Monthly Archives: February 2003

THE DEMON IN THE FREEZER

Posted on February 18, 2003 by Dave Pollard

I highly recommend Richard Preston’s investigative report into the Anthrax scare and the dangers of Smallpox as a WMD, The Demon in the Freezer , his first book since The Hot Zone, which explained Ebola and related viruses and how … Continue reading →

Posted in Collapse Watch, Our Culture / Ourselves | 1 Comment

WHO’S NEXT AFTER IRAQ

Posted on February 18, 2003 by Dave Pollard

The map shown above is World Audit and Freedom House’s assessment of political freedom and democracy in the 149 countries with populations over 1 million people. The assessments are based on corruption, human rights, political rights, and the rule of … Continue reading →

Posted in How the World Really Works | 6 Comments

LIBERAL RADIO

Posted on February 17, 2003 by Dave Pollard

Today’s New York Times describes the plan of some “rich Democrats” to establish a liberal radio network to counter the redneck radio brigade led by Limbaugh et al. Consensus is it would be a “kinder, gentler” kind of reportage compared … Continue reading →

Posted in How the World Really Works, Our Culture / Ourselves | 4 Comments

LICENSE TO VIOLATE THE RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH?

Posted on February 17, 2003 by Dave Pollard

There’s an interesting debate described in Slate today about conflicting First Amendment rights, relating to, of all things, partisan slogans on state license plates. Being an ardent believer in free speech, women’s reproductive rights, and the separation of church and … Continue reading →

Posted in How the World Really Works | 2 Comments

WHAT INNOVATION?

Posted on February 17, 2003 by Dave Pollard

I just finished reading another survey of business leaders that said that innovation is one of the most important drivers of growth and profitability, and a key competitive differentiator for their companies (is that enough corporate-speak for one sentence or … Continue reading →

Posted in Working Smarter | 1 Comment

APPLES AND ORANGES: WHICH COSTS MORE PER POUND, A CAR OR A CROISSANT

Posted on February 17, 2003 by Dave Pollard

Time for something silly. This is a wacko variation on Trivial Pursuit . I invented it, but in the interest of making intellectual property available to all that need it (in this case people with too much time on their … Continue reading →

Posted in Creative Works | 2 Comments

VONNEGUT ON BUSH’S WAR, PSYCHOTIC LEADERS AND TRASHING THE ENVIRONMENT

Posted on February 17, 2003 by Dave Pollard

Kurt Vonnegut, who is now 80, was recently interviewed by In These Times and spoke out in his usual irreverant and eloquant manner about the madness of war with Iraq, the psychosis of political and business leaders who act irrationally … Continue reading →

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FRIDAY FIVE SURVEY – WHY I BLOG

Posted on February 16, 2003 by Dave Pollard

Just found out about Friday Five so I thought I’d try it out. 1. Explain why you started to journal/blog. Personal reasons: I love to write and need regular practice to do it better, I love to share ideas, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Using Weblogs and Technology | 5 Comments

THE NUMBERS GAME, AND A PAEAN TO COMMON SENSE

Posted on February 16, 2003 by Dave Pollard

The media seem to be downplaying the significance of this weekend’s anti-war protests, and some appear almost disappointed that there weren’t any severe riots, public confrontations or terrorist events to film. Passive dissent and words don’t make for dramatic TV … Continue reading →

Posted in Creative Works, How the World Really Works | 1 Comment

MESSAGE TO MEDIA: “BUSH” DOES NOT EQUAL “U.S.”, “SADDAM” DOES NOT EQUAL “IRAQ”

Posted on February 16, 2003 by Dave Pollard

At a time when we need caution, not sensationalism, moderation, not inflammatory rhetoric, the media in almost every country are guilty of playing into the hands of extremists by a simple journalistic device called personification . To report that “U.S. … Continue reading →

Posted in Our Culture / Ourselves | Comments Off on MESSAGE TO MEDIA: “BUSH” DOES NOT EQUAL “U.S.”, “SADDAM” DOES NOT EQUAL “IRAQ”