It's three posts in one! Those who believe the Internet is an unlimited force of nature are in for a surprise. Now comes word that Comcast will limit customers Internet usage starting Oct. 1.The cable TV/Internet/phone service provider says its running out of capacity to service all its customers, so it has to force big users to cut back or pay more.
So much for the myth that the Internet is without constraint.
Already, media empires, e-commerce players, entrepreneurs and global corporations, which are tailoring business models to depend on the World Wide Web, are finding the Internet is straining to meet demand and that Net capacity is more taxed than ever before.
Which underscores a fact of business life: Whether its the information superhighway or a concrete highway, infrastructure must constantly be improved and upgraded. And that can be expensive.
Companies may think the Internet is a perpetual free ride but it's quickly becoming a toll road.
At the very least, Internet providers--like Comcast--are going to go all airline on us. Expect them to start charging extra fees for the basic services we've come to use.
Email? That's 100 for $2 a month. Want to watch video? That's another $5. Blogging? Well, let's not go there.
Running for Guv? It's Bill Daley's call.Bill Daley, youngest brother of Chicago's politically powerful Daley family, is interested in running for governor of Illinois.
Hey, youse gotta problem wit dat?
Mark Brown, a top-notch political columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times, does. In a recent column, he tells Bill not to run, arguing that we've topped out on Daleys in powerful posts and don't need another in the governor's mansion. A troika of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, Cook County finance chairman John Daley, and a Governor Bill Daley would be too great a concentration of power for one family, Brown asserts.
I agree that's a ton of clout centered within one family. But I disagree with his advice to Bill Daley.
If Bill Daley wants to run for governor then he should do so. From there, it's up to the voters to decide if there's too many Daleys running the place.
Have faith, they'll know what to do.
More than that, however, I'm troubled at the suggestion that anyone should step back from competing for any opportunity because of their family lineage or history. We can't pick our parents or our siblings. It's what we do with our lives that's important.
So it seems the first order of business is whether Bill Daley is qualified to be governor. On that score, let's give the man his due.
This isn't some wet behind the ears kid who's being groomed to take daddy's job. Nor has he squandered his birth right or failed to make his own way in the world.
Right now, Bill Daley's resume stacks up against anyone else who's thinking of a gubernatorial run. Over the course of his professional life, he's distinguished himself as a lawyer, businessman (he's held high posts at two Chicago banks--Amalgamated Bank and JP Morgan Chase)and public servant (Commerce Secretary under President Bill Clinton.)
If he runs, some opponents will seek to diminish these efforts. They'll also say his family is a political cabal. Bill Daley, who has never run for public office, will have to fight back and make his case to voters.
Here's one guarantee: Should he run in the Democratic Party primary for governor, Bill Daley won't be at a loss for opponents--no matter how mighty his family. Governor Rod Blagojevich is itching for another campaign, and he'll be joined by Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, Attorney General Lisa Madigan and a few more.
As much as anyone, Daley's got the right to run for the state's top slot.
Dems, Obama sparkle. GOP next.
That was a whale of a convention the Democratic Party held in Denver. It was topped by presidential nominee Barack Obama's impressive, and very strong, acceptance speech. Judy Barr Topinka, a staunch Illinois Republican (yes, there are still a few out there) and a Channel 11 political commentator, said the Dem's Thursday night showing from Mile High Stadium (aka Invesco Field) reminded her of China's eye-popping opening ceremonies for the Summer Olympics this year.
She got that right.
The GOP's John McCain gets going this week. He's got a tough act to follow.
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