Damn Communists ...

Not only do they have a socialist market economic system, they've got billionaires, too.

in reference to: China only trails U.S. in billionaires - CNN.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

Food for Thought

Keeping Al Qaeda on the run.
in reference to: Why Al Qaeda Wants a Safe Haven | Foreign Policy (view on Google Sidewiki)

Interesting ...

I wonder if the Kindle reader for Mac will be also on the rumored "iTablet/tapplet"?
in reference to: Amazon says Kindle reader coming for Mac, too - Network World (view on Google Sidewiki)

Re-thinking nuke fears

Interesting analysis ...

"In fact, a major reason so few technologically capable countries have actuallysought to build the weapons, contrary to decades of hand-wringing prognostication, is that most have found them, on examination, to be a substantial and even ridiculous misdirection of funds, effort, and scientific talent."

in reference to: - The Rise of Nuclear Alarmism | Foreign Policy (view on Google Sidewiki)

Live moving train test blog ...

Just testing to see if I could edit an image and post it to my blog using my HP Mini netbook while using the Verizon network traveling on the NJ Central Coast train line.

I think that's a building in Newark. Hmmm, Conan might be right ...

Still, a lot easier than I thought it would be. Haven't lot the signal yet, either, which is really impressive.

Who says modern life is rubbish ... ?

Rahm and David are screwing up

Whether Fox News is a real news organization or not is not the point. They have credentialed producers and on-air staff covering the White House and should be given the same access.

This is embarrassing, not only for its pettiness, but that it feeds into the Beck conspiracy theories about the Obama administration having an enemies list. Just stop ...
in reference to: White House's Fox News Boycott Attempt Prompts Network Revolt (view on Google Sidewiki)

Spider-Man musical? One word: Capeman

This just sounds awful, I don't even think the Superman musical "It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman" from the 60s was even a hit. More of an oddity.

Also, when Paul Simon attempted to reinvent the musical with Capeman, he alienated the Broadway powers-that-be and the show died a quick death. Still, with Julie Taymor on board, we know it will at least look cool.

Wait, are those jazz hands ... ?!??!
in reference to: More Delays Expected for Spider-Man Musical - ArtsBeat Blog - NYTimes.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

Interesting. EU e-commerce has border limits

You'd think this would have been one of the first things they would have ironed out when they ratified some of the earlier economic treaties.
in reference to: When it comes to e-commerce, there is no Europe (view on Google Sidewiki)

Latin America and China's stimulus working ...

... so what's wrong with ours? According to an IMF report Latin America's economy will expand by 2.9 percent in 2010, almost double the U.S.
in reference to: Survey: Slow Recovery Creating Pessimism (view on Google Sidewiki)

The war is on

Amazon drops one Kindle and drops the price on the International model.

Is the Nook really that sexy?
in reference to: Amazon Kills U.S. Kindle, Cuts International Price | Gadget Lab | Wired.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

Damn Socialists!!!! Oh, wait ...

What kind of church is this?

in reference to: BBC NEWS | Europe | Sweden church allows gay weddings (view on Google Sidewiki)

Alan Grayson Schools Former SCOTUS Clerk on the Constitution

This is just a joy to watch and read.

in reference to: Alan Grayson vs. Paul Broun: A battle of wits with an unarmed man | Video Cafe (view on Google Sidewiki)

Well, no one else is listening to you ...

Please, as much as I deplore Gitmo and all it represents, did this really impact REM and Pearl Jam's declining record sales, er, I mean, their moral standing?

in reference to: Bands want to know if their music was used on Gitmo detainees - CNN.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

Is it a bird? Is it a plane?

No, it's a company creating a digital comics store for Apple's alleged iTablet/tapplet.

Holy touchscreen, Batman!

in reference to: LongBox digital comics store adds to Apple tablet frenzy :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Andy Ihnatko (view on Google Sidewiki)

Killing Content the Old Fashioned Way

I don't know if this makes Demand Media the Wal-Mart of online content creators, but it surely is a great example of how the Internet devalues everything it touches in the name of making a quick buck.
in reference to: The Answer Factory: Fast, Disposable, and Profitable as Hell | Magazine (view on Google Sidewiki)

All the News that's Fit to Print

Yahoo's launching a news "blog" much like AOL's foray into news publishing.
in reference to: Yahoo Will Launch a New News Blog (view on Google Sidewiki)

Hispanic Panic

The more Lou Dobbs, the Minutemen and a large part of the xenophobic Right continue to demonize Hispanics, the more the GOP is going to have difficulty in the future.

Hispanics, predominantly Catholic, are by nature politically Conservative, but even they get tired of the stereotyping and scapegoating after awhile.

Though I do find the whole secessionist rhetoric of Texas Gov. Perry and his Tea Party buddies somewhat hilarious: In the next 20 years Hispanics will outnumber Anglo-Saxons in Texas, so if the state secedes it will have a majority of its population with a stronger allegiance to Mexico and Latin American than to the U.S.

Genius!
in reference to: Incentives drawing more Latinos to military, Rand study finds - CNN.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

Robby O'Sullivan Performing "Soldier's Joy"

The Season of the Witch?

Maybe it's because we're nearing Halloween, but two stories about the persecution of "witches" have popped up in the news this week.

First, a story out of Africa where Christian ministers identify children as witches and have them tortured and killed. The second story is out of India where five Muslim women were fingered as witches and publicly ridiculed and degraded.

It's the 21st Century, right?

From the "Everything in Moderation" file ...

After years of being ignored by the scientific community, white wine gets a health beat down ...
in reference to: BBC NEWS | Health | White wines 'bad for the teeth' (view on Google Sidewiki)

Pearl River Tower

It ain't easy being green, but the U.S. architect firm SOM have taken on the challenge in China with this Guangzhou City-based building. It's sculpted to capture and funnel wind to turbines. Neato!

in reference to:
- BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Harrabin's Notes: Green tower (view on Google Sidewiki)

Paul Wolfowitz in Foreign Policy

Interesting analysis of geopolitical realism from one of the architects of the Bush Administration's foreign policy.

It's made even more interesting by the point/counter-point commentaries that appeared today on FP from Steven Clemons and Stephen Walt. Fascinating stuff!
in reference to: Even amid a war and a recession, Americans shouldn't adopt a misguided doctrine - By Paul Wolfowitz | Foreign Policy (view on Google Sidewiki)

You can't lose something ...

... you don't really own. Pat Robertson laments that white people once owned the U.S. and they are angry because they are losing it.

Wow.

in reference to: Traditional Americans are losing their nation (view on Google Sidewiki)

Poverty in the U.S.A.

The numbers speak for themselves: 47.7 million people live in poverty in the richest nation on the planet. What's wrong with this picture?
in reference to: Economic Shock: 1 in 6 Americans in Poverty (view on Google Sidewiki)

Sailing to Byzantium

Fascinating article on how Rome's eastern empire could teach the U.S. about how to maintain its prominence on the world stage.
in reference to:

- Take me back to Constantinople, by Edward Luttwak | Foreign Policy (view on Google Sidewiki)

North Korea's Kim is not so crazy

Christian Caryl's analysis of how "dear Leader" sees himself and his country's place in the world is a good read.

in reference to: Reality Check: The Hermit Kingdom by Christian Caryl | Foreign Policy (view on Google Sidewiki)

Kinda cool ...

A Prius on steroids? Or the next big thing:

I think Sai means "Warrior" which is kind of a nice touch ...

in reference to: Toyota Rolls Out New Hybrid-Only Model (view on Google Sidewiki)

Google makes its move ...

Big international push into Microsoft territory to start Monday.

in reference to: Google Goes Global With Apps (view on Google Sidewiki)

“Lend eBooks to friends”

Barnes & Noble's e-reader, the Nook has the extraordinary feature of letting you lend an e-book much as people lend each other paperbacks.

And it's dead sexy to look at!

Our future lords and masters ...

... and I don't mean the robot overlords of the Singularity.

While the GOP diluted our stimulus package, China was able to specifically inject capital into the markets it felt it needed to support to weather the economic apocalypse.

We hope the party of "no" is happy ...
in reference to: China: The Recession's Real Winner | Newsweek Voices - Fareed Zakaria | Newsweek.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

Well Dick Armey and the rest of you Tea-baggers, I hope you're happy.

By amping up the prejudice and paranoia around the Obama presidency, they are taxing the same system they claim to care about.

Scum ...
in reference to: Secret Service under strain as leaders face more threats - The Boston Globe (view on Google Sidewiki)

From the "WTF?!?!" file

Wow, This is just crazy.
in reference to: National Briefing - Washington - Spying Charges Against Scientist - NYTimes.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

Save the Press

In the era of Fox News and Right Wing talk radio. This is a good idea.

We need to stop pandering to stupid, intolerant and close-minded people.
in reference to: Report Urges Bailout to Preserve Journalism (view on Google Sidewiki)

"¿Que? ¿Este es el asesino de libro?

Plastic Logic calls its Kindle Killer Que. I personally dig the Apple-like aesthetic of the promo pic ...

But is it pronounced "key" or "kay"?
in reference to: Much-Anticipated 'Kindle Killer'? It's Coming ... In January | The Wrap (view on Google Sidewiki)

Food For Thought

Karen Armstrong on the debate about the state of God and Religion on Earth right now.

Always thoughtful, never shrill. She is one of my favorite authors and philosophers.
in reference to: Think Again: God - By Karen Armstrong | Foreign Policy (view on Google Sidewiki)

You can't kill an idea ...

As more and more Westerners show up in the Taliban and Al Qaeda recruitment camps you would think the CIA, FBI and other counter-terrorism groups would work on the problem of dissuading people from Islamic fundamentalism.

I guess the problem is the relationship between U.S. policy in the Middle East and the Muslim world and how it impacts the Umma, or the Islamic nation. I think that's where the disconnect is: We are addressing the issue as a nation-state problem whereas our enemy lives and moves without recognizing those borders, those limitations.
in reference to: Flow of terrorist recruits increasing - washingtonpost.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

It's the end of the world as we know it ...

... and I feel fine.

I hated lugging around school books. I mean, wasn't that really the worst part of high school? The incredibly heavy math and science books?

in reference to: More schools experimenting with digital textbooks - washingtonpost.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

TV is good for you ...

At least that's what Foreign Policy claims in this intriguing think-piece by Charles Kenny.

It's true, even a couple of the Internet's true successes have come from aping television, what with YouTube and Hulu's success.
in reference to: Charles Kenny on why TV, not Facebook or Twitter, is going to revolutionize the world | Foreign Policy (view on Google Sidewiki)

Android 2.0

It's geek porn, plain and simple.

Techno-lust in full bloom.
in reference to: Android 2.0 screenshot walkthrough : Boy Genius Report (view on Google Sidewiki)

What the Neocons want is vengeance ...

Identifying Iran as the sole "enemy" in the Middle East has more to do with the Iranian Revolution and the Iran Hostage Crisis where not only did a people's revolution usurp the puppet government put in place by the West, specifically the U.S. after British prestige in the region waned, but they used a relatively primitive form of combat, hostage-taking, to basically cow a world power.

This has been a sore spot for GOP and neocon hawks for almost three decades and led to U.S. support of Saddam Hussein during the Iran/Iraq war. Though the U.S. is allegedly guilty of "double-dipping" when it was revealed we gave Iran 508 US-made Tow missiles, as part of secret arms-for-hostages deal which led to Iran-gate. Reagan approved about 4000 more missiles which, in one of life's little ironies, were delivered via Israel.

Still, while this is a textbook case of the "enemy of my enemy is my friend" art of war, Iran as the real prey for neocon Hawks has always been the ultimate prize.

in reference to: Joseph Cirincione -- Five Myths About Iran's Nuclear Program - washingtonpost.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

The sucking sound you hear ... ?

... is all the joy being taken out of life by the nanny-state-thought-police.

Of course, drinking alcohol in excess is bad for anyone, but the impatient toe-tapping, tsk-tsk-ing and disapproving looks have to go.
in reference to: Drinking Your Way to Health? Perhaps Not - Yahoo! News (view on Google Sidewiki)

And so it begins ... ?

Suicide bomber in Iran takes on Revolutionary Guard ...
in reference to: Revolutionary Guard commanders killed in Iran bomb - washingtonpost.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

Life During Wartime

A powerful reassessment of the idea of the "Liberal" President as peacenik.

Especially good read in the wake of Obama's inexplicable Nobel win.

in reference to: Why Liberals Kill - Page 1 - The Daily Beast (view on Google Sidewiki)

Great piece

As the Pope calls for the return to reason, James Carroll points out how Catholic fundamentalism is helping spread AIDS throughout Africa.
in reference to: The Catholic Church's Next Scandal - Page 1 - The Daily Beast (view on Google Sidewiki)

Hope it's as cool as its ad

Verizon and Motorola's mobile device running Google's Android OS is almost here:

in reference to: Verizon Droid Is The Real Deal (view on Google Sidewiki)

Bet THAT's never happened in Chicago!

Watching Brazil prepare for the Olympics is going to be fascinating.
in reference to: Al Jazeera English - Americas - Rio gangs down police helicopter (view on Google Sidewiki)