Thoughts from Sarah Hoyt on (real) Americans’ best feature.
The Entitlement State
…has begun to eat its own:
The biggest federally funded program (Medicaid) is competing directly with the next-biggest set of programs (education). State politicians are now squeezed between the two most voracious (and unionized) constituencies in American politics: the education blob, and the health care/AARP/provider complex. They will want a way out; otherwise, they’re toast. And the only way out is interposition to Obamacare.
When something can’t go on, at some point, it doesn’t.
They Think You’re Stupid, America
And you just proved them right.
[Update a few minutes later]
This seems related, somehow: Why I’m not a Republican. We have one party that thinks we’re stupid, and one that is stupid itself.
A Day That Will Live In Infamy
Today is not only the 71st anniversary of Pearl Harbor, but also the day that we last sent men to the moon, forty years ago.
[Update a while later]
Pearl Harbor in perspective.
Alan Boyle’s Golden Spike Report
…is up.
Golden Spike
It’s a half hour until the press conference. They’ve put up this promotional video:
Here‘s the Twitter feed.
[Update a few minutes before the conference is due to begin]
Charlie Martin has a scoop interview with Alan Stern.
[Update at 2 PM EST]
Adam Mann has more over at Wired.
[Via Brian Doherty]
[Update a couple minutes later]
Joel Achenbach has the story at the WaPo as well.
[Update a few minutes in]
Jeff Foust is tweeting from the press conference. So is Alan Boyle.
[Update a while later]
Looks like the company web site has finally gone live.
[Update a while later]
OK, party seems to be over, with a lot of questions remaining. Impressive board, technical architecture described, potential customer interest, but they need to raise billions of dollars.
I personally know almost everyone on the board, FWIW.
Right To Work
…is coming to Michigan?
That would have been unthinkable over the past decades, and would do wonders for the economy there.
Ignorant “Denier” Bashing
…over at Popular (Non)Science.
No, Rebecca, it is not a “known fact” that storms are getting more severe. But I guess that’s what you get from a “science” writer with a BA in history/journalism.
Obama’s Tax-Rate Hikes
Why they’ll never be enough.
Of course, it’s not really about the revenue. It’s about “fairness,” and “social justice.”
[Update a couple minutes later]
Clinton’s budget surpluses were a result of spending cuts, not tax hikes.
The Kickstarter Is Closed
Thanks to all who contributed, but as I wrote in my last update:
I’m over 25% over my goal, but I was hoping for a lot more than that. I’m not sure what this will mean in terms of publicizing, specifically the symposium/presser in DC in February, and distributing books to policy makers. I won’t be able to support it at the current level, though everyone who contributed and requested one will obviously get a book. I’m open to comments as to how to do another Kickstarter for specifically that (e.g., what would the rewards be — more books?).
I guess the next question is (absent a massive flood of last-minute donations) — can I do a press conference or symposium as “performance art” and sell it to Kickstarter on that basis? They rejected my original proposal for this project because I mixed the book publication with the publicity — not clear whether or not they’ll accept a project just for publicizing, because they like to emphasize “creative” projects.
Actually, when it closed, it ended up being 32.5% over the goal, but that, unfortunately, isn’t enough to change the message.
One of the things I’m thinking is to donate X number of books to congressional offices/think-tanks/journalists for each Y bucks in Kickstarter contributions (X and Y being dependent on the economics, as I better understand them), perhaps with book plates indicating the donor. As part of the Kickstarter I’d lay out the costs (e.g., the Washington event in early February will be at least a grand in travel expenses, ignoring costs of the venue, and the cost per book which depends on whether I go offset or not). But I’m welcome to more suggestions, both here and at the Kickstarter.