The conversation on Mr Kain’s simplification of motives for war continues. It seems to me pretty clear that the simplifications have problems in that they don’t match motives for war very well and often the assignment to categories are very strained. The question might then devolve to asking what advantage is gained by this simplification. If none, then its just a pointless pedagogical exercise.
Oops From the setting yourself up department, a lesson in election politics in the New Mexico governor’s race.
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Geek News of the week Amateur astronomers capture images of objects (comets or asteroids) impacting Jupiter. Beyond the geek-factor, however, Hugh Ross argues that Jupiter’s size and location, within our solar system, are no accident. Ross, president and founder of Reasons to Believe, notes that Jupiter’s gravitational tug is strong enough to result in errant bodies (e.g., comets and asteroids) slamming into its surface, reducing the chance of such bodies impacting the Earth while, at the same time, not being so strong as to corrupt Earth’s orbit, thereby making advanced life impossible. Is such precision in timing, size, location, etc., the result of chance or design?
Oops 2 The purpose of a gun holster is not to simply have a place to hold your gun. Holsters prevent you from placing your trigger finger directly onto the trigger when removing the gun from the holster. This is important because any time your finger is ON the trigger it is very likely that a bullet will exit the barrel. For those that choose to keep a gun in a pocket, the need for a pocket holster is even more significant. Or… you could be like the guy in the link.
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Oops 3 While guns and holsters mix, guns and alcohol do not. However, I’ve got to admit the idea of using a finicky computer server as a target has a certain appeal.
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Illegally in the U.S., and enrolled in college How broken is the immigration system when a person is allowed to be in the U.S. illegally, for over 15 years, not have a Social Security number, yet allowed to enroll in college?
Media Bias Dept.: The Left got upset when Rupert Murdoch gave money to right-wing groups. No mention, of course of the 88% of TV network donations go to Democrats. And how much coverage did you hear about the BBC’s Director General admitting that the state-run news organization has had a “massive” left-wing bias? Yeah, me neither. Also, Patterico explains how the media has shaped the national discussion by selective coverage.
“Recovery” Summer Dept.: Germany’s recover has been fueled to a large extent by private sector consumption and growth, as opposed to the graph I posted earlier showing most of our jobs went to the government. And irony of ironies, a French bureaucrat had to tell the US about cutting spending spurs growth. Why can our own guys understand that?
ObamaCare Dept.: After helping pass the health care bill, one Democratic Senator, using language he helped craft in the bill, is trying to use it to exempt his state from the individual mandate. “Yeah, it’s a great idea … for everyone else but me.” Also, reality is putting the lie to the promise that nothing was going to change for you if you like the health care you have.
Film Corner: The trailer us up for “Blood Money”, an expose of the abortion industry.
Government (In)action Dept.: The Justice Department is refusing to enforce voter fraud laws, and they’ve plainly said as much. So one lawyer is using a provision of the law to file the lawsuits the Obama’s Justice won’t. Our President respects the rule of law insofar as it furthers his own agenda. No good can come of that.
Gossip Column: Fidel Castro himself admits that the communist economic model doesn’t work. It “works” only insofar as you get influxes of cash from, say, a beneficiary either internally (the “rich”) or externally (the USSR). But on its own, it is an abject failure. Would that the Left would hear this and stop trying to move us closer to it.
And finally, the last word on the “Ground Zero Mosque” and the burning of Korans, from Rick McKee. (Click for a larger image.)
My somewhat snarky comment aside, apparently nobody noticed that locations in which large amounts of raw materials get processed from the earth do not become vibrant and heavily populated.
Grist for the public education mill. It was recently remarked that all public education needs is to improve the student teacher ratio. This contradicts that and as well, I’ll note that at the meet-and-greet at my daughter’s High School last week the list of administrators to teachers was 4 pages to 8. For every two teachers there was one administrator … it seems to me that ratio needs to be worked on too if costs are to be contained.
Executive Order No. 62 or… How to, at a moment’s notice, turn otherwise law abiding citizens into criminals. In North Carolina, the governor signed the executive order, declaring a State of Emergency due to the approaching Hurricane Earl. While that may sound all well and good, when combined with North Carolina General Statute 14-288.7, things can become messy. The statute makes it unlawful for one to possess or transport off their own premises, a “dangerous weapon”, during a declared state of emergency. Hence, anyone engaged in lawful possession of a firearm off their premises (such as hunters or CCW permit holders), prior to a declared emergency, would automatically be breaking the law once an emergency is declared.
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Korean shop owners had it figured out During the 1992 Los Angeles riots, Korean shop owners were left on their own to defend themselves, with whatever means they had. Lucky for them they were armed as looters roamed the streets looking for booty. Not surprisingly, after experiencing shots fired from pistols and AR-15 rifles, looters left the Korean shop owners alone. Funny how that works.
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Laser-tag makes it to the Olympics Well, not quite. Laser guns will replace air guns at the Olympics, for the modern pentathlon, beginning in 2012. Billed as the “way of the future,” organizers say that safety will no longer be a concern, and that events could be held at parks or even shopping malls! I guess the safety issue of a laser beam in one’s eye is not a concern to officials. Rumor has it that other Olympic events will be restructured, in the name of safety: the javelin throw will be done via a Wii, and the hammer throw and discus will utilize nerf technology.
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An offer he can’t refuse? If offered a 15% raise (on top of your $150,000 / year salary), 4 times the stock benefits, and a $500,000 bonus – just to stay a year more – would you refuse it, as well?
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How did he become Mr. Unpopular? Because, I think, he finally showed his true colors (please, no racist intent was meant by the use of the word “colors”).
Another view of the POTUS speech. I think the right was not his intended audience. I’m not sure who was.
Thoughts on marriage, mostly from the left. I’d offer that if you’re considering marriage and want to pretend to live the self-examined life, this resource is indispensable (Wing to Wing, Oar to Oar).
Hmm, in a search for a less substantial less vapid political post … this might be in the list. My wife lists here occupation on our 10-40 as “domestic goddess.”
The continuation of the lying to Congress charge … one wonders how actual real-live you-can-tell-they’re-lying-because-their-lips-are-moving Congress-critters make such charges with straight faces.
