16 February 2003

Google buys Pyra Almost every blog I read is covering this story. The best search engine on the net has just bought Pyra, the company behind Blogger software. This should prove interesting as can be seen in the opinions with Onlineblog here and Dan Shafer here. 5:58:19 PM    Click here to add to the [] comments The Media agenda Peter Preston over at the Observer remarks on bias within the media industry. He points out that the UK is unique in the world where almost all its major newspapers are now owned by foreigners. I like his wit though: Two countries 25 miles apart with very similar public opinion polls, but two hugely disparate press responses. 'What's the difference between toast and Frenchmen?' asks the Sun. Answer: 'You can make soldiers out of toast.' What's the difference between French papers and British papers? Our biggest ones are owned by Australian-Americans and Canadians. And that, in times of national crisis, does set us apart. See Noam Chomsky's Necessary Illusions. 5:26:48 PM    Click here to add to the [] comments Ireland hammer the Scots In a riveting game of rugby, Ireland managed to break the 18 year losing streak against Scotland on Scotland's home turf. The final score was 36 -6, with some exceptional tries - notably Hickey and Murphy. Now we have to beat the Italians in Rome next week. 5:20:03 PM    Click here to add to the [] comments The age of apathy stops here In this passionate piece Mary Riddell - she is worth quoting at length here: The surprise has been the altruism of the protesters, and the size of the vacuum they fill. Blair's natural supporters and opponents have registered their opposition, and seen it spurned. As they get more strident, he digs harder. The hole in democracy grows more cavernous by the day. Yet the movement has taken off and its subscribers, on yesterday's evidence, are not a reissued set of hoary peaceniks. These are organised people with clear aims. They want a peaceful solution for Iraq. If that is not forthcoming, Blair will be punished accordingly. They may be wrong. He may be right. But in a war predicated on conviction and conscience, the hunches of the nation also count. As Martin Luther King said, countries should repent citizens' evil deeds almost less than 'the appalling silence of the good'. The unheard have spoken out. I must admit I felt pride at the turnout to demonstrate yesterday, it has been so long since such demonstrations took place about anything - and I thought politics was dying. 5:08:31 PM    Click here to add to the [] comments Blair should learn from Eden Michael Adams argues that Tony Blair should learn some lessons from the Suez crisis in this article from yesterday. In 1956 it was the Americans who saw the red light and stopped in time, while the British were driven on by a reckless leader - to disaster. Is it too late to hope that this time it may be the other way round? I honestly do not know much about the Suez crisis, an educating article. 4:03:21 PM    Click here to add to the [] comments About oil? A lively debate going on over at Karlin's Blog. Dave Winer and Tom Cosgrave thrashing out the issues. I put in my own views - I guess Ill just wait and see who comments next. 3:56:20 AM    Click here to add to the [] comments

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Collecting for Guinness

My daily reads

Dave Winer

Karlin Lillington

Bernie Goldbach

Chris Gulker

Venomous Kate

Dan Shafer

Nick Denton

John Robb

Back Seat Drivers

Roger Ridey

Dan Gillmor

Onlineblog

Meg Hourihan

Deborah Branscum

Tim Porter

Dan Bricklin

Horst Prillinger

Tom Murphy

My other reads

Ryan the Madman

Trish Amundrud

Justin Mason

Green Violet

David O'Neill

David Havelin

Jeremy Allaire

Tom Cosgrave

Jamie Lawrence

Matthew Haughey

Natalie d'Arbeloff

Maura McHugh

Ben Hammersley

Stewed Tea

Cocoa Pulp

Farrellblogger

Keith Gaughan

Glenn Reynolds

Andrew Sullivan

The Volokh Conspiracy

Bryan Preston

Counter Revolutionary