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.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
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.
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.
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.
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.
So, Shell, shame on you.
Monday, July 09, 2007
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sunday, July 08, 2007
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?
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.
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.
We have a growing private sector space industry, and we contract with Russia for delivery? I just can't find the sense in that.
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