Larry Lessig's Not Shifting On Net Neutrality, But Jaunt To Harvard Is Bothersome

Back when I had more time on my hands I was a daily consumer of the blog of law professor Larry Lessig. Lessig's known for his path-breaking takes, ideas, and legal research and expert testimony on something called "net neutrality" and the development of the Creative Commons. But since he was at Stanford, I always saw him as a part of the San Francisco Bay Area's unique culture.

See, unlike other parts of America, "town" and "gown" in the Bay Area mix well. There are so many smart, almost smart, and people who think they're smart, and some mix of the three (those who venture into areas not of their expertise), that it keeps the mind active and constantly challenged. There's no other place in America like this region. It's for that reason I can't imagine why Larry would take off for Harvard.

Now, in his blog he mentions a scholarly shift from "culture" to what I would simply call "power" or what elected officials and institutions do that's "subverted" by money. At a time when our very way of life is still being rocked by technological change and specifically the Internet, I can't at all see the value of such a shift. Especially by someone in Lessig who's helped shape how we protect creatives in a time when the law seems to want to stifle us.

I've always associated Harvard with money, not intellect. Berkeley, and to a bit of a lesser degree, Stanford, I associate with intellect. When I read Larry's blog, my first thought was "Harvard bought him off." So it's interesting that Professor Lessig would leave for the moneyed institution to study about, well, how money's corrupting areas of public trust.

In any case, I wish him well, but I also wish he'd reconsider his decision.

President-elect Obama Announces Stephen Chu, Carol Browner, and Lisa Jackson

President-Elect Barack Obama continues to introduce members of his cabinet, today officially bring in Dr. Stephen Chu, Lisa Jackson, and Carol Browner. Dr. Chu is a legend in the halls of Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory and known for his leadership and knoweldge. Ms. Jackson is a policy-driven public official who reportedly improved the formerly politicized New Jersey EPA Department. And Carol Browner is a well-known environmental public official having served as the head of the EPA under both Clinton Administrations, the longest serving head of the EPA in history. Nancy Sutley, Los Angeles's deputy mayor for energy and environment, will chair Obama's White House's Council on Environmental Quality.

If you're keeping score, Obama has introduced three women and one man today. I also have to add that I think Obama's appointing more Asians and women to top posts that ever before, but they're also trail-blazers in their fields.

Think Progress » Who Is Steven Chu? A Nobel Physicist Who Believes In Bold Energy Transformation

Think Progress » Who Is Steven Chu? A Nobel Physicist Who Believes In Bold Energy Transformation: “Numerous media outlets are reporting Dr. Steven Chu will be President-elect Obama’s choice to head the Department of Energy. Chu, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, is the director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California where he has been addressing the climate crisis by pushing breakthrough research in energy efficiency, solar energy, and biofuels technology.

Colleagues who know Chu best say “he’s not a manager, he’s a leader.” In an interview with the Wonk Room, David Roland-Holst, an economist at the Center for Energy, Resources and Economic Sustainability at UC Berkeley, described Chu as a “very distinguished researcher” and “an extremely effective manager of cutting edge technology initiatives.””

Obama Suppoters Talk About Obama, McCain, Palin - VIDEO

This video was created at a rally for Barack Obama in Berkeley Thursday that drew 1,000 people. I asked Obama supporters why they backed Obama and what they thought about the GOP VP Candidate Sarah Palin.

Gavin Newsom - SF Mayor On GOP, Sarah Palin, John McCain

http://zennie2005.blogspot.com -- This presents SF Mayor Gavin Newsom at a rally for Barack Obama in Berkeley on September 4th, 2008, and an interview given just after his speech before the crowd.

Emily Silver Wins The Silver in The 2008 Beijing Olympics!

We hear alot about Michael Phelps and Natalie Coughlin, especially in the San Francisco Bay Area, where Natalie's a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley -- Cal!

But we don't hear alot about heroes like Emily Silver, Natalie's teammate , fellow Cal-grad, and friend. Emily planned and trained to race in the 100 free, 100 fly, 200 free, and 50 free, but because she broke two fingers, Emily qualified for the 4 by 100 relay, where she played a major role in the United States taking the silver medal in that category.

Congratulations Emily and GO BEARS!

Cal Tree Sitters - Save The Oaks v. UC and The UC Police - Video Documentary

For me, covering what turned out to be this three-part video documentary started with a call from a friend and fellow Cal Alum who said that I should get "down there" with my camera because there was no video on what was happening. So, fresh from a meeting, and with two hours to spare, I went over to the Grove in front of Cal Memorial Stadium, the site of the clash between the Cal Tree Sitters and the UC Administration and Police.

The overall story is that we -- Cal -- needs an upgraded stadium facility and the plans for this have been in the works for almost ten years. With the success of Cal Coach Jeff Tedford, it became easier to raise money toward this objective. As part of the effort , the University of California was able to secure $500 million from British Petroleum, most of which would go to the creation of a new research institute, and the rest toward what will be an athletic facility upgrade -- a new training center where the Grove is.

This has caused a round of protests led by a group called "Save The Oaks" and Running Wolf, who ran for Mayor of Berkeley and a man who calls himself "Air."

This video -- which I will elaborate on soon -- is of three days: Tuesday June 17th, Wednesday June 18th, and Thursday June 19th. On Wednesday, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Barbara Miller issued a rulling that did not halt construction but did place a rejection on the University's current approach using the Grove. The Grove is near a faultline and the plan was just that the University could not build given its current approach. The Tree Sitters saw this as a victory.

On Thursday, the third video shows horror. Protesters stopping traffic and preventing parents from getting home to their kids and families. And one woman a mother with her kid and reportedly a California Deputy Attorney General, was arrested for nothing other than just standing trying to get the police to clear traffic so she could get her kid from soccer practice.

In this, both protester and police are to blame for a terrible set of events. You be the judge. I think Cal could have avoided this with better planning.

More later.

Angry Man In A Box In San Francisco

This is a slice of a few seconds of life. I was walking along toward the Web 2.0 Expo conference earlier this year, when this voice from the box was basically scaring people. So I got my camcorder and went back to film him in action

CNN's Anti-Barack Obama Stance - Fear Of A Black President

CNN's so afraid of a Black president they've given to actually either hiding the truth or just plain giving their negative impressions.

Let's take CNN's Jacki Schechner's take on the YouTube Barack Obama page, where she issues critical comments which really are not her telling the news but giviing an opinion. It's the first time I've seen her do this, rather than just be a journalist and keep her ideas to herself.

But CNN's people are so afraid of Barack Obama's success, they'll do anything. I mean whatever it takes to misrepresent his position and popularity. I watched the Situation Room yesterday and CNN's Wolf Blizer took time to not tell us that Senator Obama was tied with Senator Clinton, but that an averaging of past polls shows Clinton ahead.

What!

Anything to avoid reporting Barack's success.

This is a total crime. We've got to take steps to make CNN behave fairly. It's obvious they're not going to play fair, so we've got to make them do it!

Let's roll!