| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"maff" |
| Date: |
24 Feb 2007 04:37:44 PM |
| Object: |
OT: Net firm makes anyone a prophet |
Net firm makes anyone a prophet
http://www.chicagotribune.com/technology/chi-0702240047feb24,1,7108678.stor=
y?coll=3Dchi-techtopheds-hed
Web application weighs everyone's predictions on baseball scores,
Oscar wins and political races
By Eric Benderoff
Tribune staff reporter
Published February 24, 2007
If you believe Aramis Ramirez will hit more home runs this year than
Paul Konerko, or perhaps that the Cubs will win more games than the
White Sox, you can do more than make a bar bet.
Instead, create your own prediction market where you, your buddies and
anyone else who fancies themselves a fan can speculate on how the
coming baseball season will play out.
Diplomacy, Not War, With Iran
By Bill Richardson
Saturday, February 24, 2007; Page A19
The recent tentative agreement with North Korea over its nuclear
program illustrates how diplomacy can work even with the most unsavory
of regimes. Unfortunately, it took the Bush administration more than
six years to commit to diplomacy. During that needless delay North
Korea developed and tested nuclear weapons -- weapons its leaders
still have not agreed to dismantle. Had we engaged the North Koreans
earlier, instead of calling them "evil" and talking about "regime
change," we might have prevented them from going nuclear. We could
have, and should have, negotiated a better agreement, and sooner.
As the International Atomic Energy Agency just confirmed, Iran has
once again defied the international community and is moving forward
with its nuclear program, yet the Bush administration seems committed
to repeating the mistakes it made with North Korea. Rather than
directly engaging the Iranians about their nuclear program, President
Bush refuses to talk, except to make threats. He has moved ships to
the Persian Gulf region and claims, with scant evidence, that Iran is
helping Iraqi insurgents kill Americans. This is not a strategy for
peace. It is a strategy for war -- a war that Congress has not
authorized. Most of our allies, and most Americans, don't believe this
president, who has repeatedly cried wolf.
A Brave New Wikiworld
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/23/AR200702230=
1596.html
By Cass R. Sunstein
Saturday, February 24, 2007; Page A19
In the past year, Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia that "anyone can
edit," has been cited four times as often as the Encyclopedia
Britannica in judicial opinions, and the number is rapidly growing. In
just two years, YouTube has become a household word and one of the
world's most successful Web sites. Such astounding growth and success
demonstrate society's unstoppable movement toward shared production of
information, as diverse groups of people in multiple fields pool their
knowledge and draw from each other's resources.
Developing one of the most important ideas of the 20th century, Nobel
Prize-winning economist Friedrich Hayek attacked socialist planning on
the grounds that no planner could possibly obtain the "dispersed bits"
of information held by individual members of society. Hayek insisted
that the knowledge of individuals, taken as a whole, is far greater
than that of any commission or board, however diligent and expert. he
magic of the system of prices and of economic markets is that they
incorporate a great deal of diffuse knowledge.
Democrats Offer Up Chairmen For Donors
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/23/AR200702230=
1978_pf.html
Party's Campaigns Had Faulted GOP For 'Selling Access'
By Jeffrey H. Birnbaum and John Solomon
Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, February 24, 2007; A01
Eager to shore up their fragile House and Senate majorities,
congressional Democrats have enlisted their committee chairmen in an
early blitz to bring millions of dollars into the party's coffers,
culminating in a late-March event featuring House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
and 10 of the powerful panel chairs.
In the next 10 days alone, Democratic fundraisers will feature the
chairmen of the House's financial services panel and the House and
Senate tax-writing committees. Senate Democrats also plan a
fundraising reception during a major gathering of Native Americans in
the capital Tuesday evening, an event hosted by lobbyists and the
political action committee for tribal casinos, including those Jack
Abramoff was paid to represent.
McConnell Threatens to Block Bid to Repeal War Resolution
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/23/AR200702230=
1772.html
Republican Wants to Force Vote on Guaranteeing Funding for Troops
By Shailagh Murray
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, February 24, 2007; Page A04
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) warned yesterday that a
new Democratic effort to repeal the 2002 Iraq war resolution would
meet the same fate as two previous efforts to limit President Bush's
authority: blocked by procedural obstacles, unless Democrats relent to
GOP terms.
Speaking to reporters by conference call from his Louisville home,
McConnell compared the latest Democratic move to "trying to unring a
bell." He warned that Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus, the U.S. military
commander in Iraq, would "have to surround himself with lawyers" to
comply with the new resolution that senior Democrats are drafting.
Cheney Remark Rankles Pelosi
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/23/AR200702230=
0785.html
Vice President Says He's Not Questioning Her Patriotism
By Michael Abramowitz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, February 24, 2007; Page A04
Vice President Cheney refused to back down yesterday from his
assertion that the Democratic approach to Iraq would "validate the al-
Qaeda strategy," as he continued a transpacific war of words with
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
Speaking with ABC News during a visit to Australia, the vice president
addressed the criticism of Pelosi, who earlier this week said that
Cheney's remarks were "beneath the dignity of the debate we're engaged
in." She also spoke with White House Chief of Staff Joshua B. Bolten
to register her complaint.
Turks Charge Kurd With Inciting Hatred
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/23/AR200702230=
1909.html
Politician Made Remarks About Iraq
Associated Press
Saturday, February 24, 2007; Page A12
ANKARA, Turkey, Feb. 23 -- A politician was charged Friday with
inciting hatred and threatening public safety after suggesting that
fellow Kurds would rise against the state and fight if Turkey ever
attacked their Kurdish brethren in neighboring Iraq.
Police detained Hilmi Aydogdu, leader of the Democratic Society
Party's branch in the mainly Kurdish city of Diyarbakir, as he left a
conference and questioned him over the remarks, said Nazmi Gur, a
party spokesman.
Misguided Missiles
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/24/opinion/24sat2.html
The Bush administration's tone-deaf plan to station parts of a missile
defense system in Eastern Europe and Moscow's snarling response show
that all sides could use a refresher course in diplomatic sense and
civility.
Iraq Rebel Cleric Reins In Militia; Motives at Issue
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/25/world/middleeast/25sadr.html?ref=3Dworld&=
pagewanted=3Dall
By DAMIEN CAVE 3:09 PM ET
Moktada al-Sadr, the founder of the Mahdi Army, seems to be
cooperating with the latest effort to pacify Baghdad, but why he is
doing so remains unclear.
Italian 'Kennedy' Polishes Eyewear and Image
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/24/world/europe/24elkann.html?ref=3Dworld&pa=
gewanted=3Dall
By PETER KIEFER
In a carefully orchestrated return, Lapo Elkann, a member of the
powerful Agnelli family, is trying to put a recent scandal behind him.
Rivals on Legal Tightrope Seek to Widen Freedoms in China
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/25/world/asia/25china.html?ref=3Dworld&pagew=
anted=3Dall
By JOSEPH KAHN 3:08 PM ET
Two prominent Chinese advocates of expanding the rule of law are at
odds over whether to work for change within the system, or seek an end
to Communist rule.
Prodi Gets a Second Chance to Lead Italy
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/25/world/europe/25italy.html?ref=3Dworld
By IAN FISHER 2:35 PM ET
Allies and enemies worried that the premier's coalition would remain
divided and vulnerable to another collapse.
Canadian Court Limits Detention in Terror Cases
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/24/world/americas/24ottawa.html?ref=3Dworld&=
pagewanted=3Dall
By IAN AUSTEN
The decision reflected striking differences from the current legal
climate in the United States.
Congressional Democrats Wrestle Over How to Force Bush to Alter Iraq
Policy
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/24/washington/24cong.html?ref=3Dworld
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG and JOHN M. BRODER
Democrats seem headed for a confrontation among themselves as they try
to map out a strategy that will appease the left without alienating
moderates.
Ethiopian Adviser Denies New York Times Report
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/24/world/africa/24ethiopia.html?ref=3Dafrica
By THE NEW YORK TIMES
The report detailed the close and largely clandestine collaboration
between Ethiopia and the United States to kill or capture leaders of
Al Qaeda in the Horn of Africa.
Ch=E1vez Ends Busy Week Aiding Venezuela's Latin Neighbors
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/24/world/americas/24venez.html?ref=3Damericas
By SIMON ROMERO
Venezuela has been using its windfall from historically high oil
prices, and sometimes its own reserves and exports of oil, to lift its
regional profile.
U=2ES., Mexico and Canada Discuss Border Issues
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/24/world/americas/24canada.html?ref=3Dameric=
as
By CHRISTOPHER MASON
The discussions focused on protecting cross-border trade in the face
of increasing border security measures.
Bush Plan to Allow Mexican Truckers Throughout U.S. Draws Criticism
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/24/washington/24trucks.html?ref=3Damericas
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
A plan to allow Mexican trucking companies deeper into the United
States drew an angry reaction from labor leaders, safety advocates and
members of Congress.
Cheney Wary of China's Military and North Korea's Credibility
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/24/world/asia/24cheney.html?ref=3Dasia
By REUTERS
In his first open acknowledgment of caution over the Korea deal, the
vice president raised concern about whether the North would follow
through.
Fear of Return of Berlusconi Reunites Left Behind Prodi
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/24/world/europe/24italy.html?ref=3Deurope
By IAN FISHER
Worried that Silvio Berlusconi might soon lead Italy again, nine
bickering parties agreed to come together.
Panel Cites Voter Error, Not Software, in Loss of Votes
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/24/us/politics/24voting.html?ref=3Dus
By CHRISTOPHER DREW
Florida officials suggested that as many as 18,000 votes were lost in
a disputed Congressional race due to voter confusion rather than
malfunctioning software.
The Latest Poli-Book Best Sellers
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/02/24/the-latest-poli-book-best-sel=
lers/
By Deborah Hofmann
Sharp elbows characterize this month's round-up of authors on the
stumps and soapboxes. Whether they are shaking hands or kissing
babies, (or as some might conflate it, kissing hands and shaking
babies), merely kissing up or shaking things up, there are a lot of
viewpoints expressed here whose only common ground is their cloth
bindings.
Polite low-talkers need not apply. A passing knowledge of Roberts
Rules of Orders is utterly superfluous. Talk radio's Neal Boortz
shares his mastery of one and two word sentences (Nada. Big Deal. Euro-
Wimp.) And focus group impresario, Frank Luntz, (also a Republican
pollster) tells us it does not matter what you say, it matters what
people hear. Huh?
Christian Right Labors to Find '08 Candidate
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/25/us/politics/25secret.html?ref=3Dpolitics&=
pagewanted=3Dall
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK 3:13 PM ET
A little known but pivotal group of Christian conservatives is
dissatisfied with the Republican presidential field and uncertain
where to turn.
Early Stops on the Sweet-Talk Circuit
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/24/us/politics/24season.html?ref=3Dpolitics
By MARK LEIBOVICH
As the quadrennial groveling season begins, candidates are finding new
best friends in states that vote first.
In Clinton's Backyard, It's Open Season as an Obama Fund-Raiser Lines
Up Donors
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/24/us/politics/24bundler.html?ref=3Dpolitics=
&pagewanted=3Dall
By ERIC KONIGSBERG
Senator Barack Obama's ability to raise significant amounts of money
depends on success in New York.
Leaving the Options Open With Iran
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/24/washington/24policy.html?ref=3Dwashington=
&pagewanted=3Dall
By DAVID E. SANGER
The Bush administration is sending mixed messages to Tehran about its
commitment to a diplomatic solution.
Sorority Evictions Raise Issue of Looks and Bias
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/25/education/25sorority.html?ref=3Deducation=
&pagewanted=3Dall
By SAM DILLON 3:09 PM ET
The national officers of the Delta Zeta sorority told 23 members at
DePauw University to leave, including every woman who was overweight.
A Software Maker Goes Up Against Microsoft
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/24/technology/24soft.html?ref=3Dbusiness&pag=
ewanted=3Dall
By STEVE LOHR
VMware is the early leader in a fast-growing market for virtual-
machine software, putting it on a collision course with Microsoft.
Software Exploited by Pirates Goes to Work for Hollywood
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/25/technology/25bit.html?ref=3Dbusiness
By BRAD STONE
Hollywood studios are going into business with one of their biggest
tormentors: the peer-to-peer pioneer BitTorrent.
Think Your Social Security Number Is Secure? Think Again
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/24/business/24money.html?ref=3Dtechnology&pa=
gewanted=3Dall
By DAMON DARLIN
Now there are tools available online to safeguard against the theft of
Social Security numbers.
Indian Film With Roots So Deep That It Defies Borders
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/24/movies/awardsseason/24wate.html?ref=3Darts
By NEIL AMDUR
Win or lose Sunday night at the Academy Awards, Deepa Mehta's "Water"
will already have scored its greatest triumph simply by existing.
Web-Exclusive Commentary
By Jon Meacham
February 19, 2007 | God, Presidents and Liberty
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12498581/site/newsweek/
History can help us keep faith in the public square in perspective.
God, or at least an evocation of the Almighty, was there in the very
beginning. In November 1800, on his second night in the unfinished
White House, in a letter to Abigail, President John Adams wrote words
that are now carved in the State Dining Room: "I pray Heaven to bestow
the best of Blessings on this House and all that shall hereafter
inhabit it. May none but honest and wise Men ever rule under this
roof." Adams's prayer may not always have been answered-we have had
our unwise presidents, and more than a few who had ambivalent
relationships with honesty-but the sentiments he expressed to his wife
are at the heart of the American tradition of what Benjamin Franklin
called "public religion."
Timing Is Everything
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17227330/site/newsweek/
The U.S. is trying to jump-start Middle East peace talks. But an
accord between Palestinian factions got in the way. A key member of
Congress discusses how the deal has affected U.S. funding for Fatah.
Web exclusive
By Dan Ephron
Newsweek
Updated: 10:35 a.m. ET Feb. 19, 2007
Feb. 19, 2007 - In diplomacy, good timing can mean the difference
between an impasse and a breakthrough. In Jerusalem Monday, where
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is meeting Israeli Prime Minister
Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the American's
timing couldn't be worse. The three-way summit, set up weeks ago, was
supposed to focus on reviving a long-dormant peace process between
Israelis and Palestinians. The strategy this time was to bypass the
conflict's usual minutiae-the military checkpoints and settler
outposts, for example-and go right for "final status" talks. More
broadly, the summit was aimed at signaling to America's Arab allies
that resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict was still a priority.
Difficult Choices
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17248184/site/newsweek/
The Episcopal bishop of New York fears that the Anglican Church's
demands over gay issues could force the American church into a corner.
WEB EXCLUSIVE
By Lisa Miller
Newsweek
Updated: 7:30 p.m. ET Feb. 20, 2007
Feb. 20, 2007 - As the meeting in Tanzania of the Anglican Communion's
38 primates came to a close Monday, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan
Williams issued a clear warning to his American brothers and sisters.
Get your position on gay unions and the confirmation of gay bishops
straight-come out against them and do it by the end of September-or
risk jeopardizing your relationship with the 77-million-member
worldwide church. "If the reassurances requested of the House of
Bishops cannot in good conscience be given," he said, "the
relationship between the Episcopal Church and the Anglican communion
as a whole remains damaged at best." NEWSWEEK's Lisa Miller spoke with
the Right Rev. Mark Sisk, bishop of New York, about Williams's
statement and what it means for the conflict-ridden American church.
Excerpts:
A Rocky Road Trip
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17263885/site/newsweek/
Cheney came to Asia to help shore up support among America's allies.
He has his work cut out for him.
Web-exclusive Commentary
By Richard Wolffe and Holly Bailey
Newsweek
Updated: 4:16 p.m. ET Feb. 21, 2007
Feb. 21, 2007 - ***** Cheney has seen better days. In Washington, a
jury is deciding the fate of his former chief of staff, after hearing
extensive testimony about how the vice president and his team worked
in the run-up to the Iraq war-surely not the sort of thing the
secretive Cheney enjoys. In Britain, America's staunchest ally in the
Iraq war, Prime Minister Tony Blair announced plans to begin bringing
British troops home-even as the Bush administration is trying to
persuade the American public of the wisdom of sending more U.S. troops
in. And as Cheney traveled to Asia, on a trip aimed at shoring up
support among allies considered crucial to U.S. interests around the
world, his reception was, well, not all that warm. In the days before
his arrival, Japan's defense minister, Fumio Kyuma, branded the Iraq
war a "mistake." Touching down in Tokyo on Tuesday afternoon, Cheney
was greeted with the sight of a large truck cruising the blocks
surrounding the U.S. Embassy blaring a message through a loudspeaker:
"Yankee Go Home!"
Straying From the Script
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17265231/site/newsweek/
A U.S. briefer overstates Iran's meddling in Iraq, setting off a
Washington tempest.
Web exclusive
By Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball
Newsweek
Updated: 5:21 p.m. ET Feb. 21, 2007
Feb. 21, 2007 - An anonymous U.S. official, assigned to provide a
recent "background" briefing to the news media in Baghdad, strayed
from his script and overstated evidence linking Iranian leaders to
weapons found in Iraq, according to four U.S. intelligence officials
familiar with the matter.
The White House is still trying to recover from the stumble, which
happened during a much- anticipated Feb. 11 briefing. U.S. officials
had hoped to use the event to ratchet up pressure on the Tehran
regime. But instead of focusing public and congressional attention on
the role of Iranian government agents in stoking violence in Iraq, the
briefing wound up raising new questions about whether the Bush
administration is hyping intelligence about Iran in much the same way
it did about Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq four years ago.
Clinton-Obama Throwdown
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17265566/site/newsweek/
The two leading Democratic presidential camps have gotten into a nasty
row involving Hollywood kingmaker David Geffen. But neither side wins
this fight.
Web-Exclusive Commentary
By Howard Fineman
Updated: 5:35 p.m. ET Feb. 21, 2007
Feb. 21, 2007 - If you were worried that the World Wrestling
Entertainment had lost its edge, there is good news: the first cat
fight of the 2008 campaign has erupted-a tag-team Democratic fur-flier
pitting the Mighty Clintons against Upstart Sen. Barack Obama and
Hollywood Mogul David Geffen. As in the WWE, it is easy to guess who
the winners will be. In this match, it is the Republican Party and
John Edwards.
The Case for Staying Uncommitted
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17267235/site/newsweek/
Of course the candidates are trying to muscle endorsements early. Why
public officials should hang loose.
Web-exclusive commentary
By Jonathan Alter
Newsweek
Updated: 7:38 p.m. ET Feb. 21, 2007
Feb. 21, 2007 - Stop the presses! Hillsborough, Fla., school board
member April Griffin has endorsed Hillary Clinton for president! And
Delaware Speaker of the House Terry Spence is for John McCain! Every
few hours, my e-mail pings with another news release from one of the
campaigns announcing various endorsements, usually in early primary
states. And behind these hundreds of expressions of support lie
countless stories of mild and sometimes more menacing forms of
political pressure.
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