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Morning. The weekend was a rather fun time. I got to learn a few things about myself, including that I think I have a much better idea of what those of you on my friends list mean when you talk about panic attacks. I'm sorry if you have to suffer those with any regularity. No fun at all.
Out in the world, Pakistan launched a major offensive against the Taliban in the country, hot sauce that could be considered hot enough to have been an attack weapon in a dispute, and a flight attendant who routinely asks her passengers to write a message to a soldier in a war, packaged as part of a care package.
Finally, a Vancouver man was found guilty of negligence when he performed a circumcision on his son, using a razor blade, a bllod coagulant meant for horses, and no ice or other attempt to dull the pain. Because, as he claimed, "Where would the Israelites have found ice?".
In domestic news, there's a reason we need equal rights for all domestic partnerships - because in some places, even with all the right documents, hospital staff will still not let a homosexual see her partner while life is slipping away from her, and won't even tell her or her children when they've moved that partner to the ICU. By the law and the documents aready there, this should not have happened, whether that person was hmosexual or heterosexual.
Police are pursuing possible criminal charges against the parents who perpetuated a hoax involving a hot air conveyance and their young son.
Of more interest, new policy for the Justice department - follow state guidelines regarding medical maijuana usage and don't target those who are compliant. Anyone else in a state that doesn't have those policies or is doing it beyond what the guidelines say, you're still part of the War on (Some) Drugs.
Additionally, the SEC just hired a Goldman Sachs executive as their enforcement head, firmly cementing the idea that not only are wolves expected to watch the sheep, they're going to get paid for it and be able to collude with other wolves for maximum profit. Meanwhile, foreclosure continues to drive more and more former homeowners into homeless shelters.
Federal agencies are commissioning some studies on whether certain factors increase the chances of persons and teenagers being shot, like whether teenagers carry guns, drink alcohol, or live in neighborhoods which are rich in one or the other.
States are bringing suit against the Treasury department, claiming it did not make sufficient effort to find the owners and holders of 40-year bonds sold mostly as fundraising for the Second World War, and that the states should be given the money so they can find the owners.
In the opinions, Mr. Heilemann explains that just because you don't see Secretary of State Clinton everywhere doesn't mean she has no influence or power over what goes on.
The Washington Times rails against the Federal Housing Administration, painting them as the new place for people with bad credit to get zero money down, high-risk home loans. Furthermore, Mr. Freeman accuses the Democrats of postponing a committee session so they wouldn't have to vote on whether to subpoena more documents from the Countrywide scandal.
Other economic opinions include Mr. Brooks, who says we should be looking at what the Conservatives in the United Kingdom are doing economicall now because we're going to have to do that soon and Mr. Taibbi's exposition of another Wall Street practice that normally would fleece the middle class, but instead was turned on some of their own because there wasn't anyone in the middle class to cannibalize, things like being able to short sell stocks you don't have and collect on the bet of their demise, often done so masterfully that someone had to have insider information. Good news on Wall Street is not good news for the common person, and furthermore, it's a wonder the mainstream media hasn't picked up and reported on this yet.
Mr. Davis echoes Mr. Netanyahu's critique of the members of the United Nations that stayed and listened to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, implicitly accusing them of being symapthetic to Holocaust denial, and expanding it out to include liberals who are apparently critical of Israel but supportive of Iran. Mr. Bolton condemns the Human Rights Council's action, because they act similarly anti-Israel, who didn't act at all out of proportion when they engaged in a protracted war with Hamas last year, and that the U.S. should immediately withdraw and defund the HRC before they start becoming anti-Washington.
Mr. Kasparov says Russia doesn't care if Iran goes nuclear so long as they keep buying oil at a favorable price.
Mr. Steyn cherry-picks quotes to paint the liberal world as having to make up stuff that Rush Limbaugh never said to create outrage, but matter-of-factly lets people who adore Mao (the mass murderer Mao, of course) and Hitler talk about their admiration without a peep. Because, of course, one cannot find a philosophy useful or inspiring without then also expressing wholehearted support for what that philospher did with his life. If you think the Chairman's ideas are worth spreading, you must also always be in support of his decision to kill millions. Black and white, no grey, always heroes and terrorists, nothing else. Now, while the quote itself may be inaccurate, all that eneds to be done is to replace it with an accurate one, like the Donovan McNabb one, and the point is still made. Mr. Limbaugh defends himself in a column, also claiming most of what was attributed to him is a lie and that the mainstream liberal media is out to get him, despite the "fact" that that same media was fawning all over a black political candidate like he said the NFL was fawning over McNabb's success.
The WSJ contributes an unsigned stating their opposition to the University of Wisconsin, Madison being able to unionize the faculty, most notably, after explaining their opposition to card check and the ability to draw people into the union why may or may not have wanted to be there, based on position classification, saying that if they do, "expect more former free-thinkers to go over to the union mind set." Wait, so if one unionizes, one loses all capacity to think freely? We all become automatons? Really? At least Mr. Berkowitz's opinion that liberal univiersities are choosing to censor rather than applaud free speech tries to provide a solid argument that universities should do things like publish books with potentially offensive descriptions and images in them if it makes scholarly sense to do so, even if his expansion into "Duke assumed the lacrosse players were guilty and brooked no other opinion until they were found not guilty" and "Harvard sacked someone for daring even to offer the idea that women lacked the theoretical intelligence to do natural sciences" aren't as strong.
Still trying to justify extrajudicial proceedings, Mr. Mukasey, previous attorney general declares that the 11 September attacks were a result of trying terror suspects according to the regular justice system, because it would be an undue burden to try terrrorists, terrosrists might attack the courthouse, and even if housed in prison, terrorists could spread their ideals to others and make it all more dangerous, and because trials require discolsure of information, which other terrorists will use to make more attacks. Keeping us safe by keeping us all in the dark. That's not how justice works.
Mr. Gleicher opens the health care volley by saying expert panels are not always the right thing, and people sometimes make bad scientific studies, so soon we'll have all sorts of doctors making bad decisions based on bad data, but nobody will stop it because the expert panel says it's the right thing to do. Messrs. Parante and Bragdon lay out a case on how they think market reforms, including buying policies out of state and repealing requirements like guaranteed issue and community rating, will get more people on insurance and at a lower cost. So long, of course, as those companies don't then cancel them out at the first sign of some sort of sickness. Mr. Champan says a good way to reform costs is to make people who buy insurance know up front that they're going to be paying a chunk of care by themselves as co-pays. Of course, the problem with that is for people whom that money is probably already spent, if never available, are probably the people who need to be in contact with their physicians more.
Last out, Mr. Crovitz shakes his head at the FTC's new disclosure regulations, because of how much they're in the interests of traditional media and against the Internet... which one really couldn't properly police and regulate, anyway. The Web people do their own regulating. peaking of the media, Mr. Taranto posts a glowing profile of Mr. Brietbart and his campaign to turn ACORN from a community-assistance organization into an organization that helps pimps avoid the law, praising him and his attempts to take on the "Democrat-media" complex and embarrass the mainstream media into covering it and the Congresscritters into doing something about it, with the caveat that the way he went about doing it is highly unethical. It was excellent framing of the shot, carefully excluding all the other things ACORN does well and possibly all the other employees who turned them away when they explained what they wanted to do.
Just a little technology - five that could change the game if they turn out to be doable, and catching the placebo effect at work.
Last for tonight, Aldhous Huxley reads Brave New World, available for free.
Out in the world, Pakistan launched a major offensive against the Taliban in the country, hot sauce that could be considered hot enough to have been an attack weapon in a dispute, and a flight attendant who routinely asks her passengers to write a message to a soldier in a war, packaged as part of a care package.
Finally, a Vancouver man was found guilty of negligence when he performed a circumcision on his son, using a razor blade, a bllod coagulant meant for horses, and no ice or other attempt to dull the pain. Because, as he claimed, "Where would the Israelites have found ice?".
In domestic news, there's a reason we need equal rights for all domestic partnerships - because in some places, even with all the right documents, hospital staff will still not let a homosexual see her partner while life is slipping away from her, and won't even tell her or her children when they've moved that partner to the ICU. By the law and the documents aready there, this should not have happened, whether that person was hmosexual or heterosexual.
Police are pursuing possible criminal charges against the parents who perpetuated a hoax involving a hot air conveyance and their young son.
Of more interest, new policy for the Justice department - follow state guidelines regarding medical maijuana usage and don't target those who are compliant. Anyone else in a state that doesn't have those policies or is doing it beyond what the guidelines say, you're still part of the War on (Some) Drugs.
Additionally, the SEC just hired a Goldman Sachs executive as their enforcement head, firmly cementing the idea that not only are wolves expected to watch the sheep, they're going to get paid for it and be able to collude with other wolves for maximum profit. Meanwhile, foreclosure continues to drive more and more former homeowners into homeless shelters.
Federal agencies are commissioning some studies on whether certain factors increase the chances of persons and teenagers being shot, like whether teenagers carry guns, drink alcohol, or live in neighborhoods which are rich in one or the other.
States are bringing suit against the Treasury department, claiming it did not make sufficient effort to find the owners and holders of 40-year bonds sold mostly as fundraising for the Second World War, and that the states should be given the money so they can find the owners.
In the opinions, Mr. Heilemann explains that just because you don't see Secretary of State Clinton everywhere doesn't mean she has no influence or power over what goes on.
The Washington Times rails against the Federal Housing Administration, painting them as the new place for people with bad credit to get zero money down, high-risk home loans. Furthermore, Mr. Freeman accuses the Democrats of postponing a committee session so they wouldn't have to vote on whether to subpoena more documents from the Countrywide scandal.
Other economic opinions include Mr. Brooks, who says we should be looking at what the Conservatives in the United Kingdom are doing economicall now because we're going to have to do that soon and Mr. Taibbi's exposition of another Wall Street practice that normally would fleece the middle class, but instead was turned on some of their own because there wasn't anyone in the middle class to cannibalize, things like being able to short sell stocks you don't have and collect on the bet of their demise, often done so masterfully that someone had to have insider information. Good news on Wall Street is not good news for the common person, and furthermore, it's a wonder the mainstream media hasn't picked up and reported on this yet.
Mr. Davis echoes Mr. Netanyahu's critique of the members of the United Nations that stayed and listened to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, implicitly accusing them of being symapthetic to Holocaust denial, and expanding it out to include liberals who are apparently critical of Israel but supportive of Iran. Mr. Bolton condemns the Human Rights Council's action, because they act similarly anti-Israel, who didn't act at all out of proportion when they engaged in a protracted war with Hamas last year, and that the U.S. should immediately withdraw and defund the HRC before they start becoming anti-Washington.
Mr. Kasparov says Russia doesn't care if Iran goes nuclear so long as they keep buying oil at a favorable price.
Mr. Steyn cherry-picks quotes to paint the liberal world as having to make up stuff that Rush Limbaugh never said to create outrage, but matter-of-factly lets people who adore Mao (the mass murderer Mao, of course) and Hitler talk about their admiration without a peep. Because, of course, one cannot find a philosophy useful or inspiring without then also expressing wholehearted support for what that philospher did with his life. If you think the Chairman's ideas are worth spreading, you must also always be in support of his decision to kill millions. Black and white, no grey, always heroes and terrorists, nothing else. Now, while the quote itself may be inaccurate, all that eneds to be done is to replace it with an accurate one, like the Donovan McNabb one, and the point is still made. Mr. Limbaugh defends himself in a column, also claiming most of what was attributed to him is a lie and that the mainstream liberal media is out to get him, despite the "fact" that that same media was fawning all over a black political candidate like he said the NFL was fawning over McNabb's success.
The WSJ contributes an unsigned stating their opposition to the University of Wisconsin, Madison being able to unionize the faculty, most notably, after explaining their opposition to card check and the ability to draw people into the union why may or may not have wanted to be there, based on position classification, saying that if they do, "expect more former free-thinkers to go over to the union mind set." Wait, so if one unionizes, one loses all capacity to think freely? We all become automatons? Really? At least Mr. Berkowitz's opinion that liberal univiersities are choosing to censor rather than applaud free speech tries to provide a solid argument that universities should do things like publish books with potentially offensive descriptions and images in them if it makes scholarly sense to do so, even if his expansion into "Duke assumed the lacrosse players were guilty and brooked no other opinion until they were found not guilty" and "Harvard sacked someone for daring even to offer the idea that women lacked the theoretical intelligence to do natural sciences" aren't as strong.
Still trying to justify extrajudicial proceedings, Mr. Mukasey, previous attorney general declares that the 11 September attacks were a result of trying terror suspects according to the regular justice system, because it would be an undue burden to try terrrorists, terrosrists might attack the courthouse, and even if housed in prison, terrorists could spread their ideals to others and make it all more dangerous, and because trials require discolsure of information, which other terrorists will use to make more attacks. Keeping us safe by keeping us all in the dark. That's not how justice works.
Mr. Gleicher opens the health care volley by saying expert panels are not always the right thing, and people sometimes make bad scientific studies, so soon we'll have all sorts of doctors making bad decisions based on bad data, but nobody will stop it because the expert panel says it's the right thing to do. Messrs. Parante and Bragdon lay out a case on how they think market reforms, including buying policies out of state and repealing requirements like guaranteed issue and community rating, will get more people on insurance and at a lower cost. So long, of course, as those companies don't then cancel them out at the first sign of some sort of sickness. Mr. Champan says a good way to reform costs is to make people who buy insurance know up front that they're going to be paying a chunk of care by themselves as co-pays. Of course, the problem with that is for people whom that money is probably already spent, if never available, are probably the people who need to be in contact with their physicians more.
Last out, Mr. Crovitz shakes his head at the FTC's new disclosure regulations, because of how much they're in the interests of traditional media and against the Internet... which one really couldn't properly police and regulate, anyway. The Web people do their own regulating. peaking of the media, Mr. Taranto posts a glowing profile of Mr. Brietbart and his campaign to turn ACORN from a community-assistance organization into an organization that helps pimps avoid the law, praising him and his attempts to take on the "Democrat-media" complex and embarrass the mainstream media into covering it and the Congresscritters into doing something about it, with the caveat that the way he went about doing it is highly unethical. It was excellent framing of the shot, carefully excluding all the other things ACORN does well and possibly all the other employees who turned them away when they explained what they wanted to do.
Just a little technology - five that could change the game if they turn out to be doable, and catching the placebo effect at work.
Last for tonight, Aldhous Huxley reads Brave New World, available for free.
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