Republicans Prevent Women From Testifying at House Contraception Hearing

Think Progress reports Democratic Women Boycott House Contraception Hearing After Republicans Prevent Women From Testifying

"Ranking committee member Elijah Cummings (D-MD) had asked Issa to include a female witness at the hearing, but the Chairman refused, arguing that ‘As the hearing is not about reproductive rights and contraception but instead about the Administration’s actions as they relate to freedom of religion and conscience, he believes that Ms. Fluke is not an appropriate witness.’

And so Cummings, along with the Democratic women on the panel, took their request to the hearing room, demanding that Issa consider the testimony of a female college student. But the California congressman insisted that the hearing should focus on the rules’ alleged infringement on ‘religious liberty,’ not contraception coverage, and denied the request. Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) walked out of the hearing in protest of his decision, citing frustration over the fact that the first panel of witnesses consisted only of male religious leaders against the rule. Holmes Norton said she will not return, calling Issa’s chairmanship an ‘autocratic regime.’"

This doesn't have to do with women? I think the underlying issue is solely about women. I doubt they're talking about health insurance covering condoms. And I assume that health insurance covers vasectomies. So we're really talking about birth control pills, which only women take. But ok, suppose it really is about religion, are there no women with opinions about religion and health insurance?

Republicans do know that women vote, right? Or do they want to repeal the 19th Amendment too?

Movie Review: Transformers: Dark of the Moon

After how bad Transformers 2 was, I thought I'd never watch another Transformers film, even if it did get Oscar nominations. So Transformers 3 came out, and I didn't see it. I heard it was better than part 2 and I still didn't see it. It got three Oscar nominations and by seeing it (via Netflix so Bay got no money from me) I've now seen all films nominated in 18 categories, that's all but 6 categories. Still it was bad.

I remember when Stallone's awful Cobra came out in 1986, that even the running time was designed to make the film profitable. At just under 90 minutes, theaters could fit an extra showing in an evening. Someone has to teach this to Michael Bay. There is no reason for Transformers 3 to be 154 minutes long.

And in a film about giant robots that change into vehicles, is there a reason that the main human character, is an obnoxious asshole in every scene? No wonder Sam Witwicky can't get a job. Though I guess it makes sense since every character in this film is an obnoxious asshole.

Part of the plot involves transporting a planet next to earth. It makes it halfway here. Apparently Michael Bay has never heard of gravity, because it seems to have no effect on the earth at all.

But I think most offensive part is that one of the evil robots is voiced by Leonard Nimoy and several times he quotes Spock from Star Trek II The Wraith of Khan.

After doing a great FAQ for Transformers 2, Rob Bricken did an FAQ for Transformers 3. It's a riot. Go read the whole thing or don't. This is my favorite answer:

Q: What's notable about that? [it doesn't matter what]
A: Well, two things: 1) When Shia learns of this, he frets that the Autobots have no way of leaving the planet, ignoring the fact that they took a spaceship to the moon half an hour earlier. 2) The Autobots actually get on a totally different spaceship anyways, which the government has tried to disguise by attaching it to a space shuttle, which makes it look like a space shuttle glued to the side of a giant and very obvious alien spaceship. Of course, when it takes off, a single Decepticon plane blows it up with ease.

Kellogg Buys Pringles For $2.7 Billion?

Kellogg Hoping Once It Pops, The Fun Won’t Stop - Deal Journal - WSJ "Kellogg has swooped in to scoop up Pringles from Procter & Gamble today for $2.7 billion in cash after Diamond Food’s deal cracked amid its accounting trouble."

Really? $2.7 billion? For Pringles? Apparently even a decade ago, Pringles was one of only 43 brands with a billion dollar global presence. "There were three snack foods that registered over a billion dollars in global sales (Doritos, Lay's and Pringles)."

Deutsche Bank said about the Kellogg's deal, “Based on our estimates Snacks will now represent 46% of total sales incl. Pringles, vs. the previous 40% figure. This is important as almost all cultures embrace snacks while few globally embrace cereal.“

None of this makes any sense to me.

I Don't Care About iPad 3 Rumors

I wish Reeder could filter out all articles with "iPad 3" or other phrases. The iPad and Macs will ship when they ship with whatever features they have. I don't want to participate in all the speculation. Maybe it's because I have a product in each of Apple's lines that I don't care too much.

Previous studies of rumors have shown them to be remarkably wrong. Here's an example of the latest from Cult of Mac, Apple Orders 65 Million Retina Displays For iPad 3 [Report] "Apple has reportedly ordered a whopping 65 million high-resolution 264 ppi Retina Displays from Samsung and LG Display for its upcoming iPad 3...The third-generation device, which is also expected to feature a quad-core A6 processor and maybe even LTE connectivity, is expected to get its unveiling during the first week of March, with a launch in the U.S. one week later."

Now I suppose that's possible, but the device will need a lot of memory to support that screen and bumping up the screen, CPU and radio will be a big power level increase. Either Apple found a new battery tech, made it much larger, or the device gets much less battery life. I think battery life is one of the iPad's best features and it's usually under appreciated in reviews. It easily lasts all day with heavy use and all weekend with lighter use. Long enough that you don't have to think about it, which is what's magical about Apple products.

Pluto and Persephone by Bernini

kottke pointed to Stable Transit - Pluto and Persephone... "By far, my favorite piece of almost all Italian art by my favorite Italian artist, Bernini. And to think, this was done with marble, 400 years ago, by a man of only 23 years."

What's in a Billion?

I saw something like this on Facebook and decided to check it with Wolfram Alpha and Wikipedia. These are I believe correct as of today.

A billion seconds ago it was June 7, 1980.
A billion minutes ago was Oct 19, 110AD.
A billion hours ago was 114,155 years ago, the Pleistoncene, the middle stone age.
A billion days ago was 2.74 million years, the Pliocene, there were hominids but not Homo anything, we have found stone tools that are 2.6 million years old.
US Federal Government expenditures are $3.712 trillion/year which is $423.7 billion/hour or $1 billion in 2.36 hours.
US GDP generates $1 billion in 36 minutes.

Occupy the SEC

Occupy the SEC "Occupy the SEC has submitted a 325 page letter to the SEC, FDIC, the Federal Reserve and the OCC, to comment on the notice of proposed rulemaking for the Volcker Rule. In our comment letter, we answered 244 out of 395 questions asked by the Agencies. "

No, NYT, there’s been no expansion of government benefits, no ‘entitlement society’

Lawrence Mishel writes No, NYT, there’s been no expansion of government benefits, no ‘entitlement society’ "So, there’s no evidence to show we’re becoming an ‘entitlement society,’ just that we’re low on revenues and the economy remains depressed. The citation of the safety net going from 37 percent to 66 percent (of revenues) has nothing to do with permanently expanding program eligibility or higher benefits, but much to do with cyclical factors and revenue erosion."

Always Worth Checking Your Bills

I was about to pay my AT&T Wireless bill and I noticed it was a little high. I couldn't drill down into all the sections in the web site version of the bill but there was a "Paper Bill" link that brought up a full bill. I noticed this:



You can rest assured I have never ordered "Fun SMS Alerts" for anything. I called AT&T about it. I talked to Bonnie who I'm sorry to say had to recite all these long helpful sounding but useless sentences to me but I know it's not her fault and she was indeed helpful. She looked up those codes, 96953 which said "Entertainment" and 20176 which said it was 3 fun messages a month. I explained that doesn't really mean anything and that I didn't subscribe to these from my phone.

I checked my SMS messages and I have gotten some spam messages. I still forward them to 7726 as AT&T instructed me. I'm not sure it's done much. I also now occasionally reply "STOP" or "NO" as instructed. I've heard it's supposed to work and be legit now, but I haven't seen it have any real effect. I didn't see any sms conversations (I never delete them) that applied around Jan 22nd.

This is the first time I've been billed for such bullshit. Notice in the bill under "Content Provider" it says "Cobalt Capital Group LLC" and http://notapplicable.com/. Obviously the URL is useless. Google shows some similar named REIT and other investment companies, but then I found, this and this and I think I'm tired of tracking it down. I mentioned to Bonnie that it should be illegal for the listed Content Provider to be useless forgeries but she just skipped by that comment.

Supposedly in the next 4 hours my account will be credited for $9.99 and I have been unsubscribed from these Fun SMS Alerts.

So check your bills.

How Scalia Helped Obama Defend The Birth Control Rule

TPM explains How Scalia Helped Obama Defend The Birth Control Rule "‘One thing I think is crystal clear — there is no First Amendment violation by this law,’ Adam Winkler, a constitutional law professor at UCLA, told TPM. ‘The Supreme Court was very clear in a case called Employment Division v. Smith, written by none other than Antonin Scalia, that religious believers and institutions are not entitled to an exemption from generally applicable laws.’"

But there's also:

"The 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act said any law that burdens religious freedom must satisfy strict scrutiny. The Supreme Court later said it cannot apply to states (which is why the 28 states that already have the birth control rule the White House wants to take nationwide are in the clear), but held that those requirements shall apply to federal laws. First, the law may not be a “substantial burden” and can only be an “incidental burden” on religious practices; second, it must be justified by “compelling government interest”; third, it must be narrowly tailored to pursue that interest. And it’s an open question whether the birth control requirement passes that level of scrutiny, Winkler said, arguing that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act is opponents’ best hope to reverse the rule through the courts. “I could see arguments go both ways,” he said."

‘Modernist Cuisine’ Adapted to Home Entertaining

Melissa Clark wrote in the New York Times last month, ‘Modernist Cuisine’ Adapted to Home Entertaining "So I issued Mr. Myhrvold a challenge. Which of his modernist dishes could I whip up for a dinner party without having to buy any new equipment or bizarre ingredients (like low-acyl gellan and sodium tripolyphosphate, which are sprinkled throughout the book’s recipes like so much salt and pepper). Mr. Myhrvold would teach me the dishes, then I would recreate them for my guinea pigs — I mean, party guests."

The Only Chart You Need To Mix A Proper Cocktail

The Only Chart You Need To Mix A Proper Cocktail "Pop Chart Lab takes you behind the scenes of creating its newest infographic, A massive chart showing 200 cocktails--including what's in them and what the proportions should be. It wasn't easy."

I'm not sure I like the end result, but the process is pretty interesting.

The Euro Crisis Infographic

The Institute of International and European Affairs created The Euro Crisis Infographic "The IIEA is pleased to announce the publication of our latest infographic. The European Union's Response to the Euro Crisis details all of the EU's main policy responses to Europe's interlinked financial, economic and sovereign debt crisis and presents some further options that are under consideration. "

I find it doesn't have a good reading path and it didn't help me understand things much. Maybe someone will have a better experience.

New iPad App Helps Clinicians Visualize Internal Body Parts

The Atlantic wrote New iPad App Helps Clinicians Visualize Internal Body Parts "The German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg has developed an augmented reality iPad app, called 'MITK pille,' that helps clinicians visualize internal body parts of patients while working on them. See for yourself in this great little video:"



If only there was some way they could find so that someone didn't have to hold it. Maybe, I don't know, a stand of some kind?

Schneier on Security: British Tourists Arrested in the U.S. for Tweeting

Schneier on Security: British Tourists Arrested in the U.S. for Tweeting "There just as to be more than this story. The DHS isn't monitoring the Tweets of random British tourists -- they just can't be."

He posted a bunch of updates, ending with, "EDITED TO ADD (1/30): New reports are saying that customs was tipped off about the two people, and their detention was not a result of data mining:"

With iPad, You No Longer Have To Learn Board Game Rules

With iPad, You No Longer Have To Learn Board Game Rules

"Ticket To Ride is a $50 board game that has sold 1.85 million copies — a huge blockbuster by board game standards. It’s a simple game, but the biggest hurdle faced by board game publishers is getting people to learn the rules.

Last year, his company released iPhone and iPad versions of Ticket To Ride. The iPad version takes care of the mechanics of the game — whose turn it is, score keeping, and following the rules.

To his surprise, the digital versions of the game drove sales of the physical board game. “People buy the board game because they know the rules,” he said. The company saw an uptick in sales after release of both the iPhone and iPad versions."

I learned Settlers of Catan only a couple of years ago, but I've been playing the iPad version a lot and this makes a lot of sense to me.

What Massage Really Does to Your Muscles

The Wall Street Journal wrote What Massage Really Does to Your Muscles "Researchers analyzed the samples from the different legs to see what was going on after the massage. They found two major changes: reduced signs of inflammation, and an increase in production of mitochondria, the cell’s energy factories...The study didn’t turn up any signs that massage flushes out lactic acid from the muscle, he says."

How Romney Would Tax Us

David Cay Johnston explains How Romney would tax us "Romney would make the Bush tax cuts permanent. But that’s only a first step. He would also raise taxes on poor families with children at home and those going to college. Romney does this by reducing benefits from the child tax credit and the earned income tax credit and by ending the American Opportunity tax credit for college education."

There are more details in the article.

Rick Santorum Tells Sick Kid Market Should Set Drug Prices

ABC reports Rick Santorum Tells Sick Kid Market Should Set Drug Prices.

"GOP contender Rick Santorum had a heated exchange with a mother and her sick young son Wednesday, arguing that drug companies were entitled to charge whatever the market demanded for life-saving therapies.

‘People have no problem paying $900 for an iPad,’ Santorum said, ‘but paying $900 for a  drug they have a problem with — it keeps you alive. Why? Because you’ve been conditioned to think health care is something you can get without having to pay for it.’

The mother said the boy was on the drug Abilify, used to treat schizophrenia, and that, on paper, its costs would exceed $1 million each year."

It's a perfect example why healthcare isn't a free market economy. It's the same reason you don't comparative shop for an emergency room after a car accident.

Chinese Lantern Festival 2012

In Focus shows the Chinese Lantern Festival 2012 "The Chinese Lantern Festival takes place on the 15th day of the Lunar New Year. As they mark the end of the Spring Festival, celebrants create colorful lanterns, set off fireworks, and hold parades. In one village, residents hurl molten metal against a wall to create an impressive display of sparks in a 300-year-old tradition. Gathered below are some vibrant images from this year's Chinese Lantern Festival. [29 photos]"

You Will Never Kill Piracy, and Piracy Will Never Kill You

Forbes has an article, You Will Never Kill Piracy, and Piracy Will Never Kill You. "Right now, the industry is still stuck in the past, and is crawling oh-so-slowly into the future. They still believe people are going to want to buy DVDs or Blu-rays in five years, and that a movie ticket is well worth $15. Netflix is the closest thing they have to an advocate, but the studios are trying to drive them out of business as they see them as a threat, not a solution. It’s mind boggling."

Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal makes another point.

Romney’s Even Bigger Problem

Romney’s Even Bigger Problem | Talking Points Memo "So let’s look at the numbers. For some time, President Obama has been running just a hair’s breadth ahead of Romney. But starting a little more than a week ago the two started separating and the current TPM Poll Average has President Obama with an almost 7 point lead over Romney, in other words a real lead."

It then shows some graphs. My view is it's still 9 months before the election so lots can happen but this is interesting. Romney's never been particularly liked so at some point he was bound to either gain a lot or lose a lot. The latter always seemed more likely but the other candidates still all seem worse.

Deep Freeze Spreads Across Europe

In Focus shows the Deep Freeze Spreads Across Europe "The frigid weather that plagued Eastern Europe much of last week spread westward over the weekend, grounding flights, snarling traffic, and causing hundreds of deaths. While the subzero temperatures and heavy snowfalls have brought hardship, residents of some areas were able to take advantage of the conditions for skating, sledding, kite surfing, and other winter pastimes. Meteorologists warn that more blizzards may be hitting the region, and state officials, shelters, and aid organizations are preparing to help even more people in need. Gathered here are images of frozen Europe from the past several days. [40 photos]"

Hypocrisy Demonstration

Normally the correspondent reports are my least favorite part of The Daily Show, but I think Aasif Mandvi nailed it last night with Florida State Representative Scott Plakon (R), particularly at about the 4 minute mark.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
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Movie Reviews

The Train - I stumbled on this 1964 action film from John Frankenheimer starring Burt Lancaster. I hadn't heard of it before and it's great. Apparently the last big action film made in black and white but it's great because it's real. The plot is about Germans in WWII trying to plunder French art. A German colonel (Paul Schofield) has arrange a train to bring it to Germany and the resistance (led by Lancaster) is trying to stop the train. While it's based on some reality, the resistance just used red tape and there was no train in real life. But for the film, Frankenheimer used real trains, crashed real trains and even arranged to blow up a real train depot. And Lancaster did his own stunts, sliding down ladders and running onto moving trains and falling down hills. Great stuff and some interesting overtones (how many lives is art worth?). Really liked this film.

Haywire - Steven Soderbergh saw real life MMA start Gina Carano and made an action film around her, and it's a good one. She's an agent on the run with various stars (Channing Tatum, Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender, Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas) trying to kill her. The plot is a big convoluted but it works and given the way it's told you have to concentrate a bit. But the action sequences are down to earth and very good and since she's doing her own stunts, instead of hundreds of shaky cam quick cuts, there are long steady takes. Very nice.

A Better Life - Demián Bichir got a surprise Best Actor nomination for this film I'd never heard of. It's available on DVD from Netflix and is kind of a reimagining of The Bicycle Thief. Bichir is an illegal immigrant gardener in LA with a teenage son that's being tempted by gang life. It's very well done and while Fassbender and Shannon were more deserving of the nomination, Bichir was very good.

Albert Nobbs - Glenn Close is a woman in 19th century Ireland working as a male waiter in a small hotel. She dreams of opening a shop and her fear of being found out has left her very very repressed. Close was good but she's well known enough I still always thought I was watching Glenn Close and not the character. Fortunately the other characters are strong enough and enough happens to keep it interesting. It's not a feel good movie and it didn't quite come together for me. Maybe because the situation felt contrived enough that I found it less relatable than Shame or Take Shelter.

The Iron Lady - Here's a great idea, let's make a bio pic about Britain's first female and one of the longest serving and most controversial prime ministers. And lets get Meryl Streep to play her! Oh and here's a great idea, lets spend 80% of the film on her Alzheimer stage. And the other 20%, lets do montages of political events and make as many of them dream sequences as possible! Let's refer to every other character by their first name only, if even that much! Let's even throw in an ironic line of her complaining about how people today care only about feelings and not actual thoughts. This film could have been about any senile woman who merely thought she was prime minister. I thought about walking out and figured it had to get better and it didn't. Streep was good, she always is, even given the material, but it's not worth it.

Arthur - I caught this Russell Brand remake on cable. Helen Mirren is good but Brand is just ok. He ends up not being likable enough, so it's just kind of annoying.