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Of all the photos and graphs of rising average temperatures, disappearing snowpack, and dying pine trees, there was one piece about the Alpine chipmunk (Tamias alpinus) that was particular disturbing. Here is what it says:

This rare chipmunk has undergone a dramatic reduction in Yosemite. Found in lodgepole pine forests, it now lives in the talus slopes above the tree line. Its range has shifted upslope 1,900 feet. Population is collapsing.

The devastation of these small creatures is a harbinger of things to come. Yet, we humans seem impervious to the simple and clear assertion that as Tamis alpinus goes, so goes Homo sapiens.

Posted by Edd at 3:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Several of the presenters seem really stellar.
Check it out here.

Posted by Edd at 4:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Stormer writes:

The United States also does not transport nuclear weapons meant for elimination attached to their launch vehicles under the wings of a combat aircraft. The procedure is to separate the warhead from the missile, encase the warhead and transport it by military cargo aircraft to a repository -- not an operational bomber base that just happens to be the staging area for Middle Eastern operations.

He then asks:

Why, and for what ostensible purpose, were these nuclear weapons taken to Barksdale?
How many and which security protocols were overlooked?
How many and which safety procedures were bypassed or ignored?
Does the Bush administration, as some news reports suggest, have plans to attack Iran with nuclear weapons?
If this was an accident, have we degraded our military to a point where we are now making critical mistakes with our nuclear arsenal? If so, how do we correct this?

Posted by Edd at 3:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The possible eradication of this group is directly related to the US invasion of the country. The Mandeans believe in non-violence and do not carry guns or other weapons so common on Iraq's streets these days. Because of that they are extremely vulnerable to kidnappings, rapes, murders - you name it.

Professor Deutsch writes:

Practitioners of a religion at least as old as Christianity, the Mandeans have witnessed the rise of Islam; the Mongol invasion; the arrival of Europeans, who mistakenly identified them as "Christians of St. John," because of their veneration of John the Baptist; and, most recently, the oppressive regime of Saddam Hussein, who drained the marshes after the first gulf war, an ecological catastrophe equivalent to destroying the Everglades. They have withstood everything -- until now.

Another indications of just how far we have gone astray from our core values.

As stated above, a disturbing, yet important, read. Again here is the link: Save the Gnostics.

Posted by Edd at 10:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

But you don't have to do it because of the digital revolution - The Great Revolutionary Signal Migration from analog to digital scheduled for next February will not be televised, at least until 2012.

Here is a dramatic picture of the impending cataclysm that the FCC so courageously acted to avoid:

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, "If the cable companies had their way, you, your mother and father, or your next door neighbor could go to sleep one night after watching their favorite channel and wake up the next morning to a dark fuzzy screen." (Complete article here.)

Now that is scary. Good ot see that one of the two major crises facing the nation has now been avoided postponed.

Posted by Edd at 8:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

First of all two questions come to mind: 1) Did he count these up, or is this another made-up statistic meandering through the tubes of the internets? And 2) Why does "homeland" have such a vague fascist tone to it? Maybe something to do with "Fatherland"? Why not "Domestic Security"? OK that's three questions, no, wait, four...

In this piece on CNN.com it seems that, if states do not comply with the mandates of DHS, law-abiding Americans from said states may be denied access to federal facilities such as local federal offices, or national parks without some such recognized "Real ID" (like a passport).

This is all beginning to look a lot like an internal passport system. How long before the average American will be confronted by a trench-coated government agent with the greeting "Your papers please"?

It all getting a little too Germanic...

Again here is the article.

Posted by Edd at 12:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Somehow, someway, society needs to keep tabs on these creeps.

Here is the story in the Orlando newspaper.

h/t Asst Philadelphia DA Charlie Gallagher

Posted by Edd at 10:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is not going to go well for Johnson & Johnson.

Here is the IHT article.

Dvorak has a photo of the offensive product here.

Posted by Edd at 7:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ABC News recently published information about the terror plot in the UK last year involving liquid explosives. In a test by Sandia National Labs (video link here), it seems that these liquids disguised as sports drinks could have done catastrophic damage. On the other hand, it is also clear that these would-be bombers lacked the expertise to actually detonate the bombs.

So, it seems that good intelligence still trumps the security theater that is still the status quo.

Posted by Edd at 8:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If the economy is so great, what to make of this?

A new super Wal-Mart store in suburban Detroit had 5,000 applicants line up for 300 jobs. The average hourly salary for these positions is $10.50. It seems that the new working class is now called the working poor.

Geez. Here is the link.

Posted by Edd at 7:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One of their front organizations was called The American Liberty League. Eerie.

Here is the blurb:

The coup was aimed at toppling President Franklin D Roosevelt with the help of half-a-million war veterans. The plotters, who were alleged to involve some of the most famous families in America, (owners of Heinz, Birds Eye, Goodtea, Maxwell House & George Bush's Grandfather, Prescott [Bush]) believed that their country should adopt the policies of Hitler and Mussolini to beat the great depression.

One interesting quote from a scholar interviewed on the program:

"Most Americans back then cared more about security than about democracy."

Here is the link.

Posted by Edd at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here is the story line:

A toxic landfill recently began business just in front of your house! It smells! What are you going to do about it? How can you help others to avoid this same horrible fate?

Here is a link to the site.

Posted by Edd at 9:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

To fly or to drive: which leaves the smallest carbon footprint? That question is dealt with rather nicely in this article, Climate Change and Air Travel, from Tufts University.
Here are some simple, but effective suggestions they have:

If you can avoid traveling for business by using video and phone conferencing, do it!

If you have the option of taking the train instead of the plane or car, take the train!

If you can choose between local vacations and vacations somewhere far away in the tropics, stay local!

Posted by Edd at 3:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Your Papers Please…

Recently, the authorities in Philadelphia made their recommendations for tightened security at their City Hall. The results of that study – begun after 9-11 and at a cost of $6.5 – are now being implemented.

Visitors to this historic seat of municipal government will now have to sign a logbook, and wear a visitor nametag. Seems innocuous enough. Except when one asks this question: How will this increase security and safety? The answer is: It doesn’t. Just more security theater, and another opportunity to get citizens used to standing in security lines.

One security official, when asked about how these new procedures enhance security, said, “This is not a security measure. This . . . is keeping track of where people are going, which is not security."

Bruce Schneier, an actual security expert, had this to say in response to an e-mail request for a comment: “Waste of security.”

Posted by Edd at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The new Creation Museum with the tag line “Prepare to believe” recently opened near Cincinnati. The 60, 000 square foot museum is a “walk through history” and “brings the pages of the Bible to life”.

In case you’d rather pass on a trip to the Queen City, the intrepid folks at BlueGrassRoots did it for you. Early into the tour they came upon this advice:

"Don’t think, just listen and believe”. As you can see in the picture below, Human Reason is the enemy and God’s Word is the hero. Descartes represents Human Reason, saying “I think, therefore I am”. But God tells us there no need to waste your beautiful mind, for God says “I am that I am”.

Good grief.

Posted by Edd at 11:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Naomi Wolf has an article in The Guardian where she lays out a ten-step program for democratic societies to gradually shift into authoritarian states. So, how many of these steps has this administration embarked on over the last six years? Looks like all 10.

Here are the steps:

1. Invoke a terrifying internal and external enemy

2. Create a gulag

3. Develop a thug caste

4. Set up an internal surveillance system

5. Harass citizens' groups

6. Engage in arbitrary detention and release

7. Target key individuals

8. Control the press

9. Dissent equals treason

10. Suspend the rule of law

Here is the entire article. Important read.

Posted by Edd at 11:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The sister of the Virginia Tech student responsible for the killing rampage on Monday made a public statement through an attorney on behalf of the Cho family. It is heartbreaking to read. Each paragraph expresses such deep compassion for those who have died. In such times as these it is important to remember that they are a grieving family as well.

Here is a portion of her statement:

We pray for their families and loved ones who are experiencing so much excruciating grief. And we pray for those who were injured and for those whose lives are changed forever because of what they witnessed and experienced.

Each of these people had so much love, talent and gifts to offer, and their lives were cut short by a horrible and senseless act.

We are humbled by this darkness. We feel hopeless, helpless and lost. This is someone that I grew up with and loved. Now I feel like I didn't know this person.

We have always been a close, peaceful and loving family. My brother was quiet and reserved, yet struggled to fit in. We never could have envisioned that he was capable of so much violence.

He has made the world weep. We are living a nightmare.

Read the full statement below the fold.

Continue reading "Cho Family Statement" »

Posted by Edd at 3:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Yangtze River, which supplies as much as 35% of the country’s fresh water, may be “irreversibly” polluted.
Here is the AP report via ABC News.

Posted by Edd at 1:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Google Maps software technology has radically altered the way we gather geographical information – whether it be finding a friend’s address across the country to seeing where refugee camps are situated in Darfur. Now, a Silicon Valley company, Locus Technologies, is marrying that Google maps mashup capability with EPA Superfund site data in their "ePortal".

Just by entering a zip code anyone can find out if there is a superfund toxic site in the area. So far it is only available for IE 5 and above, but soon those of us who use other browsers will have access.

Information is power has never been more true than it is today.

Here is the Locus’ press release with all the links.

Posted by Edd at 7:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Someone needs to pull out his constitution and check in on who reports to whom in this frayed, old republic of ours.

Yesterday, President Bush, in a speech before a friendly audience comprised of members of the American Legion in Fairfax, Virginia, said, “I'm inviting congressional leaders from both parties...to meet with me at the White House next week. At this meeting, the leaders in Congress can report on progress on getting an emergency spending bill to my desk…”(emphasis added)

Yet, here is what the United States Constitution says about reporting [Article 2, Sec.3]:

He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union…

So, it is the president who gives information to Congress. It is he who does the reporting; not the other way around.

I wish Speaker Pelosi would give him this civics lesson.

Posted by Edd at 11:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the 70s while Richard Nixon was doing his particular impersonation of royalty, and the MSM was doing its best to bring him down a notch, or two, or three, something was happening in Chicago.

A federal judge was hearing a case about POTS – plain ole telephone service – and the judge (Green if memory serves) became the overseer of the eventual dismantling of AT&T and the Bell System. However, since so much of the bandwidth (even though we didn’t call it that in those days) of the major newspapers' front pages, and the networks’ leading stories were about all things Nixonian, this story garnered relatively little attention.

History, if as they say is not repeating itself, certainly is beginning to rhyme. While the Iraqi War, and Gonzogate and all the other emerging scandals are soaking up loads of media attention, there is an important controversy brewing deep in the tubes of the internets. It seems that the US government (in the form of the Department of Homeland Security) wants access to the master keys that control the worldwide domain name system.

This can have a far-reaching impact on the continued evolution of this remarkable technology. There is a long, involved (and not uninteresting) history about our government’s role in the creation and early development of the tubes. But the global internet has gown beyond any one county’s capacity to control it, and frankly, other countries will no longer tolerate that kind of dominance.

This may be one of those events that seemed too technical, too arcane, to pay attention to, until later, when we realize that it was not.

Here (from the UK notably) is a brief article laying out the issues.

Posted by Edd at 2:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sometimes, actually many times, a great cartoon can say more than any blog entry. This one really captures the controversy surrounding John McCain’s remarkable assertions about the relative safety of various Baghdad neighborhoods.

Posted by Edd at 4:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Where were you when you saw Dr. King’s bloody shirt outside the motel in Memphis? Dr. King was assassinated 39 years ago today. We sure could benefit from his soaring oratory now in these days when oratory seems to barely get off the ground.

Posted by Edd at 10:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Still in beta, but version #2 should be the bomb!
Check it out here.

Continue reading "Google Launches a Free Nation-wide In-home Wireless Broadband Service" »

Posted by Edd at 10:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The question used to be: What’s on TV? Now it is: Who is on TV? The answer on justin.tv is everyone Justin Kan runs into as he goes about his days (and nights) in San Francisco.

Justin wears a web-camera on his head 24//7. It is oddly compelling – not sure why.

Here is an article about him in the SF Chronicle. And here is a link to his site. See what Justin is up to right now.

Posted by Edd at 12:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

British parents seem increasingly worried about the possibility that their children may be victims of violent crime. So worried that some have taken to ordering and outfitting their kids with body armor – you know the type of protection that was lacking for many American soldiers in Iraq.

“Firearm deaths”, as the British call gun violence, is remarkably low there. The numbers did not break 100 in either 2002 or 2003 – that number is equaled in American cities like Philadelphia in about three months. And oddly enough gun violence has actually decreased in London since last year. Yet, it is the perception of danger, perhaps more than the actual risks that drive behavior.

If Americans had the same reaction to gun violence as the Brits, then “Baby Armor” would not seem as far fetched as it might right now.

Here is the story from the UK.

Posted by Edd at 6:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The current wisdom generated by many apparently thoughtful conservative pundits in Washington is that, in the case of Iraq anyway, timelines just won’t work. We hear about tying the hands of the military, micromanaging the war, and so forth.

Yet, today I saw a picture from Northern Ireland that I never believed I would see in my lifetime. Another case of the it is impossible until it is not impossible anymore and then it is inevitable image that I come across from time to time. Like the fall of the Berlin Wall. Or the imam and rabbi embracing in a synagogue in Philadelphia last year. Or that same imam praying in the sanctuary of a Catholic church. We all have such images. Why are they so surprising, I wonder.

Now then. Back to Northern Ireland. Seems like Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams have come to an agreement on power sharing in Northern Ireland. And there they were sitting at a table together smiling and taking questions from the press after signing the agreement.

And what brought these two life-long adversaries together? Seems like the answer is a timeline. Or perhaps it was the deadline that occurs at the end of a timeline. Today was the last day for the two sides – Ian Paisley’s Democratic Union Party (aka Protestants) and Gerry Adams’ Sinn Fein (aka Catholics) – to make an agreement before Britain imposed one on them.

Apparently, nothing focuses the mind quite like a date certain.

There may be a lesson here for the Iraqis.

Posted by Edd at 10:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Thank the gods for the YouTubes

In a remarkable exchange between Chris Matthews of cable TV’s Hardball and Tom DeLay, former exterminator, former Republican Whip, current criminal defendant in Texas, and current flogger his new book, Never Surrender, Never Quit, Never Admit Defeat, Never Never, Ever… it appeared that Mr. DeLay was unfamiliar with some of his own writings. Matthews then hands him a copy of his own book to read the exact wording of a particularly vicious characterization of a Republican colleague from the House. DeLay’s response is, well, remarkably revealing.

And speaking of revealing, here is a clip of an off the air exchange between the two of them. It is revealing to see what a consummate insider Matthews is, as it is to hear what DeLay has to say about Hilary Clinton and other women who think.

Such interchanges remind me of the day in August 2004 when Jon Stewart went on CNN's Crossfire to make it clear how these “news programs” are nothing more than bad theater.

Posted by Edd at 7:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the Industrial Age miners often carried canaries with them into the coal mines. Nowadays, it is a cliché – metaphorical canaries are in mineshafts all over the place. Back then, though, it was a matter of life and death. The small birds acted as sentries alerting the coal miners to methane gas – no doubt saving many a miner’s life.

Someday there may be another cliché – polar bears on ice floats. Today, though, they are by no means figures of speech. Rather, it seems that more and more polar bears are literally drowning because their icy perches are now too far apart for many of them to swim to.

The difference between then and now? The miners paid attention to the canaries. We seem to be ignoring the plight of the polar bears.

Time we changed that.

Posted by Edd at 6:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here is an excerpt from the suicide note left by Army ethicist, Col. Ted Westhusing. Col. Westhusing received a doctorate in philosophy from Emory University just two years before heading off to Baghdad. He died in 2005 from a self-inflicted bullet wound to the head. His dissertation was on military honor and the ethics of war.
He was 44.

I cannot support a msn [mission] that leads to corruption, human right abuses and liars. I am sullied—no more. I didn’t volunteer to support corrupt, money grubbing contractors, nor work for commanders only interested in themselves. I came to serve honorably and feel dishonored. I trust no Iraqi. I cannot live this way…
Why serve when you cannot accomplish the mission, when you no longer believe in the cause, when your every effort and breath to succeed meets with lies, lack of support, and selfishness? No more. Reevaluate yourselves, cdrs [commanders]. You are not what you think you are and I know it.

One of Col. Westhusing’s commanders was none other than Gen. David Petraeus, the latest Hail Mary quarterback now leading “the surge” in Iraq.

The full story is here at E&P. We are so not the country we once were.

The complete suicide note is on the flip.

Continue reading "Not So Famous Last Words (Not Yet Anyway)" »

Posted by Edd at 3:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Shifts seem to be occurring most everywhere these days. On the macro-level you can get a sense of some of those shifts here on the Whitman blog (thanks Ian).

And there seems to be a shift in terms of activism as well. Finally, the realization is sinking in that the stakes are high, and getting higher. Some believe that they cannot get any higher. The difference now seems to be that more and more people are moving into action.

On the national scene environmentalists are beginning to frame the message in ways that also free people up to act – to literally step up. The hand-wringing, sky is falling message is shifting from apocalyptic doom to clear steps that can lead to significant improvement in the global environment. Conversations now include carbon footprints, carbon taxes, hydrogen economies, small personal steps and giant collective ones as well.

Next month on April 14th all across the country Americans will have an opportunity to take both those steps – large and small. StepItUp07 is one such effort. It is a well-coordinated effort to create a national call to action – a call long overdue, but finally here.

Find a gathering place near you. There will be more than 900 such gatherings in all 50 states.

Time for all of us to step (it) up.

Posted by Edd at 8:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

More and more conversations about “the fall of Baghdad” seem to be occurring. John MacArthur, editor of Harpers, recently interviewed Wolfgang Lehmann, the diplomat (now retired) who was charged with identifying Vietnamese allies who needed to be evacuated when Saigon fell.

So far it seems that no one in the Bush administration has contacted him to pick his brain about this. When we recall how the Defense Department ignored all the work done by the State Department on how to organize the occupation before the invasion, it is unlikely that they will be prepared to take care of Iraqis who took such great risks by working with Americans.

Posted by Edd at 10:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A recent New York Times article describes what may become the next big thing in the competitive hi-tech world – employee shuttles on steroids. Google is recruiting and retaining skilled employees by paying attention to quality of life matters that really matter. And spending untold hours behind the wheel in gridlocked traffic is one of the most significant factors in reducing that quality. So, Google shuttles about 1,200 employees on 32 buses each workday to and from their famed "Googleplex" headquaters in Mountain View.

Will this become commonplace in other metropolitan areas besides the Bay Area, with its world-class gridlock? Probably not commonplace, but other companies may follow suit. And if this does happen, how will it impact public transit? Will there be even less demand, so less service and greater cost? A trend worth watching.

Posted by Edd at 4:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One of the many perks of living in an “urban environment” (actually I recall when they were called cities, but that was a while ago, and now I digress even before I had the opportunity to gress...)

Well, a world-class library is the perk I had in mind. And last evening the Free Library of Philadelphia sponsored a reading and book signing by Krista Tippett, the host of the popular NPR program, Speaking of Faith. She has a new book out with the same name.

During her talk Tippett read four passages from her book, and if those selections are indicative of the quality of the writing, this will be a great read. And if the turnout in the main branch's Montgomery Auditorium is any indication of her popularity (about 300 people on a very cold evening), then she may well have a best seller on her hands by the end of the tour.

Krista spoke very eloquently about how she sees her work and her program, saying that she “traces the intersection of religion and human experience”. It was also interesting it hear her talk about her interviews with scientists, which she says generate the most responses. As an example, she spoke of how both theologians and scientists believe in things they cannot see, and then she said that from the scientists she has learned that “how we ask our questions offer a way to answering them.”

For instance, with the mysterious nature of light she said, “If we ask particle questions of light, we get particle answers, and if we ask wave questions, we get wave answers…”

Her final comment about the interplay between science and religion was also noteworthy. She said, “Mathematicians will say that an inelegant equation is probably not true, while a beautiful one probably is.”

Speaking of tracing, Krista did nice work of tracing how she went from student to working in he US Embassy in Germany to attending Yale Divinity School (where she also learned about being a mother) right to her efforts to create her radio program. And she did this without seeming to meander about and lose her audience.

Her actual talk was mercifully brief, and she spent more than half of her time engaged in conversation with the audience. The questions and comments were also quite good. There were some predictable questions about the problems with religion in the world as well. Yet Tippett handled them well at one point saying, “Religion is created by human beings, is run by human beings, and is just as flawed as human beings”. There was something about how she used the word run in that sentence that seemed unusually apt.

There was also a wonderful question by a mother of two young children. The questioner pointed out that her experience of mothering seemed like the closest she could come to experiencing what it must be like for God to love humanity. So, she asked Krista how her experience of parenting had informed her work on her program. Krista responded by saying that her experience of being a parent was about losing control. She then humorously described a similar process in the Bible in which the Jewish God loses control of humanity time and again.

Near the end of the conversation/talk/reading, she said that she is guided by four questions, which I think are four questions that could guide any of us in our lives and work as well. The questions are:

What does it mean to be human?
What matters in a life?
What matters in a death?
How to be of service?

Her book is on my short list.

Continue reading "NPRs Speaking of Faith Interviewer, Krista Tippett, Launches Book Tour in Philadelphia" »

Posted by Edd at 2:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Our good friends at PEOPLEpreneurs in Philadelphia have a contest going to see who has the best stories about how learning the Principles and Practices of Emotional Intelligence and applying them to everyday life has led to success.

The winners will have their stories published in PEOPLEpreneurs new book (their second) already in process PLUS a fifty dollar VISA gift card for the best story. And of course it goes without saying that, when you win, the most emotional intelligent thing you can do with that card is to give it to your Significant Other and tell them that they are the reason that you have turned out so well.

To get a copy of the contest description and submission form click here.

Good luck and happy writing!

Posted by Edd at 9:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On c|net’s news.com site Declan McCulllagh (famed for his initial coverage of Al Gore and the beginning of the internets) informs us of a recent meeting between Justice Department officials and representatives from major ISPs like AOL and Comcast.

Here’s the lede:

The Bush administration has accelerated its Internet surveillance push by proposing that Web sites must keep records of who uploads photographs or videos in case police determine the content is illegal and choose to investigate, CNET News.com has learned.

The Justice Department officials again couched this initiative as counterterrorism and anti child pornography tools that federal and local law enforcement needs in case they learn of a crime committed at a later date. This will no doubt alarm many privacy advocates.

The one thing we know for sure about slippery slopes is that they are slippery. This one may be a slippery ride down the rabbit hole called, If you don’t have anything to hide, you have nothing to worry about from your government.

Time to grease up, I guess.

Posted by Edd at 4:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What’s Up At The Washington Times?

The conservative newspaper, owned by Rev. Moon, seems to be having some management issues. It looks like the new heir-apparent at the paper, Fran Coombs, has gone on a power hungry craze. This according to George Archibald, long-time reporter for the paper, writing in his blog, Unhinged.

Archibald describes Coombs’ personality this way:
We all knew he had a bad temper, drank a lot, smoked a lot of pot, but he supported his team of great reporters and we loved his feistiness and enthusiasm.

Drank a lot? Smoked a lot of pot? At The Washington Times!!?? Oh well, just goes to show you, book by its cover and so forth.

But here is the really disturbing paragraph from a larger story about how this editor insisted on framing an abortion story from India regardless of the facts:

Coombs has told me [Archibald] and others repeatedly that he favors abortion because he sees it as a way to eliminate black and other minority babies.

For some time now The Washington Times has been an influential paper on Capitol Hill - much more so than its circulation numbers would imply. It is disturbing, perhaps alarming that such a right-wing extremist (even in a newspaper culture full of conservative reporters and editors with a clear biased agenda) is at the helm.

This is not good news.

Posted by Edd at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

OK, I am trying to see the significance of this article on the conservative blog, Townhall.org. The headline encompasses the whole story – Gore, Staff Led Past Airline Security.

It seems that an American Airlines employee brought the Gore party through another entrance to the gate area, rather than through the TSA theater of the absurd. When a security person learned of this, he asked Gore and his staff to return to the screening area. They complied without complaint. The employee who actually made a rational decision is now relegated to the retraining workshop entitled, How Not To Act Around Famous, Oscar-winning Former Vice-Presidents Who Have Had the Highest Security Clearances The Government Has.

Now, in less than two years much as I’d like to see Bush and Cheney taking their shoes off and going through TSA kabuki like the rest of us, I’d just as soon give them a pass. They will probably be less of a security risk, and can do less damage when they are out of office.

The important news in the above mentioned story seems to be that Al Gore did not try to pull rank, and willingly complied with all requests made of him throughout the incident. Go figure.

Posted by Edd at 7:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Haven’t seen one of these news releases in a while, but I guess with global warming and all we may be nearing the end times. Anyway, The Virgin, or at least an image that a cafeteria worker discovered as she scrubbed a baking pan, has shown up in Texas. What is up with Texas?
Here is the AP report via the ever-reliable Christina Broadcasting Network. (The video does not seem to work. I wonder what that means?)

Posted by Edd at 11:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time…

Remember back in the days of Earth Day 1 and 2? Hopeful times then. One of the many innovative solutions to the problem of our overflowing landfills was to use discarded tires as artificial reefs. The thought was that over time these tires would become encrusted with bits of this and that and become inviting habitats for all sorts of sea creatures. Well that was the idea.
Now it turns out that this idea has become another global ecological disaster.

This from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel:

"We've literally dumped millions of tires in our oceans,'' said Jack Sobel, a senior Ocean Conservancy scientist. "I believe that people who were behind the artificial tire reef promotions actually were well intentioned and thought they were doing the right thing. In hindsight, we now realize that we made a mistake.''

No one can say with certainty why the idea doesn't work, but one problem is that, unlike large ships that have been sunk for reefs, tires are too light. They can be swept away with tides and currents from powerful storms, and marine life doesn't have a chance to attach. Some scientists also believe the rubber leeches toxins.

Another factor to consider within the larger ecological disaster known as the internal combustion engine with all its peripherals, and its fuel that we are all addicted to.

Posted by Edd at 10:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It is sad to learn from the LA Times and in The Philadelphia Inquirer that saxophonist Michael Becker, winner of 11 Grammy Awards, died at age 57 of leukemia.
Cincidentally, Alice Coltrane, wife of legendary saxophonists, John Coltrane, also died this past weekend. This is an eerie coincidence given how influencial Trane was to Brecker's growth as an artist.

Here is a clip on YouTube of his remarkable playing. This one on an EWI. And here is another great clip.

Posted by Edd at 10:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

iArrogant iApple May Have Clear Shot at iPhone After All

It turns out that Cisco Systems may not own the iPhone trademark after all. Some experts point out that in order to maintain ownership of a trademark, a company needs to file a “Declaration of Use” within 6 years of the initial filing. Looks like that didn’t happen. If that is the case, it may well be that Apple may be able to use the iPhone name without having to agree wit any of Cisco’s terms.
Wow! Someone at Cisco is having a long day!

Here is one legal opinion.

Posted by Edd at 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

During his presentation at MacWorld this week, Steve Jobs announced Apple’s latest in coolness – the iPhone. And it could do for Apple in the telephone business what iTunes and the iPod has done for them in the music (and soon the movie) business.

There is only one problem – Apple does not own the iPhone trademark. Cisco Systems does. It appears that Jobs jumped the gun, and assumed he could muscle a company like Cisco. That might turn out to be too big a stretch even for Steve Jobs.

In his corporate blog, Cisco General Counsel, Mark Chandler, explains why Cisco is suing Apple over the trademark infringement. According to Chandler the issue wasn’t about money, but about iNteroperability between their product and Apple’s sometime in the future. Playing well with others has never been Apple’s strong suit, and it seems that this time it might cost them a cool name to go with their new cool phone.

Here is the Cisco press release. BTW speaking of coolness, check out Cisco's new logo - the bridge is very cool.

More info here @ news.com.

Posted by Edd at 9:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Kiran Desai, last year’s winner of this prestigious prize for fiction writing awarded to an author who is a citizen of the UK or the Republic of Ireland gives a brief, but fascinating, interview about her book, The Inheritance of Loss. And at 35 she is the youngest woman to have won this award.

The Man Booker Prize site is here. And the interview is here.

Posted by Edd at 10:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The theme for this year’s competition, sponsored by the Universal Postal Union and UNESCO, focuses on environmental issues. These two organizations have been championing this competition since 1971. Its purpose is to encourage international communication between and among young people all over the world. Deadline for entries is April 30, 2007.

The theme this year is:

"Imagine you are a wild animal whose habitat is threatened by environmental or climate change. Write a letter to the people of the world, explaining to them what they can do to help you survive."

The competition is open to all young persons under the age of 15. There are no language restrictions. You can find all the rules, regulations and such at the UPU’s website here.

Letter-writing is a skill that seems to be in rapid decline, yet it may be an important one for developing greater intentionality in our everyday lives. Letter-writing involve a vastly different frame of mind to compose than e-mails. A well-written letter takes into consideration the elapsed time from writing to reading. So such letters are the ones we save in shoeboxes, sometimes for our entire lives.

Posted by Edd at 2:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

According to some reliable sources, there are about 2,000 islands “of significance” on the planet (although that is certainly a tricky phrase – significant to whom?) According to other sources, Finland is the country with the greatest number of islands (179,584), but it doesn’t seem that they are all “significant”.

India, however, seems to be the first country to lose an inhabited island to global warming. This is according to an article in The Independent:

Rising seas, caused by global warming, have for the first time washed an inhabited island off the face of the Earth. The obliteration of Lohachara island, in India's part of the Sundarbans where the Ganges and the Brahmaputra rivers empty into the Bay of Bengal, marks the moment when one of the most apocalyptic predictions of environmentalists and climate scientists has started coming true.

As the seas continue to swell, they will swallow whole island nations, from the Maldives to the Marshall Islands, inundate vast areas of countries from Bangladesh to Egypt, and submerge parts of scores of coastal cities.

Is this a tipping point? Must be to those who used to inhabit Lohachara Island.

Posted by Edd at 1:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Some of you have not been paying attention to the RFID passport controversy that is currently clogging some of the tubes on the Internets. Just what do you do with all that time you have on your hands?!
Well, in a nutshell the EU has been adding an RFID chip (like they use in stores to track inventory and such) into their passports. The US has just begun using this technology with all new passports they send out. The controversy centers on the fact that other people with the right technology can also read the digitized information embedded n that chip.

There is a solution, though. A new wallet is now on the market that will shield your passport and any other cards with that chip in them. A good stocking stuffer.

Posted by Edd at 1:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This updated item on the TSA website:

Snow globes regardless of size or amount of liquid inside, even with documentation, are prohibited in your carry-on. Please ship these items or pack them in your checked baggage.

Feel safer?

Oh, and the TSA has about a half dozen rules about handling monkeys. Among them:

TSOs have been trained to not touch the monkey during the screening process.

Posted by Edd at 6:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Some conservative pundits, most notably Bill Bennett on his Morning in America radio program, continually assert that Muslim leaders have not spoken up about injustice in the world. This is an ill-informed assertion that a quick google search could remedy (775,000 hits for the keywords “Muslims fighting intolerance”).

The latest example of Islamic leaders speaking out is this WaPo video of a group of Muslim leaders touring the Holocaust Museum in Washington.

Posted by Edd at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Reuters reports from Jakarta that, according to material released by the WWF, scientists have discovered more than 50 new plant and animal species in Borneo. These appear to be some of the most wonderfully strange and exotic creatures found in recent memory. One is the second smallest vertebrate measuring 0.4 inches. It also has the ability to live in the acidic black water of a peat swamp. Others have strange coloring, and one fish even has an adhesive substance on its belly enabling it to stick to rocks.

All this reinforces the need to retain and restore these vital tropical habitats that are being encroached upon by industrial development.

Once again (as mentioned in a previous post) discoveries like these point to the importance of paying attention not only to the planting of trees, but also to where those trees are planted.

Read the WWF report, Heart of Borneo, here.

Posted by Edd at 8:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Thanks to Liz Robinson from the Energy Coordinating Agency in Philadelphia (via a listserv) this article from the BBC about planting trees to offset carbon emissions. Turns out that it is not the number of trees; it is where those trees are planted. In general planting in the more northern latitudes is less effective than in the tropics.

This distinction seems crucial to the environmental restorative conversation.

Posted by Edd at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Not long after his stroke Ram Dass of Be Here Now and Fierce Grace fame was asked about how his life was going, and what it was like to get old. He said, “First procedures, then operations.” I thought of that quote when I read about a “procedure” that occurred recently in Florida.
In a written statement, Governor Bush said, "A preexisting medical condition … was the reason tonight's procedure took longer than recent procedures carried out this year.”

Sure sounds medical, “preexisting medical conditions”, “recent procedures”. As sterile as an operating room.

The big difference in this case of course was that the patient was Angel Nieves Diaz, 55, convicted of murdering a Miami topless bar manager 27 years ago, and sentenced to death for the crime.

The unusually long procedure Bush involved the fact that it took the inmate 34 minutes to die, and that he was seen grimacing before he died after receiving a second round of “medicine”.

According to the report,

Moments before his execution, Diaz again denied killing Joseph Nagy during a robbery at the Velvet Swing Lounge. There were no eyewitnesses to Nagy's Dec. 29, 1979, murder. Most of the club's employees and patrons were locked in a restroom, but Diaz's girlfriend later told police he was involved.

Our society seems to have succeeded in the Orwellian task of making an execution sound like a round of chemotherapy. Not easily done that.

Here's the article.

Update: Jeb Bush has suspended executions after the latest botched procedure.

Posted by Edd at 12:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In this morning’s WaPo, Richard Cohen weighed in on the now near infamous Bush-Webb interaction at the post election White House reception. He almost got it right, but it just seems that Washington pundits still have a blind spot about this president.

My response to him is after the jump.

Continue reading "How's Your War, Mr. Cohen?" »

Posted by Edd at 9:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Does every vote really count? Well yes and no. In landslide districts like the Bay Area maybe not. In this increasingly polarized political atmosphere, however, each vote may count more than ever.
Consider this: Pennsylvania has a voting population of 4,858,104 in 67 counties. The state assembly was evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans while a recount was performed in one final district – Chester County. Te result? The Democratic candidate won by 23 votes.
So, the answer may be that yes, every vote does count, but we never know for sure exactly how much it counts. In this case every vote counted more than the voters could have imagined.
Details here.

Posted by Edd at 8:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here is an article in the Guardian about the reclamation plans for Hetch Hetchy – the valley in the Sierra that John Muir thought more beautiful than Yosemite Valley.

When first told of plans to dam it he [Muir] replied: 'Dam Hetch Hetchy? [One might] as well dam for water tanks the people's cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by the heart of man.'

What also captured our attention was the reference in the article about how reclamation of such environmental disasters will be the defining task of the generation of our children’s children
We can only hope that we have not set the bar to high.

Posted by Edd at 8:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Back in the day we could say that we learned all those cuss words in the gutter where we were with the gutter snipes that we were not supposed to be with. Now it seems that kids can learn these words from toys. A policeman talking doll apparently says the f-word every time his nightstick is taken from him. A testy cop no doubt. A three- year old began imitating his role model. Toys-R-Us blamed it on a “faulty chip”.
That and more in the SF Chronicle’s Bondage page.

Posted by Edd at 1:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ummmm... we're not sure what to make of this except to say that it seems like a good idea. Here's the headline in today's Philadelphia Inquirer:
Day-care sites required to be free of toxins
The rest of the story is here.

Posted by Edd at 1:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The groundswell may well become an earthquake. The Disney produced 9-11 “docudrama” is scheduled to be aired on Sunday and Monday on ABC to mark the 5th anniversary of the attack on this country. Apparently, it is quite a doozy.
Apparently, it blames the Clinton administration for what happened that day. Apparently, they have made up “facts” and are presenting them as based on the 9-11 Commission Report. Right wing bloggers have been sent advanced copies. As had Rush. Clinton has not been so fortunate.
This is serious business. It deserves a letter or two to the execs at Mouseland and ABC.
Here is a site with all the bills of particular.

Posted by Edd at 7:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

According to an article by the Associated Press it is becoming common for colleges to evict students who have attempted suicide from their dorm rooms when they return to school.
So, let’s sort this out. It is important for suicidal youth to ask for help. Yet if they do ask for help, they will be evicted from their dorm. Like we said, go figure.
Here is the article.

Posted by Edd at 11:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

“Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.” Sign in Albert Einstein’s office in Princeton

Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler. Einstein

What makes this interesting is a slightly different headline in the NYT: "Iraq Official Reports Capture of Top Insurgent Leader Linked to Shrine Bombing". In a more nuanced view of the situation an American official was unwilling to set a ranking. According to the article
.

.. [a] United States military official was more cautious in describing Mr. Saeedi’s place in the organization’s pecking order. While he was a “top-tier guy” who supervised those who carried out the Samarra bombing, “I’m not sure we are ready to put a number on him,” said the American official…”

And the metaphor is expanding. “WWIII” is beginning to enter into the national conversation. “Keeping it simple, stupid” sometimes leads to greater complexity and confusion. And more stupidity.

Posted by Edd at 4:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There was an episode on The West Wing that was entitled “The Friday Night Trash”, or something to that effect. The title referred to a practice in Washington, DC of releasing “bad news” at the end of the day on a given Friday. That way it is reported on Saturday when hardly anyone is paying attention, and by Monday whoever released the information can speak of it as old news…

This afternoon happens to be a Friday heading into the Labor Day weekend. Most of the movers and shakers in Washington, DC are either on the beach in nearby Delaware, or on Cape Cod, or perhaps in Maine. Of course there are a few who are on fact-finding missions in Italy, and Hawaii and so forth as well.

So, they will probably miss this report from the Pentagon about the deteriorating situation in Iraq entitled “Measuring the Security and Stability in Iraq”. Too bad. A good read. Lots of violence (attacks up 50%). Death squads and insurgents (“potent and viable”). Also, looks like Al Qaeda is still powerful in spite of the loss of its local boss.

Here is the report in the NYT with a link to the PDF of the report.

Update on Saturday's newspaper coverage:

Paper of Record: Front Page
Chicago Tribune: Nada, but they do have a headline about Tom Cruise’s apology to Brooks Shields
Philadelphia Inquirer: Front Page
Washington Post: Front Page
SF Chronicle: Nada, but “hairy and chubby gay men” seem to be hip… or is it hop?
LA Times: Nada, but there is an article about a local fundamentalist minister who want to convert “generations of the post-modern age”
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Nada, but we were saddened to learn that Jessica Simpson's voice is not 100% yet.

Posted by Edd at 3:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In a recent NYT article there was a graph displayed to show how housing prices for existing home have fluctuated over the last century or so. The Yale economist, Robert Shiller created this index that factored out the impact of inflation. Looking at the current “hockey stick” spike gives an eerie picture of just how unsustainable it all is.

Very powerful. Check it out here.

Posted by Edd at 1:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As most know, Kyra Phillips, CNN anchorperson/newsreader, made a trip to the ladies room recently while George Bush was explaining once again to the American people why the So-Called War On Terrorism (SCWOT – pronounced “squat”) is winnable, even if not during his term in office. Going to the john seems like a sensible thing to do on such occasions. Unfortunately, her wireless microphone was left on while she conversed with a colleague about her family, especially her “control freak” sister-in-law.

In the aftermath she apologized, and then she did a really smart thing. Rather than backpedal or dissemble, she moved into action. On the Letterman Show, she read the “Top Ten List”. In this case the lit was the ‘Top Ten Kyra Phillips Excuses”. It was a very funny bit, and served to diffuse any possible negative outcome from such a flub.

Through the magic of You Tube, here is the video clip.

Posted by Edd at 1:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The editors of the Jewish Daily Forward’s present some important questions in their most recent editorial, Asking the Right Question.

Israelis should not be asking why this war didn’t resemble the Six Day War. Rather, they should ask why it looked so much like America’s wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam, or like Russia’s wars in Chechnya and Afghanistan, or France’s wars in Algeria and Vietnam. Why do generals insist on believing in the fantasy that guerrilla insurgencies can be wiped out by jets and tanks?

Had Rabin not been assassinated, but rather permitted to carry out his plans, things might look very different today in the Middle East and, perhaps, beyond. Too many lives have been lost, too many homes destroyed, too much hope extinguished in the decade since he and his vision were cut down. Yet the truths remain the same. Wisdom lies, as always, in knowing when to shoot and when to talk. Now is the time to talk.

Here is the entire editorial.

Posted by Edd at 10:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dead zones are areas in the sea where there is insufficient oxygen to sustain living things. They occur in many places around the world, and usually come in the spring and last for a few weeks. And they have occurred off the coast of Oregon. That is no big whoop by itself. However, this is the fifth consecutive year that one of these dead zones has appeared off her coast.
One marine biologist, Jane Lubechenco, from Oregon State University cannot link it to any of the usual suspects – El Niño of La Niña – and so she is wondering if it might be connected to global warming. She said,

“There is no other cause, as far as we can determine.”

Here is the rest of the story in the paper of record.

Posted by Edd at 10:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Are we witnessing the beginning of the end of suburban sprawl? Some in the real estate industry think we are. The cost of commuting in both time and money are beginning to take their toll. Many young buyers, who in the past have fed the trend of expanding suburbia and exurbia are beginning to look at downtown sections of cities, and the market seems to be slowly responding.
This trend can’t come too soon.
Here is the article.

Posted by Edd at 1:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The first political cartoon in America was Benjamin Franlin’s famous “Join or Die” depicting a snake representing the colonies cut into segments. This cartoon by John de Rosier is an extraordinarily powerful one as well. It is worth a look.

Posted by Edd at 12:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Voyager 1, or ‘Vega” from the days of Star Trek The Motion Picture, made interstellar history yesterday. The little spacecraft just passed the 100 astronomical unit (AU) mark. This means that Voyager is now 100 times farther away from the sun than the sun is from the earth, or about “9.3 billion miles out there”.

Voyager 2 is chugging along about six years behind.

Here are all the astronimicals.

Posted by Edd at 2:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In an article from The Sunday Times in the UK comes this story of an old suitcase made of cardboard that is part of a Holocaust exhibit currently in France. The artifact is a rare one in that it has the name of the owner clearly visible. As it happened, the son of the suitcase’s owner saw the suitcase and now wants it back. The museum does not want to return it, saying that the fact that the suitcase has a name attached to it makes for a more powerful experience for those viewing the exhibit.

The museum has a point. Except… this is property stolen by the Nazi regime and belongs to the family. If the son of this victim of the Holocaust wants to loan the suitcase to the museum, that would be great. But to retain stolen property that has a clear ownership thread seems to be wrong on the face of it.

Again, here is the link.

Posted by Edd at 11:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Is the TSA, the government organization that now wants us all to take our shoes off before each flight we take, part of the fact-based community? It is difficult to tell. An entry on their homepage trumpets: The System Worked: TSA Security Officers Respond to Threat in Huntington. It goes on to say that the technology at the West Virginia airport was able to pick up traces of explosives in the hand luggage of a Pakistani woman going through security.

Yet, here is an article about the same incident in The Independent saying that this wasn’t the case, that no explosives were found, and that the issue and more to do with her traditional Muslim garb than anything else. Here is that take on reality.

Posted by Edd at 10:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Coming to a theater near you. This film bill itself as “… a first-ever look into an intense training ground that recruits born-again Christian children to become an active part of America's political future.”
And the children are as young as six years old.
Here is the blurb.

Speaking of film…
The ubiquitous font, Helvetica, is turning fifty and next year a new documentary film about the font will be released. I guess if they can make a gripping film about crossword puzzles, like Wordplay, then perhaps filmmakers can do the same with a font. Here is the website.

Posted by Edd at 12:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

According to a recent Harris Poll, even today half of all Americans still believe that Iraq had Weapons of Mass Distruction when the administratin decided to invade the country in 2003. These opinions persist even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary - evidence that even the Bush adminsitration accepts as fact.
Here is the link.

Posted by Edd at 1:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The stickers must have worked because the lake is saved. Well, maybe it had to do with a bunch of young scientists who studied the lake thirty years ago. Their research spearheaded the lawsuit that led to the California Supreme Court ruling that said the state had an obligation to protect areas like Mono Lake as part of the state’s public trust doctrine. The mantra must be that it takes time over time, but if we start now, what other equally positive news might be in the press thirty years from now? A new Hetch Hetchy Valley? Seeing 100 feet beneath the surface of Lake Tahoe (like you could in 1960)? Looks like anything is possible.

Here is the Mono Lake story.

Posted by Edd at 1:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here is an interesting question posed by WaPo columnist Richard Cohen, and pondered by Andrew Glass of The Hill: Is Israel a mistake?
Cohen said that Israel

“… is an honest mistake, a well-intentioned mistake, a mistake for which no one is culpable, but the idea of creating a nation of European Jews in an area of Arab Muslims (and some Christians) has produced a century of warfare and terrorism of the sort we are seeing now.”

Posted by Edd at 12:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Parenting is one of the few human activities in which one human being can control the behavior of another human being without having to demonstrate any skill or proficiency whatsoever. Our society regulates beautician and taxidermists, but not parents. It may be a bit if a stretch to have people take a number like they do at the DMV for their driving test, to demonstrate their ability to be parents before the fact, but at least we might, as a society, set some minimum standards of parental behavior, like outlawing assault and battery. Here is a case in point from Cincinnati, where a former city official beat his 14 year-old son with a belt. A judge ruled that he committed no crime. It certainly begs the question just where is the line? Details here.

Posted by Edd at 6:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A few weeks ago I posted a vignette describing my experience on a train to San Francisco involving a young veteran. Seems like he is not alone. In this article in the Air Force Times we learn that the jobless rate for this new crop of veterans is 11% - more than double the average for the country. What happened a generation ago to the shopping cart soldiers was shameless. If we let it happen again, it will be reprehensible.

Posted by Edd at 9:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The new UK edition of Monopoly will electronic. No more $1s, 5s, 10, and so forth tucked half way under the board. No more sticking it to your siblings about how much loot you have, and how little they have. Wonder if it will take hold here in the US… Get your debit card here.

Posted by Edd at 10:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Qantas mechanics seem to have as finely hones a sense of humor as they do technical skills. Here is a collection of responses to pilots “gripe sheets” that they fill out after each flight. Since Qantas is the only major airline that has never has a fatal crash, I guess their humor works. Check here for a chuckle.

Posted by Edd at 3:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Another Eco-Auger, only this time closer to home…

For a place where humans have never lived, the Faralllon Islands have seen more than their share of human-related disasters. We have still not been told just how much nucUlar waste was actually dumped there by the Navy years ago. But we do know how the birds are doing out there. And the news is not good.

Perch here for the inconvenient facts.

Posted by Edd at 9:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the continental United States only two states recorded temperatures lower than 90° today - Washington and Michigan. And the numbers for the year so far are ominous. The trend is warmer, much warmer. For the first six months of this year, we are experiencing a trend more than 3.4° warmer than average.
And every state, including Washington and Michigan, reported warmer than average temperatures today.
An inconvenient statistic. The details here.

Posted by Edd at 5:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It is difficult to calculate the true coast of “being professional”, i.e. buying into the notion that it is possible to leave your emotional life at home when you come to work. Or even the more bizarre notion of somehow leaving your "personal life" at the front door of the office, or the front gate of the plant. Some researchers in Australia are working on those calculations with one such emotion – depression, and the
price tag is a steep one.

So, how much do you figure depression costs companies per year?

Here are the numbers.

Posted by Edd at 4:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Spoofing has been around for a while, but it still may be useful to put some more disinfectant light on this scam now and again. Today’s Chicago Tribune has an article that lays this out in very clear terms. It is just as easy to be lulled into a false sense of security when it comes to phone service, as it is to be overly cautious when it comes to the Web.

Here is the link.

Posted by Edd at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What we remember as a popular culture is almost as important as what we remember incorrectly. It is always fascinating to see how urban myths enter the collective consciousness. Are they random, or are they the result of carefully choreographed marketing initiatives that serve one part of society at the expense of the rest?
Case in point is the story of the “frivolous lawsuit” brought against McDonalds by a woman who was burnt by a spilled cup of coffee.

The facts of the case got lost in the belief of its frivolity. Ms. Liebeck, the 79-year old retired sales clerk, who bought the 49-cent cup of coffee from a drive-through McDonald’s in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and who also brought the suit, was originally awarded $2.7 million in punitive damages. Turns out the jury came by this seemingly excessive number because it represented two days of coffee sales for the company. More than a million a day just from coffee. Oh, and the coffee was hot, really, really hot. And more than 700 other people were scolded, but McDonalds refused to turn down the burners. (The judge did reduce the award later.)

Join the fact-based community and read all about it here.

Posted by Edd at 4:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

They are both about young people. Young people of color. One is a rapper. The other is a basketball player. Twenty years separates them – one is 30 and the other is 10. There is something incredibly unsettling about these two stories. They speak of exploitation and decadence.
Lil’ Kim, the rap star, was released from federal prison in Philadelphia. Her entourage was waiting for her in a $300,000 Rolls-Royce. Her adoring fans were there. So was the press. She was in prison for lying to the Grand Jury about a shooting she witnessed. She is a heroine.
The other is about Justin Jenifer. He is a ten-year-old basketball star in Baltimore. Yes, you read that correctly. Shoe contracts, travel expenses paid, the whole nine years. Did I mention that he is 10?

Enjoy the day. Rap star is here. Basketball star is here.

Posted by Edd at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When You Regulate Guns, Only Retirees Will Have Them

The California Highway Patrol has a gun shortage. It appears that it does not have enough weapons for the latest class graduating from the academy. They are short by 169 pistols. But wait! At the same time the CHP has sold 197 guns to retiring officers, who purchase them for “sentimental reasons”. Yikes! Here is the article in the SacBee.

Posted by Edd at 4:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With the latest attempt to ban flag burning once again stalled in Congress, it may be time to take another look at just why flags are such a huge deal to people.
Big deal or not, they are a complex deal. I recall years ago taking a German class from a young man, who had recently arrived from West Germany (as it was called then). After class one day we were talking about his impressions of America. They were quite favorable, save for one thing. He was terribly uncomfortable with how many American flags he saw displayed. He even saw them in the church he attended. He said that something like that would never happen in his country. After their disastrous descent into Nazi nationalism, post-war Germans developed an acute aversion to any such overt displays.
That aversion to nationalism may be still very much in play, but because of Germany’s phenomenal success so far in the World Cup competition, flag waving – especially by young Germans - is once again popular. Here is the article from Spiegel

Oh, and here is another variation on a theme – a Ghanaian player waving an Israeli flag after a match. Like I said, complex.

Posted by Edd at 7:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Berkeley, California: The first city to be sidewalk friendly to disabled persons, and the first city to insist on divesting from South Africa during the apartheid era is now the first city to call for George Bush’s impeachment. Will this be another trend? Inquiring minds can go here.

Posted by Edd at 9:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, the middle-class gets smaller. In this article from the WaPo experts are beginning to track the trend of a smaller middle-class in cities, and increasing income stratification in the suburbs.

Here is a key quote:

Middle-income neighborhoods -- where families earn 80 to 120 percent of the local median income -- have plunged by more than 20 percent as a share of all neighborhoods in Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. They are down 10 percent in the Washington area.

Posted by Edd at 5:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Some historians believe that Rome’s failure to maintain her aqueduct system was a significant indicator that the empire was in decline. We will not look in depth at America’s water resources and infrastructure here. Perhaps another time. What we can do is to take a look at how other countries think differently about investing in infrastructure needs – in this case mass transportation – than we Americans do. Here is an interesting comparison between Spain’s transit plan and a ballot proposition in California. Spain and California are comparable in size, both in population and GDP, but that is where the similarity ends. California (if it can get voter approval) intends to spend about $400 million. Spain? It is planning to invest $1,3 billion. That’s with a “b”.
Someday, some historian may well ask about California and America: What were they thinking?
Here are the details.

And if you want to stay current with important transit issues, check out Getting There.

Posted by Edd at 8:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Amid the recent news that there is yet another hunger strike in the Guantanamo Bay prison, it may be worth noting that twenty-five years ago last month Bobby Sands, a twenty-seven year old Irish prisoner, died during a hunger strike in a prison administered by the British. To the Brits he and his nine fellow prisoners were “terrorists”. To many people in Ireland, he and his colleagues were “resistors” and heroes.

Margaret Thatcher, the British Prime Minister at the time, allowed them to starve to death. President Bush has chosen force-feeding. This may be in violations of international law, and almost certainly it is a violation of statutes of the World Medical Association’s 1973 Declaration. American doctors are required to adhere to these protocols as members of the American Medical Association. (Although such membership is not a requirement for practicing medicine in the US.)

Perhaps it is worth noting that Sands is still a hero to many in Ireland, while her Conservative Party no longer holds Mrs. Thatcher in such high esteem.

Click here for a PDF of the “Tipton Report” a lengthy statement about alleged abusive treatment by detainees in Camp X-ray.

Click here for more information about Bobby Sands

Posted by Edd at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the wake of Senator McCain’s (R-AZ) controversial boiler-plated address to the graduates of The New School University in New York, Bill Moyers, formerly of NPR, and Newsweek columnist, Anne Quintile, provided the graduates of Hamilton College in upstate New York some custom embroidered remarks well worth our attention.

In a mercifully brief address Moyers spoke for his generation and offered an apology for the condition of the world that these young people are entering into. He also provided them with some hope suggesting that it lies in our human capacity to live lives of generosity and reciprocity.

Quindlen’s (equally merciful) address focused on courage. She urged the graduates to: “Fear not… Speak your piece… Don’t be bullied…”

PDF of the Moyers’ speech is here. The Quindlen one is here.

Posted by Edd at 10:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

According to a report in aljazeera.net last week, little has changed in the day-to-day lives of most Afghani women since the fall of the Taliban. Security concerns, entrenched religious fundamentalism, and government inaction continue to limit women’s access to education, healthcare and employment.
Here is the article.

Posted by Edd at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Question: Some people have said that the Bush Administration exploited the September 11th attacks to justify the invasion of Iraq. Others say that Bush acted correctly by going into Iraq because Saddam Hussein supported terrorism. Who are you more likely to agree with?

Bush exploited Sept. 11th attacks --44%
Bush justified an attack on Iraq --44
Neither/Not sure – 11

Read more here.

Posted by Edd at 9:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The third annual Interfaith Walk for Peace and Reconciliation is set for Sunday, June 4th. Mark the date. Details here.

Posted by Edd at 2:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

An article in New Scientist describes some interesting astronomical discoveries in our neighborhood… well a mere 41 light years away. That’s in the neighborhood, isn’t it? Some of the smaller planets in this system in the southern constellation Poppis may have the right conditions to sustain water, and perhaps some distant relatives are in the making. Scientists are still looking for “smaller”, earth-like planets in “habitable zones” in these systems. Welcome to the neighborhood, cousins. Earthlings, here is all the scientific fine print.

Posted by Edd at 11:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

See if you can spot the plane crashing into the building. We can only hope that more tape is released soon. Concerns about the reliability of official explanations of the attack do not serve the country. My apologies, but you may have to wade through a 30 second commercial first. Here is the video.

Posted by Edd at 3:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Some progressive Philadelphia bloggers from MyDD (Chris Bowers and friend) are running for some open seats on the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. It is a start in terms of getting some new grease for the cogs. So, if you know anyone who lives in West Philly, let them know that these guys only need 100 votes and they are in. Pass it on. Details at PhillyFuture here.

Posted by Edd at 10:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ACORN, a national volunteer organization, is seeking a few good people to help with the post Katrina cleanup work in low-income neighborhoods of New Orleans. Get all the details here.

Posted by Edd at 10:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Google’s Top Ten Video Hit Parade is usually populated by such educational sites as Webcam Girls Go Wild, or Lady Punch (a site showing a woman being punched in the face – go figure), and other juvenile fare. (And, no, we will not be providing links here.) This week, however, Stephen Colbert’s keynote address at the Washington Correspondence Dinner also made the cut. For those of you without cable, Mr. Colbert is a faux news personality, who hosts Colbert Report. This is a spin-off program from the popular Daily Show hosted by faux newsreader John Stewart. (Both on Comedy Central.)

And for those of you who don’t live in the blogosphere, this talk has generated a huge amount of interest. This performance was a biting one at times in which Colbert – using a very dry, ironic style – took the president to task for everything from illegal wiretaps, the Iraq War, his handling of Katrina, secret prisons and such. He also took on the press corps for its stenographic role in this administration.

If you want to, you can join the other 2 million viewers and decide for yourself if it is funny or not. The C-Span version is here. And the ABC version is here.

Posted by Edd at 12:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you do, you are either retired, or seeing it on the horizon. Baby Boomers may be the last group who grew up without those iconic images of earth as seen from space. NASA has released some hi-resolution images that are breathtaking in their clarity and detail. A not so gentle reminder that we are all together here in a very small boat out on a very large ocean - even when we pretend otherwise.
The images are here.

Posted by Edd at 8:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Using an obscure section of the federal code, California legislators are attempting to introduce a resolution in the assembly calling for the impeachment of President Bush. This statute has traditionally been used to initiate impeachment proceedings involving federal judges, but it can also be used in this case.

Still a long shot, but with a few other states legislatures considering the same thing, this may well be worth watching.

More here at Raw Story.

Posted by Edd at 7:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here is the article in the UK’s Guardian.

Posted by Edd at 6:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

During the days of the Watergate Hearings in the Seventies, there was another news story that rarely made it to the front pages. That story was out of Chicago, and it concerned the civil suit brought by a small radio dispatching service really, called MCI, which eventually led to the break-up of AT&T. After Watergate politics was still pretty much the same. After AT&T our world changed dramatically.

With the MSM’s focus on immigration these days, it may be easy to overlook what is happening in Mexico as it moves toward the most radical decriminalization of drugs of any country in the world – including Holland.

Personal possession of cocaine, heroin, LSD – drugs natural and synthetic; boutique drugs, traditional hallucinogenics like mescaline and peyote; uppers downers all arounders. They will all essentially be legal, or at least devoid of criminal sanctions in the context of personal use.

It will be interesting to see how this bold experiment affects our culture here in the states as well as with our southern neighbors. My initial take on it is that it will have a greater impact here than there. But we shall see.

Here is the article in the LA Times.

Posted by Edd at 10:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Reports from the fact-based community:

More walrus pups stranded and may not survive. Global warming and melting ice is likely cause. More here.

People living around the Mediterranean may be fortunate in more ways than just in terms of geography. Turns out their diet – a sensible combination of fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, cereal, a dash of alcohol, a little meat, dairy and fish – also may lessen the chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Another reason to relocate. More here.

Posted by Edd at 6:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If there ever was any doubt about the superiority of the Mac OS over Windoze, then this article in the Washington Post Tech section should dispel it. Dealing with spyware and other on-line onslaughts are not the exclusive domain of Windoze, but it sure does seem that those systems are particularly at risk. And the solutions seem to be fairly daunting.

First you download a zip file and then:
“… go to the Windows desktop, right-click on it, select "New" and then "Shortcut." Then, in the box underneath the text that reads "Type the location of the item," type or browse for the directory where the "DropMyRights.exe" program was installed (mine was under C:\Documents and Settings\MyDocuments\MSDN\DropmyRights\dropmyrights.exe). Keep this windows open for the time being and don't click any more buttons on it; we'll come back to it in a moment.
At this point, you just need to know the location of each program you want to run under a non-administrator account, in order to create a clickable icon on the Windows desktop and/or the Windows taskbar that you can use to start the program in limited-user mode whenever you want…”

Easy as pie. Check it out here.

Posted by Edd at 1:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Passport, the new blog from Foreign Policy Magazine, has an interesting take on the NSA’s initiative to data mine e-mails and other communications to avert terrorist attacks. There are a number of problems with this approach. The most significant is that it ignores the reality that al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations are, among other things, very effective learning organizations. The author quotes a WaPo article that says, "When terrorist groups learned that the National Security Agency could track electronic communication only when it was in transit -- not when it was sitting in an inbox -- users started drafting messages in free e-mail accounts, then allowing others to log in to the accounts and read the drafts. No message ever had to be sent."

Is it possible that American citizens are relinquishing civil rights with no upside to the sacrifice? Franklin’s oft quoted assertion comes to mind: Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.

Posted by Edd at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the new be all you can be military it looks like one of the things to be is a skateboarder.
Here is a link to a photo of a Marine dude in full combat gear with his combat skateboard. It is getting harder and harder to keep up…

Posted by Edd at 2:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wired reports that GM’s On-star now has the capability to monitor engine performance, fluid levels and so forth, and then send an e-mail to owners alerting them that they need to visit the garage. How long will it take for Bluetooth to begin a fluid exchange program?
Here's the link.

Posted by Edd at 7:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

WaPo’s “National and Homeland security” blogger, William Arkin, has an insightful (as usual) post about Iran and war plans. He lays out several situations in which a war with Iran is possible

• We could go to war if a cornered Iran lashes out.
• We could go to war if the intelligence community assesses that Iran has clandestinely acquired nuclear weapons and an administration decides that the U.S. must preempt.
• We could go to war if intensified military activity on both sides leads to greater possibilities for contact leading to an accident or incident that escalates out of control.

Actually, I think he may have missed one:

• We could go to war if President Bush sees into the future and believes that his successors will not be able to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons, so he needs to do that now.

We must remember that this is a man who believed he could see into the soul of Mr. Putin, who had some “beliefs” about stem cells and interfered with scientific inquiry. His administration seems to be ideology-based, rather than fact-based. Some have said that in some disturbing ways the administration has itself become a faith-based organization. If so, then the fourth possibility looms large.

Posted by Edd at 10:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Researchers at MIT have developed a new “nanostructure” – a battery with a virus for an anode. In the future batteries may be more like rolls of tape that you will tear off and stick on the back of electrical devices. Here http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2006/virus-battery.htmlis the story.

Posted by Edd at 6:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Boston Globe has an excellent article – along with some very useful graphics of the new fish species called Tiktaalik roseae. Finding the transitional species (a fish with both fins and elbows) is a major setback for the proponents of Intelligent Design. One of the major arguments from the ID camp has been that no such transitional fossils have ever been found. Until now, that is. There is also a link to an excellent graphic from the AP that shows exactly where this new puzzle piece fits into the evolutionary sequence. Here is the link that is not missing.

Posted by Edd at 10:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Al Gore, speaking in Oakland to members of the business, financial, and environmental community, brought his hi-tech multi-media presentation to the Bay Area. He called last year’s hurricanes, “…the first foretaste of a cup that will be offered to us again and again and again until we regain our moral authority...” Here is the link.

Posted by Edd at 1:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sidney Blumenthal, a former staffer in the Clinton administration, has an ominous piece in The Guardian. Ominous because for the first time there really does seem to be a Vietnam parallel emerging. If war is a failure of imagination, a failure to see options far enough over the horizon line so that armed conflict can be avoided, this conflict is turning out also to be a failure to think critically and assess the consequences of choices made from the outset.

One of the many problems with a “war of choice” is that it is extremely difficult – if not impossible – to avoid the implication that this choice has a tinge of political opportunism to it. The American people generally are fairly forgiving in such situations, but only if the outcomes prove fortunate for the republic. Failures that prove costly in terms of blood and treasure are another matter.

And in an oddly related way, here is a link to a video clip of an encounter the president had with a man in North Carolina, who (as far as I can tell) is the first citizen to have publicly rebuked him for his behavior in office. Regardless one’s views about this administration’s policies, it seems likely that, had more people spoken so plainly and powerfully to our leaders, perhaps the current situation in Iraq and elsewhere would be very different

Posted by Edd at 5:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Over at sfgate Phil Frank’s Farley cartoon is joining the Earthquake Centennial celebration. In his own unique way Farley captures a wonderful bit of earthquake trivia. Let’s just say that whoever said bad publicity is better than no publicity never lived in Daly City.

Posted by Edd at 8:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Intelligent Design/Creationists insist that what makes Evolution “just a theory” is that no fossils with “transitional forms” (i.e. a Missing Link) have been found… well as it happens there are such fossils. Unfortunately, these fossils will probably do little to impact this faith. Here is the article.

Posted by Edd at 9:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The NYT has an article here about a Gifted & Talented class in New Jersey that highlights one of the many limitations of the No Child Left Behind legislation. We can ill-afford to lose these incredibly bright youngsters to the lure of mediocrity, just as we cannot afford to lose teachers like the one profiled here. I believe the French have a saying – The more it stays the same, the worse it gets.

Posted by Edd at 9:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here are some pictures of famed “Devil’s Slide” on the Pacific Coast Highway near San Francisco. The road has been salvaged in the past, but this year’s relentless rain may mean the end of this wonderfully scenic route.

Posted by Edd at 9:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sarah Chayes (you may remember her from NPR a few years back) now runs a cooperative business venture in Kandahar - once the stronghold of the Taliban. She tells a chilling tale of what happens at night after the police leave when the ‘Night Fairies”, the resurgent Taliban, come out. It is a description of a community broken psychologically as well as economically. It is time for us to ask ourselves: what were we thinking? and what are we doing? The article is entitled: Afghanistan: The night fairies.

Posted by Edd at 3:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

That time of the year again. Every team is in first place. The Cubs have a great shot at the pennant. The Phillies* will not fold in the stretch. Bonds will go after the record, and maybe, just maybe, MLB will retire Roberto Clemente’s number. It was a great and fitting tribute to Jackie Robinson, and would be for Clemente as well. Hope they do.
Here’s an article from WaPo- fittingly titled The Last Hero - that lays it all out.

* The Phils, after all, do have 9,879 losses sicne they first moved into town in 1883- only Phillies fans would focus on that.

Posted by Edd at 12:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here is an uplifting story from the BBC on the religious front. It is about a Rabbi who wants to create a “UN of Religion” as a way to bring people in the world together. Perhaps this is a way for mainstream religious groups to have an impact on international relations. Although, it sure has been an uphill battle for leaders like the Dalai Lama, and even the late JPII when it comes to putting a stop to war. Still, a good idea.

Posted by Edd at 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On the Emotional Intelligence (EI) front, here is an interesting video, called Giving Bad News, from Drexel University Medical School that you may want to share with any doctors you know – especially ones who find themselves in the position of telling their patients really devastating news. The tension between professional detachment and emotional connections in traditional medicine is still an issue, even though most patients seem to prefer connectivity.

Actually, this training video (one of forty communications training modules for docs and med students) may be useful as a model for lots of difficult conversations. While there are a few little points we could quibble with – like the doc not offering any sympathy to the patient - it does show the importance of being in the right setting, being physically present and engaged, being clear about the message, creating sufficient time and space (i.e. being silent) to allow the receiver of the information to process and react emotionally, asking permission to add more information, being descriptive rather than predictive, resisting the urge to offer false hope, and being very clear about next steps.

Another example where “soft skills” are only soft when we don’t need them. When we do, these skills often are very hard. Again, here is the link.

Posted by Edd at 8:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here is a rather fascinating article in this month’s Seed Magazine about the impact of modern architecture on the science laboratory. Seems like the spirit of Louis Kahn is living on.

According to the article these new buildings:
"... are meant to serve a social, rather than symbolic, function, giving form to the latest high-minded and urbane scientific inquiries: exploring the mysteries of how humans think, how the universe works and the further unraveling of man's most basic building blocks. Architecture's task—with its collage of concrete, steel and glass—is to position the scientist in a cultural space (even if the researchers put up a fight). The dream is that they will do away with the drab, often windowless structures where the search for truth often takes place, and introduce an interactive world swathed with natural light, inspiring shapes and the occasional sightline peeking into another colleague's lab."

Posted by Edd at 6:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the last election the Bush-Cheney ticket carried 32 states and of course enough electoral votes to usher them in for another four years. According to Survey USA, a sort of compendium of surveys nationally, Bush now holds a majority approval rating in just seven states – Utah, Wyoming, Alabama, Idaho, Mississippi, Nebraska and Oklahoma. All the rest of his red states seem to be turning a bit blue.
Hard to say how this will affect the mid-term elections, but we can already see how congressional Republicans are trying to distance themselves from Dubbya. That will be difficult, given how much they wanted to align themselves with the administration before the war began. Even his home state of Texas (or is it Connecticut, or Maine?) has bailed. Here is the data.
And the Daily Kos slices and dices the data in more ways than a Vegimatic can. Here.

Posted by Edd at 3:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the midst of all the other controversies, all the “thousands of... errors” we have made in Iraq, the biggest mistake of all may be occurring right now… with little fanfare, and very little intense scrutiny it appears that our government is establishing permanent military bases in Iraq. Huge facilities housing thousands of service personnel and hundreds of aircraft are being build in various parts of Iraq. Our leaders refuse to say whether the plan is to make them permanent, or to hand them over to the Iraqi government, when there is a viable government.

This is a potentially ominous development in light of the assertions made by bin Laden that he was motivated to strike at the US because we established a military presence in the Saudi kingdom. The point isn’t whether or not al-Qaeda will attempt to strike at the US again because of the se bases, the question is: to what extent will the appearance (if not the fact) of military bases in Iraq continue to radicalize parts of the population – especially young people – to such an extent that US troops may not be able to leave that country for decades. In a sense creating the possibility for permanent bases may be one way to ensure that they are in fact permanent.

This is an ominous development that seems to be getting more so every day. Check out one such story here.

Posted by Edd at 1:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Finally, someone went to speak with real experts. In today’s edition of the Philadelphia Inquirer, a reporter went to South Philadelphia to speak with experts on all gestures Italian. The results were, shall we say, “mixed". There is even a certified expert in the article (a new Yorker BTW), who testifies about the meaning of Italian gestures in criminal trials. But the crux of the story is whether or not he actually said what the Boston reporter says he said, which is what The Godfather’s daughter, Connie Corleone, did say several times to her husband as she broke all the dishes in her dining room. That story (no, not Connie, but the story about Scalia) is here.

Continue reading "The Scalia “Gesture”: Obscene or Just in Bad Taste" »

Posted by Edd at 9:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

How did it happen? How did the one or two hour commute become the norm. There was a time when the rest of the country looked at Los Angeles and wondered: how do they do that, how do they sit in their cars so long every day? More and more Americans are wondering less about that because they know it first hand. What was once “the LA Experience” is now the norm in most metropolises. And in many areas, like Atlanta and the Bay Area, the two and three-hour commute is now, if not the norm, fairly routine.

What will be the impact over time of this ever expanding megalopolis trend? How will it affect the political landscape? Will we adopt new ways of working to manage these commutes? Will the distinctions between urban, suburban and rural be completely erased soon?

This is another conversation that we, as a society, are not having. The implications are ominous, as this WaPo article alludes.

Posted by Edd at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The question is an old one. General Washington weighed in on this topic in 1778, when he said, “There is such a thirst for gain [among military suppliers]…that it is enough to make one curse their own Species, for possessing so little virtue and patriotism.”

So, there must be a line somewhere. Perhaps it is generational. Maybe our parents and grandparents had a different sense of where that line was. Certainly our leaders did. Roosevelt has been quoted as saying, “"I don't want to see a single war millionaire created in the United States as a result of this world disaster". No doubt there were more than a few millionaires created (or at least maintained) during the war, but that seemed to occur in spite of those holding high office. One wonders, though, what Roosevelt would say today. And, as has been noted many times, Truman equated profiteering with treason. Would he be of the same mind today with the war in Iraq as he was in WWII?

So, where is the line? Has it already been crossed? What do we do as a nation?

The NYT has an article about Halliburton’s noted, or notorious subsidiary, KB&R, and some of their contracts for work in Iraq. One quote that caught our attention referring to a Pentagon military officer, “He noted that the company had listed an impossibly high cost overrun of $436,019,574 on one job, charges of $114,308 for an oil spill cleanup that failed to remove any oil and another set of tasks in which the overruns were 36.9 percent of all costs.”

These are not simple questions – there are real security concerns. A demolished infrastructure (which of course we demolished). We have a much leaner, more outsourced military. And we have a SuperLotto PowerBall culture that did not exist a generation ago. What we do not seem to have are the conversations that our parents and grandparents had before and during WWII about the legitimate role of business in wartime.

Here is the article.

Posted by Edd at 10:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Good catch, Dr. Free Ride! (Also known as Janet D. Stemwedel from San Jose State) This Science blogger looks askance at California’s Lancaster School District’s new ”critical thinking” policy as it pertains to evolution. She wonders how much thinking went into their new policy.
Here it is.

Posted by Edd at 3:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This morning’s Philadelphia Inquirer has a disturbing article about the pressures that are put on administrators and teachers to get pupil test scores up and keep them up in light of the No Child Left Behind Act. The pressures seem to be especially intense for the newbies with no tenure and little job protection.
Here it is.

Posted by Edd at 10:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

George Mason University has more going on than just a top-notch basketball program. It also sponsors a “History News Network”. The Network has posted an article by Joyce Appleby from UCLA and Gary Hart now at the University of Colorado, that looks at some of the current controversy concerning the Bush Administration from the view of the founders. The article, called The Founders Never Imagined a Bush Administration, makes some noteworthy points from that historical perspective, and it is mercifully brief.
Check it out here.

Posted by Edd at 9:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Next month, on April 18th at 05:12 to be exact, the City of San Francisco will mark the centennial of the Great Earthquake and Fire that permanently changed its landscape, people, its story, and its fortunes.

To mark that anniversary here, we will from time to time (starting today) present a few little known facts and factoids about that day. Some of the information will come from Simon Winchester’s remarkable book, A Crack in the Edge of the World. Other details will come from various archives and historical societies. It won’t be too difficult because for one thing that event in a way also marked the beginning of modern photojournalism. As it happens, this was the first great natural disaster to be photographed extensively. (OMG, the first factoid slipped out!)

See you all at Lotta’s Fountain next month!

Posted by Edd at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here is a great idea that I hope spreads through the public benefit world. Looks like the makings of a single point of contact for MA non-profits. Could be a great demand for this considering that 1 out of every 7 workers in MA are in the non-profit sector. Like I said, I hope the idea spreads to other states and regions. Maybe it already has. Couldn’t tell, though, what organizations are sponsoring it.

Posted by Edd at 9:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So what do these all have in common?

Coffee
Windmills
Soap
Vaccinations
Crank-shafts
Surgical scalpels
And the three-course meal

You can find the answer here.

Posted by Edd at 1:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Not sure how to think about this. Maybe some of you out in the blogosphere can help me think through this ethical "mindfield".

Here is the situation:

I am on the board of a biotech firm that develops a vaccine for bird flu.
I leave that position to return to government service (at a very high level) where I have a voice in how our government responds to this possible pandemic including whether or not to stockpile vaccine, and perhaps any plans to ration that vaccine.
I retain a significant number of shares in the company I left.
I sell some of those shares after several years reaping a capital gain of $5 million still keeping a large number of shares (about $25 million).
The stock price in that company has soared in the past year, so that position has improved significantly.
By the very nature of my position, I still can have an indirect influence on government policy about purchasing these vaccines, even though I recuse myself from “participating in any particular matter when the matter would directly and predictably affect [my] financial interest [in the company]".

Here are a few questions for you to help address my situation (feel free to add your own):

When I decided to enter into government service, should I have placed all such assets in a blind trust to avoid the appearance of any conflict of interest?

If there is an outbreak of bird flu such that I receive an unimaginably larger windfall from my investment in the company, should I keep those profits, or should I give them to charitable organizations that are chartered with serving those who might have been harmed by this epidemic? Or is it just a matter of being in the right place at the right time, and willing to risk capital to garner reward?

Here are a few questions for you, the readers:

Does it matter how much wealth I have not counting my holdings in this company?
Does it matter what my name is?

Here is a link to the article that stirred this inquiry.

Posted by Edd at 9:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Some advice from a dying writer, Art Buchwald.
Here is a touching article about one reporter’s visit to a hospice where Art Buchwald is hanging out until the end. He was to receive a lifetime achievement award from his fellow journalists in June, but the thought was to give it to him sooner, rather than wait.
Here’s the link.

Posted by Edd at 2:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NYT: Online Colleges Receive a Boost From Congress (March 1, 2006)
Used to be that a school had to be "real", or non-virtual anyway, at least more than half of the time to be eligible for federal student aid. That all changed with the new federal budget. Now accredited, on-line schools can also have access to student aid money.
The article goes on to state the obvious – how this will be a boon to commercial, very much for profit, University of Phoenix type schools. And there is of course the concern about fraud, and fly-by-night programs.
But I wonder… could this also be a boon to charter school districts that may want to develop their own certification and Master's level programs for teachers? Who else in the non-profit arena might "profit" from this new wrinkle? Why must this be a good thing only of the big degree mills?
Just wondering

Posted by Edd at 1:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here is the situation:
A 13 year-old kid is in line at school to buy a slice of pizza. A parent group donates the pizza. The school charges $1 a slice for the pizza. He notices that there is a long line. Intrepid entrepreneur that he is, he decides to go to the pizza shop, buys a whole pie and sells it to the kids at the back of the line for $2 a slice. His school counselor labeled it as “unethical” and “taking advantage of people”.
Any ethical concerns? Price gouging? Market forces?
Read what the NYT ethicist had to say here.

Posted by Edd at 11:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The answer may be: No it is not too late, but it is getting very, very late.
The International Crisis Group has released a fairly thorough report outlining what can be done (and in their minds must be done) to keep Iraq from falling into a sectarian abyss.

Here is the quote that from the Executive Summary that got my attention:
“Today, however, the more significant and pressing question is what still can be done to halt Iraq’s downward slide and avert civil war. Late in the day, the U.S. administration seems to have realised that a fully inclusive process – not a rushed one – is the sine qua non for stabilisation. This conversion, while overdue, is nonetheless extremely welcome.”

Real Dialogue, that is geared toward an inclusive society with shared power and interdependencies built into the governmental structures, and where reconciliation is possible seems like the only hope. The question now might be: Who has the leadership capabilities and skills to convene and sustain such a process?

The report also has is extremely pragmatic recommendations as well. Consider this recommendation to the international community:
"Finally – and regrettable though it is that this is necessary – the international community, including neighbouring states, should start planning for the contingency that Iraq will fall apart, so as to contain the inevitable fall-out on regional stability and security. Such an effort has been a taboo, but failure to anticipate such a possibility may lead to further disasters in the future."

Again, here’s the link.

Posted by Edd at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One of the many ways that the Internet and the Web have been disruptive technologies has been in the area of intermediation. Many of our traditional institutions are severely strained now - especially the ones that acted as filters, as quality controls, as the gate keepers. Mainstream media is losing market share and clout. The self-publishing industry is putting enormous pressure on that sector as well. Amazon and eBay have completely disrupted the retail sector. Tax prep software's impact on accounting, travel sites, and on and on.

And now the same may be occurring when it comes to lending and borrowing. Here is a site, Prosper, that presents itself as “The online marketplace for people-to-people lending”, where you can lend money to someone (or a group of someones) or borrow. It all seems to be done on an eBay style auction model.

Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Ummm….

Posted by Edd at 9:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here is a rare article – one that actually has something intelligent to say about blogs and blogging.

Here it is: Blog Epitaphs? Get Me Rewrite!

Posted by Edd at 9:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

More data to support that Dan Pink is on to something (and no, I am not his agent.)
Some research sponsored by the College Board about students entering into college and their interest in the arts. Here is an interesting quote:

Data on ACT takers show the same pattern, according to Richard Hessel, a principal with the Art & Science Group. “In 1997, 45,344 students specified visual and performing arts as an intended major,” he says. “In 2005, 60,666 stated an intention to major in visual and performing arts, an increase of 33.7 percent.”

Interesting disconnect. Just as the hue and cry is raised for more engineers and scientists, the clamor is for more art classes.

Again here is the link.

Posted by Edd at 9:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When I first came across this article from the BBC, Retirement age 'should reach 85, I thought, So what’s the big deal? Lots of the elderly poor are working part-time. Just go to a McDonalds or a Wal-Mart.

But then it got me thinking about Dan Pink’s book. The implications for the aging workforce over time are just enormous.

Working longer means working smarter – that’s the easy clichéd part. But it also means a kind of intergenerational workforce never imagined even a generation ago.

When I think of the key skills that Pink foresees in the new Conceptual Age - design, story, symphony, empathy, play, and meaning, I have the sense that several of these skills improve over time, especially story-telling, empathy and meaning making.

If anti-aging breakthroughs really do come to fruition, then we may not end up in an intergenerational war where the older folks are completely draining the resources of the society. Then it just may be possible for an entirely new working culture to emerge in a few short years.

Again, here’s the link.

Posted by Edd at 9:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Spending the week on the coast in Northern California at "The Sea Ranch" (poor me) working with the staff of On The Verge, as they work with Group 5. So not too much time to blog here this week. If I can, I will create a blog for the retreat and link it here.

Posted by Edd at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Norton J. Kiritz, founder of the Grantsmanship Center, died last month In Los Angeles at 70. He was a major force, perhaps the major force, behind streamlining the grant writing process. More here in the LA Times.

Posted by Edd at 7:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ask foster youth “aging out” of the system what three things do they need. They will say: affordable housing, a job, and transportation. Now a welfare agency in NC wants to take one of those three away form a foster youth. More here.

Posted by Edd at 6:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

At first blush this article from the NYT looks good. Even the name is enticing, New Schools Venture Fund. And it has been around a while – six years. And it has really smart people behind it like John Doerr, one of the movers and shakers (literally) in the hi-tech world. So, what’s the problem? My concern long-term is about scalability. Just like “Unified School District” sounds good, at a certain point size does matter, as in when school systems get too large, the kids get lost.
Maybe they have cracked the code, but venture capitalists have a mindset of “grow or die” that just might get in the way.
Again, hope I am wrong here.

Posted by Edd at 12:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

... with an intelligently designed thinker.
Intelligent conversions about ID may be rare these days. That doesn’t mean that there are no intelligent conversations about God. Here is a conversation from the archives of CrossCurrents with David Tracy, from the University of Chicago, arguably one of the most important thinkers of this century. Read on.

Posted by Edd at 10:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From the power of language department…the media’s description of what occurred to the Texas lawyer shot accidentally by VP Chaney has been peppered with pepper. What exactly does it mean to be peppered with birdshot? Here is an Emergency Room MD’s description of this particular seasoning. Pass the pepper please.

And here is another view of the Veep's salt and pepper controversy from the NYT.

Posted by Edd at 9:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Maybe it is because of the way some of our "officials" behave. For many people who live outside the US the "face" of this nation becomes the face of the immigration or customs official at the airport, or the ports of entry. Without clear guidelines about how to approach their work many of these officials - rather than thinking for themselves - seem not to be thinking at all. Consider this...

Posted by Edd at 9:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)