Tuesday, January 31, 2012

The Herald-Sun - No one hurt in Chapel Hill house fire

I wonder why it is that newspapers still think that their only job is to get a story out the door and on paper and then their job ends. In this case, others may be interested, as I am, in the "rest" of the story. What are the chances that we will see it here or anywhere? In other words, why are we not offered the option of leaving an e-mail address with a request to send an update on the story if the newspaper chooses to add something when the fire marshal completes the investigation?

Friday, January 20, 2012

My flights on American

We flew out to San Jose, CA on 18 January, via Chicago's O'Hare. The first flight from RDU was a surprise in that it turned out to be a Embraer regional jet. That meant that we came close to having to check our carry-on bags at planeside. Why did American not make this clear in the booking? The second flight was a more positive surprise in that we found we were on a large enough plane to be able to watch a movie. It was not announced, but turned out to be Moneyball - as promised in the American magazine. We were struck on both flights not by the absence of any food but by the absence of any snack whatsoever. Ah, times have changed.

Cash-strapped Ireland tests limits of austerity

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Web Site Will Shut Down to Protest Antipiracy Bills - NYTimes.com

This is such a poorly informed discussion. Extremism on both sides is leading to an unfortunate missed opportunity to reaffirm a core principle - if you steal something from someone else, you are obliged to pay for it and to pay a penalty. The zealots in opposition to the legislation do not believe this principle, no matter what they say. And the people protecting legitimate copyright interests have failed to keep the discussion at the level it merits - if you steal, you pay. That's more important than all of the ethereal discussion about the opportunities for people to "use" the work of others to make a better world. And it is a more fundamental policy issues demanding fresh articulation.

Friday, January 06, 2012

Top 1% of Mobile Users Use Half of World’s Wireless Bandwidth - NYTimes.com

This will look right when the top 1% pay the fully allocated costs of using their 50% which should be about 50% of the total charges recouped by the phone companies.