The gloves will come off during this fight. There is a strong argument to be made for the ITU to oversee the Internet because it is international infrastructure, but if it could remain in the control of private hands as it is now, the world may be better served.
This is a tough one. If the U.S. cedes control of the Internet, we should get some significant concessions elsewhere. Don't give it up for no gain.
September 30, 2005
September 29, 2005
A $100 Laptop from MIT Media Labs
Note that one of the funders for this project is Google who runs Linux on their tens of thousands of servers. I have to believe that Mircosoft is concerned, but there's nothing stopping them form providing a stripped down version of Windows for a cheap PC.
The time seems right for this project.
Move over Microsoft, Dell. The $100 PC cometh. From MIT. by ZDNet's David Berlind -- As a part of what he says is his life's most important work, MIT Media Labs director Nicholas Negroponte is on course to deliver a $100 laptop to the people who need it most: the world's children.
To Help Gulf Coast, Town Tries Returning Pork Barrel - New York Times
This is a wonderful idea. The NY Times editorial page also suggested it in Katrina's aftermath. If Congress wanted to send a very strong signal that they care about people and are fiscally responsible, they would so something to enable these givebacks.
GE Healthcare to Acquire IDX Systems Corporation; Significantly Expands GE Presence in Healthcare Information Technologies
Big news for IDX headquartered in Burlington.
September 28, 2005
Supreme Court to Determine Fate of Business Tax Credits - New York Times
The Roberts Court will have its hands and minds full in the upcoming session.
The Endgame in Iraq - New York Times
As has been the case from the beginning of the wars in Iraq and the previous war between Iraq and Iran, the struggle among the Muslim sects was at the root of Saddam's stronghold in Iraq and the present insurgency/terrorist chaos. The Sunnis hate the Shiites and the Arab world is mostly Sunni, except in Iraq and Iran. The situation is complicated by the fact that they all have oil and we in the West, and now in China and India, need it.
Which of These Foods Will Stop Cancer? (Not So Fast) - New York Times
Worth the read. No evidence yet that diet alone lowers the chances of cancer.
"It is turning out to be much more difficult than anyone expected to discover if diet affects cancer risk. Hypotheses abound, but convincing evidence remains elusive."
Dr. Schatzkin said. "We have a responsibility to give the best advice we can while pointing out where the evidence is uncertain and how we're working to improve the science."
"That, however, is little consolation to cancer patients and family members who are terrified that cancer might strike them next. And there are more and more. As the population ages, the number of cancer patients is soaring. From 1997 to 2004, the number of Americans with cancer jumped, to 9.6 million from 9.4 million. Cancer strikes one in two men and one in three women in their lifetimes."
Can the statement above be correct? One in two men will get some form of cancer???
"It is turning out to be much more difficult than anyone expected to discover if diet affects cancer risk. Hypotheses abound, but convincing evidence remains elusive."
Dr. Schatzkin said. "We have a responsibility to give the best advice we can while pointing out where the evidence is uncertain and how we're working to improve the science."
"That, however, is little consolation to cancer patients and family members who are terrified that cancer might strike them next. And there are more and more. As the population ages, the number of cancer patients is soaring. From 1997 to 2004, the number of Americans with cancer jumped, to 9.6 million from 9.4 million. Cancer strikes one in two men and one in three women in their lifetimes."
Can the statement above be correct? One in two men will get some form of cancer???
September 27, 2005
Justices Agree to Review Campaign Spending Limits - New York Times
Well, Vermont will be featured in the Supreme Court's next term. I've always believed Vermont's statute was unconstitutionally preventing the right of free speech as expressed in dollars within a political campaign.
I hope the Court agrees.
"The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, which includes Vermont, endorsed the state's approach in a 2-to-1 ruling last year that concluded that Buckley v. Valeo was not a complete prohibition on spending limits and that such limits could be justified by rationales the Supreme Court had not considered at the time, including public cynicism about the impact of money on politics."
I hope the Court agrees.
"The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, which includes Vermont, endorsed the state's approach in a 2-to-1 ruling last year that concluded that Buckley v. Valeo was not a complete prohibition on spending limits and that such limits could be justified by rationales the Supreme Court had not considered at the time, including public cynicism about the impact of money on politics."
Former FEMA Director Admits Errors in Response Effort - New York Times
Brown may have 'failed' in FEMA, but he's shooting straight in testimony before Congress. The Democrats will have a tough time defending Blanco and Nagin, who I said early on in this blog, in Katrina's aftermath, were inept and overwhelmed.
To his credit, he's testifying clearly and without obfuscation. Go here for the transcript of his testimony. He's an able guy who's telling it like it is. The media is wrong to blame FEMA for all the response problems. Blanco and Nagin are the culprits. Is any media besides Fox willing to tell the full story? I applaud the Times for this piece. Now, let's see how they editorialize it.
It's already clear that the Times' headline writers have a bias! Here's the headline that should have appeared: Former FEMA Head Testifies Local Officials Failed. If you read the transcripts, you'd agree.
If you buy into the rhetoric that FEMA alone is responsible for the failure, Go here to read about the resignation of the New Orleans police chief today. CNN last night had strong statements from a guy named Brinkley that Nagin is inept and most interested in covering his political backside.
"Former FEMA director Michael Brown aggressively defended his role in responding to Hurricane Katrina on Tuesday and put much of the blame for coordination failures on Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin.
Michael D. Brown, the former director of FEMA, said many people incorrectly believe the agency serves as something of a federal rapid-response force.
'My biggest mistake was not recognizing by Saturday that Louisiana was dysfunctional,' two days before the storm hit, Brown told a special congressional panel set up by House Republican leaders to investigate the catastrophe."
Update 9/28/05:
The Times' editorialists have now weighed in:
"...Republicans used a sham hearing to help Michael Brown, who resigned under fire as the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, pass the buck to Democratic officials in Louisiana despite the now-transparent record of federal ineptness.
According to Mr. Brown's self-serving tale, the heart of the mismanagement of Katrina was that officials in Baton Rouge and New Orleans were too "dysfunctional" for their part of the challenge.
To his credit, he's testifying clearly and without obfuscation. Go here for the transcript of his testimony. He's an able guy who's telling it like it is. The media is wrong to blame FEMA for all the response problems. Blanco and Nagin are the culprits. Is any media besides Fox willing to tell the full story? I applaud the Times for this piece. Now, let's see how they editorialize it.
It's already clear that the Times' headline writers have a bias! Here's the headline that should have appeared: Former FEMA Head Testifies Local Officials Failed. If you read the transcripts, you'd agree.
If you buy into the rhetoric that FEMA alone is responsible for the failure, Go here to read about the resignation of the New Orleans police chief today. CNN last night had strong statements from a guy named Brinkley that Nagin is inept and most interested in covering his political backside.
"Former FEMA director Michael Brown aggressively defended his role in responding to Hurricane Katrina on Tuesday and put much of the blame for coordination failures on Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin.
Michael D. Brown, the former director of FEMA, said many people incorrectly believe the agency serves as something of a federal rapid-response force.
'My biggest mistake was not recognizing by Saturday that Louisiana was dysfunctional,' two days before the storm hit, Brown told a special congressional panel set up by House Republican leaders to investigate the catastrophe."
Update 9/28/05:
The Times' editorialists have now weighed in:
"...Republicans used a sham hearing to help Michael Brown, who resigned under fire as the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, pass the buck to Democratic officials in Louisiana despite the now-transparent record of federal ineptness.
According to Mr. Brown's self-serving tale, the heart of the mismanagement of Katrina was that officials in Baton Rouge and New Orleans were too "dysfunctional" for their part of the challenge.
BBC NEWS | Middle East | Zarqawi's number two 'shot dead'
Despite these successes, the naysayers at the BBC who oppose the war in Iraq have their input:
"BBC world affairs correspondent Nick Childs says that while the killing could be an important public relations boost for the US, it is not clear how significant Azzam is or whether his death could have a lasting impact."
"BBC world affairs correspondent Nick Childs says that while the killing could be an important public relations boost for the US, it is not clear how significant Azzam is or whether his death could have a lasting impact."
ABU AZZAM PROFILE:
- Real name reported to be Abdallah Muhammed al-Juhaari
- Also known as Sheikh Abdullah Abu Azzam, or the Emir of Anbar
- Based in Baghdad since April
- Financier and aide to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, oversaw bombing campaign in the capital
- Believed to be Palestinian
- $50,000 reward for his death or capture
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