Davos Newbies

Everyone who follows this sort of thing knows that Stephen Fry is a polymath. But I’m startled by how intensely he follows the to-ing and fro-ing of mobile technology. His newish blog has a lengthy essay (which he calls a blessay) on smartphones, PDAs, etc. I found it hilarious:

I have, over the past twenty years been passionately addicted to all manner of digital devices, Mac-friendly or not; I have gorged myself on electronic gismos, computer accessories, toys, gadgets and what-have-yous of all descriptions, but most especially what are now known as SmartPhones. PDAs, Wireless PIMs, call them what you will. My motto is:

I have never seen a SmartPhone I haven’t bought

Just came across an excellent post by Maggie Mahar on class and health, and how it explains much of the dismal performance of the US in international comparisons. The ringing conclusion quotes UCSF’s Steven Schroeder:

Americans take great pride in asserting that we are number one in terms of wealth, number of Nobel Prizes, and military strength. Why don’t we try to become number one in health?

I’m as anti-militarist as any good Berkeley resident should be, but I’m sitting in my office in the Presidio (an army base for three different nations over more than 200 years) with my heart leaping. Why? The Blue Angels are practicing for their shows in San Francisco over the weekend and it so happens that my building is right below dozens of fly-overs by the screaming jets, tearing through the skies. An incredible sight.