This is sad ...

The USA military expenditure, according to 2005 figures is US$ 548,531,000,000 per year.

This is almost 6 times more than the second largest military spender (China).

A simple calculation shows that the US can cut their defense spending by half, and still be at 3 times more than China.

This could balance their budget over the years too, and perhaps cause economic growth as well, while keeping them as the best defended country in the world.

Warren Wershler-Henry, assistant professor at Wilfrid Laurier University, has conducted a study that concluded that intellectual property law does not serve the creators, and stifle cultural exchange. He also observes that companies like Sony, Apple and Amazon want to channel all content via their proprietary "hermetically sealed" platforms, and that this hurts the doctrine of first sale, when books are effectively licensed not sold.

My daughter Suhaila likes to draw and paint.

She wanted to get a tablet that she can draw with, without the awkwardness of using a mouse for a task that is better handled by a pen.

So, when Staples had a $50 off sale ($249.99) on the Wacom Intuos 4 (Small) tablet, there was finally a chance to get it at a lower cost.

Joining the heels of WIND Mobile, a new company, Mobilicity, will start operations in Spring 2010.

I have been a Kubuntu users for many years now.

So, when Kubuntu 10.04 (Lucid Lynx) was released, I took the plunge and upgraded my laptop from Kubuntu 9.10 (Karmic Koala), which I have been running shorty after its release in October 2009. Lucid is an Long Term Support (LTS) release, with security updates for 3 years on the desktop. Hopefully I will be staying with it for at least 2 years and skipping the 6-month releases in between.

This post details what I have found so far on Lucid, whether good or bad.

صعيدى مسكوه مع شبكة إرهابية قالوا له إيه آخر عملية عملتها ؟
قال البواسير‎

سألوه ليه بتاخد الدواء قبل ميعاده ، قال علشان أفاجئ الجراثيم

حشاش سأل صيدلى : عندك شريط بنادول ؟ قاله : عندى قاله : حطه خلينا نسمع

من لم يمت بحد السيف مات بغيره، تعددت اﻷسباب والموت واحد وما طار طير وارتفع اﻻ وكما طار وقع
" كابتن طيار فى الخطوط الصعيدية " يعلن عن اقلاع طائرنه

جماعة صعايدة سمعوا ان امريكا هتضرب أماكن حساسة فى مصر فاشتروا كلاسين حديد

صعيدى قال لأبوه : رخصة السواجة خلصت يابوى ، قاله : من لفك فى الشوارع طول النهار

صعيدى دخل الجيش اسمه ثابت

Another bad day for consumers in Canada.

The Conservative minority government is set to revive yet another attempt at implementing US-like DMCA.

See the Globe and Mail: Pending copyright bill to mimic U.S.: Geist, and CBC: Anti-consumer copyright bill on way: expert.

The CRTC, the regulator for Canada's telecommunication market, has granted Bell the right to bill customers by usage, i.e. charge more for downloads. This applies to both retail and wholesale customers. Which means that people who bought from smaller providers who use the Bell network as well.

This is bad for Teksavvy, bad for their customers and a bad day for the internet in Canada!

Via the CBC.

A woman who is of Black and Dutch ancestry marries into a Jewish family. She is a comedian and uses that as fodder for her stand up routine.

Her in-laws file a lawsuit against her!

Luckily, the judge dismisses the suite and says that the first amendment (free speech) guarantees that. He says that what she said is opinion, not facts.

Well done Ms. Judge!

What is interesting is that her husband's law firm was the one defending her! Talk about a family rift ...

فعلا رخامة ما بعدها رخامة

ليه ابوتريكة بيلبس فانلة 22 ؟
عشان 21 ضيقة عليه
طب ليه مبيلبسش 23؟
عشان فلافيو بيلبس 23

طب ايه هو الحيوان التعيس؟
القطة
ليه؟ عشان دايما تخربش ومتكسبش

طب ايه الحيوان اللي بياكل ويشرب بديله؟
كل الحيوانات بتاكل وتشرب بديلها .. عمرك شفت
حيوان ساب ديله وراح ياكل؟

طب ايه اقدم حيوان؟
الحمار الوحشي ..
عشان ابيض واسود

طب ايه هو اجدد حيوان؟
القنفد .. ليه ؟
عشان بشوكه..
والكنغر .. ليه؟
علشان بكيسه

طب ليه التلاجة غبية؟
عشان بتحفظ الاكل
.. مبتفهموش

ايه الشبه بين الجرنان والشمس ؟؟