Wednesday, April 28, 2010
"Students Protest School Budget Cuts in New Jersey" - NYTimes.com
Newspapers can only dream of having this much impact on the markets they serve, alas.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
"Learning About U.S. Immigration With The New York Times" - The Learning Network Blog - NYTimes.com
You know, there is something very impressive about this, and something sorely missing.
It is an impressive collection of useful resources. Those who want to poke and prod specific issues and individual news stories can do so. That's all well and good.
What's absent, tho, is something that no newspaper of which I am aware actually does. It is a wiki-style (meaning only that it is subject to easy editing on the "fly") piece that is like a news story that might appear as an encyclopedia entry. In other words, take the immigration issue and all of its tentacles and put them together into about 1,000 words that sums up the state of immigration issues at this moment, making editorial judgments about what's important enough to include and what is not. I tend to think that the Arizona law would appear in any such piece, but the piece I envision would not lead with it, most likely. Instead, it would be placed in the context of the bigger picture of US immigration issues.
Most importantly, this 1,000 word piece would be kept up to date by the Times and would be a place to which any of us could turn for the most current complete picture instead of as now, the breaking news only for the most part plus lots of resources through which information diggers can dig!
Why is no one doing this? Sure, resources. But, sure - too, value!
It is an impressive collection of useful resources. Those who want to poke and prod specific issues and individual news stories can do so. That's all well and good.
What's absent, tho, is something that no newspaper of which I am aware actually does. It is a wiki-style (meaning only that it is subject to easy editing on the "fly") piece that is like a news story that might appear as an encyclopedia entry. In other words, take the immigration issue and all of its tentacles and put them together into about 1,000 words that sums up the state of immigration issues at this moment, making editorial judgments about what's important enough to include and what is not. I tend to think that the Arizona law would appear in any such piece, but the piece I envision would not lead with it, most likely. Instead, it would be placed in the context of the bigger picture of US immigration issues.
Most importantly, this 1,000 word piece would be kept up to date by the Times and would be a place to which any of us could turn for the most current complete picture instead of as now, the breaking news only for the most part plus lots of resources through which information diggers can dig!
Why is no one doing this? Sure, resources. But, sure - too, value!
Monday, April 26, 2010
"Memo From New Delhi - Indian Justice Inches Closer to Chapters of Violence - NYTimes.com"
I tried to add this article to my bookmarks in Internet Explorer for an upcomin trip to India. For some reason, I could not do this, although I could bookmark other pages and other parts of the NYTimes site. How does one explain this?
Friday, April 23, 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Using the web effectively to tell time-sensitive stories
I wonder why it is that almost no sites with which I am familiar are operated in such a way that they can explain what's going on with complimentary media when users of those media encounter the unexpected, for example. Suppose a newspaper has a printing problem; which newspaper would post this immediately on its website. I am in France and was expecting to see a program on a television channel here at a specific time. The earlier program continues and no announcement of what happened to the one I wanted to seee. Why is this not explained nearly instantly on the station's website?
It's a mystery to me.
It's a mystery to me.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Stimulus Plan for Rail Line Between Tampa and Orlando Shows System of Weak Links - NYTimes.com
This is a really important issue - the question of how one gets from a starting point whether it be home, business, hotel, other destination - to the public transport. Even here in France where I am as I type this is a problem, even in good-sized cities like here in Nice. I can walk 2 minutes to one bus and take it to a tram and then wait up to 7 mins for the tram and take it to a 5 min walk from the train station or I can walk 7 mins, wait for the bus, and take it directly to the train station. But I can only do either if it is between 7 in the AM and 8 at night. That precludes early AM or late PM train travel, AND it means that it takes twice as long, if not longer, to take the bus or buses than it would to drive, even though parking would make even a day trip about 10 times as expensive as the bus.
It's all a giant tradeoff.
But imagine if we started with all of this from scratch. We'd all be living much closer to transport or simply not using it. Or accepting the inbetween. We were not given and reallly are not given the first choice very often or in a very well planned manner from an individual's stanpoint. Everything is done from the vantage point of a driver in a car, and that's the big problem with where we find ourselves today.
It's all a giant tradeoff.
But imagine if we started with all of this from scratch. We'd all be living much closer to transport or simply not using it. Or accepting the inbetween. We were not given and reallly are not given the first choice very often or in a very well planned manner from an individual's stanpoint. Everything is done from the vantage point of a driver in a car, and that's the big problem with where we find ourselves today.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Health care costs
One of the issues relating to the health care discussions we're winessing seems to get little attention.
It is how we individually calculate the cost of our health care.
It's not just out-of-pocket expenses as they are normally noted.
One piece is just that - what we pay out of our pockets for doctors, health services and pharmaceuticals that are not reimbursed or covered by insurance. (Not included is the impact of insurance companies negotiating or insisting on low fees and how even those fees are affected by overall costs born in part by others; here, I am just sticking with the expenses we can individually itemize.)
A second critical piece - if one is fully allocating the costs we must cover - is what we pay in insurance premiums. (Not included in that is what people are not paid in salary because employers are diverting that money to pay for their share of insurance premiums.)
And, finally, there is the all other - non-prescription medications, health products, gym memberships, costs of participating in athletic activities, transportation expenses related to health care, and probably a few others.
Only when we add all of that up INDIVIDUALLY can we have a fair idea of what we pay for health care of all sorts.
Calculating the full cost - removing insurance benefits and lower fees because of insurance - is worth doing just to put it all in perspective.
No?
It is how we individually calculate the cost of our health care.
It's not just out-of-pocket expenses as they are normally noted.
One piece is just that - what we pay out of our pockets for doctors, health services and pharmaceuticals that are not reimbursed or covered by insurance. (Not included is the impact of insurance companies negotiating or insisting on low fees and how even those fees are affected by overall costs born in part by others; here, I am just sticking with the expenses we can individually itemize.)
A second critical piece - if one is fully allocating the costs we must cover - is what we pay in insurance premiums. (Not included in that is what people are not paid in salary because employers are diverting that money to pay for their share of insurance premiums.)
And, finally, there is the all other - non-prescription medications, health products, gym memberships, costs of participating in athletic activities, transportation expenses related to health care, and probably a few others.
Only when we add all of that up INDIVIDUALLY can we have a fair idea of what we pay for health care of all sorts.
Calculating the full cost - removing insurance benefits and lower fees because of insurance - is worth doing just to put it all in perspective.
No?
Saturday, March 20, 2010
"ABC News Under Fire For Payment To Murder Suspect" - NPR
What troubling news this is and brings into question, at least, the professional judgment of the entire ABC News organization. What a shame on the heels of the Christiane AMANPOUR announcement and after the very unhappy news of the staff cutbacks. Something seems to be very wrong there.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
"Fess Parker, Star Of 'Davy Crockett,' Remembered" - NPR
With the loss of Fess PARKER and Peter GRAVES this week, my Saturday morning childhood - or at least what I remember of it - died, too. (Even today, I find myself occasionally humming the Davy Crocket song.)
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
"Op-Ed Columnist - The Spirit of Sympathy" - NYTimes.com
What David BROOKS writes here applies in important ways to the evolution of the internet and how media cope with it all. It's interesting to think about the concept of "groups" when considering a news story, or any other content and news organization might provide. The whole notion of "crowds" and "groups" online complicate the process of human interaction in ways I don't think we've yet fully considered. The very good things that all the technology does for us does not come without some negatives, and if we ignore them entirely, we may wind up in the "fix" that BROOKS describes now characterizing US national legislative political decisionmaking. Here is a very good example of a big negative, reported today.
"BBC News - Digital Giants: Jimmy Wales"
I am especially interested in how WALES intends to use in Wiki technology to compile the stories of geographically-defined communities for the people who live in those places.
"Op-Ed Columnist - The Biden Effect" - NYTimes.com
I agree with most of this excellent piece except the inalienable commitment to Israel part. I'll only buy that if married with an inalienable commitment to a Palestinian state.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
"Sudden Acceleration Often Caused By Drivers" - NYTimes.com
This has happened to me (with no damage to anyone or any thing!), and we all need to be careful about where our feet are!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
"Chief Justice John Roberts: Scene at State of Union 'very troubling'" - washingtonpost.com
This is all very unfortunate. The Chief Justice is right on the law. The President probably reflects public policy. When there is a conflict, the law always wins in this country. If the President does not accept the dictates of the Constitution and its First Amendment, he is free to propose a change, but I think that would be extremely ill-advised. What I fear will happen is that Congress will pass another law that may or may pass Constiutional muster, that likely will have little impact on what irks so many, and which really cannot go any further unless we want to adorn the First Amendment with a series of unwise limitations in the interest of competing policies.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
New York Times search
What does it say about The New York Times search capability on nytimes.com that twice today, I was unable to find an article in the Times using their search box, but was able to find the article ON the nytimes.com site using a Google search?
"As Biden Visits, Israel Unveils Plan for New Settlements" - NYTimes.com
I object to the Vice President's statement about how allied the United States is with Israel. Instead, I believe we should always support Israel when we agree with what it is doing, and, as here, oppose its actions when they are wrong. Underlying the earlier statement is the notion that Israel can do no wrong. No country is in that category and none will ever move there. Instead, we need to approach all countries on an equal basis, supporting what is right and opposing what is wrong.
Sunday, March 07, 2010
"The Herald-Sun - Attack on lawyers for aiding detainees a shameful act"
This is an excellent column and I support it fully.
News and Observer Tweetup?
Why not an N&O "tweetup" around the book signing at Barnes and Noble for the book by the former aide to John EDWARDS?
"Book Review - 'This Book Is Overdue - How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All,' by Marilyn Johnson" - Review - NYTimes.com
This has always struck me as an area of huge opportunity for newspapers - providing their customers with what they are seeking. What an odd notion, huh?
Friday, March 05, 2010
Thursday, March 04, 2010
"Advertising on Facebook Strikes Some as Off-Key" - NYTimes.com
I actually pursued the iPad offer because of my age for some number of screens until I realized what was happening, or not happening. What influenced me was a misplaced sense of confidence that the positioning of the banner was such that Facebook would not have alllowed it to be there had it not passed some sort of review. It appears that this is not the case. Caveat emptor is so much more important everywhere on the web and it is one of the added values that came from established media, like newspapers, that seem to be disappearing. The results are going to leave a lot of people worse off, at least.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
"Op-Ed Columnist - Greece, Europe and Alexander Hamilton" - NYTimes.com
Roger COHEN has once again gotten the picture just right, as far as I know it.
"Questions at Brown on Ruth Simmons’s Role at Goldman" - NYTimes.com
This is news to me today. I feel like I have been asleep at the switch, as a Brown alumnus.
Two things concern me. One is that I don't think a president of Brown ought to be serving on any board that does not clearly advance a societal interest. Second, I don't think any president ought to serve in any capacity outside of the president's responsibilities with another organization, unless that organization is directly and substantially contributing to the betterment of Brown.
Two things concern me. One is that I don't think a president of Brown ought to be serving on any board that does not clearly advance a societal interest. Second, I don't think any president ought to serve in any capacity outside of the president's responsibilities with another organization, unless that organization is directly and substantially contributing to the betterment of Brown.
Monday, March 01, 2010
"Downsizing foreign staff threatens US democracy"
We have to come up with a solution to this, quickly. It is going to require a lot of work to close the huge historical gap between what reporters always thought was important and what people wanted and what people really wanted. That's hard to swallow, but swallow we must and try to rebuild a constituency of people who really do want to stay informed - in a professional manner - about what's going on in the rest of the world. It's an education, marketing and finally, sales job of immense size.
Monday, February 22, 2010
"Op-Ed Contributor - Have Keyboard, Will Travel" - NYTimes.com
What a discouraging picture this paints. This, too!
"European Press Links Israelis to Dubai Killing" - The Lede Blog - NYTimes.com
As an Irishman, I look forward to a rapid and professional investigation of this matter. The apparent fraudulent use of an Irish passport by one of the alleged perpetrators is of huge concern, but the proper course of conduct is to await the results of a thorough investigation before blame can be directed properly.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
"Inside the Rings - Questions of Safety in High-Risk Sport" - NYTimes.com
Why have we allowed - perhaps encouraged - the Olympics to become a kind of race car event with people more fascinated by who crashes or gets injures than by who wins and how they win? It seems to me that the high risk "sports" deserve a place on reality television or a NASCAR network if there is one, and not one at the Olympics.
This column does an especially good job of making the point.
This column does an especially good job of making the point.
"Whistle-Blower Accuses JM Eagle of Deception" - NYTimes.com
I am struck when I read this, and then this tragic tale, by how many problems there are around us that could be solved if there were more transparency, and if people used that transparency to stay on top of their own issues and cooperated with others.
Imagine if we could all inquire abot the origin and safey records of things used by our localities. I don't mean going on long, frustrating treasure hunts on the web - I mean simple pages that allow us to do for projects what Patagonia does for its merchandise.
And in the case of the ENCALADA family, imagine if they could have accessed more information in a more timely fashion. What price would we have been willing to pay to save Sr ENCALADA's life? Surely, a few keystrokes and clicks would have been a fair sum, no?
Think about all that we don't know about our world from local government to health to our food and just life around us. If we had easier and better - and more comprehensive access to all of it, I think we would all live qualitatively better lives.
Imagine if we could all inquire abot the origin and safey records of things used by our localities. I don't mean going on long, frustrating treasure hunts on the web - I mean simple pages that allow us to do for projects what Patagonia does for its merchandise.
And in the case of the ENCALADA family, imagine if they could have accessed more information in a more timely fashion. What price would we have been willing to pay to save Sr ENCALADA's life? Surely, a few keystrokes and clicks would have been a fair sum, no?
Think about all that we don't know about our world from local government to health to our food and just life around us. If we had easier and better - and more comprehensive access to all of it, I think we would all live qualitatively better lives.
Medical laboratory expenses
Every once in a while I am reminded how screwed up our health care system really is.
In our family, we pay for BC/BS health insurance.
Recently, we needed a test done and the charge for that test shows as $419 on the "Laboratory Bill" that I received. In the next column headed "Adjustments", it shows -343.39. There is nothing under "Insurance Paid" or "Patient Paid" and a resulting "You Pay" of 75.61.
Of course, we are grateful for our insurance, but what I am reminded here is that the insurance company paid nothing, as far as I know. All they did was to put the force of their size to work and got the fee reduced to barely 20% of what it would otherwise be.
I am sure LabCorp makes this up somewhere, and the first place - based on what I was told on the phone when I called them - they do so is in what they charge people without insurance. That's the full 419 dollars.
So, this means that someone who does not have insurance for any reason would pay that amount. Ok, there are some wealthy individuals who may pay their own way, but I bet the vast majorit as in 95% of their customers don't have health insurance because they either are not entitled to any or cannot afford what they might purchase.
These are people who may be out of work, with very limited means, or facing some other crisis, and so the net effect of our insurance is to shift LabCorp's profit potential to them.
There is something very morally wrong with that picture.
In our family, we pay for BC/BS health insurance.
Recently, we needed a test done and the charge for that test shows as $419 on the "Laboratory Bill" that I received. In the next column headed "Adjustments", it shows -343.39. There is nothing under "Insurance Paid" or "Patient Paid" and a resulting "You Pay" of 75.61.
Of course, we are grateful for our insurance, but what I am reminded here is that the insurance company paid nothing, as far as I know. All they did was to put the force of their size to work and got the fee reduced to barely 20% of what it would otherwise be.
I am sure LabCorp makes this up somewhere, and the first place - based on what I was told on the phone when I called them - they do so is in what they charge people without insurance. That's the full 419 dollars.
So, this means that someone who does not have insurance for any reason would pay that amount. Ok, there are some wealthy individuals who may pay their own way, but I bet the vast majorit as in 95% of their customers don't have health insurance because they either are not entitled to any or cannot afford what they might purchase.
These are people who may be out of work, with very limited means, or facing some other crisis, and so the net effect of our insurance is to shift LabCorp's profit potential to them.
There is something very morally wrong with that picture.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
"Creeping Costs of Connectivity Could Confound Pay Wall Strategies" - Poynter Online
Good point for the "free" mob thinkers.
"Patagonia Women's Nano Puff Pullover"
The information provided here is pretty impressive! Note the footprint and the origin tabs.
I picked this one just at random.
From reports I've heard recently, Walmart is even starting to do some of this, and I think there is a sourcing website of some sort at MIT as well, but I have not found it yet.
I'd really like to see this done for the food we eat!
I picked this one just at random.
From reports I've heard recently, Walmart is even starting to do some of this, and I think there is a sourcing website of some sort at MIT as well, but I have not found it yet.
I'd really like to see this done for the food we eat!
"Ralph Fertig’s Case Pits Free Speech Against Terror Fight" - NYTimes.com
This whole matter is repulsive - it is antithetical to my sense of our system of freedom of expression and equality of treatment before the law.
Labels should never be used to deny anyone's speech freedom. Period.
Everyone, including so-called "terrorist" organizations, are entitled to speak. Our "system" works best when everyone can say what they wish and responsible people from government and outside government respond.
And everyone, including "terrorists", are entitled to a presumption of innocence. We cannot pre-convict people by applying labels that try to make us think it's ok to do so. Calling someone a terrorist does not make that person so until or unless she/he is properly convicted of committing a crime under the laws of the United States or its states and local governments.
Labels should never be used to deny anyone's speech freedom. Period.
Everyone, including so-called "terrorist" organizations, are entitled to speak. Our "system" works best when everyone can say what they wish and responsible people from government and outside government respond.
And everyone, including "terrorists", are entitled to a presumption of innocence. We cannot pre-convict people by applying labels that try to make us think it's ok to do so. Calling someone a terrorist does not make that person so until or unless she/he is properly convicted of committing a crime under the laws of the United States or its states and local governments.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Newspapers as the local connecting medium
I looked through our two local newspapers today on food Wednesday. While there were preprints from supermarkets and a few display ads for restaurants and other food vendors, what was not there was any coherent food connection for me. What I mean is that the newspaper provided me only with a kind of anecdotal look at a few food-related subjects in our area; it did not help me make food decisions in any orderly way. Sure, this is a function of who buys advertising, but I think it is also a mentality issue. I simply don't think newspapers ever see themselves as the kind of community connector to something essential like food that they could be with just a little creative effort in print and online.
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Monday, February 08, 2010
"Undercover Boss Places CEOs in Menial Jobs" - WSJ.com
Is there a newspaper version of this show, or others menitoned in the story? I don't think so.
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
"Reeves will challenge Miller" - newsobserver.com
How awful it would be if REEVES were to win this contest.
"God speed Mark Steven Kirk!" - Weekly Blitz
Having met CHOUDHURY a couple of years ago, I find the relationship with KIRK - who now will be running for President OBAMA's old Senate seat - to be quite odd, if not weird. I hope some reporters will dig into this more carefully. There is a lot online to begin the research.
Monday, February 01, 2010
How to do Haiti news better?
A lot of groups, including INSEAD, are devoting great effort to how humanitarian relief efforts, government assistance, and other organizations can use technology and good management to better respond to the needs of Haiti and Haitians. I don't sense much of that happening in the news word - how can the news media, and other media, do a better job of communicating news, information, opinion, perspective, etc. from Haiti to the rest of the world, from the rest of the world to Haiti and within Haiti? I don't see that being the subject of many meetings of bright people.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
"correspondents in haiti" - Google Search
I wonder if anyone is keeping track of "foreign" reporters in Haiti - as well as Haitian journalists - who are reporting on Haiti both for Haitians and for the rest of us .... and where they are physically located or based?
Friday, January 29, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
The Supreme Court decision on campaign spending
I am troubled by the knee-jerk response of so many thoughtful people to the Supreme Court's decision on campaign spending. Yes, there is a certain inequity when those who have more money, spend that money to speak more loudly than others. But the same thing happens in a small group when one speaker speaks more loudly or perhaps more convincingly than others.
It is simply inconsistent with our system of freedom of expression to attempt to restrict the speech of anyone, person, corporation (or any other organization), or country. We have staked our all on the principle that out of a diversity of views, the truth shall emerge.
What is dropped from these knee-jerk reaction criticizing the Court's decision is a recognition that they are opposing, in so doing, this time-honored and fundamental tradition that we are better off with the largest number of opinions expressed and discussed. I fear that underlying these complaints is a belief that our fellow citizens are unable or at least unwilling to sort through voices big and little, loud and quiet, rich and poor and to come up with decisions based on all these choose to watch, read or hear.
If we give up that confidence, we give up confidence in democracy. I choose to take my chances with unfettered speech and my fellow citizens. And you?
It is simply inconsistent with our system of freedom of expression to attempt to restrict the speech of anyone, person, corporation (or any other organization), or country. We have staked our all on the principle that out of a diversity of views, the truth shall emerge.
What is dropped from these knee-jerk reaction criticizing the Court's decision is a recognition that they are opposing, in so doing, this time-honored and fundamental tradition that we are better off with the largest number of opinions expressed and discussed. I fear that underlying these complaints is a belief that our fellow citizens are unable or at least unwilling to sort through voices big and little, loud and quiet, rich and poor and to come up with decisions based on all these choose to watch, read or hear.
If we give up that confidence, we give up confidence in democracy. I choose to take my chances with unfettered speech and my fellow citizens. And you?
Monday, January 25, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
"World’s News Media Enters Port-au-Prince" - Media Decoder Blog - NYTimes.com
It is hard to figure out if this parachute assault on Haiti is a good thing or not. Can't CBS find some really good reporters to send instead of the entertainers from the Today Show? Other than showing awful pictures of devastation, what is this coverage teaching us?
"Editorial - Haiti" - NYTimes.com
We ought to establish a media program to help Haiti. Not just its media, but media on which we can all rely in the US, other countries and, above all, of course, in Haiti. We should be looking for ways to make the very short distance from the US to Haiti in miles be even less measured in electronic information and services, above all, those that involve reliable and professional media content.
Starting with the country's newspapers is where I would like to begin. Have we heard from this paper, for example.
Starting with the country's newspapers is where I would like to begin. Have we heard from this paper, for example.
Global News | International News from Around the World
I must say that what this organization has today on Haiti is disappointing. There are lots of people in the US and accessible in other countries who know Haiti extremely well, and many of whom are Haitians themselves. Where is the perspective here that helps a "visitor" understand the tragedy of the earthquake in a Haitian context. As one person associated with GlobalPost once put it to me in another context, the lead story on how "your donation could hurt" is "not helpful.".
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Saturday, January 09, 2010
Thursday, January 07, 2010
"Driven to Distraction - Despite Risks, Carmakers Integrate the Web With the Dash" - Series - NYTimes.com
What a scary prospect... Imagine all of the lives that will be lost as a result of driver distraction. That's far too high a price to pay for the convenience, as some see it to be.
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