An Experiment in Adjusting an Alcohol-based Reality Filter. The more beer you drink, the more the world seems to make sense. I'm not sure if this is the beer's fault, or the world's. Experiments proceed. For pigeonholing purposes, I consider myself a South Park Conservative: I believe in Loose Women and Tight Borders but I'm getting anime porn and legally mandated lounges for day laborers...further adjustment to the model may be needed. e-mail me at slayerdaddy-AT-yahoo.com
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Obama Grabs the Checkbook...
Politico reports that President Obama, who has quietly waivered several major lobbyists into influential posts in his, for want of an even less appropriate word,"Administration," has signed an order that will ostensibly ban "lobbyists" from being involved in any discussions of the dispensation of stimulus monies.
Which leaves who, exactly, to discuss it? The Obama White House,with its built-in lobbyists? Our pay-for-play Democratic Congress? After all, they have such a documented track record of nonpartisan public service. We're already seeing calls from within the government for white contractors to be excluded from stimulus construction work, the so-called "shovel-ready" projects. Now, good luck seeing a stimulus buck in, for example, Republican Orange County, California; there's zip chance Feinstein, Pelosi, Boxer and Waxman will send a dollar south of LA. I would imagine anyplace in Texas outside of Austin is in the same fix, not to mention states with GOP governors.
This is, discreetly, the financial disenfranchisement of 48% of the American population. It doesn't even work on its own terms, since all a lobbyist has to do to get around it IS let his enrollment as a 'registered' lobbyist lapse. After all, not being registered never seemed to do George Soros any harm.
The Other Rule...
Think Progress is celebrating the success of a campaign to pressure UPS into pulling its ad buys off Bill O'Reilly.
Now I've never watched a complete episode of O'Reilly's show. I stopped paying much attention to him while he was subbing on Fox News Sunday and Joe Lieberman (aka the Other Slow Joe) talked circles around him while O'Reilly was busy flapping his arms and squawking and being Bill O'Reilly.
But since Rule of the Mob is apparently now the new rule, as the AIG workers found out from slimy Andy Cuomo, it's time to remember the Other Rule: when they attack one of us, they attack us all.
I've notified UPS that I'll be sending all my future personal and business shipping through FedEx. I'm just one man and one small business, but I'm not the only small man and small business. I wouldn't mind some company.
Openest Administration EVAH! (2)
President Barack Hussein Obama, looking open
Obama Town Hall Questioners Planted Campaign Contributors
"Nothing suspicious there," according to the Washington Post.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Breaking Hollywood News!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Dead Grandmas...
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
A Reader's Guide to Global Warming Journalism...
...and other sad science...(HT: Theo Spark, see links)
Translating Scientific Reports:
The following list of phrases and their definitions might help you understand the mysterious language of science and medicine. These special phrases are also applicable to anyone reading a PhD dissertation or academic paper.
"IT HAS LONG BEEN KNOWN"... I didn't look up the original reference.
"A DEFINITE TREND IS EVIDENT"... These data are practically meaningless.
"WHILE IT HAS NOT BEEN POSSIBLE TO PROVIDE DEFINITE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS"... An unsuccessful experiment, but I still hope to get it published.
"THREE OF THE SAMPLES WERE CHOSEN FOR DETAILED STUDY"... The other results didn't make any sense.
"TYPICAL RESULTS ARE SHOWN"... This is the prettiest graph.
"THESE RESULTS WILL BE IN A SUBSEQUENT REPORT"... I might get around to this sometime, if pushed/funded.
"IN MY EXPERIENCE"... Once
"IN CASE AFTER CASE"... Twice
"IN A SERIES OF CASES"... Thrice
"IT IS BELIEVED THAT"... I think.sciencebad.jpg
"IT IS GENERALLY BELIEVED THAT"... A couple of others think so, too.
"CORRECT WITHIN AN ORDER OF MAGNITUDE"... Wrong.
"ACCORD1NG TO STATISTICAL ANALYSIS"... Rumour has it.
"A STATISTICALLY-ORIENTED PROJECTION OF THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THESE FINDINGS"... A wild guess.
"A CAREFUL ANALYSIS OF OBTAINABLE DATA"... Three pages of notes were obliterated when I knocked over a glass of Mountain Dew.
"IT IS CLEAR THAT MUCH ADDITIONAL WORK WILL BE REQUIRED BEFORE A COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING OF THIS PHENOMENON OCCURS"... I don't understand it
"AFTER ADDITIONAL STUDY BY MY COLLEAGUES"... They don't understand it either.
"THANKS ARE DUE TO JOE BLOTZ FOR ASSISTANCE WITH THE EXPERIMENT AND TO CINDY ADAMS FOR VALUABLE DISCUSSIONS"... Mr. Blotz did the work and Ms. Adams explained to me what it meant.
"A HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT AREA FOR EXPLORATORY STUDY"... A totally useless topic selected by my committee.
Then the Nub of Mr. Geithner's Gist...
...if I understand it correctly, is that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac buying up toxic assets and creating financial 'instruments' secured by them was a bad idea that cratered the mortgage industry and collapsed the economy, but the Treasury Department buying up toxic assets and creating financial 'instruments' secured by them is a great idea because we're going to pay for them with folks' pension money.
I guess the right letterhead makes all the difference.