Gerrymandering

I am writing the following to my Governmental representatives and other opinion groups supporting an effort to reduce the Gerrymandering.

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I have just read the editorial in the New York Times discussing:
"Ending the Gerrymander Wars"

I think that this effort is one of the most important ones in this congress, and I hope that you look into this proposal, evaluate it, and either work in a bipartasan way to revise it or pass it.

Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/30/opinion/30mon1.html?8br
Comments:
http://forums.nytimes.com/top/opinion/readersopinions/forums/editorialsoped/todayseditorials/index.html?page=recent


Thanks...

NotePad V5

(NOTE: I mispelled it as NotePad, and except in the "title"s have corrected it to NoteTab, Sorry, My Bad)

I like NoteTab, and as it has been over a year and a half since it has been upgraded, I am starting this Blog entry to allow the status of the upgrade to be posted and, if appropriate, Feature enhancements to be suggested.

Status:

• May 27, 2005 -- When/What NoteTab NT5, V5 -- mll
• Dec 16, 2004, -- Making and Discussing Feature Requests - Hold Off Please.., the author said he was working on it
• Fri Oct 8, 2004 -- RE: [NRN] Re: NT5 update? (a set of Feature Requests), ron_riche
  

My post to the mailing list asked for an update on the current status and suggested that we offer to help pay for a new version with specific features. Please feel free to add your suggestions to this Blog, or to NoteTab yahoo group. I will update this posting as I get more information or if it seems "reasonable" to start collecting a list of the Feature requests

Enhancements:

• Customizable syntax highlighting -- ron_riche
• Tree view outlines -- ron_riche
• Customizable keyboard shortcuts -- ron_riche
• Shortcuts to clips -- ron_riche
• Blocking/columnar selecting -- ron_riche
• Make line numbers paragraph numbers when word wrap
  is on -- ron_riche [pet]
• Make 'scroll past end of line' buffer dependent -- ron_riche [pet]
• $10 -- Allow the Replacement window to be "hidden" by the Main window -- mll
• $10 -- Click on a blank area in the tabs bar to open a new text area NoName... -- mll
• $10 -- Retain the "Regular Expression" and "All" setting in the replacement dialog between activations -- mll

Also see:

• InSight V2.0.1 - 2005/05/23 ($49.95) , features

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Unrelated Links:

• Scott Berkun? A ten year veteran in leading software development teams, and designing software/web UI. #40 - Why smart people defend bad ideas
• Corporate Profits at Record Highs, While Labor Compensation at 38-year Lows (OMB Watch, May 17, 2005)
• What are the most prestigious jobs? -- But I'd love to compare this to the Most Profitable ones (17% of those making less than $15,000 a year say they are very satisfied with their jobs, vs. 14% of those who make more than $50,000 a year.)
  

definitions

In discussing politics there are a number of words/phrases that are used differently by various people. The following is my attempt to define/discuss some of these.

• Position classification
  1. Universial -- If 90% of the population supports it.
     
  2. Consensious -- If 66% of the population supports it.
     
  3. Majority -- If 50% supports.
  4. Extreme -- If 10% of the population supports it.

• Bipartisan -- A position that is supported by at least 33% (or 10%) of both parties. Note: Given that there are often a few people of each party who might support any position, I would reserve this to one that is supported by a significant percent of each party.
  • Partisan -- Reverse -- A position that is supported by at least 66% of one party and opposed by 66% of the other party
    

• Flag phrase -- A phrase that indicates the positon of the speaker. Often the same issue can be refered to by different phrases depending on which side of the issue one is on. Various people have indicated that the "framing" of the issue may also help to convince the un-decided the valdity of a specific side.
  

• Toxic Terminology also Black Hole issue -- A word, phrase, etc. that is so emotional that it prevents any further discussion, e.g. Hitler, Partial birth abortion, etc.
  

• Wedge Issue (used by Democrats), Moral Issue or Faith based issue (used by Republicans) -- An issue that is emotionally very important to a small group within the population but has little direct effect on most people's lives.
  
  Note: Wikipedia defines this as an issue that "splits" one partie's voters

Also See:

• The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce (Wikipedia)
  
• The Devil's Derivatives Dictionary Last revised: 08/13/00
• The New Political Dictionary -- Anti-globalization -- Indispensable for understanding the globalized world.
  

memo-of-understanding

Memorandum Of Understanding On Judicial Nominations (RedState.org)

• but Frist hangs tough on 'nuclear' (The Hill)
• The group of 14 (CNN)
  
• Democrats
  
  1. Robert Byrd (West Virginia)
  2. Daniel Inouye (Hawaii)
  3. Mary Landrieu (Louisiana)
  4. Joseph Lieberman (Connecticut)
  5. Ben Nelson (Nebraska)
  6. Mark Pryor (Arkansas)
  7. Ken Salazar (Colorado)

  Republicans
  

  1. Lincoln Chafee (Rhode Island)
  2. Susan Collins (Maine)
  3. Mike DeWine (Ohio)
  4. Lindsey Graham (South Carolina)
  5. John McCain (Arizona)
  6. Olympia Snowe (Maine)
  7. John Warner (Virginia)

Sequence of events?

1. Vote on, and in general confirm:
   
   Janice Rogers Brown, Priscilla R. Owen, William H. Pryor, Jr., "FS", William G. Myers III, Henry Saad, Terrence W. Boyle, Richard Allen Griffin, William Haynes, Brett M. Kavanaugh.
2. Sometime the President proposes a Judge (perhaps for the Suprime Court) who a sufficient number of the "Group" Democrats wish to filibuster. (Note: this might occur after the first 3 of the preceeding judges are confirmed.
   
3. Either a sufficient number of the "Group" Republicans
   

• a) decide that this is not an extraordinary circumstance, and thus vote to overturn the filibuster rule, or they
  
• b) decide that the commitment to retain the filibuster rule is to be maintained and thus they vote to retain the filibuster rule.

If "a)" then the memo is a "winner" for the Republicans as they got the first 3 approved before there was a test of the filibuster rule. if "b)" then the memo is a compromise, the Republicans get the first 3 approved in return for ensuring that the Filibuster rule is retained thry 2006

Political Calculations -- easy-to-use, simple calculators are created and presented to do math related to current events, in addition to more traditional analysis

• The Classic Cow Model....
• Your Education and Your Earnings

spin

THE SPIN TIMELINE: It has gone chronologically something like this:

1. It's not true. It's not true.
   
2. It may be true but it's not ...
   
3. Okay, it's ..., but isn't official policy.
   
4. It may be true and official policy, but we changed the policy and we uncovered the abuses ourselves.
   
5. It may be true, it may have been widespread, but we've punished the culprits. (Low Level)
   
6. It may be true, it may have been widespread, it may still be happening, but all these reports are old news.
7. "6.", but it is also being done by our enemies.
8. "6." but it was done for a higher good.
   

Examples of ...:

• Torture
• Stating that there were WMD's
• Calling the others "like" Hitler
  

taken from Andrew Sullivan on Torture spin

software-voip

Implement the 911 service by VoIp software/Hardware?


If one is "building" a VoIp system, is it possible, LEGAL?, to set it up so that the user could initally enter their current zipcode/areacode and then have the hardware/software that they are using intercept the 911 dial and re-direct it to the proper 911 system.

It seems to me that this might not require much on the part of the supporting DSL/CABLE system, but could be reasonably easly implemented by the VoIp software/hardware.

See:

• 911 is a joke (Good Morning Silicon Valley, May 20, 2005)
• 911 for the 21st century (The Technology Liberation Front, May 21, 2005)
• Is the FCC Ruling Out VoIP on PCs? (Freedom to Tinker, May 23, 2005)
• 911 For Deregulation (The TechnologyLiveration Front, May 23, 2005)
  

world-taxes

The Tax World Gets Flat & Happy Jack Anderson, 05.23.05 -- Forbes

• The [Tax] Misery* score is the sum of the taxes shown [on the image to the right], at the highest marginal rate in each locale. It is our best proxy for evaluating whether policy attracts or repels capital and talent
• Tax Misery by country chart Original source Mahalanobis.

Links

• E-democracy "Building online public space in the heart of real democracy and community since 1994." > Groupserver "best social software platform we've seen to date for online communities that average citizens actually use" (Britsh)
• Free Press.net > National conference for Media Reform (may 15, 2005, Program Archives...)
• Media Minutes is a weekly radio review (~5 min) of news at the intersection of media and democracy from the FreePress.net every Friday
  
• Public radio -- xml feeds
• Posner... on estate taxation
  

Judical review...

• Constitution in Exile? -- Cass Sunstein and Randy Barnett legal affairs > debate club archives.
• Judical review, Alen Keyes

dtnna-leafblower

On June 13, 2005 Palo Alto will deal with leaf blowers. This Blog entry will point to the material that I have recieved on the issue as well as allowing comments on it.

So far the information that I have is:

• A page on the DTNNA site discussing the issue, pointed to by an Email to the DTNNA membership
• Implementation of leaf blower ordinance at $2 million; deferred until fiscal 2007-
  08 Page 28/30 of February 3, 2004 Council meeting
• Liz Lee,... said the timeframe for leaf blowers was not being enforced ..., March 1, 2004 special meeting
  

On May 26, 2005 there will be a meeting discussing this situation: (flyer) , (Letter)

Patricia Targ

Thursday, May 26, 7:30 PM
1010 Harriet Street, 94301
325-2657

links-12

Funny FoxFire video (not viewed yet)

Telling the truth with statistics. (CERN lectures)

Investment in Knowledge (The USA seems to invest more in knowledge than almost any other country) From: Mahalanobis

Creationism

What Matters in Kansas, The evolution of creationism. (slate)

• Listen to this story on NPR's (4:08)

Creationism vs. Intelligent Design, Is there a difference? (slate)

• Listen to this story on NPR's (2:18)

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See:

• Intelligent Design website
  

• Human nature deparment Slate

Links-08

Charter School Firm Attacks Online Criticism

WHAT TO DO ABOUT DARFUR?..

• See? Harvard Univirsity, April 5, "FORUM: DARFUR: "HOW CAN THE WORLD STOP THE HORROR?" " 1 hr, 17 min.

Audio/Video site (WeMatter links)

• C-Span (recent)
  
• Cato institute [Conservative]
  
• Commonwealth Club Speaker Archive
  
• Heritage Foundation [Conservative] .2004 , 2003 , 2002 , 2001 , 2000...
• National Constitution Center
• World Affairs council of Northern California