THE ANGRY LEFT... DON MISCHER CURSES ON CNN
It seems some on the Left have anger issues again. Getting upset over petty things. DNC convention centre director, Don Mischer, got upset over the ballons not dropping and started to curse while the audio was live on CNN.
"We need all of them coming down. Go balloons- balloons? What's happening balloons? There's not enough coming down! All balloons, what the hell! There's nothing falling! What the f*ck are you guys doing up there? We want more balloons coming down, more balloons. More balloons. More balloons'..." (full transcript on Drudge)
How did someone with such a temperament get choosen to be in such a position of responsibility? It is an obvious position that needs grace under pressure since a million things can go wrong at such large-scale events. Definite lack of talent in the Democratic Party from top to bottom. I'm never hiring him as a party coordinator or even a clown at my future children's parties.
Junto Boyz
Friday, July 30, 2004
|Thursday, July 29, 2004
CHICAGO... HOME OF THE SKYSCRAPER
Today I went around looking at wedding reception sites in downtown Chicago. I sometimes forget how awesome the architecture of my hometown is. Chicago is the home of Frank Lloyd Wright, the skyscraper, and widely consider the best architecture for a metropolitan center. I got to see different views of some of this brilliant architecture while driving around today.
A view of the Sears Tower from the Tavern Club:
A view of some of the classic buildings in Chicago:
Wrigley Building (left), Tribune Building (right), John Hancock Building (background)
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Today I went around looking at wedding reception sites in downtown Chicago. I sometimes forget how awesome the architecture of my hometown is. Chicago is the home of Frank Lloyd Wright, the skyscraper, and widely consider the best architecture for a metropolitan center. I got to see different views of some of this brilliant architecture while driving around today.
A view of the Sears Tower from the Tavern Club:
A view of some of the classic buildings in Chicago:
Wrigley Building (left), Tribune Building (right), John Hancock Building (background)
HAS THE WORLD GONE CRAZY?... WHAT WERE THE NETWORKS WATCHING?
John Kerry was Stiff and Disconnected... Low Hurdle for Bush
As I watched and listened to Kerry's acceptance speech tonight, I cringed a few times. Not at the content, but at his delivery. You could tell he was reading through his lines. A bit nervous as he skipped his pauses and spoke through the applause, which mainly came when he Bush-bashed, it was lesson in public speaking. It was amusing to watch as NBC and ABC panned through some of the crowd as they came across blank stares during his speech. I was guessing some of them were thinking, "Crap. He sucks, but anybody is better than Bush."
Kerry was stiff and rushed... wanting to be Clintonesque. When he was trying to build up momentum through the several lines ending with "help is on the way" I started to laugh. He was boilerplating Clinton's "send me" format from a couple days before, but it just wasn't working. I felt like I was watching the scene from Swingers when Mikey kept calling the girl's answer machine.
"Stop! Stop it, Johnny! It's not going to work!"
I started to channel surf to listen to the media's reactions. After his speech, I was not surprised by some of the glowing reviews from the broadcast journalists. NBC's Tom Brokaw and some of their journalists were talking about how great he did and how he deliver the speech he needed to. Same with ABC News. At this point, I was talking to myself, "What speech were they watching? Are they trying to push the perception of a "great speech" onto the American public? Can someone please be objective?"
It was like a parade of the naked emperor's court saying, "Oh! He suit is so well crafted! His tie is beautiful! His shoes are from the best leather!" Being objective and not criticizing the content of each speech, I would say that Clinton's speech kicked ass. He nailed it on all counts from connecting with the people to pitching (or spinning) his points for the Democratic ticket. I would grade him an A+. Edwards was okay. Not a great speech, but solid... B-. Kerry... C-.
I flipped through a few more channels (e.g. CNN, Fox) and caught CBS's John Roberts give a seemingly objective view as he questioned whether Kerry connected with the people and then punted by stating only the individuals themselves could answer that.
Anyway, I can see the majority of media outlets presenting a positive spin on Kerry's speech that was clearly mediocre over the next few days. He set the bar low for Bush to jump over. I hope President Bush really nails it in New York.
Here's some blogs that covered it live through their blogs... from Power Line and OxBlog.
UPDATE. A fair review from the Washington Post the day after.
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John Kerry was Stiff and Disconnected... Low Hurdle for Bush
As I watched and listened to Kerry's acceptance speech tonight, I cringed a few times. Not at the content, but at his delivery. You could tell he was reading through his lines. A bit nervous as he skipped his pauses and spoke through the applause, which mainly came when he Bush-bashed, it was lesson in public speaking. It was amusing to watch as NBC and ABC panned through some of the crowd as they came across blank stares during his speech. I was guessing some of them were thinking, "Crap. He sucks, but anybody is better than Bush."
Kerry was stiff and rushed... wanting to be Clintonesque. When he was trying to build up momentum through the several lines ending with "help is on the way" I started to laugh. He was boilerplating Clinton's "send me" format from a couple days before, but it just wasn't working. I felt like I was watching the scene from Swingers when Mikey kept calling the girl's answer machine.
"Stop! Stop it, Johnny! It's not going to work!"
I started to channel surf to listen to the media's reactions. After his speech, I was not surprised by some of the glowing reviews from the broadcast journalists. NBC's Tom Brokaw and some of their journalists were talking about how great he did and how he deliver the speech he needed to. Same with ABC News. At this point, I was talking to myself, "What speech were they watching? Are they trying to push the perception of a "great speech" onto the American public? Can someone please be objective?"
It was like a parade of the naked emperor's court saying, "Oh! He suit is so well crafted! His tie is beautiful! His shoes are from the best leather!" Being objective and not criticizing the content of each speech, I would say that Clinton's speech kicked ass. He nailed it on all counts from connecting with the people to pitching (or spinning) his points for the Democratic ticket. I would grade him an A+. Edwards was okay. Not a great speech, but solid... B-. Kerry... C-.
I flipped through a few more channels (e.g. CNN, Fox) and caught CBS's John Roberts give a seemingly objective view as he questioned whether Kerry connected with the people and then punted by stating only the individuals themselves could answer that.
Anyway, I can see the majority of media outlets presenting a positive spin on Kerry's speech that was clearly mediocre over the next few days. He set the bar low for Bush to jump over. I hope President Bush really nails it in New York.
Here's some blogs that covered it live through their blogs... from Power Line and OxBlog.
UPDATE. A fair review from the Washington Post the day after.
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
REVIEW OF THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION
A couple good reviews from The Wall Street Journal. One on their stated foreign policy by Claudia Rosett and the other below:
That '90s Show
A return to Clintonism wouldn't be a return to peace and prosperity.
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
EDITORIAL
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
Ah, the glorious, roaring 1990s. Bill Clinton got elected, raised taxes on the rich so that the budget deficit and interest rates fell, and thus kicked off one of the great booms in economic history. Then Al Gore lost the 2000 election--sorry, had it stolen--President Bush cut taxes, and the economy more or less immediately went to hell.
In case you've missed the speeches, this is one of the major story lines emerging from this week's Democratic conclave in Boston. As Mr. Clinton boasted in his Monday stemwinder, he left America in 2001 with "peace and prosperity." So elect John Kerry, we are told, and he'll take us back to the Clinton policies, starting once again with a tax increase that will reduce the deficit and return us to the happy days before Osama bin Laden, Enron, and the "middle-class squeeze."
This all sounds so good that even we'd like to believe it. There's just the small matter that it isn't even close to being the real economic history of the 1990s. Allow us to recall a few of the missing details amid this nostalgia trip, starting with the fact that the Clinton years began by inheriting a recovery that was finally gathering steam. The economy grew by more than 4% in 1992, including 4.5% in the fourth quarter, too late to re-elect George H.W. Bush but enough to give the Clinton era a running start.
Mr. Clinton did pass a tax increase in the summer of 1993, but only after Senate Democrats stripped out his new BTU tax and Senate Republicans killed his spending "stimulus." The expansion stumbled in early 1993, no doubt partly on tax-hike uncertainty, then revived late in the year. In 1994 stock markets were flat but interest rates actually rose throughout the year, peaking on the very day in 1994 that Republicans took Congress. That turned out to be the real start of the 1990s boom.
.....
Then the bubble burst--not in 2001, but starting in 2000. The tech-heavy Nasdaq peaked in March of Bill Clinton's final year in office. The National Bureau of Economic Research now says the economy shrank by 0.5% in the third quarter of 2000--albeit too late for voters to feel it that November. After a fourth quarter blip in growth, the economy slipped into recession by the formal definition (at least two consecutive quarters of declining GDP) in the first half of 2001. (full article)
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A couple good reviews from The Wall Street Journal. One on their stated foreign policy by Claudia Rosett and the other below:
That '90s Show
A return to Clintonism wouldn't be a return to peace and prosperity.
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
EDITORIAL
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
Ah, the glorious, roaring 1990s. Bill Clinton got elected, raised taxes on the rich so that the budget deficit and interest rates fell, and thus kicked off one of the great booms in economic history. Then Al Gore lost the 2000 election--sorry, had it stolen--President Bush cut taxes, and the economy more or less immediately went to hell.
In case you've missed the speeches, this is one of the major story lines emerging from this week's Democratic conclave in Boston. As Mr. Clinton boasted in his Monday stemwinder, he left America in 2001 with "peace and prosperity." So elect John Kerry, we are told, and he'll take us back to the Clinton policies, starting once again with a tax increase that will reduce the deficit and return us to the happy days before Osama bin Laden, Enron, and the "middle-class squeeze."
This all sounds so good that even we'd like to believe it. There's just the small matter that it isn't even close to being the real economic history of the 1990s. Allow us to recall a few of the missing details amid this nostalgia trip, starting with the fact that the Clinton years began by inheriting a recovery that was finally gathering steam. The economy grew by more than 4% in 1992, including 4.5% in the fourth quarter, too late to re-elect George H.W. Bush but enough to give the Clinton era a running start.
Mr. Clinton did pass a tax increase in the summer of 1993, but only after Senate Democrats stripped out his new BTU tax and Senate Republicans killed his spending "stimulus." The expansion stumbled in early 1993, no doubt partly on tax-hike uncertainty, then revived late in the year. In 1994 stock markets were flat but interest rates actually rose throughout the year, peaking on the very day in 1994 that Republicans took Congress. That turned out to be the real start of the 1990s boom.
.....
Then the bubble burst--not in 2001, but starting in 2000. The tech-heavy Nasdaq peaked in March of Bill Clinton's final year in office. The National Bureau of Economic Research now says the economy shrank by 0.5% in the third quarter of 2000--albeit too late for voters to feel it that November. After a fourth quarter blip in growth, the economy slipped into recession by the formal definition (at least two consecutive quarters of declining GDP) in the first half of 2001. (full article)
REVIEW OF MICHAEL MOORE'S POOR PERFORMANCE
Last night Moore finally took a challenge on went on The O'Reilly Factor. From the beginning you could tell that he was scared. If Moore played poker, he would have too many tells... easy money. He reveals his lack of reasoning and logic skills in his discussion with Bill O'Reilly. Great film maker. Horrible liar, petty debater. Here's another review of the show.
Some of his childish irrelevant questions... last line of questions is also moronic:
MOORE: So, you would sacrifice your child to secure Fallujah? I want to hear you say that.
O'REILLY: I would sacrifice myself..
MOORE: Your child? It’s Bush sending the children there.
O'REILLY: I would sacrifice myself.
MOORE: You and I don’t go to war, because we’re too old…
O'REILLY: Because if we back down, there will be more deaths and you know it.
MOORE: Say, “I, Bill O’Reilly, would sacrifice my child to secure Fallujah.”
O'REILLY: I’m not going to say what you say, you’re a, that’s ridiculous…
.....
MOORE: How do you deliver democracy to a country? You don’t do it down the barrel of a gun. That’s not how you deliver it.
O'REILLY: You give the people some kind of self-determination, which they never would have had under Saddam…
MOORE: Why didn’t they rise up?
O'REILLY: Because they couldn’t, it was a Gestapo-led place where they got their heads cut off…
MOORE: Well that’s true in many countries throughout the world…
O'REILLY: It is, it’s a shame…
MOORE: …and you know what people have done, they’ve risen up. You can do it in a number of ways . You can do it our way through a violent revolution, which we won, the French did it that way. You can do it by boycotting South Africa, they overthrew the dictator there. There’s many ways…
Moore's last question simply shows himself to be a complete moron. Why didn't they rise up? Other countries have done it?? The U.S.??? First, you cannot use the U.S. as a comparison because we had basic freedoms during the time of our revolution. There is a huge difference between a monarchy and an outright dictatorship. I don't even want to go down this road because the factors are too wide and gaping. The complexity of such a comparison would simply reveal Moore to be more of a moron. South Africa? Were their soccer players being shot after losing a game? Did a wrong look lead to death by plastic shredder for one of their citizens? Would a leader such as Nelson Mandela had a voice in Saddam's Iraqi? Would he have lived as an inspiration behind his prison walls? Would you tell the people of Iraqi to rest your hopes on a brave and lucky soul to lead you to freedom sometime in the future? What an idiot!
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Last night Moore finally took a challenge on went on The O'Reilly Factor. From the beginning you could tell that he was scared. If Moore played poker, he would have too many tells... easy money. He reveals his lack of reasoning and logic skills in his discussion with Bill O'Reilly. Great film maker. Horrible liar, petty debater. Here's another review of the show.
Some of his childish irrelevant questions... last line of questions is also moronic:
MOORE: So, you would sacrifice your child to secure Fallujah? I want to hear you say that.
O'REILLY: I would sacrifice myself..
MOORE: Your child? It’s Bush sending the children there.
O'REILLY: I would sacrifice myself.
MOORE: You and I don’t go to war, because we’re too old…
O'REILLY: Because if we back down, there will be more deaths and you know it.
MOORE: Say, “I, Bill O’Reilly, would sacrifice my child to secure Fallujah.”
O'REILLY: I’m not going to say what you say, you’re a, that’s ridiculous…
.....
MOORE: How do you deliver democracy to a country? You don’t do it down the barrel of a gun. That’s not how you deliver it.
O'REILLY: You give the people some kind of self-determination, which they never would have had under Saddam…
MOORE: Why didn’t they rise up?
O'REILLY: Because they couldn’t, it was a Gestapo-led place where they got their heads cut off…
MOORE: Well that’s true in many countries throughout the world…
O'REILLY: It is, it’s a shame…
MOORE: …and you know what people have done, they’ve risen up. You can do it in a number of ways . You can do it our way through a violent revolution, which we won, the French did it that way. You can do it by boycotting South Africa, they overthrew the dictator there. There’s many ways…
Moore's last question simply shows himself to be a complete moron. Why didn't they rise up? Other countries have done it?? The U.S.??? First, you cannot use the U.S. as a comparison because we had basic freedoms during the time of our revolution. There is a huge difference between a monarchy and an outright dictatorship. I don't even want to go down this road because the factors are too wide and gaping. The complexity of such a comparison would simply reveal Moore to be more of a moron. South Africa? Were their soccer players being shot after losing a game? Did a wrong look lead to death by plastic shredder for one of their citizens? Would a leader such as Nelson Mandela had a voice in Saddam's Iraqi? Would he have lived as an inspiration behind his prison walls? Would you tell the people of Iraqi to rest your hopes on a brave and lucky soul to lead you to freedom sometime in the future? What an idiot!
ITUNES PHONE BY MOTOROLA
Apple is partnering with Motorola to develop a phone installed with a slimmed-down iTunes software application, which will allow people to access Apple's online music store and to play songs. Just following the MP3 player phones already out on the market.
Actually, my girlfriend recently got me the iPod mini and I love it. I'm not a big music guy. I don't collect CDs nor do I have an extensive music collection, but the iPod is pushing me towards that route.
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Apple is partnering with Motorola to develop a phone installed with a slimmed-down iTunes software application, which will allow people to access Apple's online music store and to play songs. Just following the MP3 player phones already out on the market.
Actually, my girlfriend recently got me the iPod mini and I love it. I'm not a big music guy. I don't collect CDs nor do I have an extensive music collection, but the iPod is pushing me towards that route.
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
NEW DEMOCRATIC STRATEGY... FROM CHRIS MUIR
From "Day by Day"... How Democrats light the lantern. Pretty funny comic strip:
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From "Day by Day"... How Democrats light the lantern. Pretty funny comic strip:
VENGEANCE SCALE... BILL SIMMONS AGAIN
Another funny article by ESPN's Bill Simmons. Some clips:
MJ appears on the Vengeance Scale a whopping eight times. If that doesn't tell you why he was the greatest NBA player of all time, I don't know what does.
The Corleone family is represented a whopping five times. If that doesn't tell you why "The Godfather" was the greatest movie of all time, I don't know what does.
Onto the Vengeance Scale, from 0.0 (least vengeful) to 10.0 (most vengeful). And remember, the whole reason we're doing this is to figure out where Angry Shaq fits in. Anyway ...
5.2 -- Isiah dropping 44 on John Stockton after "Dream Team 1" was announced.
5.3 -- Karl Malone dropping a 50-stitch elbow on Isiah's head the next time they played
6.3 -- Shaq dropping 61 on the Clippers (because they made him pay for extra seats on his birthday) ... MJ dropping 69 on the Cavs (after the Cleveland fans cheered when he took a nasty spill in the first half) ... Charles Barkley dropping 56 on the '94 Warriors (inspired by C-Webb's behind-the-back dunk over him in the regular season).
8.0 -- Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me A River" video.
(Note: The most underrated example of vengeance on this list. After Britney cheated on him, not only did he dump her, he put out a best-selling album fueled by a song about their breakup in which he basically destroys her with the lyrics. Just an unbelievable piece of work. It's devastating. I can't even imagine what she did when she first heard it. And if that wasn't enough, he made a well-received video about the song, starring a Britney look-alike. And if THAT wasn't enough, he immediately started going out with Cameron Diaz. By the time he was done, Britney's career was in the tank -- she was chain-smoking and hanging out with backup dancers and white trash guys from her hometown. Now that, my friends, is vengeance. Bravo, Justin. Bravo.)
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Another funny article by ESPN's Bill Simmons. Some clips:
MJ appears on the Vengeance Scale a whopping eight times. If that doesn't tell you why he was the greatest NBA player of all time, I don't know what does.
The Corleone family is represented a whopping five times. If that doesn't tell you why "The Godfather" was the greatest movie of all time, I don't know what does.
Onto the Vengeance Scale, from 0.0 (least vengeful) to 10.0 (most vengeful). And remember, the whole reason we're doing this is to figure out where Angry Shaq fits in. Anyway ...
5.2 -- Isiah dropping 44 on John Stockton after "Dream Team 1" was announced.
5.3 -- Karl Malone dropping a 50-stitch elbow on Isiah's head the next time they played
6.3 -- Shaq dropping 61 on the Clippers (because they made him pay for extra seats on his birthday) ... MJ dropping 69 on the Cavs (after the Cleveland fans cheered when he took a nasty spill in the first half) ... Charles Barkley dropping 56 on the '94 Warriors (inspired by C-Webb's behind-the-back dunk over him in the regular season).
8.0 -- Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me A River" video.
(Note: The most underrated example of vengeance on this list. After Britney cheated on him, not only did he dump her, he put out a best-selling album fueled by a song about their breakup in which he basically destroys her with the lyrics. Just an unbelievable piece of work. It's devastating. I can't even imagine what she did when she first heard it. And if that wasn't enough, he made a well-received video about the song, starring a Britney look-alike. And if THAT wasn't enough, he immediately started going out with Cameron Diaz. By the time he was done, Britney's career was in the tank -- she was chain-smoking and hanging out with backup dancers and white trash guys from her hometown. Now that, my friends, is vengeance. Bravo, Justin. Bravo.)
Monday, July 26, 2004
HOW SILICON VALLEY IS VOTING
Interesting piece on who the major tech CEOs and Silicon Valley icons donate their money to. Graphic from the News.com article:
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Interesting piece on who the major tech CEOs and Silicon Valley icons donate their money to. Graphic from the News.com article:
Saturday, July 24, 2004
RIDING GIANTS... POWER OF TELEVISION
A couple weekends ago, I saw "Riding Giants" and thought the movie was okay. Some funny interviews and incredible surfing... Greg Noll and Laird Hamilton taking on the giants. Hamilton is definitely a stud. With a friend, he invented the new method of surfing giant waves by riding out with water vehicles (e.g. small boats then SeaDoos) to catch the largest waves off the coast utilizing the optimal short boards for control and conquering them. In the movie, he rode the largest damn wave anyone has ever seen. It was basically a vortex in the water. It wasn't the tallest but definitely the thickest and largest. It was amazing to watch him surf it.
Riding Giants is the story of these big wave riders, of where and how their quest began, of the classic characters who throughout the eras chased their dreams out into the blue water, and of the surfers who still do today, riding 50, 60 and even 70 foot waves in a manner once considered the realm of fantasy. (full profile)
Anyway, an interesting fact that came up during the movie was how surfing was defined by pre-"Gidget" and post-"Gidget." Some of you might remember the TV series, "Gidget," with Sally Fields who the teenage surfer girl. The show lasted only one year (1965-1966), but its impact was atonishing. Before the show, there were only approximately 5,000 recreational surfers, but within a few years after the show there were 2 million!
The power of television. The power of film. It's sometimes easy to forget how such mediums can influence the minds of millions. I forgot the extent of their powers until I saw "Riding Giants." It also easy to acknowledge the consumer or social trends that can be started through the tube or film, but it's easier to dismiss the negative impact of these instruments.
I will admit when I often hear the criticisms of violence or extreme scenes in movies or other artistic mediums, I tend to blow it off and say to myself:
"Only stupid people can be influence by such visual images or scenes... How can people be effected?"
After watching "Riding Giants," I thought about this some more and realized you don't have to be stupid or crazy to be influenced... although there are a lot of them in this world today. It's just a powerful medium that can influence, especially young minds, towards certain behaviors and world views.
I'm sure artists in these fields know their influence and power on society, and they should shoulder some responsibility for their works. I do not mean punishment, but some guilt of consciousness if their films negatively affect the lives of people. Crap, I sound like I'm a sixty-year old Midwestern parent of five.
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A couple weekends ago, I saw "Riding Giants" and thought the movie was okay. Some funny interviews and incredible surfing... Greg Noll and Laird Hamilton taking on the giants. Hamilton is definitely a stud. With a friend, he invented the new method of surfing giant waves by riding out with water vehicles (e.g. small boats then SeaDoos) to catch the largest waves off the coast utilizing the optimal short boards for control and conquering them. In the movie, he rode the largest damn wave anyone has ever seen. It was basically a vortex in the water. It wasn't the tallest but definitely the thickest and largest. It was amazing to watch him surf it.
Riding Giants is the story of these big wave riders, of where and how their quest began, of the classic characters who throughout the eras chased their dreams out into the blue water, and of the surfers who still do today, riding 50, 60 and even 70 foot waves in a manner once considered the realm of fantasy. (full profile)
Anyway, an interesting fact that came up during the movie was how surfing was defined by pre-"Gidget" and post-"Gidget." Some of you might remember the TV series, "Gidget," with Sally Fields who the teenage surfer girl. The show lasted only one year (1965-1966), but its impact was atonishing. Before the show, there were only approximately 5,000 recreational surfers, but within a few years after the show there were 2 million!
The power of television. The power of film. It's sometimes easy to forget how such mediums can influence the minds of millions. I forgot the extent of their powers until I saw "Riding Giants." It also easy to acknowledge the consumer or social trends that can be started through the tube or film, but it's easier to dismiss the negative impact of these instruments.
I will admit when I often hear the criticisms of violence or extreme scenes in movies or other artistic mediums, I tend to blow it off and say to myself:
"Only stupid people can be influence by such visual images or scenes... How can people be effected?"
After watching "Riding Giants," I thought about this some more and realized you don't have to be stupid or crazy to be influenced... although there are a lot of them in this world today. It's just a powerful medium that can influence, especially young minds, towards certain behaviors and world views.
I'm sure artists in these fields know their influence and power on society, and they should shoulder some responsibility for their works. I do not mean punishment, but some guilt of consciousness if their films negatively affect the lives of people. Crap, I sound like I'm a sixty-year old Midwestern parent of five.
Thursday, July 22, 2004
DREAMWORKS ANIMATION SEEKS $650 MILLION IPO
DreamWorks Animation Inc. drops the curtain on a proposed $650 million initial public offering. The Glendale, Calif.-based studio filed Wednesday, July 21, its long-awaited prospectus with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The filing laid out terms of its separation from DreamWorks SKG, the entertainment company founded a decade ago to house the collective creative talents of film producers Steven Spielberg and Katzenberg and record producer David Geffen under one roof. (full article)
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DreamWorks Animation Inc. drops the curtain on a proposed $650 million initial public offering. The Glendale, Calif.-based studio filed Wednesday, July 21, its long-awaited prospectus with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The filing laid out terms of its separation from DreamWorks SKG, the entertainment company founded a decade ago to house the collective creative talents of film producers Steven Spielberg and Katzenberg and record producer David Geffen under one roof. (full article)
DO YOU RSS?... I GUESS I SHOULD
Article from InfoWorld.
RSS growing pains
As a tireless booster of RSS, I’ve learned the liabilities of too much success
By Chad Dickerson
CTO Connection
July 16, 2004
These days, despite near-universal acclaim for the technology, I have a real love/hate relationship with RSS. The love part of the relationship derives from the profound changes in my information production and consumption habits during the past year and a half. During that time, I’ve been blogging and producing content with RSS. Whereas my e-mail client, MS Word, and Google used to rule my desktop, I now find myself using Bloglines, Feedster, and Technorati throughout the day and writing to my internal and external blogs using ecto. Although the plumbing is quite simple, I’m still fascinated by all the background pinging (as new Weblog content is posted) and the real-time indexing of fresh content. When Dave Sifry at Technorati reports that the median time from Weblog content posting until that content is available for search on Technorati is seven minutes, I see a paradigm shifting. Despite “only” being XML, RSS is the driving force fulfilling the Web’s original promise: making the Web useful in an exciting, real-time way. (full article)
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Article from InfoWorld.
RSS growing pains
As a tireless booster of RSS, I’ve learned the liabilities of too much success
By Chad Dickerson
CTO Connection
July 16, 2004
These days, despite near-universal acclaim for the technology, I have a real love/hate relationship with RSS. The love part of the relationship derives from the profound changes in my information production and consumption habits during the past year and a half. During that time, I’ve been blogging and producing content with RSS. Whereas my e-mail client, MS Word, and Google used to rule my desktop, I now find myself using Bloglines, Feedster, and Technorati throughout the day and writing to my internal and external blogs using ecto. Although the plumbing is quite simple, I’m still fascinated by all the background pinging (as new Weblog content is posted) and the real-time indexing of fresh content. When Dave Sifry at Technorati reports that the median time from Weblog content posting until that content is available for search on Technorati is seven minutes, I see a paradigm shifting. Despite “only” being XML, RSS is the driving force fulfilling the Web’s original promise: making the Web useful in an exciting, real-time way. (full article)
MINGI'S LAST ARTICLE IN TIME
Continuing on a family theme, here's Mingi last piece for Time Magazine before he leaves for Europe.
Global Tech Influentials
Kim Hyung Gyoon - Samsung | South Korea
by Mingi Hyun in Seoul
To find Kim Hyung Gyoon's office in Samsung's R. and D. complex, just follow the baskets of dirty clothes. No, Kim is not running the company laundromat. As chief of Samsung's Washing & Cleaning Technology Group, he's the man behind a new washing machine that deposits tiny silver particles—about 1/10,000 the thickness of a human hair—onto clothes to make them bacteria- and odor-free without the need for hot water. The device represents the first mass-produced application of this type of
nanotechnology—the science of very small structures—to home appliances. "In summer of 2002, I asked everyone in the office to take off their socks," says Kim, 48, a short, talkative man with large glaring eyes. "I took one sock from each person and placed it in a regular washing machine; the others were washed in a machine with the Ag+ Nano System. The next day, I asked everyone to check the odor of their socks after a day's wear. One began to stink, and the other was odorless."
Kim says he came up with the idea five years ago while on a business trip to Japan, where he learned of a brand of socks that retained their freshness even after many days of unwashed wear and tear. Tiny strands of silver with disinfectant qualities were woven into the fabric. When he got back to Seoul, Kim applied the principle to washing machines.
Here's how it works: a grapefruit-sized device near the tub uses electrical currents to nano-shave two silver plates the size of chewing-gum sticks. The resulting silver particles are sprayed into the tub during the wash cycle. According to the Korea Testing & Research Institute for the Chemical Industry, Samsung's device kills 99.9% of bacteria and fungi. Kim says garments stay germ-free for up to a month after being laundered. The Ag+ Nano device went on sale in March 2003 (just ahead of other silver nanotech appliances from competitors LG and Daewoo) and costs around $1,150; the revolutionary technology is also being used in Samsung's refrigerators and air conditioners.
No wonder: consumers seem to like a little silver in their spin cycles. Since Samsung's nano-armed products were first launched, they have brought in an estimated $779 million in revenue. Overall, nanotech has been one of science's fastest-growing fields in recent years, with potential applications in fields as diverse as energy production and toothpaste manufacture. The nanotech market is projected to be worth $1 trillion by 2015.
Nanotechnology has its detractors, though. Lee Jo Won, director of Tera-level Nanodevices, a Seoul-based state-run R. and D. organization, believes "there is always danger with new technologies. We've done testing in laboratories with rats, and certain nano-sized particles ended up imbedded in rats' lungs after consistent exposure. However, with silver, I don't foresee problems, as it's a disinfectant."
Because this is such a hotly competitive field—Daewoo has introduced air conditioners that spray vitamin C into the environment—Kim isn't about to divulge what other nanotech projects he's working on. But one thing's for sure—from now on, even his dirtiest clothes will have a silver lining.
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Continuing on a family theme, here's Mingi last piece for Time Magazine before he leaves for Europe.
Global Tech Influentials
Kim Hyung Gyoon - Samsung | South Korea
by Mingi Hyun in Seoul
To find Kim Hyung Gyoon's office in Samsung's R. and D. complex, just follow the baskets of dirty clothes. No, Kim is not running the company laundromat. As chief of Samsung's Washing & Cleaning Technology Group, he's the man behind a new washing machine that deposits tiny silver particles—about 1/10,000 the thickness of a human hair—onto clothes to make them bacteria- and odor-free without the need for hot water. The device represents the first mass-produced application of this type of
nanotechnology—the science of very small structures—to home appliances. "In summer of 2002, I asked everyone in the office to take off their socks," says Kim, 48, a short, talkative man with large glaring eyes. "I took one sock from each person and placed it in a regular washing machine; the others were washed in a machine with the Ag+ Nano System. The next day, I asked everyone to check the odor of their socks after a day's wear. One began to stink, and the other was odorless."
Kim says he came up with the idea five years ago while on a business trip to Japan, where he learned of a brand of socks that retained their freshness even after many days of unwashed wear and tear. Tiny strands of silver with disinfectant qualities were woven into the fabric. When he got back to Seoul, Kim applied the principle to washing machines.
Here's how it works: a grapefruit-sized device near the tub uses electrical currents to nano-shave two silver plates the size of chewing-gum sticks. The resulting silver particles are sprayed into the tub during the wash cycle. According to the Korea Testing & Research Institute for the Chemical Industry, Samsung's device kills 99.9% of bacteria and fungi. Kim says garments stay germ-free for up to a month after being laundered. The Ag+ Nano device went on sale in March 2003 (just ahead of other silver nanotech appliances from competitors LG and Daewoo) and costs around $1,150; the revolutionary technology is also being used in Samsung's refrigerators and air conditioners.
No wonder: consumers seem to like a little silver in their spin cycles. Since Samsung's nano-armed products were first launched, they have brought in an estimated $779 million in revenue. Overall, nanotech has been one of science's fastest-growing fields in recent years, with potential applications in fields as diverse as energy production and toothpaste manufacture. The nanotech market is projected to be worth $1 trillion by 2015.
Nanotechnology has its detractors, though. Lee Jo Won, director of Tera-level Nanodevices, a Seoul-based state-run R. and D. organization, believes "there is always danger with new technologies. We've done testing in laboratories with rats, and certain nano-sized particles ended up imbedded in rats' lungs after consistent exposure. However, with silver, I don't foresee problems, as it's a disinfectant."
Because this is such a hotly competitive field—Daewoo has introduced air conditioners that spray vitamin C into the environment—Kim isn't about to divulge what other nanotech projects he's working on. But one thing's for sure—from now on, even his dirtiest clothes will have a silver lining.
PETER HYUN'S SOUTH KOREA... NON-INTELLECTUAL KOREAN LEFT
From Mingi... an article from a few years back that his father wrote. His father, Peter Hyun, was a known South Korean journalist. I mentioned this before, but Mingi's uncle, Dr. Bong Hak Hyun, was an early mentor of mine.
An important statement he makes is:
Western intellectuals have experienced and observed communism and tend to have a strong anti-communist trend. However, the so-called leftists or progressives in Korea appear to be experts in reflecting North Korean propaganda and ideology.
Well, Europe and the U.S. never had to deal with such a high level of penetration by communist spies. For those that might not be aware, it is estimated that North Korean spies number in the hundreds, and possibly close to a thousand, and are concentrated in South Korea's major universities.
On Professor Choi's Korean History
BY PETER HYUN
THE CHOSUN ILBO
In the 1950s, when I was attending a university in the mid western United states, I was expelled for subscribing to the American communist mouthpiece 'The Daily Worker'. Two years later at the peak of McCarthyism I was deported from the US. This was only the beginning as in 1953, when I wrote articles for the weekly France Observateur, a left wing publication, the Korean embassy in Paris refused to extend my passport. I became stateless, living as an exile in Paris and had difficulty contributing pieces to the BBC, which threatened my being able to eat.
When Russian tanks rolled into Hungary in 1956, the French government gave out refugee passports registered to the UN and I too received one. Right after the student revolutions I was appointed cultural attache to the Korean embassy in Paris and acquired a diplomatic passport.
From 1952 to 1962 when I was in exile in Paris, I met a lot of British and French authors, artists and intellectuals. Among them were communist sympathizers such as Jean Paul Sartre, Margeurite Duras and Picasso, but they did not follow Stalin's policy and openly condemned the suppression of the freedom campaign in Hungary and Czechoslovakia.
There were also those who had once listened to the Marxist Utopia, but who woke up after their flirtatious youth, and they included Stephen Spender, Albert Camus and Arthur Koestler. Spender and Koestler co-authored "The God That Failed' alongside Richard Wright, Andre Gide and others. The book, which contains the experiences of those who absorbed communism in their youth and found its devilishness later, is
like an anti-communist manifesto. The book said that the real anti-communist is a former communist.
For the last several months I have noticed an enormous gap between liberals, progressives and leftists in Europe and those in Korea. Western intellectuals have experienced and observed communism and tend to have a strong anti-communist trend. However, the so-called leftists or progressives in Korea appear to be experts in reflecting North Korean propaganda and ideology.
Leftists in the West do not deny the history and legitimacy of their country. I have never heard a French leftist denigrate the role played by France in the First and Second World Wars, or condemn their country as one that was not supposed to be born. In the West, leftists are more patriotic. In contrast, leftists in Korea seem to deny the raison d'etre of the country they are living in. It is horrible to hear a
leftist say that government legitimacy resides in North Korea which is the world's most oppressive dictatorship.
It is surprising that this sort of thing happens when the North is the only Stalinist country left on earth and still aggressively expresses its ferver for revolution in a belligerent manner. I could detect Kim Jong-il's intentions from three trips to Pyongyang, namely that he wants to liberate South Korea from being a slave state at whatever the price.
Some intellectuals in Korea made up the 'national liberation war' to justify Kim Jong-il's South liberation theory. The media that opposed this was restricted by a court order. I am ashamed at where my country is heading.
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From Mingi... an article from a few years back that his father wrote. His father, Peter Hyun, was a known South Korean journalist. I mentioned this before, but Mingi's uncle, Dr. Bong Hak Hyun, was an early mentor of mine.
An important statement he makes is:
Western intellectuals have experienced and observed communism and tend to have a strong anti-communist trend. However, the so-called leftists or progressives in Korea appear to be experts in reflecting North Korean propaganda and ideology.
Well, Europe and the U.S. never had to deal with such a high level of penetration by communist spies. For those that might not be aware, it is estimated that North Korean spies number in the hundreds, and possibly close to a thousand, and are concentrated in South Korea's major universities.
On Professor Choi's Korean History
BY PETER HYUN
THE CHOSUN ILBO
In the 1950s, when I was attending a university in the mid western United states, I was expelled for subscribing to the American communist mouthpiece 'The Daily Worker'. Two years later at the peak of McCarthyism I was deported from the US. This was only the beginning as in 1953, when I wrote articles for the weekly France Observateur, a left wing publication, the Korean embassy in Paris refused to extend my passport. I became stateless, living as an exile in Paris and had difficulty contributing pieces to the BBC, which threatened my being able to eat.
When Russian tanks rolled into Hungary in 1956, the French government gave out refugee passports registered to the UN and I too received one. Right after the student revolutions I was appointed cultural attache to the Korean embassy in Paris and acquired a diplomatic passport.
From 1952 to 1962 when I was in exile in Paris, I met a lot of British and French authors, artists and intellectuals. Among them were communist sympathizers such as Jean Paul Sartre, Margeurite Duras and Picasso, but they did not follow Stalin's policy and openly condemned the suppression of the freedom campaign in Hungary and Czechoslovakia.
There were also those who had once listened to the Marxist Utopia, but who woke up after their flirtatious youth, and they included Stephen Spender, Albert Camus and Arthur Koestler. Spender and Koestler co-authored "The God That Failed' alongside Richard Wright, Andre Gide and others. The book, which contains the experiences of those who absorbed communism in their youth and found its devilishness later, is
like an anti-communist manifesto. The book said that the real anti-communist is a former communist.
For the last several months I have noticed an enormous gap between liberals, progressives and leftists in Europe and those in Korea. Western intellectuals have experienced and observed communism and tend to have a strong anti-communist trend. However, the so-called leftists or progressives in Korea appear to be experts in reflecting North Korean propaganda and ideology.
Leftists in the West do not deny the history and legitimacy of their country. I have never heard a French leftist denigrate the role played by France in the First and Second World Wars, or condemn their country as one that was not supposed to be born. In the West, leftists are more patriotic. In contrast, leftists in Korea seem to deny the raison d'etre of the country they are living in. It is horrible to hear a
leftist say that government legitimacy resides in North Korea which is the world's most oppressive dictatorship.
It is surprising that this sort of thing happens when the North is the only Stalinist country left on earth and still aggressively expresses its ferver for revolution in a belligerent manner. I could detect Kim Jong-il's intentions from three trips to Pyongyang, namely that he wants to liberate South Korea from being a slave state at whatever the price.
Some intellectuals in Korea made up the 'national liberation war' to justify Kim Jong-il's South liberation theory. The media that opposed this was restricted by a court order. I am ashamed at where my country is heading.
NEW VIEWPOINT ON BERGER SITUATION... DEMS LEAKED IT
Last night on Scarborough Country, MSNBC's political analyst, Lawrence O'Donnell, brought up an interesting perspective that while majority of the media (e.g. NY Times, Washington Post) was bashing the Republicans on overblowing the case and questioning the timing of the leak he believed it was the Kerry camp.
O‘DONNELL: If you have worked in campaigns, you know that, when you get a bomb that you can throw at the other side, you save it until October. You save it as late as possible.
Imagine, for example, even this story breaking a week later, breaking the day John Kerry was to give his speech in Boston. That is exactly what the Kerry campaign didn‘t want. I think, when we get the journalistic autopsy on this eventually, what you are going to find is Sandy Berger very slowly and very reluctantly and very, very recently told the Kerry campaign that he was being investigated by the FBI.
The Kerry campaign immediately said to him, you have got to make that public right away and we cannot let you go forward without making that public. He makes it public. You watch what happens to the story in 12 hours, and you cut him loose. And you want that to happen as soon as possible. You want it to happen this week, rather than next week. You want it to happen in July, rather than October.
All the incentive to push this story out and get it done with now comes from the Kerry campaign. The Bush campaign‘s incentive would be exactly the opposite.
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Last night on Scarborough Country, MSNBC's political analyst, Lawrence O'Donnell, brought up an interesting perspective that while majority of the media (e.g. NY Times, Washington Post) was bashing the Republicans on overblowing the case and questioning the timing of the leak he believed it was the Kerry camp.
O‘DONNELL: If you have worked in campaigns, you know that, when you get a bomb that you can throw at the other side, you save it until October. You save it as late as possible.
Imagine, for example, even this story breaking a week later, breaking the day John Kerry was to give his speech in Boston. That is exactly what the Kerry campaign didn‘t want. I think, when we get the journalistic autopsy on this eventually, what you are going to find is Sandy Berger very slowly and very reluctantly and very, very recently told the Kerry campaign that he was being investigated by the FBI.
The Kerry campaign immediately said to him, you have got to make that public right away and we cannot let you go forward without making that public. He makes it public. You watch what happens to the story in 12 hours, and you cut him loose. And you want that to happen as soon as possible. You want it to happen this week, rather than next week. You want it to happen in July, rather than October.
All the incentive to push this story out and get it done with now comes from the Kerry campaign. The Bush campaign‘s incentive would be exactly the opposite.
Tuesday, July 20, 2004
BERGER INVESTIGATION... STEPS DOWN AS ADVISOR
Well, I guess I couldn't avoid posting all the news about Sandy Berger. Hugh Hewitt has some questions here. Andy Sullivan has some comments on the NYT's spin on this. Just now the news is out that Berger is stepping down as Kerry's foreign policy adviser. Berger probably would have been Gore's Secretary of State and possibly Kerry's if they won. Now I'm not sure about his chances. It will depend on how the criminal investigation is resolved. If Berger is cleared and Kerry wins, the public has a short memory and can see this as a politically driven witchhunt. And yes, this Republican admits the timing is conveniently before the 9/11 Commission Report comes out... just like Richard Clarke's book.
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Well, I guess I couldn't avoid posting all the news about Sandy Berger. Hugh Hewitt has some questions here. Andy Sullivan has some comments on the NYT's spin on this. Just now the news is out that Berger is stepping down as Kerry's foreign policy adviser. Berger probably would have been Gore's Secretary of State and possibly Kerry's if they won. Now I'm not sure about his chances. It will depend on how the criminal investigation is resolved. If Berger is cleared and Kerry wins, the public has a short memory and can see this as a politically driven witchhunt. And yes, this Republican admits the timing is conveniently before the 9/11 Commission Report comes out... just like Richard Clarke's book.
AWESOME COMMENTARY BY OMAR IN IRAQ
HatTip to Roger Simon. Definitely read Omar from Iraqi The Model. An excerpt:
Was It Legitimate?
Because Iraqis have a lot to deal with regarding their daily life needs and the fact that we're not a major player in international politics, it becomes understandable that they pay less attention than the rest of the world to the legal complexities of the war and most of them see this war legitimate simply because it lead to their solvation and freedom.
You cannot tell a man that saving him and his family from torture, humiliation and death was a mistake and it should've not been done because it's illegal. This is almost an insult to Iraqis to hear someone saying that this war was illegal. It means that our suffering for decades meant nothing and that formalities and the stupid rules of the UN (that rarely function) are more important than the lives of 25 million people.
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HatTip to Roger Simon. Definitely read Omar from Iraqi The Model. An excerpt:
Was It Legitimate?
Because Iraqis have a lot to deal with regarding their daily life needs and the fact that we're not a major player in international politics, it becomes understandable that they pay less attention than the rest of the world to the legal complexities of the war and most of them see this war legitimate simply because it lead to their solvation and freedom.
You cannot tell a man that saving him and his family from torture, humiliation and death was a mistake and it should've not been done because it's illegal. This is almost an insult to Iraqis to hear someone saying that this war was illegal. It means that our suffering for decades meant nothing and that formalities and the stupid rules of the UN (that rarely function) are more important than the lives of 25 million people.
Monday, July 19, 2004
ANDY ROONEY JUST RETIRE... PLEASE. WITH SUGAR?
From Power Line... Definitely check out Robert Alt's interview with soldiers responding to Rooney's questions:
Andy Rooney of 60 Minutes recently wrote a column derogating the military mission of our soldiers serving in Iraq. Rooney offered five questions that he wished a reporter would ask soldiers in Iraq, a group he dubbed "victims" rather than "heroes."
Robert Alt of No Left Turns took the opportunity to elicit answers to the questions from a sample of the soldiers he has met while reporting from Iraq. The answers won't surprise you, but they will move your spirit and bolster your morale.
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From Power Line... Definitely check out Robert Alt's interview with soldiers responding to Rooney's questions:
Andy Rooney of 60 Minutes recently wrote a column derogating the military mission of our soldiers serving in Iraq. Rooney offered five questions that he wished a reporter would ask soldiers in Iraq, a group he dubbed "victims" rather than "heroes."
Robert Alt of No Left Turns took the opportunity to elicit answers to the questions from a sample of the soldiers he has met while reporting from Iraq. The answers won't surprise you, but they will move your spirit and bolster your morale.
GROWTH OF VENTURE-BACKED COMPANIES... GOOD INDICATOR
A plug for blocking laws that will force companies to deduct the cost of issuing employee stock options, which I'm against. Making companies expense stock options would hurt high-tech startups and innovation in America. The incentives for entrepreneurs would be less and the risk/reward ratio would be greater, which would eventually hurt economic growth. Of course people like Warren Buffett are against it since he doesn't make money off private entities and small companies. And what does Fool.com's Bill Mann know about economic growth and our future? His vision and wallet limits him to his back-pocket and backyard. Some more background on this issue here and here. And my old post on why technological growth is essential for economic development.
Venture-Backed Companies Expanding
By MICHAEL LIEDTKE
The Associated Press
July 19, 2004
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - While venture capitalists retrenched, many of the companies they helped create continued to expand during the past three years of economic turmoil, according to a study released Tuesday.
Venture-backed firms created 600,000 jobs nationwide from January 2001 through December 2003, a net gain of 6.5 percent, said Global Insights, a research firm that conducted the study for the National Venture Capital Association, an industry trade group.
Revenue among the venture-backed companies climbed $212 billion, or 11.6 percent, during those three years, the study found.
The venture-backed growth contrasted with a 2.3 percent payroll decline that wiped out 2.6 million jobs during the same period. Meanwhile, total sales at all U.S. companies surged by $1.14 trillion, or 6.5 percent.
At the end of 2003, venture-backed companies employed 10.1 million workers and generated combined revenue of $1.8 trillion - just under 10 percent of the national total in the private sector.
The study drew upon a database of nearly 26,500 companies financed by venture capitalists since 1970.
The broad scope included many corporate powerhouses that graduated from the ranks of startups decades ago. The employment count included the payrolls of Microsoft Corp., FedEx Corp., Apple Computer Inc., Intel Corp., Starbucks Corp. and The Home Depot Inc. - all of whom received venture capital in their formative years.
Relatively young companies like eBay Inc., JetBlue Airways Corp. and Google also contributed to the job growth.
The study suggests venture-backed companies often mature into market-leading companies that are better positioned to withstand economic downturns, said Andrew Hodge, a managing director for Global Insights.
But the long-term success of the companies doesn't necessarily help venture capitalists, who generally cash out of their investments in five to 10 years.
Burned by all the startups that failed in the dot-com bust, venture capitalists only recently have begun to emerge from the worst slump in the industry's history. As their losses piled up, venture capitalists throttled back on new investments and curtailed efforts to raise money to help finance future entrepreneurs.
The recent troubles overshadowed all the success stories spawned by venture capitalists, said Mark Heeson, National Venture Capital Association's president. "Maybe we haven't been doing a very good public relations job," he said.
The industry hopes to use the study's findings as a lobbying tool to persuade lawmakers that venture capital plants the seed for economic growth.
Venture capitalists currently are hoping to block a plan that would require companies to deduct the cost of issuing employee stock options. The industry believes the accounting change would make it more difficult for startups to distribute stock options and ultimately diminish growth by stifling the incentive to innovate.
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A plug for blocking laws that will force companies to deduct the cost of issuing employee stock options, which I'm against. Making companies expense stock options would hurt high-tech startups and innovation in America. The incentives for entrepreneurs would be less and the risk/reward ratio would be greater, which would eventually hurt economic growth. Of course people like Warren Buffett are against it since he doesn't make money off private entities and small companies. And what does Fool.com's Bill Mann know about economic growth and our future? His vision and wallet limits him to his back-pocket and backyard. Some more background on this issue here and here. And my old post on why technological growth is essential for economic development.
Venture-Backed Companies Expanding
By MICHAEL LIEDTKE
The Associated Press
July 19, 2004
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - While venture capitalists retrenched, many of the companies they helped create continued to expand during the past three years of economic turmoil, according to a study released Tuesday.
Venture-backed firms created 600,000 jobs nationwide from January 2001 through December 2003, a net gain of 6.5 percent, said Global Insights, a research firm that conducted the study for the National Venture Capital Association, an industry trade group.
Revenue among the venture-backed companies climbed $212 billion, or 11.6 percent, during those three years, the study found.
The venture-backed growth contrasted with a 2.3 percent payroll decline that wiped out 2.6 million jobs during the same period. Meanwhile, total sales at all U.S. companies surged by $1.14 trillion, or 6.5 percent.
At the end of 2003, venture-backed companies employed 10.1 million workers and generated combined revenue of $1.8 trillion - just under 10 percent of the national total in the private sector.
The study drew upon a database of nearly 26,500 companies financed by venture capitalists since 1970.
The broad scope included many corporate powerhouses that graduated from the ranks of startups decades ago. The employment count included the payrolls of Microsoft Corp., FedEx Corp., Apple Computer Inc., Intel Corp., Starbucks Corp. and The Home Depot Inc. - all of whom received venture capital in their formative years.
Relatively young companies like eBay Inc., JetBlue Airways Corp. and Google also contributed to the job growth.
The study suggests venture-backed companies often mature into market-leading companies that are better positioned to withstand economic downturns, said Andrew Hodge, a managing director for Global Insights.
But the long-term success of the companies doesn't necessarily help venture capitalists, who generally cash out of their investments in five to 10 years.
Burned by all the startups that failed in the dot-com bust, venture capitalists only recently have begun to emerge from the worst slump in the industry's history. As their losses piled up, venture capitalists throttled back on new investments and curtailed efforts to raise money to help finance future entrepreneurs.
The recent troubles overshadowed all the success stories spawned by venture capitalists, said Mark Heeson, National Venture Capital Association's president. "Maybe we haven't been doing a very good public relations job," he said.
The industry hopes to use the study's findings as a lobbying tool to persuade lawmakers that venture capital plants the seed for economic growth.
Venture capitalists currently are hoping to block a plan that would require companies to deduct the cost of issuing employee stock options. The industry believes the accounting change would make it more difficult for startups to distribute stock options and ultimately diminish growth by stifling the incentive to innovate.
TED SORENSEN SPEECH... GIMME A BREAK
I posted this as a favor to my friend, Thomas (ex-Clintonite with the hope of returning to the White House from exile through Kerry). He asked me to post this a few weeks back, but I was lazy about it. I might rebut points in this speech later on.
Fourth of July, 2004: "A Time to Weep"
by Ted Sorensen
Commencement Address, The New School, New York City
May 21, 2004
(Note: Theodore C. Sorensen, the leading Wall Street lawyer and former top aid to President John F. Kennedy, gave the following commencement address at The New School University in New York City on May 21, 2004. This speech is a call to arms, which deserves the serious attention of every patriotic American on this Fourth of July 2004 weekend.)
As a Nebraska émigré, I am proud to be made an Honorary Doctor of Laws by another Nebraska émigré, President Bob Kerrey, at an institution founded by still another, Alvin Johnston.
Considering the unhealthy state of our laws today, they probably could use another doctor.
My reciprocal obligation is to make a speech.
This is not a speech. Two weeks ago I set aside the speech I prepared. This is a cry from the heart, a lamentation for the loss of this country's goodness and therefore its greatness.
Future historians studying the decline and fall of America will mark this as the time the tide began to turn - toward a mean-spirited mediocrity in place of a noble beacon.
For me the final blow was American guards laughing over the naked, helpless bodies of abused prisoners in Iraq. "There is a time to laugh," the Bible tells us, "and a time to weep." Today I weep for the country I love, the country I proudly served, the country to which my four grandparents sailed over a century ago with hopes for a new land of peace and freedom. I cannot remain silent when that country is in the deepest trouble of my lifetime.
I am not talking only about the prison abuse scandal - that stench will someday subside. Nor am I referring only to the Iraq war - that too will pass - nor to any one political leader or party. This is no time for politics as usual, in which no one responsible admits responsibility, no one genuinely apologizes, no one resigns and everyone else is blamed. (full speech)
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I posted this as a favor to my friend, Thomas (ex-Clintonite with the hope of returning to the White House from exile through Kerry). He asked me to post this a few weeks back, but I was lazy about it. I might rebut points in this speech later on.
Fourth of July, 2004: "A Time to Weep"
by Ted Sorensen
Commencement Address, The New School, New York City
May 21, 2004
(Note: Theodore C. Sorensen, the leading Wall Street lawyer and former top aid to President John F. Kennedy, gave the following commencement address at The New School University in New York City on May 21, 2004. This speech is a call to arms, which deserves the serious attention of every patriotic American on this Fourth of July 2004 weekend.)
As a Nebraska émigré, I am proud to be made an Honorary Doctor of Laws by another Nebraska émigré, President Bob Kerrey, at an institution founded by still another, Alvin Johnston.
Considering the unhealthy state of our laws today, they probably could use another doctor.
My reciprocal obligation is to make a speech.
This is not a speech. Two weeks ago I set aside the speech I prepared. This is a cry from the heart, a lamentation for the loss of this country's goodness and therefore its greatness.
Future historians studying the decline and fall of America will mark this as the time the tide began to turn - toward a mean-spirited mediocrity in place of a noble beacon.
For me the final blow was American guards laughing over the naked, helpless bodies of abused prisoners in Iraq. "There is a time to laugh," the Bible tells us, "and a time to weep." Today I weep for the country I love, the country I proudly served, the country to which my four grandparents sailed over a century ago with hopes for a new land of peace and freedom. I cannot remain silent when that country is in the deepest trouble of my lifetime.
I am not talking only about the prison abuse scandal - that stench will someday subside. Nor am I referring only to the Iraq war - that too will pass - nor to any one political leader or party. This is no time for politics as usual, in which no one responsible admits responsibility, no one genuinely apologizes, no one resigns and everyone else is blamed. (full speech)
WHY PEOPLE READ BLOGS... FROM BLOGADS
I came across this from Joi Ito's site. Interesting survey. I think the title was mistakenly written since it refers to "blog readers" as "bloggers."
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I came across this from Joi Ito's site. Interesting survey. I think the title was mistakenly written since it refers to "blog readers" as "bloggers."
BITTERNESS IN SOUTH KOREA... WHERE ARE YOU PRESIDENT ROH?
From my friend, Mingi:
Why the Bereaved of the West Sea Naval Battle Want to Leave Korea
CHOSUN ILBO EDITORIAL
It has been two years since six sailors were killed in the West Sea battle, which was caused by North Korean patrol boats crossing over the Northern Limit Line and preemptively attacking a South Korean naval vessel. A remembrance celebration to mark the second anniversary of the battle was held yesterday at the headquarters of the Naval 2nd Fleet in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, with 150 people including victims’ families participating. However, the event was dismally lonely, and more distressing, the bereaved families despairingly poured out questions in full cry to this society and the government.
Did the Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea launched an investigation to find out facts as it does now when the West Sea naval battle broke out? Who apologized for the death of our boys? People, irrespective of rank, have been successively rushing to deliver condolence for a man who went to a foreign country to earn money and died there. But who went to the funeral services of the six sailors who sacrificed their lives for the nation? Even the Defense Minister and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as well as government officials did not attend the services.
One of the bereaved father’s decision pitiable. The father said, “My son is buried in the National Cemetery. But I’m going to take my son’s remains to my family burial site in my hometown.” Having watched the situation develop, he thought his son who was killed by North Korean soldiers was considered nothing more than a criminal. Some parents said that they are more scared of people who consider the U.S. a bigger enemy than North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, who killed their son. We lose courage to defend the country, when we hear that a wife whose husband fell in the battle is preparing to leave this country. Reading a condolence letter from the USFK commander to mark the second anniversary, the wife said, "The Americans remember my husband and his brothers-in-arms better than Koreans... Frankly, I hate Korea."
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From my friend, Mingi:
Why the Bereaved of the West Sea Naval Battle Want to Leave Korea
CHOSUN ILBO EDITORIAL
It has been two years since six sailors were killed in the West Sea battle, which was caused by North Korean patrol boats crossing over the Northern Limit Line and preemptively attacking a South Korean naval vessel. A remembrance celebration to mark the second anniversary of the battle was held yesterday at the headquarters of the Naval 2nd Fleet in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, with 150 people including victims’ families participating. However, the event was dismally lonely, and more distressing, the bereaved families despairingly poured out questions in full cry to this society and the government.
Did the Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea launched an investigation to find out facts as it does now when the West Sea naval battle broke out? Who apologized for the death of our boys? People, irrespective of rank, have been successively rushing to deliver condolence for a man who went to a foreign country to earn money and died there. But who went to the funeral services of the six sailors who sacrificed their lives for the nation? Even the Defense Minister and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as well as government officials did not attend the services.
One of the bereaved father’s decision pitiable. The father said, “My son is buried in the National Cemetery. But I’m going to take my son’s remains to my family burial site in my hometown.” Having watched the situation develop, he thought his son who was killed by North Korean soldiers was considered nothing more than a criminal. Some parents said that they are more scared of people who consider the U.S. a bigger enemy than North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, who killed their son. We lose courage to defend the country, when we hear that a wife whose husband fell in the battle is preparing to leave this country. Reading a condolence letter from the USFK commander to mark the second anniversary, the wife said, "The Americans remember my husband and his brothers-in-arms better than Koreans... Frankly, I hate Korea."
THIS LAND!... FROM JIBJAB.COM
If you haven't already, you gotta see this parody on "This Land is Your Land" with Bush, Kerry, Dean, and others in it. Makes fun of both sides and funny as hell... well, not as hell but a few good laughs. The site is sometimes busy, so you just have to be patient.
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If you haven't already, you gotta see this parody on "This Land is Your Land" with Bush, Kerry, Dean, and others in it. Makes fun of both sides and funny as hell... well, not as hell but a few good laughs. The site is sometimes busy, so you just have to be patient.
JOSEPH WILSON... ANOTHER LIAR AND KERRY ADVISOR
Kerry has got to at least surround himself with better people if he's thinking about winning this election. From Power Line:
Former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, now exposed as one of the most bald-faced liars in American history, has been a campaign adviser to John Kerry. Wilson's website, risibly titled Restore Honesty, is paid for by John Kerry for President, Inc. So we've been wondering whether Kerry will distance himself from Wilson, now that the Senate Intelligence Committee report has exposed Wilson as a serial liar. (full post)
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Kerry has got to at least surround himself with better people if he's thinking about winning this election. From Power Line:
Former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, now exposed as one of the most bald-faced liars in American history, has been a campaign adviser to John Kerry. Wilson's website, risibly titled Restore Honesty, is paid for by John Kerry for President, Inc. So we've been wondering whether Kerry will distance himself from Wilson, now that the Senate Intelligence Committee report has exposed Wilson as a serial liar. (full post)
SLIM FAST DROPS WHOOPI GOLDBERG
"Comedian Whoopi Goldberg will no longer appear in ads for diet aid maker Slim-Fast following her lewd riff on President Bush's name at a fund-raiser last week, the company said on Wednesday."
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"Comedian Whoopi Goldberg will no longer appear in ads for diet aid maker Slim-Fast following her lewd riff on President Bush's name at a fund-raiser last week, the company said on Wednesday."
CATCHING UP WITH OLD FRIENDS... BOOK PROMOTION
Tonight I had dinner with my friend, Deborah, who is coming out with a book about why people should or should not become attorneys. I forgot the title but it targets three segments of people: pre-law (considering law school), current law students considering career paths, and current attorneys. She begins her book promotional tour in a couple months, so I'll be posting her Amazon link later on.
Deborah and I shared the bond of going through the Coro Fellowship in 1995-1996. It was an intense leadership training program where we worked 70-100 hour weeks and enjoyed it... well, most of it. Anyway, here's picture from our week in D.C. where we got to meet, interview, and listen to the leaders of the free world at that time... Clinton, Gore, Reno, Albright, Strobe Talbott, etc.
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During our interview with Secretary Albright, I think I annoyed her with my probing questions about their policies in Bosnia at the time
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Tonight I had dinner with my friend, Deborah, who is coming out with a book about why people should or should not become attorneys. I forgot the title but it targets three segments of people: pre-law (considering law school), current law students considering career paths, and current attorneys. She begins her book promotional tour in a couple months, so I'll be posting her Amazon link later on.
Deborah and I shared the bond of going through the Coro Fellowship in 1995-1996. It was an intense leadership training program where we worked 70-100 hour weeks and enjoyed it... well, most of it. Anyway, here's picture from our week in D.C. where we got to meet, interview, and listen to the leaders of the free world at that time... Clinton, Gore, Reno, Albright, Strobe Talbott, etc.
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During our interview with Secretary Albright, I think I annoyed her with my probing questions about their policies in Bosnia at the time
LAME WEEK FOR BLOGGING... COOL NEW FUNCTIONS!
This past week I was occupied with the AlwaysOn conference, catching up with some friends, and just chillin in San Fran. I'm sorry for not being that active on my blog this week. I'm going to post some articles that some of you might have already read this week as I try to catch up myself with what's going on in the world. I also have a backlog of essay topics I wanted to tackle, so you'll see some stuff of substance beyond links to articles of note.
Also Blogger finally add some additional editing tools and functionality that I'm trying out right now. Being a narcissistic type (why else would i have a blog?), I might as well make my first photo upload a caricature of myself. The picture below it is what the caricature was based on. This was ten years ago, so imagine it with 30 more pounds... actually don't.
Back in college, my dorm was filled with students from Hong Kong who first told me that I looked like Chow Yun-Fat. I remember a couple years after college, when I gained 30 pounds, my friend told my mother that people thought I looked like Chow Yun-Fat. My mother turned to me and said, "Dear, you don't look like Chow Yun-Fat. You're just Fat! So please start losing some weight!"
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This past week I was occupied with the AlwaysOn conference, catching up with some friends, and just chillin in San Fran. I'm sorry for not being that active on my blog this week. I'm going to post some articles that some of you might have already read this week as I try to catch up myself with what's going on in the world. I also have a backlog of essay topics I wanted to tackle, so you'll see some stuff of substance beyond links to articles of note.
Also Blogger finally add some additional editing tools and functionality that I'm trying out right now. Being a narcissistic type (why else would i have a blog?), I might as well make my first photo upload a caricature of myself. The picture below it is what the caricature was based on. This was ten years ago, so imagine it with 30 more pounds... actually don't.
Back in college, my dorm was filled with students from Hong Kong who first told me that I looked like Chow Yun-Fat. I remember a couple years after college, when I gained 30 pounds, my friend told my mother that people thought I looked like Chow Yun-Fat. My mother turned to me and said, "Dear, you don't look like Chow Yun-Fat. You're just Fat! So please start losing some weight!"
Thursday, July 15, 2004
BRIEF NOTE FROM ALWAYSON CONFERENCE
I haven't been able to blog since I've been at this conference and then visiting friends during the evenings, but it's been pretty cool so far. Michael Powell, FCC Chairman, was great and yesterday's session "Wireless War: What Technologies Will Win?" was good.
Also Tuesday evening Tony Perkins presented awards for various technology companies:
Friendster and AuctionDrop are sharing the "Consumer Technology Company of the Year" award, MySQL won the AO "Business-to-Business Company of the Year" award, and Yahoo won the "Top Innovation Award" for its post-bubble strategic and market performance.
AuctionDrop was an interesting company to me since I unknowingly came across it at a UPS Store a few weeks ago. I saw one of their forms and thought it was a service of eBay. Little did I know that it was a wholly separate business based on eBay's incredible impact on our society. You basically drop the items you want to sell on eBay at a UPS Store and AuctionDrop will take care of everything (e.g. marketing and selling the items, taking photos, answering questions and making the shipment after sale). They started from five stores in the Bay Area to a nationwide deal with UPS' 3,000+ stores.
I might use this service now instead of dealing with sorting through and categorizing all my baseball cards and comics I wanted to sell.
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I haven't been able to blog since I've been at this conference and then visiting friends during the evenings, but it's been pretty cool so far. Michael Powell, FCC Chairman, was great and yesterday's session "Wireless War: What Technologies Will Win?" was good.
Also Tuesday evening Tony Perkins presented awards for various technology companies:
Friendster and AuctionDrop are sharing the "Consumer Technology Company of the Year" award, MySQL won the AO "Business-to-Business Company of the Year" award, and Yahoo won the "Top Innovation Award" for its post-bubble strategic and market performance.
AuctionDrop was an interesting company to me since I unknowingly came across it at a UPS Store a few weeks ago. I saw one of their forms and thought it was a service of eBay. Little did I know that it was a wholly separate business based on eBay's incredible impact on our society. You basically drop the items you want to sell on eBay at a UPS Store and AuctionDrop will take care of everything (e.g. marketing and selling the items, taking photos, answering questions and making the shipment after sale). They started from five stores in the Bay Area to a nationwide deal with UPS' 3,000+ stores.
I might use this service now instead of dealing with sorting through and categorizing all my baseball cards and comics I wanted to sell.
Tuesday, July 13, 2004
ALWAYSON CONFERENCE... AO2004: THE INNOTIVATION SUMMIT!
Do Not Use Payless Rent-A-Car... Straight Out Joke
I'm in San Francisco this week for the AlwaysOn conference. Great line up of speakers, such as Susan Ayers-Walker (Chairman, MIT/Stanford Venture Lab), Michael Powell (Chairman, FCC), Steve Jurvetson (Managing Partner, Draper Fisher Jurvetson), Professor Larry Lessig (Stanford Law School), and Joe Trippi (Founder, Change for America and Howard Dean's former campaign manager). Starts tonight so I'll post something up on the conference later tonight.
Side story... I typically use Budget, National, or Enterprise when I travel and rent a car. This time I used Expedia to look for a rent-a-car and I came across a deal with Payless. I was thinking they were all pretty similar, so I might as well take the cheapest price. When I arrive at the Payless office at SFO, it looked like trailer converted into an office. The printer they used was at least 15 years old. The kind you roll in the paper as if it was a typewriter. The "Payless" sign on the wall was cracked and faded, and I began to wonder if the company was going bankrupt soon or if this was a franchised location that was losing money.
The surreal scene that could have been in National Lampoon's Vacation continued when they pulled up my Ford Escort. It was dented and scraped, and looked out a car they pulled out of a junky used car lot. The attendent actually had to go over the car with me to pre-check it and see if I could add to the mess that was before me. Two scratches side rear panel, front bumper with white paint scraped, some sappy substance on the roof,... I was tired and just wanted to go to my hotel room. Payless? Never again.
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Do Not Use Payless Rent-A-Car... Straight Out Joke
I'm in San Francisco this week for the AlwaysOn conference. Great line up of speakers, such as Susan Ayers-Walker (Chairman, MIT/Stanford Venture Lab), Michael Powell (Chairman, FCC), Steve Jurvetson (Managing Partner, Draper Fisher Jurvetson), Professor Larry Lessig (Stanford Law School), and Joe Trippi (Founder, Change for America and Howard Dean's former campaign manager). Starts tonight so I'll post something up on the conference later tonight.
Side story... I typically use Budget, National, or Enterprise when I travel and rent a car. This time I used Expedia to look for a rent-a-car and I came across a deal with Payless. I was thinking they were all pretty similar, so I might as well take the cheapest price. When I arrive at the Payless office at SFO, it looked like trailer converted into an office. The printer they used was at least 15 years old. The kind you roll in the paper as if it was a typewriter. The "Payless" sign on the wall was cracked and faded, and I began to wonder if the company was going bankrupt soon or if this was a franchised location that was losing money.
The surreal scene that could have been in National Lampoon's Vacation continued when they pulled up my Ford Escort. It was dented and scraped, and looked out a car they pulled out of a junky used car lot. The attendent actually had to go over the car with me to pre-check it and see if I could add to the mess that was before me. Two scratches side rear panel, front bumper with white paint scraped, some sappy substance on the roof,... I was tired and just wanted to go to my hotel room. Payless? Never again.
AIDS IN AFRICA
From this week's Newsweek:
Medicine Without Doctors
In Africa, just 2 percent of people with AIDS get the treatment they need. But drugs are cheap, access to them is improving and a new grass-roots effort gives reason to hope.
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From this week's Newsweek:
Medicine Without Doctors
In Africa, just 2 percent of people with AIDS get the treatment they need. But drugs are cheap, access to them is improving and a new grass-roots effort gives reason to hope.
Monday, July 12, 2004
FCC CHAIRMAN JOINS THE BLOGOSPHERE... AT ALWAYSON
Michael Powell officially joins the blogosphere at AlwaysOn, where he posted his first in a series of columns. Active responses by readers at the site. Check it out.
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Michael Powell officially joins the blogosphere at AlwaysOn, where he posted his first in a series of columns. Active responses by readers at the site. Check it out.
Sunday, July 11, 2004
MORE FROM ROGER SIMON... "WHY WE ARE THE WAY WE ARE"
Roger's response to a Mickey Kaus commentary:
When I read Mickey Kaus, a man I know and like, was voting for John Kerry, a man he pretty much despises, in the coming election, I was reminded again what painful times we live in...
As is well known to those with even a passing interest in this, I feel the opposite of Mickey for almost identical reasons. I am voting for Bush to preserve those gains. And even though I don't despise Bush personally the way Kaus seems to revile Kerry, I certainly condemn the President's views on a host of issues, principally social ones. I just think an electoral defeat of Bush will be seen worldwide as a rejection of the War on Terror and at this particular point in history that could have disastrous effects. (full post)
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Roger's response to a Mickey Kaus commentary:
When I read Mickey Kaus, a man I know and like, was voting for John Kerry, a man he pretty much despises, in the coming election, I was reminded again what painful times we live in...
As is well known to those with even a passing interest in this, I feel the opposite of Mickey for almost identical reasons. I am voting for Bush to preserve those gains. And even though I don't despise Bush personally the way Kaus seems to revile Kerry, I certainly condemn the President's views on a host of issues, principally social ones. I just think an electoral defeat of Bush will be seen worldwide as a rejection of the War on Terror and at this particular point in history that could have disastrous effects. (full post)
PAUL KRUGMAN VS. SIMONE LEDEEN
Via Roger Simon... I think Ledeen takes round one. From Ledeen's National Review article:
When I was in business school several years ago, my macroeconomics professor assigned one of Paul Krugman's books for us to read; it was a collection of essays about President George W. Bush's economic plan. Dutifully, my classmates and I read the book, researched Krugman's position, and spent time analyzing his arguments. I was disappointed that in his June 29 article, "Who Lost Iraq?," Krugman didn't apply the same standards of honest research and analysis to me and my father, Michael Ledeen, that I had applied to him.
Criticizing what he claims are the failures of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq (CPA), Krugman wrote:
If the occupiers often seemed oblivious to reality, one reason was that many jobs at the C.P.A. went to people whose qualifications seemed to lie mainly in their personal and political connections — people like Simone Ledeen, whose father, Michael Ledeen, a prominent neoconservative, told a forum that "the level of casualties is secondary" because "we are a warlike people" and "we love war."
Instead of trying to find out who my colleagues and I really are and what we did in Iraq, Krugman created a fantasy world in which unqualified people got great jobs because they were children of celebrated or powerful Washington insiders. (I won't dwell on the fact that Krugman also quoted my father out of context; those interested can verify this for themselves.) Times readers are entitled to the real story, however. People were hired based on professional experience and abilities, not cronyism. The Pentagon had a website up for many months to recruit volunteers for both Iraq and Afghanistan. In my case, I have an MBA, spent a year in post-Communist Eastern Europe at a newly privatized publishing house, and have worked at an economic consulting firm and a venture-capital group.
No doubt, some at the CPA volunteered because of their political beliefs, but I don't know of anyone who was hired because of them. Contrary to Krugman's fantasy, several of my colleagues were staunchly antiwar and had voted for Gore, yet held positions of considerable responsibility within the provisional government. (full article)
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Via Roger Simon... I think Ledeen takes round one. From Ledeen's National Review article:
When I was in business school several years ago, my macroeconomics professor assigned one of Paul Krugman's books for us to read; it was a collection of essays about President George W. Bush's economic plan. Dutifully, my classmates and I read the book, researched Krugman's position, and spent time analyzing his arguments. I was disappointed that in his June 29 article, "Who Lost Iraq?," Krugman didn't apply the same standards of honest research and analysis to me and my father, Michael Ledeen, that I had applied to him.
Criticizing what he claims are the failures of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq (CPA), Krugman wrote:
If the occupiers often seemed oblivious to reality, one reason was that many jobs at the C.P.A. went to people whose qualifications seemed to lie mainly in their personal and political connections — people like Simone Ledeen, whose father, Michael Ledeen, a prominent neoconservative, told a forum that "the level of casualties is secondary" because "we are a warlike people" and "we love war."
Instead of trying to find out who my colleagues and I really are and what we did in Iraq, Krugman created a fantasy world in which unqualified people got great jobs because they were children of celebrated or powerful Washington insiders. (I won't dwell on the fact that Krugman also quoted my father out of context; those interested can verify this for themselves.) Times readers are entitled to the real story, however. People were hired based on professional experience and abilities, not cronyism. The Pentagon had a website up for many months to recruit volunteers for both Iraq and Afghanistan. In my case, I have an MBA, spent a year in post-Communist Eastern Europe at a newly privatized publishing house, and have worked at an economic consulting firm and a venture-capital group.
No doubt, some at the CPA volunteered because of their political beliefs, but I don't know of anyone who was hired because of them. Contrary to Krugman's fantasy, several of my colleagues were staunchly antiwar and had voted for Gore, yet held positions of considerable responsibility within the provisional government. (full article)
JOURNALISM AT ITS BEST AGAIN... BONDS ALL-STAR STORY
How could San Francisco Chronicle writer, Henry Schulman, incorrectly report that Barry Bonds was being compensated for his participation in the All-Star Game Home Run Derby? Bad source? Good source, bad information? Heard an unconfirmed rumor and went with it?
Or is this more of a "why"? Why would Henry Schulman make up a story painting Barry Bonds in a negative manner? Or why would Henry Schulman go with unconfirmed rumor or information painting Barry Bonds in a negative manner? Does he not like Bonds, who isn't a favorite among reporters? Does he want a different angle on the story to highlight himself? Whatever the case is Henry Schulman should be ashamed, but a personality that drives such as act probably isn't regretful or apologetic of his actions.
Bonds clears it up here.
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How could San Francisco Chronicle writer, Henry Schulman, incorrectly report that Barry Bonds was being compensated for his participation in the All-Star Game Home Run Derby? Bad source? Good source, bad information? Heard an unconfirmed rumor and went with it?
Or is this more of a "why"? Why would Henry Schulman make up a story painting Barry Bonds in a negative manner? Or why would Henry Schulman go with unconfirmed rumor or information painting Barry Bonds in a negative manner? Does he not like Bonds, who isn't a favorite among reporters? Does he want a different angle on the story to highlight himself? Whatever the case is Henry Schulman should be ashamed, but a personality that drives such as act probably isn't regretful or apologetic of his actions.
Bonds clears it up here.
Thursday, July 08, 2004
KENNETH STARR ON "MY LIFE"... WHAT BILL CLINTON LEFT OUT
Great reminder. Read it if you can.
My Job
What Bill Clinton left out of his memoir.
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
BY KENNETH W. STARR
Thursday, July 8, 2004
The last American president of the 20th century has now told in elaborate detail his remarkable story. At its best, his book, "My Life," not only demonstrates the great natural gifts and steely determination of its subject, but points more broadly to the greatness of the country itself. Ours is the opportunity society, Bill Clinton's story reminds us. It is the revolutionary society insisting on the inalienability of fundamental, God-given rights, including the pursuit of happiness. For Bill Clinton, that pursuit found ambitious expression in childhood dreams of reaching the pinnacle of American politics.
Along with its high optimism, the story told by the nation's 42nd president has a decidedly unhappy dimension. Its pages brim with bitter reflections on the source of that unhappiness--the selection of a court-appointed prosecutor in the Whitewater investigation. That prosecutor, we are reminded, replaced an earlier, highly distinguished prosecutor, Robert Fiske, who had been chosen in early 1994 by President Clinton's own attorney general, Janet Reno, to investigate the matter. Mr. Fiske should have continued to serve, the argument goes, especially since (in the author's view) there was essentially nothing of substance to investigate in the first place, given that he and the first lady had lost money on the Whitewater investment. Therefore, Mr. Clinton concludes that the entire investigation became a tale of partisan politics.
It was my task to complete the investigations begun by Bob Fiske, whom Ms. Reno had appointed during a period when the independent counsel law had lapsed. A three-judge panel appointed me pursuant to a 1994 law, which Mr. Clinton himself signed, that re-established the office of independent counsel. The sad and undisputed facts revealed by those investigations scarcely need retelling. Numerous criminal prosecutions and convictions dotted the legal landscape, including the conviction (and resignation) of a sitting governor of Arkansas; the convictions of Jim and Susan McDougal, business partners in Whitewater; and the guilty pleas of, among others, a former associate attorney general of the U.S. (and chief justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court).
The crimes were ferreted out through the hard work and professionalism of men and women from the FBI and the IRS, the honorable service of honest citizens serving on grand juries in Little Rock, Ark., and Washington, and, finally, through the courageous and sacrificial service of (largely career) prosecutors. Many of those prosecutors in both Little Rock and Washington were on assignment to our office from U.S. attorneys' offices around the country and from "Main Justice," the Justice Department itself. Two boasted the Department of Justice's highest award for career prosecutors. These men and women were honest, hardworking, law-abiding public servants. (full article)
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Great reminder. Read it if you can.
My Job
What Bill Clinton left out of his memoir.
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
BY KENNETH W. STARR
Thursday, July 8, 2004
The last American president of the 20th century has now told in elaborate detail his remarkable story. At its best, his book, "My Life," not only demonstrates the great natural gifts and steely determination of its subject, but points more broadly to the greatness of the country itself. Ours is the opportunity society, Bill Clinton's story reminds us. It is the revolutionary society insisting on the inalienability of fundamental, God-given rights, including the pursuit of happiness. For Bill Clinton, that pursuit found ambitious expression in childhood dreams of reaching the pinnacle of American politics.
Along with its high optimism, the story told by the nation's 42nd president has a decidedly unhappy dimension. Its pages brim with bitter reflections on the source of that unhappiness--the selection of a court-appointed prosecutor in the Whitewater investigation. That prosecutor, we are reminded, replaced an earlier, highly distinguished prosecutor, Robert Fiske, who had been chosen in early 1994 by President Clinton's own attorney general, Janet Reno, to investigate the matter. Mr. Fiske should have continued to serve, the argument goes, especially since (in the author's view) there was essentially nothing of substance to investigate in the first place, given that he and the first lady had lost money on the Whitewater investment. Therefore, Mr. Clinton concludes that the entire investigation became a tale of partisan politics.
It was my task to complete the investigations begun by Bob Fiske, whom Ms. Reno had appointed during a period when the independent counsel law had lapsed. A three-judge panel appointed me pursuant to a 1994 law, which Mr. Clinton himself signed, that re-established the office of independent counsel. The sad and undisputed facts revealed by those investigations scarcely need retelling. Numerous criminal prosecutions and convictions dotted the legal landscape, including the conviction (and resignation) of a sitting governor of Arkansas; the convictions of Jim and Susan McDougal, business partners in Whitewater; and the guilty pleas of, among others, a former associate attorney general of the U.S. (and chief justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court).
The crimes were ferreted out through the hard work and professionalism of men and women from the FBI and the IRS, the honorable service of honest citizens serving on grand juries in Little Rock, Ark., and Washington, and, finally, through the courageous and sacrificial service of (largely career) prosecutors. Many of those prosecutors in both Little Rock and Washington were on assignment to our office from U.S. attorneys' offices around the country and from "Main Justice," the Justice Department itself. Two boasted the Department of Justice's highest award for career prosecutors. These men and women were honest, hardworking, law-abiding public servants. (full article)
VIRAL MARKETING GAINS RESPECT IN MAINSTREAM
"Viral Ads Gain Respect as Marketing Tool" from ABC News. Interesting also that the reporter, Adrienne Mand, did not cite Tim Draper and Steve Jurvetson as the creators of this trend. Draper originally came up with the phrase and idea, while Jurvetson was an active evangelist. These two storied venture capitalists had such investments hits as Hotmail (acquired by Microsoft), Four11 (acquired by Yahoo!), and Overture. I guess they are not known by some in the mainstream press.
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"Viral Ads Gain Respect as Marketing Tool" from ABC News. Interesting also that the reporter, Adrienne Mand, did not cite Tim Draper and Steve Jurvetson as the creators of this trend. Draper originally came up with the phrase and idea, while Jurvetson was an active evangelist. These two storied venture capitalists had such investments hits as Hotmail (acquired by Microsoft), Four11 (acquired by Yahoo!), and Overture. I guess they are not known by some in the mainstream press.
BUSH TOLD THE TRUTH!... ABOUT URANIUM FROM NIGER!
Huge. Read Instapundit here. And check out Hugh Hewitt's post:
The center-left at the New Republic, and the conspiracy-driven left represented by Joshua Micah Marshall are now embracing a wild speculation, one that resembles Madelaine Albright's nutty question to Morton Kondracke of a few months ago when she asked if the Bush Administration had Osama locked up and ready for pre-election delivery to American authorities. This new version has the Pakistanis working to grab a "high value target" in time to step on John Kerry's acceptance speech. (As though that speech is going to set America marching again to the sounds of the sixties.) This is more evidence of "Michael Moore disease" spreading among the Dems.
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Huge. Read Instapundit here. And check out Hugh Hewitt's post:
The center-left at the New Republic, and the conspiracy-driven left represented by Joshua Micah Marshall are now embracing a wild speculation, one that resembles Madelaine Albright's nutty question to Morton Kondracke of a few months ago when she asked if the Bush Administration had Osama locked up and ready for pre-election delivery to American authorities. This new version has the Pakistanis working to grab a "high value target" in time to step on John Kerry's acceptance speech. (As though that speech is going to set America marching again to the sounds of the sixties.) This is more evidence of "Michael Moore disease" spreading among the Dems.
ECONOMY EXPECTED TO BOOM
"We are moving into a sweet spot for the economy with interest rates not too high, jobs coming back and business investment providing strength," said Diane Swonk, chief economist at Bank One in Chicago, who is predicting GDP growth of 4.8 percent this year. (full article)
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"We are moving into a sweet spot for the economy with interest rates not too high, jobs coming back and business investment providing strength," said Diane Swonk, chief economist at Bank One in Chicago, who is predicting GDP growth of 4.8 percent this year. (full article)
WHITE CHICKEN AND OTHER RANDOM STORIES
A couple days ago my friend, Hamon, and I were recalling old stories about our friend Jimmy during our college years. Jimmy is one of the most animated people I know with a gift for telling stories and creating them through his amusing manners and timely words.
After Jimmy and some of his friends graduated from Northwestern University, they took a road trip out west and visited the Grand Canyon. As they approached one of the viewing plateaus, they told me there was great anticipation from most of the guys since majority of them never visited this majestic creation. As soon as the van stopped, they jumped out to catch their first view of the canyon. Just silence and awe.
Jimmy was late getting out of the van, followed up behind them, took one glance, and said, "Okay... It's great. Can we go now?" A few of them glazed back at Jimmy, who openly admitted his lack of appreciation for nature and its wonders. My friend, Peter, told me that Jimmy ruined the moment for some of them that day. Now we all just laugh at this typical Jimmy moment.
Hamon also talked about the time Jimmy came by and asked him and Pete, "Hey, let's go to the White Chicken for some drinks and snacks."
"White Chicken? Where's that?"
"White Chicken... you know the place down the street."
Hamon and Pete were confused, "No. We don't know that place."
"Come on guys! You know... bawk, bawk! The White Chicken!" Jimmy's frustrated voice cracked as he flapped his arms like a chicken.
Hamon and Peter were still confused and Jimmy grew more frustrated and flapped his wings even more.
Eventually, they realized he was talking about White Hen Pantry, but since it was his first year in Chicago he wasn't familiar with all the commercial names. Hamon and Peter grew up in Chicago and had limited powers of recognition since they were too familiar with the White Hen brand even if Jimmy's incorrect name was very close.
"White Hen... White Chicken! Same thing...geez!" he proclaimed at the end.
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A couple days ago my friend, Hamon, and I were recalling old stories about our friend Jimmy during our college years. Jimmy is one of the most animated people I know with a gift for telling stories and creating them through his amusing manners and timely words.
After Jimmy and some of his friends graduated from Northwestern University, they took a road trip out west and visited the Grand Canyon. As they approached one of the viewing plateaus, they told me there was great anticipation from most of the guys since majority of them never visited this majestic creation. As soon as the van stopped, they jumped out to catch their first view of the canyon. Just silence and awe.
Jimmy was late getting out of the van, followed up behind them, took one glance, and said, "Okay... It's great. Can we go now?" A few of them glazed back at Jimmy, who openly admitted his lack of appreciation for nature and its wonders. My friend, Peter, told me that Jimmy ruined the moment for some of them that day. Now we all just laugh at this typical Jimmy moment.
Hamon also talked about the time Jimmy came by and asked him and Pete, "Hey, let's go to the White Chicken for some drinks and snacks."
"White Chicken? Where's that?"
"White Chicken... you know the place down the street."
Hamon and Pete were confused, "No. We don't know that place."
"Come on guys! You know... bawk, bawk! The White Chicken!" Jimmy's frustrated voice cracked as he flapped his arms like a chicken.
Hamon and Peter were still confused and Jimmy grew more frustrated and flapped his wings even more.
Eventually, they realized he was talking about White Hen Pantry, but since it was his first year in Chicago he wasn't familiar with all the commercial names. Hamon and Peter grew up in Chicago and had limited powers of recognition since they were too familiar with the White Hen brand even if Jimmy's incorrect name was very close.
"White Hen... White Chicken! Same thing...geez!" he proclaimed at the end.
Tuesday, July 06, 2004
MESSED UP ROH ADMINISTRATION... MESSED UP DEMOCRACY
Obviously something smells funny in South Korea's Blue House (their White House). How could a democratic government give recognition to North Korea spies for their contribution to Korea's democracy movement?? What messed up thinking is going on in the Blue House? Roh's wife is the daughter of a famous North Korean spy. Maybe Roh from his youth was a spy too? Maybe a believer in Communism? Maybe a supporter of Kim Sung Il and now Jong Il? Something just doesn't seem right. This is defying common sense and logic for me. Supposedly there are hundreds of North Korean spies that have infiltrated South Korea over the past decades, especially within universities. It wouldn't surprise me if several of them or their "students" are now key members of the Roh administration. You're messed up, President Roh!
Fury and praise follow decision on North's spies
THE JOONGANG ILBO
by Lee Chul-jae
July 7, 2004
A surprising report by a government panel that recognized the contribution of three North Korean spies to Korea's democracy movement prompted a wave of reaction yesterday that ran from rage to praise.
The majority of the responses sharply criticized the decision, while some carefully said that it reflected political tolerance and improved human rights in the country.
The Presidential Truth Commission on Suspicious Deaths released findings Thursday that recognized the deaths of spies Choi Seok-gi, Park Yung-seo and Son Yun-gu as a part of the democratization movement.
According to commission members, a previous commission wrongly concluded the men's refusal to change their political allegiance as a denial of democracy's basic order. They also added that there was no justification for leaving out their leftist ideology in regard to considerations of human rights and democracy. (full article)
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Obviously something smells funny in South Korea's Blue House (their White House). How could a democratic government give recognition to North Korea spies for their contribution to Korea's democracy movement?? What messed up thinking is going on in the Blue House? Roh's wife is the daughter of a famous North Korean spy. Maybe Roh from his youth was a spy too? Maybe a believer in Communism? Maybe a supporter of Kim Sung Il and now Jong Il? Something just doesn't seem right. This is defying common sense and logic for me. Supposedly there are hundreds of North Korean spies that have infiltrated South Korea over the past decades, especially within universities. It wouldn't surprise me if several of them or their "students" are now key members of the Roh administration. You're messed up, President Roh!
Fury and praise follow decision on North's spies
THE JOONGANG ILBO
by Lee Chul-jae
July 7, 2004
A surprising report by a government panel that recognized the contribution of three North Korean spies to Korea's democracy movement prompted a wave of reaction yesterday that ran from rage to praise.
The majority of the responses sharply criticized the decision, while some carefully said that it reflected political tolerance and improved human rights in the country.
The Presidential Truth Commission on Suspicious Deaths released findings Thursday that recognized the deaths of spies Choi Seok-gi, Park Yung-seo and Son Yun-gu as a part of the democratization movement.
According to commission members, a previous commission wrongly concluded the men's refusal to change their political allegiance as a denial of democracy's basic order. They also added that there was no justification for leaving out their leftist ideology in regard to considerations of human rights and democracy. (full article)
KERRY PICKS EDWARDS
It was the obvious and good choice to pick Edwards as his running mate. Too bad the same cannot be said about Kerry.
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It was the obvious and good choice to pick Edwards as his running mate. Too bad the same cannot be said about Kerry.
Sunday, July 04, 2004
CONSTRUCTION OF FREEDOM TOWER BEGINS ON THE FOURTH
NEW YORK - A 20-ton slab of granite, inscribed to honor "the enduring spirit of freedom," was laid Sunday at the World Trade Center site as the cornerstone of the skyscraper that will replace the destroyed towers.
The ceremony marked the start of construction on the 1,776-foot Freedom Tower, designed as a twisting glass and steel tower that evokes the Statue of Liberty, including a 276-foot spire resembling her torch.
Gov. George E. Pataki said he chose July 4 to begin rebuilding to show that the terrorists who attacked New York on Sept. 11, 2001, didn't destroy America's faith in freedom.
"How badly our enemies underestimated the resiliency of this city and the resolve of these United States," Pataki said. "In less than three years, we have more than just plans on paper — we place here today the cornerstone, the foundation of a new tower." (full article)
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NEW YORK - A 20-ton slab of granite, inscribed to honor "the enduring spirit of freedom," was laid Sunday at the World Trade Center site as the cornerstone of the skyscraper that will replace the destroyed towers.
The ceremony marked the start of construction on the 1,776-foot Freedom Tower, designed as a twisting glass and steel tower that evokes the Statue of Liberty, including a 276-foot spire resembling her torch.
Gov. George E. Pataki said he chose July 4 to begin rebuilding to show that the terrorists who attacked New York on Sept. 11, 2001, didn't destroy America's faith in freedom.
"How badly our enemies underestimated the resiliency of this city and the resolve of these United States," Pataki said. "In less than three years, we have more than just plans on paper — we place here today the cornerstone, the foundation of a new tower." (full article)
FOURTH OF JULY ACTIVITIES... RIBFEST!
Being in Chicago and hanging out with my very settled and very married friends led me to Naperville's Ribfest today. We travelled about an hour from my home (north shore snobs heading down to the south suburbs) to eat some good ribs and chill on the great birthday of our nation. When we arrived, we definitely knew this was a different world than the North Suburbs of Chicago. The ribfest was setup like a county fair grounds, which I attended when I lived in Springfield, IL, and a country music band was blaring in the background. Never thought I would hear country music at a Chicago event. One of my friends was commenting on the blue jean shorts that was noticeable in the crowds... hence the reason for calling this group "North Shore Snobs."
Anyway, we split up and went to four different vendors and met up to taste each of the ribs we bought. Three out of the four were good and we ate until we were content. Some of the group bought some pulled pork and beef brisket, which was excellent. Afterwards, we hit the dessert stands where one of my friends found an awesome creation. Deep-fried candy bars! Snickers or Milky Way bars deep-fried in funnel cake batter and topped with powder sugar. How kick-ass is that? Only in the Midwest or South, and only in places like this ribfest. If you haven't tried it, you have to at least have a bite the next time you get an opportunity. If you're on Atkin's or South Beach, just cheat for the day!
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Being in Chicago and hanging out with my very settled and very married friends led me to Naperville's Ribfest today. We travelled about an hour from my home (north shore snobs heading down to the south suburbs) to eat some good ribs and chill on the great birthday of our nation. When we arrived, we definitely knew this was a different world than the North Suburbs of Chicago. The ribfest was setup like a county fair grounds, which I attended when I lived in Springfield, IL, and a country music band was blaring in the background. Never thought I would hear country music at a Chicago event. One of my friends was commenting on the blue jean shorts that was noticeable in the crowds... hence the reason for calling this group "North Shore Snobs."
Anyway, we split up and went to four different vendors and met up to taste each of the ribs we bought. Three out of the four were good and we ate until we were content. Some of the group bought some pulled pork and beef brisket, which was excellent. Afterwards, we hit the dessert stands where one of my friends found an awesome creation. Deep-fried candy bars! Snickers or Milky Way bars deep-fried in funnel cake batter and topped with powder sugar. How kick-ass is that? Only in the Midwest or South, and only in places like this ribfest. If you haven't tried it, you have to at least have a bite the next time you get an opportunity. If you're on Atkin's or South Beach, just cheat for the day!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!
Here's some background at the site "History of Independence Day". Some information on the writer of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, who interestingly died on the 4th of July.
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Here's some background at the site "History of Independence Day". Some information on the writer of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, who interestingly died on the 4th of July.
Friday, July 02, 2004
MAS OYAMA... TOUGHEST DUDE I EVER HEARD OF
I randomly came across this site about "fighting masters" throughout modern times, and I was impressed the most by Mas Oyama. He was a Korean-Japanese (when Korea was occupied by Japan, many Koreans would adopt Japanese names in order to survive and gain access to education in Japan) that founded Kyokushin Karate. I would have loved to see him in Pride, which I believe is a true test of fighting (K-1 is lame and not a real test of overall fighting skills). This nut would have done some damage. He killed 52 bulls with his bare hands!
Mas Oyama, in order to show the strength of his karate, tested his strength by fighting raging bulls bare-handed. It was a mismatch from the get-go for the bulls, not for Oyama. In all, he fought 52 bulls, three of which were killed instantly, and 49 had their horns taken off with knife hand blows. That it is not to say that it was all that easy for him. Oyama was fond of remembering that his first attempt just resulted in an angry bull. In 1957, at the age of 34, he was nearly killed in Mexico when a bull got some of his own back and gored him. Oyama somehow managed to pull the bull off and break off his horn.
In 1952, he travelled the United States for a year, demonstrating his karate live and on national television. During subsequent years, he took on all challengers, resulting in fights with 270 different people. The vast majority of these were defeated with one punch! A fight never lasted more than three minutes, and most rarely lasted more than a few seconds. His fighting principle was simple — if he got through to you, that was it.
If he hit you, you broke. If you blocked a rib punch, you arm was broken or dislocated. If you didn't block, your rib was broken. He became known as the Godhand, a living manifestation of the Japanese warriors' maxim Ichi geki, Hissatsu or "One strike, certain death". To him, this was the true aim of technique in karate.
Anyway, it also would have been interesting to see Bruce Lee fight in these tournaments. Always a topic of debate and fantasy among martial arts fans. Some question whether his size would have been a huge disadvantage, but all I have to point to his Royce Gracie defeating Dan Severns and others, who weighed 60-80+ lbs. more than him, during his string of Ultimate Fighting Championships victories. Also Benny "The Jet" Urquidez's defeat of Dana Goodsen at the World Series of Martial Arts. Benny weighed 135 lbs. and Dana weighed 225, and Benny kicked his ass. Bruce was an excellent all around fighter and a good grappler, so I could see him easily improving his ground skills for these fights and winning.
Actually, this is another area that Max and I bond with. I fought in Tae Kwon Do tournaments during my youth until early high school, and won some tournaments (yes, i'm bragging). Of course I stopped after I got fat and slow during my college years. Max also competed and he was a Tae Kwon Do instructor during his college and graduate school years. For MMA fans, one story he told me about was when he was sparring with a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructor with almost no restrictions. He got in the upper position, started to choke him from the front and the guy didn't know what to do (not allowed in Pride and other tournaments). Soon the guy tapped out. I thought it was pretty funny.
Hope the Korean government lifts this ban of blogging sites, so Max can comment soon and finally post something since he has some downtime from work. Yo! President Roh and the MIC, stop acting like a communist state!
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I randomly came across this site about "fighting masters" throughout modern times, and I was impressed the most by Mas Oyama. He was a Korean-Japanese (when Korea was occupied by Japan, many Koreans would adopt Japanese names in order to survive and gain access to education in Japan) that founded Kyokushin Karate. I would have loved to see him in Pride, which I believe is a true test of fighting (K-1 is lame and not a real test of overall fighting skills). This nut would have done some damage. He killed 52 bulls with his bare hands!
Mas Oyama, in order to show the strength of his karate, tested his strength by fighting raging bulls bare-handed. It was a mismatch from the get-go for the bulls, not for Oyama. In all, he fought 52 bulls, three of which were killed instantly, and 49 had their horns taken off with knife hand blows. That it is not to say that it was all that easy for him. Oyama was fond of remembering that his first attempt just resulted in an angry bull. In 1957, at the age of 34, he was nearly killed in Mexico when a bull got some of his own back and gored him. Oyama somehow managed to pull the bull off and break off his horn.
In 1952, he travelled the United States for a year, demonstrating his karate live and on national television. During subsequent years, he took on all challengers, resulting in fights with 270 different people. The vast majority of these were defeated with one punch! A fight never lasted more than three minutes, and most rarely lasted more than a few seconds. His fighting principle was simple — if he got through to you, that was it.
If he hit you, you broke. If you blocked a rib punch, you arm was broken or dislocated. If you didn't block, your rib was broken. He became known as the Godhand, a living manifestation of the Japanese warriors' maxim Ichi geki, Hissatsu or "One strike, certain death". To him, this was the true aim of technique in karate.
Anyway, it also would have been interesting to see Bruce Lee fight in these tournaments. Always a topic of debate and fantasy among martial arts fans. Some question whether his size would have been a huge disadvantage, but all I have to point to his Royce Gracie defeating Dan Severns and others, who weighed 60-80+ lbs. more than him, during his string of Ultimate Fighting Championships victories. Also Benny "The Jet" Urquidez's defeat of Dana Goodsen at the World Series of Martial Arts. Benny weighed 135 lbs. and Dana weighed 225, and Benny kicked his ass. Bruce was an excellent all around fighter and a good grappler, so I could see him easily improving his ground skills for these fights and winning.
Actually, this is another area that Max and I bond with. I fought in Tae Kwon Do tournaments during my youth until early high school, and won some tournaments (yes, i'm bragging). Of course I stopped after I got fat and slow during my college years. Max also competed and he was a Tae Kwon Do instructor during his college and graduate school years. For MMA fans, one story he told me about was when he was sparring with a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructor with almost no restrictions. He got in the upper position, started to choke him from the front and the guy didn't know what to do (not allowed in Pride and other tournaments). Soon the guy tapped out. I thought it was pretty funny.
Hope the Korean government lifts this ban of blogging sites, so Max can comment soon and finally post something since he has some downtime from work. Yo! President Roh and the MIC, stop acting like a communist state!
Thursday, July 01, 2004
SENATE BILL SEEKS TO BAN P2P
Recording Industry Association of America and other industry associations flex their muscles. Inducing Infringement of Copyrights Act has some strong support on the Hill. Not good news for Kazaa, Morpheus, and others.
More on the file-swapping industry, the state of Kazaa, and the growing competitive landscape.
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Recording Industry Association of America and other industry associations flex their muscles. Inducing Infringement of Copyrights Act has some strong support on the Hill. Not good news for Kazaa, Morpheus, and others.
More on the file-swapping industry, the state of Kazaa, and the growing competitive landscape.
Business & Technology, Politics, and Random Posts from the Left, Right, and Elsewhere
Place of Birth: Seoul, Korea
Hometown: Northbrook, IL USA
Lived in: Seoul, Chicago (Villa Park & Northbrook), Madison, WI, Springfield, IL, St. Louis, New York City, Chicago (Glenview), Seoul, San Francisco
Also blogs at: AlwaysOn, Coro Blog, SportsBlog
More on Bernard or Blogger profile or GoingOn profile or Linkedin profile
Max Yow
Homeland: Canada
Sports: combative sports, sports you play with a ball, sports with no swimming, sports you can play while drinking and smoking (pool, darts, bowling, video games).
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"You cannot go on explaining away things over forever or you will find that you have explained even explanation itself away. You cannot go on seeing through things forever because the whole point of seeing through something is to see something else through it." - C.S Lewis
December 11, 2005
"This telephone has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us." - Western Union internal memo, 1876
December 4, 2005
"You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individual. To that end each of us must work for his own improvement, and at the same time share a general responsibility for all humanity, our particular duty being to aid those to whom we think we can be most useful." - Marie Curie
November 27, 2005
"One cannot step into the same river twice." - Heratidus
November 20, 2005
"The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference and undernourishment." - Robert Maynard Hutchins
November 13, 2005
"We are moving away from the old idea of leadership -- leadership has less to do (now) with heroism. We don’t look for... unblemished omnipotent heroes, but leaders who are complex, dependent, changeable... We do not need one dominant authority structure telling all our inner voices to shut up..." - Walter Truett Anderson
November 6, 2005
"To know oneself is to know one’s [country]. It is also... paradoxically a form of exile from that world... to know oneself is, above all, to know what one lacks. It is to measure oneself against Truth, and not the other way around. The first product of self-knowledge is humility, and that virtue is not conspicuous in any national character." - Flannery O’Connor
October 30, 2005
"Men content themselves with the same words as other people use, as if the very sound necessarily carried the same meaning." - John Locke
October 23, 2005
"In order to thrive in a world of change and chaos, we will need to accept 'chaos' as an essential process by which natural systems, including organizations, renew and revitalize themselves." - Margaret Wheatley
October 16, 2004
"Politics is perhaps the only profession for which no preparation is thought necessary." - Robert Louis Stevenson
October 9, 2004
"We will be better and braver if we engage and inquire than if we indulge in the idle fancy that we already know - or that it is of no use seeking to know what we do not know." - Plato
October 2, 2004
"Man's mind stretched to a new idea never goes back to its original dimensions." - Oliver W. Holmes
September 25, 2004
"What you learn intellectually lies in the shallow pools among the wrinkles of your brain. What you learn through the skin of experience sinks deep into your roots." - Hank Taft
September 18, 2004
"In commanding us to glorify him, God is inviting us to enjoy him." - C.S. Lewis
September 11, 2004
"A society is judged by how it treats its least desirable people." - Anonymous
September 4, 2004
"This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no "brief candle" to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to the future generations." - George Bernard Shaw
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