I Am Adam Smith

Donate to Build Home for Orphaned Kids in Uganda

The guys we're working with in London, Mutado, are doing a great charity event. They're raising money to help build a house for orphaned children in Uganda. Go Donate! cutitorkeepit.com

They made it fun to, you get to vote on each of their staff if they should shave their head or not.

Black Crowes Added to JazzFest Lineup

The Black Crowes just announced that they'll be playing on Friday, April 22nd. First day of JazzFest. Another great band, added to an already amazing lineup.

22Crawford and Angell and Company's Council Programs

Two companies by our friend Bill Angell.

22Crawford sells essential accessories for business travelers.

Angel and Company Council Programs helps business leaders form peer advisory networks.

Technology Screwing with Cutting Class and Sunday Drives

Slashdot is reporting on two stories related to the efficiency/privacy trade-off.

First California is looking into tracking cars with GPS and taxing drivers by how far they drive.  This is great for helping traffic, reducing pollution, and lowering fuel consumption - put a marginal cost on a bad.

What struck me as strange at first is that they claim this measure is needed because the state is collection LESS in gas taxes due to hybrids. Now, I haven't seen the numbers yet... but my guess is that growth in the Golden State's SUV market is at least keeping gas tax revenue on even ground.

Anyways, Oregon is considering legislation for a similar program, and a pilot test will be run in 2005.

The plan, which still requires legislative approval there, would put a $100 global- positioning-system device in every new car in Oregon. The device would beam drivers' in-state mileage to a satellite, which would then send the information to the service station where the driver is refueling so the proper tax can be levied at the pump.

Next story is how

The school district of Spring, Texas has adopted RFID as a way to track students' arrival and departure. Upon being scanned, the data are transmitted to both the school administrators, as well as city police.

I mean, come on. This is a bit ridiculous. Also from the article

In October, the Food and Drug Administration approved use of an RFID chip that could be implanted under a patient's skin and would carry a number that linked to the patient's medical records.

My main beef with these RFID/GPS tracking technologies is the potential for massive abuse. I always think of situations of extreme state repression and ethnic cleansing, Hitler's Germany, Soviet Union, Rwanda, Bosnia, Iraq, N. Korea, and on and on. These tracking and identifying technologies would be very useful to the leaders perpetrating the atrocities in these countries. And while this is an extreme case - we need to really think about the value of making people-tracking technologies a mandatory and pervasive part of our lives.

I'm dead set against this trend.

More mundanely, I wouldn't have had 10% as much fun as I did senior year in high school if I had one of those damn chips! Ahhh well.... , we would paid some geeks to carry around our RFID badges anyways... I take that back :)

Home Theater Projectors

The Slashdot folk are talking about getting home theater projector's. WHats the best, the cheapest, do it yourselfs...

Tom and I were just talking about this today

StationRipper: Copy Streaming Audio

Looks cool. Apparently Catching on pretty quick. legality still in question

StationRipper.com

To hell with Spelling

I hate spelling.
I suck at it.
Therefore, I will not spell check this blog.

Free!!!!

I will spell check TechPolicy though... cause.. seems like i should.l

Good... I feel better now.

:)

Firearm Controls

Really Cool idea on how to reduce gun deaths. Seems weird at first... but think about it.

When someone buys a gun, a tiny chip is inserted into their arm with a syringe. In order for the gun to work, it has to be operated by the person with chip. Otherwise, no bang.

Lots of gun deaths occur with stolen, or blackmarket guns.

Here's the Wired Story on this.

General Tommy Franks Thinks We'll Have Martial Law after a WMD attack

Gen. Tommy Franks says that if the United States is hit with a weapon of mass destruction that inflicts large casualties, the Constitution will likely be discarded in favor of a military form of government.

Article from NewsMax.com

This is what I've been worrying about. A serious strike against the US (or an Ally according to Franks) would unravel the special Mojo that makes America work. Well functioning institutions, freedom, and most importantly trust.

Will a temporary period of marshal law be necessary to get a hold on security issues? An open and frank debate is needed. Not a political winner for any sitting candidate though.

Welcome

This is the kick off of my first weblog. I'll be keeping tabs on the issues that matter to me. The content of this blog will change as I go through my various cycles of interest, but in general news and commentary on technology, business, politics, and policy issues will be covered.