taos

Congress to like Google's censor-handling proposal?

Tech companies are trooping to Congress today to testify before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law.

Fairly or not, politicians have held the tech industry's feet to the fire over sundry issues touching on human rights in the age of the Internet. It's been an unsatisfying debate marked by lots of finger-pointing but little in the way of results.

In her prepared remarks, Google Deputy General Counsel Nicole Wong offers a few concrete suggestions that I think make sense. Here's a summary:

Include censorship in trade negotiations. We believe that government-sponsored censorship is … Read more

Yahoo and MSN briefly help find Tibetan dissidents

Yahoo China and MSN China both briefly posted a "most wanted" list with photos of people Chinese authorities are trying to track down surrounding the recent events in Tibet, a French TV website reports.

Rebecca MacKinnon reports that the lists were down when she checked, and offers a guess as to what happened:

I wouldn't be surprised if the local editors just automatically ran it because everybody else in China was running it, then got over-ridden by management in the U.S. who realized how badly this would play outside of China... Such is the disconnect between … Read more

While Shi Tao rots

Tom Lantos' very public upbraiding of Jerry Yang and his legal consigliere was every bit the Washington kabuki stage show I expected.

The California Democrat was at his overdramatic best, raining torrents of verbal brimstone on the chastened heads of the Internet execs testifying before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Tuesday morning.

Going into today's hearing, Yang and Yahoo's General Counsel Michael Callahan had to know that they would be forced to dodge one salvo after the other. The last time Callahan was in front of Lantos, he assured the committee that Yahoo did not knowingly collaborate … Read more

At 3,000 miles, Road Trip 2007 is in the home stretch

CHAMA, N.M.--We all like milestones and round numbers. That's why, during all the driving I've been doing on Road Trip 2007, I've made a point of pulling over and documenting the most important ones.

When I hit 1,000 miles, I couldn't stop. It was late at night, and it was dark, and I couldn't see a place to pull off. But I was within a few miles of Arizona's Meteor Crater. And I thought that was cool, especially since last year, on Road Trip 2006, when I hit 2,000 miles, … Read more

Hot springs make any day better

ARROYO HONDO, N.M.--There are few things in life I enjoy more than soaking in a natural hot spring.

That's why, despite my being late getting started with my day and having hundreds of miles to drive to get to my next stop on Road Trip 2007, I couldn't resist stopping in at Black Rock hot springs near this tiny town.

These are two stone pools on the edge of the Rio Grande, and with amazing views of the Rio Grande Gorge. During my visit, in early August, the pool farther from the water was a perfect … Read more

Could earthships be the future of housing?

TAOS, N.M.--I really want one of these.

These are earthships, a form of entirely off-the-grid, fully sustainable houses that are made from natural and recycled materials, and which can provide a family with a steady, comfortable interior temperature regardless of how hot or cold it is outside.

I've come to visit the Earthship Biotecture world headquarters near Taos, and have come ready to be impressed. I'm as into green technology and architecture as the next guy, and what I'd read had me expecting an introduction to a form of housing that is self-sufficient, affordable and … Read more