New Bill Would Ban Public NOAA Weather Data

ckokotay writes "Here we go again. Apparently for-pay weather companies (specifically Accuweather) have lobbied Senator Rick Santorum to introduce a bill to ban the National Weather Service from 'competing.' The NOAA just made data available for free on the internet in XML format. Essentially, that means no more free data, and the possible elimination of the NOAA web presence all together. Nothing like being able to buy off a clueless Senator - lets hope the rest do not fall in line, as I for one, do not like to pay for my information twice." This debate picks up where the last one left off. According to the article, the bill's biggest critics are complaining of the bill's vague wording which makes it unclear what exactly is being banned.

My own private army...

[ackthpt]

Ok, here's how it'll work. I'll contract the US Dept. of Defense to do some guard detail for me, somewhere, where I contract out their services. once the DoD enters into these sorts of contracts, the next time the US invades some country I'll write Senator Rick Santorum, complaining bitterly how they've giving away their services for free and unfairly competing with my private business interests, (especially if I've contracted the DoD to guard the country they are invading.)

Once the bill motors through the Senate and House, and has the signature of the prez (Hey, the GOP loves private businesses, right?) I'll be able to direct when and where war actually takes place.

This should undoubtably improve my popularity gasp and maybe get me a gulp date with that cutie gosh I've had my eye on for a while!

Ok, Kim's check bounced, you can invade now.

XML

[Anonymous Coward]

XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve the problem, use more.

In other news....

[Monf]

the Weather Channel is asking cable companies to add a surcharge based on the number of windows in a subscriber's household, to recoup lost revenues due to subscriber's looking outside to see what the weather is like...

Soylent Green may be people, but...

[Anne_Nonymous]

Santorum is "analubepoo" [urbandictionary.com]

Definition of Santorum according to Dan Savage

[Laconian]

Santorum (n.)

1. That frothy mixture of lube and fecal matter that is sometimes the by-product of anal sex.

2. Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA)

What an unbelievable coincidence!

[winkydink]

Accuweather is headquartered in Pennsylvania. And Santorum is a senator from PA. I mean, come on, what are the odds of that? ;)

Ban Libraries

[Catamaran]

The government should just get out of the information business. The free market is the best way to ensure that we get the most [foxnews.com] unbiased [cnn.com] information [theonion.com].

My god...

[Junta]

I think I have a new sig...

Re:Ban Libraries

[northwind]

You must have been watching MXC to much :-)
"Who thinks that cable and broadcast channels supply ample and unbiased new - show hands - now".... :-)

Workaround: Learn to read FAA weather reports

[AHumbleOpinion]

Workaround: Learn to read FAA weather reports. It will be a little difficuly to take away access through that channel.

spin

[Phroggy]

You should definitely check out the official spin on this:

Santorum Proposes to Modernize National Weather Service to Better Serve Public [senate.gov]

Re:Ban Libraries

[Anonymous Coward]

"Well, you're wrong!"

You're too late

[Engineer-Poet]

Halliburton has beat you to it (and might hold the patent).

Re:Soylent Green may be people, but...

[ehiris]

Please don't add an image to urbandictionary.com for this definition.

let me just say..

[ShaniaTwain]

Ewww! santorum.. [google.ca]

Re:In other news....

[uberdave]

So... What's the surcharge if you have a weather rock [mowabb.com]?

Re:In other news....

[pete6677]

Now if only they can find a way to twist and distort the DMCA to outlaw privately owned thermometers.

Re:That sucks

[ElectricOkra]

Maybe we should just privatize everything... Instead of having a Free Representative Government, let's have one where only the people with the most money get elected and where votes can be bought... oh, wait...

Re:My god...

[stinerman]

You'd better give that the proper attribution it deserves!

Re:You're too late

[Anonymous Coward]

Halliburton doesn't have to bother with that pesky contracting buisiness since the US military is already one of their wholly-owned subsidiaries.

Re:Accuweather's crusade

[SpaceLifeForm]

Is half the population of the U.S. just completely blind and ignorant to the damage these guys are doing to our country?

No. More than half.

Re:XML

[Johnno74]

XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve the problem, use more.

You misspelled "when". HTH!

Hmm you're clearly not using enough XML

Weather service expects...

[Hamster Lover]

the DC area to experience a shower of bullshit tapering to blowing turds in the early evening. Accumulations of twelve to fourteen inches are anticipated while Congress is in session...

Re:My own private army...

[ikkonoishi]

And by a lot you mean thousands per person due to perl and bash scripts right?

Re:Well

[ntsucks]

Perhaps Slashdotters should pool the resources and buy a senator. Owning a senator could be useful in instances like this. ;-)

Re:let me just say..

[killjoe]

Well then it's easy. Just tell santorum that NOAA is a fag organization and that will be that.

"Good people of bumfuck iowa, you don't want HOMOSEXUALS to control the weather do you?. If you don't vote for a republican not only will HOMOSEXUALS marry but they will control the weather too!"

Re:In other news....

[Anonymous Coward]

(In honor of today's AMD dual-core Opteron launch...)

Is this on a per pane basis? I've got some 16 and 32-way composite window systems and having to buy licenses for them all will get kinda expensive...

Re:MaIl?

[symbolic]

I bet most don't even read their own mail

Mail? Ha...I bet most don't even read the laws they're proposing, much less voting for.

Re:XML

[Lemmy Caution]

The preceding message was paid for by the American Parentheses Manufacturers Association.

Re:Answer to: "WHY do these people get elected?"

[Anonymous Coward]

Politicians want votes. Voters want pork.

As a Jew, I am deeply offended by your suggestion that I want pork. Please try to find a more culturally inclusive metaphor. Thank you.

Re:Accuweather's crusade

[Minna Kirai]

Your half blind yourself in that you think Democrats make a more "honest" politition then a Republican.

Although Democrats are often liars, it can be mathmatically proven that Republicans are more dishonest. It's short inference from known facts:
1) spreading a lie requires advertising
2) advertising costs money
3) Republicans have more money

(Fact 3 can be taken as a given, although construction of a proof is a simple exercise for the reader)

In short, Democrats are more honest because they are poorer, which gives them less ability to lie convincingly.

Re:Sure!

[surprise_audit]

The weather industry could either launch their own satellites, or NOAA could hold a closing-down auction and sell them to the highest bidder. Which leads me to wonder, how many slashdotters would chip in a few bucks for the privilege of group-buying a satellite for the express purpose of de-orbitting it onto a certain Senator's house??[1]

Seriously, though, would you want to trust the private sector to get severe weather warnings out in a timely manner?? OK, so maybe we shouldn't trust a government-run operation either, but at least we're not currently getting:

"Next, hurricanes heading for Florida and tornadoes tearing up the Heartland. But first, a few words from our sponsors..."

[1] Note: that wasn't a serious suggestion - if any more than three of us chipped in, we'd never agree on a target. There's so many choices - Redmond, SCO, certain Senators, Diebold, etc... :)

Re:Huh?

[rewinn]

Are you writing a Star Wars prequel or something?

"Star Wars: The Revenge Of The South" is actually the second sequel to "Star Wars: The Nixon Menace".

Re:Answer to: "WHY do these people get elected?"

[Jherek Carnelian]

Politicians want votes. Voters want pork.

So, clearly the solution is to convert America to an Islamic state,
because then pork will be illegal.