James son of Joseph brother of Jesus,” (if the full inscription is authentic as I believe it to be) to the cluster, the statistics change dramatically toward an identification of this tomb with Jesus of Nazareth.

I have sent this letter to Dr. Tabor and Simcha Jacobovici. I hope one of you respond.

Iran's president says nuclear program is like a train without brakes...Iranians remind him trains like that crash and burn

He's at it again! On Monday, Iranian President Ahmadinejad said his country's nuclear program is like a train without brakes. He told a group of clerics that Iran's nuclear ambitions were unstoppable. "The train of the Iranian nation is without brakes and a rear gear ... We dismantled the reverse gear and brakes of the train and threw them away some time ago," he said.

Reaction
Not only is he getting criticized around the world for his comments but he is also getting some rare criticisms across the political spectrum in Iran. Here are just some Iranian thoughts on the matter:

Etemad-e-Melli, National Confidence, "Why are you speaking a language that causes a person to be ashamed? A train's brakes are needed to reach its destination safely. You represent the voters of the great Iranian nation. Speak equal to the name and dignity of this nation."

Resalat chided "neither weakness nor unnecessarily offensive language is acceptable in foreign policy. Our foreign policy must reflect the ancient Iranian civilization and rich Islamic culture of the Iranian nation. Therefore, delicacy ... rich diplomatic language and non-primitive policies must be part of a calculated combination to work"

A train without brakes...

Hopefully, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei can control his bull dog; otherwise, the Iranian people might do it for him.

CBS shows North Iraq -- the diamond in the rough

Tonight on 60 Minutes, I saw an update on North Iraq. The Kurds, ethnically different from Arabs but are still Muslims are enjoying an economic boom! Because they are not killing themselves like Southern Iraq is doing, the Kurds have commercial infrastructures, universities, and other modern day luxuries popping up throughout their side of the country.

This is the "dream" of what we want in Southern Iraq, but it maybe sometime before Southern Iraq will ever be that way. Despite we have strong U.S. presence in Southern Iraq, deep-seated hatred is still hurting the dream of a unified Iraq.

But at least we see a ray of hope with the Kurds. On evening prayers at their Muslim mosques, they don't say words of hatred towards the United States, but rather praise of the liberation that they received after years of turmoil and genocide by the Arabs.

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin broke the law, federal court finds

Mayor Ray Nagin, the supposed 'hero' of the New Orleans disaster has been found in contempt of court. Federal court records shows that he has been hiding/refusing to reveal records of who ordered the confiscation of legal firearms.

Instead of allowing citizens to defend themselves against gangsters during the Katrina disaster, Nagin sent an edict to act against civil liberties by removing legitimate guns from citizens. So the only ones armed in the city were...CRIMINALS.

No wonder New Orleans is now hailed as the Murder Capital of the country. You have armed criminals, a distraught police force, and citizens who have no weapons to defend themselves because their mayor doesn't respect the Constitution.

Resign Nagin. Your office is a shame.

Congress spends 1.4 million dollars arguing about non-binding Iraq resolution

I'm sure you've heard about it by now.

The United States House of Representatives spent over 40 hours arguing about a non-binding Iraq resolution of how they disagree with President's Bush decision to secure Baghdad and protect American troops and civilians.

Democrats, along with 17 Republicans, passed the resolution to show that they do not like securing Baghdad or protecting American troops. As you may know, after winning the Nov 2006 congressional elections, Democrats have promised to "change course" on Iraq from winning to running away. And they state this is just one of their first actions.

Democrats, along with their Iraq promise, also promised reform and changes within their first 100 hours of session. Perhaps they should start by not wasting tax payer's money on useless, non-binding resolutions! So how much did this useless, non-binding resolution cost? The labor cost was about $1.4 million USD, assuming all of the representatives that voted [428] were there for the full debate.

Great job congressmen -- good job on arguing about things that don't do anything.

A new U.S. dollar coin...again!

If you first don't succeed, try, try again...

The U.S. Mint is once again pursuing the dollar coin for mainstream uses. Their first initial attempt, Susan B. Anthony/Sacagawea coin, didn't fare well with the public because the dollar bill still existed. For this attempt, they will be using George Washington's image. They will be putting images of future presidents in future editions of the coin, similar to how they release different emblems for the quarters.

The difference between this attempt and the previous release is the media hype surrounding the new dollar coin. With the Internet, TV, and other media blitzing the news across the world, banks are already reporting consumer interest in the dollar coin.

Interested in one? In a few weeks, just go to the bank!

My baby turned 3 months old...Dohgirl is growing!

My baby is 3 months old now. Here's a quick look at what she looks like last month versus her birth pic. She's doubled her weight. Gotta love babies!

2.5 MONTHS

BIRTH

UN claims Global Warming is warming the earth, while I'm freezing in Florida

The United Nations just sent out global warming reports and warnings to its member nations, describing that the world's going to end because of man. And while I agree, we are the cause of our own disasters, they should have timed their reports better.

At the moment, southwest Florida is receiving freezing temperatures. This is an area where it is suppose to be tropical and have mild winters, yet we are freezing here. If someone was going to tell me the world is warming up year after year and it's going to be the end of the world, they should try to do so when we don't get record freezing temperatures in a semi-tropic climate.

It seems year after year we keep drumming the same tune that we are being cooked, and while there are ample evidence that glaciers are melting and weather's being affected, there is an equal amount of evidence that we are hitting record lows. Which begs the question, is global warming really something that is a true science or is it yet another guess, another theory? What if Earth was going through cycles? Why are scientists who oppose global warming get belittled in the media and scientific world? Why don't we keep an opend mind?

So you're thinking about upgrading to Microsoft Vista

After about six years Microsoft has come out with a new and exciting operating system, Microsoft Vista. Most people that have tested it have given it high marks compared to Windows XP. But what's required to run this new OS? I've got a rundown for you from Microsoft's web site.

1. 800mhz CPU
2. 512MB RAM
3. 20GB HD with 15GB free
4. CD-ROM drive/DVD

From what I hear, it might come as a DVD disc.

Hacker [Muslix64] makes name for himself, cracks Bluray and HD DVD code

The Advanced Access Content System Licensing Authority (AACS LA) on its Web site stated that it "confirmed that AACS Title Keys have appeared on public Web sites without authorization."

They have attempted to seal up HD DVDs and Bluray DVDs from being copied. Unfortunately, since these DVDs were readable on PCs, Muslix64 was able to find the keys that was residing in memory.

Doh.

Florida state legislators worked hard over the weekend to reduce skyrocketing home insurance rates

Citizens across the state of Florida were looking to the state to help them against losing their homes. And it seems like they have something in the making. After being flooded by calls, mail, and faxes, state legislators are frantically looking for a solution on how to preserve the economy admist a growing home insurance crisis. Due to the increased hurricane activities, home insurance rates have gone up across the state.

Sun Sentinel, one of the newspapers in south Florida, described it best. This is a historic, almost unprecedented event...both Democrats and Republicans sitting in meeting rooms working together to try to come up with an answer.

By Sunday evening, a deal came together that highlighted a level of bipartisanship and urgency in the Legislature that hasn't been seen for years in Tallahassee.

Source: Sun Sentinel

If you're a Florida resident, you should be proud -- your legislators worked hard to get this issue fixed!

Apple Lawyers Bully Bloggers Over iPhone Skins

You would think Apple would learn from bullying geeks from blogging. They've already lost one case when they attempted to get the anonymous source that tipped off one of their releases. Now they are bullying people that's posting about their iPhone user interface...claiming copyright infringement!

It might just be a freshman lawyer who doesn't understand the idea of fair use and free speech. But one thing is clear, Apple is no Google. Google's ideology is exchange and freedom of information, "do no evil"...while in contrast, Apple is restrictive, making any excuse to threaten bloggers if they feel their intellectual property rights are stepped on (which they aren't in this case).

For more information on how Apple's been threatening geeks and bloggers, view these links:

Techcrunch: Apple Bullies Bloggers, Again

Techdirt: ould Apple's Lawyers Really Not Understand That Reporting Isn't Copyright Infringement?

So how's the Internet reacting? Just view these comments from techcrunch.com:

# hornswaggled
January 13th, 2007 at 9:07 pm
First Cisco and now this. I am not a Mac guy but they are not winning me over with these kind of moves. When will these companies embrace the blogging community?

# Morgan
January 13th, 2007 at 9:12 pm
I’ve never seen a community more willing to bend over for a company than Apple fans. Totally closed, secretive, often overpriced and protective, defaults to DRM in iTunes, litigious, and just arrogant. If it were any other company people would get truly angry. With Apple it’s always a sigh leading into breath-holding for the next big announcement.

# Robert Dewey
January 13th, 2007 at 9:21 pm
I’m an Apple fan, and I can surely say this is crap. If they want users to switch from PC to Mac, they need to take the “don’t be evil” approach. When a prospective Mac user sees this, you can bet they’ll change their mind…

# John
January 13th, 2007 at 9:48 pm
When Jobs and Apple get out from under their “options” scam I’ll bother to look at Apple Inc’s issue with bloggers and legality.

# Jorge
January 13th, 2007 at 10:29 pm
Apple users are like abused lovers: you can beat them all you want, but they’ll never complain, and they’ll even defender the abuser.
So much for Apple empowering its users…

# Spencer P
January 14th, 2007 at 6:37 am
Apple is definitely the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation of our day.

# Scott N.
January 14th, 2007 at 9:57 am
It’s incredible to me that apple is able to preserve their reputation when they pull this sort of thing on a semi-regular basis. They’ve become just as ridiculous as the competition.

Pelosi shows her stupidity - wants to increase American Samoa's wages

I have studied American Samoa and its economy last year for an IPP report (business paper). I looked at its history, and where it stands in the world. They are one of our territories. They are U.S. nationals but not citizens; hence, they cannot vote but has every other privilege an American has. One of their main industries is tuna processing and they are being paid at a lower wage than mainland USA because of the cost of living. This gives employers like Del Monte the ability to employ a significant amount of the population which would otherwise go to jobs in Asia or other low-cost countries. In short, Del Monte and StarKist (yes makers of Chicken of the Sea) have been able to single handedly feed the island.

Incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi apparently wants this all change. She wants to increase the minimum wage laws in the area and double the cost of labor for these companies. The Samoan people have asked these companies to hire them and have had public hearings on how much they should be paid. Now Pelosi and her aides want to ruin that.

What's the risk of increasing minimum wage?

Non-voting Rep. Eni Faleomavaega said, "decrease in production or departure of one or both of the two canneries in American Samoa could devastate the local economy, resulting in massive layoffs and insurmountable financial difficulties."

The island's prominent politician has clearly said it. If you increase the labor pressures against the two tuna companies that have done so much for American Samoa, two things will happen. Either the price of tuna will increase and the two companies will probably go bankrupt because foreign tuna companies will beat its pricing, or they will simply leave the island and go to an offshore location.

Why I call this the stupidity of Pelosi

Any congressman or senator that goes along with this plan I consider stupid. Why such a harsh word? Because they are about to make a whole island suffer and a significant amount of the population will become unemployed. There are no other major employers in American Samoa. It isn't like they could just move around freely and get a job like in the mainland.

Politicians who do not take into account local culture and the local economy are stupid. Very very stupid.