Links 01/22/09 (Geeky Stuff)
The Macintosh computer turns 25 on Saturday, January 24. Macworld celebrates this anniversary with an entire week of articles looking at the Mac’s past and speculating about its future. I’m particularly fond of John Gruber’s piece on lessons OS X could learn from the Classic Mac OS.
Ars Technica: Paradigms lost: The Windows 7 Taskbar versus the OS X Dock
I’ve seen some complaints from Mac users that the new Windows 7 Taskbar seems eerily similar to Mac OS X’s Dock. Ars’ writer Peter Bright does a nice job in this article deconstructing the separate design philosophies and functionalities between these two interface elements and comes to the conclusion that they are more different than alike. Good stuff.
CNET: Obama Wants to Know: Why Open Source?
President Barack Obama is a smart guy. Where others zig, he zags. It's perhaps not surprising, then, that he's been asking around about the benefits of open source, according to Sun Chairman Scott McNealy, who has been asked by President Obama to author a white paper on the benefits the U.S. government can derive from open source.
Despite my love for Macs, I’ve found myself quite the advocate for open source software in government. It’ll be interesting to see where this goes.
Links 01/15/09 (Healthcare Edition)
SCHIP needs to be expanded. Period. Child healthcare can cripple families – even those who reside well above the determined poverty line. In my line of work, I see too many kids live with untreated ailments, some tragically serious, because there’s no money to pay for treatment. These are the families that don’t qualify for Medicare, who are deemed middle class by some outdated and irrelevant metric, and who simply cannot make ends meet.
Our President-Elect has this to say:
In this moment of crisis, ensuring that every child in America has access to affordable health care is not just good economic policy, but a moral obligation we hold as parents and citizens. That is why I’m so pleased that Democrats and Republicans in the House of Representatives came together to provide health insurance to over ten million children whose families have been hurt most by this downturn. This coverage is critical, it is fully paid for, and I hope that the Senate acts with the same sense of urgency so that it can be one of the first measures I sign into law when I am President.
This is the kind of change I can believe in. I know those who will call this wasteful spending, who will oppose it as a form of socialism. I see it as an act of badly needed mercy. Don’t let us down Senate.
For a breakdown of votes, including how your representative voted, click here. To write your senator before he or she votes on this bill, click here.
Apple: Steve Jobs Takes Medical Leave of Absence
Full text:
Team,
I am sure all of you saw my letter last week sharing something very personal with the Apple community. Unfortunately, the curiosity over my personal health continues to be a distraction not only for me and my family, but everyone else at Apple as well. In addition, during the past week I have learned that my health-related issues are more complex than I originally thought.
In order to take myself out of the limelight and focus on my health, and to allow everyone at Apple to focus on delivering extraordinary products, I have decided to take a medical leave of absence until the end of June.
I have asked Tim Cook to be responsible for Apple’s day to day operations, and I know he and the rest of the executive management team will do a great job. As CEO, I plan to remain involved in major strategic decisions while I am out. Our board of directors fully supports this plan.
I look forward to seeing all of you this summer.
Steve
Mr. Jobs strikes me as a fairly private person, and I bet it wasn’t easy for him to send this email out. I’m sure rampant speculation will continue among pundits in technology circles, but I like what John Gruber says in his write-up:
I “demand” to know nothing further. If this is all Jobs chooses to share regarding the specific details of what ails him, that is up to him.
Returning to Integrity
The New York Times:
President-elect Barack Obama plans to issue an executive order on his first full day in office directing the closing of the Guantánamo Bay detention camp in Cuba, people briefed by Obama transition officials said Monday.
…Obama transition officials have consulted with a variety of authorities on legal and human rights and with military experts. Several of those experts said the officials had expressed great interest in alternatives to the military commission system, like trying detainees in federal courts, and appeared to have grown hostile to proposals like an indefinite detention law.
Politico.com:
Feingold said he thinks Obama is likely to issue executive orders rapidly reversing Bush policies, and others have indicated that those will likely cover the interrogation and detention of terror suspects, and keeping the records of past president’s secrets.
The Associated Press reported Monday that transition advisers said Obama could sign an executive order in his first week ordering the closure of Guantanamo Bay, although shuttering the prison and transferring the prisoners somewhere else would take time.
As something of a Bible student, I find it confounding that the GOP – that party of Pharisees so concerned with invoking God amid their rhetoric, even if done so irreverently, so vocal about preserving marriage sanctity, so bold in their assertions that we should mold our national laws around God’s laws – has the temerity and shamelessness to actually defend torture.
When did Christ order his apostles to waterboard those who plotted against His life in the name of security? When did Paul torture Roman guards or Jewish zealots to learn of the next attempt on his life? Not a single New Testament writer advocates a get them before they get us mindset.
Oh, wait. I take that back. Paul did … before he was converted.
Hypocritical posturing on topics like this should send signals that the Republican Party is in no way the godlier choice. They say the right things on a couple of emotionally charged issues, but that is the extent of it. They hold others to standards they themselves are unwilling to meet. They show more concern for ideology and fiscal philosophies than they do for the people their policies impact. The party of Lincoln has fallen a long way with no sign of recovery.
I am not blinded to Obama’s flaws, but I do have hope that his presidency will be more concerned about serving his citizenry more than his agenda, that human lives will mean more to him than blanket statistics and veiled threats, that his government will be more concerned about the weightier matters – mercy, justice, and faithfulness to those whose lives depend on him. Closing Guantanamo is a start.
Perhaps I’ll end up disappointed in four years, but I doubt he could disappoint me any more than the last president I helped vote into office.
Branding a Candidate
Part One
Part Two
Obama’s campaign may have set a new bar when it comes to the design and branding surrounding the candidate. Though there were a couple of missteps, Obama’s branding was strong, flexible, and iconic. While not a deciding factor, the branding of his campaign certainly helped the candidate and his supporters spread the momentum.
Links 12/11/08 (Cramming Edition)
The author of Open Mind writes a great piece regarding regional cold spells and how they do not contradict climate change (read: global warming).
…If we want to study global warming we should pay more attention to the globe than to less than 2% of it; second, that global warming is about climate, and that even if climate changes we’re still gonna have weather.
The real sign of global warming is in the trends, not the momentary hot or cold spells. The real danger of global warming is that it brings with it fundamental changes in a great many environmental variables, including one that is fundamental to human survival: water.
Greenfyre’s: Global Warming is over! once every decade or so …
On a related note, this post drew my attention to the Open Mind piece, and the author shows some temperature trends – Surprise! Earth’s temperature does cycle every decade or so, but the downward cycles have not been compensating for the upward trends during the past forty years.
The author also takes a hard look at the consequences to poverty-stricken peoples of the effect cliate change has on fresh water availability.
Ars Technica: Broadband, green tech get love from Obama recovery plan
"As we renew our schools and highways, we'll also renew our information superhighway," said Obama. "It is unacceptable that the United States ranks 15th in the world in broadband adoption.”
and
What Obama called "the most sweeping effort to modernize and upgrade school buildings that this country has ever seen" would be part of a broader effort to deploy energy efficient technology in public facilities. "Our government now pays the highest energy bills in the world," said Obama. "We need to change that."
Links 11/19/2008
Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are
Then I realized, “Wait, I’m a Mac user. I still have plenty to ramble on about.” The sun of hope peeked over the horizon, and I knew my life had meaning again. :-)
Balmuda Design: NumberKey
I own neither an iPod touch nor an iPhone. If I did, this would be a sure AppStore purchase. It turns either device into a wireless number pad for your MacBook. Since I use my MacBook as my primary computer, I could see how this might be helpful.
The Classic theme is particularly nice.
Live Science: God and Evolution Can Co-exist, Scientist Says
I find this stuff interesting. In this case, Karl W. Giberson, a physics professor, is saying that being a scientist does not necessitate also being an atheist or agnostic. Faith and reason can exist together without one negating the other.
Giberson has rejected fundamentalism, but remains a believer as well as a scientist. He has staked out a middle ground when it comes to the battle between Christians and Darwinists, stating that they can be reconciled with one another. He is sympathetic toward the motivations of creationists and scientists alike, though he is fed up with much of intelligent design as well as hard-core atheists.
Links 11/5/08 (Of Hope & Passing)
This was a great speech, especially the concluding story tying one voter’s life to American history.
TED: Remembering Michael Crichton
The author of Jurassic Park and Sphere died yesterday after a long private battle with cancer. He was 66.
Links 10/28/08 (No Costumes Allowed Edition)
This is an insightful article by Stephen Hawking about growing up and discovering his motor neuron disease. It’s a story that’s sincere, sometimes sad, and ultimately hopeful.
I have had motor neurone disease for practically all my adult life. Yet it has not prevented me from having a very attractive family, and being successful in my work. This is thanks to the help I have received from Jane, my children, and a large number of other people and organisations. I have been lucky, that my condition has progressed more slowly than is often the case. But it shows that one need not lose hope.
Opinion Streams: The Conservative Christian Case for Supporting Obama
He says some of the things I’ve been thinking during this election cycle but haven’t found the words to write. I think the author slightly misuses II Timothy 2:15 by taking it out of context, but the general gist of the article is spot on.
The problem, I now realize, with the union of Christians to the GOP, is that we’ve aligned ourselves with a spokes group that sees Christians as nothing more than a voting bloc to pander to with lip service about two passion-evoking issues while ignoring other values that form the core of our beliefs. And as they grip our hearts with life and marriage, the GOP exploits our values to demonize or vilify those with opposing viewpoints.
Links 10/22/2008 (Wife Day Edition!)
LittleSnapper in action: Sharing
On his Realmac blog, Nik has loaded a video that walks through using their new application to capture, store, and upload screenshots of websites. He promises more previews to come, and LittleSnapper should be available for download before the end of the year.
Daring Fireball: The Phone Company
John Gruber writes about the iPhone’s success and how it has quickly become the strongest part of Apple’s product offerings financially. Also in the post: iPhones outsold Blackberries last quarter!
A Smattering of Obama Links
Warning: these next links reflect by personal political bias. All opinions below are expressed reasonably and without any appeal to primal fears or phobias.- The New Yorker: The
Choice: I’m late posting this one,
but the editors of The New Yorker
construct a well-written and persuasive article
about their endorsement of Barack Obama. Note
that this article was written early after the
signing of Public Law 110-343.
- The Chicago Tribune: Obama no
Socialist: How do
you know if you’re really a Socialist? Try
asking an organizer for Communist Party USA.
- Rolling Stone: Block the Vote: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Greg Palast write about the GOP’s recent attempts to create voting into an obstacle course that will disenfranchise key demographics who traditionally oppose Republican candidates. This article ties in with their new website Steal Back Your Vote.
Obama, Ayers, and Diversions
A Smear Is Born
Apparently, this connection began to make traction when a politically conservative columnist named Peter Hitchens wrote a column for The Daily Mail called The Black Kennedy: But Does Anyone Know the Real Barack Obama? It is a hit-piece, and it reads like one – full of condescending and hateful descriptions. The article was significant for one passage, though:His list of contributions shows one for $200 from a certain William Ayers. Can this possibly be the same William Ayers, now a Chicago professor, who used to plant bombs in the Seventies and has said: "I don't regret setting bombs. I feel we didn't do enough"? His partner, Bernardine Dohrn, once "declared war" on the US government.
It wouldn't be surprising. Those (like me) who know the Left-wing codes notice things about Obama that suggest he is far more radical than he would like us to know.
The conservative media smelled fresh meat and pounced. However, this controversy had little staying power and faded slowly into political obscurity.
Context Matters
One problem with the Obama-Ayers controversy is one of timing. Barack Obama would have been roughly eight-years-old when the Weathermen were most active, and he would have been living in Indonesia at the time. I doubt seriously that the activities that made Ayers and his colleagues so notorious would have had much of an impact on Obama's life. I know I'd be hard-pressed to tell you much of world affairs from when I was eight outside of the fact that I was in Mrs. Carters third-grade class, and there was some kind of drama surrounding King Cobra's identity in the G.I. Joe universe. Or did that happen when I was nine?When Obama met Ayers, they lived in the same neighborhood. Ayers was and is a professor of English at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Their memberships to the Woods Fund of Chicago, an anti-poverty group, overlapped in the late nineties. Both Obama and Ayers were involved in public school reform. Obama was chair of the (republican-sponsored) Chicago Annenberg Challenge for improving education while Ayers was a member. I have to wonder when the topic came up in conversation, "So, were you a domestic terrorist at any point in your life? Will knowing you damage my political career?" At this point in his life, Ayers was a productive and respected member of the Chicago community. He had reinvented himself.
Here he is in the words of others:
Illinois State Rep. Diana Nelson (R)
It was never a concern by any of us in the Chicago school reform movement that he had led a fugitive life years earlier … It's ridiculous. There is no reason at all to smear Barack Obama with this association. It's nonsensical, and it just makes me crazy. It's so silly.
Michael Kinsley, long-time critic of Ayers:
If Obama's relationship with Ayers, however tangential, exposes Obama as a radical himself, or at least as a man with terrible judgment, he shares that radicalism or terrible judgment with a comically respectable list of Chicagoans and others — including Republicans and conservatives — who have embraced Ayers and Dohrn as good company, good citizens, even experts on children's issues.
Chicago Mayor Richar Daley:
I also know Bill Ayers. He worked with me in shaping our now nationally-renowned school reform program. He is a nationally-recognized distinguished professor of education at the University of Illinois/Chicago and a valued member of the Chicago community.
Quite simply, if Ayers was once considered a threat to national security, that is no longer the case. The Ayers Obama has been in contact with, however tenuously, no longer engages in the same rules as the Ayers of the 1960s.
But He's Unrepentant!
Critics are quick to point out that Ayers is not apologetic about his past and has expressed regret in not having done more. By "not having done more," these critics will take this as meaning "not having bombed more." Interstingly, Ayers has addressed this exact criticism.It's impossible to get to be my age and not have plenty of regrets. The one thing I don't regret is opposing the war in Vietnam with every ounce of my being.
During the Vietnam war, the Weather Underground took credit for bombing several government installations as a dramatic form of armed propaganda. Action was taken against symbolic targets in order to declare a state of emergency. But warnings were always called in, and by design no one was ever hurt.
When I say, 'We didn't do enough,' a lot of people rush to think, 'That must mean, "We didn't bomb enough s---."' But that's not the point at all. It's not a tactical statement, it's an obvious political and ethical statement. In this context, 'we' means 'everyone.'
Also, regarding that statement about not doing enough from his memoirs, Ayers has more to say, claiming the quote is being taken out of context:
My memoir is from start to finish a condemnation of terrorism, of the indiscriminate murder of human beings, whether driven by fanaticism or official policy.
Actions speak louder than words, and apologies mean nothing without actions to back them up. Our political world is full of insincere apologies given solely for the purpose of pleasing a constituency rather than out of any true remorse. Ayers actions demonstrate a new direction in his life that words alone would not convey. He may not be apologetic, but he is a different person.
Do They Really Want to Go There?
I've already noted that this controversy had dwindled once, largely due to a lack of meaningful substance. However, Governor Palin, speaking on behalf of the McCain campaign has felt fit to breathe this smear new life."Our opponent is someone who sees America as imperfect enough to pal around with terrorists who targeted their own country."
This is an obvious reference to Obama's casual association with Ayers. However, does she or McCain want the same level of attention paid to their own acquaintances? The governor herself has ties with the Alaska Independence Party through her husband, a political organization whose goal is to break Alaska from the Union. It is a secessionist movement whose founder has criticized the United States every bit as sharply as Reverened Wright, saying:
I'm an Alaskan, not an American. I've got no use for America or her damned institutions … My government is my worst enemy. I'm going to fight them with any means at hand.
And this is a group to whom Sarah Palin has said, "Keep up the good work. God bless you?"
Likewise, would McCain like his associations with Charles Keating more openly examined? Furthermore, what about McCain's association with G. Gordon Liddy, a man who has financially supported McCain and who has had the candidate on his talk radio show? You might remember that Mr. Liddy was convicted and imprisoned for his role in the Watergate scandal. He also admitted to having plotted to murder journalist Jack Anderson as well as Howard Hunt to prevent him cooperating with investigators. About Adolf Hitler, Liddy had this to say:
[Hitler] made me feel a strength inside I had never known before. Hitler's sheer animal confidence and power of will. He sent an electric current through my body.
Liddy also once advocated violence against the ATF:
Just remember, they're wearing flak jackets and you're better off shooting for the head.
Palin nor McCain have made any attempts to distance themselves from these closet skeletons, but they have no scruples against using Ayers against Obama. In fact, McCain said this to Liddy on his show in 2007:
I'm proud of you, I'm proud of your family... It's always a pleasure for me to come on your program, Gordon, and congratulations on your continued success and adherence to the principles and philosophies that keep our nation great.
Diversionary Tactics
What it comes down to is a continual attempt by the McCain campaign to divert voters from the issues and the general media's willingness to play along. Is Obama's association with Ayers a big deal? My answer is that it is only if you are willing to let Palin's ties to the AIP and McCain's ties to Liddy carry equal weight – those associations are every bit a solid as Obama and Ayers.When it comes to the issues of energy policy, economics, foreign policy, and education, John McCain has already lost the majority of informed voters. All he can hope for now is to use the same tactics (and indeed staff) Bush used to discredit him in 2000 on his new opponent in 2008. It's a tactic that is below the reputation McCain has built for himself, and it is a tactic that is inconsistent with the values he and his running mate claim to possess.
More Reading
- Washington Post: Obama's 'Weatherman' Connection
- NPR: Obama's Links To Ex-Radical Examined
- Time: Rejecting Obama’s Radical Friends
- The Huffington Post: Terrorists, Secessionists, Sarah Palin and Guilt by Association
- Salon: The Palins' un-American activities
- Media Matters: Why is the NY Times continuing to ignore McCain's "own Bill Ayers"?
Updated with a quote from McCain on Liddy and some more embedded links. I don’t want anyone to think I’m just making this stuff up.
Links 10/02/08 (Post Debate Edition)
Daring Fireball: The Fear
John Gruber writes about Apple’s seemingly random rejections of App Store submissions and the possible motivations behind these rejections in the context of how Apple can make App Store a more developer-friendly venue.
I have a theory. It is more, well, emotional than logical. But it’s the only theory I can think of that makes any sense at all and fits the available evidence. The theory is that there is an unpublished rule that Apple — and in this case, where by “Apple” I really mean “Steven P. Jobs” — will not publish third-party apps that compete with or replace any of the four apps in the iPhone’s default “dock”: Phone, Mail, Safari, and iPod.
Obama ’08: The Official iPhone Application
The neat part of this isn’t that the Obama campaign released a free iPhone application. It’s that a team of respected Mac developers put this together on a volunteer basis in about a month. Read more at iPhoneDevCamp.
via DF
Links 09/16/08
This is a collection of writings by Mr. Wallace for Harper's Magazine. Tragically, David Foster Wallace committed suicide last Friday. He was discovered by his wife of four years.
Here is a quote from a commencement speech he gave that I think is just brilliant:
The really important kind of freedom involves attention and awareness and discipline, and being able truly to care about other people and to sacrifice for them over and over in myriad petty, unsexy ways every day.
That is real freedom. That is being educated, and understanding how to think. The alternative is unconsciousness, the default setting, the rat race, the constant gnawing sense of having had, and lost, some infinite thing.
Jeffrey Zedman Presents: A Modest Proposal
This is a fantastic piece of writing about the dishonesty that is allowed and unquestioned in American politics. Here's the opening of the article:
It is illegal to make false claims in a TV or radio commercial unless you are running for political office.
If you’re selling toothpaste, your claims must be vetted by legal and medical professionals. But not if you’re selling a candidate.
If you’re selling a candidate, not only can you lie about his record, but more to the point, you can lie about his opponent.
I also think the first comment under the article hits the proverbial nail on the head:
The most horrifying aspect of false advertising in politics is the willingness of the American public to whole-heartedly accept these claims without even thinking twice.
Links 09/06/08
This is a very insightful article covering the production and marketing of the XBox 360 with a strong emphasis on Microsoft's handling of the Red Ring of Death. It's six fascinating pages of history and intrigue about (what has become) my favorite console.
I hope Microsoft learns from these experiences when it's time to release the next generation of XBox.
LiveScience: Autism and Vaccines: Why Bad Logic Trumps Science
Interesting stuff. As far as I know, no truly conclusive studies have managed to connect childhood vaccinations to autism.
According to lead author Dr. Mady Hornig, "We found no relationship between the timing of MMR vaccine and the onset of autism." In fact, the new study showed that often the first autism symptoms actually preceded the vaccination shots, and therefore could not have been caused by them.
The Seattle Times: How Obama got to convention's center stage
This is a truly fascinating insight into Obama's journey from being unable to get into the Democratic convention eight years ago to being the center of it today. Eight years ago, he couldn't get in to see Gore accept the nomination as a presidential candidate. This year, Gore was his lead-in.
Some Great Democratic Convention Speeches
First up, Hillary Clinton decisively throws her support behind Obama under no uncertain terms.
Next up, this is Bill Clinton at his finest.
Joe Biden nails it in his first address as the Vice Presidential candidate.
Watching Al Gore makes me wish we could hit a do-over button on 2000!
Finally, Obama delivers a stirring and powerful acceptance speech.
Links 08/27/08 (Random Linkages of Genius)
Merlin Mann shares some completely unfair and subjective criteria to which one should subject potential reading material – specifically nonfiction. However unfair, though, I think these guidelines would prove quite effective.
Mozilla Labs: Introducing Ubiquity
It's like Quicksilver for Firefox – except you would only understand that reference if you are a Mac user. Here, watch this video. Then follow the link.
Ubiquity for Firefox from Aza Raskin on Vimeo.
National Interest: Reflections on Leaving the Party
Susan Eisenhower writes about leaving the party for whom her grandfather had served as president.
Hijacked by a relatively small few, the GOP of today bears no resemblance to Lincoln, Roosevelt or Eisenhower’s party, or many of the other Republican administrations that came after…
As an independent I will now feel comfortable supporting people of any political party who reflect those core values.
Photosynth
This is a really amazing product coming out of Microsoft Live Labs. Unfortunately, the site only works on Windows machines at the moment, but here's a video of it being demonstrated at this year's TED conference.
Links 08/19/08 (Pre-Birthday Edition)
How MobileMe handles secure information (or doesn't) is outright unacceptable. Along with making the service more reliable, Apple's MobileMe team needs to be bringing this service up to modern standards in terms of security.
- tlrobinson.net: MobileMe and (lack of) encryption
- Thought Palace: Re: MobileMe Webmail Security — There Is None
- AppleInsider: Inside MobileMe: Web 3 and Web client-server apps (additional thoughts by John Gruber here)
TimesOnline: Lifelike animation heralds new era for computer games
The video with this article is pretty astonishing. This animation is miles beyond anything I've seen before in terms of human realism.
Senator Obama's Remarks at VFW National Convention in Orlando, FL
Obama gave a great speech in front of the Verterans of Foreign Wars earlier today. (You might remember that this is the same group in front of whom McCain had accused Obama of prioritizing politics over party.) As is his usual modus operandi, Obama was very Socratic in his criticism of the Republican nominee, but he was far from passive.
From the speech:
Yesterday, Senator McCain came before you. He is a man who has served this nation honorably, and he correctly stated that one of the chief criteria for the American people in this election is going to be who can exercise the best judgment as Commander in Chief. But instead of just offering policy answers, he turned to a typical laundry list of political attacks. He said that I have changed my position on Iraq when I have not. He said that I am for a path of “retreat and failure.” And he declared, “Behind all of these claims and positions by Senator Obama lies the ambition to be president” – suggesting, as he has so many times, that I put personal ambition before my country.
That is John McCain’s prerogative. He can run that kind of campaign, and – frankly – that’s how political campaigns have been run in recent years. But I believe the American people are better than that. I believe that this defining moment demands something more of us.
If we think that we can secure our country by just talking tough without acting tough and smart, then we will misunderstand this moment and miss its opportunities. If we think that we can use the same partisan playbook where we just challenge our opponent’s patriotism to win an election, then the American people will lose. The times are too serious for this kind of politics. The calamity left behind by the last eight years is too great. So let me begin by offering my judgment about what we’ve done, where we are, and where we need to go.
Also:
I have never suggested that Senator McCain picks his positions on national security based on politics or personal ambition. I have not suggested it because I believe that he genuinely wants to serve America’s national interest. Now, it’s time for him to acknowledge that I want to do the same.
Let me be clear: I will let no one question my love of this country. I love America, so do you, and so does John McCain. When I look out at this audience, I see people of different political views. You are Democrats and Republicans and Independents. But you all served together, and fought together, and bled together under the same proud flag. You did not serve a Red America or a Blue America – you served the United States of America.
So let’s have a serious debate, and let’s debate our disagreements on the merits of policy – not personal attacks. And no matter how heated it gets or what kind of campaign he chooses to run, I will honor Senator McCain’s service, just like I honor the service of every veteran in this room, and every American who has worn the uniform of the United States.
To this point, Obama has run a very respectful campaign. He has been very careful to avoid attacking McCain's character outside of critiquing the type of campaign he's running, but you know the smear artists working for and with McCain aren't going to back down. I wonder how long Obam can last before he feels compelled to turn more negative.
Links 08/16/08
By now, I'm sure many of you have heard of Jerome Corsi's new book The Obama Nation. (I made that pun up months ago, dagnabit!) You've probably heard the likes of O'Reilly, Limbaugh, or Hannity praise it to high heaven, but there's a problem. It's filled with wild inaccuracies. Here are some summaries:
- Politico: Obama Pushes Back Hard on Corsi Book
- NY Times: Book Attacking Obama Hopes to Repeat ’04 Anti-Kerry Feat
- Washington Post: Par for Mr. Corsi
I mean, c'mon. Have some standards. This guy does not deserve the platform, he does not deserve the publicity, and he does not deserve to be treated as member-in-good-standing on the Right.
The Right seems to engage today in social promotion of hatchet men, bullies and political hit men. Those people poison the Right, and - whatever their temporary electoral effects - they serve to discredit us all.
MarketWatch: How Adobe can stop Microsoft
Columnist John C. Dvorak opines over Adobe's tumultuous relationship with Microsoft. To give some context, Adobe is probably the biggest non-OS software vendor on the market. Their products are as ubiquitous as Microsoft Office, QuickTime, Windows Media Player, or iTunes. Occasionally, however, Adobe's products run into traction when a company like Apple or Microsoft creates a similar product to Adobe's. In the case of this article, Mr. Dvorak looks at the Flash-Silverlight rivalry that is beginning to brew over Internet media delivery.
The author recommends Adobe adopt a Linux strategy, making their products more universal due to being available on all three major computing platforms. He encourages the software developer to face Microsoft head on rather than continue to outrun them. Unfortunately, Mr. Dvorak fails to address a couple of problems.
- Licensing. Adobe builds
closed-source applications with no sharing among
competitors (with a couple notable technologies
such as PDF and FLEX). In contrast, any Linux
application I can think of is licensed through some
sort of open standard such as GPL. I doubt it is
required, but open-source is certainly expected on
the Linux platform. How would Adobe adapt to this?
Would they at all? How would the Linux community
react to the applications retaining their
proprietary status? Reaction is important because
of the second major problem.
- Profit. Again, how many Linux applications can you think of that cost money? Of those, how many cost several hundred dollars? If Adobe doesn't consider revising their prices, the Linux could very well balk at the investment required to purchase Adobe products. On the other hand, if they offer their products on Linux at reduced prices (if not free as is standard practice), they risk angering and alienating their core customers on Windows and Macintosh systems. Let's not forget to mention that Adobe also has to worry about shareholders.
Now I could be wrong about these issues as my current experience with Linux is shaky at best. Furthermore, Adobe could possibly pull some amazing strategy to appeal to Linux users that I couldn't imagine, but I don't see it happening easily or soon.
Links 08/11/08 (YouTube Edition)
Here's the description on YouTube:
In 1969, a 14-year-old Beatle fanatic named Jerry Levitan, armed with a reel-to-reel tape deck, snuck into John Lennon's hotel room in Toronto and convinced John to do an interview about peace. 38 years later, Jerry has produced a film about it.
This is a simply amazing video, and the most amazing aspect is that it even exists. During the turbulence of the sixties, you would think anyone sneaking up to a hotel room where a celebrity was staying would be promptly thrown out. Instead, Lennon talks to this young man and answers his questions respectfully. Thanks to the individuals who helped this interview see the light of day.
Barackobama.com: Know the Facts: Response to McCain's Most Recent Attack Ad on Taxes
In this video, the Obama campaign's economic policy director deconstructs one of McCain's ads regarding taxes point-by-point. He addresses each criticism and debunks myths being perpetuated by the Republican candidate.
I haven't seen the Obama campaign do this before quite this way, but its an effective approach. I personally hope this becomes a continued strategy.
via sensico
How Barack Obama Could Become Al Gore 2.0
The Presidential Campaign of Al Gore 1.0
In 2000, the Democratic Party was all but assured another term in the White House. Al Gore swept the Democratic primaries and caucuses. Though widely criticized for his dishonesty regarding an affair with Monica Lewinsky, departing President Bill Clinton was leaving with an approval rating of 68% – a higher departing percentage than any president since polling was established seventy years earlier (unless you count presidents who died in office i.e. FDR and JFK). Al Gore's running mate would be the then-popular Joseph Lieberman, a man who could reach across party lines and attract conservative and value-based voters who might otherwise have shied form voting for Gore.
Al Gore image by Breuwi. Geroge W. Bush image by Shawn Clark
On the Republican side, numerous potential candidates were jockeying for power. There was Steve Forbes, John McCain, Elizabeth Dole, Dan Quayle, and Pat Buchanan among others. Thrown into the mix was Texas governor George W. Bush, son of a former president. The primaries ensued with Bush trailing McCain by 19% at one point, but Bush pulled out ahead to take the nomination. He was considered by many to be intellectually inferior to Gore, and McCain's campaign accused him of mudslinging his way to victory.
In one of the most controversial elections in this nation's history, Bush narrowly defeated Gore by five electoral votes. He lost the popular vote by more than 500,000 and 0.5%. The outcome ultimately came down to a Supreme Court decision ruling Florida's recounting of votes as unconstitutional. Suspicion also fell upon Florida's governor – George W. Bush's younger brother.
Regardless of the political nuances regarding counting the votes, the election was a huge upset because Gore was such a certain candidate. He wasn't expected to defeat Bush. He was expected to overwhelm Bush, but he didn't.
Al Gore and the Liberal Media
How could Gore have lost this election? One of my family members has suggested that the nation seeks refuge in conservatism after being subjected to liberal politics for too long. I tend to disagree based on the numbers. Again, Bush did win the electoral vote, but he lost the popular vote. The general population did not exactly flock to the Republicans after Clinton, and remember that Clinton – despite scandal – remained a popular president throughout his two terms. Certainly, Al Gore did himself few favors by keeping his emotions so close in check and playing to the middle, a strategy that Ariana Huffington thinks hurt his chances.In October 2007, Evgenia Peretz published an article in Vanity Fair called Going After Gore. It was the first truly in-depth interview with Mr. Gore since his 2000 defeat, and the author takes a very critical look at the role of the media in that election. The article opens with this blurb:
Al Gore couldn't believe his eyes: as the 2000 election heated up, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and other top news outlets kept going after him, with misquotes ("I invented the Internet"), distortions (that he lied about being the inspiration for Love Story), and strangely off-the-mark needling, while pundits such as Maureen Dowd appeared to be charmed by his rival, George W. Bush.
Several eye-opening quotes fill the piece, paining a picture of a media that turns against the candidate it's assumed to be biased for. These are just some samples. Ms. Peretz goes much deeper in her article and examines the election coverage (or mis-coverage) in great detail.
Eight years ago, in the bastions of the "liberal media" that were supposed to love Gore—The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, CNN—he was variously described as "repellent," "delusional," a vote-rigger, a man who "lies like a rug," "Pinocchio." Eric Pooley, who covered him for Time magazine, says, "He brought out the creative-writing student in so many reporters.… Everybody kind of let loose on the guy."
"Particularly in presidential elections … we in the press tend to deal in caricatures," says Dan Rather, who was then anchoring for CBS. "Someone draws a caricature, and it's funny and at least whimsical. And at first you sort of say, 'Aw shucks, that's too simple.' In the course of the campaign, that becomes accepted wisdom." He notes, "I do not except myself from this criticism."
In 2000, the media seemed to focus on a personality contest between Bush, the folksy Texas rogue, and, as The New York Times referred to Gore, "Eddie Haskell," the insincere brownnoser from Leave It to Beaver. ABC anchor Claire Shipman, who covered the 2000 campaign for NBC, says, "It was almost a drama that was cast before anyone even took a good look at who the candidates were."
As with all campaigns, the coverage of the 2000 election would be driven by a small number of beat reporters. In this case, two women at the most influential newspapers in the country: Seelye from The New York Times and Ceci Connolly from The Washington Post … "They just wanted to tear Gore apart," says a major network correspondent on the trail.
The article paints a picture of a media that created a far more favorable characterization of Bush than it did of Gore, a media that glossed over Bush's misstatements while overanalyzing Gore. The author describes the media's treatment of Mr. Gore as toxic, and the Democratic candidate had to spend as much time fighting fraudulent information from news outlets as he did attacks from his opponent.
While Gore's presentation of himself was far from the dynamic and engaging speaker and activist he is today, his campaign was severely damaged by a media that was all to willing to deal in caricatures and silliness rather than focus on issues and objective reporting.
How 2008 Could Be 2000 Version 2.0
image by the Center for American Progress Action Fund
Again, we have a clear contrast between the Republican and Democratic candidates. In fact, basically the same intellectual and personality contrasts can be drawn between Obama and McCain as could be between Gore and Bush. Again, the Democratic nominee seems to be a sure win. One advantage Obama has over Gore is a somewhat undefinable presence that demands rapt attention, but, like Gore, Obama has been moving to a more centrist platform as his campaign evolves. Likewise, McCain's positions on several issues have been drifting to the right.
How is the media faring? Recently, McCain and conservative pundits have been complaining that Obama has received more than twice as much airtime after the primaries. However, according to the Los Angeles Times, that coverage has not been kind.
The Center for Media and Public Affairs at George Mason University, where researchers have tracked network news content for two decades, found that ABC, NBC and CBS were tougher on Obama than on Republican John McCain during the first six weeks of the general-election campaign.
You read it right: tougher on the Democrat.
During the evening news, the majority of statements from reporters and anchors on all three networks are neutral, the center found. And when network news people ventured opinions in recent weeks, 28% of the statements were positive for Obama and 72% negative.
Writing for the New York Times, Frank Rich reinforces the idea that Obama is succeeding despite the media rather than because of it:
The growing Obama clout derives not from national polls, where his lead is modest. Nor is it a gift from the press, which still gives free passes to its old bus mate John McCain. It was laughable to watch journalists stamp their feet last week to try to push Mr. Obama into saying he was “wrong” about the surge. More than five years and 4,100 American fatalities later, they’re still not demanding that Mr. McCain admit he was wrong when he assured us that our adventure in Iraq would be fast, produce little American “bloodletting” and “be paid for by the Iraqis.”
Again, the media has begun to deal in characters rather than people, and they are tailoring their coverage of the candidates and events to fit those roles they have cast – McCain the grandfatherly war hero and Obama the socialist (potentially) Muslim elitist.
Think of the sheer number of media blitzes that have surrounded Obama's campaign: the Jeremiah Wright soundbite, "guns and religion," flag pins, "terrorist fist-jabs," madrasah, etc. Every move this man makes, every word he utters, every association he has comes under the most sensational scrutiny. In contrast, McCain receives free pass after free pass from the media.
Here are some examples from Media Matters. Please note, all of these examples focus on only one network, and it's not Fox.
- Media outlets reported McCain's
criticism of Obama's "political speech" in
Germany, didn't note McCain's own recent speech
in Canada
- CBS News omitted a second McCain
falsehood: his characterization of Iraq war as
"the first major conflict since 9/11"
- Despite warning that any "gaffe" by
Obama on his trip could be disastrous, nets'
evening news broadcasts ignored McCain
misstatements in same period
- Couric did not challenge McCain's
suggestion that "five Nobel laureates and 300
economists" agree he can balance the budget
- CBS' Schieffer left out part of Obama
speech that undermined Schieffer's suggestion of
a "different take" on Iraq policy
- Numerous media outlets reported
McCain's attack on Obama over public financing
without noting McCain's loan
- Today, Early Show covered Wright
interview, but didn't ask McCain about Hagee
- CBS report on candidates' tendency to "exaggerate ... his or her record" ignored several McCain distortions of his record
This is just a sampling and doesn't cover numerous flip-flops by McCain that the media has largely ignored as well as various offensive jokes he has made or claims to not know how he voted on some issues. On Crooks and Liars, Jon Amato, commenting the media glossing over one of McCain's misstatements once rhetorically asked, "What if Obama had said this?"
"What if?" indeed.
Avoiding a Repeat of History
While I think my political leanings are somewhat evident, I'm not writing this to tell you for whom to vote. I am, however, writing this to tell you how to vote – not as a Republican or as a Democrat, but as an informed individual.Vote informed, not educated by the mainstream media which doesn't inform so much as it entertains through information. Do your own research on the candidates. Fact-check everything. Read the candidates positions from their own websites (Obama, McCain). Read independent commentary. Go look at their voting records yourself (Obama, McCain). Go to a rally and ask them your questions in person, but don't trust what you see on TV or hear on the radio at face value.
And never, ever use the term liberal media again. Two main contributors hurt the Al Gore campaign of 2000: a political move to the center and a media that was more interested in drama and caricatures than facts. WIth both candidates in this election, political drifting is potentially damaging to their campaigns, but you can eliminate the other variable. Don't vote for some two-dimension cardboard cutout as portrayed by the mainstream media. Look beyond the hype. Don't become acquainted with characters on TV. Acquaint yourselves with the people, and make a decision based on information rather than infotainment.
Update: Media Matters Action Network is creating on online pledge regarding monitoring media bias – especially in regards to Republican candidates and talking points. Check it out if this interests you.
Links 07/08/08
You know, there's a reason many people who are passionate about technology are backing Obama.
Think On These Things: Obama 101
Here's a quick and handy starting point if you want to know where Barack Obama stands on a number of issues. This blogger does a good job of debunking a lot of misinformation floating around regarding Senator Obama, and he or she has several posts that explain how some of his policy plans are feasible. Poke around the site a bit.
Obama On FISA
Sen. Obama has been fairly quiet on the issue, but yesterday he sent out a response that's also on his site. Here are some quotes:
This was not an easy call for me. I know that the FISA bill that passed the House is far from perfect. I wouldn't have drafted the legislation like this, and it does not resolve all of the concerns that we have about President Bush's abuse of executive power. It grants retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies that may have violated the law by cooperating with the Bush Administration's program of warrantless wiretapping. This potentially weakens the deterrent effect of the law and removes an important tool for the American people to demand accountability for past abuses. That's why I support striking Title II from the bill, and will work with Chris Dodd, Jeff Bingaman and others in an effort to remove this provision in the Senate.
His claim is that he's still opposed to the retroactive immunity for telecoms that may have violated the law. I am forced to wonder how his vote will go should the immunity clause remain intact.
But I also believe that the compromise bill is far better than the Protect America Act that I voted against last year. The exclusivity provision makes it clear to any President or telecommunications company that no law supersedes the authority of the FISA court. In a dangerous world, government must have the authority to collect the intelligence we need to protect the American people. But in a free society, that authority cannot be unlimited.
Okay, so far so good.
Given the choice between voting for an improved yet imperfect bill, and losing important surveillance tools, I've chosen to support the current compromise. I do so with the firm intention -- once I’m sworn in as President -- to have my Attorney General conduct a comprehensive review of all our surveillance programs, and to make further recommendations on any steps needed to preserve civil liberties and to prevent executive branch abuse in the future.
In other words, he seems to see this as a temporary compromise he hopes to rectify in the future – assuming he wins the general election. I'm cautiously optimistic that he'll keep his word on this, but I, along with many of his supporters, would like to see a little more backbone at this moment. On the other hand, perhaps now is not the time for rigid idealism that could gridlock the system. After all, rigid idealism brought us to where we are today.
One comment I saw regarding this explanation put it very well: "If this decision were made in a vacuum, without a series of other 'drift to ther center' moves, your position would be plausible." Indeed, some of Obama's recent positions and statements seem slightly contrary to his nature without being outright contradictions. It's a move we've seen other Democratic presidential candidates take. Michael Dukakis, Al Gore, and Hillary Clinton all swerved toward the center of the field during their campaigns, and they all eventually lost.
While I still firmly believe Obama is a better presidential candidate for many reasons – energy policy, healthcare reform, education, international relations, to name a few – I fear he may begin to lose his base if he takes his campaign in a more centrist route. Arianna Huffington puts it well:
Go to YouTube and watch the concession speeches of Kerry, Gore, and Hillary Clinton, each of whom decided to run to the middle in an attempt to attract undecided swing voters.
…
Tape to your mirror the poll results from July 2004, where Kerry was up by six, and June of 1988, where Dukakis was up by 15... and don't get complacent.
…
When Bobby Kennedy was agonizing over whether or not to run in 1968, he told one of his advisors: "People are selfish. But they can also be compassionate and generous, and they care about the country. But not when they feel threatened. That's why this is such a crucial time. We can go in either direction. But if we don't make a choice soon, it will be too late to turn things around. I think people are willing to make the right choice. But they need leadership. They're hungry for leadership." Forty years later, we are starving for it.
Senator Obama, we the people have been hoping for some kind of shift in government that reflects an interest in us and respect for us. I hope this FISA bill is an exception and that you truly are prepared to be that change you say you represent.
Update: Obama voted for the bill with immunity intact. I wonder if he realizes how much this single act is undermining the message of his campaign to this point.
Lara Long On the Daily Show
Jon's interview with Lara Long is amazing, and it serves as a humbling reminder as to why it's important we keep hearing reports from the front lines. Regardless of your opinion or my opinion of the administration and the rationalizations that led to this conflict, our troops do deserve more attention and respect than they have been getting, especially in the mainstream media.
Enlightened By The Daily Show
Take Monday, June 16, 2008 as an example. First, Mr. Stewart blasts the mainstream media for what he labels Baracknophobia: the fear of hope. While ceaselessly funny, it serves as a great commentary on how the mainstream media plays up silly, unfounded, and often false rumors about a political figure (Barack Obama in this case) and presents them under the guise of "fair and unbiased" reporting.
Later, Mr. Stewart interviews former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias who talks about his job and subsequent termination under the Bush administration. Those out there still arguing that this administration did nothing wrong and that there's nothing suspicious about those dismissals should watch this.
I lfind it intriguing that Mr. Iglesias speaks of using mob infiltration tactics in terms of prosecuting the Republicans responsible for this, but the best quote of this interview?
I thought I was working with the Jedi Knights, and I was working for the Sith Lords.
Keep in mind that this is coming from a U.S. Attorney who considered himself a Republican. Unfortunately, his sense of following due process and honoring the Constitution cost him his position. By the way, here's his book on Borders.com if you are interested.
Links 06/14/08
A young man asks what life means for Senator Obama, and, after a little stammering, I think he comes up with a pretty good answer:
What life means to me is that every day I wake up trying to figure out how can I secure their futures and the futures of all children … How can I make sure that we are giving a planet and a country to them that is better than the one we got? And, you know, so I guess what I’ve discovered is that life doesn’t count for much unless you’re somehow giving yourself to something larger to yourself.
Neocrisis: Classic game scenes recreated with Lego
I had fun with this trying to guess what game was being recreated before looking at the caption. The only one I couldn't immediately identify was Bionic Commando.
How Is This Not Slander?
image from Salon.com
From Wikipedia:
A baby mama (also baby-mama and baby-mother) is a mother who is not married to her child's father. The Oxford English Dictionary defines baby mama as "the mother of a man's child, who is not his wife or (in most cases) his current or exclusive partner".
Senator Barack Obama and Michelle Robinson were married in 1992. Their daughters were born in 1998 and 2001. Either Malkin is ignorant or vindictive in her use of this term, and with Fox News' history of hateful, racist, and sometimes even misogynistic coverage of politics, the latter would not surprise me.
Change You Can Copy
- Isn't the basis of conservatism a resistance to change? Is this slogan supposed to be sarcastic?
- Or is it more like, "I'll give you the change you deserve?" Perhaps it's a threat.
- Maybe it's commentary on the Republican stance on taxes. "You deserve change, but we'll save you dollars!"
- Wait a minute, I've seen that slogan in the doctor's office. It's used for an anti-depressant! I wonder if they think I need one. What side-effects do they come with?
Um, speaking of things we can believe in…
image from johnmccain.com
Does that look/sound familiar to you? Like this familiar:
image from barackobama.com
Like most copies, the McCain version is inferior in many ways. Color usage, typography, image quality, general composition – the original beats the imitation. Still, I find it amusing that McCain would be asking us to believe in him as a leader through a splash image that bears such close resemblance to his opponent's image. In fact, his whole site seems to have taken cues from the Obama camp in its recent redesign.
You'd think differentiating one's self from the competition wouldn't involve imitating the look and feel of the competition's campaign, especially a campaign with such a signature look. Hm, perhaps this imitation makes the statement that, "The Change You Deserve Is More of the Same."
Links 05/29/08 (With Some More Commentary Than Usual)
I don't know how to feel about this. Rupert Murdoch – you know, the man who owns News Corp, corporate entity over of Fox News? That Rupert Murdoch said this about Obama:
"He is a rock star. It's fantastic … I love what he is saying about education … I don't think he will win Florida … but he will win in Ohio and the election … I am anxious to meet him."
He also didn't have too many kind words to spare regarding McCain, calling him "unpredictable" and asking, "What's he really stand for?" The man overseeing the news outlet that has been responsible for more lies and misinformation about Obama than about anyone is now all but endorsing him? What's that squealing in the air?
CleanTechnica: 3 Hidden Costs of High Oil Prices
In my opinion, opening up further drilling sites is like putting a Band-Aid on a tumor. Yes, it will put some people's minds at ease in the short-term, but the problem still exists. Only by branching out into alternative energy sources that don't rely on fossil fuels in any way can we break out of this economic and environmental pit.
RapidWeaver 4.0
Realmac software just released an update to their website-creation tool RapidWeaver. Unfortunately, it's Leopard-only, so I won't be upgrading soon. I highly recommend RapidWeaver to anyone wanting to publish their own blog or website.
Update: Here are the release notes.
GameTrailers: Prince of Persia: Next Gen
So the team working on this (if I'm not mistaken) also worked on TMNT and Assassin's Creed. Both of these games featured gameplay elements similar to that of the previous Prince of Persia trilogy with some co-op and environmental enhancements. From the looks of this trailer, it appears TMNT's over-the-top co-op attacks as well as the expansive environments from Assassin's Creed are coming home to the Prince.
From what I've read, this game also seems to be influenced by Okami both in visual style and themes. Good stuff.
I'm so excited by this, I might just have to play the Sands of Time trilogy over again!
Links 05/27/08
I can't believe I forgot to post this earlier! Kindergarten teacher Wendy Portillo actually led her class in telling an autistic five-year-old what they don't like about him, and she guided the kids in voting him out of her class! I don't care how much trouble he might have been in, this behavior from a teacher is completely unacceptable (disclaimer: I'm a teacher, and I'm autistic).
The school website seems to be down, but you can visit the district site right here.
Engadget: Hydraulic transmission gives engines, wallets a break
Hopefully, this is another step in the direction of reducing our total dependance on fossil fuels.
Senator Obama Addresses Wesleyan University Graduates
In discussing the need for individuals willing to dedicate time and resources to public service:
Not because you have an obligation to those who are less fortunate, though you do have that obligation. Not because you have a debt to all those who helped you get here, though you do have that debt.
It’s because you have an obligation to yourself. Because our individual salvation depends on collective salvation. Because thinking only about yourself, fulfilling your immediate wants and needs, betrays a poverty of ambition. Because it’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential and discover the role you’ll play in writing the next great chapter in America’s story.
The full text of the speech can be read right here.
YouTube: Is It True About Obama?
Speaking of Senator Obama, this short video covers some of the misinformation and misconceptions floating around regarding him.
Links 05/10/08
Did you know Obama offers some of his speeches as free downloads through iTunes? I didn't.
The link opens in iTunes.
The Metal Gear Retrospective: Part One
GameTrailers.com is beginning a multi-episode look at the Metal Gear video game series as Konami readies the release of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. This video looks back at the MSX and NES days of the series and the birth of the stealth genre.
Davis and Company: The End of the Star Wars / Star Trek Debate
Well, I'm glad that's settled.
via John Gruber
YouTube: Apple Mac Music Video
Bizarre, but cool. via TUAW.
Get Up and Vote!
image by woodsy on stock.xchng
Indiana's primary is this Tuesday, May 6. Polls will be open 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Voters must have a valid form of photo ID. These include:
- Indiana Driver's License
- Indiana photo ID card
- United States Passport
- U.S. Military ID
- Student ID from an Indiana school
If this is your first time voting, be sure to bring along a document that shows your current address – like your driver's license or a utility bill.
If you are an Indiana resident, it's time to get out there and make your voice heard.
Links 05/02/08
Another big endorsement for Obama. He served as chair of the DNC during the Clinton administration and was one of the first to endorse Hillary.
My friend Ben has taken to calling him "the Obamanator." I think he should trademark it.
Ars Technica: Is Lessig's Free Culture just a modern Das Kopyright?
According to The Progress & Freedom Foundation, it is – but you have to look at Lessig's ideas with a fair amount of paranoia and take some quotes out of context to get to that conclusion.
Ars Technica: An elephant never forgets? George W. Bush's lost e-mails
To make a long story short, the current administration jettisoned an archiving implementation that worked and replaced it with one that doesn't. Seven years later, it still doesn't.
I could make a comment here about reoccurring themes, but I won't.
Links 04/26/08 (Stayin' Alive Edition)
TED Talks: Johnny Lee: Creating tech marvels out of a $40 Wii Remote
This video literally had me saying "whoa" out-loud!
Kotaku: echochrome Demo Changing Minds Tomorrow
Another amazing yet simple piece of technology – makes me wish for a PS3.
Seattlepi.com: Why Hillary Clinton makes my wife scream
While my wife has never raised her voice at a Clinton story or speech, she has made it clear to me that Senator Clinton has entirely lost her vote at this point. While I believe that voting for policy is more important than voting for a person (even if I find that person subjectively unlikable), I can't help but wonder what a Clinton nomination might do to voter turnout in November.
Perhaps my fears are unfounded.
Infinite Loop: Exclusive preview: RapidWeaver matures with version 4
New version of RapidWeaver coming: Yay! I still don't have Leopard (and it's Leopard-only): Boo!
Advice for the Ages
I miss the Bill Clinton of the past eight years. Why do his forays into politics wear at his character so heavily? I guess some critics would say that what we are seeing now is his true character, but I'm not so sure.
Links 04/10/08
When you have for the first time in front of you this 3.1 billion-letter instruction book that conveys all kinds of information and all kinds of mystery about humankind, you can’t survey that going through page after page without a sense of awe. I can’t help but look at those pages and have a vague sense that this is giving me a glimpse of God’s mind.
Francis Collins describes more in his book The Language of God.
TED: Al Gore: New thinking on the climate crisis
Al Gore delivers another fine presentation about climate change and what can be done about it.
Ars Technica - Blogging meets literary analysis: why people read blogs
Many studies have been conducted about why people blog, but I think this topic is far more interesting. What is it about blogs that keep people engaged? I hope more studies like this are conducted in the future.
Londonist - “Rape is Like Being Force-Fed Chocolate Cake” Blogs BNP Official
This is beyond outrageous. Conservative British National Party member Nick Eriksen has this to say about the concept of marital/date rape:
Women enjoy sex, so rape cannot be such a terrible physical ordeal…To suggest that rape, when conducted without violence, is a serious crime is like suggesting force-feeding a woman chocolate cake is a heinous offence.
Then again, this is the same commendable person who has also said this:
Some women are like gongs — they need to be struck regularly.
I can't seem to find out if this guy is married. I'm guessing not.
YouTube - Cheney in 1994 on Iraq
If only he had listened to his own advice later.
Soundbite Judgment
Who is the real patriot? The young man who interrupted his studies to serve his country for six years or our three political leaders who beat the system? Are the patriots the people who actually sacrifice something or those who merely talk about their love of the country?
In this context, the authors implicitly ask (though it is not the thrust of the article) about what standards we use to judge character and how we assess the quality of a person from the information we have on that individual.
I would wager that most of us know about Rev. Jeremiah Wright because of his ties to presidential candidate Barack Obama. I would also wager that most of what you've heard about him centers around a specific ~30-second video clip where he proclaims condemnation against America (or, specifically, our current administration and its policies). We've seen the video looped dozens of times, but does this audio bite give us a clear picture of who Jeremiah Wright is?
I would venture to say it does not.
How many of us could have our reputations harmed if we were judged by a random thirty-second bite of our lives? How many of us have never said or done something others might find questionable, objectionable, or downright offensive – especially if taken out of context. This hypothetical edit of our lives is all someone else has by which to judge us. Do we really want that?
The Reverend Wright is an example of this soundbite judgment. How many of us knew anything at all about him prior to this brouhaha? Conversely, how many of us tried to find anything meaningful out about him afterwards? Here are some bullet points you might not have known about Rev. Wright:
- He has a wife and five children.
- He gave up a student deferment to serve in the Marines at the age of 20.
- He graduated as valedictorian from the Great Lakes Naval Training Center.
- He later graduated as salutatorian from the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
- He served as part of President Lydon B. Johnson's medical team.
- The White House awarded him with three letters of commendation by 1967.
- He has been a professor for and served on the board of Chicago Theological Seminary.
- He has been honored by Ebony magazine as one of their top fifteen preachers.
This is the reality in which Reverend Wright and other African-Americans of his generation grew up. They came of age in the late fifties and early sixties, a time when segregation was still the law of the land and opportunity was systematically constricted. What's remarkable is not how many failed in the face of discrimination, but rather how many men and women overcame the odds; how many were able to make a way out of no way for those like me who would come after them.
He also outlines much of the good Rev. Wright has been responsible for:
The man I met more than twenty years ago is a man who helped introduce me to my Christian faith, a man who spoke to me about our obligations to love one another; to care for the sick and lift up the poor. He is a man who served his country as a U.S. Marine; who has studied and lectured at some of the finest universities and seminaries in the country, and who for over thirty years led a church that serves the community by doing God's work here on Earth - by housing the homeless, ministering to the needy, providing day care services and scholarships and prison ministries, and reaching out to those suffering from HIV/AIDS.
This took about fifteen seconds of casual Internet research, and, already, here is a far more complete picture of a man the media wants to portray as a two-dimensional, anti-American radical.
A Brief Tangent on the Media and Its Portrayal of Public Figures
In an October 2007 article of Vanity Fair looking back at the 2000 election, Dan Rather had some interesting things to say regarding the media's role in public perception of political figures:"Particularly in presidential elections … we in the press tend to deal in caricatures," says Dan Rather, who was then anchoring for CBS. "Someone draws a caricature, and it's funny and at least whimsical. And at first you sort of say, 'Aw shucks, that's too simple.' In the course of the campaign, that becomes accepted wisdom." He notes, "I do not except myself from this criticism."
The article goes on to point out exactly how Gore and Bush were characterized in that election:
In 2000, the media seemed to focus on a personality contest between Bush, the folksy Texas rogue, and, as The New York Times referred to Gore, "Eddie Haskell," the insincere brownnoser from Leave It to Beaver. ABC anchor Claire Shipman, who covered the 2000 campaign for NBC, says, "It was almost a drama that was cast before anyone even took a good look at who the candidates were."
The basic problem here is a simple one: news programs do not exist to inform you so much as they exist to entertain you with information. Therefore, a media outlet such as NBC Nightly News, CNN, Fox News, and even many blogs will present facts about individuals in as sensational a way as possible to support a nearly fictional drama of events – especially when it comes to politics.
The reasons behind this are simple. News outlets are ad-driven revenue resources. Television programs sell commercial space. Print sources sell ad space, and websites secure advertisement revenue based on page hits. What will attract more attention to drive up advertisement revenue then – a story that rationally looks at some ill-informed remarks in context and discusses the influences that might have led to such statements or a story that vilifies said individual by focusing in the most negative aspect possible?
The media focuses on two-dimensional portrayals of politically hot figures because it makes money – not because it makes you a more informed voter.
Back to the Point
This brings us back to Rev. Wright. Does all of this make his remarks okay? I don't think so. Again quoting Barack Obama:As such, Reverend Wright's comments were not only wrong but divisive, divisive at a time when we need unity; racially charged at a time when we need to come together to solve a set of monumental problems...
However, if we take a minute to turn away from the hype and look at the person, such remarks are easier to understand. It is more difficult to vilify the man because now he is more real. He is tangible. He is no longer a stereotyped character who exists on a 30-second YouTube video merely as fodder for controversy. He is a human like you and me, and we should therefore judge him as we would want to be judged ourselves.
Matthew 7:1-2 is one of the most misused passages of the Bible, but I think it is particularly relevant at this point.
Judge not, that you be not judged, for with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured unto you.
I would encourage all of us, as we continue into this election season, to be careful of soundbite judgments, to be careful of jumping to conclusions about an individual based on a snippet of information a media outlet deems sensational enough for its purposes. I imagine no one reading this blog would want their lives, beliefs, and values judged in such a way, so let's show enough reason and kindness to extend that same courtesy to public figures as well.
Links 03/29/08
Here's an interesting piece by by a CNN manager who – at 48 years old – has been diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. I like how she wraps up.
I could tell you so much more, but instead let me share one last insight. Don't pity me or try to cure or change me. If you could live in my head for just one day, you might weep at how much beauty I perceive in the world with my exquisite senses. I would not trade one small bit of that beauty, as overwhelming and powerful as it can be, for "normalcy."
The Huffington Post: Flashback: Wright's Letter To NYT About Obama
This is a neat piece of history. The Huffington Post publishes a letter from the controversial Rev. Wright to the New York Times regarding their misrepresentation of him and his relationship with Barack Obama in an article they published on March 6, 2007 after Obama announced his bid for the presidency. It makes for a good insight on how news sources sometimes cherry pick facts and sound bites to make a story more sensational than it really is.
Ars Technica: Online Safety Begins with Parents, Not Laws and Government
Just a friendly reminder from the Department of the Obvious (not Ars Technica) that, indeed, parents are the most powerful influencers on children's lives, and they have more power to inform and protect their children than any other source.
The More You Know™
NYT: McCain Stumbles on H.I.V. Prevention
I find this exchange concerning:
Q: ...Do you think contraceptives help stop the spread of HIV?”
Mr. McCain: (Long pause) “You’ve stumped me.”
Q: “I mean, I think you’d probably agree it probably does help stop it?”
Mr. McCain: (Laughs) “Are we on the Straight Talk express? I’m not informed enough on it. Let me find out. You know, I’m sure I’ve taken a position on it on the past. I have to find out what my position was. Brian, would you find out what my position is on contraception – I’m sure I’m opposed to government spending on it, I’m sure I support the president’s policies on it.”
Links 02/26/08 ("Will It Ever Stop?" Edition)
ABC News: Autism Breakthrough: Girl's Writings Explain Her Behavior and Feelings
From the article:
"Autism is hard because you want to act one way, but you can't always do that. It's sad that sometimes people don't know that sometimes I can't stop myself and they get mad at me. If I could tell people one thing about autism it would be that I don't want to be this way. But I am, so don't be mad. Be understanding."
Just excellent.
Daily Kos: I Refuse to Buy into the Obama Hype
This is an incredibly well-researched post regarding legislation both Senators Clinton and Obama have been involved in and how these bills differentiate the candidates. This is good reading for anyone finding themselves having a hard time deciding which Democratic candidate to support.
I think, by know, you know which Democratic candidate I support. The question is, which Republican candidate do I like better? Inquiring minds...
The Huffington Post: Clinton, Obama And The Belief In The Magic Power Of Words
From the article:
Now, I agree with Clinton that it's important to look at how each of the Democratic candidates uses words and how rhetoric fits into how they've run their respective campaigns. And if you do, you'll see that one candidate does believe that words are like a magic wand: you utter them and reality changes. But it's not Barack Obama -- it's Hillary Clinton.
Clinton's use of words is disturbingly reminiscent of the way the Bush administration has used words: just saying something is true is magically supposed to make it true. Call it Presto-change-o Politics.
Macworld: Apple now No. 2 music retailer in the U.S.
This ranking includes brick-and-mortar locations by the way. I bet you can guess who's number one (shudder).
Links 02/02/08 (Unexpected Stuff Edition)
There's nothing surprising in this article when compared to others who have chosen to back Obama – except for the author. Susan Eisenhower. Yes, his granddaughter. Wow.
Update: And now the Grateful Dead are reuniting to support this guy! I have a feeling lots of people are going to feel disappointed if he doesn't take the Democratic nomination.
Ars Technica: Microsoft Adds Yahoo! to Shopping Cart
Can't get your rival to cooperate? Just buy them with more money than they can refuse. Like John Gruber, I can't see Yahoo!'s shareholders turning this one down.
PC Magazine: Apple's MacBook Air Will Soar
You know, I'm beginning to believe this thing might be a hit. I was listening to some decidedly non-techie friends talking about the MacBook Air over dinner recently, and they were all intrigued by it, a couple implying they were considering getting one. None of these friends are current Mac-owners either.
Links 01/05/08
YouTube: Obama's Victory Speech
Another great speech by this candidate. I really should make a Simply Presentation post about him. Here's a transcript.
Daring Fireball: The Way the Camera Follows Us in Slo-Mo
This must be one of the best blog posts ever.
The Sixty-one - A Music Adventure
The only way I can describe this is like Digg for independent music. Singles are ranked by users, and some music is available for purchase from Amazon as DRM-free MP3 files.
Links 12/30/07 (End of the Year Edition)
Stand for Change: Full video of Barack's speech in Des Moines
Honestly, this is one of the best speeches given by a political figure in years. Regardless of your political party affiliation, this is inspiring stuff.
You can find an entire transcript right here.
AFP: 2007 stem cell breakthrough is like turning lead into gold
Stem cell research is getting more and more interesting, especially as scientists are finding ways to procure said cells without damaging embryos in the process. It's amazing this research is progressing so quickly despite political obstacles.
From the article:
"This is truly the Holy Grail: To be able to take a few cells from a patient -- say a cheek swab or few skin cells -- and turn them into stem cells in the laboratory," said Robert Lanza, a stem cell pioneer at Advanced Cell Technology.
George Orwell: The Freedom of the Press
This preface to Animal Farm was omitted at the time of the book's publication, and it's an interesting read for anyone who is a fan of Orwell's works. Additionally, like many of his writings, this preface is eerily prophetic in many aspects.
Links 11/26/07 (Turkey Rehab Edition)
Here's an article from 2001 about why the Apple stores would all be closed within two years. It's been making rounds through the Mac blogs, but I thought I'd post it here too!
TED: Announcing 2008 TED Prize winners
The TED Prize was introduced in 2005, and it is unlike any other award. Although the winners receive a prize of $100,000 each, the real prize is that they are granted a WISH. "A wish to change the world." There are no formal restrictions on the wish. We ask our winners to think big and to be creative. The goal is that it creates an incredible sense of excitement and common purpose. It inspires the TED community, and all those who hear about the wish, to offer their help in making the wish come true.
TED is a neat organization. I don't always agree with some of the positions they promote, but I like their hearts and the inspiration they foster.
TechCrunch: Q&A With Senator Barack Obama On Key Technology Issues
Obama is one of the only politicians out there who actually seems to get technology and be able to discuss it intelligently.
CNET: Top Ten Terrible Tech Products: Windows Vista
Really? Vista is one of the ten worst technology products? By what standards? Methinks someone is desperate for attention, and I just gave it to them...
Links 10/17/07
It's like Man of the Year without the lousy techno-thriller subplot. If this goes anywhere, I wonder if he'll shed his Colbert Report persona in any interviews or (gasp) debates. On the other hand, he communicates well through his satire. Hey, if Arnold can be governor...
By the way, if you like Colbert, you'll love his ice cream.
Freeverse: Periscope 1.5
Freeverse updates their $40 webcam utility with some refined features and a completely redesigned UI (thank you). The demo period lasts for 50 hours and does not limit functionality.
via TUAW
Macworld: Apple says iPhone complies with eco standards
Apple tells Greepeace to go stick their heads in some hazardous materials themselves.
“Like all Apple products worldwide, iPhone complies with RoHS [Restriction of Hazardous Substances], the world’s toughest restrictions on toxic substances in electronics,” an Apple spokesperson, told Macworld. “As we have said, Apple will voluntarily eliminate the use of PVC and BFRs by the end of 2008.”
Macworld: Jobs: iPhone SDK coming in February
I don't think I quite believe Jobs' spin on why the SDK is coming so long after the phone, but at least it is coming. Oh, and it will also work with the iPod touch.
Links 10/09/07
...And like so many other tragedies, the international community is turning a blind eye to the suffering people. However, if Burma's population or industry actually controlled something the world economy hinges on, this would not be tolerated.
iTunes: George Harrison
We've got solo careers from Paul, John, Ringo, and now George. I wonder when the "other shoe" will drop.
via TUAW
Links 09/20/07 (Special Extended Edition)
• Wil Shipley believes Apple's strategy of lock-ins will soon collapse upon itself.
• John Gruber agrees and goes so far as to say...
The best thing that could happen to Apple this year would be for Microsoft’s Zune 2.0 to be a kick-ass product, both technologically and in terms of being designed to make customers happy, not entertainment conglomerates. Apple needs competition.
• Paul Thurott says, "I told you so."
Engadget: NBC to offer free "NBC Direct" download service, iTunes competitor
from Engadget:
The company is going to start testing a new NBC Direct service in October with full, free downloadable episodes which can be stored up to seven days on Windows PCs. The shows will be on offer for a week as soon as they've aired, and will include imbedded, un-skippable ads.
Wow. That sounds like the company is putting customers first. Wait, what was that? Oh, battling the 0.01% of consumers who pirate programming is your number one priority! Now it all makes sense...
I like John Gruber's take:
So his number-one priority is piracy. Not making high-quality shows. Not forging a sponsorship or advertising model that is less annoying and distracting to viewers, such that they (the viewers) would be less likely to want to fast-forward the advertising messages. No, piracy, that’s his top priority.
Infinite Loop: OpenOffice Aqua still a year away
Sigh. Mac OS X has been out for how long? Seven-ish years now? How long did it take to figure out this whole OS X thing was more than a fad?
Google Video: Conspiracy Theory Rock
Awesome parody of School House Rock.
Apparently, this video has only been broadcast once, and it was back on March 14, 1998.
Flickr: 24 fps
This photoset features the last frame from several classic movies. Neat stuff. (See how many of the films you can name from the pictures! I could name ... like two.)
via DF
Links 09/04/07
Vanity Fair Columnist Evgenia Peretz pens a fascinating piece about the role of the media in Al Gore's 2000 presidential defeat. This is an important lesson as we enter another season of political reporting – the reporters are not infallible, and an informed voter should double-check the facts before passing judgment.
From the article:
As Jonathan Alter points out, "Overall, the press was harder on Gore than it was on Bush.… The consequences of [that] in such a close election were terrifying."
The article also clarifies former U.S. Representative Dick Armey's (R) misstatement that Gore claimed to have invented the Internet. He only claimed to have strongly supported making it available to the civilian public.
Vinton Cerf, often called the father of the Internet, has claimed that the Internet would not be where it was without Gore's leadership on the issue. Even former Republican House speaker Newt Gingrich has said that "Gore is the person who, in the Congress, most systematically worked to make sure that we got to an Internet."
Links 07/21/07
This site provides a simple chart covers the basic stance of all the current candidates on 25 issues you may care about.
ThoughtDifferent.com
This site has a really neat archive of images that showcase Apple's main page from 1997 to present. I think it is interesting how quickly Apple found a design that works, and the site still follows the basic principles of that design, even ten years later.
Coulter and Market Validation
"...and I'm a little sick of being browbeaten..."
I find this terribly ironic since so much of the criticism laid out against her focuses on her demeaning and browbeating others. Coulter claims to be a Christian, so this should be a simple lesson: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." If she doesn't want people to level personal attacks against her, she should first clean up her own act.
"...I have written five New York Times bestsellers. People like the way I write..."
In other words, she is taking the very conservative approach of validation through market success. The market has decided she is a good author, so that must mean everything she says or writes is justified and above criticism. If we follow this logic, here are some other authors and books that have been market approved:
- God Is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens
- The Assault on Reason by Al Gore
- Outrage by Dick Morris and Eileen McGann
- It Takes a Village by Hillary Rodham Clinton
- The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
- The Truth (With Jokes) by Al Franken
- America (The Book) by Jon Stewart
- Dude, Where's My Country by Michael Moore
- My Life by Bill Clinton
I could go on and on here. The point is that she would have no problem criticizing these New York Times bestsellers, so why should she think that status somehow exempts her from the same? Furthermore, games like the Grand Theft Auto series, God of War, Gears of War, and Manhunt have been market successes, but I doubt Coulter would endorse any of them. (I'm not very informed about movies and TV shows, so I'll let you come up with your own examples.)
Some media personalities have defended Coulter saying she brings up real issues that need discussing, and I can see where they are coming from. However, as long as those issues are bing wrapped in senselessly insensitive remarks, insults, and derogatory comments, I don't want to listen. Regardless of your values, political agenda, or religious background, petty attacks demean and hinder the political dialogue in this country – and they encourage more knee-jerk responses than they do honest examination and discussion.
I'm going to stop talking about this now. I promise.
I Am So Going to Get Branded for This
In this light, I find it completely understandable that radio host Don Imus was dismissed after his most recent foray into racist comments. He did have a long history of doing so, and enough was enough. However, I'm also a big fan of consistency. I know, it's an idealistic flaw, but I can't fathom why some other media pundits get away with what they say time and time again. Take Ann Coulter for example. (Disclosure: Please note that these YouTube videos are posted by political bloggers, so some bias is noticeable.)
Why Coulter? Two recent examples:
What was that again?
"If I’m going to say anything about John Edwards in the future, I’ll just wish he had been killed in a terrorist assassination plot."
This isn't the first time she's wished death on others in public either. In 2002, she said:
"We need to execute people like John Walker in order to physically intimidate liberals, by making them realize that they can be killed, too. Otherwise, they will turn out to be outright traitors."
Uh-huh. Also, let's not forget this gem:
"My only regret with Timothy McVeigh is he did not go to the New York Times Building."
Okay, that's just sick. Does this mean she doesn't really mind that so many people died in Oklahoma City so much as the fact that no one in the NYT building has been brutally and inhumanely murdered? The mind reels. Absolutely reels.
Example number two:
Regardless of how you feel about Obama's speech (and there is a lot in it that could be debated healthily and respectfully), pay attention to one of the first things out of Coulter's mouth:
"I do think someone named B. Hussein Obama should avoid using hijack and religion in the same sentence."
Oh no she didn't! Last I checked, Obama goes by "Barack Obama" 100% of the time. She purposefully manipulates his name to create a terrorist correlation among her viewers! This is interesting coming from someone who claims she believes in "the dignity of all humans."
This respecter of human dignity has also publicly called both Al Gore and John Edwards "faggots." She has called other members of the media "retarded" and worthy of execution.
As a bonus quote that disrespects no one but the world we live on, here is Coulter's take on the environment:
"God says, 'Earth is yours. Take it. Rape it. It's yours.'"
DId she just use "rape" so flippantly in that sentence? I think she did.
I'm sorry about the rant-like nature of this post, but the hate speech and character smearing needs to stop on all sides – especially from those who claim to be spiritual people. In full disclosure, I would fall closer to what is described as the Religious Right than anywhere else, but I'm sick and tired of how people who might be lumped into that same category behave. Ideally, we have freedom to say and publish what we want to – what may even be necessary – without the fear of political retribution. However, that is a right that must be used responsibly in the example we set for others and the tone we foster among our fellow citizens.
Imus is off the air for his remarks. How is Ann Coulter any better?
Links 06/10/07
This directly challenges principals set forth in the controversial Military Commissions Act of 2006, which basically allowed for the Geneva Conventions and habeas corpus to be ignored in the case of suspected terrorists and war criminals.
I just hope Senate has the guts to get this processed untarnished.
Infinite Loop: Mac vs. PC Prices
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Mac prices are competitive when compared to similarly equipped machines – especially MacBooks, MacBook Pros, and iMacs. The perceived price gap comes from the fact that Apple chooses not to compete in the bargain-basement department, allowing them to remain insanely profitable.
Also, like people who prefer buying organic foods at Wild Oats rather than Meijer, there's something to be said about paying for the experience as well.
Links 05/28/07
The new version of their web page creator comes with a new look for their site. It seems very Delicious Monster-inspired. I'll post some thoughts on RapidWeaver 3.6 in a few days after putting it through some paces.
Guardian Unlimited: A drive for global domination has put us in greater danger
Here's another edited excerpt from Gore's most recent book, The Assault on Reason. I need to stop doing this. I'm bordering dangerously close to becoming a political blog!
Raw Story: Cheney criticizes the Geneva Conventions in Military Academy commencement address
I'm not a Cheny fan. (After all, my man-crush is on Al Gore). However, I don't agree that Cheny is necessarily criticizing the Geneva Conventions in this speech as much as he is trying to (clumsily) illustrate a moral distinction between American combatants and some of the opposition they face.
However, this quote from his speech is something I could take issue with:
"They view the world as a battlefield and they yearn to hit us again. And now they have chosen to make Iraq the central front in their war against civilization."
I'm sorry, who chose to make Iraq the "central front" again?
Ars Technica: Ex-military leaders call climate change a national security issue
I never thought of global warming in terms of terrorism, but there you go.
Opposable Thumbs: First look: 1.80 firmware update for PlayStation 3 truly impresses
Every PS3 patch makes the machine that much more compelling. It has no longer become a question of if we get a PS3 as much as when.
Links 05/20/07
The Bills (Gates and Clinton) unite to bring free online tools to communities wishing to decrease their carbon footprints, and a company named Business Objects is looking to provide cities with open source solutions in the efforts to curb detrimental climate changes.
- Ars Technica: Attacking climate change with open data
- Nobel Intent: Microsoft and the Clinton Foundation team up to tackle climate change
Ars Technica: Why writing in games matters: Part II—challenges of interactive storytelling
This entry focuses specifically on the challenges of fitting a plot (linear by nature) into modern games (nonlinear by design). Good stuff.
AVING USA: 120-inch wide touchscreen display 'T-VIEW'
Wow! Any word on pricing?
Links 05/08/07
Wow. This should have been the case years ago. It's amazing how "intellectual property" squandering can lead to derailments in common sense.
Links 05/07/07
From the article:
Instead of requiring journalists to be tied to a news organization, the bill now defines "journalism" to focus more on the function of the job: "the gathering, preparing, collecting, photographing, recording, writing, editing, reporting, or publishing of news or information that concerns local, national, or international events or other matters of public interest for dissemination to the public."
As Jon Stewart pointed out in an interview with Bill Moyers, many bloggers are as effective (if not more-so) than many mainstream journalists who answer to larger organizations. This bill is a very good thing.
Ars Technica: Why writing in games matters: Part I—advancing the art of storytelling
Ars Technica looks at the scarcity of good writing in video games, some of the obstacles, and possible reasons and solutions for including better writing in games.
Opposable Thumbs: Blu-ray laser shortage ending; PS3 price cuts should follow
I'm sure Sony will keep prices where they are for a while to help recoup losses, but it's good to know they consider price drops as a viable strategy.
Think Progress: Gingrich To Conservatives: Don’t Talk About Iraq, Katrina, Walter Reed, Attorneys, Or Bush
Wow. It's petty dire when your own political party is trying to distance itself from you.
From the transcript:
Well, President Bush is not the future. He’s not a solution. He doesn’t solve Social Security. He doesn’t solve Medicare. He doesn’t solve the economy. He doesn’t solve the environment. He doesn’t solve education.
Again with Blaming Games
It also makes me frustrated how individuals come out of the woodwork at times like these to further their own agendas through uninformed tactics that morbidly entice the public into either higher ratings or political support. Again, a violent act is being used to propagate the hypothetical video game-rampage link. I really wasn't going to write about this at first, but I strongly dislike these kind of blame-games being played that divert the concepts of personal accountibility and responsibility from our minds.
First up is Dr. Phil:
And the problem is we are programming these people as a society. You cannot tell me - common sense tells you that if these kids are playing video games, where they’re on a mass killing spree in a video game, it’s glamorized on the big screen, it’s become part of the fiber of our society.
I have a grudging respect for Dr. Phil (despite his former association with Oprah), but here he's taking a tried-and-true approach: "video games train our children to be murderers." However, playing Grand Theft Auto, for example, trains me in the art of killing no more than Gran Turismo makes me a better race car driver, Mario Golf makes me a better golfer, or Trauma Center makes me a better surgeon.
I agree that desensitization to violence can only be a Bad Thing™, but desensitization does not equate actions. Again, playing Mario Golf does not make me more likely to step onto a golf course at any point in my life. Likewise, having played a game like Halo does not compel me to perform acts of violence toward anyone.
Of course, Jack Thompson has a thing or two to say:
Several Korean youths who knew Cho Seung Hui from his high school days said he was a fan of violent video games, particularly Counterstrike, a hugely popular online game published by Microsoft, in which players join terrorism or counter-terrorism groups and try to shoot each other using all types of guns.
A game depicting counter-terrorism and warfare? You mean like this one published by the United States government? Why aren't you blaming republicans for the violence? Oh yeah, blaming Bill Gates will get more attention.
Mr. Gates, your company is potentially legally liable the harm done at Virginia Tech. Your game, a killing simulator, according to the news that used to be in the Post, trained him to enjoy killing and how to kill ... Mr. Gates, pull the plug on Counterstrike today, or do we need more dead to convince you? “Virginia Tech” was the 9-11 of school shootings, and it appears Microsoft is in the middle of it, in more ways than one.
I feel bad for Microsoft. It was bad enough when everyone wanted to vilify them as the Evil Software Empire. Now they are a bunch of murderers too. By the way, poll a bunch of random high school-aged males. I bet more than a few of them play or have played violent video games. Two individuals out of millions does not a trend make.
Now, on a more technical note, shouldn't this rant have been addressed to Steve Ballmer, as in the man who actually runs Microsoft and has for the past seven years. I know – I'm picking nits. Calling out Bill Gates (who people have actually heard of) will get more attention, and that is all Mr. Thompson is really after.
Finally, we have a caller to the Rush Limbaugh show:
I’ll bet my last dollar in my pocket, that this shooter will be found to have been a compulsive video gamer, and when people are living that kind of lifestyle - and college students do this a lot.
I totally expected Mr. Limbaugh to take this and run with it, but he did not.
Not every video gamer goes out and murders 33 people on the college campus though. There’s more to this than that… it may desensitize people, but it doesn’t turn everybody into mass murderers.
Here, I think, is a key issue. There are 103 million PS2s in homes, 21 million GameCubes, 24 million XBoxes, almost 3 million PS3s, 6 million Wiis, 10 million XBox 360s, 17 million PSPs, 79 million GameBoy Advances, and 35 million DS units in the hands of consumers worldwide. This is only counting currently supported systems, but that equals almost 300 million current gaming products. Also, this does not count people who game on their PCs. (As a note, at 11:43 p.m. EDT, there are 177,930 PC users logged into GameSpy Live.)
You would think, with those incredible numbers, that juvenile homicide rates would be skyrocketing. However, the opposite is true:
Sternheimer notes an obvious but underemphasized figure: despite the proliferation of violent, first-person shooters in the wake of Doom, juvenile homicide rates have fallen in the decade since its release. Random school shootings remain incredibly rare; for all forms of homicide, students face a seven in 10 million chance of being a victim.
Additionally, two separate reports have recently failed to find a causal link between video games and violent behavior. One report was conducted by the British Board of Film Classification where it was noted:
... Even the "interactivity" of video games can keep gamers from getting immersed in the same way, since players are continuously reminded that they are controlling the action on-screen. The report also notes that gamers are less involved emotionally in games, in part because games often stress action over character and story development.
Also:
... Gamers almost never feel that the onscreen violence is making them more open to using violence. "I no more feel that I have actually scored a goal than I do that I have actually killed someone," said one participant. "I know it’s not real. The emphasis is on achievement."
The other is a study from the journal Psychology, Crime, & Law, noting that stable populations remain largely unaffected by video game violence:
The authors propose that gamers fall into two groups: stable personalities, and those with emotional states that are susceptible to being influenced by game play. Within the latter group, the response to violent games largely depends on the emotional states of the gamers when they begin play. Angry gamers will cool off, calm gamers will get agitated. They also note that only two of the cases of rising anger reached levels that would be considered cause for concern, suggesting that dangerous levels of anger were rarely triggered by gaming.
Unfortunately, video gaming is the most recent media scapegoat to cause such atrocities, joining the illustrious ranks of world religions, TV, movies, rock music, and banned books. This speaks to a deeper problem, though, in which we, as a collective consciousness, have grown overly comfortable with "passing the buck." We have our folk devils that can carry the blame, so we don't have to look in the mirror and face responsibilities we would rather avoid. Until we can wean ourselves away from the folk devils and start facing our own sense of accountability as a group entity and as individuals, tragic events such as this will not go away – no matter who or what we blame.
Links 02/10/07
Imagine a paycheck without income tax. I wonder what the hitch is.
Links 02/03/07
Exxon: "Here's $10,000. Now go sow public confusion about climate change like a good boy."
The Politico: Gore to Testify on Climate Change
Gore will be testifying before two committees he has served on in the past regarding recent climate change. It's interesting that he is the only witness who will be testifying at this time. I wonder why there are not some more.
AppleInsider: Apple working on hot-unpluggable iPods
All I can say is this: It's about time! (Really, this whole mounting and unmounting of physical drives is so 80s!)
Adium
This Mac OS X chat client is great, and now it has (finally) reached 1.0 status!
Globe and Mail: Exxon's 'outlandish' earnings spark furor
Isn't this the second or third year in a row Exxon has posted record profits? They really aren't even trying to hide the exploitive greed anymore. They just attempt to justify it.
iClip 4
This is a very nice update to a small app I really like. It provides multiple clipboards that any application can access. If you are a Mac user, you should try iClip out. (Warning: this link is not Internet Explorer friendly.)
via TUAW
iConcertCal
This is an
interesting hack of the iTunes visualizer. It
retrieves information about upcoming concerts in your
area based on artists in your iTunes collection. I
have to admit that this is pretty neat (and that no
one I like ever comes to Indy). The program is
available for Mac + Windows.
via TUAW
CPUs: Let them do the thing everyone
else tells them not to
This post
fits in so well with my philosophy of education, and
I love the image at the beginning!
Links 01/12/07
It's like Sony lives in some Internet-absent utopia where no one can double-check information and everyone takes your word for everything. It's just strange.
Think Progress: Kingston: Americans Should ‘Marry and Work Longer Hours’ To Escape Poverty
First, I don't think poverty should be inferred as a penalty for not being married. (Really, listen to the man speak in this link. He sounds like he's saying people are impoverished because they are not married.) Second, wasn't this the Senator who complained that working five days a week tears families apart? I guess that only applies to the wealthy. It's also nice how he claims his words are "economic fact" with no supporting documentation.