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Here we go again, on our own. Before we begin, though, President Obama declares October to be National Information Literacy Awareness Month, which means that the librarians will hopefully be getting many more people in their doors so that people can pick up some information literacy of their own.
Our brains process our beliefs and our facts in the same way. Which means, to the committed, a belief is a fact, and there's no difference in the brain between "This is a chair" and "God exists/does not exist". No wonder we don't build bridges. That said, we apparently are also just a bit unsure, even when we're sure, so maybe we can use that to find the respect we desperately need.
Out in the world, a Tweet has been used to serve a court writ.
Additionally, The Big Picture visits China during their 60th birthday party.
Domestically, Israel's non-secret secret nukes are apparently continuing to stay secret, according to an agreement reaffirmed between the Israeli Prime Minister and the U.S. President at one of their meetings. Not any official agreement, of course. Assuming that Israel doesn't blow the lid off the whole thing by bombing Iran because tehy think the U.S. won't.
No doubt there will be... speculation about the following, as Drew Barrymore and Ellen Page share a kiss, as published in Marie Claire. Considering that one of the persons who killed Matthew Shephard is still not sorry for having done it, I don't think such a thing will pass by without commentary, both positive and negative.
In opinions, basically baseless speculation that the census worker killed could harbor predatory thoughts toward children, and further in the comments, calling all the people who called him on his baseless speculation idiots because they're dismissing the possibility based on the absence of evidence.
And then there was the panic by the Islam-hating fringe about a big bunch of Muslims praying in Washington D.C., an event that
would hold no signs and just wanted to pray properly (and loudly). It looks like the prayer has almost no effect. Unfortuantely, the General experienced some sort of conversion event, an event he wants to have undone as fast as possible.
Elsewhere on the fringe, Ms. Porter believes that spamming the Congresscritters with fake pink slips will make them decide to vote against reforms or other things she finds distateful in fear they will be voted out in the next election. Never one to miss a pitch for capitalism or anything else, The General suggests some additional pitch to the pitch.
And on the current common attack line, Mr. Elder rambles for a long, long time to make his point - that he feels Barack Obama going to Copehagen while the troop request for Afghanistan waits on his desk is irresponsible. Mr. Kelly makes that point, but about Iran, as a throwaway in his opinion about how right French President Sarkozy is to hold Mr. Obama in contempt for the way he's been handling Iran. Michelle Malkin makes a better argument about the Copenhagen trip, arguing that Olympic Games are financial sinkholes, not jobs-and-economy boosters. Well, in a roundabout way involving accusations of cronyism and favor repayment by the President to the Chicago pols. Still, when even Malkin outdoes you on your main point, despite her own meanderings, you know you've failed.
A far more fair take on the strategy needed for Afghanistan, and the pace it is taking, comes from Mr. Wood, giving proper space to those who want the President to hurry and those who want it to be planned out right before things happen.
Mr. Hanson encourages a more aggressive carbon-fuels development strategy as a way of making it so the United States can cut off oil imports and starve leaders like Ahmadinejad, Qadafi, and Chavez, also taking nearly the entire column's length to make his point.
Last out, Mr. Boyles declares the President has made America look weak, and is continuing to do so, at the cost of our allies thinking we'll do anything and our enemies thinking we'll do nothing, a "weak America" that everyone who hates the place is salivating to get their chance to bash.
In technology, hackers target journalists with sophisticated attack, mixing social engineering with a malware-infested PDF and operating at a level that would probably fool the average person. Elsewhere, more progress toward making self-assembling treatments, new creatures discovered underground, designs intended to grow on unused space and turn it into private quarters, spacing out training and learning makes it more likely to be long-term memory instead of cramming, (hey, speaking of, nasal spray that can help with memory), genetic tweaks that produce a similar effect to caloric restriction in mice, making them live longer, and a gym that would harvest the power of exercise to purify water and ferry passengers around.
Last for tonight, the ray that causes pain to exposed skin may have a hand-held version soon. If that's the case, I may need to imbibe some alcohol with a paranormal name so that I can power up my reflective tinfoil hat. Or keep an eye out for remote-controlled insects that will be equipped with such devices.
Well, either that, or surf over to the Ig Nobel award winners and have a laugh and a thought, in that order.
Our brains process our beliefs and our facts in the same way. Which means, to the committed, a belief is a fact, and there's no difference in the brain between "This is a chair" and "God exists/does not exist". No wonder we don't build bridges. That said, we apparently are also just a bit unsure, even when we're sure, so maybe we can use that to find the respect we desperately need.
Out in the world, a Tweet has been used to serve a court writ.
Additionally, The Big Picture visits China during their 60th birthday party.
Domestically, Israel's non-secret secret nukes are apparently continuing to stay secret, according to an agreement reaffirmed between the Israeli Prime Minister and the U.S. President at one of their meetings. Not any official agreement, of course. Assuming that Israel doesn't blow the lid off the whole thing by bombing Iran because tehy think the U.S. won't.
No doubt there will be... speculation about the following, as Drew Barrymore and Ellen Page share a kiss, as published in Marie Claire. Considering that one of the persons who killed Matthew Shephard is still not sorry for having done it, I don't think such a thing will pass by without commentary, both positive and negative.
In opinions, basically baseless speculation that the census worker killed could harbor predatory thoughts toward children, and further in the comments, calling all the people who called him on his baseless speculation idiots because they're dismissing the possibility based on the absence of evidence.
And then there was the panic by the Islam-hating fringe about a big bunch of Muslims praying in Washington D.C., an event that
would hold no signs and just wanted to pray properly (and loudly). It looks like the prayer has almost no effect. Unfortuantely, the General experienced some sort of conversion event, an event he wants to have undone as fast as possible.
Elsewhere on the fringe, Ms. Porter believes that spamming the Congresscritters with fake pink slips will make them decide to vote against reforms or other things she finds distateful in fear they will be voted out in the next election. Never one to miss a pitch for capitalism or anything else, The General suggests some additional pitch to the pitch.
And on the current common attack line, Mr. Elder rambles for a long, long time to make his point - that he feels Barack Obama going to Copehagen while the troop request for Afghanistan waits on his desk is irresponsible. Mr. Kelly makes that point, but about Iran, as a throwaway in his opinion about how right French President Sarkozy is to hold Mr. Obama in contempt for the way he's been handling Iran. Michelle Malkin makes a better argument about the Copenhagen trip, arguing that Olympic Games are financial sinkholes, not jobs-and-economy boosters. Well, in a roundabout way involving accusations of cronyism and favor repayment by the President to the Chicago pols. Still, when even Malkin outdoes you on your main point, despite her own meanderings, you know you've failed.
A far more fair take on the strategy needed for Afghanistan, and the pace it is taking, comes from Mr. Wood, giving proper space to those who want the President to hurry and those who want it to be planned out right before things happen.
Mr. Hanson encourages a more aggressive carbon-fuels development strategy as a way of making it so the United States can cut off oil imports and starve leaders like Ahmadinejad, Qadafi, and Chavez, also taking nearly the entire column's length to make his point.
Last out, Mr. Boyles declares the President has made America look weak, and is continuing to do so, at the cost of our allies thinking we'll do anything and our enemies thinking we'll do nothing, a "weak America" that everyone who hates the place is salivating to get their chance to bash.
In technology, hackers target journalists with sophisticated attack, mixing social engineering with a malware-infested PDF and operating at a level that would probably fool the average person. Elsewhere, more progress toward making self-assembling treatments, new creatures discovered underground, designs intended to grow on unused space and turn it into private quarters, spacing out training and learning makes it more likely to be long-term memory instead of cramming, (hey, speaking of, nasal spray that can help with memory), genetic tweaks that produce a similar effect to caloric restriction in mice, making them live longer, and a gym that would harvest the power of exercise to purify water and ferry passengers around.
Last for tonight, the ray that causes pain to exposed skin may have a hand-held version soon. If that's the case, I may need to imbibe some alcohol with a paranormal name so that I can power up my reflective tinfoil hat. Or keep an eye out for remote-controlled insects that will be equipped with such devices.
Well, either that, or surf over to the Ig Nobel award winners and have a laugh and a thought, in that order.
