March 19, 2008

Reactions to The Speech (thx to PocketNines at dKos):
    ... As an example of contemporary oratory, it was stunning. As political rhetoric, it was designed to do far more than damage control and, in the end, distilled the essence of his candidacy. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Editorial)
    ... Has any major U.S. politician in modern times ever given a speech about race in America as unflinching, human and ultimately hopeful as the one Barack Obama delivered yesterday? .... It was possibly the most important major speech on race in America since Dr. King died, and it probably saved Mr. Obama's candidacy. If, in the end, Barack Obama does not win the nomination, let it never be said that he did not serve his country. (Dallas Morning News Editorial)
    ... So Obama, in that exceptional way he has of brushing aside polemics, stepped up to a podium in Philadelphia and challenged us to see all the shades of gray, to embrace our greater and shared humanity. It was a moving moment in American history to hear a man who could be president dissect the rancorous matter of race with such candor, and it called to mind other piercing addresses by the likes of FDR, Kennedy and King. (Chicago Sun-Times Editorial)
    ... This was not a campaign speech; it was Barack Obama speaking to the ages. Clearly, he has thought about this issue for a very long time. Americans can learn from him, no matter what course the campaign may take. (Sacramento Bee Editorial)
    ... With his brilliant speech on race relations yesterday at the National Constitution Center, Barack Obama showed why his campaign for president has the aura of a mission. (Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial)
    ... We can't know how effective Mr. Obama's words will be with those who will not draw the distinctions between faith and politics that he drew, or who will reject his frank talk about race. What is evident, though, is that he not only cleared the air over a particular controversy -- he raised the discussion to a higher plane. (New York Times Editorial)
    ... No single speech will recalibrate America's consideration of race and politics, but we are closer today, thanks to this remarkable address, to facing our history and perfecting our nation. (LA Times Editorial)
    ... Obama took the opportunity to engage the question of race in America, starting a bold, uncomfortably honest conversation. He asked Americans to talk openly about the deep wells of anger and resentment over racism, discrimination, and affirmative action. It's a call to break out of the country's racial stalemate and finally reach a new national understanding. (Boston Globe Editorial)
    ... In the annals of American history, a watershed moment should come from "A More Perfect Union," Sen. Barack Obama's powerful speech linking 221 years of race relations. (Seattle Times Edirorial)
    ... Mr. Obama's speech was an extraordinary moment of truth-telling. He coupled it with an appeal that this year's campaign not be dominated by distorted and polarizing debates about whether he or his opponents agree with extreme statements by supporters -- or other attempts to divide the electorate along racial lines. Far better, he argued, that Americans of all races recognize they face common economic, social and security problems. (Washington Post Editorial)
    ... On Tuesday morning, at a moment of maximum peril to his own ambitions, Sen. Barack Obama delivered not just a speech, but an extraordinary gift to America: A way to transcend racial divisions and political cynicism and set about the task of forming a more perfect union. The 45-minute address, delivered to an audience of 200 elected officials and religious leaders at Philadelphia's Constitution Center, would have been remarkable under any circumstances. Under the circumstances that beset the senator from Illinois, it was the equivalent of a World Series walk-off grand-slam home run, a singular moment in the history of American political rhetoric. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
    ... Obama, confronted with flaws in his own church "family," passes these tests. His thoughtful exploration of those flaws certainly was good for his campaign. But by fully and realistically exploring and discussing the hard topic of race, Obama did more. He showed deep understanding of this complex culture, and faith in the strength of the national family. (Houston Chronicle Editorial)
    ... The complex calculus of racial animus in this nation is real. And it is powerful. And, as Obama said, "to simply wish it away, to condemn it without understanding its roots, only serves to widen the chasm of misunderstanding that exists between the races." This nation needs to bridge that chasm. One speech won't do it. Nor will one candidacy. But it would help if we stop using race as a political cudgel. (Newsday Editorial)
    ... But Sen. Obama had a larger purpose in mind: not merely to handle a political problem, but to talk about race and the future of America. In a quiet, insightful, at times powerful speech he examined the reasons for both anger and hope. It was a message our nation sorely needs to hear, and one he is uncommonly qualified to deliver. (Charlotte Observer Editorial)
    ... This was not a speech written by a political spinmeister just back from taking the pulse of the latest focus group. It was the heartfelt speech of a man who has spent a good part of his life thinking about what it means to be an American. (Newark Star-Ledger Editorial)
    ... When we think of words in politics or governance that had to be said, we think of the Gettysburg Address or Franklin Delano Roosevelt's admonition that all we had to fear was "fear itself." And now we think of Obama's speech on race - words that sorely needed saying. (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Editorial)
    ... If Obama is, as we hope, the leader who can draw people across political divides to create real change and a renewed optimism in America, then confronting race head-on was inevitable. Perhaps Pastor Wright did us all a favor. (San Jose Mercury-News Editorial)
    ... But every American, young and old, should hear this speech. Obama certainly isn't a post-racial candidate, if there is such a thing, and he didn't claim to be one Tuesday. But he did offer an inspiring vision of a nation where unity eclipses division, and where the identity we cherish most is the one we all share: American. (The Oregonian Editorial)
    ... His speech was frank and honest. And it offered hope that by confronting the racial resentments that continue to divide us, this nation can move forward toward becoming a more tolerant and understanding place. (Des Moines Register Editorial)
    ... Then again, Obama has already astounded conventional wisdom with the progress he's made in this year's presidential campaign. For the nation's sake, hope that America's conscience was at least pricked to want to do better. (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle Editorial)
    ... It would have been politically expedient for Obama to disown Wright totally. But in a reflection of his own integrity, Obama said Wright was instrumental in the development of his faith and had other virtues that his critics were ignoring. (Kansas City Star Editorial)
    ... Yesterday morning, in what may be remembered as a landmark speech regardless of who becomes the next president, Obama established new parameters for a dialogue on race in America that might actually lead somewhere -- that might break out of the sour stasis of grievance and countergrievance, of insensitivity and hypersensitivity, of mutual mistrust. (Eugene Robinson, Washington Post)
    ... I have never felt more convinced that this man's candidacy - not this man, his candidacy - and what he can bring us to achieve - is an historic opportunity. This was a testing; and he did not merely pass it by uttering safe bromides. He addressed the intimate, painful love he has for an imperfect and sometimes embittered man. And how that love enables him to see that man's faults and pain as well as his promise. This is what my faith is about. It is what the Gospels are about. This is a candidate who does not merely speak as a Christian. He acts like a Christian. (Andrew Sullivan, The Daily Dish)
    ... Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), who co-chairs the Maryland for Obama campaign, hit the nail on the head when he told me: "Obama has the ability to elevate our thinking beyond the chicken-yard scratching and biting. He calls on us to soar like eagles. And if he can't always take you there, he can sure dare you to go." (Courtland Milloy, Washington Post)
    ... With this address, Obama was trying to show the nation a pathway to a society free of racial gridlock and denial. Moreover, he declared that bridging the very real racial divide of today is essential to forging the popular coalition necessary to transform America into a society with a universal and effective health care system, an education system that serves poor and rich children, and an economy that yields a decent-paying jobs for all. Obama was not playing the race card. He was shooting the moon. (David Corn, MotherJones.com)
    ... Can you give a State of the Union address before you're president? Barack Obama talked about race in America for 45 minutes in a nearly 5,000-word speech. That was longer than some of the annual presidential addresses, and though, yes, those speeches tend to cover more topics, this one felt like it addressed the actual state of our union more than those dreary January list readings presidents are obligated to perform. (John Dickerson, Slate)
    ... Yet the speech was also hopeful, patriotic, quintessentially American -- delivered against a blue backdrop and a phalanx of stars and stripes. Mr. Obama invoked the fundamental values of equality of opportunity, fairness, social justice. He confronted race head-on, then reached beyond it to talk sympathetically about the experiences of the white working class and the plight of workers stripped of jobs and pensions. (Janny Scott, New York Times)
    ... In introducing the speech, Harris Wofford, the former senator from Pennsylvania, hinted at the historic weight that hung over the occasion. Wofford, a friend of Martin Luther King Jr.'s and a onetime adviser to President John F. Kennedy, recalled a White House conversation with King, after Kennedy had informed King that there would be no quick vote on the sweeping civil rights legislation pending. "Martin turned to me and said, 'I had hoped we at long last had a president who had the intelligence to understand this problem and the political skill to solve it and the moral passion to see it through. I'm convinced ... that he has got the intelligence and the skill. We'll have to see if he has the passion'." Wofford suggested that Obama did in fact possess all three qualities. The critics, reporters, cable commentators -- and ultimately the voters -- will all be weighing that assertion in the aftermath of the most personal and extensive discussion of the legacy of slavery made by any major American politician in memory. For the moment, Obama gave them much more to talk about than the sermons of Jeremiah Wright. (Jonathan Alter, Newsweek)
    ... Politicians rarely achieve such a depth of humanity, in part because they're captive to narrow life experiences, rigid ideology or consultants. It's one thing to know intellectually that race is still a factor in American life and how it polls. It's quite another to eloquently express the profound stain of past racial injustices without being trite, hostile or unabashedly partisan. (Jim Mitchell, Dallas Morning News)
    ... Today we saw and heard a preview of our brightest possible American future in Senator Barack Obama's glorious speech. This, then, is what it means to be presidential. To be moral. To have a real center. To speak honestly, from the heart, for the benefit of all. If there was any doubt about what we have missed in the anti-intellectual, ruthlessly incurious Bush years, and even the slippery Clinton ones (the years of "what is is"), those doubts were laid to rest by Barack Obama's magisterial speech today. A speech in which he distanced himself from a flawed father figure, Reverend Wright, and did so with almost Shakespearian dignity and honor. (Jon Robin Baitz, Huffington Post)
    ... I'm gonna be probably the only Conservative in America who's gonna say something like this, but I'm just tellin' you -- we've gotta cut some slack to people who grew up being called names, being told 'you have to sit in the balcony when you go to the movie. You have to go to the back door to go into the restaurant. And you can't sit out there with everyone else. There's a separate waiting room in the doctor's office. Here's where you sit on the bus....' And you know what? Sometimes people do have a chip on their shoulder and resentment. And you have to just say, I probably would too. (Mike Huckabee)

March 11, 2008

War Drums: Did the last barrier to war with Iran just fall? (Huffington Post)
Science: Cal Tech researchers report progress in quantum teleportation. (Scientific American)
Apple: John Doerr: iPhone the 'Third Great Platform'? (Rediff India Abroad)
    ... The Nielson ratings folks try to regain relevance, embracing Great Platform 2. (Silicon Alley Insider)
    ... Apples and Apples: not so fast, says Sir Paul. (Billboard)
Election: It's primary day in Mississippi today. (New York Times)
    ... But voting is also taking place here in Southern Oregon. (Medford Mail Tribune)
    ... In Grants Pass, seven candidates have filed for Jim Raffenburg's seat. (KAJO)
    ... Meanwhile here's the skinny on Hillary's and Barack's tastes in wine/beer. (Wine Spectator)
Related links: (Electoral-Vote.com | Larry Sabato | RealClearPolitics)
High-performance computing: Mellanox Technologies today joined The Green Grid. (Mellanox)
    ... The Green Grid is a global consortium dedicated to advancing energy efficiency in data centers... (The Green Grid)
    ... which the Gartner Group has criticized. (Computerworld)
    ... So, one year after its launch, how much of a difference has the Green Grid made? (Techworld)

December 29, 2007

Ron Paul doesn't think the glaciers are melting. (Prisonplanet)
Ron Paul doesn't accept evolution. (Scienceblogs)
Ron Paul thinks a fertilized egg is a person. (Bentcorner)

December 28, 2007

The big science stories of 2007. (Scientific American | Discover)
The aftermath of assassination. (New York Times)
    ... Bhutto was buried without a formal autopsy. (rawstory)
Man bakes cake: Susan B. Anthony. (Wikipedia | biography) | atheist on a coin)
France will ban smoking in cafes, bars, restaurants, and discos as of January 2. (BBC)

December 27, 2007

Man flaunts hook: The most interesting guy running for office in the US today is four foot nine and has a hook for a hand. He's also smart, brave, tough, savvy, and funny, and he just might unseat an incumbent Senator if he can only get his party's nomination. (VoteHook.org)
Benazir Bhutto has been assassinated. (International Herald Tribune | Wikipedia | obituary)
Kwanzaa begins today. (Detroit Free Press | official site)
Apple and Fox team up for movie rentals. (Fortune)
Man bakes cake: Marlene Dietrich. (Wikipedia | official site | IMDB)

December 26, 2007

I hear music: Tom Waits. (Crooks and Liars)
Man bakes cake: Steve Allen. (Wikipedia)
I'm watching this: You missed the competition, but here's the video. (World RPS Society)

December 24, 2007

Coin flipping isn't fair. (GOOD Magazine)
When did CNN become the National Inquirer? (GOOD Magazine | WTFCNN)

December 23, 2007

CNN thinks Bush's legacy will be 'mixed.' (CNN)
The very private JK Rowling opens up in a revealing documentary. (Daily Mail)
Happy birthday, Public Library of Science. (PLoS)
    ... Who died on your birthday? (The Death Report)
In Kansas, a BBC reporter sees 'a revolution in American Christendom, a change of heart that could see American Protestant churches looking increasingly like their European equivalents.' (BBC)
The Ruckus, The Gaggle, and Stumper are neither Dwarfs nor Smurfs but Newsweek blogs. (National Journal)
The P.U.-litzer Prizes for 2007 have been announced. (FAIR)

December 22, 2007

There are many reasons for the season, but when will it be the season for reason?
The Winter Solstice is here, and none too soon. We could sure use more daylight. (dKos)
I'm watching this: Iraqi rockers are building a following in Istanbul. (Aljazeera/YouTube)
Apple is censoring discussions of its screen-color problems. (Guardian)
Mikey eats everything: The upside of catastrophe: deep-fried dough with powdered sugar! (US News & World Report)
The CIA withheld torture tapes from 9/11 Commission. (New York Times)
For those of us confused by the term, Mr. Fish explains compassionate conservatism. (truthdig)
Does anything eat wasps? (New Scientist book/Amazon)

December 21, 2007

Cost-competitive $1/watt solar cells are now shipping. (Nanosolar)
Apple Computer has forced rumor site Think Secret to shut down. (Tidbits)
Wired profiles the front-runners for the Automotive X Prize. (Wired)
Is pulse shaping the key to reliable quantum communications? (Ars Technica)
Events take place: Macworld Expo runs January 15-18 at Moscone Center in San Francisco. (Macworldexpo)
    ... Speculation about what Steve will announce will replace all actual news until then. (Bloomberg)
    ... And here are the social net site and the expo blog.
Man takes trip: Take a technical tour of Tokyo's river lock gates. (Japan Times)
EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson overruled his entire staff. (SF Gate)
I hear music: My Lady of Tamales (Tacoma News Tribune)

December 20, 2007

Blue is the color of 2008. (New York Times)
The Lakota are seceding from the United States. (news.com.au)
    ... These are the descendants of the folks who wiped out the 7th Cavalry at Little Big Horn. (Wikipedia: Sitting Bull)
    ... Their nation will be tax free and you can move there. (map) (www.crystallinks.com/sioux.html)
    ... So is this a trend? (Go Think Blog)
    ... The State I'm in.... (JeffersonState)
A new hard drive is smaller than a penny, weighs less than a drop of water. (DDJ)
'Enron for housing markets': the bubble bursts, gets worse. (Firedoglake)
Events take place: SD West runs March 3-7 at the Santa Clara Convention Center. (SD Expo)
Did Mukasey really back down? (TPM Muckraker)
Fox guards Henhouse: Bush's EPA Administrator sided with automakers in nixing California's tailpipe emissions law. (San Diego Union Tribune)
    ... Shell plans to get fuel from marine algae. (New Scientist)
Photographer takes pictures: Summer Jo's from the air (concentric paths at left are our herb garden). (Google Maps)
Webmaster recommends sites: A List Apart is always worth a look. (A List Apart)

December 19, 2007

The biggest organic success stories of 2007. (Organic Bytes)
The Mathematical Genealogy Project tracks academic lineages back to the 17th Century. (Indiana University)
The UN calls for a moratorium on the death penalty. (Amnesty International)
... Rome lights up the Colosseum in celebration. (International Herald Tribune)
... Executions in US are at a 13-year low. (CNN)
... New Jersey ends capital punishment. (NCADP)
Cheap solar panels from renewable resources have been developed at Max Plank Institute. (New Scientist)
MacTech benchmarks three virtualization tools for Mac. (MacTech)
Can online advertising save traditional newspapers? (American Journalism Review)
I'm watching this: Fry and Laurie spoof spoon-bender Uri Geller. (YouTube, via James Randi)
IBM unveils a social networking visualization and analysis tool. (DDJ)
An organization often quoted on immigration issues has a long history of bigotry. (Southern Poverty Law Center)
Ecuador threatens to drill for oil in nature reserve if it doesn't get $350 million a year. (National Geographic)
Events take place: We're having a New Year's Eve bash! (Summer Jo's)
Big test for the Software-As-A-Service concept: Quicken for iPhone at $3/month. (Ars Technica)
I'm watching this: Helvetica (NetFlix)
Sign the petition to reverse media consolidation policy. (Moveon.org)
Webmaster recommends sites: Tolerance Sites