It’s interesting (at least to me) to note that the Administration has made the Peace Corps subsidiary to the Freedom Corps. Looks like they’ve got their priorities straight.
All posts by Rand Simberg
Yet Another Conflict Of Interest?
The Government Accounting Office is suing Dick Cheney for Enron-related documents. But David Walker, the Comptroller General (head of the GAO since 1998), has an interesting resume himself.
Immediately prior to his appointment as Comptroller General, Mr. Walker was a partner and global managing director of Arthur Andersen LLP’s human capital services practice and a member of the board of Arthur Andersen Financial Advisors, a registered investment advisor. He also served as a Public Trustee for Social Security and Medicare from 1990 to 1995 while he was a partner with Arthur Andersen.
Should he recuse himself from the suit? We report, you decide…
SOU
Politically, it was a home run.
And from a war standpoint, I could have asked for no more.
From a policy standpoint, I found it disappointing on the domestic front.
While it was general and thematic, the themes were definitely not federalist or classically liberal ones–we, the federal government, are responsible for security, local and national; we, the federal government, are responsible for your health care; we, the federal government, are responsible to see that you have a job, or get prescription drugs, or don’t get screwed if the company you work for goes under. We, the federal government, are responsible for your lives–not you.
On the other hand, it’s good political strategy. It looks to me like Rove & Co. have made a political judgment that they want to put the Dems in a box, and take back the Senate, and build their strength in the House. We didn’t get into this socialist mess overnight, and we won’t get out of it quickly either. I’m willing to wait until 2005 to start to roll back this crap–I just wish that I had some sense that this was really what they’re planning…
“Respect For Nature”
Professor Reynolds points out this interesting article about the odd bedfellows of the left and the right when it comes to technology issues–in this case, Friends of the Earth.
I found this particular testimony most interesting:
the “push to redesign human beings, animals and plants to meet the commercial goals of a limited number of individuals is fundamentally at odds with the principle of respect for nature.”
“Respect for nature”? What principle is that? Is it universally shared? He speaks as though there’s some sort of well-defined societal consensus for such a principle.
I’ve already disquisited on this subject; there is nothing holy or sacrosanct about nature. Nature in itself has no intrinsic value.
If this FOE member believes that nature should not be trifled with, then no anaesthetics for him next time he needs dental work. In fact, no dental work allowed, other than knocking aching teeth out with rocks. And no plastic toothbrushes or floss, or anti-cavity toothpaste–they’re unnatural.
This falls into the same category of nonsense as Jeremy Rifkin’s “integrity of the genome.”
“Respect For Nature”
Professor Reynolds points out this interesting article about the odd bedfellows of the left and the right when it comes to technology issues–in this case, Friends of the Earth.
I found this particular testimony most interesting:
the “push to redesign human beings, animals and plants to meet the commercial goals of a limited number of individuals is fundamentally at odds with the principle of respect for nature.”
“Respect for nature”? What principle is that? Is it universally shared? He speaks as though there’s some sort of well-defined societal consensus for such a principle.
I’ve already disquisited on this subject; there is nothing holy or sacrosanct about nature. Nature in itself has no intrinsic value.
If this FOE member believes that nature should not be trifled with, then no anaesthetics for him next time he needs dental work. In fact, no dental work allowed, other than knocking aching teeth out with rocks. And no plastic toothbrushes or floss, or anti-cavity toothpaste–they’re unnatural.
This falls into the same category of nonsense as Jeremy Rifkin’s “integrity of the genome.”
“Respect For Nature”
Professor Reynolds points out this interesting article about the odd bedfellows of the left and the right when it comes to technology issues–in this case, Friends of the Earth.
I found this particular testimony most interesting:
the “push to redesign human beings, animals and plants to meet the commercial goals of a limited number of individuals is fundamentally at odds with the principle of respect for nature.”
“Respect for nature”? What principle is that? Is it universally shared? He speaks as though there’s some sort of well-defined societal consensus for such a principle.
I’ve already disquisited on this subject; there is nothing holy or sacrosanct about nature. Nature in itself has no intrinsic value.
If this FOE member believes that nature should not be trifled with, then no anaesthetics for him next time he needs dental work. In fact, no dental work allowed, other than knocking aching teeth out with rocks. And no plastic toothbrushes or floss, or anti-cavity toothpaste–they’re unnatural.
This falls into the same category of nonsense as Jeremy Rifkin’s “integrity of the genome.”
The Dog Ate Lennox Lewis’ Foot
Well, today’s the big day for Iron Mikey. He has to explain his behavior at last week’s press conference to the Nevada Boxing Commission.
I was a little disappointed in the contest response, but here are the results:
In addition to my original post title (“But honest, folks, I thought that it was my own foot in my mouth–it usually is”):
Matthew Renner submits:
He said he hadn’t had a bite all day.
and we had five entries from “Charlie”:
Y’know, ever since the Holyfield thing…well, you know what they say: “Once you’ve had living human flesh, you never go back.”
I didn’t mean nothin’ by it…I was just givin’ him a good-luck hickey.
OK, OK, here’s why it happened: all I was doin’ was… (pointing) Hey, look, Don King’s havin’ a heart attack! (runs out the side door)
Nuh-uh, it was really a snake that bit him, not me. I was tryin’ to suck the poison out, ya stoopid.
Wasn’t me, it was Marv Albert.
I’m not sure what time the hearing is, so you may still have one more chance to help out. Just click on the “comment” link.
[Update at 4:30 PM PST]
Well, he didn’t get his license back (boo hoo).
He should have tried some of our excuses. At least it would have been more entertaining.
The Dog Ate Lennox Lewis’ Foot
Well, today’s the big day for Iron Mikey. He has to explain his behavior at last week’s press conference to the Nevada Boxing Commission.
I was a little disappointed in the contest response, but here are the results:
In addition to my original post title (“But honest, folks, I thought that it was my own foot in my mouth–it usually is”):
Matthew Renner submits:
He said he hadn’t had a bite all day.
and we had five entries from “Charlie”:
Y’know, ever since the Holyfield thing…well, you know what they say: “Once you’ve had living human flesh, you never go back.”
I didn’t mean nothin’ by it…I was just givin’ him a good-luck hickey.
OK, OK, here’s why it happened: all I was doin’ was… (pointing) Hey, look, Don King’s havin’ a heart attack! (runs out the side door)
Nuh-uh, it was really a snake that bit him, not me. I was tryin’ to suck the poison out, ya stoopid.
Wasn’t me, it was Marv Albert.
I’m not sure what time the hearing is, so you may still have one more chance to help out. Just click on the “comment” link.
[Update at 4:30 PM PST]
Well, he didn’t get his license back (boo hoo).
He should have tried some of our excuses. At least it would have been more entertaining.
The Dog Ate Lennox Lewis’ Foot
Well, today’s the big day for Iron Mikey. He has to explain his behavior at last week’s press conference to the Nevada Boxing Commission.
I was a little disappointed in the contest response, but here are the results:
In addition to my original post title (“But honest, folks, I thought that it was my own foot in my mouth–it usually is”):
Matthew Renner submits:
He said he hadn’t had a bite all day.
and we had five entries from “Charlie”:
Y’know, ever since the Holyfield thing…well, you know what they say: “Once you’ve had living human flesh, you never go back.”
I didn’t mean nothin’ by it…I was just givin’ him a good-luck hickey.
OK, OK, here’s why it happened: all I was doin’ was… (pointing) Hey, look, Don King’s havin’ a heart attack! (runs out the side door)
Nuh-uh, it was really a snake that bit him, not me. I was tryin’ to suck the poison out, ya stoopid.
Wasn’t me, it was Marv Albert.
I’m not sure what time the hearing is, so you may still have one more chance to help out. Just click on the “comment” link.
[Update at 4:30 PM PST]
Well, he didn’t get his license back (boo hoo).
He should have tried some of our excuses. At least it would have been more entertaining.