Administrative

Useless

I cannot use my Windows 2000 desktop machine. (Almost) every time I boot it, it refuses to recognize the mouse. I say “almost” because once in a while it does. When it does, I use it, and hope that I won’t have to reboot again. It seems to be random, but it doesn’t work much more often than it does. Can anyone imagine what causes this behavior?

I’m writing this from my Fedora machine (which is on the same KVM switch as the Windows machine, and using the same mouse, with no problems). Fortunately, I finished up my work for the client, that required MS Word, before I had to reboot (I was installing a flurry of Windows security updates…)

[Update a few minutes later]

Well, the sixth time was the charm. Oh, did I mention that part of the ritual is making vigorous mouse motions during boot to get it to work (this seems to be a necessary, but not sufficient condition).

Space

Death Of A Space Scientist

James Van Allen, discoverer of the magnetic belts surrounding the earth that bear his name, has died. He was one of the most (perhaps the most) notable long-time opponents of the manned space program. He never understood that civil space is about much more than science.

Condolences to his family. It is a loss to science, if not informed space policy debate.

Political Commentary

Leave Cuba Alone

If I had more time, I’d have more to write about the noble creatures who are concerned that we might interfere with continuing dictatorship in Cuba. As it is, I can only laugh. While crying.

By the way, while I’m sure that this crowd will profoundly mourn it if true, I think that the monster is probably pushing up palm trees.

And to my current leftist trolls, was that an “unlibertarian” thought?

Science And Society

As If We Didn’t Have Enough Problems

Bedbugs. They’re baaaaccckkk.

It’s funny, you always hear that expression, “don’t let the bedbugs bite,” but you never actually associate it with the very real phenomenon that spurred it, if you’ve never experienced it. And it may mean that we have to rethink the balance between comfort and perceived threats to health from pesticides. Of course, it’s nothing compared to the holocaust caused by the banning of DDT. Thanks, Rachel!

Science And Society

As If We Didn’t Have Enough Problems

Bedbugs. They’re baaaaccckkk.

It’s funny, you always hear that expression, “don’t let the bedbugs bite,” but you never actually associate it with the very real phenomenon that spurred it, if you’ve never experienced it. And it may mean that we have to rethink the balance between comfort and perceived threats to health from pesticides. Of course, it’s nothing compared to the holocaust caused by the banning of DDT. Thanks, Rachel!

Science And Society

As If We Didn’t Have Enough Problems

Bedbugs. They’re baaaaccckkk.

It’s funny, you always hear that expression, “don’t let the bedbugs bite,” but you never actually associate it with the very real phenomenon that spurred it, if you’ve never experienced it. And it may mean that we have to rethink the balance between comfort and perceived threats to health from pesticides. Of course, it’s nothing compared to the holocaust caused by the banning of DDT. Thanks, Rachel!

History

Nomenclature Question

Did anyone call WWII WWII during WWII? Or was it only called that in retrospect? If not, what did they call it?

Would it make sense to simply rename the Cold War WWIII and call this one WWIV, so we can get away from this stupid “War On Terror” name?

War Commentary

Fallacy of Chain Logic

Peace in Lebanon requires all belligerents to agree.
It requires Hezbollah ceasing fire which they say is contingent on:
1. Israel ceding Syrian-claimed Shebaa Farms near the Golan Heights
2. Israel leaving before Hezbollah agreeing
3. An exchange of the captured soldiers for prisoners

Israel ceasing fire which they say requires:
1. Rocket attacks have to stop and a strong international force come in before Israel leaving
2. Kidnapped soldiers must be returned before cease fire

For an international force to come in:
1. There must be an agreement before coming in
2. There must be a cease fire before coming in
3. There must be a willing country to do the deployment

There are other actors that have other things to do such as Syria, Iran, US, Russia and China among others.

These are logically inconsistent and quite unlikely even if the basic inconsistencies get resolved by some miracle. I get a gestalt from the reporting that peace is just a matter of putting more pressure on the parties and that it is a minor issue that divides them. The logical fallacy is that we have a number of unlikely events that must all happen for peace to be achieved and pundits are treating the chain as strong as the strongest link: that Israel and Hezbollah both agree that a prisoner exchange would be a good idea.

My prediction is that we will have no partnership, no peace and that Israel will re-occupy Lebanon north to the Litani River, there will be a new wall, and Hezbollah will be envigorated to continue killing Israeli soldiers at the rate of 50-100/year which was the pre-2000 level. Israel will accept this as a trade vital to keeping Northern Israel free of short range rockets and unacceptable levels of civilian deaths. Lebanon will be a war zone until Hezbollah is beaten by some other force in the rest of Lebanon.

Biting Commentary about Infinity…and Beyond!