August 2010 Archives
The above ad for Amtrak's sorta high-speed Acela line has been looping on local TV. One line in particular seemed a bit odd--besides wireless internet and electrical outlets, Amtrak enables passengers to get back such travel basics as "taking off your shoes only if you feel like it."
That's right--Amtrak, a corporation created, funded and owned by the federal government, is touting its exemption from TSA anti-terrorism procedures as the recovery of a fundamental right. Based on the railway bombings by terrorists in other countries, one could argue that trains are as much if not more at risk of a serious attack as commercial airlines. Nonetheless, while airline passengers have to remove their shoes when they go through security, Amtrak is literally selling the lack of such security features on our government-owned railroad as a feature, not a flaw.
Which raises an interesting question about the TSA airport screenings--if they are indeed required to prevent terrorism, why does the government's own transportation company portray them as an unnecessary burden?
Counterfeit Chic on the The Innovative Design Protection & Piracy Prevention Act--IDPPPA--the new fashion copyright bill just introduced in the U.S. Senate. Obtaining intellectual property protection has been a crucial issue for emerging designers in the U.S.--where the lack of copyright for clothing means that fashion has less IP protection than in Europe & Asia.
Brilliant, and as always with GSH, so rich. His general point is one the today's do-gooders would do well to note--a social movement with no sense of fun is at base inhuman and as such fundamentally skewed in ways that make it far less than what it could be."He especially likes shows and movies and cartoons from his childhood, such as 'Top Cat' and 'Rocky and Bullwinkle' and 'Underdog.' 'Your life has to consist of more the 'Black people should unite,' he said. 'You hope they do, but not twenty-four hours a day. If you aren't having no fun, die, because you're running a worthless program, far as I'm concerned.'"
After an interesting few months--more about which later--and intermittent posts on my Twitter feed, here we are again, back to the ol' long-form writing.
Coming soon, my thoughts on the Social Innovation Fund, Donald Duck and emergency rooms. Plus a heckuva lot more.
It's good to be back.