April 27, 2010
Fresh Air: Richard Clarke on Cyber Threats
April 23, 2010
Science Friday: Caterpillars!
Long live the larvae. Below and here.
Support Science Friday.
April 22, 2010
Happy 40th Anniversary of Earth Day
Visit the Earth Day 2010 Action Center to get involved.
Read John Tierney’s seven new rules for living as the Earth Day turns middle aged (NYT).
Check out the EPA’s Earth Day page with tips, podcasts, and more.
And for a reality check, zip over to the U.S. Geological Survey for an update on the earthly happenings that humans can’t control.
(Photo courtesy of this Nordic (?) site.)
April 21, 2010
NYT on the Lack of Women in Tech Ventures
Seriously, this has to change and fast (from Sunday’s New York Times):
“CANDACE FLEMING’S résumé boasts a double major in industrial engineering and English from Stanford, an M.B.A. from Harvard, a management position at Hewlett-Packard and experience as president of a small software company.
“But when she was raising money for Crimson Hexagon, a start-up company she co-founded in 2007, she recalls one venture capitalist telling her that it didn’t matter that she didn’t have business cards, because all they would say was ‘Mom.'”
The full article illuminates the barriers that women technology entrepreneurs face in getting venture financing firms to listen to their ideas and capitalize their businesses, despite the fact that many tech products are aimed at women and that diversity ultimately benefits the bottom line. Encouragingly, there are many fantastic women and organizations out there supporting their tech sisters (find links toward the end of the piece), and working to break down the image of computer engineers as sheltered techno-geeks whose idea of fun is sitting in a dark room programming.
But as the article makes clear, there is a long way to go.
Here is the full linky: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/18/technology/18women.html?sq=women and technology&st=cse&scp=1&pagewanted=print.
Update (4/22/2010): Allyson Kapin adds to the discussion.
April 20, 2010
Another Year, Another “No” to DC Voting Rights
All hail to those who continue to fight the good fight for D.C. voting rights after this depressing news (via DCist):
“House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) has announced that he will not allow the D.C. House Voting Rights Act to come to a vote this year after all.”
It’s particularly bad news on the day that D.C.’s most revered resident and legendary civil and women’s rights activist, Dorothy Height, died at 98. Here are some of the statements on her passing. Below is audio from an NPR interview with Alexis Herman, currently secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor, on Height’s legacy.
On the other hand, rights for marijuana users advance quicker than you can say “pass the bong” (admittedly, for pot users, that could be quite awhile):
“The D.C. Council voted unanimously this afternoon in favor of a bill that legalizes medical marijuana inside the District of Columbia.”