Ezra Klein writes Ezra Klein - Senate Democrats weigh making big mistake on health-care reform.
"When the Senate repealed the provision, they paid for it by canceling other spending that Congress had authorized, but that hadn’t yet been put to a particular purpose. House Republicans took a different approach. They’re trying to sharply increase the amount of subsidies that families will have to pay back if their income increases during the course of a year. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has a longer explanation of how this would work, but here’s the short version:
Under their proposed policy, a family with income at 225 percent of the poverty line who needed subsidies for the first half of the year but canceled them mid-year when the husband got a better job could get a bill for more than $4,500 at the end of the year.
A more worrying example goes the other way: Imagine a family where the breadwinner makes much more than 400 percent of poverty, but loses his job late in the year. He tries to apply for subsidies so the family can keep getting health insurance but is told that he shouldn’t bother — because his total income that year will still be above 400 percent of poverty, he’ll get a bill at the end of the year forcing him to pay back the money."
So why doesn't the DNC just hire Klein?
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
Lucifer
In a conversation the other day a friend mentioned Lucifer and the fallen angel story from the Bible. I asked if that was really in the Bible or did it really come from Milton. Since I was raised Jewish, I don't know very much about the New Testament at all. I was pretty certain that the Old Testament doesn't really mention the devil at all (I guess the Old Testament God was vengeful enough). So I turned to wikipedia and found the answer pretty fascinating. Here are the first two paragraphs:
"Traditionally, Lucifer is a name that in English generally refers to the devil before being cast from heaven, although this is not the original meaning of the term. In Latin, from which the English word is derived, Lucifer means "light-bearer" (from the words lucem ferre). It was the name given to the dawn appearance of the planet Venus, which heralds daylight. For this meaning, English generally uses the names "Morning Star" or "Day Star", and rarely "Lucifer".
The Bible does not name the devil as Lucifer. The use of this name in reference to the devil stems from an interpretation of Isaiah 14:3-20, a passage that does not speak of any fallen angel but of the defeat of a particular Babylonian King, to whom it gives a title that refers to what in English is called the Day Star or Morning Star (in Latin, lucifer). In 2 Peter 1:19 and elsewhere, the same Latin word lucifer is used to refer to the Morning Star, with no relation to the devil. It is only in post-New Testament times that the Latin word Lucifer was often used as a name for the devil, both in religious writing and in fiction, especially when referring to him prior to his fall from Heaven."
I never read much fiction that talked about the devil, but I think it was in Neil Gaiman's Sandman that I first saw "Morning Star" used with "Lucifer", thought I never knew why.
This led me to reading about fallen angels. The concept isn't in the old Testament, but is in the Book of Enoch which is believed to have been written by Noah's grandfather but didn't make it into the canon of the Old Testament. The New Testament has a few oblique references to "angels that sinned" and that "left their own habitation" and a fall of Satan, though it apparently never states that Satan was an angel (there are a few references to that in the Old Testament as Satan is a Hebrew word meaning obstruct or oppose and there are references to a Ha-Satan in a couple of places including Job). The Book of Revelation has the most on it but its pretty vague too.
But whether explicitly in the Bible or not, the notion of fallen angels and Satan and Lucifer in early Jewish and Christian and Islamic stories. The part I found fascinating was the relation to Venus. After the Sun and the Moon, Venus is the third brightest thing in the sky. Ancient people knew it as a planet but it behaved differently from the others (Jupiter, Saturn, Mars). They all came out at night and reached a peak in the sky late at night (though that varies with their orbits). Venus is visible at dusk and dawn but never in the middle of the night and it doesn't climb very high in the sky (like just about every other object in the sky does at some point).
We of course now know the reason for this. Venus' orbit is inside Earth's. At midnight wherever you are, the Earth is rotated so that you're pointed exactly away from the Sun so you can see the outer planets but not the inner ones. But it seems, early man interpreted this bright star as not being allowed to be all the way up in heaven.
So you get a powerful angel (the third brightest thing in the sky) as being cast down from heaven. It must have been God that this did, since God did everything, and it must have been something serious to get this punishment. I think that's about as much detail as the Bible describes the story, everything else came later.
And of course the most remarkable thing to me is that people still believe these stories as true.
(Mercury behaves similarly to Venus and was known to the Greeks and Egyptians, but I'm not sure how it fits into things. It seems paradoxical that Judeo-Christian myths associate the planet Venus with the devil and Greco-Roman ones associate it with love. I would think that meteors or falling stars would somehow fit into this too but the only myths I can find about them are Romanian. Apparently they were viewed as atmospheric phenomenon like lightening and not connected with meteoroids which are the rocks themselves.)
"Traditionally, Lucifer is a name that in English generally refers to the devil before being cast from heaven, although this is not the original meaning of the term. In Latin, from which the English word is derived, Lucifer means "light-bearer" (from the words lucem ferre). It was the name given to the dawn appearance of the planet Venus, which heralds daylight. For this meaning, English generally uses the names "Morning Star" or "Day Star", and rarely "Lucifer".
The Bible does not name the devil as Lucifer. The use of this name in reference to the devil stems from an interpretation of Isaiah 14:3-20, a passage that does not speak of any fallen angel but of the defeat of a particular Babylonian King, to whom it gives a title that refers to what in English is called the Day Star or Morning Star (in Latin, lucifer). In 2 Peter 1:19 and elsewhere, the same Latin word lucifer is used to refer to the Morning Star, with no relation to the devil. It is only in post-New Testament times that the Latin word Lucifer was often used as a name for the devil, both in religious writing and in fiction, especially when referring to him prior to his fall from Heaven."
I never read much fiction that talked about the devil, but I think it was in Neil Gaiman's Sandman that I first saw "Morning Star" used with "Lucifer", thought I never knew why.
This led me to reading about fallen angels. The concept isn't in the old Testament, but is in the Book of Enoch which is believed to have been written by Noah's grandfather but didn't make it into the canon of the Old Testament. The New Testament has a few oblique references to "angels that sinned" and that "left their own habitation" and a fall of Satan, though it apparently never states that Satan was an angel (there are a few references to that in the Old Testament as Satan is a Hebrew word meaning obstruct or oppose and there are references to a Ha-Satan in a couple of places including Job). The Book of Revelation has the most on it but its pretty vague too.
But whether explicitly in the Bible or not, the notion of fallen angels and Satan and Lucifer in early Jewish and Christian and Islamic stories. The part I found fascinating was the relation to Venus. After the Sun and the Moon, Venus is the third brightest thing in the sky. Ancient people knew it as a planet but it behaved differently from the others (Jupiter, Saturn, Mars). They all came out at night and reached a peak in the sky late at night (though that varies with their orbits). Venus is visible at dusk and dawn but never in the middle of the night and it doesn't climb very high in the sky (like just about every other object in the sky does at some point).
We of course now know the reason for this. Venus' orbit is inside Earth's. At midnight wherever you are, the Earth is rotated so that you're pointed exactly away from the Sun so you can see the outer planets but not the inner ones. But it seems, early man interpreted this bright star as not being allowed to be all the way up in heaven.
So you get a powerful angel (the third brightest thing in the sky) as being cast down from heaven. It must have been God that this did, since God did everything, and it must have been something serious to get this punishment. I think that's about as much detail as the Bible describes the story, everything else came later.
And of course the most remarkable thing to me is that people still believe these stories as true.
(Mercury behaves similarly to Venus and was known to the Greeks and Egyptians, but I'm not sure how it fits into things. It seems paradoxical that Judeo-Christian myths associate the planet Venus with the devil and Greco-Roman ones associate it with love. I would think that meteors or falling stars would somehow fit into this too but the only myths I can find about them are Romanian. Apparently they were viewed as atmospheric phenomenon like lightening and not connected with meteoroids which are the rocks themselves.)
Jon Stewart Interviews Rand Paul
Last night Jon Stewart interviewed Rand Paul. I love that Stewart challenges his facts and arguments (e.g., at the beginning on the deficit/GDP ratio). Most interviewers don't do that.
I think they came to "agreement" too easily and that it really covers up the real differences between them. Paul (and his father) have a lifetime of practice at sounding reasonable to others while still being extremely radical in their views.
I think they came to "agreement" too easily and that it really covers up the real differences between them. Paul (and his father) have a lifetime of practice at sounding reasonable to others while still being extremely radical in their views.
Monday, March 07, 2011
The 25 Best Financial Blogs
Time lists The 25 Best Financial Blogs. "From Paul Krugman to Freakonomics to the Consumerist, we compiled a list of the most influential (and useful) finance blogs out there and then asked some of the best-known bloggers to review one another's work"
Controversial Ticket Appeal Fees in MA
The Boston Globe wrote Controversial ticket appeal fees to have SJC hearing.
"Two years after state lawmakers imposed fees for fighting traffic tickets, the number of appeals has dropped, raising questions about whether the effort to weed out frivolous cases and raise revenue has hindered access to courts.
For the year beginning July 2009, when a $25 fee was added to appeal a moving violation to a clerk magistrate, 217,197 drivers challenged their tickets — almost 10 percent fewer than the previous fiscal year. During the same period, when they had to pay another $50 to contest a clerk’s decision, 15,466 drivers appealed to a district court judge — almost 35 percent fewer than the previous fiscal year."
“It’s ridiculous,’’ said Charlene Allen, 27, of Dorchester, who paid $75 to fight a $50 citation for an expired inspection sticker because she worried about an increase in her insurance premiums.
So the court is happy that it has reduced their workload and increased revenue, but the citizens are not happy with the added fees. If it's weeding out frivolous cases, fine but it could also be preventing the innocent from appealing.
The obvious fix seems to be to waive the fees if you win the appeal. I don't know why the article doesn't mention that.
"Two years after state lawmakers imposed fees for fighting traffic tickets, the number of appeals has dropped, raising questions about whether the effort to weed out frivolous cases and raise revenue has hindered access to courts.
For the year beginning July 2009, when a $25 fee was added to appeal a moving violation to a clerk magistrate, 217,197 drivers challenged their tickets — almost 10 percent fewer than the previous fiscal year. During the same period, when they had to pay another $50 to contest a clerk’s decision, 15,466 drivers appealed to a district court judge — almost 35 percent fewer than the previous fiscal year."
“It’s ridiculous,’’ said Charlene Allen, 27, of Dorchester, who paid $75 to fight a $50 citation for an expired inspection sticker because she worried about an increase in her insurance premiums.
So the court is happy that it has reduced their workload and increased revenue, but the citizens are not happy with the added fees. If it's weeding out frivolous cases, fine but it could also be preventing the innocent from appealing.
The obvious fix seems to be to waive the fees if you win the appeal. I don't know why the article doesn't mention that.
Sunday, March 06, 2011
Behind the Foreclosure Crisis, Big Banks' Reign of Error
Dana Milbank wrote Behind the foreclosure crisis, big banks' reign of error.
"Along the way, a simple refi became a months-long odyssey: rates misquoted, interest charged on a phantom account, legal documents issued in wrong names, a mortgage officer who disappeared for days at a time (first it was his birthday, then his laptop was in the shop), a bounced check from Citibank's own title company, and the freezing of our bank accounts.
For me, this amounts to no more than the hassle of arguing with Citibank to fix its 'mistakes.' But consumer advocates tell me these are typical of the screw-ups by the big banks that service home mortgages. And these errors - accidental or otherwise - are driving large numbers of people into default and foreclosure when it otherwise would not have happened."
"Republicans are aiming to repeal the Home Affordable Modification Program, the Obama administration's main response to the foreclosure crisis. The program, by all accounts, has been disappointing, helping only about 600,000 homeowners of the 3 million to 4 million projected. But its failure, watchdog groups say, was caused by the mortgage servicers' ineptitude - lost paperwork, bad accounting and the like - and lack of concern about whether the mortgages they service (but don't own) go into default. Rather than crack down on the banks, the House Republicans would kill the one program that, at least in theory, gives borrowers some chance of avoiding foreclosure. "If you take that away, you've got nothing," says Julia Gordon, senior policy counsel at the Center for Responsible Lending. "The servicers can just do whatever they want.""
"Along the way, a simple refi became a months-long odyssey: rates misquoted, interest charged on a phantom account, legal documents issued in wrong names, a mortgage officer who disappeared for days at a time (first it was his birthday, then his laptop was in the shop), a bounced check from Citibank's own title company, and the freezing of our bank accounts.
For me, this amounts to no more than the hassle of arguing with Citibank to fix its 'mistakes.' But consumer advocates tell me these are typical of the screw-ups by the big banks that service home mortgages. And these errors - accidental or otherwise - are driving large numbers of people into default and foreclosure when it otherwise would not have happened."
"Republicans are aiming to repeal the Home Affordable Modification Program, the Obama administration's main response to the foreclosure crisis. The program, by all accounts, has been disappointing, helping only about 600,000 homeowners of the 3 million to 4 million projected. But its failure, watchdog groups say, was caused by the mortgage servicers' ineptitude - lost paperwork, bad accounting and the like - and lack of concern about whether the mortgages they service (but don't own) go into default. Rather than crack down on the banks, the House Republicans would kill the one program that, at least in theory, gives borrowers some chance of avoiding foreclosure. "If you take that away, you've got nothing," says Julia Gordon, senior policy counsel at the Center for Responsible Lending. "The servicers can just do whatever they want.""
The State of Pima
The State of Pima: New, Smaller, Fairer States as a Path to a More Representative Democracy. "A group of Arizonans in Pima County, which is a relatively blue slice of a rather red state, are pushing to break away from Arizona and form their own state. This unusual (though not unprecedented) move would actually come with a lot of rewards."
I saw an interview with one of the people on I think CNN. The anchor was kinda clueless, thinking that these people were the radical ones, rather than the elected AZ government.
I saw an interview with one of the people on I think CNN. The anchor was kinda clueless, thinking that these people were the radical ones, rather than the elected AZ government.
21 Airlines Fined For Fixing Passenger, Cargo Fees
NPR reports 21 Airlines Fined For Fixing Passenger, Cargo Fees.
"When the airline industry took a nose dive a decade ago, executives at global carriers scrambled to find a quick fix to avoid financial ruin. What they came up with, according to federal prosecutors, was a massive price-fixing scheme among airlines that artificially inflated passenger and cargo fuel surcharges between 2000 and 2006 to make up for lost profits. The airlines' crimes cost U.S. consumers and businesses — mostly international passengers and cargo shippers — hundreds of millions of dollars, prosecutors say. But the airlines caught by the Justice Department have paid a hefty price in the five years since the government's widespread investigation became public. To date, 19 executives have been charged with wrongdoing — four have gone to prison — and 21 airlines have coughed up more than $1.7 billion in fines in one of the largest criminal antitrust investigations in U.S. history. The court cases reveal a complex web of schemes between mostly international carriers willing to fix fees in lockstep with competitors for flights to and from the United States. Convicted airlines include British Airways, Korean Air, and Air France-KLM. No major U.S. carriers have been charged."
"When the airline industry took a nose dive a decade ago, executives at global carriers scrambled to find a quick fix to avoid financial ruin. What they came up with, according to federal prosecutors, was a massive price-fixing scheme among airlines that artificially inflated passenger and cargo fuel surcharges between 2000 and 2006 to make up for lost profits. The airlines' crimes cost U.S. consumers and businesses — mostly international passengers and cargo shippers — hundreds of millions of dollars, prosecutors say. But the airlines caught by the Justice Department have paid a hefty price in the five years since the government's widespread investigation became public. To date, 19 executives have been charged with wrongdoing — four have gone to prison — and 21 airlines have coughed up more than $1.7 billion in fines in one of the largest criminal antitrust investigations in U.S. history. The court cases reveal a complex web of schemes between mostly international carriers willing to fix fees in lockstep with competitors for flights to and from the United States. Convicted airlines include British Airways, Korean Air, and Air France-KLM. No major U.S. carriers have been charged."
Saturday, March 05, 2011
World's Sixth Mass Extinction May Be Underway
World's sixth mass extinction may be underway: study - Yahoo! News "Mankind may have unleashed the sixth known mass extinction in Earth's history, according to a paper released by the science journal Nature."
"Palaeobiologists at the University of California at Berkeley looked at the state of biodiversity today, using the world's mammal species as a barometer. Until mankind's big expansion some 500 years ago, mammal extinctions were very rare: on average, just two species died out every million years. But in the last five centuries, at least 80 out of 5,570 mammal species have bitten the dust, providing a clear warning of the peril to biodiversity."
"The authors admitted to weaknesses in the study. They acknowledged that the fossil record is far from complete, that mammals provide an imperfect benchmark of Earth's biodiversity and further work is needed to confirm their suspicions. But they described their estimates as conservative and warned a large-scale extinction would have an impact on a timescale beyond human imagining. "Evolution of new species typically takes at least hundreds of thousands of years, and recovery from mass extinction episodes probably occurs on timescales encompassing millions of years.""
""So far, only one to two percent of all species have gone gone extinct in the groups we can look at clearly, so by those numbers, it looks like we are not far down the road to extinction. We still have a lot of Earth's biota to save," Barnosky said."
"Palaeobiologists at the University of California at Berkeley looked at the state of biodiversity today, using the world's mammal species as a barometer. Until mankind's big expansion some 500 years ago, mammal extinctions were very rare: on average, just two species died out every million years. But in the last five centuries, at least 80 out of 5,570 mammal species have bitten the dust, providing a clear warning of the peril to biodiversity."
"The authors admitted to weaknesses in the study. They acknowledged that the fossil record is far from complete, that mammals provide an imperfect benchmark of Earth's biodiversity and further work is needed to confirm their suspicions. But they described their estimates as conservative and warned a large-scale extinction would have an impact on a timescale beyond human imagining. "Evolution of new species typically takes at least hundreds of thousands of years, and recovery from mass extinction episodes probably occurs on timescales encompassing millions of years.""
""So far, only one to two percent of all species have gone gone extinct in the groups we can look at clearly, so by those numbers, it looks like we are not far down the road to extinction. We still have a lot of Earth's biota to save," Barnosky said."
Ground-Based Observations Capture Spacewalking Astronaut in Action
This is just amazing. On Monday I posted about someone getting photos from the ground of Discovery docking with the ISS. Well now Ground-Based Observations Capture Spacewalking Astronaut in Action.
"Amateur astronomer Ralf Vandebergh of the Netherlands took images during one of the spacewalks for the mission, and likely captured astronaut Steve Bowen at work on the end of the Canadarm 2!"
"Another amateur astronomer from the UK, Martin Lewis also took similar images of the spacewalk."
Here are Vandebergh's comments and image and here are Lewis'.
"Amateur astronomer Ralf Vandebergh of the Netherlands took images during one of the spacewalks for the mission, and likely captured astronaut Steve Bowen at work on the end of the Canadarm 2!"
"Another amateur astronomer from the UK, Martin Lewis also took similar images of the spacewalk."
Here are Vandebergh's comments and image and here are Lewis'.
Bradley Manning's Forced Nudity To Occur Daily
Glenn Greenwald has been following the WikiLeaks and Bradley Manning stories. His latest, Bradley Manning's forced nudity to occur daily is disturbing.
"Let's review Manning's detention over the last nine straight months: 23-hour/day solitary confinement; barred even from exercising in his cell; one hour total outside his cell per day where he's allowed to walk around in circles in a room alone while shackled, and is returned to his cell the minute he stops walking; forced to respond to guards' inquiries literally every 5 minutes, all day, everyday; and awakened at night each time he is curled up in the corner of his bed or otherwise outside the guards' full view. Is there anyone who doubts that these measures -- and especially this prolonged forced nudity -- are punitive and designed to further erode his mental health, physical health and will? As The Guardian reported last year, forced nudity is almost certainly a breach of the Geneva Conventions; the Conventions do not technically apply to Manning, as he is not a prisoner of war, but they certainly establish the minimal protections to which all detainees -- let alone citizens convicted of nothing -- are entitled."
"And I'll say this again: just fathom the contrived, shrieking uproar from opportunistic Democratic politicians and their loyalists if it had been George Bush and Dick Cheney -- on U.S. soil -- subjecting a whistle-blowing member of the U.S. military to these repressive conditions without being convicted of anything, charging him with a capital offense that statutorily carries the death penalty, and then forcing him to remain nude every night and stand naked for inspection outside his cell. Feigning concern over detainee abuse for partisan gain is only slightly less repellent than the treatment to which Manning is being subjected."
"Let's review Manning's detention over the last nine straight months: 23-hour/day solitary confinement; barred even from exercising in his cell; one hour total outside his cell per day where he's allowed to walk around in circles in a room alone while shackled, and is returned to his cell the minute he stops walking; forced to respond to guards' inquiries literally every 5 minutes, all day, everyday; and awakened at night each time he is curled up in the corner of his bed or otherwise outside the guards' full view. Is there anyone who doubts that these measures -- and especially this prolonged forced nudity -- are punitive and designed to further erode his mental health, physical health and will? As The Guardian reported last year, forced nudity is almost certainly a breach of the Geneva Conventions; the Conventions do not technically apply to Manning, as he is not a prisoner of war, but they certainly establish the minimal protections to which all detainees -- let alone citizens convicted of nothing -- are entitled."
"And I'll say this again: just fathom the contrived, shrieking uproar from opportunistic Democratic politicians and their loyalists if it had been George Bush and Dick Cheney -- on U.S. soil -- subjecting a whistle-blowing member of the U.S. military to these repressive conditions without being convicted of anything, charging him with a capital offense that statutorily carries the death penalty, and then forcing him to remain nude every night and stand naked for inspection outside his cell. Feigning concern over detainee abuse for partisan gain is only slightly less repellent than the treatment to which Manning is being subjected."
Friday, March 04, 2011
Washington is bad at scheming
Ezra Klein wrote Washington is bad at scheming "That's the main thing I've learned working as a reporter and political observer in Washington: No one can carry out complicated plans. All parties and groups are fractious and bumbling. But everyone always thinks everyone else is efficiently and ruthlessly carrying out complicated plans. Partisans are very good at recognizing disarray and incompetence on their side of the aisle, but they tend to think the other side is intimidatingly capable and unburdened by scruples or normal human vulnerabilities. And there's so much press interest in Svengali political consultants like Karl Rove or David Plouffe, all of whom get built up in the press as infallible tacticians, that the place just looks a lot more sophisticated than it really is."
It makes sense to me. It also jives with the sense I got after reading the issue long story in Newsweek after the 2004 election. My conclusion was that Kerry's campaign was better than I thought (he was the problem) and Rove wasn't as strong as I thought. (If I remember correctly the big deal was the Rove was better at controlling the cable news cycle).
It makes sense to me. It also jives with the sense I got after reading the issue long story in Newsweek after the 2004 election. My conclusion was that Kerry's campaign was better than I thought (he was the problem) and Rove wasn't as strong as I thought. (If I remember correctly the big deal was the Rove was better at controlling the cable news cycle).
Weak Tea?
Stephen Ansolabehere and James M. Snyder, Jr. wrote Weak Tea. "Yet the Tea Party, despite the media sensation it has generated, does not seem to have boosted the vote of candidates it supported. In the 2010 midterm, the Tea Party—via the two major national groups, Tea Party Express and FreedomWorks, and the congressional Tea Party Caucus—endorsed Republicans in Republican districts, and those Republicans performed about as expected. These factors, largely missed in commentaries on the movement and its implications for 2012, suggest that the Tea Party may not have much traction, at least in future general elections."
Kevin Drum adds: "This seems pretty plausible, especially since it matches what seems to have happened in the Senate, where tea party candidates didn't do any better — and might even have done worse — than other Republicans. On the other hand, I think it's possible that this might miss what happened in the primaries, where tea party endorsements helped power conservative candidates to victory over more moderate ones. That doesn't show up in the general election results, but it's a real effect nonetheless."
Kevin Drum adds: "This seems pretty plausible, especially since it matches what seems to have happened in the Senate, where tea party candidates didn't do any better — and might even have done worse — than other Republicans. On the other hand, I think it's possible that this might miss what happened in the primaries, where tea party endorsements helped power conservative candidates to victory over more moderate ones. That doesn't show up in the general election results, but it's a real effect nonetheless."
News Corp. Is Now Carbon-Neutral, Murdoch Says
News Corp. Is Now Carbon-Neutral, Murdoch Says.
"The News Corporation, the media conglomerate and parent company of Fox News Channel, has gone carbon-neutral, fulfilling a goal set four years ago, Rupert Murdoch, the company’s chairman, announced this week in a company-wide memo."
"Mr. Murdoch added that improving the energy efficiency of the company’s day-to-day operations had not only curbed emissions but also “saved millions of dollars.” “Our efficiency projects pay for themselves in less than two years, on average, and span from simple solutions like lighting retrofits and automatic PC shut-down to systemic changes like installing telepresence and videoconferencing technology to reduce the need for air travel,” he wrote."
"The News Corporation, the media conglomerate and parent company of Fox News Channel, has gone carbon-neutral, fulfilling a goal set four years ago, Rupert Murdoch, the company’s chairman, announced this week in a company-wide memo."
"Mr. Murdoch added that improving the energy efficiency of the company’s day-to-day operations had not only curbed emissions but also “saved millions of dollars.” “Our efficiency projects pay for themselves in less than two years, on average, and span from simple solutions like lighting retrofits and automatic PC shut-down to systemic changes like installing telepresence and videoconferencing technology to reduce the need for air travel,” he wrote."
The Daily Show on Teachers
The Daily Show last night was very good at putting some of the arguments being used in Wisconsin (and other places) contradict some arguments used by the same people recently in other issues, like Wall Street. E.g., whining that teachers make too much with $50K average salaries and $35K benefits packages, while saying for Wall Streets $250K is close to poverty
And then he had Diane Ravitch on who wrote The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education
And then he had Diane Ravitch on who wrote The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education
Thursday, March 03, 2011
How the Shuttle Gets Attached to the External Tank and Solid Rocket Boosters?
How Does the Shuttle Orbiter Get Attached to the External Tank and Solid Rocket Boosters? "Ever wondered how the space shuttle orbiter gets attached to the big external tank and the solid rocket boosters? This video shows the process — called ‘Lift and Mate’ — where the shuttle Endeavour was put into a special harness, lifted high above the stacked ET and SRBs inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center, and lowered into place. The orbiter is then bolted to the ET and SRBs."
Allison Stanger on The Daily Show
Last night on The Daily Show, Allison Stanger was on to discuss her new book One Nation Under Contract: The Outsourcing of American Power and the Future of Foreign Policy. It was very good and serious enough that Stewart barely made jokes.
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
Sarah Palin's bizarre view of the First Amendment
Justin Elliott in Sarah Palin's bizarre view of the First Amendment based on a tweet of her's about today's Supreme Court ruling just proves (again) that she has no clue what the Constitution means.
The Hidden Reality
I went to a talk tonight at the Museum of Science, centering on the new book, The Hidden Reality "With Brian Greene, PhD, professor of physics and mathematics at Columbia University and bestselling author; in conversation with Amir D. Aczel, PhD, author of Fermat's Last Theorem and Present at the Creation."
It was interesting and entertaining and was filmed for C-SPANs Book TV. So if you're interested, you look for it to be scheduled (or setup a wishlist in your TiVo). A few people around me asked questions, so I might be in the frame.
It was interesting and entertaining and was filmed for C-SPANs Book TV. So if you're interested, you look for it to be scheduled (or setup a wishlist in your TiVo). A few people around me asked questions, so I might be in the frame.
iPad 2
So yeah, I plan on getting an iPad 2 as soon as I can. The new model looks nice. I'm a little disappointed that there isn't a retina display but the new A5 chip and much improved graphics performance makes me a bit happier that I waited. The cameras are good and the gyro is nice (I just like that it will be comparable to my iPhone). I expected thinner, but not quite this thin. The new magnetic cover looks slick too.
I think I'll probably get a 64GB model. I'm using about 15GB on my iPhone and really don't watch much video on it, but I think some extra space is a good idea here. I think I also want a cellular model. I'm more interested in the GPS (big maps and star charts) than the cellular data and the fact that there's no contract makes it appealing. The question is, do I get the AT&T or Verizon one? I have an AT&T iPhone and it's been ok for data but weak for phone calls. it probably makes sense to get the Verizon one to have some coverage where one might be weaker. iOS 4.3 adds a wifi hotspot capability to my iPhone so if there's AT&T coverage I could use it. Though I don't know what the added cost will be for that feature. I wonder if AT&T will offer a bundle discount? I doubt it.
There are rumors that the iPad 3 will come out "in a few months" for the holiday season and it will be a much bigger revision than this one was. I'm not sure I believe it. First off, it's only March 2nd. If it comes out Nov 1st, that to me seems more like a year from now than a few months. The big feature I'd expect is a retina display which would be great but not something I couldn't wait another rev for. Sure it will be thinner and lighter and faster, but that's always going to be the case with Apple. I'm sure iOS 5 will run on this one as will any mobileme cloud services improvements. Given the MacBook Air, I don't expect an iPad with an integrated keyboard. That covers most rumors. The only weakness I see with the current one is that it still loses the reading at the beach market to the Kindle.
I think I'll probably get a 64GB model. I'm using about 15GB on my iPhone and really don't watch much video on it, but I think some extra space is a good idea here. I think I also want a cellular model. I'm more interested in the GPS (big maps and star charts) than the cellular data and the fact that there's no contract makes it appealing. The question is, do I get the AT&T or Verizon one? I have an AT&T iPhone and it's been ok for data but weak for phone calls. it probably makes sense to get the Verizon one to have some coverage where one might be weaker. iOS 4.3 adds a wifi hotspot capability to my iPhone so if there's AT&T coverage I could use it. Though I don't know what the added cost will be for that feature. I wonder if AT&T will offer a bundle discount? I doubt it.
There are rumors that the iPad 3 will come out "in a few months" for the holiday season and it will be a much bigger revision than this one was. I'm not sure I believe it. First off, it's only March 2nd. If it comes out Nov 1st, that to me seems more like a year from now than a few months. The big feature I'd expect is a retina display which would be great but not something I couldn't wait another rev for. Sure it will be thinner and lighter and faster, but that's always going to be the case with Apple. I'm sure iOS 5 will run on this one as will any mobileme cloud services improvements. Given the MacBook Air, I don't expect an iPad with an integrated keyboard. That covers most rumors. The only weakness I see with the current one is that it still loses the reading at the beach market to the Kindle.
SCOTUS: Snyder v. Phelps
The Supreme Court rules today in Snyder v. Phelps. The Westboro Baptist Church can picket at military funerals. The ruling was 8-1 and Roberts wrote the opinion. He ended his decision with:
"Westboro believes that America is morally flawed; many Americans might feel the same about Westboro. Westboro’s funeral picketing is certainly hurtful and its contribution to public discourse may be negligible. But Westboro addressed matters of public import on public property, in a peaceful manner, in full compliance with the guidance of local officials. The speech was indeed planned to coincide with Matthew Snyder’s funeral, but did not itself disrupt that funeral, and Westboro’s choice to con- duct its picketing at that time and place did not alter the nature of its speech.
Speech is powerful. It can stir people to action, move them to tears of both joy and sorrow, and—as it did here— inflict great pain. On the facts before us, we cannot react to that pain by punishing the speaker. As a Nation we have chosen a different course—to protect even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate. That choice requires that we shield Westboro from tort liability for its picketing in this case."
Alito was the dissenting justice. He picks apart at a few details. Snyder was not a public figure, the church has other ways of expressing itself, and some of the signs could reasonably be interpreted as being directed directly at the deceased. From a Hustler v Falwell case there is a tort for "intentional infliction of emotional distress" but it has a very high burden to meet though it can be met by speech alone. Still he says the defendants didn't deny doing so (though they didn't say they did).
I also liked this logic: "But in any event, I fail to see why actionable speech should be immunized simply because it is interspersed with speech that is protected." But I'm not sure about this idea: "funerals are unique events at which special protection against emotional assaults is in order." This doesn't sum up everything he said very well, but it's the best short quote I could find:
"Allowing family members to have a few hours of peace without harassment does not undermine public debate. I would therefore hold that, in this setting, the First Amendment permits a private figure to recover for the intentional infliction of emotional distress caused by speech on a matter of private concern."
So the court says the first amendment protects the church's public protests at funerals. I think it also protects my speech: "fuck the Westboro Baptist Church".
"Westboro believes that America is morally flawed; many Americans might feel the same about Westboro. Westboro’s funeral picketing is certainly hurtful and its contribution to public discourse may be negligible. But Westboro addressed matters of public import on public property, in a peaceful manner, in full compliance with the guidance of local officials. The speech was indeed planned to coincide with Matthew Snyder’s funeral, but did not itself disrupt that funeral, and Westboro’s choice to con- duct its picketing at that time and place did not alter the nature of its speech.
Speech is powerful. It can stir people to action, move them to tears of both joy and sorrow, and—as it did here— inflict great pain. On the facts before us, we cannot react to that pain by punishing the speaker. As a Nation we have chosen a different course—to protect even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate. That choice requires that we shield Westboro from tort liability for its picketing in this case."
Alito was the dissenting justice. He picks apart at a few details. Snyder was not a public figure, the church has other ways of expressing itself, and some of the signs could reasonably be interpreted as being directed directly at the deceased. From a Hustler v Falwell case there is a tort for "intentional infliction of emotional distress" but it has a very high burden to meet though it can be met by speech alone. Still he says the defendants didn't deny doing so (though they didn't say they did).
I also liked this logic: "But in any event, I fail to see why actionable speech should be immunized simply because it is interspersed with speech that is protected." But I'm not sure about this idea: "funerals are unique events at which special protection against emotional assaults is in order." This doesn't sum up everything he said very well, but it's the best short quote I could find:
"Allowing family members to have a few hours of peace without harassment does not undermine public debate. I would therefore hold that, in this setting, the First Amendment permits a private figure to recover for the intentional infliction of emotional distress caused by speech on a matter of private concern."
So the court says the first amendment protects the church's public protests at funerals. I think it also protects my speech: "fuck the Westboro Baptist Church".
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
Charlie Sheen Quotes As New Yorker Cartoons
With all the stuff going on, I don't know why the media is concentrating on Charlie Sheen. Seem ridiculous to me. But this is pretty funny, nCharlie Sheen Quotes As New Yorker Cartoons.
Update: actually, they might be more fun attached to Family Circus strips.
Update: actually, they might be more fun attached to Family Circus strips.
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