Amazon.com Terminates Contracts of California-Based Associates in Light of New Tax

And I never got a dime after all these years…. Amazon just sent this notice indicating that they’ll terminate my contract as a long-time associate/affiliate in light of the passage of the Internet sales tax clause of the state budget approved by the California legislature, requiring Internet-based businesses to pay sales tax on all items sold to state residents. The bill is on Gov. Jerry Brown’s awaiting his signature. C’mon, Jerry… don’t do it!

UPDATE: He signed it. We done been terminated.

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Video the Vote 2010

voting is sexyFor the fifth year in a row I’m volunteering with Video the Vote, a nationwide team of individuals prepared to capture statements and video to document and defend any persons or groups who may be actively intimidated or disenfranchised at the polls. The purpose of collecting and posting these videos immediately has proven effective in the pastmany polling places have been kept open later following complaints of long lines and other more serious complaints that have made it on to CNN.com and the local news.

Needless to say, all is quiet on the home front here in Elysian Heights, although I am standing by with my multiple devices should I get a call. So just for kicks, I video-ed my vote below. Did you vote today?


Video the Vote – 2010 CA Primary Edition

i voted stickerAs has become a tradition, I video’d my vote this morning. There is never much of a line at my polling place, around the corner at Elysian Elementary School. But this morning I did something that I’ve never done before. I know… wait for it… I chose the Republican ballot.

“I really hope you reconsider and vote for Democrats in the fall,” said the poll worker — after i put my cameraphone down. I chuckled and looked down at the page in the precinct roll with my name on it. All Dem and one N/P. N/P for non-partisan (or “no pickles” in restaurant shorthand), otherwise known asdecline-to-state.”

I am a decline-to-state voter for various reasons: I’m an independent and don’t subscribe to the limited scope of a two-party system; I don’t want to be added to any more junk mail lists; because i don’t care what you call me just don’t call me a D or an R (“commie” is fine, “babykiller” is not).

But the main reason for doing so is for the opportunity to make a choice on the spot when it comes to the primary elections. FACT: Jerry Brown is going to run away with the Democratic nomination for governor of California and after he does, I will vote for him in November. But there was no point in voting for him today. So I took a Red ballot — granted, as a single person with no dependents or home ownership, I did not bother with the school council board items. But I cast a vote for an underdog candidate in the Republican gubernatorial primary because I’m not a fan of either Meg Whitman or Steve Poizner. Poizner seemed OK at first, but the more I read about him, the more I detested him. So I voted for Bill Chambers. He likes freedom and has a dope mustache and a mullet.

Always feels good to vote — and I prefer to vote to change things for the better. on the Props I went — 13: yes 14: yes 15:yes 16:no :17:no.

Don’t forget to vote today — if you’re in LA you can find your polling place via lavote.net/Locator/, elsewhere, check smartvoter.org.

State of California takes aim at ‘risks’ of Twitter, bans Facebook friends

 

State takes aim at ‘risks’ of Twitter, bans Facebook friends

February 26, 2010 |  3:55 pm

The Internet can be a wild place, with all the damage one can do from an office cubicle on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the like. So the state of California on Friday unveiled a “Social Media Standard” to ensure that its employees aren’t running amok.

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