You're a woman. You are delivering a baby, which is now hanging out of your vagina with only its head inside (which is dangerous for mom and baby alike). You've dilated, you've contracted, you've had all the pain and struggle of childbirth and all the attendant health hazards but for whatever might happen as the baby (yes, BABY) travels the last few inches. One tug and you're home free.
So what do you do now? 1) Continue having the BABY and raise it yourself; 2) Continue having the BABY and give it up for adoption; or 3) Have the doctor poke a hole in the base of the BABY's skull, stuff in a vacuum device to suck out its brains and crush its skull until it stops flopping, then dump it with the medwaste.
I'm not a physician, but I fail to see what part of the mother's health is impaired by pulling the baby out the last few inches. If I'm right, then there effectively is no risk to the health of the mother that a partial-birth abortion can prevent. Unless there's a health risk involved in simply trying to raise the kid (whatever that might be), in which case it can be given up for adoption. So why kill it unless you just want it dead?
I understand that there are other procedures for late-term abortions that might be used in case severe damage is not detected until late in the game. So parents of truly stricken children have other options if they want an abortion. They just can't have this kind.
So the pro-lifers haven't even stopped late-term abortions - they've just put a legal obstacle in front of the most disgusting form of it. Yet we hear brayings such as "This is a sad day for the women of America", as if suddenly all American women became barefoot and pregnant.
Which leads to the question "What was the point?" IMO the point was to show just how morally addled the pro-abortion movement is when they would fight to the last ditch to defend such a disgusting procedure.
Saturday, October 25, 2003
Whoops
From Robert Novak's column:
The Senate chamber was filled with audible gasps last Tuesday when Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, the pro-choice champion, clearly voted "yes" on final passage of the bill to ban partial-birth abortion.Who would have thought that the old ladykiller had it in him? Maybe he has a soul after all. After all, when I think of Ted Kennedy, I think of a soul - I just don't pronounce it that way.
It was a mistake, however, and Kennedy changed his vote to "no" a few minutes later.
This marked the second time in a week that Kennedy, widely considered the most powerful member of the Senate, became confused on an important vote. He mistakenly voted with President Bush in opposing a Democratic-backed amendment to require partial Iraqi repayment of U.S. reconstruction aid. On that occasion, Senate Democratic Leader Thomas Daschle conferred with Kennedy and prompted him to change his vote.
Friday, October 24, 2003
Time to invest in mining companies?
Today's WSJ had two articles that seemed much more significant if read together than in isolation. The latter is probably what happened most of the time though because they were in different sections.
The first one noted that the Bush Administration has reversed a Clinton-era asininity that crippled mine operators and consequently their headcount. Environmentalists will scream bloody murder of course, but then that's just what they do.
The other was about China. Many people had been concerned that China would flood the world with cheap goods and destroy prices. Now they're finding out that as Chinese get more affluent, they're dragging the commodities markets upward. Put those two together and...
The first one noted that the Bush Administration has reversed a Clinton-era asininity that crippled mine operators and consequently their headcount. Environmentalists will scream bloody murder of course, but then that's just what they do.
The other was about China. Many people had been concerned that China would flood the world with cheap goods and destroy prices. Now they're finding out that as Chinese get more affluent, they're dragging the commodities markets upward. Put those two together and...
Thursday, October 23, 2003
Adult stem cell breakthrough
Scientists at the University of Michigan have discovered the gene that permits adult stem cells to persist through adult life.
Jew made me say that
Glenn Reynolds linked to this, so you've probably already seen it. It's more "the Jews run everything, blah blah".
Now really. If the Jews are so clever that a few million of them can run the entire planet, what makes these guys think they can do anything about it?
Besides, everyone knows the world is run by Swiss bankers. Or the Masons. Or the Illuminati. Or the Trilateralists. Or the Bilderbergers.
I wonder which one killed Lady Diana Spencer?
Actually I think too much has been made of that post. We don't really know what the one Paki was thinking - we just know he thought it was a good time for his friend the writer to leave. If the writer thinks his friend owes it to the world to argue with his buddies about something they clearly aren't prepared to be rational about, IMO he's asking too much.
Now really. If the Jews are so clever that a few million of them can run the entire planet, what makes these guys think they can do anything about it?
Besides, everyone knows the world is run by Swiss bankers. Or the Masons. Or the Illuminati. Or the Trilateralists. Or the Bilderbergers.
I wonder which one killed Lady Diana Spencer?
Actually I think too much has been made of that post. We don't really know what the one Paki was thinking - we just know he thought it was a good time for his friend the writer to leave. If the writer thinks his friend owes it to the world to argue with his buddies about something they clearly aren't prepared to be rational about, IMO he's asking too much.
Tuesday, October 21, 2003
PETArdation
PETA is at it again. Having failed with Fishkill and Hamburg in NY, now they want Rodeo, CA to change its name.
And they're serious. They'll give the town $20,000 worth of veggieburgers to local schools if they comply.
IMO it would be more appropriate if one of the big packing houses like Excell or IBP sent PETA 10,000 lbs of brains.
Which reminds me of an anecdote I first picked up in an old National Lampoon True Facts column about some crooks who robbed a packing plant. They didn't know what they had stolen, and this led indirectly to their conviction. Here are the details, from Jerry Pournelle:
And they're serious. They'll give the town $20,000 worth of veggieburgers to local schools if they comply.
IMO it would be more appropriate if one of the big packing houses like Excell or IBP sent PETA 10,000 lbs of brains.
Which reminds me of an anecdote I first picked up in an old National Lampoon True Facts column about some crooks who robbed a packing plant. They didn't know what they had stolen, and this led indirectly to their conviction. Here are the details, from Jerry Pournelle:
On the other hand, there's the guys who had hijacked a trailer full of rennets, thinking that they'd gotten beef. The cops put these criminal geniuses in the back of the car, with the tape recorder going, explained what rennets were, and started laughing at them, then left them alone for awhile. One of the geniuses said something like, "If we're going to jail for stealing five tons of beef assholes, I'm going to be pissed off." Appeals court ruled that humor isn't unconstitutional.
Cloning and the Red Sox
Red Sox fans, as a long-term Cub fan I feel your pain. Well, maybe not this bad.
And go to the next item up to see some interesting name games being played to avoid calling cloning by its real name.
And go to the next item up to see some interesting name games being played to avoid calling cloning by its real name.
Euthanize this
Terry Schiavo has been in the news lately - allegedly she's hopelessly vegetative and hubby wants to yank her feeding tube. Her family is opposing it, apparently with some evidence.
OK, this nothing we haven't seen before, right? Karen Ann Quinlan was my favorite example - she hung around for years after going into a "persistent vegetative state". She finally died of pneumonia after 10 years.
I can't see keeping people around forever with no hope of recovery, but then there's euthanasia. Euthanasia IMO is about the slipperiest slope around, and that may in fact be what we're dealing with in the Terry Schiavo situation. Or something like it, anyway.
Because as Medpundit tells us, Terry Schiavo's husband has a rather severe conflict of interest. He used to abuse her and has fathered a child with another woman. And he has her power of attorney for health care.
IMO the euthanasia supporters ought to see to it that this is investigated thoroughly, lest their issue be turned into just another form of murder.
OK, this nothing we haven't seen before, right? Karen Ann Quinlan was my favorite example - she hung around for years after going into a "persistent vegetative state". She finally died of pneumonia after 10 years.
I can't see keeping people around forever with no hope of recovery, but then there's euthanasia. Euthanasia IMO is about the slipperiest slope around, and that may in fact be what we're dealing with in the Terry Schiavo situation. Or something like it, anyway.
Because as Medpundit tells us, Terry Schiavo's husband has a rather severe conflict of interest. He used to abuse her and has fathered a child with another woman. And he has her power of attorney for health care.
IMO the euthanasia supporters ought to see to it that this is investigated thoroughly, lest their issue be turned into just another form of murder.
Monday, October 20, 2003
If Dante had seen the web...
Yesterday I got a sucker email wanting me to confirm Ebay info. If you've been on the web for more than a day or so you ought to know that stuff like this is always bogus, but I thought I'd take a look at it. You were supposed to click on what looked like a legitimate Ebay address, which in fact was one of the legal ones according to Ebay. But what looked like a plain text link was in fact a long skinny graphic which was actually linked somewhere else. So it went to spoof@ebay.com, and the sender can go to hell.
It'll be crowded down there. We need to spread them out a little, like Dante did, with the guys I mentioned well to the bottom.
The potential identity thieves like the Ebay guy belong, say, in Satan's armpits. The virus distributors will be close by.
A bit higher, but not much, would be the creeps who send me spam offering to reduce my spam. The first one was funny in a brass-balled kind of way, but the rest...grrr.
On the shallow side would be the Abacha family, the rest of the Nigerians and the others who need help getting their millions out of their countries.
Then there are the guys who hit my site with Google like today's winner - "Photos+French+prostate+exam". I can see where some poor guy might wonder what he's in for, but really, what is "French" doing in there? Whatever you do, don't think about it - ewww.
I could really get into this if I had the time. Feel free to offer candidates and appropriate punishments.
It'll be crowded down there. We need to spread them out a little, like Dante did, with the guys I mentioned well to the bottom.
The potential identity thieves like the Ebay guy belong, say, in Satan's armpits. The virus distributors will be close by.
A bit higher, but not much, would be the creeps who send me spam offering to reduce my spam. The first one was funny in a brass-balled kind of way, but the rest...grrr.
On the shallow side would be the Abacha family, the rest of the Nigerians and the others who need help getting their millions out of their countries.
Then there are the guys who hit my site with Google like today's winner - "Photos+French+prostate+exam". I can see where some poor guy might wonder what he's in for, but really, what is "French" doing in there? Whatever you do, don't think about it - ewww.
I could really get into this if I had the time. Feel free to offer candidates and appropriate punishments.
Retailing mystery
The men who wear the larger sizes on average are taller than the men who wear the smaller sizes, right? So why are the small sizes on the tops of the store displays and the larger sizes at the bottom?
Sunday, October 19, 2003
Grow up
Howard Kurtz discusses writer Jonathan Chait and his article on the Bush-haters in the WaPo.
Methinks Chait needs to grow up, based on comments like this:
The "impeached a popular Democrat" is self-contradictory. Just how popular was the man if he managed to get impeached? He held on in office only because the Republicans had no guts and the Democrats had no shame. And had justice taken its course, maybe we'd be talking about "Gore-haters" now - the Democrats would be better off as a party, if not as Americans.
Speaking for myself, I didn't "hate" Bill Clinton. Actually I figured he'd be just the guy to have a bull session with - I can only imagine some of the stories this guy can tell. But that doesn't mean that I thought he had any business near the White House.
Methinks Chait needs to grow up, based on comments like this:
And Chait says that gee, by the way, Republicans set a "perjury trap" and impeached a popular Democrat, and yet "suddenly it's time to declare president-hating out of bounds."You know, Mr. Chait, the beauty of a "perjury trap" is that is only catches perjurors. All Clinton had to do was tell the truth instead of daring the Republicans to prove him wrong. As it was, he proved that not only was he a liar, but one with really poor judgment too.
The "impeached a popular Democrat" is self-contradictory. Just how popular was the man if he managed to get impeached? He held on in office only because the Republicans had no guts and the Democrats had no shame. And had justice taken its course, maybe we'd be talking about "Gore-haters" now - the Democrats would be better off as a party, if not as Americans.
Speaking for myself, I didn't "hate" Bill Clinton. Actually I figured he'd be just the guy to have a bull session with - I can only imagine some of the stories this guy can tell. But that doesn't mean that I thought he had any business near the White House.
She wrote what?
Miss Susanna! - does your mama read your blog? The girl has been reading the Song of Solomon again, and next thing you know she's writing all this stuff about pr0n. Golly, I'm blushing all over...
Well, maybe not. I've written of pr0n and me in my younger days, and I really wondered what would have happened if I had been exposed to more readily available, stronger stuff in the absence of small town conditioning.
Susanna presents some anecdotes about the impact of pr0n on kids after they become adults here. The concern seems to be that men and boys overexposed to pr0n will somehow see pr0n as a satisfactory alternative to human partners. Hmm - I've having a hard time seeing how anyone who's tried both could wind up this way.
Presumably seeing pr0n in the absence of experience with real partners could cause expectations problems, but it's not as if that's the only way that can happen. Other movies and soap operas aren't exactly realistic in the relevant particulars either, nor are books and magazines. Even real life can lead kids astray - Junior had better not expect his bride to be another Mom, and likewise the bride had better not expect hubby to be another Daddy. So we can expect kids to suffer some readjustments no matter what we do - let's just hope they're not as bad as in this old dirty joke (look for Running Bear).
From a technical perspective there could be some useful pr0n, but I don't recall seeing any. I go into far too much detail about that here, in which I conclude that on the whole, pr0n is bad for kids and should be kept away from them.
Enough - there's a football game on. That's better than sex - or writing about it anyway.
Well, maybe not. I've written of pr0n and me in my younger days, and I really wondered what would have happened if I had been exposed to more readily available, stronger stuff in the absence of small town conditioning.
Susanna presents some anecdotes about the impact of pr0n on kids after they become adults here. The concern seems to be that men and boys overexposed to pr0n will somehow see pr0n as a satisfactory alternative to human partners. Hmm - I've having a hard time seeing how anyone who's tried both could wind up this way.
Presumably seeing pr0n in the absence of experience with real partners could cause expectations problems, but it's not as if that's the only way that can happen. Other movies and soap operas aren't exactly realistic in the relevant particulars either, nor are books and magazines. Even real life can lead kids astray - Junior had better not expect his bride to be another Mom, and likewise the bride had better not expect hubby to be another Daddy. So we can expect kids to suffer some readjustments no matter what we do - let's just hope they're not as bad as in this old dirty joke (look for Running Bear).
From a technical perspective there could be some useful pr0n, but I don't recall seeing any. I go into far too much detail about that here, in which I conclude that on the whole, pr0n is bad for kids and should be kept away from them.
Enough - there's a football game on. That's better than sex - or writing about it anyway.
Evangelical Christians vs. segregation
This unusually sophisticated and subtle study takes and unconventional approach by examining both sides in the struggle. Chappell asks what strengthened those who fought segregation in the South and what weakened their enemies. His answer in both cases is evangelical Christianity.More at Lead and Gold.
More power to Arnold
Lynne Kiesling notes that the Governator Arnold Schwartzenegger is saying the right things about energy in CA.
Nowhere to hide
Some years ago in my nuclear power career I overheard something about mowing the grass. I didn't realize why it was such a big deal. The basic problem relates to security - higher grass provides cover for attackers. IMO the limits seemed overconservative, but maybe that's why I don't work in security.
Lately we heard about orchards in Iraq being cut down punitively. Or at least so it was spun in the media. The rest of the story is here.
Lately we heard about orchards in Iraq being cut down punitively. Or at least so it was spun in the media. The rest of the story is here.
Saturday, October 18, 2003
Calling all honest journalists
Spoons would like to meet you. I predict that this will happen about the same time the Cubs finally win a World Series.
I wish I could disagree with him about journalists. But I saw the way a number of different newspapers covered nuclear power issues and incidents and I haven't seen any evidence that the truth mattered any. But even if they simply made errors, you'd think that once in a while such an error would present the operators, utilities and industry in a positive light.
Once I was even naive enough to try to do something about what I was charitable enough to consider an error. One Saturday the Bloomington, IL Pantagraph printed a story about rate increases requested by the local utility to help pay for their newly operational nuclear power plant. I'm not sure I recall all the details correctly, but in essence the rate increase was to be implemented over 10 years in steps of $X, leading to a net difference of $10X in the 10th year.
Now for something technical, well, I realize that not everyone is an engineer like me. But I would expect an elementary school kid to be able to transcribe numbers from a public regulatory document correctly, and if the Pantagraph didn't have access to that then just what the hell was the basis for their reporting? Anyway, the paper presented the increase as $10X dollar increase every year, which is so far off as to tax the limits of mere incompetence.
I called the Pantagraph and told them of the error. They stood by their story, claiming that there was no error. They did the same when I went there in person a bit later, acting as if it were my word against theirs, and who understood these big numbers anyway?
Yes, I went there in person. Why? Because shortly after this idiocy, the rate increase was denied, the utility had layoffs, and all of a sudden I had a lot more free time.
I wish I could disagree with him about journalists. But I saw the way a number of different newspapers covered nuclear power issues and incidents and I haven't seen any evidence that the truth mattered any. But even if they simply made errors, you'd think that once in a while such an error would present the operators, utilities and industry in a positive light.
Once I was even naive enough to try to do something about what I was charitable enough to consider an error. One Saturday the Bloomington, IL Pantagraph printed a story about rate increases requested by the local utility to help pay for their newly operational nuclear power plant. I'm not sure I recall all the details correctly, but in essence the rate increase was to be implemented over 10 years in steps of $X, leading to a net difference of $10X in the 10th year.
Now for something technical, well, I realize that not everyone is an engineer like me. But I would expect an elementary school kid to be able to transcribe numbers from a public regulatory document correctly, and if the Pantagraph didn't have access to that then just what the hell was the basis for their reporting? Anyway, the paper presented the increase as $10X dollar increase every year, which is so far off as to tax the limits of mere incompetence.
I called the Pantagraph and told them of the error. They stood by their story, claiming that there was no error. They did the same when I went there in person a bit later, acting as if it were my word against theirs, and who understood these big numbers anyway?
Yes, I went there in person. Why? Because shortly after this idiocy, the rate increase was denied, the utility had layoffs, and all of a sudden I had a lot more free time.
Michael Moore now!
This guy should get a new career as a political operative. Now he's proposing Michael Moore as a political candidate.
Hmm - that would be fun to watch. He might make a good veep for Kucinich.
Hmm - that would be fun to watch. He might make a good veep for Kucinich.
With friends like these...
The Lebanese may support the "Palestinian cause" more than the Palestinians do. They won't let Palestinians own real estate because.."the acquisition of real estate by Palestinians would damage the Palestinian cause since the refugees would remain in Lebanon and never return to Palestine."
Stolen from Psychopolitik
Stolen from Psychopolitik
Fowl play
Pam Anderson doesn't like the way KFC treat their chickens. Maybe she'd be happier if they put silicone in the breasts?
Could it be karma? We're getting this from a woman who has posed for innumerable nude shots and, however unwittingly, for one of the most popular video sex scenes ever. Someone must have told her that as a result a lot of guys had choked their chickens.
Yes Pam, you're much smarter that I would have ever given you credit for being, and before you turned into a plastic surgery science project you were one fine specimen. But if you need something to do, why not go to Iraq or Afghanistan and entertain the troops?
Could it be karma? We're getting this from a woman who has posed for innumerable nude shots and, however unwittingly, for one of the most popular video sex scenes ever. Someone must have told her that as a result a lot of guys had choked their chickens.
Yes Pam, you're much smarter that I would have ever given you credit for being, and before you turned into a plastic surgery science project you were one fine specimen. But if you need something to do, why not go to Iraq or Afghanistan and entertain the troops?
Desperate times...
You know, moving to a new town forces you into some adaptation. You might even resort to things you wouldn't have considered before.
In my case, I've been in DC for a couple of weeks now, and based on what I've seen, I know what I have to do. I have to get one of those inflatable dolls. And at this point, I don't even care what sex it is.
So what is it - one too many nights alone in a motel room?
No. I just want to dress it up and put it on the passenger side of my vehicle so I can drive in the HOV lanes.
In my case, I've been in DC for a couple of weeks now, and based on what I've seen, I know what I have to do. I have to get one of those inflatable dolls. And at this point, I don't even care what sex it is.
So what is it - one too many nights alone in a motel room?
No. I just want to dress it up and put it on the passenger side of my vehicle so I can drive in the HOV lanes.
Thursday, October 16, 2003
Aren't they forgetting someone?
You know, if the Dems had any real issues we wouldn't keep hearing all this crap about Halliburton. Now we have that old fossil Lautenberg from NJ (you know, the corpse they warmed over to replace Torricelli, a guy with real ethical problems) proposing barring the government from awarding Iraq reconstruction contracts to companies that maintain close financial ties to the president, vice president or members of the president's Cabinet.
Fine, if you're into the politics of spite. But make damned sure that you include Congress too, and their staffs. It wouldn't surprise me if Lautenberg were senile, but somehow I doubt that the omission of Congress from his prohibited group was an oversight.
Fine, if you're into the politics of spite. But make damned sure that you include Congress too, and their staffs. It wouldn't surprise me if Lautenberg were senile, but somehow I doubt that the omission of Congress from his prohibited group was an oversight.
Wednesday, October 15, 2003
A woman's issue
Alright ladies - who wants to stop having menstrual periods? Or maybe you'd like to compromise and have just 4 a year. Then read this.
These guys don't want you to read that.
Via Diotima.
These guys don't want you to read that.
Via Diotima.
Tuesday, October 14, 2003
HIV BS
From Drudge we have this. Key quote: "People with HIV should feel able to disclose their HIV status without fear of rejection or discrimination".
Nonsense. They should disclose their status, period. If they don't, that's reckless disregard for their fellow citizens.
Unless you approve of behavior like this:
Nonsense. They should disclose their status, period. If they don't, that's reckless disregard for their fellow citizens.
Unless you approve of behavior like this:
The most famous contemporary superspreader is Gaetan Dugas, the French-Canadian flight attendant who had sex with thousands of men all over the world in the late 1970s and early `80s. Immortalized in Randy Shilts's 1987 book ''And the Band Played On,'' Dugas was no doubt responsible for a large percentage of early AIDS cases, though just how many remains in dispute. Like Mary Mallon, Dugas hardly cuts a sympathetic figure. According to Shilts, Dugas would sometimes turn on the lights in a bathhouse after an anonymous encounter, revealing the purple lesions on his body to his partner. ''Gay cancer,'' he would say. ''I'm going to die and so are you.''
@$!%* Cubs!
I had a really bad feeling when I saw the fans touch that foul ball that Moises Alou might otherwise have caught in the top of the 8th - surely not again...it reminded me of this.
Unfortunately my foreboding was on the mark. My Cubs autofornicated again, giving up 8 runs in the eighth and losing 8-3.
Sure, there's another game, and it's in Chicago, but...
Unfortunately my foreboding was on the mark. My Cubs autofornicated again, giving up 8 runs in the eighth and losing 8-3.
Sure, there's another game, and it's in Chicago, but...
Gift idea
It's calendar selling season already. My favorite so far is the "Make Fun of the French" daily calendar.
Notice
Found posted outside a Giant Food store in Maryland: "It is a violation of Maryland code 27-120A to remove shopping carts from premises. Violaters subject to a fine up to $25.00."
Monday, October 13, 2003
Greetings from DC
The Indy job ended a few weeks ago. It was comfortable, but it was the third time I'd been to Indy and it's not that big a place, so moving there wasn't all that disruptive.
But then I decided it was time for something different and started looking for consulting gigs farther away from base camp in Illinois. And serendipity stepped in - a call from Arizona set me up with a job in DC. And a touch of culture shock.
Well, that's not the right word. But it is the biggest town I've lived in for some time, since Dallas several years ago. And now I'm working in a true urban setting - lousy parking, people walking everywhere in droves, assorted weirdos, cramped quarters, studios that rent for $1500/month, mass transit...
So far it's great. The weather has been terrific. I'm working in the NW part of town, which is about as safe, convenient and clean as DC gets. And there's plenty around for some serious tourist rubbernecking.
Traffic is obnoxious - I-270 can be a 12 lane parking lot miles outside the Beltway. Prices are a bit higher, especially gasoline. It could be my imagination, but it seems like things close a bit earlier here too.
Perhaps the biggest surprise has been the people. Apparently DC is far enough South to have manners yet. The town is much more Hispanic than I expected, and Spanish language newspapers and magazines are right there by the checkout counter in the Giant Foods and Food Lion stores I've seen.
I'm figuring on being here around 6 months. Then it's off to...
But then I decided it was time for something different and started looking for consulting gigs farther away from base camp in Illinois. And serendipity stepped in - a call from Arizona set me up with a job in DC. And a touch of culture shock.
Well, that's not the right word. But it is the biggest town I've lived in for some time, since Dallas several years ago. And now I'm working in a true urban setting - lousy parking, people walking everywhere in droves, assorted weirdos, cramped quarters, studios that rent for $1500/month, mass transit...
So far it's great. The weather has been terrific. I'm working in the NW part of town, which is about as safe, convenient and clean as DC gets. And there's plenty around for some serious tourist rubbernecking.
Traffic is obnoxious - I-270 can be a 12 lane parking lot miles outside the Beltway. Prices are a bit higher, especially gasoline. It could be my imagination, but it seems like things close a bit earlier here too.
Perhaps the biggest surprise has been the people. Apparently DC is far enough South to have manners yet. The town is much more Hispanic than I expected, and Spanish language newspapers and magazines are right there by the checkout counter in the Giant Foods and Food Lion stores I've seen.
I'm figuring on being here around 6 months. Then it's off to...
Friday, October 03, 2003
Signing off for a while
I'm in the process of relocating and it's getting down to crunch time. So in a few minutes I'll be disconnecting my broadband (sob!) and going offline in the real world for a while. Sometime next week I'll be back. Probably on dialup...
In the meantime there are seventeen gazillion links all over this site, including some on the right that you're not likely to find anywhere else. Enjoy!
In the meantime there are seventeen gazillion links all over this site, including some on the right that you're not likely to find anywhere else. Enjoy!
Heh heh
the only people who would be affected by the abandonment of Kyoto "would be several thousand people who make a living attending conferences on global warming"...I think it's no exaggeration to say that the Russians have b*tchslapped the enviro movement, and in the process done the world a favor.
Via Glenn Reynolds
Thursday, October 02, 2003
Eastern Sportswriters Promote Negros
On ESPN last Sunday, Rush Limbaugh dared to suggest that Donovan McNabb was getting credit for the Philadelphia Eagles' success that more properly belonged to the defense. Correct or not, this is clearly a matter of opinion.
He went on to say that this extra credit was because the sports media wanted a very successful black quarterback. And next thing we know, it's the Night of the Rush Haters and Race Hustlers. Rush decided to resign.
IOW the worst he said was not that McNabb wasn't good, but that he wasn't as good as some sportswriters had suggested. And in fact McNabb has some lousy stats so far this season, which was the whole reason he was being discussed in the first place.
So just what is the problem anyway? McNabb now has a terrific motivator for the rest of the season. Let him put Rush down by being the quarterback he is billed to be, not by whining into a microphone.
And oh yeah, if Rush came to an Eagles practice to apologize, he would not be welcome. Just what is Rush supposed to apologize for? Failing to bow deeply enough?
Re race, McNabb said he thought we were "past that". He'd better tell the NFL. Lately the big issue is that there aren't enough black coaches, and it's to the point that the Detroit Lions were fined for failing to interview a black candidate for their head coaching opening. Steve Mariucci got the job. Which black candidate would you propose who would have been a better choice?
Yo McNabb - take the Eagles to the Super Bowl championship and then you can say anything you want. In the meantime, grow up.
He went on to say that this extra credit was because the sports media wanted a very successful black quarterback. And next thing we know, it's the Night of the Rush Haters and Race Hustlers. Rush decided to resign.
IOW the worst he said was not that McNabb wasn't good, but that he wasn't as good as some sportswriters had suggested. And in fact McNabb has some lousy stats so far this season, which was the whole reason he was being discussed in the first place.
So just what is the problem anyway? McNabb now has a terrific motivator for the rest of the season. Let him put Rush down by being the quarterback he is billed to be, not by whining into a microphone.
And oh yeah, if Rush came to an Eagles practice to apologize, he would not be welcome. Just what is Rush supposed to apologize for? Failing to bow deeply enough?
Re race, McNabb said he thought we were "past that". He'd better tell the NFL. Lately the big issue is that there aren't enough black coaches, and it's to the point that the Detroit Lions were fined for failing to interview a black candidate for their head coaching opening. Steve Mariucci got the job. Which black candidate would you propose who would have been a better choice?
Yo McNabb - take the Eagles to the Super Bowl championship and then you can say anything you want. In the meantime, grow up.
Wednesday, October 01, 2003
The Bush Plan
Some people are awfully testy about mention of President Bush's Iraqi recovery initiatives to the Marshall Plan. The objections don't pass the Gigl Test - Steve writes about them here. (Even though he defends the cheeseheads, he's still OK).
The Navy Walrus
The Indepundit was a very popular blog when it suddenly closed up shop last December. Sometime afterwards we got LT Smash, Live from the Sandbox. Now we have Citizen Smash, back from Kuwait and reassimilating. Welcome back.
Drunk abuse
There are many reasons to avoid drug and alcohol abuse. And if you pass out there are even more.
Oh yeah, there's the summer camp abuse techniques like immersing a hand in some warm water in hopes of making the victim wet their pants - I have no idea why that would work, but it was an article of faith even though nobody ever seemed to have seen it work themselves. It's more effective if you put shaving cream or worse on their hands, then tickle their noses. But we were more sophisticated.
A college buddy of mine is lucky that cameras weren't as common when I was in college as they are now. Otherwise the Internet would be inundated with priceless (not work safe!) pictures of him as we found him one night after a party, nude on the floor of a toilet stall embracing a commode.
Another one took a butter knife into the housing project next door and proceeded to shout racially unenlightened things, like a scene out of "Kentucky Fried Movie". He's lucky it was a cold night so nobody was out to hear him. He finally got cold and came back in, but the combination of alcohol and shivering was so bad he couldn't work his key to get back into the dorm. We finally opened the door and dragged him by his arms face down up a flight of steps, then threw him in the showers. The next day he didn't remember a thing.
Some of you ladies don't know how to hold your liquor either. Hey, some of us guys need all the help we can get.
But of all the things we ever did to abuse or sober up helpless drunks, we never considered doing anything like this. Don't even try it with Vicki.
Oh yeah, there's the summer camp abuse techniques like immersing a hand in some warm water in hopes of making the victim wet their pants - I have no idea why that would work, but it was an article of faith even though nobody ever seemed to have seen it work themselves. It's more effective if you put shaving cream or worse on their hands, then tickle their noses. But we were more sophisticated.
A college buddy of mine is lucky that cameras weren't as common when I was in college as they are now. Otherwise the Internet would be inundated with priceless (not work safe!) pictures of him as we found him one night after a party, nude on the floor of a toilet stall embracing a commode.
Another one took a butter knife into the housing project next door and proceeded to shout racially unenlightened things, like a scene out of "Kentucky Fried Movie". He's lucky it was a cold night so nobody was out to hear him. He finally got cold and came back in, but the combination of alcohol and shivering was so bad he couldn't work his key to get back into the dorm. We finally opened the door and dragged him by his arms face down up a flight of steps, then threw him in the showers. The next day he didn't remember a thing.
Some of you ladies don't know how to hold your liquor either. Hey, some of us guys need all the help we can get.
But of all the things we ever did to abuse or sober up helpless drunks, we never considered doing anything like this. Don't even try it with Vicki.
Security
Bitter is off on her own now and worrying about self-defense. Good for her - I wish I could have managed to get that message across to some young women I've known.
One of them, a relative, could never be troubled even to lock doors. She had been brought up out in the sticks, after all, and forgot about how they had dogs and other deterrents. I deliberately showed up in her apartment unannounced a couple of times when she knew I didn't have a key, but she never got the message. She's older now, married with kids, and now she leans more toward the paranoid end of the spectrum.
Once I lived in the same apartment building with a friend and coworker who likewise acted invulnerable. What made it weirder was that she had a stalker at the time - although he lived 400 miles away, it wasn't hard to imagine him driving up.
She would at least lock the door, but she wouldn't use the deadbolt. Then one day I borrowed a dinner knife from her, had her lock her door, and I was in her apartment about 5 seconds later.
Did I make an impression? Oh, sure, but don't go thinking that she started using the deadbolt. Some time later she had effectively moved in with her fiance and the apartment became a warehouse/bargaining chip. And when she needed something from the apartment, she'd call me and ask me to break into her apartment and bring it to her at work. That was known to include lingerie - I just knew that one day I'd get caught and nobody would ever believe my story.
Basic security isn't that hard. Your external doors should have deadbolts, perhaps even the kind that are keyed on both sides. If not, it's no trick to put them in, and a landlord shouldn't pitch a fuss. Of course it's no help if you don't use it.
Door chains are good, but I like these* better - IMO they're a lot sturdier, they're quicker to use and more resistant to defeat once the door is open. But you can have both if you want. Throw in a surface-mounted bolt too if you like - $20 would get you all three in most places.
Then there are door viewers. These can be had for less than $5 and permit you to see out with the door closed. Most motel rooms and many apartments will already have them. Sure, someone can cover the viewer, but then you know someone is there, don't you?
Sliding glass door security can be had fairly cheaply too - just lay a length of dowel stock in the tracks. Screens are no defense at all.
There's much more that can be done quickly and cheaply. Do it now!
*UPDATE - I was sure I'd find a link for what I was looking for, but then I spaced out and didn't find one before posting. Whoops, now I'll find it or I'll change my name to Ishmael. What? - no luck at Walmart, Kmart, Lowes, Home Depot, Ace Hardware, and True Value Hardware (and I won't link any of the @#$! because they failed me). Alright, I do still have a life, dammit. Anyway, the one moving part is shaped like a tall skinny U connected to a mounting plate by pins at the open end that permit the U to swing in a horizontal plane toward and away from the door. The U engages a protrusion mounted on the door, which can slide within the U to permit opening the door a couple of inches. Other details are such that you can easily flip the U to engage the protrusion when the door is closed, but not when it is open. You've probably seen them in motels and elsewhere - you don't fumble with a chain, it requires no manual dexterity, and unlike a bolt you can still open the door a crack.
Oh yeah, if you mount something like this use nice long screws so you connect to the structure of the house. If the screws only hit trim and drywall they will have no strength.
One of them, a relative, could never be troubled even to lock doors. She had been brought up out in the sticks, after all, and forgot about how they had dogs and other deterrents. I deliberately showed up in her apartment unannounced a couple of times when she knew I didn't have a key, but she never got the message. She's older now, married with kids, and now she leans more toward the paranoid end of the spectrum.
Once I lived in the same apartment building with a friend and coworker who likewise acted invulnerable. What made it weirder was that she had a stalker at the time - although he lived 400 miles away, it wasn't hard to imagine him driving up.
She would at least lock the door, but she wouldn't use the deadbolt. Then one day I borrowed a dinner knife from her, had her lock her door, and I was in her apartment about 5 seconds later.
Did I make an impression? Oh, sure, but don't go thinking that she started using the deadbolt. Some time later she had effectively moved in with her fiance and the apartment became a warehouse/bargaining chip. And when she needed something from the apartment, she'd call me and ask me to break into her apartment and bring it to her at work. That was known to include lingerie - I just knew that one day I'd get caught and nobody would ever believe my story.
Basic security isn't that hard. Your external doors should have deadbolts, perhaps even the kind that are keyed on both sides. If not, it's no trick to put them in, and a landlord shouldn't pitch a fuss. Of course it's no help if you don't use it.
Door chains are good, but I like these* better - IMO they're a lot sturdier, they're quicker to use and more resistant to defeat once the door is open. But you can have both if you want. Throw in a surface-mounted bolt too if you like - $20 would get you all three in most places.
Then there are door viewers. These can be had for less than $5 and permit you to see out with the door closed. Most motel rooms and many apartments will already have them. Sure, someone can cover the viewer, but then you know someone is there, don't you?
Sliding glass door security can be had fairly cheaply too - just lay a length of dowel stock in the tracks. Screens are no defense at all.
There's much more that can be done quickly and cheaply. Do it now!
*UPDATE - I was sure I'd find a link for what I was looking for, but then I spaced out and didn't find one before posting. Whoops, now I'll find it or I'll change my name to Ishmael. What? - no luck at Walmart, Kmart, Lowes, Home Depot, Ace Hardware, and True Value Hardware (and I won't link any of the @#$! because they failed me). Alright, I do still have a life, dammit. Anyway, the one moving part is shaped like a tall skinny U connected to a mounting plate by pins at the open end that permit the U to swing in a horizontal plane toward and away from the door. The U engages a protrusion mounted on the door, which can slide within the U to permit opening the door a couple of inches. Other details are such that you can easily flip the U to engage the protrusion when the door is closed, but not when it is open. You've probably seen them in motels and elsewhere - you don't fumble with a chain, it requires no manual dexterity, and unlike a bolt you can still open the door a crack.
Oh yeah, if you mount something like this use nice long screws so you connect to the structure of the house. If the screws only hit trim and drywall they will have no strength.
Tuesday, September 30, 2003
Celebrate diversity
There's more than one way to raise a daughter, you know.
Sometimes you just need a little tough love. Via Drudge.
Or how about giving a gift that will last a lifetime.
If you raise her right, even after she's out of the house she'll still do her duty to her society. We could learn a lot from such cultures - if we did this in the US we could save Social Security.
Yeah, that's some ugly stuff. But I've heard enough about "cultural diversity" to last a lifetime. And if we wind up steamrolling over some indigenous cultures in Iraq, Afghanistan and wherever the trail might lead, I say the locals should welcome a little cultural diversity themselves.
Sometimes you just need a little tough love. Via Drudge.
Or how about giving a gift that will last a lifetime.
If you raise her right, even after she's out of the house she'll still do her duty to her society. We could learn a lot from such cultures - if we did this in the US we could save Social Security.
Yeah, that's some ugly stuff. But I've heard enough about "cultural diversity" to last a lifetime. And if we wind up steamrolling over some indigenous cultures in Iraq, Afghanistan and wherever the trail might lead, I say the locals should welcome a little cultural diversity themselves.
Monday, September 29, 2003
Sunday, September 28, 2003
Chunky Soup Jinx?
All during football season we see Campbell's Chunky Soup commercials featuring pro football players. The ones I recall had Terrell Davis, Kurt Warner, and now Donovan McNabb.
And now Davis is out of the league, Warner is on his second bad season, and McNabb is stinking so far this year.
And now Davis is out of the league, Warner is on his second bad season, and McNabb is stinking so far this year.
Individualism, not environmentalism
So says Robert Bidinotto, a scourge of environmentalists and founder of ecoNOT.com. His manifesto is here, and his blog is here.
Worst jobs in science
Have you ever wondered just how they judge the effectiveness of deodorants? Or what company has personnel who have the slogan "#1 in the #2 business"?
Read about it right here, thanks to Greg Hlatky.
Read about it right here, thanks to Greg Hlatky.
Saturday, September 27, 2003
Religious persecution in the US
David Limbaugh (yes, he's related to you-know-who) is a conservative Christian columnist who has written a book called "Persecution: How Liberals are waging political war against Christianity". He plugs it in this column. Or if you like a more colorful presentation, check out Ann Coulter here.
The examples given are incredible - here are some from Coulter's column:
The examples given are incredible - here are some from Coulter's column:
In a public school in St. Louis, a teacher spotted the suspect, fourth-grader Raymond Raines, bowing his head in prayer before lunch. The teacher stormed to Raymond's table, ordered him to stop immediately and sent him to the principal's office. The principal informed the young malefactor that praying was not allowed in school. When Raymond was again caught praying before meals on three separate occasions, he was segregated from other students, ridiculed in front of his classmates, and finally sentenced to a week's detention.Or how about this?:
Before snack time in her kindergarten class in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., little Kayla Broadus held hands with two of her classmates and recited this prayer: "God is good, God is great, thank you, God, for my food." The alert teacher pounced on Kayla, severely reprimanded her, and reported her to the school administration. In short order, the principal sent a sternly worded letter to Kayla's parents advising them that Kayla was not allowed to pray in school, aloud or with others.And from the alleged "Bible Belt":
The school board then issued a triumphant press release crowing about its victory over a kindergartner praying before snack time. Thus was creeping theocracy in Saratoga Springs stopped dead in its tracks! Kayla's mother brought a lawsuit, winning Kayla the right to pray out loud. But she was still prohibited from holding hands with others while she prayed.
Thanks to the vigilance of an alert teacher at Lynn Lucas Middle School outside of Houston, two sisters carrying Bibles were prevented from bringing their vile material into a classroom. The teacher stopped the students at the classroom door and marched them to the principal's office....The sisters' mother was called and warned that the school intended to report her to Child Protective Services. When the mother arrived, the teacher threw the Bibles in the wastebasket, shouting, "This is garbage!"Even extreme notions of the separation of church and state do not justify this nonsense. IMO all of the relevant teachers and administrators in the events above should have lost their jobs on the spot.
In another display of tolerance at Lynn Lucas Middle School, school administrators snatched three students' books with covers displaying the Ten Commandments, ripped the covers off, threw them in the garbage, and told the students that the Ten Commandments constituted "hate speech."
No discriminators in here, boss
Some years back I applied for a state job in IL. I went to the personnel center to pick up some papers and noted that there were no other white males there. If this had been on the south side of Chicago it might have been different, but this was in Champaign/Urbana. Being a college town of about 150,000 or so, it's not lily-white, but there was no way that that race distribution would have resulted from competence-based hiring.
Now CLog notes the massive discrimination in hiring at the EEOC and Department of Education.
It might well be that blacks are disproportionately qualified for education jobs in that for years teaching was one of the few professions open to them. But those days are long past, and I find it difficult to believe that residual effects could result in what we observe.
Now CLog notes the massive discrimination in hiring at the EEOC and Department of Education.
It might well be that blacks are disproportionately qualified for education jobs in that for years teaching was one of the few professions open to them. But those days are long past, and I find it difficult to believe that residual effects could result in what we observe.
Friday, September 26, 2003
Wifi test run
For some time now I've read Glenn Reynolds' reports of blogging via WiFi from bookstores and elsewhere with envy. So a few months ago I bought a laptop with WinXP Pro and built-in WiFi and I've been dying to try it out. Then came yesterday's free WiFi day, so I found a local Borders store and checked it out.
It was wide open, and Windows warned of that. I wasn't prompted for anything at all before I was able to sign on and surf the Web. I'll have to see what is different on another trip.
I'm guessing that the core of the system (from T-Mobile) was in the coffee shop, because that seemed to be where the strongest signal was according to XP. I went to the extreme corners of the store and the reception weakened but was still "very good".
Then I went outside to test it from the first row of parking spaces. The strength was "low", but still didn't give me any problems. Well, other than the strange looks I got standing there using the PC off the hood of my vehicle around 10:30 PM.
I can't speak to the reliability other than to note it was pretty idiot proof while I was using it. I considered having it download a 62MB file but I didn't want to have to wait for it.
At one point I closed the laptop, which as my laptop is configured causes WinXP to go into standby. This apparently ended the connection, and when I opened the laptop again I got what seemed like a million "Delayed Write Failure" nastygrams, which didn't cease until I gave the machine a hardware reboot a few minutes later. The messages said that the problem could result from a lost connection, so I guess in the future I'll either leave the thing open while I transport it or else disable the wireless connection before closing.
Not having significant experience with WiFi in the real world yet, I'm not sure what would happen under other conditions. Rain, for instance - that might have affected me while I was outside. Or heavier traffic - near as I could tell I was the only one using it. Battery life seemed OK, even after I turned the screen brightness way up under the bright bookstore lighting.
I can't remember when I read about the free WiFi, but when I told the Borders people about it the day before they had no idea. They didn't have to do anything, so they really didn't need to know, but it sounds like something that they might have liked to promote. For my part, I sent Glenn Reynolds an email about it in case he wanted to plug it, but he didn't.
Looking for free WiFi access? It might be as simple as turning on your machine, if your neighbor has it and hasn't locked it down. You can look for warchalking symbols like these (concept based on these), or buy a gizmo like this.
UPDATE: Our Misanthropyst could ruin his reputation with comments like this, but I'll repost it here:"Well, don't forget that when you joined their network you have no say so as to who else is on it and what they are doing. Make sure you're running a software firewall, and pass no username / password data that isn't encrypted via secure websites or VPN. Funky world out there..."
It was wide open, and Windows warned of that. I wasn't prompted for anything at all before I was able to sign on and surf the Web. I'll have to see what is different on another trip.
I'm guessing that the core of the system (from T-Mobile) was in the coffee shop, because that seemed to be where the strongest signal was according to XP. I went to the extreme corners of the store and the reception weakened but was still "very good".
Then I went outside to test it from the first row of parking spaces. The strength was "low", but still didn't give me any problems. Well, other than the strange looks I got standing there using the PC off the hood of my vehicle around 10:30 PM.
I can't speak to the reliability other than to note it was pretty idiot proof while I was using it. I considered having it download a 62MB file but I didn't want to have to wait for it.
At one point I closed the laptop, which as my laptop is configured causes WinXP to go into standby. This apparently ended the connection, and when I opened the laptop again I got what seemed like a million "Delayed Write Failure" nastygrams, which didn't cease until I gave the machine a hardware reboot a few minutes later. The messages said that the problem could result from a lost connection, so I guess in the future I'll either leave the thing open while I transport it or else disable the wireless connection before closing.
Not having significant experience with WiFi in the real world yet, I'm not sure what would happen under other conditions. Rain, for instance - that might have affected me while I was outside. Or heavier traffic - near as I could tell I was the only one using it. Battery life seemed OK, even after I turned the screen brightness way up under the bright bookstore lighting.
I can't remember when I read about the free WiFi, but when I told the Borders people about it the day before they had no idea. They didn't have to do anything, so they really didn't need to know, but it sounds like something that they might have liked to promote. For my part, I sent Glenn Reynolds an email about it in case he wanted to plug it, but he didn't.
Looking for free WiFi access? It might be as simple as turning on your machine, if your neighbor has it and hasn't locked it down. You can look for warchalking symbols like these (concept based on these), or buy a gizmo like this.
UPDATE: Our Misanthropyst could ruin his reputation with comments like this, but I'll repost it here:"Well, don't forget that when you joined their network you have no say so as to who else is on it and what they are doing. Make sure you're running a software firewall, and pass no username / password data that isn't encrypted via secure websites or VPN. Funky world out there..."
What the Democrats believe
By Rich Lowry here.
And then check out Charles Krauthammer here for some commentary on that ladykiller Ted Kennedy's recent bout of Tourette's.
And then check out Charles Krauthammer here for some commentary on that ladykiller Ted Kennedy's recent bout of Tourette's.
GOPunk!
Yes, there are punk Republicans - see GOPunk's FAQ page here.
This cries out for a visual. What should our prototype punk Republican look like?
This cries out for a visual. What should our prototype punk Republican look like?
Televisions for freedom
Virginia Postrel notes "Iraqis' entrepreneurial response to post-Saddam conditions".
And don't miss her latest book, "The Substance of Style".
And don't miss her latest book, "The Substance of Style".
Thursday, September 25, 2003
No, you suggest the bullwhip thing.
It's no big surprise that Andrew Sullivan approves of those Robert Mapplethorpe photos of Arnold Schwartzenegger nude. For my part it's not about the esthetics - it's just refreshing to see a politician who isn't always covering his ass.
Now suppose this exposure causes Arnold to rise in the polls? Who wants to bet that we'll be seeing John Kerry, Howard Dean and Wesley Clark dropping their drawers? Thank God Hillary! and Ted Kennedy aren't running.
Now suppose this exposure causes Arnold to rise in the polls? Who wants to bet that we'll be seeing John Kerry, Howard Dean and Wesley Clark dropping their drawers? Thank God Hillary! and Ted Kennedy aren't running.
Michael Moore Hates America
I try not to belabor the obvious on this site, but this is just too good a cause - a Michael Moore type documentary on Michael Moore. Let's just hope there's no nudity.
Via the righteous babes at Right We Are!
Via the righteous babes at Right We Are!
Stupid stem cell tricks
Drudge pointed to this article:
But notice the priorities. We've heard so much about the potential of embryonic stem cells, and they want to use them for what? Yeah, that's a high priority. Why not generate appendixes while you're at it?
Of course appendixes aren't the worst or most useless things you could make out of embryonic stem cells - cancer would be worse. But that's been done - one of the problems with embryonic stem cells vs. those harvested from adults is that the embryonic ones are more likely to cause tumors. Somehow that never makes it into the coverage or the diatribes against Bush's policies.
Embryonic stem cells have been encouraged to grow into sperm cells for the first time, Japanese scientists report.At least they said "embryonic" which hopefully would give people a clue that they're not the only game in town.
But notice the priorities. We've heard so much about the potential of embryonic stem cells, and they want to use them for what? Yeah, that's a high priority. Why not generate appendixes while you're at it?
Of course appendixes aren't the worst or most useless things you could make out of embryonic stem cells - cancer would be worse. But that's been done - one of the problems with embryonic stem cells vs. those harvested from adults is that the embryonic ones are more likely to cause tumors. Somehow that never makes it into the coverage or the diatribes against Bush's policies.
Wednesday, September 24, 2003
The liars are cheats too
Greenpeace does nothing to clean up the environment, but it appears they know how to launder money. From my email:
GREENPEACE ACCUSED OF MONEY LAUNDERING DONATIONSNow really - did anyone ever solve a problem simply by bitching about it? But that's all that Greenpox and their ilk ever do. If they would fund engineering scholarships or research into their pet technologies they might deserve some credibility as a group that is searching for solutions rather than problems. But their actual behavior shows that they are just watermelons.
Group Files IRS Complaint, Seeks to Revoke Privileged Tax Exempt Status
A non-profit watchdog group today filed a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service against Greenpeace, accusing the organization of illegally soliciting and transferring millions of dollars in tax-deductible contributions.
In a report titled "Green Peace, Dirty Money: Tax Violations in the World of Non-Profits," Public Interest Watch (PIW) accused Greenpeace - one of the world's most recognizable and visible non-profits - of knowingly and systematically violating United States tax laws. See www.publicinterestwatch.org for further information.
"At the heart of the matter is the way in which Greenpeace's complex corporate structure masks its misuse of tax-exempt contributions," claimed Mike Hardiman, Executive Director of PIW.
"The IRS very clearly differentiates between taxable and tax-exempt contributions, and the ways in which they can be used," Hardiman said. "Greenpeace has devised a system for diverting tax-exempt funds into non-exempt organizations within its empire and using the money for improper and illegal purposes. It is plainly a case of money laundering."
The report details how during a three year span, one Greenpeace entity diverted over $24 million in tax-exempt contributions. Such contributions are supposed to be used for charitable, educational or scientific programs, but instead financed advocacy campaigns.
Examples of taxpayer subsidized activities undertaken by Greenpeace include:
-Blockading a naval base in protest of the Iraq war,
-Boarding an oil tanker for a banner hanging,
-Breaking into the central control building of a nuclear power station,
-Padlocking the gates of a government research facility.
Because Greenpeace receives significant donations from large entities such as the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and the Turner Foundation, the report also calls into question the accountability of these donors.
"Foundations that make tax-exempt contributions are responsible for verifying that their funds are used appropriately," Hardiman said. "In the case of contributions to Greenpeace, either the foundations have no idea how their money is being spent, or they are knowingly allowing their funds to be laundered for illegal advocacy and civil disobedience."
In addition to the IRS investigation, the report calls for a series of remedies, including:
-Greater oversight by grant-making foundations such as Rockefeller and Turner,
-Regulatory and legislative investigations of Greenpeace by Congress,
-Action under California law governing non-profits.
"Greenpeace is cheating the taxpayer by accepting tax-deductible contributions, and then misusing the funds," Hardiman said. "They are accepting taxpayer subsidized funds for charity and education, and then using it to hang banners on buildings and break into nuclear power stations."
Hardiman also said PIW was considering filing a lawsuit in California under a provision of the state's Business and Professions Code, commonly known as a 17200 lawsuit.
"California has a series of statutes designed to protect the public from impropriety on the part of non-profits," Hardiman said. "And in the case of Greenpeace, we believe its violations of law mean that the state's Attorney General should take action. And if the AG is not willing, then he should grant "relator status" to PIW so we can." Relator status can be conferred onto an entity by the AG, and allows it to pursue legal claims in the name of the people of California.
Public Interest Watch (PIW) was established in 2002 in response to the growing misuse of charitable funds by nonprofit organizations and the lack of effort by government agencies to deal with the problem. PIW works to fight charitable trust abuse by exposing individual cases of abuse and advocating for stronger governmental oversight, including requirements for greater financial disclosure by charitable organizations.
PIW is a Washington, DC-based advocacy organization, which means contributions to PIW are not tax-deductible. Initial funding for PIW has been provided by business organizations.
Name that tune?
Does anyone know the name of the song they're playing in the background of the latest Taco Bell commercials?
Tuesday, September 23, 2003
Of Hooters, Dorothy Parker, chicken abuse and other digressions (but no penguins)
Here's a Fortune article about Hooters, the irreplaceable restaurant chain:
It's easy to undervalue Hooters' contribution to our culture and polity. In their fight against the EEOC they did at least as much for our rights as anything that chicken-sodomizing California governor candidate Larry Flynt ever did. Their website is a font of art and wisdom and even includes invaluable career guidance. And although I once thought that the most useless thing in the world would be a drive-up window at Hooters, a lot of people really do like the food and I've known at least one pack of women who used to go there for lunch regularly.
So support your Hooters today. (oh, you knew that was coming...)
"So how on earth, in such a politically correct age, in such a failure-prone business, could Hooters have reached age 20 and still be busting out all over? From a single Florida beach bar, Hooters has expanded to 342 locations (27 of them, ahem, abroad), four lines of retail food, one golf tour, and two car-racing circuits (stock and drag). If you laid out the 30 million pounds of Hooters wings served each year, they'd encircle the globe at the equator. If you piled up the 15,000 current Hooters Girls ... well, they'd really be stacked."Oh yeah? Well, what if all the Hooters girls were laid end to end?
It's easy to undervalue Hooters' contribution to our culture and polity. In their fight against the EEOC they did at least as much for our rights as anything that chicken-sodomizing California governor candidate Larry Flynt ever did. Their website is a font of art and wisdom and even includes invaluable career guidance. And although I once thought that the most useless thing in the world would be a drive-up window at Hooters, a lot of people really do like the food and I've known at least one pack of women who used to go there for lunch regularly.
So support your Hooters today. (oh, you knew that was coming...)
Sunday, September 21, 2003
Egg dynamics
It's the equinox, the time of the year that people attempt to balance eggs. And in fact they can. Just like you can during the rest of the year too, but somehow the equinoxes got associated with this.
If you have obnoxious kids, spouses, roommates or others, you might have raw eggs mixed up with hard-boiled eggs. How can you tell them apart nondestructively? You spin them. The hard boiled eggs will be easier to spin because they lack the internal viscous friction and instability of the raw eggs - the yolk doesn't start and stop at the same time the shell does.
If you are the obnoxious one, then get hold of a chalk egg and put it in with the innocents. You used to be able to get them by mail order as a gag - I can't seem to find any just now. In real life they've been placed by hens to "inspire" them. Anyway, it's fun to watch a strong-willed person deal with one.
Then there was the time the rooster saw his first Easter egg. He thought about it for a moment, then went and beat the crap out of the peacock.
If you have obnoxious kids, spouses, roommates or others, you might have raw eggs mixed up with hard-boiled eggs. How can you tell them apart nondestructively? You spin them. The hard boiled eggs will be easier to spin because they lack the internal viscous friction and instability of the raw eggs - the yolk doesn't start and stop at the same time the shell does.
If you are the obnoxious one, then get hold of a chalk egg and put it in with the innocents. You used to be able to get them by mail order as a gag - I can't seem to find any just now. In real life they've been placed by hens to "inspire" them. Anyway, it's fun to watch a strong-willed person deal with one.
Then there was the time the rooster saw his first Easter egg. He thought about it for a moment, then went and beat the crap out of the peacock.
Guess what it's OK to end a sentence with?
Liberal application of logic I
I'm trying to understand those who think differently from me. Two such people are Kevin Drum and Mark A. R. Kleiman.
Mr. Drum posted A Taxonomy of Lies. John Cole has already commented on this at length, but I thought I'd attempt to use it. In my experience nothing annoys liberals more than holding them to their own standards, so this could be fun.
One type oflieuntruth Mr. Drum identifies he borrows from Josh Marshall - "the confidently expressed, but currently undisprovable assertion."
This would include pretty much any statement about the future, now wouldn't it? After all, you can't even prove that you will be alive tomorrow, or that there will be gravity or even that there will be a universe - (there are people who believe that universes can appear out of nowhere from a "big bang", after all - maybe universes can just disappear, too). Inasmuch as politicians have to speak of the futures that would result from their policies, this standard does lead to the plausible result that all politicians are liars. But it also means that Mr. Drum would be lying if he said "Josh Marshall will tell the truth".
I was amused by Mr. Drum's example - "For example, the idea that his 2003 tax cut proposal would spur job growth was almost universally scorned by mainstream economists, but you couldn't prove it wouldn't work, so he got away with it". So just what is he saying about "mainstream economists" - that they are almost universally so biased and unprofessional that they must scorn ideologically unacceptable proposals without having proof? Could he be lying?
Mr. Drum also offers the "technical lie" - "a statement that's very carefully constructed to leave an incorrect impression — but that turns out to be technically true if you parse it closely enough." Note that this definition is very carefully constructed to permit users to call true statements lies while technically telling the truth. How's that for an "incorrect impression"? And it's coming from someone who is complaining about "deception".
Mr. Drum offers 3 examples of technical lies. He claims that Bush lied when he noted that 60 stem cell lines existed by saying that at that time only one line was usable. That Mr. Drum makes this distinction is interesting because he later notes that subsequently, per the same flawed and Fisk-worthy reference, with no changes in Bush's policy, now there are 11 lines available. So he should be aware that it takes time for the lines to become available, and he offers nothing to contradict that in time all 60 will be available.
If you think the President of the United States should attempt to explain something as complex as stem cell research in a political speech I'll beg to differ. But if you want to make something of this, let's talk about the Big Lie coming from embryonic stem cell partisans - their failure to acknowledge the scary failures of embryonic stem cells, and the successes if not the very existence of adult stem cell research:
I could go on with the other two bullet points, but I'm sure others have done a better job, this post is already long, and I want to get around to see if Mark Kleiman can survive Mr. Drum's standards for truth. So I'll be content to note that Mr. Drum notes that both of the remaining statements he questions are "technically true". And then I'll point out the obvious - technically true = true.
And I'll ask just what is it that compels people to argue with statements that they say are true?
Mr. Drum posted A Taxonomy of Lies. John Cole has already commented on this at length, but I thought I'd attempt to use it. In my experience nothing annoys liberals more than holding them to their own standards, so this could be fun.
One type of
This would include pretty much any statement about the future, now wouldn't it? After all, you can't even prove that you will be alive tomorrow, or that there will be gravity or even that there will be a universe - (there are people who believe that universes can appear out of nowhere from a "big bang", after all - maybe universes can just disappear, too). Inasmuch as politicians have to speak of the futures that would result from their policies, this standard does lead to the plausible result that all politicians are liars. But it also means that Mr. Drum would be lying if he said "Josh Marshall will tell the truth".
I was amused by Mr. Drum's example - "For example, the idea that his 2003 tax cut proposal would spur job growth was almost universally scorned by mainstream economists, but you couldn't prove it wouldn't work, so he got away with it". So just what is he saying about "mainstream economists" - that they are almost universally so biased and unprofessional that they must scorn ideologically unacceptable proposals without having proof? Could he be lying?
Mr. Drum also offers the "technical lie" - "a statement that's very carefully constructed to leave an incorrect impression — but that turns out to be technically true if you parse it closely enough." Note that this definition is very carefully constructed to permit users to call true statements lies while technically telling the truth. How's that for an "incorrect impression"? And it's coming from someone who is complaining about "deception".
Mr. Drum offers 3 examples of technical lies. He claims that Bush lied when he noted that 60 stem cell lines existed by saying that at that time only one line was usable. That Mr. Drum makes this distinction is interesting because he later notes that subsequently, per the same flawed and Fisk-worthy reference, with no changes in Bush's policy, now there are 11 lines available. So he should be aware that it takes time for the lines to become available, and he offers nothing to contradict that in time all 60 will be available.
If you think the President of the United States should attempt to explain something as complex as stem cell research in a political speech I'll beg to differ. But if you want to make something of this, let's talk about the Big Lie coming from embryonic stem cell partisans - their failure to acknowledge the scary failures of embryonic stem cells, and the successes if not the very existence of adult stem cell research:
CAMR: “We do not have enough stem cells for research... There certainly are not enough to turn research into treatments.”. Next to this Mr. Drum's tortured "exist" v. "usable" distinction IMO is not merely trivial, but ultimately irrelevant.
FACT: Embryonic stem cell research is many years away from “treatments” – and this is due not to insufficient cell lines, but to inherent problems in these cells. They are difficult to grow, difficult to control, and have a disturbing tendency to form potentially lethal tumors when placed in animals. And they have yet to provide a safe and effective treatment for any condition, in any animal species. Early reports that mouse embryonic stem cells had successfully been turned into insulin-producing cells for treating diabetes are now in doubt, as it seems the cells may only have absorbed existing insulin from surrounding tissues and then released it again (J. Rajagopal, in 299 Science 363 [Jan. 17, 2003]). Researchers are also finding that ample supplies of beneficial stem cells may be produced from many adult tissues, from umbilical cords and placentas (now thrown away 4 million times a year in this country after live births), and other sources, and these are already providing treatments for many conditions.
I could go on with the other two bullet points, but I'm sure others have done a better job, this post is already long, and I want to get around to see if Mark Kleiman can survive Mr. Drum's standards for truth. So I'll be content to note that Mr. Drum notes that both of the remaining statements he questions are "technically true". And then I'll point out the obvious - technically true = true.
And I'll ask just what is it that compels people to argue with statements that they say are true?
The Caucasian Club?
According to Drudge, some girl in CA wants to start a Caucasian Club. IMO what is interesting is the concept that this club, unlike her high school's Asian Club and Black Student Union, will cause "racial tension".
According to this PDF, "Today, about one in three Californians is Latino — a total of about 12 million residents. In 2000, the U.S. Census Bureau designated California as the first large “majority-minority” state, with non-Hispanic whites representing less than half of the population. In 20 years, Latinos are expected to outnumber non-Hispanic whites in the state." When will it be OK to have a Caucasian Club?
According to this PDF, "Today, about one in three Californians is Latino — a total of about 12 million residents. In 2000, the U.S. Census Bureau designated California as the first large “majority-minority” state, with non-Hispanic whites representing less than half of the population. In 20 years, Latinos are expected to outnumber non-Hispanic whites in the state." When will it be OK to have a Caucasian Club?
Just asking...
Do you recognize this woman?
And if not, why not?
So who is it? An actress? A singer? A model? Surely not an athlete?
In fact it is an athlete who ought to be a lot more famous. That's Mia Hamm, who might be the world's best women's soccer player ever. And this year it's time again for the women's World Cup where she will help the US team defend its title. She's 31 now, so it's likely that this will be her last World Cup. And now that the WUSA women's soccer league has folded, there won't be many more opportunities to see her play.
Even if you don't like metric football, it's still a bunch of young buff normal-sized wet women who've been known to take their jerseys off when they score. What could be wrong with that?
Saturday, September 20, 2003
Unconventional agriculture
Fritz Schrank on Delaware's little-known cash crop. And there's probably no better place to go for a snipe hunt either.
Via the ultimate source of wisdom on all things economic, Jane Galt.
Via the ultimate source of wisdom on all things economic, Jane Galt.
Civil discourse
.
This cartoon would be offensive even if it were accurate. IMO the cartoonist Don Wright should be fisted by Shaquille O'Neal.
Wednesday, September 17, 2003
Overheard on "Extreme Dating"
"You don't like toys. You don't do threesomes. You don't do cybersex. What do you do?"
"Extreme Dating" is a TV show that doesn't seem to have a website. In it a contestant is competing with two exes while out on a date with a 4th person on camera. The exes are watching and feeding commentary and suggestions to #4 throughout the date. Based on all of this #4 decides if there will be another date. If so, the contestant wins and the couple gets a date paid for by the show. Otherwise the exes win a prize.
And now for the question you must be asking: why on earth am I watching this? Details to follow...
"Extreme Dating" is a TV show that doesn't seem to have a website. In it a contestant is competing with two exes while out on a date with a 4th person on camera. The exes are watching and feeding commentary and suggestions to #4 throughout the date. Based on all of this #4 decides if there will be another date. If so, the contestant wins and the couple gets a date paid for by the show. Otherwise the exes win a prize.
And now for the question you must be asking: why on earth am I watching this? Details to follow...
Target rich environment indeed
I have often disagreed with Paul Krugman. But now he has lost his @#$!@#$ mind.
Tuesday, September 16, 2003
WOW
As in Women of WalMart. Playboy wants to run a pictorial on this theme. Far be it to insult the pulchritude of the legions of ladies who work at Wal Mart, but I'm thinking Playboy has really run out of ideas.
Maybe they need suggestions. How about Women of Waffle House? Women of the Department of Motor Vehicles? Women of the Salvation Army? Candy Striper Girls?
Maybe they need suggestions. How about Women of Waffle House? Women of the Department of Motor Vehicles? Women of the Salvation Army? Candy Striper Girls?
Solar power info in Mother Earth News
The August/September issue of Mother Earth News has a big section on solar power.
Well so what, you say - even if I wanted to mess with this I couldn't, because I live in the burbs and the zoning people wouldn't let me do anything. Maybe, maybe not. The cover story shows a family of 5 outside their exurban Washington DC home which teams solar power, passive solar and general purpose conservation so well that they have zero net power usage. They have 6 kW of capacity, which is expensive, but the resulting increase in their mortgage payments was just about equal to their presumed energy cost savings.
Another interesting project involved a man who got tired of his very hard, overchlorinated city water supply and decided to start trapping his rainwater. At first it was just for toilets, washing clothes and other such, but eventually he added components so it could supply his drinking water too. The auxiliaries such as storage tanks cost him some yard space, but he's very happy with the results.
In both cases the corresponding utilities are available locally, so there is always a backup.
Projects like these aren't cheap, require a fair amount of involvement after completion, and typically make little economic sense outside very specific circumstances. But solar panel prices are coming down, so the scope of applicability is increasing.
Well so what, you say - even if I wanted to mess with this I couldn't, because I live in the burbs and the zoning people wouldn't let me do anything. Maybe, maybe not. The cover story shows a family of 5 outside their exurban Washington DC home which teams solar power, passive solar and general purpose conservation so well that they have zero net power usage. They have 6 kW of capacity, which is expensive, but the resulting increase in their mortgage payments was just about equal to their presumed energy cost savings.
Another interesting project involved a man who got tired of his very hard, overchlorinated city water supply and decided to start trapping his rainwater. At first it was just for toilets, washing clothes and other such, but eventually he added components so it could supply his drinking water too. The auxiliaries such as storage tanks cost him some yard space, but he's very happy with the results.
In both cases the corresponding utilities are available locally, so there is always a backup.
Projects like these aren't cheap, require a fair amount of involvement after completion, and typically make little economic sense outside very specific circumstances. But solar panel prices are coming down, so the scope of applicability is increasing.
Monday, September 15, 2003
Animal sex roundup
Relax, what follows is confined to one species at a time. Most of the time, anyway.
Click here for the longest bird penis ever. Yes, there's a picture. I'll never look at ducks the same way again.
Dawn Olsen points to some guidance from the Ayatollah Khomeini on sex. This does involve animals. The four legged kind, even. There's more here and elsewhere on the site.
I think I've mentioned Dr. Tatiana's Sex Advice for All Creation before. The shtick here is that various species write in to Dr. Tatiana to ask for advice about dealing with their dysfunctions. And they have some unique, uh, situations, such as species of fruit fly with sperm longer than they are themselves.
Click here for the longest bird penis ever. Yes, there's a picture. I'll never look at ducks the same way again.
Dawn Olsen points to some guidance from the Ayatollah Khomeini on sex. This does involve animals. The four legged kind, even. There's more here and elsewhere on the site.
I think I've mentioned Dr. Tatiana's Sex Advice for All Creation before. The shtick here is that various species write in to Dr. Tatiana to ask for advice about dealing with their dysfunctions. And they have some unique, uh, situations, such as species of fruit fly with sperm longer than they are themselves.
Long lost cousin?
We already have White Glenn and Black Glenn. I guess that makes me White Bowen, and here's the Black Bowen.
I've been known to do a bit of genealogy. I can trace the Bowen part back to Wales, but most of the rest is unknown.
The unknowns include a great grandfather who I assume had dark skin, which you wouldn't ordinarily associate with his Dutch name. Allegedly he was abandoned at an early age. Near as I can tell much of his blood was American Indian, based on the skin tones of his descendants and the fact that they all had straight hair. Apparently it all bleached out by the time it got to me.
Then again, the typical racial categories are almost arbitrary. Black Americans certainly have African blood potentially from all over that huge continent, but so do many "whites" and "Hispanics". Hispanics would be muddled enough merely by lumping Puerto Ricans, Cubans and Mexicans, and it's even worse when you look at how much mixing there is within each of those subgroups. American Indians aren't exactly homogeneous, but they get a category of their own along with "Asian/Pacific Islanders".
The gang at Gene Expression has lots more to say about race issues, and lots of other stuff besides.
I've been known to do a bit of genealogy. I can trace the Bowen part back to Wales, but most of the rest is unknown.
The unknowns include a great grandfather who I assume had dark skin, which you wouldn't ordinarily associate with his Dutch name. Allegedly he was abandoned at an early age. Near as I can tell much of his blood was American Indian, based on the skin tones of his descendants and the fact that they all had straight hair. Apparently it all bleached out by the time it got to me.
Then again, the typical racial categories are almost arbitrary. Black Americans certainly have African blood potentially from all over that huge continent, but so do many "whites" and "Hispanics". Hispanics would be muddled enough merely by lumping Puerto Ricans, Cubans and Mexicans, and it's even worse when you look at how much mixing there is within each of those subgroups. American Indians aren't exactly homogeneous, but they get a category of their own along with "Asian/Pacific Islanders".
The gang at Gene Expression has lots more to say about race issues, and lots of other stuff besides.
Saturday, September 13, 2003
The ultimate hypocrite?
Here's my nominee: Madonna. She's protecting her daughter Lourdes:
Does this mean she thinks that what she has done in her career is bad for kids?
Sure, it's up to parents to protect their kids from adverse influences, and some might even have the cojones to praise Madonna for her approach. Hey, she's even writing books for kids nowadays. Welcome to common sense, sweetie - some of us were here all along.
There was a time when pop culture was far less sex-addled than it is today. Madonna was a major factor in pushing standards to the looseness of today's. In doing so she made money hand over fist from other peoples' kids, and now she's using that money to seal off her own kids from her own influence.
Link via Drudge.
"I protect her from sex full stop," she said.I didn't see the show, but I thought I saw a picture in which Lourdes was on stage at the time this all happened.
"She's not aware of sex, nor should she be. You know, we've had little conversations about where babies come from, but sex is not, and shouldn't be, part of her repertoire right now."
The interview comes just days after Madonna French-kissed Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera live on stage at an awards ceremony.
But she said she would ensure that her daughter does not see such TV footage of her mother until she is much older.
Does this mean she thinks that what she has done in her career is bad for kids?
Although Madonna admitted that she had come a long way from her wild Sex and Erotica days, she said she regretted nothing.Oh, that's not the only place...
"I'm not apologising in any shape or form (for those Sex years)," she said. "That's where my head was at the time."
Sure, it's up to parents to protect their kids from adverse influences, and some might even have the cojones to praise Madonna for her approach. Hey, she's even writing books for kids nowadays. Welcome to common sense, sweetie - some of us were here all along.
There was a time when pop culture was far less sex-addled than it is today. Madonna was a major factor in pushing standards to the looseness of today's. In doing so she made money hand over fist from other peoples' kids, and now she's using that money to seal off her own kids from her own influence.
Link via Drudge.
Friday, September 12, 2003
Thursday, September 11, 2003
The Jumpers
Kathy Kinsley linked to this, about the photos of the people who jumped out of the WTC two years ago.
What would it take to make you jump out of a building from 100+ stories up? Does showing pictures or videos of these somehow disrespect the dead and/or their kin?
IMO no, it doesn't. And if it's horrible, well, maybe that's what it will take to get people to remember just what was done two years ago.
OTOH I know something that does show disrespect for the dead and their families. That's when some jackass says "move on", or better yet, "why do they hate us?" Do you suppose any of the jumpers asked themselves that?
What would it take to make you jump out of a building from 100+ stories up? Does showing pictures or videos of these somehow disrespect the dead and/or their kin?
IMO no, it doesn't. And if it's horrible, well, maybe that's what it will take to get people to remember just what was done two years ago.
OTOH I know something that does show disrespect for the dead and their families. That's when some jackass says "move on", or better yet, "why do they hate us?" Do you suppose any of the jumpers asked themselves that?
Badly Biased Coverage
I've heard the fuss about the BBC's slanted coverage before but couldn't comment because I hadn't been subjected to it. Until this morning, when I happened upon BBC America and decided to see how they'd cover the second anniversary of the 9/11 massacre.
So far I've heard much alleging political opportunism by Republicans, blah blah. And the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were spoken of as if Bush had just thrown darts at a world map to decide where to fight back.
Top story? The murder of a Swedish politician, with much emphasis on how hard Swedes were going to take it, and how violence had marred their liberal society. Fair enough - they have a whole world to cover, and this certainly is newsworthy. But I was under the impression that the feed I was watching was designed with the American audience in mind.
Back to New York. So far we've had two interviews - both of people from September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, whose views might be said to be in the minority. There's nothing like balanced coverage, eh?
One of them said something like their loved ones didn't die to be politically exploited. If that's true, sister, then get your silly mug off the screen - do you think the BBC news guy would be interviewing you if you hadn't lost someone?
They've moved on to other stuff now after covering part of the recitation of names of victims at the WTC site, and I've had enough besides. Maybe if I sat around for more I'd see something better. But so far I haven't seen anything to contradict what I've heard about their biases.
So far I've heard much alleging political opportunism by Republicans, blah blah. And the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were spoken of as if Bush had just thrown darts at a world map to decide where to fight back.
Top story? The murder of a Swedish politician, with much emphasis on how hard Swedes were going to take it, and how violence had marred their liberal society. Fair enough - they have a whole world to cover, and this certainly is newsworthy. But I was under the impression that the feed I was watching was designed with the American audience in mind.
Back to New York. So far we've had two interviews - both of people from September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, whose views might be said to be in the minority. There's nothing like balanced coverage, eh?
One of them said something like their loved ones didn't die to be politically exploited. If that's true, sister, then get your silly mug off the screen - do you think the BBC news guy would be interviewing you if you hadn't lost someone?
They've moved on to other stuff now after covering part of the recitation of names of victims at the WTC site, and I've had enough besides. Maybe if I sat around for more I'd see something better. But so far I haven't seen anything to contradict what I've heard about their biases.
Edward Teller 1908-2003
We lost a great American on Tuesday. Being a staunch anti-Communist, Edward Teller was demonized relentlessly for half a century.
Here is a 5 page bio.
Of all of the stellar cast of physicist he worked with, he might well have been the most brilliant of them all. Because as the bio notes: "No one could have had a greater influence on me than Hitler, who made it entirely clear to me that one could not ignore politics, and very particularly one could not ignore the worst evils in politics." And he quotes a speech by FDR: ""I am a pacifist, and you my friends are pacifists, but I am telling you, if you are not going to work on the instruments of war, freedom will be lost everywhere." "
Here is a 5 page bio.
Of all of the stellar cast of physicist he worked with, he might well have been the most brilliant of them all. Because as the bio notes: "No one could have had a greater influence on me than Hitler, who made it entirely clear to me that one could not ignore politics, and very particularly one could not ignore the worst evils in politics." And he quotes a speech by FDR: ""I am a pacifist, and you my friends are pacifists, but I am telling you, if you are not going to work on the instruments of war, freedom will be lost everywhere." "
One year ago on NWA
I was looking through some stats and it appears that the archive a year ago this week is my most popular. So here's another shot at it.
Rounding out the top 5 are this , this, this and this. And there's lots more where that came from, from the long list on the lower right side of this blog.
You're welcome....
Rounding out the top 5 are this , this, this and this. And there's lots more where that came from, from the long list on the lower right side of this blog.
You're welcome....
Wednesday, September 10, 2003
Does JCPenney buy merchandise from North Korea?
I saw that allegation here and decided to ask in an email through their website. A couple of days later, here is the answer:
This is not to accuse JC Penney of anything. After all, anyone can make allegations, and given the problems the govt is having with other trading practices of North Korea it seems inappropriate to place too high a burden on JCP's compliance programs.
Thank you for contacting us online.Interesting. What I would have liked to have seen was something like "No, our policy is that we do not knowingly purchase products or services from North Korea, and we take the following safeguards to prevent violation of this policy...." It would seem that there is fair amount of wiggle room - who knows what the laws of the other countries permit, or what JCPenney has in their contracts? I'm not sure what "normal human rights conventions" means either.
Your concern about goods made in countries which allegedly violate human rights matches our own. Our concern is reflected in the stringent requirements to which we hold suppliers accountable in our contractual agreements.
We buy apparel and shoes from the world's foremost fashion suppliers, many of whom manufacture extensively in the Far East. We require them to scrupulously obey the laws of the countries where they operate, as well as to abide by normal human rights conventions. As with all our suppliers, we monitor their operations periodically and promptly investigate any evidence or allegation of non-conformance with their contractual agreement to comply with our code. Imported goods come from countries around the world, including many items that are manufactured partially in the U.S. and partially in another country.
Indeed, we shop the international marketplace to find the best values in the world for our customers. For 96 years JCPenney has followed its founding principles, not only to do all we can to ensure such value, but to test every policy, method and act in this wise: does it square with what is right and just.
We appreciate your bringing your concerns to our attention. We are doing our best to satisfy you as an American consumer and citizen. We hope you will continue to shop JCPenney.
We welcome your comments and suggestions, and encourage you to write to us anytime.
JCPenney Internet Customer Service
This is not to accuse JC Penney of anything. After all, anyone can make allegations, and given the problems the govt is having with other trading practices of North Korea it seems inappropriate to place too high a burden on JCP's compliance programs.
Chariots of the Gods? - the series
Back in the early 1970's there was a very popular book called "Chariots of the Gods?" by Erich von Daniken. He claimed aliens had been here and had left such evidence as...uh, well, read it if you want.
Like anything else with aliens, debunkers came swarming to defend the faith. Here is one example.
Anyway, I figured it was probably about the 30th anniversary by now and I looked it up for blogfodder. And now I find that someone is making it into a TV series.
If you like oddball stuff like this, you'll like Charles Fort and Art Bell. If you don't, you're more likely to like James Randi.
Like anything else with aliens, debunkers came swarming to defend the faith. Here is one example.
Anyway, I figured it was probably about the 30th anniversary by now and I looked it up for blogfodder. And now I find that someone is making it into a TV series.
If you like oddball stuff like this, you'll like Charles Fort and Art Bell. If you don't, you're more likely to like James Randi.
A poll of Iraqi opinion
Commissioned by the American Enterprise Institute, it offers some interesting observations.
One conclusion wasn't too shocking. It turns out that the majority (the Shi'ites) are in favor of democracy and the minority (the Sunnis) are against it. You might expect the group that presumably would have the most power under the new arrangement to be in favor of it.
Interesting quote:
One conclusion wasn't too shocking. It turns out that the majority (the Shi'ites) are in favor of democracy and the minority (the Sunnis) are against it. You might expect the group that presumably would have the most power under the new arrangement to be in favor of it.
Interesting quote:
Inchoate anxiety toward the U.S. showed up when we asked Iraqis if they thought the U.S. would help or hurt Iraq over a five-year period. By 50% to 36% they chose hurt over help. This is fairly understandable; Iraqis have just lived through a war in which Americans were (necessarily) flinging most of the ammunition. These experiences may explain why women (who are more antimilitary in all cultures) show up in our data as especially wary of the U.S. right now. War is never pleasant, though U.S. forces made heroic efforts to spare innocents in this one, as I illustrate with firsthand examples in my book about the battles. Evidence of the comparative gentleness of this war can be seen in our poll. Less than 30% of our sample of Iraqis knew or heard of anyone killed in the spring fighting. Meanwhile, fully half knew some family member, neighbor or friend who had been killed by Iraqi security forces during the years Saddam held power. Perhaps the ultimate indication of how comfortable Iraqis are with America's aims in their region came when we asked how long they would like to see American and British forces remain in their country: Six months? One year? Two years or more? Two thirds of those with an opinion urged that the coalition troops should stick around for at least another year.
Click it or ticket
Oh yeah, it's a good idea to use your seat belt. And although I don't like it, I can tolerate enforcement of seat belt laws - apparently the cops are showing enough discretion to keep it from being intolerable (although I hesitate to entrust such powers to a group that increasingly is chosen more for ethnicity than competence).
But do the feds have to get involved? Walter Williams has more.
But do the feds have to get involved? Walter Williams has more.
Tuesday, September 09, 2003
New Jersey Bar Exam omission?
Maybe. At least one guy apparently would have erred in answering "Does the law apply to lawyers?" Our Cracker Barrel Philosopher tells us all about it.
Monday, September 08, 2003
A matter of utmost gravity
Say what you will about teachers' virtues - the fact is that they still need some quality control. Let Rand Simberg and Jay Manifold take it from here.
What a card!
He posted it a couple of weeks ago and said that it was all over the Net, but I had missed it. Anyway, now that Qusay and Uday are dead meat, Dave Trowbridge offers us a list of lesser known members of the family.
Who will save us from the press?
Remember "Jesus Christ Superstar"? Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice wrote a "rock opera" depicting the last days of Jesus Christ, and some found it highly sacrilegious. For my part, I just liked the music.
In the overture Judas Iscariot asks something like "why'd you pick such a backward time in such a strange land? If you'd come today you could have reached the whole nation...Israel in 4 BC had no mass communication".
Interesting thought, that. Never mind the practical problems with finding 3 wise men and a virgin - I'm sure we could have a lot of fun speculating on how Jesus Christ's appearance would have been covered by media like today's. How about the New York Times? The Guardian? Drudge? Bill O'Reilly? Larry King? Instapundit? Andrew Sullivan? The BBC? Atrios?
In the overture Judas Iscariot asks something like "why'd you pick such a backward time in such a strange land? If you'd come today you could have reached the whole nation...Israel in 4 BC had no mass communication".
Interesting thought, that. Never mind the practical problems with finding 3 wise men and a virgin - I'm sure we could have a lot of fun speculating on how Jesus Christ's appearance would have been covered by media like today's. How about the New York Times? The Guardian? Drudge? Bill O'Reilly? Larry King? Instapundit? Andrew Sullivan? The BBC? Atrios?
Experts without expertise
That's the title of a column by Thomas Sowell lamenting the abdication of adult responsibility for moral education of children:
UPDATE: That's KAY Hymowitz - I blame my cousin Kate. And I didn't even give a link to the Sowell piece - I added it just now.
One of the modern mothers says: "I can give them my opinion, tell them how I feel. But they have to decide for themselves." The notion that children can raise themselves, and create for themselves a moral universe that took whole societies centuries to evolve, is one of those notions that fit George Orwell's remark that some ideas are so stupid that only an intellectual could believe them. "No ordinary man could be such a fool," Orwell said.Sowell cites Kate Hymowitz and two of her books, Liberation's Children and Ready or Not.
UPDATE: That's KAY Hymowitz - I blame my cousin Kate. And I didn't even give a link to the Sowell piece - I added it just now.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)