Monday, September 29, 2008

Credit Chaos

Lots of people talking about the current mess are lawyers, politicians, and people with no credentials other than having a radio show. I really want to hear from economics and finance specialists on this subject, especially regarding the consequences of not bailing out these corporations.

I've found a couple of good collections of links I want to share with you:

"What the $700 Billion Proposal Means for You" is an article from Motley Fool, an investment website.

Culture 11 brings us "5 Easy Pieces" on the economy.

Also, Investor's Business Daily shares some of the history of this mess: "The Real Culprits In This Meltdown"

Finally, here's a little video history courtesy of Fox News (I know, not exactly neutral):



(Click here to view this at YouTube. HT: Verum Serum)

Friday, September 19, 2008

Detecting Government Screw-Ups

Gov't rushing to finish huge financial rescue plan
Rushing: a sure sign the feds are about the drop the ball.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Headlines 9/15/08

=Obama Tried to Stall GI's Iraq Withdrawal
Shocker: Sen. Obama tells two stories to two audiences!
Further evidence that Mr. "Post Partisan" is as partiasn as anyone in Washington.

=On an unrelated note...
Records show McCain more bipartisan

=Eating veggies shrinks the brain
Solid evidence this is not, but still I'm going to have some fun with this :)

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Headlines 9/10/08

= Barack Obama takes heat for 'lipstick on a pig' remark
The One opens mouth, inserts foot.

Much ado about nothing. It was a dumb thing to say, but I doubt he was trying to insult Palin. Frankly, he's not that clever.

= Governor: 'Community Organizer' Is Another Way Of Saying 'Black'
And Paterson is another way of saying "moron."

= Park to Interrogate Adults Entering Without Children
Because no one goes to the park to walk their dogs.

Honestly, this is nuts. This isn't safety; it's harassment.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Demagoguery and Science Illiteracy

Sen. Joe Biden has charged:

"If you care about [children with disabilities], why don't you support stem cell research?"

Where to begin...

Republicans do not oppose stem cell research. (Some) oppose embryonic stem cell research. Adult stem cell research is as popular as ever among Republicans and conservatives.

What's the difference? Well, the former destroys a tiny human being, and the latter has shown actual results.

And neither would do much to help a whole host of birth defects including the one currently in the spotlight -- Down's Syndrome.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Science Illiteracy in the News

Fox News has a piece with the headline "Fear Looms Over Scientist's Experiment to Uncover Secrets of 'Big Bang'."

It contains this gem: "For centuries, scientists have sought unsuccessfully to unlock the secrets of the Big Bang Theory — a model explaining the birth of the universe. "

Prior to the 20th Century, most scientists believed the universe was eternal. The Big Bang Theory was proposed in the 1920s (it got its name in the '40s) and proponents fought with adherents of various eternal universe models for decades.

That the average person doesn't know this is fine; that the science reporters and editors at Fox don't is sad. Incidentally, they link to a report at the Daily Mail that does not contain that silly line. (BTW, I like Fox.)
/* -------------- -----analytics code */