Tension Grows Between British, Iraqis

TENSION IN THE NEWS

COMMENTLINE
Something is going on in area bordering southeast Iraq and southwest Iran. The Brits have been accused on both sides of the border.

NEWSBYTE
Tension Grows Between British, Iraqis
Governor's Threat of Noncooperation Adds to Mounting Unrest in Southern Province
(washingtonpost.com) -- BAGHDAD, Jan. 27 -- The governor of Basra said Friday that he would stop cooperating with British forces on security and other issues in the southern province unless they released five Iraqi policemen currently in British custody. Read full story.

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Google Developing iTunes Competitor?

MUSIC & TECHNOLOGY

COMMENTLINE
Some folks have speculated that Google may be getting ready to jump into online music, but I wouldn't expect a Google iTunes replacement (as can be inferred from the Forbes article). Google will be competing with iTunes, Yahoo Music, Napster, Rhapsody, and many others.

NEWSLINE
"We would expect Google to rollout a Beta service within 3 to 6 months."

NEWSBYTES
Google May Be Close To Developing iTunes Competitor
(Forbes.com) -- Bear Stearns maintained an "outperform" rating on Google and said the Internet search giant may be looking to expand into the MP3 downloading business.

Predictions and More Speculation on a Google Music Service
(searchenginewatch.com) -- Elinor Mills has a brief post reporting that Bear Stearns analyst Robert Peck is predicting that Google will offer a digital music download service in the three to six months. Bear Sterns is using the name the name "Google Tunes" as their "code name" for the service. A Google spokesperson declined to comment on the story.

ALSO SEE
Apple Tweaks iTunes After Privacy Concerns

Fix iPod Screen Scratches

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Accusations Heighten Tension Between U.S. and Venezuela

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Holocaust Remembered 61 Years Later

REMEMBERING THE HOLOCAUST

COMMENTLINE
Today in history: In 1945, Soviet troops liberated the Nazi concentration camps Auschwitz and Birkenau in Poland.

Today in 2006: Take a moment and pause to consider how much yet how little the world has changed since 1945.

NEWSLINE
"Commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day is not solely [for the purpose of] reminding but also deterring," Gillerman said. "Forgetting the Holocaust, just as denying the Holocaust, sows the seeds of the next Holocaust. The world needs to guard itself even today against threats which emanate from states which are UN members."

NEWSBYTES
Holocaust Remembered 61 Years Later
WARSAW, Poland (AP) -- European leaders remembered the Holocaust on Friday, the 61st anniverary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp, with commemorations shadowed by concern over anti-Israeli remarks by Iran's president.

German parliament remembers victims of the Holocaust
BERLIN (AFP) -- In the city where the Nazis hatched their plan to wipe out Europe's Jews, the German parliament remembered the six million victims of the Holocaust on the first international day of commemoration.

RELATED
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

The Holocaust History Project

Holocaust Timeline

ALSO SEE
Israel's UN ambassador hints Iran is planning next Holocaust
(Haaretz.com, AP) -- In a speech before the UN General Assembly, Israel's Ambassador to the UN Dan Gillerman warned the world body that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's increasingly hostile rhetoric against Israel and his statements in favor of Holocaust denial carry with them a real threat of a future genocide.

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West Bank Clashes Reflect Post-Election Tension

MIDDLE EAST

COMMENTLINE
(Updated) Is this a hint of the Middle East brand of democracy in action?

NEWSLINE
"Don't be afraid," Ismail Haniyeh, a Hamas leader, told the British Broadcasting Corp.

NEWSBYTE
Clash on West Bank reflects post election tension
THE PALESTINIAN SHAKE-UP
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) -- Islamic militant Hamas' landslide victory in Palestinian elections unnerved the world yesterday, darkening prospects for Mideast peace and ending four decades of rule by the corruption-riddled Fatah party. Read full story.

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Geopolitical Tension Drives Oil Above $67

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US Congressman Takes Google to Task on China

TECHNOLOGY

COMMENTLINE
You're kidding me right?

Is this a ploy to force Google to turn over search results or truly Congress attempting to understand how the global Internet marketplace operates?

Some folks may take issue with Google's decision to operate in China. OK.

Those folks need to keep in mind that the right to free speech does not exist in China with or without Google. Our attempts to understand what life is like without free-speech is limited by the very fact that we have free speech. We know what it is like to have free speech and can't imagine doing without. Chinese only know what it is like to have censorship and can only dream of what it must be like to have freedom. Got it?

Wouldn't it be better to let Google (and others) bring some enlightenment to China so they can grow and mature? Or is it better to continue to wall off China from the rest of the world, keeping them in technological and intellectual darkness, and help the Chinese government perpetuate the very human rights violations we say we are trying to prevent?

The Internet is not a communications medium like radio. It shows a lack of understanding to equate the interactive power of the Web with the simple broadcast voice received on a radio telling the oppressed what it is like to be free.

The Internet is much more dangerous than radio; once folks get a "taste" of freedom they just keep wanting more.

NEWSLINE
Chris Smith, a Republican congressman from New Jersey on Wednesday in a statement drew comparisons between Google and Radio Free Europe and Asia, reflecting on the capacity the radio stations had on empowering the "voices of freedom throughout Communist countries."

NEWSBYTE
US congressman takes Google to task on China
(FT) -- Google will be called to task in Washington next month following a controversial decision by the internet search engine to launch a China-based version of its website that will censor results to avoid angering the country's Communist government.

ALSO SEE
Google Agrees to Censor Results in China

Tags: Computers and Internet, technology, online, Google, China
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Vt. Judge Increases Sex Offender's Penalty

CURRENT AFFAIRS

COMMENTLINE
If you haven't been following this story, here's some background.

Since Judge Cashman changed the penalty for this dude, maybe some justice was served. However, three to 10 years in the pokey ain't much to pay for the four years of rape the convicted forced on a child.

In any case, I guess this means the Bill O'Reilly haters have been put on notice.

Once again, Arrogant-Bill appears to have singlehandedly brought the full power of the press to bear and actually precipitated a change ... not that the mainstream press will easily admit to it, however.

O'Reilly haters like the Kos, and Media Matters should pay close attention to how Bill actually produced results from his pulpit. That's far from the Letterman drama endlessly replayed in the blogs -- and quite a difference from the usual pointlessly detailed complaining amateurishly perpetrated by the Anti-Bill Establishment.

Ah yes, there's surely a lesson to be learned around here somewhere.

Once again for the fist time I have rephrased the last paragraph of a recent Harold Meyerson Washington Post Op-Ed, "More and more, the key question for far-left liberal media types is that of the "Old Perfessor," Casey Stengel: Can't anybody here play this game?

NEWSLINE
"It's 18 times 60 days, so it's certainly an improvement," said Vt. Gov. James Douglas. "Personally I think it's inadequate for a crime of that magnitude, but it is certainly better than the first decision."

NEWSBYTE
Vt. Judge Increases Sex Offender's Penalty
BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) -- A judge who was widely vilified for giving a child molester a 60-day jail term imposed a new sentence Thursday, increasing the man's prison time to three to 10 years.

Judge Edward Cashman said he felt he could now impose the longer sentence because the state had agreed to provide treatment to the man while he is behind bars. The state had initially said such treatment would not come until after the man served his time. Read full story.

ALSO SEE
Poll: Americans Oppose Vt. Judge's Ruling

MORE BACKGROUND
Judge slammed for molester's 60-day sentence

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Iran Hails Hamas Victory

INTERNATIONAL/MIDDLE EAST

COMMENTLINE
We didn't have to wait long for Iran to respond to the Hamas victory. The story just hasn't been picked up by the mainstream media.

Note: First link goes to Aljazeera.Net.

NEWSLINES
"Just as Islamic Iran defends the rights of the Palestinians, we defend the rights of Islamic Iran. We are part of a united front against the enemies of Islam," Khaled Meshaal, the Hamas political chief said.

Hamas and Iran are close allies and declared in December that they were forming a "united front" against Israel. The exiled head of Hamas, Khaled Mishal, promised to step up attacks on Israel if it took military action against Iran's nuclear program, according to Al Jazeera.

NEWSBYTES
Iran hails Hamas victory
(Aljazeera.Net) -- Iran has congratulated the Islamist Palestinian group Hamas for its election victory and praised voters for choosing "to continue the struggle and resistance against occupation".

Iran salutes Hamas as PA PM resigns
ISN SECURITY WATCH (Thusday, 26 January: 16.28 CET) – Iran has congratulated Hamas on what seems now to be its certain victory in Wednesday's Palestinian Legislative Council elections, according to an Al Jazeera report.

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Meanwhile, On the Iranian News Front

INTERNATIONAL

COMMENTLINE
While we're waiting to hear from Iran's president about the Palestinian election, we'll explore some other tension ebbing through the Middle East.

In today's headlines, it looks like India has now been pulled into the nuclear fray.

NEWSLINE
U.S. Ambassador David Mulford said Wednesday that if India does not vote next month to refer Tehran to the Security Council, which could impose sanctions, it would be "devastating" to the [U.S. - India civil nuclear] deal currently before the U.S. Congress.

NEWSBYTES
India Protests U.S. Nuke Statement
NEW DELHI (AP) -- India on Thursday protested a suggestion by the U.S. ambassador that a landmark nuclear deal between the two countries would fall apart unless New Delhi backed Washington's effort to bring Iran before the U.N. Security Council because of its atomic program.

Bush says US will 'exhaust all diplomacy' on Iran nuclear issue
WASHINGTON (AFP) -- US President George W. Bush said his government will "exhaust all diplomacy" and work with US allies as it seeks to address Iran's disputed nuclear program, according to a newspaper interview.

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Does Hamas Victory Mean Terror-Diplomacy?

WORLD/MIDDLE EAST

COMMENTLINE
Things won't change until Palestinians have something to want to live for taking the place of the nothing they have been dying to fill.

Additionally, given their recent hard-line anti-Israel posturing, it will be interesting to see how the Mullas and president of Iran react to news of the Hamas win as the story develops.

NEWSLINES
"Anyone who wants to govern the Palestinian people and do so with the support of the international community has got to be committed to a two-state solution." "You can't have a peace process if you're not committed to the right of your partner to exist." U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

NEWSBYTES
Hamas Victory Clouds Peace Outlook
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) -- Hamas won a huge majority in parliamentary elections as Palestinian voters rejected the longtime rule of the Fatah Party, throwing the future of Mideast peacemaking into question, officials from both major parties said Thursday.

Rice: Hamas should renounce destruction of Israel
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice said Thursday the U.S. position on Hamas as a terrorist organization has not changed, despite the militant group's stunning victory in Palestinian elections.

Hamas' Election Showing Shakes Up Mideast
JERUSALEM (AP) -- Hamas' apparent victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections has dramatically shaken up the political landscape of the Middle East, elevating Islamic militants who call for Israel's destruction and most likely encouraging Israel's go-it-alone approach to Mideast peacemaking.

Arabs see US changing stance on Hamas
CAIRO (Reuters) -- Israel and the United States will eventually adapt to the reality of an electoral victory by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, opening new opportunities for Middle East peace talks, Arab commentators said on Thursday.

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Hamas Victory in Palestinian Election

WORLD/MIDDLE EAST

COMMENTLINE
If U.S. policy remains steadfast, we won't deal with Hamas members who are elected.

If in general, all terrorism should be destroyed, logic follows that Hamas should be destroyed, not legitimated, and much less courted.

Perhaps it was a mistake to permit Hamas to compete in elections.

But then again, "The times they are a-changin'."

NEWSLINES
"Israel can't accept a situation in which Hamas, in its present form as a terror group calling for the destruction of Israel, will be part of the Palestinian Authority without disarming," Acting Israli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said in a statement issued by his office.

NEWSBYTES
Palestinian PM says government will quit after Hamas win
Israeli PM: 'Will not negotiate' with those who won't fight terrorism
RAMALLAH, West Bank (CNN) -- In a stunning development ahead of official election results, Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei said Thursday he and others in the Palestinian Authority government will resign in the wake of Hamas' apparent parliamentary victory.

Hamas wins upset victory in Palestinian election
GAZA (Reuters) -- The Islamic Hamas movement swept to victory over the long-dominant Fatah faction on Thursday in Palestinian parliamentary polls, a political earthquake that could bury any hope for reviving peace talks with Israel.

Officials: Hamas Wins Palestinian Election
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) -- Hamas' top official told Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday the Islamic militant group is ready for a partnership after defeating the ruling Fatah Party in parliamentary elections -- a shocking upset sure to throw Mideast peacemaking into turmoil.

Hamas Claims Victory in Palestinian Elections
Group Says It Has Clear Majority of Seats; Prime Minister and Cabinet Resign
RAMALLAH, West Bank, Jan. 26 (washingtonpost.com) -- The radical Islamic group Hamas claimed victory Thursday in voting for the first Palestinian parliament in a decade, saying it won a clear majority of seats and had the right to form the next government.

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RELATED
A Look at Parties in Palestinian Elections

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Poll: Americans Oppose Vt. Judge's Ruling

CURRENT AFFAIRS

COMMENTLINE
Bill O'Reilly has been pounding the story about the 60-day sentence for a child rapist handed out by Judge Cashman in Vermont.

The story has not been picked up in the mainstream media -- yet according to a Zogby poll, 92 percent of voters disagree with the child rapist sentence.

Here, it seems like the public good is not being served by the folks who claim to be the Fourth Estate. I guess unless the story can somehow be twisted into ragging the Bush Administration, then the talking heads of the mainstream really don't care.

Since the mainstream media isn't covering the story, I have to wonder where the folks Zogby polled became informed enough about the case to form an opinion?

Maybe talk radio, Fox News, and conservative blogs have become the strange bedfellows driving the story.

NEWSLINE
In a sign of the intensity of American voters' disagreement with the Vermont judge, two in three say Cashman should be removed from the bench by the state's legislature. Zogby

NEWSBYTES
Americans Oppose Vt. Judge's Ruling
Survey finds 92% of U.S. voters disagree with 60-day rape sentence; More than two-thirds call for Judge Cashman's removal
January 25, 2006 (Zogby) -- More than nine out of ten likely voters nationwide disagree with Vermont Judge Edward Cashman's decision to sentence a child rapist to just 60 days in jail, according to a new Zogby Interactive poll. Read full story.

Zogby Poll: 92% of Voters Disagree with Child Rapist Sentence
(NewsMax) -- More than nine out of ten likely voters nationwide disagree with Vermont Judge Edward Cashman's decision to sentence a child rapist to just 60 days in jail, according to a new Zogby Interactive poll. Read full story.

BACKGROUND
Worst Judge Award?

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Poll: Only 16 Percent Back Hillary for Pres.

POLITICS

COMMENTLINE
Ah, polls can say the darndest things.

Perhaps if Hill wasn't busy cuddling up on the plantation with Harry, the poll numbers would be a bit different.

NEWSLINE
Perhaps the worst harbinger is that even among self-proclaimed liberals, only 33 percent say they'd definitely vote for her.

NEWSBYTE
Poll: Only 16 percent definitely back Hillary
(WorldNetDaily.com) -- The latest national survey does not bode well for New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, should she seek the presidency in 2008.

A Gallup poll for CNN and USA Today reveals 51 percent of Americans say they would absolutely not vote for Mrs. Clinton for president, with only 16 percent definitely backing her. Another 32 percent say they'd consider voting for the Democrat. Read full story.

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Rosanne Cash: Black Cadillac

NEW RELEASE PICK OF THE WEEK

SOUNDBYTE
Rosanne Cash: Black Cadillac
(AMG Review) -- In the 22 months that passed between the release of Rosanne Cash's wonderfully articulated Rules of Travel and Black Cadillac, she became an orphan. She lost her stepmother, June Carter Cash, in May of 2003; her father, Johnny, passed away in September of that same year; and in May of 2005, her mother, Vivian Liberto Cash Distin, left this world as well. According to Cash, she began writing the songs for Black Cadillac in spring 2003 and ended in spring 2005. She began recording in November 2004. In other words, the album is the aural documentation of a process of grief, loss, and acceptance. And though her family was not the typical American family, this set is universal in its concepts. Read full review.

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Liberal Columnists the Incompetents

OPINION ON OPINION

COMMENTLINE
Oh look, it's yet another Op-Ed columnist ranting and raving about the incompetence of President Bush. (At least this one isn't dogging our troops.)

Boring.

Being the pragmatist I am, I find myself saddened to see how untrue to the liberalness of being a Liberal these folks have become.

It's easy to point out flaws and be divisive. Heck, we have all known spoiled kids who throw tantrums when they can't get their way. For grown-ups, it's much more the measure of the politic to actually work to advance the agenda.

In any case, I'm not sure where Meyerson gets his data on his Medicare complaints. The changes he's yakking about have been in effect for a mere 25 days and perhaps a rush to judgment is just for the sake of a rush. I'd like to see those Medicare numbers broken down or at least attributed -- but hey, his is only an Op-Ed column and not hard news.

To rephrase the last paragraph of Meyerson's Op-Ed, "More and more, the key question for liberals and Democrats is that of the "Old Perfessor," Casey Stengel: Can't anybody here play this game?

NEWSBYTE
Bush the Incompetent
(washingtonpost.com) -- Incompetence is not one of the seven deadly sins, and it's hardly the worst attribute that can be ascribed to George W. Bush. But it is this president's defining attribute. Historians, looking back at the hash that his administration has made of his war in Iraq, his response to Hurricane Katrina and his Medicare drug plan, will have to grapple with how one president could so cosmically botch so many big things -- particularly when most of them were the president's own initiatives. Read full story.

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Tension Growing Between Iran, U.K.- U.S.

INTERNATIONAL

COMMENTLINE
Nothing like a high-stakes game of he said, she said, the Mullah said to force the hands of the Doomsday Clock from its current setting at 11:53 to a little closer to midnight.

Since this morning when I began collating articles for this particular entry, more accusations have been flying and the story is building.

NEWSLINES
"Traces of the occupiers of Iraq is evident in the Ahvaz events. They should take responsibility in this regard," state television quoted Ahmadinejad as saying.

The comments by Prime Minister Tony Blair are an insult to the intelligence of people around the world," foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said in statement carried by the ISNA news agency Tuesday.

"For half a century, the defenders of the Holocaust have used every tribune to defend their position, and now have to listen to others."

NEWSBYTES
Iran Blames Bombings on U.S., Britain
TEHRAN, IRAN (AP) -- Iran's president on Wednesday blamed "the occupiers of Iraq" -— inferring the United States and Britain -— for two bombings that killed at least nine people in the southwestern city of Ahvaz.

Tehran claims Britain behind bombings in Ahvaz
TEHRAN (AFP) -- Iran directly accused Britain of of equipping and directing those behind a twin bomb attack in the oil city of Ahvaz that killed eight people and wounded dozens more.

Iran accuses UK of bombing link
Iran has accused the UK of co-operating with bombers who killed eight people in attacks in the restive south-western city of Ahwaz on Tuesday.
(BBC) -- "Britain must respond to the doubts of Iranians concerning the events," said Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki.

Iran accuses Britain over bombing
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Iran on Wednesday accused Britain of cooperating with bombers who killed eight people in the southern Iranian city of Ahvaz on Tuesday.

Britain rejects Iran claim it equipped Ahvaz bombers
LONDON (AFP) - The British government rejected as "completely without foundation" Iran's claim that British soldiers in Iraq were behind a twin bomb attack in the Iranian oil city of Ahvaz.

Iran defends plan for Holocaust conference
TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran defended its plan to stage a conference questioning the Holocaust and accused British Prime Minister Tony Blair of "intolerance" for criticising the event.

Iran blocks BBC Persian website
BBC Persian.com usually gets 30 million page views a monthThe Iranian authorities have started to block the BBC's Persian language internet site, for the first time.
(BBC) -- The BBC says the level of traffic to the site from within Iran has dropped sharply over the last three days.

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Latest Nuclear Posturing From Iran

INTERNATIONAL

COMMENTLINE
Russia attempts to keep a measure of control around the situation and sidetrack diplomatic momentum leading to a U.N. resoultion. Full coverage continues below.

NEWSLINE
"If they use political pressure, if our dossier is handed over or opened in an unofficial way by the Security Council ... our actions will not be limited to research," he said. "Then we will begin industrial enrichment."

NEWSBYTES
Iran 'positive' on Russia plan
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- An Iranian official said Wednesday Tehran supports a proposal under which Russia would enrich uranium for Iran, but believes the plan still needs some work, according to a report from the Russian news agency Interfax.

Iran Welcomes Russian Nuclear Offer
MOSCOW (AP) -- Iran's top nuclear negotiator said Wednesday that Tehran views Moscow's offer to have Iran's uranium enriched in Russia as a positive development but no agreement has been reached between the countries.

Iran 'positive' on Russian uranium enrichment plan
MOSCOW (AFP) -- Iran expressed qualified support for a plan to enrich its uranium on Russian territory but vowed to start industrial-scale enrichment at home if it is hauled before the UN Security Council.

Iran defiant as world weighs action in atomic row
TEHRAN (Reuters) -- Iran again threatened on Wednesday to start full-scale uranium enrichment if reported to the U.N. Security Council, while signaling interest in a Russian proposal aimed at calming its nuclear row with the West.

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Warriors and Wusses Who Write for the LA Times

OPINION ON OPINION

COMMENTLINE
Thank God we live in a country where it isn't against the law to exhibit insipidly bad taste and even a fool can get published.

NEWSLINE
Besides, those little yellow ribbons aren't really for the troops. They need body armor, shorter stays and a USO show by the cast of "Laguna Beach." Joel Stein in LA Times

NEWSBYTE
Warriors and wusses
(LA Times) -- I DON'T SUPPORT our troops. This is a particularly difficult opinion to have, especially if you are the kind of person who likes to put bumper stickers on his car. Supporting the troops is a position that even Calvin is unwilling to urinate on.

I'm sure I'd like the troops. They seem gutsy, young and up for anything. If you're wandering into a recruiter's office and signing up for eight years of unknown danger, I want to hang with you in Vegas. Read full story.

Tags: journalism, mainstream media, press, newspapers, Computers and Internet, Blogs, Blogging
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Google Agrees to Censor Results in China

COMMENTLINE
I wouldn't be too quick to judge Google.

This isn't a free speech decision.

This is a business decision in a market where free speech isn't a right. If you don't understand the concept I submit that you need to open up your narrow view of the world.

It's just further proof that Google is the Wal-Mart of the Web.

NEWSLINES
"We firmly believe, with our culture of innovation, Google can make meaningful and positive contributions to the already impressive pace of development in China," said Andrew McLaughlin, Google's senior policy counsel.

"This is a real shame," said Julien Pain, head of Reporters Without Borders' Internet desk. "When a search engine collaborates with the government like this, it makes it much easier for the Chinese government to control what is being said on the Internet."

NEWSBYTES
Google agrees to China censorship
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Online search engine leader Google Inc. has agreed to censor its results in China, adhering to the country's free-speech restrictions in return for better access in the Internet's fastest growing market.

Google agrees to censor service to enter China
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Web search leader Google Inc. said on Tuesday it was introducing a new service for China that seeks to avoid a confrontation with the government by restricting access to services to which users contribute such as e-mail, chat rooms and blogs.

Google's new Chinese search engine to censor results
SAN FRANCISCO (USA Today) -- Online search engine leader Google has agreed to censor its results in China, adhering to the country's free-speech restrictions in return for better access in the Internet's fastest growing market.

Tags: Computers and Internet, technology, online, Google, China
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The Coming Tug of War Over the Internet

TECHNOLOGY/INTERNET

COMMENTARY
In The Coming Tug of War Over the Internet, Christopher Stern reports on a very real issue facing Internet users and providers: tiered-cost network access.

In the plan, some telephone companies want to charge for priority access to their Internet backbone networks. This plan would allow companies who pay more to travel faster or have more bandwidth on the net.

However, the Internet was built in such a way as to be self-healing and independent. It's quite possible the whole plot to sell priority network access may just blow up in the telephone company's collective face. I can imagine IT folks creating network paths to divert traffic around any kind of tiered backbone. In the end, the telephone companies could be left holding the bag for the hardware and we could pay higher prices for regular telephone services to make up for the loss.

We have seen the same type of power-play scenarios unfold before on the net. Some of you may remember the days of pay-by-the-minute access?

In any case, it may be a good thing to pay attention to this issue as it develops. Unlike the Europeans, most Americans want an unregulated Internet. However, pay for priority backbone access may just be something we want regulated out.

NEWSLINE
After all, if worse comes to worst, Google can pay AT&T or BellSouth to maintain its role as the Internet's dominant search engine. But the bright young start-up with the next big innovative idea won't have that option.

NEWSBYTE
The Coming Tug of War Over the Internet
(washingtonpost.com) -- Do you prefer to search for information online with Google or Yahoo? What about bargain shopping -- do you go to Amazon or eBay? Many of us make these kinds of decisions several times a day, based on who knows what -- maybe you don't like bidding, or maybe Google's clean white search page suits you better than Yahoo's colorful clutter.

But the nation's largest telephone companies have a new business plan, and if it comes to pass you may one day discover that Yahoo suddenly responds much faster to your inquiries, overriding your affinity for Google. Or that Amazon's Web site seems sluggish compared with eBay's. Read full story.

Tags: Computers and Internet, technology, online, Web2.0, Web 2.0, Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, phone, network, AT&T
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Everyone Got Early Warning on Katrina (Go Figure)

GULF COAST HURRICANES

COMMENTARY
I always have to qualify my observations on the hurricane topic as I refer back to actually having lived through Katrina on the Gulf Coast. Everyone has an opinion on Hurricane Katrina. I submit that unless you were there, your opinions are diminished by default.

In any case, the early warning non-story in today's Washington Post is so much last year's news. I am embarrassed for the Post for running it, and I am embarrassed for the folks discussing it like it is some sort of new issue.

My thoughts are that Homeland Security had better have advised the White House on Hurricane Katrina. Even the National Weather Service gave a heads up detailing life and property loss estimates. However, I am quite sure Homeland Security (and the White House) could not have done anything to stop the storm.

That said, I will also make the observation that any so-called "emergency" communication should NEVER be delivered by e-mail. Hell, the world could end while you are waiting for someone to open their mailbox. Sheesh.

In the end, if everyone knew Katrina was the "big one," the question should be why didn't local and state governments take it upon themselves to act faster? As I recall, folks in New Orleans waited around till the last minute before the local authorities told them to move ... when the storm passed they thought they had dodged "the big" one -- that was, till the levees broke.

NEWSLINES
"Two to three days before Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, it became clear that it would be the 'Big One' everyone has been talking about for years," [Sen. Joe] Lieberman said.

The reports echo warnings given around the same time by Max Mayfield, head of the National Hurricane Center, who began sounding the alarm when forecasters first placed Katrina on a collision with the Gulf Coast on the evening of Aug. 26.

NEWSBYTE
White House Got Early Warning on Katrina
(washingtonpost.com) -- In the 48 hours before Hurricane Katrina hit, the White House received detailed warnings about the storm's likely impact, including eerily prescient predictions of breached levees, massive flooding, and major losses of life and property, documents show.

A 41-page assessment by the Department of Homeland Security's National Infrastructure Simulation and Analysis Center (NISAC), was delivered by e-mail to the White House's "situation room," the nerve center where crises are handled, at 1:47 a.m. on Aug. 29, the day the storm hit, according to an e-mail cover sheet accompanying the document. Read full story.

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