State Department to Twitter: Keep Iranian tweets coming

Senior officials say the State Department is working with Twitter and other social networking sites to ensure Iranians are able to continue to communicate to each other and the outside world.

…they do want to make sure the technology is able to play its sorely-needed role in the crisis, which is why the State Department is advising social networking sites to make sure their networks stay up and running for Iranians to use them and helping them stay ahead of anyone who would try to shut them down.

For example, senior officials say the State Department asked Twitter to refrain for going down for periodic scheduled maintenance at this critical time to ensure the site continues to operate. Bureau’s and offices across the State Department, they say, are paying very close attention to Twitter and other sites to get information on the situation in Iran.

[From CNN blog]

One of the more interesting things being brought up in the discussion is the MDA (Media Development Authority) rap which most considered ridiculous. As much as I dislike (and would often cringe) the video, I actually watched it around 10 times. I shared the link with all my friends and give them something to laugh about. Almost everyone I showed thought it is the most embarrassing thing that come out from Singapore.

The video spread so quickly within days. It wasn’t even supposed to be on YouTube, it seems to be more of an education video for visitors of the MDA website to educate them of what the MDA is about.

It’s accidental success (or major failure as view by some) did achieve something quite unplanned. And that is now a lot more people know of MDA’s existence. Before the video, I doubt as much people heard of MDA much less know what they do. With one video, MDA got into Techcrunch and Digg. I could probably even get you a bunch of local blogs which discuss it.

It may be a horrible video to watch but it spreads and if you were to measure success by the increased awareness of MDA and their purpose, I think the video scores. What’s worse than bad publicity is no publicity.

Well, let us appreciate the MDA rap once again:

Rachel Maddow Show – “…get out of the way of people who are actually trying to save the country.”

• $1.00 in non-refundable tax rebates results in $1.02 of economic activity
• $1.00 in infrastructure spending results in $1.59 of economic activity
• $1.00 in food stamp spending results in $1.73 of economic activity.

USA dropped a stimulus package that is worth some 800 billion. Now I’m actually wondering what’s “bullpucky”, turns out it is a more polite way to say “bullshit”. Hmm… Then don’t say it! It ruins the whole point of using the word “bullshit”, if you can’t say it, don’t.

Banks in Need of Even More Bailout Money

In a sign of deepening fragility among the nation’s largest banks, the government is preparing to throw a new multibillion-dollar lifeline to Bank of America, several people briefed on the talks said Wednesday, the latest effort to stem a tide of growing losses in the financial system.

Bank of America, which was already granted $25 billion in capital from the Treasury’s Troubled Asset Relief Program in October, is seeking billions more to shore up its balance sheet as it struggles with mounting losses at Merrill Lynch, which it recently acquired, said these people, who were not authorized to speak publicly.

Bank of America’s shares fell 4.2 percent, to $10.20, in regular trading Wednesday, and are down nearly 30 percent this year. At one point in after-hours trading, the shares fell to their lowest level since 1991.

The government’s willingness to feed Bank of America a new tranche of taxpayer money comes on the heels of greater federal intervention in Citigroup. After pumping more than $45 billion in Treasury money onto its balance sheet, the government has put pressure on Citigroup to dismantle its troubled empire in an effort to stop losses and curb capital injections. (Source: The New York Times)

I wonder how would the Obama team respond to this.

Zimbabwe introduces $50 billion note

HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) — Zimbabwe’s central bank will introduce a $50 billion note — enough to buy just two loaves of bread — as a way of fighting cash shortages amid spiraling inflation.

Zimbabwe is grappling with hyperinflation now officially estimated at 231 million percent, and its currency is fast losing its value. As of Friday, one U.S. dollar was trading at around ZW$25 billion.

When the government issued a $10 billion note just three weeks ago, it bought 20 loaves of bread. That note now can purchase less than half of one loaf.

John Robertson, an economist in Zimbabwe, said he’s puzzled by the introduction of the $50 billion and $20 billion notes.

“I am not really sure what these notes would be for,” he said. “No one now accepts the local currency. It is a waste of resources to print Zimbabwe dollar notes now. Who accepts a currency that loses value by almost 100 percent daily?”

In August, the RBZ slashed ten zeros from the currency. But the zeroes have bounced back with more vigor. (Source: CNN)

At least everyone’s a billionaire there.

Does that need fixing too?

Anyway, I just post this article because the word ‘feasibility study’ is there. So…

Malaysia drops KL-Singapore bullet train project

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia has shelved plans for a bullet train linking Kuala Lumpur to Singapore because of the cost, a top planning official said on Tuesday. 

The 8 billion ringgit (US$2.5 billion) project, proposed by Malaysian infrastructure and utilities group YTL Corp in 2006, aimed to cut travel time between the two cities to 90 minutes from seven-and-a-half hours presently. 

The idea for a high-speed train between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, about 300 kilometres apart, dates back to the late 1990s, but was revived after the Malaysian government invited companies to submit ideas for privately funded projects.

The Malaysian government backed the project in 2007 after it passed a feasibility study, but said at the time it wanted to conduct a social impact study since the project would involve land acquisition.

News of the abandonment came shortly after Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said several infrastructure projects under the 200-billion ringgit (US$64 billion) 2006-2010 development plan may be delayed due to escalating costs. 

Abdullah, who is also finance minister, said high on the casualty list is the construction of the three-billion-ringgit (US$826m) bridge linking the northern island of Penang to peninsular Malaysia. 

Construction of the planned 24-kilometre bridge linking the town of Batu Maung on the island and Batu Kawan on the mainland was expected to be completed by January 2011 but has been hit by delays. (Source: ChannelNewsAsia)

We don’t really need bullet trains in Singapore. Maybe faster trains. But not bullet trains. Actually no one really needs bullet trains if you think about it. If you build things vertically and closely packed enough, there really isn’t much need to construct expensive transport systems to link up two areas.

Guy Bono says:

The repressive measures are measures dictated by industries that have been unable to change their business models to meet the needs imposed by the information society. Switching off internet access is a powerful sanction which could have profound repercussions in a society where access to the internet is a mandatory law for social inclusion.

Well said, sir. The EU Parliament has just voted in favor of Bono’s bill which asks individual countries to “avoid adopting measures conflicting with civil liberties and human rights… such as the interruption of internet access”. (Source: Mashable)