Eideard

I get to speak online to thousands of folks in the world of Tech every month. People concerned about every aspect of their lives – not just the geek-qualities we enjoy, joke about, investigate, debate and dissect. Like any thoughtful human beings, we’re concerned about the whole world around us.

One of the reasons I maintain this blog of mine – separate from my “tasks” as Senior Contributing Editor at Dvorak Uncensored – is so that I have a place to address issues that are local to my life. Voting in the Democrat Primary, tomorrow, 3rd June – is one of those important neighborhood tasks.

Friends and family know me as a cranky, progressive Independent. But, since we haven’t an open primary in New Mexico, the best opportunity I’m allowed to choose who we all get to vote for is in the Democrat Primary. So, every couple of years I get myself to the appropriate location online and register as a Democrat. As usual, I’ll be “unregistering” and returning to Independent status right after the primary. But, first – I’d like to endorse Don Wiviott for Congress.

My feelings about machine candidates and folks who are supposed to have hereditary rights to office are well-known. Whether they’re Kennedys, Bushes or Lujans.

My feelings about Don Wiviott derive from day-to-day experience, here in Santa Fe County, going back more than a decade – working in the construction trades.

Don is honest, progressive, intelligent and thoughtful about everything he approaches, every task he assumes, every responsibility he takes aboard. I first meet him when he was building “The Lofts” in town – and he impressed me greatly with his understanding of the differences and similarities of what could be developed here along the European model of living and working from a single location.

So, get out and vote, tomorrow. Vote for yourself and future generations. Vote to end our nation’s crimes abroad – and backwardness at home. Vote for Don Wiviott.

Adobe has made a move into online document sharing with the launch of the Acrobat.com community site. It allows people to create, store and share documents online, and hold web conferences to discuss changes.

Those using the service get access to the Buzzword word processor that lets them create basic text documents. Document creators can store their files on the site and invite others to collaborate, read or comment.

It also allows the creation of web conferences so co-authors can collaborate on and discuss a document in real time.

Online communities are so darling. I think I’ll start one for geeks who prefer lemon-scented canned air.

No huffers, please.

The United States is operating “floating prisons” to house those arrested in its war on terror, according to human rights lawyers, who claim there has been an attempt to conceal the numbers and whereabouts of detainees.

Details of ships where detainees have been held and sites allegedly being used in countries across the world have been compiled as the debate over detention without trial intensifies on both sides of the Atlantic. The US government was yesterday urged to list the names and whereabouts of all those detained.

Information about the operation of prison ships has emerged through a number of sources, including statements from the US military, the Council of Europe and related parliamentary bodies, and the testimonies of prisoners.

I suppose my essential cynicism should have inured me, by now, to conservatives who have become collaborators, independents who gobble about liberty while cooperating – and a loyal opposition with barely enough backbone to stand erect and sing the national anthem.

My confidence in politicians ain’t any hardier than in my fellow Americans.

Still, I hope there will be sufficient change in who governs this benighted land – this autumn – to result in those in charge of criminal acts being indicted and tried.

Nintendo has been plagued with hardware supply problems since the launch of the Wii console in December 2006. The issues continued throughout 2007, with the company unable to meet demand for its latest console in both the US and UK.

It would seem that a similar problem is now arising with Wii software. Last week, Wii Fit dropped out of the UK charts as gamers couldn’t get hold of the title. Nintendo commented that there were “pockets of stock shortages” across the country, although it was continuing to supply stores with the game.

Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter told the LA Times that according to his estimates, 2 million copies of the game have been shipped to Europe, but only 500,000 have made it to North America. He believes this is because Nintendo is strategically directing its stock to Europe to benefit from the strong euro.

Pachter said, “The shortage demonstrates one consequence of the weak dollar. We’re seeing companies ignore their largest market simply because they can make a greater profit elsewhere. They know that Americans will be just as fat a few months from now.”

Tee hee.

Fontainebleau, the currently-under-construction resort between Sahara and The Riviera has launched a new version of their website which has a bunch of groovy information buried within a video and brochure.

The site features a QuickTime video outlining a number of the properties offerings including history of the Miami Fontainebleau hotel and flythroughs of computer generated models of the interior of the casino and other public areas.

Fontainebleau has partnered with Apple to put an iMacs in every room… Fontainebleau guests experience a new sensory landscape through an innovative relationship with Apple. The program includes intuitive and simple options for booking and pre-planning stays online and interactive programming throughout the resort. An iMac in every guest room inspires guests to share memories and encourages personal expression.

3,889 rooms, suites, penthouses…with an iMac in each one. Tee hee.