Dec 18 2008
In my darker moments I fear this may be true.
The results are in and my candidate lost the presidency. Since I love this country, I wish the newly named President Barack Obama every success. But this was an election unlike any other. I don’t think the Republicans merely lost an election, I believe many of us lost a country.
Read it all.
Dec 18 2008
Music Majors With Time On Their Hands, always a dangerous combination
Carol of the Bottles
Dec 18 2008
It’s OK with me if all Rahm Emmanuel did is twist Illinois Gov. Blagojevich’s arm to Appoint Obama Loyalists. That’s to be expected, and is neither illegal nor immoral. It is, after all, a political appointment, and normal political considerations apply.
Sadly, the Republican Party decided to run this ad:
Generally, I agree with Newt Gingrich that this ad is misplaced, and ill-timed. There is a difference between trying to influence the appointment (normal politics) and trying to buy it from Blagojevich (illegal). All we know, so far, is that Blogojevich probably tried to sell the appointment to the Senate to replace President-elect Obama. Anyone who reads this blog for long knows I’m no fan of Obama, but I prefer actual evidence before making accusations of criminal behavior.
The Republican ad doesn’t exactly allege criminality, and appears to blur the line (a bright one, I think) between trying to exert influence and doing something immoral or illegal.
The NRC would be far better off spending its time planning for the next election cycle, and not simply firing blind in hopes that there is a “there” there.
On the other hand, if it turns out that Obama or his associates either tried to buy the appointment in some way, or failed to report Blagojevich’s attempt to sell it to them, that’s a whole different story. But there has to be evidence of that, first, and I haven’t heard of any yet. At some point, it may become clear that Obama has been stonewalling, or had knowledge of something inappropriate coming from one of his associates (like Rahm Emmanuel), but we aren’t there yet, if we will ever be.
When the tapes are released (and they SHOULD BE released), we’ll know a lot more.
Dec 18 2008
In a recent survey listing medical workers as the most trusted, educators scored very high in trustworthiness.
Other eligible — and admired — professions were education, at 14 percent, and science and technology, at 10 percent.
Educators and doctors were also voted the most trusted by an overwhelming 86 and 87 percent, followed by homemakers and those in science and technology.
Only one percent picked retail professionals as partner-material, and those in media and marketing, as well as entertainers, did little better at two and three percent.
These professions were also among the least trusted by respondents, who, across the seven markets, picked the media as the single least trusted group.
Why is this incoherently ignorant? Simple. The professoriate and the major media agree about almost everything. Education is no longer primarily about learning facts and how to reason from them, it is now mostly about indoctrination in left-wing “principles.” Just like the major media. If you trust one, and not the other, it means you don’t know what either are really about these days.
Apparently, all have been doing a great job in informing and educating the public, since the public seems largely unaware of this, and actually thinks modern educators and the media are up to different things, when in fact they are two of the great arms of the grand left-ward slide of our culture, the third being government entitlement programs, upon which both depend, but in different ways.
Dec 18 2008
“Since private and publick Vices, are in Reality, though not always apparently, so nearly connected, of how much Importance, how necessary is it, that the utmost Pains be taken by the Publick, to have the Principles of Virtue early inculcated on the Minds even of children, and the moral Sense kept alive, and that the wise institutions of our Ancestors for these great Purposes be encouraged by the Government. For no people will tamely surrender their Liberties, nor can any be easily subdued, when knowledge is diffusd and Virtue is preservd. On the Contrary, when People are universally ignorant, and debauchd in their Manners, they will sink under their own weight without the Aid of foreign Invaders.”
–Samuel Adams, letter to James Warren, 4 November 1775
The “institutions of our Ancestors” would have been understood to include the church, education (not mere indoctrination), systems of law, social institutions like marriage, etc.
We’re in for some interesting times.
Dec 18 2008
Our military wins whenever it isn’t forced to quit by our civilian government. But it isn’t precisely “efficient”, and has the same amount of politics, stupidity, and shortsightedness as the rest of the world. When lives are on the line, that can be deadly.
WASHINGTON, Military leaders knew the dangers posed by roadside bombs before the start of the Iraq war but did little to develop vehicles that were known to better protect forces from what proved to be the conflict’s deadliest weapon, a report by the Pentagon inspector general says.
The Pentagon “was aware of the threat posed by mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) … and of the availability of mine resistant vehicles years before insurgent actions began in Iraq in 2003,” says the 72-page report, which was reviewed by USA TODAY.
The report is to be made public today.
Continue reading “How much do YOU trust the government to handle life and death decisions for YOU?”
Dec 17 2008
It’s OK with me if all Rahm Emmanuel did is twist Illinois Gov. Blagojevich’s arm to Appoint Obama Loyalists. That’s to be expected, and is neither illegal nor immoral. It is, after all, a political appointment, and normal political considerations apply.
Incoming White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel pushed Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to appoint longtime Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett to fill Barack Obama’s Senate seat, and even gave Blagojevich’s staff a deadline by which an appointment was expected, according to a report in today’s Chicago Sun-Times.
Citing sources “with the Obama camp,” the Sun-Times report says Emanuel began to push for Jarrett to fill Obama’s seat “just days” after the Nov. 4 election.
That story also cites a source close to Emanuel admitting it is “possible” Emanuel discussed the appointment with Blagojevich chief of staff John Harris, and that a specific date for the appointment was given.
The Sun-Times’ revelations suggest that Emanuel was more deeply involved in discussions with Blagojevich and his staff than previously reported, and was more assertive in promoting a specific candidate.
Those conversations could have contributed to Blagojevich’s apparent belief that the Senate appointment held great political value.
It is only if there was some deal to compensate Blagojevich personally that we have a problem. And, of course, if Blagojevich twisted Emmanuel’s arm to offer some kind of bribe (essentially a form of criminal conspiracy), then Emmanuel was obliged to report that, even if he didn’t take the offer. We can only hope that it turns out that Emmanuel is the one who tipped the FBI that something was imminent. It will not help achieve a successful Obama presidency to begin it by having a Chief of Staff resign in disgrace.
Dec 17 2008
Chávez government handed out millions in exchange for votes
Venezuela’s government distributed electronic appliances, food and cash totaling tens of millions of dollars in an effort to secure the loyalty of voters in poor sections in advance of recent elections, according to evidence and testimony obtained by El Nuevo Herald.
Pro-government officials in the municipality of Sucre alone handed out $10 million in cash on Nov. 22 and the day of the balloting, Nov. 24, offering each person between $140 and $480, according to campaign workers who spoke to El Nuevo Herald.
So how different is this, really, from encouraging people on the government dole and payroll to vote for the candidate who will give them more? Is buying the vote after the election so different from buying it before the election? Very few people voted for McCain because of what he might give them, while enormous numbers voted for Obama expecting him to honor campaign promises to give them benefits of various kinds. “Spread the wealth” indeed.
With his war chest, he made a down payment on his election with the media blitz. Now that he’s elected, is he going to pay for the rest on the public dime?
Dec 17 2008
NASA reports 2008 is ninth warmest year since 1880 – Yahoo! News
The year 2008 was the ninth warmest year since instrumental temperature measurements began in 1880, and all of the nine warmest years have occurred in the past 11 years, NASA reported on Tuesday.
This is simply false. The hottest year on record since 1880 is 1934. The second hottest year is 1998. Don’t expect a correction on this report. But be aware that you simply cannot believe what is reported on this in the major media.
The ten hottest years are, according to NASA (after some recent, painful revisions, embarassing as they were), in order of heat:
1934, 1998, 1921, 2006, 1931, 1999, 1953, 1990, 1938, 1939
Draw your own conclusions about AP’s and Yahoo’s ability to read and research, and remind yourself of that whenever you read a story from either on this point… and many others, of course.
In any case, NASA has established a recent habit of false reporting, and failing to validate its own records and reports, and then having to recant later. Call it the Hansen effect. When you’ve publicly committed to such an extreme position, you’ll say anything to put a good face on it. Sadly, a great many more people have the same commitment, particularly politicians and media types. Every time you see an “anthropogenic global warming (AGW) denier” accused of being paid by “big oil”, ask if the accuser knows how much money is taken by scientists from the government, IF they’ll sign on to AGW as the thing they are researching.
By a factor of ten or more, scientists get more more money to support global warming than to deny it, even if you assume that all “big business” money is given purely to fund the denial of AGW. It IS clear that no scientist can get ANY money from the government unless their research proposal assumes AGW in the first place.
So how surprising is it that they keep “confirming” it, on the government nickel?
But they really should get their story straight.
Dec 16 2008
I’ve been on sabbatical this semester, but I start teaching again next semester. I am hoping against hope that the following is not the experience of my students.
