Is It Time to Roll Up the Welcome Mat Here? | RedState: Barack Obama won the election.
He did not win by stealing the election. Voter irregularities always happen. It is one reason we support voter ID rules. But even in the worse scenario of reports out there, there were not enough tales of voter irregularities to matter nationwide. This is another benefit and built in safeguard of the electoral college.
Barack Obama won. He won by turning out the most people in a well run campaign. In other words, he won fair and square.
We here at RedState are American citizens. We have no plans to secede from the union. If you do, good luck with that, but this is not the place for you.
13 November, 2012
Mark Cuban: Facebook Is Driving Away Brands - Starting With Mine
Mark Cuban: Facebook Is Driving Away Brands - Starting With Mine: "Facebook has never allowed 100% reach. I think the disconnect is that not everyone realized that they didnt allow 100% reach. I bet if you asked anyone who has subscribers if their posts reached 100% of their subscribers, they would say yes unless they have seen the dollar box for promoted posts show up.
"I think the same applies to brands as well. Remember most brands don't have social media departments. They rely on common sense. If someone likes your brand, it seems like common sense to me that you can expect your posts to reach 100% of those that like your brand. Doesn't it to you?"
"I think the same applies to brands as well. Remember most brands don't have social media departments. They rely on common sense. If someone likes your brand, it seems like common sense to me that you can expect your posts to reach 100% of those that like your brand. Doesn't it to you?"
Colbert shuts down super PAC - Kevin Robillard - POLITICO.com
Colbert shuts down super PAC - Kevin Robillard - POLITICO.com: Later in the show, Colbert’s lawyer, former FEC chairman Trevor Potter, told Colbert he could get out of the super PAC game and cut himself a check for the remaining $800,000 in his super PAC. But, Potter said, the transfer would show up on an FEC report.
“But the whole point of a super PAC is to have secret money and use it any way you want, Trevor,” Colbert said. “Is there any way — and I know this is crazy, these might be the mad ramblings of a syphilitic brain. But hear me out, is there some way I can give the money to myself and therefore hide it forever from all eyes and use it anyway I wish?”
“Actually, you can,” Potter said. He explained to Colbert that he could secretly steal the remaining $800,000 in his super PAC by creating an anonymous 501(c)4 and using an IRS loophole.
“But the whole point of a super PAC is to have secret money and use it any way you want, Trevor,” Colbert said. “Is there any way — and I know this is crazy, these might be the mad ramblings of a syphilitic brain. But hear me out, is there some way I can give the money to myself and therefore hide it forever from all eyes and use it anyway I wish?”
“Actually, you can,” Potter said. He explained to Colbert that he could secretly steal the remaining $800,000 in his super PAC by creating an anonymous 501(c)4 and using an IRS loophole.
Peggy Noonan's feature in "Pundit Shaming"
Pundit Shaming: “There is no denying the Republicans have the passion now, the enthusiasm. The Democrats do not. Independents are breaking for Romney. And there’s the thing about the yard signs. In Florida a few weeks ago I saw Romney signs, not Obama ones. From Ohio I hear the same. From tony Northwest Washington, D.C., I hear the same.”
FBI's abuse of the surveillance state is the real scandal needing investigation | Glenn Greenwald | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk
FBI's abuse of the surveillance state is the real scandal needing investigation | Glenn Greenwald | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk: So not only did the FBI - again, all without any real evidence of a crime - trace the locations and identity of Broadwell and Petreaus, and read through Broadwell's emails (and possibly Petraeus'), but they also got their hands on and read through 20,000-30,000 pages of emails between Gen. Allen and Kelley.
This is a surveillance state run amok. It also highlights how any remnants of internet anonymity have been all but obliterated by the union between the state and technology companies.
But, as unwarranted and invasive as this all is, there is some sweet justice in having the stars of America's national security state destroyed by the very surveillance system which they implemented and over which they preside. As Trevor Timm of the Electronic Frontier Foundation put it this morning: "Who knew the key to stopping the Surveillance State was to just wait until it got so big that it ate itself?"
This is a surveillance state run amok. It also highlights how any remnants of internet anonymity have been all but obliterated by the union between the state and technology companies.
But, as unwarranted and invasive as this all is, there is some sweet justice in having the stars of America's national security state destroyed by the very surveillance system which they implemented and over which they preside. As Trevor Timm of the Electronic Frontier Foundation put it this morning: "Who knew the key to stopping the Surveillance State was to just wait until it got so big that it ate itself?"
GOP super PACs: Republican donors spent millions on TV ads and got almost nothing in return. - Slate Magazine
GOP super PACs: Republican donors spent millions on TV ads and got almost nothing in return. - Slate Magazine: Today, after Brown clinched a 5-point win, his aides were still baffled by the stupid commercials. At a news conference in the Democratic Party headquarters, Brown predicted that “voters will, in a funny sort of way, welcome beer ads, car ads, and detergent ads.” He derided Karl Rove—whose American Crossroads GPS spent millions on the presidential race in Ohio—as someone who “doesn’t understand Ohio like he thinks he does” and whose ad strategy was “pretty discredited” by the humiliating losses.
Brown might have a point. In the grand sweep of American politics, never has so much money been spent for so little gain. Up to $40 million of outside money was poured into Ohio to beat Brown. American Crossroads spent nearly $105 million on its campaigns nationally. Restore Our Future, the pro-Romney super PAC, spent nearly $143 million. Just those two groups, combined, spent more than the 2000 Rove-led presidential campaign of George W. Bush.
Brown might have a point. In the grand sweep of American politics, never has so much money been spent for so little gain. Up to $40 million of outside money was poured into Ohio to beat Brown. American Crossroads spent nearly $105 million on its campaigns nationally. Restore Our Future, the pro-Romney super PAC, spent nearly $143 million. Just those two groups, combined, spent more than the 2000 Rove-led presidential campaign of George W. Bush.
Chinese man sues wife after ‘ugly’ baby born - for false pretenses
Chinese man sues wife after ‘ugly’ baby born | Irish Examiner:
When DNA tests proved the child was his, it then emerged that before Mr Feng had married his wife, she had undergone $100,000 (€77,000) worth of plastic surgery in South Korea where the decisive knife of a surgeon, not the gene pool, crafted her flawless bone structure.
The Northern Chinese man, according to a report from PlanetIvy.com, divorced his wife and sued her, apparently, for being ugly — and won.
Mr Feng has since been awarded $120,000 from his wife, as a sympathetic judge agreed she had tricked him into marrying her under "false pretences". Since his wife used intense surgery to drastically alter her appearance before she met Mr Feng, and since she never told him of it, the courts determined that she had convinced Mr Feng to marry him under "false premises," and thus sided with him.
When DNA tests proved the child was his, it then emerged that before Mr Feng had married his wife, she had undergone $100,000 (€77,000) worth of plastic surgery in South Korea where the decisive knife of a surgeon, not the gene pool, crafted her flawless bone structure.
The Northern Chinese man, according to a report from PlanetIvy.com, divorced his wife and sued her, apparently, for being ugly — and won.
Mr Feng has since been awarded $120,000 from his wife, as a sympathetic judge agreed she had tricked him into marrying her under "false pretences". Since his wife used intense surgery to drastically alter her appearance before she met Mr Feng, and since she never told him of it, the courts determined that she had convinced Mr Feng to marry him under "false premises," and thus sided with him.
Long Island Power Authority Gangnam Style
Watch LIPA Gangnam Style -- Vulture: If There’s One More Gangnam Style Parody You Should See, Make It This One
Much of Long Island is still without power thanks to Hurricane Sandy, which is why three local bros (under radio station WBLI) brought some much-needed yuks to the situation with a comedic plea to LIPA to restore power to their friggin' gas stations. Marone, get on it already!
Much of Long Island is still without power thanks to Hurricane Sandy, which is why three local bros (under radio station WBLI) brought some much-needed yuks to the situation with a comedic plea to LIPA to restore power to their friggin' gas stations. Marone, get on it already!
A Mormon Reporter On The Romney Bus
A Mormon Reporter On The Romney Bus: When the "mommy wars" of the early spring shone a spotlight on Ann Romney's decision to stay home and raise her kids, I saw classic Mormon gender roles at play. And when critics raised questions about Mitt's participation in a church that barred black men from the priesthood until 1978, I innately understood the conflicted, sometimes tortured, position many devout Mormons found themselves in at that time. As a lifelong Latter-day Saint who grew up in the relatively close-knit Massachusetts Mormon community that Romney once led, I felt I had a unique window into the beliefs and experiences that defined an almost undefinable man.
The Real David Petraeus Scandal - Robert Wright - The Atlantic
The Real David Petraeus Scandal - Robert Wright - The Atlantic:
The militarization of the CIA raises various questions. For example, if the CIA is psychologically invested in a particular form of warfare--and derives part of its budget from that kind of warfare--can it be trusted to impartially assess the consequences, both positive and negative, direct and indirect?
And then there's the transparency question. That Post piece noted concerns among some activists that "the CIA now functions as a military force beyond the accountability that the United States has historically demanded of its armed services. The CIA doesn't officially acknowledge the drone program, let alone provide public explanation about who shoots and who dies, and by what rules." Indeed, only a few months ago, in compliance with the War Powers Resolution, the Obama administration reported (vaguely) on targeted killings in Somalia and Yemen that had been conducted by the military, but not on those conducted by the CIA.
The militarization of the CIA raises various questions. For example, if the CIA is psychologically invested in a particular form of warfare--and derives part of its budget from that kind of warfare--can it be trusted to impartially assess the consequences, both positive and negative, direct and indirect?
And then there's the transparency question. That Post piece noted concerns among some activists that "the CIA now functions as a military force beyond the accountability that the United States has historically demanded of its armed services. The CIA doesn't officially acknowledge the drone program, let alone provide public explanation about who shoots and who dies, and by what rules." Indeed, only a few months ago, in compliance with the War Powers Resolution, the Obama administration reported (vaguely) on targeted killings in Somalia and Yemen that had been conducted by the military, but not on those conducted by the CIA.
Swings in the States, 2008 vs. 2012
Swings in the States, 2008 vs. 2012:
Michael LaCour sends the following graph, which is fun to look at and puzzle over—e.g., the pro-Obama swing in Alaska.
Michael LaCour sends the following graph, which is fun to look at and puzzle over—e.g., the pro-Obama swing in Alaska.
The Big Lie of 'Flight': Miracles Land Planes - Jason Bailey - The Atlantic
The Big Lie of 'Flight': Miracles Land Planes - Jason Bailey - The Atlantic:
That's not surprising—from sports to health to safety, "miracle" is a word tossed around with reckless abandon. But it doesn't just mean good luck or a fortuitous alignment of circumstances. When we talk about miracles, we're talking about the hand of God, divine intervention; we're surrendering our understanding to forces beyond our control, knowledge, or even comprehension. So when we talked about the "Miracle on the Hudson," the subtext was that God himself had reached down to glide Flight 1548 onto the Hudson, ensuring that not a soul was lost in the dive.
By casting the remarkable events of that day into a framework of miracles and "somebody up there looking out for them," we cheapened and minimized the split-second thinking and considerable talents of Captain Sullenberger. "I think, in many ways, as it turned out, my entire life had been a preparation to handle that particular moment," he told Katie Couric on 60 Minutes a month later. Indeed, Sullenberger had 30 years on the job, had been an Air Force fighter pilot, and had trained flight crews in how to respond to emergencies in the air. The passengers and crew of Flight 1548 survived that flight because Sullenberger was their pilot, not because God was his co-pilot.
That's not surprising—from sports to health to safety, "miracle" is a word tossed around with reckless abandon. But it doesn't just mean good luck or a fortuitous alignment of circumstances. When we talk about miracles, we're talking about the hand of God, divine intervention; we're surrendering our understanding to forces beyond our control, knowledge, or even comprehension. So when we talked about the "Miracle on the Hudson," the subtext was that God himself had reached down to glide Flight 1548 onto the Hudson, ensuring that not a soul was lost in the dive.
By casting the remarkable events of that day into a framework of miracles and "somebody up there looking out for them," we cheapened and minimized the split-second thinking and considerable talents of Captain Sullenberger. "I think, in many ways, as it turned out, my entire life had been a preparation to handle that particular moment," he told Katie Couric on 60 Minutes a month later. Indeed, Sullenberger had 30 years on the job, had been an Air Force fighter pilot, and had trained flight crews in how to respond to emergencies in the air. The passengers and crew of Flight 1548 survived that flight because Sullenberger was their pilot, not because God was his co-pilot.
For your first Christmas
For your first Christmas: 
In December of 1915, as his infant grandson began to enjoy his very first Christmas, 70-year-old American journalist and diplomat Walter H. Page decided to mark the occasion by writing him the following letter — a wonderful, heartwarming celebration of their common interests which, as a result of its charm, was later published for wider consumption.
In December of 1915, as his infant grandson began to enjoy his very first Christmas, 70-year-old American journalist and diplomat Walter H. Page decided to mark the occasion by writing him the following letter — a wonderful, heartwarming celebration of their common interests which, as a result of its charm, was later published for wider consumption.
You have discovered, and my experience confirms yours, that a perpetual self-consciousness brings most of the misery of the world. Men see others who are richer than they; or more famous, or more fortunate—so they think; and they become envious. You have not reached the period of such empty vanity, and I have long passed it. Let us, therefore, make our mutual vows not to be disturbed by the good luck or the good graces of others, but to continue, instead, to contemplate the contented cat on the rug and the unenvious sky that hangs over all alike.
Same piece, different quote
David Remnick: Obama and Global Warming : The New Yorker: In 2010, the Pentagon declared, in its Quadrennial Defense Review, that changes in the global climate are increasing the frequency and the intensity of cyclones, droughts, floods, and other radical weather events, and that the effects may destabilize governments; spark mass migrations, famine, and pandemics; and prompt military conflict in particularly vulnerable areas of the world, including the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. The Pentagon, that bastion of woolly radicals, did what the many denialists in the House of Representatives refuse to do: accept the basic science.
(Great Writing) David Remnick: Obama and Global Warming : The New Yorker
David Remnick: Obama and Global Warming : The New Yorker: Brothers and sisters: Before we open our hymnals and sing the many grim verses of “Now Cometh the Hard Part,” the quadrennial post-Election Day dirge, the congregation is kindly requested to indulge in a brief interlude of soul-replenishing joy. Go ahead. Relax those shoulders. Breathe. Linger a while over the night of Tuesday, November 6th.
Special Report: Greece's far-right party goes on the offensive | Reuters
Special Report: Greece's far-right party goes on the offensive | Reuters: Riding a wave of public anger at corrupt politicians, austerity and illegal immigration, Golden Dawn has seen its popularity double in a few months. A survey by VPRC, an independent polling company, put the party's support at 14 percent in October, compared with the seven percent it won in June's election.
Political analysts see no immediate halt to its meteoric ascent. They warn that Golden Dawn, which denies being neo-Nazi despite openly adopting similar ideology and symbols, may lure as many as one in three Greek voters.
Political analysts see no immediate halt to its meteoric ascent. They warn that Golden Dawn, which denies being neo-Nazi despite openly adopting similar ideology and symbols, may lure as many as one in three Greek voters.
Recounting the deadly hazing that destroyed FAMU band's reputation - Tampa Bay Times
Recounting the deadly hazing that destroyed FAMU band's reputation - Tampa Bay Times:
It sounds barbaric. Pointless even. But experts say that's a narrow view. Hazing has benefits. It can facilitate life-long commitments and strengthen loyalty to a group or cause. Those bonds can lead to jobs, protection, a better life.
"It's not a linear story. It's not that hazing is all bad, and hazers are perpetrators, and all those being hazed are victims," said Gregory Parks, a law professor at Wake Forest University who studies hazing. "If you don't acknowledge the value that it brings, then you're not an honest broker."
Parks points to the military, police departments, churches and even law firms that engage in types of hazing. Hazing is not antisocial behavior. And it's not carried out by psychopaths. Those punches and kicks on Bus C came from students who spent hours a day marching and playing music.
"You can have the most sincere, good-hearted person, and when you put them in these contexts, the situation almost demands a certain conduct," said Parks.
"Your identity is as a part of the group," said Shayne Jones, an associate professor of criminology at the University of South Florida. "You're no longer an individual."
You're a part of something bigger. Something more powerful.
It sounds barbaric. Pointless even. But experts say that's a narrow view. Hazing has benefits. It can facilitate life-long commitments and strengthen loyalty to a group or cause. Those bonds can lead to jobs, protection, a better life.
"It's not a linear story. It's not that hazing is all bad, and hazers are perpetrators, and all those being hazed are victims," said Gregory Parks, a law professor at Wake Forest University who studies hazing. "If you don't acknowledge the value that it brings, then you're not an honest broker."
Parks points to the military, police departments, churches and even law firms that engage in types of hazing. Hazing is not antisocial behavior. And it's not carried out by psychopaths. Those punches and kicks on Bus C came from students who spent hours a day marching and playing music.
"You can have the most sincere, good-hearted person, and when you put them in these contexts, the situation almost demands a certain conduct," said Parks.
"Your identity is as a part of the group," said Shayne Jones, an associate professor of criminology at the University of South Florida. "You're no longer an individual."
You're a part of something bigger. Something more powerful.
The Dark Romance and Grim Reality of Life in the French Foreign Legion
The Dark Romance and Grim Reality of Life in the French Foreign Legion | Vanity Fair: Currently it employs 7,286 enlisted men, including non-commissioned officers. Over just the past two decades they have been deployed to Bosnia, Cambodia, Chad, both Congos, Djibouti, French Guiana, Gabon, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Kosovo, Kuwait, Rwanda, and Somalia. Recently they have fought in Afghanistan, as members of the French contingent. There is no other force in the world today that has known so much war for so long. A significant number of the men are fugitives from the law, living under assumed names, with their actual identities closely protected by the Legion. People are driven to join the Legion as much as they are drawn to it. That went for every recruit I met on the farm. Altogether there were 43, ranging in age from 19 to 32. There had been 48, but 5 had deserted. They came from 30 countries. Only a third of them spoke some form of French.
Liberal Conspiracies - Obama Wins for whom? | Michael Hudson
Obama Wins for whom? | Michael Hudson:
At a potential turning point in the direction the American economy was taking, rescue and change were averted. We have seen what will stand as a classic example of cynical Orwellian doublethink. Promising hope and change four years ago, President Obama’s role was to hold back the tide and divert voter pressure for change. He rescued the financial sector and the 1%, and sponsored the Republican privatization of health care instead of the public option, and to take $13 trillion onto the government balance sheet in the form of junk mortgages, largely fraudulent loans held by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac ($5.2 trillion alone) and other casino capitalist gambles gone bad. Mr. Obama was Wall Street’s white knight.
The trick was to get re-elected as a Democrat rather than as a Republican sponsoring a health care plan crafted by the Koch Brothers’ Cato Institute, and putting Wall Street bank lobbyists in charge of the Treasury and (de)regulatory agencies. As a Blue Dog Democrat, how was President Obama made to look better than the alternative?
The answer is clear by looking at the alternatives being offered. The Republicans have played ball. They call him a socialist – not too far fetched when we look at how Europe’s Socialist, Social Democrat and Labour parties are backing austerity and supporting anti-labor policies, privatization sell-offs and other neo-oligarchic policies. That is what socialism seems to mean these days.
At a potential turning point in the direction the American economy was taking, rescue and change were averted. We have seen what will stand as a classic example of cynical Orwellian doublethink. Promising hope and change four years ago, President Obama’s role was to hold back the tide and divert voter pressure for change. He rescued the financial sector and the 1%, and sponsored the Republican privatization of health care instead of the public option, and to take $13 trillion onto the government balance sheet in the form of junk mortgages, largely fraudulent loans held by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac ($5.2 trillion alone) and other casino capitalist gambles gone bad. Mr. Obama was Wall Street’s white knight.
The trick was to get re-elected as a Democrat rather than as a Republican sponsoring a health care plan crafted by the Koch Brothers’ Cato Institute, and putting Wall Street bank lobbyists in charge of the Treasury and (de)regulatory agencies. As a Blue Dog Democrat, how was President Obama made to look better than the alternative?
The answer is clear by looking at the alternatives being offered. The Republicans have played ball. They call him a socialist – not too far fetched when we look at how Europe’s Socialist, Social Democrat and Labour parties are backing austerity and supporting anti-labor policies, privatization sell-offs and other neo-oligarchic policies. That is what socialism seems to mean these days.
When a C.I.A. Director Had Scores of Affairs - NYTimes.com
When a C.I.A. Director Had Scores of Affairs - NYTimes.com: Dulles’s behavior was well known in Washington and elsewhere, but never publicly reported. By the journalistic codes of the 1950s, it was not newsworthy.
The same code applied to Dulles’s superiors. Presidents Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy entrusted the security of the United States to him. What Dulles did in his private life, even when it intersected with his public role, was considered none of their business.
Allen Dulles, who died in 1969, may have been, as one biographer claimed, “the greatest intelligence officer who ever lived.” Yet by today’s standards, this master spy would not have been allowed even to join the C.I.A., much less lead it.
The same code applied to Dulles’s superiors. Presidents Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy entrusted the security of the United States to him. What Dulles did in his private life, even when it intersected with his public role, was considered none of their business.
Allen Dulles, who died in 1969, may have been, as one biographer claimed, “the greatest intelligence officer who ever lived.” Yet by today’s standards, this master spy would not have been allowed even to join the C.I.A., much less lead it.
The Military might of the UK
Thin Pinstriped Line: The United Kingdom is still a Warrior Nation.: For all the moaning in the Telegraph about how dreadful it is that the UK can ‘only’ deploy 8-10,000 troops on sustained operations, one should ask in return, how many other countries can do just this? The UK is one of a handful of countries able to operate this many troops, and sustain, resupply and replace them, at long distances. The only others are the US, possibly France and to a limited degree Germany. Humphrey grows increasingly tired of the same old mantras printed in the press about how ‘we couldn’t do this again’. You know what, we may not be able to send 30 or 40 escorts to the South Atlantic, or permanently station four armoured divisions in Germany, but in todays world, that doesn’t actually matter. Let’s focus on what we can do, and what can do now and have been doing for a decade.
Off the record meetings with liberals aren't so off the record.....
Obama Promises Swift Action On Immigration In Meeting With Progressives: One source, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity because it was an off-the-record meeting, said Obama brought up immigration reform, unprompted, in his opening remarks -- a stark difference from tense previous talks in which he's been prodded by reform advocates to address the topic.
"I've been in a number of meetings with him on this topic, it's been pretty rough, but this one, the passion, intensity, seriousness -- I was pretty struck," the source said. "If there's one thing he was crystal clear he was going to get done in 2013 ... it was immigration reform. He was going to lean into it, he was sure Republicans were going to come to the table. It was sort of what he's said before, but with huge conviction."
"I've been in a number of meetings with him on this topic, it's been pretty rough, but this one, the passion, intensity, seriousness -- I was pretty struck," the source said. "If there's one thing he was crystal clear he was going to get done in 2013 ... it was immigration reform. He was going to lean into it, he was sure Republicans were going to come to the table. It was sort of what he's said before, but with huge conviction."
Obama campaign's voter data crunching paid off - Page 2 - latimes.com
Obama campaign's voter data crunching paid off - Page 2 - latimes.com: A data director applied the model to the voter databases and generated lists of voters to be contacted. Those were put in the hands of canvassers who were also armed with a script tailored to an individual voter's pet issues.
The Obama campaign even found voters to target in ruby-red precincts, a break from earlier campaigns when solidly partisan precincts were simply written off.
The Obama campaign even found voters to target in ruby-red precincts, a break from earlier campaigns when solidly partisan precincts were simply written off.
12 November, 2012
Pictures of a S.F. bus yard
The yard.: My friend showed me around the MUNI Kirkland bus yard. MUNI is the municipal public transit system serving the city and county of San Francisco. It will turn exactly 100 later this year.
11 November, 2012
The way great companies are created
Why the Conard Interview Matters— or, Why the Democrats Need Karl Rove
For someone who really wants to do it right; who really cares about the result; who really wants to understand the mechanics and the physics of what's going on, it's so frustrating to hear one side of the argument totally dedicated to unsupported and unsubstantiated assertions. It's a kind of economic creationism: we can't possible have an economy if we don't totally focus on growth and innovation, to the utter ignorance of sustainability, stability and the survivability of those whose lives don't happen to involve innovation.
The most frustrating thing that Stewart let pass is that every single one of the examples of innovation Conard raised: Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook; each and every one of them were started by geeky high school and college students in the garage doing their nerd thing. Nothing Conard mentioned would have affected their desire or ability to have succeeded with their innovation. His examples of people leaving Google to innovate were examples of people wanting to INVEST in the innovations of others. Investment capital is different from innovation, and he refused to acknowledge that difference. The whole argument isn't even built on sand. It's built on nothing...
For someone who really wants to do it right; who really cares about the result; who really wants to understand the mechanics and the physics of what's going on, it's so frustrating to hear one side of the argument totally dedicated to unsupported and unsubstantiated assertions. It's a kind of economic creationism: we can't possible have an economy if we don't totally focus on growth and innovation, to the utter ignorance of sustainability, stability and the survivability of those whose lives don't happen to involve innovation.
The most frustrating thing that Stewart let pass is that every single one of the examples of innovation Conard raised: Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook; each and every one of them were started by geeky high school and college students in the garage doing their nerd thing. Nothing Conard mentioned would have affected their desire or ability to have succeeded with their innovation. His examples of people leaving Google to innovate were examples of people wanting to INVEST in the innovations of others. Investment capital is different from innovation, and he refused to acknowledge that difference. The whole argument isn't even built on sand. It's built on nothing...
On the value of the Internet to global society
Why has the Internet changed so little? | openDemocracy: In short, the idea that cyberspace is a free, open space where people from different backgrounds and nations can commune with each other, and build a more deliberative, tolerant and empowered world overlooks a number of things. The world is unequal and mutually uncomprehending (in a literal sense); it is torn asunder by conflicting values and interests; it is subdivided by deeply embedded national and local cultures (and other nodes of identity such as religion and ethnicity); and some countries are ruled by authoritarian regimes. These different aspects of the real world penetrate cyberspace producing a ruined tower of Babel with multiple languages, hate websites, nationalist discourses, censored speech and over-representation of the advantaged.
The genius of Groundhog Day (1993)
Mind Blowing Movies: Groundhog Day (1993), by Ruben Bolling - Boing Boing: She does go to his hotel room, and they have a heart-to-heart while sweetly flipping cards. At this point in the movie, I felt that my contract with the film was more than fulfilled. I'd seen Bill Murray (stop right there: that's usually enough right there) in many funny scenes that fit in perfectly with a comedic premise that worked on multiple levels. Now it was time for the Hollywood ending and the moral that Love Conquers All, and I'd go home satisfied. I reached for my coat.
Phil reads poetry to Rita, then falls asleep, with a genuinely connected Rita right by his side... but then wakes up alone in bed the next (or: same) morning on February 2 again, Sonny and Cher still chirping out of his clock radio.
This couldn't have been a more shocking twist to me than if Phil woke up in a pod next to a naked, bald, slimy Keanu Reeves.
Phil reads poetry to Rita, then falls asleep, with a genuinely connected Rita right by his side... but then wakes up alone in bed the next (or: same) morning on February 2 again, Sonny and Cher still chirping out of his clock radio.
This couldn't have been a more shocking twist to me than if Phil woke up in a pod next to a naked, bald, slimy Keanu Reeves.
Hillary Clinton on rights, law, and counter-terrorism
Opening Remarks at the Global Counterterrorism Forum: And I am here today also to underscore that the United States will work with all of you to combat terrorists within the framework of the rule of law. Now some believe that when it comes to counterterrorism, the end always justifies the means; that torture, abuse, the suspension of civil liberties – no measure is too extreme in the name of keeping our citizens safe.
But unfortunately, this view is short-sighted and wrong. When nations violate human rights and undermine the rule of law, even in the pursuit of terrorists, it feeds radicalization, gives propaganda tools to the extremists, and ultimately undermines our efforts. The international community cannot turn our eyes away from the effects of these tactics because they are part of the problem.
But unfortunately, this view is short-sighted and wrong. When nations violate human rights and undermine the rule of law, even in the pursuit of terrorists, it feeds radicalization, gives propaganda tools to the extremists, and ultimately undermines our efforts. The international community cannot turn our eyes away from the effects of these tactics because they are part of the problem.
A Fransiscan Group defends the LCWR (aka: American Nuns)
America Magazine Franciscan Leadership Declares 'Solidarity' with LCWR: Moreover, we are concerned that the tone and direction set forth in the Doctrinal Assessment of LCWR are excessive, given the evidence raised. The efforts of LCWR to facilitate honest and faithful dialogue on critical issues of our times must not result in a level of ecclesial oversight that could, in effect, quash all further discernment.
A conversation with a philosopher
Boston Review — Martha C. Nussbaum and David V. Johnson: The New Religious Intolerance:
DJ: In comparing fear and empathy, you say that empathy “has its own narcissism.” Do all emotions have their own forms of narcissism, and if so, why call fear "a narcissistic emotion"?
MN: What I meant by my remarks about empathy is that empathy typically functions within a small circle, and is activated by vivid narratives, as Daniel Batson’s wonderful research has shown. So it is uneven and partial. But it is not primarily self-focused, as fear is. As John Stuart Mill said, fear tells us what we need to protect against for ourselves, and empathy helps us extend that protection to others.
DJ: In comparing fear and empathy, you say that empathy “has its own narcissism.” Do all emotions have their own forms of narcissism, and if so, why call fear "a narcissistic emotion"?
MN: What I meant by my remarks about empathy is that empathy typically functions within a small circle, and is activated by vivid narratives, as Daniel Batson’s wonderful research has shown. So it is uneven and partial. But it is not primarily self-focused, as fear is. As John Stuart Mill said, fear tells us what we need to protect against for ourselves, and empathy helps us extend that protection to others.
Poor corporate management looks a lot like successful management, if your model is Apple....until it doesn't work.
Netflix's lost year: The inside story of the price-hike train wreck | Internet & Media - CNET News: One year ago tomorrow, CEO Reed Hastings took the first of a series of missteps that angered customers and nearly derailed his company. Current and former employees disclose what went wrong.
A major ICE raid, a town upheaved, the context of CIR....
Postville, Iowa, Is Up for Grabs - NYTimes.com: Around 10 on a clear May morning in 2008, two black helicopters circled over Postville, Iowa, a town of two square miles and fewer than 3,000 residents. Then a line of S.U.V.’s drove past Postville’s main street and its worn brick storefronts. More than 10 white buses with darkened windows and the words “Homeland Security” on their sides were on their way to the other side of town. Postville’s four-man police force had no forewarning of what was about to happen. Neither did the mayor.
New York Subways Find Magic in Speedy Hurricane Recovery - NYTimes.com
New York Subways Find Magic in Speedy Hurricane Recovery - NYTimes.com:
To the subway’s chief maintenance officer, the storm’s encroaching waters were even more obvious. He was forced to flee with his flashlight from the South Ferry station in Lower Manhattan as the waters charged over the platform and up the terminal stairs, chasing him like an attack dog.
It has been less than two weeks since the most devastating storm in the New York City subway system’s 108-year history. Seven tunnels beneath the East River flooded. Entire platforms were submerged. Underground equipment, some of it decades old, was destroyed.
The damage was the worst that the system had ever seen. And yet, the subways have come back — quicker than almost anyone could have imagined.
Media fight on the right over GOP - Dylan Byers - POLITICO.com
Media fight on the right over GOP - Dylan Byers - POLITICO.com: After a disastrous performance in the 2012 elections, the Republican party has come face-to-face with the new demographic reality: “The white establishment is now the minority,” as Fox News host Bill O’Reilly said on election night. Republican support among old, white men can no longer offset their lack of support among women, the young, African-Americans, Asians and the fast-growing Hispanic populations — all key groups in Obama’s victory, some observers say.
But which path to take for the GOP toward broader appeal — doubling down on a core economic and family values conservative message that transcends identity politics or polishing the party’s image by recruiting more women and minority candidates and adopting more moderate positions, particularly on immigration reform — has exposed a sharp rift in the conservative media.
But which path to take for the GOP toward broader appeal — doubling down on a core economic and family values conservative message that transcends identity politics or polishing the party’s image by recruiting more women and minority candidates and adopting more moderate positions, particularly on immigration reform — has exposed a sharp rift in the conservative media.
How to Stop Reactionaries From Derailing Reform in China - Paul Monk - The Atlantic
How to Stop Reactionaries From Derailing Reform in China - Paul Monk - The Atlantic: In 1898, leading proponents of political reform in China were killed or exiled. One, Liang Qichao, came to -- of all places -- my own country, Australia. He witnessed the founding of the Australian Commonwealth and wrote to his Chinese readers that China should become a constitutional monarchy with a federal government like Australia's new government. Who would have thought that a highly educated Chinese intellectual would see in far-away Australia a political model for the decadent Middle Kingdom? Yet he did.
In 1911-12, he helped overthrow the Qing and a found a Chinese republic. He led one of several parties in democratic elections in China, in December 1912. Some 40 million male, propertied citizens elected a 596-member National Assembly. It convened in Beijing to deliberate over and create a new republican constitution. This was to be the beginning of a modern, democratic China, inspired by the West, not oppressed or plundered by it. That was exactly 100 years ago next month.
In 1911-12, he helped overthrow the Qing and a found a Chinese republic. He led one of several parties in democratic elections in China, in December 1912. Some 40 million male, propertied citizens elected a 596-member National Assembly. It convened in Beijing to deliberate over and create a new republican constitution. This was to be the beginning of a modern, democratic China, inspired by the West, not oppressed or plundered by it. That was exactly 100 years ago next month.
Election maps!
Election maps: We can correct for this by making use of a cartogram, a map in which the sizes of states are rescaled according to their population. That is, states are drawn with size proportional not to their acreage but to the number of their inhabitants, states with more people appearing larger than states with fewer, regardless of their actual area on the ground. On such a map, for example, the state of Rhode Island, with its 1.1 million inhabitants, would appear about twice the size of Wyoming, which has half a million, even though Wyoming has 60 times the acreage of Rhode Island.
Here are the 2012 presidential election results on a population cartogram of this type:
Here are the 2012 presidential election results on a population cartogram of this type:
Ace of Spades HQ
Ace of Spades HQ: So, the end result was that 30,000 of the most active and fired-up volunteers were wandering around confused and frustrated when they could have been doing anything else to help. Like driving people to the polls, phone-banking, walking door-to-door, etc. We lost by fairly small margins in Florida, Virginia, Ohio and Colorado. If this had worked could it have closed the gap? I sure hope not for my sanity's sake.
The bitter irony of this entire endeavor was that a supposedly small government candidate gutted the local structure of GOTV efforts in favor of a centralized, faceless organization in a far off place (in this case, their Boston headquarters). Wrap your head around that.
The bitter irony of this entire endeavor was that a supposedly small government candidate gutted the local structure of GOTV efforts in favor of a centralized, faceless organization in a far off place (in this case, their Boston headquarters). Wrap your head around that.
09 November, 2012
China: Worse Than You Ever Imagined by Ian Johnson | The New York Review of Books
China: Worse Than You Ever Imagined by Ian Johnson | The New York Review of Books:
In 1957, however, Mao launched the Anti-Rightist Campaign, a wave of terror that wiped out or cowed much of the intelligentsia, terrifying even members of his inner circle. That allowed him to pursue collectivization, which reversed land reform by taking land from the peasants. Instead of peasants owning the land, the state did, giving it complete control over agricultural production. Enthusiasm fell, and with it production.
The famine grew out of Mao’s desire to speed up China’s development and force it into a utopian Communist vision that few in the Communist Party’s leadership had thought possible or desirable. When the Communists took power they had forced through a brutal land reform that killed millions of landlords and imagined enemies, but they had also redistributed property to peasants—an immensely popular measure that won Mao goodwill among many people. Then, however, Mao began to press for speedier development known as “rash advance.” Yang shows how the two other most influential leaders in the Party, Vice Chairman Liu Shaoqi and Premier Zhou Enlai, opposed “rash advance.” As early as 1951 Liu opposed collectivized agriculture as “erroneous, dangerous, fantastical.”
PLAYBOY INTERVIEW: STEPHEN COLBERT
PLAYBOY INTERVIEW: STEPHEN COLBERT:
COLBERT: ...But I have an opportunity as this character to do things. I have an opportunity to do things that lead to discovery.
PLAYBOY: For you or the audience?
COLBERT: For me and the audience. If you just talk about it, everyone sits on their hands and the reality of it just watches as you talk about it. But by putting yourself in it, reality has to respond to your actions. I don’t pretend that the camera doesn’t change things. But it’s a version of reality that allows us to show what normally doesn’t get seen.
PLAYBOY: How much money did you ultimately raise for your super PAC?
COLBERT: About $1.4 million. We’ve got somewhere between $850,000 and $900,000 left. We’ve spent about half a million dollars of it so far. Because running for president—or not running for president, whatever it was we did—is expensive. But I can spend it on anything I want. I could use my super PAC money to buy a private jet, and I have to justify it to no one. I wouldn’t have known that unless I had my own super PAC. That’s the great thing about throwing yourself into the story. You find out things you wouldn’t have known otherwise.
COLBERT: ...But I have an opportunity as this character to do things. I have an opportunity to do things that lead to discovery.
PLAYBOY: For you or the audience?
COLBERT: For me and the audience. If you just talk about it, everyone sits on their hands and the reality of it just watches as you talk about it. But by putting yourself in it, reality has to respond to your actions. I don’t pretend that the camera doesn’t change things. But it’s a version of reality that allows us to show what normally doesn’t get seen.
PLAYBOY: How much money did you ultimately raise for your super PAC?
COLBERT: About $1.4 million. We’ve got somewhere between $850,000 and $900,000 left. We’ve spent about half a million dollars of it so far. Because running for president—or not running for president, whatever it was we did—is expensive. But I can spend it on anything I want. I could use my super PAC money to buy a private jet, and I have to justify it to no one. I wouldn’t have known that unless I had my own super PAC. That’s the great thing about throwing yourself into the story. You find out things you wouldn’t have known otherwise.
Giles Milton: GOOD SHIP ZONG: THE MOST MACABRE INSURANCE CLAIM IN HISTORY
Giles Milton: GOOD SHIP ZONG: THE MOST MACABRE INSURANCE CLAIM IN HISTORY: After much persuasion, Kelsell changed his mind and agreed with the captain and other officers. The weakest slaves were to be pitched overboard that very day.
Captain Collingwood went below decks to select his ‘parcel’ of victims: on that first day, he decided to concentrate on the women and children, probably because he thought they would put up less of a struggle. A total of 54 were hurled out of the cabin windows and flailed in the sea before eventually drowning.
Captain Collingwood went below decks to select his ‘parcel’ of victims: on that first day, he decided to concentrate on the women and children, probably because he thought they would put up less of a struggle. A total of 54 were hurled out of the cabin windows and flailed in the sea before eventually drowning.
Louis Menand: Looking Back at the Cold War : The New Yorker
Louis Menand: Looking Back at the Cold War : The New Yorker: Although eastern Poland was one of the most impoverished areas in Central Europe, it was better off than the Soviet Union. As soon as the Soviets gained control of it, in 1939, they looted whatever they could get their hands on. Representatives of the People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs (also known as the N.K.V.D., predecessor of the K.G.B.) carried out an extermination program targeting the Polish �lite.
In the most notorious case, almost fifteen thousand Polish officers, most of them professionals in the reserve corps, were arrested and deported. More than four thousand were shot and buried in a forest outside Katyn, in western Russia. The rest went to special camps. Fewer than five hundred were ever heard of again. In all, 1.2 million Poles were deported to the U.S.S.R. by the Soviets from their half of Poland, an area with a population of thirteen million. Half of them died in captivity.
In the most notorious case, almost fifteen thousand Polish officers, most of them professionals in the reserve corps, were arrested and deported. More than four thousand were shot and buried in a forest outside Katyn, in western Russia. The rest went to special camps. Fewer than five hundred were ever heard of again. In all, 1.2 million Poles were deported to the U.S.S.R. by the Soviets from their half of Poland, an area with a population of thirteen million. Half of them died in captivity.
The horror of political ads
Ad War Wrap:
Specifically, the video is a "compressed recording of [last] Thursday's noon news broadcast on the Columbus, Ohio, CBS affiliate," via Jed Lewison:
Specifically, the video is a "compressed recording of [last] Thursday's noon news broadcast on the Columbus, Ohio, CBS affiliate," via Jed Lewison:
If you didn't have the patience to watch the entire clip, I don't blame you. Here's what you missed:
* Just over 10 minutes worth of political ads packed into a half-hour newscast
* 22 consecutive political ads (including 1 voter ID PSA)
5 ads attacking Obama (all from outside groups)
* 2 ads supporting Romney (one from Romney campaign, one from Crossroads)
* 2 ads attacking Romney (one from OFA, one from Priorities)
* 4 ads attacking Sherrod Brown (all outside groups)
* 1 ad supporting Sherrod Brown (from his campaign)
* The rest of the ads were for local ballot issues or candidates
Come On, Feel the Buzz | Alex Pareene | The Baffler
Come On, Feel the Buzz | Alex Pareene | The Baffler:
The future of Internet-enabled political journalism now seems to be little more than a Hobson’s choice between wide-eyed elation at Newt Gingrich’s excellent submarine ride or a sober appraisal of the essential honesty of Mitt Romney’s campaign manager. And so there is one undeniable truth to be gleaned from the many meaningless legacies that Politico shall undoubtedly bequeath to the generation of political scribes it is now schooling: the major forces of Washington’s political establishment have little to fear from the mighty democratic specter of an Internet-empowered citizenry. Their many ornate depravities are in less danger than ever of getting revealed to the public at large—unless, that is, they let slip a remark that can be tortured into a seventh-grade- level double entendre.
The future of Internet-enabled political journalism now seems to be little more than a Hobson’s choice between wide-eyed elation at Newt Gingrich’s excellent submarine ride or a sober appraisal of the essential honesty of Mitt Romney’s campaign manager. And so there is one undeniable truth to be gleaned from the many meaningless legacies that Politico shall undoubtedly bequeath to the generation of political scribes it is now schooling: the major forces of Washington’s political establishment have little to fear from the mighty democratic specter of an Internet-empowered citizenry. Their many ornate depravities are in less danger than ever of getting revealed to the public at large—unless, that is, they let slip a remark that can be tortured into a seventh-grade- level double entendre.
Middle East Lost - By Shadi Hamid | Foreign Policy
Middle East Lost - By Shadi Hamid | Foreign Policy: Instead of offering clear, consistent support for the Arab uprisings, the Obama administration's response has been characterized by what I call "aggressive hedging." As a result, the United States has somehow managed to alienate both sides of the Arab cold war: Dictators think we're naively pro-revolution, and Arab protesters and rebels worry we're still siding with the dictators.
To be sure, this particular problem predates the past four years. Candidate Obama, being the anti-Bush option, had never been a proponent of a more aggressive pro-democracy posture in the region. But, even as the uprisings unfolded, capturing the imagination of millions of Americans, the Obama administration remained unwilling to come to terms with new realities. In the third presidential debate in Boca Raton, Obama said that the United States stood with the Tunisian people "earlier than just about any other country." This is not quite true: As late as January 12, two days before Tunisian strongman Zein al-Abidine Ben Ali fell, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asserted -- twice -- that the United States was "not taking sides."
To be sure, this particular problem predates the past four years. Candidate Obama, being the anti-Bush option, had never been a proponent of a more aggressive pro-democracy posture in the region. But, even as the uprisings unfolded, capturing the imagination of millions of Americans, the Obama administration remained unwilling to come to terms with new realities. In the third presidential debate in Boca Raton, Obama said that the United States stood with the Tunisian people "earlier than just about any other country." This is not quite true: As late as January 12, two days before Tunisian strongman Zein al-Abidine Ben Ali fell, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asserted -- twice -- that the United States was "not taking sides."
08 November, 2012
A Short Lesson in Perspective
A Short Lesson in Perspective:
1. The creative industry operates largely by holding ‘creative’ people ransom to their own self-image, precarious sense of self-worth, and fragile – if occasionally out of control ego. We tend to set ourselves impossibly high standards, and are invariably our own toughest critics. Satisfying our own lofty demands is usually a lot harder than appeasing any client, who in my experience tend to have disappointingly low expectations. Most artists and designers I know would rather work all night than turn in a sub-standard job. It is a universal truth that all artists think they a frauds and charlatans, and live in constant fear of being exposed. We believe by working harder than anyone else we can evaded detection. The bean-counters rumbled this centuries ago and have been profitably exploiting this weakness ever since. You don’t have to drive creative folk like most workers. They drive themselves. Just wind ‘em up and let ‘em go.
1. The creative industry operates largely by holding ‘creative’ people ransom to their own self-image, precarious sense of self-worth, and fragile – if occasionally out of control ego. We tend to set ourselves impossibly high standards, and are invariably our own toughest critics. Satisfying our own lofty demands is usually a lot harder than appeasing any client, who in my experience tend to have disappointingly low expectations. Most artists and designers I know would rather work all night than turn in a sub-standard job. It is a universal truth that all artists think they a frauds and charlatans, and live in constant fear of being exposed. We believe by working harder than anyone else we can evaded detection. The bean-counters rumbled this centuries ago and have been profitably exploiting this weakness ever since. You don’t have to drive creative folk like most workers. They drive themselves. Just wind ‘em up and let ‘em go.
07 November, 2012
Obama Campaign Clawed Back After a Dismal Debate - NYTimes.com
Obama Campaign Clawed Back After a Dismal Debate - NYTimes.com:
But then, Mr. Romney quietly decided it was over. “It’s not going to happen,” he said
Even as the networks declared Mr. Obama the winner, Mr. Romney, who had earlier told reporters he had written only a victory speech, paused before the walk downstairs from his hotel room in Boston. It was 11:30 p.m., and Romney field teams in Ohio, Virginia and Florida called in, saying the race was too close for the candidate to give up. At least four planes were ready to go, and aides had bags packed for recount battles in narrowly divided states. Bob White, a close Romney friend and adviser, was prepared to tell the waiting crowd that Mr. Romney would not yet concede.
How Conservative Media Lost to the MSM and Failed the Rank and File - Conor Friedersdorf - The Atlantic
How Conservative Media Lost to the MSM and Failed the Rank and File - Conor Friedersdorf - The Atlantic:
Conservatives were at a disadvantage because Romney supporters like Jennifer Rubin and Hugh Hewitt saw it as their duty to spin constantly for their favored candidate rather than being frank about his strengths and weaknesses. What conservative Washington Post readers got, when they traded in Dave Weigel for Rubin, was a lot more hackery and a lot less informed about the presidential election.
Conservatives were at an information disadvantage because so many right-leaning outlets wasted time on stories the rest of America dismissed as nonsense. WorldNetDaily brought you birtherism. Forbes brought you Kenyan anti-colonialism. National Review obsessed about an imaginary rejection of American exceptionalism, misrepresenting an Obama quote in the process, and Andy McCarthy was interviewed widely about his theory that Obama, aka the Drone Warrior in Chief, allied himself with our Islamist enemies in a "Grand Jihad" against America. Seriously?
Conservatives were at a disadvantage because Romney supporters like Jennifer Rubin and Hugh Hewitt saw it as their duty to spin constantly for their favored candidate rather than being frank about his strengths and weaknesses. What conservative Washington Post readers got, when they traded in Dave Weigel for Rubin, was a lot more hackery and a lot less informed about the presidential election.
Conservatives were at an information disadvantage because so many right-leaning outlets wasted time on stories the rest of America dismissed as nonsense. WorldNetDaily brought you birtherism. Forbes brought you Kenyan anti-colonialism. National Review obsessed about an imaginary rejection of American exceptionalism, misrepresenting an Obama quote in the process, and Andy McCarthy was interviewed widely about his theory that Obama, aka the Drone Warrior in Chief, allied himself with our Islamist enemies in a "Grand Jihad" against America. Seriously?
From the raw HTML....
Is Nate Silver a Witch?:
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To Beat the President | RedState
To Beat the President | RedState: I have spent five years and a few months loudly saying Mitt Romney could not win the Presidency and a month and a half actually thinking he could through no act of his own, but rather the act of the President failing miserably in the first debate.
I should have stuck to my guns and I’m sorry I did not. But the truth is, had I, most of you would have left RedState long ago in disgust and even now I’d be being burned in effigy by major voices within the GOP for talking down the nominee. In the past few months there has been little gained, with so much at stake, pointing out the failures of the Romney campaign. Pointing out the polls were not rigged has still left hard feelings with a number of you. But it turns out I was wrong about them being skewed too far to the Democrats.
I should have stuck to my guns and I’m sorry I did not. But the truth is, had I, most of you would have left RedState long ago in disgust and even now I’d be being burned in effigy by major voices within the GOP for talking down the nominee. In the past few months there has been little gained, with so much at stake, pointing out the failures of the Romney campaign. Pointing out the polls were not rigged has still left hard feelings with a number of you. But it turns out I was wrong about them being skewed too far to the Democrats.
How Karl Rove Fought With Fox Over the Ohio Call -- Daily Intel
How Karl Rove Fought With Fox Over the Ohio Call -- Daily Intel:
Shortly after 11 p.m., Bret Baier went on-camera to read a script written by Fox’s Washington managing editor Bill Sammon, based on an analysis by the network's decision desk, announcing Ohio for Obama. “That’s the presidency, essentially," Baier said.
Shortly after 11 p.m., Bret Baier went on-camera to read a script written by Fox’s Washington managing editor Bill Sammon, based on an analysis by the network's decision desk, announcing Ohio for Obama. “That’s the presidency, essentially," Baier said.
Instantly, Fox phones lit up with angry phone calls and e-mails from the Romney campaign, who believed that the call was premature, since tallies in several Republican-leaning Southern counties hadn't been been fully tabulated. "The Romney people were totally screaming that we’re totally wrong," one Fox source said. "To various people, they were saying, 'your decision team is wrong.'" According to a Fox insider, Rove had been in contact with the Romney people all night. After the Ohio call, Rove — whose super-PAC had spent as much as $300 million on the election, to little avail — took their complaints public, conducting an on-air primer on Ohio's electoral math in disputing the call.
The Total Predictability of Barack Obama's Wisconsin Win
The Total Predictability of Barack Obama's Wisconsin Win:
June 5, 2012. Scott Walker triumphs in a forced recall election. But an exit poll of the voters who saved him reveals that they support Barack Obama. If they were voting in the presidential race, they'd back Obama by 7 points, 51-44.
November 6, 2012. For understandable reasons, Republicans convince themselves that they can win Wisconsin. They ignore the Marquette poll, which nailed the recall, and says they'll lose. They go to the polls.
Obama wins by 7 points, 53-46.
June 5, 2012. Scott Walker triumphs in a forced recall election. But an exit poll of the voters who saved him reveals that they support Barack Obama. If they were voting in the presidential race, they'd back Obama by 7 points, 51-44.
November 6, 2012. For understandable reasons, Republicans convince themselves that they can win Wisconsin. They ignore the Marquette poll, which nailed the recall, and says they'll lose. They go to the polls.
Obama wins by 7 points, 53-46.
Is Nate Silver a Witch?
Is Nate Silver a Witch?: PROBABLY
As of press time, Nate Silver is probably a witch.
His unusually accurate predictions are, thus far, explained by his use of validated statistical methods. His disregard of momentum, gut feelings, and the interpretations of people paid to promote certain viewpoints is not the result of supernatural assistance.
While we on the Is Nate Silver a Witch editorial board are strict rationalists, Mr Silver’s performance has been uncanny enough to raisesmall but significant doubts as to whether his methodology is entirely of this world. We are following the situation closely.
As of press time, Nate Silver is probably a witch.
While we on the Is Nate Silver a Witch editorial board are strict rationalists, Mr Silver’s performance has been uncanny enough to raise
Four More Years: Reader Reax
Four More Years: Reader Reax:
Another:
Another:
I wrote you about Romney's 2007 candid video. I expressed how it was the first time I'd felt sympathy for him. Last night, I saw that same Romney. My heart breaks for him. He's a good man. But his party is rotten at the core and he didn't have the courage to tell it to them straight.
Bush's tragedy was hubris. Romney's tragedy is cowardice.
06 November, 2012
Exit Pulse | The Swamped Fox
Exit Pulse | The Swamped Fox:
Perhaps it's because I'm from a solid colored state that I can afford to waffle, to entertain questions. As much as the platitudes and Facebook statuses say voting matters, statistically mine does not. I do not hold the fate of this country in my hands the way I might in Ohio or Virginia, Florida or Pennsylvania. But perhaps it's because our other rights are slowly evaporating after affronts by both sides--between Citizens United and targeted killing, just to name a few--that I feel the need to waffle at all.
I almost elected to vote outside the box. To abstain or protest. There isn't a candidate who shares my point of view (which if you want, we can talk about). But even if the system is broken, I am a part of it, and I hope and pray someday there will be leaders I can truly believe in, and then there will be change.
Perhaps it's because I'm from a solid colored state that I can afford to waffle, to entertain questions. As much as the platitudes and Facebook statuses say voting matters, statistically mine does not. I do not hold the fate of this country in my hands the way I might in Ohio or Virginia, Florida or Pennsylvania. But perhaps it's because our other rights are slowly evaporating after affronts by both sides--between Citizens United and targeted killing, just to name a few--that I feel the need to waffle at all.
I almost elected to vote outside the box. To abstain or protest. There isn't a candidate who shares my point of view (which if you want, we can talk about). But even if the system is broken, I am a part of it, and I hope and pray someday there will be leaders I can truly believe in, and then there will be change.
05 November, 2012
The Problem with FEMA No One Is Talking About - Matthew E. Kahn - Harvard Business Review
The Problem with FEMA No One Is Talking About - Matthew E. Kahn - Harvard Business Review: But we also have to acknowledge one of the unintended consequences of the agency's existence: it squelches our ability to adapt to climate change. That by itself is a good reason to get rid of it (for the most part).
For a minute, imagine that there was no FEMA and each geographic location was on its own, forced to use private insurance and state-level funds to rebuild after disasters. Such constraints would likely encourage less risk taking before a disaster. When coastal states saw that their own resources would be used to repair flood damage, for instance, than political leaders would have stronger incentives to discourage housing development in flood-prone areas and to encourage greater investments in precautions like tree trimming to reduce storm damage. The net effect of such a shift in the rules of the game could be a significant reduction the cost of natural disasters. Without FEMA, states and municipalities would have better incentives to make direct investments in protecting their territory. That seems to be a clear call to do away with the agency.
For a minute, imagine that there was no FEMA and each geographic location was on its own, forced to use private insurance and state-level funds to rebuild after disasters. Such constraints would likely encourage less risk taking before a disaster. When coastal states saw that their own resources would be used to repair flood damage, for instance, than political leaders would have stronger incentives to discourage housing development in flood-prone areas and to encourage greater investments in precautions like tree trimming to reduce storm damage. The net effect of such a shift in the rules of the game could be a significant reduction the cost of natural disasters. Without FEMA, states and municipalities would have better incentives to make direct investments in protecting their territory. That seems to be a clear call to do away with the agency.
How to Stop Illegal Downloads
Dan Ariely � Blog Archive How to Stop Illegal Downloads �: Recently in a lecture on dishonesty in San Francisco I was explaining, as I always do, that dishonesty is largely founded on our ability to rationalize, and a young guy stood up and argued that downloading music was actually the right thing to do. He said that the companies make lots of money while artists don’t (they make the music for the public, not for profit). And either way, he wouldn’t buy the music anyway so it wouldn’t make a difference. “My friend,” I said, “thank you for proving my point about rationalization.” Then I asked him to imagine if the product in question represented several months or even years of his life. All that time he was creating, writing, editing, and marketing this thing in order to fund his next project. And then everyone downloaded it, illegally, for free. At which point he sat down.
Alex Ross: Love on the March : The New Yorker
Alex Ross: Love on the March : The New Yorker: The initial response of the Reagan Administration—and of the mainstream media—is well summarized by a Larry Speakes press briefing in October, 1982:
Q: Larry, does the President have any reaction to the announcement [from] the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta that AIDS is now an epidemic and have over 600 cases?
MR. SPEAKES: What’s AIDS?
Q: Over a third of them have died. It’s known as “gay plague.” (Laughter.) No, it is. I mean it’s a pretty serious thing that one in every three people that get this have died. And I wondered if the President is aware of it?
MR. SPEAKES: I don’t have it. Do you? (Laughter.)
Q: Larry, does the President have any reaction to the announcement [from] the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta that AIDS is now an epidemic and have over 600 cases?
MR. SPEAKES: What’s AIDS?
Q: Over a third of them have died. It’s known as “gay plague.” (Laughter.) No, it is. I mean it’s a pretty serious thing that one in every three people that get this have died. And I wondered if the President is aware of it?
MR. SPEAKES: I don’t have it. Do you? (Laughter.)
J. Christopher Stevens, a final salute
Sean Flynn straightens out the story of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens's last days in Libya: Newsmakers: GQ:
Stevens planned to stay in Benghazi for five days. He'd had meetings in the city on Monday, and he would have more outside the compound on Wednesday. On Thursday, perhaps the most important day of his visit, he planned to turn over the Benghazi mission to the Libyans. The compound would be rechristened "an American Space," and it would offer English lessons and Internet access and show films and stock a library. The United States would provide some computers, books, and the rest of the materials and support—but it would be owned and operated by locals. "An American Space," Stevens planned to say, "is a living example of the kind of partnership between our two countries which we hope to inspire."
Stevens had an affection for Benghazi—where the uprising against Muammar Qaddafi had begun—and the city for him, because Stevens had stood with its people during that uprising. During the revolution, he'd spent most of his time in the streets, talking, mingling, exploring. Nathan Tek, a young foreign-service officer who'd been at his side in 2011, remembers Stevens getting antsy if he was cooped up too long. "He wanted to experience the city as normally as possible," Tek says. "And he understood that security wasn't just big guys with guns and armored convoys. It was having friends, lots of friends, and having people treat you as a guest."
Stevens planned to stay in Benghazi for five days. He'd had meetings in the city on Monday, and he would have more outside the compound on Wednesday. On Thursday, perhaps the most important day of his visit, he planned to turn over the Benghazi mission to the Libyans. The compound would be rechristened "an American Space," and it would offer English lessons and Internet access and show films and stock a library. The United States would provide some computers, books, and the rest of the materials and support—but it would be owned and operated by locals. "An American Space," Stevens planned to say, "is a living example of the kind of partnership between our two countries which we hope to inspire."
Stevens had an affection for Benghazi—where the uprising against Muammar Qaddafi had begun—and the city for him, because Stevens had stood with its people during that uprising. During the revolution, he'd spent most of his time in the streets, talking, mingling, exploring. Nathan Tek, a young foreign-service officer who'd been at his side in 2011, remembers Stevens getting antsy if he was cooped up too long. "He wanted to experience the city as normally as possible," Tek says. "And he understood that security wasn't just big guys with guns and armored convoys. It was having friends, lots of friends, and having people treat you as a guest."
Former McCain strategist: Voter fraud “doesn’t really exist” - Salon.com
Former McCain strategist: Voter fraud “doesn’t really exist” - Salon.com: Steve Schmidt, a senior strategist for John McCain during his 2008 presidential campaign, said on MSNBC this morning that the idea of voter fraud “doesn’t really exist.”
“I think that all of this stuff that has transpired over the last two years is in search of a solution to a problem, voting fraud, that doesn’t really exist when you look deeply at the question,” Schmidt said. “It’s part of the mythology now in the Republican Party that there’s widespread voter fraud across the country. In fact, there’s not.”
“I think that all of this stuff that has transpired over the last two years is in search of a solution to a problem, voting fraud, that doesn’t really exist when you look deeply at the question,” Schmidt said. “It’s part of the mythology now in the Republican Party that there’s widespread voter fraud across the country. In fact, there’s not.”
Chart Of The Day
Chart Of The Day:
The Economist looks at which party has better balanced our books over the long term:
The Economist looks at which party has better balanced our books over the long term:
Since the end of the second world war, Democratic presidents have been
considerably more successful than Republican presidents at keeping a
tight grip on the nation's finances. Democrats have presided over
reductions in the debt burden, on net, while Republicans have led in
periods with net increases in borrowing.
The looming GOP civil war -- whether Mitt wins or not - Jonathan Martin - POLITICO.com
The looming GOP civil war -- whether Mitt wins or not - Jonathan Martin - POLITICO.com:
“If I hear anybody say it was because Romney wasn’t conservative enough I’m going to go nuts,” said Graham. “We’re not losing 95 percent of African-Americans and two-thirds of Hispanics and voters under 30 because we’re not being hard-ass enough.”
Of the party’s reliance on a shrinking pool of white men, one former top George W. Bush official said: “We’re in a demographic boa constrictor and it gets tighter every single election.”
The first big issue that Republicans will confront is the so-called fiscal cliff and whether to cut a major deal on entitlements and taxes with Democrats in a divided Senate. Veteran GOP officials think a President Romney would be much more likely to win support for a compromise from tea party-backed Republicans than a second-term Obama.
“If I hear anybody say it was because Romney wasn’t conservative enough I’m going to go nuts,” said Graham. “We’re not losing 95 percent of African-Americans and two-thirds of Hispanics and voters under 30 because we’re not being hard-ass enough.”
Of the party’s reliance on a shrinking pool of white men, one former top George W. Bush official said: “We’re in a demographic boa constrictor and it gets tighter every single election.”
The first big issue that Republicans will confront is the so-called fiscal cliff and whether to cut a major deal on entitlements and taxes with Democrats in a divided Senate. Veteran GOP officials think a President Romney would be much more likely to win support for a compromise from tea party-backed Republicans than a second-term Obama.
04 November, 2012
'Star Wars' sequel author Timothy Zahn weighs in on new movie plans | Inside Movies | EW.com
'Star Wars' sequel author Timothy Zahn weighs in on new movie plans | Inside Movies | EW.com: But years ago, he was briefed on Lucas’ plans for sequels, and how the Thrawn books would fit in. “The original idea as I understood it— and Lucas changes his mind off and on, so it may not be what he’s thinking right now – but it was going to be three generations. You’d have the original trilogy, then go back to Luke’s father and find out what happened to him [in the prequels], and if there was another 7th, 8th, or 9th film, it would be Luke’s children. The Thrawn Trilogy really would have fit into the gap,” the author said....
The author gave a name to the galaxy’s capital planet – Coruscant – which Lucas kept for the prequels, and he introduced some beloved figures that any later Star Wars movie would be wise to remember.
The author gave a name to the galaxy’s capital planet – Coruscant – which Lucas kept for the prequels, and he introduced some beloved figures that any later Star Wars movie would be wise to remember.
Neato feature
512 Paths to the White House - Interactive Feature - NYTimes.com: Select a winner in the most competitive states below to see all the paths to victory available for either candidate.
On religion and ritual
Rowan Williams got it right about ritual | | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk: I recently argued that Rowan Williams's time at Canterbury has been dominated by his denigration of the liberal state. But I added, in passing, that there was another side to my view of this complex theologian: he has also deepened my understanding of the ritual basis of Christianity. I want to expand on this.
To put it bluntly, he has helped me to see that Christianity is not essentially a big idea that we must try to spread, by arguing for its truth, but a cultural tradition, centred on the church's ritual. In other words, he has helped me to see the intellectual strength of Anglo-Catholic tradition.
To put it bluntly, he has helped me to see that Christianity is not essentially a big idea that we must try to spread, by arguing for its truth, but a cultural tradition, centred on the church's ritual. In other words, he has helped me to see the intellectual strength of Anglo-Catholic tradition.
‘Eco-Taxes’ Planned for a Second Obama Term? | RedState
‘Eco-Taxes’ Planned for a Second Obama Term? | RedState: The issue of Climate Change has been a no-show in the 2012 election cycle; one would think that ManBearPig had been named an endangered species. But a two-year study commisioned by Barack Obama’s Treasury Department will recommend ways to “green” the tax code by using it to craft disincentives for creating carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
If you wanted to design a sure-fire recovery-killer, you couldn’t do much better than a carbon tax. Obama has targeted the oil, natural gas and coal industries throughout his first term. There’s no doubt that a study legitimizing tax warfare on domestic energy extraction would enable an all-out attempt to cram “green” reforms through Congress starting early in 2013.
If you wanted to design a sure-fire recovery-killer, you couldn’t do much better than a carbon tax. Obama has targeted the oil, natural gas and coal industries throughout his first term. There’s no doubt that a study legitimizing tax warfare on domestic energy extraction would enable an all-out attempt to cram “green” reforms through Congress starting early in 2013.
BuiltLikeTaft comments on Around what time did Americans stop speaking with a British accent?
BuiltLikeTaft comments on Around what time did Americans stop speaking with a British accent?: However, if geography influenced some American accents to mirror some of the changes going on in British English, then it could also prevent them from occurring. Appalachia was much more isolated, and tended to retain its rhoticity. Its isolation also meant that it tended to keep a bunch of lexical features that fell out of standard English. One of my favorite is the past tense holp of the verb to help. If the major centers on the coast were keeping up with the Brits, places on the interior weren't.
It's also important to remember that much of the settlement of the US was done by non-English people. Pennsylvania was largely settled by German speakers, some of whom still retain a strong sense of German culture. Minnesota and the Dakotas were heavily settled by Scandinavians, Chicago by Polish and Irish (whose English was and is very rhotic).
It's also important to remember that much of the settlement of the US was done by non-English people. Pennsylvania was largely settled by German speakers, some of whom still retain a strong sense of German culture. Minnesota and the Dakotas were heavily settled by Scandinavians, Chicago by Polish and Irish (whose English was and is very rhotic).
What's the foreign policy agenda for the next four years? | Stephen M. Walt
What's the foreign policy agenda for the next four years? | Stephen M. Walt: No matter how much you hear about the importance of cooperating with China, a serious rivalry is almost inevitable. I don't expect a shooting war -- and certainly not in the next four years -- instead, the key element of that rivalry will be a competition for influence in Asia. The United States is already trying to shore up ties with Japan, Korea, India, and various Southeast Asian nations, and China is going to try to limit with this process where it can.
Meet the Most Indebted Man in the World - Matthew O'Brien - The Atlantic
Meet the Most Indebted Man in the World - Matthew O'Brien - The Atlantic: He can earn million-dollar gains without anybody knowing. He can execute make-believe trades by sending fake emails from hacked computers. He doesn't always lose money. But when he does, he loses more than $6 billion. He is ... the most indebted man in the world.
Jerome Kerviel is learning one of life's harsher lessons: It stinks to be $6.3 billion in debt. That's how much his fraudulent trades in 2007 and 2008 cost French bank Societe Generale, and how much he has been ordered to pay in restitution -- after he gets out of jail in three years. A judge recently upheld these terms on appeal.
Stay risky, my friends?
Jerome Kerviel is learning one of life's harsher lessons: It stinks to be $6.3 billion in debt. That's how much his fraudulent trades in 2007 and 2008 cost French bank Societe Generale, and how much he has been ordered to pay in restitution -- after he gets out of jail in three years. A judge recently upheld these terms on appeal.
Stay risky, my friends?
China party meet says bye to Mao mantra, expels Bo - The Times of India
China party meet says bye to Mao mantra, expels Bo - The Times of India:
BEIJING: The political bureau of the Communist Party of China quietly brushed aside a 60-year-old mantra called 'The Mao Dezong Thought' in the official communique issued on Sunday after a four-day conclave. It also approved the earlier decision of the top leadership to expel disgraced politician Bo Xilai from the party's membership.
The latest move strengthens speculation that the party's new leaders will clearly distance themselves from the Mao legacy, which is seen as a hurdle in the process of economic liberalization and gradual political relaxation. However, the bureau confirmed it was being guided by the thoughts of post-reform leaders: Deng Xiaoping , Jiang Zeming and President Hu Jintao.
BEIJING: The political bureau of the Communist Party of China quietly brushed aside a 60-year-old mantra called 'The Mao Dezong Thought' in the official communique issued on Sunday after a four-day conclave. It also approved the earlier decision of the top leadership to expel disgraced politician Bo Xilai from the party's membership.
The latest move strengthens speculation that the party's new leaders will clearly distance themselves from the Mao legacy, which is seen as a hurdle in the process of economic liberalization and gradual political relaxation. However, the bureau confirmed it was being guided by the thoughts of post-reform leaders: Deng Xiaoping , Jiang Zeming and President Hu Jintao.
Boston Review — Gabriel O’Malley: The Execution of Carlos DeLuna
Boston Review — Gabriel O’Malley: The Execution of Carlos DeLuna:
Despite this trend, one rhetorical point has persisted for death penalty advocates: if the judicial system were so bad, and innocents were being killed, we surely would have heard about it by now. “We would not have to hunt for it,” Justice Antonin Scalia said recently, “the innocent’s name would be shouted from the rooftops.” We have heard of innocents being released, the argument goes, but it has never been clear that the state has executed an individual for a crime he or she did not commit.
That is, until now.
In May, the Columbia Human Rights Law Review dedicated an entire issue to the story of Carlos DeLuna, who was executed by the state of Texas in 1989. The article, “Los Tocayos Carlos: An Anatomy of a Wrongful Execution,” forthcoming as a book, runs 434 pages long, reads like Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, and is groundbreaking in its detail and scope. Its conclusion: Texas murdered an innocent man.
Despite this trend, one rhetorical point has persisted for death penalty advocates: if the judicial system were so bad, and innocents were being killed, we surely would have heard about it by now. “We would not have to hunt for it,” Justice Antonin Scalia said recently, “the innocent’s name would be shouted from the rooftops.” We have heard of innocents being released, the argument goes, but it has never been clear that the state has executed an individual for a crime he or she did not commit.
That is, until now.
In May, the Columbia Human Rights Law Review dedicated an entire issue to the story of Carlos DeLuna, who was executed by the state of Texas in 1989. The article, “Los Tocayos Carlos: An Anatomy of a Wrongful Execution,” forthcoming as a book, runs 434 pages long, reads like Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, and is groundbreaking in its detail and scope. Its conclusion: Texas murdered an innocent man.
British have invaded nine out of ten countries - so look out Luxembourg - Telegraph
British have invaded nine out of ten countries - so look out Luxembourg - Telegraph: A new study has found that at various times the British have invaded almost 90 per cent of the countries around the globe.
The analysis of the histories of the almost 200 countries in the world found only 22 which have never experienced an invasion by the British.
The analysis of the histories of the almost 200 countries in the world found only 22 which have never experienced an invasion by the British.
03 November, 2012
The Case for Obama and Against Liberal Despair - Mike Lofgren - The Atlantic
The Case for Obama and Against Liberal Despair - Mike Lofgren - The Atlantic: In his "closing argument" speech on November 2, in West Allis, Wisconsin, candidate Romney all but threatened the country with a government shutdown and national default should Obama be re-elected, saying that only that he, Romney, could work with the congressional Republicans who pushed the country to the brink in the summer of 2011.
Interview with Maurice Sendak - e-books mention
The Believer - Interview with Maurice Sendak:
BLVR: What do you think of e-books?
MS: I hate them. It’s like making believe there’s another kind of sex. There isn’t another kind of sex. There isn’t another kind of book. A book is a book is a book. I know that’s terribly old-fashioned. I’m old, and when I’m gone they’ll probably try to make my books on all these things, but I’m going to fight it like hell. [Pauses] I can’t believe I’ve turned into a typical old man. I can’t believe it. I was young just minutes ago.
BLVR: Is the problem with e-books partly a problem of color?
MS: Yes. Picture books depend on color, largely. And they haven’t perfected the color in those machines. But it’s not that. It’s giving up a form that is so beautiful. A book is really like a lover. It arranges itself in your life in a way that is beautiful. Even as a kid, my sister, who was the eldest, brought books home for me, and I think I spent more time sniffing and touching them than reading. I just remember the joy of the book; the beauty of the binding. The smelling of the interior. Happy.
BLVR: What do you think of e-books?
MS: I hate them. It’s like making believe there’s another kind of sex. There isn’t another kind of sex. There isn’t another kind of book. A book is a book is a book. I know that’s terribly old-fashioned. I’m old, and when I’m gone they’ll probably try to make my books on all these things, but I’m going to fight it like hell. [Pauses] I can’t believe I’ve turned into a typical old man. I can’t believe it. I was young just minutes ago.
BLVR: Is the problem with e-books partly a problem of color?
MS: Yes. Picture books depend on color, largely. And they haven’t perfected the color in those machines. But it’s not that. It’s giving up a form that is so beautiful. A book is really like a lover. It arranges itself in your life in a way that is beautiful. Even as a kid, my sister, who was the eldest, brought books home for me, and I think I spent more time sniffing and touching them than reading. I just remember the joy of the book; the beauty of the binding. The smelling of the interior. Happy.
In Soviet Russia, Storm Weathers You; Or, What You Might Get If You Gut FEMA | The New Republic
In Soviet Russia, Storm Weathers You; Or, What You Might Get If You Gut FEMA | The New Republic: Through it all, the Russian authorities and the official Russian press were largely silent. Russia has never been a transparent place where information flows freely, but when it was most needed, information became hardest to find. Should we leave the city? If so, where were the areas clear of smoke? How could we get there, and what was happening with the airports and train stations and roads? If we stayed, what precautions should we take to minimize inhalation and death? And, if you’re out in the regions and there’s fire approaching, what do you do? Russians (and I) were left to figure this stuff out on our own.
How Solar-Based Microgrids Could Bring Power to Millions | MIT Technology Review
How Solar-Based Microgrids Could Bring Power to Millions | MIT Technology Review: Worldwide, one and a half billion people lack electricity, most of them rural dwellers. (In India, for example, 268 million people are without electricity in rural areas, but only 21 million in cities.) The International Energy Agency says the type of power plant installed at Batu Laut, known as a hybrid microgrid, will be essential to bringing power to many of them. That's because connecting a remote community to the conventional power grid, with its large, centralized plants, is expensive and can take more than a decade. In some cases, geography and economics may never permit access to the grid. Hybrid microgrids can provide dependable electricity by intelligently combining power from multiple local sources, and building them is far cheaper and faster than extending the grid to the areas where most of the people without electricity live.
2013 Automobile of the Year: Tesla Model S - Automobile Magazine
2013 Automobile of the Year: Tesla Model S - Automobile Magazine:
Actually, the Model S can blow away almost anything. "It's the performance that won us over," admits editor-in-chief Jean Jennings. "The crazy speed builds silently and then pulls back the edges of your face. It had all of us endangering our licenses." Our Model S was of Signature Performance spec, which means its AC induction motor puts out 416 hp and that it blasts to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds. Even those numbers -- positively absurd for a large sedan that uses not a lick of gasoline -- fail to communicate how crazy it actually feels. "It's alarming to jam the accelerator of such a big car and have it surge forward so quickly and so quietly," says copy editor Rusty Blackwell. Like most electric cars, the Model S generates its torque almost instantly. Unlike most electric cars, Tesla's torque amounts to a prodigious 443 lb-ft, all of which goes to the rear wheels. The only indicators of your stunning momentum are the rush of scenery around you, a faint whine, and the digital speedometer's difficulty keeping pace. "Driving the Model S is decidedly not like piloting a Nissan Leaf or an electric Smart," notes road test editor Christopher Nelson. Contributor Ezra Dyer, meanwhile, was so impressed that he arranged an informal drag race to 100 mph with a 560-hp BMW M5. The Model S won. "It bears repeating: this thing is silly quick," he concluded.
Actually, the Model S can blow away almost anything. "It's the performance that won us over," admits editor-in-chief Jean Jennings. "The crazy speed builds silently and then pulls back the edges of your face. It had all of us endangering our licenses." Our Model S was of Signature Performance spec, which means its AC induction motor puts out 416 hp and that it blasts to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds. Even those numbers -- positively absurd for a large sedan that uses not a lick of gasoline -- fail to communicate how crazy it actually feels. "It's alarming to jam the accelerator of such a big car and have it surge forward so quickly and so quietly," says copy editor Rusty Blackwell. Like most electric cars, the Model S generates its torque almost instantly. Unlike most electric cars, Tesla's torque amounts to a prodigious 443 lb-ft, all of which goes to the rear wheels. The only indicators of your stunning momentum are the rush of scenery around you, a faint whine, and the digital speedometer's difficulty keeping pace. "Driving the Model S is decidedly not like piloting a Nissan Leaf or an electric Smart," notes road test editor Christopher Nelson. Contributor Ezra Dyer, meanwhile, was so impressed that he arranged an informal drag race to 100 mph with a 560-hp BMW M5. The Model S won. "It bears repeating: this thing is silly quick," he concluded.
Higher highway capacities and....
CONVERSABLE ECONOMIST: Driverless Cars: Driverless cars will alter the need for parking. Imagine that your car will drop you at your office door, head off to park itself, and come back when you call it. "In his book ReThinking a Lot (2012), Eran Ben-Joseph notes, “In some U.S. cities, parking lots cover more than a third of the land area, becoming the single most salient landscape feature of our built environment.”"
The Obama defectors
The Obama defectors: Obama is losing 16 percent of white non-evangelical Protestants who previously supported him to Romney, but also 19 percent of white Catholics. While he has lost 21 percent of his non-college-educated white men, he has also lost 17 percent of white male college graduates and 18 percent of women who didn’t attain four-year degrees. And Obama has lost between 11 percent and 14 percent of supporters in all three age groups: under 40 years old, 40-64, and 65-plus.
The Collaborator's Song
The Collaborator's Song - By Anne Applebaum | Foreign Policy: In the end, the combination of these two factors led people to rebel, if not openly then more subtly, in private. Indeed, if is a lesson from the experience of Soviet totalitarianism it is this: Sooner or later, people who have been forced, persuaded or cajoled into collaboration will object, especially to a political system which fails to deliver on its promises. In Eastern Europe, this happened almost immediately. After Stalin's death, when memories of post-war violence had subsided, protests took place across the bloc, most famously during Hungary's armed rebellion of 1956 but also in East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and even Bulgaria. Though none of these led to an immediate collapse of communist power, they and others which followed later on did help erode the authority and legitimacy of the entire system, in the Soviet Union as well as Eastern Europe.
Future coming.....
Advanced exoskeleton promises more independence for people with paraplegia | Research News @ Vanderbilt | Vanderbilt University: The dream of regaining the ability to stand up and walk has come closer to reality for people paralyzed below the waist who thought they would never take another step.
A team of engineers at Vanderbilt University’s Center for Intelligent Mechatronics has developed a powered exoskeleton that enables people with severe spinal cord injuries to stand, walk, sit and climb stairs. Its light weight, compact size and modular design promise to provide users with an unprecedented degree of independence.
The university has several patents pending on the design and Parker Hannifin Corporation – a global leader in motion and control technologies – has signed an exclusive licensing agreement to develop a commercial version of the device, which it plans on introducing in 2014.
A team of engineers at Vanderbilt University’s Center for Intelligent Mechatronics has developed a powered exoskeleton that enables people with severe spinal cord injuries to stand, walk, sit and climb stairs. Its light weight, compact size and modular design promise to provide users with an unprecedented degree of independence.
The university has several patents pending on the design and Parker Hannifin Corporation – a global leader in motion and control technologies – has signed an exclusive licensing agreement to develop a commercial version of the device, which it plans on introducing in 2014.
Google Now: behind the predictive future of search | The Verge
Google Now: behind the predictive future of search | The Verge: The Google that you're interacting with in Google Now is very different than the Google you used even a year ago. The company's products have often felt fragmented, serving small niches and launched without feeling fully thought-through — and then in too many cases simply killed off. That may have been a function of the fact that Google is so large and does so much — but Google Now is a sign that all the different parts of Google are finally working together in a cohesive way.
Why political journalists can’t stand Nate Silver: The limits of journalistic knowledge | Mark Coddington
Why political journalists can’t stand Nate Silver: The limits of journalistic knowledge | Mark Coddington:
That process is very roughly this: Journalists get access to privileged information from official sources, then evaluate, filter, and order it through the rather ineffable quality alternatively known as “news judgment,” “news sense,” or “savvy.” This norm of objectivity is how political journalists say to the public (and to themselves), “This is why you can trust what we say we know — because we found it out through this process.” (This is far from a new observation – there are decades of sociological research on this.)
Silver’s process — his epistemology — is almost exactly the opposite of this:
Where political journalists’ information is privileged, his is public, coming from poll results that all the rest of us see, too.
Where political journalists’ information is evaluated through a subjective and nebulous professional/cultural sense of judgment, his evaluation is systematic and scientifically based. It involves judgment, too, but because it’s based in a scientific process, we can trace how he applied that judgment to reach his conclusions.
That process is very roughly this: Journalists get access to privileged information from official sources, then evaluate, filter, and order it through the rather ineffable quality alternatively known as “news judgment,” “news sense,” or “savvy.” This norm of objectivity is how political journalists say to the public (and to themselves), “This is why you can trust what we say we know — because we found it out through this process.” (This is far from a new observation – there are decades of sociological research on this.)
Silver’s process — his epistemology — is almost exactly the opposite of this:
Where political journalists’ information is privileged, his is public, coming from poll results that all the rest of us see, too.
Where political journalists’ information is evaluated through a subjective and nebulous professional/cultural sense of judgment, his evaluation is systematic and scientifically based. It involves judgment, too, but because it’s based in a scientific process, we can trace how he applied that judgment to reach his conclusions.
01 November, 2012
For Politicians, an Ounce of Disaster Preparation Is Worth Nothing | Mother Jones
For Politicians, an Ounce of Disaster Preparation Is Worth Nothing | Mother Jones: Political science research shows that natural disasters can be a boon or an albatross to incumbent politicians. It all depends on how they react. Strangely enough, however, there's evidence that politicians don't get credit for spending money preparing adequately for a potential disaster—just for spending to alleviate disasters' effects.
That dynamic sets up some "perverse incentives," according to Stanford professor Neil Malhotra, who co-authored a 2009 study with Loyola Marymount professor Andrew Healy on the politics of natural disasters. "The government might under-invest in preparedness measures and infrastructure development in exchange for paying for disaster relief, since there are no electoral rewards for prevention," says Malhotra. "Since 1988, the amount of money the U.S. spends on disaster relief has increased 13 times while the amount spending on disaster preparedness has been flat."
That dynamic sets up some "perverse incentives," according to Stanford professor Neil Malhotra, who co-authored a 2009 study with Loyola Marymount professor Andrew Healy on the politics of natural disasters. "The government might under-invest in preparedness measures and infrastructure development in exchange for paying for disaster relief, since there are no electoral rewards for prevention," says Malhotra. "Since 1988, the amount of money the U.S. spends on disaster relief has increased 13 times while the amount spending on disaster preparedness has been flat."
You Too Can Be Like Former Daily Kos Blogger Nate Silver | RedState
You Too Can Be Like Former Daily Kos Blogger Nate Silver | RedState: In other words, it is worth noting to those on the right beating up Silver that the data is shaping his model. He is not shaping the data.
But it is also worth noting that for all the super-special pride accredited to Nate Silver and his predictive powers, you too can do it with a cheap Excel plugin.
Lastly, as a number of people have noted, including Sean Davis in this piece, the big issue this year is whether or not the state polls are wrong. If they are, then Silver is wrong. If they are right, Silver is right. It’s that simple. As Sean notes about 2010
But it is also worth noting that for all the super-special pride accredited to Nate Silver and his predictive powers, you too can do it with a cheap Excel plugin.
Lastly, as a number of people have noted, including Sean Davis in this piece, the big issue this year is whether or not the state polls are wrong. If they are, then Silver is wrong. If they are right, Silver is right. It’s that simple. As Sean notes about 2010
Far Right Radio Host Tells Gay Caller To Kill Himself
Far Right Radio Host Tells Gay Caller To Kill Himself:
Actually, it was just Sirius's far left radio host Michelangelo Signorile who did it - but imagine if it had been Limbaugh. Wouldn't every gay group be assailing him for hate speech? Why the advice to commit suicide - a pretty raw topic given recent events for gay teens? Because the caller had the gall to say he was gay and voting for Romney. Signorile told him to go to a store, get some arsenic, make a potion and take it. He also said that low-information voters like his listener should not be allowed to vote at all. The gay left: one of the last bastions of tolerance. I learned that the hard way.
Actually, it was just Sirius's far left radio host Michelangelo Signorile who did it - but imagine if it had been Limbaugh. Wouldn't every gay group be assailing him for hate speech? Why the advice to commit suicide - a pretty raw topic given recent events for gay teens? Because the caller had the gall to say he was gay and voting for Romney. Signorile told him to go to a store, get some arsenic, make a potion and take it. He also said that low-information voters like his listener should not be allowed to vote at all. The gay left: one of the last bastions of tolerance. I learned that the hard way.
Dear Barry Goldwater, From George Romney
Dear Barry Goldwater, From George Romney:
First, as to your remarks in Jamaica concerning the possible realignment of the Republican and Democratic parties into “conservative” and "liberal" parties. Whatever the circumstances of the statement, you have indicated that you believe that might be "a happy thing." I disagree.
We need only look at the experience of some ideologically oriented parties in Europe to realize that chaos can result. Dogmatic ideological parties tend to splinter the political and social fabric of a nation, lead to governmental crises and deadlock, and stymie the compromises so often necessary to preserve freedom and achieve progress. A broad based two party structure produces a degree of political stability and viability not otherwise attainable.
I believe, therefore, that we should exert every effort to broaden and strengthen our Republican party, as a means of preserving a strong
two-party system, which is an essential element of a free country.
Next, you state that you are "confused" about the language of the Denver statement that "we need to become inclusive rather than exclusive." It seems to me that the arithmetic of the election should make this unmistakably clear.
A political party which drops from 35,000.000 votes in 1960 to 27,000,000 votes in 1964 has certainly narrowed its orientation and support. The party's need to become more broadly inclusive and attractive should be obvious
to anyone.......
Barry, from a personal standpoint as well as party standpoint, I wish the past year had turned out differently so I could have followed my personal attitude toward you as a friend and endorsed you.
Lenore joins me in wishing the new year will be one of health and happiness for you and Peggy and your loved ones.
Sincerely, GEORGE ROMNEY
Hugh Grant Opines
What I’m fighting for � The Spectator: Which is why I’m so sad about what has happened to our newspaper industry. The British press has always been and always should be (and I would leap into Paul Dacre’s ditch to defend these things) impertinent, spiky, nosey and unfawning to power or success or wealth. They have always pissed people off, as they should. But I believe they used to be fundamentally decent. Abducted teenagers, victims of terrorism and bereaved families of servicemen didn’t have their phones hacked for profit. Innocent citizens were not dubbed murderers on front pages while the press regulator did nothing. Policemen, prison officers, NHS staff were not bribed.
The Wilson Quarterly: India’s Feckless Elite by Sadanand Dhume
The Wilson Quarterly: India’s Feckless Elite by Sadanand Dhume:
Two years later, India’s rise looks a lot less certain. Economic growth slowed to an annual rate of 5.5 percent in the first quarter of the current fiscal year, and few independent analysts expected it to top six percent in the rest of the year. For a country still at an early stage of development—in dollar terms, the average Indian earns about as much as the average Chinese did in 2004—this augurs ill. Most economists believe that India needs to grow by more than seven percent annually merely to keep pace with the 13 million new entrants into the job market each year. (China’s growth rate, even after declining from its former torrid pace, is eight percent.) Pratap Bhanu Mehta, president of the Centre for Policy Research, in New Delhi, says India is “flirting with social catastrophe.”
Flagging growth isn’t the only cause for concern. Foreign direct investment plummeted 67 percent in the first quarter of the current fiscal year, to $4.4 billion. The rupee has spent much of 2012 touching historic new lows. (By mid-September, it had lost 20 percent against the dollar over the past 12 months.) Though arguably a one-off event, the massive power outage in July that left 600 million people without electricity dramatized the parlous state of Indian infrastructure to the world. The blackout was a powerful follow-up to a stark warning from ratings agency Standard and Poor’s the previous month—that India risked becoming the first “fallen angel” among the BRIC economies (Brazil, Russia, India, and China).
Two years later, India’s rise looks a lot less certain. Economic growth slowed to an annual rate of 5.5 percent in the first quarter of the current fiscal year, and few independent analysts expected it to top six percent in the rest of the year. For a country still at an early stage of development—in dollar terms, the average Indian earns about as much as the average Chinese did in 2004—this augurs ill. Most economists believe that India needs to grow by more than seven percent annually merely to keep pace with the 13 million new entrants into the job market each year. (China’s growth rate, even after declining from its former torrid pace, is eight percent.) Pratap Bhanu Mehta, president of the Centre for Policy Research, in New Delhi, says India is “flirting with social catastrophe.”
Flagging growth isn’t the only cause for concern. Foreign direct investment plummeted 67 percent in the first quarter of the current fiscal year, to $4.4 billion. The rupee has spent much of 2012 touching historic new lows. (By mid-September, it had lost 20 percent against the dollar over the past 12 months.) Though arguably a one-off event, the massive power outage in July that left 600 million people without electricity dramatized the parlous state of Indian infrastructure to the world. The blackout was a powerful follow-up to a stark warning from ratings agency Standard and Poor’s the previous month—that India risked becoming the first “fallen angel” among the BRIC economies (Brazil, Russia, India, and China).
Mitt Romney is winning the endorsements of many newspapers that endorsed Barack Obama in the last election. - Slate Magazine
Mitt Romney is winning the endorsements of many newspapers that endorsed Barack Obama in the last election. - Slate Magazine: At least 21 newspapers that endorsed Barack Obama in 2008 have endorsed Mitt Romney in 2012. Half of these endorsements are couched in the hope that Romney hornswoggled Republican primary voters and will govern as a moderate. “Like his primary rivals,” editorialized Florida Today, “we never bought Romney’s newfound conservative purity. During the presidential debates, Romney wisely resumed his identity as a pro-growth pragmatist.” And “pro-growth,” in the Space Coast region covered by Florida Today, means helping out NASA. Romney has pledged to do that without pledging to increase the budget.
And the State Dept talks to the WSJ
CIA Takes Heat for Role in Libya - WSJ.com: The congressional investigator said the delay showed that the secret CIA-State security arrangement was inadequate.
"The officers on the ground in Benghazi responded to the situation on the night of 11 and 12 September as quickly and as effectively as possible," the senior U.S. intelligence official said.
At the State Department that night, officials frantically tried to find out what was happening. In recent interviews, some administration officials criticized the CIA for not being forthcoming with information.
"The officers on the ground in Benghazi responded to the situation on the night of 11 and 12 September as quickly and as effectively as possible," the senior U.S. intelligence official said.
At the State Department that night, officials frantically tried to find out what was happening. In recent interviews, some administration officials criticized the CIA for not being forthcoming with information.
The CIA talks to WashPost......
CIA rushed to save diplomats as Libya attack was underway - The Washington Post: U.S. officials said the CIA base learned of the assault on the nearby diplomatic compound in a desperate phone call about 9:40 p.m.
CIA security operatives assembled their gear and lined up vehicles even while agency officials sought, without success, to enlist Libyan militias that had been hired to provide security for the diplomatic outpost in Benghazi.
“Over the next 25 minutes, team members approach the compound, attempt to secure heavy weapons” from Libyans encountered along the way and “make their way onto the compound itself in the face of enemy fire,” the senior U.S. intelligence official said.
CIA security operatives assembled their gear and lined up vehicles even while agency officials sought, without success, to enlist Libyan militias that had been hired to provide security for the diplomatic outpost in Benghazi.
“Over the next 25 minutes, team members approach the compound, attempt to secure heavy weapons” from Libyans encountered along the way and “make their way onto the compound itself in the face of enemy fire,” the senior U.S. intelligence official said.
World's fastest number game wows spectators and scientists | Alex Bellos | Science | guardian.co.uk
World's fastest number game wows spectators and scientists | Alex Bellos | Science | guardian.co.uk: Flash Anzan, in which contestants add up numbers with an imaginary abacus, reveals the astonishing potential of the human brain – and makes for a breathtaking spectacle too
31 October, 2012
A Convenient Excuse - News Features
A Convenient Excuse - News Features: First: We need to see a much greater sense of urgency in the media's coverage of climate change, including in the Globe's editorial and opinion pages. This is more than an environmental crisis: it's an existential threat, and it should be treated like one, without fear of sounding alarmist, rather than covered as just another special interest, something only environmentalists care about. And it should be treated as a central issue in this election, regardless of whether the candidates or the political media are talking about it.
Second: Business-as-usual, politics-as-usual, and journalism-as-usual are failing us when it comes to addressing the climate threat.
Second: Business-as-usual, politics-as-usual, and journalism-as-usual are failing us when it comes to addressing the climate threat.
GOING SOUTERRAIN | More Intelligent Life
GOING SOUTERRAIN | More Intelligent Life: When Nadar first dropped into the catacombs with his camera, the tunnels were largely empty. He might have encountered the occasional mushroom farmer, or perhaps the Inspection des Carri�res, the workers who prevented the tunnels from collapsing under the weight of the city—otherwise, in those days, no one. Today, the quarries teem with activity. Walls are covered in riots of graffiti, chambers gilded with carvings and murals. This is the work of cataphiles, a loose tribe of young, bohemian Parisians who spend days and nights in the catacombs. They throw parties, stage performances, make art, explore the limits of the system. Entering the catacombs is illegal and the police employ a special squadron—catacops—to patrol the network. But they deter no one. The tunnels are like a big secret clubhouse.
General Failure - Thomas E. Ricks - The Atlantic
General Failure - Thomas E. Ricks - The Atlantic:
Privately, Army strategists agreed with that verdict, according to an after-action review of the first part of the Afghan War, completed at the Army War College the following summer. Franks’s headquarters suffered from “many disturbing trends,” including “a short-term focus,” the report stated. “The lack of a war plan or theater campaign plan has hindered operations and led to a tactical focus that ignores long-term objectives.”
If Afghanistan hinted at Franks’s shortcomings, Iraq revealed them fully. Historically, thinking about war and then arriving at actionable conclusions has been the core task of generals. Yet Franks seemed to believe that thinking was something others did for generals. In his memoir, he refers to his military planners, with a whiff of good-old-boy contempt, as “the fifty-pound brains.”
Privately, Army strategists agreed with that verdict, according to an after-action review of the first part of the Afghan War, completed at the Army War College the following summer. Franks’s headquarters suffered from “many disturbing trends,” including “a short-term focus,” the report stated. “The lack of a war plan or theater campaign plan has hindered operations and led to a tactical focus that ignores long-term objectives.”
If Afghanistan hinted at Franks’s shortcomings, Iraq revealed them fully. Historically, thinking about war and then arriving at actionable conclusions has been the core task of generals. Yet Franks seemed to believe that thinking was something others did for generals. In his memoir, he refers to his military planners, with a whiff of good-old-boy contempt, as “the fifty-pound brains.”
30 October, 2012
The Millions : Big Bird is History: Why We Fund PBS
The Millions : Big Bird is History: Why We Fund PBS: “Believe” is the most overused buzzword of political rhetoric, so I will avoid it. But I really think PBS should be subsidized by the government. Here’s why.
PBS is a cheap way to educate. There’s way more of your tax dollar going to war machines than to this frivolous arts-n-farts station. Yes, it’s run by aesthetes and Ivy League intellectuals. But that should be a point of national pride. The History Channel now airs “Did Aliens Build the Pyramids.” The Learning Channel airs “Say Yes to the Dress.” If you let the market choose your programming, sooner or later, it will lead to Honey Boo Boo.
PBS is a cheap way to educate. There’s way more of your tax dollar going to war machines than to this frivolous arts-n-farts station. Yes, it’s run by aesthetes and Ivy League intellectuals. But that should be a point of national pride. The History Channel now airs “Did Aliens Build the Pyramids.” The Learning Channel airs “Say Yes to the Dress.” If you let the market choose your programming, sooner or later, it will lead to Honey Boo Boo.
Skippy' List
Skippy's List: 61. If one soldier has a 2nd Lt bar on his uniform, and I have an E-4 on mine It means he outranks me. It does not mean “I have been promoted three more times than you”.
62. It is better to beg forgiveness than to ask permission, no longer applies to Specialist Schwarz.
63. Command decisions do *not* need to be ratified by a 2/3 majority.
62. It is better to beg forgiveness than to ask permission, no longer applies to Specialist Schwarz.
63. Command decisions do *not* need to be ratified by a 2/3 majority.
Cuomo: Whoever doesn't see extreme weather pattern is 'denying reality' | Capital New York
Cuomo: Whoever doesn't see extreme weather pattern is 'denying reality' | Capital New York: "There has been a series of extreme weather incidents. That is not a political statement, that is a factual statement," Cuomo said. "Anyone who says there is not a dramatic change in weather patterns is denying reality."
He didn't actually say the words "global warming."
But he said, "I said the president kiddingly the other day, 'We have a one-hundred year flood every two years.'"
He didn't actually say the words "global warming."
But he said, "I said the president kiddingly the other day, 'We have a one-hundred year flood every two years.'"
From The Annals Of Chutzpah
From The Annals Of Chutzpah:
"One thing [Obama's] gonna be asked is, why did he jump on [the hurricane] so quickly and go back to D.C. so quickly when in…Benghazi, he went to Las Vegas [for a fundraiser]?” - Michael "Heckuva Job Brownie".
"One thing [Obama's] gonna be asked is, why did he jump on [the hurricane] so quickly and go back to D.C. so quickly when in…Benghazi, he went to Las Vegas [for a fundraiser]?” - Michael "Heckuva Job Brownie".
29 October, 2012
How the 'Having It All' Debate Has Changed Over the Last 30 Years - Deborah Fallows - The Atlantic
How the 'Having It All' Debate Has Changed Over the Last 30 Years - Deborah Fallows - The Atlantic: But old habits die hard, and when I was laying in supplies for the baby visit, I unthinkingly asked our son to ask our daughter-in-law what size diapers and what kind of bottles I should get. Without missing a beat, he replied, "Size 3 Pampers Swaddlers and Medela bottles."
My first reaction was: a misstep by me. My second reaction was: He's a good dad. Later, I even indulged the idea that maybe something about our sons' own upbringing had rubbed off on them. My husband, a writer, has primarily worked from home. He saw, heard, and, to a much greater degree than most fathers of our generation, was part of the everyday scramble of life with kids. The lucky break of the workstyle of his profession allowed a participation in and empathetic appreciation of family life that is, I think, a version of what many young families aim toward today. Something has changed demonstrably in the functioning of modern young two-parent families: Both parents are there in the elemental sense of the word. Finally.
My first reaction was: a misstep by me. My second reaction was: He's a good dad. Later, I even indulged the idea that maybe something about our sons' own upbringing had rubbed off on them. My husband, a writer, has primarily worked from home. He saw, heard, and, to a much greater degree than most fathers of our generation, was part of the everyday scramble of life with kids. The lucky break of the workstyle of his profession allowed a participation in and empathetic appreciation of family life that is, I think, a version of what many young families aim toward today. Something has changed demonstrably in the functioning of modern young two-parent families: Both parents are there in the elemental sense of the word. Finally.
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