Author Archives: Michael Froomkin

Bad News for the Republic

Posted on May 26, 2006 by Michael Froomkin

Bret Kavanaugh has been confirmed for the DC Circuit. We could do so much better.

Posted in Law: Everything Else | Comments Off on Bad News for the Republic

Avian Flu: Human to Human Transmission?

Posted on May 25, 2006 by Michael Froomkin

While we were distracted with searches of congressional offices and the Enron verdicts, back in reality, the flu virus may be doing that mutation thing. Or not.

The ever-informative W. David Stephenson blogs on homeland security et al. reports on More evidence human-to-human transmission is occurring. The picture is murky. But the news ain’t that good. WHO says, “…it is likely that for the first time H5N1 has spread from human to human to human — three generations of cases, possibly four. This does not mean that a pandemic strain has started but it is another warning signal.”

Posted in Science/Medicine | Comments Off on Avian Flu: Human to Human Transmission?

How the Iraqi Dinar is Managed

Posted on May 25, 2006 by Michael Froomkin

Via Juan Cole, some interesting information about the management of the Iraqi dinar. Used to be you could get information like this in the Economist and sometimes even the New York Times.

If it has been in either, I sure missed it. But then again, I don’t read them as carefully as I used to — so much of the information was on blogs like Prof. Cole’s long before it made it into print…

Posted in Econ & Money | Comments Off on How the Iraqi Dinar is Managed

What if Microsoft Had Designed the iPod Box?

Posted on May 24, 2006 by Michael Froomkin

I never thought before about why those boxes are as icky as they are. This video explains it.

The most amazing thing about this video, though, is who made it: according to the Wall Street Journal, “it was produced by designers at Microsoft, in a spirit of self-criticism. It’s as if they know the sort of great design they ought to be doing, but are too smothered by a corporate culture to deliver it.”

If they know better, does that make them any more likable?

Posted in Completely Different | 4 Comments

Brian Eno Watch

Posted on May 24, 2006 by Michael Froomkin

The Guardian, ‘Working with someone is like dating’ describes a Brian Eno collaboration with … Paul Simon? Surprise indeed.

Then they drop the bombshell that Eno recently reunited (in the studio) with Roxy Music for a new album. (But they won’t tour together.) Be still my ’80s heart…

Posted in Kultcha | 6 Comments

UM Library Performance Art

Posted on May 23, 2006 by Michael Froomkin

Super-librarian Sue Ann Campbell reports on a bit of library performance art:

The library where I work owns a book titled Order and Anarchy.

It is shelved on the 3rd floor on shelving right in front of the elevator.

Every day someone takes the book out of its assigned slot and gently lays it along side the books, lying it on its side.

Every day that I see it, I take the book and replace it in it’s proper slot.

Order and Anarchy. Seems about right.

[Update: I believe the book must be Anarchy & order : the interplay of politics and law in international relations, by James C. Hsiung, call no. JX1391 .H78 1997, if you should wish to take in the performance yourself. But I suppose it could be Ordering anarchy : international law in international society, by Rein Müllerson, KZ3405.M85 A36 2000. According to Baron, both are shelved on the third floor, and as of this writing both are on the shelf.]

Posted in U.Miami | 1 Comment