Can we do word substitutions in php by passing a variable to the URL?
This works, too, and it even fits within the box.
Have fun in comments.
[Via the non-liberal non-fascist]
Category Archives: Political Commentary
Potemkin Rocket
Some ruminations on the upcoming Ares 1-X test.
Too Young To Be President
Some thoughts on Barack Obama’s junior moments.
Glenn Reynolds Discusses Space Law
Over at Res Communis.
What Would The Media Reaction Be?
…if, say, a white man expressed the desire to castrate a black man? Particularly the first black man to be a major-party presidential nominee?
Good Point
I’ve often made this argument, but never as concisely:
The Right believes in biology, but not in evolution; the Left believes in evolution, but not in biology.
It’s a little oversimplified (as is any statement about the “Right” or the “Left”), but a good generalization. Of course, when it comes to sexual orientation, the Right doesn’t believe in biology, either. But I think that the Left is much more prone to a belief in the Blank Slate myth.
Economic Idiocy
The Dems are finally starting to come to their senses about energy production, but not quite:
One idea floated by Reid would require that whatever oil is drilled in newly opened areas would need to be sold in the United States.
This is pure, unadulterated economic ignorance. Senator Reid, go to the board and write one hundred times, “OIL IS FUNGIBLE.” WTF difference does it make where the oil is sold? The important thing is to get it on the market. If we are pulling new oil off the north slope, it might make sense to ship it to Japan, improving our balance of trade with them, and relieving them of the cost of shipping it all the way from the Persian Gulf. It might in fact make sense to simply ship new oil from the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf refineries, but that should be a market decision, not an arbitrary and idiotic political one. “Energy independence” is an economic myth.
And then, we have this:
Democrats also want any compromise plan to include investments in clean and renewable energies, a crackdown on oil speculators and proof that the oil and gas companies are fully utilizing land that is already leased for exploration.
What does a “crackdown on oil speculators” mean? It’s called a futures market, and a lot of people play. It serves a function of reducing risk for many in the industry. “Speculation” is simply a dirty word for “investment.” This new scheme where people can buy gasoline ahead of time at a fixed price? That’s speculation, folks.
And this:
“If they were showing in good faith that they were drilling on some of the 68 million acres they have now, it might change some of our attitudes,” said Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.).
So, in order to get access to leases with high potential, they have to waste their money drilling on leases with low potential? Brilliant.
The only way to change the attitudes of people like this is Economics 101. And I doubt if even that would help.
What Do They Want?
A rainbow hole? An African-American hole?
This is as ignorant and stupid as the complaints about the use of the word “niggardly.”
Actually, now that I think about it, it’s also as dumb as complaints about my proper use of the word “fascist.” A subject on which Jonah Goldberg has some further thoughts today:
People say fascism means brutality, therefore liberalism isn’t remotely fascist. It works as a debater’s trick, and it’s certainly a source of real opposition to some of my arguments, but it doesn’t work as an actual argument in the true sense of the word.
One can use the same “argument” about Communism. “Communism is about brutality. Liberals aren’t brutal. Therefore liberalism has nothing to do with Communism.” The only difference here is that for reasons discussed at length in this space and in my book, the man in the street doesn’t equate Communism with brutality to the same extent he equates fascism with brutality, even though Communism is just as brutal as Fascism. I think that’s a problem that needs to be combated rather than surrendered to.
I simply don’t think the woeful state of popular ignorance should be considered a powerful argument against the accuracy of historical truth.
Nope. As he says, if that makes the job harder, so be it.
Chomskyism
Eric Raymond coins a useful word.
The Next NASA Administrator?
Ferris Valyn has some candidates. Most of them seem implausible to me. The only ones that I can imagine are at all realistic are Patti Grace Smith, Lori Garver and Pete Worden (the latter would certainly shake things up, which is one reason that he almost certainly won’t get the job). Certainly Hansen has nothing in his resume that would qualify him–he’s a scientist.
Of course, much depends on who the next president is. One likely name not on the list, assuming that McCain wins: Craig Steidle.