Aleksei Navalny Charged With Embezzlement - NYTimes.com

Another wonderful subject for the Kiev World Newspaper Congress!

Musicians on Trial Over Crude Anti-Putin Song in Moscow Cathedral - NYTimes.com

This would be a great topic to discuss at the World Newspaper Congress in Kiev, given relationships with Russia.

Sears

I tried to order some shirts from Sears yesterday, went through the whole process of searching, selecting and then providing all the necessary billing information. My purchase was acknowledged; everything seemed in order. Then I got an e-mail saying it was canceled because the items were not in stock. Ok, they can run out of things, but the time to discover this is BEFORE they take all my credit card information and make me go through the process of providing billing information, etc. So I decided to look at the terms of use link  (they actually call it both Terms of Use and Terms of Service) at the bottom of the page on their site - sears.com. If you read this carefully, Sears is trying to assert that whatever you do on their site with respect to a purchase or anything can, at most, result in a Sears liability of 100 USD! Would anyone agree to walk into a Sears store, buy something, have it go bad immediately, or something in the store cause other harm to the customer and expect that the Sears liability would be only $100, would they? Of course not! This is both preposterous and also any customer of Sears who thinks about using their website should know:
"IN NO EVENT SHALL SEARS OR THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES, OR THE SHAREHOLDERS, DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, MEMBERS, MANAGERS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS OR REPRESENTATIVES OF ANY OF THE FOREGOING, BE LIABLE TO YOU OR ANY THIRD PARTY FOR DAMAGES OF ANY KIND (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, GOODWILL OR REVENUE, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, OR LOSS OF DATA) ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF, ACCESS TO, RELIANCE ON, UNAVAILABILITY OF, INABILITY TO USE, OR IMPROPER USE OF THE SEARS SITE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY USER CONTENT, REVIEWS, ADVICE, SERVICES, PRODUCTS, AND OTHER INFORMATION AND MATERIALS CONTAINED IN OR DESCRIBED ON THE SEARS SITE, OR THE DISCLOSURE OR MISUSE OF ANY USER'S PERSONAL INFORMATION, EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, AND REGARDLESS OF THE FORM OF ACTION, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, OR OTHERWISE. IN ANY EVENT, SEARS' RESPECTIVE TOTAL MAXIMUM LIABILITY IN RESPECT OF THE SEARS SITE OR ANY PART THEREOF, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE USER CONTENT, REVIEWS, ADVICE, SERVICES, PRODUCTS, AND OTHER INFORMATION AND MATERIALS CONTAINED IN OR DESCRIBED ON THE SEARS SITE, IN ANY MANNER WHATSOEVER, SHALL BE LIMITED TO ONE HUNDRED UNITED STATES DOLLARS ($100.00). THIS LIMITATION SHALL APPLY NOTWITHSTANDING ANY FAILURE OF THE ESSENTIAL PURPOSE OF ANY LIMITED REMEDY PROVIDED HEREIN."

Frustrating gas

I bought gas today in Carrboro. First problem was huge puddle of water into which roof was leaking in only open space. Waited. Pulled in another and car was blocking. As I sat, driver through some pink stuff out the window that hung on the hose. I got out and told ring-festooned young driver to go clean it up. That I would call the police. Then she told me her brother worked at the station and shouted some obscenities. That was CITGO. I drove off, with apparent brother making gestures of some sort. Drove to Exxon. Blocked on all lanes. Truck ahead of me not pumping gas but putting in small bottles of something followed by gas. When he finished, I pulled ahead to first spot only to be greeted by van backing up into same space. I gave in and backed up hoping to avoid the next to come in line. Gas options presented with most expensive gas on left instead of right and so that's what I would up buying, to my chagrin. When I tried to pull out, USPS truck pulled in and stopped in front of pump in only opening, not taking any gas - just delivering some mail. Finally, the van in front of me pulled out and I finished a frustrating and more expensive than necessary few minutes of gas.

Ukraine - Protester Accosts Patriarch Kirill I - NYTimes.com

I wonder if she or another similar protester will find an opportunity during the World Newspaper Congress in September? What word or words might they sport in the same location?

In Mexico, a Restrictive Approach to Gun Laws - NYTimes.com

Neighbors can be very smart people.

The Recycling Reflex - NYTimes.com

Pay by weight of garbage

Piece on Telematin reporting on Besancon, I think, where people must pay for garbage collection based on its weight. What a great idea! 7/3/12

Page not found « Ecofrugal Project : Dépenser moins | Vivre mieux | Agir maintenant

Ukraine Bill Proposes Prison for Positive Gay Depictions - NYTimes.com

What a great topic for a session at this year's World Newspaper Congress in Kiev!

John Coltrane Home - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

News Media Response to 'Dark Knight' Theater Shootings Is All Too Familiar - NYTimes.com

Kennys Bookshop & Art Gallery - New, Used, Out of Print, and Antiquarian Books since 1940 - Galway, Ireland - Free Shipping Worldwide

Cavan Joke Book, des machale, mercier press - Mercier Press

Congress Rethinks Height Limits on Washington Buildings - NYTimes.com

I sure hope they do not change it!

Austerity Cuts: How You Can Help

Pardon for American Convicted of Insulting Thai King - NYTimes.com

The next World Newspaper Congress (WAN-IFRA) will be in Bangkok next June. I wonder how tough they will be in objecting to such a law while they are there. If they care about freedom of expression, they will protest, but I suspect the bean counters will win out and they will say nothing to offend the king or the govermnet, hoping most likely to get them ot kick in some money to pay for the event. What a terrible position for the newspaper business to take!

Groupon Inc. News - Company Information - The New York Times

The chart of Groupon stock value since it went public is certainly headed in the direction of my opinion of the company.

So Much Data From Smart Meters, but Who Can Analyze It? - NYTimes.com

When the Crowd Isn’t Wise - NYTimes.com

For Some Businesses, Daily Deals Have A Dark Side : NPR

What's happening to iGoogle? - Web Search Help

Ukraine Parliament Adopts Russian-Language Bill - NYTimes.com

So I wonder if this means that the World Newspaper Congress in Kiev in September will be in Russian as well? Perhaps WAN-IFRA was even out ahead of the Ukrainian governemnt on this one. What an uncomfortable place to be!

Malaise au grand quotidien anglophone de Hongkong#xtor=RSS-3208#xtor=RSS-3208#xtor=RSS-3208

Ukraine Unable to Kick Its Tattered Reputation - NYTimes.com

The message surrounding the World Newspaper Congress in Kiev in September seems horribly blurred. It all seems to involve trying to seem "tough" for one constituency while not ticking off the "hosts". Some balances ought never to be struck.