Saturday, September 22, 2007

In Solidarity With The Burmese People





Burma: Shame On China, Russia

This reminds me of Nepal's magical April Revolution of 2006. This is how it starts. The Burmese masses have to come out into the streets in the hundreds of thousands, in every town, every city, every village, to shut the country completely down until the military junta hands over power to Aang Sang Su Kyi who would organize a multi-party interim government that would hold elections to a constituent assembly that would give Burma a new constitution, turn into a federal, democratic republic. (Proposed Constitution)

There is no need for talks. There is no need for compromise. You draw the line in the sand, and you stick to it.

Elected officials in all established democracies must lend their voice to Burma right about now. Heads of state in democracies must see the urgency of what is happening in Burma right now.

This is a do or die struggle for them. They have waited for long enough, for too long. What was due them in 1990 they will finally get it this time around.

It has to start big and intense. The bigger and more intense it is, fewer the number of casualties on the road to victory.

This stirring must not be allowed to go cold. This stirring must be led to its logical conclusion: a mass uprising. The bigger that mass uprising, less the chance that the junta will be able to suppress it.

The clearer and louder the voice of the democratically elected leaders and activists in the larger world, fewer protesters in Burma will be beaten, fewer will be arrested, fewer will get killed. The clearer and louder the voice, shorter will the movement have to be.

This stirring is also a great opportunity for Obama 2008. Burma has twice as many people as Iraq. A successful democracy uprising in Burma will show there is only one way to spread democracy in countries reeling under the thumbs of dictators: the grassroots way. Military invasion does not seem to do it.

India must come into the picture big time. The European countries should. America should. Australia. Nepal was the last country in the region and the world to do this. The leaders and activists in Nepal must extend all possible moral and logistical support. Reach out to the Burmese in Delhi, in New York City, and elsewhere. We have to show that Nepal's magical April Revolution 2006 was no accidental act. It was science. It can be done again, and again, and again. It can work every time in every country without democracy.

The First Major Revolution Of The 21st Century Happened In Nepal

They will declare curfews. Defy them. They will declare martial law. Defy martial law. Fill up the streets, day after day after day until the military junta totally and unconditionally gives up power.

They will shoot. When they do that, send more people out into the streets. There is only so many people they can shoot. But the shooters will be tried later.

Next stop: Zimbabwe, Bhutan.

Mugabe Chor, Desh Chhor
Zimbabwe: The Constitution Is Faulty
Zimpundit: Zimbabwe

India Is Wrong On Bhutan
2007: The Year Of The Revolution In Bhutan
Moriarty Should Take His Offer Directly To The Bhutani Refugees
Tek Nath Rizal And The Bhutani Hostage Crisis
Solve The Bhutani Refugee Crisis: Send Them West







In The News

Steep fuel increases protested in Myanmar at The Los Angeles Times
For Myanmar's poor, a daily struggle to find food AFP via Yahoo! News
Fuelling discontent in Myanmar at The Economist a huge rise in fuel prices. ..... without explanation or even a formal announcement, petrol was put up by two-thirds, diesel doubled and canisters of gas quintupled in price. ..... “88 Generation Students’ Group” ..... The 88 Generation is led by Min Ko Naing (a nom de guerre meaning “conqueror of kings”) who was released in 2004 after 15 years in jail, only to be arrested again last September and held for four months. His group’s recent protests have been aimed at highlighting the junta’s deep economic incompetence and the misery this is causing ordinary people, rather than campaigning for political change. They have been kept under surveillance but tolerated—until now.
The great game over Burma The Christian Science Monitor via Yahoo! News This weekend, President Bush plans to press the US case for political freedom in Burma with his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao, at the annual summit of Asian-Pacific nations in Australia. He's not alone in this effort. First lady Laura Bush, who rarely speaks out on world issues, called the UN secretary-general last month to ask that he not remain silent about Burma's recent crackdown on dissidents and that he push for Security Council action. .... The time is ripe for change in this Southeast Asian country, despite 45 years of military rule. .... the International Committee of the Red Cross criticized the regime for "immense suffering for thousands of people," breaking its usual silence about the governments it works with. .... China, however, is the dominant foreign force in Burma and is seeking global respectability. With more than a million Chinese entrepreneurs in Burma and with hopes of using Burmese ports for easier shipping, Beijing can't afford instability in its southern neighbor. ...... both China and the US have a stake in at least ending the military's grip on one of the world's poorest countries.
Freezing out the generals does not help the Burmese at Daily Telegraph (UK) the generals who have run this former British colony for more than 40 years are a seriously nasty bunch of people. They are both mad and bad. ..... they have transferred the seat of government from Rangoon to an obscure part of the interior, Nay Pi Taw, at huge expense. ..... She cannot even stroll in her garden - it is so overgrown it is infested with cobras. ...... the Burmese army, totalling some 500,000 men, five times the size of Britain's, is engaged in a vicious programme of ethnic cleansing against its separatist foes in areas such as Karen state, where more than 200 villages were razed last year. As many as one million people have been driven from their homes in the past decade. ....... ranked Burma number one in the world for sheer brutality and contempt for the rule of law. ..... If you were a mad Burmese general holed up in your palace in the jungle, would you be bothered by Western economic sanctions when the Chinese and Indians will buy all the oil, gas, gems and timber you can produce, in return for flooding your country with cheap consumer goods? ....... the wiping out of troublesome tribes. .... And apartheid collapsed in South Africa after Margaret Thatcher defied some 50 Commonwealth countries and declared: "My own position is quite clear. Sanctions have never worked and never will." Mrs Thatcher traded with South Africa and the infusion of capitalism and liberal Western ideas over the years played no small part in that country's move to democracy. She also traded with the Soviet bloc: in 1989, the Berlin Wall came down. ...... Wouldn't it be better if we flooded Rangoon with tourists, mobile phones, credit cards, laptops and McDonald's and defied the generals to hold back the tide of global capitalism? Then, indeed, Burma's bamboo curtain might part.

Aung San Suu Kyi appears at protest in Burma Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom
On the run in Burma BBC News, UK
UN moves on Burma Melbourne Herald Sun, Australia
Angelina wants to adopt a baby from Burma to add to her 'rainbow ... Daily Mail, UK
Concerned countries needed for dialogue on Burma Mizzima.com, India
Hollywood comedian calls for UNSC action on Burma Mizzima.com
MPs join Burma protesters outside Downer's office ABC Online, Australia Members of the Greens and the Australian Labor Party have joined a small rally outside Foreign Minister Alexander Downer's Sydney office, calling for action against the military government in Burma. ..... the Australian Coalition for Democracy in Burma ...... 1988 when 3,000 protesters were killed. .... the signs are very similar to those in early 1988 .... "The people of Burma will no longer tolerate the systematic human rights abuse, the suppression of democracy, the suppression of free speech. ..... "We could be on the verge of a major change in Burma." ..... He says international support for democracy will determine whether escalating violence turns into widespread killings. ..... "A smooth transition to democracy, without the sort of horrendous human rights violations that we saw in 1988, is really in the hands of people like the Howard Government to say internationally and loudly that they will not tolerate human rights abuse," Mr Kaye said.
China's Burma Policy Undermines Asia, UN, World Asian Tribune, Thailand a previously unseen human rights nightmare in plain view of global decision-makers and beg for a firm international response. ...... a quintupling of fuel prices, unleashed by a military dictator – Than Shwe -- ... the fortitude needed to march peacefully in the face of authorities armed with deadly weapons has not been matched by political courage among international policymakers. ...... the Security Council is making the same mistakes it made on Rwanda and Darfur -- sitting on its hands while a crisis explodes before its eyes. ...... In eastern Burma, Than Shwe’s regime has carried out a vicious scorched earth campaign targeting ethnic minority civilians. His troops have burned, destroyed and forced the abandonment of over 3,000 villages; to put this in the context of a more well-known international crisis, this is nearly twice as many villages as have been destroyed in Darfur. At least 1.5 million refugees have fled their homes in Burma, some across borders and others trapped deep inside the jungle where the regime hunts them down and kills them like animals. Rice fields and barns are being torched nearly every day. ....... Health indicators in these areas resemble those of conflict zones in Africa. ...... Than Shwe’s regime has also recruited up to 70,000 child soldiers – far more than any other country in the world. The use of forced labor by the regime, a modern-day form of slave labor .... Over 1,100 political prisoners remain locked behind bars ..... China undermined three diplomatic missions to Burma to secure the release of Suu Kyi by leading Southeast Asian senior statesman Indonesian Ali Alatas, Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid, and Filippino Foreign Minister Alberto Romulo. ....... activists organized demonstrations in front of Chinese embassies in 10 countries on September 18th, the same day that monks took to the streets inside Burma. ..... Jeremy Woodrum is co-founder of the US Campaign for Burma
Burma in a shell Business Standard, India
Musicians club together for Burma Manchester Confidential, UK

Suu Kyi prays with monk protesters Reuters UK, UK
Democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi greets Myanmar monks AFP
Burma Stirs Washington Post, United States Will the rest of the world stand by? .... jaded diplomats and academics have rebuffed Burma's democracy activists with one question: Why don't the people of Burma rise up? For the past month, they have been doing exactly that, against unimaginable odds and with unimaginable courage. So now a different question arises: Is the world -- its leaders, diplomats, academics and others -- going to stand on the sidelines or offer some help? ........ nation of 50 million people ..... the last great uprising, in 1988 ..... slow stirrings from students to monks to the general population and from the capital to smaller cities across the nation. ...... virtually every student leader is in prison .... brave Burmese with cellphones continue to relay photographs ..... China, which has more influence in Burma than any other country
Aung San Suu Kyi Greets Protesting Monks in Burma Voice of America
Monks continue Rangoon campaign Bangkok Post, Thailand
Witnesses: 10000 monks stage Myanmar protests CNN
Monks march in their 1000s News24, South Africa
Police back off Buddhist monk protest The Age, Australia
Aung San Suu Kyi appears at protest in Burma Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom
Suu Kyi greets Burma protesters BBC News, UK
Suu Kyi Greets Monks at Her Home; 10000 Monks Demonstrate in Mandalay The Irrawaddy News Magazine, Thailand
Myanmar opposition leader Suu Kyi looks 'fit and well' says Monk Hindu, India
Monks lead protest rally in Yangon Inquirer.net, Philippines
Burma's Suu Kyi greets protesting monks ABC Online, Australia
Monks protest in Myanmar Gulf News, United Arab Emirates
Myanmar opposition leader greets protesting monks Euronews.net, France
Burma's anti-junta protests gather pace Irish Times, Ireland
Aung San Suu Kyi Greets Protesters Radio Free Asia, DC
Myanmar monks march past Suu Kyi's home Reuters Canada, Canada
Myanmar Monks Defy Junta For Fifth Day eFluxMedia
Birmania. Le lacrime di Aung San Suu Kyi La Pulce di Voltaire, Italy
Burmese and Indian activists call for greater Indian support Mizzima.com, India urged the Indian government to break its silence and extend its support to the ongoing protests in Burma as a sign of its commitment towards democracy. ..... Just as India helped Nepal, during a crisis, Indians are ready to help the Burmese to restore democracy in their country as the Burmese people look up to them ...... Similar protests have spread to other parts of the country. Monks on September 18 declared 'Pattanikuzana', an excommunicative boycott against the ruling junta
Thousands Of Monks Protest Against Burma's Military Government AHN
1500 monks continue to protest in Myanmar USA Today
Myanmar protest march by 1500 rain-soaked monks evokes public sympathy International Herald Tribune, France
Monks on the march Guardian Unlimited, UK
The Fighting Monks of Burma TIME to protest August price hikes .... the longest sustained display of dissent in Burma in nearly two decades. ...... this deeply devout nation .... On September 5, protests by clergy members in the holy city of Pakokku turned violent when security forces fired warning shots in the air, only to have the monks respond by taking officials hostage and torching their cars. ...... it was Burma's monks who spearheaded acts of civil disobedience against British colonialists. Buddhist clergy were also at the forefront of mass protests in 1988, which ended when the army gunned down hundreds of peaceful protestors and declared martial law. .... a violent confrontation may be unavoidable.


Democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi greets Myanmar monks AFP
Burma's anti-junta protests gather pace Irish Times "The monks just walked past chanting holy scriptures peacefully. ..... In their biggest march since launching the street campaign five days ago, at least 5,000 Buddhist monks marched through Burma's second largest city, Mandalay, today, witnesses said. Other observers put the marchers at nearly 10,000. ..... A group calling itself the All Burma Monks Alliance also, for the first time, urged ordinary people to join the monks "to struggle peacefully against the evil military dictatorship till its complete downfall". ....... in order to banish the common enemy evil regime from Burmese soil forever, united masses of people need to join hands with the united clergy forces." ........ what began as civilian anger at shock fuel price rises last month is becoming a more deep-rooted religious movement against the military, which has ruled the former Burma since a 1962 coup. ...... the army has been reluctant to crackdown on the monks, who began marching to demand an apology for soldiers who fired over the heads of a small group of protesting monks two weeks ago. .... Two men jailed for two years for giving water to protesting monks were freed yesterday after 1,000 monks had marched in Sittwe in northwest Burma and threatened more protests unless they were released. ..... Monasteries were key players in the 1988 uprising and analysts say the generals are making sure they treat the monks carefully this time around. They say any violent incidents would trigger public anger and could prompt tens of thousands to take to the streets.
Monks lead protest rally in Yangon Inquirer.net

Extremist Speakers a Dilemma at Colleges Washington Post
Castro mocks rumors of his death in TV interview AFP
Iraq Bill Backed by Democrats Blocked in Senate New York Times
Clinton Solidifies Edge as Rivals Take a Tougher Line New York Times consolidated her early lead .... showing steady strength ..... stepping up attacks. ..... “I think they’ve run a great campaign,” David Axelrod, Mr. Obama’s senior adviser, said of Mrs. Clinton, of New York. “She’s been a very disciplined candidate. ..... Joe Trippi, said: “You used to be able to say the front-runners — her and Obama — but I don’t think that’s the case anymore. It’s pretty clear that she has sort of pulled away.” ...... Obama is moving to deal directly with what his advisers said continued to be his weaker flank — concerns about his experience — with a burst of television advertisements that began this week in Iowa and will continue next week in New Hampshire. ...... Iowa, where caucus voters often recoil at the sight of two-candidate spats. .... almost daily evidence that the Democratic presidential campaign has moved into a lively new phase ......... Obama’s aides are organizing black hair salon owners in South Carolina, a deep-seated social network that advisers said would be critical to pushing a historic black turnout that Mr. Obama hopes can deliver him victory there. In Iowa, the Obama campaign is signing up high school students who will be old enough to vote in the general election and can participate in caucuses. ..... Clinton, after winning a burst of attention by rolling out a detailed health care plan this week, is planning similar speeches in the weeks ahead on education and energy. .... Clinton’s advisers argued that it would probably end on Feb. 5 ...... Mr. Obama has begun preparing for a much more protracted campaign, arguing that it will be in effect a hunt for delegates that could last well into the spring. To that end, he is competing in some unlikely places — New York, for example, where he is holding a rally in Washington Square Park on Thursday — because under Democratic rules, delegates are allocated to candidates based on the percentage of votes they win. ....... But if there is one dominant sentiment in the Obama and Edwards camps these days, it is concern that Mrs. Clinton continues to do so well. ..... polls at this point in a campaign are notoriously unpredictable ...... “The key was to get the burst, stabilize it and make a run in the end.” ...... Axelrod said that Mr. Obama’s campaign had made a deliberate decision to hold off the bulk of its advertising money until now, when more people are paying attention, and that he was not concerned about polls or perceptions. Mr. Obama spent $1.5 million on television advertisements in Iowa, a substantial amount that Iowa Democrats said has not appeared to improve his standing significantly. ....... In the final week of August, Mr. Obama expressed frustration to some of his close associates at the course of his campaign, saying he felt his message was adrift, and personally took to rewriting some of the basic themes. ....... In Iowa alone, the Obama campaign is preparing to open its 31st field office, which is more than Mr. Edwards or Mrs. Clinton have. ... “They are doing the fundamental organizational building that Dean overlooked”
Obama campaign manager: don't count us out Baltimore Sun in tight three way race [in] Iowa; leading in the money race; have the largest grassroots organization in modern political history; and have an organizational advantage in the early states and February 5 over a quasi-incumbent from the most powerful political machine in modern political history ...... "several structural advantages." ... the best message, biography .... according to a Gallup poll in September Democratic voters prefer change to experience by a margin of 73 percent to 26 percent ..... The largest organizations with the most experienced staff and enthusiastic volunteers in the 4 early states ...... Harkin Steak Fry ... 5-6,000 people attended who were committed to candidates. Of that number, approximately 3,000 Obama Iowa supporters ..... “Organization plus Enthusiasm” is a time-tested formula for success in the caucuses ...... you could mistake Tom Harkin's steak fry for an Obama rally. ..... young voters are dramatically less likely to have caucused or voted regularly in primaries in the past, so pollsters heavily under-represent them. ....... young voters are more mobile and are much less likely to be at home in the early evening and thus less likely to be interviewed in any survey ...... young voters are much less likely to have a landline phone and much more likely to rely exclusively upon cell phones, which are automatically excluded from phone surveys ........ Clinton will pay a severe price for not winning Iowa - national front runners always do. ...... almost ensuring a positive Iowa result will result in a New Hampshire primary win. ..... We already have 2,000 volunteers in the Nevada, which is far and away the deepest volunteer organization in the state. ....... South Carolina ..... a public poll of just African-American voters was released last week that showed Obama with an eight point lead ..... South Carolina is now a very competitive two-way race ..... We have begun to deploy staff and build organizations in some of the February 5th states. We currently have staff in California, Colorado, Missouri and Minnesota and will have staff in over a dozen other states by the end of October. While momentum will likely be the dominant factor in deciding votes on February 5th, we plan to marry that momentum with the strongest organization and most financial resources in these February 5th states to emerge from that day with the most delegates and states won. ...... I'm 75 years old and I have to say that Senator Obama is the best candidate for President that I have seen in the last 25 years.
Obama Recruits Close Friend for Campaign The Associated Press Valerie Jarrett, the finance chair of Obama's 2004 Senate bid, will advise Obama on campaign strategy and possibly travel with him ....... will advise Obama part time, without an official title or campaign paycheck
Rivals Step Up Criticism of Clinton The Associated Press a candidate of the Washington establishment and beholden to special interests. ..... too divisive to govern effectively as president. ..... The shift in tone was perhaps inevitable, coming nine months into a largely cordial primary campaign .... a formidable candidate ... unlikely to stumble badly to give others an opening. ..... Biden suggested congressional Republicans would refuse to work with Clinton to accomplish health care reform. ..... "Let's be frank about this," Biden said. "What's changed to make you think Hillary is going to be able to put together the 15 percent of Republicans" who will be needed to enact any overhaul of the health care system? ....... Clinton had mismanaged her effort to reshape the nation's health care system during her husband's presidency and questioned why she touted that experience as evidence she should be allowed to try again. ....... Edwards has been particularly aggressive, claiming Clinton lifted his health care plan ..... For her part, Clinton hasn't taken the bait and has largely ignored the potshots from fellow Democrats. ...... She referred to Cheney this week as Darth Vader ..... Vilsack, said Giuliani's rocky personal life would be fair game in a general election.
Democrats: Party of Detail So Far in '08 The Associated Press
'Nepal prime minister may not contest polls' Times of India Shekhar Koirala, Nepali Congress central committee member, said PM Koirala is unlikely to contest the constituent assembly elections on November 22. Though the Morang and Sunsari chapters of Nepali Congress have urged the PM to be their candidate, there are chances that he will not file his candidacy .... Supporting the idea, Shekhar said, "As the party should be led by youths, PM Koirala should not file his nomination papers," for the polls stating that the legitimacy of the government will be under threat if the polls were not held on time.
Analysis: Bloomberg Vs. Giuliani on 9/11 The Associated Press

It’s warm-up time for WiMax play Sify WiMax is the popular name for the 802.16 wireless metropolitan area network standard, which has a range of up to 31 miles and is seen as the most cost-effective option for a country like India where wire line networks are yet to reach the hinterland. ...... target of 20 million by 2010 ...... BSNL, Reliance Telecommunications, VSNL, Bharti Televentures, Aircel, Sify, to name just a few, have already rolled out limited WiMax networks. Others like Tata Teleservices are testing networks at various places. ...... the BSNL tender for 10,000 WiMax base stations slated to open sometime soon which could open the floodgates. ....... Telsima is looking to rollout a massive 10,000 WiMAX base stations and 1,00,000 WiMAX subscriber stations this year ...... VSNL will extend its WiMax network to about 120 cities across India for enterprise customers and in five cities for retail customers by the end of the current financial year. ...... BSNL, which has undertaken pilots at 14 locations, is looking to roll out a WiMax network across in the country. ...... 1,000 citiesthe impending showdown between the WiMax players and the 3G lobby
Google, IBM Take Another Run At Microsoft's Office Suite InformationWeek New products from those companies are cheaper, delivered as a service, more collaborative, or more open than Microsoft's Office apps--in some cases, all of the above. ...... Office's market share at around 95%. ..... "They've been the only option for so long, culturally it's hard to make a switch ..... Zimbra, developer of an Ajax-based collaboration suite ...... Free productivity suites have been touted for years as an alternative to Office, with little success, despite the backing of IBM, Sun Microsystems, and others. ...... Microsoft's OpenXML document formats
Study: Soccer Beats Jogging for Fitness The Associated Press A friendly game of soccer works off more fat and builds up more muscle than jogging ..... the soccer players felt less tired after exercising than the joggers because they were having more fun. ..... the body fat percentage in the soccer players dropped by 3.7 percent, compared to about 2 percent for the joggers. .... The soccer players also increased their muscle mass by almost 4.5 pounds, whereas the joggers didn't have any significant change. Those who did no exercise registered little change in body fat and muscle mass. ...... the soccer players got a better workout because of intense bursts of activity. ...... Unlike the soccer players, the joggers consistently thought their runs were exhausting. ..... "There might be enormous benefits to telling people to play football twice a week," he said. "But if they're not going to do it, then that message may be useless."
Promising AIDS vaccine fails in experiment Houston Chronicle
Rather: I was forced to step down CNN International
George Clooney, girlfriend injured in motorcycle crash Actress Archives

बीजेपी में महिलाओं को 33 पर्सेंट स्थान नवभारत टाइम्स
मुशर्रफ के खिलाफ विपक्ष सड़क पर नवभारत टाइम्स
नेपाली गृह मंत्री ने सुरक्षा हालात का जायजा लिया नवभारत टाइम्स
कोइराला शायद ही लड़ें संविधान सभा का चुनाव दैनिक जागरण कोइराला संविधान सभा के महत्वपूर्ण चुनावों से अपने को अलग रख सकते ह ..... नेपाल कम्युनिस्ट पार्टी (माओवादी) के सदस्य शीघ्र ही सरकार में वापस लौटेंगे। .... पार्टी की कमान युवाओं को सौंपने की जरूरत को देखते हुए प्रधानमंत्री चुनाव से अलग रहने का निर्णय ले सकते हैं। .... सरकार से इस्तीफा देने वाले माओवादी मंत्री देव गुरंग ने बताया कि सरकार में फिर से शामिल होने या नहीं होने के बारे में उनकी पार्टी नेपाली कांग्रेस की महासमिति की बैठक के बाद फैसला करेगी।
नेपाल में फिर राजनीतिक संकट नव भारत
नेपाल में चुनाव आयोग का इरादा मज़बूत डी-डब्लू वर्ल्ड नेपाल के मुख्य चुनाव आयुक्त भोज राज पोखराल ने कहा है कि माओवादियों की धमकी के बावजूद 22 नवंबर को चुनाव हर हाल में कराए जाएंगे।




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The Experience B.S.


When Albert Einstein showed up on the scene, the prevailing mood among physicists was that everything that needs to be known has already been known. All that remained doing was to fill out the details. And then Einstein turned the world upside down. Imagination is more important than knowledge, Einstein has famously said.

Barack Obama is no physicist, but this anecdote sheds light on a current idiotic debate whose narrative was authored by none other than Bill Clinton himself in a fundraising letter months back he wrote where he said to donors that they want someone who will take over the job on day one. Implication: Obama is not ready for prime time.

Obama was ready for prime time back in 2004. Compare Obama's convention speech in 2004 to Bill Clinton's same convention speech in 1988 for another Massachusetts dude, Dukakis. When Bill Clinton said, and to conclude, to his long, boring speech, the crowd burst into applause. As in finally we can expect this guy to be pushed off stage. Who got him there in the first place?

That little comparison shows Barack is destined for greatness.

Barack's Primary Opponents

At this stage in 1991, Fernando Ferrer was the only politician in America who had endorsed Bill Clinton. Nobody seemed to know him, outside or inside of politics. But those who knew him well liked him. Well, Barack has a quarter million of them. People who have bothered to learn about him, and give him big bucks.

Hillary Clinton feels like she already knows everything she needs to know. That is why she has so few foreign policy advisors. She is stuck in the past. She will take America back to the previous century, or keep it there like W did. She is like the physics community when Einstein showed up. She already knows. There is nothing else to learn.

No Strength

Strength is to stand up against public opinion. When was the last time Hillary did that?

No Experience

Watching Michael Jordan does not make you Michael Jordan. She never held public office before 2000.

Strength

When Barack opposed the war in 2002, many people thought this guy does not want to become US Senator.

Experience

Noone on national stage has his life experiences. He has the white experience, he has the black experience. He has the Third World experience. He has the academic experience. He has the community experience. He has the local, state and national experience. Hillary never held any state level office.

Barack's ability to lead comes from bringing people together which comes from his life experiences.

Judgment

That trumps strength and experience. I am sure W felt pretty strong attacking Iraq.

Imagination

This is Barack's number one thing. He inspires. He makes people want to imagine a new century.

In The News

Hillary Clinton holds a convincing lead among Democratic ... Kansas City Star Up 2-to-1 in many national polls, Clinton leads convincingly in the early primary states of New Hampshire and South Carolina. In first-in-the-nation Iowa, still viewed as a three-way contest between Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards, the New York senator led by five points in the two latest polls, supplanting Edwards, who led last winter and spring. ....... Nine months ago, things looked strikingly different. Back then, Obama was hot property, smiling confidently on magazine covers, raising money like a seasoned pro and nearly matching Clinton in early-voter surveys. ....... “People have fond memories of Bill Clinton.” ..... “The people who have followed Hillary for 15 years since she became first lady realize she has accumulated a wealth of experience, depth and breadth,” Stewart said. “That’s the biggest thing.” ... Obama is charismatic, he said. But he remains “the new kid on the block” amid world turmoil. ...... “Our campaign’s been clear from the beginning that because we’re running against a quasi-incumbent, we don’t expect Senator Obama to ever pass Senator Clinton in the national polls before Iowa,” said Obama spokesman Ben LaBolt. ....... front-runner often viewed as cool and aloof and battle-scarred by a litany of intense Washington struggles ...... A recent Gallup Poll found Clinton to be the “most liked” candidate among Democrats. Her “warmth” rating was 82 percent to Obama’s 72 percent ...... “People love the music,” Goldford said, “but they keep wondering where the lyrics are.” ..... “I love Hillary Clinton,” Biden said at the forum. “I’ve been getting beat up because I’m always saying nice things about her. They think I want to be her secretary of state.” ..... But he asked: “What’s changed to make you think Hillary’s going to be able to pull together 15 percent of Republicans (to win the general election)?” ..... The hope for Obama and the rest of the pack lies in recent history. In 2004, Howard Dean led the Democratic primary field until just days before Iowa’s caucuses. . .... four in 10 Iowa caucus voters in 2004 made their choices in the last week.
Does Clinton Have It Wrapped Up? U.S. News & World Report Clinton almost always stays on course and talks about what she wants, without being drawn into arguments that are to her disadvantage.
Obama Seeks to Make History as First African American President Voice of America Obama's convention speech gave him a national profile that set the stage for his presidential announcement early in 2007. ...... University of Virginia expert Larry Sabato says, "He is able to connect to individuals as well as the tenor of the crowd as a whole. The energy that comes with his youthful enthusiasm is a big plus. This really is a John F. Kennedy-like situation from 1960. That gives him a real chance." ..... "He has the charm of newness, in which everybody can read into it what they think he believes because it is what they believe. She, we know where she is coming from. It is just an absolutely fascinating duo." .... Barack Obama's multi-cultural background and his ability to connect with voters make him unique in presidential campaign history. Voters in Iowa and New Hampshire in January will have the first say as to whether Obama's fresh approach can counter concerns about his lack of experience.

Google in Talks With Group Over High-Speed Pacific Cable Wall Street Journal a group looking to lay a high-speed trans-Pacific undersea cable ...... the growth of Google's infrastructure requirements as it continues an ambitious international expansion and increasingly offers data-intensive services such as online video and email, and online word processing for businesses...... use of the Internet and international phone service has grown quickly in Asia, making capacity tighter and often technologically outdated ..... surging volumes of Internet and phone transmissions. ...... discussions remained fluid.
IBM tackles Microsoft on all fronts ZDNet UK This week the company re-launched Lotus Symphony, which was a serious competitor to Microsoft Office, dating back to before IBM's purchase of Lotus. This time around, Symphony is based on the open-source OpenOffice software — and IBM has joined the OpenOffice movement with a promise to contribute software. ....... unified communications
Oracle's Acquisitiveness Pays Off, Big Time Forbes Oracle Chief Executive Officer Larry Ellison's $23 billion shopping spree prompted critics to say he would turn his database company into a hideous, expensive Frankenstein iof a corporation. It seems, however, Ellison will get the last laugh. ........ profit surged 25.4% in the first quarter--the sharpest increase in seven years ..... That one cent may seem like a slim margin, but it was enough to strengthen investor confidence in Ellison's business model. Three years ago, billionaire Ellison started to gobble up boutique software outfits. In the process, he acquired about 30 companies and put more than $23 billion on the line. It was a controversial move, but it seems to be paying off. ..... Momentum is building ...... Oracle shares are up almost 30% for the year to date. ..... the strength of the company's business model and pipeline. ....... "The database business remains a steady force and the applications busienss continues to improve ...... Oracle's acquisitive nature continues in 2007. It has already acquired eight other companies this year. In May, it agreed to buy Agile Software for $495 million.
Sun AJAX technology readied InfoWorld AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML)
Fox strikes deal for free shows on iTunes CNET News.com It's a strange time to be in the television business, as new strategies for reaching fickle television viewers are being trotted out. ..... The Fox shows are commercial-free
Intel's WiMax Joint Venture In Japan Will Target Global Markets InformationWeek The venture is targeting the 2.5-GHz frequency.
Serving Broadband to the Home with Mobile WiMAX TMCnet the difficulty and cost of building out and maintaining wireline broadband in underserved areas ...... The lower costs and better spectral efficiency of Mobile WiMAX, coming at a time when broadband is seen as a major contributor to economic growth, makes it more viable to expand home and personal access to a larger section of the population, even in the less developed areas in India, Pakistan, South-East Asia, Latin America and parts of Africa. ...... Mobile WiMAX can address the shortcomings of all the previous wireless BTTH technologies. .... reduces cost per Mbps and is more viable in sparsely populated areas ...... Mobile WiMAX is standards-based, so the equipment will benefit from volume economics and market competition.
Intel announces plans to launch 3rd generation USB technology Hindu that will enable faster transfer of content from printers, digital cameras and other peripheral devices to personal computers. ..... customer demands for storing and moving larger amounts of digital content ..... The USB 3.0 technology would be at least 10 times faster than the speed of today's connection. It is being developed by Intel and a number of other leading players such as world's largest software maker Microsoft, biggest PC maker Hewlett Packard and NEC Corporation among others. ...... as digital media become ubiquitous and file sizes increase up to and beyond 25 gigabytes
Cisco Systems Hosts Educational Webcast: Update to Carrier ... CNNMoney.com
Hewlett-Packard to Link Executive Pay to Performance (Update1) Bloomberg Chief Executive Officer Mark Hurd may have been overpaid when he got about $20 million in total compensation last year ..... the best corporate governance procedures
Is Michael Dell The Devil? CRN "He is an aggressive, capitalististic entrepreneur. .... Technology As A Service (TAAS) offering ..... Software As A Service (SAAS) offerings ..... 50-acre data centers all over the world. ..... "They are locating them right next to major power plants," he said. "What an aggressive company." ...... moving higher up the services food chain. .... "The more intimate you are with the client's business, the more meaningful you are to the client" ...... "The novelty has worn off IT. Companies want to focus on their core competency. Ten years ago if we went into a law firm with three guys names on it one of them was a part time IT guy when he should have been billing clients. Today they want to bill at $300 an hour and they want their information technology to work." ..... "I think the guys in the Chevys hate the guys driving the Porsches"
Apple's iPhone Is Launched In France, Via Vietnam InformationWeek
Toshiba lifts Thai production Bangkok Post
Acer Definitely Won't Go Direct PC Magazine Gateway's online business accounts for just 10 percent of its sales ...... "HP tried to kill the Compaq brand as quickly as possible…and discovered it's not so easy." "In our case, we'll keep the brands
Acer adopts multi-brand approach Inquirer pursue a multi-brand strategy in different worldwide locations ....... the PC becomes more of a commodity product ..... the Taiwan-based company ..... the direct model was dead and unlikely to be revived
Intel tick-tocks along nicely Malaysia Star the company will deliver the industry’s first 45nm (nanometre) processor on Nov 12. ..... High-k metal gate transistor technology .... “Our tick-tock strategy of alternating next generation silicon technology and a new microprocessor architecture — year after year — is accelerating the pace of innovation in the industry,” said Otellini. ..... each “tick” represents the silicon compaction rate and each “tock” represents the design of a new microarchitecture.
Hey kids! Pizza party at Google! Bizjournals.com the Google organic garden
Zimbra users vexed by Yahoo deal Computerworld He predicts Yahoo will disassemble the suite and plug its pieces into Yahoo Mail. "I believe [Zimbra's suite] will be killed off as a separate product ....... "I can't see how Zimbra fits into the way Yahoo makes money." ..... Zimbra will become more financially secure and able to access Yahoo resources ..... the best-case scenario would be for Yahoo to interfere as little as possible with the Zimbra team and technology while providing a strong backup. ...... Zimbra's team will help refine and improve portions of Yahoo Mail, on a case-by-case basis. Currently, the only component slated for a Zimbra revamping is Yahoo Calendar ...... Zimbra, founded in 2003, has an installed base of about 9 million mailboxes in over 100,000 organizations, although it deals directly with about 1,300 customers and channel partners .... Customers include Comcast Corp. and New York University. ..... Its core strength is e-mail, and it has commonly been considered an alternative to Exchange, but the suite also includes a word processor and a spreadsheet application. These let users create, share and collaboratively edit documents. ..... With e-mail, calendar, contacts list and office applications, it also competes against PC-based suites such as Microsoft Office and Web-hosted suites such as Google Inc.'s Google Apps. ...... big draw of the Zimbra suite is precisely its open platform, which lets external developers create application mashups called "zimlets." ...... a 100-employee startup ..... "Zimbra is our baby," he said. "The reason we made this deal is to grow Zimbra." ..... providing reliable performance at a massive scale for services such as Yahoo Mail.
Microsoft Delivers Xbox 360 Progress Report PC World
Microsoft Targets Europe After Failing to Woo Gamers in Japan Bloomberg Japan's $5.9 billion gaming market. ...... Microsoft's console is outsold by about eight to one by Nintendo's Wii and three to one by Sony's PlayStation 3
Yahoo's New Social Network Puts You (and Your Friends) in Charge Wired News no blogging component, no photo-management tool, and no e-mail or contact management. ..... Yahoo says Mash will eventually become a layer on top of its various web services -- tying them together with a social glue.
Why restraining Microsoft no longer matters CNET News.com Historians famously scorn generals who prepare to fight the previous wars. ..... the ruling would do just the opposite, "chilling innovation and discouraging competition." ..... We haven't had this big a trans-Atlantic snit over the same data pointssince inspectors went hunting for Saddam's weapons of mass destruction. ...... The blunt truth is that John Ashcroft's crew had no clue about the technology shifts that were going to undercut Microsoft's momentum. .... when the Microsoft lawsuit got underway, the Google guys were just working stiffs with bad haircuts and Linux/open source was widely dismissed by experts supposedly in the know. ..... Google, which long ago surpassed Microsoft in the sizzle category, keeps adding to its store of free applications ...... Yahoo is spending $350 million to buy a Web-based e-mail and collaboration package comparable with Microsoft Exchange and Outlook. ..... under-the-radar Internet startups Microsoft's never heard of? Those are the bogeymen who inhabit Microsoft's nightmares, the ones unsheathing the killer app nobody anticipated.
Intel's in Hot Water in Europe BusinessWeek a widening gap in how the U.S. and Europe view the legality of hardball business tactics by dominant companies ..... the EC has charged Intel with illegal use of sales tactics such as rebates and incentives to maintain or increase its market share in microprocessors. ....... argues that the programs have led to lower chip prices for consumers. ....... "They want to foster gentlemanly competition, a premise that is foreign to American antitrust thinking." ...... AMD has been pressing the European Commission for years to take antitrust action against its larger rival. ...... Intel responds that consumers have benefited from rebates through lower prices. ... No question, the EU's powerful win against Microsoft has raised its stature among global antitrust cops. The moves against Intel in Korea and Japan also add momentum. But the EU hasn't been given a prosecutorial carte blanche: It still has to prove every case on the facts. Intel will put up a tough fight, so this story is far from over.
EC may put antitrust focus on Google ZDNet UK The EU is already investigating whether Google's planned $3.1bn (£1.5bn) acquisition of online ad company DoubleClick would give it undue control over online advertising. ....... Google is facing a Senate hearing next week in the US, where its DoubleClick purchase is being investigated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and Microsoft is pushing for action against Google. ...... "If Google becomes a central storage vault for data such as users' location and identity, as some fear, European regulators may one day try to compel the firm to give rivals open access to this information, rather as they have now forced Microsoft to release its communication protocols."
Oracle Struts Its Software Motley Fool impressive enough to take the market's focus off subprime and residential housing woes for the time being. Few firms have the clout to set the tone for the overall stock market, and this technology bellwether may just be getting warmed up as it outgrows the competition. ....... An acquisition spree over the past several years is definitely paying off for Oracle. The buyouts have had the obvious benefits of taking out archrivals such as Peoplesoft, Seibel Systems, Hyperion Solutions, and an array of niche competitors, but they have also allowed Oracle to set its sights on the largest players in software licensing and related services -- namely, SAP AG (NYSE: SAP), IBM (NYSE: IBM), and Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT). ...... mercurial company helmsman Larry Ellison did boast of plans to pass IBM in terms of market share later this year. .... Oracle continues to have reason to gloat, and the best may be yet to come.
Oracle earnings solid; takes on SAP, IBM ZDNet Oracle said it was taking share from SAP, which will likely beg to differ. ..... We like our growth strategy of expanding into high-end industry specific vertical software as opposed to SAP’s growth strategy of moving down market to sell software to small companies. ..... Ellison took on IBM and noted that Oracle wants the middleware market share crown. ...... “If we continue to grow our middleware software business at the same rate we grew it this quarter, Oracle will challenge IBM for the number one position in middleware by the end of this year.” .... Oracle had 77,652 employees at the end of the quarter.
Oracle Sees 65 Percent Growth in App Licenses eWeek





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Friday, September 21, 2007

Obama's Masterstroke: Eliminating Income Tax For 22 Million Seniors


The Economy, Stupid

A few days back Barack Obama came along with a refreshing list of tweaks he would apply to the tax code. He would simplify things. For most people who just hold a job and do the standard W2 form thing, the IRS will fill out your form for you. Now that is service. Not exactly most people's idea of a government service.

The clincher though was sending 22 million seniors who make less than 50,000 bucks a year to the tax Bahamas. No income tax for them. So April would mean good weather rather than taxes to them.

Hillary leads among people 60 and older by a rather wide margin. These are people who actually lived segregation. To them blacks going to the same beaches is progress. To me it is a boring detail. Who gives a f___!

Hillary is their choice by default. If it were between Obama and Edwards, they would have gone for the clean cut white boy Edwards. These are the same people who less than a decade back in surveys might have said, we elected Bill Clinton, why is that woman making policy?

But, like Bloomberg says, money talks. You can bribe them. You send them to the tax Bahamas.

Simplifying The Tax Code

It is long overdue. It is a prerequisite for the information age.

Vision

John Edwards Also Climbed Mount Everest




Bill Clinton Is Still Relevant
John Edwards, Voucher Man, Is A Republican

Edwards said in his recent Iowa debate that he took the lead on health care and everyone else is merely following. His ever handy wife goes one step further. She basically accused Hillary of having plagiarized the Edwards plan from months back.

The ideas for universal health care have preceded everyone running for president today. There are multiple good ideas out there. The question is not who has a plan, but who can actually execute it.

Barack Obama has the strength and the judgment to execute.

Barack: Strength And Judgment

Hillary's Millions

The Clintons have made so many millions over the past few years that they have lost touch with reality, or at least the reality of those in the lower income brackets. How else would Hillary come up with the idea of mandating health insurance?

Mandating Health Insurance: The Poor Have Too Much Money

In The News

Last of 'Jena 6' could be freed on Friday CNN
Simpson Arrest Stirs Debate over Celebrity Justice NPR
PROTEST | Obama's absence noted as no-trespassing signs ... Chicago Sun-Times
Obama rallies supporters at Atlanta event Atlanta Journal Constitution a U.S. Senate vote to condemn the MoveOn.org newspaper ad that attacked Gen. David Petraeus .... The Senate on Thursday approved the Republican-sponsored resolution, 72 to 25. ..... at a $25-a-head event at the Georgia World Congress Center that organizers said drew 2,200 supporters. A $1,000-per-person, private event followed. ...... six black teenagers initially charged with attempted murder in the beating of a white classmate. ..... Obama declared he was "puzzled at how on earth a schoolyard fight" could cause prosecutors to level murder charges. ....... Obama still enjoys a rock-star status among many who attended — and raised their cellphones to snap photos as soon as he stepped on-stage. ....... "He's a man of change, excitement. He's shown America if you make the right choices, you can be president," said Mary Soley of Atlanta. ..... In April, Obama drew an estimated 20,000 people when he spoke outdoors on the Georgia Tech campus.
Poll: Clinton's lead grows, Thompson tops Giuliani One-third (32%) of those who say they will vote in a Republican primary or caucus will vote for Thompson while 28 percent will vote for Giuliani. ...... (46%) of those who would vote in a Democratic primary or caucus would vote for the former First Lady while one-quarter (25%) would vote for Illinois Senator Barack Obama ........ Obama does better than Senator Clinton among Echo Boomers (those aged 18 to 29). While 42 percent of this youngest generation will vote for him, 37 percent will vote for her. ...... in the age group that is most likely to actually vote, Matures (those 61 and older), Senator Clinton leads Senator Obama by a very wide margin (56% versus 16%). In fact, one in five Matures (21%) will vote for John Edwards, so he is ahead of Senator Obama ....... Among Matures, the lead is greater - 44 percent will vote for Thompson and 16 percent will vote for Giuliani. ...... three-quarters of Democrats (76%) would consider Hillary Clinton while over half (58%) would consider Barack Obama and just under half (48%) would consider Al Gore. Among Independents, it's a tie as 35 percent would consider Hillary Clinton and 34 percent would consider Barack Obama. ...... 39 percent of Republicans would consider former Secretary of State Colin Powell and 34 percent would consider current Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. ....... On the Democratic side, it appears that the race really is Hillary Clinton's to lose at this point as her ever expanding lead is now at 21 percent.
The Dark Side of Hillary Clinton's Health Care Plan FOX News 2005, Hillary co-sponsored legislation in the United States Senate to offer free health insurance, under the State Child Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to the children of illegal immigrants who have lived in the United States for five years. ....... 50,000,000 uninsured Americans, more than one fifth of those are illegal immigrants. ........ her plan would turn "insurance" into "subsidy." ..... a cash transfer from the healthy to the sick ..... The bulk of the uninsured do not want to have to pay for insurance. They are healthy and don't want the added burden of health insurance. ..... leaves out any attempt at cost control. With health care absorbing 16 percent of our economy, Bill Clinton's warnings of economic disaster if its share of our national income passed 12 percent back in 1993 sound almost quaint today. ........ The current Congress is passing legislation to raise cigarette taxes 61 cents per pack to pay for a $35 billion expansion of the State Child Health Insurance Program. Why not raise them $2 per pack to raise the $110 billion Hillary says her health care proposal will need? ....... "I have a plan that is 100 percent my plan." ..... understanding of what it takes to get things done in our political system
Clinton, Edwards Spar Over Lobbyists, Health Care at Debate Bloomberg ``Fifteen years ago, I was advocating for universal health care,'' Clinton, 59, said. ``It was kind of lonely back then. And I never gave up.'' ....... Obama, 46, didn't attend. .... Hedge funds ``essentially bought up these mortgages,'' Biden said. ``They're the ones going out and collecting on them. No one knew they owned all these things.'' ...... mortgage lenders ``are not regulated; they become loan sharks.'' ..... ``We have in all of our states a system whereby if someone takes someone into a foster home they get paid for it,'' Biden said. People who struggle financially to take care of their parents at home should be compensated in the same way, he said. ..... creating markets for selling lower-cost policies. ...... ``Six, seven months later, Senator Clinton came out with a plan that is very similar to mine,'' Edwards said.
Gop Targets Clinton, Obama Over Ad Vote Guardian Unlimited
Calif Poll Shows Clinton, Giuliani Ahead The Associated Press Hillary Clinton 41 percent Barack Obama 23 percent
Democratic Candidates Play to an Older Crowd New York Times “This is a system that, unfortunately, makes a lot of money for a lot of people.” ..... improved preventive care, especially for diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. ....... similarities in the candidates’ health care plans. “It’s not the plan,” he said. “It’s the man or the woman pushing the plan.” ...... their own mothers live with them. .... Iowa Public Television and AARP, which says it represents nearly 39 million older Americans. ..... a “senior town hall” Friday afternoon in Ames
Columbia Won't Cancel Ahmadinejad Speech The Associated Press
Bloomberg Won’t Listen to Ahmadinejad New York Times
Google's Stock Price Soars to New High The Associated Press as it introduces new ways for advertisers to reach its steadily expanding online audience. ...... market value of almost $175 billion, more than long-established technology bellwethers like Hewlett-Packard Co. and IBM Corp. ..... runs the largest advertising network on the world's hottest marketing medium, the Internet. ....... In August, Google handled 54 percent of all U.S. search requests, up 50 percent at the same time last year .... Yahoo lagged well behind at 20 percent followed by Microsoft at 13 percent. ....... video ads on its subsidiary, YouTube .... dramatically increased the number of ads distributed to mobile phones and unveiled a system for displaying ads on "widgets" — mini-applications that are embedded on Web pages. ...... Google's price-to-earnings multiple — a widely used yardstick for appraising publicly held companies — now stands at 37 times its estimated earnings for this year. ..... Google shares will soon surpass $600.
Has Google actually read US v. Microsoft CNET News.com So what is really going on in Google's collective mind? ..... First, Google and Microsoft are colliding as the tech world evolves, so disrupting Microsoft's plans is its own reward. ...... force Microsoft to do it in the name of "fostering competition." ..... as of 1985, two dozen alternatives to MS-DOS were offered by more than 20 vendors, many of them bigger than Microsoft. Microsoft won by being the best at meeting the needs of consumers and developers. ....... Navigator and Java were singled out as examples of middleware. ...... close enough for government work ..... Each new PC contains an average of 35 pre-installed non-Microsoft programs, and in four out of five middleware categories non-Microsoft products outstrip those from Microsoft. ...... The iPod has given Apple new pizzazz. ...... If Google were interested in promoting a competitive desktop operating system, it could create one or it could throw its weight behind Linux. ..... Perhaps antitrust fans can anticipate a U.S. v. Google
Intel Says WiMax Is Coming Next Year — This Time for Sure Wired News If it's small and mobile, Intel wants to put a chip in it. The lumbering rectangular towers we so often refer to as PCs have become passé ..... are increasingly taking a back seat to a new breed of laptops, ultramobile PCs, mobile internet devices and cell phones. .... Montevina, which will become the company's next-generation Centrino mobile platform, is based on Intel's 45-nanometer fabrication technology. It will support things like DDR3 memory, Blu-ray and HD-DVD playback, as well as an integrated Wi-Fi/WiMax module the company calls Echo Peak. ...... the standard known as Mobile WiMax (IEEE 802.16e). ..... the same WiMax you've been hearing about -- but not seeing -- for close to five years now. ...... "150 million [people] will be covered [by WiMax] in 2008, 750 million in 2010 and 1.3 billion in 2012." ...... "We are on the cusp of a new global network, seamlessly integrated around the globe, to go into these ultramobile devices," Otellini said. ..... you'll have the same kind of broadband experience you're accustomed to at home (on your PC), but wherever you go, whatever you're doing, and without wires ..... "will change the paradigm for mobile devices." ..... (bandwidth) is going to inspire all kinds of new applications and architectures ... that will leverage all the information in the cloud ......... cultivate an ecosystem around the wireless technology, the company finally believes WiMax is ready to move into the public domain.
Education 2.0: The College Student's Guide to File Sharing File Sharing 101.
Intel WiMax/satellite combo could bring Internet to remote regions EETimes.com Intel notched a significant victory, this week, in the drive to bring connectivity to chronically underserved pockets of the world, when it announced it had successfully used a combination of WiMax and a geosynchronous satellite to beam wireless broadband to one of the most remote corners of Vietnam. ....... Ta Van, a village in mountainous northern Vietnam near the border with China. It set up a 3.3GHz WiMax base station that receives a spot beam from the IPSTAR satellite and distributes it throughout the village via an omni-directional antenna. ...... with 2Mbps downlink and a 512Kps uplink Internet access, paving the way for voice-over-Internet protocol and other data services. ...... "the combination of satellite and WiMax as a proven, reliable, cost-effective way" to help them tap into the knowledge economy. ...... Intel spokesman Nick Jacobs told EE Times it would "encourage governments in emerging markets . . . to look closely at this as a means to connect their people to opportunity." ...... The IPSTAR satellite, operated by Thailand's Shin Satellite, is the world's largest broadband satellite, which currently has a footprint covering 14 Asia-Pacific countries, including Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), Australia and New Zealand. ..... $25 per end user connection per month, and could also bring in revenues by allowing communities to set up businesses, such as Internet cafes for tourists.
Google files for EU OK to takeover ad tracker DoubleClick Malaysia Star New York-based DoubleClick helps its customers place and track online advertising, including search ads .... Google already has a 90 percent share of the German search market, with the same in Spain and slightly less in France and Britain
I seriously want to do TV again: Amitabh Bachchan SantaBanta.com The bustle in his career just refuses to disperse. Amitabh Bachchan is to the entertainment business what the Rolls Royce is to the automobile indust. ....... he had the whole of Toronto ..... Barely 3 days later he rushed to Delhi to collect his National award—"before they change their mind," he joked ...... They say it's a big deal to be in the 'Master's Section', to be invited to the 'Gala' and the 'red carpet'. ..... the standing 15-min ovation. ..... An audience that was cynical and very un- complimentary till date. It's wonderful to see the scenario change. To find everyone conversant and appreciative of our films and our country. ...... To find the locals as awestruck with our stars as they are with a Brad Pitt-Angelina-George Clooney-Matt Damon. .... Its all happening. And bigger things will follow. ...... Shakespeare is a universal entity .... So just because William was British it doesn't mean we cannot study or appreciate or play parts from his plays. ...... Recognition in whatever form is so necessary and important for creative people and when it comes from the highest authority in the country it brings with it that added prestige and relevance. ....... I read intermittently the 25 scripts that lie with me for approval. .... I want to do it all ! But there is limited time. ..... Much above all this is the concern for my Mother's health. Its over a year and a half in hospital in that same critical condition for her. Nothing is of any value with her in this state.
'Playing only romantic leads limits you' Rediff his performance as an eccentric and often cantankerous retired Shakespearean stage actor ..... Bachchan, who plays an actor for the first time in his career .... the film was 'partially made to honour superstar Amitabh Bachchan -- incredible in his first primarily English-lingo pic.' ..... The Toronto Star ran an interview with Bachchan making it the lead in the arts section. .... "So far, my career has been very commercial escapist cinema. In my younger years, I was only playing romantic leads but it limits you. You have to be good-looking, have an interest in a good-looking girl, convince her father to let you marry her and beat the baddies, but that's about it. As you grow older, there's more variety in the roles that are offered and definitely, it becomes more challenging. I can only be grateful to the directors in India who at this stage, of my career still come up with challenging roles for me." ..... featuring Zinta as an actress who's jealous and insecure husband makes her life hell ..... You see him in flowing grey tresses and spectacles. You will also see him often in a foul mood. .... some really funny scenes ..... an emotional sequence when he goes down on his knees begging Siddharth to let him do a scene without using a double or a stuntman. ..... Bachchan, who is fully drunk in the scene, switches on for a few minutes to Bengali. ..... "So in a very crucial and vulnerable moment, he speaks in Bengali." ..... I lost sleep; there were butterflies in my stomach. And that is how it should be. ...... "And when I began working on the script, I could think only of Bachchan. It did not even occur to me he might say, 'no.' .... "In school, like many people I had come to appreciate Shakespeare deeply but I also felt he was a pain in the ass," he continues, smiling broadly. "My association with Shakespeare is not confined to my schooling in the English medium schools. Babuji (father Harivansh Bachchan) translated four of Shakespeare's tragedies including King Lear. So on many levels, working on this film was a precious experience." ..... tutors her to use her lung power to let her voice soar across a valley but without sounding like she was yelling. ..... He spent over a month shooting for the film in Kolkata where he had started working for shipping company before heading to Mumbai to look for acting jobs in the 1960s. .... Bachchan's presence in the city created near chaos as thousands of fans tried to get a glimpse of him. ..... his wife Jaya is from Kolkata."
Tech tycoons dominate US rich list Sydney Morning Herald Gates is the richest person in America for the 14th year in a row. ..... Gates' fortune grew by $US6 billion in the past year to $US59 billion ..... Gates was one of 34 rich list members - all of them men - who made their money in a technology-related area. Five of them appear in the top ten. ..... was recently overtaken as the world's richest man by Mexican telecom billionaire Carlos Slim. ..... Software tycoon Larry Ellison ($US26b), chief executive of Oracle Corp, remains No 4 ..... Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page came in at No 5 with fortunes of $US18.5 billion. They are also jointly the second-youngest billionaires on the list. ....... five Google billionaires made the Forbes list. The others are Google CEO Eric Schmidt (No 48, $US6.5b), the head of sales and business development Omid Kordestani (No 204, $US2.2b) and Kavitark Shriram (No 271, $US1.8b), a board member who was an early investor in the company. ...... Michael Dell .... America's 8th richest, with a fortune of $US17.2 billion. .... Apple co-founder Steve Jobs (No 56, $US5.7b), eBay founder Pierre Omidyar (No 32, $US8.9b), Intel founder Gordon Moore (No 68, $US4.5b) and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos (no 35, $US8.7b).
Number of uninsured is rising Cincinnati Post The number of people without health insurance continues to rise in Ohio and Kentucky, costing both states billions of dollars a year ..... of all residents under the age of 65, 29 percent of Ohioans and 31 percent of Kentuckians went without health insurance for at least a month between 2006 and 2007. .... about 89 million people nationwide were uninsured for at least a month during the past two years, more than 1 in 3 Americans under the age of 65. ...... a combination of higher insurance premiums that have pushed many small businesses to no longer provide insurance for their employees, a labor market more skewed toward the service industry and under-funded programs like Medicaid that should serve as a safety net. ...... The dwindling of the local manufacturing and coal industries forced workers from secure jobs with better health care into service industry jobs that rarely provide benefits ...... "Nobody chooses to go without health insurance," she said. .... when people cannot visit a physician, minor medical problems can turn much worse, resulting in lengthy hospital stays and steep bills and cost the uninsured and the state upwards of $3.5 billion. It's estimated that businesses lost an additional $2 billion in productivity in 2006 from employees missing work for conditions that a visit to a doctor could have prevented. ..... it would be cheaper to just provide basic health insurance for Ohioans, in addition to Medicare, Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program. ..... extend coverage to nearly all Americans, either through public-private partnerships, the creation of new tax breaks or establishment of a national public insurance program.
Gulf Coast under tropical storm warning CNN
NBC to Offer Free Episode Downloads The Associated Press The file will contain embedded advertising that cannot be skipped. .... Seven days after the episode's TV debut, the digital file will expire. ..... now, more than ever, viewers want to be in control of how, when and where they consumer their favorite entertainment ..... "Life," "Bionic Woman," "30 Rock," "Friday Night Lights," "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" and "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."


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Thursday, September 20, 2007

Barack's Mother Makes An Appearance




Barack Has To Talk Much About His Mother

This is a great move. This humanizes the candidate. Obama campaign staffers and volunteers might not realize this, but most of America does not know Barack Obama. A few months into 1992, most Americans thought Bill Clinton had a rich father. They confused him with Jack Kennedy in more ways than one.

I would not be surprised if many voters start out by confusing Obama with Jesse Jackson. They might not realize he is biracial. They might think he is from the South.

Most of America does not know the basic facts about Barack Obama's life. That just is the fact the campaign has to deal with. That does not have to be our end point, but that is the starting point, we like it or not.

The American people have got to know you as a person before they will vote for you.

After Howard Dean's I Have A Scream speech in Iowa, his wife was out on television saying how Howard Dean simply never, never gets angry. She did not remember the last time he got angry. That was the truth about Howard Dean. But to this day a large chunk of America thinks Howard Dean is some crazed guy, if not wholly, then partly, if not all the time, then part of the time.

They might not be able to demonize you, but curious things can work against you. You can end up looking too bookish and smart. The guy went to Harvard, after all. That is not necessarily a good thing in everyone's book. He went to Harvard, and he taught at Chicago. That can be a double negative.

Why is Hillary beating Obama in the lower income brackets? You got to think. His Columbia, Harvard, Chicago stuff - glad that we are that they are there - has to be balanced out with Indonesia and the South Side.

Life story and policy have to go hand in hand.

Barack Obama can better tackle the war on terror because he has spent some years of childhood in Indonesia. Anti-terror policy is good, but spicing it up with his life story makes it more palatable.



Race

Frankly it is also about race. Barack's mother was white. He is biracial. He can not be anything else. He can not be only white, or only black. The reason I know my first language so well is because that is what I grew up around. Similarly Barack grew up around his white mother and white grandparents. His biologically defining experiences have been white.

The politics of race is there. And Barack transcends that with his political style.

Barack's mother has to be talked about not because she is white, but because she is the mother Barack knew. That mother impressioned him more than anyone else. And that story has to be told.

In telling the story of that mother, you make the candidate come alive.



Story, Policy

Stories have to be told. Stories from Barack's life. But also other stories. Like the story from South Carolina of "Fired Up!" and "Ready To Go!" The people need narratives to better understand the policy.

The weaving of story with policy has to be constant.

You tell stories, you talk policy. The two go together.



In The News

Obama uses mom's image in new ad Chicago Tribune Debuting his second new television ad in Iowa this week, Sen. Barack Obama is using an image of his deceased mother to try to make the case that he is the best qualified to bring change to the way the nation delivers health care. Called "Mother," the 30-second ad briefly shows a picture of Stanley Ann Dunham, who died at 53 of ovarian cancer in 1995. In her arms is a young Obama. Scheduled to start Friday, the ad arrives during a week in which Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) has received extensive coverage for unveiling her health-care proposal. "To fix health care, we have to fix Washington," Obama says in the ad, after explaining that his mother spent her final months "more worried about paying her medical bills than getting well." It's an anecdote Obama had been recently field-testing on the campaign trail. "She wasn't thinking about coming to terms with her own mortality," he said in Santa Barbara, Calif. "She had been diagnosed just as she was transitioning between jobs. And she wasn't sure whether insurance was going to cover the medical expenses because they might consider this a pre-existing condition. I remember just being heartbroken, seeing her struggle through the paperwork and the medical bills and the insurance forms. So, I have seen what it's like when somebody you love is suffering because of a broken health-care system. And it's wrong. It's not who we are as a people." In the ad, Obama promises a health-care plan that will "cover everyone."
Obama Cites Mother's Illness in New Ad The Associated Press
Obama Cites Mother's Illness in New Ad The Associated Press
Obama's mother in new ad Baltimore Sun, United States




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