:: The Boys Weekend Journal ::

Weekend Wrap-up: The Importance of Being Pork

After another fantastic Boys' Weekend, I'm just going to try and quickly rehash the main topics covered in case anyone wants to pick up the discussions here. Feel free to add others I may have forgotten (I'm sure there are a few).

• Political systems/economics/behavioralism. Huge sweeping discussion of democracy, oligarchies, economic influence on politics. How are the behavioral flaws of the masses best handled in political systems, the intellectuals vs the plebes. Long time recurring topic of Boys' Weekends...


• Regulation and the "Free Market". How best should the market be regulated? How to define economic goals and structure competition? Do insurance agents deserve to live?


• Here Piggy, Piggy. What exactly would a person do with 15 lbs of pork?


• The Two Party System. Determining the merits of a two party system vs a coalition government. How do they affect voter choice? Does the relative merits differ in the real-world vs theoretical (corruption free) formulations?


• The Price of Freedom. Is there really anything more Patriotic than Kingsford Charcoal (tm)?


• Fiscal Policy and CapEx. Is there any sense whatsoever behind supply-side economics? What is the real impact of stimulus on the demand side? Is there a segment that lies somewhere between the two that could directly increase corporate capital expenditures?


• Global Politics and Militarization. What are the likely impact and ramifications of increasing use of the US military? Is it possible or worthwhile to invest in a monopolistic military standing to exert superpower political influence as a sole superpower? What is the real role of the military given existing politcal conditions?

:: Joe 10:52 PM [+] ::
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Radio Article: "Paying for It."

I heard this great radio story on Monday's edition of Marketplace. It was part 1 of a series focusing on the economics of higher education. Very depressing, but worth a listen. The series has some links to webpages dedicated to this topic that are worth exploring if you find this an interesting topic (as I do).

:: Barry 7:41 AM [+] ::
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From the X-Files folder: The Other Boys' Weekend

Apparently we weren't the only ones having a boys' weekend. The Illuminati were having their little get together too. Details are scarce, but there's a little more analysis in Asia Times. It's some bizarre, creepy freaking stuff, and if ever anyone were seeking fuel for conspiracy theories, this is it. On the other hand, renting out an entire hotel in the French countryside is something we may want to consider for the next Boys' Weekend..

:: Joe 1:43 PM [+] ::
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Random Spewage: Coming Back to Life

So We've all had a nice three week break, I think it's time to kick a little life back into this thing... I'll try to fire off enough random topics here that one of them will have to stick =).

First of all, in the news: European political leaders are idiots too. I guess we always knew Berlusconi was scum, so his latest round of Nazi insults should not come as any great surprise. I forget... didn't Italy take some part in WWII as well? Anyhow, not to be shown up, Germany's Gerhard Schroeder has come up with the perfect solution for all of Germany's economic woes: a major tax cut. Germany is already in trouble with the EU for running too large a deficit, now Shroeder want to further ignore EU rulings to make it even larger. I would guess that EU dictates being ignored by one of the Union's most significant members will not be good for its general health and cohesiveness. And to think George Bush doesn't like this guy..

On to the always popular WMD issue.. Having attempted and largely failed to shift the focus from WMD's to humanitarian motivations for the war, Rumsfeld has decided that maybe the terrorist angle will play. After all it's worked for every other issue the administration has run into resistance on. But, as I said, I still think Bush will emerge from this mess with little damage. Ceci has been running through the American President series on DVD (it's a really good documentary, btw), and we just saw the Reagan one. It covered the Iran Contra scandal in some depth. The guy secretly sold weapons to Iran, then illegally funnelled the procedes to the Contras and went to considerable effort to cover the whole thing up. He lied about it on national television and to a congressional investigation. In the end he emerged with barely a scratch and many of his cohorts in the project are now working for the current administration. Bush has reminded me of Reagan in many respects, and I rather think he'll pull this stunt off as well. His administration keeps such a tight rein on information I just don't see anything blatantly incriminating slipping out. I see a lot of little inconsistencies hitting the news, but no cum-stained dress. If Bush is to be beat in the upcoming election it will have to be on mess in Iraq or on the economy.

And speaking of the economy.. I was part of a discussion over the 4th with my venerable Grandpa Martin. He is a very sharp guy, and a political wonk if ever there was one (I think I've told you guys about him in the past). He strongly shares my opinion that the US economy is in for a very rough ride for the foreseeable future due to globalization effects. I found that to be very interesting, because he is generally a fairly establishment-type Democrat. I guess these ideas are starting to get wider audience. It's an issue worth addressing, and one I'm not sure we've really discussed much. One of the reasons this really disgusts me is the general unfair trade situation. As I've said previously I see this less as America's high wealth concentration being dispersed into other markets, and more of a vertical shift of wealth from the middle class (who are losing their jobs in droves) to the upper management and ownership classes (who are exploiting the situation). However, even if this is corrected, wealth would likely flee the US simply because the concentration is so high here compared to the rest of the world. On the surface, from a utilitarian standpoint that would seem good, but I'm not sure I'd really be happy if that happened. For one thing I'm an American, and having the local economy stuck in an extended depression would probably suck on a personal level. Additionally if first world economies are devastated in the process of promoting fair trade, I'm not sure that will really have a net good impact on developing economies. I have to admit I have seen no research on the issue and I haven't thought it through to a level that satisfies me.. Is there some middle road here? Some way to put a very quick end to the explotative nature of the current trade system, but take a gradual (or even somewhat regressive) approach to trade liberalisation in general, with a specific eye towards global economic stability? Or am I just being selfish?

Finally, I'm having some doubt about Howard Dean, although he did get my vote in the moveon primary. By most reports he was fairly moderate as a governor, but is now taking a far-left position as a candidate. And his position on Israel would give Wolfowitz or Lieberman a run for their money. I can't help but wonder, who is the real Howard Dean? I know, Barry, you are a big proponent of his, maybe you can offer some defense.

:: Joe 9:53 PM [+] ::
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Article: In More Important News

Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Randall Simon "bopped" the italian sausage with his bat during the race between the meats during the seventh inning stretch at Miller Park on Wednesday. See this slide show on the New York Times website, and this video clip from the ESPN website. Simon was arrested after the game, but charges have been reduced to disorderly conduct and he was released with a fine.

:: Barry 8:19 AM [+] ::
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Odds'n'Ends: Quote of the Week

Brewers manager Ned Yost's reaction to the sausage bopping incident:

"I just looked over and saw our wieners in a wad. That's the extent of my knowledge."

:: Joe 8:13 PM [+] ::
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Article: Information Failure

This editorial from CSM discusses labelling and the information failure facing consumers trying to accurately pursue their market objectives. This is another of our frequent topics, and the author raises a lot of good questions in the beginning of the article, many of which I don't think are adequately answered by the author's proposed labelling regime. Other possible solutions we've discussed before are pushing the decision process out of the marketplace to a situation where the consumer can more completely access and study the relevant details, or installing some certification process. The practical limitations on consumers' abililty to be properly informed about the vast number of every-day choices they make is a crucial behavioural problem.

Also on CSM today, this article, indicating that the end is near. I've always said, if a person wanted to be really wealthy they'd start marketing a consumer version of the M1A1 Abrams tank. That statement apparently is not as satirical as I'd hoped it would be...

:: Joe 2:33 PM [+] ::
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Discussion: To Go Where No Man Has Gone Before

While I'm at the FP Mag stuff, there's another one from the new issue arguing that governments should drop out of space exploration and let wealthy folks take it over. I strongly disagree with Rees's conclusions. His reasoning is largely based on the conclusion that individuals better represent humanity than nations and that nations chicken out too quickly when things go wrong. Going by historic events neither of those points appear to hold much weight. When a test of the Apollo 1 module went up in flames, killing three astronauts the program barely paused to offer condolences. Even in recent days with the media endlessly replaying footage and milking the tragedy for every sentimental, sensationalist buck they could get, there has been a strong consensus in the public that the show must go on. The general feeling is that the best way to honor the fallen is to support the cause for which they died. And who watched the first moon landing and did not feel a sense of pride for mankind?

There are other criticisms, some of space exploration in general. Rees states that putting people in space accomplishes very little, and that probes and other automated systems could do the job as well, cheaper and with less risk. He mentions the bureaucratic overhead and PR obligations of the space programs. He cites the viability of private interests to continue the mission of space exploration. In a sense these are all good criticisms. It is true that the manned missions to space have been of little value for a good 20 years now. It is true that NASA has developed serious bureaucratic problems, and that it needs to keep up the manned missions just to retain their profile and bring in funding. It is true that private groups will soon be able to put people in space (check this out for some details on that).

I agree with those criticisms. But I don't see private pursuit of space exploration as the answer. Many of the ills that have befallen NASA are not inevitable (as NASA's accomplishments of the 60's and 70's would attest), but are symptomatic of the program being discarded and maligned by political leaders of both parties for the past two and a half decades. This is corrected not by closing down NASA, but by reprioritizing and revitalizing it.

My feeling is that space exploration is a tremendous opportunity for mankind, and scientific research is only one facet of that. Space is mankind's new manifest destiny and has been for 50 years now. Progress in space transcends the petty politics that bedevil us on the ground. It can help change our perspective on the whole mess of humanity. It puts on proud display the most noble aspects of man: courage, teamwork, creativity, intelligence, curosity, devotion. Ultimately, learning about our universe is most useful for what it teaches us about ourselves.

And I supremely doubt the viability of private explorers and adventurers to do this on their own. They will reach space soon, but then what? By current estimates the X Prize groups will likely succeed for a cost of a few times the prize money ($50m or less). Something on this scale can likely be funded by philanthropy and space tourism. And the placing of probes and satellites in orbit is already funded by private enterprise. But to establish a real permanent presence in space (and the pathetic space station they have now does not count) or to go to Mars will cost many billions of dollars. No adventurer will foot that cost. There is no viable reason for industry to do it either. Will the cost some day come down to where rich adventurers can do it? Maybe, maybe not. Do we want to wait many decades to find out. Certainly not. When the US went to the moon the program spun off innumerable new technologies that went into consumer and industry use. Why did they produce these things when industry did not? They had the brainpower, the funding, and the will to do it. Private industry may have developed some of these technologies eventually, some they probably would never have come up with. The space program gave scientists and engineers the freedom to imagine and the resources to make their dreams into reality. If we waited private industry to develop all of the things needed to make a moon trip, we'd probably still be waiting.

And when a worthy permanent space station is created, will it better represent mankind as a club for rich adventurers or as a public enterprise open to anyone who works their way up through the space program? Contrary to Rees, my contention is the latter. In either case few people will probably make the trip, but I would feel better to know that those are selected by merit, not by riches.

It still blows my mind every time that I think about the fact that we made it to the moon with 1960's technology. Were it not a fact, I would swear it impossible. What could we accomplish now if governments around the world (but especially here in the US) dedicated 10% or 20% of their military budgets to space exploration? The mind boggles.

:: Joe 10:11 PM [+] ::
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Article: Passing the Stink Test

Here's an interesting effort to overcome the information failure issue mentioned a couple weeks ago. An MIT student has put together a corporate ethics geiger counter. You scan a UPC symbol, and it spits out its opinions on the company. It's awfully primitive, but has a lot of potential. The quality and completeness of the data the devices uses don't appear to be very good at this point. It was suggested on /. that this thing should come configurable, such that you could take a quiz or fill out a preference form, and the device would weight its results based on your ethical preferences. It's an idea with a lot of merit, but still leaves us with the issue of who maintains the data and how trustworthy they are. Particularly once the system is automated (so users have no direct interaction with the data) and is directly attached to consumers' purchase decisions (driving up the ante for companies), capture may be a real concern.

:: Joe 1:10 PM [+] ::
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Odds'n'Ends: /. Post of the Week

In a discussion relating to UK radio spectrum regulations that meandered onto the subject of the enforcement tactics used for the mandatory British TV licensing scheme:

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Re:Government-controlled media (Score:4, Funny)
by misterpies (632880) on Friday August 01, @12:06PM (#6588847)

They sent an inspector to me too, but of course I was at work. So I wrote back saying they were welcome to inspect our place, but would they mind visiting after 6pm or on weekends since... surprise surprise, they never called back. I guess they're not _that_ keen...

At the time though I felt a twinge of sympathy for Saddam Hussein. The British government kept telling me that it knew I had banned equipment (an unlicensed TV set). When I denied this they told me they knew I was lying and were going to send in inspectors. And when I offered to cooperate with the inspectors (though on my terms - I'll be damned if I'll be subject to unannounced inspections of my home at any time of the day or night - though Saddam even agreed to that), they pulled them out.

Luckily for me the analogy stops there. Otherwise my flat would be occupied by government agents triumphantly brandishing my laptop as proof that I had a mobile TV-development laboratory that could be turned into a fully functioning device within 45 minutes by the addition of a simple TV tuner card, which they had documentary evidence that I was trying to purchase from Niger...

---

Nice...

:: Joe 1:37 PM [+] ::
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Today's Sign of the Apocalypse: George Bush, Action Hero

I don't know what's more wrong, that someone made this thing, or that people can't get enough of them..

:: Joe 7:30 AM [+] ::
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On the Horizon: Even Safer Tobacco?

Star Scientific appears to be a company committed to producing low-carcinogenic tobacco products. They were recently in the news because the FDA has refused to regulate their upcoming product Avira tobacco lozenge. The company claims that this lozenge, as well as their moist and dry snuff, will have nitrosamine 'levels that are extremely low, even when measured in “parts per billion”'. My understanding is that Snus has levels around 3 parts per million. Perhaps we will end up having even safer alternatives to Snus if the price is right. I also commend them for trying to make low carcinogen cigarettes. These types of products have been too long in coming and are likely to save our health care system significant amounts of money if they come into general use.

:: Ryan 8:30 PM [+] ::
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::Where's the Beef?::

Daniel Schorr has a nice editorial on CSM regarding his experiences with market deregulation. It doesn't go into great depth or have a whole lot of evidence, but it highlights many cases where deregulation failed to live up to its promises. It's a topic we seem to discuss regularly, and perhaps one that would be interesting to study. What are the market conditions that determine whether an industry is best controlled by the public vs the private sector? What methods of deregulation are most likely to result in an improvement in value for consumers?

:: Joe 12:43 PM [+] ::
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::Where's the Beef?::

In my opinion, Daniel Schorr's piece does not lend any meat to the debate. If anything, such a cursory evaluation of a very thorny subject only adds to confusion on this topic. While I recognize that my posting is subject to the same criticism, there are a few reasons why I believe it is wrongheaded to either fully embrace or flatly denounce the deregulation of complex industries.

First, deregulators fall prey to what is often referred to as the "nirvana fallacy"--comparing the actual world with an unobtainable ideal--when the argument is framed as choosing between government playing an active role or keep its hands to itself. Federal and state governments are so intimately involved at all stages of our economy that deregulation proponents are simply wrong when they claim that the government can now (or could ever) play the role of passive observer. Removing or loosening regulatory oversight does not return the markets to some pre-regulatory world any more than removing a dam would return a river to its natural state--once the government becomes involved, it cannot extricate itself without consequence.

Those favoring regulation are equally guilty of this fallacy when they argue that there are market failures that can only be corrected by government regulation. Economist Harold Demsetz put the problem this way: "Those who adopt the nirvana viewpoint seek to discover discrepancies between the ideal and the real and if discrepancies are found, they deduce the real is inefficient." (Harold Demsetz, "Information and Efficiency: Another Viewpoint," 12 Journal of Law and Economics 1-22 (1969)).

Nobel Laureate Ronald Coase similarly commented, "until we realize we are choosing between social arrangements that are more or less all failures, we are not likely to make much headway." (Ronald H. Coase, "The Regulated Industries: Discussion," 62(4) American Economic Review 777-795 (1964)).

Second, I do not buy into the idea (implicit in many of the arguments favoring regulation) that the government knows better than the marketplace. Legislators or administrative officials are, as a general rule, more clueless than industry players. Of course, industry players are not likely to show self-restraint. Therein lies the crux of the problem as I see it. Those in the best (only?) position to adequately diagnose problems within a particular marketplace are those who have the most to lose by sharing that information.

Third, examples of deregulatory failures don't necessarily lead to the conclusion that all deregulatory efforts are destined to receive the same fate. History is just as riddled with regulatory failures (see Communism).

If we are to explore this issue further, I suggest we focus on one industry example to avoid getting overwhelmed. Media concentration seems to present an ideal study for our purposes, all things considered... To keep things fun, I suggest this article by the Cato Institute, entitled "The Big Media Boogeyman."

:: Barry 4:35 PM [+] ::
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::Monkeys show sense of fairness and justice::

BBC reports here that researchers demonstrated that when monkeys observed their colleagues getting greater rewards for the same tasks, they refused to perform future tasks or sometimes refused future rewards in protest. The abstract of the study can be found here, in the most recent edition of Nature.

This study may require a reordering of our species. It appears that monkeys have evolved characteristics more advanced than Bush.

:: Barry 10:36 AM [+] ::
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::Iran On the Brink::

Well, we're all over CSM's stories today. As you know I've been taken with quite a fascination of Iran for some time. They've been in the news quite a bit recently as the Bush administration has successfully pushed through an IAEA resolution calling for Iran to give a full disclosure of their nuclear program by Oct. 31. Or else. This is a huge turning point for Iran. CSM ran a very nice story summarizing the situation today. My gut feeling is that they'll tell the IAEA to take a hike. I think they have the feeling, now more than ever, that they need to have a nuclear deterrent. They know that if George W. Bush gets reelected as President, there is a very real chance that the US will invade their country. Further, with Iraq gone, I think they see an opportunity to become the key strategic power in the Middle-East, and to play a leadership role amongst the Muslim nations.

They also know that there will never be a better time to move on their weapons program than the present. The US is completely tied down with Iraq. The budget and the military have been pushed to the limit. And to make things even more opportune, North Korea is playing the same game. If both nations flout the nuclear non-proliferation treaty certainly the US cannot afford to go to war with them both. Basically, if Iran can have a functional weapon ready within the next year or two, they will never have a better opportunity than they do now.

I do not believe that international censure or sanctions will move them too much either. They have spent the better part of the last 25 years being despised by the West, and their recent efforts to make friends have largely been rebuffed due to this terrorism flap. The biggest remaining threat is Israel. There is no love lost between the two nations, and frankly I think Iran enjoys antagonizing Israel with their weapons program. They will need to be careful to ensure that their nuclear program is not so easily destroyed as Iraq's twenty years ago.

The underlying problem here is that any nations not closely aligned with the US are starting to feel very insecure. This is a stated goal of the administration's aggressive national security plan. To let the Evildoers know that nobody is safe. But the Evildoers know better than that. Anyone can be safe if they have enough nuclear weapons. The Evildoers also know that the US has a limited capacity to intervene in their weapons programs. As such nuclear proliferation becomes an extremely attractive option to any nation concerned about being labeled an Evildoer. Perhaps the administration did not really think through what it would mean for the world to become a more aggressive and belligerent place.

:: Joe 1:37 PM [+] ::
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::Oh, yeah? Make Me!::

Preliminary reaction from Iran on the IAEA resolution: Iran plans to scale back their current level of cooperation with the IAEA. There is some possibility they'll drop the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty entirely. No particular surprises here.

:: Joe 1:25 PM [+] ::
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::Another culinary advancement::

First, there was sliced bread. Then the cheesewurst. Now, the cheeseburger fry.

As for nutritional information, each fry has ONLY 75 calories and 4 grams of fat. McDonald's claims in its nutritional information chart that its small serving of fries have a total of 210 calories and 10 grams of fat, while a cheeseburger has 330 calories and 14 grams of fat.

I'm holding out for the deep-fried ostrich sticks.

:: Barry 6:49 PM [+] ::
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::Advancements in Electronic Paper::

Nature has this article about a technique called "electrowetting" that makes video displays with the characteristics of paper much more likely. The New Scientist has this article on the same topic.

I have mentioned e-ink and e-paper before, and I remain firmly convinced this will advance computer use leaps and bounds. Imagine combining the portability of nanotech with wireless with e-paper. The future will surely be fun, if we don't kill ourselves in the meantime.

:: Barry 2:04 PM [+] ::
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::Anagrams::

Might I just point out that my name is also an anagram for "nobler brainy."

"The nobler a man is, the harder for him to suspect baseness in others." -- Cicero

:: Barry 4:49 PM [+] ::
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::Re: Anagrams::

Also: "N.Y. Nail Robber", but I don't want to get into your sordid past.

:: David 5:27 PM [+] ::
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::Re: Anagrams::

This from a man named dive hippo.

:: Barry 6:44 PM [+] ::
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::Re: Anagrams::

'Course, Ryan's a granny hirer.

:: Barry 6:46 PM [+] ::
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::Re: Anagrams::

And Joe, he's inept job stones.

:: Barry 6:54 PM [+] ::
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::More Than We Needed to Know::

CSM is running a mildly interesting story on the WMD report, noteable mostly for its many references to North Korea's No Dong missiles. Yes, it seems that Kim Jong Il has No Dong. And by all reports, Saddam was trying to make a deal with him so the he could have No Dong as well. Those crazy, crazy dictators..

:: Joe 12:33 PM [+] ::
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::Re: More Than We Needed to Know::

I guess Kim Jong Il believes that having No Dong acts as a deterrent.

:: Barry 7:09 AM [+] ::
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::Another amazingly effective Bush administration policy::

From the Philadelphia Inquirer: "Bush told his senior aides Tuesday that he 'didn't want to see any stories' quoting unnamed administration officials in the media anymore, and that if he did, there would be consequences, said a senior administration official who asked that his name not be used."


:: David 1:08 PM [+] ::
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::Go Bucky!::

So it's not our usual Boys Weekend fare, but check out this ESPN story on Wisconsin basketball. We're in the big-time. Good thing too, since our football seems to be going downhill (although sunday night was sweet).

:: Joe 10:23 AM [+] ::
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::Nationalism In Schools::

Fantastic editorial on CSM today regarding the nationalist doctrine taught in our schools. Not much to add to this one, except a standing ovation.

:: Joe 12:54 PM [+] ::
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::Go Bucky!::

Being around Madison lately, I had to comment on this one. For the past several weeks, every time I walked past the Kohl center I saw students huddled in makeshift tents in the cold and rain. They were not allowed to have real tents due to university restrictions. It was a bizarre sight to see students have these outdoor living rooms set up with mattresses, tarps, you name it. That's dedication!

:: Ryan 8:41 PM [+] ::
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::About MoveOn::

Just as an FYI to clear up a point of contention over the weekend: MoveOn.org was originally established by a group of Silicon valley activists. That may have something to do with why they went overboard with the Governator. They do have a couple of staff-people from Maine, and currently have people in NY and DC.

:: Joe 2:29 PM [+] ::
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::Re: About MoveOn::

Eli Pariser is more than just "staff." From the same link you pointed us to:

The MoveOn Peace campaign was founded independently as "9-11Peace.org" by Eli Pariser, a Maine native and recent graduate of Simon's Rock College of Bard. In the days following September 11th, 2001, he launched an online petition calling for a peaceful response to break the cycle of violence, which was quickly signed by more than one hundred thousand people in the U.S. and almost half a million worldwide. Eli joined forces with MoveOn soon afterward, and is now our International Campaigns Director.

:: Barry 3:02 PM [+] ::
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::Re: About MoveOn::

You are completely correct, Barry. The addition of Pariser was a big step for the Silicon Valley-based organization.

:)

:: Joe 4:30 PM [+] ::
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::Apocalypse Now::

Yes, it appears the end of the world is at hand. On the other hand, I'm wondering how Blatz would go over... Ryan, you can use that if you want.

:: Joe 7:50 PM [+] ::
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::Re: Apocalypse Now::

You think funny baby names is bad, what about a crazed people bent on destroying all things McDonald?. Al-Qaida's claim of 100,000 dead is especially troubling since 100,000 plan to protest Bush's speech in London a week from now, and escpecially because Al-Qaida purportedly bought uranium in the Congo. How's that for an apocalypse?

:: Barry 10:29 PM [+] ::
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::Michael Jackson::

Somebody shoot me, please. I'm already sick of this goddamn story...

:: Joe 10:44 PM [+] ::
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::"Low self-esteem 'shrinks brain'"::

According to this BBC story.

Thanks, Dave Barry.

:: Barry 5:40 PM [+] ::
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::The Ghost of Philip K. Dick Conquers Hollywood::

Wired is running a story, covered by slashdot, on the phenomenon of sci-fi author Philip K. Dick's novels and short stories being made into major Hollywood productions. I thought it was a good read, but of course Blade Runner is still my all-time favorite movie. It's really too sad that the David Cronenberg/William Hurt version of Total Recall never got made. That could have been very cool. The article includes the following snipped from a Dick essay:

"We live in a society in which spurious realities are manufactured by the media, by governments, by big corporations, by religious groups, political groups. I ask, in my writing, What is real? Because unceasingly we are bombarded with pseudorealities manufactured by very sophisticated people using very sophisticated electronic mechanisms. I do not distrust their motives. I distrust their power. It is an astonishing power: that of creating whole universes, universes of the mind. I ought to know. I do the same thing."

:: Joe 5:49 PM [+] ::
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::Thanksgiving's Shadow Side::

I have to say, when I saw this headline, I immediately thought of the poor toilets on Turkey Day. Enjoy.

:: Ryan 12:25 PM [+] ::
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::At Least We Impress Ourselves::

I love the headline on this one. I guess Europe is not as familiar with the Bush Legislative Strategy, as highlighted by Dave, of taking a useless symbolic action then launching an expensive media blitz to promote it. They'll get used to it.

:: Joe 12:43 PM [+] ::
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::Worms For You::

BBC has a curious science article suggesting we may all be better off with a few hookworms in our guts. These guys leave no stone unturned..

:: Joe 7:47 AM [+] ::
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::Cyber-Security::

The Washington Post has this article on the failure of the Bush administration to fund its own National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace , which the administration released over a year ago. I have not yet had an opportunity to read the document (indeed, the article was the first time I had heard about it) but I expect it will be an interesting read.

:: Barry 10:57 AM [+] ::
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::Ask the White House a science question::

Dr. John H. Marburger, President Bush's Science Advisor, will be answering questions on the White House's webpage today at 3:30pm ET. You can submit a question here.

:: Barry 11:11 AM [+] ::
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::< nelson > Ha Ha! < /nelson >::

For an amusing diversion, go to google and run a search on "miserable failure".... :)

:: Joe 9:21 AM [+] ::
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::GOP House Members Proposal to Replace FDR with Reagan on the dime::

The AP issued this report on December 5 (as found in the San Francisco Gate). According to this story from the UPI (covered by the Washington Times on December 2), 80 Republican House members co-sponsored the bill. The text of the Ronald Reagan Dime Act (H.R. 3633) may be found here. Nancy Reagan is reportedly against the bill, according to this AP story (from San Francisco Gate). Rep. Souder (R, Ind.)--the chief sponsor of the legislation--has stated in this press release on his homepage that he maintains his support for the bill despite the former first lady's comments. According to this article on today's Chicago Tribune webpage, Rep. Souder is open to compromise, suggesting that they could put Reagan on one side and FDR on the other, or they could alternate the image each year.

Some excerpts from the bill:
President Ronald Wilson Reagan, through his efforts as the 40th President of the United States, created policies that renewed economic growth, strengthened the resolve of the free world together to oppose totalitarianism, and restored pride in the United States.

President Reagan, through his simple republican dignity and sense of personal responsibility to the United States of America, brought pride and honor to the Office of the President.

(Thanks to Joe Conason's Journal on Salon.com for raising this issue.)

:: Barry 9:51 PM [+] ::
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::Snus to the Rescue::

BBC has a story about health researchers and anti-tobacco activists lobbying the EU to lift their ban on snus. There's a step in the right direction.

:: Joe 11:11 PM [+] ::
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::Pretty Much Fucked::

The Onion has once again come through as the most canny and accurate news outlet with their recent report on the state of America's poor. On the bright side there are some new employment opportunities for immigrants.

:: Joe 10:18 AM [+] ::
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::Finalist for the "Well, duh" award:::

And they would know...

:: David 3:41 PM [+] ::
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::Who's The Man!::

We like satire...

:: Joe 12:10 AM [+] ::
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::Spreading Christmas Spirit::

I know I'm getting carried away with the satire lately, but this was too good not to post.

:: Joe 5:20 PM [+] ::
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::Spreading Christmas Spirit::

I particularly like the picture of the mosque...

:: Ryan 7:12 PM [+] ::
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::Fun Things to Do At Return of the King::

This is one of those things that just bounces around the internet. Best source I can attribute it to is here.

1 Stand up halfway through the movie and yell loudly, "Wait...where the hell is Harry Potter?"
2 Block the entrance to the theater while screaming, "YOU.....SHALL NOT..... PASS!" - After the movie, say "Lucas could have done it better."
3 Play a drinking game where you have to take a sip every time someone says, "the Ring."
4 Point and laugh whenever someone dies.
5 Ask everyone around you if they think Gandalf went to Hogwarts.
6 Finish off every one of Elrond's lines with "Mis..ter Ander-sonnn."
7 When Aragorn is crowned king, stand up and at the top of your lungs sing, "And I did it.... MY way...!"
8 Talk like Gollum all through the movie. At the end, bite off someone's finger and fall down the stairs.
9 Dress up as old ladies and reenact "The Battle of Helms Deep," Monty Python style.
10 When Denethor lights the fire, shout "Barbecue!"
11 In TTT when the Ents decide to march to war, stand up and shout, "RUN FOREST, RUN!"
12 Every time someone kills an Orc, yell: "That's what I'm Tolkien about!" See how long it takes before you get kicked out of the theatre.
13 During a wide shot of a battle, inquire, "Where's Waldo?"
14 Talk loudly about how you heard that there is a single frame of a nude Elf hidden somewhere in the movie.
15 Start an Orc sing-a-long.
16 Come to the premiere dressed as Frankenfurter and wander around looking terribly confused.
17 When they go in the paths of the dead, wait for a tense moment and shout, "I see dead people!"
18 Imitate what you think a conversation between Gollum, Dobby and Yoda would be like.
19 Release a jar of daddy-long-legs into the theater during the Shelob scene.
20 Wonder out loud if Aragorn is going to run for governor of California.
21 When Shelob comes on, exclaim, "Man! Charlotte's really let herself go!"

:: Joe 12:57 PM [+] ::
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::A Dying Breed::

Articles like this make me ever so happy to be getting out of the software industry. Forrester Research is predicting that the already hurting software development sector will lose another 25% of its jobs in the next 10 years. Ouch.

:: Joe 10:34 AM [+] ::
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::A Beef with Ann Veneman::

The Wall Street Journal is reporting today (online edition) that Federal investigators now estimate that 81 cattle across the US may have been exposed to bovine spongiform encephalopathy, otherwise known as BSE or Mad Cow Disease. Relatively little seems to be known about the first cow to test positive for BSE in the U.S. Discovered in Washington, the cow was 6.5 years old when slaughtered and may be from Canada. All beef slaughtered in the same plant as that cow on that day has been recalled.

The administration has been quick to downplay the health risks associated with this case. In an interview with CNN, Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman goes so far as to say that "...I want to make sure that everyone understands that we have a safe beef supply and no one should hesitate. "

I realize that the federal government wants to avoid causing a panic in the American beef-eater and protect the American beef industry, but such statements are dangerous. The fact is, some 37 million cattle are slaughtered each year in the United States. Of these, an average of 20,000 are tested. How, then, can we possibly know the extent of BSE present in the population of American cattle? Until we do know, the government should not be so quick to dismiss the risk to our beef supply and therefore the beef consumer. Veneman also claims that because the brain and spinal cord were removed, there is little risk of contamination from this cow. Yet, studies (see Stanley Prusiner and others) are beginning to show that the muscle of infected animals contains prions (the infectious agent) as well, although it is still unclear whether muscle prions are as infectious as nervous system prions. Again, the government should not be so quick to dismiss potential health risks.

To their credit, the government has taken the good steps of banning ruminant-to-ruminant feed (1997) and the CDC has a national monitoring system for Creutzfeld Jakob Disease, the human equivalent of BSE (variant CJD is the result of "infection" from contaminated cattle). Unfortunatley for epidemiology, vCJD does not develop clinically until years, perhaps decades, after exposure to contaminated beef. This monitoring system will clearly be inadequate for preventing an outbreak of BSE/CJD.

I, for one, will be avoiding beef products until the status of American cattle becomes clear. Perhaps we should require testing of every slaughtered cow as in Japan. While I agree that the health risk posed by BSE in the U.S. is probably low, we simply do not know enough to be sure one way or the other. Until we do know more, I'll be sticking to non-beef and soy meat. But if any of you out there must have your beef, you may want to consider organic. Organically fed cows are fed with diets that avoid all animal products.

:: Ryan 9:17 PM [+] ::
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::The Triumph of Buddy Jesus::

CSM has a story on the odd phenomenon of churches services transformed into large arena shows complete with rock music, flashy videos, and politically correct, easy to process McSermons. We've got a couple of these things around here. It's bizarre, on saturday nights you'll see this huge traffic jam, they'll have cops directing traffic, lanes blocked off by cones, the whole deal. I guess it's better than having people go to some Christian right, hellfire and brimstone church, but it's kind of sad to see one of the remaining strongholds of culture in this country wiped out by a repackaged version of itself stripped of all meaningful cultural elements.

:: Joe 12:40 PM [+] ::
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::NASA Is Our Friend::

Find a large, high-res monitor and Click Here. Now that's how I like to see my tax dollars spent! Sweetness. BTW, slashdot has been giving the Spirit mission copious attention, and a number of the Spirit team members have been checking in there and commenting in the discussions. It's a nice gesture to involve their biggest fans.

:: Joe 4:52 PM [+] ::
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::Topical Boysweekend::

You may notice a couple of new features here at Boys Weekend Journal. First is the wonderful Mojo Jojo icon that Barry put on the site. Second is a link up at the top of the page to BWJ by topic where our past discussions are archived by topic. I don't know if it's useful to anyone, but I thought it would be nice have as we approach our second year and our archives have gotten fairly unweildy. I've only added posts through last October so far (it's a damned lot of cutting and pasting). I'll finish up tomorrow, then plan to update it once each month or two. Thanks to Barry for getting us some web space for the archive. The bloghome link next to the BWJ by topic link will return you to this page... Let me know if you have any thoughts or suggestions on the sorting or categorization of the archive, or any other features you'd like to have on the journal (and, no, I won't put any naked girly pics on it).

:: Joe 1:48 AM [+] ::
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::Politicizing Academia::

Having pretty well destroyed their long time nemesis, the liberal media, conservatives have now set their sites on another of their hated foes, the liberal academics community. Led by Daniel Pipes an attack has been launched at Middle East studies programs at various universities. If successful, I think there can be little doubt that it will spread to other schools, other subjects. The tactics range from email and phone campaigns harassing and insulting professors to an effort to gain control over federal funding of these programs in order to dole the money out along political lines. President Bush has shown at least passive support for Pipes's efforts by appointing him as a director of the U.S. Institute of Peace.

:: Joe 9:54 AM [+] ::
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:: Joe 12:26 PM [+] ::
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::Mmmmm.. Civet Dung Coffee...::

I guess there's no accounting for taste.

:: Joe 7:48 AM [+] ::
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::Someone Read the Book::

Barry, I thought you'd appreciate these letters to the editor in the Washington Post on coverage of Paul O'Neill and The Price of Loyalty, particularly the second one, which says pretty much exactly what you were saying. I wonder how many of the pundits commenting on this controversy actually read the book...

:: Joe 12:48 PM [+] ::
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::BBC: Experts Demand Cowboy Cloners Ban::

Cause the last goddamned thing we need is a bunch of cloned cowboys. Isn't one George W. Bush enough?

:: Joe 7:48 AM [+] ::
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::Dean's topping the charts...::

Well, ok, maybe not.

(Thanks, Dave Barry)

:: Barry 2:32 PM [+] ::
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::War is Good For Troops::

Cuz otherwize they'd be bored. Thank you for that insightful opinion, Army Chief of Staff, Gen Peter Schoomaker.

:: Joe 9:00 AM [+] ::
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::Don't Drink and... Stampede?::

Maybe they can run a public service announcement about this during the Super Bowl..

:: Joe 12:31 PM [+] ::
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::Speaking of hurting animals...::

Here is a lethal time-waster.

:: David 1:17 PM [+] ::
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