Here’s to a Happy, Healthy, Drama-Free Holiday Season

I’m going to go ahead and take a few days off for the holidays. I hope you enjoy every moment!
I’ll still be reading, though. And I’ll be sharing what I’m reading below. Please feel free to post your comments!

Right-Wing Radio’s Broken Record

 
 
The New York Times reported this morning that conservative radio is gearing up for a new era of being on the offensive.  After years of playing defense, the article explains, right-wing radio hosts are really excited about being able to criticize policies again, rather than simply defending them.  But the truth is that, no matter how much they try [...]

RIAA to Stop Suing Users

The Wall Street Journal reports that the RIAA has decided to change its strategy of suing users directly, to getting Internet Service Providers to police file sharing.  More here.

College Football Academic Rankings Released

Higher Ed Watch has released its annual Academic BCS Rankings, which ranks football schools by the academic performance of their football players.  Here are the top ten that are playing in this years bowls:

Boston College (122)
Northwestern (110.5)
Penn State (107.5)
Cincinnati (97.5)
Ball State (85)
TCU (73.5)
Oklahoma State (66)
Boise State (64)
Utah (60.5)
Virginia Tech (55.5)

More here.

Scientists Find Secret to Happiness in Old Age

 
 
“Nothing bothers grandma. I love her so much.” Why is it that nothing seems to bother grandma? Scientists in the UK have concluded that the brains of the elderly are more equipped at weeding out negative memories than are the brains of younger people:
It is believed that as we get older we [...]

RIAA Kills Yet Another Music Platform

 
Techcrunch just reported that yet another online music sharing service, Mixwit, is going out of business.
In the book Free Culture: How Big Media Uses Technology and the Law to Lock Down Culture and Control Creativity, Lawrence Lessig describes big media’s attempts to, not just increase its overall footprint, but to ensure that its content is the only content.  By essentially bribing [...]

Free Press: Spend $44 Billion of Stimulus on Broadband

Usually, when we think about how we are going to use stimulus money to improve infrastructure, we think, “roads, schools and buildings.”  Broadband is usually only a secondary concern.  But this mindset is wrong.  Improving broadband penetration rates in underserved areas is the key component to accomplishing all of the other infrastructure improvements that President-elect [...]

Fascinating “Infographics” From Princeton

Here are thousands of pages of U.S. policy and cultural trends digested in compelling, digestible graphics.
More here.

Congress Gives Self $4,700 Per Member Annual Raise

Where are the priorities?  

We just spent $700 billion on a stimulus package that isn’t working. 
Total job losses for the year are approaching 2 million.
Wages are stagnant.
We have an actual deficit of $53 trillion.

And Congress has just given each member a $4,700 per year raise?  A RAISE??? And why aren’t we doing anything about it? [...]

Photo Essay: Obama’s College Days

I just saw Time’s photo essay on Obama’s college years. Lots of these pics are with Obama wearing some sort of a panama hat.  Also, I didn’t know he was THAT much of a smoker!  Look at the picture at left, for example.  Damn, dude!  Slow down!  (I’m one to talk, though.  I was the [...]

keep looking »