Thursday, January 16, 2003

The redemption of Gov. Ryan. Facing a possible indictment for corruption, the veteran political deal-maker shut down death row in Illinois. Is he trying to save lives -- or his own legacy? [Salon.com] 11:39:56 PM

Slow blogging here as we gear up some new projects for the new year at Salon. For a side project I have just re-read Orwell's "Politics and the English Language." I used to read this once a year or more but have fallen out of the habit. Take ten minutes out of your week to read it if you haven't lately. In the era of Iraq war cant it provides a good bucket of cold water to the face.   If you simplify your English, you are freed from the worst follies of orthodoxy. You cannot speak any of the necessary dialects, and when you make a stupid remark its stupidity will be obvious, even to yourself. Political language -- and with variations this is true of all political parties, from Conservatives to Anarchists -- is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind. One cannot change this all in a moment, but one can at least change one's own habits, and from time to time one can even, if one jeers loudly enough, send some worn-out and useless phrase -- some jackboot, Achilles' heel, hotbed, melting pot, acid test, veritable inferno, or other lump of verbal refuse -- into the dustbin, where it belongs. [Scott Rosenberg's Links & Comment] 11:24:53 PM

The Hacker's Diet [lnk.to] 7:04:57 PM

Syndirella is an RSS aggregator for .Net. [Scripting News] 7:03:32 PM

Gates' dividend payout: $100 million. Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, CEO Steve Ballmer and other executives will rake in big gains from the company's newly instated stock dividend program. [CNET News.com] 7:00:06 PM

Microsoft Declares Annual Dividend and Announces Two-for-One Split on Common Stock. The moves demonstrate confidence in the company’s long-term growth opportunities and financial strength, said Chief Financial Officer John Connors. [Microsoft Press Pass] 6:59:38 PM

One year on, is Microsoft "Trustworthy"?. Last January, Bill Gates sent a companywide memo demanding that Microsoft make its products more secure. Has the software giant measured up to the task? [CNET News.com] 6:58:58 PM

Sun charges lead to $2.3 billion loss. Server maker Sun Microsystems reports a net loss for its most recent quarter, most of it a $2.13 billion noncash charge relating to the reduced value of acquired companies. [CNET News.com] 5:08:29 PM

Judge to MS: It's Java Time. Judge Frederick Motz is giving Microsoft four months to figure out how to deliver Java to Windows XP users. Microsoft wanted six months. [Microsoft Watch from Mary Jo Foley] 5:04:47 PM

http://www.trevorvanmeter.com/flyguy/ [Closet Exhibitionist] Direct Link 11:19:35 AM

This is some good photography [recursive] The Unseen Gulf War on the site Digital Journalist 11:14:31 AM

Over my dead body. Activists are flocking to the West Bank to serve as human shields, protecting Palestinians and protesting the Israeli occupation. Are they part of the solution -- or part of the problem? [Salon.com] 10:59:35 AM

Separate dance cards for Web Services Choreography?. No MS, no IBM [The Register] 9:46:40 AM

Bush's Plan to Eliminate Taxes on Stock Dividends. Leaving short-run politics and macroeconomic stimulus aside, what would be the long-run impact of tax-free dividends on financial markets? By Hal R. Varian. [New York Times: Politics] 9:43:14 AM

Bush Aide Sees Deficit in 2003 of $200 Billion. The ballooning deficits, the largest ever in dollar terms, could put President Bush's tax plan in peril. By David E. Rosenbaum and Edmund L. Andrews. [New York Times: Politics] 9:38:42 AM

Judge Is Angered by U.S. Stance in Case of 'Dirty Bomb' Suspect. A judge showed impatience on Wednesday at the Bush administration's arguments as to why a terror suspect should not be able to meet with his lawyers. By Benjamin Weiser. [New York Times: Politics] 9:34:48 AM

Bush's Statement on Affirmative Action. Following is a transcript of President Bush's announcement this afternoon regarding affirmative action, as recorded by The New York Times:. [New York Times: Politics] 9:33:15 AM

Bush Renews Effort to Limit Medical Liability. WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush was making a fresh pitch Thursday for his solution to high malpractice insurance costs: a nationwide limit on the amount injured patients can win from doctors. By The Associated Press. [New York Times: Politics] 9:31:18 AM