Gongol.com Archives: February 2006
Brian Gongol



Threats and Hazards (2006.02.13)
US Government Planning Huge Data-Collection Program
The questions are: What are the rules? Who knows the rules? Who's watching? Who's watching the watchers? Programs of this type have a way of getting out of hand if they're not relentlessly dogged by civil libertarians. Related: Britain is taking a dangerous step with the approval of an identity-card program.

News (2006.02.13)
Lebanon's Challenge
With much of Syria's presence booted out after last year's Cedar Revolution, different sects and groups are back to competing instead of cooperating

News (2006.02.13)
Unintended Consequences: Will the Cartoon Fight Make Life Harder for Some Blacks?
US police, in order to head off violent protests like those elsewhere in the world, may step up their presence and get more aggressive in places with large Muslim populations. Those areas also tend to be areas with large black populations.

The American Way (2006.02.13)
Why Free Speech Sometimes Has to Cause Offense
The Economist nails it squarely: "Freedom of expression, including the freedom to poke fun at religion, is not just a hard-won human right but the defining freedom of liberal societies. When such a freedom comes under threat of violence, the job of governments should be to defend it without reservation."

Business and Finance (2006.02.13)
Dubai: Weirdest, Fastest-Growing Place on Earth

Broadcasting (2006.02.13)
What Makes Al Gore Like an Adult-Film Director
Gore is trying to find new distribution channels for video content, just like other directors and producers

Agriculture (2006.02.13)
Iowa Looking for Good Neighbors
State Department of Agriculture looking for nominees for "good farm neighbor" award

Computers and the Internet (2006.02.13)
Government Fails Miserably to Follow Web Standards
A new online grant-proposal platform won't work with Macintosh; further evidence it's important to work with web standards to ensure cross-platform, cross-browser functionality

Computers and the Internet (2006.02.13)
The Perils of Love Advice Online

News (2006.02.13)
Berlusconi Outspoken Again
Calls himself the "Jesus Christ of politics," promises to "liberate [Italy] from the communists"