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A short, quick posting - 04 May 2008
May. 4th, 2008 04:32 pmQuick post from quick necessities. So let's quickly get to work. Following up on a previous nightmare, here's Nightmare Playgrounds, Part 2.
Internationally to start, the International Herald Tribune notes that Israel has had success in curbing attacks, but that success may interfere with any attempts to find political success in the peace process.
A cyclone has killed 351 in Burma/Myanmar, according to state-run television reports. Domestically, storms and tornadoes killed seven in Arkansas and did damage in several nearby states.
The skies over the Middle East are getting increasingly crowded, making it harder for planes to find places to fly in.
Mr. Bush firmly intends to veto extra spending for veteran's affairs and benefits if it should appear in his request for $108 billion more to fight his war with. I'd almost make sure that the Congress put it in every war funding request until it was time to bring troops home safely, but that would be a sure way to being labeled "unpatriotic" and not "supporting the troops", so unless Pelosi grows a pair and keeps them, and the Congress decides on an override, we won't see it on the final bill. Of course, that does mean another $108 billion is going to fund the war, too. And more media parroting Pentagon propaganda and independent analysis without bothering to investigate.
George Will laments conservatism's new love affair with the "unitary executive" and several Congress's unwillingness to tell the President to shove off when he wants to wage war without their authorization. Because conservatives were reborn as a reaction to liberal presidencies, Will is not happy that modern conservatives have embraced some of the ideas in those liberal origins.
Austin Hill finds Hillary Clinton's energy policies disturbing, based on a recent interview on Bill O'Reilly's show. The Senator affirmed a want to tax the large amounts of profits that oil corporations were making and to make recommendations or incentives to Americans to drive more energy efficient vehicles. In Hill's view, this is nanny-state government at its finest, rather than the more libertarian, free-market solution that we need. This view is echoed by the Wall Street Journal, saying that Senator Obama' windfall tax program is likely to backfire and keep gas prices high, without actually increasing supply. Which would result in more profit, I would think, but maybe I'm missing something. The WSJ also supports more domestic drilling as a way of easing or dropping off dependence on oil, at least temporarily.
The passing of S. 1858, The Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act of 2007, has InfoWars proclaiming that a national newborn DNA database will soon be created. The bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish and maintain information databases and research on screening of genetic diseases for all newborns, and to publish the data that results from those screening processes. InfoWars finds this invasive and the first step toward creating a way of keeping everyone's DNA on file for some unnamed nefarious purpose down the road, like the Gattaca future. I don't see anything in there that mandates everyone's DNA be collected, nor do I expect the government to be able to maintain a collection of the DNA of every newborn in the country. I could be wrong, but unless the government intends on inflicting the populace with genetic disorders, rather than screening for them and trying to cure them, I don't see what the big deal is. Perhaps someone else can read it and see where the objections are coming from.
Our Unabashed Feminism department may take (more) issue with Orson Scott Card with Feminist SF's shredding of OSC's position on the Potter lexicon publication, painting Card as someone jealous of Rowling's fame, not talking about the possible copyright infringement, but trying to make Rowling into a hysterical woman trying to be respected in the literary community. FeministSF says, "Methinks the author dost protest too much", and that Card may be projecting a tiny, tiny bit about his own successes and is taking time to do a little moralizing about Rowling's political beliefs and life that isn't much in line with Card's religious beliefs. Card's essay at Linear Publishing for those who want to examine the source (if there's a more source-y source, let me know).
Next to last, a giant compendium about the Star Wars move franchise. The Secret History of Star Wars traces its way through all the stuff involved in making the Star Wars films, according to the site. It's a big e-book, and probably best suited for reading over several chunks of time.
Last for tonight, a nice list - How to think that leads to creativity. Which could have produced One man's attempt to get Denver prepared for ET situations. And may also be responsible for the fact that we say, without any actual good wishes, happy 30th Birthday, e-mail spam.
And now, stay tuned for the other entry in this twin set.
Internationally to start, the International Herald Tribune notes that Israel has had success in curbing attacks, but that success may interfere with any attempts to find political success in the peace process.
A cyclone has killed 351 in Burma/Myanmar, according to state-run television reports. Domestically, storms and tornadoes killed seven in Arkansas and did damage in several nearby states.
The skies over the Middle East are getting increasingly crowded, making it harder for planes to find places to fly in.
Mr. Bush firmly intends to veto extra spending for veteran's affairs and benefits if it should appear in his request for $108 billion more to fight his war with. I'd almost make sure that the Congress put it in every war funding request until it was time to bring troops home safely, but that would be a sure way to being labeled "unpatriotic" and not "supporting the troops", so unless Pelosi grows a pair and keeps them, and the Congress decides on an override, we won't see it on the final bill. Of course, that does mean another $108 billion is going to fund the war, too. And more media parroting Pentagon propaganda and independent analysis without bothering to investigate.
George Will laments conservatism's new love affair with the "unitary executive" and several Congress's unwillingness to tell the President to shove off when he wants to wage war without their authorization. Because conservatives were reborn as a reaction to liberal presidencies, Will is not happy that modern conservatives have embraced some of the ideas in those liberal origins.
Austin Hill finds Hillary Clinton's energy policies disturbing, based on a recent interview on Bill O'Reilly's show. The Senator affirmed a want to tax the large amounts of profits that oil corporations were making and to make recommendations or incentives to Americans to drive more energy efficient vehicles. In Hill's view, this is nanny-state government at its finest, rather than the more libertarian, free-market solution that we need. This view is echoed by the Wall Street Journal, saying that Senator Obama' windfall tax program is likely to backfire and keep gas prices high, without actually increasing supply. Which would result in more profit, I would think, but maybe I'm missing something. The WSJ also supports more domestic drilling as a way of easing or dropping off dependence on oil, at least temporarily.
The passing of S. 1858, The Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act of 2007, has InfoWars proclaiming that a national newborn DNA database will soon be created. The bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish and maintain information databases and research on screening of genetic diseases for all newborns, and to publish the data that results from those screening processes. InfoWars finds this invasive and the first step toward creating a way of keeping everyone's DNA on file for some unnamed nefarious purpose down the road, like the Gattaca future. I don't see anything in there that mandates everyone's DNA be collected, nor do I expect the government to be able to maintain a collection of the DNA of every newborn in the country. I could be wrong, but unless the government intends on inflicting the populace with genetic disorders, rather than screening for them and trying to cure them, I don't see what the big deal is. Perhaps someone else can read it and see where the objections are coming from.
Our Unabashed Feminism department may take (more) issue with Orson Scott Card with Feminist SF's shredding of OSC's position on the Potter lexicon publication, painting Card as someone jealous of Rowling's fame, not talking about the possible copyright infringement, but trying to make Rowling into a hysterical woman trying to be respected in the literary community. FeministSF says, "Methinks the author dost protest too much", and that Card may be projecting a tiny, tiny bit about his own successes and is taking time to do a little moralizing about Rowling's political beliefs and life that isn't much in line with Card's religious beliefs. Card's essay at Linear Publishing for those who want to examine the source (if there's a more source-y source, let me know).
Next to last, a giant compendium about the Star Wars move franchise. The Secret History of Star Wars traces its way through all the stuff involved in making the Star Wars films, according to the site. It's a big e-book, and probably best suited for reading over several chunks of time.
Last for tonight, a nice list - How to think that leads to creativity. Which could have produced One man's attempt to get Denver prepared for ET situations. And may also be responsible for the fact that we say, without any actual good wishes, happy 30th Birthday, e-mail spam.
And now, stay tuned for the other entry in this twin set.
