Monthly Archives: March 2004

Move Over Doctor Draft, Meet the Geek Draft

Posted on March 14, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

Well, there's no danger of this before the election…

'Special skills draft' on drawing board / Computer experts, foreign language specialists lead list of military's needs

The government is taking the first steps toward a targeted military draft of Americans with special skills in computers and foreign languages.

The Selective Service System has begun the process of creating the procedures and policies to conduct such a targeted draft in case military officials ask Congress to authorize it and the lawmakers agree to such a request.

Richard Flahavan, a spokesman for the Selective Service System, said planning for a possible draft of linguists and computer experts had begun last fall after Pentagon personnel officials said the military needed more people with skills in those areas.

Spotted via Brian Leiter

Posted in National Security | 3 Comments

Sen. Hatch Is Not a Gentleman

Posted on March 14, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

The descent of the Senate into a Hobbesian war of all against all, in which naked power is the only currency, took another large step this week. David Neiwert describes the The Hatch act that took things down yet another notch.

Update: However, not all Republicans are willing to turn their backs on the Senate's tradition of civility. Kudos to Senate Judiciary Committee members Lindsay Graham, Saxby Chambliss and Mike DeWine who signed this letter alongside of three Democrats.

Posted in Politics: US | Comments Off on Sen. Hatch Is Not a Gentleman

Hail Sedna, 10th ‘Planet’?

Posted on March 14, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

The Australian: It's another world … but is it our 10th planet?. Think of all those maps and models of the solar system that will be obsolete…

Posted in Science/Medicine | 11 Comments

Notes From the Stanford Privacy Conference

Posted on March 14, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

There still isn’t any wifi at the Stanford privacy conference, but the nice tech gurus there found me a way to connect via cat 5 cable.

The first day of the conference was good. At dinner afterwards we agreed there were at most two dud presentations in the whole day, which is a ridiculously small number. My only complaint is that the chairs here at Stanford are much much too comfortable. Combined with the high quality of the presentations, it means that everyone has been staying in to hear them instead of congregating outside in the courtyard to gossip and enjoy the perfect weather. Since I’m usually one of the folks hanging out in the hallways at conferences, this enforced good citizenship is unusual; then again, the talks are good.

Continue reading →

Posted in Talks & Conferences | 6 Comments

My Brother Wants to “Own the White House”

Posted on March 12, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

The Washingtonian online writes up my brother and his column in its Washington BUZZ. Turns out by owning the White House he means 'own the eyeballs looking for the White House' not running for President or engaging in a dodgy leaseback scheme…

Posted in Dan Froomkin | Comments Off on My Brother Wants to “Own the White House”

Lab Reports Were Never Like This

Posted on March 12, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

Wow, lab reporting styles have really changed since that miserable summer I spent in a lab counting chromosomes in transformed chinese hampster ovary cells. Nobody wrote like this. (Spotted via Dave Farber's IP list)

Posted in Completely Different | Comments Off on Lab Reports Were Never Like This