As I read about the latest industry to beg DC policymakers to give them taxpayer money to “bail” them out, I am reminded of the words of the late Senator Paul Tsongas: “We are a continuum. Just as we reach back to our ancestors for our fundamental values, so we, as guardians of that legacy, must reach ahead to our children and their children. And we do so with a sense of sacredness in that reaching.”

In the flurry of fear accompanying every industry’s prediction of imminent demise, we seem to have lost that sense of sacredness. Although I understand that in the very short term we need to invest and table deficit reduction as a top priority, I am very concerned that the taxpayer will lose massive amounts of money on the [insert massive number north of $1 trillion here] “bailout” and we’ll still be talking about short-term stimulus packages in 2012 and 2016.

Let’s hope that there are people left in positions of power who care about our children’s future and are incensed that our children will pay for the greed of today. In the race to save all who did well when times were good and now want taxpayers to cover their downside risk, perhaps policymakers can stop once in a while and say “no.” Our children will be happy we did.

For those that are interested, I’ve posted a disclosure statement addressing the major questions that you might have about the logistics and operations of Hearsay Culture. I hope that you find it . . . disclosing.

I am pleased to post Show #81, December 3, my interview with Prof. John Palfrey of Harvard Law School, co-author of Born Digital (co-authored with Urs Gasser). Born Digital addresses the basic questions of how we should view our children as they are (in large part) unwittingly immersed in a vastly interconnected world. What issues do we need to confront when it comes to regulating, protecting and judging today’s youth in the context of “read-write” culture? John and Urs move well beyond the “good Internet/bad Internet” discussion to offer deeper analysis of the questions and answers we must consider. Directed at parents, technologists and lawyers, I hope that you enjoy the interview!

Happy holidays to all; look for new shows beginning in mid-January!

I am thrilled and honored to announce that Hearsay Culture has been listed in the American Bar Association (”ABA”) Journal’s Blawg 100 of 2008, as one of the “top 100 best Web sites by lawyers, for lawyers.” Specifically, Hearsay Culture was selected by the editors as one of the top five in the new podcast category. Ominously, the ABA Journal issued a “warning” about Hearsay Culture in its description: “The shows are academic and, as a result, very long.” As far as I could tell, Hearsay Culture is the only podcast that earned an explicit “warning,” an honor (as far as I’m concerned) in and of itself.

Now comes the quasi-crowdsourcing (credit: Jeff Howe) part: lawyers can vote for their favorite podcast through January 2, 2009. So, I encourage all lawyers who listen to the show and feel it worthy to vote for Hearsay Culture. I am facing some excellent competition, so regardless of your vote, I encourage all to check out the other terrific podcasts listed.

Thanks, as always, for your support of the show!

I am pleased to post two new shows. The first, Show #79, is my interview with Prof. Mark Bauerlein of Emory University, author of The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future (Or, Don’t Trust Anyone Under 30). Mark takes a critical view of the impact of technology on youth. He cites a wide array of empirical data to support his core assertion that technology, and particularly the Internet, is not leading to a greater degree of knowledge or awareness among our youth. Mark’s book, with its highly-charged title, is among the best of the contributions on this side of the ledger, and I hope that you enjoy our interview.

I am also pleased to post Show #80, my interview with Jeff Howe, author of Crowdsourcing. Jeff’s book takes a journalist’s perspective on the growing ability of groups to innovate and create. Jeff collects a variety of examples to show ways that the crowd can create, both in terms of goods and services as well as movements generally. We had a wide ranging discussion, and I hope that you enjoy it!

Alas, there is one more show this quarter, and then Hearsay Culture is in hiatus until the beginning of January. Happy holidays!

Tonight, I looked at my 21 month-old son Noah, sleeping peacefully in his crib. He, God willing, will wake up in a stronger, more hopeful and advanced nation in the morning. I am very proud of America tonight.

Congratulations to President-elect Obama and to the United States. I am confident that future generations will thank us for our courage and perception at this defining moment in our nation’s history.

As I sit here and follow the election results (and did I mention, screen within a screen is great — local news in the small box, national news in the main screen), thoughts naturally flow to posting new Hearsay Culture shows. So I’m pleased to post three new shows! When you need a break from election and post-election coverage, you may want to check one (or all three) out.

The first, Show #76, is my interview with Prof. Paul Ohm of the University of Colorado Law School. We discussed his most recent article, The Rise and Fall of Invasive ISP [Internet Service Provider] Surveillance. It is a fascinating article that discusses, in greal detail, Paul’s core argument that consumers and citizens should be extremely concerned about how ISPs can and do monitor the Internet activities of their subscribers. We discuss not only the whys but the hows of ISP surveillance and Paul’s suggestions to address these issues. I very much enjoyed the interview.

Show #77 is my interview with David Rice, author of Geekonomics: The Real Cost of Insecure Software. David’s book focuses on the concerns surrounding insecure and/or flawed software to our nation’s (and the world’s) economy and infrastructure. This is a serious issue that we need to address as a nation — and a great start would be to take notice of these issues as a populace through David’s book. I greatly enjoyed the interview!

Finally, Show # 78 is my interview with Michael Gollin, Esq. of Venable LLP, author of Driving Innovation. Michael’s book is a comprehensive overview of the application of intellectual property law (IP) to the business plan and management of businesses. In our interview, we largely focus on an often-ignored aspect of IP management: the human factor. Michael’s book would be a great desk reference for those in any aspect of IP management. I hope that you enjoy the interview as much as I did!

How do I approach posting a show with a professor with the same name as mine? Do I downplay it to appear more balanced? Do I come up with a kitschy title (Dave Meets David)? Or celebrate the achievement of another member of the tribe of Levite? I think I’ll celebrate it.

I am very pleased to post Show #75, my interview with Profs. David Levine and Michele Boldrin of Washington University in St. Louis, authors of Against Intellectual Monopoly. David and Michele have written an empirical study, from their perspective as economists, of the copyright and patent systems. As the title suggests, they think that both are, in essence, superfluous and counterproductive. While against my long-term career interests as a professor of intellectual property law, they make a compelling argument. I very much enjoyed the interview and hope that you do as well!

I thought listeners would like to know that Hearsay Culture was listed as one of 10 podcasts that are “essential for legal professionals” in an October 10, 2008 article by Robert J. Ambrogi of Law Technology News entitled “Ten Legal Podcasts to Keep You Informed.”

I’m thrilled that the show is getting attention and has a growing audience. Thanks for listening and supporting the show!

I am pleased to post the first show of the new quarter on KZSU-FM, Show #74, my interview with Prof. Hal Abelson of MIT, Ken Ledeen, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Nevo Technologies, and Dean Harry Lewis of Harvard College/Harvard University, authors of Blown to Bits.

The authors, with decades of experience in technology and education, write a compelling overview of the state of technology as it relates to today’s consumer of technology. Aside from deep insight into how technology impacts our daily lives, the book makes topics that seem inaccessible to those without a computer science degree accessible and entertaining. We cover a wide range of topics in our discussion, and I hope that you enjoy it!