tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22071413497142291212024-02-08T04:57:44.866-05:00Sunny saysMy online open notes to myself in view of the world.Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15387185738874106776noreply@blogger.comBlogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2207141349714229121.post-49870080713114357682009-01-06T11:19:00.002-05:002009-01-06T11:24:21.867-05:00New Blog Location<span style="font-size:130%;">I am now hosting my blog at <a href="http://molini.us/sunnysays/">http://molini.us/sunnysays/ </a>.</span> I hope you will enjoy that space as much as this one.<br /><br />I have really enjoyed using Blogger as the home of my blog, it is a wonderful site and has really helped me learn many of the tools of blogging. The new blog is powered by WordPress, which is a great open source project that provides many tools not readily available in blogger.Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15387185738874106776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2207141349714229121.post-46550267843696619482009-01-02T14:54:00.001-05:002009-01-02T14:57:32.372-05:00Moral Clarity in Gaza<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/01/AR2009010101780.html?hpid=opinionsbox1">Moral Clarity on the Israeli-Gaza conflict</a><br /><p> </p><blockquote style="font-style: italic;"><p>Israel is so scrupulous about civilian life that, risking the element of surprise, it contacts enemy noncombatants in advance to warn them of approaching danger. <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Hamas?tid=informline" target="">Hamas</a>, which started this conflict with unrelenting rocket and mortar attacks on unarmed Israelis -- 6,464 launched from Gaza in the past three years -- deliberately places its weapons in and near the homes of its own people. </p> <p>This has two purposes. First, counting on the moral scrupulousness of Israel, Hamas figures civilian proximity might help protect at least part of its arsenal. Second, knowing that Israelis have new precision weapons that may allow them to attack nonetheless, Hamas hopes that inevitable collateral damage -- or, if it is really fortunate, an errant Israeli bomb -- will kill large numbers of its own people for which, of course, the world will blame Israel. </p></blockquote><p></p>The amazing thing about this commentary, is that it is often applicable to conflicts between Israel and any of the terrorist organizations over there.Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15387185738874106776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2207141349714229121.post-68330079412189544402008-12-08T16:54:00.004-05:002008-12-08T17:58:34.450-05:00Canada Considers Massive 'Internet Tax'<a href="http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/12/08/google-crtc.html">Google actively lobbying against it.</a><br /><a href="http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/3565/125/">Michael Geist describes the situation in detail.</a><br /><br />Basically, a few policy groups are asking the legislature for some laws that have applied to media content before the Internet, to be applied to Internet content. It makes intuitive sense to me until I realize that the <span style="font-weight: bold;">government should have no right to regulate media content in the first place</span>.Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15387185738874106776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2207141349714229121.post-12610016288930128292008-11-05T21:06:00.005-05:002008-11-06T09:14:45.682-05:00Final Victory in the War of Ideas?A friend of mine believes that this recent election may signal a final defeat for the ideals of conservatism, that no genuine right wing alliance will ever again regain control of the country.<div>While I fundamentally disagree, I'll grant him certain points.</div><div><ul><li>On some social issues (homosexuality, immigration, and other types of xenophobia) the conservatives will moderate significantly over the next 10 years.</li><li>Conservative aversion to changes to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_patent">patent law</a> may reduce as changes in the software industry make those changes more evidently necessary.</li><li>On environmental issues, the conservatives will drop the issue of whether global warming is an issue, and focus on policies that help the market incorporate environmental cost into their decision making (carbon tax or 'cap-n-trade' vs. arbitrary per-company pollution controls).</li></ul><div>There are a few other issues where I wish they would change the party line, but these are the ones I think will actually change. Once these changes are made, the conservative party will have a far more focused platform based on consistent principles. It will still be necessary to find a leader who can articulate those principles well to the masses, but those come in time.</div><div>The modern GOP is very different from the 1950's GOP which was far away from the 1900's GOP. Political platforms change to fit the times, but some ideas don't become less correct.<br /><br />To justify 'spreading the wealth around,' one has to accept that wealth does not belong to the individual who creates it. Is wealth created by the social environment that created the person, or is it the creative and motivated character of the person that creates both the wealth and the social environment? If you claim that the social forces created the person's character, than it becomes one social duty to do everything possible to forcibly improve the social environment. That can and will be used to permit government control of anything that affects the social environment, words, print, businesses that compete with government programs, etc. If you deny the basic premise that a person owns the product of their work, then you deny the basic freedom that a person even owns his/her self.<br /></div></div>Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15387185738874106776noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2207141349714229121.post-10602154729235665052008-11-05T10:29:00.005-05:002008-11-06T09:15:39.346-05:00Long Live the King<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qL8nMh9AWeo/SRG8XSUVdyI/AAAAAAAAALQ/SZlUC5cmsgU/s1600-h/BarackObamaHalo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 318px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qL8nMh9AWeo/SRG8XSUVdyI/AAAAAAAAALQ/SZlUC5cmsgU/s320/BarackObamaHalo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265196547612964642" border="0" /></a>Last night, I went with some conservative friends to go bar hopping in <a href="http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/individual/#mapPDC">DC</a> and enjoy some election night festivities. I should have brought a camera, it went very bad after a while. <div>Around midnight, when the 'called' Obama states passed the magic number, there was such a roar of exuberance like I've never heard at any sports event. The whole bar, and people outside started singing "Can't stop thinking about tomorrow, yesterday's gone, yesterday's go-o-o-one." I expected excitement and even intense partying, this was not that.</div><div>There was a disshevelled lady sitting outside crying her eyes out on the phone with somebody saying things like, "It's actually happened!" The way she would if her child had just survived a near death experience.</div><div>I don't think this guy is even a celebrity anymore, he's graduated to 'hero.' To those of you who support his policies, I suggest you should be concerned. Passionate politics makes for passionate opposition, and the only limit on passion is the ability to through one's life away. I would be concerned about support like that from my own party, for the kind of backlash it can create.</div><div>He is a fantastic speaker, spectacularly ambitious, diplomatic, and calm. He's 47 years old, and his political carrer only started in 1997. In 11 years, he has risen from state senate, to the Presidency of the most powerful nation on earth. What does an ambitious man with those skills do after that?</div>Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15387185738874106776noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2207141349714229121.post-43023943459699259812008-10-17T16:07:00.002-04:002008-10-17T16:11:10.441-04:00Capitalism 2.0?<div>I've heard a great deal of <a href="http://blogs.reuters.com/macroscope/2008/10/16/capitalism-the-problem-or-the-solution/">talk </a>about this in the wake of this 'crisis,' and it troubles me. I commented on the linked article, my thoughts also available here.</div><div><br /></div><div></div><blockquote><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">One of the basic tenents of philosophy is that while one cannot prove the existence of others, the act of proof is sufficient evidence to assume one’s own existence (I think, therefore I am). The only person, object or force in all of reality that must exist is you yourself.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Given that, freedom is not a luxury, or a benefit we receive from benevolent governments. Freedom is a fact of nature. <br /></span></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Capitalism recognizes that nature and attempts to harness it for the best possible outcome. To deny freedom is to reverse the basics of philosophy, holding each person more accountable for the well being of others than that of those they directly care about.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Please don’t misunderstand me. There must be discussion about the proper law society uses to hold people accountable. Peaceful coexistence requires standards of behavior. If those standards are called ‘regulation,’ then fine. But if you deny the basic reality that Freedom is natural and required for life, then expect disaster.</span></div></div></blockquote><div><div><br /></div></div>Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15387185738874106776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2207141349714229121.post-55607805554919360092008-10-07T14:56:00.004-04:002008-10-07T15:00:22.471-04:00Craiglist Crime Syndicate<a href="http://news.cnet.com/bank-robber-hires-decoys-on-craigslist-fools-cops/?tag=rtcol;pop">http://news.cnet.com/bank-robber-hires-decoys-on-craigslist-fools-cops/?tag=rtcol;pop</a><div><br /></div><div>The crook hired people on <a href="http://www.craigslist.org/">Craigslist</a> to show up near the scene in a particular outfit while he robbed an armored car and made a getaway using an innertube. Police are still looking for him.</div>Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15387185738874106776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2207141349714229121.post-42399768667862859802008-10-01T21:49:00.003-04:002008-10-02T13:18:06.090-04:00Competitive Alternatives<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><div style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; width: auto; font: normal normal normal 100%/normal Georgia, serif; text-align: left; ">I'm really bothered that in all debate around the topic centers on the concept that if one is against this bailout, then one is in favor of 'doing nothing.' I have not heard a single serious alternative even <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0); ">floated </span>about how to fix this problem.<div>I want to hear more about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_requirement">capital requirements</a>. The <a href="http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1904454/">Chinese have lowered</a> theirs while the<a href="http://www.eux.tv/article.aspx?articleId=20504">Europeans have raised</a> theirs. Here is my proposition.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">Complicated Proposition</span></div><div>The fed should decrease the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reserve_requirement">reserve ratio</a> from 10% to 8%. That would change the liquidity multiplier from 10 to 12.5. There are <a href="http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/hist/h6hist1.txt">6.3 trillion in time deposits</a>, which probably means there's 630 Billion in base deposits. Reducing the reserve ratio by 2 points would instantly create 1.58 Trillion in liquidity. The danger here is that doing this could inflate the dollar by a lot. To limit that, announce that the reserve ratio will rise by 1 tenth of a percent each quarter until the ratio is back at 10%.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Simple Proposition</span></div><div>The same thing just explained in more detail for the many who don't follow all the terms in the complicated version. Follow the link.</div></div></span></div>Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15387185738874106776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2207141349714229121.post-59280550535196857352008-09-30T10:22:00.003-04:002008-09-30T10:30:53.974-04:00Bankruptcy, Not Bailout<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/29/miron.bailout/index.html?iref=mpstoryview">http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/29/miron.bailout/index.html?iref=mpstoryview</a><div><br /></div><div>I have been sent this link by 2 friends that do not know each other, but know me very well. Jeffrey Miron makes some amazing points.</div><div><br /></div><div><ul><li>The implicit backing of the federal government for Freddie and Fannie encouraged them to take on far more risk than a free market would have allowed.</li><li>"Worse, beginning in 1977 and even more in the 1990s and the early part of this century, Congress pushed mortgage lenders and Fannie/Freddie to expand subprime lending."</li><li>"The fact that government bears such a huge responsibility for the current mess means any response should eliminate the conditions that created this situation in the first place, not attempt to fix bad government with more government."</li><li>"If financial institutions cannot make productive loans, a profit opportunity exists for someone else. This might not happen instantly, but it will happen."</li><li>"Further, the current credit freeze is likely due to Wall Street's hope of a bailout; bankers will not sell their lousy assets for 20 cents on the dollar if the government might pay 30, 50, or 80 cents."</li></ul><div>Read the article. He makes many more points that fill in the blanks, but I figured 5 was a good synopsis.</div></div>Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15387185738874106776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2207141349714229121.post-71364448287664391192008-09-24T17:41:00.002-04:002008-09-24T17:47:35.699-04:00Bring On the ShortsBloomberg is reporting that 2 companies, <a href="http://finance.google.com/finance?client=ob&q=NASDAQ:DHIL">Diamond Hill Investment Group</a> and <a href="http://finance.google.com/finance?q=NYSE:JMP">JMP Group Inc.</a> have opted to <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=a19bvx344I78&refer=news">let their shares be short sold</a>. I know very little about these companies, but I do know that what they've done takes guts and is the truly moral thing for any company in their position to do.<div>The regulators are giving the financial companies unfair exemptions instead of letting the market run its course and are protecting the weak at the expense of the good. </div><div>Congratulations to the leadership of these 2 firms in standing up for what capitalism is all about, free and fair competition with transparency and justice for all.</div>Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15387185738874106776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2207141349714229121.post-13092038633730040092008-09-03T14:22:00.000-04:002008-09-03T14:49:25.732-04:00Math JokeThe ark lands after The Flood. Noah lets all the animals out and says, "Go and multiply."<br /><br />Several months pass. Noah decides to check up on the animals. All are doing fine except a pair of snakes.<br /><br />"What's the problem?" says Noah.<br />"Cut down some trees and let us live there", say the snakes.<br /><br />Noah follows their advice. Several more weeks pass. Noah checks on the snakes again. Lots of little snakes, everybody is happy.<br /><br />Noah asks, "Want to tell me how the trees helped?"<br />"Certainly", say the snakes. "We're adders, and we need logs to multiply."Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15387185738874106776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2207141349714229121.post-76229755656309844582008-08-29T09:56:00.001-04:002008-08-29T11:37:50.074-04:00IED video from IraqI've recently found this video of an <a href="http://www.tom-phillips.info/harsh.reality/very.big.ied.htm">IED explosio</a><a href="http://www.tom-phillips.info/harsh.reality/very.big.ied.htm">n</a>. This is the kind of thing that our troops have made such great strides at <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/04/washington/04intel.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss">reducing and eliminating in Iraq</a>.Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15387185738874106776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2207141349714229121.post-979661373398715152008-08-26T16:20:00.003-04:002008-08-26T16:32:16.349-04:00Rat brain powered robot<a href="http://technology.newscientist.com/channel/tech/mg19926696.100-rise-of-the-ratbrained-robots.html">http://technology.newscientist.com/channel/tech/mg19926696.100-rise-of-the-ratbrained-robots.html</a><br /><br />A disembodied rat brain interfaced to a computer chip, interfaced to a robot, which moves around the lab.<br /><br /><blockquote>'As they do so, the disembodied neurons are communicating, sending electrical signals to one another just as they do in a living creature. We know this because the network of neurons is connected at the base of the pot to 80 electrodes, and the voltages sparked by the neurons are displayed on a computer screen.'</blockquote><br />This is strongly in territory of 'unknown' of the same sort that can be scary. But I can't think of any specific ethical issues that I have with this line of research.<br /><br />HT to <a href="http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/08/13/1827215&from=rss">Timothy at Slashdot</a>.Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15387185738874106776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2207141349714229121.post-83788454885369296102008-08-26T15:46:00.003-04:002008-08-26T15:50:27.993-04:00Obama's Technology policy<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/issues/technology/">http://www.barackobama.com/issues/technology/</a><br /><br />It reminds me of the proverbial candidate for class president who promises CocaCola in the water fountains.<br /><br />The list of expensive stuff he wants to do is only offset by his increases in taxes that will shrink the economy. He hasn't mentioned a single program that he wants to stop, just programs he wants to start and expand.Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15387185738874106776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2207141349714229121.post-55902850069429816932008-08-18T17:48:00.003-04:002008-08-18T18:06:32.094-04:00Philosophy of LibertyThis was posted 2 years ago, and I just now found it. I have now seen it 3 times, examining it closely for any idea that I even in part disagree with. The only point I have found is a minor one that can wait until you've seen the clip.<br /><br /><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 15px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-009236166069913798 visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/muHg86Mys7I&hl=en&fs=1"></a><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/muHg86Mys7I&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/muHg86Mys7I&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Back to that point, When the author says that people should stop asking their governments to initiate force on their behalf, it assumes democratic governments. Dictators pursue ownership of the life and liberty of their subjects as an objective for their own life. And may cause global atrocities without the deliberate consent of their people.Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15387185738874106776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2207141349714229121.post-79036931721549301222008-07-09T14:12:00.002-04:002008-07-09T16:10:00.783-04:00Information Overload: A Blessed Curse<a href="http://discussionleader.hbsp.com/hbreditors/2008/06/whats_so_bad_about_information_1.html">What is so bad about information overload?</a><br /><a href="http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/families/article4295414.ece">How the Google generation thinks differently.</a><br /><br />The first article specifically talks about the advent of email deluge. How the flood of email from colleagues and clients can get far too powerful to feasibly answer or even read.<br /><br />The second article is by a mom who doesn't understand why her son does 5 entertaining things while researching a report for his science class. The author distills these characteristics in regards to Google infopath adoption.<br /><p><b></b></p><blockquote style="font-style: italic;"><p><b>NATIVES v IMMIGRANTS </b></p><p><b>Digital natives</b><br />Like receiving information quickly from multiple media sources.<br />Like parallel processing and multi-tasking.<br />Like processing pictures, sounds and video before text.<br />Like random access to hyperlinked multimedia information.<br />Like to network with others.<br />Like to learn “just in time”. </p><p><b>Digital immigrants</b><br />Like slow and controlled release of information from limited sources.<br />Like singular processing and single or limited tasking.<br />Like processing text before pictures, sounds and video.<br />Like to receive information linearly, logically and sequentially.<br />Like to work independently.<br />Like to learn “just in case”. </p></blockquote>Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15387185738874106776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2207141349714229121.post-52168213338743842992008-06-30T09:53:00.004-04:002008-06-30T10:32:24.915-04:00Rudy Giuliani Defines Freedom<span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" ><blockquote style="font-style: italic;">Freedom is about authority. Freedom is about the willingness of every single human being to cede to lawful authority a great deal of discretion about what you do and how you do it.<br />-Rudy Giuliani</blockquote>Compare that to:<br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic;">You cannot build character and courage by taking away a man's initiative and independence.<br />-Abraham Lincoln<br /><br />Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.<br />-Mahatma Ghandi<br /><br />If you want total security, go to prison. There you're fed, clothed, given medical care and so on. The only thing lacking... is freedom.<br />-Dwight Eisenhower</blockquote></span>Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15387185738874106776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2207141349714229121.post-35103996142732765492008-05-07T18:32:00.003-04:002008-05-07T20:17:13.693-04:00Food CrisisI found some great commentaries here on the recent rise in food prices.<br /><a href="http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/04/the_food_crisis_1.html">American Thinker</a> | <a href="http://blogs.ft.com/wolfforum/2008/04/food-crisis-is-a-chance-to-reform-global-agriculture/">Financial Times: Economists Forum</a> | <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/09/business/worldbusiness/09crop.html?pagewanted=1">New York Times: A Global Need...</a><br /><br />Things to think about while listening to the news on the Food Crisis:<br /><br />Since Gasoline and Biofuels are well on their way to becoming true substitutes, and biofuels are made from food, high oil prices will become directly related to higher food prices. Not only can food substitute for oil, but it apparently <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture#Agriculture_and_petroleum">works the other way</a> too. I should make a whole blog post just on that.<br /><a href="http://www.wired.com/science/planetearth/news/2005/05/67416">Wired</a><br /><br />India, China, and South America are developing far wealthier populations who consume more of both food and <a href="http://www.energybulletin.net/921.html">fuel</a>. Driving the demand of both, raising the prices of both.<br /><br />Those same three regions are also using that wealth to increase their productive capacities. The US utilizes <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/">only 0.27% of the world's crop land</a>, but produced <a href="http://www.fas.usda.gov/wap/circular/2008/08-04/productionfull04-08.pdf">16.8% of all the world's grain in 2007</a>. Which means the US produces grain 80 times more effeciently than the rest of the world, so there's room for 7978% improvement in global grain production without any new technologies. That's about 80 new earths to put that in terms <a href="http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B05E7DB1F3EF93AA35750C0A96E9C8B63&sec=&spon=">Daniel W. Basse</a> can understand.<br /><br />I don't have many links to back this up, but it seems that as wealth passes some level, quality begins to take precedence over quantity to the average consumer. High class restaurants serve smaller portions than low class restaurants. Areas with higher average population have more Chipotle's and fewer Taco Bell's. If this is true, then as the West gets still wealthier, it will begin to consume fewer pounds of grain while expending far more in terms of other wealth to get it. That might relax demand for low priced grains for poorer areas.Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15387185738874106776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2207141349714229121.post-67099952302088899532008-04-11T15:23:00.002-04:002008-04-11T15:58:50.871-04:00'Not for Resale' free stuff<a href="http://www.universalstudios.com/">Universal Studios</a> sent out a bunch of free promo CD's with a 'promotional use only' label to selected listeners. These CD's arrived completely free through the mail.<br />Troy Augusto, who decided to disregard that label and sell the disc on Ebay, is now <a href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080409-universal-tossing-that-promo-cd-violates-our-rights.html">fighting a lawsuit</a> from Universal. The record company claims that the promotion use label identified the product as in part their <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Property">property</a>, and that they retained all rights of sale. Augusto claims that since the discs arrived in the mail with no action on his part, they were gifts and therefore his property.<br /><br />The major significance is the challenges this case could pose for the '<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_sale">first sale doctrine</a>.' Universal wins, could a car manufacturer place a limit on the number of resales for the car? I could do a whole new post on that idea.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.eff.org/">EFF</a> has <a href="http://www.dmwmedia.com/news/2007/08/07/eff-sues-universal-music-over-right-to-resell-promotional-cds">counter sued</a> Universal on Augusto's behalf.Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15387185738874106776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2207141349714229121.post-6026702670391237132008-04-06T11:33:00.003-04:002008-04-06T11:47:37.147-04:00Constitution? What Constitution?Bush administration claimed that the <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/politics/ci_8786382?nclick_check=1">4th amendment doesn't apply</a> to them.<br /><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">For at least 16 months after the Sept. 11 terror attacks in 2001, the Bush administration believed that the Constitution's protection against unreasonable searches and seizures on U.S. soil didn't apply to its efforts to protect against terrorism.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">That view was expressed in a Justice Department legal memo dated Oct. 23, 2001. The administration on Wednesday stressed that it now disavows that view.</span> </blockquote>I'm embarrassed to say that I'm rusty enough on the <a href="http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/index.html">Constitution</a> that I had to look this up.<br /><h4 class="nav"><a name="amendmentiv"></a></h4><blockquote style="font-style: italic;"><h4 class="nav"><a name="amendmentiv">Amendment IV</a></h4> <p> </p><p> The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.</p></blockquote><p> </p>So far this is just an echo chamber post, Hat tip to <a href="http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/04/03/1219200&from=rss">MRogers </a>@ slashdot. But I can't think of any commentary that won't sound like whining.Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15387185738874106776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2207141349714229121.post-4122201562386497532008-03-30T22:58:00.002-04:002008-03-30T23:03:16.843-04:00Hillary the Powerful<object height="373" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/uHVEDq6RVXc&border=1&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6&hl=en"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/uHVEDq6RVXc&border=1&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="373" width="425"></embed></object><br />HT <a href="http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=16859">John Dvorak</a><br />This comment brought to my attention by <a href="http://cafehayek.typepad.com/hayek/2008/03/memories.html">Don Boudreaux</a>.Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15387185738874106776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2207141349714229121.post-62872028860034013582008-03-20T13:46:00.005-04:002008-03-25T19:00:33.310-04:00The Advent of Generation WhyQuite a bit of research has been done on the workplace integration of Gen-Y.<br /><br />There are those who say that Gen Y will be good for the workplace:<br /><a href="http://www.baselinemag.com/c/a/IT-Management/Five-Ways-Generation-Y-May-Reinvent-IT/">Five Ways Generation Y May Reinvent IT</a><br /><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/money/workplace/2005-11-06-gen-y_x.htm">Generation Y: They've Arrived at the Workplace with a New Attitude</a><br /><a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/humanresources/managingemployees/article179200.html">Gen Y Myths Debunked</a><br /><br />There are others who say that Gen Y poses new risks:<br /><a href="http://www.baselinemag.com/c/a/Security/Beware-a-Generation-of-Risk-Takers/">Beware a Generation of Risk Takers</a><br /><a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0302/p01s01-ussc.html">Has Generation Y overdosed on self-esteem?</a><br /><a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/careerbytes/CBArticle.aspx?articleID=778&cbRecursionCnt=1&cbsid=54b344eee7a94ab4b7ea72d8053e4a49-259342273-JS-5">Generation Y: Too Demanding at Work?</a><br /><br />I was born in 1983, which puts me squarely in Generation Y. While I won't speak for others close to my age, I do value entrepreneurship and flexibility in my career. I'm always confused by companies that expect to retain me indefinitely, unless they offer unlimited growth within their ranks in the form of easily expanded higher positions to make room for quality people. A 5% raise with a fancier title in my current position is not a promotion, it is a retainer.Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15387185738874106776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2207141349714229121.post-58399526583947359322008-03-17T15:52:00.006-04:002008-03-17T17:08:52.986-04:00Clean Energy Gets Cheaper<a href="http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2008/tc20080314_194178.htm?campaign_id=rss_daily">Business Week: Clean Energy: It's Getting Affordable</a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity_market">Wikipedia: Electricity Market</a><br /><a href="http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdoc.cfm?index=4552&type=0&sequence=5">CBO: Prospects for Distributed Electricity Generation</a><br /><br />For the last decades or so, activists and technologists have hoped and worked for a world where cheap clean power improved living conditions all over the world. Not to be melodramatic, Most technological innovation improves living conditions everywhere they're used, freeing resources to improve standards of living everywhere else.<br /><br />There have been many breakthroughs in the past few years in the forms of 'more efficient' solar cells, that cost more per watt. A <a href="http://www.japanfs.org/db/1667-e">power generating floor</a>, and other nifty gadgets that just don't take off. But the real test is in terms of $$$ per Watt. Because it's not really the cleanness that we want, or even the security of knowing that we will have resources for generations to come, but the raw power that keeps us from working in the dark. The environment is important, but it's not how we base our decisions.<br /><br />One thing I would love our government to actually tackle however, is the legal mess it's already created preventing home owners from selling their own power back to the grid. A good power market should allow this and be transparent enough to permit real time power pricing. So that homeowners can reduce their power consumption when the price gets real high, or feel free to crank up the AC when the price gets real low. If families could MAKE money by selling the power from their solar cell when the price gets high, we might see a much higher adoption rate.Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15387185738874106776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2207141349714229121.post-41127702094974921642008-02-20T11:07:00.002-05:002008-02-20T11:51:47.206-05:00Idle chit chat with Ryan G<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span id="1fui">Ryan is a friend of mine from Mason who is currently studying graduate Econ at Oxford. This is a conversation we had a few minutes ago.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ryan: </span>I am writing a paper on market failure<span style="font-weight: bold;">, </span>government intervention, Coase Theorem, etc...<br />Now I need to do an applied section where I walk through a real case any good ideas?<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>I would do the obvious, environemnt, or education, but I will be doing seperate papers on those two topics next.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">me:</span> tragedy of the commons is the most frequent real market failure. so overfishing?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ryan: </span>yeah, thought of that<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">me:</span> logging on public lands?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ryan:</span> hmmm, ok, that would be interesting<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">me:</span> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_asymmetry">information assymetry</a> is also good. You could do healthcare.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ryan: </span>That is a whole nother paper. <span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>I am already at 10 pages, I had to leave out <a href="http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ah7tb6d2xzp2_23fmrmqbd9">dynamic incapacities</a>, and asymentric info otherwise it would have taken me 15 -20 pages just to define the different problems<br />I think I may do a paper on Health care later, so hopefully I can deal with those problems then.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">me:</span> dynamic incapacities, is that like, how electricty gets overconsumed because it's so hard to have live pricing? </span><span id="1fui">Google isn't turning up much.</span><br /><span id="1fui"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ryan:</span> i think so, i dunno. He defined it, but we didn't really spend much time on it<br />and I didn't know where to research for it My other thought were to do big game animals again<br />I wrote a paper on that a while ago.<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="ej8B8e"></span><span id="1few">Or public financing of sports stadiums </span>which I also did a couple years ago<div dir="f" class="RNCQof"><div id="1ff1" class="h8iICe"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="ej8B8e">me: </span><span id="1ff0">I thought public financing of sports was more of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_choice_theory">public choice</a> problem instead of a market failure.</span> <a href="http://heartland.temp.siteexecutive.com/pdf/madness.pdf">It's actually a market success that stadiums don't get built</a></div></div><div dir="t" class="RNCQof"><div id="1fhn" class="h8iICe"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span class="ej8B8e"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ryan:</span> </span><span id="1ff2">public choice deals with market failures</span>. lol, true.</div><div id="1fls" class="h8iICe">The usualy arguments for government intervention in markets is market failure</div></div><div dir="f" class="RNCQof"><div class="Q2bXSc"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span class="ej8B8e"><span style="font-weight: bold;">me:</span> </span><span id="1flu">so the pub choice argument is that the lack of stadiums is a market failure, so spend public funds on them?</span></div></div><div dir="t" class="RNCQof"><div class="Q2bXSc"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="ej8B8e">Ryan: </span><span class="ej8B8e">Y</span><span id="1fi6">es, becasue they give positive externalities to the city</span></div><div id="1fta" class="h8iICe">such as increased jobs, city pride etc....</div><div id="1ftb" class="h8iICe">things the private world won't take into account</div><div id="1ftc" class="h8iICe">public choice would say rent seeking and government inefficiency would result so the stadium should be financed privately</div></div><div dir="f" class="RNCQof"><div class="Q2bXSc"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="ej8B8e">me: </span><span id="1ftd">I wonder how you would monetize city pride as a variable</span></div></div><div dir="t" class="RNCQof"><div class="Q2bXSc"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="ej8B8e">Ryan: </span><span id="1fte">hard to</span></div></div><br /><div dir="" class="M5h10c"><div class="fbd3v">We still don't know too much about dynamic incapacities, so if you know anything, please leave a comment.<br /></div></div><div dir="f" class="RNCQof"><div class="Q2bXSc"><span id="1fui"><br /></span></div></div><br /><div dir="" class="M5h10c"><div class="fbd3v"><br /></div></div>Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15387185738874106776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2207141349714229121.post-78819089102473399272008-02-15T11:22:00.002-05:002008-02-15T11:24:59.801-05:00Reagan on the role of Government<object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JX8X_FsBCDk&rel=1&border=0"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JX8X_FsBCDk&rel=1&border=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Hat tip to Brian Hollar @ <a href="http://thinkingonthemargin.blogspot.com/2008/02/yes-we-can-reagan-version.html">Thinking on the Margin</a><br />Who gave "<span style="font-style: italic;">(HT </span><a target="_blank" style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.stephenbainbridge.com/punditry/comments/yes_we_can/">Stephen Bainbridge</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> via </span><a target="_blank" style="font-style: italic;" href="http://instapundit.com/archives2/015335.php">Instapundit</a><span style="font-style: italic;">)"</span>Sunnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15387185738874106776noreply@blogger.com0