Fred Rogers stories continue

Society

Since my earlier article on Fred Rogers, A Lesson on Influencing Adults, more people have been doing stories on Fred and his impact (or not) to people.

One of the best was Diane Rehm’s interview with Fred Rogers last December (direct link to RealAudio file here). It was a very touching hour of radio.

Kuro5hin carries an article with Fred Rogers’ theory on corporate corruption, and sparks decidedly mixed reviews from readers. There’s even a link to Paul Harvey on Fred Rogers. Just goes to show you that a commentator I normally can’t stand (Harvey) can occasionally have something interesting to say.

House Dems Proove Bush a Liar?

Politics

The Democratic members of the House Appropriations committee have created a webpage cross-referencing Bush speech quotes with his legislative proposals, and it ain’t lookin’ good for W.

However, the wacky trenchcoat graphics and huge typeface, along with the page’s title — “The Photographic History of the Bush Administration Putting Its Mouth Where Its Money Isn’t” makes me wonder whether this should better be in the Humor category. Not just that, but we don’t know if the speech info is taken out of conext. So take it with a grain of salt. (Yes, that URL does reside on house.gov)

US Spies Target UN in NY

Uncategorized

In an interesting memo apparently leaked to the British newspaper Observer, a senior US NSA official is seen asking British (and, presumably, other) intelligence agencies to spy on U.S. allies to try to bolster the U.S. negotiating position over Iraq. This is seen by many as a Nixon-like dirty tricks.

Understandably, this has created a huge stir in Britain. What is even more surprising is how quiet this has been in the U.S. Has the American press lost all sense of journalistic independence from the government?

The Register has an article analyzing the authenticity of the memo.

Why Information Should Be Free: 2003 Version

Freedom

You just can’t go wrong with an article that starts with Have I ever mentioned that I love Larry Lessig? The SXSW Sunday Afternoon: Lessig article goes on to write: He begins with a sanctimonious quote from Jack Valenti: “Morals, democracy, integrity. All being corrupted by sharing. Sharing has introduced a moral decay.” Lessig, needless to say, disputes the claim. Click above to read the full article from David Weinberger.

Photography at the Edge of Winter

Entertainment / Arts

In a reflective mood at the end of winter? Check out Andy Chen’s winter photography over at Kumquat’s Musings. I’m anxious for the high-res scan to plaster on my desktop.

Photography in unusual lighting conditions like this one is more tricky but well worth the effort. I’ve taken a photo or two in those situations, and almost inevitably end up thinking “Wow, I didn’t notice these detail when I was taking the photo.” The realism of photography is also the most deceiving — a scene that is rushed, loud, noisy, and uncomfortable to the photographer can appear peaceful and serene to the viewer. I can usually tell when I have a good photo if I notice things in the proof that I hadn’t seen when I was physically at the scene.