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silveradeptGreeting to everyone here! Today is an important day for many, whether celebrating the cycles of nature (Beltane), celebrating the need for solidaridty among the worknig classes (International Workers’ Day), or celebrating fertility by dancing around a giant pole (May Day). And tomorrow? Free Comic Book Day!
The United Kingdom's combat involvement in Iraq is offficially at an end.
After having a look at a ground level view of no-abortion Dominican Republic, where the new law really traps the poor, rather than those who can afford to go elsewhere, then be alternating happy and squicked at an 8 year-old girl, forced into marriage in Saudi Arabia with a 50 year-old man for the price of 50,000 riyals, was able to divorce her husband.
Last out of the international section, Education will become optional in Alberta, if a bill permitting parents to pull their children out of classes covering evolution or homosexuality passes. Bad Canada! Don’t follow our example!
Domestically speaking, church attendance correlates with support for torture, according to Pew research.
After being held without charge for 18 months, an "enemy combatant" entered a guilty plea, which could vindicate those who believe that terror suspects can be held without charge.
Oooh, boy. This could be yet another conservative nightmare coming true. President Obama will get to replace a SCOTUS judge, as Justice Souter is retiring.
The House Intelligence committee chair suggested that Congress shuold take a more active role in setting foreign policy and in overseeing the CIA's work, which is apparently a really freaking radical idea. Isn’t it part of the Congress’s job to oversee what those agencies are doing in their name? Or at least the President’s responsibility?
Chariman Steele of the RNC admits that he thinks "Magic Negro" is an apt moniker for the President. Maybe that’s why the push to revitalize the party isn’t including him. Although, who they are including isn’t necessarily a cause for celebration either.
Setup: NOM (those of “Gathering Storm” infamy“) goes after people making parodies of their video, citing copyright issues (and totally ignoring the fair-use provisions and court decisions). Then, they develop a new campaign ad that focuses on Prejean and Perez. Guess what happens? Perez Hilton gets Youtube to pull the NOM ad, citing copyright concerns that his likeness was used without permission. (Also, we note, totally ignoring the fair use provisions).
A backfire of a different sort: attempting to get people aware of unacceptable language and ideas in the workplace, the Delaware Dept. Of Transportation produced a newsletter that explicitly used words such as "nigger" and questions like asking an African-American co-worker about fried chicken or watermelons. Naturally, people found the language and ideas unacceptable. I’m not sure whether that’s a victor for the producer, because the people are squeamish about those words and phrases, or for the people on the receiving end, because they’re already squeamish about using those words and phrases.
Tax credits passed by the administration may end up needing to be paid back according to the withholding tables of the IRS, so one should always check to make sure of eligibility.
In the opinions, Mr. Haass says that those venturing legal opinions should not be tried for venturing legal opinions, including when those legal opinions permit things that are illegal and have been for a while. The WSJ sees what it wants to in the President's statement about having read the documents Mr. Cheney is asking for, believing that the absence of a denial is proof that Cheney is right, things did work and the Bush Administration is vindicated, and the trials and inquisitions should be scuttled.
Mr. Medved believes that, comparatively speaking, Iraq's casualties haven't been too bad, and that Americans have done only a tiny fraction of the body count, and in the service of trying to not accumulate more bodies. thus, people claiming that the bodies are all the fault of the Americans are sorely misguided.
Mr. Henninger reminisces on 100 days with a cautionary tale that people will read into Barack Obama what they want to, even if it produces situations like the current one on torture, where the President appears to be agreeing both with those who want to bury the investigations and those who want them to go forward. Maestro Turd Blossom comments on the first 100 days, saying that the President has not delivered on his campaign promises and will regret outsourcing legislation to the Congress. Because, as you well know, Mr. Blossom, the President is totally able to write legislation and ensure that it passes exactly as he has written it, so that he can sign it, so Mr. Obama’s decision to leave the legislation to the legislators works completely against his agenda. Mr. Elder comments on the perceived lack of effect on all of Mr. Obama's policies, speeches, and positions to this point, focusing on foreign policy the most. Pettiest of all, though, is Mr. Bozell, continuing on his theme of "the MSM are Obama cheerleaders and lapdogs".
The WSJ sees the government taking control of GM and giving the rest to the UAW so they can work together in harmony to force everyone else to buy GM. Which may be some part of what Mr. Brooks describes as the fight over capitalism, with tea party protestors protesting the bailing out of the irresponsible and reckless, the new government debt, and the socialism they see in the current President. Well, at least they’re happy that bankruptcy judges can't require mortgage lenders to rewrite the terms of their contracts. Now they can focus on opposing the Presidnet's plan to provide credit-card holders with certain rights. Mr. Stossel believes doing so will stifle competition and leave everyone worser-off, if certain banks don’t decide to stop issuing credit cards altogether. He also believes the current system of investigation and regulation stops fraud and abuse from companies to cardholders. All fine and dandy, but he also believes that the terms for credit cards as they stand now are fair, and that rate spikes are a part of doing business with such companies. Nevermind the part where we have empirical evidence that indicates how difficult it is to pay off a credit card, if not impossible because you can’t pay enough to beat the finance charges and the new things you have to charge on to survive.
Ms. Strassel says that Mr. Specter is a red herring for the more serious GOP discussions that need to occur, because his departure had nothing to do with the underlying philosophy of the Republican Party, or their ability to get a message that the populace responds to out.
Last out, sensibly speaking, Messrs. Carney and Getz say that if the President is serious about getting employee input, he has to rework the management culture so that good suggestions aren't killed off by bureaucracy.
In tech, medical machines should not be running software that can be infected with worms like Conficker, yet, as we see, some MRI devices were just that. Thankfully, the Hubble's getting fixed, and as far as I know, it’s not running Windows.
Will the Internet become self-aware? As we keep adding stuff, maybe a code hiccup happens somewhere. Bandwidth demand may start outstripping supply soon, a tracking system called Second Skin that uses light nodes to build your movements inexpensively, Ggoogle expanding its flu-tracking service to Mexico, an auction for a complete genome sequence at $68,000 getting no bids, an incandescent lamp 1.4 micrometers long by 13 nanometers wide, tracing who may be the world's oldest people (the San, of Southern Africa, are the winners), and wondering whether modern life accelerates the evolutionary impulse.
Last for tonight, perhaps one of the shortest sea trials in existence, and a lamp that you may be able to influence with your mind.
The United Kingdom's combat involvement in Iraq is offficially at an end.
After having a look at a ground level view of no-abortion Dominican Republic, where the new law really traps the poor, rather than those who can afford to go elsewhere, then be alternating happy and squicked at an 8 year-old girl, forced into marriage in Saudi Arabia with a 50 year-old man for the price of 50,000 riyals, was able to divorce her husband.
Last out of the international section, Education will become optional in Alberta, if a bill permitting parents to pull their children out of classes covering evolution or homosexuality passes. Bad Canada! Don’t follow our example!
Domestically speaking, church attendance correlates with support for torture, according to Pew research.
After being held without charge for 18 months, an "enemy combatant" entered a guilty plea, which could vindicate those who believe that terror suspects can be held without charge.
Oooh, boy. This could be yet another conservative nightmare coming true. President Obama will get to replace a SCOTUS judge, as Justice Souter is retiring.
The House Intelligence committee chair suggested that Congress shuold take a more active role in setting foreign policy and in overseeing the CIA's work, which is apparently a really freaking radical idea. Isn’t it part of the Congress’s job to oversee what those agencies are doing in their name? Or at least the President’s responsibility?
Chariman Steele of the RNC admits that he thinks "Magic Negro" is an apt moniker for the President. Maybe that’s why the push to revitalize the party isn’t including him. Although, who they are including isn’t necessarily a cause for celebration either.
Setup: NOM (those of “Gathering Storm” infamy“) goes after people making parodies of their video, citing copyright issues (and totally ignoring the fair-use provisions and court decisions). Then, they develop a new campaign ad that focuses on Prejean and Perez. Guess what happens? Perez Hilton gets Youtube to pull the NOM ad, citing copyright concerns that his likeness was used without permission. (Also, we note, totally ignoring the fair use provisions).
A backfire of a different sort: attempting to get people aware of unacceptable language and ideas in the workplace, the Delaware Dept. Of Transportation produced a newsletter that explicitly used words such as "nigger" and questions like asking an African-American co-worker about fried chicken or watermelons. Naturally, people found the language and ideas unacceptable. I’m not sure whether that’s a victor for the producer, because the people are squeamish about those words and phrases, or for the people on the receiving end, because they’re already squeamish about using those words and phrases.
Tax credits passed by the administration may end up needing to be paid back according to the withholding tables of the IRS, so one should always check to make sure of eligibility.
In the opinions, Mr. Haass says that those venturing legal opinions should not be tried for venturing legal opinions, including when those legal opinions permit things that are illegal and have been for a while. The WSJ sees what it wants to in the President's statement about having read the documents Mr. Cheney is asking for, believing that the absence of a denial is proof that Cheney is right, things did work and the Bush Administration is vindicated, and the trials and inquisitions should be scuttled.
Mr. Medved believes that, comparatively speaking, Iraq's casualties haven't been too bad, and that Americans have done only a tiny fraction of the body count, and in the service of trying to not accumulate more bodies. thus, people claiming that the bodies are all the fault of the Americans are sorely misguided.
Mr. Henninger reminisces on 100 days with a cautionary tale that people will read into Barack Obama what they want to, even if it produces situations like the current one on torture, where the President appears to be agreeing both with those who want to bury the investigations and those who want them to go forward. Maestro Turd Blossom comments on the first 100 days, saying that the President has not delivered on his campaign promises and will regret outsourcing legislation to the Congress. Because, as you well know, Mr. Blossom, the President is totally able to write legislation and ensure that it passes exactly as he has written it, so that he can sign it, so Mr. Obama’s decision to leave the legislation to the legislators works completely against his agenda. Mr. Elder comments on the perceived lack of effect on all of Mr. Obama's policies, speeches, and positions to this point, focusing on foreign policy the most. Pettiest of all, though, is Mr. Bozell, continuing on his theme of "the MSM are Obama cheerleaders and lapdogs".
The WSJ sees the government taking control of GM and giving the rest to the UAW so they can work together in harmony to force everyone else to buy GM. Which may be some part of what Mr. Brooks describes as the fight over capitalism, with tea party protestors protesting the bailing out of the irresponsible and reckless, the new government debt, and the socialism they see in the current President. Well, at least they’re happy that bankruptcy judges can't require mortgage lenders to rewrite the terms of their contracts. Now they can focus on opposing the Presidnet's plan to provide credit-card holders with certain rights. Mr. Stossel believes doing so will stifle competition and leave everyone worser-off, if certain banks don’t decide to stop issuing credit cards altogether. He also believes the current system of investigation and regulation stops fraud and abuse from companies to cardholders. All fine and dandy, but he also believes that the terms for credit cards as they stand now are fair, and that rate spikes are a part of doing business with such companies. Nevermind the part where we have empirical evidence that indicates how difficult it is to pay off a credit card, if not impossible because you can’t pay enough to beat the finance charges and the new things you have to charge on to survive.
Ms. Strassel says that Mr. Specter is a red herring for the more serious GOP discussions that need to occur, because his departure had nothing to do with the underlying philosophy of the Republican Party, or their ability to get a message that the populace responds to out.
Last out, sensibly speaking, Messrs. Carney and Getz say that if the President is serious about getting employee input, he has to rework the management culture so that good suggestions aren't killed off by bureaucracy.
In tech, medical machines should not be running software that can be infected with worms like Conficker, yet, as we see, some MRI devices were just that. Thankfully, the Hubble's getting fixed, and as far as I know, it’s not running Windows.
Will the Internet become self-aware? As we keep adding stuff, maybe a code hiccup happens somewhere. Bandwidth demand may start outstripping supply soon, a tracking system called Second Skin that uses light nodes to build your movements inexpensively, Ggoogle expanding its flu-tracking service to Mexico, an auction for a complete genome sequence at $68,000 getting no bids, an incandescent lamp 1.4 micrometers long by 13 nanometers wide, tracing who may be the world's oldest people (the San, of Southern Africa, are the winners), and wondering whether modern life accelerates the evolutionary impulse.
Last for tonight, perhaps one of the shortest sea trials in existence, and a lamp that you may be able to influence with your mind.
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no subject
Date: 2009-05-03 04:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-03 08:34 pm (UTC)