Disqus - Latest Comments for philm

Re: Four Ways Apple Underestimates The Palm Pre

Phil M — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:49:00 -0000

Handset (iPhone), cable (USB charger), and luggable battery (custom built)... go retro the 2009-way!

Re: Were It Up To The Fathers

Phil M — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:25:00 -0000

I have a hard time believing Dick Cheney has any interest in "freedoms" beyond those which benefit him and/or his associates.

Delegating this to each state empowers the state governments instead of the federal government, limiting the power and scope of the federal government. Decisions would be made "locally" (instead of nation-wide by executive and legislative branches which are not Republican-controlled), so changes like Proposition 8 would be more likely to succeed. By keeping the issue away from the federal government, the "eventual" outcome remains in limbo and progress towards this eventuality will likely happen in the courts instead of the ballot box.

Re: The Serial Shitter Arsonist of San Francisco

Phil M — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 01:28:34 -0000

I happened upon an AT&T home service van in the Marina district which was set alight. When I arrived, the flames had just begun to consume the cab; SFFD arrived moments later. I didn't get a good look at it because it was soon obscured by smoke, but it seemed like someone had put a paint can under the center of the van and lit that on fire. I wonder if it's the same villain.

Re: Semantics

Phil M — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:53:21 -0000

Require the President to personally authorize every instance of torture ("extreme rendition" or equivalent).

If America is an open society, than shouldn't the sacrifice of what makes this society great be done in a transparent way? If Americans (and our elected President) truly believe that torture is worth the intellectual and political trade-offs, then the President can authorize it (but never delegate it). Let the CIA wake the President up in the middle of the night or interrupt his dinner with foreign leaders.

The process must take place transparently such that it publicly punishes and shames those who misuse those powers. If we truly want to foster a culture of responsibility then our elected executive must know that she/he is truly responsible, not just because he/she is at the top of the hierarchy but because she/he must actually authorize each act of torture. There can be no claim that they were unaware of what was happening under their watch.

Let our highest elected official think long and hard about the short-term sacrifice of this country's ideals, since history, and America's citizens, will be their judge.

Re: Palin for President 2012?

Phil M — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 13:49:15 -0000

Palin is "playing for her own future" per McCain camp advisers.
http://blogs.abcnews.com/po...

Re: Answering the Questions Presidents Can’t

Phil M — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 21:08:52 -0000

When I envisioned the "garage" model, I was thinking more along the lines of X-Prize or the recent autonomous vehicle DoD challenges than the government just funding small/startup R&D crews.

Exclusive, short-term rights could be granted to the winner (in addition to some monetary prize), but the losing companies would have to turn over their work to the public domain. May the best ideas win...

Re: Answering the Questions Presidents Can’t

Phil M — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 13:55:33 -0000

How long would a Manhattan-style project run? 10 years? 20 years? My guess is it will be longer than a two-term president... and that leaves a massive project ripe for politicians who want to "save the taxpayer money" by killing it or cutting its funding.

The government also has difficulty completing for talent and the Manhattan model doesn't seem to lend itself much to the workforce, government structures, and challenges we have today. Look at companies like Google who in many ways are simply trying to remove talent from the overall pool so they cannot be hired by competitors.

The "original" Manhattan project had the brightest minds in the country working towards a specific goal under a very tight timeline. The government and its people felt the fate of the nation was at stake. No matter how important energy independence is, I doubt voters will be calling for the same kind of "do-or-die" approach.

I agree with Hala that there are a lot of angles to a project like this and that the garage model allows for groups to be highly specialized and solve problems in their area of interest and expertise. Even if one garage fails, you are still building knowledge and momentum towards your goal.

Re: Sarah Palin Is Qualified

Phil M — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 14:15:56 -0000

A+, would recommend this seller.

Re: The Bush Curve

Phil M — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 12:14:45 -0000

I've heard it said that spending sprees like G H Bush and G W Bush spearheaded are an attempt to enforce a "legacy" of Republican ideals on the following administrations regardless of which party takes office. For example, by generating a huge amount of new debt, the Federal government is going to be more likely to cut back on social services in order to control the deficit.

Re: The Shepherd Moon

Phil M — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:42:37 -0000

I've drafted about ten different responses but keep starting over. Gary's seems most appropriate given the situation. K and I offer our condolences as well and would like to be helpful and supportive whenever you're ready.