links for 2009-09-13

"So if Mr Putin were to come back as president in 2012 and serve the two new terms he would then be eligible for, he could in theory preside over Russia until 2024. Since he first came to power when President Boris Yeltsin made him his successor in 1999, that would mean the Putin years in Russia might extend to a quarter of a century. " The new dictatorship.

"Right-wing groups who claim to oppose Islamic extremism are trying to provoke violence on Britain's streets, the communities minister has said."

"Mr Parshall, though, is not just a businessman for whom the recession is a boon. He is also one of the out-riders for libertarians who believe that America under Obama is turning into a socialist state. I do not exaggerate. Nobody argues that Mr Parshall represents great numbers of Americans, but that does not mean he is insignificant." When the BBC has to say that they aren't exaggerating, something is wrong with your position.

"Tens of thousands of people have marched from the White House to Capitol Hill in Washington to protest against Barack Obama's healthcare reforms." So much for those 2 million, most news reports I saw put the number at 14,000.

"Many have lived beyond their incomes simply because incomes have been outstripped by the costs of middle-class life. By the fall of 2008, most American workers were bringing home roughly the same weekly wages they had earned in 1983, after accounting for inflation."

"Last weekend, we finally screened the first three episodes of Stargate Universe. The darkest installment of the franchise certainly had an impact on this Gater. Here's our completely spoiler-free pre-review."

"Microsoft won an appeals court ruling on Friday that overturned a $358 million patent award to Alcatel-Lucent, in a decision that may alter how damages are calculated. The appeals court, while upholding a finding that Microsoft infringed the patent, ruled that the calculation of damages “lacked sufficient evidentiary support.” The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington sent that portion of the case back to the trial court to determine how much Microsoft, the world’s biggest software maker, should pay Alcatel. The appeal of the April 2008 verdict, which has since swelled to a half-billion dollars with interest, covered several issues. Still, Microsoft argued hardest that damages should not be so high when the invention is one of many features within a product, and more than a dozen companies submitted legal arguments in the case."

"The Ford motor company has harnessed technology from the F22 fighter jet as part of its bid to make its new Taurus "America's smartest full-sized sedan". Radar devices are aimed at helping avoid crashes by sounding an alarm and flashing red lights when the driver gets too close to another car. Radar is also located on the rear bumper of the Taurus to help prevent rear-end crashes, and warn drivers when they drift out of their lanes or if cars are in their blind spots. These include a voice-activated navigation system, multi-contour seats that massage the driver to prevent tiredness, a surround-sound system and a technology called MyKey."

"President Hugo Chavez has announced the discovery of a vast gas field off the coast of Venezuela. Mr Chavez said the development of the field would put Venezuela – which already boasts the largest proven oil reserves outside the Middle East – among the world's top five gas producers."

"Turkish military police said today that they had stormed an Istanbul villa to rescue nine women held captive after being tricked into believing they were reality TV show contestants. He said the women were held captive for around two months, but refused to provide further details. Instead, their naked images were sold on the internet by their captors."