HOLLYWOOD MISUNDERSTANDING BITTORRENT

Good post on BitTorrent. I heard about BitTorrent last year from a friend, but never checked it out. He and other friends have said it's just FAST, so if you're into downloading movies and other large files check it out.

BOOM! WOOOOOO! BOOM! WOOOOOO!... SEARCH BATTLE GOING ON

Microsoft shows off desktop search beta. IBM is working on becoming the Google of corporate networks. Good overview at News.com here.

BLAST FROM THE PAST... HELLOASIA

I had a busy weekend with my fiancee, and my good friend, Sandor, was visiting SF for a wedding. Caught up with him on Saturday evening and we were hoping to get together for Sunday brunch, but my fiancee and I had too much to do. We both had work to do and some errands to run and we decided the time crunch would be too much.

Anyways, I just Googled "Sandor" and decided to post up this old article of him from Time. Brings back some old memories. We were both out in Korea doing startups, hangingout at his apartment playing FIFA soccer, watching our buddy Mike working it all the time, and playing basketball on Sundays. Now he's back at Goldman and living in NYC:

Never mind computers, there weren't even a lot of telephones in Sandor Hau's hometown when he was a boy. Hau grew up in Pennsylvania's Lancaster County, home to the austere Amish farming community that famously shuns modern technology. "Mine isn't a classic Silicon Valley pedigree," jokes Hau, 28, who speaks Korean, English, Japanese and the conversational German of the Amish dialect. "I think my family were the only Koreans in the county. Believe me, I know what it's like to stand out."

Now in Seoul at the helm of one of Asia's hottest Internet start-up companies, Hau is standing out big time in the region's rush to cash in on the cyberboom. Last October, he and his partners, Hans Tung of Taiwan and Fuzhou-born New Yorker Chih Cheung, launched Helloasia.com, an e-commerce and community portal. That was after they had secured $20 million, one of the most generous injections of "first round" funding received by an Internet company in Asia. "We had an idea," says Singapore-based Tung, "we put it down in a business plan and we went and sold the hell out of it around the world." (full article)

THEY CALL HIM FLICKR, FLICKR

Photo blog a hit. Check out Flickr.

Photo Site a Hit With Bloggers

WIRED NEWS
By Daniel Terdiman
December 9, 2004

When bombs went off in Jakarta, Indonesia, in September, CNN.com readers weren't the first to know. Instead, members of Flickr, an online photo service, were among the very earliest to see pictures of what had happened.

"There were photos on Flickr before even any news stories," said Caterina Fake, a Flickr co-founder. "Within the hour, three Flickr users who happened to be in Jakarta had uploaded photos."

Flickr is a new breed of photo site offered by Vancouver's Ludicorp. It takes the online posting capability offered by photo printing sites like Ofoto or Snapfish and adds a palette of features that make images easier to share. The site does not, at the moment, sell prints of users' photos.

Flickr offers users the ability to upload, store and organize digital photos, as well as to automatically post camera-phone shots to a blog. Further, users can comment on and add descriptions to others' photos, creating public or private topic-oriented groups. The site gives all members an equal opportunity to make use of each picture, no matter who the photographer is.

"It's like photo management plus social networking plus blog-friendly tools, which is a killer combo because things like Ofoto only do one part," said Matt Haughey, founder of MetaFilter, a blog that hosts discussions on emerging internet applications, among other topics. (full article)

SOUTH KOREAN CONGRESSMAN'S DEFENSE OF NOT SPYING WEAKENS

HatTip to Mingi again. Messed up situation in South Korea. A member of the ruling party stands accused of being associated with a North Korean spy group. Rep. Lee Chul-woo's defense was stated as doubtful by the presiding judge. Is President Roh really the president of South Korea or leader of a North Korean spy-ring and a wrench in the world's attempt to create peace on Korean peninsula?

A prosecutor said that the rulings on the spy case showed Rep. Lee had admitted to his involvement with the NLPF and conceded to having pledged his loyalty to the organization, but he claimed to have forgotten the exact details of the pledge. The prosecutor indicated that it would be unwise for the politician to backpedal now by further playing down his involvement.

Another prosecutor who helped investigate the case said that a mass of overwhelming evidence in the form of pistols, hand grenades and signs that North Korea had provided financial support to the tune of US$1 million (W1.07 billion) made it impossible to deny the allegations against the defendants.

FRIENDSTER ADDS SEARCH... EUREKSTER!

Friendster teams up with Eurekster to provide a new search service centered around Friendster members and their preferences. I guess everyone is trying to grab a piece of the search engine pie created by Google's Adword approach and Overture's (now Yahoo!) sponsored listings. Not sure if this will help create the returns of that $13 million Kleiner Perkins, Benchmark, and Battery were looking for.

ANOTHER SOCIAL NETWORK... THEFACEBOOK.COM

I guess you younger readers know about this one. I never heard of it until now, but a great idea by these students. I just wonder how most of these online social networks are going to create a sustainable business model. At least this one gets to the core of what most of these social networks are, which is an interactive yellow pages:

For those who assume that (A) the Internet has become the world's most effective way to waste time and that (B) college students now are probably having more fun than when you were there, consider the reigning college obsession, a phenomenon so hot that The Daily Princetonian editorialized that it's "possibly the biggest word-of-mouth trend to hit campus since St. Ives Medicated Apricot Scrub found its way into the women's bathrooms."

That would be Thefacebook.com, a Web site that began 10 months ago with five Harvard students and is now the most popular way to either network or waste time for a million college students at around 300 colleges, from Yale to the University of the Pacific.

ANOTHER SHOT FIRED ACROSS THE BOW... YAHOO COMES OUT WITH DESKTOP SEARCH

I guess it didn't take long for Yahoo! to follow Google's desktop search program.

CLINTON ENDORSES NEW CHINESE SEARCH ENGINE

A new search engine, Accona, backed by the Chinese government and Yahoo! debuts And crashes. More from Business 2.0 here.

LIBERAL UN-ELITE OVER AT DAILY KOS

Okay, first, I'm surprise my friend, Max, finally posted something. He's been busy over in Asia with various cross-border transactions, but what was that gibberish about? He went to Berkeley for his graduate work like the sociology professor below so that explains some of it.

Anyways, over at Daily Kos, the leading left-wing blog, they did an informal poll of its readers choice for the next DNC chair. The results have Howard Dean as their favorite:

Dean 3,466 (54.3%)
Rosenberg 1,066 (30.8%)
Ickes 154 (4.4%)
Webb 153 (4.4%)
Frost 134 (3.9%)
Fowler 41 (1.2%)
Hindery 37 (1.1%)

Dean? I hope someone was joking and rigged the results. Dean would tilt the party more left and fill it with more hate, and it would be a certain victory for Republicans in 2008. If this is a truthful reflection of Daily Kos readers, they aren't the "liberal elite" I was referring to. Sort of the "liberal lite" over there, or daresay "liberal dumb."

WICTORY WEDNESDAY

From Polipundit...

In a desperate attempt to steal another election, Democrats have pushed for a statewide hand recount of the governor’s race in Washington state, where Republican Dino Rossi has a 42-vote lead in the final count. The Washington state GOP needs volunteers to observe the recount so that Democrats don’t steal this election. If you live in WA, please volunteer by contacting the state GOP at 425-646-7202.

Today is Wictory Wednesday. Every Wednesday, hundreds of bloggers ask their readers to donate to an important Republican campaign.

If you’re a blogger, you can join Wictory Wednesdays by e-mailing me at wictory@blogsforbush.com. I’ll add you to the Wictory Wednesday blogroll. I’ll also send you a reminder e-mail every Wednesday, explaining which candidate to support that day.

ON THE ARTIFICIAL BIPOLARIZATION OF AMERICA AND THE (MIS)APPROPRIATION OF RELIGION, FISCAL CONSERVATISM, NATIONAL SECURITY, AND HINTERLAND VALUES BY THE REPUBLICAN PARTY

Or "How the Republicans Have Hijacked America's Political Discourse"

Had I sufficient time and cerebral bandwidth to devote to writing and publishing online, this, my first posting, would have consisted of a stunningly evocative and compelling exposition on the themes indicated by the above title and subtitle, to wit:

1) How American pundits, spin-doctors, political "advisors", and other participants in the public discourse take unrelated positions on hot-button issues, and uncritically or disingenuously array them on opposite sides of the partisan spectrum for reasons of convenience, intellectual lassitude, and political expediency, and then bundle these positions under the labels "Liberal Democrat" and "Conservative Republican";

2) How American political journalism in the main was and remains guilty of criminal complicity in dumbing down the political discourse, relying on mental and terminological shorthand to deliver compelling sound bites instead of striving to find ways to encourage the disaggregation and careful consideration of complex issues and platforms as a first step towards redefining the political discourse as a fundamental element of the political process;

3) How the Republicans have shamelessly (and quite successfully) mobilized a massive polity based on a message of danger, fundamentalism, ignorance, and heartland identity; and finally

4) How the Democrats have demonstrated yet again a complete inability to manipulate effectively a political process that now appears (it is sad and horrifying to say) completely dependent on designing, tailoring and selling a particular political "brand" to an increasingly unsophisticated, unreflective, reactive, and disengaged political consumer.

(For those of you frantically checking your calendars to see if it is April 1st, no, it isn't, this isn't a stupid gimmick post by Bernard, it's Max writing here. Thanks, Bernard, for lending me this corner of your soapbox from which to preach. I had always thought that you were beyond saving, but your generosity in this matter gives one reason to hope that someday you will see see the light and repent of your baby-eating, dog-kicking, seal-clubbing, misanthropic Republican ways.)

Unfortunately, just getting the title of the piece down totally wore me out.

So until next time, folks, remember:

I an' I mus' al' move to Jah love.

True advice for all you Republicans out there in Internet land.

PEACE.

PS: I also promise to write soon about Godel's theorem (sorry i don't know how to do umlauts yet), it's epistemological corollaries, and it's necessary implications for the cult of neo-Republicanism. Hooray, kids! Go-go-gadget-isomorphism!

BEN STEIN ON BEING REPUBLICAN IN SOUTHERN CAL

Pretty funny article...

The man at the Christmas tree tent in Malibu kept winking at me and nodding when no one else was looking. I smiled and kept looking at the trees. (In Malibu, we Jews have Christmas trees.) Finally, he motioned to me to come over to is table. He cupped his hand over his mouth and took my hand. "We won," he said. "We won."

I knew exactly what he meant. "You can talk about it," I said. "This is America."

"Yes, but it's also Malibu and I don't want people yelling at me."

FLORIDA E-VOTE CONSPIRACY HOT AIR

Statisticians release an analysis debunking a previous Berkeley study that said President Bush received more votes than he should have in Florida counties that used touch-screen voting machines.

Figures Professor Michael Hout, who presented the initial study and claim, is from Berkeley. Only good from Berkeley is top dog, which is pretty good for a west coast hot dog joint. If you want to go to the best hot dog joint in the world, go to Hot Doug's in Chicago. (Yes, I'm joking about the Berkeley jab. Great school and lots of great people I know who went there... besides some professors of sociology)

BROADBAND SUFFERS FROM INNOVATOR'S DILEMMA... MICHAEL POWELL INTERVIEW

Good Michael Powell interview by Larry Lessig.

Not too long ago, the US led the world in broadband penetration. Now it's thirteenth. So what happened? According to Michael Powell, the US is a victim of its own success.

Lessig: Mr. Chairman, there’s much in what you’ve done which I want to praise, in particular your broadband policy and your spectrum policy. But let’s start with a framing economic question. In 2000, when this administration began, we were probably one or two in broadband penetration. OECD estimated last year that we were number ten. The latest statistics say that we’re number thirteen. So what’s happened in the last four years that this place where the internet really started and took off seems to be falling behind so quickly?

Powell: I think this situation should be unacceptable to us. Fortunately, I think we’re beginning to have some success in making our national leadership understand that this is something they should care about. This is something that will impact and control the economic prosperity of our society in the Information Age. It should be debated in the halls of Congress. It's that critical. (full interview)

"HIGH-TECH PUBLISHER TRIES 'BLOGOZINE'"

Article on Tony Perkins's effort to establish a 'blogozone'.

Also I'm sorry but I can't write or post much today since I'm busy with a few things. Maybe if I need a brain break I'll post something later. Have a nice day.

The quarterly magazine, scheduled to debut early next year, will draw heavily from material that has already appeared online at www.alwayson-network.com— a technology-focused blogging community that Perkins created after Red Herring's collapse.

About half the so-called "blogozine" will be devoted to the most provocative posts on his Web site, like a recent debate about whether a new computer video game re-creating the assassination of John Kennedy should be rated more obscene than online pornography.
.....
Jason Pontin, Red Herring's editor during the San Francisco-based magazine's heyday, is among the skeptics, although he still praises his former boss as "a very brilliant man, a beloved figure in Silicon Valley and an extraordinary self-promoter."

Pontin has serious doubts about whether the raw, openly biased observations that attract loyal followings to the online "blogosphere" will fare as well in the more circumspect realm of magazines, where full-time reporters routinely spend weeks researching stories and then submit their findings to rigorous fact checking.

"The blogosphere doesn't have the capacity to produce analytical, well-researched journalism," said Pontin, now editor in chief of Technology Review, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's monthly magazine. "If you believe there are enough people interested in reading a magazine devoted to bunch of insiders writing with great jubilation about the importance of their own community, then Tony's approach could be quite effective."

Magazine industry expert Samir Husni says the odds are stacked against Perkins, citing the failed attempts of other popular Web sites that have tried to repackage their online content into magazines, such as Travelocity, Expedia and Slate.

HACKERS, VIRUSES IN CELLPHONES... ANNOYING

Growing problem for cellphones. Be careful, dudes.

LENOVO BUYING IBM'S PC BUSINESS

Big news like during the days when Japanese companies were initially buying out U.S. companies. The yellow scare is coming! Wait, how come no one really stated anything when LG Electronics bought American icon Zenith years ago? Guess Korea a decade ago wasn't big enough for some people or a real threat.

Oh, My God! The Chinese Are Coming!
They're buying IBM's PC business. What's next—McDonald's?

Slate
By Daniel Gross
Friday, Dec. 3, 2004

The New York Times has a genuine scoop today. IBM, which introduced its widely cloned personal computer in 1981, has put its PC business on the block. The news is not earth-shattering. PCs are a small business for IBM—the unit is expected to fetch between $1 billion and $2 billion, while IBM has a market capitalization of $162 billion. IBM lags far behind market leaders Dell and HP. And personal computers are a brutally competitive business, with Twiggy-like margins. What was once an expensive luxury has become a cheap commodity, propelled in large part by the rise of Taiwan and China as component manufacturers.

The surprise in the Times story is the potential buyer. IBM most likely won't be selling the unit to an American competitor or to a Japanese rival like Fujitsu. Instead, Andrew Ross Sorkin and Steve Lohr report, the likely buyer is Lenovo, China's biggest PC maker. (Lenovo used to be known as Legend.)

It's not just PC businesses that Chinese companies are bidding for. Huawei Technologies, China's answer to Cisco Systems, has also been shopping in the United States. The Wall Street Journal reported a couple of weeks ago that Wanxiang, China's largest auto parts company, has acquired or set up joint ventures with several small struggling Midwestern companies. It now employs about 1,000 Americans. (full article)

MSN SPACES... MICROSOFT JOINS THE BLOGGING WORLD

Do you hear it again? And Darth breathing?

Microsoft joins the blogging world

Friday, December 3, 2004

SEATTLE, Washington (AP) -- Microsoft Corp. is becoming the latest company aiming to bring blogging to the masses with a free new tool that lets people easily set up Web journals.

MSN Spaces, which debuts in test form Thursday, is targeted at home users who want to share things like vacation pictures, text journals or a list of favorite songs. The service, free to anyone with a Hotmail e-mail or MSN Messenger account, is part of Microsoft's effort to keep people in a Microsoft-branded universe for all their online communication needs. (full article)

"ROVE UNLEASHED"

I feel like Newsweek wanted audio along with this piece... the laugh of Dr. Evil.

For the past 30 years he's focused like a laser on George W. Bush. What does Karl Rove do for an encore? The plans for a permanent GOP majority.

RESPONSES TO MY OP-ED
Brief Comments on Creationism and The Theory of Evolution

It's been fun and interesting reading emails and response around the blogosphere over the past couple days. Some hate emails, sarcastic comments, praise, and words of encouragement.

There is a good discussion string at AlwaysOn, a leading tech community blog. Here's one of my posts:

I believe you're missing the main focus of Creationism. It isn't about the age of the earth. I could care less if the earth was 5,000 or 5 billion years old. It is about the idea that the universe was not created by chance, and that God had a close hand it the process. While Determinist like Stephen Hawking might not agree, others from his field cannot imagine the process without God in it.

Albert Einstein, while not believing in a personal god, concluded through his years of research that the universe could not have been created by chance or from chaos:

"I want to know how God created this world, I am not interested in this or that phenomenon, in the spectrum of this or that element. I want to know His thoughts, the rest are details."

Freeman Dyson, father of Esther Dyson, is "one of the outstanding physicists of our time" and has "written extensively on the meaning of science and its relation to other disciplines, especially religion and ethics." While I don't know the details of his faith, he stands on the side of God's involvement in creation process. (http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2000/112/32.0.html)

There is another world-class physicist, John Polkinghorne, who became an Anglican priest, who is a strong Creationist. South Korea's leading materials scientist, Younggil Kim, who invented alloys Motorola uses in their chips, is also the country's most outspoken Creationist.

The idea that our universe was created by some random event and life came from a chaotic mass of gases are unthinkable for these people. Even in numerous experiments attempting to see if some complex structures could be formed from a ball of gas only resulted in simple sugars.

I did not grow up in a Christian home and came from a Buddhist background. I did not become Christian through some emotion event, but through an intellectual journey. I questioned everything and wanted proof. I studied Creationism and evolution for a year, and concluded that both needed faith. The Theory of Evolution is still a theory. There has been no proof of species jumping, and the most recent hope I read about were some monkeys down in South America.

I would challenge you to explore some of the other side too.

Here's a letter to the editor response in The Boston Globe, "A lesson for the religious right."

A funny post here by a slightly wacky guy in Minnesota, eh, "But what did the fluvial geomorphologist think?"

I just read possibly the most incomprehensible op-ed piece ever in the Boston Globe, A lesson for the liberal elite. I don’t know how to describe it other than to say just read it for yourself. (incomprehensible op-ed piece ever? cool.)

I found it so confusing and so “odd” in its defense of Christianity that I googled the author, Bernard Moon. Thanks to Google and Bernie’s blog, I now know him as Moon Byungkee from Seoul. (eh? i'm from chicago. i was born in seoul and that's my korean name. too much ice fishing... head first? aye?)

I don’t want to read too much into his name... (what's there to read? bernard moon.)
.....
Mr. Moon reminds me that intelligence and education do not automatically confer the ability to think consistently. (wha? you really don't get out much, huh? or have friends beyond your small world? my views are very consistenly with people like billy graham, c.s. lewis, and other mainstream christians.)

A rambling post at The Mahablog.

Another string of posts here... Christian leaning.

TRY OUT A RSS READER

Last week I finally corrected my site feeds and tried out a RSS reader. My friend, Doug, has been using them over the past couple years and ranted about it. I just never got around to trying one out and became a closet Luddite. Now after experimenting with a few I'm sold. Right now I use Bloglines, but you can try out others. I don't use it for all the blogs and sites I read, but for the handful I use it for I found it to be efficient and convenient.

Some more information about RSS readers:

RSS and Atom files provide news updates from a website in a simple form for your computer. You read these files in a program called an aggregator, which collects news from various websites and provides it to you in a simple form.

What is an RSS feed?
RSS stands for "Remote Site Syndication" and allows you to get the latest headline or summary information from a blog or news sites through a RSS readers.

Why should I use RSS?
A benefit of RSS readers is that you can subscribe to many websites and thus stay informed without having to go to each site individually.

WORLD AIDS DAY



Back in college, I organized an AIDS awareness week a couple of my fellow Badgers, Sirnu and Safiya. We were part of ADVANCE, which was student organization driven to challenge apathy and ignorance on our campus. My involvement in the AIDS event was an open-eyeing and heart-touching, especially since the money we raised went to Camp Heartland. Camp Heartland helps children affected by HIV/AIDS through various services and advocacy events, and the flagship program is a summer camp for these children. You can help them out here.

Anyways, today is World AIDS Day. Check out their site. More information on HIV/AIDS here.

FRIENDS OF IRAQ BLOGGER CHALLENGE... FROM SPIRIT OF AMERICA

Support freedom, democracy and peace in Iraq
Leading bloggers are competing to raise funds to benefit the people of Iraq. 100% of all donations go to needs selected by these bloggers. Many of our projects support requests made by Americans serving in Iraq (Marines, Army, SeaBees) for goods that help the Iraqi people. Other projects directly support Iraqis who are on the front lines of building a better future for Iraq.

"Americans want to help our troops and the people of Iraq and Afghanistan who are working hard to rebuild their countries through freedom and democracy. Spirit of America offers excellent opportunities for personal involvement. The name says it all -Spirit of America - and it is providing ways to give support that makes a difference." - Senator John McCain

If you want to help out, donate here.

SHOULD YOU REALLY BE A LAWYER?

My friend, Deborah, has her book out now. I mentioned before that she was starting her book tour, but now you can buy it on Amazon or BarnesandNoble.com:

"Should You Really Be A Lawyer? The Guide to Smart Career Choices Before, During and After Law School"
(Although Amazon says the book is "not yet released," it actually is and people will receive the book right away once they order it.)

Also you can check out her website here.

MY FIRST OP-ED PIECE

My fiancee complained that during my freetime (outside of us spending time together... lately just shopping) all I do is blog, play basketball, and look at fantasy football & basketball related shows and information. She strongly suggested that I write an op-ed piece for a newspaper, so I took a shot at it this past Saturday afternoon. Pretty cool. First attempt, submission and The Boston Globe took it: "A lesson for the liberal elite."

Actually, my original title was "I, Christian" with respect to Asimov's "I, Robot," which I still like better. Also The Boston Globe editor, who was great, made some minor changes (e.g. original last line: As with Asimov’s “Robbie,” we seem to be misunderstood with multiple myths surrounding our beliefs, motivation, and existence.)

My original tagline was "Bernard Moon is a high-tech entrepreneur and blogger at http://bernardmoon.blogspot.com," but they just put "Bernard Moon is a freelance writer in San Francisco" so my blog didn't get promoted. Crap. Oh, well. Maybe next time.

UPDATE: My op-ed was the most popular story for the day at The Boston Globe's website. Pretty cool.

"END OF EMAIL IN KOREA"

HatTip to Doug Yeum. When I came back from Korea this past May, I remember SMSing my friends about whether they were going to play basketball one night. One of them called back and told me that he didn't know his cellphone could receive text messages. I was surprised since I was so accustomed to SMSing my friends in Korea about everything.

It was convenient to text message people when you're in meetings, on the go, or when you needed a simple response. I easily SMSed more than 10 messages a day. People a decade younger probably at least 30 times. Two decades younger probably 50 times. Whether a busy professional, housewife, or student, people didn't need a Nokia commercial to tell them the benefit and convenience of text messaging on your mobile phone.

In the U.S., it is a different story. Blackberry came first and captured the attention of the professional market. For various reasons not completely known to me, SMS never took off in the U.S, but I wonder if this is another trend that the U.S. is lagging behind in.

Earlier this year, I read about the growth of camera phones in the U.S. and related issues of privacy that Korea dealt with almost three years ago. Wireless and broadband services in general are at least a couple years behind the South Korea market in adoption and quality. So will SMS have the same impact on email in the U.S. as it did in Korea?

Some more information on this matter:

A poll conducted by Chungbuk University computer education professor Lee Ok-hwa on over 2,000 middle, high school and college students in Gyeonggi and Chungcheong provinces in October revealed that more than two-thirds of the respondents said, "I rarely use or don't use e-mail at all."
.....
Daum Communication, the top email business in the country, saw its email service pageviews fall over 20 percent from 3.9 billion in October last year to 3 billion in October this year. By contrast, with SK Telecom, the nation's No. 1 communication firm, monthly SMS transmissions skyrocketed over 40 percent in October from 2.7 billion instances last October.

Again, good post and article link from my friend's blog(Doug runs an IT consulting shop and built the first blog service in Korea for Korea Telecom's broadband portal):


I've said before that email is no longer a very effective communications tool due to spam and increasing popularity of instant messaging, SMS, and blogs/mini-hompy (personal media). The younger generation, especially, tend not to use email unless it is necessary (e.g. submitting reports to professors).

This article also suggests that use of email will continue to decline in Korea as other forms of online communications become the preferred choice among young online users.

The email era is coming to an end because replacement communication means such as Internet messengers, mini-homepages (dubbed "one-man media"), and SMS are wielding their power. As a consequence, the stronghold of email, once the favorite of the Internet, is being shaken from its roots.

The ebbing of email is a phenomenon peculiar to Korea, an IT power. Leading the big change, unprecedented in the world, are our teens and those in their 20's. The perception that "email is an old and formal communication means" is rapidly spreading among them. "I use email when I send messages to elders," said a college student by the name of Park. For 22-year-old office worker Kim, "I use email only for receiving cellphone and credit card invoices."

The reasons given for shunning email are that it's impossible to tell whether an addressee has received a message right away and replies are not immediately forthcoming. Still another reason is that you send messages through SMS or messenger as if you were playing a game, while doing so through email makes you feel as if you are doing homework or performing a task. "The new generation hate agonizing and waiting and tend to express their feelings immediately," said Professor Lee. "The decline of email is a natural outcome reflecting such characteristics of the new generation."

BLOGGER HAVING PROBLEMS

All day I suffered from Blogger having problems with their system. My sidebar was deleted as I was publishing changes, so I had to reconstruct most of the script and html code. Additionally, the system was so slow and bogged down at times that it took forever to make any corrections or changes. Very annoyed at Blogger. I even checked out other Blogspot sites and found them to be slow or not coming up, so I assume this was a system wide problem.

BILL O'REILLY BACKS DAN RATHER

"Dan Rather did not get what he deserved in this case. He made a mistake, as we all do, but he is not a dishonest man."

O'Reilly took sides with Dan Rather against the blogosphere that took Rather down. This could have been a positioning move by O'Reilly, but I'm not sure how he would benefit or build up his capital from this situation. He is probably speaking from his personal relationship with Rather. For me, it seems O'Reilly could be blinded by his past relationship since more fingers do point towards the fact that Rather did knowingly use fake documents in that story against President Bush. This also seems confirmed by Andy Rooney's recent comments at Tufts University.

Either way, I might have brought this up before, but Bill O'Reilly is a great political commentator because he criticizes people on the left and right, and will support people on either side as long as it makes sense to him.

I remember speaking with one of my Dem friends about O'Reilly and he started bashing him.

"Wait. You have to admit he's fair as political commentators go. Others on CNN or wherever are afraid of criticizing people from their own party or ideology. O'Reilly rips on everybody... And you watch him, right? Even though you hate him."

"Okay. I'll give you that. He's even-handed at times... Yeah, I watch him."

LEGENDARY DON VALENTINE SPEAKS

Good interview at News.com. Don Valentine is the founder of Sequoia Capital and a legend in Silicon Valley. He was one of the original investors in Apple Computer, Atari, Oracle and Electronic Arts, and his firm through other partners were the early investors in Cisco, Yahoo!, PayPal, and Google.

" If there is an application for nanotechnology, it's going to be the later part of our lifetimes. You have this huge amount of press coverage and no market problem that needs solving."

"I really think it's sort of embarrassing for South Korea to have an intrinsically greater disposition in broadband than California."

PEER IMPACT THROWS ITSELF INTO THE ONLINE MUSIC ARENA

Peer Impact signs up three out of the four major record labels for online music distribution rights:

The deals with Peer Impact, a new division of online marketing company Wurld Media, continues the labels' gradual warming trend toward peer-to-peer services. Top label executives have increasingly said they are willing to support file-swapping networks, as long as no pirated songs appear alongside authorized works.

For now, Peer Impact's partners include Universal Music, Sony BMG and the Warner Music Group. The company remains in negotiations with EMI Music and plans to launch the file-swapping service in early 2005.

Songs will cost 99 cents, as they do at Apple Computer's iTunes and other download stores, and they'll be wrapped in copyp-protection technology. But executives say the file-swapping technology can help build relationships between customers in a way ordinary Net music stores can't. (full article)

"REJECTING THE NEXT BILL GATES"... VISA CRISIS NEEDS TO BE FIXED

Good article on how the recent immigrant crack-down and foreign-visa crisis is turning away future innovation, which drives most of our economy.

Rejecting the Next Bill Gates
The dirty secret about our scientific edge is that it's largely produced by foreigners and immigrants. Americans don't do science

NEWSWEEK
By Fareed Zakaria

Nov. 29 issue - As Condoleezza Rice enters the State Department, she will face a number of pressing foreign-policy problems that she cannot solve. This will not be for lack of effort or intelligence on her part. It's just that many foreign-policy crises involve the interests and activities of countries across the globe, and changing these takes time. And even then, whether it's Iran, North Korea or Darfur, there is no quick fix that Washington can impose. But there is a growing danger for the United States that needs urgent attention, can be solved and is almost entirely within Rice's power to handle. It's the foreign-visa crisis. Left unattended, it is going to have deep and lasting effects on American security and competitiveness.

The facts are plain. U.S. visa procedures have become far too cumbersome, and bureaucrats are turning down far more applications than ever before. One crucial result is the dramatic decline of foreign students in the U.S.—the first shift downward in 30 years. Three new reports document the magnitude of this fall. Undergraduate enrollment from China dropped 20 percent this year; from India, 9 percent; from Japan, 14 percent. The declines are even worse in graduate schools: applications from China have dropped 45 percent; from India, 28 percent.

Some Americans might say, "Good riddance, it's their loss." Actually the greater loss is ours. American universities benefit from having the best students from across the globe. But the single most deadly effect of this trend is the erosion of American capacity in science and technology. The U.S. economy has powered ahead in large part because of the amazing productivity of America's science and technology. Yet that research is now done largely by foreign students. The National Science Board (NSB) documented this reality last year, finding that 38 percent of doctorate holders in America's science and engineering work force are foreign-born. Foreigners make up more than half the students enrolled in science and engineering programs. The dirty little secret about America's scientific edge is that it's largely produced by foreigners and immigrants. (full article)

NEW BRANDING FOR DEMOCRATS

HatTip to Instapundit. Pretty funny post at Hubris. Check it out. I personally like:

"We Don't Think You're A Bunch of Stupid Hicks. Honest."

"Don't You Prefer Evil Union Bosses To Evil Corporate Robber Barons?"

HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY!

Hope everyone is having a great Thanksgiving Day! My fiancee and I are spending a quiet Thanksgiving holiday in our new city. It's wonderful to spend this time with ones you love.

This year is a contrast to the large celebrations I grew up with and that have become less frequent during this stage in life. I remember my parents inviting family members, friends, friends without a place to go, my friends who didn't get a chance to go home, and always a random guest or two. I'm always grateful how my parents taught me how to give with a gracious heart. They never expected anything back for all the services, gifts, or dinners they held. Unconditional giving is the most rewarding giving.

Well, maybe in certain family situations or rare cases, but for the vast majority they didn't care for social etiquette or recognition. I respect and love this about my parents and I know many people over the years have been blessed by their giving.

Anyway, here is an article at The American Thinker on George Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation:

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted' for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have show kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d dy of October, A.D. 1789.

(signed) G. Washington

IT'S WICTORY WEDNESDAY

Wictory Wednesday blogroll on sidebar below. Even if you're not Republican, consider donating. Just kidding. Have a nice day!

The elections aren't over yet. There are two Congressional seats in Louisiana that will be decided in a couple of weeks. If either party wins both these seats, it will be big news.

Louisiana just elected a Republican senator for the first time ever. Republicans already hold 4 of the 7 House seats. If the GOP can win the two run-offs (a distinct possibility), then it will control 6 out of 7 House seats and Louisiana will have gone firmly Republican, the way of Georgia.

But to accomplish this, the local GOP needs your help. You can easily contribute to the Louisiana Republican party online.

Imagine if the GOP wins those two seats! It will give credence to the idea of a solid Republican majority and will further convince red-state Democrats in the House and Senate that obstructionism will lose them elections. Help make that happen.

Today is Wictory Wednesday. Every Wednesday, hundreds of bloggers ask their readers to donate to an important Republican campaign.

MOZILLA'S FIREFOX SLOWLY EATS AWAY AT IE

A fair amount of press on Firefox over the past few weeks, so I guess I should post something just in case some of you haven't read about it or tried it. A couple weeks ago I downloaded Firefox for the first time and love it. It seems faster than IE and the functionality is better. Some more notes on its functionality and the possible impact on Google at Steve Hall's blog here. You can download it here.

PHISHING SCAMS INCREASING... WATCH OUT

Automated phishing and other techniques are on the rise. Typically, I saw these phishing scams as lame that preyed upon the neophyte surfers and email users since their scams requesting for information seemed generated from my old Apple IIe or written by a high school kid. This past month I got one that seemed to be from PayPal requesting me to update my information due to numerous visits from a foreign IP address. The email showed to be sent from "service@paypal.com," and I had to double-check with PayPal since it almost seemed convincing. It was a phishing scam that was pretty good.

Fraudsters are achieving higher levels of automation for phishing scams, using software tools and botnets to increase the reach of their work, according to the Anti-Phishing Working Group.

Security experts from the APWG have witnessed massive increases in the number of phishing Web sites, which they say suggests scammers are improving their techniques. (full article)

More from Vikram Desai:

Phishing crooks aren't staying still--they're getting smarter.

Phishing is a technique used by hackers in which spammed e-mail draws you to a phony Web site that looks amazingly like that of a trusted institution such as your bank. Once there, victims unwittingly disclose personal financial information that the phisher uses to defraud the e-business and conduct identity fraud and theft. Because of well-publicized phishing attacks, most people are now sensitized to these scams.

There is now an even scarier development on the phishing horizon--one in which e-businesses may become unwitting accomplices, because it is difficult for even the most savvy of Web users to detect. "Blended phishing" attacks employ a trusted organization's legitimate site, rather than a mock site and a fake URL address. The result is that even the most cautious users are unlikely to recognize the bogus link as a threat. (full article)

CRACKS IN NORTH KOREA?

HatTip to Mingi. Who really knows what is happening behind the green curtain?

Japanese Official Warns of Fissures in North Korea

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By JAMES BROOKE
November 22, 2004

TOKYO, Nov. 21 - After weeks of reports from North Korea of defecting generals, antigovernment posters and the disappearance of portraits of the country's ruler, the leader of Japan's governing party warned Sunday of the prospects of "regime change" in North Korea.

"As long as Chairman Kim Jong Il controls the government, we have to negotiate with him, but it is becoming more doubtful whether we will be able to achieve anything with this government," said Shinzo Abe, acting secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party, on Fuji TV, referring to talks on North Korea's abductions of Japanese in the 1970's. "I think we should consider the possibility that a regime change will occur, and we need to start simulations of what we should do at that time."

By breaking an unspoken taboo on talking publicly about "regime change" in North Korea, the powerful Japanese politician underlined a feeling spreading in the region that cracks are starting to show in the Kim family's control over North Korea after nearly 60 years. (full article)

DAN RATHER STEPS DOWN AS ANCHOR

Good news for many people. CBS needed new blood since it was in the basement of primetime news ratings forever. Some more from Power Line here.

Dan Rather to leave anchor desk in March
Decision comes amid review of Bush-National Guard story

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Longtime anchor Dan Rather will leave the "CBS Evening News" on March 9, the network said Tuesday, just months after Rather's use of questionable documents in a report critical of President Bush's National Guard service.

Rather, 73, said he will continue to work full time as a correspondent for the network's two "60 Minutes" programs as well as other assignments. (full article)

KOREAN-NESS BECOMING POPULAR IN JAPAN

Interesting article:

Koreans have a harsh history in Japan. Their homeland was under Tokyo's colonist yoke for 35 years, and in Japan they still face discrimination and cruel stereotypes. But thanks to the mega-hit South Korean soap opera "Winter Sonata," Koreans these days also face something quite different in Japan: adulation.

On visits to Tokyo, the show's two main actors -- Bae Yong-joon, 32, and Choi Ji-woo, 29 -- are mobbed by swooning fans, and sales of chewing gum and chocolates they advertise have surged.

Japanese are filling Korean language classes, crooning Korean pop songs at karaoke clubs and buying out flights to Seoul to visit places featured in the drama. (full article)

ANDY ROONEY ADMITS TO CBS'S HOSTILITY TOWARDS BUSH... HE'S A FOOL TOO

Andy Rooney from CBS's "60 Minutes" admitted at a Tufts University event that "the motivation behind CBS's hit on President Bush based on forged documents to the political agenda of CBS News staffers."

I love some of the other stuff he say:

"Rooney also attributed voters' reliance on religion in the recent election to ignorance" and "said Christian fundamentalism is a result of 'a lack of education. They haven't been exposed to what the world has to offer.'" In addition, "Rooney said he also could not understand how 'men who work with their hands voted for George Bush,' and again attributing the phenomenon to a lack of education."

Rooney has a definite disconnect with those that voted for Bush and much of America. Also I don't fully understand some liberals' misunderstanding of Christianity and how it is a religion of the uninformed or uneducated. From Sir Isaac Newton to George Washington Carver to Abraham Lincoln to Woodrow Wilson to Fyodor Dostoievski to C.S. Lewis, these are great leaders and people that helped mold our world that would be defined as Christian fundamentialists. Christianity always had intellectual giants and change agents anyone can respect, but maybe some choose to ignore.

BUSH SAVES SECRET SERVICE FROM FALL... KERRY BLAMED THEM FOR A FALL

Another reason why majority of Americans voted for this man. I'll bet Secret Service agents are very happy that Bush is their man, and not the guy that blames them for falls on the snow and curses them out.

In role reversal, president rescues Secret Service agent

By James G. Lakely
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
November 20, 2004

SANTIAGO, Chile — President Bush broke up a fight last night between his lead Secret Service agent and a Chilean security detail, pulling the agent through a wall of men trying to bar his bodyguard's access to a state dinner.

Mr. Bush and first lady Laura Bush arrived at 8 p.m. local time yesterday at the Estacion Mapocho Cultural Center for the official dinner of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

After the first couple posed for photos with Chilean President Ricardo Lagos and his wife, the four entered the doorway with a line of Chilean security guards and uniformed police closing quickly behind him.

The president's lead agent approached the line of men as quickly as it closed and demanded to be allowed through. Within a few seconds, the confrontation began to escalate with voices being raised and shoving in all directions.

"You're not stopping me! You're not stopping me!" yelled the agent, as captured by several television cameras. "I'm with the president."

During the fracas, another Secret Service agent was roughly pulled from the tumult and pushed against a concrete wall by Chilean security. A few seconds later, after posing for yet more pictures about 15 feet inside the doorway, Mr. Bush and the rest of the party turned to enter the dining room. But the president quickly turned his head to the growing din just outside.

Mr. Bush calmly turned right as the other three continued on and inserted himself into the fight. The president reached over two rows of Chilean security guards, grabbed his lead agent by the shoulder of his suit jacket and began to pull. (full article)

TASTE OF WHAT KERRY WOULD HAVE DONE WITH OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

Wheww! Close call with our healthcare system. Thank the Almighty, Bush was elected!

Innovative health plan overwhelms Tennessee

By Dahleen Glanton
Tribune national correspondent
Novermber 20, 2004

Faced with a $250 million budget deficit 10 years ago, largely due to rising Medicaid costs, Tennessee came up with a novel idea. It would establish a low-cost managed health-care system, bring thousands of uninsured people into the program and fill its coffers with matching federal Medicaid dollars.

The TennCare program for a while was hailed nationally as a successful model for managed health care. But now the program has spiraled out of control, costing $7.8 billion a year and forcing the governor last week to threaten to shut it down unless he can implement reforms. That would leave 430,000 people without any form of health care. (full article)

"SOUTH KOREA AND THE CHANGE FUNCTION"... UBS'S PIP COBURN

Interesting article and a good view on South Korea's advancements. Also read the posts at this AlwaysOn piece. As I wrote before, what I read about in the wireless industry in the U.S. and elsewhere are things I read 2-3 years ago in Korea or Japan.

ABERCROMBIE & FITCH SETTLES DISCRIMINATION SUIT WITH $40 MILLION

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. has agreed to pay $40 million to black, Hispanic and Asian employees and job applicants to settle a class-action federal discrimination lawsuit that accused the clothing retailer of promoting whites at the expense of minorities. (full article)

Weird hearing about this for me. Back around 1997, I remember hearing a lot about Abercrombie & Fitch's subtle discrimination practices and obvious marketing campaigns that excluded minorities, but after I left for Asia for four years I didn't keep up with the related news. In 1997, I took a retailing course at Columbia Business School with Alan Kane (cross-referencing among Columbia's professional schools and considering an e-commerce startup at the time), and Michael Jeffries, Abercrombie & Fitch's CEO, came in to speak about his operations and tremendous growth at the time. I remember a few students who questioned Jeffries about these practices and his company's targeted marketing towards white, suburban teens. Obviously, he denied these charges and stated that his company didn't make any conscious effort in their hiring practices and marketing efforts. Whatever.

Here are some testimonials against Abercrombie & Fitch's practices:

Eduardo Gonzalez, a Stanford student from Hayward, California, was pleased with the settlement. "I remember how discouraged I felt when I applied for a job at the Santa Clara store and the manager suggested that I work in the stock room or on the late night crew in a non-sales position. I felt it was because I was a Latino - but there was no one I could report this to at the time."

Plaintiff Anthony Ocampo, a recent Stanford graduate, who was told he couldn't be hired because "there's already too many Filipinos," agreed with Gonzalez. "It is important that Abercrombie seek out employees of color and provide them training and opportunities for promotion."

Jennifer Lu worked at the Crystal Court Mall store in Costa Mesa, California for three years while she was a student at U.C. Irvine. She and five other Asian American employees were terminated after a visit from senior management and replaced with white sales staff. "I was very distressed after I was terminated for being an Asian American woman. I am now very excited about the policies and programs Abercrombie must implement that came about as a result of this lawsuit. I am looking forward to seeing a more diverse Abercrombie; one that actually reflects the look of America," said Lu.

Carla Grubb, an African American student at California State Bakersfield, was constructively discharged from the Abercrombie store in the Bakersfield Valley Plaza Mall after being assigned cleaning and other menial jobs. "I felt demoralized being the only African American employee and being specifically assigned to dust the store, wash the windows and clean the floors. With this settlement, I now know that Abercrombie cannot treat other employees of color in such a manner."

HORROR IN MOTOR CITY... BRAWL AT PISTONS/PACERS GAME STAINS NBA

The biggest news in sports last night was the fight at the Pistons/Pacers game in Detroit.

It was simply a horrible night for the NBA, basketball, and sports in general. After watching the numerous replays of what occurred, it's almost unbelievable to accept that this wasn't a dream influenced by some horror movie but an ugly reality about fans and players today.

There are many grey areas of fault, but I believe Ron Artest should not have crossed the line over a thrown drink. What was Tim Legler talking about on SportsCenter and in his article today? Last night, he stated that any player would have done the same. What are you talking about, Tim? I know a lot of players who would have brushed off the thrown drink as idiocy or simply yelled at the fan. To cross into the fan section and attack the person was completely uncalled for and unprofessional. I understand that he was emotionally charged, but he committed an unneeded flagrant foul on Ben Wallace towards the end of the game (Yes, Wallace overreacted too).

A theory I have about the situation is that if Artest was so calm and cool about the situation after Wallace shoved him in the face, why did he charge into the stands over a thrown drink? It was his pride boiling over. He wanted to take on Ben Wallace, but a certain amount of fear came into play and he backed down after seeing Wallace huge pipes and scary fro. As a release of frustration, he jumps into the stands to take on that little guy. Did you see the guy? He must have been no more than 5' 9" and 140 lbs. versus Artest's 6'7" 247 lbs. frame. Human nature, damaged pride, frustration, and immaturity in dealing with his emotions. I've seen it in altercations before where a pseudo-tough guy backs down in a situation with a more physical imposing person, and then starts it up with a smaller guy he has a chance on to release his tension and embarrassment. Pathetic. Human nature is sometimes like a broken record.

I thought it was stupid for Stephen Jackson to attack another fan. Who was he protecting? Artest proved to be more of an emotional fireball and unprofessional by not walking away and hitting an idiot challenging him on the floor. Again, Tim, what are you talking about?

"I believe the on-court fighting between fans and players shouldn't result in punishment for players. The punches that Artest and O'Neal threw at fans on the court should be exempt from suspension because all bets should be off when a fan comes onto the court and goes after a player. When fans go after a player and threaten him physically, they deserve what they get."

What's the difference between the court and on the street? You walk away. If a man comes on my property, am I allowed to hit him in the face? Is it justified? Are you saying that the NBA court is sacred ground or an area where normal laws don't apply?

Anyways, soon afterwards, Jermaine O'Neal throws a sucker punch on the same moron. What was that? Just walk away. This isn't some high school game. These Detroit fans may be idiots and thugs, but shouldn't NBA players be above them? Yes, they should. And yes, they can. It's not a high school game or a recreation league where chaos feeds chaos. This is a game of professionals where their pride should be beneath the game and their conduct above the fans.

Practically speaking, Artest, Jackson, O'Neal, and Wallace should face fines and suspensions to varying degrees. The fans involved should be not allowed to anymore NBA games for the coming year, especially the Detriot thug swinging at innocent Fred Jones. The NBA obviously needs to do a better job of security near the team benches. And Tim Legler should seriously stop kissing Ron Artest's ass and the players' asses, and go buy a new world view.

UPDATES: ESPN's Jim Caple, "NBA should throw book at Artest."

ESPN's Marc Stein, "Brawlers' punishment should be modeled on soccer."

Running commentary at SportsBlog on my post.

FINAL UPDATE: Ron Artest is out for the year.

WORLD'S LARGEST SOLAR POWER STATION IN SOUTH KOREA

Figures. Koreans love the phrase "world's best" or "world's largest" or anything within this range. I'm just poking fun at this because in Korean advertising at the mid to low-end production range these phrases are overused and stated too often. Anyways, Korea does now have the world's largest tidal water plant and soon will have the world's largest solar power station.

SIRIUS HIRES MEL KARMAZIN... ANOTHER WEBVAN?

Sirius Satellite Radio has stepped up the stakes in hiring Mel Karmazin, former Viacom President, as its new CEO. This comes after it's recent deal with Howard Stern. This is not great news for XM Satellite Radio, the leader in the industry, but not horrible since it helps to add validity to the satellite radio industry.

I can't help think about George Shaheen's, former CEO of Andersen Consulting (now Accenture), joining of Webvan and all the hype and validation the online grocery industry received. It's a calmer period in technology, but I wonder how this story is going to end up especially if satellite radio takes a very slow road to growth.

MICROSOFT TARGETS VOIP MARKET... FROM FIERCEWIRELESS

Whenever I read something like this about Microsoft, the "Death Star/Stormtrooper" track plays through my head and a shiver goes down my spine. Watch out, Vonage! Be fearful, SunRocket! Look over your shoulder, AT&T;!

Microsoft aims to capture VoIP market

Microsoft plans to dominate the IP telephony applications market. The company is planning to offer a new version of its instant messaging server, Live Communications Server (LCS), and a corporate IM client, code-named Istanbul. LCS incorporates a SIP-based platform that can be used to handle VoIP calls. The new LCS/Istanbul combo is designed to work in tandem with Microsoft Exchange and Outlook. This messaging framework will allow a user to call someone over the Internet by clicking on a person or a phone number in their Outlook address book.

If this initial rollout works, Microsoft will likely bundle VoIP applications in future versions of Longhorn and Windows Mobile. By integrating VoIP into Outlook, Exchange, MSN Messenger, and Windows, Microsoft could corner both the VoIP applications and PBX markets. If you add Windows Mobile into the equation, the software giant could also capture the wireless VoIP market before it even gets off the ground. Microsoft could potentially do to VoIP what it did to Netscape in the 1990s.

GROUPER... FORMER AOL/SPINNER.COM EXECS START A PRIVATE P2P SERVICE

Hmm... reminds me of grouper in Hong Kong. One of the best fish you will ever have and a definite must-do if you visit Hong Kong. Yum... you have to take the sauce and put it over your rice and eat it too.

Anyways, here's the article on Grouper:

Is there a place in the enterprise for a legal file-sharing application using peer-to-peer technology?

Three former America Online Inc. executives with a history of entrepreneurial success believe they have the answer with Grouper, an encrypted P2P network that integrates file sharing, instant messaging and multimedia streaming.

Josh Felser, who hit pay dirt with the $320 million sale of Spinner.com to AOL in 1999, is one of the key people behind the Mill Valley, Calif.-based Grouper, the company he created with former AOL colleagues Dave Samuel and Mike Sitrin.

"Our technology turns the computer into a private server that allows you to share files securely in a small, invite-only group," Felser said in an interview with eWEEK.com. Each group becomes an encrypted peer-to-peer network that allows one-click access to browse and download files.

Currently in beta, Grouper limits private networks to 30 members. While file sharing is a key feature in the application, there is no uploading/downloading of music, Felser explained, citing the legal issues associated with sharing of copyrighted works. (full article)

NEW GOOGLE SCHOLAR SEARCH

Great idea. Check it out here.

New Google Scholar search service aimed at academics
Free service allows users to search for scholarly literature and technical reports

INFOWORLD
By Laura Rohde, IDG News Service
November 18, 2004

Google on Thursday formally launched a new search service aimed at scientists and academic researchers.

Google Scholar is a free beta service that allows users to search for scholarly literature like peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, preprints, abstracts and technical reports, the Mountain View, California, company said.

The new service accesses information from resources such as academic publishers, universities, professional societies and preprint repositories, it said.

Because the service automatically analyzes and extracts citations and presents them as separate results, users can find references to older works that may only exist offline in books or other publications.

A query for "Albert Einstein" and "relativity," for example, pulls up 2,920 references along the left-hand side of the page, clearly identified as articles from the Web, or pointing to offline material such as citations or books, which when clicked on are presented much in the same manner as a library card catalog. (full post)

PROFESSOR VICTOR CHA SLOTTED FOR NSC POSITION

HatTip to Mingi. I don't think the Roh Administration is happy about this appointment, but this is a good move by the Bush Administration.

Victor Cha Expected to Become Asia Director in U.S. National Security Council
THE CHOSUN ILBO

WASHINGTON -- It has been learned that Korean-American Professor Victor Cha will be appointed Asia Director of the National Security Council in U.S. President George W. Bush's second term. Succeeding incumbent senior director Michael Green, Prof. Cha, 43, will constitute America's Asia policy line, taking charge of the Korean Peninsula and Japan, along with Stephen J. Hadley, National Security Advisor-designate.

Professor at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, Cha will become the first Korean-American assuming the highest U.S. government post that could affect Korean-American relationship profoundly. Harold Koh, dean, Law College, Yale University, served as assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights, and labor under the Clinton administration, but was not directly involved in Korean Peninsula policy.

Prof. Cha, a Korea and security expert, drew attention in 2002 when he introduced the concept of "hawk engagement" calling on the U.S. administration to intervene and resolve the North Korean nuclear issue. He has supported Bush's policy of not compensating North Korea, which has breached its promises in the international community. Along the context of the Bush administration's Asia policy, he asserted that the U.S. should maintain friendly relations with China and Japan in Asia, resolve Pyongyang's nuclear issue through the six-party talks, and utilize multilateral forums like APEC and ASEAN as a debate arena on security matters.

Prof. Cha has maintained a friendship with Secretary of State-designate Condoleezza Rice, then academic affairs dean of Stanford University, when he was a researcher at the university's Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC). Associating with foreign policy and security officials of the Bush administration
like Green and outgoing Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, Cha has provided advice to the administration from the outside.

On the current Korea-U.S. relationship, Prof. Cha has asserted, "Though the two countries have had some discord, it is outcome rather than processes that is evaluated." Korea's support in Afghanistan and Iraq and successful conclusion of negotiations on re-alignment and reduction of U.S. forces in Korea are results that show Korea-U.S. relations will strengthen in the future, he assesses.

Born in New York, Cha majored in political science at Columbia University, earned a masters degree at Oxford University in the U.K., and earned a doctorate in political science from Columbia University.

"THE APPRENTICE" COMMENTARY... ANNOYING CHARACTERISTICS

I just watched "The Apprentice" tonight, but I'm not going to do an analysis like last month. It was a good show tonight since Trump did something different and fired both Wes and Maria. I agree with the move since both deserved to go for different reasons. Wes just did not know how to lead the group. He showed weak leadership skills in not being able to plan their project effectively and reel in Maria when needed. Maria was just a loose cannon that was destructive to the team chemistry and the outcome of the project. Definitely control freak in the worse possible way. If you're going to be a control freak, but excellent in what you do it's sometimes forgivable. Who talks to his/her colleagues or team members like they were little kids? Telling Wes to "back off" and Sandy to leave the room with the designer? What purpose did that serve in telling Sandy to leave? Why was she being territorial? Did she want to take all the credit for the design of the catalog along with the photoshoot? Obviously, she didn't make many friends in her prior jobs.

Speaking of taking credit, Jennifer annoyed me when she took credit, or didn't give credit, to Ivana during their presentation to the Levi executives. Ivana was clearly the one who generated the spin wheel idea, so when the executive asked how the idea came about Jennifer should have at least acknowledged Ivana before moving on to hear herself talk. Giving credit is a basic building block of team chemistry and trust, and she lost all credibility with me. She was being petty and delusional in thinking Ivana and Kevin were "out to get her." Please. She was just embarrassed because she could not grasp the simple concept of making a spin wheel to present Levi's product line.

You're dumb, Jennifer, or very close to the definition, and I don't care if you went to Princeton and Harvard Law. Also I don't know why people think your hot. You're pretty "plain jane" to me. (Yeah, I was annoyed during the show and venting now.)

Jennifer is mainly style and no substance. She proved herself again to be poised and a solid presenter, which led to the deception that she was the best performer in the group to the Levi executive. If it were possible, Jennifer should have been fired along with Maria and Wes. I would probably have ordered it Maria, Jennifer, and Wes.

CLARKE TESTIMONY RELEASED... FROM POWER LINE

Richard Clarke's testimony has been released by the joint Select Committee on Intelligence which confirmed what objective, rationale people knew already... that he's a liar. Power Line's Hindrocket has more:

It has been widely speculated that the Democrats will use Condoleezza Rice's confirmation hearing as an opportunity to resurrect the charge that she failed to heed warnings about al Qaeda given by Richard Clarke during the transition from the Clinton administration to the Bush administration. The point would not be to refuse to confirm her, but to once again use Clarke's charges to discredit both Rice in particular and the Bush administration in general.

We have repeatedly critiqued Clarke's baseless attacks on the Bush administration, which grew out of his disagreement with the administration's policy on Iraq. Examples are "Richard Clarke, Fraud," "Clarke Takes a Beating," and "Richard Clarke, Liar." If you search our site, you will find many other posts discussing Clarke's fictitious charges.

Clarke's credibility has long been in tatters, but the final blow was delivered today when the joint Select Committee on Intelligence released the transcript of his testimony before that committee on June 11, 2002. Clarke's testimony, with only slight redactions for security reasons, can be accessed here.

Clarke's testimony is completely devoid of any suggestion that he delivered any warning of any kind to Rice or any other member of the Bush administration, let alone any claim that any such warning was disregarded. In fact, what is notable about Clarke's appearance before the Joint Committee is that the Bush administration was scarcely mentioned at all. There was a great deal of discussion about what happened during the Clinton administration, and Clarke generally tried to defend Clinton against criticism. But, with a single exception noted below, not even the most partisan Democrats on the committee, like Nancy Pelosi, tried to suggest that there was anything the Bush administration could or should have done differently during the brief time it was in office prior to September 11, 2001. (full post)

IGNORANT AND RACIST SHOTS AT RICE FROM THE LEFT.

Maybe I should recant a bit of what I wrote earlier:

Lot more action than talk from the right than from the left, especially with pretentious white men who pretend to be for minorities causes but really look down on them (ah um... John Kerry. Did you ever hear him refer to Blacks? Holy condescending, Batman).

Okay, cheapshot since Republicans are the party that Senator Jesse Helms dwelled in for decades and Senator Trent Lott still plays a role in. Hey, we're making up for those questionable characters now.

I mean check this cartoon out from Jeff Danziger:



HatTip to Roger Simon:

Democracy Project has some disturbing links to cartoonists who may have fallen into the not-so "Tender Trap" of racism while making fun of our newly-nominated Secretary of State, including this "masterpiece" by the "highly-sophisticated" Jeff Danziger.

UPDATE... More from Roger Simon:

Some people object to my calling certain "liberals" the "new reactionaries." A good example is this clown, a radio talk show host in Madison who called Condoleezza Rice an "Aunt Jemima." He probably wasn't aware that Rice is a concert level pianist who has played duets with Yo Yo Ma or that she is an expert in Russian literature. He's probably an expert in nothing but his own antedeluvian views.

Radio Host Calls Rice 'Aunt Jemima'

MILWAUKEE - A radio talk show host drew criticism Thursday after calling Condoleezza Rice an "Aunt Jemima" and saying she isn't competent to be secretary of state. (full article)

MICROSOFT TAKES LEAD FROM PALM

Microsoft's Windows CE passed Palm OS to become the leading PDA operating system during this third quarter. Doesn't surprise me. They are just a juggernaut. Whether fast or slow to grab a market, they just do it.

I won't be surprised if they soon dominate the settop box operating systems worldwide as interactive TV seems to be gaining steam again... for the tenth time in a couple decades. I will be slightly surprised if Xbox takes the lead over Sony's PS2 in the coming years simply because Sony is another juggernaut, and they have such a stronghold in the game developers' world.

CREATIVE ON THE HEELS OF APPLE

The battle for MP3/online music market heats up as Creative plans to spend $100 million in marketing muscle. If you're a PC/game user for a while, you might be familiar with their Sound Blaster product that made the mark for this Singapore-based company.

Creative already has 10% of the global MP3 market trailing Apple's 17% share. They are heating up a market where electronic giants have already begun their pushes to grab the lead. Sony and Samsung are heavily eyeing the market along with smaller players, such as Rio.

U.S. MARINE SHOOTING A WOUNDED IRAQI... WAIT FOR THE FACTS NBC

Controversy brewing over the U.S. marine who killed a wounded Iraqi. I briefly saw "Hannity & Colmes" with FOX News Military Analyst and former U.S. Army Lt. Col. Bob Maginnis and civil rights attorney Michael Gross discussing this situation. It seems all the facts are yet to be discovered and the U.S. marine involved might have been shot at by a wounded Iraqi playing dead. Leading him to the incident that caused the Iraqi prisoner's death.

More from LGF:

Here comes the next Abu Ghraib scandal, brought to you with great relish by NBC: Report: U.S. Marine Kills Wounded Iraqi.
.....
I don’t know the full story yet, but the mujahideen are well-known for fighting until martyrdom, blowing themselves up, hiding weapons, and treachery, and I am extremely skeptical of this report. A quick Google lookup on Kevin Sites reveals quite a bit of admiration at lefty sites for his past work, which causes my antennae to tingle.

ONLINE ARENA HEATING UP... YAHOO! FOCUSED ON CONTENT EXPANSION

Yahoo! hired former Wall Street Journal Online editor, Neil Budde, who I'm guessing will lead Yahoo's effort to produce proprietary financial news which will help create an advantage against MSN and AOL.

Other news has Dow Jones buying MarketWatch for $519 million:

Dow Jones will pay $18 per share in cash to acquire MarketWatch, the parent company of MarketWatch.com and a longtime leader in the online delivery of hard financial news, such as stock quotes and earnings reports. The sale price represents a premium of more than 7 percent over Friday's closing price. With some $56 million in cash on hand at MarketWatch factored in, the real value of the deal is closer to $448 million.

Founder and CEO Larry Kramer said having the backing of Dow Jones gives MarketWatch "a terrific platform to grow our business and compete with the largest media companies."

"This transaction supports our mission to be the market leader in licensed and advertising supported financial news and information," Kramer said in a statement announcing the deal.

RICE BECOMES SECRETARY OF STATE... AP DOES IT AGAIN

As you probably heard, Condoleezza Rice shifted over to the Secretary of State position today. This has been a common move in the past after someone serves as National Security Advisor they move on to the more public and somewhat lighter role as our head foreign affairs statesperson. It was even rumored that if Gore won back in 2000 that Clinton's National Security Advisor, Sandy Berger, would have become his Secretary of State.

Anyways, the Associated Press cracks me up with their biased reporting again. Scott Lindlaw's headline for this event is "Bush Names Hawkish Rice Top U.S. Diplomat." Words matter.