I like to fancy myself a technical person, even though a large part of what I do these days is more management consulting. My background is in programming, optimizing, parallelizing compilers to be exact, but it has been a few years since I did any real hardcore coding. However, apparently I have gotten a bit rusty, as I had a bit of trouble in deploying an open source BI application that I was hoping to use as a demo for an ongoing project. I had downloaded the BIRT tool (a plugin for Eclipse) and was able to successfully install and run the report editor, but was unable to get the same report to load up in the Tomcat application server. But after a week of frustration, I tried a new tactic: I read the online manual. After carefully walking through it step-by-step, I was able to get the viewer running and then, voila - my developed report was loaded up through the app server into my browser.

Hey, if you are interested in open source BI tools - first check out this article by my esteemed B-Eye colleague (and brother), Pete Loshin.

In today's Washington Post, there was an article about the dismissal of a challenge by the Salt Institute of a report issued by the Department of Health and Human Services suggesting that Americans would benefit from reduced salt intake. The dismissal of the challenge under the Data Quality Act effectively neuters the regulation, which has been the source of controversy since its two paragraphs were inserted into legislation early in the current president Bush's administration.

Dissenting views are provided by the Center for Regulatory Effectiveness, who represents industry in challenges under the Data Quality Act, and the Center for Progressive Reform, who seeks to reduce the number of what they call "frivolous" law suits.