Author Archives: Michael Froomkin

My Brother’s Really Brilliant Plamegate Idea

Posted on July 15, 2005 by Michael Froomkin

I break my vacation silence (soon to be enforced by a lack of web access when I decamp to a different hotel, in Chania) to cheer my brother's brilliant idea on how reporters could advance the ball in the Plamegate inquiry, offered in his web column, Getting Worried at the White House:

But here's what that makes me think: if reporters want to help get New York Times reporter Judith Miller out of jail, let's contact every conceivable person who might have been her source, and ask them (or their lawyers): if for some reason Judy Miller were in jail thinking that she's protecting you, would that be a mistake? Would you tell that to her lawyer?

Let's start with Rove, Cheney Chief of Staff I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, deputy national security adviser Elliot Abrams, Cheney national security adviser John Hannah, counselor Dan Bartlett, press secretary Scott McClellan, former press secretary Ari Fleischer — and every other person's name who has ever even remotely been attached to this story in the past.

What have we got to lose? Is anyone with me, or shall I get going myself.

I think Dan is going to be quite busy…

Posted in Dan Froomkin, Politics: The Party of Sleaze | 3 Comments

Internet Balkanization

Posted on July 12, 2005 by Michael Froomkin

While I am in Crete attending a fascinating seminar, and Jon is doing such a wonderful job of blogging here, ICANN is having what promises to be a more-substantive-than-usual meeting in Luxembourg. At the heart of the debate are critical issues of DNS policy. (For the latest word on the politics of it all, see Kieren McCarthy’s ICANN Blog and his US Govt Interference Is a Big Deal, Says Europe.) One line you can expect to hear often is that it’s important to keep the Internet from being Balkanized.

The trouble is, the Internet is already being Balkanized. One the one had you have the Great Firewall of China and other national censorship efforts. And then there’s the roadblock I encountered today: Google. If you try to reach google.com from here, you are redirected to google.gr and all the prompts are in Greek. Go to google.us and you are redirected to google.gr. Run your search in English and you will get English language results (but the prompts are all in Greek). Amend the URL for that search, which used google.gr to one with google.com….and it’s still too smart and redirects to google.gr.

Are we Balkanized already?

Posted in Internet | 7 Comments

Say Hello to Guest Blogger Jon Weinberg

Posted on July 6, 2005 by Michael Froomkin

Another thing I've done to prepare for my trip is to line up a superb guest blogger. I'm only going to have limited Internet at best while abroad, so Jonathan Weinberg will be minding the store. Jon and I have several things in common. Among them are some intellectual sympathies: we're both part of the tiny number of Administrative Law teachers who write about ICANN and the Internet. (They're not that many of us around, which may explain why ICANN is run so badly.) We are co-editors at ICANNWatch. And — although this is now a larger group than it used to be — we're both part of law-professor faculty couples.

In addition to being one of the nicest people in law teaching, Jon knows a whole lot more about the FCC than I do. He's an expert on RFID. And he's clerked for two people who sat on the Supreme Court. Jon writes interesting and very readable articles, the most recent of which are listed after his official bio.

Jon will start Thursday (or earlier if he likes). I'm sure readers will enjoy his company as much as I do.

Posted in Discourse.net | Comments Off on Say Hello to Guest Blogger Jon Weinberg

Democrats Discover the Sleaze Issue

Posted on July 5, 2005 by Michael Froomkin

This one is going to be a winner: Democrats to Use Newspaper Ads to Accuse 6 Republican Congressmen on Ethics Issues.

I've been going on about this for a while.

Posted in Politics: The Party of Sleaze | Comments Off on Democrats Discover the Sleaze Issue

Phrasebook Greek

Posted on July 5, 2005 by Michael Froomkin

One of the things I've done to prepare for my trip to Greece is dig out the Greek phrasebook I've been storing since my previous trip, almost 20 years ago.

I'd forgotten quite how horrible and useless the Institute for Language Study's “Vest Pocket Modern Greek” was.

Here are real, honest to goodness, phrases that they provide. While reading these, keep in mind that there are only about ten phrases per page, and the phrase section of the book runs under seventy pages. And they still decided to include these.

  • What a fool!
  • Alice is less diligent than Barbara.
  • The girl with the big brown eyes was elected the queen of the ball.
  • My brother-in-law has a new truck.
  • I have never gone bankrupt.
  • Just continue your work. Don't look at the camera.
  • I appreciate truth.
  • What is faith? It is life's foundation.

You have to wonder what sort of traveler they had in mind. Apparently, one who needs to say, “The beautiful Greek girl didn't come to see us.”

Posted in Personal | 7 Comments

The Symi Symposium

Posted on July 5, 2005 by Michael Froomkin

Thursday the family leaves for Greece. By Sunday we will be in Crete, where I will have the good fortune to be part of the eighth annual Symi Symposium run by the Andreas Papandreou Foundation, a philanthropy headed by PASOK President George Papandreou. The Symposium is being held at a nice location near Rethymnon.

Here's the official description of what promises to be both interesting and idyllic:

The principle theme of this year’s Symposium is New Challenges to Democracy in the 21st Century. Participants will explore issues such as the democratic deficit in western countries; the role of technology in helping (or hindering) democracy; globalisation and its challenges to democratic institutions; views on democracy outside the West; the impact of terrorism on democracy; and how the relationship between religion and politics is being redefined.

The Symi Symposium, currently in its eighth year, is organised by the Andreas G. Papandreou Foundation. Its purpose is to bring together progressive politicians, academics, activists and intellectuals to exchange views on issues of importance to the global social democratic agenda.

The Symi Symposium is void of the constraints and formalities of typical conferences. Convened every year at a different seaside resort, it nurtures spirited debate in a discreet setting. Participants come from all over the world, and their varied backgrounds animate formal and informal discussions. In years past, the Symi Symposium has fostered ideas that have taken shape in the form of significant progressive political and public service initiatives.

I find that I learn the most at events where there is a substantial chance for informal interaction (the fewer speakers at meals, the better!). The program here — several days with a half day of scheduled events, then a half day of informal time — shows that the organizers understand this.

And, yes, I do know how lucky I am!

Posted in Talks & Conferences | Comments Off on The Symi Symposium