Channel3000.com, the Web site of WISC, Madison, Wis., is breaking new ground. On its front page, the Web site lists not only the normal fare of breaking news and headlines, but also the major stories that competing stations and local newspapers are running (see the "Channel3000 Scanner News" section in the middle of the Web site's homepage).
The real surprise, though, comes when you click on the "More Channel3000 scanner," which will direct you to
an interactive map. Click, for example, on the city of Madison and you will get WISC's Web site headlines plus the headlines of other stations and papers.
Why would a station do this? I interviewed Colin Benedict, the managing editor of WISC News, to find out. Listen to the interview by clicking on the Al's Morning Meeting Podcast below. Benedict says other stations owned by Morgan Murphy Media --
WKBT in La Crosse, Wis.,
KAPP-TV in Yakima, Wash., and
KXLY in Spokane, Wash., -- also link to competitors.
Poynter Podcasts
New Web sites listening to the "Competition"
Colin Benedict, managing editor of WISC News in Madison, Wis., explains why a news station might list on its Web site the major stories that competing news organizations are running.
War Costs -- A Perspective
A group called The National Project has
a Web site that attempts to put the financial cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in perspective. The site tries to make the argument that if America were not spending tax dollars on the war, the money could go elsewhere -- to teachers, schools and affordable housing. It seems to me, though, that a lot of what we are spending is deficit funds -- that is, if we were not at war, the money might not be spent on anything. On top of that, the federal government doesn't really pay for teachers and schools -- local tax dollars do.
Self-Destructing E-Mail
A new innovation,
BigString, allows you to send an e-mail that self-destructs after a set time or after the recipient reads the e-mail a certain number of times. (Think "Mission Impossible.") The e-mail can be set to even disappear in front of the reader's eyes. There are other parts of the program that prevent an e-mail note from being printed or forwarded. And, interestingly, it offers something called "recallable e-mail," which would allow the sender to recall something they sent.
Who would use such a thing? Politicians who do not want you to be able to track their e-mails? Cheating spouses? Child predators? Whistleblowers?
WINS 1010 Radio in New York City reported on BigString. (See right-hand side of the site.)
SimMan for Medical Students
I liked this story about how medical and nursing students are using programmable dummies that can be programmed to have a range of problems and injuries.
Air Force Planning on Bio-fuels in Aircraft
The Navy Times reports:
For the first time, the Air Force has flown a C-17 Globemaster jet powered entirely by a mix of synthetic and traditional fuels.
The service, which aims to certify synthetic petroleum use in all aircraft by 2011, has fully certified B-52 bombers on the fuel mix and has started easing the C-17 cargo jet into using the fuel.
Who Is A Minister?
Last month,
a court in York County Pennsylvania ruled that ministers who do not have a "regularly established church or congregation" cannot legally perform marriages under state law. Ceremonies performed by mail order and ministers who were ordained over the Internet may not be legally valid. This is hardly a small issue. Government benefits, mortgages, insurance and survivorship issues would all come into play if a couple is not legally married. How does your state view who is licensed to perform marriages?
We are always looking for your great ideas. Send Al a few sentences and hot links.
Editor's Note: Al's Morning Meeting is a compendium of ideas, edited story excerpts and other materials from a variety of Web sites, as well as original concepts and analysis. When the information comes directly from another source, it will be attributed and a link will be provided whenever possible. The column is fact-checked, but depends on the accuracy and integrity of the original sources cited. Errors and inaccuracies found will be corrected.
It's not just taxes we have to watch - it's...
