In the overzealous law enforcement department, a man was arrested for animal cruelty after yelling at a police dog.
Are Americans Stupid?
Phil Bowermaster has some thoughts:
See how deftly it’s done? Stupid religious Americans, clever “heathen” Europeans. Unfortunately, in the context, this doesn’t make a heck of a lot of sense. Americans are opposed to stem cell research because we’re ignorant religious bigots. Okay, sure. But we’re opposed to nanotechnology for the same reasons? And GM foods?
GM foods? Now wait a second…a lot of Europeans are opposed to GM foods. I bet they would even say it’s on moral grounds! Yet somehow, they manage to pull that off without being either 1) religious or — more importantly — 2) stupid. Personally, I think being morally opposed to GM foods is kind of stupid, and being “morally” opposed to nanotechnology is idiotic. However, I don’t see how American stupidity is dumber than European stupidity; one may be informed by religious belief, the other by a paranoid superstitious dread of scientific progress. Advantage: Europe? If you say so.
I just hope that Americans aren’t stupid enough to fall for Obama, as the Democrats currently seem to be.
Report From Anbar
Another photo essay from Michael Totten:
“Don’t get any closer,” Corporal Waddle said. “We need to stay out of the blast radius in case it blows.”
One Marine, whose name I didn’t catch, accompanied the Iraqi man to the location of the explosive. “It’s an 82mm mortar round,” he said when he returned. “It’s not an IED. Most likely a round that didn’t go off when it was fired.”
Every time I thought something vaguely exciting might happen, it didn’t happen. There is no war in Western Iraq any more. This is a mop-up.
Build A Little, Test A Little
Well, OK, not really. More like build a lot, test a little.
NASA apparently isn’t going to know how serious the vibration problem on the Ares 1 is until they do a flight test.
Words fail.
[Via Shubber Ali, who does have some words]
[Update late afternoon]
No one who know him will be shocked to read that Mark Whittington thinks that this is a great idea.
But of course! How could it not be? NASA is doing it.
Fascism In America
As for the NRA logo, it’s a reminder of the happy days of FDR’s attempts to revive the economy by pouring a bowl of alphabet soup over its face. The NRA, among other things, was intended to prevent the depredations of competition, and “allowed industry heads to collectively set minimum prices,” as this rather scant wikipedia entry notes. (The same page relates the story of the tailor who was arrested for charging 35 cents to press a suit; the NRA rules specified the price at 40 cents. So he was arrested. Consider that the next time someone complains that liberty and civil rights have been eliminated in the last 7 years.)
The Women In His Life
Spengler says that Obama hates America.
I don’t know whether he does or not, but his wife’s attitude is very troubling, and I don’t think that he’s going to be the next president. I think that the first (true) black (and woman) president is much more likely to be a Republican.
[Update a few minutes later]
Isn’t it interesting that the American press doesn’t seem interested in stories like this one? I guess that it’s just another example of foreigners doing the jobs that Americans won’t do.
This would be a gift to the Clinton campaign, if they were in a position to criticize people over land deals. You can bet that the McCain campaign will use it in the general, if Obama gets the nod.
It’s That Time Of Year Again
Hope I’ll see some of you at the Space Access conference in Phoenix next month.
[Update at 9:30 AM]
Attendees will get to hear John Carmack talk about cool vehicles like this one.
It’s That Time Of Year Again
Hope I’ll see some of you at the Space Access conference in Phoenix next month.
[Update at 9:30 AM]
Attendees will get to hear John Carmack talk about cool vehicles like this one.
It’s That Time Of Year Again
Hope I’ll see some of you at the Space Access conference in Phoenix next month.
[Update at 9:30 AM]
Attendees will get to hear John Carmack talk about cool vehicles like this one.
The Economics Of “Free”
A fascinating and very useful article on the value of waste. It’s must reading for anyone who wants to entrepreneur on the web, in my opinion. I found the byline amusing:
Chris Anderson (canderson@wired.com) is the editor in chief of Wired and author of The Long Tail
. His next book, FREE, will be published in 2009 by Hyperion.
Will he be giving the book away?
[Via Geek Press]