All this and more - 4 December 2008

Morning, everyone. Doesn’t matter that it’s probably the dead of night here - if you’re reading this, it’s probably morning, or early enough to be considered such. Have a good day tomorrow. We could use more of them in the world.

If not mentioned before, note this well - seeing God's hand in a financial panic is not going to endear you to many people, unless they agree that the vengeful one is exacting his justice on everyone because some people don’t believe in him, others act contrary to his will, and plenty worship other deities, like the Habs. (Nice course, by the way - the equivalent down here might be football teams, both university and professional)

Similarly, condemning a mascot character because he presented a biologist with a piece of cake for the 10th anniversary of his work on embryonic stem cells (because now Bucky Badger is being used foro “the culture of death” ohnoes) will get you strange looks and cement your place firmly in the fringe. The General suggests scrapping the badger entirely and replacing it with a new mascot - a Zygote-American. We’re sure the General is as incensed as Michael Medved about Planned Parenthood offering gift certificates for reproductive services - which “everyone knows” means abortions and no other possible family planning service at all. Or that he will be, once he sees it. In the same way that KOMO in Seattle thought "everyone knew" that a local spot, the Center for Sex-Positive Culture, was a problem that needed to be solved and investigated because it was a non-profit social organization, and then caught a rather rude awakening when explained what a 501(c)(7) is, that there’s no government money going to the organization, and that shoddy reporting will get you skewered. Regrettably, in the comments of the article I see, there’s someone claiming that they met some of the members, and say that one of them is a convicted child-rapist who supposedly goes there to act out similar fantasies. Going straight for as much ick as possible to try and turn opinion against such a place, supposedly as someone who is or was part of it. From how KOMO handled it, they believe that account over the article, considering how much the reporter was focusing on the part where people engage in kinky play and not so much on the education aspects or the fact that everyone there is a consenting adult.

And lastly, if I hear anyone talking about vegetarians as terrorists, or using laws to arrest them as such, someone will probably find out from someone else that "meat is murder" has layers of meaning.

The news of the Strange starts with a striking similarity between Rosamond from Nate the Great and the Emily Strange character, sufficiently similar to warrant wonderings of infringement disguised as a new creative expression. The house that came up with and markets Emily responds, saying that they changed the original design once a similarity was pointed out to them, but obviously did not decide to stop marketing Emily, while also denying inspiration from Nate the Great as part of the creative process. Doubtful any legal action will come of this.

More standard international affairs include a successful gambit by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to suspend the parliament so as to avoid being hit with a confidence vote and the attempt by his opposition to form a coalition government that would put him in the Opposition.

In domestic affairs, if you want to know what’s happening at most corporations these days, I have one word, based on scanning the headlines: layoffs. It pretty well doesn’t matter where you work, you’re facing layoffs.

Elsewhere, Indictments against the sponsor and host of the gun show where an 8 year-old lost control firing an Uzi and killed himself. Involuntary manslaughter charges as well as charges for furnishing a minor with a machine gun.

Determined not to be punked, as Governor Palin was, a Florida Congresscritter hung up on the President-elect when he called to offer he congratulations... twice. It took a call from a friend and a private passjoke before she was convinced that it really was the President-elect. Paranoia? Maybe. But good for a laugh or two.

One last odd bit before opinions - the empty nest apparently improves the marriage experience. Perhaps because you don’t have to worry about the kids... or the kids interrupting you and requiring attention at all hours.

In the opinions, Daniel Henninger fears that the fear generated by the economing falling-down will ruin the American willingness to take on risk and squelch the individuals that we all are, with our entrepreneurial spirit, under an avalanche of regulation that makes it unprofitable or impossible to take risks that could destroy the company. Or, it might have the opposite effect, where government takes control and prevents failure, but also prevents competition. Paul Ingrassia suggests the way for Detroit to win is to basically file bankruptcy, and that if they take the bailout cash, they place the entirety of their company into the hands of a federal manager, with the authority to close dealerships, discontinue lines, renegotiate contracts, and otherwise restructure the company so that it becomes profitable again. He adds as an aside that mandated fuel economy is a losing prospect, because it forces companies to sell at a loss the small efficient cars, driving up he pricesof the hugs cars everyone wants with cheap fuel. Thus, gas taxes going up is the way to get people to buy smaller and more fuel-efficient cars. I dunno. If trusting to the regulator, it might be a great time to retool things so that the restructured Detroit automakers come out of their oversight ready and able to produce vehicles of all sizes that get great fuel economy. A hybrid SUV shouldn’t be that difficult to develop, considering the hybrid car already exists, and the hybrid truck, if not already here, will be coming soon.

Cal Thomas is optimistic about the future, based most in the confidence that the economic downturn will be short-lived, and then all the great technological innovations we've been working on will spring back to the front and make things even better. Larry Elder migth agree with that, while reminding the populace that what the poor of the Untied States are comparatively rich elsewhere in the world. Steve Chapman counsels patience, as the measures already in place will just take time to work, so there’s no need for more tax cuts or more spending. Just put the President-elect's image on everything, I guess.

John Hawkins continues to pound the drum of "Go away from centrism" to make the Republican Party successful again, because it didn’t work the last time, and things like fiscal conservatism are based in social conservatism.

To round up some of the more scary ideas, Cliff May is willing to trade liberty for security, believing in aggressive pursuit of terrorists as a justification for eroding your rights, Michael Medved has gone past Islamofascism to Islamonaziism, with the accompanying pronouncements that everyone must be terrified or terror attacks, that counterterror forces need more funding and power, and, undercutting his own point severely, that small, decidacted groups can evade security with conventional weapons and carry out attacks anyway. Mike S. Adams, based on a sampling of his class students, finds liberals vote based on their feelings, not policies and issues, unlike conservatives, and thus the touchy-feelies shouldn't be allowed to vote, because they’re obviously doing the democracy a disservice. Brian Fitzpatrick wants to see the end of no-fault divorce, because of all the evils that divorce wreaks on children and the high cost of subsidizing single-parent families. All this over a movie, actually. I would think Mr. Fitzpatrick is trying to gun for the banning of divorce entirely, but he knows that the snowball has a better chance than he does of that.

The WSJ insists that if Senator Clinton is to be made Secretary of State, she cannot do so at the current posted salary because she was a Senator at the time a pay raise was passed. Returning the salary to the previous level is what the Obama administration is hoping to do to resolve the matter, but the WSJ implies that there is a potentially sinister degree as well - that passing a pay raise and then setting oneself up for the job at the higher grade is something the Members of Congress would very much like to do (which is why the Constitution forbids it), so the Senator shouldn’t really be able to become Secretary of State at all. Researching the relevant part, the Constitution says,

No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been increased during such time; and no Person holding any Office under the United States, shall be a Member of either House during his Continuance in Office.

. The second part is pretty clear - to take a appointed job, resign your Congressional seat. The first part could mean that Ms. Clinton, as a Senator from New York, is ineligible for Secretary of State until her Congressional term expires because the salary of the SoS increased while she was in her seat. Thus, the possibility that reversing the pay increase(s?) to their pre-election levels would permit Ms. Clinton to take the office. And probably not receive such pay increases until her Senate term would have expired. Most likely, the appellate courts and possibly the SCOTUS will have to resolve this. There's also a segment of the populace critical of the idea that after the voters defeated the Senator in the Democratic primary, they nonetheless find themselves with a Clinton in a place of power, whether they find her to be a fibber about her credentials or think that President-elect Obama won't be able to hold them together if things get tough.

The WSJ is also highly critical of Governor Schwarzenegger, decrying his unwillingnes to cut spending while he raises taxes, generating worse situations for the economy there, rather than fixing it.

Last, Turd Blossom feels money was the deciding factor in the general election, and because of that, the presidential public financing system is doomed. Senator Obama raised a lot of money, and then spent it to his advantage, especially on television, according to Mr. Rove’s analysis. And hen, apparently, being the TV-sheep that we are, we went out and voted for Mr. Obama in flocks... because we saw him on TV more. Not buying it, Karl - the slickest media campaign only fools some of the people some of the time. Too much TV ads and people turn off - or change long enough to get past the political ads. There had to be more than a few things more substantive about the Obama campaign than just the media gloss.

Welcome to technology, where a superconducting transistor has been introduced to the world. Where the placebo effect's effectiveness might be linked to genetics, solar power technology gets thinner, mobile bandwidth gets bigger, the normal use of devices may soon be enough to keep them fully charged and powered, the body can be tricked into believing that a not-body is the body, people can be fooled into thinking there's a wood plank on Mars, through pictures, much like how they were fooled into thinking there were canals on Mars, (did we mention that NASA is delaying the next unmanned mission to Mars?), YouTube moderates its content to remove as much sexual suggestion and outright sexuality as possible, and the bots in games start resembling truer AI instead of exploitable routines. Plus, a stylish-looking HUD.

Last for tonight, the seasons of the year, with bonus pictures in the comments. For those looking for things a bit more technological, 10 devices almost as cool as your game consoles. For those looking for things a bit more animalistic, 20 strange and bizarre endangered animal species. For those looking for things a bit more human, Poposition 8, the Musical. (With accompanying conservative screed about how the Levitical condemnations are realy about respecting the differences between all sorts of things and thus, men and women must respect their differences. As for the other Prop 8 musical mentioned, I think someone could create it, pretty easily, even with all the meanness and spite they think the original has. Just be sure to include all the hot rhetoric and threats made about exposure coming from the Yes side, too. Be the fair and balanced people you claim to be.)

Doubling up again - 5 December 2008

So, up top, it being VEWPRF season and all, a Webcomic-themed gift-giving guide, with material from many a comic around the web just right for people of certain persuasions. All clickable from the comfort of your chair. (And that’s twice now I’ve forgotten to post before going to bed. What the hell, self.)

Another week finished, whether by main strength or brain strength, and thus, the weekend approaches. To ponder for the weekend, alleged assault by cheeseburger. Kitty Pidgin macros, incoming. Or, perhaps, the fodder for another movie starring Bruce Campbell. Thank Prime that liquor isn't prohibited in the United States... some of these things... or, in fact, smiply looking at the balance sheets and stock values of many credit companies would drive the less insane to drink. Or pen editorials, as the Freep did, to save the automobile industry, sending it to Congress, and putting the editorial on the front page.

In the continuing War on Chr...wait, you’re telling me the atheist sign next to the nativity was the one stolen and dumped in a ditch? I only knew that it was there a day or two ago. I guess the War on Christmas is on, and rather than feel defensive and oppressed, the soldiers have decided they’re going on the offensive early. The sign has been restored to the original position. As for the interview involved, I think CNN was looking for the person who would give them the most soundbites to inflame others with or establish the “atheists think Christians are evil oppressors” narrative.

Internationally, it's finally official - the status of forces agreement is a go. So there will be troops in Iraq when the President-elect takes office, and he will do his best to remove them, putting into practice the idea of “Mission Accomplished” that was declared more than six years ago. And because no major accord is complete without the ritual bombing attack, 17 killed as fools detonate themselves. And, despite the bravado and want to point out how great things are, there still that worrisome fear that something will go wrong adn progress will be undone - usually, the thing I see “going wrong” is that the United States withdraws the troops too fast amd then the precarious power balance is lost. But, there are a lot of people waiting, possibly even salivating, to thumb their nose at Iran and terror groups and say “Ha. We built this awesome and strong democracy, despite all your attempts to destablize it. Neener, neener.”

The current Secretary of State has upped the rhetoric on Robert Mugabe, saying that it is well past time for him to leave power. The likely collapse of the power-sharing compromise due to Mr. Mugabe’s appointments to cabinet and ministry positions will return things to the way they were. Which means, if the democratic results are to be beleived in the last election, the loser will be the one ruling. By force of arms.

Domestically, O.J. Simpson will be spending time in jail for his attempted robbery. So, in perhaps an evil and twisted way, those who thought him guilty of his other famous incident will feel vindicated... like people left vindicated when Capone was arrested for tax evasion, perhaps. Nine years is the minimum, it appears, with many more likely. No, wait, scratch that, fifteen years is the minimum.

The outgoing administrator implements his provider "conscience" rule, at least temporarily permitting doctors, nurses, and any medical staff to refuse to treat, dispense medication, or otherwise do the jobs they were hired to do for any conscience objection they have to you. So not only might there be zones where birth control is completely unavailable, you might not get that life-saving emergency surgery because the doctor has a moral objection to your perceived homosexuality. HHS, in announcing the rule, declares “an attitude that health care professionals should be required to provide or assist in the provision of medicine or procedures to which they object, or else risk being subjected to discrimination” as the reason why the rule is needed. So, wait, you’re telling me because people expect medical staff to do their jobs, there has to be a rule implemented that lets them decide not to? Perhaps a cab driver can refuse service, knowing that there are other cab drivers who will pick someone up. Doctors don’t really have that luxury, and neither do their staff. “Do no harm.” and all that. So, for at least a month, this rule will be in effect. The incoming administration will hopefully repeal it upon taking office.

Something that is unrepealed nor repealable - a couple beat their two year old child to death with a hammer, attempting to get "demons" out of her. What possesses them to believe a child is possessed by demons and needs to have them beaten out of her is beyond me. It sounds like parents who have become so desperate, trying to find an explanation why the child is behaving that way, not accepting that it’s normally part of development, that they turn to the last remaining solution - demons. Personally, I prefer changelings as the last-ditch explanation, but that requires Fae, who are also likely demons to this “christian” worldview. Anyway, I’m trying to understand how a religious belief that generally holds children up to a certain age as innocents incapable of doing wrong would permit them to be demon-possessed. Unless more than the Catholics believe in original sin or some window at birth that lets demons in... or that anyone unbaptized is posessable, at which I would think baptism at birth would become the de facto standard for every Christian. So, yeah, I’m missing the magic context.

Rules for gentlemen - If you want to chat someone up, be sure to do actual chatting. Also, make sure you've bathed and are not exuding a repulsor cloud. Making the assumption that someone wants sex because of what they’re wearing, and trying to excuse that assumption as natural because you’re male is a very quick way of making sure that you wil not achieve your goals.

Car-sharing? Check. Bicycle-sharing for adults needing transport? Check. Althuogh the cost may seem a bit high to rent time in the sharing - perhaps purchasing and maintaining one’s own bike, with trailer, would be a cheaper option. And there are the hills to worry about.

DARPA wants to transform complex, data-rich situations like battlefields into simpler narratives, easy to highlight the important parts and feed all that data to the human commanders, through the use of intelligent machine agents.

So, will someone tell me whether the medical handgun pictured in this article is supposed to be a drug delivery system, or is an actual bullet-shooting weapon? Because if it shoots bullets, thre’s no way it should be classes as a medical device. None.

Beware! Opinions! - Peggy Noonan on the precarious security situation that the President-elect has - any single attacks on his watch will generate negative imagery, the “the last administration kept us safe, unlike this one” danger. Ms. Noonan also hits a paradoz squarely between the eyes - Homeland Security is a joke at the moment, so it needs to be reordered and have the name changed. Only if the post-DHS DHS actually does stuff to keep people safe without stomping totally over their rights or generating useless rules and color-coded advisory systems.

Navtej Dhillon opines that generating economic strength isn't enough for India to resolve its conflicts with Pakistan - political conflicy resolution and helping Pakistan to get and stay stable is needed. Stable neighbors keeps you stable. Which may mean spending some money on foreign aid and bringing the neighbors up to a standard of living that will keep them stable, and then taking away reasons for tension and unresolved conflict. Bernard Henri-Levy agrees, saying that we ened to give Pakistan all the attention it deserves so that it can become a functional democracy and root out the terror groups that have set up shop inside. Perhaps the other front that will open up when Iraq quiets down?

The WSJ believes President-elect Obama will drop the campaign plans to soak oil companies for windfall profits, with a certain smugness that this turns out to have been something the people wanted to hear, and not an actual plank. Gas prices going down are apparently the official cause. Might also be that people are focusing pretty heavily on the bailouts at this point. Mr. Obama could pull a rather interesting move and decide to soak them to help pay for some of those bailing-outs, assuming they’re still issues when he takes office. Doubtful, though. A windfall profits tax still only works if there are windfall profits. These days, for all we know, oil and gas companies will be taking losses this year. If their numbers are staying consistent, though, in profit, it may be worth it to the President to rumble on that campaign rhetoric again.

Last out of the opinions, the director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy says that the War on (Some) Drugs is succeeding and policy shouldn't be changed. Less cocaine, heroin, meth, and marijuana on the streets, in kids hands, the tough law enforcement officials and judges laying down consequences, and the social working side that tries to help kids through rehab and trouble, keep them out of trouble, and get the addicted, child or adult, off the habit and back into society.

In technology, the burgeoning fear that nanomaterials are going to go haywire and kill us all, or accumulate in our bodies and then kill us all, which has been explored in grey goo science fiction, but is now apparently hitting the mainstream, Amazon offering large amounts of data, and charging for the computer time needed to crunch numbers, finding new ways of driving drugs to their targets, discussion on how best to go about getting off-grid or reducing one's grid impact to a minimum, the ever marching-onward usage of the graphic novel format for nonfiction, and a web browser that will let you crawl backward in time to see what sites looked like yesterday.

Last for tonight, a rather informative take on the religious practice of Tantra, beyond boudoir connotations into the spirituality of the practice. And happy moods are contagious, at least according to this small sample survey.