You are visitor ]]> en-us 2008-05-13T12:09:27-05:00 http://biz.patmedia.net/~mjmelchner/blog/archives/000067.html The Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was on CBS' 60 Minutes April 27, 2008. How can someone who is suppose to have a brilliant mind say so many dumb and wrong things? For example, when asked by Lesley Stahl about torture Scalia said: Although defining it is going to be a nice trick. But who's in favor of it? Nobody. Firstly, it has been clearly defined by the World Court and secondly if you listen to Fox News, you'll hear... Legal mjm 2008-05-13T12:09:27-05:00 http://biz.patmedia.net/~mjmelchner/blog/archives/000066.html In light of Eliot Spitzer being caught for going to a prostitute, it's interesting to note that there is a long tradition of this behavior going back to our ancestors, long-tailed macaque monkeys. It has recently been reported by various news services like discovery, that macaques "pay for sex" by grooming females they want to have sex with and the cost is based on supply and demand.... Relationships mjm 2008-03-30T21:28:53-05:00 http://biz.patmedia.net/~mjmelchner/blog/archives/000065.html Given the history of closeted homosexuals accusing other people of being homosexual, I can only wonder at Ann Coulter insinuating that John Edwards is gay. Does there exist a man who will admit to having sex with Ann Coulter? And I don't mean fantasizing about it, but actually having intercourse with her. How about you Bill Maher? If Bill couldn't penetrate that wall, who can?... Politics mjm 2007-03-04T11:44:29-05:00 http://biz.patmedia.net/~mjmelchner/blog/archives/000064.html Much has been written about the HP spy scandal where Hewlett Packard spied on it's board members and members of the press to catch those who leaked confidential information. One thing never mentioned and what I do not understand is why a board member would use his home phone (or any phone that could be traced to him) to divulge information that he did not want connected to himself. How hard would it be to use a public phone or... Business mjm 2006-09-22T14:53:43-05:00 http://biz.patmedia.net/~mjmelchner/blog/archives/000063.html The Edge annual question for 2006 is What Is Your Dangerous Idea? and 119 scientists and science-minded thinkers responded with thoughtful essays. One that particularly interests me is The differences between humans and nonhumans are quantitative, not qualitative" by Irene Pepperberg, because although I agree with her assertion I disagree with her conclusions: ... if we believe in a continuum, then we must at least question our right to perform experiments on our fellow creatures ... if we believe in... philosophy mjm 2006-01-06T14:23:15-05:00 http://biz.patmedia.net/~mjmelchner/blog/archives/000062.html The current issue of BusinessWeek online has a viewpoint piece by Greg Blonder, a former AT&T Bell Labs employee who is now a venture capitalist. He explains how the "current U.S. [patent] system is harming innovation". I could not agree more, but the question left unanswered is who benefits from the current system and why is it so hard to change. I think the main beneficiaries are the lawyers and since lawyers are prominent in congress they are reluctant to... Business mjm 2005-12-20T20:03:53-05:00 http://biz.patmedia.net/~mjmelchner/blog/archives/000061.html In his column of November 3, 2005, Robert Cringely hits the nail on the head when commenting on the Google vs Microsoft battle. First he gets Google exactly right when he says: Google's core expertise isn't so much searching or advertising as it is the creative clustering of cheap computers. The he gets Microsoft exactly right when he says: The big question for Microsoft is whether they can compete in this new market without having to cheat? I don't think... Computers mjm 2005-11-11T17:39:11-05:00 http://biz.patmedia.net/~mjmelchner/blog/archives/000060.html The Association of American Publishers (AAP) is suing Google to prevent it from scanning and digitizing the world's books in order to create a searchable index. In an op-ed column The Point of Google Print in the Wall Street Journal of October 18 2005, Google's CEO Eric Schmidt responds to the publishers. This seems to me to be yet another case of an antiquated business trying to hang on to the old way of doing things and failing to see... Business mjm 2005-10-23T18:46:55-05:00 http://biz.patmedia.net/~mjmelchner/blog/archives/000059.html In his column dated June 3, 2005 entitled Foul Felt William F. Buckley Jr. says: It was thought for some 30 years that Deep Throat did as he did to preserve the honor of his country Perhaps that was the precipitating motive of Mark Felt. But to agree on that point requires that you agree that getting Richard Nixon out of the White House was the supreme national concern, in which event it would have been OK to shoot him.... Politics mjm 2005-06-05T16:36:15-05:00 http://biz.patmedia.net/~mjmelchner/blog/archives/000058.html The Kansas school board would like to redefine what is science because the religious right do not like the way science is being taught. How would they like it if scientists were to redefine what is religion and the way religion is taught? I suggest leaving the definition of science to scientists. If they want to teach intelligent design, create a new subject or just call it religion.... Religion mjm 2005-05-15T16:43:21-05:00 http://biz.patmedia.net/~mjmelchner/blog/archives/000057.html In William Safire's October 18, 2004 New York Times column, he bemoans the fact that during the debates the Kerry-Edwards campaign twice brought up the fact that Vice President Cheney has a daughter who is a lesbian. In fact he thinks that pointing out this bit of hypocrisy in the Republican position is so bad that he calls it the "lowest blow" as if nothing could be worse. In response, here is the email I sent to Safire and to... Politics mjm 2004-10-18T14:27:46-05:00 http://biz.patmedia.net/~mjmelchner/blog/archives/000056.html In Dick Cheney's RNC speech on September 1, 2004 the Vice President said to laughter and cheers from the partisan gathering: He (John Kerry) talks about leading a "more sensitive war on terror" as though al Qaeda will be impressed with our softer side. What John Kerry actually said on August 5, 2004 at the Unity 2004 Journalists of Color conference was: I believe I can fight a more effective, more thoughtful, more strategic, more proactive, more sensitive war on... Politics mjm 2004-09-02T15:18:36-05:00 http://biz.patmedia.net/~mjmelchner/blog/archives/000055.html Tim Russert on CNBC 08/07/2004 had a "debate" between Bill O'Reilly of Fox News and Paul Krugman, columnist for the New York Times. O'Reilly played excerpts of it on his TV show 08/09/2004 and there is a full transcript of the original at this web page. Donald Luskin (the author of that web page) has a column dated August 09, 2004 in the National Review Online with the subtitle "Krugman is squashed in a debate with O'Reilly". Here is... Mass Media mjm 2004-08-10T23:46:11-05:00 http://biz.patmedia.net/~mjmelchner/blog/archives/000054.html It is sometimes said (and probably true) that it is easier to get a job if you already have one. Somehow you are more desirable to an employer if they think they are taking you away from someone. I think the same phenomenon holds if you are trying to find a romantic partner. As a man, I notice that woman are much more likely to talk to me when I am with another woman then if I am alone. Years... Relationships mjm 2004-07-24T13:20:35-05:00 http://biz.patmedia.net/~mjmelchner/blog/archives/000053.html Joseph Califano was interviewed by Brian Lamb on C-SPAN's Booknotes, May 23, 2004 concerning his new book Inside: A Public and Private Life . Near the beginning he was asked about why he wrote the book and he responded: And the other thing was, I think it's very important for people with public power to have a moral compass. Now, mine happened to be my Catholic faith and what I believe in. And there are lots of different moral compasses,... Politics mjm 2004-05-31T21:09:45-05:00