A Russian Diary, by Anna Politkovskaya, R.I.P.

Here's a short review of "A Russian Diary," by Anna Politkovskaya, one of 13 journalists who have been killed in Russian since Putin came to power. It sounds like a harrowing account of what it's like under Putin, and will be on my list of books to read.

Bush to Hold Another Worthless "Peace" Conference

This story requires so much suspension of disbelieve that it could be a Stephen King novel:

1. Bush has announced another in a long line of failed, worthless, counterproductive conferences between Israel (the only legitimate player), the Palestinian Authority (who's proven it corrupt nature), and "their Arab neighbors" (who don't want to solve the issue, because it gives them something to hold against Israel and the West).

2. He's also promised $190 million in "aid" to the Fatah government, who are essentially elected terrorists.

3. One of the goals of the conference will be to "review progress in building democratic institutions." I would expect this session to last, oh, about five minutes.

I pity Israel, I really do. After studying the history of the region, I find it a miracle (and, I'm an atheist) that the poor little country still exists. I know, I know, they receive plenty of aid from the US themselves, and I'm sure that helps. But as far as moral support: ours is a double-edged sword, in that we support their right to exist, but not their right to fully secure their existence.

What Happens After Just Now Being Considered

I'm really quite amazed at a quote in this MSNBC.com story about Iraq:

"Increasingly, the Washington debate over when U.S. forces should leave is centering on what would happen once they do."

That's really quite remarkable. If the debate is only now starting to center on what happens if we leave, then what was the debate about before?

A Quiet Hero

Here's the story of Shannen Rossmiller, a woman from Montana who's spent considerable time and energy using the Internet to dig up information on terrorists and the radical Islamic movement. She did some good (read the link, it's inspiring), and is now under permanent security after she was required to testify in court in the bust of an American serviceman who was selling military secrets.

I call her a hero.

Digg Report: Today's #1 Digg, at 6261 Diggs, is a request for Diggsters not to reveal Harry Potter spoilers. It's a reasonable request.

Non-Air War in Iraq

Some interesting statistics about the air war in Iraq. Or, as it would seem, the lack of one. Iraq is so unlike previous American wars in how it's being conducted that it doesn't seem like the same country fighting it.

Boing Boing - Yet Another Way To Avoid Prosecution

My golly, but Boing Boing just loves to show how to avoid criminal prosecution. This time, it's how to escape from plastic handcuffs.

How. to. escape. from. plastic. handcuffs. Because there are so many instances where perfectly law-abiding citizens might need to know such a trick.

Citizen Journalism?

If "citizen journalism" is anything like Digg and YouTube, I think we're in for a very huge disappointment.

Google Wants to Listen to Your Home

Speaking of privacy, it looks like Google wants to violate it as much as government, only not for quite the same reasons. And actually, comparatively speaking, this idea of listening to my surroundings as I use my computer and using that to direct ads and such seems far more damning than anything I've seen government want to do.

So far, I haven't seen any government proposals for placing microphones and video cameras in all of our homes. But, then again, I'm sure Google will make it an opt-in service, and easy to shut off. In which case, I see no problem with it.

Tiny Yellow Dots Create Privacy Firestorm

There's a new brouhaha over the embedding of yellow dots in prints by certain color printers. It's not a new thing--having worked in the printer industry for a few years, I can say that this has been going on for some time, ever since color printing technology advanced to the point where it was possible to print passable currency. In a similar vein, some color copiers (particularly high-end units) will shut down if a user attempts to copy currency.

Personally, I don't see this as any sort of real privacy violation (which, along with the right to steal intellectual property, seems to be the only thing some people really care about). In spite of people's hatred of Bush, and the rampant conspiracy theories that surround him, I don't really believe that the checks and balances that have kept us relatively secure from oppression have entirely disappeared.

I see this as a viable method to provide evidence of wrongdoing, where technology has passed by other forms of evidence. Once, pages typed with old-style typewriters could be traced by the minute differences in how a given typewriter made each keystroke. Hasn't anyone ever watched a suspense movie where the ransom note was made from newspaper clippings? With laser and inkjet printing, that method of investigation is no longer available.

Finally, there are a thousand ways for government to trace you. While I don't trust my government completely, or in some ways at all, I don't really believe that it's out to get me.

And about the Secret Service visiting the guy who called his printer company to ask how to turn off the dots? Doesn't that sound like the Secret Service was just doing its job?

AllofMP3.com Wins Case Against Visa - ?

It's odd that the folks behind the Internet download site AllofMP3.com, which was recently shut down by the Russian government as a prerequisite for joining the WTO, has just won a judgement against Visa for the latter's refusing to do business with the illegal site. And, it means that Visa will now have to do business with the new site by the previous owners of AllofMP3.com, even though it follows the same business model (as far as I can see) and so is just as illegal.

Government Data Mining: Checks and Balances?

I'm all for our law enforcement and military agencies having all the tools they need to protect us from criminals and foreign threats. Data mining is one such tool, and ultimately I don't find it any different than any other form of investigation. It's just faster.

But, there do need to be the same checks and balances in place to make sure that any information that's mined is used for appropriate purposes. And frankly, I don't know if these checks and balances are in place. This story doesn't say.

Probably worth some investigation.

Digg Report: Today's #1 Digg, at a surprising 3947 Diggs (surprising both for a weekend and for such an insipid topic), is about a Japanese pool with a TRICK!

Yegads, but sometimes I fear for the future.

N. Korea Shuts Down Reactor - For Now

What's shut down can be easily started up again. North Korea gets what it wants, as in the past, and when that runs out... I give it six months, and we'll be right back where we started.

Ellison: Bush = Hitler

Little Green Footballs has a bit on Congressman Keith Ellison, who essentially compares Bush to Hitler. He backtracks a bit, but just a bit.

It's a bit outrageous, and I haven't said it in awhile: I hate politics.

Bush Not Considering a Withdrawal?

It looks like earlier speculation that Bush might be considering withdrawing from Iraq may have been unfounded. I certainly hope so. Until we've accomplished something--anything--meaningful, and until the Iraqi government (and it better be a pro-American government) has some control over things, I don't think we can leave.

And, I should add, I don't think we should really ever leave. I think we need to build bases in Iraq, just as we do in Europe.

Finally, I should also point out: I consider Iraq a miserable failure and the wrong target in the first place. Our handling of the war--as a "liberation" as opposed to defeating an enemy state--has been appalling and has unecessarily sacrificed American lives. But again, at this point, the victory to our enemies would be so great were we to withdraw now that doing so is impossible. My first paragraph in this post shouldn't be taken to mean that I'm a supporter of the war in Iraq.

Congress Approval Ratings Lower than Bush's

Speaking of surveys, I find it fascinating (and just a bit hilarious) that Congress has a lower approval rating than Bush. I think people simply believe our government's incompetent (and, corrupt?) pretty much across the board.

Newsflash: Mainstream Media has Left-wing Bias

I've often commented on the Leftist leanings of the mainstream media, and a recent Rasmussen Report survey seems to bear this out. The money quote:

"By a 39% to 20% margin, American adults believe that the three major broadcast networks deliver news with a bias in favor of liberals. A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that just 25% believe that ABC, CBS, and NBC deliver the news without any bias."

Pretty damning stuff. And, it's not the first such report I remember reading about.

Iranian Rockets Aimed at American Forces

Iran continues to supply arms to Iraqi terrorists with impunity. Our continued evasion of this proxy war is likely the principle cause of our failure to secure Iraq and achieve some sort of rational objective.

As long as we continue to let Iran wage war against us without response, we're lost.

Boing Boing: How to Violate Your Agreement with Microsoft

Once again, Boing Boing publishes a means for breaking the law, i.e., for removing the DRM from music clearly sold under the agreement that the DRM woul remain in place. Boing Boing simply has no compunctions about helping people break the law.

And on a simliar note, please everybody: Fair Use does not allow the copying of CDs and DVDs. It doesn't allow for the ripping of songs from CDs, or of video from DVDs. In fact, Fair Use has absolutely nothing to do with such things. Rather, it only allows for snippets of works to be used for such purposes as scholarly research. So, where Boing Boing says "To actualize fair use rights with the new IBX...," they're misusing such a basic aspect of intellectual property right law as to make them appear completely ignorant. Which they might be.

Healthcare is Not a Right

This is a bit of a read, but it's well worth it. The concept of healthcare as a "right" is a complete subversion of the very concept of "rights," and is central to discussions about national healthcare. This essay, written in 1993 by Leonard Peikoff of the Ayn Rand Institute and recently updated by Lin Zinzer, tackles the issue head-on.

If you care about healthcare, and about maintaining the uniquely American concept of rights, then take a few minutes and read this piece.

Russia Withdraws from European Treaty

Russia has withdrawn from the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE), meaning its now free to place as many tanks, troops, and other military equipment in the European theatre as it pleases. According to the Kremlin, the action was taken due to "extraordinary circumstances ... which affect the security of the Russian Federation and require immediate measures."

They've threatened this for quite some time now, always because of the European missile shield. Of course, they've also made all sorts of contradictory statements about accepting the shield, participating in it, and even providing the principal radar installations. And so, one wonders what "extraordinary circumstances...require immediate measures."

Things continue to get interesting. It's like the Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times." I'm afraid we do.

Farfour the Martyr Replaced by Nahoul the Bee

The religion of peace continues its indoctrination of children in "Islam, heroism, martyrdom, and the mujahadeen," a juxtaposition of messages that ties religion directly to violence. Farfour, the Mickey Mouse-like character who was martyred at the end of the season by an Israeli soldier, has been replaced by "Nahoul the Bee," who "vowed to continue in Farfour's path." There's a clip at the link.

Entire generations are being raised to hate the Jew and the West, and to prepare themselves for "martyrdom." A quote from Nahoul:

"I want to be in every episode with you on the Pioneers of Tomorrow show, just like Farfour. I want to continue in the path of Farfour – the path of Islam, of heroism, of martyrdom, and of the mujahideen. Me and my friends will follow in the footsteps of Farfour. We will take revenge upon the enemies of Allah, the killer of the prophets and of the innocent children, until we liberate Al-Aqsa from their impurity. We place our trust in Allah."

In case there's any doubt, that means destroying Israel and taking revenge against the Jews. Welcome, Nahoul!

Digg Report: Today's #1 Digg, at a light 2789 Diggs, is about the "Princess Bride" stars 20 years later. Imagine--they aged!

Kucinich Lukewarm in Opposition to Iran

It seems that Kucinich is not in favor of opposing Iran, at least, not strongly. In this story, he was one of only two Congressmen who didn't vote for a resolution denouncing Iran's President Imajihadi (or whatever his name is).

I think that, alone, should disqualify him as President of the United States. Anyone who doesn't see Iran and Imajihadi (or whatever his name is) as a threat is either horribly naive or just plain ignorant. Or both.

Update: First, the other "nay" vote was none other than Ron Paul. And second, Kucinich actually tried to have written into the record "alternate translations" of Imajihadi's (or whatever his name is) actual statements. Even though there have been hundreds of such statements, not just one, and they've been shown on numerous occasions to mean exactly: Israel should be and will be wiped out. Soon. By Islam. And best if it's by Iranian nukes. Allah willing, of course.

Yaron Brook on Israel and the West's Response to Radical Islam

Here's a fascinating story on Israel and the West's approach to radical Islam, all from a decidedly Objectivist viewpoint. It's definitely worth a careful reading.

Some choice bits:

"You don't fight a tactic," (Brook) said in his talk. "Terrorism is a tactic, and I believe we have to look at the ideological source of terrorism in order to identify the true enemy."

"We don't have the guts, the courage, the self-esteem to even identify who the enemy is. We couch it in terms of terrorists who happen to be Muslims who are 'hijacking a great religion.' We're afraid to say 'Islamic anything': Islamic fascism, totalitarianism, whatever you want to call it." The fear stems, he said, from the academic trend of multiculturalism, in which all cultures are morally equal, and moral relativism, in which "anything goes" in human behavior.

Much more good stuff in there.

Russia's Hatred of the West

An interesting take on Russian attitudes towards the West. From the Moscow Times, showing that absolute censorship apparently doesn't yet exist in Russia. Which has to be counted as a good thing, for as long as it lasts. Of course, journalists negative toward Putin have been known to be murdered.

The Right, as Seen from the Left

Here's a fascinating story by a Leftist journalist who joined a Republican cruise and provides his version of the abounding rhetoric. It's fascinating both for some of the truly crazy things some of the more right-wing cruisers really do say, and for some of the perfectly rational things that are said and assumed crazy by the story's writer.

One of the more interesting, and valid statements, by Bernard Lewis:

"The election in the US is being seen by [the bin Ladenists] as a victory on a par with the collapse of the Soviet Union. We should be prepared for whatever comes next."

I couldn't agree more with this statement. And perhaps more than anything else in this story, it highlights a fundamental difference between the Left and the Right on the issue of radical Islam.

Digg Report: Today's #1 Digg, at a healthy 5741 Diggs, is a story about a teacher who teaches a student a lesson. Thus, demonstrating that Digg continues to, well, not evolve.

Putin: Consolidating Power?

It looks like Putin's making some serious preparations for his "leaving office." Either he won't, or it won't really matter because whomever is put in power will have Putin's hand so far... Well, you get the picture.

Putin Getting Worse, Not Better

This is one of the harsher stories I've read about Putin, and you should read it, too. If one were to list the current bad guys, Putin would have to be near the top of the list. One should never forget that what seperates the US and Russian from the rest of the world is that our nuclear weapons number in the thousands, not the hundreds or tens. We don't need a new Cold War (and certainly not a hot one), but Putin seems to be leading us in that direction.

Iraqi Military Making Progress, Politics Not So Much

Cox and Forkum illustrate brilliantly the distinct difference between our military and political handling of the Iraqi war. In spite of having their hands tied behind their backs, constantly shifting priorities and objectives, a splintered, insane strategy, and a lack of proper equipment in many cases, our military is doing an exemplary job of both fighting and training the Iraqi army.

Politics, on the other hand, remains the weak point. And as Cox and Forkum as, whose leaders are the biggest problem, ours or the Iraqi's? (Hint: both).

Digg Report: Today's #1 Digg, at 3449 Diggs, is a link to a pro-marijuana legalization site. I'm all for the legalization of drugs, finding drug use itself an activity that government has no business policing. Making the buying and selling of drugs has also created a hardened criminal culture, and I believe that some large percentage of those incarcerated were convicted of drug-related crimes.

So, except for the part about taxation (I hate when people bring up the tax value of something, since our tax system is so corrupt already), here's a Digged story in which I actually find a modicum of value.

New Commodore PCs

I know the connection's primarily just in the name, but it still gives a thrill that a company named Commodore is releasing a series of PCs.

China Silences Supporters

China's so repressive, it silences its supporters.

Breaking News: President Asks Employee to be Political

Surprise, surprise. A member of a President's administration is directed on how to do his job. For political ends, no less!

And, of course Bush is the first US President to ever engage in such efforts to guide public policy for political purposes. This story doesn't seem to say that, specifically, but I think the overwhelming number of such stories implies it.

Once Again, a Weakness is Publicized

Given the massive bureaucracy of the US military, security breaches are not surprising. They're still of concern, of course, as are their publication. I scanned the linked story and didn't find the actual URL, which is better, but I still believe that some things are better left unpublicized. People who may not have thought to look for such things are given ideas, and this story does provide some brief instructions on how to find information via FTP rather than HTTP (although, granted, this is relatively common knowledge).

Somehow, I just don't see our enemies publicizing their particular weaknesses via the newswires.

Earliest Stars Glimpsed

I don't pretend to understand how the Universe was formed, with all the attendant questions that tend to give me the willies. This story is fascinating, about astronomers on Hawaii apparently glimpsing some of the first stars ever formed. That's a look back in time of 13 billion years, when the Universe was about 500 million years old.

One day, we'll see the Big Bang itself. And that's when my poor little head will explode.

Radar - Phone Tracking for Children

If this were available for a phone that I'd give my daughter, I'd sign up for it in a second. Being able to monitor calls from strangers would help me sleep just a little better each night.

Ayn Rand's Pirate in Real Life? Not so Much

This must be the oddest Ayn Rand reference I've yet run across. It's also likely the least legitimate, although the story's antagonist, "Ragnar Danneskjold" (a true hero from Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged) is going after Digg, one of my least favorite social networking sites.

I hate Digg's mob rule mentality, and this guy seems to be exploiting it for some significant financial gain. And so, I suppose I'm a bit conflicted on whether this guy is doing something wrong, although I'll likely find something wrong with it if I think on it hard enough. Which I probably won't do.

Regardless, though, this guy's taken the wrong monicker. Ragnar Danneskjold is more of a Robin Hood figure (stealing back the ill-gotten booty confiscated by an oppressive government), and whoever this guy is, he doesn't fit that particular mold.

Happy Sweet 16!

It's my daughter's 16th birthday today, and so posting might be a bit light.

Jimmy Carter and the Facts of Reality Don't Mix

A little background information on Jimmy Carter, who's important only because he continues to influence the Left on issues as important as Israel. His silly comments about the Bush Administration are just that--silly, and for me, easily dismissed. But his inability to accept the facts of reality, and the respect he still enjoys in many sectors, is a dangerous combination.

Discovering Something Good about Heinlein

An interesting take on Robert Heinlein, a sci-fi writer about whom I know surprisingly little but who recently turned 100. Really, for a sci-fi fan, I've not read that much of it, at least of the classics. I should pick up some of Heinlein's stuff, though. Anyone who said "Ayn Rand is a bloody socialist compared to me" is at least worth checking out.

And I'm sure there are real sci-fi fans out there who, upon reading the above, are rolling their eyes in derision at the very notion that I'm just now learning such things about Heinlein. And, they're probably right, after a fashion.

Digg Report: Today's #1 Digg, at 4612 Digg, is a link to a video where an iPhone is blended. That's a big thing in gadgets, you know: whenever a new, somewhat popular gadget is released, someone runs it through a blender. Proving... nothing, of course, but that some people get a kick out of 1) destroying things or 2) proving that they can destroy something that many other people covet.

A Little Bit about Evil

Read this accounting at The Belmont Club of the difference between civilized armed forces, and the likes of al Qaeda. If you come away unmoved, and still consider there to be no moral difference between us and them, then I pity you.

Birds & Caribou vs. American Energy Independence

Nothing says that this is enough oil to grant America the energy independence we need, while we continue to search for and implement alternatives (nuclear power, anyone?). But concerns over wildlife can't trump our need to become more energy independent, and the more sources of oil and gas that we close off to ourselves the less this goal becomes possible.

We simply can't let such environmental concerns overshadow our pressing geopolitical concerns. Technology will eventually reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, but in the meantime, we need to do everything we can to minimize the oil and gas we buy from oppressive regimes.

Dr. John Lewis Forced to Resign from Ashland U.

This will be of most interest to Objectivists (and anyone who values free academic expression), but Dr. John Lewis, an Objectivist professor, was recently forced to resign from Ashland University over his views as an Objectivist. Note that he wasn't forced to resign because he was teaching Objectivism at this religious university, but merely for his beliefs.

It's a chilling story, when put in the context of the general attack on intellectual thought on our college campuses.

Better War against Iran, but Let's at Least Do Something

Although I favor outright war with Iran to remove its insidious, poisonous influence in the world, the next best thing might be to heavily support such Iranian opposition groups as the Mujahedeed-e Khalq. This story by Daniel Pipes lays out a compelling argument for lending this group all the support necessary to make it a legitimate threat to the Iranian regime.

Note that I've always been torn in such instances. The US has admittedly supported groups and regimes, for expeditious and often unfortunately pramatic purposes, that have become future enemies. It's a long list, and mostly due to the Cold War, which is why my inherent distaste for such covert and often black ops is so conflicted. We had no choice in the Cold War, I believe, to fight the Soviet Union in anything other than proxy wars. A hot war with the USSR would likely have resulted in nuclear annihilation.

The same isn't true with Iran. Although I don't believe that such a war would be easily won, if the objectives were more clear than in Iraq it would certainly not be terribly difficult. But again, the point of this post: if we don't go to war against Iran, then we had better be supporting someone who will do the job for us. And I think Daniel Pipes has done a pretty decent job of telling us who that someone might be.

Shell Turns Other Cheek

If Western companies are going to strike deals with Russia after having already been burned once, then I suppose it's like the old saying. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."

So, Shell, shame on you.

Diggsters Dig Ron Paul

The Diggsters just love Ron Paul. Read the comments about this Dugg story, which discusses a USA Today poll that shows Ron Paul not even registering.

The IT world is a strange one, politically and philosophically. I'm still trying to figure it out.

Bush To Withdraw Troops? @#$@#$ Politics

Yet another reason to hate politics: if Bush changes his new strategy before it's had time to play out, as defined by the generals he put in charge of implementing said strategy, merely because some Republicans are no longer backing him... Well, that would take a bad situation and make it far, far worse.

And I realize the wild understatement inherent in that last sentence.

Digg Report: Today's #1 Digg, at 3687 Diggs, is a story about some Australian youths who outsmart a speed camera.

Zonkers! Although it sounds a bit like an urban legend to me, or at least something that's been done before. And someone tell me: why am I writing so much about this?

Cox and Forkum Get It Right Again - Global Warming

Cox and Forkum's typical on-target political cartoon, this one on global warming.

EMRs will Matter, Eventually

Having some minimal experience working with electronic medical record (EMR) systems, this study doesn't surprise me. It's a market in a very nascent state, and one dealing with tremendous complexity. I've been in the position to debunk some common misconceptions about EMR's, such as the notion that they're just scanned images of paper documents.

One they get things right, though, watch out. The EMR will one day have the same sort of impact on medicine that CAD/CAM software has had on design and manufacturing. More so, even.

New 7 Wonders

I was fond of the original 7 Wonders of the World. The fact that most of them no longer exist merely added to their mystique. The new seven simply don't have the same impression on me.

Google Does Evil? By Whose Definition?

I've always thought that a company adopting an ambiguous, unprincipled, undefined motto such as "Do No Evil" was in for trouble. Didn't Google's founders understand, at the very least, that people have different definitions of "evil"? To some, just being a large successful company is a mark of Satan, and Google passed that definition long ago.

Google is also comprised of individuals, and as this story shows those individuals have personal opinions that will also offend some people's moral standards. Specifically, there's the blog entry by a Google employee that recommended that healthcare companies advertise on Google as a means of countering the effects of Moore's hack job, "Sicko." Now, I, personally, find that both an intelligent and a highly moral post, but many considered it to go against Google's motto.

And therein lies the rub. Go to Google's Web site, and their company philosophy (and the motto) is spelled out more clearly. But they haven't failed to milk the more general "Do No Evil" urban legend, and it's starting to cost them.

140,000 Turkish Troups on Iraqi Border?

This can't be good. Turkey has put 140,000 soldiers on its border with Iraq, obviously in response to Kurdish motions for independence. I don't really know the history here, but the Kurds seem the most "civilized" of the various factions.

The minute the US leaves Iraq, all hell will break loose. And it's probably a hell that's been building up for decades, and likely needs to work itself out on its own.

I become less and less certain that we're doing any good in Iraq, even beyond my fundamental belief that we should have deposed Saddam Hussein, imposed a US-style Constitutional republic, and then enforced it, harshly if necessary, until the Iraqi people accepted it. At the same time, we should have made it perfectly clear to Iran and Syria (and, apparently, Turkey, ostensibly an ally) that interference would not be tolerated.

That's not what we've done, however, and we're paying the price. And I have no idea what the right answer is at this point.

Digg Report: Today's #1 Digg, at a paltry 2658 Diggs, is a link to a very untimely picture of some kids blocking the way into school with snow. Slower day even than most at Digg, it would appear.

al Qaeda - More Evidence That They're Losing It

The only positive about the horrendous truck bomb attack in Iraq that left (so far) over 150 dead is that the purpose of the attack--merely to create sectarian tensions--is being openly discussed. al Qaeda is getting desperate, and this is (I hope) going to help our cause. It should be even more difficult for the Left to ignore that it's not the American presense in Iraq that's fueling the "insurgency," but foreigners who wish to simply foment enough horrible violence that eventually America leaves Iraq.

After all, what other purpose could an attack like this serve?

List of Chinese Safety Problems

For those interested in the safety of Chinese products, here's a list. It seems like a significant list, but it's a bit out of context. It would need to be compared to other countries to have real meaning.

Russia Rewrites History

I've always imagined that Putin's read Orwell's 1984. Here's proof.

Any question that Russia is returning to the ways of the Soviet Union should be answered by now.

Russia Delivers American Satellite - ???

And regarding the issue of a Russian rocket delivering an American communications satellite into space, all I can say is: why?

We have a growing private sector space industry, and we contract with Russia for delivery? I just can't find the sense in that.

Happy Birthday, AK-47!!!

Happy Birthday to You!

Yeesh. I can't imagine a mentality that could be proud of an invention that has likely killed more innocent people than any other.

Ahmadinejad Creates Environment of Uncertainty

A little story about life under Iran's President Imajihadi (or whatever his name is). I imagine that being an activist would be awful difficult, not knowing exactly how the crazy bastard might react to any particular act of protest.

Bush Trusts Putin, or So He Says

"Bush's white lie about Putin." That's the headline of this story about Bush's meeting with Putin in Kennebunkport. And that's what I hate most about contemporary politics: Bush appeases Putin by saying that he believes that Putin tells the truth. Certainly, Bush has complex geopolitical issues to deal with regarding Russia, but he could simply refrain from commenting on Putin's veracity--a comment that must be seen by everyone, including Putin, as assinine.

As Ayn Rand said, evil wins only because the good allows it to do so. When Bush compromises with Putin this way, Putin wins by gaining a stature that only Bush can give him.

Chrysler to Import Chinese Autos - Last-Ditch Effort?

It'll be interesting to see how many cars China can sell in the US. With all the concerns about the safety of Chinese products, this might be an uphill battle. And, I think it shows a certain desperation on Chrysler's part, but I suppose they have nothing to lose at this point.

20% of China's Own Consumer Goods Unsafe

There can be a real cost to buying cheap goods. Unless this is fixed, I anticipate great changes with our trade with China. And that's likely an understatement.

Digg Report: Today's #1 Digg, at 4867 Diggs, is a link to some obscure posting about a porn CD and a religious Mom's reaction to it.

Sorry.

Economy's Doing Fine, Thanks

From US News & World Report, a brief story on how well the economy's doing. I'm sure there's bunches about this in the rest of the mainstream media, but I don't really remember reading all that much. Maybe I'm just a little behind...

New Battery Tech - Actually Exciting News

I've always believed that technology will solve the energy "crisis." Still do, and it's relatively obscure inventions like this that will help immensely. Something like this could make wind power, for example, a legitimate contendor.

Although I still wish we'd build more nuclear powerplants.

Ayn Rand vs. Libertarianism

I think it's worth highlighting that Ayn Rand was not a proponent of either the Liberatarian Party or the libertarian movement in general. She considered it unprincipled and open to any idea, no matter how fundamentally bankrupt, as long as it was "anti-government." This Chicago Sun-Times story gets it right when it says:

"But what makes Doherty's book a self-described "freewheeling" history are its detailed descriptions of the colorful characters and eccentrics who helped create the libertarian movement. There is novelist Ayn Rand, of course, responsible for recruiting more members to the movement than anyone else even though she disavowed the label, and waged war against many of its proponents. "

It does later call her one of the "founders" of the movement, but I think that wasn't meant to mean that her involvement was intentional. Certainly, many of her ideas feed libertarianism, but only incidentally--and that, in part, is what's wrong with libertarianism.

Digg Report: Today's #1 Digg, at a light 3246 Diggs, congratulates Diggsters on "bringing down" an alleged piracy honeypot. The comments demonstrate a "guilty before proven innocent" mentality, even though I hope such a honeypot exists for catching intellectual property thieves.

Americans Prepared To Vote Black and Female

Hopefully, Americans are prepared to vote for the right President, regardless of whether he's black and she's, well, a woman. A single vote for a woman or a black man rather than for a candidate who stands for the right things is a vote to perpetuate racism.

Party Guest Locates the Rest of the Family

And for today's gruesome story, we head to Belgium.

Google Earth Shows Chinese Sub

I'm assuming--just assuming, mind you--that this picture of China's new nuclear sub, or others like it, had already been reviewed in detail by the military. Catching it on Google Earth had better be coincidental, or someone's ass should be pretty well reamed by now.

"Sicko" Creates Mob Mentality

If enough people have this sort of reaction to Michael Moore's "Sicko," then our helathcare system in trouble. There's nothing worse than an ill-informed mob out to lynch someone.

Boing Boing, of course, sees this as just the greatest thing.

Boing Boing Takes a Swipe at Disney

This is generally an interesting story about efficiency, where Disney animators reuse animation sequences when possible. For an animator in particular, it's probably of some professional interest.

Boing Boing, though, has to take a cheap shot and throw out the headline, "Disney animators swipe from themselves." I'm sure it's supposed to be a joke, but given their take on intellectual property, it's easy to see it as a subtle display of how Boing Boing just doesn't really understand intellectual property at all.

Hyperion the Sponge

I'm amazed and at the same time sort of freaked out (in a sci-fi kind of way) when I see picture like this one of Saturn's moon Hyperion. This sucker's a long ways away, and yet we have a picture taken from a scant 384 miles away.

Digg Report: Today's #1 Digg, at 2902 Diggs, is a story about a lady who wore an (inappropriate?) shirt on July 4th. I think it's the lady wearing the Union Jack.

Back to Digg silliness, I guess, but it is a bit early in the day.

The West to Blame for Darfur?

Interesting: place blame for the genocide in Darfur on global warming, which of course is blamed on developing nations, thus directly make the West guilty of crimes against humanity. That's what this story seems to be implying, anyways (although I may be connecting some of my own dots here).

With one stroke, the blame is shifted from African tribalism and radical Islam to the West. I'm telling you, someone out there has some real political chops.

Ahmadinejad Buys Gas from Chavez

This New York Times headline is surreal: "Iran, Low on Gasoline, to Be Supplied by Venezuela." I knew that Imajihadi (or whatever his name is) and Chavez are buddies and influential members of the anti-America crowd, but I didn't know that Iran's refinery capacity was so low that it needs to import gasoline.

Bizarre.

Putin Continues to Play Bush

Putin continues to play Bush like a fiddle. This time, he's trying to virtually take over the missille defense shield, essentially (as far as I can tell) suggesting that the entire radar infrastructure be based in Russia. So far, Bush has said "Nyet" to that proposal, but stranger things have certainly happened.

We lack real leadership throughout government, which puts us at a distinct disadvantage. I dream of a Jefferson or Madison or Washington to come out of nowhere, but dreaming doesn't really help.

Update: Putin puts some teeth into his "offer."

China Covers Up 750,000 Pollution-Related Deaths

An environmental coverup! And no, it's not by Bush. I'm sure the environmentalist movement will be all over this story.

Bill Gates No Longer #1

It's odd that a third-world tycoon would take over the #1 spot as richest man on the planet. Not that it matters, since such astronomical wealth is based on the vagaries of the stock market, but still, something strikes me as, not wrong exactly, but not exactly right about it, either.

Boing Boing Wants One-Sided Debate Starring MIchael Moore

Boing Boing wants to see the healthcare debate an entirely one-sided affair, with the one side being... Michael Moore. They're publicizing a MoveOn effort that calls on presidential candidates to refuse money from the healthcare industry, and they're doing so by handing out flyers at screenings of "Sicko."

I fear for the future healthcare of my children. Michael Moore is known by everyone to make exploitative, sensationalist movies (which I refuse to call documentaries) that twist and evade facts to make his point. That anyone would consider this to be the definitive statement on healthcare, and to want to disallow the healthcare industry from trying to influence in some way the laws that will destroy their ability to provide quality care, is beyond my ability to comprehend.

The Left has moved into a world into which I, and I hope most Americans, can't and won't follow.

The Declaration of Independence

An important 4th of July read. One needn't wait until today, of course, but it's certainly a good enough occasion for a review.

Digg Report: Today's #1 Digg, at 4229 Diggs, is a link to an editorial that's as inappropriate for the 4th of July as could be imagined. I didn't read the entire thing, but I don't need to; it's a topic about which I'm a bit ambivalent. And I'm not faulting the editorial's author--he wrote it yesterday. But the Diggsters voted it, so far, as the number one story on this day, and that tells me a lot about Digg.

I'm not linking to it. If you want to read it, you'll have to find it yourself.

Presidential Power the Greatest Since, Well, the Last Major War

What I find most interesting about this story is the line about Bush being "the most powerful American leader since at least WWII." I got to this story via Digg, which of course implied that the story is about Bush being so powerful, when in fact it's about growing Presidential power in general beginning in the 20th Century. But then, that's just Digg's typical anti-Bush slant.

What struck me most about that particular line, though, is that we're at war today, making the correlation between now and WWII painfully obvious to anyone willing to see it. And, the stakes are just as high, and far more complex (or, at least, we're making it that way, by waging war against an ideology instead of against those States that sponsor it).

That subtlety would be lost, of course, on the Diggsters, but unfortunately on many other Americans, as well.

Politics and the 4th of July

Of course, Cox and Forkum have a relevant cartoon for the 4th. It says something different about the nature of American politics that we should all try to remember--even though I myself don't often do so.

Happy 4th of July!

And, of course, a happy 4th to all Americans.

Let this day serve as a reminder that a handful of heroes can accomplish something remarkable and still unmatched in human history: to create, from nothing, a nation based on a fundamental moral and political principle, that every human being has a right to his or her own existence. Although the Founders' legacy is under attack, it is a testament to their genius that so much of their vision remains intact after centuries of anti-man philosophies that have sought to destroy it.

To the men and women serving overseas, my thanks. You make this day possible, year after year. I hope that each and every one of you sees your service not as a sacrifice for me or any other American, but as your own defense of liberties that you, yourself, hold dear. Let the politicians argue over how many angels can dance on the head of a pin--for yourselves, know that by killing our enemies, you are protecting your values and preserving for yourselves and those you love the freedom afforded by this great nation.

But, most of all, everyone: enjoy, celebrate, eat, drink, and be merry. Today is a day to engage in that which should be the goal of every human being: to be happy, and to bring happiness to those family and friends whom we value the most. The Founders' recognized this in the Declaration of Independence, when they included "the pursuit of happiness" as one of the rights that our government was created to defend. You do no disservice to any American hero by enjoying yourself today, but rather the opposite. You honor them.

And so, off with you now. And again, a Happy 4th of July!

Stop the Presses: Google Celebrates American Holiday!

Yes, it's true. Google has recognized the 4th of July in their logo. I don't know if they've done this in the past, but I'm still steamed over the Memorial Day snubbing. So, recognition where it's due.

Today's the ol' 4th Anniversary, and so probably light blogging. Maybe none, in fact, or I might find some time later tonight.

In any event, no promises.

Digg Report: Today's #1 Digg, at 6263 Diggs, is about a Digg tool for attracting more Diggs.

Must not be that effective. 6263 isn't all that impressive, really.

Blogs and Politics

Is it true that blogs are having this much of an impact on politics? If so, I'm not sure if this is a good or a bad thing.

American Pharmaceuticals Thrive, Europe's are Dying

The next time you want to fall for the idea of universal healthcare a la Europe's socialistic schemes, read this essay by Andrew Sullivan. It points out that innovation thrives in a free market and dies under socialism. The American pharmaceutical industry is making remarkable--some might say miraculous--advances in treatments for all sorts of deadly and debilitating diseases.

If you want to kill those advancements, vote for universal healthcare. If not, fight like hell to retain our current, even mixed economy approach, and then fight even harder for a true free market healthcare system.

I remember looking into a CT lung scan, having been a smoker for a number of years. I don't know what the insured price for a scan would be, but I know that I can get a high-quality scan performed outside of insurance for about $300. That seems entirely reasonable to me, since it could locate any problems while they're still treatable (which a normal x-ray may or may not identify). I imagine that if such scans were covered under insurance, and thus not subject to normal market pressures, they'd be far more expensive (although I personally might pay a little less after deductibles have been met). Imagine the impact on healthcare spending in general if the market were allowed to set prices.

I've read accounts that we're on the cusp of curing various forms of cancer, and already, certain forms have been turned from terminal diagnoses to manageable diseases. And that's due entirely to the efforts of the American pharmaceutical industry. Rather than attacking these companies, we should be honoring them.

More Evidence for Iran in Iraq

More on Iran's proxy war against the US in Iraq. I suppose that when (if?) we go to war with Iran over this (and the nuclear issue) such news items will be quickly forgotten and the "no evidence" mantra will emerge once again.

Media Tells Terrorists We're Onto Them

Once again, the mainstream press reveals our knowledge of a possible terrorist attack. Why this is "news," and not a blatant breach of national security, is beyond me.

Healthcare Independence

An essay on "universal healthcare" at Capitalism Magazine... It's an important read if you're at all concerned about healthcare and would like to have something to counter the upcoming movie on the topic (which shall remain nameless).

Town Surprised that Public-Private Partnership Goes Sour

And the line is blurred between public and private in such instances because government spends tax money (directly or through "incentives) developing private property. It's an inherent contradiction that must result in this or other kinds of conflict.

Breaking News - Babies Cry to Get Attention

And it took scientific research to discover this?