I find this essay interesting because it states one of my most fundamental political beliefs: Not every right is a Constitutional right. I doubt the author and I would agree on what issues and rights we thought important, but the ability to debate about that is an essential part of the democratic process. Link via Obsidian Wings
Over at Fafblog, the always insightful Medium Lobster comments on Donald Rumsfeld’s quest for a lighter, cheaper, faster military. “Few outside the White House have truly appreciated the hard work Secretary Rumsfeld has put into transforming Americas military, turning it from a large, cumbersome force slowly bogging itself down in one war after another, to a lighter, faster, smaller, more flammable army capable of losing numerous conflicts simultaneously.”
Ah, someone has taught rat brain cells to fly a simulated F-22 fighter jet. Rats with weapons…I can’t foresee anything that could go wrong with that, can you? (They were originally going to use cat brain cells, but the planes would lose interest and stare off into the distance.) ;) Update: William Gibson recalls author Cordwainer Smith using laminated rat brains in his 1950s SF stories performing the functions for which we would later use computers. ...
Brilliant. The state of Pennsylvania has just passed a law pretty much requiring that local governments make sure they aren’t going to compete with private companies when they offer broadband as a public service. Interesting precedent. I’d hate the be the municipality trying to put up the town’s first streetlight. Suppose one of the citizens decides to start his own system of flags and hand signals for the main intersection? Courtesy of Techdirt. ...
Fascinating interview by New Scientist with Michael Koubi, former chief interrogator with the Israeli security service Shin Bet, about his career and what he thought of Abu Ghraib. A very self-confident man, but somehow I believe him, except for the parts about there being little “physical pressure.” Somehow I don’t see that holding true in a lot of cases, although I would imagine folks are more susceptible to mental/emotional pressure than we often think. ...
Good commentary on the use of “fascism” and “theocracy” as scare words since the election. I didn’t like the outcome much myself, but I’ve been surprised by how fragile folks seem to think our Republic is. America as we know it will change — it always is changing — and perhaps become something we cannot stand, but I personally doubt we’ve reached a point where drastic change can come in with a bang, rather than sneaking slowly past with a whimper. ...
…and right in the middle of the famed Cyprus Triangle, too. I’ll have to admit, the evidence of the three-kilometer wall sounds pretty good, but I won’t believe it until someone finds the mystical crystal power source, or just asks Aquaman about it. :) Courtesy of Reuters, via Yahoo! News
In today’s email haul: Re: [Anabaptists] 75% off Vicodin. bodyweight tail
Wow…uh…just wow. Don’t even know the words to write about it, particulary given the whole Bloomberg/Giuliani thing. Update: “Particulary,” there’s a new word. :) Courtesy of The New York Times (free registration required)
Everyone but you, Mr. Keyes, everyone but you… Keyes Blames Media, GOP for Loss in Ill. - Yahoo! News BTW, did 1.3 million people really vote for him because they were all single-issue pro-life, or did folks just not pay attention to the race? And if they weren’t paying attention to a race that involved a sex scandal involving Jack Ryan, the first candidate, and Jeri Ryan, his actress ex-wife and Borg-turned-school-teacher; Mike Ditka; and the sheer entertainment of Alan Keyes, what would get people to pay attention to it? ...