~ It appears that the winter tradewinds have arrived on Guam, making this an exceptionally pleasant place to be.
~ Microsoft's next challenger is coming from India! InstaColl has launched Live Documents, a hybrid online-offline office suite of applications, designed to mimic Microsoft Office 2007. It will be free for individuals (100MB of free data storage included). Companies will pay for the system. The Times has an article on the announcement and its significance.
I've requested an invitation to the beta. So I'm waiting for a test-drive.
The fact that this company is based outside the US is at least as significant as the product they are offering. It is a bellwether.
~ The NY Times is running a series of articles about "how American religious organizations benefit from an increasingly accommodating government." The latest in the series is "Megachurches add local economy to their mission." The general tone of the articles is pretty negative -- painting churches as money-hungry institutions constantly angling for ways to make a buck. There is not much discussion about the overall benefit of the money spent or if there might be a bottom-line other than the dollar. Also, not given much consideration are the vast number of churches who are involved in community development as a part of their ministry -- everything from after school programs to creating entry level job opportunities -- e.g. JPUSA.
~ B-2 Stealth bombers from Guam have been using Hawaii for target practice. It's an ongoing show for the benefit of North Korea. -- Link
~ Jesus 101 -- Campus Crusade's online introduction to Jesus appears to be effective. -- Link
~ Even babies can tell right from wrong -- Link
~ Belated birthday wishes to the Internet, which turned 30 yesterday (the 22nd). Kudos to Al Gore and the others who helped him with his invention. -- Link
~ Charitable or foolish? -- basic lessons in cross-cultural living -- Link
3 comments:
When speaking about the internet you have made several snarky comments regarding Al Gore and his "inventing" the internet. It is well documented that Al Gore did NOT claim to invent the internet, and it seems dishonest for you to continually invoke this falsehood. Criticize Al Gore all you want, but be honest when you do. Don't be guilty of "sound bite assassination".
Here a few links to look at about the internet and Gore that took me all of 10 seconds to google.
http://www.snopes.com/quotes/internet.asp
http://www.perkel.com/politics/gore/internet.htm
http://www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue5_10/wiggins/
Scott Grandi
We're all pretty aware that Al Gore didn't literally claim to invent the Internet (like most of us, he wouldn't have the technical capability). But when he was stumping he claimed to be the political brains behind it ("I took the initiative in creating the Internet.") as though this whole phenomena could somehow be traced back to him.
When we poke fun at Al Gore we are with tongue firmly in cheek poking at his propensity toward exaggeration and self-granduerization.
Much to Gore's credit he has seen the humor in the constant poking and has run with it -- even making appearances on Jay Leno and once when speaking to a University of Michigan students joked about how he invented the Internet.
He's not offended and most people understand the humor behind the ongoing joke.
I would disagree with you about "Gore's propensity toward exaggerations and self-granduerization" and fact that this is a harmless joke. I view it much as I view the swiftboating of John Kerry - a cynical political move to misrepresent and smear a rival. By our continually repeating this "joke" as a fact we are in fact continually doing "sound bite assassination" of someone. And this is wrong, whether we call it a joke or tongue in cheek.
I would encourage you read the following:
He's No Pinocchio - How the press has exaggerated Al Gore's exaggerations http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2000/0004.parry.html
Washington Monthly, Robert Parry, Apr. 2000
"But an examination of dozens of these articles, which purport to detail the chief cases of Gore's exaggerations and lies, finds journalists often engaging in their own exaggerations or even publishing outright falsehoods about Gore."
What Gore had said wasn't silly enough. So Dick Armey--and the press corps--reinvented it. http://www.dailyhowler.com/h032999_1.shtml
Daily Howler, Mar. 29 1999
"Why didn't Blitzer challenge Gore's remark? Why didn't journalists comment originally? Easy. They didn't do so because what Gore had said wasn't that far off--until, with the help of credulous scribes, Dick Armey reinvented the story."
Inventing Invented The Internet! http://www.dailyhowler.com/dh120302.shtml
Daily Howler, Dec. 3, 2002
"No one said Boo about Gore's remark. Then, the RNC spin-points arrived"
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