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Showing posts from June 4, 2006
Michelle Malkin's post about Tom Delay being included on the Texas ballot is naked partisanism of the first order. This is the same Democrat party that made the exact opposite arguement 4 years ago before the NJ Supreme court. See here . I'm not surprised and I know the Republicans wouldn't do anything differently. Call me cynical but it's politics. Personally, I think voters are far more principled than those elected. They can afford to be. Their job isn't on the line when they decide on an issue.
World Cup KickOff - All the match details for World Cup 2006 in Germany . Am I the only American who doesn't have a family member on the World Cup team who's excited? I watched the 2002 game against Mexico yesterday and I forgot how solid the team was then. This year's team is even better. The US have very very tough bracket. FIFA must be completely insane to put us up against Czech Republic and then Italy back to back. If we can get one point out of the first two games we have a very good chance at making the semifinals. I don't know much about the Czech team other than they are highly ranked but I know Italy is having some troubles with injuries and unit cohesion that the US may be able to exploit. GO USA! p.s. my Six Degrees of Separation for the US World Cup team is that I was childhood friends with, and frequent teammate of one of the starters. He and his brother were both good players. He moved away to attend HS out of town and went on to fame and fort
Why Zarqawi's death matters. Christopher Hitchens has a sober, well reasoned article about why and what it possibly means. This could be a tipping point for Iraqis who are on the fence. Zarqawi's power was largely a function of his media stardom. Let's hope we don't make the same mistake with his successor.
Economist.com has a great article about World Cup Soccer and why it is vastly superior to the Olympics. One point that smacked me in the face as blatantly obvious yet something I never thought of: Performance enhancing drugs do not help in soccer. It is primarly a game of skill and there ain't no drug that increases your skill.
The Worlds First Inflatable Pub! If my kids can have a moon bouncer for their birthdays, no reason I can't have one of these for mine, right?
Wheelman . So cool! It's like a skateboard on steroids which is problematic. Personally, I'd get one of these suckers if I lived in a city. It would be great for cities like Jersey City or New York. Aside from entertainment value, there's no point in having one in Pencader.
You know, Father's Day is coming up soon....
The wrong target . Kudos to the Times for this one. We sorely need support especially from the media. Doubly so the European media. It is a harsh truth that proponents of American isolationism on the right (and now left) as well as those who promote a meek foreign policy really don't consider what that world might look like. We cannot afford to withdraw to our own borders and create Fortress America. We would be drawn into a very nasty conflict very quickly. Imagine an unchecked China conquering Asia and Oceania. Imagine Tel Aviv, Terhran and Damascus as smoking holes of glass. Imagine Africa virtually devoid of human life. Dead by either, famine, disease or war. That's not a world that anyone wants, they just don't think it through to that conclusion.
In Plain English: Let's Make It Official . Krauthammer makes a very persuasive case for an official language. I'll never understand how this can possibly be "racist". I've been to other countries and even lived there. I never once expected people to speak English. I was often relieved when they did. Speaking a foreign language can be very tiring. I never realized how taxing it can be until I was a few days into my stay. However, at the end of my time there, it was much, much easier. Since then I've really been a proponent of immersion. Asking old ladies for direction in a foreign language is fine in the classroom when you know the old lady speaks english and its an exercise. It's a whole different ballgame when the woman you're speaking to doesn't know a word of English and you don't have a phrasebook on you.
A disappointing post from De la Where . "Now some of my readers like to tell me that the reason we have high gas prices is because we don't have enough refineries." Only those with a rudimentary understanding of economics. "A great arguement except for the whole supply/demand thing gets in the way of it." This makes absolutely no sense. The price is high because demand is high which creates scarcity. Flood the market with more oil and the price will go down. Really this is absolutely the most basic principle in economics. "the whole elastic/inelastic thing really puts a kink in it too b/c don't you think that if the refineries and the oil companies new they could charge you more buy having less refineries they would?" Again, no. The oil companies are making money and would like to make more money. Demand is inexhaustible. Any increase in supply will be quickly consumed. Increased consumption leads to increased profit margin. The differenc
Haditha Media Errors Exposed . It appears some cracks are showing in the "massacre" story. Could this be another Plamegate/TANG story? I think so. It's clear to me that those who created this story have an agenda and those swallowing the story without so much as a question are eager for their Pulitzer. They want to be the one that wrote the story that led to the greatest armed forces the world has ever known to withdraw. That they would be on the side of mass murderers and monsters is immaterial. All that matters is the story. Getting it first is far more important than getting it right. We can always run a correction later. (correction to appear on A47: The Times reported that US Marines massacred dozens of innocent civilians in Haditha. Reports later showed that no such activity occured. The Times regrets the error.)
The DU crowd is completely insane. They're so crazy, I can only assume they're Rove plants. What else would explain this post or even, this one ?
The Belmont Club: Malloch Brown's Message to America . Read it. It's not only accurate, it's both funny and sad. Malloch has opened a can of worms that he really didn't want to open. If he really thought he was going to browbeat us into cowing to the UN he really really doesn't understand this country. I used to think the UN was a great guiding light. Then I thought it was merely a useful figleaf of respectability for American foreign policy. Now I just think it's corrupt and dangerous. I'll vote for any candidate that proposes withdrawing from the UN and kicking them out of the country. Since that's a pipe dream, I'll vote for any candidate that witholds funds from the UN until they implement some transparency.
Trilobis 65 Floating Home . I love wild and daring engineering projects. I doubt this will ever work let alone be launched, it's great to see people thinking big.
Top 10 Coolest BBQ Grills . Whoa. These guys really like to grill. I can't imagine how much the last one costs. It's not really a grill so much as an outdoor kitchen.
Mantropy Control . The metrosexual backlash begins. Onward I say!
I really shouldn't post this but I can't help myself. Warning: NSFW
PS3 Dashboard E3 . Wow. This looks really nice. I haven't seen the 360 enough to compare the two but this is a quantum leap over the PS2 to be sure. The key question remains: What is the killer app?
Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi Killed in Air Raid . I seldom rejoice when someone dies. It's unseemly and usually a sign you've gone wrong somewhere. However, I'm always willing to make an exception for psychotic mass murders. Especially ones who would kill me and my entire family (hell, my whole country) with a smile on his face. Rot in hell you bastard.
Michael Yon's latest is Hijacking Haditha . It's all about context and as usual, it's very powerful. Read the whole thing
Michael Yon's latest is Hijacking Haditha . It's all about context and as usual, it's very powerful. Read the whole thing
Michael Yon's latest is Hijacking Haditha . It's all about context and as usual, it's very powerful. Read the whole thing
Remember these photos the next time Hollywood starts lecturing you about your wasteful oil consumption. That SUV you drive and how awful it is for the environment? I'm sure these houses all run on geothermal energy or windpower or something. Yes, the same people who take private jets to Earth day are telling me that I have to turn down the thermostat and put on a sweater.
BLACKFIVE: D-Day Remembered This is far more eloquent that I can do. Read this and remember what those men did that day. Remember the sacrifice and the loss. Most of all, remember what we were fighting for. Think of what would have happened if we lost, or worse yet, had never entered the fight. Imagine the horror that would have endured, perhaps to this day. God bless those brave souls. May we never forget their sacrifce.
Hydrogen on the Cheap Looks like there's new hope for Hydrogen. I am cautiously optimistic. There really isn't enough information given to make a judgement. Likely GE is going to keep this under wraps as long as possible to make sure they have the market cornered. If these are as affordable and scalable as noted, it could mean power generation at a very local level. Individual manufacturing plants could purchase a unit for power generation. In other places you could see local housing developments applying for installation and purchase of one. (I don't know the infrastructure required so this may be too local). Perhaps cities could relieve the stress on the grids by breaking them into smaller segments with failover capabilities. I'm going out on a limb here b/c I don't have enough information but the scalability factor is a critical one. This technology is probably better suited to fuel cell needs rather than continuous power generation at the 15Kw range
Goldwater: The original neocon! Who knew they were around in 1963!
What does Earth look like from the surface of Mars? My new desktop wallpaper.
Grand Canyons of Earth . The largest crystal caves on earth have been found in Mexico. Beautiful.
DNA Identifies Florida Accountant as Descendant of Genghis Khan . The man then went on a rampage across the southern US with his newly formed marauding horde. Well, no. His claims are a reach. A reach on the order of Hands Across America. He shares a marker with Gengis' tribe. That is a far cry from The Man Himself. However, "DNA Identifies Florida Accountant as Descendant of Random Mongolian" doesn't catch any eyeballs.
Popular myth holds that Pius XII was "Hitler's Pope." There was even a book with that name making the same claim. For a look back at how his contemporaries reported things, read this. I have no idea why this is listed as "breaking news." Rather, it's a retrospective and a good one to keep in mind.
Special forces to use strap-on 'stealth wings' How cool is that? I wonder what the maximum operational limit is of these wings. When I first saw the video, my immediate thought was of Operation Sea Lion. What if they had these wings in WWII? Undoubtedly, the AAA would have been murderous but it would have had a much higher chance of success than a seaborne invasion would have. I wonder if there will ever be any pracitcal civilian or commerical application aside from entertainment. I can't think of any but I'm sure someone will.
Autism's Parent Trap This one hits very close to home. I am enraged at the idea that a parent would kill their child because he/she is disabled. It is very challenging and sometimes more than you think you can bear but I will never understand how you can kill a healthy child. (I'll not get into the euthanasia debate aside to say that while I don't agree with the practice it is understandable when someone is undoubtedly terminal. These cases aren't even in the same universe). To qualify these murders as "mercy killings" is so vile my gorge rises at it. If that woman had spoken those words in my presence, I would have slapped her. I'm not joking, I literally would have slapped her in the face. When my son was first diagnosed, I was bewildered and in a detached sort of denial. The "Let Me Hear Your Voice" type books didn't help. If anything, it made things worse. I really did begin to think that most kids are mainstreamed and as tim
Delawareliberal has a baffling post about the Wharton v. Biden race. I think Jason has really gone around the bend here in that, he believes that citing Whartons 27 years of experience is merely about age. Jason is so blinded by partisanship that he cannot face the arguement for what it is. Biden is not just young, but inexperienced. If Biden were exactly the same age as Wharton, you'd see the GOP running the exact same ad and rightly so. I was initially opposed to the legislation requring any minimum requirements for AG's office. However, when you have other senior offices that require a minimum amount of experience I think there is a sound case for having them. However, I would not pass any laws until after this election. To do otherwise would smack of ex post facto and quite frankly, fear that Biden might win. I'm also surprised that Jason doesn't have a natural revulsion for political families. I was never happy with W running as I don't think we need
Gapminder is a brilliant tool for creating visuals of various trends over time. I would rather the map allowed you to show only one or two countries and if they would make the color scheme customizable. Many of the graphs are so close between neighboring nations that it becomes impossible to see which datapoint is which. In all, it is a very good, if flawed, tool.
Why Haditha isn't My Lai. Hitchens breaks it down. I think he strikes the perfect tone. There has been too much assumption of guilt on the left. The whole thing makes me queasy. I think it is possible that things occured as are being reported but not likely. The fact that the video given to the Beeb came from an insurgent group makes alarms sound very loudly. Further, the video reportedly shows the victims but nothing else. That proves exactly one thing: These people were shot, but says nothing about who shot them. The media headlines have already convicted the Marines. Once again; reporting things with this slant will only guarantee more incidents will either be incited or staged. Also remember that Bush, Rumsfeld et al. cannot comment on the case or it will be dismissed for reasons of "command influence" which is akin to jury tampering.
New Orleans Police Chief: 'I'll Grab Guns' . Translation: "I am above the law." New Orleans is going to be hit by another hurricane soon. Probably this year. I, for one, would be stockpiling weapons after the last fiasco. The number of bad guys with guns and desparate people in search of food and water would make it insane to NOT have one.
In Europe, the only solution to any problem is to throw money at it. I can't imagine how this would work. It certainly wouldn't work here. You'd only up the speed of the revolving door to a high speed fan. Americans across the country would be asking what that high pitched whining noise is.
Andrew Sullivan's blog has become a three post rotating blog 1. Gay marriage is long overdue 2. Fire Rumsfeld Now 3. We torture detainees as a matter of policy Any time you hear Sullivan talk about marriage and how precious, sacred or whatever, remember the following quote: Andrew Sullivan | The Daily Dish: Two Generations : "For me the interesting point came when Dan and I agreed that moderate hypocrisy - especially in marriages - is often the best policy. Momogamy is very hard for men, straight or gay, and if one partner falters occasionally (and I don't mean regularly), sometimes discretion is perfectly acceptable." So hypocrisy, infidelity, it's all perfectly acceptable. Why? Because fidelity is "hard for men." Yes, I'm sure my wife would furrow her brow and congratulate me for holding out for so long when it's been so difficult. I have news for you Andy, marriage is difficult. LIFE is difficult. If you cannot be faithful, you ought
Attention Moonbats: The 2004 election was not stolen . If Slate is giving up that one you ought to be also. Let's all MoveOn. Thank you.
Attention Moonbats: The 2004 election was not stolen . If Slate is giving up that one you ought to be also. Let's all MoveOn. Thank you.
Attention Moonbats: The 2004 election was not stolen . If Slate is giving up that one you ought to be also. Let's all MoveOn. Thank you.
Mike's Musings: Monthly Blogroll Cleanup . I don't read Mike's blog as often as I should. I was surprised to find myself on the blogroll there (Thanks Mike!) and was wondering who he was referring to when he said he wants to drop them for their "meanspritedness". Methinks he'd be to coy to mention them specficially. I don't blame him. To do otherwise would likely erupt into a flame war pretty quickly. I have to say, for such a small section of the blogosphere, Delaware seems to have some bare knuckle brawlers. [Rodney King] Can't we all just get along? [/Rodney King]
Sarah Silverman is one of the funniest comics around today. She is absolutely fearless and this video is a prime example of that.
Knob Creek Machine Gun Night Shoot . Detractors of the Second Amendment and gun control enthusiasts will recoil in horror. I looked at this video and was struck by one thing. If we were invaded, who would be more likely to protect us? The reporter or these guys?
From Way Out in Right Field File this under "Bad Karma". (h/t Paul Smith ) I was trying to figure out a way to name drop Peter Angelos and the fact that I've met him but couldn't figure out a way to do so. The sad part is I had no idea who he was at the time.
Not Settled . Please remember these brave souls the next time you hear some edjit crowing about how brave they are for dissenting. Spare me. Some day (hopefully soon) they will rise up again and win.
April train collision in North Korea leaves 1000 . That's how crazy that place is. One thousand people die and nobody knows about it for 2 months. This is not the first problem they've had with train collisons. I suspect(ed) that the aforementioned blast was no accident. Rather, I thought it might be an attempt to kill Kim Jong-Il. Now, I've tempered that thought. It seems they are hopelessly inept when it comes to rail transportation.
250 British cops raid suspected chemical bomb-making factory (Report: It was a chemical suicide vest — and it’s missing) Oh great. Like I can sleep at night now! Haditha is indeed a big story. This story, in my opinion is much much bigger. As Wrechard points out this raid is part of a larger coordinated effort around the globe, we had 17 Candians rounded up along with a cell in Georgia that was part of the sweep. This is big news indeed. In fact, in London, they have had over 20 serious terror attacks thwarted.
Zaladonis Ex Machina . Why John Kerry really doesn't want (and can't afford to) refight the Swift Boat Vets. Kerry will never win the primary.
Paleocon Ben Stein writes in The American Spectator that the Iraq war was a mistake and also the most humanely fought war in history.
How Internet monitoring sparked a CSIS probe . This is what they mean by "connecting the dots" prior to an attack. We missed the 9/11 attacks because we weren't spying on the right people. The Canadians seem to have learned from our criminal failings. We have a choice, step up surveilance of a "broad strata of society" (as the Candian press is calling the would-be terrorists) or we clean up the aftermath.