| |
| compos mentis. Concision. Media. Clarity. Memes. Context. Melange. Confluence. Mishmash. Conflation. Mellifluous. Conviviality. Miscellany. Confelicity. Milieu. Cogent. Minty. Concoction. |
|
|
|---|
| Topic: Documentary |
11:44 pm EST, Jan 22, 2004 |
"The Fog of War" is a film that needs to be seen by important people, and now. It is as urgent today as "The Thin Blue Line," which ultimately freed a wrongly convicted man from death row, was upon its release. The greatest difference between McNamara and our current policymakers is not that they are for war and he is against it, but that to them the moral equations are all very simple, and he knows better. It is unfortunate that this film can only be seen in LA, NYC, and DC, as there are in fact "important people" in other cities who should also see this film. Shame on AMC for playing to the whims of the major studios and ignoring the public interest. I wish there were more independent cinemas around the US, and I wish that cinema operators were more like The New York Times and less like Wal-Mart. If you have the opportunity, this film is highly recommended. I am sure that it will be viewed differently by those who lived through Vietnam than by those who did not, but it will prove insightful to both groups. The Fog of War |
|
What Must Be Done to Complete a Great Victory |
|
|
|---|
| Topic: Politics and Law |
11:32 pm EST, Jan 22, 2004 |
Liberation is at hand. Liberation -- the powerful balm that justifies painful sacrifice, erases lingering doubt and reinforces bold actions. Already the scent of victory is in the air. Yet a bit more work and some careful reckoning need to be done before we take our triumph. ... Is this victory? Here is the Wesley Clark editorial that was mentioned in tonight's debate. The panelist took the excerpts out of context and completely misrepresented the tone of the editorial. What Must Be Done to Complete a Great Victory |
|
|
|---|
| Topic: Current Events |
10:51 pm EST, Jan 22, 2004 |
Rattle wrote: "Thomas Friedman is on a roll with his 'War of Ideas' series of articles. Every one has been short, to the point, and smack full of great insight. This one is no different. In this one, Friedman focuses on the Dems and Iraq. Here is a taste:" My hope is that Iowa will embolden the Blair Democrats to shuck off their intimidation, by Mr. Bush and Mr. Dean, and press their case. It is the only way to build a national consensus for what's going to be a long cold-war-like struggle to strengthen the forces of moderation and weaken the forces of violent intolerance within the Arab-Muslim world which is what the real war on terrorism is about. If you watched the New Hampshire debate, you saw clear evidence of this next comment with Wesley Clark: Mr. Bush's lightning victory in Iraq intimidated those who favored the war but had reservations about the Bush approach. And then, when things started to go sour in Iraq, Mr. Dean's outspoken opposition to the war -- and the eager reception it received from some Democratic activists -- got those Democrats who did vote for the war tied into pretzels, trying to simultaneously justify their war vote and distance themselves from it. One of the panelists asked him to explain an editorial he wrote for The Times of London, an excerpt from which seemed to have Clark praising Bush for a job well done. Clark's response suggested he felt his position was logically consistent, but he was struggling to explain it succinctly to the public. War of Ideas, Part 5 |
|
Ramen Jiro Noodles: A Test of Greatness |
|
|
|---|
| Topic: Health and Wellness |
8:24 pm EST, Jan 19, 2004 |
Success at the Tokyo restuarant Ramen Jiro starts with knowing yourself: Can you handle the large size? It's a sign of greatness to finish the bowl of pork-laden noodles. But if you fail, you face the wrath of the chef. Producer Andy Raskin tells the tale. Ramen Jiro Noodles: A Test of Greatness |
|
'Offshoring' of jobs rises, but how high? |
|
|
|---|
| Topic: Business |
2:10 pm EST, Jan 19, 2004 |
Richard DeMillo, dean of the College of Computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, said universities cannot wait for the government to measure the scope of the change. Georgia Tech already is adjusting its teaching approach based upon the assumption that routine computing jobs will be done overseas in coming years. Employers can save so much money by offshoring ordinary programming tasks that "the economics are overwhelming," DeMillo said. The trend is now so obvious that "we don't need the government to supply the statistics." 'Offshoring' of jobs rises, but how high? |
|
Joint Venture: 2004 Index of Silicon Valley |
|
|
|---|
| Topic: California |
1:46 pm EST, Jan 19, 2004 |
As Silicon Valley continues to undergo economic restructuring and we begin to see the shape of our future, our region now has the opportunity to participate in the next wave of innovation and broaden prosperity as envisioned in Silicon Valley 2010. This will require a strong commitment by regional stewards to both promote a high quality of life to attract and retain talent and invest in the skills essential to compete in the global economy. Our region must commit to preparing our current workforce for the occupational transitions necessary to stay on the cutting edge of innovation through constant retraining and career progression. Last year, in response to both cyclical and structural economic challenges, Joint Venture outlined a four-part Next Silicon Valley Strategy to promote the region's economy through global partnerships, technology convergence, and investing in a habitat for innovation and entrepreneurship. This year, the Index highlights the opportunity to take advantage of the next wave of economic opportunities in the regional economy to prepare the workforce for jobs of the future. This report is not so subtly telling you: find a new line of work. Told you so. Meanwhile, the boys in Bangalore are blogging: "All your jobs are belong to us." (The full text of the report is available in PDF; the link is at the end of the page.) Joint Venture: 2004 Index of Silicon Valley |
|
Music Fans Find Online Jukebox Half-Empty |
|
|
|---|
| Topic: Intellectual Property |
1:13 pm EST, Jan 19, 2004 |
Fans who venture onto any of the pay music sites will not find the most popular band ever. EMI's biggest act, the Beatles, remains intransigent. EMI has held numerous meetings with Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono and the rest of the tight group that controls perhaps the most-loved songs in the pop canon. So far the group remains unswayed. Online music is a bit like a large, disorganized used bookstore. If you go in trying to find one thing in particular, you will be frustrated. But if you just go in and look around, something is bound to strike your fancy. Music Fans Find Online Jukebox Half-Empty |
|
Showing Respect For The Billionaire King? |
|
|
|---|
| Topic: Movies |
12:59 pm EST, Jan 19, 2004 |
A tidbit from the AP wire story on the weekend box office numbers: Worldwide, "The Return of the King" has earned $771.5 million, putting it on track to cross the billion-dollar mark, especially if it fares well at the Golden Globes or Academy Awards. How does that sound, David Goldstein? |
|
Pakistan Questions 8 Linked to Nuclear Program |
|
|
|---|
| Topic: International Relations |
12:40 pm EST, Jan 19, 2004 |
Authorities in Pakistan are questioning eight officials from its nuclear weapons program regarding allegations that nuclear weapons technology was shared with Iran. In an interview this week, relatives of one scientist who has been in detention for more than a month, Farooq Muhammad, bitterly accused the government of using low-level scientists as scapegoats to appease the United States. They said that they did not believe the American charges of Pakistani proliferation and that they feared that Mr. Muhammad was in American custody. Officials at the American Embassy in Islamabad declined to comment. Pakistani officials said Dr. Farooq was in Pakistan. Arresting al Qaeda suspects is one thing. But this feels more like a shakedown than a crackdown. Apparently someone issued a memorandum calling on Musharraf to produce "quantitative results." So, now every headline about Pakistan includes a number. Problem solved. Pakistan Questions 8 Linked to Nuclear Program |
|
|
|---|
| Topic: International Relations |
11:44 am EST, Jan 19, 2004 |
"The Musharraf Mysteries" (editorial, Dec. 27) says that "Pakistani politics are difficult to decode" and that the immediate challenge is to "discover what is really going on there." What is going on should be plain enough. The country is undergoing a transition from an unstable, corrupt and personality-centered "kleptocracy" to a more sustainable, transparent and institutionalized democracy. -- Ambassador of Pakistan It is curious that the editors only now decided to publish this letter, apparently written the day after the "what is going on" editorial was published. Can you say, 'market timing'? If published on December 30, the letter would have made less of an impact. Now, following a day of Al Qaeda arrests and a visible demonstration of Musharraf's personal determination, the ambassador's letter seems prescient. Transition in Pakistan |
|
