July 2009 - skunkworks - Skunkworks Site

Business Unusual at ICANN !!
by Gakuru Alex 14 Jul '09

14 Jul '09

Any body who needs the attachments please ask. List does not permit me to. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Gakuru Alex <alexgakuru.lists(a)gmail.com> Date: Tue, Jul 14, 2009 at 8:43 PM Subject: Business Unusual at ICANN !! To: ke-users <ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net>, kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke [Excuse this long message. The issue is very important and I wanted to give as much relevant background information as possible. Alex] Four issues covered on this message: - 1. Disclosure within ICANN: 2. Commercial Stakeholders are going to allow any of the existing members of the IPR, ISP, and Commercial Constituencies VETO any board vote creating a new commercial constituency in the CSG. 3. Proved: ICANN ignored own bottom-up Policy Development Process ( or PDP) 4. Subject: ICANN and Free Speech Thank you for reading and your action is needed Alex Gakuru ICT Consumers Association of Kenya Non-Commercial Users Constituency - Kenya -------- 1. Disclosure within ICANN: [Of big brand owners and 'Intellectual Property" industry oiling ICANN domain name policy making process - to the detriment of people like us, in Kenya, and Africa. Countries that do not have well established digital IP laws, "Famous Marks" registries, and poor, if any, software and IT innovations patent system. If just continue sitting back and allow ICANN be influenced by wealthy IP interests, then expect those IP interests to patent/copyright even our traditional languages such that we cannot have our cultures nor use languages over the internet. Who knows, even using vernacular language on email could become 'copyright infringement' We already know the kiondo and Kikoy examples. Alex Gakuru] ---- The US government requires lobbying efforts to be documented, figures of dollars spent per industry are broken down by sector. This is because of the right of people to know who is spending what when policy is being made. Domain name law, such as it is, is being written as we watch. A large number of people are spending a lot of money to do this. Marilyn Cade spoke and wasn't exacly forthright that she represented the intellectual property interests of AT&T or that AT&T was the #1 "heavy hitter" for lobbying the government, something Marilyn has done since 1996. And it's no coincidence the Department of Commerce that oversees ICANN is the fourth most lobbied agency in the US government. The amount the trademark lobby spend on preventing new TLDs since 1996 is staggering IBM admitted to spending $30M/yr in 1998 and 1999 but we have no other figures. There is not now, full disclosure of lobbying efforts on behalf of the trademark lobby Or known how much big business spending this year to lobby against the creation of new top level domains. Question part 1: Is full disclosure of lobbying not consistent with ICANN's "open and transparent" US Government mandate? Question part 2: Would anybody care to estimate what they think this figure might be this year lobbying ICANN and what has WIPO spent doing this since the 1995 OECD meeting where they first publically ventured into this issue? Can these figures be published sometime before the end of this quarter for both WIPO and the business community as a intrest group in this consultation under this current monopoly procedure that could create thousands of jobs? For more information, see http://docs.vrx.net/dns/timeline/20/09/nyc_irt/ 2. Commercial Stakeholders Group are going to allow any of the existing members of the IPR, ISP, and Commercial Constituencies VETO any board vote creating a new commercial constituency in the CSG. We (noncommercial users) have really been asleep at the wheel over the last year while the ICANN Board of Directors had their heads filled with mis-representations about NCUC by relentless back-door lobbying. They get it from the commercial/IPR crowd and they get it from staff, neither of whom want to see noncommercial users effective in policy development. The fact that we haven't engaged in backdoor lobbying the way our critics do is coming back to haunt us by ICANN trying to take away our newly won 3 elected council seats for noncommercial users and staff imposing its "stranglehold" charter while ignoring all of work we did to develop one that was supported by global civil society (63 organizations + dozens of individuals in public comments). In particular, under the SIC approved charter<http://gnso.icann.org/en/improvements/csg-proposed-petition-charter-22jun09…>for the CSG, they are going to allow any of the existing members of the IPR, ISP, and Commercial Constituencies VETO any board vote creating a new commercial constituency in the CSG. Amazing! The press should be having a field day with this level of incompetence and favoritism. "4.2 Membership shall also be open to any additional constituency recognised by ICANN’s Board under its by-laws, provided that such constituency, as determined by the unanimous consent of the signatories to this charter, is representative of commercial user interests which for the purposes of definition are distinct from and exclude registry and prospective registry, registrar, re-seller or other domain name supplier interests." We must push-back against ICANN injustice to get them to listen to noncommercial users and to stop developing policy through backdoor negotiations while ignoring the expressed will of the public and a bottom-up process. ICANN is accepting public comments until 21 July on their imposed charter, so we have to weigh in loudly on their failure to follow bottom-up processes and allow noncommercial users to govern themselves. More info on comment period: http://www.icann.org/en/public-comment/#stakeholder --- 3. Proved: *ICANN ignored own bottom-up Policy Development Process ( or PDP) * Attached find two documents:- The first is a set of comments describing our procedural concerns about the way the IRT Committee was constituted and much fairer ways to proceed forward. The second is s set of detailed comments with our deep substantive concerns re: the IRT Report, and particularly the problems of the Globally Protected Marks List, the URSP system (a displacement of the UDRP), the IP Clearinghouse and the Thick Whois. Your action needed: Send your comments to ICANN under Non-Commercial Users Constituency (“Internet Users”) Attachments: 1. NCUC Procedural Comments on IRT Final Report.pdf 84K 2. NCUC Substantive Comments on IRT Final Report.pdf 116K ---forwarded message--- *4. Subject: **ICANN and Free Speech* For what it's worth I wrote a post on my blog about ICANN free speech issues and the importance of including non-commercial voices, aimed at people who know little or nothing about the IRT, NCUC, or how ICANN works. http://rconversation.blogs.com/rconversation/2009/07/icann-and-free-speech.… Best, Rebecca Rebecca MacKinnon Open Society Fellow | Co-founder, GlobalVoicesOnline.org Assistant Professor, Journalism & Media Studies Centre, University of Hong Kong

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Chrome against Microsoft windows..
by Watson Kambo 14 Jul '09

14 Jul '09

Now this is news .... http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Opinion%20&%20Analysis/-/539548/623494/-… -- Watson wanjohi kambo

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Re: [Skunkworks] New shocker from Safaricom
by Oj G 14 Jul '09

14 Jul '09

This question was originally posted by Zain challenge Africa...and was forwarded by a 0724xxxxxx mteja. The optimist sees the doughnut; the pessimist the hole. --- On Mon, 7/13/09, Gichingiri Kuria <gmail(a)gichingiri.com> wrote: From: Gichingiri Kuria <gmail(a)gichingiri.com> Subject: Re: [Skunkworks] New shocker from Safaricom To: "Skunkworks forum" <skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke> Date: Monday, July 13, 2009, 12:29 AM If you are calling from a Zain line, and you've been disconnected (for non payment) you get that message when you try call ANY number, even Customer Care. 2009/7/13 David Mugo <raidarmax(a)gmail.com> Kimani, Dont blame safaricom for everything, you are the people who blamed Kanu and moi for everythig that happened in life... Ever heard of call divert? It is a service that allows one to route calls to an alternative number in the occasion that either its not answered, unreachable or busy. David. On Mon, Jul 13, 2009 at 12:21 AM, J. N. Kimani<ngugikimani(a)gmail.com> wrote: > Here I am calling this Safcom number 0724xxxxxx and it rings and rings > unanswered... > > At the end of the ringing what do i hear? THE ZAIN MOBILE YOU ARE CALLING > HAS BEEN SWITCHED OFF ! > > > -- > J. N. Kimani > Fundi wa Mitambo > > _______________________________________________ > Skunkworks mailing list > Skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke > http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks > Other services @ http://my.co.ke > Other lists > ------------- > Skunkworks announce: > http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks-announce > Science - http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/science > kazi - http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/admin/kazi/general > > -- Got any life problems? visit www.dearkenya.com _______________________________________________ Skunkworks mailing list Skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks Other services @ http://my.co.ke Other lists ------------- Skunkworks announce: http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks-announce Science - http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/science kazi - http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/admin/kazi/general -- Gichingiri Kuria _________________________________________ www.gichingiri.com / www.sokoletu.co.ke / www.website.co.ke / www.buyanzi.com -----Inline Attachment Follows----- _______________________________________________ Skunkworks mailing list Skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks Other services @ http://my.co.ke Other lists ------------- Skunkworks announce: http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks-announce Science - http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/science kazi - http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/admin/kazi/general

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Deacons: Woolworths Service Gone Bad
by David Kiania | Asentric Consulting Ltd 14 Jul '09

14 Jul '09

I applaud Woolworths for their attempt to be proactive and serve customers with their needs but at least you'd expect gender is among what they store in some database. Here's a text I got "Dear Customer, the woolworths bra clinic is back (my comment: where had it gone?)! Come and get measured to find out your correct bra size. Buy 2 bras and get 2 panties free! (Haiya nifanye nini nazo?) RSVP" These people need some serious help. Kiania D. -- [Asentric Consulting Ltd] If a man has in himself the soul of a slave will he not become one no matter what his birth .... -Richest Man in Babylon

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Installing adobe illustrator and corel draw using wine.
by Job Njogu 14 Jul '09

14 Jul '09

Hi guys. I want to install the above softwares on linux using wine. Which versions work out of the box or with minimal tweaks on wine. -- Regards, Job Njogu Muriuki, Phone: +254736333075, +254202360107 Address: 42665 00100 Nrb

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Battle of the X Planes series
by aki 14 Jul '09

14 Jul '09

If you ever get a chance to see this, ( I think National Geo carried it ) then concepts of thinking out of the box help. competition between Lockheed Martin and Boeing, while the price up for grabs was a GOVERNMENT defense contract. Enjoy viewing. :-)

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interesting link: open source drug discovery
by ashok+skunkworks＠parliaments.info 14 Jul '09

14 Jul '09

I found this interesting project / concept : The Open Source drug discovery initiative <http://www.osdd.net/Home> <quote> ...it is a concept to collaboratively aggregate the biological and genetic information available to scientists in order to use it to hasten the discovery of drugs. This will provide a unique opportunity for scientists, doctors, technocrats, students and others with diverse expertise to work for a common cause. The success of Open Source models in Information Technology (For e.g., Web Technology, The Linux Operating System) and Biotechnology (For e.g., Human Genome Sequencing) sectors highlights the urgent need to initiate a similar model in healthcare, i.e., an Open Source model for Drug Discovery. .... </quote>

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Re: [Skunkworks] why's this mailling list publicly available on the internet?
by wesley kiriinya 14 Jul '09

14 Jul '09

Paranoia has kicked in. Next, mass panic! --- On Tue, 7/14/09, ashok+skunkworks(a)parliaments.info <ashok+skunkworks(a)parliaments.info> wrote: From: ashok+skunkworks(a)parliaments.info <ashok+skunkworks(a)parliaments.info> Subject: Re: [Skunkworks] why's this mailling list publicly available on the internet? To: "Skunkworks forum" <skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke> Date: Tuesday, July 14, 2009, 12:53 PM 2009/7/14 David Njuki <njukey(a)gmail.com>: > I dont like this either, all our email addresses are public. > > the list archives are public anyway : http://lists.my.co.ke/pipermail/skunkworks/ _______________________________________________ Skunkworks mailing list Skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks Other services @ http://my.co.ke Other lists ------------- Skunkworks announce: http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks-announce Science - http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/science kazi - http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/admin/kazi/general

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Re: [Skunkworks] upcoming power rationing
by wesley kiriinya 14 Jul '09

14 Jul '09

What power rationing? 8~( --- On Mon, 7/13/09, Michael Omondi <michaelomondi(a)gmail.com> wrote: From: Michael Omondi <michaelomondi(a)gmail.com> Subject: [Skunkworks] upcoming power rationing To: "'Skunkworks forum'" <skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke> Date: Monday, July 13, 2009, 11:29 PM With the upcoming power rationing, I couldn’t help but wonder why we are relying only on one source of energy for electricity. Must we wait for the white man to always lead the way… Read below how Europe wants to use the sahara desert to produce energy that will be sufficient for the whole continent (i.e Europe ) http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article5887597.ece Want to know why they choose the sahara http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photovoltaic_array#_note-0 “” In the Sahara desert, with less cloud cover and a better solar angle, one can obtain closer to 8.3 kWh/m²/day. The unpopulated area of the Sahara desert is over 9 million km², which if covered with solar panels would provide 630 terawatts total power. The Earth's current energy consumption rate is around 13.5 TW at any given moment (including oil, gas, coal, nuclear, and hydroelectric).”” -----Inline Attachment Follows----- _______________________________________________ Skunkworks mailing list Skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks Other services @ http://my.co.ke Other lists ------------- Skunkworks announce: http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks-announce Science - http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/science kazi - http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/admin/kazi/general

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Re: [Skunkworks] upcoming power rationing
by wesley kiriinya 14 Jul '09

14 Jul '09

Spot on! That's something I find disturbing. Physics is THE subject that attempts to explains how the universe works, and that leads to interesting inventions, however it seems very ignored by govmnts. However 'developed' countries U.S, Russia, etc use it. Allow me to express my passion of the subject: Without physics mathematics would just be numbers. Physics gives maths a home, a context. Biology can't exist in a physically (not the physics in physically) distorted world. Different composition of atoms, their velocities, attractive force, ... have given rise to Chemistry. And to put the icing on the cake, God's grand design is revealed through an understanding of physics. Once one sees how these simple designs fit in and balance each other to create awesome gigantic structures at atomic levels then the mind opens up to the Heavens. For example: Do u know what makes blue ray DVDs store more data than the current DVDs? You dont. Great, indulge me for a moment: Current DVD readers use red light to read data on DVDs, Red light has a longer wavelength meaning data on the storage device (DVD) needs more spacing. But blue light has a shorter wavelength so data can be compacted more. Now here comes more icing in the cake as to the simplicity of the matter. We are surrounded everyday by the fact that blue has a shorter wavelength! You don't believe it? Go outside and look at the Sky. It's Blue! That's coz blue's wavelength is so small is can't defract around particles high up in the air so it ends up reflected/defracted all over the place and thus our lovely blue sky! 8~) --- On Tue, 7/14/09, George Njoroge <themburu(a)gmail.com> wrote: From: George Njoroge <themburu(a)gmail.com> Subject: Re: [Skunkworks] upcoming power rationing To: "Skunkworks forum" <skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke> Date: Tuesday, July 14, 2009, 10:57 AM Hi Guys, The whole issue tickles down to the same thing, Our so called Leaders. I tell u guy Im a physisist by Training plus other friends I know of, we are full aware of this things as pple say "In the US/Europe" so the same goes for Kenya. Currently Efficient solar panels are being developed in the UoN (University of Nairobi), efficiency of solar panels is abt 10 %. Nuclear option is also possible from the same Physicists. I tell you guys, It is a fact Engineers just implement hence thats why we implement so much of western Tech, physicists do the real stuff of analyzing and comin up with such things, It is also a fact that 1 Physicist can replace 1000 Engineers (A simple proof of this is in the commedy Big Bang Theory - hope u have all wathced the physisct called Sheldon). If the Gvt would really listen and fund these projects we should be able to sort so many issues. Cheerz Themburu On 7/14/09, wesley kiriinya <kiriinya2000(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > LOL. True Dennis. @Rad! Vision 2030 in darkness in-deed. Well I guess the > wise are preparing. Let me pour in some wisdom. Get laptops with battery of > atleast 3 hours, or even buy additional battery therefore u get atleast 6 > hours battery and they can charge overnight. > > > And I heard another drought, ohh sorry the country is in drought already so > it must be famine, was in the horizon. Dare those people cutting trees plea > for food coz there is no rain! > > 8~) > > --- On Tue, 7/14/09, Dennis Kioko <dmbuvi(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > > From: Dennis Kioko <dmbuvi(a)gmail.com> > Subject: Re: [Skunkworks] upcoming power rationing > To: "Skunkworks forum" <skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke> > Date: Tuesday, July 14, 2009, 9:53 AM > > > why are you surprised by such happenings? I Nairobi it is unoficially easier > to get petrol in some estates than water. In the same country, several > rivers empty millions of litres of fresh water into salty and sewered ( a > small problem according to some health official) oceans. > > Before you comment on that, remember that Kisumu, right on the shows of the > worlds second largest water lake, suffers from a persistent water shortage. > > the problem here is not shortage of resources, but inability to maintain > them. > > no one was experiencing water or power rationing when we were on a forest > burning spree earlier in the year. > > Remember that NTV advert of soil in your drinking water glass?apparently it > wasn't and advertising con. > > > 2009/7/14 Rad! <conradakunga(a)gmail.com> > > Absolutely absurd in the day of nuclear power, solar power, wind power this > government is still treating overtaxed Kenyans to nonsense like power > rationing. > > Vision 2030 indeed! > > > > > > On Tue, Jul 14, 2009 at 8:20 AM, Michael Omondi <michaelomondi(a)gmail.com> > wrote: > > > > > It was in the news. From September KPLC will be rationing power due to low > level of water at the 7 fox dams > > > From: skunkworks-bounces(a)lists.my.co.ke > [mailto:skunkworks-bounces@lists.my.co.ke] On Behalf Of wesley kiriinya > Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2009 8:08 AM > To: Skunkworks forum > Subject: Re: [Skunkworks] upcoming power rationing > > > > > > > > > > What power rationing? 8~( > > > _______________________________________________ > Skunkworks mailing list > Skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke > http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks > Other services @ http://my.co.ke > Other lists > ------------- > Skunkworks announce: > http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks-announce > Science - http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/science > kazi - http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/admin/kazi/general > > > > > -- > with Regards: > Manifestation of the Kenyan culture of impunity in matatus: dangerous > driving, law breaking, scrambling and porn. Only at my blog: > http://gramware.blogspot.com > > > > > -----Inline Attachment Follows----- > > > _______________________________________________ > Skunkworks mailing list > Skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke > http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks > Other services @ http://my.co.ke > Other lists > ------------- > Skunkworks announce: > http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks-announce > Science - http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/science > kazi - http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/admin/kazi/general > > > > -- Conservatism is the adherence to the old tried against the new untried. _______________________________________________ Skunkworks mailing list Skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks Other services @ http://my.co.ke Other lists ------------- Skunkworks announce: http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks-announce Science - http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/science kazi - http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/admin/kazi/general

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