Bill Drew

Kelly writes “Amazing accounts from writer Naomi Wolf, who is finding out that, in her travels throughout the US, people are waking up to the encroaching darkness. Here’s her book-related observations, “Someone else says that his friend opened his luggage to find a letter from the TSA saying that they did not appreciate his reading material. Before I go into the security lines, I find myself editing my possessions. In New York’a La Guardia, I reluctantly found myself putting a hardcover copy of Tara McKelvey’s excellent Monstering, an expose of CIA interrogation practices, in a garbage can before I get in the security line; it is based on classified information. This morning at my hotel, before going to the airport, I threw away a very nice black T-shirt that said “We Will Not be Silenced” — with an Arabic translation — that someone had given me, along with a copy of poems written by detainees at Guantanamo.” More here: http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/10/12/450 2/“

Anonymous Patron writes “While the University of Connecticut’s Law Library was built just 11 years ago at a cost of $24 million, it will now cost $19 million to repair. Leaks and flaws in the granite facade of the five story building were discovered in 2002. Then the repairs were estimated to cost up to $7 million to correct the dangerous situation. The Hartford Courant has more on the story. http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-trustees0926. artsep26,0,5248816.story?track=rss“

Bill Drew writes “I have started a Library 2.0 Community on Ning.com. You can find it at library20.ning.com To join just click on the Join tab.

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Bill Drew writes “Here is a link to the declassified summary of the classified National Intelligence Estimate for Iraq. I do not necessarily agree with its conclusions. This was just reported via Docuticker.

National Intelligence Estimate — Prospects for Iraq’s Stability: A Challenging Road Ahead (PDF; 200 KB)
Source: National Intelligence Board (via CNN)
Summary (of classified document)
“Iraqi society’s growing polarization, the persistent weakness of the security forces and the state in general, and all sides’ ready recourse to violence are collectively driving an increase in communal and insurgent violence and political extremism. Unless efforts to reverse these conditions show measurable progress during the term of this Estimate, the coming 12 to 18 months, we assess that the overall security situation will continue to deteriorate at rates comparable to the latter part of 2006. If strengthened Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), more loyal to the government and supported by Coalition forces, are able to reduce levels of violence and establish more effective security for Iraq’s population, Iraqi leaders could have an opportunity to begin the process of political compromise necessary for longer term stability, political progress, and economic recovery.—

Bill Drew writes “

Or use the tinyURL: http://tinyurl.com/yf4xbl“

Bob Turner writes “Declan Mculagh sends this out to his Polytech mailing group…this video is a MUST see….
Watch it and weep…
bt

Articles on this incident:
http://dailybruin.com/news/articles.asp?id=38958
http://dailybruin.com/news/articles.asp?id=38960
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/californi a/la-me-cellcamera16nov16,1,2951795.story
http://cbs2.com/local/local_story_319101652.html
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From Variety.com: “VHS, 30, dies of loneliness. The home-entertainment format lived a fruitful life.”

“After a long illness, the groundbreaking home-entertainment format VHS has died of natural causes in the United States. The format was 30 years old.

No services are planned.”

Read the rest of the obit HERE.“

It looks like the big Baby Bells are now doing the work of the NSA!  What gives them the right to turn over our records of who we call?

NSA has records of billions of U.S. phone calls | Tech News on ZDNet

The National Security Agency has been secretly collecting phone call records of tens of millions of Americans, including calls made within the United States, according to reports.

USA Today said Thursday that the NSA, which is in charge of a domestic spying program, has been building up the database using records provided by three major phone companies–AT&T, Verizon Communications and BellSouth–but that the program “does not involve the NSA listening to or recording conversations.”

Technorati Tags: privacy, Verizon

I have seen several reports on 802.11n products shipping and available for purchase. Buyer Beware because the 802.11n proposed standard has not been finalized yet. Many people got burned when they purchased 802.11g equipment before that standard was finalized. I personally would wait at least a few months after the 802.11n standard has become an official IEEE standard before buying any equipment labeled as meeting the 802.11n standard.