Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Friday, October 20, 2006
10-17-06: The Day America Died
From MSNBC.com - ‘National yawn as our rights evaporate’
President Bush signed the Military Commissions Act of 2006 on October 17th.
What this means-> At the President's discretion a person anywhere in the galaxy can now be picked up, detained, and tortured indefinitely. Eventually you'll get a hearing in front of a military commission and there evidence seized without a search warrant and heresay will be presented against you.
Land of the Free?
I maintain that this is all part of Bush's masterful anti-terrorism campaign. Since the terrorists hate us because of our freedoms by making Americans less free we will defeat the terrorists.
Seriously though - the United States should be a moral superpower as much as a military superpower. Enacting despotic laws that enable torture is not how to be the "shining beacon of freedom".
I'm disappointed that Michigan's two Democratic Senators voted in favor of this legislation.
I sent each them the following comment:
Dear Senator [],
I am disappointed to see that you voted for the Military Commissions Act of 2006 despite the reservations you expressed in your last floor speech about the bill. I hope that if your party wins control of the Senate next month one of the first orders of business will be fixing this most shameful and un-American law.
President Bush signed the Military Commissions Act of 2006 on October 17th.
What this means-> At the President's discretion a person anywhere in the galaxy can now be picked up, detained, and tortured indefinitely. Eventually you'll get a hearing in front of a military commission and there evidence seized without a search warrant and heresay will be presented against you.
Land of the Free?
I maintain that this is all part of Bush's masterful anti-terrorism campaign. Since the terrorists hate us because of our freedoms by making Americans less free we will defeat the terrorists.
Seriously though - the United States should be a moral superpower as much as a military superpower. Enacting despotic laws that enable torture is not how to be the "shining beacon of freedom".
I'm disappointed that Michigan's two Democratic Senators voted in favor of this legislation.
I sent each them the following comment:
Dear Senator [],
I am disappointed to see that you voted for the Military Commissions Act of 2006 despite the reservations you expressed in your last floor speech about the bill. I hope that if your party wins control of the Senate next month one of the first orders of business will be fixing this most shameful and un-American law.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Stromatalites Are Biological In Origin
Via CS Monitor - Fossil evidence of earliest life on Earth?
Hmmm - I didn't realize there was still debate regarding the origination of stromatalites. For the last 10 years I've assumed they were formed biologically. I find concretions to be more mysterious.
Hmmm - I didn't realize there was still debate regarding the origination of stromatalites. For the last 10 years I've assumed they were formed biologically. I find concretions to be more mysterious.
Colbert Interview With Steve Wozniak - New Episodes Added Nightly
I've never seen Colbert flummoxed during an interview before but Woz did it - Colbert Interviews Steve Wozniak
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Monday, October 16, 2006
Truthiness In History; Republicans = Good
North Korea has a nuclear bomb. Republicans blame Clinton (and they blame him for a lot more).
The Clinton Presidency ended with a financial surplus but Republicans give President Reagan credit.
The lesson here is Republicans only do good and Democrats only bad.
The Clinton Presidency ended with a financial surplus but Republicans give President Reagan credit.
The lesson here is Republicans only do good and Democrats only bad.
Hey Honey
Via Wired.com - Honey Remedy Could Save Limbs
"All honey is antibacterial, because the bees add an enzyme that makes hydrogen peroxide," said Peter Molan, director of the Honey Research Unit at the University of Waikato in New Zealand. "But we still haven't managed to identify the active components. All we know is (the honey) works on an extremely broad spectrum."
Attempts in the lab to induce a bacterial resistance to honey have failed, Molan and Simon said. Honey's complex attack, they said, might make adaptation impossible.
Attention Nerds! - Your God Is A Star Wars Fan
Coming this November on Cinemax - All six Star Wars in High Definition and in order and on VOD.
Here's the Cinemax Star Wars Schedule
Here's the Cinemax Star Wars Schedule
Thursday, October 12, 2006
The Mathematics Of Killing
Iraqi Death Toll Exceeds 600,000, Study Estimates
"Human Rights Watch has estimated Saddam Hussein's regime killed 250,000 to 290,000 people over 20 years."
"Human Rights Watch has estimated Saddam Hussein's regime killed 250,000 to 290,000 people over 20 years."
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
The Yale Investment Strategy
Via NPR - Yale's Money Guru Shares Wisdom with Masses
- 30% - Domestic Equity: Refers to stocks in U.S.-based companies listed on U.S. exchanges.
- 5% - Emerging Market Equity: Refers to stocks from emerging markets around the world, such as Brazil, Russia, India and China.
- 15% - Foreign Developed Equity: Refers to stocks listed on major foreign markets in developed countries, such as the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Japan.
- 20% - Real Estate Investment Trusts: Refers to stocks of companies that invest directly in real estate through ownership of property.
- 15% - U.S. Treasury Notes and Bonds: These are fixed-interest U.S. government debt securities that mature in more than one year. Notes and bonds pay interest semi-annually. The income is only taxed at the federal level.
- 15% - U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protection Securities, or TIPS: These are special types of Treasury notes that offer protection from inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index. They pay interest every six months and the principal when the security matures.
- 30% - Domestic Equity: Refers to stocks in U.S.-based companies listed on U.S. exchanges.
- 5% - Emerging Market Equity: Refers to stocks from emerging markets around the world, such as Brazil, Russia, India and China.
- 15% - Foreign Developed Equity: Refers to stocks listed on major foreign markets in developed countries, such as the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Japan.
- 20% - Real Estate Investment Trusts: Refers to stocks of companies that invest directly in real estate through ownership of property.
- 15% - U.S. Treasury Notes and Bonds: These are fixed-interest U.S. government debt securities that mature in more than one year. Notes and bonds pay interest semi-annually. The income is only taxed at the federal level.
- 15% - U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protection Securities, or TIPS: These are special types of Treasury notes that offer protection from inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index. They pay interest every six months and the principal when the security matures.
Bloomberg Covers Peak Oil
Via Bloomberg.com - Peak Oil Forecasters Win Converts on Wall Street to $200 Crude
A nicely balanced article yet the same holds true no matter who is doing the spinning and that is at some point in the next 50 years oil production will peak.
A nicely balanced article yet the same holds true no matter who is doing the spinning and that is at some point in the next 50 years oil production will peak.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Media Matters Covers The Foley Scandal
http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/mark_foley_scandal
Amazingly everyone is getting blamed by the Republicans except Foley. Did anyone blame Monica or the culture? No, they blamed Bill Clinton and impeached him for perjury.
The Republicans are in a tricky spot with this case. On one hand the actions of Foley support their anti-gay claims that homosexuals are pedophiles but on the other hand they need to keep every Congressional seat they can. What to do?...
Amazingly everyone is getting blamed by the Republicans except Foley. Did anyone blame Monica or the culture? No, they blamed Bill Clinton and impeached him for perjury.
The Republicans are in a tricky spot with this case. On one hand the actions of Foley support their anti-gay claims that homosexuals are pedophiles but on the other hand they need to keep every Congressional seat they can. What to do?...
The National Intelligence Report and The Case For The Iraq War
From the Washington Post - On the NIE, the Right and the Left Are Both Wrong
What Mr. Arkin does not say is that the true problem around the world is the polarizing effects of fundamentalism.
Today Terry Gross interviewed Bob Woodward on Fresh Air - Woodward Elaborates on Bush's 'State of Denial'
What Mr. Arkin does not say is that the true problem around the world is the polarizing effects of fundamentalism.
Today Terry Gross interviewed Bob Woodward on Fresh Air - Woodward Elaborates on Bush's 'State of Denial'
Global Warming News
Via MSNBC - Global warming nears ‘dangerous’ level
Global temperatures are dangerously close to the highest ever estimated to have occurred in the past million years...
Via Salon.com - Journal: Agency Blocked Hurricane Report
In the 1990's I too doubted anthropogenic global warming. Too bad others (e.g., neoconservatives) allow opinion to get in the way of the facts.
Global temperatures are dangerously close to the highest ever estimated to have occurred in the past million years...
Via Salon.com - Journal: Agency Blocked Hurricane Report
In the 1990's I too doubted anthropogenic global warming. Too bad others (e.g., neoconservatives) allow opinion to get in the way of the facts.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)