Sexing turkeys.
Well, Here’s A Dream Job
Sexing turkeys.
Well, Here’s A Dream Job
Sexing turkeys.
Weird Bleg
For any Catholics out there (and I don’t mean cafeteria Catholics), is gambling a sin? If you went to the Vatican, and asked the Pope if it’s OK to lay some money down on the horses, would he say, “go for it”?
Media Bias
It was quite amusing tonight to watch “Fox News Watch,” a show supposedly based on analysis of media performance, and to see the two libs on the panel, Neil Gabler and Jane Hall, dissing Judy Miller, as apparently the traitor to the cause. I was a little disappointed that one of the two supposedly “conservative” panelists (Cal Thomas or Jim Pinkerton) didn’t call them on it, and ask them directly who they thought she was protecting, because it’s clear to me that they’re deluding themselves that she’s protecting Karl Rove.
An Army Of Dolts Or Geniuses?
Following a link from Instapundit, I’ve been perusing Noah Shachtman’s diary from Iraq. I recommend it–it’s quite fascinating, and not the kind of reporting that you’ll find that much of in the MSM. I found the entry about the Armed Forces Network quite amusing.
Tin Ear
Is John Kerry really the best representative of the Democrat Party to be demanding that someone release documents?
It’s political acumen like this that accounts for his spectacular performance in last fall’s election.
Reading Comprehension Problem
Well, this is annoying. Mark Whittington needs to work on his, apparently.
He claimed that:
…some people…on the one hand, preach libertarian cant and, on the other hand, demand government pay money up front, before the promised hardware is even built, not to mention delivered.
We asked him for an example of such a person.
Bizarrely, he responded with:
Unlike Kistler, t/Space will not try to develop their system with commercial money but will seek a fixed-cost contract, milestone payment approach with NASA.
By what tortured logic does he think that this means that the government would “pay money up front, before the promised hardware is even built, not to mention delivered”?
Apparently he doesn’t understand the meaning of the words “milestone payment approach.” Or else he doesn’t understand the meaning of the words “up front,” or “before hardware is built” or “delivered.” Either way, it’s a head scratcher of a post.
Let The Sun Set
The Patriot Act was renewed yesterday, this time without the sunset provision, despite a valiant attempt to keep it, from people like Dana Rohrabacher. He made the argument for it eloquently:
Rohrabacher said he supported the Patriot Act in 2001 because of the threat faced by the country after 9/11, but only under the belief that once the emergency was over, “the government would again return to a level consistent with a free society.”
“We should not be required to live in peacetime under the extraordinary laws that were passed during times of war and crisis. Emergency powers of investigation should not become the standard once the crisis has passed,” he said, drawing applause from his colleagues.
Exactly. And of course, this principle applies to much more than the Patriot Act. Almost every piece of legislation is put forth to address a “crisis” of one type or another–crises that often pass (if indeed they even ever existed at all), yet the legislation stays on the books forever absent explicit repeal. Sadly, it wasn’t to be, though:
House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner, R-Wisconsin, who shepherded the bill through the House, said sunset provisions were not necessary because there was no evidence the Patriot Act was being misused and lawmakers could provide sufficient oversight.
He also said 13 of the 16 provisions up for renewal have not been controversial, including one allowing increased communication between the FBI and CIA.
“Why sunset legislation where there’s been no actual record of abuse and vigorous oversight?” Sensenbrenner said.
This seems like a weak argument to me. The fact that it hasn’t been abused in the past doesn’t mean that it can’t be in the future. Anyway, I think that every federal law should have a sunset provision.
I Love It When A Plan Comes Together
About a year and a half ago, in one of my occasional meandering rantswell-reasoned disquisitions against heavy lifters, I suggested that NASA use the Centennial Challenge prize to develop a better space suit glove. Well, per Alan Boyle, I find out today that they have:
The Astronaut Glove Challenge award will go to the team that can design and manufacture the best performing glove within competition parameters. The $250,000 purse will be awarded at a competition scheduled for November 2006, when competing teams test their glove designs against each other.
Cool.