The Wisconsin State Journal Editorial page has a useful summary of pressing economic priorities:
I generally agree with these issues, however, the #1 issue must be true, economical, 2-way broadband for all.
A useful interview with Craigslist Founder Craig Newmark.
I haven’t watched much of NBC’s Olympic coverage, but the few minutes I’ve seen have been awful:
I left a voice mail for NBC Chairman Bob Wright on Friday expressing my substantial disappointment in their Olympic coverage plans (including a complete devoid of thought internet strategy). NBC is owned by conglomerate GE.
Joshua Brauer offers up some suggestions for NBC…. (via scripting news)
UPDATE: Ann Harrison on the futility of NBC’s internet censorship (live internet video streams are available in other countries).
“Ultimately it will fail,” said Len Sassaman, a privacy-technology researcher. Once the American Internet viewing public realizes that U.K. Web surfers are watching better Olympic coverage than they are allowed to see after forking over their credit card, said Sassaman, they will look for better ways to access those images. “Bandwidth has gotten a lot cheaper over the years, so it is not so far-fetched to think that someone will set up proxy servers in Britain that would do this.”
Steve Clemons on an example of the structural corruption in government (Clemons cites an example of ex CIA director James Woolsey, whose wife is a director of Fluor corporation (recipient of $1.6B in Iraq contracts). Another example is Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, whose wife, Linda, is a lobbyist who mostly represents airlines, aircraft makers and other aviation-related interests ? all of which have a steady stream of issues before the Senate.
From Inc Magazine online: Notes and comments on a potential flat tax.
After his tax breaks, President Bush is toying with the idea of eliminating the IRS and income tax altogether. In lieu of this, a flat federal sales tax would be instituted
Our tax system is a mess and in dire need of a complete re-think. Let’s start the process.
Monica Davey talks with some Wisconsin voters on the upcoming presidential election:
“Honestly, I don’t know what to do,” Ms. Zavala said as she wandered near Lake Michigan clutching the hand of her young granddaughter. Ms. Zavala voted for President Bush in 2000 and says her relatives still adore him. Never far from her thoughts, though, is that her son-in-law is a soldier, and so her uncertainty keeps growing.
“Now, when I look at it, I think Bush misled the people about Iraq, and I feel sad for all the families, for all these soldiers that had to die,” she said. “But then I don’t really know what Kerry would do about it either.” Ms. Zavala stopped, then finally said, “I guess I can only wait and see what happens.”
There lies a central complication for the campaigns as they fight for a state that gave Al Gore just an ounce more support than George W. Bush four years ago. From working-class neighborhoods in Racine in the southeast to the pine- and fern-covered hills near Lake Superior, voters speak of factories that have closed, schools short on money and health insurance beyond reach.
Scott Simon remembers Julia Child (Audio)
A very Madison scene, from Monona TerraceMap