XKCD once again comes to the rescue with a clear and concise explanation of the problem. First of all the company felt the need to change their name because the old one had been so tarnished. And they really expect us to trust them with our votes? And yes the analogy really is a good one. Something has gone horribly awry if a virus can get on your voting machine.
My wife and I have been laughing our behinds off at the Phelps “perfect human specimen” spots that NBC has been airing this past week. They talk about his (completely mutant) physique as if his mother decided that that is what he was going to look like. So when my wife ran across a similar account in Gawker this morning, she had to point it out to me. I took a quick look, and while the article itself isn’t particularly interesting, the comments are hilarious. A few of them are simply old Chuck Norris jokes rehashed, but there are a bunch of new ones in a similar vein. Including: “Michael Phelps is the new Chuck Norris… and Chuck Norris is OK with that.”
When Musharraf first took over in Pakistan I was pretty pleased with that particular change of government. Pakistan seemed to need a stronger hand than the existing government was able to provide. The problem with dictators though is that once they are in place they very seldom give up power. Given the fact that he already broke a number of promises to step down my opinion of him has gradually declined over the years. It appears that following the latest challenge to his power however, he stepped down as president which was his last piece of power in government. Pakistan is such a large diverse country there are no silver bullets to its problems and this certainly won’t fix everything, but hopefully it is a step in the right direction. Also, hopefully after so many years of working with Pakistan we have developed good working relationships with people and institutions besides Musharraf.
In any case, a nice little independence day present for Pakistan.
It appears that the federal marshals shut down a fake diploma ring. I am personally excited about this because it should make a significant dent in my junk e-mail. But the article is great. They not only shut down the ring, they also have a list of 10,000 people who bought the fake degrees. I am personally hoping for a nice housecleaning coming the Chicago direction. Plenty of government jobs pay according to the degree you have. I could see lots of demand for fake degrees in our state, county and city governments.
Honeybees are disappearing. Watch this video to learn about how bees communicate with each other through their special dances, and how they are disappearing.
I just got back from a trip to Hawaii (pics forthcoming) and while there I had the opportunity to read some local news. In particular, given my own predilection for fear mongering, a series of articles on geothermal energy interested me. I was wondering aloud to my wife why Hawaii didn’t have more geothermal power generation, and it turns out that the locals have all sorts of concerns about the environmental damage that it would cause. (Unlike I guess the 78% of their electricity which is currently generated from oil.) Given their tidal wind solar and geothermal sources, renewables should be able to easily make up a majority of the power generation needs for the island, but it currently only provides 6%[1]. But vocal local opponents have stopped major projects from going forward to far. The series in the newspaper did a pretty good job of showing the benefits and describing more scientifically what the actual dangers are, and not just the presumed dangers.
Given that, the next piece of local fear that appeared in the newspapers is extremely humorous. There is currently an ongoing eruption on the big island. This is great for visiting, because you get to see something that doesn’t happen that often, but annoys the locals because it creates a bunch of SO2 vapors blanketing the island with a fog like substance they call vog. People wrote into the paper complaining about it, and suggesting that “something needs to be done about the volcano.” Awesome. Some suggestions were put a dome over it and fill it with concrete. Fortunately that day a scientist responded, “the lava has been coming up through three miles of the earth’s crust, I don’t think your concrete is going to stop it.”
And now I read about another item from the Hawaiian courts. Apparently someone is suing to stop the LHC at CERN. Oh yeah, because it is going to create micro black holes and eat the planet away, all Earth style. I think the scientists who were afraid that the first nuclear explosion was going to engulf the entire planet in a chain reaction had a better argument. It also makes my fear of peak oil look like a downright sure thing.
[1] Numbers are from 2002.
CNN appears to have gotten their hands on a bunch of papers from al Queda in Iraq detailing the command structure and operations from mid to end 2006. It is a very interesting read because it shows that there really was a central structure for the insurgency in the Sunni areas in Iraq. It is also interesting because it shows that there is a real enemy to be fought there, and not just a conglomeration of independent groups. It gives some hope that they might be able to straighten things out some day. I think the most interesting item for me was their internal awareness that the tide had turned against them, long before the US ever figured that out.
It is also worth noting that much of the al Queda in Iraq violence has died down now, but there are plenty of other groups out there. I have to wonder now though if they aren’t similarly run, giving some chance that they could be stopped one day as well.
Unless there is a major technological breakthrough airline tickets will continue to become more and more expensive until only the super rich are able to afford to fly. The problem is that while it is reasonably straightforward to build a car that runs on electricity, it is generally of lower performance and to build a jet you need maximal performance, thus you need highly refined oil. The Financial Times looks at the problem in the short term:
British Airways last week reported record profits for the year to March and the first 10 per cent operating profit margin in its history.
And yet it also warned that $125 oil could wipe away the entire operating profit this year, without further cost-saving, fare increases and cuts in capital spending.
$135? How about $150? Or $200? British Airways is one of the most financially sound airlines around. The US airlines have all be scrimping on upgrades for years and thus have less fuel efficient jets. Expect US airline travel to become more unpleasant as oil prices continue to rise. I’ve already gotten an email from my airline this summer, letting me know that they changed my flight because they canceled the one I was on. I just hope they are still around long enough for me to make all my flights this summer.
I’ve been more interested in Lebanon than Iraq lately for my Middle East news, and things there appear to be coming to a head. There has been quite a bit of back and forth between the democratically elected government and the local thug-in-law, Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Hizbullah. Just like an unwanted relative, you just can’t uninvite him from the party. First come the pleas for sympathy and the threats. Problem is, he already followed through on his threats yesterday with the strikes after the government fired his supporter from the post of airport security when it was discovered he was allowing Hizbullah to surveil the airport undetected. Then the text messaging starts. (And the introspection about texting during a war.) Then the advice from the survivors of the previous war. (”Don’t try to leave until you know where the snipers are.”)
I pray for them, but I am afraid that if the Lebanese backers of Hizbullah don’t see the moral bankruptcy in their leaders yet, even instigating violence against their own people won’t let them see it. I have to say though, it puts our political disagreements here in the US into context. Clinton’s paramilitary force isn’t threatening the dissolution of the Army if Obama doesn’t withdraw from the presidential race.
To figure out how they got there, the Daily Star has a good Op-Ed which serves as an excellent backgrounder.
I’ve been a big fan of Obama for president for a while now. There are some pretty specific reasons for me. First he is local and I have seen him work across the aisle in Springfield, which is certainly a better example than anyone else in Washington right now. Of course given that poisonous atmosphere he might not be able to continue in that vein. Then there are the policies. Sure he has done his share of pandering (highway bill anyone?) but generally his votes are fairly well defended based on the effect on the country. More importantly he seems to actually think about the implications of his votes, beyond just who stands to make money off of it. His vocal stance against the gas tax holiday is a good example. Guess what people, supply and demand has set a price. That price will stay there even if we cut the taxes. Those funds will just go to the oil companies rather than the federal government.
Which brings me to another of his issues, energy policy. While he isn’t a peak oil doomer like me, he does have a cohesive energy policy that fits squarely with my belief structure. And the best thing about it is that he doesn’t lay claim to knowing the answer. That allows funding to go to alternative promising programs that we can’t even think of yet, instead of pumping all the development cash into turning corn into gas.
And while we are on the subject of gas, lets talk about being elitist. Clinton claims that he is being elitist by not backing the gas tax holiday. Is it elitist to assume that the average american can understand that basic economics says they aren’t going to get anything from a tax holiday, or is is being elitist to assume that the average American’s vote can be bought with a promise that will never come true, because they won’t realize it won’t help until it is too late? I know which one insults me.
And finally, lets talk personal connections and experience. Obama - Wright, worst case scenario? Embarrassment. Clinton - McDougals, McCain - Keating, worst cast scenario? Jail. Maybe a lack of experience is a good thing. I have a conservative neighbor with a lot of pro gun bumper-stickers, and possibly my favorite bumper sticker ever: “All politicians should serve two terms: one in office and one in jail.” I’m starting to believe that. Blago. Stroger.
Update: Apparently the ads in Indy are making me pissy.
No matter how this turns out, one thing is certain: there will be a lot more lawsuits. Unless the Supreme Court finds some clever way to close the lid on this pandora’s box quickly, I have a hard time imagining many of the losers in the affected cases bringing new claims. Hopefully there are limits on previously decided cases being reopened, the courts are already overburdened the way it is.
As more comes out about the lost presidential emails, it is worthwhile looking a the system decisions that got us here in the first place. It is interesting to note, that when the email retention laws went into effect during Clinton’s term, they were able to build an automatic, tamper resistant archiving scheme in under a year.
It is also interesting that when the Bush administration decided to upgrade the system, the archiving system became manual and lost the tamper resistance. The advantage of mismanaging every single aspect of your presidency is that when stuff like this comes up, we have to assume poor planning, rather than more nefarious causes. Nixon was an amateur.
So, I’ve come down hard on Sequoia in the past, but now they are threatening to sue counties that want to verify their security?! Awesome. Because, you know, they are so secure to begin with.
I know it is “just words”. I know it isn’t “getting things done”. But Obama can give a great speech. Between this and his 90 minutes with the trib, I am liking him more and more. The ability to open yourself up to scrutiny and really try to let people understand some of the nuances of your thinking, rather than just shutting down the questioning and giving the answers that he thinks people want to hear. In his speech today, he condemned what was said by his pastor, but gave enough background to be able to understand why he ever would have stood by him in the first place. And then used it as an example of where our country still has to go. I suppose I am a sucker for a good public speaker, but I’m impressed. Even more so because he is learning how to do this more and more as the campaign goes on. At first he did the old, just give enough info to let people know I didn’t do anything wrong. I think the openness thing is really starting to seep into the consciousness of his team. I only hope the rest of the country can recognize it for what it is, and not fall game to the fear based campaigns. (Although to be fair I haven’t seen a lot of that recently from the other candidates either.)
Update: Apparently I am not the only one who feels this way. Blogs from Chicagoist to the Daring Fireball are talking about this speech. Not much from the local bloggers yet though.
The Obama campaign had some issues with an email the Clinton campaign sent out, and responded with a point counterpoint rebuttal. From NPR via Daring Fireball.
Analysts appear to be surprised that rising gas prices result in reduction of discretionary spending. It is called the writing on the wall people. I am so a prophet of doom. I really need a new category for running around yelling that the sky is falling.
But seriously, given all of the uncertainties in what the oil reserves really are, we should be able to see this one coming (pdf). (That last link is a GAO report that I actually find heartening. It shows that someone in the government is listening.)
I would love to know what went on behind the scenes to bring Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador to the table to discuss peace. I wonder if some of the documents that Columbia found implicating Venezuela in funding the FARC might have softened their bark. Or perhaps, Colombia just did what they needed to and after apologizing to Ecuador, Ecuador was happy and Venezuela had to make nice. Other options?
You can get plenty of takes on how the Iranian President’s visit was a pleasant thing, but one Iraqi blogger has a different take on the situation. I am particularly interested in how he is not impressed by Ahmandinejad’s lack of visit to Najaf, whereas all the US reporters seem to think that he went to all the holy sites. A minor, but important difference.
Well that would explain why he was so pissed off. Apparently computers captured in the raid into Ecuador contain documents indicating Venezuela gave FARC $300 million. If true, Chavez has interesting taste in friends. Drug dealers and kidnappers. I wonder what he got for his $300 million? That is money that his socialist state probably could have used to shower gifts (of food) on his populace.
So it appears that both Ecuador and Venezuela have moved troops to the Columbian frontier. They also both recalled their ambassadors. The government of Columbia finally strikes a major blow against FARC, who have been terrorizing Columbians for the past half century, and this is the congratulations they get from their neighbors. Simon Bolivar would be rolling in his grave. Of course from the Venezuelan side, this is all grand standing since the actions were taken in Ecuadorian lands, however moving 10 battalions to the border. Wow.
I wonder if Chavez sees himself as the true heir to Bolivar so strongly that he would actually invade, trying to reclaim Gran Columbia. Good luck with that my friend. How long have you been sleeping with the devil backing FARC anyway? Sure, they can hold the jungles in the mountains, but those cities are pretty large. And I don’t think that any of the auto-defencia’s would be real interested in watching you roll in to town. Invading Columbia would be like invading Texas. Only the defenders have actually be practicing defending themselves for the past century.
Also, I wonder if Chavez knows that Bolivar traveled with a copy of Smith’s “The Wealth of Nations”? I mean really. Just get rid of that invisible hand, make it visible, and use it for your own political purposes? Oh Bolivar would have loved that.
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