Category Archives: Uncategorized

Newegg’s awesome. I will purchase my hard drive from them when I get around to getting it.

If only Congress were this worried about privacy when it comes to the police and/or federal agencies.

Apple has to explain to Congress that companies want to keep their money and will do whatever they can to do that. I say, if it’s legal, then go for it.

“The tax system is broken; it’s not competitive,” Mehlman said, noting that Apple faces far greater taxes than its tech competitors, like Korea-based Samsung. “The policymakers made the code, and it’s not nearly as flat, simple and logical as it should be, so companies across all sectors do what they can to minimize [their] tax burden and maximize research and product development. Tech is no different.”

Girl arrested for felony science [danger: autoplay video] that should have warranted a week of detention and probably a long, boring safety lecture will not be formally charged. At least now she knows better than to experiment with chemical reactions on school grounds.

Commander Hadfield is the best thing that’s happened to space since the moon landing. I only hope someone will step up with the updates and stuff.

His son also deserves a lot of credit for keeping the Twitter and G+  (and tumbr?) feeds going.

Before we go changing regimes in Syria….

Losing a war is much easier than winning one. Before the United States enters Syria, it should ask itself a series of questions. Can it take out the regime of Bashar al Assad easily? Answer—most likely yes, in the manner that the “lead from behind” air war decapitated Muammar Gadhafi’s rule. Is the aim of an American-led intervention to foster a postwar consensual government? If so, postbellum Libya reminds us that without Americans on the ground, Arab idealists usually go the way of the Mensheviks in Russia or of Abulhassan Banisadr’s secular socialists in Iran. In addition, Iraq warns us that putting U.S. ground forces into an Arab Middle East country could ensure some sort of constitutional succession—but most likely at material and moral costs that very quickly would be too high even for the present supporters who are calling for a “humane” intervention Syria.

If history is any guide, if we cannot articulate the purpose of entering Syria, the sort of government that we wish to follow the Assad regime, and how much blood and treasure we are willing to spend to obtain that end, then we may well lose the war before it starts.

McCain introduces a bill that would force ala carte programing for cable companies. Which will probably reduce the number of cable channels available. It’s nothing but wins.

Apparently, gas cans don’t work right anymore, for safety reasons.

Soap doesn’t work. Toilets don’t flush. Clothes washers don’t clean. Light bulbs don’t illuminate. Refrigerators break too soon. Paint discolors. Lawnmowers have to be hacked. It’s all caused by idiotic government regulations that are wrecking our lives one consumer product at a time, all in ways we hardly notice.

A quick google has taught me that the key to home gasoline storage safety is don’t cheap out and don’t be stupid.

Hospitals charge whatever they feel they can get away with. Also notice the amount actually paid.

The chargemaster can be confusing because it’s highly variable and generally not what a consumer would pay,” said Carol Steinberg, vice president at the American Hospital Association. “Even an uninsured person isn’t always paying the chargemaster rate.”

I don’t mind the variable rates which, despite the protests in the article, sure seem to be based on the income of the people using the facilities. What I mind is the black box approach. This is the price we say it will cost, this is the price we bill insurance, this is the price we say you have to pay and while there may be some relationship between all the numbers, it sure isn’t obvious.

China, not doing as awesome as everyone thought.

Yes, the US faces a debt hangover, but so does China after the state banks let rip with private loans keep the boom going through the downturn. Fitch Ratings has just downgraded China’s debt, warning that credit has jumped from 125pc to 200pc of GDP over the last four years, with mounting reliance on shadow banking that lets banks circumvent loan-to-deposit curbs. This is why George Soros has been warning that there could be a “run” on China’s state banking system akin to the Lehman bust.

Total credit has jumped from $9 trillion to $23 trillion in four years, an increase equal to the entire US banking system.

America has moved in the opposite direction. Its banks now have loan-to-deposit ratio of around 0.7, and the biggest safety buffers in three decades. The Congressional Budget Office says US Treasury debt held by the public has jumped from 40pc to 73pc.

While I wonder if America has the wherewithal to actually pay down our debt, at least we are (fairly) transparent about it.  Recognizing the problem is the first step, right? China has to liberalize or die. It will be interesting to see which they choose. And if America does collapse, China will provide us with a nice cushiony buffer, like we did for Europe after WWII

The US is leasing time on Chinese satellites to carry data in Africa. This doesn’t surprise me. China is in the process of buying up the continent, well, its resources anyway. I suspect that’s where client-state wars will take place in the coming decades. It will be interesting to watch Islamic and communist states go at it. *I’m dictatorial and you’re dictatorial, can’t we all get along?*

CIPSA is bad.

Congress wants out of Obamacare, because it’s going to drive up their costs. You made your cake, lie in it.

“I have no problems with Congress being under the same guidelines,” Burr said. “I think if this is going to be a disaster — which I think it’s going to be — we ought to enjoy it together with our constituents.”

We don’t need more government.

Finally, government surveillance at every corner reflects the un-American idea that we ought to leave civil order to the police. At times Americans have abdicated our responsibilities as citizens. But in crises we rise up.

When terrorist attacks in the U.S. have actually been deterred, it’s been because of citizens acting. The shoe bomber was beaten by other passengers. The Times Square bomber was noticed by a vendor. And Flight 93 was brought down by hero passengers.

To stay safe we don’t need fewer civil liberties. We need more civil society.

And again, the essential point is missed.

“When Ruthie got sick, there were things that her family could not do — they couldn’t get the kids to school without help, they couldn’t get meals on the table without help, they couldn’t pay the bill without help. It really took a village to care for my sick sister. The idea that we are self-reliant is a core American myth.”

When news spread of Ruthie’s cancer, some friends planned an aid concert to raise money for her medical bills. Hundreds of people came together, raising $43,000 for their friend. “This is how it’s supposed to be,” someone told Dreher that night. “This is what folks are supposed to do for each other.”

Who took care of her and her family? The community around her.  I see this happen regularly on the internet and IRL. It’s the people around you that matter.

Hari Seldon would be pleased. I’m a little disappointed they call it “cliodynamics”.

It may not be in the government’s interest that I save for retirement, but it is in my interests and I will do what I have to to protect it.  Sorry you can’t keep your budget under control, that doesn’t mean you should gut mine. And when it comes to retirement, $100,000 is not a lot of money. Anything under $1,00,000 is really not enough.

Since the sabers are rattling again (it’s spring, after all. The time when kings go to war, or as close to war as they dare with the threat of utter annihilation hanging over them.)

This article was interesting, but I have no idea who these people are, so, grain of salt.

You think it’s a long way down the road to the chemists, but that’s just peanuts to space.

If I won the lottery… But I have a plan. A well-refined plan at a variety of award levels. If only I actually bought tickets…

We really are that dumb on the whole. I think it’s one of democracy’s built-in defense mechanisms. Problematic in a crisis, but constant pulling in many directions keeps from going too far in any one direction. We dither around for a while and then we have the rise of the Great Man, who because he happens to get it right at the right time and leads with a clear voice in the midst of a crisis, looks good. And then we toss them. It’s worked for a few hundred years. But, like the Greeks and Romans, sooner or later, we’ll tear ourselves apart.

If freaking out about asteroids is what it takes to get the space program moving again, hey, go for it.

Reportedly incandescent-like LED bulbs will be available for sale soon. And for what passes as a reasonable price. I’ll give them a shot when I get around to buying bulbs again.

It took 10 years, but the TSA is finally starting to be reasonable about carry on items. I look forward to more of this sort of progress.

Reason has slashed, slashed! their subscription prices by in 2.3% in a sequester special.

The White House says unlocking phones should not be illegal. They’re right.

Use your fingers to move your mouse around. I wonder what playing a game with it would be like. I will however not be picking one up until it’s been out a little while. Also, we’re all going to be sitting at our desks waving our arms around randomly. Surely this won’t look stupid.

UPDATE: Alright, I really want to buy one now.

Sneaking into the country, even with drugs, is not a Hellfire-missiles-raining-down kind of offense. Also, I have very little faith in the government not spying on US citizens, given their current track record with ignoring the 4th amendment.

I agree with John Kerry.

“In America you have a right to be stupid – if you want to be,” he said, prompting laughter. “And you have a right to be disconnected to somebody else if you want to be.

“And we tolerate it. We somehow make it through that. Now, I think that’s a virtue. I think that’s something worth fighting for,” he added. “The important thing is to have the tolerance to say, you know, you can have a different point of view.”

Bad Astronomer summary.

Links to videos.

I love how people keep standing in front of / directly under windows when massive sonic booms are rattling them.  I feel everyone should grow up in earthquake country where the immediate response to emergencies is to fear that buildings will fall on you. It just seems like a safer assumption.

How come the Russians get all the good meteor strikes? And the metals that go with it. Other than it’s a massive country covering 1/4 of the earth.

Now I don’t have to rewatch the whole thing.

Fillion was so young. *sigh*

The government has managed to not spend every penny it took in last month, probably thanks in part to farm taxes and that social security thing expiration. Heaven forfend the government actually spend less.

No wonder there’s been ammo shortages. I suspect they’re trying to keep them out of our grubby little hands.

America: not always required to stick our nose in. I like it.

I’ve been reading The Collapse of Complex Societies and the parallels between us and Rome, especially, and other collapsed societies is worrisome. Not that I necessarily agree with all his theories.

When has price controls ever worked for any economy? Once inflation starts running away, nothing stops it. Price freezes never work as they are supposed to, they just create mad rushes and shortages.

So to summarize: first capital controls, then a currency crisis, then expectations of sovereign default, then a rise in military tensions, and finally – price controls, after which all out chaos usually follows.

In Mali, bad things will happen if we don’t intervene and bad thing will likely happen if we do. The thing is, Europe needs to get its act together and do something effective instead of us having to save their bacon, again. You’ve had a fun 50 years of the US subsidizing your military so you can spend more on your social experimentation, now it’s time to man up and pay for your own defense. This may mean you have to reduce public pensions and assistance, which you can’t really afford anyway. Well, hard decisions are part of being a grown up country.* Time to make some.

*this also applies to the US.

We haven’t even implemented Obamacare yet and they’re already setting about to decide the quality of care we deserve. Since nobody qualified, and in their right mind, would want the job, we’re going to get unqualified idiots making life and death decisions. So, on par for the government course.

How this won’t create a system of government mandated have and have-nots and resentment from those that can’t afford private care I don’t know.

It may be time for the DHS to die. Okay, it’s 10 years past time for it to die. Okay, it never should have been created in the first place.

While not a brony, I do enjoy the occasional show and trolly MLP jpeg in a politics thread. Also, John de Lancie and Tara Strong with a dash of Gilbert and Sullivan, so what’s not to like.

Punctuation is so important. Opportunity has been exploring Mars for 10 years now.

/sniff

Mark Steyn lays out the future of conservatism.

We have all the talk-radio shows and cable networks we need, and the rest of the country is happy to leave us walled up in those redoubts. But culture trumps politics, and not just in the movies and pop songs, grade schools and mainline churches, but increasingly in the boardrooms, too. Instead of giving your hard-earned dollars to help drag some finger-in-the-windy squish with an R after his name over the finish line every other November, conservatives need to start fighting on the turf that matters. We risk winding up like the Shakers–dependent on conversion while eschewing all effective means thereof.

And finally please don’t waste another four years obsessing over whether Barack Obama is a secret Muslim Kenyan Commie or whatever. He may be all those things, but the lesson of November 6 is that a majority of the American people agree with him. He’s not the exotic other, he’s all too typical. That’s the problem.

Yes, there’s no way us providing logistical support for a French incursion into a third-world country could go wrong.

They’re right.

Nothing has been better for the American gun manufacturing sector than Obama being president. His first election led to a run on ammunition that kept stores sold out for a year or more. His second term has lead to the sales of enough guns in a couple months to give everyone in the entire Chinese and Indian armies a gun.

How else would you select astronauts for a mission to Mars?

The results of the Locus online write-in* 20th-21st century greatest writings in SF and Fantasy poll. Which is almost entirely wrong. I think the earlier 20th century works suffered a little from short memories, or more accurately perhaps, some later 20th century works won’t rank quite as high in another decade or two.

There is no way that A Game of Thrones is the second best Fantasy novel in the 20th century. It’s barely the second best in its own series. Dune is not the best SF novel of the 20th century. I can see it being in the top five, but not number one. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell was not that good, it should be down a few notches. I don’t know who Ted Chiang is, but apparently he writes a mean short form story.

*Having to write them in was surprisingly hard.