According to the PEW Internet & American Life Project (PDF), the gap between rural and non-rural America in home broadband adoption is narrowing. By the end of 2005, 24% of rural Americans had high-speed internet connections at home compared with 39% of adult Americans living elsewhere. [via AgWired]
Living Healthy (22) – Allergies
This week’s Living Healthy Podcast was nice and laid back. Henry gave us the 411 on allergies. My favorite moment was when he suggested a “cat-ectomy” for people allergic to felines. In just four more shows we will have been at this for six months.
Many of Henry’s patients –our target audience– seem unable to figure out how to listen or subscribe to the podcast. I tend to take a lot of this for granted and would welcome any suggestions on how we could make that process more intuitive. We’re using the standard icons, badges and text links (“Download MP3 file”). Take a look and email or comment ideas on how to improve.
Living Healthy (23) – Hypertension
(Recorded March 25, 2006)
Nothing to kill or die for, No religion too
Missouri House Concurrent Resolution No. 13: Now, therefore, be it resolved by the members of the House of Representatives of the Ninety-third (Missouri) General Assembly, Second Regular Session, the Senate concurring therein, that we stand with the majority of our constituents and exercise the common sense that voluntary prayer in public schools and religious displays on public property are not a coalition of church and state, but rather the justified recognition of the positive role that Christianity has played in this great nation of ours, the United States of America.
Bill of Rights, Amendment 1: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
Radio host fired for “racial epithet”
I don’t know about this one. KTRS (St. Louis) talk show host Dave Lenihan was immediately fired after he used the word “coon,” a racial slur, instead of “coup” in describing (Condoleezza Rice’s) attributes for the post of NFL commissioner.
“She’s been chancellor of Stanford. She’s got the patent resume of somebody that has serious skill. She loves football. She’s African-American, which would kind of be a big coon. A big coon. Oh my God. I am totally, totally, totally, totally, totally sorry for that.”
I don’t know about this one. It sounds like a one-time, slip-of-the-tongue. Fruedian? Maybe. But there appears to be no history of bias or racial slurs. Anybody that’s been on the air knows that –eventually– something slips. You have to look at intent here. If Mr. Lenihan is a racist… it’s probably not hard to tell that. Read the transcipt and tell me if I’m wrong here. Why not ask the listeners? Not just the folks that grabbed the phone and called to complain, but a reasonable sample. If there’s a clean concesus that his remark was intentional, he’s gone. If there’s even a possibility it was a slip, with no malice… keep him on. I think I might have taken Mr. Lenihan off the air…had a long talk…maybe talk to members of the community…and then make a decision.
Nobody panics when Rush Limbaugh refers to “these people,” clearly referring to people of color. But Rush is bringing home the bacon. Sounds like Mr. Lenihan was new enough to be expendable.
Working on our news moves
Scott Rosenberg recounts how he got the news that the next version of Windows will be delayed, and what that might mean for people in the news business:
As tech news goes today, so ultimately will go the rest of the news. It’s not the death of newspapers or pro journalism, but it’s further evidence that the pros face an extremely tough challenge: they’re rarely going to be first, so they’d damn well better be good. But it’s hard to hire enough good people to be good at everything; a newsroom has only so many seats, and the Web’s supply of amateur experts, anonymous insiders and random kibitzers with an occasional insight is limitless. The pros had better prepare to be outgunned.
This competition will force journalists to stop being lazy and to find and reconnect with what is unique about their work, now that so much of what they used to do is being done for free, and often well, by amateurs.
If I had the time (and the nerve), it might be interesting to look at every story one of our networks did for the past 30 days. Put a check-mark beside every story that was “original”…that we didn’t get from an affiliate, a news releases, or from some other source.
The next question might be: Did we do this story any differently or better than the other news organizations that covered it? Like the man said, we’re rarely going to be first, so we damn well better be good. [via Scripting News]
Deep thoughts on dog shit
We live on a three-acre, mostly wooded, lot. And I challenge you to walk 50 yards without stepping in a pile of Golden Retreiver poop. As he so often does, Dave offers fresh insight on this endless and thankless task. A couple of my favorites:
You shouldn’t use kitchen utensils to pick up canis crap. My neighbor uses a large soup spoon, and I just can’t endorse that. Nothing I would ever put into my mouth will be used to pick up fecal matter, because I’m fairly aloof, and often deep in thought. What if I got confused? The tool you use says a lot about your personality. A scoop indicates a straight-forward person who attacks a job quickly and efficiently. A dustpan-type tool is a sign of creativity, the user approaching the job with a flair for the dramatic. In my case, I use this thing that resembles a piece of earth-moving equipment. It indicates power, control, and a penchant toward genius.
Army will allow tattoos on formerly forbidden body spots
The Army says it will allow soldiers to sport tattoos on formerly forbidden body spots — the hands and the back of the neck. About 28 percent of Americans under 25 say they have tattoos. Of those aged 25 to 34, the percentage is about 30 percent. Young adults are 10 times more likely to sport permanent skin illustrations than are members of their parents’ generation.
All I need is a fast connection, and a warm place to poop
I’m sitting in my room at the Fairfield Inn in Indianapolis, cruising down that old Information Highway via their free (and speedy) wi-fi. I keep flashing back to the mid-90’s when even sending an email was agonizing at 16.2. And I was uploading audio files and images. It was tediouss beyond all description. And now I’m blazing along as though I were sitting at my desk at Learfield HQ. I know, I know… it’s like the Aboriginal tribesman standing at the kitchen sink, turning the water off and on. Amazed at this mirical. I will NEVER take a fast net connection for granted.
Movies I’d Like to Watch with George Bush
Let’s add V for Vendetta –the new film by The Wachowski Brothers– to the top of my list of Movies I’d Like to Watch with George Bush (GoodNight, and Good Luck; Dave; Mr. Smith Goes to Washington; 1984; Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room). The wonderful vocal performance by Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith from The Matrix) carries the movie. Everyone who is more “terrified” by the people running our country than all the crazies in Islam, take one step forward.
Update: Review by Joshua Tyler, Cinema Blend.