What the pasta fagioli is going on in Italy? An Italian prosecutor decided to hold Google executives responsible for a video posted on YouTube. Then, an Italian judge ruled to convict 3 of the 4 executives on violations related to Italy’s privacy code and sentenced them to 6 months in jail. The sentence will be commuted because they are first time offenders, but Google is going to appeal the verdict according to a blog post. It is pretty disappointing to see a justice system that is/will be tied up while engaged in this type of litigation. This puts Google in a weird place because they now have to consider their future in Europe and I am sure this will spill into the land of litigation happy opportunists in the United States.
I just back from a great trip to Washington, DC. I had a great time with my friends and family. I love the District for many reasons and it is a great place to visit. I have even thought about moving to our nation’s capital to experience something different than a suburban Florida lifestyle. I enjoy the history, the ability to walk to local destinations and the public transportation system, all of which are things that are somewhat lacking in Tampa, FL. The Real Estate market is just a bit different from the Tampa market, but I am sure it is relative. I enjoy the city no matter how times I visit. Hopefully, I will be able to visit again before the end of 2010. Great friends, food, history and an overall vibe that cannot be found just anywhere.
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We are not as safe as we think when we fly. Fortunately, the chance of being involved in terrorist activity on a flight is incredibly low. This can be attributed to the frequency at which most of us fly and the number of flights that occur all around the world. The problem is that we are dependent on so many variables; quality of security staff, quality of security procedures and regulations, international security measures (each country is dependent on the next) and the determination of terrorist groups. We are spending all kinds of money to fight terrorists in other countries while our safety is based on our sense of comfort and ignorance.
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I would love to find some Henriot Champagne here in the US. I had some (quite a bit) in France at my friend Myriam’s wedding. I enjoyed the refreshing taste and it wasn’t too sweet. I don’t drink Champagne all that often but I enjoy it from time to time. I am not a wine or Champagne snob but getting a hold of Henriot would remind me of France. I might just have to get a bottle Moet White Star because it is also a very tasty sparkling beverage.
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I have been thinking about buying Windows 7 to run as a virtual machine on my MacBook Pro. I currently run Windows XP and Ubuntu x.x with VMWare’s Fusion. I really do not need Windows 7, but it would be nice to work with it so I can be somewhat knowledgeable about what it has to offer. I really didn’t have any desire to purchase or work with Windows Vista and I am very satisfied with that decision. So, do I become an early adopter or do I just sit and wait?
Tags: Windows 7
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I have been listening to the French duo Air quite a bit lately. They are great to listen to while I am writing code. They have a great sense for melody and texture while keeping things under control. I currently own Talkie Walkie and Moon Safari and I need to pick up a couple more albums when I get a chance. As with most artists these days, their albums are available on Amazon.com or most other places you buy good music.
Tags: Music
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If you are into experimental/progressive/electronic rock, then you need to check out Ozric Tentacles. Their music can be found on Amazon.com. I recently picked up The Yumyum Tree. Wow, it is some good stuff.
Tags: Music
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It has been almost 2 months since I went to Paris, France to attend my friend’s wedding and I miss being there. I really like the city life and I felt more than alive while I was there. I also enjoyed visiting the French countryside towns; Cherbourg, Flamanville and Urville-Nacqueville were very beautiful. My experiences in France were incredible. My girlfriend, Shannon, and I had a great time and I definitely know I will try to return to Paris after I have visited a few other places I need to experience.
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I have decided that I need to further my education and I am looking into a few programs at USF. I need to get signed up to take the GRE and I also need to spend some time preparing for it. I am horrible at taking written tests, but I will figure out a way to do what I need to do.
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I found a cool Web site today that rates your home’s or potential home’s “Walk Score”. Here is my “Walk Score”, it is disappointing:
8
That “Walk Score” of 8 is based on a scale of 1-100, 90-100 being a “Walker’s Paradise”, 0-24 being “Car-Dependent (Driving Only)”. I am not really that big into walking, but it would be nice to use my own 2 feet to travel to the store or a restaurant without being killed on our sidewalk-less streets.
Tags: Home
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