Why Didn't I think of this before
Hurricane Katrina - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thanks David
(Isenberg) for the Link!
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Finally
In Attempt to Halt Looting, 1,500 Officers Assigned to Street Patrol - New York Times:
About Time
Arrest Looters, try to house and feed them, and put them to work on cleanup.
Glad to see officals are fed up.
TV images and even interviews with looters bad for PR
"August 31, 2005
In Attempt to Halt Looting, 1,500 Officers Assigned to Street Patrol
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 9:00 p.m. ET
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Mayor Ray Nagin ordered 1,500 police officers to leave their search-and-rescue mission Wednesday night and return to the streets to stop looting that has turned increasingly hostile as the city plunges deeper into chaos.
''They are starting to get closer to heavily populated areas -- hotels, hospitals, and we're going to stop it right now,'' Nagin said in a statement to The Associated Press.
The number of officers called off the search-and-rescue mission amounts to virtually the entire police force in New Orleans.
Amid the turmoil Wednesday, thieves commandeered a forklift and used it to push up the storm shutters and break the glass of a pharmacy. The crowd stormed the store, carrying out so much ice, water and food that it dropped from their arms as they ran. The street was littered with packages of ramen noodles and other items.
Looters also chased down a state police truck full of food. The New Orleans police chief ran off looters while city officials themselves were commandeering equipment from a looted Office Depot. During a state of emergency, authorities have broad powers to take private supplies and buildings for their use.
Managers at a nursing home were prepared to cope with the power outages and had enough food for days, but then the looting began. The home's bus driver was forced to surrender the vehicle to carjackers.
Bands of people drove by the nursing home, shouting to residents, ''Get out!'' Eighty residents, most of them in wheelchairs, were being evacuated to other nursing homes in the state.
''We had enough food for 10 days,'' said Peggy Hoffman, the home's executive director. ''Now we'll have to equip our department heads with guns and teach them how to shoot.''"
About Time
Arrest Looters, try to house and feed them, and put them to work on cleanup.
Glad to see officals are fed up.
TV images and even interviews with looters bad for PR
"August 31, 2005
In Attempt to Halt Looting, 1,500 Officers Assigned to Street Patrol
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 9:00 p.m. ET
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Mayor Ray Nagin ordered 1,500 police officers to leave their search-and-rescue mission Wednesday night and return to the streets to stop looting that has turned increasingly hostile as the city plunges deeper into chaos.
''They are starting to get closer to heavily populated areas -- hotels, hospitals, and we're going to stop it right now,'' Nagin said in a statement to The Associated Press.
The number of officers called off the search-and-rescue mission amounts to virtually the entire police force in New Orleans.
Amid the turmoil Wednesday, thieves commandeered a forklift and used it to push up the storm shutters and break the glass of a pharmacy. The crowd stormed the store, carrying out so much ice, water and food that it dropped from their arms as they ran. The street was littered with packages of ramen noodles and other items.
Looters also chased down a state police truck full of food. The New Orleans police chief ran off looters while city officials themselves were commandeering equipment from a looted Office Depot. During a state of emergency, authorities have broad powers to take private supplies and buildings for their use.
Managers at a nursing home were prepared to cope with the power outages and had enough food for days, but then the looting began. The home's bus driver was forced to surrender the vehicle to carjackers.
Bands of people drove by the nursing home, shouting to residents, ''Get out!'' Eighty residents, most of them in wheelchairs, were being evacuated to other nursing homes in the state.
''We had enough food for 10 days,'' said Peggy Hoffman, the home's executive director. ''Now we'll have to equip our department heads with guns and teach them how to shoot.''"
Dim and Grim prospects for New Orleans
Evacuation has been mandated
Problems compounding.
Future of New Orleans needs to be re-assesed.
Should a major port be below Sea Level?
Party like there's no tommorow.
Well...It's tommorow.
Geography Complicates Levee Repair - New York Times: "Geography Complicates Levee Repair
Until engineers can repair breaks in the huge levees that separate New Orleans from Lake Pontchartrain, the city will essentially be an arm of the Gulf of Mexico, subject to the ebb and flow of the tides.
And because the tidal pull widens the breaks, experts said yesterday, that will make it all the harder to repair them - the first step in restoring the inundated city to normal.
Problems compounding.
Future of New Orleans needs to be re-assesed.
Should a major port be below Sea Level?
Party like there's no tommorow.
Well...It's tommorow.
Geography Complicates Levee Repair - New York Times: "Geography Complicates Levee Repair
Until engineers can repair breaks in the huge levees that separate New Orleans from Lake Pontchartrain, the city will essentially be an arm of the Gulf of Mexico, subject to the ebb and flow of the tides.
And because the tidal pull widens the breaks, experts said yesterday, that will make it all the harder to repair them - the first step in restoring the inundated city to normal.
New Orleans continues to deteroate
Keeps getting worse
Some reports of Marshall Law (unconfirmed)
It will be a long long time to recover.
Many homes and structures may have to be demolished.
Structural Damage.
Mold.
Will they rebuild?
Will it make sense to do so?
New Orleans Is Now Off Limits; Pentagon Joins in Relief Effort - New York Times:
"The hurricane has wrought incalculable destruction in the city and other parts of Louisiana, leaving thousands of people homeless and stranded. Today, the mayor said it could be months before residents would be allowed to return to their homes.
With bridges washed out, highways converted into canals, and power and communications lines inoperable, government officials ordered everyone still remaining out of the city. Officials prepared for the evacuation of the Superdome, where about 10,000 refugees huddled in increasingly grim conditions as water and food were running out and rising water threatened the generators.
The mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, told reporters late on Tuesday that it would be three to four months before residents would be able to return to their homes, but in Baton Rouge today, officials questioned that timeline.
"
Some reports of Marshall Law (unconfirmed)
It will be a long long time to recover.
Many homes and structures may have to be demolished.
Structural Damage.
Mold.
Will they rebuild?
Will it make sense to do so?
New Orleans Is Now Off Limits; Pentagon Joins in Relief Effort - New York Times:
"The hurricane has wrought incalculable destruction in the city and other parts of Louisiana, leaving thousands of people homeless and stranded. Today, the mayor said it could be months before residents would be allowed to return to their homes.
With bridges washed out, highways converted into canals, and power and communications lines inoperable, government officials ordered everyone still remaining out of the city. Officials prepared for the evacuation of the Superdome, where about 10,000 refugees huddled in increasingly grim conditions as water and food were running out and rising water threatened the generators.
The mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, told reporters late on Tuesday that it would be three to four months before residents would be able to return to their homes, but in Baton Rouge today, officials questioned that timeline.
"
NYTimes quick recap of oil & gas situation
One of many resources.
Quick recap of the hit to Oil & Gas Production.
No Quick Fix for Gulf Oil Operations - New York Times
"The hurricane, one of the most severe storms to hit the United States, crippled the nation's foremost oil-producing region at the worst possible time for American and global energy markets.
It will probably take days, or even weeks, before the full extent of the damage is fully revealed. Repairs are likely to drag on for months.
'The market can't afford any disruption whatsoever,' said Ben Dell, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Company in New York. 'As it happens, we just had the worst disruption ever.'
Most of the oil and gas production from the Gulf of Mexico remained shut off yesterday. The region, which usually produces 1.5 million barrels of oil and 10 billion cubic feet of gas each day, accounts for nearly a third of domestic oil production and a fifth of its natural gas output.
Because of flooding and power disruptions, many refiners along the gulf coast in Louisiana and Mississippi remained shut for a second day."
Quick recap of the hit to Oil & Gas Production.
No Quick Fix for Gulf Oil Operations - New York Times
"The hurricane, one of the most severe storms to hit the United States, crippled the nation's foremost oil-producing region at the worst possible time for American and global energy markets.
It will probably take days, or even weeks, before the full extent of the damage is fully revealed. Repairs are likely to drag on for months.
'The market can't afford any disruption whatsoever,' said Ben Dell, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Company in New York. 'As it happens, we just had the worst disruption ever.'
Most of the oil and gas production from the Gulf of Mexico remained shut off yesterday. The region, which usually produces 1.5 million barrels of oil and 10 billion cubic feet of gas each day, accounts for nearly a third of domestic oil production and a fifth of its natural gas output.
Because of flooding and power disruptions, many refiners along the gulf coast in Louisiana and Mississippi remained shut for a second day."
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
What we got from Katrina
All the trouble and tragedy with Katrina.
Up here we only got a nice sunset.
Shot 8:38 PM
Here's what it looked like via Intellicast:
Shot 8:30 PM
We just have the very edge of the outer cloudband
Up here we only got a nice sunset.
Shot 8:38 PM
Here's what it looked like via Intellicast:
Shot 8:30 PM
We just have the very edge of the outer cloudband
It ain't over yet - Water Coming into New Orleans
Not over yet
Levees breeched
Water coming into the city
weather.com - Vulnerable Cities: New Orleans:
"A hurricane approaching the city from the east, virtually at the mouth of the Mississippi River, 'would drive the lake water southward into the city. So under the right circumstances, the flooding may be more severe coming from the lake than that coming from the Gulf (of Mexico),' said Jay Grimes, Louisiana State Climatologist.
Many see the threat of a surge from the Gulf of Mexico as minimal because there is a complex series of levees between New Orleans and the Gulf. Many of the levees have been built and improved since 1966, when construction on the Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity Hurricane Protection Project began.
Now, the project is focusing on closing gaps in the levee system in outlying areas, as well as within city limits.
The levees that protect New Orleans from the lapping waves of Lake Pontchartrain have holes in them formed by three large canals that are used to pump water out of the city and into the lake on a daily basis."
Levees breeched
Water coming into the city
weather.com - Vulnerable Cities: New Orleans:
"A hurricane approaching the city from the east, virtually at the mouth of the Mississippi River, 'would drive the lake water southward into the city. So under the right circumstances, the flooding may be more severe coming from the lake than that coming from the Gulf (of Mexico),' said Jay Grimes, Louisiana State Climatologist.
Many see the threat of a surge from the Gulf of Mexico as minimal because there is a complex series of levees between New Orleans and the Gulf. Many of the levees have been built and improved since 1966, when construction on the Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity Hurricane Protection Project began.
Now, the project is focusing on closing gaps in the levee system in outlying areas, as well as within city limits.
The levees that protect New Orleans from the lapping waves of Lake Pontchartrain have holes in them formed by three large canals that are used to pump water out of the city and into the lake on a daily basis."
Monday, August 29, 2005
Ohhhh just too good to be true - or is it?
PBS | I, Cringely . August 25, 2005 - Has Google Peaked?
How Google has Billy G. all nervous
Meanwhile, Steve Jobs comes along and slips a shiv in MuSoft's ribs.
Distribute free Mac OS for Wintel boxes ...
Ouch
How Google has Billy G. all nervous
Meanwhile, Steve Jobs comes along and slips a shiv in MuSoft's ribs.
Distribute free Mac OS for Wintel boxes ...
Ouch
Navy hurricanes, typhoons, satellite images, forecasts, tracks
Geostationary Satelitte Image Resource
Navy hurricanes, typhoons, satellite images, forecasts, tracks
Navy hurricanes, typhoons, satellite images, forecasts, tracks
Hurricanes and Offshore Oil & Gas Production
Check this out for what happended to "ThunderHorse" platform last July
Resource Investor - Blog - BP's Thunderhorse platform still listing precariously - pictures
Will there be others after Katrina?
As Katrina moves ashore, potential massive effects on the Energy Markets
Dan Yergin was on CNBC this AM
Stated that the offshore Louisana (and I would expect in the bayou's) constitute up to 35% of US Production.
"This takes away all of the 'spare capacity' in the World Oil Market"
It will take time to survey the damage.
Drill rigs/production platforms
Refineries
Pipelines (many were damaged by Hurricane Ivan - undersea mudslides)
Potential impact on agricultural markets (much of the export business passes through New Orleans)
For tracking storms :
HurricanCity Closeup(s)
Resource Investor - Blog - BP's Thunderhorse platform still listing precariously - pictures
Will there be others after Katrina?
As Katrina moves ashore, potential massive effects on the Energy Markets
Dan Yergin was on CNBC this AM
Stated that the offshore Louisana (and I would expect in the bayou's) constitute up to 35% of US Production.
"This takes away all of the 'spare capacity' in the World Oil Market"
It will take time to survey the damage.
Drill rigs/production platforms
Refineries
Pipelines (many were damaged by Hurricane Ivan - undersea mudslides)
Potential impact on agricultural markets (much of the export business passes through New Orleans)
For tracking storms :
HurricanCity Closeup(s)
Katrina Komes Kalling
From NOAA, timestamped to match the image
Daybreak
Awesome
Source:
NOAA's Operationa Significant Event Imagery:
"Significant events identified by Satellite Analysis Branch meteorologists and reviewed by the Operational Significant Event Imagery support team Monday August 29, 2005 are as follows:
Hurricane KATRINA.
IMAGE D2412: GOES-12<> Multispectral Combined Image <> 08/29/2005 16:45 UTC <>MULTICHANNEL COMPOSITE RGB= 1,4 <>Hurricane KATRINA.
Hurricane KATRINA is moving north at 16mph. It has max sustained winds of 126mph and gust of 155mph.
Image provided in preview (~62K) and standard (293K) formats.
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Unfortunate Title : why the versus?
Roberts v. the Future - New York Times
Good, thoughtful piece on topics that may come before the Supreme Court in the next 20 years.
Roe v Wade is not the only issue, there will be many others.
From Cloning to Copyright.
Good, thoughtful piece on topics that may come before the Supreme Court in the next 20 years.
Roe v Wade is not the only issue, there will be many others.
From Cloning to Copyright.
What If ... ???
Young man
Suicide Bomber
Convinced of path to "paradise" with 72 Virgins awaiting him
What if he does his task
Goes to Paradise
Finds only 72 other young men
Virgins
Suicide Bomber
Convinced of path to "paradise" with 72 Virgins awaiting him
What if he does his task
Goes to Paradise
Finds only 72 other young men
Virgins
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Service Employees International Union
Andy Stern was keynote speaker at PCForum
Interesting ideas about "modern" unions.
"Unlike your typical union boss, who seethes as workers get screwed and fat cats take care of themselves--end of analysis--Stern gets the irreversible economics of globalization. And that understanding is driving him to ideas that could take the labor movement far beyond the workplace. "We've had this one-size-fits-all union model built in the 1930s," he says. It had a great post-war run, but its momentum ended more than a generation ago. Do we try to revive that model, he asks, "or do we say, The economy is different now, and workers need different kinds of organizations?"
There's a model for the kind of new workers' group Stern has in mind: AARP. Imagine a new national membership and advocacy organization for millions of working people that wielded the clout in Washington that AARP now enjoys. Suppose the new "union"--or perhaps it would be one of a dozen such worker associations organized around major industries--took over benefits like health care, pensions, and training, and companies contributed a predictable amount into a pool (as opposed to, say, ever-soaring health costs) for those purposes. Or suppose the new association mounted a major campaign on behalf of health coverage for every American. Or for a mega-version of wage supplements like the earned income tax credit that lifted the effective minimum wage to $10 without putting the full burden on employers, which would kill jobs."
Interesting ideas about "modern" unions.
"Unlike your typical union boss, who seethes as workers get screwed and fat cats take care of themselves--end of analysis--Stern gets the irreversible economics of globalization. And that understanding is driving him to ideas that could take the labor movement far beyond the workplace. "We've had this one-size-fits-all union model built in the 1930s," he says. It had a great post-war run, but its momentum ended more than a generation ago. Do we try to revive that model, he asks, "or do we say, The economy is different now, and workers need different kinds of organizations?"
There's a model for the kind of new workers' group Stern has in mind: AARP. Imagine a new national membership and advocacy organization for millions of working people that wielded the clout in Washington that AARP now enjoys. Suppose the new "union"--or perhaps it would be one of a dozen such worker associations organized around major industries--took over benefits like health care, pensions, and training, and companies contributed a predictable amount into a pool (as opposed to, say, ever-soaring health costs) for those purposes. Or suppose the new association mounted a major campaign on behalf of health coverage for every American. Or for a mega-version of wage supplements like the earned income tax credit that lifted the effective minimum wage to $10 without putting the full burden on employers, which would kill jobs."
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Sunset
Went out to paddle around a bit and maybe catch a sunset.
Took the "old" Canon 2MegaPix "just in case"
Was set to head home when the sky "caught fire"
This one exposed for the sky/clouds
But others like the one below overexposed the sky.
I was trying to catch the reflection on the water and a bit of canoe for "framing" the location/activity
My mistake in setting exposure.
Should have "locked" it with the sky settings.
"Flash" might have helped as well, by not letting the sky get quite so overexposed.
Shots about 8:50 PM
Took the "old" Canon 2MegaPix "just in case"
Was set to head home when the sky "caught fire"
This one exposed for the sky/clouds
But others like the one below overexposed the sky.
I was trying to catch the reflection on the water and a bit of canoe for "framing" the location/activity
My mistake in setting exposure.
Should have "locked" it with the sky settings.
"Flash" might have helped as well, by not letting the sky get quite so overexposed.
Shots about 8:50 PM
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Deeper thinking
The Doc Searls Weblog : Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Doc reflects on Iraq and many of the issues involved
Democracy is a messy process, but the best.
Hopefully the Iraqi people find their own way to resolving issues and, thereby help to change the world...
Doc reflects on Iraq and many of the issues involved
Democracy is a messy process, but the best.
Hopefully the Iraqi people find their own way to resolving issues and, thereby help to change the world...
Monday, August 22, 2005
End of Summer
First hint of change in the air
Cooler
Some nice "Canadian" air came down
Showers this morning
Low clouds this evening
Clean Air
Most folks have started to put boats away
Pull their rafts in
Kingfishers and Great Blue Herons feasting
Evenings coming earlier
Time to pull out the canoe for a paddle
Change is in the air
Change is the air
Change is
Change
We'll have more warm days, but fewer, shorter
We welcome the change
Slower pace
Change is in the air
Cooler
Some nice "Canadian" air came down
Showers this morning
Low clouds this evening
Clean Air
Most folks have started to put boats away
Pull their rafts in
Kingfishers and Great Blue Herons feasting
Evenings coming earlier
Time to pull out the canoe for a paddle
Change is in the air
Change is the air
Change is
Change
We'll have more warm days, but fewer, shorter
We welcome the change
Slower pace
Change is in the air
Where is Google Going?
Where to Spend $4 Billion? Google Has Plenty of Projects in Mind - New York Times
Summary of Speculation(s) as to what Google is likely to do with cash.
My bet is to mess with Billy G's Mind (G)
"It has been Mr. Schmidt's ability to keep the company focused on its stated mission of "organizing the world's information and making it universally accessible and useful" that has so far made the company a powerful threat to larger rivals like Microsoft."
I'm not sure that MuSoft ever had such vision...
Summary of Speculation(s) as to what Google is likely to do with cash.
My bet is to mess with Billy G's Mind (G)
"It has been Mr. Schmidt's ability to keep the company focused on its stated mission of "organizing the world's information and making it universally accessible and useful" that has so far made the company a powerful threat to larger rivals like Microsoft."
I'm not sure that MuSoft ever had such vision...
Which is the model: MuSoft or Google
InformationWeek > John Foley > Business Technology: Microsoft Vs. Google: A Rorschach Test > August 1, 2005:
Ubiquitious computing coming
MuSoft has to be running scared
"Operating system? Windows. Yes, Windows. There's a lot of talk that Google's software-delivery model--apps offered online to anyone, anytime, at no cost--represents a new kind of computer operating environment, one that doesn't bode well for antiquities like Windows XP and, next, Windows Vista. But I can't help but believe that computers will continue to need a real operating system and that Microsoft's integrated approach to everything from high-tech wristwatches to data-center servers has staying power. I'm betting there's room for both approaches, though the line, admittedly, is getting fuzzy.
User interface? Google. Microsoft can talk until it's blue in the PC screen about how user-friendly Windows is, but Google has the advantage with its no-nonsense home page. The differences are considerable, so comparisons end quickly. Now it's Microsoft's turn to respond."
Ubiquitious computing coming
MuSoft has to be running scared
"Operating system? Windows. Yes, Windows. There's a lot of talk that Google's software-delivery model--apps offered online to anyone, anytime, at no cost--represents a new kind of computer operating environment, one that doesn't bode well for antiquities like Windows XP and, next, Windows Vista. But I can't help but believe that computers will continue to need a real operating system and that Microsoft's integrated approach to everything from high-tech wristwatches to data-center servers has staying power. I'm betting there's room for both approaches, though the line, admittedly, is getting fuzzy.
User interface? Google. Microsoft can talk until it's blue in the PC screen about how user-friendly Windows is, but Google has the advantage with its no-nonsense home page. The differences are considerable, so comparisons end quickly. Now it's Microsoft's turn to respond."
Saturday, August 20, 2005
What Business Can Learn from Open Source
What Business Can Learn from Open Source:
Excellent piece on work and the "workplace"
Read it and learn
"So these, I think, are the three big lessons open source and blogging have to teach business: (1) that people work harder on stuff they like, (2) that the standard office environment is very unproductive, and (3) that bottom-up often works better than top-down."
Excellent piece on work and the "workplace"
Read it and learn
"So these, I think, are the three big lessons open source and blogging have to teach business: (1) that people work harder on stuff they like, (2) that the standard office environment is very unproductive, and (3) that bottom-up often works better than top-down."
Monday, August 15, 2005
To paraphrase Yogi Berra "free...which is a good price"
AdPulp: One Man Gathers What Another Man Spills:
Stewart got it right :
Stewart Brand's famous qoute 'Information wants to be free' has been the rallying cry of the open source software movement for years.
And I basically think Stewart was right.
Free is a great way to make money. You just have to know how you are going to get paid for being free.
Today, with digital distribution being something of a Wild West show, artists, writers, photographers, musicians, film makers and others are concerned about 'giving it all away' on the internet. Yet, there's nothing to be concerned about (other than privacy rights). The idea is to build a fan base. Without that fan base you don't have Jack. So, do whatever you have to do to be totally solid with that the people who most vigorously support what you're doing. It's the old 'give it away and see what comes back to you' trick. Bloggers and Deadheads know it well. Deadheads who blog know it even better."
Stewart got it right :
Stewart Brand's famous qoute 'Information wants to be free' has been the rallying cry of the open source software movement for years.
And I basically think Stewart was right.
Free is a great way to make money. You just have to know how you are going to get paid for being free.
Today, with digital distribution being something of a Wild West show, artists, writers, photographers, musicians, film makers and others are concerned about 'giving it all away' on the internet. Yet, there's nothing to be concerned about (other than privacy rights). The idea is to build a fan base. Without that fan base you don't have Jack. So, do whatever you have to do to be totally solid with that the people who most vigorously support what you're doing. It's the old 'give it away and see what comes back to you' trick. Bloggers and Deadheads know it well. Deadheads who blog know it even better."
Evening
Not a great photo (composition or anything like that)
Just an evening shot to capture the "mood"
Quiet
Pastel skys
Moon rising
Evening on "deck" getting caught up on some reading (wifi-ed)
Blogging when I find good stuff ...
Evening
Web Founding Father "Sir" Tim Berners-Lee on the read/write web
BBC NEWS | Technology | Berners-Lee on the read/write web
Blogs fit the goal - open and easy
Important thinking from an important thinker !
---
SIR TIM BERNERS-LEE
Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the web
Born in London in 1955
Read physics at Queen's College, Oxford
Banned from using university PC for hacking
Built own computer with old TV, a Motorola microprocessor and soldering iron
Created web in late 1980s and early 1990s at Cern
Offered it free on the net
Founded World Wide Web Consortium at MIT in 1994
Named by Time magazine as one of the top 20 thinkers of the 20th century
Knighted in 2003
---
"Well in some ways. The idea was that anybody who used the web would have a space where they could write and so the first browser was an editor, it was a writer as well as a reader. Every person who used the web had the ability to write something. It was very easy to make a new web page and comment on what somebody else had written, which is very much what blogging is about.
For years I had been trying to address the fact that the web for most people wasn't a creative space; there were other editors, but editing web pages became difficult and complicated for people. What happened with blogs and with wikis, these editable web spaces, was that they became much more simple.
When you write a blog, you don't write complicated hypertext, you just write text, so I'm very, very happy to see that now it's gone in the direction of becoming more of a creative medium."
Blogs fit the goal - open and easy
Important thinking from an important thinker !
---
SIR TIM BERNERS-LEE
Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the web
Born in London in 1955
Read physics at Queen's College, Oxford
Banned from using university PC for hacking
Built own computer with old TV, a Motorola microprocessor and soldering iron
Created web in late 1980s and early 1990s at Cern
Offered it free on the net
Founded World Wide Web Consortium at MIT in 1994
Named by Time magazine as one of the top 20 thinkers of the 20th century
Knighted in 2003
---
"Well in some ways. The idea was that anybody who used the web would have a space where they could write and so the first browser was an editor, it was a writer as well as a reader. Every person who used the web had the ability to write something. It was very easy to make a new web page and comment on what somebody else had written, which is very much what blogging is about.
For years I had been trying to address the fact that the web for most people wasn't a creative space; there were other editors, but editing web pages became difficult and complicated for people. What happened with blogs and with wikis, these editable web spaces, was that they became much more simple.
When you write a blog, you don't write complicated hypertext, you just write text, so I'm very, very happy to see that now it's gone in the direction of becoming more of a creative medium."
Great Cartoons ... and much more
gapingvoid: intel's new corporate blogging guidelines
For the cartoon
Besides being very insightful about marketing in general, online in particular, note that hugh's blog (http://www.gapingvoid.com) can be dangerous
Caution on reading it if you are in a situation where
1) you should not laugh loud
2) are drinking any sort of beverage that you would not want to come out your nose.
3) are recovering from major surgery and might pull stiches
Damn funny
For the cartoon
Besides being very insightful about marketing in general, online in particular, note that hugh's blog (http://www.gapingvoid.com) can be dangerous
Caution on reading it if you are in a situation where
1) you should not laugh loud
2) are drinking any sort of beverage that you would not want to come out your nose.
3) are recovering from major surgery and might pull stiches
Damn funny
Interesting bit of MuSoft vs Google from Infoweek
InformationWeek > John Foley > Business Technology: Microsoft Vs. Google: A Rorschach Test > August 1, 2005
In general, Google comes out on top
Of interest, to me, is:
"Operating system? Windows. Yes, Windows. There's a lot of talk that Google's software-delivery model--apps offered online to anyone, anytime, at no cost--represents a new kind of computer operating environment, one that doesn't bode well for antiquities like Windows XP and, next, Windows Vista. But I can't help but believe that computers will continue to need a real operating system and that Microsoft's integrated approach to everything from high-tech wristwatches to data-center servers has staying power. I'm betting there's room for both approaches, though the line, admittedly, is getting fuzzy."
Ouch to the Monoloply Model (time to retire Eminem)
In general, Google comes out on top
Of interest, to me, is:
"Operating system? Windows. Yes, Windows. There's a lot of talk that Google's software-delivery model--apps offered online to anyone, anytime, at no cost--represents a new kind of computer operating environment, one that doesn't bode well for antiquities like Windows XP and, next, Windows Vista. But I can't help but believe that computers will continue to need a real operating system and that Microsoft's integrated approach to everything from high-tech wristwatches to data-center servers has staying power. I'm betting there's room for both approaches, though the line, admittedly, is getting fuzzy."
Ouch to the Monoloply Model (time to retire Eminem)
Note that TransFats aren't the only culprits...
The Panic Du Jour: Trans Fats in Foods - New York Times
TRANS fats. The term sends shudders down the spine. The fats show up in the worst foods - pies, doughnuts, cookies, chips. Some consumer groups call for them to be banned altogether. And on Wednesday, Dr. Thomas Frieden, the New York City health commissioner, comparing trans fats to toxic substances like asbestos or lead, asked restaurants to stop serving foods that contained them.
New York City "deserves a medal," said Michael Jacobson, director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an advocacy group that has warned against trans fats. "The evidence really indicates that there is nothing worse," he added. "Switching to butter, palm oil, anything else would be an improvement."
That, however, is not exactly the view of most scientists who have examined the data.
The National Academy of Sciences, the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute and the Food and Drug Administration have all come to the same conclusion: Trans fats are on a par with saturated fats, like butter or lard. Both increase cholesterol levels and most people would be better off if they ate less of all of them. Period.
TRANS fats. The term sends shudders down the spine. The fats show up in the worst foods - pies, doughnuts, cookies, chips. Some consumer groups call for them to be banned altogether. And on Wednesday, Dr. Thomas Frieden, the New York City health commissioner, comparing trans fats to toxic substances like asbestos or lead, asked restaurants to stop serving foods that contained them.
New York City "deserves a medal," said Michael Jacobson, director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an advocacy group that has warned against trans fats. "The evidence really indicates that there is nothing worse," he added. "Switching to butter, palm oil, anything else would be an improvement."
That, however, is not exactly the view of most scientists who have examined the data.
The National Academy of Sciences, the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute and the Food and Drug Administration have all come to the same conclusion: Trans fats are on a par with saturated fats, like butter or lard. Both increase cholesterol levels and most people would be better off if they ate less of all of them. Period.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Maybe it's best to just eat more healthy foods
Science's Quest to Banish Fat in Tasty Ways - New York Times
"With two-thirds of Americans considered overweight and yet many professing a desire to eat healthier, every major food producer and food-ingredient company has ordered its scientists to find the holy grail: products that either have less bad stuff - fat, white flour, sugar and salt - or more good stuff like whole grains, fiber and fish oil.
Some of these food additives are natural and some are not. But even those that are natural hardly evoke images of a country harvest. Fat-repellent coatings, after all, do not grow on trees.
Coming soon to your grocery store, for example, could be salty corn chips cooked in oil but that are marketed as healthy because the addition of chemically modified starches make them high in fiber. Labeled simply as 'modified cornstarch,' this additive cannot be broken down until it reaches the colon, much like the natural fiber found in fruit and vegetables. Also coming soon: bread containing microscopic capsules of fish oil, enabling food companies to contend that the bread is 'heart-healthy' because of the cholesterol and triglyceride-lowering omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil.
Some nutritionists question whether all this alchemy will further confuse consumers about the basics of good nutrition. Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition at New York University, maintains that the best way to get fish oil into your diet will always be to eat fish. "
"With two-thirds of Americans considered overweight and yet many professing a desire to eat healthier, every major food producer and food-ingredient company has ordered its scientists to find the holy grail: products that either have less bad stuff - fat, white flour, sugar and salt - or more good stuff like whole grains, fiber and fish oil.
Some of these food additives are natural and some are not. But even those that are natural hardly evoke images of a country harvest. Fat-repellent coatings, after all, do not grow on trees.
Coming soon to your grocery store, for example, could be salty corn chips cooked in oil but that are marketed as healthy because the addition of chemically modified starches make them high in fiber. Labeled simply as 'modified cornstarch,' this additive cannot be broken down until it reaches the colon, much like the natural fiber found in fruit and vegetables. Also coming soon: bread containing microscopic capsules of fish oil, enabling food companies to contend that the bread is 'heart-healthy' because of the cholesterol and triglyceride-lowering omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil.
Some nutritionists question whether all this alchemy will further confuse consumers about the basics of good nutrition. Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition at New York University, maintains that the best way to get fish oil into your diet will always be to eat fish. "
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Sunrise ... Sunset - differences
Red Sky at Night - New York Times: "Red Sky at Night
Pretty good explanation of atmospherics
I'd go mostly for the humidity factors, at least here at the lake
By C. CLAIBORNE RAY
Published: August 9, 2005
Q. Why does a sunrise look so different from a sunset?
A. It depends on a number of factors that vary and interact, said Geoff Cornish, a meteorologist at Penn State.
'Two factors are air quality, which is typically worse at sunset, changing the color of sunlight as the setting sun reaches the horizon, and the fact that the sky is frequently more complex in terms of cloud formations late in the day,' he said.
First, more industrial activity and driving take place in the daytime, he said, adding particles to the atmosphere that distribute and reflect the light of sunset differently. This difference may not be so apparent on a ship far at sea, as the impact of pollution would be less.
Second, the sun is more likely to disappear into clouds at night than to emerge from clouds in the morning, Mr. Cornish said.
'Typically, fair-weather cumulus clouds dissipate a few hours after sunset because their lifeblood, the contrast of the warm ground and the cooler air aloft, has been cut off,' he said. The atmosphere is least stable in the afternoon, with the freest exchange of air from low levels to high.
Also, the ground is cooler in the morning, leading to condensation and low-level patchy fog.
'A localized haze over the lowest few score feet above the ground is typically a morning phenomenon,' Mr. Cornish said, producing the 'misty moisty morning' of the nursery rhyme.
He suggested still another possible factor, on the chemical level. When the atmosphere is warmer, the heat differences may catalyze different chemical reactions, so that plants and trees emit different chemicals into the atmosphere over the course of the day.
Readers are invited to submit questions by mail to Question, Science Times, The New York Times, 229 West 43rd Street, New York, N.Y. 10036-3959, or by e-mail to question@nytimes.com."
Pretty good explanation of atmospherics
I'd go mostly for the humidity factors, at least here at the lake
By C. CLAIBORNE RAY
Published: August 9, 2005
Q. Why does a sunrise look so different from a sunset?
A. It depends on a number of factors that vary and interact, said Geoff Cornish, a meteorologist at Penn State.
'Two factors are air quality, which is typically worse at sunset, changing the color of sunlight as the setting sun reaches the horizon, and the fact that the sky is frequently more complex in terms of cloud formations late in the day,' he said.
First, more industrial activity and driving take place in the daytime, he said, adding particles to the atmosphere that distribute and reflect the light of sunset differently. This difference may not be so apparent on a ship far at sea, as the impact of pollution would be less.
Second, the sun is more likely to disappear into clouds at night than to emerge from clouds in the morning, Mr. Cornish said.
'Typically, fair-weather cumulus clouds dissipate a few hours after sunset because their lifeblood, the contrast of the warm ground and the cooler air aloft, has been cut off,' he said. The atmosphere is least stable in the afternoon, with the freest exchange of air from low levels to high.
Also, the ground is cooler in the morning, leading to condensation and low-level patchy fog.
'A localized haze over the lowest few score feet above the ground is typically a morning phenomenon,' Mr. Cornish said, producing the 'misty moisty morning' of the nursery rhyme.
He suggested still another possible factor, on the chemical level. When the atmosphere is warmer, the heat differences may catalyze different chemical reactions, so that plants and trees emit different chemicals into the atmosphere over the course of the day.
Readers are invited to submit questions by mail to Question, Science Times, The New York Times, 229 West 43rd Street, New York, N.Y. 10036-3959, or by e-mail to question@nytimes.com."
Friday, August 05, 2005
Good for Tony
Britain to Institute New Deportation Measures - New York Times: "Britain to Institute New Deportation Measures
No need to suffer those who preach hate.
If they hate the west, get out.
Love it or Leave it.
This is different from "Freedom of Speach"
Liberty carries with it Responsiblity
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: August 5, 2005
Filed at 6:49 a.m. ET
LONDON (AP) -- Prime Minister Tony Blair on Friday announced new deportation measures against people who foster hatred and advocate violence following last month's transportation attacks that killed 52 people and four suspected suicide bombers.
Clerics who preach hate and Web sites or book shops that sponsor violence would be targeted. Foreign nationals could be deported under the new measures.
Blair said his government was prepared to amend human rights legislation if necessary if legal challenges arose from the new deportation measures.
Britain's ability to deport foreign nationals has been hampered by human rights legislation. As a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights, Britain is not allowed to deport people to a country where they may face torture or death.
''Let no one be in any doubt that the rules of the games are changing,'' Blair said, promising to crack down on extremists blamed for radicalizing pockets of Muslim youth.
"
No need to suffer those who preach hate.
If they hate the west, get out.
Love it or Leave it.
This is different from "Freedom of Speach"
Liberty carries with it Responsiblity
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: August 5, 2005
Filed at 6:49 a.m. ET
LONDON (AP) -- Prime Minister Tony Blair on Friday announced new deportation measures against people who foster hatred and advocate violence following last month's transportation attacks that killed 52 people and four suspected suicide bombers.
Clerics who preach hate and Web sites or book shops that sponsor violence would be targeted. Foreign nationals could be deported under the new measures.
Blair said his government was prepared to amend human rights legislation if necessary if legal challenges arose from the new deportation measures.
Britain's ability to deport foreign nationals has been hampered by human rights legislation. As a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights, Britain is not allowed to deport people to a country where they may face torture or death.
''Let no one be in any doubt that the rules of the games are changing,'' Blair said, promising to crack down on extremists blamed for radicalizing pockets of Muslim youth.
"
Crystal River - to National Park - Finally
Funding will finish transfer of Crystal River land to park service
Since this was posted, the Congress passed the bill and the President signed it.
Many years of debate and maneuver over this issue.
Now only waiting for final transactions to close up before year-end.
Then the private donations made for this effort will be freed up for other projects in the area.
House vote on bill expected
By CHRISTINE FINGER
Record-Eagle staff writer
EMPIRE - Approval is expected soon of federal funding that holds the key to completing the transfer of 104 acres along the Crystal River to the National Park Service.
U.S. Rep. Dave Camp, R-Midland, said he expects the House to vote this week on the Department of Interior appropriations bill that earmarks $5.3 million for the Crystal River acreage. Senators already approved the bill, and Camp predicted bipartisan support.
'This is the last piece of the puzzle,' Camp said. 'It's been a long-standing effort, and it's very exciting for the area.'
This funding is part of a multi-year plan to purchase 104 acres of environmentally sensitive property from the Homestead Resort near Glen Arbor. The area will become part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
The park service purchased several parcels since the outset of the deal in 2004, and the Leelanau Conservancy temporarily purchased 59 acres to be sold to the park service as federal money became available. The conservancy served as an intermediary because the Homestead wanted to sell all the property at once.
The land deal ended a dispute that started more than 18 years ago when the resort announced plans to build a golf course on the property, drawing public opposition.
'It's a pristine area of land that will be protected for all time,' Camp said.
"
Since this was posted, the Congress passed the bill and the President signed it.
Many years of debate and maneuver over this issue.
Now only waiting for final transactions to close up before year-end.
Then the private donations made for this effort will be freed up for other projects in the area.
House vote on bill expected
By CHRISTINE FINGER
Record-Eagle staff writer
EMPIRE - Approval is expected soon of federal funding that holds the key to completing the transfer of 104 acres along the Crystal River to the National Park Service.
U.S. Rep. Dave Camp, R-Midland, said he expects the House to vote this week on the Department of Interior appropriations bill that earmarks $5.3 million for the Crystal River acreage. Senators already approved the bill, and Camp predicted bipartisan support.
'This is the last piece of the puzzle,' Camp said. 'It's been a long-standing effort, and it's very exciting for the area.'
This funding is part of a multi-year plan to purchase 104 acres of environmentally sensitive property from the Homestead Resort near Glen Arbor. The area will become part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
The park service purchased several parcels since the outset of the deal in 2004, and the Leelanau Conservancy temporarily purchased 59 acres to be sold to the park service as federal money became available. The conservancy served as an intermediary because the Homestead wanted to sell all the property at once.
The land deal ended a dispute that started more than 18 years ago when the resort announced plans to build a golf course on the property, drawing public opposition.
'It's a pristine area of land that will be protected for all time,' Camp said.
"
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Doc Gets Credit
Awarded: $25G in Google-O'Reilly Open Source Awards :: Open Source, Linux News & Software :: OSDir.com
Big congrats to Doc Searls
"At this evening's OSCON Tuesday Night Extravaganza Google and O'Reilly came together to begin the first of an annual Open Source Awards to honor five open source people whose contributions over the past year have been exceptional in five categories: Communicator, Evangelist, Diplomat, Integrator, and Hacker.
The (rough) transcript of the awards:
Communicator:
This recipient is the most natural choice for this award. He defined the Cluetrain and hasn't gotten off since.
Whether in his weblogs, his various columns, audio programs, or during speaking engagements he always provides the daily play by play as well as the deep insights into the open source way in the most broken down and layman terms possible.
We don't know when he ever sleeps, but we're glad he's on the front line of discussions both with us and those who wish to know us better.
Ladies, and Gentlemen our Communicator award goes to Doc Searls."
Big congrats to Doc Searls
"At this evening's OSCON Tuesday Night Extravaganza Google and O'Reilly came together to begin the first of an annual Open Source Awards to honor five open source people whose contributions over the past year have been exceptional in five categories: Communicator, Evangelist, Diplomat, Integrator, and Hacker.
The (rough) transcript of the awards:
Communicator:
This recipient is the most natural choice for this award. He defined the Cluetrain and hasn't gotten off since.
Whether in his weblogs, his various columns, audio programs, or during speaking engagements he always provides the daily play by play as well as the deep insights into the open source way in the most broken down and layman terms possible.
We don't know when he ever sleeps, but we're glad he's on the front line of discussions both with us and those who wish to know us better.
Ladies, and Gentlemen our Communicator award goes to Doc Searls."
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
The Grandure of the Natural World
Mother Nature's Blockbusters - New York Times:
Strikes me as a NY Art Critic visiting a strange and wonderful world - outside NYC
"Museums may display what man has made of nature, but these parks and preserves display what nature has made of itself. Works of culture transform nature; they picture it, use it, abstract from it. One is humbled by the Canadian Rockies and Glacier National Park in Montana because nature doesn't return the compliment. It makes nothing of culture; it looms over it, declaring its supreme autonomy and power.
This is close to what the 18th-century philosophers meant by the sublime. Yet the French Encyclop�die of the time also defined the sublime as 'that which lifts us above ourselves and which at the same time makes us aware of our exalted state.' Kant pointed out that the exaltation comes from the sense that though we may feel overwhelmed, we also grasp what we cannot hold; we apprehend something beyond our ability to comprehend. We are thrilled by our own powers as well as by nature's.
This is still humbling. The sublime defines our limits as well as our possibilities. Perhaps that is also one difference between museums and natural preserves: museums focus on human possibilities; nature can reveal our limitations. These contrasts may even echo the differences between beauty and the sublime that Edmund Burke once described. Museums are the domain of human beauty; preserves the domain of the sublime. Burke described the sublime as vast, beauty small; the sublime as rugged, beauty smooth."
Strikes me as a NY Art Critic visiting a strange and wonderful world - outside NYC
"Museums may display what man has made of nature, but these parks and preserves display what nature has made of itself. Works of culture transform nature; they picture it, use it, abstract from it. One is humbled by the Canadian Rockies and Glacier National Park in Montana because nature doesn't return the compliment. It makes nothing of culture; it looms over it, declaring its supreme autonomy and power.
This is close to what the 18th-century philosophers meant by the sublime. Yet the French Encyclop�die of the time also defined the sublime as 'that which lifts us above ourselves and which at the same time makes us aware of our exalted state.' Kant pointed out that the exaltation comes from the sense that though we may feel overwhelmed, we also grasp what we cannot hold; we apprehend something beyond our ability to comprehend. We are thrilled by our own powers as well as by nature's.
This is still humbling. The sublime defines our limits as well as our possibilities. Perhaps that is also one difference between museums and natural preserves: museums focus on human possibilities; nature can reveal our limitations. These contrasts may even echo the differences between beauty and the sublime that Edmund Burke once described. Museums are the domain of human beauty; preserves the domain of the sublime. Burke described the sublime as vast, beauty small; the sublime as rugged, beauty smooth."
Monday, August 01, 2005
Two "Doc's"
One I know, the other I don't (both are on the top of their respective game)
Doc Searls | Creative Commons
Speaker, blogger, writer, and former radio personality, Doc Searls is the Senior Editor of Linux Journal, co-founder of GeekPAC and the American Open Technology Consortium, and a leading blogger.
Widely recognized as an authority on technology and marketing, Doc is co-author of the #1 sales and marketing bestseller The Cluetrain Manifesto, which will be released under a Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication.
(note : good read on "net markets")
And there is Valentino Rossi, maybe the greatest motorcycle racer of all time:
Rossi site in Italian
Doc Searls | Creative Commons
Speaker, blogger, writer, and former radio personality, Doc Searls is the Senior Editor of Linux Journal, co-founder of GeekPAC and the American Open Technology Consortium, and a leading blogger.
Widely recognized as an authority on technology and marketing, Doc is co-author of the #1 sales and marketing bestseller The Cluetrain Manifesto, which will be released under a Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication.
(note : good read on "net markets")
And there is Valentino Rossi, maybe the greatest motorcycle racer of all time:
Rossi site in Italian
Dead Doctor Diet Dead
Bloomberg.com: U.S.:
Disclosure : as Chair of Purity Foods I have followed the Atkins story. Purity Foods sells "complex carbohydrates" but was tarred with the entire low-carb brush. We still belive that complex carbs are healthy and superior.
"Atkins Files for Bankruptcy as Low-Carbohydrate Trend Fades
Aug. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Atkins Nutritionals Inc., founded by the late diet guru Dr. Robert Atkins, filed for bankruptcy protection in New York as consumer interest in low-carbohydrate foods faded.
The company listed assets of $301 million and liabilities of $325 million in papers filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York. Atkins owes UBS Securities LLC and other lenders roughly $301 million under a 2003 loan, according to the papers filed yesterday.
``The low-carb fad has gone,'' said Michael Steib, a consumer-goods analyst for Morgan Stanley in London. ``Dieting habits are very short-lived. It came very quickly and disappeared very quickly.''"
Disclosure : as Chair of Purity Foods I have followed the Atkins story. Purity Foods sells "complex carbohydrates" but was tarred with the entire low-carb brush. We still belive that complex carbs are healthy and superior.
"Atkins Files for Bankruptcy as Low-Carbohydrate Trend Fades
Aug. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Atkins Nutritionals Inc., founded by the late diet guru Dr. Robert Atkins, filed for bankruptcy protection in New York as consumer interest in low-carbohydrate foods faded.
The company listed assets of $301 million and liabilities of $325 million in papers filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York. Atkins owes UBS Securities LLC and other lenders roughly $301 million under a 2003 loan, according to the papers filed yesterday.
``The low-carb fad has gone,'' said Michael Steib, a consumer-goods analyst for Morgan Stanley in London. ``Dieting habits are very short-lived. It came very quickly and disappeared very quickly.''"
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