Saving the world isn't easy

A new set of television ads by the Red Cross seems to suggest that since saving the world is so difficult we should just donate some blood instead. Curious.

Glenn Beck gets his own show on Headline News

FAIR reports that "CNN’s Headline News has hired radio talkshow host Glenn Beck to host a one-hour primetime show, according to a Daily Variety report (1/17/05). Variety quotes CNN Headline News president Ken Jautz's description of Beck: 'Glenn’s style is self-deprecating, cordial; he says he'd like to be able to disagree with guests and part as friends. It's conversational, not confrontational.'"

Beck's comments suggest a personality far more violent and incendiary than Jautz lets on.

In one instance, he explained his disdain for the relatives of the September 11 victims by saying, "'Oh shut up!' I'm so sick of them because they're always complaining. And we did our best for them."

He went on to vent his hatred for the victims of Hurricane Katrina:

"When you are rioting for these tickets, or these ATM cards, the second thing that came to mind was--and this is horrible to say, and I wonder if I'm alone in this--you know it took me about a year to start hating the 9/11 victims' families? Took me about a year.... But the second thought I had when I saw these people and they had to shut down the Astrodome and lock it down, I thought: I didn't think I could hate victims faster than the 9/11 victims.... And that's all we're hearing about, are the people in New Orleans. Those are the only ones we're seeing on television are the scumbags--and again, it's not all the people in New Orleans. Most of the people in New Orleans got out! It's just a small percentage of those who were left in New Orleans, or who decided to stay in New Orleans, and they're getting all the attention."

He also fantasized about killing Michael Moore:

"I'm thinking about killing Michael Moore, and I'm wondering if I could kill him myself, or if I would need to hire somebody to do it. No, I think I could. I think he could be looking me in the eye, you know, and I could just be choking the life out--is this wrong?"

I wonder if these recent attempts by MSNBC and Headline News to appeal to the Fox News crowd will actually cause a backlash among more mainstream (and sensible) Americans. Do they realize the level of vulgarity being spread in the name of conservatism?

Broadband in the U.S. sucks

Sorry I've been a bit slow on the posts lately. I promise to pick things up as the new year gets going in fully swing.

Lawrence Lessig provides an apt critique of U.S. broadband policy and conveys the daunting proposition that we are slowly falling behind the rest of the world in internet infrastructure. If only policymakers could set aside special interests and develop an innovative policy to ensure America's youth will have access to cutting edge internet technologies.

This is no time to be complacent.

You know, I thought our 5 mbs for $50 was a decent deal. We did get that introductory $19.95 rate from Comcast for the first three months, but that's long gone. But then I find out that in France you get 20 mbs (four times as fast!) for $36 a month. What the hell is going on here?

"Today, in the world where the duopoly increasingly talks about returning us to the world where innovation is as the network owners says, broadband in the US sucks."

Let There Be Wi-Fi

"Broadband is the electricity of the 21st century--and much of America is being left in the dark."

An article from the Washington Monthly encourages American policy makers to close the digital divide in the U.S. or risk falling behind Asian innovators in technological expertise.

Should the UN control the internet?

A recent Foreign Policy interview with Lawrence Lessig expounds on the debate between U.S. and international interests on the future of the internet.

Top 10 List of Best Top 10 Lists of 2005!

At long last, here is my top ten list of best top ten lists for the end of 2005.

10. All Songs Considered Best Music of 2005

9. The Globalist Top Ten Books on Globalization in 2005

8. Top Ten Web 2.0 Moments of 2005

7. Top Ten Google Searches for 2005

6. Wired News Biggest Discoveries of 2005

5. National Geographic's Top Ten News Photos of 2005

4. The New Republic's Top Ten Overlooked Movies of the Year

3. Wired's 10 Best Tech Moments of 2005

2. NPR's Top 10 Public Opinion Trends of 2005

And the #1 Top 10 List of 2005:

1. America's Top Ten Pest Control Problems in 2005

The future is here - and it works

There's a thought-provoking editorial in today's Financial Times that addresses the impact technology has on multiple facets of our lives. In particular, it highlights the common human mistake to underestimate the power of the exponential advancement of technology.

"We tend to project the past on to the future. Yet accelerating rates of change are bringing the future racing towards us...Had it been around as recently as 1998, the latest Xbox games console, available for $399, would have ranked as the world's fastest supercomputer."

Gapminder

Check out this fantastic website.

"Gapminder is a non-profit venture for development and provision of free software that visualise human development. This is done in collaboration with universities, UN organisations, public agencies and non-governmental organisations. Gapminder is a Foundation registered at Stockholm county administration board (Länstyrelsen) (reg. nr. 802424-7721). It was founded by Ola Rosling, Anna Rosling Rönnlund and Hans Rosling on 25 February 2005, in Stockholm. Gapminder Foundation will advance software development that have been done earlier by the non-profit company Gapminder Ltd. Funding has been and is mainly by grants from Sida for the Trendalyzer project. Being a producer of global public goods Gapminder benefit from free and creative inputs from pilot-testers and other end-users in many institutions and organisations."

Very cool.

Early returns reveal that Shiites and Sunnis opted for religious parties.

It seems the Bush administration has been so focused on successful elections in Iraq that the consequences of an Islamist majority have not been fully considered.

A Christian Science Monitor article provides a preliminary assessment of the outcome.

"With more than three-quarters of the country giving a vote of confidence to Islamist parties, last Thursday's vote raises the prospect of Iraq being more overtly religious than ever before."

The future is already here, it's just not evenly distributed

An article in yesterday's Financial Times discusses the inevitability of the next five years of tech development. It all seems so matter of fact.

"In emerging markets, consumers can look forward to simple $100 or pay-as-you-go computing machines helping them access vital data. They might just need a weather forecast or the price of wheat, says Phil Hester, chief technology officer at AMD, whose 50x15 initiative aims to provide affordable internet access and computing capabilities for 50 per cent of the world's population by 2015. Only 15 per cent have access at present."

President Bush visits the Wilson Center

So I shook the president's hand today! President Bush was here at the Wilson Center today to give a speech on the war on 'terrer' and I worked as a volunteer. I assisted the White House with the press corps. My job was to make sure they didn't leave their cordoned off area. I was in the ballroom before all the guests entered, so I witnessed the whole process which was fascinating. Secret service everywhere, dogs, metal detectors, etc. At one point, the "diplomat corps" walked in. I've never experienced anything quite like having sixty or so ambassadors to the United States walk right by me. Just to recognize all the parts of the world from which they came...incredible.

Dealing with the press corps, there were writers from the Post, NYtimes, the Chicago Tribune, Reuters, AP, etc. There were also several senators and congressmen (women?) in the audience as well. You felt like you were seeing politics in action. The president and his entourage, the press, the scholars and diplomats, the security. The speech was quite good I think and most others I have spoken with agree. With Bush's approval ratings dipping back down again, Iraqi elections tomorrow, and U.S. elections right around the corner, he appears to be kicking it up a notch as far as the diplomacy is concerned.

I stood about forty feet away from the president while he spoke, photographers' cameras clicking over my shoulder frequently. I remember saying "oh my god" under my breath as rumsfeld and condi walked in before the speech. Michael Chertoff of Hurricane Katrina fame was there as well. After the speech the president walked along the front row to greet the audience. I managed to make my way up close to see him. I just wanted to see what he really looked like--in person. His face was a bit worn, his hair graying. I reached my hand out as he made his way by and got a brief shake.

The director of my program was further down the line from me. She managed to get the president's ear to tell him that we have been conducting training session in Jordan with female Iraqi politicians. She said she was concerned that Sharia Law will be adopted as family law, limiting substantially the rights of women in Iraq. "They need your help," she told him. He said he knew, he knew. She reemphasized her point. She said she thought he had really heard what she was saying and he wasn't simply paying lip service.

While I was near the center of the ballroom, some of my colleagues were sitting at the far end of the hall, maybe twenty rows back. They recalled seeing an intern sitting in the next to last seat in one of the far reaches of the room--not a very good place to see the president. This intern noticed someone had sat down next to them, taking the final seat. My colleague recollected the intern's shock and amazement when they realized it was Karl Rove.

Intel: Poor Want 'Real' Computers

It appears Mr. Negroponte's $100 laptop is causing quite a stir.

If nothing else, it is encouraging a lot of people to think about providing access to technology for children around the world.

In a recent article with Wired News, Craig Barrett, CEO of Intel, disparaged the $100 laptop as a "gadget," Saying what people want is a computer, not a gadget. Hmmm. Do I sense a hint of jealousy in Mr. Barrett's words? He seems to do a lot of name calling throughout his comments.

"'Mr. Negroponte has called it a $100 laptop -- I think a more realistic title should be 'the $100 gadget',' Barrett, chairman of the world's largest chipmaker, told a press conference in Sri Lanka on Friday. 'The problem is that gadgets have not been successful.'"

More on the $100 laptop

Here's a picture of Negroponte's $100 laptop.

Personal World Map

Pick a starting location, enter in time and monetary constraints, and personalworldmap.org will show you where you could travel. It's an interesting idea that could probably be expanded on in the future.

Chicago Bears Super Bowl Shuffle

I suppose I couldn't consider myself a true Chicago Bears fan if I didn't also include a link to the Super Bowl Shuffle

The Bears are doing quite well this year with some comparing this year's defense to the tenacious D of 1985...could there be a new Super Bowl Shuffle on its way?

You Can't Stop a Flame When It's Red Hot!

Ode to the 1987 Stanley Cup Champions Calgary Flames

D.C. Housing Prices--Ouch!

So D.C. residents not only pay an extraordinary share of the tax burdern, most of them can't afford a house too! So who's living in this town anyway?

More from the Economist:
"A typical family in the District of Columbia could not afford 80% of the properties sold in the city last year. According to the Urban Institute, a think-tank, costs rose across the city, especially in less affluent neighbourhoods, with the average DC home selling for $450,000. Rents have also escalated in recent years because of diminishing vacancies. In the first half of 2005, 2,500 apartments were turned into condominiums, three times as many as in all of 2004. As an example, the report showed how the buying power of typical teachers had dropped in recent years: in 2001, they could afford one in three houses sold, while in 2004 that figure was under one in five."

No commuter tax

Imagine what $30 Billion could do for this city!

From the Economist:
"A panel of federal judges—among them John Roberts, now Chief Justice of the Supreme Court—ruled in November that the District of Columbia cannot impose a commuter tax without an act of Congress. The tax would have been levied on income earned in the city by non-residents. The mayor, Anthony Williams, had brought the suit, along with the city council, the city and several residents, to try to overturn a provision of DC’s 1973 Home Rule act, which prohibits the city from imposing a tax on any non-District residents.

The plaintiffs argued that the law discriminated against District residents because it imposed a higher tax burden on them. They estimated that the commuter-tax ban deprives the District of $30 billion in taxable income, or roughly $1.4 billion in actual annual revenue according to current tax rates. Some 300,000 people commute to work in the city every day. The governments of Maryland and Virginia intervened against the suit, arguing that DC was a special case and that such a tax would hurt their economies. This argument was dismissed by a federal judge last year, when the case was initially brought."

Waiting for That $100 Laptop? - Don't hold your breath.

There's a rather cynical article over at Slate regarding Nicholas Negroponte's new $100 laptop. It remains to be seen whether this new endeavor will be more successful from previous attempts. It seems with the fervent pace with which computer technology advances and all of those formerly high end workstations sitting in a trash heap somewhere, that it would be possible to make a decent machine with mid-1990s specs for a reasonable price. There is also a huge untapped market for such a device. So why's it so difficult to fill that niche? And once somebody does, will things ever be the same?

"Negroponte promises that bringing cheap laptops to countries like Brazil, Thailand, and Egypt will help 'children to 'learn learning' through independent interaction and exploration.' That might be true, but this green machine won't be the computer to do it, no matter how much Kofi Annan and the international press fawn over it. The $100 laptop is a huckster's gambit--poorly thought out, overly ambitious, and too sexy to be true."

Climate Change as Number One?

From the Globalist:: "News of the War on Terror and high oil prices continue to dominate today's headlines. But as Ross Gelbspan points out in his book 'Boiling Point,' these issues pale in the face of the looming threat posed by global climate change. What's more, many of these issues have their roots in climate change, and a change for the better in this regard could render these other issues null."