ztraffer

Smithsonian National Zoo, Washington D.C.

In theory, lobbying is a tool of democracy. It is how citizens can make sure their voices are heard when they are not voting. Lobbying has helped important causes like civil rights, labor, environment, etc. The corporate sector however, having far more resources, can pretty much outspend anyone else to protect and further their interests -unfortunately they tend to act with short-term benefits in mind. Today, the professional lobbyist, working for the special interests, has far more influence in the legislative process than can possibly be considered ethical.  The NRA actually warned senators that it would punish those who voted to confirm justice Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court -few Republicans voted for her. ( article ) Like this article explains, it makes perfect sense for the interest groups to hire former congressional members to do their lobbying: it's a win-win: the former congressmen have the experience and contacts needed to know how, when, and to whom to apply press...

I've given in to the pleadings of my conscience and removed the really bad sake haiku I had authored -good riddance!

Chaplin's "The Dictator" has become quite poular in Iran In the past decade, Iran has made headlines often because of its nuclear research and hostile stance in the world stage. Unfortunately it is easy for people reading headlines to think that most of Iran is composed of zealots, especially during a time when the Bush administration made Iran a part of “the axis of evil”. However, the events of recent weeks in which the people have massively protested the election fraud, have helped the world see that in spite of its alleged democracy, Iran’s regime has no mandate from its people. In other words, the people in Iran massively oppose their government: -They do not want to pursue the development of nuclear weapons. -They do not wish the destruction of Israel. -They do not hate the West, Israel, or care to be seen as a destabilizing force. -They are very unhappy with the way the regime has managed the country, in particular the economy, and want to have a say on how it is c...

It's been said over and over: the US spends twice as much in health care as the average developed nation, and yet 1 out of 6 US citizens are uninsured. If nothing is done, the number of people without health care will continue to grow, or the government will eventually go belly up -or more likely, both. OK... but why is this happening in the first place? Answer: The underlying problem has to do with the lobbying mechanisms that allow interests groups to exert such enormous influence on the Congress that it amounts to legalized corruption. Lobbying should be a democratic mechanism for minorities and groups that otherwise would have no voice; unfortunately it has become a tool for groups with huge sums of money to push legislation that favors their interests at the expense of the country, and over the past decades it has had a negative effect on health care. Specifics: 1. Doctors get paid based on the drugs and tests they prescribe -the more they order the more money they make. Yes, ...

Google just announced it is launching its own operating system: Chrome OS. Someone described this as dropping a nuclear bomb on Microsoft, and it kind of feels that way. There's no question a war has been brewing, and the object of that war -market dominance of the Web- is now moving into Microsoft's core territory. As Google put it, existing OSs were designed before the web -that is, they are computer-centered, to run local applications . It has been clear for a while that the computer world is moving from the local PC to the web. So not only is Google threatening the Windows OS, it is threatening MS Office, or pretty much ninety percent Microsoft's revenue. This reminds me of the first web war: the battle between the Netscape and Internet Explorer (see browser wars ) -of course, back then Microsoft used to bundle IE with Windows in new PCs while Netscape couldn't do much but watch helplessly. Google plans shipping its OS with new netbooks and later full laptops and...