Enter the Heroes
Bill O' Reilly said something that I agree with! On his most recent "talking points" memo, usually a place to spout off his most ridiculous facts and opinions about how we're all gonna die, and how we all need to be vigilant, right-wing Christians if America's going to stave off the impeding doom of the forces of liberal evil. . . Well, he finally made a
little bit of sense.
Aside from the loaded terminology and insistence that it's us against every Muslin in the world (feh), he did make the connection that our dependence on foreign oil creates the inevitability of future armed conflicts. Granted, this has been a given for many of us for years and years. . . But for Bill to see the writing on the wall enough to make this change in perception. . . Well, it's great!
While I am curious to see how the Fox News channel will eventually spin this stance into a conservative vs. Liberal debate (as ridiculous as that sounds, those guys are wickedly smart. . . They'll find a way to shepard the herd), what makes me happier is the return of science as a respected entity.
I know it's early, but in a couple of years, politicians all over this country are going to fall all over themselves to praise science and technology. As they make a concerted effort to pump exobertant funds into energy research and invention, they lowly lab coated warrior will gain a heroic public face, as "bold innovators who's minds and obsessive effort churn with endless abandon to stemmed eh tide of barbarism and return the standard of American living. . .," or something like that. Even better, this stance will be embraced by the core of conservatives. . . Leaving behind the increasingly marginal Christian right.
If only we could all learn this the easy way. Why do we have to struggle through the same mistakes, brushing aside intellectuals and thinkers for the easy worship of sand-in-the-clit fighters and the slow trumpet of the hero's burial? Sadly, in twenty years, will we remember what it took to get hydrogen fuel cheap and viable? Will we remember how we thought, and who we looked up to?
No matter. At least for now, the world is about to get better.
The best thing is, I can see this happening sooner than later. I can't wait for Bush's SOTU address Tuesday. He's going to lead the charge towards a better future, putting science and innovation back on the pedestal where it belongs. It will be too late to save his administration, but it will put the right ideas back into the minds of the average American, and reassess our priorities and values in a way that aligns with reason.
Why Polarization is Bad
Hamas.
When any powerful world leader (such as U.S. president George Bush, and others) justifies foreign policy with unbending black and white moralities and a good vs. evil mentality, is it any wonder that the rest of the world will respond in a similar vein?
Furthermore, would this 2006 election result have occured if there were not an ongoing conflict in Iraq? Frankly, we're fighting a war we cannot win, because we don't realize that the only viable solution is dialogue and mutual understanding. Terrorism is a faceless method, borne of hate and frustration. It is not the method of a pure evil, cold-blooded killer who wants to kill as many wonmen and children as possible.
Maybe if we understood that as a nation, we could bring about the dialogue and social change necessary to end it.
Stuff about Pain
This article about how nerves transmit pain seems really obvious, but I never considered it before.
One of these days, the sheer heroism of scienctific discovery will end pain once and for all. You heard it here first. :)
Man in Black (sort of)
Just when I thought the
search for intelligent life couldn't get any cooler, I learned that NASA has a Planetary Protection Officer. This guy's job. . . he gets
paid for this, is to protect our planet against hostile aliens!
Actually, the "aliens" in question would most likely be bacteria or other single-celled extremophiles, and his "protection" refers to sterilization and biological containment guildelines.
But it's still cool.
Movie Scenes - Coolest endings
Here is a short list of scenes and moments that I've enjoyed, that occur at the end of the movie. This list changes daily:
The Color Purple - the triple climax, where Oprah restores her self-esteem, the jazz singer wins back her father, and Whoopie Goldberg sees her fmily again. It's amazing how good it is.
Diggstown - After the technicality pits Loius Gosset Jr. against an 11th fighter, James Woods'. . . aw, I can' spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it. It's hilarious and is the perfect climax for that kind of movie.
Bravehart - Holy moly, after the "Freedom," when the sword goes up in the air, to land upright. . . very emotional.
High Fidelity - When Jack Black fronts for Sonic Death Monkey. The first time I saw this, I was floored by how cool it was.
Before Sunset - "You're gonna miss your plane." "I know."
Empire Strikes Back - The money shot with Luke's arm around Leia, the driods, and teh picture window view of space. The music is perfect.
Rushmore - the reeption after the play, when Jason Schwartzman look at her, and signals to the DJ to play the Rod Stewart song.
Army of Darkness - "Hail to the King, baby."
Fight Club - When they hold hands to watch the buildings start to fall. . . interspiced with a big - fat - $#&@.
The Sixth Sense - I did not see this coming, not even a glimmer.
Inelastic Demand
There is a very intersting study,
paraphrased in science daily, regarding the economics of illegal goods, especially drugs. The idea behind drug enforcement is to create a number of extra expenses for drug cartels and dealers, preventing them from delivering a cheap product and driving them out of business. With products that have elastic demand, increasing standards/levels of enforcement/etc. are extremely sucessful. Unfortuately, according to the study, demand for drugs doesn't seem to change. Even though the market due to enforcement raises prices, the same number of people still buy it anyway. The end result is that the cartels make the same profits, sometimes more, and the poor people addicted to drugs get even poorer.
I would like to see a version of this economic model applied to international politics. For instance, what effect does stricter enforcement of global policies (through military action, for instance) do to areas of the world that have an inelastic demand for specific illegal countercultures (such as terrorist organizations)? Also, is U.S. oil consumption basically inelastic? If this is the case, does this mean that price gouging is an inevitable fact? Does it mean we must have aggressive oil aquisition policies that supercede more elastic moral issues?
Movie Scenes - Funniest
Here are a few scenes from movies that I think are extremely funny. This list changes daily:
A Fish Called Wanda: When Kevin Kline can't tell John Cleese that he's sorry at first, but then discovers that he can. . . after he's accidentally beaten the crap out of him.
Happy Gilmore: When Adam Sandler says he has to toughen up by letting baseballs hit him in teh chest at a batting cage. He leaves, letting some kid take his place to get absolutely beaned.
The Big Lebowski: The opening argument about the rug, between Jeff Bridges and John Goodman.
Swingers: Leaving 8 messages on a hot girl's answering machine after getting her phone number that night.
Airplane: When the sewardess gets help from a middle-aged woman who says she can speak "jive."
City Slickers: When Jack Palance tells Billy Crystal "I shit bigger 'n you."
Chasing Amy: The storytelling Jaws parody at the lesbian bar. Jason Lee is a genius.
Goin' to Memphis
I just bought some plane tickets for a trip to Memphis for the first weekend in February. Originially just a Super Bowl party and get together for the other guys in my Fantasy Football league, it has become much more.
One of my best friends, Abe, is flying in from Washington D.C. to meet us there. This is so cool, because he is a naval officer and engineer, and he and his family are being reassigned to Japan this March. Before yesterday, I didn't think we were going to get to see him before he left!
Right now, our plan is to meet up Friday at the airport with two other friends, and hit Beale street for music, beer, and ribs. On Saturday, we either plan on driving to Tunica to try our hand at gambling for awhile, or stay at the hotel and play Settlers of Catan and 2nd edition D&D (? - that'll be a mind scramble). Then Sunday, we head over to meet up with the rest at the Super Bowl party. Add the probability that the Colts will be kicking ass, and you have the mixture for a great weekend.
Oh yeah. :)
Butterfly Legal Briefs
Conservationists
sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Thursday seeking protection for a rare butterfly they say is threatened by off-road vehicles at one of the largest sand dunes in the West.
Apparently, the Fish and Wildlife Service is going to spend about 35 grand on a preliminary review, to see if it needs to devote even more resources to a larger review.
There can't be that many waystations, parks, and equipment rental/service centers that provide access to that particular dune. Why not spend a fraction of the extravegant investgation costs and do a basic and friendly awareness campaign with the people who use the dune? WHy not kill many birds with one stone and focus on every endangered creature in the region?
Put up some flyers with pretty pictures, do a few local news hits every few months, fly in for a seasonal seminars with local officials, and let the off-roaders take some responsibility for themselves. Sounds good to me.
Happy happy happy happy!!!
From Science Daily: "Psychotropic drug prescriptions for teenagers skyrocketed 250 percent between 1994 and 2001, rising particularly sharply after 1999, when the federal government allowed direct-to-consumer advertising and looser promotion of off-label use of prescription drugs, according to a new
Brandeis University study in the journal Psychiatric Services."
Yeah.
Stick a poor monkey in a cage, and force it to learn countless tasks and social nuances to gain the absolute minimum of companionship. Once is masters those tasks, don't bother with praise or rest. Just give it more to do, and reinforce it by bombarding the creature's brain with images of perfection and the shame of not living up to that standard. Escalate the requirments for basic survival and wear the beast down until it finally breaks down and lashes out in rage or fear.
Apply tranquilizer as needed.
A Very Tough Squirt
The species of sea squirt called the
Didemnum is an example of evolution in action. It has a higher acidic protective coating, reproduces and spreads several times faster than any other known variety, and has no known predators.
Biologists are concerned that this critter may destroy many of ecologies in the Atlantic Ocean. Click
here for full article at Science News.
I find it interesting that scientists are concerned about stopping this creature's spread. Who ever said that biology should be static and predictable?
Weather Update
Today the weather forcast is 74 degrees and sunny. I will be wearing shorts and sandals. . .
The Hazards of Travelling to Texas
The first trip I made to Texas was at the wheel of an overloaded 16-foot moving van, 4 miles into the journey, the shocks must have gone out, because I spent the next two days frantically keeping the wheels on the pavement.
This time, the trip to Texas was no less harrowing. Here's a breakdown of events from December 30th, 2005:
12:45 am - eastern timeI finally finish a game of Settlers of Catan with Jackie's family. Jackie and her mom had the good sense to go home ahead of me, and I leave her grandparent's house in Edwardsberg, MI with her sister so I can be dropped off.
1:45 am - eastern timeJackie is still awake when I get to her mother's. We stay up for a half an hour to wind ourselves down, but neither of us can sleep well.
6:15 am - eastern timeJackie's mom frantically wakes us up and starts rushing around the house. The previous evening, she set her alarm and accidentally switched the time forward an hour. We have plenty of time, and decide to go to McDonald's for breakfast.
7:08 am - eastern timeAs I eat my bacon, egg, and cheese mcgriddle, I realize I can't find the parking confirmation ticket anywhere. We parked in a Houston, TX long-term parking lot on the 20th of December, but we can't remember where it was, what it was called, or anything about it. I have a premonition of dark tidings.
7:50 am - eastern timeAfter piling ourselves and our luggage into a crowded van, we rush to the South Bend airport, where we can catch the 8am North Shore line to downtown Chicago. Jackie's mother, sister, her sister's husband, her 3-year old, her stepsister, and me were present. We find out that there is no 8am train, and the next one doesn't leave until 8:55 (information supplied by yet ANOTHER sister, who was currently sleeping soundly at the moment of the revelation).
9:00 am - eastern timeThe train is stuffed to the gills, and cold as bejeesus. It take over 2 and a half hours to get to downtown Chicago. We try to sleep a little, but cannot.
10:45 am - central timeIn Chicago, we head outside to walk to Marshall Fields with the luggage. Due to the sudden onset of a certain monthly requrement, Jackie is forced to make a quick stop into a crowded CVS. Everyone else goes into the warm pharmacy except me, as I have two overloaded bags in my hands. Instead, I sample the full effects of a gusty, 18 degree wind chill for ten minutes.
11:30am - central timeAfter I drop off our luggage on the 7th floor of Marshal Fields, I rejoin the family to enjoy a few hours of overcrowded commerce. The line to eat at the Walnut Room was 4 hours long. There was some discussion about eating there ourselves, but it was nixed quickly. Along with 6 floors of clothes, there was a small corner with some lame toys, a minimalist bookstore, and very little else for a fella like me to enjoy.
1:30pm - central timeStifling yawns and fidgeting, I find myself outside again with the entire crew, fighting crowds and cold to observe the annual Marshal Field's holiday window display. This year, it was the story of Cinderella, told with disneyland-esque, moving puppets. I was knocked aside many times by people anxious to use their camera cellphones and their portable movie studios.
2:15pm - central timeI retrieve our luggage from the 7th floor, and we walk a few city blocks to get to the blue line train to O'Hare. Underground construction prohibited a short walk through the central station, so we had to walk a distance to get to the other side of it. With a ten day chistmas trip's worth of luggage in tow, the Earth's gravity must have shifted to 1.2 G's during that walk. I swear it did.
2:30pm - central timeWe say our goodbyes at the subway station and board the rail.
3:45pm - central timeWe check in our bags at O'Hare, and grab a bite to eat. Jackie and I are alone together for the first time in a week. It felt good. The feelings of glee evaportted when I saw that our flight was delayed an hour due to weather.
5:45pm - central timeI remember back 3 days eariler, when our original flight was set for the 27th. Jackie's mom couldn't bear such a short visit, so she paid to have our tickets extended to the 30th. It was a great guesture, and we enjoyed the extra time immensely. but it meant we couldn't sit together. Instead, Jackie ended up next to a mother with a screaming baby, and I was sat next to a chubby latino woman. She spent the flight adjusting her light, clearing her throat, and opening and closing her copy of a book by Joel Olsten. There was no sleeping.
8:45pm - central timeI am smiling for a moment because I was using some advice I got from a rental car counter. After describing our parking lot to the woman, and she was positive that I was talking about Park n' Pay. We boarded a shuttle.
9:15pm - central timeWe return to the terminal on the same shuttle, and begin to look for one of two other parking lot companies (on the driver's advice, this time). I lose it in front of Jackie for a few minutes, and she does her best to hold me together.
9:45pm - central timeWe finally make it to the car, which was parked in a lot called Xpress Park. Jackie actually cried.
10:45pm - central timeWe are 15 minutes from the island, and have a muddled, incoherent argument about whether or not we should buy cat litter on the way home. I argued "con" for awhile, but there is a possibiliy that we may have swtiched our positions midstream.
11:10pm - central timeI purchase cat litter at a Walgreens in Galveston, and begin to get paranoid that the cats are dead from dehydration. 10 days, and no one's been around to check on them.
11:20pm - central timeWe walk in the door, gather the mail, check the phone, change the cat litter, realize that nothing was stolen or broken into, and that the cats still had food and were still drinking from the bowl under the dripping bathroom faucet. Whew on all counts!!
11:45pm - central timeWe love on the relived kitties for a moment or two, and fall into a well-deserved sleep.
