nerdgirl

Is it regulation that is the problem? I.e., is there really a need for additional regulation? Or is lack of effective oversight and implementation the problem? Or a lack of meaningful consequences that motivate "honorable" or legal behavior the problem? It's been my observation that rarely is a lack of regulation the problem; rather it is a perception (& reality) of a lack of significant consequences for risky behavior. Enforce the laws that are already there. If there's still a problem after that, then let's re-examine. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Why are you guys defending this guy? Seriously - what do you see as honorable in his behavior? Which FDA regs were violated and what were the consequences for violation? Or more precisely, why were there no apparent fear of consequences? What was capacity of oversight? How many inspections were made? How often? Were the inspectors empowered to do their job or were they hindered? Are you familiar with thalidomide? How many thalidomide babies were there in the US? Are you familiar with melamine? Would you prefer the Chinese approach of no oversight and complete lack of enforcement ... but severe consequemces for those caught? (I don't prefer that model on either side of the issue.) Where are the calls for personal responsibilty on the part of the manufacturer? Business exists to make money. There's everything right with that. /Marg ... co-founded my first company at 26 & sold my share in it at 29 Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Thanks for the Yon article. Interesting reading that seemed to largely expand on what I'd written inthis thread & others. Concur that it's interesting. I'm less sure how viable a proposal/notion it is. Beijing did accuse al Qa’eda of training Uyghur separatists in Xinjiang province. If the Taliban returns to power … and let’s not forget the small shared border … that might be a factor for consideration by China. But I don't think it will be enough to overcome the effect of Chinese strategic culture w/r/t external military intervention. I’d be interested in hearing the arguments, but I am skeptical of China engaging actively in Afghanistan security and stabilization efforts. Otoh, they may be able to play a larger role in stabilizing Pakistan. And that I would be interested in seeing play out. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

It's pretty unlikely, as from the onset his policy platform on tech matters on which I'm qualified differ dramatically from my views. Either I'd be acting in direct opposition, or I'd be implementing bullshit, and neither are a good thing. How about Director of DARPA? Dr. Tether's announced he's leaving ... through an email, which I got Monday afternoon (... electrons move *so fast* when the gossip's good ). Thought it was a tad snarky: Tether is already the longest serving DARPA chief & was widely expected to leave last year after the 50th anniversary. I disagreed -- & still do -- with Tether's shift to 18 month milestones for basic research. Revolutionary innovation does not happen on a fixed 18-month timescale. Look forward to seeing who Pres Obama nominates. Throw your hat into the ring for that one if asked, eh? Current rumor mill potential nominees: Dr. Lisa Porter, physicist, head of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity ("Darpa for spies"), and former NASA associate administrator; This one I really hope stays a rumor; she's employed a 12-month milestone rubric at IARPA. Retired Rear Admiral Jay Cohen, DHS' science and technology chief, former head of the Office of Naval Research; Excellent choice, im-ever-ho. Dr. Mark Lewis, aeronautical engineer, University of Maryland professor, and former Chief Scientist of the Air Force; Good choice. Dr. Michael Goldblatt, CEO of Functional Genetics, former head of Darpa's Defense Sciences Office, former science and technology chief at McDonald's Corporation; 'Nother good choice Dr. Jane "Xan" Alexander, physicist, former deputy director of Darpa and the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency; Excellent choice! Dr. Regina Dugan, mechanical engineer, former Darpa program manager; Don't know Zach Lemnios, electrical engineer, Chief Technology Officer at MIT's Lincoln Lab, and former director of Darpa's Microsystems Technology Office; Don't know Dr. Amy Alving, aerospace engineer, Chief Technology Officer at SAIC, and former director of Darpa's Special Projects Office. Don't know /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Dang it. And here I was hoping you could clarify what I think. [silly] Yeah ... my pyschic powers just haven't been working lately. [/silly] Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

What do you think that article from 1994 means w/r/t correlation or causality of mortagage crisis? Recycling electron almost completely verbatim. The NY Times article cited just doesn’t support the argument. It might suggest something worth investigating: what default rate has been observed in those loans? Are they higher than average? Are they lower than average? Are they more heavily regulated? Or less? How many have been made and what is the average value? $150,000 or $900,000. The article is about a new program. It doesn’t, however, say anything about default payment rate or securitization of loans hiding the risk or what were the [changing] regulations on that program. It’s not demonstrating correlation unless one wants to find it. Humans have an amazing ability to find patterns. There’s a lot of speculation & rhetoric but no one seems to be presenting data that supports the "Blame CRA" hypothesis. When one does go to the data, however, one finds that "Blame CRA" hypothesis is not supported. It has been thoroughly debunked repeatedly. The problem with the “Blame CRA” hypothesis is that it’s not true. That is the facts do not support it … no matter how much people want to believe it. More on how the CRA default rates are *lower* than non-CRA mortages, i.e., the data doesn't support the hypothesis. If one wants to point to NY Times articles that might prompt other investigations into correlations and causalities for the mortgage crisis one might look to increase in McMansion’s, this one on accounting mismanagement by executives at an insurance corporation, this one on deregulation and collapse of large energy corporations as indicative of corporate malfeasance, this one from 1995 on derivatives and lack of regulation, this one from 2005 on risks of derivatives still not being adequately addressed, or this one from 1988 on securitization of consumer loans. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Anybody else been paying attention to the results of the parliamentary and provincial elections in Iraq? Preliminary results have been released. In summary: Prime Minister Maliki’s Dawa party/State of Law alliance coalition did well (not great). ISCI (Iran-backed party) and Sadr did not do well. The election appears to have been mostly transparent and regarded as free & fair in most areas with a few notable exceptions. In general, this was a positive sign w/r/t security and stability and rule of law. Most of the country was violence-free during the election; Diyala province as the exception. There were at least a couple (of which I am aware) candidates assassinated very close to the election, so it's not completely secure. Sunni Arabs participated actively as opposed to largely boycotting the last election. The success of Maliki’s Dawa party is widely seen as a popular referendum in support of Maliki. One of the speculations before the Iraq SOFA went into effect (1Jan2009) with it's required drawdown of US forces was that there might be a resurgence of violence. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

I suspect that there are a lot of good folks who share that perspective with very good reason. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Jason, I’m not sure that’s the issue. If you think it is, your conclusions w/r/t career v/political appointee nature of DAAG is wrong in the majority of the cases. Most Deputy Assistant AGs are noncareer political appointments. A very few are career appointements. See the Plum book. There are multiple different types of political appointments. The vast majority do not require Senate confirmation. The Exec Levels are another confounder in the arcane minutia of political appointments It seems unclear whether [lawrocket] does or doesn't understand those are political appointments (or what flavor of political appointements they are) … or, more likely, that he’s parsing to the limits of the job he wants. And that is where it becomes more interesting, imo. Whether Pres Obama, Pres GW Bush, or any other, when one is a political appointee. And it does matter, imo, what the position is. The members of the National Science Board and the Director of the NSF are Class A political appointees (require presidential nomination & Senate confirmation). That's a very different political position than Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Policy or DUSD(Intelligence). But I know what I think & know what I would do/have done ... I'm more curious as to what folks who I don't know would do. Would you have taken a position in the Bush administration? (where? where not?) In some ways that one's a less risky option, as it's history. Or in the Obama administration? /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

All Deputy AGs are Presidential Appointments with Senate Confirmation (Class A political Appointees). Most DAAGs are noncareer political appointments. A few are career appointments, but they are the minority. I’m not quite sure what you mean by “ministerial.” All DAAGs set policy, as well as execute/implement policy from AAGs & DAGs and the AG. If you want to notionally imagine DAG or AG, that's cool too.

Any position that is reasonably consistent with your skill set. E.g., for you one of the Deputy Asst AG in DOJ Antitrust Division. If I was putting together an office, folks who I could count on to challenge me during the decision-making process and to execute/implement once a decision was reached are *exactly* what I would want. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Yes. I suspect that you are right. Couldn't figure out how to deal with multiple variables for the overall "no" crowds -- some ideological, some anti-federalist, some don't want to take the pay cut for civil service, some don't want to move to DC, etc. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

I remember ... back in the rec.skydiving days, iirc ... a certain fairly famous S&TA (in the skydiving world) from a certain dz in Arizona commenting that he had never called life flight for a female skydiver. One anecdotal observation. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Another one of those things about which I'm curious. It's a genuine curiousity. No agenda other than inquisitiveness. If you were asked tomorrow … or had been asked 4 or 8 years ago, would you have? And apologies to the international folks, this is an intentionally American-centric poll. You might project your leanings onto appropriate relative candidates w/in your nation-state. Although, selfishly I am more curious w/r/t response of Americans. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Would you expand a little on this? I'm trying to figure out how to reconcile that statement with John Locke, Adam Smith, John Stuart Mill, Hume, Kant ... You do realize that libertarianism grew out of anarchism of the 19th Century (which was very different than 'Sex Pistols' Anarchy in the UK pop-culture version), yes? /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Some part of the credit (or blame ) for 'nuclear triggers' being at the forefront of my mind goes to a Bonfire thread earlier today. No need to worry ... just don't underestimate. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Thank you for the thoughtful, detailed response. Very much appreciated.

No. THIS is Trigger. And I was thinking Polonium-210 beryllium-9 nuclear triggers (neutron source to initiate fission) … look like very small dull-silvery envelopes. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Yes, altho’ the last ones (in the real world) weren’t ‘nuclear triggers’; they were nose-cone fuses for Minuteman III ICBMs (that can carry nuclear warheads). /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

If you have one of these ... /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

I’ve never gotten anything that interesting that I could tell – I usually just put mis-delivered items in the outgoing mail slot. The most ‘interesting’ (in ways that interest me )that I’m aware of was Mr. William Krar’s intended package to Mr. Edward Feltus. Instead of being delivered to Feltus’ New Jersey address, it was delivered to a Staten Island, NY address. The folks opened the package and found a variety forged UN, DIA, DoD ID badges (e.g., “PNT” and “NCR (A)”); concealed weapons permits; driver’s licenses, etc. all with the same picture but different names and addresses. Krar eventually pled guilty to building and possessing chemical weapons and was sentenced to 11y/3months in federal prison. It was all because a package was delivered to the wrong address and somebody opened it. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Good example … especially w/r/t illustrating differences, imo. How does the homogeneity of Norway’s population compare to the US? Ethnically, religiously, and economically? How do cultural norms regarding commons or shared space differ? The US, there is a concept of the ‘tragedy of the commons’; in Norway there’s a concept of shared responsibility for upkeep and maintenance of shared space in a tangible. My Norwegian is fairly basic, the idea that I’m trying to convey is ‘doog nout’ [phonetic, not correct spelling, sorry ]. How about traditional norms regarding exceptionalism? The US valorizes, celebrates, and rewards the exceptional. Why? I attribute it to both history and geography. America – the nation-state-- was formed by rabble-rousers. Iconoclasts. Stubborn, tenacious folks. Those who left Europe, particularly in the late 1700s and 1800s, didn’t do so because life was good for them in the old country. For most, it wasn’t easy here. We also has a lot of space to expand into. Don’t like your neighbor – move west. It’s in our psyche & our history. It’s a cultural meme that we were taught and that we teach our children: “Manifest destiny” and “rugged individualism” necessitate and simultaneously feed the strong sense of individual liberties and personal freedoms. That drives innovation … or at least makes the ‘weirdos’ who propose outlandish new ways of doing things less likely to be socially dis-incentivized or shunned (once they get out of high school ) While the American culture emphasizes the individual, individuality, and competition, the Norwegian culture does not from what I have seen (unless one invokes Sweden). One can see that in the differences in laws w/r/t private property, trespassing, & camping on someone else’s property. What works well in Norway may (or may not) work well in the US. And there may be policies from which both can learn. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Keynesian Paradox of thrift, eh? /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

How is it misguided? (Because an interpretation does not replicate yours does not make it misguided; it just makes it different. Perhaps you can present a historical, legal, or other argument that will convince me of yours as correct.) And how is your interpretation obvious? On what historical basis do you make that assertion? How is it different than the usage in the Preamble? Yes, I would concur that the framers were not explicit. The Constitution also says nothing about a Space Exploration program, stem cell research, oil industry subsidies, the Farm Bill, systematic signage on the interstate freeway system, nanotechnology, missile defense, thalidomide, ITAR, synthetic genomics, the internet, marijuana, demilitarization of chemical weapons, or the disposal of nuclear waste to name a few. So which of those do we pick & choose among? I suspect (& it's based on historical precendent) that what was prominent in the framers minds was the Elizabethan Poor Acts. Whether the framers intended "promot[ion] of general welfare" to exceed, equal, or otherwise deviate from those is beyond my knowledge of history, as well as how those ideas intersected with the causal motivations of "establish[ing] Justice" and "insure[ing] domestic Tranquility." [Edit to add: I also suspect that the Enlightenment ideals of the time influenced what the framers intended as "general welfare" rather than factional welfare {a contemporary historical term for things that benefited the aristocracy} or individual welfare. Smith published early versions of The Theory of Moral Sentiments prior to the Constitutional Congress, which likely would also have influenced the framers view, imo. Less well known than Smith's more popular work, The Theory of Moral Sentiments promoted the idea that given man's tendency to focus on self-interest it is in society's interest to ensure the general welfare.] /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Uh-uh … I may have been that patient. I had an ASC-US Pap in 2002. When I came in for the bioposy, the doctor had a layman’s article for me to read in the waiting room. I brought articles from NEJM & the Lancet with me. When I was told “atypical squamous cell” and “bioposy”, I didn’t wait til the day of my appointment to do some research. . Watched the colposcopy … “what are you doing now?” “why?”