Atomized Links:
theUsual Suspects:
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Atomized junior- The Web log
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Tuesday, 29 March, 2005
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Federales
Two events out of the Federal bureacracy last week. The FEC relating
to the BCRA (Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act) draft ruling on internet
communications via elections; specifically commenting on Web Logs at
one turn. Also a ruling by the FCC the SBC decision on DSL
(and bundling). Maybe I'll take that up in the next post.
Media reports, Draft FEC Net Rules Exclude Bloggers, on the FEC ruling (avaible as a pdf Draft Notice of Proposed Rulemaking from the web space for the 24 Mar meeting of the FEC)
indicated they were treading softly on the issues of internet political
speech. I get concerned when I see things like this going on, because I
don't want to see web logging requiring knowledge of a lot of rules
couched in dense legal language. I see this activity as ordinary
conversation - with the caveats that you don't always know your
audience and what you write has some permanence, once it's out there.
Like a punk rock fanzine circa 1983 or a chapbook before that. I
wouldn't want to have political discussion on the internet chilled -
abandoned; because somebody fears it, and can't abide all its woolly
thereness. From the FEC draft itself, which I read through, first
a quick distinction. Links to a campaign or candidate is one thing on a
web site especially if undisclosed. Paid advertisements on a site are
another. The FEC is trying to preserve the concept of individual
endorsement as opinion. Even replenishing campaign material obtained
from a candidates campaign, if placed by the individual website or web
log operator is simply private endorsement. All this revolves around
the concept of Public communication and the general exclusion of the
internet from falling under its definition (and regulation). The notion
is if it doesn't cost anything: is it public communication? This
concept with ongoing refinement seems to be replacing a parallel
concept of Coordinated Communication which sought to identify in part
content clearly advocating and distributing a candidates prepared
material [struck down by Shays: 337 F.Supp2d 28 (D.D.C.)]. They seem to
have been thinking about the status of ads that cost a campaign money to produce, but
which people were putting on their web sites for free. The question is
when is someone acting as an agent, when are they just chatting. I
guess when it comes to commericial astroturf we're on our own.
The draft notes the existing media exemption; vii. 11 CFR 100.73
and 100.132. So are web logs whether incorporated or not "peridical
publications." What do we get for that? They quote from the 93d
congress: "the unfettered right of the newspapers television networks
and other media to cover and comment on political campaigns". (p. 28
FEC mtgdoc05-16.pdf) They propose to normalize this with 11 CFR 100.94
: Uncompensated individual or volunteer activity that is not a contribution, and § 100.155 [as above] not an expenditure
(p. 42-43). These are nearly blanket exemptions for internet activity
by individuals or volunteers uncompensated. For both there is an
identical subsection (c) pertaining to computer equipment and
services, hardware, software, and isp service. The intent is to exempt
you if you're using your own computer or one at a public facility (such
as a library).
Maybe the feds won't come after you for political web
logging, but how much protection is this against someone offended by
your opinions who insists you're in violation of some indice, the new
emerging "there oughta be a law" crowd. Is there anything here that
might leave a web logger in a position of having to prove he or she
isn't.
11:40:10 PM ;;
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Sunday, 27 March, 2005
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the price of eternal vigilance
I've put up a couple of pictures of the Ra5c Vigilante, over the last monthe or so. I was
looking through some of the other pictures I've scanned yesterday,
trying to decide which to put up next. I think I'll go with two
that I believe my supervisor Mark Ramsey took. Maybe I'll do that
sometime during the week,though, because another thought gained on me at that
point. For this vigilante post I'll put up the lyrics to New Order's
"Love Vigilantes." It seemed resaonable, and it seemed right. I never
argue with myself at such times. This is a song that dates back to
their 1985 Low Life Lp. LOVE VIGILANTES Lyric by NEW ORDER
Oh I've just come from the land of the sun
From a war that must be won in the name of truth
With our soldiers so brave your freedom we will save
With our rifles and grenades and some help from God
chorus:
I want to see my family
My wife and child waiting for me
I've got to go home
I've been so alone, you see
You just can't believe The joy I did receive
When I finally got my leave And I was going home
Oh I flew through the sky my convictions could not lie
For my country I would die And I will see it soon
(chorus)
When I walked through the door My wife she lay upon the floor
And with tears her eyes were sore I did not know why
Then I looked into her hand And I saw the telegram
That said that I was a brave, brave man But that I was dead.
I want to see my family
My wife and child waiting for me
I've got to go home
I've been so alone, you see
Every time I hear this song I'm reminded of a short story I read
back in middle or high school, unfortunately any further details are
lost to time. So I never get past that point. One thing I did turn up
this time is that New Order have a new disc coming out next month
called "Waiting for the Sirens Call". That was something I would not
have predicted. They seem to have recorded an actual rock and roll song
for this record too; number 11 Working overtime. They have streaming
versions of the whole album up on New Order online, if you feel like listening.
11:34:28 PM ;;
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Thursday, 24 March, 2005
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en Passant
Bobby Fischer was on his way to Iceland yesterday, he seems to have
gotten as far as Denmark at least. There were a number of media stories
on this here are two from the Guardian about 24 hours apart as this
story evolved. The Fischer king from Wednesday and Fischer moves.
I like the title puns. This is a nice gesture by Iceland - they had to
grant him citizenship to accomplish this, but I wonder if they know
what they are getting into. Fischer seems absolutely mad at times. At
the same time it may be easier to fall into the role of bilious old man
than some think, particularly if you are adolation starved and think it
is bringing you attention. The U.S Goverment has taken on a churlish
cast throughout the last six months, since they had the Japanese lock
him up. They can't really say they care about the chess match in
Yugoslavia, they didn't do anything about it for ten years except
prevent him from coming back to the US. It really seems to have been
his statements on September 11th, and al qeada. To care what Bobby
Fischer in his lost junketing nervous breakdown existence says about
that or anything else betrays a remarkable and painfully thin-skinned
state of being.
11:51:52 PM ;;
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Monday, 21 March, 2005
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Simply a Painting of Schrodinger's Cat
I've been on vacation this past week; university worker bees get
a partial spring break. I didn't even try to write any thing for the weblog. This post evolved out of an offhand
conversations with my sister and niece a couple of weeks ago. I was
talking about a claim I read recently, that art historians and art
critics are more responsible for the direction and results of the
course of 20th century art than artists. I threw in a half remembered quote for
literature that 'most critics regard most writers as having the
intellectual capacity of a 2x4.'
This was a slightly troublesome concept for my niece, your
junior-high aged can conceptualize the aspirations and endeavors of
artists and writers well enough. Less easily the idea that some group
can sit back and make a livelihood out of imagining themselves a
steering committee for creative work, understood as trend. I have found
it is possible to slip under a velvet rope and rearrange the objects of a
piece of installation art, without significantly affecting it. I was
simply attempting to confirm that the 'art' of the piece lay elsewhere
than a particular relationship of the objects to each other. It seemed to need its theory. This
conversation probably was triggered by an earlier review of this
book. Art: Art Since 1900: Modernism, Antimodernism, Postmodernism which was reviewed by Frank Whitford in last Sundays London Times. Judging a book by its cover (well, cover title). Double subtitles [note second colon] is often a bad bad sign in a book.
I've followed the celebration of this centuries art as best as I
can over the years. In my younger days I haunted the art museums of
Washington DC and elsewhere every chance I got. They were always a
destination of choice. I treated them like the consciousness raising
temples they are. Temples to what now I'm not exactly sure.
Aesthetics, exultation, a portrait of the sublime, some romantic
antidote to western rationality, a deliberate stream of
unconventionality - non-conformism. A glimpse beyond this shell, or
just of the future, by a visionary avant garde. A shock to the system.
I bought all this (and posters for my college dormroom walls), with all
attendent claims, priviledges and responsiblities artists could lay
claim to. The review in the Times is at counterpoint to the book.
Despite having a slight curmudgen slant it's within its rights when the
reviewer calls on the authors to look as much, as they read if
they are going to write about art. Me, I'm trying to decide whether I
still care enough about art to sit down and read any of this book.
---
Addendum: When I reteurned to work yesterday I went looking to see if I
could find this book . I eventually found it. On a book cart directly
behind my chair at work , wasn't so difficult. It actually looked very
interesting parts of it at least (it is a very big book). Many books -
when you see enough of them - don't look that interesting. I'll
be matching that up to a suitable MARC Bib record (from OcLc) and
sending it along to Tran in our end processing unit, who will in
turn send out to the art library.
11:50:09 PM ;;
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Thursday, 17 March, 2005
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drillin'
After hearing that the Senate had finally overcome the ban on oil
extraction activities in the Alaska Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. I
felt a little aggrieved. I recognize there is a lot of oil up on the
Alaskan North shore, the Boston Globe
says some estimate it could yield 1 million barrels a day. That
measures well against the 12 or so million barrels per day we import
currently. On the other hand that's it; that's our oil reserve. Plus the
idea of a wildlife refuge ought to count for something. I wanted names I wanted to name names.
I figured the Washington Post would print them, but I got impatient,
and went looking for them. Someone (Robert and his graduate asst.
Sasha) advised me to try Thomas, a function of the Library of
Congress. Bill Summary & Status.
I thought I had made a mistake at first, what I found didn't seem like
much. Well, here, have a look: first off S.AMDT.168 (the Cantwell
Amdt.). That amends: S.CON.RES.18. Particularly to strike from it section
201(a)(4) relative to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. So I
followed that, to its source:
{ S.CON.RES.18
Title: An original concurrent resolution setting forth the
congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year
2006 and including the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years
2005 and 2007 through 2010.
SEC. 201. RECONCILIATION IN THE SENATE.
(a) SPENDING RECONCILIATION INSTRUCTIONS- In the Senate, by June
6, 2005, the committees named in this section shall submit their
recommendations to the Committee on the Budget of the Senate. After
receiving those recommendations, the Committee on the Budget shall
report to the Senate a reconciliation bill carrying out all such
recommendations without any substantive revision.
(4) COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES-
The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources shall report
changes in laws within its jurisdiction sufficient to reduce outlays by
$33,000,000 in fiscal year 2006, and $2,658,000,000 for the period of
fiscal years 2006 through 2010.}
Clear as mud really. I turned to the debate in the congressional record just prior to the vote...
Ms. CANTWELL (D-WA). Mr. President, I have submitted to the
desk the amendment to strike the language out of the budget that would
recognize revenue from drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
We started this discussion last night with colleagues on both sides of
the aisle to talk about why America should not be focusing on drilling
in a wildlife refuge, turn down the recognition of this revenue, and
focus instead on an energy policy that will put America in better
stead, get us off our dependency on foreign oil, reduce pollution, and
focus on the technology that will truly make us energy independent...
But we are here today on what I call a budget end run to recognize
revenue in the budget as a way to try and open drilling in ANWR, to
open drilling in this pristine wildlife area.
Now it all makes some sense It's a posed as a budget enhancement issue - those
wildlife refuges got to start pulling their weight. I note the Washington
Post web version of the article 51-49 Senate Vote Backs Arctic Oil Drilling
unlike the print version does not list the names of the senators and
how they voted; so here as a public service is that list: U.S. Senate: Legislation & Records Home > Votes > Roll Call Vote:
YEAs ---49
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Byrd (D-WV)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Carper (D-DE)
Chafee (R-RI)
Clinton (D-NY)
Coleman (R-MN)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Corzine (D-NJ)
Dayton (D-MN)
DeWine (R-OH)
Dodd (D-CT)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Harkin (D-IA)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Kohl (D-WI)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (D-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
McCain (R-AZ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Obama (D-IL)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Salazar (D-CO)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY)
Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Wyden (D-OR)
| NAYs ---51
Akaka (D-HI)
Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Allen (R-VA)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burns (R-MT)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Dole (R-NC)
Domenici (R-NM)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Frist (R-TN)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hagel (R-NE)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Inouye (D-HI)
Isakson (R-GA)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lott (R-MS)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Roberts (R-KS)
Santorum (R-PA)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevens (R-AK)
Sununu (R-NH)
Talent (R-MO)
Thomas (R-WY)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)
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11:28:26 PM ;;
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Wednesday, 16 March, 2005
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Delaying the inevitable, or hammer time.
I am enjoying Tom Delay's statement that his current imbroglio is
"all partisanship." That is a statement that takes balls, or a chronic
dull stupidity. Considering he is also currently occupied putting out
brush fires licking around his PAC "Texans for a Republican Majority",
A modern model of non partisan governance. It has come to light Tom
went off on a golfing junket to Scotland paid for by the
soon-rewarded-gambling-industry care of his special close friend Jack
Abramoff.
The Post broke this story Sunday DeLay Ethics Allegations Now Cause of GOP Concern (The Washington Post), and reported on it again Wednesday DeLay Defends Trip and Vote, Attacks Critics. The NYT came in with an editorial New York Times > Opinion > Editorial: House Ethics in Deep Rough, and others picked up on it as well House Member May Face DeLay Probe Conflict.
Of course, it isn't just limited to this event, that's just what's
turned up recently. Alternet has a brief recap of his other career
highlights DeLay's Dirty Dozen.
Alternet records Delay spent over $4000 at the Four Seasons hotel in
London. Not up to Saudi prince standards, perhaps, but the Four Seasons
is a good choice when you want to signify your disdain for democracy
and contempt for the common man.
Tom Delay wouldn't recognize justice, right from wrong, the
good, if it chased him right down the street and bit half his ass off.
What I desire; though, is that none of this shames the House
Republicans to re-introduce a semblance of ethics to their affairs, or
to prod Delay to behave differently. I want all this to putter along
until it rattles right over the cliff and they realize all at once
they've gotten their affairs to a point they can't spin their way out
of. And 'Tom Who?' is the only sound heard echoing over the capital for
days, until his name is no longer spoken in these parts at all.
9:59:18 PM ;;
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Sunday, 13 March, 2005
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Clash City Rockers
There was an article in Slate a few weeks ago commemorating the twenty fifth anniversary of the Clash's London Calling album: Debunking Punk - What the Clash meant to rock 'n' roll.
By Stephen Metcalf. No one else covered this in the general news press,
maybe in the music press, but I don't read the music press any more. I
always read more along the lines of Op and Forced Exposure anyhow.
London Calling was supposed to be the last rock n' roll album,
deliberatley mimicking the first - Elvis's. I have both records and had
noted the similarity, but had chalked it up to a more general irony.
After that set up Metcalf takes it away in a different direction,
the sociology of rock and roll song writing partnerships. He notes that
these Brit song writing teams seem to pair: "...white working-class
boys [who] meet when young; bond over their mutual love of American
rhythm and blues." He doesn't include or consider an American example.
I couldn't think of any obvious examples either. Still I wondered was
this just an oversight or an instrinsic part of the dynamic he is
describing. In the post war period in which rock and roll is set, the
working class largely completed a move into a defacto middle class
similar to the U.S. The British experience of this was different, the
working class never ceased self-identifiying as working class, and
always had to exist in counterpoint to a formal aristocracy.
This is one aspect of what is called American Exceptionalism
- Wikipedia (brace of scare quotes, "", provided for the
proceeding term, use as needed). Here a rejection of a working
class identity or outlook by a majority
of franchised through all periods of American history. The reasons for
this are a fairly knotty thing to untangle. Seymour Lipsett devoted an
entire book to it: It Didn't Happen Here: why socialism failed in the
U S. The book can only sketch out possibilities. That level of class
sensitivity was never part of the United States ideology, nor do any of
our political institutions and processes impel us towards it. While
true social mobility might be as constrained in the U S as in old
world, Americans did not buy into explicit class identity and welcomed
the notion that virtualy everyone; tradesmen, clerk and white collar
salaryman alike were part of a society-owning middle class. Beneath all
this the distinctions of social membership were maintained through
coded patterns of consumption and style. And through this a struggle
ensued over a body of stable high-income jobs and the information and
educational opportunities that would gain them
The British had these song teams that in large ways helped
define the popular culture of the era. because of the incorporated
nature of that relationship the truce across the sectioned
working-middle class that the booming post war economies of the west
allowed. These songwriting partnerships sublimated these tensions and
conflicts within the songs a partially conscious expression of civil
wars. This was not necessarily a carthretic expression, but one that
had great power and hold regardless. In the attitudes in
the voice and poses of the songs are statements and opinions on
post-war culture, its values and future. In Metcalf's words. "The Clash
closed out the rock era, when the uneasy alliances between the Jaggers
and the Richardses, the Lennons and McCartneys, the Strummers and the
Joneses, could perfectly echo the deep optimism and the equally deep
unease of the culture at large. " In the British Invasion we have
things that Americans themselves understood and felt on several certain
levels but did not have the best popular culture voice to express
directly themselves.
11:31:17 PM ;;
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Thursday, 10 March, 2005
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More RA5C's
I see from time to time hits in the referers window, of people looking
in on Atomized to see pictures of the Ra5c Vigilante. Or as we used call them, the big
pointy airplanes. I am willing to oblige these folk. Primarily because
it prods me to scan these old photos which otherwise were just sitting
in my closet, and have been these past --- hmm, not enough
fingers or toes...
Well then never mind how long. I have several of these good color ones, and many more of lesser quality. 
I have no idea where this is. All the times I've looked
at this picture previously I thought it was over the
California Coast. Looking at it more carefully I see it might be
over the channel islands, or Baja, possibly over the Philippines
a few months later then when I thought it was taken. Maybe somebody out
there could tell me. As an 18 yr old ISSN I wasn't taking care to
make notes on copies of pictures that had official documented
negitives properly labeled and stored in the big cabinet. Who knows where that is
now? Funny thing; historical preservation.
The crew labels on the planes (black rectangles white lettering)
indicate that was CDR Meyers, our (RVAH-7) CO's, plane. Lcdr McMahanan,
RAN.
12:09:57 AM ;;
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Tuesday, 8 March, 2005
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Egg of Solitude
Reuters: Bobby Fischer, apparently still at the Japanese immigration
detention center at Narita airport gets himself thrown into solitary
confinement for four days - Breakfast Fracas Lands Chess Master in Solitary.
Why? Because he demanded an additional egg for breakfast, didn't get it
and wouldn't take no for an answer. This seems to be on the eve of a
possible deal that would allow him to travel to Iceland on a passport
the government of iceland seems willing to issue him. His bodyguard and
friend, Saemundur Palsson, from the Reykjavik match seems to be the
force behind this. Bobby Fischer has friends left? The most significant detail here, beyond that this story is now
regulated to Reuters' "Oddly Enough News" beat, is that the Japanese
grandmaster, Miyoko Watai, who the article describes as Fischer's
fiance is also still sticking up for him after this last year. There
doesn't seem to be a first person account of this posted on Fischer's web site
yet. But of course, he is in solitary at the moment. [You can't write a
website from "the box" as many others will discover in the coming
clampdown.] Otherwise content on the site seems to be updated through
mid february of this year.
11:47:06 PM ;;
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Monday, 7 March, 2005
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Green China
I saw recently an article in the CS Monitor on an apparent nascent environmental movement: China enforcing green laws, suddenly | csmonitor.com.
Twenty damns and power stations, $14 billion worth of projects
across 13 provinces have been required recently to undergo
environmental review. The author indicates that SEPA - the State
Environmental Protection Agency - is being given political cover to
follow these policies from top leaders. Much of the article
is devoted to figuring out what is to be made of this.
It is a political dynamic spinning out ofPpremier Jiabao's
desire to connect with a core of young and dynamic bureaucrats. An
acknowledgment that the non-governmental environmental movement
is composed of the children of many senior bureaucrats throughout the
government; that is, the nations existing elite. Among whom it is a
popular, even passionate cause. Figuring into this too, are pragmatic
concerns like the need to brake an industry sector that may be
developing too fast.
Still, I saved the article down to my hard drive so I could
read it again. I wanted to understand something about my conventional
wisdom thinking - that returned a feeling of surprise when I first read
the title. Considering the Kyoto agreement, and the arguments that
often sail in its wake, I believed countries still on the upswing of
industrialization would desire not to be captured in such agreement and
follow draconian pollution abatement controls. Certainly not ones that
already industrialized countries never followed during their early
industrialization phase. They would not consider it fair, it may not be
fair. The U.S. for its part - this administration at least - has let be
known it won't put itself in a position of following regulations other
nations are not. Not one iota of competitive disadvantage will be taken
on. One one level I agree. History only happens once. no historical
epoch can be returned to, particularly an epoch of unrestrained
environmental degradation. For any reason, good or bad. Toward the end,
the article says as much: "...Sources in Beijing say many leaders are
genuinely worried about scientific studies and new analyses showing
long-term harm from continuing the pace of unregulated toxic emissions
and waste." There is information available now that was not available
previously. It can be ingnored only at the cost of becoming ascientific
and unreasonsed.
I imagined an outline of forces, for and against an
environmental movement in China. An authoritarian government
makes decisions by fiat and mandate with little or no local or popular
input (think of the three gorges damn project). They remove or quash
dissent. In as many facets as possible they endeavor to control
marketplace of ideas. To a certain degree this does describe the
Peoples Republic of China. However, You can look through the
crack in the wall that this story describes and catch a glimpse
that the opinion of the people can count. I thought back to my
developmental economics course. Successfully industrializing societies
follow a pattern that is more fixed that malleable in many ways.
National output and the work force will transition from agricultural
sectors to labor intensive industry to capital intensive industries and
on to post industrial phases. As it does so the labor force's attitudes
and skill/educational level will transition also. On micro level
decisions about family incomes and family size, responsibilities of all
members will change. Generally this leads to smaller families with more
invested in each child. Of course China already had population control
policies in place, but these policies are likely become less at odds
with the lives of skilled wage earners and post secondary educated.
At this point in a mature industrialized society folks start to take
life quality, education and attendant health and environment
issues far more seriously. The kind of issues that involve air and
water quality. They become keen on when information isn't available, or
when official information doesn't jibe with evident facts. They may
start a grey market on information they are not getting. Astute
leadership in a number of countries may be sensing that a damn the
torpedos approach to catch-up industrialization may not be the best
plan. We can only hope that this is a contageous condition.
8:04:56 PM ;;
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Thursday, 3 March, 2005
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Wheaton
I am in the middle of sketching notes or thoughts for a couple
of different posts, but they're not going to get done tonight. My
thinking has gone all askew (and that is pretty unkewed). So I am going to sweep all these notes and
unread articles aside, for a moment, to write instead, that my friend
Tran is back from her month long trip back to Vietnam. She had
gone with her parents to visit her older sister and her family who
still live there. Everything is different from when she lived there, she says -
she left in 1994. The landscape - everything seems to have
been rebuilt, or realigned, both in Saigon and in the town down south
that her father grew up in. They had trouble finding the spots where
they had lived, it looked so unfamiliar.
The culture had changed the people didn't seem the same. There were factories, hotels and bars; places of entertainment,
but only for the rich - there were more of them. All the jobs that are
to be had, in those hotels - go through them. All the people from the
communist party. She had gone with some anticipation and trepidation,
wondering where home was, but there was nothing there she remembered,
none of her friends. Home, she has decided, is in Wheaton.
A sample of our conversation today: "They have 7-up in Vietnam
but they don't call it 7-UP." "Oh, What do they call it?" "'Baht(?)
up'." "Umm, what's the word for seven in Vietnamese." "'Baht'(?)." "And
there is a big '7' on the bottle like there is here, right?" "Yes,
why?" Suddenly I suspect I've been subtly set up somehow. But she just
smiles.
A brief aside: Mir (of Dim Sum Diaries) had written in a comment,
that when she worked in DC some years ago she had known a Tran Nguyen
at USAID, (which is different from USIA) . Tran says she did work there
for a while, maybe it was her. I will continue to sort this out tomorrow.
8:59:41 PM ;;
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Tuesday, 1 March, 2005
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Careering
I may as well go on and make this an all library posting day. The individual interviewed in this piece in the Web log Old Hag (originally from Daily Gusto: Day Job Interviews)
may, or may not (for legal purposes), be the same individual who can
occasionally be found trying to turn the comments section of Atomized
jr into a clandestine chess column.
11:12:08 PM ;;
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Mike Gorman Stampeded by Barbarians; woodcut at 11:00
Today gatekeeper and sole protector of all human civilization,
Mike Gorman, was crushed beneath the unshod feet of pseudo-literate
members of the dark forest tribe blogeoisie. As they rushed onward over
his shocked and dismayed carcass, one stopped to offer this comment:
"Bar-bar, bar-bar" which this reporter translates as "Yes we burn your
manuscripts simply to light our midnight druid frenzies."
I seem to have come to this party late. Mr. Gorman, president
elect of the American Libraries Assoc., published an op-ed piece in the
Los Angeles Times late last year ("Google and God's Mind," December 17,
2004). That seems to have gone to pay-per-view web status Not true, I was uncareful. Article above is now pdf link. So I can
only go by what I read here in a recent article which seems to be his
reply to criticism: Revenge of the Blog People! As Mr. Gorman himself explains - Bloggers rip me: "I
had heard of the activities of the latter and of the absurd idea of
giving them press credentials (though, since the credentials were
issued for political conventions, they were just absurd icing on absurd
cakes)." Well I give him points for the multiple ad hominim. To this he adds: "I
have spent a lot of my long professional life working on aspects of the
noble aim of Universal Bibliographic Control a mechanism by which all
the world's recorded knowledge would be known, and available, to the
people of the world." His Bona Fides for the benefit of those inclined to be sympathetic. From here he scurries on to his defense:
"...in the eyes of bloggers, my sin lay in suggesting that Google is OK
at giving access to random bits of information but would be terrible at
giving access to the recorded knowledge that is the substance of
scholarly books"
I'm beginning to see why he attracted the ire of people who
actually know how to use google as a search engine, or who have
discovered that there is useful knowledge that has escaped from books
(where its safe and quiet). Who may even have helped it escape. If he
had stopped here I might even have considered him, but he doesn't - he
can't. He continues:
...Given the quality of the writing in the blogs I have
seen, I doubt that many of the Blog People are in the habit of
sustained reading of complex texts. It is entirely possible that their
intellectual needs are met by an accumulation of random facts and
paragraphs.
I've actually read one of his books: Technical services today and tomorrow / [compiled by] Michael Gorman and associates.
Englewood, Colo. : Libraries Unlimited, 1998. What can I say; I
work in a technical services department. I thought it might help explain
what I do for a living. By his own logic (and my guess is that his own
logic is what he would leave last), that would mean his writting
is just such a collection of thrown-up randomness not rising to
the level of "Text". Mr. Gorman has written or edited a great many
books. Consider just the last two: The enduring library : technology, tradition, and the quest for balance,or Our enduring values : librarianship in the 21st century. What stirring and non-leaden titles. Such enduring nobility of great soul, and in only one man!
---
Update: My sources within the vast library industry tell me that
Michael Gorman is actually a decent and upright kind of person.
He may just have heard the word "Google" a few too many times.
9:54:02 PM ;;
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