Guest View

Despite his hopes for renewable energy, Barack Obama faces tough

Having the opportunity to write one of the first columns of 2009

Alex Epstein

BY Dr. Leonard Peikoff

BY ROCKE GARCIA

Ben Franklin is frequently cited for "In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes." If you have paid any attention to the current presidential race, you will be tempted to add that Republicans will make an a big deal over illegal immigration. They think that immigration will be a strong issue for them.

Today, the Internet dominates how we conduct business, communicate, and share information. I don't believe that 10 years ago anyone could have foreseen its impact. We access it with desk tops, laptops and wireless hand held devices. Crucial to this access is the Internet provider (IP). Two of the main providers in Morgan Hill are Verizon and Charter. One provides access via your phone lines (DSL) the other through television co-axel cable. Both advertise options and programs which center on bandwidth. Bandwidth is often described as megabits per second (MB/sec). Verizon has plans up to 3.0 MB/sec., locally, and Charter has up to 10 MB/sec. Bandwidth is important to the user as the higher bandwidth gives you faster access to Web sites, downloads and uploads. Residents have the option of installing a modem and a router so that family members can access the Internet from their own personal computer or device. Some of these connections are hardwired or connected via a wireless home network. Wireless at the moment is slower.

"This train is bound for ... Gilroy."

On Dec. 7, the years-long South County perchlorate water poisoning story will take another important turn when the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board will consider whether to adopt the Draft Cleanup and Abatement Order (CAO) or instruct staff to make more adjustments. The CAO is a key document because it spells out in detail what Olin Corp. will be required to do to clean up the contaminated groundwater.