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Where Jill Will Talk Like She Writes
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The White House Project
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Dec
31
From My Way news: To keep costs and power demands low, XO uses a slim version of the Linux operating system, a 366-megahertz processor from Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) and no hard disk drive. Instead it has 512 megabytes of flash memory, plus USB 2.0 ports where more storage could be attached. But the main design motive was the project’s goal of stimulating education better than previous computer endeavors have. Nicholas Negroponte, who launched the project at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Lab two years ago before spinning One Laptop into a separate nonprofit, said he deliberately wanted to avoid giving children computers they might someday use in an office. “In fact, one of the saddest but most common conditions in elementary school computer labs (when they exist in the developing world), is the children are being trained to use Word, Excel and PowerPoint,” Negroponte wrote in an e-mail interview. “I consider that criminal, because children should be making things, communicating, exploring, sharing, not running office automation tools.” To that end, folders are not the organizing metaphor on these machines, unlike most computers since Apple Computer Inc. (AAPL) launched the first Mac in 1984. The knock on folders is that they force users to remember where they stored their information rather than what they used it for. Instead, the XO machines are organized around a “journal,” an automatically generated log of everything the user has done on the laptop. Students can review their journals to see their work and retrieve files created or altered in those sessions. … By July or so, several million are expected to reach Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Nigeria, Libya, Pakistan, Thailand and the Palestinian territory. Negroponte said three more African countries might sign on in the next two weeks. The Inter-American Development Bank is trying to get the laptops to multiple Central American countries. The machines are being made by Quanta Computer Inc., and countries will get versions specific to their own languages. Governments or donors will buy the laptops for children to own, along with associated server equipment for their schools. The project itself has gotten at least $29 million in funding from companies including Google Inc. (GOOG), News Corp. (NWS) and Red Hat.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:22 pm December 31st, 2006 in Politics | Please comment
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Dec
31
From My Way news: To keep costs and power demands low, XO uses a slim version of the Linux operating system, a 366-megahertz processor from Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) and no hard disk drive. Instead it has 512 megabytes of flash memory, plus USB 2.0 ports where more storage could be attached. But the main design motive was the project’s goal of stimulating education better than previous computer endeavors have. Nicholas Negroponte, who launched the project at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Lab two years ago before spinning One Laptop into a separate nonprofit, said he deliberately wanted to avoid giving children computers they might someday use in an office. “In fact, one of the saddest but most common conditions in elementary school computer labs (when they exist in the developing world), is the children are being trained to use Word, Excel and PowerPoint,” Negroponte wrote in an e-mail interview. “I consider that criminal, because children should be making things, communicating, exploring, sharing, not running office automation tools.” To that end, folders are not the organizing metaphor on these machines, unlike most computers since Apple Computer Inc. (AAPL) launched the first Mac in 1984. The knock on folders is that they force users to remember where they stored their information rather than what they used it for. Instead, the XO machines are organized around a “journal,” an automatically generated log of everything the user has done on the laptop. Students can review their journals to see their work and retrieve files created or altered in those sessions. … By July or so, several million are expected to reach Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Nigeria, Libya, Pakistan, Thailand and the Palestinian territory. Negroponte said three more African countries might sign on in the next two weeks. The Inter-American Development Bank is trying to get the laptops to multiple Central American countries. The machines are being made by Quanta Computer Inc., and countries will get versions specific to their own languages. Governments or donors will buy the laptops for children to own, along with associated server equipment for their schools. The project itself has gotten at least $29 million in funding from companies including Google Inc. (GOOG), News Corp. (NWS) and Red Hat.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 5:22 pm December 31st, 2006 in Politics | Please comment
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Dec
31
Earlier on Sunday, the Palestinian sources said that under the deal proposed by Israel Hamas will transfer to Israel a videotape showing Gilad Shalit alive, and in return Israel will released a small number of prisoners in its jails.
Afterwards, in the second stage, Shalit will be handed over to the Egyptians, and then will be transferred to Israel. At the same time, 450 Palestinian prisoners will be released by Israel.
Hamas will present Egypt with a list of all the prisoners whose released it will seek and ask for Israel’s authorization. Two months later, Israel will free another group of prisoners, the size of which and those included will be decided in Jerusalem.
Read the entire story for the details and to decide whether you think it will happen.
Hattip to Today’s Catch on Israel Forum.com’s JBlog Central.
Lots of others covering it now too.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 4:02 pm December 31st, 2006 in Politics | 2 Comments
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Dec
31
Yes, you’ll be identifying yourself as someone who knows what that acronym means if you click on the title of this post in someone’s sidebar (but then again, I just have by using it). But don’t feel guilty. This front page piece in the current Harvard Business Review agrees: the more women, the merrier the men.
A clear shift occurs when boards have three or more women. At that critical mass, our research shows, women tend to be regarded by other board members not as “female directors” but simply as directors, and they don’t report being isolated or ignored. Three women or more can also change the dynamic on an average-size board. As one woman director said, “The competition to get your voice heard is over. It’s a supportive dynamic—less combative, more collaborative. You can see the guys decompress from their normal very aggressive style.”
This culture change improves the board’s overall performance. One male CEO observed that as more women were added to the board, the original female directors became more active: “They were more vocal, more willing to push their issues, more relaxed.” A woman CEO in our study noted a “total and positive change” with the addition of more women; she said that men on the board acknowledged “how terrific the discussions and richness of outcomes have been” and that with women’s voices, “there is a higher level of understanding of the business.” Echoing that perception, one corporate secretary noted that having three or more women on a board makes the dynamic “much more conversational and less hierarchical and, as a result, all the directors get better information.”
Personally, I love the idea of more women.
The HBR piece is a summary based on the Critical Mass Project conducted by the authors through the Wellesley Centers for Women.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 3:19 pm December 31st, 2006 in Politics | Please comment
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Dec
31
From My Way news: To keep costs and power demands low, XO uses a slim version of the Linux operating system, a 366-megahertz processor from Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) and no hard disk drive. Instead it has 512 megabytes of flash memory, plus USB 2.0 ports where more storage could be attached. But the main design motive was the project’s goal of stimulating education better than previous computer endeavors have. Nicholas Negroponte, who launched the project at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Lab two years ago before spinning One Laptop into a separate nonprofit, said he deliberately wanted to avoid giving children computers they might someday use in an office. “In fact, one of the saddest but most common conditions in elementary school computer labs (when they exist in the developing world), is the children are being trained to use Word, Excel and PowerPoint,” Negroponte wrote in an e-mail interview. “I consider that criminal, because children should be making things, communicating, exploring, sharing, not running office automation tools.” To that end, folders are not the organizing metaphor on these machines, unlike most computers since Apple Computer Inc. (AAPL) launched the first Mac in 1984. The knock on folders is that they force users to remember where they stored their information rather than what they used it for. Instead, the XO machines are organized around a “journal,” an automatically generated log of everything the user has done on the laptop. Students can review their journals to see their work and retrieve files created or altered in those sessions. … By July or so, several million are expected to reach Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Nigeria, Libya, Pakistan, Thailand and the Palestinian territory. Negroponte said three more African countries might sign on in the next two weeks. The Inter-American Development Bank is trying to get the laptops to multiple Central American countries. The machines are being made by Quanta Computer Inc., and countries will get versions specific to their own languages. Governments or donors will buy the laptops for children to own, along with associated server equipment for their schools. The project itself has gotten at least $29 million in funding from companies including Google Inc. (GOOG), News Corp. (NWS) and Red Hat.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 2:22 pm December 31st, 2006 in Politics | Please comment
Print This Post
Dec
31
Earlier on Sunday, the Palestinian sources said that under the deal proposed by Israel Hamas will transfer to Israel a videotape showing Gilad Shalit alive, and in return Israel will released a small number of prisoners in its jails.
Afterwards, in the second stage, Shalit will be handed over to the Egyptians, and then will be transferred to Israel. At the same time, 450 Palestinian prisoners will be released by Israel.
Hamas will present Egypt with a list of all the prisoners whose released it will seek and ask for Israel’s authorization. Two months later, Israel will free another group of prisoners, the size of which and those included will be decided in Jerusalem.
Read the entire story for the details and to decide whether you think it will happen.
Hattip to Today’s Catch on Israel Forum.com’s JBlog Central.
Lots of others covering it now too.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 12:02 pm December 31st, 2006 in Politics | 2 Comments
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Dec
31
Yes, you’ll be identifying yourself as someone who knows what that acronym means if you click on the title of this post in someone’s sidebar (but then again, I just have by using it). But don’t feel guilty. This front page piece in the current Harvard Business Review agrees: the more women, the merrier the men.
A clear shift occurs when boards have three or more women. At that critical mass, our research shows, women tend to be regarded by other board members not as “female directors” but simply as directors, and they don’t report being isolated or ignored. Three women or more can also change the dynamic on an average-size board. As one woman director said, “The competition to get your voice heard is over. It’s a supportive dynamic—less combative, more collaborative. You can see the guys decompress from their normal very aggressive style.”
This culture change improves the board’s overall performance. One male CEO observed that as more women were added to the board, the original female directors became more active: “They were more vocal, more willing to push their issues, more relaxed.” A woman CEO in our study noted a “total and positive change” with the addition of more women; she said that men on the board acknowledged “how terrific the discussions and richness of outcomes have been” and that with women’s voices, “there is a higher level of understanding of the business.” Echoing that perception, one corporate secretary noted that having three or more women on a board makes the dynamic “much more conversational and less hierarchical and, as a result, all the directors get better information.”
Personally, I love the idea of more women.
The HBR piece is a summary based on the Critical Mass Project conducted by the authors through the Wellesley Centers for Women.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 11:19 am December 31st, 2006 in Politics | Please comment
Print This Post
Dec
31
Earlier on Sunday, the Palestinian sources said that under the deal proposed by Israel Hamas will transfer to Israel a videotape showing Gilad Shalit alive, and in return Israel will released a small number of prisoners in its jails.
Afterwards, in the second stage, Shalit will be handed over to the Egyptians, and then will be transferred to Israel. At the same time, 450 Palestinian prisoners will be released by Israel.
Hamas will present Egypt with a list of all the prisoners whose released it will seek and ask for Israel’s authorization. Two months later, Israel will free another group of prisoners, the size of which and those included will be decided in Jerusalem.
Read the entire story for the details and to decide whether you think it will happen.
Hattip to Today’s Catch on Israel Forum.com’s JBlog Central.
Lots of others covering it now too.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:02 am December 31st, 2006 in Politics | Please comment
Print This Post
Dec
31
Yes, you’ll be identifying yourself as someone who knows what that acronym means if you click on the title of this post in someone’s sidebar (but then again, I just have by using it). But don’t feel guilty. This front page piece in the current Harvard Business Review agrees: the more women, the merrier the men.
A clear shift occurs when boards have three or more women. At that critical mass, our research shows, women tend to be regarded by other board members not as “female directors” but simply as directors, and they don’t report being isolated or ignored. Three women or more can also change the dynamic on an average-size board. As one woman director said, “The competition to get your voice heard is over. It’s a supportive dynamic—less combative, more collaborative. You can see the guys decompress from their normal very aggressive style.”
This culture change improves the board’s overall performance. One male CEO observed that as more women were added to the board, the original female directors became more active: “They were more vocal, more willing to push their issues, more relaxed.” A woman CEO in our study noted a “total and positive change” with the addition of more women; she said that men on the board acknowledged “how terrific the discussions and richness of outcomes have been” and that with women’s voices, “there is a higher level of understanding of the business.” Echoing that perception, one corporate secretary noted that having three or more women on a board makes the dynamic “much more conversational and less hierarchical and, as a result, all the directors get better information.”
Personally, I love the idea of more women.
The HBR piece is a summary based on the Critical Mass Project conducted by the authors through the Wellesley Centers for Women.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 8:19 am December 31st, 2006 in Politics | Please comment
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Dec
30
Cure breast cancer! Increase housework!
Filed Under Politics | 2 Comments
From the “you’ve got to be kidding me” pile (and the BBC):
The research on more than 200,000 women from nine European countries found doing household chores was far more cancer protective than playing sport.
Dusting, mopping and vacuuming was also better than having a physical job.
Phew - nine European countries. I can continue to ignore housework without guilt.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 6:59 pm December 30th, 2006 in Politics | 2 Comments
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Dec
30
What do Jews do, Christmas Eve, 2006
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I didn’t do any of the things described in this article, but it is a great read on what younger, unattached, Jews without dependents and living in New York City do on Christmas Eve. I’d heard of the Matzo Ball, the magazine Heeb, J-Dub (which records The LeeVees as well as found Matisyahu) and JDate. But all of those cultural milestone markers are really after my time. Sob.
Maybe the Corey er, um, Rubin Brothers know whether Cleveland has any of the incarnations described in the article. And if Cleveland doesn’t, well, maybe building a location for one could be the next Ratner/Miller Forest City plan.
Ooo - I know! A casino night on Christmas Eve at some FCE venue! I can just imagine my “what do Jews do, Christmas Eve, 2007″!
What did I actually do on Christmas Eve? I was at Great Wolf Lodge with my family watching the animatronic Native American girl and animals sing songs and fake snow blow all over the lobby, a lobby filled with a lot of Jews, Muslims and a smattering of everyone else. I couldn’t believe how many Jews we bumped into there. Must be the new Chinese restaurant.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 5:34 pm December 30th, 2006 in Politics | Please comment
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Dec
30
Outstanding. Mehrnoush Najafi’s blog is here though not in English. A report on her election can be read here, in the English version of Rooz.
Ali Eteraz urges people to publicize this kind of news because, he writes, “…this is the kind of stuff that will prevent war.”
P.S. She’s also a lawyer, and known as a womens activist.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 4:49 pm December 30th, 2006 in Politics | Please comment
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Dec
30
Top Five Blog Posts by Comments, 2006
Filed Under Politics | 2 Comments
5. Scripture Supports Lying and Maligning for Political Gain (22) (Ken Blackwell)
4.