Wednesday, December 27, 2006

In Memoriam: Gerald R. Ford

By the President of the United States of America a Proclamation

Richard Nixon became the thirty-seventh President of the United States on January 20, 1969 and was reelected in 1972 for a second term by the electors of forty-nine of the fifty states. His term in office continued until his resignation on August 9, 1974.

Pursuant to resolutions of the House of Representatives, its Committee on the Judiciary conducted an inquiry and investigation on the impeachment of the President extending over more than eight months. The hearings of the Committee and its deliberations, which received wide national publicity over television, radio, and in printed media, resulted in votes adverse to Richard Nixon on recommended Articles of Impeachment.

As a result of certain acts or omissions occurring before his resignation from the Office of President, Richard Nixon has become liable to possible indictment and trial for offenses against the United States. Whether or not he shall be so prosecuted depends on findings of the appropriate grand jury and on the discretion of the authorized prosecutor. Should an indictment ensue, the accused shall then be entitled to a fair trial by an impartial jury, as guaranteed to every individual by the Constitution.

It is believed that a trial of Richard Nixon, if it became necessary, could not fairly begin until a year or more has elapsed. In the meantime, the tranquility to which this nation has been restored by the events of recent weeks could be irreparably lost by the prospects of bringing to trial a former President of the United States. The prospects of such trial will cause prolonged and divisive debate over the propriety of exposing to further punishment and degradation a man who has already paid the unprecedented penalty of relinquishing the highest elective office of the United States.

Now, THEREFORE, I, GERALD R. FORD, President of the United States, pursuant to the pardon power conferred upon me by Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution, have granted and by these presents do grant a full, free, and absolute pardon unto Richard Nixon for all offenses against the United States which he, Richard Nixon, has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 20, 1969 through August 9,1974.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of September, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and seventy-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and ninety-ninth.

GERALD R. FORD

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

And Now This Message


I have made a ceaseless effort not to ridicule, not to bewail,

not to scorn human actions, but to understand them.
—Baruch Spinoza

You can make a difference.
Support the Skeptics Society’s donation drive
and support rational skepticism and science education
The Skeptics Society is a member-supported 501(c)(3) non-profit scientific and educational organization of scholars, scientists, historians, professors and teachers, and anyone curious about controversial or revolutionary ideas, extraordinary claims, and the promotion of science. Our mission is to serve as an educational tool for those seeking clarification and viewpoints on those controversial ideas and claims.

About our work
In 2006 the Skeptics Society made strong inroads into the media as well as educational institutions through dozens of lectures at colleges, universities, and high schools around the country, through hundreds of media interviews on radio and television (most notably on Intelligent Design creationism, 9/11 conspiracy theories, and alternative medicine claims), and through dozens of opinion editorials, reviews, essays, commentaries, and articles published outside of Skeptic magazine, furthering our reach into communities not traditionally steeped in science and skepticism.

Of course, we maintained our usual activities of sponsoring a dozen monthly science lectures at Caltech, hosting our annual conference at Caltech (on The Environmental Wars), publishing Skeptic magazine, eSkeptic newsletter, and Junior Skeptic magazine, maintaining our website, and fulfilling tens of thousands of orders through our catalogue of science- and skepticism-related books and DVDs. We are able to do this, and much more, thanks to your support. And so, on behalf of the Skeptics Society, our staff, volunteers, and members, we thank you for your support in our 2007 donation drive.

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Without your support, we couldn’t send Dr. Shermer around the country to discuss and debate paranormal and science controversies. Without Dr. Shermer’s voice on television and radio, in lecture halls and magazines, your rational point of view would be sorely lacking in public discourse. When you see us presenting the skeptical side of the argument, you are seeing your donation dollars at work.

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Also of interest…


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    Saturday, December 16, 2006

    RIP: Dot n Dash

    DashThe last of my original pair of ratties, Dash was put to sleep this morning around 9am.  She had developed three tumors, wheezing when she breathed and was loosing weight fast.

    Dash's sister, Dot died in September.  She developed two tumors and even though I knew what needed to be done I let nature take its course and she died

    Right after Dot passed, I noticed that Dash was showing signs of tumors in front of her left hind leg and behind her left front leg.  I promised myself I would not repeat what happened to Dash.  Last weekend my son found Dash had a third tumor growing on the side of her head I realized that it was time to let Dash go.  On Monday I called the vet and made an appointment for 9am Saturday.  The work week helped to keep the event in the back of my mind as the days went by.  So a little before 9am today, I took a small box down to the cage where Dash and Stella live and opened the cage door.  I put a little of the used bedding in the box to reduce the strangeness.  Dash came out of her den to see what was up and I put her in the box.

    About half way to the vet the realization of what was happening hit me like a ton of bricks.  I kept it together until Doctor Sam came in to explain how thedot&dash-3 procedure would work: Dash would be put into a deep sleep using an anesthetic.  Once her pain response was gone, he injected her which killer her instantly.  He was really understanding and kind to this blubbering 50-year old man in front with him.

    I was there with Doctor Sam and Dash for the whole procedure.  It went just as he had described and now Dash is at peace.

    I managed to get home with only a couple of sobs, but when I got home and sat on the bed telling my wife how it went, I could finally release all the emotion.

    I was really surprised at the depth of the emotion this triggered.  This was what was best for Dash, but the wrenching sadness was still very intense for a short time.

    Had errands to run this afternoon and a nap this afternoon helped as well.

    So now its Stella in the big cage all by herself, but not for long.  Six month old sisters, Phoebe, Piper and Paige have come into our lives.  They are getting acclimated to our house in the small cage right next to Stella's cage.  We'll have meet and greets this week and there will soon be four ratties in Dash's house.

    >JjV<
    ---------------------------------------------
    When choosing between two evils I always like to take the one I've never tried before.
    Mae West

    Sunday, December 10, 2006

    Recipe: Corn Pudding


    Here's the Corn Pudding recipe I've used twice already this holiday season. Its really more of a spoon bread, and not a souffle.

    Works for me....

    Corn Pudding
    1. 2 Eggs, Beaten
    2. Can of Cream Corn (14.75 oz)
    3. Can of Whole Kernel Corn (15.25 oz)
    4. Jiffy Mix Corn Muffin Mix (8.5 oz box)
    5. 1 Cup Mayonnaise
    6. 1 Cup Sour Cream
    7. 1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
    8. 1 Stick Salted Butter, Melted and cooled slightly

    Preheat oven to 350'F. Mix first six items together until uniform. Add shredded cheddar in three increments while mixing gently. Add melted butter and mix until uniform. Bake in either a 3qt Casserole or 9x11 pan. Grease pan with baking spray and add batter. Bake at 350'F for about 50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

    Variations:
    Served warm topped with Maple syrup or Honey
    Served with Chipolte Seasoning
    Add a can of chopped chilies to the batter before baking.

    More variations can be found in this write up at the Augusta Chronicle newspaper website.

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    Monday, December 04, 2006

    Recipe: Green Bean Casserole

    We finally had the requisite Green Bean casserole for dinner this past weekend.  I thought I would blog the official French's French Fried Onion recipe here for posterity.

    Green Bean Casserole
    Prep time: 5min  Cook Time: 35min

    • 3/4 Cup of Milk
    • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
    • 10 3/4oz Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup
    • 2 - 15oz cans of French Cut Green Beans, Drained
    • 1 1/3 Cups of French's French Fried Onions


    Preheat Oven to 350ºF

    1. In a 1½qt casserole dish mix all ingredients except 2/3s of a cup of the Fried Onions
    2. Bake for 30 minutes at 350º.
    3. Sitr; Top with remaining Fried Onions
    4. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until onions are golden brown.
    Variations:
    Change the soup to Golden Mushroom or Cream of Celery,
    Add diced Portabello Mushrooms.
    Replace pepper with Cajun, Chipolte or other spice blend.


    >JjV<
    ---------------------------------------------
    The superior man is distressed by the limitation of his ability;
    he is not distressed by the fact that men do not recognize the ability he has.

    Confucius


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    Sunday, December 03, 2006

    Science Editor

    scitech-banner

    I have agreed to be the Science editor for Blogcritics SciTech section. While I've written for BC in the past as an author, the whole editor thing has been an interesting shift in perspective.

    Now I've got to find some science writers to help me fill out this section. Anyone interested in doing some pro bono science writing should email me for more information.

    >JjV<
    ---------------------------------------------
    If you understand, things are as they are. If you do not understand, things are as they are.
    Gensha, Zen Master


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    Saturday, December 02, 2006

    Supreme Court & Global Warming

    The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) heard arguments about reversing a lower court ruling the the EPA does NOT have the authority to regulate Carbon Dioxide, a greenhouse gas believed to be contributing to Global Warming.


    The Scientists who run the Real Climate climate change blog have provided an Amicus Curiae brief to SCOTUS.



    Below are the three main arguments that the brief makes:

    I.
    The Science of Climate Change Indicates that It Is Virtually Certain that Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Human Activities Cause Global Climate Changes, Endangering Human Health and Welfare

    II.
    EPA and the Court of Appeals Mischaracterized the Science of Climate Change, Making It Appear More Uncertain Than It Actually Is.

    III.
    EPA Did Not Apply the Standard of Scientific Evidence Set Forth in the Clean Air Act.


    You can find the entire brief online. The publicity this decision will raise (either way it goes) will go a long way to increasing the public's attention on this topic.

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    Saturday, November 25, 2006

    Snow Wishes



    >JjV<
    ---------------------------------------------
    Rule of Acquisition #284: Rules are always subject to interpretation.

    Wednesday, November 15, 2006

    Pumpkin Goodness


    She Who Must be Obeyed found this recipe whilst browsing through a Goose Berry Patch Halloween catalog. The recipe is called Pumpkin Cobbler and comes from their Classics Pumpkin Cookbook".

    Pumpkin Cobbler

    1. 3 Eggs, beaten
    2. 15-oz can Pumpkin
    3. 12-oz can Evaporated Milk
    4. 1 cup Sugar
    5. 1/8 teaspoon Salt
    6. 1½ teaspoon Cinnamon
    7. 1 teaspoon ground Ginger
    8. 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
    9. 1 8¼ oz package Yellow Cake mix
    10. 1¼ cup Margarine, melted
    11. 1 cup chopped Nuts
    Preheat oven to 350'F. Mix the first 8 ingredients together; pour into an ungreased 13" x 9" baking pan. Sprinkle cake mix over the top; drizzle with margarine. Bake for 25 minutes. Top with nuts and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Makes 15 to 18 servings.

    My modifications:

    I replaced the Ginger and Cinnamon with 2 teaspoons of Pumkin Pie Spice and the Margarine with Unsalted Butter. Left off the nuts and baked it in a 8" x 11" pan and extended the baking time to 50 minutes total.

    Sunday, October 29, 2006

    Suppress Public Disorder

    The Toward Freedom web site has an article describing John Warner Defense Authorization Act of 2007 (H.R.5122) (2), which was signed in a private Oval Office ceremony on October 17th.

    This law allows the President to declare a "public emergency" and station troops anywhere in America and take control of state-based National Guard units without the consent of the governor or local authorities, in order to "suppress public disorder."

    Vote American

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    Saturday, October 28, 2006

    Finally... Forward Thinking

    Its great to see University Hospital and the Metro Health department both conducting mobile flu shot delivery programs. If there is ever a pandemic flu incident which requires the vaccination of a large number of folks, these programs will provide valuable experience.

    Kudo to both organizations!! The full article is below so you can read it even after it dissapears behind The CJ's paywall.

    Drive-thru flu shot clinic a hit even in rain

    By Katya Cengel
    kcengel@courier-journal.com
    The Courier-Journal

    Ed Lincoln rolled down his car window, rolled up his shirtsleeve and, in a matter of minutes, had a flu shot.

    Lincoln, 70, said both he and his wife, Helen, 69, are fans of University Hospital's Drive-Thru Flu Shot program, which was held from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. yesterday and is planned again Tuesday at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.

    The program was the first in the nation when it began in 1995. The annual program was moved and expanded this year to test the hospital's ability to help handle a mass, communitywide immunization.

    "We wanted to see if we could be truly mobile," said Linda Goss, the hospital's director of infectious diseases.

    The service was expanded from two lanes to three, and a second tent was added, separating the paperwork part from the actual shot, Goss said.

    The result was the ability to service about 300 cars an hour instead of the usual 200.

    And despite yesterday's foul weather, Goss said, everything went as planned. The effort indicated the hospital would, if necessary, be able to quickly administer antibiotics to a large number of people in a short time.

    On Monday the Louisville Metro Health Department will conduct a similar test, administering free flu shots to 1,000 people starting at 11 a.m. at the Kentucky Exposition Center.

    And while the rain was expected to cut into the program's usual number of about 3,000 people served over two days, the weather actually prompted Tyrone Taylor to get his shot.

    "I figured there would be less people out," said Taylor, who is 54 and lives in western Louisville.

    Reporter Katya Cengel can be reached at (502) 582-4224.

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    Thursday, October 26, 2006

    Trying out a post using Performancing for Firefox on the Beta Blogger site

    >JjV<
    ---------------------------------------------
    They [preachers] dread the advance of science as witches do the approach of daylight and scowl on the fatal harbinger announcing the subversions of the duperies on which they live.
    Thomas Jefferson

    I'll Drink to That


    Research done by the University of Auckland, in New Zealand, has found a a neuronal mechanism that may help explain the link between alcohol and improved memory. Testing on rats indicates that a couple of drinks a day improved the rats memory.

    Cheers......


    Read the entire article.

    Saturday, October 21, 2006

    Email Etiquette

    Pay attention all you folks who like to forward those inane emails to everyone in your email address book:

    To BCC or Not to BCC

    >JjV<
    ---------------------------------------------
    For I am a Bear of Very Little Brain, and big words Bother me.

    Winnie the Pooh

    Sunday, September 10, 2006

    Nerd Score

    Here's how I scored on the Nerd Test from NerdTests.com:

    I am nerdier than 94% of all people. Are you nerdier? Click here to find out!

    Not too big a surprise to those who know me ;-)

    >JjV<
    ---------------------------------------------
    The American public knows what it wants,and deserves to get it good and hard.
    H.L.Menkin

    Thursday, August 31, 2006

    The Dread Pirate Bin Laden


    Bruce Schneier has a great post echoing an article on Legal Affairs about treating terrorists as pirates. Seems that pirates as a criminal have an international legal standing that would be useful in prosecuting terrorists.

    >JjV<
    ----------------------------
    Pareto Phenomenon: Very few things seem to contribute to a majority of problems.

    Edward R. Murrow


    Murrow talking about the anti-communist hearing of Senator Joseph McCarthy:
    "We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. We must remember always that accusation is not proof, and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law. We will not walk in fear - one, of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of un-reason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men; Not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate, and to defend causes that were - for the moment - unpopular."

    Seems this is still applicable today.......

    Personality Test Results

    You Are Fozzie Bear

    "Wocka! Wocka!"
    You're the life of the party, and you love making people crack up.
    If only your routine didn't always bomb!
    You may find more groans than laughs, but always keep the jokes coming.
    The Muppet Personality Test

    >JjV<
    -----------------------------
    If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?

    Tuesday, August 22, 2006

    Nanotech Assembler

    Great CGI video on how nantechnology could build items.


    50 Misconceptions about evolution

    Pharyngula writes about the Raving Atheist forums producing a list of 50 Misconceptions about Evolution in their forums.  The collected list follows.

    50 Misconceptions about evolution

    1) Evolution gives you what you need

    2) We popped out of monkeys one day

    3) The theory of evolution is tied to the big bang theory

    4) The theory of evolution says random chemicals mysteriously made the first cell

    5) Darwin took back his theory of evolution on his death bed (that's an urban myth created by christians)

    6) The eye accidently formed itself somehow.

    7) That things evolve 'magically' without selection involved.  It's just some slow process...

    8) That evolution equals eugenics.

    9) That it has a GOAL.

    10) That it can happen to anything, even watches and pottery.

    11) That it's a scientific conspiracy theory we believe in to battle Christianity.

    12) That evolution equals atheism.

    13) That there is an actual difference between micro and macro-evolution.

    14) That it is a 'Random' process.

    15) That there are no transition fossils

    16) That humans evolved from the Apes that are around today.

    17)  The second law of thermodynamics makes evolution impossible.

    18) If evolution is true, how come there are still monkeys?

    19) Evolution requires faith.

    20) Survival of the fittest means organisms should go kill off weaker members of its species to make survival easier for the stronger members.

    21) Physical changes that occur during the lifetime of an organism will be passed on the offspring.

    22) Survival of the fittest is circular logic.

    23) Only the fittest survive. (In actuality, if an organism can barely get by then it  classified into the "fit" category).

    24) Kent Hovind is an expert in the fields of evolution, biology, and other sciences.

    25) Organisms evolve/mutate during their lifetime if a new selection pressure exerts itself.

    26) Evolution caused slavery.

    27) Many scientists are now casting doubt on Darwins theory.

    28) Charles Darwin is satan.

    29) Evolution can't exist because of irreducible complexity.

    30) Evolution is JUST a theory.

    31) God made evolution so he could trick as many scientists as he could into believing it, instead of him, just so he could light them on fire for all eternity. But he still loves them.

    32) Man and dinosaurs existed at the same time.  T-Rex used to be a vegetarian

    33) 'Darwinists' claim that any criticism of the theory of evolution is unscientific

    34) Evolution is effectively refuted by 'the Cambrian Explosion'

    35) Scientists "believe" in evolution.

    36)  There is great strife in the scientific community over evolution.

    37)  Kent Hovind is a brilliant man!

    38) Evolution can't explain love.

    39) If evolution is true, why are there homosexuals?

    40) There are no transitional forms: One species gives birth to another!

    41) If you believe in evolution, then that means you think it's okay to kill, rape, and steal

    42) Evolution is not testable or empirical, therefore it is not science.

    43) No Darwin, then no Hitler

    44) The perfect match between bees and flowers must be a designer because it can't be evolution.

    45) Mutations are never beneficial

    46) There is limits to biological change: new kinds never arise

    47) Vertebrate embryos never resemble each other

    48) Evolution must be wrong because gravity pulls things down right, but that clearly doesn't happen because birds can stay up in the air.

    49) Oh you evolutionists make me laugh, it was God who created the world.  It says so in the bible and the bible says its true

    50) Evolution was responsible for the Columbine highschool shooting

    51) Evolution can never be proven because we didn't see it occur.

    >JjV<
    ---------------------------------------------
    Through the router, over the firewall, down the cable..... nothing but net!


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    Doctor Who: Season Three Starts Filming


    The third season of the BBC's new Doctor Who series began filming in mid-August.  Freema Agyeman (Google Image Search)has been tapped to play the new series second companion.

    Monday, August 21, 2006

    Pancake Goodness

    I have a weakness for a steaming hot stack of pancakes and I've blogged my favorite recipe before.  However, I recently tried a recipe out of Everyday Food's from the How-To with Allie column.  I used the whole-grain & yogurt options and they were awesome.  Below is the recipe I used:
    1. 1/2 Cup whole-wheat flour
    2. 1/4 cup cornmeal
    3. 1/4 cup wheat germ
    4. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    5. 2 teaspoons baking powder
    6. 2 tablespoons sugar
    7. 1/2 teaspoon salt
    8. 2/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
    9. 1/3 cup milk
    10. Oil for cooking

    Preheat griddle to 325-350

    • Combine items 1 through 7 and whisk till blended.
    • Add items 8 and 9 and whisk gently till combined.
    • Put down a small pool of oil on the griddle and then a spoon the batter on too of the oil.
    • Cook until bubbly, about 1 to 2 minutes.
    • Flip and cook another 1 to 2 minutes.
    Makes about six pancakes.  Don't underestimate these guys.  They are very filling!!





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    Saturday, August 12, 2006

    Nuff Said....

    So its turning into a comic strip sort of day.....

    This B.C. strip sure hits the mark!


    Could Be

    Stolen from Blaugh. Original here.

    Senior Netizens

    DEAR GREAT, GREAT GRANDSON,

    THANKS FOR TELLING ME ABOUT OPENDNS LAST NIGHT - MY CONNECTION IS FLYING THIS MORNING. YOU ROXX0RZ! I’M ALSO GOING TO TRY DOWNLOADING THAT DNS CACHING TOOL TO SEE IF I CAN GET PAST THESE DAMN COMCRAP PROBLEMS. STUPID TECH SUPPORT PEOPLE DON’T KNOW WHAT THE HELL THEY’RE DOING, AND I’M GETTING READY TO SWITCH TO DSL. SWING BY FOR SOME APPLE PIE LATER TONIGHT IF YOU’D LIKE. ME AND THE GIRLS ARE DOIN’ A QUILTCAMP INTO THE WEE HOURS.

    LOVE,

    GREAT, GREAT GRANDMA SHARON

    Monday, August 07, 2006

    73 best atheist quotes

    The American Atheist logo, based on the atomic model. Officially, the letter 'A' in the middle stands for the country "America" and would in theory change for expansion into other countries. The open-ended vertical orbital signifies that all is not yet known.
    The 73 best atheist quotes as compiled by Chris Beach.




    Stephen Roberts
    I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

    Doug McLeod
        I still say a church steeple with a lightning rod on top shows a lack of confidence

    Unknown
    Philosophy is questions that may never be answered. Religion is answers that may never be questioned.

    Richard Feynman
    But I don't have to know an answer. I don't feel frightened by not knowing things, by being lost in the mysterious universe without having any purpose, which is the way it really is, as far as I can tell, possibly. It doesn't frighten me.

    Emo Philips
    When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realised that the Lord doesn't work that way so I stole one and asked Him to forgive me.    

    Gustaf Lindborg
    The sailor does not pray for wind, he learns to sail.

    Richard Lederer (Anguished English)
    There once was a time when all people believed in God and the church ruled. This time was called the Dark Ages.

    Epicurus
    Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?

    Annie Wood Besant
    No philosophy, no religion, has ever brought so glad a message to the world as this good news of Atheism.

    Unknown
    Blind faith is an ironic gift to return to the Creator of human intelligence.

    Carl Sagan
    You can't convince a believer of anything; for their belief is not based on evidence, it's based on a deep-seated need to believe.

    Unknown
    "It ain't the parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand" -Mark Twain

    Ned Flanders
    Science is like a blabbermouth who ruins a movie by telling you how it ends! Well I say there are some things we don't want to know! Important things!

    Blaise Pascal
    Men never commit evil so fully and joyfuly as when they do it for religious convictions one vote against Men never commit evil so fully and joyfuly as when they do it for religious convictions. .25%3 votes for Men never commit evil so fully and joyfuly as when they do it for religious convictions.75%

    Bertrand Russell
    So far as I can remember, there is not one word in the Gospels in praise of intelligence.

    Woody Allen
    I do not believe in an afterlife, although I am bringing a change of underwear.

    Friedrich Nietzsche
    In Christianity neither morality nor religion come into contact with reality at any point.

    Chapman Cohen
    Gods are fragile things; they may be killed by a whiff of science or a dose of common sense,

    Ferdinand Magellan
    The church says the earth is flat, but I know that it is round, for I have seen the shadow on the moon, and I have more faith in a shadow than in the church.

    Stephen Jay Gould
    Creation science has not entered the curriculum for a reason so simple and so basic that we often forget to mention it: because it is false, and because good teachers understand exactly why it is false. What could be more destructive of that most fragile yet most precious commodity in our entire intellectual heritage -- good teaching -- than a bill forcing honorable teachers to sully their sacred trust by granting equal treatment to a doctrine not only known to be false, but calculated to undermine any general understanding of science as an enterprise?...

    Gypsy Rose Lee
    Praying is like a rocking chair-- it'll give you something to do, but it won't get you anywhere.

    Clark Adams
    If Atheism is a religion, then health is a disease!

    Justin Brown
    An Atheist believes that a hospital should be built instead of a church. An Atheist believes that deed must be done instead of a prayer said. An Atheist strives for involvement in life and not escape into death. He wants disease conquered, poverty vanished, war eliminated...

    Steve
    It's not lying, I've really convinced myself of it.

    Seneca the Younger 4 b.c.- 65 a.d.
    Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful.

    Bumper sticker
    You keep believing, I'll keep evolving.

    Carl Sagan
    Life is but a momentary glimpse of the wonder of the astonishing universe, and it is sad to see so many dreaming it away on spiritual fantasy.

    Robert G. Ingersoll
    God has always resembled his creators. He hated and loved what they hated and loved and he was invariably found on the side of those in power. Most of the gods were pleased with sacrifice, and the smell of innocent blood has ever been considered a divine perfume...

    Robert G. Ingersoll
    Christianity did not come with tidings of great joy, but with a message of eternal grief. It came with the threat of everlasting torture on its lips. It meant war on earth and perdition hereafter.

    Friedrich Nietzsche
    Which is it, is man one of God's blunders or is God one of man's?

    Robert G. Ingersoll
    Why should I allow that same God to tell me how to raise my kids, who had to drown His own?

    George Bernard Shaw
    The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one.

    H. L. Mencken
    We must respect the other fellow's religion, but only in the sense and to the extent that we respect his theory that his wife is beautiful and his children smart.

    Karl Marx
    Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, & the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.

    Taslima Nasrin
    Koranic teaching still insists that the sun moves around the earth. How can we advance when they teach things like that?

    Isaac Asimov
    Humanity has the stars in its future, and that future is too important to be lost under the burden of juvenile folly and ignorant superstition.

    Gene Roddenberry
    They said God was on high and he controlled the world and therefore we must pray against Satan. Well, if God controls the world, he controls Satan. For me, religion was full of misstatements and reaches of logic that I just couldn't agree with.

    Mark Twain
    It ain't the parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand.

    Lenny Bruce
    If Jesus had been killed 20 years ago, Catholic school children would be wearing little Electric Chairs around their necks instead of crosses

    Robert G. Ingersoll (Ingersoll's Works)
    Take from the church the miraculous, the supernatural, the incomprehensible, the unreasonable, the impossible, the unknowable, the absurd, and nothing but a vacuum remains.

    Albert Einstein
    A man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death.

    Sir Julian Huxley
    ...any belief in supernatural creators, rulers, or influencers of natural or human process introduces an irreparable split into the universe, and prevents us from grasping its real unity. Any belief in Absolutes, whether the absolute validity of moral commandments, of authority of revelation, of inner certitudes, or of divine inspiration, erects a formidable barrier against progress and the responsibility of improvement, moral, rational, and religious....

    Delos B. McKown
    The invisible and the non-existent look very much alike.

    Carl Sagon
    Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

    Gene Roddenberry
    We must question the story logic of having an all-knowing all-powerful God, who creates faulty Humans, and then blames them for his own mistakes.

    Albert Einstein
    Since our inner experiences consist of reproductions, and combinations of sensory impressions, the concept of a soul without a body seem to me to be empty and devoid of meaning.

    David Brooks (The Necessity of Atheism)
    To explain the unknown by the known is a logical procedure; to explain the known by the unknown is a form of theological lunacy.

    unknown
    Don't pray in my school, and I won't think in your church.

    Sam Harris
    Whenever a man imagines that he need only believe the truth of a proposition, without evidence - that unbelievers will go to hell, that Jews drink the blood of infants - he becomes capable of anything.

    unknown
    People who don't like their beliefs being laughed at shouldn't have such funny beliefs.

    unknown
    Blasphemy is a victimless crime.

    Richard Dawkins
    Be thankful that you have a life, and forsake your vain and presumptuous desire for a second one.

    Robert G. Ingersoll
    The inspiration of the bible depends on the ignorance of the person who reads it.

    Mark Twain
    The easy confidence with which I know another man's religion is folly teaches me to suspect that my own is also.

    Unknown
    Philosophy is questions that may never be answered. Religion is answers that may never be questioned

    Jonathon Green
    If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him

    Stephen King
    The beauty of religious mania is that it has the power to explain everything. Once God (or Satan) is accepted as the first cause of everything which happens in the mortal world, nothing is left to chance...logic can be happily tossed out the window.

    Galileo Galilei
    I do not think it is necessary to believe that the same God who has given us our senses, reason, and intelligence wished us to abandon their use, giving us by some other means the information that we could gain through them.

    Robert G. Ingersoll
    As people become more intelligent they care less for preachers and more for teachers.

    Bertrand Russell
    And if there were a God, I think it very unlikely that He would have such an uneasy vanity as to be offended by those who doubt His existence.

    Benjamin Franklin
    The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason.

    W.C.Fields
    Prayers never bring anything... They may bring solace to the sap, the bigot, the ignorant, the aboriginal, and the lazy - but to the enlightened it is the same as asking Santa Claus to bring you something for Xmas.

    Stephen Hawking
    The intelligent beings in these regions should therefore not be surprised if they observe that their locality in the universe satisfies the conditions that are necessary for their existence. It is a bit like a rich person living in a wealthy neighborhood not seeing any poverty...

    Charlie Chaplin
    By simple common sense I don't believe in God.

    Peter O'Toole (The Ruling Class)
    Everything is more or less organized matter. To think so is against religion, but I think so just the same. When did I realize I was God? Well, I was praying and I suddenly realized I was talking to myself.

    Carl Sagan
    Atheism is more than just the knowledge that gods do not exist, and that religion is either a mistake or a fraud. Atheism is an attitude, a frame of mind that looks at the world objectively, fearlessly, always trying to understand all things as a part of nature...

    Shakti Gawain
    We always attract into our life whatever we think about the most, believe the most strongly, expect on the deepest level, and imagine most vividly.

    Napoleon Bonaparte
    Religion is excellent stuff for keeping common people quiet.

    Thomas Jefferson
    Shake off all the fears of servile prejudices, under which weak minds are servilely crouched. Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call on her tribunal for every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear...

    Albert Einstein
    The contemplation of this world beckoned as a liberation (...) The road to this paradise was not as comfortable and alluring as the road to the religious paradise; but it has shown itself reliable, and I have never regretted having chosen it.

    Justin Brown
    If the Bible is mistaken in telling us where we came from, how can we trust it to tell us where we're going?

    Donald Morgan
    Jesus' last words on the cross, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" hardly seem like the words of a man who planned it that way. It doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to figure there is something wrong here.

    JP Shooter
    Buy a clue, they're free

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    Sunday, August 06, 2006

    Do You Know What Libery Is?

    Liberty
    View this simple, elegant, powerful flash presentation on what Liberty is.

    The animation was created by Lux Lucre. The text and inspiration come from "The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible: A Free Market Odyssey" by Ken Schoolland.  Supported by the International Society for Individual Liberty.

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    Saturday, August 05, 2006

    Seven Lessons


    Seven lessons quoted from an essay Tim O'Reilly which he wrote at the height of the P2P-era; still extremely relevant.


    .........a piece I wrote in 2002, entitled Piracy is Progressive Taxation. It contained seven lessons from my experience as a print and online publisher:

       1. Obscurity is a far greater threat to authors and creative artists than piracy.
       2. Piracy is progressive taxation.
       3. Customers want to do the right thing, if they can.
       4. Shoplifting is a bigger threat than piracy.
       5. File sharing networks don't threaten book, music, or film publishing. They threaten existing publishers.
       6. "Free" is eventually replaced by a higher-quality paid service.
       7. "There's more than one way to do it."


    Read the entire essay......

    >JjV<
    ---------------------------------------------
    Murphy's First Law: Nothing is as easy as it looks.


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    Saturday, July 08, 2006

    How much is that Congress in the Window?



    Paladine has compiled a history of lobbying costs of the MPAA and RIAA in Congress.  The amount that the Sony Companies spent is interesting as well.


    >JjV<
    ---------------------------------------------
    A god in hand is worth two in the bush. - Aaron

    Monday, July 03, 2006

    Pharyngula



     Something to comtemplate on this Independence Day




    >JjV<
    ---------------------------------------------
    An intellectual is a man who takes more words than necessary to tell more than he knows.
    Dwight D. Eisenhower

    Sunday, July 02, 2006

    Nailed...

    Robert Cringely's interpetation of Bob Frankston's article on Net Neutrality really opened my eyes.  He exposes the entire Modus Operandi of the telecom industry and why it is bad for the Internet.  Give Cringe's article a read, you'll be glad you did!

    >JjV<
    ---------------------------------------------
    The goal of the works of a genius' existance lies only in itself.

    Sunday, June 04, 2006

    Qoute by Robert Heinlein

    As seen on AlterSlash

    There has grown up in the minds of certain groups in this country the notion that because a man or a corporation has made a profit out of the public for a number of years , the government and the courts are charged with the duty of guaranteeing such profit in the future, even in the face of changing circumstances and contrary public interest. This strange doctrine is not supported by statute nor common law. Neither individuals nor corporations have any right to come into court and ask that the clock of history be stopped, or turned back, for their private benefit.

    >JjV<
    ---------------------------------------------
    A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.
    Chinese Proverb

    Saturday, June 03, 2006

    New SciTech Watch Column: GovTrack




    My new column is up over at Blogcritics. Its a look at the GovTrack web site that collects information on both houses of Congress and makes it available via email and RSS.

    >JjV<
    ---------------------------------------------

    ...the myth of socialism is far stronger than the reality of capitalism. That is because capitalism is not really an ism at all. It is what people do if you leave them alone.
    Arnold Beichmen, Hoover Institute Fellow  

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    Tuesday, May 30, 2006

    New SciTech Watch Column: Indy Racing Tech



    My new column is up over at Blogcritics. Its a look at some of the technologies used in the Indy Racing League's cars and tracks.



    >JjV<
    ---------------------------------------------

    You can build a throne with bayonets, but you can't sit on it for long. - Boris Yeltsin 


    Saturday, May 27, 2006

    Operating the planet like a business in liquidation


    Excellent review of the Wired Town Hall on the Climate Crisis. Good points and I'm, looking forward to the film!




    >JjV<
    ---------------------------------------------
    You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try. - Beverly Sills

    Thursday, May 18, 2006

    American Taliban, Redux





    AlterNet



    The War On Sex




    By Cristina Page, TomPaine.com
    Posted on May 18, 2006, Printed on May 18, 2006

    http://www.alternet.org/story/36371/



    The architects of the South Dakota ban on abortion have a bold plan for
    our country. Certainly, they have already given a jolt to the majority
    of Americans, or at least the 66 percent who want Roe v. Wade to remain
    law of the land. But there's a great deal more the American public
    should know about these legislative campaigners. Especially since
    there's a lot more of their agenda they hope to realize.

    They
    have a plan for you, and if you are anything like the 85 percent of
    American couples who have sex once a week, you're not going to like it.
    The pro-life groups who are the most committed to ending legal abortion
    -- and gotten the furthest in their goals -- are also leading campaigns
    against the only proven ways to prevent abortion: contraception.
    Shocking as it may be, there is not one pro-life organization in the
    United States that supports the use of contraception. Instead the
    pro-life movement is the constant opponent of every single effort to
    provide Americans with the ability to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

    If
    the South Dakota ban is upheld and Roe v. Wade is toppled, it's safe to
    say the pro-life movement is not going to send out a brigade to furnish
    Americans with the most effective contraceptives. In fact, pro-life
    groups' most recent activities suggest the exact opposite.

    Take
    Leslee Unruh, the South Dakota native considered the primary force
    behind the near-total ban on abortion in her state. Unruh is, in many
    ways, the perfect representative of the modern pro-life movement. She
    is lauded in pro-life circles as the president of the Abstinence
    Clearinghouse, a group that promotes abstinence-until-marriage. Under
    Unruh's leadership, the Abstinence Clearinghouse has spearheaded
    campaigns to stop people from using the condom. On the organization's
    website, supporters of family planning are derided as the "safe sex
    cartel" and "condom-pushers." Her medical advisory board consists of
    physicians who pledge not to prescribe contraception to sexually active
    teens. The group's new project, "Abstinence Africa," discourages condom
    use in African countries like Zimbabwe, Botswana, Swaziland and Lesotho
    where, on average, one in three adults is infected with HIV.

    Unruh
    and her pro-life colleagues have moved beyond attacking the condom,
    too. For example, when pharmacists refuse to fill birth control
    prescriptions, the pro-life movement has responded with a favorite
    tactic: it has moved aggressively to welcome their deeds as acts of
    "conscience."

    The movement has helped pass laws allowing
    pharmacists to refuse on moral or religious grounds to fill birth
    control prescriptions in South Dakota -- no surprise there -- as well
    as Arkansas and Mississippi. Additionally another 19 states have moved
    to protect anyone who decides to stand in the way of a woman getting
    birth control; this conceivably includes cashiers who could choose to
    refuse to ring up your prescription.

    Over the past decade,
    pro-choice groups have tried to get contraception covered by health
    insurers as a sensible way to stop unintended pregnancies. Nearly every
    time, these initiatives have provoked intense battles in state
    legislatures. Right to Life chapters in Ohio, Delaware, Illinois,
    Oregon, Wisconsin, Nevada and Missouri all fought against state
    legislation to get birth control covered. Year after year the Pro-Life
    Caucus of Congress defeats federal legislation to require health
    insurers to pay for birth control.

    President Bush has complied
    with almost all the requests of his pro-life, anti-contraception base.
    He's attempted to revoke contraception benefits to federal employees,
    slashed U.S. foreign aid programs that distribute birth control and
    appointed anti-contraception ideologues to the expert panels charged
    with approving new contraception methods. He's also appointed an
    abstinence-only-until-marriage crusader to direct the Title X program
    which delivers contraception to the nation's poor -- the majority of
    Title X clients are not married. It should come as no surprise that
    Title X's funding has remained flat, while its clientele has swelled.
    What's also not surprising is that the abortion rate among the most
    indigent in our country has been increasing.

    Today, pro-life
    groups in the United States are reclassifying the most common
    contraception methods, including the birth control pill, the patch, the
    IUD, and the Depo-Provera shot, as "abortifacients" by claiming, with
    no scientific backing, that they cause abortions.

    The American
    Life League explained, "We have been working to prove that prescription
    contraceptives have nothing to do with woman's health and well-being
    but are recreational drugs that prevent fertilization and abort
    children."

    Some groups will use legal means to put pressure on
    candidates to adopt their anti-contraception view. For example,
    Northern Kentucky Right to Life will only endorse candidates who
    believe the use of the standard birth control pill constitutes abortion.

    While
    the more extreme side of the pro-life movement hasn't yet advocated
    violence against those that distribute birth control, they do agree
    with the concept of "contraception=abortion." Most chillingly, Army of
    God, a pro-life organization that honors those who murder abortion
    providers as "heroes," also classifies birth control as an abortion
    method. On the "Birth Control is Evil" section of their website, they
    explain, quite threateningly, "Birth control is evil and a sin. Birth
    control is anti-baby and anti-child…Why would you stop your own child
    from being conceived or born? What kind of human being are you?"

    Cloaked
    in the heated rhetoric of the abortion debate, an entirely new pro-life
    agenda is taking shape. Most Americans don't know about this yet. But
    the Right to Life movement, which is now rewriting the country's laws
    on abortion -- of which South Dakota is clearly just a first target --
    has a broader and, for most of us, a disturbing plan. If this powerful
    movement succeeds, Americans will require safe abortion services more
    than ever.


    Cristina Page is vice president of the Institute for Reproductive
    Health Access at NARAL Pro-Choice New York, and the author of 'How the
    Pro-Choice Movement Saved America' (Perseus Books, 2006).



    © 2006 Independent Media Institute. All rights reserved.

    View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/story/36371/



    SciTech Watch: Venus Express



    My new column is up over at Blogcritics. Its a look at the new space probe to Venus: Venus Express.



    >JjV<
    ---------------------------------------------

    A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. - Chinese Proverb




    Technorati Tags: , ,,


    Wednesday, May 17, 2006

    American Taliban

    AmericanTaliban_mediumAnyone who thinks that religious zealotry is only in other countries need only take a look at this CNN report to realize that America is rapidly spiraling down the same sewer pipe.  America was founded by people seeking freedom from religious persecution, but now it seems if you don't have the right religion or perceived morals your are unwelcome in BLACK JACK, Missouri.


    I wonder if cities can afford to scare away tax payers with this kind of behavior?

    >JjV<
    ---------------------------------------------
    If you torture data sufficiently, it will confess to almost anything. - Fred Menger


    Technorati Tags:
    , ,,


    Thursday, May 04, 2006

    New SciTech Watch Column: Regenesis

    My new column is up over at Blogcritics. Its a look at the SciFi TV show Regenesis.


    >JjV<
    ---------------------------------------------

    In shallow waters, shrimps make fools of dragons. Chinese Proverb


    Tuesday, May 02, 2006

    EFF's Class-Action Lawsuit Against AT&T

    Click the image below to view information on the suit on the EFF web site.



    >JjV<
    ---------------------------------------------
    A top-secret government study indicates that we wouldn't be any worse off if we let the economists predict the weather and the meteorologists predict the economy. - Paul Harwitz

    Friday, April 28, 2006

    Consumer Electronics Association slams RIAA



    SciTech Watch Column - Podcasting: What’s On







    My new SciTech Watch column is up over at Blogcritics. Its a look at what kind of content you can find in the world of Podcasting.






    >JjV<
    ---------------------------------------------

    They're called "pearls of wisdom" because where most people are concerned, they're so rare.



    Monday, April 24, 2006

    Desperation

    My Photo
    Jim Kunstler has been warning about the effects of this Oil foolishness for quite a while now.  He warns about the effect high gasoline and crude oil prices on America's drive-everywhere lifestyle

    Check out his post today....

    >JjV<
    ---------------------------------------------
    Politicians should read science fiction, not westerns and detective stories. - Arthur C Clarke

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    Saturday, April 22, 2006

    Chinese Linux Mini-PC Cheaper than a copy of XP

    Found on LinuxDevices.com

    Chinese $150 Linux mini-PC races OLPC to market



    Apr. 21, 2006



    A
    Chinese company is touting an inexpensive Linux-based computer as a way
    to close the "digital divide." YellowSheepRiver's $150 "Municator"
    appears to be available now, with a three-month leadtime, suggesting it
    could reach market well ahead of MIT's $100 "One Laptop Per Child"
    (OLPC) device.

    (Click for larger view of the Municator)

    The OLPC project was announced last fall, with laptop manufacturer Quanta Computer of Taiwan stepping forward to offer its manufacturing services shortly afterward. However, no specific delivery commitments appear to have been reached.

    Additionally, the performance potential of the OLPC's $100 laptop design has drawn taunts from Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, as well as Intel Chairman Craig Barret, who called the design a "$100 gadget."
    If the Municator lives up to YellowSheepRiver's promise of Pentium
    III-like performance, the Chinese device could enjoy a performance
    edge, in addition to its apparent time-to-market lead.

    Chinese chips inside

    YellowSheepRiver
    says it saved cost in its Municator YSR-639 design by sourcing the CPU,
    RAM, and other key chips from Chinese companies. China is now the
    world's third-largest producer of new semiconductor designs, according to research firm iSuppli.

    According to YellowSheepRiver, the Municator is based on a 64-bit Godson-2 CPU from BLX Semiconductor. The Godson-2 chip, codenamed "Dragon," uses an instruction set based on the MIPS architecture; however, BLX is not a MIPS licensee. The Microprocessor Report suggested last summer that BLX could face legal challenges from MIPS if its chips reach the U.S., although some other sources
    suggest that the Godson chips do not include patented portions of the
    MIPS ISA (instruction set architecture), such as unaligned 32-bit
    load/store support.


    SGI's O2
    (Click to enlarge)
    The
    Municator's Godson-2 processor offers performance similar to a Pentium
    III, YellowRiver claims; however, a more useful comparison might be to
    MIPS's four-way superscalar R10000 processor, which shipped in 1995,
    and powered Silicon Graphics Unix workstations such as the O2, pictured
    at right. The Godson-2 also has a four-way superscalar design.

    The
    Godson-2 chips in YellowSheepRiver's YSR-639 are clocked at 400MHz or
    600MHz. They connect to a Marvel MV64420-BDM1C133 northbridge via a
    133MHz FSB (front-side bus). The Marvel northbridge supports DDR RAM at
    166MHz, via an SODIMM slot, and offers a 32-bit, 33MHz PCI bus. A VIA
    VT82C686B southbridge with 133/100/66MHz ATA bus completes the chipset.


    YellowSheepRiver says it hopes one day to use an "SoC"
    (system-on-chip) version of the Godson-2 chipset that will integrate
    the processor and northbridge into a single chip, and save additional
    cost and power.

    Other features

    The OLPC design
    eschews a hard drive, to keep cost down, but has an LCD display. The
    Municator, in contrast, offers an S-video port, in order to support
    television displays, and comes with a 40GB external USB drive. The
    Municator also has rear-mounted IDE and power connectors that support
    the attachment of optional optical drives.

    Other interfaces,
    according to YellowSheepRiver, include four front-mounted USB 2.0
    ports, IrDA, and audio I/O. Additional rear-mounted interfaces include
    S-video, VGA, 10/100 Ethernet, serial, PS/2 keyboard/mouse, and IDE.

    The
    Municator measures 7 x 5.7 x 1.5 inches (180 x 145 x 37mm), and weighs
    one pound, six ounces (0.65kg). It requires five amps of 12-volt power,
    and comes with a 45-watt auto-sensing 110/220 adapter. A lithium-ion
    battery pack is optionally available. Other options include WiFi and a
    modem.

    The Municator runs "Thinix 3.0," a Linux variant that
    features support for user interfaces based on a keyboard, mouse, or
    both, according to YellowSheepRiver. Thinix is based on RPLinux, a distribution created by the China Software and Integrated Circuit Promotion (CSIP).

    Availability

    YellowSheepRiver
    says orders for its "Fitness Computer," possibly a codename for the
    YSR-639, can begin production within three months of order confirmation.

    A video demonstrating the Municator is available here.



    New SciTech Watch Column - Exercise & Lactic Acid






    My new SciTech Watch column is up over at Blogcritics. Its a review of new research on the role of Lactic acid in exercising muscles.




    >JjV<
    ---------------------------------------------

    Reality is for people who can't handle drugs.


    Friday, April 21, 2006

    Google Tribute Trouble





    >JjV<
    ---------------------------------------------
    Nothing will dispel enthusiasm like a small admission fee.

    Save the Internet


    Savethe_net









    >JjV<
    ---------------------------------------------
    The wise man learns more from his enemies than a fool does from his friends. - Chinese Proverb

    We Need a National Infrastructure Initiative

    Good article on improving our national broadband infrastructure......

    Print Logos
    Government Technology

    Story Art

    We Need a National Infrastructure Initiative

    By John Eger
    Apr 19, 2006
    The United States, developer of the Internet, inventor of the first PC, the silicon wafer, the pen-based computer etc, is now 12th in the world in using broadband communication, according to the latest report out of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a government think tank in Paris to which almost all developing countries belong.

    Although we still have the largest number of users connected to the Internet -- some 49 million according to the report -- we are 12th in terms of broadband penetration. While "broadband" itself is a term not well defined, it is several times faster in most countries like South Korea and Japan than in the US. South Korea, which has been the leader for many years, was topped this year by Iceland. With only 78,000 subscribers, they are number one because of their per capita penetration of broadband which is 26.7 percent versus Korea's 25.4 percent. The U.S. is 16.8 percent.

    Quite understandably there is concern across America about the U.S.'s low ranking by the OECD and as a result of similar studies by the United Nations' International Telecommunications Union, where the U.S. is ranked even lower on the totem pole. Having the 21st century infrastructure -- broadband and wireless communications links connected to every home, office and school and through the Web to billions of others -- is considered to be vital to the success of every region's, every nation's, every community's vibrancy in the new economy.

    Currently in the U.S., there is perceived to be a nationwide struggle for dominance between the traditional telephone carriers providing both DSL, and in some cases fiber communications to the pedestals -- rarely to the home -- versus cable modems provided by the cable television industry. The electric utilities have been experimenting with broadband over power lines, but other than a handful of experiments across the country, nothing akin to a real alternative additional market competitor is in sight.

    Satellite companies are offering an Internet alternative at varying speeds, and pose a possible challenge to the existing cable and Telco monopolies. But this competitive arrangement is not getting us as a nation where we ought to be going.

    There is a strong and growing desire on the part of cities and communities across America to help shape their own basic communications infrastructure for the 21st century. Many believe that like waterways, railroads and highways of the past, robust information highways are essential to keep cities from becoming the ghost towns of the 21st century.

    While the cable and Telco monopolies in many states have blocked municipal authorities from providing fiber as an alternative, half of the cities -- according to a recent report -- are exploring wireless alternatives. This appears to be a loophole in the fight for broadband, and many cities are taking so-called Wi-Fi technology and deploying it in "hot spots" particularly downtowns, in order to get some advantage.

    Companies like Intel, Cisco and even Google have recently expressed strong interest in helping to provide broadband wireless infrastructure directly to the cities and are looking for partnerships at the municipal level. Municipalities meanwhile, representing the largest users in most communities, having no real expertise in these areas, are anxious to have partners who can show them the way.

    There is a great deal of doubt about the right technology for such broadband infrastructures be they wired or wireless. How much broadband is enough broadband? And is that upstream or downstream? More importantly, perhaps, what makes economic sense? How best to roll out such a system in a community?

    Equally important, should a community pursue a wireless alternative when most of us believe both wired and wireless will be necessary? If we need to use technology as a transforming tool for e-commerce, e-government, e-health -- e-everything as we move along the pathway to becoming a 21st century smart community -- don't we need both and maybe more to create a robust community-wide information infrastructure?

    While the U.S. continues its downward slide one must ask, what is it about South Korea and Finland? What do they see that we don't? Why have they been able to move so quickly and provide broadband in such quantity?

    FCC Chairman, Kevin Martin told the Wall Street Journal recently that the low population density of Korea made it highly unfair to compare it to the U.S. It is true that the capital city of Seoul -- which itself accounts for a quarter of the approximately 50 million population of Korea -- is chock-a-block with high rises, making broadband communications much easier than in a country as dispersed as the U.S. But this experience is dissimilar to that of Iceland, Norway or Sweden, which have even lower population densities than the U.S. So density itself may not be the advantage that South Korea has. South Korea and Iceland, moreover, provide broadband in some cases eight times faster than the U.S.

    What does seem to be common in South Korea and Iceland however is that both countries recognize that such infrastructure means the difference between success and mere survival in the new economy. Both countries therefore have adopted "goals", and benchmarks to reach those goals. Both have adopted long-range plans to transform their countries using technology.

    There is a strong desire on the part of national governments to achieve penetration rates and service levels in a matter of months and years. These metrics and longer-range goals and are well understood by all the providers and consumer community. Government meets regularly with the private sector to help set those goals and importantly, works with communities and providers to meet them. It has laid out billions of dollars to provide a high-speed backbone to link government and public institutions and additional billions and incentives to provide similar service to so-called rural areas. It is true that the U.S., after all, created the Internet, and has made an attempt to provide some incentives to our rural areas, but nothing of the order or magnitude of South Korea, Iceland or other leading broadband countries.

    All this calls for unique federal, state and local action. Perhaps something akin to the 1987 Advanced Television Advisory Committee (ATC) should be established. The ATC was created by the FCC to help develop high-definition television standards for use by broadcast, cable, satellite and importantly, computer and software industries, and to create some guidelines for advanced television usage for entertainment, health care, education or government. It was clear that there were standards to be set and goals to be established. America was behind Japan, which had already spent several billion dollars establishing its standard -- albeit, an analog one.

    Within a few years this committee -- well represented by all the players and consumers alike -- produced meaningful guidelines for the FCC. We are today in a similar position. We are behind the rest of the world in a field in which we must lead. Our nation depends heavily upon the production use and transfer of knowledge-based products and services. We have pretty much lost our manufacturing capacity.

    Now that the world is flat, as author Thomas Friedman says, we are seeing more and more of our high tech and biotech goods and services being outsourced. This however is only a symptom of the larger global economy. Increasingly other countries will be developing their own high tech goods and services.

    For us to compete, for us to survive, we must develop the infrastructure of the 21st century much faster than we have been, and incentivize whole communities to begin using these new infrastructures to begin transforming their communities to compete in this new global economy. We must assure our cities that they can and should plan on building their information highways, in partnership with existing providers, and help them by clearing away the regulatory hurdles and logistical doubts. We need to set the standards for interconnection, and encourage alliances and partnerships as needed. We must develop a new deregulatory framework to promote broadband deployment and continued innovation. We must in short, establish and sustain a National Infrastructure Initiative to get our country back on track.

    John M. Eger, a telecommunications lawyer, and Van Deerlin Professor of Communications and Public Policy at San Diego State University, was also director the White House Office of Telecommunications Policy.
    John Eger


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