Finally, proof that Hillary Clinton’s story about running and ducking while under sniper fire in Bosnia is in fact, true!
Day: March 26, 2008
Gore Gets Options For Doing Nothing
With all the talk of Hillary Clinton and her tax returns, I’d love to see Al Gore’s. I’m sure there’s lots of interesting little gems in there.
Former vice president Al Gore, who sits on Apple’s compensation committee and supervised the company’s internal investigation of its option backdating case, has been granted options to buy 10,000 shares of Apple (AAPL) at the strike price of $129.67, according to Jonny Evans at Macworld UK.
With Apple shares closing at $140.98 Tuesday night, the options would be worth $113,100 if exercised today. Should Apple reach its 2007 high of 202.96 before the options expire in 10 years, the grant would be worth more than $730,000, not counting taxes.
Well, he did invent the internet.
Technorati Tags:
Apple, Al Gore
We Tell Stories
I just came across this today. It’s a new digital writing project from Six to Start and Penguin called “We Tell Stories”. Over six weeks writers will be creating stories that take full advantage of the immediacy, connectivity, and interactivity of the web.
It’s great that a traditional book publisher like Penguin is embracing this kind of project. Publishers need to experiment with technology – mobile, online and offline as well. Yet they still need to focus on doing things that make money. It’s not clear to me what the business model is behind “We Tell Stories”, other than the normal hope that page visits will translate into print book sales at Penguin’s website.
Nonetheless, it’s clear Penguin has a foothold in digital publishing. They’re taking risks to discover what works. That’s better than many book publishers who are content to wait and see.
Technorati Tags:
eBooks, Digital, Penguin, Publishing
The Digital Bookmobile
Back when I was a kid, we could depend on a visit from the local bookmobile. The customized Winnebago containing shelves of books would pull up to my school and park there for the afternoon. It wasn’t like the bookmobile had special books not found anywhere else. In fact, I think the school library had some of the same books found. No, what made the bookmobile cool was the fact that the library was portable.
Fast forward to today. Overdrive has unveiled drawings and details of a travelling community outreach exhibit entitled the Digital Bookmobile. In August, the techno truck will host hands-on, interactive training events at public libraries in major cities in the U.S. The exhibit will help libraries promote a digital media catalog and present the idea of the “virtual branch”. Learning stations will demonstrate how to search for digital media, use mobile devices and download eBooks, music and video.
Something tells me the adults will get more out of this than the kids. After all, they already know how to use all this stuff. At least my kids do. Still, it’s a great way to bring the technology to the people, and let them realize first hand how useful digital resources can be.
Technorati Tags:
Digital Bookmobile, Libraries, Book Mobile
McCain Takes Page from John Kerry
Let’s just say…I’m less than enthusiastic about this passage from a speech John McCain delivered today to the World Affairs Council in Los Angeles.
One of those responsibilities is to be a good and reliable ally to our fellow democracies. We cannot build an enduring peace based on freedom by ourselves, and we do not want to. We have to strengthen our global alliances as the core of a new global compact — a League of Democracies — that can harness the vast influence of the more than one hundred democratic nations around the world to advance our values and defend our shared interests.
At the heart of this new compact must be mutual respect and trust. Recall the words of our founders in the Declaration of Independence, that we pay “decent respect to the opinions of mankind.” Our great power does not mean we can do whatever we want whenever we want, nor should we assume we have all the wisdom and knowledge necessary to succeed. We need to listen to the views and respect the collective will of our democratic allies. When we believe international action is necessary, whether military, economic, or diplomatic, we will try to persuade our friends that we are right. But we, in return, must be willing to be persuaded by them.
Why does this sound like John Kerry’s “passing the global test”. Remember that? If you don’t, here it is.
“No president, through all of American history, has ever ceded — and nor would I — the right to preempt in any way necessary, to protect the United States of America,” the Democrat told moderator Jim Lehrer during the debate.
“But if and when you do it, you’ve got to do it in a way that passes the, the test, that passes the global test where your countrymen, your people, understand fully why you’re doing what you’re doing, and you can prove to the world that you did it for legitimate reasons.”
This definitely isn’t the John McCain we heard during CPAC. It does sound more like the John McCain for Independents and moderate Democrats. It sounds like the John McCain for Amnesty candidate.
Worried yet?
If we elect this John McCain, Chavez will have nothing to worry about.
Technorati Tags:
Amnesty, John Kerry, John McCain, War, Policy, Pacifist
A Matter of Fairness
A blog at the Washington Post asks the following question:< ?p>
Considering her active involvement in her mother’s campaign, is it fair game to ask Chelsea Clinton about the Lewinsky scandal?
The question came up because of what occurred yesterday in Indianapolis. Chelsea was asked by someone in the audience if her mothers credibility was hurt by the Monica Lewinsky matter. She answered flatly, “I don’t think that’s any of your business.”
That’s not a very “Clintonian” response, but some slack can be cut due to her relative Q&A inexperience. The fact is, she could have talked about how the whole thing strengthened her family, brought them closer together, blah blah blah. It would have been a lie of course, but it would have been effective. The media would have played the sound bite again and again. Unfortunately, Chelsea’s response just illustrates how sensitive the whole issue remains for her and her family.
But, back to the question of fairness. The answer of course, it is absolutely fair game to ask Chelsea this question. All the rules changed when the Clinton’s agreed to let her campaign for Hillary. And when you represent the campaign, all questions should be expected, even the most personal ones. She can answer any way she wants. There shouldn’t be any code of conduct amongst the media anymore as it relates to Chelsea. She’s not a child anymore. She’s an adult, a public personality, and a surrogate for the campaign.
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Bill Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, Hillary Clinton
And We Care Because?
For those keeping track of the whereabouts of Mike Gravel, no doubt you’ve seen the BREAKING NEWS that the long-shot presidential candidate has told supporters he’s leaving the Democratic party and joining the Libertarians.
Gravel, a former Democratic senator from Alaska, said in an e-mail that the Democratic Party “no longer represents my vision for our great country.”
“It is a party that continues to sustain war, the military-industrial complex and imperialism — all of which I find anathema to my views,” he said in the e-mail in which he also asked supporters for campaign donations.
Gravel, 77, has been excluded from recent Democratic debates because he failed to meet fundraising or polling thresholds.
“I look forward to advancing my presidential candidacy within the Libertarian Party, which is considerably closer to my values, my foreign policy views and my domestic views,” he said.
Zzzzzzzzzzz…
Oh, uh, did someone say something? I just dozed off there for a bit.
Technorati Tags:
Democrats, DNC, Mike Gravel, Libertarians