As you can see in News Picks, there is big patent news today. For a long time, we've been complaining about the patent system, particularly as it affects FOSS. It turns out, someone listened. The New York Times' John Markoff has the story, as does Martin LaMonica. Here's Andy Updegrove's take and ComputerWorld.

One might suspect that the success of Groklaw had no small part
in this coming about.

3 Initiatives to Improve the Patent Mess Announced

Thank you New York Times. Jesus, it's about time for this article to come out.

The truth of the matter is that ID isn't supported by science. It *is* a political issue and it *is* a religious issue. And one supported only by a relatively narrow religious viewpoint too.

John G. West, a political scientist and senior fellow at the Discovery Institute, the main organization supporting intelligent design, said the skepticism and outright antagonism are evidence that the scientific "fundamentalists" are threatened by its arguments.

"This is natural anytime you have a new controversial idea," Mr. West said. "The first stage is people ignore you. Then, when they can't ignore you, comes the hysteria. Then the idea that was so radical becomes accepted. I'd say we're in the hysteria phase."

...

"The future of intelligent design, as far as I'm concerned, has very little to do with the outcome of the Dover case," Mr. West said. "The future of intelligent design is tied up with academic endeavors. It rises or falls on the science."

This guy's pretty savvy, because he knows that if you make your opponents look unhinged, you undercut their credibility. It's good politics. But then, if the scientific community is hysterical, it's because there are actually people claiming to be scientists working as hard as possible to destroy the very notion of science. That makes me angry too. But that doesn't mean i'm unable to make a rational argument. I'd like to think he's right about his last statement, because it works to the advantage of the scientific standpoint. This segment from earlier in the article is very telling :

The Templeton Foundation, a major supporter of projects seeking to reconcile science and religion, says that after providing a few grants for conferences and courses to debate intelligent design, they asked proponents to submit proposals for actual research.

"They never came in," said Charles L. Harper Jr., senior vice president at the Templeton Foundation, who said that while he was skeptical from the beginning, other foundation officials were initially intrigued and later grew disillusioned.

"From the point of view of rigor and intellectual seriousness, the intelligent design people don't come out very well in our world of scientific review," he said.

That says an awful lot to me. You keep hearing about the "science" behind ID, but I don't see it being produced. Here's an organization who's dedicated to reconciling science with religion *asking* to spend money on this research. But no, nothing. So the claim that the liberal academic elite have been blocking ID from the journals falls a little flat. If the science was there, someone could have published it by now.

But that's not the point is it. Mr. West's claims not withstanding, this issue has almost nothing to do with teaching science or doing science. It's a fron... [ Read More (0.2k in body) ]

Intelligent Design Might Be Meeting Its Maker

Moreover, the corporate suits might also consider lowering CD prices

Well, they've been doing that for a couple of years, though, perhaps the author means the prices should be still lower. I seldom see CDs in the range of 17-19 dollars, though that was the standard 3 years ago. 14-16 is far more common anymore, which still isn't as good as the $8 i pay for a used cd returned within a few weeks or months by some fickle buyer. The labels might be able to cut a bit more, but i think the author's next suggestion is far better. That is :

...and while they're at it, [reduce] licensing fees for the subscription services, as well.

Of course, the price the labels may demand for such lowered fees, if they're even smart enough to see the need, may be differential pricing. In my mind the jury is still out on this issue... i see both sides of it and can't quite come to a conclusion. Still, the labels want it, and it's a concession that may be required of the vendors before too long.

The author's statement that the technology is ready to do without the labels is too simple, since he ignores the fact that technology has greatly revolutionized the distribution end, but isn't quite there on the creation and transaction handling aspects. I don't think those problems are far from solutions either, so his general theory, that the majors are in deep shit, is quite true, i think. In fact, we've been saying so for years. Truly, they need to get on board with the new business models emerging, or they *will* die. I don't consider that a negative outcome because i have much love for the labels, but because, in the short and medium term, an abrupt transition in that form will be bad for music. The fallout of those giant corporations crashing will simply demolish much that is good.

[ -k ]

Music Biz Blues

"There are two worldviews that are in conflict," Mr. Thompson said. "I do feel that even though Christians are 86 percent of the population, they have become second-class citizens."

[ Ah, hmm. If "christians" have become second-class citizens, it's because they've stopped following actual Christian ideals. When I look at the main voices of "christianity" in this country, I don't see a lot that represents Jesus Christ. The bible? Yes, very much so. But you can't just thump the bible, read it in whatever way you want, and claim to be Christian. Sorry. -k]

In Pennsylvania, It Was Religion vs. Science, Pastor vs. Ph.D., Evolution vs. the Half-Fish

] He has been described as a conservative, intellectual
] clone of the late pontiff, and, as the dean of the
] College of Cardinals, he was widely respected for his
] uncompromising - if ultraconservative - principles and
] his ability to be critical.
]
]
] As cardinal, he had shut the door on any discussion on
] several issues, including the ordination of women,
] celibacy of priests and homosexuality, defending his
] positions by invoking theological truth. In the name of
] orthodoxy, he is in favor of a smaller church, but one
] that is more ideologically pure.

[ I believe he'll get it. -k]

Cardinals Elect Joseph Ratzinger as New Pope

] A Stratellite%u2122 is a high-altitude airship that when
] in place in the stratosphere will provide a stationary
] platform for transmitting various types of wireless
] communications services currently transmitted from cell
] towers and satellites. It is not a balloon or a blimp. It
] is a high-altitude airship.

Apparently, this is getting "close" to being able to be deployed... they're working on FAA approval right now, apparently.

[ Always thought this was a good idea. Dammmit, bring me my wide area wireless broadband nets! GPRS is SLOW! -k]

About the Stratellite

]
] Viewers eagerly awaited director Shinichiro Watanabe's
] first broadcast series since Cowboy Bebop, and this
] quirky, violent period adventure was worth the wait.

This came out just last year, apparently.

[ NetFlix queue updated. -k]

Amazon.com: DVD: Samurai Champloo - Volume 1 (2005)

] For a quick and entertaining look at the benefit that perpendicular
] recording delivers, view our animation “Get Perpendicular”

And I may end up working for these people...

[ Says Engadget : "Your host, the “lonely little DAP,” leads you through this anything-but-dry musical adventure — let’s just say it involves disco and backup singers. We’d really like to humbly request that all companies send us press releases in this format in the future."

it's pretty surreal, but i'm all for it. -k]

Hitachi Perpendicular Recording

] Sun has long promised that it would open-source Solaris,
] but it has yet to answer in detail how it will deal with
] questions about The SCO Group Inc.'s Unix intellectual
] property claims

[ By ignoring them? That's what everyone else has pretty much been doing. Christ, is that case even close to being over yet? Please. -k]

Analysts: Sun's Open Solaris Plans Face Problems

] The first wave of exit-poll data reaching my desk comes
] from a variety of sources. In some states the sources
] disagree about the specific margin by which a candidate
] leads, but never about which candidate is out in front.
] Some of the confusion may stem from the mixing of morning
] exit-poll numbers with early afternoon numbers. With
] those provisos and the understanding that the early
] numbers are predictive of nothing without their
] accompanying computer model, here's what I've heard:

Slate is leaking exit poll data.

[ Don't forget the extra large grain of salt. Exit polls are notoriously shady. -k]

Early Exit - A squeaker!