Watching the Watchers

Honor Our Hemp-Raising Patriot Heroes

harveywasserman — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 20:29:42 -0400

It is our patriotic duty to honor our Founding Heroes, America's greatest hemp growers. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison -- virtually all Revolutionary Americans who had access to land -- embraced hempâs critical role in our early economy. ccordingly, they raised it in mass quantities.

President Obama, Save the Mountains

rperks — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 20:22:27 -0400

It is a national shame that mining companies are allowed to blast America's oldest mountains to smithereens -- all for the sake of dirty coal. Indeed, it is unfathomable that here in America, where the Adirondacks are adored and the Rockies are revered, that the Appalachian Mountains -- older than the Himalayas and so integral to our nation's heritage -- are steadily being reduced to lifeless moonscapes.

Co-Founder of Flickr on Sharing

openedblogger — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 19:05:15 -0400

Eric Steuer has interviewed Caterina Fake, one of the founders of Flickr, on sharing. More specifically, Fake talks about changing expectations around sharing media and why websites need to adapt to those changes.

The Day the Baker in My Town Closed Shop

Anon — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 19:00:28 -0400

There was once a baker in the town I lived in. He and wife and two daughters each evening mixed the dough, let it ferment, and in the wee hours of the morning lit his oven with firewood to bake fresh and fluffy breads. He then delivered the labor of his love to his customers in the town on a bicycle, with a rubber horn heralding his arrival at the crack of dawn.

Gas vs. Mileage Tax

Rich — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 18:55:59 -0400

Earlier this week, the Kansas City Star had an article about a test project being done at the University of Iowa to examine the practicality of having a vehicle tax based on the number of miles actually driven: The year is 2020 and the gasoline tax is history. In its place you get a monthly tax bill based on each mile you drove â tracked by a Global Positioning System device in your car and uploaded to a billing center.

iPod V. Walkman

Rich — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 18:54:49 -0400

The BBC's News Magazine has an entertaining article on the results of a comparative test of old and new technology. The Sony WalkmanÂ® was introduced 30 years ago, while Apple's iPod is, of course, relatively recent. The magazine persuaded 13-year-old Scott Campbell to swap his iPod for a week, to try out a Walkman.

The Death of Free

Sarah — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 18:46:28 -0400

When Chris Anderson's "Free!" article appeared in Wired at the beginning of last year, the financial crisis was still shallow enough for his thesis to look bold but almost plausible: "anything that touches digital networks quickly feels the effect of falling costs. There's nothing new about technology's deflationary force, but what is new is the speed at which industries of all sorts are becoming digital businesses and thus able to exploit those economics."

Michael Jackson: Society’s Problem?

Graham Martin — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 18:40:39 -0400

It seems a little odd to get caught up in the celebrity hype of the moment, but I do think Michael Jackson's passing requires a pause for thought. Much about the man can be said to be somehow special, different, or down right weird. But to be honest, much of it was downright tragic, and put the guy in a lose/lose situation.

A Grim Jobs Report

Donald Marron — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 18:31:58 -0400

The headlines in today's job report were gloomy: Nonfarm payrolls fell by 467,000 in June, more than expected and more than in May. The unemployment rate increased to 9.5%. That gloominess is confirmed if you look deeper into the numbers.

Big Money in Cap-and-Trade

Donald Marron — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:24:43 -0400

On Friday, the House of Representatives passed its climate change bill by a slim margin. The bill's key feature is a cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gases. That system would set national emission limits and would require affected emitters to own permits (called allowances) to cover their emissions. The number one thing you should know about this bill is that the allowances are worth big money: almost $1 trillion over the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office, and more in subsequent decades.

Stimulus Lifts Government Transfers

Donald Marron — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:23:50 -0400

A few weeks ago, I posted some charts showing that Americans are increasingly reliant on government transfers as a source of income. Friday's data on personal income for May confirmed that the trend is continuing.

The Rarity of Cultural Change

Paul Sunstone — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 10:51:54 -0400

This evening, I ran across a post by George, over at Decrepit Old Fool, called "Is Change Even Possible?" It's a good post that raises a vital question. The changes in human cultures that have come about in the past 500 or so years are exceedingly remarkable, but they are not the human norm. Change is for the most part resisted by humans. Any attempt to change us is an uphill battle.

India Scores Badly on the Global Peace Index

Nita — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 10:44:11 -0400

India slipped 15 points on the Global Peace Index (GPI) ranking, from 107 in 2008 to 122 (out of 144 countries) in 2009. Whether one gives any credence to these rankings or whether one accepts the definition of peace as stated by them, what I can say from my personal experience is that as a citizen I have perceived a deterioration of "peace" over the past two decades.

When You See Flash, Duck and Cover

Max Shinn — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 10:38:35 -0400

The best thing anyone can do to continue making the Internet more closed, restrictive, and prohibiting is to use Adobe Flash as it exists today. The Internet was created to allow for the open and unconfined infrastructure to share information; yet, it is being used today for the opposite purpose: to stop this information torrent.

CBO on the Affordable Health Choices Act

Donald Marron — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:36:36 -0400

On Thursday evening, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a preliminary analysis of the latest version of Title I of the Affordable Health Choices Act, commonly known as the HELP bill or the Kennedy bill (since it's the product of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions which Senator Kennedy chairs). Based on a quick review, here are the top six things I think you should know about the cost estimate.

Give 'Em Hell, Helen Thomas

Lawgirl — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:34:46 -0400

An exchange between White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs and reporter Helen Thomas, 89, who has covered every president since John F. Kennedy.

Why Do Insiders Trade?

Jim Naughton — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:27:08 -0400

Many studies examine whether insiders' trading activity is informative regarding future return on stocks. An underlying hypothesis tested in these studies is whether insider trades are driven by insiders' superior information about the prospects of their firm and whether these trades are informative in generating abnormal returns.

El Jacko Santa Barbarbeque

Doc Searls — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:25:39 -0400

One of the best things about living in (or just following) Santa Barbara is reading Nick Welsh's Angry Poodle Barbeque column each week in the Independent â one of the best free newsweeklies anywhere. This week's column, El CorazÃ³n del Perro, is a classic.

Trademarks, Movies and the Clearance Culture

William McGeveran — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:44:52 -0400

As I hole up in my ivory tower writing about trademark fair use reform this summer, it's nice to know that the issue might matter in the outside world. In a pair of signs yesterday, I ran across two different news articles showing how seriously our overbroad trademark rights are constraining free expression.

New Tactics Promising for Prostate, Brain and Pancreatic Cancer

mesothelioma — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:44:19 -0400

At a recent American Association for Cancer Research meeting in Denver, several new studies were discussed that showed promise in fighting prostate, brain and pancreatic cancer.

SEC Should Not Further Restrain Short Selling

James Chanos, President of Kynikos Associates LP, — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:42:45 -0400

The hedge fund coalition that I chair, the Coalition of Private Investment Companies (CPIC), recently submitted a comment letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in which we laid out our case for why the Commission should drop proposals to further restrain short selling.

State Investigation Clears Sanford of Wrongdoing

wok3 — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:22:58 -0400

Well this is a bit odd. South Carolina's Governor Sanford, the man who seemingly cannot find the off switch to his interview button, has been cleared of wrongdoing, the state saying that he was in Argentina on business for the state, and whatever he did on his private time while there had no bearing on his trips.

But Wait ... There's More! -- 25 Years of Infomercials

Edward Spurlock — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:08:26 -0400

June 28 will be remembered as the day TV pitchman Billy Mays died. But Mays' death is not the only reason June 28 is important in the world of cheesy late-night product pitches. It was on June 28th in 1984 that Ronald Reagan's FCC chairman Mark S. Fowler "officially repealed the rule that prevented broadcasters from scheduling more than sixteen minutes of commercials in an hour."

Student Loan Repayment More Manageable for Millions

Chairman George Miller — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:05:14 -0400

Today new benefits go into effect that will make monthly student loan payments more manageable and affordable for millions of students and borrowers struggling to stay afloat in this tough economic climate. These benefits were enacted as part of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, a law I sponsored in 2007 that made historic investments to help more Americans earn a college degree. With the economy against this year's college graduates, this relief couldn't come at a better time.

The AIDS Cure That the Press Forgot

RichardfromHB — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:53:41 -0400

I have always thought that the "compartmentalization" of our scientists prevents maximum technological development. Prime examples: Bell labs pointed a huge microwave communications receiver skyward during testing and accidentally discovered the cosmic microwave background radiation for cosmologists; or NASA infrared satellite photometry reveals Mayan sites long covered by jungle. We may be witnessing another variation of this theme when clinical doctors, rather than funded researchers recently reported the first HIV cure to both people that were listening.

Why Wouldn't an Exam Culture Favor Discriminated-Against Minorities?

philg — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:34:03 -0400

The Supreme Court has spoken in Ricci v. Stefano, the New Haven firefighter's case. An employer developed what it thought was a purely job-related exam and said that they would promote the people who did well on the test. Initially it seems reasonable that advocates for groups that did poorly on an exam would advocate against an exam culture. But thinking about it a bit more, I found myself surprised.

Sixty Is the Loneliest Number

kolys — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:00:58 -0400

Or at least, it may feel that way to one Harry Mason Reid, currently Senate Majority Leader. With the election -- at last -- of Al Franken, the Democrats have the "filibuster-proof supermajority" of which much has been said. However, I think such things as the recent House vote on Waxman-Markey (the "climate change bill") show that there is no such thing as party unity within Team Blue.

Economic Crisis Pushes World Hunger to All-Time High

eyesonobama — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:14:01 -0400

The number of hungry people in the world is projected to reach an all-time high of 1.02 billion this year, according to a report published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The report blames this latest spike in world hunger chiefly on the global economic recession, which has increased unemployment and reduced incomes among the poor, leading to greater food insecurity.

How’s That New Politics Going?

paradox — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:16:32 -0400

Whenever I needed a light moment in last year's interminable campaign it was to contemplate the "new" politics of a possible President Obama going forward by a "new" Democrat, disdainful of ugly boomer cultural fights and political spats.

Conservative Bloggers Split on Sanford

sensico — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:34:49 -0400

Today it came out the Sanford actually had encounters with more females then he admitted during his âshockingâ press conference last week. During an AP interview he said that he âcrossed linesâ with other women. He also stated that it never went too far and that he actually loved Maria Belen Chapur.

Scientology's 'Flirty Fishing' Advertising

Tortmaster — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:47:16 -0400

With their new advertising campaign. Scientologists are using a Joe Camel strategy to get their message across. Is it appropriate for Scientology to use sexuality and teenage girls (or at least teenage-looking girls) to market their religion?

150 Years Is Not Enough

Mongo1967 — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:15:58 -0400

Years ago, I sat in a quiet Italian restaurant with Kurt Vonnegut (the story of how I was fortunate enough to sup with him is a bit long for this format), laughing about the stock questions people ask authors when he said (paraphrasing, its been twenty years), "Most people who tell me my books 'changed their life' can't really explain what that means. All they know is that they had an emotional connection to my writing. It didn't really change them at all." "Oh, no," I replied. "You changed me in several ways."

The Marginalization of North Korea

Kyle Brady — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:48:46 -0400

North Korea, Kim Jong-Il specifically, is known for its blustery antics in the world theater, and the past few months have not been unique. The anti-Western rhetoric and threats of war tend to come at times when North Korea needs something it can't provide for itself: food, money, or other forms of aid. Less than a week remains until July 4th, where actions will speak louder than words -- will North Korea launch a weapon, targeting a region within the borders of the United States?

My Experiences with Single-Payer Health Care in Norway

ssundstoel — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:44:36 -0400

I've been living in Norway for just over 3 years now, and have already acquired a lot of experience with the way the national health scheme here works. I thought I would write a bit about how the system here has worked for me. My experiences with the public health system in Norway have been nothing but positive. No worrying about whether some essential item is covered or not, or whether I can afford to treat some problem or other. That said, it's not entirely problem-free, on the large scale.

Thoreau's Legacy: American Stories About Global Warming

docunews — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:18:21 -0400

Last week a new interactive book anthology was published by the Union of Concerned Scientists and Penguin Classics. Thoreau's Legacy: American Stories about Global Warming is unlike any publishing project I have seen because it is literally a book built from submissions from Americans of all walks of life.

Tyranny and American Exceptionalism

Paul Sunstone — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:44:20 -0400

Americans have a tendency to conceive of their country as an exception to the rules, or to the laws of human nature, that govern other nations.

Green Jobs Hold Promise for Rural America

RDemocrat — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:00:39 -0400

With the passage of the climate bill in the House today it is time for us to focus on creating jobs by saving our planet. I have long believed that their are millions of jobs to be created in researching, developing, growing and refining the fuels of the future. It is not only the smart thing to do, in generational perspective it might just be the healthy thing for all.

'Stress Tests' Fundamentally Flawed

Lucian Bebchuk — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 08:26:25 -0400

The United States government is now permitting ten of America's biggest banks to repay about $70 billion of the capital injected into them last fall. This decision followed the banks having passed the so-called "stress tests" of their financial viability, which the US Treasury demanded, and the success of some of them in raising the additional capital that the tests suggested they needed. Many people have inferred from this sequence of events that US banks -- which are critical to both the American and world economies -- are now out of trouble. But that inference is seriously mistaken.

A Salute to the Iranian People

Nita — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 08:24:16 -0400

There was a revolution in Iran in 1979 but did the people get what they wanted? It's said that the revolution against the Shah was against the monarchy, and for communism. This never happened, and it is believed that this was due to interference from the West. Islamic Rule was established. Now there is upheaval again, with the people taking to the streets, demanding that the election be annulled. In this context it is worth reading Marjane Satrapiâs graphic novel Persepolis. It gives one an insight into life in Iran. It is autobiographical and she tells her story through cartoons she has drawn herself. The sketches are simple and so is the language. There is humour, drama, emotion, feminism, and the history of a people and a nation, all in one.

Climate Change: Expectations for the New Protocol

zikipediq — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 10:14:07 -0400

In the first part we pointed the issues concerning the new Copenhagen protocol -- to replace Kyoto -- once it will expire in 2012. Regarding the new negotiating text in the Danish capital, however, the question is: Will be the results of the Copenhagen meeting next December as much impact as expected?

A Pound of Cure

Rich — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 20:28:22 -0400

Technology Review, published by MIT, has an interesting article on the use of information technology in health care. As the article points out, the administration's economic stimulus package includes $19 billion for health-care IT spending. But it isn't clear that cost is the major obstacle to getting this done: The truth is that these folks could have digitized the whole industry ages ago.

In Detroit, the Student Becomes the Teacher

brightstar — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 15:47:33 -0400

Criminal behavior aside, City Councilwoman Monica Conyers, the wife of esteemed Congressman and House Judiciary Chair John Conyers may be one of the most disrespectful, egotistical, and inappropriately behaved elected officials we've seen around here in a long time and that's really saying something.

The Cost of Free Trade: Toxic Chinese Drywall

David Glenn Cox — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 12:37:57 -0400

Since 2006 the US has imported 550 million pounds of drywall. It makes you stop and scratch your head and wonder why. Wallboard is cheap to purchase as a building material; it is easy to work with and easy to finish. I could understand importing products that are expensive, but drywall? Since the beginning there have been complaints of headaches and nosebleeds. Already there are 360 law suits consolidated into ten class action lawsuits involving drywall from China. There are also sixty cases outside of the class action suits that indicate that this just might be the tip of the iceberg.

Tweet Could Land Guatemalan in Jail

poblete — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 12:31:31 -0400

Freedom of expression is one of the hallmark of a modern and free society. Rule of law is another. In Guatemala, both of the core tenets of democracy are heading for a collision course if the socialist government insists on prosecuting Jean Anleu for a tweet. The crime? Undermining the public trust in the country's banking system.

Progress on Auctioning TARP Warrants

Donald Marron — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 10:56:50 -0400

Ten major banks repaid almost $70 billion to TARP in recent weeks. But they aren't free from TARP just yet: Treasury still owns warrants to purchase their common stock.

The Subsidies in TARP

Donald Marron — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 10:55:58 -0400

How much is TARP costing American taxpayers? We know that Congress originally authorized up to $700 billion in TARP investments. And we know that $439 billion has been committed to various programs. But how much of that money are taxpayers likely to see again? And to what extent will they be compensated for making those investments?

Beyond Celebrity Obsession

Doc Searls — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 10:28:33 -0400

"Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people." â Eleanor Roosevelt. I wish to discuss an idea here. It's an idea about celebrity, and it follows an event that has become a black hole in nearly all media: the death of Michael Jackson.

Iran: It’s the Counting That Counts

Rich — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:14:08 -0400

"In some elections, it's not the voting that counts, it's the counting that counts." -- Anon. Unless you have spent the last week or so in a cave, or marooned on an island, you have heard of the protests and controversy surrounding the recent election in Iran. Although as a matter of policy I don't post intentionally political comments here, I was interested to see two reports from people that have tried to analyze the reported results, using purely statistical methods, to see what, if anything, can be discovered.

Is Charlie Crist the Real Leader of the Republican Party?

Rian Fike — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:44:00 -0400

As an Art teacher embroiled in the worst budget crisis of my 25 year career, Charlie Crist gave a speech that was sweet music to my ears. "I urge you to pass legislation requiring school districts to spend 70 percent of their budgets in the classroom for our students and teachers, and to instill transparency by requiring school districts to provide dollar-by-dollar details online. Floridians deserve to know how their hard-earned dollars are being spent, and parents have a right to demand accountability. And I ask you to consider, as I have proposed, increasing per-student funding -- Florida's children deserve it."

Heroin in the Heartland

Richard Farrell — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:19:30 -0400

I am white. I am middle class. And I'm heroin addict. Every morning, I pour white powder into a cooker, add water, heat it, wait for bubbles, and draw it into a syringe. The secret is to alternate arms daily. If not the veins will collapse from overuse. Yesterday was right; today I'll fire into my left right below the bicep. Both arms look like dartboards.