Solarbaby

What's this war about anyway?

2007-01-13T14:33:00.000-05:00

Excellent article today by Dahlia Lithwick at Slate.com

"The endgame in the war on terror isn't holding the line against terrorists. It's holding the line on hard-fought claims to absolutely limitless presidential authority."

How believable was it?

2007-01-12T11:06:00.000-05:00

This is great. Slate has one of those visuals where Democrats, Republicans, and Independents are rating the believability of Bush's speech as he gives it. Watch those swings at the beginning!

"The situation in Iraq is unacceptable to the American people" YES!
"And it is unacceptable to me" Yeah right!
"Our troops in Iraq have fought bravely" YES!
"The Iraqis need our help" ?!?!
"I've committed more than 20,000 additional troops to Iraq" NO WAY!

Yet another blizzard

2006-12-28T18:35:00.000-05:00

Time for another blizzard. My favorite line from a news article today:

"airlines urged ticket-holders to flee"

And, my holiday haiku:

One blizzard was fun
Time off for fun in the snow
Two seems excessive

An interesting way to stop junkmail

2006-12-08T19:17:00.000-05:00

Here's an excellent program I recently heard about. Greendimes.com will work to get your name off mailing lists AND plant a tree every month, all for just $36 a year. Seems more than worth it to me.

Moon-base nonsense

2006-12-08T19:12:00.000-05:00

I'm going to try to start posting here again, starting with a link to an excellent slate.com article about NASA's plan to build a moon-base. In particular:

"Although, of course, the base could yield a great discovery, its scientific value is likely to be small while its price is extremely high. Worse, moon-base nonsense may for decades divert NASA resources from the agency's legitimate missions, draining funding from real needs in order to construct human history's silliest white elephant."

Headline of the day

2005-08-10T22:47:00.000-05:00

From Reuters: "No link between sugar and obesity -sugar group"

Huh?

Apparently the sugar industry is trying to improve it's image. It reminds me of the tobacco industry 20 years ago (can't you just picture the headline "No link between tobacco and cancer risk -tobacco group"?) I guess that blatant denial of the obvious is once again an effective strategy for fooling the American public. It's worked for the administration for the past 5 years, so I guess it's no surprise that it's catching on elsewhere.

Evolution vs. spaghetti

2005-08-04T22:57:00.000-05:00

Well, you have probably heard that our dear leader has endored Intelligent Design, saying "I think that part of education is to expose people to different schools of thought."

Well, I think he's not going far enough. There are many other theories that should really be taught. My current favorite is The Flying Spaghetti Monster. Please go to that link and read the whole letter- it's really worth it. Just to entice you, I'll quote a couple paragraphs:

"Let us remember that there are multiple theories of Intelligent Design. I and many others around the world are of the strong belief that the universe was created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster. It was He who created all that we see and all that we feel. We feel strongly that the overwhelming scientific evidence pointing towards evolutionary processes is nothing but a coincidence, put in place by Him.

"It is for this reason that I’m writing you today, to formally request that this alternative theory be taught in your schools, along with the other two theories."
...

"In conclusion, thank you for taking the time to hear our views and beliefs. I hope I was able to convey the importance of teaching this theory to your students. We will of course be able to train the teachers in this alternate theory. I am eagerly awaiting your response, and hope dearly that no legal action will need to be taken. I think we can all look forward to the time when these three theories are given equal time in our science classrooms across the country, and eventually the world; One third time for Intelligent Design, one third time for Flying Spaghetti Monsterism, and one third time for logical conjecture based on overwhelming observable evidence."

And that's not all-- there's also mention of pirates! Really worth the read. Check it out.

Morning news

2005-08-04T09:29:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note before work. I just read a LA Times article that says Roberts (SCOTUS nominee) did pro bono (free) work for a gay rights group and helped them overturn a discriminatory Colorado state law (that law "would have allowed employers and landlords to exclude gays from jobs and housing" and it was approved by the voters of Colorado-- real nice).

"Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts Jr. worked behind the scenes for gay rights activists, and his legal expertise helped them persuade the Supreme Court to issue a landmark 1996 ruling protecting people from discrimination because of their sexual orientation."

So, I don't know... maybe he's not so bad? I guess we keep watching and see what else comes up.

Getting closer in California

2005-08-02T19:35:00.000-05:00

The California Supreme Court ruled in favor of partnership rights for same sex couples who are registered as domestic partners.

"The ruling will affect a broad range of businesses, including banks and mortgage lenders, auto insurers and health clubs. Lenders will have to consider domestic partners' joint income in making loans, and insurers will have to offer the same multiple-driver discounts they give married couples."

Make that Planet Xena

2005-08-02T19:11:00.000-05:00

So, remember Planet X? Turns out that the scientists have been calling the new planet Xena.

Planet X

2005-07-30T03:22:00.000-05:00

Looks like they finally found Planet X.

"It's definitely bigger than Pluto." So says Dr. Mike Brown of the California Institute of Technology who announced today the discovery of a new planet in the outer solar system.

"We are 100 percent confident that this is the first object bigger than Pluto ever found in the outer solar system," Brown adds.

DIY SCOTUS letter

2005-07-21T19:48:00.000-05:00

I love it when Mr. Sun does the "do-it-yourself" letters, etc. Check it out and make your own letter to your Senator about the recent Supreme Court nominee

Google Maps gets even better!

2005-07-20T23:50:00.000-05:00

Sorry, it's been awhile since I posted-- I was on a work trip last week and have been severely jetlagged since then. I will get back to posting (there's a new SCOTUS nominee to discuss, for heaven's sake!), but for tonight I'm just passing on a link for your amusement. You remember how I talked up Google Maps as a far superior option to Mapquest? Well, it's gotten even better. Not only have they added satellite photos that you can chose instead of cartoon maps (which I find fascinating, but somewhat freaky), they've also kindly mapped the Moon. Check it out! And be sure to zoom all the way in. A perfect replica (though I think the color is slightly off).

All I can say is, Wow.

2005-07-06T22:28:00.000-05:00

Slate.com has a fascinating slide show about the history of the vibrator. Check out these choice quotes:

"By 1917, there were more vibrators than toasters in American homes."

...

"Also popular were vibrators that doubled as nail-buffer kits, hair brushes, backscratchers, and some that were designed as attachments for vacuum cleaners."

...

"In 1999, Rachel Maines published The Technology of Orgasm, a provocative history of the vibrator that she spent 20 years researching. Maines started out studying needlework but was intrigued to discover that the backs of old sewing magazines were filled with vibrator advertisements. In addition to treating hysteria, these early vibrators were multipurpose: They ostensibly relaxed furrowed foreheads, cured sore throats, and restored plumpness to bony arms."

Mars will NOT be unusually close to the Earth in August

2005-07-06T21:23:00.000-05:00

Here's an Urban Legend that I've already heard from a couple people.

Solarbaby (and snopes.com) to the rescue!

To quote the Urban Legend masters:

Mars passed extraordinarily close to Earth in August 2003: True.
Mars will pass extraordinarily close to Earth in August 2005: False.
Mars will pass close to Earth in October 2005: True.

Actually, the closest approach will be November 7th of this year.

Who knew?

2005-07-06T21:13:00.000-05:00

It's a third degree felony to steal someone's wireless signal (in Florida anyway).

"Benjamin Smith III, 41, faces a pretrial hearing this month following his April arrest on charges of unauthorized access to a computer network, a third-degree felony."

The sneaking around in his SUV is kind of creepy, but, geesh, if the wireless-owner was so upset about it, why didn't they just learn how to encrypt their signal? It's really not that difficult.

I know, I know, it's still a crime to steal from someone, even if they leave their door unlocked. But seriously, if you noticed someone repeatedly coming into your house, wouldn't you start locking the door??

So pretty

2005-07-05T23:56:00.000-05:00

There's no contest for today's Picture of the Day (click on the link! It's worth it, I promise)

Say it ain't so!

2005-07-01T10:03:00.000-05:00

Sandra Day O'Connor just announced her retirement. Time to start the wailing and gnashing of teeth. Very soon all hell will break loose with each side trying to gain an advantage.

I can't really see a good end to this situation. However it turns out, we've lost our swing voter and we're bound to gain someone more conservative. Just how much more conservative is the only question that remains. Personally, I'm traumatized.

More good news

2005-07-01T00:09:00.000-05:00

Spain 3rd Nation to Legalize Gay Marriage

MADRID, Spain - Spain became the third country to legalize gay marriage Thursday in a parliament vote that left gay activists blowing kisses to lawmakers and the powerful Catholic Church issuing veiled calls for defiance.

...

The bill, which became law immediately, says: "Matrimony shall have the same requirements and effects regardless of whether the persons involved are of the same or different sex."

Bush's speech

2005-06-30T08:53:00.000-05:00

I'm a little late on this one, but when it comes to the Wonkette, it's always better late than never.

George W. spoke the other night. I didn't watch it. I had an important episode of Gilmore Girls Tivoed... I'd seen the episode before, but, still, I have my priorities. And anyway, why bother to watch the speech when you can just read the Wonkette's live-blogging? An couple excerpts:

"8:02: First mention of 9/11. Drink.
8:04: Second mention of 9/11. We're going to be soooo drunk.
8:05: "Like most Americans, I see the images of violence and bloodshed." Unlike most Americans, I could have prevented it."

"8:29: Military families, "the burden of war falls especially hard on you." Because of the dying and whatnot."

One more reason to move to Canada

2005-06-28T21:23:00.000-05:00

"TORONTO - Canada's House of Commons voted Tuesday to legalize gay marriage, passing landmark legislation that would grant all same-sex couples in Canada the same legal rights as those in traditional unions between a man and a woman.

The bill passed as expected, despite opposition from Conservatives and religious leaders. The legislation drafted by Prime Minister Paul Martin's minority Liberal Party government was also expected to easily pass the Senate and become federal law by the end of July."

Puppies and Santorum

2005-06-27T19:25:00.000-05:00

This line from a yahoo article today made me laugh:

"Puppies and kittens likely are not the first things that come to mind when many think of Sen. Rick Santorum..."

Considering I know Santorum best for this quote:

"Every society in the history of man has upheld the institution of marriage as a bond between a man and a woman. Why? Because society is based on one thing: that society is based on the future of the society. And that's what? Children. Monogamous relationships. In every society, the definition of marriage has not ever to my knowledge included homosexuality. That's not to pick on homosexuality. It's not, you know, man on child, man on dog, or whatever the case may be."

But maybe that's just my strange sense of humor...

Double standard

2005-06-23T22:19:00.000-05:00

"Four decades after the birth control pill became available to women, researchers at the University of Kansas and the University of Kansas Medical Center are working to develop a similar contraceptive for men.

"The researchers plan to test about a half-million chemical compounds to find a pill that does not involve hormones that men could take weekly or monthly. They also hope to find something that is close to 100 percent effective and has no risky side effects."

Great idea-- and when you're done with that, can you develop something that good for women??

Attack of the Giant Popsicle!

2005-06-22T18:23:00.000-05:00

Sometimes it's enough to just read the title of an article:

Giant Popsicle Melts, Floods New York Park

But then again, reading the whole article can bring its own rewards:

"What was unsettling was that the fluid just kept coming," Stuart Claxton of the Guinness Book of World Records told the Daily News. "It was quite a lot of fluid. On a hot day like this, you have to move fast."

Astronomy alert

2005-06-21T23:25:00.000-05:00

Cool planetary alignment coming up this weekend-- Mercury, Venus and Saturn will be very close together at sunset on Saturday and will get closer on Sunday and Monday. Keep an eye out!

Yo' mama!

2005-06-21T21:49:00.000-05:00

Oh dear. Talking trash is one thing, but is it really necessary to drag Dean's poor mom into it?

For all you brain-o-philes

2005-06-16T22:44:00.000-05:00

This article has everything: real, live brains; Albert Einstein; gender ambiguity; and a discussion about the innate differences in the thoughts and behaviors of men and women. If that doesn't convince you to read it, check out this quote:

"She had brains, dozens of them — the largest collection of normal brains in the world.
When Witelson began acquiring human brains, sex was the last thing on her mind."

These could be the opening lines to a thriller, but actually they lie in the middle of a fascinating article about brains. Check it out.

Solarbaby in rare agreement with the AFA

2005-06-16T22:34:00.000-05:00

I just got an alert from the American Family Association (a very conservative group who I like to keep an eye one. See my comments below the alert.

Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, the second highest ranking Democrat in the Senate, speaking on the Senate floor Wednesday, compared American troops at Guantanamo Naval Base to Hitler, the Soviet gulags and Cambodian mass murderer Pol Pot.

Hitler murdered two million Christians and six million Jews. Nearly two million prisoners died in the Soviet gulags. And Pol Pot slaughtered as many as ten million in Cambodia.

Durbin compared the American troops to Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot because of alleged mistreatment of prisoners held at Guantanamo. What earned these American troops the disparaging remarks by Senator Durbin? He said that some prisoners air conditioners were turned down too low, some had their air conditioners turned off making the room hot, and loud rap music was played in a room where there were prisoners.

That a U.S. Senator would compare American military men and women to Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pott is beyond belief. Does he not remember 9/11?

When asked to apologize, he refused. He said it is the military that should apologize for how they were treating the prisoners of war.

On this rare occasion, I have to say-- I agree with the AFA here. It doesn't make sense to compare US soldiers to Hitler, Stalin, or Pol Pot. After all, Hitler et al. were the LEADERS of their respective countries. And, so, the more apt comparison would be between Hilter, Stalin, Pol Pot and George W. Bush. I'm sure that's what Senator Durbin meant to say. He probably just misspoke.

Update: well, I should have known better than to believe the AFA-- Durbin compared American soldiers to Nazis. It's a little extreme, and not a comparison I would make (at this point), but at least it's symmetric.

These numbers don't add up

2005-06-11T11:18:00.000-05:00

So, there's a big scandal in Ohio because a guy named Tom Noe was managing an investment for the Ohio Workers' Compensation Bureau, by investing in rare coins. Somehow 121 coins (worth $400000) are missing (the article doesn't explain the details), and it's possible that up to $10 million from the fund is missing.

But note these too sentences:
Democrats say that the scandal is a symptom of GOP corruption and self-dealing, and that Noe received the state contract because of his political ties, which include raising more than $100,000 for Bush's re-election."

and

Taft has returned $22,190, the most of any officeholder, saying Noe "has done a great disservice to the people of Ohio by mismanaging our public resources and abusing our trust." Bush returned $4,000.

Seems like about $96,000 is missing from that figure.

Hold the beef

2005-06-09T23:02:00.000-05:00

Wow, I'm losing my appetite for steak.

"At the moment, there appears to be an outbreak of mad cow disease in Japan... and American researchers are incredibly nervous that we may be on the verge of a deadly mad cow outbreak here in the United States. That’s what makes the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s approach so troubling.

As it stands, the U.S. Department of Agriculture refuses to even consider the main recommendations put forward by the World Health Organization that have stopped mad cow disease across Europe. What are these recommendations? The first is testing. The other is to stop the practice of feeding cow blood, tissue, and slaughterhouse waste to other cows.

I can hear some of you now: “Come on, Shuster, that feeding practice is so grotesque it couldn’t possibly be happening in the United States.”

Actually, it is happening a lot. Sure, there are some livestock producers who don’t give their animals the kind of feed that contains cow blood or waste. But many livestock producers do. And the fact is, much of the commercially produced calf feed available today contains the very stuff that could spread mad cow disease throughout our food chain."

Peanut allergies no more?

2005-06-06T21:05:00.000-05:00

Scientists are working a cure for peanut allergies. By using a process of fermentation they have been able to significantly reduce the allergens in peanuts... with refining they may be able to make peanuts safe for everyone. Then hopefully they'll get started on hazelnuts and almonds.

Added bonus: the article gets today's "Stating the obvious" award (narrowly beating out the pope) for this sentence: "Peanuts are one type of food allergens that can trigger allergic reaction in people with peanut allergy."

Breaking news: pope opposes gay marriage

2005-06-06T20:51:00.000-05:00

In a surprising announcement, Pope Benedict XVI condemns gay marriage... he's also opposed to birth control, divorce, and abortion.

In other words, same ol' same ol'.

Military lowers standards, but still prohibits gays from serving

2005-06-03T20:33:00.000-05:00

Interesting: a recent article in Slate.com discusses a new Army
directive...
"Now comes a new Army directive that attempts to alleviate the
personnel crunch by retaining soldiers who are earmarked for
early discharge during their first term of enlistment because of
alcohol or drug abuse, unsatisfactory performance, or being
overweight, among other reasons. By retaining these soldiers,
the Army lowers the quality of its force and places a heavy burden
on commanders who have to take the poor performers into harm's
way. This is a quick fix that may create more problems than it
solves."
"Make no mistake, however—these are not soldiers who field
commanders want to retain. One lieutenant colonel currently
commanding a civil-affairs battalion said these troops were the
ones "who eat up my time and cause my hair to gray prematurely."
A former infantry officer said he could "not recall a single soldier
chaptered for the reasons identified ... that I would have wanted
to deploy with.""

The article goes on to list many better ways to maintain our fighting
forces, but it leaves out the option that occurred to me immediately.
Get rid of "Don't ask, don't tell"! Allow gays to serve openly in the
military. But, of course, that option is off the table. Better to have
alcoholics and drug abusers serving in the Army than homosexuals.
Wouldn't want to lower morale now, would we??

FYI-- possible aurora this weekend!

2005-05-14T07:53:00.000-05:00

A coronal mass ejection (CME) is heading for Earth following a strong
solar flare on May 13th.  Sky watchers should be alert for auroras when
the cloud arrives on May 14th or 15th.  The display, if it materializes,
will be best over high latitudes--e.g., Alaska and Canada.  But CMEs
sometimes spark auroras over lower latitudes, too, so everyone should
keep an eye on the sky this weekend.

Suspended animation (for mice)

2005-04-27T23:00:00.000-05:00

Very interesting... "Scientists have induced a state close to suspended animation in a mammal for the first time, a long-sought achievement that could lead to a host of medical advances for people."

"Slowing metabolic functions to a near standstill preserves organs and other tissues. That could, for example, give critically ill patients awaiting organ transplants more time, keep patients suffering severe blood loss from car accidents or gunshot wounds alive long enough to get transfusions and surgery, minimize damage from heart attacks and strokes, and help minimize the side effects of cancer chemotherapy and radiation."

Way cool!

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

2005-04-27T22:54:00.000-05:00

Did you ever wish there was a real Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy? Well, there is. Check out this story about it. Then go and add your own wisdom to it.

New inventions

2005-04-24T23:54:00.000-05:00

This article describes a couple of cool inventions. One is a transmitter that allows an individual to hear sound, while the person next to her hears nothing:

"It works by sending a focused beam of sound above the range of human hearing. When it lands on you, it seems like sound is coming from inside your head."

How convenient would that be when you want to listen to music loudly in the office-- even the best headphones seem to "leak" enough that your officemate is bothered.

The other invention, though, is even better:

"One of his most recent patents is for the AirScooter, a personal flying machine designed for commuting. It reaches speeds up to 55 mph and is light enough — under 300 pounds — to not require a license to fly."

Right out of the Jetsons, man. I want one!! But something tells me that machine would be regulated even more harshly than the Segway, if it ever becomes popular. Ah well, I suppose I'll just stick with my Prius...

I hear there's a new pope

2005-04-20T22:51:00.000-05:00

As a good friend wrote me: "This new pope is ponterrific! He is old, white and European. He has everything it takes to be a world leader. And at 78 we can start a new pope watch next week."

As for me, I thought it might be a bad sign that they chose such a conservative guy to be the new pope, but I may have underestimated the problem. Here's some commentary from around the web.

From Andrew Sullivan:

"THE FUNDAMENTALIST TRIUMPH: And so the Catholic church accelerates its turn toward authoritarianism, hostility to modernity, assertion of papal supremacy and quashing of internal debate and dissent. We are back to the nineteenth century. Maybe this is a necessary moment. Maybe pressing this movement to its logical conclusion will clarify things. But those of us who are struggling against what our Church is becoming, and the repressive priorities it is embracing, can only contemplate a form of despair. The Grand Inquisitor, who has essentially run the Church for the last few years, is now the public face. John Paul II will soon be seen as a liberal. The hard right has now cemented its complete control of the Catholic church. And so ... to prayer. What else do we now have?"

And, from the slate.com:

"Today, the election of Ratzingera German and a conservativeis a clear answer to two questions asked as John Paul II slowly succumbed to Parkinson's disease. First, would the next pope's election prove comparable in geopolitical boldness to the choice of John Paul II? The news of John Paul II's election echoed with electrifying clarity from Lithuania to Croatia. The election of a Latin American, African, or even a Middle Eastern or Asian cardinal today could have equally electrified regions that are even more important to the church's future. But the cardinals chose instead to elect another European.

"The second question was whether the church would liberalize its stance on sexual morality and whether, in particular, it would soon take the step of allowing artificial contraceptivesas it came close to doing in the mid-1960s, before /Humanae Vitae/. That 1968 encyclical reaffirmed ultraconservative sexual morality and reversed a trend toward collegiality in church government. Today, condoms have helped to slow the spread of AIDS in Brazil and elsewhere. But in Africa, where the AIDS crisis is worst, the church is identified more than ever with the most adamant opposition to the condom. Meanwhile, church governance remains more tightly centralized than ever. The election of Joseph Ratzinger announces that in both these regardssexual morality and church governancethe status quo will remain unchanged."

But, on a brighter note, this may hasten the apocalypse:

"If the list of Popes from the Prophecy of St. Malachy is legitimate, the current Pope would be the next to last one, cryptically called Gloria Olivae, the Glory of the Olives. The Benedictine Order has traditionally claimed that the next to last Pope would be a Benedictineand there was once a Benedictine order known as the Olivetans, taking their name from the Mount of Olives, where Jesus prophesied of the end of the world. Pope Gloria Olivae supposedly will lead the Catholic Church as the final tribulation and persecution of Catholics begins at the hands of the Antichrist."

Civil Unions in Connecticut

2005-04-20T19:04:00.000-05:00

Connecticut just approved civil unions!

Hurrah for the Unitarian Jihad!

2005-04-11T19:46:00.000-05:00

Finally, someone giving those rabid moderates a voice. Jon Carroll publishes a Unitarian Manifesto that reads, in part:

Greetings to the Imprisoned Citizens of the United States! Too long has your attention been waylaid by the bright baubles of extremist thought. Too long have fundamentalist yahoos of all religions (except Buddhism -- 14-5 vote, no abstentions, fundamentalism subcommittee) made your head hurt. Too long have you been buffeted by angry people who think that God talks to them. You have a right to your moderation! You have the power to be calm!

...

We are Unitarian Jihad. We are everywhere. We have not been born again, nor have we sworn a blood oath. We do not think that God cares what we read, what we eat or whom we sleep with.

...

We are Unitarian Jihad, and our motto is: "Sincerity is not enough." We have heard from enough sincere people to last a lifetime already. Just because you believe it's true doesn't make it true. Just because your motives are pure doesn't mean you are not doing harm. Get a dog, or comfort someone in a nursing home, or just feed the birds in the park. Play basketball. Lighten up. The world is not out to get you, except in the sense that the world is out to get everyone.

...

People of the United States! We are Unitarian Jihad! We can strike without warning. Pockets of reasonableness and harmony will appear as if from nowhere! Nice people will run the government again! There will be coffee and cookies in the Gandhi Room after the revolution.

Ouch!

2005-04-11T19:42:00.000-05:00

Tired of pushing your glasses up? Try this solution. (Click the link-- you've got to see the picture!)

I think I'd chose laser surgery myself.

Happy April 1st

2005-04-01T10:16:00.000-05:00

An upcoming* Scientific American editorial:

OK, We Give Up
----------------------

"There's no easy way to admit this. For years, helpful letter writers
told us to stick to science. They pointed out that science and politics
don't mix. They said we should be more balanced in our presentation of
such issues as creationism, missile defense and global warming. We
resisted their advice and pretended not to be stung by the accusations
that the magazine should be renamed Unscientific American, or
Scientific Unamerican, or even Unscientific Unamerican. But spring is
in the air, and all of nature is turning over a new leaf, so there's no
better time to say: you were right, and we were wrong.

In retrospect, this magazine's coverage of socalled evolution has
been hideously one-sided. For decades, we published articles in every
issue that endorsed the ideas of Charles Darwin and his cronies. True,
the theory of common descent through natural selection has been called
the unifying concept for all of biology and one of the greatest
scientific ideas of all time, but that was no excuse to be fanatics
about it.

Where were the answering articles presenting the powerful case for
scientific creationism? Why were we so unwilling to suggest that
dinosaurs lived 6,000 years ago or that a cataclysmic flood carved the
Grand Canyon? Blame the scientists. They dazzled us with their fancy
fossils, their radiocarbon dating and their tens of thousands of
peer-reviewed journal articles. As editors, we had no business being
persuaded by mountains of evidence.

Moreover, we shamefully mistreated the Intelligent Design (ID)
theorists by lumping them in with creationists. Creationists believe
that God designed all life, and that's a somewhat religious idea. But
ID theorists think that at unspecified times some unnamed superpowerful
entity designed life, or maybe just some species, or maybe just some of
the stuff in cells. That's what makes ID a superior scientific theory:
it doesn't get bogged down in details.

Good journalism values balance above all else. We owe it to our
readers to present everybody's ideas equally and not to ignore or
discredit theories simply because they lack scientifically credible
arguments or facts. Nor should we succumb to the easy mistake of
thinking that scientists understand their fields better than, say, U.S.
senators or best-selling novelists do. Indeed, if politicians or
special-interest groups say things that seem untrue or misleading, our
duty as journalists is to quote them without comment or contradiction.
To do otherwise would be elitist and therefore wrong. In that spirit,
we will end the practice of expressing our own views in this space: an
editorial page is no place for opinions.

Get ready for a new Scientific American. No more discussions of how
science should inform policy. If the government commits blindly to
building an anti-ICBM defense system that can't work as promised, that
will waste tens of billions of taxpayers' dollars and imperil national
security, you won't hear about it from us. If studies suggest that the
administration's antipollution measures would actually increase the
dangerous particulates that people breathe during the next two decades,
that's not our concern. No more discussions of how policies affect
science either. So what if the budget for the National Science
Foundation is slashed? This magazine will be dedicated purely to
science, fair and balanced science, and not just the science that
scientists say is science. And it will start on April Fools' Day. "

Okay, We Give Up

MATT COLLINS THE EDITORS editors@sciam.com COPYRIGHT 2005 SCIENTIFIC
AMERICAN, INC."

* The _April_ issue, to be specific

2005-03-31T10:14:00.000-05:00

From the Slate's Today's papers:

The NYT notices something that is finally bringing together some Muslims, Christians, and Jews in Jerusalem: homophobia. A few leaders from the three religions made a joint appearance decrying a planned 10-day "WorldPride" event slated for the city. "We can't permit anybody to come and make the Holy City dirty," said one Muslim cleric. "This is very ugly and very nasty to have these people come to Jerusalem." One fine American rabbi who helped organize yesterday's announcement concurred, explaining, "This is not the homo land, this is the Holy Land."

Michigan making it legal to refuse medical care to homosexuals

2005-03-31T10:03:00.000-05:00

Not that I have any urge to move back to Michigan, but if I did, it would be gone now...

Doctors or other health care providers could not be disciplined or sued if they refuse to treat gay patients under legislation passed Wednesday by the Michigan House.
The bill allows health care workers to refuse service to anyone on moral, ethical or religious grounds.

The Republican dominated House passed the measure as dozens of Catholics looked on from the gallery. The Michigan Catholic Conference, which pushed for the bills, hosted a legislative day for Catholics on Wednesday at the state Capitol.
The bills now go the Senate, which also is controlled by Republicans.

Racial privilege and the poor

2005-03-21T22:57:00.000-05:00

I just read a great article on white privilege and poverty. It makes some good points that I've often thought of myself, but I've never been able to express them so well. White privilege exists, even for the poor (perhaps especially for the poor), but there is a flip side:

"First, because the poverty and welfare issues have been racialized, the white poor have been rendered largely invisible. On the one hand, this extends the privilege of not being the ones scapegoated for the problems of the underclass; but on the other hand, personal invisibility renders ones very real suffering invisible as well. And if the white poor are off the radar screen--because the public is so angrily focused on the supposed depredations of the black and brown poor--it will become harder to address the economic needs of the white poor too."

Read the whole article, if you can. It gave me a lot to think about, particularly some aspects of white privilege that hadn't occurred to me before.

Interesting links

2005-03-15T22:50:00.000-05:00

Here are a couple links I've found lately. I don't have enough information to vouch for them, but they're worth checking out. If you know anything I don't, post it in the comments section.

Quackwatch: "Your Guide to Quackery, Health Fraud, and Intelligent Decisions"

The Skeptic's Dictionary: Includes topics ranging from Alternative medicine to UFOs. And it's searchable!

Oh, and I should mention a couple of my favorite links, which I do heartily recommend and vouch for:

Snopes: never forward a "true" e-mail without checking here first. It's good for finding out the truth about all urban legends.

The Straight Dope: "Fighting ignorance since 1973 (It's taking longer than we thought)." Answers to all those questions you were afraid to ask, and many questions you never even thought of asking.

Judge overturns (for now) gay marriage ban in California

2005-03-15T22:36:00.000-05:00

Hey all,
Sorry, I haven't been in the mood for blogging lately-- nothing in the news has seemed all that interesting in the past couple weeks. But yesterday (Pi day!) a judge in San Francisco ruled that limiting marriage to heterosexuals violates the California state constitution.

He also said tradition is not a good enough reason to deny gays the right to marry. "Simply put, same-sex marriage cannot be prohibited solely because California has always done so before," he wrote.

And get this-- the judge is a Roman Catholic and a registered Republican.

Of course, this decision will be appealed, so it's not over yet. But a little good news is always nice, especially these days.

SUVs are evil. They must be stopped.

2005-02-27T13:49:00.000-05:00

Recommended site of the day: http://www.changingtheclimate.com, where you can buy bumper stickers to put on other people's SUVs that say "I'm changing the climate! Ask me how!" From the mission statement:

"The idea of this Web site is to stigmatize the insanity of mindless American consumerism and vapid status acquisition. The all too common image of the single commuter, mom on an errand to the local shopping center, or parent taking their kid to softball practice in a bloated gas guzzling behemoth, is enraging those citizens who have a sliver of conscience regarding their lifestyle and the environment.

I should also mention that there are "rules of engagement" to keep people from getting carried away. For example:

3. Don't tag commercial vehicles, contractors, or any business affiliated vehicles. Also no pickup trucks. We have no gripe with people who really need these gas-guzzlers. It's the morons who are keeping up with the Jones' that raise my back hairs.

Role models

2005-02-22T23:19:00.000-05:00

So, you've probably heard about the Bush tapes, with these quality quotes:

"I wouldn't answer the marijuana question. You know why? Because I don't want some little kid doing what I tried," Bush purportedly says on the tape.

He added: "But you got to understand, I want to be president. I want to lead. I want to set -- Do you want your little kid say, 'Hey, Daddy, President Bush tried marijuana, I think I will?"'

At first I was amused. But then... I started thinking about the idea of Bush as a role model (which hadn't really occurred to me before). Consider the implications-- young, impressionable kids are learning that it's okay to pile up debt, lie to get what you want, and push discrimination while pretending to be compassionate and open-minded. Now that's a role model!

Can anyone fit a line to this plot??

2005-02-22T23:01:00.000-05:00

This is what I've been talking about-- check out this chart. As you can see, the number of women in Physics is still increasing. So, at this point, it just doesn't make any sense to draw conclusions about the "natural abilitities" of women to succeed. Check back in 50 years and we'll see how the plot looks.

The article is interesting, too-- it's good to see some hard numbers instead of the usual hand-waving.

Update: Just read a blog post on this topic that I must recommend, and not just because I agree with her. She's hilarious-- like some sort of Ivory Tower version of the Wonkette. Check it out.

Check out Google Maps

2005-02-20T18:28:00.000-05:00

This is old news by now, but I have to mention Google's new Google Maps. For the past couple weeks I've used it pretty much exclusively (and being new in town, I have used it a lot). It's still in the testing phase, but I'm very impressed with it. The interface is very nice, especially if you want to zoom in or out or scroll in any direction. It's not perfect, but compared to Mapquest I've found Google Maps much easier to use, faster and less irritating. Worth checking out.

Science and politics

2005-02-20T18:26:00.000-05:00

I spent much of last week at a space science conference (hence the lack of posts). The underlying (though rarely discussed directly) theme of the conference was nicely summed up in this comic, which was posted on the overhead projector the last day of the conference.

Let's say it together people, the L-word is fictional

2005-02-13T18:17:00.000-05:00

So, the second season of the L-Word starts up in a couple weeks. And, once again, we start hearing comments like this:

"Where are all the unstylish, multifaceted, middle-income, co-op-dwelling, herbal-tea-drinking dykes living outside the dominant culture? ... Where are all the people forging their own, distinctly lesbian, ways of being? Where are all the real butches? Where are all the leatherdykes? Hell, were are all my own hockey buddies?"
-- Reporter Robin Perelle dissing TV's "The L Word" in the Dec. 23 issue of the Vancouver gay newspaper Xtra! West.

When I read this I can only think to myself, has this person ever turned on a television set before? I mean, she must one of those people who has never owned a television, never even looked at a television, until the day that someone duct-taped her to a couch and forced her to watch the L-word. Because, really, if she had any experience at all with television, she'd realize that it's fictional. Not only that, but it's a special kind of fiction where everyone is good looking, families always get along (at least by the end of the episode), and, when they all sit down to dinner, they only use the chairs on one side of the table. The Cleavers were not representative of families in the 1950s. Same goes for the Brady Bunch in the 60s/70s and Alf in the 80s. And, guess what? Sex and the City is not representative of 4 single women in New York City. So why should the L-word represent all lesbians? (Actually, the quote above does a worse job at representing my lesbian friends than the L-word does.)

You could spend hours flipping through the channels looking for the teenagers with acne, the families who never make up, or brilliant rescues that come a minute too late, i.e. the way things work in real life, and you will never find it. Television is not real life, and any resemblance is purely coincidental. So if you want to see leatherdykes or herbal-tea-drinking dykes, go to the nearest leatherbar or co-op. And if you want to be entertained by impossibly beautiful people in unrealistic, yet amusing, situations that magically resolve themselves by the end of the episode, turn on the tv. Let's try to remember the difference, shall we?

Too funny

2005-02-09T01:24:00.000-05:00

Saw a new article today about how the Flintstones promotes the homosexual agenda.

Don't worry-- it's a spoof:

He pointed out that Fred and Barney are virtually inseparable, are never seen wearing pants and live together in the suggestively- named town of Bedrock.

"Do I believe they are gay icons?" Mr. Devane said. "I abba-dabba-do."

"We are very uncomfortable with Fruity Pebbles," he said.

If I wasn't suspicious before, I would be now...

2005-02-09T01:16:00.000-05:00

Via Slate's Bushism of the Day:

"Because the—all which is on the table begins to address the big cost drivers. For example, how benefits are calculate, for example, is on the table; whether or not benefits rise based upon wage increases or price increases. There's a series of parts of the formula that are being considered. And when you couple that, those different cost drivers, affecting those—changing those with personal accounts, the idea is to get what has been promised more likely to be—or closer delivered to what has been promised. Does that make any sense to you? It's kind of muddled. Look, there's a series of things that cause the—like, for example, benefits are calculated based upon the increase of wages, as opposed to the increase of prices. Some have suggested that we calculate—the benefits will rise based upon inflation, as opposed to wage increases. There is a reform that would help solve the red if that were put into effect. In other words, how fast benefits grow, how fast the promised benefits grow, if those—if that growth is affected, it will help on the red."—Explaining his plan to save Social Security, Tampa, Fla., Feb. 4, 2005

Huh?

2005-02-07T21:45:00.000-05:00

Hmmm... I've heard so much about how Bush's new budget increases the death benefit for soldiers killed in the line of duty, but I haven't heard much at all about this:

President Bush's budget would more than double the co-payment charged to many veterans for prescription drugs and would require some to pay a new fee of $250 a year for the privilege of using government health care, administration officials said Sunday.

Wow.

2005-02-02T22:53:00.000-05:00

Quote of the day from Taegan:

"I can play hardball as well as anybody. That's what I did, cut people's hearts out."

-- Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN), a former heart surgeon, quoted by the New York Times.

Sure, Republicans are heartless, but who knew the Majority leader actually performed the surgeries?

The state of the union is... bankrupt

2005-02-02T22:42:00.000-05:00

Okay, I just didn't have the strength to watch the State of the Union address, but I am catching up through some of my favorite blogs. For a well-written, serious analysis, try Think Progress. For instance:

Cutting the Deficit

President Bush said: “Next week I will send you a budget that… stays on track to cut the deficit in half by 2009.”

FACT: In his calculations, the president is using a deficit number which excludes funding for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the administration’s $2.5 trillion proposal to extend tax cuts, and the administration’s $2 trillion Social Security package.

But if you just want to be amused (who doesn't?), it's always best to check the Wonkette for her inspired live-blogging. Here's a short sample:

9:05 Ladies and Gentlemen: that guy.... did that guy just try to kiss him? I know I would.
9:06 Frist has dead cat under arm. No, wait, has dead cat as tie.

And it just gets better.

Will they get tiny mouthguards, too?

2005-01-30T22:33:00.000-05:00

This is just too funny. Via Simianbrain: Senator wants boxing gloves on chickens

Uh-oh

2005-01-30T15:07:00.000-05:00

SpongeBob isn't straight either.

Wow! Look at the size of that... deficit

2005-01-26T23:25:00.000-05:00

Can somebody remind me again-- which is the party of fiscal discipline?

Geek alert

2005-01-26T01:03:00.000-05:00

Apparently, the Playstation 3 is expected out in the next 18 months (and the new X-box and Nintendo consoles).

This sounds cool:

"PS3 will provide graphics indistinguishable from movies," said Mr Florin.

But I'm not sure about this:

He said the distribution method for games would also change radically in the next round of consoles.

"A gamer could buy a starter disc for 10 euros. When he goes home he goes online and he could buy AI and levels as you go.

SpongeBob finds acceptance

2005-01-25T23:36:00.000-05:00

Well, thank goodness for the UCC. They have announced that they extend their welcome to SpongeBob:

"Absolutely, the UCC extends an unequivocal welcome to SpongeBob," the Rev. John H. Thomas, the UCC's general minister and president, said, only partly in jest. "Jesus didn't turn people away. Neither do we."

For that matter, Thomas explained, the 1.3-million-member church, if given the opportunity, would warmly receive Barney, Big Bird, Tinky-Winky, Clifford the Big Red Dog or, for that matter, any who have experienced the Christian message as a harsh word of judgment rather than Jesus' offering of grace.

George W. vs. Clinton-- who would win?

2005-01-23T23:33:00.000-05:00

Interesting, Taegan Goddard is reporting that Democrats might support allowing naturalized citizens (such as Schwarzenegger) to be elected president if the Republicans support repealing the 22nd amendment which restricts the presidency to two terms. That would allow Bill Clinton to run for another term. It would also allow George W. to run again. As much as I'm curious to see who would win between the two, I hope that this idea doesn't go anywhere. The only thing keeping me going right now is the fact that W. can't run for another term.

Harvard president and women scientists

2005-01-23T13:44:00.000-05:00

There have been several mentions of the Harvard president's remarks in the blogosphere. I'll just link to a couple of them. This one, in particular, is well thought out, though I disagree with him.

The problem is that people (on both sides of the issue) don’t seem to understand the difference between individual abilities and average abilities.

Just for the sake of argument, let’s assume that in 100 years there is a society with no gender discrimination, where each child is given the same opportunities to succeed in whatever field they choose. And let’s say that even then we find that only, say, 30% of physicists are women. At that point we could argue that, on average, women don’t do as well in physics. That is not the same thing as saying women lack the natural ability to do physics. Not at all.

Let me give you an analogy. Men are on average taller than women. Once you average the heights of all the men in the world and compare that to the heights of all women, you find that men are taller. Based on that evidence would you say that women lack the natural ability to achieve tallness?

Or, to take another analogy, if you watch a couple NBA games you’ll soon realize that there are many more African American than Caucasian players. Does this mean white boys lack the natural ability to play basketball?

Of course these conclusions would be ridiculous. Just because men are taller on average doesn’t mean that there aren’t many women who are 6 feet in height and more. Just as there are many white basketball players with the talent to make it to the NBA.

The same is true in math and science. If (and that’s a big if) women are less likely to do well in math and science, given the same encouragement and opportunity, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t some women who will excel in those fields. It seems clear to me that the differences within each gender are far greater than the differences between the genders. Therefore, to generalize that women lack “the natural ability” to do science is misleading, insensitive, and just plain ignorant.

Update: I just read an article from Slate.com about this subject. Here's a quote:

“Let's be clear about what this isn't. It isn't a claim about overall intelligence. Nor is it a justification for tolerating discrimination between two people of equal ability or accomplishment. Nor is it a concession that genetic handicaps can't be overcome. Nor is it a statement that girls are inferior at math and science: It doesn't dictate the limits of any individual, and it doesn't entail that men are on average better than women at math or science. It's a claim that the distribution of male scores is more spread out than the distribution of female scores—a greater percentage at both the bottom and the top. Nobody bats an eye at the overrepresentation of men in prison. But suggest that the excess might go both ways, and you're a pig.”

Up until the end, the author is making the same point I am. The difference is made apparent by his example about the overrepresentation of men in prison—Do we use the fact that men are more likely to go to prison to argue that men are "naturally inclined" to violence and crime? We do not. In that case we understand that average inclinations cannot be used to judge individuals. But with women and science we feel free to make broad generalizations. That is what was wrong with the Harvard president's remarks. When talking about this subject, in a fair and intelligent way, we have to be clear in differentiating between the average abilities of each gender and the specific abilities of each individual.

The Wonkette live-blogs again

2005-01-20T23:42:00.000-05:00

I love it when the Wonkette live-blogs Bush functions. Today it's the Bush "coronation." My favorite lines include:

"11:51AM: Cheney to Bush: "Thank you Mr. President, now let's go back to blowing shit up."
11:52AM: Who let that coat past security? Did Chewbacca die?
11:58AM: Four more years, minus about a minute. Just keep the bourbon coming."

She's also great with the drinking games.

Who knew?

2005-01-20T23:29:00.000-05:00

You know, I've watched SpongeBob several times (my niece is a fan) and I have to say that my gaydar has never gone off.

Sharpening my brain as I type

2005-01-20T23:15:00.000-05:00

It turns out that a daily drink helps keep the brain sharp.

The sacrifices we must make for mental health.

Cell phones on planes

2005-01-20T23:01:00.000-05:00

So, there's this article about how most travelers want to keep the ban on cell phones in airplanes. An actual quote from the article:

"Many frequent fliers view their time in the sky as their only downtime on a hectic business trip. The absence of cell phones increases the odds that they'll be able to nap, read or think."

Now, here's my question. Who thinks of the time they spend on a plane as relaxing?? Let's see, I want to get away, refresh myself-- I know! I'll go on a plane trip. I'll just get a round trip ticket, go right there and back. Never leave the airport. I can't think of anything more relaxing.

Who are these people?

Granted, cell phone conversations on planes might get annoying. But I think they rank below: crying babies, the kid behind me who keeps kicking my seat, the person in front of me who insists on reclining her chair DURING TAKEOFF, oh, and the person sitting next to me who has brought nothing to do, no book, no magazine, nothing, because they plan to chat with their seatmate (i.e. me) through the WHOLE FLIGHT. Yeah, cell phone chatter wouldn't really stand out in terms of annoyance. In fact, I'd really prefer if that person next to me had brought a cell phone to chat on instead of spending the flight looking over my shoulder to read my book and comment on it.

make your own inauguration speech

2005-01-20T22:51:00.000-05:00

Mr. Sun (no relation) has created a make-your-own inauguration speech. It's good fun, give it a try.

Bad news

2005-01-20T01:08:00.000-05:00

The Louisiana Supreme Court unanimously reinstated the anti-gay amendment to their state constitution. A lower court justice had ruled that it violated the rule that an amendment must deal with only one issue (the amendment bans gay marriages and civil unions), but the Supreme Court of Louisiana ruled that it's all about protecting marriage.

'Cuz you know, the state only gives out a limited number of marriage licenses each year and it would be a shame if gay couples snatched them all up, leaving none for the heterosexuals. *sarcasm* (if you hadn't noticed)

My natural abilities are better than yours

2005-01-18T10:14:00.000-05:00

What year is this? 1950? It was reported yesterday that the president of Harvard University said that women lack "natural abilities" at some fields, particularly math and science.

Now, to be fair, I think it's too soon to tell and it is possible that on average women don't do as well in these fields. However, at this point women are still struggling against discrimination and societal expectations, which remain pervasive enough to account for the lack of women in these fields. The number of women in math and physics has been steadily increasing and until it levels out I don't think it's possible to say which gender is "naturally" better. Furthermore, the fact that there are many women in math and science, who do extremely well in their fields, proves that whatever the "average ability" of each gender, many women do possess these natural abilities. Claiming that "women" in general lack these abilities is just ridiculous and can be easily disproven. In 100 years or so we can come back to the question of the average abilities of each gender, but for now it's just too soon to know.

But, if it will help any, I'd be happy to challenge the Harvard President to a contest of differential equations. And I think I'd win-- even if I am just a girl.

Is Iran next?

2005-01-17T23:29:00.000-05:00

Via SimianBrain, an article from the New Yorker magazine reports on plans by the administration to invade Iran:

One former high-level intelligence official told The New Yorker, "This is a war against terrorism, and Iraq is just one campaign. The Bush administration is looking at this as a huge war zone. Next, we're going to have the Iranian campaign."

Hersh reported that Bush has already "signed a series of top-secret findings and executive orders authorizing secret commando groups and other Special Forces units to conduct covert operations against suspected terrorist targets in as many as 10 nations in the Middle East and South Asia."

Defining these as military rather than intelligence operations, Hersh reported, will enable the Bush administration to evade legal restrictions imposed on the CIA's covert activities overseas.

CNN later reported that the Pentagon is criticizing this article as being full of inaccuracies, but the latest new reports that "Bush won't rule out action against Iran"

No Marriages here

2005-01-17T23:21:00.000-05:00

The latest from the Episcopal Church. In response to the Episcopal Church's refusal to allow same-sex marriages (they didn't come to a conclusion on same-sex blessings), St. Thomas's in New York has stopped performing marriages for all couples, gay or straight.

The Rev. Michael F. Ray (shown) said he'll ask couples "to postpone their marriage and stand in solidarity with same-sex couples so they understand what it's like not to have that privilege."

Where are our priorities?

2005-01-17T11:44:00.000-05:00

AP has reported that 20 Arabic and 6 Farsi translators have been discharged from the Army under the don't ask, don't tell policy. This at a time when we have a shortage of Arabic translators:

Experts have identified the shortage of Arabic linguists as contributing to the government's failure to thwart the Sept. 11 attacks. The independent Sept. 11 commission made similar conclusions.

"The military is placing homophobia well ahead of national security," said Steve Ralls, spokesman for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.

More on social security

2005-01-11T23:51:00.000-05:00

In case you're interested, here are a couple clippings I've been thinking about regarding social security. First, from Talking Points Memo a very good point about how social security is insurance. You can save for retirement, but you don't know how long you'll live. If you end up living to 120, will you have enough to pay for it? But Social Security will still be there. Not so if Social Security is privatized-- then you'll only have what money has been accumulated in your private account.

Second, slacktivist discusses more of the history of Social Security, and how Reagan and Greenspan worked to save it. They increased payroll taxes above what was needed, in order to create a Social Security fund that could be used when the baby boomers retire. Of course, the government has been borrowing every penny of this fund, and will need to start paying it back in a few years. Bush wants to forget about all that money that's owed into the fund and start over again with private accounts. That means the first $87K of everyone's income has been taxed at a higher rate than the rest FOR NO REASON.* If a "do-over" happens we won't get that extra tax back. For Bill Gates and George Bush that doesn't amount to much, but if you make less than $87K, it should matter to you. You've been paying extra taxes for the past 20 years. For no reason. I don't know about you, but I want back every penny of my payroll tax that didn't go directly into Social Security checks for the elderly.

*After the first $87K there is no payroll tax, so the wealthy pay a smaller percentage of their income to Social Security. When tax burdens are calculated Social Security tax is not included, because it is something you are expected to get back eventually.

Those pesky bloggers

2005-01-11T22:49:00.000-05:00

Cool! The bill to criminalize miscarriages has been withdrawn. It seems that Cosgrove, the lawmaker who introduced the bill, received more than 500 e-mail from concerned citizens-- and where did all those people hear about the bill? From bloggers.

“I’ve never been blogged before,” he said. “The tone of the e-mails has been disgusting. It’s, 'You’re a horrible person. You ought to be crucified.’ And those were the nice ones.”

Commando

2005-01-11T01:32:00.000-05:00

This is why I read slate.com. One of the latest articles on the site "Do Commandos go commando?" is very informative.

"Many commandos do forgo underpants when they suit up in the field, but the practice is by no means limited to the special forces."

Come on, I know I've peaked your curiosity...

Social security

2005-01-10T23:47:00.000-05:00

Well, I've been fairly skeptical that social security will even exist by the time I retire, so why should I care one way or another about privatization? Well, the more I read, the more I think that this "crisis" is another deception. Today's Talking Points Memo points out that the social security shortfall over the next 75 years will be $3.7 trillion (Yikes!) But when you compare that to the $8.1 trillion that the new medicare drug plan will cost over the next 75 years, and the $11.6 trillion that Bush's tax cuts will cost over the next 75 years, it starts to seem like social security isn't the program to worry about...

Better solar cells

2005-01-10T23:42:00.000-05:00

Here's a story about the advancements in solar cell technology.

"The discovery could lead to shirts and sweaters capable of recharging our cellphones and other wireless devices, said Ted Sargent, professor of electrical and computer engineering at the university."

...

"Sargent said the new plastic composite is, in layman's terms, a layer of film that "catches'' solar energy. He said the film can be applied to any device, much like paint is coated on a wall."

...

"The film can convert up to 30 per cent of the sun's power into usable, electrical energy. Today's best plastic solar cells capture only about six per cent."

Cool!

Adoption rights

2005-01-10T23:25:00.000-05:00

The U.S. Supreme Court refused an appeal for gays who have been denied the right to adopt in Florida. In other news, Israeli courts ruled that a lesbian couple will be allowed to adopt each other's children (which were all born during the time they've been together). They've been fighting this case since 1997.

Virginia is for haters

2005-01-10T23:16:00.000-05:00

Boy am I glad I no longer live in Virginia. Let's hope Colorado doesn't follow in the same path any time soon.

Media bias

2005-01-10T22:55:00.000-05:00

Great quote that reflects on the so-called "liberal" media bias.

Virginia to lock up women who have miscarriages

2005-01-08T18:33:00.000-05:00

Well, pretty close anyway. There is proposed legislation to make it a crime if you have a miscarriage and don't report it in the first 12 hours. There's more information about this law on the Democracy for Virginia website.

"It sounds preposterous to talk about criminalizing women who suffer miscarriages, but one Virginia legislator is proposing just that. HB1677, “Report of Fetal Death by mother, penalty” is a bill introduced by John A. Cosgrove (R) of Chesapeake. Cosgrove’s bill requires any woman who experiences “fetal death” without a doctor’s assistance to report this to the local law-enforcement agency within twelve hours of the miscarriage. Failure to do so is punishable as a Class 1 Misdemeanor."

That means you can earn up to a year in jail and a $2500 fine. For having a miscarriage.

"The reality, though, is that countless women experience spontaneous abortions in the first few gestational weeks without even being aware of pregnancy, so not all pregnancies of early gestational age are reported."

Are those women criminals, too? This is a ridiculous law and it really should not be passed. If you live in Virginia, call your state congressman and tell them your opinion. Or send them an email. Women who have a miscarriage are dealing with enough grief-- there's no reason they should suffer this further indignity.

The fewer adapters I need, the better

2005-01-08T18:24:00.000-05:00

Via Slashdot: This is way cool! A folding memory card that can be plugged into your usb port. It's very cute, too. Unfortunately, my Fuji camera uses XD memory cards.

The boy who cried wolf

2005-01-08T18:08:00.000-05:00

The Washington Post reports today on Bush's tendency to depict every issue as a crisis, including Social Security, medical malpractice, and appointments to federal courts. He does this to create a gut response from people, but this overuse is going to lower his credibility even more:

"One of the key problems of this form of rhetorical leadership" is discerning the difference "between a genuine and manufactured crisis," said Jeffrey K. Tulis, author "The Rhetorical Presidency" and a government professor at the University of Texas. "People do respond to crisis -- if you think there is one, you tend to support the leader. The danger there is if it appears there is not one, you can have a credibility problem."

Science helps basketball fans be more effective

2005-01-06T23:37:00.000-05:00

See! Science does have some practical value!

New Year's resolutions

2005-01-06T01:03:00.000-05:00

Via Higher Pie: An article called "Resolutions For The Damned A new year, a Bush-gutted, storm-ravaged world and you in need of some juicy, heartfelt pledges"

First he convinces us that we need resolutions.

"Alas, many are dejected. Many of the blue or Democratic or progressive or open-minded persuasion are understandably heading into 2005 feeling a bit out of sorts, depressed and bitter and angry and still just a little appalled at the apparent widespread fear-induced ignorance of a country that somehow re-elected the worst president in U.S. history. Yes, still."

And so he offers some suggestions:

"1) Knowing full well that BushCo loves nothing more than a numb, dumbed-down, slothlike populace too uninformed and uncaring and spiritually comatose to speak out against his nasty war and various aww-shucks policy mutilations, vow this year to blow this inane perspective to the karmic ether."

And since most of my friends are too lazy to go read the article themselves, here's the end (which is the best part):

8)"Finally and perhaps most importantly, resolve to do all this even as you laugh more vigorously than ever at the divine circus of it all, at the great cosmic joke, realizing that these next four years are going to be just shockingly painful to anyone with a heart or a whisper of raw spirituality or the slightest hint of true environmental concern.

"And yet there you are, shaking your head and sighing and grinning mischievously and moving forward anyway, as you crank your own personal vibration as much as humanly possible because that, really, is all you can do, and all you can ever do, and it is so desperately needed right now I can't even tell you, and because if you resolve anything this year, resolve to realize how essential you are to moving it all forward, making it all better, bringing it all into more divine focus."

News from Space

2005-01-05T23:54:00.000-05:00

On Friday night, Jan 7th, comet Machholz will pass by the Pleiades. It will be the size of two pinkies held at arms length (try to do that without hurting yourself!) It will be green in color. Read more about it at Nasa News.

Survival

2005-01-05T21:39:00.000-05:00

Great survival story of a man who was washed out to sea by the tsunami and was rescued on Monday-- 8 days later.

The life of an obituary writer

2005-01-05T21:29:00.000-05:00

I saved this posting from Americablog so I could read the article when I got a chance-- I mean, how can I pass up an article by the man who writes obituaries for the Washington Post? As promised it was a great article. Here's a quote to whet your appetite:

"It was longstanding Post policy to include the cause of death in our obituaries, and we kept a mental tab of the more unusual ways in which people died. We once published the obituary of a psychiatrist who drowned in a sensory deprivation tank. We had a man who perished in a midair hang-gliding collision and a retired ambassador who died in an in-line skating accident. It was a sad and tragic death, but we all thought it was a class act that the former diplomat was Rollerblading at the age of 79."

Exciting stem cell results

2005-01-05T01:01:00.000-05:00

One more thing tonight. Scientists in Japan have had some luck reversing the symptoms of Parkinson's disease in monkeys using embryonic stem cells. In case you forgot, the U.S. doesn't allow federally funded research on embryonic stem cells except for a few mouse-contaminated lines that were available 3.5 years ago.

sex habits unchanged

2005-01-04T23:49:00.000-05:00

Well, it turns out that the availability of the morning after pill doesn't affect women's sex habits. Who would have guessed? Next they'll be telling us that "abstinence only" education doesn't affect sex habits either.

Should Gonzales be the attorney general?

2005-01-04T23:38:00.000-05:00

Via Americablog. Excellent ad campaign against the appointment of Alberto Gonzales to attorney general. For the past 4 years he's been the counsel to the president. He's the one who wrote the famous torture memo, which claimed that the Geneva conventions didn't apply to those captured in the war on terror. As the Washington Post reported, "One of the most controversial provisions of the earlier memorandum, signed by Levin's predecessor, Jay S. Bybee, was an assertion that the president's executive powers were sufficient to permit tolerance of torturous acts in extraordinary circumstances."

Well, that depends on your definition of ethics

2005-01-04T23:18:00.000-05:00

We should have known they were up to something. The Associated Press reports that House Republicans are still planning to weaken some of the ethics rules. As Americablog says: "the House GOP simply dropped a few of the most controversial provisions but IS STILL moving ahead with the rest of its plan to gut the ethic rules."

Ethics? What ethics? II

2005-01-03T21:19:00.000-05:00

For more on the ethics rules they were planning on removing see Talking Points Memo

Oh, those ethics!

2005-01-03T20:41:00.000-05:00

The House of Representatives just reversed the changes they made to their ethics rules. They had changed a rule that required House leaders to step down if they were indicted for a crime and they were considering making it more difficult to "rebuke a House member for misconduct." Instead they reinstated the indictment rule and kept the misconduct rules the same.

But don't be fooled-- they didn't discover the error of their ways or anything-- they're just trying to deny the Democrats an issue to harp on:

'Hastert spokesman John Feehery said that a change in standards of conduct "would have been the right thing to do but it was becoming a distraction" '

Translation: "We'd really like to abolish all accountability, but we'll just wait until no one is paying attention."

The Rapture Index. No, seriously-- read on

2005-01-02T17:10:00.000-05:00

This is fascinating. There is actually a webpage which tracks the "Rapture Index." This index... well, I'll just let the founder explain it:

The Rapture Index has two functions: one is to factor together a number of related end time components into a cohesive indicator, and the other is to standardize those components to eliminate the wide variance that currently exists with prophecy reporting.

You could say the Rapture index is a Dow Jones Industrial Average of end time activity, but I think it would be better if you viewed it as prophetic speedometer. The higher the number, the faster we're moving towards the occurrence of pre-tribulation rapture.

Rapture Index of 85 and Below: Slow prophetic activity
Rapture Index of 85 to 110: Moderate prophetic activity
Rapture Index of 110 to 145: Heavy prophetic activity
Rapture Index above 145: Fasten your seat belts

At the moment the rapture index is 155.

Now, I found out about this site from an amusing blogger article called "White House Exploring 'Rapture' Contingency Plans." There is apparently some concern about who will run the country if Bush is taken in the rapture.

"The White House is reportedly exploring contingency plans in the event that President Bush and other prominent Christians are 'raptured.' But succession plans are complicated by Vice President Dick Cheney's poor health and the fact that Representative Tom DeLay, like President Bush, will be summoned to heaven along with millions of other Christians."

Of course, since Bush IS the antichrist, I have no doubt that he'll stick around.

I'll be watching this

2004-12-31T16:01:00.000-05:00

'Jeopardy!' to Hold 'Super Tournament'

"Producers of the game show announced Tuesday a "Super Tournament," which will pit Jennings in a final match against two survivors of a competition between nearly 150 past five-time winners."

Not marriage, but a good step

2004-12-31T15:56:00.000-05:00

California's new Domestic partnership laws come into affect tomorrow.

"California's new law will require courts to treat domestic partnerships just as they would marriages in settling disputes over dissolution, financial support, community property, inheritance, child custody, debt assumption and other matters.

"Unlike marriages, however, domestic partners will not be able to file joint tax returns, and their unions will not be recognized by the federal government in qualifying for Medicare, Social Security, veterans, food stamp, housing, immigration or other national programs and subsidies.

"Other states are not obligated to honor California's domestic partnerships."

And from the opposition:

"The reality is, homosexual couples know they're not having real sex, deep down they know it's not real marriage, and no amount of social engineering from Democrats at the state Capitol will change that," added Randy Thomasson, a spokesman for Campaign for California Families.