Let the internet withdrawal begin

Okay, I am about to turn in my laptop and so I'll be out of communication for about a week (until I get my desktop working at my new place). In the meantime I will be relying on the charity of others to get access to a computer, so there probably won't be much traffic on this site.

How do you solve a problem like Rumsfeld?

This could be the first time I've ever agreed with Trent Lott. He thinks
Rumsfeld should be replaced.

"Lott said the United States needs more troops to help with the war. The country also needs a plan to leave Iraq once elections are over at the end of January."

"Lott doesn't think Rumsfeld is necessarily the person to carry out that plan."

My thoughts exactly.

Canada

Great article from the SF Gate about Canada.

Here's the penultimate paragraph:

"They did it. Canada made the whole gay marriage issue look effortless and obvious and healthy, and a massive black rain of hellfire did not pour down upon them and the very idea of hetero marriage did not immediately explode and their economy did not unravel like all the sneering cardinals and right-wing nutballs screamed it would. We must ask, one last time: what the hell is wrong with them?"

The rest is worth reading-- it's hilarious!

San Francisco

I do enjoy San Francisco in December. At this time of year, you can walk around Powell and Market streets and see the locals (or perhaps tourists up from LA) bundled up in their heavy coats, gloves, scarves wrapped around their heads. And passing them on the sidewalk are tourists (I assume from Wisconsin or some other state that has winter) dressed in shorts and a tank-top. I guess 60 degrees means different things to different people.

The other reason I enjoy SF this time of year is because the downtown area has been invaded by thousands of scientists. While walking down the street today I overheard a snatch of a conversation-- "And then I said, 'you're forgetting the electrons!' " The man's companions laughed appreciably at the story. Normally I would find that unusual, but not in San Francisco in December.

No more late fees at Blockbusters...

At least they won't call them late fees. I just heard on CNN Headline news that at Blockbusters will stop charging late fees-- they will still give you a due date, and you'll have a one week grace period. After that they'll "sell you the movie," i.e. charge your credit card for the price of the movie. You'll have 30 days to return the movie "minus a re-stocking fee." I'll try to post a link if I find one. If anyone else finds one first, feel free to post it to the comment section below...

Update: apparently what they used to do was charge you for the movie once you had it too long, in addition to late fees, so this is better.

Free online books?

This sounds interesting: The NY times is reporting that Google has made a deal with top libraries to post their collections on the Web, free for everyone to read. (I'm getting this via Slate.com.)

National Guard update

According to today's USAtoday (sorry, no link-- I was reading the print version which was left outside my hotel door) the Army now says the numbers it gave the paper for National Guard vs. regular Army soldiers was inaccurate. The Army is also, suspiciously, unable to provide any corrected numbers. Stay tuned...

Update: the Army has released new numbers and the rate of National Guard deaths is slightly lower than in the regular Army. It is still far higher than National Guard deaths in past wars. We've exceded the number of National Guard deaths in Vietnam already (and Vietnam lasted 12 years).

Regular army safer than National Guard?

Moving day is finally over, and all of the cleanup! Tonight I leave for a conference in San Francisco and I may find time to post, but I'm not sure.

In today's news USAtoday has an article showing that the rate of deaths in the Army National Guard is higher than the active duty Army. They have older equipment, less training, and often are sent on more dangerous missions.
A couple quotes:

"According to figures furnished by the military branches, the active Army has sent about 250,000 soldiers to Iraq, and 622 have been killed. That works out to one death for every 402 soldiers who have deployed. About 37,000 Army Guard soldiers have been sent to Iraq since the war began and 140 have died there — one fatality for every 264 soldiers who have served, or about a 35% higher death rate."

"There are several reasons for the greater death rates among so-called part-time soldiers, who generally drill one weekend a month and two weeks during the summer when there's no war. The Pentagon has called up thousands of part-time troops for tours of a year or more in Iraq. Some of the most dangerous missions, including driving convoys and guarding bases and other facilities, frequently are assigned to Guard and reserve troops. Iraqi insurgents have attacked convoys with roadside bombs and rocket-propelled grenades, and a Tennessee Guardsman publicly complained to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld last week about the lack of armor on some vehicles."

...

"The elevated death rates among part-time soldiers are a significant shift from the past. During most wars in the last century, the full-time military took most of the casualties, and their troops were much more likely to die in battle than Guardsmen and reservists."

And finally:

"It's unclear what effect the elevated death rate will have on the part-time military's ability to recruit and keep soldiers. Although the Guard has met its goals for retaining soldiers since the war began, it missed its recruiting goal of 56,000 soldiers last year by about 7,000 and has fallen behind this year."

Hmm... what a surprise.