Links to the best chat on the web
ISSUE #16 - Thursday, 23rd October 2008
- Daniel Finkelstein, "Comment Central", The Times
"The McCain excuses begin"
http://timesonline.typepad.com/comment/2008/10/he-hasnt-lost-y.html
DJR's gist: The election is not over yet and I'm certainly not going to have peace until I hear John McCain conceding to Barack Obama. However, pundits are already looking to explain how, when and why McCain lost this election. Top suggestions? Karl Rove reckons they didn't attack Obama early enough. He would do. More sane pundits suggest that McCain disillusioned moderates and independents with the choice of someone as stupid as Sarah Palin, while other suggest Barack Obama is just too good. But Fink argues that there is something more fundamental - the US electorate has changed and the Republicans have not followed. A shift to the left is on the cards.
- George Barrow, Autocar
"Brit team plans 1050mph attempt"
http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/AllCars/235495/
DJR's gist: Between Richard Noble and Andy Green, British drivers have held the world land speed record for 25 years, going back to Noble's 1983 effort at 633mph. In 1997, Thrust SSC, captained by Green and developed by Noble and others, smashed the record and became the first supersonic car, achieving over 760mph - a record that has stood since. However, under threat from the Americans and their "North American Eagle" project, Noble and Green have launched their new project - seeking to break the 1000mph barrier and in the process beat the speed record for low-flying aircraft, leave alone cars. If achieved, it would be faster than the speed of a bullet out of handgun.
- Simson L. Garfinkel, Technology Review
"Wikipedia and the Meaning of Truth"
http://www.technologyreview.com/web/21558/
DJR's gist: An interesting analysis on the phenomenon that is Wikipedia, and its seemingly oxymoronic policies "no original research", "verifiability" and "neutral point of view", which mean that someone cannot edit an article about themselves, but a randomer can if they cite another random publisher who may or may not have done any research themselves...
However, the conclusion is still that Wikipedia is amazing.
- Holden Frith, "Tech Central", The Times
"Is blogging dead?"
http://timesonline.typepad.com/technology/2008/10/is-blogging-dea.html
DJR's gist: Apparently blogging is dying a natural death. The reason? The explosion of commercial blogs, such as the very one linked here, with paid writers who churn out tens of posts a day and crowd out the small, individual players that made the blogosphere so exciting in the first place. Is this a bad thing? The fact is that it's panned out exactly how any economic model of a new market would expect - first movers get the upper hand, bigger players move in once they realise they are missing out on something good, and the market re-equilibrates with their presence. Broader selection for readers, who are more likely the find and get what they want. In theory.
- The Economist
"What next? The work that awaits Britain's class of 2009"
http://www.economist.com/world/britain/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12480838
DJR's gist: As the credit crunch bites into the major banking and finance employers in the City, job opportunities for next summer's graduates are gonna take a kicking. But there are set to be major beneficiaries - most notably, public services such as teaching, where lots of "high-fliers" will turn to instead of City positions. However, the post-uni Gap Year looks like being the port-of-choice for the majority of students.
- Andrew Romano, "Stumper", Newsweek
"Sarah Palin Displays the Latest in Donkey Fashion"
http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/stumper/archive/2008/10/21/in-which-sarah-palin-displays-the-latest-in-donkey-fashion.aspx
DJR's gist: She's managed to blog a cool $150,000 on campaign clothing since she was chosen as John McCain's running mate, but unfortunately for her that spending spree didn't include any party-appropriate neckwear...
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