nerdgirl

Is that really ... really (?) the directionality that you want to advocate for inclusion in 'civilized society'? How about due process, protection from unreasonable search & seizure, rule of law, security of person, and prudent and discriminate use of force (lethal or non-lethal/less-than-lethal)? Law enforcement officers are given privileges *and* responsibilities through and from the law. Idealistically or notionally, one might argue that the 'most' civilized society would be one in which LEO did not need to be armed in any way. Pragmaticallly, that's not where we humans are on the civilization spectrum. VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Ironically (?) ... or surprisingly (maybe?) … I actually agree with BMI's assessment & critique. Not because I think that environmental issues and climate change don't deserve attention ... but because I think they *do* deserve serious, non-fluff, non-vacuous attention and critical analysis. According to the primary document/job ad (from journalismjobs.com) CBS News is seeking a "freelance" reporter who is: "wicked smart, funny, irreverent and hip [emphasis nerdgirl], oozing enthusiasm and creative energy. This position requires strong people, reporting, story telling and writing skills. Managing tight deadlines should be second nature. Knowledge of the enviro beat is a big plus, but not a requirement." Here's where I concur with the BMI critique: "So you would think such a job would require a science background or years of covering environmental news? Not exactly." Apparently it's more important to have the right "vibe" than to be knowledgeable and able to ask insightful questions. Guess one can adapt/morph the old adage of 'having a face for radio' ... I’ll be sticking with NPR and BBC on-line. VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Out of curiousity, I went to this site. Even clicked on one of their polls (regarding alleged anti-religious bias in the NY Times). After I clicked "No," I was re-directed to the page from the MRC founder & president affirming my agreement with him. (Uh, ... no.) Guess the assumption is that everyone who takes the poll will agree with him (?). VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Is Chavez a 21st Century (neo)-fascist? Probably. Did he start out that way? Not really. He was originally elected democratically in a popular backlash against the widespread corruption of the previous regime. Has Chavez executed a few well-placed and widely publicized domestic programs, which he repeatedly references but that are not indicative of the whole of his policies? Yes. Is Chavez taking credit for (really pretty small) decreases in poverty rate in Venezuela that probably have less to do with him and his policies than the global price of oil? Yes Is he the first politician to over-emphasize successful programs and selectively ignore those that don’t work? Of course not! Is he the first politician to take ‘credit’ for things that occur under his administration regardless of his direct involvement/impact/influence? Of course not! Pretty good analysis (im-ever-ho) from Foreign Policy magazine “Why Chavez Wins: “Anti-American autocrat Hugo Chávez was sworn in for a third term as Venezuelan president after promising to nationalize ‘strategic’ sectors of the economy and bring ‘21st Century Socialism’ to the masses. But his appeal among Venezuela’s poor is based on a lie. A new analysis of his government’s own statistics finds that his policies don’t actually help them.” Btw, FP is generally considered a middle to liberal magazine. Is Chavez anti-American? Yes. Did Chavez *invent* anti-Americanism in late 20th Century/early 21st Century South America? No … altho’ he is taking is taking it to a new level of what some might call absurdity. Witness: his outbursts at the UN Security Council meeting. If he was quietly going along with his neo-fascism without the vitriolic anti-American rhetoric would you care? Would you expand a little on what you base this assertion? How about comparison with the House of Saud? And specifically Prince Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz, who is aligned with the anti-American Wahhabis [that have much in common with al Qa’eda], and who is counter to King Abdullah’s public face. Analysis from the journal Foreign Affairs on The Saudi Paradox. Is a quiet (neo-)fascist better than a loud one? ---- ----- ---- ---- The invocation/connection that somehow Chavez’s neo-fascism legitimizes erosion of US civil liberties makes no sense to me. VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Yes, I can be trouble like that. It's the primary data addict in me. /marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

One part of the data analysis that I found kind of interesting was that income (more than $50K/year) was 3.5x more likely to be a correlating factor for perceived/self-reported mental health than political affiliations (per the regression table). VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Is a piece the historical relic to when children (& women) were considered property of their fathers or husbands? VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Follow-up, with acknowledgement to Jason Sigger, LTC USA (ret) for catching this: FBI dismisses Fort Huachuca terror plot story "The plot was like something from a Hollywood blockbuster: dozens of foreign terrorists working with a Mexican drug cartel to attack a Southern Arizona Army post with anti-tank missiles and grenade launchers. Paying one of Mexico's most ruthless drug cartels $20,000 apiece, 60 Afghan and Iraqi terrorists would be smuggled into Texas and hole up at a safe house. "But the plot, widely reported by local stations and national TV networks and The Washington Times, turned out to be nothing more than fiction, an FBI spokesman said Monday. "'A thorough investigation was conducted, and there is no evidence showing that the threat was credible,' said Manuel Johnson, an FBI spokesman based in Phoenix. "The intelligence about the Fort Huachuca plot came secondhand from Drug Enforcement Administration sources in Mexico who were "of uncertain reliability," the Times reported. Another intelligence expert questioned the timing of the leaked documents that detailed the plot, especially considering their release came some six months after the attack was supposed to have taken place." ---- ---- ---- ---- One more data point on the need for good human intelligence, healthy skeptocism, and inter-agency/international coordination; the latter international coordination actually seems to have happened in this case. Bitter irony that individual US federal agencies can work better with international partners than each other, perhaps. Now, if you don't trust the FBI or the US Army to start ... ah, who knows ... VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Perhaps ... yes -The Soviets & Maoist China come to mind first, of course. Perhaps ... no. Matt White's calculated a total: "92M deaths by Communism" [includes deaths from Vietnam & Korean Wars] "96M deaths by non-Communism" Graphical Analysis Milton Leitenburg's (who is this fabulously crochety guy who is a stickler for data at U Maryland CISSM) monograph Death and Conflicts in the 20th Century estimated: ~36-90M Soviets & Chinese ~126.6-148.6M deaths, non-Communists Do you have other references or calculations in mind? VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

The problems (vulnerabilities) with one effort -- more directed toward those initially entering legally -- were highlighted a few months back: Border Computers Vulnerable to Attack: GAO Report Details Problems in System "The U.S. government's main border control system is plagued by computer security weaknesses, increasing the risk of computer attacks, data thefts, and manipulation of millions of identity records including passport, visa and Social Security numbers and the world's largest fingerprint database, officials said. "U.S. officials have called the US-VISIT system a cornerstone of the nation's efforts to stop terrorists at the borders and stanch the flow of illegal immigrants. It automates the collection of fingerprints and digital photographs, and links border control officers to FBI, border enforcement, immigration and State Department watch lists and databases. "Congress has allocated $1.7 billion for the system since 2002. But in a congressional report to be released today and obtained by The Washington Post, Homeland Security officials said that many vulnerabilities exist throughout the network and the computer stations used at 400 airports, seaports and land crossings. "'Weaknesses existed in all control areas and computing device types reviewed,' the Government Accountability Office reported. It called on DHS to 'immediately address' problems to avert potentially crippling disruptions or the misidentification of drug smugglers, terrorists and felons trying to enter the country. VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

What do you call a dinosaur with a big vocabulary? A Thesaurus.

Thanks. Perhaps ... I'd like to think otherwise tho'.

Another one: + Commitment to an intelligence community that is robust, technically competent, and HUMINT capable with effective oversight and minimizing stovepipes. More like Dept of State's INR model (especially under Tom Finger's leadership) + good HUMINT. VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

From my perspective (owned purely as that, with all my inherent biases & background), I value and look for in a candidate (roughly in order of importance to me & subject to additions): + Leadership capability to execute, implement, & oversee the following: + Foreign & defense policy -- Primary component: approach and basis, e.g., non-unilateral, -- Secondary: commitment to strong, civilian-controlled (both important) national defense (with minimal ‘voodoo’ RDTE), -- Tertiary: choice of advisors – both military *and* civil, -- Quaternary: commitment to SSTR, i.e., DoD 3000.5, including executable and implementable strategies for a civilian-based SSTR (i.e, neither USAID nor Blackwater-esque PMCs), -- Quinary: value of military service and executable strategies to widen and strengthen the military officer corps, e.g., Rep Duncan Hunter’s call for JROTC to be offered in San Francisco schools, strengthened ROTC in American Universities, and increased recruiting options – the widening of the civil-military divide (civilians vs the ‘warrior’ class) does not benefit the US, -- Senary: personal direct experience. + Strong commitment to human rights and strong renunciation of any kind of torture as part of US policy, along with extraordinary rendition … for me, this is a critical moral & integrity issue/indicator. + Commitment to balance of power across the 3 branches of government (in accord with the US Constitution) and effective oversight + Pro-choice … for me, this is a critical indicator of valuing civil liberties and belief in (translation of rhetoric into action regarding) a woman’s autonomy (unlike the radical Islamist model). A candidate’s individual, personal perspective for himself/herself is not a particularly important indicator to me; supporting the maintenance of each American woman’s right to have autonomy over her body is important. + Valuing education -- Commitment to strong public primary & secondary education system, -- Executable strategies to enable greater opportunities for higher education, (while not trying to artificially force this as a path for all Americans), -- Executable strategies to maintain the prominence & caliber of US higher education system, particularly as global leader of generator of ideas (technical & non-technical). + Attention to US critical infrastructure, e.g., transportation, electrical grid. -- Executable & economically efficient strategies to enable the private marketplace to address these areas. + Ability to form effective coalitions and to work with others, particularly those of different views. + Valuing tradition and progress … and neither dogmatically. + Intelligence … both personal -- not ‘brainiac’/book smarts but slightly to significantly above average intelligence -- and intelligence in the people with whom the candidate brings into the WH & Executive branch. Ability to think on one’s feet. VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Very nice.

If true, is the origin concern that Democrats or Independent voters might vote in the primary for Rep Ron Paul? VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Yes ... are you buying?

There's seems to be a very easy way to deal with this on your own. If her existence and body hair so offends you - move to another seat. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

I would trust Perot with my life ... remember how he got his employees out of Iran in 1979? ... but I was more hesitant to trust him with my country. VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

…. Uh, yes a “miracle” is an act of a supernatural being outside physical realm. Again, that’s outside the realm of science – for the mystics, madmen, philosophers of the world, and late night campfire discussions in the thin air of the Rockies. “Hope” is another fundamentally unscientific concept – doesn’t mean it isn’t good, isn’t a powerful force in human behavior, nor can reason be part of the calculus (at times) … but it’s still not science. You seem to be stuck on the some imagined moment of existential “proof” – your word, not mine. You’re (selectively?) ignoring the methodology – the repeated, observable, measurable, & public portion of science along with the causality in the physical realm portion. Do you “believe” in gravity? Would you be willing to test your “belief” in gravity by leaving a plane w/out some method to radically slow your rate of fall before impacting the planet? (Of course, not! ... I hope!) Because exactly how gravity works results from interplay of subatomic particles and fundamental forces is not understood. Nonetheless, gravity has been used to detect the existence of (initially) unseen (via EM-spectrum, mostly ‘light’) planets … because those planets had enough mass to have an effect on the stars about which they rotate ... the planet's gravity caused small wobbles. Concur. Your mixing proverbial apples and the petrochemical industry.

No, I haven’t heard anything about them. Do you recall if these were claims put forth from the Putin-approved Russian press? Russia has more than a dozen land to sea missiles designed to damage ships & submarines. Is the issue existence of such missiles or the sale/transfer of technology? Rushmc is correct that specific vulnerabilities are unlikely to be discussed openly (as opposed to bellicose claims by Russians [e.g., the 'nano-enabled thermobaric bomb'] ... & educated, speculative claims by wonkish US analysts … the Chinese seem to be less likely to make unverifiable claims … in general). It’s gets murky quickly … & speaking very generally, if the Pentagon was to create a specific open program to respond specifically, that would validate such a threat. If the threat is real, once an effective countermeasure is developed or devised, then it will have a deterrence value. Do you have any additional citations? Thanks. VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

1. why waste our money, on other countries? Do they really need new libraries more then we need to take care of our own domestic problems. 2. building and operating primary and secondary schools in other countries... We have enough problems with our own public schools in our own country. * I have no problems with diplomacy, having talks with other international entities is fine, but using our tax dollars to build infrastructure and education programs in other countries is just downright stupid. 1. Exchange is Track 2 diplomacy; to a lesser extent international scholarship could be considered similar or educational cooperative threat reduction. How about library programs like the Iraqi Virtual Science Library, jointly put together by the Departments of State & Defense? 2. Radical Islamists use militant madrassas to indoctrinate and recruit. Sound like a wise investment to me. I haven’t seen significant evidence of either. My interest and motivation is much more with their 5th recommendation VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Seems to me there may be some underlying truism to the quip that "I try to keep an open mind, but not so open that my brain falls out." /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Davies is a fascinating character (& that’s not a cynical dig or set-up). Thanks for bringing up his writings. For those who want to find rationalization or vague support for fundamentalist Christian view of a Biblical God (or any other fundamentalist human religious concepts) or “intelligent design” are likely to be very disappointed. He’s a deist – a lot closer to Unitarian Universalists than fundamentalist Protestant sects. Davies is also perhaps closer to Rep Dennis Kucinich than Gov Mike Huckabee – a prime theme of Davies’ research is theoretical (not experimental) astrobiology, i.e., searching for extraterrestrial life, which is an endeavor less X-Files and more interstellar germ & nucleic acid hunter. He’s actually suggested “multiple terrestrial genesis events,” metaphorical-technical use of 'genesis' not literally referring to Judeo-Christian account. Another popular piece (i.e., Op-Ed) by Davies from June 2007: Yes, the universe looks like a fix. But that doesn't mean that a god fixed it, seems like what the NYTimes Op-Ed was derived from. It’s interesting (to me, at least) to compare his recent NY Times Op-Ed, which prompted this thread, and his Guardian (UK) Op-Ed … one can speculate perhaps more on the nature of the American versus British newspaper-reading public than a clear vision of Davies' deism.

Does anyone still care about the 9/11 Commission and its recommendations? The Five Recommendations (endorsed by the bipartisan 9/11 Commission +) Revitalize public diplomacy in the Muslim world: 1. By rebuilding international scholarship, exchange and library programs. 2. By supporting the International Youth Opportunity Fund for building and operating primary and secondary schools in Muslim countries. Reorient America’s Foreign Policy: 3. By leading a long-term, multilateral commitment to security and economic development in Afghanistan. 4. By developing international standards for terrorist detention consistent with the Geneva Conventions. 5. By maximizing efforts to prevent terrorists from acquiring WMD, especially by strengthening key multilateral security programs. Do supporters of the current administration and formerly Republican-controlled Congress think that enough effort has been put forth toward accomplishing those endeavors, especially #5? Have the efforts been successful & by what measures? Do supporters of the post-2006 Democrat-controlled Congress think that the Democrats in the Senate and House have made efforts to see those recommendations implemented? Or do you just not care … or consider it not worth it at this point? VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying