Walter A. McDougal’s Freedom Just Around the Corner is a fascinating look at the genesis of the American Condition. Very worthwhile read, particularily during this election season.
VOIP, with local Madison numbers
Judy Newman notes that some Voice over IP providers do not support 608 telephone numbers. Packet8, a small Santa Clara firm, does. There are indeed tradeoffs, but given the explosion in cellphones (we seem to have more than one phone number these days), VOIP is ideal for residential users – or, perhaps, give fast growing Skype a try. James Fallows finds much to like.
William F. Buckley II on today’s Republican Party
Chris Lydon publishes a fascinating audio [MP3 file] interview with Bill Buckle
a writer and a player to be reckoned with in the Republican tong wars going back to Robert “Mr. Republican” Taft vs. Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952. He stood with Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan in battle with the Rockefeller faction of the party through the 1970s.
Tim Michels, Brats & The Induce Act
I spoke briefly with Tim Michels, Republican candidate for US Senate at today’s bratfest. I asked Tim what his views were on the pending Induce act and similar hollywood backed anti-consumer legislation (the Induce Act would outlaw the iPod…).
Michels was not familiar with this legislation.
Rather than pushing the Patriot Act (not sure it’s working all that well, given this information), Michels would be better served to focus on issues that affect our economic future.
Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, Brats & City Wide Wireless Internet
Mayor Dave took my order today at the semiannual bratfest. I encouraged him to make city wide wireless internet (WiFi) happen. He said that they hope to have it in place by next summer.
I further encouraged him to make sure it was fully 2-way, not the poor upstream performance that the cable services offer. High speed 2-way access means that all users can publish text, audio and video (including VOIP), from anywhere in the city. The service should also be scalable so that we can take advantage of new, faster technologies (802.11g, for example) as they become available.
Email mayor Dave at: mayor at cityofmadison.com or call: (608) 266-4611
Telluride Film Festival
The Telluride Film Festival is underway. Scott Simon talks with Elvis Mitchell about this year’s event.
Telluride is well worth a visit.
Homeland (in) Security….
Crashing the party was surprisingly easy, activists say
Convention floor passes snagged from friends of friends of friends
A must read as we consider the billions spent on security….
Tokyo: Tsukiji Fish Market VR Scene
Ian Orgias shares an interesting Tokyo VR Scene [Quicktime VR]
Bill Clinton’s Bypass & Good Drugs
Dave Winer recalls his own bypass surgery as former President Bill Clinton faces the same procedure.
Thank heaven for good drugs.
Bill Clinton called into the special Larry King roundup on his bypass surgery. He sounded great. Of course I projected my own experience onto his. I sounded great too, at that point in the process. They’re pumping relaxing drugs into your system. I don’t think you could feel anxious, no matter what. Good drugs.
About half a million Americans undergo coronary bypass surgery each year. Vice President Dick Cheney has had the surgery. It’s a low risk procedure, with as little as 1 to 2 percent mortality and chances for full recovery. It is done urgently sometimes, as in the case of former President Clinton, when blockages are found.
Reporting from the Edge
Lara Logan demonstrates the risks of a true journalist: reporting with special forces in Afghanistan on the killing of the Taliban’s “Billy the Kid”.
Interesting interview.