Religious right may blackball Giuliani
A powerful group of conservative Christian leaders decided Saturday at a private meeting in Salt Lake City to consider supporting a third-party candidate for president if a pro-choice nominee like Rudy Giuliani wins the Republican nomination.From Religious right may blackball Giuliani, by Michael Scherer | Salon News
I don't think the Texas Taliban is dumb enough to do this. They may think that the earth is 6000 years old and they the country will fall apart if we treat gay people like...people; but what they lack in scientific knowledge they more than make up for in political savvy. They will threaten Rudy. They will act silly. And in the end they will not vote to help Hillary.
Off-Peak Discounts May Be Part of M.T.A. Fare Increase
Under this proposal, a person who buys a pay-per-ride MetroCard would be charged $2 to ride the subway or bus during the morning and evening peak periods. Travel during off-peak periods, including midday, would cost $1.50.Off-Peak Discounts May Be Part of M.T.A. Fare Increase - City Room - Metro - New York Times Blog
I think that the MTA has figured out how to sell peak-pricing to the masses. Rather than start off by raising the peak-price; lower the non-peak price. Market forces will work to shift some peak use to non-peak use as well as increase non-peak use. I like this. And I'd like to see the MTA try this on the bridges. Or see NJ try this on the Turnpike and Garden State Parkway.
smart car
smart car
Originally uploaded by karmakazesal.
Smart car seen on the street in Downtown NYC.
Germans?
germans
Originally uploaded by karmakazesal.
Are we sure we want German speakers to meet in groups? Unsupervised?
Hired Gun Fetish
the so-called private security contractors are mercenaries. They're heavily armed. They carry out military missions, but they're private employees who don't answer to military discipline. On the other hand, they don't seem to be accountable to Iraqi or U.S. law, either. And they behave accordingly.From Hired Gun Fetish - New York Times
Krugman describes exactly what the root problem with Blackwater is. If you aren't totally sick of Iraq news or the Blackwater story, this is a must read
SIM Card Spy Ear
Just take your SIM card out of your cellphone and stick it in this mysterious black box that's about the size of a bar of soap. Hide the $85 device in an inconspicuous location wherever you want to do your listening, and then when you call your cellphone number from another phone, you suddenly have ears in exactly the right places.From Surveillance: SIM Card Spy Ear for Nosy Neighbors and Private Eyes - Gizmodo
Cool. I have no need for this but I really want one. If it had a cam-phone mode I could use it to keep tabs on my cat.
one billion dollars
Less than a month before the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Saddam Hussein signaled that he was willing to go into exile as long as he could take with him $1 billion and information on weapons of mass destruction, according to a report of a Feb. 22, 2003, meeting between President Bush and his Spanish counterpart published by a Spanish newspaper yesterday.From WaPo
After reading that about Saddam, the first thing I thought was how much cheaper that would have been; both in blood and treasure. Now I wonder if it would be possible to pay Bush, Cheney, Rove and the whole neo-con cabal; a billion each to leave the US and never come back. That's still less than half of the 55 billion more they want to continue the war.
Spain Opens the Books on Bush?
But it seems someone in the Spanish government has leaked to El Pais transcripts of conversations between President Bush and then Spanish Prime Minister Aznar just before the outbreak of the Iraq War. The gist seems to be that Bush was rather candid about the fact that the efforts to find a peaceful solution to the crisis were a sham and that the war was a done deal.From Talking Points Memo | Spain Opens the Books on Bush?
Pants on fire.
Fed Chief Calls for New Mortgage Rules
In testimony this morning to the House Financial Services Committee, Mr. Bernanke said a full review of consumer protection regulations was under way under existing regulatory authority.From Fed Chief Calls for New Mortgage Rules - New York Times
“The recent problems in subprime lending have underscored the need not only for better disclosure and new rules but also for more-uniform enforcement in the fragmented market structure of brokers and lenders,” he said.
If you read only one article about mortgages, this should be that article.
Journalist Test Drives The Pain Ray Gun
The Silent Guardian is essentially (even though the creators prefer you not refer to it as such) a ray gun, emitting a focused beam of radiation similar to your microwave tuned to a specific frequency to stimulate human nerve endings.From Slashdot | Journalist Test Drives The Pain Ray Gun
Ray gun? When the police started using stun guns, it was supposed to lower the number of shootings. Regardless of if that's true; it lead to a lot of people being stunned or tazered. A ray gun will eventually be in the hands of the police. And I imagine that this will be used to zap crowds of protesters.
Senate rejects habeas legislation.
In a 56-43 vote, the majority of the Senate today voted for legislation that would have restored habeas corpus rights to military detainees and given them “the right to protest their detention in federal court.” But the roll call fell four votes short of the 60 needed to cut off debate.From Think Progress » Breaking: Senate rejects habeas legislation.
It was just over a year ago that the GOP was referring to Democratic filibuster threats as anti-democratic obstructionism. And now they seem to view it as a sacrament.
“The position urged by the Administration, that we must choose between Constitutional rights and fighting terrorism effectively, is simply wrong. Our strength as a nation, and our status as a world leader, is based in part on the fact that Americans do not choose between national security and liberty; we demand both,” said Sen. Biden.Found on TPM Best quote on the subject.
Webb Amendment Filibustered
You know that plan to make sure that the troops have as much time at home as they have in Iraq? Well... Senate Republicans have successfully filibustered the amendment to ease troop rotation schedules. Great job supporting the troops.
Paul Krugman's Blog
I was born in 1953. Like the rest of my generation, I took the America I grew up in for granted – in fact, like many in my generation I railed against the very real injustices of our society, marched against the bombing of Cambodia, went door to door for liberal candidates. It’s only in retrospect that the political and economic environment of my youth stands revealed as a paradise lost, an exceptional episode in our nation’s history.From Introducing This Blog - Paul Krugman - Op-Ed Columnist - New York Times Blog
Paul Krugman has a blog. And the whole Times Select non-sense is over.
Electric Meets Diesel in Opel E-Flex
the Opel E-Flex is a European concept of the Chevy Volt unleaded/electric hybrid. Other than its propensity to drink more wine and go "on holiday," the Opel will use a 1.3lt turbo diesel engine to recharge the car's lithium ion batteries when they run out.From Chevy: LEAKED, Electric Meets Diesel in Opel E-Flex - Gizmodo
Diesel/Electric hybrid. It's what can get us off oil. It's what can kill OPEC.
U.S. Bee Collapse May Be Due to Alien Virus
An imported virus may be a culprit in the puzzling disappearance of honeybees in the United States, experts say.From: U.S. Bee Collapse May Be Due to Alien Virus
Ever since the colony collapse disorder (CCD) epidemic was first reported in 2006, beekeepers across the country have seen adult bees disappear, leaving their honey and pollen behind.
Bees...alien virus. Wasn't that the plot of the X-Files movie? At the very least, it doesn't look like cell phones are killing bees.
Cardboard Helicopter
The CopterBox is a disposable air-drop box, designed to safely drop cargo from a plane. Using parachutes is more expensive, and requires that you go back at some point to pick them up. With this system you can just throw a package out and forget about itFrom Stay Out Of The Rain: CopterBox, Cardboard Helicopter - Gizmodo
Worth visiting just for the video. I bet this guy can make some really kick-ass paper airplanes.
Speed Freaks: The 10 Fastest Green Cars on the Planet
Toyota's own Landspeed Prius cracked the hybrid speed record on a run at Bonneville. Starting with the car's stock Hybrid Synergy Drive system -- a 1.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine and 50 kw permanent-magnet electric motor -- the Toyota team gave the transmission a taller final-drive ratio and beefed up the inverter charge from 500 to 550 volts. With lowered suspension, roll cage and moon-disked wheels, the 130-mph Landspeed Prius looks, dare we say, almost sexy.From Speed Freaks: The 10 Fastest Green Cars on the Planet
If NASCAR can consider Biofuels I wonder how long it will be before we see a Hybrid racing league? With the winner calculated by both M/H and M/G?
He plugged his Toyota Prius into the backup uninterruptible power supply unit in his house and soon the refrigerator was humming and the lights were back on.From NYT
I think we've only scratched the surface when it comes to Hybrid vehicles. I've been thinking that the next killer app will be diesel-electric commercial vehicles. From cement trucks that power their mixers from the power generated on the drive to the site; to delivery trucks that turn off when idling.
U.S. Weapons, Given to Iraqis, Move to Turkey
Weapons that were originally given to Iraqi security forces by the American military have been recovered over the past year by the authorities in Turkey after being used in violent crimes in that country, Pentagon officials said Wednesday.From U.S. Weapons, Given to Iraqis, Move to Turkey - New York Times
Remember that story about the missing weapons in Iraq? I think the Turks found some. This is blow-back in action. And it drives a wedge between us and the one friendly Muslim democracy on the planet.
Ghosts Chase Pac Man Across My Chest
Okay, short and sweet. Textile Interfaces designed the jacket, while the Lumalive light-up plate came courtesy of Philips. It's old promo-wear from Philips, but we got hold of one which plays Pac Man.From IFA2007: Ghosts Chase Pac Man Across My Chest - Gizmodo
I can imagine this being a fad. Like the shirts that change color in the sun that were a fad a few years ago. Or like Pac Man for that matter.
Why Bush stands by his incompetents
The more radioactive his aides become, the more Bush embraces them. With Gonzales, the president was particularly alone in this stance. Conservatives who might otherwise defend Bush against Democrats were appalled by Gonzales' incompetence and the utter waste of time and energy devoted to cleaning up his messy department. Why does Bush hang on until his mistakes are glowing?From: Why Bush stands by his incompetents. - By John Dickerson - Slate Magazine
My pet theory on this is that the president doesn't see a difference between I think and I know. Since he thinks that someone is a good man; that should be the same as knowing that person is a good man. It is common for some parts of the faith based community to view opinions; when held strongly enough, magically become equal to any facts someone else may have. So it really doesn't matter to him how poorly a person performs so long as it doesn't effect what he personally thinks about that person's performance.
spiderman's fingers
A team of Italian scientists says their latest nanotech discovery is the secret to the wall-scaling Spiderman suit.From Wired Science - Wired Blogs
Yet more proof that nanotech and biotech are going to make the future really weird.
This leads me to the question I first posed when watching Spiderman the movie. If Spiderman can climb walls because of his spider-like hairs on his fingers and toes; why does he wear gloves and boots? And why don't people notice that when shaking Peter Parker's hands?