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More catch-up - 12 May 2009
May. 13th, 2009 12:08 amUp top today, the OECD nations released a report ranking their participating countries on a number of factors.
As Mr. Chazelle points out, despite all the number one spots in places Americans are supposed to be proud of, in the numbers that matter, the United States is abysmal.
In the world, where women are still not always seen as equals, a Saudi judge said it's okay to beat your wife if she spends too much of your money. He said this at a seminar about domestic violence. And then others believed that the victims (wives) had to shoulder some of the blame through their behavior. I’m getting a really strong sense of deja vu. I’ve seen these arguments before, and, oh yes, they still don’t work.
To fuel your paranoia, an investigation is being launched into whether the London Metropolitan Police planted agents provocateur into G20 protest crowds so as to justify police reprisals against them.
The top United States commander in Afghanistan has been replaced, with the Defense Secretary citing a need for a new strategy.
A United States soldier in Iraq opened fire on a stress clinic, where soldiers go to get help relieving their anxieties and mental difficulties. Five soldiers dies in the attack and details are minimal about who and why.
China has overtaken the Untied States as Brazil's largest trade partner, which will generate all sorts of tizzies in some sectors, if they choose to see it as further signs that the United States’ global hegemony is being ceded to China.
Domestically, one of the last people to live in an iron lung has died at 71, after dictating her memoir to a voice-controlled computer. Thankfully, because of vaccinations, polio is not a problem any more, and the iron lung is a relic of the past. Living in the future has its advantages.
The military commission trials of Guantanamo Bay detainees will continue, but with better protections for those detained, according to a report generated by the Washington Post. On other terror fronts, sleep deprivation techniques used by the CIA kept some detainees awake for eleven days straight.
The Interior Secretary declined to use powers given to him by the Congress to rescind a rule preventing the Endangered Species Act from considering actions outside the Arctic area as threats to polar bears.
Wealthy supporters who elected President Barack Obama are now worried that his taxation plans will turn American throttle-open capitalism into European regulated democratic socialism. They supported Mr. Obama on the premise that he would fix the economy, and now they’re concerned because President Obama intends on keeping his campaign promises regarding wealth and the economy. Which should serve as an object lesson to all voters - vote for the person whose campaign platform you beleive in, not for the person you think is just campaigning and will change once in office.
Women, and especially Republican women, are not well represented in the halls of the Congress, despite, you know, being a little more than half of the populace. If the GOP wants to get out of exile and stop being perceived as the party of Rich White WASPs, they’re giong to have to figure out how to court women to the cause and to put up more women in prominent positions. Which might mean, shock and gasp, more listening to Megan McCain and less to Boss Limbaugh.
Miss California keeps her crown after Mr. Trump reviews the supposed violations and declares it all okay, including a comment about how lovely Miss Prejean is in some of her photos. He also defends her ability to express her own honest viewpoint, unpopular that it might be. The Divine Mr. M makes comment about how easily the beautiful woman became the tool of the Patriarchy, but I’m hijacking his pictures to make a different comment - context is everything. If you notice picture one, this is clearly intended to be a sensuous and sexy photo shoot, with an appropriate background, costuming, and makeup/hair so that she can be a pin-up model (or material to be stashed under the bed). She’s trying to pose seductively, and her environment is helping that. In picture two, I think she’s still supposed to be looked at in the same light, or being seductive, beautiful, sexy, but her environment and wardrobe are working heavily against her, with a formless sort of dress, not much for hair styling, and the pageant environment. The context is not helping to push the desired image across.
Finally, lest we think the economy is on the upswing, Fannie Mae is asking for more cash to cover losses.
Which leads to the opinions, where Mr. Malanga believes the obsession with home ownership, and government incentives to produce such, have been killing the country for decades and need to stop. Mr. Hill believes President Obama is actively trying to weaken America through his policies on banks, bailouts, and who gets what from Chrysler, and Mr. Boortz is cheering for people who oppose the President's health-care plans because they've realized what "everyone knows" - the program will be too expensive for the economy to support, despite the obvious popularity it will have. Which menas corporations and the rich will be taxed to pay for this new and popular dependency, which is Anathema to The Market’s demands.
In other opinions, Mr. Booker says there is no global warming, and that Arctic ice is thicker than anyone previously thought, while ridiculing “warmists” for their belief contrary to the observations he chooses to publicize. Mr. Barone says liberals are out of touch with the populace on the warming issue, as well as gun control. Because the populace has already done concealed-carry with no evil repercussions, and the temperatures are still going down, so climate change can’t be happening.
Ms. Parker believes Senator Specter is a self-serving egoist, mostly, but uses that to somehow indicate that the Republican Party needs to stick firm to its ideals instead of trying to become a big-tent party, because she believes the reports of the GOP’s demise are greatly exaggerated. I think I can see the logic, but she could definitely have chosen a better example.
Mr. Chapman considered the Matthew Shapard bill to be empty symbolism, because hate crimes are alraedy taken care of at the state and local level, or, failing that, they’re charged as violent felonies and treated as such, no federal legislation needed. Furthermore, any talk about people ignoring the bias motivations of people committing the crimes is fantastical, as law enforcement can recognize it and prosecute it if they so desire.
Mr. Bialosky believes the latest solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict is basically a long list of demands declaring that Israel must give up everything that protects it, without requiring any concessions from its neighbors, and that President Obama will warmly welcome it and put it into action.
Last out, the reasons why newspaper bailouts are a bad idea, with the extension that physical media is archaic.
In technology, dolls from the Edo period in Japan that explain pregnancy and childbirth, a group/person by the name of CryptoHippie releases his own research into the existence of the global police state, whereby anyone can be prosecuted and made to look guilty of some crime once the powers that be decide they want to prosecute you. Perhaps they will include airport security brain scans in this is as well. Continuing on, space shuttle crews looking for damage on Atlantis after a rought takeoff before they chase down the Hubble telescope for repairs, a machine that can simulate a live pig's heartbeat using a dead pig's heart, very useful for performing trials of surgical techniques, using tools to track cyberspies, as well as developing technology to prevent eavesdropping, even in a cube farm, taking advantage of naturally-occuring genetic aberrations to develop treatments for various diseases and conditions, questions as to whether DIY biology and genetic splicing will result in new biological warfare weapons/terror techniques, stretchable LED displays, and possibly generating a color e-ink type with good resolution, clarity, and not so much on the power consumption.
Last for tonight, some great art using pulp fiction covers. And some early comics.
As Mr. Chazelle points out, despite all the number one spots in places Americans are supposed to be proud of, in the numbers that matter, the United States is abysmal.
In the world, where women are still not always seen as equals, a Saudi judge said it's okay to beat your wife if she spends too much of your money. He said this at a seminar about domestic violence. And then others believed that the victims (wives) had to shoulder some of the blame through their behavior. I’m getting a really strong sense of deja vu. I’ve seen these arguments before, and, oh yes, they still don’t work.
To fuel your paranoia, an investigation is being launched into whether the London Metropolitan Police planted agents provocateur into G20 protest crowds so as to justify police reprisals against them.
The top United States commander in Afghanistan has been replaced, with the Defense Secretary citing a need for a new strategy.
A United States soldier in Iraq opened fire on a stress clinic, where soldiers go to get help relieving their anxieties and mental difficulties. Five soldiers dies in the attack and details are minimal about who and why.
China has overtaken the Untied States as Brazil's largest trade partner, which will generate all sorts of tizzies in some sectors, if they choose to see it as further signs that the United States’ global hegemony is being ceded to China.
Domestically, one of the last people to live in an iron lung has died at 71, after dictating her memoir to a voice-controlled computer. Thankfully, because of vaccinations, polio is not a problem any more, and the iron lung is a relic of the past. Living in the future has its advantages.
The military commission trials of Guantanamo Bay detainees will continue, but with better protections for those detained, according to a report generated by the Washington Post. On other terror fronts, sleep deprivation techniques used by the CIA kept some detainees awake for eleven days straight.
The Interior Secretary declined to use powers given to him by the Congress to rescind a rule preventing the Endangered Species Act from considering actions outside the Arctic area as threats to polar bears.
Wealthy supporters who elected President Barack Obama are now worried that his taxation plans will turn American throttle-open capitalism into European regulated democratic socialism. They supported Mr. Obama on the premise that he would fix the economy, and now they’re concerned because President Obama intends on keeping his campaign promises regarding wealth and the economy. Which should serve as an object lesson to all voters - vote for the person whose campaign platform you beleive in, not for the person you think is just campaigning and will change once in office.
Women, and especially Republican women, are not well represented in the halls of the Congress, despite, you know, being a little more than half of the populace. If the GOP wants to get out of exile and stop being perceived as the party of Rich White WASPs, they’re giong to have to figure out how to court women to the cause and to put up more women in prominent positions. Which might mean, shock and gasp, more listening to Megan McCain and less to Boss Limbaugh.
Miss California keeps her crown after Mr. Trump reviews the supposed violations and declares it all okay, including a comment about how lovely Miss Prejean is in some of her photos. He also defends her ability to express her own honest viewpoint, unpopular that it might be. The Divine Mr. M makes comment about how easily the beautiful woman became the tool of the Patriarchy, but I’m hijacking his pictures to make a different comment - context is everything. If you notice picture one, this is clearly intended to be a sensuous and sexy photo shoot, with an appropriate background, costuming, and makeup/hair so that she can be a pin-up model (or material to be stashed under the bed). She’s trying to pose seductively, and her environment is helping that. In picture two, I think she’s still supposed to be looked at in the same light, or being seductive, beautiful, sexy, but her environment and wardrobe are working heavily against her, with a formless sort of dress, not much for hair styling, and the pageant environment. The context is not helping to push the desired image across.
Finally, lest we think the economy is on the upswing, Fannie Mae is asking for more cash to cover losses.
Which leads to the opinions, where Mr. Malanga believes the obsession with home ownership, and government incentives to produce such, have been killing the country for decades and need to stop. Mr. Hill believes President Obama is actively trying to weaken America through his policies on banks, bailouts, and who gets what from Chrysler, and Mr. Boortz is cheering for people who oppose the President's health-care plans because they've realized what "everyone knows" - the program will be too expensive for the economy to support, despite the obvious popularity it will have. Which menas corporations and the rich will be taxed to pay for this new and popular dependency, which is Anathema to The Market’s demands.
In other opinions, Mr. Booker says there is no global warming, and that Arctic ice is thicker than anyone previously thought, while ridiculing “warmists” for their belief contrary to the observations he chooses to publicize. Mr. Barone says liberals are out of touch with the populace on the warming issue, as well as gun control. Because the populace has already done concealed-carry with no evil repercussions, and the temperatures are still going down, so climate change can’t be happening.
Ms. Parker believes Senator Specter is a self-serving egoist, mostly, but uses that to somehow indicate that the Republican Party needs to stick firm to its ideals instead of trying to become a big-tent party, because she believes the reports of the GOP’s demise are greatly exaggerated. I think I can see the logic, but she could definitely have chosen a better example.
Mr. Chapman considered the Matthew Shapard bill to be empty symbolism, because hate crimes are alraedy taken care of at the state and local level, or, failing that, they’re charged as violent felonies and treated as such, no federal legislation needed. Furthermore, any talk about people ignoring the bias motivations of people committing the crimes is fantastical, as law enforcement can recognize it and prosecute it if they so desire.
Mr. Bialosky believes the latest solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict is basically a long list of demands declaring that Israel must give up everything that protects it, without requiring any concessions from its neighbors, and that President Obama will warmly welcome it and put it into action.
Last out, the reasons why newspaper bailouts are a bad idea, with the extension that physical media is archaic.
In technology, dolls from the Edo period in Japan that explain pregnancy and childbirth, a group/person by the name of CryptoHippie releases his own research into the existence of the global police state, whereby anyone can be prosecuted and made to look guilty of some crime once the powers that be decide they want to prosecute you. Perhaps they will include airport security brain scans in this is as well. Continuing on, space shuttle crews looking for damage on Atlantis after a rought takeoff before they chase down the Hubble telescope for repairs, a machine that can simulate a live pig's heartbeat using a dead pig's heart, very useful for performing trials of surgical techniques, using tools to track cyberspies, as well as developing technology to prevent eavesdropping, even in a cube farm, taking advantage of naturally-occuring genetic aberrations to develop treatments for various diseases and conditions, questions as to whether DIY biology and genetic splicing will result in new biological warfare weapons/terror techniques, stretchable LED displays, and possibly generating a color e-ink type with good resolution, clarity, and not so much on the power consumption.
Last for tonight, some great art using pulp fiction covers. And some early comics.
